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

Chapter 25 - He's Still My Brother

When he opened his eyes, Guy had the impression that the sunlight entered from the wrong side of the room, then he remembered that this wasn't his room in Locksley.
It was the first night he had spent in his new home and the night before he had fallen asleep very late, even though he was tired after riding all day.
Allan had accompanied Marian to Locksley, the women of Knighton who had been busy the whole afternoon to make the manor habitable had returned to their families, and Guy had remained completely alone in that still unknown house.
He had wrapped himself in a blanket and he lay in the bed, listening to the silence. The only sounds that could be heard were the creaking of the house, sounds slightly different from those of Locksley manor, the rustle of the wind on the trees, and sometimes the quiet neigh of his horse, alone in the barn as well.
There were no sounds due to human presence, no sound of footsteps in another room, no low murmur of distant voices, no clink of kitchenware.
That silence instead told him that he was alone. Guy felt alone and, even if he should have been used to it by now, he didn't like that feeling.
It was the smell of food from the ground floor that awakened him and for a moment Guy thought it was Marian cooking for him, then with a sigh he realized it wasn't possible: she wasn't at Knighton Hall, but at Locksley, too far away .
He mentally reproached himself for his own weakness: he had decided to move to Knighton Hall, he knew that it was the right thing to do and he shouldn't be so troubled by the girl's absence.
He dressed quickly and went downstairs, looking in the kitchen from the threshold to see who was cooking.
He recognized Mary's mother and the woman winced as she saw him at the door.
"Sir Guy! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you coming downstairs, breakfast will be ready in a moment," she said, intimidated, but Guy shook his head.
"I'm not in a hurry. Why are you here?"
"You haven't hired servants yet, someone had to prepare your meal."
Guy looked at her, amazed.
"Thank you, but it wasn't necessary."
"You are Lord Knighton, it is a duty of all of us to take care of your needs. If you wish I can suggest the names of trusted people, you will need servants, people who take care of your home."
Guy nodded and sat down at the table as the woman placed an appetizing dish in front of him.
He began to eat in silence: the food was very good, completely different from the absurd attempts of Marian. He missed the commitment and the good will that the girl put in cooking with love for him, but he couldn't deny that the taste of the breakfast he was eating was much better than usual.
He looked up at Mary's mother, caught by an idea.
"Do you already have a job?"
The woman looked at him.
"I grow our garden and sometimes I do some sewing work for those who ask me. Why do you want to know, Sir Guy?"
"I'd like to hire you as a cook for Knighton Hall. And your husband could take care of the management of the house."
"My husband is still wanted by the sheriff, sir Guy."
"As I told Jack, he and the other men can return to the village. I doubt the sheriff still remembers them and in any case you are all under my protection."
"You have our gratitude, Lord Knighton."
"For the moment, I just need someone to take care of the house, so talk to your husband and let me know if you accept my proposal."
The woman nodded.
"I will, but I think there will be no problems, sir."
Guy smiled at her and returned to devote himself to the food, thinking about how things could change in a short time: not many months ago that woman considered him a ruthless killer and she wanted to see him dead, while now she treated him with respect and she had served a great breakfast to him.

Robin stopped to wait for Meg, smiling as he saw that the girl was so fascinated by that new place to stop every few steps to admire a building that had a little different style from those of Nottingham or the exotic goods on sale on some stall of the market.
Even Much occasionally let himself be distracted, but Meg seemed incredibly attracted to every little thing.
"It's all new to you, isn't it?"
The girl looked at him.
"My father didn't let me do anything. I spent my life locked up in the house and my only hope to get out and see the world was to do it at the side of a husband. But I imagine that in that case I would have done nothing but end up locked up in another house to give birth to one child after another. I don't want to marry, I don't want to go back to being a prisoner and if we can free Guy's sister, I will be happy. No woman should suffer because of the arrogance of a man!"
"Master, how are we going to get into the manor?" Much asked, throwing a worried look at the guards who guarded the gate of Thornton's house.
"We'll find a way."
"Maybe it won't be necessary, look!" Meg said, pointing at a group of soldiers who was coming out of the manor. Isabella was walking among them, her head covered with a veil and her gaze low.
Isabella crossed the market, stopping from time to time to look at the goods on display on the stalls, while the soldiers escorted her closely. As she passed by, Robin was worried to see the woman's blank, empty stare.
"Create a diversion and distract the guards, so that I can talk to her," Robin whispered and Much and Meg nodded, moving away from him.
When they were in the middle of the market square, Meg started shouting and slapping Much, pretending to be a betrayed and angry wife and Much replied in the same tone, shouting more than her and yelling imaginary wrongs at her.
Robin chuckled and noticed that the soldiers, while not straying too far from Isabella, were not paying attention to her, intent on having fun in assisting the quarrel between the two fake spouses.
Silently Robin approached Isabella and stopped a few steps away from her.
"Lady Gisborne," he said, to attract her attention and Isabella turned to him, amazed and scared, then her expression returned to be blank.
"That name no longer exists. I'm Lady Thornton and there are no other Gisbornes. My brother is dead."
Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Strange, the last time I saw him he was a bit battered, but definitely alive. He sent me here."
Isabella winced.
"Guy is alive?! Really? They told me his wounds were deadly..."
Robin nodded and he saw Isabella's eyes filling with tears as her detached expression cracked.
"So you don't hate him so much..."
The woman shook her head.
"I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for what he did to me, but he's my brother anyway. When I saw him after the tournament he seemed to be dying and even though I kept telling myself he deserved it, I felt something breaking inside me, something that hurt so much. I hate him, but to think him dead pains me, isn't it absurd?"
Robin touched her face with a finger, wiping a tear.
"Guy wants to save you, if I hadn't stopped him he would have come to get you even if he is hurt."
"No! My husband will kill him! And he will kill you if he should see you talking to me!"
Robin smiled shamelessly.
"He can get in line. It's not so easy to kill me, even though many have tried, including your brother."
"Didn't you say that he sent you here?"
"Exactly."
Isabella looked at him, confused.
"Who are you?"
Robin smiled at her.
"Didn't you recognize me? In fact it has been a long time. Many call me Robin Hood, but you knew me as Robin of Locksley."
"That Robin of Locksley?! It doesn't surprise me that Guy tried to kill you, then. Once you almost had him hanged, I don't think he ever forgave you for that."
"Oh, he did," Robin said, smiling, then he glanced at the soldiers. "We don't have much time, they'll be back soon."
"Take me with you!" Isabella begged him.
"Not now, they would immediately capture us, but I promise you won't be much longer in your husband's hands. I can't tell you how long it will take, but Guy and I will find a way to save you. Don't lose hope and remember that your brother has sworn to make up for his mistake. I swear to you too, we will come back to free you."
Isabella started to turn around to look at him, but Robin had already slipped away, mingling with the crowd of the square a moment before the guards returned to her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to resume her impassive expression, but she held a hand on her heart as if she was afraid that the soldiers could hear it beating too loud.