Brotherhood: The Recruits [15b/?]
Chapter Fifteen: Augusto's Persephone Part II
~o~
June, 1499
Fabiola wasn't sleeping when they came, but it was due to the baby. She had been sleeping soundly when the sound of crying from the corner had her startling awake. The young woman had slipped soundlessly from the bed and padded over to her basinet. He was kicking his chubby legs and waving his small arms around in a fit. His face was red as he took in a deep breath to prepare for a scream, and Fabiola immediately scooped him up. He quieted at once and stared up at her with honey colored doe eyes that were identical to hers, and his ebony strands were the same shade as Ottavio's hair.
Her breath hitched in her throat as the babe reached out a tiny hand toward her face, and her eyes watered as Fabiola turned her head to kiss the little fingers. Giotto's mouth opened in a toothless smile before both his hands found purchase against her cheeks. For being a premature baby he was a healthy, growing baby, who was already two months old. He could already open his eyes all the way, laugh and smile, and already tried to lift his head when he was lying down.
As she was breastfeeding him in a rocking chair in the corner of the room, she heard the sharp crack of the front door being kicked open. Fabiola was immediately on her feet with a dagger in hand, which Matteo had insisted she keep on her at all times; the sheath strapped to her right thigh. Her first concern was her son as she gripped him in trembling arms against her chest, rocking him back and forth so he wouldn't cry. However, Giotto was as quiet as a church mouse, and he seemed to be waiting for something.
The bedroom door was shoved open as it crashed into the wall, and Fabiola was only slightly relieved to see Caterina rush into the room. "Fabiola, there are men inside the house." If she listened carefully, the young woman could hear the sound of fighting and yelling. Fabiola was worried about her brother and father, who had surely engaged the men and she wanted to help them but the babe in her arms kept her rooted to the spot.
"Fabiola!" Caterina screamed as an unfamiliar figure appeared in the doorway of the room. Giotto's safety caused her to react with a protective instinct, and the dagger left her hand before it slammed into the man's chest. He crumpled on the spot as the maid stared in horror at the fact that the young woman had just killed a man without the slightest hesitation. However, Fabiola couldn't let it get to her, not now, and had to get her son to safety.
Fabiola rushed around getting a bag ready to take with them, while Caterina stood anxiously by the window with the babe in her arms, and Giotto watched everything with an almost curious expression. When she finished packing the bag, she handed it to the maid, but paused as she glanced toward the dead soldier in the doorway. "Fabiola, don't," she warned as she noticed her approaching the corpse.
The young woman glanced at her and made a shushing sound and continued on. She quickly raided the man's pouches, and found several throwing knives, a few fiorini, and two smoke bombs. Fabiola took the whole pouch and secured it at her side, and as she was about to leave, she saw the emblem on the breastplate of a mighty bull with rubies where the eyes should be. She might have continued staring at it if Caterina hadn't called her name at hearing pounding footsteps coming up the stairs.
Fabiola slid two throwing knives out of the bandolier the man was wearing, and her sharp eyes watched the darkened hallway for any movement. A figure came lumbering up the stairs and around the corner, and she flicked her wrist as the projectile hissed through the air. It found its mark as the soldier collapsed and immediately a pool of blood started to form out from the neck wound that had killed him.
"Let's go, Fabiola!" Caterina shouted, hearing even more men entering the house. Fabiola despaired at thinking of her brother and father, and although anguish gripped her heart, she could not help them; not now. Fabiola glanced at the baby in Caterina's arms and her hands clenched into fists before she hurried over to the window. Caterina helped Fabiola climb through the window and out onto the rooftop that was right outside the window, and then handed Giotto to her. Using two shawls tied together, they secured the newborn onto the younger woman's back before attempting to climb down.
When they were both securely on the ground, the women hurried away from the house, but they hadn't gone more than twenty feet before they heard shouting behind them. "They're over this way!" someone shouted, and they hastened the pace. There was shouting and Fabiola knew they were being followed; however, she didn't dare look back to see how many there were. She hissed in anger when she felt a projectile pass too close to them before the same voice shouted again. "Don't shoot! The Captain wants the woman and child alive!"
Fabiola felt her blood run cold at his words. Ottavio. He was the one that was behind this, since there was no one else.
When it seemed that they'd be caught, salvation came in the form of man astride a black mare. Fabiola's mouth opened in joy at seeing Matteo quickly followed by the four men under his command. There was the whiz of arrows as the three men that were following the two women dropped like flies, and both Caterina and Fabiola were left panting a few feet away from Matteo and his men. The Captain sent the other four toward the house to help Augusto and Gasparo, while the man quickly dismounted and rushed over to them.
"Are the both of you alright?" he asked, Fabiola throwing herself into his arms in relief. The man seemed stunned for a moment before he tightly wrapped his arms around her waist. "Grazie a Dio you are unharmed." Giotto took that moment to blow saliva bubbles to announce his presence, and Matteo chuckled and reached up to caress his chubby cheek to which he squealed in delight.
He took the girl's arm and started to lead her back toward the house as he caught the reins of his horse. By the time they arrived, the rest of the soldiers were dead and Augusto and Gasparo were injured, but nothing too serious. "How did you know this would happen?" Augusto demanded immediately to Matteo. Fabiola could understand his suspicion, since he had shown up unexpectedly to save them. However, the man had just saved her son, Caterina and herself, and she wouldn't allow him to attack the Captain. She made a hissing sound and stepped in front of Matteo, and Augusto's eyes snapped toward her and they had a stare down for several moments.
Finally, the youth made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat before striding off to get the cart ready so they could leave. There was no chance in hell they would stay here another night. While they worked on loading all of their belongings the Captain explained that one of his men, Giovanni had heard of movement within Cesare's personal guard. He had thought it was weird, since Cesare wasn't in Roma at the moment so he had investigated further. Through one of his informants he'd learned that a newly made Captain was using the guard for his personal use, and then learned that the Captain was none other than Ottavio Farnese. The rest had been easy to figure out, and Giovanni had rushed to tell Matteo.
It was almost dawn when they had loaded everything essential, while leaving what they could afford to leave behind. Caterina was driving the cart with Fabiola while she held a sleeping Giotto in her arms, and Gasparo crammed in the back with their things. Matteo and his men, as well as Augusto rode along beside the cart astride horses with their hands on their swords.
Matteo nudged his black mare forward so he was riding right beside Fabiola's side. Augusto shot him a dirty look, but said nothing. "I think that once we get you all relocated to a new, safer place, then it'll be time to start training."
Fabiola was silent for several seconds as she stared at Giotto's sleeping face. She had almost lost him today, and live or die, she would do everything in her power to protect her son. Her head lifted and met Matteo's gaze, and although it hurt her to open her mouth to speak, she felt the need to say it out loud. "Yes, it's time," she croaked, her voice scratchy and unused.
Matteo's eyes widened momentarily at hearing her voice, since it had been many months since the last time he had heard it. His lips pressed into a strained smile as he gave a curt nod. He understood some of the torment that she had suffered not only at the hands of Ottavio, but the rest of Augusto's former friends, and why she had locked her words deep inside of herself. Even then it pained him that he would never be able to have a simple conversation with her, or ever hear the words 'I love you' uttered by that sweet mouth that he wanted so desperately to kiss. The Captain urged his horse into a cantor so he was riding in front of them, catching Augusto's eye as he went. The youth must have seen something in his face in that moment that he related to or understood, and inclined his head in an almost acknowledging gesture. Matteo for his part turned away, and they continued on to the place that would become Fabiola and her family's new home.
~o~
July, 1499
Augusto winced as Fabiola hit the ground again and knew not to interfere, because the last time she had given him such an angry look, Augusto was surprised he hadn't spontaneously combusted. Although, nobody -except Fabiola- could blame him for being worried, since she had given birth naught but three months ago and she was already training with them. However, there really was no choice, since it was clear from last months' kidnapping attempt that Ottavio would stop at nothing to get his hands on his son and Fabiola. Also, she wasn't completely cured of her trauma, since she would suddenly get lost within her mind when Matteo or Augusto was speaking to her. Sometimes her condition hindered her lessons, but she had improved greatly in the last few months. Augusto wondered how much was due to him finding out about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of his supposed friend, and how much was because of Matteo's constant presence.
Fabiola had been wary of him at first and he assumed she would be scared of the Captain despite her acceptance of his presence that first time. However, soon she was waddling after him as her stomach continued to grow. Augusto had always had Fabiola's attention to himself, and he'd taken it for granted, since he always had Ginevra, Leonello, Nucca, Mea, and Ottavio to occupy his time. Now that he'd broken off ties with them all, he was possessive over Fabiola's time and attention. In turn, Matteo seemed to take great pleasure and amusement whenever Augusto flashed him a heated glare. Augusto didn't think it was possible to loath someone so much, and was vindicated when Fabiola was placed on complete bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy.
In that time, Matteo had been relentlessly teaching Augusto how to fight, and improving his form in swordplay. Which at times was harder than either could have predicted, but it was because Fabiola was still protective of her brother. So, every time Matteo knocked him down in a spar, she would try to waddle toward him or get in between them. Augusto always felt a smug grin spread across his features whenever it happened, and especially the instance when she had thrown something and it had bounced off the side of Matteo's face. The man had been irritated, but had otherwise not done anything to harm the girl. Of course, when Augusto finally managed to knock the Captain down for the first time, Fabiola had thrown him a dirty look before making sure Matteo was alright. It had Augusto sulking for the rest of the day.
Now, he had to stand by and watch Matteo knock her down during a spar and not interfere or risk Fabiola's wrath. She wouldn't yell or insult him, since his twin sister hadn't spoken one word since June. That was another reason to loath Matteo, since he was the last one she had spoken to. He knew she was aware of how much it pained him not being able to hear her voice with the occasional helpless look she threw him, but even then she never said a thing. Augusto wondered if she had taken a vow of silence, or if it was simply because the trauma had claimed her voice. Fabiola wouldn't speak, so he didn't know and at times wondered if he ever would.
Matteo circled her again, trying to find an opening in her defenses, but they weren't as obvious as one might think. Even if Fabiola hadn't been able to train while she was pregnant, didn't mean she'd been blind. She had watched them closely and jotted it all down in what had to be her journal. Augusto never questioned her about it, or what she wrote in it. It was something she had been doing almost since she'd learned to write, and since then had filled three tomes with her thoughts and whatever else she wrote about. Augusto would be lying if he said he didn't think of what she wrote, or if Fabiola had written during those months she had been lost within her own psyche.
The youth cheered her on at seeing Matteo being given a run for his money as they switched to swords, and Augusto wasn't really surprised that she excelled in this. She had spent many years making weapons, and practicing with them to make sure they were up to par. Augusto couldn't remember how many times he'd walked into the shop to see her sword fighting with an invisible opponent, or having to duck away from a thrown knife.
Also, she had taken up blacksmithing again, and at first their father had been reluctant to allow it as well as both of them training with Matteo. Then Augusto had revealed who was Fabiola's rapist and that the Captain had stopped Ottavio from defiling her again, and that Ottavio was also the one responsible for them being attacked last month. Shortly after meeting Matteo, he'd given his complete support even when Fabiola decided to start blacksmithing once more. It was an added bonus that he would be able to take on more orders, and thus increase their income.
Of course, nothing was ever easy with the corrupt guards always harassing the hardworking people of Roma, but they had no choice but to persevere. Already all over the city; in every district, shops had been closed and stands destroyed by guards for some reason or another. As the years had passed since Rodrigo Borgia had become Alexander VI, his grip had tightened around the city of Roma. Even their shop had been shut down more than a year ago, so their father could only bring money to the household when their previous frequent clients came to place an order. However, Gasparo had to do it with caution lest the guards find out that he was selling weapons, and discovering where they were. Also, he'd also be accused of conspiring against the church. It was the main reason almost all the Fabbro shops had been closed, since it had been stated that the militia was threatening to rise up in treason. The militia had been dissolved as well.
~o~
May, 1502
Fabiola's eyes popped open as sleep immediately left her and her mind cleared of sleep. She lay in bed for several minutes contemplating her course of action that day. The young woman listened intently to the house around her, but all she heard were the sounds of birds stirring in their nests as they prepared for the coming dawn. In the last three years, she had grown accustomed to this house, but she would always miss the home of her youth. Fabiola had left the only home she had ever known to protect her son. For him, she'd do the impossible; for him, she would be driven to once again commit murder.
The young woman might have been there longer in contemplation but a whimper alerted her that Giotto had woken up. She slipped out of the bed without a whisper of sound, and silently padded over to the crib. Every day that past made it obvious who his father was, since he was the spitting image of Ottavio with the exception of having Fabiola's honey hued eyes. Despite his uncanny resemblance to his father, Fabiola would never conceive the thought of harming or shunning her son for this. It was quite the contrary, since the three year old was her whole life, because he had given Fabiola her life back by bringing her into awareness. She hadn't had an episode in almost a year, but her words had not returned since. At times, it just hurt too much to open her mouth and speak.
Fabiola was glad that her brother loved and spoiled his nephew regardless of his resemblance to Ottavio, and that Matteo didn't shun her son either. If that had been the case, then she would never have ever been able to have a relationship past the instructor and student one they had started off as. Despite her not being particularly loquacious, they got along great and it consisted mostly of Matteo speaking and Fabiola listening. Of course, that also meant that if he wanted to know something of her childhood or anything of that sort, he had to ask Augusto, and the man had already showed his dislike for the whole relationship.
However, they tolerated one another for Fabiola's sake, but there wasn't an ounce of affection lost between the two of them. It didn't help the situation any when Giotto had called Matteo 'papa', and Augusto had vehemently denied the statement. Of course, Fabiola hadn't been too happy with her brother, and had given him the cold shoulder for almost a whole week. Afterwards, Augusto had kept quiet the next time his nephew had called Matteo his father. It wasn't because he had suddenly realized the soldier was good enough for his sister or that he was Giotto's father, because he wasn't. The reason was that he didn't want Fabiola to pull away from him for any reason. So he kept his opinion to himself.
Giotto was standing up in the crib and staring silently up at his mother, her eyes peering out of Ottavio's face, but all Fabiola felt for him was an unmeasured love. She lifted him into her arms as he immediately settled into a comfortable position on her hip. The young woman hummed as he moved toward the window and swayed in place. Giotto leaned his small head on her shoulder and looked outside as she did.
The doctor had examined him thoroughly, but could find no reason as to why he couldn't speak. He silently observed the world around him, as quiet as his mother, and despite his lack of words he was very intelligent. Giotto nudged her with his head with a grunting sound, and Fabiola paused in her humming and glanced at him curiously. He opened his mouth and pointed with his tiny finger at it, and she chuckled and nodded before moving out of the room.
When she entered the kitchen, it was to see that Caterina was already awake, but then she was use to the woman waking before dawn to start baking the bread for breakfast. The woman turned with a smile and held out her arms, and Giotto eagerly went with her and started to make noises which consisted of small grunts and whines. Caterina nodded as if she understood what he was saying, and at times Fabiola wondered if she did. However, she never opened her mouth to ask, and the woman suspected that he never spoke because she didn't.
The first few months that Giotto had been born, Fabiola was selfish with her son's care, and even if Caterina would help, she never asked. Of course, this being her first child caused her to make several mistakes, and after the scare of nearly dropping the fussy baby, Fabiola had finally consented to let Caterina help her more. Now, she took care of Giotto as much as Fabiola herself. Then again, Caterina had been the one to feed them, change their diapers, comfort and raise them when their mother had been too sick to do it. Ultimately, she became their mother.
Also, there was the affection that existed between their father and the housemaid. During the days when she had been locked away in her own mind, she'd been aware enough to know that Caterina would sneak out of her room and then snuck back in just before dawn. The thing she didn't understand was their reluctance to let the twins know of the relationship, since Fabiola had always thought of the woman as her mother. She was sure that Augusto wouldn't care either, as long as he wasn't forced to hear any details. This was also the reason the man hadn't fired Caterina after finding out she knew Fabiola and Augusto had traded with painting and blacksmithing, respectively.
When she finished making him some oatmeal for his breakfast, she went back to take her son from Caterina and sat him a chair, which was much too large for him. Augusto entered the kitchen when she was almost finished feeding him, and was now drinking his milk from a small cup that she'd fashioned especially from him. The young man grinned at the three year old who immediately left his milk to hold out his arms for his uncle. "You sure are up early today, aren't you?" he chuckled as he hoisted him up and planted a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek as Gitto giggled at his antics.
As Fabiola passed him to wash out the plate she'd used, he placed a quick peck to her temple. "I'm going to the market to buy some supplies. Would you like to come with me?" Fabiola huffed as she turned to look at him, arms crossed over her bosom. There was an exasperated look on her face, and he could understand since he'd been trying to convince her to leave the house and go into town with him for a while now. It was with good reason, since she hardly went out when it wasn't to train with Matteo or for blacksmithing. Of course, Augusto could understand her reluctance to leave since she'd have to leave her son with Caterina; however, if she was ever going to get accustomed to being in public, then it had to be this way.
When he finally convinced her with Caterina's help, and Gitto had been put down for his afternoon nap, they set off to the market in the cart. The shops were mostly closed in their area, so they were forced to travel further into Centro district to an open market. They had to use the doctor in that area, since Ottavio had sent men after the one they had previously used. Augusto had been alarmed to learn this, but mostly due to the dottore's helper, the young woman that had given him advice that one time. He hadn't seen her since that incident, and when he had asked the doctor he had cooly replied that her time was occupied elsewhere. Matteo informed him that no harm had come to either of them, and that the good doctor had dispatched the six men that had come for them. Also, that the helper had turned out to be his daughter or niece, or some other relative.
Either way, money was scarce and they could rarely afford to see the doctor. The little money they had was from commissions he managed to sell, and from Matteo. Augusto was loath to admit it, but they greatly depended on the money the man gave them, or they'd surely have starved by now. It was the reason he was no longer against the romance between them; not that it would have made a difference to Fabiola if he had been, but he was adamant about his refusal to allow him to live in the house until he'd married his sister.
Matteo, and consequently his men, practically lived at their house. The archer of their group was a young man that was Augusto's age named Giovanni. Due to his age the other three argued that they were just as good marksmen as him. Giovanni had shut them up at the time by unsheathing his crossbow without warning and firing a round into the sky. A passing bird had been struck dead-center and its carcass landed in between the four men. Neither of them had doubted his skill again.
The other three were Agostino, Domenico, and Lorenzo. Lorenzo favored his twin daggers over a regular sword, and had jokingly named them Augusto and Fabiola. Agostino was Matteo's second in command and was almost as good as the Captain in hand to hand and swordplay. Domenico had his much beloved axe and would immediately threaten anyone that dared to touch it. The four of them had become enamored by the infant Giotto, and doted on the three year old like a bunch of uncles. They were the few within the ranks that weren't corrupt, and whom besides the young Giovanni, didn't have a family of their own.
Regardless, Caterina and Fabiola had opened their new home to them, and all of them besides Giovanni usually ate supper with them. Matteo had one day noticed that his men ate enough for a small army, and start to bring prime pieces of meat, potatoes one day, or two live chicken the next. The other three followed his example, and soon there was no more room in their storage. Although, it never overflowed since all of four; sometimes Giovanni with his wife and son, were there almost daily. Of course, it was usually only after their shift had ended at mid-day, since they started a few hours before dawn.
This was the reason that Caterina had sent him to the market and to take Fabiola with the excuse that she was missing some ingredients for a pie. The truth was that Caterina didn't want her to be home when the Sarto came to deliver the dress that Matteo had sent to be made especially for that evening. Augusto had it on good authority that Matteo was going to propose tonight.
When it was close to high noon, both siblings made the trek back to the house with the back of the cart loaded with enough supplies to feed them for a week. It was more than he had told his sister they were going to buy, but the truth of the matter was that they were having a small engagement party and had invited the near-by neighbors. Fabiola wouldn't be happy that it had all been planned behind her back, but Augusto also knew that she wouldn't refuse Matteo; at least he didn't think so.
They first noticed something amiss when they saw several people hurrying in the opposite direction. As they came over the last hill, Augusto saw the black smoke in the sky, but it was Fabiola who first saw their house aflame. Augusto felt the jolt of the cart and by the time he looked back down, his sister was already half-way to the house.
"Cazzo!" Augusto cursed, snapping the reigns fiercely and launching the horse into a gallop. It was difficult for the horse to keep the pace with the weight of the cart, but Augusto didn't even hesitate to leave his seat to jump onto the mare. He cut the cart loose and rode the saddleless horse the rest of the way to the burning house.
Fabiola was nowhere to be seen, and he experienced a moment of panic until he spotted her next to the watering box where the horse drank. She was wearing only her kirtle, dress discarded on the ground beside her, and as he watched, she lifted a bucket and doused herself with water so it ran in rivulets down her body. Then he watched in horror as she rushed inside the blazing inferno.
"Fabiola!" he screamed, running to do the same, and cursing when he saw there wasn't much left. He grabbed his sister's dress and ripped off a few good sized pieces, and soaked them in the water before wrapping them around his mouth and nose. Then he dumped the rest of the remaining water over himself before rushing into the burning house after his twin sister.
There was too much smoke that stung his eyes and didn't allow him to see properly, and falling embers fell and sizzled on his wet arms before burning out. The ceiling groaned above him, and he knew it was on the verge of collapse. As he moved toward the kitchen where he'd last seen Caterina and Giotto, part of the doorway collapsed and blocked his way. "Fabiola!" he yelled, trying to figure out where she was.
He heard a scream from the living room and turned around to run in that direction, dodging falling debris as he went. When he passed through the door it was to see Fabiola trying to get a badly burned and injured Caterina off their father's corpse. The man was obviously dead as could be seen by the wound in his chest. Augusto experienced a strong wave of grief; however, there was no time to mourn. He had to get Fabiola and Caterina to safety.
Augusto knew his nephew was gone, since Caterina kept repeating, "They took Giotto." There would be time to figure out who 'they' were, but for now they needed to get out. As he bodily lifted a protesting Caterina and all three of them left what remained of the house, he thought of the only person that would want to take Giotto; Ottavio.
When they were finally out, the rush of fresh air was a huge relief as he set the woman down a good distance from the burning building before ripping off the rags around his face. Fabiola was coughing and trying to dispel the smoke from her lungs, and he could see the blackness around her nose and mouth where she'd breathed in the noxious fumes. Caterina couldn't speak for all the coughing she was doing, and while Fabiola fussed over her, Augusto straightened and looked around for his horse. The mare was grazing undisturbed on the hill they'd gone over in their rush to get to the house.
Augusto noticed that the small crowd that had formed when they'd ran inside the house was thinning out, and that no one had even tried to offer them aid. It wasn't from being too cruel or callous, because he could see it in their pale, stricken face. They were afraid that any help they offered the siblings would be seen as defiance against the Borgia. That only further confirmed Augusto's suspicion that it had been Ottavio. Fabiola had tried and failed to draw the emblem that she'd seen on the guards that had tried to kidnap Giotto and herself almost three years ago. Matteo had confirmed that while he and his men were Roman guards, the ones with that crest directly served Cesare Borgia. It also meant that he had more influence that Matteo despite having more years as Captain than Ottavio.
He suspected that his ex-friend hadn't sabotaged Matteo either because he didn't know his name or involvement with Fabiola. It could also be that he couldn't think of a way to do it without arousing Cesare's suspicion that he was using the man's personal guard for his personal use. To hide them from the man, Matteo had moved them with the hope that wouldn't get his hands on Gitto. It didn't matter that Augusto felt like a coward for running and hiding, but he would do anything for that little boy's safety. Now, it had all been futile, and that monster had taken his nephew.
Caterina's coughing fit had calmed and she told them at once what had happened while Fabiola tried to clumsily stop the bleeding to a stab wound in her shoulder. It had been done with a thin dagger and hadn't done too much damage. The fact that she'd been left alive meant they'd wanted her stay that way to tell the twins where they had taken the three year old. Even setting the house on fire had been a message, which was that they could hide no more. Ottavio wanted them to know where he was.
"It's a trap," Augusto stated the obvious. Fabiola turned her soot-covered face toward her brother, and saw the fury burning like an unholy light in her caramel eyes. Her response was a clear to him as if she'd spoken, 'Yes, but I'm still going there to kill him.' Augusto gave a feral smile. "Unless I get to the bastardo first." The smirk on her face was answer enough. 'You're on.'
They took Caterina to the doctor to attend her injuries before telling her where they would rendezvous with them after the dottore was finished with her. The siblings hurried off to where they'd already established to meet with each other and Matteo in case something happened and they were separated. It was too risky to send word to the Captain telling him what had happened, so they had to hope that the man found out on his own and could defend against anything Ottavio might try.
It was almost sun set when all five men arrived, and there they learned why they'd taken so long. Matteo and his men had been sent on a wild goose chase after supposed insurgents. When they'd figured out they'd been cheated did Matteo send Giovanni to check on the house while the rest of them continued their shift. The archer had brought horrific news, and Matteo had disappeared to investigate the whereabouts of Ottavio Farnese. When he had it and that fact that it was heavily guarded, did he return to his men and they'd all left their posts after the changing of the guard.
Although they had suspected it individually, all five men were angered when they learned that Giotto had been taken. Matteo and the twins planned, and although it was difficult for Fabiola, they decided to wait until nightfall to attack. It would be very tricky to invade without raising the alarm, since it was located close to a damned tower and one mistake would bring a veritable army down on them. So, it would have to be planned and executed with precision.
The archers patrolling on the rooftops would be the first to go, four in total. There were seven of them and five hired mercenaries; making twelve against however many Ottavio had with him. They'd be divided into groups of three, which would come from all four directions; north, south, west, and east. After they were separated, each group would be in charge of eliminating an archer, and dispatching of them without alerting those inside was essential. The element of surprise was needed in order for this plan to be a success. If they were correct in it being a trap, then there'd be more than they could handle within the walls. So, securing the archers and their vantage points had to be achieved without fail. That way four of their own archers could take out any guards with crossbows the others might encounter while sneaking into the compound.
The Captain was grim faced as he handed out the crossbows that would be used tonight. The plan they had in mind would ensure that they be discovered as traitors. "Of course, Ottavio Farnese will have already made sure to expose my men and I, so after this we'll be enemies of the Borgia."
Fabiola was a few feet away, leaning against a tree but still within hearing range. She'd been absently flipping a dagger in her left hand as her booted foot tapped impatiently against the ground. At Matteo's words she paused, and without glancing over she flicked her wrist and the dagger in her hand embedded dead center within their huddled group. All except Augusto flinched, and Matteo glanced warily at her as she straightened and made a cutting motion across her throat with her thumb.
Augusto chuckled as he reached over to pull the weapon out of the ground to throw it back at her, which his sister caught with ease. "Fabiola is still going to kill Ottavio." The young man grabbed one of the crossbows as well as a bundle of twenty-five bolts. "So, who is backing out, and who's going to kill some scum?" Augusto and Fabiola were standing for all of two seconds before Matteo and the other four followed. They looked grim-faced but determined, and Matteo trusted them with his life, and after three years Fabiola did as well.
Augusto, on the other hand, only trusted four people in total with his life, and one of them was dead now. This was one of the reasons he would be the archer of their group, which consisted of Fabiola, Matteo and himself, and not to mention that he was the better marksman. Also, this way he would be like a guardian angel toward his sister. Of course, he would watch Matteo's back or his sister would never forgive him, but also because he'd grown accustomed to having Matteo around. The man had done right by his sister and given the child his last name, and he could admit that he was one of the people he trusted. At the moment they'd be celebrating Matteo and Fabiola's engagement if it hadn't been for Ottavio.
The young man was determined to see him dead, and now it wasn't just for raping his sister. His father had been murdered during Giotto's kidnapping, and Ottavio had been directly responsible. It didn't matter if he'd held the sword that had killed him or not, Ottavio Farnese would die tonight. Afterwards, the twins would have ample time to mourn and face the reality that now they truly were orphans.-
~o~
ragazza carina - pretty girl
Grazie a Dio - Thank God