Missing by Ecri

A Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Story

Chapter Four

Azeem knew he was taking a chance, but he had to sneak into the kitchen. He was known among the staff as a friend to their kitchen boy. He sometimes feigned ignorance of English customs or indeed of certain nuances of the English language itself in order to be allowed a moment or two to talk to the boy in private.

He peered into the kitchen from the back door, his eyes automatically finding the familiar form of the Young Christian. He called softly to the boy, noting his distraction and the scowl on his face. Something was troubling the lad. He called softly, and, to his credit, the boy's head darted up instantly as he scanned the room for him. Seeing Azeem, he nodded and made his way to the door. He stepped outside with the Moor, pulling the door slightly shut, but resting his hand upon the knob.

"What? Have you found something?"

Azeem wasted no time telling the Young Christian of the conversation he'd overheard.

"How will we find him? Do we find the ships first, or search the dungeons? The dungeons are apparently laced with tunnels and sublevels. Everyone I've spoken to has a different version. Even Marian doesn't know how many levels are really down there!"

Azeem noted the fear and anxiety in the youth. "We can search the docks," he explained. "If we can find the ship, we can watch it for some sign of King Richard and the Christian."

Will nodded. "That's assuming we can find out which ship it is. I have a hard time believing there's only one ship in the slave trade at the docks. That's also assuming the ship isn't making a special exception and carrying only the two slaves we're concerned about." Will shook his head at Azeem, and the Moor saw anguish. "You want me to tell Marian, don't you?"

"You are reluctant?" When the boy didn't answer, Azeem sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "What troubles you, Young Christian?"

"She'll want to do it herself. She'll go looking around the docks seeking a slave ship! We won't be able to protect her." He took a half step away and ran a hand through his hair.

It reminded Azeem of the moment before he'd told the Christian that they were brothers. "You propose not to tell her? Would you rather face her wrath later when she learns you kept this from her, or would you trust that we can persuade her to allow us to handle this?"

Will turned to face him, and from the gleam in his eye, Azeem could see he had a plan. "You're right. We tell her."

Azeem smiled, though he was less certain of the plan. Having no alternatives, he accompanied Will to Lady Marian's rooms.

Marian opened the door and let them in. She did peer into the hallway after they'd gone through so she could be sure they hadn't been followed. Once inside, she led them to a far corner of the room. "You've found something." It wasn't a question. Something had made her certain.

Will nodded slowly and gestured to Azeem. The Moor related all he had learned from the overheard conversation.

"What are we waiting for?" She asked, a breathless smile on her face at the news."

"We aren't waiting. You are. You can't come. You need to wait for us here."

"I would rather help at the docks than simply wait around for you to return." Lady Marian said it softly, but it held all the weight of an order the way most nobles infused their wishes with authority just short of being a demand.

"Well, I'd rather be in Sherwood, sitting around a campfire than standing anywhere near a castle, a city, or a noble." The Young Christian's words dripped with bitterness the likes of which Azeem had not heard from him in months. This trip to the city was wearing the boy out. Too many of the English nobility for the boy's comfort, too many people telling him what to do and where to go, and the constant worry for his brother—a new emotion for the boy since he'd hated the man when first they'd met.

"Will," Marian began.

"Marian," the boy interrupted, his own frustration making it hard for him to speak at all, let alone to speak civilly. "We don't have a lot of time. We've been looking for Robin for weeks. If they do plan to send him away on a slave ship, we need to find him before that happens, or at least find the ship. Slavers sell their," he stopped and cleared his throat. "cargo everywhere. He could be going to Spain, to the Indies, hell, even to China or somewhere. If he gets on a ship and we don't know which one, we'll never find him." He swallowed thickly, and Azeem saw his eyes brighten with unshed tears. "You're a Lady. Not just a woman. It's in the way you walk, the way you talk, and the way you carry yourself. You might mimic a commoner, but it would never fool anyone. You would be noticed."

Azeem could see the Young Christian wanted to say more, but persuasion was a skill he hadn't yet mastered. "The Young Christian makes a good point, Lady. It would be safest for all of us."

Marian was wavering, and Azeem was rewarded a moment later with a single nod. The Young Christian's relief came off him in a wave as his shoulders sagged. They sat and the three of them made what plans they could, discussing times and how Marian should dress. There weren't a lot of contingencies they could foresee, so Azeem vowed to plead with Allah that evening and again the next morning. They were closer to finding the Christian than they had been since they'd arrived, and he could only hope they would find him soon.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

As soon as they left Marian, Will and Azeem made their way to the docks. Time, like everything else in this life, was not on his side, and Will would not lose any chance to find his brother. They split up, each taking a different route among the ships and each looking for any chance to determine which held slaves and which held more respectable cargo. Will knew that no ship's captain would purposefully mark its ship as being transport for the slave trade, so he had to find out in a more roundabout way than more legitimate information could be acquired.

He picked out two or three he thought likely, and began a process of observation that he hoped might help him eliminate one or more. He couldn't hope to be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of his brother and thereby simplifying things, so he watched. He was good at that. He'd spent most of his life quietly observing. Whether it were looking for some lucky break, an unattended bit of valuable he could trade or a likely noble to spring a trap upon in Sherwood, or just watching with longing the people lucky enough to have homes to live in and people to love, he swallowed. That had all come to an end recently, but the skills had not left him. He could still blend into his surroundings. If anything it was easier here on the docks than it was in the palace. As a servant, he was ignored by most the nobles, unless they needed him to do something or to take the blame for something. Even the other servants tended to ignore him. He was new there, an unknown, not worthy of friendship…only suspicion.

Staring out at the ships he'd chosen, he wondered if he could find the one he needed to find. It seemed unlikely that Robin was actually on one at the moment. Azeem had heard them discussing moving their captives, but there'd been no indication of where they were being held. Identifying their eventual destination was his only chance. He knew it was a long one, but, if he were honest with himself, he'd have thought the odds of Robin ever accepting him with open arms was a longer one.

Inquiries among the denizens of the shipyards gave him little enough information, but he managed to eliminate all three ships. One set out that night, one he learned was scheduled to depart at dawn, and the third he'd watched fill with so much legitimate cargo that he was certain there could be no room for any humans in the hold.

He glared at the hint of light tinting the horizon and realized he had to go and meet Azeem. They would discuss their progress and return to the castle for their day of work. He could hope that Azeem had something more to tell him than he had to report, but he could see from the look on the man's face when he spotted them at their rendezvous that his search had been as fruitless as his own.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

At the appointed time Marian, dressed in several layers of clothing to hide her shape, and she'd taken the time to tear at her fingernails and dirty her hands. She'd never looked less like a lady, but she knew Will was right. This disguise would never work on the docks. It would only work here if she could manage to keep her mouth shut.

So anxious was she that she jumped when she heard his soft knock at the door. Cautiously she opened it a crack and peered out. An equally anxious Will peered back at her. She couldn't blame him for being concerned. If he were found knocking on a noblewoman's door, he might be questioned at the very least, and there was little she could do for him dressed as she was. No, she'd have to hide and provide no answer. She'd have to create a tale about needing him to escort her to visit the poor…or something, and she'd never be able to explain it away entirely. Together the moved towards the kitchen and he gave her last minute instructions in a whispered voice, his eyes darting around the corridors looking for threats and eavesdroppers everywhere.

"There is one guard at the foot of the stairs. He checks the food. He finds his task boring and spends more time flirting with whatever servants walk down this corridor. It's how we'll get you by him." He cuts himself off, and she wonders if he means for her to flirt with him. She hadn't really dressed for seduction. Instead, he resumes speaking when they pass another corridor. "He won't really care to see the food, but if he decides to make trouble, you run, and I'll deal with him."

She smiles and opens her mouth to say something, but he cuts her off with a glare. "You will run and you will run far and fast. Find Azeem if you have to or retreat to your rooms. I will join you when I can." She nods as he adjusts the hood over her face concealing her from interested eyes.

In the kitchen, he talks easily with the one of the cooks, not the man in charge, who seems not to be there, but an older woman who runs the kitchen. She seems to treat him something like Fanny Little does. He steals a taste of chicken when she pretends not to look. She pretends to scold him when she catches him dipping a finger in a sauce, and she scowls at another kitchen boy who "accidentally" bumps into him causing him to limp for a step or two. Finally, he finished fiddling with the tray he was going to bring up to the tower prisoner. "Ready?" he asks unnecessarily. She nods and they move to the guard at the bottom of the stairs. He glances at Will taking in the food in a cursory inspection, his eyes more interested in the fact that there are two of them. Will gives him a charming smile and leans forward to whisper in his ear. The man laughs an oily, envious laugh, and before he nods for the pair of them to climb.

She wants to hurry, but he sets the pace and she realizes it's a good thing he does. It would seem unusual for a servant to race up the steps of the tower with a meal for a prisoner. The prisoner isn't going anywhere and in general, servants don't run when carrying trays of food. The stairs are long and narrow, and when they are three-quarters of the way up she tries to speak to him. He holds up a hand to forestall her words.

She purposely matches her pace to his and climbs. Perhaps there was a lot she didn't know about the lives of servants. She couldn't help but be troubled by some of what she'd seen. The other kitchen boys had stumbled into him, causing him to trip. Some of the scullery maids seemed to dislike him, and only one of the cooks seemed firmly on his side. She watched Will as he climbed trying to discern what he might be hiding. He seemed fatigued. He walked slowly and with a decided hunch to his frame, which she hadn't noticed before now. Before she could examine him for more changes, they had reached the top of the staircase.

Will pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door. That surprised her as well. Kitchen boys weren't usually entrusted with keys to prisons. Someone was entirely too certain that this prisoner couldn't escape.

He ushered her inside and closed the door behind them. "I'm here," he called out softly. Marian glanced around the room. It was tiny, even if you took into consideration that the brick wall bisected the room rather neatly.

"Someone's with you," the prisoner said, and the voice was rough, croaked with thirst, and sounded somehow broken.

Will smiled. "I knew you'd know it. Did you hear the footsteps?"

"Yes," the man admitted. "I only ever hear yours. It's easy to note the difference."

Will moved towards the slot in the wall and, before sliding the tray through, pulled some extra bits from his pockets. There was chicken, bread, a bit of butter wrapped in a napkin and a small flask. He slid it through and settled down next to the slot.

"This is entirely too much, young man," the prisoner said softly, his voice full of emotion. "You'll get caught."

"So, I'll get caught. Won't be the first time," Will admitted, and Lady Marian couldn't help but wonder what he meant. When and by whom had he been caught? Did he mean recently, here, in the palace? Did he mean years ago before the events that had reunited him with his brother? Will was such an enigma, and, though she now considered him family, she found she still couldn't always come right out and ask him about his past.

"Ah…" the prisoner's voice was full of regret. "If I could but do something in return for you…"

Will didn't speak right away, and the man seized on that. "What? Is there something? I grant I am without influence at the moment, but any knowledge I have is yours."

Will shook his head even though the man couldn't see it. "The food is not contingent on anything. I swipe it for you because they give you so little. I…" his voice dropped to just above a whisper and his eyes fell to his lap. Marian could see a faint blush coloring his cheeks. "I know what it is to be hungry."

There was another silence. Then the prisoner spoke just as softly. "I imagine you do." A bit brighter, he added, "But, the food is all but eaten, and I do not pretend it was meant to buy my help. I have little enough to give, but to you, young man, who have shown me kindness when no one else would, I will give whatever aid I can. What is it you require?"

Marian could see what Will had meant when he'd first told her of the prisoner. The man was well spoken. There was no mistaking him for anything but nobility.

"Do you know anything of the dungeons here in the castle? I've reason to believe someone I'm searching for is being held there, but everyone I've spoken to has a different story of the dungeons, how deep they go, how to find the lower levels. No one agrees on anything. But I have to find this man soon. There's every chance he's about to be sold into slavery."

"Slavery," the man seemed surprised. "An English prisoner? Held by Prince John?"

"Yes, he's my brother. I came here looking for him. I've turned up nothing."

"What is the man's name?"

Will hesitated and spared a glance at Marian. She shrugged, leaving the decision to him. He knew the prisoner. She did not. He would be a better judge of what information they could trust to him.

Will sighed. "His name is Robin of Locksley, but he's more well known by the name Robin Hood."

There was another silence, and then they heard a clatter as something dropped.

"Are you all right?" Will demanded, concern on his face. "Answer me! Please!"

Marian was surprised by the anguish on Will's face, but realized she shouldn't be. She always imagined he went to great pains to hide the tenderness of his heart.

"Will? Will Scarlett? Will of Locksley?"

"What?" Will seemed shocked and glanced at her, real fear shining in his eyes. She recognized the look on his face, and had she not stood in front of the door, he might have been halfway down the stairs by now. His flight instincts were all but vibrating through him. His need to run came off him in waves.

The prisoner must have sensed it somehow for when he spoke, it was softly and with the same tone one might use to approach a spooked horse. "Will, I was at your brother's wedding. We met after the ceremony, after I gave the bride away!"

Will's eyes widened. He glanced at Marian, but her eyes were equally wide and her fist was in her mouth. "K…King Richard…Sire…"

"None of that, boy. I'm a prisoner here, and you've been the one friend I've had. Don't stand on ceremony now."

Marian could hear it now. Through the roughness of his voice, and the thirst, perhaps now slaked by the drink Will had brought, the voice was her cousins.

"Cousin?" She called.

"Marian? You…" realization hit the king. "You're here looking for Robin as well."

"Did Prince John do this?"

"Who else, my dear?"

"Can we get you out? Notify someone?" She asked. "There must be a guard, a trusted captain or lieutenant…"

Will was prowling around the room testing the bricks. "Some of these are loose. I can probably break…"

"No!" They both jumped as King Richard roared.

"But…" Will began.

"Cousin..." Marian said at the same time.

"If you break me out of my prison, you'll be hung or shot."

Will snorted. "Only if we lose."

To Marian's surprise, Richard laughed. It was a soft chuckle, but it was a laugh.

"Marian, how do you keep that boy out of trouble?"

Marian smiled. "I don't, but he is right. If we can raise your supporters, we can free you, take back the throne and put John in prison."

"Prison?" Will shook his head. "What he's done is treason. A commoner would hang for it." He crossed his arms daring her to contradict him.

"Will, this isn't about class…"

"No, it never is." She couldn't help but be startled by the depth of the bitterness in his words. "But what about Robin?"

Richard sighed. "I had no idea he'd been taken, so I can't say where he's being held unless

"Unless what?" Will asked, hope flaring in his open features.

"Unless Prince John had placed him in the catacombs."

"Catacombs?" Marian recoiled at the word and what it suggested.

"They aren't real catacombs. It's just a forgotten end of the dungeons…more of a sub-dungeon, as low down as you can get in the castle. It was a part of the palace that terrified Prince John when we were children. It's his favorite place to put prisoners."

"That must be it!" Will shouted. "How do I get there?"

"Will, you've done enough. I'll go this time." Marian reached a hand out to him, but he pulled away.

"Robin would have my head if something happened to you."

"Will, that's ridiculous," she whispered.

"I won't let you go, either, Marian," Richard's voice called from the other side of the wall. Even imprisoned, beaten down by circumstances, half starved and parched by the lack of water, that voice held authority, command, and was impossible to deny. "Will Scarlett, have her wait on the stairs or I tell you nothing. I'm watching the door."

Marian looked at the small hole and was surprised to see King Richard's eyes looking out at the door so he could watch her go.

"Marian…" Will said softly, pleadingly, and she saw fear in his eyes, fear for Robin, fear for the precariousness of life itself, and, perhaps, fear for his own end. Here, in a castle far from his only home, he could easily lose that which he'd only just gained: family.

She sighed. "I'll meet you on the stairs," she said softly and left. She stood just about a quarter of the way down and waited.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

King Richard watched Marian's steps cross the short distance to the door. She stepped out, and Will Scarlett closed the door softly behind her. He listened for a moment or two for the sound of her steps on the stairs. Only when he deemed she'd gone far enough not to hear what he imparted to the young thief did he begin.

Carefully he gave step-by-step instructions on how to find the catacombs. He made Will repeat them to him three times to be sure he had them. He was impressed by the boy's memory.

"You've got it, lad. Now, go later tonight, in the hours before dawn but after midnight. There will be fewer guards, if there are any at all. Prince John had a tendency to trust the solidity of his jail cells and use his guards for other duties, but any guards down there will react violently to your presence." He paused wishing there were something he could pass along to the boy to aid him, and then, he realized, perhaps there was.

"Give me your hand, boy," he called as he held his hand out the small food slot.

There was hesitation, and from what little he'd gleaned about the boy from Marian and Robin, he knew he wasn't a trusting sort, especially with nobility. It was likely the young thief felt more at ease in his presence precisely because he was imprisoned and not decked out in royal finery in a throne room with an armed honor guard.

He felt the boy's hand and pulled it slightly toward him. He removed a ring he'd hidden from John and passed it to the boy. "Hold onto this, lad. Its power is limited and will impress only those most loyal to me, but in a case of dire need use it in my name and perhaps I will be of some small aid to you after all."

Will held the ring in an iron grip. "Thank you, Sire."

"Ah, back to ceremony are we. Fine. You go and find that brother of yours. Tell Marian to give my location to The Captain of the Royal Guard. He can let her know if I have enough supporters to make escape an option."

"But surely…"

Richard smiled at the uncertainty in the boy's voice. "I know you think I must be the highest authority because I'm the King. I know you think Nobles have no problems. The truth is rather more complicated."

There was silence on the other side of the wall for so long that Richard wondered if the boy simply wouldn't answer. When he spoke the tone of his voice sent a shiver up and down Richard's spine.

"It always is. Complicated, I mean. The only authority is the one with the most weapons, the most soldiers, the one willing to do the worst. Even then, it only lasts until someone else comes along with more, willing to do even worse. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is forever."

Richard didn't know how to reply. He didn't know much about this boy aside from what little he'd learned from his cousin and her husband, but he could hear the pain, the bitterness, and he recalled how easily the lad had fallen to sneaking extra food and even a blanket to him. He did what he could even if it could land him in trouble fully expecting it to land him in trouble. Perhaps he counted on being swift enough to outrun trouble, but he wasn't stupid. If he were caught aiding a prisoner, even if only by giving him an extra crust of bread, he could easily be caught and killed.

"You're right, boy, but that's what makes fighting for it so important. Now, go and find your brother." He waited until he heard the lad rise and cross to the door. "Lad, be careful," he called. He watched through the slot as the boy nodded and left.

He contemplated the turn of events for hours wishing for some way to help.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Will Scarlett hurried to the middle of the staircase where Lady Marian waited. "Come on," he said to her. "We need to get to Azeem and make our plans."

"Will…I'm coming with you." Marian used the tone of voice she used when she wanted to take advantage of her position.

Will scowled at her. Even Marian. Family. "Later." He bit the word off, his anger seething just below the surface, but he wasn't prepared to talk here and now. The guard was at the bottom of the steps. The kitchen still bustled with staff making preparations for tomorrow's breakfast and cleaning up what the could of tonight's late meals and snacks. There were too many to overhear them and if word got out as to who was in the tower and that they were looking for the now legendary Robin Hood, they would disappear as quickly and completely as he had.

He all but dragged her along, holding up a hand for silence when he deigned it too dangerous to speak without being overheard.

They passed the guard once again who smiled at Will. It wasn't a friendly smile, more a curious one. The man was above him in station, and Will knew there was little recourse for him if he stopped them. He gave the man a deferential nod ushering Marian by the guard and keeping himself slightly between them, hoping the guard wouldn't realize that he was shielding his companion from his notice.

The man chuckled and reached out a hand, but Will playfully dodged, hoping it would be enough. It wasn't. "You were up there a long time."

"Yes, well, sometimes he eats slower than other times." In his haste to keep Marian from notice, he tripped on a broken tile on the floor. When he hit the ground, the wind knocked out of him, he realized with dread that the ring the King had given him had fallen from his pocket. He looked up in fear.

Crocker held the ring in his hands and he stared at it in wonder. He looked at Will and the young thief saw rage in his eyes.

For once in his life his mind was blank. No clever lie, no bit of obfuscation or misdirection presented itself. He stared wide-eyed at the man towering over him.

To his surprise, Crocker hauled him from the floor and bashed him against the wall. Will felt the impact on the cold stone and wondered if he'd broken something. "How did you get this? How did you force him to give it to you?"

"What?" Will asked in confusion, struggling to pry the man's hands off of him. "I didn't steal it."

"He would not easily part with it! What did you do?"

"Nothing! I swear it! He wanted to help! Wait!" Will stopped struggling and stared the man in the eye. "You know who's up there." He spoke the words quietly and with utter certainty. "You know about the Ki…"

"Shut up!" Crocker exploded. To emphasize his point, he pulled Will a bit away from the wall and forced him right back into it again.

The muscles and bones in his back protested and Will clenched his eyes shut against it.

"You cannot speak of him. I stand guard and await a time to free him." The man's eyes searched Will's face. "What did you do up there? How did you get the ring?"

"He offered it to help me find my brother."

"He is in no position to offer help."

"No, he's not. That's why he gave me the ring. He said those loyal to him might be swayed to help."

"Kahlor, Captain of the Royal Guard?"

Both Will and Crocker turned to face Marian, who'd spoken softly, but again with the authority of any noble woman.

Crocker, or Kahlor, stared at her in astonishment. "My Lady," his hold on Will loosened and he inclined his head in the slightest acknowledgement of her station.

"The King says my husband is likely being held in the Catacombs, a subdungeon. Will you help us look for him if your King commands it?"

"I stand guard for him, My Lady. I will not leave him unprotected."

"Are there others loyal to my cousin?" Marian's question was a reminder of her relation to the King, and Will almost laughed at the games nobles played. For the first time in his life, he was glad she was one and knew how to play such games.

"I will send word," Crocker said.

"Um, so if we're friends now," Will said gesturing to Crocker's hold.

Crocker released him. "I knew you were bringing him extra food, but I didn't think you knew who he was."

"I didn't until tonight," Will admitted.

"I will gather men still loyal to Richard and send them to you. We will find your brother." The way Crocker said it seemed to make it a vow.

Will nodded. "Perhaps we can then free the King."

Crocker shook his head. "I hope that is true, but Prince John has many on his side."

"The men on his side once supported the King, right?" Will asked and when Crocker nodded, he smiled. "Anyone who switched sides once can be persuaded to do it again."

Crocker smiled in return and it was the first time Will could recall ever seeing such an expression on the man's face.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

They made their way carefully to Marian's room. It was a dangerous enough task, considering Will was a servant and Marian was dressed as one, but fortunately there was no one in the corridors. Will breathed a sigh of relief when they crossed into the room and he closed the door behind them.

"Will," Marian whispered.

"I suggest you change, Lady Marian," Will said pointedly. Bad enough if someone finds me here, but with you dressed like that," he left if unfinished, but was glad to see her taking him seriously.

She disappeared into the next room and reemerged a short time later dressed once more as Lady Marian. Will breathed out in relief. He'd been half afraid she'd be dressed in Robin's gear and planning to ride out with him to search for either the catacombs or the docks.

"I'm going to tell Azeem what I've learned, then he'll check the docks while I check the catacombs." Will put as much authority into it as he could, hoping Marian would just agree. He wasn't surprised when she shook her head.

"Wouldn't it be better for you both to go to the catacombs? Why bother with the docks if you can free him from his prison."

Will shook his head. How could she think he was ready to lead a prison break? "We're not breaking him out tonight."

"We're not?"

He took a step closer and looked her in the eye. "Marian, I have to be sure he's there. I have to go down there and find him, or ask around, or locate his cell. I can't run down there and rip the bars apart with my bare hands, assuming there are bars and not just locked doors and brick walls like King Richard's cell," He caught her hand. "If he's there, I'll need to find a way to break him out.

Marian nodded sadly, and he understood all to well her grief. He'd love nothing more than to find and free Robin tonight, free Richard as well and then race from the city as quickly as possible and spend the rest of his days in Sherwood. The reality was he had to take this carefully or risk losing Robin and perhaps, Marian, Azeem, and King Richard, to say nothing of his own life.

Marian was staring at him so intently that Will had to drop his gaze. Scrutiny was something he had never gotten used to. He'd lived his life mostly invisible. Begging for money, lurking in alleys, sneaking through towns to steal what he could to get by, yet only ever noticed when someone planned to hurt him, to taunt him, to use him. Robin had first stared at him back when he'd first arrived in Sherwood. The intensity of the nobleman's gaze, not to mention Azeem's seemingly all-seeing stares, had unnerved him, and he was sure had played a large part in his rage against his brother at the time.

He felt Marian's hand rest on his shoulder and had to force himself not to jump.

"Will, are you all right?"

Will schooled his features into a devious grin. "I'm fine, but I'll be better once we find him."

It was enough for her, and she turned away crossing to a pitcher on a table and offering him a drink. He took it gratefully, not having had time to eat or drink much while working today. Demands from palace guests had kept him too busy for more than a crust of bread and a quick mouthful of ale he'd taken from the kitchens about midday. He knew the pace was too much, but at the same time, he knew he had only a matter of days to find Robin or risk losing him completely.

Will thanked her and turned to the door. "I'll send word once I find him," he promised and Marian stared after him with sad eyes.