Part 14
Marian felt the stare of Robin, saw the looks he gave her from across the fire. Looks which said,' you're an idiot', 'you're brave', 'I wish I could apologise', but they said nothing and both seethed inside. When the light faded she made the excuse that she was tired and cold and headed into the inner cave to sleep. Her shoulder throbbed and she fingered it lightly with the pads of her fingers and winced. She lay down on the hard, cold floor of the cave pulling her blanket and cloak over her shivering frame.
"Master," Much said to Robin. "Are you not going to talk to her?"
"Who?" Robin said, being evasive, having a relationship was one thing; having your every movement scrutinised by the five other people you resided with was something else entirely.
"Marian of course, who else would I mean?" he said quietly. "You have not hardly spoken since we returned."
"Talk to her," John said.
As Djaq put in. "Talking is good, sometimes."
"I don't mean to be funny," said Alan putting his two cents worth into the mix. "But it wasn't her fault she was followed by Gisborne was it? It was just one of those things."
"It could have been worse," offered Will.
"Yes," said Much "Much worse, she could have…."
"I," said Robin. "Get the picture, thank you."
He shook his head at them, it was like having five mothers, especially Much, he was by far the worst and yet he knew they only did and said these things because they cared. Marian was lying down he went to her side and sat down, resting his arms on his bended knees.
"Marian," he said, she didn't reply but he knew she could not be sleeping that soon. "Marian."
"I am sleeping," she replied.
"People who are sleeping do not usually reply to other peoples questions like that."
She rolled over and looked up at him added. "I was trying to sleep."
"Why?"
She sighed and sat up inching herself to sit with her back against the rock. "To avoid talking to you."
"Really?" he asked, swivelling to look at her, barely making her features out in the darkness. He groped for a candle and lit it, so that they could see one another, for some reason he felt that important.
She gave him half a smile and said. "You seem at cross words with me. I did nothing wrong. When I fled I kept away from here….I went to the blue pool, he did not follow me."
"I am sorry. I did not mean….I was worried; we all were when you had not returned all manner of things flooded my mind. Marian…" he said and then bit off.
"What?" she asked gently and he moved to face her, to hold her face in his hands, to touch, to feel, to make sure she was really there, that she was alive, with him, right at that moment.
"I love you," he whispered and wondered why he did not say the words as often as he should or indeed wanted to. "The thought of anything happening to you…I just do not want to lose you again. I could not bear it."
Taking one of his hands between her own she replied. "You are not going to lose me, I am right here."
"Tuck thought perhaps you did not want to be in the forest, with me."
"It is not you, it is here. I am always cold, perhaps in the Spring the days will not be so cold, so long, perhaps our bellies will not constantly rumble from lack of nourishment, perhaps it will be better, easier to survive."
"You will not leave me?" he asked, sometimes when he was with her he felt so vulnerable, so defenceless. But it was good she saw all parts of him and knew and loved him for everything that he was and would always be.
"No," she replied, as softly as he, tracing her fingers over his hands and feeling the calluses of his palms. "I will not leave you."
They met in a kiss to seal her commitment to him as her lips parted he drank deeply and she gasped with pleasure as he feathered kisses all along her jaw. The rumble of the gang moving in the outer cave broke them apart.
Speaking with tenderness that came from her heart she said, "I love you Robin, I will always be by your side, whatever happens."