Regaining consciousness, Marian opened her eyes. Confused at finding herself lying on the grass in the meadow, yet enjoying the sun's warmth on her face, she tried sitting up, only to fall back down as pain shot through her.

Everything hurt, especially one wrist, which was rubbed raw from the thick rope still wrapped around it. "I want my father," she whimpered, in a small voice.

Suddenly, seeing Much standing anxiously over her, she realized she wanted Robin, as well.

"Robin?" she called out, faintly.

"He's gone to fetch Matilda," Much told her, shifting back and forth on his feet. "You know him...he'll be back straight away! Are you alright, Marian? I mean, I'm glad you're awake, because you wouldn't wake up before, and for a moment there...for a moment there, I thought-"

"Where's Claribelle?"

Much snorted in derision. "Her! She's run off to Old Man Elbert's bull, the hussy, and she nearly took you with her! And I must say, after all the trouble she caused, she'd better have twin calves in the spring! That would be nice, wouldn't it? Robin gives my family one cow, and then, after a time, we have...we have...how many cows will we have, if Claribelle has twins? I can't count, you know."

"Three," Marian told him, grimacing from all the pains jabbing at her small body. She felt light-headed listening to Much's ramblings, and she hurt so badly, she began to cry.

"Oh, dear!" Much worried, fumbling about in search of a handkerchief, which he didn't possess. "Don't cry, Marian!"

She instantly obeyed his request, not because it was easy, but because she saw Robin running toward her, with Matilda in pursuit.

She couldn't let Robin see her cry! She had be braver than that, to impress him. After all, she had never seen him cry, not even at his father's funeral. For that matter, she'd never seen him hurt, even when he'd broken his ankle, trying to do a back flip jumping off the roof of his stables. Though pale and gasping, he'd forced a smile at her and discussed how he could correct his mistake and do it better the next time, which he did fearlessly, once he had healed. No. Marian refused to cry, though her body was screaming with pain.

"How are you feeling?" Robin asked her, dropping down beside her with a face as anxious as Much's.

"I hurt," she admitted, feeling better just having him near. "I want my father."

"I'll get him."

"No. Please stay. Could you get him, Much?"

"Me?"

Flabbergasted, Much's mind immediately conjured up all sorts of obstacles standing in his way of fetching the Sheriff of Nottingham. "Me?" he repeated. "Well! I suppose I can try!"

"Go, Much," Robin ordered him. "Run!"

Picking up his feet, Much hurried off in the wrong direction, then had to correct himself twice, before running toward Nottingham, muttering, "I hate this!" as he went.

"Now, then," Matilda said, dropping to her knees beside the little girl and letting her eyes take a swift inventory of her bumps and bruises. "Let's just see what the damage is!" Teasingly, she jested, "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's dangerous to take a cow for a walk?"

"It's my fault," Robin said, seriously. "I'm older. I shouldn't have let her. I'm so sorry, Wren."

Touched, Marian told him, "No, it was my fault. I said I'd let go of the rope, but I wrapped it 'round my wrist, and I couldn't. How did I get free, anyway? Did the rope snap?"

"It did, when my arrow sliced it," Robin admitted, too worried even to brag.

"Can you be quiet a minute, and let me work?" Matilda scolded both children, fondly. "There now! Let's get rid of this rope, for starters."

Cutting it off with Robin's knife, Matilda next washed and applied a salve to Marian's wrist, satisfied that only the skin was damaged. "This should prevent a scar," she told the girl. "Your future husband wouldn't want to see his wife marked now, would he?"

"He wouldn't care," Robin insisted, boldly jutting out his chin.

His fierce attitude made Matilda smile to herself knowingly. So, you fancy yourself in the role already, do you? she was thinking. That's as pretty a thought as the pair of you! Well, let's hope you don't kill yourselves with your heroics, before you have a chance to grow up!