They were getting closer to Robin, their legs burning along with their lungs. Their breathing became labored, but Harlow refused to give up and Enders refused to die.
Just as Harlow was about to make it to the last ten feet before the Outlaws, a hand grabbed her and pulled her back. She lost all of the balance she had in her body. As she lay on the ground, dazed somewhat, she turned her head, searching for Enders, finding him trapped under another man as well.
She turned to look at the man kneeling above her. Why he hadn't been shot yet was beyond her, but she took the time to try figuring out an escape.
“A servant running with outlaws?” He sneered, sickeningly, his breath stinking and yellowing teeth showing themselves. “I thought you were Parker's bride,” he sneered again, reveling in Harlow's moment of pure disgust.
Just as Harlow was about to kick up her legs, she felt the weight of his body fall on her, going limp. She felt warm liquid seeping from his neck and leaking onto her. She felt the presence of a dead man in her personal confinements.
She pushed the man off of her, turning her head to Enders, worry and panic lacing themselves together in her brain and on her face.
She saw Enders covered in blood, pushing a dead man off of his body as well, his expression disgusted and disgruntled.
Harlow noticed the arrows coming from different directions. The one that had saved Enders clearly came from the outlaws, but the one that protruded from the man that had straddled her, stuck out from the man's back. She examined the angle for a split second before knowing that it came from the opposite direction as the outlaws.
Harlow looked up from the body and saw the silence that fell upon the battlefield, as the soldiers started realizing what exactly had happened.
“Up there!” One man shouted, his blond hair hanging slightly over his eyes as her pointed to one of the castle windows.
Harlow turned her head, expecting the worst, although she couldn't fathom what kind of situation would permit a total stand still on the battlefield.
While the soldiers were preoccupied watching the windows, faces confused and concerned. The Outlaws pulled back, slowly coming off the knight's radar and rushing back to where Robin stood on the higher bank.
Harlow stood next to Enders, who still sat bewildered on the grass. She followed the soldier's pointing finger to a man standing in a large archway, his bow raised to eye level, dirty blond hair gently swinging above his eyes. The hair on this figure was the first thing to capture her attention, the suns rays bouncing off the strands and making them glisten gently in the light. It made her heart stop and flutter, panic and worry creeping up her spine. It took a few extra moments for her vision to focus completely, her hands rising and covering her eyes. She was fully aware of Enders laying at her feet, but felt frozen in her place.
The face that she eventually recognized, in exceptionally great detail, was one that made her heart ache and her body quiver.
Parker?
She held onto his gaze for what felt like an eternity, simply staring at him for any sign or movement. His eyebrows hovered angrily over his eyelashes, his expression hard and stern. He was furious, enraged, humiliated. All these feelings made themselves clear on the expression he wore. He realized that he'd been played.
By outlaws, no less.
She'd been ready, at that moment, for a full fledged attack on the outlaw, but instead, she saw a harsh nod in her direction, his eyes still on her only.
It wasn't a message of attack, it was a sign to run back, to retreat. He was giving her the opportunity to leave in peace.
Harlow stood, still frozen in time, as she watched his expression turn from anger to complete and utter pain. The pain only lasted for a split second, before his eyes flickered to Enders and the complete rage returned.
She broke out of the paralyzing effect he had on her, and she looked down to Enders, who stared at the man in the archway, also seemingly frozen in time.
Grabbing his arm and pulling him up, the two spun around and darted into the forest behind them, Enders eyes finally adjusting to the sunlight he'd so longed to see.
Voices and sounds of catastrophe rang through her head as they ran, but she couldn't focus.
She couldn't speak.
She could only run.
The group came just a little farther into the woods, when she spotted her own father, standing off to her far right, bow in hand and ready to fire behind her. He offered her an ecstatic and relieved smile, but Harlow found herself to exhausted and to damaged to offer a smile back.
Instead, she gave one weary glance, turning away before she felt pangs of guilt strike her heart.
Robin shouted for archers to cover the two as they ran, but before Harlow knew it they were running alongside all the outlaws on the mission, retreating back to Sherwood – Or wherever they were headed.
She wanted to look back and catch another glimpse of Parker as they ran, but she knew he much to far behind them now. She wanted to see the way his eyes sparkle in the sun, even if that meant she had endure the pain written all over his face, which she'd knowingly caused.
She wanted to reach out and take his hand, confess everything she'd done, make him understand why she had to do it.
'I did it for Enders!' She'd plead with him, 'I couldn't let him die! We're... Engaged...'
She so wanted, in that moment, to tell him she was sorry for deceiving him, for hurting him, for ultimately making him believe in a future that would never be.
'This wasn't part of the plan! He wasn't part of the plan!' Harlow found herself angry and her heart struck with undying sadness.
Instead of indulging in her sudden impulse to run back and embrace Parker, she kept her eyes hardened and directed forward. She held Enders' hand loosely in her own.
Her mothers face, Enders broken body, and Parker's pained eyes made her feel an anger rising deep in her abdomen.
She squeezed Enders' hand, knowing that he was the only reason she had enough strength to continue running.
It was for him that she infiltrated the castle.
It was for him that she risked her very existence.
She fought the thought every time it entered her mind, but she let herself, in this one moment, indulge in the thought: She loved Enders.
He was the center of everything she'd done for the last four months.
And, it was for him that she simply kept running.
Chapter Twenty-four
Harlow stood on a flattened, weather-eroded piece of gray stone, her elbows propped up on a piece of burnt wood that sat horizontally, overlooking the village lake.
It wasn't Sherwood Lake, but it would have to do for now.
She spotted the destroyed marketplace on the other end of the lake, buildings torn to pieces and fire-burnt wood scattering the walk ways.
Dozens of people walked around, picking up and repairing the destruction that was Lincoln village.
She was home, but the feeling was far more unpleasant and bitter than it was sweet. The whole reason she'd left this home was to keep her father from fighting. She left home to preserve this town and it's people, which proved impossible anyway.
It had been a whole year, and regardless of the slight amount of comfort she felt, she couldn't shake the feeling that this fight wasn't over, and the worst was yet to come. Until then, though, Harlow just wanted to relax and rebuild all that once was.
She closed her eyes, feeling the wind on her face, and lasting about five minutes before the pale, mistreated, and malnourished face of her mother invaded her brain and forced her eyes open.
That one memory brought others to the surface, including Enders.
'It's been two weeks,' Harlow thought, still leaning over the railing, 'since I've seen him.'
Harlow sighed, staring out over the lake and flipping through the memories she'd wished she could forget.
Two Weeks Earlier
Harlow felt a cold breeze touch her cheeks as she stared out over Sherwood L
ake. The water glistened carefully in the sun and the trees swayed with the gentle breeze. It was the only peace she'd felt in the last few months and it was so refreshing that she'd already been on the pier for two hours. Harlow had pulled off her boots and set them aside, reaching one of her feet down into the water while she laid back on the wooden bridge. She stared up at the horizon, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.
She sat that way for about five minutes before the pier creaked gently under her, footsteps approaching her slowly.
She didn't have to look to know that it was Enders who sat next to her. She kept her eyes pointed toward the blue horizon above, looking over the small clouds that sat in the midst of her vision.
The two let the silence sit comfortably between them.
Enders leaned back on his palms, raising one of his knees up and taking in a deep breath of air. “I told her about you.”
Harlow turned her eyes on him immediately, her eyebrows furrowed. His hair swung gently above his eyes as he spoke, staring over the lake and off into the distance.
Harlow found herself temporarily stunned, half because of what he'd said and half because of the way he looked at the moment. “What?” She finally wheezed, trying to ease the pain of seeing her mother's face burned into the backs of her eyelids.
Enders shrugged, a sad smile on his lips. “She saw you visit me and started asking me questions,” He sighed, “Something made me trust her, so I told her very simple details until she told me who she was.”
Harlow felt her eyes widen. She stared at Enders who kept his eyes out over the lake.
“She thinks you're brave,” Enders said, finally turning his head to look at her, “like your father.”
Harlow hung on every word Enders spoke for the rest of the conversation, as he detailed every expression and word he'd shared with Harlow's mother.
“She thought it was hysterical when I told her that you disguised yourself as a man to get here.” Enders smiled, a chuckle coming out from deep within his chest.
Harlow could only muster a smile, wanting to hear more.
Minutes turned into hours, as eventually all of Enders' stories had been told.
Again, the two let a comfortable silence fill the space between them, deciding to look back over the lake.
“I,” Enders coughed, an almost awkward expression taking over his face as he turned to Harlow, “I told her about our engagement.”
Harlow turned her eyes away from Enders, an awkward, weary feeling rising within her. She looked down at the water before turning them back up, feeling guilty.
Harlow cringed, trying to block the memory from her mind.
She shook her head, ready to turn around and walk back to the tent she'd set up for herself as she helped rebuild the homes and marketplace that was once her home.
That's when she heard the gentle sound of a horse far in the distance.
She raised an eyebrow, turning her head to see the commotion of voices and animal noises.
Harlow saw the horse first, before realizing that the man riding it had been a man she hadn't seen in two weeks, a man she missed with every fiber of her being.
She turned around and walked a few steps, before she started jogging toward him as he stepped down off the horse and lead it to a bucket of water and a stack of hay.
She stopped just a yard or so away from him, her jaw slightly slack and her eyes widened and relieved.
The man removed his hood, a mop of light brown hair showing itself as it swung gently above his eyebrows.
“Enders,” Harlow breathed as she took another, cautious step forward.
He nodded, “Harlow.”
His physique had intensely improved since his rescue from the castle. He'd gained all his muscle back and more. His face and hair looked more grown up and stronger, but under all of that Harlow knew he was the same caring person he'd been before.
“You came,” She said when she found herself at a loss for other words.
“I didn't come because you asked me to.” Enders said, his voice harsh and brash. He held the reigns of his horse in his hands, tying the ropes to the small wooden post they had placed at the entrance of the town.
Harlow cringed at his brazen nature toward her. “I-” She started.
“I only came because people needed my help.” Enders said, pulling the rope tightly and successfully keeping his horse in place. He turned to face her. “That's it.”
Harlow was taken aback. She wanted to be angry, but couldn't find it in her to do so. He wasn't wrong to be angry, that much she knew. Instead, she decided to nod and keep conversation to a minimum.
“What do you need my help with?” He asked, transparently trying to keep his irritation in check.
Harlow nodded over to the marketplace, where several renegade civilians were trying to lift walls and nail wooden panels together. “We're trying to rebuild the marketplace. Then we'll focus on homes.”
Enders nodded, taking off the green cloak that gently hung about his shoulders. “I'll be headed over there then.” He rested his cloak on his horses' back, and turned away from Harlow.
“Thank you, Enders,” Harlow said in a voice she thought he probably couldn't hear.
“Aye.” He said, still walking away, raising a hand to let her know that he got the message.
Harlow looked down, sighing gently. She couldn't figure out what she was thinking or what she'd been thinking when she last spoke with him. She felt her heart race and her stomach flip every time he came close to her, but she felt the intense need to keep him away. It wasn't normal how much she wanted to be around him.
“What?” Harlow asked, unsure how to feel about the situation.
Enders shrugged. “You were the only thing that kept me going all that time. Talking about you made it easier for me to get by.”
Harlow felt breathless, a slight bit of fear and irritation rising from the depths of her chest. She wanted to ask why but she couldn't make a noise.
“She says it's a fitting idea. The son of the Prince of Thieves and the daughter of a Princess.” Enders smiled gently, looking over the lake.
Silence sat for only several seconds before Harlow was able to speak, unknowing that she'd regret it the moment it came out of her mouth. “I can't marry you.”
Enders turned his head to Harlow slowly, taken aback slightly by what she'd said.
“This wasn't my decision. My father made this decision. I can't live with a decision that I haven't made. I want authority over my own life. I want to make my own choices and feel the consequences of only the things I've done. I can't be held down to things I never wanted,” She said, her voice rising and falling with the stronger words. She felt the fear in her heart as she said the words she held to be truth.
“You think I'll hold you down? You think I'll force you to do things?” He asked incredulously.
Harlow couldn't answer. She looked out over the lake, her body stiffening. “I can't risk my own freedom.”
“What were you doing back there, then?” Enders asked, his voice rising in intensity and frustration. “You gave up freedom when you entered the castle.” He paused, looking back over the lake. “Now that I think about it, you seemed to enjoy captivity just fine when Parker was around.” He stood up, irritation coming through his body language.
Harlow widened her eyes gently, before gritting her teeth together in anger, and picking herself up from the pier so she could be eye level with him. “You think I ever wanted to be around Parker? I was there to save you!”
“Then make up your mind!” Enders shouted, his voice echoing throughout the forest. “You don't want to lose your freedom, but you gave it up to come for me. Now, for that same reason, you're denying our marriage?”
Harlow gritted her teeth again, knitting her eyebrows together in anger. “I never asked for this marriage! Our fathers set this up! I was fine being on my own.”
Enders nodded, anger and pain written on his face. “That's fine, th
en,” He said, his voice quieted and doused in anger, “because now you are.”
He turned his back on her and walked away from her. He tried to fight it as hard as he could, but he couldn't deny the feelings he had, and out of everything he'd been through, that was the most painful thing to deal with.
Harlow watched as Enders, who'd now simply walked back into her life, picked up wooden panels and talked with other working men.
He never once smiled.
She watched him talk with other civilians, asking them questions and helping any way he could.
Harlow looked down at the ground after a few minutes, and walking towards the men who were working ahead of her.
She made it close to them, picking up renegade sticks and tools that lie in her way.
She placed all of the items to the side of the working areas.
She simply walked around, slightly dazed, helping the men wherever she could. Many of them refused her help, saying that women, although in pants, shouldn't lift a finger in these efforts. She would have been offended if it weren't for the fact that she knew they were only being polite and chivalrous.
Normally, she would have refuted their refusal, but she decided to take it easier on this particular day.
She was helping a young man, about her age, lift a wooden panel when the sound of five or so horses filled her ears.
It captured attention, causing her and the man with her to look at each other and drop the panel.
They stepped to the side, looking over the direction of the sounds.
“What is that?” Harlow asked, brushing hair out of her eyes before placing her hands on her hips.
“I have no idea,” The man with her said, scanning the forest just beyond the two.
Harlow took a few more steps to the right, trying to see past the ongoing work on the new marketplace.
Sherwood Page 20
