The sun crept over the huts of the small village, casting a warm orange glow to it. Robin emerged from his hut and looked over his home. Half of the village was already awake making weapons, fixing the huts, and practicing with the weaponry. (Most of them were really trying to show off.) Bull had his hat over his eyes sleeping against a tree; little did he know Wulf was practicing on a target above his head.
"Wulf," Robin warned him. Wulf just smiled and ran off. Robin walked across the bridge to go see Will. He paused outside the door for a moment, thinking about how it was before he knew who Will really was. He would get up in the morning and go on with his business, trying to fulfill the vow he took to avenge his father. Finding that he had family left gave him hope beyond what he thought was possible.
He turned and opened the door, when he entered though no one was there.
'That's odd…" Robin muttered to himself. Robin walked outside and called down to John, who was working swords with Wulf.
" John! Have you seen Will?" John looked up and shrugged. Wulf looked around for a moment and then shrugged, John added
"He 'asn't left the hut. I would have heard or seen the little bugger!" John called up to Robin loudly. Fanny gave John a smack in the back of then head then signaled that the baby was still sleeping. Robin smiled lightly but grew serious and called over the camp,
" Has any one seen Will Scarlett?" Robin grew worried as a large number of 'no's' rang out amongst them. Robin turned up to the trees. "Will!" There was a sudden crack above him and Will fell down with numerous amounts of hits against the bows and branches from his spot up in the tree to his back.
"Ouch…" Will muttered as he rubbed his backside. He fell directly onto the roof of his house and rolled off.
" Will, please don't scare me like that. I was about to send a search party out for you, what were you doing up there?" Will ignored the question and replied with a quiet anger threatening his voice,
"I thank you for your concern, Robin, but you need not worry for me. I am able to take care of myself."
" Taking care of your self involves not scaring me to death." Robin half scolded him.
" Please do not reprimand me like that," Will said in turn getting angry, " I am no child."
"Then stop acting like one!" Robin countered.
" Robin of Locksley, would you be so kind as to not act as my father would. I have long without the help of a father or mother. You took that away from me, you cannot give it back," Robin was struck speechless.
Will turned and climbed out of the tree. He practically ran some people over as he stormed off to his horse. Wulf ran up next to him,
"Are you going to teach me to fight with knives today?" Wulf asked though the answer became known when he saw the look on his face. Will cringed a little remembering his promise,
" I'm sorry, Wulf." He knelt next to him and placed his hands on Wulf's shoulders. " I need to be alone for a bit," Wulf looked up at Robin in the tree. Robin seemed angry, so Wulf nodded his head. "Thanks maybe tomorrow, no promises though. I will soon as I can," Will answered regretfully. Then he mounted and was off. John shook his head as he watched him go. Wulf turned and walked to his house. Robin felt bad for him so he began to climb down after him, before he could,
"He is right you know…" a warm, soft voice came from behind him. Robin turned and looked at his wife, Marian. "He is not a child nor your son, you should stop treating him as one,"
"Wulf? I feel bad for him and I must find Will."
"I wasn't talking about Wulf, dearest." Robin immediately understood and leaned against the beam,
" Why does everyone think that it is so wrong for me to worry about my brother? He is after all my only living family."
" Yes, this is true. There is only one thing wrong with that." Robin looked at her curiously.
"What?"
" You see it as only that, worrying for him. You have failed to see what his needs are, his need right now is only for a brother, not a father."
" I took that away from him Marian, why shouldn't I try to give it back?"
"Why?" Marian laughed to the simplicity of it. "You are not his father! That is why. You are his brother; he has managed all his life to a father who didn't love him as much as you. You, with out realizing of course, ruined the first half of his life. He wants you to make up for it as a brother not a father. Your father has proven his care, now is the time to prove yours."
"Oh…" Robin thought this over for a few moments. " Tonight I will apologize then. Thank you my love." he gave her a peck on the cheek, and went down to the ground to see Wulf.
Will rode quickly through the woods. He really left the steering to the horse, he was too angry to care. Just as he thought things were going well with his brother he had to pull something like that. Not only that he had been angry enough to let Wulf down. As soon as he was doing things right he had to let him down. Before he realized it, Will was at his post in the woods.
He looked up and down the path a few time before he sat down and began to whittle. Will tried to get his mind off the morning. In the end it turned out to that he completely was lost to an absent mind.
Accidentally he clipped the tip of his finger with his knife.
"Ow." he looked over his finger. "Great, another finger useless." he murmured to himself. After sucking the blood away from it he looked it over again, it wasn't as bad as he thought. "At least for a while." He tore a bit of fabric from his undershirt and wrapped it around the bleeding finger and sighed.
Robin knocked on the door where Wulf had gone. No one answered.
"Wulf?" Robin called into the house. The door creaked open; Wulf stood there and looked up at Robin.
"Yes?" Wulf replied to him.
"I'm sorry about what happened this morning, and I'm sorry for Will." Robin apologized.
"What did you say to him?" Wulf asked. He placed his hands on his hips waiting for an answer.
"I said something that a shouldn't have to him…"
"Then why are you sorry for Will when it is you who wronged him," Will asked innocently.
" Well, it is apparent whose side you will be taking." Robin said smiling. "I'm sorry then Wulf." Robin turned to leave.
"Thank you." Wulf said.
"For what?" Robin turned his head back to him.
" You have saved my life twice, I never really thanked you for it."
"Your welcome," Robin ruffled his hair. " I wish you had before your father beat me up though." Robin added with a wink. Wulf smiled as Robin walked away.
A while later Will heard some hoof beats against the ground. Will quickly thought about what he should do about it
'They sound like they are going fast, too fast to have anything but passengers on them. There's defiantly more then three.' There was a sharp "twang"
' And they have crossbows. I think I'll sit this one out,' he thought to himself. He looked out from the small shelter wall at them. There were four on horses, no cargo on them. He looked for a reason that they could be moving so fast and urgently. Then he saw it; the soldiers were chasing a girl. She was adorned with peasant clothes; her hair was dark and matted with twigs from running through the undergrowth. Will scoffed, "They'll never leave 'em alone."
The girl ran faster as she was about to pass the wall of leaves that Will was hiding in, he grabbed her and pulled her in. The men reared up their horses. They seemed confused for a moment. Then on accident Will triggered the rope that would let the wall of leaves down around him. The soldiers seemed to look at him in shock for a moment before raising his sword,
"Get them!" He commanded to his shoulders.
Will took her hand and led her through the woods as fast as he could. Together they ran. They dodged around trees and thick bushes to lose them. As soon as they were almost out of sight Will saw that there was a thick bush that was ahead of them, thick enough to hide in. Will pushed her into the bush and they listened to the soldiers ride up and begin to speak
"Where'd they go?" said one.
" I don't know," said the other,
"You, go back to the path. You, scout the area. And you, go back to Nottingham and send for reinforcements." The supposed leader told them." The Sheriff wants her found, my guess was that was Robin Hood who grabbed her, or at least one of his followers." The leader ordered. When they all paused,
"Move!" he shouted suddenly. They waited until there was no more noise before even breathing properly.
"That was close," Will breathed. She nodded. "Come' on." he whispered. He took her hand and led her away. As they were walking, he began to question her.
" Okay. So first things first, what is your name?"
" You can call me Kara. Someone told me it meant beauty in some language…or something like that, I'm not quite sure."
" Well it suits you…" she smiled. "Why were those men chasing you?"
"I would tell you but I must have your absolute trust. Where do your loyalties lie?" Will put his hand on his knife just in case she pulled something dangerous.
" They lay with King Richard the Lionheart. I am one of Robin Hood's men." she sighed.
" Thank goodness. I have come into good hands…I hope." She paused and looked him over. " I have secret information that must come from my lips to Robin Hoods ears only."
"I understand perfectly. I am Will Scarlett, my lady, you may call me Will though." Will answered her. He put his pride aside when he saw how serious she looked. Suddenly an arrow flew past their heads. Will pulled her to the ground. He looked around for the enemy; the soldier looked at him and reloaded a crossbow. Will pushed her and they ran in a crouched position as far as they could.
"Come back here, you worthless outlaws." a cold voice called them.
"Split up!" Will hissed. They dodged in different directions. More soldiers began to flood around them. Miraculously, with a series of they passed them all. Will, with Kara close by, stood up to make a break for it. A soldier took a careful aim with a cross bow and with a sharp twang the arrow flew. Kara saw the soldier take aim and ran to Will. She pushed him aside just in time to save it from striking his heart. Unfortunately she took the blow to her shoulder. The soldiers suddenly seemed afraid. Will put her good arm around his shoulder and began to half drag her off. He ran with her until he could no more. The guards suddenly rode off in the direction of Nottingham.
Luckily there was a cave near by that they could hide in. Dark was beginning to set in, so in the depths of the cave Will set up a fire to them to keep warm.
Back at Nottingham, the riders came up to the Sheriff. The leader came forward clearly afraid,
"Well?" The Sheriff asked calmly.
"A man in the woods helped her get away,"
" Was he on Horse back?" The Sheriff sneered.
"No, sir." The leader stated.
"Robin Hood?"
"Or one of his followers," The leader muttered.
"If I may speak, my lord" a soldier in the back asked. The Sheriff nodded to him. "It looked like that one that said he would turn on Robin Hood, Scarlett I think they call him." The Sheriff looked the man over.
"Captain!" The leader dismounted to him. "Give your position to this one, he is clearly a brighter, quicker man then you."
"Yes my lord." The captain stated, and then he turned to him and placed his helmet in his arms.
"Now go out there and search for Hood's men! And if you do not find her soon, there will be severe consequences." The new captain and his men rode off back into Sherwood.
Will crawled over to her and examined her arm. He lifted it, but she grabbed his arm and gave him a pleading look.
" I won't do anything yet, I am not sure what type of arrow they used. If it was a poison tip, I have to get it out as soon as possible." she let go and he felt the back of her arm for a few moments. "I can feel the tip through to the other side of your arm!" her cheeks were now wet from tears. As she took deep labored breaths, he paused trying to think what to do. " It didn't go through your bone. Be grateful for that because this would be much more painful then it already is."
He knelt beside her head and had her extend her arm. " Are you ready?"
" What are you going to do?" she asked him looking directly into his eyes.
" I am going to have to push it all the way through," she looked at him like he was insane. "I know what I am doing. After that I will break the point off and then pull it out the way it came." Her jaw dropped.
" Do have any idea how much this will hurt?" Will nodded. He took out his knife, " What are you doing now?"
"I am cutting away the sleeve of your shirt, so that it doesn't get caught." she took a deep breath. "That would cause a little discomfort," he added with a smirk.
" You are crazy."
"Pardon me for saying so, I didn't get the entire Nottingham army after me just to deliver a message to Robin Hood." she winced as he cut away at her sleeve. "Don't be such a child."
"Baby? I have an arrow in my arm! I will act as I wish to."
" Okay, are you ready this isn't going to feel exactly nice." she nodded and grabbed the leg of his pants to brace herself. Will cringed; it was easy to drive things through people to defend yourself not so easy when it is a friend. "1…2…3!" He pushed the arrow through causing her to scream in pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Will put his hand over her forehead,
"The worst is over." she nodded weakly. "I hope your screams didn't attract any of our old friends." He broke the tip of the arrow of and looked at her, she nodded and turned her head into the leg pf his pants and braced her self. "1…2…3!" he yanked and she let a dry sob out into his leg.
"It's okay it's over," he patted the back of her head.
"That was the most painful thing that has ever happened to me," Will smiled. He took his sleeve and ripped a strip from it big enough to serve as a bandage until they got back to the village. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his lap as he bandaged her up.
"I didn't really get the chance to say thank you." Kara opened her eyes and looked up at him. " So well, thank you, for saving my life."
"You very welcome, thank you for saving mine. Also most of your friends anyway, and Robin Hood." Kara answered. Will finished wrapping her arm and leaned against the wall behind him.
" Tomorrow, first thing we will strike out for home," Will and Kara fell asleep in the small cave.
A/n: Lots of changes. I hope you like it. It took a while to write.