Snow Chapter 4, a da vinci's demons fanfic

Thank you for your comments~

I really hate this chapter, but I hope you will enjoy it anyway!

I reached and managed to grab Paolo's wrist just in time. A second later and they would be weight of them both was pulling my down, away from the safety of the tree and toward death. I was still holding on tight but not for long. My palm was sweating and he was slowly slipping away.

"Let us go!" screamed Zo, still dangling in the air. We knew I wasn't going to pull us up. That was just impossible, especially because I was really tired and didn't have much strenght left. And he wanted to safe me.

I didn't bother to answer. I just tighten my jaws, feeling too hot despite the low temperature. Paolo was murmuring something that was probably a pray and I didn't even snorted at this.

Suddenly Zo threw my bag in my direction. He really had a good aim- it landed somewhere behind me. But he wasn't just freeing me from it's weight. He wanted to do so much more.

"No, don't-!" I probably would talk some sense into him. If I had time for that. But everything was just happening too fast and it left me without a chance to do anything.

"Sorry," he said and I saw a smile on his face. I pulled in my last attempt to save him. But it was already too late. He released his grab on Paolo's leg. The time stopped for a second. All I could see was him, falling down with his eyes closed. And suddenly I wasn't in that forest anymore.

I was in Florence. We had just managed to trick some stupid noble to buy a necklace with only looked like it was made of gold. My pocket was finally full. Zo dragged me to an inn to celebrate. We drank, flirted with some women- he got slapped across his face- and drank some more.

I was in my workshop and he appeared, dragging some dead body in. He was frowning, obviously disgusted by the smell and he told me he wouldn't do that again. But he did when I asked him next time. He complained a lot but still couldn't leave me alone.

I was on the street. We were running side to side, trying to escape from Dragonetti's men. They had seen us trying to climb the wall of some old church- for some reason they wasn't amused. I had twisted my ankle when I fell down and Zo should have left me. But he didn't. He helped me up and was practically carrying me, risking getting caught as well.

I was lost- after I had escaped from the workshop I ran like the devil was following me, not paying attention where I was going to. I sat down on the ground, angry and confused. A second later Zo was next to me, demanding me to tell him what had happened. And I did. He comforted me, reminding me that my father's opinion was really not something I should care about.

I was in a tavern with him and Nico. I saw some soldiers disturbing some stranger without a reason so I helped him. It was the Turk. Zo told me I should just forget about him and move on, that it was something bad and nasty. Nothing good could happen because of that.

He was right but I ignored him. And there I was, holding on the tree in the cold mountains and he was falling down. I was losing him just because I couldn't listen. He had never left me down, he was always there for me and I repaid him by something like that?

I didn't really know where I started shouting. But my voice was already hoarse and I probably had repeated Zoro's name- not the fake one, his real name,Tomasso- thousands of times. I couldn't see him anymore. The water had swallowed him.

No! What was I doing? Mourning him wasn't going to help anybody. I had to jump after him and find him. Be there for him.

You will survive, I thought. I won't let you die!

I was still holding Paolo so the first thing I had to do was saving the boy.

No! What was I doing? Mourning him wasn't going to help anybody. I had to jump after him and find him. Be there for him.

I was still holding Paolo so the first thing I had to do was saving the boy. I yelled, trying to get us up, in the safety. He wasn't that heavy and I could do that. Despite the sweat. Despite the tears in my eyes.

"Come on," I yelped. I was almost at the top by that time. I still had some distance to cover but I was positive about my winning. He was half lying on the ground and the only his feet was still dangling in the air. But I couldn't do that alone. He had to help me a little bit, push himself up.

He didn't respond nor did he react in any other way. He was completly moveless and I realized he had blacked out. Maybe more.

"Paolo! Paolo, wake up!"

Of course my luck was so big that he didn't. He was losing too much blood or maybe it was the first time he was in a situation like that. It wasn't a common thing for me too but I was always prepared. For everything. If I was the one that blacked out we would all be dead in seconds. I tried to focus on everything different than the fact that he was slipping more and more.

That's when my foot was stepped on something wet and slippery.

A piece of ice or just wet ground, I didn't know and didn't really have time to think about it. I tried to regain my balance as fast I could but it didn't really work. Suddenly I was on the ground, rolling over, almost falling down from the edge. I managed to grab some root so I stopped just in time.

But of course I dropped Paolo. And he didn't make it.

I screamed again and almost let go to join him. Maybe my father was right after all? All my talents didn't matter- I couldn't do anything, couldn't save anybody.

I almost wanted to allow my body to fall down too. Giving up would be so easy! But I couldn't. That wasn't who I was- I just couldn't stop fighting.

I almost wanted to allow my body to fall down too. Giving up would be so easy! But I couldn't. That wasn't who I was- I just couldn't stop fighting. So I gathered the strength I didn't have anymore and pushed myself up. I practically crawled to the safe spot. I got up, trembling and looked around.

The bag has landed on some tree, up. I cursed. I needed it if I was going to continue. I hoped that Paolo put our things back inside it so I could eat something.

I put my palms on the bark and almost flinched. It was so sharp. My hands was trembling and my first attempt to climb was completely fruitless. I just fell down on my ass and was rather lucky I didn't hurt myself. I sighed. I got up and kept trying.

I lost my count and didn't know anymore how much times I landed on the hard ground. There was a lot cuts and bruised on my hands, all because of the sharpness of the bark. They were bleeding a little bit, staining the tree and my clothes.

Finally I managed to reach the bag. I tossed it and mopped my forehead from sweat. I had to go down.

Instead of reaching it with grace I just tumbled down and crashed on the ground. I moaned and sat down, trembling. I got the bag closer and looked in it. I sighed in the relief. Paolo - I felt bad at the very though of his name- not only returned our things, he also added something from him. Like an extra blanket. I put it around myself.

I wanted to hurry up. I wanted to throw everything away and ran after Zo. And I was guilty I didn't. But I understood that by killing myself I would help no one.

I saw some meat wrapped in a piece of material. I completely ignored the sudden urge to vomit and forced myself to swallow it all. I was still hungry but not as deadly as I was before. I looked at the material and decided to dress my small wounds with it.

I heard someone going toward me. The trace we left was very visible. They weren't trying to be quiet. The fallen leaves rustled under their boots and some branches cracked. I forced myself up and moved away from the noise. But I didn't really have anywhere to escape to. I was standing on the edge. Another step and I would slip.

I wanted to jump and help Zo. But as I was looking down, the chilly wind playing with my hair, I suddenly couldn't move. I just couldn't. I- Leonardo da Vinci- wasn't brave enough to do something!

"Artista."

I turned around quickly and looked straight at Riario, ignoring his two companions. He had caught up me. He still was smiling and I wanted to shout at him to stop. I wasn't really in the mood of playing our game. I didn't feel like doing it and that was probably the thing that scared me the most.

"What do you want?" I didn't bother to greet him politely. I leaned on some tree, raising my eyebrows.

"I won. You have no other choice than to come with me." He was sure because he saw a big precipice behind my back and had me surrounded from other sides. He didn't believe I would be mad enough to kill myself.

"Don't I?" I forced a small smirk on my lips. I just had to hide away the fact that I felt broken. He couldn't see that. Everybody could but not him.

"You won't jump." He was so sure that he even moved forward. I took a step back, threatening him and he halted. He was watching me suspiciously.

"You sure?" I didn't even have to try to look crazy. I was sure my eyes and expression were wild. "You won't make it in time, Count."

"Be reasonable," he snorted but he didn't move anymore. He stayed still in his spot. I was right and he knew it. And he still didn't want to let me go. He still wanted to use him, especially because I told him that it was all about the Book of Leaves. "You don't want to die."

That was a fact. I didn't. The world had so much to offer. Things to explore, taste, check, feel, see. And I still wasn't satisfied with what I had achieved. I could do so much more, I was sure.

"I prefer to die than to go with you," I lied. In fact part of my wanted to come to him and work with him because he was somebody fascinating. It really was a shame that our destiny was to be enemies. I wanted it changed, I wanted to do something to change it.

But I couldn't. Not yet. Not in that life.

"Where is Zoroaster?" he finally spotted the absence of my companion. How nice, he was so focused on me that he didn't check anything else. I wanted to slap him now because how dared he mention Zo? I couldn't really cope with my emotions anymore.

"That's not your concern," I hissed quietly, tightening my fists. It hurt but I didn't care. I deserved some pain.

"He fell down." Riario was an observant man and he could think rather quickly. I flinched. "It's not your fault, artista..."

He seemed surprised by his comment and I was too. Why would he offer me comfort? Why would he care? Maybe he was just trying to trick me? But I felt that it was something more than that. He actually wanted to calm me.

"Shut the fuck up." That was a low thing to say but I couldn't think about anything else and wanted him to change the subject.

"Blaming yourself won't make it right."

Suddenly I wanted to punch him. I even stepped forward but quickly stopped myself. He was doing it on purpose? He wanted me to go to him so he could capture me? Well, the asshole was going to be dissapointed.

"Before I go, Count, I need to tell you something." I believed I could hurt him keeping my distance, using only words. My greatest weapon. But something, maybe the look on his face, stopped me. "It was a honour."

I bowed, mockingly and quickly looked toward the river. I wasn't going to jump randomly and hope to survive. Planning it sounded like a better idea.

"Da Vinci. I can help you finding your friend." And he didn't even lie. He could but he probably wouldn't want to.

"Thank you, Girolamo."

I covered a short distance in few leaps. He ran after me, trying to catch me anyway but I was too fast. Before he could land a hand on me I jumped.

"I will follow you, Leonardo!" I heard and smiled because he finally used my name. But I couldn't focus on that little detail. After all I had better things to worry about.

It was crazy but I actually enjoyed it. I dreamed about flying for a long time and it was a little bit like it. I was falling with one arm stretched, the other holding the bag. I didn't see anything- no memories of my life- and I laughed, laughed and laughed until my voice was hoarse. The wind was playing with me, dancing with my hair.

It didn't last long. The time didn't stop and the fall lasted only for a few seconds.

I crashed into the river and the impact almost made me shout. I didn't expect it to be that painful! But I kept my mouth closed, not wanting to lose air.

The water was so cold that I couldn't move a single muscle, not even the finger. I panicked at first, but then just closed my eyes and let the stream to twist me around. It was flowing really fast, rolling my body, casting it. I wanted to yelp because it was just too much for me. I had begun to suffocate and the doubt appeared- what if I didn't calculate it well?- but I didn't.

Suddenly the water thrown me at something so hard that I finally moaned. The fallen tree was there, half in the river, half at the ground. I reached and grabbed some brand. I held it hard, because letting it go would mean death.

I didn't expect it to be that hard though- the stream was still pushing at me and it was hard to move.

But inch after inch I pulled myself away from the water and further on the tree. I realized the bag wasn't there anymore but I just clenched my teeth. It was enough that I survived, I should had been grateful.

I sat on the trunk, breathing hard. I was freezing, sure that I would get frostbite. But the ground was near. All I had to do is move to it, careful not to fall down again. I started to move forward, not caring about the water flowing down from me. I couldn't stop trembling even though that was the main reason why I was so slow.

I smiled. It didn't matter, I was going to make it.

My trust in plants was delusional and changing it quickly became my priority. Trees were deceptively beasts. They looked so stable and strong so you felt invited to climb them without worrying about anything. But it was just an act and the reality was harsh.

I heard the first crack when I was half way to the safe spot. I stopped for a second and then started to move even faster.

Crack, crack, crack.

Suddenly the trunk teared itself from the stable ground. Before I could shout or do something as senseless, I found myself in the river again. I held the tree tight and don't let it go even though it was hard. It whirled and in a moment my head was above the water and I tried my best to keep it that way. I coughed a little bit.

If it was a little bit colder, I would probably die. So I was lucky but on the other hand completely unfortunate.

I didn't really know how exactly I survived that. That was like a ride on a wild horse but not in the saddle- just holding on his stomach, hanging like that when it galloped and jumped around. I would be at taming animals because I did not let go of my grap. I probably lose consciousness at some point because I suddenly found myself on the ground.

I crawled up quickly, pushing myself away from the river. I looked at my soaked clothes and cursed. I had to take it off and dress in something dry. But I didn't have anything so it was out of question.

"Zo? Zo!" I shouted for some time but he didn't answer.

I growled, hiding my face in my palms. There was no way I could survive that. I couldn't do anything.

No, no! I had to try. I raised my head high and pushed myself forward. I could see some trees around, plants and some birds. I kept close to the river, hoping to stumble on my friend. But I didn't.

I did slip a lot but it was due to my heavy legs and the desire to just lie down and fell asleep. It was hard to keep on track when all I wanted was to give up. My mind was screaming at my body but it didn't listen. When I tumbled down the ground for the next time and almost lost all of my teeth I didn't find strength to get up. I closed my eyes, shoving my nails in the ground. I didn't cry or shout.

I was just going to die. Was it really that bad?

Suddenly the smell of the fire caught me attention. Someone was there! I was almost sure it was Zo. He got out of the water and had been doing better job than me. I actually sobbed in relief.

"Zo! I'm here!" I wanted to shout but all I could manage was a quiet whisper. I coughed. It would be stupid to die when he was so close.

I pushed myself up and moved toward the smoke, my body shaking. I regained my hope because I could find my friend, my brother. I had to stop few times but I was getting close.

When I reached the bonfire I was to exhausted to stay awake. I didn't even have the time to look at Zo. I fell down and darkness covered everything.

It was odd, I felt warm and my clothes were dry. I could hear the fire crackling and some mumbling. My body ached but I could cope with that. I must have slept long because I didn't fell that tired anymore.

"Zo!" I shouted, pushing my body up. I wanted to stand up but my legs gave up and I landed on my ass. Sitting was better than lying though so it had to be enough. I looked around panicked, hardly breathing. Where he was? He had to be there!

I spotted a man. He had dark hair and a beard but he was obviously not my friend. He was crouching in front of the fire, looking at me with disinterest. He was rather old but still fit. He even had a bow and it could be dangereous.

"He is not here," he informed and my heart snapped.

He was not there. Was he anywhere then? Was I supposed to see him again or the fate was really that cruel?

"You haven't see anybody?" I asked, trying to get up once more and failing. His lips twisted in some sort of a sad smile which disappeared in a second. He didn't move to help me or anything but I couldn't be angry at him. He saved me. Laid me next to the fire, changed my clothes. He was the only reason I was still alive.

"No, not a single body. Only you. I though you would die, you was out for two days." He shrugged, obviously not caring. He looked at me, his eyes cold and calculating. "Are you crazy or stupid?"

Suddenly I wanted to laugh. That remark was just to much like Zo. I almost punched myself for thinking about him again.

"People claim that I'm crazy. Why?" I smirked a little at him. If he wanted to offended me he would have to try a lot of harder. I felt too numb to care.

He suddenly gave me a bowl with something that looked like a soup and a wooden spoon. I thanked and practically leaped at the food. It was just too good to ignore. It was so hot that I burned my lips but it didn't matter. I was too hungry.

"Swimming in the river now? You are lucky that you can still move," he snorted. I nodded my head. I was painfully aware of that fact but commenting wasn't an option in that moment. I had my mouth full. I swallowed the last bite of the meal and prepared myself to thank him again when the beast appeared.

The forest was quiet, still. The snowflakes were falling without a single sound. So when the bushes rustled I looked at them a little bit of nervous. Seconds later a big wolf lunged on my saviour.

I immediately dropped my bowl and tried to move away. My legs let me down again and I rolled on the ground. I still could see the animal. The man didn't even tried to reach for his bow. Did he know it was the end already?

But his throat didn't get teared apart. The wolf stopped in front of him, growling lightly.

"Calm," he ordered and I blinked rapidly. The animal didn't really act friendly. It didn't bounce happily around him or act like a dog. But it listened to the man anyway. I had heard that even wild animals could be tamed but seeing that with my own eyes was a totally diffrent thing. I was watching it with fascination and it looked at me, too. "Stop staring at him. You are making him angry."

I listened without enthusiasm. But I supposed he was right. I didn't really know that much about wolves.

"That's... Remarkable. Do you live here?" I thought that nobody lived in that middle of nowhere but surprisingly I was wrong. Not only bandits but some strange guy that was living with animals. Next time I would chose a nice, warm place without a single soul to bother me. I had enough of people for a while.

"I do. And you probably have some business here, don't you?" he reached and touched the wolf's head. I though it was going to bite his palm off but no. It just sat down.

"I'm looking for Pythagoras."

I didn't know who would chose a nickname like these. It was really stupid and I felt dumb just going around and asking for him. But I guesses people liked being called oddly. For example I didn't mind when Riario used ''artista'.

A frown appeared on his face. He actually squeezed the fur on the animal's head so hard it escaped from his grab and escaped in the woods. The look on the man face suddenly became unfriendly and I almost flinched. He was piercing me with his angry gaze.

"And why would you search for that bastard?"

Just great, it looked like they were enemies. And now I could get killed by a person that rescued me. I had to calm him down like he calmed down the wild wolf. The image of its sharp teeth haunted me.

"A friend had ordered me to find him."

Calling the Turk friend was too much but I didn't feel like explaining anything. And it was just too complicated to capture it in one word. I felt hatred toward that man since he started it all but also needed him to move on.

"Why?" he got up and reached, probably for his weapon. Really, ending like that would be just pathetic.

"Do you hate him?" He nodded but his face didn't soothe. "That's great! I'm supposed to kill him."

Of course I wasn't going to, I didn't even know that man, but I wanted to give him what he wanted.

For a second I though it wasn't going to work. He was still, looking at me coldly. And then he laughed, loud and long until there were tears in his eyes. I waited confused by his behaviour. He really was crazy, maybe even crazier than me.

"You? Kill him? You will be lucky if you survive!" he shouted and I felt like covering my ears. "You don't even have a weapon, boy!"

No stranger had called me like that for ages so I raised my eyebrows a little bit. But I didn't argue. Who knew what he was able to do!

"Is he really that bad?" The more I could get out of him, the better. All information could be useful.

"Yes, he is. He is a ghost haunting that mountains. He steals people's souls," he said with such a belief in his voice that I almost couldn't keep my face calm.

People belief in things was dreadful. But also hilarious, especially when a man built like an ox was pissing in his pants because of some ghost. I wanted to laugh. So probably would but he wasn't there.

"I want to face him!" I shouted with a faked enthusiasm. "Can you borrow me some weapon?"

I was desperate to get as much help as possible. Not to face some ghost- but to have a way to protect myself from real things. Like the wolf which was peeking, lying under some bush.

He gave me some sword- I really had to keep that one, without losing it again- and pointed the direction I should head to. As I could stand and even walked, I headed there.

Part of me wanted to stay near the water and search for Zo. But the animal was still following me and I was unsure if it was going to attack me.

I was walking for hours. The world had been covered in a snow. My head was spinning and I didn't even know if I was going in the right direction anymore. All I knew that I was moving very slowly, almost not at all. I didn't feel like I slept for two days- rather than I hadn't rested at all.

When I heard some distant talking I almost screamed in frustration. Not again! It was probably Riario, again. I really was going crazy because of him. I tossed myself on the ground, hiding under a bush. That was becoming boring.

"I don't think he survived that. Nobody could." Some soldiers, as I expected. Riario really was desperate.

"I don't care about your point of view," I heard Girolamo's voice. Well, that was unexpected. I pushed myself even lower and closed my eyes. I was fighting with the urge to just stand up and beg him to get me out of there. "He did. Something like that wouldn't kill him."

"You are not being reasonable, sir-"

Whoever he was, he was clearly stupid or very brave. One did not say something like that to the Count.

"Tell me, are you questioning my words?"

They halted. Of course they would have an argument right in front of my hiding spot. I tried my best not to breathe and not to shake too much.

"No, I'm not. But-"

"Sir!" somebody new appeared. "We found some old man. He claimed to have seen da Vinci!"

I cursed mentally. I knew that a men with a wolf and a beard couldn't be trusted.

"Sir!" somebody new appeared. "We found an old man. He claimed to have seen da Vinci!"

I cursed mentally. I knew that a men with a wolf and a beard couldn't be trusted. He saved me, yes, but it didn't change anything.

"Where is he?" I could picture a small smile of triumph on Riario's lips.

The soldier gave the exact directions that I got. There was some rustling, some orders and then silence. After some time I got up and looked around. I was alone. But that didn't change anything because I had to change the direction I was heading.

I turned right and walked forward, hoping I wouldn't bump into them. The snow was becoming heavier and heavier. And each step I took meant another contact with it. Every time my boots met with the ground there was a loud noise.

Creak creak creak.

They probably were far away so... Damn with all attempts to move soundless! I just walked normally, pulling my hood deeper and deeper on my forehead, trying to protect my face from the chilly wind.

Of course it didn't really work. I was getting colder and colder. And, though I wouldn't admit it aloud, scared. The though of freezing to death alone drove me to panic, almost insanity.

I was slowly losing my touch. There was nothing there to use to my defence, not a chance to build anything. My bag was somewhere in the bottom of a frozen river. Really, losing it was so stupid but not as much as losing my friend. Who knew where Zo was? Maybe he wasn't anywhere anymore and that would be my fault, my fault, my fault. I couldn't bear that though. I kept reminding myself the face he made when he let go.

I tried desperately to force myself to push forward- but my legs were already trembling and I was suffocating. I needed air so much yet I just couldn't breath. The cold air made me shiver despite warm clothes that I had been wearing.

I know that the trace I was leaving couldn't be more visible but I didn't even try to cover it up. It was hopeless and I would only lose energy. There was no way to walk on that fucking snow without leaving footprints in it.

He was following. I know he was- he told me he would and he kept his words. He'd lie to others, but not to me.

I was the Sun and he... He was the Moon. And it was night, dark, his time. Riario was going to catch me soon and there was absolutly nothing I could do to stop him. He knew that, I knew. We both knew.

So now it was a race of some kind. Because he could capture my alive or stumble over my dead body. What would be better? Should I just turn back and shout, hoping that he will hear me and he will be fast enough to... To rescue me?

The image of warm fire, extra clothes, maybe some food and a horse that would spare me from wandering on foot was tempting. Of course there would be consequences- once he captured me, he would never let me go. But I could rest... Sleep. Stop worrying about the cold.

The reality, as always, was far more cruel. I fell down suddenly, stumbling over something that I could not see. I rolled down a little bit, stopping when my back met a tree. I hissed from the pain of that contact and tried to stand up.

I couldn't.

Just couldn't. I had no strenght left and even the will of surviving was leaving me.

I closed my eyes, embracing a numb feeling of not caring anymore. I wasn't even scared- just tired. The last thing I remembered before I lost my consciousness was some distant shouts.