Chapter 4

"Adam let me go." Robin was awake, it was now late afternoon.

"No Robin I can't do that. The people need you."

"God dam it Adam let me go."

"No." Adam said simply as he continued to make arrows like Marian had taught him all those years ago. A whistle came from outside Adam lifted his head and headed outside. Robin saw his chance, he wriggled himself from his bounds and collected his shirt which was now dry thanks to being next to the fire. Adam was stood at the entrance. "You're not going anywhere Robin." Adam said. Robin drew in his breath and then punched Adam in the face knocking him to the floor then he took off running.

"Robin stop." Brother William ran into him on the path.

"Please I am finally free of this let me go." Robin sighed.

"Robin." Adam came from behind him. "She wouldn't want this." Robin turned to look at him with tears in his eyes.
"Robin Hood is dead Adam. He died with Marian."

"Come with me." Adam said. Robin stared at him and then nodded.

Locksley

Adam led Robin to the mound overlooking Locksley. Robin sat looking at the devastation caused by Gisborne's latest attack.

"This is your village Robin." Adam said. "Her village."

"I have nothing left Adam."
"Robin, the people need you, Locksley needs you and now Knighton needs you more than ever. It gets worse Robin and will do from now on."

"Adam how can I protect them when I walk a few yards I'm shattered. I gave everything, I gave my home, my lands, I gave the life of my wife and…" Robin stammered struck by a new grief he hadn't thought you. "And I gave the life of our unborn child." Tears spilled down Robin's face.

"Marian was pregnant." Adam gasped. Robin nodded.

"She told me the day before my birthday." Robin sighed. "So you see Adam I can't give anything else."

"Robin, I knew Marian almost as well as you and there is one thing that I know and that it is she would not want you to give up."

"But what can I do. I lift my bow and I see her."

"Then use that as a will to go on. Not a cause to give up. If she knew you were giving up because of her she would turn in her grave." Robin shook his head.

"I can't Adam, I'm sorry."

"I have one more thing to show you. Come on." Adam grabbed Robin's shirt and dragged him along.

Sherwood Forest

The sun had moved across the sky and it was now dark as Adam lead Robin through Sherwood Forest.

"Look." Adam said stopping, pointing to the tree. Robin looked at the sight before him, there where candles and a bow and arrow all arranged in a shrine, there were drawings of Robin and his gang, a drawing of his outlaw tag.
"What is this?" Robin asked.

"It's a shrine for you Robin." Adam said. "The people of Locksley made it for you to say good bye."

"Why would they do this?"

"Because Robin, you mean so much more to everyone than you realise."

"Adam, what part of I can't don't you understand."

"The part where you are giving up." Adam said, Robin shook his head. "Robin there is one more thing you should know."

"What?"
"The Sheriff has captured the gang. He is going to execute them tomorrow."

Nottingham castle – the following day

Adam and Brother William weaved their way through the crowd as the Sherrif was speaking.

"Ready and fire." The Sheriff shouted. The guard pulled the leaver and fire a big arrow towards the gang.

"We have to do something," Adam said watching as another arrow was loaded into the machine.

"No we wait for Robin." Brother William said, "Besides if im not mistaken something amazing is about to happen. Look." William pointed to the sun and Adam squinted and looked up.
"It's covering over."

"Exactly." Brother William said, he pulled a torch from beneath his robe. The courtyard began to darken.

"Set that arrow on fire." The Sheriff ordered, Adam readied his bow. Where was Robin? He thought to himself.

"Wait in the name of god." William lit his torch and walked in front of the gang. "Soon god will speak and the skies will darken and the sun will disappear."

"The monks been on the mushrooms." The Sheriff shouted, "Someone arrest him." Nobody not even the guards moved as the courtyard grew darker. Robin was on top of the battlements and looked up to the sky, it had gone dark, Brother William had been right last night.

"There, its happening." Brother William began to speak again. "Have faith." He shouted over the panicking crowd. "For soon a new day will dawn and we will be saved."

"Fire that machine!" The sheriff shouted. Again the guards did not move.

"For out of this darkness. A legend will rise, he will be re born." William continued to shout.

"I will do it properly." The sheriff growled storming towards the machine. Robin fired three arrows from his place and set his friends free and the gang dashed away from their place in front of the cross bow. The sheriff pulled the lever to find nobody there.

"Where have they gone?" The Sheriff seethed as he walked towards the board only to discover Robin's arrows in the back of the board.

"You see the sun emerges again." William smiled pointing to the sky. "And like Englands protector. The journey is complete. He appears into the light and he will save you. He has returned, the legend is alive!"

"Surprise, surprise." Jasper growled from behind his chair.

"No it can't be." Gisborne backed away towards the door.

"You incompetent fool!" The sheriff shouted at Gisborne just as Robin fired 2 arrows planting him against the board.

"NOOOO." Gisborne screamed as Robin fired to arrows pinning him to the door.

"I am Robin Hood." Robin shouted from the battlements. "Your humble servent, it is for you that I live to fight the evil that chokes this country. No longer shall we live in fear and darkness. We must stand together, only then will the sun rise on this country, our England. Once more!"

"Robin a gift from the Sheriff." William ran across the courtyard having emptied Jaspers carriage of its money. He threw the bags into the air and Robin fired an arrow through the one and then the other showering the peasants below with gold coins. He threw his bow to the ground and then jumped onto a cloth his men were holding for him. Robin darted across the courtyard towards Gisborne who was still stuck to the door. He drew his knife and held it to his throat.

"Do it please?" Gisborne begged.

"You want this,"

"I live in hell."

"Then stay there." Robin growled, he sliced a line in Gisborne's cheek and then ran back to his gang. The gang and William ran from the castle towards Sherwood Forest, while Adam stood in the courtyard watching and smiling.

Sherwood Forest

"Im sorry you cannot return to Locksley." Robin said to Brother William as the stood outside the camp.

"No, I intend to travel south. Speaking of what happened here today. Giving England hope." Brother William said smiling. "Godspeed Robin and good luck."

"Thank you William." Robin and the priest embraced before William pulled up his hood and headed south.

"Now gang, I think I have an apology to make." Robin said turning to his gang.

"What's a few punches and scuffs between old friends." Allan laughed.

"I am sorry, for everything I said to you." Robin said. "I didn't mean what I said. I do need you. All of you."

"Of course you do." Much replied. "We ARE ROBIN HOOD." He shouted. The rest of the gang smiled and raised their hands in the air.

"WE ARE ROBIN HOOD."

Adam walked towards the camp later that evening "Robin." He called as he drew closer to the camp. The door opened before him to find Robin and his much smaller gang stood behind him.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked concerned.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. I've come to get you all." Adam said. "It's time to say goodbye to Marian. Properly."

"I cannot bury an empty coffin Adam." Robin sighed shaking his head.

"I know, none of us could, so I came up with another idea. Come with me and see." Adam said. The gang smiled and Robin nodded. Adam led the gang towards Locksley.

"What are we doing here?" Robin asked. He could see a crowd of villagers stood over by the pond, he could just make out a wooden boat with a fire burning next to it. The crowd opened for Adam and the outlaws and they stopped in front of the boat.

"None of us wanted to bury a coffin with nothing inside, so I came up with this idea. We built a boat and filled it with things belonging to her. Robin looked inside the boat and smiled at what he saw. Her night-watchman stuff was in there, there was a dress and some drawings which Sophia had done of her.

"We send the boat into the lake and then we can all fire a flaming arrow into it." Adam said. Something caught Robin's eye in the boat. He reached in and grabbed a ring. It was their first engagement ring.

"Where did you find this?" Robin breathed staring at the ring before him.

"It was in a box of stuff we managed to save from the fire." Adam said. Robin nodded and placed the ring in his pocket. He reached for her mask as well and put that in his pocket also.

"Ok I'm ready." Robin sighed. He grabbed on end of the boat and Adam grabbed the other. They gave the boat a hard push and watch it glide out into the pond. Once it was in the middle of the pond Adam handed Robin an arrow dipped in pitch. The rest of the crowd with a bow grabbed an arrow as well. Robin held the arrow into the fire until it was a light and then he notched it into his bow. He drew back the string, took a deep breath and fired the arrow. It hit directly in the middle of the boat. Then a shower of flaming arrows flew across the water landing in or around the boat. Robin watched as the boat became engulfed in flames. Tears streamed down Robin's face, he turned to his left to see Sophia crying and to his right Adam was also crying. He pulled Sophia into his side and she cried into his shoulder and he grabbed Adam on the shoulder Adam placed his hand on Robin's arm.

"Thank you Adam." He said.

"At least now she can rest in peace and we've all said goodbye." Adam said. Robin hugged Sophia tight to his chest.

"Goodbye my love." He whispered as he watched the boat begin to break into pieces.