Now he was truly and utterly alone. Marion and Much had made their escape - more or less being forced by him - and he had bought them as much time as he had been able to. Now all that remained for him to do was to hope that they had managed to find refuge in the woods, so that the sheriff could by no means hunt them down. Needless to say, he also hoped that the rest of his friends had escaped as well. However, all of this was now beyond his control and out of his reach.

Now he had arrived at a point where he had lost just about everything. He had shot his last arrow without wanting to hit anything with it, he had broken his bow so that the sheriff could not keep it as a trophy, he had given Albion into Marion's hands. He was convinced she would learn what to do with it. In due time.

What was left to him? His life? But he was not going to last much longer, he was going to lose his life any moment now. And actually, he hoped not to have to hold out on this hill all on his own for too long. To die alone was twice the agony.

"You are never alone, my Son!" rang out the voice of Herne, and as Robin thereupon turned, he caught sight of the familiar figure of the woodland deity. There was an instant of hope flaring up in him, but then he recalled that this sacrifice was required. After all, for Herne's son it was impossible to escape. Still, he would have been only too happy to learn what had happened to the rest of them.

"Don't worry," Herne reassured him, and all at once Robin saw in his mind's eye Marion and Much cowering in the woods, utterly exhausted and in tears. This was not a pretty sight, but he was glad that there was nothing to be seen except for them, and nothing to be heard except for the ordinary noises of the woods.

"They'll be fine. They will recover from this day, it will just take time. But they will get over their loss. Your brother doesn't know it yet, but these are the first steps on his path to adulthood now that he can't rely on you anymore."

"And Marion?" Robin wanted to know, for whom it was painful to see her tears.

"Her destiny is not to abide by your side. Even if she can't imagine this at present, happiness is waiting for her. It will take her some time for it to come to her and even more time for her to accept it, but it is predestined."

The image of the two in the clearing faded from view and for a brief moment Robin was able to catch a glimpse of a Marion who was clearly several years older and radiant with happiness. This lightened the heart of Herne's son. Even though he had known for some time that he would have to depart, it had pained him to leave her behind. But now Herne had assured him that this day would not be the end of her happiness.

"And the rest?" he was then demanding to be told.

Herne, showing a patient expression, directed his attention to another spot on the hilltop, and when Robin turned his gaze towards it, he caught sight of the inside of a hut. For a moment his breath caught, for he spotted Will and John, Tuck and Nasir, trussed up. Terrified, he was about to turn to Herne, as it did not seem to him that they were doing well, when he suddenly became aware that someone was cutting a hole into the back wall. Next, a man, dressed in the kind of clothing Robin was wearing and with his hood pulled wide into his face, squeezed through the narrow opening. As soon as his friends caught sight of him, a joyful grin appeared on their faces.

"Gisburne lied," escaped Will, which made Robin realize on the spot that the former soldier believed the stranger to be Robin Hood - himself - caused by the poor lighting inside the shack. The man motioned for the prisoners to remain quiet and then began to sever their bonds. When he had freed all of them, he pointed mutely to the opening in the wall and the four quickly disappeared through it. They probably expected their rescuer to follow them without delay. However, he apparently had other plans.

"They, too, will get over it. It will take time, I won't deny that, and it won't always be easy, but they will not face their journey alone. They will keep on standing together in the fight." Herne fell silent while Robin continued to stare at the stranger the others had mistaken for Hood.

"It's time for you to go, my Son, there are other responsibilities waiting for you from now on," Herne's voice rang out quite unexpectedly and almost caused the vision to vanish.

"Just a few moments," Robin implored, for the stranger had just stepped in front of the hut with his bow drawn and an arrow nocked, and was now confronting a horrified sheriff and Sir Guy of Gisburne, who stared at him in bewilderment.

The stranger drew the bow a little further and aimed the arrow at the knight. Robin knew without any doubt that it would hit his unprotected throat. Nothing could save Gisburne anymore. Without giving it a second thought, Herne's son made a warding motion with his hand, only to see Gisburne slump to one knee and clutch his upper arm, which had just been penetrated. Blood dripped from both sides of the wound onto the ground. The stranger stared at the two Normans for another moment before turning and vanishing into the woods without anyone trying to stop him.

Herne sighed, "He would have been a companion for you on your further way. Now the delay will not only be long, but also painful." When Robin gave him a startled look, he added. "Not for you, my Son, but for him." Then he was gone.

At the same time, Robin experienced the impact of the crossbow bolts hitting him. But the pain only tormented him for a very short period of time, then he was no longer on the hill and the problems of this life no longer burdened him.

He did not know, however, that after being hit by the arrow - and after it became obvious to him immediately afterwards that the mysterious stranger could in no way be Robin Hood - the knight could feel the pain caused by the penetration of the crossbow bolts just as if they had struck him himself. Needless to say, that moment he could not understand what he was experiencing, but it was a sensation he would never be able to forget. The memory of that pain was with him for the rest of his life.

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With his blood, also the knight's life seeped into the dusty ground of the prefectory. He was now absolutely certain that it could not be long before he would follow his brothers, before he would follow his fellow Knights of the Apocalypse to the other side, he only wished that he would not be the last of them to go. The realization of having to die all alone doubled his agony.

All of a sudden, he was no longer looking at the courtyard of St. John's, but had the image of a stony hill in front of his eyes, on which the figure of a man was silhouetted against the blood-red sunset sky. At first Gisburne was unable to make anything of the scene, until the man turned around and he could suddenly recognize him. To his utter surprise, it was Loxley. Confused, he stared at the outlaw, who had been the first son of Herne and died many years ago, bristling with crossbow bolts. At least that was what he had been told, for he had not witnessed it himself. Had not been forced to witness it, as it suddenly - quite unexpected - crossed his mind.

His confusion was heightened when Loxley suddenly smiled at him and then held out his hand.

"No one should have to die alone, Guy."

'No one should have to die alone,' the knight repeated in his mind and - not thinking about it any further - made his way to Loxley's side. All at once his fear was gone and his pain was no longer noticeable. 'Now this is what I was really destined to do,' passed through his mind. He had never been so convinced of anything in his life as he was of what he was doing right now, and for the first time in a long while a happy smile played around his lips.