Chapter 4: Robin's ire

Sir Edward of Knighton was restless, almost sick with worry. Marian still wasn't home. She hadn't been all night. He was convinced something had happened to her as the Nightwatchman.

He opened the front door and stepped out again. But this time he saw something. The young maiden that was presumed dead, Penelope of Loxley. She was wearing a travelling cloak and looked exactly as Edward remembered, only a few years older and her face was harder—more careworn—and she was walking with a redheaded girl of about the same age.

'Sir Edward,' she greeted, stopping before him. 'We've no time for an explanation to my continued existence. Last night Gisborne stabbed Marian. My brother and his men are bringing her here now, but they had to take care of her before they moved her, which is why it has taken all night.'

Edward's stomach dropped. 'Is she all right?' he asked, anxiously.

'She will be,' the girl with Penny answered in a Scottish accent. 'She just needs tae rest. I will take care of 'er until she can walk around. Gisborne never saw me. He don't know whose side I am on.'

Edward glanced at Penny, who was smirking at the redhead.

'Oh, so that's why you didn't join us in the fight.'

'Ay.' The redhead smiled.

Little John laid Marian on her bed and Dqac pulled the covers up over her. Robin stood at the end of the bed, staring down at Marian, and Penny stood beside her brother, watching him with concern. Then Edward had to ask if Robin would accompany them in protecting the King. Myra, who was leaning against the window sill, rolled her eyes, then she looked out.

'Uh oh,' she suddenly said.

'What does "uh oh" mean?' Penny asked.

'Gisborne's here.'

Myra listened along with Penny, her brother and his gang.

'She is indisposed,' Edward stated.

'Indisposed?' Gisborne asked.

'Sleeping,' Edward clarified.

'At this hour?' Gisborne asked doubtfully.

'She had an accident,' Edward lied. 'A fall in the forest. I don't know.'

'She's not here,' Gisborne stated.

Myra heard Penny's teeth snap together at the assumption. Marian was Penny's best friend, practically her sister. In fact, she almost was her sister until Robin had his "stupid male moment" as Penny and Myra called it.

'No, she is,' Edward hastily corrected him.

'Do not lie to me!' Gisborne stated, pushing past him.

'I am not lying, Sir Guy!' Edward insisted following.

Myra had never tossed her mace to someone so quickly in her life. Nor had she seen seven individuals dive for hiding spots so quickly.

Robin jumped up and into the bed curtains above the bed, Penny caught the mace and swung up onto the rafters and out of sight, unless you were looking for her. Little John dived under the bed and Dqac hid in the chest, Will dived into Marian's wardrobe, Allan jumped out the window and Much ducked behind the door as Gisborne shoved it open.

Myra twisted around and perched her hands on her hips.

'I told Sir Edward not to let anyone up 'ere!' she snapped. 'Who exactly 'r ye?'

'Sir Guy of Gisborne,' he snapped. 'Lord of Locksley. You don't tell me what to do; I tell you what to do.'

Yeah. Myra thought scathingly. Only because this country is being choked to death and the true Lord of Loxley is outlawed because he's trying to save it.

'Not when it comes tae medicine.' Myra folded her arms across her chest. 'I am a midwif'. Ye prob'ly don't know th' difference between a hernia an' an appendix.'

Gisborne glared at her, then glanced over her shoulder at Marian. 'She looks pale.'

'Really?' Myra remarked bitingly. 'Ye think? Okay, I can see we're not goin' tae agree. Let's do this then: ye leave now; I'll leave when she's back on 'er feet.'

Gisborne studied her. 'I haven't seen you around here.'

'I ain't from around 'ere,' Myra responded. 'I'm a travellin' midwif'.'

That was her excuse and the coarse grammar was too perfect for backing it up. Gisborne turned and walked over to Edward to speak with him. Myra tipped her head back and frowned. He knew something she didn't know and she couldn't let that sit.

Marian weakly opened her eyes and saw Robin hiding on the bed curtains above her bed. Interesting hiding place. No one could say he wasn't original. She soon registered the reason behind him hiding.

Guy was talking to her father. He was saying he'd fetch a physician. She looked up and watched him leave. Penny's friend, Myra, was standing in front of her bed watching Gisborne go. The outlaws and Penny all slipped out of their hiding places.

'"I will fetch a physician",' Much fumed. 'He just killed one. He is disgusting!'

'He killed one?' Marian asked.

'Pitts,' Penny agreed.

'We thought he would denounce Gisborne, but he was a traitor,' Much went on. 'I am glad he is dead.'

'I'll be back,' Myra stated, taking her mace from Penny.

'He knows something you do not know, doesn't he?' Penny asked.

'Ay,' Myra agreed, walking out the door.

Marian remembered Penny saying Myra was very good at getting information. She looked at Robin as he promised her he would find a way to denounce Gisborne. But her father, upon finding out Robin had no ideas, told him he would not allow Robin to give Marian false hope. Robin looked him right in the eyes and Marian saw the weight of the world in his eyes even if they were not directed at her.

'I am sick of doing the right thing!' Robin stated, before storming out.

Marian felt her heart break as she watched him go and felt a longing for the old days when there was no Gisborne, no Sheriff Vaisey of Nottingham and no tyranny over England. When she and Robin would just lay together, taking joy in only the mere presence of the other. When Penny would sneak after them and watch them kiss and lay in each others arms and they would pretend they didn't know she was there until one of them "discovered" her and spent the rest of the day playing with her. When all she needed to do to comfort him was place her hand on his cheek and peck him on the lips then move into his arms. She could see the nostalgia for the same times in Penny's eyes before she turned her back and crossed over to the window, no doubt to watch her older brother walk out of Knighton Hall and into the forest.

'Shouldn't one of us…?' Much began.

'Give him time,' Penny cut him off. 'No upset intended, but Gisborne did not kill Marian. If he had…then we would have to worry.'

And Marian knew she was right.