Kate, the potter of Locksley's daughter, shook her scraggly blond head as she pulled up her bucket from a well. Staggering as she lugged it back toward her mother's cottage, Kate stopped and placed it on the ground, astonished to see two of Robin's men openly strolling toward her.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed at Allan and Little John. "If Gisbourne's men see you-"
"Lookin' for Lady Marian," Allan answered her, unconcerned for his safety. "You seen her? We got somethin' to say."
"Something to ask the lass," Little John echoed.
Kate scowled. "She's not here, and you shouldn't be, either. Outlaws aren't welcome here. You know that."
"Gotta find Marian," Allan insisted, his face lit up in a vapid grin.
"She's no here," Little John reminded him. Kate shuddered at the grin the giant wore on his face, finding it a frightful sight.
Allan, not about to give up, decided, "Well, we gotta find someone. Gotta cheer up Robin."
"What's wrong with Robin?" Kate asked, pulling the two men around the side of a cottage, where they would be better hidden.
"He's no happy. Boo hoo," Little John surprisingly answered, still wearing his gruesome grin.
"Say, Big Man," Allan interjected, "I got an idea. I always find one woman's as good as another, so why don't we ask this one here to marry Robin?"
Kate couldn't believe her ears. "What did you say?" she asked, awestruck.
"Robin wants to marry you," Allan told her. Turning to John, he boasted, "There! Was that so hard? Robin should of said it months ago."
Kate still couldn't believe what she'd heard. "Marry him?" she asked, her voice a squeak.
Twisting a finger in his ear, Allan grimaced before answering, "Well, he doesn't wanna marry me, or John here. Why not you? You're a woman, right?"
"Allan," Little John warned, "I no think-"
"Of course I'll marry him!" Kate cried, delighted. "I better go talk to the priest about posting the marriage banns! And I guess it means I'll have to live in the forest, but I won't be an outlaw. Go back to Sherwood, and tell Robin I'm coming. How will I find him?"
"He's about so tall, with brown hair, and an arrow of quivers on his back," Allan said, confusing her.
"I know what he looks like," Kate whined. "That's why I'm marrying him! And it's a quiver of arrows, not the other way 'round. What I meant was, how will I find his camp, in Sherwood?"
"Shh," Allan grinned. "It's a secret."
"Big secret," Little John echoed.
"Big forest," Allan added.
Kate's thrill at their news made her forgive them their odd behavior. All the same, she suddenly grew suspicious. "You're not fooling me, are you?" she whined.
"Not bein' funny, but no," Allan answered. "We're not bein' funny."
"You swear it, that Robin wants to marry me? Why did he send you to tell me, instead of asking me himself?"
"Don't know. Didn't think you'd say yes, right, John?"
"Robin no talks when he should," Little John explained.
"That's right!" Allan agreed, impressed. "Much is always complainin' about him not talkin', though Much talks enough for the pair of them."
"Well, I don't care!" cried a jubilant Kate. "You tell him I'll marry him, but have him come get me, after I get the banns posted. I want everybody to know, Robin wants to marry me! Won't the other girls hate me when they hear? Especially the future Lady Gisbourne!"
"Who's that?" Allan asked.
"Stupid!" Kate teased, playfully slapping his arm. "Lady Marian, of course!"
"Oh, that's right! Say John, wasn't there somethin' we were gonna tell her?"