Hey guys, I'm back, and with four new chapters! Yea! But please, I've given you four chapters, count 'em, it would be so nice to receive four reviews from each person. I mean, I could have strung them all out and made you wait each week for them, but I didn't. Four little reviews can't hurt you. They don't have to be long. Please, please. Or if you've never reviewed at all, please just give me one little review, to let me know you are reading. One little review. Pretty please!Okay, okay, I've begged and grovelled enough. On with the story!

"What! What are you talking about?" Will's heart pounded in his ears as he struggled to understand the chaotic stream of words that burstforth from Wulf and Gilesall at the same time.

"Slow down," Azeem advised them. "and tell us what happened from the beginning."

Giles inhaled, exhaled, and by that time he had calmed down enough to explain.

"We had just gotten to Dorshire and we were starting to hand out the food and money. We were in front of Robin and Noah when all of a sudden, some men begging for money—I guess now they were pretending—jumped Robin. They tried to pull him off his horse, but they couldn't get him off, and Robin tried to get the horse out of the hands of the men. Then the men grabbed Noah and pulled him down. Well, Robin jumped off the horse and tackled that man. He fought hard, but," he shrugged, "…they got him."

"Noah too?" Will asked, knowing the answer since the boy wasn't there, but hoping somehow he was wrong.

"Noah too. Wulf and I were running to them by that time, but" here he took a deep breath, "Robin yelled at us to go and get help. He yelled it several times, and we did what he said. We left him," he muttered.

"You did right," Azeem assured the dejected man.

"We have to help them!" Wulf exclaimed passionately, stating the obvious, Will thought.

"And help them we will." Azeem murmured absently as he studied the situation.

"The sheriff's actually being clever," Will shook his head. "Did you see where they took them?"

Giles and Wulf glanced at each other and both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Uh, no, we didn't think to stay and watch."

Azeem broke in to keep Will, who was already rolling his eyes, to comment and worsen the situation further. "Then that is the first priority." He continued,

"The sheriff's men have seen you two, it's a sure bet they will recognize you if you go back. So I'll go," Azeem stated confidently. Scarlett cocked an eyebrow at him, and despite the gravity of the situation, his lips curled upwards in the beginning of a smile.

"Uh, Azeem, I hate to be the one to tell you this," he began, "but you don't really blend in all that well."

"Oh," a smile flitted across his face, "you're right, but that leaves…" the painted man trailed off.

"Me?" Will finished the thought.

"Hey, I'm sure I can go, they probably won't recognize me, they didn't get that good a look at me," Giles quickly volunteered, not really eager to have Locksley's greatest adversary in the camp getting that close to the action of rescuing the leader.

Will shook off Giles's offer. "No, I'll go. Don't worry," he assured all them, "I'll do whatever it takes to save Noah." Will shook off Giles's offer. "Besides," he glanced at Azeem, "I've had plenty of experience blending in to different towns."

"All right, you and I will go find Robin and Noah," Azeem was firm, a steel edge in his voice so that no one dared question his going, "and you two get back to Sherwood and gather all the men to help us. Go!"

It was late afternoon when Will entered the village. Azeem was hiding with the wagon in the woods at the edge of town, waiting for Will and ready to spring out if anyone the least bit threatening passed by going either into or out of the town. Man, Will harangued himself, why did I leave my sword at camp, on this day of all days? He glanced around. There were several little clusters of people whispering together. He casually edged closer to the nearest one.

"Are you sure it was really him?"

"How do I know what Robin Hood looks like?" one man held his hands out defensively. "I've never seen him, but he was on a white stallion. Hood is said to have stolen the Sheriff's white horse and how many of those are around here?"

"So they have Robin Hood." There was silence for a moment as each one pondered the man's statement. Will was on the outer fringes of the group now. He kept his eyes roaming over the village, searching for any sign.

"Where did they take him?" Yes! Someone who hadn't seen what had happened either; Will was grateful, now hopefully he wouldn't have to ask the questions and risk drawing unwanted attention to himself.

"Over there, the farthest cabin down there. They took him and the scrawny kid with him."

Why are they keeping them at a cabin? Shouldn't the soldiers be bringing him directly to the Sheriff? What are they going to do with them? Come on mister, ask him what are they going to do with them? Ask it!

"What are the men planning to do?" Close enough.

"I guess they're going to hold Hood until they get the reward from the Sheriff. Man, a thousand gold pieces, that's a pretty nice sum of money…"

Wait, they're not Nottingham's soldiers? So a bunch of farm boys outwitted Locksley? He ain't gonna like that.

Will eased his way out of the crowd and as casually as he could manage he walked away until he came behind the house, out of sight of the townspeople. He slipped into the shadows and creeped his way, careful to not attract the least bit of attention, down until he was in the shadows of the cabin adjacent to the last one. The one the man had said Locksley and Noah were in.

He stood still, wondering what to do from here. The man had said this was the place, but so far he didn't know for sure. And he couldn't go back to Azeem with an unjustified rumor. It might be wrong, and that would cost them time, and maybe the others' lives. And he didn't want to just go back and wait around for John to show up. So he decided to stay and wait just for a little bit, and if nothing happened after that time, he would sneak up and find a window to peer through and see what there was to see. And hope no one is on the other side waiting to plunge an arrow in my head.

Two men left the other cabin, their profiles to Will, who kept behind his own cabin, grateful for the long afternoon shadows that hid him from sight. Another man walked up with the white stallion, handed it to them and then retired to the cabin. Will clenched his fists as the shorter man swung up and onto Robin's horse. That's Robin's horse, get off!

"Now get the Sheriff and make sure he understands, we expect the full reward. The full reward. Nothing less." The rider nodded and took off. The lone man stood watching after him for a moment. Then he turned and his face was fully towards the hidden outlaw for the first time. The breath caught in his throat as he recognized the man standing before him.

Avery.