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Chapter 10
"Who the hell's flag is that?" the Piper asked.
"Anzio. I was warned he would try to take over if I left." Firefox scowled. "I didn't listen." he glared up at the banner as if it bore Anzio's face.
"Anzio has no chance of keeping control. Everyone knows you were Capricorn's choice of successor; no one will stick with him no that we're back." the Piper reassured him.
A galloping behind them signaled the rest of their party riding up to them. Minerva cast the Piper a questioning glance, which he returned with a slight, encouraging smile.
"What are your orders, sir?" Plotdevice inquired.
"We're marching right into myfortress and taking it back, or course. Anzio's little power game is over." Firefox said, grimly kicking his horse to a gallop and riding toward the castle. The Piper motioned for Minerva to stay behind as Jocasta and the soldiers followed.
"What's wrong? Whose banner is flying from the tower?" Minerva asked as soon as they were alone.
"This guy who used to be our friend." the Piper ran his fingers through his hair in worry. "We had a falling-out with him a few years after we left our village with him to join with Capricorn. He's a formidable enemy, as he's proven to us many times over."
"Does this mean we have to delay getting married?" she asked.
"Definitely. I think our baby may be the least of our worries right now." the Piper said ominously, looking out across the field to where Firefox was just reaching the gates.
***
Firefox rode up to the fortress and dismounted, striding angrily over to where two guards stood just inside the locked metal gates.
"I'm back." he stood with his arms folded and waited. When the guards made no move to receive him, he shouted, "Let me in!"
"Ah, Firefox." Anzio strolled up to the gate from where he had been standing in the shadows. He and Firefox were inches apart, separated by the gates. Anzio could see Firefox's brilliant blue eyes burning into him, and Firefox looked deep into Anzio's cold yellow ones with determination that almost made him falter. "I trust you had a safe journey." he remarked sardonically.
"Wonderful." Firefox replied with mock civility. "Would you kindly open the door? The guards seem to have forgotten that I am master until Capricorn's return."
Anzio chuckled. "Firefox, Capricorn is never coming back. An thus, I need not heed his wishes about who is to rule in his stead. That's the problem with that kind of wish, no matter how feared you are in life, you have no power to make them come true."
"If you don't let me in, I swear to you I will tear down these walls and drag your dead body in the dust. I will not rest until you and all those who follow you are dead and their bodies torn apart and scattered to the winds so the White Women can never take your souls to peace!'" Firefox hissed vehemently, spit spraying onto Anzio's face. Anzio hesitated, then stiffened his resolve.
"No, Firefox. Now get away from my gates or I'll have my men chase you away." he backed away and started to leave. Firefox roared and shook the bars with all his might, but Anzio signaled for the fire-raisers to come pouring out of corners bristling with weapons, and he forced himself to turn away, mount his horse, and speed off in the opposite direction he had come.
Out of the corner of his eye, Firefox saw a flash of dark hair that was Jocasta on her stolen horse, the only animal in the party aside from the Piper's that could keep up with Smokeshine. When he passed him on the hill, the Piper, too galloped beside him until they reached the fringe of trees that marked where the fire-raisers had used the forest that had once surrounded the fortress for their fires. Here he dismounted and, reverting to a childhood form of escape, climbed one of the trees, reaching the highest boughs just before the Piper and Jocasta caught up.
The Piper, used to this by now, climbed up after him. Jocasta followed with a bit more difficulty.
"You can't hide up here anymore, Firefox." the Piper said gently.
"I know." he replied.
"Can someone explain to me what the fuck is going on here?!" Jocasta called as she held onto a lower branch.
"An old enemy of ours has staged a coup and I've lost control of the fortress." Firefox grimaced.
"Well, this is proving to be an interesting week." she grumbled, blowing upwards to get her bangs out of her face.
"Where do we go? We can't just camp out here with no supplies." the Piper reminded him.
"I know. How many of us are left?"
"Everyone joined with Anzio. Now it's only us and Minerva." Firefox closed his eyes and nodded.
"Okay. We'll go home then."
"Home?" the Piper asked confusedly.
"Home?!" Jocasta protested. "I am not going back there!"
"Not your home, Jocasta." Firefox turned to the Piper. "Our home. Lorenzia."
"Holy shit." the Piper's blood froze. "You know our parents are probably still there?"
"Yup."
"And everyone we grew up with?"
"I realize that."
The Piper made the sign against evil across his chest. "Give me that flask of yours." he took a deep swig out of Firefox's wineskin.
"Hey, at least you don't have any exes there. You started that whole casanova thing after we left."
"Because those girls knew who I was...oh shit, you'll have to deal with that one girl, what's her name...."
"Domenica." Firefox whispered. "But we don't have much of a choice. It's the closest town and the only one we know will lodge us indefinitely."
"Ivo?" Minerva had ridden to the base of the tree. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes." the Piper called back. He swung himself down to the lowest branch, leaning down so his face was inches from hers. "You know how you wanted to meet my parents?" he paused to make his hands stop shaking. "You're going to get your wish."
"Oh!" Minerva beamed. "That's wonderful."
"Mm." he made a little sound and nodded. Firefox jumped from his branch to the ground, landing like a cat.
"Right. We'll need to ride hard if we want to get there before nightfall." he said. "Since the men stole all our supplies, we can't be caught in the forest overnight." Fiefox and the Piper jumped on their horses immediately, but as Minerva was about to mount hers Jocasta touched her arm.
"So...we're going to their childhood home?"
"Apparently." Minerva replied.
"And we'll be exposed to every shameful memory they have?" her eyebrows rose over kohl-rimmed eyes.
"Yeah."
"Cool." she grinned. Minerva felt a moment of apprehension as the younger woman swung up onto the kingly horse and sped off after the men. She quickly shrugged it off and followed on her own horse.