by Ryan Brenner

Created on: January 11, 2010

Chapter 7  The Decision

            Anna was sitting by a fire in the gypsy camp her badly cut hand in a bowl of water mixed with a little wine to help them heal.  Tobias had been fussing over her for the last hour trying to discover what she had been doing pulling at a grate in the middle of the square.  Other members of the troupe marched by making sure Anna saw their disapproving looks.

“Why?  I mean, what were you thinking?  The magistrate came running; he threatened to throw us into jail.  You apparently destroyed the property.” 

Tobias was walking back and forth waving his hand, occasionally little unseen balls of spit would shower Anna from behind.  She sat huddled by the fire, watching the flames, and holding back tears.  Her back was turned to Tobias; she couldn’t bring herself to look at the him.  His bearded face was a mix of anger and concern.  His eyes were pained as if he was disciplining his own daughter. 

“Why Anna?  What were you trying to do?”

She wanted to tell him, wanted to explain it all, the rider, his bizarre request, and what she had to do to protect them.  That would pain Tobias even more; however, the thought that she had sacrificed herself when he had always been the one to sacrifice for her.  The fact that she had not come to him, but had tried to figure it out on her own, would hurt him more than her stinging hands hurt her. 

Tobias finally ended his rant, and tenderly pulled her hands from the bowl.  He wrapped them in bandages a look of concern still contorting his gigantic face. 

“You wait now a few moments,” he said when he was finally done.  “I’ll make us something to eat.” 

Yet, food was the last thing on Anna’s mind.  She was trying to remember. 

What had she seen? 

What was in the drain? 

What had the rider wanted? 

She thought hard, closing her eyes, and scrunching her face as if trying to squeeze what was there out of her memory.  She looked at Tobias now cleaning and preparing the chicken. 

What would she do? 

She looked toward the mountains; the late day sun falling slowly behind their peaks.   Time was running out.  She had until sundown, but the only thing that would come to her exhausted mind was a list of Roman Numerals.

A half an hour later Anna had eaten the chicken.  The sun was retreating quickly over the mountains; a beautiful scene under other circumstances .  She had until sundown, and all she had was a few Roman Numerals, but that couldn’t be it.  She couldn’t go back to the phantom with only that. 

But, is that what the rider wanted? 

It couldn’t be.  She had to protect the gypsies.  If the numbers weren’t what he wanted he would not give her more time, and that would spell doom for them.  In an instant she made up her mind.  She was heading back to the square.

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