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Conquering Fear	By : emmarae3579 Category: S through Z > Zorro Views: 2149 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Zorro, and do not make any money from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 11
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- 13
Author’s Note: So, yeah, I’m already slacking off in class. But you get to benefit from my procrastination! Story is almost over, my wonderful friends! I hope you have enjoyed the journey! Some people were worried about Zorro, so I wanted to post his little adventure.
All ratings identical.
zzz
Zorro urged Toronado faster as he raced south of the pueblo, in a rush to get back home. Felipe hadn’t been able to tell him much. He’d overheard a man talking to the alcalde. DeSoto had seen him, so Felipe had not stuck around to get details. It was lucky everyone thought Felipe was deaf. If people knew everything he heard in his eavesdropping, Felipe would be in great danger, and Zorro would lose his inside man.
Zorro tried to clear his thoughts. Pouting about being away from Victoria after finally getting to hold her wouldn’t get him back to her any faster. He needed to be smart and careful, like Victoria said. He pushed thoughts out of his head as he approached the canyon Felipe had mentioned. Already seeing armed guards, he ducked into the trees to stay hidden.
At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, even the guards. The side of the canyon had men mining, and Zorro wasn’t surprised some type of ore had been found in this area. Guards would be needed to protect the operation, especially if it was gold or silver. The secrecy of the mine would also not turn his head, because nobody wanted a gold rush.
But then he heard the sound of a whip. Most mine owners did not whip their workers, and Zorro frowned as he watched a guard knock a man over with his whip and kick him while he was down. Definitely something Zorro needed to investigate.
Zorro turned away from the workers to find the nearest guard. What did the man think he could guard standing so close to a copse of trees? Zorro snuck up on him without even trying and pinned the disarmed man to the ground.
“Who’s in charge here?”
The man struggled against Zorro’s boot pressed against his chest and Zorro put more weight on him. Zorro sighed when the man still refused to answer. Before the man could shout for help, Zorro gagged him and tied his hands around a tree. He patted the man on the back. “Next time, choose a better location to stand guard. Standing with your back to a hiding place is not very smart.”
Zorro crept back to the tree line, looking for more guards. No one appeared to be in charge, but then he saw someone come out of the cave at the base of the cliff. Two men followed him, holding guns, but the man himself wasn’t holding his weapon. Zorro smiled. Easy. Obvious. The guard on top of the other side of the canyon might be a problem, however. If he could get to the leader without being seen, the unreachable guard would give up. Zorro went back to Toronado to find another way into the canyon.
From a new hiding place at the base of the guarded cliff, Zorro got a good view of the guards, taking down two more without being seen. He recognized some men from the pueblo working, and managed to snag them, too. Men he knew and trusted, who were almost too eager to help their hero. They were also able to give him more information about the guards and their weapons. He chuckled. Victoria thought this was dangerous? There were three more guards, plus the one on the cliff, but now Zorro had three men with him, armed with weapons stolen from his new prisoners.
He’d be home in no time. Victoria was a fascinating mix of innocence and enthusiasm. And temper. Zorro grinned. He’d given her a massage, alright. He’d been very thorough, doing everything he could think of to tease and torment her until her pain was a distant memory and she was limp as a noodle. Eventually she caught on that he was doing it on purpose, bringing her to that edge he’d shown her before to only back away from the release she wanted. He’d thought she was boneless from his ministrations, at least until she sat up and wrapped her hand around a very delicate part of his anatomy and told him to get on with it. He’d always known it would be perfect between them.
Zorro growled when he was brought out of his daydream. Rock shattered just above his shoulder as one of the remaining guards fired at them. Guards and workers all started shouting and running around in chaos, and Zorro brought his mind back to the present. He’d reminded his temporary sidekicks that guns were inaccurate over long distances, so while the guards were out of ammunition, they were able to advance and capture them with their own guns. One guard saw him and immediately surrendered to the legendary Zorro. Diego would have to remember to tell Victoria about that. He used his own whip to defeat the most persistent guard, and taught the man that it was a bad idea to use such a painful weapon on someone weaker. There’s always someone smarter and faster, and better with a whip, he’d told the man with a smile.
In no time at all, all of the guards were rounded up, including the ones he hadn’t seen from inside the mine. He talked to the men who helped him, who were happy to volunteer to bring their captors to the pueblo jail. Forget stopping by the pueblo, he was going home. The men were grateful, wanting to thank him for finally rescuing them from the hard labor in the California heat. He assured them he didn’t need their thanks, made sure everyone was alright and whistled for Toronado. He had things to do.
He glanced back down into the canyon when he and Toronado, along with another rider, returned to the copse of trees. He was happy to see everyone helping each other, the chaos of a few minutes ago long gone. He helped his friend secure the first guard to his horse, and mounted his own stallion. He brushed the canyon dirt off of his clothes so he’d be presentable to his wife—his wife!—and he and Toronado gave a final salute to the men below before turning for home.
He’d already started planning what he wanted to do next with Victoria when pain ripped into his shoulder. Toronado reared as Zorro angrily turned the stallion around, and he watched the final guard across the canyon mount and take off in the other direction. What had he said about guns not being accurate? He glanced up and down the canyon, but knew there was no hope to capture the escaping guard. He clenched his fist, not sure how he’d forgotten about the man. He reached a hand up to his shoulder and felt blood. He stared at it on his hand in shock and anger, but not really in pain. The bullet had just grazed him. Zorro shouted in frustration as his vision of a welcome home changed.
He turned Toronado toward home. For four years, when he was injured he had to play sick or say he was hurt by doing something stupid. So many times he’d wanted to shout at the injustice, get a little sympathy for once. Well, he might get some sympathy today, but he’d rather not. More than likely he’d get a lecture from his father, maybe even from Victoria. And he’d see the fear in Victoria’s eyes again. He’d spent the last twenty-four hours telling her he wasn’t going to get hurt. Now the first day of their marriage he gets shot. How long had it been since he’d been shot? A year? Eighteen months? And it had to happen again today? He couldn’t exactly hide a wound when all his plans for the day didn’t involve clothing.
Zorro entered the cave quietly on foot, leading Toronado, not sure what to expect. The pain in his shoulder was minor, but the possible reactions to it were beginning to worry him. He lead Toronado to his stall and cut up an apple for him. He loosened the cinch and thought Toronado would be comfortable for awhile, at least until he checked out the situation. Should he try to hide it? Act surprised he was bleeding? Warn her before she saw it that he had a teeny tiny injury? Absently he reached up to pull off his hat and mask with his left shoulder and he remembered he was wounded and needed to take care of it and stop worrying. He’d deal with Victoria when he saw her reaction.
Felipe came around the corner of the cave, obviously after hearing him come in. He held up a finger to his lips to keep Diego silent, and Diego walked further into the cave to see Victoria asleep at his desk. Diego smiled at her, then let Felipe help him get changed and cleaned up. Naturally, Felipe wanted the story, but Diego told him explanations would come later. Diego’s eyes barely left Victoria’s face as Felipe cleaned Diego’s shoulder and put some ointment and a bandage on the superficial wound.
Felipe watched Diego watch Victoria and sighed. The woman had been sleeping for an hour, and crying for a long time before that. Diego had a story to tell. Felipe wanted to know what happened. Why didn’t he wake her up? Felipe gave him some time, slinking back to Toronado’s stall to stow the tack and make sure Toronado was taken care of. When he came back into the main cave, he sighed again. Victoria was still sleeping. Why was Diego so captivated by someone who wasn’t moving? He touched Diego’s shoulder to get his attention, but Diego just waved him away. Story time would come later. Later? Now when everyone knew Diego was Zorro, they shouldn’t have to wait to talk about what happened.
Felipe frowned and left Diego and Victoria alone. He found Alejandro and told him Diego was home with only a small injury, and he was shocked Alejandro made no move to go to his son. Didn’t anyone want to know what had happened in the last four hours? Didn’t he care that his son was bleeding, want to know why? Instead Alejandro smiled, as if he knew some secret, and went back to his garden. Felipe watched him for awhile, not sure what to do with himself. Eventually he found himself back in the library reading a book. Diego had to come out eventually.
Zzz
AN2: Hope you enjoyed, hope you review.
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Conquering Fear