The
wine was very good. Deep red, nearly purple, with a velvety aftertaste.
Heavens knew where Gisburne got it. Robert de Rainault turned the half
— filled silver goblet idly in his hands, sighing. His ,,beloved“ brother,
Abbot Hugo de Rainault was visiting him and now he had whined for the better
part of two hours about his annoying, obstinate, cruel, arrogant, misbehaving,
unpleasant, ill—mannered, brainless, good —for — nothing, disobedient...
well, about his steward. Sir Guy of Gisburne. Like countless times before
he reported ,,scandalous deeds“ and described them very graphically with
every gory detail. While criticizing Gisburne he kept making the sign of
the cross with a persistence that annoyed the High Sheriff of Nottingham
even more than his stewards stupid pretexts for his incompetence. Again
he gave a deep sigh, fondling his beard and took a long swig of his wine.
Why the hell did he have the misfortune to handle a bunch of complete idiots?
Personally he didn‘t damn the boy for his deeds, Goods Blood, everything
the Abbot told him was the childish game—playing of an adolescent, not
quite a boy, not quite a man. Well, of course Gisburne wasn‘t a child any
more, he was a well—trained soldier, an efficient killer perhaps, but if
those filthy saxon serfs thought they needn‘t pay respect to his right—
hand—man, the consequences were all theirs. ,,Robert, are you listening
to me at all?“ his brother insisted unnervingly. ,,Yes, Hugo.“ the Sheriff
yawned. ,,But personally I think, you shouldn‘t take his nonsense too serious,
you of all men know Gisburne. Just admonish your serfs not to get into
his way, he is a hotspur and. .
.,, ,,Don‘t
tell me you‘re encouraging this behaviour!!“ the Abbot shrieked. ,,No,
no Hugo, of course not.“ Robert appeased his brother. ,,I‘ll lecture him,
be sure. He‘ll leave your servants alone, all right?“ ,,Robert he tried
to... ummm... seduce a merchants wife... in front of her husband!!“
Hugo roared. ,,So what? Did he screw her?“ Robert asked with slight interest.
,,Thank Goodness he didn‘t. When the spouse of this wench tried to stop
him from. .
. well,
from what devilry he was trying to commit, he cut of both his hands and
he bled to death. Your steward then decided wisely to hightail it
out of the village, but not without seriously injuring four or five men
and he set all their stock free. He is a public nuisance!“ ,,I‘ll take
care of the boy, Hugo. I promise, he won t do it again.“ Hugo de Rainault
snorted disdainfully. ,,Boy!“ he hissed. ,,He‘s not a boy, he‘s a monster!
He got even worse since you got him! What did you do with him?“ ,,Now get
serious!“ de Rainault snarled. ,,You act as if he were evil incarnated!
I‘ll talk to him and everything will be all right.“ Groaning Abbot Hugo
rose from his chair. ,,Well, then talk to him.“ he grumbled. ,,But if I
were in your place, I‘d make sure that my words are understood.“ With this
he left and his brother gave a deep sigh of relief, while he emptied his
goblet again to refill it sensuously. It would take Gisburne hours to return.
But he was a patient man. .
. Meanwhile
the blonde steward was having fun again. His master had sent him to look
for poachers in Wickham, so he had a good excuse to terrorize this ugly
goblin called Edward again. Additionally there was a certain girl in this
little village... a little taller than most of the other serf girls he
knew, long, brunet hair and green eyes in a delicate face. .
. and
of course he had enough reason to let Fury rear up again and again in front
of her while he shouted at Edward and threatened every living creature
in this dirty little village. The stallion was prancing and rearing up
nervously, exactly like his master desired it. He had trained his horse
secretly to do so and made thereby sure that it won‘t get out of control.
Gisburne enjoyed this little game very much.
The huge black stallion frightened those serfs every time, especially when
it seemed to get out of its masters control. Gisburne smiled for a split
of a second and allowed Fury to do a few steps on his hind legs, before
he returned on all fours. Edward was white as a sheet when the knight approached
him, but summoned up all
his
courage and croaked :“My lord of Gisburne, pardon me, but...“ ,,For the
last time: shut up you miserable serf!!“ the blonde norman roared and jerked
the reins without being noticed, the signal for his only true love to put
on an act. ,,I know all of you are involved in poachery and the devil may
know what atrocious acts else! And I swear to God, I‘ll get all of you!“
Guy let the horse walk on its hinds again, towards Edward, bringing more
tension to the situation. The he took his hunting crop to point towards
the man and— of course - to excite Fury even more. ,,And you, Edward of
Wickham.” .,, he
whispered huskily. ,,...you will be first!“ Gisburne pulled the reins again
and dug his spurs in the flanks of his horse for the split of a second.
Fury reared up, his front legs whirling through the air, while his masters
ghastly, cruel laughter cut through the breathless silence. The obedient
creature stepped forwards, still kicking out and so its left hoof contacted
the mans temple. Gisburne was a talented rider, a wild fighter, like his
ancestors, the Nordmans or Vikings how there were called, but he wasn‘t
that reckless to do this on purpose. When the despised man gave a deep
sigh and fainted, blood trickling down from his temple, Gisburne opened
his eyes wider and bit his lips. Fury recognised the tension in his master’s
body, he snorted anxiously, threw his head up against the bit and stepped
back hastily. The young knight grasped the reins tighter, just to keep
the appearance of having everything under control, staring at the inhabitants
of Wickham angrily as if they were personally responsible for this unlucky
incident. Two young men, nearly boys, rushed forward and Guys hand flew
to his sword, but they were only concerned about their leader. ,,He‘s alive!“
one of them whispered and straightened his back again, sending a murderous
glare towards the norman knight. ,,Bastard!“ he hissed. This very word,
this very tone was all that was needed to make Sir Guy freak out.
When
he came out of this blood - red maelstrom, he found himself on the back
of his trusty horse, heading straightly to Nottingham. It was near dusk,
the sun vanished behind Sherwood Forest, so he must have been in Wickham
for about two hours. Shuddering he threw his head back and urged the stallion
to go faster. De Rainault would be angry with him for sure, because he
was late again. ,,To hell with ,em!“ he whispered to Fury. ,,To hell with
Wickham, to hell with those outlaws and to hell with de Rainault!“
Back
in Nottingham he handed Fury simply to a stable boy instead of taking care
of the animal himself. But today he headed straight for his room and ordered
a hat bath and a frugal dinner. He had no intention of seeing... or...
even worse... talking to his master today. He‘d be in big trouble soon
enough. ,,Damn bunch of savage saxon pagans!“ he growled and stretched
in the hat water sensuously, before he looked down his body. He regarded
it with the kind of respect a warrior would pay to a well—balanced sward
or a good armour, there was no vanity in this inspection. Gisburne just
checked another weapon he might need to use. Long, well—shaped legs, a
scar an his left knee from an old injury, two well-muscled forearms with
same more scars, most of them nasty ones, sinewy hands, broad shoulders,
a defined chest, to his great regret hairless, narrow waist and hips, lithe
and slender as befitted a soldier. With a content, nearly purring sound
he arched his back, hoping that the water wouldn‘t cool down so fast. He
seldom ordered a hat bath, preferred to swimming the river, so he had the
intention to make the most out of it. After quite a while, he was nearly
asleep, somebody had the nerve to knock impatiently at his door. ,,What
is
it, Gods Throat!!“ he roared. A little serf boy opened the door. ,,My lord
of Gisburne, my Lord High Sheriff requests your presence!“ he announces
and then he ran for his life, leaving the door open. A flood of curses
followed him, but Gisburne had to get out of the water. Grumbling he rubbed
himself dry and decided just to put an a shirt and linen trousers as a
little attempt
of
mutiny. With wet hair and opened shirt he stalked down towards the great
hall where de Rainault used to sit and drink wine for hours on end. Of
course, Gisburne had no idea how young he looked, with tousled hair in
the colour of old gold and soft, pliant linen clothes that hang loosely
from his defined body, uncovering velvety, only slightly tanned skin. With
his arrogant, stubborn expression he just looked like a little rascal,
not like a bloodthirsty norman knight, when he approached de Rainault.
Gisburne knew by the Sheriffs facial expression and his eyes that he was
drunk. Well, that‘d be nothing new to him, a few insults, orders that would
be long forgotten in the morning, but something lurked behind this... something
different, something new. And—to be honest—it scared the hell out of Sir
Guy of Gisburne. So he stood next to the table, regarding the Sheriff cautiously,
like a potentially dangerous animal that could jump up and bite him this
very instant. De Rainault stared back at him for about a minute, before
he sighed and emptied his cup of wine. There was a frightening sobriety
to his movements when he beckoned for his liegeman to take a seat. Gisburne
obeyed sullenly and very slowly, but nevertheless de Rainault shoved a
goblet with wine towards him. Hesitating, Gisburne took it and tasted the
wine. Well, he can‘t be that angry if he offers me wine, he reassured
himself, but, as a precaution, emptied the cup. It was a good wine, leaving
a sweet, fruity fire in his throat. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to be
all alone, it occurred to him and he calmed down a little. After a while,
Gisburne started to simply enjoy the wine and the quiet, non - threatening
presence of the man beside him, when Robert de Rainault opened his mouth
for the first time:“ You‘re in great, big trouble, Gisburne.“ he said sharply,
none of his words slurring. His steward dropped his cup, the wine floated
across the table like blood, forgotten. ,,My brother came at noon to complain
about your behaviour.“ Robert continued quietly. ,,I promised that I would
talk to you. .
. just
to get rid of him. But two hours ago a messenger informed me about. .
. well,
you should know about what. About this. .
. ummm. .
. incident
in Wickham. Or about the massacre to be exact!“ The Sheriff jumped to his
feet like a jack—in—the—box, an unholy fire sparkling in his eyes, that
burned down to the bottom of Gisburnes heart. Slowly, as if not to frighten
his steward, he raised a hand to grab a fistful of golden hair and pulled
the head back, forcing Gisburne to meet his glare. ,,this was the last
straw, Guy!“ he spoke, pronouncing every syllable, before he pushed
the young knights head back as if he had touched something slimy, something
disgusting. Then he started to pace the room restlessly. ,,I‘m angry with
you, boy.“ he explained. ,,There‘s no excuse for what you‘ve done! Don‘t
misunderstand me, I don‘t feel any sympathy for those saxon serfs, but
I absolutely
hate finding excuses for your damnable moods! And I
hate
being asked if I‘ve got a berserker for a steward!“ ,,But.. . my
lord Sheriff, I...“ Guy tried weakly to defend himself, but like a sword
of frozen disdain de Rainaults voice cut his words off. ,,I can‘t remember
giving you permission to talk!“ the Sheriff barked. ,,Do it again and I‘ll
double your sentence! You‘re a shame to chivalry and knighthood, no attempt
of self—control whatsoever! And your behaviour towards your superiors. .
. it‘s
a joke!“ Gisburne looked up to the Sheriff, eyes wide with shock and fear.
What had happened to this man? Suddenly de Rainault came closer and instinctively
Guy flinched back, turned his head and raised his arms, obviously to protect
his face. He stayed in this position, while the Sheriff continued his restless
pacing. ,,See, boy, this is self—control.“ he murmured. ,,Not to
hit someone in red—hot rage. But nevertheless... what you did today cannot
be unpunished. I‘d lose my face if I‘d let you get away with this.“ A short
silence, then Robert continued after a deep breath. ,,I‘ve decided for
a public flogging.“ Guy jumped to his feet and banged his fists onto the
table. ,,You can‘t!!“ he roared. ,,Oh, do you think so?“ de Rainault
smiled. ,,That‘s fifty more if you don‘t mind.“ It‘s the least I can do
for those poor, crippled peasants, to let you scream and scream until your
for.
voice
gives out in front of them all and you‘re reduced to a trembling, whimpering
mass of blood and ragged skin.“ Gisburne stared at him desperately his
eyes wide opened, like a trapped animal. He neither noticed the unshed
tears in his eyes, nor the frantic chattering of his teeth. De Rainault
knew that he had hit bulls eye twice, first, the long, criss — crossed
scars on the young mans back showed that he knew what agony a whip could
hold and second, his exaggerated pride, far beyond any reason. ,,Sit down
again and drink some wine, you‘ll need it for tomorrow.“ the Sheriff ordered
him curtly. Gisburne bit his lips, he didn‘t want to beg, but he couldn’t
help it. ,,Don‘t. . .,, he
whispered. ,,Please don‘t. . .,, ,,You
won‘t get away unpunished.“ de Rainault reminded him softly. ,,Please...
please don‘t. .
. don‘t. . .,, ,,But
the whip‘s a perfect instrument for you, being as horsy
as
you are.“ the Sheriff scorned him. ,,But not in public!“ Gisburne demanded.
,,But it‘s only half the fun in private!“ ,,Pleeease. . .,, Oh,
who could resist a Sir Guy of Gisburne begging. .
. ,,Hmm,
I may grant you this.“ the Sheriff contemplated aloud. ,,But I don‘t trust
your men to whip you as thoroughly as it seems to be necessary. And if
I‘ll temper justice with mercy and don‘t insist on a public flogging, I‘ll
have to sharpen the punishment by some other means.“ Gisburne sat down
again, staring hopelessly on the floor. ,,Your decision, Guy.“ de Rainault
said softly. ,,I‘ll go to my rooms now. You can make your decision. Either
you‘ll go to bed now and prepare yourself for a public flogging tomorrow
noon, or you can admit that you‘ve been asking for a good hiding for long
enough now, fetch a whip and follow me to my chamber if you‘re convinced
that I‘m the man for tanning your hide. But Guy. .
. don‘t
underestimate my stamina, perhaps after this you‘d wish you‘d chosen the
public flogging. Well. . .,,de
Rainault stretched and stifled a yawn. ,,I‘m out of here. Think fast, boy,
I won‘t be awake for long.“ Gisburne jumped to his feet, white as a sheet.
,,But my lord. ..,, he
croaked, but de Rainault left the hall swiftly, leaving his steward terrified
in the big, cold room. The knight stood beneath the table, frozen in motion,
like a kitten, that had been left out in the snow, his glance following
his master, waiting, hoping for a hint, for a kind of reassurance. When
he finally realised that there would be no advice, no encouragement, no
help for his decision, he snorted and climbed the stairs up to de Rainaults
chambers .
He
hadn‘t had the time to search for any suitable instruments, so he hoped
and prayed that Gisburne would obey for once in his useless life and bring
a whip. .
. provided,
that he would turn up at all. Well, what items did he have? An old hunting
crop, two leather belts, a pointer of rosewood and perhaps, but he wasn‘t
quite sure, a bull whip. He imagined for a moment bloody, deep welts on
a writhing, lithesome body and a mean smile crept to his face when he revelled
in the image for a second. Perhaps later, he decided, if the belt wouldn‘t
be enough. It was a boy after all, just a mislead, ill—treated child. Unfortunately
Gisburne was already used to pain, so it couldn‘t be used as a stand—alone—tool.
He had to use the pain only to gain access to the mans soul. .
. if
he had one left at all. De Rainault walked idly through his rooms, picked
something up now and then, here and there and finally gathered a nice collection
of different tools, neatly arranged on his table. From left to right there
were a piece of silk cloth for blindfolding Guy, two old linen belts for
tying him up if necessary, some old leather belts, carefully oiled and
preserved, the pointer, he‘d preferably use for the boys nice little butt,
then the hunting crop and finally the terribly cruel bull—whip. Now it
was finished and the Sheriff sat down on a rather pompous chair to wait
for the things to come. Preferably his steward...
Guy
stood in front of the heavy oak door for at least three minutes, weighing
his options. Of course he could turn around, go to sleep, pretend there
has been nothing irregular and hope that his masters temper would be better
in the morning. But this time it was different, so his cowardly retreat
would inevitably lead to a public.. . he
shuddered at the mere thought of
this
humiliation, took a deep breath, knocked quietly and entered the room.
It wasn‘t as overdone as he had expected it to be, an old bed with silk
cushions and other elegant furniture but nothing that represented Robert
de Rainaults usual greediness, and for the split of a second the dreadful
idea occurred to Gisburne that he had judged his master all wrong. The
older man looked up to him nearly disinterested. ,,Lock the door.“ he ordered
quietly. ,,You surely don‘t want to attract somebodys attention, boy.“
The steward decided wisely that it wasn‘t the time to refuse to be called
,,boy“ and obeyed quietly. De Rainault snapped his fingers and pointed
to the side of his chair and, miraculously, Guy obeyed again. ,,Kneel.“
,,my lord Sheriff, I...“ ,,Shut up and do what you‘re told!“ the Sheriff
snapped. ,,Take a warning, boy, a single disobedience and you can leave.
But if you leave, you‘ll not only receive a public flogging, but I‘ll have
your goddamn horse slaughtered as well.“ ,,No! !,, Gisburne
cried in sheer terror. ,,Not Fury! You... you can‘t!!“ ,,Are you sure?“
de Rainault countered calmly. ,,By the way, you still have no permission
to speak, if you do it again, I‘ll increase your punishment. Now kneel.“
My, look at this stubborn eyes. This tightened, hard jawline. I know you
don‘t want to, little one, but if you won‘t follow this command, you‘re
a hopeless case. Yes, dear knight, take your time, but you know you have
to surrender, the one way or the other. Ah, you‘re lowering your gaze,
good idea, boy, because I absolutely hate this arrogant look in your face.
Yes, lower your pretty golden head, too and now. .
. ah,
it finally got to you. Good boy, you‘ve earned a reward. But for now the
blindfold...
,,Close
your eyes.“ mutely, Guy shook his head, eyes wide opened. ,,Do it. I won‘t
harm you until I tell you. It won’t hurt you to close your eyes and it‘s
no disgrace to do so.“
Well,
the boy was afraid, he had no idea what was coming. First thing was to
soothe him, to help him to surrender. Carefully de Rainault started to
strike the silky blonde hair, felt the terrified shudder, but continued
until Gisburne sighed, lowered his head and relaxed. ,,Close your eyes.“
Robert murmured softly but insisting. ,,Close your eyes, it‘s all
right, you‘re save. . .,, Finally
the boy obeyed and didn‘t even flinch when he was blindfolded. It took
the Sheriff nearly half an hour to ease the shirt off the boy. His steward
didn‘t resist, but whenever he went too fast, he started trembling quite
miserably. Cautiously, he reminded the boy with well—chosen words of the
punishment, but whenever he sensed signs of distress, he ceased to speak
and stroke the long golden neck until it arched into his touch. ,,Never
knew you were that shy, Gisburne.“ he murmured thoughtfully. ,,I know you
feel uncomfortable with the blindfold, but I need you to relax and just
accept it.“
For
it‘s getting worse, boy. Much, much worse.
,,Do
I have your loyalty, Gisburne? Your obedience?“ A tiny, harsh sound answered
and the lithe body tensed up. ,,Answer me!“ ,,Y. .
. yes,
my lord.“ Forcing his body to relax the blonde steward took a deep breath.
,,You‘ll follow my command?“ ,,Yes, my lord.“ ,Then I order you to trust
me, boy. I swear to God, I won´t harm you. I cannot promise to leave
your body unharmed but your soul. Perhaps you can‘t understand this now.. . but
you will.“ the man to his feet remained silent, but the short, laboured
breathing told de Rainault of the panic, barely hidden under a camouflage
of obedience. He laid a hand on a defined shoulder, with reassuring pressure.
,,Give me your hand.“ he said, tracing the slender, finely muscled arm
with his finger— tips. A sudden tension, but Gisburne allowed him to take
his hand. It was cold, cramped into a fist. ,,Hush, relax, I won´t
hurt you now.“ Robert whispered and tied one of the linen belts around
the wrist, leaving the ends open. ,,Now your other one.“ Resigned obedience,
occasionally small shudders. ,,Get up.“ Carefully the sheriff guided his
steward towards his bed. ,,Stay.“ Swiftly he tied both of the belt ends
to the bedposts, forcing
Gisburne
to stand upright, his arms stretched out, facing the bed. After some seconds
the boy began slowly to pull at his restraints, softly probing first, but
in instants he was tearing recklessly at his bounds, using his whole weight
to break free, gasping in panic. De Rainault got seriously worried about
his bed. He stepped around it to look at his captives face. Sir Guy was
shaking all over, blood trickled from his lips and he panted like a racehorse
on its last leg. When he finally got to the conclusion that he couldn‘t
free himself, he went quiet. Obviously it was save now to approach the
boy, but when de Rainault touched his neck, Guy startled and gave a little
whimper.“ Guy?“ ,,... no...
no, my lord... please don‘t...
,,
no .
. .
//Gods
throat, what is happening here??!!
,,Gisburne!“
With a sudden jerk the body went rigid again. ,,Gisburne, do you know where
you are? Do you know who I am?“ Now Robert remembered, the rare comments
about Gisburnes father, this one Edmond... the scars on the boys back. .
. ,,I‘m
not him! I‘m not Edmond of Gisburne! I‘m not your father! Do you remember?
You‘re not there, calm down!“ He gripped the mans shoulders and shook him.
Hard. this worked, obviously. Gisburne took a deep breath and murmured:“
Yes.. I... I know... sorry...“ Robert de Rainault gave a deep sigh of relief
and helped himself to some more wine. ,,All right, so now this is settled.
Let‘s talk about Wickham.“ ,,I... I don‘t want to talk about this!“ Gisburne
gritted his teeth. ,,Oh, you won’t?“ the Sheriff snapped angrily. ,,Well,
perhaps you‘ll prefer.. .this!“
A leather belt hurled through the air and left a darkening welt on Gisburnes
back. Instinctively the steward tried to escape the pain by moving forward,
but with the two belts, he couldn‘t get far. ,,Or this... or this!“ A series
of about twenty hard blows made the young knight wince, arch his back and
finally it wrung a stifled cry out of him. Hearing this, de Rainault stopped
to take a look at the boys face. He was still biting his lips, the hard
muscles of his shoulders trembling where they had tensed up against the
merciless lashes. ,,Would you like to talk about Wickham now?“ De Rainault
asked sweetly. the boy took a deep breath, shook his head silently and
bit his lips again, obviously preparing himself for another beating. ,,You
won‘t?“ de Rainault asked. ,,And now you suppose I‘ll take the trouble
on me to repeat this procedure over and over again, all night long until
my arm is all stiff and sore? guess what, you‘re right, boy. But this obstinate,
stubborn behaviour of yours had made me extremely angry and I damn want
to cut this short and get some sleep tonight — don‘t be glad, you
won‘t—so I‘ll put this stupid belt aside and try something else. And if
you won‘t yield to this...“ He let the riding crop whistle through the
air, to see, if Gisburne would recognise the sound—obviously he did—and
continued. ,,then it‘ll get worse. .
. and
worse. .
. and
worse. Did I make myself clear?“ Sir Guy lowered his head a little bit,
his usual performance of a nod. ,,Answer, Gisburne.“ the angry voice of
his master whipped down on him from somewhere behind. Y.... .yes,
my lord.“ the lash of the crop bit into Sir Guys left flank, leaving a
little, bleeding cut on the velvety skin. the knight wrinced and gave a
harsh, deep growl deep in his throat, apparently enraged about this treatment.
,,Gisburne, do you know what I‘d do to one of my bloodhounds if it snarls
at me. .
. at
its master?“ Robert whispered and exchanged the hunting crop with the bull—whip.
,,No? I should have known, you cannot know it, boy. Because no one ever
dared
to do so... except you, of course.“ the Sheriff spotted another silk cloth,
similar to the one he had recently used for a blindfold. the boy would
cry out after a while, then he‘d scream and shriek with the pain, alarming
everybody and his uncle in the castle. Further— more he could possibly
start to beg or plead with him. .
. no
way de Rainault would endure this. So Gisburne would have to be gagged
for a while, until he would be quiet again. Robert put the bull — whip
aside and moved smoothly
behind
the boy. Closing his eyes, he savoured the heat radiating from the lithe,
strong body, smelt the fresh blood and the scent of fear and hatred...and
felt a stirring of interest from his groin. It was all about power and
control. .
. and
it was immensely arousing. But if he‘d put a move on the knight now, he‘d
probably kill him. Gisburne despised him for his lack of strength, height
and fighting abilities, Robert knew that. And he knew that he‘d stand no
chance in a fight with his steward. But if he could outwit him — and this
should be easy—the young man would submit. Either because he forced him
to, but this was far too simple for de Rainaults taste. Furthermore it
wouldn‘t change Gisburnes attitude. He had to show him, that he was to
be respected. Not to be feared. Guy of Gisburne was extremely jumpy,
apparently not out of a lack of self—control, but out of a latent fear,
that he tried desperately to hide away under a tough facade. With a hard,
cruel grip de Rainault forced his liegeman to open his jaws and gagged
him efficiently within seconds. He waited for a minute or so, until the
boy stopped trembling and whimpering in panic, then he laid a hand on a
tensed shoulder. ,,I assume, you know why you are gagged, Gisburne.“ de
Rainault said in a light, conversational tone of voice, took the bull —
whip and traced the defined ribcage playfully. ,,What you feel here. . .,, he
continued softly, ,,...is
a little bit worse that the hunting crop.“ With a short movement of his
wrist he let the whip crack once. Sir Guy held his breath, obviously frantically
searching in his memory for the source of this frightening sound. Robert
caressed his shoulder with the whip for a while. ,,Breathe, Guy. You‘ll
need your breath for later.“ he murmured. ,,I don‘t want you to pass out—
mostly, because you don‘t deserve this mercy.“ the boy was still trembling,
but de Rainault forced himself to step back and let the whip hurl through
the air. Sir Guy wrinced, tore recklessly at his bounds and whimpered.
He would have cried out if it hadn‘t been for the gag. Blood trickled down
his back from a large welt, nearly a cut across the small of his back.
But the Sheriff decided to keep the boy occupied so he continued with brief,
criss—crossed hits that didn‘t held much force, but, using a bull—whip
like he did, were painful enough to eradicate any other thoughts out of
a mans mind. Robert wanted to sent his steward first of all head—first
into a haze of pain and anguish. He needn‘t any thoughts of convertion
or etiquette right now, he needed the true Sir Guy of Gisburne. the man
under the chainmail, hell, the man under the man.
//I‘ll
peel you like an onion, boy, until I‘ve found yourself, if it‘s necessary!
! //
It
worked. After about twenty blows Guy stood there, trembling all over, his
back a Pool of blood, whimpering and moaning quietly. De Rainault smiled,
seemingly maliciously and raised the frequency of the beating, even more
until his steward cried out desperately,. although muffled by the gag and
nearly collapsed, but was held upright by his restraints. It was tempting
to tease the boy now, but the situation was far too serious to make a joke
out of it. Now it was possible to rebuild a kind of contact with the knight.
He lowered the intensity of his blows and asked in a soft monotone :“Gisburne?
Do you hear me?“ the blonde steward tried to turn his head, but a hard
lash made him yelp and shiver miserably. ,,Answer!“ He whimpered again,
but after two or three merciless hits he nodded vehemently, obviously hoping
that this behaviour might appease his master. But the beating went on and
on and on, while de Rainault continued his interrogation. ,,What the devil
happened in Wickham? I‘ve learned that you let your horse step on this
one Edward of Wickham, is this correct?“ Gisburne shook his head and nodded, shortly after
this. He gave a
pitiable whimper. ,,So what the hell got into you to kill a dozen menafter
this??“ The lean body jerked and went rigid for some seconds. Then Gisburne
shook his head again, hesitated a little
bit,
then uttered a small sound and tried again to look around. Another blow
as a reprimand for this and Robert continued. ,,How should I react to this,
Guy?“ he asked softly. ,,What can I tell my brother—your former liege,
my boy—or the serfs who tell me that they can‘t pay their taxes anymore,
because my steward slaughtered their family?“ Tremors ran across the defined
body, Gisburne was close to the point of no return. A series of hideous
blows made him finally give up. The young knight collapsed and
his
body started to shake with desperate little sobs. He tried to sayn
something, but due to the gag it was unintelligible. ,,Quiet, boy.“ Robert
whispered soothingly and removed the blood—soaked gag. Blood on his hands.
Blood on the pale face. Well, he bit through his lips, but more important,
was he still conscious? Striking the silky, golden hair, the Sheriff felt
for the pulse at Guys throat. Although it was beating frantically, it was
far too weak. De Rainault stepped back and looked clown to the puddle of
blood at his feet. ,,Shush.“ he repeated soothingly, before he regarded
the injuries more carefully. The welts were deeper than he had expected
them to be and the loss of blood much too high. He quickly dismissed these
thoughts, this pondering didn‘t help in any way to solve the ongoing situation
. The
mad trembling didn‘t cease. ,,Gisburne?“ he addressed his steward again.
A miserable little sound answered. ,,Do you hear me?“ Another, slightly
confirming sound answered, but this wasn‘t enough. De Rainault chose a
place at the boys flank that had been relatively unharmed until now, the
whip cracked and Guy gave a cry of pain. ,,Do you think you needn‘t answer
me, boy?“ the 5heriff snarled but exchanged the bull—whip for the hunting
crop again. ,,My. .
. my
lord, I...“ ,,Jesus Christ, stop babbling, Gisburne! Listen, you will answer
me exclusively with ,,Yes, my lord High Sheriff“ and ,,No, my lord
High Sheriff“, is this understood?“ Gisburne cleared his throat and tried
to answer, but he managed only a soundless croak. Instead of an answer,
he nodded. ,,Answer, boy.“ Robert insisted. ,,Y... yes, my lord... High
Sheriff...“ Well, barely audible, but this was the first real obedience
in this night. And there would be some other ones until sunset, if de Rainault
got his way. ,,this... ahem... incident
in Wickham.“ he continued. ,,Will there be any recurrence of this?“ ,,No,
my. .
. my
lord Sheriff..: ,, A
series of painfully sharp blows shook the lacerated body again and the
young knight yelped with shock. ,,My lord High Sheriff, if you don‘t
mind, Gisburne.“ Robert reminded him rather kindly. Gisburne gave a start
and tensed up, gasping for breath. ,,S... sorry... sorry... won t do it
again... please...“ he whispered. ,,Do you know the reason why you are
punished?“ ,,Yes, my lord. .
. lord
High Sheriff.“ ,,Good. Du you understand the said reason?
Guy?“ A tremor and a little whimper showed the young knights distress.
,,Yes,
my lord High Sheriff.“ he answered nevertheless, his voice trembling. ,,Will
you do it again, boy?“ the lecture continued. ,,No, my lord High Sheriff. ,, the
submissive voice replied. ,,Listen, Gisburne, I‘ll shred your back into
rags if you‘re lying!“ de Rainault snapped, making his liegeman gasp anxiously.
,,N. . .no,
I won‘t, please, I won‘t lie. . .,, he
breathed hastily, coughed and blood spilled out of his mouth, staining
de Rainaults expensive, silk bedcloth. ,,Oh, Gisburne, nasty.“ Robert rebuked
him ironically and used the rosewood pointer for a light, playful slap
to the young knights nicely formed buttocks. the blonde steward threw his
head back and hissed in surprise. Another, somewhat harder slap led to
a little moan. ,,Gisburne, if I ever hear of your miserable, good—for—nothing
beast of a horse rearing up once more you can imagine, what 1111 do to
you. .
. to
both of you, can‘t you?“ ,,Yes, my lord. .
. High
Sheriff.“ ,,You‘ll have to compensate for your atrocious behaviour. those
saxon serfs are the scum of the earth, but on principle, you‘ll have to
make amends, even to them. How are you going to do that, Gisburne?“ ,,I...
I don‘t know... my lord High Sheriff.“ the golden — haired knight answered
shyly, apparently close to tears of helplessness
,
causing de Rainault to strike the unruly, silky hair of his liegeman soothingly
until the young man arched into his caress, desperately seeking comfort
in these casual touches. ,,Well, I may decide to help you, Guy. ,, the
Sheriff spoke quietly. ,,But what are you willing to offer me for this
help?“ ,,Please.. .,, the
young man whispered helplessly. ,,Please. .
. I‘ll
be good. .
. please
stop. .
. ,, he
started to tremble again and de Rainault was only too pleased to feel the
young man snuggling shyly towards him, seeking shelter. ,,You can give
these peasants some money. ,,he
advised him. ,,this scum of the earth would sell their mothers for a halfpence.“
this statement earned him a deep sigh of relief from Gisburne. ,,On the
other hand...“ Robert mused aloud. ,,...there‘s the trouble you caused
me, my boy. You, my liegeman, my sworn knight, Gisburne, you disgraced
me. You disgraced me in front of my brother, my subordinates, hell, you
even made me look like a fool in front of these saxons!“ In fury he grabbed
a fistful of short, silky hair and pulled the boys head back carelessly,
painfully overflexing his neck. “What will you do to pay me back
for this outrageous insults?“ Silence followed his question, de Rainault
sighed and continued. ,,It just crossed my mind to help you also with this
difficult decision. But first I‘ll have to ask you.. . will
you obey me from now on?“ ,,Yes,
my
lord High Sheriff.“ Sir Guy promised in a husky voice. ,,No sulking— no
pouting — just obedience from now on! Understood and agreed?“ ,,Yes, my
lord
High Sheriff.“ ,,But you‘ll forgive me if I‘d prefer to test this new. .
. attitude
of yours. When I untie you now you won‘t move until I‘ll order
you
or give you explicit permission to do so, all right?“ ,,Yes, my lord High
Sheriff.“ It sounded miserably and when Robert couldn‘t resist striking
a beautifully sculpted shoulder, the skin felt cold and clammy under his
touch. He didn‘t wait any more but opened the linen belts and caught the
staggering knight in his arms. ,,Hush, concentrate and stand.“ he ordered
and steadied his steward, before he led him carefully towards the table.
,,Stop, here‘s the table. .
.good.“
De Rainault wiped his forehead, it was hard work for him to handle his
tall steward. ,,Lean forward, over the plate. . shht,
don‘t tense, it is all well. .
. all
fine. Good, stay in this position.“ Gods Blood, he nearly felt pity for
his obstinate vassal, when he saw him, nearly unconscious with pain, hands
tightened around the corners of the table to keep his balance. ,,Regarding
that I‘ve nearly skinned your back by now, I‘ve decided for another punishment.“
he spoke firmly. ,,It may seem a little bit odd to you, but caution, if
you do anything that displeases me, I‘ll continue with your back again.“
Robert set the pointer thoroughly into action and cursed silently the fact
that Gisburne was still wearing his trousers. Sir Guy behaved quite well,
most likely out of exhaustion than of acceptance, but the 5heriff decided
after a while to temper justice with mercy and stopped. He even removed
the blindfold and made Gisburne sit down for a while. silently the boy
stared at him, the clear, blue eyes filled with tears, his tormented body
trembling all over. Robert sat down, next to him and noticed the immediate
flinch, but decided, not to mention it
right now, there would be other, better occasions for this. ,,Are you afraid
of me, Gisburne?“
he asked quietly. the man took a long, raspy breath. ,,No...
my lord... High Sheriff.“
he murmured, barely audible. ,,You‘re a goddamn awful liar, boy. You are
afraid, I know.“ de Rainault stated. ,,What would you do if I‘d reach out
for you and... see, you flinch back, although I didn‘t move a muscle.“
5ir Guy gave a miserable whimper and curled up silently. ,,Guy? Are you
listening to me?“ there was no reaction at all. ,,Do you think I hate you?“
Robert asked, his voice not quite as firm as it usually was and slowly
laid a hand on a lean, bruised wrist. Gisburne shrugged his shoulders wearily,
then he nodded sadly. ,,And then why do you think I keep you around? Why
did I protect you against every single accusation anybody ever brought
up against you? And why the hell didn‘t
I
spare myself of the hassle here with you tonight? Why am I talking to you,
when I could be nice and warm tucked up in bed? Good God, Gisburne, for
once in your life forget about your pathetic drunkard of a father and face
reality! I‘m not him and I don‘t despise you because he isn‘t your father!
By the way, be glad that he isn‘t, because he had not a single good
attribute you could‘ve inherited from this weak failure of a man! Don‘t
look at me this way, boy! Don‘t look like a hurt fawn! hey, I won‘t harm
you any more. See, I‘m putting the whip away, there you are, it is gone,
all right?“ He went silent for a while, waiting for an answer, a reaction
anything,
but his liegeman remained mute, huddled on his chair, shuddering from time
to time, his gaze firmly fixed on the table. Robert sighed in disappointment.
,,I don‘t hate you, Guy.“ he told him. ,,Even more, I kinda like
you, but this time you went too damn far. Do you understand this?“ ,,N...
no!! It‘s not my fault! He started it!“ the young knight suddenly
yelled. ,,t‘s not my fault!!“
,,this Edward provoked you?“ de Rainault asked in disbelief. ,,No, not
he, the boy!“ Gisburne corrected angrily. ,,I didn‘t want Fury to kick
him, he usually doesn‘t, y‘know, it was just bad luck. But this boy, he. .
. he
called me a. .
. a. . .,, ,,What
the hell did he call you that you‘d have to disembowel him for this?“
,,He called me a bastard!!“ Gisburne cried out. ,,He—called — me — a —
bastard!! He. .
. ,, Everything
he might have
wanted to say was flooded away in a river of bitter tears. ,,You‘ve done
right.“ the Sheriff had to admit. ,,No one would‘ve taken this insult in
your case. You killed him first?“ ,,I... I don‘t remember it clearly, my
lord High Sheriff.“ Guy replied nervously. ,,Everything‘s a haze. .
. I
just remember riding back here at full speed. . .,, ,,Like
you usually do.“ de Rainault stated calmly. the young man sniffed in reply.
,,5. .
. sorry. ,, he
murmured. ,,I know I shouldn‘t canter in the yard. . .,, ,,Shush,
calm down, I‘m not inclined to have a go at you now because of this minor
disobedience. ,, Robert
soothed the boy. ,,Am I right to assume that you‘re going to be scared
of me until Doomsday and a week longer?“ Gisburne gave him a shy glance
and shrugged his shoulders again. ,,Don‘t know.“ he whispered. ,,You‘re
an hopeless case, Guy.“ the Sheriff sighed and handed him a cup of spiced
wine. ,,Drink this. the stupid physician that‘s loitering around in my
castle insists, that those foul herbs in the wine will prevent any inflammations.
Bah, well, I don‘t believe it, but at least it‘ll numb your senses and
ease the pain, my boy.“ Holding his breath, Robert waited for Guy to refuse
the term ,,my boy“ furiously, hoping and praying that he wouldn‘t. Really,
he didn‘t, but focused his attention to the wine. the welts had stopped
bleeding after a while, so de Rainault took an expensive, silk shirt and
tossed it towards his liegeman. ,,You should wear this instead of linen.“
he advised him. ,,It won‘t itch.“ Gisburne opened his eyes wider when he
touched the soft, featherlike cloth, before he stared at his master in
disbelief. He just couldn‘t believe that de Rainault gave him a shirt that
was approximately more expensive than his complete armour. Robert sighed
impatiently. ,,Get into the shirt, boy, or do you need an extra encouragement?“
he asked and reached for the hunting crop, obviously with a definite intention.
Gisburne gritted his teeth, but hurried to put the shirt on. De Rainault
smiled and stroke the silky, blonde hair briefly. ,,see, it‘s that easy. ,, he
explained. ,,You obey me and I‘ll be good to you. You disobey me and I‘ll
have to punish you.“ Guy shuddered, but the gentle striking calmed him
down again after a while. Slowly he understood that his liege was trying
to teach him something, not to intimidate or frighten him. the silk cloth
eased the burning, stinging ache in his back, cool and smooth like a crystal
it seemed to caress his heated skin and the knight couldn‘t hold back a
small moan of pleasure. He was content. the wine enabled him to control
the shaking of his weak, treacherous body, the soft murmur in his back
soothed him, and most of all, his masters promise, that there would be
no more pain now. With a deep sigh, sir Guy laid his tousled head on the
table,
ready to sleep, but the murmur that had surrounded his whole world for
the last minutes, ceased. ,,Good Gracious, Gisburne, if you have to collapse,
please, do it in bed!“ He was grabbed, pulled to his feet and walked towards
the bed, where Robert allowed him to lay down. De Rainault shook his head
in silence, when he looked down at the sprawled, willowy body on his bed,
his steward, halfway asleep, eyes closed, head snuggled beneath the pillows.
,,Jesus, just why do I put up with you at all, little one.“ he asked wearily,
before he carefully laid a blanket over the hurt body and crouched under
it himself, before he blew out the remaining two candles. First motionless,
Gisburne shifted closer to him and in instants pressed his whole defined
body against him. Cautiously, the Sheriff began to undress, his shirt first,
then his trousers. His steward went stiff next to him. ,,My. .
. my
lord, what are you doing?“ he questioned, obviously alarmed by this strange
behaviour
of his master. Robert just stroke the boys cheek. ,,I strip, because it‘s
too hot.“ he answered, a bit ambiguously. ,,We‘re two in this bed now,
remember. “Gisburne gave a small sound and tried to rise, but he fell back
with a groan. He tried it again.
,,I... I beg your pardon, my lord, I‘ll... I‘ll leave.. . your
rooms.. . immediately.“
the young knight declared, panting with the pain his encrusted welts caused
him. ,,You‘re in no condition to walk, Gisburne.“ ,,then. .
. if
I may do so. .
. I‘ll
lay down at the door. ..,, the
boy suggested, apparently anxious of annoying his master again. ,,Please,
I... I won‘t disturb you, my lord, I...“ ,,Shush, Guy. You‘re cold and
you‘ve lost too much blood.“ Robert murmured and pulled the cold, shuddering
body closer to his. ,,Besides, I won‘t sent you to sleep in front of the
door like a cur.“ It was dark, but he could feel Guys head jerking up.
,,You. .
. you
won‘t??“ he asked in disbelief. ,,No, I won‘t.“ Robert reassured him patiently.
,,By the way, come closer, boy, you‘re still too cold.“ At once the knight
snuggled even closer to him, hiding the face in Roberts shoulder. ,,thank
you.“ he whispered and all of a sudden the High Sheriff of Nottingham felt
hot tears trickling down his neck, cold, dried lips nuzzling his collarbones.
Robert held his breath, was this his dream come true? ,,Hush, boy.“ he
murmured and reached out to strike the short, silky hair. ,,It is all right...
all right... nothing to be afraid of. .
. it‘s
over now.“ A soft, purring sound answered and the hard, lithe body came
even closer. ,,Poor boy... so cold.“ Robert whispered and enjoyed Guys
obvious efforts to get even more caresses. A shy demand to what he complied
more than willingly, although he was careful not to touch any of the welts.
Suddenly a cold hand slid across his chest to his back and pulled him softly
closer, apparently a shy attempt of an embrace. De Rainault found out that
his stewards purring went even more content, when he rubbed and stroke
the side of his neck, so he continued it for a while until his hand went
stiff and sore. ,,D‘you
like this?“ he whispered and let his hand wander southwards until his eager
fingers found the last rib to trace. Gisburne shuddered, stretched and
gave a little, happy moan, while he turned around a little bit to allow
his master better access to his body. the said one had a pretty hard time
(oh, already a pun> to keep his natural body reaction down for the sake
of his overly shy steward. But he knew damn sure that he wasn‘t able to
fight this mad, insisting, steady pulsing in his groin for long. this degree
of hardness his manhood had acquired until now he could explain easily
with a sudden need to relieve himself. Nevertheless, with this young, beautiful
man, barely dressed, snuggled closely against him, it was a matter of less
than a minute to make him become rock-hard. Now what could he possibly
do? Safest method would be to throw the boy out. to destroy the little
start of trust like so many people had done before, to leave him bewildered,
disappointed and sad in a cold, cruel world like countless times before. .
. he
couldn‘t do that. It damn wasn‘t the boys fault that he, a much older,
wiser man couldn‘t
control
this unnatural, unchaste urge of his body. tell him? No, he‘d run away,
deeply shocked and frightened and until cock—crow everybody in the castle,
no, everybody in Nottingham would know that the Lord High Sheriff
of Nottingham, Robert de Rainault was a boy — lover. An anxious whimper
tore him out of his thoughts and suddenly he
realised
that he had dug his finger— nails severely into Guys badly injured left
shoulder. His steward hadn‘t dared to throw his hand off, but he had taken
it as a punishment for something he didn‘t knew he had done. Now the body
was tensed like a wire, little tremors made it obvious that the boy was
crying silently and Robert suddenly felt a deep remorse. ,,No, no Guy,
it‘s all right, you did nothing wrong, poor thing, it‘s all right,
all right. Hush, you did nothing, don‘t be afraid. I‘m sorry, boy.“ With
a sigh of relief Gisburne relaxed to his caresses and yawned quietly, snuggling
again confidentially into the striking hands. ,,My lord... he murmured
happily and hid his head again at Roberts shoulder, warm, regular breathes
making the hair at the Sheriffs neck stand up..
. amongst
other parts of his aristocratic anatomy. ,,Guy. . .,, de
Rainault whispered softly. ,,Guy?“ ,,Yes, my lord?“
//You
stupid thing! trust you to ruin the mood, we aren‘t in the great hall now,
you oaf!! Don‘t you feel it, little one? Well, lets try again.!! ,,Do you
know my name, Guy?“ ,,Yes, my lord.“ Robert gave an exasperate sigh. ,,Did
you fail to notice that I am constantly addressing you with your given
name, boy?“ ,,N... no, my lord. I...I know... I hope I didn‘t do something
wrong. .
. please
forgive me, if I did. .
. I
didn‘t do it on purpose. . .,, ,,No,
no, it‘s all right, you did nothing wrong, Guy. there, let me strike your
golden hair for a while until you‘ve calmed down. .
. ,, the
lithe body shifted uncomfortably before it arched into the caress, purring
with contentment. After a while a small voice asked:“ May I ask you a question,
my lord?“ Hopefully the steward came closer and pressed his cold body to
his master. ,,What
is it, Guy?“ de Rainault asked in a soft monotone and kept fondling the
silky strands of hair. ,,Are you planning to have me flogged tomorrow again?“
Gisburne asked anxiously. ,,Are you still that angry with me? And
my horse..?“ the voice broke into a stifled sob. ,,Good God, of course
not!“ the Sheriff shouted angrily. ,,Why the hell should I do that?“
the man at his side sniffed. ,,Because you can, my lord.“ he answered
sadly, forcing back his tears. ,,Gisburne, do you think, I can do anything
I want to?“ Robert laughed. ,,Man, if I could do one thing right now, I
would be the happiest man in Nottingham!“ ,,I‘ll get those cutthroats for
you, my lord.“ Gisburne promised hastily. ,,I‘ll get them and then you
can see them hang...“ ,,I‘m not thinking about outlaws, Guy.“ de Rainault
explained and turned on his back, keeping an arm around Guys hurt shoulders.
//I
don‘t care anymore. You won‘t dare to tell somebody. And I can‘t stand
this tension any more! !//
,,I
was thinking of you.“ Gisburne rose to his elbows to stare at his master.
Robert could see the dark shadow hovering over him, but it was too dark
to see the expression in his eyes. Was he surprised? Annoyed? Frightened
again? Or could these eyes hold a dark promise, the answer to his yearning?
,,Me?!?“ Sir Guy uttered, honestly puzzled. ,,What use could I held for
you except of being your steward. .
. not
of much use as you tell me every day.“ he added, sulky again. De Rainault
took the opportunity to slap the slender hip of his liegeman as a mock
reprimand. ,,I strongly remember your promise not to sulk again,
Guy.“ he stated. the lithe body flinched at once. ,,5. .
. sorry. . .,, Gisburne
whispered and curled up, apparently expecting more hits. ,,You know I won‘t
hit you, Guy, so stop acting like a beaten dog, all right?“ Hesitating
for a while the knight finally decided to obey but snuggled again to his
master desperately as if to beg for mercy. ,,there is something I want
to have for a year now.“ Robert mused aloud. ,,But unfortunately ,s not
quite legal, even for me, to get it.“ ,,But my lord, there are certainly
possibilities.. .,, Gisburne
interrupted, eager to prove his
worth
to the Sheriff. ,,Yes of course.“ de Rainault admitted to his great
surprise and joy. ,,But the. .
.ummm.....,, owner“
of this certain
,,something“ is
not aware of the fact that he holds something I want to own. Hell, he doesn‘t
even know that he ,,has“ ,,it“!!“ ,,Err... umm... couldn‘t I... steal it
for you, my lord?“ Gisburne offered hopefully, but was greatly disappointed
when his master started laughing like a madman. ,,Nooo, dear God, you can‘t
steal
it, my boy.“ he chuckled. But in the split of a second he went earnest
again, even turned around to come face to face with the young knight, ,,It
has to be given, Guy.“ he whispered. ,,Given. .
. out
of a free decision, not forced to surrender.“ He went silent for a long
time, leaving Guy breathless with tension. ,,If I‘d ask you…“ he continued
gravely. ,,…would you give it to me?“ there was no hesitation in the answer.
,,My
lord, I am yours.“ Gisburne declared simply. ,,Whatever it is, it is free
for you to take.“