I am working on a story I hope to start posting in December. The last episode is the starting point. Thinking of the final episodes, I started wondering. And this drabble came up.

As with most of the previous chapters, it seemed to fit here.

Victoria never was the person to do nothing and wait when she thought someone she cared about was in danger. Let alone, Zorro. She was willing to die for him in season one. So why did she act so out of character in the last episode? Zorro got offered a truce to come to Diablo's canyon. Everyone assumed it was a trap. Why didn't she go over there to find out what was happening? It was nothing like Victoria to just wait in Los Angeles and hear later on what happened.

And this time, she doesn't.

Chapter 9

She would make sure that nobody saw her, not even Zorro. But Victoria had to make sure. Zorro could easily handle Risendo. He had proven that a couple of times in the past few days. Victoria also knew there was a good chance that Zorro would go to Diablo Canyon. That man always did what you least expected. Everyone claimed that the truce offered by Gilberto Risendo was a trap and that Zorro would be a fool to fall for it. And that was the reason Zorro would go. Because nobody expected it. Zorro also believed that there was good in everyone. No matter how deeply buried inside.

After Victoria started to run the tavern on her own at the age of fifteen, she knew better after nine years. Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous areas of California, and she had seen so many men without a shred of goodness or compassion.

Gilberto Risendo was one of them. The man was pure evil.

She had seen it in his eyes. Even in death, that man couldn't be trusted.

Victoria closed the tavern. There were no customers. Since Risendo's arrival, most people have avoided Los Angeles. By keeping out of sight and out of mind, they hoped not to draw attention to themselves in an attempt to survive.

Victoria walked to the stable and started to harness her horse. If anyone asked awkward questions, she would say she was on her way to buy new supplies.

Victoria knew the surroundings of Diablo Canyon. The many boulders and bushes gave plenty of opportunity for concealment.

In the band of her skirt, she stuck a loaded pistol. When Victoria had just taken over the tavern, don Alejandro had insisted that she knew how to defend herself when necessary. As a former army officer, who had also been a sniper, the don had been the perfect teacher. For days, he had practised with her until she could hit a target from over a hundred yards away.

Victoria climbed onto the trestle and looked at the church clock. She had to hurry. It was already half past eleven.

As inconspicuously as possible, she steered her wagon into the plaza. Beside the church, Padre Benitez was talking to some peasants who were probably looking for protection. She waved at the man and left the pueblo through the entrance gate.

It was quite a long ride to Diablo Canyon, and Victoria considered cutting off a piece of the road. No, better not, she reasoned. At the moment, the surroundings of the pueblo were swarming with soldiers. Should she run into a group of soldiers, they could ask unpleasant questions.

She had better make sure that her story was credible.

When Victoria recalled the day before yesterday, she still had the shivers running down her spine.

Gilberto Risendo and four soldiers had come stomping into the tavern just before the siesta. They had arrested her and taken her to the church. There, she and the padre got given a choice.

Either stay in the church out of sight of everyone and everything until further notice. The other option was, should either attempt to escape, both got executed on the plaza for treason to the crown.

Not understanding what Risendo was trying to achieve, Victoria had agreed to stay in the church until she was permitted to leave the sacred place.

Later that night, she had heard that all of it was a trap for Zorro. Risendo had spread the rumour that she was arrested and on her way to Monterey. Zorro had come for her trying to save her. He hadn't known she was in the church. Zorro had managed to 'save' the soldier dressed like her. In his fight, Toronado was caught and brought to the cartel.

Victoria felt guilty for what happened, even though she knew non of the events she could have prevented. That night Zorro had come to free Toronado. And even in that, her hero had succeeded. Risendo had fallen off the roof, and everyone believed him dead. But, as said before, even in death, Gilberto Risendo could not get trusted. The fall of the roof hadn't killed the man.

At a small bush, Victoria let her horse stop. It was still half a mile to the place in the canyon where Risendo wanted Zorro to come. Victoria decided to walk the last part and make certain she remained out of sight.

With her gun at the ready, Victoria crept from rock to branch. Closer and closer to the point that Risendo had mentioned in his announcement.

She heard voices, but they were still too far away to make out what was said. It did confirm her suspicion that Zorro had come to the canyon to confront Risendo.

You see, she had been right. Zorro had come. Cautious, Victoria crept to the next rock.

Suddenly there was a deafening loud bang. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and a scream of someone in agony echoed through the ravine.

Zorro!

The voice she heard as soon as the thunder of falling rocks subsided was not that of her black hero.

"And now de la Vega!" Shouted the man who was to be the personification of the devil himself.

Risendo galloped away from her.

Victoria pointed her gun to shoot. It was hopeless, for Risendo was already too far away.

Zorro! Where was he?

Horrified, Victoria saw what had happened at the bottom of the ravine. The explosion had caused a landslide, and probably Zorro was buried under a heap of earth and stones.

The canyon was deep and had steep walls. She had to get down, but how?

Her eye fell on a kind of goat track. Barely passable, full of potholes, and scarcely wide enough for a goat to use.

Victoria tied her skirts around her waist, partly falling, partly sliding, working her way down.

When she got there, Victoria saw Toronado busy moving rocks aside with his hooves.

If Toronado thought the explosion buried Zorro in the pile of rocks and dust, it had to be the case. With all her strength, Victoria began to help the black stallion.

She shouted, "Zorro, we'll get you out of here! Hold on!"

The more stones she moved aside, the larger and heavier the remaining rocks got. Toronado pushed his nose into her neck. He couldn't any longer help her tumble the stones away. "Don't worry. We get him out of here." Victoria uttered at the stallion to encourage herself to believe it. Zorro couldn't be dead. He had to live.

Victoria noticed a piece of black silk between the dirt.

Not much later, she saw a black leather glove with an arm attached.

Zorro started to help her move the stones. Minutes later, Zorro was lying on his stomach next to her, coughing and gasping for fresh air.

It took some time for him to catch his breath. "Victoria," Zorro coughed to get the dust out of his lungs. "What the hell are you doing here?" With difficulty, he managed to get to his feet.

"I came to try stop you from doing something stupid. After all, it was obviously a trap."

Her words fell silent as Zorro pressed his mouth to hers. Zorro reeked of gunpowder and dust.

In a commanding tone, Zorro said. "Where is Risendo."

"I don't know. I heard the explosion and saw him galloping away. He was shouting something about going to the de la Vega's."

For the first time since the explosion, Victoria had time to become aware of what these words could mean.

"You don't think he..." She slapped her hand in front of her mouth.

Zorro's facial expression stiffened, and his mouth formed a word without a sound coming out. Then he said,

"Victoria, go back to Los Angeles. I have to go."

Zorro whistled, and immediately Toronado was beside him. The stallion stood dead still while, with huge effort, Zorro climbed into the saddle.

Victoria tried to stop him from going by saying. "Zorro, you are hurt. You can't go after Risendo like this!"

Zorro brought his hand to the brim of his hat to greet her as he had done countless times before.

"Señorita, once again I owe you my life."

And right after that, he was gone.

Great! Hadn't Zorro realized that her horse-and-carriage was at the top of the canyon? The goat trail had been barely usable to tumble her way down.

She didn't even have to try to get back up that way. Victoria got left with no other option than to walk out of the canyon until there was a point where the walls became less deep and steep.

Victoria started to walk. She cursed the thin soles of her shoes as she felt each of the sharp stones pierce her foot.

After a while she began to wonder what it was that Zorro had muttered before he had decided to go after Risendo. It had seemed more like a sigh that Zorro had let out.

Abruptly, Victoria stood still, moved her mouth as she thought she remembered Zorro doing, and tried to form a word.

She tried several words he could have used. None of them felt right, rejecting her first attempts. It had to have something to do with the name de la Vega. Zorro had turned pale when she had told him that Risendo was on his way to the hacienda.

Her mouth formed another word she hadn't tried yet, and she stiffened.

No, it couldn't be. That could not be the word Zorro had said. Victoria tried again and became more convinced that this had to be the word Zorro had uttered.

Victoria glanced up. She had to get out of this ravine as quickly as possible.

A little further on, the walls became less steep.

She could try to climb her way up. It would be close to the cart, and the walls were somewhat overgrown with shrubs. With some luck, it would have roots deep enough to hold her weight and pull herself up.

Victoria started climbing and praying she was mistaken.

Sensing should her assumption be correct, the life of Zorro wasn't the only one at stake.

.

.

Next chapter is in progress. ;)

According to the transcripts Pam made. For, which again, my thanks. Risendo mentions Diego smells of cordite when he fights him in the courtyard. Did you know cordite was invented 1884? If it was cordite what Risendo smelled, he surely was ahead of his time. Victoria must have less knowledge of explosives than Risendo. So that is why she thinks Zorro smells of gunpowder instead of cordite.

(I was just curious what cordite was since I hadn't heard of it before.)