THE FOREST – NORTH ROAD

Thornton, bound and gagged, slammed his feet against the end of the carriage once more. A plank fell away, causing the driver to stir and halt the wagon. The driver stood from his seat and walked around the edge of the carriage to the end as Thornton slipped his feet from his bondages, then his hands and stood.

The driver pulled open the door only to be kicked in the face and sent to the floor.

Thornton threw himself from the carriage ad grabbed the peasants sword, before climbing atop the horse and slashing through the bonds that held it to the carriage.

He started to race back towards Nottingham.

THE CAMP

John arrived back at camp to see that the mood was as he expected it to be. A mask of genuine happiness between everyone bar Robin and Marian was plain, for people laughed and joked about the riches that awaited them at knight's glade, even though they all had doubts over Isabella.

Alan was growing merrier, and John could see from looking at all of them, except Marian, Djac and Will, that the ale had been flowing.

The slave his wounds from his argument with Marian, Robin had drank more and more.

He sat by the fire, agitatedly sharpening an arrow.

Marian was sat on the other side near Alan, glaring at the fire and occasionally at her husband.

"You should all go to bed." John said gruffly, not feeling happiness at all when it came to his talk with Isabella.

He knew what he had feared, that the looks had not been his imagination, that she wished none of them help or kindness.

"I cannot go to bed without a story, a tale to drift me off!" Alan cried and split some of his ale over Marian.

She said nothing, just continued to glare at the fire.

"No stories." Robin said firmly.

"Stories are for children, and no one sees any of them here."

His words made Marians head snap up ad everyone froze.

The meaning that could have been behind his words may have missed Much and Alan, who were hazed in their brains, but it struck Marian like a knife in the chest.

She gasped; her eyes hardening as tears filled them.

She wanted to be able to bear Robin a child, and she had tried, they had both tried, but she had not yet conceived.

She pushed herself upright and grabbed her cloak, wanting to be nowhere near him.

She did not want to see him, to think of her as she looked at him.

Why would he not listen?

Could he not see?

Of course he could not.

Robin, although as hazed in the mind as Alan, realised what he had said.

"Marian." He stood upright and turned to follow her as she walked down towards the exit of camp.

"Marian forgive me…" He grabbed her wrist and held it between them,

She spun, and in a motion as quick as lighting, her palm slammed against Robins face.

Her slap made his head reel, along with the ale, and he took a step back from it.

She glared at him profoundly, before turning and storming passed him into their bunk room.

If Isabella could have seen the disturbance she had caused between them already, the rift that was starting to show…

She would have smiled.

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE

Upon discovering Isabella in her chamber at the castle, Vaisey had her thrown at his feet in the great hall. Guy stood by his side, arms folded, heart cold and dead, although it did beat.

"Please." She begged of Vaisey, "Please forgive me my lord, but I have something to…"

"ISABELLA!"

The voice made them all look at the doors.

Thornton burst in, "Where is she?"
He stormed over to her and wrenched her to her feet, striking her and sending her once more to the floor.

"How dare you defy me, run away could you…" He drew his sword and lifted his arm jaggedly.

Guard did not even flinch.

Vaisey's eyes sparkled darkly.

"Temper temper Thornton." He walked forwards and took the sword form the man's hand.

"She ran with Robin Hood, an outlaw, your enemy…."

"Please… please listen." Isabella pushed herself to her feet.

"Silence!" Thornton made to strike her again.

"I can trap him for you, Robin Hood, he wants to meet me tomorrow at knights glade, in exchange for the money, the money you dug from the ground, eh said he would protect me…" She cowered away from her husband.

Thornton glared at her, "Protect you?"

Vaisey rolled his eyes, "what a surprise."

"A clue… no…"

"He asked me to meet him tomorrow, at knight's glade with the money." She continued and Guisborne's hand flickered towards his sword.

"Hood…"

Thornton was thundering.

"Guisborne, tell the guards that we leave for knight's glade first thing tomorrow…" He waved his hand before turning to Thornton.

"And you can stop snivelling and getting angry about Robin hood infiltrating your party last knight… if you're lucky, I might even let you and your little wife here come along for the ride tomorrow."
He laughed and sneered at Isabella.

"But if you have lied, and Robin Hood is not at Knights glade tomorrow, then I will not stand in your husband's way when it comes to punishing you…."

Isabella straightened and Thornton clutched her arm tighter.

"Good…" Vaisey sneered, "But consorting with outlaws in the first place…"

He trailed off darkly and Thornton chuckled in the same manner.

Vaisey turned towards the door.

THE CAMP

The morning dawned cold and unfeeling, much like the mood in camp.
Much was up and awake, making breakfast that he was sure no one would want to eat.
Robin stumbled back into camp, his head ringing.
He was freezing; having awoken slumped near a tree.
Apart from drinking, which he knew by his headache rather than a memory, he could not remember what he had said or done the night before.
All he knew was that he had awoken with a tremendous headache against a tree.

He had awoken without Marian beside him.
"Good morning." Much said rather stiffly, unimpressed by what Robin had said to Marian the night before, and his attitude to Isabella, and his drinking.
Much didn't like it when Robin drank.
It made him even more unreasonable.
Robin only grunted in reply, and made to take a large sip of water from a flask, but when it filled his mouth it bore the taste of stale ale.

Robin closed his eyes and forced himself to swallow.
He leant back against the table and watched Much work.
"Where is Marian?"
"In bed, that is where you should have been..." Much started, "she probably cried herself to sleep last night you know, over what happened..."
"Marian?" Robin raised both eyebrows, "crying?"
Much said nothing clear, just muttered a few words over how 'unbelievable' it was.
"Why what happened?"
"Something was said clearly." Much cried, annoyed by Robin's attitude, as if nothing had happened.
"An apology needs to be made." Much said firmly.
Robin stared at him, and it slowly dawned on him what Much was implying.

Much suspected that Robin couldn't remember.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

Much swallowed.

Robin needed to know.
"There's something I need to tell you."

Robin stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
Much swallowed, certain now that Robin could not remember, the ale had taken it from his brain.
"You may have made a comment, about there being no children in camp, when Alan requested a story... Marian took it to heart, and... She hit you."
Upon Much's words the first time Robin felt the sting still present on his cheek.
He swallowed and shut his eyes, running his hand over his cheek.
"What have I done Much?" he whispered.
The flap to Robin and Marian's bunk opened and Marian walked out, looking sad but blank faced.
She looked tired.
"I will go and get water." she said too Much who nodded.
"Thank you."
She didn't cast eyes on Robin, for she thought that she might cry if she did.
Robin watched her grab her sword and a bucket before walking out of camp.
He knew better than to follow.
He groaned and put his hands on the beam above his head, swinging slightly, pressing his face to his arm.