The Journey To Acre

Chapter 17

The world as we know it is only a fraction of the world at large.

To take it all in would be sheer impossibility, so our brain filters the information, files away that which is useful and discards that which is not. It is an unconscious process that touches every aspect of our lives.

But how does our brain decide? How does it know what is in our best interests? Is it down to innate characteristics or do outside influences play the larger role? And what if both, as in the case of Guy of Gisborne, conspire against us? Vaisey had put the blinders on him; shrinking his horizon to a narrow corridor, but in his desperate need to have someone show him the way, he'd allowed it and not just long enough to drag himself out of the dirt but most of his life.

The good news is, ladies and gentlemen, that horizons can always be widened. It is never too late to change. Forced to slow down and look at the world, with new influences in his life and the unknown awaiting him in Acre, Guy had been seeing things in a different light for quite some time now and not even realised it. He was also discovering facets of himself that he never anticipated. A sense of humour in his dealings with Marian being but one example. An enjoyment in getting her flustered, another. Indeed, by the time the Mary Peel reached Italy, Guy and Marian had fallen into an easy companionship – all traces of awkwardness long behind them, and since Vaisey's move on Juan had forced the captain to have strong words with him (again), his shadow did not loom so large over them as in former times.

Still, one might have thought that when Marian asked Guy if they were going to make a run for it not ten minutes after docking, he'd take it the wrong way. As it was, he smirked and asked her if she was going to find a priest to marry them, since she was hardly permitted to travel with him otherwise.

"Whatever happened to you being my jailor?" she asks when she's recovered from the shock of him sassing her, (something she doubts she'll ever get used to).

"Hardly applies, if you're no longer in jail," he replies casually. "Whatever happened to you offering me your hand in marriage?"

"Hardly applies, if you turned it down."

"What do I get if I reconsider?"

"My eternal respect."

"You are too kind."

He's already sauntering off to go fetch them some dinner when Marian stops him.

"Maybe I could come with you? What with the men away, maybe I could see some more of the boat?" she asks with a winning smile and much to her surprise, Guy looks as if he's actually considering it. Her heart sinks however, when the trademark smirk appears.

"Do I get your eternal respect for that as well? It will no doubt bring me far when Vaisey returns and finds you missing."

"Spoilsport."

"No milady, I am game, you need to up the ante."

Her mouth falls open. He tries to keep a straight face, but finds he cannot. He takes it as his cue to leave. She's still staring at the door when she hears him chuckling in the corridor.

.*.

It must be around midnight when Guy and Marian are awoken by the sound of loud voices.

Guy jolts out of the chair he dozed off in, winces at the crick in his neck and puts on his jacket to go investigate. Marian blinks sleepily up at him, huddled together with Archie in his bed. Guy shakes his head because if the men could see this they'd have a field day.

Much to his consternation, they do get to see it, because moments later they are tumbling into the room. Granted, it's his own fault for opening the door, but he can hardly refuse them access to the sick bay when one of them is injured can he?