Tom was encouraged by watching them with the poor. They were all kind to a fault, even going so far as to ruffle the children's hair occasionally and to offer smiles and encouragement to the parents that all would be well. The food they'd obtained with the coins they'd stolen was well received.

She'd been in the villages of her father's estate, of course, but she'd never been so close to the villagers. Her lady mother, however, had always sent the leftovers from their meals to the poor, in order to see they ate at least a little each day. And she had done the same until Prince John arrived with word of her impending marriage.

It only reinforced her decision to remain with them. She could do some good here. These people were starving, taxed into such utter poverty that some of them had even died in the street without a place to live. Food, medicines, such things were out of their reach due to the unfair demands placed upon them and she was outraged on their behalf. And as the gang walked among the poor in Locksley village, as the villagers praised Robin and his followers and gave thanks for them, she told herself again that they were doing a good thing.

A plan began to form in her mind and she turned it over, examining it carefully. It would be a poor repayment of their kindness to her if it went wrong and she needed to be certain of it before she even mentioned it.

As they returned to the forest and their camp, she realized that no matter where she had roamed over the course of the day, John had been nearby. He hadn't crowded her; but he had been near to hand the entire day, watching over her, making her feel safe. And every time she had caught his eye, he had given her a small, shy smile.

She liked the big man. He was a gentle giant, certainly. Frightening in battle, but the rest of the time? Quiet, unassuming, and quite kind. He was wonderful with the children and it made her wonder why he had none of his own. Had no woman ever caught his eye? If not, then the more fool they. He was a good man. Any woman should be proud to have him. He was more noble than most of the landed lords she knew.

The sound of harness jingling in the stillness of the early evening alerted them and they dove for cover, concealing themselves quickly and watching as a troop of armed men swept by. The troop bore no device and was clad all in black, and Robin scowled. Much opened his mouth and Robin kicked him to keep him quiet. He didn't need his friend to tell him these were black knights, those men who had signed Prince John's Pact in treason against the King.

They watched as the knights swept past, keeping still and silent in the gathering dusk so as not to be discovered. And when they were clear, Robin turned to Will. "They're headed toward Nettlestone. Get there before them if you can, warn the villagers. Tell them not to resist. Anything taken or destroyed we'll replace. We'll follow." He turned to John. "Take Tom, go to the camp. Wait there. We'll be back by nightfall."

"No!" Tom snarled back. "You need John. I'll go to the camp. There's little chance it'll be discovered, right? I'll be fine." She knew why Robin had decided to leave her behind; she hadn't had any lessons yet and was still unsure of her skills. She'd be a liability if they had to fight. "Go on."

Robin held her gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Stay inside. You'll be safe. We'll be back by nightfall. You know the signal?"

She'd heard them use it that morning and nodded. "Anything else, I'll keep silent and still and no one will find the camp." And if she was found, she'd take some of them with her. What she lacked in knowledge, she made up for in determination.

John took Robin's arm. "You can't let her go alone," he growled. "If they find her -"

"They won't." Tom put a gentle hand on John's arm. "You don't have time for this. Look, I hid from Gisborne's men long enough to find you lot, right? I can hide from them now. Go. I'll be okay." He still looked rebellious and she took his face in her hands, holding him lightly and pressing a light kiss on his cheek. "Go. Then come back and find me. I'll be okay."

The others were already moving away as he took her in his arms, holding her tightly. He kissed her hair. "Be safe," he said softly. Then he turned and went with the others, following closely.

None of them spoke for some time. Nettlestone was in view when Robin drew them to a halt. "We need to be very, very clever," he explained patiently. "There has to be a reason they're here. Spread out, listen carefully. The villagers will help if they know we're here. Meet at the usual place in two hours." He gave a nod and each took a different path into the town, keeping a careful eye open for traps and ambushes.

There were none. They met back behind the mill at the designated time, each with a small piece of information to share. It seemed this was only a rest stop; the Black Knights would move from there to the coast. But it wasn't a strike at the King; they merely meant to put down a small rebellion in Portsmouth.

"Our fight is spreading," Robin said easily as he considered. "But if they've no one to organize them, this will end badly."

"What can we do?" Djaq asked quietly. "We cannot get there before them, even if we travel all night."

Much drew a breath and the others turned to regard him, expecting some sort of ramble as usual, but all he said was "Horses."

Robin gave him a shrewd glance, but said nothing for a long moment. Much finally got the courage to continue. "It's simple, really. If they don't have horses, and we do, then we can get there first."

Robin gave him a wide smile. "Much, that's brilliant," he said quickly. "They're soldiers, they won't trust their mounts to the livery. They'll have picket lines just outside the village. If we can frighten the horses, they'll bolt and they'll be on foot." He took a deep breath. "We'll take four for us, run the rest off. And we can be in Portsmouth by midday tomorrow, which should give us several hours head start on the knights."

"Four? There are five of us. Even I can count that high." Much was confused only for a moment. "Who's not going, then?"

"You. Go to the camp. Tell Tom what's happened and where we are, then go to Locksley. Gisborne isn't with this bunch. Make sure he isn't up to something even worse there. If he is, do what you can. We'll be back as soon as we're finished in Portsmouth."

Much allowed himself one moment of self satisfaction before nodding. It was an important job Robin had given him and he was grateful once more for his friend's trust. They had come a long way from master and servant. "Right. I'm on my way then." He gripped Robin's forearm as an equal and departed, melting into the crowd and then was lost to sight.

"Time to get to work," Robin said with a smirk.