As I was getting myself ready for the Sheriff's Fair in my elegant white dress, I sighed, redoing my hair neatly. I sat on the edge of my bed wondering, could Robin be having a better day than I am? My father finding out I am the Nightwatchman and not supporting me or the fact I have to be Guy's personal guest today at the Fair? Then I have to wonder what else could get worse today…..

*************

Back in Sherwood Forest, Will scrambles down the hill towards the camp where everyone was just finished with their breakfast.

"The trap worked! We caught one!" Will shouted out pleased as Robin looks at him, suddenly serious.

"A cart! Let’s go! Let’s go!" They all get to their feet and run after Will. Will lead them all to the great north road, where Brooker, a slave dealer, is trying in vain to lift the wagon’s front wheel out of a shallow hole as the gang silently surround him. Allan faces him across the wagon with a drawn bow.

"Heap! Rubbish heap! And you! Points to the horse. Rubbish heap!" Brooker shouted out in frustration. Robin, with no weapon in hand, walks deftly down the length of a fallen tree to stand near him as Much steps up beside him with a drawn bow. As Brooker gives up on the wagon, he notices the gang closing in. He reaches under the seat for his purse. Robin nods at Will, who takes a step forward. Brooker throws the purse down on the ground in front of Robin.

"Here. It’s all I have of value. Take it!" Brooker claimed as Robin looks at Much and nods at the purse. Much jumps down to get it and looks inside as Allan lowers his bow. Much holds up a glass lens from the purse. Robin looks at it curiously.

"Pretty! Not very appetizing." Much stated as he kept looking at it, before they all hear a muffled moan. Brooker lays his head back, knowing his bluff has been ruined. Robin raised an eyebrow towards Brooker who gave a quick gulp.

"Livestock?" Robin questioned.

"Take one. And let me on me way." Brooker told Robin as Robin jumps down and goes over to the wagon.

"They’ll work for you. They understand simple commands." He continued as Robin pulls back the canvas to reveal a boy’s face. The gang all stare incredulously at the men in the wagon. "New men for the Sheriff ’s mine." Brooker finished as Robin deep down was horrified that people still were in business for trading slaves.

"Slaves?" Much asked disgusted as he stares at the wagon. Robin nods his head towards Little John and the others as they move Brooker's wagon off the road. Brooker sits against a tree, happily pulling meat off a bone with his teeth. Little John sits near him, watching. Robin leans against a trunk opposite him, watching him, as Allan and Much, who is leaning against the same tree, stare at the slaves. Will stands next to the wagon, also staring.

"I never thought I’d see this again. Outrageous. A disgrace. Trading people." Much hissed to Allan who just shrugged. He had never seen slave trading before, so it didn't have a massive impact on him like it did to Robin and Much. Robin walks over to Brooker.

"Would you like some more wine?" Robin asked feigning pleasantness as Brooker smiles, still chewing his food, takes the flask and drinks. Little John watches them with a frown. Robin drops his phony smile and walks over to face Allan and Much. They talk quietly.

"I’m not being funny, but... you brought him here for a picnic?" Allan hissed slightly annoyed with Robin as Robin placed his hands on his hips before glancing back at the wagon.

"We need him. He’s our way into the mine." Robin whispered as Allan still didn’t understand the plan.

"There is no way into the mine." Much reminded Robin sternly.

"We are going to stop this. This is a gift. We’re going to close the mine, once and for all. Starts to walk back to Brooker. We will stop this human trafficking." Robin informed them as they sighed before nodding. They trusted Robin that he knew what he was doing as Brooker stands up, laughing heartily. Little John stands, too.

"I thought you were gonna slit me throat... or worse." He chuckled slightly on the verge of becoming drunk as Little John forces a brief grin.

"We don’t do throat-slitting. It’s too messy. Now you’ve eaten, I would like to feed your prisoners." Robin told him smiling indulgently

"Not meat. It makes them spirited, see. Oh, and keep your distance. Don’t let them breathe near you." Brooker warned as Robin glances skeptically at Little John. "Disease. Some of our soldiers dropped dead after getting too close." Brooker added before glancing nervously at the prisoners.

"Dropped dead?" Will questioned who just happened to be standing right beside the wagon. He gulped nervous hoping it wouldn't be true.

"Aye. One minute, stood there, strong as you. The next...brains dripping from their nostrils." Brooker laughs hoarsely at Will’s disgusted reaction as Will turns uncertainly to look at the slaves. Brooker’s laughter turns into a hacking cough and he spits on the ground.

"Water. That’ll do ’em. They had some scraps earlier." Robin picks up and tosses the water flask to Will, who catches it, but merely stares at the slaves again. "There used to be a decent living to be made from selling folk. Then the Pope goes and bans trading Christians. Thank heavens King Richard likes his wars abroad. Drinks." Brooker chuckled.

"Will? They need water." Robin told Will who was holding the water flask nervous, scared to touch them.

"Yeah, I’m on it." He informed Robin as he turned his gaze nervously back towards the slaves.

"Look, you seriously don’t believe there’s—" Robin asked him quietly.

"No!" Will quickly protested.

"Well, give them water. Can’t you see they’re suffering enough?" Robin whined a little in his demand.

"I notice you’re not doing it." Will snapped slightly who bit his lip knowing he went slightly too far.

"Listen, there is no disease. It’s ignorance and superstition and—" Robin began before Robin gets an idea, he smiles, and pulls Will into him to kiss him.

"You are a genius. John?!" He smiled pointing at Will, but Robin quickly hands the flask to the prisoners as they enjoyed every drop they could get. Little John walks over to him.

"Have a drink with our friend." Robin winked.

"What?" Little John questioned as if Robin had gone completely mad.

"There’s something I need to find in the forest. I need some time. If he loses consciousness, then so be it." Robin whispered. Robin nods knowingly and encouragingly taps Little John in the stomach. Little John shakes his head in confusion and disbelief, obediently sets down his staff, picks up the wine flask and starts off towards Brooker. He stops suddenly and turns to Robin, finally understanding what he wants.

"No consciousness." Little John confirmed as Robin nods subtly. Little John turns to Brooker and puts on a wide grin. Brooker smiles back, then Little John punches him solidly in the jaw, knocking him out. The others smirk in silent satisfaction as Little John takes a drink of wine and grins at Robin.

*************

I looked at my reflection one last time before I slipped on my white elegant cloak and made my way downstairs to where my father was waiting for me dressed in his formal attire. The coach that Guy had sent for us was waiting as I sighed and followed my father who sullenly walked towards the door and opened it for me.

"Soon after Robin went to war, you remember I was ill?" I questioned as he nodded. "Sarah, the cook, used to look after me. She was always so jolly and one day she didn’t come. The physician who visited me told me her daughter was seriously ill and had been for a long time. So when you were asleep, I visited Sarah and I gave her daughter my medicine." I tried to explain.

"Very noble, but if you are caught now—" My father answered before I cut him off.

"Interrupting: Sarah was so shocked that I should care about anything in her world. And that’s when I decided I could go to war, too. I could go to war against poverty." I explained as I saw him sigh. I wanted and needed my father to understand why I was doing this.

"Sir Edward, my lady? Sir Guy is waiting." The coachdriver told us before I climbed in and my father followed shutting the door, before the coach pulled away from our home and made it's way to Nottingham for the Sheriff's Fair….

*************

Much, sitting next to the unconscious Brooker on the wagon seat, holds up a shrivelled, dried root, the “something” that Robin found in the forest, looking at it suspiciously. Robin sits on a rock nearby.

"We need to get rid of the guards at the mine. Points around at the gang. One of you has to travel in the cage as a prisoner." Robin informed them as Little John turns his back. Allan groans. "We need a man on the inside to start the rumour of Turk flu."

"A volunteer?" Much asked trying to understand.

"Yes, Much. Thank you." Robin smiled nodding. Much holds out the root to Allan standing next to him.

"Allan?" Much asked as Allan groaned and put his head in his hands. Robin chuckles. Allan took the root and smelt it, unsure exactly what to do with it.

"And what, I eat this, do I?" He asked worried.

"No! Just chew. There is nothing to fear. Once the guards believe that the prisoners have a disease they’ll run for their lives!" Robin warned him before going over the plan once more as Allan sniffs at the root again as Much jumps down from the wagon.

"Oh, surely only the stupid amongst them is going to fall for it. I mean... Turk flu?" Much complained as Robin rubbed his temples trying to control his frustration at Much and the others.

"People fear what they don’t understand." Robin explained.

"I wasn’t scared." Will quickly defended as Little John and Much snigger.

"No." Much sarcastically agreed as Will glared and Robin stood up.

"Will, you proved my point. If even you had doubts, the Sheriff ’s men... they’ll be a pushover!" Robin cried out happily as Much opens Brooker’s purse, standing by the wagon.

"But it’ll never work! I have another suggestion. Instead of relying on the Sheriff ’s men being as stupid as—" Much began, as Much gestures behind him at Brooker with the purse in his hand and the boy, Djaq, grabs it. "Hey! Let go!"

"It’s mine! Stolen!" Djaq snapped as Little John steps towards the wagon and Robin peers into the back.

"You speak English!" Robin asked slightly surprised. Much stares at Robin. Allan, who was watching the road, whistles a signal at them. Brooker starts to awaken. Little John notices and punches him out again. On The Great North Road. The coach with Edward and Esme comes down the road. Allan leads the gang through the trees and they watch from a distance.

"You’re not going to like this, Robin, but I think that’s Esme in Gisborne’s coach." Allan whispered towards Robin who frowned jealously. Robin never wanted to admit it, since he knew that Esme thought of him as a brother, but he loved her very much. Not just as a sister but romantically and he wished she returned his feelings.

"She must be going to Nottingham, the Sheriff ’s fair." Will whispered as they made their way back towards Brooker's wagon.Brooker lies on the wagon’s seat, still unconscious. Much walks to the cage and Djaq quickly puts down the lens he had been using to focus the sunlight on the rope tying the door closed.

"Islama." Much greeted towards Djaq.

"Islama." He responded simply.

"I have a simple yet effective way of gaining you freedom. And... a lot less dangerous than riding into a heavily guarded mine." Much stated as he looked around almost unsure to be overheard.

"That is simple and effective." Djaq suggested urgent.

"No. This is clever. Renounce your god. Then nobody can buy or sell you." Much scoffed.

"Renounce my god?" Djaq asked him horrified.

"And claim you believe in the Christian one. But it’s all right, because gods are all-knowing, so your god will know you’re only pretending." Much stated simply. He couldn’t see the harm in it.

"Why would I pretend to be Christian? You kill my people in the name of Christianity!" Djaq spat at him.

"Shh. Christians cannot be traded. The Sheriff will not buy you. You can go free and we can go home and eat." Much stated simply as he tried as of course he was thinking of his own stomach and what suited him best.

"So if it’s that easy, you do it. Renounce your god." Djaq hissed back at him.

"Me?" Much claimed.

"You do not trust that he can see into your heart?" Djaq smirked as Much shifted uncomfortably.

"Of course, I trust He can... I could renounce him, like that." He spoke unsurely as Much clicks his fingers. Djaq stares sceptically at him.

"I do not believe in God. Nods. No, I don’t. There!" Much spoke rather quickly, nervous of what punishment might fall on him, as Allan grabs Much’s shoulders and Much jumps with a yell, startled. Djaq smiles, his point proven.

"Come on! Help me tie Brooker up." Allan chuckled as Much looks at Djaq and sees him smiling. Much turns to follow Allan, stops and looks up at the sky.

"I do, obviously." He whispered an apology before following after Allan…..