Between the Storms

Chapter Thirty-Six

36. Gypsies Ye Have Cometh

Leon and Magdelena arrived in the town by the time night fell, meaning no one was out, and the only people awake were those in the tavern and those who owned or worked at the tavern. Magdelena couldn't help but smile at the sight of it but she continued to walk past it Leon went to ask her about it but she spoke before the question left his lips, "We are gypsies we do not stay in taverns." 

"We didn't bring tents or bedrolls, are we meant to just lay on the bare ground?" he asks slightly nervous making her laugh at him slightly.

"Worry not dear Leander," she says using his fake name, "I have everything all set up." She says holding up a leather satchel overfilled with things. They made their way to a nearby clearing in which they could still see the town, before they tied up their horses and go to work on their temporary camp. She set up a tent while he started a fire.

"Mag-Mahoney there is only one tent," he points out and she chuckles at the nervousness in his voice, "I do not feel like being killed by the Prince."

"It Is nOt thE prIncE hE shOUld bE wOrryIng AbOUt," the voice hissed in her head making her headache at the loud noise. 

"I wouldn't be too worried about that Leander," she says smiling at him, "There are two rolls in one tent. We won't be sharing anything more than a tent. Unless we want to." She sends a wink over her shoulder making him shake his head at her.

"May I be honest for a moment?" he asks and she nods her head looking at him as she moves to take a seat across the fire from him on a log he had found, "When I first saw you I understood all the knights talking about you, but as I have gotten to know you. I fear that-"

"It is okay Leon, you don't have to confess what you think about me," she says, "I know everyone has different opinions of people."

"I feared we wouldn't become friends, you just seemed unapproachable and yet as I saw you and spoke to you I realized that you are not the kind of lady who you would want to go home to after a battle," she looks at him slightly hurt by his words but he wasn't finished speaking, "You are the one the battle would be about but you wouldn't dare leave at home to clean. You would need to be with your friends and loved one's sides."

"Would you allow me to?" she asks staring at him, "Go to battle with you that is."

"I would be too scared of trying to stop you," he says making her chuckle while she looks at him making him look at her.

"You want to know what I think of you Leon?" she asks staring at him with a mischevious glint in her eyes making him hesitate to answer. 

"I am slightly fearful," he says making her chuckle once more.

"You pride yourself of being loyal. You are honest and you try your hardest to hold up the laws and the Knights Code," Magdelena says looking at him as if he was giving her all the answers sitting there in silence, "Yet sometimes you doubt the King's orders and laws. You truly think that the Prince will bring a new age to this land."

"Those are rather treasonous words," he says quietly like Uther would be able to hear them from his castle speaking badly about him.

"Fear not Leon," she says smiling at him, "I may be Uther's servant but I am not his spy. You may speak to me freely."

Not long after that Leon cooked them dinner before the two of them crawled into the tent and went to their respective sides, Magdelena waited until Leon was asleep before crawling from her side and to the outside world to watch the night darkness circle around her with their fire dead there were no lights to draw attention to them.

"Alright you bastard I know you are in there,"  she says quietly as to not wake Leon, "Come out and play."

"yOU wAnt tO plAy wIth mE? Or wAs thAt jUst tO drAw mE OUt?" his voice asks with a sickly sweet tone.

"I want to know how you are able to speak now," she snaps at him, "I want to know how you are doing this. Speaking to me."

"wEll OncE I EntErEd yOUr bOdy AftEr thE vEssEl brOkE, I hAvE bEEn fEEdIng On yOUr lImItlEss pOwErs," he tells her, "thE lOngEr I Am In hErE thE mOrE pOwErfUll I bEcOmE And thE mOrE I cAn dO." 

"Dammit," she mutters rubbing her head, "how do you know my powers are limitless?"

"I hAvE gOnE dOwn tO sEE hOw strOng I mAy grOw wIth yOU," he says, "I mAy EvEn bE AblE tO tAkE yOU OvEr OnE dAy."

"I will never let that happen," she growls at him watching the world around her begin to grow a bit brighter as the sun peaks over the horizon.

"yOU mAy nOt hAvE A chOIcE," his dark laughter left in her ears as she hears the town slowly begin to come to life starting with the baker and the blacksmith. 

By the time Leon had awoken Magdelena had started a small fire and was warmings a small amount of meat, she had bought form the butcher who opened not long after the Baker. He sat down at the log he had taken the night before and looked at her as she handed him a few slices of the warm bread, "The meat should be finished soon."

"I don't remember bringing bread or this meat," he says motioning to the meat on the fire as he nibbled on perfectly baked bread. 

"The baker and the butcher were happy to seel some of their cheaper supplies to two gypsies who were robbed of their things, but we were able to save  money and gems as I was wearing them around why waist."

"You are quite good at this aren't you?" Leon asks staring at her as she raises an eyebrow.

"At being something I'm not?" she asks handing him the meat before she begins to put out the fire out waiting for him to finish eating his breakfast. Once he was done eating and the fire was done she grabbed his hand making her way from the camp and into the town. 

The children seemed to cheer at the sight of them in their funny clothes and ran to them stopping their playing to run at them. They begged for a song, or a trick something to entertain them. Leon looked a little hesitant as Magdelena stopped walking and knelt down to the kids looking over them.

"I hAvE A trIck fOr thEm." Magdelena blinked rapidly before she smiled back at the children, before pulling something from her pouch it was a small shining stone nothing more than painted rock. 

"I seemed to have misplaced my magic stones," she says looking a bit distraught, "Perhaps you have seen some around the town. Perhaps you can bring them to me when I and my husband do a small show for all of you."

The kids cheered once more excited by the prospect of a treasure hunt before taking off running in all directions the parents seemed relieved by the sight of their kids distracted by something. With that Leon and Magdelena made their rounds, buying a few cheap goods trading their story for the townspeople.