Catrine raced up the familiar hill alone, smiling down as she recognized Gisborne Manor at the base of the gentle slope. Her mind thrilled with excitement, remembering the night she spent hiding with Guy in the nearby barn. A slight blush rose to her cheeks again at the memory. She certainly didn't want Robin to see her flushed face, so she continued hurriedly down the slope, scanning the lands for any sign of Guy.

She paused halfway down the hill when a brown horse caught her eye, led by a tall and dark-haired young man. Guy. Her heart jumped to see him again. She quickly cast a glance over her shoulder to see if Robin and the others were on their way before she raced towards the brown horse and its owner. Guy tied the steed to a nearby fence post and began brushing its sleek coat. Undaunted and excited, Catrine sprinted as fast as she could, and her hurry spooked the young horse. Rearing and neighing, the horse strained against its tether while Guy frantically tried to calm his beast.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled at the girl behind him as he pulled against the horse's jerking.

"Guy, it's me!" Catrine tried to explain, feeling her excitement rapidly draining at his anger.

"I don't know who you are. But you clearly have no regard for anyone besides yourself," his grey eyes fumed as he shot her a furious glance over his shoulder.

Catrine shook her head, "Don't you remember over a year ago? I'm Robin's cousin, Catrine. We played together and then… then you saved me that night."

"I don't remember anything like that, you foolish girl," Guy grumbled as he finally steadied his spooked horse.

Tears began to nag Catrine's eyes, "But you… saved me… from a beating. Don't you remember at all?"

She saw him pause as he began brushing the brown coat once more, "So what if I do?" he mumbled as he continued his work.

Catrine smiled at him, secretly wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, "Well, if you do remember even the slightest bit, would you like to go swimming with me nearby in the forest stream? And Robin and some others are coming too. But won't you come with me?"

"Swimming? With a young girl?" Guy stopped his brushing and turned entirely around to look at her. "I am not a boy anymore. I don't have time for such games, and I certainly don't have time to play around with girls like you." His face darkened just before he turned his back on her again.

Stamping her foot, Catrine spun around too, "Robin was right about you," she called over her shoulder, "You are sour. If growing up means growing sulky and rude, then I don't ever want to grow up anymore." And with that, she raced back up the hill to find Robin, feeling the last shreds of childhood infatuation tear away from her girlish heart.

###

"Just keep your head above the water like this," Robin explained as he dove deeper into the middle of the stream, "And watch how I move my arms back and forth and my legs too." Catrine nervously watched from the shore, stripped down to her shift, slightly embarrassed to be so close to naked in front of Robin and the peasant children, keeping her arms crossed over her breasts to hide them under the white material.

"Are… are you sure you know what you're doing, Robin?" Catrine asked, her voice quivering a bit from fear.

"Yeah, come on!" Robin yelled as he waded up to her, grabbing her hand and dragging her deeper in the water.

Catrine flailed away from him and nervously looked at the dimming sky; sunset was coming closer and closer. "Robin, maybe we should wait. It's getting late, and if I'm not back by sunset…"

Robin splashed her, "Don't worry. I'll have you home by then," a wide grin spread across his face as he brushed his wet hair away. "Now, come on Catrine," he started dragging her deeper in the water.

The water began to rise around her waist, and Catrine clutched at Robin's hand even tighter. Peasant children splashed everywhere else around them, ducking into the water, swimming along the bank and racing each other. It looked so easy to swim. So Catrine forced a smile and wadded even deeper as she followed Robin.

"Right. Now move your arms like this," Robin instructed as he stroked his arms around his head in the air. Catrine mimicked the motion and nodded. "And then, when you lay on your stomach, you'll kick your legs back and forth, just like this," Robin floated himself in the water on his back, kicking his legs and stroking his arms as he swam around Catrine. She laughed at just how silly it looked.

At that moment, a brown horse came trotting up along the stream's bank, and Catrine startled in fear, thinking Tanner had come to claim her. But then her heart stopped racing with fear and instead pounded with excitement. It was Guy.

Robin popped out of the water, "Who invited you, sourpuss?"

Guy dismounted and tied his horse up to a nearby tree branch, "Your cousin actually. And I won't be sour," he flashed a smile to the two of them wadding in the water, "I'm here to swim." With that, he removed his dark doublet and shoes, walking into the water towards everyone.

Catrine smiled broadly as Guy came to join them, "I'm glad you changed your mind. Robin was just about to teach me how to swim."

Guy cocked his brow at Robin beside him, "This one? Catrine, I'm a far better swimmer, and it would be my pleasure to teach you instead."

"Shove off, sourpuss. I didn't invite you along. She's my cousin, so back off," Robin began shouting, splashing water in Guy's face.

"Why you…" Guy began, but tackled Robin into the water instead. The two boys splashed and trashed around in the stream water, still shallow enough for both of them to stand. Catrine sighed and walked even deeper into the water away from the stupid boys and their fighting. Looking across the stream, she didn't think it was too far to swim to the other side. In the middle of the stream, the water ran faster, Catrine could tell as the stream looked more troubled and bubblier. But that bank looked so close.

She cast a glance behind her and watched as Robin clung to Guy's back in an attempt to drag the much bigger youth down into the water. Shrugging, Catrine tried to remember how Robin looked while demonstrating how to swim. Kick your legs, and move your arms, he had said. Catrine did so in the water, craning her neck above the small ripples and flowing water. For a while, she felt all right, her head high above the water as she kicked and paddled her way across the stream.

Then suddenly, she felt as though something grabbed on to her legs and began dragging her down under the water. Waves and ripples began to splash around her face, and Catrine flailed wildly to try and keep breathing. With her last breath above the water, she screamed as loud as she could.