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

Chapter 55 - Our Darkest Hour

Allan helped Meg to mount and handed the reins to her, but he couldn't help giving a worried look at Gisborne. The black knight had turned his shoulders to them both, and he was checking one of his horse's saddle straps, but Allan had understood that Guy's saddle was perfectly fine.
"Are you sure you don't want to be escorted to the camp?" He asked to Meg.
"No need, I know well the way, and I won't be in any danger." She lowered her voice. "Try to figure out what happened to him, he made me worry, earlier."
Allan nodded. He was still worried.
When he returned from his mission, Gisborne had remained still for a long time, kneeling on the floor with his face in his hands, without saying a word. Allan and Meg had initially feared that he had been injured somehow, but from what they could see, he seemed to be fine.
Allan had approached him cautiously and had called him in a low voice, and Guy had winced, as if he had just acknowledged their presence.
"You and Meg must get out of here," Allan had reminded him, and Guy had nodded absently.
He had changed in his clothes and he went back downstairs holding his arm around the girl's waist, reciting his part, according to Robin's instructions.
Allan had followed them shortly afterwards, and he had reached them in the stables.
Guy's gaze was empty, as if those last minutes of acting had emptied him of all his energies, while Meg hid behind a bale of hay to take off that overwhelming dress and wear more comfortable, dark clothes that would make her go unnoticed while she returned to the camp.
Meg had said goodbye to the two men and she hurried to go away, while Allan had turned to Guy.
"Well, Giz, can we go home, now?"
Gisborne had mounted on his horse without answering him and they went out of the city without talking, then Allan realized that Guy had not taken the road to Locksley.
"Giz? We should go that way..."
Guy shook his head and spurred the horse, making him gallop. Allan looked at him for a moment, then he ran after him.
He knew he wouldn't be able to reach him, but he was determined not to lose sight of him. It was clear that something had upset Guy, and Allan had no intention of leaving him alone while he was in that state of mind.

Marian got off the horse and she left the animal tied in the stable. She should have removed his saddle and brushed him, but she didn't have the strength, and she decided that one of the stable boys would do it the next day.
She dragged herself in the house, tired, and she stopped for a moment in front of Guy's door, undecided if she should try to open it or not.
She had to know if he was back or whether he was still with that woman, but then what would she do? If Guy was there, should she pretend that nothing happened or would it be better to shout all her anger?
And with what right?
He had betrayed her, but she wasn't without fault either.
She had kissed a man who wasn't Guy, one of whom she knew nothing and that she had no interest in. Her gesture was born of anger and desire for vengeance. At that moment, she had only wanted to hurt Guy, to give him back some of the hurt he had inflicted to her, and she hadn't imagined that that kiss would have hurt her so much too.
The impostor had responded to her kiss, had held her close to him with the same passion Guy had shown her in the past, and she was upset in realizing that she actually liked that kiss born out of anger, that the fake Nightwatchman had managed to stir something in her, something that she didn't think she could feel for a person she didn't love.
She had yelled at him all her anger, kicked him and ran away, with her face wet with tears of shame.
She had said that a woman should have the same right of men to be able to follow her own desires, but then why did she feel like a harlot?
We are both guilty.
Maybe that was where to start, the lowest point from which they could start to try to go back together.
The memory of her guilt would give her the power to forgive Guy's, or at least she hoped so.
She had to believe it, because she couldn't imagine a future without him.
She reached out to the door, but pulled her hand back.
She would try to pretend that nothing happened, to forget what she had seen with her own eyes, but not that night.
Now she just wanted to cry.