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

Chapter 40 - Fire of Revenge

The Nightwatchman and Robin Hood drew their bows at the same time, then they released three arrows in rapid succession. The first ones knocked the sword out of the hand of the guards watching the sheriff's storehouse, while the other two nailed the two men to the wall without hurting them, piercing their clothes so that they were blocked.
The two guards started to scream, but before the arrival of reinforcements, Robin's gang had already stolen much of the supplies and ran away.
"Good job," Robin said a little later, approaching Guy with a pleasantly surprised expression.
Guy took a bag of flour from the wagon and handed it to Much so he could put it inside the small cave carved into the rock.
The place was one of the caches that Robin had created in various parts of the forest to be able to distribute food more easily to the poor. The outlaws had cleverly camouflaged the entrance so no one could find it accidentally.
"I thought we were going to distribute the food immediately. The sheriff raised taxes again and the people have not much left to survive. At least it is so both in Knighton and in Locksley.
"It would be too risky to do that tonight. Also, the sheriff knows for sure that the poor are hungry and he is certainly expecting us to immediately distribute the supplies that we stole. He could set a trap for us in the villages, and, after the last time, I don't intend to take the risk. The villagers will have to wait for a while, but we will find a safe way to provide for them." Robin paused and he looked at Guy, amused. "What's up, Gisborne? Are you beginning to care for villagers? Since when do you care about their welfare?"
"I don't. I always thought that those people rely too much on your help. But, if my workers don't have enough to eat, they won't have the strength to continue working to the rebuilding of Knighton Hall."
"That house means so much to you?"
"It means everything. When it's finished I'll finally have something really mine, something that I can offer to Marian..."
"Well, it won't be long now, you won't have to wait too much."
Guy smiled.
"No, not too much."
Robin nodded.
If someone told him six months ago, he would never have believed it, but now he was genuinely happy to know that his former enemy could soon ask the hand of his former girlfriend.
"Good for you." Robin passed one last bag of food to Little John, and he checked that the entrance to the cache was well camouflaged, then he turned back to Guy. "You have improved a lot with the bow."
Gisborne gave him a wry smile.
"I guess that taking lessons from Robin Hood helped."
"I guess so. Now go back to Locksley, for tonight we have nothing else to do."
"Good. Maybe for once I can get enough sleep tonight."
Robin grinned.
"Even if you don't sleep at night, you do so at Knighton. Every time I come over there I find you napping under the shade of some tree."

The sheriff closed the tax register he was reading, irritated beyond measure. He had checked and rechecked the tax accounts of Knighton and Locksley, but he wasn't able to find any shortfall or error.
He had done everything possible to put Gisborne in difficulty, suddenly raising or inventing new taxes, but he had failed to make him skip or delay even one payment. In one way or another, Gisborne had always managed to pay the sums Vaisey asked, and the sheriff was disappointed every time.
He just wanted to get back at Guy of Gisborne and sooner or later he'd find a way to make him regret that he took sides against him.
"Archer!" He shouted and the young man appeared immediately, approaching with an indolent attitude.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Sit down, Archer." The sheriff waited for him to obey, then he leaned forward on the desk to stare at him. "Well, tell me everything, now. What did Gisborne want from you the other day?"
Archer shrugged.
"I'm not sure I understood. He was curious to know who I was, and he asked me why I was working for you."
"And tell me, what did you think of him?"
"He was rather friendly, I'd say. He insisted to buy me a drink at the tavern, and then he willingly accepted my challenge to fight with the swords. He's pretty good with a blade, though he's not at my level."
"Friendly? Curious? Good? Are you sure you have talked with Gisborne, Archer? Do you know who I mean? Tall, dark, dressed in black, and with the scars of various lashes on his back... Are you talking about that Gisborne?"
The young man smiled.
"I'd say yes."
"I'm asking because the words you used to describe him doesn't fit at all to the Gisborne I know. Friendly? I believe that the hangman of our dungeons has a more intense social life than Gisborne, and I don't think I ever saw him curious about something that wasn't his leper girlfriend. And good? Gisborne? In the years when he worked for me he has done nothing but accumulate a failure after another."
"He said he saved your life."
"Another proof of his idiocy. No, Archer, I am sure that Gisborne is plotting something and you have to find out what it is. He wants to be friendly? Well, encourage him. Familiarize with him, go along with these stupid tests of skill, and sooner or later he will be so stupid to let his guard down. He will reveal to you what he really wants from you and you will come to tell it to me."
"As you wish."
The sheriff looked at him, with the cruel gaze of a raptor.
"The idea disturbs you, Archer? Will you have scruples of conscience to let him befriend you and then give his head to me on a silver platter?"
The young man returned his gaze calmly.
"Why should I? If there's one thing I've learned as a child is that the friendship doesn't exist or at least it's very overrated."
"Good. Then what about a visit to Knighton, now? I want to see this new, friendly Gisborne."