18Author's Note: Flashback scene with Catrine, his deceased wife. Enjoy! :)
That night, as Guy lay in his bed, he tossed and turned. Then he remembered why the Sheriff's words touched him so deeply. He allowed himself to return to his past.
To return to her.
The hottest day of the summer filled each breath Guy took with stifling heat and inescapable moisture. Sweat dripped everywhere on him. He had finally finished his work for the Sheriff—just a simple execution at dawn—and now he was free. Free to return home to Catrine.
He wiped his horse down with water quickly in the stables, washing away the foamy sweat on its back. Finally done, he walked out of the stables, wiping his own sweat from his forehead.
"Guy! Over here!" Catrine's voice carried over the warm breeze.
Guy turned towards her voice, smiling as he saw her sitting in the shade of a nearby elm tree. He couldn't resist. Despite the heat and his shortness of breath already, Guy sprinted up the hill to the tree. Catrine lounged against the tree's trunk, wearing a thin pale blue dress in an attempt to stay cool in the unbearable heat. Her laughter made Guy laugh too as he reached the top, bending over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"You fool, why do you insist on wearing leather in this heat?" Catrine stood up and walked over to Guy, laughter tinting her voice.
Guy straightened, still panting, smirking as Catrine drew closer. She quickly unbuckled his leather jacket, tossing it on a tree branch. Then she leaned in to kiss him, her hands beginning to lift off his sweat-soaked tunic. Guy kissed her quickly, still catching his breath, and pulled off his tunic himself. Catrine stepped away, a bit annoyed at the quick kiss, and laid on her back in the grass beneath the tree, resting her head on her arm.
"You aren't pleased to see me?" Guy chuckled, wiping the sweat now from his bare chest. Catrine huffed in reply, propping herself up on her elbow and cocking her head to one side.
"You think you're so fantastic, don't you? You think I've spent my whole morning just waiting for your return, hmm?" Her smiled flashed across her face, taunting him with her words. Guy smiled as he watched her lie back down, resting both her arms beneath her head. He couldn't resist her. In one fluid movement, he laid down on her.
"I don't think you've been waiting for me, I know you have," he whispered through his smirk and began kissing her deeply and passionately, feeling her lips part beneath his. He moved to her neck, kissing his way lower and lower.
Catrine laughed once her mouth was free. "You know, this won't help us keep cool."
"That was never my intention, my love," his deep voice tickling her neck.
"Well, it is mine," Catrine said, trying to push him off, her hands braced against his broad shoulders. Guy only laughed. Catrine huffed again, and then to Guy's surprise, she suddenly gathered her strength and rolled him over. She smiled for a moment, then she lifted herself off him, moving against the trunk of the tree, her arms folded in front of her.
Guy sat up; he loved when she played with him like this. Smiling, Guy stood—he had a brilliant plan. "So, you want to stay cool, do you? Then do you trust me?"
"No," Catrine laughed, and then turned to run down the hill back towards the manor.
Guy chased after her; "Perfect," he thought as he ran. He easily caught up to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the stables. He mounted on her horse's bare back and extended his hand to Catrine.
She smiled and mounted the horse behind him, wrapping her hands around his waist. Guy laughed to himself; she'd probably kill him if she knew where he was taking her, smiling at a distant memory from their childhood. He rode the horse quickly towards Sherwood Forest, under the cool shade of all the trees. He had one spot in mind: a stream deep in the woods where the water was shallow and slow flowing. A perfect way to fight the heat.
Catrine kept peering over his shoulder at the forest in front of them, "Where are we going, Guy?"
Guy only laughed, pleased that she had no clue where he was taking her. He finally slowed the horse, hearing the sound of flowing water nearby.
"We're here," Guy said as he jumped off his horse, reaching to help Catrine down from the horse's bare back.
Her face was hard and serious. "Is that water I hear?"
"Trust me." Guy pulled her down from her waist, easing her to the forest floor.
"Guy," her voice was still and quiet. "You know I can't swim. Remember how I almost drowned as a child? You were there."
Catrine wouldn't meet his eyes, so Guy stepped close, wrapping one arm around her and turning her face gently towards him with the other. "Trust me. This water is perfect for you. It's shallow enough and there is no current. You'll have me there, and, besides, the water will be far cooler than this heat." He wiped the sweat dripping down her face.
He could see she was giving in, and he smiled, leading her by the hand to the water's edge. Sitting down on a rock, Guy removed his boots, and he watched Catrine slowly slip off her own shoes and walk to the gently lapping water.
She gingerly stepped in with one foot. Then the other. She lifted her skirt higher and walked deeper into the water till the water reached her knees.
Guy waded into the water to the knees of his pants. He laughed as Catrine tried to keep her dress dry, lifting it higher out of the water so that her thigh began to show. "Such immodest behavior for my wife to exhibit in public," Guy teased.
"I just don't want to get too wet."
Guy laughed, quickly wading deeper then diving under the water.
"Guy!" Catrine called out, and she began to wade deeper after him. The water came up to her hips, and her dress's hem in her hand began to get wet. She huffed, then she felt something touching her legs. A hand?
Guy popped out of the water right next to her, splashing water all over Catrine. She squealed in shock as Guy simply laughed. "It's not funny!" she yelled at him as she dropped her dress in to the water, giving up all hope of keeping it dry.
"It is too, and don't you feel cooler now?" He splashed her again.
Catrine was trying hard not to laugh or smile at him, suppressing it with all her strength. Finally, she gave in, erupting in joy. "Much cooler."
Then her eyes flashed, and she splashed Guy back, right in the face. He startled backward as the water went in his eyes. He blinked it away, only to find Catrine's hands on his shoulders, pushing him into the water with all her strength. Water enveloped him. He stroked once to get to the surface and flicked his head to get the water off his face.
"Now, that wasn't very nice," his voice deepened as he waded closer to her towards the shore. "You wouldn't want someone to do that to you now, would you?"
"You wouldn't! Guy, I can't swim!" she began wading towards the shallows.
"Well, there's no better time to learn…" he dove under water, swimming to get to her faster. Emerging from the water, he grabbed her around her waist and began pulling her into the deeper water. She screamed and she flailed, but she couldn't free herself from his hold.
"Guy! You'll kill me! Don't!"
Guy felt her body begin to float more. "Trust me and relax. Just let yourself float; I'll hold on to you." Her hands latched on to his arms, scared he'd let go. "Rest your head on my shoulder."
She did, and Guy felt her body lift to the surface of the water. "Guy…" her voice quivered in fear.
"That's it. You're floating. See?" He kissed her forehead.
"Yes, I see, but I don't like it. Put me down!" Catrine began flailing in his grip. The water was too deep for Guy to get a good footing; Catrine's scream was the last sound he heard before he slipped under the water. He felt Catrine swim frantically from his arms, and he stroked through the water to try to find her.
He came to the surface, "Catrine!" he called.
"Guy!" Catrine screamed back from a few yards off. Then her head disappeared underwater.
Guy's mind raced; he waded quickly to where she was, diving down, feeling for any part of her. He felt fabric, then an arm. He grabbed on tightly and dragged her to the surface.
His head broke the surface of the water. Gasping, he pulled her out of the water, sighing in relief as he heard her gasp for air too. She turned around in the water to face him, grasping around his neck. Guy felt the streambed beneath his feet. They were safe.
Guy walked her to the shallow water, setting her on her feet. She clung tightly to him, her breath catching in her throat still.
"I'm sorry," was all Guy could say as she trembled in his arms. He kissed the top of her wet hair, holding her tightly to his bare chest. He felt her breathing steady.
"You were right about one thing, Guy," her voice still quivering from shock. "I'm not hot anymore."
Guy turned to look at her, tears in her eyes and wet hair streaked across her face. "I'm sorry, Catrine."
She smiled at him, brushing her own hair from her face. "Guy, since I've married you, since I've even met you, when have we ever not risked death? Hmm?" She kissed him as he led her back to land.