Robin picked his way smoothly through the underbrush to the river, being careful to leave no trace behind him. That had become second nature to all of the band, hunted as they were, but he found today an especially appropriate time to not be found. He had received a letter from Marian, and he wanted to be left in peace to read it. His friends had said plenty last week, more than plenty. Good, solid comments that pushed him to think and to be honest. And he had been grateful, not even grudgingly so. Today, however, he wanted solitude.

He wove his way through the hanging willow branches to a large rock, half sunny and half shadowed. His thoughts buzzed around inside his head as distractingly as the dragonflies above the water. He didn't think straight where Marian was concerned, hadn't in a long time. No wonder she still thought of him as needing to grow up. He pulled off his worn shoes - the roughly tanned leather was nearly in holes - and dangled his toes in the water. Of course he could be grown up when he wanted to be, it was just more enjoyable not to be. And there had been times when Marian happened to see him making decisions, leading his men, or logically executing a plan. Those times were just very, very rare. When he was around her he wanted to enjoy life, wanted her to enjoy life. There was so much glee to be found by poking fun at situations, telling stories, or pulling the Sheriff's nose.

He looked down and twiddled his toes in the cool stream. Maybe he should find more relaxing ways to enjoy life. More... adult. Reading her beloved books, taking walks and watching the world, enjoying the silence around a campfire or on a snowy day. He smiled and skipped a pebble across the river. Her and her snow, a love he couldn't understand. There were so many things about her he couldn't understand, not least, why she cared for him....