From Ashes, Through the Fire (English) (From Ashes Vol.3)

Chapter 11 - Find Out the Truth

Allan hurried along the castle corridors, looking for Guy. He found him a little later and, when he saw him, he was worried: Gisborne was leaning against the wall of the corridor, keeping his eyes closed and looking pale and suffering.
"Do you still feel unwell, Giz?"
Guy straightened up and opened his eyes, running a hand over his face, tiredly.
"No, no, it's nothing."
"Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't have got up so soon..."
"I'm fine, Allan."
"I'm not being funny, Giz, it looks like you've seen a ghost..."
"Maybe that's true," Guy said with a sigh, then he looked at Allan, trying not to think of Isabella's words. "Were you looking for me? What did you want?"
"There is the signal."
"At the inn?"
"Yup."
"Better to go, then. We should try to get out of the castle without being noticed."
Allan handed him a cloak with a hood.
"When we're out of the castle, hide your face. Signal or not signal, it wouldn't do if people should see you entering a tavern."
Guy gave him a half smile.
"Yes, better to avoid it."

Marian smiled at the girls around her, a little uncomfortable. She wasn't used to the company of other young women and their attentions pleased her, but at the same time they intimidated her a little.
They were all curious about Guy, though they tried to hide their indiscretion behind advice and suggestions for the upcoming wedding, each apparently anxious to share her experience with her.
A good part of those girls were about her age and among them she was the only one not yet married, while the others already had at least one or two children. Marian felt she was different from them, as if her inexperience had cut her out from the world of those girls, a world she couldn't quite comprehend.
One of the young women suggested a certain type of fabric for the wedding dress, triggering an endless and heated discussion among the others who would have chosen a different quality. Marian wondered if it really was such an important decision and if Guy really would notice the difference as the other girls were saying.
The chatter of the others was silenced when another woman entered the hall, accompanied by her personal maid, and many of the girls threw curious looks at Marian.
The newcomer was supposed to be a few years older than them, but she was still in the flower of her beauty, though her expression was haughty and detached. The woman didn't pay the least attention to those present and she reached her husband to sit at his side.
"What can you tell us about that woman?" One of the girls asked Marian, in a whisper.
Marian looked at her, perplexed, wondering why she should know anything about that woman.
"I know her name is Isabella Thornton."
"Come on, don't be mysterious, Lady Marian, surely you must know something more, since your future husband knows her."
"Really?" Marian let out, amazed.
"Didn't you know?" The other continued, with a mischievous light in his eyes. "Yesterday morning, when Lady Thornton's carriage arrived, Sir Guy ran to say something to her and she, in response, took a whip from the hands of one of the coachmen and hit him several times until he collapsed to his knees."
Marian recalled the scratches and marks on Guy's face and paled. She had thought he had hurt himself by falling to the ground because of Djaq's medicine or that the sheriff had punished him, but no one had told her about Lady Thornton's reaction.
"I wonder what Sir Guy said to make her react like that."
"Maybe they were lovers once," another girl suggested, without worrying too much about the presence of Marian and unleashing the giggles of the others.
"Maybe they still are," a third girl hypothesized, giggling.
Marian remained silent, her face flushed and her eyes bright with tears, without having the courage to say anything because she didn't want to admit that Guy had never told her about that mysterious woman.
Marian looked at her with a heart tightened by a mixture of fear, humiliation and jealousy: Isabella Thornton was a beautiful woman, with dark, thick hair and piercing blue eyes, dressed with an elegance and richness that Marian could never have matched .
In comparison, she felt incredibly simple and insignificant, a naive and inexperienced girl, though in reality she was almost too old for marriage. If Guy really had any interest in that beautiful and sophisticated woman, how could she compete?

Guy and Allan entered the inn and one of the maids led them to a private room after winking at Allan.
Robin and Meg were already seated, and on the table in front of them there were a tray full of food and a jug of wine with four mugs.
Allan barred the door after entering and only then all four of them decided to take off the cloaks they had used to conceal their identity.
Robin looked at Guy and, from the amused gleam of his eyes, Gisborne understood that the outlaw must already be aware of his misadventure and that he was about to make one of his jokes.
"Not a word, Hood," he said threateningly, sitting in front of him and pointing a finger to intimidate him. "I already have to put up with Vaisey, I certainly don't need to listen to your nonsense."
Robin raised his hands in front of him, innocently.
"Hey, I didn't say anything."
Guy gave him a dark look and took a grape from the tray.
"So what do you want? It's not prudent to meet like this."
"It would have been much more safe if you hadn't attracted so much attention to yourself."
Guy snorted and Allan looked at him, vaguely worried, then he smiled at Meg and refilled his plate.
"It wasn't funny at all, Hood, and if you came here to make fun of me, then I will leave immediately."
Robin was about to say that actually the scene must have been terribly funny, but Meg sensed his intentions and kicked him on the shin.
The outlaw winced, but closed his mouth and looked at Guy. The friend seemed to be in a decidedly bleak mood, and Robin sensed that it shouldn't be only because of the incident with Marian's pancakes.
"All right, Guy?" He asked in a worried tone.
Gisborne looked at him, surprised for the question, then shook his head weakly.
"Isabella," he just said.
"I gather that she wasn't too happy to see you again."
"She hates me... She wants to see me dead."
"Give her time, she has much to forgive."
Guy sighed.
"Yeah. But let's change the subject if you don't mind. Why did you call me?"
"Did you discover the reason for this meeting? Why did the sheriff invite all those people?"
"Certainly not for mere hospitality, but I have no idea of his true purpose."
"There's something wrong, there are too many messengers coming and going from the castle, we have to find out what Vaisey's intentions are."
"How?"
"I'll enter the castle and rummage through the sheriff's papers."
"Would this be your plan? It's crazy, Hood. It would be in normal conditions, but with all the people that crowd the castle it's definitely impossible."
"Do you have any better ideas?"
"I'm already in the castle. I'll spy on the sheriff, read his documents and discover his plans."
Robin shook his head.
"No. If they should find you, the sheriff would have you hanged."
"And my neck is more precious than yours?"
"I am already an outlaw, you have much more to lose."
Guy looked at him.
"Exactly. The sheriff hates me, you can be sure that as soon as he gets the chance to hit me without fear of repercussions he will do it, so finding out his plans is also in my interest."
Allan nodded.
"Giz is right. From the inside it will be much easier to act and in any case I will help him."
"Alright then," Robin said. "But try not to take too many risks. And we must establish signals to communicate in case of need."
Meg had remained silent until then, but she looked at Guy and Allan, worried.
"My father is also among the guests. Pay attention to him, you mustn't trust him. He was willing to imprison his own daughter in order to get what he wanted..."
Guy stared at Robin.
"I won't let you down, you'll see," he said, serious, then an ironic smile spread over his face. "And anyway, if they should discover me, I can always pretend to be drunk."