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

Chapter 35 - The Fight

The first light of dawn was already beginning to filter through the leaves of the trees when Guy allowed the horse to slow down his run. The flanks of the animal were shining with sweat and the horse stopped and grazed the grass with his head down.

Robin abruptly pushed away Guy's arm that had held him up until then, and he let himself slide down the side of the horse. He took a few steps away, staggering slightly, then he turned to look at Guy, who in the meantime had also come down from the saddle.

Gisborne had hastened to take off his mask and the Nightwatchman costume and he had hidden those clothes in the hollow of a tree, then he removed a blanket from his saddlebag and threw it on the back of his horse.

Robin remained motionless, waiting for him to finish, staring at him with crossed arms and it was only when he finally turned to look at him that Guy noticed the anger that darkened his friend's face.

"What the hell did you do, Gisborne?" Robin growled and Guy winced at hearing his tone.

"I just saved your life, Hood," he replied abruptly and Robin took a step toward him.

"You left her in the hands of those men!"

Robin's words hurt like a lash, for Guy knew perfectly well that they were true, but they also filled him with fierce anger.

"Yes, I abandoned my sister, I betrayed her again to save you, ungrateful idiot!"

"Well, you shouldn't have! I could have managed by myself."

"Of course, we have seen how well you could. If I hadn't dragged you out of there, now your head would be stuck on a pike in front of the sheriff's window!"

"And now there will be Isabella's. Because of you!"

"Don't you dare say it again, Hood." Guy warned him, threatening.

"Do you have any idea of what they will do to her now?!" Robin shouted, pouncing on him.

The two men rolled to the ground and Guy responded to Robin's blows with equal fury.

He knew very well, all too well, that with his choice he had condemned his sister to a terrible suffering and he couldn't forgive himself, but he couldn't bear to hear Robin blaming his actions.

He kicked him aside and grabbed him by the arm, twisting it behind his back to crush him to the ground. Robin threw a handful of mud into his face and Guy let him go with a groan, to rub his eyes. The outlaw took the opportunity to hit him with a fist, then he grabbed him by the shirt and slammed his back to the ground.

"She told me what her husband did to her! How could you allow it to happen again?!"

"And why did you put her in that situation?! You told me to wait, to be cautious, but you dragged her into that stupid shed without even noticing you were being followed!"

"At least I didn't sell her to a monster, pretending to forget about her for years only because it made me comfortable!"

Guy and Robin had continued to fight, but hearing those words Gisborne stopped, petrified.

Blaming Robin suddenly didn't make any sense anyway because everything was born of that guilt: if he hadn't sold his sister to Thornton, all that pain would never have existed.

Carried away by his rage, Robin didn't immediately realize that Guy had surrendered and he hit him again, pushing him violently to the ground. He noticed the big mud-covered stone only when he heard the frightening sound of Gisborne's head slamming against it.

Guy remained on the ground, motionless, and the anger that had animated Robin until then suddenly dissolved, replaced by horror.

I killed him. He saved my life and I killed him...