Part 14.

Allan stared for the fifth time that week upon what had been Nottingham. The area was still being cleared and it left a sick sort of feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was careful to keep out of sight. With one final look her turned away and started walking back to the deserted outlaw's camp. He had no idea where Robin and the outlaws had gone after taking him to Kirklees. As he passed by the back of Locksley he wondered if Thornton knew anything that would help and inform him of the situation.

He knocked upon the front door and the elderly looking Thornton appeared.

"You are no longer Sir Guy's man." Thornton told him.

"I know. I'm back with Robin now. Have you seen him?"

"Gisborne or Robin?" asked the manservant.

"Well either. I want to stay out of Guy's way and I need to find Robin, he is not at the camp, hasn't been since I got back there actually."

"Guy is in Nottingham somewhere talking with Cornelius, Jasper's cousin about the rebuilding of the city and Robin and his men went north."

"All of his men?" asked Allan thinking of Will.

"All but Will Scarlett, I fear he must have perished in the destruction. They searched they did not find his body."

"Who did they find?"

"They found you and a couple of bairns who are now living in foster families in Clun."

"No Will? And the Sheriff is dead?" Allan confirmed.

Thornton affirmed his questioning. "What are you going to do now?"

"Stay at the camp, wait for their return and do what I should have done in the first place. Rob the rich to help the poor."

"Then you will need this," Thornton told him and placed the key to the store in the palm of Allan's hand. "Robin entrusted it to me, use it wisely my friend as Robin would want you to."

"Thank you….If you hear of anything…Robin…what Guy is up to, you will let me know?"

"Come back anytime, I will talk if I am able." Thornton agreed with a firm handshake, hoping that Allan would not change sides any more.

0o0

Allan sauntered along the lower road back to the camp, swinging a pair of skinny rabbits to and fro from a piece of twine. Then as if from nowhere Guy appeared, leading his horse behind him.

"Allan," he said in a slow drawl. "You survived."

"Yeah. No thanks to you though eh? Robin and the gang found me; rescued me. What do you want?"

"I want to know where Robin Hood is. In fact I want to know where the pact is. And lastly I want to know why you planned with Will Scarlett and Marian to try and fool me that I had married her."

"Oh! Not a lot then?" Allan replied. "Well I'm not being funny but I don't know a lot myself. I haven't seen Robin or the gang since they left me at Kirklees to recover."

"And you expect me to believe that?" he asked scathingly.

"It's the truth. I don't know where they are."

"Very well. I heard tell they had left the area." He finally said with regard to that subject, but he wasn't finished yet. "Where is the pact?"

"How am I supposed to know that? I was with you remember, in the castle? I have no idea where he hid the pact; maybe he carries it with him. I don't know, and even if I did I would not be telling you. Not now. Not ever. It's over Guy. I can't work for you. I am with Robin, I was always with Robin and while I didn't spy for him while I was at the castle, I did not betray them as he thought I would. I couldn't I love them, like my family if I had one."

"Humph," Guy muttered dryly. Allan wasn't the only one with no other family. "I want that pact Allan and I will find it with or without your help."

"As I said, you will not be getting any help from me. Ever again. I made a mistake, betraying Robin was the biggest mistake I ever made and I am not about to do it again wherever he is."

"Lastly why did you help Marian?" he asked his tone changed to a more menacing one and his look grew so dark that Allan shrank back a little.

Allan sighed and replied a little warily. "You want the truth or do you want me to be kind? 'Cos either way you will find out eventually."

Gisborne took a deep breath and said between gritted teeth. "The truth Allan if you can manage it."

"Well…She married you to stay alive….Just like before she was forced into a corner. And I know what it is like to be forced into a corner. You forced me into one. My life and spying for you or death. Not much of an option was it? It was the same for Marian."

"She is not married to me at all. And part of it is your fault."

"Yeah but only part, come on Guy. Marian and Will were there too. Anyway where is Marian now? If you know she isn't your wife…..where is she? What did you do with her? If you have done anything to harm her you better watch out. Robin will kill you."

"I doubt that. I do not know where she is, she ran off with Scarlett, in Durham."

"Will's alive?"

"Yes. Marian could be anywhere. She is certainly not here. I have searched." He replied heavily.

"No well perhaps she is staying well clear of you, perhaps…."

"Perhaps what Allan?"

"Perhaps nothing, look I was just going to say, perhaps she doesn't think there is anything to come back here for." He replied hastily having been going to say that Will might have taken her to Scarborough to his Auntie Annie and his brother Luke.

"Perhaps, maybe I need to look for her further a field."

"Yeah you probably do." He replied, eager to see Guy go his way and he would go his own.

"Just one more little thing Allan." Guy said.

"Yeah what?" he asked.

"This," said Guy, slamming his fist into Allan's face and causing him to fall to the ground as he mounted his horse and rode off laughing.