Calmer of the Storm: Look! I have a new chapter!

Cody: -mumbles- Took you long enough…

Calmer of the Storm: Weeeeell….I'm a lazy bum. I'll admit that. And the ideas in this chapter, I give credit to crazy fan 35. She's the one that helped me through my little lapse of writers block! So giving ideas pays, people…lol. Anyways, enough talk, on with the story!

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A deep sigh escaped Hikari's lips. She had made her way back up to her room, and was now sitting on the bed, fiddling with the piece of cloth that had been attached to the arrow. She was still a little shaken by the whole ordeal; it had scared her half to death. If there was one thing she did not appreciate, it was things that happened out of no where. She'd kill Takeru when this was over for his actions. However, she knew that he really had no other choice. But still…he'd learn never to do something like that again.

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A yawn was emitted from the boy, Daisuke. None of them had gotten any sleep at all that night, for they were up planning. "Guys, don't you think it would have been smart just to get even a little sleep?" He lamented.

He was, of course, very right in his statement, but it was a little late for that now. It was rather unwise to delve head-first into a situation such as the one they were about to with bodies that were in danger of failing them at any moment.

Takeru shot the other a cold look, but said nothing.

Daisuke merely shrugged. For once, he refrained from responding with a not-so-witty remark.

Taichi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So is everyone okay with this?" He asked.

There were tired nods from within the group.

"Good. I suppose that we should head out, then. Cody, you got the dogs all set?" The boy nodded. He needed them to remain near the church, and had tied them up. He regretted doing so, but it had to be done. They needed the dogs to stay behind and not follow their master, for their baying and barking could give them away.

Tai stood up. "Alright, let's get this over with. And please, no one do anything stupid. We don't have the time for that now. We all just want to go home in once piece."

He was particularly looking towards the blonde, who was looking at the ground at this point. His elder brother elbowed him, and received a glare in return.

"Hey, Yamato, what was-"

He was silenced by a dangerous look from Tai. No one had the patience. Takeru sighed, and followed.

---

It was not long before they were all in position. Yolei had been very helpful in that she had been able to give them the layout of the castle and its surrounding area. She also knew what the guard was like at certain points, for she and Hikari had mapped it out so that they could perhaps escape sometime. Neither of them realized, however, just how difficult it would be to get out, much less, back in.

But that was where she came in. Yolei suspected that no one would really notice that she was missing. They always thought her a lazy servant, anyways, and she had become Hikari's personal hand-maid.

The violet haired girl was now in the courtyard, making her way to Hikari's room. It was very early in the morning, and the morning mist was thick and the ground thick with dew.

"You there, what are you doing?"

Yolei stopped dead, and her heart began to pound. It was the voice of none other than Sir Guy.

Bowing her head, she turned to him. This was more out of the fact that this way he couldn't read her expressions, then out of respect.

"Ms. Marion wishes for me to aid her this morning." She said. She had rehearsed this just in case something like this would happen.

"So early?" he was getting suspicious.

Yolei stumbled a bit. "Her grace wishes to get an early start today. L-last night was a start for her, and she wished to begin the day looking fresh. Such a thing requires a little extra preparation. I am making my way from my quarters to hers now."

He was silent, and eyed her carefully.

"Be on your way, then. And tell her that I wish to see her when she is finished." He turned and left.

"Yes Sir…" she said.

Not staying to watch him go, the girl raced into the castle as if her life depended on it. It had been a close call, and she was worried that he had not completely bought her story. But then again, what reasons did he have to distrust her? As far as he knew, she was simply a hired slave. At least he hadn't realized she was missing. The man wasn't the brightest bulb in the box a lot of the time. It was his suspicions and his ability to make others fear him that kept him in power.

It was not long before she had made her way to Hikari's room.

---

There was a knock at the door, and it woke Hikari from her sleep. Grumbling, she rolled over and ignored it. She had not slept well the night before, and didn't wish to deal with Sir Guy so early.

The knocking persisted, getting louder.

"Alright, alright. Just hang on a moment…"

Hikari put on a robe and opened the door. She was greeted by the softly-smiling face of Yolei. In a burst of happiness, she threw her arms around the girl.

"Shhh…we have to be quiet." She said, trying to calm her. "We don't have a lot of time."

"What's going on? What are you doing back here?" She asked, not bothering to quell her excitement.

"We're breaking you out." She said.

"What?"

"You heard me. We're getting you out of here this time, no matter what it takes. Your brother and Matt have already managed to steal some horses from the manor where Sora was living, so getaway will be swift. Sir Guy is on the prowl outside, but I managed to get in. It's a short distance to the tree cover, and when we get there, we're home free. We just need to get out of the castle itself." Yolei wasted no time, for there was none.

Hikari nodded. "Shall we go, then?" she said.

Yolei turned and slowly opened the door. The pair made their way through the castle, and were met only by some curious stares shot by the servants who were already working. Most of them could have cared less. They only hoped that none of them would put things together and become a snitch. It would cost their lives.

The sun was just beginning to peer over the trees as they made their way into the front courtyards. It brought relief, as they pulled into the fresh, morning air. They were a few steps now away from freedom. Would they get there? They prayed that they would.

On they went, and before long, they were merely meters from the tree line. Hikari could see some of the others now, who were poised in various positions and places. Everything had been timed quite well.

Save for one thing. There was a factor that they had not taken into account. They had forgotten Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong, will. And it was at that point that Sir Guy conveniently made his appearance.

"I suspected something was up." He said, coming from behind the two girls. There was a cocky smirk on his face now, and he seemed quite pleased with himself. "I thought it was strange to see you around, first thing in the morning. Especially since I hadn't seen you in a while. Very clever, I must admit, but not quite clever enough. Never will you outsmart me." He said, advancing.

"I don't think you'll be doing any of that. You've stolen enough already, and she clearly wants nothing to do with you." Takeru had made his way around, and bow and arrow were drawn.

Sir Guy's smirk became a grin. "Now isn't this convenient. I've been searching for you and your wretched band of outlaws for months. I always knew that you'd give everything up so easily."

He strung the arrow, but kept it pointed down. He knew the importance of keeping such a weapon pointed away from a person until the time was right. It was the reason, he knew, that Robin Hood had become an outlaw in the first place. Such mistakes were costly. But how simple it would be, if he were to accidentally let the arrow fly…how easily would their problems be gone? He knew it would be the contrary. Sir Guy still had myriads of followers. He merely glared daggers at the man before him.

Hikari and Yolei had made their way to his side now. They were frightened for their lives and his.

Something caught Takeru's eye. His heart raced, and urgency filled him. "Run." He whispered harshly, though he was certain his words were not inaudible to the other. "Go, now!" he said. Hikari knew not what he was up to, but began to retreat backwards along with the other girl.

"If you take one step, Sir Robin, forwards or back, I promise you that you will be pierced by more arrows that you could ever even dream of making." It was a threat, and Takeru knew how real it was.

"Run, Hikari, I told you to run!" Fear in her eyes, she turned. Yolei had already made it into the forest.

Stopping in the tree line, she turned to look at him. "Takeru!"

"Get away!" He called, not daring to turn his head. He smirked towards Sir Guy. "Your bride is getting away."

"I'll have her once you are dead. She won't be difficult to reclaim once I've got a rope around your neck. And your band of outlaws will be apprehended even before they make it to their camp. We've discovered it, you know."

Takeru's eyes went wide. He only hoped that Hikari had heard this statement, and had enough sense to tell the others.

It occurred to him that he had not heard the sounds of retreat. "Go Hikari before they kill you! I'll follow when I can!"

There was an urgency and almost anger in his voice that obliged her to follow his instructions. Turning, she dashed into the forest, and was met by Yolei. She had found the others, who had since moved from their spots. They did not know that they had been caught. The plan was, once the girls were spotted, to move from their spots and high tail it out.

But now, there was worry on everyone's faces. Hikari ran to her brother and embraced him. Tears flooded her eyes from the emotional stress that had been building the passed few days, and even more so the passed few moments.

"We'll head back to camp and regroup." Came her brother's voice.

The band started to move, getting on the backs of the stolen horses. Hikari was pulled from her daze as the words registered.

"No!" She shouted, suddenly.

"What is it?" asked Tai.

"We can't go back there. Sir Guy says he's found the camp." Her voice was serious, and they knew not to ignore this.

"So what do we do, then?" It was Daisuke who had spoken.

There was no response from the group, and hope faded. It seemed that they would not be getting home anytime soon.

"Sir Richard." It was Sora who had spoken.

"What? King Richard is in jail." Said Ken.

"No, Sir Richard. He's a knight, loyal to the king. I believe that he Robin Hood in the stories, what would stop him now? He's our only hope."

Tai nodded. "Do you know where we can find him?" Things darkened again.

"Wait…the castle, he's in another castle, or fortress or something. It's just beyond the borders of this once, opposite Sherwood Forest. I heard Sir Guy talk about it once. The two of them don't get along at all." They were grateful for Hikari's memory.

"Then we should go quickly. It's clear we won't be getting TK back soon, but if memory serves me correctly, they won't hang him until tomorrow morning. They may…torture him in the meantime, but at least he'll live." Ken's smooth reasoning came through.

This did not bode well with Hikari, or any of them for that matter. They weren't too happy with this information. Just the simple fact that they were helpless was enough to render them into a sort of depression. But it could not be helped, and they had to go with what was given to them.

They piled onto the horses. Sora, who had had previous knowledge of riding before, took charge of the group. She would lead them. They only hoped the other horses would follow, seeing as they are herd animals. Hikari sat behind her, in order to give her any directions that she could.

The others were paired up, some with no knowledge of how exactly to ride. Mimi was a little tentative, but after a little coaxing, she was boosted up behind Yolei. Taichi and Daisuke were on another, and Matt and Ken each on their own. They would not be able to move at a lightning pace, due to the fact that the horses were a little more heavily burdened than usual, but they would make it faster than on foot.

---

There was little taking, save for between Sora and Kari. The brunette did her best to recall what had been said of the place, picking out landmarks that she had heard about in the discussion. It took them a little while, and it was well into the afternoon before they saw the towering white walls of Sir Richard's fortress. It was a welcomed sight, for they were all weary from the ride. Many of them were quite sore, as one usually is after their first time on the back of a horse. Not to mention that it was not all that comfortable; cramming two people into a saddle built for one. But they had made it.

They neared the gate, and were stopped by some guards. They were so elated with their find that they had not really noticed the fact that they were not greeted with smiling faces. The group stopped, some of them having trouble. A few of the horses had it in their minds that they deserved a break, and to the dismay of Yolei and Mimi, their horse dashed abruptly to the side, and proceeded to tear at the grass. Its antics almost threw the girls, but they miraculously managed to stay on. They were a sorry bunch, to say the least.

"What business do you have here?" came a voice. It was one of the guards in front of them.

"We need to speak with Sir Richard." Answered Sora.

They were silent a moment. "You are not permitted to pass."

"What? You don't understand! We need his help!" She exclaimed.

"So do all who come to these gates." He said. There was no sympathy in his voice,

"Please…we are here on behalf of…of Robin Hood. If there is any more delay, he will be dead by sunrise."

The guards were silent another moment.

"Come with me, then."

A wave of relief hit them, and they passed through the gate. One of the guards went and pulled on the bridle of the grazing horse, and pulled him through. He sensed that the girls wouldn't have the strength to pull him up and get him to where they needed him to go. The two were quite embarrassed by this.

Dismounting, there were a few groans of pain and discomfort from the group. "We should have walked…" It was Daisuke. He'd never done such a thing before.

"It'll be worse in the morning." Replied Sora.

He only groaned again in response.

---

It was not long before they were led into a great hall. It was not unlike the one in the other palace, Kari noted, but it was slightly less elaborate. They were greeted by some servants. Yolei noted that they seemed a little happier than the ones at the other place.

Soon, a bearded middle-aged man came through some large double doors at the side of the room. The made his way towards them.

"So you come here seeking my aid on account of the one called Robin of the Hood?"

Tai took charge. "Yes. He has been captured, and he will be hanged tomorrow morning, we suspect. But not before being tortured today. We can only hope that he is alright now."

"And I'm sure he's fine." There was a pause. "You are welcome to stay the night, for you look weary. I will prepare a meal for you, and in the morning, you will be on your way. I am afraid that I cannot help you."

There was no response, for each and every one of them was stunned beyond words.

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Calmer of the Storm: Be happy! I got another chapter out! And I have ideas for the next, but more are welcome! I hope to have this one out a little earlier than I did this one…but I will make no promises, lol. I'm lazy and forgetful…