Guy of Gisborne stood for a moment, released an arrow, then he dropped again on the roof, lying flat in the snow that covered it.
Marian noticed that he was shivering and she began to unclasp the cloak she was wearing to give it back to him.
Guy noticed her gesture.
"No, keep it."
"It's your cloak."
"I have warm clothes, you are only wearing that dress. You need it more than I do."
"But you're trembling."
Guy took a deep breath. He was shivering, but it wasn't only because of the freezing cold: he was exhausted, his wound was aching and he was afraid that they were all going to die.
"I will be fine, don't worry."
He shot another arrow to keep the mercenaries at bay, but he could see that they were gathering doors they tore off from the houses of the village to use them as makeshift shields to get near the house.
They were running out of time and Guy thought that if Robin was going to come, he had to do it quickly.
Guy looked at Marian and he saw tears on her face.
"Allan and I survived even worse situations." He said, to soothe her distress. "We'll make it."
Marian nodded, tearfully.
"It's the children… They will be so scared, all alone in that dark place… And Mary… My little Mary… I feel like I abandoned her..."
Guy hesitated for a moment, then he hugged Marian.
"You didn't abandon her. I locked the door, she's safe in her cradle. And the mercenaries won't touch a newborn." His last sentence was a lie and they both knew it, but Marian was still grateful for his attempt to comfort her.
"I feel like I sacrificed her to save the other children..."
"Nobody will be sacrificed. If it comes to it, we'll go back in the house and we'll defend the kids, all of them, with our lives. Now be quiet and try to keep your aim true."
He let her go and they both resumed their watch.

Robin galloped at full speed, terrified.
He couldn't even think what a group of mercenaries on the move could do to a village and its inhabitants.
"Are you sure they are mercenaries? You only saw their traces." He asked, turning to look at Allan.
"Giz was sure. Vaisey used to hire them, he knows their habits."
Robin hoped that Gisborne was wrong, but he spurred the horse again.
As they were nearing to Locksley, he saw the smoke: something was burning in the village.
Robin felt like his very soul was freezing and that cold didn't come from the snow.
"Be ready to fight!" He cried to the former outlaws, who were galloping just behind him and Allan.
Soon they began to see people wandering in the forest: poor, scared peasants, some of them wounded too, who were shivering in the snow because they left their homes in rush with only the clothes they were wearing.
Robin halted the horse.
"What happened?" He asked to a young girl, whose face and dress were splattered with blood.
She was sobbing, but she managed to answer.
"Mercenaries. They are destroying everything! Burning our homes!"
"Are you wounded?"
"No. They wanted to hurt me, but that knight killed them and told me to run."
"Was he riding on a black horse?" Allan asked and the girl nodded.
"Yes. And he was wearing a black cloak."
"It must be Giz."
"Robin, we must help this people!" Little John said.
Robin nodded.
"Do it. You and Djaq stay here and take care of them, while we go to defend Locksley."
He spurred the horse, sending him into a gallop.

Guy shot the last arrow and watched another attacker falling down.
"What are we going to do, now?" Marian asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"They won't get near immediately, but they'll understand we have no more arrows. We must hope that the doors will hold."
"What if they don't?"
Guy unsheathed his sword.
"Then we fight."
He handed Marian the long dagger he had on his belt.
"This is sharp and it can cut flesh very easily. Use it on our enemies and have no mercy." Guy was silent for a moment, as to collect the nerve to go on. "If… if there is no hope… Don't let them take you alive..."
He shuddered and Marian looked at him.
"Should I turn the blade on myself? It's a sin, Guy!" She whispered in shock.
"I've seen what they can do to a woman, if they take you, you'd die anyway. Marian, God would certainly forgive that sin if it can spare an innocent soul from torture. I… I'll do it for you if it comes to it, but you must know how to do it if I can't."
Marian nodded an listened carefully while Guy explained her how to kill an enemy with that dagger and the easiest way to put an end to her own life.
"Guy… I'm afraid," she said, trembling. "I think I've never been more frightened in my whole life!"
Gisborne smiled at her.
"Don't. Hood will come. I'm sorry, I had to tell you what to do, but it won't be necessary, you'll be safe. Now go."
"Where?"
"Inside." He gave her a key. "Take Thornton and Hannah and lock yourselves in the guest's bedroom, with little Mary. Keep the window closed and sit on the floor, you'll be safe."
"Guy? What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry, I'll slow them down. During the years I learned a trick or two."
The woman took the key and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Be careful." She whispered, then she went back inside the house.
Guy slid down the roof until he was on its edge and looked at the mercenary who was creeping towards the manor. Soon, his comrades would follow and they'd try to force the door open.
Guy waited until the mercenary was right underneath him, then he jumped with his sword drawn and he impaled him with it.
Gisborne rolled to the ground, stunned by the fall and he had barely the time to recover when he saw another man running towards him. He staggered to his feet and grabbed the sword of the dead mercenary, then he prepared to fight.
He knew that he was still weak and he could feel the pain from his wound, but he couldn't afford to be defeated or Marian and the children would be in danger.
The attacker tried to hit him with a blow, but Guy parried, moving to the side. The man was stronger than him, but during his travel Guy had learned that strength wasn't the most important thing to win a fight.
He had to be quick and cunning and try to use the enemy's strength to his own advantage.
He began fighting, parring and attacking whenever he had the chance to hit his opponent, but he couldn't defeat his foe. Guy was breathing heavily and he knew that he was getting tired, that soon he wouldn't have the energies to move, let alone to win.
He landed a blow to the mercenary, sending him reeling, but Guy gasped in horror when he saw that two other men were running towards him, raising their swords.
He understood that he was about to die and he prayed to God that at least his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.
The enemies were about to hit him, when they fell to the ground, pierced by a rain of arrows.
Guy saw Robin, Allan and the former outlaws galloping towards the manor, ready to chase the mercenaries away, and he dropped himself to the ground, too exhausted to stand.
"Hood, it was about time..." He wheezed, then he closed his eyes and passed out.

Robin hunted the mercenaries, killing them with no mercy, until there weren't any more left. A few of them had survived because they ran away, but Robin was sure they wouldn't attack any other villages anytime soon.
He ran into the manor, frightened because the door was broken and unhinged and he was afraid he was too late.
"Marian! Marian! Were are you?!"
A moment later he heard a door being opened upstairs and Marian came running down the stairs.
She was in tears and she was holding a dagger, her grasp so tight that her hand was pale.
"Robin! Thank God you're back! The mercenaries..."
"They aren't here anymore. Where are the children?"
"Mary is with Hannah and Thornton, but come! Help me!"
She ran back upstairs and Robin followed her.
When she began pushing the bed, he wondered if the fright had maddened her, but he helped her and he was shocked when Marian removed a hidden panel and let the children out from the secret room.
"Father!" Katerine threw herself in Robin's arms and the other imitated her just a moment later.
Robin hugged them all and Marian too, crying for the relief of seeing them alive and well.
"I was so scared!" Katerine sobbed. "Uncle Guy told us to be quiet, but it was so dark!"
Robin looked at his daughter, surprised.
"Uncle Guy?"
He was about to continue when Marian interrupted him, alarmed.
"Robin? Where is Guy? Is he alive?"
Robin didn't know. He was so focused on saving his family that he didn't pay any attention to Gisborne.
"I think I've seen him fighting against the mercenaries when I arrived, but I've no idea of what happened to him afterwards."
"Go and find him! If it wasn't for Guy we'd be all dead."

Allan rushed to reach Gisborne: he had seen him fall and he was afraid he could be wounded or dead.
Guy was lying in the snow and for a moment Allan thought he was really dead. He knelt beside him and began shaking him until he opened his eyes with a moan.
"What do you want, Allan? I'm tired." He mumbled, turning on his right side to go back to sleep.
"Wake up, Giz! Are you insane? You can't sleep on the snow!"
"What?"
"Did you hit your head, Giz? Let me see."
Allan began to finger his skull, searching for a bump, but Guy shook his hand away.
"Stop it! What are you doing?" He growled.
"Just trying to see if there was any damage. You looked so confused..."
Guy yawned.
"I'm just tired and sore."
Allan helped him to stand and gave him his cloak, noticing that Guy's clothes were drenched after lying in the snow.
"Come, let's go inside and let me check your wound."
"No, I want to go home."
"Are you crazy, Giz? You're weak, wet and cold, you can't travel to your lands like this. "
"Too bad because that's what I'm going to do." He walked to his horse and mounted.
Allan followed him, worried.
"You'll freeze to death. I don't want to hear you complain when you get sick and I'm not going to nurse you back to health."
Guy sighed. He was still upset after the attack and he just wanted to hide into a quiet place and rest.
"Please, Allan..." He pleaded.
"Fine, fine, Giz. If you really want to go home, let's hurry before you freeze."
Allan mounted too and they began to ride home.
They were halfway through the forest when they heard the sound of approaching hooves and after a few moments Robin's voice called.
"Gisborne! Wait!"
Guy and Allan slowed their horses to let Robin reach them.
"Hood. What's up? Is everyone well?" Guy asked, a little concerned.
"They are." Robin hesitated. "Thanks to you."
"So, what do you want?."
"To talk."
Allan understood that Robin wanted to speak alone with Guy.
"Hey, Giz. I'm going ahead to light the fire, don't be too late."
He spurred the horse and left Guy behind.
Gisborne turned to look at Robin.
"I'm listening."
"Let's keep riding, you must be freezing. I'll accompany you to your house."
Guy gave him a surprised look. Robin Hood sounded almost like he was concerned for his comfort.
"Well?"
"Marian told me what you did. You saved her and the children..."
Guy shrugged.
"She did her part too. She can be deadly with a bow, did you teach her?"
"No, I didn't."
"You should. Next time I could not be around."
"I sure hope there isn't a next time!"
"You can't know what will happen."
Robin nodded in agreement and Guy grinned.
"Teach her how to improve her aim, unless you are afraid she's going to be a better shot than you."
Robin shook his head.
"You're not going to make this easy, aren't you?"
"What?"
"Me thanking you. That's what I'm trying to do."
Guy actually looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Really. Marian and the children… They are all my life… You saved them and I'll always be in debt with you."
Guy smirked.
"Annoying, isn't it? Hood, the hero of Nottingham, who has to be grateful to an evil traitor… Well, don't."
Robin lifted his eyebrows.
"What?"
"Don't be grateful. I didn't do it for you. I care for Marian and the kids are nice even if they have you as a father. I didn't want them to die."
Robin gave him a threatening look.
"You still love her."
Guy looked at him.
"No, I don't. Not anymore," he said and Robin realized that Gisborne was saying the truth.
The kept riding in silence for a while.
"Look, Hood," Guy said "I think we are even. You let me stay at Locksley when I was ill and I repaid my debt helping to defend your house."
"Well, then. We're even."
They arrived near Gisborne Manor and Robin looked around nervously. The last time he had been in that part of Locksley was many years ago, the day both Guy and him became orphans.
He always avoided that place to keep the sad memories away.
Robin dismounted and looked at the manor: Guy was rebuilding it on the ruins of his old house and Robin shuddered, remembering the day when the both stood in front of the burning house, looking at the flames that destroyed their childhood.
"This place didn't change at all, don't you think?" Guy said, dismounting too and reaching Robin to stand at his side. "When the manor will be finished, it will be as if time never passed."
"How can you bear living here? You must be heartless to look everyday at the place where they died!"
Guy looked at him.
"The first time I came here after you granted me my lands, I cried." He abruptly confessed. "I think I spend the best part of the night sobbing like a girl and hoping that Allan didn't hear me. If he did, he's been kind enough not to mention it."
"And you still want to live here? You could have asked for any other land."
"I suffered here, it's true, but before the fire I've been happy. This is the only home I ever had and I want it back."
Robin nodded, looking at the half built manor.
"It will be a good house."
"I can't have my family back, but it will be nice to have a home again."
A cold gust of wind made them shiver and Robin put a hand on Guy's shoulder.
"Go inside or you'll get sick and I don't want to have to lodge you at Locksley again."
Guy grinned.
"Don't worry, I don't wish to have you around either. But someday I will visit."
Robin smirked back.
"Not too often, I hope."
Guy laughed and walked towards the house. At the door, he turned and lifted his hand to wave him goodbye.
"Well, Hood, see you around," he said, then he entered the manor.
Robin looked for a moment at the closed door, then he mounted with a little smile on his face.
He was going home too.