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

Chapter 42 - Free as a Bird

The Nightwatchman hesitated. He knew that he had no time and that it would be clever to escape while he could, but the temptation to take revenge on the Sheriff was stronger than common sense.
At that moment Vaisey was engaged in the great hall and his studio was deserted, so Guy pushed the door and quietly entered into the room.
He wanted to hit the sheriff as painfully as possible, as Vaisey had done to him when he had burned Knighton Hall. Guy stole the most valuable items in sight and he knocked open a few chests to give the impression that a thief had rummaged in them, but the goal of his visit was different.
Gisborne opened the doors of all the cages hung in the room, freeing the birds trapped in them, and he hoped that they managed to fly away through the open window. He didn't free only Vaisey's trained falcon, knowing that if he did, the bird would only attack the other smaller birds and then he would return to his master.
"What are you doing?!" The whisper of Robin Hood, coming from behind him, startled Guy, and a moment later the outlaw grabbed him by the arm, dragging him out of the room. "Run! They realized that we are in the castle!"
The two men ran down the halls as quickly as they could, chased by the sound of the heavy footsteps of the soldiers, just a few meters behind them. They were able to leave the castle without being caught, passing at the last moment under the gate, which was lowered in an attempt to trap them.
Galloping at his side, Guy showed to Robin the bag of stolen goods, full and heavy.
"The sheriff will have the honor to feed at least a couple of villages, this month," he said with a smirk, but Robin didn't seem equally thrilled.
"Entering into Vaisey's studio was not in the plan, what did you think you were doing?"
"When ever are your plans accurate and precise?"
"I mean it, Guy. You took an unnecessary risk and they could have captured both of us because of you. And what were you doing when I arrived?"
"I freed the sheriff's birds."
"What?! Are you crazy, Gisborne?"
"He had me whipped in front of everyone to humiliate me and he burned my house. If he is still alive it's because otherwise Nottingham would be destroyed," Guy said in a tone that made Robin shudder.
"I understand, really, but you don't have to risk so much. When you were gone so suddenly, I believed they had captured you."
Gisborne sighed.
"Sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't help myself."
Robin looked at him, sadly.
"They won't survive out of their cages, do you know it, right?"
"Maybe they will. The sheriff doesn't purchase birds born in captivity, he prefers to capture the wild ones, he finds it more fun. Anyway, better dead than in his hands, sometimes he doesn't feed them for days just because he thinks that they sing better when they are starving. Yes, definitely better dead than prisoners of the sheriff."
Robin knew that Gisborne's last sentence wasn't referring only to the birds that he had freed, but also to himself, and he couldn't rebuke him further for the risk he took.
"It would be better to avoid both alternatives, I would say."
"And for this reason it's best that we increase our pace: I must return to Kirklees Abbey before Marian realizes that I disappeared.
"To the abbey?"
"Yes. One of the women of Locksley told us a tearful story about the children of the orphanage near the abbey, and Marian insisted on going to check their situation, although the income of Locksley is barely enough to pay taxes. I imagine that after finding how things really are, she will come to the camp to ask Robin Hood to help those children."
"Knowing her, she might even decide to intervene personally."
"No, this time I don't think she will. I told her that I wouldn't accompany her unless she promised not to take any rash actions, and for once she did."
"She really wanted you to be there, then."
"Yes, although I didn't understand why. That's why I have to hurry: when I went away, she was busy with the children, but sooner or later she will search for me."
"What if she already did?"
"I will say that I was talking to Tuck. Oh, here's Allan with my horse."
Guy hastened to remove his Nightwatchman costume and changed his clothes, then he gave Robin the bag with items he had stolen from the sheriff, and he mounted on his black stallion, galloping away.
Allan looked at him as he went away, and made a half-sigh as he carefully folded the Nightwatchman costume.
"I wonder where he can find the energies. By day he's working almost tirelessly to rebuild Knighton Hall, by night, instead of sleeping, he puts just as much effort in being the Nightwatchman, and between one thing and another, he also helps Sir Edward and Marian to take care of Locksley manor. If I didn't care to bring him lunch, he might end eating only those abominable pancakes that Marian cooks for him. He could forget the other meals, but for those pancakes he always finds the time, although, to be honest, I wonder how he manages to find the courage."
Robin remembered with a shudder the rare occasions when he had the chance to taste food prepared by the girl, and he found himself to be more appreciative of the squirrels cooked by Much.
"I'm not asking him to intervene as the Nightwatchman, recently."
"Do you mean that it's Giz who takes the initiative?"
"Yep. He wants to hit the sheriff at any cost: as soon as he sees an opportunity to act he is ready to exploit it."
"Couldn't you keep him in check somehow? If Giz continues like this, he will eventually collapse or he'll commit some mistakes and the sheriff will hang him."
Robin thought back to what had happened just before, to the unnecessary danger that Gisborne put himself in to free Vaisey's birds, and he nodded gravely.
"I'll talk to him," Robin said, but inwardly he thought he would also have to talk to Gisborne about Archer. After the fire of Knighton Hall, Robin didn't have the courage to ask Guy to continue to get closer to their brother, but he knew that this mission was too important to put it aside. About that, however, he could not talk to Allan.

Tuck was looking out the window of the library, when he heard the sound of the hooves of a horse and he saw Guy of Gisborne arriving at a gallop down the narrow path that passed behind the abbey. He wondered why he was using that road instead of the smoother main street, and he closed the book he was reading, then he got up to meet the black knight.
Gisborne had just finished tying his horse when Tuck had joined him.
"It's a long time that I don't see you, son," he said, startling him in surprise.
Guy looked back at the friar and he smiled with the guilty look of a kid caught stealing jam.
"If Marian asks, you and I have talked all morning, in private."
"Are you asking me to lie?"
"No, Tuck, I will do that. All I ask you, is to not contradict me. Please."
The monk looked at him.
"To say falsehood is a grave sin."
"And I will confess it along with all the other ones. But it's important: this morning I didn't move from here."
"Will you confess? This means that now you no longer think that your soul is unworthy of being saved? Have you finally decided to believe that you can be forgiven for your sins?"
"Probably I'll end in hell all the same, I still think that I don't deserve forgiveness for many of the things I've done," Guy said, seriously, then a smile creased his lips. "But at least I'm trying to atone for the evil I have committed, I am working to build something instead of bringing destruction. I don't think that confession can really wash my sins, but to admit them before you and before God could be a starting point, a way to keep always in mind the harm I did, so I won't repeat it."
The monk put his hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"Like you said, it's a starting point. Maybe you can't believe in forgiveness, but if you are truly repentant, the Lord will take this into account. But just tell me one thing, Guy, this lie that you will add to your sins, and you're asking me to indulge, it serves to hide a serious sin?"
"It depends."
"From what?"
"Do you consider stealing from the sheriff of Nottingham a great sin?"
Tuck looked at him in surprise.
"What did you do with the things you stole?"
Gisborne shrugged.
"I don't care, I let Robin to decide the best use for them."
"Robin? Robin Hood? Son, confession aside, I have the impression that you have a lot of things to tell me, don't you?"
Guy smiled.
"Do you have enough time?"