her as she saw the stag in all its wonderful glory.
It looked towards her, fixing Mary with its ebony eyes. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. Still shaken, she looked again at the shadowy figure beside her. A hooded man.
'Robert?' she whispered.
'Yes.' He raised the hood and his features caught the moonlight too.
'Why did you follow me, Mary?'
She shook her head, at a loss to explain it to herself let alone him. In the end she decided to just change the subject. 'What… what just happened here?'
'Couldn't you feel it?' Robert replied.
She had felt something; the seconds slowing down to match her heartbeat, the fear of the beast and a stranger beside her, giving way to a sense of supreme tranquillity. 'It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'
'You almost killed it.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be. I almost killed it myself, once.' Robert handed her back the pistol. Then he left her side and walked into the clearing.
She watched him standing there, as he looked up at the moon. Unlike her, he was totally at home here. This was where he drew his energy from, where he felt at peace. She understood now why he'd come so deep into the forest to think.
'Who are you, Robert?' she said.
'I've asked myself that question a lot recently. I used to know, implicitly, who and what I was. Now…' Mary walked over. 'Sometimes
I…'
'Go on,' she encouraged.
Robert let his head fall, shaking it. 'It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud.'
'Tell me.'
'Sometimes I feel as if the forest is speaking to me. Like just now, and in my dreams.' He let out a weary laugh. 'Does that make me a lunatic? Lord knows I've been through enough to send me crazy.'
Mary laughed herself. 'I'm afraid I can't really judge. I hear the voice of my dead brother in times of stress. Now you think I'm crazy.'
Robert turned. She could feel his gaze on her and looked away, though only for a moment.
'I guess Tate is right when he says we've all been through our own personal tragedies.'
'And what did you go through, Robert? What made you run away?' Mary stepped closer to him. 'Joanne and Stevie, right?'
Like the stag, she was expecting him to bolt. She felt him tense, but he didn't move. Finally, he spoke. Opened up to her, told her all about what had happened: having to watch his wife and child die, powerless to help them. Waiting to die alongside them, but being denied even that. Then he told her about the men in yellow suits, what they'd done to the house, to Max. How it had driven him almost over the edge, driven him into the heart of this place so he could wait out his life alone and be with them again. It hadn't quite worked out that way.
Tears tracked down her face as Mary listened to Robert's story – a tale he'd kept from the closest of his men, but which he was now revealing to her.
When he was done, she put an arm around his shoulder, pulled his head down and held him to her. He didn't resist, but she felt him shaking as the tears came.
'It's okay… It's okay,' she repeated over and over, realising that the words sounded so hollow. It wasn't okay, nothing about what Robert had been through was. But destiny, or whatever you wanted to call it, had given him a new identity, a new purpose. Where he hadn't been able to protect his family, he could still protect the people of this region from De Falaise. It was what he'd been doing these past few months, and it was what he had to do now as they faced their toughest challenge.
Slowly, Mary eased him back when she felt the sobbing subside. 'You didn't come out here to think at all, did you?'
'What do you mean?'
'You know exactly what to do – and your men know it too. We just have to figure out a way of doing it that'll work.'
'Mary,' he said, wiping his cheeks, 'if I didn't think you were crazy before – I do now.'
'Then we make a good team, don't we?' she said, quickly adding, 'we all make a good team. In fact, no, we're not a team at all…'
'No?' said Robert.
Mary shook her head. 'Uh-uh. We're a family. All right, maybe we're a little heavy on the testosterone.' She laughed. 'But still a family. And a member of that family is missing.'
'Then there's only one thing to do,' said Robert, pursing his lips, 'isn't there?'
She nodded.
'Yes, Mark is…' Robert paused, as if he'd just thought of something. Then, suddenly, he was taking her by the hand. 'Come on, let's get back to the camp. I have to talk to the rest of my… family.'
Mary grinned. 'Lead the way, then, seeing as I wouldn't be able to find it even if I fell over it.'
He began to march off back into the forest, pulling her with him. She thought then how much stronger he looked than earlier on that day. Invigorated was the word she was looking for.
'Oh, and Mary,' he said, glancing back. 'Don't tell any of the men you saw me crying, okay?'
She laughed again, and this time Robert laughed with her.
'Funny kind a thinkin', that,' Bill said to no one in particular as Mary and Robert arrived back at the camp together. Robert looked down, realised he still had hold of Mary's hand, and released it.
'What did I say about ridin' Robbie,' Jack warned Bill, stomping up alongside him.
'I'm not the dirty bugger doing the ridin',' he replied.
Mary ignored the comments as Robert called for his men to gather around. 'I've reached a decision regarding what to do about the villagers and, of course, Mark.'
All the men leaned forward so they could hear, with Mills on the front row.
'As you pointed out yourselves, it would be foolish to give in to the Sheriff when all he would do is carry on as he has been doing, taking what he wants from the people, ruling through fear, spreading like a disease through…' Robert stopped when the significance of what he was saying struck him. Mary placed a hand on his back to steady him and he turned to look at her. She stepped back again when she felt he was okay to speak. 'The point is,' Robert went on, his voice gaining strength again, 'he must be stopped. And stopped for good.'
'What are you suggesting?' asked one of the group at the back.
'He's talking about a full-frontal assault,' Jack answered before waiting to hear what Robert had to say, 'aren't you?'
'Not exactly. Attacking the castle head on would be suicide.' There were definite mumbles of agreement from the camp. 'It's been attempted in the past and a lot of people have died in the process. That's why De Falaise chose the place, because it can be defended so easily.'
'Anyone entering the city would be spotted right away by lookouts,' Granger chirped up. 'Then there's that sniper on the rooftop.'
'Yes,' said Robert, 'I know. That's why I'm going to give them the one thing they want. Me.' He went on to outline his plan, then added at the end. 'Now, you all have your reasons for wanting De Falaise brought down. But this isn't going to be easy, and it's going to be extremely dangerous. So I wouldn't force anyone to join me. That's not my way, it's the Sheriff's way. But I am going in there to put a stop to this, once and for all, so any help would definitely be appreciated.' Robert looked around at his men, the people Mary had called family. He waited for someone, anyone, to say something.
'That's probably one of the craziest, most cockamamie notions I've ever heard in my life.' This was Jack, who pushed the cap back on his head as he spoke. 'But you can count me in, Robbie. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'
'You know my feelings on the matter,' Tate then said. 'I will be by your side, Robert. And I feel sure God will, too, if that means anything to you.'
