"So let me get this straight. You stole from him…from Guy… and all he had done in retribution was forcing you to be his servant?" Marian asked with unmasked astonishment.
"Working for Gisborne IS a punishment." Robin shrugged, and then he added cynically, "But I would never believe this tale of woe."
"Have you not heard the part where she saw him in naught but a cloth?" Allan snorted as he tried his best not to laugh for the sake of the lass.
"And yet she lives." Will mumbled as he tried to absorb the story he had just heard. The saracen woman next to him, gave him a slight nudge and chuckled. The way Djaq had seen Gisborne act of recent, did not make the story sound that farfetched to her.
"Live and see." Little John muttered to himself as he ate his soup.
"Honest!" Malak cried out as she saw the lot having a hard time believing her. She then crossed her arms and thought sadly, 'Why does everyone have such a hard time believing that Master Guy is not as bad as they think he is?'
"Come on now. Are you not all ashamed of banding together against this sick lass?" Much objected in Malak's defense.
"Sadly, the girl is honest to a fault." Guy suddenly interjected as he and Gytha finally joined the lot.
"I do hope we have not missed much." Gytha added as she took a seat next to Malak, while Guy chose to remain standing.
"Well- I was just telling them how Master Guy and I first met." Malak replied as she scratched her cheek sheepishly, "And how I have ended up under his service."
"Oh- I have always wanted to hear the story behind it." Gytha titled her head with slight dejection for missing the story behind her Master and Malak's first encounter.
"Then shall I repeat the best part for you?" Allan beamed with excitement, "The part where Gis- here- stood shamelessly in naught but a cloth around his waist in front of this innocent young lass."
"Guy Crispin of Gisborne!" Gytha gasped as she looked at Guy, whose cheeks turned red up to his ears. "Is that true?"
Guy could not utter a word, and had simply wished for the ground to open up and swallow him alive. His fist shook as he felt all eyes had fallen upon him, waiting for a response.
"No. NO!" Malak cried out as she waved her arms in the air, pleading for everyone to break their sight away from her master. "It was all a misunderstanding!"
"Was it now?" Gytha looked at Maka with a stern face, "Care to explain how such a misunderstanding occured?"
"By barging in…unannounced." Malak replied as she stared down at her lap, fiddling with her thumbs nervously. "I-it was late, and ah-a misjudgment on my side. I have had clearly not thought it through at the time."
"Clearly not!" Guy emphasized as he had finally found his voice.
"I am so disappointed in you, Guy." Gytha sighed as she looked at the man clad in black, and then at Malak and added, "And you too, Malak."
"It is not my fault that she came in in an unholy hour!" Guy objected, and then pointed a finger at Malak, "And you! Do you not know how to omit such unnecessary details?"
"Well, you did say she is honest to a fault." Robin chuckled before a serious look replaced his current one, "But I still refuse to believe that you let her off so easily, when others got tortured for less."
Guy was about to say something when Malak suddenly jumped on her feet and said angrily, "He would never do that! But I do agree that I was let off easily. What I took from him… stole from him… entails a harsher punishment."
An abrupt silence dawned upon the camp. The lass looked at the fire with a hint of frustration and thought, 'Every single time… why… why would no one believe that Master has a good side?' A little before she could feel her feet failing her she added, "We all have both good and bad in us, do we not?" and as soon as she ended that sentence, she had almost tumbled down if it was not for the old lady sitting next to her.
"Hey…hey…" Gytha murmured gently as she held out her hands to support the lass, "Your body is yet recovering. You must not act so rashly."
"Hmm-" Malak nodded softly as she sat with Gytha's help. She then looked up and winced as she saw surprised faces staring at her.
"She puts you on a pedestal, does she not?" Robin was the first to break the silence and loudly stated what was on everyone's mind; Guy's in particular. He was as equally surprised by the lass's sudden declaration. Robin sighed and looked at Malak, "You mustn't trust people so blindly. Nor place them so high… you will end up hurting no one but your self."
"Robin!" Marian gasped as she nudged her fiancé softly, and whispered, "You can not say that. She already looks so miserable. And she is right, we all have both good and bad sides."
"I beg to differ. Guy has no good in him." He objected in a whisper as he stole a look at Guy, "She chose the worst person to trust so blindly."
Marian peeked at Guy and back at Robin, and she could feel the guilt eating her away. Robin's little speech made her wonder what would he have thought if he knew about her swaying feelings, and to whom they swayed.
Meanwhile Guy sighed heavily as he pondered on what the girl saw in him; what prompted such a horribly misplaced blind faith in him. Not knowing what was there more to say, he finally cleared his throat and said, "Ehm- Gytha? I think it is about time we headed back to Locksley."
"Alas, but, yes, I do agree." Gytha replied and looked at Robin, "The lass will be your guest for a while, Robin. And I will have no objections in the matter from you two." She pointed at Robin and then Malak as she finished her sentence. Then she continued as she gently caressed Malak's head, "Do not fret little one. You are in good hands."
"Not that I agree with the whole situation. But yes she is." Robin interjected with crossed arms and a hint of annoyance. Marian nudged her lover gleefully, and pulled one of his arms into a hug and added as she looked at Malak with a reassuring smile, "Yes you are."
"You know, the Sheriff will get bored eventually." Allan added with a shrug, and then nudged his head towards Robin and added with a sly grin, "And this one here will most certainly make sure of it."
"True." Gytha chuckled and looked at Malak, "And then you will be coming back right away, will she not Master Guy?"
"Who else will be tending to the horses?" Guy shrugged and looked away as he thought, 'Or dare serve me dinner when I am in a foul mood?'
"O' Lord! How is Nightingale?" Malak perked up with widest smile her weary face could muster.
"What? Wait?" Marian interjected with a gasp, "You let a woman clean the stables?"
"So? Were you not always objecting on how women can do what ever men can?" Gisborne scoffed in disbelief, and then looked at Malak, "And who on God's green earth is Nightingale?"
"Your black mare, Master?" Malak replied awkwardly, "I mean… It seems you rode Najem here."
"You named the horses?" Guy asked as he looked at the white stallion and back at Malak.
"Yes?" Malak replied hesitantly, and then looked at her hand and started counting the names, "Dawn, Ra'ad, Breeze, Guy, Chestnut-"
"Wait- what?" Guy interrupted. He closed his eyes, and while pinching the bridge of his nose he continued, "Guy?"
Gytha chuckled and asked, "Let me guess. He is the most stubborn of all?"
Malk nodded with a sheepish blush.
"Hah- Robin seems to be a befitting name as well, does it not?" Marian added, looking at her lover with a playful smile.
"Oh! And Marian does not?" Robin countered with a cheeky grin.
A round of laughter resounded around the campfire, bringing the evening to a joyful note. While everyone was laughing, Marian sneaked a peek at Guy and almost instantly wished she had not. She had never once seen such a sincere smile adorn his lips- or has she? The brunette looked back at the fire and thought, 'Have I ever looked at Guy? Truly… looked at him?'
"Well now." Gytha spoke as she stood up and gently patted her skirt for dirt and straightened it down before continuing, "Shall we, Master Guy?"
Guy simply nodded in agreement, and ushered at Allan to follow him as he walked toward his horse- or as Malak called it, Najem.
Before following in Guy's direction Gytha looked down at Malak and said, "Now young lady, I expect you to behave like a lady should, and be of assistance even when not asked to."
"Yes, Gytha." Malak smiled weakly.
"I think it is about time Malak retired." Djaq stated as she placed a hand on Malak's shoulder.
"Yes it is." Gytha replied, "Thank you, Djaq."
Djaq replied with a smile and a slight nod as she helped Malak standing up. The lass could not help but sneak a peek at her Master's wide back as he walked away. And as she did, a tinge of sadness wallowed inside of her for seeing him leave, a tinge that had not went unnoticed by the middle-aged lady.
"I bid you all a good night." Gytha said as she smiled at the lasses and headed to where her Master was.
As the middle-aged lady neared to where her Master had been standing, she began to hear voices arguing. She let out a sigh; as she knew perfectly well to whom those voices belonged to.
"Are you mad?" Guy objected with a hand pointing at nothing in particular, "It is pitch black out here! How would a cloth even matter here?"
"He does have a point, Robin," Allan agreed with Guy.
"It does matter, because it is my camp and I have said so!" Robin replied, not caring how his argument made not the slightest sense.
Gytha interrupted the men, and raised one questioning eyebrow as she asked, "Am I required to wrap one as well?"
"Well- no…" Robin replied with a slight pout, "You are not my enemy, Gytha."
"And what makes you so sure of it my dear lad?" Gytha questioned with an unsettling smile that shocked all three men. She covered her mouth and let out a heartfelt chuckle.
"She is scary even when she jests…" Robin muttered under his breath and shuddered. But it was loud enough for Gisborne to hear, and he replied with a smirk and a shrug.
"Master Guy, may I have a moment before our departure?" Gytha requested and then looked at Robin and Allan and added, "In private, please?"
Robin obliged with a nod and went towards the campfire, and sat next to his fiancé.
"It seems I will be the first to departure." Allan replied as he mounted his horse, "See you, Gis. And I bid you a lovely night, M' Lady."
Both Guy and Gytha gave a slight nod and stood in silence whilst Allan faded away within the barely moonlit forest.
"Yes, Gytha?" Guy was first to break the silence as the woman came closer.
"Forgive my insolence, but are you sure you want to leave without a word?" Gytha asked, "The night did end at a lovely note, but some words have been said that may linger for a while?"
"And what am I supposed to tell her, Gytha?" Guy replied with a frustrated yet sorrowful look, "What about you? Are you fine to leave without an explanation?"
"She gave you one, has she not?" Gytha inquired.
"Yes." Guy replied as he looked away to hide his sorrow. He then crossed his arms protectively as he remembered how the lass cried in his arms and continued, "Yes she did."
Gytha stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand over Guy's forearm as she said with a warm smile, "Then that is all that matters. This old lady does not require any explanation. Seeing you all in a good health is more than I could ask for."
Guy raised his eyes and looked at the stone-blue eyes that beamed with nothing but love and care, and smiled, "You do know such words would only make her even more sorrowful?"
Gytha simply smiled and said, "Shall we?"