SHERWOOD FOREST - KNIGHTS GLADE
Unlike the thundering horse hooves and the clinking of metal clad armour wearing soldiers through the forest undergrowth to their hiding places, the gang walked in almost silence.
Marian and Robin were behaving as though they could not see one another, let alone had the desire to speak.
"Stay alert, she should be here." Robin said as they walked into the large empty space that was knight's glade.
Sure enough, Isabella sat atop her horse, which was white, they always had white mares at Knighton, they grazed in the fields happily.
Marian felt her heart harden.
Isabella nodded her head to Robin, only having two guards behind her.
"Do not pay any mind to my accompaniers." She said with a smile, "But when I told the Sheriff that I wished to ride, he insisted upon it, saying that there were outlaws in the forest imagine that…" Her laugh made Robin grin slightly, a triumphant grin.
Isabella thought that it was because she had stirred him, but it was because he felt that Isabella was being true to her word, and that he had won over Marian.
He bit back an 'I told you so.'
Marian and the others were still not convinced.
"Here is the money I promised you, all that my husband, whom you so kindly dealt with, dug from the ground." She gestured to a large chest a guard had placed before her.
Robin walked forwards towards it.
She smiled at him, not that he noticed.
"I cannot tell you how great it feels to be free of that man, you have no idea…"
"HOOD!"
Robin spun away from the chest just as the voice thundered from the trees.
An arrow from a cross bow fired through the air and slammed into the guard who was stood not two feet from Robin.
"Robin."
Much and the others dove forwards to for a circle, backs to the box and Robin, as guards and three men on horseback, emerged from the bushes.
Alan swiped his sword in front of him.
All of them did not like the odds.
"Thank you wife, your patience will be rewarded." Thornton sneered loudly.
Robin turned thunderous eyes on Isabella, "You…"
"Forgive me, but I could not let you run away from me, as much as I like a chase." She sneered, her eyes flickering.
"Can't you feel it Robin?" She demanded, "Feel the passion between us."
But Robin did not hear her, for he lifted the lid off of the box as the guards circled them, to see Rocks inside.
He braced himself over them angrily.
He had been wrong.
Marian had been right.
He slammed the lid back down as Vaisey laughed.
"Sorry Hood, but I think that it is my turn to spoil one of your games, do you not think?" He cackled loudly, "This is good, this is good."
"I will have your blood Hood." Guy drew his sword, still atop his horse as Robin drew his own.
He fell into the circle as they rounded slowly, glaring and swiping their swords at the approaching guards.
Thornton laughed loudly, "You thought you had got rid of me, how wrong you were."
Robin already loathed this man, "They say it is hard to kill the devils workers, next time I will not be so merciful."
"Get them!"
The guards shot forwards and the fight broke out.
Robin and Marian found themselves back to back, felling guards left right and centre.
Robin was anxious for her safety, but she a gifted fighter, and one he trusted.
Isabella stayed atop her horse, watching frantically as Robin waged a war with Thornton.
Their swords spun close to each other's throats, and as Guisborne rushed forward, Marian blocked her own blade with his.
"Marian get out of the way." He thundered.
Guards were running away now, into the trees, far away.
They knew that Robin Hood would win.
Thornton was pushed back three steps from his blade.
"MOVE!" Guisborne thundered at Marian.
She dove out of the way and knocked his blade from his hand.
Robin spun to see her holding her blade towards Guys throat.
The rest of the guards had left, leaving ones dead on the floor, and Vaisey thundering in his saddle.
He watched with murderous eyes as Marian circled Guisborne with her sword.
Robin and the gang watched as she stared bitterly at him.
"Do it then." Guisborne snapped.
She shook her head with pity in her eyes.
"I cared for you once Guy… saw a goodness in you that I now see you will never free… and I pity you for it." She snapped.
"Oh how brave, one with brains and Braun, someone not as used to painful love, how unlike my own wife, a slave of suffering…"
Robin spun at the sound of Thornton's sneer, his sword raised, momentarily forgetting his wife's confrontation with his enemy.
But there was suddenly a groan from Thornton, and he slumped to the floor, a gilded knife erect in his back.
Robin looked to Isabella, who glared down at her husband, laying cold and dead in the floor.
"Now I am free." She hissed, and glared up at Robin, "and I do not need you to give it to me… you will see the game I play is not over Robin… you will be mine… I will have you."
"Never." Robin hissed, "Not now I know who you really are… what you are… a murder…"
"LEPER!"
Guisborne's loud voice caused Robin to spin, in time to see him grab his knife from his side and make to throw it at Marian.
"Marian!"
Robin drove forwards and wrapped his arms around his wife, crashing them both to the floor and rolling to stop by John's feet.
The outlaws, for they were the on ones standing, moved forwards in a line offensively as Guy scrambled to his horse, seething and cursing.
He, Isabella and Vaisey set off at a gallop towards Nottingham, leaving the carnage behind them.
"You fools, what plan will ever work!" Vaisey shouted.
"Idiots!"
Robin looked down at Marian, who was lying on her back under him.
She stared back and said nothing.