Chapter 5:
Diego was riding for hours just letting his horse run over mountains and little paths no one would ever use. It was clear that Toronado was a master in finding a way to avoid large roads when he was out on his own.
The stallion stopped at his favorite field to graze. Diego jumped off his back and looked around. There was no cave, no indication that there was a camp out here or that there had been a camp.
"Are you sure, old boy?" Diego asked in confusion.
Toronado breezed and pushed him towards the edge of the ravine. Diego sighed and looked over the edge seeing the old abandoned farm.
Toronado breezed again trying to gain his master's attention. When Diego looked behind him the stallion pointed with his nose towards the saddlebag where his master had hidden Zorro's clothes.
"You may be right, Toronado. Looking around is a job for Zorro. Diego was a master in changing his clothes in a matter of minutes. He pulled out the sword he had hidden in a large cloth that was tied behind the saddle.
"How did you end up down to receive the note?" Diego asked looking around for a hidden path. Toronado pushed Zorro more to the right towards some large bushes.
Diego smiled when he looked over the green bush with thorns, "Clever boy, I am glad you didn't get hurt by those thorns. You wait here. I will go and have a look." Zorro pushed the bushes aside and walked down, sneaking around the house until he was sure that there was no one anymore.
He looked around one more time before carefully enter the farmhouse. He could see that there had been living in there but he couldn't find a trace that Victoria had been here until he saw a little comb that was familiar to him. It was the comb she couldn't help but wear every day.
He traced his finger over the little Z carved in it before putting the piece away. His Victoria was a smart woman. She obviously had placed the comb here to leave a trail for him. He looked around for more clues but he didn't found new ones inside so he walked outside to look for trails. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. The trails went east. Zorro's heart stopped beating for a moment. They were traveling to San Pedro. If he was right he had no time to lose or he would lose Victoria forever.
The familiar whistle was the sign for Toronado to come down too. The sign that he had found trails to follow. He changed again to ride as Diego following the trails more east. He hoped that he would be on time. Victoria was counting on him or she was counting on Zorro but it was time for him to come clean with the woman he loved more than his own life.
"Come on boy we have no time to lose. Let's go."
He started following the trails left by the bandits. They clearly didn't think that Zorro would have found their little farm.
"Never underestimate a hero with a smart horse," Zorro whispered dangerously. He knew that he wouldn't have found a trail if it wasn't for Toronado.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Don Alejandro came home from the pueblo. He had thought long and hard on his way home. Mostly about all the words he had said to Diego in anger. He had always been proud of his son even when he didn't know that Diego was a De La Vega after all.
He underestimated the burden Zorro was carrying on his own. Not really on his own he had Felipe, that was something else he wondered, what could a deaf-mute servant do to help the hero of the pueblo. He needed to ask him the moment he saw the young boy.
"My only son the hero of the pueblo." Don Alejandro sighed deeply with that came another realization, his only son had a bounty on his head and no small one. The bounty was now 6000 pesos.
Don Alejandro swallowed and jumped up when Felipe tapped his shoulder.
"Felipe." Don Alejandro said startled jumping up from out of the chair he was sitting in.
Felipe apologized, he didn't mean to startle him.
"It's alright, Felipe. I was waiting for you."
Felipe looked confused and signed, "What can I do for you?"
The old don looked around before whispering, "Can we go somewhere safe?"
Felipe nodded and looked around before pushing a button to open the secret door behind the fireplace. He motioned the old don to follow him.
Don Alejandro looked behind him before following his young servant. He was shocked when he looked at the top of the stairs. More so when the arsenal of weapons his son had been hiding from him, whips, swords, daggers.
He took a look at the table in front of him with all kinds of tubes and liquids in different colors. In the corner finding the desk of his father, he thought that the thing was gone a long time ago but Diego had managed to repair it.
A small smile appeared on his face when he saw the stable where he had hidden the best horse of the pueblo but he was shocked to see that the famous gear was still there.
Felipe saw the questions on the old don's face and smiled.
"Toronado had two sets of gear." He signed still smiling.
"Why?" Don Alejandro asked curiously, there was nothing wrong with the gear he saw in front of him.
"Sometimes he rides Toronado as Diego and for that, he needs a set of gear that isn't so familiar. Toronado even has a white forelock then." Felipe explained with his hands.
"Felipe, how do you two do this. I mean how do you keep such a secret and how are you able to help him? I know you are always with him but I mean…" Don Alejandro didn't really know how to ask the question he wanted to ask so badly without hurting the boy.
Felipe grinned which made Don Alejandro even more confused. The young servant tapped he hears and nodded.
"You can hear?" Don Alejandro rolled from one surprise in the other, "people think you can't hear so they talk in your present?"
Felipe grinned and nodded.
"Thank you, Felipe, I think that I am going for a ride. I need to be alone for a while. Don't worry I won't tell anyone. The life of my son depends on it. How do I get out of here?" Don Alejandro asked a bit sadly
Felipe nodded and showed the old don the way out and back to the library. The young servant hoped Don Alejandro would get over it and soon. Living with the secret of Zorro wasn't a walk in the park and Felipe knew this all too well.
The old Don was riding over his property when his newest stallion caught his eye. He dismounted Dulcinea and walked to the fences. Diego had done a very good job of buying this stallion. The horse was powerful and elegant at the same time. He didn't doubt that the horse had good genes. He knew his son had an eye for good animals but it was only now how good. Maybe he would keep the stallion not only as a stud but maybe Diego could ride him as well with time.
He actually starting to understand why Diego didn't tell him. Thinking about everything for once he needed to admit that he liked to brag about everything that made him proud. This was different though, he wasn't going to gamble with the life of his son. He still couldn't believe that his son was the pueblo's best swordsman and rider, riding a half-wild stallion who clearly knew who his master was.
"Please be careful Diego." Don Alejandro whispered.
Victoria arrived at the place where she was going to stay until Lucho and his gang would deliver her to Don Domingo. This time they stayed in a beautiful hacienda. Nothing old with broken windows and spider webs, no dust everywhere but a clean home.
This time she didn't have the privilege to walk free but she was locked up in a room where the windows and door were locked, guards standing underneath the window on the outside and at the door. She couldn't escape.
She was sitting on the bed looking through the window, "Zorro, where are you?" She sighed in a whisper. He was on his way she could feel it but for once she wasn't really sure that he would find her in time. It was only a few hours until she would be forced to marry a man she never met or that is what she thought anyway.
Elena entered the room with a sad face, "I am here to clean you up, Victoria. I sorry but I have to this."
Victoria sighed deeply, a lonely tear rolled over her cheek, "I know you that you have to this Elena, I don't blame you. I still have hope though. Zorro has never abandoned me before."
"You still have hope?" Elena asked curiously.
Victoria nodded, "I will do whatever it takes do give Zorro as much time as I can. He is on his way I can feel it in every fiber of my being."
Elena sighed, "I don't know how you are going to do it but we have the order to have you ready within two hours. There isn't much we can do about that."
"What about the padre?" Victoria asked curiously.
Elena shook her head, "The padre here is as bad as Lucho and his gang for the right price he closes his eyes for these forced marriages. He is the one who married all of us, without banns being read."
"Still, I will stop hoping when it's too late. I have managed to stop me from making the mistake myself. Just in time." Victoria smiled at the memory of their kiss on Toronado's back, "I vowed back then that I would marry him and only him."
"I will be back soon with more water and a dress for you to wear. I am sorry Victoria." Elena said before she left.
Victoria smiled looking through the window, "Hurry up Zorro, please."
