**DISCLAIMER **

I own none of the characters from the film, I have merely borrowed them for a time.

Marian set the bucket of water down and gazed around contentedly. A strange sort of normalcy had settled over the camp. It had been two weeks since they had fled Nottingham and still, there was no sign of pursuit. Robin's spies had managed to pass word that the Sheriff's losses had been greater than they had anticipated. Not only had the rebellion lost him soldiers and common support, but it had cost him the backing of many of the nobles he had relied upon as well. It would take him time to recoup his losses. While no one took this as a sign that the fight was over, it gave the woodsmen and their new recruits a chance to recover and find their footing in a new environment.

It had given Marian a chance to adapt a little to life in the forest too. While it was a far cry from the life she was used to, she had found her new home in the trees to be much more agreeable than she had expected. There was a freedom to being out in the open air for most of the day and once they had got over the initial awkwardness of a having noble lady in their midst, the other refugees had swiftly absorbed her into their ranks. While there was a certain amount of deference given due to her previous (and future) rank and her status as Robin's consort, Marian had been assigned tasks and allocated quarters and rations the same as any other woman among them. She was currently bedding down in a hut with two other women of a similar age to herself. She had been pleasantly surprised that she found their coarse language and perspective on life refreshing.

The time since their flight had also given those among them that were injured a much-needed period of recuperation. Including her new almost-brother-in-law, she thought as she caught sight of Will across the clearing. No longer consumed by the anger that still festered somewhere beneath the surface, Marian had found the younger Locksley to be a thoughtful, intelligent and passionate young man with an endearing shyness at times. His sharp wit had left her doubled over in stitches more than once in recent days and a touching evening ritual had sprung up between the brothers, herself and Azeem. Every night after the usual chaos of the evening meal, the raucous conversation and storytelling, the four of them would retire quietly to their own fire a distance apart from the main camp. They would sit for hours trading stories of their pasts or sitting in companionable silence. Genuine friendships had started to develop, not just between the brothers, but between Will, herself and Azeem as well. She treasured those times.

Will glanced up from the thatch he had been fixing and caught her eye for a moment. He coloured slightly, offering a timid half-smile, before ducking his head back to his work.

Marian smiled to herself and had just picked up her bucket again, when a sudden hand on her waist caused her to shriek and drop her load, drenching her feet. "Oops!" Robin shrugged sheepishly. An answering snicker across the glade earned Will a smouldering glare, before she turned her wrath on her lover.

"'Oops,' Lord Locksely?" she enquired. "Not your most eloquent of greetings. To what do I owe this impromptu soaking?"

Robin flashed a mischievous grin. "Oh, I just thought I'd help you get ahead of schedule by combining your chores and your bath this morning, my lady". He ducked hastily as Marian swung the remaining contents of the bucket in his direction. Chuckling, he darted off through the trees. Marian sighed as she turned back towards the stream to refill her pail. Yes, life was good.

"We need to think about how we communicate across the camp," said Robin. "Shouting as loudly as we can across the clearing isn't going to help us remain hidden for long."

The others murmured in agreement. Robin glanced between his three companions sitting comfortably around their little fire - Will perched on a tree stump, Azeem resting casually against a gnarled oak behind him and Marian leaning gently against his side. Instinctively, he had started to rely on these three as his trusted inner circle of advisors. With so much changing around them, there was a safety he felt in being able to huddle each evening with his closest friends. He smiled secretly to himself as he thought about how ridiculous it would have seemed to him only a few weeks ago if he had known that Will Scarlett would be one of the people he counted as his closest friends.

But the reality was that Will had become much more than that. He was his family, a part of his heart, an anchor for his identity. There was something about his brother's considered words and acerbic humour that grounded him. There was an anxiety that Will's company seemed to still; a tension he didn't even realise was there until it had gone. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was about Will that put him so instantly at ease. For now, he was just grateful for the younger man's continued presence in his life.

His attention snapped back to the conversation at hand as Marian spoke: "What did you do in the camp before?"

Azeem shook his head. "We would shoot an arrow from the treetops into the centre of the camp, but with the extra numbers among us, the signal could easily be missed or an arrow may accidentally hit someone." The quartet were quiet for a few minutes.

"We could do what my mother used to do," Will piped up shyly. "When I was out in the fields playing and she needed me to come back in, she'd whistle."

"Whistle?" asked Robin.

"She tired of screaming my name every evening and I guess I was giving her a bad name among the other women… So, she came up with a signal. Whistles carry further than a shout and it's less embarrassing than screaming someone's name, I guess..."

"Show me?"

Will pursed his lips and issued a soft two-tone signal. "If I heard her, I'd reply with…" he gave a sharp high note, repeated twice. He shrugged, embarrassed. "It doesn't have to be that, just an idea."

"Will, that's great!" Robin exclaimed, causing his brother to blush self-consciously. "We'll give it a try tomorrow and see how far the signal carries in the woods." He beamed warmly at his brother, earning a small half-smile in return.

The hush fell once more. After a few moments, he spoke again. "We'll have to do things a bit differently, I guess. Things have changed. We've gained a good number of camp members, but we've lost so much as well." He swallowed hard.

Marian, took his hand gently. "Are you thinking of Duncan again, love?"

Robin sighed. "It still feels strange without him here. I can't explain it. Duncan's always been there. Aside from the crusades, he's always been a part of my life." He paused, running a hand over his face.

"Maybe it's more than that. Duncan died doing what I asked him to do. His blood is on my hands. I don't know how to describe how that feels. None of you have been directly responsible for someone else's death."

There was silence around the campfire. Marian squeezed him arm comfortingly. She was about to say something when a small answered Robin: "I have."