"Only me," the face said, but it was pulling in on itself, the hair calming in its swirl, the beard fading, the lines vanishing, nose shrinking, eyes growing larger.  The hair turned brown, light brown, held by an enameled band, blowing in the breeze; the eyes were brown, too, but the face was young, and very, very feminine, with high cheekbones and a wide mouth with full, red lips that moved and said, "It is only Medallia, only a Gypsy woman going in advance of her tribe."

Gianni stared up at this vision of loveliness, unable to believe so bright a sight in the midst of the darkness his life had suddenly become.  "What... where..."

"Lie still," she advised, "but let me lift your head into my lap; I must bandage that ugly wound in your scalp."

So that was why his head ached so abominably.  Gianni let her lift his head (though it sent a lance of pain from temple to temple), then lower it against the softness of her skirt.  With his head up, he could see Gar, blinking at the woman - Medallia, had she called herself?  Gar had apparently already had the benefit of her nursing, for he wore one bandage across his chest and another wrapped about his brow, like a headband.

Then pain stabbed again, and Gianni squeezed his eyes shut.  As the spasm passed, he could feel soft hands winding a bandage around his head, and savored the sensation of the gentle caress, so calming, so soothing...  He shook off the mood; he must remain vigilant.  Opening his eyes again, he asked, "How did you find us?"

"I was following the road," Medallia explained, still working, "and I saw you lying in the ditch.  I knew the soldiers had passed, so I feared they had robbed and beaten you."

"Well, there was another band who robbed us first," Gianni said, "but you're right - this band beat us even worse."

"How did you know there were soldiers ahead?" Gar asked, his tone so gentle that Gianni knew it must be false.  What did he suspect?

"Soldiers are dangerous, for a woman alone," Medallia replied.  "When I heard them coming behind me, I drove off the road and waited till they had passed - waited long, you may be sure."