TRIO CHALLENGE: Bedpost, knife, and rope
DISCLAIMER: The characters are Fireworks, et al. The story is mine. The challenge is Maril's. It's her fault.
RATING PG 13 Mention of death Ok so it isn't G

~~~~~

Vera was wrong. She missed the visit to Tessa's and the picnic with Grisham. Gaspar was so tender and methodical that Vera was completely overtaken. Gaspar made love to his wife and after a short respite, Vera made love to him. It continued this way for four hours. Lovemaking, rest, et cetera. Then they were totally spent.

"Gaspar, that was wonderful. It has never been that way before." She cooed into his ear.

"Never forget my pet that I love you more than life itself. I know it bothers you that we don't have children. It is I who can not give you those. I had an injury when I was younger. I recently spoke to Doctor Helm and explained my injury. He examined me and confirmed that I would never father a child. If it could be fixed, it would be done."

"If you want a child of your own, you can see other men, but I ask you to be discreet. Remember who your husband is and where you live."

"Oh, Gaspar, you are the man I love, and somehow I know we will have children."

"Vera, there is also another way. Doctor Helm told me a sad story. A young girl, I believe was fourteen, found herself with child. First she tried to cut her wrists with a knife, but was stopped. She then got a rope and hung herself. She was found barely alive and she died in childbirth. She never said who the father was. This happened a couple of weeks ago and the Church is taking care of the baby."

"Poor child, what does this have to do with us?"

"The child need a mother and a father. If you agree, we could bring this child into our home and raise it as our own. The decision is yours, my dear,"

Vera sat down on the four poster bed and leaned against the bedpost. A child to raise as our own. O Madre Mio, please give me a sign, she prayed silently.

As she sat on the bed and looked out the window, she saw a little boy in the garden climbing a tree, picking apples and handing them to his mother.

"Gaspar, you a kind, loving, generous and beautiful man and yes I agree. When can we bring the child home?" She said kissing and hugging him.

"Don't you want to know whether the child is a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't matter, this child will come to us from God and what more fitting that we should accept the child from the Church. Can we go now?"

"We could, precious, but I think we should put on some clothes first, don't you think?" He said as he pulled her to him again.

CHALLENGE RESPONSE: CHALLENGE 11
WAR SURVIVOR

SYNOPSIS. Continuation of MnD's 11 Challenge Response

Quick Beta by Mnd

WARNING: The use of Beatles quotes and EXTREME violence

~~~~~

Helm rolled as the Frog's sword was driven into the ground and a bullet smashing through the back of his head, pulverizing the cavalryman's face. Blood, brains and teeth spewed onto Helm.

Screaming canon balls suddenly filled the air, terrorizing the soldiers and horses before crashing and exploding among the hand to hand combatants. Canoneers either disregarded the fact that they were killing their own men or lousy shots. Men were torn apart or vaporized by the balls.

Helm heard the scream of a ball and dove into a crater from a previous explosion and landed on a cactus spine. An explosion rocked the earth and spewed dirt, rock, pieces of rifles, swords and body parts and more cacti onto Helm who had covered his head with his arms while trying to meld into the ground, without the aid of a ball.

"Why in the hell did I have to fight a war in the only country in Europe to have cacti?" Helm knew that they only other place in the world to have cacti was in the Sonoran desert located in the States of Sonora and Arizona in Mexico.

Suddenly Helm was bowled over as five enemy soldiers jumped into the crater to escape another cannon ball. The soldiers were scared shitless and cowered against the side of the crater. Helm grabbed his sword and prepared to kill.

"Please we are unarmed," cried one of the men, tears streaming down his face. They all put their hands on top of their heads. They were young, mere boys, covered with blood, guts and dirt.

Another cannon ball screamed and shook the ground, knocking them all to their knees and spewing more debris on top of them.

"I gotta get outta this place, if it's the last thing I ever do." yelled Helm at the men as he scrambled up the side and over the top. He got four feet when he hit the dirt as another ball whistled. Another explosion ripped the earth and Helm could see the ball landed in the crater he had exited. Something rolled near Helm's head and he looked over and stared into the eyes of the boy who had pleaded for mercy. There was no body attached to the head.

Belly crawling through the blood and gore, the smell gagging him, Helm scrambled into another crater as a mass of enemy soldiers charged him. A canon ball flew straight at the men and smashed a head into pulp, splattering his comrades before ripping off the arm of the man behind him.

Suddenly Helm realized that the cannon fire had ceased. The soldiers dropped their weapons and ran. He dove for cover as his own troops opened fire and then moved forward, systematically bayoneting every body that even so much as twitched, regardless of uniform.

A half-hour went by and the battle moved on before Helm dared to move. When he did, he saw more troops moving through the bodies. Miraculously some of the bodies were still alive and the troops help the wounded back towards the hospital unit. Helm passed out.

He woke as gentle hands picked him up. He forced himself to advise of his name rank and unit. His ripped leg had been wrapped with a handkerchief and the bleeding had slowed. He relaxed as he was carried into the hospital tent.

"Captain, after 2 days you are well enough to leave. Don't over tax your leg and the stitches will be ready to be removed in a week. Now get out of here so we can treat real patients," said a doctor with a grin.

Helm did as he was told. He commandeered a horse and rode away from the killing field as fast as he could eventually stopping to rest in an abandoned building. The sun filtered through the splintered roof as a single beam coming to rest on a cross. Helm was in a church. He looked closer at the cross. A Spanish sword was tied to the cross with a red sash. Though the smashed window he saw a figure dressed in black, with long raven black hair, riding a Chestnut colored horse riding away. He rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. When he looked up again, the figure, the horse and the sword were gone.

Helm raised his eyes skyward. "Lord God, get me out of here," he prayed.

SYMPATHY

Challenge 12 response Fog, spectacles, a message

BETA'D by: MnD (yuanne@aol.com)

Characters belong to Fireworks, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera (my apologies to Yul Brenner)

RATING: G
CHARACTERS: Q CM H
SYNOPSIS: The Queen helps an enemy .

~~~~~

The full moon lit the dark night as the Queen of Swords raced away from the soldiers. She had been riding long and hard. The soldier's horses had given out, but one of the men was like a terrier. He would not give up. There was still a long way between the two, but still he dogged her trail all night long.

What had started out as a warm evening was turning cold. Her thin blouse was not protection enough as she could feel her nipples harden and every muscle was chilled to the bone.

"Chico, I have to get Marta to make a winter outfit or I will freeze to death."

Chico neighed in reply.

She noticed that the once full moon was neither longer full nor showing. In fact, she was having a hard time seeing where she was going. Then she realized what was happening. It was late; somewhere around 3 A.M. and the morning fog was rolling in off of the Pacific Ocean. It was so thick that she could barely see two feet in front of her. In some places it was a floating fog, foggy where she sat in the saddle, clear to her feet in the stirrups and foggy below.

"This will kill us Chico, if we don't stop. When will that bastard Montoya stop?"

She brought Chico to a halt and let him blow. She dismounted and walked him, all the while listening for her pursuer. Lest she walk right into the ocean, and to throw off her purser, she turned east. As she walked, she realized that she had entered a canyon.

In addition, she heard her pursuer behind her.

"Damnit, that man is a bloodhound." She hurried further into the canyon as quietly as she could. She heard the man stop and a short while later saw a campfire between her and the entrance.

She started shaking uncontrollably from the cold.

A bodiless voice called out from the fog "Would you care to share my fire, my dear, at least until the morning?"

"So you can kill me in the night?"

"You pierce my heart, Reina. I offer you, as a gentleman should, the comfort and warmth of my fire. Watching you freeze to death would not be honorable. I much prefer that we duel it out when we are both at our best. Now please come to my fire and I swear there will be no attack."

"Colonel, you utterly confound me. You chase me all over the countryside to kill me and then you offer me the comfort of your fire. Are you trying to seduce me with your charm?"

"Would that be such a bad thing? You are a beautiful woman, strong, intelligent and sexy. Do you know why you are able to defeat my soldiers so easily? They are lost in your beauty and hesitate when they shouldn't."

"Why Colonel, you are making me blush. All right, a truce. I am too cold to fight right now."

As she came to the fire, Colonel Montoya walked up to her, unarmed. He took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders. They sat by the fire and stayed warm. Soon they were both asleep.

Morning broke and the warmth of the sun slowly climber high enough to warm the canyon.

"Buenos Dias, Reina. Today will be a glorious day."

"You mean that you have already savored my death, before breakfast?"

"My dear, of course I will give you time to freshen up before we begin. There are some bushes just around the bend which will give you your privacy."

"You are quite the gentleman, Colonel. I will be with you in a bit."

True to her word, in a half an hour, the Queen of Swords and Colonel Montoya faced off, swords in hands.

Suddenly their horses became nervous and bolted through the canyon. The two combatants stopped and looked around. The ground began to roll and shake. A low rumbling sound echoed through the canyon. Rocks began to fall, as the tremor became more intense.

"Look out," cried Montoya as boulders rolled and bounced towards the canyon floor. Montoya reached out, grabbed the Queen's arms and flung her away from the wall as several rocks crashed around him. The last she saw of him, he was going down under the boulders.

The Queen grabbed her sword and picked herself up while looking for Montoya. She saw his sword sticking sideways in the ground, but no Montoya. She sheathed her sword and carefully picked her way across the boulders until she found him. He was partially buried under dirt and small rocks. A sudden groan made her move faster. Upon reaching him, she quickly started digging the buried Montoya until e yelp stopped her.

"Colonel, are you alright?"

"That is the dumbest question I have ever heard come out of your sensuous mouth. I just had a mountain fall on me; of course I'm not ok. I think my right leg is broken. The one you are kneeling on."

"Oh I am so sorry, I didn't know." She said quickly moving off the injured limb.

"I trust you are uninjured, Senorita?"

"Thanks to your pushing me out of harm's way. I am most grateful and confused. Why, Colonel? You were going to try and kill me anyway."

"Honor, my dear. I want the honor of killing my most dangerous and most beautiful enemy myself, not some stupid mountain."

"Thanks for the honor, colonel, I think."

"De nada. It will be my cold steel that will end your career not a pile of rocks, if I have anything to say about it."

She ignored the last remark although she flinched at the imagery presented. Carefully, she uncovered the trapped man, taking extra care of the injured limb.

"Why are you helping the man that wants you dead?"

"Honor, Colonel. I want the honor of plunging my cold steel into you, not some stupid mountain," she said with a grin as she threw back his owns words. "I don't want you dead, just an end to your tyranny. You are a handsome, dashing and debonair man. You always compliment me as you try to kill me. That is curious. I must know more. At the moment, though, I will try to find some water, so don't move, you will only cause more pain."

She went toward the mouth of the canyon, hoping to find the horses. She came back in a bit, leading Chico who was carrying an extra saddle. The Queen carried a bridle and two short tree branches.

"Your horse broke his leg and I think the saddle will be more comfortable than that rock you are leaning against. I am going to cut the bridle and use it to splint your leg. Hope you can take the pain, Colonel. It is going to hurt."

"No shit? I am a man, a soldier, of course I can take the pain."

"Well, Colonel, bite down on this bridle and tell me if it hurts."

She pulled gently but firmly on the leg to straighten it out and then tied the splint.

"Are you ok, Colonel? You must be very strong as I didn't hear a single . . ." She smiled as she realized that the Colonel had passed out.

Montoya slowly came awake to find his leg splinted and the Queen of Swords hold his head in her lap and wiping his face with her damp red sash. As he awoke, she placed his head back on the saddle and started to walk away.

"One shot to the brain."

"What?" she asked as she turned to find that she was staring down the barrel of a pistol. "Thanks, I fix your leg and you tell me how you are going to kill me? What happened to your honor."

"Horse."

"Horse?"

"Yes horse, Equus, four legs, big head and a tail."

She threw up her hands, rolled her eyes and looked skyward. "El Senor, does every man have to answer the same way every time I say horse? Men!"

At that moment she spied a glare of light reflecting off of Montoya's sword onto the canyon wall. There on the canyon wall was a hand drawn pictograph of an animal, a horse.

"You, too?" she said as she dropped her hands, shrugged her shoulders, and shook her lowered head. "Men!"

She took the pistol and went back down the canyon. A short while later a pistol shot reverberated through the canyon. Her face was ashen when she returned.

"You can kill a man with no thought, but killing an injured horse bothers you? You are some mixed up women. Like there are two of you behind that mask."

She suddenly stood up straight. "I'll let you rest for awhile while I make a travois. I have to ask you Colonel, why all the tyranny? Surely it can't all be greed."

Sadly, Montoya shook his head. He reached into his uniform blouse and pulled out a letter and a pair of broken spectacles.

"I was going to read this but I guess I'll just have to tell you." Holding up the spectacles. "The dangers of reading to much. If you ever tell anyone that I wear these, I will kill you."

"Is that different that what you want to do anyway?"

"Touche." He replied with an evil grin.

"Please sit down. This is a long story and I am getting a kink in my neck from looking up at you, no matter how sensuous that is."

She blushed as she sat down. "Quit saying that, we are enemies. Are you trying to seduce your enemy?"

"Maybe another time, Reina, but I seem to be hindered with a broken leg. Now may I continue? First, a history lesson."

He made himself more comfortable against the saddle.

"I am sure you don't remember the San Blas. It was the royal supply ship, which brought military supplies and the payroll. Since the war in Europe, the San Blas was discontinued 10 years ago. Since then the crown has supplied no payroll. It all comes from taxes. Since there are no rich Dons or any ranchos to speak of, the soldiers in El Pueblo de San Francisco have not been paid. Every soldier north of Monterey wants to come to Santa Helena. But more about that later."

She offered him the canteen, which he took, letting the water cool his parched throat.

Two years ago, two Americano ships that were commanded by a Frenchman named Hippolyte de Bouchard raided Monterey. His officers were Americanos, his crew were Hawaiians and he carried a letter of Marque from Chile, of all places.

SUPPLY SHIP

Response to Trio 14

DISCLAIMER: Fireworks owns the characters. The story is mine
RATING: G
CHARACTERS: T M H

~~~~~

Captain Merel Bliteheart stood on the poopdeck of his ship "The Swan" as it anchored off the coast of California. He had been at sea for a year and a half. From Boston, to England then France, Spain, Italy then back through the straits. It was along trip down the coast of Africa around the Cape of Good Hope up to India and China. At each stop, they would resupply and trade goods. Now his hold was full of Spices, Spanish lace, oriental rugs, ivory, everything that should bring a pretty penny back home. But gold Reales paid the way home also. Now he was here at a dusty little backwater pueblo in Alto Californio.

"Marta, Marta a donde esta?"

"Estoy aqui en la cocina."

Isabel, one of the housemaids came running into la cocina.

"Isabel, what is it? Is the hacienda on fire?"

"No Marta, the supply ship. It is in the harbor."

Marta had been stirring a blouse into a vat of boiling water with a wooden spoon, dyeing the blouse black.

Footsteps raced down the Hallway.

Tessa came scurrying into the kitchen. "Marta, did I hear right? The supply ship is in? Quickly, we must get to town before everything is gone."

"Calm down, Tessa, quit acting like a school girl."

"Oh alright, but if everything is gone, I'm going to hit you with that spoon. Isabel, tell the workers they can go to town. Now let's go, Marta."

Tessa raced the buckboard towards town as if it were a race.

"Madre Dios, Tessa slow down or we won't get there at all."

Tessa let the horses slow down, a little. "I want to see if they have an Oriental rug for the parlor."

The plaza was full of people. Peons and Dons had been drawn to the pueblo like moths to a flame. They parked the buckboard and hurried to the stalls. Marta took one side and Tessa the other, giggling as they split up.

"Don't let anything escape, Marta." Laughed Tessa.

Tessa wandered through the stalls, picking up merchandise, inspecting and sometimes buying.

Tessa saw a porcelain apple and reached for it just as someone else's hand reached for it also.

"Find anything interesting, Senorita Alvarado?"

Tessa looked up to see Doctor Helm with a smirk on his face beside him was another man.

"Doctor, you were absolutely correct. There is more to this sleepy little pueblo than meets the eye. I thought I was cursed to anchor here, but this lovely vision of womanhood makes it all worth while."

"Captain may I present Dona Maria Teresa Alvarado. Senorita this is Captain Merel Bliteheart, master of the good ship Swan."

"Welcome to our pueblo, Captain, you seem to have everything we could have imagined. Our supply ship hasn't arrived."

Captain Bliteheart and Doctor Helm exchanged knowing looks.

"Senorita, we have just met, but you are a vision of loveliness. You remind me so much of my late wife, Mandy-Anne. I thought of her when I bought this and I would be honored if you would accept it.Even my married daughter Jo looks like you."

"Gracias, Senor." Blushing she accepted the gift, a small box.

"De nada, now I am afraid I must take leave. Senorita, Doctor."

Helm went toward his home while the Captain went back to the ship

"Tessa, did you pick out your rug yet?" inquired Marta who came up with two boys in tow. Their arms were loaded with merchandise.

"Yes, this one." Pointing out a beautiful rug and paying the vendor.

"Did you leave anything for anyone else, Marta?"

"Oh, a few trinkets. It was easy since you were paying for everything."

Tessa rolled her eyes "I created a monster. I hope you got a got good bargains."

"Of, course, I am gitano."

"What is that interesting looking box."

"A gift from the Captain of the supply ship."

Marta arched an eyebrow as Tessa opened the box. It was a jade rosary.

"I must get this blessed immediately, Marta" taking Marta's hand and headed for the Padre who she had seen in the market place.

"Be sure you remember to use after it is blessed, Tessita." In a lowered voice "Maybe the Queen should use it also."

~~~~~

Back at the Alvarado hacienda, the two women inventoried their spoils of the shopping war. Marta picked up a bolt of green silk and unwrapped it.

"Marta why are you unwrapping the bol . . .?"

Marta was holding a beautiful Spanish Sword. "When I saw this I could not resist. Now you can hang your father's sword in a place of honor."

Tessa took the sword, felt the weight, made some sword moves. "It is almost a match for Papa's. But how are we going to explain your buying a sword? I hope you got a good deal on it"

"Of, course, I am gitano, remember?"

"I met a young boy from the ship. He bought for me."

"A young boy, Marta?" She raised an eyebrow, "how do you know he won't tell anyone?"

"He is half gitano, he won't tell the gadjes anything. Besides, I told him it was for a friend and I insinuated that the friend was a soldier."

"It was made for me Marta, thank you." She ran her hand over the sword. "Marta what is this etched into the blade by the hilt?

Tessa Moved towards the light to inspect it closer.

"The reason I bought it. It is the Queen of Swords."

THE TRAP

CHARACTERS: Q/T M CM G
SYNOPSIS: The Queen learns from history
DISCLAIMER: The characters are Fireworks, the story is mine

~~~~~

Tessa was in her father's study reading when Marta walked in. Marta picked up the book Tessa was reading and looked at it. "Sun Tsu's The Art of War. Now that is a strange book for a lady to read."

"But not a strange book for the Queen of Swords."

"Possibly, but what can you learn from it? You are not leading an army."

"I am an Army of one. Listen, Marta, to what Sun Tsu has to say. Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

Shaking her head Marta continued, "Speaking of opportunities being seized, I overheard two soldiers talking in the cantina while I was in Santa Helena this morning. There is an arms and gold shipment coming in from Monterey tomorrow."

"Then the Queen rides tomorrow."

"It is a trap."

"When isn't it?"

"There are two wagons. One will be guarded by many soldiers and come by the main road. The real shipment will be guarded by a handful of soldiers and come by the coast rode. Captain Grisham and twenty soldiers will meet the second wagon towards the end of Sabino Canyon."

"That canyon is 10 miles long. I will have to intercept it before it gets to Grisham."

"Tessa, I have something for you. I want you to pin it to the inside of your blouse. I hope it will protect you."

Tessa accepted a pouch and opened it. Inside was a small gold crucifix. "It's beautiful, Marta, Thank you."

"I can't ride with you but He will."

~~~~~

That night, The Queen of Swords made a trip to a cave where she kept a cache of weapons that had been liberated from Montoya.

The next day a wagon surrounded by forty soldiers made its way through El Serpantine Canyon, named because of the windy road. Half way through the canyon, the soldiers discovered a landslide blocking the road. As they attempted to turn back, a second landslide was heard and the soldiers were boxed in. They drew their weapons and waited for the attack, which was sure to come.

An hour later a second wagon guarded by five soldiers and ten drivers plodded along Sabino Canyon. Three miles into the canyon they came across a landslide. This part of the canyon was wide enough to turn a wagon around. As they started retracing their steps they realized that the Queen of Swords blocked their path.

"Senores, you are surrounded by many rifles. Look to each side if you doubt me."

Forty rifle barrels could be seen in the under brush and pointed at them.

"Put your rifles and swords and rifles in the wagon and back away and you will not be harmed." The soldiers complied, as there was nothing else they could do. "Now sit down and don't move. If you attempt to come after me, you will be cut down.

"Reina, that is our payroll. We have not been paid in two months. How are we to support our families?"

"You have a point, Sergeant. Take out enough reales to pay the garrison. Start the wagon and don't move for twenty minutes or your widows will get your pay."

Thirty minutes later, Captain Grisham rode up on the other side of the landslide. Picking their way through the blockade, Grisham and his men discovered seven men siting on the ground.

"Having a picnic, gentlemen? Where is the wagon? No let me guess, The Queen of Swords."

"Captain, we are surrounded by many rifles."

Grisham looked around then walked to a rifle barrel he had seen. He grabbed it and inspected it. "Yeah, you're right many rifles, but no one to fire them. Damn, the breaches had been destroyed. Let's go after her. You gentlemen get to walk back as you have now joined the infantry."

Grisham and his men raced down the canyon and soon found the wagon. On the seat was a Tarot card. The horses, the weapons and the gold were all gone. Following the tracks of the horses was not easy. Brush had been tied to the horses and the tracks in the desert sand were being wiped out.

"Good trick Queenie, but you forgot about the dust cloud."

They set off after the dust cloud. They did not pay attention to where they were going; they just followed the clouded until it subsided. The soldiers sped around a curve in the trail and came to a halt on the outskirts of Santa Helena.

Colonel Montoya was mounted on his horse, just waiting for Grisham. "Lose something Captain? I could swear that when these horses left, they carried men and pulled a wagon."

He turned his horse back towards the pueblo. Without turning his head he called out: "Oh, Captain, it is bad enough to lose a squad of men, worse to lose the guns but unthinkable to lose the gold. I suggest you find the men, the guns and the gold or you will be walking as an infantryman and a Corporal at that."

MISTAKES HAPPEN

CHARACTERS: T M CM G H
SYNOPSIS: Musket balls kill
DISCLAIMERS: Characters are Fireworks. The story is mine

~~~~~

It was early in the morning when Tessa straggled into the kitchen wearing her robe and slippers. Marta was busy fixing breakfast.

"Marta, I am going into town this morning."

"Tessa, we were there yesterday and bought all of our supplies. Are going to see a certain Englishman?"

"Marta! One of the team horses threw a shoe on the way home yesterday. Pablo showed me last night. The mare is saddle broken so I will ride her in and have the blacksmith replace it. Should I tell Vlad hello for you?"

"Tessa?"

"Marta?"

They both laughed.

"You are going to ride a horse without a shoe into town to have it replaced? Won't that hurt the horse?"

"Pablo fixed that. He padded the hoof and tied a piece of heavy leather around the leg. It will be fine as long as I take it easy."

"Well, yes, you can tell Vlad hello. Now finish your breakfast so I can clean up before I start working in the garden. By the way, I laid out your grey riding pants and dark blue blouse for you before you got up."

"You knew? What gitano tricks are you using now?"

"A gitano trick named Pablo. He told me last night before he told you."

Later in the morning, Tessa rode into Santa Helena. She saw Colonel Montoya and Captain Grisham walking across the square. Soldiers patrolled the town.

"I wonder what they plotting today?"

A new recruit came around the corner as Tessa rode in.

"The Queen of Swords!" He shouldered his rifle and fired.

Montoya and Grisham turned towards the shout and then looked at Tessa just as the musket ball struck its target and killed instantly.

Tessa was thrown from the horse as the animal fell from the bullet, which has struck it in the head. The animal pinned Tessa's leg as they landed on the ground.

Montoya, Grisham ran towards Tessa. Grisham grabbed a nearby soldier.

"Arrest that idiot."

Doctor Helm had heard the shot, looked out the door of his office and ran to Tessa.

The three men used their combined strength to lift the horse as a soldier pulled Tessa free. Doctor Helm picked Tessa up and carried her to his office.

"Can I help, Doctor."

"You have helped enough, Colonel by employing trigger happy recruits. Is this how you plan on taking over the territory? Kill off the Dons or Donas?"

A few hours later, Doctor Helm and Tessa drove a carriage to the Alvarado Hacienda. Marta was in the garden and saw them. She ran to the carriage, still holding the rake she had been using.

"I'm fine Marta, nothing broken."

"It's a good thing that Montoya's men are lousy shots. A little higher and Tessa would be dead. Marta, I think Tessa could use something to drink and not lemonade."

Helm refused to allow Tessa to walk, so he carried her into the house.

"My how romantic Doctor Helm, you are carrying me over the threshold to my home."

Doctor Helm, turning a crimson color, mumbled something.

Marta appeared with three Margaritas, one for each. The glasses covered with salt.

Tessa picked up her glass and took a sip. "It is a true saying, Doctor that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him. The same goes for a woman."

"Ah yes Don Quixote, It doesn't surprise me that you have read that story."

"Really Doctor Helm, you of all people reading Don Quixote. What windmills are you chasing?"

"Mine are all tilted. Since you are in Marta's capable hands, I will take my leave."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Colonel Montoya was ushered in.

"My pardons, Senorita Alvarado for this unfortunate accident. He says that the sun was in his eyes and all he saw was a woman with dark hair and dark blouse on a horse."

"Many women in this area have dark hair and ride horses. They also wear blue blouses. By the way Colonel, I rode in from the west this morning and it was only Nine o'clock. The last I heard, the sun rises in the East."

"He obviously was lying, Senorita, the man will be severely punished."

"Accident, he could have killed me. I suggest you not let him play with guns anymore. You owe me more than an apology. He killed one of my horse teams."

"Quite true, and because of that, I have brought you compensation. Two horses to replace the one. Someone might think I had ordered that soldier to kill you."

"Colonel, even you would not do that in broad daylight with witnesses. I am tired now, Colonel, thank you for the horses. I will let you see yourself out as my leg hurts. Doctor Helm has told me to stay off of it."

Helm did not say a word.

"Doctor Helm, I believe that I need to rest. Will you please carry me to my bed?"

Helm's face was perfectly blank, but the Doctor and the Senorita made eye contact as he easily picked her up and carried her away.

SALVAGE

Response to Trio Challenge #20
DISCLAIMERS: Characters are Fireworks. The story is mine
CHARACTERS : T M
SYNOPSIS: Tessa finds a treasure

~~~~~

Maria Teresa Alvarado rode Chico along the beach, savoring the cool sea air. Chico's hoofs kicked up the salt water as the waves gently broke upon the shore.

Suddenly she spied an object that had been washed upon the shore. It was a large wooden crate. Tessa loosened the lariat on her saddle and easily lassoed the crate. "Well Chico, I still remember what the gitanos taught about the use of a rope."

Tying the loose end to her saddle she urged Chico to pull the crate to dry ground. The crate had a name on the crate. It was "Katakugi".

"How am I going to open this, Chico?" Chico neighed.

At that moment, Tessa saw on of her rancheros riding Marta's horse along the surf. She called to him and he immediately came over.

"Pablo, what are you doing here. Does Marta know you are riding her horse?"

"Si, Si, Senorita, Marta told me to stretch her horses legs as Marta hadn't been riding for over a week."

"Well, I am happy to see you and I need your assistance. May I borrow your dagger? I want to open this crate."

"Si, but let me have the honor of opening it for you."

"Gracias, Pablo."

Pablo pried the lid until the nails gave way. The contents were wrapped in oilskin and the water had been prevented from ruining the items. As they carefully pulled the oilskin away, Tessa's heart jumped. "Oh, Pablo, this is fantastic, please go get a wagon and not a word to Marta."

An hour later, Pablo and Tessa arrived at the hacienda. Chico's reigns were tied to the wagon and he dutifully followed the wagon.

Marta met the wagon. "Tessa, what is this? Have you gone shopping?"

"No Marta, salvaging." Tessa climbed over the wagon seat and pulled the lid off the crate. She pulled out a bolt of cloth. Marta took the bolt.

"Tessa, this is silk. Finer than the silk we got in Madrid. Madre Dios, Tessa there is enough material to make you several dresses."

"Marta, there is enough material to make dresses for both of us, Pablo's wife and daughter and a certain friend of ours. See there are five more bolts in different colors. There is the red you are holding, one white, one yellow, one blue, one lavender and one black. There is also a bolt of black lace."

Pablo helped Marta take the bolts into the hacienda. Tessa saw something in the bottom of the crate and reached for it. She lost her balance and ended up headfirst with only her legs sticking out. She started calling out.

"Marta!"

Pablo carefully put down the bolts and ran back to help Tessa. Marta was laughing out loud at the sight of Tessa's feet sticking out of the crate. Pablo pulled her Tessa out of the crate. She had a big grin on her face and held something in her hand.

"Marta, look here is something that you are always saying you don't have enough of. Thread pins and a new pair of scissors."