-Nottingham Castle-

The road from Locksley to Nottingham seemed to stretch on, never ending. The stars had begun to dance in the night sky long before the small troupe reached the outer gates of Nottingham. Rising up, high above the surrounding walls was the dark, threatening outline of the castle. A shiver ran down Elsie's spine as Gisborne led them silently through the vacant town.

Ghastly shadows, cast by the light of the moon, gave the quiet streets of Nottingham an eerie sense of foreboding for what was waiting ahead of them. Most of the buildings they passed were filled with darkness. Only a few scattered windows were filled with faint candle light. This was not the Nottingham that she remembered. It was unfamiliar and unsettling, even more so than Locksley had been. Elsie shifted nervously in the saddle as they were granted passage through the castle gates.

Gisborne led the small party. Behind him, two of his guards flanked Elsie, whose hands had been bound tightly together, while another two brought up the rear of the little procession. The extra guards hardly escaped Elsie's notice. It was obvious by the heightened security, that he expected someone to rain on his parade. Her gut told her that this someone was probably her brother, but deep down she knew that it was impossible; Robin had no idea of her return.

A rising sense of fear rippled through her as they descended the stairs into the great hall. The room itself spoke of the unfriendly inhabitant that she was about to meet--she had long given up hope of finding Edward, or even his daughter Marian, at the castle.

A daunting thought crossed her mind; no one knew she was there. The two men from Wycombe, sent along with her, had been killed, Robin was unaware of her arrival, and by the time anyone realized she gone it would probably be too late. Elsie's heart sank; there was no way out of this predicament. Her heart hammered against her chest as she came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked across the dimly lit room. The shadows engulfed the far end of the table, where Vaizey, the Sheriff of Nottingham, was perched, perfectly. A deep chuckle resonated from the depths of those shadows and a highly amused voice spoke up.

"Ah, Gisborne, finished sulking have you? Good," he quipped lightly. His fingers drummed the side of the chair impatiently.

Pursing his lips, Sir Guy of Gisborne ignored the sheriff's biting comment. He greeted his superior with a curt nod. "My lord. I have discovered something that might interest you."

"Yes, yes, get on with it, Gisborne. I haven't got all night."

Gisborne grinned devilishly. He couldn't help building up the sheriff's curiosity; he knew that what he was about to reveal was one of the best things he ever had to offer to him. "I can guarantee that what I have will be of great value to you, my lord."

"Well, let's have it then. It must be if it got you out of Locksley." He chuckled at his little joke, poking fun at Gisborne's recent isolation.

Elsie squirmed impatiently. She could feel the ropes digging into her skin as she fidgeted, waiting for that moment when Gisborne called her forward. Her eyes wandered the vast room, hoping for some way to escape. Nothing looked promising. Then, without warning, one of the guards gave her a hard shove from behind. Elsie stumbled forward into a patch of light.

"A girl?" the sheriff mused, waiting for the punchline.

"Not just any girl, my lord. This," Gisborne announced, his voice dripping with malicious delight, "is Robin Hood's sister."

The effect was just as Gisborne had anticipated, catching Vaizey completely off guard. Instantly, the sheriff jolted to life, leaping from his chair to get a better look at Gisborne's discovery.

"Hood has a sister?" he snapped, eyeing up the young girl carefully. She certainly had the look of a close relation to that troublesome outlaw. Quirking a brow, he turned to face his right hand man. "You're sure about this, Gisborne?"

"Quite. She came looking for him in Locksley; called him brother."

A deep, sinister chuckle bubbled in the sheriff's throat. "Oh, this is good. Yes, well done, Gisborne."

He began walking slow circles around her, surveying his prize. All the while, Elsie kept her eyes glued to the floor, silently cursing herself for being so careless upon her arrival. After a moment or two of careful consideration, the squat little man paused just in front of her, bringing his face so close to hers that she could smell his rancid breath as he spoke.

"When was the last time you spoke to your dear brother?"

Raising her gaze across the room in defiance, Elsie said nothing as she avoided the penetrating stares of the two men in front of her.

When it became clear that she wasn't going to respond, Gisborne offered some insight. "It cannot have been recent. She was unaware that he had been outlawed."

The sheriff's unbroken gaze, still inches from hers, rose to look at her with slight amusement. "Is that so? Well then, I am going to venture a guess. Robin has no idea that you are here."

Elsie swallowed hard. His words were like a smart slap in the face. Though the thought had crossed her mind, it sounded different, more menacing, rolling from the sheriff's lips. With her eyes still glued toward a window on the opposite wall, Elsie fought back tears.

The sheriff was not fooled by her silence; he could read her like the cover of a book. He was well aware that his assumptions were correct. A satisfied grin pulled at his mouth.

"Ah," he said, nodding. "I suspected as much." He whirled around on his heel, clasping his hand in front of him. "This couldn't be more perfect. We've got Hood's sister; Hood doesn't have a clue."

"He will find out sooner or later," Gisborne interrupted.

"Shut up, Gisborne! Let me have my moment." The sheriff closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of sweet victory--something he had been waiting a long time for. "A sister for a sister. Oh, yes, revenge is sweet. Finally, Hood will pay."

"What are we going to do with her, my lord?" Gisborne asked. "Shall I take her to the dungeon?"

"I will think of something...special...for our little Lady Locksley; such a pretty little bird deserves more than to simply rot in an old cell. However, for now, the dungeon will do." He gave a small wave of his hand and Gisborne's men hurried forward to escort her away.

With a deep, penetrating loathing for the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne, Elsie glared at the two men until a thick wooden door closed between them. As much as she wanted to scream and shout the whole way to the dungeon, Elsie kept her composure, intermingled with half fury and half fear. She hadn't a clue what awaited her--either in the dungeon or in the sheriff's plans for her.