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

Chapter 27 - Trough the Fire

Marian got up from the floor and she looked warily at the door of the box in which she had been pushed by the false Nightwatchman: the man was standing in the middle of the barn, only repaired by some hay bales and he was aiming at the soldiers who were trying to enter the building.
She thought that she should look for a way to escape, as long as she had the chance to do it, but she didn't move and she stared at the impostor. Whoever he was, she had to admit that he had the courage to face the enemies like that, and that he was also quite skilled with the bow, not like Robin of course, but not too far from him.
A disturbing crackle startled her, bringing to her mind the terrible memory of the fire that burned Knighton Hall. Marian looked around and she saw the flames that were burning the wall of the stable in many points. The air began to fill with smoke and the horses pawed the ground in panic.
Marian opened the door of the box and she flattened herself against the fence, to avoid being trampled by the animal on the run, and when she looked back, a wall of fire separated her from the other Nightwatchman.
She looked around in a panic and she screamed when a hand touched her shoulder from behind.
"Quiet, it's me! Come, hurry!"
"Allan!" Marian looked at the young man, in disbelief "How..."
"There is a passage, hurry up before everything begins to collapse."
The girl glanced at the stable, overrun by flames.
"That man is trapped..." she said, hesitating, but Allan shook his head and squeezed her wrist, pulling her toward the gap in the wall.
"We can do nothing for him, come."
"But he will die!"
"Robin Hood will help him."
"He's here?"
"He released the prisoners. Come on, there's no time!"
Allan dragged her and Marian followed him, too upset to resist. She let Allan helping her to lie to the ground and slipping into the narrow opening, while other hands from the outside grabbed her and pulled her through the opening.
Little John helped her to her feet, while Much was pushing aside the boards of the wall so Allan could crawl out more smoothly.
They watched the barn on fire for a few moments, then Allan talked to the two outlaws.
"Take her to Locksley before someone recognizes her."
"Aren't you coming?" Marian asked.
"Not with you dressed like this. If someone should see me with the Nightwatchman, they would automatically discover your true identity. I will come using another road. Now hurry up before the soldiers return!"
Much and Little John ran away, dragging Marian between them and, as soon as they were gone, Allan went around the building to reach the entrance of the stable.

Guy watched in horror as the flames surrounded him. The fire started by the soldiers had spread incredibly quickly, fueled by dry straw and hay.
He could hear the horses whinning desperately, terrified. One of them passed him at a gallop and bumped into him, knocking him to the ground. When Guy was able to get up, he realized with horror that the fall had disoriented him and through the smoke he could not see where the door was.
If he had known, he would try to get out at the risk of being hit by the arrows of the soldiers, the very idea of burning to death terrified him.
Pulling back from the flames, he found a bucket full of water and he used it to get soaked, but he knew all too well that it wouldn't help much, and doing so he would only postpone a little the inevitable.
He curled up to the ground, covering his face with his hands and he closed his eyes, trembling. He was convinced that now he had no chance to save himself, when he heard a voice calling him in the middle of the roaring fire.
"Guy! Where are you?! Answer to me! Gisborne!"
"Hood?" Guy whispered, incredulous, then he cried the outlaw name. "Hood! I'm here! Help me!"
A moment later Robin Hood appeared jumping through the fire, wrapped in a wet blanket, and he held out a hand to Gisborne to help him up from the ground. Guy took refuge under the blanket with him.
"Can you make it?" Robin asked. "We'll have to cross the flames."
Guy couldn't answer and he just nodded. He wasn't sure that he had the courage to brave the fire, but after all he didn't have much choice, and if he'd hesitate, Robin would die with him.
He closed his eyes and let Robin to guide him through the wall of flames.
"Giz! Robin! This way!"
Allan ran toward them as he saw them appear in the smoke, and he helped them to reach the door and go outside.
The Sheriff's soldiers were no longer in front of the stable: as soon as they realized that they had started a fire that could destroy the entire village, they went away so they couldn't be accused.
Instead, the people of Clun were hurrying with buckets and shovels to throw water and soil on the flames.
Allan dragged Robin and Guy towards cart loaded with fruit and vegetables, not far from there and helped them to climb on it and lie among the vegetables, then he took the reins and made the horse move, to get away from Clun as soon as possible .