Red lay on top of Bigbad's back, crossing her arms over the huge wolf's head and resting her chin on them. The horse-sized wolf, as black as a moonless night, lay at the edge of a cliff and gazed out across the sea as a blanket of grey clouds loomed overhead. Red sighed and glanced to the side, where her brother stood waiting.
"I don't know why you'd want me along," she said, turning her attention to a gull hovering in the breeze. "I'm only famous in Midae because people don't like me. When you left for New Avalon I had to steal to stay alive and it gave me a reputation I'd rather not have."
"Scarlet," Robin said calmly, folding his arms over his chest, "I'm sorry you had to live your life that way, I truly am. I know I am partly to blame for that but a familiar face will help, even if it's one of a thief. With Sir Lancelot there the council of nobles won't doubt your words at all."
"Selvina should go," mumbled Red. "She's the one who told King Midas about a way to save his daughter. The nobles will prefer her over me."
"Little Red, I need you with me. I don't know how long I can stomach Lancelot. I'll end up killing him before we arrive."
"Well, just don't kill him."
"Believe me, it's easier said than done. You should try sitting through one of the war councils sometimes. The man has no shred of decency."
"Coming from you, that's a surprise."
Robin chuckled lightly and Red couldn't help but smile. She couldn't deny the enjoyment she received being alone with her brother. It reminded her of the days they'd venture into the Old Forest together, hunting, hiking, exploring and adventuring. She knew her life would never be like that again but the memories were stronger when her brother was nearby and they were pleasant to recall. A journey to Midae would have its troubles and dangers but perhaps, with her brother beside her, it could become enjoyable.
"Does Lancelot really need to come?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"There needs to be an Avalonian representative with us and other than Merlin and King Arthur, he is the one that will have the highest impact with the nobles. Trust me, I'd much rather have someone else come along instead."
Red sighed and didn't reply for many minutes. "I don't know, Robin..."
"What else will you do during winter?" he asked, a note of desperation in his voice. "Selvina and Cindy will be going to Kenmard, Captain Hook and Jack will be attacking the blockades, and your friend Belle will most likely be helping in preparing for the campaign. The snows are deep in winter here, Little Red, and for the most part there will be little to do but wait until spring arrives. Sailing to Midae will be far more productive than sitting here."
Red sniffed. "Look at you, thinking of productivity. You used to be so carefree, Robin. You've changed."
"I've grown up, Scarlet. Being a general has shown me that sometimes our actions can have grievous impacts. This war is going to consume us all if we don't do everything we can to try and win it. We need those nobles to declare war on the empress. We need their help. There once was a time when I didn't care about such things but that time is long gone. I am a New Avalonian general and I will fight to the death to defend my home and the people I love."
Red raised an eyebrow in interest. "Like Queen Marian?"
To her surprise, Robin didn't even hesitate. "Yes, like Marian."
Red met her brother's intense gaze and took a deep breath before smirking. "You know, if you married her that would make you king." She giggled and stretched out on Bigbad's back. "Could you imagine that, Robin? You as a king? Even when we were kids we never dreamed of anything like that happening."
Robin relaxed and stepped back, leaning his body against a tree. He smiled and sniffed. "Isn't that scary? Me, Robin Hood, great thief of New Avalon, a king in a castle. King of Thieves they'd call me."
"Would that make me a princess, I wonder?"
"Well, you're aren't my daughter. You'd probably just be a noble, at best."
"Eww, nobles. I'll just be your sister."
Robin laughed. "You're going to have to speak to nobles soon, Little Red. You can't grimace in disgust in front of them. That might insult them a little."
"I don't care. They've never done anything for me."
"Wasn't it the Sauradian princess that helped you get a ship to find Selvina?"
"That was the sultan's former slave! But...I suppose the princess did help by getting in contact with her..." Red groaned and sat up, slid off Bigbad's back, and walked to the edge of the cliff. She scratched behind Bigbad's ear, smiling at his expression of delight, and looked at her brother. "If I'm going I want Bigbad with me. That way if Lancelot tries anything on me he'll have Bigbad to deal with."
"I'll be there too, Little Red."
"Well, unlike you, Bigbad has never left me for some queen across the sea."
Robin frowned. "Is that what you think I did?"
Red answered after a few moments' wait. "No, I know that's not why you left... I just..." She sat down and dangled her legs over the edge, not even flinching when a few clumps of dirt crumbled off, falling a hundred feet to the rocky shore below. "I just missed you, Robin, that's all."
Robin sat down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am here now, dear sister, and I won't be leaving you again. After we convince those nobles we should go riding into the Old Forest for a while. We can drop Lancelot off at a brothel or something in the meantime. It'll be just you and me, like old times."
Bigbad groaned and huffed, stomping a paw on the ground to get attention.
Robin laughed. "And Bigbad, of course." He wrapped an arm around his sister and hugged her close.
Red, enjoying the warmth, rested her head on her brother's shoulder. "I would like that." She watched a distant ship drift off into the horizon, its white sails full. "How can I convince the nobles, though? I'm not some hero."
For many minutes there was only silence. Red didn't expect her brother to have all the answers and she didn't really care if he had one or not. She just didn't want the moment to end.
"You mentioned that Selvina knew of a way to save King Midas' daughter," he said slowly, as if deep in thought. "Do you remember it?"
Red nodded her head, still resting on the shoulder. "Yeah, he needed water from some river in Noyr and if he soaked it over his daughter she would return to her normal self."
"She would be alive?"
"Yes, she wouldn't be a golden statue anymore. King Midas said he would send some men to retrieve it but I guess they never made it."
"I'm certain the empress had a hand in that..."
Suddenly, a thought snapped into Red's mind and she jerked upright, her eyes wide. She stared at her brother, her heart racing and her body filling with the warm pulses of hope. "Robin, what does Missus P stand for?"
"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"That river I, you, Selvina, Jack, Huck, and Jim rafted down—that one where we fought all the trolls. Huck said it was called Missus P by the locals because its real name was something too difficult to pronounce or too fancy or something. Do you know what it is?"
Robin narrowed his eyes in thought. "Oh damn, I haven't heard it called anything else in a long time. Marian told it to me once but that was years ago. I'm trying to remember but... Hmmm..."
"Would you remember it if you heard its name?" Red asked, her face flushing red with excitement. She was bouncing on her feet in anticipation.
"Perhaps..."
"Pactolus!" she exclaimed. "Is it Pactolus?!"
Red watched her brother's expression closely as it changed from one of deep thought to one of recognition and she could hardly supress a squeal of joy when he stood up and said, "Yes! That's the one! That does sound familiar!"
Red leapt at her brother and hugged him tightly. "That's how we'll do it, Robin! We'll get some water from Missus P, or River Pactolus, and bring it back to Midae. With that in our hands they'd agree to anything we'd ask of them."
Robin laughed and hugged his sister back. "You're a shrewd one, Little Red. I knew it was a good thing bringing you along. The council of nobles will have no choice but to listen to us now." He abruptly pulled away from the hug and eyed his sister with furrowed brows. "What if they still say no? What would you do with the water?"
Red gave her brother a wink. "Then we'd just sneak into the princess's room, dump the water over her and ask her instead. She is the heir to the throne, after all. I'm sure after saving her she'd be more than grateful and would help us in return."
Robin shook his head in amazement, a great smile spreading over his face. "Look at you, thinking like a strategist. Maybe you should marry Marian instead."
Red laughed and hugged her brother again, enjoying every minute of it. "I wouldn't want to make you cry, dear brother."
Robin chuckled and held the hug, glancing at Bigbad who watched them both, the wolf's tail wagging happily. The three remained on that cliff for quite some time afterwards, just enjoying one another's company and watching the sky darken slowly as the day wore on.
Red glanced from Robin to Bigbad and smiled warmly. Robin smiled back at her and she was certain that Bigbad was smiling too, in his own way.
It felt good to have family.