Chapter 10: Saving the Outlaws

A/N: I did it! I reached the deadline! Thank you all so much for your patience. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.

Let me know what you think! :)

Enjoy!

Regina had decided to give up on sitting and waiting patiently and now resorts to pacing the length of the log she was previously sat upon. Her worry has only grown as the sun continues to lower in the sky, her only indication of how late in the day it is. What could possibly be taking them so long? she wonders for the hundredth time that afternoon.

Regina is now more than certain that something has gone wrong, after all Robin had briefed the plan to all of them and at the time it had sounded like a very simple in-and-out job.

So, what had gone wrong?

Had Lord Braxton figured out that the outlaw and his merry band of thieves were planning to rob him? Or had her black knights decided just oh so coincidentally to patrol that area of the forest at that specific time?

The brunette lets out a long and exasperated sigh as she wishes – not for the first time – that she still had her magic with this disguise. If she did, she would use it to locate wherever it is the Merry Men have managed to trap themselves. Then Regina would march in, armed with a fireball in each hand as she rescued them.

But alas, she could do nothing of the sort.

Suddenly the brunette hears what she determines to be a set of hooves thundering against the dirt and in the direction of the camp. she turns at the sound, hope flaring in her chest as she eagerly waits for the horses to come into view.

But as quickly as it came, that flicker of hope dies as only two horses and their riders make their way into camp. upon bringing his steed to a halt, Little John immediately dismounts and makes his way over to her, gripping her shoulders. "Where are the others?" he asks, his tone agitated.

Regina shakes her head as dread makes its way into the pit of her stomach, "I don't know."

"So, no one else has made it back yet?" Alan questions as he dismounts his own horse and John releases her from his grip.

"No, you're the only ones." the brunette replies struggling to keep her voice from breaking. Her gaze then flicks between the two men in front of her as she asks, "Something's gone wrong hasn't it?" Fear clenches around her throat as she doesn't fail to notice the exchanged glance between the pair.

After a painful silence, John heaves a heavy sigh, "It appears that way."

"Oh God." Regina breathes as one of her hands subconsciously covers her mouth, the thought of Robin and the other Merry Men in a life-threatening situation making her sick to her stomach. She couldn't lose her second chance at love and happiness, because that's what these men are to her – her second chance. "We need to help them!" the brunette exclaims as her eyes bore into Little John's, pleading with him.

"I agree." Alan concedes, coming to stand beside her, "Any of the others would do the same for us."

"I know." John admits, his gaze moving between herself and Alan. "But if we're going to rescue these sorry bastards," the bear-like man states, "we need to come up with an effective plan."

"And quickly." Regina adds, her mind already racing through several methods they could use. She faintly hears the others murmur in agreement as she turns away from the pair and delves deeper into her thoughts. The brunette is more than certain that the black knights have managed to capture them as the Merry Men were trying to escape through the hidden trail. Deciding that's where the other men and herself should head, the brown-eyed woman starts to formulate a plan to free Robin and his men.

Regina determines a surprise attack would be the most effective as a full on one would just be plain stupid. However, she doesn't know how many knights were on patrol and judging from the worry etched on John and Alan's faces when they realised they were the first to return, neither do they. So how can the three of us take down a seemingly large number of soldiers? the brunette asks herself.

Suddenly and idea forms itself within her mind causing her to turn back around to face the two Merry Men as she states, "I have an idea."

"We've gotten ourselves in a right good mess this time." Robin hears Arthur mutter. The outlaw silently agrees as the rest of his men and himself stand captive in a line as they watch several black knights evaluate each and every individual sack that's either full of resources or the valuables they had not-so-successfully managed to borrow from the manor.

"How are we gonna make it out of this one?" Much asks from beside him.

However, before Robin can even find and answer the black-haired man grunts as the knight who's holding him in place gives him a hard shove. "Shut your mouth thief!"

Not wanting to make the situation worse for his men and himself, the blue-eyed man remains silent all the while trying to come up with a plan that will manage to save not only their skins but also their score.

After Regina had told the others what she was thinking, the trio managed to formulate a plan that seemed doable. Once they gathered the weapons they would need, Little John, Alan and herself each mounted a horse – Regina choosing to ride bareback – as they rode their way to the trail.

Now, the three have split up in order to create some sort of perimeter around the knights. Upon reaching a well-hidden section within the trees, the brunette swiftly dismounts her steed before lifting the bow that's slung over one of her shoulders and securing the quiver around her waist. She then moves forward, crouching behind some bushes in order to observe the commotion below.

Regina immediately realises they're outnumbered at least four to one. We'll have to make each shot count she thinks to herself before noticing the majority of her knights are either delving through the numerous sacks clearly full of valuables or are physically holding the Merry Men captive. Focusing her attention on the subjects of the rescue, the brunette also notes how the men are most likely unarmed and are lined up next to each other with a black knight posted behind each one.

"So much for staying safe." she can't help but mutter to herself. Suddenly she hears a low grunt before one of the knights is bellowing Shut your mouth thief! Deciding now is the time to put her plan in motion, the brunette grabs for the dagger she's removed from her boot and uses the sun's rays to give the signal to Alan and John. After a few moments she receives to winking lights in return, letting her know both men are in position.

The brown-eyed woman then proceeds to pick up the bow at her side and removes an arrow from the quiver around her waist before knocking it. recalling on her practice sessions with a bow and arrow, Regina pulls the string all the way until her fingers brush her cheek. Using her mouth as an anchor, the woman steadies the bow as she aims to hit the ground near one of the knight's horses. She inhales deeply before releasing the arrow upon the exhale.

The projectile sails through the air with a graceful ease, arching slightly before falling and firmly staking itself into the ground directly in front of a pair of hooves. As Regina expected, the horse's reaction is immediate; rearing onto its hind legs with a loud neigh as the nearest guard rushes to grab hold of the reins. However, before they are able to steady the gelding, another stakes itself near the hooves of another horse, causing it to give a slight jump to the side before it starts to move away from the danger and gallop into the trees. Regina can't help the grin that forms on her lips as a couple of knights chase after the horse.

Then she's knocking her second arrow and aiming for a shiny black boot but just before she releases it a third arrow strikes the ground, causing another wave or chaos and fearful neighs. Regina wastes no more time in releasing her own, grinning when it lands exactly where she had aimed and causing the guard to cry out. Not bad for a girl without magic if I do say so myself.

Refusing to relent and give the black knights time to figure out what is going on, the three archers continue to fire arrow after arrow, making sure to place them where they would cause the most turmoil.

After at least half of her quiver had been used, the brunette would say that so far they were succeeding as the majority of the knights had fled into the woods after the horses that the archers had managed to spook. Now all that remains are a handful of guards – seven to be exact – that are scattered throughout the clearing either creating some sort of perimeter with their swords in hand to try and fend off their invisible enemy or watching the still-captive Merry Men and their horses – which miraculously hadn't spooked.

Deciding to move onto the second phase of the plan, Regina knocks another arrow but instead of aiming towards the ground or at a boot she targets a black knight's leg. upon the exhale of her release, the brunette watches as the projectile flies towards its goal and takes the opportunity to sling her bow over her shoulder before grabbing the dagger that's still hidden within her boot, her brown orbs falling from the clearing in the process.

An anguished cry sounds just as Regina manages to warp her fingers around the hilt of the knife. As soon as she pulls it out, two more blood-curdling screams can be heard causing the brown-eyed woman to bring her attention back to the clearing.

She takes not of the three knights that are writhing on the ground and clutching at their legs as the other look on seemingly dumbfounded.

A smug smile forms on the brunette's lips at the obvious success of her distraction as she moves stealthily further into the shadow of the trees behind the captive Merry Men, waiting for the perfect opportunity to move onto phase three. Regina peeks form behind the tree that's currently shielding her and watches as three of the guards seem to come to their senses as they move to aid their fallen comrades leaving only one guard watching the hostages.

"Perfect." the disguised queen mutters to herself with a smile, tightening her grip on the dagger as she crouches and makes her way closer to the lone knight. Regina makes sure to keep her steps as quiet as possible so as not to give away her presence and enabling the element of surprise to be on her side. Once she's practically stood behind him, Regina moves quickly, bringing the dagger in her right hand to rest again the throat on the black knight.

Regina immediately feels his muscles tense as she positions herself so that he can't wriggle out of her hold. Unable to resist the temptation of moving the dagger closer to his skin, the brunette presses on the blade just enough to draw the smallest amount of blood. As the knight hisses in pain the brown-eyed woman takes the opportunity to gaze past him, smirking when she spots and Alan and John starting to make their way into the clearing with their bows not yet raised due to not having yet gained the attention of the other guards yet.

Regina brings her attention back to the knight at her mercy just as his arm flinches towards the hilt of his sword sheathed at belt. "Uh uh uh." the brunette tuts as she drives the dagger just that bit further into his skin, immediately causing him to cease his actions. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. raise your hands where I can see them."

The guard complies, raising his hands to either side of his head. "Good boy." Regina praises in a similar tone she uses when commanding Rocinante. "Now you're going to stay right there aren't you?" she asks using the same tone as her left hand stealthily comes up to the hilt of the same sword. Just as the knight gives a grunt in response, the brunette draws the sword from its sheathe before raising it to the back of him and thudding it against his helmet, effectively knocking him out.

"Hand over your prisoners!" Little John booms just as the body crumples to the floor and diverts the brown-eyed woman's attention to the captive Merry Men in front of her. dropping the sword, Regina moves to the closest member – which happens to be Arthur – and uses the dagger that's still held in her right hand to cut through the rope at his wrists.

"What the-"

"Shoosh." the brunette hisses, effectively cutting the man off. She quickly glances at Alan and John, noticing that their bows are raised and they've managed to engage the knights in a conversation she can't quite make out but she knows is keeping the attention on them and away from her and her task. "Once I've cut through these ropes, grab whatever weapon you can and find some cover to wait for my signal before you attack." Regina murmurs to Arthur as she continues to slice through the rope.

The man nods in response just as the brunette cuts through the last strand, freeing him. He immediately follows her instructions, moving behind her to grab the sword she left on the ground before dashing into the nearby shrubbery. Regina moves onto the next Merry Man and upon noticing it's Robin she quickly gives one of his arms a tender squeeze causing the outlaw to glance over his shoulder.

Upon seeing it's her, his eyes widen in recognition as a smile forms on his lips. "Wilma." The blue-eyed man breathes causing a smile to form on her own features as she starts cutting through the rope at his wrists. "But-"

"Shh." Regina susurrates, cutting him off as she continues to sever the rope. "Once I've got through this, grab a weapon and find cover as you wait for my signal, that's when we'll attack, got that thief?" she tells him, making sure to keep her voice quiet.

"Loud and clear milady." she hears him reply, making her chuckle softly before cutting through the last of the rope and moving onto the next set of wrists.

As she cuts through each of the ropes, Regina repeats what she had told Arthur and Robin, sneaking glances in Alan and John's direction to make sure that the knight's are still occupied. However, when she's on the second to last rope she notices that despite being threatened with raised weapons a couple of foolishly brave soldiers are making a move towards the two Merry Men. Taking note of what's about to happen Regina looks over to the shadows where the freed members of the merry band are waiting for their signal. She quickly nods, giving the signal.

Robin and the others immediately rush over to the pair, surrounding the handful of black knights and raising their weapons. Satisfied that they will manage to keep the situation under control, the brunette brings her attention back to her task, cutting through the rope as quickly as possible. As soon as she's managed to free Will he grabs a nearby sword before joining the others in dealing with the black knights.

Regina moves to the last captive – Much. She immediately starts slicing through the rope, very conscious of the little time they have to get away from here and back to the rendezvous point. With that in mind she murmurs to the young man in front of her, "You're going to help me gather the valuables."

"Gotcha." Much replies with a nod. Once she's cut through the last thread, the two of them dash over to the band's horses. Together they work quickly to recover what has been taken out of the sacks before making sure each one is tied securely onto the saddle. Upon hearing a few grunts and the shuffling of what she assumes to be feet, Regina glances over her shoulder only to see that the Merry Men have managed to knock out the remaining knights and have tied them all up.

They make their way over to the horses just as the brunette is securing the last pf their score. "So, what's the rest of the plan?" she hears Robin ask as he seems to reach her first.

Turning around she hands him a set of reins as she replies, "Grab a horse and ride like your life depends on it." With that she gives him a slight smirk before walking off in the direction of where her own horse is hidden, however she doesn't get far as his hand quickly grabs her wrist causing her to turn back around.

"Where are you going?" he asks in an almost anxious tone.

Picking up on the anxious tone of his voice Regina quips, "To get my own horse of course."

"Oh right." Robin responds sheepishly as he brings his free hand to scratch behind his head before dropping it and using his other hand to squeeze her arm gently as his blue orbs gaze into her brown ones. "Be careful, yeah?"

Regina simply smiles as she moves her arm so that he's gripping her hand instead. "The same goes for you, you know, but don't worry," she tells him, "I plan on catching up to you as soon as I reach the main road."

He gives her a small nod, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth as he murmurs, "Alright then, I'll see you soon."

"See you soon." she agrees, bringing her other hand to cover his as she gives it another squeeze before walking as fast as her limp will allow her to where she's kept her horse.

Onto the final phase.

Robin watches her go, unable to ignore the limp that's still present within her walk before turning to the horse that has now moved beside him. "Ready to ride like hell?" the thief asks the gelding giving him a slight pat to him mane. Robin then swings his leg over the steed and adjusts his grip on the reins before turning around so he's facing the others, "You heard her men! Let's get a move on!"

Taking heed of his words the recently freed Merry Men scramble to mount a horse whilst Little John and Alan run off in the direction of where the thief assumes their horses are. "Right," Robin addresses his men, "We'll go with the original plan; split up into your pairs and take your designated routes back to the rendezvous point, got it?" When everyone either nods or murmurs in agreement, the outlaw mutters a, "Good."

And with that Robin digs his heels into the stallion's flanks, urging the horse forward and in the direction of the main road. Taking advantage of the fairly even ground along the trail, the outlaw eases into a gallop, eager to make it into the town square as soon as possible. He sneaks a glance over his shoulder, satisfied when it seems that the rest of the band are keeping up at a similar pace.

In almost no time at all they break out onto the main road and Robin chuckles when he spots a lone rider that he assumes to be Wilma riding not too far ahead of him. Wanting to catch up to her, the blue-eyed man encourages his horse to go faster.

"It appears I'm the one who's caught up with you." Robin comments as soon as his steed is beside hers.

Wilma turns to look at him with a broad grin as she replies, "I did tell you that you didn't need to worry about me." And despite their current situation, the blue-eyed man lets out a laugh and hears her joining him soon after.

But the brief moment is suddenly broken as the loud thundering sound of hooves can be heard from behind them. Robin throws a glance over his shoulder only to discover a horde of black knights charging at them. "How the hell did they find those horses so fast?" Wilma asks and the outlaw picks up on the frustration in her tone that mirrors his own.

"I wouldn't have a bloody clue." he replies as he sets his gaze on the road ahead of him.

"They're gaining on us Robin!" Tuck calls from behind.

"I know!" the blue-eyed man calls back, encouraging his horse to go faster. "We just have to make it to the town!" Then without warning an arrow zooms past his head, missing it by mere inches. "Shit." Robin curses, sneaking another glance over his shoulder at the oncoming guard only to find that they have indeed raised their weapons.

"It's coming up!" he hears Wilma yell as she increases the speed of her own horse beside him. Upon returning his gaze to the horizon, the outlaw indeed notices that the town is not far ahead of them.

"I see it!" he replies, tightening his grip on the reins as another arrow whizzes past.

Then rather startingly, another horse pulls up alongside Robin's other side. "How'd they round up those horses so fast?" the voice of Little John questions.

"Not clue." the outlaw hears the brunette call back.

"So, what's the plan?" his friend asks.

"Get to the village and split up in our pairs like we originally planned." the thief replies as he turns to smirk at the bear-like man, "Then deal with the knights that are on your tail and hope that luck is on your side."

As the merry band continue to make their way to the village, they make sure to keep their heads low so as to avoid any arrows that are being aimed at them. Just before they reach the main gates, Robin turns to address the woman along stride him, "Wilma, follow Tuck and myself through the town."

"I'll be right behind you." she replies and before long they're entering through the main gates yelling for people to move out the way as they barrel down the road and towards the town square.

Once they reach the square the Merry Men split up, each pair taking their designated route that will take them back to the rendezvous point. Robin quickly glances over his shoulder, and sure enough Wilma stays true to her word as she is indeed right behind him and riding alongside Tuck making him smile in relief. However, the smile is soon wiped off of his face as he also notices the three black knights turn down the very same ally.

Focusing back on the situation at hand, the thief returns his gaze ahead of him. He tightens his grip on the reins slightly, preparing himself for the upcoming corner that he needs to turn down.

As soon as he reaches it, he pulls on the right side of his reins, urging his stallion in that direction. The horse responds to the action swiftly making the turn with ease. Suddenly Robin hears a clang causing him to turn his head to determine the course of the noise only to discover that the black knights had managed to fire an arrow that barely missed his head. "Shit, that was too close." he breathes, encouraging his horse to go that little bit faster.

Keeping his gaze ahead, Robin focuses on the next corner which thankfully isn't too much farther. Tugging on the left side of the reins, he makes his horse bank a left. The horse manages to clear the corner with just as much ease as the last one, leaving Robin thankful for its apparent agility.

Hearing a shout, the outlaw glances over his shoulder only to notice that they've managed to lose one of the knights. However, they still have two on their tail and only one more set of twists and turns before they'll reach the forest.

Suddenly he becomes aware of the bow that is being aimed at him by one of the soldiers, an arrow already knocked against the bowstring. Robin quickly yells at the other to duck before turn his head back around and keeping it low. Soon after the outlaw hears another clang sound from beside him as the arrow once again whizzes past him and strikes against the cobblestone walls that make up the alleyway.

He continues to keep his head low, urging his horse to keep its current pace as he keeps focused on their course and the quick succession of sharp corners they'll need to take before they reach the outskirts of the town. All of a sudden Robin realises that Wilma doesn't know about the upcoming corners, so he decides to take a risk as he warns her, "Get ready! There's two sharp corners up ahead!"

She responds with a firm nod, letting him know she got the message before he returns his gaze ahead of him.

Again tightening his grip on the reins, the outlaw pulls back only slightly making the stallion slow down slightly before tugging to the left. The horse responds just as swiftly as the previous turns and Robin gives him at couple of seconds to recover before he's urging the horse to bank a hard right and much to the thief's surprise, the steed barely struggles.

As soon as they've cleared the corner, Robin throws another quick glance over his shoulder. When he does, he notes that they've managed to lose another black knight, however one remains persistent on their tails.

Knowing they have to lose him before they reach the edge of the forest the blue-eyed man gives a quick scout of his surroundings until his gaze falls on a cart full of barrels not too far ahead. Forming a plan within his mind, Robin grabs the bow that's hooked onto the saddle before quickly knocking an arrow and aiming at the latch on the cart.

The arrows strikes its target, immediately releasing the latch's hold and sending the barrels rolling. Quickly slinging the bow over his shoulder Robin digs his heels into the horse's flank, urging him to go faster as they continue to thunder down the alleyway.

As soon he breaks out of the cobblestone walls, the outlaw looks back over his shoulder wanting to determine if his plan worked. Upon seeing no black knights in sight, a grin breaks out onto his face as a sense of relief washes over him. But even though the danger is over Robin doesn't stop as he wants to put as much distance between the threat of black knights and his men as possible.

He only starts to slow down when the tents of the camp become visible before deciding to come to a complete stop, Wilma and Tuck pulling up alongside him.

"You alright, Rob?" the friar asks after a short silence.

Nodding, the blue-eyed man replies, "Just taking a moment."

"I'll leave you to it then." Tuck murmurs before riding off into camp.

Silence falls over the pair on the outskirts of the camp and Robin turns his head to look at the woman beside him. After a moment she turns her head to meet his gaze. "What?" she questions with her brow furrowed in confusion.

"How did you do it?" he simply asks, "How did you know that that plan would work?"

Wilma chuckles softly as she lowers her gaze to look at her hands. "I didn't know it would work," she responds with a shrug before levelling her brown orbs with his, "I only hoped that it would."

Robin smiles at her as he reaches over to grab her hand, giving it a small squeeze, "Well I'm more than glad that it did."

"Me too." the brunette replies as she returns the squeeze. For a moment they continue to gaze into each other's eyes, before she's softly patting his hand as she says, "Come on, we better go and check on the others."

The thief nods in response before releasing her hand as he gestures for her to lead the way.

A/N: What's going to happen next? I suppose you'll have to wait and see (and I promise I won't take a month to update!) And yes there will be more Outlaw Queen in the next chapter.

I would love to know what you though of this chapter so please feel free to leave a review.

Until next time. :)