A/N: Sorry that it has taken me awhile to get this part up. But here's the second part of the continuing Saga of Carter Hood. I am trying to get away from the movie as best I can at this point. Hopefully there are no continuity errors.

Part 2:

Carter had fallen into the role of Robin Hood with ease. The men around him seemed to follow him with great ease, believing in him. They put their faith in him that he could lead this rabble. Carter, who was now comfortable in the role of Robin, trained with the men every day. Getting everyone comfortable with using a sword and firing a bow to defend themselves and aid in the raids that they did on a daily basis. The men were able to hit targets with ease. Carter was amazed with how easy he found using both the bow and the sword. He had the aim of a marks man, hitting targets with ease.

They hid in the woods, using the trees as cover to ambush those traveling along the road to London. What Robin and his men too from the rich, they gave back to the poor. After a successful raid they were riding through a village giving back to the villagers what they had taken. The Sheriff taxed these poor people so badly that many of them did not have enough to even get by. Children were going hungry while the sheriff was lining his pockets with gold. As he was walking beside his horse, Carter's heart broke. He knew that he needed to do more for these people. To somehow bring the good sheriff out of power, but he did not know how to accomplish such an overwhelming task.

Fanny, Little Jerry's wife rode beside her husband in the wagon. Carter could not believe the resemblance that she had to Elizabeth. He felt so at home surrounded by so many familiar faces, although the faces were familiar, the people were not. With each passing day Carter grew more attached to those whom he was raiding with. They were becoming his family. He missed his work at County greatly, but these people sorely needed him, needed a hero. They needed a person whom they could place their trust in, to guide them and to help them through this very troubling time. God only knew the reason that Carter had been thrown into this place at this time, but he was here now and he would do that of which he was called upon to do.

Carter found his mind wandering to that of thoughts of Maid Abigail. Her beauty was engrained up on his memories of their short meeting in the church many Sundays ago, they day that he had become an outlaw like those around him for stealing the good sheriff's horse.

He watched as Fanny tossed a villager a pouch of coins. He heard her voice speak as the villager caught the coins, "here go buy you a new sow."

"Good bless ya Fanny." The villager responded.

"Tis Robin of the hood's doing." She solemnly replied.

"Good bless Robin Hood." The villager said running along side the wagon.

Carter could not help but smile as he watched how happy the villager was to be able to get something as simple as a cow to provide meat and milk for the hungry children that were running through the village barely clothed in nothing more than rags.

Carter walked along in silence. Taking in the sights of the people that he was helping. He felt pride in doing what he had done. Carter would hide with his men; raid the rich nobles that passed through Sherwood Forest and give back to those who were in need as long as he remained lost in this time.

As they returned to camp Carter realized that Abby was no longer on his mind. He felt somewhat sadden that the woman that he had loved in Chicago was replaced by thoughts of an English noblewoman, one who looked like her. Maybe Carter, if he was to remain here in England, he was meant to fall in love with her. That she was the one destined to be his soul mate now.

Carter packed up his men. Word had gotten to them that the good sheriff was sending a wagon through the forest and Robin and his men were going to intercept it. They carefully planned their strategy as they hid in the woods patiently waiting. As Benton spotted the men and wagon approaching Carter turned and looked at him, "how many are there?"

He watched as Benton counted the men approaching with the wagon. "Twenty."

"Twenty." He repeated.

Carter heard Bull's voice asking, "how many are there?"

Not wanting to worry them he responded, "five." Carter knew that these men could not count and he could not see any reason that he needed them to know that they were out numbered.

Benton gave Carter a look, "five."

"They don't know how to count anyway." Carter said as he motioned his men to get into place.

He heard Benton, "and they call me barbaric."

They put their plan into action. Bull and another man led Gisbourne away from the wagon so that the others could attack what men remained with the wagon. They got lucky as the good friar that was with the men hit his head on the wagon knocking him out cold. Carter jumped up and started to drive the wagon away, while John climbed up with the good friar and led that wagon off into the woods. The rest of the men made short work of hiding the soldiers that had been killed off the path.

After they had driven a short ways into the woods and were safely away from being seen Carter started to search the wagon. What he found inside shocked him. He pulled the heavy locked box out and onto the ground where Jerry hit the lock with an axe popping it open. Carter pulled the lid off the chest. Inside must have been at least 1500 gold pieces. Carter looked at his men and then at Benton.

"This money has a purpose. Nottingham is up to something and we must find out what it is." Carter said to them. He heard a voice behind him and noticed that the good friar was starting to sit up. He crossed over to where the friar was.

"Good morning," He said to the friar.

The friar just grumbled as he sat all the way up.

Carter looked at him as the men started to cheer. Luka, what was he doing here.

"Dear sir please let me pass and be on my way with the good Lord's brew." The friar said to him.

"Tax him, tax him." Carter heard his men calling out mist laughter.

"I am Robin of Loxley and my men are thirsty." Carter said to the friar.

"Aye Robin Hood. I thought that you were nothing more than common thieves. Now let me pass." The friar said reaching for the reins.

Carter placed his bow on the friar's hands stopping him from picking them up. "Surely the Lord can spare a few barrels for good Christian men." Carter said to him.

"Talk to him." The friar said giving Carter a swift kick in the face.

Carter lay on the ground sitting up he started to rub his sore cheek. As he watched the friar as he started driving away. "Tell Robin Hood that the good Friar Michael is a better man than he." As a tree branch nailed the good friar squarely in the back in the head. Carter watched, as the friar now lay sprawled on the ground. Carter got up tangled in his bow and sling as he tried to cross to where the friar was. He stood over the friar now.

"Do you yield?" Carter asked.

"I'd rather burn in hell." The friar said to him as he latching on biting his leg.

"Shoot him!" Carter yelped as he tried to pull away from the friar who was trying to plant his teeth deep in Carter's flesh. It did not take his men long to pull the friar off him.

Carter thought of an unconventional way to get even with the friar as he hitched him to the wagon of beer and made him pull it to the campsite. Once the friar had taken them almost all the way there. He stopped him. As his men carried off into the camp, Carter stood next to the friar.

"Are these not the meek of the earth Friar? I am in need of a good man to minister to my men. What do you say?"

"The good Lord works in mysterious ways. I accept."

"You will not regret it." Carter said walking away from the friar.

"Aye but you may." He heard the friar roar as Carter continued.

Carter had sent Bull and another man out to watch the road, to catch weary travelers off guard with clear instructions that they were to tax anyone trying to pass through Sherwood. He did not realize that his instructions were going to bring him visitors.

Carter walked from the camp leaving Little Jerry in charge of the watch while he went down to the river to take a bath. It had been awhile and he knew that he was starting to smell like a horse. The area that they used for bathing was breath taking. A waterfall cascaded down into a large pool. The trees provided privacy as well as solitude for getting away from what had started as a small band into a rather large clan. They were deep inside Sherwood so there was little to no fear of anyone finding their campsite. As Carter swam through the cool water, he let his mind drift back once again to that of Lady Abigail. He had never seen a woman of such beauty before or had he. Was it his Abby there with him, or were his eyes-only allowing him to see that which he wanted to see with his heart? He did not know. For what he thought was nothing more than a dream had lasted much longer than a dream should. This was turning now into his reality.

Carter climbed out of the water and started to dress again, when a voice broke the silence. "Robin," He turned hearing Bull's voice from up on the cliff. "Robin, you have visitors."

Carter pulled the shirt over his still damp body pushing the sleeves up. He picked up his bow and arrow as he hurried up the cliff. About half way up the slick moss covered rocks he came face to face with Maid Abigail. His eyes locked with hers for a moment as he thought of what he was going to say to her. Seeing her made him weak in the knees.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him rather harshly.

He smiled at her, "taking milady's advice."

She smiled shyly at him.

Carter looked up at Bull. His eye was starting to turn black and blue around the edge. The woman standing next to him looked familiar as well. She looked like Susan. She was yet another familiar face among strangers in this place so far from home. "What happened to your eye Bull?"

Bull just shook his head at Robin. "Nothing sire."

Carter did not like it that they called him that. He was not noble at all. He was not born into a noble family in this time. He was in another man's place; one who had born of royal blood but that was not he. He cringed at the thought of being a noble. To these people that is what he was, but in his heart he was no nobler than the men around him. He was a simple man, a healer.

Carter led his visitor's back to the camp. As they stood looking down into the camp Lady Abigail turned to him. She gently placed her hand onto his shoulder. "You've been busy."

Carter just chuckled. He was proud of their new home in the woods, but he had not done it all alone. Many had helped him. He showed Lady Abigail around the camp and took her up into the trees to show her what they had raided from the good sheriff. He knew that Abigail was the King's cousin and she would help him to get word to him about what the good sheriff was up to in the King's absence.

"Did you bring me here to brag Robin?" She asked.

"No, that was not my intention dear lady." He said to her. "This is blood money Abigail. It was meant to bribe the King's enemies to unite against him." Carter said turning away from her.

"But who would do such a thing." She asked patiently waiting for him to explain. Her back was now to him as she rocked back and forth.

"Nottingham." Carter stated, hoping that she would believe him.

"Nottingham may be ambitious Robin, but he would not dare challenge the King." She said almost laughing at his accusations.

"But the King is not in England to be challenged now is he?" Carter pointed out to her. He could see in her eyes that she did not believe what he was saying. If he was to ask for Lady Abigail's assistance Carter knew that he would be putting her in danger, and right now that was not something that he was willing to do. He would find some other way to get word out about what was going on. Her safety right now was more important to him than anything.

Carter had visited with the Lady Abigail until the wee hours of the morning. To protect those who were in his camp he had them taken from the shore of the lake under the cover of a deep mist. He did not want them to remember where the camp was hidden, there were to many lives at stake for them to be able to lead anyone or find their way back. As he was helping Lady Abigail into the boat to leave she stopped him.

"Robin, I want you to have this to remember me by." She said extending her hand, which held her handkerchief.

"Lady Abigail." Carter said to her, "I am honored."

She leaned up on to her tiptoes and placed a kiss before slipping into the boat and sailing away into the mist.

During the night Will taken off somewhere. No one knew where he was. Carter could not have his right hand man missing. As the hours passed and there was no sign of Will, Carter decided that he needed to take a chance and slip back into Nottingham to see if he could see any sign of him. Carter donned a disguise, hiding himself as a blind man. A cloak with a hood, ragged and torn was pulled up over his head. He kept his head bent as he wandered the city streets. There was a small gathering in the castle courtyard. Carter could overhear people talking.

"The scoundrel is to be hung tomorrow at high noon." A man said.

"I can't believe that an outlaw would have the courage to do something as daring as that." A second man said. Carter stood just a few feet away leaning against a wall listening intently to them.

"Aye, he must have been a bloody fool to think that he could get away with stealing the virtue of the young Lady Carol, the sheriff's own cousin." The man said again.

"I would agree that the young hot headed Will Scarlet is as big of fool as anyone." Said the second man to the first.

Carter slipped back outside the city gates. They were going to hang one of his men for something not even related to what they had been doing. How could Will have been as stupid as to get caught with the Sheriff's cousin of all people? Carter made his way back to the forest hide out. He was going to have to come up with a plan to get Will out of this mess. He could not let his man be hung all for sleeping with a woman. Will have better have loved this woman or he was going to stretch Will's neck himself.

They planned that night as to how to get young Will out of his predicament. They were going to be in the courtyard when Will was hung. Bull was to watch their escape route while Carter and little Jerry cut Will free and made their way from the castle to escape safely back to the woods. Hopeful God would shine upon them and everything would go according to their plan.

That morning they all dressed up hidden in garbs that concealed their faces. The last thing Carter need was to be recognized as Robin Hood. They got into place as they heard the drums begin to signal the coming out of the prisoner. Carter watched as Will was led out his hands were bound behind his back and his left eye was swollen shut. He could tell that Will had suffered at the hands of the Sheriff.

Carter was now close enough for Will to see him. He signaled to little Jerry as the noose was placed around Will's neck. Before the stool could be kicked out from beneath his feet, Carter had an arrow in the chest of the hangman. Little Jerry cut Will free from the hangman's noose and helped him to escape up the wall. Carter glanced up to see the good Sheriff standing there not more than 10 feet from him. As his hood fell back from his face, the Sheriff recognized him. Carter watched the Sheriff as he unsheathed his sword and charged at Carter. Carter pulled his sword from his hip and prepared to defend himself against the Sheriff's attack.

Carter blocked the first blow from the Sheriff as they began to fight their way around the courtyard. Each man was now dealing blow upon blow. The sound of metal clashing upon metal at their swords collided rang out through the courtyard. Carter fought off the sheriff as best he could. Back and forth the men went. Carter found himself being backed against the wall as the sheriff's sword nicked his arm. He could see the red of his blood spilling onto his white shirt. He fought harder against the Sheriff backing him against the scaffolding that was to be used to hang his friend. Carter swung his sword as he heard the sheriff scream out. Carter had felt his sword making contact with human flesh rather than the hard steel of another blade. He watched almost in horror as the Sheriff's arm fell to the ground. The end of his sword was now bathed in the sheriff's own blood. Carter ran over to the wall and scaled over it to make his escape. Unaware of the fact that he was now missing something very dear to him. His horse was waiting on the other side of the wall, with Little Jerry his men and a battered Will. He needed to get Will and the others out of there and to safety before the Sheriff could react to what had happened and recover from the blow that Carter had just dealt him.

The sheriff's healer quickly ran to his master's side and began to take care of his wounded leader. The sheriff in his agony and anger for that hooded thief noticed something on the ground. He made one of his men pick it up. "What is it?" The sheriff barked over the healer.

"Lady Abigail's handkerchief." The man replied.

The sheriff thought for a minute. So that rouge had his eye on the fair Lady Abigail. He knew that he needed to put an end to that. For no man was going to get away with stealing his horse, deprive him of a hanging and chop off his arm.

The sheriff from inside the walls of Nottingham, with the help of his witch, began to put his plan into motion. He was going to get that rouge right where it hurt. Before the end of the week Lady Abigail was going to be Lady Nottingham. Putting the sheriff one step closer to the throne and he would have Robin of the Hood right where he wanted him, crushed and defeated.

Carter and his men rode back into camp. Carter jumped off his horse and helped Will down. He got the man standing on his own to feet before he started in on him, "What in bloody blazes were you thinking Will Scarlet. The sheriff's cousins of all people, please tell me that you loved this woman."

"What difference does it make to you rich boy?" Will snapped.

"Could you not have found a tavern wench to fill your bed?" Carter asked him.

Will could feel his blood start to boil, "you are not the only one around here who can carry on with a noble lady Robin."

"Bloody hell Will, I had to risk my neck, the necks of my men to save your sorry arse." Carter snapped pointing at the people who were standing around them, "and what for all because you felt the need to bed a Lady instead of a wench."

That was the last straw Will snapped and lunged at Carter. Carter felt himself being pushed down onto the ground as Will was now squarely upon him. He felt Will's fist connect with his face. Carter struggled against Will sitting on top of him and managed to free himself from under Will. They rolled around the ground taking punches at each other until Will again had Carter pinned to the ground. Carter felt cold steel upon his neck and looked to see Will holding his dagger to him.

Will quickly stood up, getting off Carter before placing his dagger back in his bootleg. Anger and hatred filled his eyes. There was no way that he could be responsible for killing Robin. As he looked to the ground he spit. "I can not take the life of my brother." Will was now turned with his back to Carter.

Carter got himself up off the ground. He wanted to clobber the young man. However, his words were burning in his ears. "I am not your brother Will Scarlet."

"That you are. I am the son that our father had to hide away. Your anger and hatred pushed him to let my mother go." He said. "You ruined my life all because you thought that you're father was betraying your dead mother by loving mine."

"You lie." Carter said to him.

"If that's what you want to believe then fine. But remember you are not the only one who is noble around here." Will told him, "and yes I do love her. Lady Carol, unknown to the sheriff, is my wife."

"You're what?"

"My wife Robin." He said again. "That woman is and always will be my wife."

Carter was shocked to hear that from Will. Not only was Will telling him that he is his brother, but that his outlaw brother is married to not only a lady, but the sheriff of Nottingham's cousin, the cousin of the man who's arm he had just cut off.

As things settled down and tempers were lessened those in the camp began to make preparations for the night, Carter drifted off to sleep dreaming about the Lady Abigail.