Chapter 2

Robin gave a dimpled smile. "Well the Sheriff's birthday, this is interesting news."

"Does he even celebrate his birthday?" Marion asked.

"Indeed he does little flower," Tuck turned to her. "He has ordered half a dozen cows to be rounded up and slaughtered and he has ordered finest wine all the way from Camden Town. Only the best,"

"That will do us nicely, thank you very much," Robin nodded.

"Ah, you wouldn't take the Sheriffs birthday party food would you Robin?" John grinned.

Robin looked over at him. "He didn't invite us,"

The laughter abruptly stopped as Will suddenly got to his feet and headed out of camp.

"I'll get some more firewood," he muttered as he went.

Much scrambled to his feet. "I'll help."

"No Much stay where you are," Robin told him quietly.

"But Robin..."

"Sit down Much!" John's tone was so harsh Much went straight to the ground. He looked at John with wary eyes but John was staring out at the forest watching his friend go off alone.

"Will he be alright?" John asked of Robin.

Robin let out a sigh as he thought about it. "He needs time John."

~o~

The convoys lumbered through the forest accompanied by a battalion of twenty soldiers. Just for fun and to shake things up the outlaws attacked from the trees. They had spent the morning making slings out of bow string and leather. They could have used their bows but this was different. The soldiers were bewildered by this strange tactic and once the outlaws grew tired of tormenting them with stones they swung down from the trees and launched into an attack with their daggers and swords. Those soldiers who weren't pulled down from their horses quickly turned their animals around and galloped away. There was too much known about these outlaws, one couldn't possibly hope to win.

Robin jumped up into the first covered wagon. He grinned as he spied a casket decorated with gold fastenings and ornamental jewels.

"A gift from the king," he grinned as John came up to join him. They opened the casket and took in a breath at the finery within. The finest silks, solid gold torque necklaces, beads, ornamental statues, the colours sparkled in their eyes. They both caught sight of a fine dagger in a leather case. Both lunged for it. Robin was just that bit quicker but John wrestled it from him.

"Damn you I had my eye on that," Robin grinned.

John picked up a string of fresh water pearls "You can have the beads."

"Oh that's so generous."

What a feast they had that night. Finest stewed beef with vegetables and potatoes, almonds covered in glazed syrup and pies filled with apple and blackberry and all of this washed down with the best of wine. The scene was one of happiness and laughter. They hadn't eaten this well in a long time and looked forward to selling the jewels and ornaments to provide food for the villages over the winter months. Yes it had indeed been a good day's work.

The feast was enjoyable up to a point but they couldn't help but notice how much Will was drinking. At first they were glad that he was enjoying himself but before long he was downing one large bottle after the other.

Will got slowly to his feet and he began to sway.

"Watch this," he grinned around at them all as he took up the dagger they had taken from the wagon.

"I bet if I fell on this dagger it wouldn't pierce my skin."

"No come on, give it up Will," Robin called out to him.

"No, no watch. I'm bleedin immortal I am. Everybody else dies but not me. Watch."

"Pack it in son, ye not immortal," John grinned up at him.

"No just watch. I'll fall on this dagger and it won't even leave a mark."

John was laughing; he had rather too much to drink himself.

Tuck looked over at Marion. "Someone should take that off him or he'll do himself a mischief."

"I bet I could get this dagger into the bark just over John's head." Will lifted the dagger shoulder high and took aim.

"Go on then son," John said with a grin.

Marion got to her feet and went to take the dagger from him. Nasir got in front of her.

He took the dagger from Will's hand.

"Enough," he said.

"What's wrong," Will snapped. "What's wrong. We was just having a laugh."

Nasir didn't engage with him. He went quietly and took his place beside Much.

"What's wrong with ye. You don't know how to enjoy yourselves. You just sit there waitin to be entertained. Much take out your whistle and play a tune."

Much bit his lip. He grimaced as Will took a step towards him.

"I said play a tune, are you deaf?"

Robin got up and stood between Will and Much.

"That's enough Will, the party is over,"

They both looked down at him as Much spoke up.

"I lost it in that last battle the one with all them soldiers. You remember Will?"

"Yeah I remember...the last battle."

There was such a bitterness to Will's words Robin put a hand to his shoulder.

Will shrugged him off. He turned and walked off into the forest.

~o~

Robin was staring up into the night sky. His face looked so dark and troubled Marion sat up and gently stroked his cheek. He gave her a ghost of a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I should have gone after him."

"You do not go after Will when he is troubled like that Robin he would not welcome such an intrusion. He will work it out on his own he always does."

Marion ran a hand down his chest as she spoke.

"I don't think I've ever seen him so bitter. There was a real anger there. Will he come out of this?"

"Will has had a lot of pain in his life Robin. He finds it hard to lean on others. He finds it hard to trust that they will be there for him if he does. He chooses to depend on himself."

Robin nodded in the darkness. He drew Marion closer and kissed the top of her head.

"These men are lucky to have you," he said.

"They're lucky to have you too. You care a lot about what you're doing here Robin and it isn't easy. A lesser man would have turned and fled."

"I had big shoes to fill."

"He would have approved of everything you have done here. He wouldn't have done it any different. Robin you have got to stop worrying about the comparison."

"I don't worry about that."

Marion moved herself so that she was looking into his face. She smirked as she could see his teeth in the darkness.

"Ok, maybe I do," He grinned.

"Robin, you're finding your own way, you just need to have a little belief in yourself."

"My father would say that..."

"Your father was a pompous bully."

"Marion."

"Know it to be true Robin. Your kindness and unwillingness to think ill of others will not allow for such feelings but they are there deep within your heart. You need not speak of them but at least know that they are there. For all that he is in strength, wealth and honour your Father is sadly lacking in compassion."

"My father is... he wanted...he worked all his life to make certain that I wanted for nothing."

Marion could hear the pain in his voice. She leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek.

"You are a better man than you think. If you cannot love yourself then at least allow me to do it."

"Now that I can willingly agree to," He smiled wrapping his arms around her slender frame.

~o~

Someone was approaching. Will couldn't tell who it was but he didn't much care. He continued to stare out into the darkness. He then heard a familiar voice.

"Will, are you coming back to camp?" Much stood a little away from him.

The boy looked with uncertain eyes back at the camp. He wondered should he perhaps get one of the others to help him.

"What do you want Much?" Will asked suddenly.

"I want to help," Much told him. "I want to help you Will."

"You want to help...Now you want to help."

Much yelped in shock as he was suddenly slammed up against a tree. Will had an arm up pinning him by his neck making it difficult for the boy to take a breath.

"You want to help now. Now is not the time to help. She is dead can't you understand that. If you had brought her into the forest like I asked you things might have been different but as it is we're bloody stuck with it Much. You want to help. Since when have you ever helped anyone? You're nothing but a blasted..."

Will struggled to control himself. He released Much.

"Will, I'm sorry," Much whispered.

Will looked at him then. Much grimaced thinking that Will might hit him or something. It was worse than that. Will put his hands up to his face and he began crying.

"You should have stayed at that Mill with your parents." He spat out through heart wrenching sobs. "it's no life here. You'll end up dead. You should never have come to the forest."

"My mother and father died at the Mill," Much said almost to himself.

Much didn't know what to do, if he could he would have ran and gotten John. He needed John.

After a moment Will turned his back on the youngster and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"Go back to camp Much, say nothing of this."

Will turned and walked back into the forest. Much watched him go.