Alejandro met Don Sebastian where they agreed to meet. His old friend greeted him with a grim smile, and they rode without talking for a few minutes. The trail was awkward and very rough, it wouldn't do to have one of the horses stumble. A fall would be disastrous to their mission.

Alejandro saw the lancers at the corner of his eye, startling slightly, before turning to confront the sergeant.

"Don de la Vega! You are hereby ordered to return to the pueblo!" Sergeant Mendoza shouted firmly.

"Sergeant!" The powerful voice of Zorro boomed. The masked man was in full sight upon his stallion. "It's such a nice day for a ride," he added, teasingly, when all eyes focussed on him.

"Zorro! Seize him!" Mendoza yelled.

Alejandro smiled, and saluted the masked man with a wave, before taking advantage of the distraction to follow Don Sebastian on his way to Monterey. The guards were much more interested in chasing down the notorious bandit than they were focussed on their previous orders.

Zzz

Alejandro had gone from frustrated anger to boyish delight in minutes. Zorro's diversion had come at just the right time.

Had the man been tailing them since Alejandro had left the hacienda? He had noticed slight movements from time to time behind them, soft hoof beats in the dust behind them. Thinking it was merely Diego putting his mind at ease, Alejandro had not thought much about it. Diego was a stubborn young man at times, and if he wanted to see him safely to Don Sebastian, there was no harm in it.

Alejandro felt honoured that Zorro felt strongly enough about his trip to see the Governor in Monterey to escort him personally, even this far. He remembered seeing Toronado lead the lancers on a merry dance up the steep, rough road, as nimbly as a young mountain goat.

Don Sebastian was frowning when he turned to him.

"That young man better know what he is doing. There's a cliff at the top of that rise, one with a serious drop."

"Zorro's a mischief maker at times, but he's a good horseman. He's aware of the risks, I'm sure," Alejandro said.

"Deep down, I'm sure we are relieved our own sons aren't so reckless. If I was Zorro's father, my heart would have palpitations every time he left the hacienda…"

"Yes, indeed," Alejandro laughed. "I wonder if his father does know. Would you have told your father if you were behaving in that way? I was in enough trouble at that age to even think of any more adventures…"

"I would never have told my father. Can you imagine what he would have said? What he would have done?"

Alejandro nodded thoughtfully. "I hope he is careful on those rocks. Could you imagine losing a son…not knowing if he was dead or alive?"

"I suppose a father is meant to be wiser, more cunning than his son. I think Zorro's father would know deep down, who his son is," Don Sebastian sighed. "I'm sure that our illustrious alcalde would soon notify his father – before making an excuse to arrest and execute him as an accessory to his son's crimes. He would know his son's fate within moments."

Alejandro nodded again, and stared at the road ahead.

"The governor will soon sort Ramone out."

"I wouldn't place all hope in the government. They have enough problems themselves. I place more hope in one man….unfortunately….than the whole of the Spanish government. One man in a dangerous line of work."

"Perhaps we should offer to help, Sebastian?"

"All we could offer is advice these days," Sebastian answered. "And even that would be ignored….Zorro is used to working alone."

"An army of likeminded men?"

"I think Zorro is very protective of the pueblo. Have you noticed he never kills? Think of the bloodshed an army would cause. Innocents caught up, women and children dead. Zorro would never thank us for that."

"It would rid us of the alcalde. Make even the Spanish government sit up and take notice."

"The Spanish army is ineffective against the other nations that surround Spain, but against peons and Indians I am sure they would prevail easily."

Alejandro sighed. He knew deep down that the offers of force would be destructive and ineffective. Sometimes it hurt that so much injustice surrounded them, and they could do nothing about it except ride for a week to Monterey. Speaking to the governor had never worked in the past, although he was always listened to politely, and reassured before he left that the governor would look into everything personally. This was the first time he had thought to report Ramone to his superiors though. Perhaps this time something would happen in their favour.