Scores
The sun had not yet started to peak above the tree line but Guy of Gisborne was awake. He was silent as he lay on the cool sheets; his arm wrapped protectively around Marian as she slept. He came close to smiling but it receded from his lips before it could count - he didn't want to be too sure of himself. He had been so in the past, only to find that his assumptions were faulty and he was humiliated again. No. He would not accept what he could not trust.
Though he was making certain that he was not impulsive in his faith, he did not find all of Marian's actions and affections illusory. He was confident that she was finding it in her being to accept him - even if she did not love him as deeply as he loved her. After all - had she not spent the night quite willing in his arms? If she were so determined to keep him at a distance, she would not have given herself to him for a second time. She wanted him. It was not as if he was dogging her to completely share his bed - he had given her space and she had repaid it of her own free will.
His next thought drove like ice through his chest - what if she was only trying to gain his trust? Allow him to be at ease while she was all too complaisant with him? What if her actions and attentions were all a well-planned ruse so that he would let his guard down? He sunk deeper into the paillasse as the thoughts made his heart beat faster and more painfully. What purpose would she have to commit such an unforgivable act? He could not rationalize Marian using her body as a tool against him. She would not. There was no reason to - unless… Hood.
He felt his breath draw in sharply. Was she giving him a false sense of security so that she could gather information for Hood? Did she think he would be so besotted with her that he wouldn't notice? No - she would not do that to him. She was too good - too pure - to commit the heinous crime of betrayal. He felt his mouth run dry as one word, that made the ice in his chest twist, cropped up in his mind - 'again.'
Slowly he stood and pulled away from Marian's warmth - his body felt abnormally chilled. He kept his mind from thinking about her. He made certain that he didn't wake her, not for the fact that he was being kind in letting her sleep but he didn't want to face her. He did not want to see what counsel a night's sleep had brought to her - he feared that she could change her mind about him, again.
Allan had managed to make his way inside Locksley that night. However, his means of entry were unconventional to say the least. He thanked the saints that he had left his window open that morning.
Though the night was known for bringing a peaceful respite to most, Allan only found a fitful sleep. His dreams sent him burning with shame and humiliation. Yet his waking hours did little to ease the disturbance the dark caused him. He dreaded sleep and waking as well. He felt as if he was in Hell; some peevish state of constant confusion, turmoil, and heartache.
When Allan woke in the predawn light, he ran his hand down his face in a swift motion - only remembering too late the damage that his nose had sustained. He winced - his lips protesting at the action. They too were stiff and sore - the dry skin pulled tight at his actions.
Sitting up he racked a hand through his hair then located his shirt from yesterday. It was still slightly damp from the first wash it had in over a week - unwelcome though the impromptu bath had been. The shirt's crumpled position on the floor had not aided its drying in the least; only seemed to leave some parts uncomfortably moist. Gently he pulled it over his head and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles that lingered on his chest. It did not work. But Allan didn't particularly care.
He went to splash some water from the basin on his face - only to find it dry. He had forgotten to fill it yesterday - Thornton did not have the time or desire to cater to his needs. Traitor that he was…
Quietly Allan made his way out into the hall. He was sure that Guy wouldn't be awake at this hour - not with the intensity that he was leading Marian into the manor - and locking him out in the process. Gisborne's absence would afford Allan some time to himself and the possibility of nipping into the Trip for a quick drink…
He pushed the door shut behind him and it closed louder then he intended. Glancing back to the sudden sound the door made Allan didn't pay any heed to where he was going. At least until his body collided with another.
Allan's first thought was that Thornton had been walking this way - then he saw the tall, unflinching, black boots and knew instantly that it wasn't Thornton.
Guy stood, blocking his path, looking down on him. Allan couldn't read the emotions in his eyes. Was it disdain? Superiority? Amusement? Allan finally decided that it was a strange mixture of all three.
Straitening up, Allan cocked an eyebrow at Guy. He refused to let himself feel lesser. Refused to be caught off guard. "Didn't think you'd be up so soon." That was the wrong thing to say…
Guy glared down at him, his teeth gritted, "Stop skulking in the shadows." His arms crossed over his chest reflexively, "Go fetch the healer."
"Marian sick or somethin'?"
Guy felt his stomach tighten with the thought. "No. I want her to look in on Edward." He hoped that she would notice his attentiveness. It might earn him a good mark…
Allan felt the pang of worry that, should he go near that horrid lady again, he might - at best - return in the form of a squishy frog; at worst - not at all… He held his tongue; Guy would laugh at him. He remembered telling Gisborne - after he nearly sacrificed his life pulling up the Devil's mandrakes - that God had stopped up his ears; he hadn't heard it scream. Guy's sardonic tone was hurtful when he responded with, 'I bet you screamed so loud that you couldn't hear it over your own din.' No, Allan would not let Guy turn him into a jest today.
Allan gave an almost unperceivable tap on the sad little door. He prayed that no one would hear him… He jumped a good few inches when the door swung open and before him stood the healer.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
Allan willed his heart to quiet its furious thumping. He tried to swallow as unnoticeably as he could, "Sir Guy wants you to see to 'is Lady's father." His voice came out commanding and stern - good.
She turned around to gather her supplies, "He still paying?"
"Of course." Without thinking, Allan took a quick glance around the room. It was piled high with clutter - the floor was caked with objects and dirt, the lone chair that adorned the slab of wood used for a table hadn't been sat upon in years so stacked it was with dried plants and precarious tilting clay urns. Allan didn't even want to comment on the smell. It wasn't of nonuse, it was as if no one had bothered to open the door to let the stale odor escape - he couldn't blame anything from wanting to escape this shack.
He jerked away when she unexpectedly touched his arm. Though he had jumped a good foot backwards away from her long fingers he hoped that she wouldn't have noticed, to his credit he hadn't yelped - he had been too startled to. Her glinting eyes told him otherwise…
"I hear Sir Spencer don't look to be as bad," the comment was offhanded.
"How do you know 'bout that?"
She waved a thin hand, batting him away as if here were a fly she'd disregarded for one of her ghoulish potions, "All the shires heard you got whipped by 'im."
Allan gritted his teeth in anger. Normally the first to make light of any situation, he found himself furious to be laughed at. It was bad enough when it was Robin or Gisborne - a private jest - but when the whole of Nottingham was flashing amused grins behind his back - that was worse than a kick in the stomach. He was the one supposed to be making the jokes.
"What?" he said. The healer had been talking to him and he was too angry to listen.
She gave an exasperated sigh, "I said, 'I can help you.'"
Squatting next to the fire, Robin stared thoughtfully into the deep flickering light. Much sat nearby on a carelessly deposited log - stirring a pot. Djaq didn't want him to be up for long - this was a compromise. Though Robin hadn't figured that Much would be anxious to get back to cooking, he realized that his friend felt useless lying around on his bed. Much wanted anything but that feeling and knowing this, Robin had pushed for Much to do his old chores.
Being allowed to get up was thrilling and Much swung the ladle around and around the pot. These careless actions were directly disregarding Djaq's warnings of using too much force and hurting his healing wound. "If it's healing," Much countered, "Then I shouldn't have any excuse not to continue my duties. Right Master?"
Robin concealed a grin, "Of course Much, wouldn't want you to get any lazier than you are." He winked at Djaq.
Much looked offended, "I never considered myself - lazy! Well!" He turned his full attention back to his pot, muttering under his breath.
Much wasn't the only member of Robin's gang that was thrilled - Will was ecstatic. Never again would he take for granted a warm bowl of squirrel. Never!
Robin's gaze was intent yet again on the flames, What are we going to do about the boy? However, something else had been troubling him since his encounter with Marian the day before and another question ate at him - what was he going to do about his heart? He needed to take a walk - though secretly he hoped that his feet would stray to Locksley and he would catch a glimpse of - or speak to - Marian. Slowly Robin pushed himself up and meandered to the edge of the camp. In the span of a breath - he was gone. Vanished into the trees, into the shadows…
Marian woke to a heavy heart. It was not that she strongly regretted the hasty decision of last night. It was that her husband had already left - not even giving her a second thought. Robin would never do that… Her thoughts made her sick, her stomach churning as she compared Robin to Guy.
Surely, last night wasn't all he was after. No. He had proven himself to her in his past actions. He had feelings for her - she knew that. Even him being willing to annul the marriage for her sake proved that he cared more about her then he did himself. The thought made her sick again. She refused to continue comparing the two men that vied for her affections.
Marian was firm in her resolve both this one and the one she made last night. When she had kissed him, Marian knew that she could live with him - more easily than she would care to admit. She would love him. It was a deep, dark, and admittedly dangerous path but she intended to tread carefully. She had realized, though it was against her better judgment - that she couldn't help but walk this course - she just hoped that her decision didn't trample her first…
She clenched her teeth with determination as she dressed, willing all her apprehension about the future, to seep out between them before she spoke with her father at the table. She didn't want him to worry about her happiness. She worried enough about it herself as it was…
What startled her was when Allan entered the manor with the healer. Though that in itself was not surprising - the healer had come to see her father several times. It was Allan's attitude that caught her off guard - he was pleased. In addition, Allan never showed any emotions besides contempt and anxiety when he was around this woman… What was he about?
"Guy wants her to look at Edward," Allan said, holding his arm out for the healer to pass by.
So he had thought about her before he left this morning. That was one of the first comforting thoughts she'd had that day. However, Marian furrowed her eyebrows at Allan - why was he so chipper? From the purplish marks decorating his face, Marian didn't see much he could have to be glad about…
Yet pleased he was as he let the door close behind him. He made his way over to his horse - greatly looking forward to joining Guy at the castle. He looked down at his clenched hand, opening it to stare lovingly at the small container of clear liquid. Allan smiled - truly smiled - for the first time in weeks…
A/N Dear readers. I am sorry. That is all I have to say. Life decided to occupy my entire time. Every time I turned around there was something else that I had to do. Again I apologize…
This is only part A of this chapter. The next WILL be posted by the end of September. I am staying with my Aunt and Uncle in Florida again for a couple of weeks and hope to have plenty of time to scribble down the B part. Thank you for your patients and understanding.
I also thank you for your continued interest and comments. They mean a lot to me. I would also like to thank all the anonymous reviewers and all those who subscribed even when I hadn't written anything for a long while. Your support really makes everything worthwhile. Thank you.
Why did the healer want to help Allan?
And just what DOES Allan have? Wait and see. Just wait and see. ;)
Just a small review of the last thirteen chapters…
1: We find Guy deliberately disobeying the Sheriff's orders to go after Marian who has been abducted by the dastardly Winchester. To do this he breaks Allan out of prison to help him. Allan agrees to help but feels that he is making a deal with the devil. Marian meanwhile contemplates her lot in life. Neither one of the men who wish to claim her hand has bothered to see to her rescue. There is no Robin in sight.
2: In chapter two we see what led up to Guy's decision. We also discover why Robin was unable to save Marian. He met with a near fatal riding accident and is in bad shape. Djaq even believes in the possibility that he will soon die. Then Will announces that there are riders in Sherwood - the Sheriff's men. Though they are nearly on top of them the Sheriff fails to discover the Gang's whereabouts. Vaisey does insult Marian's honor and Guy rides back to the castle in anger. It is not long before that anger triggers his passionate rescue attempt. We see him opening the dungeon door and descending into the darkness.
3: Guy's having horrible nightmares about Marian's fate. Marian attempts to escape Winchester's clutches several more times. Allan feels extreme guilt about betraying Robin and his friends. Winchester grows tired of Marian's nastiness and attempts to rape her. Just at that crucial moment Guy and Allan arrive…
4: Guy calls Winchester out and they duel. Though Guy wins the match it is not before he receives a nasty cut on his arm. Guy - fearing the worst - hastily proposes to Marian and she accidentally accepts. He refuses to allow her to ride by herself and insists that she sit in front of him. Guy gets rooms at an inn and sends Allan to find a priest willing to perform an impromptu marriage ceremony. Find a priest Allan does but willing he is not. Guy takes matters into his own hands and confronts the priest himself - forcing him to agree to the wedding. Marian agrees knowingly to wed him and walks into the church…
5: Djaq informs Much that Robin is going to be fine. The wedding proceeds with Winchester's ring instead of one that Guy would give. Allan unwittingly puts the idea in Guy's head that Marian could be with child - Winchester's child… Marian cleans out his wound. Guy won't consummate the marriage at this time and holds Marian as he starts to doze off. While holding her he feels something - a scar. She is the Nightwatch Man! He confronts her but forgives her to earn her forgiveness as well.
6: Guy barters with Winchester's ring to get one that she would prefer. Guy make sure that Allan is not keeping anymore secrets from him. They make their way back to Nottingham and Guy refuses to allow Marian to go to the castle - he braves it alone… Vaisey cuts Guy in punishment for running off without his say-so. Guy pushes Allan into the pond.
7: Robin wakes and fights to go and rescue Marian - he is put back to sleep by Djaq's handiwork. Guy takes Marian into Locksley they consummate the marriage.
8: Guy finds out the Marian hadn't been harmed by Winchester and is angry that she didn't tell him. Guy and Allan go to the castle. Robin disappears… Allan and Robin meet in Nottingham and Allan tells him that Marian in at Locksley.
9: Robin and Marian talk and Robin leaves - saddened that there is nothing he can do to change her mind. Guy feels terrible! Vaisey has kept one of the Black Knights, Sir Spencer, at the castle to assist in the capture of Hood. Guy is allowed to retrieve Edward from the dungeon and takes him home. He also has a healer take a look at Edward. Allan gets himself drunk. Guy passes out at the castle…
10: The Sheriff has Spencer bring Allan to him and then has Allan fetch Marian so that she can see her wounded husband. Blight is ready with his leaches… Marian gets to the castle and refuses to let Blight treat him the way he wants to - lest he poison him too… Robin comes to see her again and tries to get her to change her mind. Allan brings back the healer from tending to Edward. Poor Allan must collect mandrakes for Guy's cure. Guy hallucinates - much to Marian's displeasure.
11: Robin feels terrible about not being able to save Marian. He also hates that Guy was the one to receive that honor. Angrily he leaves camp and Much follows him into Sherwood. Sir Spencer is in Sherwood as well - looking for outlaws… Though Much sees the guards and runs he forgets one crucial point - the last man. Who also happens to be Spencer. Spencer stabs Much and has him captive until Allan, who has just taken the healer back to Locksley, intervenes. Much escapes but Allan is in trouble… Robin finds a wounded Much and we find out how he was injured in the first place - Much didn't tighten the saddle enough. Though Robin swears he will never tell him that. Allan is brought before the Sheriff by Spencer but to both their astonishment it is Spencer who ends up in hot water. ;)
12: Vaisey looks in on Guy… Guy and Marian talk. Vaisey talks to Guy when he is awake (there seems to be a lot of talking going on here…)
13: Guy and Marian fight about the council of nobles. Guy realizes that Spencer and Allan are gone at the same time. Spencer finds Allan at the Trip getting foxed. Spencer beats up Allan and holds him under the water in the horse trough. Guy intervenes and saves Allan from Spencer - THEN starts to beat on Allan himself… Vaisey informs the three of them about King Richard's illegitimate son and what Prince John wants done with him. Marian eavesdrops and warns Robin. Robin gives Marian his scarf to hang outside her window incase she ever needs to see him. Guy and Marian fight again and he tells her that he will have the marriage annulled for her sake. They then make up…
Now - ONTO PART B!