6th August, 1809: Chaos breeds vagabonds

"You would not happen to have a foal that you need to be rid of?" It was as ridiculous a question as the one before, but the day could not have been any stranger than it was anyway.

She shook her head. Sometimes real life was stranger than fiction, but at least it meant that she would live, and so would Emanuel and their horses would remain theirs.

He laughed.

"No, unfortunately not yet. My stallion will be very happy to give your mare one, if you are interested."

There was a brief whistle from somewhere in the woods, and for a moment the robber listened intently. There came a series of three clacks next, and then a kind of animal cry. He nodded as if he was acknowledging some conversation and smiled grimly.

"Forgive me, if I am not as excited about it as you." She became silent as she saw that he seemed attentive of something else. A whistle, clacks, other sounds she might not have understood but she knew what they were. Signals. And signals out of the blue could only mean one thing.

"So?.. got visitors?"

"Yes ... and your beau did not come alone."

He offered her a hand to seat her on the log again, well in the radius of the fire so that she was easily visible.

"Why are you not excited? You haven't even seen my horse!"

"Because you've defined the quality of your horses yourself a moment ago. And because I value my mare as useful and not as being bothered by the problems of being with a foal!" She answered then paused. "And I dearly hoped your men were not reckless in leaving the horses alone. You'll not be able to run fast enough should I find something amiss with my horse!" While she did not take the offered hand she sat herself down where he seemed to want it.

"How many men did he bring?" She inquired glancing briefly over her shoulder as if expecting him to come from that direction and of seeing him too.

El Atracador shrugged and stepped back so that he was no longer clearly illuminated.

"Too few to make a serious difference, if that is what you were hoping for. Stay here by the fire so that he can see you clearly, but do not go near him until I tell you so. And hope he behaves. Bringing half a regiment ... either he doesn't love you much, or he is too level-headed and weighting his changes too carefully for me to be comfortable with, and when I'm uncomfortable, I might make regrettable mistakes."

"No, I was just curious." Estefania answered and straightened a little, while staring at the fire. It was no use looking back. He was in the dark and she was not allowed to go anywhere anyway. She did not know where the other irregular was, nor where the horses were. To cooperate was pretty much the best she could do.

"Oh, poor little Atracador is uncomfortable because of a British officer?" She added a last, teasing 'goodbye'.

"No, poor little Atracador is uncomfortable because there is a headstrong, willful, unpredictable and entirely too adventurous for her own good woman mixed up in the affair. I have no doubts that otherwise we would be the fastest of friends", he replied scathingly.

"There he comes ... Over here, Capitano. Won't you join us in the firelight?"

El Atracador called out in Spanish, but he spoke slowly and clearly, and sounded quite friendly.

"Your own fault for capturing the headstrong, willful, unpredictable and entirely too adventurous woman." She paused and then with a last little jab added: "My heart goes out to you...poor dear." She answered in a fashion that sounded just a bit sarcastic. She glanced in the direction into which El Atracador had turned, more out of curiosity to see whether she could capture a glimpse of the arrival, and who it was, than anything else.

"Entirely my own fault", the bandit acknowledged with a deep bow, before adding irreverently:

"Will you let me buy you a red hat, then, so that I and my colleagues will be warned next time?"

He was consciously putting on his most frivolous and clownish mood, amusing himself considerably by trying to confuse the British a bit.

"I value not being betrayed by a hat to the French." Was all that Estefania said to the last and then turned again to the fire. She hoped that the bandit would keep his word and not merely slay them both now that he had the money, and take the horses. His previous behavour could simply have been a well performed act and she did not fool herself to believe that he was not as dangerous as first believed.

[This thread continues here.]