Episode 2
A Talk with the Traitor
The next morning it seemed Annabelle had forgotten the fight Robin and her had had. Robin knew better though. Ignoring an incident was Annabelle's second favourite way of dealing with a problem. Her favourite way was to inflict as much pain as possible before running away and trying to forget everything that had happened. Robin knew that tactic well. Robin played along with Annabelle's little game and hoped that her sweet pretence would soon turn back into her usual cold indifference.
"Annabelle are you coming to Nottingham with us today?" He asked her.
"Of course," She said, handing him a bowl of breakfast. Robin had told the gang last night about the Midnight Highwayman's raid on Knighton Hall. This was when Will revealed to everyone how the Midnight Highwayman broke into the castle and stole some of the Sheriff's money. The Sheriff had been trying to keep the theft quiet but a guard had let the story slip after several of the villagers offered to buy him drinks.
"May I ask again why we are going to Nottingham?" Annabelle asked the group at large.
"We're going to see Allan," Answered Much in a sour tone.
"Who's that?"
"He used to be an outlaw," Said Will darkly. "But he betrayed us for a sack of coins."
"Oh," Was Annabelle's only reply.
Half an hour later they were all congregated on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest.
"What's the plan Master?" Much asked.
"See this cart riding toward us?" Robin pointed to a small cart being pulled by a donkey that was indeed trundling along the road that they were standing beside. "We knock the two drivers out and sit in their place."
"And then we ride into Nottingham," Much finished.
"Two of us will need to knock out a couple of guards and patrol outside Allan's room while Annabelle and I are inside."
"Why do I have to go with you?" Annabelle asked with a small snipe in her voice.
"Because I do not trust you out of my sight," Robin told her indifferently. She smirked. The cart rode closer and closer to where the outlaws were hiding. Little John and Will jumped out in front of the cart, knocking the farmers over the head with their weapons.
"Good work," Robin said, hurrying out from the brush. Everyone helped drag the bodies into the bushes. Robin dropped a sack of coins beside the unconscious farmers. Annabelle ran to the cart and hopped onto one of the seats.
"You won't be riding in the front Annabelle." Robin told her. He stripped off the tattered cloth that covered the cargo. "You will be in a barrel." Annabelle gave him a hard stare before reluctantly jumping off the seat and standing beside Robin, Djaq and Will. Robin thought it odd that Annabelle gave up so easily but he did not pursue the matter. Much and Little John put on the hats of the merchants while everyone else unpacked a barrel of fruit and placed the food by the side of the farmers. A few minutes later they were ready to go. Much and Little John steered the donkey toward the gates protecting Nottingham town. In a few minutes they were through and trotting toward the castle. There were grumbles from the back as the outlaws were tossed around.
"Shh!" Little John hissed.
"Halt!" Called a guard as they reached the entrance to the castle.
"Fruit, for the Lords table." Much told them. Another guard walked to the back of the cart and peeked under the cloth.
"They're right to go," He said. Little John urged the donkey underneath the portcullis and into the courtyard. Much and Little John ripped off the cloth and took a barrel each.
"We'll help," Said two guards, walking over to the cart. One of them lifted the barrel that contained Robin while the other took the one with Annabelle in it.
"These barrels seem too heavy for just a bit of fruit!" Exclaimed one.
"Finest quality stuff," Grunted Little John who was carrying a Will-filled barrel through a side door and down into the kitchens. A few grumbles could he heard from inside them but Much purposely stubbed his toe to distract the guards. They walked back up to the courtyard just as the four outlaws sprung from their barrels, grumbling and complaining.
"Okay," Began Robin, rubbing his bruised forehead. "Little John and Much, you both return the cart and wait outside the castle walls for us. Will and Djaq knock out the first two guards we see and put on their armour. Go!" Little John and Much disappeared out the door while Robin, Annabelle, Will and Djaq slipped through a side passage and ran through the castle. It wasn't long until they came across two guards walking along the corridor. Will hit them both over the head with the handle of his axe and stripped them of their armour. Djaq and Will dressed themselves as Robin and Annabelle ran ahead to check that the corridor beyond was deserted. At Robin's say so the all crept along the passage, heading deeper into the castle. The four had to hide twice more because of passing guards but eventually made it to Allan's room unseen. Will and Djaq took their positions in the corridor while Robin and Annabelle snuck inside. Allan was sleeping in his grand bed, the evidence of a nice meal lying on his bedside table. Annabelle walked over and leant against the window and Robin dragged Allan from his bed by the collar of his night shirt.
"Wha-" He exclaimed as Robin threw him unceremoniously into a chair. "Robin?"
"What do you know about the Midnight Highwayman?" Robin asked, getting straight to the point.
"I-wha-Robin it's barely even daybreak!" He exclaimed, looking out the window. The same window Annabelle had been standing in front of only moments before. She was now walking toward Allan, a mischievous grin on her beautiful face.
"Oh Robin, you forgot to tell me he was cute!" Annabelle exclaimed, grasping Allan's shoulder from behind and swinging herself around so she was sitting on Allan's lap, facing him. Allan looked taken aback but began to thoroughly enjoy himself as Annabelle's hands rubbed up his chest to clasp behind his head.
"Annabelle," Robin growled as she titled her head toward Allan's ear and began to whisper to him. Allan's grin grew steadily wider. Robin, who could not stand anymore of his sister's impious actions, grabbed her by the waist and dragged her small body off the traitor. Allan seemed disappointed but Annabelle looked unabashed.
"Why must you always ruin my fun Robin," She said, taking out a small knife and beginning to clean her nails. Robin pushed Annabelle behind him.
"I will ask you again Allan, what do you know about the Midnight Highwayman?" Allan, who was still staring at the now uninterested-looking Annabelle, spluttered slightly but managed to drag his eyes away from Annabelle to give a dignified response. However he paused when he thought about the question. It didn't appear that Allan was going to answer. Robin notched an arrow and pointed it at him.
"Well," Allan began nervously. "He's quick, knows what he wants. I haven't seen him but Gisborne has tried catching him both times that he has broken into the castle and-"
"Wait, both times?" Robin asked, confused. He lowered his bow slightly.
"Yeah he broke in last night too, see, and emptied another chest that's locked up in-" Allan caught himself just before he let slip to Robin Hood where a stash of money was kept. Robin raised his bow once more. "Anyway the Sheriff wants to keep it all quiet, doesn't want others, meaning you, to get the same idea. But he, the Midnight Highwayman, knows the castle, see, knows all the passageways and stuff. Not being funny but he's good." Allan finished, looking apprehensively at the tip of Robin's arrow. Robin considered him slightly before lowering the bow. There was a knock on the door.
"Robin we've got to go!" Will called. Everyone looked to the door where a small scuffle could he heard. Annabelle casually replaced the knife in her cloak pocket before lifting her hood over her head to cover her face. She unsheathed her ruby encrusted sword as Robin ran to the door and flung it open. Both Djaq and Will were fighting a guard each. Will yelled to Robin across the corridor,
"They caught sight of Djaq and saw she was a Sacrean." Robin shot an arrow into one of the guards' legs. He howled in pain and crumpled on the ground, clutching his wound. Djaq ran over and relieved Will of his guard by hitting him over the head with the hilt of her sword.
"They've alerted the rest of the guards." Will told Robin as they ran back along the corridor, weapons drawn. The four ran through the almost deserted castle. There were very few guards, which seemed strange. The outlaws burst through a side door into the large courtyard. There, standing on the top steps was the Sheriff and at least twenty guards. Robin ran toward the gates guarding Nottingham town but it was blocked by ten more guards.
"Get them!" The Sheriff yelled, pointing at Robin. With their weapons still drawn, the four outlaws ran to the gateway and began fighting the guards. However the others were already running down the stone steps toward them.
"Robin, you run, I'll create a distraction." Annabelle said, looking behind her at the wave of iron clad men coming toward them.
"Annabelle, no!" Robin yelled, fending off a guard but Annabelle had already run across the courtyard and jumped onto the hangman's platform.
"Vasey!" She called, throwing her head back to reveal her face. "Remember me?" The Sheriff, who was joyously watching Robin be assaulted by guards, squinted at Annabelle. A mixture of horror and anger descended on his fat face.
"No! No guards get her! Get Locksley!" He yelled, jumping up and down on the spot and pointing at Annabelle. The guards stopped fighting and looked confusedly at the Sheriff. "Don't get Hood, get Locksley!" The guards, who were still confused, lumbered toward Annabelle who was cackling with laughter. "You haven't changed a bit Locksley!" The Sheriff spat, watching Annabelle fight over twenty guards.
"And nor it seems have you Vasey. You still look like an ugly, bald, toothless baby!" Annabelle laughed madly as she kicked a guard in the mouth and hit another over the head with the flat side of her sword.
"Belle, come on!" Robin called from outside the castle walls.
"I have a funny feeling we will be seeing a lot of each other Vasey, just like old times!" Vasey snarled as Annabelle jumped from the wooden platform and ran for the gateway.
"Stop her! Stop her!" The Sheriff ordered. The portcullis began to lower. Annabelle rolled underneath it just as the metal gate crashed onto the stone. The Sheriff pushed through the guards and jumped over the dead ones to get to the portcullis. He rattled the bars in anger. Annabelle gave him a mocking bow before running off after her brother, still cackling with laughter.
Back at the camp Will was telling Little John and Much about their narrow escape.
"But what I do not get is your relationship with the Sheriff Annabelle?" Djaq said, turning to the girl. There was a sudden outburst of laughter from the corner of the camp. Robin turned around to face the gang, trying to smother is humour.
"Oh Annabelle and the Sheriff go way back." He told them. "See, when Edward was Sheriff, he was not so strict. He and my father were good friends. That meant we saw a lot of Marian." Annabelle snorted with suppressed laughter but she let Robin continue. "It was always the four of us. Marian, Much, Annabelle and I. We would play together, always having fun. But Annabelle liked to go a bit further with her games. She always had a different idea of fun." Annabelle smirked at this remark. "At this time Vasey was the head guard. He was the 'Gisborne' of the time. Edward usually let Annabelle have free rein but Vasey didn't like that, especially after Annabelle played a nasty trick on him. And so it went on." Robin turned to his sister. "How many times had he caught you Annabelle?"
"Two hundred and eighty-nine times." She said proudly.
"And how many of those times did you manage to escape?"
"Two hundred and eighty-five times. On the other four occasions, Sir Edward let me off." She laughed.
"Let's just say the Sheriff hates Annabelle more than he has ever hated me." The gang laughed. Even Annabelle smiled at Robin as they all began to talk of the Midnight Highwayman.
"I wouldn't fancy being the Sheriff right now." Much said casually.
"Why is that?" Djaq asked. Everyone was looking at him curiously.
"Oh...well...it's just look at what he's got to deal with." He began, turning red and faltering with his words. "There's the Night Watchman, the Midnight Highwayman, us and Annabelle." Everyone laughed.
"What's the Night Watchman?" Annabelle asked.
"The Night Watchman goes from house to house and delivers food to people who need it." Little John told her.
"Do you know who it is?"
"It's Marian,"
"You mean Robin's Marian?" She asked, looking curiously at her brother.
"How did you know about Robin and Marian?" Much asked, jumping to his feet in alarm. Annabelle snorted in an unlady like way.
"She's always been Robin's Marian, ever since we were kids. Whenever she wasn't around it was always 'Marian this' and 'Marian that' and 'I'll marry Marian one day'. It was pathetic." Robin blushed as the rest of the gang howled with laughter. Annabelle wore a self-satisfied smirk. "But you should remember that Much, you were there after all."
"Oh yes, of course." Much said casually but it seemed as if Much was trying to forget any of his childhood with Annabelle in it.
"That reminds me, I should go see Edward and Marian, especially after the Midnight Highwayman's attack." Robin said.
"Oh I want to come!" Robin sighed in an aggravated way but let Annabelle follow him out of the camp with her bag slung over her shoulder.
Annabelle and Robin walked through the forest in silence. It wasn't until they began to near Knighton Hall that Robin finally said something.
"You didn't have to do that this morning."
"Do what?" She asked in a sour tone.
"Confront the Sheriff. I had a plan."
"I'm sorry Robin but I do not have as much faith in you and your plans like the rest of your gang." Robin scowled. "And anyway, I was just having fun, like old times."
"This isn't like old times Annabelle. You're not going to get a slap on the wrist for doing something wrong and then be let off. You can get yourself killed in times like these."
"I'm a big girl Robin; I can take care of myself."
"Speaking of which, what is this business of yours that you tend to late at night. Because if you're selling yourself than-"
"What makes you say I'm 'selling' myself?"
"Simply the way you acted with Allan this morning."
"I was only having fun!" She yelled.
"Don't you take anything seriously? Annabelle people are dying and all you want to do is have a laugh 'like old times'. You aren't helping people, not like the rest of us." Robin and Annabelle stopped walking to glare at each other.
"Robin? Annabelle?" Marian asked cautiously, looking down at them both from a window at the back of her house. They both looked up at her, their scowls turning into smiles. Robin climbed up to the window and jumped through. Annabelle mirrored him. As soon as Annabelle's richly booted feet touched the wooden flooring Marian engulfed Annabelle in a hug. Robin looked sulky. It seemed he did not receive the same welcome that Annabelle did.
"Oh Annabelle it is so good to see you!" She exclaimed. Robin waited until the two girls had pulled apart before he said to Marian,
"I need to talk to you, in private."
"I get when I'm not wanted." Annabelle said and disappeared down the stairs.
"What is it? What's happened?" Marian asked as soon as Annabelle was out of earshot.
"Nothing," Said Robin simply. "I just didn't want Belle around when I did this," And he leant in and kissed her.
Down in the living room Edward met Annabelle.
"Edward," Annabelle greeted, bowing slightly.
"Lady Annabelle of Locksley oh how you have grown!" He exclaimed, hugging her.
"Not even the best of us can escape time Edward." Annabelle remarked, looking purposely at the large gash on his cheek.
"Ah yes you heard. I'm not as agile as I used to be, my reflexes not as great but I'm managing well enough with Marian here." Sir Edward motioned to two chairs.
"I'm sorry," Annabelle said as she sat down.
"What for my dear?" Annabelle shrugged.
"Usually when someone gets hurt or die you say sorry." Edward laughed but it turned into a wheezing cough.
"Oh Annabelle you never have understood proper manners, no matter how much your mother hoped for it." Annabelle's eyes flashed and her face darkened but she smiled to cover it. Edward did not seem to notice. "It was terrible, what your mother had to go through. Especially as her suffering was drawn out." Annabelle stared at her hands as Edward talked. She was shaking with suppressed emotion. "But you're back now and that's all that matters." He finished brightly. Annabelle stood up suddenly, her chair crashing to the ground.
"I have a few things I need to attend to in the village." She said in an emotionless tone. Before Edward could say anything she had flung open the front door and ran outside.
"What has happened? Where is Annabelle?" Robin asked as he and Marian came down the stairs.
"I do believe she wants to be left alone at the moment Robin." Edward said, finally realising what he had said. Robin nodded.
"I should be going anyway. We only came to see how you both were after the Midnight Highwayman's attack."
"It was only a few trinkets Robin," Edward said. "He fled once he saw Marian and I." Robin's brow furrowed.
"That's strange, very strange." Robin said, lost in thought. He left through the back door, not even stopping to kiss Marian goodbye.
"I want to know everything there is to know about the Midnight Highwayman." Robin demanded when he arrived back at camp.
"Everything?" Much asked, astounded.
"Yes, everything."
"Well for one thing she's a woman." Djaq told them all.
"It's a man!" Much told Robin, all the while glaring at Djaq.
"Look I don't care if it's a man or a woman!" Robin said fiercely. "When he raided Marian's house the other night he did something strange. He fled. I'm thinking he may know Marian and he might want to go back and finish what he started." Everyone's face darkened as they lapsed into thought. Suddenly, a loud crunching sound echoed through the forest as someone approached the camp. However the outlaws let out their held in breaths when they heard the person humming an odd tune. It was only Annabelle.
"What are you all looking at?" Annabelle asked in an appalled tone when she stepped into the camp to find everyone looking at her. They all quickly looked away. Annabelle dropped her bag on top of her bed and sat down by the fire. "What are we all doing?" She asked, clapping her hands excitedly.
"We're trying to find out everything there is to know about the Midnight Highwayman." Robin told her.
"Why do you want to know about him?"
"Because he fled when he saw Marian at Knighton Hall."
"You mean the other night when he was robbing her?"
"Yes. Now I think he knows her and fled because of it but wants to finish the job off."
"What makes you say that? Maybe he just does not want to hurt a pretty woman and an old man." Annabelle argued. Robin roared in frustration.
"That's not the point!" He yelled at her. "He seems like a man that never leaves a job undone."
"But face it Robin you don't know anything about the Midnight Highwayman. Have you ever seen him? Do you know what he does with the stolen money? How about his foes and if there are any particular places he targets?" Robin was silent.
"Well what do you know about the Midnight Highwayman?" Robin retorted. Annabelle paused to look around the camp at all the curious and eager faces that watched her.
"Well, I have heard some things on my travels." Annabelle began. "See he doesn't just rob from rich people on the highways. He also steals from those who are making their people suffer such as the Sheriff. With every new town he goes to, he gives what he stole from the last town to the poor people there so they do not get hanged for being in possession of their Lords treasures." Annabelle turned to face Robin. "Maybe he has morals. Maybe the reason why he fled from Knighton Hall was because he does not harm the old, or the young, or the women. And anyway," Annabelle added, "If I saw Marian coming toward me with a sword I would flee too."
"How do you know she had a sword?" Robin asked her suspiciously. Annabelle rolled her eyes.
"Robin please, I have known Marian just as long as you have. Why would she not have a sword in her hand?" Annabelle, Djaq and Much all laughed.
~.~
"Why master made me come with you I will never know," Much mumbled to himself while casting a dark look toward Annabelle.
"Why do you call him master when you are a free man?" Annabelle asked him as she absentmindedly cleaned her fingernails. Much glared at her and chose not to answer. Annabelle and Much were sitting in a patch of long grass on the outskirts of Locksley. There had been a rumour going around that the Sheriff was to appear in the village that day. Much and Annabelle had been sent by Robin to make sure he didn't wreak too much havoc. Annabelle, who was beginning to become bored, began rifling through her bag.
"What do you keep in there?" Much asked while giving the bag a dark look.
"Clothes, money, all my worldly possessions." Annabelle told him. "When's Vasey going to come, I'm bored."
"You should not provoke him, you could get hurt."
"Aww Much I didn't know you cared so much!" Annabelle said while laughing. But she sobered up quickly and said, "But don't give me a lecture on staying safe, I hear enough of that from Robin."
"I don't care about you, I only fear for Robin and what would happen to him if you died."
"He would jump and dance with joy." Annabelle said casually.
"He would not!" Much argued. "My master loves you very much, no matter how little you deserve it." Annabelle laughed at him.
"And there you are with the master stuff again. Why Much, what ever did I do to you to warrant such hate toward me?" Much glared at her.
"You know very well," Much said sulkily. Annabelle laughed again. "Shush!" Much said suddenly. Annabelle stopped laughing to look at him curiously. Much pointed to the other side of Locksley where the Sheriff was riding into the village atop his horse. A cluster of guards surrounded him.
"Excellent!" Annabelle exclaimed softly, rubbing her hands together excitedly.
"People!" The Sheriff called as he dismounted his horse. The villagers froze in their daily chores and they looked up at the Sheriff.
"Look at them, they're so scared." Much whispered.
"People!" The Sheriff began again, grinning widely. "I'm here to inform you that taxes in Locksley are to be raised by one gold coin." All the villagers' faces fell in shock and horror as Much exclaimed,
"Nooo!"
"Yes that's all thank you." The Sheriff said gleefully. Annabelle growled under her breath and withdrew her dagger from her belt. Before Much could even try to stop her she had thrown the knife. It soared through the air and the blade embedded into one of the Sheriff's guards. He fell to the ground, dead.
"And here is Robin Hood to save you all!" Exclaimed the Sheriff joyfully as he turned to look at the place where the dagger had come from.
"No not Robin," Annabelle said, standing up and walking toward the Sheriff. Much made a lunge for her but she stepped away from him. "Annabelle," The Sheriff scowled as Annabelle smirked at him. "So why are you raising taxes Vasey?" She asked.
"Because the Midnight Highwayman stole all my money!" He yelled angrily.
"But you cannot punish the people of Nottingham for his wrong-doing."
"Oh really? Well just you watch me." Annabelle laughed and dug her hand into her bag. While keeping eye contact with the Sheriff she said,
"Yesav sllems," She dropped a small metal ball onto the ground. It burst open and the air around her was filled with smoke. "Where'd she go?" The Sheriff yelled, a hint of panic in his voice. Two more explosions sounded and copious amounts of smoke filled the air. When it had cleared Annabelle had her dagger in her hand and it was resting against the Sheriff's throat.
"But I don't want to watch you tax the people of Nottingham." Annabelle said from behind him. The Sheriff spluttered as he attempted to get words out. His eyes were wide with fear. "How-how'd you do that?" He stuttered. Annabelle laughed. "You're a witch." He said. "She's a witch!" He repeated loudly so all of Locksley could hear. Annabelle shifted her hand slightly so the dagger was digging in deeper. "What do you want from me Hood?"
"I want you to remove the new taxation laws."
"I can't do that," The Sheriff said. Annabelle dug the blade in deeper, almost cutting his skin.
"Can't you?" She whispered.
"Guards! Guards!" The Sheriff called. "Get her!" But his guards were very reluctant to move toward someone they believed to be a witch. Annabelle cackled.
"It doesn't look like they want to come near me, or maybe it's just because you smell funny. Now tell the people that you will not tax them or I will kill you." The Sheriff laughed heartily.
"It seems your dear brother has not told you; see if I die, Prince John will raze Nottingham to the ground. Do you really want that Hood?"
"I don't really care," Annabelle said in an emotionless tone. She felt the Sheriff's body go rigid with fear.
"You don't care, do you?" He asked her in a scared tone.
"Not one bit," She laughed. Vasey fell silent.
"I was only joking!" He yelled to the people of Locksley. "Just my little joke! You don't need to pay extra taxes!" He laughed forcefully to try and make it convincing. "Now what about our deal Hood?" He said, lowering his voice again.
"What deal?" Annabelle asked with a small laugh.
"You're going to let me go. I'm not going to tax them. You're going to spare my life." Annabelle laughed at the Sheriff's fright.
"I don't remember making that deal." She whispered menacingly into his ear. Vasey's eyes grew wide with fear once more. "If you try to tax the other villagers I will find out and I will kill you. Good day." Annabelle removed the dagger from his throat and pushed Vasey into the wall of guards in front of them. She then disappeared in a puff of smoke. What Annabelle had actually done was run into the nearest house and hide there while the guards swiped at the smoke with their swords. Annabelle jumped out of the back window of the hut and disappeared into Sherwood Forest. Laughing at her own wit Annabelle casually made her way back to camp. When she arrived she found Much telling the gang of how Annabelle had stopped the taxation of Locksley but revealed herself to be a witch.
"I am not a witch Much," She told him as Robin gave her a disapproving look. "I simply have a few tricks in my bag." But no matter what Annabelle told him Much still believed she knew witchcraft and that was the reason why she was evil.
~.~
The camp was silent. Robin and Annabelle had fought once more and the rest of the gang were listening to their footsteps die away as the siblings angrily stormed away from each other and through Sherwood. Everyone was looking at each other awkwardly. Slowly, they all began to return to what they were doing beforehand. Much began clearing his kitchen, again, Will returned to sharpening his axe and Little John kept tidying the camp. All were working again except Djaq who was sitting by her abandoned medicine bottles, lost deep in thought. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked over to Much. She remained silent as she sat down beside him.
"What's up?" Much asked, turning to face the Sacrean.
"I...I want to know what happened between Robin and Annabelle to make them so angry at each other because I know it is not just sibling rivalry." Much opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it and shook his head.
"I cannot betray my master." Much said quietly.
"I would not ask if I thought we were safe but the tension between the two could get one of them or one of us killed. Robin and Annabelle do not agree on the best of times. Annabelle does not follow Robin's orders. The last time that happened the Sheriff almost stole the secret pact of Nottingham. One of us will die Much, unless it's resolved. I can help with that." Much's face twisted in agony as he fought with himself. The camp was silent once more. Will had stopped sharpening his axe long ago to listen in while Little John had paused in his tidying to wonder why everything was silent.
"Robin and Annabelle's mother was sick about five years ago." Much began. His hands were shaking and with every word he said it sounded like he hated himself for it. "Robin was visiting an important Lord in a nearby province when the physician told their mother she was seriously ill. Annabelle, who was only fourteen at the time, sent word to Robin that their mother was dying. He was only a day's ride away from Locksley. Their mother died four days later with only Annabelle by her side. Annabelle sent another letter to Robin, telling of what happened and when the funeral was. But still he did not return to Locksley. Two days after Annabelle buried their mother, Robin arrived at their mansion. Annabelle was angry, angrier than I have ever seen her. She and Robin got into a huge fight, their biggest ever. Robin was defending himself by saying he was running important errands for the King. Which he was," Much added hastily. "But Annabelle won. She yelled, for all the village to hear, that he did not care about their family, that he was selfish and only wanted Locksley for personal gain. Robin tried to stop her but Annabelle left. She ran away. This is the first time anyone has seen her in the past five years." Much looked up, tears glistening in his eyes. He looked at each of them in turn. "Please do not think any less of Robin." He wept before running from the camp. Once more there was silence.
"I never knew," Little John said, staring at the spot where Much had disappeared.
"I knew but only a little part of it. I did not know Robin abandoned his family."
"What are we going to do to help them?" Djaq asked the two men.
"I think we should stay out of this. It will make them both angry if they find out we know. It will make them angrier if we meddle in it." Little John said. Both Djaq and Will nodded in agreement.
~.~.~
Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood, I do however own Annabelle. Back away from my monster = P
A/N: Firstly I'd just like to say thanks to everyone reading. This is quite a short story and only has 5 installments/chapters. This is the second. Cookies to whoever figures out what Annabelle really said in Locksley Village. Also, I should explain the setting. Marian is obviously, still alive and Allan is still a traitor and living at the castle. So it's set somewhere in the second season.
I do need a bit of motivation to post a new chapter however as I am the biggest procrastinator you will ever find.
So please review, it'll make my day =D