Like Hornets Protecting Their Hive
Eleven

"Bonjour, Clopin!" a young lady called from outside her shop, waving politely.

Clopin looked over at her and smiled, bowing and removing his hat. "Ah, bonjour Sophie!" he replied.

"Where are you off to this afternoon?"

"Well," he answered, replacing his hat, "I'm on my way back to my caravan to see Semma and Kish."

Sophie set her candles in their proper baskets on the wooden tiers. "Oh, how lovely," she smiled. "How is little Mariska?"

"She's well. A healthy little girl, she is." Clopin set off again. "I must go now; it's been a pleasure."

"Take care, Monsieur Trouillefou."

Clopin returned to his caravan in good spirits, opening the door to see Semmary sleeping peacefully beside a newborn wrapped in several blankets to keep out the September cold. Angeliqua was on the other side of the baby, sleeping as well.

Semmary opened her eyes, however, when Clopin quietly shut the door. She smiled. "Where'd you go?" she whispered as not to wake the girls.

Clopin shrugged, admiring the vision before him. "Just went for a walk." He then cleared his throat and looked at his nails, leaning back against the door. "I was also looking for weapons."

Semmary carefully sat up. "Why on earth were you doing that?"

"One day as I was walking past a weapon shop, I happened to see a very beautiful scythe that had my name on it." He shrugged again. "Well, it should've had my name on it."

Semmary crossed her arms. "Then go buy it."

"Buy it? I haven't pillaged in a while, Semma."

"Well, as long as Angeliqua is too young to understand your ways, you're going to buy things, clear?"

Clopin pouted and kicked the ground a little. "Fine." He paused. "What about Kish?"

"You'll have to wait for Mariska to grow as well."

Clopin's shoulders drooped. "You've lost your joie de vivre."

"I have two children."

The Gypsy King sighed and sat down with his wife and children. "Alright. I think I can handle it if it's for the good of Angel and Kish."

Semmary reached over and rubbed his shoulder affectionately. "Thank you."

-o-o-

Semmary and Clopin awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door to their caravan. Clopin quickly threw a large shirt on and grabbed the scythe he bought just a few hours before.

He turned and motioned for Semmary to stay silent, then he opened the door.

"Gophan?!"

"You have to hurry," the other man said breathlessly, as if he ran all the way to Avignon from Paris. "Warn all the gypsies here. Pierre's men are following you."

Semmary's eyes widened in the moonlight coming from outside.

"Qua?" Clopin hissed. "What do you mean? Pierre is dead…."

Gophan shook his head. "His Captain of the Guard sent soldiers and guards to track you down." He doubled over to try to catch his breath. "This is going to be a war, Clopin."

Clopin looked over at Semmary, who was staring at them both with wide eyes. "What's his name?" he asked Gophan.

"Michel Georges. Gypsies from Paris are already on their way. You must rally up the gypsies here."

Clopin nodded and closed the door as Gophan went outside to wait for him.

"Clopin," Semmary said quietly, "I want to fight, too."

He shook his head. "No, you can't. You have to watch the children."

Semmary frowned and crossed her arms. "So that's my duty?"

"No," Clopin repeated as he quickly got dressed. "I don't want you or the girls to get hurt." He put on his red tucker and gray gloves. "Otherwise, I would be more than happy to let you fight for our people."

"Where are you going now?"

"I must create an army, if you will." He did a double-take out the window. "Genevieve and Lola must have come with Gophan. If you really want to fight, then you're to take the girls to them."

Clopin started out the door, Semmary following him. "But what about Mariska?"

"You'll have to choose, Semma," Clopin said as he mounted Thanatos, and Gophan mounted his own horse. "You can't fight if you have a baby with you."

With that, he kicked Thanatos with his heels, and he and Gophan rode off into the night, leaving Semmary to go back into the caravan. She wasn't sure what she was going to do….


Oh...wow. It's almost over.