Or rather, Tess was arguing and Max appeared to be ignoring her. He was still watching Lady Elizabeth, who stood slightly to the side, her hands clasped in front of her pretty blue gown, her dark eyes staring at Tess assessingly.

Tess had worked herself into quite a lather as it stood. The crowd gathered around them was beginning to stir with interest, more and more of the townspeople and peasants gathered on the common halting their own conversations to listen to the small, blonde virago.

"Really Max! What were you thinking?" Tess repeated. "We were supposed to keep a low profile today. This will certainly get back to Lord Edmund now."

Isabel knew that Tess was truly concerned that Lord Edmund would hear about their trip to Nottingham, particularily about the near catastrophe that had befallen them in Sherwood. However, the peculiar light that had appeared in Tess' eyes was warning enough that Lord Edmund was not her main cause of anger with Max.

Until today Tess had never had any sort of competition for Max's affection. The four of them had always been aware that they were intended for each other, Michael for Isabel, Max for Tess. While they had always accepted it, there had never been any reason for them NOT to accept it either. Now, in Max's case, it appeared there was.

Isabel knew that while she loved Michael, it was not in the way in which troubadours sang of love. It was not with a passion so bright that it scalded, nor with an intensity so strong it ached....Michael was more like a brother to her...she knew that Michael felt the same about her, that Max felt the same way about Tess...to the point that Isabel had wondered if they were capable of romantic love. She had speculated privately that perhaps their hearts were not able to love in the same way human hearts were...

She had wondered this until today...until she had seen the way Max reacted to five minutes in the presence of Lady Elizabeth de Parkeville...until she had witnessed Tess change from cheerful, if careful, sister to a spurned, jealous betrothed wife...

Isabel had not immediately understood why Max had entered that competition, but Tess had...her blue eyes had narrowed and she had tensed on the bench beside Isabel. It was only then that Bella had watched her brother more closely, more assessingly...

Even Michael, who was by far the more competitive of the two boys, had not brought the same intensity to his archery that Max had....Max had wanted to win for one reason - to win the kiss of Lady Elizabeth.

Isabel now listened to Tess upbraid Max. In many ways she agreed with her sister. Max had endangered them by throwing off their anonymity....but as she watched him now, his eyes bright, his face alive as she had never seen it before, she could not blame him. She had always yearned for something that had seemed just beyond her reach. She had always known that Max felt the same.

She wondered now if Max had been the first to find it...

Isabel's reverie was interupted, as was Tess' tirade, when Sir Kyle suddenly appeared at Lady Elizabeth's elbow. Bella saw Max tense.

"Gooday Isabel, Tess." Kyle addressed them cordially. Isabel flinched slightly when she became aware fo the way the Sheriff's son's eyes settled hotly upon her. Perhaps Tess had been accurate in her assessment that Sir Kyle had taken her flirting a fortnight ago more seriously than Isabel had intended.

Isabel lowered her eyes demurely, hoping he would get the picture that she was uninterested. "Good afternoon Sir Kyle," she murmered. She watched through lowered lashes as Sir Kyle led Lady Elizabeth forward.

"Have you met my betrothed Lady Elizabeth de Parkeville ladies?" Although Sir Kyle's tone was friendly, the threatening look he sent in Max's direction was undeniable and made Isabel shiver. So, she reflected, even the numbskull Sir Kyle noticed the interest between the two...Their anonymity would truly be sacrificed if the Sheriff's son decided they were his enemies...

"We are most pleased to make your acquaintance Lady Elizabeth." Isabel replied. Tess was no help, simply glaring at the other girl. "I am Isabel de..." She felt Max knudge her. "...of Huntington..." she inserted smoothly, "and this is my sister Tess."

Lady Elizabeth stepped forward, her eyes interested and kind. "I am pleased to meet you both. I was unaware of other ladies in the neighborhood so close to my own age." She smiled, although it seemed somewhat forced. Her next words betrayed why. "When Sir Kyle and I marry we must renew the acquaintance." Isabel was instantly aware from the other girl's tone that she hoped the event never took place - not visits with Isabel and Tess but, rather, and more importantly, marriage with Sir Kyle.

Tess at last spoke up. "I doubt that will be possible milady." The four others turned to stare at her. Lady Elizabeth blinked, Max's eyes narrowed, Sir Kyle looked suspicious, while Isabel tensed. "Our guardian is very particular about whom he allows us to see. It just seems unlikely...." Tess raked her blue eyes from the top of Elizabeth's dark head to the toes of her slippers and repeated, "No, not possible at all."

Isabel watched Max's lips compress to a straight line and his dark eyes reflected that he was about to say something he would later regret....

"Tess!" Bella grabbed her sister urgently by the arm. "Pray excuse us Lady Elizabeth, Sir Kyle...."She offered a smile to the snubbed Elizabeth, hoping to erase the bewildered expression on the other girl's face. "We are most fatigued, unused as we are to such excitement." She motioned to the crowds around them. "Max, we will meet you at our horses in a few minutes. We would be most happy to meet you again milady." She smiled again at Elizabeth, but quickly hauled her sister away before she could get them in even more trouble.

When Isabel had managed to pull Tess out of ear-shot she turned to her sister in annoyance. "What were you hoping to accomplish with that little display?" She demanded. Tess raised her chin in defiance.

"I was making clear to that little simpering noblewoman that I am on to her..." Her blue eyes flashed with barely concealed fury. "I saw the way she was staring at Max, playing up to him...He is mine." Isabel's eyes widened in astonishment. She had never seen this side of her sister...totally unreasonable...and totally oblivious to the fact that Max had been just as infatuated with Lady Elizabeth as the lady had been with him...this was dangerous...Tess had been reckless, totally unlike herself...and so had Max.

"Well," Isabel told her, trying to calm Tess down, "Max will never see her again after today anyway. When Lord Edmund hears of this he will lock us all away for a year..."

Tess' face relaxed minutely. "Yes, I suppose that you are correct Bella." She began to tap her foot impatiently. "Where is he?" She demanded, her temper evidently beginning to rise again. "And where is Michael? We really must start home. It will soon be dark....we do not want to be waylaid in Sherwood again."

Isabel scanned the crowd. "I see Michael over there. He is joining Max. He'll get Max to leave." Tess followed her gaze, tensing suddenly.

"Bella! Look! It's that priest...the one from Sherwood...." Isabel followed Tess' gaze and felt her heart enter her throat as she watched the priest make his way through the crowd, his eyes intent on Max and Michael, who were still conversing with Sir Kyle and Lady Elizabeth. Her stomach clenched when she realized that the Sheriff of Nottingham had also joined the little group. She forced herself to calm down.

"It will be fine Tess." Bella reassured her sister. "You erased his memory. He will not recognize them..." She was not as certain as she sounded though. While Tess' powers were known to be mind-altering, she had never actually practiced them in the dire circumstances they had experienced earlier that day. Yes, Tess could make unicorns appear from the mist and stars seem to dance in the sky, but she had never before had cause to replace entire memories....and the priest had been unconcious when Tess had done it...there had been no proof that she had succeeded.

Isabel held her breath as the priest passed only five feet fo the right of where Michael and Max stood, completely oblivious to the danger in which they found themselves...Isabel felt Tess grab her hand, clutching it until it was numb...

They both froze as the priest abruptly came to a halt, staring at their brothers...horror and terror began to dawn on his face, and, as though he was suddenly woken from a nightmare, he shook his head, raising his arm and pointing directly at Michael...

"Demon!" He yelled, his voice so loud and insistent it carried to where Tess and Isabel stood, helpless and frozen with terror, unable to help Max and Michael in any way...

Michael's head whipped around and Isabel could see him stumble into Max in his shock. Max put up his arms to catch his brother, his posture suddenly stiff...

"Stop the demons!" The priest pointed at them both now, recognition of Max clearly dawning as well. "They killed eleven men in East Sherwood this afternoon, with no weapons and without laying a hand on any of them..." Max was frantically looking around for an escape, his arm still firmly planted around Michael's shoulders. Isabel could see Michael struggling to escape, his shock quickly turning to anger.

"We saved your life you stupid old man!" Michael yelled, his fury evident in every line on his body. If Max had not had a firm grip on him, he would have attacked the priest.

Isabel noticed that the Sheriff had unsheathed his sword. He was staring from Michael to the priest, clearly trying to get a handle on what was occuring.

Sir Kyle was trying to lead Lady Elizabeth away, but she wrenched herself from his grasp, clearly unwilling to leave Max's side - particularily if he was in danger. Sir Kyle stepped away from her, annoyance and hurt plain on his face.

The priest was still yelling. Max was trying to make Michael walk away, but Michael stood rooted to the spot, his desire to murder the priest apparently rising with every moment.

"I suggest we adjourn to the castle and deal with this matter in private, " Max finally suggested, appealing to the Sheriff. The Sheriff looked inclined to grant the request, whe Sir Kyle suddenly stepped forward, his tone cold.

"What is there to discuss? A man of the Church has accused your brother of murder." Kyle pointed at Michael, arrogance and disdain plain in his stance. "They belong in the dungeon until this is sorted out." Isabel felt her heart constrict as several well-dressed nobles who had gathered at the scene began to nod their heads in agreement. She saw Lady Elizabeth appearing to be about to step in and likely plead on Max and Michael's behalf when Michael cut her off.

"We will not be thrown in any dungeon." His hand went up. Tess gasped and Isabel nearly fainted. She caught her breath when Max grabbed Michael's arm and started to pull him away.

"We are leaving...right now."

The crowd parted suddenly and a man dressed in the attire of a bishop of the Church stepped forward, blocking their path. "I command that you arrest these men Sheriff. In the name of the Church they will be tried for witchcraft." He eyed the trembling priest, who was clearly beginning to lose his nerve. "A man of God does not lie and therefore his word must be heeded. Arrest them..."

Isabel could see that the Sheriff was torn. He clearly did not believe the priest, but did not want to defy such a high man of the Church in public...the crowd around the little group had grown to almost astronomical proportions...

The matter was suddenly and irrevocably taken from the Sheriff's plate whe Lady Elizabeth suddenly threw herself on the Bishop, knocking the church leader to the ground. The crowd bellowed in astonishment at the sight of a refined lady seated atop the head of the Church in the region. As Sir Kyle moved forward to haul her off, Elizabeth appealed to Max, "Run Max!"

Isabel could see Norman soldiers beginning to push their way through the crowd....

Max was staring at Elizabeth, clearly undecided. Isabel knew that her brother trusted in justice. It went against every fibre of his being to run away.....

The decision was taken out of his hands by Michael, who hauled his brother away, grabbing the nearest horse and thrusting its' reins into Max's hands.

Max mounted quickly, clearly searching the crowd for Isabel and Tess. Isabel closed her eyes, frantically searching for calm....she connected almost immediately...

**Go Max! We're safe! We'll follow later! **

**I can't leave you Bella! **

** Do it Max... getting yourself arrested will not help us. **

With that, Max wheeled his horse around, Michael close on the steed's heels, another pilfered horse under him.

"Sheriff!" One of the barons bellowed. "They're stealing my horses!"

The Sheriff stared after Max and Michael, forcing himself to concentrate. "Captain!" The captain of the castle guard quickly broke through the crowd...Isabel watched her brothers disapear through the gates of the city, Max looking back only once, Michael not at all...