Here we go. The END! Thanks for all the support. You encouraged this lazy writer to keep going despite having a serious lack of committment and a very short attention span. The ending is a bit cheesy and probably a bit bitty but ah well I don't care as its finally finished.
Seven years later…
Lying in the long grass of the steep meadow that overlooked the village of Locksley Will Scarlett couldn't help but feel completely at peace with the world. He could feel the coarse fibres of the plants tickling his elbows and making them itch but that still couldn't hinder his happiness.
The sun was high in the sky, blazing down on a gorgeous summer's day, bathing the entire county of Nottinghamshire in a wonderfully warm glow. It was a welcome change the recent rain and freezing winds they'd been experiencing.
From here he could see the countryside stretched out before him in the form of rolling hills, tiny toy-like settlements and the beautiful wooded land that was Sherwood Forest, his one time home and refuge. The green leafy tree tops were full again after a sparse winter and full of burgeoning seedlings.
In the field a few hundred metres from where he was Will spotted a lone farmer going about the business of ploughing his soil with two strong horses tugging the farming tools. The animals' necks were arched with the strain but they continued doggedly on with the promise of a cool trough of water at the end of the strenuous work and a net full of hay and grain. The farmer's encouraging words also urging them on in their toil.
A rabbit suddenly appeared on the hillside and Will watched as it bounded gracefully through the grass. There was a time when he would've been up on his feet in an instant, whipping out a weapon in order to spear it for dinner. Life was different now, food wasn't so scarce. Instead, the man remained completely still, so much so that the animal didn't even register his presence.
Behind the grazing rabbit appeared something else however: a tiny head rising out of the natural camouflage of the plant life. Two dark brown eyes narrowed on the small creature in front of them. A pair of legs bent, ready to spring like a coiled snake on the unsuspecting prey.
"Rargh!" Came the loud bellow from the hidden predator and it leapt from the long grass only to come crashing down on thin air as the rabbit sped away in fright back to its burrow. "Daddy! I missed the rabbit!"
The upset child wailed and stumbled over the uneven ground towards Will who reached out his arms to receive his son. The small brown haired boy ran into his arms and flung his skinny arms round Will's neck.
"That's bad luck isn't it, Remi?" Will consoled the child who nodded.
"Next time I will use a bow and arrow and then I will definitely get him," Remi decided and extracted himself from his father, all previous disappointment forgotten.
"Well, do you think its time to go back down to the cottage?"
"Yes. Will you carry me?" Remi queried looking up at the adult imploringly.
"Remi. It's not that far," the man laughed at his son.
"Please?" When Remi made his chestnut coloured eyes so huge and round the carpenter found it difficult to refuse him for he looked so much like his mother.
The man sighed and reached down, swinging the ridiculously light form of Remi up onto his shoulders. The boy immediately planted his hands in his father's dark hair and smiled broadly.
"Giddy up, horsey!" Remi squeezed his thighs to make Will move. He complied with a chuckle.
The cottage that was owned by the Scarlett's was a reasonable size and a little way off from the majority of Locksley village. It was closer in fact the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. Will had chosen this location to build his house because he didn't feel ready to quite desert the woodland that had helped him to survive for so long.
Made of both stone and timber the building was very well made and sturdy. It was the perfect living space for a growing family especially with the extra outbuilding that was Will's workshop. Having returned from the forest he had immediately resumed his role as the village carpenter fixing everything from doors to fences. People even came from surrounding settlements having heard of his skill with wood.
Outside the house lounging in the sun was a cat by the name of Pebbles and two goats that were grazing at some shoots of grass and weeds which were growing around the doorframe. Sometimes they were restrained by a leash attached to a post but today they were left to roam free so they could take protection from the shade more easily.
The door of the cottage was wide open and Will could hear voices coming from inside. One female and three male. He recognised all of them and with a smile entered the building.
"Marian is expecting another babe. After Aidan and Celeste I wasn't sure I wanted more trouble but what can I say? She's broody."
"Ah, I wouldn't say that in front of her if I were you, Robin," Djaq's amused tone sounded as she spoke with her old friend.
"Yeah, well at least your Missus isn't only popping out girls. I'll tell you, having one little girl is okay but three, well, lets just say my eardrums are bursting," Allan 'a' Dale's cheeky voice also reached Will.
"I am happy with just the one at the moment," Djaq smiled, "Remi is enough of a handful."
"Mama! Why am I a handful? A handful of what? A hand full of flowers would be nice but a hand full of worms would be…ergh." Remi asked from atop his father's shoulders as the two joined the gathering in the household.
"There you are, Will." Robin grinned. "I was wondering whether you were avoiding us. Haven't seen you in such a long time."
Will smiled at his old friends. When King Richard had returned to England the Sheriff had been captured and executed in his own courtyard and Gisborne had been exiled. This had left the group of outlaws the conquering heroes of Nottinghamshire. They had been met with crowds of peasant-folk and gifts of all shapes and sizes.
However, the majority of the group just wanted to return to their normal lives in the village despite being offered land by Robin who got his Manor House back and married his childhood sweetheart, Marian.
Allan had returned to the gang several months before King Richard came back to England. He had been reaccepted by the outlaws after risking his life to save Much in a botched up escape from the castle. The man had been badly wounded in the process, sustaining several slashes to his arm and torso which Djaq had to tend to back at the camp as he was given back his neck tag.
Both Allan and Much did not live far from Will and Djaq who had discovered their love about a month after Djaq's rape and tied the knot a couple of weeks later seeing no point in delaying the process even if they were still wanted by the Sheriff.
Much had found Eve, the maid, once again and they had also married. It was almost like the end of a fairy tale with each brave outlaw finding love and having children. All of them except Little John however, who unfortunately died in the final battle between guards and the outlaws literally two days before the King returned from the Holy Lands. It was a devastating blow to the group and considerably dampened the spirits as they were freed from the confines of the forest.
"I know, Remi and I were hunting rabbits, weren't we?" Will looked for his son who was in the process of stealing a bread roll from the basket on the side. The child realised he was being addressed and froze in his actions before turning round with a huge innocent smile on his face.
"Yes, Daddy." He then turned to Robin. "Uncle Robin, is Aidan here?"
"Of course he is, Remi. He didn't want to miss seeing his best friend. He's in the Maze with Johnny."
"Ooh, I'll go find them!" Remi clapped his hands together and darted out the back of the cottage. The adults smiled and watched out of the window as the small boy entered the forest.
When Robin referred to the Maze he meant the complex wooden playground that Will had designed between the tree trunks of Sherwood Forest. As Remi had reached five he had been restless and wanting an adventure so the carpenter set about fulfilling his needs. The Maze was a series of ledges, ladders, rope bridges and wooden planks that the boys enjoyed spending hours on creating quests and imaginary scenarios like sword fights and rescues of damsels in distress. These damsels would either be Celeste, Aidan's older sister or one of Allan's girls.
"Johnny!" Remi began scaling a ladder to reach the perch where Much's son was. This young, solemn little boy was named after the lost outlaw and he had a heart of gold. He was always trying to help everyone whether they wanted it or not. "Guess what? I nearly caught a rabbit!"
"Oh, well done, Remi," Johnny wasted no time in praising his courageous friend despite the fact he failed at his task.
"Well, I shot a deer, beat that!" Aidan swung down from high up in the tree branches with a smug expression on his face, one akin to his father's.
"He didn't," Celeste was also there, her chestnut curls rolling around her thin shoulders, "Papa shot it with his arrow and then Aidan just stuck his in after it was dead."
"Shut up, smelly!" Aidan frowned and hit his sister, "I will be as good as Papa one day, mark my words!"
"I doubt it!"
The sun set later that evening behind the trees casting a warm pink-purplish haze on the countryside. The birds had settled down to roost and the peasants all around the villages were getting ready for the night.
Remi was tucked up in bed, the blankets drawn up around his neck and his eyes tightly closed. His dark hair was splayed out on the pillow and one small fist was resting by his cheek.
Djaq watched her son sleeping peacefully and couldn't help love how her life had turned out. She had a son who was absolutely beautiful and a husband who she loved with all her heart. She had to admit that when she'd been trapped in that slave cage all those years ago her future had looked pretty desperate. And then when she had been raped. She never thought her life could be normal despite how much her friends tried to make it.
However, she remembered one night, similar to this one, when she had been wandering through the forest deep in thought enjoying the warm air and comforting sounds of the wildlife. She had found a nice spot at the foot of a big oak and she'd rested there, deep in thought. That was until a tall, lanky figure burst into the clearing.
Will Scarlett's eyes had roamed the space with a wild, terrified look and then when his gaze locked onto hers they widened in absolute shock and relief as if he couldn't quite believe she was there and safe.
"Djaq!" he gasped, trying to school his expression into one of calmness but failing miserably, "I was…we were so worried. I thought you could be…." Will didn't finish his sentence realising he was babbling.
"Why were you worried?" the woman let out a nervous laugh, perturbed by his outward display of emotions.
"Because…you know…last time…" he trailed off as if he suddenly knew how stupid his reasons were and was too embarrassed to speak.
"Last time what Will? Make sense."
"Djaq. Last time you went missing, we didn't notice, and you got attacked. I didn't want it to happen again."
"Oh." It suddenly dawned on the Saracen woman just how the guys must have been feeling considering she hadn't told them where she was going but it struck her as slightly strange how desperate and scared Will had looked when he'd first entered the clearing. "Sorry."
"I'm…just glad your okay," the carpenter nodded.
"You mustn't get so worked up."
"I can't help it."
Djaq was surprised by his honest deliverance of the words and quite taken aback. There was something about Will. Something that evoked unfound feelings in her and made her feel strange inside as if she wasn't quite sure about herself. She found herself wanting to know more about his underlying word meanings.
"What do you mean?" She asked, watching him carefully for a reaction.
Will knew the question was coming. He half dreaded it half wanted it to happen. He'd been working up to it for a long time now but not quite knowing when was the right time. He decided now was as good as any, he couldn't live with these feelings cooped up inside anymore.
"I mean…Djaq…" He paused. "I mean that I….love you." His statement was met with silence and he groaned internally, she wasn't ready, she didn't feel the same way. Why was he so stupid as to ruin their relationship?
"You…do?" Came a small, barely audible whisper.
"Yes. Do you feel the same? If you don't it….doesn 't matter."
"Of course it matters, Will. You have laid out your heart to me but…" Will winced to hear the word. "You know I'm no good with emotions. Would you accept me if I told you that I return your feelings?"
That had been the day that changed Djaq's life for the better and the reason she'd ended up with the idyllic life she led now. She never thought she would be ready for sex after her rape but Will had been so loving and gentile that it had been easier than she thought it would be.
She felt the said man's arms around her waist and she leant into his reassuring, solid presence with a smile. Will had changed her life and so had Remi. She never even thought about returning to the Holy Lands. England was her home now.
There ya go. Would you all be every so kind and give one last review as an overview of what you liked and disliked about this story excluding the shoddy updating schedule?! Thanks and ta ta! -heads off for a well earned hot chocolate and bed-