Chapter 7 of "Marian and Eleanor" Story (Marian)

-Chapter Seven- (Marian)
Nasya, Childhood Games, An Old Friend

As Will and I headed, more like sped, back to Kenton Hall, I marveled at the beauty of the mare I was riding. The richness of her color, her sturdy, but not overworked, muscles and her thorough obedience—all these were what I had desired in a horse I would own someday. Will must have seen the look of awe,or stupidity, I expressed and let escape a small chuckle.

“Woooah,” he droned softly to his broad stallion and my mare to slacken their pace as home neared. “Her name is Nasya,” he explained staring straight ahead. Robin brought her back with him, to this commander’s disapproval, from the Holy Land. All the weak knights had given up on her; ‘said ‘she was too hard to train,’ and called her—well I won’t mention such names in front of you, m’lady,” and he turned the color that matched his surname. “To get to the point, Robin was the one, the only one, able of training her. And with that taming he christened her with a new, more suitable name—Nasya, the Saracen word for ‘miracle.’”

It intrigued me to learn of Robin’s skilled horse-taming and knowledge of the Saracen language. I smiled to myself; Robin always had a craving to study and experiment with new ideas. It seemed I had missed much of Robin’s life in the past several years, and the thought of it made me feel a twinge of hurt deep inside. As children, we had been innocent friends, playing innocent games. Now Robin’s path in life had led to no childlike games, but a head-on discord with the English government…not to say I did not blame him. The Sheriff of Locksley bled the townspeople and farmers of their earnings and everyone knew it. Even so, Robin’s ends certainly did not justify his means. My mind toyed back and forth with this new situation that had arisen. Robin was a vigilante; and yet, I wanted to fight alongside him…No! I wanted to “play”! I told myself. Just like one of those childhood games…

“M’lady? M’lady?” said Will, his eyebrows raised.

“Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts! Oh, you may call my ‘Marian’ if you wish. And if that doesn’t suit you, there’s always “Queen of All Things Beautiful and Good,” I smirked.

“A Queen? Ruling England? Not while I’m alive!” he laughed loudly.

“Shhh!” I whispered while trying to suppress my laughter and my amusement. “Our stables are just around the corner. Thank you for your help, Will. I can walk from here.”

“Oh, no, M’lady—Marian. It is Robin’s wish that you keep Nasya. She’s a gift.”
I smiled broadly, failing at my attempt to hide my ecstatic feelings. Nasya was mine.
“Tell the ‘King of Outlaws’ ‘thank you’ for me,” the sarcasm rang clear in my expression of gratitude. “You’d better hurry! It’s getting pretty dark.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’ll be alright,” he smiled. “I’ve been no stranger to these woods ever since I could hold a walking stick.”

I squinted and gazed at his face and eyes for several seconds. “ ‘Big Will Scarlet’ I can’t believe I didn’t remember you! You’ve certainly changed…in good way.” He blushed again.