THE LAST STAND

A playful gust of wind blew across the upper bailey, skittering along the stone floor in a riot of leaves and litter and catching the hem of Roana's kirtle as she emerged from the castle ahead of the others. Her bow was drawn, taut and unwavering, aimed at Vaisey as she moved backwards, glancing over her shoulder quickly as the daylight hit her. She felt the tickle of fletching against her cheek and looked back at Vaisey, narrowing her gaze until all she could see was him.

She took a deep breath and edged further towards the top of the steps, feeling the way with the tips of her boots, before coming to a halt. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and her mouth was dry as she focused on Dulcina's pale and frightened countenance.

Much and Marian, swords drawn, were beside her as they left the keep, while Robin, Peyton, and Allan remained close to Vaisey and Dulcina as they stepped out of the castle and into the open.

Vaisey paused, framed by the stone door frame, and grinned horribly. "Not much further now, Hood. You do have your uses after all, it would seem."

"If this means you are going to leave Nottingham for good, never to be seen again, then I'm all for assisting," Robin said, grimly.

"Ha ha, very droll," Vaisey replied, briskly. "What are we waiting for? Come on. To the town gates. And get me a horse on the way, there's a good little outlaw."

He directed this at Allan, who looked furious. However as he moved to descend the steps and follow Vaisey's orders, there came the sound of running feet and Little John and Will appeared in the main entrance to the castle, followed by Guy, Djaq, and Tuck, and a small group of others.

Seeing them, Little John shouted, "Robin!"

At the same time, Guy, who was pale and wild-eyed, his tunic stained with blood, roared, "Sheriff!"

"Gisborne!" Vaisey spat. "I knew I should have finished you when I had the chance." Glancing around quickly, he began to back towards the narrow staircase that led up to the battlements, pulling Dulcina with him.

"Up there," he snarled at his guards, who scrambled up the stairway before him. "Come with me, countess."

"Where are you taking me?" Dulcina said fearfully, staggering awkwardly after Vaisey as he dragged her unceremoniously towards the bottom steps.

"I hope you aren't afraid of heights," Vaisey replied with a dry chuckle. He glared at Allan over Dulcina's shoulder. "Where's that horse?"

Allan teetered, unsure whether to obey Vaisey's orders or follow them up onto the ramparts, his eyes on his mother.

"Allan," Roana murmured, hoping to ground him more than anything else.

Allan seemed to relax as he glanced at her before turning to the approaching group and shouting, "We need a horse! A fast one! And quickly!"

Nodding in satisfaction as Djaq and Will immediately broke away from the group in the direction of the stables, Roana moved past Allan to hurry after the Sheriff and Dulcina, her bow still drawn.

"Roana, wait!" Robin and Peyton were hot on her heels, but Roana ignored them and followed Vaisey and his captive closely.

Vaisey glared at her, moving awkwardly up the steep staircase with one arm gripping Dulcina around the waist. She was walking backwards, stumbling every now and again as the steps caught her heels. She stared at Roana, who held her gaze, hoping against hope that she was imparting some comfort to the older woman. Dulcina's blue eyes were shuttered now, as if she had closed down, but there was a glint of something deep within her gaze that Roana couldn't quite decipher.

The wind was gusting throughout the ramparts as they emerged onto the wall walk, and it immediately caught Dulcina's hair, whipping it into Vaisey's face. He spluttered and thrust it away.

"Do something with this or I'll cut it off," he barked, and Dulcina hurriedly caught her beloved tresses between two hands, twisting them into a rope which she pulled over her shoulder.

"That's the best I can do," she said quietly, and Roana, reaching the top of the staircase and moving onto the ramparts to allow Robin to follow her, noticed a new steeliness to her tone that hadn't been there previously.

"No more," Vaisey told Robin firmly, nodding towards the steps as Peyton and Allan reached the top. "This isn't a show. I'll throw her off the battlements if that horse isn't made available soon."

"Wait!" Robin moved to the top of the steps as Allan hurried to join Roana and held his hand up to Marian and Much. "No more. It isn't safe. Stay down there, and make sure that horse is on its way."

Much looked disappointed but nodded in acquiescence as he turned away, and Marian paused to hold Robin's gaze before she followed him.

"Be careful," she said, and Robin nodded with a faint smile.

"Vaisey!" The roar came from the opposite end of the wall walk, where Guy had appeared in the doorway of the turret. He ran towards them, brandishing his sword, his face twisted in rage.

Vaisey audibly sighed. "I said no more, Hood. Especially not Gisborne. What is wrong with him?"

Roana glanced quickly to her left as Guy approached, taking in his disheveled appearance. Allan, beside her, stepped towards him and held a hand up.

"Guy, stop, please." He gestured towards Vaisey, who had moved closer to the edge of the battlements, looking over his shoulder through the crenel to the river below.

"That's right, Gisborne. Listen to Allan like a good boy. Stay back, or she's dead."

Guy came to a reluctant halt and glared at Vaisey, his eyes red-rimmed. "Let her go, Vaisey. It's over. You're surrounded."

"Well, not entirely." Vaisey jerked his head back to indicate the drop behind him and chuckled.

"No! Don't." Allan held his hands out in supplication, his eyes on Dulcina, and Vaisey laughed harder.

"Vaisey, step away from the edge," Robin said quietly, mirroring Roana with drawn bow as he moved to the other side of the Sheriff. "Your horse is on its way. Don't put yours or Dulcina's life in danger."

"My life is already in danger, Hood," Vaisey snapped. "Thanks to you and your band of miscreants. If only you'd never come home from the Crusades."

Robin laughed. "Well, I did. Unlucky for you. Did you really expect me to stand aside and witness the injustices you were inflicting on the people of Nottinghamshire? My people. I could never do that. You had to be stopped."

"Taxes are a necessity," Vaisey bit back. "Even your precious Lionheart would tell you that. All I was doing was ensuring the good people of the shire were forthcoming with their hard-earned money."

Robin curled his lip. "You were taking more from them than taxes, and you know it. Gisborne can confirm that."

"It's true," Guy said, quietly. "What we were doing was wrong. What I did... was wrong."

"Yes, yes, but you still did it, Gisborne," Vaisey interrupted him, impatiently. "I didn't hear you questioning my decisions. I saw you carrying out orders with pleasure. You loved it: the power, the wealth. The authority." He gave a bark of laughter and shook his head. "You're as much to blame as I am, Gisborne. You can't dismiss all those years of pain and horror - inflicted by you. And I'm sure he'll agree."

He lifted the dagger to jab it before him, indicating the bailey below.

Desperately trying to keep one eye on him, Roana turned her head slightly to catch a glimpse of the courtyard. The rest of the outlaws stood helplessly, watching the events above, and they had now been joined by the king and his retinue, all waiting patiently for the outcome of the stand-off. Little John stood guard at the bottom of the steps, ready to challenge anyone who tried to ascend.

Roana nudged Allan, who glanced over his shoulder.

"Robin," he said.

"I saw," Robin replied quietly, and Vaisey gave another evil chuckle.

"Where's my horse?" he said. "You might as well bring two. Come with me, Gisborne. We'll escape together. You and I were always a team. We can start anew in France. I'm sure Philip will accept us with open arms."

There was a sudden strong gust of wind and Roana wobbled slightly before steadying herself, watching everybody else do the same. Beside her, Guy moaned, and she shot him a look, but his attention was firmly on Vaisey.

"I've changed," Guy said, dully, lowering his sword. "I... I'm not that person anymore."

"Oh, come on, Gisborne," Vaisey shouted. "Do you think the king will forgive you once he discovers it was you who tried to kill him in the Holy Land? A clue: no. Of course he won't. You'll be hung for treason!"

Roana, who was closest to Guy, looked at him sharply and watched the terror and shame coalesce on his face.

"Guy, don't listen to him," she warned. "He's trying to get into your head."

"It's working." With a miserable sigh, Guy dropped his sword with a clatter and fell to his knees, his expression creased with regret. "I am treasonous. I did try to kill the king. I deserve to be punished."

"No!" Robin shouted, before lowering his voice. "Gisborne, you regret that. I know you do." He looked over as Guy placed his head into his hands in anguish, and added gently but insistently. "Guy."

At the sound of his name uttered from his once arch-enemies lips brought Guy back from the hell he had sent himself to, and he raised his head, catching Robin's eye. Then, he nodded, tight-lipped, and grabbed his sword, letting it scrape against stone as he stood.

"Oh, la-di-dah-di-dah," Vaisey snarled in disgust. "How touching! I tell you something for nothing, Gisborne. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me."

He spread his arms wide to accentuate his point, failing to realise his mistake until it was too late. Dulcina, who had been frozen within his grasp for so long, acted swiftly and with lethal intent. Lifting her left leg, she kicked backwards, catching him sharply on the calf.

Vaisey howled in rage and bent to clutch his leg while, at the same time, attempting to grab hold of her again, but Dulcina side-stepped him, easily eluding his grasp.

"Ma!" Allan shouted and surged forward, but she was already turning to face Vaisey.

Raising both arms, she planted her hands on his chest and pushed, her movements almost lazy in their motion, although the strength applied wasn't.

The next few moments appeared to happen in slow motion. Roana, watching helplessly, gasped as Vaisey stumbled, his face a picture of fright as he teetered on the edge of the battlement with nothing but empty space yawning behind him. As he went, he reached out and grabbed hold of the rope of Dulcina's hair, jerking her forwards towards him. At the same time, the backs of his legs hit the low wall that made up the bottom of the crenel, tripping him, and he tumbled backwards, taking Dulcina with him.

"No!" Roana screamed and leaped forward, aware of Allan, Robin, Guy and Peyton moving with her.

They reached Dulcina at the same time, and Allan grabbed her by the shoulders while Robin hunkered down beside her.

"Don't worry. We've got you," he said, placing a soothing hand on her arm.

Dulcina said nothing. She was crouched over the crenel, her stomach resting on the low wall while her head hung perilously over the edge, where the world fell away. Vaisey was clinging onto the edge of the crenel below her, one hand still firmly clutching her hair. His legs dangled over the river below, and his face was white with terror.

"Pull me up," he implored. "Pull me up, woman."

"My lady, let me help," Peyton said quickly, but it was as if he wasn't there.

Dulcina was focused solely on Vaisey, whose life was in her hands.

"You killed my son," she said, steadily, staring into his eyes, her tone matter-of-fact.

"What?" Vaisey looked at her irritably before shaking his head. "So? I killed a lot of sons, and they all deserved it. Now pull me up."

"You had no authority to kill my son. Only the king can order a hanging, not a simple administrator." She spat the last word out, contemptuously, and Vaisey stilled.

He stared back at her, his eyes suddenly hard, and it no longer seemed to matter that he was hanging above a steep drop, with certain death only a moment away.

His voice dripped with derision as he spoke. "He was a thief. Scum. And he deserved to die. Tom A Dale. Yes, I remember him." He gave a sharp laugh. "Horrible young man. Good for absolutely nothing, as is Allan. I should have killed him too when I had the chance, and put an end to the farce that is your family."

Roana was frozen as she listened to the vitriol that spewed forth from Vaisey's mouth. His very life was in Dulcina's hands, yet he didn't seem to care.

There was the sound of metal on stone and Dulcina drew Vaisey's dagger into view. She must have snatched it from him as she fought back. At the sight of the blade, Vaisey looked momentarily perturbed, but his expression swiftly changed. He glared at her.

"What are you going to do, Daisy? Yes, I know who you are too. Just a common little whore who seduced my uncle with her talent in the bedroom. He'll grow bored of you one day, barren bitch, and then you'll be nothing again. Like you were before. Like your son was. Like your other son is, and any runts that come from his loins."

Raising the blade, Dulcina reached across and began to cut through her hair slowly and methodically while holding Vaisey's gaze.

"What are you doing?" he snapped. "Let go of me, why don't you. Hood! Gisborne! Somebody get me away from this whore. I'd rather hang than be near her."

Allan made to move closer, but Roana placed a hand on his arm and shook her head, and, along with Robin, Guy, and Peyton, they watched, somehow understanding that this was Dulcina's battle, and that she meant to deal with it alone.

She smiled as the blade sliced through the last strand of her thick hair, and Vaisey was left holding the chestnut rope that he had ordered her to tie back earlier. Realisation dawned in his eyes, and he glowered at her, his eyes ice-cold.

"You stupid bitch," he said pointedly, determined to have the last word.

"This is for Tom," Dulcina said lightly, and sliced across the tops of Vaisey's knuckles.

In eerie silence, while still holding her gaze, he let go and fell, plummeting straight down and out of sight.

Allan and Peyton immediately rushed to help Dulcina to her feet, while Robin, Guy, and Roana ran to the edge, craning their necks to watch Vaisey's descent. He was already a speck, tumbling away from them at speed, and his body hit the water of River Leen with some force before sinking below its brown surface.

They waited with bated breath, clutching the stone walls beneath white knuckles, but his body never re-emerged. The current had already swept him away, and there was little doubt in anyone's mind that his broken body would be found days later on a river bank somewhere in the shire.

Roana turned back to Allan and Dulcina, and Robin took a deep shuddering breath then exhaled, feeling the tension of the past three years leave his body in a slow rush. He looked up and met Guy's eyes, and both men nodded and smiled.

It was over.