No Peace in Our Time

"Could you repeat that?" Will asked. The things he was listening to hurt him. Unthinkable things. Betrayal.

"Gisborne is a member of the gang." Marian replied to him with no trace of emotion in her voice.

"It makes no sense!" Will cried. Every victory over Gisborne would be erased as if it didn't happen? Was he supposed to hug his former tyrannic Master and sworn enemy, now accepting him as a brother-at-arms? "It can't be. You must have understood wrong. The Sheriff must be wrong! What did she say? That Gisborne lives with his enemy. Isn't that what she said? Well there are many who... Many enemies. Not Robin. Never Robin!"

"Are you sure she had no idea of your real identity when you talked to her?" Djaq asked.

"How could she?" Marian replied. "I am supposed to be dead."

"And she talked to you? Just like that? To a complete stranger?" Carter shook his head. "It has to be a trap! She may not know exactly who you are but she must know you are more than you let on. Oh, I knew we shouldn't have come to York!"

"We had to inform Freidrich's associate. It was the plan." Djaq reminded him.

"But did we have to get closer to the Sheriff?"

"Know your enemy. It was a rare opportunity."

It was a risky plan, but once they knew she was there, in York, there was no choice but to get a closer look at her. Marian approached her, came up with a few lies and she was surprised to see how much Isabella needed to talk. Isabella wasn't like in Friedrich's reports. Cold, distant and mistrusting men. Then again, Marian was no man.

Will tried to focus on what the others were talking about. But it was impossible.

"Robin?"

"Yes?" Robin replied. There was a smile on his face. He had always been kind. The war didn't change that. If anything his kindness was greater now.

"I wanted to tell you..." Will started, but hesitated. He was talking to a man who used to be the high authority of his village. Even if now they were both outlaws were they equals? Could they ever be?

"Tell me, Will. What troubles you?" He stopped making arrows and turned to him.

"Nothing." Will said quickly.

"Is that so?" Robin laughed. "No roof over your head, your family gone, you're hunted down like a criminal and nothing troubles you?!"

All those things were true and yet not scaring. "It was a hard choice but I am glad to have made it. I know it's going to be difficult but I want to fight."

"You've never fought before, have you? Hurt another person? Take a man's life?"

Will shook his head. He was scared that he'd be rejected because of his inexperience. He wanted to be part of the change but what if Robin believed he wasn't good enough?

"Why do you want to fight?" Robin asked and Will knew that his answer would either help him or send him away.

"To make things better. To have a roof over my head once again. To get my family back. To stop running."

Robin smiled again. "You're a brave young man, Will Scarlet. With a good heart. I am proud to fight by your side."

This was one of Will's happiest moments. He had always looked up to Robin. He was inspired by him. He wanted to be like him. Even in his darkest hour, Robin decided to fight for the people, for England. He gave up any ideas of searching for Marian's grave to return to the people who needed him. But he swore to make Gisborne pay. What happened to that? What happened and everything Gisborne had done didn't matter anymore?

"So, you didn't learn much." The conversation still revolved around the Sheriff.

"Well, it was unlikely she'd reveal her plans, no matter how much distracted she was."

"Distracted by what?"

"I am not quite sure yet, but this might be our advantage."

"Meaning?"

Will tried again to participate but he failed. Again. "How can you be so calm?! Why aren't you boiling with rage? Our friends allied themselves with the enemy! How can you not care?" he asked no one particular, but everyone knew he was asking Marian.

Marian stood up. "You don't have to raise your voice to feel rage, Will." She walked out of the barn where they had taken shelter on their way to Nottingham.

Sherwood Forest

"Unbelievable!" the servant exclaimed. "Why, of all the places and all the people, it had to be you?"

"Good day to you too, servant." Guy mocked him. It wasn't the words. It was his expression, the way he just walked past him as if the man before him was no better than the dirt under their feet. In all this madness there was still a part of him that was just plain cruel, for no reason at all.

Hasn't it always been this way?

The servant's face turned red.

"Don't be offended." Guy laughed. "It is merely the way of things. Some are born to lead and others are born to serve. You'd best accept it and do what you're moderately good at."

"Yes, Sir!" the servant cried. "I am a servant. I serve good people. I help people. I stand by them when they need it. But who I am talking to! Honestly, I've seen men caring for their livestock more than you did for your own sister, selling her like an object!"

Guy rolled his eyes, not even bothering to defend himself against the accusation.

Ever the compassionate soul.

"What to expect from a man who killed the woman he claimed he loved?!"

"Shut up!" Guy growled.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" the servant prepared himself for Guy's attack and Guy thought he probably should attack. But why couldn't he?

Weak...

"My sister is not one of those nice girls you know. And, believe me, you are lucky you don't know her. Dangerous; deathly if she comes too close."

Guy didn't say a word about Marian.

What's to say anyway?

The servant couldn't and wouldn't be stopped.

"Perhaps she had always been that way, or perhaps you made her what she is. In any case you wronged her, and if she is indeed cut from the same cloth as you, it won't be long before she has her revenge. Any case, not my concern. But Marian!" the servant began to cry. "She cared for you, you know. She could never love you, but she cared whether you lived or died, and that cannot be said for many people, can it?"

"Not for anyone among the living, no." There was this girl. Young and beautiful. What was her name? He couldn't remember. She died in his arms and he couldn't remember.

Monsters don't have a good memory?

"You are a murderer. Torturing, killing people. Will's father! He died because of you! Do you remember Dan Scarlet, or Kate's brother? You could have at least killed the Sheriff while you were at it."

"On that we agree." Vaisey should have died sooner. Things would be different if Vaisey had died sooner. That idiot with his bow, could have killed him sooner!

But there were other idiots as well. Idiots with swords. The Sheriff' second in command, for example.

"Look, what we have here!" A voice called from behind them. "The notorious Lieutenant and Hood's favorite pet!" It was a guard and ten more heaved in sight.

"Tie them up and get them to Locksley. The Master will be happy."

"New Master?"

"Your brother," the servant spoke. "Archer."

"Already?" Guy laughed.

"You must have missed the place, haven't you?" the guard said.

"I recognize you. You were a guard, weren't you? Under my command?"

"I am still a guard, you're the one gone."

"Yes, I remember. You were only a boy when I gave you job, and money and purpose." He could remember even the day, but not the name of the boy.

No names, only shadows.

"Yes, you did."

"So ungrateful, then?" Guy asked.

"I was even younger when you sent my father to the quarry to die. I guess my gratitude runs low, as does your benevolence."

"Then why did you work for him?" the servant asked, baffled by the contradiction in the man's words. "What kind of person works for the man who was responsible for a parent's death?"

"Your Master, Master Robin, was as ignorant of our suffering as this one was."

"That's not true!" the servant erupted. "He always cared for his people. He didn't eat unless everyone else had food on their plates. Don't you remember?"

"I do remember him galloping away, not a single care for what he was leaving behind. It might have been different for you, because you were with him, but the rest of us couldn't survive on his noble cause and his honorable sacrifice, not even for one day, let alone five years. Now shut up, and pray he comes to save you."

When the guard craned his neck to look behind, the servant gasped, his eyes wide open.

"Oh! The scar! I know him!"

"We've already covered who he is!"

"This man is not who he says he is."

Guy looked at him. The servant seemed to truly believe the nonsense he was bubbling about. "Trouble?" he asked.

The servant took a deep breath. "Trouble."

"Good, then."

Good, she spoke again inside his head. She never really stopped. Since that day on the ship. Always hissing from the corners of his mind.

No peace in your life. See how you like it!

Many months ago on a ship

"Step back."

"Let us have a taste, captain."

"Step back." The captain spoke in a cold voice which was more scary than anything she had heard before. The man crawled out of the cabin.

"I tried to keep you a secret, but there's always a mouth talking."

"Water," Marian asked.

Five days on board and this was the first word she said. Water was given to her, to drink and to wash. She was no longer in bounds. She rubbed her aching wrists.

The captain snapped his fingers and a man appeared with a tray of food. "It's good. From my own plate." He took a bite and gave her the rest.

She looked at the sailor. He was short and bearded and bald and with no teeth.

"He's not easy on the eyes, our Ranulf, but he's loyal to the end of days."

"What does that mean for me?"

"It means that whatever happens on this ship, that will not happen to you." The captain said. "He'll make sure of it, when I am not around."

Marian didn't trust him. A guarantee for no rapes was far fetched on a slave ship.

"Why?" It was possible he wanted her for himself.

"I have other plans for you."

Marian balled her hands into fists.

"Easy now! Not that kind of plans." He sat down opposite of her. "I know you took care of the one who tried. Good work, by the way. Why do you think I let it go? Anyone harming my crew, dies. Why do you think I let you live?"

"Two." Marian said.

"What?"

Marian pointed at the dark corner of the tiny cabin.

A man was lying unconscious, his legs broken.

"How did I missed this?! Who's this? Oh, the idiot from my hometown. It's always the idiot from the hometown, isn't that so? Oh, well." The captain nodded. "Ranulf, throw him in the sea."

The bearded man dragged the body and disappeared.

"Now answer me. Why do I let you live?"

Marian didn't know. She honestly didn't know. And she didn't know what would be good for her. If there was anything good for her anymore.

"Your skills."

"Fighting?" She faintly remembered him saying something the day she woke up on his ship.

"Killing. Remarkable. There's work to be done, surely, but the material is there."

"Who are you?"

"Not a slave trader. There are no slaves here."

"Then what?"

"Sailors who run the ship and assassins." He showed her his branded arm. A black sword with a silver hilt. "And of course those few who train to be assassins. Like yourself."

"Am I to become an assassin?"

"You believe it's wrong? Appalling?"

Marian didn't know. Not anymore. It had to be, though.

"Don't you have someone you want to see dead?"

She didn't know if there was any reason to live and that was why she didn't know if it was wrong to kill. But she knew one man had to die. "Yes."

"Forget it for now, and one day you will be able to see it done." The captain's voice was promising as it was terrifying. "It is how I started."

"You had your revenge?"

"I did."

"Is it-"

"Better? No. I am burning."

She didn't believe him. "You don't look angry. You don't sound angry."

"You don't have to raise your voice to feel rage."