Chapter 15: Leap of faith

"I still think we're making a mistake," Much insisted staunchly as the outlaws travelled through the forest on their way to Nettlestone.

Robin heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Much, we've been through this. Will and Cassie have been watching the village all day and we've all scouted the area a dozen times. There is no trap, no mercenaries, no danger."

"Much, cheer up!" Cassie insisted. "We are going to a party, not to our deaths." Her eyes, which had been bright all day at the prospect of the Midsummer's Eve's celebration, implored him to stop being such a paranoid misery. She knew his worrying was justified - after all, his birthday party for Robin in Nettlestone had almost ended in disaster – but she wished he could be excited about the party.

If nothing else, Much should have at least been grateful that the party was providing a welcome distraction for Robin. He had been in a horrible mood ever since they went to Hayworth, drifting in and out of sulks and snapping at everyone, especially Much, at the slightest provocation. The rest of the time he was silent, a constant scowl on his face.

Robin blamed himself for Esther dying, and felt he had failed the King. The future of England had been under his care, and he had failed to protect it. William was safe, but no longer the heir to the throne. Cassie knew that he had been torturing himself constantly, filled with shame at letting the King's love die along with the hopes for the future of a free England.

She knew, too, that he was tormented by the fact he had let Gisborne ride away. Twice he had come close to venting his fury and pain upon the man who had killed his beloved Marian, and twice he had managed to restrain himself. Whatever his reasons for controlling his rage, she knew that he was constantly berating himself for not wreaking his vengeance.

The prospect of a party, though, had seemed to cheer Robin – he'd only shouted at Much twice that day.

As they got closer to the village, Much still checking the surrounding area with wary eyes and jumping at every slight noise, the excitement in the air became palpable. They had little with which to celebrate, but the villagers had done their best to create a festive atmosphere with their limited resources.

Pennants and flags fluttered from constructed flag poles and the eaves of houses, whilst garlands of fresh flowers twisted around fence posts and nestled in the hair of women and children. Tables had been dragged outside and festooned with ribbons and more flowers, and bore jugs of ale and bottles of mulled wine. The feast was minimal in comparison with those in previous, more prosperous years, but they had killed a pig and it was roasting on a spit over a blazing fire.

The village was bustling with activity, the party already in full swing. A space in the centre had been cleared, and a merry tune was flowing from the instruments of a band of minstrels playing with vigour.

"They sound a lot better than you lot did," Allan commented with a smirk.

"They're dressed better too," Will added dryly.

"I just hope their instruments are real instruments!" Much grumbled, still peeved that his warnings had gone unheeded.

"Well, don't go near them, just in case. You nearly killed me last time," John growled.

As they entered the village they saw William playing happily with some of the other children, and Tristan helping with the roasting of the pig. The villagers they passed smiled happily at them.

"It's nice to see them enjoying themselves," Cassie commented.

Allan was thinking the same thing. For once the villagers weren't harried, working hard with their faces tired and drawn. There was an abundance of laughter and happiness, children and adults alike playing and dancing and laughing together. He was also quite pleasantly surprised to see that the villagers welcomed them, even though they were not bearing money or food. He had always felt somewhat as if the villagers used them, only wanting them for the provision of coin. But he was beginning to see that they were actually liked by the villagers, and were welcomed as friends. Of course, they provided a service; but they were liked as individuals too. The children loved Will and Cassie because they played with them, Much because he was easy to make fun of, Robin because he was handsome, mysterious and brave, and John because they could spend hours giggling and trying to make him laugh. The adults could talk to Will about carpentry, Much about recipes and cooking techniques, and Robin about weapons and fighting skills.

Before long the outlaws were dispersed, enjoying the evening's festivities. Much was seated at a table, gorging himself on his third plate of pork. Will had been accosted by a group of small girls and was playing a skipping game with a length of rope, whilst Allan entertained the boys using sticks as swords. John was sitting whistling along with the minstrel's tune, looking quite happy for John, and Robin was talking to a farmer about the recent crop harvest. Cassie sat at a table, watching some of the village women dancing with sticks to which ribbons were attached, spinning them into intricate patterns.

"Penny for them?" Allan asked, settling down onto the bench besides her having disengaged himself from the play fight.

"Ten, if you've got them," she teased.

"You'd be lucky to get a ha'penny," Allan joked back. Cassie started to laugh, looking at him for the first time. His linen shirt was stained with grass, and blades of it dusted his hair.

"You lost the sword fight then?" she asked, reaching over to pluck a few pieces from his hair.

"It was ten against one!" he protested. "And they don't play fair, kept kicking me in the shins." He pouted in complaint.

"They must have learnt that from you," she replied dryly. "You fight dirty."

"Oh I do, do I?" He cocked an eyebrow at her mischievously and Cassie immediately began to back away, knowing that the expression meant trouble. He lunged for her and she shrieked, falling backwards off the bench. A pair of boots came into her vision and she squinted up to find Robin peering down at her.

"Come on, children," he said mockingly. "It's time for the ceremony."

Allan heaved Cassie to her feet and they followed Robin towards the fire, where the Midsummer's blessings would take place.

XX

As dusk finally began to settle over the village, Cassie was startled by a blur running towards her, followed by someone grabbing her hands and spinning her round. She couldn't help but smile as she realised she was looking into Lottie's laughing face. The girl was beaming, her hair flowing down her back and adorned with daisies.

"What are you doing here?!" Cassie asked, both surprised and happy.

Lottie grinned, but a slight blush tinted her cheeks. "Tristan asked me," she said happily.

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "I think we've got a lot to talk about!" she said with a laugh, taking Lottie's hand and dragging her to the shade of a tree where they settled on the ground amongst its roots. "Are you two…?"

Lottie nodded, her blush intensifying. "After you introduced us he came by to visit a few times. We went on walks, and he even brought food for me mam!" Her eyes were shining. "And then yesterday, we walked out towards the forest, and the sun was so warm. And then he…" She leant closer to Cassie. "He kissed me!" she whispered gleefully.

Cassie gave her a hug. "I'm so pleased," she said honestly. "He's a good man; he will take good care of you. And if he doesn't, you let me know!"

Lottie giggled delightedly. "I know, I told him, if he's not right to me then I know Robin Hood's gang! And you lot will sort him out!"

"Did he tell you about…" Cassie trailed off, not sure how to phrase it. "His past?" she said eventually.

"Oh, yes," Lottie replied, waving a hand in the air as if to signify that it was not important. "You mean his family and the fires an' all that? He told me, but he's changed now, so it doesn't matter. It's all in the past."

Cassie stared at her. "I'm impressed," she said at last. "How can you just forget it ever happened?"

"Well, it didn't happen to me, did it?" she replied with a matter of fact shrug. "He didn't try to set me on fire!" She let out a peal of laughter.

Cassie fell silent, considering her words. She was amazed that Lottie could so easily let go of someone's past – but then, she had a point. It was the past. Over. Finished. Maybe she needed to learn to let go in the same way.

As if reading her mind, Lottie laid a sympathetic hand on her arm. "It's to do with that outlaw, ain't it?" she asked, indicating Allan who was laughing with Will over a tankard of ale.

Cassie opened her mouth to deny it, and then realised there was no point. "Maybe," she admitted. Lottie watched her expectantly, patiently waiting for her to continue. Cassie sighed. "He betrayed the gang, once," she said. "You might know that already; he worked for Gisborne for a while. He's back now, and he says he's changed, but I'm terrified that he will betray me if I get too close."

"Why?" Lottie asked simply.

Cassie shrugged. "If he did it before, I'm just worried he'll do it again. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Do you want the truth?" Lottie asked, and Cassie nodded. "I think you're being ridiculous," Lottie said bluntly. "He didn't betray you, did he? You weren't in the gang then. And I've seen the way he looks at you; I reckon he loves you."

"He says he does," Cassie admitted. "And no, he didn't betray me, but one of my friends did."

"Then your problem isn't with Allan, is it?" Lottie replied. "Look, Cass, what's done is done. There is no guarantee that it won't happen again, but if you love someone you have to trust them. Love is a leap of faith; give him a chance. If he betrays you then he's an idiot, and you will get over it. But if he doesn't, you might be happy forever." With that Lottie stood and skipped over to Tristan, her childish gait making Cassie wonder if she had even spoken those wise words.

As she sat there, leaning against a tree, all Cassie could hear were Lottie's words repeating in her head. Then your problem isn't with Allan, is it? The more she thought about it, the more she realised she was right. Allan had never done anything to hurt her; he had made her laugh, entertained her, looked out for her, fought for her. And all she had done in return was suspect him and mistrust him, judging him by standards that his behaviour towards her had not warranted. Love is a leap of faith.

Standing, Cassie began to walk over to Allan, her mind buzzing. He grinned as he noticed her approaching and offered her his tankard. She took a deep swig, trying to smile at him, but her heart was hammering against her ribs and for once she had no idea of what to say.

The minstrels had picked up their instruments again, and soon a fast-paced melody was flowing from them. Several of the villagers began a group dance, spinning and skipping and trading partners as they moved in patterns, swirling freely around the makeshift dance floor. Allan offered Cassie a hand and she took it wordlessly, letting him lead her into the middle of the dance.

The dancers made room for them and they soon found the beat, beginning to laugh as they span and stepped in time. Cassie danced with an elderly villager, who flung her to the left where Much was waiting. She danced briefly with Much, then Tristan, and then found herself back in Allan's arms.

He manoeuvred them to the edge of the dancing circle, where he grabbed her hands and began to spin her round. They were both turning rapidly, increasing the tempo as the pace of the music increased. Allan's laughing face danced before her, his eyes a flash of blue as they twirled faster and faster until eventually Cassie lost her footing and stumbled backwards. Allan tried to catch her but their momentum made him lose his balance and he toppled to the ground, landing heavily on top of her.

He opened his mouth to apologise but realised Cassie was laughing uncontrollably. It was infectious and soon Allan was laughing too, leaning over her as he breathed heavily through his laughter. With a jolt he realised that Cassie's giggles had subsided and she was gazing up at him with eyes that were suddenly serious.

Give him a chance.

Cassie reached up and rested her fingertips lightly against his cheek. Allan's breath caught in his throat and he stared down at her, his eyes intense as he lowered his head a fraction, as both an invitation and a test. Cassie took the invitation and in an instant her lips were against his, Allan's initial shock giving way to pleasure as he carefully shifted his weight so he could deepen the kiss whilst avoiding squashing her. Cassie could feel his beard scratching against her chin and smiled into the kiss, the sensation proving that it was really happening.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me for long," he mumbled into her skin as he nuzzled his nose against her cheek, and she delivered a playful slap to his arm.

You might be happy forever.

THE END

Author's Note: Well. We're at the end! Which has actually surprised me because writing this story seems to have gone by in a flash. I've enjoyed writing it a lot, so I hope you have enjoyed reading it :)

As I have said before there is going to be a sequel, the third and final part of the trilogy. All I will say is that Djaq is going to be back (hurraaay!) and its not going to be all plain sailing for Allan and Cass!! Happy forever?? Hmmm...we'll see!!

Thank you to everyone who has taken time to review this fic, as we all know reviews make the fan fiction world go round, and put a smile on my face!!