A/N: Next installment…
I don't own Robin Hood.
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Arriving at the outskirts of the forest they could see that a contraption had been set up over the pond and even now Matilda was being led towards it. They dismounted and secured their horses in the trees. Creeping forwards they managed to hide themselves behind some undergrowth by the lake. Ava and Allan kept watch as Robin lowered himself into from the bank and Much began to unravel the tubing. Robin ducked under the water with one end as Will fitted the pump to the other.
As Matilda was strapped to the chair and lowered into the water, all the outlaws could see were bubbles and they had to assume their plan was working.
The Sheriff gave signal, the chair was raised and Matilda came up coughing and spluttering. When he saw she was still alive the Sheriff flicked a careless hand and she was ducked again. He waited for longer this time, feinting once or twice, before allowing them to raise her.
As the chair, with Matilda still tied to it, rose up water cascaded from it and her unresponsive body. Ava caught her breath as Matilda sat motionless, scared it hadn't worked and that perhaps even now Robin was lying at the bottom of the lake.
Suddenly Matilda threw back her head and gasped for air, before flinging a steady stream of insults at the Sheriff's head. Ava grabbed Will's shoulder in triumph, momentarily forgetting their troubles in this moment of success.
Matilda was dunked again and Allan felt himself free to turn his gaze on Henry of Lewis.
"It's gonna be difficult to take him,"
"Just kill him," Will didn't spare the man a glance. Ava's hand fell from his shoulder, almost scared of him when he talked like that.
"Nah, nah, that'd draw attention to Robin wouldn't it? Put him in danger," Allan argued his point reasonably.
"We bide our time and wait until they're distracted," Much repeated Robin's earlier instructions, before adding, "Unless, of course, one of has informed Gisborne,"
Will reached over Ava and gave Much a hard shove on the shoulder.
"You keep your accusations to yourself!"
"You keep pumping!"
"Stop it both of you!" Ava sent them both a frowning look before noticing the Sheriff had begun a countdown on the other side of the water. She turned towards to Will and Allan. "You better go, now go on!"
The pair stood to a crouch and began to half run to where Henry was sitting, contributing random words to the conversation. The dunking chair was raised from the water and seen to be empty.
In the chaos that ensued, the Sheriff absolutely beside himself with rage, Allan and Will managed to tip Henry's chair back and make off with him before anyone saw. Matilda and Robin emerged from the pond soon after, dripping wet. Much put his coat round Matilda's shoulders and escorted her back to the horses. Ava handed Robin his top, without looking up to meet his eyes, before following them.
With Henry slung unconscious across the saddle before Allan and Matilda sitting up behind Robin, they rode swiftly back to the camp. Having horses with lighter burdens, Will and Ava drew ahead easily but were careful not to go too far and to avoid conversation as neither knew how to articulate what had happened to them over the last day.
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Reaching the camp, Matilda hurried after Robin and Will to check on her daughter. The others set Henry on the ground by the unlit fire, made sure he was bound and Ava accepted the charge of watching him.
Much and Allan went to report to Robin what was happening as Ava took out a dagger to dig a stone out from the sole of her boot.
"Still in the land of fairies,"
She could only just make out Allan's words and Will's question.
"What are you going to do with him?"
"I'll banish him," Robin had clearly decided this some time ago.
"You should kill him. He betrayed the King, he doesn't deserve to live."
Ava looked up sharply, frowning heavily at Will's remark and then ever more so at Allan's uncharacteristic question.
"Kill him?"
The conversation was interrupted with no further argument when Matilda appeared behind them, holding the bundle that was her granddaughter.
"Congratulations, Grandma," Robin gave her a sincere smile, his first in some time, and a one armed hug. Will looked down into the clearing.
"Ava – look!"
He turned to indicate Matilda, who lifted her newborn granddaughter up into the air.
"Ava – meet Alice."
Like Robin, Ava felt the sight of the baby and Matilda's joy prompt her to smile as nothing had in what seemed like forever. The muscles in her face seemed to protest as if out of practice.
Suddenly she felt an arm over her shoulders and a cold blade at her neck. Henry had picked up the dagger she'd discarded and was using it to barter a way out. Her breathing stopped, then started again more heavily as fear began to uncoil within her.
"Put it down Henry!"
Robin's shout rang out and the others turned, only just made aware of the situation. Robin had his bow drawn and an arrow pointing straight at Ava and Henry. She had her hands up on Henry's arm, trying to dislodge his grasp, but her fear was no match for his desperation. Will and John both started forward but stopped abruptly as the dagger nicked Ava's throat and showed an alarmingly vibrant red.
"They say you don't kill anymore," Henry's voice was taunting and his gaze was locked on Robin's.
"For the King, I kill," there was no mistaking the promise behind the threat.
"The King's finished!" Henry was obviously so convinced of this it had led him to become a traitor. "The Sheriff, Prince John, the Black Knights – they'll win."
His voice so close, his words spoken right into her ear, it was hard for Ava not to believe Henry. There was a whoosh of air and Robin's arrow buried itself into Henry's chest. His grip abruptly slackened and the dagger dropped to the ground. Tearing her horrified gaze from Robin, Ava saw Henry roll down the slight hill before coming to a dead stop. She rose a shaky hand to feel where the dagger had cut her and only managed to look away from the body when Will laid an arm round her shoulder and she could feel his solid warmth behind her.
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A/N: I find it so hard to know when to finish chapters! But if I finish it here I can update it so…..
Please review.