This can't be good...

Chapter 21

Lizzie

It was dark – nearly mid-night and the only light was that given by the moon that hung low in the clear sky. Lizzie gripped her staff, her knuckles white, and bent at the knees in readiness for the attack. The man hung back and circled her, making her spin on her heels and raise her staff in momentary panic as he feinted towards her; making up her mind she darted forwards instead and swung her staff towards his lower legs in hope of tripping him. He jumped it though – agile for all that he was bigger than her – and charged towards her with his staff raised, Lizzie let out a decidedly un-warrior-like squeal and retreated, holding her staff level with her face to block the anticipated blows. The first she was prepared for and she felt a surge of triumph as she blocked it with relative ease but as she lowered her staff he dodged left and struck her lightly on her bottom, making her stumble forwards and glare at him.

"Robin! Not helpful." She reprimanded as he pulled his hood down and chuckled.

"Sorry, couldn't resist, you looked so adorable!" He said, shrugging and she rolled her eyes.

"But I'm not supposed to be looking adorable, I'm supposed to be learning how to defend myself properly." She pointed out, placing her hands on her hips.

"You are! You're getting better every time." Robin said, no trace of a joke in his voice, Lizzie sighed – she didn't feel any more capable. Robin moved to put his arm round her and she made a snap decision, swiftly swinging her staff round she drove it across the back of his knees with enough force to make them buckle (the element of surprise definitely helped) and as he landed on the springy ground she promptly sat on him and grinned at his annoyed expression.

"Aha! The student becomes the master!" She joked, waggling her eyebrows and he laughed in spite of himself. Robin gently rolled onto his side and scooped her to his chest, she felt safe there and loved. After a while however worry crept into her mind about the situation she'd been trying not to think of.

"Robin...what are we going to do?" She asked quietly and he heaved a deep sigh, drawing her closer still.

"Liz, we'll think of something." He murmured, smoothing her hair but far from being comforted she felt more scared – he would not admit to being worried in case it worried her! All she wanted was to know how he really felt and where they stood, she sat up and twisted round to face him,

"No! The wanted posters were pinned up today with your face and name on it for killing me. Guy said that the Sheriff was going to -" But Robin stopped me mid-sentence with a finger to my lips.

"Don't worry about it. We have everything under control." He said flatly and I looked away, I knew he didn't like me bothering him about it but...I was frightened, there seemed no way out once again.

"I just can't help but worry.." I said, my voice tailing off and Robin patted me on the shoulder in a sort of annoying way.

"Just let us deal with it." God! Since when had he been so patronizing? Suddenly I was furious.

"Ah, don't worry your pretty little head about it? Yeah that sounds familiar." I growled and he...he laughed.

"Well it is a very pretty little head!" He said lightly. Bad move buster, I thought grimly.

"No, this is not a joke! Though it may surprise you – not everything is." I snapped, "I have a brain and a heart just like you and they both work perfectly well so I will not sit back and put the whole thing out of my mind while everything goes from bad to worse as it always does when the women leave the 'big, strong men' to get on with things. I am not some feather-headed child Robin and I will not be treated like one simply because I have breasts and you don't!" I screamed and flung my staff in his general direction, rushing off into the darkness.

Robin

I stared aghast at the gap in the trees through which she'd vanished – what had just happened? When had breasts come into it? Robin was not used to watching what he said in case of offense – the outlaws were fairly stoic – and he had found the whole saga confusing...at which point had he called her a feather-headed child? He had simply tried to put her mind at ease!

Women.

Lizzie

I was sobbing as I ran and not from the hits and scrapes I'd acquired from various ill-angled trees, simply because I'd remembered what it felt like to be 14 and helpless – watching bad decisions go from an idea to a definite outcome which would affect her and no-one else, wondering why Guy wouldn't listen and realizing it was because she was a girl, a silly little girl.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," Her old nurse had said "Everything will be just fine."

"Let me deal with it," Guy had said, patting her on the shoulder.

Everything was not fine in the least.

Men.

I stopped and leant against a tree, trying to catch my breath, rubbing my eyes I winced as the dirt on my hands was transferred into my eyes and was promptly cried out again. Drawing deep, shuddering breaths that seemed to wrack my whole body I lifted the skirt of my dress to wipe my face and when I straightened I jumped and had to press a hand to my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

Standing in front of me, eyes closed and dressed only in a long white nightshirt was the Sheriff of Nottingham.

He made a dreamy swipe for something I could not see and I realized he was sleepwalking...odd – I stood, rooted to the spot as he stumbled forwards, still grabbing handfuls of air and mouthing something. His lips gaped apart and then stretched to the side, I leant forward.

"Muh – eee." He mumbled, still groping for something in the air. Muh -eee...? What? As he scooped imaginary items into his arms and smiled greedily it struck me – Money, of course. I rolled my eyes.

"MINE!" He screamed in a loud voice that seemed to shatter the silent air. I couldn't help it, I screamed and his eyes flew open.

I staggered backwards as his hand went to his side, obviously reaching for his dagger which wasn't there and then his eyes widened as moonlight allowed him to see me properly.

"You?" He hissed, his eyes turning coal black. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Snapping out of it I turned and sprinted back the way I'd came, I heard no pursuing footsteps but I did not slow down until I was pulled to an abrupt halt when I ran into Little John's fairly formidable torso.