Ok, not much Robin/Marian in this chappie but some Marian/Grace bonding and explaining. Please bear with me as there are only a couple of chapters left!
The man who had addressed Robin as 'Lavenderboy' was short and stocky with a mop of unruly, unkempt brown hair that fell across his face. He had suspicious blue eyes and a hard line of a mouth that betrayed no emotion. His face was splattered with mud after days of not washing and he smelt foul if you were brave enough to get close.
"So, Forrest, I see you have been lurking in the dark depths of Sherwood all these years. Still moulded in your old filthy ways and not even bothering to try and change. You could do so much better for yourself," Robin spoke, a slightly disgusted look on his boyish features.
"When you came you changed the name of the outlaw," Forrest spat.
"For the better, all outlaws used to be seen as worthless. Our group is making a difference to the people's lives in Nottingham."
"And in the meantime making it more difficult for us normal, common outlaws," Forrest retorted, "We cannot even venture into the villages to get things because we are constantly being mistaken for one of your men and chased by Gisborne's guards."
"Well, I am sorry about that but there is nothing I can do," the leader of the outlaws shrugged, "Now, I would be very appreciative if you were to hand those children to me."
"Why should we do that? They may 'ave rich parents who are willin' to give money for them," another man spoke up, his head bald and his teeth yellow and crooked.
"Their parents are not rich, Hanton, well not at the moment, for they are my offspring," Robin announced.
"You what?" Hanton looked astonished, "You 'ave kids?"
"Yes and I would like them back," the outlawed noble stated again.
"Why should we, there's only a couple of yers," Hanton sniggered, looking at Allan who was at Robin's side.
"Ah, but that's where you are wrong," the rest of the outlaw gang appeared out of the surrounding trees like wolves creeping up on prospective prey. The dead men were trapped.
"Well, take 'em then, Lavender boy," Forrest shrugged, seeing they were beaten, "It hardly makes a difference."
"We will. Will, Allan, untie them," Robin ordered as an aside to his men, "And we want their possessions."
"Ok, but what about that one? Do you want him too?" the shaggy haired man jerked a thumb at another man they hadn't spotted who was suspended from a tree in a very painful looking manner.
"Who is he?" Robin frowned, puzzled.
"He was with them kids," Forrest answered, "You can have him too."
"Yes! You have to bring Ranulf! He saved us!" suddenly a shrill voice piped up and everyone looked to where Grace had been untied from her tree by Allan.
"Right, John, can you get him down?"
"Well, well, well, John, I see you've moved to the good side," Hanton spoke sarcastically, eyeing the man-mountain.
"Aye, I have Hanton," John replied gruffly, looking disappointed at the bald man who had once been part of his old gang.
"Better is it? Where's Roy by the way?" Hanton queried.
"Tis better. Roy is dead," John stated bluntly, not wanting to put the effort into speaking with such worthless men.
"Dead?" Forrest looked shocked, "How?"
"Killed by the Sheriff's men," came the answer.
"Oh."
"Now, gents, if you don't mind, we'll be off," Allan grinned at them, breaking the silence that had suddenly fallen over the clearing. He was supporting Grace, who was leaning heavily on him, obvious exhausted by her ordeal and her muscles weakened considerably. Beside him stood Will, tall and expressionless, carrying the limp form of Tristan in his arms whilst John had managed to get Ranulf down and had slung the small man over one enormous shoulder.
With Allan's last words the group departed, melting into the forest again as a unit, not a word passed between them as they vanished.
"Wolves," Forrest finally said, slightly awed by it all.
"Huh?" one of the other men frowned, his name was James.
"Wolves. They move like wolves. Stealthy, elusive, mysterious."
"Blimey, they're just outlaws, Forrest," Hanton laughed, bemused.
Once the outlaws had arrived back at one of their makeshift camp, Will and John lay their injured onto the ground where immediately Djaq attended to them.
"Will they be ok?" Johnny asked, concerned.
"I will tell you in a moment," the medic said quickly doing a once over.
The man named Ranulf was mostly fine, he had a nasty bump on the back of his head from where he had been knocked out and both his wrists were dislocated, but that could be fixed. Swiftly, the Saracen beckoned Will over and ordered his to hold the man steady. Once he had got a good hold, Djaq gripped one of Ranulf's wrists and performed a strange tugging; twisting movement so fast no one had time to register except the patient who screamed in pain.
"One down, one to go," she whispered to him and repeated the treatment on the other arm, "He should be fine. Just some rest and not use his wrists for awhile."
She then moved onto the young boy, his face was littered with an array of coloured bruises. Some were smaller and beginning to turn a dull yellow but the larger, deeper ones were still a livid blackish-purple. Djaq pulled off his shirt and saw what Sally had seen early but slightly worse as more of the bruises had had time to form and now most of his chest was purple and there was barely any uninjured skin to be seen.
One by one the Saracen pressed on each of his ribs, gauging a reaction from the semi conscious boy. When he cried out as she pressed one particular spot she knew two of his ribs where broken. She would have to strap up his chest and stop him from moving for several days until it had partially healed and wasn't in danger of harming him internally.
"Will he be ok?" Marian had suddenly joined her, kneeling by the child, stifling a gasp at the extent of her son's injuries.
"Should be. He needs to remain still though so he doesn't damage anything more than he has already," Djaq commented.
"Ok, I'll stay with him," the noble woman declared, bringing a cautious hand to Tristan's brow.
Once it had been announced that both should be fine the whole group breathed a sigh of relief and the whole atmosphere changed. They were happy everything worked out and went back to their normal daily routines. Much put some meat on the spit to roast, Will went back to his chopping, Robin tweaked his bow, John and Johnny disappeared to go on watch, Allan went back to telling stories to Djaq who was carefully preparing a pain relief medicine and Grace stood, not quite sure what to do with herself.
"Grace, come over here," Marian called softly the lost and bewildered little girl. She obliged gladly and hurried to the woman's side before she realised what she was doing. As she arrived it really sunk in, this was her mother. Her mother was a beautiful and kind noble that had done so much for the peasants of Nottinghamshire. And her father….Grace glanced over at the man who was concentrating on his weapon, fletching the arrows and tightening the bow in-between occasionally looking up when he was sure no one was looking to watch the events unfolding. Her father was Robin Hood, hero of the peasants, protector of justice, soldier for King Richard.
She couldn't believe how much her life had changed over the last few days. She now had a biological mother and father and a brother. It was amazing and rather overwhelming. Before she knew it tears were trickling down her pale cheeks. Marian noticed immediately.
"What's wrong, Grace?"
"Nothing," the girl sniffed, "Nothing at all, its just…I can't believe it. A couple of days ago I believe Sally and Oliver were my parents and I lived a normal dull peasant's life but now…"
"Now what?"
"Now I have discovered my mother is you, Lady Marian, the woman I have admired for so many years and my father, well my father is the great outlaw, Robin Hood. And I have a twin, a brother! It is just so much so soon."
"I understand," Marian nodded empathetically; she wasn't quite sure what to do. This was her own daughter, her flesh and blood, the product of her and the man she loved with all her heart who she hadn't even known existed.
"I was wondering, why?"
"Why?" Marian repeated, confused.
"Why did you give us up, separate us?" the girl looked up at her through huge, watery blue eyes and Marian felt guilt flood her whole being.
"Because…because, I couldn't keep you. I was marrying Gisborne and you and your brother were an accident. Gisborne would have killed you had he found out. That's why I could not keep you and had to send you away. It was safer for all of us," the noble replied, knowing her explanation was weak and pathetic.
"But why marry Gisborne when you loved Robin?"
"For protection, for me and my father. Robin was an outlaw and I could not marry him but Sir Guy had power and wealth…"
"Which he stole from Father," Grace put in, pondering how strange it felt to be naming Robin Hood her father.
"I can see you are your father's daughter," Marian smiled.
"It is the truth," the girl shrugged, "But what will happen now? To Tristan and I? Will we return to Nottingham?"
"No, you cannot, the Sheriff knows you are mine and Robin's offspring and he would try and kill you as soon as possible to get to us," Marian shook her head.
"Well then where do we go?"
"I could send you to live with some relatives in another Shire," Marian began but was halted.
"No, not after ten years are you going to just shove me and Grace away where we will never see you. You are our mother, we should be with you," Tristan had woken and both women turned to look at him.
"But you cannot go back to where you were before."
"Well, shall live here, in Sherwood. With you and our father. Like a proper family."
What do you think? I'm not sure whether I got Marian in character. I find it difficult to write deep, emotional scenes! Eek! Review!