Sherwood by S. E. Roberts Page A

motioning to the pier beside
her.
    Harlow relaxed, nodding as
he took a seat beside her, shaking the pier ever so slightly with
his movement. She tilted her attention back to the sunset when
Robin started to sit.
    The two sat in a
comfortable silence for a few seconds.
    “ It's
beautiful, Isn't it?” Robin asked, breaking the silence, a
comfortable smile on his lips.
    Harlow turned to glance at
him quickly, trying to figure out what exactly he was thinking.
“Yes, It absolutely is.”
    Harlow mentally kicked
herself for the high-pitched words that came out of her mouth,
although by the look of it, Robin hadn't noticed.
    “ Everyone who
comes here,” He said, taking In a deep breath and sighing, “doesn't
truly see it. They come because they have to fight or they have no
other place to go.” He paused, leaning over the pier, dipping his
hand in the cool, clear water. “No one ever comes here to see the
beauty of it all.”
    Harlow nodded and let her
feet dangle off the pier lazily. “I notice.” She said, looking down
at her hands. “The beauty, I mean.”
    Robin smiled at the water
in his hands. “At least someone does.”
    Another silence although
comforting befell on the two.
    Robin fiddled with
something in his hands as Harlow slouched, watching the water
glisten as the sun descended over the horizon.
    “ Do you
always watch the sun fall out here?” Robin asked, giving her a
quick look before looking back to the item in his hands.
    Harlow shrugged, glancing
back at him. She took in a deep breath before letting out a breathy
“No.” She turned her attention to the glistening waters again. “Not
all the time. I try to whenever I'm not to tired.”
    Robin laughed. “At least
you make the effort to notice the nature around you.” He paused.
“You chose the best spot to watch the sunset.” A small smile
splayed on his lips, his fingertips still grazing over the item in
his hands. “This forest makes you forget about the things you left
behind. It's nice to have a quiet place to remember all of the
things you're here for.” He reached into the water again. “Warm
baths, comfortable beds...” He trailed off.
    “ Your wife
and your son.” Harlow blurted out before she realized what she
said.
    To her amazement, Robin
chuckled. “Aye, and your father.”
    Harlow nodded, a small
smile still lingering on her lips. She felt Robin start to move,
his feet shuffling under him as he stood up, the pier shaking with
the movement. “It matters not why we do something, but who we're
doing that thing for.” He said, sighing as he stared out at the
lake again.
    Harlow felt the footsteps
as he turned his back and started back down the pier.
    “ Oh, Henry!”
Robin called out, turning around and cupping his hands around his
mouth and capturing her attention. She turned her head to him, her
eyebrow raised expectantly. His feet moved him backward as he
spoke. “Good work today. You've been promoted! Your first raiding
party is next week!”
    Harlow sat shocked, her
mouth hanging open, a huge grin on the edge of her lips. She wanted
to shout back and ask if he was insane, but before she could
respond, he'd raced down the pier and was on his way to the town
plaza.
    Harlow shook her head
incredulously. She stared in a daze out at the water. All her
doubts seemed to have dissolved, all her fears vanished, and she
felt true happiness for the first time since she'd
arrived.
    She grinned, her heart
fluttering with joy.
    She finally
belonged.

Chapter
Nine
    Harlow took her first step
out of the cabin that morning and walked over to a clearing next to
the pier. She leaned her left shoulder against a tree and looked
out over the lake that sat quietly in Sherwood. She smiled at the
water and closed her eyes, feeling the breeze caress her face. The
wind pushed gently at her hat, but the fabric on her head didn't
budge at all.
    It had been two weeks since
she'd been promoted to a commander. Harlow ran over her teammates
in her