Almost Lost-by JuliaBC

My entry for Inuvik's friendship challenge.

This takes place between The Flaming Arrow and Zorro Fights a Duel. Some events that happen clash just a teensy bit with the events in the latter episode.

While I know that some will write their stories and place all blame on Ricardo, I decided to take a different route, knowing that Diego's capacity for immaturity is definitely equal to Ricardo's.

It was too late before Diego decided that he'd made a mistake. With a grunt, he again tested the manacles around his wrists and only succeeded in yanking Ricardo.

Ricardo—what a person to be stuck with!

Diego would never have chosen Ricardo as companion in a situation like this—but the thing was, he had.

It was entirely his fault that Ricardo was the man with him. Partly his fault that he had to listen to the insults Ricardo aimlessly hurled to their surroundings. Completely his fault that no one would look for them, even if a day passed. No, Diego thought grimly, I made sure of that! And it had all started because Diego had recalled a fairy tale and decided to be the proverbial woodcutter.

"Ricardo, you know how you've been talking about finding a place for a picnic? One where water is nearby? I think I've found a place. It's a half day's ride, but worth it, and the ride itself is pleasant enough."

Ricardo looked surprised at Diego's approach, but his face soon turned to speculation instead. "It's pretty? Lots of trees?"

"Beautiful!" Diego stretched the word out and an appreciate gleam stole into Ricardo's eyes.

"You think Anna Maria would agree to something like that? After all, she's still rather angry with me."

Diego shrugged, pulled out a chair and sat down. As he signaled for a bottle of wine, he spoke. "You still owe her an apology, and you owe her cousin both an apology and an explanation. Expressing penitence to both women would go a long way in smoothing things."

Ricardo grinned into his wine glass. "Who says I want to smooth things?"

And Diego's half-hearted plan was set in stone as irritation slammed into him at Ricardo's sly words. The caballero needed to learn a lesson! An even bigger one that Zorro had given him! Because it was obvious that any effects of that lesson were quickly wearing off.

"Ricardo," Diego began, more sharply than he'd intended and Ricardo looked up slowly.

"Ricardo," Diego repeated, "I don't—"

"That's right, Diego, and keep it that way. I'll go with you tomorrow to preview it but currently, I am in no mood to be lectured. Give my regards to your father."

With that said—in a tone that showed Ricardo was just as irritated with Diego as Diego was with Ricardo—he left the tavern much more quickly than was his custom, going, Diego suspected and hoped, back to his cousin's house.

Bernardo came down; perhaps he'd been waiting for Ricardo to leave. With a series of smooth motions, he signed that—

"My father is waiting for me? And getting impatient? All right, Bernardo, I'm coming."

Diego stood and walked up the stairs, pausing, for a moment at the top, to consider Ricardo's abrupt departure. He reached up absently, rubbing his neck, and then shrugged away any reservations. Ricardo would be himself again tomorrow, of that Diego was sure.

And unfortunately, he was.

"Diego, I will leave without you!" Ricardo announced, sitting beside Diego as he ate breakfast. "You were the one to suggest this excursion, and now, you aren't even ready! To think I cancelled a very lovely senorita's offer of a ride to watch you eat breakfast!"

Diego refused to let his temper rise, instead saying mildly, "I never said we'd leave at the crack of dawn, Ricardo."

"The crack of dawn was a long time ago, in case you haven't noticed," Ricardo retorted, but settled down and signaled for the waitress. "I will have the same thing he has, por favor."

"Si, senor. Just a moment." The waitress scurried off and Ricardo turned back to Diego. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Not yet. You must eat your breakfast," Diego began. "Besides, I also promised my father I'd speak with him before leaving. Business, you know. There's a cattle auction coming up tomorrow and he wants my opinion of what to buy."

"Oh, all right," Ricardo assented, as a steaming hot plate was set before him. "I suppose I can wait that much longer."

Diego only rolled his eyes as he left the table, and tried to ignore Ricardo's one-sided conversation with the waitress. He hurried up the stairs, Alejandro was already waiting for him in his room, and Bernardo was in the background, folding clothes.

"Buenos dias, father. Did you sleep well?"

"As a matter of fact, I did not, but that is not my concern. What is this I hear about you spending the day with Ricardo? What about the auction?"

"The auction is tomorrow, father, not today, and besides, you won't really need me there, will you?"

"I suppose not, but what exactly are you doing that will keep you busy for the rest of the day?"

"We are going to San Javier, to the river. It is half a day's ride, but we think it a good place for a picnic and would like to make sure of it before bringing…guests." He changed his words at the last second, because of the disbelieving look that was spreading over Alejandro's face.

"Half a day's ride for a picnic that may not even happen?!"

"Father, how I spend my time is—"

"Your own business. No, I understand, my son." A strange light had come into Alejandro's eyes and now he patted Diego on the shoulder. "Go ahead." Leaving a puzzled Diego, he hurried to the door, then paused and turned around. "You've been here longer than I, Diego. Which candy maker is better, Senora Raimundo or Juan Cerillo?"

"Both are excellent, but I think Senora Raimundo's is the way to go if you wish to impress. Uh—why, father?"

"I want to get the best deal possible for those steers and I've heard that Dona Rosaria has a sweet tooth." With those words, Alejandro slipped from the room, and then a second later returned. "If you are going in that direction, you should take this. "

And to Diego's surprise, Alejandro shoved a pistol into his hands. "There are banditos in those hills, hiding among the rocks." And Alejandro flew from the room again, slamming the door.

Bernardo hurried up to Diego, hands flying.

"Yes, I noticed how strange he was acting. Will I be gone all day? Yes, I will. You see, this picnic is a cover for my real plan—to lose Ricardo in the woods!"

Bernardo's eyebrows shot far up.

"Or, I'll try to," Diego amended his original statement. "Ricardo doesn't know the area terribly well and I just thought it would be awfully convenient for him to disappear for a few days. In fact, I already told Anna Maria that he would be visiting his grandmother."

Bernardo's eyes remained puzzled and surprised as he signed his next words. "Hansel—and Gretel. Yes, I was reading that. Luckily, I think Ricardo would eat any breadcrumbs left behind. I may be gone for quite some time, for though I don't intend to go all the way to San Javier, it may take a while to lose Ricardo. What? Do I plan to leave him there?" A moment passed as Diego considered his answer, then:

"Yes."

When they hit the proverbial road—for they were actually cutting cross country—Diego had settled on the ruse he planned to use, and had already dropped subtle hints that would aid him later when he made his escape from Ricardo. Senor del Amo was being uncharacteristically quiet; not saying much, but still whistling occasionally. It struck Diego what tune Ricardo was whistling and he turned in the saddle to face him. "Where did you learn that song, anyway? Milana seemed very impressed, and even Anna Maria seemed to think it nice. She admitted that to me the next day."

"The next—oh! Oh, oh…the tune is one of an old lullaby and I simply wrote the lyrics myself based on where Milana lives and what she—and how I thought Zorro would think."

Diego wondered why Ricardo had changed his words, but didn't comment because his attention was taken by a bird's loud cry, which sounded close, too close. Startled, he looked up just in time to duck when a bird came screeching at his head. He threw up his hands to beat it off, sighing in relief when the bird—he hadn't gotten much of a look, so he had no idea what kind it was—relented and flew away again. He cautiously lowered his arms and looked at his companion in disbelief.

"What in the world was that about?" Ricardo inquired, looking—for the first time in all the years Diego had known the man—shocked, and even a touch of fear was in his motions as he looked up at the sky, to make sure no other birds were coming.

"Could you tell what type of bird it was?" Diego asked, and Ricardo shook his head.

"Even if it wasn't going so fast, I probably couldn't have told you. You know I can't tell an eagle from a—a—what are you doing?"

Diego was scanning the sky, and the horizon, now knowing what he was looking for. "Only a falcon attacks like that," he said grimly. "In Spain, I once stayed with a family of falconers. I even did a bit myself. I got to know the bird's habits and techniques rather well and I got to see falconers in action up close. Unless I'm mistaken, that bird was sent to attack us! Quick, look with me in the direction she went. Do you see anything?"

After a moment of carefully scrutinizing the landscape, Ricardo shook his head. "I'm sorry, no, Diego."

Diego shrugged. "I wasn't expecting you to. Gracias. Let's keep riding."

After about thirty minutes of tense, silent riding, both men loosened up and started talking again. Diego had mostly forgotten his plan—it only lurked in the back of his brain as a vague idea that the bridge was coming up—and was almost enjoying himself. The friction that had characterized his and Ricardo's sojourn in Monterey had melted away, leaving only the boyish camaraderie, a feeling that lasted until Ricardo, in the middle of telling a tale that was certainly not true, brought up—of all topics—Zorro.

"Come, Ricardo, don't speak of him. We were getting along so well."

"I'm sorry, Diego, but I want your opinion of an idea that I have. You've known Zorro—or at least, his work—a lot longer than I have."

Diego sighed and ruffled his hair, not liking where this was going. "What is your idea?"

"Zorro cares much about his reputation. When he—came…to my…hanging…he was more concerned that I'd impersonated him than in seeing justice done. He takes pride in who he is and would never—I think I saw it! Come on, Diego!"

Diego, who'd been avoiding making eye contact with Ricardo, jerked up his head at the exclamation. "What—"

But Ricardo was already galloping away, urging his horse towards a passage in the rocks surrounding them. It was a pass much like the one Zorro left to leave the box canyon. The horse and his rider soon disappeared. What is beyond it? Diego thought in a panic.

He urged his horse forward, withdrawing his gun as he rode, feeling grateful that he'd listened to his father and brought it along.

As he neared the passage, he wondered what he'd find on the other side.

And when he came out, a startling sight met his eyes. Ricardo crouched on the ground—had he been knocked off his horse?—looking up at the two men who stood stationed above him. One hold a gun and leveled it at Ricardo. The other was holding a knife to the throat of a terrified looking girl, but when he saw Diego, he let her go, and she collapsed, sobbing, on the ground.

"Dismount, senor," the bandito commanded.

Diego did so, making no secret of the fact that he held a gun. "What do you want? I carry no money."

The girl struggled to her feet. Strangely, the men ignored her. "Please, senor, they'll kill me."

What am I supposed to do? What did I stumble on? It was then he noticed the bird cage behind the banditos.

The girl had scrambled away from the men, rushing up to his side and laying a hand on his arm. He turned to look at her and was struck by her eyes. Her hand moved up his arm as she spoke. "Just—just a few pesos, please, senor."

"And then—" Suddenly the girl's expression changed; a fierceness entering it as she clamped her hand over his mouth—he noticed too late she held a handkerchief. Something invaded his senses and he staggered. The sun seemed too bright; the gun was ripped from his hands, and he heard Ricardo shout. The next thing he knew, he was in chains.

A/N: Because I hand wrote this, the other two installments I don't have ready yet. I'm tired of typing so it will be tomorrow at the earliest before I get back to this.

I leave it to the reader's discretion as to whether the girl and the two banditos were Lupita(the fortuneteller) and her compadres, or Moneta from the Iron Box and her parejas.

Hansel and Gretel was published by the Grimm Brothers in 1812. I don't know whether Diego would have actually read it, but decided it was possible and left it in.