A/N: Between Chapter 10 and this chapter, Cadiana gets rescued, but the band of outlaws is followed by de Rainault's men, and there is a battle.
Thank you to all of my reviewers, you've been lovely. : )
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"No!" Will screamed, fighting his way to Cadiana. He stabbed the man who had run her through with both his daggers at once, grasping them tightly, and bringing them sliding deeply down his back. The man howled in pain, and Will pushed him out of the way.
He fell to his knees beside Cadiana, who looked at him with widened, shocked eyes. "I think 'e's killed me Will." She said, the surprise evident in her voice.
"No." Will said hoarsely, his accent roughening, possibly because he could barely speak around the lump in his throat. "No Cady, you ain't going t'die. No."
"Will." She said softly, sounding as if she were tired. She raised a hand, and pressed it to his cheek. "I love you Will Scarlet."
"Scathelocke." He said in the same raspy voice. "For you, I'm Scathelocke Cady. Because I love you too. Too damn much. You can't die because I need you. More than you'll ever know." His hand came up and took hers, kissing her hand, pressing his lips to her fingers, her palm, her knuckles.
"Behind you." She sighed still quietly.
Without turning around, Will plunged his blade backwards, and upwards, stabbing into the man's throat. Will ignored him, focusing completely on his love.
"'old on to me love." Cadiana said, and Will did as she said, scooping her into his arms, and leaning against a tree. She winced and he kissed her forehead. He smoothed the hair back from her face with shaking hands. "I can't stay long Will. I'm dying, you know that?"
"No." He whispered against her skin. "You'll be okay."
"I'm not afraid Will. I'm not afraid of dying. I love you. Don't forget me, Bandit."
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." Will whispered again and again, before she went limp in his arms.
"NO!" Will screamed, scarlet again, his raw grief not only for Cadiana, but for Elena, and Alec, and Tom, and Dickon, and everyone else he had loved that had been slaughtered.
Will let her body slide off his lap as he leapt to his feet, taking the bloody knife from the unfortunate man's throat as he did so.
Will Scarlet threw himself back into the fray of outlaws and soldiers, fighting like a mad man, half-crazed with rage and pain. All soldiers who happened to be in his path were taken down, most before they even saw him coming.
And then there were none. All those soldiers who had not fled in mid-battle were dead on the ground, many from Will's blades. Will dropped to his knees in the midst of the blood stained ground, completely exhausted from his grief powered rage.
"Will?" Robin said from behind him. "Is it Cadiana?"
Will said nothing, but scrunched up his eyes, blocking the carnage.
Robin laid a hand on his shoulder. "Is it Cadiana, Will?"
Will neither denied, nor affirmed this at first. "For a time, I wasn't Scarlet anymore, Robin. I was Scathelocke again. She brought that out in me. And now she's dead." Will ground out, still filled with a rage he knew would never go away. "The bastards got 'er."
Robin's gripped tightened on Will's shoulder. "Find Cadiana." He called to the others before turning back to Will. "I'm sorry Will. She was a wonderful woman."
"I found 'er." Much called loudly. Then they heard him sob. "Oh God." He muttered. "She's dead."
A day later, Will stood by, dry-eyed, as the outlaws lowered Cadiana Kyrkeby into her grave, her everlasting resting place. He shut his eyes to the now-familiar grief that threatened to spill over, as dirt slowly began to cover her. He had laid a last kiss on her cold forehead before they had began to bury her.
Once they had finished, and Friar Tuck had said the appropriate words, everyone slowly drifted away, varying expressions of sadness on their faces. Will stayed behind, and approached the grave containing the woman he had loved, had been loved by.
"God Cady." He said to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear him anymore. "I loved you girl." He gave a sad laugh, and shook his head. "D'you remember when I found you cryin' in the barn, because Rogar Blidington called you ugly? Remember 'ow I told you that 'e was wrong, that you were beautiful? You lit up like dry grass. I think that might 'ave been when I fell in love with you. And d'you remember 'ow the next time you saw 'im, 'e looked as if someone 'ad been using 'im as a punching bag? You asked me whether or not I'd done that, and I told you 'no, Rogar must've tripped or something'. I lied Cady. I did do that.
"I loved you even then. You and Alec were my best friends. I spent years with you. When you cried, I'd wipe away your tears. When you were scared, I'd promise you I'd protect you. And I did. Until yesterday. I failed you yesterday Cady, and for that, I'm sorry."
Will paused, to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I love you Cadiana Kyrkeby. One day soon I 'ad 'oped to make you Cady Scathelocke, but it's too late now. I'll be yours, forever and for always."
Will dropped a single daisy onto the mound of dirt, knowing that would've been all it would have taken for Cady to know he cared.