AC: Rose of Steel(2)

Chap. 2

Mistake of the foolish

 Ashley found an empty and quiet street corner, where she took her time to talk over the phone to her friends. All the time she had a big smile on her little face, feeling like a giddy five year-old again. Ashley explained that the Renaissance age is about creation, art and discovery: things that appealed to her oh so much!

'' So you're actually on Earth?'' Antonio asked for who knows which time.

'' Yeah, the only problem is that it's the wrong date,'' Ashley stretched, leaning against a wall. It was getting dark, stars were starting to appear one by one above her. The time wasn't correct on her phone, so Ashley had to guess it was around 11 p.m.

'' Where's Sen btw?'' Ashley asked, not hearing the fox's voice after a good hour.

'' She went to scribble something. I think it has to do with the combo that got you where you are,'' Dino explained.

'' Oh good,'' Ashley sighed.'' Well, I'll call you guys in the morning,''

 Some streets of Rome were still pretty packed, surprisingly. At these times it would be really dangerous to go out at night, bandits and scoundrels would be willing to pay in blood just for one coin. Ashley had her hand on her rapier's hilt, expecting an idiot to jump at a little girl at any moment. She passed some drunkards in a alley, who whistled at the sight of the swashbuckler. The girl only gave them a cold gaze and marched off.

 She had a good pouch of money, be it bronze, silver or gold. Ashley could pay-off some blokes...but she has to be smart about it, throwing away gold like that isn't wise if the information turns out useless.

 The young swashbuckler took a risk and approached a man near one of the shops. He was armed with a sword, but that didn't scare her one bit. He dressed like a bandit, with a dirty black hood over his head, covering the eyes. You could've thought he was sleeping, but Ashley's hearing said otherwise.

'' Pardon,'' Ashley said.'' Where's the nearest inn?''

 The man's head rose only enough for the lantern's light to reflect his gleaming green eyes, then they were covered by the hood again.

'' Such a young señorita shouldn't be wandering the streets at night,'' his voice was pretty deep.

'' Hmph,'' Ashley remained with a straight face.'' Not if she's not prepared,'' the stranger once more looked from under his hood, checking Ashley from head to toe. Apart from the strange get-up, you'd need to be blind not to notice the rapier and daggers accompany her. He let out something like a silent and doubtful grumble.

'' Second turn to the left, follow the singing,''

'' Grazie,'' Ashley turned to leave, but after a couple of feet she stopped with a sigh. She turned back to the bandit, who looked like he didn't even move a muscle.'' And give me back my pouch before I make mince out of you,''

 The bandit arched an eyebrow at the girl. As she stared him down a smile grew on his lantern-lit lips. The unsheathing metal of Ashley's rapier echoed in the night, it's tip loosely hovering a few inches from the man. They stood like that for a while, the man eyeing Ashley with hands crossed over his chest. He seemed to be calculating his possibilities, to what she was unsure. Finally the man moved his right hand, with the pouch between his gloved fingers. He hanged it by the rope on the flat side of the rapier.

Ashley stepped back, flipping her weapon back into it's scabbard and tying her money pouch to the belt. With another look at the bandit, Ashley turned towards the inn's direction, telling him over the shoulder:

'' Buona notte,''

XXX

 Ahhh night. A swashbuckler's best friend. Ashley loved it's light breeze, the silent shadows beside her, the twinkling sky full of stars and the moon leading her way through the streets of Rome. She could bet on anything that all that was the reason Fair picked her emblem: A moon above some strings of small waves. The people could sing, they can curse, the horses may neigh, but all Ashley will hear is peace. She was in her element.

 The inn traditionally had a bar, full of celebrating people. Ashley scanned them: old men, young men, couples, ladies...welp, one thing is for sure - the pubs in the Spiral were much better than here. Thankfully not many looked towards the under-aged girl with sharp things on her waist. Ashley approached the counter, the bartender being a puffy man with a belly. He had a black curling moustache, his head was sadly bald. The man just sent off a couple of women with their order of drinks, when he turned to continue cleaning the glasses he met Ashley's eyes.

'' Oh!'' he seemed to be slightly startled.'' Are you lost, little señorita?''

'' This is the inn, right?'' Ashley tried to ignore the ''little'' part.

'' Why, si!''

'' I'd like to rent a room. Not quite sure how long I'll be though,'' the bartender straightened at the request.

'' And you're planning to pay with?...'' Ashley slipped a hand into her pouch and revealed to him a single gold coin with Skull Island's symbol on it. The bartender's eyebrows furrowed as he carefully took the coin, as if afraid it might be some trick. He flipped the coin, his eyes slowly widening. He then bit the edge, only to flinch from his tooth suddenly cracking. With a hand covering his mouth, the bartender stared at Ashley for a good moment. Still with his eyes on her, he put the coin in the apron's front pocket.

'' Right this way, milady,''

He led her up the stairs to the second floor.

'' What should I call you?''

'' Ashley Holystone, senior,''

'' Ah, you wouldn't happen to be a relative of dear Ornella, would you?''

'' Sorry, who?'' Ashley raised an eyebrow.

'' Probably not, pardon me. But if you'll need anything, just shout and Luciano will come quicker than the very wind,''

 Ashley chuckled. '' Grazie, senior,''

 Her room included a two-human bed, with clean green curtains over the windows. Two tables with a lantern lamp on one of them were alongside the bed and a dresser pressed against the east wall. There was even a coffee table with two couches next to it. This place would be fitting for a couple, yet it now belonged to a teenage girl.

 Luciano left her with a good night wish, handing her a faded iron key. Ashley walked around the room for a bit, observing it. She moved one of the curtains to take a peek outside, then finally removing her gear and jumping into the creaking bed. She lied there, thinking of what to do...she always appeared in a place for a reason. This couldn't be just to prove Setting Night wrong...She'll tell the gang to wait. And if Ashley plans on staying she'll need something less flashy and s more suitable outfit for this age.

Guess it's to the shops tomorrow.

 Alas the swashbuckler was woken up by some commotion. She glimpsed at her phone, it was around five in the morning. Ashley sighed and rolled on her side to continue sleeping, but then a loud smack to a wooden surface made her frown with concern. She would guess that the party was over and that it was quiet for the rest of the night. It was probably nothing, but her instincts were acting up. Ashley turned on her back and listened in, hearing nervous chatter downstairs and a female yelp, then a fall.

 That was not normal. Ashley jumped in her leather boots and quickly strapped on her belt with the rapier, storming through the door after. As she walked down the stairs, alerting the noise makers of her presence, she saw the bartender lifted by a big, muscular brute. A more scrawny looking man, his face littered in freckles, missing teeth in his wide mouth and tattered outfit, was holding a maiden with a black eye...another chubby dude was standing aside and seemed to be laughing, until Ashley showed up.

 The girl scanned the guys, no one else being in the bar. Her eyebrows then raised as she simply said:

'' Buongiorno,'' and went to take a seat by the counter. She pretended to react to the scene neutrally, but she had something boiling inside her chest, and whoever gets the first taste is going to be sorry.

 The brute lowered Luciano, telling him in a gruff voice:

'' Well, you heard the señorita, treat her with a glass of wine!''

'' Tea'll be fine, grazie,'' she insisted. Luciano whimpered over the counter, silence befallen once the kettle started boiling the water inside it. Ashley felt the big guy approach her from behind, leaning slightly.

'' Why so shyly?'' Being without her jacket and only in her pink, sleeveless shirt, she felt the skin tense on her right, meaning the man attempted to touch her.

'' A little closer and you'll regret ever being born,'' she warned, her tone cold as ice. Luciano noticed how her blue eyes gleamed with unexplainable emotion: hatred, mischief...or fear? Maybe all at once. The brute sneered at the threat, thinking she was kidding.

 The chubby one then spoke up in a oddly squeaky voice. '' Haha, what a puny sweetheart like you might do?''

 Puny? Sweetheart? Ashley's heart started beating more rapidly. Her hand lowered under the table, clutching a dagger strapped to her leg.

'' Come on, now...'' the big guy attempted to use flirtation. Ashley felt his fingers swiping the strings of her hair, finally cracking her.

'' Luciano,'' she said, her teeth gritted and her voice trembling.'' Shift to the left, please,'' she then turned around in her seat, stabbing the brute's tanned hand. He yelled and cursed, attempting to punch her. Ashley gripped his hand, standing up on the stool, and flipped him over the counter. The skinny man holding the girl loosened his grip, his jaw dropping at the stunt, giving a chance for the lady to smack him by the chin with her elbow, the reaching for a frying pan and hitting him hard enough you'd mistake the sound for a church's bell.

 Ashley, jumped off the stool, drawing her rapier and approaching the chubby man, who had a single flintlock on him. He aimed with it, his hands shaking. He missed once, twice, then Ashley took his right arm, twisting so much it broke by the elbow. Mr. Chubby pressed against the wall, close to the exit, dropping his flintlock and yodelling in pain. Ashley took the flintlock and aimed at him. He panted so hard you'd think he'd already get a heart-attack. She pressed the trigger, making a little hole in the wall next to the man, scaring him away through the exit.

'' Stop!'' Ashley turned to see the brute holding a curved knife to Luciano's throat. Ashley dropped the gun.

'' And the rapier!'' he ordered with a smirk, thinking he'll get away with this old trick. But Ashley stepped forward, closer and closer to the counter. The brute gripped the bartender tighter as a warning, but Ashley just pressed on, her eyes burning like hell.

XXX

 The two bandits ran out of the inn, screaming like a pair of skittish girls. Ashley was sitting by one of the tables, her legs crossed on the table and drinking her morning tea. The bartender was in awe to see this teenager so casually enjoying her tea after driving out a trio of bloodthirsty bandits. The woman with the frying pan turned out to be Luciano's granddaughter. Her name was Erica, a maiden in her early twenties. Her blond hair was tied in a ponytail, brown eyes to match her father's and wearing a beautiful red dress.

 The people that were also staying in the inn were now taking breakfast, not really sure of what happened while they were upstairs. Luciano thanked her a billion times, and that's probably all she's going to hear today from the bartender. She told him she was a traveller and just happened to wander in Rome once he brought her scrambled eggs and bread to go with the tea. She wanted to pay, but Luciano objected.

 Eating wasn't peaceful I'm afraid. Taking a sip from her cup and had a nagging feeling like someone's staring at her. And truly, at the corner of her eye she saw the same shady man from last night, resting at the very side of the bar. His head was lowered, but there was no mistake that he was looking at Ashley. She just felt his gaze piercing her. Did he suspect her of something or was he just surprised to see the same girl who pointed a blade at him again?

 Ashley handed the dishes to Erica and told Luciano she's going out for a bit, taking a final glimpse at the hooded man.

 She set off for the market, the air being so thick with the amount of people there. The swashbuckler's eyes darted from one side to the other, looking for clothe stands. Yet there were so many interesting things to see: delicious bakery goods, illustrious carvings (a boy accidentally ran by her with a wooden horse toy before returning to his mother by the appropriate stand), silk vendors, accessories...and ah! Finally, an outfit shop. She was greeted by two females, who obviously offered her the latest dress styles. Ashley waved them away, asking for something more suitable for free movement and less beauty. Of course the females in fashionable dresses were shocked at the request, but Ashley insisted. They let her in a sort of changing box to cover from the streets and handed her blouses, leather pants, other goods...mostly being from the male section, to be honest.

 When it seemed that she won't find anything here, the women scavenged further and at last Ashley got new clothes hanging over the wooden wall.

'' Try these, señorita,'' one of them said. So she did, like there was a choice for her...she got a new pair of black leather pants, her top was now a black blouse with a red-ish vest over it and new fencing gloves...purple even!

 She had to admit, black wasn't exactly a colour she'd wear for romantic evenings, but it was better than nothing. She changed her hat's feather to a purple one as well, so that it would match the gloves. Ashley gave the women their payment and set off on her way.