Once upon a time, there was a young women, and her name was not Nhyssa. 

Despite what everyone thought, Nhyssa was only a cover, a mask, a facade for the murderess hiding deep inside her. And yet, for her to kill was against her very nature. 

She was a healer, and healers are never supposed to kill. But it wasn't like she had a choice. It was either kill, or watch your little brother be killed. 

Like I said, not much of a choice, right?

And so, this girl, who was called Nhyssa, but who was not actually Nhyssa, went around with a group of murderers killing people for money. She told herself, time and time again, that she was doing this just to keep her little brother safe. But as time moved on, the lie became thicker and thicker, stopping her from seeing the truth. 

Then one day, she watched her little brother bleed out in front of her, and she was faced with a choice: To watch him die, and then be able to escape the pain that comes with killing, or to save her brother, and allow the lie to blind her. 

She made her choice. Accepting her fate, she gave up her eyesight for the power of a magical healer. She saved her brother, but doomed herself. 

And so, Heart was born. The innocent facade of Nhyssa disappeared into the cold and unrelenting grip of Heart. Heart was everything Nhyssa was not. She was brave, strong, unafraid and a lair. And so, every day, Heart was pulled deeper and deeper into the lifesaving lie she had created. And while it had saved her brother, it was killing her. And it would take death for her to realize this. 

Now, one day, Heart and her fellow assassins were sent to kill a man named Cliff.But when Heart realized that Cliff was too talented for them to kill, she began to fear, and Nhyssa re-emerged. She warned Cliff about his imminent death, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would not only save him, but herself. 

She was wrong. Her assassin friends, a hit squad as they were called, found out about her betrayal. And betrayal always comes with a price. Once again forced to choose between her life and her brothers, Nhyssa did what she should have done all along. 

Nhyssa died that night, all alone in an empty warehouse. Any supposed friends she'd made on the hit squad laughed at her death while they drank and feasted. Her brother, Alex, didn't understand what was happening. He was too young. Nhyssa died that night. The lie, the mask, the facade of Nhyssa dripped away like lifeblood. 

Sometimes, we look in the wrong places. We look for friendship in those who truly are our enemies, but in those who we deem unfit or unworthy, we find companionship. Due to the kindness of the supposed enemy, Cliff, the young women remembered who she really was. Nhyssa may have died that night, however, the young women did not. 

Once upon a time, a young women cast aside a lie, and her name was Nalia. True, she never saw again, and yes, she had terrible dreams almost every night, but Nalia had something she had never had before. 

She had a friend. And really, that was all she had ever wanted. But of course, this is not the end of her story, it is merely the beginning, as it is with all of us. 

So, my dear reader, what kind of story will you write?

Moving sucks.

There, I said it. It sucks. I mean, if you weren’t moving between states in a little tiny car, and having to drive for three days in between your two siblings, it wouldn’t be so bad. If you were, I mean, sure it wouldn’t be fun but at least you’d have books or something to do, right?

Unless all your books got backed away in the moving truck and so did all your clothes. Then yeah, it would suck. And then when you get to the town where you know no one, you discover that not only will you be homeschooled for your last year of high school, but there’s also no bookstore, no mall, no nothing.

Add on to that the fact that it’s the middle of the summer and all the kids who actually LIVE in the town are gone, and the fact that you’ve been eating take out for a week because it’s the only restaurant in the town….

Yeah, that’s kinda what I’m feeling like right now.

So now that you know that, maybe you’ll understand why I’m outside, sitting in a tree. Because I’m bored out of my mind and don’t know what to do.

One thing you must know about me is that I am a book nerd. If you’ve read it, I have most likely read it…..more than once. I have copies of every popular book. Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eleanor and Park. I have them all. I have the classics, like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, The Narnia Series, Lord of the Rings. All those books you have to read for English, like 1984, Lord of the Flies, Shakspeare? Yep, I’ve got those too. Even some obscure books like Nobody’s Princess and the first full volume of extended Sherlock stories. And oh, I have this huge book shelf too, and it’s almost full now.

I fiddle with the branches in the tree, and it reminds me of some groot person my brother is obsessed with. My brain is weird like that, I draw connections between things really quickly. For instance, the smell of this town reminds me of how bored I am. Or Like the fact that my siblings are yelling right now, which means that mom’ll send them outside. Therefore, I’m going on a walk.

I run inside the house to tell my mom, but I can’t tell if she can hear me. She’s on the phone trying to find our moving van, which is somehow lost. She just sorta waves me out the door, curly blonde hair haphazardly thrown in a messy bun. I’m glad my hair is nothing like hers, I get my looks from my dad. Tiny nose, ordinary brown hair and big brown eyes. At least I don’t have big feet like he does, otherwise I would always trip and never walk.

It must be around 6, because I spot my dad inside the chinese takeout store. Outside it smells like peanut oil and deep fried rice. He waves, and I wave back. He’s working in the police department here as chief.There’s maybe four other officers here, so it’s not that big of a job. I keep walking down main street, passing a laundromat, a small bar and a run-down apartment building. There’s the Mayor’s office, the police station, and then a short alley way before the street concludes with a green grocers, like the old fashioned kind. The whole place is old fashioned, not like a good old book kind of smell, more like a musty smell.

I reach the end of the street, just passing the grocer’s store, when I see someone out of the corner of my eye following me. At least, I think they are, I can’t tell. I pop into the grocery store, but it’s basically empty except for the owner. I wave, look around for a minute, then decide to go back home. I’ll walk by the take out place, see if my dad is still there.

I open the door, and pop out, feeling brave and secure. I go back the way I went, but just as I reach the alley, the dark, scary alley, I see the person again. Without thinking I jump into the alleyway, hoping they won’t follow me.

I see them walk past, muttering under their breath. With a sigh of relief, I turn around, stumbling back when I realize what I'm actually seeing. After moping around for weeks.

The wooden door set into the wall has a sign. Four word that, unbeknownst to me, would change my life in this musty old town forever.

“Welcome to Arlo’s Bookstore.”

I take my luck and enter.

I push open the door, and I’m instantly greeted by the smell that sums up my entire being.

Musty old books.

EVERYWHERE.

I’m surrounded by floor to ceiling bookcases, each filled with hundreds of books. The walls are lined with them, and all around there are big stacks of books just sitting on the floor, begging to be read. In front of me, about 10 steps away, is an old looking desk, with a typewriter and index cards just sitting on top. The walls are tight around it, with just enough room on either side to walk by and enter through the imposing gate like shelves. No one is sitting there, so I decide to wander around.

It’s like a labyrinth inside, amid the winding and often times crooked shelves. I just start walking, and looking at the various different books. My OCD starts to hurt when I see Homer’s Odyssey next to a book about ancient herbs, followed by really old looking diary, and then stacks of non-related books just sitting on the floor. I wander down the aisles, which aren't even straight, they twist and turn at random.

I swear, this is where I’m gonna find the love of my life, I think cheerfully as I realize that this town may not be so bad after all. I’ve spotted several chairs and benches in between shelves and in corners. It’s odd, they all seem like they are from different time periods. There’s a dusty old settee, then an elegant chaise lounge, a modern looking ottoman, a old throne, a battered, bullet ridden rocking chair, and a wooden stump. I pause and turn my head as I hear sounds coming from my left. I turn, following the sounds, twisting and turning in the maze of books. I’m gonna get lost sooner or later, but I don’t care if I get lost in here. This would be a great place to get lost in.

I turn the last corner, and I believe I’ve reached the center of the store. The strange, bird-like noises have stopped suddenly. There, in front of me, is a large empty space. The floor is tiled is a circular pattern. There are eight chairs around the outer edges of the circle, evenly spaced,all ornate and polished wood, but they all sit tauntingly empty.

In the center, there is a large, chest high stone pedestal, with just a hint of the greek style. And on the pedestal is a thick book, open halfway through.

Now, I’m a very rational person. I don’t believe in fate, or luck.

But this? This has to be magic.

The book is glowing. There’s this golden glimmering light coming from the pages.

One of the first things any book reader learns about magic should be this: Do not touch it. But what happens every time? They touch it. I’d always hoped to be the record breaker, the one person, that lonely soul.

But no. Fate had another destiny in mind.

I reached forward, and as my fingers grace the page, I watch as the bookshelves, the chairs, and the tile floor beneath my feet fall away into a dark abyss. Unable to stop myself, I too fall.

______________________________________________________________________________

The first thing I remember doing is running. I wake up from whatever strange thing happened in the bookstore and I find myself scurrying across a field. I probably shouldn’t stop moving, just in case there’s a reason for my flight.

So I keep moving, and I end up running into something, something hard and painful. This particular something is a large wooden sign, standing like a sentry at the edge of a forest. I stumble back as my head connects to the board, then I pause, reading what appears to be letters forming words. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t faint when I read the words etched dangerously into the wood.

Sherwood Forest

Someone must be tricking me into believing that I’ve entered a book. Like that could ever happen. I smirk. Might as well play along.

But as I brush off my shirt, I realize that I’m not actually wearing my shirt. I’m wearing a twelfth century dress, dark grey, with the kirtle, belt and everything. I check my hair, which was in a ponytail, but now, it’s tangled and trailing in the wind.So maybe I’m hallucinating. Yeah, I have to be.

“Stop, in the name of King John!”

Dude, King John was not a king, he was a prince. If you're going to try and fool me, get your facts right.

I turn to look at whoever just called me. A group of armoured men on horseback are chasing me.

CHASING ME!

I am so not stopping. I look around me for a weapon, and I see a small hunting knife tucked discreetly into my belt. Perfect. It won’t be any help against them, but at least I feel more confident.

“Give us the letter, girl!” One of them yells as they come closer, the horses not bothering to stop. Letter? Oh, yes. There seems to be something tucked up my sleeve. I’m assuming that’s what they want. If they work for Prince John, well then, they’re not getting that letter.

Without a moment to think, I run into Sherwood Forest, hoping that maybe these fools will have heard myths of what happens to all who enter these woods.

Luck doesn’t seem to like me today. They follow in recklessly, not even staying on the large, wide path. I duck into the trees. I have no idea where I’m going, but I know I just have to get out of here.

Maybe this is actually real. Maybe…..but no. Magic isn’t real. This can’t be real. I’m dreaming. I have to be!

I duck behind a tree to catch my breath, hoping, praying that maybe I can get out of here alive. But honestly, if I’m gonna die, I want to die in a book.

Robin Hood would be a pretty great place to die, here in the forest, with the birds and all that. Or the Hunger Games, but maybe not. But it’s so peaceful here, even with those crazy Knights and horses charging all over the place and wrecking everything while they look for me. Why could this letter be so important?

Then a hand clamps over my mouth while the other holds a knife to my throat. My eyes slide up the body of my surprise attacker to meet his piercing gaze.

The young man was slightly taller than me, and he looked to be just a little bit older than I was. He was lean and muscular, but not awkward and stick like. His blonde hair was slightly unkempt, and he had these piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight through your soul. He wore tall, dark brown hunting boots, a tan pair of pants, and a long sleeved, forest green quilted shirt. A thick hooded cloak was pinned together at the front with a suspiciously familiar looking leaf pin. Simply, he looked like a fit, blonde, Shawn Mendes on his way to Comic Con, dressed up like Legolas.

Talk about Stockholm Syndrome, I mentally smacked myself as I regarded the hand covering my mouth with disdain, and then at the hand holding the knife with fear.

“Who are you?” he asked gruffly, his voice barely above a whisper. I shrugged and then glanced down at the hand clamped over his mouth.

“If you yell, I will slit your throat.” The young man slowly removed his hand.

I glared vehemently at him. “I need to speak to Robin Hood.”

The boy scoffed. “Well, Miss I-need-to-talk-to-Robin-Hood, you, a simple serving girl, speak to him? I’m the closest you’ll ever get to him.”

Dude, this guy won’t let up at all! Um, think Kate, think! What could you say to convince him? Not something that will happen to him but……

“What is your name?” The young man pressed the knife closer.

THINK KATE THINK!

“Katherine DeWinfrey.” I said hurriedly combining my full first name with the last name of what hopefully was Robin’s old nursemaid, back when he was Robin of Locksley Hall, and not an outlaw.

“Never heard of you before.” He smirks, then tilts his head.

Wait, that’s it, Kate! Tell him you wish to see Robin, son of Malcolm, Earl of Huntingdon and Lord of Locksley Hall! Only the servants would have known his father’s name!

“If you will not take me to Robin Hood, then take me to see Robin, past Earl of Huntingdon and Lord of Locksley Hall, the son of Sir Malcolm Locksley.” I say firmly, hoping, praying that this will get me as close to the Hood as I can.

The young man stiffens, his eyes narrowed. “How do you know him? I don’t remember escorting you into camp.”

“My mother was his nursemaid when she was younger. Please, I need to see him.” His deep eyes flicker across my face.

“Either you knew the man who once was, or you have killed someone close to him. Either is not a good outcome.” The young man steps back, tucking the knife into his belt. “Come. I am Scar.” He gestures further into the forest.

I laugh. “Scar? That’s a very peculiar name.” I smile up at him, but he grumbles something under his breath. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“It’s short for Scarlet.” he mumbles again, but just loud enough for me to hear.

I smile, realizing who this is. This is Will Scathlocke, Scarlet for short, Scar for shortest. This is Robin Hood’s third in command, subject only to Little John and the Hood himself.

“Well then, Scar. Lead on.” I smiled, realizing I probably should stay on his good side if I plan to get out of here alive.

He raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Don’t think that this will get you off the hook. One wrong move, and the knife will come out again,” he threatened, then gestured towards the gloomy woods.

“Try and keep up, Katherine!”

Then he ran off into the darkness some call Sherwood Forest.

Seriously? He expects me to run in this skirt? What is wrong with him? I grumbled, before taking off as fast as I could behind him. I didn’t really have a choice. If I wanted to be safe, I needed to follow him.

With a sassy toss of my hair, I take off, enjoying the opportunity to stretch my legs. I’ve always had longer legs, and I used to be on the track team. But with the skirt and the brush underneath my feet, I’m having a hard time keeping up. I soon begin to get the hang of it, eyes adjusting to the quickly setting sun.

“Huh. You caught up with me quicker than I thought.” Scar smirked as he leaned easily against a tree. “You’re fast.” He paused, a grin tugging at his face.

“For a girl, I know.” I grumbled, brushing some loose leaves from my hair. “You’re pretty predictable.” I jabbed, rolling my eyes.

Scar pushed himself off the tree. “I get the feeling you’re not from around here. Most ladies would never run, let alone step a single boot-clad foot in this forest.”

I shrugged. “I much prefer tree climbing or book reading to sewing and knitting.” He looked at me surprised, but didn’t say anything. Instead he turned and started walking again, but a little bit slower.

“You know, I think you and Lady Marian would get along quite well.” The boy stated as we climbed up a gradual slope in the forest. I snorted. As if a bookie, shy, quiet person like myself could get along with a prim proper lady. “What, you don’t believe me?” Scar asked, leisurely picking up a stone and throwing it against a nearby tree.

“Uh, well, I really don’t know. She’s a lady, isn’t she?” I stuttered, confused. I didn’t want to be seen as offensive, but then again, I didn’t really enjoy talking to strangers. I was going to continue talking, but Scar had stopped, and had a finger pressed to his lips. He gestured for me to back up against the nearby tree, and then to sit down. I did as he asked, unsure of what he had heard.

With practiced confidence, he unsheathed his daggers soundlessly, and he bent his knees just slightly enough to be in a defensive position. I could see he was strong and prepared, but when I saw the lincoln green moving behind a tree, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.

“Scar?” A hooded figure walked towards the young man, an arrow pointed in his direction. Scar smirked and flipped his daggers back into their sheaths.

“You’re back.” He stated, raising an eyebrow.

“You were right, it was a trap.” The cloaked figure stated, and then started laughing. Scar joined in seconds later.

“Ana, this is Katherine.” he gestured to me and I stood up as the figure removed her hood, revealing bright red hair that barely touched her shoulders.

“Hello.” I smiled at her, waving awkwardly.

“Hey.” She smiled and then turned to Scar. “What did you do to her?”

He spluttered. “What!? I did nothing! What are you talking about!?”

“You always refuse to bring people into camp. Why her? You must have hit her or something,” she stated proudly.

He spluttered again, but I interrupted him. “I have a very important message for the Hood.”

“That’s what most people say. What makes yours so special?” She asked, glancing between Scar and I.

“ It’s...just important?” It came out as more of a question than a statement. “Look, it’s just very vital. It comes from what used to be Locksley Hall.”

Ana’s eyes lit up. “Locksley Hall? How do you know about Locksley Hall?”

“My mum used to be a nurse there.” I explain, and Ana nods.

“Sounds fine. Come on, it’s getting dark and we’ve got some pig roasting.” Ana gestured in the direction we had been walking.

Scar moved ahead, leading the way through the almost dark forest.

“Welcome to Sherwood Forest, Katherine.” Ana whispered as I followed her into a clearing. Welcome indeed.

The camp itself was not as sprawling as I had once imagined. There were a few small huts, half on the ground, the other half perched like birds in a tree. It wasn’t very cozy looking, but I knew it was the only place some of the Merry Men could call home.

There was a larger, tent like structure in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by small fire pits, some of which happened to be in use. The smell of roasting meat reminded me of the food I hadn’t eaten in the past couple of weeks, since takeout had been the only option in the small town.

As we moved closer to the tent, I noticed that five or so other people were gathered around a table. Most were dressed in different shades of green, but there was one in brown, and another in a dusty rose colour.

“Scar, I thought you were out catching squirrels, not ladies.” The person who spoke was very muscular, but not lean like Scar. He could easily have been a football jock. A silver claymore

“Everyone, this is Katherine.” Ana stated, dropping her bow and sliding into an empty seat. “Kate, that jokester is my brother, Little John.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“I’m Alan-a Dale.” A scrawny looking boy nodded in my direction.

“Friar Tuck, at your service.” The man next to him said. He was much younger than I had thought, and also much thinner than most movies portrayed him to be. He still wore the robes of a monk, but his hair was longer and he had a cudgel on the table in front of him.

“Lady Marian.” The young women in the rose coloured dress smiled at me. Scar glanced at me with a smirk. I glared at him, then directed my attention to the last person at the table.

He was broad shouldered, and he wore a thick tunic of sherwood green. The leather bracers on his forearms matched the leather of the quiver slung on his back. His hair, thick and brown, was wavy, barely touching his shoulders. He stood, and spoke to….me.

“Katherine DeWinfrey.”

“Robin Hood.” I replied with a smile, before pulling out the letter I had come so far to give him. I had traveled from the future after all. I slid it across the table to the Hood. He quickly split the red seal, and the table was drowned in silence. I watched as his eyes skimmed the page.

“King Richard’s arriving at Port Grimsby in three days. The Prince plans on ambushing them. That gives us a day to prepare, and 2 days to ride.” He paused, then looked at me. “Katherine, can you fight?”

I paused, thinking. I knew a lot of self defense, and the right way to fight, I just hadn’t done any. Fighting, that is. “Yes.” I hesitated. “But it’s been a while, I’ll be rusty.”

“Good.” Robin said, gesturing for me to sit down. “Here’s the plan.”

______________________________________________________________________________

We spent the rest of the day planning our attack. I was given a bow and arrows, and then Scar taught me how to shoot properly. We also spared, thank goodness, otherwise I would have gotten killed. I was not as good as I had hoped. Eventually, our separate tasks were finished, and all of us gathered once again under the tent.

Friar Tuck passed around huge hunks of venison, and it was delicious. I sat between Ana and Scar, and we talked for hours. Ana and John had both joined Robin’s gang when the sheriff killed their pa, where as Will had joined because his father had been one of the Prince’s guards. Alan-a-Dale had wandered in on the camp, and had enjoyed Tuck’s cooking so much, he decided to stay. Marian and Robin had been in love with each other since childhood, exactly like the old ballads had described. I was beginning to believe I had dropped into the ballad instead of going back in time.

I enjoyed my time with my new found friends. We talked and laughed deep into the night, but yet none of us felt tired.

______________________________________________________________________________

I fell asleep on the ground, much like everyone else. When I woke with the sun, I found myself covered in a thick blanket. Lazily, I sat up, glancing around me. Everyone else was asleep except for Marian and Robin. I seemed to remember them leaving last night. I glanced out at the opening.

Scar stood near the edge of the clearing, alone. The sun was beginning to shine, and eager for it’s warmth, I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders then gently padded over to stand next to him. He acknowledge me with a head nod, then continued to stare out at the forest. I followed his gaze, and realized what he had been watching.

A doe and her fawn walking gently through the forest.

We stood like that for a while, just watching the sunrise, listening to the birds, enjoying the silence. My mind wandered, thinking about how I would never see these people when I went back home. I had to convince myself that they weren't real, they were just characters of a book, figments of my imagination. But despite the truth, I didn’t want to believe it. True, I wanted to go home and wear normal clothes, but I didn’t want to leave. It was peaceful here. Truthfully, these people were more of a family than mine would ever be.

But still. I missed showers. Alot. And sweat pants. And books. And coffee and….well, everything.

I notice Scar glancing at me, and I turn to look at him. He could easily be one of the kids living in my small town. I could totally picture him as the cool kid at a small high school, vans and everything. Merian would be that really nice, young teacher, and Ana, the punk in the leather jacket, and her brother would be the football jock. Tuck would definitely be the gamer, and Allan….maybe the band kid or the choir boy? But then what would Robin be?

“-Katherine? Katherine, are you even listening?” Scar called, pulling me out of my daze.

“Um, yes, no-sorry?” I replied, brushing my hair away from my face. Scar raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“ I was asking if you were ready for today. And then I asked if you wanted help with getting ready. Is everything okay?”

“Ah, yes. I am sorry, I was merely enjoying the silence.” I turned to look towards the tent, relieved to find Ana walking towards me.

“Kathrine, would you mind helping me with my things? Typically Merian would do it, but she and Tuck are getting the food ready.” She smiled and then quickly pulled me into a hug. “Silly me, forgetting to say good morning.” Ana then turned to Scar and did the same thing. I almost laughed at his awkward looking face. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards one of the huts. I waved quickly at Will before hurrying after Ana. Man, that girl was strong.

The inside of the hut was small. A small cot lay in the corner, a rustic looking stool in the other. There was just enough space for a cracked washbasin on the stool, and against the far wall there was a large chest.

“Now, let’s see if we can find some more….suitable clothes for you.” Ana said as she opened the large trunk. She pulled out two forest green cloaks, and handed me the smaller of the two. “We always wear these cloaks, see. They’re the mark of the Merry Men, and they help for hiding in the forest.” She explained as she pulled out more items. “Now, we can’t have you running around in a dress. That would alert the sheriff that we have some ladies on our side.” She winked at me. “So I hope you’re all right with pants and boots.”

I nodded. “ I much prefer them to dresses. Easier to move around in, and less cumbersome when riding.”

“Good.” Ana pointed to one of the haphazard pile of clothes on the floor, then grabbed the other one. “Go outside and grab your weapons when you’re done. If anything doesn’t fit, let me know. I can see if Merian has anything.”

I nodded, then waited till she left. The clothes were more comfortable than I had thought they would be. The leather boots that reached up to my knees were soft and supple.There was a pair of tan pants, and a loose fitting white shirt with billowy sleeves. Overtop, I pulled a lincoln green leather surcoat, and finished off the rather comfortable attire with the thick wool cloak. All done.

I pushed open the door to the now bustling camp. Merian and Tuck were securing some small bags to the horses, Ana and John was helping Robin with weapons, while Scar and Allan carried a heavy looking chest towards me.

“Kathrine, could you come here for a moment?” Scar gestured to me as Allan opened the box. I nodded and walked over. The box contained various cloth wrapped bundles.

“What are they?” I asked, studying them with interest. Allan pulled a smaller bundle from the chest.

“They’re leather...things.” He hesitated. “Belts, pauldrons, wrist guards, a few hauberks, and lot’s of bracers.”

I nodded my head. I remember doing a project on medieval armour in school last year. The rest of the Merry Men began to gather around the box as Scar and Allan passed out the various items. I watched as everyone paired up, Merian with Robin, Ana with Little John, Alan with Tuck. Scar glanced at me, handing me the last few items in the box.

“Could you..?” He asked, gesturing to the dark brown scale armor pauldron.

“Of course.” I moved behind him to tie up the leather straps. No wonder knights needed pages to help them.

“Thank you.” He nodded, then unwrapped a leather belt and a pair of brown, etched leather bracers. Before I could blink, he had wrapped the long belt around my waist twice, then secured it with the buckle. He gestured to my arms and I held them out. The bracers were tight, and I supposed it was a good thing. I wasn’t the most experienced bowman, and even yesterday I’d nicked myself plenty of times. Scar stepped back to admire his handiwork. He stared, then a smile lit up his face.

“You look just like one of us. Welcome to the family.”

After grabbing my weapons, which consisted of two twin daggers, a quiver of arrows and a slim recurve bow, we set of towards the north. It would take us two days to reach the port on foot. Once we arrived, we would have little time before the ship carrying King Richard would arrive. There would likely be at least half of the ‘Royal’ guards attempting to stop us. Our one and only goal was to get King Richard safely back to the hideout in Sherwood. From there, no one knew what would happen next.

The overall mood seemed to match the weather, gloomy, wet and rainy. No one talked much, we just walked in silence. Instead of this feeling like a rescue mission, it felt more like a funeral march.

Ana tried to start a conversation with Scar and I. We talked for about an hour, quietly behind everyone else, but after a while it just sorta flopped. No one felt like talking. I hated the sense of gloom and doom my new friends carried on their shoulders.

Finally, as the sun began to set, everyone set their blankets down in a grove of to the side of the path.

But as they slept, my mind began to wander and I began to panic.

The lights were faded, and everything was grey. I stood, alone in a field, a knife in my hand. But as I looked around, I saw red. Everywhere. The knife glinted scarlet, and the wildflowers in the field were a shocking blood red. A fierce wind suddenly blew across the field, pushing back the waist long grass to reveal the source of the red. Bodies, all around. Dead. Bleeding. Red.

The cold knife began to glow a bright hot red, and the scarlet began to creep up my arm. I dropped the knife, but my hands had become bloodstained. I ran. Ran aw far away as I could. Somehow, I stumbled into a stream. Hands placed in the frigid water, I scrubbed at the blood stains. The water turned red, but my hands did not change.

I had killed them. I had spilled innocent blood. Their blood was now on my hands.

Blood, Red, everywhere, helpless, innocent, murderer, my fault NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

“Katherine. Hey, it’s okay.”

My eyes fly open. Scar’s bracing my shoulders and I’m sitting up. My breathing is quick and heavy.

“Kathrine. Are you okay?” He looks at me with those soul piercing eyes.I nod slowly but I can’t shake the image of him dead.

“Katherine, it’s okay, it was just a nightmare.” He pauses, then shakes his head. “I keep forgetting you’ve never been on a raid before.” He shifts beside me, pulling us together so we can lean against the tree. “Everyone has to work things out in their own head first. We’ve been through alot together, and every raid, we’ve lost someone. The last raid…” he trails off, staring at the stars through the tree branches. “We took some hard hits. Lost eight men.”

“I’m sorry.” I whispered, looking over at him. Scar nodded and smiled.

Then he leaned his head on my shoulder, and closed his eyes.

“Go to sleep Katherine. I’ll be here in the morning.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 9

Scar held true to his promise. When I woke up, he was sitting next to me, a hunk of bread in hand. He passed me half, and again, we ate in silence. Everyone quickly packed up the few bags we had, and then again we headed off down the road.

The day was once again spent in silence, but this was a nicer silence. It was the contemplative yet companionable silence one finds before a stressful event, at times when everyone has come to terms with the fact that they are powerless to control the situation. This was the silence of soldiers. This was a good silence.

We arrived at the port around the late afternoon, around 4 of the clock by Tuck’s reckoning. We could see the royal guards posted all over the small shipyard, swords at the ready. If one looked past then into the bay just right, you could see a small looking vessel coming closer and closer. Allan, with the assistance of a telescope, said that a lion rampant flew at half mast, indicating the king or someone of royal descent was on board.

Robin gestured towards us. We prepped our bows and spread out, prepared to take out as many men as possible before charging. I put an arrow to the string and aimed at one of the guards. I could only see Ana from my position, but when I heard the raven caw noise, I fired.

All of the aims were straight and true. The guards, disoriented and shocked, stared at their fallen companions. They had no idea where the black-fletched arrows had come from. With the element of surprise still in our grasp, we fired several more rounds, each a perfect shot.

A horn sound came from my right, indicating we were about to charge. We burst from the forest, running haphazardly as we shot. But what we didn’t realize was that there were archers on the battlements of the small nearby keep.

In horror, I watched as Alan and Tuck fell prey to the deadly aim of the archers. They both fell, but we kept running.

Then we reached the few men left on the ground, and we ditched our bows. I grabbed my knives and started slashing at a smaller looking man.

I turned and ducked, just in time to watch And receive a sword to the gut.

Scar was just in time to save me from the same fate, knocking a blow to the man’s head. I nodded quickly in thanks.

But we were fighting a losing battle.

I watched as John fell protecting Merian. And then she got an arrow in her chest, falling dully to the hard ground.

I watched as Robin Hood, Scar and I fought for our lives.

Scar- dead.

And then I realized it was hopeless.

Robin-dead.

I slashed blindly, my nightmare from last night becoming reality.

Me-dead

______________________________________________________________________________

But no, I’m not dead.

Of course not, you’re back in real life.

I’m standing upright, I can feel the cool tile beneath my feet, taste the must in the air, hear the movement of the rickety fan, smell the old books.

I’m back in the library.

I’m home.

But I can't open my eyes. If I do, I feel I will lose the memories of my new friends. I don’t want to forget them, even though I know I’ll never see them again. I spent three whole days with them, yet I’m closer than I ever imagined I could be.

And yet… they weren’t even real.

A lone tear slips down my check. NO! I’m all alone again in a stupid town and I don’t have friends like I though I did and I’m all alone and I don’t think I can ever go back and I watched them die and I can't can't can’t

Breathe.

I just can’t.

“Open your eyes.”

I do, slowly turning around.

Tuck, Allan, Ana, John, Marian, Robin.

Scar.

My Merry Men. Alive and well. Real, but...different. The clothes they wear are modern, and so are the haircuts. Merian’s hair is spiky blonde, and Tuck's got a pair of headphones around his neck. Scar is leaner, and so is John. Ana’s got a tattoo on one arm.

“You….you’re real?” I gasp, mind not grasping. “You’re actually real!” I squeal.

“Yes, Katherine, we are.” Robin smiles and puts a tender arm round Merian.

“Wait, are you actually called Robin Hood?” I ask, confused. That would be awesome, but yet not awesome.

He laughs. “No, no. I’m Arlo, and this is Mers.” he gestures to Merian.

“You’re the bookstore owner!”

He nods and smiles.

“I’m Alana and he’s John…..still.” Ana gestures between her and her brother.

“Kellan.” Alan waves.

“Caleb” Tuck nods.

“Scar?” I turn to look at the actually kinda cute looking guy. “Please tell me that’s not your real name.”

He smirks and shakes his head. “Name’s Will.”

“Will. Will Scarlet.” I smirk. “Very nice.”

“And your actual name is Katherine?”

“No, it’s Kate, actually.”

Arlo turns and smiles at me.

“Well, Kate, welcome to the Interdimensional Bookstore.” He grinned, glancing back at the group for a second before turning back to me. “Or should I say…” He paused mischievously.

“Welcome Home.”