Wish I Could Love You Out Loud

OK, I know it's beeen a while since I updated, but this should make it worth the wait. (I know this story has been read at least 37 times.) This chapter is longer than the others, has some smut (oral) and yes, FINALLY, Robin Hood shows up. If you like this story, please review. Heck, leave a review if you hated it! I'd like *some* feedback!



"You were gone a while." Henry said as Aubrey returned, still shaking from his encounter with Will the Berry Bandit. Aubrey sat by Henry and gave him the cup. "Gone all that time and only half filled the cup?"

"Henry, while I was picking the berries, a man held a sword to my throat and demanded a fee!" said Aubrey.

"Good Lord, are you hurt?"

"No. He had a friend with him who talked him out of it. They took half the berries as the 'fee'. A fee for picking berries! I've heard it all now."

"Aubrey, from now until we get out of these woods, I don't think we should leave the other's side. It's too dangerous for one to be without the other."

"If you say so, Harry. Let's have some of that dried meat." He opened one of the packs.

Henry took a bit of the meat. He chewed it a good while. "Aubrey?" he said, causing the other boy to look up as he took a few raspberries. "Do you believe in sin?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, eating a few berries.

"I mean, if someone does something against God, should he be punished for all eternity for it? God is supposed to be loving and forgiving. It doesn't seem right that someone should be tormented forever for something they did in their comparably brief life."

"We were taught that to be forgiven, we must repent." said Aubrey. "Do you regret anything, Henry? Are- are you sorry this happened?"

"Certainly not!" Henry said quickly. "I'm sorry things turned out the way they did. But, what I feel for you, Aubrey...." Henry sighed trying to find the words. "It's not simple lust. Oh, it's there, to be sure." Aubrey smiled as he blushed. Henry stroked his long red hair. "But it doesn't end there. I feel like I could tell you anything and you'd listen. I feel free when I'm with you. What I feel about you comes from here." Henry laid a fist over his heart. "I can't believe God would condemn me for such a strong, beautiful feeling."

Aubrey gently put a hand on Henry's knee. Henry put his hand on Aubrey's. "Harry, in the Bible, Jesus said his one Great Commandment is that we all love one another. And, Henry, there's no one in the world that I love more than you."

"I don't think this was the kind of love Jesus meant."

"Harry, God made us, didn't he? Gave us bodies and breathed life into us."

"That's what the Holy Father says. However, I know for a fact that people start out as babies who once grew in their mother's womb and got there because their parents had carnal knowledge of each other. The same can be said of animals."

"I don't think animals enjoy it as much as people do. I mean, have you ever heard a pair of cats go at it?"

"I've seen sheep rutting. It's...disturbing."

"But, anyway, God must have wanted us to enjoy sex. Why else would our bodies respond the way they do?"

"Aubrey, before you got me out of the cell, the Holy Father came in to give me Last Rights. He told me that it is an abomination to lie with mankind as with womankind."

"Well, I'd never do with a woman what I've done with you. Guess I found a loophole." He took up Henry's hand, kissed the palm and pressed it to his face. "Henry, my heart says this is right. It feels so right."

"I remember a time when you said it was wrong."

"I was only repeating what I had been told, Henry. Everyone else says it's wrong, but we both know the truth. I just..." Aubrey shook his head. "I just wish there was a way to tell the whole world. I wish I could love you out loud, without worrying about people wanting to kill us for it. But, you know how it is. If wishes were horses...."

"Beggars would ride." Henry said, finishing the well known saw. He pulled Aubrey close and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you now and forever, Aubrey."

Aubrey tried to embrace Henry, only to pull back when he winced. "Oh, yes, your wounds. Sorry, forgot about them for a minute."

"Wish I could."

Aubrey smiled. "I know a good way to help you out there."

"Aubrey, I don't think I could drink another cup of that awful...what are you doing?" Aubrey was unlacing Henry's breeches.

"Well," Aubrey said, caressing the recently freed penis. "I figured the best way to help you forget great pain, is to give you great pleasure." Aubrey knelt between Henry's quivering legs and stroked him to erection. He smiled up at Henry, whose breath was coming quicker. "It will be a while before I can get you on your back again. And my bum's still a bit raw. Just relax, and let me give you joy." He took Henry's penis in his mouth and sucked powerfully.

Henry groaned at the feel of the hot, wet mouth. His heart fluttered frantically as he watched the red head bobbing at his groin. He grabbed Aubrey's shoulders to keep from falling back and defeating the purpose of Aubrey's administrations. Aubrey winced and pulled Henry's hand back from the left side of his neck. Henry looked at Aubrey's neck and saw the bruise he had left last time. Henry shuddered as pleasure trembled through him when Aubrey started to hum. Henry couldn't decide what he liked more; the exquisite vibrations that centered on his groin and sent tremors through his body or the heart-squeezing joy of looking down and seeing it was his beloved Aubrey who was providing that pleasure. Henry murmured his love's name as he stroked his hair. Clever hands found their way inside and fondled Henry's sac. Aubrey's tongue eagerly lapped at the precum, urging the inevitable orgasm. Henry felt as if the whole world was shaking apart as his orgasm exploded. As he panted for air, leaning forward over Aubrey's back, he could feel an eager tongue licking his softening penis clean.

"Aubrey," he breathed, as soon as his wits returned to him. "That-that was...that was just...." He sighed with pleasure. Aubrey looked up at him, smiling. Henry smiled back. "It was perfect! You are perfect, Aubrey."

"I wouldn't go that far." Aubrey said modestly.

Henry kissed Aubrey on the forehead. "I love you, Aubrey."

"And I love you, Henry."

Henry did up his trousers. "Well, we need to get going. I need to find a yew sapling and get to work on a bow. Not only will we be needing food, I want protection in case we run into anyone unsavory." He stumbled a bit as he tried to stand. "I-I need to stay seated for a while. My knees are like jelly! By Jesu, Aubrey, that mouth of yours works miracles!"

"Our love is a miracle." Aubrey laid his head on Henry's lap and shivered pleasantly as Henry's fingers combed through his hair.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Aubrey and Henry searched the woods for a yew that would provide good bow wood. "This will do." said Henry, testing the springiness of a sapling. "Give me the knife, Aubrey."

Aubrey took a knife from one of the packs. Before he could hand it to Henry, he heard the sound of a twig snapping and froze. "Henry, did you hear...." before he could finish, four men leaped from their hiding places in the brush. Two were the tall man and the small man that Aubrey had met with. One was very tall and strong looking and armed with a quarterstaff. One was moderate sized with gold-blond hair and had an arrow aimed straight at them as did the two Aubrey met earlier. Aubrey stood in front of Henry and raised the knife. "I told you, we have no money and we've done nothing to bother you!" Aubrey yelled. "Leave us alone!"

"Well, you're a sight braver than last time we met." said the man in the red jacket.

"Are these the men that attacked you, Aubrey?" asked Henry, standing between the arrows and his beloved.

"Attacked?" The one in red seemed offended. "All we did was collect a fee."

"Those were very good raspberries, by the way." said the small one.

The large man came closer to Aubrey, "Stay back!" Aubrey brandished the knife. "I'm warning you!"

"I think you'd better give that knife to me, lad." he said.

"Do as he says, Aubrey." said Henry. Aubrey handed the knife over to the giant, who regarded the blade with some amusement.

"This isn't even sharpened!" he said with a laugh. "I could use it as a toothpick at best."

"Hand it here, Little John!" said the small man. "I still have raspberry seeds stuck in my teeth." The men laughed.

"You didn't sharpen the knife?" Henry said incredulously.

"I was in a hurry!" Aubrey replied.

"Put those bags down, lad." instructed the gold haired one. "Little John, search the bags. As for you two, turn out your pockets." Aubrey's pockets were empty, having put everything he thought of use in the bags. Henry took out his shepherd's sling and the rosary the Holy Father gave him. "Bring those here, lad." The gold haired one inspected the sling. "What's your name lad?" he asked.

"Henry, sir."

"What is it you do, Henry?"

"I'm a shepherd, sir."

"Rather far from your flock, I'd say. Can you tell me what this is?" he held up the sling.

"It's a sling, sir."

"Oh, like the one David used against Goliath?"

"Much like it, yes."

"I see you have no stone to put in your sling. And, apparently, David and Goliath isn't the only part of the Bible you're familiar with." He held up the rosary. "What did you find in the bags, Little John?"

"A couple of arrows, but no bow to shoot them with." said the giant. "A little bit of food. Some steel and flint, some cooking tools and a length of string. Why they're carrying bits of bark and grass, I don't know. I do know this jar of mush stinks to high Heaven."

"It's medicine." said Aubrey. "That jar is oil of comfrey."

"Any money or jewels?" asked the gold haired one.

"Not so much as a ha'penny."

"So, let me get this straight," the gold haired one sighed. "You boys come into Sherwood Forrest, a place known as a hideout for bandits, armed with two arrows, no bow, a sling with no stone and a knife that serves best as a toothpick." He tossed the rosary back to Henry. "Here, you need this. The Lord looks after fools and children and you appear to be both."

"We are sixteen years old, sir, hardly children." said Henry.

"We were looking to make a bow." said Aubrey.

The one in red approached Aubrey. "What was that name again?" he asked. "I believe your friend called you 'Audrey' or something like that."

"It-it's Aubrey." he said, trying not to quail. "Audrey is a girl's name."

"Well, you can see where I'd be mistaken." Will chuckled, toying with Aubrey's long hair.

"Don't touch him!" snapped Henry.

Will let go of Aubrey's hair, but otherwise ignored Henry. "What do you do, Aubrey?"

"I-I dye, sir."

"You may well die if you don't answer my questions!"

"I said don't touch him!" Henry had to be held back by the one called Little John.

"Not-not that kind of die!" said Aubrey. "The kind you do with cloth."

"Oh, *that* sort of dye!" Will nodded. "That makes more sense."

"I weave too." Aubrey hoped small talk would convince the men not to hurt him or Henry.

"So does Will." said the small one. "When he's had too much to drink!" The strange men laughed. Henry and Aubrey chuckled nervously.

The gold haired one raised a hand, calling for silence. "Henry," he said genially. "You seem like a strong, healthy lad. Why do you make Aubrey carry all the load?"

"It was my idea." Aubrey said quickly. "He hurt his back."

"How so?"

"He...fell." Aubrey realized the "mad buck" story was a bit silly.

"I see." said the leader. He turned to Henry. "You fell?"

"Yes sir. Off my horse yesterday."

"Ah, your horse." the gold head nodded. "Are you sure you're not some nobleman's son in disguise with his man servant?"

"Aubrey is not my servant. He is my...my brother."

"Your brother? Didn't you say you were both sixteen?"

"We're twins." Aubrey supplied.

"You don't look much like each other."

"Not all twins look alike." said Aubrey.

"And you're sure you're not a girl in disguise?" Will said to Aubrey.

"*Quite* sure." Aubrey said with a frown.

"Don't let us be rude, Will." said the leader. "And do excuse my rudeness, lads, for not making introductions. Aubrey, I believe you've already met my nephew, Will Scarlet and our friend Midge Miller. This walking tree here is my right hand man, Little John and I am Robin Hood."

"*You're* Robin Hood?" said Aubrey.

"The one and only." Robin doffed his cap and bowed. "Well, fellows, it seems we have a pair of dinner guests. Let's take them back with us."

"I'll take your bags." Little John offered. He packed them back up and carried them as though they were only a pair of pillows.

"This way, lads." Midge directed the two new comers, who were more than a little shocked to find that they were to be dinner guests of Robin Hood.

Along the way, they came across three young men not much older than Henry and Aubrey, two of them carrying a deer's carcass lashed to a stick and one carrying a bow and quiver. All three men had light brown hair and, strangely, looked exactly alike. "Hello there, lads." said Robin.

"Hello, Robin." the three said as one.

"Nice deer." Robin complemented. "I'm sure our dinner guests will like it. Henry, Aubrey, I'd like you to meet the Book Brothers, our latest addition to the Merry Men."

"Why do they call you the Book Brothers?" asked Henry.

"I'm Matthew." said the one with the bow.

"I'm Mark." said the one by the deer's head.

"I'm Luke." said the one by the deer's tail.

"Aubrey and Henry here are twins." said Robin. "Just not the kind who look alike. Well, let's get this deer ready for roasting." They walked on together.

"How do you tell them apart?" asked Henry.

"Well," said Robin. "Matthew wears a cap with a red feather if you notice. Mark wears a blue feather and Luke wears a black feather. Once you get to know them, you'll notice other things. Matthew for one has a mole on his neck. Matthew, show them your mole." Matthew pulled back his hair and arched his neck, revealing a small brown spot on the right side. "And Mark has a scar on the back of his right hand."

"And it was Matthew's fault." said Mark.

"It was an accident for pity's sake!" snapped Matthew.

"Don't fight in front of our guests." said Luke.

"And Luke has a chipped tooth." said Robin. "Smile, Luke!"

Luke smiled, revealing a chip in his left incisor. "Fell out of a tree when I was eight years old." he said.

"Henry had a fall too." said Robin. "Fell off a horse and hurt his back."

"Be glad that's all he hurt." said Matthew. "Our father fell off a horse and broke his neck."

"Looks like our lad Aubrey had a fall at some point too." said Little John, eyeing a bruise on Aubrey's neck. "How'd you get that, lad?"

"Uh-I don't remember." Aubrey arranged his hair to cover the bruise.

Little John chuckled. "Come now, lad. I know a love bite when I see one." Aubrey flushed hotly. Henry looked uncomfortable. "Nothing to be ashamed of. My Rolly gave me one last night. Look." He pulled down his collar to reveal a red-purple bruise on tan skin. He gave Aubrey an elbowing. "Bet your gal is one special lady, isn't she?" Aubrey smiled weakly, but made no response.

"I'll soon have one more thing to distinguish me from my brothers." said Luke as he and Mark toted the deer along. "I'm growing a beard!"

"Are you, now?" asked Robin, as Luke's brothers snickered.

"I have four hairs on my chin and more growing in." Luke said proudly.

Robin stopped to inspect the barely visible hairs. "Tell me when you have some on your chest to match, lad." he said, making the other two brothers laugh harder. Robin gave a frowning Luke a pat on the shoulder. "If you still have trouble telling them apart, just ask Agnes. She always knows which is which."

"She should." said Matthew. "She's our mother."

"Hey, Matthew." said Mark. "Help us with this deer?"

"I made the killing shot." said Matthew. "You two can carry it."

"They squabble, but they love each other." Little John whispered to Aubrey. "I'm sure you know all about that." Aubrey just nodded.

Aubrey and Henry were led to Robin Hood's camp. Men were going about various activities. Some were fletching arrows, some were sharpening blades. Some were feeding dogs; a couple were feeding a pair of hunting falcons. Little John and the Book Brothers went about the task of dressing the deer. A man in a friar's frock was turning a few spitted birds over a fire while an old lady basted it. On a second glance, they saw that women as well as men were among those at the camp. A woman with a belly swollen from pregnancy sat by a man who played a tune on his lute. A lady was teaching a boy how to use a sword. Another woman was currying some horses, but left them as soon as she saw John, running into his massive arms.

"Johnny!" she cried out as he swept her off her feet into a kiss, her black hair swirling behind her.

"Lads," said Little John, putting the lady back on her feet. "This is my Rolly. Short for Rolanda. Rolly, these boys are Henry and Aubrey. They'll be our dinner guests tonight."

"How do you do, boys." said Rolly. "Like Johnny said, my name is Rolanda but feel free to call me Rolly. I'm formally of Rutlandshire and I've chosen Bones as a surname."

"Why so?" asked Henry.

Rolly grinned and took a pair of knuckle bones marked with spots from her pocket. "Because, I'm always Rolanda Bones. Get it?"

"Oh!" Henry laughed. "I didn't know girls played at dice."

"Well, this one does." said Rolly.

"You'd be surprised what women are capable of." said Robin. "Look there." He motioned to the lady teaching the boy how to use a sword. The lady had waves of nut brown hair. The boy had light blond, jaw length hair. "My Marian apparently has the upper hand."

With a final swipe of the sword, Marian had the boy disarmed and on his back. "I'll beat you one of these days, Marian!" said the boy. Will offered the boy a hand. He shook his head and stood back up on his own.

"One day, perhaps." Marian said, sheathing her sword.

"Nice moves there, Marian." said Robin.

"Thank you, Robin." She embraced him. "I had a good teacher, after all." Their shared smiles revealed who had taught Marian.

"I didn't know girls could use swords either." said Henry.

"Well, now you do!" said the boy- who turned out not to be a boy. Now that Marian's pupil was standing still and heaving a bit from exertion, it was plain that she was a girl. A small bosomed girl, but a girl all the same.

"Henry, Aubrey." said Robin. "Meet Donna of the Hill Town. She had us convinced she was a boy for quite a while."

"Hello." said Donna. "Will, care to spar with me?"

"Certainly." Will smiled as he drew his blade. Robin led the two newcomers away.

"Will is head over heels in love with Donna." he whispered. "He thinks no one knows." Henry and Aubrey nodded, knowingly. Robin led them to the campfire where a friar and an older lady were cooking. Little John and the Book Brothers approached them with the dressed and spitted deer carcass. Each of the brothers greeted the woman with "Hello, Mum." and a kiss on the cheek.

"You may kiss me cheek too, John." the woman said with a thick brogue. Little John blushed and kissed her cheek.

"Little John's our honorary brother." said Matthew.

"His name fits, for one." said Mark.

"And he saved our lives." said Luke.

"Well, I couldn't let you lads hang for poaching." said John. "Done that myself."

"Henry, Aubrey," said Robin. "This is Friar Tuck and Mistress Agnes. Tuck, you'll like these boys. Came into Sherwood armed with nothing more than a rosary."

Friar Tuck laughed. "Trust the Lord, lads." he said. "But carry a knife anyway!"

"Mistress Agnes here is officially our laundress." said Robin. "But she does a little of everything. Sewing, cooking, tending the ill and injured. Friar Tuck, Mistress Agnes, these boys are our dinner guests. This is Aubrey." He clapped a hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "Easy to remember, Aubrey, auburn hair. And this is Henry." He clapped a hand on Henry's shoulder, making him wince. "Oh, sorry, lad. Forgot. Henry hurt his back after he fell off a horse."

"Well, ye let me have a look at it, lad." Agnes said, wiping her hands.

"That's-that's really not necessary, good mother." said Henry.

"Sit, sit." she urged, obviously not a woman used to contradiction. "Off with ye tops, lad." Henry hesitated. "Come now, I'm a forty-five year old widow with three sons. I've seen men topless before. John can stand in front of ye if ye do nae want anyone else to see." Reluctantly, Henry stripped to the waist and let Agnes undo his bandages. "Did a good job wrappin' 'em." she commented. She gave the wounds a hard look. "Ach, ye did nae do this fallin' off a horse! Ye were whipped sure as me name is Agnes."

Henry flushed. "Yes, ma'am." he muttered.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." said Robin. "We're all outlaws here. Even Mistress Agnes. Her crime is that she won't turn her sons over to the Sheriff."

"I'd spit in his eye if he'd come close enough!" said Agnes. She tended Henry's wound. "I can tell from the smell you used comfrey on it. Good. And some tincture of wormwood and elder. That will stop the bleeding and prevent infection. I have some thyme we can add to that." She ran a finger over one laceration. "This is going to need stitches. Luke, fetch yer mum her sewing kit, lad. Matthew, boil me some water. Mark, you go and collect some willow bark. Anything else you've been treatin' yer back with, lad?"

"Had some willow tea this morning." said Henry. "Starting to wear off, I guess."

"Anything else?"

Henry smiled, thinking of Aubrey's special "treatment". "Just- going easy on it."

The Book Brothers returned. Agnes threaded the needle. "This may sting a wee bit."

When Agnes said "sting a wee bit", she really meant "hurt like Hell". *No,* Henry thought. *It doesn't hurt quite as much as being whipped.* He still had to bite his lip to keep from whimpering. Aubrey wanted to hold his hand, give him some comfort, but wasn't sure how it would be perceived. "There ye go, lad." Agnes said as she knotted the thread. "It's high on yer shoulder, so it should be rather easy to keep clean and dry. I'll be able to cut them out in about a week."

'Er, actually, Mistress Agnes," said Henry. "My- my brother and I are on our way to Lincoln."

"Oh, at least let yer wounds heal a bit first." said Agnes. "They can stay, can't they, Robin?"

Robin thought about it for a moment. "If they want, they can stay until Henry's stitches can be cut out. After that, well, let's cross that bridge when we get to it."

"In the meantime," said Agnes, dabbing thyme on the wounds. "it's important that you keep your back clean. There's a lake just a wee bit north of here. If ye follow that line of willows, ye can nae miss it. I made some soap last week. I'll let ye borrow a piece."

"Soap's for ladies." Mark said disdainfully.

"Soap's for gettin' clean." Agnes countered. "I added some oil of lavender so it'll smell nice...stop making faces, Luke!"

To be sure, Luke had been standing behind her and made a face when she mentioned lavender. "How did you know I was making faces?"

"I'm yer mum. I know everything. Now, Henry, as I was sayin', ye need to wash yer back every morning. Do nae scrub. Pat it dry. Fresh dressin' twice a day for three or four days then let the air heal it. When it starts to feel itchy, it's gettin' better. Do nae scratch, but if yer brother'll be so kind as to give ye a massage, ye might nae have so many scars." Henry smiled to himself. Shouldn't be too hard to convince Aubrey to give him a back rub. Agnes poured some of the willow tea in a cup. She opened a jar near the fire and put in a spoonful of the sticky contents. "Drink that, lad. I've been usin' honey as a bastin' sauce and I remember how hard it was to get me bairnes to take medicine without it." It was strange how a small act of kindness could mean so much. Henry bit his lip and tried to keep tears back without much success. "Whatever's the matter, lad? You don't like honey?"

"No, I mean, yes, I like honey." Henry said, wiping his eyes. "It's just...you remind me so much of my mother just now."

"Bless yer heart, darlin'." Agnes, patted his arm.

"I hear someone here got whipped." one of the Merry Men approached. "Well, have a look at this, lad!" The man turned and lifted his shirt, revealing a network of raised scars. "I shot a duke belonging to a duck, er I mean a duck belonging to a duke! You got whipped for poaching too, I reckon."

"Er, yes!" said Henry. "Poaching."

"Why would a shepherd need to poach?" asked Robin. "If you're hungry, couldn't you slaughter a sheep and have mutton?"

"Live sheep are worth more than dead sheep." said Henry. "You can only eat a sheep once. Wool grows back every year."

"If you say so." said Robin.

"Is George showin' off his whip marks again?" asked another Merry Man. "That's nothing! Look here." He rolled up his sleeve to show a jagged scar. "Bounty hunter nearly took my arm clean off. But you should see what I did to him!"

This resulted in a stream of Merry Men showing off scars and telling the stories behind them. "Look at this." said Will, pulling down his shirt to reveal a round scar in the middle of his chest. "Sheriff's arrow dug right into my breast bone. Hair's breadth to the left and I'd be a dead man! Tuck here even gave me Last Rites, just in case."

"I knew he'd make it." said Robin. "Will's too stubborn and mean to die."

"I got some nasty scars from boar hunting." said Donna. "Look." She raised her shirt a bit.

"Donna! Show some modesty!" Agnes rapped her knuckles.

"I was only going to show him my stomach." Donna said grumpily.

"Well, it's unseemly for a lady to show such flesh."

"Who says I'm a lady?" As Agnes turned her attention back to the deer, Donna showed off her scars- jagged white ones on her belly. "Not as bad as it looks." she admitted. "I can still bear a baby if I want. How many hunters can say that?"

"Put that shirt down, Donna!" snapped Agnes. "As for the rest of ye, dinner's ready.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dinner was venison, some roasted game birds, mushrooms and roasted roots and a communal wine skin. Many of the Merry Men were still telling tales of their well earned scars. "Hey, Mark!" said Luke. "Tell our new friends how you got the scar on your hand."

"They don't want to hear that." Matthew protested.

"Actually," said Aubrey. "I think I'd like to."

Matthew frowned and Mark laughed. "Well," said Mark. "Mum told Matthew to cut up some carrots for a stew. I'm rather partial to carrots myself and was feeling a bit peckish. So, I grabbed a few. Matthew yelled 'Mark, you take another carrot and I'll cut your thieving hand off!'"

"I wouldn't really cut your hand off." said Matthew.

"That's what I thought." said Mark. "So, I decided I'd grab a few anyway. And you know what Matthew did? Stabbed me right in the hand with his knife!"

"I was trying to grab your hand!" Matthew protested. "You shouldn't have been trying to steal the carrots anyway."

"And you should have been more careful with that knife." said Mark. "I might have bled to death if Mum hadn't stepped in. She very nearly decided to send us to bed without supper."

"How old were you?" asked Henry. "Ten? Eleven? I wouldn't give a knife to anyone younger than that."

Luke giggled. "It was six months ago!" Henry and Aubrey laughed with the Merry Men. They feasted into the night as if they had always been part of the band.

"Hey, fellows." Rolly came up to Henry and Aubrey just as the sun began to set. "Want in on a game of craps?" She shook her dice.

"We don't have any money." said Henry.

"That's alright. We'll play for acorns." They joined Rolanda Bones at a dice game by the firelight while the notes of Alan a Dale's lute filled the air. At that time, Robin decided now would be a good time to confer with the senior members of his band.

Robin silently and unobtrusively bid Little John, Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck to follow him away from the others.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, John." Tuck said as they walked away from the band. "It's about that girl, Rolanda Bones."

"Lovely, isn't she?" Little John got the same silly grin he always got when he thought about his Rolly.

"Yes, she's very nice." Tuck conceded. "Look, John, I'm a friar, not a fool. I know what the two of you do when you slip off together. What's worse, you don't even confess it."

"What's to confess?" Little John asked, trying to hide his blush.

"John, I like Rolanda. She's good for you. I think you should marry her. Better to marry than to burn, as the Book says."

"I've thought of asking her," said Little John. "But, it never seemed like the right time."

"Trust me, Little John." said Robin, "There is never a wrong time to ask a woman to marry you."

"Ask her tomorrow." said Tuck. "For the sake of her soul as well as yours. And for any little ones you may have."

"We didn't come here to whine over Little John's love life, did we?" asked Will.

"At least someone has a love life." said Little John.

"You best watch your tongue, Too Tall!" said Will.

"John, Will, please." said Robin. "Let's not squabble. True, I didn't bring you out here to discuss anyone's love life. I brought you out here to discuss our guests, Henry and Aubrey. What do you think of them?"

"I thought Aubrey was a wet little fool at first." said Will. "He let me bully him too easily. However, he was quick to protect his brother. He strikes me as a town boy, not quite used to life in the wilderness."

"Odd that a town boy and a shepherd should be brothers." Robin observed. "Twins at that."

"Henry was quick to defend Aubrey as well." said Will. "He's not a lad who cows easily. But, then, I suppose being whipped will do that to you. Something's funny about him, lying about how he hurt his back."

"Something's funny about both of them." said Robin. "I feel like they're trying to hide something."

"I think they're both good lads." said Little John. "They're maybe not the brightest apples, but how bright were any of us at sixteen? I know I was a gawky beanpole who tripped over his own feet. They can learn. They just need the right mentors."

"And you believe *we* should be those mentors?" asked Will.

"Why not?" Little John shrugged. "I don't think they mean us any harm. What weapons they had were pitiful. And they're so loyal to each other, surely they can have that loyalty to us."

"People tend to be more loyal to family." Tuck pointed out.

"If those two *are* related." said Will.

"Did you see the look on Aubrey's face when Henry was getting stitched up?" asked Little John. "There was pain in that boy's eyes, as if he were getting stuck by the needle himself. It's fairly obvious that they care about one another."

"What do you think of them, Tuck?" asked Robin.

"They're good sorts." said Tuck. "They didn't hog the wine or eat too much."

"No, you did that." said Will.

"The Good Lord forgive my weaknesses." Friar Tuck crossed himself. "Well, you have to admire a lad who brings his rosary with him. They're young, but not much younger than the Book Brothers. Let's see what they have to offer us. Until then, the least we can do is offer them hospitality until Henry's stitches are removed."

"Alright, then." said Robin. "By the time Henry's stitches are removed, I'll be able to decide whether or not to invite them to join the Merry Men."

It was getting late. The camp fire had been doused and the Merry Men were finding spots to bed down for the night. Those who had wives snuggled up with them. Aubrey and Henry observed the sleeping arrangements. Robin had a choice spot right between the roots of a great oak with Marian in his arms. He was sleeping back to back with Little John, who had Rolly in his arms. The one called George had his wife sprawled over him like a blanket. Alan was spooned with his wife, hands on her swollen stomach. Will waited until he was fairly sure Donna was asleep before taking a spot just far enough away to be proper. The Book Brothers were nestled together like birds in a nest, indistinguishable without their hats. A couple of men decided to use Tuck's enormous belly as a pillow while the Friar snored. The hunting falcons roosted in the great oak tree. The hounds all piled together in one spot.

"Henry," Aubrey whispered as he set up the bed rolls. "Do- do you think we can sleep together again? Like last night?"

Henry eyed the triplets. "Well, they think we're brothers. There's nothing too odd about siblings sharing a bed. I have two sisters who do so."

Aubrey smiled and sprawled out on his roll, beckoning Henry to join him. Henry nestled himself in the crook of Aubrey's arm. "Good night, Aubrey." he whispered softly. "I love you."

"Good night, Henry." Aubrey softly kissed Henry's hair. "I love you too."