"There's only one thing I want to do, Robin," Marian said, answering his invitation. "I want to go to Knighton."
Robin wasn't surprised. Hadn't he told Much, only last night, that he thought she might go there? "I understand," he told her, gently. "I went there last night, looking for you. I need to warn you, Marian, there's nothing left. Are you prepared?"
She nodded, her eyes wide with hurt.
But when they arrived, she realized nothing could have prepared her for this.
Nothing was left of her home but charred ground. The house had stood here, she thought...my room was there. The stables gone, too? What had happened to her beautiful horse, Vesper, and her father's horse? They had been shut in for the night. What panic, what fear, what pain had they suffered?
She began shaking all over. Sharing her sense of loss, Robin gently wrapped her in his arms and stood silently holding her until her shaking subsided.
It wasn't just her property, he knew. It was once again coming to grips with the loss of her father.
"There's one thing," he said softly. "It isn't much, but it can mean hope."
"What?" she asked.
He dug the toe of his boot into the ground. Small green plants were pushing up through the soil. "Your garden," he said.
Her herb garden! How she had loved tending it!
"There's thyme," she recognized. "And rosemary, for remembrance. At least, that's what the poets say."
She felt numb, but pushed ahead, trying to be brave, and remember.
"Do you recall, Robin, when my father changed his mind about our betrothal?"
"I do. I never understood that. I hope I had done nothing to offend him."
"No. He always said you had a heart of gold, but that it wasn't a golden age. Little did he suspect what kind of an age it would become!"
Robin stayed silent, knowing that Marian needed to unburden her heart.
"He worried your ideals were holding too great a sway over me. Not that he didn't admire them. He only felt we were naïve. He believed you gave too much of your wealth toward helping your people, and that I would suffer for it."
"He wanted you to have the best of everything. He loved you."
"We were often at odds. I was a willful daughter. But I loved him, too. He was a good man. Thank you for telling me he died a hero."
"Marian, when the King returns, I will rebuild Knighton for you."
"No. Thank you, that's kind, but no. Whatever it was I was looking for today is gone, and rebuilding can't bring it back."
A tear slid down her cheek, and Robin held her again.
She felt his arms tense, as he said, "Did you hear that?"
She could only hear his heartbeats.
"A scream," he told her. "Someone's in trouble. I'm sorry, but I need to go."
"Let me come with you."
He couldn't deny her anything now. "Alright, but Marian, please, follow my orders. You need to stay safe."
She followed him, running toward where he thought the scream had come.
"Get down," he ordered, pulling her with him to the ground.
Looking down the hill, they could see the Sheriff and Gisbourne and six castle guards. Two small boys were tied up together, huddled on the ground, crying. Another boy staggered on his feet, lunging and falling while the Sheriff danced around him, laughing.
"That's Daniel and Mark," Robin whispered.
Marian knew who they were. They were honorary members of the gang who played Robin Hood in the woods. "Who's the third boy?" she asked. "Robin! He hasn't any eyes!"
Together, they saw the fire, with irons in it.
"Surely the Sheriff didn't burn out his eyes!" she cried.
"Blind Man's Bluff, Gisbourne," they heard the Sheriff crow. "So, my little friends," Vaisey continued, addressing the boys, "you like to play games in the forest, do you, hmm? Like to play at being Robin Hood?" He pointed to them, one by one. "Winken, Blinken, and Nod. Well, I can play games, too. And since you won't tell me where Robin Hood is, you will help me draw him out with your screams. Another victim, Gisbourne."
Marian watched as Guy of Gisbourne loosened the ropes tying Daniel and Mark together. She saw him seize Daniel by the hair on his head and shove him toward the fire.
"Sizzle, sizzle," the Sheriff cooed, excitedly.
"Robin, kill the Sheriff," Marian demanded. "If you don't, I will."
"It's me he wants. Goodbye, Marian."
"Robin, no! Is it better to sacrifice yourself, and your men, rather than pointing an arrow and killing him now?"
"Justice, Marian-"
"Justice will mean he will stand trial and die, when the King returns. Let him die now. If you turn yourself in to the Sheriff, your men and I will try to rescue you, and likely fail. Do you really want to risk my neck?"
Robin stared hard at her.
One guard was holding Daniel while another approached him, holding a red hot iron from the fire.
Immediately, Robin fired an arrow, knocking the iron from the guard's hands.
"Oh, very good!" cried the Sheriff. "I thought I might flush you out! But your effort's wasted, Hood. I have a lot more irons than you have arrows."
"Then say your prayers," Robin called, loosing an arrow and watching Vaisey fall to the ground.
"Hood!" Gisbourne bellowed.
"You're next, Gisbourne," Robin shouted back. "Blinding children now? Let the boys go, or you follow your master straight to hell."
Laughter greeted Robin's command. The Sheriff stood up, his eyes scanning the hilltop. "Remember this, Hood?" he called, showing the thick wooden shield on his chest pierced with Robin's arrow. "Was I scared? A clue...no. I came prepared. This is the third time you tried to kill me, and I didn't die!"
"Only the third? I have a lot of catching up to do. I can't count how many times you've tried to kill me."
"Well, blah de blah de blah."
"Let the boys go. NOW!"
"Not until I have you in my clutches, Hood. But maybe just the one. You," the Sheriff said, pointing to the blinded boy, "you're free to go. Good luck finding your way home. Oh, this is good! I like this!" The Sheriff laughed while the boy staggered hopelessly about.
"Shall we blind this runt?" Gisbourne asked the Sheriff, kicking at Daniel who crouched on the ground.
Robin could think of no other solution. "Stay hidden," he told Marian. "When it's safe, take the boys home to their mothers. Then, tell the gang I've been captured. But swear to me, Marian, you won't try to rescue me."
"I have another solution," she told him. "Let me go to them. I can convince Guy, who in turn might convince the Sheriff. It will only mean me returning to the castle."
"It won't work. The Sheriff won't yield, Marian."
"You must let me try!"
"No. Promise me you'll do as I ask."
"I cannot make that promise."
"Then I'll have to risk it."
He kissed her quickly, then stood, showing himself.
"Here I am, Sheriff," he announced, swaggering down the hill. "I put myself in your clutches."