"We have to get away, and warn Madre and Padre about the Romans," Dolores whispers. Zorro looks back toward the Roman camp and nods. She sees his lips move as though he is mouthing words towards the Romans, but then he tells her,
"Come on-they haven't seen us yet. Move quietly." Zorro holds her hand and, quaking, she follows him through the dark underbrush. The light of the Roman's campfire fades in the distance behind them, but she focus on the strength of Zorro's hand clutching hers as though it is a prayer.
"Thank the Lord!" she hears, and it pulls her from her thoughts. Father Alvarez runs toward them, almost tripping over his robes. He holds a torch in his hand, and she squints from the light of it.
"Let's get you back to your parents," the Father says. Father Alvarez leads them back to their house, and Dolores hears the members of her tribe whispering amongst themselves about the punishment she and Zorro might face for their sins. She furrows her brow-they'd only snuck away from Bible Study, so they shouldn't have to say that many Hail Mary's.
Dolores reevaluates the severity of their situation when the reach home, and Padre's face looms down disapprovingly at them. Madre cries out, wrapping the two of them up tightly in her arms. Dolores notices guiltily that Madre's cheeks are covered in tears.
"Where were you two?" Padre asks.
"Papa, we left Bible Study," Dolores starts, pulling away from Madre. "And we found Romans!"
"Romans?" Padre asks, disbelieving. She nods vigorously.
"We ran from Mr. Santiago's big horners, and got lost in the forest. We found Romans! Zorro says they're dangerous!" She looks expectantly to Zorro. Madre still hugs him tightly, and he looks like he doesn't quite know what to do about that. He hugs her back awkwardly, patting her shoulder.
"There wasn't anyone else," Zorro says quietly, and Dolores looks at him in quiet, fuming betrayal. "It was just us-swear to God!"
"Don't swear to God," Madre chides. Padre sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Dolores," he starts but she interrupts him.
"Padre, there were Romans! Zorro saw them! Zorro, tell them!"
"There wasn't," he insists, and she almost wants to cry.
"Why are you lying?" she demands, slapping him. Zorro whimpers as she hits him, folding his body against Madre's as if to hide, and she hits him again. "Why are you lying?"
"Dolores!" Padre's yell booms so loud that Dolores thinks the house may crumble down around them. Padre grabs her arms, pulling her away from Zorro. She struggles to get away from Padre's grip.
"You said the Romans would feed us to lions! They were there! Why are you lying?" she screams at Zorro. Padre hauls Dolores off of her feet, and carries her yelling and kicking up the stairs to the room where the girls of the house sleep. He sets her down, and steps away.
"Padre, they were there-" she insists, and Padre holds his hand up. She flinches away as though he means to strike her-no, that was before, she tells herself. Before Madre and Padre found me. He holds his hand up to silence her.
"Dolores, enough," he stresses. "You will go into your room, and you will pray. Do not wake your sisters."
"Padre," she says desperately-if only she could make him understand. "The Romans-"
"No, Dolores," he says, shaking his head. "Atone for your sins, and come down for breakfast in the morning." She looks down at her feet in defeat.
"Si, Padre," she whispers. She enters the room the girls share, and sees little Maria peeking at her underneath the covers. The younger girl shuts her eyes quickly, and Dolores sighs, taking care to keep her steps quiet. She sees her rosary on her nightstand, the chipped turquoise paint illuminated by the moonlight. She snatches it up and goes to kneel in front of the open window. She worries the beads of her rosary between her fingers and, underneath the light of the moon, she begins to pray.
She doesn't know how long she'd been praying when she hears something that sounds suspiciously like footsteps above her head. Zorro swings into her vision and she startles, dropping her rosary and stepping back from the window.
"You're not supposed to be here," Dolores says as Zorro swings himself into the room. "This is where the girls sleep." Ruth's snoring echoes softly throughout the room, and little Maria tosses and turns, kicking her blanket off of her. The other girls remain silently asleep.
"Then we can go somewhere else," he whispers, smiling and, Lord help her but she thinks he looks beautiful in the moonlight. He bends over and picks up her rosary, handing it to her. She snatches it from his hand without gentleness. She shakes her head-she is supposed to be angry at him.
"No. I don't want to talk to you," she says, and forces herself not to crumble at the stricken expression on his face. "Go away."
"Dolores, come on," he says, reaching for her hand but she pulls away from her.
"Besides, you said I was lying about the Romans! You were there!" she hisses. "Why did you lie?"
"Dolores," he says patiently. "I didn't want to panic Madre and Padre."
"More like you wanted to get me in trouble!" she says defensively. "I should have never gone with you!" She touches her face, and is horrified to discover tears streaming down her face.
"Dolores," he says again, moving toward her. "It's alright-the Romans will probably pass us by."
"You don't know that," she states, hysteria creeping into her voice. "What if they come, and they kill everyone, and-and-" Zorro moves quick as lightening, and wraps his arms tightly around her.
"Shh," he says soothingly. "Romans only attack when provoked. They'll leave us be-and besides, I'll protect you. Shh."
"I'm not worried about me," she blubbers. "Our fam-family-"
"Shh," he says again. "The Romans won't find us-I promise." He rocks her gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I promise."
