Chapter 18,
I Will Remember You,
Hours had elapsed, Gisborne was still critical, his bleeding still refused to stop, and Robin and his men had managed to fall into a deep slumbering sleep. Madison looked around to see them lying in their beds, sleeping with no concern whatsoever for the man that they had attempted to save their lives.
Madison had overheard the conversation Tuck and Robin were having, so she knew Gisborne was not going to live. Still that gave them no right to just abandon him and let him die in his, if you would, sleep.
So silently and carefully, she rose from the bed Gisborne's pale and lifeless, body lay on, he was running a fever but his weakened condition did not allow him any movement.
When she had risen to her feet she leant over and kissed him on the forehead, before she slipped out of the camp by sliding under the door, she had lost her tiara in the process, but all she cared about now was Gisborne. She could not recall a time when she had run so fast, or for this specific reason, but she was pushing her past behind her now, as she raced to save the present.
She ran through the forest, holding her skirt so it did not catch on anything, because at her speed she did not want to fall, she dodged trees, and jumped logs, and rocks, as she made her way to Loxley. She was breathless when she arrived, but she did not stop there, she knocked on the door of the first house she came too.
"Please open up...I need help." Madison called loud enough for the people inside to hear her,
"Who is it?" A woman's voice came from the other side of the door,
"It is the sister of King Richard and I need help." Madison pleaded, but the woman had opened the door already allowing her entrance.
"Good heavens what are you doing out here at this late hour?" A blonde, blue eyed, young woman, asked.
"I need you're help I need certain herbs I will pay you if you can give them to me." Madison said quickly as she slid a diamond ring from her finger, offering it as payment.
"There is no need for payments just tell me what you need and I will see if I have it." The woman replied,
"Thank you a friend of mine is dying Guy of Gisborne and I need help...do you have any saffron?" Madison asked, as she returned the ring to her finger.
"Gisborne...he took nearly everything I own and you want to save him?" The woman asked,
"You don't understand he is working with Robin to fight for you're freedom...for the freedom of England." Madison answered, lying slightly,
"I don't trust him but very well come this way and take what you need." The woman said giving in to what Madison had said,
She made many visits to other houses looking for what she needed in order to save Gisborne's life, finally she had what she needed, and returning to the blonde woman's home, she began combining the mixtures.
The procedures took time, but Madison was careful and was determined to get them right, her Saracen knowledge that she had obtained, when she was left in the holy lands, were finally paying off.
"How come you know so much about potions Madison?" The woman asked,
"Because I am a Saracen and I have a knowledge of exotic remedies I obtained while in the Holy Lands." Madison explained, as she poured a small quantity of liquid into a jar.
"If you are a Saracen how can you be King Richard's sister?" The woman asked puzzled,
"Because my mother had a thing for Saladin...I for one think she was a fool for sleeping with the enemy but one cannot interfere with the power of love." Madison said, with a small amount of tease, trying to take her mind of Gisborne for the moment.
"Oh my gosh isn't that classified as treason or something?" The woman asked,
"No my mother and my father are both dead so I am all that is left and no one else need know who I am...the reason I told you is so you would not see me as a witch." Madison said, hoping to silence the woman from carrying the story further, than from behind closed doors.
"I understand you're highness I will not breathe it to another living soul." The woman promised,
"Thank you...I didn't catch you're name." Madison said, as she continued to grind herbs, and combine liquids,
"My name is Susan." She replied humbly,
2 hours later, and Madison had finished, her task was completed, she kindly thanked Susan for the use of her home and instruments, and she secretly left the diamond ring sitting on the table when she left, rewarding her for her kindness.
Gisborne was close to death now, and death's messenger was knocking at his life gate, but before they would so eagerly devour him, into their darkness, he had one thing, one last thing he wanted to remember, Madison.
Castle of Nottingham, 1119,
Gisborne was in the large thrown room, hidden in the shadows, leaning on a beam of the grand staircase. Vaisey was seated on the thrown where he usually was, planning his enemy's demise. It brought Gisborne to the point of insanity, standing there everyday, waiting to be summoned for some other, 'brilliant plan that will not fail' that the sheriff usually came up with.
"Gisborne." The sheriff called, summoning Gisborne from his darkened lair,
"Yes my Lord?" Gisborne asked loyally,
"I have a plan on how to kill the king of England." He said like a child,
'Goodness not another stupid idea that I will surely take the blame for again?' Gisborne asked himself inside of his head, because such words would not be welcomed elsewhere.
"You will go to the Holy Lands and kill the king in his camp, that way it will look like Saracen's did it." He said cheerily,
"My Lord how will I go to the Holy Lands and kill the King, and make it look like Saracen's? I am not a Saracen." Gisborne asked, and pointed out,
"Well you disguise yourself of course do I have to do everything for you?" The sheriff asked annoyedly,
"You will leave at once I will send someone to tell Marian that you are sick and cannot be seen for weeks, that way she will not suspect you of anything." Vaisey said laying out the plan,
"But my Lord?" Gisborne protested,
"No buts' Gisborne I want the King dead and so does Prince John, so you go and kill him." Vaisey yelled,
"Yes my Lord." Gisborne acknowledged, as he turned and left the great hall,
3 days later in a Saracen inn,
"I heard you were the woman to go to if one needed help." Gisborne began,
"Yes I am what is it you need?" Madison asked,
"I need you and a few men, who will help me, kill the king." Gisborne replied, as he stared into the covered face of the woman infront of him,
"You have a big task ahead of you my friend lucky you have Sophia here and ready to help you. You tell me the location, time to meet, and we will be there." Madison said authentically,
Madison had risen and left, but Gisborne still felt that strange feeling inside of him, that strange feeling he had felt when he first laid eyes on Marian, Gisborne could picture her beautiful face, behind the concealments, a face that matched her lovely voice. He continued to stare in the location where Madison had been, wishing that she would come back, wishing that she would take off that disguise and show her face, wishing that he was not under the control of the sheriff.
Outside of the King's camp in Acre,
"Right is everyone ready?" Madison asked, she, and Gisborne were now fully covered in Saracen robes, wielding long curved swords, the same stood for the men she had brought with her.
"Right charge." Gisborne called out quietly,
They raced into the camp, becoming separated as they entered, though Gisborne's mind was on his job his heart was on Madison, as he alternated his concentration from the King's men, to searching for Madison.
"Saracen raid! The King's under attack!" Gisborne could hear Robin of Loxley yelling, before he sprang from a tent and started cutting down the intruders, Gisborne had no idea which one was Madison so without thinking, he drew a dagger, stabbing it into Loxley's side keeping him from killing anyone else.
After that he drew his sword, and ran over to the King's tent, and ran inside, he had his sword raised over the King ready to kill him, until Robin came running in, they fought, but Gisborne had his arm cut across a tattoo he had gotten from Madison. He fled the tent after the encounter, and soon made his way back to Nottingham, carrying the scared tattoo, because it was a reminder, a reminder of the woman he had grown so fond of, in the few minutes of their talk.
If it was anything but the pain, it was the anguish, that the only thing he had to remember Sophia from was burnt off, leaving him with a permanently scared area on his arm.
His mind had tried to remember more but darkness was closing in on him, death was reaching out for him, he tried to remember more of what Madison had been like, until his own mind was concealed in blackness.
"I will remember you..."
Hi you can tell me you're angry with me now if you want, but if you would be so kind to leave a review, please make it a nice one :)
