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She’d become accustomed to taking long walks before the sun rose.
The cool morning air helped to wake her, prickling against her cheeks and reminding her—for better or worse—that she was still alive. She’d walk deep into the woods and stand along the river, watching the darkened, rippling water as it continued on downstream where it would eventually lose itself the in sea. And there, she could be alone with her thoughts—whatever they were in that moment—thoughts that she didn’t have to justify to anyone as she put on a brave face for everyone else’s benefit.
If the others knew of her walks, she knows she’d surely be admonished—Snow wouldn’t be able to help herself from incessantly worrying about her safety and voicing her concerns, David would unnecessarily point out that the Wicked Witch were after her, and that infernal thief would likely insist on accompanying her with his bow and arrow as a means of ineffectual protection.
She shivers and watches as the moonlight glitters onto the water and she smiles faintly, thinking of Henry. Her eyes trail upward, looking to the moon as it hovers above the treetops. She feels a lump rise in her throat as she thinks of him as a little boy, remembering the way he’d perch on the window still and stare at the moon. One night, when he was about four, she’d knelt down behind him and pulled him back against her, and she’d asked why he was so fascinated by the moon.
“It’s like a nightlight,” he’d answered, “But for everyone.” He smiled sweetly and looked back at her. “I think it’s really brave of the moon to stay up all night every night and keep everyone safe.”
She’d hugged him closer and kissed his cheek and thought back to when she was a girl and how the moonlight had made her less afraid, and as she slipped further and further into her own darkness, it stood as reminder that the darkness would never win, not entirely.
“But I bet he’s lonely,” Henry said, frowning as he looked back at the moon.
Her eyes had followed his and she’d hugged him tighter. “Then it’s very nice of you to keep him company,” she’d told him as she pressed her lips against his hair.
A screeching sound snaps her from the memory and before she can even raise her hand, one of the Wicked Witch’s monkeys swoops down and knocks her to the ground. She twists herself around and tries to get up, but another monkey screeches and knocks her back. She takes a breath and her jaw tightens, as she raises her hands in both an effort to defend and protect herself. But the monkey’s eyes glow red and it leans in closer. Again, it screeches, but this time the sound is different and it moves away from her—and in its neck she can see an arrow. She turns her head watching as two more arrows fly from different directions, hitting the second monkey and a third she didn’t see. She swallows hard as another arrow hits the monkey in front of her as she scrambles to her feet.
“M’lady,” she blinks a couple of times as she takes in Robin standing before her. “Are you alright?”
She looks past him to see his band of Merry Men surrounding her, arrows ready to shoot. Her eyes trail across the group before finally coming to rest again on Robin. “How did you know I was here?”
“The littlest of the Merry Men,” he says simply. “He saw you leaving and was worried.”
“These woods are dangerous,” one of the others says.
She nods, “I’m perfectly capable of…”
“…of protecting yourself,” Robin finishes as a smirk twists onto his lips. “Yes, that’s obvious.”
“I would have been fine,” she says with a roll of her eyes as she dusts the leaves from her skirt. “I…”
“Yes, yes, we know. You’re a powerful sorceress,” Robin interjects again, still smirking.
“But you see, M’lady,” Little John says in a softer voice as he steps forward from the group. “You are also one of our own now.” She blinks as she looks to him. “And we protect our own.”
In spite of herself, a small grin tugs at the corner of her mouth as she looks around group once more and Robin offers her his hand. She takes a breath before reluctantly placing her hand in his, allowing him to lead her forward as they follow the group back to the castle and she finds herself thinking that she’s glad not to be alone.