ONE OF THOSE DAYS
By Laura
laurawolfa@aol.com
::: Quote Challenge. My first response to these things. I hope you enjoy it. I have works in fanfiction.net under Wolfa Moon in Queen of Swords. I hope you enjoy those and my response:::::
~~~~~
The sun was hanging low in the distance. The day was coming to the end. And at this end the Queen had spoiled another of his plans. So Montoya sat in his garden reading Romeo and Juliet, of all things, to escape from his prison. He didn't mind the book all that much. It was that awful Queen who disturbed it.
Grisham entered, along with others. "Sir," he stood at attention. His uniform was covered with dirt.
"Have a roll in the dirt Captain?" Grisham gazed over at his master.
"The Queen of Swords…" Montoya held up his hand.
"I don't want to hear another word." Montoya flipped the next page of his book. Grisham took a grape off the vine and walked over to the Colonel.
"So what are you reading?"
"Romeo and Juliet." With that Grisham laughed at his superior. The man who was an iron fist reading a tragic love story. Montoya closed his book leaving a finger to hold his place. "Is there something you find funny Captain?"
Grisham took another grape. "Yeah, you reading a love novel."
"It is Shakespeare."
"Whatever." He ate another grape.
Montoya stood up and looked at his collared dog. "A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever." He pointed yet jabbed the book in Grisham's chest to make a point." You should learn. Women appreciate a knowledgeable mind. Look at Doctor Helm. And Myself. So you should learn a little respect." Montoya sat back down. "You are dismissed, for now."
Grisham walked out of the garden and into the street. "Knowledge. Don't make me laugh. Women know what they want."
A Senorita with an umbrella walked past him with a wink in her eyes. "And I already have what
they want." Grisham walked after his playmate for tonight.
THE END
Quote Challenge: 3-11-01
~~~~~
Marta sat in the church sewing. The garment was long and really had no shape. The room was quiet. The sun had set just a few hours ago. Marta had finished her day's work for the Queen and her mistress. Yet she still had something to do.
The Doctor walked in from a hard day's work. The Queen had injured another one of Montoya's soldiers. In the name of saving her life or others. He went to the rows of candles and knelt down. Marta watched him in silence. He was not known as being a religious man, so what was bothering him. Helm lit one of the candles. Marta shuddered as the vibes of his despair hit her. She gave a gasp. The doctor turned and faced her.
"Good evening Marta." His voice shaking. She tilted her head.
"Good evening Doctor." He got up and sat down beside her. He didn't look at her just stared in front of him. "Something wrong Doctor?" He didn't look back at her. She leaned forward to look at his eyes. He must have known she was staring and looked over at her.
"No nothing."
She knew that was not the truth. He was a soldier. A fighter for his country. A doctor who fought for life. Who would do anything no w to preserve it? Marta looked him up and down. His hair was slightly out of place. His sleeves were rolled up, a good sign he had been working. His palms were in fists showing anger. His eyes were red, as if he had just finish crying.
"Doctor?" He did not respond to her call. She asked again. He dug his nails into his leg at the sound of his title. "Robert?" She knew she shouldn' t do that. Marta was a servant not a high lady of class, so Doctor was the appropriate title. But now was not the time for them. The time called for no class, no people, no being, nobody to worry about what would happen in a moment or 10 minutes from now. She asked his name again. "Robert?"
He flinched at the sound of it. She motioned her hand and put it over his. Images again fled into her mind. A woman and her son. A picnic. A gun going off. Marta shuddered from the images and started up at him. He eased his grip on his leg. He looked over at her. "So what did you see?" He knew.
"Nothing."
"Right." He stood up. Marta watched him like a hawk. Expecting him to move. Though he stood there like a statue.
"You couldn't do anything then and you can't do anything now. Grieving is a natural part of life." The hurt in his eyes returned. So she had seen something. He looked back over at her. Noticing everything about her. She was in a normal outfit. Her hair all perfect he way it always was. And on her lap a piece of long cloth being sewed together. A death shroud. He looked away as his eyes began to fill with water.
"You could not save them. No one could. Not even a skilled Doctor."
"And if you were to tell me that if I were to take up shroud making, people would stop dying. If I sold candles, the sun would never set. Highly unlikely." He paced in front of her.
"Sometimes doctor the most unlikely things will be the cure."
"Or your death."
Marta nodded to the add on to her statement. "Depends on the subject though. And that subject is your past."
His closed his eyes and stopped moving. Why am I staying here listening to this? Why am I even here? I'm not religious. He looked over at Marta. She is studying me, he figured. Marta had that gift. It frightened him every time he was around her. But for some reason he was curious. "Marta be truthful. What did you see?"
"Love, joy, sadness."
"Those are emotions. I mean images. What did you--?"
He was cut off as a woman came in with a sword on her side. Helm backed away from Marta and the woman. Marta set down the shroud beside her on the pew and stood up. "Mary Rose." Marta nodded her head in greeting.
"Marta." Saying in the same respect. "What are you doing here?"
"Clearing my head." Marta looked at Mary Rose. She was eyeing the Doctor up and down. As if she and him where, but they weren't. "Mary Rose, this is Doctor Robert Helm. Doctor, Mary Rose."
Mary stepped forward and extend ed her hand. The Doctor was looking at her as the former pirate that she was. He finally took it. Rose gave him a strong shake. "Pleasure to meet you Doc."
"Same here. If you will excuse me." He nodded his head to Mary then nodded it to Marta. She nodded back. And with that he left the church.
"What's wrong with him?"
"It has been a busy day for all of us and my mistress will be getting worried. Good night Mary Rose."
"Good night Marta." Marta picked up her shroud and left the church.
Outside in the square the Doctor was making his way to his office. Marta sprinted up after him. When she got beside him. He gave a jump in surprise. "There is no need to be frightened Doctor."
"When she's carrying a sword and we haven't been formally introduced, I get shy." Marta wasn't meaning that but it would do.
"But I thought you liked woman with swords."
He gave a scorning face to her. That would have been a Tessa remark, and he wondered where she had learned it from. Especially everybody who knew the Queen knew of her Doctor ally. His faced cooled. The war inside still battling. "Good night Marta and I only like one lady with a sword."
With that he walked back to his office. Marta watched after him. The Queen's lover. A fighter, a doctor, a man, all in one
person. She envied the love but also scorned it. He loved the Queen not
Tessa. And Tessa, her child, was the Queen. What a twisted world we live in? And with that thought she walked back to the
cart with the shroud for one of the latest casualties of Montoya's secret doings. And that is another story.
THE END
"Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair." The main ringleader of the group yelled to them from the fountain top. "Well not exactly." He jumped down to the ground. "Our show is for the very young to the very old. To the very beautiful," He kissed Tessa hand. "To the very.." The jokester laughed when Montoya gave him a dirty look. The show went on for several hours. Grisham got outshoot by a clown. Vera was chosen to be the victim of knife throwing. Tessa and everyone were enjoying the show. Except she did not notice the doctor. Marta leaned over next to her.
"Something wrong?" Tessa shuck her head no. Marta knew better though. She had known her since a child and cared for her as if her own. Tessa looked around the crowd again. In one of the back corners of the crowds there he stood. "Now ladies and gentlemen we would like to present to you are muse. A lady from far lands and small unknown islands. Her Voice has made men crash into shores a many of nights. Our Lady muse, Linthia." A hooded figure stepped forward. Tender fingers moved up and removed the hood. Her head bowed. The audience was silent. She looked up finally. Her eyelids were painted gold. The rest were silver streaks that painted their way across them. The crowd looked at her guessing her age, guessing what she's gonna sing. Guessing what was behind the make-up. The girl's eyes looked over the crowd. They stopped when the fell upon Dr. Helm. She gave him a smile.
"Hello." The crowd said hello back. Tessa noticed her accent of French. "Now I wish you to close your eyes and relax." Everyone mostly closed her eyes.
Tessa watched over the crowd. Helm keep his eyes opened and watched her. The Muse began to sing.
"She walks in beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that's best of dark and bright
meets in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
which heaven to gaudy day denies."
The music seemed to fade as Tessa watched the Doctor. He seemed to be uneasy. Tessa looked back to the singer. Her
voice was a sweet soprano. She had finally shut her eyes, held the note then ended. Everyone began to clap around her and
stand up. Tessa stood up not to applaud her put to see the doctor. As she looked where he was standing he was no longer
there. The Queen's counterpart looked at the singer. She looked directly into her eyes and tilted her head. The Muse looked
back around to the crowd. Tessa watched in wonder at the motions of the girl. The ringleader came out and twirled her
around. As soon as she was set back down her eyes looked for the Doctor. Tessa had a bad feeling about this.
TBC
TRIO and QUOTE CHALLENGE: 4-8-01
~~~~~
The fog had rolled in early and had not departed all day. The town feared the show might be canceled. But fear not, the show continued. All the unperforming characters stood around holding torches to keep the place lit for people to see.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry for the fog. One of our little ladies thought a fog would get her away from doing her spot. Out as they say the show must go on." The ringleader stood back. A group of acrobats came out.
They did juggling and flips and things. Maria Theresa looked over the crowd the Doctor had arrived as well and sat on one of the local window ceals. Tessa glanced at all the other people in the Square, when she looked at her, it was crowed, as it was before when they performed.
~~~~~
Helm looked over at the crowd. Maria Theresa Alvardo was looking at him again as he noticed her she looked away. He pondered in his head to why she was looking at him. Robert looked over the crowd again. Senora Vera Haldiago gave him a seductive smile. He smiled back to her then regained his attention to the performers. The jugglers were finished and the next act came on. A rope was set up between to stands. Two performers walked on with swords in their hands. They bowed to the audience then got to it.
"Unguard."
"Thanks for the warning." The two began to slash about.
"You killed my mother, you killed my father, you killed my dog, and you ate my horse."
"Yes well, if wishes were horses, then beggars might ride."
"Oh how dare you." The two slash about again. The fighter who just spoke hit the other fighter. The sword was tucked under his arm and may it look painful then fell the short distance to the ground. The other man held his hands in the air.
"I am invincible." He jumped down next to the man he head played with. The other man got up beside him. The two bowed and walked off. The ringleader came back on clapping.
"Wonderful balance and god performance of daring. Speaking of daring. The next act is it." The ringleader went on and on. A hooded man approached the doctor. He handed him a message and left.
~~~~~
Marta looked around on the street they had taken over as their local. She was looking for the gypsy woman. She walked into the tent where she was the other day. The cards were laid out. THREE OF SWORDS. NINE OF SWORDS. WHEEL OF FORTUNE. Marta realized that all these meant doom, but then Marta walked back to see how Tessa was doing.
~~~~~
"During the daylight fog we set up a line between these two building." Pointing to the hotel and to the church. Senor Hidalgo straightened his spectacles to get a better view. "Now ladies we need total silence. This is a dangerous stunt. We only have nets as small areas. Not all is covered. So we need absolute silence. " The man pointed up to the hotel. A pair of mirrors reflected the light from the torches up on her so the people could watch.
"Our Lady to perform this act. Our muse, Linthia." She raised her hands in the air at the sounding of her name. "Now remember complete silence. Ready!?!"
"Yes!"
"Any request!?!"
"Keep that damned light on the ropes!" The ringleader smiled back to the crowd.
"Though women are angels, yet wedlock's the devil. Now remember complete silence." With that Linthia took her first step onto the wire. The crowd's gazes stay stuck on the Muse. Marta's attention was taken back to the ringleader. The gypsy from the stand was talking with him urgently. The ringleader looked up at the girl in shock. He called over another performer and pointed to Linthia. He ran off grabbing another performer. The ringleader talked back to the gypsy. She got down on the round and drew a circle around her. A prayer circle she realized. Marta looked back to the Muse. She was midway past the first net. She was now over the space between the two. Marta lent over to Tessa.
"Something is going on." Tessa looked over at her. Marta just gave the look of danger. Tessa looked up to the rope. It was swaying but looked of no risk. But then out of the corner of her eye she spotted a black figure. The rope swayed a little more and she kept her balance. Tessa looked back to the dark figure. The man was cutting the rope by the small glint of reflected light. There was a snap
~~~~~
When you look out over the crowd from here they seem so small. I am always amazed at that I am amongst these small things on this huge earth. The rope sways and I realize the thrill that I dare the life that I risk. My life I risk here for show. I am nothing but a, but a Muse. A singer of songs, an entertainer, a bastard daughter. So what is life except a simple thrill. Why do I walk here? I hide many secrets. They all catch you in the end. The rope sways more but not from me. I look back and see one of those many secrets. I move forward trying to get to the other net before they are done their job. I am such a small person. I am just an entertainer. Shakespeare had written the best line. 'All the world is a stage and all the men and women are simple players.' I guess my game's chess. I'm on that board and that queen is soon gonna stare me down. The rope twinges. He got through one of the layers. The crowd looks unworried but worried. Scared for themselves as well as for me. I feel another twinge.
CHECKMATE
TBC
~~~~~
Marta sat on the Oriental rug along side the older gypsy from the show. She was chanting in a gypsy language she did not
know. Candles were burning around. The show had stopped as soon as she fell. And the older gypsy ran to her tent. Marta
sat there studying the other. Her motions with her hands and the sounds of her voice. Marta could not understands yet
recognize.
Doctor Helm splashed water on his face. It had been a long night. The sun had risen and woken him as it sprayed across his
face. Helm hard some nose and went further into his work area.
"What do you think you are doing?" The muse sat on the table fiddling with something in her hands. Her waist was bond over the cut area.
"Putting my rosary beads back on my rosary. It broke when I fell."
"Your lucky that's the only thing you broke. You are lucky you at least hit the other net or. ."
"Hasta la vista, nice knowing yah, etc. etc."
"Well you should be more careful."
"Thanks dad." She said sarcastically. Helm did a double take to the response.
"So how do you feel?"
"Better I think. I have to get back. They'll be missing me and I never could stand being in the doctors office for more than this."
"Well you are suppose to be in one when you're hurt."
" And people will begin to worry for that. Cause I'm not."
"Not invincible?"
"Well that's my surprise to them."
"Surprise?"
""The backbone of surprise is fusing speed with secrecy. I intend on infusing my speed in recovery."
"And secrecy?"
"That's a side I rarely let the public see."
"Oh."
"Thank you Doctor. Now can you?" She puts on her dress. She turns around for him to tie it.
"Do you know the proverb 'It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.'"
"No. But it is better to have both is it not cause you will always have enemies and you will need allies. Cause the one who fear may rebel then where are you."
"Yes but why would they rebel wouldn't they run away."
"Only if they had a strong enough leader."
"Sounds like the Musketeers."
"True. But it is also true in life."
"Like I heard somewhere what we do in life echoes an eternity."
"I'm afraid I never heard of that one."
"It's an ancient military saying."
"Oh, well thank you Doctor again. And I will see you later."
"Yes tomorrow for your check up."
"Merci Doctor. Keep up the faith." Linthia left the doctor alone. Keep the faith, he thought. He looked around the room. Her rosary beads sat on the table.
~~~~~
Marta walked into the hacienda and through the kitchen opening. "AaYah!" She yelped as something hit her on the bottom.
Marta turned around to see the colpert, Maria Theresa, holding a wooden spoon in her hand. "Where were you?"
"I was talking to the gypsy from the carnival."
"Oh so why all the secrecy. Is she a friend of yours."
"I do not know. But I do know I need to make something for the young muse."
"Linthia? What?"
"I can not tell you. It is a gypsy surprise."
"A gypsy surprise? Marta?" Marta only smiled and went to her room closing the door. "Marta? Marta!?!" She yelled again
snapping the wooden spoon against the table.
TBC
CHALLENGE #19 mixed with a song
~~~~~
FAST LOST IN THE CROWD
FEET WANDERING EMPTY STREETS
Doctor Helm walked down the now darkening streets of Santa Helena.
VOICE CRYING OUT LOUD
HEART ACHING WITH EVERY BEAT
He passed by the church where the little girl was getting prepared to be buried. He worked for hours trying to save her in the end it was too late.
SOMEONE SEARCHING
SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE
The queen watched him mount his horse and ride off.. Her thoughts thinking ' Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.'
EVERYWHERE AND ENDLESSLY
WISHING WAITING
COULD THERE BE SOMEONE
Grisham watched as she followed the good doctor out of town. Follow love and it will flee. Flee love and it will follow thee, Grisham thought as he mounted.
SEARCHING FOR
SOMEONE SEARCHING
Marta looked out the window praying for her Tessa as she always did when she went out as the queen.
OH I HEAR THE CRY
AND I KNOW THE PAIN
Helm stood at the cliff watching the sun go down. He looked down at his feet. They were on the edge. If he took another step he would go over.
CAN IT BE DENIED
THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN
The queen dismounted and watched the doctor. She made sure not to make a noise in order not to scare him.
AND WILL BE SOMEONE SEARCHING
LOVE STANDING ALONE
The queen walked over toward him. Grisham watched from his mount on a close by hill.
HANDS SCARRED BY THE NAILS OF HATER
The doctor turned around as if smelling her sent on the ocean breeze. His eyes red from crying. she stepped closer to him. She took his shaking hands in his.
HOPE SUFFERING ALONG THE WAY
His eyes told her he was lost.
FAITH URGING THAT IT'S NOT TO LATE
The queen took one hand and held the side of his face. He closed his eyes to the touch of her. She motioned him a little bit closer.
SOMEONE SEARCHING
SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE
Grisham looked at the two kissing. Jealousy rising. He pulled out his gun.
EVERYWHERE AND ENDLESSLY
LOVING, LONGING
Helm's hands brushed up and under her mask. His eyes making contact with the woman behind the mask. With the site of her he removed his hand and held it behind her head to hold in a more passionate kiss.
ALWAYS THERE'S SOMEONE
Grisham took better aim. The sun setting wasn't making it easier to get a good clean shot.
SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE.
The two remained unknown of him and remained in the moment of their love.
SOMEONE SEARCHING
Grisham fired the gun
SOMEONE SEARCHING
~~~~~
SOMEONE SEARCHING
By Ginny Owens