Marian's gaze fluttered like a startled bird between the two men on the road and the next bend. It wouldn't be long before the carriage rolled up - and Robin stood there like a lonely sheep in the open. Not only was he gambling away their advantage, but he obviously overlooked the surrounding danger!

She wanted to bite her hand with a frustrated yelp. Instead, Marian pressed her lips tightly together, suppressing the anger that nothing seemed to be going to plan with Hood!

"Get off the road, you idiot!" her voice hissed, far too quietly for Robin to ever hear, and Marian's watchful eyes fixed on movement in the nearby undergrowth. What was the greater danger? The carriage with the taxes would be guarded by at least four men armed to the teeth or the hidden figures in the thicket?

'He MUST have noticed them! He CAN'T be that inattentive!' Marian thought, squinting her eyes as her fingers gripped tighter around the bow shaft. Sometimes she wondered if Robin was being so foolish on purpose! He could always turn himself in to the sheriff if he wanted to die.

Robin leaned over the guy on the ground as her pulse picked up speed.

He was lying there with a slightly slanted arrow in his armpit."Get out of here, you carrion! You're spoiling our raid!" it hissed up from the ground, and Marian heard Robin suddenly burst out laughing.

Marian winced at the volume and almost hissed for the good-for-nothing to lower his voice! The carriage was not far away, and they could not risk their element of surprise against trained soldiers.

"I'm ruining the ambush for you?" repeated Robin, with a laugh in his voice. "I think there's been a mistake here." Then he lifted his gaze, green eyes piercing the nearby bushes like a hawk. "You're screwing up my ambush!"

Then the man on the ground opened his eyes, slowly straightened up, knocked some dust from his doublet, and abruptly grabbed Robin by the collar. "Tell me, are you tired of living?" Beneath brown hair that fell in longer strands down his tanned features, Robin's hazel eyes flashed menacingly. "I told you to get out or else-"

Hood raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Oho? Or else what?" he fluted in a mixture of lack of seriousness and curiosity. He seemed actually to want to challenge the finely dressed bandit.

"Or else we'll rearrange your teeth!" Another voice now joined the conversation as a giant of a man stepped out of the thicket. Considering his enormous stature, it was a mystery to Marian how he had been able to hide from her gaze for so long. What he obviously lacked in grace, he probably made up for in strength, for his upper arms were at least the diameter of her head.

Marian's pulse fluttered in panic as the giant took long strides toward Robin and the other bandit. She raised her bow under tightening tension, and the arrow's feathers tickled her cheek as she pulled back the string.

People died quickly in Sherwood Forest. It was here that outlaws, poachers, and fowlers prowled the dark expanses of the forest, stealing game, robbing travelers, and hiding from the sheriff and his men. The forest was dense and vast, stretching for miles, and searching it was impossible. It was not without reason that Marian and Robin had chosen this exact spot to plan the raids on the tax carriages. But she had no intention of standing idly by as the giant cracked Robin's skull and dragged him into the bushes. At that thought, the throbbing in her chest picked up, tripping over its own rhythm.

"We sure are in a bad mood today! When you come right down to it, we were here before you," Robin retorted, and Marian almost felt as if this man was deliberately looking for trouble. If this situation were not so serious, the idea of putting an arrow in Robin's butt to bring him back to his senses would certainly seem tempting to her!

The giant was now barely two steps away from the disputants. "Shall I punch him, Will?" His features were hard, and his hostile, fierce gaze fixed on Robin.

"Last chance! Get out of here or-" the man called Will hissed, tugging Robin menacingly a little closer.

At that moment, an arrow whizzed just past him and dug into the soft earth directly between him and the muscle-bound crony. Marian's bow had enough pull, so the arrow almost disappeared into the soil up to the fletching.

"One more step, and the next one will be in your throat!" Marian threatened loudly, her voice low with effort, and she was already placing the next arrow.

Heads turned in amazement, and Robin emitted an amused snort that was so out of keeping with the tense situation. "Why did you wait so long? He could have gone for my sleeping giblet!" Robin indignated loudly.

'Wouldn't have hurt you as punishment for your recklessness!' It was already on the tip of her tongue. Then, from somewhere, another arrow shot in Marian's direction. It passed her by, missing her by half a meter and causing some branches to crack before catching in the treetop. It hadn't even been close - but automatically, her body tensed, making her fingertips tingle.

'Stay calm. Only those who are calm can hit the bull's-eye.'

Marian immediately pressed closer to the trunk and aimed in the direction from which the arrow had just come. The man with Robin suddenly pulled two knives from under his worn, noble cloak, and Robin, in precautionary wariness, took two steps back to put distance between himself and the flashing blades.

"Come down here and tell us to our faces, you little rat!" it was now shouted from somewhere in the bushes, and Marian saw that several places in the undergrowth were stirring treacherously.

'Calm down. Don't be provoked,' she murmured to herself and ordered herself to take a breath. 'Those who are angry make mistakes. Robin makes enough for both of us. You at least stay calm and clear.'"Why should I come down? So I can teach you archery?" she returned, polished down.

"You little-" it barked angrily now, and Marian spotted a blond mop of hair among the green of the forest. So that was where the gunman was.

'Hurt dogs bark,' she thought. Marian would never understand why some people puffed up their egos like that in the presence of a group. So - how many were there? Four had moved in the bushes. Two were standing there on the road. Marian tried to assess her chances. She had the advantage in the tree as long as she had covered, and Robin undoubtedly had superior fighting experience to these men.

"Now, now, children - how about we all calm down? Maybe we could come to an agreement?"

Marian was confused: did he really want to negotiate just now?

As if fate had heard Robin's words and decided to laugh maliciously at them, the rattle of carriage wheels and the neighing of horses sounded just at that moment.

Marian turned her head, and everyone else did the same. Oh no! Because of these idiots, she had forgotten entirely about the approaching carriage!

"Bloody hell!" Will was the first to utter a crude curse and escape his stupor.

On the other hand, the tall giant gaped as if he hadn't expected the carriage to come bumping around the bend in the path. Flanked by two armored riders on each side and two more away in front, the clatter of hooves approached rapidly - until the guardsmen spotted the dubious individuals on the path.

"Bandits! Up ahead! A robbery! Stop the carriage at once!"

Cries of alarm were immediately raised, the carriage lost speed, and the riders changed positioning. They had the advantage on horseback and were visibly aware of it. Swords were drawn, and blades flashed in the dull light of the forest as the first three galloped toward Robin and the two fellows.

The quiet of the forest was rudely shattered, and birds sprang up, startled. All at once, as a dozen men burst from the thicket and rushed at the carriage with loud roars, the scene of the attack turned into bloody chaos.