Audrey slowly tied the mask over her face. She could feel her galvanized fingers shake as she wrapped her cloak around herself. She took a deep breath and quickly slipped through the back door. Robert was waiting.
"Are you going again?" he asked.
"You know I can't just-"
"I thought you promised that you wouldn't do this anymore, Audrey. You gave me your word." Robert's expression was more hurt than angered. "I heard what you did the other night, that you stole again."
"But who else is going to help the poor? Who else is going to stop the greed and spread the wealth? Tell me that," Audrey whispered.
"You're exaggerating, Audrey. You can't stop any of that, you can only make a difference here, in Nettlestone. You actually have some control here, so you can make a difference. Have you forgotten why we moved here in the first place?" Audrey shuddered at the memory. "We don't want that happening again, do we?"
"I don't care," she finally said. "It won't happen again. I'm more careful now."
"You call this being careful? Going around to the other nobles' houses in the same disguise that you always wore! You didn't even burn it when I told you to! How can I trust you now? How can I trust you to be more careful if you can't even follow my own directions?" Audrey remained silent as she let the words sink in. Her own brother didn't even trust her, even though she knew she was doing something right. Finally she pushed her brother to the side and began striding by him.
"You made a promise!" her brother called after her. "Just remember that."
"A promise, eh?"
"What are you doing here?" Audrey wheeled around with an annoyed expression painted on her face. Why did Robin have to come and spy on her?
"Thought you might need a little help, seeing as you're new and everything," he said. Audrey just turned back around and continued to walk, cursing herself for deciding to take the shortcut through Sherwood to get to Locksley. It was going to be a long night; Robin didn't give up.
"So you're just going to keep walking like that through an unfamiliar forest. How long have you been here?" He called after her.
Audrey halted. No, she would not allow herself think he had a point. She would just move on, keep going. She was losing time by talking with Robin.
"I really do hope you know that Locksley is that way, if that's where you're heading." Robin pointed to his right. Audrey was about to lose her temper again. Who did he think he was? All he ever did was stay in a disgusting camp in the middle of the woods with a gang and do exactly what she was doing with just a bit more style. She quietly turned to her right and continued walking without thanking Robin.
"I bet you've only been here less than a month. You probably inherited that manor in Nettlestone, you and that brother of yours. Do you mind if I ask what happened where you used to live?" Audrey stopped dead in her tracks. She could feel her cheeks burning with fury as her knuckles turned white from gripping her dagger much too hard. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Why should I tell you?" she finally said. "Why do you need to know? Why should I trust you? Why are you following me? I'm not helpless, and I'm not stupid. You're being ridiculous, and is it too much to ask for you to leave me alone?" Quiet. She looked behind her, but Robin was gone. She sighed in relief. Finally she thought.He's gone.
Audrey pressed herself against the wall of Locksley manor. The whole place was quiet and completely dark. Not even a sliver of moonlight brushed the inside of the home. She peered around the edge of the stairs to make sure nobody was waiting. Perfect. The place was clear. She turned to make her way up to the second floor. Each step was painstakingly long as she made her way up.
CREEEAK!
Audrey halted immediately. No! No! No! Not now! A stupid noise was not going to stop her from this one mission! She could hear movement in a room at the top of the stairs, though, and she knew there wasn't much time. Gisborne was probably awake. Well, that just ruined all her plans.
She made a dash up the stairs and slid through the door. She could see a chest with gold coins and wealth that she knew would be helpful, but she ignored it. Letters, clues, anything! She pushed aside everything in her path, not caring that she was making enormous amounts of noise. She could jump out the window if she had to. Still, she was unsuccessful. There was nothing of value to her in the room. Nothing that gave her a clue to what Gisborne was hiding in his past. She raced out the door.
She felt a large hand turn her around. Another one closed around her throat as her back hit the wall. Through the slits in her mask she could see Gisborne's infuriated face. Now she was in for it. He was going to find out who she was, and she had just barely met the man. She closed her eyes and tried to turn her head away, but he wouldn't let her move. She gasped as she struggled for breath, but a part of her wanted him to remove the mask and let her go, to just find out if it meant she could breathe again.
"Move!" The hand that grasped her throat let go, and she opened her eyes to see Gisborne at her feet and Robin standing behind him with the butt end of a sword handle in his hand. His other hand reached out and snatched Audrey's wrist. "Run!" Audrey quickly registered the word, twisted her wrist out of Robin's grip, and rushed down the stairs two at a time. She glanced back up the stairs to see Robin doing the same. He frowned at her. Of course she still had to keep going! What was she thinking, lollygagging like that? She picked up her feet again and raced out the door of Gisborne's home. She could hear Robin following behind her as she made her way back into Sherwood Forest. Finally, after she felt like she had run long enough, she slowed to allow Robin to catch up.
"Thanks... for saving me," she said as she caught her breath. Robin merely crossed his arms over his chest.
"What were you thinking back there? You could have gotten yourself killed! More importantly, what were you doing? Gisborne's house is the last place you should ever go!" Audrey could see the anger in Robin's eyes, but she could also see the hurt and distress behind them. What was his problem?
"I just wanted to know more about him. Is that such an issue?" she retorted.
"When I have to come and save you, yes. Yes, it is a very big issue. Gisborne could have killed you! Don't you understand that?"
"You were the one that pointed me in the direction of Locksley! You should have known I was going to Gisborne's home!"
"I didn't think you were stupid enough to do something like that."
"Well, what did you think I was doing?"
"Scouting? Dropping off stolen goods? How should I know? I just thought you were smarter than what your actions say you are."
Audrey sighed and shook off Robin's last comment. "Well, why were you following me in the first place?"
Robin faltered and took a step back. Finally he managed to say, "You're new around here. I don't trust you completely yet. Does that answer your question?"
"Not completely. You were following me to make sure I was safe, weren't you? I know you were. Why else would you come dashing to the rescue? If you didn't trust me, you would have just let Gisborne remove my mask back there without batting an eye."
"I would definitely have batted an eye," Robin said. "Just because I don't trust you doesn't mean that I would ever refuse to help you. You were in danger, and I was there. What else was I to do?"
"Take back your rightful place as the oh-so-loveable ruler of the little people and their love of your wonderfully kind and glorious deeds by letting me be found out and hanged for intrusion and stealing and blah blah blah."
"You couldn't be more wrong."
"I was merely suggesting the idea, not saying that you would completely go through with it. Just admit it, though. You were following me to make sure I was safe. I don't need protection. I-"
"Well, tonight begs to differ, my lady."
Audrey clenched her fists at her sides. It was taking all her self-control to not punch Robin at this moment. He seemed so intolerable at times!
"Can I just go home now? Robert is already angry enough at me. If I stay out any later he might send out search parties."
"Go on, my lady." Robin bowed exaggeratedly. "No one is stopping you." Audrey sighed and began walking in the direction she thought Nettlestone was in.
"Of course, going in the wrong direction might take longer. Try going that way." Robin pointed to Audrey's right as the young lady huffed and turned to follow Robin's hand. The only thing she could think of was how completely intolerable he was.