Chapter 8

"He's always doing that!" Much complained. "Going off alone, and then he needs to be rescued!"

The gang was sitting at the camp once again, as the day was drawing to a close. They had made their way back through the forest after Robin had sent them back, assuring them that he would have to search for Marian on his own. Along the way they had actually discussed looking for her as well, arguing that more people would be able to see and hear more than one person, but had then decided to listen to Robin's orders, as little as they liked it.

"He didn't need rescue this time," Will pointed out at Much's indignant claim.

"Not this time!" Much nodded. "But one of these days he's going to be caught and he won't get away!"

"Let us hope he does," Djaq smiled reassuringly, but Will thought he also detected a hint of nervousness in her voice and expression.

"Then he's going to need us to rescue him!" Much was certain. "Maybe he will learn then not to go off alone, while we are sitting here back at camp."

"You like camp," Will smiled.

"Yes," the other man confirmed with a nod. "It is a very nice camp indeed. Thank you, Will, for it."

Will looked at Djaq and saw an amused expression in her eyes. She looked away then, turning to get more branches for their fire. They nurtured the flames that gave a warm light to the outlaws.

"So how long are we going to stay here?" Much picked up the discussion again, after he had set a small pot over the fire.

"Until Robin comes back," John replied simply, sitting down nearby.

"For the night at least," Djaq answered in contradiction.

"I don't like. I don't like it even a little bit," Much shook his head, stirring their supper. "We could go to the villages, look for Marian..."

"We have talked about this, Much," Djaq reminded him.

"Yes, I know we have, but we can still talk about it again. If we go and find Marian, Robin can come back and I do not need to worry about him." He threw the wooden spoon he had used against the pot, causing a hollow sound.

"Maybe he has already found her by now," Will put forward calmly. "She can't have just disappeared."

"Many things can happen," the Saracen said simply, as they started handing around their plates.

She didn't like leaving the clothes, knowing that she wouldn't have an easy time finding new ones that would work well as a disguise at the castle, but it was way too risky to try and get back into Nottingham in the telltale clothes of the Nightwatchman.

She had debated with herself whether she would try to sneak into Nottingham, risking being caught, or whether she would simply walk into Nottingham as Lady Marian. If she had understood Robin correctly, Guy had been looking for her as well. The guards in Nottingham probably knew about that. Guy didn't really need to know that she was coming back to the town now, as she would have a hard time to explain where she was suddenly coming from. But then, if he found her at the castle once he was back, the explanation wouldn't be easier to come by.

Still, when she had seen the castle rise up over the town, less than half a mile away, she had decided to sneak in as she had often done before. It had been easy enough, the guards not even seeming to notice her.

She walked through the dark streets of Nottingham, the cloak she had been given in Knighton still wrapped tightly around her. Few people were moving around outside; it was no surprise, it was late and Marian had to admit that she would be glad to get to bed, too. It had been a long way back. She had spent the last day at Knighton, lucky enough to have friends there that had taken her in.

She was somewhat frustrated at the time the whole adventure had cost her, while getting her nowhere near any useful information. She wondered if she hadn't expected too much of the escapade. She guessed she had wanted to do something useful again, even now when she was back at the castle. It didn't seem to work this way though.

She heard a sound behind her and turned her head to look what it had been, but at this moment everything was quiet again. She walked on, wondering briefly how to get back into the castle. But she figured nobody would hinder her from entering once they recognized her, and as she would have to find a good excuse to tell Guy anyway, she could just as well save herself the trouble of trying to sneak into the castle as well. It could all wait till the next morning.

She turned around another corner on her way to the castle yard, when the punch hit her fully unexpectedly. She found herself thrown around in the next moment and then caught in big hands. She lashed out, but felt a sword at her throat a second later.

"Found you," the owner of it whispered in her ear.

"Who are you?" she demanded, staring down at the blade.

"Let's just say I'm working for someone who would like to make sure you disappear and don't turn up again."

Marian swallowed, her mind racing to what Robin had said about Gisborne trying to find her. Guy wouldn't do this. Guy wouldn't want this; at least she had come to believe that.

"Are you working for Sir Guy?" she asked, as the man pulled her backwards slowly, deeper into the back street.

"No Sir Guy, missy," the man replied callously. The next moment he lowered the blade and Marian used the opportunity to kick him. He fell backwards and she scrambled over a pile of logs to get away. Then she realized that it hadn't only been one man, when more figures jumped ahead.

She was glad that she had had a good night's sleep and a good meal back at Knighton, for it gave her the strength to fight back. Still, at the end they were too many and she had nowhere to run.

Someone grabbed her and a blade was coming for her again. The intent in the man's eyes was clear.

This intent was the last living glint that could be seen in them, for an arrow hit the man's back the next moment, another following quickly. Marian tried to wriggle out of the other man's grasp, turning and kicking to get him off his feet. She could hear more arrows fly through the air and hit their targets. She knew it was Robin, but he wasn't alone, another man was fighting at his side. Only getting a short glance at him as she was herself busy fighting off the unknown men, she still recognized immediately that it was Guy. It felt strange to see he was fighting on the same side as Robin, trying to save her.

What one person wouldn't have managed, three were able to do. With Robin's skill at the bow and Guy's swordsmanship the men fell like flies. Marian knocked out one or two as well, and once she was able to catch her breath she wondered what Guy would say, wondered if he had seen it at all and if he'd be surprised or suspicious to see her fighting.

The two men were walking up to her now, Robin a little ahead, giving her a smile that was invisible to Gisborne who appeared to be relieved as well and Marian reminded herself that he had been searching for her these past days.

"Thank you," she said, directing it at the both of them.

"Who were these men?" Robin asked with a frown, stopping in his tracks and looking over the bodies.

Marian looked down at one of them. "I don't know." She glanced up, looking at Guy now. "They told me... they were working for someone who wants me to vanish for good."

Guy's eyes narrowed. "Did they say who this someone is?" He stepped closer to her, standing next to Robin now, throwing a dark glance at the outlaw. He almost seemed to want to put himself between her and Robin.

Marian shook her head quietly. "No, they didn't."

"Do not worry. You are safe now," Guy said, once again with a look at the other man. Robin rolled his eyes, but wasn't able to do anything. "Where have you been all this time?" Guy asked her then. "You know you shouldn't go anywhere alone. It's too dangerous." There was heaviness in his voice and Marian could barely avoid glancing at Robin.

"Yes, I know," she said. "These men..."

Guy stiffened. "You can be assured that I will not rest before I have found the one responsible."

Marian nodded, only watching Robin out of the corner of her eyes now. It was clear he wanted to talk to her as well, but she couldn't approach him in a friendly manner, not here with Guy around, no matter that he had helped saving her. She wanted to give him a signal to leave, but wasn't able to do so as she was under Guy's close scrutiny now.

The sound that she heard next was more than unwelcome.

"Gisborne! What is going on here?"

The beating of hooves on cobblestone told as much as the voice they could hear of the man that came riding towards them, several guards following behind. The sheriff dismounted and looked at first at Gisborne, then at the bodies, then at Marian.

Robin had retreated into the shadows of the houses, but Marian was still able to see him from where she was standing. She knew that he wouldn't leave her in this situation.

"My Lord-" Guy started.

"I see you've found your little missy again," Vaysey said with a false smile at Marian. "But who is that?" he nodded towards the body of the man who had first ambushed Marian.

"They attacked Lady Marian," Guy explained.

"Who would do any such thing?" the sheriff openly pretended to be shocked.

Guy blinked. "I do not know, my Lord."

Marian swallowed at the look in Guy's eyes. It told her that he very well had an idea.

"Sir," one of the guards called suddenly from behind the sheriff, pointing into the darkness. "There's someone there!"

The sheriff turned quickly. "Get him!"

Marian guessed that the sheriff didn't know who it was, but was simply ready to apprehend anyone who was around. Maybe he knew though. Maybe he had watched everything from afar before he had shown himself and was aware that Robin still lingered around somewhere.

Once again she wasn't able to do anything, as the guards charged into the darkness and backed the outlaw into a corner. They pulled him forward into the light then, still struggling. Guy didn't say anything, didn't even look at the captured man.

"See, who we have here," the sheriff seemed delighted. "I guess this answers our question, Gisborne, doesn't it? Caught right at the scene of his crime, his latest one that is," he added sweetly.

"That's right, Vaysey, this is the scene of your latest crime," Robin spat out and was punched by one of the guards for it.

"Now what do you say to that, Gisborne? Mmh?" the sheriff turned to his right-hand man.

"My Lord," Gisborne only muttered.

Marian stared at him, but he evaded her gaze. He had to know that this wasn't Robin's doing. He probably even suspected as well that it was the sheriff's instead.

"I would say," Vaysey emphasized every word, "you take your missy back into the castle where she belongs..." He turned to Robin and the guards again. "… and you take him into the dungeons. He will hang in the morning." The sheriff's tone spoke of a day's work well done.

"My Lord..." Guy said again, while the guards were dragging Robin away.

Marian saw a fearful look on Robin's face and knew that he was not only fearing for himself, but for her, too. She lost sight of him then and looked back at Gisborne.

"My Lord, I do not believe it is Hood's doing this time," Guy finally declared.

"Rubbish, Gisborne. Of course it is," the sheriff intervened quickly. "But do not fear for your little missy anymore now. We have Hood, and he will die in the morning."

"It is not Hood's style," Gisborne insisted.

"Not his style? Not his style you say? How many men has he killed?"

"Men, yes, but he does not attack women."

Marian cringed. She had made sure that Guy actually thought Robin able to do that, when she had pretended to be his hostage. Then it had been to save both their lives. Now it didn't speak in Robin's favor and Guy's own argument.

"Oh, Gisborne, Gisborne, Gisborne. You still have a too rosy picture of the outlaws! I wonder where that comes from? Hood has taken little Marian capture before, so what would stop him now? What is it that is going on in your brain? Do I have you sympathizing with the outlaws?"

"Of course not, my Lord."

"Good to know," the sheriff smirked. "Now take Marian here back to the castle. And then make sure to post extra guards. I want the gates of the town watched, too. Make sure that nobody gets in or out until Hood is dead!"

The sheriff remounted his horse and rode off, followed by the rest of his guards that had not left with Robin. Guy took Marian's arm and led her toward the castle.

"Guy," she started.

"What is it?"

"I... want to thank you for saving my life."

"I am here to protect you, Marian."

"Then..." She hesitated, avoiding his gaze once again.

"Tell me."

"I am just worried."

Guy was silent for a moment, before he asked, "About what?"

"I do not believe it was Hood who ordered those men to attack me."

"So you are worrying about him?"

"No, you misunderstand me," she said quickly. "I do not believe it was him, so I believe those men acted on someone else's orders. And this someone could try it again."

Marian wondered how open they were really speaking with each other. Did Guy understand that she was alluding to the sheriff?

Guy stopped walking. "You are right, Marian."

She knew that he had not contradicted the sheriff earlier out of any considerations for Robin, but instead because he simply didn't believe the sheriff's declaration on the matter either and therefore feared for her.

"Then you have to do something." She turned to him, looking into his eyes now.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I do not know who attacked you, Marian," he told her quietly and she knew it to be a lie. "But I assure you, I will protect you."

"But what about Hood?"

"Neither of us would want him to walk free in any case. He will hang for all the other crimes he committed."

She couldn't argue against that without betraying her feelings and chose to not say anything anymore while they were walking back into the castle and up the stairs and corridors to her chamber. Gisborne had retreated into silence as well, but kept close to her.

"Good night, Marian," he said once they were at the room and she returned the greeting half-heartedly.

Marian sat down on her bed. She sat there, thinking about Robin down in the dungeons, Guy walking around in the castle, making sure everything was locked and watched, the sheriff in his chambers, planning the morning's festivities.

Robin had told her how he had worried, how he had been looking for her. She was afraid now. There was only little time left till the morning would come.

She knew though where Robin was. It was one thing and the only hope she had.