Italian Time Travel 01 - The Other Side of Heaven by Morgan O'Neill

Author:Morgan O'Neill [O'Neill, Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Time's Arrow Productions TM
Published: 2014-10-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Adelaide and Stefano had been on the run for hours. Behind them, clouds of smoke indicated Berengar’s soldiers were burning every farm they passed, in an attempt to ferret them out.

“Oh Lord, the poor innocents,” Adelaide whispered. “God help them. Please, have mercy on their souls.”

As queen, she was duty-bound to rise above hardship, to push on for the good of her family and people, yet as a woman, her all-to-human body was nearing collapse. She looked at Stefano, his face grimy, strained, the picture of watchfulness as he crept to the edge of the forest. To her relief, his bewilderment and fright seemed to have vanished. He was the epitome of courage and rationality, despite the fact their communication was limited to gestures.

Adelaide watched as he cautiously raised his head and peered through the tangled brush. She moved to his side, seeing wheat fields and clear skies. No fires here. Mayhap Berengar’s men rode in another direction.

“Fattoria,” Stefano whispered.

“A farmhouse? Is that what you mean? Where?” she croaked, her throat parched. Her gaze followed his, and, indeed, she saw a farmhouse in the distance. She mimed drinking. “I am thirsty.”

He nodded and then knelt down, motioning for her to do the same. Pointing to the sky, he said, “Stasera.” Closing his eyes, he placed his hands together, rested his head against them, and pretended to sleep.

Licking her lips, Adelaide nodded and sat. “Tonight,” she whispered back. “Yes, I understand you, Stefano. We must bide our time.”

He leaned against a tree trunk, folded his arms over his chest, and once more closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing was slow and steady.

Would this farm owner be friend or foe? She shrugged, realizing it did not matter. With any luck, she would never see him at all, and, with even more luck, Berengar would leave this farm undisturbed.

She let out a sigh, realizing she had been reduced to the role of aspiring thief. But she didn’t care. Necessity alone drove them now.

To find drink, food, provisions.

To stay alive, stay alive.

*

Later, at dusk, Adelaide and Stefano snuck through the fields to the farm. They crouched by a fence watching the glowing half-moon, waiting for their chance. Laughter drifted from somewhere inside the house, mingling with the click-clack of a loom, but soon it grew still.

As the moon slipped below the horizon, the candlelit rooms went dark, window by window, one by one.

“Ora o mai più!”

Jumping at Stefano’s urgent whisper, Adelaide shook herself to action and set off. She picked her way through the darkness, following him, his figure black, stealthy, as he advanced toward the barn.

A dog barked in the distance. With a low curse, Stefano halted, and Adelaide froze, holding her breath. She exchanged a glance with him, the whites of his eyes barely visible, yet clearly wider than usual.

They waited, but there was no more barking. She exhaled in relief.

“Andiamo, Adelaide. Corri.” He took her hand and led her on.

She did not mind the lapse in etiquette; she was well beyond that now.

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