In the Holy Land

Robin stood before her grave. Even if some day he did manage to come back here, he would never be able to find this place again. No permanent marker, just a wooden cross stuck into the sandy earth that would weather and dissolve within years if not months. And the goodbye he would have to make here would be for forever. He had never truly understood forever, he thought, until this moment. Until this moment faced with leaving his beloved behind in a foreign land, and somehow soldiering on and continuing the cause they had been fighting for. He realized that the cause had always been Marian's, that the cause had been Marian herself. All of his past was her, and now he faced a future in which she would be have no part. Not even her grave could be a part of his life. He had left Marian for this Godforsaken land, and suffered and died for her here, returned to her, yet never possessed her, only to return here, to this war madness and lose her. God could be nowhere in this.

He knelt down and placed his hands on the dirt above her body.

"Marian," he whispered self-consciously, glancing around, but the hillside was deserted. "Marian, I'm sorry I don't really know how to do this, but, we're leaving in a couple hours. I don't think I'll ever be back here, or ever be able to find this spot again anyway. And right now…I feel like I'm leaving you behind and I don't know how I can!"

He bent over double and leaned his forehead against the earth, and then lay down in the dust completely.

"I love you," he breathed. "Please wait for me; I know it won't be long until we'll be together forever, I promise."

He got to his knees again and took a deep breath,

"The Lord is my shepherd," his voice broke and he swallowed. He blinked back tears furiously and began again,

"Yea, though I walk through…through the valley…"

A sob escaped his lips and he pressed his hands against his mouth to stop himself from making another sound. I can't, he thought, I can't. He shook his head roughly and stood and fairly ran from the gravesite to where Much was waiting just on the edge of the horizon. Much watched as Robin ran towards him like a man driven mad, and he whispered to the winds,

"I will bring him home safely to you again. Goodbye Marian."