Max was aware that Isabel was right behind him. Of the four of them, she was the one who most craved release from their virtual imprisonment in Castle DeHarding. Both Max and Isabel knew that it was for their own protection, but it did not stop either of them from rebelling against their guardian Lord Edmund at every opportunity.

* Tess and Michael have always been more accepting of their fate. * Max reflected now. He always did his deepest thinking on horseback, for it was the one place he felt truly at home. * Michael has only ever wanted to return to our world, while Tess has always been happy with her place in the world, in her destiny to be my wife. Both Isabel and I want more. *

Although Lord Edmund had always told them that Tess and Isabel were sisters and that he and Michael were brothers, Max knew this for the lie it was. Isabel was the sister of his spirit, like him in so many ways there could be no question that they were of the same blood. But Max kept his counsel, knowing that Lord Edmund would reveal all when the time was right. * Michael is like my brother in all other ways anyway. *

While Max had always quietly obeyed Lord Edmund to his face, but then followed his own path behind their guardian's back, Isabel had always been more open in her opposition to their oppression. She had run away from Castle DeHarding numerous times as a young girl, always weeping with despair when she was hauled back by Lord Edmund's loyal retainers. Isabel was seeking something just beyond her grasp, as was Max. Max wondered briefly if they would ever find it.

* Well today is a good start. *

Max reined in Evander, Isabel breezing past him on her mare Sunshine before she became aware of his stop. She glanced back at him impatiently, her dark eyes more alive then he had seen them in months. Her veil was askew and one golden braid had come unbound and was hanging down her back. " Max, please! We're going to miss the tournament!" Max smiled reassuringly at her.

"We have plenty of time Bella. We must wait on Michael and Tess. They have obviously fallen far behind." Isabel sighed but nodded her understanding.

The pair were excitedly conversing about all they wanted to do in Nottingham that day when the silence of the forest was suddenly shattered by a scream. Isabel and Max exchanged frantic glances.

"Tess!" Isabel cried, spurring Sunshine back down the road they had just come up. Max followed, quickly passing Bella on his much bigger stallion.

"Wait Max!" Isabel called from behind him. "It's coming from off the road." Max glanced back over his shoulder and reined Evander off the road, plunging him through the lush, green foliage.

Max and Isabel broke through the underbrush almost simultaneously. They both reined in sharply at the sight that greeted them.

Michael and Tess were off their horses, backed up against a tree. Michael had his sword in his hands and was standing in front of Tess, obviously trying to protect her from the crowd that was gathered around them. What seemed like scores of longbows with knocked arrows were pointed straight at them. Max was surprised to see another man cowering behind Michael. He wore what appeared from this distance to be the attire of a man of the Church.

*Outlaws! * Max thought briefly to himself. Michael and Tess had obviously been held-up further back on the road. The outlaws had herded them off the road in order to rob them under cover. Many people would be passing on the road through Sherwood on their way to the Fair. The outlaws could not afford to have another party come upon them in the middle of their robbery. The priest had obviously been a victim of the outlaws as well.

Max realized that a large quantity of the bows were now pointed at he and Isabel, who had acted in haste and had ended up in exactly the same predicament as their siblings.

A tall thin man stepped forward and eyed Isabel appreciatively. Max felt his spine stiffen instinctively. Max knew that other men considered Bella to be beyond beautiful. He had often heard troubadour's compare her beauty to that of the angels. Of them all, she was certainly in the most danger. "Well, well. What have we here?" The leader of the outlaws smirked. "Another fine lord and lady have found their way into our hospitality!" He reached up, grasped Isabel by the arm and hauled her off her horse. "And a beautiful baggage we have uncovered too!"

Max was off his horse in an instant, his sword unsheathed and in his hand without conscious thought. "Get your filthy hands off of her!" He grabbed Isabel's other arm and pulled her away from the outlaw, thrusting her behind him.

The outlaw scowled at him. "Filthy am I me fine lord?" He advanced on Max threateningly. "We'll see how filthy you are when I'm done with you!"

Max glanced at Michael across the clearing. He could see that his brother was slowly losing control of his anger. The last thing they wanted was for Michael to expose them all because of a lack of control. But Max was not too worried. He knew that Michael would not act without permission from Max if he was able to hold on to his temper. If it came down to their lives or the lives of the outlaws, there would be no choice other than to allow Michael to use his power. But Max had not lost complete control of the situation yet.

"I beg your pardon sir." He ground out through clenched teeth. It went against every instinct in him to be polite to the man who had threatened Isabel. "My sister is most dear to me. I do not allow men to put their hands on her."

The outlaw eyed him assessingly. "Aye," he said finally, "I can understand that when one has a sister as lovely as yours." Max heard Isabel snort behind him. He hoped that she would be able to control her wicked tongue until he got them out of this debacle.

"My siblings and I are on our way to the Nottingham Fair. If you would be so kind as to let us pass, we swear that we will report none of this to the Sheriff." The outlaw tilted his head to the side, seemed to be considering. Max held his breath.

"Well, we only wanted a toll from your brother over there anyway." The outlaw conceded. "When he refused, we had no choice but to bring them here, in order to convince him." The outlaw grinned nastily, displaying several rotting teeth. "Mayhap you can convince him for us milord."

Max sighed. * Trust Michael to choose the most difficult route. Why could he have not just paid the outlaws and then been on his way? * "Very well sir! If you'd be so kind as to allow me to converse with my brother, I am sure we can reach an agreement that will be mutually satisfactory." The outlaw lowered his bow, nodding. He raised it again when Isabel tried to follow Max.

"The lady stays with me." Isabel's mouth straightened mutinously, but Max stared at her warningly.

"Fine, but I insist that she be allowed to mount her horse." * At least he will keep his hands to himself if Bella is beyond his immediate reach. * The outlaw looked as though he was going to refuse, but then he nodded.

As Max crossed the clearing he realized that there were not nearly so many outlaws as he had originally perceived. Only about ten men stood between he and Michael and Tess.

Michael was glaring at Max mutinously when he reached his brother and his betrothed. Tess threw herself into Max's arms. "Oh thank goodness! Max, are they going to kill us?"

Max disentangled himself from Tess' embrace. He always felt uncomfortable when Tess became too affectionate. While he accepted that he would marry her one day, he considered her more like a sister than anything else. Still, it was his duty to reassure her. "We'll be fine Tess." He turned to stare at his brother. "But no thanks to you Michael. Why did you not just pay them and let it go?"

"I told him so my lord," this was from the priest, who looked relieved that it appeared that he was about to be saved. Michael rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond.

Michael had no time to speak though because suddenly a disturbance on the far side of the clearing caught all of their attention. Max whirled in time to see Isabel back off her horse and in the outlaw leader's arms. She was fighting him but he was quickly gaining the upper hand.

"Bella!" Max yelled, but was thrust back by the bows in the hands of the other outlaws.

"You just stay where you are milord." Max felt his anger mounting. Isabel was clawing at the outlaw's face and he suddenly thrust her to the ground.

"Think you're so special do you my lady?" Max could hear the outlaw as though he was Isabel cowering under him. Isabel had connected with Max and was sending him the information he needed to deal with the situation. But the problem was, Max had not idea HOW to deal with the situation. Ten brawny and cruel outlaws stood between he and Isabel.

Max's mind was whirling in a thousand directions. But all thought stopped as a bright light suddenly lit up the clearing. Max whirled to see Michael standing with his arm upraised, his palm glowing, an expression of absolute rage on his face.

"Michael...NOOO!" Tess tried to grab his arm, but he shook her off easily. She fell to the ground, sobbing. Max just stared, shocked disbelief on his face. "We are all betrayed!" He heard Tess cry.

Max could see the priest backing away from Michael, an expression of absolute terror mangling his wizened face. He started to cross himself frantically.

A moment later, it was over.

Where moments before there had been eleven threatening outlaws, there were now eleven bodies sprawled on the ground. Isabel was getting to her feet on the far side of the clearing, her face mirroring Max's own shock.

Max knelt beside the nearest outlaw, putting his ear to the man's chest. "He's dead." Max watched Michael's expression change from absolute conviction-filled anger to that of a scared boy, which he really only was.

The priest spoke up. "You are all demons!" He cried in terror, cowering against a tree, still crossing himself repeatedly. "Blessed Father, preserve me. Mother Mary, full of grace, save me!"

Max took a step towards the old man, his hand outstretched, "Father, please..."

"No! Stay back! I will call on all the angels of Heaven to preserve me from the likes of you." The priest fainted dead-away at Max's feet. Max let his arm drop.

Tess was on her feet, her arm around Michael. She was trying to comfort him. "You did what you had to do Michael. He was going to hurt Bella. You had no choice." Michael pulled away from her and turned his back, leaning forward against a tree, his forehead propped against his forearm.

"Max, what are we going to do?" Tess implored him. Isabel had picked her way through the scattered corpses and slid her arm around Tess, who had begun to sob again.

Max stiffened his spine. He was still shocked by the destruction that Michael had been responsible for. Until this moment, he realized, none of us knew the power we are really capable of.... *Be strong Max! * He ordered himself. * The other's are depending on you. *

"First of all, we are going to bury these men. Then we will return to the road and finish the journey to Nottingham." Max told the other three.

"Do you really think we should Max?" Isabel asked quietly, after they had buried the outlaws, gathered their horses and had started to make their way back to the road. They had left the priest where he had fallen, but only after Tess had connected with him, erasing his memory of the past hour's events. "I think that Lord Edmund needs to know of this." Max knew how worried Isabel was if she was considering going to Lord Edmund. Michael was several feet behind them, a brooding expression on his face. Max knew that her main concern was for Michael's state of mind.

"We are going to the Fair." Max stated firmly. "Michael, you were not to blame." He told his brother. Michael raised his head and stared blankly at him. "We will all forget this ever happened." The other three all just stared at him. Max gentled his tone. "It has never been more clear than it is today; we are visitors on this world." They had reached the road. Max mounted Evander and looked down at Isabel. "We have to behave normally. If anyone were to ever discover who we really are..." He let the thought trail off.

Tess' eyes widened in terror. Max knew that visions of being handed over to the Church as heretics were foremost in her mind. It had always been her greatest fear, since the day they had all realized that they were not normal. Isabel nodded her understanding, while Michael just looked broken.