Publisher's Synopsis
During the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart, King of England is away in France, leaving the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham - aided by his cousin Guy of Gisbourne, the witch Mortianna and the corrupt Bishop of Hereford - to rule the land. Robin of Locksley, a nobleman, chose to follow the king in his Crusade. At Locksley Castle, Robin's father, who is loyal to king Richard, is attacked by the Sheriff's men after refusing to join them.
Meanwhile, Robin has been imprisoned in Jerusalem along with his comrade, Peter Dubois. They break free from Ayyubid prison guards and save the life of a Moor named Azeem, but Peter is mortally wounded in the process. After making Robin swear to protect his sister, Marian, Peter sacrifices himself so Robin can escape the city.
Robin returns to England with Azeem, who has vowed to accompany him until his life-debt to Robin is repaid. After a run-in with Gisbourne, Robin returns home. Finding his father dead and the castle in ruins, Robin tells Marian of Peter's demise and after fleeing the Sheriff's forces, encounters a band of outlaws hiding in Sherwood Forest, led by Little John. Among the band is Will Scarlet, who holds a belligerent grudge against Robin. Robin assumes command of the group, training them into a formidable force in opposition of Nottingham. They rob any convoys that pass through the forest and distribute the stolen wealth among the poor. Friar Tuck, once a member of a convoy, joins the group after coming to understand Robin's cause. Marian sympathizes with the band and offers Robin any aid she can muster; the two grow close and begin to fall in love. Robin's successes infuriate the Sheriff, who increases the mistreatment of the people, resulting in greater local support for Robin Hood.
The Sheriff kills Gisbourne for his failure to prevent the looting of several convoys and hires Celtic warriors from Scotland to bolster his forces. The Bishop betrays Marian after she confides in him an attempt to contact King Richard in France and she is taken prisoner. After locating the outlaws' hideout, the Sheriff launches an attack, destroying the refuge and capturing many; Robin is presumed dead. To consolidate his power and claim the throne, the Sheriff proposes to Marian (who is Richard's cousin); if she accepts, he will spare the lives of the captured outlaws. Despite this, several of the rebels are due to be executed by hanging as part of the wedding celebration. Among the captured is Will; he makes a deal with the Sheriff to find out if Robin lives and if so, kill him in exchange for freedom.
Will finds Robin alive, along with John and a handful of other survivors. After informing Robin of the executions and the Sheriff's plans to wed Marian, Will continues lashing out at Robin. After Robin questions Will as to why he holds so much hate, Will reveals that he is Robin's younger paternal half-brother; after Robin's mother died, his father had taken comfort with a peasant woman. Robin's anger over what he saw as a betrayal of his mother's memory caused his father to leave her, leaving Will fatherless. Robin is overjoyed to learn that he has a brother and reconciles with Will.
