She thought she had died. The mail was so heavy that she could not stand, nor roll as Godfrey pushed her below the surface. The waves were incessant and with the added weight she could scarcely draw breath. As the salty water overcame her and the noise from the battlefield dimmed, she wondered at the way of men. Why they chose this life over that of peace and love. She coughed and finally gave into the darkness accosting her vision and fell back into the water.

Something landed beside her and she felt herself being picked up out of the waves. She felt her helmet leave her and something pressed incessantly against her lips until she coughed and water bubbled up out of her.

"Marion!"

She blinked, realising that Robin had found her, out of thousands, he had found her and saved her.

She gripped his neck and kissed him back, though she barely had the strength to do so. The water was cold and her body was so tired but he kissed her and she was desperate to show him what he did not know. That she loved him. That she would follow where he led for all of time.

"Let's go home," he muttered against her cheek.

The helmet that did not matter had fallen into the sea. She was no doubt heavy but Robin picked her up with a grunt and though it would have looked all the while strange to his men, he paid them no mind as he carried her up the beach and to his horse. She heard him talking to someone but she could no longer keep her eyes open as he got up behind her and they rode from the beach, the clattering of hooves following her heartbeat as they made for home.

It had been slower to go home. They'd camped along the river but it had not been a jovial affair as she had imagined some of his camps had been. He had pulled her from the horse and immediately set upon stripping her. With every piece of plate and mail that came away she could breathe deeper again and with it came the pain.

She was no stranger to pain, Goliath had stood on her foot once and it had taken all sorts of colours before it was healed again. She had worked so hard that she had cried for no other reason than everything hurt. Robin soothed her softly and eventually carried her to the river. It was bitterly cold, but the cold soothed her aches and washed away the scum of battle. She clung to him as he waded out and he sank beneath the water with her, brushing his hands through her hair and then pulling her out again as she struggled against the current.

"I have you, Marion. It's alright."

She believed him and though she was too tired to do much else, she wrapped her arms and legs around his solid form and tucked her face into his neck.

"Come, you must sleep. It will help."

She was carried back to their bedding, where a roaring fire had been set up. Alan and Will were tending to a few of the boys and John emerged from the river with a grumble, blood dripping from a head wound, but otherwise unscathed. She was thankful. For such a band of merry men, they were undoubtedly good men. And she knew Robin loved them as only a leader could. He dressed her in his own clothes, brought from a pack on his horse, and dropped as many furs as he could find atop her and she settled, comforted by the sounds of the camp and the warmth from the fires and the furs.

"They surrendered to you," Alan said later when she was between sleep and waking. "The King won't stand for that."

"Aye," Robin said quietly. "Ah know."

"Stand for what?"

Will was charming but not so bright.

"The loyalty they show me," Robin mused. "He has yet to earn that."

"He wouldn'a." John spat.

It seemed to only be the men that were talking and she wondered absently where the boys were until she cracked open her eyes and saw them all around her. There was one, a small lad, Arthur - her brain supplied, that was shivering beside one of the bigger boys. She had known his mother before she took ill and died and had delivered his sister the year prior. She knew he was barely nine summers old and she rolled her eyes at his deception.

"Arthur," she husked, her voice tired from her sore throat.

She felt Robin turn, and his hand on her waist but she didn't spend the energy explaining. She watched the little boy look fearfully at her and she nodded him close.

"Come," she said gently. "Come here."

He stared at her, she could see the whites of his eyes in the firelight and she watched as he took her in and then looked at Robin too.

"Come here, little one," she said softly. "Where you will be warm."

He dropped his eyes but did as he was told, kneeling beside her. She opened the furs for him and he lay beside her, just about under them until she chuckled and pulled him closer, into her arms and against her.

"It's alright. You can keep me safe here."

He looked cautiously up at Robin, who ruffled his hair and leaned down to press a kiss to Marion's temple.

"Make sure she sleeps," he said kindly, smoothing the long hair from the boy's face.

The warmth and the comfort sent him right off and he stopped shivering quickly.

"Usurped, I see," Robin chuckled as he lay behind her.

"I knew his mother, birthed his sister," Marion said quietly. "He has been alone for a long time."

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her shoulder but did not comment.

"He'll want your head."

"Aye," he said quietly.

"He knows we're at Peper Harrow."

"He'll take it," Robin said softly. Apologetically.

"He can have it. If he can raise the taxes on it from his own self then more fool him. I do not need it to know where I am."

"I," he shuffled closer, and she felt how cold his nose was on the back of her neck.

"Robin!" she hissed. "Get under the furs, you are freezing."

He chuckled and did as he was told, settling behind her and letting her lean upon his arm. Arthur murmured and squirmed more into her arms and wrapped around her. It was a curious feeling. She had never had a child, nor been particularly close to any, but this one was delightful and she kissed his forehead softly.

"I thought perhaps we would ask Loop for quarter," he whispered. "And I would make my home in the Greenwood."

"We," she insisted. "If you are charged such, then so will I be."

"Marion."

"Robin," she returned, looking over her shoulder. "I gave you shelter. I will as surely be implicated, along with the others. I am only thankful, in part, that Walter is no longer living."

He sighed and slid his hand around her, pulling her and Arthur close to him.

"We'll make it in the forest," he said softly, feeling her tiring. "We'll take care of the boys. Live a full life."

"If all of Nottingham empties to join us?"

"We may have to find a bigger forest," he quipped, kissing her cheek softly. "Sleep. You will be sore tomorrow, but we will make the journey slowly. The boys are just as weary."

"They all need baths and a good meal."

"We can see t'that."

She fell asleep, loving the feel of her love behind her and covered in the small body of a child.