The Gypsy Queen (6 page)

  “Your way is to war, to the city, and that is not my path,” she said. “I hate the city for keeping you. I don’t like to see you as a warrior. You’d make a far better gypsy,” she said.

  Bastion smiled as their hair mingled and their faces pressed just a bit. He had been born a prince; such a suggestion was unthinkable. “Since I followed you from the gulley, I have thought how much help you could be to our cause. Your skills, and everything. But I confess that I am selfish- I would have you come help just so I could be near you, so I could see you again. I know it’s not right; you are not a warrior. But our cause...” he trailed off... “Our cause is protection. We work and fight to protect our people, just as you would fight to protect your own.”

  “I fought to protect you, Bastion,”
Yana
whispered. He put his arm around her.

  “Thank you,
Yana
.” Then he continued, “I can best protect you by keeping you away from my warriors, not by causing you to join... but that means keeping you away from me as well.” The sadness of that statement hung in the air. He wished he hadn’t said it that way... but that’s how it was.

  “Tomorrow I will travel back to the city, and your caravan can go on its way, as always,” he said.

 
Yana
felt a deep, familiar pang of sadness. Tomorrow he would say goodbye to her once more. She would say goodbye to him. Suddenly she felt a strong instinct that made her think that she mustn’t let him go alone, because he would need
her
protection, but that was silly. She helped him the one time, but she was no warrior or soldier, just a gypsy girl, and he had soldiers. Still, she thought of him in danger on his missions and wanted to rush to help, just like the night they met, and the night that had just passed. No matter her instinct for him, goodbye was the only way.

  The facts just did not allow her. As she thought it, it angered her. Her instinct to do what she wanted fought against the idea that she could not have something, or do something. Yet, all those thoughts led down the same path, to the same destination. The same goodbye.

  “Sleep with me at the fire tonight,
Yana
,” he
implored her. She was thankful-
she wanted nothing more than that very thing. She went to her wagon nearby, and bundled some blankets they could use. Both of them were accustomed to sleeping on the ground anyway. She saw Lyubov and Luba nearby, and bid them goodnight. They both knew she was with him. When she approached the fire she saw that he had dragged a small log near it. Without speaking they set out the blankets and set up to sleep. He pressed his back up against the log, and she curled up in front of him, just as they had the first night. He knew she would want that.
Yana
fell asleep next to Bastion that night, to the faint glow she could still feel within him.

  The next morning, they awoke and refreshed themselves, and set about a fine breakfast. They rekindled the fire, and were joined by Lyubov, Luba, Emilee and Dimmie as well. Luba offered him fresh bread that had been given to her, a sweetbread that was a rare treat in a gypsy camp. They all showed him kindness, and were careful to not ask too many questions. They laughed and talked of the belly dance the night before, and the messes Dimmie always got himself in. Emilee, always terribly curious, asked Bastion, “Will you stay with our camp a while, Bastion?”

  Bastion smiled gently. “I have to return to the
kingdom
, dear Emilee. I have to be about my father’s business.” She didn’t notice the fallen expression on
Yana
’s face at that remark.

  Emilee barged ahead with her comments. “I wouldn’t like that! I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the city! Better to be a gypsy!”

  Bastion nodded. “Far better! But I do get to travel a good bit, as it is.”

  Emilee took a bite of her bread and grinned. “At least you got to come see us dance!” They all burst into talking again, and she was quite right, Bastion thought. The memory of
Yana
’s mesmerizing dance last night  would not
soon be
forgotten. Not ever.

  Once they were finished, Bastion packed up his horse, and Luba brought him a few pieces of bread for his journey back. “Thank you, Luba,” Bastion said. “Look after the girls, won’t you?” he asked of her.

  “I will, sir,” she smiled at him. She was the smallest and youngest of them, but certainly not the least of them, and they both knew it. Bastion reached out and took
Yana
’s hand, and the rest of them bid goodbye. He looked at
Yana
, and pulled up her sleeve. The scar was still there on her wrist, and he set his hand on it.
Yana
could feel it getting hot. Or was that her?

  “Farewell,
Yana
. Please, please be careful. Guard your people, advise them. They will listen to you. Stay away from the Lower Reach.”
Yana
set her hand on his, upon her wrist. “You stay away from the Lower Reach too. I don’t want to have to come rescue your sorry hide
again
,” she said jokingly.

  “Travel well, young gypsy,” he bid her. He released her, and mounted his hor
se
, galloping swiftly towards the way he had come.
Yana
watched him until he was out of sight. She couldn’t help it.

 
Yana
came back to the caravan, and set about tasks for the day, cleaning garments, organizing the camp, and whatever she could do to keep busy and keep her mind from lingering on him too long.

  At lunchtime, Dimmie invited her and Emilee to go hunting fo
r berries.
They gathered up their things, and headed south of the camp. They traveled a while, finding a few berry patches along the way, and a lot of birds.
Yana
had all her gear with her, her bow and arrows, and her dagger... she would normally have them anyway, in case they saw an animal they could capture, or encountered a wolf or great cat. Dimmie carried a staff for that, too, as did Emilee. As they walked,
Yana
began to sense dread again. Laying with Bastion, feeling his arms around her, was so soothing- but now he was gone, and she hoped her foreboding was just the heartache of seeing him ride away once more.

It wasn’t.

As they turned a bend in the path, they smelled it. It was a fire, but not a campf
ire.
Yana
held them back and cautioned them to approach slowly. They came around another bend, and saw the source
of the fire-
a burning gypsy wagon!

  There was evidence of a struggle, and horse tracks everywhere, but no people.
Yana
looked in horror as she saw whose wagon it was. It was her dear friends, Kizzy and Nadya. They were nowhere to be seen, and were supposed to have been heading to
Yana
’s camp.
Yana
rushed frantically around the camp, and Emilee batted uselessly against the fire trying to put it out. Then
Yana
’s worst dread of all came upon her. She found a remnant of fabric. It was a shoulder tunic. It looked exactly like the things that the Moldavians wor
e, the ones that attacked Bastion
.

  It couldn’
t be any worse luck,
that this could happen. She didn’t know for sure the fate of their friends, but she knew damn sure that she could not allow her friends to be taken or harmed. There was no telling how many men or enemies there might be involved. T
hey might even still be dangerously
close. The fire
was no more than fifteen minutes old.
Yana
leaned her head back in anguish, looking up into the sky.

  She would need help.

  S
he
began shouting
instructions. “You two, quickly, grab up what you can, and RUN with me!!!

  Without hesitation
they did so, and were soon running straightaway back to the gypsy camp. Upon their arrival, she instructed them to tell everyone to break camp, and head for
Jedikai
. All of them. Next she found Lyubov, and two other elders she was sitting with, and told them of Bastion’s warning.

  “Everyone who can must head towards
Jedikai
, and those who don’t must warn everyone and flee from the Lower Reach! I have to save Kizzy and Nadya!” She looked at Lyubov, who already knew what she would do.

  “You go now,” she urged
Yana
. She did not want to keep her;
she would look after herself and
Yana
’s wagon. She wanted the missing gypsy girls found too.
Yana
turned and ran back to her wagon.

  Urgently
, as fast as her hands could move, she gathered gear, slung it over her shoulder, and tied things to her horse, Kuta. She unhooked Kuta from the wagon, and leapt up onto her. She snapped the long reigns against her hindquarters, and Kuta instantly broke off in a run.

Yana
charged into an all-out sprint with her horse, headed the direction Bastion had taken. Headed for the very man who always brought trouble.

Headed for
Jedikai
.

___________________

The Gypsy Queen- CHAPTER 4-  “Ride”

“Pook!” The old man shouted. “Looky here!”

“Bah!” Pook replie
d. “What is it now, you old sop
?” Pook dragged himself over to the outlook. It was late in the day, and Pook was tired, though he was slow and cranky no matter what time of day it was. He tugged the telescope away from old Gumi, looking out into the meadow to see what he should point it at.

  Gumi pointed out at the streaking horseman approaching the city gates. It was no man at all, Pook saw, as he looked through the lens. People came and went from the city every day, so that was nothing new. It was a bit more strange to see what appeared to be a lone gypsy girl streaking across the open space so fast.

  Gumi looked back to Pook. “What do ya make of it?” he asked. Pook scowled. “She sure as hell isn’t
in a rush to see your smelly
carcass,” Pook replied, never missing a ch
ance to insult his
friend. Gumi joked back, “Well, I bet she’d be coming to see me if she knew of my many talents!”

  “Psshht! Talents?!” Pook exclaimed. “You can’t even bake biscuits, let alone keep the gate!” Pook and Gumi were the old gatekeepers of
Jedikai
, but Gumi was a notoriously bad cook.

  “Shall I sound the warning, and alert the city of the terrible danger?” joked Gumi. Pook looked out the looking glass again, as she was nearing.

 
“If I know anything about women, I’d say she looks dangerous as hell!” Of course they wouldn’t sound any warning, but they were both on the move already, cackling over their terrible humor, as they shuffled down the outlook steps.

  They would ask her business in
Jedikai
. They never bothered with the normal townsfolk they recognized every day, coming and going, but their post was too dull to pass up a chance to liven it up. In moments, Pook and Gumi stood at the city entrance, flagging her to stop as she approached them. 

 
Yana
considered charging right past them, or through them, but
she knew that would be bad
form
, and perhaps they could help. She stormed up to them in a cloud of dust and speed and fury, dismounting in one fluid motion. The old gatekeepers were taken aback as she hurriedly addressed them.

  “I need to see the Prince!” she exclaimed. Pook and Gumi looked at each other.

  “She needs to see the P
rince,” Pook said, looking at Gumi.

  “I haven’t seen no princes this month,” replied Gumi. “Haven’t seen no princes last month
,
neither,” he added. Pook looked at
Yana
. “Gumi didn’t see no princes,” he said, stating the obvious.
Yana
was bewildered for a second. Thinking, she tried again.

  “The Captain. I need to see the Captain!” she said urgently, trying to jar these old men into some kind of helpful state.

  “Captain??
” Pook repeated incredulously. “There be nary a
boat in
Jedikai
, so there’s no c
aptains either!” Pook said, just to be difficult. “What’s your name, gypsy?” he demanded.

 
Yana
was furious. She had
no
time for games, stupid old men, and least of all, a fresh dose of mistreatment or prejudice by city folk. Too smart to get drawn in, she skipped the rage and tried a different approach. She smiled, collected herself, and drew up near to both of them. “Please sir,” she implored them, looking as sweet and innocent as she knew how, “I am here to see Bastion.” She got quite close to Gumi. “Can you please help me?”