El Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos

Disclaimers: The characters from the Queen of Swords are copyright to Fireworks Productions and Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended or revenue expected from their use. The story plot and some of the other characters are copyright to the author, James Guy.

A companion story to Un Sabor by Brig

Thanks to Brig for allowing me to use her original characters, especially Lucy.

Answer to what happened to the Queen of Swords and Challenge # 12 beard, fence clouds and the three quotes.

The horses pulled hard at the traces as they struggled up the steep road. Luis cracked the whip over the horse’s heads and the wagon lurched forward.

"I told you your were on the wrong road, Luis."

"How would you know that? You have never been here before?" he asked, sweat dripping down his face and moistening his slightly grayed beard. He had just finished pushing the wagon wheel out of a rut in the trail.

"Never been here before? Do you want me to tell you where the Jesuit winery will be located or where the California Highway Patrol will park their fake cruiser to catch speeders?" she grinned.

"Damn, as long as I have known you, I somehow forget that you have been places in the future that I have been and seen a completely different place."

"Are we there yet?" chimed in a small voice.

Luis rolled his eyes and looked up to the blues sky and watched the wispy thin clouds hovering overhead before responding. He looked at Lucy and winked his eye.

"If I hear anyone else ask if we are there yet, I swear I will stop this wagon and you will walk," he barked in mock anger.

Lucy grinned at him.

"Don’t encourage them Lucy. It was fortunate that Mary Rose was able to give us passage to Monterey. Otherwise . . ."

"Don’t say it, my love. You know you don’t mean it. Just because Ramirez had to be pulled down from the crow’s nest three times," she laughed.

"I think Mary Rose was ready to push out the gang plank after the last time."

Lucy’s eyes watched the landscape slip away as the wagon finally reached the real El Camino Real. Luis had taken a very rough short cut, which would have been all right on horseback, but in a wagon filled with five children and luggage, it made Lucy wish for air shocks on the wagon.

"In two hundred years there will be a freeway that will take people from San Jose to Monterey in a less than three hours and all the way to Santa Elena in less than nine."

"That maybe true, but here and now it is peaceful and slow," said Luis.

Lucy laughed as she took Luis’ hand in hers. "Too much of a good thing is wonderful."

"Lucita, I wonder why Tessa and Juan settled here instead of near El Presidio de San Franciso or even Mission de los San Jose? I still can’t figure the name they call their rancho ‘El Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos’?"

"Tessa said they bought the rancho from Juan Hernandez and Sebastian Peralta who originally established the rancho. The original land grant was six thousand six hundred and thirty one acres. In my time the town sits in the middle of the old rancho. As to why they came here, you will have to ask her yourself," snickered Lucy.

"And the name?" frowned Luis.

"There are many mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We called them cats and the name come from the original owners," she replied. "Sometimes the cats even come into town. You can’t see it but one day there will be more than twenty-seven thousand people living here."

"Ay carrumba! I am glad I here now," he replied.

"Papa, he’s looking at me," whined Maria as she pointed at Ramirez.

Luis shook his head. Lucy smiled at him.

"It is the same in my time, my love."

Luis stopped the horses as the wagon crested the hill. Below he looked at the lush green rolling hills. Off to the west of the King’s Highway he could see rows upon rows of grape covered vines. In the valley between the hills were several hundred heads of cattle intermixed with unsaddled horses all under the watchful eyes of a half dozen rancheros on horseback.

Luis pulled out his binoculars, a gift from Lucy and the twentieth century. Lucy pointed out the hacienda some five miles away. Luis found a split rail fence and followed it until he came to a red brick column. He zoomed his binoculars back to see two columns with the figure of a mountain lion on each column. Above the column was a curved sign that read El Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos.

Panning left he saw the magnificent hacienda with red tile roof and beige colored adobe walls.

Luis gasped. "Lucy, half of Santa Elena would fit inside that hacienda."

"Tessa did say that it was rather large," she snickered.

"She always did have a way of understating things," laughed Luis and he snapped the traces.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Maria, we are there. Just down the hill," said a smiling Luis.

As the wagon approached the hacienda, the unmistakable sound of metal on metal could be heard. Luis pulled the horses to a stop, grabbed his sword and charged toward the sound. Over his shoulder he yelled, "Stay here."

Rounding the corner of the building, he skidded to a stop.

"Luis you are here," squealed Tessa, where are Lucy and the children?" she said as she rushed to an embarrassed Montoya standing there with his sword drawn.

Luis looked as two distinguished gentlemen with a hint of gray in their hair and Tessa stood around a blacksmith fire. Juan Torres was in rolled up shirtsleeves while the other man was stripped to the waist. A hammer was in one hand and a red-hot piece of metal in the other. The smithy, with sweat gleaming on his muscular chest placed the metal in a bucket of water and came the two men joined Tessa who had already given Luis a quick hug and raced around the corner.

"Colonel Montoya," said Juan "May I present Rob Swain."

"I had the pleasure of meeting the esteemed Colonel many years ago," said Rob as he held out his hand.

"I do remember you also. You made quite an impression when I first met you. You don’t look much older than you did then," said Montoya.

"A good woman will do that to you, Colonel," replied Rob.

"I am surprised to see you here," said Luis.

"Rob is the reason we moved hear. It is quite funny if you think of it. Tessa and I sailed to San Francisco. The Captain was new to these shores and he sailed right past the entrance to the bay. We ended up the coast at the Russian settlement of Fort Ross. Another ship had just anchored and Rob was walking the dock as we came ashore. He told us that San Francisco bay gets so foggy that an inexperienced Captain could miss the bay. He told us about a place that he knew about was up for sale. One of the owners had died and the other was ill. Rob joined us on the trip back and helped the Captain locate the bay, which was then completely free of the fog. One look at San Francisco told us that this was not the place for us. Rob guided us to Los Gatos and the deal was struck. Tessa fell in love with the place as soon as she saw it," said Juan.

The squeal of children brought the men’s attention to the corner of the house as the women arrived with the Luis’ children.

"I must apologize, Senora Torres," said Luis. "I heard metal on metal and thought you were being attacked."

"How gallant of you Colonel, to come to our rescue. Rob was showing Juan and I a new sword blade he was working on. Rob is our blacksmith and good friend," said Tessa.

"He is your employee then?" asked Luis.

"Not at all. He is our partner in this venture. He just happens to love blacksmith work and sword making. Rob and his wife, Bridgett live down the valley near the coast. She will be up later with their twin girls, Josephine and Maril. Come, let us go into the house and have some lemonade for the children and you may sample some of our local vintage. It is ever as good as Alvarado wine," said Tessa taking Luis by the arm and Juan took Lucy’s arm.

"Will you be joining us Sergeant?" ask Luis.

"After I clean up a bit. I would not think of entering Tessa’s home while I am covered with soot," he replied.

The adults retired to the parlor while the children stayed on the patio with Rosa in charge of her siblings.

Luis looked at the swords hanging over the fireplace. Two crossed swords pointed upwards with a third in the center pointing down. A picture of Don Alvarado was on one side with a picture of Juan Torres and Tessa on the other.

"You have a nice sword display, Senor Torres," said Luis.

"Please, my name is Juan and I thank you. Tessa is responsible for the display."

"I see," replied Montoya. "She has good taste. Whose swords are they? The one in the middle looks very familiar."

"The one on the left is Papa’s," replied Tessa. "The one on the right is Juan’s."

"The one in the middle, I have faced many times, Senora. It belongs to the Queen of Swords. How is it that you have it?" asked Luis narrowing his eyes.

"I could say that she gave it to me when she retired, shortly after you retired and married Lucy," Tessa replied.

Luis looked at Tessa. She was mature Tessa with the same slim figure, clear skin and long flowing raven black hair. She could still pass as a woman in her twenties.

"That is one woman Luis chased and never caught," laughed Lucy.

"I always wondered who she was. Why did she give the sword to you?" asked Luis.

"Luis, we have become friends and have been for several years. I said I could tell you that she gave it to me, but I won’t. The middle sword is mine, " said Tessa standing very straight.

Luis looked at the sword and then at Tessa.

"What would happen if I drew my sword here and now?" asked Luis, very much the Colonel.

"First of all, this is our home and my sword would reply," said Juan. "Secondly, Tessa would trounce you. While you have become the Don of Mountain View, Tessa has worked out with me daily for the last fifteen years. She was the best pupil I ever had and still is. I would say that very few men could best her in a sword fight. Many go out for wool, and come home shorn themselves."

Luis laughed. "I am glad I never caught you, Tessa. We have all become good friends and I am glad that it was you who became my nemesis. I still have a statue of you that you left on my desk one night."

"I finally persuaded him to retire the statue after ten years," said Lucy.

"Actually, the statue was a gift from Rob. He carved it along with the one in the hutch," replied Tessa pointing to the horsewoman with the flowing hair."

"I should have known," smiled Luis. "How could I have been so blind? You were very good at balancing both personas, Senora. My compliments. I must say you were the best sword I ever had the pleasure of crossing."

"I am glad that things have worked out as the have. I always wondered what happened to Captain Grisham."

"There are many men whose tongues might govern multitudes if they could govern their tongues. In his case he should have governed his greed as well. Tessa, since you have told me your secret, I must tell you mine. It was Captain Grisham who killed your father, against my orders. I am sure that he has received his just desserts," replied Luis as he cast a knowing look at Lucy.

Rob suddenly entered with his wife.

"Oh good Rob and Bridgett are here. Brig, where are the girls?" asked Tessa

"They are outside with the other children. There is a beautiful young lady who wouldn’t say no to caring for them. She said her name was Rosa," replied Bridgett.

"Lucy, Luis this is Bridgett, my wife," said Rob as Luis took Bridgett’s hand and kissed it.

"Where have you been hiding this refined gentleman, Tessa?" giggled Bridgett.

"I took him out of circulation, " said Lucy shaking hands with Bridgett.

"I can see why. He is lucky to have you," smiled Bridgett.

"I keep telling him that all the time," laughed Lucy.

Juan came forward with a tray and six glasses filled with wine. They each took a glass.

"We have all been blessed with many gifts. Beautiful wives, children and wealth," said Luis receiving an elbow from Luis. Luis realized that he had said children, forgetting that Tessa had no children. "My apologies, Tessa, I didn’t mean . . ."

Tessa snickered and then laughed. "I might as well tell you now. I was going to tell you later. Juan and I will have our own child in just a few months. "

Lucy and Bridgett hugged Tessa as the men congratulated Juan.

"To friendship, family, peace and love," Juan as he raised his glass.

To friendship, family, peace and love," they all replied as six glasses clinked together.

The End.