The Ghost

Chapter 3: The Touch of Death

Guy and Allan stood apart from the guards while the soldiers fought against the outlaws. Gisborne saw Marian for a moment, between the men of Robin Hood, then Robin dragged her away from the battle, making her disappear behind a stable.
He already knew that the girl was with the outlaw, but seeing her with his own eyes, even if only for a moment, hurt him deeply.
Then Carter arrived, and the battle became bloody: the man hit and killed the guards to get Hood's trust.
Guy stared at the battle, astonished: he didn't know that the plan implied losing so many men just to trick the outlaws in trusting Carter. The sheriff hadn't told him the details of the plan.
"That's a waste of lives!" Sir Edward said, disapproving.
"I had no idea that he was going to kill them..." Guy said, in shock, and Allan thought that he was talking to him.
"I surely hope you didn't know, Giz! It's inhuman!"
"Come, Allan!" Guy said, spurring his horse to reach the guards and shout orders to them. "Retreat! Take the wounded and withdraw!"
While they galloped away from Clun, Guy glanced back, hoping to see Marian again, but he couldn't, so he pulled the reins of his horse and called one of the soldiers.
"Go back to the castle and take care of the injured men. You can have the rest of the day free."
"Aren't you returning with us, Sir Guy?"
"I have something else to do. Go."
Guy turned the horse, and nodded to Allan to follow him.
"Where are we going?"Allan asked after a while.
"You are going to take me to the camp of the outlaws."
The young man paled.
"I already told you that I can't. I work for you, but I don't want them to get killed, they were my friends..."
Guy scoffed.
"Good friends indeed if you were willing to betray them for money."
"I betrayed them because you tortured me!"
"This is wrong, Sir Guy!" Edward commented, giving him a disapproving look, and Guy had the decency to blush.
"I'm sorry for that," he said, and Allan stared at him, dumbfounded.
"You are... what?! Giz, what kind of wine was that? Are you still drunk? Maybe I should get you to a healer..."
"No, you have to take me to the camp."
"I can't! Giz, ask me anything but this..."
"I don't care about your friends, I need to see Marian!"
"What do you want to do to her?" Allan asked, worried.
"I have to talk with her. Just talk."
"Will you arrest her?"
"Of course I won't!" Guy snarled. "And I won't hurt her! What kind of monster do you think I am?!"
"Well, Giz, you always said that the Nightwatchman deserved to hang..."
Guy stopped the horse.
"Allan, please, I need to see her. It's important, I swear."
"You always need to see her. What changed since yesterday?"
"Everything changed, believe me."
"Because you found out the truth about her?"
"Because the ghost of her father visited me last night, and I keep seeing him!" Guy blurted, and Allan stared at him as if he had grown another head.
"Very well, Giz, I am taking you to see a healer."
"That wasn't a wise move, Sir Guy," Sir Edward commented, shaking his head a little.
"I needed to tell someone!"
"Your friend will say that you are crazy or possessed. How can you help my daughter if people will consider you a fool?!"
Guy stared at the ghost (at empty space from Allan's point of view.).
"Allan won't betray me. You said he's loyal. I trust him."
Allan gave him a wary glance.
"Giz... Maybe you should rest for a while. It's clear that the wine you drank had to be spoiled or something..."
"He can't believe you." Edward said.
"Well, tell me something that can make him believe. You said that you can read in people's souls, didn't you?" Guy replied.
"He's scared and confused, and he doesn't know what to do."
Guy gave him a pointed look.
"I think that anyone would be confused if he saw another person speaking to empty air, don't you think? Tell me something that I couldn't know in any other way."
"Giz... you are worrying me. Really..."
Gisborne stood still for a moment, then he nodded and turned to Allan.
"You dreamt about your mother last night. She used to sing a song to you and your brother, a little out of tune, but sweet and slow."
Allan almost fell down from his horse.
"How can you know?! This... This is witchcraft!"
"I don't know what it is, but Sir Edward's ghost is here, he speaks to me, and he can read in our souls. He told me about your dream. Need some other proof?"
An alarmed look appeared on Allan's face.
"I don't need anyone looking into my soul."
"He says that it's not as tainted as you think. He said the same about me as well." Guy sighed, and looked at Allan, pleadingly. "Do you believe me? Please tell me you do."
The young man thought that at that moment Gisborne seemed to be completely helpless, vulnerable, and he was strangely moved to realize that he was asking for his help, that he was trusting him so much.
"I guess that it wasn't the wine, then. You look like hell, but I guess that I would too, if I could see a ghost. Is he evil and terrible? Is he haunting you for revenge?"
"Actually he's quite kind."
Allan shuddered.
"It's still scary. Maybe we should go and see a priest..."
"No. I have to see Marian. Her father just wants to protect her. When she will be safe, he can go to Heaven."
"When? It's more like 'if'. With the sheriff around, nobody can really be safe. By the way, are you sure that he won't need you? What if he searches for you and you're not at the castle?"
"He's busy with Carter. They don't need me. And that's a good thing because I don't like that man."
"Who? Carter or the sheriff?"
Both. Guy thought, but he didn't say it.
"Take me to see Marian," he said, instead.
"If I take you to the camp, they could kill you, and me as well. Robin was very explicit about it when he kicked me out of the gang..."
"I don't care about Hood!"
"You should! I don't want you to get hurt!" Allan almost shouted, and Guy was surprised by his outburst. The former outlaw let out a deep sigh. "Listen, Giz, I can't take you there, but I could take Marian to you, would this be good enough for you?"
Gisborne nodded.
"I just want to see her."
"I don't think she will come to the castle or to Locksley, though..."
"I can wait in the forest."
Allan looked at Guy, noticing how exhausted he looked, and he shook his head.
"No Giz, I have a better idea. There's a inn on the road to Kirklees, it's called 'The Flaming Turnip', don't know why. It's a decent place, clean enough I guess, and they cook well. Go there, eat something and take a room. You look like you could use some rest while you wait."
Guy was about to complain and say that he didn't need food or sleep, but he realized that it would have been a lie.
"Very well. Don't make me wait too much."
Guy spurred the horse, taking the road to Kirklees, without looking to see if the ghost was still following him or if he had decided to go with Allan to search for Marian. When Marian would arrive to the tavern, the ghost would surely be there as well.