Robin's men hid away in the woods. They were waiting for the next round of the Sheriff's men to patrol, hoping to steal more gold and kill more of the knights. Robin had been growing more and more restless as the days and weeks passed. He was tired of the cat and mouse game, he wanted something big to happen - to finally draw out the man for their battle to the death. Robin knew there was no way he'd risk imprisonment - he'd ensure that when they finally did fight, one of them would die.

He had no doubt in his mind it would be the Sheriff. Robin would have the Locksley name rebirthed. He'd have his revenge, he'd have wealth, and he'd have Marian. Truthfully, ever since he laid eyes on the woman, he had wanted to ravish her. He knew she was being held against her will, for there was no way a woman of her beauty and youth would want a man like that. .

It was with this thought that he came up with his plan. One to draw out the Sheriff as well as capture the beauty that was Marian. In the meantime... he'd kill this upcoming troupe of Nottingham's men.

Robin silently observed as the carriage moved throughout the forest. There was a loud, drunken man - a Friar by the looks of him - riding in the back of the carriage, singing. Robin counted the knights who were escorting.

Twenty of them.

"How many?" questioned one of the younger woodsmen.

"Five," Robin whispered. "They can't count anyway," he thought.

The men moved into position, readying themselves for the plan. A large branch stopped the Sheriff's men and their carriage. The knights started looking around the woods, trying to discover if there was, indeed, a trap.

"Friar!" yelled one of the knights. "Surely you will find it difficult to sing with a sword in your gullet," he threatened. The drunken man hiccuped and wisely silenced his song as he continued to drink his mead.

The knights looked up when they heard an argument.

"Will you shut up and help me move this log?"

"It's not a log, it's a tree!"

The Sheriff's men perked up as they watched two of the woodsmen arguing off in the distance.

"Shut up, you're supposed to help me move this!"

"I'm supposed to be meeting a girl!" the other man argued back.

The two woodsmen stopped their bickering to look up. They glanced at each other before looking back at the knights and running away. Off in the distance, Robin smirked as they fell right into his trap.

Most of the knights rode after the men, swords drawn, while the rest of the men stayed back with the Friar and his wagon. The woodsmen hurried and slid underneath a covering they had formed out of moss and leaves. When the knights finally caught up, they had been led deep into the forest, unable to find their covered targets.

"Bastards! Come on... find them!" growled the man in charge.

Back at the wagon, the Friar continued to drink and mumble, while the horses became more restless, stomping their feet and snorting as if they sensed danger. Out of nowhere, a curtain of nature dropped, revealing Robin and his archers.

They quickly disposed of the knights, a few of which had rode off, back towards the castle to warn the Sheriff. Robin jumped into the carriage and rode off, stealing the alcohol and gold and bringing it back to his lair. The Friar had been knocked unconscious and hadn't yet aroused. The woodsmen rifled through the carriage, gathering all the gold, trinkets, and alcohol they desired. Cheering, they all set about enjoying the rest of their morning.

The Friar eventually regained his wits, groaning as he moved to sit.

"Good morning, Friar," Robin greeted. "You travel with poor company when you travel with Nottingham soldiers".

The holy man flushed with anger and fear as the woodsmen called for the Friar to be taxed. Robin laughed as he looked into his fearful eyes.

"I'm Robin of Locksley...and my men are thirsty". Robin looked to the barrel of mead before returning his gaze to the Friar.

The man's draw dropped, seemingly in awe. "Aye! That's right! Robin Hood!"

The woodsmen cheered while Robin smiled and looked around arrogantly.

"Lord bless me. I mistook you for common thieves! Kindly let me pass, eh?"

"Surely the Lord has charity to spare a few barrels for good Christian men, yes? We have much to celebrate," Robin countered.

The Friar started to laugh as he looked in the back of the wagon. "If you wish them to share in the good Lord's brew..." the Friar's face quickly changed from amusement to anger as he kicked Robin in the face, "...you must best me for it!" The Friar quickly grabbed the reins of the horses and attempted to get away.

Robin groaned, as he cupped his sore chin. He had been knocked to the ground by the drunken man. He looked up in time to see the Friar standing up in the wagon, turned backwards to shout to Robin, "Admit it, Robin Hood, that Friar Tuck is a braver, holier, and wiser man than thou art!" he bellowed, spilling the jug of mead he was sipping from. Before he had a chance to turn around, he was knocked from the wagon by a large tree branch.

The woodsmen quickly ran to the man, restraining him until they could decide what to do. He had fought bravely, hitting and biting anyone that got too close to him before he was subdued. Robin had asked him to yield, with the promise of food, shelter, and a share of mead. Friar Tuck was forced to act as a mule, pulling the wagon deeper into the woods.

"Thank you God for teaching me humility," he muttered under his breath. He willingly chose to stay with Robin, easily bribed and fearful of death should he refuse.

Now all Robin had to do was sit and wait for an opportunity to get Marian.

XOX

Marian had awoken early the next morning when the sunlight shone upon her. She sighed happily, feeling fully sated for the first time in a while. She thought back to her encounters with her husband - she was elated that her experiences not only continued to feel amazing, but they actually were getting better each time. She knew she lucked out when it came to men. As she had pondered before, most women not only did not enjoy sex, they were only able to partake in it on certain days and times. For this, she was truly thankful to be wed to the Sheriff.

She rolled over, eyes still closed as she stretched her limbs, running her hand over the cold mattress where her beloved should be. It appeared he had woken even earlier than she did. She blinked awake and sat up against the headboard. Marian had begun praying that Robin would soon be stopped - she wanted to spend more time with her husband and was angry that Robin was coming between them.

Truthfully, his absence this morning was a blessing in disguise. He had told her she wasn't allowed to return to the Dubois castle and she didn't wish to lie to him. Now, she could sneak off with Sarah, check on things, and return before her husband even knew what happened. She hastily dressed in some comfortable travel clothes before tracking Sarah down to leave.

Her friend seemed to be eagerly waiting outside her own chambers. "Milady," she greeted. "If you are agreeable, shall we away quickly? I do not wish to be caught by the Sheriff". Marian giggled, understanding too well how intimidating the man could be, especially with his ire rising quickly over these past few weeks.

"Of course, Sarah. I have let the stableboy know we are taking the two horses. I figure we can get down and back before George becomes aware of my absence". Nodding in agreement, Sarah stood next to Marian and the women snuck out of the castle unnoticed.

The women traveled the short distance to Dubois castle. Marian immediately felt a bit trepidatious - the grounds were far too quiet - where was everyone? They dismounted their horses and sought entry. Sarah approached the front door first, stating it was still her duty to protect the younger woman.

The door was cracked open, a fire crackling inside. Sarah pressed through the threshold, Marian close behind. They called out for any of the remaining servants but got no reply.

"Nothing looks amiss, milady - simply quiet. Perhaps they are in the back garden?"

"Perhaps," Marian agreed with hesitation.

"You stay here, I shall check the back. Do you have any protection with you?"

"Yes, George had given me a dagger for protection before we wed - I carry it with me everywhere. Will you be ok? Would you like to carry it?"

"No, milady. I can care for myself. You stay here, I shall only be a few moments". Sarah ran her hands down her dress, wiping off the dampness that her nerves had caused on her palms. She strode out the back door in search for anyone.

Marian unsheathed her dagger as she walked around inside her home. She had heard a glass break and was startled. She attempted to remain silent, should it be an assailant, she didn't want to make them aware of her location. She crept into the kitchen, calling for Rebecca, her main servant that had remained behind.

She felt the unease as the hair on the back of her neck perked up. She was being watched. Slowly, she turned to look behind her.

Reeoowwwww!

"Oh God!" Marian yelped before rolling her eyes. "Nicodemus," she scolded the cat. He always was a menace. She laughed to herself, feeling safe from the watchful eyes that had obviously been her feline companion. "Go... chase some mice".

Marian breathed in a sigh of relief that her fears were only her old familiar. As she turned to move away, she felt two very large, strong arms grab her. Marian flailed and screamed in protest, dropping her weapon with a loud clunk. The man threw her over the dining table and held his own knife to her throat. By the looks of him, he was one of Robin's men.

The man leered at her as he continued to pin her down. He held his face close to hers, his pungent breath caused her waves of nausea. He smelled horrible, as one would expect him to after living in the woods for Lord knows how long.

"I've never seen the breasts of a Noblewoman before," he grunted as he raised his hands to pull at her top, struggling to tear open the fabric.

"No! Stop!" she screamed as she attempted to dig her nails into his skin. She frantically searched for Sarah. Surely, she would save her. She didn't dare call out for her, on the off chance she could surprise attack.

"I'm a married woman! My husband will come for me! You will pay for this!" she cried.

The man only laughed as he palmed her breast. "We are counting on it, Milady. Luckily for you... Robin wants you for himself. I'm sure he'd love to teach you what a real man feels like. No doubt your husband has left you wanting".

She spit in his face and slapped him. He laughed at her, tightening his hands around her wrists. "I love a bit of a fight in a woman. Perhaps Robin wouldn't notice if I had a quick taste..." the man was quickly pulled off of her by another man. This one had kinder eyes, she pleaded with her own, hoping for mercy.

She would be granted none.

"Come on, Bull. Let her up, Robin wont take kindly to a battered woman. Let's go before the Sheriff actually does show up". The first man, Bull, slowly nodded as he continued to stare at her breasts. The two of them worked together to pull her to her feet and tied a rope around her wrists. They carried her outside and flung her over one of their horses.

Marian saw Sarah bound and unconscious across the other. She cried for her friend and she cried for her own safety. She only hoped George would come before it was too late.