I Will Always Return ~ (A Will Scarlet Love Story) *Completed*

Chapter Four

~Chapter Four~

The Life

Impossible Possible?

~Earlier~

Footsteps hurried through the forest, the boy bounded over logs leading deeper into the woods. The encounter of the maiden made the young boy feel both awed and startled. The woman was beyond any words to describe the beauty she held on her face and her kindness shook him to his very core. Who would ever give coins willingly to a thief when money is so scarce? No one in their right mind would ever swoop that low.

That 'Mina' was an angel.

A beautiful, kind angel.

His huffed breaths hitched as his walnut brown eyes spotted home. Although he did not let up his sprint even though he was so close to safety.

The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the camp, causing the men residing there avert their attention to the boy crashing through the woods towards them. A tall, muscular man with blue eyes and a bushy brown beard and hair approached the boy with immediate concern, "Wulf! There yer're! Where have ye been?!" The man's face contorted into anger, "Yer were supposed to be back an hour ago with Scarlet! I just sent'im back to town to look for yah!"

The boy finally slowed down, now standing in front of the giant man, struggling to catch his breath. His hand slipped into his shirt and pulled out a loaf of bread, "I stole bread from the baker. I did a good job of snagging it but I did not notice a guard behind me a few ways. He saw me and guards chased me out of town into the forest. I was doing fine and the guards collapsed. Than I ran into this girl she-"

Whistles were blown by the men at the word 'girl'.

The giant rolled his eyes at the hooting and hollering men and focused on the boy.

"A girl... So you were spending time with a girl, worrying Scarlet and I to death?!"

Wulf' s eyes widened in horror, "No, no, no!" The boy shook his head quickly, "She was a woman about..." His walnut brown eyes scooped the landscape of men till they thought of the man the ginat had mentioned, "She was about Will' s age." Wulf than stared up at the giant with honesty shimmering in his eyes, "She saved me, father. More guards were coming and she told me to run. She covered for me..." The boy's eyes widened in remembrance, "Oh! And she gave me this!"

Shoving his hand deep into his pocket, Wulf pulled out ten pieces of silver and showed them to the men.

The giant man stared at the sparkingly silver in his son's hand, bewildered at the sight. "A woman gave you this? Wulf, I hope ye're tellin' the truth."

"I swear I am, father! She was very pretty and... had green eyes like... that jewel rich folk love so much."

John stared at the boy, considering the boy's tale. "Did this woman have a name, boy?"

The boy's walnut brown eyes met the light blue serious ones, "Yes! She told me it was Mina."

John nodded and thought over the name. An uncommon but beautiful name for a woman. His eyes turned to his men. "Go back to whatever yer were doin' lads. The excitement is over."

The men wandered away from John and Wulf Little back to what they were doing that was usually planning thefts in town or drinking beer. The giant man glanced to his son with a grand smile by clapping his hand on the small shoulder of Wulf. "I'm glad yer safe."

The boy grinned in return and nodded at his father as they joined in a loving embrace.

~Present~

In the forest, a worried, angry man marched through the forest. His brown shaggy hair swayed with every step he took as his hazel eyes stared forward into the dense forested path before him. His red scarlet hood hung over his eyes as to protect his ears from getting nipped by the cold air of the forest.

Will Scarlet knew all too well of worrying over someone else.

It pained his heart at the thought of his life.

Through his twenty three years,

He had seen what others haven't.

He had heard what other would never dream of hearing.

He had felt emotions that no one would ever understand.

Never had he had a person in his life stay besides John, Wulf, and the men of Sherwood. Although they did not count. They have been family to him but he refuses to act like they are in fear he may lose them too.

Just as his mother... and that little girl did.

That girl understood him better than anyone besides his beloved mother.

When the man found himself by a river, he sat down on a tree root with heavy thought before he would continue to Papplewick.

Will Scarlet's heart warmed slightly at the thought of the girl, but a thoughtful scowl remained on his face. He had hoped and dreamed for that single person he had lost a long time ago would be back in his life.

"Impossible." The man shook his head once more of countless times he had found himself believing in the thought and eyed the river cautiously.

The dead can and will never come back. It was a lesson Will had to learn many years ago at the age of seven, when his mother past away.

But could the impossible be possible? That little thought of hope questioned boldly despite his obvious negative feelings for the idea.

Will's frown strengthened as he pondered the question as he quickly stood up to continue his secret route through the forest from the camp to the small town of Papplewick to look for Wulf.

The forest held the silence as birds chirpped high in the trees. His hazel eyes strayed up to the birds as they happily fly above in the trees.

A hope lingered in his sorrowful heart...

Before he could take a moment to take a breath, a force hit him with such strength that swept him off his feet.

(End of Chapter Four)