Diego grabbed the outfit roughly, his agitated movements bringing a concerned glance from Felipe. Zorro was going to confront Destara, in whatever way necessary. He changed the white shirt for the black, blue trousers for black, fastened the belt around his waist, ensuring that the sabre was fastened securely. He wondered if he should change the sabre for a rapier. The sabre would never draw blood – he promised. He shook his head. He couldn't cheat on his promise to Kendall. He arranged the mask over his head, and tied it where it belonged. The hat was next.

Zzz

Felipe paused from polishing the spare boots, and frowned. Once more, he wished he could speak with words, instead of with his hands. He put down his work, and begun to sign, but Zorro was distracted. Felipe picked up a polishing brush and threw it hard at the man he was fast considering a foolish older brother rather than a sensible father.

"Ow…What was that for?" Zorro said indignantly, rubbing a sore shoulder. Felipe was frowning at him again.

"I am going. I have to go. The man will seduce Victoria. Zorro will lose her, and that's unacceptable. Maybe I can fence him and work off some of this anger."

You say that anger is a weakness, Felipe signed.

"This is an exception to the rule," Zorro lied, approaching his horse a little quicker than he was going to.

You say that anger gets people killed, Felipe signed.

Zorro sighed, finally seeing the worry in his son's eyes. He dropped the reins, and went to the boy.

He laid a hand on Felipe's shoulder, marvelling silently at the growing teenager's height. "Nothing will happen to me. Really, Felipe, I promise…Nothing will happen to me. I'm coming home, just like always…"

Felipe pulled Zorro into a warm hug, and held him as if for the last time. Zorro chuckled a little, removing the teenager with a little difficulty. "What has gotten into you?"

Felipe attempted a half-smile, and a boyish shrug. Zorro ruffled the boy's hair good-naturedly. Then the masked hero mounted the stallion, and galloped out of the cave and away. Felipe stood there silently praying that Diego would be back as soon as possible.

Zzz

Max Destara and Ignacio de Soto were enjoying themselves in the tavern. Victoria was irritated and annoyed by their behaviour. Acting more like teenagers, they drank bottles of her strongest wines, and almost passed out on the tables, before she fetched her broom and physically shooed them out into the street.

De Soto saw the man in black first, and startled backwards, drawing his rapier instinctively. Destara watched calmly, as the figure cloaked in black calmly approached the alcalde, and without any fuss at all, sent the man sprawling in the dirt. Destara didn't even have to look at the alcalde to realise he was not going to wake up any time soon.

"I find extras to private conversations annoying, senor."

Destara noticed with a flash of concern that the lancers that had been in the plaza moments before were scrambling for the tavern and the garrison, as if for cover. His men should be at his call, but somehow he doubted it.

"Your men are sleeping," Zorro said, as if reading his mind. There was a smooth sound as a sword went back into a scabbard, and Destara stood still, raising his hands away from his own sword.

Destara tried to work the man out by watching him move. There was no doubt in his mind that Zorro was a master swordsman. The graceful way he moved gave away years of training. A trickle of fear shivered through the Capitan, but he steeled himself.

"So you are Zorro…" Destara breathed. "I noticed you dealt with de Soto quickly, after he drew his sword. I trust you are a gentleman, as your legend suggests, and will not harm me unless I offer a threat."

"You already have," Zorro said softly. Destara smiled, and his white teeth gleamed in the moonlight. He nodded.

"Ah yes, the lovely senorita," Destara said. "She tastes like wine mixed with strawberries…but you already know that, don't you?"

Zorro flinched. "Don't touch her again, senor. Sword in your hand or not, I will fight with you."

Destara nodded. "A duel would be nice, Zorro. Indeed, show me what you are capable of, my friend."

Zorro knew the man was playing with him. Was he so easily goaded into rage? He hadn't thought so before, but he felt his body burn, and his sword was out of its scabbard before he could control the impulse.

"Well, well. It is a very fine sabre, Zorro. I've heard you know how to use it," Destara said, laughing as he took his time to draw his rapier. "I assume you were trained in Europe."

Zorro was silent as he circled the soldier, considering the first move patiently. He was committed to the fight now. He knew Destara was a better swordsman than most of the villains he had dealt with in the past. He had to be the better swordsman tonight.

Destara watched the masked man move with calculated and catlike grace. Destara watched for a while, and then suddenly lunged. His blade was met immediately with a block, a calm and sober block. They both stepped back and assessed the fight again.

"A standard lunge, a standard block. Come, my friend, we are not beginners…"

"Neither are we fools, senor."

Destara nodded thoughtfully. He lunged again, and was parried. Smiling, he raised the skill level of the match, and Zorro carefully defended. Every move they made, the other assessed. It was more like a dance than a fencing duel.

The blades clashed and the combatants parried and lunged, soon finding they were almost equally matched. Destara and Zorro met almost face to face, each feeling the hot breath of the other in their faces.

"She is lovely, Zorro, but she is also fair game," Destara whispered. Zorro lashed out with a fist instead of the sword, and the soldier fell. The fight was over. Zorro lay the point of the sabre against Destara's throat, and waited until he was awake enough to realise his position.

"If you ever, ever touch her again….even talk about her in that way again…" Zorro paused, to slash a perfect Z into the man's fine coat. "It won't be the coat that wears the Z…it will be your face."

Destara was distracted by the damage to his coat, and didn't react as Zorro stepped over him to get to the black stallion. The stunned man heard the whinny of the stallion and the thunder of galloping hooves as the masked man raced out of the pueblo.

"I could have won that fight," Destara said, helping himself sit up in the dirt. He glanced across at the alcalde who was also sitting up.

"I did warn you about that kiss, Capitan. I would not cross certain lines with the man. He has been leaving us in relative peace these last couple of months."

"You're a pitiful coward, de Soto. The man's a pest, nothing more."

Ignacio de Soto nodded slowly. He turned his head a little and fought a strange urge to laugh at the affronted soldier. Those were his thoughts on his arrival, and those had been his words all those years ago. Easier said than done, dealing with Zorro. Easier said than done.