Chapter eight:
Marian's POV:
Waking up, I briefly forgot about the events of last night. What would we play today? I thought, smiling.
My smile faded when the thoughts came rushing back into my head.
It was time to decide now.
Would I sit and wait for my friends to come and find me?
Or would I stand up and take action?
It was then that I realised, that if I stood still any longer, I'd be stuck forever.
With a sudden urge, I leaped out of bed and quickly got dressed into my hunting clothes, they were easier to run in than a dress. Rifling through my drawers, I found the other note that Robin had left me and compared it to the handwriting of the one I found last night. The handwriting was the same, which could only mean one thing.
But it sounded more like a goodbye, than an explanation of his and Much's absence.
Why is he saying goodbye?
Careful to make as little noise as possible, I climbed down the tree next to my window. If I went downstairs, then I would be questioned by Hazel and Sarah, who were probably already making breakfast.
Jumping from the lowest branch, I landed on the grass with a soft thud and started to sprint into Sherwood.
The trees were a blur of green and brown as I ran past them. A flock birds flew above me, they chirped, as if cheering me on. I stopped briefly, while passing the clearing, the memorises flooded back to me. Sitting around the fire, laughing and joking, chasing each other and seeing who could climb the highest in the trees.
In no time, I was standing outside Robin's front door. The guards let me in when I said I was delivering a message from the Sherriff. It wasn't a completely lie, since Father did miss the boys too.
Ready to bring my fist to the door, I was about to knock when I heard a familiar voice come from behind me.
"Moring Dave, morning Tom." Much greeted the two guards, he was carrying a pile of wood, presumably to go on the fire.
"Good morning, Much." One guard, replied.
"Need any help carrying that wood?" The other guard asked.
Much shook his head, "I should be fine, thanks though!" He was walking towards me now.
Catching my eye, the logs fell from his hands and onto the floor.
"Marian?" His voice was high, in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Much didn't seem very happy to see me.
"Well I was worried! You, Robin, and I met at the clearing, every single for two years, and then you two just stop turning up. What the hell was I supposed to think?" Very close to shouting, I explained.
"We have a reason, Marian." Much's eyes were welling up with tears, "It's hard t-to explain." he choked on his words.
Reaching out with my arms, I brought him into a hug and he wept into my shoulder. Still confused, I wanted a real answer as to why he and Robin had disappeared, but I didn't want to push Much.
"Much, where is Robin?"
Much brought me through the manor, via the servant's entrance. It was just as I remembered from two years ago, when I was last here.
Robin had never invited me back to his home after the first time. I had always wondered why, but assumed it was because he didn't like all of the expectations of being the so of a Lord.
Even though I still had some responsibility, William would have more when he becomes my age. As I was a girl, I wasn't thought of as being clever enough to handle the job, which was rubbish. I didn't care though, the more time I had for archery.
Soon, I was standing in front of the door to Robin's bedroom. What was the reason they both had? It must be really serious if Much was so upset.
Knocking twice, I waited to hear a reply from inside before going in.
"Go away." A mumble arose from inside.
Knocking once again, a bit taken aback from the comment. Reaching to turn the door knob, I stopped when I heard footsteps approaching.
The door was flung open so hard, it blew my hair back.
Robin stood there, his expression was long and gaunt, and his eyes were sunken and red. He looked so exhausted and distraught. Those green eyes that I'd looked into so many times, were lost and distant.
Robin's gorgeous eyes cleared a little when he recognised it was me and not someone else.
What's going on?
Robin's POV:
This was the hardest thing I would ever have to do.
Writing the note, I tried to see what I was writing but my eyes were too blurry. I couldn't bring myself to explain everything, so I only wrote six words.
Six little words to sum up a whole week of disappearance, and after meeting every day for two whole years, made a week seem like an eternity.
"I'm sorry. I love you, always."
The death of my Mother had taken its toll on my Father and I. Mother had never wanted me to feel like I had to live up to all of the expectations of being the son of a Lord. On the other hand, Father had always been trying to get me to stay out of the forest, and learn about the importance of his job.
Whenever I would come home, muddy from the forest, Mother would laugh and ask me how my day was. Father would tell me to clean up, and to not get any mud on anything.
Mother was always warm and happy; Father was always slightly cold and disapproving. Mother warmed Father's temper and made him remember what love is.
She had fallen ill, we don't know what it is, but it crept up on her. One day, she was my normal, happy Mother. The next minute, she turned cold and frail.
Once Mother had passed and we had said our goodbyes, Father had taken me by the shoulders and announced the fateful words I had been dredging for my whole life.
"Robin," he looked straight into my eyes, "it's time to be a man!"
Before I could lose my nerve, I rolled up the note, grabbed an arrow, snuck out of my window and ran into the forest.
Coming up to the clearing, it was hard to breathe, I had missed the fun we had here. Even seven days without seeing Marian, or the forest, had been torture.
The forest was my home and Marian was my light.
Knowing that she would wait for Much and I every day, we couldn't go in the forest. Otherwise, she would find us, meaning, that we would have to explain.
Walking out of the edge of the forest, I put my small lamp behind a tree, so as not to draw attention to myself, and approached Marian's house.
Seeing her leave her bedroom from her window, I saw my opportunity and seized it. Being as quiet as possible, I climbed the tree and stuck the note to the trunk with my arrow. It was then that I lost my footing slightly, making me scrabble to find it again.
"Hello, is anyone up there?" A call came from below. Looking down, I saw Marian peering up at me. She couldn't have seen me; it was dark outside and I was clothed in all black and I was hidden by the leaves.
Marian was staring straight into my eyes without even knowing it, she looked tired and sad. A week without her best friends must have been hard on her, but she still managed to lighten my mood.
A look of sudden realisation crossed her face, and she raced back into her house.
Losing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I thought through my options. I could stay here and explain the situation myself, or I could run away before she could reach me.
Thinking of the look on her face when I explained, made me want to cry, I couldn't face her like that. I'm leaving the next morning anyway, maybe leaving with out a face to face goodbye would lessen the blow.
Much and I had sent a letter to her parents explain our absence and why we would be leaving tomorrow. We asked them to not tell Marian until we left, even though she would no doubt work it out herself.
Reaching the ground, I fumbled for my lamp, and turned to walk away. But I heard her open her window and the tear of my note from my arrow.
I couldn't leave without looking at her one more time. Walking back to her garden, I lifted the lamp to me eyes and looked into her stunning eyes, for the last time.
"Goodbye, my love." I whispered, before turning to face my future.
The next morning was a blur, I packed my bags and tried not to imagine the look on Marian's face when she figured it out.
Two knocks sounded at my door. Thinking it was Much, I rolled my eyes and groaned.
He hadn't stopped crying since he found out we were leaving. Much didn't have to go, like I did but he refused to let me leave alone. He had always been loyal like that.
"Go away." Hoping he had walked away; I went back to packing my bags.
There was another knock.
Stomping over to the door, I flung it open, ready to tell Much where to shove it. But stopped, mouth hanging open in surprise, when I saw who was waiting there.
Marian stood in front of me, with my note clutched in her hand, and a confused look on her face.