ONE OF THE GANG
Emitting a high-pitched cry, Djaq finished off the final guard with a flourish, and the gang stepped back to survey their handiwork. They were all breathing heavily, yet more from exhilaration than exhaustion. The arrival of the girls, followed closely by Tuck, Averey, Darren, and Edward, had given them a distinct advantage, and the guards hadn't stood a chance.
Guy's breath was harsh in his ears, and he felt a little lightheaded, but he nevertheless exchanged a thrilled grin with Little John, who he had fought alongside. The big man appeared to have mellowed towards him, for the first time ever, and it warmed Guy's heart to, at long last, feel accepted by all of the gang rather than merely tolerated because Robin ordered it.
"Good work," Little John commented, sounding impressed, before his eyes dropped to Guy's midriff and his expression changed. "You're injured."
"What? No.." Guy began and looked down at himself in confusion.
He realised instantly what had occurred. The increased activity had been too much for his slowly healing wound, and the stitches had burst. He was losing blood, which explained the dizziness.
"You're bleeding," Will reiterated, stepping forward to gesture at the slowly expanding red stain on Guy's tunic. "Djaq!"
Djaq immediately sheathed her sword and came forward, followed closely by Alice, whose face was stricken.
"Guy! Let me help." She inserted herself into his armpit, draping his arm around her shoulders, and he looked at her in bemusement before a wave of giddiness overtook him.
"Whoa!" He swooned against her, and Alice braced herself as Little John dropped his staff and came to assist.
Between them, they managed to lower Guy to the stone floor gently, and Djaq pushed his tunic up without preamble.
"As I thought," she murmured. "The wound is torn, but only a little. I can fix this." She turned and pointed towards the ceiling. "Will! Averey! I need cobwebs, as newly spun as possible! The rest of you - I need fabric to strap the wound and hold the cobwebs in place."
"Cobwebs?" Eve looked aghast, and moved away from Will, who was already reaching into the dusty shadows above them.
"They promote healing and stem the blood," Djaq explained briskly as she tended to the wound, using the hem of her tunic to wipe away the fresh blood. "It is the only option right now."
Edward, hovering on the edge of the group, glanced towards the other end of the corridor and then back at Guy, his expression one of worry. "You must hurry. Marian.."
He petered off, but it was clear that he wanted to find his daughter.
"Leave me. Find Robin. I'm just holding you up," Guy said weakly, waving them away. "I'll wait here for you once Djaq has finished."
"No," Alice said, aghast, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly.
"No," John echoed her on Guy's other side, his voice gruff. "We do not leave members of the gang behind. We wait."
He caught Will's eye as he returned with a handful of webs, and the younger man nodded in agreement.
"We'll wait. Djaq will have this tidied up in no time."
Edward pressed his lips together, but nodded and moved forward as if keen to be of assistance.
Guy closed his eyes and rested his head on Alice's shoulder, unable to prevent a wan smile from crossing his face. He had never felt like part of a close-knit group before; not really, anyway. His childhood had been happy until the death of his mother when Guy was thirteen. After that, his family had disintegrated as his father turned to the bottle, and his younger sister Isabella was married off to a wealthy landowner in Cheshire. Guy had been cast adrift, devastated at the loss of his beloved mother, and unsure of his future.
Returning to France, his mother's homeland, he had travelled for weeks until he reached his maternal uncle's manor in Normandy, where Gaston de Brinon, the earl of Falaise, welcomed him reluctantly and with great suspicion. Eventually, however, he secured himself a position as de Brinon's seneschal, after months of proving himself to the older man. In the following years, Guy carved quite a reputation for himself as a ruthless bailiff, for de Brinon would accept no less. In his personal life, he had already developed a reticent nature and a deep yearning for connection that he would struggle with for years. As a result, he was socially awkward and rarely mixed with his peers, which did not add to his popularity. This both frustrated and angered him in equal measures, and he learned to resent others for the ease with which they traversed the intricacies of intimate relationships, something he had no talent for. Instead, his stern and austere countenance, along with his tall, brooding presence, meant he was feared, and he cultivated this.
By the time he had reached one score and two years, he was notorious throughout Normandy, and much sought after by other noblemen for his ability to instill fear into the hearts of the serfs, successfully securing the prompt payment of their taxes. However, while attending the court of Henry, king of England, in London alongside his uncle, Guy was introduced to Pierre Vaisey, recently appointed as high sheriff of Kent.
In the absence of a fulfilling marriage, alongside the secret feelings of inadequacy that plagued him late at night, Guy had become focused on progression, and this ambitious streak caught Vaisey's eye. Recognising the strong work ethic and the prideful manner with which Guy conducted himself, and rightfully attributing the traits to a somewhat naive and easily manipulated mind that was eager to please, Vaisey knew that he had found the ideal weapon in his quest for power.
A single man himself, whose desires were darker than society allowed, and who therefore remained alone, Vaisey was stony-hearted and merciless in his pursuit of personal acclaim and wealth, and had come to the conclusion that he required a trustworthy companion with a similar mindset, who he could control and utilise adequately. Guy, a loner, fit the bill perfectly. All it took was for Vaisey to stimulate his subconscious need for recognition and acceptance, and Guy was his for the taking.
Ensconced in Kent as captain of Vaisey's garrison, it wasn't long before a move to Nottinghamshire became available. Vaisey had influential contacts as his uncle was the renowned high sheriff of Yorkshire; Vaisey was also a close confidant of Prince John. Upon King Richard's departure to the Holy Land to fight in the Crusades, Vaisey was appointed as high sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, as requested by Prince John, who had been granted the shires by his elder brother.
Guy was filled with anticipation. This was the ideal opportunity for him. His need for power and wealth now surpassed his desire for meaningful relationships, and he threw himself wholeheartedly into life as Vaisey's captain in Nottingham. The material rewards were vast, and Vaisey was generous, as long as Guy remained loyal and willing to carry out his nefarious orders. Years honing his dark and savage nature in France made him the perfect henchman for Vaisey, and it was easy to ignore his conscience when the benefits were so attractive.
But none of it could completely eradicate the yearning inside him for emotional support and mutual love. Life as Vaisey's right-hand man did not invite friendships. Even as master-at-arms, he was never able to ingratiate himself with the guards. His secretly shy nature made it difficult for him to extend the hand of friendship to any of them, and they were far too intimidated by his sternness and his close relationship with Vaisey to welcome him willingly into their inner sanctum. Life with Vaisey was thrilling and debauched, yet did not fulfill Guy's desire for companionship. Although Vaisey had taken Guy into his confidence, Guy found it difficult to relax with the older man, and he was often too self-conscious to understand or appreciate Vaisey's dry, caustic humour. Guy knew that he often came across as dull and unintelligent, but he feared opening up and allowing people to see his insecurities more than anything, especially if his flaws scared people away. Therefore, a close and intimate friendship was something he had never shared with anybody else.
If somebody had told him a year ago that Robin of Locksley would change his life for the better, Guy would probably have scoffed at them, but that was indeed what had happened. Life with the gang had made him happier than he could ever remember feeling, and, along with the love of Alice, which was everything he had ever wished for, things were certainly looking up. Much and Allan, and even Robin, had shown him that lighthearted and boisterous friendships between men could exist, and he enjoyed his conversations with them. He felt like a remade man, learning how to live properly for the first time. But Guy could never quite ignore the simmering resentment that he sensed from Little John and Will. He understood it, but it saddened him. He felt unable to relax completely when the two men were around, knowing that they disliked him, and often retreated into himself in their presence.
The thaw in their attitude towards him was therefore a Godsend, and despite the pain in his abdomen, Guy felt suddenly lighter and filled with positivity.
"There you go. All done." Djaq finished covering his padded wound with a strip of fabric ripped from the bottom of Alice's dress, and pulled his tunic down to cover it. She then quickly rummaged in her own clothing and produced a small stoppered bottle, which she uncapped and held beneath Guy's nose.
Guy recoiled at the foul stench and coughed, willing himself not to gag. "What in God's name...?"
Djaq nodded in satisfaction, squirrelling the bottle away amidst the folds of her clothes and standing. "You are well. Let's go."
Guy blinked, wrinkling his nose at the residual smell from the small bottle, before he realised that he was indeed well, with all trace of the lightheadedness gone, and only the lingering memory of pain remaining. "What was that?"
"Don't ask," Will said, wryly, "although you'll probably sleep well tonight." He held out his hand and nodded to Guy. "Ready?"
"So, what we're going to do next is leave this room, and then we're going to leave this town, and you, Robin Hood, are not going to stop me. Do you understand?"
Vaisey's eyes were bright with a fervent zeal as they darted around the room, seeking out an escape route. His right hand gripped a handful of Dulcina's chestnut hair, forcing her head back so that it was resting against his shoulder. His left arm crossed her chest, holding her tightly in place, while the blade of his knife pressed into the tender flesh of her exposed throat.
Because of the height difference, Dulcina's body was angled awkwardly, her torso arched backwards and her knees bent slightly. Her hands were clamped to her stomach, and her blue eyes were wide as she stared straight at Allan.
"Ma..." Allan was distraught, and Roana clutched his hand, sure that he would leap forward if she let go, placing Dulcina's life in further danger.
"Vaisey." Robin's voice was low as he advanced slowly on Vaisey's right side. "Let Dulcina go and I'll personally escort you out of here."
Vaisey laughed, the sound harsh in the quiet room. "Oh, come on, Hood. What do you take me for, hmm? I wasn't born yesterday. If I didn't have Dulcina, you'd be on me before I took a step towards that door. No," he tightened his grip on Dulcina, and she gasped, "she's coming with me."
"No." Allan shouted. "No! Take... take me instead. Let her go and take me."
"Allan," Roana murmured, stricken, squeezing his hand.
He glanced at her quickly and squeezed back, his touch tender. "Ro, I need to do this. I have to save her. She's my ma."
His voice was gentle, uttering the bare minimum, yet his eyes communicated so much more to her; his every fear, along with his love for her and for his mother.
She moved closer to him, scared but understanding, deep down, why he had to do this.
"Oh, la-di-dah-di-dah!" Vaisey said, loudly, interrupting the moment with a sneer. "You want to rescue Mummy, do you, Allan? Well, too bad. She's coming with me, and you... well, you can rot in hell, traitor."
Roana experienced a surge of intense anger, and was certain that Allan felt it too, but they were both helpless, focused on the blade at Dulcina's throat and the terror in her blue eyes.
"My lord Sheriff, please be careful," Peyton implored as Dulcina whimpered beneath Vaisey's rough grasp, and Vaisey glared at him.
"Get us out of here, Peyton," he snapped.
Peyton nodded, and glanced at Robin apologetically. "Robin..."
Robin sighed and shook his head, before relaxing his stance and lowering his sword. His shoulders drooped in defeat as he gestured towards the door before dashing a frustrated hand across his brow.
Vaisey grinned, horribly.
"Robin!"
"Master!"
Marian and Much spoke at the same time, and glanced quickly at each other before Marian continued.
"Robin, we must stop him! He could hurt her!"
"Marian, if we don't let him go then he will almost certainly hurt her." Robin's tone was vexed but firm, and Marian scowled, glaring at Vaisey.
"Listen to Hood, Marian." Vaisey sounded gleeful, and jerked Dulcina with unnecessary force so she stumbled forwards. "Get me out of here in one piece and you can have this annoying woman back. I certainly do not want her accompanying me when I leave this Godforsaken town."
"Be careful with her," Allan shouted, shadowing the two as Vaisey began to manoeuvre Dulcina towards the door.
"Much!" Letting go of Allan's arm, Roana darted ahead of them, passing behind Robin and swiping two arrows from the quiver on his back.
She reached the door at the same time as Much, who had Robin's bow over his shoulder.
"Give me that." She reached for the bow.
"What are you going to do?" Much said incredulously, passing her the weapon.
"We're going to escort the Sheriff out of the castle," Robin said, joining them. "Here."
He handed Roana a longbow he had taken from one of the guards, swapping it for his own Saracen bow. Unperturbed, Roana instantly nocked an arrow and drew her right arm back, aiming towards the Sheriff.
Robin looked at Vaisey, his eyebrows raised sardonically. "Well?"
"Guards!" Vaisey snarled. "Get behind me. And you," he glared at Allan, "stay the hell back."
Allan looked momentarily lost, pausing to glance at Roana helplessly, but Marian, moving towards the door in the wake of the guards, nudged him sharply and nodded at his sword.
"Arm yourself," she hissed, and he snapped to attention.
"Outlaws." Vaisey jerked his head towards the door as his guards fell in behind him. "Get out before me. You can lead the way. I want to see each and every one of you in front of me. There'll be no knives in this back." He nodded sharply at Robin. "Find the easiest and quickest way out of here, Hood. Preferably avoiding the king."
Robin glanced at Much and Peyton, who both looked outraged and worried in equal measures. "You heard him, men. Lead the way. The sooner he's free, the sooner we get Dulcina back."