The Journey

Part 2 Written by Nikki (aka Camaro) Camaro could not believe her ears. Sitting back into the chair she smiles at her newfound father. He takes her hands in his. "How did ye find us?" he asks with excitement.   She replies, "as of late I have had a sicken feeling in my stomach. I left my husband and children at home and wandered to see if I could figure out why. I felt something amiss but had nay clue what. I still do nay know why but it led me here."   He smiles proudly, "I am a grandfather?" Camaro could not help but giggle. "Aye Sir ye are. Ye have a handsome grandson and a beautiful granddaughter. They are twins...." She looks to her twin brother still lying on the bed and smiles happily. "They are 3 years of age. I love them dearly and miss them terribly."   At that moment Lorenzo begins to stir. She looks at him little a child at a puppy waiting to see what he will do. He mumbles, "Father?"   "Aye my son! Now awake we have a very special visitor."   Lorenzo begins to sit up, he grabs his injured side and spots Camaro in the chair beside the bed watching him. Recognizing her as the one who helped him he smiles. "Thank thee very much M'Lady. I do nay think I would have made it if ye would have nay came along. I was sure the soldiers would get me."   She looks a bit confused. "Soldiers? Are they the ones that hurt ye?"   He nods and then looks to his father with concern. "They followed me a good distance it shall take them no time at all to get here and tear the town apart in search of us."   She looks at the older man seeing fear in his eyes. He looks as if he has aged ten years in them few seconds. Being so happy before to fearful and worried now. "We must pack up and get ready to leave."   "Father, where shall we go? We can nay run forever."   Camaro begins to feel uncomfortable knowing that something is wrong but she is not sure she should intrude. Her father reads her eyes and speaks with concern. "I am off to pack some of our belongings. Watch over him and he may explain the situation to thee."   She nods watching him leave the room she turns to Lorenzo. He meets her gaze and wastes no time. "My father and I were taking by the Lord of the land a long time ago. I was 8-years-old then and nay sure what to think. I obeyed my father as he said we would nay fight them and just go to work for him in peace. We were tortured and beaten for many years."   She sighs thinking of her relatives going through so much pain but says nothing as he continues. "Well as I grew to the age of sixteen I was beaten very badly......to the point that I almost died. I was sick of the treatment we received and told my father we were to run from these soldiers. They acted as if we were caged animals. We waited till I recovered and then in the middle of the night we ran and we ran hard. Coming back here to find my sister that we were forced to leave behind......"   Camaro opens her mouth to speak. Noticing he paused waiting for her words. But she was too anxious to hear what happened and gives a soft nod for him to go on. He smiles softly then speaks again. "She was no where to be found. The old maiden, who took her in, when the Lord captured us, said she came home crying the day before. She tried to calm her but she insisted on packing her stuff and leaving. With no word of where she was going. My father and I were heartbroken. Just as we escaped, she skips town. Deciding that we had to hide for they would come looking for us soon. We went to a small run down shack on the outskirts of town and lived there for some time."   She looks at him and then speaks softly. "I am sorry that ye have had such a difficult life but that will change soon, very soon."   He flashes a weak smile at her. "But the soldiers found us after three whole years of safety. They got word from a man in town. He saw us when we came in for food. They almost had us but we hid in the old maiden's house and she lied to them to protect us. We then came here and finally settled in. It has been two years. I went out in search of my twin sister against my father's permission and they saw me. They were outraged since we escaped their grip the first time. I ran through a shortcut that I knew of and finally lost them. That is when I ran into thee. So as ye can see we do nay have much time left. We must hurry!" He swings his feet over the end of the bed planting his feet on the dirt floor and rises slowly.   She is alarmed and stands to help him. "Ye should be careful. Ye have nay rested long and may become faint."   The middle-aged man walks back into the room with a bag on his shoulder and with a light laugh replies. "Aye Lorenzo ye should listen to yer sister."   Lorenzo stops, his face goes blank. "My sister?" He looks at Camaro with an expression of awe.   She smiles sweetly at her brother. "Aye and I have a plan." Not wasting any time she walks to the door and turns back to them. "I have a horse but we will need another. Lorenzo will ride with me since he is still injured. I shall go pay another for their horse." Touching the knob with her fingertips she knows she must act quickly.   He is still in shock but knowing he does not have time for questions now he trips over the words. "And where will we be going?"   "Both of ye will be coming back home with me. We have plenty of room and they will nay find ye there. Now I have work to do. Gather what ye must and I shall return shortly." She turns the knob and is half way out the door and stops looking back once more. "Get as much food as ye can find." Throwing her pouch at them and walks out into the street.   She glances around the small town wondering what to do first. Thinking it would be best to make sure her horse is still at the tavern she makes her way there. Seeing her horse still tied to the hitching post she gives a sigh of relief. Seeing a horse's tail at the other side of the tavern she walks over to take a look. Making sure the horse is strong she then bursts through the doors. "Whose horse is that outside?" Waiting for a response a man with a brown worn cowboy hat stands up. "Tis my horse why ye asking?" Looking as if he is a farmer she smiles knowing that she will get a good horse. "I wish to buy it." He looks at her as if she is crazy. She walks over to him and from her purse she pulls out a handful of coins. "Tis enough M'Lord?" His eyes grow wide at the sight of so much money. Placing the coins in his hand she laughs. Turning before he could answer her she walks for the door. "By thy look on thy face I would say so. Tis nice doing business with thee." She disappears through the heavy wooden doors.   Untying the farmer's horse first, she walks it back to the little shack. Opening the door both her brother and father jump. "Father thy horse is awaiting. Pack it well we may have to ride hard." Flashing a quick smile and runs to get her own horse. Fumbling with the knot she takes the reins in hand and in a slow jog she takes the same route back. Seeing her father packing the horse and Lorenzo handing him things. She steps up beside him. "Are ye ready?"   Lorenzo nods and hands her the pouch. "As ready as we can get." He nervously glances about. His sight becomes fixed on something in the far distance. "I see them they are coming."   Camaro places the pouch around her staring hard seeing many men on horses she cries. "Lets go!" Helping Lorenzo onto the horse and then mounting herself she kicks the horse's ribs hard. "Hold on tight this may get messy."   Yanking on the reins with all her might. They begin to gallop down the street. She yells at the children to clear the way. Kicking dust up as they ride along the buildings. She shouts to her brother, "Keep an eye on our father!" She begins to say a prayer in the back of her mind to the Goddess to watch over all of them. In a whispered voice she speaks out loud. "I have just found them again don't let me lose them for good." The horse's hooves hit the ground with a loud thud. Concentrating on the rhythm of the horse's movement. Her ears trying to recognize every sound that they pick up. Straining to hear the horse's steps behind her. She keeps her eyes on the upcoming trail. Darting back and forth to any sign of movement.   "They are gaining on us!" Hearing her brother's words she kicks the horse harder. Her mind begins to race. We must go faster. We have to out run them.   As Camaro took a chance to look back to see exactly where they are, arrows wizzed through the air. She can see they have swords drawn. Their faces set with anger. Whipping her head back around she spotted a thick patch of trees to the left side. Turning the horse sharply they seem to take off on their own as if knowing that the forest will grant them safety. Galloping harder then before. Finally putting some distance in between them and the soldiers. She knew trenching into the woods with a speeding horse was risky but they had no other choice. Ducking from the branches that flew by their heads. After riding till dusk they stop at the lake that Camaro was at the day before. Letting the horses drink the cool water. They set up camp in the protection of the woods. In a well-covered grove, planning to only stay long enough till them and their horses were rested enough to travel again.   Lorenzo was in bad shape. The loss of blood from earlier in the day combined with the hard ride made him worse. Camaro feared that he might not make it. She urged him to rest and sleep while he could. Their Father's name she learned was James. He told her about how their Mother died of a mysterious illness. While Camaro, a couple days after her death, was out exploring when the Lord's soldiers kidnapped him and Lorenzo enslaving them. At the time of these two events Lorenzo and her were only eight years old. They were put to work as servants in the Lord's Castle. How they were forced to leave her behind. How the old maid that lived next to them took her in. Until the day when she packed up and ran off with only one day separating their possible reunion. Camaro listened to all of this with a heavy heart. She knew that bad timing played a big part. She had an idea as to why she couldn't remember any of this information. Her life was full of misfortunes and heartache. She might have willed the memories away. It obviously worked since she still couldn't recall any of her life experiences even though she knew them from another's angle now.   James looked at her with deep concern and asked the one question he had been waiting years to ask. "What happened that day? The day ye ran away?"   Camaro looked into his eyes seeing him searching for an answer. Something to ease the pain of their many missed years together. She wasn't certain what happened. She remembered the attack that occurred earlier that day. The flash what might have been a memory. Deep down she knew the answer to that question now. But she couldn't cause the man more grief. He had been through enough in his life. He didn't need to know that his daughter was assaulted while he was away. She shrugged lightly and squeezed his hand, "I do nay remember. Not that day nor anything else that ye just told me." The sadness showed in her eyes as she whispered the words to him. A soft smile appeared on James's face at her answer. He tried to reassure her with that smile but Camaro could see the pain still lurking in his eyes. She knew that if she told him the truth the pain would only increase. To avoid the awkward silence that now haunted them, as if both were afraid to continue their conversation, Camaro got up to go check on Lorenzo.