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CHAPTER SIX
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Caliko finally recovered from her fever a few days later. She protested Hawk returning to the Gaian's without her, but the both knew that she needed rest that did not include a few days ride on a horse.. Marco offered to take Caliko to the outskirts of the city as long as she provided direction. After hearing about the city, the Gypsy's decided they would try their luck entertaining there for awhile. So Caliko was now perched atop a wagon beside Marco, wishing the caravan to go faster.
"I never did hear the rest about these "Executioners", who are they?" Caliko asked Marco.
Marco smiled and chuckled a little. "Well, that is a story that would be wasted on such a beautiful day as this...it is a story to be told after supper is finished and the fire has died down." He winked at her.
Caliko leaned back digusted at Marco and mumbled "Entertainers." under her breathe.
"Yes, that is what I am. I am a story-teller...who knows maybe someday I will be telling people of your story?" He laughed.
Caliko scoffed and shook her head.
"Why do you have such a bad taste in your mouth about us Gypsy's?"
"Not a bad taste for you, just circus performers in general." Caliko crossed her arms and tried to find a comfortable position for her feet.
"But we aren't Circus people...we're Gypsy's" Marco winked again at her.
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By the time the sun was setting and the Gypsy's had once again set up camp, they were only a few miles from where they had met and still days from the city. Caliko was beyond disgusted by now. She wanted her husband, she wanted her daughter and here she was, with strangers, slugging along, so slowly. And her body, her body had finally failed her, betrayed her when she needed it to be whole.
Angery, she stood up from where she sat, and went to her horse, she grabbed his bridle and threw herself across his back, not worrying about a saddle. She turned the horse and started to leave the camp when Marco stepped from the shadows and into her way.
"Where are you hurrying off too?" He grabbed the reins.
"I am going to go scout on ahead, I'll be back. I just want to make sure the road is clear." She smiled at him "Honestly," She leaned forward and freed the reins from his hands. "All these people around, I can't think. I need some time to myself. I will come back. I promise." She turned the horse the other direction and urged him into a run.
Caliko circled the caravan and headed towards the city. She stopped on top of a hill over-looking the Gypsy's camp almost half a mile away. She slid from her horse's back and sat down. She felt so alone, so lost. She hadn't felt this way, even after the virus. The choking feeling in the back of her throat was back again, as was the stinging in her eyes. She didn't want to cry. Crying accomplished nothing, it couldn't change her past, nor could it change her future. She fought hard against it and managed to keep all but a few persistant tears from falling. Now, growing angry with herself, she roughly wiped away the tears and stood up. She was about to mount her horse and return to the camp when something caught her eye.
A bright light, that looked like dozens of torches had just appeared not far from the Gypsy's camp on the opposite side of where Caliko and her horse now stood. She stood and watched as the lights stopped and remained motionless for a minute, before flooding into the Gypsy's camp. Even at this distance, she could hear screams of panic and fear. She watched as the lights now covered the Gypsy's camp and watched as the torches were thrown upon the wagons and watched as the camp below her turned into a firey inferno.
For a few minutes, Caliko was at a loss as to what to do. Then she heard a child cry and watched as a small figure ran towards her across the burning ground. She quickly jumped on her horse and kicked it into a gallop. She rode and willed both herself and the horse to save the child. The horse stumbled, but regained its balance, nearly causing Caliko to fall. She held on and slapped it's flanks hard with her reins. In what seemed an enternity, she finally reached the child, who screamed thinking Caliko an attacker and tried to flee from her. Caliko, threw herself from the horse, twisting an ankle when she landed and called out to the little girl. The girl, turned and saw it was Caliko and ran back towards her. She wrapped her arms around Caliko's neck. Caliko tried to stand where she had fallen, but found she didn't have the strength. Caliko pryed the frightened child's arms from their death-grip around her neck and tried again to stand. This time she could. She grabbed the child's hand and led her to the horse. She lifted the little girl onto the horse and was trying to pull herself up when she heard hooves quickly approaching behind her. She handed the girl the reins, told her to hang on and slapped the horse hard, praying the girl knew how to ride.
She turned to face her attackers and saw three robed and hooded riders, all dressed entirely in black. The had swords drawn and weren't letting up their speed. The charged towards her, closer and closer, until the were right on top of her. Caliko saw the sword raise and saw the sword fall, just before the world went dark and silent.
