It was a few days since Will proposed, and there was trouble in the village. Guy of Gisbourne was raiding the village in hopes to strike fear about Robin Hood as another poorly veiled attempt to have the villagers bring him in. Wulf and Fanny had gone down to the village to hand out food and coin, and they were both hiding from the soldiers, they were hiding in plain sight and Wulf wondered how the guards and Gisbourne were this stupid. Gisbourne did not take any prisoners, he took all livestock, all grain. Anything and everything that his men could carry it was taken.

"Please, leave us one of the sows, her young will feed us through the winter." One of the villagers, Wulf and Fanny, both recognised him as the potter and they knew his name to be Otto, begged him.

"Beware of the Sherwood bandit." Gisbourne, told him as he had done many times before.

"If you want to catch him, I know how you can get one of his men." Another villager spoke up, and Fanny recognised him as Richard, one of the farmers.

She bit her tongue as she listened, giving Wulf a look to stay quiet before she looked back at the scene, and she saw Gisbourne turn around and go back to him.

"And how would someone like you, know how to catch Robin Hood and his men?" He demanded.

"No Richard, don't." Otto tried to warn him, but Richard wasn't in the mood to listen.

"The Miller, his daughter is in cahoots with one of his men, I don't know which one." Richard told him.

Gisbourne looked to him. "Why should I believe you?" He asked him, he knew of Simon the miller and his daughter Katherine, she was a beauty, one that he could see on his arm. He had been trying to have her agree to be on his arm, but she had continued to refuse – he thought she just liked to play hard to get, and this didn't bother him, he preferred the challenge.

"I have a family to feed, and Robin Hood and his men aren't helping me to do that." Richard told him.

Gisbourne nodded to himself. "Well then, you better hope what you say is true, otherwise your life would be forfeit." With that being his parting words, he rode off back towards Nottingham.

When he was gone, Otto looked to Fanny and Wulf as Richard walked away, back to his family and he looked to her in worry.

"Simon is no fighter, and his daughter…I hate to think of what Richard has started." Otto told her.

Fanny nodded. "Don't worry, we will help them." She promised and she looked to Wulf. "We need to get back, I will tell your father and Robin, you tell Will." She instructed her son.

Wulf nodded and the pair got back onto their cart and rode off back into Sherwood forest with haste. When they reached the encampment, Fanny found John easily - hard to miss a man as tall and as built as John – he was talking to Robin and Azeem.

"John! Robin!" Fanny called to them as Wulf jumped down and ran off in the direction of Will's hut.

"Fanny, what is it lass, is it the babe?" John asked, suddenly concerned, as he strode over to help her down.

"No, the babe is fine," She told them as she got down from the cart with John's help. "It's the miller, one of the villagers told Gisbourne that the Miller's daughter is in league with outlaws, he's going there now to investigate."

"None of us go to the Miller's place, I don't even know where that is." Robin told them, but Fanny wasn't paying much attention to him, she was looking at John, they knew exactly who it was that goes there.

"I sent Wulf to tell him, please tell me Will hasn't gone there today." Fanny begged her husband.

"No, he's still here, we need to tell him," John told her.

"Can someone tell me what's happening?" Robin demanded as Bull, Azeem and Friar Tuck gathered around.

John and Fanny looked to each other, Will was not going to be happy about any of this situation, but they needed to help Katherine.

"Will was the one going to the millers place," Fanny explained. "And now they are in danger."

"If Wulf has gone to him already, he won't wait for us, he'll go down there as soon as he knows something is wrong, we need to stop him." John told them.

"Run down to Will's hut and stop him from going," Robin told them, and he watched John tell Fanny to stay put before he ran down to Will's hut, before he, Bull and Azeem followed him.

Will meanwhile, had been sharpening his knives as he sat outside of his hut, and he looked up as he heard his name being shouted.

"Will!"

It sounded like Wulf, and at hearing the urgency in the boy's voice, he pushed himself to his feet, and as he put his knife back into its holster at his waist he was ambushed by Wulf.

"Will, there's something wrong." He told him.

"What is it Wulf?"

"The miller, Gisbourne is on his way there to question his daughter, mother told me to come and tell you, one of the villagers said that they saw an outlaw leaving her home, she's in trouble," Wulf got out in a rush.

Will looked at him and he didn't say anything, he just walked back inside his hut and came out with his sword, strapping it to his belt.

"Will, where are you going?" Wulf shouted, before he ran back and grabbed Will's bow and arrows, but before he could catch him up, they were bombarded by the others.

"Will, stop!" John shouted as he and he ran up to the man.

"I'm going to her," Will told him. "You can't tell me not to John."

"No but I can," Robin told him. "Will, you need to think this through, you can't go to her, we need you here."

"What the hell do you know Locksley?" Will demanded. "You have no right to command me to do anything!"

"Why is she so important Will?" Robin demanded.

"What's it to you Locksley?" Will demanded.

"We can't risk our lives for one family, Will," Robin told him.

"She is my family!" Will told him. "She's the only thing I have left, so damn right I'm going to fucking help her!" He told him. "Help me or not, but I'm going, you want to stop me then you'll have to shoot me."

Robin watched him go and everyone looked between the two, before Azeem looked to him.

"Christian, what do we do?" Azeem asked him.

"We go with him to stop him from getting himself killed." Robin told them and everyone ran back to get their weapons before they went after Will.

"God he's fast when he runs." John them as they struggled to keep up with Will who had broken into a run as he went deeper into the forest.

Meanwhile, Katherine and her family were none the wiser that one of the villagers had betrayed them to Gisbourne. The family were going about their day as normal, her father moving flour sacks, her mother helping him and Katherine herself fetching water for the cauldron over the fire. Whilst her parents worked, she was in charge of the hearth. Katherine looked up from the river as she heard horses approaching, and whilst she hoped that it was Will, she was surprised to find Gisbourne and his men riding towards her.

"Father, mother!" She shouted as she left the buckets on the riverbank and ran back up to the mill.

At hearing her shout both her mother and her father came out of the mill and her mother walked to her side as her father stood in front of them.

"Sir Guy of Gisbourne, what do we owe the honour?" Simon asked him.

"Katherine," He bowed his head to her, ignoring her father.

"Sir Guy," Katherine bowed her head in respect as was expected of her.

"I hear that you have been harbouring outlaws." Gisbourne told him, suddenly rounding on her father.

"Who gave you such an impression?" Simon asked. "We would never do such things."

"Then you won't mind if we search your little mill?" Gisbourne told him before he looked to his soldiers. "Search the place."

Simon walked back to his wife and daughter, and he slid his arms around his wife who had her arms around their daughter.

"You're looking very beautiful today, Katherine." He told her and he got down from his horse walking to her. "Walk with me a moment." He demanded and Katherine had no choice but to walk with him.

They didn't walk far, just to the river where she left her pails of water, Katherine usually liked to walk along the river, but she did not enjoy Gisbourne's company. His gaze was always on places other than her face.

"So, I see that you're still unmarried." He told her. Katherine kept quiet as she let him speak. "I am trying to help you, Katherine; I can't have you being led astray by an outlaw."

Katherine looked to him and she did not really know what to say. "Sir Guy, what I do with my life is not a concern of yours." She told him.

It was then that he saw it, the band of metal on her hand and he stopped them walking, grabbing her hand and pulling it towards him with force. At seeing the significance of the finger on which the ring lay, he snarled and threw her hand back.

"What is his name?" He demanded.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Katherine told him. "It's not your business to know."

"Is it an outlaw?" Gisbourne demanded but Katherine still refused to tell him.

"Sir Guy, we found this." One of the soldiers told him as they walked over, and Katherine's eyes went wide as she noticed that he held Will's doublet. Katherine realised that he must have left it behind from his previous stay.

Gisbourne saw the look on Katherine's face as he took the doublet in his hands, he recognised it from one of Robin Hood's men.

"I'm going to ask you again, who is it?" Katherine refused to tell him, keeping her lips tightly shut, and this caused him to nod solemnly. "Burn this pigsty."

"No, please, no!" Simon shouted as soldiers started to use sticks from the fireplace inside to light the mill on fire.

"Give me his name Katherine." Gisbourne growled, his anger rising the more that she defied him. "Tell me!" He suddenly demanded, with an almost snarl leaving his lips, but Katheine held firm.

"No," She told him, and she didn't expect the smack that came from Gisbourne, it was so hard and sudden that her head jolted in the direction of the smack. She felt the skin of her lip break open and blood dribble down her chin.

"Katherine!" Her mother shouted, just as soldiers forced her and Simon to their knees and another grabbed Katherine's arms from behind in a tight grip keeping her in place.

"Tell me Katherine, or I start picking off family members." Gisbourne told her, pulling out his sword.

Katherine looked desperately at her mother and her father, and both of them were looking at her with resolve. They knew that she couldn't give Will up without putting him and herself in danger, and her parents doubted that if she told him the name that Gisbourne would let them live either. Her father shook his head to her silently and she nodded slightly, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I won't tell you," She told him as she looked to Gisbourne. "Who I marry is no business of yours, Gisbourne."

Gisbourne hit her again, this time causing a nosebleed, before he looked to her parents and then back to her. "Let's see if he still wants you after my soldiers have defiled you." He sneered, before he nodded for the soldier holding her arms to drag her away, and as he did, he ordered the next part of his plan. "Kill them both!" He ordered.

"No!" Katherine screamed as she tried her hardest to struggle against the one holding her to stop the soldiers. She tried to stop the soldier from dragging her away, but he just pulled harder instead.

By the time that Robin, Will, Azeem, John and Bull arrived, Katherine's mother was already dead, and the soldiers were beating Simon as Gisbourne watched. The mill was in flames, there was no chance of saving it. They took in the scene and Will was relieved that he didn't see Katherine's body with her mother's, but he wondered where she was. Robin notched an arrow, and he aimed it at the guard that was about to drive a sword through Simon, before he let it loose as the sword fell. The arrow hit home, and the sword was dropped before it contacted Simon, causing the guard who originally had hold of it to fall. The remaining soldiers all looked around, looking for the source and they saw Robin and his men come out of the forest. There were five soldiers and Gisbourne, and five of them, this was going to be easy. Each of them engaged with their own, Gisbourne took on Robin Hood, the remaining soldier had decided to keep hold of a partially conscious Simon. John watched Will as he fought alongside him, he always marvelled the lad's ability to fight with a blade, be it sword or knife, but this was different. He was unforgiving, he slaughtered the soldier against him before he finished off the one holding Simon. At seeing that he was not going to win this fight, Gisbourne took off on his horse – the coward. Once both of his opponents were dead, Will knelt beside Simon with the other men, Azeem checking his injuries.

"Simon, I'm sorry, I didn't get here in time, I'm sorry this happened." Will looked to Azeem hopeful that the Moor could save him. "Can you do something?" He asked.

"There is internal bleeding, we cannot save him." Azeem told him, and Will held back his anger and his grief.

"Simon, Kat, where is she?" Will asked him, trying to keep him talking for now.

"Soldiers took her," He whispered, his voice weak. "Save her, Will, please."

Will nodded, resting his forehead against his as he felt Simon's remaining strength slip away as the man breathed his last. When he was sure that Simon was dead, Will picked up his sword and he looked around for signs of Katherine.

"Will, we have no idea where she is," John told him. "We should get the others together-"

Will looked around and just as he was about to respond, he heard Katherine scream, she sounded close by.

Katherine was on the other side of the hill; she had managed to stop the soldier from taking her any further and she was putting up a fight. The soldier only had one thing on his mind when he was given permission to defile her, and right now, he had ripped her dress, her hair was a mess and she was covered in cuts and marks from where he had gripped her tight enough to bruise, hit her and shoved her to the ground. The soldier in the meantime, had taken off his sword thankfully, and his doublet and his armour, leaving him in his boots, pants and under shirt as he tried to keep her still enough. This time Katherine managed to get a hand free, and she clawed at the soldier's face, causing long scratches across the left side of his face. He gave a cry of pain, before his hand suddenly clamped around her throat, forcing her head to hit the ground hard. His grip was tight, forcing the air from her lungs and not allowing any to get back in. Katherine panicked, trying to get his hand off of her, mentally cursing as her nails did not make purchase against the rough skin of his hands. She mentally told herself to keep kicking her legs, she would not go down without a fight, no matter how lightheaded and tired she was. Thankfully, help wasn't too far away as Will and the rest of the group cleared the hill, and took in the scene, Will was suddenly grabbed by John to stop him doing something stupid.

"John!" Will's voice had changed in that minute, Katherine was in serious danger and Will had hit his limit, he was beyond angry, he was seething, ready to kill. Heaven help the poor bastard who got in his way next. It had become obvious to the group of men what the soldier's intentions had become, especially since he only needed one hand to strangle her, the other was trying to get past her kicking legs to remove her underclothes. However, at seeing Katherine start to turn blue, John had no choice but to let go of him as Will reached for his knife at his waist. This soldier was not going to get very far when Will was through with him. Suddenly Will's hand flicked out, the blade flying, and it embedded in the man's side, causing him to cry out, letting go of Katherine in the process. Everyone was shocked, Will had to be over 100 feet away, he shouldn't have been able to make that shot!

Will moved quicker than any of them, his sword unsheathed, he was ready for a fight. He crossed the distance instantly, the soldier had just enough time to pull the knife out and pick up his sword before Will went for his throat. He fought like a man possessed and only John truly knew. He was possessed, he was possessed by the thought that he could have lost the love of his life. John, meanwhile, ran to Katherine and he managed to pull her out of the way of the warring men, as Azeem joined them.

"Get me some water." Azeem instructed. "She's lost consciousness from lack of air," He explained.

Robin sent Bull to the river with a waterskin, and he came back with it overfilling. Azeem tipped some water over her face and Katherine took a startled breath in. Her normally pale skin was littered with cuts and bruises and there were already bruises forming on her neck from the soldier's hand.

"Roll her onto her side." Azeem instructed and John helped her roll over onto her side.

"Katherine, it's okay, it's John Little, you're going to be okay." John told her softly.

The men suddenly looked up as they heard a sound like trickling water, and they realised that could only mean one thing. Looking up, they all saw the body of the soldier fall to the floor, his head however seemed to roll away. They all looked to Will who was still standing, breathing heavily, his sword in his hands, covered in blood. Everyone knew that Will's skill with a blade was commendable, he was known for his skill throughout the villages and the men in the forest and with the anger in his system it was not surprised that this was the outcome.

"Get away from her." He snarled, and John had all of the men back up from Katherine. "Lad, it's alright, she's alive, Azeem was just helping her." He soothed and everyone watched as Will knelt down beside Katherine, almost as if he needed to check her over himself.

"Go back to the camp, I'll bring her with me when she is ready." Will told them, his voice was void of emotion and as cold as stone.

Robin for once, seemed to take note of this and he nodded. "Alright Will, but if you're not back by night, I'll be sending John to check on you." Will nodded stiffly and he kept his eyes on Katherine.

Once they were gone, he moved to lie beside her, forgetting that he was covered in blood, and he pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her.

"I'm so sorry," He whispered. "I did not expect this to happen, but I promise I won't leave your side again."

"You can't promise that." She whispered and her voice had Will sitting up to look at her.

"Kat…" He whispered, resting a hand on her cheek.

"I didn't think you would come in time." She told him, her eyes welling with tears. "How did you know to come?"

"Wulf, he and Fanny were in the village when they heard the villager tell Gisbourne about us" Will explained. "Kat I'm so sorry, I didn't plan on this happening, I should have been more careful and thought of all of this."

Katherine moved a hand to rest on his that was on her cheek. "No, all the time he was here, Gisbourne continued to ask me who it was…He saw the ring," She explained. "But all that time none of us told him it was you, they died protecting you."

Will looked to her, he was startled into silence, never had anyone done that to him, even his own mother.

He refused to think of her right now, his emotions were too high, and he still held anger in his system, he did not want Katherine to bear the brunt of it, but the more he saw her wounds the more he wished he could bring the soldier back and kill him over and over again.

"You're covered in blood," Katherine spoke, and Will looked down at himself, in truth his chest, neck, arms and torso were covered in dark red blood that was quickly drying in the sun, but there were splatters on his face and legs. "Why?"

Will looked at him, he smiled slightly when she did not assume that he was injured. "I killed the man who tried to rape and strangle you." Will told her, he didn't see the point in lying to her, Katherine would see through him in an instant.

Katherine looked at him and Will watched her eyes glanced to the body of the men that had been left where it fell.

"You killed him for me?"

"Of course," He used the hand on her cheek to turn her to look at him. "I would do anything for you, my love."

Katherine let her eyes meet his, her once warm brown eyes cold with sadness, there were still tears in there, tears that had yet to be shed, but also a strong love as she looked to him. Her brown eyes met his blue ones and Will wondered what she saw in them. Katherine did not give him any indication of what she saw in his eyes. But she saw that they were alive, with a fire of anger and danger, she had only ever seen this look in his eyes once and she was hard pressed to get him back from it that time as well.

"Will, what of my parents?" She asked quietly.

Will looked to her and he sighed. "Kat I'm sorry," He whispered. "I couldn't save them."

Katherine went quiet for a few minutes, blinking away tears and Will brushed the ones that had escaped away with his thumbs as his hands held her cheeks.

"Let us bury them together." Will told her and when she nodded, he moved to get to his feet, and he helped her to join him as they made their way up the hill. At seeing her parents, bodies, Katherine stopped. Will looked to her and noticed how she had gone white, and she started to shake.

"Come and sit down, it's okay, I will do everything." He promised, guiding her to a spot, turning her so that she was watching the water of the river. "Sit there, and don't worry I'm still here."

When she had calmed down and her shaking decreased, after finding a shovel in the vegetable patch, he set about burying her parents.

When the task was done, Will came over to check on her and he found her awake still, her skin still pale, but she was breathing and no longer crying. Katherine was just staring into space, and Will wasn't sure if she could actually see him in front of her, but he knelt directly in front of her anyway.

"Kat?" He asked gently, his fingers stroking her cheek.

"Did they suffer?" She asked.

"Your mother didn't…Your father…I think so." He sighed.

"I meant what I said Will, they never gave you up." She told him, and Will could see that her words rang true, Katherine's parents treated him as a son, they were the parents that he never had.

"They were lovely parents to me." He told her.

Katherine smiled slightly, before they delved into comfortable silence and Will wondered what she could be thinking about. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of silence, she spoke again.

"You need to wash." She whispered to him.

Will found himself smiling and he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, before he got up and walked to the river. She was right, not only was he now covered in dried blood, but also mud and dirt. As he walked, he felt her eyes on him as he pulled off his doublet and undershirt, leaving them on the ground next to the river along with his boots. He slid himself into the cold water of the river, feeling it shock his system, before he set about cleaning off the blood, mud and dirt from his body.

As he washed, Will thought about all of the events of the day, he was going to come and see her tonight anyway, he had been away for long enough, but he had not expected this to be the reason. He expected to be left alone with his thoughts, so he jumped a mile high when he felt arms slide around his torso, before Katherine hid her face in his back. She had seen Will without a shirt on numerous times before, but right now, she didn't care, she just needed closeness. Will turned in her arms to wrap his around her and hold her close. They stayed there for a while, Will just holding her in his arms, before Katherine's soft voice broke the silence.

"Kiss me, Will." Her voice was no higher than a whisper, so much so that she wasn't sure if he had heard, however she knew he had once Will's lips descended upon hers. As he kissed her, the thoughts of the day entered his mind, as if his subconscious was trying to prove a point. He nearly lost her today, he didn't think the soldier would stop at just raping her, he would have probably killed her too. The mere thought had his grip on her tightening, and it was enough to alert Katherine.

"Stop," She whispered. "Stop thinking as you are, just focus on us." She told him, her hands resting on his chest to get his attention.

Will looked to her. "I can't help it; you could have died today."

Katherine looked to him, her eyes holding his, as she took one of his hands from where they had placed themselves at her waist, and she carried it up to her chest placing it against where her heart would be, and Will could feel the strong heartbeat within.

"But I didn't," She told him. "You saved me, I'm alive because of you." She continued.

"I owe Wulf and Fanny a lot right now." Will told her. "If they hadn't overheard…"

"Stop it," She told him, hitting his chest, it wasn't enough to hurt him just enough to garner his attention. "Now shut up and kiss me," She told him.

This time he kissed her with vigour, moving to pick her up in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she moved a hand into his hair.

Meanwhile, back at camp, Robin was confused that he did not realise that Will never joined them on raids, in fact he normally wondered where the young lad went from time to time, especially when he was missing from camp. He sat before a fire with John, Azeem, Bull and Fanny.

"I will be honest, I never thought I would find out this piece of information about Will." He mused.

"Only a few of us knew about her," John explained. "Fanny and I knew, but that was because we looked after him for a while when he was a little 'un."

"No one thought that the villagers would rat them out." Bull told him.

"Why did he not say anything?" Robin asked. "I mean I knew you are married, Bull's wife has passed, I know the other families here, why did Will not say anything?"

"Will is a naturally private lad, if he felt that you needed to know then he would have told you." John told him. "Don't take it to heart Rob, you aren't the only one who didn't know."

Robin nodded and he looked up at the sky, the night was closing in fast. "It's nearly night and they aren't back, John, can you go and look for him?"

John nodded. "Come on Bull, let's go." He told him.

Both men grabbed their weapons and walked away, heading back towards the mill. As they came to the mill, they looked around for Will and sure enough they found him. However, the position in which they found him in was not the position that they wanted to find. He had carried Katherine to the bank and right now, he was on top of her, her legs wrapped around his waist, his lips locked with hers in a fierce kiss, her hands in his hair, as one of his rested on her waist the other on the ground holding himself up.

Bull and John had no idea what to say, but John nudged the other man and together they moved to the other side of the burnt down mill, thankful that some of the tall walls still stood.

"Will! Katherine!" John shouted. "Where are you lad?"

At hearing John, they both broke apart, Will getting off of Katherine and throwing on his undershirt and boots, before he helped her up and after grabbing his doublet, they went out to join them.

John and Bull looked at them with knowing looks that had Katherine blushing, but Will slid his arm around her shoulders to pull her into him, almost daring the two men to say something. John and Bull both just smiled and walked away, leading them back to the camp. As they walked Will left Katherine with Bull when John asked to speak to him and Bull looked to her, she had her arms around herself as she walked, her eyes downcast, he could see hidden tears as her hair covered her face.

"It's all going to be okay," Bull tried to comfort her. "They aren't going to suffer anymore, try and be thankful for that." He realised how that sounded once the words left his mouth and he mentally cursed himself.

Katherine looked at him and Bull could see what enamoured Will about this woman, even in sadness, she was gorgeous, an angel amongst men.

"Thank you for trying to cheer me up," She told him. "I don't even know your name,"

"David of Doncaster, but people call me Bull." He introduced himself.

Katherine smiled. "Katherine," She told him. "And I'm not going to ask why they call you Bull."

Bull could not help but laugh, and this time Katherine felt herself smiling, Bull's laughter caused Will and John to turn around, for Will to make sure that Katherine was okay, and he saw the smile on her lips. It felt good to see her smile. When they reached the camp, they were suddenly bombarded by men of the group and this time it was John who pushed them all out of the way.

"Give the lass some air you daft buggers." John told them. "Take her to Fanny, Will." Will gave him a nod and he shielded her through the crowds until they could see John's hut up ahead.

"Katherine!"

The shout had come from Fanny, who even in her heavily pregnant state, ran up to the young woman and pulled her in for a tight hug, ripping her from Will's arms, but neither of the couple minded. Fanny was like a second mother to both of them, so Katherine and Will had expected this reaction. Fanny was talking to her a mile a minute as she brought her into the hut, however when Will tried to follow Fanny stopped him.

"Not just yet Will, she needs time with a mother, go and prepare your hut for her, I'm sure she will be staying with you." Fanny instructed and it took all of Will's self-control to do as Fanny commanded.

Will had only just had time to put his weapons down in his hut before Robin entered, ever the rich man thinking that he didn't at least have to knock first.

"What do you want Locksley?" He demanded.

"This girl, can we trust her?" Robin asked him.

Will looked at him incredulously. "Do you seriously think that she would betray us after what happened to her today?"

"I hope not, but we can't be too careful, if she isn't ready for this then it's too bad, she isn't allowed to leave."

"Will you just shut up already?" Will could feel the anger still in his veins and it was building the more this spoilt little rich boy tried to talk to him. "Stop acting like you know everything! You know nothing!"

"I know enough to keep these people safe!" Locksley challenged. "We are at war Will, now is not the time for galivanting around with a girl."

"Says you!" He told him. "We have all seen how you go off to meet Marian!"

"Can the pair of you stop arguing." Azeem told them from where he stood outside the hut. "A lady is coming."

At hearing him, Will pushed past Robin and out of his hut, and he looked where Azeem pointed, and he saw Katherine. Fanny had given her some fresh clothes to wear, her hair was brushed and braided, she still walked with her arms wrapped around herself, but she appeared better. Fanny had even given her a cloak to wear to keep herself warm since she lost her things in the fire. Will walked to her as she walked down the hill that led to his home, and he took her hand to help her down the last few steps. He purposefully built his home away from everyone, because he liked his privacy, but now that she was here, he realised that he should have moved it. Will glared at Robin as he sauntered past him, whilst Azeem gave him and Katherine a nod, before he followed his friend.

"What was all that about?" Katherine asked. "I could hear you both on the hill."

"Just Locksley being the pig-headed spoilt rich boy I always took him for." Will told her with a shrug. "Come inside, I'll make a fire."

Katherine nodded and she walked inside with Will, looking around his home. It was simple, with a table and two chairs in front of her, and she could make out the bed in the back.

It was a basic home for an outlaw, after all Will had no possessions except his weapons and the clothes he wore, so she did not expect a massive number of things. She watched as Will made a fire in the small hearth and she moved to sit next to him. Will smiled to her and he moved to pull her onto his lap, pulling her to rest her head on his shoulder as they watched the flames.

"I know this isn't the life you wanted Kat, but I'm sure you will enjoy it." Will told her.

"Actually, to tell you the truth, Father had a talk with me the other day, he told me to come and join you in the forest." She told him.

"So, you were coming to me anyway?"

"Well yes, but I was going to talk to you about it when we next saw each other." She told him and Will kissed her head. He would have had her in the forest with him, that was what he had wanted, he was just sorry that it came to this for her to do so.

They were suddenly interrupted by someone entering Will's home, at least this person knocked on the door first – Bull.

"Hey, you two, we made some dinner, Fanny told me to come and get you, she said that she was sure that Katherine would be hungry." Bull explained.

Will nodded, and he realised that neither he nor Katherine had eaten anything for the majority of the day, and as if to answer him, he heard Katherine's stomach rumble.

"Sorry," She blushed.

"Come on, let's get you some food, because I think the next person to find us would be Fanny and she will not be happy with me." Will told her with a small smile and Katherine returned it, getting up and once they were both standing, they headed off with Bull.

They soon joined the group that consisted of Azeem, Friar, John, Bull, Robin, Fanny and Wulf and Fanny and John both smiled warmly at the pair. Wulf looked to Katherine in curiosity, as would be normal for a fifteen-year-old boy. Robin didn't even look up from his bowl. Everyone noted the frosty tension between Robin and Will, more so than usual. Bull took his place beside Robin and Wulf moved over to make room and Katherine sat down next to Wulf, with Will on her other side next to John. John handed them each a bowl of stew, ensuring that they could eat. As they ate, Katherine listened to the conversations, Will being pulled into a few by John and Bull. Suddenly there was a soft voice next to her and she turned to see Wulf looking to her.

"What's your name?" Wulf asked her.

"Katherine," She introduced herself. "What is yours?"

"I'm Wulf, John is my father." Wulf told her as he scarfed down more gulps of stew.

"I can see the resemblance." Katherine mused as she watched John eat the exact same way as his son.

"Are you Will's lover?" Wulf asked.

Katherine looked to Will beside her who was locked in a conversation with Bull, Robin, Fanny and John. "Yes, I am."

"He told me that he hoped we would meet you one day," Wulf told her. "I've ever seen Will so attached to someone, mother said it's good for him to have you, he's certainly been slightly happier."

Katherine smiled softly. "Really?"

Wulf nodded. "Yeah, Will's like my big brother and I've never seen him as happy with you as he is with anyone else."

Katherine smiled, and then she noticed the bow next to Wulf. "Are you an archer Wulf?"

"Am learning," Wulf told her. "Can you shoot?"

"I can," She told him. "My mother taught me how to shoot an arrow, she learnt from her father."

Wulf looked to her. "Can you shoot with me in the morning?" He asked.

"If you would like." Katherine told him.

Will looked to them as he heard them, and he smiled slightly. The rest of the evening went well, Katherine continued to have conversations with Wulf, the boy curious about her. She also held conversations with Azeem and the Friar, but these were much shorter than the childish curiosity that Wulf had. By the time Will and Katherine walked back down to his, well their hut, she was exhausted from both the physical and emotional exhaustion of the day.