Hi all, here is another chapter and I hope you enjoy. I will endeavour to bring you the next chapter as soon as i can write it.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine. Just the character of Erin.

Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.

Some historical context in this chapter which is to the best of my knowledge, accurate.

And as always with this chapter TRIGGER WARNINGS. So please keep that in mind.

Faith Based Initiative

Chapter 5-Nothing Left To Cling To.

Djaq faces the Black Knights as Erin tries to help Marian. The Outlaws come to terms with what they have heard in the in the castle and what it means for them. Again, Trigger Warnings for the next chapter.

They went back to their camp in silence.

Much had been watching Robin in silence thinking hard. John had been carrying his staff with white knuckles and Will and Allan who had been watching had said nothing. Robin had said nothing either instead he took a heavy seat on the bunk that was his and Much sat down and waited as patiently as the serf he had once been for the explosion that he knew was coming.

"Jesus" Allan said breaking the silence with his usual typical grace. "Did anyone see that coming. I mean I know he was prepared to go through with it a week ago but I thought that he was just out to get the nobles that were preparing the coup against him? I mean, did anyone think he was genuinely serious about going against the King?"

There was another pause of shocked silence and Much sat there and watched and resisted the urge to smack his head against his hands. Instead he linked his fingers, his eyes on his master and he waited for the rush of temper that he knew was going to come. After all…they had all seen the carnage that had come with that tattoo.

"No" that was John and he spoke in a voice that betrayed his shock. Much knew that despite the fact that they had known that the Sherriff was against the king they had never thought that he would go against him this far. He remembered what Robin had said, that the men that they entrusted their lives too were simple men, they did not understand politics and he wondered if his master was right. For Allan and Will who were both silent did not seem to be leaping up to grab their weapons and defend the Kings honour. But then again they had not done that the last time.

"Hang on" said Allan with the man that was desperate to get himself back onto an even playing field.

"How do Marian and Djaq factor into all of this? I mean neither one of them are up for regicide. And even if the Sherriff wants Djaq why would he want Marian?"

"Gisbourne?" Will asked. Much was the one to speak up then because he thought that someone had to. Robin was staring into the depths of the fire, stoking up the flames with the poker with an expression that Much didn't want to remember seeing. He remembered that look, he knew that look. He didn't want to go back into the memories that came with that look. Not now. Not today.

"No. If it was Gisbourne we'd know. She humiliated him. Edward humiliated him. He'd want the whole world to know that he was rebuilding his pride. Besides if the Sherriff had Djaq we'd know that too. When he had To—"he cut himself off biting his lip as Allan looked away his eyes filled with some emotion that Much didn't want to name. They didn't mention Tom A' Dale very often but when they did it was often without Allan present.

"Apologies" he said softly. "But the Sherriff has support for this plan. The Knights must have support. The Nobles—one county sheriff doesn't have the authority nor the connections to come up with a plan like this. There must be a plan connecting him to London, to Government, to the Privy Council."

"Prince John"

It was the first thing Robin had said since they had returned to camp and Much turned to look at him in surprise more than anything else. And then the name he had uttered took effect.

"The King's brother?"

Robin shrugged still staring into the flames.

"You remember Antioch, he wanted to cut off the King's supplies. He was named in the Privy Council dispatch that time. He's been after the King's power since they were teenagers and his older brother's died. He's wanted the King's throne for years, and our King is childless and fighting a foreign war. It's the perfect excuse. Murder your brother as he comes home, blame in on disease or an assassin from overseas and then take the throne. Problem is—" he said standing up and Much was both pleased and slightly worried to see him look like his old self again. "You have to hope that the people don't notice and the people love King Richard and will always stand by him"

There was a delicate pause and Much watched as Allan and Will looked at each other. It was a casual glance but there was something behind it. There was a pause where he watched them but Robin picked up on it as well.

"What?" he said in a lifeless tone that he had used when Gisbourne had been tied to a tree and Djaq had been missing and he and Much had bared what was left of their souls to the rest of the gang who at the time had not got the horrors of what it was like over there.

Allan and Will shot another look at each other as if deciding how to phrase what they were saying.

"Look Robin" Allan said finally. "Don't blow up like last time but—"

"We don't think they will" Will finished.

"Who wont do what?" John asked.

"The people" Allan said finally. "I don't think they would rise to defend the King"

Will shook his head.

There was a pause as Robin leaned back on his heels staring.

"Look" Allan said quickly. "None of you know what it's been like alright. You two have been off fighting and John's been in the forest for a long time. Us on the other hand…we've lived in the villages and for the most part we've paid the taxes and listened to the gossip and—" he shot another look at Will who elaborated.

"Robin he's not as well loved as you think he is" he explained almost gently. "He might have been when he went on the great crusade, I wouldn't know I was too young, Luke could still be hugged on my mother's hip but over the times…there have been bitter winters Robin, bitter miserable winters, taxes grow higher and higher to fight a war where there is no end in sight and…and we know first hand it's not as simple as all Saracens are evil. People are being taxed into poverty and yes we do our best to stop it but it's the Sherriff's who collect and send to London for the King's for his armies. For a man who is never here who speaks with a French accent and who hasn't given us an heir. He's a figurehead who to be unkind doesn't deserve the throne and to be kind doesn't care about his people"

There was a shocked silence. Will stared at the looks on the men around him and shrugged. "I'm not saying I believe it myself. I'm loyal to the man on the throne regardless of his actions" he said firmly. "But i know it's been said. I hear things in the tavern, some of it's grumbles but some of it's genuine. Besides most of the common folk follow their Lord. If the gentry refuse to ride out against the King then the King is finished. I might not understand politics but I understand that much. Besides none of this helps Marian and Djaq and they have to be our priority"

And with that he sat down.

Allan watched him for a second and then paused before speaking. "Look Robin, we know your loyal to the King and regicide is took much a sin even for me but…but I think Will is right. We need to save the girls, then we can figure out how to save the King. But…but if the commons don't rise to fight the Sherriff, if they don't want to come to defend the King, then mate I'm sorry, there's not much were gonna do to convince them. That's the just the way it is right now"

Robin said nothing. Much watched him and wondered what his master was thinking. Robin who had been the King's man through thick and thin and had waded through blood, piss and shit for the King who was now confronted with the harsh truth that had been starring both of them—King's soldiers in the face. They had not gotten the heroes welcome they had expected and now they (or certainly Much) had learnt that the King might not get the same after if Allan and Will who had always been more loyal than most were saying that there were deep divisions growing within his kingdom. Much thought that it he was brave enough he would tell Richard to make peace and come home. No point fighting one war only to come back and wage war with another and this one against your own people who were as Will pointed out, jus t simply sick of being ignored.

"Look" he said because a fight between Robin, Will and Allan over the King was getting them nowhere. "Will and Allan are right, we can talk about the King once we've got Marian and Djaq back now…do we still think the Sherriff has them?"

"Who else?" John who had remained mostly silent said.

Much shrugged. "Wouldn't the Sherriff had told us? Certainty he would have hung Djaq by now. And…and Marian surely…I don't understand if the Sherriff didn't have them why would he not tell us. Telling us and watching us try to get ourselves killed trying to rescue them is something that the Sherriff takes a great amount of pleasure in"

There was a long pause and then Little John spoke the words to the conclusion that Much had come to. Allan he saw folded him lip under his teeth as if he had come to the same conclusion and John nodded as if to say that he as the biggest and the toughest outlaw would be the one to tell Robin and Will the truth that they didn't want to hear and yet would slowly be realising themselves.

"Maybe he's got them and he's not ready to show them. Because…because maybe he's torturing them"

There was a significant pause as that sunk in. Will dropped his face to his hands and scrubbed his face with them and when he looked up he was devoid of emotions. Robin said nothing but looked into the flickering flames for a while as if he could see into the future.

They stayed like that for a long time.

Djaq had expected the worst. She had expected what Erin had told her. Rape at the very least and her God and Marian's God only knows what else. She had seen briefly the state that Marian had been in and she knew what had happened to women in her homeland when the armies had marched through both her own and both the King's. She had travelled as boy in slavery but she had lived on a knife's edge as to what could happen when it was discovered she was a female.

It had been a bit better than what she had expected but she had been dragged back to the cave shivering with a mixture of adrenaline and cold, they had left her in her clothes but she found that she was crying even though she had not been hurt or touched.

She waited until they had chained her to the wall and then wiped her face. She was not usually a woman to be overcome by a sentimental moment but she found that she was filled with emotion that she had buried over the course of the years as a orphan, a brotherless sister, a slave and an outlaw.

Marian was sitting up when she opened her eyes. She was leaning heavily on Erin whose right arm was half pulled backwards by the chain as she helped Marian to sit. She watched Djaq for a second as if she was debating something and then she helped Marian into a sitting position against the back wall and shuffled forwards her bare knees scraping across the floor. Djaq watching shivered again. Marian had a split lip, a black eye forming, several handprints across her wrist, her neck and she was holding her ribs with a hand that looked as if it had two fingers broken. Erin reached out and she gave a small smile and Djaq had a moment where she didn't understand and then she realised the woman was holding out bread. She saw a small dish of water and then knew what Marian had been fighting for.

She took the bread and made a small effort at eating. Life on the road as a slave had taught her the hard way that if you were offered food you took it regardless of weather or not you were actually hungry because you would always be hungry later.

A stomach did not understand principals.

She ate slowly. It was brown bread the grain terrible and she took a small sip of water even though she was begging for more. Marian gave a little moan.

"What happened?" she asked her eyes dulled by pain. "They made me fight. They want me to fight again."

Djaq stared for a second trying to find the words.

"Did they…rape you?" Erin asked slowly her head turning to the side her face one of kindness despite all that she had been through and Djaq found herself close to tears despite everything for that small kindness in the woman's eyes. Erin had no reason to be kind and yet was.

"No" she said finally. "It was…I'm used to humiliation but it was so—"

"Ah" Erin said with the nod of someone who knew all of what Djaq had been through and the horrors of what was coming next. She did not try to sugar-coat it either and Djaq was grateful for that if nothing else. She had always been a firm believer on she should know what was coming.

"They made you undress and looked at you?"

Marian hissed a gasp as Djaq nodded and the brown haired woman leaned across the cave to grab Djaq's hand and Djaq who was not one for crying at all was relieved for the friendship and the none judgement that came when the tears started and simply did not stop, for a long, long time.

Marian winced as another flare in her ribs kicked up. She had to bite her lip again. Water was too precious to spare and she shook her head as Erin one handed reached for the water and the bread.

"You need some too" she said and Djaq who was red eyed but silent nodded her approval.

Erin flashed her what might have been a smile had it not been so cynical. "I do not need to fight" she said slowly. "If they take you upstairs then your going to need to fight and for that you need food and water. There's not much I can do about your injuries but you can get to your own feet with what we have here. Trust me". Marian staring at her took that to mean that Erin had done the same thing in the beginning before she had learnt that compliance was the only way to stay alive.

Marian could not judge her. In fact she thought the woman in the man's shirt stained beyond repair had more strength than half of the men she had met put together. She had nothing to live for, all the hope of a rescue had been beaten and raped out of her and yet she was here gently helping Marian to drink with one hand and holding Djaq's as the woman dry heaved. Marian wondered…she looked up at the hole in the wall and knew she was right, knew that it was the only chance she had to ever see Robin again, for Djaq to ever see Will, she gripped onto that image of his face, the face of the man she loved, and then…and then she spoke.

"Erin" she pulled herself up and grasped Erin's hand. The two of them sat Marian's two hands wrapped around Erin's thin spidery one. "We need your help"

Erin watched and listened and Marian wondered just how to impress upon a woman that had lost all hope how to do this. She felt her heart clench in desperation or perhaps it was just panic she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just pain. But she was not ready to give up hope just yet. Not when she knew that Robin was looking for her.

"Erin please. We need you to do this. We need you to get through that hole and get help. We need you to escape Erin."

And there you go, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and i will do my best to bring the next one too you as soon as possible.

Next Chapter-A chapter that takes place entirely in the cave. Erin contemplates what is asked for her and weather or not she has the strength to do the impossible.