Chapter 7: And his Name was Ezio
A few days went by, with Seona pretty much confined to that back room in the brothel, spending time sleeping or talking to Paola and the courtesans when they would come in to check on her. She was fed simple, but much appreciated food and given plenty of water to drink. There were also the brief occasions where she would have to swallow more of the bitter medicine that they had been obtaining from the local doctor.
But, day by day she was feeling her strength coming back to her a little at a time. She had met her other rescuer, another courtesan by the name of Anselma. Anselma was similar to Luana in appearance, but her hair was a different color and she wore a red dress instead of a pink one. Her skin was also a slight shade lighter as well. She seemed somewhat distant compared to Paola and Luana, but she was still kind to Seona. She would get annoyed when Seona would make disgusted faces when taking her medicine though. Perhaps she was more of a no nonsense type of person, Seona had thought to herself. It was at least an admiral quality in the right place and time.
When the girls came in, they would often try to teach Seona some Italian, even if it was just a phrase or two. She was surprised that being immersed in the language was beginning to have an effect on her, making her learning a little easier as time went on. Even so, it would certainly take more time before she would even get close enough to being fluent. But, conversations were starting to come together and in the fray of words she was beginning to understand their meaning.
It was midafternoon and a few clouds had gathered in the sky, but the sun still glowed brightly above Florence. Many people were running about the streets now and she could hear their voices below. Seona shifted around, pushing the sheets off of her. She had been able to get up and move around the room before in the past several days, but she wanted to try and see if she could come out, even if only for a moment or two. There was only a minor throbbing when her feet first touched the floor, but for the most part her pain was almost gone, and it was a matter of recovering her stamina now.
She dressed into her green dress, taking a brush one of the courtesans had given to her to groom herself a bit before attempting her venture. When she first came there, her hair was pretty snarled after a couple of days without a thorough brushing, and Anselma had insisted on tidying her up, claiming that just because she was recovering from her injuries didn't mean she had to look like a dying mouse. It had been a pain having to hold still when her hair was tugged at and pulled, and Seona wasn't use to having someone else do it.
After several minutes and a few additional tasks, she felt she was ready and peered outside the door. The back hallway was fairly quiet, since the most frequented rooms were near the main entrance where most of the customers came in and most of the girls were stationed when not roaming the streets.
It was only for a few minutes to get some fresh air, she told herself.
"E dove pensate di andare, Seona? (And where are you planning on going, Seona?)" She heard an acquainted voice. Anselma and Luana were together today, and Anselma had the familiar vial with medicine in hand.
"Volevo andare fuori. (I wanted to go outside.)" She answered honestly as she was given the medicine. She opened the vial and swallowed. Seona was still not used to the revolting bitter taste, and she winced. Anselma shook her head.
"Io non sono così sicuro se questo è saggio. (I am not so sure if that's wise.)" Anselma objected, inspecting the area on Seona's face that now had a clean bandage. Luana cocked her head.
"Beh, non sarebbe una boccata d'aria fresca per il suo essere buono? Potrebbe contribuire ad accelerare il suo recupero. (Well, wouldn't some fresh air be good for her? It might help speed her recovery.)" Luana suggested.
"Non vi è verità in questo. Ma, cosa succede se si imbatte in un altro gruppo di teppisti? (There is truth to that. But, what if she runs into another group of thugs?)" Anselma retorted.
"Tuttavia, è pieno giorno! Ci sono più persone in tutto. Inoltre, non sarebbe saggio se le ha insegnato un paio di cose in modo che non si deve preoccupare di questo? Forse? (However, it's broad daylight! There are more people around. Besides, wouldn't it be wise if we taught her a thing or two so she doesn't have to worry about that? Perhaps?)"
Anselma focused deep in her thoughts. Yes, once Seona's recovery was full, she may once again find herself wandering the streets at night one day.
"Molto bene. Se lei è in forma abbastanza buono domani, vedremo di insegnare il suo modo di difendersi. (Very well. If she is in good enough shape tomorrow, we'll see about teaching her how to defend herself.)" Anselma rubbed her temple with one hand and turned her attention back to Seona.
"Per quanto tempo hai intenzione di essere fuori? (How long are you planning on being out?)" She inquired.
"Non più di mezz'ora. (No longer than half an hour.)" Seona answered her. Anselma sighed.
"Va bene. Ma non andare troppo lontano. Se non sei di nuovo qui quando dici che sarà, Luana e io verrò a cercarti. E io preferirei non dover fare, capito? (Okay. But don't go too far. If you are not back here when you say you will be, Luana and I will come looking for you. And I would prefer not to have to do that, understand?)" Anselma stared her directly in the face, showing that she was quite serious. Seona nodded.
"Capisco. (I understand.)"
Not only that, she wouldn't want Paola getting after them if something happened. Most of all, she didn't want to see her beaten up again. There had been enough of that, at least for now. Anselma then gently shooed her off, her time started now, and she was to use it wisely. She was still not entirely comfortable with the thought, however.
But, Seona was gone before she could change her mind. The young woman slipped out of the building, inhaling the air with deep appreciation, letting out a joyous laugh. However, Anselma's words echoed in her mind and she shook her head.
"Right, don't get too carried away. You're just going to walk around a bit and come right back…"
Still, the fact she had some energy was a good sign. Perhaps a couple more days and she could be on her way…then again, she didn't have anywhere to go. On top of that, she owed a great debt to Paola and the courtesans for rescuing her and nursing her back to health. Would they…she hesitated to think of it, but it could be a possibility considering she didn't know them well enough otherwise.
But, would they want her to join them? Become a courtesan? Seona shivered at the thought. No, more than that, it terrified her. Not that she thought they weren't kind enough people… but she did not want to be resigned to such a fate. Even if she was stuck here…then again, did she really have many options, given her current state of affairs?
Seona briefly tried to imagine what it would be like, but all she got were images of making a mess of things. The first time would probably be the worst, since she had no experience in…that…line of work. It was probably best if she stopped right there.
As she ventured a little bit beyond the brothel to the market streets, Seona halted herself mentally. This was all just wild speculation wasn't it? Or at least some of it… Paola was the person in charge, and she seemed very kind and reasonable, from what time they had spent. Granted, it wasn't much time, but maybe, she proposed, if the issue came up Paola could be persuaded as to another mode of compensation, assuming she wanted compensation. Seona wasn't banking on the Good Samaritan hypothesis, though.
Consider all the possibilities, though, she told herself.
The market was bustling today as she carefully made her way around nearby merchants and vendors. The sounds of conversations and transactions rang in her ears as her feet took her around groups of citizens and merchants standing in the street.
She heard the faint tune of someone plucking a stringed instrument as well. A minstrel, perhaps? The idea amused her.
It was good to just be there and take in the sights. She found her pace quickening a bit, and a bit more energy brimming from within her. However, her stream of consciousness was interrupted when she saw a familiar figure among a group of young men, joking and laughing about something that escaped Seona's understanding of the language.
She saw one of the young men from the back. He had long dark brown hair, tied back with a red band. His clothes were fetching and finely made, an ensemble of a loose white shirt a dark teal vest with ornate, swirling motifs, black slacks and black leather boots. Something in Seona's memory popped up in her head and her eyes widened in surprise.
Was this the man that gently pushed past her the last time she saw Claudia? She didn't remember many specifics of the incident. But, it stuck in her mind because she remembered the color and style of his hair… and the band it was tied with… He had appeared in one of her nightmares as a guise of the dark figure that still stalked her sleep.
It was something she found… eye-catching. Perhaps even…becoming.
He turned his head for a moment, but turned back before she got any details of his face. A few people walked in front of her and she peeked around them. One of the boys noticed her eyeing the young man. The companion gently nudged him and pointed in Seona's direction, to which Seona pulled herself behind the cover of the people in front of her.
They probably thought she was weird for staring, she talked to herself mentally. Well, anyway, it felt odd to her. Was it really that important to know the appearance some stranger that didn't say more than a couple of words to her?
Still, she peered around the group of people again, watching the young men conversing. It seemed whatever they were talking about was extremely entertaining, and Seona smiled. One of the young men saw her again, this time she walked around the group of people, heading down the street to a turn that would lead her in a loop back to the brothel.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye. The group was still pretty much staying put. But, something caught her attention. The young man she had been so curious about was now looking in her direction. She quickly swerved her head around and looked back to the street ahead of her, but found a wall just a few inches away from her face.
And so the trend of running into things continues, Seona thought, brilliant. Or almost running into things in this case. And that was good, because with her injuries still healing that might have really hurt…
"Seona, sei proprio tu? (Seona, is that you?)" A familiar female voice called her name several feet away. She immediately recognized the voice and gasped.
"Cl…Cl…Claudia?"
It was in fact Claudia with an alarmed look on her face, carrying a basket in her arms. She was wearing similar noble attire to the clothes Seona had seen her in before. Seona could feel the guilt starting to gnaw on her again.
"Speravo di trovarti ... (I was hoping to find you…)"
"Oh, Seona! Ho quasi pensato che aveva lasciato Firenze. (Oh, Seona! I almost thought you had left Florence.)" Claudia seemed relieved when she said this. Seona took a deep breath.
"Mi dispiace. Mi sono imbattuto in un po 'di problemi ... (I'm sorry. I ran into a bit of trouble…)" Seona tried to explain. Claudia saw the clean bandage on Seona's cheek and her lip trembled a bit, twisting into a frown.
"Che ti è successo? (What happened to you?)"
Seona touched the bandage lightly, trying not to cause a sting.
"... Ci sono stati alcuni uomini per la mia strada, quella notte ...( ... there were some men on my way that night...)"
"Oh no…" Claudia shook her head.
"Molti di loro mi ha fatto fuori piuttosto difficile. Il medico mi aveva in riposo a letto per un po '. (Several of them whacked me pretty hard. The doctor had me on bed rest for a while.)" Seona explained, impressed by her own ability to explicate the situation. She hadn't actually met the doctor who had attended to her, but the courtesans had spoken to her of his findings.
"Ti hanno colpito? E 'terribile. Hanno ... (They hit you!? That's awful. Did they...?)"
Claudia seemed like she was holding back from what she was about to ask next. Seona had an inkling of what she was feeling and tried to calm her. She was lucky it wasn't what Claudia was probably thinking, she guessed. Still, what happened wasn't much better.
"Un paio di lividi e graffi. Ma appena mi hanno picchiato. E il dottore non riusciva a trovare niente altro che ha detto il contrario. Ma, questa è la cosa peggiore. Dovrei essere a piena forza in un giorno o due. (A few bruises and scratches. But they just beat me. And the doctor couldn't find anything else that said otherwise. But, that's the worst of it. I should be up to full strength in a day or two.)"
She left out the part of the excruciating pain, the initial bleeding, and the fact they had knocked her out. But, Claudia still looked very bothered, shocked even.
"Eppure, il fatto che qualcuno ti ha fatto questo! E 'inaccettabile! (Still, the fact that someone did this to you! It's unacceptable!)" Claudia exclaimed. Seona couldn't help but feel appreciative. Claudia wasn't mad at her, but rather concerned for her well-being. Still, she had wished there was some way she could have let her know sooner.
"Non si preoccupi. Gli uomini che mi fanno male sono in prigione. (Don't worry. The men who hurt me are in prison)." She told Claudia.
Claudia looked at her and nodded solemnly.
"Buona. Essi meritano niente di meno.(Good. They deserve no less.)"
Seona laughed a little. The two of them looked at each other, coming back to the fact that they had run into one another again. And what good luck that was, Seona thought.
"Sono molto felice… di rivederti, Claudia. (I am very happy… to see you again, Claudia.)"
Claudia nodded, finally managing a smile.
"E 'bello vederti. (It is good to see you too.)"
A flash of dark brown and red swished out of the corner of Seona's eye. The young man from before and his friends were now walking along the street, still engaged in dialogue. But her gaze went back to Claudia quickly.
"Quindi…Claudia… (So…Claudia…)"
She thought for a moment.
"Posso aiutare a portare il carrello per un po '? (Can I help carry your basket for a while?)"
"Posso trasportare. Grazie. (I can carry it. Thank you.)" Claudia replied. Claudia invited Seona to walk with her for a bit. Perhaps for a moment, Seona thought. She didn't want Anselma and Luana to be upset with her for getting back late.
As they walked along, she saw the group of men seemed to be walking in stride not too far ahead. However, when Seona saw them this time, the familiar young man was not among them. She raised a finger as if to say something, but withdrew her hand and mumbled a bit.
"Hai in mente qualcosa? (Something on your mind?)"
Before she could answer, she heard a male voice behind her.
"Ciao, sorella! (Hello, sister!)"
"Ah, fratello. Non mi aspettavo di vederti prima di ritornare a casa. (Ah, brother. I wasn't expecting to see you before I returned home.)" Claudia gave a friendly response. Brother? Seona turned her head. Surely enough, it was him. Well, that made sense, Seona thought. He was a member of the family.
He was younger than Seona, from what she could tell, but not by much. He had a just the faintest bit of shadowing on his angular face, and dark eyes with a glint of mischief in them. He also had a distinct nose, something she remembered her roommate mentioning in passing was common among Italian men.
"Non mi aspettavo di incontrarti, sia. Ma è bello vederti. Come è stata la tua giornata?( I wasn't expecting to run into you, either. But it is good to see you. How has your day been?)" He asked Claudia, smiling at his younger sibling.
"Abbastanza bene. (Fairly well.)"
Ezio glanced over at Seona, to which Claudia responded by gesturing towards her. So, perhaps there was going to be an introduction?
"Questo è Seona, Ezio. Lei è la ragazza che mi ha aiutato a trovare Petruccio un paio di giorni fa. (This is Seona, Ezio. She is the girl who helped me find Petruccio a few days ago.)"
Claudia then gestured towards her brother.
"Seona, questo è il mio fratello maggiore, Ezio. (Seona, this is my older brother, Ezio.)"
Seona bowed her head.
"E 'un piacere conoscerti, Ezio. (It's a pleasure to meet you, Ezio.)" Seona greeted him in a well-mannered tone. It assured her a bit that he was Claudia's brother, but a part of her still felt a bit awkward for her earlier behavior. However, her concern was set aside when he responded genially to her.
"Il piacere è mio. Claudia parla bene di te, quindi ero curioso quando avrei la possibilità di incontrare questo amico misterioso nuovo parlava di. (The pleasure is mine. Claudia speaks well of you, so I was curious when I would get to meet this mysterious new friend she spoke of.)"
His smile was playful, his eyes examining her as if searching for something. Seona nodded and smiled back unknowingly, feeling a simple elation in meeting another member of Claudia's family. A part of her hoped that he was as kind and good of character as Claudia and Petruccio were.
At this thought, Seona turned to Claudia.
"A proposito, non ho visto Petruccio da un po '. Come sta? (By the way, I have not seen Petruccio in a while. How is he?)"
Claudia shook her head.
"Buono come lui può essere. (As good as he can be.)" Claudia replied seriously, her face twisting in anxiety. Seona grew concerned, remembering that the last time Claudia was with Seona, she had mentioned that Petruccio was sickly and often confined to his bed at home. She nodded understandingly, but secretly wished she knew of something that could help.
But all she could think of were things that did not exist in this time. A lot of those things were sorely missed by Seona herself.
"Facciamo del nostro meglio per guardare fuori per lui. Lo facciamo tutti. (We do our best to look out for him. We all do.)" Ezio tried to reassure his sister.
"Ehi, Ezio! Vieni con noi?(Hey, Ezio! Are you coming with us?)" One of his friends called from up the street. He responded that he would be just a minute. He turned back to the two women.
"Mi dispiace. Non volevo ...(I'm sorry. I didn't mean…)" Seona felt a bit bad now for asking the question.
"Va tutto bene. (It's alright.)" Claudia shook her head.
"Dovrei ringraziarti per guardare fuori per Claudia e Petruccio. E 'stato molto gentile da parte tua per offrire aiuto. (I should thank you for looking out for Claudia and Petruccio. It was very kind of you to offer help.)" Ezio replied, indicating his knowledge of that first encounter of Seona and the Auditores several days ago.
"Non è un problema. (It's no trouble.)" Seona replied bowed her head respectfully. Ezio chuckled a bit at her response. His friend called for him once again.
"Sono ansioso di parlare di più, ma devo andare per ora. Ci vediamo più tardi, la sorella... (I am eager to speak more, but I must go for now. I will see you later, sister…)"
He glanced over at Seona and gave her a very warm, welcoming expression.
"…E forse io lungo il tuo cammino nuovo, Seona. (...And perhaps I will cross your path again, Seona.)"
With that, Ezio rejoined his friends. Seona guessed he must have judged her to be an alright person to be hanging out with his younger sister, if that's why he was looking at her so intently. Maybe it was because he had caught her staring before she had run into Claudia…
She could feel some time had passed, and she would have to think about heading back to the brothel. She wished she could spend more time now that she had seen Claudia again and met her brother, Ezio. But there was tomorrow, and with tomorrow brings an array of possibilities.
…
…To be continued…
Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Some real life events required my attention so this took a lot longer than I had hoped. The next chapter might also take a while unless I can get my editing done in a timely fashion…But next chapter should be more interesting and the plot might actually be going somewhere…
Thank you so much again for all your support! Your feedback helps make the fanfiction better!
