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

Chapter 28 - A Secret from the Past

Marian stopped her horse and she waited for Guy to join her, then she put the animal into a trot again, and smiled.
"You shouldn't let me win on purpose. Not so openly, at least."
Gisborne dusted one sleeve of his jacket with his hand.
"I didn't let you win, I fell."
Marian looked at him, worried.
"Are you hurt?"
"Only my pride. The bush that I failed to jump cushioned the fall."
Marian leaned forward in her seat and reached out to take away a leaf from his hair.
"The only important thing is that you are well."
"Do not worry, I am unhurt. But I'd better have the horseshoes checked when we get to Nottingham, my stallion never jibbed like that before."
"Let's stop for a few minutes." Marian proposed, not entirely convinced by Guy's words. "Look, we can sit in the shade of that tree and wait for my father and Allan to reach us."
Gisborne agreed with her idea, and dismounted. He knew perfectly well that he wasn't hurt in the fall, but he was moved to see that Marian was worried for him, and it wouldn't be a problem for him to play along to calm her fears.
The girl spread her cloak on the ground and motioned for Guy to sit down, then she knelt beside him and brushed a strand of hair away from his face to make sure he was not injured. She took a handkerchief to wipe some dirt that had stuck to his cheek and she picked some other leafs from Guy's hair, lingering with her fingers to touch his head, in search of hidden wounds.
"Did you hit your head when you fell?"
"No. But I may have a scratch here."
Guy pointed to a spot at the side of his mouth and Marian leaned on him to check it.
"I can't see anything. Does it hurt?" The girl asked, getting nearer to have a better look, and Guy took the opportunity to kiss her, then he smiled innocently.
"Then I must be wrong."
The girl laughed, shaking her head in mock resignation.
"You're terrible, Guy."
"Are you saying you dislike it?"
Marian smiled.
"Maybe you really have a scratch there... Let me check better."

Allan was a bit worried when he saw the horses of Guy and Marian standing at the side of the road, but he was reassured when he saw his friends sitting in the shade of a tree, completely lost in a world of their own.
Gisborne was sitting with his back against the trunk, smiling while he talked, while Marian was crouched on the ground beside him, with her eyes fixed on his face, and concentrated on his words.
Allan thought that it was rare to see an expression so serene on the black knight's face and he was almost sorry to break the spell with his arrival.
Guy and Marian noticed the wagon, and stopped talking. Guy stood up and held out a hand to Marian to help her, then he picked up the cloak, he shook it to clean it, and he put it back on the shoulders of the girl.
"Hey Giz, I thought you were already arrived in Nottingham."
"Guy fell from his horse."
Edward looked at him.
"Did you get hurt, Sir Guy?"
"No, but I think I'll have to have the shoes of my horse checked; there must be something wrong with them, otherwise he wouldn't have thrown me."
Gisborne mounted and trotted alongside the wagon, following the pace of its horses and Marian followed suit, remaining close to Guy.
People would gossip if they saw them get into town so close to each other, but she did not care, she wouldn't allow anything to ruin such a peaceful day.
After the discussion of a few weeks ago, there were no other reasons for conflict between them, and Guy seemed to have completely forgotten both the slap and her cruel words, but Marian wondered why he had never mentioned the words that she had spoken through the closed door.
She had virtually asked him to marry her, he shouldn't ignore her words like that.
She decided to ignore that annoying thought. Guy had already demonstrated his love in many ways, and he continued to do it every day, she just had to trust him.
Once they arrived in the city, Marian waited for her father to come down from the wagon, then she entrusted her horse to Allan. Guy instead led the horse by the bridle after he dismounted. He would seek a blacksmith while Marian and Sir Edward did their shopping at the market.

Guy snorted in exasperation, noticing that the customers of the farrier had fled as soon as he arrived.
The man, clearly irritated, stared at Gisborne with hostility, without loosening his grip on the hammer in his hand.
Guy put the bag of coins in his hand, and smiled crookedly.
"I imagine that now it's my turn."
The farrier took the money with a grunt of assent, and Guy told him to check and adjust the horse shoes, then he decided to wait a few meters down the road, away from the fierce gaze of the other. He suspected that if some other customers should run away because of him, the blacksmith would eventually throw the hammer, or something equally painful, at him.
He leaned his back against a fence, and crossed his arms, watching the people who were passing along the road. Most of the people were moving far away from him as soon as they noticed his presence, and Guy began to regret not having waited for Allan.
The presence of his friend could at least dispel that feeling of being isolated from the rest of the world, as if he were a leper.
He noticed a coach that was passing in the street and he wondered if it was some of the sheriff's guests, going to the castle.
The vehicle was not displaying colors or coat of arms of any noble family, and it was completely anonymous. Even the driver wasn't wearing any livery, and Guy wondered if that simplicity was intended to hide some new intrigue from Vaisey.
The carriage stopped in front of him and Guy looked up, curiously.
An elderly man opened the door and stared at Gisborne for a few seconds.
"I know who you are." He said, looking at his face.
Guy gave a wry smile.
"It's difficult to find someone who doesn't know me, around here. What do you want from me? Is someone in your family dead because of me, or did I take away your harvest, or your tax money?"
The man raised an eyebrow, puzzled by those words, then he pointed a finger at Guy.
"You are the son of the leper and the French woman."
Guy looked at him, surprised that anyone could remember his parents after such a long time, but couldn't remember who the old man was. Perhaps he had already met him when he was a kid, but, if this was the case, time had left its mark on this man because Guy wasn't able to recognize him.
"They died many years ago."
"May they rest in peace. But their secret is not dead."
Guy frowned.
"What do you mean? What are you insinuating?"
"So that's true. You're not aware of it."
"What? Talk!"
"This is not the right place. Come with me and I'll tell you everything."
Guy hesitated, and he cast a wary look to the man. That conversation was taking an unpleasant turn, but he wanted to find out what he had to say about his parents.
He didn't like the idea of getting into the carriage with him, but in the end he would have nothing to fear: the man was elderly and frail, the coachman just a boy, and Guy was armed and ready to defend himself.
He pulled out his curved dagger and climbed into the carriage, sitting in front of the old man.
"Now tell me what you know about my parents." He said, in a threatening tone.
The man made a sign to tell the coachman to leave, then he smiled at Guy with a peaceful expression on his face.
"You'll have to wait."
Gisborne looked at him, ready to put the knife to his throat to force him to talk, then he winced when he felt a sting on his own neck.
He spun around, and saw that the coachman had opened a little window, hidden in the panel behind Guy, and hit him with a sort of dart.
Guy ripped it from his neck and he moved to attack the old man, but he collapsed on the seat before he could reach him.
The dagger slipped from his fingers as he lost consciousness, and the old man picked it up and placed it on the seat beside him, looking at Guy.
When he was sure he was asleep, he leaned toward him and unbuckled his sword belt from his waist, taking possession of that weapon too, then he sat back, leaning his back against the seat, and smiled as the coach pulled away from Nottingham.