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

Chapter 71 - Kill Me

Robin leaned over to look around the corner of the corridor: the way was clear and there were no guards in sight. He nodded to Guy and the Nightwatchman moved to follow him, staying a few steps back to make sure no one could surprise them.
The corridor was long and, at the end, it branched off in two directions: one led to the dungeons, the other to the strong room where the sheriff accumulated his treasures.
Robin paused for a moment to look at the corridor that led to the dungeons, wondering if after all he should save the man who attacked Archer from being hanged. That man was a madman and a potential killer, but he became like that because of the sheriff's cruelties.
Robin forced himself to take the opposite direction. Rescuing him, he wouldn't do a great favor to the prisoner, Robin feared that only death could give peace to him now, while stealing tax money would allow so many innocents to survive and not starve.
He studied the deserted corridor: so far so good. They had managed to enter the castle without much difficulty and to avoid the guards without problems. Perhaps Archer wasn't as careful as he and Guy had believed, he thought.
Gisborne followed him closely, quiet and ready to react in case of problems, and Robin thought that in recent times Guy had become a precious element in his gang, even if his companions had not yet fully understood that.
Much was certainly jealous of his recent friendship with Gisborne, while Little John didn't trust him at all.
Since Will had left the gang to take care of his new family, the Nightwatchman's help had become even more decisive.
Robin Hood took another step forward to approach the door of the vault and examine the lock, when a heavy iron cage fell from above, trapping him. Guy just had the time to jump back to avoid being crushed by one of the sides of the cage.
The two men stood staring at each other from the opposite sides of the bars, then they both tried to move the cage.
Guy drew his sword to try to use it as a lever, but after a few attempts both he and Robin realized that the cage was too heavy for them to move it with just their strength.
They exchanged a worried look: Robin was trapped and soon the soldiers would arrive, attracted by the clang of the trap.
"Go away, hurry!" Robin said urgently and Guy shook his head, terrified.
"I won't leave you here," he said, trying to move the cage again with all his strength.
"Stop that! Flee now, before it's too late. Immediately!"
"No. I can do it, I'll free you in a moment and we'll run away together."
Robin grabbed his arm.
"You know that it isn't true. Go away."
Guy looked at him and Robin saw the despair in his eyes. Gisborne was about to panic and he had to prevent this from happening, or they would both be captured.
"Guy, you have to go away now. I know you don't want to leave me here and I'm grateful, but you can't absolutely afford to get caught. If the sheriff were to find out that you're the Nightwatchman, you wouldn't just be hanged, but he would take revenge on everyone you care about: Marian, Sir Edward, Allan, the people of Knighton... And don't forget that Seth has only you, if you die that child will also lose his father."
Guy nodded, with tears in his eyes, and he squeezed Robin's hand through the bars.
"I will come back to free you, my brother, you can count on it."
"Only if you can do it without risking your life. Now go."
They both jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching from the other end of the corridor and Guy fled, running in the opposite direction.
He knew well that part of the castle and he knew that within a few moments he could take a hidden passage of which few knew the existence, one of those wanted by the sheriff to ensure greater secrecy to his intrigues.
Following it, he would arrive at the underground crypts and then he could take another passage that led to the kitchens, from where he could get out of the castle without too much trouble.
Guy recognized the entrance and slipped into it without slowing down, but he was forced to stop abruptly as soon as the tunnel arrived into the crypts: Archer was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for him with his sword unsheathed.
Gisborne glanced at the corridor behind him, wondering whether to go back.
"I wouldn't do it if I were you," Archer said. "My men have orders to wall up that passage. If you try to escape that way, I will do the same from this side and the Nightwatchman will die in that tunnel, like a rat in a trap. If you want to escape you will have to fight, but I warn you, not many are able to beat me."
Without saying a word, Guy drew his sword, preparing to face him.
The two men quietly studied each other for a few moments, then both of them snapped forward simultaneously to attack. Their swords clashed violently, then they parted and returned to cross again.
Gisborne was completely focused on combat: he knew that Archer was extremely skillful and that he could be lethal with a sword. When they had challenged each other with the sword, Guy had never managed to beat him, at best the challenge ended in a draw and indeed, Gisborne had the doubt that his half-brother had not even used all his skills for a friendly duel.
If he wanted to survive he couldn't afford distractions, he had to resort to all his experience and to fight without making even a mistake.
He avoided an attack and in turn he made a feint to catch the opponent by surprise, but Archer wasn't fooled and resumed attacking him without giving him a moment's respite.
"Well... You're good, I wouldn't have said it," Archer commented, trying to hit him with a sudden thrust, but Gisborne dodged without saying a word, and attacked in turn.
Archer defended himself, then he prepared to surprise his rival with his secret blow, but Guy understood what he was about to do and used the defense technique that Archer had taught him only a few hours earlier.
The young man had not expected the Nightwatchman to know how to respond to that technique and the surprise made him hesitate for the moment that Guy needed to disarm him.
Within seconds, Archer found himself with his back to the wall and the Nightwatchman's sword pointed at his throat.
"If you want to pass you will have to kill me. Do you dare to do it? It's your only chance," Archer said, defiantly.
Guy knew that if he hesitated, the other could easily overturn the situation, but even in that desperate moment he couldn't bring himself to thrust the blade into his brother's throat.
Maybe he could stun him, he thought, trying to find another solution, but he was sure that if he loosened the pressure of the sword on his neck even for a moment, Archer would find a way to overpower him.
"You have no choice, you have to kill me. Can't you do it, Nightwatchman?"
No, I can't.
Guy pulled back the blade and tried to hit Archer to make him faint, but the other man freed himself with a wriggle and managed to hit Guy with a kick, causing him to drop his sword.
The weapon slid on the floor and they both dived to the ground to take possession of it, but Archer was quicker and in a moment he was pointing it at Guy's heart.
"You're a fool, Nightwatchman, you were wrong not to kill me when you had the chance. Now you can only choose: surrender or die."
Guy stood still, trying to decide what to do. He knew he had no hope of running away or of overpowering Archer: if he tried his half-brother's sword would pierce his heart in less than a second.
He had only one chance, though very unlikely.
He sighed and put a hand to his face, slowly, to show Archer that he was not about to react. He took off his mask and looked into his brother's eyes.
"This could be a great time to return the favor."
Archer winced in surprise.
"You! I should have imagined it when you parried my attack! So the sheriff was right, you're a traitor!"
"The sheriff is never right, remember that. Even if you decide to hand me over to him, don't forget my words: never trust Vaisey."
"Of course, the words of the Nightwatchman are so remarkable," Archer said, with contempt.
"Let me go or you will be responsible for the end of both your brothers."
"I don't have any brothers."
"You do indeed. You have two."
Archer pushed the tip of his sword a little to prick his chest.
"Explain yourself."
"Why do you think I approached you? You work for Vaisey, I know what kind of orders you have to obey, I know your job, and I wouldn't want to have anything to do with anything related to the sheriff. But I had to know you, to understand if we really share the same blood."
Archer stared at him, wondering if Gisborne had become completely crazy.
"And what did you find?"
"You have the arrowhead shaped birthmark, you and I were born from the same mother. You are my brother. But do you ask me what I found? A friend."
Archer didn't move.
"I told you, friendship is largely overrated."
Guy looked at him.
"Really? If you think so, kill me now. I only ask you to have mercy on the people I care about. They have nothing to do with it, everything I've done, I've done it alone, without any help."
Archer hesitated. A few months earlier he wouldn't have hesitated to kill or capture Gisborne, and then he would have enjoyed the sheriff's reward without remorse, but now something was blocking him.
Guy of Gisborne had called him 'friend' and maybe he wasn't wrong. Archer had always avoided getting attached to people, but he had learned to appreciate Gisborne's company. Their challenges had amused him and they had saved each other's lives. Archer was no longer sure he was capable of killing him in cold blood.
Or maybe he was, but he knew that it would be a crime that would mark him for life. He had often killed in the past under the orders of those who hired him, but he had never felt like a murderer.
Gisborne was still staring at him, awaiting his decision.
"You're completely crazy. Don't you have your dreams? Don't you want to marry your woman? You are throwing everything away, for what? To play with Robin Hood? Or is it a revenge against the sheriff?"
"I'm just doing what I think is right. If you must, kill me. If you have a conscience, let me go. Pretend you have never seen me before. But please, whatever you decide, don't let Vaisey take me alive."
Archer looked at him. He didn't know what to think and he wanted to know more about that story of his brothers.
He pushed the sword away from Guy's chest and waited for the other to get up.
"I can't let you go," he said and he saw Guy's resigned expression. He smiled at him. "But I can't do anything about it, if the Night Watchman knocks me out with a punch. Of course I can't stop him if I'm unconscious."
Guy looked at him, incredulous.
"Really?"
"Try not to be too delicate, the sheriff will have to see a big bruise to believe it. And then you will have to explain to me everything about this story of the brothers. Is it clear?"
Gisborne nodded.
"Thank you," he said in a low voice, moved, then he hit him and ran away.