My feet pounded against the ground. I could hear him behind me, his heavy feet thudding in time with my beating heart. The trees whipped at my face, bringing tears to my eyes. I longed for any sort of weapon; a bow, a sword, even a knife! But I'd been stupid. I had disobeyed my uncle Robin and gone into the forest unarmed.

And I was going to die for my stupidity. I didn't know who was behind me, but that didn't matter. Whoever it was would kill me if they caught me before I reached our camp.

The forest felt like my enemy. Each root of the trees threatened to trip me, the branches blinded me...each twist and turn disoriented me. I'd never be able to find my way back.

My own doubt betrayed me. I didn't trip over a root or anything that could even have made it more impressive—no, I tripped over a tiny clump of grass. I hit the ground, coming to my feet with my back pressed against one of the trees. My pursuer emerged from the trees, his sword leveled at me.

A smoldering hatred formed in my heart. I would be killed by Robin Hood's worst enemy; Guy of Gisborne. I tried to steady my breathing. The least I could do was die like a man. Guy looked at me as though I were nothing more than a minor nuisance. "I was hoping for bigger prey," he said, sounding extremely disappointed. "But you'll have to die. Are you ready to die, William Scarlet?"

No, I wasn't! I wanted to scream at him. I was too young to die! Maybe I'd been stupid to disobey Robin, but that didn't mean I should die because of a single mistake! Did it?

I prayed fervently to God that He would send me some sort of aid. Anything. I just wanted to live. I didn't want to die. I prayed harder than I ever had before, but there was no answer. Guy approached me slowly, savoring the moment—the first blow struck in his private war against Robin. I longed to run, but I found that my legs couldn't move anymore.

Seconds before Guy reached me, a door appeared from nowhere between us. We both yelled in surprise, and I scooted backwards as a man and a woman emerged from the door. It disappeared from sight, and the four of us just stared at each other for a moment.

Then Guy leveled his sword at the intruders, his hand evidently shaking. "I don't know what manner of sorcery this is," he said angrily, "but I will end this here!" He lunged at the man and the two began to duel, their swords clashing together repeatedly.

The woman grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet and shoving me towards the trees. "Go!" she told me.

I started to run, but I looked back just in time to see the man impaled by Gisborne. A lump formed in my throat in horror. I had never seen a man die before. The woman—she must have been his wife—screamed in a rage and picked up her husband's fallen sword. I didn't look this time, but I still heard the woman's cry of pain cut off as she died at Guy's hands.

I ran headlong through the forest, slamming straight into a young man. For a moment, I thought he was Guy. Then I looked into his clear-blue eyes. "Who—?" I gasped, bouncing back and reaching where my sword was usually sheathed.

The man looked past me as Guy came to a halt not far from us. I saw the red blood glinting in the sun on his sword. "Who are you?" he demanded roughly.

The man waved his hand, and Guy slumped to the ground. My breath caught in my throat. I'd never liked Gisborne, but that was a horrible way to die! Killed by witchcraft! I turned, horrified, as the man reached towards me. "Please—don't kill me!" I pleaded, finding my voice for the first time. So much for dying like a man, I thought angrily.

The man's expression was cold as he looked me up and down. "Kill you?" he repeated bitterly. "If I didn't kill my parents' killer, why would I kill you, Will Scarlet?"

I wasn't convinced. "Who are you?" I demanded, inching away, intent on escape. My heartbeat rang in my ears, and my breath started to come in time with the heartbeat.

As the man's hand touched my forehead, I heard him speak two words. "Ewan Andric." Then, I lost consciousness.