Excuse me.
Guy, there's a messenger outside with a letter.
He's insisting he gives it to the Lord Of The Manor in person.
Is it from Lady Marian? No, he says it's from the King.
The King?
So where is he, then?
Well, he was here a minute ago.
He thought Robin was still Lord Of The Manor. Maybe he found out he wasn't and ran off.
And what fool told him that?
Get after him! I want that letter!
Yeah. He won't get far. He's only on foot. Ha!
Hey. Guards, come on!
Happy Birthday, Gisborne.
Party going well, is it?
We've got a problem.
Just give us the letter and we'll let you go, all right? No!
SHOUTING IN THE DISTANCE
Oi! Over 'ere.
Come along!
Look, you've got the most distinctive tracks in the forest.
You might as well give up now!
This way!
BRANCH CREAKS
HE PANTS
Aaaaargh!
Ooh! Oh-uh!
Uh.
HE GRUNTS IN PAIN
Give us the message from the King.
It's for Robin Of Locksley and his eyes only.
Just give it to me or we'll take it from you.
ARROW ZOOMING THROUGH THE AIR
Ugh! Ugh!
Don't you know it's rude to read other people's mail? !
By the time you get close enough to use those swords, you'll be so full of arrows,
you'll look like hedgehogs.
HE CHUCKLES
So. . .
This is what Gisborne's dogsbody does, is it?
I'm not his dogsbody. I'm his right-hand man.
Oh.
I couldn't face myself in the morning, if I was you.
I count my money in the morning. While you two are squabbling, there's a man in agony over there.
Run back to your master.
Go on.
Go on!
RUN!
Do you practise little speeches like that?
Like what? "You'll be so full of arrows, you'll look like hedgehogs."
No, it just came to mind. You practise, don't you? No.
Robin. . . Ssh-sh-sh-sh.
I know you.
MAN GROANS IN PAIN
Save your strength.
Lardner. . .
Lardner!
It's the royal seal. It is from Richard.
So, where are they, Gisborne?
They'll be here. Woodcock, Sir Guy.
Birthday treat.
Shall I get started?
If you must.
Your men had better get to him before Robin does.
He wants reinforcements.
He wants more men.
He still has got no idea. He has no idea what's happening in England.
The message you sent with Carter. It can't have reached the King yet.
Many a courier gets intercepted. The proof of that's right here.
He wants me to send. . .
. .a note back with. . .
Lardner, telling him how many men I can recruit and when I'll arrive.
But. . . This. . . This isn't Lardner.
This is McLellan. This is Lawrence McLellan.
Well, then who's Lardner?
Richard The Lionheart, they call him.
Going into battle in a foreign land, it's not the heart of a lion you want, is it?
Huh?
Since when did a heart hurt anybody? Huh? !
Come on then! Come on!
I've got the heart of a lion!
You can imagine the Saracens translating that, can't you?
LAUGHTER
"He's got the what of a lion?
"The teeth?
"The jaws? The claws?"
LAUGHTER
No! The heart!
Richard The Lion Claw, Jerusalem's yours.
Come in. Sit down. Help yourself!
Lion Heart?
It's good, very good. Forget about it.
It's no wonder it's taking him so long over there, is it?
LAUGHTER
Mind you, mind you. . .
It's better than his brother, isn't it?
Prince John.
What's Prince John doing?
Sitting at home, heart of a dormouse?
Prince John is a friend of mine!
It's a joke. It's what I do.
I do other things. Let's try some soothsaying.
Sit down, sit down, sit down. I'll make some predictions and then I'll make them come true.
Someone in this room will bare their buttocks to the Sheriff tonight.
Take that man to the dungeons now!
No, hang on. Prediction two, Sir Guy's joint will rise from the dead.
What's that supposed to mean? Your woodcock, Sir Guy, I can bring it back to life. Get rid of him!
My third prediction's about Prince John.
One day Prince John will be King of England. I know that already.
But did you know there's something in Nottingham that can stop him? Like what?
Lardner's Ring.
What is Lardner's Ring?
Well, let me go and I'll tell you.
Lock him in the cell overnight, flog him in the morning and then he'll tell us.
Now that really is funny!
RAUCOUS LAUGHTER
You should listen to me! I know what I'm talking about.
Ah!
The first prediction! I told you! And the others will follow.
Beware the power of Lardner's Ring.
What is Lardner's Ring?
I know I'm meant to be loyal and obedient, but the King doesn't know the facts.
And once he does, then we turn home.
And this is no time for you to go back to the Holy Land.
We're agreed then.
Absolutely.
Would you like to say a few words?
Go on then.
Will you marry me?
What?
The first time I held my bow, I knew.
It felt right.
Like it had been made for me.
And that's how I feel about you.
I promised your father I would protect and look after you.
But it works both ways.
I look after my bow because it protects and looks after me.
Together we're stronger.
So. . .
Marian.
Will you marry me?
Robin, of every single man in the world,
you are the only one. . .
Is that a yes? Will you let me finish?
I'm sorry.
The only one who would propose over a fresh grave
by comparing me to your weapon. Well, is that a no?
Who will give me away?
I can ask the King.
So we find Lardner and bring the King home.
Defeat the Sheriff
and then we get married.
Well, that sounds like a plan.
Move, you worm!
MEN MOAN
Right.
Uh!
What's that? !
It's a dove.
Well, I've seen it all now!
Here, why do you keep a bird in your pocket?
Why do you keep a worm in your pants?
You should keep an eye on that belt of yours!
Where is he?
He's dead. What about the message? Well, we got part of it, yeah.
But Robin turned up. . . Turned up?!
And got his message? I don't know.
Look, he kinda took us by surprise.
All we heard him say was "Lardner", that was it.
(Lardner.)
(That's what he said.)
I blame you for this!
You had him on your doorstep and you let him escape? !
You and your imbeciles!
Six legs against one and the one
got away!
PEOPLE GASP
There's an explanation. There is always a rational explanation.
We know McLellan and the Fool spoke together, so something was said about the ring of Lardner.
Maybe it's got a coded inscription on it. It's no problem.
We'll just torture the Fool until he tells us.
He's disappeared!
I know that, you blithering oaf!
Know anyone called Lardner?
Have you ever known or heard of anyone
or anything called Lardner?
Lardner's Ring? What is it? What is it?
Tell us where it is or we will take every ring in this village.
(It must be some kind of ring tax.) (Allan's with them.)
Leave me alone!
I don't know anything.
Right, you've had your chance. Lose the ring
or lose the finger.
Somebody knows where Lardner is.
(Did he say Lardner? )
(Does that mean something to you? )
So, when the sand runs out. . .
. .the finger. . .comes off!
Much, when we were in the Holy Land,
do you remember anybody called Lardner?
No. Why? Because I have to find him.
Where's, er. . . Where's Will and Djaq?
They said they've gone to get some honey.
They'll be back soon.
If that's what they've gone for. But why does it need two of them?
Hm? Honey is one of those things.
What things? What do you call it when you use
a sweet innocent word but what you really mean is something else?
A lie. No. A euphemism?
A euphemism.
Exactly!
Yes. There's a bit too much honey going on around here if you ask me.
Will and Djaq nipping off together.
You two going for long walks in the forest.
He's jealous.
What happened to fighting for justice and rebelling against the Sheriff?
We should be sticking together!
Instead, we're splitting into couples.
To be perfectly honest. . .
. .I don't fancy mine much.
Anyway, while you two have been off gallivanting. . .
We haven't been gallivanting!
I know what you've been up to.
We've been burying a corpse in the forest.
Is that a euphemism?
Speak now and spare this woman's finger.
Say nothing and your silence proves your guilt.
Can we risk it? Yeah, we have to.
I'll take him the long way round, lead him away from camp.
Stop!
I know who Lardner is.
And I know about his ring.
Let the woman go. You're in Robin Hood's gang, aren't you? Let the woman go!
Now. . .tell me about Lardner.
You'll have to catch us first!
Get after 'em!
That way!
Whoa! Whoa! Hold there, horsey!
Or it was.
Robin?
What's happened? It's Gisborne. He's at Locksley, terrorising the people.
What?
He's searching for Lardner's Ring.
Ah, Gisborne The Gullible. I've got something to show you.
First you see it, then you don't.
There it is. And there it isn't.
What's your point?
How did you do that?
You simply pull up on the handle, the claw grabs hold of the bird.
You lift up the lid, the bird's gone.
The cooked bird has been hollowed out, you put a live dove
inside it and lah di dah di dah. . . A plate full of bird's wings.
Hm? Your Fool, he's no sorcerer, he's no soothsayer.
And he cannot predict the future.
He was right about Lardner's Ring though.
Bring 'em in!
Back home, my uncle had a friend.
The Sultan's official pigeon handler.
He handles pigeons?
Yes, he handles pigeons.
Ajob, I suppose.
It's a very important job, Much!
Now, the Sultan's very best pigeon -
the smallest
and quickest one,
was a pigeon called Lardner.
Right.
Does he have a ring?
And if he does, what's so special about it?
The Saracens use pigeons to carry messages.
They put the message on a little ring tied to the bird's foot and then they let it fly off.
It doesn't matter how far away the bird is when you let it go, because it will always find its way home.
Carrying the message with it.
But it isn't their home they are searching for.
It is their mate.
All you have to do is split the two of them up.
And a pigeon will carry a message to the ends of the Earth, faster and
straighter than any man ever could, just to be with the one they love.
So we could get a message to King Richard, half away across the world, in no time at all?
A matter of days.
That's incredible!
My question is, why is the Sultan's best pigeon being used by King Richard?
Maybe they've formed an alliance or something.
Or maybe King Richard and his army have helped themselves.
If they've got Lardner, they've
got the Sultan.
And if they've got the Sultan,
they've got everyone.
We have to go back to the tree.
So that's what he had in his box.
And the only place he could've left it is up that tree.
You make me sick, you know that? Betraying your old friends.
I hope you're enjoying it, Allan. I couldn't live with myself.
Ah well, you won't have to for much longer, you see.
The penalty for being in Robin Hood's gang is death!
Right, well. I'm glad I could have been of service, I think my work here is done. Can I go now?
You can go, of course. With him, to the gallows. Hang them both!
And feed their carcasses to the birds.
Come along, Gisborne. No time to lose.
No, please. Have mercy. Don't let them do this to me! Hey.
Please. Well, seeing you swing will be comedy, won't it?
Very good.
If Robin gets the bird, it means the King knows our plans.
And the last thing we need is the King and his army coming back to England before we're ready for them.
So we must catch the pigeon.
Catch the pigeon now.
But if we wait for Will then we can all go together!
We have to go now. Come on. And if Allan returns with more men?
John, if they knew where Lardner was, they wouldn't have terrorised the village.
We won't be long. Work on the message until we get back.
Now give me the rope.
Good luck.
Do you think a bird could fly that distance and still find its way home?
The dove found its way back to Noah's Ark.
How do they do it?
They just follow their hearts.
Won't be long.
You take your time. No rush.
Do you think that contraption's strong enough to hold the two of us?
Last a lifetime, that will.
Huh-heh! At least your lifetime!
I could do your job.
(I couldn't do yours.)
Can you see it?
That's it, I think.
Can you reach it?
I'm nearly there.
Robin! Robin, the Sheriff's coming.
And Gisborne's with him!
Run!
Go without me! I'll hold them off!
Hang on, stop.
Yeah, that's the tree.
You're surrounded, Hood!
You're going nowhere!
Get back on your horse and get reinforcements!
What are you doing here?
Hiding.
Great(!)
He could just wait until it gets dark and then release the bird.
He'll be down before nightfall.
"Come home." No, it needs more immediacy.
"Come home now". "Come home immediately!"
"Immediately" is better. "Immediately" is longer.
What? ! Lardner's a pigeon, not an eagle. More words, more weight.
It's one word. Same as "now"!
Well, then use "now"! Too many cooks!
You know, traditionally, men in your position offer men in our position a last request?
I don't hold with tradition.
It's just a little thing. Would you scratch my nose? I've got an itch.
Let the Devil scratch it.
You'll see him soon enough.
Sir Guy's got Robin Hood trapped up a tree.
He wants every available man down there now!
Get your horses! Quick! One last chance.
While no-one's looking, let us go and we'll say no more about it, yeah?
I'm a performer!
I can't die without an audience.
It's an insult to my profession.
I told you to keep an eye on that belt.
Marian, they don't know you're up here. If I make a run for it, they'll follow me.
You can escape with Lardner. They're coming back!
Ugh! Uh!
That is a complete waste of arrows.
Just giving Allan something to think about.
Think about us running out of arrows.
Look! Look, they're retreating.
I have an idea.
Do not let them escape while I'm gone.
He'll be dead by the time you get back. I won't hold my breath.
Maybe you could use me as a hostage.
What? You know Gisborne's feelings for me.
He might let you go, if he thought it meant getting me back.
Are you mad? I could say I was on my way home to him and you ambushed me in the forest.
He'd never fall for it!
And how would that look? Robin Hood takes Lady Marian hostage!
Oh, yes, us dying together might look better(!)
But it won't bring the King home. Even if Gisborne fell for it, the Sheriff wouldn't.
The Sheriff's gone!
And while Gisborne's in charge. . . Robin this could be our last chance.
No! It's not happening.
Robin, have you got a better idea?
Right. "Your Majesty.
"No reinforcements.
"John plans to steal your throne. . ."
"Plots."
"Plots" is a better word. "Plots" is better.
"Your Majesty.
"No reinforcements.
"John plots to steal your throne.
"Come home, now."
Short, sharp and to the point.
I'll add "make peace"
before "come home".
"Make peace immediately."
Ah! You know, I do like "immediately".
But it needs more emotion.
Make it bigger! Raise the stakes!
And alliterate! Alliteration makes it much more memorable.
Where have you come from?
I appear. I disappear.
It's what I do. To tell how would spoil the illusion.
He's with me.
I thought you'd been caught.
Madam, manacles are mere mist to myself and my. . .
. . my mate.
You know about the pigeon?
Yes, Robin and Marian have gone to get him.
So have Sheriff and Gisborne.
They've got them trapped up a tree surrounded.
We need to go. Now!
Immediately!
OK, line up!
You, over there!
Let's get him down! Come on! Line up!
Saddle me up another horse - make it a fast one.
I'll be leaving shortly.
It's just a matter of time now Hood, start saying your prayers.
If they come any nearer, they'll get the same. And I won't be aiming at their feet!
Give me your arrows. It's not enough.
Well, they don't know that, do they?
Ready? Yeah.
Move!
I'll scream, then I can say you were holding me hostage.
You didn't scream earlier. He's not stupid.
I'll deal with this, Marian.
It'll take them hours to cut down this tree.
And in that time, the gang will realise something's wrong.
Yeah? They'll come and help.
Come, come.
That's it, stop.
I can't hear an axe.
What are they waiting for?
You know what that is, don't you?
It's pitch.
It burns hot and it burns fast.
Go, go, go!
Much, I think it's this way. You think?!
Shhh!
Don't tell me to shush! We're looking for a tree in a forest!
Shut up and listen!
I hope you're ready, Hood!
I'm sensing it's that way.
You tried to cover me in pitch once, Hood, do you remember?
Tried to cover me alive in my own armour. Yeah!
I should have gone through with it!
Talking trees are good.
But burning bushes are better.
I don't see a trough of water for you to jump into.
If I were bound and gagged I couldn't scream, so all we have to do. . .
No! There's no other way!
There's always another way.
Shields!
This is just putting off the inevitable.
You're not going back to him. I can do more good in the castle.
Marian, I would rather die here than have you go back. . .
But if you die now, my father died for nothing.
Trust me, I'll get us out of this. No, you won't!
Not without my help.
Look, we're in this together.
Now, tie me up.
Right, listen to me. He's only got two choices now. Run or burn.
Either way he's finished.
And any bird that leaves those leaves dies in the sky.
There are too many of them.
What are we going to do? After "three" open the shield wall.
One.
Two.
Three!
SHE GROANS
Gisborne!
If I die, Marian dies!
No! Move! Marian!
So it's true.
You still love her.
I've found your weakness, Gisborne.
If you harm a single hair on her head, I swear I will kill you!
You'll die more slowly and more painfully than any man has ever died before!
Well, I thought that was the point!
No. It would have been relatively quick and painless. You let me go, I'll leave her behind.
Untouched.
I'll think about it.
Everybody back! Move!
Well. . .that bought us some time.
Any ideas? We need to make Robin and Marian disappear.
how do we do that?
A puff of smoke.
Be careful.
Are you all right?
I won't leave you behind.
But we can make him think that I will.
So now we can all see the famous Robin Hood for who he really is.
A common coward using an innocent woman as a hostage.
She's not an innocent, she's one of you lot!
A pampered parasite living off the backs of the poor.
(It's nothing personal.)
You can't hide behind her skirts for ever. Come and fight like a man.
Remove your soldiers, Gisborne!
Or she dies at sundown!
He wouldn't do that, would he?
He's bluffing. This is a siege.
All I have to do is wait.
Well, you can't wait too long, though.
As soon as the Sheriff gets back, she's gonna die.
Ready?
Let's go.
The forest's on fire.
It's a smoke screen.
You, you and you! Find the fire!
Put it out! His men are in the forest.
Surround the tree. Move!
Make sure you see the man on either side of you at all times.
Right, close in the circle, move in!
(Yes!)
I know what you're doing, Hood, and it won't work.
We're ready for you. Ready and waiting.
It's from Will.
He's got a plan.
Here.
Good. Horses.
LITTLE JOHN WHISTLES
You'll have to put your arms around me.
No, I'm not coming. Marian, we haven't got time for this!
I'm staying here until you get away safely.
This is about Gisborne, isn't it?
No.
Inside us, we both know we belong together.
And being apart will tear me apart but I'm more use in the castle.
I can protect you better from there.
It's our only hope.
Trust me.
Give me your hand.
No. Just give me your hand.
Is this a trick?
It's an engagement ring.
This afternoon we had a plan.
Yes, find Lardner and bring the King home.
Defeat the Sheriff and get married - in that order, Robin.
First things first. This isn't what I want to do.
It's what I have to do.
I love you. I love you too.
Let's just get out of here. Has Will got everything? Yes.
Help! Somebody please help me!
Robin's gone. Get after him.
Do not let him release that bird.
50 to the man who kills the pigeon.
He's left me up here to die, help me! Please!
Is the note ready? Yeah.
Where's Marian? She's fine.
Just get out of here and don't let that bird go until you're out of range, all right?
SHE GROANS
Marian, I'm coming! Marian. . .
Nearly there. Marian, hold on!
SHE WHIMPERS: Hurry up!
It's all right, I've got you.
I've got you.
You're coming home with me.
(You're safe now.)
Release the bird!
Release it!
Come on!
And fetch.
Cheer up.
What have I got to be cheery about? Well, we've got a visitor.
Him!
It's Lardner. Say hello.
You're joking?
When you want something to disappear, the trick is to divert the audience attention.
He switched the birds. I Just happened to have a spare stuck up my sleeve.
Should've attached a verse of the note to the decoy bird.
Nah. Would've just weighed him down.
Um. Yes, speaking of decoy birds, is Marian all right with Gisborne?
Yeah, she'll be fine.
She can look after herself.
Well, hey. Do you want to do the honours?
At least we have some hope now.
Yeah.
Thanks to Lardner.
Good luck, my friend,
and safe journey home.
The Sheriff's missing. Missing? Find him.
Nottingham is about to be flattened.
I don't think Robin Hood is the problem. He might be the solution.
Ask.
Nooooo!
Marry me now. And make it the last thing we do.
Who are you? I am the man with the plan.
The Sheriff is heading for the camp. It's time. . .
Get those gates open!
They're coming, they're coming! !
E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk