Fallen One (Book three of Alfireán age)

Gypsies' Bonus Scene

Note: This scene occurred after the tapirs and before Alf's party left the Gypsies and was removed due to its unimportance in the grand scheme of things.

For the next several hours, the gypsies kept Alf busy moving mysterious cargo from one end of the caravan to the other.

"I see they're finally done using you as a mule," Drake said as Alf made his way back into their now-empty tent.

"I hope so," he stated. Stretching his back and plopping down on the metal floor, Alf glanced at Olivia and the maids who were gazing at one of her scryings. Originally, he'd been happy to have the chance to move around a bit, but the novelty had quickly worn off as every gypsy and their mother suddenly had something they wanted him to move.

"Ew, you smell like rotten canvas," Pony declared, swishing her hand through the air and holding her nose.

"At least he doesn't smell like fish," Rex said as he plunked down beside Alf, soaking wet from head to toe. His wet brown hair clung to his suntanned face, and his green armor glistened as bits of fish scales clung to its leathery surface.

Alf glanced over at him and furled his eyebrows in an unspoken question.

"Don't ask," the vice-champion muttered as he used magic to pull globules of icy water out of his armor.

"Look at the bright side," Zaphaniea called out from the front platform. "Most of the time you just look like a frog, now you smell like one too," she said with a knowing grin as she swished her hand through the air. Suddenly, a series of loud squawks filled the air as her spheres swatted two mutated birds out of the air and away from the caravan.

Before Rex could respond, Zindelo's little girl came racing across the blue shield between the takoorah and over to Olivia's side. "Mama says we can eat lunch with you!" Ritsa declared happily, her dark curls bouncing up and down.

"Is that so?" Olivia said with a smile and dispelled her scrying as a woman strolled over with Siegfried in tow.

"Hello, I'm Sylvia," the slender blonde-haired woman wearing an emerald green dress said. "And this is my youngest son Siegfried."

"Nice to meet you," Alf answered as he stood to his feet and shook her hand then moved to shake Siegfried's. The lad, however, held up his hand, showing a large burn mark across his palm. "Ow," Alf proclaimed at the sight of the nasty burn. "What happened?"

"Our rug caught on fire this morning," Sylvia answered for him. "My son thought it was smart to stomp it out with his hand instead of his foot."

"Ah, ya," Siegfried agreed nervously, his eyes briefly flicking to Rex's sword.

"Caught on fire?" Alf feigned worry, knowing full well it was Drake who had melted the carpet and judging from the gypsy boy's reaction, he'd bet the burn probably hadn't come from the carpet either. He glanced back at Rex who was staring at the young boy's hand curiously while experimentally grasping the hilt of his weapon. Huh, Alf thought, that would explain a few things.

"Yeah, the sun did it," Ritsa declared excitedly. "And daddy was so upset because he loves that rug. He kept on saying my precious, my precious over and over again, and I told him I thought it was kind of creepy and daddy said that I don't understand how valuable it was..."

"Here let me look at it," Olivia said moving closer to Siegfried while the little girl chattered on in the background.

The fellow glanced at her. His cheeks turned bright red, and stepping backward, he hid his hand behind his back. "That's okay," he said, swallowing nervously.