Robin sharpened his dagger against a small stone, continuing to do so despite the fact that it had been perfectly sharpened before he started. He pushed his finger down upon the blade, ensuring that it could easily draw blood, all the while wondering what Gisbourne's blood would look like.

He had never truly hated someone before. Prince John was a tyrant and the Sheriff, his enemy. But he had never felt like this. This deep roaring fury that made his grip hot around the dagger blade.

Voices alerted him of a new arrival in camp, but he made no move. He liked being hidden away in the furthest corner of camp. He heard Friar Tuck's ever jolly voice, evidently being the one person in Nottingham who knew nothing of the day's events. "So? How did it go? Did we learn that I am always right and should be listened to? These festivals are always overrun with the Sheriff's men; you shouldn't feel ashamed that things did not go to plan."

Robin continued with his sharpening, letting them believe that he was not listening. But he had always had a sharpened sense of hearing. Even their hushed voices reached him.

Michael tried his best to sound cheerful. He heard Marian's alongside Gisbourne. The sound deepened his breathing and he paused, stopping his angry trembling to steady his hand.

There were more hushed tones and seemingly a small fight broke out over who should go and speak to him.

"Well I'm not doing it!" Allen whispered.

"Me neither," Luke said, grimacing. "I like being alive."

"I'm never know what to say when people are angry," Matthew decided.

"I've only just met him, really," Michael added.

"Would you really want the likes of me bringing comfort?" Roger snorted.

"Same goes for me," said Will.

"I'm slightly drunk," Thomas said. Everyone paused to look at him. "This was before I knew what was going on!" he said in defense. "What? It was a festival! Practically part of the description!"

Other excuses were mumbled and Robin suspected that no one would brave him. Good.

A new voice joined the throng. Robin silenced his sharpening. He could recognise her voice anywhere.

"Robin."

He could sense her behind him. She awaited permission to remain. He gave her none. Eventually she came forward anyway, walking to stand in front of him.

"Unless you are here to tell me that his wounds proved fatal, I don't want to hear it Marian."

She gazed down upon him, displaying no anger, like he expected. This was worse. She pitied him. "He will be fine."

"Right," he said as he started to rise.

"Where are you going?" she sighed, turning her head to follow him.

"To finish the job," he informed her, coolly.

A small trace of anger slipped by as she shoved him back. "Will you stop being so immature?" she said sharply.

He laughed with a cruel sound. "This coming from you?"

Her face contorted as she took several deep breaths. "You had no right to do that today."

Incredulously, he said, "I had every right!"

"I've told you my intentions for you long ago. I said I no longer wanted to be with you."

"When? When did you ever say those exact words? And if those are your true feelings, why are you always at camp?"

"I have friends here!"

"No! You have wanted to punish me, ever that since you came back to Nottingham! Well? Are you satisfied? I am in hell!"

"You know I don't want that!"

Robin walked away to slam the sharpened dagger firmly into a tree trunk. The sound made Marian leap back in fright and a few Merry Men do the same from their safe distance across camp.

"Robin, you're scaring me," she said quietly.

His breathing came in short sharp bursts. "Surely there must be other people like us. People who can somehow be in love but despise each other at the same time."

Marian shook her head. "I don't love you. And if you think hard enough, you will notice that I never said I did."

Robin began to protest but realised it was true. She had never once said the word 'love' to him. "You… You evil little… What? Did you purposely hold that over me, looking to use it to hurt me someday?"

"No! I just-"

"Then what? Was I just the best offer you had going?

Marian stood her ground, refusing to look even the slightest bit unsure of herself. "We were young and naive. The danger excited us."

"Don't you dare speak for me! You can say what you want about your own feelings but you know nothing of mine."

"Then why did you leave?" Marian yelled, finally reaching his level of angered frustration. "Do not paint me as the villain of this! We were betrothed. We were happy. But you wanted more!"

Forgetting himself, Robin clutched onto her shoulders, fingers digging in deeper than he intended. She refuses to show pain, keeping her face the still mask of hate. "And look at you now. Are you happy? Did you get the glory you wanted?"

Robin released her as if her shoulders were suddenly in flames. "Leave."

She laughed quietly. "And here I was thinking that was your ability."

"Just get out!" he yelled, reaching a new volume he had not thought possible. Her face wavered, ever so slightly, with a slight quiver of the lip.

"Gladly," she said, turning on her heel.

"And I never want to see you back here again!" he called to her retreating form.

"Wonderful!"

Robin heaved the dagger free of the trunk. "I wish Allen had never run away," he muttered, but somehow she heard him.

She turned back, breathing heavily. "You know. Part of the reason Guy is so perfect is that he doesn't use violence to show off and prove he's a man."

Robin scoffed. "He was just as angry, if not more than me. And you know why? He knows that deep down, you are only doing this to hurt me!"

"How is everything always and without a doubt about you?" She tried her best to keep the quiver of fury from her voice. "It positively baffles me how you can possibly hold yourself in such high esteem!"

"Well, maybe that's why we made a great couple."

Marian took a step back, wanting distance. "We never should have met. We were from two different worlds. And maybe, those worlds were supposed to remain separate."

Robin stood still, taking a deep breath. He felt exhausted and was sick of feeling that way.

"Just go," he said, begging it to be over.

She took a similar breath, no longer looking him in the eye. Pausing, she opened her mouth slightly, considering.

But eventually she turned and quickly walked away.

There was nothing else to be said.

Robin suck down, head resting by his knees. As much as he blamed Gisbourne, and as much as he now blamed Marian, he only did so to drown the accusatory voices that rang around his own head.

He stayed very still, unsure if it had been minutes or hours, not trusting himself to move.

Yes, he had wanted glory. But underneath it all, he had always believed that Marian would be his too. Now he had to accept that this would never happen. And he was scared of the urges within himself. Ones that pushed him to find Gisbourne. Ones that had made him struggle to release his fingers upon her shoulders.

He had lost.

.

.

.

The sudden appearance of Robin caused a scramble amongst the Merry Men to appear as if they were not eavesdropping. Allen knew that surely there was not a hint of subtlety in their actions but Robin did not show the slightest hint of acknowledgement. In fact, he looked blank. As if nothing of importance had just happened to him.

"We should go. The day is still young. We can cover the main road. Should be a busy day. Then we'll take any spoils straight to festival, distribute it to the poor there."

There was a pause as everyone, extremely unsure, waiting for someone else to move first.

"Well? Why aren't you moving?" It was clear form Robin's tone that there was anger still deeply embedded in his tone and no one wanted to be on the wrong side of this. They moved at a new speed, working quickly to drop the pitying faces and race off to gather their weapons.

Allen hesitated, unsure if he ought to say something. Subconsciously, his hand went to his pocket, feeling the broach there. His desire to find the truth had been heightened, knowing that Gisbourne could possibly be involved in some way. A way to kill two birds with one stone. Find the truth and find a way to destroy Gisbourne.

Silently, he followed the others deeper into Sherwood.