Living With Honor

[Meluivan Indil]

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves genre. It belongs to Warner Brothers, and no infringement is intended by this fic.

Author's Note: As you can see by the Discalimer this is a Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves fic. It is centered around a character that I truly loved who recieved very little screentime durning the movie, Will Scarlett and takes place a few months after the end of the movie. I hope you enjoy. Italics denote either a dream sequence or unspoken thought.

Living With Honor

Chapter 1 ~ Nightmares of the Past


“You will never be good enough to be a Locksley. Why even try?” the scornful voice taunted.

“But you called me Brother,” came the plaintive reply.

“I choked it out because it was what you wanted to hear. I needed you to gain a victory over my enemy. Nothing more.” The visage he had grown so used to seeing bright smiles upon twisted into an evil parody of its normal self and he had to cringe away from it.

“That’s a lie,” he said weakly. He wanted to put more fire into his denial but deep down part of him wondered if it was true.

“It’s not a lie, Brother,” came the growled response the last word laced with sarcasm.

He could not seem to move even though all he wished for was to run and hide, to block out the image of his scowling brother; The one person who he had come to rely and depend upon in his life. The larger man reached for him grabbing him by his throat and moving in close enough so he could hear his whispered words. “I will remove you from this world in the same way that your harlot of a mother should have done you when you were born.” With those words the hand around his throat began to squeeze tightly robbing him of much-needed air. He tried in vain to scream. To deny what was happening to him, but not a sound would come from his tortured throat.

“No.” The scream resounded through the room as he sat bolt upright in his bed.

He peered around the room looking for the dark figure from his dream finally realizing that it was just another nightmare. “You need to get a hold of yourself, Will Scarlett,” he chided himself as he placed his elbows on his knees rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. “These dreams are just a leftover remnant of times gone by.”

He heard a slight knock on his bedroom door. “Will, are you okay?”

He sat for a moment staring at the door lost in the emotions brought about by that voice.

The door swung open. “Will?” the voice asked in concern.

Will snapped out of his thoughts realizing that not answering would just cause more worry to his brother. “I’m fine, Robin,” he answered. “Nicademus just hopped onto the bed waking me with a fright,” he lied smoothly. There was nothing on earth that would ever possess him to tell Robin of the horrible things he saw in his sleep.

“If he gets to be too much of a nuisance just throw him out the door. I promise not to tell Marian,” Robin joked smiling at his younger brother.

“That’s okay, I sort of like the old mouser.” Will admitted reaching out to stroke the cat’s head. In truth the cat had been the only thing he had liked about coming to stay with Robin and Marian at Dubois Manor. Robin had assured him that it was just temporary until they could finish rebuilding Locksley Manor and at first Will had been excited about the prospect of truly being able to live in his father’s home with the brother he had finally gained. But recently the closer the time came for the Manor to be completed the more doubts he had and the more nightmares he suffered through.

“Just remember you are the one who said it,” Robin said backing from the room with a small chuckle. “Good night, Brother.”

“Good night, Robin,” Will whispered. He remained staring at the door after it closed for a long time lost in thought.

“Nicademus what is wrong with me? He has shown me nothing but kindness since he found out I was his brother. He shows me everyday of my life that I am wanted here. And yet I still feel that I am living a farce. And these nightmares plague me every night. He accepts me, but yet I can not accept myself,” he whispered softly absentmindedly stroking the cat as his eyes remained glued to the door that his brother had departed from earlier.

Will finally gave up on analyzing his confusing emotions and turned over burying his face in his pillow hoping to block out the nightmares that he knew were lurking just beyond the shadows. But one last thought crossed his mind before sleep again took him. ‘Brother, please forgive me these horrible images of you that plague my dreams. I know they are not you. I have had them for so long that they just will not release me,’ he thought to himself as his eyes fluttered shut once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin of Locksley looked with pride at the progress they had made restoring his family home. Locksley Manor had been a grand home before it was destroyed by the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin’s greatest wish was to see it restored to its former glory. It was something he could pass down to his children someday along with the story behind its destruction and restoration. Robin firmly believed that even sad grief filled stories had to be passed down to future generations to assure that those generations would not make the same mistakes that the present one had.

King Richard had made sure that all land and moneys that had been taken from the people of the area were returned and to Robin’s surprise he had asked him to serve as a protector of all of Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. Now he and some of the other former outlaw bandits of Sherwood were in charge of keeping the peace and enforcing the laws of England. It was quite an ironic fate, but one he was proud to follow.

He turned surveying his lands and noticed a figure in the tree that branched out over his father’s grave. He frowned seeing the look on his brother’s face. He had begun to worry about Will recently. His brother constantly wore a look of melancholy and at that moment he was staring down at their father’s grave and Robin knew that Will didn’t even realize he was there. He made his way to the base of the tree finding a purchase that would allow him to ascend to the branch his brother sat upon.

Will hadn’t noticed his brother’s presence until Robin swung around the tree trunk and landed upon the branch he had chosen. He looked up in surprise almost losing his balance and then forced his heart to calm seeing the smile upon his brother’s face.

“Will. What are you doing up here?” Robin asked taking a seat beside his brother.

“Nothing important,” Will answered looking away from Robin out towards the manor but Robin had caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that he was not quite sure what to make of. “So how does the restoration go?”

Robin could tell that Will was avoiding talking about himself, which was nothing new. Robin had gotten used to it, but this time he didn’t want to just accept it. “They are fine. But I’m worried.”

Will glanced at Robin quizzically. “Worried, about what?”

“You tell me, Will. You’ve been acting strangely for over two moons now.” Robin wasn’t sure if Will would answer him. But he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing anymore.

Will held his eyes for a couple of moments more and then looked back down not wanting Robin to see the despair they held. “It’s nothing, Robin. Just trying to get used to my new life.”

Robin sat silently for a few moments digesting these words. “Do you not like your life now, Will?”

Will immediately tried to assure his brother that that was not the case. “No, Robin. It’s not that at all. You and Marian have been more than kind to me. I have everything that I could ever wish for. But I am just not accustomed to this new life. Sometimes I just wish…” Will broke his words off staring off towards the forest.

“You wish what, Will?” he asked following his gaze.

Will tossed the remainder of a twig he had been breaking into small pieces to the ground in exasperation. “I just sometimes miss the way things were when we lived out there.” Will glanced back to the forest and then to Robin.

“You mean before I knew you were my brother?” Robin asked frowning. He had never imagined that maybe Will regretted telling him the truth. But his words implied just that. “Will, I know we haven’t talked much about the past and what I did to you and your mother. But I hope you realize just how much I wish I could take back my actions from so long ago. I understand if you are still angry with me.”

“No, god no, Robin.” Will said shaking his head vigorously denying his brother’s fears. “That’s not what I meant at all.” He could see Robin visibly relax after his words and went on with the best explanation he was able to give. “It’s just that I knew what I was doing then. I had a purpose. We robbed the rich and gave to the poor and fought Nottingham and his soldiers. But now that that is all over, well I feel as a fish out of water here. I don’t know how to be the brother of a Noble born. I’m not even sure where my place is anymore.” Will tried to explain his fears without completely revealing everything. There were just some things that were too personal and painful to tell.

Robin reached out his hand placing it on Will’s shoulder. “Brother, you once asked me if I would stand beside you and finish the fight that I had started. I told you then and I tell you now that I shall stand beside you to the end. That is my place, Will. Just as your place is right here beside me. It always will be no matter what happens in our lives.”

Will had forced himself not to flinch at the touch. He cared very deeply for his brother but still yet his fears were too overwhelming to keep him, without great effort, from reacting to the touch. “No matter what, Brother? I wonder if you realize what that can mean. Robin, will you still feel that way even if I can not stay here with you?” he asked motioning to the castle before them.

“You don’t want to live here, Will?” Robin asked distress sounding in his voice. One of the most pressing reasons he had wanted to restore Locksley Manor was so he could share it with his brother. So he could somehow give back some of the things he had taken from him when he was just a baby.

“I want to, Robin. But right now I just can’t. Not until I sort out my feelings. I need time to be alone.” Will knew he was hurting Robin by refusing to stay with him but he could not bear another day of feeling the way he was. “Please try to understand this, Brother. It is what I need.”

Robin wanted to demand that Will stay but he knew it was no use. Even though he knew it was what Will wanted he could not let him go that easily without expressing his own feelings on the matter. “Why do I feel as if I’m losing you before I ever got the chance to know you?”

“I am not lost, Brother. Just wandering a bit.” Will said as a smile spread across his features. He knew Robin wasn’t going to fight him on this. “Don’t worry, Brother. It will not be forever.”

“Please don’t let it be.” Robin whispered pulling Will to him in a fierce hug that threatened to throw them both from their perch.

Will did not feel the need to pull back this time as he allowed his brother the comfort he needed at that moment. He knew what he was doing was hard on Robin but there was just no other way for him. He felt lost and he needed to find himself and there was only one place that he knew of that he could do that.

[Noire]

Dear M,

This is VERY GOOD!

Love,

Noire

[Meluivan Indil]

Thanks, Noire. I have two more chapters done but they are saved on my home computer and I'm out of town. Hmm, I sent them to Idril. I wonder if I could get her to send them back to me so I could post them.

M.

[Lady Idril]

Gosh, I love this story (so far, hint hint). You capture both characters and their relationship so well - especially dear Will Scarlett. Very brilliant, M.

[Meluivan Indil]

Thank you, Idril. As always you make me blush. And yes I can take a hint. Here's chapter 2.


Chapter 2 ~ Recreating The Past


“My god, how did we live through this?” Will asked himself as he surveyed the camp that he had considered to be his home so many months ago. He had not been back to Sherwood Forest since shortly after Robin’s wedding. The devastation to the village in the trees was nearly beyond comprehension.

He silently slipped through the burnt out hovels until he arrived at the burial grounds. He had not had the time or stomach before to visit these graves. Even now he could feel his stomach clenching as he thought of the months he had spent living with these people. Even though at times he had felt as an outcast among them they had still been the family that he had never been able to find in his life before.

He made his way to stand in front of the grave that he knew to belong to Duncan, Robin’s faithful blind servant. “You blind old fool. You had no business being mixed up in all of this,” he whispered as the tears started to form behind his eyes. Neither Robin nor Duncan ever realized who he was even though he had met Duncan when he was but a small child once. Though the memory was slightly distorted by age it seemed as if only yesterday.

“Please, Duncan. You must tell him,” Will heard his mother pleading from the bed he was confined to. “Let my son at least meet his father once in his life.”

“Madam, I feel for you and your son. But my Lord has ordered me to never speak your name in his presence. It is too painful to him, and the boy he doesn’t even know about. What do you think he would say about you keeping this from him for so many years?” Duncan stated but not without an air of pity in his words.

“But, Duncan. He could die,” was her choked cry.

Will knew she was speaking of him but for some reason he could not fathom what would make her say that or what would make her cry. He tried to remember what was happening. He could remember becoming ill, but then everything afterwards was confusing. “Mother,” he called out in a much weaker voice than he expected.

Both adults approached his bed. “Will, it will be just fine, son. I promise that to you.” Even at the young age of ten Will knew his mother was lying to him. He knew because she was showing him concern. She never did that no matter how terrible things were. For the first time he realized that he might just die and it terrified him.

The man kneeled beside his bed and smoothed his sweat soaked hair back looking into his bright green feverish eyes. “How are you feeling, young man?”

“I am not sure, Sir. I feel hot and cold all at once, and my throat hurts,” Will whispered. Normally he would never talk to someone he did not know, but he was becoming more and more frightened with each moment and the older man did offer a sense of comfort that his own mother did not.

“I shall see what I can do to help you,” Duncan said squeezing the boy’s shoulder and then stood. He turned to Will’s mother. “I will not tell my lord,” he began but she interrupted him.

“How can you do this? Are you that cruel? He is as good as dead and you still refuse him,” she spat the words out in anger not bothering to whisper. Will flinched at the callous words. Even in his confused state he knew what she was doing and it sickened him. She was using his illness to try to worm her way back into the home of Lord Locksley. She had spoken on many occasions of trying to do just that, but he had never believed that it would actually happen this way.

“My dear lady, the only thing that this child might die from now is neglect. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am not blind. You have taken the only decent room in this house as your own and deposited him out here in a draft. I can see hanging next to the door you have a warm winter cloak but the boy has little more than a scarlet rag to cover his body. He is too thin, too pale and I hate to know what else you have subjected him to.” Very rarely did Duncan speak his mind on subjects such as this but the conditions that the boy must suffer, that he had witnessed that day, were far too sickening to hold his tongue over. If Lord Locksley had known of his son and the conditions he lived in he surely would be sorely tempted to kill the woman who claimed to be a mother to the boy. Duncan made a final decision that day that would forever change the life of the boy. “I will take him with me to be cared for by someone who knows how to raise a child.”

“You will not. He is my son,” the angry woman screamed in outrage.

“If you do not let me take him I will most certainly tell his Lordship about the boy and how you have forced him to live. How much do you think your life would be worth then, wench?” Duncan was not used to telling untruths but this time the boy’s life depended on it. He would never tell Lord Locksley. He knew in his heart the damage doing so would cause between Locksley and his older son, Robin. It was not something he was willing to contribute to the cause of. But he could not stand back and just leave the child to die.

The woman’s face became pinched as her anger began to fade and then the fear gripped her and she lowered her eyes from his. “Fine. He won’t live through the night anyway. Let someone else bury him.”

Will whimpered at the callous words and his eyes closed as he tried to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. She had always been cold towards him but this was beyond that. Only one thought filtered in his mind. He was alone and unloved and he would die that way. He silently prayed that this was all a hallucination brought on by his illness but he knew better. It was too real.

Duncan turned picking the boy’s small frame up and was amazed by just how small he was for his age. For just a moment he considered taking him to Lord Locksley. The boy would receive the best care that was possible with his true father, but at what cost to the Locksley household? No, he thought, as he made his way out the door grabbing the scarlet colored cloak that would barely keep the boy warm and draping it over his small form. “It will be fine, child. She was lying. You will not die this night.”

Will heard the words but no longer had the strength or the will to answer the kindly man. He just snuggled in as closely as possible trying to draw heat from the man.



Will wiped the tears from his eyes as he remembered the man’s comforting words. Duncan had taken him to a band of traveling gypsies that were passing through Nottingham. They had saved his life, but his life with them was not an easy one. He was fed, clothed and cared for even if he was never shown any true compassion or love. His life was one of hard work and of dealing with the prejudices of the English people towards the gypsies. He spent six years with the gypsies until they passed through Nottinghamshire again, where he decided to stay. So at the age of sixteen he was alone for the first time and he survived life any way he could, which is exactly what had brought him at the age of nineteen to be a wanted man living in Sherwood Forest.

The day Robin, Duncan and Azeem had arrived in Sherwood had brought Will back full circle. He had not even recognized Duncan at first. He had remembered the old man as a strong, tall figure who had been fair to him, not as the old, stooped, blind man he had become. In a way, at first, Will had blamed Robin for destroying that man he had known but there had been no one to blame for that happenstance, except for the Sheriff of Nottingham. Will realized that fact as the days had gone on in Sherwood and he had dared to believe that his brother was not the man he had taken him for.

He stared down to the grave and remembered the old man’s death. He remembered his own words to Robin as it happened “Poor old fool, led them right to us.” Oh, how those words had seemed callous to his own ears. They had been spoken out of a hidden grief that he had not shared with anyone to this day. And they had been spoken to hurt Robin, just as he had been trying to hurt him since the first day he laid eyes on him.

Will sunk to his knees beside the grave swallowing hard trying to pull back the tears. “Oh Duncan. You were not a fool. Though you had no eyes to see, I was blinder than you could have ever been. You gave your life for Robin, and for us all. You showed the courage that I was lacking. Robin was right about me. It took me so much longer to find my courage. But I promise you, I am not blind anymore, old man. And I’m not a sick young child anymore either.” Will looked off into the distance towards Locksley manor. “But what exactly am I? I wish you could tell me. For I have no inkling of an idea anymore.”

Will sighed heavily as he stood and made his way back to the village. He stared around at the destruction nodding as he thought of what must be done. “Though I can not bring back the simpler times, I can bring back the only place that I have considered a home.”

[Meluivan Indil]

And just because I'm so nice here's chapter 3.



Chapter 3 ~ Fear of Disappointment


It was very hard work but Will was used to hard work. The time he had spent with the gypsies had taught him how much work just staying alive could be. The cleanup would be slow going he knew but it was worth it to have his home back again. He started with repairing or replacing the rope ladders that led to the hut he had built for himself the year before. The hut itself hadn’t received too much damage and was easily repaired, unlike the hut that they had used for skinning and drying meat. It had been burnt nearly to the ground. It was his next task to complete. He would have to have food to survive.

He wondered many times why he was going to all this trouble. There was no way to go back to what they had had there. But still, somehow being there and accomplishing something felt good to him.

A month had gone by since he had come to stay in the forest again and Will had not seen one living soul in that time. Though part of him enjoyed the fact that he had all the time in the world to think over what had become of his life, another part of him was beginning to miss human company. It was this reason that had found him on the main road through Sherwood heading towards Nottingham.

He had not been on the road long when he began to approach a group of men who were resting on the side of the road. Not knowing who they were he decided to err on the side of caution and approach them through the woods not letting them see him.

He was even with the men and decided to take to the trees to get closer. He climbed a tree slightly away from the road and then used the branches to make his way to just above the road stopping right above them.

The men below him were talking and Will paused to listen for a moment.

“We have to do something, Ansil. We are starving and have no money left,” one of the men complained.

“What do you want me to do? Pluck a fat purse from one of these trees surrounding us or shoot a game hen from the branches above us. I have not seen one recently. Have you?” the man apparently named Ansil answered angrily.

Will started to shake his head smiling at the familiar voice he had not heard in several years. It had become deeper with age, but still it was familiar. He could see that Ansil was becoming very agitated with his men as he paced in circles around the group. He waited until he was directly below him before he said anything.

“Well, I am not a game hen, but will I do?” he piped up lowering himself to a branch closer to the ground where they could see him sitting comfortably on the branch just as he had seen Robin do once.

All of the men that had been standing around suddenly came to attention facing what they were not sure was a threat or not. All except the man who had spoken, Ansil. Will gave the man a wolfish grin. “Long time since our paths crossed, Ansil.”

Ansil had a look on his face as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle and then all of sudden a bright smile spread across his features. “Why, Will Scarlett. You are the last person I expected to see today. Get down here you rogue.” The man motioned for him to come down eagerly.

“Well, my friend, I would but it looks as if one of your companions might decide to remove my head if I do so.” Will was looking at each man in turn who had all retrieved their swords and were ready for trouble.

Ansil looked around to his men. “Put those down. Will is a friend. Closer than a brother to me,” he demanded.

Each man did as they were told immediately. Will waited until he saw no harsh looks before he finally jumped easily to the ground landing near Ansil, who immediately folded him in a brotherly hug. “You are a sight for sore eyes, my friend. I heard you were in these parts but when the sheriff was killed and Robin Hood’s men disbanded I figured you’d moved on.”

“Yeah well, sometimes it’s hard to move on. How have you been?” Will pulled back looking his friend over. “You look awful slim. Come on back to my camp and I’ll see what I can do to feed you and your men.”

All of the men perked up at that notion and were more than willing to follow this man that knew their leader so well. Once back at the village Will got out some meat he had been drying and some other food he had scavenged from the woods. Mostly berries and some edible roots. The men did not complain about anything he gave them. It was easy to see that they were starving.

Once they were fed and had started to pass a jug of homegrown mead around Will turned to his friend again. “Ansil, I wondered what had happened to you after you left the gypsies.” Ansil was another orphan that the gypsies had taken in and they had grown very close over the years. He was a few years older than Will so he had left the gypsies earlier than Will had, but Will had always wondered what had happened to his friend.

“Oh I’ve mostly been here or there. I haven’t stayed anywhere for very long. I guess the life of the gypsy was stamped into me no matter how much I hated it.” Will had forgotten that about Ansil. Ansil had hated living with the gypsies. He had despised them because they had used him to gain what they wanted. Both he and Ansil had been taught early on how to steal and that had been a way of life for them. Oh Will held no delusions that Ansil minded the stealing part. No he was good at stealing and almost considered it to be an art form. What truly bothered Ansil was being used. “But lets not spoil such a good night with talk such as that, my friend. Now tell me what it was like to work with Robin Hood, the most notorious thief in all of England? The adventures you must have had. I bet they were amazing.”

Will shook his head at the mention of Robin. Not many people knew he was Robin’s brother. He had insisted on it. He hated the idea of the attention that fact would bring him. Only a handful of people knew the truth and he intended to keep it that way. “It wasn’t quite as exciting as you make it sound, Ansil.”

“Oh come now, Will. You can’t tell me it wasn’t the most exciting time of your life?” Ansil had the look of a boy imagining the greatest adventure possible. And Will could not help catching his excitement.

“Well I could tell you a couple of interesting stories,” he began.

They spent several hours talking into the dark night as Will regaled his friend with stories of his adventures with the Sherwood Bandits. It wasn’t long before Ansil’s men had begun to drift off to sleep under the influence of the mead. But Will and Ansil talked on as the others dozed. Ansil told Will of his mostly unsuccessful life as a thief all over the European Continent. But just as Will had returned to England, so had Ansil.

“Do you even realize what you have, Will?” Ansil said after several moments of staring into the fire.

Will smiled sadly. He wasn’t sure exactly of what Ansil spoke, but his words made Will think of the things that were being offered by his brother, but of those things he felt as if he was not worthy of accepting. He finally broke out of his revere and looked up at his expectant friend. He chuckled slightly. “I’m sure you are going to tell me, aren’t you, Ansil?”

“Someone has to.” Ansil started and Will could see a strange light in his friend’s eyes. “Look at where you are, Will. This is Sherwood forest.”

“I have realized this, my friend,” Will answered in sarcasm sliding slightly down against the log he was leaning against. He was beginning to feel the effects of the mead and wanted nothing more than to slide into a dreamless sleep.

“A former member of the Sherwood Bandits, living in Sherwood Forest. With your skills and the ones you learned from Robin Hood, you could become one of the richest thieves ever known to England.” Ansil’s words had become lighter almost dreamy and Will almost did not catch their meaning but after a moment of thought he sat upright again staring at Ansil in surprise.

“Do you realize what you are suggesting?” Will wondered if maybe Ansil had been gone from England for far too long. “You have heard that Robin Hood himself has been given the post of protector of these woods and all of Sherwood, have you not?”

“Ah, but you were one of his men. You should know how to avoid capture, or even if you were captured what would they do with one of their own?” Ansil tried to sound casual knowing that he was on shaky ground with his suggestion. But if only he could convince Will to do this, then they’d never go hungry again.

“You have no idea what you are saying, Ansil. Robin …. Well he would never go against his morals in that way.” Will wondered exactly what his brother would do if he caught him stealing. But the images of himself being hung as Robin watched made him shiver and he turned away from Ansil laying on his side curling in on himself wanting nothing more than to forget those thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You should have known better, Will,” the angry voice cascaded through his skull. “How could you be so despicable?”

He stared around at those that were gathered and felt the blush of shame on his cheeks. “I don’t … know,” he whispered as his head hung in shame.

“You don’t know why you would do such a thing.” If possible he was becoming even angrier. “I can tell you exactly why you would do such a thing. You are worthless. You are a worthless human being.”

He felt so small and insignificant as he sunk to his knees on the forest floor before his accuser. Tears of bitterness and pain threatened to break from already red and swollen eyes as a sob was caught in his throat. “I know nothing else,” he whispered, admitting his failure as the man of honor he had been mistaken for.

All his miserable young life he had been taught to steal to survive. How else would he live now that he was a grown man?

He stared up into the angry eyes of his brother. The one person in the world that he was afraid of disappointing and the one who he had failed the most. “I’m sorry. I tried to be what you wanted me to be.”

“You didn’t try hard enough.” Robin bit out in anger and frustration. “Get him out of my sight. I don’t ever want to see him again.”

Will heard the words that he feared would come and his eyes pleaded his brother not to abandon him. “Brother, please…”

Robin’s normally laughing eyes stared down at him in ultimate anger and Will flinched back as if the stare was a slap. “I have no brother…” he hissed.

Will woke again with a start and spun around in a frantic motion looking for the specters from his dream. The only things he saw in the forest clearing were the burnt out embers of the fire he had made the night before and the remains of the meal he had prepared. Nothing else remained, not even Ansil or his men.

Will sat back against the log, his eyes closing as he attempted to calm his strained breaths. He could feel the cold chills running up and down his spine and he had to choke back the feeling of nausea that threatened to overtake him.

“That is not me. I will not do that,” he ground out between gasps of air. “I will not prove myself unworthy.”

Though his words were strong, his heart felt the gut wrenching pain that always came with these dreams and the tears soon began to fall as he covered his face wanting to scream the nightmares away. But no sound left his lips, as he would not allow himself that kind of outlet for the pain. He refused to disturb the beautiful solitude of the woods with his own sorrow.

After he was able to compose himself he began to check the clearing and immediately noticed a few things that were missing. A good deal of the dried meat that he had been preparing was missing along with some of his cloths. He noticed that at least Ansil’s men had not touched his weapons. The last thing he noticed that was missing was something that he truly thought he would miss. It was the scarlet cloak that Robin had had made for him to wear at his and Marian’s wedding. It was of a beautiful material and even had parts of the Locksley crest embroidered into it. It had been a special gift from his brother and his anger began to boil at its loss. “I see Ansil truly is living by the motto of, no honor among thieves. Tis sad that things had to end up this way.” Will knew there was no use going after the thieves. There were too many to face and he truly did not want to see them again anyway. They brought up too many painful thoughts for his liking. So with a large sigh he continued his work on the camp putting Ansil and the rest of them from his mind wishing all along that it were that easy to put his nightmares from his mind. But there was nothing easy about that task.

[Lady Mage]

Yes, this is very nice M. I love how you capture the charachters. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Please continue.