Sorry if this depiction of Marco seems abrupt or jarring but that kind of the way that I intended it. If this is too weird all I can say is that I wrote this late at night and I was very jet-lagged and tired. Thanks ever so much to anyone who has shown interest in this story. and please give reviews, every bit of feedback helps. Thanks


"Tell me what you can about Marco Diaz"

It was a simple enough question, but also a complex enough person. "I only ever knew one man named Marco" the spirit quavered "He was strange, beyond a shadow of a doubt. He argued against every plan then fought harder than anyone to see the plan realized. He was polite and kind without inviting friends. In the two years he was with us the only man who could call him friend was my brother, Bear. Bear used to say that he had never before trusted a man as much nor knew as big liar. Marco was always insisting that the moment he found a lead he would leave us, that he was just there because we moved and we heard things, but I heard rumors about the woman he was looking for. No doubt that he heard them too, but he always stayed. He wore a sword on his hip but he fought barehanded. I only saw him draw that sword once, a week after Bear died. Let me give you the pieces before I give you the story. The enemy had a man called Viper, sounds cheesy when I'm just talking but if he were here you would see it in the man. My brother was the strongest man I ever met, not very inventive as a swordsman, but so strong he didn't have to be. Whenever things went sour, and in a guerrilla campaign like ours thing go sour often, Bear would take the rear and cover the escape. Patterns are exploitable though and they figured that if Bear could be disposed of our forces would be vulnerable. So they send the man Viper in and set a trap. Viper was as quick as his namesake and cunning as a fox. We don't know if he killed Bear in a fair fight or caught in a trap but he killed him one way or another. We held Bears funeral that night, the proper way, and Marco stood up and called my brother the noblest of men and an overgrown farmhand who thought he could take on an army in the same breath. He said that the two parts weren't contradictory, that because my brother had nothing his rebellion was pure and his fight was honorable. I didn't know Marco had it in him, more words than he'd ever put together in public. There was fire in his eyes as he spoke. Next day he challenged Viper to a duel, to decide the conflict permanently, Viper must've thought that without Bear we were toast and that no country bumpkin stood a chance against him; I was inclined to agree, but without Bear we were done anyway. We pegged out a square and Marco striped down to his breach cloth, they intended to fight the old way, without armour or helmets, so that each blow was felt and seen when Marco drew I didn't see how he held the sword, how he fell into perfect stance without hesitation, but better eyes than mine told me after that Viper did and he smiled in hope of a real fight. It was the finest fight I ever saw, but there was no doubt from the beginning that Marco would win, He wasn't strong like Bear or even as fast as Viper He was right, I don't know how to explain it, his sword was in the right place before the stroke began, he didn't block with anymore force than was necessary, if he moved to avoid a blow it was always only enough. He took Vipers head, in the end, clean as can be. I don't think he meant to do that, he looked as shocked as anyone else. I wonder still if that's why he never drew his sword before. I think that he was a man trained for killing but not the kind of man who killing came too easy. I saw tears run down his face, but I don't know if he cried for Bear or Viper, maybe, both or for himself or for something that only he knew. We never saw him again. Sometimes when I pray for my brother's soul, I pray for him too, I don't know what I'm praying for really, but he needs it all the same"

The ghost went quiet wringing his hands, Toffee was surprised. Old spirits like this were strange to deal with and the story he had just heard was not the answer he had expected. He dismissed the ghost. He hadn't planed on Marco, hadn't known this much about him but all the same he might be just the piece he needed.