I don't own the characters or places!
Just like Clint said, they could walk into the castle through one of the backdoors without problems. In fact, they even had a key to said door and the guard who was usually stationed there was missing. What looked like lots of good luck at first was in fact Marian's work. When Clint had asked her to find them a way inside the castle, she didn't hesitate to tell him that one of the guards had tried to make her advances for quite some time now. So she seduced him, and drugged him with a few herbs from their garden afterwards. He would sleep the whole night, providing them a way in and out of the building.
They'd spied on the Sheriff's castle enough times to know that the prisoners were kept in one of the towers rather than the dungeons. They seemed to think that the risk of escape from here was much lower, especially when they were dealing with a criminal as clever as Robin Hood.
Unfortunately, the guards didn't consider that Robin Hood might try to break in, not out of the castle. While the way outside was surely heavily guarded, they found several ways upstairs that made it possible for them to go unnoticed. The rich people were always the same, never considering that someone could try to get inside through the rooms and stairwells intended for the servants.
"Three guards in front of the cell." Clint whispered to his people when they'd reached the top of the stairs. "Two more guarding the stairs towards it. And I bet on the lower level, there'll be a few more."
"The keys?" Will asked quietly.
"On the belt of one of the guards." He explained. "John and I will take them. Will and Roy, you'll take the ones guarding the stairs. Duncan and Wulf, you'll make sure that no one else gets to this hallway, it's our way out." They'd decided that it was best if only six of them went into the castle. Much was waiting outside on Clint's carriage, just in case they needed to make a fast escape.
"The noises will attract the attention of more soldiers." Will muttered. "You'll have to be quick. The four of us can't keep them from coming up here forever. And we'll also need to secure our way back."
"We'll all move together." Clint decided and gestured for them to get ready. Then he counted to three, once more listening for possible noises. When everything was silent except for the sound of breathing from the guards, he gave the signal to move.
Will and Roy left their hiding place first, ready to take on the guards on the stairs. John and Clint would use the distraction they caused to slip by, aiming for the cell. When Clint dodged a sword and it got stuck in the wood of a wall, he was glad that he'd decided to leave the heavy weapon at his workshop. Inside, he was better off without the several knives he was carrying. He also had his bow slung around his shoulders, but it was only in case they needed it during their escape. While they were surrounded by walls, it would be useless.
With John by his side, it wasn't difficult to overpower the three guards in front of the cell. Due to the heavy armour they were wearing and their long swords, it was nearly impossible for them to move freely in the narrow hallway. Clint and John used that to their advantage, nearly moving as one while they blocked the attacks and made their own. Even in a narrow space, John could use his staff without problems and in the end, he hit two of the three men on the head with it, letting them sink to the ground, unconscious. Clint took on the third one, using the advantage that he was much faster and smaller than his opponent. In the end, he knocked him out with a controlled blow against his temple.
"What are you doing here?!" Allan demanded to know when Clint opened the door of the cell, flinching at the loud creaking sound the metal made.
"How does it look? We're getting you out." Clint frowned when he saw that Allan wasn't wearing the mask or the hood anymore. Even the leathers they all used to protect themselves were gone. Luckily, he seemed to be unharmed.
"Risky." He looked glad about it, though. "Thank you!"
"Thank us when we're out of here." He glanced at the hallway, where the others were still struggling with even more opponents. "John, get Allan out of the building. I'll help the others." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed one of his daggers and ran to where Will was fighting two guards at once.
"We should leave!" He shouted to them once John and Allan had vanished through the side door for the servants. In an instant, the others also turned back towards that way out. "Go, I'll make sure they don't follow us!"
"Where is he!?" A loud voice suddenly called, making even the guards hesitate in their movements. "Where is Robin Hood?"
"Robin…" Will muttered, calling Clint by the name he always used when he was wearing the disguise.
"Go! I'll be fine." At least he hoped so. "I'll follow you as soon as possible!" With a short nod, Will began to run after the others.
Then Gisborne already broke through the barrier of people. "Follow them!" He shouted and instantly, the soldiers turned around to follow his friends, some through the main stairwell, others through the side door for the servants. Clint only hoped that they would think of blocking the way behind them at some point.
In the end, only he and Gisborne remained in the hallway, Gisborne's sword pointing at Clint. "I knew that we didn't catch the real Robin Hood." The knight snarled. "It was only a matter of time until you'd come to get him out." He smiled cruelly. "They'll be waiting for your friends outside. There's no way they'll get away from here. As to you…" He took a step towards Clint, blocking his escape routes. "You'll die tonight, Robin of Locksley."
He knew that it was true. Only with his daggers and the bow, he couldn't do much against Gisborne's sword. Hell, he even barely managed to hold his own against Phil, and then he had a real sword in his hand and enough space to use it! Space… maybe he could use that to his advantage. Outsmart Gisborne, get past him and down the stairs, where surely more guards would be waiting. It was unlikely, but worth a try.
He grinned. "We'll see about that, Gisborne." Then he tightened his grip on the dagger and surged towards the knight.
Gisborne moved faster than expected, jumping out of the way of Clint's attack and raising his sword in one fluid movement. When the metal collided with the blade of his short dagger, Clint held back a curse. The impact of the blow vibrated through his entire arm. Maybe trying to fight him wasn't so clever, after all.
After that, he tried to change his tactic and move out of the way of Gisborne's attacks, but the knight was so fast that he nearly hit Clint several times. He also managed to drag him away from the stairs and back towards the cell, something he wanted to avoid at any cost. He knew that once he'd set foot into the cell, the game would be over and there was indeed no way for him to get out of this building alive.
It turned out that Gisborne didn't even need to chase him into the cell. After an especially hard blow that made the dagger fly from Clint's hands, followed by a kick with Gisborne's foot, he found himself lying on the ground, the tip of the knight's sword pressed firmly against his chest.
"You thought you were so clever, Locksley. But you only played the game in the way we wanted you to. I could just kill you now. Drive my blade right through your heart." In answer to that, the pressure of the sword increased. "Or we could go on with the plan and hang you tomorrow. It would be a great victory for the Sheriff. The great Robin Hood, dead. Though I have to admit that killing you now also sounds mighty tempting…" Gisborne lifted his sword, ready to dive the steel right into Clint's body.
And then a look of shock passed his face, his eyes growing wide. Right before he collapsed, his sword falling to the ground with a thud. Right behind Gisborne stood Sir Phil Coulson, his sword still in his hands. He'd hit the other knight on the head with the hilt.
For a few long moments, they both remained frozen, staring at each other. Phil's expression was a perfect mirror image of Clint's own shock, as if he couldn't believe that he'd really knocked Gisborne out to help an outlaw.
But then the knight seemed to come back to his senses. His face became a hard mask and to Clint's surprise, he held out a hand to pull him back to his feet. Where their skin touched, it felt like he was on fire. "Take the servant's stairwell to the second floor. Then to the right, third door. There's another set of stairs which will lead you directly outside."
Clint stared into Phil's brilliant blue eyes and couldn't do anything else than nod. "Thank you."
"Just go! He'll come back to his senses soon and there are others still searching for you." Something in Phil's eyes softened. "Stay alive."
He nodded once. "I will." Without looking back, he ran. All the while, one thought circled in his mind. Why did Phil save his life?
From that moment on, escaping the Sheriff's estate had been easy. The guards were so loud that it wasn't difficult to keep out of their paths. Then Clint just had to get rid of the disguise as Robin Hood and find the others. Which he did after a short time. They were all gathered in Marian's house.
"You made it!" She exclaimed once he closed the front door behind him, locking it tightly. Then Marian had already wrapped her arms around him and he patted her back softly.
"I'm fine." He looked around and relief washed over him when he saw that everyone was there. He could see a little blood on John's lip, and it looked like Allan had a few scratches on his arms and face, but next to that, they all seemed unharmed.
"You gave us quite the scare back then." Will, leaning against the doorframe to the living room casually, said. He eyed Clint with crossed arms. "Facing Gisborne alone. What were you thinking?"
"That he'd rather die than let one of us face the consequences of what we're doing." Allan narrowed his eyes at him. "That's why you stayed behind."
Clint ran a hand through his hair. "All this trouble was my fault in the first place."
John rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." He muttered loudly.
"We already discussed this." Will's voice was stern. "No one could have guessed that it was a trap. We're all here now, safe and without bigger injuries. It turned out fine in the end. End of the discussion."
"You should have been more careful, Clint." Marian placed a hand on his arm. "Gisborne is a dangerous man, especially when he's angry."
"How did you get out in the end?" Duncan wanted to know.
"I had a little help." Clint admitted, knowing that it was of no use to lie to the others. So he told them about his fight with Gisborne and how Phil had knocked out the other knight in the end.
"Why would he help you?" Much raised his eyebrows incredulously. "He's one of them!"
"The risk that he knows about your identity is very high at this point." Will sounded resigned. "He could come for you later, only to get all the glory for capturing Robin Hood for himself."
"Which is why you need to leave tonight." He said sternly. Deep inside, he knew that Phil would never hurt him, but how could he explain those feelings to his friends? And what if he was wrong and risked all of them? "You have to go back to our camp in the forest. Prepare for another fight." He turned to Marian. "You could visit Much's family. The children love you."
They all stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "You can't expect us to leave you alone in this mess." John said in the end.
"You will." He sighed deeply. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but he won't hurt me. If he already knew about me being Robin Hood when he came to the workshop earlier today, he could have just taken me then and there."
"Maybe he wanted to confirm his suspicions first by taking me." Allan threw in. "It could be another trap."
"He looked like his actions had surprised himself as well." Clint crossed his arms, knowing that he had to use the argument he hated most. "I'm the leader of this group and you'll do as I say."
"Wasn't it all about us deciding together with risks we take?" Allan asked back. "You can't just shut us out."
"I can, when your lives are at stake. I'll talk to him alone."
"Let him do it." Marian's soft voice echoed through the room. She was looking at Clint thoughtfully. "I'll be right next door. If something happens, I'll let you know."
"Marian…" John began, but she shook her head.
"We'll be fine." There was a stern determination in her eyes. When she looked like that, it was better not to argue with her, they all knew that.
"If you'll be the one hanging tomorrow, I'll shout 'I told you so!' to the entire city!" Will warned him, but he stood up to leave the house.
It was past midday when the now familiar knock sounded on the door of his workshop. Clint had tried to keep himself busy while waiting for it, but when the hours passed by, he'd realized that it was hopeless. He was far too nervous to do anything productive. Marian had visited some time ago, telling him that the story of Robin Hood's spectacular escape was already widely known in the city and the surrounding villages, but it was always said that they didn't catch the outlaw. Gisborne was furious and so was the Sheriff. Apparently, they'd planned more searches and the Sheriff wanted to send more soldiers than ever before into the forest. Despite knowing that they would never succeed in finding their camp, it made Clint feel even more uneasy.
When Sir Phil Coulson entered his workshop, he nearly felt relieved that finally, something was happening. Phil greeted him with his usual smile, but it looked tired. There were dark rings under his eyes, indicating that he didn't get much sleep the previous night, if he even slept at all. Clint knew he looked the same, not being able to rest after the events of the day.
"Shouldn't you be busy somewhere else?" Clint asked after bidding the knight a good morning. "I've heard that Robin Hood escaped." He knew he was being blunt, but it was better than letting Phil take the lead in this conversation.
"He did." The knight nodded, an unreadable expression on his face.
"They say it was quite spectacular." He leaned against his workbench, trying to let it look casual. If he was a little closer to the weapons lying there than necessary? Coincidence.
Phil's lips twitched. "I wouldn't call it spectacular. Rather unfortunate." He was looking Clint in the eyes ever since he'd entered the room. "The Sheriff and Gisborne are furious."
"And you?" He raised his eyebrows. "It must be frustrating. After all, you were sent here to capture the outlaw."
"I haven't made up my mind how I feel about the incident last night." Phil sighed deeply. "Can we please stop pretending?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said simply.
Phil narrowed his eyes. "So you weren't in the castle last night? Because the man wearing the mask had remarkable blue eyes. A colour you can never forget, if you ask me."
"The thing you noticed about Robin Hood were his eyes?" He repeated in disbelief.
"I'm not going to tell anyone about it." When Phil leaned against the door, he suddenly looked incredibly tired. "So you can just admit that it was you. I'd never forget your eyes. It was also you in the forest." He gestured at Clint's arm. The healing cut. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."
"You are…" He stared at him with wide eyes. "Why are you apologising?"
"I didn't want to hurt you." There was regret on Phil's face. "I should have realized it sooner."
"This isn't a good place for a conversation like that." Clint shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Not at all." He glanced towards one of the windows next to the door. "You came alone?"
Phil's face was serious. "No one knows I'm here."
Clint sighed, not sure why he believed him without hesitation. "Then let's keep it like that. Give me a minute to get changed, then we'll leave."
Instead of looking worried, there was curiosity on Phil's face. "Where are we going?"
"To the Sherwood Forest." He said simply. "Will anyone notice if you're missing the whole day?"
"I told Gisborne and the Sheriff that I want to make some investigations on my own." The explanation was good enough. For now.
He looked at Phil warningly. "Just because we'll talk, it doesn't mean that I trust you."
"What about me saving your life?" Phil asked when Clint made his way to the other room to get changed. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder.
"That's the reason why I'm even willing to talk to you." He hesitated and had to hold back a small smile. "And thank you."
"Never thank me for saving your life." The knight said simply, looking at Clint with an expression he couldn't quite decipher. He didn't reply to that and went to change into other clothes instead.
Ten minutes later, the two men were on their way through the streets of Nottingham, aiming for the gate to leave the city. It felt strange, walking around in public next to Sir Phil Coulson. The knight was respected and far more popular than Gisborne, but after the events of the previous night, the people eyed him warily anyway. Most probably, the stories about the Sheriff's anger were still fresh on their minds.
At first, Clint had been against just leaving the town together. It wasn't good to be seen with each other. Phil had disagreed, saying that it would be an advantage for Clint. After all, it would make any possible doubts about his loyalty vanish when he was seen with the Sheriff's people. So in the end, they'd decided to use Clint's knowledge of the villages surrounding Nottingham as their excuse to leave together. The guards at the gates didn't even look at them twice.
For about a mile, they sticked to the road to the closest villages, but as soon as Clint was sure they were out of sight and no one was close by, he led Phil into the forest. To his credit, the knight followed him without hesitation, not even seeming to be nervous about entering their enemies territory. Maybe it was also due to the fact that he was carrying his sword, while Clint only had two daggers and his bow with him. When it came to a fight, Phil had an advantage, if Clint didn't manage to outrun and shoot him first.
When they were far enough into the forest so that possible patrols wouldn't notice them and still out of reach of the outlaw's camp, Clint stopped and turned to Phil. They'd barely spoken during their walk here. He crossed his arms and leaned against the nearest tree. "Since when did you know that I'm wearing the mask?"
"I had a suspicion when we fought in the forest and I injured you. As I said, you have remarkable eyes. Then I saw the cut on your arm later. That, together with the way you shoot…" Phil shook his head. "It wasn't difficult to put the pieces together then."
"Why didn't you say anything?" He wanted to know. "All the glory would have been yours."
"I played with that thought. More than once." Phil nearly looked ashamed of it.
"Yet you never told anyone."
"First, I wasn't sure why I remained quiet."
"What changed?" He kept asking when it became obvious that Phil wouldn't continue speaking on his own.
"You. It might sound ridiculous, but I felt drawn to you from the first time I laid eyes on you, back when you were watching Gisborne escort me to the Sheriff's castle. I came to your workshop because I was curious about you, not just to do Gisborne a favour and deliver that sword. I couldn't understand why someone I didn't even know was fascinating me so much. Then I realized that I enjoyed your company." Phil smiled. "It was a complete surprise to me, this urge to spend more time with you. I've never before had that with anyone." So Clint hadn't been the only one to feel the pull between them. It was a relief, knowing that Phil had felt just as drawn to Clint as it had been the other way around.
"You didn't tell anyone that I'm Robin Hood simply because you like me?" He couldn't stop himself from asking that question.
Phil nodded. "I knew you were a good person. Someone who wanted to help others." He hesitated. "It felt wrong to give away your secret." It was amazing that Phil thought of him like that, especially since they didn't know each other for a long time. But didn't Clint feel the same? Deep down, he'd always known that Phil wasn't evil just because he'd agreed to work for the Sheriff.
"You saved my life last night." Clint could still feel the furious beating of his heart when he thought of it. He'd been convinced that Gisborne would simply stab him.
"After I nearly ended it during our chase in the forest." Phil's expression darkened. "If I would have known it was you…"
"You thought I was a criminal, remember?" He smiled slightly. "I am a criminal. You could lose everything just by talking to me."
"You're not a bad person. You take gold from those who have enough and give it to the people who need it. It's not an act of an evil spirit."
"Yet the Sheriff sees it like that." Clint pointed out.
Phil scoffed. "The Sheriff is a delusional egocentric whose only goal is to be king someday. Something he'll never achieve, not with the way he treats others. He's barely able to keep the people from Nottingham at bay, how would that work with an entire country? Sometimes, I understand why Gisborne became so bitter over the years. Dealing with the Sheriff for a long time does that to you."
After his little speech, Clint stared at Phil with wide eyes. The knight frowned. "What did I say?" He asked in confusion, but it was already too late. Clint started to laugh. After staring at him in wonder for a few moments, Phil joined him. He had a beautiful laugh too, Clint realized.
"You really think about the Sheriff like that?" He wanted to know, still grinning widely. He'd never expected those words out of Phil's mouth.
Phil only shrugged, not ashamed of his words. Even if he was still smiling, the look in his eyes was hard now. "The man is a nuisance. I understand why no one here likes him. Or Gisborne, by the way."
"He was already an idiot before he began to work for the Sheriff." Clint said, still grinning.
"You knew him before that?" Phil raised his eyebrows.
"It's a long story." He replied, his smile fading. "You didn't ask the most important question yet."
"Which would be?"
"If I'm Robin Hood, where is Robin of Locksley?" Clint gestured for Phil to follow him. "Come on, let's find a place to sit down." He knew of a few tree trunks perfect for that not too far away.
"So you really know him?" Phil asked while he followed Clint deeper into the forest.
"Knew him." He corrected him firmly. He walked in front of Phil and didn't look at the knight while he said it. He knew that over the years, no one had ever suspected that Robin Hood could be someone else than Robin of Locksley. Clint had kept it from everyone that his best friend didn't return from the war.
Only when they reached the place to sit down did he turn to Phil again. His expression showed a mixture of shock and thoughtfulness, his blue eyes were narrowed slightly. Clint would have expected more surprise on his face. "Robin of Locksley is dead?" Phil asked into the silence surrounding them.
He nodded. "He was my best friend. We basically grew up together. It was quite a scandal, the son of Lord Locksley and the blacksmith's boy. Our fathers never cared about it, though. They let us play together, and later also learn together. Of course it was never communicated publicly, that would have been too much even for them. But in private, they tolerated it. Encouraged it, even." He smiled wistfully. "My father always said that you could never have enough friends. And that's what we became very fast. Through Robin's instructors, I learned to read and write. Also how to wield a sword. Which I'm not that good at, as you might have noticed. My father, in return, taught Robin how do take care of his weapons. How to make one, even. And he taught us both how to use a bow."
He smiled at Phil, who was listening to his tale quietly. "We spent much time together, but as the years passed, there weren't so many opportunities anymore. I would inherit my father's workshop one day, so I focused on that. And Robin would become Lord Locksley in the future. We saw each other regularly, but only for short amounts of time. Then the call to join the war came." His smile grew cold at that. "We left together and we fought together. And in the end, Robin died in my arms. He took a blow that was meant for me. He saved my life." He cleared his throat and cursed inwardly at the wetness he felt in his eyes. It had been years ago, so why did it make him so emotional when he talked about it? "He was my best friend, and he died to save me. With his last breath, he let me make a promise. To help those who couldn't help themselves. To finally make all the injustice right again." He shook his head. "That's how Robin Hood was born. I thought it was the right thing to do, doing all this in Robin's name."
For a few long moments, he didn't look at Phil. Didn't want to see the look on his face. What would be there? Pity? Disbelief? Anger? He wasn't so sure.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm and Clint flinched. He'd been so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice Phil sitting down next to him quietly. "I'm sorry." The knight said quietly, but he just shook his head, not wanting to hear any apologies.
"I let him die." He whispered, looking at Phil from the corner of his eyes. "It's my fault that he's dead. It should have been me." He'd never told anyone about that last thought.
"From what you just told me, I take that it was his decision to save your life." Phil's voice was incredibly soft.
"He was always far too heroic. It nearly destroyed Marian when he didn't come back. Their plan was to marry as soon as possible after his return." He sighed deeply. "I told her about his last words. About the promise I made. We decided together that it was for the best not to tell anyone that Robin was dead. Only Marian and the outlaws know. It's our shield, Robin's name. Our shield and our weapon. Ever since coming back, I live two lives. Clint Barton, the blacksmith. And Robin Hood, the outlaw."
"I'm sure it took lots of courage to fulfil your promise." There was no judgement in Phil's voice, only understanding. "You've achieved very much."
He let out a dry laugh. "I didn't achieve anything. Just look at us, hiding in the woods and stealing gold to help the people. I'm sure Robin would have laughed at us."
"Would he really?" Phil asked calmly.
After a long moment, Clint sighed. "No. He would have joined us. Demanded to do it all by himself, even. As I said, he was far too heroic. He would have never tolerated anyone getting hurt because of him."
"It seems like you had that in common. You stayed behind to save your friends last night." It wasn't a question.
"And I would have gladly died so they could escape." He muttered with a nod. "As I said, it should have been me all those years ago, not Robin."
At his words, Phil stiffened next to him. "You shouldn't say that." There was an hard edge to his voice. "There are people who need you, Clint." When Phil looked at him intently, Clint was sure that the other man could hear his heart beating even through the noises of birds singing and the wind in the trees. "You give them all a purpose. Because you are Robin Hood. You created him. The legends. The songs. The joy he brings to the people. It's been you and no one else."
"You never told me why you did it. Saving my life." He turned to have a better look at Phil. "You could have let him kill me and all your problems would have been solved. You could go back to London. Live there in peace. Do whatever knights like you do in the big cities."
"I saved you because my heart couldn't bear the thought of losing you." Phil whispered, his eyes widening in surprise. At his own words? Maybe. "When I arrived upstairs, your companions were already gone and you were fighting Gisborne. I considered helping him, but you were too fast. It would have been more likely that we hurt each other and you escaped. So I remained in the shadows, waiting. I wasn't even sure what I was waiting for, just that I couldn't join the search downstairs, not wanting to leave you alone with Gisborne."
"Then you fell and his sword was at your chest. In that moment, I knew he was going to kill you. Even if the Sheriff would be furious afterwards, he didn't care in that moment. He was too bloodthirsty for that. As I said, all the years of running after Robin Hood and the several defeats had made him bitter. I moved before I could even think about it and then I knocked him out." Phil looked at Clint grimly. "I still don't regret it."
He stared at the man in front of him in wonder. I saved you because my heart couldn't bear the thought of losing you. They didn't know each other for a long time. They didn't even talk to each other many times. And yet Phil felt like for some reason, he couldn't lose Clint. But wasn't it the same for him? Didn't he feel drawn to the knight from the first moment he laid eyes on him?
"Thank you." Clint whispered. It was all he could think of in this moment. "I owe you my life."
"You owe me nothing." Phil shook his head. "As I said, I couldn't let him hurt you." They looked at each other in silence for some time, thinking about what they'd just told each other.
In the end, it was Clint who spoke first. "So what are we going to do now?" He wanted to know. "Your task is still to hunt Robin Hood. Now more than ever, I assume. After all, we made a fool of the Sheriff and Gisborne last night. You can't return to London before it's done, can you?"
"Who says that I want to go back to London?" Phil raised his eyebrows, a small smile on his lips. "I've found that I quite enjoy Nottingham and its people. I felt like I never really belonged to London. The city was a place to be, but not a real home." But Nottingham is?, Clint asked in his thoughts.
"You want to stay?" He repeated incredulously, inwardly scolding himself for his tone. "I mean, it would be great if you'll stay. I enjoy your company very much." Clint felt his cheeks heat up at that confession. "And the people of Nottingham do, too. You're far more popular than Gisborne or the Sheriff. Because you're kind, something that lacks most knights I know. We would be lucky to have someone like you around."
During his little awkward speech, Phil had started to smile in earnest. "I enjoy your company too, Clint." He said quietly. "I meant it when I said that I couldn't let anyone hurt you. I still feel guilty for doing so myself." He glanced at his arm again, even if the wound was hidden by Clint's clothes.
"You didn't know it was me." He said sternly. "So stop blaming yourself. We should rather think of a solution to all this mess." Because from Phil's words he took that the knight wouldn't continue to hunt Robin Hood. At least not in earnest.
That gave him an idea.
"You'll join the search for Robin Hood again." He said, staring at the man in front of him. Phil only nodded, looking curious of where this was going. "But you won't really do it, will you? If I get all your talk about not wanting to hurt me right." He still had to decipher what that exactly meant. For him. For them.
Phil nodded. "What do you want to say, Clint?"
Slowly, he started to grin. "That Robin Hood has a spy in the Sheriff's castle now." A small voice inside his head reminded him that Phil could also say no. After all, he was a knight and some of them had still left some honour. Sir Phil Coulson was the most honourable man Clint knew.
But then Phil smiled back at him and his doubts vanished. "He does."
"It would give us an advantage, to know what they're planning. So something like the incident yesterday doesn't happen again." He nodded more to himself.
Phil looked away in embarrassment. "Actually, that was my idea. I didn't think it would turn out like this. I thought you were too smart to fall for such a trick. And an obvious one at that. No offence."
"None taken." Clint smiled slightly. He wasn't sure if he would have seen through the trick if he'd been with the others. "You're good at planning such ambushes."
"I wouldn't call them like that." The knight threw in. "And you are good at that too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so successful. And feared."
"Feared?"
"The Sheriff fears you'll take his title one day. The people would bow to Robin of Locksley." Phil's smile faltered at that. "Or to you, for the matter."
Clint shook his head fiercely. "I'm a nobody. No one would even think of bowing to me, without a title and all that. But it shouldn't be our concern now. Though the idea is mighty tempting, making the Sheriff leave Nottingham." He smiled mischievously. "Together, we could even do that, I think."
"I'm not that good." Phil muttered.
"Give yourself some credit. You captured Robin Hood." He was still grinning, now that he saw all the possibilities they had with Phil's help. With Phil as one of them. He also felt thrilled that Phil even considered helping them.
"He wasn't the real Robin Hood."
"And no one knows that except for the people who were in the castle last night." He pointed out. "I bet they won't say anything. It would make it look even more hilarious. First, you thought you captured Robin Hood, but it was the wrong man. Then the real Robin Hood came to break him out of his cell."
"The Sheriff gave orders to remain silent." Phil nodded seriously. "Whoever talks will lose his head."
"Good for you that technically, I was also there last night." He said cheerily. "As were the others. Who are surely already wondering where I've been for so long. I told them not to come looking. Somehow, I had a feeling that you'd be visiting me today."
"You sent them away to protect them?" Phil didn't look surprised at all.
"Yes, and I'd do it again without hesitation. Only Marian was there next door. If you took me, she'd have alarmed the others through one of our networks." He stood up from where he'd been sitting. "Do you want to accompany me back to our camp?"
Phil stared at him. "I just revealed to you that I knew you're Robin Hood and followed you into the forest willingly. Me, someone who came to Nottingham to capture the famous outlaw. You told me your whole story and now you offer to show me your secret camp. What if it was all just a trick from my side? To make you trust me and lead the others to your camp later on?"
"I trust you." The words were out before Clint could stop them. "Please don't ask me how I can be so sure of it, I don't understand it myself. We've just met a few weeks ago and didn't spend much time together, but I just know you won't betray me." He shrugged helplessly. "How do you know that we won't just kill you?"
"You've had enough chances to do that." Phil said calmly, looking at Clint with shining eyes. "Yet you never even tried to. I should be your biggest enemy, remember?"
He scoffed. "That's Gisborne. Or the Sheriff."
"Third biggest enemy, then." Phil's lips twitched. "I know you wouldn't hurt me. You never enjoy hurting anyone, do you?" It wasn't a question and he continued without waiting for a reply. "I trust you too, Clint. Everything you said, about just knowing that I won't betray you, it's the same for me. I'm rather nervous about your companions. They surely think that I'm the enemy."
"They won't hurt you." Clint's voice was hard. "They listen to what I say."
"Because you're the leader?"
"Because I have the most experience in dealing with people. I grew up together with Robin of Locksley, remember? And yes, it's true, partly they just won't do it because I'm the head of our group. But I bet that they'll realize that you're not one of the bad people soon. Just like I did."
Phil frowned at him. "Maybe you have too much faith in me."
"Never." He said determinedly. "So will you join me? I promise to bring you back to the city at nightfall."
When the knight hesitated once more, he already thought he was going to decline. But then, after what felt like an eternity for Clint's nervous mind, Phil nodded shortly. "Just make sure they don't shoot me as soon as I set one foot into your camp."
"Deal." Relief washed over him, mixed with joy that Phil had decided to trust him once more. Together, they continued to walk through the forest. All the while they were walking, he tried to figure out how to explain Phil's presence to the others.