Juliana walked quickly down the hall, looking everywhere she could think of for Marian. She had overheard the sheriff and Guy speaking, and they needed to get to Robin soon.
Her mood had greatly improved since Kit had found out about the sheriff's sister, Davina, and she had only now to track the woman down. That would prove a bit difficult, what with her father and the sheriff's guests taking most of her attention. But she would find the woman, that she vowed. She would not, could not, let the sheriff go unchecked when it came to threatening those she held most dear.
"Marian!" she called as she spotted her friend just around a corner and ran up to her.
"Is something the matter?" Marian asked, concern showing on her lovely features.
"I need your advice on a gown." she answered, taking her friend by the hand and dragging her to her room.
"Since when do you care what you wear?" Marian asked in confusion.
"Well, that sounds a bit rude." Juliana said as she closed the door to her bedchamber closed behind them.
"I don't mean any offense." Marian laughed. "It's only that..."
"They're planning an ambush." she cut her off, leading her to sit on the bed. "At noon, a carriage will be heading through Sherwood, and we both know that Robin will attack."
"Of course he will." Marian said. "What ever money is on board, he will take."
"There will be no money." Juliana said, shaking her head. "That's why its an ambush."
"The sheriff's men in the carriage?" Marian asked, her fear for Robin's safety growing more and more as her friend spoke.
"And something more I fear." Juliana said, shaking her head. "What, I do not know. Both the sheriff and Sir Guy laughed at the mention of the "little surprise" they have in store."
"Noon you say?" Marian asked.
"Yes." she nodded. "What shall we do?"
"You will stay here." Marian said. "I will go and warn Robin." she added, hurrying to the door.
"Are you sure there is nothing I can do?" Juliana asked.
"Yes." Marian said, turning back to look at her friend. "Spying on the sheriff and Gisborne was risky enough. It's best if you stay here." she added before opening the door and exiting.
"Juliana." Guy's voice called as she walked about outside, keeping an eye out for Marian's return.
"Sir Guy." she replied with a distracted smile.
"I saw Marian ride out a while ago." he said. "She's going for a ride by herself?" he asked skeptically.
"Yes." Juliana answered simply. "She's found being here at the castle a bit too stifling."
"I'm sure." Guy said dryly.
"Can I ask you a question?" Juliana said after walking along in silence for a few minutes.
"Of course." he nodded. "Whether or not I will choose to answer is another thing altogether." he added.
"What is it that you and the sheriff are planning?" she asked. "Why is it all this money is needed? Who is the man I heard the two of you talking about before?"
"You said a question, that was three." Guy pointed out. "Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, stopping.
"Yes." she answered. "I would not have asked otherwise."
"An assassin." he said, lowering his voice and bending a bit so as to whisper into Juliana's ear.
"King Richard." Juliana mumbled.
"Yes." he said, straightening again. "Is this going to change your mind?"
"No, it won't." she replied with a smile. "I do not know him, and my brothers spent time with him and his men, and they came back from the Holy Land none to fond of him."
"I'm sure your sister-in-law does not hold him in the highest esteem either." Guy ventured a guess.
"Oh, please do not mention his name in front of her." Juliana laughed. "So, this assassin is supposed to good no doubt."
"The best." Guy smiled. "The very best."
Marian rode hard all the way until she could hear the carriage Juliana had told her about. She looked around and could not see Robin nor any of his men around. Thankfully, she took a deep breath and rode her horse up to the men riding behind the carriage.
"Lady Marian." one of the men said in surprise. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"
"It's a lovely day, I felt like a ride." she smiled. "Escorting someone important?" she asked, nodding towards the carriage.
"I wouldn't know, miss." the man said, blushing slightly as Marian smiled at him. "We're just given orders, and we carry 'em out."
"I see." Marian said thoughtfully.
Robin sat with Much as they watched the carriage and its escorts travel along. They were getting ready to pounce upon the carriage when Robin saw Marian ride up and start chatting with one of the men.
"What is she doing?" he groaned.
"I don't know." Much shrugged. "Talking from what I can see."
"Much, please." Robin said with a sigh. "We'll wait for her to move on, then we'll attack further up the road." he decided. "Go tell the others."
Much nodded in understanding and stood to go and find Will and Allan. He moved slowly and carefully, not wanting to attract the attention of the sheriff's men on the road. He didn't take into account that one of them would seemingly have the eyes of a hawk, not to mention seemed far too keen on his job and a bit paranoid, and picked up on the smallest bit of movement in the brush.
"We're under attack!" the man yelled, causing his companions to draw their swords and stop dead in their tracks.
"Damn." Robin swore as he watched the scene unfold.
Marian looked around in confusion as her friendly, if one sided, conversation with the guard was brought to a halt by one man's cry.
"Where?" the man who had been riding along with Marian asked.
"There!" the first man pointed to a small clearing.
Much swore under his breath and felt like kicking himself as he hunched down hoping they would move on. Robin's plan did not include being spotted, they never did. Damn that man and his eyes.
"Come on." Robin said as he slid down a small hill and came to rest next to Much. "We need to get to the others before..."
"The left!" the sharp-eyed man called as Will and Allan, thinking the carriage's stationary position was the sign Robin had attacked, came sliding down one hill while John and Djaq came from another direction.
"What are they doing?" Much asked as he stood up.
"I told them the carriage stopping would be their signal." Robin explained as the jumped to his feet and ran down to the road to help his friends and Marian.
It all happened so fast. Robin and the others converged on the guards and the carriage so quickly, no one knew what was happening. Marian struggled to keep her horse calm as swords and arrows flew around them.
She looked ahead as she heard the sound of approaching hoof-beats. She saw five men, arrows at the ready, aiming at the melee and opening fire. She cried out in pain as an arrow pierced her shoulder, causing her horse to rear in fright, sending her to the ground where her head connected with a rock at the side of the road.
Robin's eyes flew to Marian as she flew through the air and came to land on the ground, an arrow in one shoulder and blood trickling from her forehead. His attention was quickly drawn from her as an explosion ripped the carriage apart, and both his men and the guards fled in fear and surprise, each side wounded from both the explosion and the fight just moments before.
Each side dragged their wounded back and to safety, the head of the guards telling one of the few uninjured men to run to the castle for help. John waited until the guards were distracted by seeing to their own and lifted Marian from the ground and made off into the woods with her, Robin and the others waiting for him to take her back to their camp to see to her wounds.