Anna and her ladies were in the field collecting herbs when the morning calm was broken by the sound of thundering hooves. The women looked up in surprise, startled by the noise. They watched as several of the Sheriff's men rode past, their animals
under minimal control. One of the riders glanced back over his shoulder as if fearing pursuit, then continued on.
"What on earth could have sent them into such a state?" Anna wondered, staring after them.
"Whatever it is, my lady, let us hope it remains in Sherwood where it belongs," her nurse Gwenneth replied.
"Aye, for sure," the lady agreed. "We have much yet to do before we return home, and I would hate to be cheated of this harvest."
Anna returned her attention to the plant she was trimming, gathering as much of the medicinal leaves as she could without killing the plant. Her ladies glanced nervously at the forest's edge before following her example. No sooner had the ladies returned to
their work than another horse and rider exited the woods at a much slower pace.
Guy rode stiffly, his entire concentration centered on remaining upright in the saddle. His hands clutched the reins tightly, as tightly as his jaw clenched against the pain. The horse stumbled, sending tearing pain through his shoulder. As he fought for balance, the world went black and he fell.
"My lord, they've killed 'im," the soldier cried as he knelt at the foot of the dais.
"Killed who?" the Sheriff snapped impatiently.
"Sir Guy, my lord. We was in Sherwood, and Robin Hood's men--they came out of nowhere. I saw the arrow pierce him with my own eyes."
"Did you see him fall?"
"No, my lord. We..." The soldier cut short his words, unwilling to admit to cowardice.
"You ran," de Rainault finished with a sneer. "We will go back for him. If he is dead, he deserves a decent burial, and if he lives he will want healing."
"Aye, my lord. I can show you the place where he was hit."
"Very well then. Be quick about it," the Sheriff barked as he gathered his cloak about him to ride.
"Robin, how could you?" Marion asked, not for the first time. "You could have killed him."
"Do you think I wasn't trying?" Robert said with a laugh.
"Robin, I'm serious," she continued, swatting at the twig he tickled her with. "He's your brother."
"Half-brother," he corrected her. "And he would be as happy as I to forget the relationship if he could."
"What of the duty you owe your father? How would he feel if he knew?"
"Leave it alone, Marion," he warned, his blue eyes turning dark and threatening.
"Leave it alone, Marion?" she repeated. "What if I can't leave it alone?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he said, pushing himself up and stalking away, leaving her alone with her worries.
Marion glanced up as a heavy hand rested on her shoulder.
"What is it, Little Flower?" Tuck asked, studying her worried expression.
"It's Robin," she sighed. "He doesn't understand how serious this is."
"He understands," the friar replied gently. "But he understands his obligation here as well, to the people who count on him for protection."
"But fratricide..."
"We must pray for the best, Marion, and trust him to make the right decision when the time comes that he must."
* * * *
"Sh, rest," Anna said gently, dabbing Guy's hot brow with a damp cloth.
"Where am I?" he whispered harshly, trying to rise. "Why are my eyes bound?"
"You are in my home," she replied, pushing him back into the pillows. "You were wounded and if you do not remain still those wounds will reopen. If that happens, your injuries may be permanent. Your eyes are covered to protect them. You hit your
head, and I feared there could be complications."
Guy froze at her words. He was an active man and the thought of being blind or permanently disabled terrified him.
"That's better. Now lie back," she soothed. "You need rest to help you heal."
"How did I get here?" he asked, obeying reluctantly.
"My ladies and I brought you. I thought you might die, but the arrow came out cleanly, and you should heal."
"What of my men?"
"Those," she said with ill-disguised contempt. "They ran without a thought for your welfare."
"I will pay them in kind when I am able."
"That will not be for some time. You are lucky the shot missed your heart. Had the arrow gone any lower..." She stopped, telling more in her silence than she could with words. "I'll fetch you some wine to ease the pain."
"Well, find him or his corpse," the Sheriff commanded. "I want proof that Robin Hood killed Sir Guy and I want it now."
"My lord, we are trying, but the unseasonable weather has washed away any trace of him. The best we can do is wait out the storm, then use the dogs when the ground is dry."
"Is that the only answer you have for me? To wait? The lot of you are as useless as Gisburne was."
"The Sheriff is demanding your head," Little John announced as he entered the outlaws’ camp. "Gisburne disappeared after our little encounter, and they're saying Robin Hood killed him."
"Would it be such a loss?" Robert replied grimly.
"He vowed to hunt us down, and promised a reward to any who aid in your capture, and punishment to those who harbor you."
"So we hide in Sherwood until it blows over."
"It will never be over," Will Scarlet declared. "Not until we're all dead."
"Will is right," Marion said softly from where she sat, chin resting on her knees. "If Gisburne is dead, it won't be over until they kill us. I'm tired of running, Robin," she said, staring up at him. "I'm tired of being afraid."
"Marion," he said gently, kneeling down to face her. "It will be all right. I promise you."
"You're not the man I thought I knew," she whispered as tears began trickling down her cheeks. "I didn't believe you could kill your own brother."
"Marion, I..." He stopped, at a loss for words.
"There's nothing to be done now," Tuck said, his round face a mask of worry. "We'll have to break camp and move to another part of Sherwood for a time."
"Agreed," Robert sighed, still studying Marion's tear-streaked face.
"How are you feeling?" Anna asked as Guy regained consciousness a second time.
"Terrible," he replied thickly. "My head aches."
"I'm sorry," she said, smoothing the hair back from his brow. "You took a sharp blow to your head, but the ache would most likely be from the wine."
"The wine?" he asked sharply. "You drugged me?"
"Comfry. It promotes healing and aids sleep," Anna replied. "You needed to rest."
"Why are you so concerned about my health?"
"You don't recognize my voice," she said with a slight laugh.
“Should I?" he demanded.
"My name is Anna. I was fostered for a time with your mother. You, Robert of Huntington and I played together for a season. My father sent for me when my mother died."
"I remember," he said, frowning at the memory. "We used to pull your braids."
"Among other things," she admitted dryly. "The two of you teased me to distraction."
"That was a long time ago," Guy said, cutting her off.
"Not so long, really. I returned a few years ago but, of course, you were already gone from home."
"Where are we now?" he asked, turning his blinded face from side to side as if seeking a clue.
"In my father's home, in Nottingham."
"And where is your father?"
"He died two summers ago of the fevers," she replied before changing the subject. "Would you like me to send for the Sheriff? I'm sure he will be pleased to hear of your recovery."
"Yes, thank you, and fetch me my trousers."
"I think not. You're barely strong enough to sit; you certainly aren't well enough to stand."
"I'll be the judge of that," he replied curtly.
"On the contrary, Sir Guy. I am well trained in the healing arts by my father and I will be the judge."
"Damn it, woman, get me my trousers."
"I will not," she snapped back, fist on her hips, eyes blazing with fury though she knew he couldn't see her. "I am not the child I was, to be bullied about by the likes of you."
Guy laughed weakly as he sank back into the pillows, amused at her vehemence, yet grateful for it.
"Very well, Anna, I will surrender to your greater knowledge. But I promise I will make you pay for your impertinence," he added with a smile.
"I will wait patiently for you to claim your payment," she shot back. "In the meantime, you must rest and let your body heal. I will send for the sheriff and, if you behave, I will remove the blinders."
"He couldn't even die well," the Sheriff fumed after the woman left him. "Instead he gets himself nursed by some female, and Robin Hood is off the hook again."
"My lord, perhaps you can turn this to your advantage." The old advisor's eyes twinkled with repressed greed.
"How do you suggest I do that?"
"It was obvious to me that the lady had some feelings for Sir Guy, else she would not have gone to so much trouble for him, order him to remain with her until he is well. Unless I miss my guess, she will win him over. Have her abducted and lay the
blame on those outlaws. He will be enraged and you will rid yourself of the bandits once and for all."
"Do you think so?" Nottingham mused.
"Aye, my lord. I do."
"Then we will try it, but it had better work." His words carried a note of threat in them, and the old man's smile dimmed slightly.
* * * *
"Any word?" Little John asked softly as Much re-entered the woods near him.
"Gisburne is alive," Much replied, his open face showing his relief. "They've called off the search."
"Where has he been hiding?" Tuck asked.
"A house in Nottingham. He was close to dying, and Lady Anna saved him."
"Anna?" Robert asked, his voice sharp. "Her father isn't Richard the Healer, is he?"
"Aye, the very one," Much said, nodding. "They say she fostered with Gisburne's mother."
Much continued speaking to the others as Robert drifted away into the trees seeking time to himself, time to think.
"Robin?" Marion's voice was almost pleading as she approached him. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," he lied, not moving from where he sat, head against a tree trunk, eyes closed.
"I'll be glad to go back home," she said as she settled next to him on the ground. "And I'm glad you didn't kill him. Whether you like it or not, he is your brother."
"We were friends once," he admitted quietly. "When we were children, when I was a rich man's son called Robert of Huntington. I forget sometimes. It's easier to forget that part of my life, before Herne called me. Guy hates me, Marion," he said,
looking at her at last. "He hates me because of our father, and there's nothing I can do about it, no way I can change what's in the past. For your sake, I would not willingly kill him, but I swear to you I will do it before I let him harm you or the others."
"We'll face that if we have to. Robin - Robert, whatever you choose to be called, I'll stand by you whatever we must face."
"Are you feeling better?" Anna asked as she carried in a meal tray to her patient.
"Much better, thank you. I still don't understand why you concern yourself with me. It was a long time ago that we were friends."
Anna smiled slightly, shaking her head in disgust before answering.
"Are all men so stupid?" she asked with a laugh. "I've loved you since we were children, playing together. How could I leave you to die?"
"Love? Me?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Is there another Guy of Gisburne here? I understand you have obligations to the Sheriff," she hurried on, "and that your life doesn't have room in it for a wife. But if you'd take me for a lover...I-I'm sorry," she concluded as she saw his expression beneath the bandage. "I've shocked you. Please. Forget I spoke."
"How can I forget?" Guy asked gently. "You have given me the greatest compliment a man can receive."
"Would you have me then?" she asked shyly, her eyes downcast.
"As soon as my doctor says I am able," he replied, smiling, glad of the diversion. "But she'd better not take too long. I'm not a patient man."
"I promise you it will be soon," Anna replied, settling on the edge of the bed to remove the cloth that covered his eyes.
"My God," Guy breathed as he studied her face in the candlelight. "You're beautiful."
Anna made no reply, only leaned forward to capture his mouth with a kiss.
