Fire in the Heart : The Princess and the Bandit (9781629020112) (7 page)

Chapter 6

T
he streaming rays
of yellows and golds lit up the dark corners of the streets from the night before. Sparkling beams bounced from roof to roof as the palace domes basked in the sun’s glory. Each towering figure served as a beacon of hope in a desperate city filled with open mouths and outstretched hands. Growling bellies and whining souls occupied nearly every street corner. But Elijah’s eyes and ears were closed to that as he sat high atop the city. He could only think of one thing, one person, Natalia, and how his friends had embraced her beauty and kindness. The building excitement far below did little to distract his thoughts and desires as the love of his life dug deeper and deeper into his dreams.

Graceful images of her blowing hair and sweet smells quickly vaporized. Isabelle bumped into a chair and knocked it against the table. An empty wine bottle dropped to the floor and shattered. Her feet shuffled as she kept the chair’s teetering form from falling. But it was too late. Elijah’s frown silently captured her disquieting display of morning awkwardness. Her hands smacked together a couple of times just before she wiped them against her robe. He had already turned back to face the wide-open sky and ever-changing morning hues.

“How was your walk with the princess?” Isabella said. Elijah thought she sounded rather tense for so early in the morning, something he did not want to deal with. So he shrugged his shoulders and remained fixed on the movements in the streets below.

She took a step closer as her breathing turned more rapid. “Are you going to ignore me now?”

She continued, jaws tightened. “You can’t have her, you know.”

Her pointed finger was aimed at his way. When he whipped himself about, her expressionless face came into view. “Who are you to tell me who I can and can’t have?” He drew in a deep breath and stopped.

“It’s just common sense, Elijah,” as she shook her head. “She’s a princess, and you’re a bandit. It could never be.” Both of her hands quickly settled on her hips.

He laughed, “Don’t worry about me, Isabelle. How about you just worry about your life, and I will worry about mine,” and then turned away.

Isabelle glared and walked away.

Elijah thought about how difficult his friend had become over the last several days, but knew he couldn’t do anything about it now. He shook his slightly lowered head and then fixed his eyes again toward the palace. “It’s going to be a good day.” He didn’t glance back when he bounded across the short distance to the neighboring roof and then quickly down the white walls to the street below. Some passing women, draped in scarves of blues and golds, had just passed as a couple of neighborhood children scurried between them. They suddenly turned sideways, but their unexpected laughter told Elijah all was well. The children kept running and were soon out of sight.

Through the crowd came a stiff voice, louder and harsher than any of the others. “Get out of here!” Elijah turned. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn’t sure who it was. He was greeted by an enormous turban atop a stately looking man. Garment of white, red, and flowing brown silks bespoke of his staggering wealth as did the two soldiers by his sides. Elijah had arrived just in time to observe the impact of the man’s foot against a beggar’s rib cage.

The afflicted man yelled out as he rolled onto the dirty, stone street. “I’m sorry…I just…”

Quickly, one of the soldiers stepped over the cowering man. The wide eyes of a growing crowd gazed on in silence with the exception of a covered whisper from some just out of sight. With his hand on his oversized turban, he shouted, “Silence! You little pest! I told you to quit begging in front of my house!”

His eyes did not lift to the dark scowl above him as his shaking voice replied, “But, this is the only place in the city where people have the money to share. Every other place, everyone is living in poverty!” He continued to stare at the deep cracks between the deeply embedded stones.

Elijah watched this develop, keeping his eyes on the fidgeting soldiers. He noticed the rich man’s face as it turned a brilliant red.

The towering man abruptly leaned over and slapped the defenseless victim with the back of his hand. His shouting voice broke the stagnant air, once again. “Silence! You should be executed for your insolence!” No sooner had he said that than did he reach back down and smack the man again. “Oh, how I wish the sultan would rid us of all beggars in this city!”

Elijah noticed a drip of red form on the poor man’s lip. He glared at the well-dressed oppressor and clenched his fists. “Then the city would be empty.” He stood, motionless, with his deep frown fixated on the brutal man.

Suddenly, the three turned in unison toward Elijah as the man below lifted a hopeful eye. He looked Elijah up and down and then slowly rose.

Elijah crossed his arms as the two soldiers stepped closer. He said, “Hi.”

Suddenly, the tunic-covered man stepped out into the open. “Who are you?”

“Name’s Elijah. Pleasure to meet you.” Elijah stood his ground and wondered just where this was going to lead. He’d seen this man, with his guards, roaming the city streets before, but he had never seen him attack like this.

Suddenly, the man chuckled as he glanced at his guards and nodded his head. “Is this your lost son?” All three broke out in laughter.

The smile dropped from Elijah’s face. “Usually, when someone introduces himself, the other introduces himself too.”

A raised dagger came with the reply. “You are not worthy to know my name, boy.”

“Oh…” Elijah stepped back and motioned to the beggar to step away too. A sparkle quickly formed in Elijah’s eyes as his eyes followed the walls to the overhanging ledges above. He brought his eyes back to bear on the approaching man.

“You best mind your tongue, boy, or I will personally remove it.”

Elijah stepped back a little farther just as several in the crowd gasped for air. His eyes narrowed as they locked onto the man’s scowl.

“If I ever see you again, Bijan, I will end your begging days permanently!” The rich man turned to the beggar, now standing out of arms’ reach.

Bijan swallowed hard.

Elijah carefully observed the three as they stepped closer to the crowd. It opened up just as he slid his dagger back into hiding. Suddenly, they were gone.

“Are you okay?” It only took a second for Elijah to close the gap to the pale-skinned man.

Quivering, he replied, “Yes, thank you.”

Elijah suddenly frowned. “Who is that son of a donkey?”

“That is Dario. He is one of the wealthiest nobles in the city.” Bijan’s watchful eyes darted back to where the crowd had gathered.

Elijah smiled as he followed the man’s eyes. He didn’t like crowds and was relieved to see them gone. “Do you need food, Bijan?”

Bijan whispered, “I have not eaten in two days…uh…I’m sorry. What was your name again?”

Elijah had to lean in closer. And then he laughed. “It’s Elijah.”

Just as the two children from before ran by, he continued, “Oh, well. I am Bijan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Elijah replied, “I have never seen you around here.” He looked down the street and saw the backs of the two soldiers, just as they turned away and out of sight.

“That’s odd. I am always here.”

Elijah laughed. “Yeah, so am I.” But he wondered how he could have missed the man.

The man’s growling stomach caught Elijah’s attention just as he turned to go. “Well, I best be off to find me another spot to beg.”

Elijah reached out and grabbed Bijan’s arm. “Wait. How about I go get you some food from my hideout?”

Beaming, he quickly turned. “Really? You would do that for me?”

Elijah smiled. “Yeah. Why not?”

“I have not heard of people sharing in this cursed city for quite some time now.” Bijan cast his eyes to the ground.

Elijah chuckled. “I know. Things are bad here. But hey. We all have a choice to make a difference, right?” He watched the man’s head slowly lift back up.

“Yes, that is true. You are wise beyond your years, young man. You know, I used to be strong like you.” He raised his eyebrows as he glanced into Elijah’s eyes.

“Oh?” Elijah said as he wondered what Bijan’s life must have been like. He had noticed that he spoke rather well for a beggar and was now curious how this could be.

“I use to be a respected nobleman in this city. But that was many years ago.”

“What happened?”

Bijan’s face suddenly turned red as he raised a clenched fist into the air. “That Dario framed me and my family. He was close to the sultan, and he said he had proof that my families were spies for the Christian crusaders! This great house that he lives in now used to belong to me!” He turned and shook his fist at the broad expanse of the gates to the mansion adjacent to them. He rubbed the palm of his hand on his eye.

“I am sorry to hear that. Where is your family now?”

Shaking his head, the man’s voice broke up, “My wife lives with him now.”

Suddenly, Elijah frowned. He glanced away from the white and blue of the wide gates. “I’m sorry.”

His quivering voice continued. “That monster took my wife, my home…”

Elijah didn’t move.

“And even worse, my daughter…thinks that he is her father. She sees me as a beggar like all the rest.” He shook his head.

Bijan continued, “Forgive me for complaining. It’s nice to have someone listen every once in a while.”

Elijah stepped closer. “I will listen.” The corners of his mouth slowly turned upward. “But let me get you some food. It may settle your mind down a bit.”

Bijan slowly nodded.

Holding up his right forefinger, Elijah stepped toward the nearby wall. “I will be right back.”

No sooner had he turned did he hear the loud rhythmic beating of metal on stone. A flash in his mind told him it was something unexpected, possibly a horse-drawn cart. But he wanted to know for sure, so he turned away from the pressing goal just accepted and was met by an unexpected sight. Two gaily-clad horses, complete with leather body armor, were prancing toward him, dragging a two-man chariot. The driver, also clad in black leather, quickly captured Elijah’s attention, but not for long. He glanced behind him and realized the cage mounted to the chariot’s rear. He had seen this kind of vehicle before and remembered that it was used to carry prisoners, but something seemed different about this one. He decided that it was far too interesting to ignore. As the noise grew louder, he couldn’t help but notice that there was a man sitting in the cage. Just as it was about to pass, the street became silent as the driver drew back the hand brake and stepped off to talk to another soldier. The street suddenly became alive with the flurry of insults. Several locals took a fleeting moment to curse the man, shouting obscenities not usually spoken in public. Elijah shook his head and wondered why they wanted to be so mean to someone they didn’t even know. He couldn’t help but wonder what importance this caged man had. He inched closer, keeping his eyes on the two soldiers. Elijah had to duck as several handfuls of dirt and rocks flew past his lowered head. As he stood beside some other eager onlookers, he stared at the strange sight before him. “Who is this man? What crime has he done?”

A nearby stranger, gleaming, nodding his head feverishly, briskly replied, “He is a Christian crusader! He is now our prisoner! He will be executed!”

Elijah took his attention from the man’s words the last few steps toward the foreboding bars of steel. He observed the man’s clothing, ripped and well-worn leather pants and shirt, complete with dried blood. A closer look showed several gashes on his face and arms, with one still oozing precious life. The man followed Elijah’s roving gaze.

Both men’s bodies suddenly tensed up and turned to a gruff, albeit feminine verbal barrage. “You will die, Christian!”

Elijah pulled away from the discomforting intruder, and fixed his gaze again on the caged man. The helpless man took a deep breath. He said, “Are you going to throw rocks at me too?”

Elijah, with slightly tilted head, replied, “No.”

The man laughed. “Praise God!” His happiness was met with immediate sorrow just as a well-aimed rock made its way through the man’s only protection and against his shoulder.

Another voice, this time filled with hardness followed the projectile. “You will pay, Christian!”

He shook his head. “I spoke too soon.”

Elijah stood directly in front of the seated man with his hands on the bars. “Who are you?” He couldn’t stop wondering what kind of man this was. His features were so different than his own. His hair wasn’t dark at all, rather the color of straw at harvest time. His face, covered with weeks of no care, showed no signs of the dark hair of men of his city. And his eyes were blue, brilliant blue, unlike his own hazel portals to the world. He had heard rumors of these people who came from a distant land, fighting for their belief of Christianity.

The man threw back his head and burst out in laughter. “Who am I? Can’t you hear your fellow man? I am a Crusader, sent by Satan himself! I am the evil entity that will destroy the world! Or something like that. Why do you ask?” He stopped laughing and then smiled broadly, from ear to ear. Elijah couldn’t help but notice how white his teeth were.

Still lost in the image before him, he tried to summon a response. “I don’t know. I have never seen a crusader.” He continued to stare at the man. The shouts from the crowd were no longer heard even though they kept coming.

The man stood up. “Well, today is your lucky day!” He quickly opened his arms wide and shouted, “Here I am!” Elijah stepped back, almost tripping on a little woman just behind him.

Elijah glanced around at his fellow freemen and thrust his hands deep into his pockets. “If you say so.”

The man stepped up to the edge of the cage and pointed toward his one-man audience. “You seem like a smart lad. Why don’t you help an evil man like me out. Rescue me somehow.” His lip curled up slightly as he smiled.

Elijah quickly crossed his arms. “I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

He pulled one arm around, lowered his forehead slightly, and aimed his finger right at Elijah. “Ah! With the proper motivation, you can accomplish anything you want.”