Chapter 7

As Robin carried a bundle of twigs back to camp for Archer's fire, he couldn't wrap his head around what he had just seen. Prince John must be going back to Nottingham because he had heard about the mass destruction that it had undergone. Robin wondered if Prince John knew that Isabella and the Sheriff were dead.

On second thought, maybe he didn't want to know.

Robin arrived back at the camp and dumped the twigs in a pile in front of Archer, who was madly trying to start a fire by scratching two rocks together.

"You won't get the fire started like that," remarked Guy from his postition against the cave wall.

"You want to try then?" asked an aggravated Archer as he thrusted both of the rocks at Guy.

"Here," said Robin holding out his hands and taking the rocks from Archer.

Archer appeared grateful and released a sigh as he leaned against the cave wall beside Guy; crossing his legs into a relaxed position. Robin made himself busy starting the fire and then coaxing it to life, trying to get his mind off of what he had seen. He hoped that nobody could tell that something was eating at him, but before he knew it Guy asked, "Is something up, Robin?"

Robin didn't answer right off. He took a deep breath before saying, "When I went for a walk to collect some firewood, I saw Prince John heading for Nottingham."

Guy closed his eyes and banged the back of his head against the rock wall.

"Like we don't already have enough problems," mumbled Guy.

Tyrell entered the cave just then. He had not been standing outside the cave when Robin had arrived back at camp and Robin had wondered where he had gone. When he saw the two small birds, dangling out of Tyrell's hand by their necks, Robin had his answer.

"Are you sure that's what you saw Robin?" asked Archer, filled with curiousity.

"Yes," said Robin with a grave look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" asked Tyrell as he sat down with them, preparing the birds for eating.

"Robin saw Prince John headed for Nottingham," replied Archer.

"Not our problem," said Tyrell with a careless shrug of his shoulders.

That caused a fire to ignite inside Robin. Robin quickly rose to his feet and glared at Tyrell who was staring up at him in shock.

"Not our problem! Not our problem! Do you hear yourself?" asked Robin. "It is our problem! England will suffer, we will suffer, if Prince John rules again!"

"We have our mission already," replied Tyrell calmly.

"Oh, you mean our mission to obtain some trinket from my father?" asked Robin. "That won't be nearly as important if our world is consumed by Prince John's revenge!"

"It's NOT some kind of trinket!" hollered back Tyrell, stabbing a long stick through the birds's bodies, taking his anger out on the supper instead of Robin. "It's more important than you think!"

"Care to enlighten me then?" asked Robin.

"I have no idea what you two are bickering about," started Guy, "but I think you need to both take a deep breath and calm down."

Robin flashed Tyrell one more look of anger before storming off to stand outside the cave. Every inch of Robin's being tingled with the need to go after Prince John and stop him. If Robin wasn't ensnared by Tyrell's mission, he wouldn't be here. If Robin wasn't ensnared by Tyrell's mission, he would be dead though and wouldn't know that England was about to go down in flames.

This was a lose-lose situation and Robin had no idea how to fix it.

Robin crossed his arms across his chest and gazed upward at the stars, wondering what Marian would do if she were here. Yes, he had fallen for Isabella and Kate, but they just weren't Marian. Marian would always be his better half and sometimes he didn't know how he kept on living without her. That was when Robin was struck with an idea. He knew exactly what Marian would do in this situation. Though the plan was rash, like all of Marian's plans were, it was Robin's one and only option.

Robin had to do it.

That night, after the four of them had feasted on the birds, they laid down around the fire to get some rest. Robin laid awake, curled up in a ball. He was keeping his eyes on Tyrell, waiting for him to fall asleep. Once Tyrell was asleep, Robin quietly got up from his position and walked outside the cave. Robin turned back briefly to look at sleeping Tyrell, Archer, and Guy.

"I'll be back before dawn," thought Robin as he turned back around and raced into the trees. "I have work to do."