Chapter 1

Leo point of view

I was sat outside the workshop staring up into the clouds wondering and thinking, would my new adaption on my wings work, would they not kill me all the questions that I should probably care about but didn't really I just wanted to try them. To jump off the roof and soar, flying anywhere I wanted looking down on everybody from a view, a view that only the birds saw, what would I see, I would see so much, seeing everything in new light. Maybe I could show Lisa it some time, She would love it, Maybe she could paint it, Then we would always be able to remember it. Secretly I like Lisa how hardiness and how she refuses to give in or stubbornness as it often is. How her brown eyes pierce through everything and her hair cascades down her shoulders. I can't tell her this of course. That's our friendship ruined. She would never like me anyway what she needs someone tougher and more strong willed not me. Well that's when she is a girl of course. You see she's not allowed to paint as a girl so she disguises herself as a boy called Tomaso or Tom as we all call him. There are only a handful of us who know about her double life. Many people know either Tom or Lisa but not both. It's only myself, Mac and Lorenzo. Oh! And Piero and Placidi his servant which isn't the best of news as this means they have the power to completely destroy Lisa or Toms life with just the power of words. I admire Lisa for her courage and how she blends sin so well with us lads. Not even Maestro knows and that's saying something as he knows everything.

"Leo" I came back down to earth and out of my daydream to find a very angry looking Maestro staring at me with little Cosmo standing just a meter behind etching his every move in repeat. He makes me laugh, how he follows Maestro around copying his every mood.

"I asked you to clean the paint palate 10 minutes ago and you still haven't done it, how hard is it to clean a single palate, not very. You get some water out of the bucket and a rag and you clean. Every else has managed it but not you and you're one of the oldest here,"

I wasn't really paying any attention to what Maestro was saying. I was more award of a commotion going on outside the workshop gate. There seemed to be an awful lot of yelling. What could be going on?

"Yeah, Yeah" I said in reply to his comments

"Are you even listening?'

I nodded

"You know that break I'm owed I take it now" With that I tore of my apron chucking it at Maestro and bolting it to the gate

"Leonardo" he yelled after me which was getting quite a frequent event. I'll suffer the consequences of that later. For now I want to know what is going on. I am far too nosy for my own liking.

Outside in the square a huge crowd was gathered yelling insults and muttering under their breath all sorts of inappropriate words. I pushed my way into the crowd weaving in and out of all the people. I reached the front of it. In the middle stood three men. Two I knew well, so well and 1 I had never seen before. Placidi was stood holding a man by his collar pinned up against a market stall while Piero de 'Medici paced coldly around him. I saw Machiavelli my friend standing not far by so I shuffled over to where he stood. He nodded to my acknowledgement.

"What's going on?" I muttered

"That man is from Milan and is believed to be a Spy. Well that's what Piero thinks for the rest of us he's an innocent stall holder who runs a successful Carpentry business,"

Just at the moment Piero began to announce the crowd with much booing and hissing in return.

"Yet again the duke of Milan has attempted to fool me by sending this spy across to track our moves and kill me, but I am one step ahead as always and have caught this spy who I plan to use to get back at the duke once and for all"

A huge uproar arose from the crowd. No one except Piero had any problems with the Milanese. It was only because of a Milanese who was suspected of poisoning the old duke of Florence and spoiling Piero plans that Piero has such a hate for the. He believes it is all a plot to up hold him made by the duke. Now he tries to do what he ever he can to get back at them. He threw all the Milanese people who live in Florence out of their houses and wrecked them, pulling off shutters, smashing up furniture and burning all the wood they could find. It was really not nice. All you could hear was children crying and women crying. Innocent people who had done nothing wrong. I hated Piero for that destroying people's lives just because it he so self-centred and only cares about himself. Saying that I was friends with Piero's son. Lorenzo de' Medici. He was alright. A bit clueless and lacking in a lot of street smarts but I call him my friend. He's got us out of a few scraps in our time especially ones where he can play the charming son whose dad will do anything to please him. We do have to watch him though. I remember when we first discovered Lisa's secret he almost blabbed about to the Maestro during a conversation about painting. We have to admire him though. It must be heard having to cope with a dad like Piero whose decisions you find totally irrational and don't agree with at all but have to seem to pretend to uphold reputation. As I was thinking this I noticed Lorenzo, at the back of the crowd lent against the wall looking mightily embarrassed and wishing he was anywhere but here and hoping no one noticed him. I sided up to him.

"I do not agree with this at all!" he said turning to me in justifying way

"I was hoping you didn't." I replied

"It's not the so called spy I'm worried about, well I'm worried of course about him but what I meant was this discrimination against the Milanese is getting more and more frequent and I'm afraid Father will do something drastic and rather stupid soon something like declare war or something as equally bad. It's something he would do. What's really bad was that if he did declare war I would have to fight on his side which is something I don't want to do because I don't believe in his so called reasoning. You and Mac will be fighting for the Milanese and I will be on the other side of you forced to put a sword to your back. He wouldn't let be choose my side I'm destined to be with him as much as I extremely do not want to."

He finally took a breath after an extremely long rant.

"Calm down Lorenzo. I'm sure it won't come to be that drastic. I mean your fathers not that clued up but he's not that stupid to declare war anyway he must know that most people will be on the Milanese's side,"

"You don't know my father,"

"By any chance if war did come it would be up to you to choose a side, it's your decision. You're not a baby anymore and you can't trail your father all your life. You want to fight for the Milanese you fight for them," I told him

"Thanks Leo. I better be off before I'm in some sort of trouble which always happens when I'm around you for any lengthy period of time actually forget that I'm always in trouble whenever I'm around you. See you later Leo"

With that he was gone. I smiled to myself. Lorenzo made me laugh. By know Piero was gone and the so called spy. I dreaded to think what his fate was. The crowd started slowly dispersing muttering angrily to one another. I slipped back into the workshop to the face of an angry looking Maestro. Oh! I'd forgotten about him.