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

Chapter 48 - Fever

"This time I'm challenging you."
Guy looked at Archer and smiled, anticipating a new race. He liked to confront his alleged brother, to use his skills thoroughly only for the satisfaction of trying to be the best.
"What were you thinking about?"
Archer made a theatrical gesture with his hand, showing something behind him, and his face darkened with demonic shadows.
Guy approached, suddenly fearful, and he realized that they were inside the dungeons of the castle.
In the cell pointed by Archer, chained to the wall, there were Allan, Robin, Marian and Sir Edward.
"What does this mean?" Guy asked, struggling to find the voice.
Archer put his hand on his back and pushed him into the cell, then he put a dagger in his hand.
"This is our new challenge." He said, with a carefree smile. "Choose two of them and we'll see who kills them better."
"No!"
Guy stepped back.
"You must do it. Who loses is destined to burn."
Gisborne turned, and he saw a wall of flames moving toward him, pushing him towards the prisoners. He looked at Archer, desperate.
"And what happens to the one who wins?"
Archer laughed, his face twisted with hate, and for a moment he resembled the sheriff.
The devil's face.
With a gesture he pointed to the flames that had now surrounded them on every side.
"Whoever wins, Guy, will burn in hell."

Marian hesitated for a moment in front of Guy's door, fought between pride and the desire to make peace with him.
What happened to me? Why do I need him so much?
With Robin, she had never felt that way. They had been separated for a long time, even for many days in a row, and even though her thoughts and affection were directed at the outlaw, Marian had never experienced the desperate and possessive necessity she now felt about Guy.
She had been away from him just for a few hours and she already missed his affection, she felt a huge need to spend time together, even without saying or doing anything special.
The thought of Guy going out secretly in the middle of the night pushed her away from his door, and downstairs. She would forgive him for that, she knew, she would accept that humiliating situation because she didn't want to lose him, but she wasn't going to make it too easy for him.
She went down to the kitchen and found Allan, who was chewing a piece of bread and trying to jokingly woo one of the servants. When he saw her coming, he stopped doing both, and he smiled at her.
"Hey, are you looking for Giz? This morning we haven't seen him yet."
"Strange, it's rather late."
"Probably he's still sleeping, yesterday he lost a lot of blood." Allan said in a casual tone, glancing at her to see her reaction.
Marian winced and her heart began to beat faster.
Guy!
"Is he wounded?" She asked with a weak voice, trying, unsuccessfully, to look unconcerned.
"Nothing serious. An arrow wound on his arm, somewhat deep, but not too worrying."
"An arrow wound? How did it happen?"
"I don't know. He didn't even want to tell me. You could bring him something to eat and see how it is. Maybe he would tell you..." Allan suggested, hoping that the girl would agree.
Marian nodded, pleased that Allan had suggested that solution that would allow her not to give up her pride entirely.
"Wait in the hall, Lady Marian," Thornton suggested. "Your father is already eating, so I will bring a plate for you too and in the meantime I will tell the cook to prepare a tray for Sir Guy."
The girl thanked him, and was about to reach Sir Edward when Guy's scream coming from upstairs made her blood froze in her veins.
Marian was petrified for a moment, she had never heard him crying like that, then she got up and ran upstairs, followed by Allan and Thornton.
"Guy!"
Marian pushed the door to Guy's room, slamming it against the wall and she ran to his bed. Guy was awake now, but he was huddled in a corner of the bed, and he shivered convulsively, covering his face with his hands.
Marian looked at him for a moment, then she turned and gestured to Allan and Thornton to leave.
The two men nodded and went out, closing the door behind them.
The girl took off her shoes and she sat down on the bed, pulling her feet up and folding her legs beneath her, making sure not to touch Gisborne. She knew that when he was so upset by nightmares he would avoid any human contact, becoming even more upset if anybody touched him.
"Guy?" She whispered. "Guy, what happened?"
Gisborne raised his face as he heard her voice, and Marian saw that he was flushed and tearful. His gaze was still clouded by the dream, but the girl saw it becoming more focused as he woke up completely.
"Marian?"
The girl widened her arms.
"Come here."
Guy took refuge in the tightness of her arms, hiding his face against her neck, and remained motionless in her hug, sobbing lightly from time to time. Marian realized that he was crying and she wondered what horrible nightmare had upset him so much.
Forgetting all the rancor and every purpose of keeping her pride, the girl stroked his back slowly, brushing his hair from time to time with a light kiss.
"What is it, Guy? What did you dream?"
"Hell wouldn't be enough if I hurt you..." Guy whispered, his voice broken with weeping, continuing to shudder. "...but it burns. The flames burn so much! It hurts... It hurts so much... Fire devours me, and yet I'm cold..."
Marian looked at him, worried about those meaningless words, and she parted slightly from him to be able to look at his face. She gently pulled his hair off his forehead and kissed him on a temple.
"You're hot!"
Guy looked at her, trying to get rid of the dream without succeeding completely.
"Do you also feel that, Marian? Am I burning?"
Marian put her hand on his forehead and shook her head.
"You're not burning, there's no fire here. But you have a high fever."
"I have a fever?" Guy repeated, confused.
The girl caressed his face.
"Lie back, now, and let me look at your wound."
Guy obeyed and Marian refreshed his face with a wet cloth, then she gingerly took his arm, and rested it in her lap, beginning to unwrap the bandage.
"It's becoming infected, that's why you have a fever. I'll tell Allan to call a physician."
"No!"
Marian looked at him. Now Guy looked more lucid and completely awake, though he was still agitated by the dream and suffering because of the fever.
"Why not?"
"I've seen how they work. The only thing they can do is to use leeches."
Marian saw him shudder as he uttered the last word and a smile creased her lips.
She leaned over him and brought her lips closer to his ear.
"Guy of Gisborne, are you afraid of leeches?" She whispered, giggling.
"No! But I've already lost enough blood. And then they are slimy."
Marian smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"All right, no leeches," she conceded, with another laugh. After all, she didn't trust Nottingham's physicians either. "A healer then. There is a very good one living in the forest."
"The one who I arrested and who the sheriff wanted to drown in Locksley's pond?"
"Oh. Djaq, then?"
"She's pregnant, remember? Let's leave her in peace."
"Guy, someone has to treat this wound. If it gets worse, you risk to die or to lose your arm."
"Tuck. Send for Tuck. He will know how to help me, he has already saved my life in the past. And if he can't, at least he could hear my confession."
Marian silenced him by kissing his lips with ferocity, a kiss that was almost a bite.
"Don't even joke about it! Don't you dare die, Guy of Gisborne! I don't allow you!"
Guy smiled.
"I thought you were angry at me..."
"Oh, I am, believe me. If you're ill now, it's just because of that stupid race. And if you don't heal quickly, you'll see how much more upset I can be."
"Won't you have mercy on a sick man?"
"I'd have mercy on a sick person, but on one who got hurt in such an idiotic way, I'd have many less scruples of conscience. How did you get hit by an arrow while riding a horse?"
Guy wondered if it would be better to lie or to keep silent, but, unlike Allan, Marian wouldn't be content with just the request to trust him. And anyway Archer would tell about his version sooner or later, so keeping the secret would be useless. He decided to tell the acceptable version of the facts closer to the truth.
"It was Hood or one of his gang."
"Robin? That's nonsense, Robin wouldn't try to kill you."
"I think that he wanted to scare Archer, I don't think he was going to hit us. If my horse did not jump, the arrow would go over my head."
Marian thought: that was a credible situation, she could well imagine Robin having fun bothering the sheriff's henchman, and probably Guy too for the simple fact that he spent time together with Archer.
In any case Robin had been irresponsible, and Marian decided that, as soon as Guy was better, she would go to Sherwood forest to rebuke the outlaw as well.
Marian soaked the cloth in the basin again, and she squeezed it before laying it on Gisborne's forehead.
"Why didn't you tell Allan what happened?"
"Because you're right, going through the forest was a stupid idea. We shouldn't have. I didn't want to look an idiot in front of him."
The girl touched the tip of his nose with a finger and she smiled.
"I'm afraid that you've already did it, running that race, with the risk of breaking the bone of your neck.
"Maybe. But did you see how I rode in the last stretch? I didn't think I could go that fast..."
"Try to do something like that again, and only your speed will let you escape my anger."
After that threat, Marian got out of the bed and recovered her shoes. She put them on, and she gave a quick glance at Guy: he was suffering and probably the fever was still rising, but the terror she had seen in his eyes when she had entered the room had vanished.
"I would never run away from you, Marian," Guy said with a drowsy whisper and the girl looked at him, incredulous, amused and moved at the same time.
She bent to kiss him on his forehead and she smiled at him.
"I know. Now rest for a while."
"Don't go..."
"I'm going to tell Allan to call Tuck, it will not take long. Then I'll stay with you, I promise."
Guy nodded and closed his eyes.
"When you are here, nightmares are far away," he murmured, falling asleep, and Marian sighed, worried for him.
She hurried to report the message to Allan, then she returned to Guy, sat down on the bed, and took his good hand to keep it between hers as they waited for the arrival of the friar.
Gisborne's fingers closed on hers, and Guy smiled in his sleep.
Perhaps, Marian thought, he was dreaming about that silly race that he seemed to be so proud of.
Guy had asked her if she had seen him galloping down the road to Kirklees.
Oh yes, I saw you, Guy. It looked like you were riding the wind.
But she would never tell him.