The Nightwatchman (English)(From Ashes Vol.2)

Chapter 39 - Just a Part of the Truth

Guy leaped backwards, and he felt the tip Archer's blade touching his throat. If he hadn't moved, he would have been killed, but he knew that the other wouldn't have tried that blow if he wasn't absolutely certain that Guy was able to avoid it.
He changed the angle of the sword and ran forward, aiming for the only point left uncovered by Archer's defense, but the young man's blade moved quickly to intercept his sword. Archer took the chance to make Guy unbalance himself forward, then he launched the sword into the air, grabbed it with his other hand, and used it to hit Gisborne on the back with the flat of the blade, making him fall to the ground.
Archer sheathed his sword and held out a hand to Guy to help him up.
"I would say that this time I have won, but you didn't fight badly."
Gisborne stood up and nodded: it had been a good fight and Archer's move that had defeated him was truly original and executed to perfection. In addition, the flat of Archer's blade had hit him exactly in a place halfway between two of his injuries, where the skin was intact. If it had touched him a few centimeters above or below, now Guy would still be on the ground, writhing in pain.
He wondered if the other man had purposely avoided to hurt him. In that case, Archer had been extremely skilled to remember the exact places where he had wounded him and to aim so to avoid them, even without seeing them as they were covered by clothing.
"I expect another fight, someday."
Archer smiled.
"Any time, Gisborne. I don't often find an opponent who can make me sweat. But now I must return to the castle: as you know, the sheriff doesn't love loafers."
Archer waved him goodbye, and he pushed through the people gathered to watch. Guy dusted off his clothes with his hands to wipe the dirt of the road, but also to take time before turning to face Marian.
Although the fighting had taken all his attention, Guy was aware of the exact time when the girl had arrived, and her eyes fixed on him had been another incentive to fight at his best. Being defeated in front of her burned a bit, but he could not deny that Archer was more skilled than him with the sword. Guy hoped that at least he had lost in a dignified way.
He turned to look at her, and he met her confused and worried look.
Marian went to meet him.
"Are you all right, Guy? He hit your back..."
Gisborne nodded. The girl's anxious tone made him feel guilty for how he had behaved with her that morning, and for the lies that he would have to tell her in the future.
"He didn't hurt me and we weren't really fighting, it was just a sort of training."
"But why? That man works for the sheriff, he has already hurt you so much..."
"He hit me less hard than he could have done, we can't deny that. And the fact that he works for the sheriff is one of the reasons why I wanted to understand what kind of person he is."
"And did you understand that?"
"Not yet. But we have to be careful with him: he is very skilled and dangerous, it wouldn't be pleasant to face an enemy like that."
"He works for the sheriff, he is already an enemy."
Guy gave her a hurt look.
"I worked for the sheriff too. Do you still despise me for that?"
"How can you say such a thing? Of course I don't despise you, Guy."
"It isn't so obvious. What I've done in the past will stain me forever, I guess."
"Every choice has its consequences, it's useless to complain. Maybe you will be stained forever, but I chose not to look at those stains. Anyway, we weren't talking about you, but about Archer."
"Maybe there isn't so much difference between us," Guy retorted harshly, and Marian looked at him without understanding the reason for his reaction.
"Guy..." she began, but she stopped with a sigh, not knowing what to say.
Gisborne approached her and took her in his arms, regretting the way he had spoken to her.
"Forgive me, even if I'm nervous I shouldn't answer like that."
Marian rested her face on his chest. She knew that people would gossip, seeing them so close together in public, but she had ceased to care for their words a long time ago.
"You've been weird since this morning, Guy. Did I do something that annoyed you?"
Guy stared at her, puzzled.
"You? You thought I was angry at you?"
Marian sighed again.
"I didn't know what to think."
This is where the secrets and the lies lead us. And this is just the beginning.
Gisborne took off a glove, and he touched her cheek with his hand, gently.
"I couldn't be angry at you even if you'd plant a sword in my heart..."
"Well, Giz, in that case it's obvious that you couldn't be mad: you'd be dead." Allan intervened, and both Guy and Marian gave him an identical irritated look, but the young man wasn't intimidated at all. "But Marian is right, you have to admit that today you acted strangely."
"I had to talk to the sheriff and I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous because of this, you had nothing to do with this, I'm sorry that you have thought it," Guy said, choosing to tell only a part of the truth.
"You had to talk to the sheriff? Why, Giz?"
Guy approached the wagon and he lifted the sheet that covered the load, revealing some trunks and bags, piled together with the goods that Marian and Sir Edward had bought at the market.
"I needed his permission to take these things away from the castle."
"What are they?" Marian asked, and Guy smiled.
"Open one of them and look."
The girl obeyed, curious, and she pulled out a dress from the bag she had opened.
"But this is mine!"
"Now I understand!" Allan said, recognizing the trunks. "These are the things that I brought to the castle when she was Barret's prisoner, aren't they?"
"Yep." Guy confirmed, and the girl looked at him, worried.
"And you went to talk to the sheriff for that? You shouldn't have done it, Guy! What if he decided to punish you for some other invented reason? They're just clothes, retrieving them wasn't worth the risk!"
"They are yours, and you needed them. Even if you've never complained about this, I noticed, Marian, that you don't have many dresses left, and Locksley's revenues are not enough to afford to buy new ones. You lost your things because of me, for the second time by the way, and, if I could, I'd love to buy you new dresses, even more beautiful than the ones you had. But for the moment I can't do that, and I'm so sorry for this. Returning at least the old ones seemed the least I could do."
Marian put her arms around his neck and she kissed him gently.
"Thanks Guy, but you must be careful, you're more important than any dress. Did the sheriff gave you troubles?"
Gisborne bent down to kiss her neck and he smiled at the sweet smell of her skin.
"Nothing too terrible. The usual humiliating words and a few insults. Compared to his usual ways, he had been almost gentle. I suppose he was still satisfied after having me flogged in public the last time."
Marian passed a hand over his face, tracing Guy's jaw line with her fingers. Guy's skin was a little rough and Marian felt the desire of rubbing her face against his cheek. She did it on impulse, smiling when his stubble scratched and reddened a little her delicate skin.
Gisborne held her and kissed her again, this time with more passion, completely forgetting that they were still in the market square, until Allan reminded them of his presence clearing his throat.
"Not to be pushy, but perhaps it would be better if you two take a room at the inn..." He said, in a irreverent tone, and Marian jumped back, blushing furiously, while Guy tried to hit him, but Allan dodged him easily, and mounted on horseback, chuckling .
Marian gave a shy glance at Guy and she noticed that he had blushed too, even though he tried to hide the embarrassment behind the irritation with Allan. The girl smiled tenderly, and she wanted to kiss him again, ignoring the critics and malicious eyes of the people, but she knew that if she did, then it would be difficult to curb their passion.
Allan had wanted to joke in his usual provocative way, but Marian thought that if Guy took his suggestion seriously, and asked her to follow him in a room at the inn, she might not be able to resist and she would go with him.
She wanted him, she couldn't not deny it, and she wondered once again why Guy didn't ask her to be his wife before the passion could drag them both into sin.
"Maybe I'd better go get my father," she said, taking the reins of the wagon, and Gisborne nodded, mounting on his horse.
"I will reach Allan and we will wait along the road to Locksley," he said, in a awkward tone that Marian found adorable, then they both took the reins, taking opposite directions.

Allan heard Guy's horse approaching at a gallop, and, a little afraid, he studied his friend's expression, worried that he might be still mad at him for his earlier remark, but Gisborne didn't seem to be angry.
He reached Allan's horse and rode at his side, but he remained silent, thoughtful.
"Hey, Giz, what did really happen in the tavern?"
Guy looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"It wasn't the sheriff, right? Or at least not entirely. What were you doing with Archer? It wasn't your normal behavior, and you know it."
"I want to understand who he is and what kind of threat he can be for us. Last night he almost managed to take us in a trap, he's very skilled."
"Why do you go to drink with him?"
"I know what I'm doing, Allan."
"Why are you so nervous, then?"
"I'm not nervous!" Gisborne cried, and Allan gave him a meaningful look.
"Really? And why are you yelling, now?"
"Because you are maddening, that's why," Guy retorted, then he made a half-sigh. "All right, I'm afraid of what might happen if he should find out who is the Nightwatchman, it isn't so strange, is it?"
"No, it isn't, but it's not just that, right? There something else and you don't want to tell me."
"I can't, and we have already talked too much in this regard. You'll have to trust me."
Allan looked at his face and he realized that Gisborne was not calm how he wanted him to believe.
Something bothered him, and Allan had the impression that he felt guilty for some reason.
In what kind of trouble are you going to end, Giz?
"All right," Allan said, "but on one condition."
"What condition?"
"I will trust you and I won't ask you questions, but you must remember that you can trust me. If you need it, ask me for help."
Guy watched him for a moment, startled, then he nodded with a smile.
"I'll remember it. Thanks, Allan. Ah..."
"Yes, I know. I won't say a word about it to Marian, whatever this is all about."

Guy had almost managed to ignore most of the thoughts that worried him, and he was about to fall asleep when he realized he was no longer alone in his room.
He was immediately awake, and he put his hand under the pillow to grab the knife with a curved blade that he always kept with him.
The intruder came to the bed and, in a moment, Guy sat up and pointed the blade at his throat.
"Hey! Keep calm, Gisborne, it's me," Robin whispered, gaily.
"Hood! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Are you always so nervous when you sleep?"
"Only when somebody sneaks stealthily in my bedroom. I could have cut your throat, you idiot."
"You should thank me, I could have summoned you with an arrow and instead I chose not to disturb you. Anyway, this is my bedroom."
"Since you're so generous, tell me what you do want and then let me sleep."
Robin sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Gisborne with a grin.
"I've heard that you've made quite a show at the market, today."
Guy suddenly blushed, thinking that he was referring to what had happened with Marian.
"None of your business, Hood."
"I would say it is, because he's also my brother."
Guy stared at him for a moment before he realized that he had been talking about the duel with Archer and he blushed even more for the misunderstanding.
"Oh, yes. I spoke to him. And we fought with the sword."
Robin wondered why Gisborne looked so confused, but he preferred not to investigate further and to focus on the important things.
"Well? Do you think he really is our brother?"
"I can't say it. He might be, but we will be certain only when we see the birthmark.".
"Find out then."
"It's not so easy. To challenge him to a fight is one thing, but of course I can't ask him to undress without a reason."
"Then find one."
"I'll try," Guy said, unhappily, and Robin giggled, amused.
"In any case, what do you think of him?"
"He's skilled. Clever. Dangerous."
"Why does he work for Vaisey?"
"For money." Guy said, then looked at Robin. "I don't like this situation."
"From what I heard, you had a good fight with him."
"Yes, I had,and it has been interesting. But I hate all these lies."
Robin patted him on the shoulder.
"Keep it up, Guy, and try to find out as much as you can. And be careful."
The outlaw vanished out of the window, and Guy lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
He tried to banish the thought of Archer, otherwise he'd never be able to sleep. He thought back to Marian, the way they had kissed, forgetting the world around them.
Even that was a thought that wouldn't help him to fall asleep, but it certainly was much more pleasant.
Guy smiled to himself, and he made a mental note to get up a bit earlier the next morning to go to work at Knighton Hall. He had to finish building the house as soon as possible, and then he would ask Marian to marry him.