The Tales of Tarya, Books 1-3

Chapter 1 - Escape from Aurea-4

Suddenly the gate swung open, nearly catching Sienna in the back. Gianni stood there, looking pleased with himself.

‘Balto’s on his way. He’s a bit slow, but he’s a good man. Should be here in a few minutes. Let’s get those baskets out here so you’re ready to go.’

‘I’ll tell Sofia she can come and wait with us,’ Sienna said. ‘No need to keep a watch now.’

Mina shook her head. ‘I think she should watch until the cart’s here.’

Sienna glanced at her brother, shrugged and nodded. ‘Whatever you like, but I’m sure the danger’s passed.’

~

Dario rushed through the palace grounds and out into the city. He was better oriented than Mina had been. A frequent visitor to Aurea, he knew the general layout of the city well. He even knew roughly where Gianni’s house was, and guessed Mina would have known nowhere else to go to get passage out of the city.

He walked quickly, unaware Roberto followed closely behind. After a while Roberto didn’t even bother to hide. Dario had no idea he was being followed as he raced through the streets with one clear purpose. His heart pounding, all he could think of was seeing Mina again and making everything right between them.

~

‘All right everyone, go and finish packing our costumes and props. Except you, Vincenzo. You can arrange for the costume wagon to be brought round to the forge, then help them get everything loaded. We leave as soon as we are ready.’

Startled, the other players started to question Uberto’s commands. He silenced their protests with a look and urged them to make speed.

‘If Roberto fails, we may have to follow her from the city,’ he said and shooed them from the room.

As soon as they were gone, Uberto nodded to Mama Tina, who opened the large trunk gifted by the palace. Previously filled with armfuls of exquisite garb, it was now packed with Uberto and Mama Tina’s personal possessions. Mama Tina pulled a box from the trunk. It was of pale wood with a smooth gloss finish. The lid was inlaid with seven stars in various shades of darker wood, encircling a key of gold. Gold thread ran from each of the stars to the key at the centre. An elaborate gold catch in the shape of an eye held the box closed. Mama Tina took several moments to open the catch, then held the box out to Uberto. Inside, on black velvet, lay a mask. It was unlike any of the standard player masks, which were all of darkened leather with grotesque exaggerated features. This one was undyed, a pale leather similar to flesh, the face so lifelike it could have been modelled on a real person, with a long and aquiline nose, sensuous lips, a strong jaw and high forehead.

Mama Tina handed the mask to Uberto, who slipped it on. He turned his back to his wife, who quickly did up the straps at the back.

‘Roberto has certain skills he can use to find the girl,’ Uberto said, his voice hollow behind the mask. ‘I have my own.’

~

Waiting at the back door, Mina could hear Gianni pacing the sitting room, perhaps caught up in her anxieties. At the other end of the hallway Sofia waited by the front door, her posture alert but her outer demeanour calm. Sienna stood next to Mina, offering reassurances, but Mina barely took in her words. The day was half gone, and despite Gianni’s promises the cart still had not arrived. Sienna’s mother had prepared a delicious lunch of dried tomatoes and thick, dark olive bread, but Mina had barely been able to eat. Now, as she waited, she was alert to every noise beyond the gate, but it was all only passing foot traffic.

Finally Sofia turned. Mina’s heart leaped with hope.

‘Do you see the cart?’

‘One of the players is outside,’ Sofia said. ‘The tall one.’

‘Dario,’ Mina gasped, and her heart pounded faster. ‘Is he … is he alone?’

Sofia nodded. Mina began to feel nauseous. He was here to see her. What could he possibly have come to say?

Gianni came into the hallway. ‘He’s not alone. There’s a man with a sharp nose and mousy face with him.’

Mina’s heart dropped. Dario had betrayed her again by bringing Roberto. They had come to get her. Sofia reached for Mina’s hand.

‘Don’t say anything,’ Mina said, shaking off her sympathy. ‘It doesn’t matter. He’s not who I thought he was.’

There was a knock at the door. Gianni frowned. ‘I’ll deal with them.’

A moment later Mina heard the sound they had been waiting for. The dull clopping of a large horse, and the creaking of a cart.

‘Balto,’ Sienna said, relief palpable in her voice. Sofia hurried to the kitchen and picked up one of the food-laden baskets. Sienna seized Mina’s hands.

‘Good luck.’

Mina followed Sofia through the garden to the gate, where a thickset man in an earth-coloured tunic was halting the cart. She scrambled into the back. Sofia passed up a basket, then climbed in herself as Sienna handed Mina the second basket. The cart was full of wooden crates packed with bottles, but a small space had been made for them to sit just behind the driver’s seat, with cushions and a blanket. Mina and Sofia gave Sienna a last wave and slid the blanket over their heads.

~

At the front door, Dario gripped Roberto’s arm, trying to pull him back, but the wiry man was twisting like an eel and nearly succeeded in freeing himself several times. Gianni blocked the door, feet planted firmly. Dario had been horrified when Roberto suddenly appeared beside him as he had reached the house. Mina would never believe he had tried to keep her whereabouts secret if she saw him with Roberto. Roberto kept struggling to push his way into the house, but made little headway. Dario finally managed to hook both arms through Roberto’s and dragged him back into the street.

‘Let her go,’ Dario said as Gianni yelled at them both to get away from his house. It was Gianni’s neighbourhood and it only took a moment for several tipsy men from the tavern nearby to secure Roberto and Dario. Dario stood still, but Roberto struggled for a minute. Finally he stopped.

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘We’ll go. Get your hands off me.’

He shook his captors off and began to walk away. Dario was freed too, and gave Gianni a brief look of apology before turning to leave. With a roar, Roberto spun round again and gave Gianni a brutal shove, rushing into the house. Gianni’s mother stepped out of Roberto’s way, throwing her arms into the air. Roberto ran through the house, out the open kitchen door and into the laneway. It was empty.

~

Huddled under blankets that smelled strongly of horse, Mina tried to hold back tears. Why was she surprised at another betrayal by Dario, and why did it hurt as much as the first? Part of her still wanted to see him, and she didn’t understand that either. Even knowing all he had done, she still wanted to run to him and feel his arms around her. She leaned into her knees, face buried in the fabric, tears soaking into her skirt.

‘Stop it,’ Mina told herself firmly. ‘Crying won’t help anything.’ She listened to the bottles clinking around her and wondered how far they had gone. Balto had taken them on what seemed like a winding path since leaving the house, muttering he’d let them know when it was safe to come out. He was a man of few words, but seemed to enjoy humming tunelessly as the cart swayed and rolled slowly through the streets of Aurea. Mina wished she could have one last chance to see the beautiful city, with its scenic mosaics and sculptured buildings, but she knew she would be coming back, regardless of the danger. After she found Paolo and helped him reconcile with their father, she would have to face the Council of Muses and tell them the truth about the consequences of playing.

Balto stopped humming and gave an odd whistle, which rose at the end like a question. He called a gentle ‘hoy’ to his horse, and the cart stopped. Mina clutched Sofia’s hand. They weren’t supposed to stop until they were safety out of the city.

Suddenly the blanket was flicked back. Mina blinked in the sunlight. It took her a moment to focus on the man standing beside the cart. His strong features were completely alien to her. At the same time his face seemed to be fluid, the skin shifting. Mina realised she was looking at a mask. Unlike the Commedia masks, it was pinky-gold, almost flesh coloured, and the features, though strong, were ordinary, unexaggerated. It could be a death mask with its close resemblance to a human face.

The man lifted familiar long and slender fingers, and slid the mask up and off his head.

‘Hello Mina,’ said Uberto.

Chapter 2