&&. do not go gentle

“Karina, you mustn’t worry,” Madalene assured her, bright smile still lingering upon her face. It had been a while since she’d had a good, harsh shock. She’d missed the adrenaline rush that came with it. “It was my own fault for startling you.” Dismounting her horse with a practiced grace, allowing herself to feel the slightest bit proud of her body for not feeling any lingering pain from her illness, she hesitated before going to hug the older woman. “I am feeling much better. Thank you.” She’d gotten very good at saying those words just lately. “But how are you? What have I missed?” Teasingly, she added,  “You’re still the greatest archer in Florence, I see.”

squeezing the girl tightly, karina held her back for a second with her arms, scanning her face. “i am truly, truly so pleased to see you maddie. we were all so worried, i prayed for you every night.” letting her go, karina huffed out a bit of laughter at the girl’s teasing, her shoulders going up begrudgingly. “well, i haven’t killed anyone yet.” she thought for a moment about all the things that had gone on in madalene’s extended absence. it all did seem so trivial, just like her life here. “oh, just the normal comings and goings. nothing really special.”

sneaking out of the salviati household wasn’t hard, at least not after a few years of doing so. just like aurelio knew how to attract attention, he also knew how to stay invisible, moving through the streets of florence in a black cloak rather than his usual more extravagant attire. then again, once he had left the salviati premises, he still had to make his way over to whichever duel he was attending that night unseen. which was hard when he wasn’t always the most… aware of his surroundings. almost bumping into a horse was something he sadly had to admit happened too often.

as the animal let out a surprised whinny, the sound of a flying arrow reached him and he instinctively raised his arm, only to realise the arrow wasn’t coming his way. instead he saw none other than karina pazzi. he assumed his cover had already been blown, pulling his hood back to reveal a cocky smirk and a pair of twinkling dark eyes. “seems like some more target practise could be beneficial.” he commented, making his way over to karina. “of course i could help with that, if guidance is needed?”

ah, it was the younger of the salvati boys, someone she wouldn’t get in trouble for accidentally almost impaling. well she would, but nobody had to know. greeting him with a nod of her head and a small, sage smile, karina walked over to retrieve her wayward arrow, her eyes still following him. “aurelio, of course. up to no good, i assume?” why else would he be out right now, cloaked in black and skirting around the shadows? everyone, it seemed, had a double life here in florence. she had learned that long ago, and just like all the inhabitants of the city, had chosen to turn a blind eye.

a sarcastic laugh was the result of his offer, and the smile thrown his way had been enough for some men to fall in love, but it was not meant that way. “it was the horse’s fault. everyone in this city knows i can shoot better than any salvati, including and especially you.” she teased, fingers plucking the string of her bow, almost like a physical taunt. “and you? do you need some guidance, or are you well and truly lost? i believe your home is that way.”

His horse knew the way so Dominico let it guide them throughfamiliar streets toward the Salviati home. The dimming evening light and an afternoon of study had left him peacefuland contemplative.  Far from alert to his surroundings, when his steed began showing signs of uneasehe didn’t immediately notice.  Only whenit whinnied and tried to turn around did Dominico come out of his reveries.  Just as he did so he was startled to hear anarrow wiz past.

Dominico tried to calm the horse with soft words as hiseyes followed the path the arrow had come from. “Signorina Pazzi,” he called, eyes landing on the daughter of a family his were well acquainted with.  Their houses were allies and itwas more likely that a shot had gone wild than that any malicious intent wasmeant.  Still, he couldn’t help but ask with mock seriousness, “Have I done something to earn an intruder’s welcome?”

Her normally serene face pulled into a wince as Karina hurried over to the man and his horse. She quickly pulled the arrow out of the dirt where it has embedded itself, just meters from the Dominico. “Ach, piccolino,” She said with a wave of her hand, wiping the dirt of the arrow off onto the muslin skirt she was wearing. “The only thing you’ve done wrong is not coming around here more often. And yet, here you come on your horse, just in time to startle me and almost get an arrow in the chest.”

“It is quite good to see you Domi, how have you been?”

amice smiled, “i find that i have a greater obligation to help others than i do to keeping family feuds,” amice said turning to face the woman. she knew her to be of house pazzi, something she knew because everyone knew them. she knew she most likely should not have, but it was against amice’s personal beliefs to not do something for a person in need. “i can do that. and i can do something to soothe the throat as well if you would like,” 

“Well, I won’t tell if you won’t.” And how Karina hoped the woman wouldn’t. Without mincing words, Karina would be in deep shit for being anywhere close to this part of the city, let alone the Alberti family physician’s storefront, but one of her maids’ sons was sick, and the woman couldn’t afford the medicine. If Karina had bought the medicine from her own family’s physician, there would have been questions to answer, those which could be avoided if she just covered her hair with a shawl and crept down her. “Yes, yes whatever you see as fit.”

Madalene squeaked as the arrow whizzed past her, frightening her horse and causing him to rear up on his hind legs. Holding on with everything she had, she managed to calm him down with soft words and, once all four hooves were on the ground, a gentle hand on his neck. Looking around for the source of the arrow, her eyes settled on Karina and she broke out into relieved laughter. “I just wanted to get away from my palazzo. I did not expect to encounter any real danger over here.” She was venturing into Pazzi territory, she knew, but the family were allies with her own, and she felt just the right amount of excitement venturing this far from home so late in the day. “Do you scare off all intruders in this way, my lady?”

As a string of curses rolled through her head, Karina rushed towards the Salviati girl, her face apologetic. “Madalene! Forgive me, I thought I was alone here and your horse startled me.” Oh, if she were a less hardy woman, her hands would shake at the thought of what that arrow could’ve done if pointed just a bit more up. It would’ve broken an alliance, tainted her for life, and most importantly snuffed out the life of a bright, sweet young woman. She had to be more careful, though she felt free while shooting, she had to remember she wasn’t. “Oh my dear, it is so nice to see you out and about the city. I haven’t seen you in months! How are you feeling? Other than the bloodrush from the scare I’m sure I just gave you?”

normally amice wasn’t the one that minded the offices of the physician of house alberti, but today she had been told to mind the storefront they held, and left to mind the calls from house alberti and the visitors that walked in off of the streets. currently she was working on a brew for a client, when the bell over the door rang out. “i’m afraid the head physician’s out today. you’ll have to deal with me. if that’s not a problem what can i do for ya?”

“As long as you don’t have a problem with me.” Normally, Karina would avoid this office, and indeed this whole side of the city like the plague. The house of Alberti, after all, was locked in a feud with her family that was said to go back centuries. Not that Karina quite cared, but the people would talk, and she had to play the role of that perfect lady, loyal to her house and without thoughts of her own. “If you would be so kind to give me some sort of potion for coughing.”