Scarlet

“Godfrey will kill you.”

She shook her head. “Father wants him to protect us all. Godfrey deserves some rest from that task; I can carry this burden now.”

Stupid, foolish, moron tears were in my eyes. Ravenna and me weren’t never kindred. It shouldn’t matter none who she tied herself to. “I can save you. Let me save you.”

“I don’t need saving. It’s my choice. For once, something is my choice.”

“It’s no choice when you think you’re saving your family, Ravenna.”

She leaned back from me. “Leave, or I’ll call the guard in. If you see Godfrey, tell him what I’ve told you.”

“I’ll stay close. If you change your mind, if he hurts you, I’ll stay close.”

She swallowed but didn’t look at me. “Go.”

I went. But I weren’t going far.

I didn’t go back to the camp. I signaled Rob with two daggers, meaning I didn’t need help, and he left. I waited until he were long since gone and went down to collect the daggers, and then I slept in the tunnel. There were tears on my face, and I didn’t scrape them off. This were my fault, and I would be there when she needed me.

There were a dark crook in the roof between two eaves, and when dark fell the next night I sat there, hidden, listening. I stayed close as quarters to her, just to make sure she were safe. It occurred to me that Rob and the others were fair worried ’bout me, but it didn’t matter. If I left, he might hurt her and I wouldn’t be there to save her.

I didn’t let the time go full wasted, though. I started a little collection, nicking some gold and silver and jewels where I could. If I weren’t going to be on the road with a bare fortnight till tax day, I had to get enough to sell to make up for it. It weren’t as if I could walk into the armory, but guards left their weapons without a watchful eye fair often, and I nicked an armful of swords and a whole new set of knives. I kept a stockpile down in the tunnel.

And I watched. I watched the way the guards moved round. I watched what they were guarding, and I watched what they weren’t. It were awful strange; during the night, guards and workmen were centering around the top bailey. There were only residences and a few workshops up there, but the men all clustered round the old guardhouse. They hadn’t used the guardhouse since they built a bigger one down in the middle bailey. What were they doing?

I watched Gisbourne come in and out; I stayed by his window and listened. I were drawn to Gisbourne in a way that made me want to retch out my innards. He scared me, that were right sure, but when I were in the dark, I felt like I could look all I wanted, and part of me were nosier than a kitten. This were the man who had wrenched my life off to the side, and I were curious.

He carried himself with the arrogance I first feared him for, and his face never changed. He had dark eyes that had hate in them, and everyone could see it. I thought of Rob’s eyes, deep like the water and quick to show how much people meant to him. How much I meant to him.

The middle of my back shivered. It were getting colder. My legs felt stiff, and I couldn’t remember when I last moved. I stood to go for a walkabout, scaling the wall and walking the parapet. I got to the middle bailey and I caught a glimpse of metal in the woods. The sight grabbed at my heart like a hand would my arm, and I began to run. I launched from the parapet to the outer stonework that kept the portcullis, and from there I jumped to the ground in time to stop Godfrey with John Little behind him.

“Move,” Godfrey snapped at the same time John pushed forward and grabbed me off the ground in a crushing hug.

“Christ, Scar, you’re all right,” he said, his voice hot with breath and right next to my ear. His head turned a hair and I felt his lips on my cheek. “Where were you, Scar?” He let me loose a little and my feet hit the floor again, but he didn’t full let go.

“Here. With Ravenna.”

Godfrey pushed John off of me, and when he looked at me he swallowed and stepped back. I wondered what my face looked like. It were still fair sore and overtight. “Where is she? Why haven’t you got her out?”

“She won’t come.”

They both stared.

“She’s marrying the sheriff.”

Godfrey surged forward, drawing his sword. “Come off it! Where is she?”

“She’s in there.” The truth were putting a shake in my bones. “Godfrey, she’s not a prisoner anymore, which means neither are you. She’s there of her free will. You can go to the gate and ask to see her. I reckon they’ll let you in.”

He stepped forward again, and John pushed him back, stepping in front of me. “Why would she do that? Why marry him?”

“She says she were to be married anyway. Sheriff will give her a position, and favor in the court besides.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to. Like I said, go to the gate. The sheriff will let you call on her. Your father knows already.”

He looked to John, and then he lurched forward. John pulled me out of his way and let him go to the gate. He pounded the gate and the small door opened. He spoke to the guard, and his body lost its anger. The gate were opened and he were let in.

“You weren’t lying,” John said soft.

I turned to walk away.

“Scarlet, where are you going?”

“He’s with her now. I can go.”

He grabbed my arm with a smile. “You’re coming with me, love. I never buy your tough act. Where would you even go?”

“Wherever I damn well please, John Little.” I needed cold and quiet—and some good darkness. My head were full of Joanna and London and even a touch of Gisbourne, and it felt overfull.

He pulled me against him. “Don’t go, Scar,” he said in that voice he used with Bess. “Come back with me. Much is frantic as to where you might’ve gone.”

I didn’t know if he were or Robin were, but I were fair certain that John didn’t care if Much were worried for me. “He’ll last a day or two longer.”

He nudged his nose against the side of my face, and I pulled away from it a hair. His hand came along my cheek and it tugged my face over to his. “Maybe, but I won’t.”

His lips pressed against mine, strong like the rest of him and a little wet, pushing my lips into a fair good kiss. He caught me up ’bout the waist and kissed me deeper. I shut my eyes, and Rob’s face popped into my head.

I pulled my head away, flushed and not sure what to do, or say, or think.