Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, as it is the property of the BBC.

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Chapter 16

In the Sheriff's newly built chamber, Robin Hood dangled over a pit of snakes, whilst a tied up Ava looked on in worry and fear.

The Sheriff was adressing the group of 'friends' he had assembled in the room, all of whom were dressed in black and looked very sinister.

' My friends, ' Vaysey said huskily, holding out his arms in declaration,' our time has come. King Richard is marching on Jerusalem, so by the time the year is out he will be home. So operation Sha Mat must move to the next phase. '

Ava exchanged a confused look with Robin, as she Sheriff continued. Robin seemed to realise something that the other outlaw did not.

' Mobilise your men, bring them to me. We must be ready - wherever King Richard lands on English soil, we must be there to greet him, to embrace him. Long live the King. But meanwhile - today's entertainment - from noble to nothing, rank to skank, from hero to zero, I give you Robin Hood. '

Turning to Robin after the Sheriff's assosiates finished their applause, he carried on,' Welcome to my new chamber, Hood. We are the Black Knight. ' he announced, proudly kissed his ring.

' Why so coy Vaysey?' Robin sneered, ' why not just call yourselves 'The Traitors'. And operation Sha Mat? Why not call it Checkmate, or better still 'Kill The King'? '

' Oh very good, he knows his persian, very clever. '

Ava opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced with a single glare from Robin, who said to the Sheriff, ' The taxes..the money you've raised..'

' Well what did you think, did you think I was going to buy myself a new rug? ' the Sheriff mocked, ' You don't know me at all, Hood. Myself and my friends, we have no interest in money - it's for an army of mercenaries - we want power. Between us we will run a new England, we are the new England. '

' Then God help us, ' Robin spat.

' God is the only one that can help you now - shame because I really rather enjoyed our little spats - Davina,' he called to his sister.

Davina stood at her evil brother's side and snapped her fingers.

' My babies,' she sighed.

' Death by fanging? 'the Sheriff quipped, causing amusement to both himself and his next of kin.

He then walked over the mechanism of the hanging thing, and ran his hand over the wood,' Inch by inch, Hood, you will be lowered to your death. '

' No! ' Ava screamed, causing Gisbourne to hit her across the face sharply.

A sudden thought struck Robin as he cast his eyes over his female companion, ' What happens to Ava? ' he asked feeling quite worried - the rest of the gang wouldn't know where they were. Allan would lose a daughter, Much a girlfriends, and the rest a good friend all because of Robin.

The Sheriff laughed, ' No need to worry about little pretty girl, she won't be harmed, ' he sneered.

Ava and Robin both looked - and were - suprised to hear this.

The Sheriff added, ' The girl will be spared a life of running around in the filthy forest, and spared the punishment of being an outlaw. '

' So what are you going to do to me? ' Ava asked anxiously.

' You are to become a personal slave - I mean, servant,' the evil Sheriff said.

Ava scoffed, ' I would sooner hang than be your servant,' she spat.

' Oh not for me, ' Vaysey smirked, ' but for Gisbourne. He needs a pretty young thing like you around to cheer him up sometimes so I am giving you to him as a present. '

Ava was about to reply when Gisbourne took her cheek in one of his hands, ' Now now, it won't be that bad. I'm an awfully nice man when I want to be...so long as you behave yourself. '

Gisbourne then turned to look at Robin and crossed his arms over his chest, ' Tell me, Hood - who is the nightwatchman? '

Ava bit her lip and looked down to supress a smirk, as she knew that Robin would never ever tell Gisbourne who the nightwatchman was.

' I don't know, Gisbourne,' Robin stressed,' but I do know I'll kiss him when I see him for stealing from you. And to be sure, it's not just me. You see, there are people like me and the nightwatchman all over England - who will stand up for justice. '

Gisbourne retaliated by hitting the hanging man across his stomach with a large stick, ' Look at you - look at what you threw away, and for what? So you could be king of the paupers? Do you think they love you? Do you think they care? '

When Gisbourne paused for breath there was the sound of a struggle outside the door.

Gisbourne went over to the door and peered through,

' The Nightwatchman! ' he yelled, ' get after him! '

The guards followed their orders, whilst the Sheriff smirked, ' A double exection? How fun. '

Davina looked around at the room, and adressed the group of evil nobles who were wondering what on earth was going on, and if this was a regular occurance.

' My friends, I suggest you retire to your quaters and we continue our soiree later on. '

When there was no one but Davina, Robin and Ava left in the room, Davina kicked at the lever that was slowly lowering Robin to the pit, to make it stop.

' Thank you, ' Robin muttered.

' So, handsome, do i regret tricking you? A clue: No. ' she simpered.

Robin frowned at her and she carried on verbally tormenting him, ' Aw, what's the matter, does nobody love you? That's your real weakness, isn't it? '

' I love him, ' Ava spoke up boldly, ' he'll always have the love of his friends. '

Davina scoffed and ignored the teenager, ' That's your flaw, Hood. You need people to love you, don't you? '

' It's better than needing reptiles to love you, ' Robin shot back.

' My brother loves me,' Davina said proudly - though Ava could not think why any one would be proud of this.

' Like I said, ' Robin smirked, causing Ava to have to bite the insides of her cheeks to stop herself bursting out in to laughter.

For that comment, Davina hit the lever again, to make it begin to lower Robin once more.

' Looks like you're going to die without an audience, Hood, ' she sneered as she left the room.

' Oh great, ' Ava sighed, ' there's nothing like being tied to a chair to make you feel like a useless damsel in distress. '

' Can't you escape at all? ' Robin asked her hopefully.

' No chance, these knots are tight as hell. '

Robin sighed and then spotting a rack of sharp weapons hanging on the wall opposite him, he begun to swing back and forth in an attempt to reach them.

It wasn't long before his foot caught them and they were pulled to the ground, where one of the long spears landed across the snake pit, so Robin could stand on it.

Ava watched as Robin managed to manoevre his longbow between his feet and shoot an arrow through the machinery, stopping it from lowering him anymore.

He then managed to pull himself up out of the pit and proceeded to cut the ropes from the wrist's of Allan's daughter.

But before they could escape, Davina stepped out of the dark shadowy corners of the room.

' Impressive, but what were you thinking you could do if you did escape. Between us we have 10, 000 men. ' she told them, as if speaking to small children.

' What was your plan, hm? Are you going to save England single handedly? '

' Not single handed, ' Robin replied,' I have Ava, here. And four or five others. '

Davina chuckled and went to push him in to the pit, only for him to jump aside and for her to fall in instead, with an ear splitting scream.

' Help! Get me out! ' she squeled.

The Sheriff of Nottingham entered at that moment and looked over Robin's shoulder to see where his sister was - in a pit full of pousinous snakes.

' What have you done? Hood, pretty girl, you get my sister out of there, right now! '

Robin was in the process of throwing a rope down to her and called down to her, ' Dont make any sudden - '

His demand was cut off by one of the snakes biting Davina's side, causing her to scream loudly, and for Ava and the Sheriff to clap a hand to their mouths in horror.

' Get her out! ' The Sheriff cried, kneeling beside Robin and taking hold of one of her hands as Robin took the other, ans the two men together hauled her out.

Layin on the wooden floor of the chamber, her eyes rolled back on her head and the Sheriff looked at her in despair, ' There must be a cure - some medicine or something? '

' No, ' Davina told him straight.

' Sheriff! ' Robin called, lifting up his bow and pushing Ava behind him, ' give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now? '

' Shut up Hood,' Vaysey said with out much of his usual passion.

' Then you die with your sister,' Robin declared, pulling the bow back.

' You haven't told him, have you? ' Davina asked her brother, as her voice grew weaker.

' No, ' he replied.

' Prince John has made the Sheriff a promise. If my brother should die an un natural death, then the county of Nottingham and everything in it shall be obliterated - every town and village will be burnt. Every man, every woman and every innocent little child hanged. Would you really want that on your consience, handsome? ' she breathed.

Robin knew that he could not do it, and lowered his bow down, as Davina's breathing became rapsy and short.

Robin took a glance at Ava and saw her eyes welling up as Davina and her brother said their goodbyes.

He took her hand and gently towed her from the room.

The pair of outlaws had only gotten as far as Nottingham Town market when Gisbourne and the guards caught up with them.

' Guards, take aim,' Gisbourne ordered, ' You left without saying goodbye, Hood.'

Ronin held his hands, in the air, so Ava followed suit.

' No more public humiliation? ' Robin asked in mild suprise.

' The Sheriff no longer cares, ' Gisbourne said simply, ' He just wants you dead now. Be a shame to waste your pretty little friend though, she can come home with me. Shoot him. '

Robin silently said his prayers, as he was completely surrounded, only for there to be a loud war cry, and the rest of the gang of outlaws to appear and begin fighting away the guards.

' Pepper, ouch! ' Djaq laughed, throwing a fist full of pepper in to Gisbourne's eyes before standing in the cluster with Much, Robin, Will, Ava and John.

' You see, Gisbourne? ' Robin grinned like a school boy,' that's why I didn't say goodbye - because I didn't want to see you cry. '

' Time to disappear? ' Will asked.

' Yeah,' Robin replied, ' this way gang. '

' Where's my father? ' Ava asked as the outlaws walked back to camp.

' He's probably still out at the tavern from the disagreement earlier, ' Much told her, taking her hand and interlocking their fingers.

' He'll be fine, ' Will told her easily,' he can look after himself. '

Later on, when they were back at camp, the six outlaws were sat around the camp fire, talking. Robin was telling them what had happened in Nottingham, with assistance from Ava.

' Well it's not the end of the world, is it? ' Much said, trying to put a positive outlook on things as usual,' I mean, Marain's alright..basically, and we've got a camp. '

' Much, ' Will said, rolling his eyes,' the Sheriff and the Black Knights are going to kill the king and take over England. '

' True, ' Much sighed, ' it is the end of the world. And if we've learnt one thing today, it's that you're never going to Nottingham alone again, ever. ' Much told his leader.

' I was with him! ' Ava piped up idnignantly.

' And you're never going to Nottingham with out sufficent protection from one of us either. ' Much told his girlfriend, tightenting his grip on her hand.

' You know,' Ava began mischeviously,' you're beginning to sound like my father. '

The others smirked at this, awaiting Much's reaction and were not disappointed.

' I am not! ' he said indignantly, ' I resent that. Under no circumstances will I ever be like your father. Back to you, Robin - if you had died, especially now - '

Robin cut off his former manservant by standing up from his seat and moving towards him, ' If I had died today, Much, or if I die tomorrow, you will all carry on with out me. '

' How? ' Much asked seeking an answer, ' we are Robin Hood's men..and women, ' he added when Ava dug her thunbnail in to his palm slightly.

' No! ' Robin Hood said, annoyed,' You are Robin Hood. '

' What? ' Much asked in confusion.

' You are Robin Hood! ' Robin called out to the skies, ' and you are, and you are,' he added,pointing at Ava and Will, who were closest, ' all of you are. '

' We're not though, are we? ' Much disagreed.

' Listen to me, listen, 'Robin said, now clearly on a roll with his speeches,' we are not just 7 outlaws in the forest - we are the spirit of England and that is Robin Hood. And that lads..and Ava..that is this country's only hope. '

John raised his mug,' We are Robin Hood. '

' Eigh up lads,' a man's Rochdale accent called out, as Allan entered the camp.

' What happened to you? ' Djaq asked, eyeing his bruised face suspiciously, as they all did.

' Tricked one punter too many,' Allan grinned sheepishly.

' I could have told you that,' Much muttered, to which Ava responded by hising a 'shut up' at him.

' We are Robin Hood,' John declared, rasing his mug to the air.

' You what? ' Allan asked, having missed that bit, as his daughter broke free of her boyfriend and came over to give him a quick hug.

' Just say it, ' John snapped.

' We are Robin Hood, ' the rest of them chorused.