A/N: Hope you enjoy! Also, for those of you who've read this before, there's a new part, like I said in the summary.
Chapter Six: "This Wasn't In the Book..."
When John looked back on the trip to Robin's base, he remembered it as one of the most disagreeable things they had ever done. Titty tried hard not to think of it even in the context of a story. Nancy privately wondered how the dickens no one had let anything out during it, and Dick never said a word about it to any of the others.
Because, in a nutshell, it was awful.
But after walking for the rest of the afternoon, over fields, bogs, and streams, with blisters coming on, Bridget crying, Dick's absentmindedness, and the air getting cold, it was such a relief to finally have the blindfolds come off and to see a rough table set with food and drink, and kind faces smiling at them. John recognized Robin sitting at the head of the table, laughing with another man as he poured drinks into rough cups.
Titty, Dick and Nancy flopped down on the ground around the fire, setting down the bags and sighing. Titty shut her eyes and huddled closer to the fire. Nancy looked about, bright eyes noting the rough tents, the group of men, the side of meat sizzling over the fire and the washing hung over most of the nearby trees. Dick extracted a piece of paper and began to scribble something down, oblivious to all else. But John stayed on his feet, swaying a bit, but determined to figure out if they were welcomed or not before he sat down.
"Well, Tom, how did they do?" Robin asked, looking up from his cup.
"The little 'un had troubles, but we all made it, sir," Tom answered, setting a limp Bridget down on a pile of skins by the fire and warming his hands. "Next time, tha, I'd take it kindly if you sent Will instead, 'cause he knows the childer better'n meself."
"Yes, I had thought o'that, but you were there, Tom, and champing for work," Robin answered, pushing the cups around the table. "And Will was off handling that awkwardness with the miller."
"Yessir." Tom sat down at the table and took a long drink. Robin waved Little John over and began to talk with him in low tones. The other men moved around, working on the meal and some other things John couldn't make out in the gathering gloom. He finally sat down next to Titty, bone tired. She leaned against him, sniffling. Some part of his mind noted that she was crying in a distant way.
"Robin, aren't you going to introduce me?" a soft voice asked from behind them.
John turned, Titty at his side. A woman stood behind them, dressed in a grey gown with a blue mantle over her shoulders. She smiled at them as she came nearer, her skirts swishing about her and a riding crop in her hand.
Titty pushed herself up and wobbled through a curtsey. John scrambled up and bowed as best he could. Nancy let out a low whistle and stood, tossing off a neat bow of her own. Dick blinked up, stared, and turned back to his paper, much to Titty's evident disgust.
Robin smiled and strode over, pride evident in his manner. He took her hand and bowed over it with a cocky grin. She tapped his cheek and nodded towards the children.
"Ah, yes, Marian. This is John, Titty, Nathan, and their cousin, Dick, of York. Lads, little lady, I present the Lady Marian Fizwilliam, of Fizwilliam Hall." Robin announced.
Titty's eyebrows went up at this. John fumbled in his mind, trying to find an adequate response to Robin. He settled for another bow and murmured, "An honor to meet you, Lady."
Titty nodded hard and bobbed again. Dick set aside the paper and picked up another piece. Nancy grinned and bowed with a flourish. She's enjoying this far too much! John thought grimly. And where is Dick's mind?!
"My, there's one bold lad!" Marian laughed like the tinkle of small bells. "And thou, pretty maid, has thou aught to say?" she added, turning to Titty.
Titty looked at Marian, tear streaks all over her red face. Marian tsked and drew out a fine cloth. "Here, lassie, wipe those red eyes of yours and come sit with me."
With a look full of worry at John, Titty made her way over to Marian, who drew her to a seat at the table and began to talk with her, patting her hand and pouring her a drink.
John didn't like that at all, but what was one to do?
SA&D-SA&D-SA&D
When everyone else began to gather about the table, Dick had to be woken up and Bridget needed another, this time complete, change of clothing.
Titty struggled through the bag once more, settling for a fresh pair of those shorts. John and Nancy were already at the table and Dick was moving towards it, peering all about him. Titty pulled Bridget to her feet and dragged her to the table, blushing violently as Marian beckoned them to her side.
Robin stood up and all chatter stopped. "Lord, we thank thee for good food and friends. Amen!"
"Amen!" the men responded and set to their meal.
John looked for a fork, but all he found was a rough little knife by his plate. A huge side of meat landed in front of him. He stared at it, wondering what to do.
"Come on, lad, don't be shy!" the person next to him chuckled, carving off a big slab. "Plenty more where that came from!"
John picked up his knife and hacked off a piece. He moved to put it on his own plate, but our of the corner of his eye, he saw Robin serving Marian a piece of fruit. Instinctively, he began to pass the cut meat to Nancy, disregarding her clothes.
"John! Titty's not next to you here, y'know," Nancy said, plucking the platter from in front of him.
Oops!
"Right. Sorry, Nate!" John answered, plopping it down on his plate and cutting it into bits. How stupid was that?! That's just what we need, Nancy to blow her cover!
Fruit came around next and all the Walkers went for the apples. At least they knew what these were! Dick took a handful of berries and Nancy passed altogether.
As the meal wound down, Robin beckoned their raggle-taggle group and Marian away. Most of the other men continued to guzzle food and wine, but Little John and one other man came with them.
Robin led them all behind two tents and down hill a bit to a great oak tree. John concentrated on carrying Bridget there, ignoring a (disgustingly, in his opinion, but who was listening to him ?) perky Nancy and a now-animated Dick chattering to Titty about something or other as he showed his paper to her.
And to top it off, he realized once again that they really had no idea where the others were or if they were safe or if they were together or if...
"...so, Marian has agreed to take the girls on as maids in her castle. If the men are willing, I'll keep the boys here."
Wait. Wait. WAIT.
"Titty, what did he just say?"
SA&D-SA&D-SA&D
It was a doleful little gathering that the moon looked down on as he came up over the horizon above Sherwood Forest in a cloud of mist. Just like all the other doleful collections of people he had seen many times before. But he slipped behind a cloud as he always tried to do to hide his cheery face from them.
Below him, Dick bit his lip and Nancy ran her hand through her hair as Titty slowly came over to them, Bridget in her arms. Little John turned away, whistling softly as he stroked a spare horse held by Tom. Marian looked with sympathy on them as she handed the girls' bag to Robin to load onto the horse. The other men had faded away, giving them a bit of privacy.
John fisted his hands, dreading the separation with all his heart. If only there was some other option!
But there simply wasn't any other way.
Marian had told Robin she could take all of them, but Robin insisted that that would be too much to expect from her. "You'll have plenty of visits, lad," was his only comment to John's mutinous face.
"And ye'll be much happier here!" Little John added.
So that was that.
"John?" Titty whispered.
John opened his eyes. His sister's eyes were full of tears. "Goodbye, John," she said, her voice cracking. "Do be careful...I told Nathan to be careful as well. Keep an eye on him, won't you?"
Bridget whimpered. "We're leaving? To go home?" she asked.
"Shh, shh, Bridgie," Titty said.
"We'll be careful, Titty. I hope you'll be...all right," John answered, struggling to get the words out. "We'll manage here, somehow. We always do."
Titty dug up a smile from somewhere and put it on. "You know, this was our dream," she said softly, looking at the lacing on his shirt. "To have grand adventures, without any help, far away from home, remember?"
She looked up abruptly. "I just wish I could wake up."
John took a quick step forward and hugged both his sisters. "Be careful," he whispered, seeing Marian and Robin coming over to them.
Titty hugged back hard. "Love you," she choked, stepping away, her face in Bridget's dress.
"Bye Bridgie. See you soon!" John called after them.
Marian mounted the dark grey horse, sidesaddle. Robin took Bridget from Titty and passed her to Marian, who tucked her into the lap of the great blue cloak. He swung Titty up onto the other horse and mounted in front of her.
"Goodbye, Dick, Nathan, John!" Titty called, waving hard.
The three waved back as the horses cantered away in the moonlight. Rain began to fall, dripping down about them.
Dick and Nancy followed the men to shelter when the horses faded from their view.
But John stood for a long time in the soft rain, with the fickle winds blowing about him.
Thank you for reading!