Will and Scarlett (undergoing rewrites)

Leave The Girl Behind

I didn't want to do it. The idea almost literally made me sick. But I had been awake for hours, watching Will sleep, and I had nothing else. How to protect Sherwood, and any other noble girls than to go myself? The sheriff wouldn't look anywhere else once he had me, I knew that already. Why would he, when he had the kings' niece in his castle?

Oh God. Will would never let me go. Watching his eyes move under the lids, I knew he was dreaming, and I knew exactly how he would react. The boy had been protecting me since I was eight years old. Even if I didn't love him, and he didn't love me, he wouldn't let me go. He would tell me I was being ridiculous, that we would find another way. But there wasn't. They had been looking to me to figure this out, and I had.

In a way it was good. I would be close to the sheriff, and maybe, if I got lucky, I could get my revenge. But even with that possibility in my mind, I couldn't get the nausea out of my stomach. At the end of the day, I would have to turn back into Lady Scarlett. I wouldn't be able to walk around with a bow across my back and a knife in my boot. I wouldn't have Will standing feet, or yards behind me. I wouldn't have John, the only father I had known for years, looking out for me. I would be deep in the bowels of a castle, and I would be alone. I almost started to cry. Almost. But crying wouldn't solve anything, so I dashed away tears with the back of my hand and crawled out of the warmth that was Will's side, and went outside. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as I started the fire, a pit in my stomach.

My plan wasn't complete. I had to figure out how to convince the boys to even let me go. Either that or I took the cowardly way out and went while they were sleeping. I grabbed my bow and headed deeper into the forest, and thought. I wasn't a coward. I had never been a coward, but this was different. I would never admit it, not to anyone, not for a long time, anyway, but I was terrified. How would I be treated? Would the sheriff even remember what he'd done? It had been nine years, maybe he didn't. But I still didn't even know why he'd done it. Why he'd tried to take me. Maybe it was for this very reason, and I was going to go straight to him now.

He didn't even know I was alive, and I was safe here. But... not forever. I loved my family in Sherwood, but maybe it was time to stop hiding. Time to find out if my parents and my brother were safe, time to take charge of my heritage.

I pulled back on the bowstring, letting out a deep breath. I inhaled and held for half a second before releasing the string. The air hummed, and then I heard a thump as the arrow found its target. I guessed that it was a sign to go back to camp. My mind was made up now, so now it was time to convince the others. Maybe a fresh rabbit would help, though I doubted it.

"That was a good shot. Clean."

I almost jumped out of my skin at Robin's voice, and I cursed at him. He picked up the rabbit, yanking the arrow out of its head. "Jesus Almighty." I sighed, calming my racing heart. "What are you doing out here?"

He smiled a little, coming over. "I was trying to come up with plans for our loving sheriff. But I don't know what else we can do besides what we've already been doing. "

Well, I guessed I could tell him now. "I do." I said softly, taking the rabbit. We walked as I talked. "But no one's going to like it." He was quiet, waiting for me to continue.

"What he wants is a title, right?" I asked. He nodded slowly.

"Yes. He wants to be a lord."

"And we want to make sure he doesn't have a castle full of innocent noblewomen, along with that title and money that would come with it, correct?" I gave him another question.

"I have a bad feeling I know where this is going," he murmured.

"You probably do."

He stopped me, a hand on my arm. "Being a noblewoman isn't something you can just play at. He'll know that you're not, that you're just trying to fool him, and then he'll kill you." And this was the hard part. Well one of the hard parts. I couldn't even look at him.