Chapter 7 Part 1

Photo credit: Cheryl Ruffing

"Well, since you have proven so uncooperative, I will be back tomorrow to ask you again. If your tongue is not ready to waggle by then, well, you can just say goodbye to one of those pretty little fingers of yours." The sheriff leaned in and whispered, taking Alexis's small finger in his long, bony ones and bending it back until it almost reached the breaking point. She stifled the scream that rose to her lips as the pain jarred the hazy stupor she was in, and she looked at him through sunken, bloodshot eyes. A look emanating nothing but defiance.

The sheriff slapped her smartly across the cheek before turning on his heel and strutting out of the room followed by Gisborne. Alexis watched them go, and as soon as she assured herself they weren't coming back, she slumped to the ground, lying in a tired heap, in too much pain to even cry. Everything in her throbbed and ached until it all came together in her mind as one endless haze that surrounded her, filling her lungs and strangling her until she could hardly breathe. She heard low, slurred moans in her ears, but it took a long time to realize that they were coming from her. They seemed to originate somewhere far away, dark, hopeless and terrible.

Her skin crawled with scars and bruises as a result of the sheriff's berating. Upon acquaintance, he was staggeringly more ruthless and cruel than Gisborne when he didn't get what he wanted.  He thought she knew where the camp was and all of Robin's secret plans. It almost amused her to think that he believed Robin trusted her with anything, or that she had trusted him.

The hours had passed lower than ever for her, drowning in pain, hunger and fear, at times struggling for consciousness as the dark, looming prison walls seemed to close in on her and another strike from the Sheriff sent her reeling in the abyss. And all the while Gisborne stood in the doorway, arms folded, jaw set, eyes revealing nothing, watching her suffer. His gaze was more torturous than any beating. It burned at her pride to know he was there, that he was the reason for this pain, and now he watched her slowly dying, a mere spectator. Why didn't he do anything? She had stolen one of his most precious heirlooms, why wasn't he beating her with his master? She would have endured that without complaint if it meant being spared his condescending, inhuman glower.

She sat now on the cold floor wet with what she realized was her own blood, dripping carelessly from her shoulder, her dress covered in scum and all but ripped to shreds. The darkness and the overpowering smell of death made her head swim and stomach lurch, but all she could see was his eyes. They haunted her, staring into her soul, turning her into an animal, being beaten and pulled apart out of a sick sense of curiosity. How could he do that? As he watched, she became no more than a thing in his eyes. She knew he had seen so much human suffering that for him it ceased to be human. Where did he get the power to take away someone's soul?

She bled and bit back tears as she thought of the days to come, of the endless hours of torture and sleepless nights drenched in agony. "You fool. Why did you leave? You could be safe there now, you might even have a chance with Will had you just listened." But she knew why. Every minute she spent with them, every secret about her that they uncovered was putting them in more and more danger. If they became associated with her... She didn't want to think about the consequences.

And Adam. He had finally come back after all those years. If she ever saw him again, he would most likely try and get back what they'd had before, but he was stubborn idiot when it came to love. He'd try and be brave for her, tempt her with all sorts of valiant speeches about starting a life together, protecting her, clearing her name. But no man could do that, it would take an act of God.

It had been so long, surely he knew nothing of her situation. When he left, she didn't know about it herself, but there was no doubt he would try and win her over again. And she would have to say no. She would have to look him in the eye and break his heart, holding it in her hands and crushing it, when she wanted nothing more than to give it back to him whole and unstained, and hers right beside it.

A sob rose in her throat. She wanted to love him again, to be with him forever and to know the warm, passionate, burning feeling that filled her heart whenever they were together. But now it was too late, and the only thing she could do was protect him. Her heart quaked when she realized the one way the safety of him and everyone she loved could be ensured: by dying. Dying and letting her secrets and her sins follow her to the grave, where they would never hurt anyone again.

Chapter 6 Part 2

photo credit: Cheryl Ruffing

"What's his problem?" Will asked, stepping quickly out of the way as Adam swept icily past and slammed the door to his hut.

"It's none of your business."  Robin replied sulkily, looking into the blaze. Will rolled his eyes and took up Adam's vacant seat.

"Come on, what did he say?" He crooned. He was one of the few people in the world who could get Robin, Lord of Loxley, Merry and Avenging Outlaw Vigilante, to talk about his feelings.

"I simply brought to light the idea that his lover might not be very happy with him for leaving so long, and consenting to die here in England without even attempting to send her word of it." Robin stated, his voice low and annoyed.

Will sighed and looked his cousin in the face. "This is about Marion, isn't it?" Receiving no reply, he guessed that he was correct and continued with a mischievous glint in his eye, "I see no reason why you don't just go to her and apologize. It's obvious she still loves you, or she would be married by now. You know a woman like that has no shortage of suitors, so why wouldn't she pick one of them? The only logical explanation is that she's still holding out for you to come and make things right again."

Robin knew Will was right, a situation that occurred more often than he would ever point out. But what if he apologized wrong somehow? What if she never took him back? "It's more... complicated than that. Besides Will, even if she did accept me, what do I have to offer her? A stolen plot of trees surrounded by strange men that lies farther from civilization than she would ever agree to live."

Will groaned. How many times would they have to go over this? "Well, you made her wait four years, what's a couple more? When the king returns he will overthrow Prince John, fire the sheriff and absolve you from your crimes. You'll get your land back and you can be married. "

"And what if the king is killed in combat and doesn't return? What if he doesn't take away the consequences of the things I've done?" Robin asked. "And I still don't think she will even forgive me if I do say sorry. You know what happened last time. I came back from the Holy Land, I told her we could get married, she slammed a door in my face and threw a bucket of water over my head." Robin winced, recalling how cold that particular morning was and how icy the surface of the water.

"After she told you she was upset and for good reason, considering you told her you would be gone six months at the latest, and after you called her a melodramatic, spoiled brat." Will reminded him, coolly finishing off his stew. Robin covered his head in his hands and tried to ignore him. "Robin, I hate to say this, but you are being childish. Either go and apologize or forget her and move on."

For a long time Robin sat in the same state while Will stared expectantly at him. "Fine." He said at last, gazing glumly into the fire. "When we go to Loxley tomorrow I will visit Marion. There, are you happy now?" Robin groaned, rubbing his temples and knowing he would regret his decision later.

"More or less, but there's still one thing that's been bothering me."

"The girl? Will, we talked about this."

"But why would she run away? We were the only protection she had." Will replied with ill-supressed passion, the pain of seeing her leave without even saying goodbye still fresh in his heart. "I still don't see why we can't go after her. Who knows what could have happened to her by now? What if she got arrested?"

"She made her choice. We offered her our services and she decided she didn't want them. I would bet money that she knows we suspect her and her guilty conscience couldn't take it." Robin answered flatly. He too was concerned for the girl, but he suspected there was a good reason she left. Obviously, her secrets were the most important things she possessed and would do anything to protect them. Robin took one look at Will's face and knew this answer was not going to satisfy him, so reluctantly he added, "We will ask around tomorrow if anyone's seen her, alright?"

"Thank you." Will said, standing up with a wide grin on his face.

Chapter 6 Part 1

Photo credit: Cheryl Ruffing

Adam sat before the fire rubbing his rope-burned wrists and thinking about Alexis. He could barely wait to see her again, it had been so long, longer than he'd realized. When he left, one thing just led to another and time flew past. He became swept up in his wanderings and all but forgot the poor young woman waiting for him in Loxley. But now he was back, and this Robin Hood was offering him the only chance he would ever get to have the life with her he'd dreamed of. But that didn't mean he trusted his rescuers.

He was nervous as he warmed himself, constantly throwing leery glances over his shoulder, eyeing the men suspiciously as they went about unloading that day's plunder and preparing dinner. The scent of beef and vegetable stew wafted through the chilly night air to his nose, making his mouth water. He recalled that it had been days since his last decent meal. Grubby bread and dirty water from the dungeon hardly counted as edible, not to mention filling.

Before he could even raise his voice to ask, a trencher was put into his hands and Robin sat down beside him. "Thanks." Adam muttered before attacking the stew, gobbling it furiously, not even feeling the heat, just the smooth liquid and filling chunks of meat as they slid down his throat. In a twinkling the bowl was emptied and Adam let out a long sigh of relief, reclining with his head on his hands. "Mate, you have no idea how long it's been since I've had food this good."

Robin eyed him in amusement as he blew on his spoon and carefully began his meal. "Well, glad we could be of service. So, you've been away from home for awhile, you said?"

"Well, yes, I have, not that it's any of your business." Adam replied quickly. His hunger may have lost its edge, but his suspicion remained sharp as a knife.

"Really? I think that it is my business, considering I'm the only reason you are still alive. You owe me at least a back story." Robin grinned genially as he said this, but his eyes said clearly that he would take no nonsense.

Adam saw this and considered his circumstances for a moment before continuing, in a defeated tone, "Fine. Where do you want me to start?"

"As early as you can." Robin made himself comfortable and waited expectantly. Though he didn't show it, he was genuinely concerned for this young man, and was afraid that his situation might be worse than the lad realized.

"I grew up in Loxley with my father, Charley, as you know, and my mother. Mum died when I was young, and I never had, let's say, a good relationship with my dad." He stopped, drawing in a breath and trying not to let Robin see the glistening half-tear in the corner of his eye. "There's a lot of evil that can be hidden by a bright smile and a firm handshake. My father was not exactly the kind-hearted man everyone thought him to be.

'But, that's beside the point. I did what he told me, I took his beatings, and when I turned twelve, I got tired of it. I took some of his meat that he was preparing for a very wealthy, important customer, and through it in the woods as a sort of revenge. Well, my father found out and reported it to the sheriff. I had mere hours before they would arrive to take me away at sunrise, so I said goodbye to Alexis, told her I would be back soon and left that night. I hitched a few rides to the harbor, traded my services to a captain for food and safe passage, and in a few weeks found myself in France. I stayed there for two years, may or may not have been convicted of theft, and then meandered over to Scotland. I moved around there a lot, no need to ask why, and after another four years, I was able to stow away on a ship back to England. And here I am." Adam ended with a grand flourish of his hands before flopping them down to his side again and sitting up, looking at Robin.

"Nice story, but it does throw a problem into our plan." Robin commented, musing over what he had just heard.

"And what is that?"

"Alexis. What on earth makes you think she'll agree to run away and marry you after you left her alone for so long?" Robin's face was entirely serious.

"Because she loves me!" Adam cried, taken aback. The thought that his being away for so long may affect her feelings had never even crossed his mind.

"Look, I'll do my best to make you two happy together, but I know too well how much it hurts when lovers are separated. You made a promise to her that you would return, and that you would be back soon. A lot can change in six unplanned years of absence, Adam." Robin's voice sank to a whisper at these last words, and he stared at the ground, his mind wandering far off, thinking back to a painful time that still held a dull ache for him.

"What are you saying? I love her, and she loves me! Nothing will change that. We will be together. And what do you know about love anyway, all alone, hiding out here in the woods? While I was gone I was scraping together a living, trying to build a life to give to Alexis when I got back. I worked for her so that I didn't come home empty-handed. I worked and I left and I stayed away because I love her." Adam seethed, getting up and stalking angrily to the hut that had been prepared for him earlier.

Robin tried to stop him, but deemed it wiser to let himself cool off. The lad's angry words had hurt him more than he had expected, and if he tried to talk now, he would surely say something he would regret.

Chapter 5 Part 2

Alexis drifted restlessly in and out of sleep, waking to the sound of scratching or weeping originating from some far off cell. Her shoulder now throbbed as the bandage grew too tight from the swelling. She could not move it no matter what she did, and it hurt with an endless aching.  Her head rang with a deafening roar that drowned out her thoughts and encouraged the panic that lurked unbridled in her breast.

But she mustn't give in, she mustn't give up hope. She bit back the scream that strangled her throat and rubbed away her tears with dirty, ice-cold hands. "Calm down," She told herself, rubbing her feet with her good arm in a vain attempt to warm them. "Don't let them hear you cry. If they know you're hurt, they win. Come on, you can get out of here. Just think."

She took a deep breath and let it out shakily, shifting her weight against the jagged stones of the walls and floor. "Robin can't save you, he has no idea where you are. If you had stayed with him, listened to him, told the truth..." She broke. Her head fell to her knees, her body shook with new sobs. She was sorry, the guilt of what she had done pressed down upon her like the iron chains binding her wrists. She had gotten herself into that mess, and there was nothing she could do. No one to rescue her.

She sat up slowly, forcing herself to swallow and breathe again. "Stop it, now!" She seethed, scrubbing her face. "Crying won't get you anywhere. You can pity yourself later, now you need to come up with a plan.

"Right. The Sheriff will be down here in the morning. You need to get out before then. Well, first things first, you need to get out of these chains. And the cell..." She bit her lip and settled back, lost in thought. The hours dragged on and she eventually slept again, her head in her hand, back slumped.

She awoke to the sound of clanging metal. Her heavy-lidded eyes vaguely made out the form of Gisborne as he threw open the door. Her head swam and she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but with a few large strides he had crossed the room. He now stood above her laughing, "Well, good morning my little thief. Before you meet your new friend, I have a few questions for you." Grasping her bad arm, he dragged her roughly to her feet as she screamed out in pain.
Ignoring her cries, he shoved her against the wall and held her shoulders so she could not fall. She clenched her teeth against the increasing pressure on her broken arm and stared at the ground, hiding her tears. He was clothed head-to-toe in a well fitting suit of black leather that mirrored his dark hair and eyes. His grip was perilously strong and his voice was deep and threatening as he whispered to her, "We shot you in the woods. Your body was never found, and here you are, back from the dead, it appears! Tell me, who is responsible for such a miraculous situation?"

She remained silent, now staring defiantly back at him. He saw this and pushed harder, digging the bandaged arm into the wall until she cried out again and again and tears rolled down her face. But she refused to answer his questions.

"Perhaps you are so simple you do not understand me. A group of men in the woods, did they find you? Robin Hood, were you with Robin Hood? Answer me!" He roared, slamming her against the stones and then flinging her body to the ground where she writhed in pain. The world around her was dark and blurred, her head rang and every inch of her frame ached. Her lungs were tight and she felt she couldn't breathe as tears and cries strangled her, but still she said nothing. She would never reveal her secrets, though Gisborne beat her until she was dead.

"You insolent little dog!" Gisborne yelled, kicking at her thin frame repeatedly. "Tell me now, was it Robin hood? It was, wasn't it?"

"That's enough!" A voice cried from behind him. The two turned to see the sheriff himself leering in the doorway. "Now, now, Gisborne, is that anyway to treat a lady?"

Chapter 5 Part 1

Alexis struggled and kicked behind her, heart pounding, adrenaline flowing, doing everything in her power to get away, to fight, to survive. "Enough!" Gisborne roared as she nailed him in the shin. "It's over, girl, give it up." He twisted her arm behind her back until she screamed. She was being dragged further and further into the crowd, towards the castle. Will, as he stood atop the gallows fighting off two guards beside his cousin, was the last thing she saw before the door to the dungeon slammed shut behind her. She desperately called out his name, but no one could hear her.

Surrounded by darkness and the sharp echoes of metal chains and the low moaning of tortured prisoners, Alexis realized there was nothing she could do, and relaxed in Gisborne's arms. All the energy she had was gone.

Gisborne called out something to the jailer, a fat, disfigured man with rotten teeth and a malicious glint in his eye. In a moment, a cell door was open and Alexis was thrown against the hard stone wall, left in a crying, shaking heap. "My arm..." She sobbed. "I can't feel my arm."

"Well, I guess you won't be needing these, then." With a laugh, Gisborne strode to her and yanked the knives from her shoulder, tearing the strap and causing her to cry out again. "It really is unfortunate for you that the arrow missed it's mark. Death is pleasant compared to what I'm going to do to you." The man replied with a forceful kick to her ribs that took her breath away. "I'll be back in the morning. The sheriff is looking forward to meeting you."

*****

The men laughed and cheered heartily over their successful rescue, striding through the forest on secret paths that had thrown the soldiers off their scent. The sun above them was bright and glorious, and the air stirred about them in a way that was unusually warm for autumn. In front of them the prisoner stumbled confusedly, shoved along by Robin, protesting loudly from beneath the blindfold across his face and struggling against the rope binding his hands.

"Sorry, mate, but this is for your own good. But mostly for our amusement. Just trust us." Robin chuckled, putting a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.

"Well, 'mate'," the prisoner puffed, whipping away, "I'm sorry to seem rude, but I don't naturally take to trusting people that openly flaunt the Sheriff and then leave me completely defenseless. What you did was incredibly stupid. Now I'll have to run away again, and I just got back. I had a girl back in Loxley and I never even got to say goodbye..."

"Well, if it was such an unwise act, perhaps we should have let you die there and spared us all your whining." Robin rolled his eyes, veering the prisoner away from the tree he was about to collide with.

"Maybe you should have. Now the sheriff is on my tail and yours, and you have yourselves to thank for it."

"You know, most people are grateful when they are rescued from the clutches of a slow, painful, humiliating death. And don't worry, we're not new to the gallows. The sheriff doesn't bother us, right lads?" Robin turned to grin at his men who answered with a loud cheer.

"I hate to be the exception, but I'm going back there to turn myself in. Just let me go!" The man shouted, tugging all the more forcefully, but his time in jail had made him weak and his energy was running out fast.

"Don't be an idiot! That's giving him exactly what he wants. If no one stands up to him, his greed and power will only increase. Listen, Mr..."

"Adam." The prisoner replied gruffly, trying to catch his breath and come up with an escape plan.

"Adam. You said you had a girl here, right? We help the people that we rescue by relocating them. We know of places out of the sheriff's reach looking for workers. We can send you there, you can make a home, and if you give me your lady's name, we can find her and bring her to you there. Alright?"

Adam thought about this. "Fine. But you promise she'll be safe?"

"Upon my life."

"Alexis. Her name is Alexis and she lives in Loxley with her brother."

*****

As the cell door clanged shut behind him and Alexis was left in the corner, gasping in short breaths of the rank, foul air. It was thick and smelled of blood and decay. The walls around her were cold and damp, and rats scurried unseen in the dark. Her whole body was racked with pain, her arm hung limp at her side and blood gathered at the corner of her mouth where her lip had hit a jagged brick in the wall.

"He didn't see me. He didn't hear me..." she whispered, remembering how she had screamed Will's name with everything she had, every ounce of desperation, and he hadn't even turned his head. "What did you expect? You left him, you left all of them for their own safety. It would be pointless for them to try and save you again. Why would they? You lied to their faces. You don't deserve to be rescued." 

Chapter 4 Part 2

photo credit: Cheryl Ruffing

The sun was high above Alexis when she entered Nottingham, the town's big ominous black gates slamming shut behind her with a startling clank. Her steps were wayward and unsure now and her head swam from exhaustion and hunger. Her shoulder ached as much as her legs and her mouth was drier than the desserts of the Holy Land where Richard was waging his useless war.  "Stupid man for recruiting my father, and worse, for hiring the Sheriff and then running away, leaving us to fester here." She whispered through clenched teeth, her voice sounding gravelly and far away. She laughed, realizing if anyone important had heard her, she would be arrested for treason. "Yeah, like that's the worst thing I've done. "

Her heart sank in her chest a little at these words. She had left without saying goodbye, without thanking them. A sigh crept in her throat, but she stopped firmly in her tracks and reminded herself that she had to do it, she had to leave for her own protection, not to mention that of the men. She was far too dangerous for anyone to associate with. 

After awhile, she found herself in the midst of a large crowd. Swarms of hot, smelly men, women, and animals jostled her about in the thick mud and dust beneath the heat of the sun. Something unhealthy stirred the atmosphere. Children cried unheeded and dogs barked and wined, but this was barely audible above the gathering roar. It was quiet at first, bearing the disguise of a few mingled whispers, and increasing every minute, building up into a tidal wave of screaming, shouting cries. It was deafening and terrifying. All pushed and yelled, craning necks to stare at one solitary spectacle: the gallows.

Slouching dejectedly beneath them was the form of a young man, his head covered in a thread-bare sack, his knees wobbling and his tied hands caked in blood and dust. He could barely stand on his feet and his ribs poked violently through his rough tunic. Alexis swallowed.  It was like looking in a mirror.

The crowd grew more and more deafening; somewhere a trumpet bellowed. She tried to shove her way back towards the food stalls, but the mass of bodies had swarmed about her in such a way that she could hardly breathe, nonetheless move. In frustration, she turned her ruddy head back to the morbid scene.

A drum roll started, its sharp staccato taps weaving their way through the crowd, and a stifling hush fell across the town. It seemed as if the entire world were holding its breath, waiting with animal-like hunger for the prisoner's hour of judgement.

Next to the wooden death trap stood the man who was responsible for it all: The Sheriff. Glowering pompously above the throng, his thin, razor sharp lips twisted into a crooked, disgusting smirk. He was not a tall man, but what he lacked in height he made up for in ruthless ferocity and manipulative manners. His black eyes darted quickly back and forth, always searching, always starving.

The vile man cleared his throat and began some long, hypocritical speech about his duty and love for the people. By this time, Alexis was too concerned with her moaning stomach and throbbing shoulder to take any heed of his words. Besides, if she listened to him too long, she might do something desperate.

But she was pulled from her pain filled musings when she heard the name of the prisoner. As the syllables left the Sheriff's nasty tongue, she held her breath, her face paled and she stood as though frozen, scarcely daring to believe what she had just heard. But when the hood was lifted, revealing the prisoner's face, she knew she had heard perfectly. "No." She breathed, sweat gathering on her palms and fear drowning her soul. "No!"

She struggled to regain control of her emotions, to think clearly, to do something, anything, but she was petrified. Before her on the blood-soaked wooden platform he stood, awaiting death. She swallowed and forced herself to listen to his sentence. The Sheriff's nasally tones read from the scroll in his hands, claiming that his penalty was death, as a punishment for treason, failure to pay taxes and resisting arrest.

Alexis sighed. He always was one for tempting fate, and now it had caught up with him. But she couldn't let him die. She stared into his face as recognition stirred within her and memories flooded her heart. He was still handsome, but drawn, thin and haggard from days of undernourishment in the dungeon. 

By now, the executioner had been summoned. There was no time to lose. Thinking quickly, Alexis pushed her way through the throng, finally reaching the platform. Avoiding the notice of two very bored-looking soldiers, she clambered up the side, a knife clenched in her teeth. She had all but made it to the top when things went completely mad. An arrow whizzed through the air and severed the prisoner's bonds clean in two. The place was in an uproar of terrified screams. She dropped the knife in astonishment and she plummeted back to earth, frantically searching for the prisoner and her dagger all while narrowly avoiding being trampled to death.

 Swords were drawn, the Sheriff screamed for his guards, a man grabbed the prisoner and disappeared among the crowd with him, and before she could call out to them, a large, gloved hand gripped her throat and she felt a man's heavy breathing on her face. "I've got you now." The deep, threatening voice whispered in her ear. Guy of Gisborne stood behind her, a broad smile on his face and the dagger in his hand, held to her back.

Chapter 4 Part 1

"Stupid girl!" Alexis muttered to herself when she was alone. She sank down to the mattress, her head in her hands. "Now what?" She had given herself away. If they hadn't figured it out already, it wouldn't be long. With a sigh, she resigned. Lying down, she thought up a plan, all the while wishing there was an alternative. But it had to be done. She looked up at the thatched roof, blinking back the tears gathering on the ends of her eyelashes. Her thoughts wandered back to Will. She would miss him, against all reason, all odds, she would love him and miss him, and he would never know.

When she heard the last man go to sleep, leaving Allan to keep the first watch, Alexis slipped out from the mattress onto the rough ground. Gathering up the blankets (she had nothing else to keep her warm), she tiptoed through the door, and stood under the clear, silvery moonlight that turned the night into a world of dancing shadows. Allan's back was turned from her and he was lost in thoughts of him and Ellen.

Quietly as possible, Alexis entered Robin's hut, but he wasn't there. Not sure if this was a good thing or not, but in too much of a hurry to care, she swiftly located the leather case of knives and stuffed it into her dress. She turned to go, but something in the corner glinted, catching her eye. It was a bag of gold coffers lying unprotected within her grasp. Her hands twitched to snatch it, her heart raced. That could feed her for a year, it could maybe even buy her freedom. No one would notice...

No. She had already taken too much, and Robin, trustworthy or not, had helped her when she needed it most. She had lost a lot of things in her life, but not her pride. When someone helped you, you didn't stab them in the back. Holding this thought firmly in her mind,she slipped out into the shadows of the forest. 

With one last, lingering look, she swallowed the burning in her throat and faded into the wilderness, the word "Goodbye" left dead and cold on her lips.

In his hut, Will saw her through a crack in the door as she walked past, and he made a move to stop her, but Robin grabbed his sleeve and held him back. After the sound of the girl's footsteps died away, Robin went back to his hut without a word, leaving his cousin to stare at the ground, his heart clouding with anger and pain.

"He was right," He whispered to himself, trying not to think of the way her soft, delicate fame felt in his arms, and how her eyes sparkled when she laughed. "She never loved you, you idiot. It was all a con, just like Robin said." With a bitter sigh, he wiped away an unmanly, stray tear and flung himself onto the mattress.

How was it possible for a girl to win his heart so quickly? And what a girl she was. He mused morosely and sleeplessly over the fact that he might never see her again. He tried to tell himself that she had betrayed him, that she didn't deserve love, but he worried about her despite all this. What if she got hurt out there, or arrested? She was so fragile and young; alone, with no one to protect her. 

Alexis awoke to a curtain of blinding sunlight thrown over her face and the sensation of something digging into her backside. Sitting up and blinking, she turned to glare ruefully at the knotted root that had nestled in between her vertebra all night. For a moment, she didn't know where she was, but looking about her, she remembered. 

After leaving the camp, she had wandered up and down the dark, shadowy paths of Sherwood until exhaustion overtook her and she all but collapsed into the damp, hollow cavity of a tree to sleep. Her dress now smelled of mold and was covered in mulch, but that wasn't the worst of her problems. She was starving again.

After spending so long in the comfortable camp with actual food and regular meals, she had forgotten what it was like to be hungry constantly. "Well, that decides it." She grumbled to herself, moaning in pain as she stood and stretched. "First order of business: food." Picking up the knives, she made her way into the dense foliage, hoping to catch something before the hunger set in too deeply and drained what little energy she had left.

The sun was high in the sky before she found anything edible. With a gasp of delight, she saw just over the ridge where she was waiting, a fat, jumpy rabbit. "Oh, thank you, Lord," she prayed gratefully, drawing the knife back with her good arm and whispering under her breath.

"Wait... Wait... Now!" She released her grip on the blade and it went spinning though the air towards the unsuspecting creature. But, just before the blade struck its target, a clear, shrill blast of a trumpet rang though the air, startling the animal and sending it scurrying away unscathed. Alexis jumped into the underbrush, her hands on her ears. The knife dug into ground as a large, loud hunting party raced by not twenty feet from where Alexis had hidden herself, trembling and frightened.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alexis muttered, picking up her skirts and cleaning off the knife when the riders had passed without noticing her presence at all. "This is pointless." She finally decided. "I'm already a criminal, what have I got to lose but my life? Even that's pretty worthless." Wiping the mud from her face, she marched off in frustration towards Nottingham, too angry and too hungry to worry about the risk.