Of the Forest and Sea

Chapter 8

I woke up in the middle of the forest. My entire body was sore, and my head throbbed. The sunlight burned my eyes, and I tried to focus on my surroundings. I heard horses coming up from the side of me, and I tried to get up.

"Robin! Where in the devil have you been?" I looked up at my father, who jumped down off of his horse.

"Father...I had to do it..." My throat burned and I leaned back against the tree. Everything hurt so much.

"Had to do what, son? We've been looking all over for you."

"Why didn't you ask Dulac?"

"He hasn't come back either. What happened to you, boy?" I coughed and groaned in pain.

"Dulac...he found Maria. He tried to kill her... I told him I'd let him do anything for him to let her go. Told him he could do whatever he wanted...as long as he didn't hurt her."

"Take him back to Moonacre Manor. Robin, Maria is waiting for you there." He sighed before continuing, "She's been worried about you. She wouldn't tell us what really happened."

"Father, I threw my dagger... I don't know where it went."

"Don't worry. I'll send Naurice to look for it. She'll find anything that shines like that." The bird screeched, and I winced at her volume.

"I have to tell you something." I let my head roll back against the tree and took a deep breath.

"What is it Robin?"

"Don't tell Loveday I told you first. But father, I love her."

"Fool. You don't think I figured that out already? No man would throw himself defenseless like that at Dulac knowing he had a much bigger advantage." His hand came up to my shoulder and he laughed. "We all know. I knew at the cliff when you ran first, nearly diving off the cliff after her."

I gave half a smile, "Right."

"Come on, Robin, try to get all the way to your feet there. Your boys came to help find you, they'll take you to Maria."

***

"Dulac really did a number on you Robin, what were you thinking?"

"I had to keep her safe, Mills. He almost killed her. It was me or her. And I'd rather it be me."

"Robin you don't mean that."

"Of course, I do. If you'd seen her the way I did...you'd have done the same thing without a doubt." As they helped me walk out of the forest, I kept thinking about her. Mills nudged one of the guys.

"Alain, get to the Manor and find Maria." Alain nodded and ran off, and I could almost see the forest's edge.

"Robin...are you going to leave us?"

"Never Brayen. I'm still a De Noir. That's never changing." Brayen was the newest member to the clan, a runaway from London. He was just a young kid, but I made sure to take care of him as best as I could. I was the closest thing to a brother the boy ever had.

"Do you actually love her?"

"I let Dulac beat me so badly I passed out for the night. Of course, I do." Mills stopped walking and I winced at the sudden jerk.

"Night? Robin we've been searching for you for 3 days now."

"That's not possible..."

"How much do you even remember of him torturing you?"

"Just the night I saved her... maybe he thought I was dead?" We reached the edge of the forest and I saw a blur of ginger running towards me.

"Maria be careful. Dulac got him pretty badly. Where can we let him down?"