CHAPTER FIVE: RUN AWAY FROM THE BRIDE

Finally their long wait had ended. It was only a day before the two Spaniards would be leaving for the New World and El Dorado, leaving all their troubles behind. Tulio had given his house to the care of his cousin and the few servants he kept, selling off anything he didn't need to make a little more money for the journey.

The two were having dinner together that evening as usual, feeling happy and excited about the upcoming adventure, when there was a sudden knock on the door. Miguel stood up, "I'll get it!" he called rushing over to it and pulling it open a crack. On the doorstep stood a tall bearded man and next to him a young woman, very beautiful with bright red-hair and olive skin, and several hand-maidens, all dressed very finely. The Count and his daughter.

Miguel was only fortunate they had been arguing quietly when he had opened the door and did not see his face, for before they could look up he slammed the door in their faces, plastering himself against it, eyes wide in panic.

Tulio jumped up from his chair, astonished at his friend's behavior. "Miguel, what are you--?"

"HIDE ME!!" Miguel screamed, darting towards him, grabbing hold of his shirt. "It's them! It's her, they're here!" he gasped.

Tulio blinked slowly in understanding and then panicked as well because they were knocking on the door again, this time shouting "You there! Let us in!"

"Upstairs, quickly, don't make a sound!" Tulio cried, practically throwing Miguel up the stairs just as the Count opened the door for himself.

"I say!" he gasped, glaring at Tulio who stood there grinning nervously like a moron while Miguel thudded upstairs.

"Welcome, welcome, how may I help you?" Tulio smoothed over quickly.

The Count's daughter and her hand-maidens glanced at him curiously. "Weren't there two of you?" she asked.

"No, just me…and the chicken." Tulio replied, still grinning idiotically.

"I am Count Ferdinand, this is my daughter Margarita. We are sorry to intrude, but we are looking for a man, about ye big, with blonde-hair and a white war-horse. Claims to be the best swordsman in all the world." The Count said in an unbemused voice, glancing towards the ceiling as he heard more crashing and bumping, followed by a loud curse.

"Oh please, don't mind my servant, you see, he's a little off in the head, poor man, and meeting strangers rather upsets him." Tulio tried to explain, but it was very obvious that the Count wasn't buying it. "Ladies, let us search the premises." he said as his daughter and the others moved forward.

Tulio followed them worriedly, the Count standing next to him, keeping him from interfering as the four women tore about the house, looking in every possible hiding spot. Margarita herself found her way into Miguel's bedroom, looking around.

"Come out, come out wherever you are darling, Miguel!" she cooed. From his hiding spot Miguel winced visibly. Tulio stood in the doorway, looking frantic as she more or less tore the room apart. However, she was not clever enough to see eight little finger tips clinging to the windowsill outside…

Hi there, it's me the author. Sorry to interrupt but we've neglected to explain a very important character in the story, I.E. Margarita. So for the sake of the plot, let me take two seconds here to recap about Margarita and Miguel…

Margarita was a very spoiled child to begin with, being the one and only daughter of Count Ferdinan and his wife. From the time she was born she her every little whim was obeyed, so that by the time she was twelve years old it had become common knowledge that whatever Margarita wanted, Margarita got.

Like her mother, she was a very beautiful girl, dark-skinned, with long luscious red-hair, dark alluring brown eyes, shapely. Her lips were always painted perfect red, and she was always dressed in the most exquisite gowns available. She did have excellent taste after all. For the most part she spent her days sleeping on silk, and eating on gold, and toying with whatever noble-men happened to grace himself with her presence.

That was, until she met Miguel. The blonde-haired, green eyed, Spaniard was so crude, so brash, so dashing, and so incredibly brave to have stood up to not only her but her father and defy them to their faces without so much as a speck of fear. It intrigued Margarita, for it was said that women always wanted what they could not have. So she had invited him to mass with them, the dinner, then dancing, and with each passing minute the strange man who called himself Miguel perked her interest more and more until she simply could not stand it, she simply had to have him.

Oh she did not love him, no, for Margarita barely knew that emotion. It was somewhat of a stretch even to say that she was infatuated with him. He was simply the thing of the moment and she had to have him.

So imagine her rage when he told her quite simply "no."

No one had ever dared tell Margarita "no" in her entire life. It infuriated her and excited her all at the same time. She he lied to her father, claimed that the man had confessed his undying love, and then had him locked in his room, planning to marry him the next day. No one said no to Margarita Ferdinand.

Of course, then he had escaped, and she was even more furious and even more excited then before. And with her father being the best huntsmen in Portugal, and having a little experience herself…the chase was on.

Okay, that explain everything now? Okay, we're gonna move ahead, sorry to slow you down…

Margarita was sure she had him as she bent next to the bed and lifted the blanket, peeking underneath. But there was nothing there. And it had been the last hiding spot in the room. Her handmaidens came to the door then, standing beside Tulio. "He's not anywhere, my lady." they said in unison.

The Portuguese woman turned with cold eyes to Tulio and stormed up to him. Tulio winced away from her glare. "Very well…but we will find him." she muttered, giving him a light slap on the face before turning to her father as they showed themselves out. Tulio didn't breath until they were out of the room and the moment he heard the front door slam shut he turned wildly towards the room again.

"Miguel!?" he cried, looking around frantically.

"Tulio!!" Miguel's voice called from the windowsill and Tulio dashed over, staring down at him. Miguel blinked up at him. "You idiot! What you doing out there?!" he cried, grabbing his hands and hauling him up.

"Is she gone?" Miguel gasped, looking around nervously.

"Yes, yes, she's gone." Tulio assured him. But Miguel still didn't relax. He began pacing the room frantically, pulling at his hair.

"Oh, Tulio, Tulio, I TOLD you she would find me! What am I gonna do!?" he cried. Tulio slapped him lightly across the face, bringing him out of his shock.

"Miguel, get a hold of yourself!" He said gently but sternly. Miguel nodded dumbly. Now it was Tulio's turn to pace the room, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Miguel sunk onto his bed.

"They're suspicious, so they'll be back, I'm sure of it. It's definitely not safe to stay here any longer…we'll have to leave tonight." he said at last. "We'll simply go to the docks tonight and hide out there till morning. By the time they figure out where we went we'll have already set sail."

Miguel stood up, grinning profusely. "Oooh, a midnight escape, how exciting!" he cried.

Tulio stared blankly at him. "Focus, Miguel. Focus."

"Right, right," Miguel replied, grabbing his sack from behind the chair which was filled with a few belongs that Tulio had given him and some supplies. "Well what are we waiting for partner!?" he cried as they rushed downstairs, blowing out all the lights as they did and making sure everything was in order.

Then, pulling on cloaks so they wouldn't be as easily recognizable, they climbed aboard Altivo and trotted off into the night.

***

As they watched the boat pull away from the docks, all of their cares seemed the melt away in the sea breeze. They were going someplace where the Count couldn't follow them, and returning to the paradise they had lost so long ago. It was a new start, a new beginning, and Tulio was beginning to believe that he and Miguel might be able to make amends yet.

The two sat together one evening a few weeks later, when all the work had been done and they could relax in the quiet of each other's company, staring up at the endless sea of stars high above them.

"Do you think we'll really be able to find it again, Tulio?" Miguel asked softly as they leaned back against a pile of rope.

"Eh, what's that?" Tulio asked sleepily.

"El Dorado. I mean, it was simple enough before the with map, but…"

"Easy enough, look for some rocks shaped like birds, that stupid Piranha infested river…" Tulio said as he stretched loudly. He looked like a very large cat as he sprawled himself out all over the deck. Miguel nodded, turning his gaze upwards again.

Tulio laid beside him for a long time without saying anything, the glanced carefully at him out of the corner of his eye. "Why did you leave?" he asked once more.

Miguel did not look down at him, but kept staring upwards. He sighed quietly. "I told you before, I can't tell you that." he whispered.

"Why?" Tulio asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I'm not ready to tell you." the other man replied.

Tulio frowned, but nodded, settling back down again. "I can wait." he said. Miguel laid down beside him then, not close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the body heat from the other man's body.

"Tell me about one of your adventures, Tulio." he said.

Tulio cocked an eyebrow. "Eh?"

"You know, one of your high sea's adventures as a pirate. I'd love to hear it." Miguel said closing his eyes, resting his head on his hand while the other laid on his chest.

Tulio thought for a moment, "Well, did I ever tell you about the time we were sailing to France and a terrible storm came up…?"

Tulio rambled on for hours about his adventures while Miguel listened intently, eyes closed, imagining it all. Neither one of them noticed the strange man sitting on a barrel across the deck, watching them intently, eyes flashing cold and deadly.

***

Tulio and Miguel had no idea they were being followed. Nor that the strange man on the barrel was the follower. You see, when the two had made there "daring midnight escape", they did not know that the Count had had one of his men stay behind to make sure that no one left the house. So naturally he followed the two men to the docks and discovered which ship they were boarding. Then he bought his passage aboard, and waited.

His orders were clear. Find Margarita's fiancé, capture him, and bring him back to Portugal. Kill anyone who stood in the way. Before boarding the boat he had sent word to the Count that he had tracked Miguel down, but that he would return him only after they had reached the New World. This of course, infuriated the Count, but this man, who's name was Lorenzo Cervantes, was a man who liked a challenge. If he had wanted to, he could have easily kidnapped Miguel before they ever got on the boat, but that would be much too easy. He liked instead to toy with his victims first, lure them in, make them trust him, play little games with their mind so that they trusted only him and thought it was there friends who were after them, so by the time he actually kidnapped them, they did not even realize it until it was too late.

Judging by the way this character spent so much time with his companion it would be a great deal of fun to toy with him. So he for now he simply sat and watched, and observed, and waited until the time was right to make his move.

***

It was a long time before Tulio fell asleep, and when he did, he fell into a deep sleep and a very disturbing dream. He was dressed in very fine attire, and standing along side his old crew from his pirating days, in a large crowd in the town square. There had been a wedding. Tulio peered through the crowd to get a glimpse at the bride and groom.

He was shocked to find that it was Miguel and Margarita. The two exited the church, hand in hand, smiling brightly. Tulio pushed his way through the crowd and ran up to them, taking Miguel's hand.

"Miguel, what have you done?!" he cried.

Miguel looked at him strangely, as though he'd never seen him before. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Tulio! Your partner, remember?" Tulio gasped.

Miguel thought a moment. "Ah, yes, I remember you now! You were that conmen I used to hang around. You abandoned me for that native girl." he said in an amused voice. "Aren't you a very rich pirate now?"

"Yes, Miguel, but that doesn't matter to me anymore! None of that matters! I want to be with you, Miguel, I always have! I love you!" Tulio pleaded, falling on his knees in front of him.

Miguel let out a loud harsh, cruel laugh. "Ha! Love?! What do you know of love, Tulio?" he demanded. "Love is what saved you on Cortez's ship, and in El Dorado! You had love in your hands, and you treated it like garbage!" he shouted.

Tulio backed away, feeling his heart tearing in two with guilt. "I was wrong, Miguel! I'm begging your forgiveness, please! I love you!" he wailed, taking Miguel in his arms then.

"You're love is cold and poisonous. It kills." Miguel growled, before dying in his arms and turning to dust. Tulio screamed, and when he awoke he was still screaming.

Miguel, who had been startled awake by his cry, sat up and grabbed hold of the other man, taking his face in his hands. "Tulio! Tulio, it's alright!" he gasped.

The shrieks died down as he came back to reality, staring at Miguel, who was looking at him worriedly. Then quite suddenly fell sobbing against the other man's chest, clinging to him like a frightened child.

Miguel was surprised to say the least, but simply sat there holding him, running his hand soothingly across Tulio's sweat-dampened hair. "There, there, now…it's alright. It's alright." he cooed.

At last he stopped sobbing and grew quiet against him before looking up at him with bloodshot eyes. "What happened?" Miguel asked.

"I had a bad dream, that's all." Tulio said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Tulio hesitated.

"No…but…would you do me a favor?" he asked. Miguel nodded.

"Anything."

"Hold me for a little while? Until I go back to sleep."

Miguel smiled and laid down again and Tulio rested his head on the other man's shoulder while Miguel's arm looped around him. He leaned over, giving him a light peck on the forehead. "Sweet dreams." he whispered.

***

The next morning the two friends were kicked away by the one of their shipmates, who glared down at them.

"Ho there!"

"I'm not moving, keep your 'ho there'…" Miguel murmured sleepily, cuddling closer to Tulio.

Another sharp kick had them both awake and staring into the hot morning sun. "Get up and get to work or I'll have you both thrown overboard!" he shouted at them.

The two struggled to their feet and headed down to the mess hall to see if there were any scraps left. But they had already been picked clean.

"Ah well, nothing like working on an empty stomach." Miguel sighed as he grabbed a mop and a bucket and set to work. Tulio had been strangely quiet as he set about his own appointed tasks, and Miguel figured that he was still disturbed from his dream the night before.

It was then that Lorenzo made himself known.

He approached Miguel, smiling brightly, holding out an apple. "Here you go, shipmate." he said, handing it to him. "Vittles."

Miguel stared at the apple and then at the man. He was taller than Tulio, and more muscular than himself, with a balding head and a pencil thin mustache.

"Uh, thank you." Miguel said taking the apple gingerly, examining it.

"So, what's your story, eh? You running from something or running to something?" he asked.

"Eh, a little bit of both I suppose." Miguel replied, not knowing for sure if he should trust this strange man.

Lorenzo smiled at him and tossed his head towards where Tulio was, busily mending to a rip in the sail. "Friend of yours?" he asked.

"It's not business of yours." Miguel replied.

"I saw you two last night, sweet little picture you painted lying there, I'll say." Lorenzo chuckled. Suddenly Miguel's sword tip was between his eyes, daring him to continue. The man stared back at him with cold green eyes. "As I said before, it is no concern of yours, that it isn't."

Lorenzo stared but quickly recovered. "My apologizes, I meant no offense." he said. Miguel lowered his sword and returned it to his place at his side.

Lorenzo stalked off, chuckling to himself. Miguel stood staring after him, feeling more and more apprehensive. Tulio dropped down beside him suddenly, pushing his sweat-dampened hair out of his face. "What was all that about?" he asked lightly.

"Nothing. Here." Miguel said giving him the apple. Tulio ate it without question. Miguel continued to stare after the other man, who had disappeared below deck.

"Whatchu lookinat?" Tulio asked through a mouthful of fruit, following Miguel's gaze.

"Tulio, I'm not entirely sure this crew can be trusted. I think we should keep to ourselves, and not discuss our…plans, as it were." Miguel said in a low, serious voice. Tulio blinked.

"That's an oddly wise thing for you to say. Are you sure this heat hasn't gotten to you?" he asked, lying a hand to Miguel's forehead, who waved it away. He went to take another bite of the apple only to find that Altivo had taken it right out of his hand while he wasn't looking. He glared at the horse.