Cloaked

Chapter three

Robins pov:

Archer collapses in my arms. Very light for a guy. John rushes over while yelling for Walt.

"Put him down gently now. Walt where's the med kit!!" The men crowd around us and Phillip carrys over the med kit.

"Walt is injured, only a few men are hurt but nothing serious. I've been training under him for years. We have to get to the wound, where's he hurt?"  Phillip says while opening the med kit.

"His sides bleeding pretty bad." I say. Phillip starts to untie the cloak. I help him and John starts looking through the med kit to find some gauze. Soon the cloak is off and everyone gasps. The archer that everybody knows is actually a young girl, about nineteen, with dark red hair and fair skin. She seems familiar. Wait. I know that face. It takes a moment before I remember.

"Gisselle." I say softly.

"She's alive." I say quietly, staring at her like a jewel. John looks at me.

"We will talk about this later, now focus." He snaps. he looks at the men." Go help the other wounded, get fresh water, and find some bandages int the house now!"

The men rush to help and Phillip starts to untie her tunic. I smack his hand and glare at him.

"He is not trying to harm her Robin, he just needs to get to the wound. This is strictly professional." He says while Phillip gets back to work cutting the tunic away from her side. Soon her stomach is bare and her chest is covered by bound cloth. Her side is oozing red blood onto the ground. Phillip curses and grabs a flask.

"Really deep, need to sanitize it then sew it up." He does exactly that while John gets the needle and thread and I dab away the blood around the wound. Soon she is stitched up, but still unconscious and pale. I keep looking at her face, like she would wake up just because I willed her to. I see John and the men looking at her worriedly.

"Is she gonna be ok phillip?" Asks Much. Phillip grimaces.

"Hard to tell right now, she's lost a lot of blood. But she seems healthy and isn't injured except for her side. As long as we are careful getting her back to camp, she should be fine."

I cover her up with the cloak, then me and John help get her up onto a horse.

"Are you gonna ride with her, or am I? Asks John.

"I will." He nods and holds her until I get on the horse, then gently hoists her up onto my lap. I position her so she is sitting in front of me, so I can keep a good hold on her and she doesn't fall off.

"Are you going to tell me how you know her?" Asks John.

"My best friends family was slaughtered about eleven years ago. This is his younger sister Giselle. She's nineteen, I believe. Daughter to the former duke and duchess of Essex." I say quietly while staring at her.

"I didn't recognize her." John says. I look at him strangely.

"You've known?" He sighs and looks down.

"When she first found me, we stayed the night at her encampment. I had gotten up to stoke the fire, and her hood had fallen off her face. I pretended not to notice. I've never told her I've know all along."

"And you'd didn't care?" I ask amazed. He shakes his head.

"She took on three palace guards to help an old man. She has always had my respect and has never let us down. Gender doesn't matter when she did what many men have never done." He walks away and gets on his horse. The men follow him on horseback.

"How's Walt?" I ask one of the men.

"He's fine, just a broken wrist. Got knocked out during battle, but he's fine."

I nod. We ride slowly, and get back to camp two hours later. It's getting dark. John and Phillip walk over to help me get her off the horse. I lower her down to their awaiting arms then hop down to carry her. Johns getting old, and Phillip is a bit clumsy on his feet. I don't want them carrying an injured girl. They don't protest when I carry her over to The large medical tent.

"Well her stitches are fine, nothing popped, no more bleeding." Says Phillip after checking her over. I just nod. Phillip leaves.

"Someone needs to watch her. If she knows we know, she will sneak out of camp. She would make it too. If she moves she'll pop her stitches. I have to talk to the guys about this, then check on the injured, so tonight it's your job. I didn't think you'd mind much." He says before smacking my shoulder and going to bed.

I can't believe she's been here, hiding out with John and his gang. When she was little she was very ladylike and hated dirt and outdoor activities. Jerald and I had been looking for her for years, but by the time she was nine, her trail stopped. My father had guards looking for her as well. We figured she had been killed by prince John. Jerald is still acting as my fathers right hand man in our home. I will have to write him.

After I run out of things to think about, I just fall asleep by the door.