The five occupants of the cottage passed their days quite differently. Tilly saw to the management of the household, and Guy took efficient care of the garden plots and beasts.
The Lady Margaret and her sons bloomed in the contentment of a full belly, a warm bed, and company that was conducive to fondness.
All the while as he worked Guy thought on Tilly's plan for the rescue of his brother, and though respectful of the kindly witch, he felt that her plan was ill thought out at best, and at worst, ruinous. He had no knowledge of the Laundress, or where her loyalties might lie.
He reasoned that if she was willing to smuggle him into the castle, and be paid for such, that she may be susceptible to the receipt of additional coin for his betrayal. No, at risk of giving offence, any plan he undertook would need to be of his own invention, and that may take time.
Entrance via the moat and underground stream was yet a viable option, and if successful, he could seek egress by the same route. The use of a boat also meant that if Kay should be incapacitated by his long imprisonment, then he would be easier to transport upon the river.
It would necessitate the purchase of a cart to carry him onwards to Larkrise, in his probable weakened state, but there was gold enough, and to spare.
There was an atmosphere of harmony in the cottage, and Guy passed many an hour with his two namesakes. The notion of an uncle who so resembled their Papa, sat well with them. He in turn felt joy in their company, which helped ease the longing he felt for his own children.
The Lady Margaret was always eager to help with household tasks, and proved to be a fair cook, producing a batch of cheese scones, which proved so great a temptation to Guy, that four were devoured whilst still hot from the oven, and as a result, he suffered a sore mouth for a number of days.
Testament to his greed, which of course he called "appreciation."
No sympathy was forthcoming from either lady residing at the cottage, Lady Margaret remarking with a smile that his injury was self inflicted.
The biggest obstacle to be overcome was the question of magic, which could not yet be revealed, although Tilly would cast the occasional spell when she thought herself unobserved.
She particularly favoured the snapping of fingers to induce the fire when she rose at dawn each day, but was almost caught out by Crispin Guy who had risen early one morning, claiming to be "starving".
His mother had issued a suitable rebuke upon rising, when she heard of the word used, but the moment was soon forgotten, in the flurry of breakfast preparations.
Guy basked in the attention provided for his comforts, though neither Tilly or Lady Margaret offered to help remove his boots at the end of his work day, a task always willingly fulfilled by his lady wife.
The planning of the rescue was simple, but a thought in the head rarely comes to fruition without some effort, as Guy was to discover over the coming days. Timing was all, but those who guarded the Castle appeared to have little sense of punctuality.
Watches began and ended on a whim it seemed, and those party to the changeover of guards were especially lax.
There was a distinct lack of discipline Guy thought, as he passed yet another night without sleep, espying out the land. The partaking of ale was much in evidence amongst those in defence of the Sheriff's battlements, which, whilst it might work in his favour in some respects, might well prove to be his undoing.
He voiced his concerns to Lady Margaret and Tilly whilst he broke his fast, but knew that the day was rapidly approaching when sure and steadfast action would be required.
But now the boat was promised, along with the two boatmen, who had been told little of the night's work yet to come. Payment was agreed upon successful completion of the task required, and the need for secrecy firmly demanded.
" Fear is a hard taskmaster," said Guy to Tilly," I shall not be betrayed, for the betrayers would have to reveal their own crime, along with mine. There are few who would risk Vaisey's wrath, for death would be certain for any who would go against him."
"Those on guard may be unpredictable in their duties, and ale sodden at times, and that may or may not be to my advantage."
The day was decided upon, and Guy finished his work about the farm in the early afternoon. Having showed his two nephews the way of things, he went to his bed seeking a few hours rest before his night's work.
But sleep eluded him. Many weeks had passed since his arrival in this time, and he recalled waiting underground in Thorin's Kingdom for Auriel to return through the Portal with the wizard Merlin.
Upon her arrival, although it had been a mere month since she had left him, she had declared that for herself and the wizard it had been almost two years.
Years spent in hardship, degradation and starvation, constantly pursued by Vaisey and those who had so willingly served him.
" I pray that it is so again," he thought, " I would not wish for her to suffer the full length of the term I shall shall have to spend in this place. For her, if it seems only days that we are apart, she will be better able to bear it. But this will not be revealed until I return, I can only hope. So many times we have been parted, but our love endures through it all."
He had planned well, but in his wakefulness he still doubted. The cart had been purchased, and would be brought by Tilly to the place already decided upon.
The boatmen had been primed with instructions as to the time they would be required, and Guy's newly purchased sword was set by the door next to his boots, yet still he could not rest.
The Lady Margaret was by now so fearful, that all colour had left her face, and her boys sensed her terror. Few had any appetite for the supper that Tilly prepared, and the ring of false laughter did little to disperse the apprehension in the air.
Guy sat at the head of the small table that evening after supper, and looked at those who now so depended on his courage. The firelight glinted on his sword, and he looked down at his calloused hands.
" Will my skill as a swordsman be sufficient for the task I have set myself?" he wondered, " I am now a farmer, what if I should fail, what then of my wife and children. They would never know what had become of me, merely that I had not returned."
" God's blood, what foolishness has brought me to this place, this place of hatred and revenge, to save a brother who once reviled me, and cast me from his life?"
And the answer came. It was not foolishness, but honour. His beloved Auriel had bade him come, knowing that his mind was set already on its fateful course. She was doubtless waiting on his return every hour of the day, her love for him as certain as it had always been, yet she had been willing to let him leave her, to embark on a journey through the Portal she so feared herself.
Willing, because of family, his Gisborne family, that which through his love, she already held in her loving heart.
The hour came for his departure, and the horse was harnessed to the cart. Tilly sat with the reins in her hands as Guy bade his farewells.
The Lady Margaret wept and clung to him, begging him not to go, and her sons stood silently by as the man they now held so dear set out, perhaps not to return.
" What if he is already lies dead?" she asked, " you risk all, and it may be for nothing, I cannot allow this sacrifice, let it be, for God's sake, let it be!"
" He is my brother," said Guy softly, " I could no more leave him to die than any other of my family. I shall return by dawn, either with God's help, or the Devil's, I care not which."
One final embrace for his namesakes, and the perilous night began. He sat in silence as Tilly brought the cart to its hiding place in a thicket by the river, where the two boatmen awaited, partially hidden by reeds.
"Remember the spell of unfettering," said Tilly, " it will serve you well, speak the words precisely and clearly, the magic will not fail you, but be sure you are unobserved when you carry it out. Now embrace me quickly Knight of my heart, I will be here waiting upon your return. I wish you God speed."
He expressed no surprise at the fondness imbued in his new title, but it warmed his heart nonetheless. As he walked away, she called after him.
"You are a man of courage and fortitude," she said, " never doubt it, for it will be your watchword."
Though he had developed a close bond with the witch who was his only ally in Nottingham, her words gave him no comfort. His night's work was just begun, and depended upon others whose fealty was as yet unproven.
Like most ne'er do wells, the dubious morals of the two boatmen would always have them favour the highest bidder, and it came to him that he was the only man in the whole sorry business upon whom he could depend. If his brother still lived, he would have to contend with those who were on guard, and any that may relieve them in the dark hours.
He carried gold with which to bribe should that be called for, but hoped that he would be able to enter and leave unseen, his brother along with him, no matter the state of his health.
He knew that his strength would be sufficient, if he should need to carry him, because his many years of work on the farm, meant that he was as fit and able as he had been in his youth. His acquisition of magic had merely ensured its permanence, with its gift of longevity.
He had thought often over the last days, how he would explain his unchanged appearance to Sir Kay, but that particular bridge was as yet uncrossed, and presently of little concern.
The river was in almost total darkness as they rowed toward Nottingham, Guy crouched at the prow, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The row locks were padded to deaden the sound of the oars, and neither of the two oarsmen aboard uttered a word. In the belly of the boat, there were blankets, bread and meat, for Guy knew that those imprisoned were seldom fed anything of substance.
The boatmen were unnamed because it had been agreed. In anonymity there was safety, safety from discovery, and thus, safety from betrayal, and only Guy and Tilly knew the name of the man they sought to free.
Silently and swiftly they travelled, and in a short time, the dark silhouette of the Castle was before them, torchlight reflected in the dank stinking moat, into which the detritus of all its many occupants was unceasingly discharged.
They crossed the wide expanse of water, and the oars were lifted as they moved beneath the arch. In the near distance there were torches, their metal brackets fixed to the walls, to lighten the way for any who needed to use the darkened stairway which led to the dungeons. As Guy left the boat and mounted the stairs, he whispered to one the oarsmen before he rowed away.
"Payment upon completion of the task," he warned, " fail me, and you will not see another dawn. Be here in an hour. If I should not return, do me the kindness of speaking with Tilly Weaver on my fate. She will have coin for your trouble."
He was rewarded with a brief nod, then turned and mounted the slime coated steps. Above him he heard voices, muted, but still clear to a man of magic with enhanced hearing.
There were also the sounds of those incarcerated, though there was little strength in their cries. Some called for God's intercession, and others, the Devil's, sadly their pleas would go unheard by either deity, as they lived out their tragic life spans, starving, wretched, and in chains.
Guy had not expected to find so many gaolers. In his time at the Castle there had been few, because the stipend on offer was so meagre, and few sought their living in the Sheriff's employ, lest they face being ostracised by their neighbours.
But these were straightened times, and principles often fell by the wayside when a man's family faced eviction, and probable starvation on the streets. A wage was a wage, no matter it's origin, and a full belly could ay silence a troubled conscience.
Guy stepped back into the shadows to think on the best way forward, and there seemed only one road open to him. It would have to be magic, but a diversion was needed, to allow him access to the flagons of ale and wine, on the table around which the guards sat.
He thought on it a while and then raised his right hand, sparks flying from his fingers in the darkness. In a trice, the torches at the rear of the guards were extinguished, throwing all into confusion. He stepped forward and added the contents of a small vial to the flagons atop the table, then remained hidden whilst the torches were relit.
"This is a damned draughty hole," said one, and the others readily agreed, seeing naught unusual in the event, " a door opens and the west wind enters, Sweet Christ, in the winter it chills the very bones, and takes the warmth from your heart."
Guy waited with bated breath as the guards continued their carousing, and wished he could stop up his ears when one of them attempted a bawdy song. The words, thought familiar at times, especially to one who had travelled the world, were base, crude and licentious. Defaming to the fairer sex in their entirety, and quite undeserved by even the lowest bawd.
His fellows applauded their comrade loudly as he sang, slapping him on the back to encourage him, and suggesting their own ribald phrases, when his enthusiasm appeared to wane. One took offence at another's words on his most favoured paramour, and the table at which they were seated toppled over as they stood and began circling each other, fists raised, and tempers up.
But it was over almost before it began, as the potion they had unknowingly imbibed took effect, and they joined their comrades who had slowly slipped to the floor.
Guy waited a moment or two to ensure their stupor was sound, before moving stealthily into the chamber. It was a rectangular space, surrounded on all sides by barred chambers, the floors of which were covered in rotting straw, and the bodily waste of the occupants, who were as thin as it was possible for a man to be, and yet still live.
To his shame, the sight was familiar, for had he not once condemned men to this same fate, to live out their lives in near darkness and starvation, kept alive by the power of will alone, clinging to the hope of eventual freedom.
They peered at him through the bars, and reached out their claw like hands, begging for a morsel of bread and a taste of water, neither of which were in evidence.
The man he sought was not among them, and he moved to the staircase again. If memory served, there were three levels in the place he now found himself, each with a score of cells, sometimes with a single occupant, but more often three or four.
The numbers mattered not. They were treated with contempt regardless of their crime or status. Beggar or of Noble birth, they were less than the dirt beneath the feet of the Lord Sheriff. The passing years had not softened his heart, or been kind to him.
Tilly had spoken of him as ailing, his once strong upright body now bent, and crippled with pain, yet he was still the odious and villainous man he had always been. Vengeful to any who crossed him, or dared to speak out in defence of the innocent. He ruled by fear and subjugation, and was held in utter contempt by those he purported to serve.
On the level above Guy encountered but a single guard, slumped in a corner and holding an empty flagon to his chest. He was snoring gently and smiling to himself, doubtless dreaming of some strumpet or other.
When Guy heard a man call out his name, he could not tell from whence it came. The voice was weak but certain, and he knew that somewhere in the darkness, a man of the Gisborne line lay in chains, shackled to the floor.
" Is it you brother " he called, " speak again that I may find you."
But for a moment, there was no reply. Then he saw the clawed hand gripping the bars, and saw the man lying in chains, his arm outstretched, reaching for the hand of the close kinsman he had thought long dead.
He looked more animal than man, Guy thought, but his eyes were bright in their joy.
" Do you have the keys?" he croaked, his voice cracked and weak, " he with the red hair and ruddy complexion keeps them at his waist, a cruel man and a drunkard, but so are they all. What is the year?"
Then he shouted louder, his panic rising in him, as he saw the place before his prison bars was again empty of the man he thought come to save him.
"Sweet Christ brother, I cannot see you!" he called, " come back into the torchlight!"
Then he closed his eyes in despair.
'Twas only a dream," he moaned, " the vision of a dying man, dear God, take me now, and cease this endless torture."
But then the door swung open.
"Not a dream brother," said Guy, " and God shall not have you this day!"
The keys were many, and precious moments passed as Guy sought to free the poor wretch before him from the shackles that bound him , all the while cursing his own clumsiness, and gagging at the stench.
But at last Kay was freed from the chains. He had lain there so long in his own filth that he could not stand, but still he tried to gain his feet. Guy placed an arm beneath the skeletal frame of a once proud man, who like himself had walked tall and straight, and he thought to himself that his brother now weighed less than a sickly child.
There was a sound, as of trampling footsteps, and Guy heard the sharp intake of breath from the man he now almost carried in his arms.
" A few steps more," he said, " and you will feel the outside air on your face again. There are two who wait with a boat to carry you from this Godforsaken hole, they are well paid and willing, though I have my doubts on their character."
" But no matter, bear up, and in an hour or so, you will see that pretty wife of yours, and those bonny sons you have sired. They await your coming with great eagerness, from a place of safety, and when you have regained your strength, decisions will have to be made, but not today."
" Today is for sanctuary, a cure for your ills, a full belly, and a warm bed. Today is not a day for dying, but for living, and by God, if I have my way you will live!"
As he passed those still imprisoned, self hatred took hold of him again, and he wondered if he would ever be free of it. There was no price he would not be prepared to pay, to cleanse the stain of dark deeds from his heart.
But this was not the time for easing a troubled conscience, if taken, they would both pay the price, and languish forever in a dank stinking cell, as the Sheriff's dearest wish came to its long awaited fulfilment.
Not for them the blessed relief of eventual execution, their suffering would be prolonged, and relished by the man who so despised all of the Gisborne line.
They passed the sleeping guards, in their potion filled stupor, and Guy closed his ears to the cries of those who also sought freedom, and he would pay for his seeming indifference to their plight in the days to come, as he fought the dark demons that would disturb his rest.
But these things were yet to come, as yet unknown to him, as he descended further into the darkness. There was the sound of water lapping the stone steps, and he knew that freedom was near, both for him, and the shadow of a man he now bore in his arms.
A man so full of the fear of discovery that he wept silent tears, tears which ran through the filth of his face, and down across his skeletal body.
The nameless boatmen still awaited their coming, and they started at his approach, but seemed eager to help, standing to balance the small vessel as Guy stepped into it with his malodorous burden.
He saw the shock on the men's faces, as he wrapped the onetime prisoner in a blanket, and offered a flagon of wine, which was seized upon with great eagerness.
His joy was short lived however, as Guy snatched the flagon from his hands.
" Not too much brother," he said, "leastwise not whilst your belly is shrunken and empty, bread is needed, and nourishing broth, we must away, lest we are discovered."
Then he signalled to the oarsmen, and the boat slid through the water as silently as the grave. There was no disturbance behind them as they moved swiftly away. They crossed the moat, and were on the river as dawn streaked the night sky.
Guy stood in the rear, his hand on his sword, in readiness for any that should follow. But there was no one, and he let out a long breath.
" So, this is freedom then," said Kay, as he struggled to rise, "I live to see another sunrise, free of that dread place with its stench of death and putrefaction. Guiltless I am, yet accused of murdering a man never named, and seen by none!"
" Not even the benefit of trial, thrown into that hellhole, my family cast out, with naught but the clothes on their backs, the Gisborne lands stolen, and all for vengeance!"
" The crime was mine, and mine alone," said Guy, " but it was for the love of a beautiful woman I left my past life, and I could not have known the price you would come to pay."
" You are blameless in this," his brother replied, " and the man who has so wronged the Gisborne line will face a higher reckoning, vengeance is mine saith the Lord."
Then he closed his eyes in utter exhaustion, and sank down amongst the blankets, as the new day shone its perfect light on his ravaged face.