Part 10

Robin invited Tuck to stay for breakfast, to which he readily agreed, he was starving and on top of that was curious of the gang that Robin Hood lead. He watched as the other outlaws emerged from their winter camp, like bears coming out of hibernation, except in this case winter was not over. They each moved about, each with their own tasks before settling down to eat together.

Still Tuck remained at the camp, watching, observing each member and taking in everything about them, summing them up with immense detail. Much was eager to please, especially Robin who he called Master and Tuck wondered why. Will and Alan seemed to want to do anything to please the Saracen boy whom he soon found out was female. John didn't say much in fact he said hardly anything at all, but Tuck knew that that didn't mean that he didn't have deep feelings on issues or was at a loss for anything to say. Robin on the other hand was clearly their leader and he could see why.

It was also obvious the way he felt for Marian although neither had shown any signs of affection that morning other than the banter when he had first arrived on Marian side. She, she was looking contemplative, her cloak pulled tight about her as if she was shutting out the world and the people around her. She shivered again and Tuck noticed Robin look at her with a questioning glance, but she didn't meet his eye. He kept one eye on her while he went to talk with John, but still she didn't move.

Tuck decided perhaps he would talk to her, he had found her pleasant to converse with earlier. "Marian" he called, sitting beside her and at once she felt the warmth that the shelter of his body provided as he blocked out the bitter wind.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Are you asking me to?"

She laughed and said. "No"

"You were thinking," he stated.

She raised her eyebrows at him and he shrugged. "Yes."

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About what is bothering you."

"Oh." she said, "Well I did not say anything was bothering me."

"You did not have to."

"That was perceptive of you."

"Not really Robin noticed too."

"Did he?" she asked and then smiled fondly as she rested her gaze on the back of Robin's form.

"There is a tale that you are not in the forest," Tuck told her.

"I know, we…Robin wants it kept that way, so if you…"

"Would keep it to myself?"

"Yes."

"Is this where you want to be?" he asked, thinking perhaps she was unhappy.

Marian laughed. "Yes," she paused. "And no."

He raised his eyebrows at her and replied. "Go on."

"No, I do not want to be here in the woods in the middle of winter, with the knowledge that there are several months of harsh conditions before the weather conditions improve. Yes I want to be wherever Robin is and so if he is here, then I must be here too."

"And if he was not here?"

"Where would we go? We are outlaws, even me. Perhaps we could run off to relations but that is the easy way out, perhaps the cowards way out and how will that help our people? The villages of Locksley, Knighton, and all the other villages within the close vicinity of Nottingham? No we must stay and help them, for who else is there, to win this war for them?"

"That is a big responsibility and a huge task for so few."

"We…they have managed well in the past, why should now be any different?"

Tuck laughed and said. "I have every faith in you; otherwise I would not be here."

Tuck approached Robin around noon, "I am taking my leave." he informed him. "If I hear any more I will find you here again?"

"We will be here; hopefully we will be safe until winter is over."

"And then?" asked Tuck.

"They we move about the forest, never stopping long in any one place, it is the safest way."

"The Sheriff will not hear of your position here from me, of that you can be assured, or the fact that Marian resides with you" Tuck said.

"You spoke with Marian, was she alright?" Robin asked.

"Speak to her yourself," he answered then off Robin's stare added. "She perhaps misses what she had before but….would go anywhere to be with you. How close are you really?"

"Close enough."

"Really, is that so? You have to be careful someone does not snatch her away."

"You mean Gisborne? She has no feelings of love for him, I think perhaps it was loyalty to her father that she agreed to marry Gisborne."

"But she did not and he is angered, enraged and will seek revenge until one or both of you are dead. Would it not be better to die tied with her in wedlock?"

Robin sighed and said. "We….Marian and I were once betrothed. I went to the Holy Land and when I came back she despised me."

"You are past that now, why waste more time?"

"Who would marry us, we are outlawed." Robin replied with a wry laugh.

"I would," said Tuck. "Name your place and the day, I will be there, consecrated ground would be a bonus."

"I will think on it," said Robin. "Now go before Eli realises you have gone for more than a walk in the woods."