Chapter 10

Fearless Four

Diego de la Vega woke before anyone else, and wriggled into some clothes he found in his old cupboard. He went through several shirts and several sets of trousers, throwing the big ones over his shoulder as he searched for something in the right size.

Finding some clothes he liked, he dressed himself, buttoning the buttons crookedly. The sleeves were a little long, but he felt very capable and grown up.

Diego glanced around the nursery, and saw Nanny Maria sleeping soundly on her normal bed. He couldn't see his soldiers anywhere and he was a little irritated by that. No one ever put anything back where they belonged in this house, he thought.

He opened the door, and peeked around the edge of it. Everything was quiet and peaceful. He wondered if six year old Francis could come and play. He liked Francis. He would have to make Papa invite Francis to his birthday party. He would be five soon, and if he had to have all those boring caballero children at the party, he wanted someone exciting like Francis as well.

He tiptoed down the hall, and peered into the gigantic room that housed his Mama's piano, and his father's desk. No one was in there, which was interesting. He went to the main door. The knob was a little high, he realised. Going into the library again, he found his little stool. When he stood on the stool, he could reach the knob.

It swung open when he turned and pulled it. He stared out at the yard with awe. He had never been allowed to go outside all by himself, not in the main yard. Nanny Maria had always gone with him, or Mama had watched him.

Gathering the famous de la Vega courage, he stepped outside, and paused, waiting for the roar of an angry father, or the stern reprimand of his nanny. A gentle sigh from his Mama was enough to send him back to the nursery in tears, and he dreaded to hear it.

No sound came. He listened and could hear the sound of horses in the stables. Francis would be getting dressed in the vaquero cottage where he lived with his mother and father. He would whistle in the window, and Francis would come and play. Francis would be so surprised.

He ran lightly to the cottage and glanced at the window. He pursed his lips and blew. No sound came out, he tried again. Francis could do it, and he was almost as big as Francis. He glanced at the window again. The cottage was empty of people. Surely that could not be. Francis was there every day.

Diego sat down near the cottage and held his head in his hands. What was going on here? His friend had vanished without a trace?

He heard the shout of his father. He glanced up, and knew he was in trouble.

"Juan, have you seen a little boy out here this morning?" He heard his father shout. "He's visiting. One of Diego's cousins, and he has Diego's type of looks," Alejandro said. "As a matter of fact, his name is Diego as well, it's one of those family names."

"Diego! Where are you?" Alejandro shouted, and Diego curled up into a ball. He didn't want to be in trouble. His papa was a good papa, and he was being very naughty.

There was a tall teenage boy who dashed around the corner, and stopped when he saw Diego. Diego stared at him for a moment.

"Who are you?" Diego asked curiously.

Felipe stared at Diego for a moment, and went over to him. He sat next to him on the ground. He used some sign language movements to try to communicate with Diego. Diego watched him for a while, intrigued by the movements.

"Can't you speak?" Diego asked in a whisper. Felipe shook his head. Diego took his hand.

"It's alright. I will take care of you. You can be my friend. Papa will take care of you too," Diego said firmly. "Even if you are boring. You have kind eyes," he added.

Diego stood up and Felipe let him think he helped him onto his feet. Hand in hand they walked out and made their way to Alejandro.

His father breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is my friend, papa. We need to take care of him."

Alejandro knelt and embraced his son. Then he glanced at his face.

"Diego, I thought I told you never to go outside on your own," Alejandro said firmly. "I was very worried about you."

"Did the bandits get Francis? I shall need a sword, papa," Diego said sternly. He found a branch near him, and picking it up he swished it in the air. "Swish, swish. Clang," Diego said. "We will drive them out, papa." He danced his feet forward a little bit, just as if he was advancing on an opponent.

Alejandro would have laughed to see his son play like that, but for the memory of Zorro fighting in the plaza. He shivered a little. Diego had played like any other caballero's son, with wooden swords and lead soldiers. How could he not have seen Diego in Zorro?

"I don't think a wooden sword will do the trick, Diego," he said quietly. "Diego, go with Felipe into the house and make sure Nanny Maria knows where you are. She is very worried about you."

"I'm sorry, papa."

"You are forbidden to ride your pony today," Alejandro said firmly. "That is to help you remember to obey me, young man." Alejandro had rejected the idea to spank his son as soon as it had surfaced. It was only a few more days. He needed to be patient with him just a little longer.

Diego nodded as tears came to his eyes. It was very mean of papa to do that, he thought. Lady was a beautiful pony and riding was his favourite thing. Not fair at all, he mused. Felipe gently tugged at his hand to remind him to do what he should, and he sighed and followed the teenager.

Zzz

Victoria gazed at the four year old Diego as he lay on his stomach in the nursery arranging his soldiers into some sense of order. Nanny Maria was mending some of his old clothes as she sat and watched the boy carefully.

Victoria remembered her horror at discovering the little boy's bed empty. She had shaken the nanny awake and had gone to look for him. Seeing the little stool near the front door, they had worked out what he had done.

Where would he have gone? She had one guess, but the stable hands had not seen a child of any sort that morning. In despair, she had turned to Alejandro, and he had acted decisively and quickly. The boy had been found within moments.

Felipe sat with Diego, and they played together on the rug. Diego kept telling him to move first one piece and then another. Felipe tapped the boy's shoulder, and gestured something about long hair, and then he pointed at Victoria. Diego turned and laughed, and repeated the gesture with interest.

Felipe reached for a handsome soldier, dressed as a sergeant. He made a gesture like a round stomach, and Diego chuckled a little.

Victoria thought for a moment. "Was there a sergeant like Mendoza when Diego was small?"

"No," Maria said, glancing up at Victoria. "They were all pretty fit men, and Alejandro was Alcalde for a while as well. He never let them get overweight."

"Why did he understand that sign for sergeant?"

"Fat people are always objects of mirth," Maria said with disgust. "Some cannot help it. I know Mendoza does try his best. Diego is a child, Senorita. The man is still yet to be. You must be patient, and not look for things that aren't possible."

Victoria sighed. "I thought for a moment…I thought perhaps he was remembering more than his age allowed for." She was feeling a little disheartened as he mostly ignored her, and treated her more as a friend of Maria's than anything else. Felipe was much more amusing anyway.

"If only soldiers could hold my attention for hours," she murmured. "I could play if it was interesting."

"This is new," Diego said abruptly. He had found a carved wooden man, painted with black clothes, with a hat and a cape of black silk. "Who is this?"

"Zorro," Victoria said without thinking. "That's Zorro."

"Who made it?" Diego said turning the man over in his hand. "Someone clever made this."

Felipe pointed excitedly at himself, and Diego gave to the wooden figure to him.

"It's very good, Felipe. You shall have to make a lady one for the baby girl that papa's friend has at his home. They live in a Tavern, you know. Francisco plays with me sometimes. He is four too, you know."

"Baby girl?" Victoria asked softly.

Maria stared at Diego for a moment. "He was four when you were born, Victoria. He's talking about you," the nanny whispered.

Victoria felt her face flush, and she glanced down at the floor.

"She is very red and scrunched up looking, but maybe she will be pretty like Mama later. Don Sebastian said it is always hard to tell with these things. Francisco doesn't like her. She cries all the time. He can't sleep," Diego explained to Felipe.

"Babies do that, Diego. That's what babies do. You did that too," Maria said softly. She winked at Victoria and made her smile. "Not so very long ago, actually."