Robin returns (OPEN)

[robin]

Bow held loosly in his hand at his side, the outlaw trudged expertly through the forest. It was always nice coming back, even if he'd only been gone a few days. No doubt Much would kick up a fuss that he left without a word or any form of commincation as to where he'd gone. Robin himself couldn't say why he'd done that. But then again he wasn't going to admit where he'd gone either. Not so soon anyway, that could wait. Still as he neared the hideout his heart swelled, although it wasn't a proper home, it was the closest he had and those who lived there was still his family.

Upon arriving at the entrance, he went in and was surprised to see no one at home. Had they moved out? Had the place been discovered? If that was the case why was it no ransacked? "Much? Will?" The grip on his bow tightened as he looked around. His gang had vanished, surely nothing had changed that drastically over two days. They had to be around. "Djaq?" Each room was checked to reveal no one. Standing in the centre, he pursed his lips thinking. Maybe they were making a drop in a local town. That would make more sense than them running off somewhere else.

[marian]

((Hope you don't mind! ))

Marian had only just returned from another one of her ‘observant’ visits to Knighton. The people there did not suffer as much as the people of Locksley did under their new Lord, but it was still a far cry from the way they had been treated by Marian and her father. With her full lips pursed and her chocolate colored curls tied back in a messy ponytail, the gang’s resident ‘girly-girl’ realised almost immediately that she was the only person in the camp and thus set about restoking the fire. Soon the flames were licking at the newly added logs hungrily, and Marian realised that she herself had not eaten since breakfast and then it had only been a few bites of an apple. She hadn’t eaten (or slept) much since Robin had disappeared.

She was furious with him, and he always managed to make her angry without very little effort, it seemed, on his part. He had vanished and no-one knew where to; without a word to anyone or a note to even say his absence was intentional. Of course as his fiancé Marian worried but there was nothing for it. They would have heard if he had been captured as the Sheriff was always quick to crow over such matters, but still there had been no word from Robin. The camp was in pretty low spirits as his leaving tended to put the rest of them all out of sorts, but Marian persevered and tried to be as cheerful as she could given the circumstances. She had just gone off into the forest a short ways to harvest some herbs that the group was cultivating when a familiar voice echoed through the vicinity.

Taking in a deep breath, Marian finished gathering the herbs she needed for that nights’ dinner. He had been gone for two days, after all; waiting a while longer wouldn’t hurt! When she was good and ready she emerged from the shallow edge of the forest, standing on the rise that housed their concealable camp. She looked down at the man that she loved (but who, at times, made her rather doubt if he loved her in return) and rested the small basket full of greenery against her belted hip in a wordless, sassy salute. “I just love how Much, Will and Djaq rate higher in your anxiety than I do,” she said to him coolly.

[robin]

((No worries.))

Robin was starting to think maybe something had happened, no answer at all, andthe only civilisation evident was the fire. Setting down his bow and taking off his quiver, he was just going to have to scrounge for food and wait. If no one was going to turn up and night came, then he would go looking. Only he hadn't even sat down when a voice he knew all to well addressed him. Turning to face her, the cheeky and cute smile, the one he hoped people found hard to stay mad at, on his face.

"I knew you wouldn't be in trouble. You always manage to steer clear of it." Robin looked Marian up and down, the basket resting on her hip, the look in her eyes. It's the face and figure he'd missed for so long. And the personality, that was the part of her he always found hard to tear himself away from. Climbing up to greet her properly, he half wondered if she'd let him kiss her. He'd try, there was surely no way that she could be that angry with him. "You've been busy?" Small off hand comment as he stood face to face with her, and leant in to plant a kiss on her lips. As he neared he really wondered if she'd kiss back. It was hard to tell what Marian was thinking and what she'd do at times. Only way to find out was to experience. One thing he was positive of, upon seeing her, was just how much Robin had missed his girl and more so was his love for her.

[marian]

The maddening, pseudo-suave way Robin had of just assuming that she would fall into his arms and be happy that he was alive (without even apologising for his disappearance) infuriated the wilful young woman. His cheeky grin only served to spark her anger more and his towering arrogance that at times could be so very appealing now made her want to scratch his eyes out. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he neared her and leaned in for a kiss. Deftly she slipped between him ad the tree she stood next to, pushing him in the small of his back with her basket in a bid to unsteady him. Oh, she loved him alright – and therein lay the problem.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she accused in a high tone. “We have been worried sick! What makes you think that it’s alright to run off without telling anyone?” Frightened that she wouldn’t be able to control herself if he attempted to close in on her again, Marian turned her back and marched down the embankment into the camp proper. Her soft leather boots skidded on the fallen leaves as she moved, too angry and relieved all in one to pay any attention to her footing. She slipped and fell onto her backside, skidding the rest of the way down the small hill where she picked herself, and her basket, up. With insult added to injury she was now embarrassed and more angry because of it, stooping to snatch up the herbs that had fallen out of her basket and storming over to the cooking enclave.

“If you ever stopped to think about others for a change instead of satisfying your own whims--” she began, stopping herself and starting to chop the herbs with a large, unfriendly looking knife. She refrained from commenting further, knowing full well that no matter what Robin did he was not selfish. "And if you think you will get a warmer welcome than this from the others, you're mistaken!"

[robin]

Robin watched her all the way around as she slipped past him. In truth he hadn't expected her to accept the kiss. Marian was extremely stubborn, especially when angry and when she was worried. Same could easily be said for Robin, only he was stubborn most of the time. Once an idea popped into his head it was almost impossible to sway him to contrary plans. However, he loved Marian, every bit of her, Robin failed to find one thing about he that he even slightly disliked. It was impossible, she was perfect.

"Marian, I only wished to properly greet you after my absence." Robin never went out to annoy his love, often anyway. But sometimes he even managed to do it woithout trying very hard. And most would have to admit it wasn't an endearing feature. "I'm a grown man now, I can look after myself." The outlaw defended, not letting on to what he was doing away or apologising for taking leave of everybody without a word. Still watching her closely, for any sign she might relent, there was shock and worry etched on his face as she took a tumble downt he bank. Initially his first reaction was to run down and check she was ok, but Marian got to her feet and carried on. Only now she was much more irked and getting into her good books was going to be an up hill struggle. Smirking he stayed where he was for a couple more seconds before deciding to follow her.

Slowly making his own way down the bank, careful not to repeat her actions, he stood close to her, but out of her reach. For now at least. When she cooled off he'd approach her. More than anything Robin was sure she'd give in. He had to believe that, because the day he stopped believing that, would be the day he'd fear that she'd stop loving him. "Marian, I thought about you." A lot, every moment he possibly could of. "I have returned safe, sound and unharmed." Taking another chance, Robin moved to her side, leaning his head to one side to gain eye contact. His own eyes soft and pleading. "I thought often of you. You're beauty, you're eyes. How you can look at me in anger, but I still know you feel for me." Sometimes the soft touch was required. Despite how striking and how much of a real woman she was when angry, it wasn't his favourite when the anger was all directed at him.

[marian]

Pointedly ignoring Robin’s softly spoken words (and feeling angrier by the minute for having slipped like a fool), Marian walked into the camp proper and set her basket on top of the makeshift table the gang used at meal times. She began to remove the small bunches of herbs and wild mushrooms she had been collecting, paying no notice when Robin followed her and stayed by her side. It was both irritating an endearing, like being followed by a dog you had just scolded for soiling your favourite rug. With her jaw set and her piercing blue eyes hardened against every selfish comment he made, Marian finally plonked down a wild pumpkin; her coup de resistance, onto the table as well before she turned to face him.

“Sometimes, Robin of Locksley, I find it very hard to believe that you think of anyone but yourself.” Finding that it was hard to remain so constantly furious with him, her expression softened ever so slightly. “And don’t you think for one second that your charms and smooth talking will get you out of this!” She turned, fixing her eyes on his and with a serious expression on her face. Finally giving in Marian closed the gap between them. She lifted both her hands to place them on either side of Robin’s unshaven face. “Robin, I want you to promise me that you will never do such an unthoughtful thing as this again!”