Faith Hope and Charity

Guy and Allan rode into the courtyard of Nottingham Castle. They took their horses
to the stables and there had seen the guards who would be joining them on this trip.
Currently being kept busy packing the Sheriff's carriage.

Seeing the 4 men told them both that this time Vasey was pulling no punches.
3 of them were mere thugs who would blindly follow whatever orders they were given.

The fourth however was far more dangerous. Sergeant Will Sykes was a ruthless, brutal sadist with brains. It was said that there was no atrocity too terrible to be beneath him. Guy and Allan turned and gave each other a sidelong glance of understanding.

Vasey was confident that if Gisborne failed to deliver the fatal shot to the King then Sykes would do so without a second thought. Then as ordered by Vasey he or one of his hired thugs would turn and finish off Gisborne himself.

' We need to keep a watch on those 4'. Guy muttered. ' Never turn your back on any of the ba***ds. I need to go and report us in for duty'. And he went off to find Vasey.

Allan got himself out of sight. The better to watch and listen to Sykes and his motley crew.
It was far from intelligent conversation that was going on. Talking wasn't what these men did best.
So when Sykes pulled aside one of the guards that would remain behind it was more noticeable than it might have been. The chosen man by the name of David Hobbs was another foul monster. Allan had seen him do things fit to turn your stomach and then go off in search of drink and women with the other men. Never a hair turned.

Now Sykes was holding out 2 black feathers tied together with a strip of black leather.
' Lord Vasey will send this here by pigeon if Gisborne fails him. It means you're to go to Loxley and burn the house to the ground. No warning though.'

Allan's blood ran cold. Niamh ! He walked as fast as he could in search of Guy trying to look as though he was just off on some errand.

Guy's long legs could be seen coming down the castle steps following behind Vasey.
His face blank and unreadable. ' Can I have a quiet word Sir ?' Allan addressed Guy formally.
Guy looked enquiringly at Vasey. The Sheriff was in an excellent mood. ' Awww sweet'. He mocked. ' A lover's tryst ?' Well go on children. You'll have no time for this when we're away'.

' Well ?' Guy asked. ' I hope this is a serious matter'. He looked thoroughly forbidding. But Allan's mind was on the safety of his recently made wife and he barely noticed.

' I've just heard Sykes talking to Hobbs. ' Allan cut to the chase. ' If you fail to kill the king Vasey sends a signal back here and Hobbs is to go to Loxley and burn it down'.

Guy's mind worked fast. ' Is your friend.......What's-his-name......Perkins still in the guard ?'

'Yeah'. Allan answered. ' I was talking to him just before'.

' Good'. Guy went on. ' Then get him to go to the outlaws and tell them that if Hobbs comes any where close to Loxley then they should get...........' He was just going to say Charity.
Then he thought of Niamh, of Thornton and his wife and all the servants. Could he leave them to be burned to death ? No. His soul was not yet so damaged that he could let that happen. Besides which Charity would never forgive him.

So he went on. ' They should get everyone out and away from the manor. Let the house burn if it gives Vasey any satisfaction'.

Allan shot him a brief look of gratitude. Guy might not have given Niamh herself a thought but she would still be saved.
He went to Perkins and asked him to relay the message. Perkins agreed and the 2 young men hugged before Allan answered the summons that it was time to go.

*******************************

The journey through England was happily uneventful. They spent the night in Southampton and prepared to board ship before the morning tide.

As he boarded the ship though Guy felt a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with the sea.

Was it Vasey's idea of humour to have the same ship from the same harbour as for their last ill fated trip to the Holy Land.

For the first time in months Guy felt Marian's ghost near and now she was joined by Robin.

As the ship set sail he felt a shudder in his very soul. He had accepted the answer he had received to his plea for help in the little church with out question.
What if it had in fact been all part of a divine scheme to punish him for his sins ?

He had found the love and joy he had sought so long with Charity. Was all that to be snatched from him in the next few days by the jaws of death ?

Was he on his way to Hell ? Never to see Charity again even in the next world.

He felt tears prick his eyes. Glad of the biting wind that he could blame for them instead of ice cold dread.

' You wouldn't would you ?' He pleaded with the Divine. ' Let me have a glimpse of Heaven only to give me Hell ?'


They docked at Aquileia and Vasey met with his spy at a tavern. This way he discovered the direction the King had been heading.
And they were off in pursuit.

It was north they had to travel. Richard had been heading towards Austria.

It was in the Austrian Tirol that they found him. He and his 4 companions still posing as Knights Templar returning from Pilgrimage were staying the night in an inn not far from Innsbruck.

Vasey and Guy donned the guise of merchants with Allan and the guards as their servants.

The guards and Allan were set to keep watch by turn all through the night to catch when the King made a move.

It was just before dawn when Guy found himself roused from sleep by the odious Sykes. The man's evil, bad toothed grin no substitute for the very erotic dream he'd been having about Charity. ' Time to get to work Gisborne'.

Guy, Sykes and Allan hid behind the inn's woodpile watching as the tall figure of the King fastened on his cloak and pulled on his gloves prior to mounting his horse.

Sykes watched Guy beadily. There was no room for hesitation here. The Master at Arms had fitted an arrow to his bow but had not raised it.
All too ready to believe the worst Sykes sneered in his ear. ' Lost your nerve haven't you Gisborne ? I knew it'.

With that he snatched the bow and took his aim. Guy watched the sharp head as it followed the King's movements. The bow stretched to it's utmost...then...........

' YOUR MAJESTY !!' As the arrow flew from the stolen bow Guy catapulted himself forward bellowing like a rutting stag.
Straight between the King and the arrow. Which buried deep into his left shoulder.

Confusion reigned. Attempts on the King's life were hardly uncommon. But seeing
a man known to be a sworn enemy throwing himself into the path of of the assassin's arrow certainly was.

Allan shot forwards. Praying that Guy had calculated the angle right and the wound was unlikely to be fatal.

Through the haze of pain and shock Guy heard the King sending for his physician.
And he saw Allan crouching beside him.
' You done good Giz. Lady G 'll be proud of you'. The young man said quietly and was that affection and respect Guy could see and hear ?

' Now do the decent thing and get well again eh ? She'll have my guts for a girdle if I don't take you back safely'. The 2 men shared a grin.

Then Allan stood up mouth open in wonder as the King's physician came into view.
' Djaq ?' He said incredulously. Her dark hair was longer now. But the Saracen girl's lovely face was clear in his memory.
'Allan ! She gave a small smile and gasped as she knelt beside her patient.
' Gisborne ? This is who saved the King ?'
Allan nodded. They both had reams of questions but they could and would have to wait.

Allan helped as Djaq carefully cut out the arrow. Guy's wail of agony mercifully cut short by unconsciousness.
The girl washed the wound with wine, stitched it and applied a healing ointment to a bandage which she then used to bind it.
' I think he will do well now as long as the wound is clean'. Djaq said softly.
'But we must keep him sleeping for some hours yet to let healing begin'.

The King set his companions to carrying the unconscious Guy back into the inn. And he made arrangements for a longer stay for the night.

Allan looked round and as he suspected his other travelling companions looked to have hastily departed.

' Your Majesty. I know who tried to kill you and he has made his escape. But you can still capture him.................' And he told all about Vasey and Sykes and how they would be heading back to Aquileia .

Immediately the Kings 3 remaining companions set off in speedy pursuit. Now Allan was able to recall his promise to Charity and handed the parchment from her to the King.

Richard looked most intrigued and took his dagger to the seal. He sat down to read it and Allan drifted off to catch up on news with Djaq.

It seemed that she had been missing Will and strangely enough Sherwood Forest.
' I have done healing work for your King'. She told him. 'Then when he was leaving he said that in return for my services on the journey I could travel to England with him.'

Allan told her about Guy's marriage to Lady Charity, his being sent away by Robin back to Guy and how he was now happily married to the Lady's maid.
He told of Robin's erratic behaviour and how it led to his fatal fight with Guy.
Most important was the story of Guy's rehabilitation aided by his wife. Of which this planned saving rather than killing of the King was a major part.

TBC