Chapter 38

A few hours later a black clad rider dismounted from Toronado near the lonely figure that was leaning at the fence of the corral with the young horses.

"Señor de la Vega?" Zorro approached him with a salute.

"Zorro? What are you doing here?" Alejandro asked the man, before he realized who was standing in front of him. "Diego? Is that really you? Why did you come here in your masquerade?Are you going to mock me because I didn't recognize you behind that mask before? Because I was so blind?"

"No, Father, I'd never do that," Zorro assured him.

"How did you find me?" Alejandro asked, before answering the question himself. "Of course, you're Zorro, the best tracker in the area."

"And I know where your favorite spot is when you want to be alone."

"Why did you come here as Zorro? Are you going to continue as the masked rider? Isn't it dangerous for you to ride as Zorro again when you told everyone that you had left?"

"No, Zorro has stopped riding. This will be the last day for Zorro when he gets his pardon."

"A pardon for Zorro? When did that happen and how?"

"Manuel brought me the news last night before dinner. I thought you had heard it already. I wanted to tell you last night at dinner," Zorro explained. "Manuel wants to give me the document personally today, but he had one request."

"What kind of request?" Alejandro asked suspiciously. "How did he find out that you are Zorro? He has never been to Los Angeles or met Zorro."

"Manuel drew the right conclusions when he saw me fighting with the sword and he heard stories about Zorro too. He never met Zorro, but he wants to and that's why I'm here as Zorro today. Manuel asked me to receive the pardon as Zorro and give him a fencing lesson."

"Didn't you tell him that Zorro had left Los Angeles officially, so Diego could marry Victoria? It wouldn't be good if Zorro reappeared shortly after Diego returned to Los Angeles," Alejandro objected.

"Yes, that's what I told him too, but I couldn't deny him his request. Manuel will come to our hacienda to give me the pardon and have his fight with Zorro. We will have some privacy there and the rest of the pueblo won't know that Zorro appeared again today. I thought you might want to be present?"

"I wouldn't want to miss the last appearance of Zorro for the world," Alejandro smiled. He clapped his son on the shoulder. "I am proud of you. I never imagined Zorro would be my own son."

"Thank you, Father." Zorro smiled. "You don't know how much that means to me. Are you coming?"

Zorro had mounted Toronado again and waited for Alejandro to get on his own horse.

"You haven't told me how you became to be Zorro and where your hideout is." Alejandro stated.

"That's another long story, Father. I'll tell it to you another time." Zorro promised him.

Z~Z~Z

When Alejandro and Zorro rode into the backyard of the hacienda, Manuel and Victoria came out of the house to meet them in the court in the back of the house.

"Señorita Escalante, it's always pleasure to see you," Zorro complimented Victoria, saluting her.

"Same to you, Zorro," Victoria smiled.

"Captain de Aragón, I believe you have something for me?" he addressed Manuel.

"Zorro, I always wanted to meet you, after I heard so much about you," Manuel joined the play. "In exchange for this pardon," Manuel retrieved the document from his chest pocket and held it up high, "honor me with a fencing lesson."

"It's my pleasure, Señor." Zorro dismounted Toronado and drew his saber. He saluted to Victoria, before he engaged in the fight.

The two opponents moved forward and back and it appeared that the captain was giving Zorro a hard time. Manuel knew how to deflect Zorro's attacks and started his own counterattacks. Zorro fought concentrated and no longer took the time to make Victoria compliments as he had at the beginning of fight.

Alejandro and Victoria thought the fight wouldn't come to end as the opponents appeared to be equally matched. All of a sudden Manuel's sword flew in a high arc across the courtyard and he found himself disarmed.

"What happened?" Manuel asked, confused, and looked at Zorro's sword on his chest.

"This would be the time when I would slice a Z into your uniform, but I won't do this to a friend." Zorro grinned and removed his sword from Manuel's heart to draw his Z into the sand instead.

"I was deflecting your attacks, but suddenly you disarmed me," Manuel asked.

"Do you know about the tactic called second intention where you attack your opponent at a special place, leaving an opening for the opponent to attack, only to put yourself in place for the opening your opponent will give you at his counterattack?" Zorro asked.

Manuel nodded. "It's one of the most complex attacks, but everyone studies it."

"Well, it was basically exactly that," Zorro explained, "only that I took more steps to get you there than only two."

"Did you played with me the last four encounters?" Manuel asked incredulously. "I didn't notice until you mentioned it."

"The last five," Zorro corrected him. "You were tiring and not keeping up your sword as high as in the beginning."

"Thank you for the lesson. I understand now how you were able to defeat Sir Edmund and gain his saber." Manuel looked admiringly at the saber in Zorro's hand that was reflecting the sunlight.

"I had a lot of practice too," Zorro grinned.

"Would you care to repeat the lesson at another time?" Manuel asked.

"It would be my pleasure, but for now I have everything I need." Zorro grabbed the pardon that was sticking out of Manuel's pocket. "Señorita!" He saluted to Victoria before he whistled for Toronado and swung himself on his back. He made Toronado rise on his hind legs and waved, before galloping away from the hacienda.

"Does he always put up such a show?" Manuel asked Victoria and Alejandro who had watched the fight.

"It's even worse," Victoria laughed. "Normally, he first disables the soldiers, making a fool of them by knocking them off their feet. Then he fights the alcalde and slashes his uniform and after that he makes me compliments before riding away."

Manuel shook his head in disbelief. " He fought the soldiers all alone? I understand now why he became such a legend. He is a superb fencer. I read today in the alcalde's journal how Zorro has helped the citizens of this pueblo over the years." Manuel admitted. "He deserves this pardon for everything he has done for Los Angeles and California."

A few minutes later Diego came out of the house to join them. "Did I miss something?" he grinned mischievously while buttoning up his shirt.

"You can no longer fool me, Diego Sebastián Zorro," Victoria smiled and walked over to him to kiss his cheek. "I don't know how you managed that for so long."

"Thank you for the lesson, Diego. I look forward to another one." Manuel smiled.

"I only give private lessons, Manuel, or I would never get anything done with everyone trying to fight me," Diego explained.

"Of course, Diego," Manuel nodded. "I think your hacienda will give us enough privacy and I won't mention it in the pueblo."