Part 17

The dawn broke on another day. The gang had been at the little house for over a week and it was beginning to feel like home. Marian sat up slowly, everyone else was still sleeping and she moved gingerly, rooting round for a tablet of soap which Much had purchased from the local town on market day, the day before yesterday. Armed with that and some rags, she stood, holding onto the wall for support and made her way to the door.

Marian blinked back the light as if a mole coming out of the earth after a long absence. She took in a deep breath and smiled, feeling the fresh air against her skin made her feel really alive once more.

Marian knew that the stream was a few minutes walk from the house in the direction of the trampled down grass and with a resolute spirit she let go of the structure and took tentative steps in that direction. Walking made her feel light headed but that too could be a reaction to lack of food. She had eaten, really tried to but could never manage more than half of her usual intake. She just knew it would take time, everything would take time and some things would never be the same ever again.

She missed the beauty of the day as she concentrated on not falling on her face; the scurrying of the rabbits and other wildlife that she disturbed as she made her way to her destination. When it was finally in sight she gave a sigh of relief and sank gratefully to the ground, to recover from the exertion of the walk.

Her dress was worse than she feared, her hair a greasy mass which resembles a bird's nest, and with one look at her reflection in the water she turned away. How Robin or anyone wanted to look at her while she looked like this was beyond her comprehension.

She undressed and took a rag dipping it in the water and rubbed it onto the soap to cleanse her whole body. That done she redressed, wondering how she was going to wash her hair one handed by herself. She frowned; she had not thought this out as well as she had hoped. She smiled at her own foolishness and then experienced a feather like touch across her shoulders and inhaled deeply as the caress continued. Catching sight of Robin's legs she relaxed into the sensations his touch sent through her.

His voice cut into the stillness of the morning when he said. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"I wanted to wash. But I can not manage my hair alone," she told him with regret.

"I am here. I can be useful," he told her with a wink. "And next time you get it into your head to wander off, tell me first."

"I'm sorry," she told him. She had not forgotten the look in his eyes when she had first regained consciousness or the look that seemed to haunt him for several days after.

What began as an innocent encounter soon had her wishing he was doing more than washing her hair. With one final rinse with the canteen, he sat down beside her, looking pensive with the need to talk.

"Marian…." He began.

"Yes," she replied. Looking at her bandaged hand and trying to make her fingers move from within their casing.

He turned her face with his index finger and ran the digit up and down the side of her cheek. "Marian….It does not make any difference."

She frowned at him and replied. "What?"

"This," he answered, taking her damaged hand and unveiling the wound. It was healing nicely now, the scar would be ugly, more so than the one in his side and on display everyday. With her hand lying in his she tried again to move her fingers and was rewarded with a little flicker from the two digits that had moved previously.

"It does matter though," she replied softly. "How am I to fight with a sword when I need both hands if I can not move my fingers to grasp anything and….and I still can not feel anything in my middle finger at all." She told him lowering her head again and her damp hair fell over her face.

He sighed and replied gently. "It does not make any difference to the way I feel about you. It does not alter my feelings for you. I love you. Marian! Look at me please?" he asked his tone begging her to meet him eye to eye. When she did he continued. "You know more than anyone that it is what comes from the heart, not how one looks on the outside or what scars we have to bear, physical or emotional. Marian!"

"But my hand does not work though, I am incomplete."

"And I am incomplete without you. It does not matter to me about your hand. It is still early days I am sure we will still see some improvement. I have every faith in Djaq."

"I do too, she saved my life, twice," looking at him with a little smile and he nodded.

"So?" Robin said looking nervous and taking both her hands in his. "Will you marry me?"

"Now?" she asked. "Here?"

"Before we return."

"But who will marry us? It is too dangerous to be spending too long in any town from here to Nottingham for fear of Gisborne and the Black Knights."

"They do not scare me, but you are right, we can not go looking for more trouble right now. We have to keep a low profile. Perhaps we should wait."

"I will marry you…."

"Don't tell me? When the King returns? Marian we need not follow the plan, it has gone awry already."

She gave him a coy smile mixed with a sparkle in her eyes and he looked at her quizzically.

"We could…" she said breaking into a full smile.

"We could what? Marian?"

"Well it was Will's, no…..In fact Guy said something in Durham to initiate the idea."

"Marian…" he asked warily.

"We could hand fast." She said, her tone not sure if he would go for this suggestion.

"Hand fast." He repeated and nodded. "And then get married before a priest at a later date?" he added and this time she nodded. With a smile he agreed saying. "It's a plan."

She sighed softly watching as he carefully took her injured hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss, before taking it within the safe haven of his own. He gazed into her face, soul seeking soul and moved forward sweeping his mouth against hers. She opened to him like a flower to the sun and he cupped her face to deepen the kiss and brought their desire to be one to the surface.