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

Chapter 50 - The Arrow

Allan was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the outside wall of the house and his arms crossed on his stomach.
Thornton approached him and handed the cup he was holding.
"The friar said that this would fix your stomach."
Allan took it and drank a sip.
"Thank you," he said, dejectedly.
"The sight of blood can make this effect, there is nothing to be ashamed of."
"It's not the blood. I've seen worse. When Giz returned to Locksley after we believed he was dead, I treated the wounds on his back. And that was far worse than this."
"What troubled you, then?"
"Pain, I guess. And the fact that I was the one who had to keep him still while Tuck cured the wound. I had already seen Giz injured or suffering, but never like today, I never heard him crylike that. I was there, almost lying on him to keep him from moving, and I could look into his eyes while he was suffering, I could see all the pain and the fear he felt, without being able to do anything. In fact, I had to hold him, to prevent him from escaping from so much suffering... It almost seemed that I was the one whoinflicted so much pain on him, that it was my fault..."
"But it wasn't!"
"I know. But it felt like that."
Thornton smiled at him.
"You're a good friend to Sir Guy, Allan. And God only knows how much he he needed one."

Marian woke up suddenly. She didn't remember falling asleep but she must have done so, because now it was night, and the room was lit only by the small glow of candles.
She was still close to Guy and she felt his body warm and solid against hers. Too warm, she thought, with anxiety.
She gently moved Gisborne's arm that held her close, and sheslipped out of his hug, sitting on the bed. She watched Guy carefully, and touched his forehead with a hand, discovering that the fever went higher again.
Tuck had warned her that it would happen, but Marian couldn't help but worry.
She got up from his bed, she dipped the cloth she used to freshen Guy's face in the water of the basin, squeezed it, and laid it on the sleeping knight's forehead.
Guy opened his eyes with a start, and Marian caressed his cheek.
"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."
Gisborne didn't answer, and the girl realized that Guy wasn't looking at her, but his gaze was lost in the void, as if he was looking at something far away.

So hot... The sun of the desert burned implacably, and Guy crawled through the sand dunes, choked by those strange clothes, by those saracen clothes that made him stumble at every step.
He could feel the blood flowing on his arm, accompanied by drowsiness and pain that weakened him, and threatened to not let him return to his allies.
He had failed.
The sheriff had entrusted him with the most important mission of his life, the one that would finally secure wealth and power for him forever, and he could not finish it.
The king's life had been in his hands for a moment, and he had hesitated. For a moment he hadn't been able to sink the blade into the sleeping man's heart, and that delay was enough to ruin everything. Robin of Locksley, whom Guy thought he had hit to death, intervened to defend the king, and his blade wounded him on his arm.
Guy had managed to run away before the other soldiers arrived to finish him, but now he had to run into the desert, alone, wounded, and frightened at the thought of being chased.
Several times he had fallen on the hot sand, and he had always risen.
"I am a Gisborne, I can't die before I have got back what belonged to me by right."
He hadn't even realized that he was back to his allies' camp. Burned by the desert sun, Guy dragged himself to the tents, not caring to know if they belonged to enemies or allies.
It didn't matter, a quick death would at least put out the thirst that devoured him.

"Water..." Guy whispered, and in a moment Marian was at his side with a bowl full the herbal remedy by Tuck.
She helped him to lift up from the pillow as she put the bowl to his lips to make him drink.
"Do you want more of it?" She asked, lovingly, but Guy had slipped back into a troubled sleep.
Marian replaced the wet cloth on Gisborne's forehead with a cooler one, then she decided to go down to order a servant to get colder water from the well.