I would quickly like to thank the lovely reader who popped on to say some very kind things! While I do and will always write the stories that inspire me regardless of whether or not they are read, it is thoroughly refreshing to know that this story is being appreciated and there are still people out there who enjoy it, especially in this particular little fandom.
So thank you very much, and I hope you continue to enjoy the upcoming chapters because I am very excited to write them!

Chapter Eleven

Strangers on the Road

"I thought you said Will was going to build something to remind you of your father?"

"He is. He has, come on!"

For the first time in days, Luke Scarlett was smiling as he raced ahead, waving them all behind him down the slope and right towards a rocky outcrop. The sun was beginning to dip low, for once unhindered by cloud cover and casting a warm golden glow on the evening.

"What are we looking at?"Allan asked, shrugging his shoulders as he looked around at the others. Finished with whatever he had been fiddling with high above on the slope above them. Will came running past, out of breath and wide eyed as he ran to his brother's side. Djaq's eyes lingered on their profiles for a few moments, seeing every similarity in the brothers as they stared with matching green eyes fixedly at the stone wall. Will and Luke were at the same time very similar in appearance and yet somehow completely different. They shared the same dark hair, though Will's edged on the verge of black, and the same wide green eyes, the same pointed jawline. But where Luke's youthful face was free of stubble and more full, Will's was long and lean and rough with facial hair. Luke, anyone could tell after meeting both, was the spitting image of Dan Scarlett. Will, who certainly had his father's eyes, must have more resembled their mother.

"Any minute…"

Then the sun crept through the trees, warm against her back as Djaq's gaze was torn from the Scarlett brothers and followed everyone to the rock wall. A soft gasp caught on her lips as Dan Scarlett's smiling face shimmered into view. Every line that creased his expression, every shape was so perfect in its detail that it was unbelievable to look at. They all drew in a collective breath, unable to look away from the perfect tribute that Will had built.

"Dan!" Little John's hand fell to his side, his jaw agape. Allan let out a whistle so soft that it was barely audible and exchanged a wide eyed glance with Djaq who quickly returned her gaze to the smiling carpenter who looked back at them all with kind eyes. She barely knew the man, and though his brief stay with them had been clearly uncomfortable for Will, it had only been out of Dan's love for his son.

"That is…"

"Beautiful." Djaq finished Much's sentence, eyes wide and unblinking.

"He was a good man." Robin spoke from her right, his eyes fixed on Will who did not look back at him. Luke sniffed, and Will's arm was again around his shoulders.

"Yeah...he was."

Unbidden, Djaq felt tears spring to her eyes as they travelled across to the twenty-one year old carpenter's son. Only a few days ago he had been a whole different man, so blinded by grief and rage that he'd knowingly jeopardised everything they had worked so hard to achieve.
He seemed older now somehow, but she knew well that grief had that effect, and the Will Scarlett that stood there with his arm around his little brother was not the same Will Scarlett they had ever known.

She looked back at the golden face for a moment they were all so entranced by and back to Will while no one else could see. Each member of the gang offered distinct skills and abilities to the team, each of them had their strengths and she had enormous respect for each one of the men. But Will time and time again surprised them, and perhaps it was because he was so quiet about it, he did not boast his many skills, instead just silently did the work. He was creative, and clever in such a unique way to the others. Seeing this? She would not hesitate to call him an artist. Lately she seemed to look at him differently. Noticed the little things that made him remarkably different to the rest. She could not explain why, but her heart was stirred as she looked at him and back to his father's face. It was moving, and bewildering how out of such grief and pain had come something so intricately beautiful.

}}}-l

The January days blurred together through the winter. Days turned into weeks of carefully rationed food stores, ever dwindling animal life to be caught in traps, and a light dusting of snow. While the men, unshaven and hair wilder than ever with the weather, grew even more to resemble hibernating bears, Djaq was more painfully aware of her appearance than she had ever been before. Every time she bathed, which as the water was like ice was a lot briefer now, she ran her hands self consciously over her almost flat stomach, anxious about the day that it would not be so flat. Until at last it came. Where she had been all lean and petite in frame, there it was, a gentle rounding, visible only upon close inspection, but beginning to protrude just a little. It would not be long for someone as small as she was to begin to show.
Almost fearfully, as though she was suddenly so unfamiliar with her own body, she slowly placed her hand over the growing circle of her belly, staring down at it as though she was completely standing outside her own body. There was really something there. Scared as she was to acknowledge it, it was there. A tiny piece of her and Will, that should not have been yet. Snapping back to herself she hastily dressed again.

So Djaq altered her clothing accordingly. Where once her tunics had been more fitting to her form and moved with her, she let out seams and traded in her purple and mahogany colours for a loose fitting, cotton tunic of deep green and only fastened her belt carefully low on her hips like a man. Things with Will were easier now they had made amends and she had come clean. Indeed he seemed far more accepting of the entire situation than she was, and it was her body that their child was growing in. Though she could hardly bring herself to accept it, it was a little less scary when it was Will who was by her side.
With each week the nausea seemed a little more bearable and a little less frequent but her appetite had increased threefold, an inconvenient symptom in winter when their food was so carefully rationed. Twice now she had waited until Much was snoring in his hammock and slipped from her bed to poach an extra lump of bread and honey that she so craved.

Allan remained the only one to know of Will and Djaq's engagement. Though she knew he was itching for them to say something, she could not bring herself to ask Robin to marry them much as she desired to marry her love, and she truly could not wait to marry him, her compassion had taken root. It had only been a matter of three months since Marian had gone, she and Robin had not even been wed for five minutes. She could not ask him to see them married when he would not have that for himself.
Will, to his credit, had done well to keep his word and not treat her too differently so as to give them away.

"Let me down! Who do you think you are?!"

"Oh we'll let you down shortly!" Laughter burst from the trees and the forest floor as they leapt to life. Camouflaged cloaks thrown away, mud caked faces and arms breaking apart from the rocks they lay upon and two lean figures dropped out of the trees.

Crouching as she landed on the balls of her feet beside Robin, Djaq grinned and took her place in the circle of six that surrounded the net that swung in the air between them. "As soon as you have paid your donation!"

"Tell us what you carry-" Much began.

"Honestly…" Allan clarified, "and we'll only take a tenth."

"This is madness!" the squirming shape in the net shouted and an arm wriggled its way through one of the holes and flailed in vain a metre above his assailants.

"But if you lie-" Will added.

"Or resist…" Robin, grin as wide as ever despite the arrow he had nocked and ready.

"We take everything." John finished, slapping his staff threateningly into the palm of his hand.

"No one can say you did not have a choice. Much, watch the rope." Keeping his arrow trained on the struggling traveller, Robin jerked his head to Much who moved over the tree behind him, poised to loose the rope that would release the net into a pile on the ground.

"Alright! Alright! I have very little. Fifty silver and a handful of copper. Search for yourself, just let me down!"

"Let him down."

The trap fell with a dull thud, and the moment the man disentangled himself from the ropes, Little John was there, holding him still by the collar of his coat. He certainly did not look wealthy. He was dressed little better than the outlaws themselves, save for the warm looking leather coat that resembled John's only far newer. His hair was thick and long like Gisborne's but a rusty red, but his beard was neatly trimmed. A sword swung at his side which was quickly removed from his person when Allan stepped forward to search him leaving Djaq and Will with sword and axe respectively raised at the ready.

"The rumours of Sherwood Forest were true then. Is this really necessary? If you must search my person I would rather the girl do it."

"No." Djaq raised her sword and stepped forward until it touched the stranger's chin. "You would not."

"Oi, not in much of a position to be making demands, are you?" Allan lightly slapped the red bearded cheek and stepped away with coin purse in hand to count the money.

"Where do you travel from?"

"Grantham."

"Grantham? What would bring you to Nottingham from there?" Briefly exchanging a raised eyebrow with John, who tightened his grip of the collar, Robin returned his arrow to his quiver as Allan whistled.

"He wasn't lying. Fifty silver and a little copper."

"Well, we nabbed a truthful one. Wise man." Robin nodded, somewhat approvingly and began to fish out a tenth of its contents. "Most fellows think they can outwit us. Or at least outrun us."

"Does it work?"

"Try it and see." Will muttered, "And you didn't answer the question. Why Nottingham?"

"Family, if you ruffians must know."

"Ruffians? I'll have you know we could have left you swinging up there." Much huffed, sheathing his weapon with the smooth grating of metal.

"Now, now, Much. We've been called worse."

"I am on my way, not to Nottingham but Nettlestone. My sister's wedding-look you know I am not lying, would you let me go?"

Only after a nod of approval from Robin did Little John release his restraining hold on the traveller who shrugged his shoulders and wriggled back into his coat.

"Do you always travel armed to a wedding?" Djaq questioned, not utterly convinced by the story they were being told and darting her dark eyes over to the sword that Allan still held.

"Only when travelling through a forest I've been warned was infested with outlaws." He snapped back, clearly affronted.

"Which begs the questions, why come this way?"

"Because it's the most direct path. Now if I could please get on my way?"

"As promised. I have only taken a tenth." Robin stepped forward and made to hand the purse back to the stranger, at the last second holding it back when he reached for it. "We know the people of Nettlestone well. Who is your sister?"

"Eda Cook. Or after today, Eda Fletcher." He replied without any hesitation and snatched his coin purse back when Robin seemed satisfied with the answer and Allan nodded twice to confirm he too knew that name. "And I am Randel Cook, now if you would kindly-"

"Escort you through these woods to Nettlestone?"

"Robin, what?" Will scoffed as they all turned to stare at their leader.

"We have a drop off point there today anyway, it's hardly out of the way. Might as well wish Samuel and Eda well."

"He means he's inviting himself to a wedding." Much rolled his eyes and slouched off ahead, intentionally shoving Robin with his shoulder as he passed. "He just can't stand that they didn't ask him to perform it."

"That's not true!"

"It is true." John, Djaq and Much all said in unison as the former shoved the red-headed Randel in the shoulder to move him along.

Djaq fell into step beside Will, a few paces behind the others as they trudged off on the swiftest offroad paths to Nettlestone. Allan, using the guise of passing off the confiscated sword to her, moved around and pressed it into her hands, clapping Will heartily on the shoulder with his free hand. "Hear that? Inviting himself to a wedding."

"Want me to whack him over the head?" Will asked with a grin as Allan quickly jogged away whistling to himself.

She looked up at him and laughed softly, letting her hand briefly fall into Will's for a few steps. "No need, I have better ways."

}}}-l

"He seems familiar, don't you think?"

"No, never met him before. But I do know we left a goat with the Cooks about a month ago and if he doesn't live in the village it's no wonder we haven't met him."

Djaq tilted her head curiously, listening in to the hushed conversation between Allan and John and darting her eyes between them and Randel who walked ahead at Robin's side. Nettlestone seemed emptier somehow, but that was nothing too out of place in winter when people kept indoors. Why Eda and Samuel would have chosen a midwinter's day to be married was unusual but certainly not unheard. Still she could not shake a peculiar feeling that was beginning to creep up her back. "You do not think…" She started and Will and Much both turned to look at her with raised eyebrows, "Never mind…"

"Eda!" A loud laugh sounded from ahead as Randel ran forward to meet a young woman as she emerged from a cottage, auburn hair loose and hanging about her shoulders in an untidy wave. There was something that did not seem quite right. She did not look like a bride about to be wed. She stopped at the gate, her eyes flying in surprise from her brother to the outlaws and her eyes widened in alarm.

"You should not be here! You must go now!"

"And miss your wedding? Wouldn't hear of it." But Robin's grin had dimmed again at the look on her face just as Randel turned back from embracing his sister. "What do you mean? Eda where is everybod-"

"Well, well, well...you were right. They walked right in."

Little John growled at the voice, Will and Much both groaned in unison and Much shoved Robin's shoulder. "See!"

Gisborne stepped out from the cottage, and the fear on Eda's face made sense again. He patted the red headed stranger on the back as he passed, a sadistic smirk plastered over his face. "Well done, Randel. The reward is yours when they are dead or in the dungeons."

"It was a trap. You meant to get caught!" Djaq hissed, scowling darkly at Randel whose expression was unexpectedly half apologetic.

"He's not even her brother I'll bet. There's no wedding today." Much spat as a group they slowly turned. Behind each building the soldiers were emerging, hidden well from their sight upon arrival. Five, then ten, and then twenty Djaq counted in total, perhaps more but she could not keep her eyes on more than a few.

"No, he is her brother." Robin's eyes darkened, gone was the light of mirth that had been there in the forest, replaced once more with a dark hatred as he did not take his eyes off of Gisborne. "The inch of truth, remember?"

"You know you really think you're far more clever than you are, Hood."

"Only more clever than some."

"Evidently not today."

"Robin...Master, what do we do? Run?"

"We cannot run, Much, they're everywhere." John grunted, not unlike a bear and dropped the sacks of food he carried to the ground with a heavy thud, freeing his staff.

"Robin!" Djaq hissed, and he seemed to come back to himself a little. But he never took his eyes off Gisborne as the Sheriff's lieutenant drew his sword and jerked his chin at his men.

As one they armed themselves, supplies and coin forgotten as they instinctively formed a circle. Djaq drew her blade, the curve of the Saracen steel glinting in the air, and a moment later felt a hand on her arm, drawing her inwards. Will released her and took half a step defensively in front of her, his green eyes wide and filled with a stony protectiveness as he drew one axe from its loop on his back and the other from his belt. He said nothing, but he did not need to for her to read it all over his face. Please. Stay behind me.

Of course she would not. There was no getting out of this one without a fight and fight she would in the thick of it. They had faced these numbers before, evaded many traps and escaped freely back to the forest.

"Now!"

Gisborne and Robin shouted in unison, charging directly for each other as the soldiers moved in. The clang of steel on steel filled the air, chorused by angry war cries and the dull thud of blunt impact on flesh.

Djaq's sword sang through the air, clashing against her opponent's who though far exceeded her in size and brute strength, lacked her speed. She ducked his blow and weaved around him, striking hard with the hilt of her sword at the back of his exposed neck where his helmet did not quite cover. There was a time and place to fight to kill and they all knew this was not it.

A wave of nausea suddenly came over her, but she had no time to pay attention to it, no time to let her swimming vision cloud her movement for more than a second, no time to even think of what a stupid idea it was for her to be here doing this. A sick crunching of bone and a breathless groan sounded from behind her. Little John had thrown his entire substantial weight onto the soldier who had tried to catch him unaware, pinning him to the ground where he most certainly would not rise from.

There were gaps in the fighting, brief flashes of empty space where one of them could have made a break for it if they dared, but none did. No one left the others. Allan was locked in a one-on-one duel that now had shifted to the well in the centre of the village where he ducked in time to send his assailant toppling face first into it and dangling comically by one leg tied to the rope. Will had knocked the sword from one guard's hand nimbly with one axe only to immediately hit him over the head with the other, while Much, who fought back to back with Djaq, had taken to using his shield as a battering ram. Apart from the rest, Robin and Guy fought, each with vicious intent and each gaining and losing the upper hand. The unbridled loathing between the two men had been unadulterated to begin with, and now without Marian's safety for either of them to consider, both men were fighting to kill, blinded to all else happening around them.

She took it all in in the few moments reprieve she had before her weapon once again tasted English blood. Hissing in pain at his wounded arm, the soldier dropped his sword, but still lunged for her all the same. He was easily avoided, and with a swift kick to his back, she pushed him out the way and took a moment to laugh. Several things happened at once then. A peculiar feeling of dread sent a shiver up Djaq's spine and her arm was painfully wrenched behind her back, forcing her grip to relinquish her sword and let it fall to the ground. She saw the flash of a blade in the sun briefly above her head. Someone bellowed her name. And finally the guard holding her dropped like a stone with a sickening thud. Pain running up and down her arm and heart thundering wildly, she spun around. Will's carpenter's hatchet lay beside the unconscious man, a significant dent left in his helmet. She followed the trajectory it had taken to Will, who was staring back at her wide-eyed across the short distance. Seizing the brief reprieve to nod and flash the briefest of grins to him, she whirled away. She should not have turned away. But a moment after she did, running to Much's aid to even the odds against him, a pained shout rose above the rest and time itself seemed to slow.