Will Scarlet grabbed Robin by the collar of his cape. Marian saw the twitch that went through Robin's body, usually followed by a flying fist and lots of pain. She fully expected him to put the guy in his place. But Robin did nothing of the sort.

"You think you would have been successful, huh? You and your little wench?" sneered Will. "What armor would have protected you? Your yard-thick arrogance and big mouths?"

With an inconspicuous movement of his arm, Robin pushed him back. Not roughly, but savagely enough to show him that he was not to be dealt with in such a manner. "At least we weren't planning to take on a superior number of soldiers! Did you have any plan at all other than to throw yourselves on the road and maybe get run over?" said Robin, his eyes narrowing. "Besides, unlike you, I have already had many successful raids!"

Marians was on the verge of objecting that this haphazard action had also been his modus operandi until a few weeks ago.

Will snorted and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Oh, yeah? Well, we would have heard that!" he sneered and grinned smugly.

"You did, stupid! Who do you think you're dealing with?"

There it was again-Robin's arrogance, which made Marian roll her eyes inwardly with a groan.

There was pure ignorance and wonder in the bandits' eyes, and Robin saw this as an opportunity to make his entrance. A moment ago, he had bared his teeth like a snarling dog; now, he made a sweeping and extremely expansive bow, "The Sheriff of Nottingham is looking for me all over the principality. My wanted poster is on just about every wall of every house."

"You are Robin Hood!" came simultaneously from two mouths.

The tone, however, could not have been more different. There was indeed something like surprise in John's voice. Maybe even a hint of curiosity or admiration for the guy whose name adorned notices here and there and who was now rumored and whispered about. Will, on the other hand, sounded oddly disgusted.

"Unlike you, Robin Hood," Will spat out the name like moldy fruit, "we're not just a fucking nobleman with nothing better to do after the war than play a bit of robber!"

Marian felt the blow like a hard punch in the stomach, though it was not meant for her.

Robin's eyes narrowed, too, and she could see the last mischievousness wiped from his features. "And what, Will, is your even so noble a goal? What do you hope to achieve by outnumbering raids on equipped carriages in daylight with your cute little pitchforks?"

The cauldron was bubbling, and Marian was sure she could already hear the lid rattling alarmingly. But she was unsure whether it was right to interfere here. If it acted up, the pride of two men could start fires. It annoyed her that those they wanted to help devalued their venture and their deeds in such a way. Did they not realize that they were doing this for the people? Were they not aware of what they were both risking for the people? A noble might not be dragged to the gallows as quickly as a peasant. But even the Crown would undoubtedly consider this form of theft as high treason.

"You spoiled-" When Will opened his mouth to launch into a nasty reply, Robin did not give him a chance. But unlike what he expected, he stuffed Will's cheeky mouth not with his fist but with thoughtful words. How unusual of him. Marian was obviously beginning to rub off on him.

"Whatever your aim may have been, the only thing you'll achieve with it is that you'll all be dead in a week at the latest! Either strung up by the sheriff or slashed by the guards!" He narrowed his eyes briefly and shook his head.

"It's true; I was in the war. What do you think we experienced there?" He waited and looked around the small group. His eyes showed fatigue, and he was breathing heavily. Bringing the following words across his lips obviously cost him a lot of effort. Mary could only guess at the dark memories that racked his soul. Even Will and John were silent as if they knew this was an inappropriate moment to make wild accusations. "There were Ottoman attacks on supply lines; none of our men survived. All because of equipment and battle experience. But what you are doing here is suicide, nothing more!"

"Robin!" this time, Marian's voice broke in between, and she reached for his arm, hoping to calm him a little. He couldn't let the memories overwhelm him.

"These men don't do this to enrich themselves. They don't fill their chambers with treasure or gild their plates!" she said, looking at him piercingly.

"Just look at them!" Marian pointed at John and Will. "The clothes he wears are probably stolen. But John's? Worn, patched, dirty. They live here in the forest, Robin. They have nothing left; the Crown has taken everything from them. You know best yourself," her voice weakened because she didn't want to offend anyone or hurt or anger Robin. "Many went to war with the king to reclaim the Holy Land. They left home and farm behind, wives and family." At this, Marian's voice became rougher because she herself could not hold back those heavy memories that came up at these words. A girl was standing at the window, crying because she didn't yet understand that things didn't stay as they were forever.

Marian cleared her throat to remove the lump in her throat. "Some came back from the war, and their land was already given to someone else. They lost everything. Rich men got richer, and the poor only got poorer. These people have nothing left. They starve and slave themselves to death, and when they revolt, they are condemned, outlawed, and hunted like animals!"

And being outlawed was a death sentence. They might as well be strung up in the marketplace. Perhaps that would even have been more merciful. Being outlawed meant no one was allowed to give them work or shelter. And without work, they didn't even earn a few coins to buy hard bread. They got nothing to eat, found no shelter, and had no possessions. Being exposed to wind and weather led to terrible diseases, and this, in turn, led to a lonely death. But not only that: anyone could kill them, take advantage of them, and not be prosecuted. They had no rights and were no longer citizens, practically like cattle that could be kicked, beaten, and mistreated. Anyone who did help them was condemned in the same way.

"They have no choice!" she tried to make him understand. "You could choose your path, Robin," at this, she cast a quick sideways glance at Will. "You could choose to rebel against the sheriff yourself. These people here, however, could not."

"And out of desperation, they are practically committing suicide here! A peasant uprising will lead to nothing and only cost them their lives! The lords and the sheriff will nip any resistance and this ridiculous revolt in the bud. They have more men, more weapons; no, above all, more weapons! And what have they got?" he said with a sneer, pointing his thumb at Will and John.

John, who had kept out of the conversation until now, took a step forward indignantly. He raised his fist, opened his mouth, obviously prepared a counter-answer... but then his thoughts seemed to have slipped away like a worm. Or he realized himself that he had little to counter these words. "But we're not giving up!" he proclaimed firmly, and Marian couldn't help but give him a gentle smile in return. Not because she found it ridiculous. But because this strength and this power to rebel against such a yoke was not a matter of course.

Where before venomous words had leaped from Will's lips as if from a spring, now the man actually seemed affected. Though hot anger smoldered in his eyes, the bitterness could be seen in every feature of his stubborn countenance. His lips twisted into a thin line, his brow furrowed, and his body stiff; his fingers were already white from clenching his hands so tightly around the canvas bags bearing the king's crest.

"What the men and women of England really need is a genuine rebellion! What are peasants supposed to do against the sheriff or even the regent? For that, you need powerful allies. And warriors!" Robin returned, pushing Marian's hand away from his arm. Not because he meant any harm. Robin wanted Marian and these men to understand this was a fight against windmills. It might fill their bellies for a short period - but after that, taxes continued to rise, and the citizens were fleeced all over again.

"They could do what the Ottomans did in Jerusalem?" returned Marian, noticeably jolting Robin out of his whirling thoughts.

"What?" What was the woman talking about now? Where had her mind jumped to now?

"Actually, we have the same goal, don't we? You could raid the supply lines as well as the Ottomans in war to support the rebellion?" opined Marian, "Any coin that goes to the king from these lands or those of the other barons, as you know very well, first ends up in the counting houses and treasuries of Nottingham. If that money ceases to arrive there, the king and the sheriff will one day run out of funds."

"Mar-," Robin continued to contradict as her hand slid forward and settled over his lips.

"Please let me finish!" she pleaded with him, and Robin growled but let her. "This is exactly what we wanted to do. It helps the people AND supports the rebellion against the Crown?" she tried to convince him and glanced at the other two.

"And we can get a bit of a kick out of those bastards!" said John cheerfully, but only earned deprecating looks from everyone involved.

"They'd need structures and clever doers for that. And who do you think will lead this uncoordinated bunch then?" Robin's voice dripped with scorn as he pointed at Will. "This one? Never!"

"As if the highborn Lord of Locksley would be better suited for the job." Will Scarlet was not particularly educated, but he spoke sarcasm fluently.

Then Robin's gaze turned again toward the mangy poacher and this time, his collar burst. "Now listen here, you little field, forest, and meadow gnome: with Robin Hood's help, this gang would be feared all over England in less than ten days!"

"Oh yeah, too bad no one will listen to you! We live in the forest because we were fed up with bending the knee to the nobility and being taken advantage of!"

Marian and John exchanged glances, and John pulled his shoulders up helplessly in question. Groaning, Marian threw herself between the two men and pushed the two quarreling roosters apart at the chest before they could still butt heads. Since she had little success with this, John hurriedly came to her aid. The big man's paws easily grabbed both men by the collar and pulled the squabblers apart.

"Stop that!" meanwhile, Marian said sternly. "Knocking each other down doesn't do anyone any good!" Why did she have to explain this to them separately? For what reason were men so unspeakably stubborn and haughty? Why did they always have to prove something to each other?

At that moment, the idea struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Wait!" she shouted, drawing attention to herself. "You want to prove who is the better leader of the two of you?" It was excellent that no one could see the grin on her lips at that moment. Thank the face cloth. Had it been otherwise, the poor fellows might have guessed that they were about to net Marian like flies.

"What do you think of a competition?"