Oh Brother, Where Are You?

Sherwood forest, on the road to Locksley

"Her behavior..." Will whispered.

Djaq nodded. The way Marian responded to the recent news was scaring. At first Djaq believed it wouldn't go on forever. There had to be a more vivid reaction to the news. However, days passed and nothing changed. The longer it'd take for it to happen the worse it would be.

"She reminds me of my days when I was seeking revenge." Carter said.

Djaq stared at Will to see if she'd recognize her fear in his eyes. She did.

Rochelle and Olaf had been silent observers to the developments. Not knowing the previous lives of their companions in full detail, they could only estimate the current situation based on what they had learned about Marian this past few months; which wasn't much. Great fighter, vigilant, loyal, fast and lethal. For all they knew this was normal behavior. But they agreed to be prepared for anything.

Djaq nodded again. Words escaped her. Carter's comment alarmed her in a way she hadn't thought before. Carter had been vengeful. Same could be told for Marian. Gisborne would meet his punishment very soon. But...

Djaq approached Carter and made sure no one was listening to them. "When you said she reminds you of your former self... in what way?"

"No rest. Only anticipation. Even her breathing is moderated, focused."

"Like a hunter."

"You saw it too, then?"

"Your words made me think. She had always been a formidable fighter but now there's another quality... Olaf called her lethal."

"And that says something."

"It does."

"Whatever happened to her all those months we were apart affected her. What do you think happened?"

"We're on our way to Gisborne. He knows. And he will tell."

"If we manage to keep him alive long enough."

"We are keeping him alive." Djaq said decisively. "Perhaps... Perhaps this is why Robin keeps him close too. To learn the truth."

Carter wasn't convinced. "Robin would have the truth by now. There's something else going on."

"My men have already made camp as we discussed." Olaf told them.

"Then go to them, Olaf. It would be best if we didn't destroy in one moment any good opinion you might have about us."

"It can't be worse than my family's gatherings."

Rochelle crossed her arms on her chest. "Lead the way."

"Good then. Let's meet the gang."

"Wait!" Marian halted a few feet ahead of them. They all stood by their horses. "There are voices." She drew closer to the source of the noise. "Men. More than five. One voice stands out. Very distinct. Very annoyed." She turned to them and she was smiling. "Much!"

Before they could rejoice at the prospect of seeing one of the nicest men in England, terror filled the air as Marian uttered another name.

"Gisborne."

Outlaws' camp

"Are you sure, Allan?" Robin was breathing heavily. Three days without a solid clue for what had happened to Much were three lost days. "We've searched there last night."

"Coleen swears she saw Much in a wagon leaving Locksley, heading north."

"What's up there?" Tuck asked.

"More forest. And an old quarry." Kate replied. "My brother used to play out there."

"Perfect choice. There are caves up there, too. A whole city of caves." John said.

"But most of them got sealed off after the collapse! Gisborne tried to reopen them while you were away." Kate told Robin. "He sent men in there. Not all of them came out."

"Another great adventure!" Allan kicked the dirt.

"Much's gone. Probably up there, by now. Gisborne's gone too. We haven't stumbled upon his dead body, so he might still be alive."

"Could he be with Much, though?"

"Or he betrayed us."

"To whom?" Robin asked. "There's no one around here who would value Gisborne. No. The more I think about it, the more I become sure they are together."

"But who has them? And for what?"

"I have an idea considering the person who might be responsible. As for the reason. Well I am afraid, once again, Much is in trouble because he is important to me." Robin hated the fact that people he cared about were in danger simply because he loved them.

"So what now?"

"First of all we must be sure the information is valid. Allan, with me to the quarry. John, Tuck you go to Nottingham to see what the Sheriff is up to. If I am right about Archer being behind this, Isabella is likely to be in on it too. Kate you stay here in case Much or Gisborne return."

Everyone agreed.

Locksley Manor

"You do realise there's already a stable in the premises, don't you?" Isabella was impressed by the state of the Manor. Dirt all over the floors, unfinished meals on the tables. During her few days there it was spotless, suiting the status of its privileged inhabitants.

"I don't like people slaving over meaningless chores. If you can't survive a little dirt, clean it yourself."

"Whatever suits you." She replied and motioned for Godric to clean a seat for her.

"I have Gisborne and Hood's manservant." Archer announced.

"Here?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, the little puppy is tired of milk and now wants meat. Name your price."

"Not yet."

"Then what is this meeting? Are you looking for the highest bidder? Is there another who would pay for them?"

"Isn't there?"

Isabella glared at him. "Where's the letter?"

"It arrived yesterday." Archer with a triumphant grin on his face gave her the note that informed the Sheriff of Prince John's arrival.

"Are you planning to give them to him? Cutting the middle man?"

"No." He surprised her. "But it was fun that you believed it."

"Then why are you interested in the letter?"

"That's a different matter. I need to be informed and sometimes you seem to forget about it. By the way, Hood doesn't know about Prince John."

"He knows."

"How?"

She didn't bother telling him about the other letter. "So where are these notorious outlaws?"

"Safe."

"Keep them there. Do you need any more men?"

There was an agreement for more men to arrive at Locksley. Then Isabella called for her carriage and left the Manor.

"There's a report about newcomers, my Lady. Six of them. Three men and three women." Godric told her.

"Have they contacted anyone?"

"Not yet. Our man spotted them in the forest. They are very good."

"Keep an eye on them." She gave the order. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Archer's misconception that he works unnoticed? Oh yes."

"As if I'd leave my affairs without close supervision. Hood fooled me once. It won't happen again. Certainly not by an infant."

Isabella had received the note and then allowed Archer to get his hands on it. "Why not give him the false satisfaction that he's good?"

"Archer did get Gisborne and Much."

"By accident. He didn't exactly raid the outlaw's camp! He can't even find it. And any idiot could hide them in the quarry."

"Hood didn't learn about the new note from the Prince."

"He's preoccupied with the fate of his friend. I didn't have the chance to plant a guard on Robin's path yet. Now that I mentioned it, we must make sure Much will be untouched. This man is gold."

"The men we're sending will be properly instructed."

"Good." Her tone changed noticeably when she proceeded to other matters. "Our business in York, were there any news?"

"Not yet."

It was important to get what she had bargained for in York. It was a part of her that her husband her stolen from her.

"We have good reasons to believe that there will be a good outcome."

"You never struck me as a man of hope."

"There's always a first time."

Isabella closed her eyes and all she could see was a little girl with black hair laughing in her mother's arms.

Such wasted happiness...

Quarry

"That knife you took for hunting, do you have it on you?"

"Yes, I had it on me all this time but I am not using it to save us!"

"What?"

"Nothing! Forget about the knife and tell me about this man. You said he was trouble." Guy thought that the more he knew about this man the better it would be.

Much sighed. "George had always been a strange child, never getting along with the others. Growing up it was getting worse. He was jealous and bitter, unable to make friends. Will had tried to approach him but..."

"What happened?"

"The boys were watching Robin training and they wanted to be like him."

Guy remembered how a very young Robin used to watch him training and wanted to join him. Much hadn't arrived yet at the village and Robin didn't have anyone to follow him so he did the following.

"One day George suggested they'd all go to the forest and play war. He thought it was a perfect battlefield. So the fighting begun. It went on for hours until George and Luke, Will's brother, climbed on a tree to make the fight more interesting. It didn't take much and Luke was flat on the ground his right arm and leg broken."

"He fell?"

"Not according to the other children who were watching. He was pushed by George."

"Well, nobody liked him and naturally they blamed him. Anything else?"

"Maybe this was a misunderstanding. I am not saying it was... But over the years there were small incidents of thievery and fights, all related to him. He never admitted to any of it, but he didn't try very hard to persuade us that he was innocent."

"Robin allowed this?"

"For the sake of the boy's father, a hard working man, Robin didn't want to punish him severely. But then during one of his dangerous games there was a fire. Three families lost their homes. Robin couldn't turn a blind eye anymore. He visited the father and told him that as soon as George would recover from his injuries he would have to leave Nottingham forever."

"And years later the boy returned. Why?"

"Not another place in Christendom left to accept him?! Who knows. Now what do we do? Tied in here?"

"How about another story, Much? I'll make it a good one." A voice joined them.

"Who is it?" Much asked, confused if not afraid.

"How about you, Gisborne? Do you want to hear another story?"

Guy didn't ask who it was. He knew. The same taunting voice. But this time it wasn't inside his head. It echoed in the cave and it was as hurtful as he deserved.