Robin Hood: The Assassin's Gift
By: Shadow Chaser
Author's Notes:
Robin Hood and all of its characters do not belong to me. This story is written for fandom and not for profit. This story takes place roughly at the end of July, early August and crosses over with Assassin's Creed. I have two companion stories to this one, Silence, a one-shot, and Solace of Silence, which is in the process of being written and takes place one year prior to Robin's return from the Holy Lands.
Author's Warning:
This part may be considered a strong PG-13/R rating due to the graphical nature of the impending fight. You have been warned for those who are squeamish about blood and heads flying.
Story:
Part 4 - Crusader
KNIGHTON HALL
Marian peered out into the darkness of the night, hoping for any sign of Robin's gang. She had already knocked out the Sheriff's spies in the village and using the potion Djaq gave her before she had set out to do her part in the mission, had made sure the spies would not be waking up any time soon.
She could still feel her father's disapproving glare at her insistence on using their home as a place where the outlaws could recuperate and tend to any injuries they may have sustained in their plan to rescue Robin from Nottingham. She just hoped Robin was all right. She almost never showed it, but every time he was injured, whether for her sake or for others, it killed her on the inside.
She didn't want him to sacrifice himself for his cause or for others, but he seemed so intent on playing the martyr for every thing he did that she wondered if he felt a guilt of sorts that was influenced with his time in the Holy Lands. Even she knew that Robin had changed during the five years he was away.
He was not the same young man that she had refused to marry when she was younger. He had matured, and shown different facets of himself before he had left for glory and war and the person that had returned was a mere shadow. But he had regained a part of him when they had rekindled their relationship and especially in light of the more recent events, she had felt their bond deepen.
She didn't care that she was defying her father in a large way. She was sick and tired of having people look after her and unable to do anything except dress up as the Nightwatchman and do her good deeds in the cover of night. She knew the risks she ran when she told Altaїr and Robin's gang that they were able to use her home as a stopping point and ran the risk of Guy finding out what she was doing, but a part of her didn't care anymore.
The letters from her suitors and the amorous feelings and proposal Sir Guy had asked her when she was at the castle had left her with a slightly bitter taste in her mouth. It wasn't that she didn't love Sir Guy…she knew that she was only kidding herself if she didn't feel attracted to the darkly handsome man, but it was the aggressiveness he had shown after she had walked away from him at the altar. She suspected that his feelings had been rekindled after James of Atherstone had come by and royally screwed things up, but she was also a little annoyed at how he was pandering after her like a lost boy.
She finally spotted a few horses and a horse drawn cart coming down the path from the main road in the inky darkness of the night. It didn't look like there weren't any of the Sheriff's men following them, carrying torches, but she couldn't be too sure and notched an arrow onto the bow she had been holding, ready to shoot some warning shots if anyone was pursuing them.
It looked like they were in the clear and Marian released the arrow from her bow before hurrying forward. She knew that they would only come to Knighton Hall if Robin was injured and she wanted to know the extent of his injuries. "How is he?" she asked Altaїr as he swung down from the head of the cart, Djaq following him after brushing some rancid hay off of herself.
"I will need fresh water and bandages. Do you still have some of that medicinal balm I gave you for the tournament?" Djaq looked at her and she nodded.
"Yes, I also have the herbal medicine you made for me when I was sick," she blinked as the rest of the gang quickly dismounted their horses and brushed off the rancid hay from the rest of the cart.
"Please go get them. Is there a room prepared?" the Saracen woman asked, peeling back the blanket that had been covering Robin. Through the dim light, Marian could barely see his face, but noticed that his eyes were definitely closed.
"Yes, the room adjoining to my father's," she replied trying to step forward before Altaїr stepped in her way and shielded her view.
"Lady Marian, please do as Djaq says," the black-clad assassin said in a firm tone before steering her towards her house.
Marian gave him the barest of glares before hurrying into the house, passing by her father who had gotten up and was headed to the door to assist the others in bringing Robin in. She ran to the pantry where the herbal liquid concoction Djaq had made for her when she was recovering from her illness and grabbed that before hurrying upstairs to her room to find the balm that Djaq had made for her to apply to Robin when he was injured by Allan during the tournament.
As she searched for the balm, she could hear the others coming up the stairs and past her room, probably putting Robin on the bed she had prepared hours ago. She finally found the balm and hurried towards the guest room, blinking in surprise as she saw Djaq usher Little John, Allan, and Will outside the door before nodding her thanks and grabbing the items out of her hands. Just before she shut the door on her face, Marian caught a glimpse of Robin's pale and bloodied face and sucked in a quick gasp of horror.
"Trust me, it's not as bad as it looks," Allan noticed her expression and reached out to squeeze her shoulder in reassurance, but somehow she knew that what he said was an empty lie.
"Marian," her father's concerned voice made her turn slightly to see him holding a basin of water and some fresh strips of cloth along with towels in his hands.
She took them and knocked tentatively on the door.
A few seconds later it cracked open and Much peered out. Marian noticed that Robin's former manservant looked like he had been crying and she felt tears spring to her eyes at the sight of him before he noticed the towels and basin of water in her hands. "Thank you," he said a bit hoarsely, taking them and was about to shut the door once more when she found her voice again.
"Much…please, can I see him?" she asked.
"I…" he looked torn for a second before nodding, "all right…just…it's…it's not…pretty."
He opened the door a bit wider for her to slip through and she stepped in before it closed behind her, plunging the room into dim dancing shadows, majority of them concentrated around Robin's body.
"What is she doing here?" Altaїr sounded angry from his position, the candelabra he was holding to help Djaq see better making his black eyes shine like dark stones.
"If you think you can prevent me from seeing Robin, then you are sorely mistaken," Marian narrowed her eyes at the assassin. While she respected him for trying to mediate peace in the Holy Lands, he was still an enigma to him and on top of that, an assassin and thus, did not trust him as easily as Much or the others had.
The assassin leveled her with a dark look for a few seconds before gesturing for her to come in with a curt nod before adjusting the light for Djaq and placing his fingers on part of gauze by her order. She stepped in tentatively and closed the door behind her, much to the slight vocal protest of Will before he was quieted by Little John.
She jumped a little when a groan emerged from Robin's lips before he attempted to shift unconsciously on the bed. "Much!" Djaq called out before the former manservant brushed past her and tried to keep Robin steady on the bed but he suddenly bucked, back arching and Marian got a good look at the bruises covering his half-naked body, traces of red lines, thin ones and a few thick ones that were still bleeding. There looked like some purplish bruising on his shoulder and rib cage area, but it wasn't as bad as she had originally thought.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked, coming over and tentatively putting a hand on his bare shoulder, but he suddenly cried out, trying to shy away from her touch before falling back onto the bed, eyes still closed.
"I don't know…most of it is superficial, and he has some burns from what looks like a hot poker, but…I don't know," Djaq was struggling to wrap the gauze and Marian looked up at Altaїr who had a look of concern across his face.
"It's…" Much huffed for a second as Robin bucked again against them, trying to throw them off, "just like that time… Altaїr…remember?"
She immediately saw something flash in his eyes before he placed the candelabra on one of the bed posts and used his free hand to touch Robin's lips before sniffing his fingers. He muttered something that she couldn't hear and looked at him, puzzled.
"What," she asked.
"He's been poisoned," the assassin replied.
"What type? I may have the antidote," Djaq looked up.
"This is not a poison you can combat so easily, Little One," he replied before suddenly looked beyond them and out the window, "are you expecting anyone at this hour, Lady Marian?"
"No…" Marian looked out the window in Robin's room and frowned, seeing a series of torches coming down the path to Knighton Hall. "Were you followed?"
"We made every precaution… The Sheriff knows we've escaped into the woods," Much shrugged, looking helpless, "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it!"
"Much, shut up," Djaq hissed before glancing at the assassin, "what can we do? I think I've stabilized him enough to move him, but he's been reacting to every single pressure we've put upon him."
"It is a poison that will slowly drive his mind insane. I have seen it upon my own people and we have used it to interrogate traitors to our creed. Every single touch is agony to his body and this is what drives a person to the edge and madness," Altaїr said curtly, "we move him now, we will risk losing his soul to the madness beyond man."
"I'm sorry to intrude, and I don't mean to be funny, but can't you use that what's-it thingy, that Piece or whatever on Robin and make him think that he's fine?"
Marian and the others looked between Allan and Altaїr utterly confused and she noticed that his eyes were hardening and his expression a bit stiffer than normal. "I will never use the Piece of Eden."
"I mean come on, why not, mate? Don't have a strong will or something-"
"Allan…" Will placed a hand on the ex-thief's shoulder and Marian noticed that the assassin's expression was getting colder and colder by the second.
"What? I'm just making a point here," Allan got defensive, "if he won't do it, then let me. I'll help Robin out."
"No," Altaїr said sharply, "the Piece is too dangerous for you. Any of you."
"Why?" Marian cut in, wondering what had gotten him so testy all of the sudden.
"It's…" the assassin stared at her for a second before a pounding knock came from the door to their home and she glanced at her father, an apprehensive expression on her face.
"Marian, Sir Edward, I know you both are in there!" Guy of Gisborne's voice roared through the door and her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Oh no…what do we do?" Much moaned in distress.
"Um…" Marian looked around, wracking her brain for any ideas before she glanced at the knives Altaїr wore along his wide belt. That was it! "Altaїr, pretend you've taken my father and I hostage to force us to help Robin out."
"Even though I am very skilled at my job, holding two people hostage is not advisable if Gisborne were to attack," Altaїr replied evenly.
"He won't attack, I know it," she said with more confidence than she felt. She had scorned Sir Guy a lot of times and wouldn't put it past Hadiya to poison his mind about her relationship with Robin before she died after what Altaїr had told her and her father of the events that had occurred, but she hoped that the part of Guy that still loved her would be able to see that.
"I'll go along…" Allan stepped forward, "I'm the best at blending in…"
"Are you sure about this, Marian?" her father asked, looking at her with steady eyes and she nodded before Altaїr stepped forward.
"Escape through the back, we will meet at your camp."
Everyone nodded before Marian allowed herself and her father to be escorted down the stairs, a jolt of adrenaline flowing through her as she felt the sharp cold blade of one of Altaїr's knives touching her neck. Back upstairs, she could hear the other outlaws scrambling to get Robin ready to move again. She only hoped that Djaq was right in that Robin was stabilized and wouldn't need too many treatments and only need the healing balm, liquid concoction, and rest to heal. She also hoped that Altaїr and Djaq were able to find the correct medicine to cure the pain he felt.
"Marian! I know you are in there with Hood!" Guy pounded on the door once more, "come out now and I may show leniency!"
They walked slowly towards the main door as it pounded once more.
"Don't make me-"
She opened the door wide and made sure Gisborne got a good look at her and her father as hostages, stopping him mid-rant. "What is this?" he asked, slightly bewildered.
"Tell your soldiers to stand down and let us pass or else I will not hesitate to hurt your precious Lady Marian," Altaїr's voice had completely changed and she shuddered slightly at the coldness in them.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Allan, dressed completely in black from the undergarments of the guard's uniform he had been wearing earlier and had modified part of the uniform to cover his head and only his eyes were showing. He too held a small knife to her father's side, having barely cleared his height. Her father, meanwhile, looked a bit ill at ease and Marian promised herself that when all of this was over she would make sure her father was all right. All of the more recent stresses of events that had been happening had to take a toll on his body and mind.
"I don't believe you," Gisborne said, and she looked at him, hoping her expression was one mixed with horror and pleading.
"Believe whatever you want," a slight prick of pain made her hitch in her breath involuntarily and she realized that Altaїr had made a shallow cut on her neck. Her slightly mortified expression must have shown on her face as Gisborne suddenly reached out with a hand to try to placate the situation.
"Don't hurt her," he said.
"Robin Hood is my only concern. I do not care for innocents or for anyone who gets in the way of my mission," Altaїr continued, his softly-accented English coming out a lot harsher than Marian thought it would.
"And that is?" Gisborne looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"The Piece of Eden," the assassin replied, "did Hadiya not tell you?"
"Oh she did," Gisborne's eyes flashed a bit dangerously, "and here I thought you were going to protect it."
"Hadiya is a rogue of my clan. I was sent to hunt her down," Altaїr said, shifting a bit, but the knife was still steady against her neck.
"Because she was a Templar?"
"Because she abused her powers as a Templar," he shot back.
"So what does Hood have to do with this?"
"All Pieces belong to Templars…Hood happens to have a Piece of Eden," the terminology coming from the two was starting to confuse Marian, but from what she could gather, this was definitely proof that Gisborne was allied with someone more powerful and foreign and potential had been to the Holy Lands like Robin had said. She had to admit that there was still a part of her that doubt the veracity of Robin's story of Gisborne going to the Holy Lands to assassinate King Richard, but this…this was starting to clear up some of those doubts.
"And so-"
"Let us go…" there was an unspoken exchange and Marian glanced upwards to see a steady expression on Altaїr's face. Now she was really confused. Was Altaїr secretly working for Gisborne and only deceived Robin's gang to get this Piece of Eden or whatever it was that he did not want the others touching it? She wanted to believe the assassin was an ally of the gang, but yet…there was that niggling doubt there…
Apparently Gisborne had come to a satisfied conclusion before he looked at them shrewdly and slowly backed away, gesturing for some of the Sheriff's elite guards to back away too.
"Please close the door, Lady Marian," Altaїr instructed her and she did as she was told. As soon as the door slid shut and was locked, the cold knife was lifted from her neck and she rubbed it, surprised to find that her fingers weren't covered in blood from the cut she most certainly felt.
"An illusion," the assassin answered to her questioning gaze before nodding to Allan, "tell the others not to move Robin."
"What? But I thought-"
"Just do it. And please bring them downstairs," Altaїr said before Allan shrugged and went upstairs to relay his request.
A few minutes later the others came back downstairs, Djaq with them and she nodded at her, "I think he's sleeping. He's not moving around as much before and I've bandaged up what I could…"
"Well?" Little John asked, gripping his staff tightly.
"Are you really working with Gisborne?" her father suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah? What's with that?" Allan piped up too.
"Guy of Gisborne may have withdrawn, but he did not come with just the Sheriff's elite guards. I saw at least two of Hadiya's assassin's outside in the shadows, ready to ambush us the minute we stepped out of the house," Altaїr gave them all a look and Marian quickly peered out one of the windows but couldn't see anything in the inky darkness.
Suddenly an arrow brushed past her cheek and embedded itself against one of her house's support beams, startling her. She gasped in surprise before ducking to the ground as the others scrambled for their weapons. "Father!" she called out rushing towards him as Allan pushed him towards the ground for his own protection.
She grabbed her sword that she had hidden underneath the stairs and drew it half way out when Little John's large hand covered her own and she stared up at him, wondering what he was doing. "Stay out of the way, Marian," he said gruffly, "Robin would not want you hurt."
"I can fight," Marian narrowed her eyes, angry.
"Yeah, but if Gisborne sees you fighting, then we're doomed, right?" Allan peered at them from his position by the window, his bow drawn and an arrow notched.
"Marian!" Djaq called her over and she hurried over before a small object was pressed into her hands. "Please, I need you to make sure Robin's wounds are medicated properly. I didn't get time to spread it over most of his wounds, only the most grievous ones I could find."
She knew that Djaq was saving her the chance to rush head first out into the battle and instead was giving her a task and while a part of her didn't want to be overprotected in such a way she knew that she couldn't blow her own cover, especially with Guy probably still lurking somewhere outside. She reluctantly nodded before making sure her father was safe before hurrying upstairs, the sounds of the other outlaws charging into battle behind her.
It was up to them now…
Altaїr drew his long sword, a slightly longer curved blade than what the Saracen soldiers back in the Holy Lands used. The inky darkness of the night made it very hard for them to see Hadiya's assassins, their black clothes blending seamlessly into the night, but at least there was an almost full moon that kept inching in and out of the clouds, evening the odds of them surviving the ambush. However, that wasn't Altaїr's main concern. He had his own advantage, a sixth sense of sorts that others had nicknamed Eagle Vision. It enabled him to clearly make out the distinct auras of those who were his allies, those who were his enemies, and those he had sent to assassinate.
Immersing himself in his ability for a split second before he moved, he saw little patches of red auras outside Lady Marian's home, some hiding near the barn house, some in the haystacks…others around the houses of the villagers from Knighton Hall. All were converging on them. He suspected a few of them may be in the back towards the kitchens.
The distinct aura of yellow, that which in his mind he had dubbed Guy of Gisborne to be an anomaly and thus couldn't assassinate for the fear of killing an unknown quantity, was watching from the distance… He didn't know if Gisborne was going to attack, but so far seemed content in letting Hadiya's assassin's do all the work. Perhaps he was hoping that they would be able to clean up Hadiya's mess here in Nottingham?
Altaїr snapped himself out of his Eagle Vision, all that had happened in a split second, and turned to Djaq and Will, the latter of the two holding a bow, "There may be an attempt to sneak in from the kitchens. Watch that entryway. We will handle the front."
Will nodded sharply before hurrying to the back, quickly followed by Djaq. He had to admit. Originally he had thought Djaq was too demure and meek to be even remotely related to her brother, but now that he had seen her spirit and enthusiasm, he could see hints of her brother and was glad that he had a chance to save him from Majd Addin's execution.
"Allan, there are two assassins in the trees in front of the house. Shoot towards the middle of each and you will at least injure or startle them from falling out," he said and glanced at Little John before the ex-thief could say anything. "Defend the door."
"Wha…you're not going to take on all of them are you?!" Allan burst out at him as a couple of more arrows whizzed by their heads.
"I have the advantage," he replied shortly and ran outside the door, the auras still visible to his normal vision and immediately stabbed a black clothed assassin in the chest, making his scream fill the air.
He spun and saw another red-aura assassin running towards him, screaming curses to his name and the name of his father before he side-stepped, swiped downwards with his blade and hacked into the man's leg. Turning around he stabbed the assassin in the back before drawing his blade out in a messy cut from the completely mutilated shoulder of the dead man and blocked a blow that was aiming to bisect him from his right shoulder across to his left hip.
The force of the blow made him grit his teeth slightly before he lessened his push against the assassin and the black-clad man stumbled slightly. He didn't hesitate to ram his sword up the man's chin and through his head. Tearing through cartilage and bone of the face, his blade hitched for a moment, having caught itself on the edge of the chin bone and Altaїr threw the dead man towards another assassin who immediately was skewered by an arrow fired from Allan's bow.
Both bodies tumbled to the side of the house and Altaїr took the moment in fighting to access his Eagle Vision once more, the red-aura having faded a while ago in the midst of his battle. He saw that the red auras once sitting in the trees now on the ground, the assassins obviously wounded but not dead. It also looked like they weren't going to be moving any time soon and he knew that he would be able to question them later. However, there seemed to be more red-aura assassins coming towards them…and it looked like a couple of them were chasing the blue-aura forms of Will and Djaq, the two probably have smoked them out of sneaking from the kitchens.
That was not good…if Will and Djaq couldn't see how many assassins there were in the front then they would be slaughtered. Altaїr knew that even with his skill he couldn't take down all of them and still protect the rest of the outlaws from any wayward arrows; his Eagle Vision didn't have the ability to spot arrows in the dark.
"Stay near the house!" he called out to the two of them as they ducked slightly, two arrows embedding themselves in the ground by their feet. At least with the light coming from the house they would have a slight advantage in spotting any incoming arrows.
Releasing his Eagle Vision, he narrowed his eyes, knowing that they were at a fairly large disadvantage. He unconsciously flicked off the blood that had been liberally coating his blade and held himself ready for the next wave of assassins. He knew that he could have taken the Piece Robin had and used it to influence the minds of Hadiya's assassins, but he had vowed over a year and half ago that he would never, ever, use the Piece of Eden again; not after what he had seen and how it had called to him in the atrium courtyard of Al Mualim's fortress.
Suddenly a flurry of arrows rained down upon a few of the assassins, piercing them in the heart and eyes and Altaїr looked up towards the direction of the arrows and he grew concerned as he saw Robin, standing on top of the first floor awning a dangerous look lighting his eyes.
"Oh no…" his sharp ears picked up Much's barely whispered exclamation of fear as he too was staring up at Robin and Altaїr had a distinct feeling that this wasn't the Robin of Locksley he had known in the Crusades…this was the more dangerous, more feral side of Robin that had had only encountered once, and that was when he, Much, and one of Robin's lieutenants, Carter, had rescued him from his prison in Jerusalem.
He had a horrible feeling about this…
Robin pulled back on the drawstring of his bow, his eyes sharp, picking out every minute detail of the battlefield before him. He didn't know why he was in the this particular house, after all, perhaps this was just a test from his captors to make him think that he was back home in England. But he knew that in order to escape, he had to defeat the Saracen assassins that were surrounding the house.
A part of him noted that he had allies helping him, but they were just poor sobs who were stuck in the prison like he was, dressed up in clothes and given weapons so perhaps they could have some dignified end, but he didn't care about them. No…escape was the primary goal.
The girl who looked a little like Marian but older was still lying on the ground in the hallway, recovering from her attempt to stop him. He had backhanded her roughly to prevent her from interfering. Girls were always sent to prisoners to 'soften' them up and she was no exception. She however was pleading with him to not to go out to battle because of his wounds, but he had ignored her and when she had tried to interfere, he had set her in her place.
He fired his arrow, piercing the throat of an assassin who went down with a gurgle before hopping down from the awning and drew out his sword. Charging into the fray, he gave a yell of fury before hacking off the head of one. Spinning, his arm went wide and he punched another in the stomach before bringing his blade down on the hapless assassin's shoulder.
Blood spurted out from the man's grievous wound, but Robin plowed on. He would not be deterred from his freedom. He could feel the sharp lancing pain of his wounds, and knew that he had torn at least some stitching and sutures, but he didn't care. Gritting his teeth, he held his curved sword at the ready and charged the next assassin he could see in the darkness head on.
He suddenly ducked to avoid an arrow shot at his head and stabbed the man in the gut before ripping the sword out of his waist. He grabbed the man's sword from his lifeless hand and stepped to his left to block the blows of two assassins who were bent on trying to kill him. He pushed off against their blows and stabbed one in the head before half turning and cutting the head off of another. Before the one with the blade in his face fell to the ground, Robin drew out the blade with a sickly squishing sound and threw it at a fleeing assassin.
The blade struck the black-robed man in the back and he fell to the ground, his death cry becoming a hissing rattle. Somehow, he knew that there was an arrow on the ground and he picked it up by its feathers and jabbed another assassin behind him who was trying to creep up and ambush him.
He quickly grabbed the knives from the man's belt and threw three at an angle, two of them embedding themselves in the chest of yet another black-robed assassin and the remaining one having been caught by what looked like the group's leader.
Robin grinned slightly, hefting his blade as he prepared himself to confront the final obstacle in front of him before his freedom was secure. Flicking the blood off of his curved Saracen blade, he flourished it a bit; relishing the chance to fight what looked like could be a strong opponent. The assassin leader gave him a glowering look before he twirled his blade back and forth on his side, but he knew not to be distracted by such fancy displays.
"Come and meet your maker, assassin," he growled at the man.
He could hear the cries of the other prisoners behind him as they fought the remaining assassins, but even then he could feel that their victory was assured as the numbers had gone down drastically. His smile became a bit more feral and ruthless as he saw just a hint of a fear flicker within the leader's eyes.
The assassin leader suddenly charged at him and Robin parried before circle swiping the blade away and punched the man in the face. The leader staggered back a few steps and he advanced forward, bringing his blade up to bisect him from left shoulder to right hip. His blade met the leader's with a clang as the man tried to stop him from delivering the killing blow, but Robin forced his muscles to push downwards, feeling a flare of pain erupt all over his body, but he didn't care and slowly the leader's blade bit into his own skin and the leader hissed in pain.
Suddenly Robin cried out in pain as the leader punched him to the gut. It wasn't a solid punch, but dear Lord it hurt. He staggered under the blow, trying to breathe through his nostrils before barely blocking a blow to his head. His teeth rattled in the bone-crunching effort it took to keep his own blade aloft and instead of skewering onto his own head.
He went down on one knee and it sent new ripples of pain throughout his body, making him grunt slightly and draw in a haggard breath, forcing himself not to close his eyes against his opponent. As a result his eyes started to water from the effort and from the pain. With a start he realized that he had not been even feeling pain because he had all but avoided the blows aimed at him or had killed those who were about to attack him first.
"Not so tough are we?" the assassin leader sneered down at him and Robin glared up at the black cloth covered face of the Saracen.
Robin cursed him back in Arabic.
Just as the Saracen assassin opened his mouth to say or even to spit in his face, blood suddenly spurted out of the man's neck before he fell to the ground and Robin leapt up to avoid the falling dead body. He glanced beyond the man to see yet another black-garbed assassin standing over the man; the remnants of what looked liked a hidden blade on his left handed bracer retreating back into its sheath.
The man looked somehow…familiar…but he kept his guard up. He didn't trust anything that was dressed in black right now. "Who are you?" he asked staring at the black garbed assassin that had helped him.
"It is me, Altaїr Ibn la-Ahad from Masyaf," the black garbed assassin replied and Robin narrowed his eyes slightly, taking in the armament the man wore. There were only a couple of knives left in their sheaths along his wide belt…and a long curved Saracen sword hung by his side. His clothing was most definitely sleeker and slimmer than the clothing the other assassins wore and his face was exposed, even though the hood of his clothes hid his eyes.
But Robin had a feeling…a sense of something that was wrong…something not quite right.
It was then that he realized the illusion he had thought that was the countryside of England was still up. He looked around, eyes wild as he tried to figure out a way from this horrible, horrible illusion.
"Robin, my friend-"
"Don't touch me," he snarled at Altaїr, or at least the person who claimed to be Altaїr, "the Altaїr I know is dressed in the clothes similar to a scholar, not some black-clad Saracen assassin! All of this is a lie!"
He punched Altaїr in the face before raising his blade towards the assassin, wondering if he killed this last black-clothed man, maybe, just maybe, the illusion will end then.
"Master no!" Much's voice cut through his consciousness just as Altaїr tackled him at the waist, making him cry out in pain and he dropped his sword as he landed on the ground. He saw something pebble-sized tumble out of the assassin's clothes and land a bit away from them, but his vision was covered up once more by a straight punch to his face.
Robin reeled from the blow before heaving upwards and trying to throw the one who claimed to be Altaїr off of him. He half succeeded and kicked the man in the shins. But his feet got tangled up and he felt something come loose in one of his boots. He ignored it and instead, brought up an arm to block another blow before twisting his body around and flipped head over heels and stood up, looking at the Altaїr-look alike warily. He could see the other prisoners, all dressed in the garbs of woodsmen…their faces vaguely familiar to some small part of him that he quickly squashed down, coming slowly towards them, weapons drawn, and not quite pointed at him.
"Wake up, Robin!" the Altaїr look-alike shouted at him and he stared at the man shuffling back slightly. His foot encountered something wooden and he glanced down for a split second before realizing it was his own bow that he had dropped before charging at the assassins moments ago. The sky was definitely getting a bit lighter as dawn approached and he knew he had to end this illusion and make his escape from the prison he was stuck in.
Robin kicked up his bow and a few arrows with his leg, his eyes never leaving the face of the black-clothed assassin and strung it quickly before pointing it straight at the heart of the assassin.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the others stop in their tracks, their expressions a mix of fear and surprise. Good, maybe that would teach them to try to ambush or charge him as one unit. "I kill you," he said, "and I get to leave here, don't I?"
The Altaїr look-alike slowly crouched down and picked up something from the ground that Robin couldn't see before holding his hands limply to his side. "I do not want it to come to this, my friend."
Robin tilted his head in warning, drawing a bit further back on the bowstring. He wondered why a part of him was hesitating to shoot the man. After all…it was just an illusion, wasn't it? A long time ago he would have just shot anyone who got in his way or were attacking him…
"Robin! Please! Stop!" Much's plaintive tone startled him slightly and he saw his faithful manservant running towards them before stopping in front of the black-clothed assassin, hands spread wide, shielding part of him. "This is Altaїr! Please! Turn back!"
"Get out of the way Much," he growled at his manservant, wondering why he was here, interfering with his shot. "I won't hesitate to shoot through you to get to him."
"Robin…surely you wouldn't," he saw the fear light up in Much's eyes before the person he was least expecting suddenly put herself directly in front of his bow.
It was then that he saw his grip on his bow and the arrow notched was shaking a little. Not quite visible, but visible enough so that the two of them saw how much he was struggling. Her cheek was bruised from where he had struck her to get her out of his way to fight, but as he stared up close to her face, a part of him realized that it was Marian…no look-alike no doppelganger, no one dressed up like her. It was really…Marian.
"Let go of your bow…and sleep…dream the dream of peace…" a soft, but deep voice suddenly whispered in his ear and Robin tried to resist it…if only for a few seconds before he felt his eyes close of their own accord, his mind still resisting the command, his muscles relax as they lost their grip on his bow and arrow before he collapsed to the ground. There was a brief moment where he tried to whisper her name before the merciful blackness claimed him…
"Marian…"
Marian barely had time to catch Robin before he collapsed almost boneless to the ground, his body succumbing to Altaїr's vocal command. She was surprised when he suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere appeared by her love's side and whispered the command into his ear to stop his rampage. Earlier she had been horrified, watching with unblinking eyes as Robin literally cut down the assassins that had been swarming her house. It was almost fascinatingly brutal and the grace that Robin showed with his swordplay terrified her.
He was like another person, lost to everyone, but there was just that hint, just a slight spark of humanity left that prevented him from shooting her without hesitation when she boldly stepped in front of his arrow, hoping to reach out to him. She had no clue what he was babbling about when he was talking with Altaїr, but had a sneaking feeling that this was the type of imprisonment and torture he had been through when he had tried to prevent her from seeing James of Atherstone beat him up a few months ago.
Was this the series of events that turned him in the Holy Lands, into a killing monster? Was this the main reason why he didn't want to kill when he had returned from that accursed place?
She brushed a strand of hair from his peaceful features, eliciting a slight moan of pain from his lips, but he didn't wake up. "How long will he sleep?" she whispered, feeling tears prick the corner of her eyes. Her dear, heroic Robin…her savior and the love of her life…
"For a while," Altaїr's voice sounded a bit distorted and she glanced up to see that his eyes were a shining yellow color and something in his right hand glowed fiercely before it slowly faded away just as the glow in his eyes also faded away.
Suddenly the assassin dropped to the ground next to them, his breath coming in heavily and she blinked in alarm. "Are you all right?" she reached out a hand and he waved her away.
"I will be fine, Lady Marian," the assassin replied as the first peeks of sun started to come up, "do not concern yourself with me."
Just then the others came running up to them and she glanced up to see Much, crouch down immediately by Robin's side, a worry look on his face as he gripped on of his hands and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you had to go through that again," he whispered brokenly to his unconscious best friend and former master.
"We'll have to treat him at the camp…we can't stay here, not after the Sheriff's lackey has seen us…" Altaїr's calm voice made her turn her head to stare up at him.
"I don't care about Guy seeing you guys-"
"I don't mean to be funny, but if Gisborne suspects, then you'll be branded an outlaw like the lot of us," Allan cut her off and she fell silent, seething. It was unfair, after all, how come Robin couldn't have the same comforts she had when she was recovering from the plague? How come he had to be branded an outlaw by a corrupt and detestable man who ruled Nottinghamshire with an iron fist? She knew Allan spoke the truth and she hated it.
"Then I'll come visit-"
"I do not think that would be a good idea, Marian," Djaq interrupted her shaking her head as both Little John and Will had finished hastily constructing a makeshift stretcher to carry Robin in. "Hadiya may have poisoned Gisborne and the Sheriff's mind about your association with us. We do not know what she said or what she got out of Robin when he was tortured. Robin wouldn't want you placing yourself in danger because of him."
Marian stared at the Saracen woman for a second before turning to Altaїr and huffed a sigh, feeling a bit defeated. More than once she wished things could be back to normal, before Robin left for the Holy Lands, before Vaysey had ousted her father as Sheriff. "At least tell me what did you do to calm Robin down?"
She was still mildly surprised that she wasn't as horrified as she thought she would have been after Robin had knocked her to the ground and stalked out to fight. A part of her had always suspected that her love had a hard time dealing with what happened in the Holy Lands and somehow manifested itself through actions such as this. Granted she had only seen glimpses of his darker side and knew that she should have been more sickened at the carnage that lay in the front of her father's house, but she felt oddly calm.
The assassin looked at her shrewdly for a few seconds before opening his right hand.
"Hey isn't that-"
"This is what my clan has been protecting. One of the Pieces of Eden. It is a source of otherworldly mystical power that grants a user special…abilities. My clan was corrupted by our leader who abused one of the Pieces for his own use, to dominate the minds of those in the Holy Lands and create an unstoppable force. We've eliminated him," Altaїr said in a quiet voice, "the Templars, not special forces of King Richard and his allies, are actively seeking out other Pieces of Eden to use and control the war in the Holy Land and perhaps spread it throughout the known world. I was sent to England by the leader of our clan to stop one of them from finding the Piece, which I had given to Robin after he helped us in one of our missions."
"But couldn't Robin just use the Piece to mind control the Sheriff or something like that?" Allan spoke up and Marian glanced at him, puzzled.
"Robin never wanted to use the Piece. He had insisted that he did not carry it, but my clan knew that keeping a Piece in the Holy Lands would eventually spell doom. That is why any Piece we have found so far is given to our allies abroad."
"That is a lot of power to place on one person…" Marian murmured, staring at the small pebble-sized thing that looked just like a rock, except with intricate designs on it.
"I thought you said you would never use it," Much had finished helping Little John put Robin in the makeshift stretcher.
The assassin shrugged a bit, "I am only fortunate that I did not succumb to its siren call this time around."
To Marian, that sounded like the voice of experience and she wondered what had happened between Much, Altaїr, and Robin in the Holy Lands. She had a feeling that she would probably never know, especially in light of today's events. She wondered when Robin woke up; would he remember what he did today? Even though he tried so hard to hide it at times, she had seen him occasionally stare off in the distance, as if weighed down by things terrible on his mind. Much occasionally mentioned that Robin sometimes fell into a depressive funk and always refused to talk to him about their time in the Holy Lands.
"We should be going before Gisborne decides to come back with more soldiers," Djaq said as the sun started to peek over the trees, the birds already well into their morning chirping. Little John and Will each grabbed an end of the makeshift stretcher and hefted it up gently before starting to walk away, Much and Allan following them, bows hanging loosely by their sides just in case they were to encounter anyone else on their trip back to their camp.
"Djaq!" Marian suddenly remembered that she still had the balm and liquid concoction she had taken from her before they went out to fight and hastily gave it to the Saracen woman. "Please…let me know if there's anything else I can do."
Djaq smiled at her and nodded, "I will. Do not worry, Marian, Robin will get better."
She smiled faintly watching her jog a bit to catch up to the others.
"Lady Marian?" Altaїr's deep and soft voice made her jump slightly and she turned to her left to see the assassin bowing to her, "we will not meet again, but I do thank you for your efforts and your support. Robin is a very lucky man to have you."
"Thank you," she didn't know if she should stretch out her hand for him to take and to kiss since he may not know the custom, but was pleasantly surprised when he took her hand and kissed it gently before releasing it and sketched another short bow. He then turned and hurried after the others, disappearing into the brush and woods with a blink of an eye.
OUTLAWS' CAMP, SHERWOOD FOREST
A few days later…
The first thing on Robin's conscious mind was that a particularly loudly chirping bird was going to be tonight's dinner if he had his way. The second thing was that he could feel the darkness within him; something that troubled him greatly. Didn't he bury all of that when he left the Holy Land? He cracked open his eyes, his lids feeling like sandpaper scratching over a rough surface and found himself staring up at the leafy green woods of Sherwood, the mildly hot air of summer swirling around him.
He blinked a few more times before rolling over to his left and picked himself up. That was when the first bout of dizziness struck him and he immediately flung his hands to the mossy ground to try to support himself before closing his eyes to let the vertigo and dizziness pass. As soon as he was sure the world had stop spinning he opened his eyes again and realized he was very hungry. He also noticed that he was covered in bandages and cloth wraps, particularly a swath of them around his chest and middle, his clothes loose and untied, barely covering up the bandages.
Robin suddenly sensed something flying at him and he reached up and caught an apple that had been thrown at him. Turning slightly to see who threw the apple, his eyes widened in surprise and his jaw dropped at the sight of the last person he would have expected to visit England, much less be in his own camp.
"Altaїr," he blinked in shock, "is that really you?"
The assassin, he noticed, was dressed in a black version of the attire he was used to seeing him in whites. A hint of a smile also creased the corner of his lips, "Good to see you well, my friend."
"When did you get here? Why did you-" Robin paused for a minute, noting that the rest of the camp was sleeping and also as he slowly remembered what had transpired since he was last conscious…and a well of horror and hatred for himself filled him.
Altaїr must have seen the expression change on his face as he spoke up in his usual quiet, yet deep voice, "You were not at fault, Robin of Locksley."
Robin remembered the brutality he had inflicted on the assassins, on his friends, and even upon Marian. His hands clenched into fists as he remembered the gruesome and horrifying torture Hadiya had put him through; the unleashing of his darker persona, the one that he had swore to keep hidden away forever. The one that had nearly reared its head when he had fought James of Atherstone and for that split second when he thought Marian had died from the plague.
"I even nearly killed you, friend," he whispered, staring at the ground, his hunger long gone. "I used the Piece…when I swore I wouldn't. I let that darkness take control of the Piece and use it."
"But you didn't let it control you," Altaїr replied coolly, making him stare at him, "you are one of the rare few who has done so each time you've touched the Piece."
It was also then that he noticed that the Piece he had kept in his boot for so long was missing and stared at the assassin before something small and pebble-sized was tossed his way. He caught it in his other hand and glanced at it.
"I still don't want it," he said tonelessly, "why are you giving it back?"
"Because you are still the only one my clan can count on to keep it safe," Altaїr replied, "I am not trusted with the Piece nor do I trust myself with the Piece."
Robin looked at his friend curiously before the assassin reluctantly explained what he meant, "Hadiya was carrying a Piece on her. It seems she used it to try to augment her Templar-given abilities to try to find the Piece on you to force you to give her the location. When she was eliminated I took it from her, but when battling you, the Piece was lost. I have gone back and searched the area, but it is missing now, most likely in the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham."
"That's bad news," he said grimly, reluctantly putting his own Piece back into his boot and taking a tentative bite out of the apple he was given. "The Sheriff won't hesitate to use it."
"But those with a strong will and mind will see right through his attempt. There was another Templar I encountered in the castle and I think they will scheme until your King returns…"
"…And use the opportunity to force him to give the throne to his brother, Prince John. Why haven't you assassinated the other Templar or if you're really sure that the Sheriff has a Piece of Eden-"
Altaїr held up a hand to stop him, "I only said I suspect. I do not know and my orders were specific. Hadiya was a far more dangerous target than the French Templar. To kill anyone not involved in my mission would be violating the assassins' creed. But do not fear, Robin, I will return to my clan and ask them for permission to eliminate the French Templar and any other recruits he may have gathered in his time here."
"Killing the Sheriff would probably bring Prince John's attention on the shire…and he would send his men to secure the region," Robin mused mostly to himself, "I think your plan has better merit. I want to expose Vaysey to the King when he returns, not have a dead body for all my efforts."
He looked up as a rustle of leaves caught his attention and saw Altaїr getting up. Robin realized that his friend was leaving and gingerly stood up; feeling a wave of dizziness hit him for a few seconds before opening his eyes once more as the world decided to right itself and not spin like a top. When he looked in the assassin's direction again he saw that a full bridled and saddled horse was coming up to him before stopping next to him.
"You're really going to leave now?" Robin found himself wishing that his friend from the Holy Lands would stay just a little longer, but also knew that Altaїr wouldn't stay for any other reason after his mission was done. He realized the assassin had stayed past his mission completion to make sure he was all right and recovering nicely and a crooked smile worked its way up his lips.
"Can you deliver a message for me to the King?" he asked, an idea coming to him.
Altaїr, having mounted his horse, nodded from his seat. "Name it."
"Tell him to make peace quickly and come home, Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham are getting dangerous."
"I will do as you ask, Robin. Salaam, my friend," Altaїr raised a hand in farewell while wheeling his horse around.
"Salaam, peace friend. I hope we can meet again under better circumstances," Robin replied as the assassin moved away from the camp.
Altaїr was nearly down the road when Robin stepped forward, "Hey Altaїr!"
He saw the horse pause and the black-clothed assassin turn slightly in his saddle.
"Black doesn't suit you! Go back to white!" he shouted, a grin forming on his face.
He saw the minute shake of Altaїr's head, the only sign of any humor within his friend's demeanor before the horse continued on its way, back to the Holy Land. Robin watched him until he disappeared into the green-brown foliage and then glanced around the camp as the others were starting to wake. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do…but first…
He had to see Marian and apologize.
KNIGHTON HALL
Robin knew that he still wasn't one-hundred percent when he attempted to climb up to Marian's window after avoiding all of the Sheriff's spies in the village. He had given up climbing and instead had tentatively knocked on the front door, noting to some chagrin that all of the bodies that had been littering the front of the house were gone and the only evidence of any fight was just bits and pieces of hay scattered around the grass and dirt paths to soak up the remnant blood, but even the hay didn't show any signs of browning from blood.
Surprisingly it was Marian who answered the door and she stared at him for a few seconds before engulfing him in a rather painful, but fierce embrace. He returned the gesture before she let go of him and hurried him in, closing the door behind her.
"Marian I-"
The resounding slap to his face echoed throughout the silent house save for the braying of a few sheep and goats outside and he blinked in surprise, his hand tentatively touching the sore and stinging bruise her slap left on his cheek. "Ow…"
"That's for hitting me," she crossed her arms and stared at him, a slightly angry expression on her face before she suddenly took his face into her hands and kissed him gently on the lips. "That's for worrying me to death."
"Marian…I…" Robin found himself at loss for words before an incredible amount of shame filled him and he hung his head, "I'm so sorry for what happened. I'm so sorry I got you and your father involved. I'm so-"
"Shh," she pressed a finger gently to his lips to silence him and took his hands, "I'm just glad you're alive. What happened…" He caught her moment's hesitation and looked away for a few seconds. "What happened was not within your control."
"Marian…" Robin stared out of the windows, looking at the lively village and the people hustling about as if nothing had happened. "You don't…understand. That was…me…is me, a part of me that did those things, killed all of those men; nearly killed you…" He stared at her, his eyes imploring her to understand and was surprised when he found her beautiful blue ones waiting for him to explain himself. He mentally took a deep breath, wondering if he was ready to tell her what had turned him into such a killing machine.
He wondered if she would accept him afterwards, or become utterly disgusted or even worst, look upon him with pity because he wasn't strong enough to deal with what had happened and what he had become.
"Well?" she asked gently, prompting him to suddenly release his hands and scrub his face in an effort to try to work up the courage. He stepped away from her and looked towards the fire, finding the embers glowing like the pulses of a heartbeat and oddly it gave him some measure of comfort.
"Do you remember when I went off on Gisborne because he had the tattoo and I accused him of attempting to kill the King in the Holy Lands?"
"Yes."
"During that time, when I fought to defend the King, I had recently returned from Jerusalem, having helped the assassins of Altaїr's clan on a mission. King Richard had appointed me to be their envoy and they proved a great help in stopping those who wanted to war to continue. That was also when I learned of the Pieces of Eden.
"The thing that Altaїr said would be able to control weak minded individuals," Marion confirmed and he nodded before focusing his attention back on the embers.
"When I was in Jerusalem, I saw many things…horrible…things. Needless to say…I was captured…and imprisoned…"
"Oh Robin…"
"They used a Piece of Eden on me and since…I didn't know what to expect I…fell into their trap," his hands curled into fists as he could see flashes of his torture and the dark swirling faces of his captors. He could feel the growing darkness inside of him and it was an effort to slam it back down into the deepest corners of his mind. He would never lose control like that ever again. "But a part of me knew what was going on and I fought against…the control. One day…"
Robin swallowed hard, his voice cracking, "They let me out to 'test' some the effects on other prisoners and instead…I….turned on them."
"Robin-"
"I slaughtered them…" he whispered, closing his eyes, the faces of his captors, all dead and staring up at him with lifeless eyes flashing before him. "I killed all of them in cold blood and then…proceeded to kill all of the other prisoners too…"
He stopped, letting silence fill the room save for the crackling of the fire. He leaned his head against his arm, resting on the mantle of the fireplace, brushing away the tears that were leaking out of the corner of his eyes. All of those innocents…he had killed them without a second thought. He had even killed the women and children… It was only by the timely grace of Altaїr and Much who had come to rescue him that he had regained his sanity and had spent at least two weeks severely depressed over his actions. He had almost lost faith in the King until Richard himself had come to see him and talk him back to regaining his rank and leadership over the Private Guard.
"Altaїr…and Much…if it wasn't for them…I…" he opened his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know what would have happened…"
He almost jumped up in surprise as Marian put a gentle hand on his shoulder and he automatically looked at her. What surprised him was not pity in her eyes, not anger nor disgust, but a sense of understanding. How could a woman be so strong as to understand him after he had told her all of that; after he had hit her, after he had nearly killed her and still have such understanding eyes?
She looked at him wordlessly before leaning up and giving him a long kiss and holding him close. He wanted to push her away, wanted to tell her that he was so covered in the blood of others that she didn't deserve him, but instead, he stood there, unable to do anything. She finally released him and stared at him square in the eye.
"Thank you, Robin…I know that was hard for you and I can claim that while I pity you, I think I understand why you want to help others so badly now, why you'll sacrifice yourself for them and why you'll always fight for what is right and what is wrong."
"Marian-"
"Shh…" she smiled slightly, "I can also say that I will never understand how you overcame that darkness you said that was inside of you, but I know that you'll always do your best to prevent it from happening again."
Robin could feel his flimsy composure slipping and suddenly reached out to embrace her tightly, the tears pouring freely from his eyes. He was so lucky to deserve her love and her affection. He never should have left for the Holy Lands…should have stayed home, married her and they would have been happier. But for now…he would accept her unconditional love that she gave.
"It's okay Robin…you can cry…"
NOTTINGHAMCASTLE
Vaysey held up the Piece of Eden that he took from Le Celle turning it slowly in his hands, examining its intricate carvings. He had to admit, it was quite a beautiful piece even though it was made out of stone, or at least he thought it was stone. The way the thing glowed made him think witchcraft was at work and he had kept it hidden lest some hapless servant girl or guard stumble in and find him with some kind of unholy glowing object and scream their poor little heads off.
"Hmm," he murmured quietly before glancing up at Gisborne who was staring out one of the windows into the courtyard. He seemed intent on looking out and Vaysey suspected that little Marian had arrived. He didn't know the details of the battle and his lieutenant was very succinct in the report, but did say that he had took back the Piece when it seemed Hood was going crazy and attacking his own people.
Vaysey hoped that Hood had killed his own people and got rid of that pesky assassin that had stolen him from the dungeons, but he didn't hold too much stock, especially since Marian had a tendency to interfere. He also wondered if Gisborne knew that he was being manipulated so badly by the tart. It wasn't that he didn't have the heart to tell his dumb as a doorknob lieutenant when it came to matters of the heart, it was that watching Gisborne squirm and occasionally respond to the harlot's every beck and whim was rather funny.
He knew that sooner or later he would have to order Gisborne to do something about her, but for now…he figured he let the tart string his lieutenant along, just as long as they got what they want.
"Gisborne, how do you work this thing? I've been holding it for hours and it's not glowing," he said, startling him from staring out the window.
"I'm not too sure…I wasn't trained in that aspect when I went to the Holy Lands. After I had killed the King, I would have been given my own Piece and trained to use it," Gisborne replied a bit shortly.
"Ah…so you're failure to kill the king makes you useless when it comes to these, doesn't it?" Vaysey wasn't too happy with his answer. "Wonderful." He pocketed the little thing and strolled over to where his lieutenant was. "I want you to find out and do it soon."
"Any particular reason?" Gisborne stared at him, brows knitting.
"Let's just say…with this, we can see to it that the Prince doesn't make any foolish mistakes if the King was to return and we are not prepared."
"You think the King's returning soon?"
"However the Frenchman may have been manipulating me, he did impart some wisdom as to the war going on in the Holy Lands. It seems our dear King has grown a bit weary of the endless fighting and seems to be leaning towards a cease-fire and peace agreement with Salah al-Din."
"The Prince's forces aren't enough to counter the battle-hardened King's forces and like you said, Hood has developed a popular following amongst the poor and some of the more influential nobles like Spencer and Buckingham."
"That's why you're not the planner are you," Vaysey stared at his lieutenant, "we have help. Our friends across the channel will obey us, that is why you have to find out fast how to work these Pieces!"
"Hood still has his Piece."
"We'll let him think that he's safe for now and deal with him when the time comes."
OUTLAWS' CAMP, SHERWOOD FOREST
Robin felt a lot better and it seemed that the burden of his past was a lot lighter when he returned a few hours later to the camp. However, it was to a sight of almost all of the gang gone with only Allan waiting, looking a bit lost. "Allan?" he stared at the ex-thief who immediately brightened.
"I don't mean to be funny, but you nearly drove us all spare. We thought you had disappeared or gone off on another rampage of sorts," Allan shrugged, coming over to him, "the others are out looking for you."
"I was visiting Marian," Robin resisted the urge to shake his head, knowing that he probably should maybe left a note or some indication that he would return in a few hours.
"Yeah, we kind of got that idea when we didn't see Altaїr around and his horse was gone, but Much insisted we go spread out and search for you just in case," the outlaw stared at him, "you okay, mate? You really gave us a scare."
Robin nodded just as the others came back to the camp from different directions. All of them perked up as they saw him standing next to Allan and he fought to keep a grin off of his face at seeing their shocked, yet relieved expressions on their faces.
"Master!" Much called out before running up and hugging him fiercely, making his chest ache once more from the pressure, but he gladly accepted the hug and patted his dearest friend on the back a few times. He knew that Much probably suffer the hardest when he wasn't himself, having now seen him unleash his darker side when he had told him long ago that it was gone.
Releasing much he gave half-embraces to both Djaq and Will, the latter of the two having a suspicious shine of what looked like tears in his eyes and he smiled gently at them. "Thank you…especially you Djaq, for helping and healing me. I'm so sorry…" he looked at the others gravely, "I'm sorry for putting all of you through that. If I hadn't brought Hadiya back to the camp-"
"What's done is done, Robin," Little John stepped forward gruffly, "we all wanted to help and fell into her trap."
"Did Altaїr tell you…?" he wondered if his friend had told them about the Pieces and of how they had all fallen to Hadiya's influence over her Piece.
"Yeah…we're not too happy about that part," Allan spoke up as they clustered around him, "I mean, you're the only one with a Piece since Altaїr returned to the Holy Land with the one he took from Hadiya so I feel kind of safer."
It was then that Robin realized Altaїr had not told the other outlaws about the lost Piece and the probability that it had ended up in the Sheriff's hands. A quick look at his gang's relieved faces made him decide that he would keep it that way. After all, his own Piece would probably be able to counteract any influence the Sheriff might wield over the Piece and especially since they all knew how it felt now, the inviting little whispers, the words that sounded just quite right for them to obey…
He also realized what the others might have been thinking and looked at them seriously, "Like Altaїr, I will never, ever use the Piece. If you're worried that I've manipulated any of you to become a part of my gang, it's not true-"
"Robin, we know," Little John cut him off again, "we're all here of our own free will."
That statement brought a grin up to his face before he knew the last thing he had to tell them in order to patch things up with them and his grin faded slightly and he released his arms from around Djaq and Will, "I bet you all want to know what happened in the Holy Lands, don't you?"
They all blinked in shock, looking at him in surprise. Robin didn't feel ready to talk about his time in the Holy Lands and the events that had lead to his imprisonment in Jerusalem, but he knew that his men deserved an explanation. He opened his mouth to start his story when an apple was suddenly shoved into it by Much. Choking slightly he looked at his former manservant in astonishment.
"You keep talking and Djaq, Marian, and Altaїr will have my head if you pass out from lack of food and water," Much shrugged before heading away from the group and towards the fire.
Robin recognized the gesture his dearest friend was imparting on him and realized that even though he had tried to coax him into talking about their times in the Holy Lands, he had also realized enough that Robin would never be comfortable and thus, saved his former master from going through the horrible events again.
"Yeah, it's a story for next time, Robin," Allan slapped him gently on the back before they all headed towards the fire, intent on getting some food.
Robin grinned at them, his spirits lifted just as the cry of a soaring eagle flew overhead Sherwood Forest.
END
Author's Q&A:
Q: What order are the stories supposed to be read?
A: I'm currently working on both Tournament and Solace of Silence, so technically the order goes like this so far: Well Met Steel, Tournament, Quarantine, The Assassin's Gift, Solace of Silence… I wrote TAG after WMS only because my muses were screaming to have me insert Altaїr into a story and write him.
Q: Does Robin or Altaїr know about Gisborne being a Templar?
A: Robin and Altaїr don't know, but for different reasons. Altaїr has never seen Gisborne's mutilated tattoo so he wouldn't know. All he knows is probably Gisborne was following Hadiya's orders or following the Sheriff's orders. And he didn't see Gisborne take Hadiya's Piece from the battlefield since he was more focused on trying to prevent Robin from killing the gang. Robin doesn't know that the wolf's head tattoo belongs to the Templars and doesn't know that Gisborne trained with Hadiya in the Holy Land. Most of Robin's part will be explained in Solace of Silence.
Q: What's with the reference to Allan nearly betraying the gang? I thought he did in Season 2.
A: Allan did in the TV series (for which I am pissed at him, but happy that he rejoined them at the end), but you have to remember, my stories are based off of Season 1 since Season 2 really irked me in a big way (dead Marian, historical timeline messing and many other little things). In my Alternate Season 2 if you want to call it, I continue Robin Hood's adventures based on the timeframe of history which suggests that Richard returned to France and England around late 1192 early 1193 after signing a peace agreement with Saladin. Allan's actions are to be explained in Tournament.
Q: What inspired you to write this story?
A: "Tattoo? What Tattoo?" got me really intrigued at Crusader!Robin and the fact that he nearly snapped when he found out Gisborne was the one that stabbed him. I believe that Robin maybe has PTSD from his time in the Holy Lands and thus like Rurouni Kenshin (an anime about an ex-hitokiri/assassin dealing with his actions in the Meiji Revolution), has to deal with the consequences of his actions here in England. Each time he uses his bow or kills someone, I believe he slowly reverts back to what he was in the Holy Lands before he had returned. This one is basically the fruition of all of the stories up to this point and is the snapping point for where he completely and utterly loses it and gives into the darker side of himself. Basically it's for me to go: squee and torture my favorite character in the series.
Any other questions can be either PM, emailed, or put on the review for this story! I hope you all enjoyed this and look forward to more!