1

Errands

"Merda!" Samuel screamed, "Run, Dante!" I looked at the sweat covered blacksmith as he emerged from the pans. His face was red with anger. My eyes zoomed to the gleaming blade in Barney's fist. "Samuel," I yelled at my brother as he scaled the wall, "he's got a knife!"

I ran at the sandstone wall and jumped up it. My fingers grasped a window seal. I swiftly pulled up my feet just as a Barney's blade was thrust into the wall beneath me. I leaped to grab the roof and pull myself up onto it. I looked down and smiled at Barney's obvious rampage. "Nice aim, Barney!" He looked up, veins popping out of his head, "Zitto!" Barney marched off, with anger, no doubt. Samuel's rough hands gripped my shoulder, "Come, brother. We need to get back home before the police show up!"

"Va bene."

"Hey! You can't be up there!" I looked to my left where the voice came from. It was a police officer, dressed in his black and red attire. "Too late." I turned and said to my older brother. "Go! Go! Go!" Samuel blasted into my ear as he took off. I ran after him, the police yelling behind us, "Hey, get back down here!" Samuel jumped from the roof to another. I followed quickly after him.

Samuel jumped to a pole and screamed past the loud sea of people. "Go! I'll meet you back at the house!" I nodded and leaped over a small fence on one of the roofs. I loved the sound of the air racing past my ears and face as I leapt down from the building to the flag pole. I swung on it and thrust myself off and to a wooden beam. I jumped down and raced across one of Venice's many bridges. I came to the church and looked through the passage way that passed through it's core.

I passed through the crowd of people to my house. I smiled and looked at my house, out of breath, "Home, sweet home." Our house was all sandstone. There was also a small barrier wall surrounding our house. I walked to the door and opened it. Samuel was already inside, and eating a lunch. "It's not even 11 yet and we've already gotten in trouble with the police, with Barney, and that situation with those women."

"You call it trouble," I sat down on the chair, "I call it fun." I smiled at Samuel.

"Regardless of what you call it, we're in a bad place with the officials."

"Scusi?"

"When we split up, I heard a couple of police talking about the 'Alamarie brothers'."

"And they were saying what?"

"Apparently we aren't too good of friends with the police, we aren't their enemies, though."

"Okay then." I threw my legs over the armrest and sighed, "It's just good to be home, with no police chasing us, no Barney, and no..."

"Dante, I need you to go and get a few things."

"What? I'm relaxing, though!"

"Still, we need groceries and you aren't doing anything."

"And what will you be doing, huh?"

"Visiting Bianca." Bianca was Samuel's girlfriend. They were both in love, I could tell, but Samuel was too scared to finally propose. "Ugh, va bene, I'll go." I put my feet back on the ground and walked over to Samuel. My older brother held out a slip of paper to me. I took it from his hand and read over it.

"Black and red cloth?"

"Sí. It's a, um, gift. For Bianca." I could tell by his voice that he was hiding something, but I honestly didn't care. Samuel threw me a red velvet pouch, "Lira; for the market, and the market only, Dante."

"Grazie." I walked back to the door and opened it. I stepped out and closed the door behind me. A group of people looked at me and parted like the red sea to let me through. Hmm, I thought, I guess the people have heard about Samuel and I. I walked through and looked back at one of them.

The woman I stared at looked away very quickly. I smiled and even chuckled. I turned to the bridge and walked over it just as a gondola passed by. There was a group of poor men with a flag. "Come on out! You coward! Face us like a man!" One of them yelled. I called out to them, "Hey! You do realize the revolution's over, yes?" They turned around, looking at me like they were going to beat me for saying that.

"And who are you to say that?"

"Dante. Dante Alamarie da Venezia." Immediately their expressions changed from smug to fear and jealousy. "I'll be happy to fight you boys later, but I have to go get some things for my brother." They said nothing, just stared. I chuckled again and walked off. I looked at the ground and saw a shadow move. I looked up at the roof where the shadow came from. There was noone there. It's probably nothing, I thought. I carried on my way.

I got to the market and looked down at the list:

Dieci mele

Rotolo di panno nero e rosso

Sapone

"Mio Dio, Samuel. You sent me here for this?" I shook my head and walked to the cloth stand. The sign was bright and colourful. It clearly read out "Sarto." I stood in the line and waited patiently for the line to die out. I finally got to the front of the line and the clerk started to talk, "Salute, messor! How may I be of service?"

"Salve. I need a roll of black and red cloth."

"Va bene, and what shade of red will that be?"

"Shade?"

"Sí. Shade."

"I suppose I'll take that one." I pointed to the one that appealed to me the most.

"Ah. Great choice! A deep red! A soothing and magnificent colour!"

The man handed me the rolls and I handed him the Lira due to him. "Grazie, signore." I walked away with the rolls. I looked around for the place I could get the apples or the soap. I walked around for a bit trying to find the stands. "Dante? Dante is that you?" I turned around and saw Amadea standing behind me.

She was beautiful, especially from the lanterns around us. Her hair was long and brown, it was curly around the tips, too. Her eyes were the brightest blue I had ever seen in my life. Despite this, I never really liked her as a lover. We had always just been friends.