Aimnéise Place of Pendants 2

Chapter Twenty One

Romanian Gypsies

Hanging on the left wall was a tapestry covering nearly three quarters of the wall. The scene of the Goddess Diane with her bow and arrow in a ready-to-fire stance, surrounded by dogs. In the distance on a hill stood a deer with huge antlers. That’s not very romantic for a bedroom.

The problem now was that if I was to be leaving with the gypsies in the morning how the hell was I going to get out of this blasted room before lizard tongue showed up. If he came alone I could just throat punch him out. I would still have to get out the room, sure the door would be heavily guarded. I plonked myself on the bed, well this is a fine pickle I was in.

Eventually I curled up on top of the bed falling asleep to a grey mist and running shadows of people without faces.

I was woken by a gentle shake and a whispered plea from a familiar voice, Solai.

“Bella, wake up it’s time to go.”

“Solai, how did you get in here?” I moaned trying to wake myself up.

“Bella change into your clothes. Quickly please we haven’t much time.” He said handing me the clothes that I had arrived in. He turned his back while I dressed. When finished Solai handed me my crossbow and brace, helping me to strap it onto my back, then a black cape over the top.

“Solai you still haven’t told me how you got in here. Do you have a key to the door?” A wicked grin crossed his face but instead of making his way to the door he headed for the tapestry hanging on the wall.

“There is more than one way into this room, just be thankful it wasn’t another without a second entrance or saving you, would have been much more difficult.”

“You are full of surprises; how did you know that there was a second entrance?”

Solai held the tapestry out from the wall allowing me to pass him to a hidden doorway.

“I have been here for a while and made it my business to know all the secret places, doors and rooms.”

That did not surprise me. I waited while he shut the door locking us in pure darkness. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Solai moved past me taking my hand and placing it on the back of his shoulder.

“Bella just keep your hand there and stay close.” He whispered.

“How can you see in the dark, you’re not part cat are you?”

“No.” He laughed. “I have been this way many times and know every step of the way. I know these passageways like the back of my hand.”

“Confident.”

“Of course, I’m the best.”

“I’m glad you don’t suffer from humility, and God forbid modesty.” I chuckled.

“Bella, are you being satiric with me?”

“Satiric? Oh, you mean sarcastic. If the shoe fits.”

“What shoe?” Solai asked sounding confused.

I shook my head which of course he couldn’t see in the dark. “Never mind. Do we have to go far?”

He huffed, still confused at my comment. “No, we are nearly there.”

Solai suddenly stopped causing me to crash into him.

“Gees Solly, you could have warned me you were going to stop.” I whined rubbing my chin which had hit his shoulder hard.

Leonardo was waiting for me on the other side of the door leading out to the square not far from the main entryway.

“Come Bella we don’t have much time.” Leonardo whispered taking me by the hand guiding me past the guards slumped on the ground asleep. I didn’t think guards could sleep while on duty. I think Solai had something to do with their sleeping. My eyes flicked from the guards to Solai’s smirk. Yep, thought so.

We headed to a short tunnel towards a quiet street. Only now realizing that it was just before the dawn. I had slept longer than I had thought. Pulling the cloak tighter around my body from the cold air I hurried along trying to keep up with Leonardo’s long strides and Solai’s fast strides.

Solai stopped and whistled low. Several deep whistles returned from different directions.

He leaned towards me. “Just a little insurance that we reach our destination without a problem. Oh, and I like your new name for me, Solly. I will have to remember that one, makes me sound strong.” I gave him a smile.

It would seem Solai had others watching us just in case we were being trailed by Micheletto Corella or anyone else.

We hurried down street after street with Leonardo pulling me along by the hand. As we rounded a corner four figures stepped into our path.

“And what do we have here then? Master Corella said you might try to escape, looks like he was right.” Came a gruff voice from one of them.

Leonardo pulled up pushing me behind him, Solai let out a whistle, long and low. Before I knew it, bodies were coming from shadows left and right. The four men pulled their swords out of scabbards to attack the new arrivals. Leonardo pulled me to the wall.

“Keep back Bella, this should not take long.” He whispered still holding my hand, with Solai at my other side.

The four men were fighting six others. A shout came from further down the street as six more men ran to help the four who had jumped out in front of us.

I couldn’t let Leonardo and Solai down by being captured now. One of the friends who had been fighting the first lot was on the floor moaning in pain. I had to do something, help in some way.

Pulling away from Leonardo I reached over my shoulder pushing my cloak aside and pulled out my crossbow already having a bolt in my hand. I loaded it and then shot, my aim true and fast into the chest of one of the men running towards the fray. I loaded again and took out the second, third and fourth one as the first four were dispatched by Solai’s friends.

“Bella, that was over fifty feet, and you took four of them down before I could even blink.” Solai gasped. Leonardo gave me a slight smile as if he half expected that I would be decent with the crossbow.

“I did, didn’t I? I guess that answers the question of whether I can shoot or not.” Leonardo helped me to refit the crossbow back into the holder on my back under my cloak before grabbing my hand.

“We have to go, now.” The friends of Solai had disappeared back into the shadows having taken their injured friend with them, leaving the bodies of the attackers laying in the street.

We left the street and moved between trees, desperately trying not to stumble over roots and branches until we came to an open space filled with colourful caravans. Most were made of decorative wood with horses or donkeys grazing at the sides of them.

We crossed to the other side past small camp fires and people singing and talking. The scent of meat cooking and spices wafted through the air. Leonardo never let go of my hand as we made our way to a large caravan that had two horses already attached to a harness at the front.

A large woman in a myriad of colours skirt and shirt came from behind one such caravan. Her dark hair bound by a scarf; her eyes edged in black. For an older woman she was very pretty. As we approached, a smile crept to her lips.

“You are here, good, good, we are about to leave. So, this is Bella? I am happy to meet you child.” She smiled at me her brown eyes catching the light from fire, glowing orange and red. There was something very motherly about this woman, warm and welcoming.

“This is Rosa, she will take good care of you.” Leonardo said quickly as if afraid he couldn’t get the words out if he said them slowly.

I turned to Leonardo. “I will miss you maestro.” Tears falling down my cheeks once again. I am definitely a crybaby. He hugged me to his chest as he pushed a small bag of coins into my hands.

“And I will miss you my sweet Bella.”

He pulled away to let Solai clasped me in a hug worthy of a bear. “I will miss you too Solly and thank you for all you have done.”

Solai didn’t say anything, which for him was unusual. His glassy eyes told me everything. He wiped tears beneath my eyes and then stepped back.

“Come now child we must be on our way. I walked with Rosa and turned to see Leonardo and Solai stood silently. I waved at them sad to be leaving, Leonardo bowed, and Solai waved, their faces etched in sadness. I had become attached to these two men. Both so different from each other, yet they complimented each do wonderfully well.

Rosa helped me up into the caravan settling me in the back on a low bed. I was grateful for Leonardo and Solai for taking me in, they could have easily handed me to the gendarmes when I arrived, but they didn’t. A big burly man climbed up onto the seat next to Rosa.

“Bella this is my husband Germaine.” The man turned and smiled beneath a thick dark moustache. I nodded giving him a small smile, my face still wet from tears. He turned back and clicked his tongue at the horses, shaking the reins.

The caravan jolted and rolled, wasting no time as we got underway. Rosa and Germaine shouted out to people as we passed, saying their goodbyes.

As the caravan shunted and shuffled along Germaine began to sing with Rosa joining in for the chorus. A song of love and loss, birds floating on clouds, and flowers bowing their heads. Whether by intention or not I found it greatly helped in relaxing me.

I closed my eyes concerned if Leonardo and Solai would be found out for rescuing me from the blue room, and what would they do when Corella and Borgia turned up expecting to find me waiting.

The inside of the caravan had pans and pots clanging from where they hung to the side. Small bells attached to ribbons hung above my head, jingling and ringing with each movement only added to the din of singing. The entire construction rocked and shuffled as the horses pulled the caravan along. At the far end was a raised bed, no doubt that of Rosa and Germaine’s, covered in layers of bright coloured blankets.

The rocking of the caravan as it ambled along, even with the din of sounds, is soothingly hypnotic. I made myself a little more comfortable by removing the harness and crossbow off laying it down beside me.

Snuggling down my eyelids felt heavy and ready for sleep. The scents and feel of the cushions with scents are unfamiliar, they are however, warm and heady as I drift into sleep, carried away from Leonardo and Solai to who knows whereby Romanian gypsies in a wooden caravan.