When Marian finally embraced the pain or made up her mind whether he deserved to know what she knew, she looked at him.
"There is a treasure that the Sheriff is unfairly interested in keeping to himself," she said.
"Bigger than the one you're carrying around the shire?"
"Much bigger." The thrill of the moment had finally seized her too. "But of the same origin."
"And part of his secrets, I hazard."
"Most probably, but those could easily be unrelated. Little is known to us who are not in Vaisey's trusted circle. After the fiasco with the chapel, he's getting paranoid."
"Getting!"Robin scoffed. "So the Sheriff divides the treasure in portions. Not equal, as you said. The wicked man! Can we know how many of those are there?"
Marian gave him any details she had gathered, but the information was limited.
"You know less than little, Marian!" he teased her.
"It may come as a true shock to you, but information doesn't just appear scripted on the ceiling."
"Sadly, that is true." The truth was that she was more than helpful. And he knew that she knew that he appreciated every risk she took by assisting him. Robin had already started thinking which places he should start his search from, and which he should exclude from his plan.
"How do we proceed?"
Her business-like tone didn't surprise him. If anything, it was distracting, but not so much as to actually make him consider letting her join him.
"Well... you go home. You've had enough excitement for the day."
"And how do you imagine to do this alone?" Marian asked. "Will you search the entire castle inch by inch with Sheriff's dogs right behind you? Or do you intend to coax the information from him by pillow-talking again?"
Not answering her question, he turned the subject back to her.
"I was under the erroneous impression that you were delivering parcels of food or coins to the poor, occasionally stealing tax money and preventing injustice. It hadn't occurred to me that your routing included visits to the castle every other night, and fights with the guards!"
"Well, now you know!"
"Marian! This isn't a game," he said as solemnly as he could, suppressing how amused he really was with her answer.
"You advised me not to take everything seriously, do you forget? This is a game you play with the Sheriff and you're both good players. Well, so am I!"
"And you may outsmart us all in the end. I know for a fact you can."
I'll kiss you a thousand times that day, my fearless fighter, he thought.
"But?" Marian demanded.
"Your work here, remarkable as always, is done."
Marian disagreed with an intense look. When it didn't have the desired effect, she said, "at a venture you may find the location. You may even lay a finger or two on the coffers with the money. Then what?"
"Your lack of faith is hurtful, my Lady." Robin tilted his head with a wounded-pride expression. "I know what I am doing."
"You do know how to get killed. No argument from me."
"Dying we do not do," he mimicked Little John and laughed.
"I cannot see what amuses you so much about the prospect of death, but I have stopped trying to understand you long ago, anyway. Now, no matter what the source of this charming complacency is, understand one thing; being a hero isn't enough, if you're not careful. Not in this corner of the Earth."
"Hero you say! Not a fool anymore?"
"I simply doubt that this shield of overconfidence on which you so lightly depend, is vast enough to protect you. This place is full of guards," she said, never dropping the chiding tone. "Useless as they may seem to you, they are still armed men."
"Nothing I cannot defeat." Robin was quick to dismiss the threat that any or all the guards combined could pose to him.
"You insufferable, wayward man!"
"We're much alike, then. We both insist that each alone can deal with the dangers that lurk in the shadows. Twice as passionately, we both insist that the other can't. And in this obstinacy we agitate one another."
"Heed my advice, please."
"Once again your advice is very well disguised reproach. Quite daunting, Marian."
"You need a proper plan. That is no reproach. It is common sense."
"Then you'll be satisfied to know that a commonly sensible plan is under development," he said, believing his own lie.
"Will you have one before the first squad of guards arrives with swords aiming at your heart?"
"I find hard to believe that you, dressed as the Nightwatchman, standing here in the lion's den, call me careless."
"But you are. It is no secret. Much must have tired himself calling you that." The mention of Much's name was a desperate attempt to change the subject. He would have laughed if her following words weren't as hurtful as she was capable of. "Speaking of Much, he is a decent man and an outlaw only because you are. Don't let any harm come to him, Robin."
"Even at my life's cost?" Robin pressed.
Marian gulped. "He'd do no less, Robin. Sometimes your extremely adventurous life proves dangerous for those who wish to impress you."
Robin could clearly see that her eyes widened in horror and got his real answer. But, Robin being Robin, he couldn't stop there. He couldn't bear it when people doubted him. Sometimes he thought that nothing short of his jumping in the fire would convince them. "You might think me incapable of such valor-"
"I don't question your valor. Just because I don't worship the ground you tread on, it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the good you do. If you want me to feed your already excessive vanity with more laudingyou'll die waiting."
"That's not a fine prospect!" He recovered from her unkind comment, seeing her point of view. "Now, for the most immediate future I wanted to ask-"
"Enough talking for today. Maybe tomorrow evening at Knighton, but I promise nothing," she agreed to the most she would.
"I am afraid, with that, I cannot let you go. If I do, you'll leave me waiting til afterlife. Afterlife is a long time from tonight, and as you know, patience is not my best quality."
"Oh, that I know!" Marian let a low sigh. "Also, we may be separated in afterlife. While I'll be in heaven..."
"I shall be burning in hell?" Robin moved to the bed. He buried his head between his knees, and started breathing heavily.
Living on the edge; surviving only just; escaping and ensuring the lives of his comrades. This was his life during the war. He was glad he had managed to save his men and be saved, himself. However, sometimes he feared that what he had done in order to achieve this victory over death and captivity, back in the Holy Land, had earned him a place in hell.
TO BE CONTINUED