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

Chapter 41 - Another Side of Him

Robin glanced behind his back, worried: Guy was pale, suffering and drenched in rain, but he still held himself in the saddle.
Allan was almost as white as Guy and Robin noticed that his hands were shaking on the reins. He could understand his agitation: he too was very anxious about the fate of Gisborne and he only hoped that Matilda wouldn't complain too much.
He saw the wisp of smoke from the chimney of the hut appearing between the trees and he sighed with relief.
He dismounted.
"Wait in the shelter of those trees," he said to Guy. "I'm going to talk to Matilda."
"No, Robin," Allan said, pointing to the woman who was approaching them with a firm step. "She's coming to talk to you."
"Ah, Robin! I see you met that miserable bunch of black leather!" The woman said belligerently, looking at Gisborne.
"Matilda..." Robin began, cautiously. "Guy doesn't work for the sheriff anymore."
"Why he worked for him in the beginning is a mystery, but then what can you expect from a pathetic fool like that?"
"Hey! I heard you, witch!" Guy said, resentful, even if a new coughing fit made his tone much less threatening than he had wanted.
The healer looked at him.
"If you still have the strength to fight maybe you could even survive, but if you keep standing in the rain I will certainly have to dig another grave. Enter the house and take off your soaked clothes. There is a bed in front of the fire, lie down and try to keep warm."
Guy looked at her, astonished, and Matilda grabbed his arm, pushing him sharply towards the hut.
"Move, you idiot!"
Gisborne glared at her, but he obeyed, stumbling toward the hut.
Robin was unsure whether to be more surprised that Matilda had agreed to treat Guy or to see that Gisborne didn't rebel against that disrespectful treatment.
"Will you help him, then? I can assure you that Guy is no longer the man he used to be..."
Matilda interrupted him.
"Robin, save your breath. Until three days ago you could have sung me his praises for a week in a row and you still wouldn't have managed to convince me to welcome the sheriff's dog into my house."
The outlaw exchanged a perplexed look with Allan.
"You'll heal him, won't you? Won't you try to take revenge for his past actions?"
The woman rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"If I wanted to see him dead, it would be enough for me to leave him out of the door to wander in the rain. I let him into my hut to treat him and I don't kill my patients, you should know, Robin!"
"What made you change your mind?"
Matilda's eyes softened a little.
"He came to knock on my door with that child in his arms and he begged me to save him. When I found him in front of me I wanted to kick him out, I still remember how arrogant he had been when he came to arrest me a few years ago, but the child was really sick and, as hateful as I found Gisborne, I had to help the little boy. He was only a year or two older than my granddaughter, the sins of the man who brought him here couldn't fall on him. I took the child and told Gisborne to leave, but he didn't move. All the time he remained beside him and held his hand, despite the danger of contagion."
Robin shook his head.
"He should have listened to you and walked away."
"When do people ever listen to sensible advice? And it's not that he didn't realize the risk, I think he knew it very well and that he was scared, I could see it in his eyes. But he remained despite everything and he tried to comfort the child as he could. One night I heard that he was singing a lullaby to make him sleep."
"Giz singing a lullaby? Not to say, but you must have dreamed," Allan said, skeptical.
Robin was reminded of the first time he had met Adeline: the woman had sung for Guy and said that when he was little, she often did it to make him fall asleep. Gisborne must have tried to imitate her to reassure the sick child, Robin thought, and that thought made his heart tighten.
"Believe what you want, but it's true. A song in French, I think. In any case, when that poor little boy died, Gisborne was very upset. It surprised me, even that devil has a decent side that I never suspected. Even with all the wickedness he committed at the orders of the sack of pig excrement who is the sheriff, it cannot be said that the man didn't love his son."
"That wasn't his son."
Matilda looked at Robin, genuinely amazed.
"Really?"
"He had never seen that child before. Please save him."
"You care a lot for him, don't you? Yet he was once your enemy."
Robin nodded.
"He was. And now I consider him a brother."
Matilda stared at him for a few moments.
"I can't guarantee anything, a lot will depend on him, but I'll do my best. Now go, maybe in two or three days I will be able to tell you if there are hopes or not."