It was clear to see that the outlaws needed a tad more practice when it came to their communication levels. And after a countless hours of practice, they were getting no better. All that was accomplished was the fact that Robin's arms were extremely sore afterward from the unnecessary over gesturing.

Polly was the unsung angel as she raced about, calming any final fears and communicating between cultures as incredible speed. Her hair began to stand on edge with the effort. She had begun the day with a tidy long red plait. Within a few hours, it was a complete birds nest of stray locks standing in whatever direction they saw fit. Her face was also flushed, matching her hair perfectly. Despite the situation, she looked completely happy and full of life.

Robin stifled laughter as he watched Allen storm away from yet another Frenchman. They were no longer terrified of course. Now they were just frustrated. And they were beginning to treat the Merry Men as though they were the problem. It was beginning to get on Allen's nerves. "That cocky little…" he began to mutter was greeted by a warning glance from Robin. "I hate the French," he continued to mutter quietly.

"Allen, they have been forcibly taken from their homes and families to the threat of death. How do you think you would be acting?"

"With a tad more grace toward my rescuers! And besides, they don't seem to have families. Reoccurring theme I think I am beginning to see."

"Excellent!" Leon said, with a tad too much enthusiasm. He quickly gathered himself. "I did not mean that it was excellent that they had no families. I just mean that it would make our plan slightly easier."

"Plan?" Allen asked in confusion. "What plan?"

"I can think of plans without you, you know," Robin said, pretending to sound hurt.

Allen did not believe him in the slightest. "This is you we are talking about. The Lord of Improvisation."

"I like that name," Robin said thoughtfully. "Remind me to add that to every one of my wanted posters."

Allen just groaned. "Robin? The plan?"

"Right of course. Well it isn't exactly as a plan so much as a-"

"I knew it!"

"Let me finish! We have a rough idea that just might work."

"I am waiting with baited breath," Allen said flatly with absolutely no enthusiasm.

Robin paused, searching his brain for the best words. "Leon! You explain it better than anyone."

Leon shrugged as he sat down once more to continue with his notes. Being one of the few literate Merry Men had some privileges. A makeshift writing desk had been formed from an old crate and he sat beside it, scribbling away. "Well, we help those who want to go back to France obviously. But there is only so much we can do for them. We cannot exactly take them back ourselves. So best we can do is get them to the docks. Now that may be good enough for some of them but Robin and I think that we could go a step further."

"Do you now?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Robin said, squinting his eyes accusingly.

Leon carried on, ignoring the banter. "Because frankly, why would they wish to return to France anyway? Back to a life of slavery? Robin suggested that we help them begin afresh here in Nottingham."

"Easy as that?" Allen asked flatly. "I see no problems with this plan at all. Nothing in the slightest. We could do it in our sleep."

"Alright, Lord of Sarcasm," Robin said. And of course his eyes lit up again. "That is rather good too! Now we know what to add to your wanted posters!"

"Can we focus on that lot please?" Allen asked, jerking his arm backward.

Robin just stretched out on his pew, calm as ever. "Oh come on Allen! It shant be that hard! Polly is helping us work out the trade of each individual. And then I will go pay a visit to good Old Val."

"The Servant mistress?" Allen asked, racking my brains to try and recall her face. I had never had a lot of interaction with such folk in Nottingham. Robin on the other hand, had once served under her.

"Now do you see my genius?"

Allen began to reply but stopped when he saw Tuck pulling open the main Church doors to allow Marian entry. Allen knew from experience that the little attention Robin had paid to him before was about to be long gone. True to form, he was gone before Allen had even had the time to turn around. "Just let him go mate," Leon said with a chuckle still scratching away with his quill. Groaning, Allen listened to the advice, sat down to assist.

"Just who we need!" Robin said with a flourish as he strode over.

Marian slunk back as if his mere presence disgusted her. She proceeded to ignore him and only look toward Tuck. "What am I doing here Tuck? You need to be more specific in your summons."

"I will give three guesses," Tuck said, gesturing to the scene ahead of them.

Finally she looked to Robin and glared. "What have you done this time?"

He placed a hand to his heart. "Why would you automatically assume that this was my doing?"

She just gave him one of those looks, which naturally did not phase him in the slightest. "Well, I will have you know that I am saving this lot. And I need your help."

"No," she said simply.

"Marian!" Tuck said in surprise. "There are innocent people in dire trouble and you refuse to help because you are irrationally upset?"

She muttered a little about how she wasn't being irrational but eventually saw the light. "What do you want me to do?" she said with a deep sigh.

"You can speak French, can't you? Use the wonder of the spoken word to help the outlaws communicate. They are at a bit of a loss sadly."

"It isn't my fault that I hate France!" Allen said defensively. "I hate the people, the language, the culture, the history and basically everything French.

"Care to say that a little louder?" Robin said. Allen was unperturbed.

Leon walked over and nudged Marian on the shoulder. "It seems that you have an admirer."

She looked at Robin with exasperation. "Will you stop?"

Robin held up his hands in defence. "What did I do now?"

Leon sighed. "For once, I was not talking about him." He subtly gestured his head to Polly, who was half hidden beside one of the pews, staring intently at Marian. At the sight of us moving, she quickly ducked down, only to re-emerge a few moments alter to stare again.

"One of the slaves," Leon said quietly. "The only one who can speak English. So she has had quite the morning and must be tired and panicked. The poor child has been forced to hold back her own emotions to seem brave for the others. So maybe it is about time she had a slight reward? Why you go and spend some time with her?"

"You brought me down here to care for a child?" Marian asked in annoyance.

"Well originally it was to help with translation," Tuck said. "But that very brave little girl did it all for you. So you can repay her by giving her a bit of attention."

"Why would she want me?" Marian asked in surprise.

"I am talking about her admiration. Everything about your life seems magical. And that is just from lowly Saxons. This is a slave girl. What grandeur do you think she has been introduced to? So when you walk here, looking like… well, looking how you do, you must see the admiration she feels."

"You know that this will not help her ego right?" Leon asked quietly.

"Trust me," Tuck said to Marian, ignoring Leon's words. "Just go give her some attention. I assure you, you will have a willing follower."

"I'm doing this for them, not you!" she said to Robin as she walked away.

"Wouldn't expect anything less," Robin called back. Then he turned back to us. "Guess I should be going soon then. I will head off and see Val."

"What makes you think she will listen to you?" Leon asked.

"I used to work for her, sort of. I suppose I was in a different part of service when I worked in Nottingham but at least she knows me."

"Take Lilly as well," Allen called over, looking over to where Lilly was pretending to help Amelia with food for everyone. "She looks bored out of mind. And Val actually likes her."

"Val likes me!" Robin said, "Everyone likes me."

No one bothered to respond.

The doors opened suddenly and we were instantly on edge. But thankfully on Roger entered. "Well it is about time! I called over. "Where have you been aye?"

He hurried over, positioning himself carefully until he was near completely hidden from view. Speaking quietly to Robin, he said, "The Sheriff has made a public announcement. He wants the slaves back."

"Well that is a shame for him then," Robin said.

"He said that if they are no returned to him by sundown, he will capture them by force and slaughter them all."

"That doesn't sound like much of a deal?" Leon said in disgust. "Protect them against getting instantly slaughtered, or hand them over to be worked to death."

"Well luckily, he will never find them," Robin said confidently.

"There is something else," Roger said. "When I was heading… to where we discussed, I saw a lone rider riding through Sherwood. I wouldn't have paid him the slightest heed of attention, since I was alone and all. But that jingling was a damned sweet sound. Which got me to thinking, we never ever hear people flaunting their wealth in Sherwood. You know how people are. They sew coins into their undergarments or stuff them in cushions or work them into the construction of their carriages or-"

"We get it," Robin said. "Rich folk are tricky. What is your point?"

"My point is that, what sort of fool would travel so openly with no guard and with that much gold? So either he was a complete fool, or-"

"Or?" Leon pressed.

"Or he was hoping to be caught."

Something about those words created a slight shiver up Allen's spine. People who sought to face us could never be a good thing.

If Robin felt the same, he showed no sign. "So what did you do?"

"I went to get a closer look. And I swear, I was being incredibly quiet. And yet somehow, he knew I was there. So he dismounted and pointed a sword in my direction. He wanted to see you Robin."

"What did you do?" Leon asked, nervously. He did not like where this tale was headed.

"I told him where to get off in my politest language," Roger said, eyeing Tuck. He knew full well the consequences of cursing in front of a Friar. Tuck had halted that habit early on.

"Something tells me that that did not quite work out," Allen said.

"Lord of Sarcasm strikes again," Robin muttered with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, while I was saying it, I looked to his horse actually. And I recognised a symbol that was on the saddle. It was the flag that the guards wore. He is connected to these people here. And I don't think it will be good news for us."

"So what did you do?" Leon prompted, still nervous.

Roger looked sheepish. "I fought him of course. Figured that a few strong blows would drive him back and send him running."

The others finally took in Roger's appearance. His green tunic displayed many tears and was covered in dirt. He almost bore a few dark bruises. "I take it that your fight didn't go as you planned," Robin said with slight amusement."

Roger finally displayed his worry. "That's the thing. I have never seen someone fight so well."

He should have thought over his words before voicing them. Robin's head jerked in his direction. "Well I suppose that I best go and meet him then."

"Robin!" Allen said warningly, "what about this lot? We have a deadline now!"

"Trust me Allen," he said with far too much confidence, "this won't take long. Where did you leave him?"

"The great oak," Roger said.

"He just let you go?" Leon asked. "How did he know that you would come back? And how did he even know that you were a Merry Man?"

"I saw the satchel on his horses saddle. It was full of wanted posters. Our wanted posters." And for the first time, I suspected that I saw a flicked of worry in Roger's face. "I don't trust this man Robin."

Robin however, never showed a sign of worry. "You lot stay here. Roger and I will be right back."

Allen had never liked when his friend said that.