Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, nor am I associated with BBC. I only own OCs and plot twists post season 2.

A much longer chapter, hopefully it comes out OK, I've been having formatting problems with lately *grrr*

Chapter 48: Escapades

Allan watched Eleanor and Gretchen all morning. They didn't look as if they slept well, but neither spoke of anything. Passing it off, the gang went to spy on Vaysey and try to see what he was doing now that the news of the taxes for Richard's safe return had passed through the country.

They were determined to discover where he was planning on hiding the stash. No way would Vaysey feel patriotic and contribute to their king's release. Robin's plan: find the storehouse and send it on to Queen Eleanor in Normandy on behalf of Vaysey.

This scouting mission lasted the better part of a week. Marguerite surprised Eleanor and Gretchen when she arrived around midday to visit one afternoon. "Anything in particular?" Gretchen asked, or perhaps the lady was just avoiding Guy.

Gretchen mentally rolled her eyes. Guy had no problem standing up to her family—and Prince John seemed like formidable opponent when Marguerite was concerned—but he couldn't muster up the courage to tell Marguerite. Idiot.

"Just thinking," Marguerite said evasively.

"About Guy, or what Queen Eleanor wanted to speak to you about privately?" Eleanor asked.

Marguerite grinned. "Nothing seems to get past you, ma bichette," Marguerite said happily. "A little bit of both, I'm afraid. But enough about me. Why are you both here?" (a/n: ma bichette=little doe)

"The gang is spying on Vaysey."

"Even Marion?"

"She is with Allan and Little John watching some of Vaysey's men," Eleanor qualified. Robin still didn't take the chance of Vaysey seeing her for himself.

"Yes, but why are you here? Anne or myself would gladly watch the little ones," Marguerite insisted. "If you just stay here all day, then I think you should move in with me at Locksley. Anne has moved into a cabin with Luke now, and I would love the company."

Gretchen couldn't help but wonder, again, if this was to avoid Guy. "It's a generous offer."

"And a selfish one," Marguerite grinned impishly.

"Do you want to talk about Guy?" Eleanor asked.

"Not particularly," Marguerite admitted. If her cousin Eleanor had her way, Marguerite would be sent off to Germany post-haste. Not that Marguerite would go quietly, but the point of bankrupting 2 nations because of her own desires did seem excessively selfish. Especially since Guy hasn't said 2 words on the subject of them—if there even was a them.

Marion and Djaq returned first, visiting with Marguerite as Gretchen and Eleanor went off to wash up. "Admit it, you are thinking of her offer," Eleanor accused. Ygrainne ran out of the camp to play.

Gretchen shrugged making sure Ygrainne wasn't in hearing distance. "It is tempting; I don't mind acting as buffer between her and Guy. Ygrainne would have a real roof over her head. I…" Gretchen trailed off.

"Would be away from Much and not have to deal with how you feel about him?" Eleanor suggested and Gretchen nodded. "Can I point out that Much and Ygrainne are becoming thick as thieves? Or maybe 'thick as outlaws' would be more appropriate," Eleanor grinned.

Ygrainne toddled off to the bathroom, Gretchen watching as she sat with Eleanor. "Marguerite's offer was kind. I just don't know. I keep thinking about Willa…" her voice trailed off as Ygrainne went to tend to her business.

Ygrainne walked around the other cluster of trees on her way back to camp wanting to sneak up on Gretchen and Eleanor. She came up along the side of the camp and heard aunt Djaq and aunt Marion talking inside. She didn't listen to the adults talk normally, but she heard them say Gretchen's name and her name so she listened. "I wish she would give Much a chance," Marion said. "I see how they are, how they were before, in the castle."

"Gretchen has a child to consider," Djaq sighed. "But Much is coming around. If only Gretchen would see he is."

"So much for Gretchen to bear with, her brother dying and leaving her with a baby," Marion said sadly.

Ygrainne's lip started to tremble. She remembered her daddy, mostly. But she didn't do anything to hurt him. Had she? Is that why he left? Did he leave her because of something she did?

Did Gretchen hate having her? It seemed Much didn't want her but Gretchen wanted Much.

Ygrainne ran, too much for her little head and heart to understand. She had been happy with Gretchen, she loved Gretchen and even wanted to call her mom. But then Gretchen would get mad at her and leave her too. Like the first mom she couldn't really remember any more.

It was all her fault.

xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

"Ygrainne?" Gretchen called out, walking into the trees. "Ygrainne, this is not hide and seek. Come out now," she ordered. "You are going to be stuck in the camp until your birthday if you don't come out. Right. Now."

Gretchen's heart stopped. Ygrainne didn't do things like this. Yes, she was a rambunctious girl, but she knew to behave. If Gretchen ordered her, she knew to come.

Eleanor jumped up and ran over. "Ygrainne?" Eleanor called out.

"Did she go back to the camp and we missed her somehow?" Gretchen panicked. She raced back inside, peered in the camp, but saw only Djaq and Marion with Tom sleeping. Even Marguerite had left just moments ago, but she would have said something about Ygrainne. Gretchen ran back out as Eleanor continued to call out for Ygrainne.

"Ygrainne!" Gretchen yelled.

"She couldn't have gotten far," Eleanor tried to rationalize, her own heart clutched in fear. They began to run and split up, Gretchen heading north and Eleanor heading south. "Ygrainne!" Their voices echoed as they searched.

"Gretchen?" Allan called out as some of the men returned. "What's wrong?"

"Ygrainne is missing," Gretchen panted, unable to catch her breath as fear tightened around her lungs, tears threatening to spill. "She just went to the bathroom! She never came back."

Allan and Much shared a horrified look. "We'll find her," Much promised as Gretchen ran off again. She couldn't' have gotten far. What could that little child be thinking? Where did she go? She prayed she headed south because just north of the camp was the cliff.

The mere thought of it made Gretchen's heart stop. "Ygrainne!" she kept hollering out. "Ygrainne!"

She came to where the forest opened to the cliff. "Ygrainne?"

"Gretchen!" a little voice cried.

"Ygrainne!" Gretchen cried, tears choking her voice as she ran to the edge of the cliff. She looked down, terrified of what she would find.

Ygrainne was precariously perched on a little ledge about 20 yards down the side of the cliff. "Oh God," Gretchen said, terrified. "Cover your head, baby," Gretchen said as she started lowering herself over the side, her name being shouted but she didn't pay attention to it, she focused solely on Ygrainne below her. She slid down to the ledge below her.

She dusted the dirt and dust off Ygrainne that landed on her from Gretchen sliding down. "Oh, love," Gretchen said in relief finding her alive.

"I'm so sorry!" Ygrainne cried, throwing herself into Gretchen's arms.

"It's okay, I'm here," Gretchen said, clutching the girl tightly.

"Gretchen!" Much's voice called out.

"Down here," Gretchen called out, looking up to see Much's terrified face. "Hang on," he called down.

Where exactly would she go?

"I'm so sorry," Ygrainne sobbed, her voice choked, broken in her sobs.

"I know…" Gretchen said as Much repelled down the mountain after securing a rope around a tree at the top.

"It's my fault," Ygrainne continued. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Know? Didn't know what?" Gretchen asked confused. They had clearly warned her about the cliff.

"That it's my fault about mum and dad," the little girl cried as she clung to Gretchen. "I didn't mean to get them killed. And I don't want to leave you, even if you don't want me, and I'm sorry…"

Gretchen nearly fell over the cliff in her shock. "What? Where did you hear such things?"

"I overheard Aunt Djaq and Aunt Marion talking. I didn't mean to ruin everything. I'm sorry about mum and dad and Much."

Gretchen ran her hand through the girl's hair as Much landed on the ledge. "Ygrainne," Gretchen said in shock. "Oh, love. It's not your fault. None of it," she promised.

"but…"

"No buts," Gretchen insisted, pulling the girl away to look at her tear stained face. "Your mom became sick. That had nothing to do with you, hon. And your dad… he missed your mom so much he went to heaven to be with her. They both loved you, Ygrainne, so much and didn't want to leave you. But they went to heaven because it was time for them to leave. It had nothing to do with you, Ygrainne. I promise."

"But…you have me and that ruined things for you and Much…" Ygrainne cried.

Gretchen wondered if the girl even understood what that meant. "Ygrainne, you didn't ruin anything," Gretchen said forcefully. She wiped away the girl's tears, her hands cupping the girl's little face. "I love you like my own daughter, Ygrainne. You are mine. You could never ruin anything for me, you were a blessing to me," Gretchen smiled at the girl.

Ygrainne threw herself into Gretchen's arms again. "I love you, Gretchen."

Gretchen met Much's eyes over the girl's head. "You ready to go back up, Ygrainne?" Much asked the girl.

The girl turned and threw herself at Much this time, surprising both Gretchen and Much. "I love you too, Much," the girl proclaimed.

Much looked surprised and touched at her honest pronouncement. He wrapped his arms protectively around the girl, looking at Gretchen. "I love you, too, Ygrainne," he said honestly. "Now let's get back up. Can you wrap your arms around my neck?"

Ygrainne nodded and they situated her on Much's back. He began the climb up the rope with Gretchen climbing up behind him when they heard the shouts of the others. "Greta!" Eleanor called out.

Allan helped Much up over the edge before reaching for Gretchen. Eleanor picked up Ygrainne and began to check her bruises and scrapes. "I'm sorry," Ygrainne said again remorsefully.

"I know, little one," Gretchen said as Eleanor looked over Gretchen. "Elle, this made up my mind…"

"I would be more surprised if it didn't," Eleanor admitted.

"You don't have to follow me," Gretchen said.

"You've stuck by me in worse situations," Eleanor assured her.

"What are you two talking about?" Allan asked confused.

"Ygrainne, when we get to camp grab your doll okay? And Tom's toy," Gretchen told the girl. The girl nodded, thinking it was part of a punishment. Not only was she loosing her toy but she had made Tom loose his, too.

"What's going on?" Much asked worried.

"Marguerite offered us room again. Now with Anne married to Luke, she asked us to join her in Locksley," Gretchen said as they walked back to the camp. "Mainly so she has someone to talk with besides Guy, probably," Gretchen babbled.

"You're leaving the camp?" Allan demanded.

"You can't leave," Much insisted.

Not quite sure what had happened on the cliff edge, Eleanor took Ygrainne's hand as they walked into the camp. She scooped up Tom, who had just woken from his nap, as Ygrainne grabbed her and Tom's toys.

"Aunt Elle, I'm sorry," Ygrainne told her as they walked out. "I don't want to leave."

"I know, but this way you can sleep in a real bed of your own, and you can play with Jess again," Eleanor told her.

"But I want to stay with everyone!" the girl insisted.

"You can't leave," Much told Gretchen.

"Ygrainne nearly died today, Much!" Gretchen said hysterical. "I almost lost her! I should never have even have come here in the first place. I had no reason to, not like Elle. And Ygrainne deserves better than this," she ranted. "And what if that ledge..." she couldn't even think about what would have happened if the ledge hadn't have caught her little girl.

"I know. You both deserve better than this," Much agreed. "I… I want you both here, though," Much said. "We'll keep Ygrainne from harm. I swear it."

"Much, I know what you said on the cliff, but …" Gretchen bit her tongue. "I can't do this now," she said turning away to join Eleanor and Ygrainne. She scooped the girl up, not planning on letting her go for some time. Her nerves were frazzled and just blinking frightened her; she needed the physical and visual reassurance that Ygrainne was alive and well.

Allan stepped in front of Eleanor as Ygrainne and Gretchen walked on. "Gretchen is scared, I get that," Allan said. "but that's no reason for you and Tom to leave."

Eleanor sighed, "Gretchen is scared out of her wits, and I am thankful that Tom isn't big enough…it's for the best." She wanted to add it was only temporary, but wanted to speak to Gretchen before getting anyone's hopes up.

"How is this the best, Nora? I won't see the two of you every day. Tom took his first steps in the camp, he said his first word," Allan said, shocked.

"But he has no room to practice walking, to play. Allan, let me go," Eleanor said.

"I can't let you go, Nora," Allan admitted to her. "But I won't make a fuss tonight about it. Gretchen is still shaken up about what happened, I get that. But I'm not letting you go."

Cursing the ill timing of all these events, just as things with Allan seemed to be making progress, Eleanor quickly caught up with Ygrainne and Gretchen in time to hear Ygrainne say: "I'll stay in the camp forever! Please we go back."

"You will see them again, love. They come to Locksley a lot, and they are friends with Lady Marguerite," Gretchen promised.

Ygrainne pouted the entire way to Locksley. Truthfully, neither of the women wanted to leave, either. Eleanor convinced herself once the shock wore off, she could convince Gretchen to go back to the camp, or perhaps not feel guilty if she went with Tom alone. They knocked on the manor house door and a servant alerted Marguerite to their arrival. "Elle! Greta!" Marguerite said shocked but happy. "Is everything okay?" It was obvious that in the hour since she saw them something had occurred.

"Yes, we just decided to take your offer, if we could," Gretchen admitted.

"Really?" Marguerite said surprised. "Of course! I was just telling Anne that we could use more girls around here. Come, come. Ah, Ygrainne, you don't look happy," Marguerite stooped down to be eye level with the little girl. "Qu'est que-c'est?" she asked. "What troubles you, little one?" (a/n: What's wrong?)

"It's my fault we have to stay here," Ygrainne sniffed. "I didn't want to leave but I got lost."

"Ah. Well, I hope you will enjoy living here with me and Guy just as much as the camp. I know it's not outdoors, but you want to know a secret?" Marguerite whispered conspiratorially to the girl. "I have something Robin doesn't. You want to see it?"

Ygrainne nodded. Marguerite grinned at the adults as they walked into the kitchen. Marguerite handed the cookie to Ygrainne who looked at it curiously. "Eat it," Marguerite smiled.

Ygrainne took a bite and nearly laughed. "It's so good!" she said happily, polishing off the rest. "Can Gretchen and Eleanor and Tom try it?"

"Well, Tom is too young," Marguerite grinned, passing the platter to the women before giving Ygrainne another one. "We will have more after dinner," Marguerite grinned, snagging a cookie for herself. "Let me show you your room," she said waving them on.

"We don't need one of those," Gretchen said when Marguerite started heading upstairs. "The servants' quarters are perfectly fine, my lady."

"If you were my servants," Marguerite looked over her shoulder at them, "but you are friends. I would hardly put any of my friends in the servants' quarters. Why, what kind of hospitality is that?" she wondered as she led the way upstairs.

"This is for Eleanor and Tom," Anne opened the door, the same room Eleanor had been in before. "I just brought in a basinet."

It wasn't as nice as the one Will had made, Eleanor thought sadly.

"And Gretchen and Ygrainne are across the hall," Anne said opening the door directly across to what had previously been her room.

"My rooms are right there," Marguerite pointed to the suite. "And Guy has the master suite."

"Will Guy mind?" Eleanor asked quickly.

"Believe it or not, Guy will do anything Marguerite wants to make her happy," Anne smiled making Gretchen and Eleanor laugh and Marguerite simply roll her eyes.

"Dinner should be ready any minute, as soon as Guy returns from Nottingham," Marguerite said looking out the window.

Luke ran inside, the door slamming open as he caught his breath. "Vaysey!" Luke yelled.

Servants scattered, cleaning the place settings off the table. They didn't want Vaysey to see that they had set the table for seven. Anne grabbed the basinet and made her way up the stairs to the attic with it. "The servant stairs are there," Marguerite told Gretchen and Eleanor. "They'll go to the kitchen. You can blend in in the servant quarters until Vaysey leaves," Marguerite said before running up to the attic with Anne.

Eleanor and Gretchen, with Tom and Ygrainne, flew down the servant stairs and then out the kitchen till they got to the servant quarters. "Gretchen?" Ygrainne asked confused and scared.

"The sheriff arrived," Gretchen whispered to her. "It's a secret that Marguerite is staying here, he can't find Marguerite, Anne, or us."

"But why?"

"Because the sheriff is a bad man, love," Gretchen explained. "We'll have dinner soon."

"Are we never going to be safe?" Eleanor muttered. Between her childhood with her father and brothers, her life in the castle, and all the rendezvous with the sheriff and his men, the only time she had ever been safe was the few months she spent at the convent. "We should join the abbey," Eleanor drawled making Gretchen snicker.

Vaysey finally left and Luke arrived to give them the all clear. "Things are never dull it seems," Gretchen said as they walked into the kitchen.

The servants scurried around to reset the table for everyone again. It was surreal for Gretchen and Eleanor to be waited on. "What did Vaysey want?" Marguerite asked as Guy pulled her chair out for her.

"Vent against Robin Hood and his attempts at stealing the ransom money," Guy sighed. "The same arguments from this morning."

"It isn't like ma puce to repeat himself…" Marguerite trailed off as servants brought in the first course. "He is either more worried about this than we originally thought… or he is trying to flush out your true loyalties." (ma puce=my flea)

That thought sobered everyone. Finally, Marguerite, having enough of the silence, regaled everyone with some wild tales she had heard as a child in Tours.

~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~

Ygrainne snuggled around Gretchen that night in the big bed. "Gretchen?"

"Hmm?"

"I didn't mean to get lost and hurt. I didn't mean to scare you," Ygrainne said. "But if we are here, what about Tom? He won't see his daddy every day."

"Allan will be here a lot," Gretchen grinned. "Allan gets silly where Eleanor is involved."

Ygrainne nodded. "He does," she giggled. "I like being here with Aunt Marguerite and Guy… I love the camp, too. Even if they don't have cookies."

Gretchen snorted. "Those cookies were delicious, weren't they?" it was a first for her, too, having something so sweet. And watching Ygrainne's wide-eyed reaction to them had been priceless.

"Gretchen…" Ygrainne started, but trailed off, afraid Gretchen would get mad.

"What?"

"Can… can I … canicallyoumum?" Ygrainne rambled, muffled as she talked into Gretchen's shoulder.

"I didn't understand that, hon."

"Can I call you mum?" Ygrainne asked.

Gretchen was surprised. She brushed back a strand of the girl's hair. "I would love that," Gretchen admitted and Ygrainne hugged her tightly as she drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx

Allan waited for the others to drift off to sleep and slipped out of the camp, only slightly surprised when Much stopped him.

"Do you think you can convince them to come back to camp?" Much asked. Everyone noticed the change, the stillness, that settled on the camp with the women's absence.

Allan could tell, though, that Much wasn't asking for the sake of the camp. "I'm not being funny, but you are overestimating my powers of persuasion."

"This coming from the man who talked his way out of how many executions?"

Allan grinned. "Nora is more stubborn than Guy, Vaysey, and the executioner combined. Gretchen's even worse." Seeing Much sigh actually made Allan feel even worse for the guy. "I'll talk to them, but I don't think I'm the one that needs to talk to Gretchen."

"I …she…" Much sighed.

Allan scratched his head in contemplation. "Once she is not as frightened over what happened today, she'll listen. But Much? I'm not being funny, but you need to actually talk to her, tell her."

"Have you told Eleanor?" Much scoffed.

"Why do you think we are having so many problems now?" Allan grinned sadly. With nothing left to say, he quickly made his way to Locksley. He climbed up the trellis on the side of the house, pulling himself through the window. Luckily, she was in the same bedroom she had been in before.

Leaving the window open so she could see her stars, Allan slipped in behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Eleanor woke up immediately but, seeing Allan, snuggled closer and fell back to sleep.

Eleanor woke the next morning and it took her a minute to realize she and Allan were not in the camp but at Locksley. It took her even longer to realize why he had come to Locksley: for her.

The thought made her heart soar. Leaning down she woke him with a kiss. "Morning."

"Certainly a good one," he said cheekily. "It's too early, lets go back to sleep."

They had no such luck as they heard Guy, then Marguerite, head downstairs, and Ygrainne scampering about as Gretchen got her dressed. "This is hardly a life of leisure," she teased.

Even more ruckus roused them as several more people were heard coming across the front lawn into the house. "That sounded like the entire gang," Allan mused.

"Why on earth are they all here?" Eleanor wondered. "You must be wrong."

"Ey! Allan-a-Dale is never wrong…" even he couldn't keep a straight face over that pronouncement. "I think you spoiled them with your cooking, so they came to you."

"Well, at least they noticed my absence," Eleanor said darkly.

"Ey," Allan said pulling her close. "I was just teasing, you should have heard them all last night. Much looks like someone just shot his puppy he's so miserable Gretchen's gone, and everyone else miss all of you."

Eleanor tucked her head under his chin, just resting for what felt like ages. She didn't want to leave this cocoon. "Why are you here?" she finally asked, wanting him to say it.

"I told you I don't make the same mistake twice, Nora," he reminded her. "You are here, so I came."

Tom calling 'dada' and his equivalent of 'mum' got their attention and they finally got up and ready to head downstairs. As Allan predicted, the entire gang was in residence.

Most amusing was watching Much and Gretchen fretting around each other.

Just as everyone was settling down to eat, Luke arrived and whispered something in Anne's ear. Anne, in turn, frowned. "It seems there is…" she didn't know how to describe it.

"A woman. I just heard about this, she's just on the outskirts of the village."

Gretchen and Eleanor's heads snapped up. "Describe her," Gretchen ordered, startling everyone.

"Small, fragile thing, red hair…" he didn't get any more out as Eleanor and Gretchen jumped from the table and rushed out of the house, leaving several confused friends at the table.

Eleanor and Gretchen raced and found Willa laying on the ground, apparently having just collapsed as soon as she passed the forest. The sight nearly made Gretchen gag, and she was terrified of its effect on Eleanor.

Quite frankly, Gretchen had seen horse's whipped in a kinder fashion than what Willa had obviously gone through.

Eleanor placed a hand on Willa's chest, felt her heart beat and was relieved. "Willa? Can you hear me? It's Eleanor," Eleanor said loudly but Willa didn't stir.

Eleanor quickly checked to ensure that nothing was broken. The outlaws began to arrive but Eleanor shook her head. Gretchen quickly told Allan, the closest to them, to stay back and keep the others away. Perplexed, he did as she asked.

Unfortunately, neither had a cloak to cover Willa in. Gretchen and Eleanor lifted her and Eleanor settled her in her arms. She was even lighter than Eleanor had been at here worse, which frightened her. The two quickly carried her to the house and tried to keep her from curious eyes—both outlaws and villagers.

"Anne, can you draw her a bath?" Eleanor asked and Anne quickly ran inside.

Once they reached the house Eleanor gently, as if Willa was a newborn babe, transferred the girl to Gretchen's arms and led the way up the stairs, fetching what medicines Marguerite had offered.

Willa stirred half-way up the stairs, threatening to throw off Gretchen's balance. "Shh," Gretchen soothed.

Not hearing a male voice, certainly not her father or husband, Willa stopped struggling.

The two of them quickly stripped her and started tending to her wounds. The searing pain of the bath made Willa wake up with a scream. "I know, I know," Eleanor muttered, giving Willa something for the pain. "It will be over soon, the pain doesn't last," she promised.

Willa shook her head, tears flooding her eyes. Tears that had nothing to do with the physical pain. Eleanor stroked back Willa's hair as the young woman cried.

"Did you get married?" Gretchen asked softly.

Willa nodded, tears spilling even heavier now down her dirty, bruised cheeks. The sight brought such anger to Gretchen she wanted to grab any weapon and march right back to Willa's village. Eleanor wasn't in any better shape when she had arrived in Locksley years ago.

"He…" Willa choked, trying to speak.

"You don't have to tell us, not now," Eleanor soothed.

Willa shook her head. "I left, I should be able to talk about it," Willa cried.

"It feels like you are reliving it every time, each time bringing new shame." Willa nodded, happy someone understood, horrified someone had gone through the same ordeal.

With lots of tears, sometimes her words too choked with crying to be audible, Gretchen and Eleanor pieced together what happened. How Willa's husband was just as cruel, if not worse, than her father.

Committing an act her father had never dared. Simply because he declared it was his right as her husband.

A soft knock on the door was followed by Marguerite. Willa shirked away, instinct telling her this was the woman of the big house.

With obvious surprise, Willa watched as Marguerite settled on the floor near the bath putting her eyelevel with Willa. "Call me Marguerite, name. I will be brief and let Eleanor get back to tending you. You are safe here," Marguerite promised. "No one, no one, will harm you," she vowed dangerously. She pulled Eleanor aside as she left the room. "What village is she from, and who did this?"

"Just east of Clun, and this time, it was her husband."

Marguerite nodded and left, giving Willa some privacy. The last thing the poor woman needed was an audience.

Eleanor and Gretchen gently dried Willa and bandaged her wounds. By the time they were done she was nearly covered from throat to feet. "Are you hungry? It is a long walk, especially at night," Gretchen offered.

Not waiting for a response Gretchen slipped outside and went to the kitchens hoping to find some bread and something easy on Willa's stomach. She also wanted to check on Ygrainne, still nervous from the events that happened yesterday.

Heaven help Willa's husband if Gretchen found him, she was just itching to get her hands on anything that could be used as a weapon.

Hopefully no one minds the fact it is a MUCH longer chapter! Things are going to start getting resolved for Much and Gretchen (promise!) and we are on the last arc of the story :( A HUGE, HUGE thanks to all of my readers and reviewers who have stuck with me through this!