Chapter 8

Arce

Marian swung her sword and it clashed against Carter's. She spun around swinging her other out in front of here.

"Good Marian." Carter said fighting of her attack. He dodged a series of moves and then finished the fight by disarming her and pointing his sword to her. "But still a bit more work to do." He said. Marian sighed, she wanted to go home. "One more week and we'll be ready,"

"That's one week to long." Marian sighed

"Marian we can't rush this."

"I know."

"Come on, let's go and see what everyone else is doing." Carter suggested, Marian nodded in agreement and they headed across the camp. They could hear horse's hooves thundering across the floor. As the approached a crowd of men Marian could see two horses at a time, each with a rider charging towards a target. The men would run at it with a sword and aim to hit the target in the middle.

"It's pointless." Marcus said as he walked across to them

"Pardon?" Marian asked confused.

"The men find it pointless, they are all bored of it and it's easy."

"Then change it." Marian suggested simply.

"Yes but to what?" Marcus said wishing it were that simply. Marian looked around a spotted some rope circles.

"I have an idea." Marian said. "Carter I need your help." Marian headed in the direction of the rings. She picked them up. "Carter knock some posts in the ground."

A while later Marian and Carter had got the game ready. There were 3 posts with the rope rings stood up on top of them and there was a hole dug at the end. Marian explained the aim to everyone, "Your in teams of 3 and you use your sword to collect a ring once you have it you race to the end and drop the ring in the hole and then race back to the start then you team mate goes."

"Go on then you two show us how it's done." Marcus said. Handing Marian the reins of one horse and Carter the other.

"You may be able to beat me a sword fights soldier. But this one is all mine." Marian smiled to Carter.
"Yeah, yeah, we will see." Carter replied laughing.
"Ready, steady. GO!" Marcus shouted and Carter and Marian kicked their horses into action.

Outlaw camp

"Marian." Robin whispered. "Marian." His whispers grew louder and louder until he woke himself up. Robin rubbed his hand through his hair to find it soaked. He had been sweating again. Adam had only been in the gang for a few weeks and he was unused to Robin's shouts throughout the night. He normally lay in bed listening until Robin stopped and then he would go to sleep himself, he too was awake in his bunk. He rolled over silently and watched as Robin pulled on his boots and headed out of the back of the camp. Adam decided he should follow him, perhaps talking about her would help Robin and himself. He pulled on his boots and headed in the direction Robin had gone.

Robin sat on the top of the ravine he had done the night he asked Marian to marry him, so many years ago before he had gone to war. So much had changed since then and now he just felt hollow. He heard a branch snap behind him and he turned quickly pulling out his knife. He relaxed when he spotted it was Adam.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Robin said.

"It's alright don't worry. I was already awake." Adam smiled. It was lost on Robin, he was suddenly in a whole new pit of grief. Robin sat back down and Adam joined him, the two sat in silence for a while into Robin finally spoke.

"You know this is the place where I asked her to marry me the first time." He said.

"Really?" Adam smiled at the thought of that.

"Yeah, she was so shocked." Robin smiled. "She was so happy because she could see Knighton and Locksley. She said it would be a symbol of the too coming together."

"That sounds like our Marian." Adam smiled.

"I shouldn't have gone to war Adam." Robin offered it felt good to talk to someone who had been here and had known her well. "What was she like when I was gone?"
"She was different. She changed a lot. To start with she was fragile and she looked broken, I thought when I hugged her if I squeezed to tight she might break." Adam laughed. "She always accused me of treating her like a doll." Robin laughed at that as well.

"What else?" Robin asked.

"When she was done grieving she found new strength, I was sure she was stronger than she had ever been, obviously she became the night watchman and there was Dan. The suitors that didn't suit. Ashley of Leighton."

"I thought she had married him when I was at war. I was glad to come home and see it not true." Robin said.

"She never loved him, her heart always belonged to you."

"Yeah and look where it got her." Robin sighed struck with grief again, had it really been nearly 4 months since her death.

"Robin."

"Yes Adam." Robin sighed, Adam swallowed.

"What happened?" Adam asked. Robin bowed his head and shook it.

"I don't know." He gasped struggling to fight back tears. "I came around the corner to see her lying on the ground with a sword sticking out of her stomach and Gisborne backing away slowly." Tears began to fall down his cheeks. "The king said she ran into front of Gisborne to block him from getting to the king, but he blacked out between her running across the courtyard until me shouting her name." Robin sighed. "I told her to hide Adam, I told her to stay hidden."

"She never did listen to you."

"I wish just one time she did, because she would be here now. On the way home I cursed her name so many times, for once why wouldn't she listen. And then every time I realised that was one of the things that made me love her so much. That because she was so strong and independent. She was a fighter who never gave up. She made me love her more than I thought I ever could love someone." Robin quickly wiped the tears away.

"Do you think about her?" Adam asked knowing the answer.
"Every day Adam. I dream of her every night, most are good dreams, but nights like tonight when the bad ones creep in. I live for my nights because I finally feel happy, I feel like I can fight another day because I can see her at the end of it and then the bad ones come and they blacken the week. It makes it hard to fight, but I do for my people and hers. Because they need me, as much as I needed her and I will not abandon them." Robin admitted.

"Robin, I don't think she's dead." Adam admitted. Robin stared at him for a moment saying nothing. "I think I would know if she died, I think I'd feel worse than I do, she was like my sister. I think I'd feel like I do about Mark. But I don't. Does that make sense?"

"Yes it does, because I feel the same, sometimes for a moment I have a glimmer of hope in me that somehow against all odds that she survived and that she will come home, but we both know she isn't coming home." Robin sighed. "Come on, let's get back to bed."