RED, RED WINE
Disclaimer - I don't own the rights, Zorro Production Inc does - I just like to play with the characters.
The challenge was to write a story and include the following five points: someone must drink too much, an argument between friends, a new sword, sword fight and a kiss from a stranger.
Not to be taken seriously - just a fun, silly story. It's also the first time I've written in the 1st person. :)
The heavy wooden door slammed shut and then came the sound of heavy boots treading on the floorboards, as though an army was marching through.
"That mother of yours, has to go." growled my intruder.
I sighed as I glanced up from my computer, where I was trying to write my latest Zorro story and saw my best friend and partner pacing angrily around our spacious lounge room, "What happened now?" I asked him.
"She's got into my shed and rearranged all my tools. NO ONE touches my tools! And where were you when she was doing this, eh? Writing those silly Zorro stories no doubt!" he yelled.
I felt my blood pressure rise as well as my own temper, "Don't you take your frustrations out on me. I've had enough of that today with driving the kids around with their snotty nosed friends, fighting to get a parking place at the shops, cleaning, washing and taking Fluffy for a walk. And don't you dare call my Zorro stories silly!" I shouted back.
He snorted, "Well, they are silly. I mean really, a grown woman fantasising about a masked vigilante, is just plain ridiculous!"
"Oh, you're a great one to talk. What about your obsession with Cindy Crawford?" I threw back at him, "Look, my mother is only here for another three days, and then she's going home. I'm sure you can put up with her for that long."
He grumbled something I couldn't hear and stormed off in the direction of the rear of the house.
I let out a long sigh as I turned my attention back to my computer, and as I reread what I had typed, I reached for my glass of Merlot. It was my second glass that afternoon and I was starting to get a nice, warm fussy feeling in my bones, just right to be tucked up with a good Zorro story or even tucked in by the masked bandit. I giggled at the thought of being tucked into bed by Zorro and with that in mind, I began typing but only to be interrupted once again, this time by my mother.
"Finetta, don't you think it's time to put that away? It's almost time for dinner." she said.
I sighed; am I ever going to get my story finished? "Well, you can start with the vegetables, if you wish." I replied absently.
"Right then." she said as she started to potter around my kitchen.
I sighed again and refocused on my latest story and I managed to get two sentences done before there was an almighty crash followed by a loud curse from the kitchen. I turned and saw the cake that the kids had made earlier that day, smashed on the floor and my mother was in hysterics. I stared up at the ceiling, said a quiet prayer before reaching for the bottle of Merlot and refilled my glass; it was going to be a long night.
It was much later when Frederick helped me to bed and I giggled as he tucked me in; he looked like Zorro, with that cute little mustache on his upper lip. I must have had more to drink that I thought, if I was confusing dear Fred with Zorro. I snuggled more deeply into the mattress and before I knew it, I was dead to the world or so it seemed.
Z Z Z
"So, Señora Olmos, do you know anyone in Los Angeles, now that we have to stay overnight at the pueblo, to have the axle seen to." a man's voice came from beside me.
I turned away from the window and looked at my travelling companion with a smile, "Unfortunately I don't, Señor Santana. I just hope that there is a tavern of good repute for us to stay. But I understand that you were leaving the stage at Los Angeles anyway?"
He smiled pleasantly, "Yes I am but it's for business otherwise I wouldn't trouble myself coming all this way from Mexico City." he replied.
"Oh, what type of business would that be Señor?" I asked curiously.
"I'm a Bladesmith or more precisely a Master Swordsmith. I specialise in creating swords, both saber and rapier and the occasional foil," he replied, "I've come to Los Angeles to deliver a new saber that I created for the Alcalde of Los Angeles. A man by the name of Ignacio de Soto."
I frowned, "Isn't he the one who is trying to capture the bandit Zorro?"
He nodded, "Yes. Apparently he hopes that by having a better blade then he would able to defeat Zorro."
"But surely having a better blade doesn't mean he would actually defeat Zorro." I said, "I mean if he hasn't the skills to do it in the first place, could a new sword help him?"
He smiled, "It can. A good, well balanced blade can make a lot of difference when fighting. A blade becomes a part of you, like an extension of your arm but if it hasn't been made correctly or with inferior materials, it becomes awkward to use, either to heavy or too light for what the person wanted it for. Now, whether de Soto can beat Zorro with his new sword is an entirely different matter. This bandit does have a reputation for being unbeatable with his Toledo blade."
I grinned, "You really came here to see Zorro's famous sword, didn't you?"
He chuckled, "Well, I can't deny that Señora. It's not often I see a well known blade such as his."
Just then our stage coach came to a lurching stop and the driver called out, "Los Angeles."
"We're here," my companion said needlessly as the door was opened and I was helped down from the stagecoach by a Sergeant, "Welcome to Los Angeles, Señora," he said.
I smiled as I stepped down onto the dusty ground, "Gracias Sergeant, ah...Sergeant?"
He bowed his head, "Sergeant Jaime Mendoza of the Royal Militia." he introduced himself before he straightened up, "I'm sorry Señora and Señor but I must ask for payment of the travellers tax." he said apologetic.
I frowned and was about to ask him what this travellers tax was, but my companion spoke up, "What the devil do you mean Sergeant?" he asked as the driver removed both our bags from the rear of the coach and handed them down to us.
Mendoza shifted nervously, "There is a two peso tax for every traveller to Los Angeles." he said.
"And if we don't pay this tax?" I asked.
"Then I would have to escort you to the cuartel cells." he said, looking very uncomfortable.
I sighed and reached into my purse and pulled out two pesos and handed them over to him, "If this is how you treat travellers, it is no wonder that Los Angeles isn't on the main stagecoach route." I was annoyed at handing over my money for such a ridiculous tax. My companion was similarly annoyed, as he too, handed over his two pesos.
I picked up my bag and turned around to face a building that was obvious a tavern, by the number of people sitting at the tables on the veranda.
"Are you looking for a room, Señora?"
I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman with a pleasant smile on her face, "As a matter of fact we are. Our stage coach will be here overnight to fix the axle." I replied, "Are there any rooms here?"
She nodded, "Yes, I have several rooms available," she replied, "I'm Senorita Victoria Escalante and I own the tavern."
I smiled and walked up the steps, "I'm Señora Olmos and this is Señor Santana." I said as my travelling companion walked up behind me.
"Buenos Dias Senorita, can you please tell me where the Alcalde's office is?" Señor Santana asked our hostess.
Senorita Escalante nodded, "The office is on the other side of the plaza, Señor." she replied.
"Gracias senorita, if you can please hold a room for me, I'll be back shortly to settle in." he said before he turned and walked in the direction of the Alcalde's office carrying both his luggage and a long case, which I knew held the new sabre.
"I wonder what the Señor wants with the Alcalde?" asked the gentleman who was standing beside Senorita Escalante; a rather tall, handsome man, in the blue suit of a caballero.
"Señor Santana is delivering a brand new sword that he made himself, to your Alcalde." I replied.
He raised an eyebrow, "Is he indeed." he said casually but I noticed his eyes brighten with a strange sense of excitement.
"Yes, apparently he ordered the sword to defeat Zorro." I told him. I didn't know why I was telling him this, but there was a strange aura around him that made me offer information, without being asked for it.
"Indeed." he said again as he gazed over at the alcalde's office before he turned and bowed, "Please excuse me, ladies, but I must take the mail to my father." he said before he walked down the steps and over to his horse.
"You have to forgive Don Diego's odd behaviour, Señora, it's just how he is." Senorita Escalante said with a smile on her face as she watched the handsome man ride away. She shook her head and turned to me, "Please follow me, Señora and I'll get the key to your room."
"Gracias Senorita." I replied as I followed her inside the tavern.
Z Z Z
I soon settled into my room; it was small but clean and tidy and as I made my way back downstairs, I head a commotion outside. I followed everyone else and was stunned when I saw a man dressed in black and wearing a mask, fighting with another man, "Is that Zorro by any chance, and who is he fighting?" I asked Senorita Escalante, who was standing beside me.
"Yes, that's Zorro." she confirmed, "And he is fighting the Alcalde."
I turned my attention to the man in black, who grinned as he quickly disarmed de Soto.
"And here I thought your skills were improving, Alcalde." I heard him say.
"I'm not finished with you yet, Zorro," de Soto growled before he turned his gaze to my travelling companion who was standing nearby, "Señor Santana, my sword if you don't mind."
Señor Santana hesitated for a second before he shrugged and handed over the brand new sword.
I watched as de Soto swing his sword in an arc around him, "Now, we shall see who has the better blade." he sneered as he gave a small salute before he went on the offensive. He began to drive Zorro backwards under his fierce attack but it seemed to me that the masked man was lulling him into a false sense of security.
"So, now that I have a new blade, you run away like a coward that you are." de Soto sneered.
Zorro chuckled, "Even you must be aware that a new sword has to be tested for its strengths and weaknesses before battle," he replied as he continued retreating from de Soto's attack. "Every sword has its own quirks, its own way of handling and you must be ready for it." he added as he suddenly went on the attack and without any hesitation, he decisively disarmed de Soto once again.
And then to my surprise, he knocked de Soto out cold with a punch to his jaw.
Zorro bent down and picked up the sword from the ground and studied it, "A wonderful piece of workmanship, Señor Santana." he complimented my travelling companion who was, by this time, standing beside me on the top steps of the tavern.
Señor Santana smiled, "Gracias, but how did you know it was mine?" he asked as Zorro handed the sword over to him.
Although Zorro didn't look in my direction, I knew it had been me who had told him, and I knew that he knew that I knew. There were only two people I had told about the sword; one was Senorita Escalante and the other was Don Diego de la Vega.
Did that mean that Don Diego was, in fact, Zorro? I mused to myself. It must be. I felt giddy that I knew the identity of Zorro and no one else did.
Zorro shrugged, "Your reputation precedes you, Señor Santana." he replied with a grin as we saw the lancers come rushing out of the cuartel, "I would like to stay and discuss the finer points of swords with you, but unfortunately the lancers have other ideas." he added.
I couldn't allow Zorro to leave without letting him know that his secret was safe with me, so I pretended to stumble on the steps and thankfully he caught me, "Your secret is safe." I whispered in his ear before I pulled back, "Oh thank you Zorro, I don't know what happened. I must have slipped." I said before I leant over and kissed his cheek.
His blue eyes showed his surprise, "Wake up, Finetta. It's time to get the kids off to school."
I stared open mouth at the words that came from Zorro's lips but the voice was all wrong.
"Finetta! Come on, it's time to get up."
I opened one eye and immediately closed it against the harsh morning light, "No, don't want to." I murmured. My head was pounding, my mouth was dry and my stomach was doing flip flops, "Oooh, I don't feel so good."
Fred snorted, "And whose fault is that?" he said uncaringly, "Now get up." he added as he pulled the covers off me.
"Nooo, you're mean." I whined.
"Yeap, that's right." he replied, "It's your own fault. You had too much wine last night." he said with amusement in his voice.
"Like you have never overdone it yourself," I shook my head, "Oh god, never again. Never again."
The End
A big thanks goes to Diana, who suggested the challenge :)