Disclaimer: All characters and places belong to Squaresoft Enix

A/N: Thank you SissyHIYAH for the review and email. I'm gald you like the story. For all you people out there that are following this story, here is the next chapter.

THE HOOD

Chapter Seven – The Wager

That certainly got everyone's attention, for they were all curious to know who this man was.

Milady was no exception, for she sat there wondering ' had he been scarred in battle. Was he really only wearing that hood just to protect his identity? But that would mean he could be recognised. There was certainly something about his voice, but she just couldn't place it.' There was only one thing that would resolve these questions. She wanted to see the face of this man.

Only one man was unhappy with this arrangement. Zell rose and walked straight over to Squall and said

"Sir is this wise?"

Squall turned and looked at his comrade, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It was the only way that I could get the Archer to agree to my plan. I will explain to you later what needs to be done. Trust me Zell," said Squall.

Zell nodded reluctantly as he returned to his seat near Milady's side.

Irvine selecting two of his men said

"Set up a firm target on a rope and hang it from the trees."

The two men retrieved one of the empty wooden kegs and proceeded to wrap a rope around the two ends. Tying the rope in the centre so that it would hang squarely, they left the flat top free as the main target.

"It needs something light in colour so that we can mark its centre," said one of the men.

Milady rose from her seat and removed the handkerchief from her sleeve

"Here you can use this to mark your target."

"We cannot take this from you Milady for it will be ruined," said one of the men as he tried to hand it back to her.

"Please I insist for I have others with me," she said as she returned to her seat.

"Thank you Milady" said the man.

He removed the top from the keg and covered it with the handkerchief. Placing a large rock inside before replacing the top back on the keg so that the trapped material remained in place. Marking the centre with some of the red wine that they had obtained from the cart. The target was now ready to be raised and suspended from the trees.

As the two men set about raising the target Irvine said

"Now 'Hood', I have seen you match me easily with a still target. But no-one has ever beaten me when we use a moving target…"

Zell was about to stand and protest as this was surely unfair, but he felt a hand on his shoulder keeping him in his seat

"Have faith Zell," said Squall as he walked past his comrade and stood next to Irvine.

Everyone around the campfire rose to their feet, this was going to be a very interesting competition indeed. Irvine's men were standing on his left, while Zell, Milady and Edea stood on Squalls right.

With a simple nod from Irvine, the target began to swing.

Like a pendulum in a grandfather clock, the rock inside of the keg helped to keep the swing even and true. Irvine in one smooth movement drew his first arrow out of his quiver and before the watching crowd of men and women could register the action. He fired his arrow. It left his bow at great speed and hit the target with a thump. Everyone looked towards the moving target. The feathers of Irvine's arrow could be clearly seen on the right hand side of the centre marking and in appreciation Irvine's men let out a cheer.

Zell looked at the arrow firmly embedded in the keg and then looked at Squall. He hoped that his friend and comrade could equal that shot. Revealing that 'The Hood' was the presumed dead Lord of Balamb seemed like a very dangerous thing to declare. For this sort of revelation would surely lead to his demise and to wager this very thing on an archery competition made Zell grip the hilt of his sword tightly.

Milady and Edea on the other hand had seen many archery tournaments in the castle grounds, but nothing could compare to this. As the two women looked first at each other and then towards Irvine who was now leaning against his bow with a beam on his face.

If anyone could have seen Squall's hidden face behind his hood, they would have seen him just raise a single eyebrow. He had expected Irvine to hit the exact centre with all his bragging, which meant that he now had the upper hand. He had the advantage of using Irvine's arrow as a marker for his own. He cut short the cheer from Irvine's men by shouting

"Re swing the target!"

As he said that Squall pulled out one of his own arrows and positioned it against his bow. Drawing the bowstring back, he calmed his breathing by taking one long deep breath and released it slowly. With a nod of his head, the men started the momentum of the target. Squall counted in his head 'left 1,2,3, centre, right 1,2,3,' When the keg swung back to the centre position Squall fired his arrow. All eyes looked at the target. In less than the width of a mans finger, his arrow could be seen on the left of the very centre.

Zell looked first in shock and looking at Squall let the relief of the shot be known by nodding his head and saying

"Yes!"

Milady couldn't help but look at Zell after his comment. Edea nudged her slightly and whispered

"He truly did not expect his comrade to make that shot Milady"

"So I see," she replied as her eyes now looked towards the man in the hood.

"You are going to give me some competition after all then 'Hood', let us see if you can beat my second arrow," said Irvine.

Irvine had fired his second arrow almost as quickly as his first. In one effortless motion he had pulled his arrow from the quiver and fired it without hesitation. This time it struck the target above the very centre, leaving only space for one more arrow. Irvine's men one again let out a cheer.

The beads of sweat now started to form on Zell's forehead, as he once again gripped the sword hilt so tightly. His knuckles whitening with the building tension of each shot.

Milady had once again watched Irvine's arrow hit the target. There was no doubt that he was indeed one of the best archers she had ever seen. She was thinking 'Why did this hooded man challenge him knowing that he was a great archer? Why does he need Irvine's men to join him? Why do I feel drawn to him?'

She was gently nudged once again by Edea as she whispered

"Milady?"

"Oh Edea! ..I… I was deep in thought."

"I'm sorry Milady, I was just going to ask if you thought 'The Hood' would win?"

Milady replied, " I do not know, …..yet part of me wants him to succeed."

Squalls composure remained the same, as he drew his second arrow and lined it up against his bow.

He had to match Irvine's second shot. Pulling the bowstring tightly, as he once again waited for his heart rate to ease. With the target once again in full swing, all eyes watched as Squall released his arrow. It landed to the right of his first and was of an equal distance to Irvine's second shot. As they were now evenly matched, it all depended on the third and final arrow.

Zell ran a hand through his hair, as he drew in a deep breath. Squall had indeed matched Irvine's skill with a longbow, but he had one more arrow to play and that alone could decide their fate.

Irvine pulled his third and final arrow out of his quiver.

"Time to end this," he said, as he released his deciding shot.

The uproar released by Irvine's men left no doubt. His arrow had hit the very core of the target.

Edea said "Milady …Irvine the Archer has won!"

"No!" Is all that she replied, as she shook her head.

While Irvine's men congratulated him with back slapping, Squall withdrew his third and final arrow and stated

"I believe I have one more shot to play!"

Irvine hushed his men from their rowdy cheers and said

"Yes …that is of course, if you think you can better that!"

Zell had almost pulled out his hair after Irvine had hit the very centre. He thought that Squall had lost.

How could he have been so slow-witted and forget that he had one more arrow yet to play. Squall had told him earlier to 'have faith', well he had certainly achieved what was thought to be impossible so far.

"Yes I have faith!" said Zell.

Milady said to Edea "He has another shot?"

"Yes Milady, but I fear it is more a formality, for I do not know how he can better that shot."

"Then he still has a chance to win…. and if fate or destiny plays any part in this, well we shall see. Yet for some unknown reason, I feel that deep down in my heart that he will win."

Milady placed her hands on Edea's and continued

"Oh Edea….there is something about this man that I feel….but I can't explain."

Edea knew what this unexplained feeling Milady was having. She had seen that look in her eyes once before. Every time she returned home with her father after she had visited the young man she was in love with. How she was always bursting to tell Edea everything that had happened while she was there and then being too giddy with excitement to sleep that night. But oh how her heart was broken at the news of his death, not eating, not sleeping and the only thing Edea could do was stay with her. There was only thing she ever wished for, that he was alive and would return to Milady taking her pain away. But alas this never happened.

"Oh Milady, please let us not get too excited, for this could all end in tragedy. 'The Hood' has yet to fire his final arrow and we still have to get to Dollet to see your father."

"Your right Edea, I had not forgotten that we need to get to Dollet as soon as possible, but I can't help what I feel," said Milady as she smiled and looked back at the man in the hood.

The arrow sat poised against his bow, waiting for the tension of the bowstring to propel it forward. This time it would require a shot of great power and speed. There was only one way he knew how to do this and that would be like the first time he held the bow. Squall pulled the bowstring back as far as it would allow. The veins in his arm standing out, as they displayed the strength being used to hold it in place. With the signal given one last time to set the target swinging, time seemed to stop all around him. The earlier celebration over Irvine's shot was now forgotten, as every man and woman held their breath. Squall drew a deep slow breath, as he watched the target swing left and then right. This one shot would define his fate and his comrade Zell's. It would decide Irvine's and his men's very lives. Although he didn't know it yet the fate of Milady and the kingdom itself would be decided by this final arrow.

Squall did the only thing left for him to do.

He released the arrow.