Please say I'm not the only one that thought Will looked extra extra extra gorgeous in that guard uniform when he came back with the jester! His hair was lovely! I laughed when the jester called him mate and I dunno why! Can't believe the outlaws barely cared about his capture though! And Much's euphemism of honey! Hehe! Allan's not all bad! He saw the key cos he's not as gullible as Gis' other guards considering he was Robin's man and still let him go! I knew there was gonna be a decoy pigeon! And Will's good at archery! Ok, I think that's all my comments!

Marian smiled weakly at her son's suggestion, his passionate and forceful delivery even in his vulnerable state reminded her so much of Robin. She would love for the twins to stay with her so she could see them grow up in the last stages of their life and get to know them; making up for the decade she'd missed but just didn't seem possible. The forest was no place for children, especially Grace for she was so innocent and defenceless to all the unsavoury characters that lurked in the shadows. She couldn't be protected at every given moment and there would be one day when she would be left unprotected and then she would vanish and they would never see her again. Marian dreaded to think of that day.

But Marian didn't want to refuse the children that looked so expectant and eager. How was she to explain her reasoning? It would just seem like she was trying to get rid of them again which wouldn't be fair considering she'd promised Sally that she would care for Grace. It was a dilemma that Marian didn't want to have to face. As it turned out she didn't have to.

"You can't stay." The noble woman looked up to see Robin had strode over, his face unusually stern and solemn.

"What? Why not?" Tristan cried looking let down.

"Because children are not permitted in the outlaws," Robin replied, firmly, "You may be Marian and mine's offspring but that doesn't mean you can stay in the forest. It's not safe."

"Well, you were going to let me when you didn't know my age or my bloodline," Tristan piped up, "This is just because we're your children."

"That's exactly my point. Neither me nor Marian wish to see you skewered on the end of a sword from one of the Sheriff's guards or manacled up in the depths of some torture chamber being beaten for information on us. We want to see our children out of danger and happy."

"Yet you allow your friends, yourselves to be put in this danger," Grace pointed out, her eyes furious, "And how can we be happy miles from our parents with complete strangers?"

"That's what happens to most noble birthed children from infancy. They are looked after by wet nurses and nannies. Why should you be any different?" Robin asked.

"And how are these people we send you to going to be anymore strangers than us considering you only just met us?!" Marian added. The couple weren't quite sure why they were battering every wish of their children down and why they were being so fierce on the matter. They just couldn't help it.

"Fine, then, you're right, if that's what you want. You are no more than strangers! Because if you were our real, proper parents you would care for us and stay with us after what you've put us through. Send us away to live with the Sheriff for all I care!" Grace suddenly burst out and leapt up, charging past all the outlaws so fast none of them had time to register before she'd vanished into the trees.

"I would run too but I can't," Tristan glowered, then turned on his side to face away from his so-called 'parents', cursing his stupid injuries. Both Marian and Robin were left astounded.

Allan let out a low whistle to himself and Will thumped him, hard.

"Maybe I should…" Marian made to go after her daughter already fearing for her safety but Robin put a firm hand on her shoulder, stooping her in her tracks. He shook his head. Grace wanted to be alone and they were the least likely people she wanted to see right now.

He rubbed his stubbly chin thoughtfully and then, with one last glance at the unmoving form of Tristan, stood and vanished into the wood but in the opposite direction to Grace. The outlaws frowned, each looking to the others for a reason for their leader's sudden disappearance. Much looked towards Marian, their eyes connecting, sea-blue on grey-blue, one confused the other puzzled. Marian then shrugged at him and turned to Tristan, watching him silently.

"Someone should go after her," John commented, "Its dangerous. Wolves roam at this time of night."

"Yeah, but are you volunteering?" Allan asked, "I'm not being funny but I don't think I'd be very good at comforting an upset ten year old girl who was birthed from Marian and Robin. That's just asking for trouble." Marian barely looked up at this blatant jibe at both her and Robin's infamous stormy moods and unpredictable tempers.

"I must tend to Tristan," Djaq said immediately, not wanting to be the one to go.

"There is no way I'm going. Not for the biggest pot of gold in England," Allan stated.

"I have to stir the pot!" Much jumped in with his excuse, gesturing to the stew he was cooking.

All that left was Johnny, Will and John, each trying not to make eye contact with the other.

"I can't…" Johnny began.

"I don't think…" John started.

"I'm…" Will murmured. All three looked at each other as they spoke in unison, each beginning a different excuse to not deal with the girl Allan had just described in such a scary light.

"I'll do it," an unfamiliar voice to all the outlaws ears sounded and Djaq turned to her patient who had sat up on his bed, propped uncomfortably on one elbow, his wrists held awkwardly so as not to put any pressure on them.

Ranulf was now awake and rather disorientated. He hadn't a clue where he was considering he'd been in and out of consciousness since the outlaws in the forest cracked him over the head. His wrists which were agony had resided to a continuous dull ache thanks to the Saracen's treatment which had initially been searing, blinding pain but proved to help a great deal.

The man had come round a little into the conversation and was worried about the young girl. He wanted to help and as no one else seemed willing then he would comfort her. It might be something for her to talk to someone who had had a difficult childhood also.

"But...Ranulf is it?" Djaq put a restraining hand on his chest, pushing him back down on his bed, "You are not well enough to go wondering into the forest."

"I'm fine; you fixed my wrists didn't you? I'm not seriously hurt."

"But what would you do if you collapsed. You have a nasty bruise on your head. It could affect you," Djaq asked, concerned as the young man pushed off her hand and climbed slowly from his bed, using his elbows for support rather than his injured hands.

"See, I'm fine, now, let me go. If we are not back in a couple of hours come looking," Ranulf announced and then ambled into the forest.

"Should we really let him go?" Much asked.

"Well, he volunteered," Allan shrugged, "Rather him than me." Will shoved Allan again. "What?!"

"Stop being insensitive."

"Hey, I don't see you wandering off on your own, injured, and looking for a hormonal wreck of a girl." Will hit the man again. "Will you stop with the thumping?! I'm gonna get bruises."

"I'll stop with the thumping if you get some manners and learn to keep your big mouth shut."

"My mouth is not big!"

Ranulf crept slowly through the trees, his feet picking their way through the vast obstacle course that was the earthy floor littered with ruts, humps, roots, sticks and logs that he had to avoid if he did not want to end up flat on his face. His hands hung uselessly at his side. Usually, in this kind of situation, he would have used them for balance in the treacherous terrain but it hurt too much to move them. Instead he just had to be extra vigilant and devise other ways of keeping upright.

After about ten minutes of walking, Ranulf decided that maybe he should call out considering he hadn't found the child yet. He guessed she was hiding, maybe in one of the trees. That was what he would've done at her age when something was upsetting him such as his father going on one of his rampages which were quite frequent.

He remembered when he was younger he had a particular tree that he liked to seek refuge in. It was very tall but, for an agile and small person like himself, it was relatively easy to climb if you knew how. There was a certain route up the trunk where all the best indents and knots were that could be used for hand and foot holes which he had discovered and only he knew. He didn't even share this secret with his best friend and brother, Todd, who must've been around eight at the time.

Ranulf had loved his younger brother dearly and they did nearly everything together. If Ranulf was fetching water Todd was sure to be right behind him and if Todd was playing in the yard with his toy wooden sword then Ranulf would join him almost immediately.

On that fateful night, when the barely turned twelve, Ranulf, arrived home to find his little sister, Elspeth, sprawled on the floor dead, scarlet blood seeping from a fatal wound on her neck and her mother fighting for breath from her failing lungs, a long thin dagger protruding from her chest, he had seen the last member of his family fighting for survival against the monster that was once his father.

Todd had been bravely struggling to defend himself from the hammering, bone shattering blows inflicted by his maniacal father which relentlessly rained down on him with a feeble wooden sword that Ranulf had recognised from their play fights.

His brother had then spotted him out of the corner of his eye, the minute distraction had cost him his life, his eyes widening in a silent scream as the man he had once loved dropped one last devastating blow on his vulnerable head and the boy crumpled in a bloodied heap on the floor.

That moment had stuck with Ranulf all this time and would most defiantly haunt him till his dying day. He often wondered what would have happened if he hadn't distracted his brother or if he had been at home when his father went on his blood lustful rampage, instead of talking to the local carpenter about buying new wood for a project of his, and whether he would've been able to protect his family.

Ranulf was brought out of his nightmarish thoughts by the slight crack and swish of a branch. He froze. Something or someone was in the tree just above his head and he was pretty certain who it was. Quietly, the man made to grip the tree and climb up to join the sulking child but it was at that moment he remembered his tender wrists. That sunk that plan. He would just have to coax the girl down as there was no way he could climb the tree without the assistance of at least one of his hands.

"Grace," he called softly, taking care to make sure his voice was not too threatening yet not patronising, "Grace, can you come down so I can talk to you? You see I can't climb up the tree which is a bit unfair don't you think?"

"Ranulf?" came an almost inaudible whisper but Ranulf's carefully trained, spy's hearing picked up the sound immediately and he smiled to himself. At least she was speaking to him.

"Yeah, it's me. Will you come down?"

"Is there anyone else down there?"

"No."

"Um…alright, but you must promise. If you are lying and either Robin or Marian are down there I'll never forgive you."

"I give you my word."

"You're a spy. Your word means nothing."

"All the same. Come down, please, Grace."

"Watch out below then," Grace shouted from her leafy perch and Ranulf leapt back out of harms way as she made her descent. Like a squirrel she scampered down the rough bark and was soon on solid ground again, "Er…hi."

"Do you want to sit?"

"Sure." The girl nodded and took a seat beside the man who had found a log for them to use. They sat in silence for awhile, neither seeming to want to break the companionable atmosphere but then Grace broke the quiet. "What were you thinking about?"

"When?" Ranulf asked, puzzled. He had been waiting for Grace to talk so she would feel less suffocated and feel like she was more in control of the conversation, directing it where she was comfortable to go but this was an unanticipated turn of events.

"Just then. I could see you and you just stopped and stood still for ages," Grace queried, curiously.

"Just things."

"Such as?"

"My family."

"Where is your family?" Grace asked, interest peeked.

"They're all dead," Ranulf replied, quietly.

"All? That's awful! If you don't mind me asking…how?" Grace was intrigued to find out how this man had lost his entire family. She knew nothing about him except that he was Gisborne's spy.

The girl wanted to know more about him. He seemed like an alright man, maybe not honest as that wasn't a spy's trade but good in a round-about way. He didn't look that nice, Grace had to admit, sitting this close was a bit overwhelming what with the stench emitting from him. And his clothes looked repulsive, covered in grime and dirt and tattered at the edges with huge rips in the material. His dark hair was hard to determine the actual colour of considering the amount of grease and slime plastered to it but the girl reckoned, with a bit of work and a wash, the young man could actually look decent.

"They were murdered."

"By who?" Grace gasped, surprised at this, she had expected the man to say his family had died of some disease or something but not outright murder.

"My father," Ranulf answered, eliciting another, horror stricken intake of breath from Grace, "He killed my mother, my brother and my sister."

"That's…that's…" the girl couldn't even begin to find words to describe what she felt.

"I just came home one day and my little sister, Elspeth, she was six, was dead on the floor and my mother was so close to death nothing could be done for her. My brother, Todd, was battling for his life but as I came in my father cut him down," Ranulf explained further though Grace wasn't sure she wanted to hear those horrific details of the man's childhood. She didn't know how he could live with that memory.

"Wha-what happened to your father?"

"He was hung for murder," Ranulf shrugged.

Grace shook her head disbelievingly. It was too terrible for words. She was so glad that she had never had to have this man's disturbing childhood, she wasn't sure she could've coped. It just went to show that although she thought her life was a mess and she didn't know what on earth she was doing there were people way worse off than she was. In a way she was lucky because she had two families. One that, although not biological, she had adored and the other she was just getting the chance to get to know and love. Ranulf had no one and that made her sad. She should give Robin and Marian another go and be happy with what she had rather than wanting more. Life was never perfect after all.

As the look of realisation dawned on the youngster's pale face Ranulf knew he had achieved what he wanted and his mission was complete. He allowed himself a small internal smile in praise.

Aw, I like Ranulf even though he's a grubby slimey spy. Longer chapter than usual so please acknowldege it with more reviews please and thank you!