Once dusk appeared and it grew too dark to identify the plants she wanted, Isabella returned to Locksley to discover the sheriff and Prince John listening to Meg hysterically relate what had happened to Guy.

Meg had changed from Marian's black gown to another one of the low cut outfits Gisbourne had provided Marian after the fire he had set to her home destroyed her more modest clothing. Meg wore Marian's short sleeved pale blue blouse and thigh hugging dark grey skirt, along with a laced stomacher. Prince John found her quite fetching.

"Don't worry, my dear," the prince cooed. "We'll get Gisbourne back from that mean, horrible, nasty Hood!"

"You will, Sire?"

"Of course!"

Isabella grew worried. If Prince John switched his desire from her to Meg, she was finished! She raced into the manor and threw herself at Prince John's feet. "My king!" she cried. "How I love you!"

"Oh, you adorable girl! Arise, and greet your king!"

She kissed his ring, using plenty of tongue, then stood and looked alluringly into his face. "How I missed you, Sire!"

Prince John looked disgusted. "What happened to your hair?"

"Hood's men hacked some of it off. I am sorry it offends you, Sire."

"It does!"

"Perhaps if I wore it up...? And nothing else," she added, enticingly.

"Oooh! How splendid! But perhaps some jewels in your ears, as well."

"I have some I believe Your Majesty will enjoy. You can remove them with your teeth."

"How novel! Let us retire to your bedchamber, and remove everything with our teeth!"

Isabella giggled seductively. "It is growing far too hot, Sire, to be dressed as we are. If Your Majesty will follow me...?"

"Lead the way!"

Meg stared after them in surprise. "Is she...?" she asked Sheriff Vasey.

"A leper, yes," he answered, bored and disgusted. "Tell me, Missy, you were just in Hood's camp. Where do you think Hood took Gisbourne, hmm?"

"I don't know. But you should be able to follow his horse's tracks."

"Oh! Gisbourne's special horseshoes?"

"Yes."

"Oh! This is good! This is good!" Strutting from the manor, the sheriff summoned his guard. "Who's up for a little ride through the forest, hmm?" He began to sing. "A hunting we will go, we'll catch a little Hoodie, and put him in my dungeon, and never let him go, tra la!"

...

After returning Fauvel to the meadow, Marian raced back to camp to enlist the aid of Robin's men to help her locate Robin and Gisbourne. But after splitting up and searching the forest, all returned to camp at nightfall unsuccessful.

"What do we do now?" Much asked anxiously. "I mean, Robin's been this way before toward Gisbourne, and only Marian could talk sense into him. And if she couldn't do it today, then I think...I think...What do we do?"

"We pray," Tuck advised. "Then get some sleep."

"Sleep?" Much cried. "Unbelievable! I won't be able to sleep tonight! Not until Robin returns!"

"Nor will I," Marian agreed.

"Not bein' funny, but it wasn't Marian talking Robin sane," Allan remembered. "It was Little John knocking him on his ass. Boom!"

"His head," Little John corrected him.

The camp opened, revealing a grim faced Robin.

Kate raced forward and flung herself against him.

"Robin!" Much cried elatedly. "You're back!" Then, accusingly, "Where have you been?"

"Not far," he answered, his voice dead of emotion.

"And Gisbourne?" Marian asked.

For the first time in his life, Robin openly lied to Marian. "I let him go."

Everyone but Allan breathed sighs of relief. Allan swore under his breath, knowing Gisbourne was after him.

Djaq asked, "His wounds, Robin? Will he recover?"

"They're nothing!" he shouted at her.

"Robin," Will objected.

"I'm sorry, Djaq," Robin apologized, his voice lacking its usual warmth and expression. "I should not have spoken so."

"Let's go to bed," Much advised. "I, for one, am tired. We all need some rest, I think."

Will and Djaq bid them goodnight and left to sleep in their new shelter. The other outlaws climbed into their bunks, and Marian took Robin's cold, unresponsive hand in hers and led him to their forest home.

Once inside, she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Tell me," she said.

"Can it wait until morning? I'm exhausted."

"Of course. Goodnight then, my husband."

They lay upon their bed. She wanted to tell him what she had learned about the king, but decided that news must also wait. After kissing him goodnight, she snuggled into his arms. "I'm proud of you," she told him. "A part of me is grateful you hurt him, but mostly I'm glad you let him go. I love you, Robin." She fell asleep almost immediately, but Robin lay awake, tormented by his conscience. Easing Marian out of his arms, he tried to sleep, but could only toss and turn upon the bed. Unable to be still, he rose and paced the small chamber, arguing with himself in his mind.

He'd done wrong. As much as he wanted Gisbourne to pay for his crimes, he could not allow him to die the way he had left him. Robin knew he could have killed him instantly with an arrow to his heart and not flinched, or battled an unwounded Gisbourne to the death with swords, or even watched him hang after a just and fair trial. But he had wounded him then left him to die alone! He judged himself cowardly, unjust, and barbaric. Unable to stand himself any longer, he tried to shut out his thoughts, and climbed back into bed.

It wasn't any use. When he closed his eyes, he could see Gisbourne as he had left him, and the image ate at him. He almost shared in Gisbourne's imagined sufferings, while his conscience accused him of cowardice, brutality, and cruelty, and to a lesser extent, lying to his wife. He began tossing and turning again, so violently he woke up Marian.

She gave a small moan. "Mmm, what's wrong, Robin? Why can't you sleep?"

"I lied to you, Marian. I didn't let Gisbourne go."

She sat up. "Where is he? Robin, you didn't kill him?"

"I don't know whether he's dead or alive. I left him tied to a tree."

"He was wounded. He can't free himself, or travel if he could."

"I have to go back. I have to take Djaq and Tuck, to help him."

"I'll come with you."

"Wake Tuck for me. I'll fetch Djaq. I'm sorry, my love. I've never lied to you before."

"We'll talk about that later."

While Marian was waking Tuck, Robin went to get Djaq. He was surprised upon entering Will and Djaq's shelter to find Will still up, carving a baby cradle.

"It's for us," Will explained, both proud and shy. "Djaq's expecting a baby."

Robin couldn't seem to take in the news, not while he was preoccupied with his guilt over Gisbourne. "Congratulations," he managed to blurt out. "I need your wife. Djaq, wake up!"

Djaq blinked her eyes awake. "Robin?" she asked sleepily.

"I need you to come tend Gisbourne. I might have killed him. In fact, he may already be dead."

"Gisbourne?" Djaq repeated, not yet fully awake.

"You'll need your medicine chest and bandages. You'll need to dig four arrow points out from his arms and legs."

Djaq understood. Will was already gathering her things for her. "It will be alright, Robin," Djaq said kindly.

"Thank you. I'm pleased about your baby," he added, meaning it.

She blushed then met Will's proud, happy gaze. "So are we."

Djaq hurried to go with Robin, Marian, and Tuck. She and the holy man had gradually become friends, both of them well educated and interested in the same things. Tuck carried her medicine chest for her.

They were all fully armed, and gathered torches to see by. Feeling hollow inside, Robin led the way to Gisbourne. "This way," he told them, leading them through the night.