Chapter 2

The village of Clun was unrecognizable by now. It almost seemed as if the whole population of Nottingham had collected in the small settlement, although Robin had learned from people who had fled the town that many people had been about to make their way to other villages.

The gang was now busy to empty their storages, bringing supplies to the village. They didn't have another choice if they didn't want to see the people go hungry. Soon it might become a problem, when nothing would be left for either them or the people anymore, but Robin hoped that it wouldn't take the king's army long to get into Nottingham, and that he and the gang wouldn't have to worry about feeding themselves in the forest anymore then.

One person Robin hadn't seen yet that he wondered about was Marian. He didn't know what she would do, whether she would stay at the castle or leave. It hadn't been long that she had returned there, ending the short time she had lived with them in the forest. He was worried because he feared that she wouldn't be safe at the castle now, neither from the incoming army that might not be considerate to anyone living in the castle when they needed to get in, nor from the sheriff who was barricading himself inside.

He kept wondering if he should not try and get into the town to her. He was needed here, too, he knew, also feeling an urgency to go to Locksley and see how things were going there. He didn't know if Gisborne was there, or if he was at the castle as well, or had maybe even fled.

And then there was the king. Robin had been playing with the thought of riding out to the king's army for a while now. He had to warn the man, being certain the Black Knights were still lingering about, were maybe even in the army's ranks.

The last they had heard about the approaching troops was that they had build a camp outside of the town now, ready to lay siege to the town till it surrendered. Robin climbed up a small hill just outside of Clun, using it as a place where he could get a good overview over the groups of people still coming to the village.

He could see John, Will and Djaq handing out the food they had brought from their storages. Only Much he wasn't able to spot. He looked around, finally seeing him coming up the hill as well, having followed him there. In Much's manner one could see the same agitation that Robin felt in his mind, the many questions that were going through everyone's head.

Much nodded to Robin as he came up to him, the sun slowly setting at the horizon in his back.

"That's almost everything. Almost our food. Well, safe for that that's at the camp. I hope we get new food soon. I mean, the king's coming, that's good, isn't it?"

Robin nodded with a tight smile. It was what they had been waiting for. They just had to keep everyone safe till the king had taken Nottingham, and things would be alright. His smile grew wider as he saw another group of people joining others in the village. He hadn't spotted her at first, but now he could see that it was Marian who was walking a little aside from the others, looking around.

She seemed to have noticed John then, for she changed her pace, heading towards the big man now. She caught his attention and they talked briefly till John pointed up towards Robin. Marian turned and he saw her recognizing him.

Robin waved briefly, and after taking another sweeping look around the village, he descended the hill half-running, Much on his heels. It wasn't only Marian and John who were waiting for them at the bottom; Djaq and Will had joined them as well, apparently having finished handing out the last of their supplies for today.

"Hey," he called, coming up to Marian with quick steps and hugging her briefly. She showed a quick smile, but grew serious then.

"There's no more in or out of the castle. The sheriff had it barricaded."

Robin nodded. "We know."

"I say we wait till everything's sorted out," Much said. "The king knows what he's doing..." he nodded, glancing at Djaq and stopped for a moment. "Well, not always maybe."

"There is not enough food to last the people more than a few days," Djaq said, looking at Robin.

"I don't think it's going to take long, and I hope people will be able to return to the town then." He knew they couldn't be sure about that, nor about how many of the town's storages would still be available. He looked around the village, before his gaze settled on his men again. "I want to ride out to the king's camp, warn him about the Black Knights."

Much shook his head. "The king can surely take care of himself. And he has all his guards. They're fighting and barricading and shooting over there. No good getting into the middle of that."

Robin looked at him, frowning. "The king knows me. He's going to let me talk to him."

"That is only if you get so far to see him," Much pointed out.

"They wouldn't shoot me if I were to ride out there," Robin assured him. "They would let me through to the king." He knew Much might just have told him that because he was worried about him; but there was some truth in what he said.

"You wanted to go to Locksley," Much tried another point, and Robin sighed, knowing his friend was right. He wanted to go there. He nodded. "I'm going to go to Locksley first, see what Gisborne is up to, and visit the king's camp later."

"Gisborne isn't at Locksley. He's at the castle," Marian said, adding more quietly, "At least he was there when I left."

Robin nodded silently, laying an arm around her waist, leading her a few steps away from the others. "Come with me to Locksley, then. I want to see how many people have arrived there."

He had once again the feeling of not wanting to leave her alone. For the longest time he had been worried about her well-being, staying at the castle with the sheriff and Gisborne around, the former having no reason to leave her alive if he ever found out that she was working with Robin.

He also didn't see any use in her staying in town. Things hadn't gone smoothly when she had come to live with him in the forest, finally fulfilling his wish to have her close, but both of them needed some time to adjust to the change. Then she had gone back to Nottingham, and now he was just glad that she had made it out of the town alright, now that war seemed to be coming to the shire, until the king would finally take the town.

"I'll come," she nodded. "Do you have a horse or are we going to walk?"

"Marian," Djaq called suddenly from behind.

Marian turned around, curiously looking at the other woman.

Djaq hesitated for a moment, glancing at Robin ever so briefly. "Do you know... if Allan is at the castle?"

Robin tensed as Djaq spoke of the traitor, but decided not to interfere but wait for Marian's response.

"I didn't see him today," she shook her head. "He was there yesterday, but I do not know where he is now, I'm sorry."

Djaq nodded silently. Robin wasn't all too sorry. He couldn't quite shove aside the small question in his head as to where the man was, although he did not much care for the welfare of the man. But he had more important matters on his mind, too.

"Let's go."

Allan wondered how he had gotten stuck in a situation like this. Being stuck in a barricaded castle that was being defended by men that were traitors to the king while the same king was marching towards the town, bringing his army along.

It wasn't like he had had any other place to go at the time, but now it was a stupid place to be in. And it wasn't like he owed anything to the sheriff. The man might just as well have him hanged.

Looking at the army that was now building up a camp outside the town walls of Nottingham, he feared he might be on the best way to the gallows nevertheless. The king surely wouldn't look at traitors with a friendly eye, and Allan feared he wouldn't get much of a chance to talk himself out of this one, if he were caught. But then, he would just have to tell them the truth: that he didn't do anything, didn't know anything, was just a common man, trying to work for a living...

He watched as guards added heavy stones to the barricades that already blocked every way out of the town. Not many people were left inside now, very few of them people who were not working for the sheriff.

"Allan," he heard the voice from behind him and turned to the only person he might own some thanks to.

Guy looked tense. "The sheriff wants you to oversee the barricades at the West Gate."

Allan would have liked to refuse and he even opened his mouth to do so. But then he remembered that he had no way to get out anyway, and this wasn't the time to alienate Guy, especially considering the value the man set on loyalty. He nodded with half of a shrug. "I'm going."

Making his way to the West Gate, he strained his brain, trying to remember all the ways the outlaws had found into and out of the town. There still had to be a way to get out. Allan just feared that he had told all of the secret ways to the sheriff, who had all of them blocked.

As he arrived at the gate he saw quickly that the barricades wouldn't hold long, and he didn't consider himself a military expert. But then, who would even want to hold the town for long against the king's army? This couldn't end well. They had pretty much always build on the fact that the king simply wouldn't come home, and certainly not for a visit to Nottingham...

Allan made his way up to the gatehouse to see for himself how the situation on the outside was. As expected, the army lay in waiting, apparently preparing themselves to storm the town if needed. While the sun was going down in the west, a slight feeling of panic rose in Allan as to how he had managed to get stuck in a situation such as this. He watched riders coming and going from the army's camp, more and more hidden in the dusk as the light faded. He wondered if the others had noticed what was going on, the others being the outlaws that lived in Sherwood...

They would be free, wouldn't they? The king was coming to Nottingham. Robin would get what he wanted, and the others would probably be free, too. Allan shook his head at his own pondering. It wasn't a given. It was what he had told Robin. It wasn't likely any of them would have anything; not even their freedom was assured.

He watched as several riders were approaching the town, carrying banners that told of who their master was. Next to Allan, several castle guards moved to watch more closely what was going on. Allan knew they were nervous and tense, just as he was, unaware of what was going to happen.

The riders stopped then. They were heavily armoured, carrying additional shields with them. One man started to call something, but Allan had at first difficulty to understand what was being said. The man's voice rose then, and it was clear what he meant. King Richard was demanding the surrender of the town.

Allan saw that the guards that were with him in the gatehouse were becoming more agitated now.

"You think it's really the king?" one asked him, and Allan shrugged, though he was pretty sure it was actually the real king this time.

"He's going to have us hanged," another guard shook his head. "You can't keep the king's castles against the king."

"If we're not doing it, the sheriff will have us hanged."

Allan feared that the man was right. It was not without reason that he had pondered about potential ways to flee the situation, but up to this point he still had not come up with a way out of the castle that would not be blocked, and it would be of no use being caught trying one of the others. His only hope was that the castle would be surrendered peacefully – which was doubtful when he thought of Vaizey – or that he would be able to escape in the chaos that would surely follow if the king were to take the town by force.

As the last sunlight vanished behind the horizon, the riders had gone as well, unsuccessful, as the town's gates remained shut and barricaded.

With no horse available, it took them a while to make their way to Locksley, but Robin didn't mind the march through the forest with Marian. It reminded him of the short time she had spent with him there, before she had returned to the castle.

Now that the king was coming, he might not have to stay in Sherwood for very much longer either. As they were walking into the village of Locksley, the thought reminded him of another. The plan he and Marian had agreed upon.

"Does that yes still count?" he asked lightly, as she caught up with his step.

"What?"

He hoped it was just confusion he could hear in her voice.

"The plan we have. Defeat the sheriff, bring the king come, ..."

Marian grimaced. "The sheriff isn't defeated yet."

"Yes, but that's only a matter of time." Robin was reminded of the nervousness he had felt when he had first asked her in the forest. There had been the worry that she would say no, and maybe it was still there, for why would she agree a second time to marry him, after he had left her to go to war years ago?

She took his hand in hers. "Of course I will marry you. What would make you think I would change my mind?"

"You'd have reason to." He glanced at her. "I left you."

"It's in the past, Robin," she said seriously. "You're here now."

He nodded, looking around in the village. People from Nottingham seemed to have come here, too, for there were small camps being built around the houses and cottages of the settlement. It wasn't quite as full as it was in Clun, the longer distance from the town probably accounting for it.

"Now that the king is back, you will be able to come back here," Marian said with a smile. Robin nodded quietly, taking in the view of the village with the people mingling in.

"Yes," he said simply. It wasn't the time yet, with Gisborne's and the sheriff's men still around, as he guessed. They hadn't met any on the way, but he knew they still needed to be careful here.

"You care about these people," she went on, as he continued watching the ongoings in the village.

He turned his head to her. "Of course." He grimaced, smiling then. Caring about these people was what had led him into outlawry.

"I wish I could go back to Knighton like that," Marian said, causing his smile to turn into concern. "There's nothing left. My father is gone. My home is gone..."

Robin sighed, laying an arm around her shoulder, as he realised that she had lost more than he had. He had gone into the forest and that was what had protected him and the ones he cared for. He could have told her that Locksley would become her home, but seeing her face, he could not bring himself to say it, in fear of making seemingly light of her loses.

"Are we going to meet your men again?" she asked then, changing the topic.

Robin nodded. "We're going to meet back at camp when they're back from Nottingham. We can't stay out all night, if we don't know how long it all will take." He would have wanted to keep watching the unfolding of events, but for now, there was nothing much else they could do, as the day was drawing to a close. Maybe he would manage to ride out to the king's camp tomorrow...

"So this means I'm going back to your camp, too?" she asked, but it wasn't really a question.

"I hope you don't miss the castle all too much," Robin said quickly, trying to think light of the situation. "You went there to spy on the sheriff, didn't you?"

She laughed, a little nervous. "Yes."

Of course Robin guessed that she would go back there just as soon the king had taken the castle. Richard would install a new sheriff, the Council of Nobles would resume in its true form and not the grotesque play it had become with Vaizey. And Marian would likely choose to be there as well, being the only heir of Knighton.

Robin shook his head at himself. His thoughts were rushing ahead of him. So far the king lay in wait in front of Nottingham. They couldn't know yet how things might turn out.

At the edge of the forest, Will had settled down, waiting and watching what he could see of the town of Nottingham. Dusk had fallen over the castle and its surrounding walls, the army in front of its gates having settled down as well.

Next to Will Djaq was sitting, and he wondered what she was thinking when she saw the king's men. It were men like them that had been crusaders in her native land. Many of the men who were now waiting outside of Nottingham had probably been in the Holy Land themselves, just as Robin had been.

"You doing alright?" he asked.

She took her gaze from the king's camp, looking at him. "Yes."

"We can go back to camp."

"We need to see what happens," Djaq countered.

"John and Much can do that. They're closer to the town even."

Djaq didn't get to answer as another voice spoke up.

"Not anymore."

Will started, seeing John and Much coming towards them, the former having announced their presence to them.

"What is wrong?"

Much looked at him. "The king. He went to the main gate and called up to the guards. To open up the town, probably. They didn't do it, of course." He shook his head.

"You should not go there so closely," Djaq told him, concern in her voice.

Much smiled a little. "But I saw the king. And this time we know it's really him."

Will frowned. "We knew that before, didn't we? Robin was sure it's him, wasn't he?"

The other nodded once. "Robin thought so. But with the sheriff- I don't trust him." Much glanced with a frown into the direction of Nottingham.

"So what do we do now?"

"I say we go back to camp. They will not do anything at night," John said, following Much's glance back at the town for a second. "Tomorrow, we can see that the villagers and the people who fled the town have all they need."

"We don't have much more to give," Will pointed out gloomily. He then looked at Much. "You know the king, don't you?"

Much considered the question for a moment. "Well, I do know him, yes, Robin and I were in his private guard. He is... he will... he will do the right thing. I think. He listens to Robin. I mean, he often did. I mean, this doesn't mean he really did what Robin thought he should do, but he let him talk, you know? Give his opinion. So he will surely do so now. And Robin will tell him what the sheriff did, and about the poor..."

Will nodded. He looked at the town in the distance again. From this perspective it appeared quiet and peaceful. For now, all of them needed a calm night to have their rest for whatever might come the next day.