I awake about two hours later. The circus is now a quiet safe haven again,
but my heart still thumps in my chest at the thought of those people
bearing down on me. I'm about to crawl out from my hiding place when I
hear voices that make me stop.
"I didn't expect to see you here Heero." I recognise the voice as Trowa's, but he sounds different. I don't mean to listen but I have no choice.
"Times have changed Trowa. We are now free to do as we wish." The man called Heero replies.
"So I see." Trowa replies. Are these friends of Trowa's? I can definitely hear more than two sets of footsteps heading this way.
"And how are you Miss Relena?" Trowa asks.
"I am well Trowa." I hear a woman reply. "I have to say that when Heero offered to take me to the circus I had no idea that we would run into you."
"This is more than a coincidence Relena." Heero replies. "Trowa, did you hear that Quatre is in the city?"
"Quatre?" Trowa asks. There's a tone to his voice that makes me think that Trowa definitely knows Quatre well, and probably misses him or her. "All we need is for Wufei and Duo to show up and it will truly be a reunion."
"Don't knock it Trowa." I hear Heero reply darkly. "The chances of two of us meeting are slim. I think it would almost be impossible that the five of us could meet under normal circumstances."
"Do you think that you are in danger Heero?" Relena asks.
"There are still people around who believe that the Gundam Pilots should have been executed three years ago." Heero says. "We had, and have, many enemies Trowa. You should be careful."
"I will." Trowa says. "But you still haven't explained why you have come so far away from home. And to a circus."
"In times of crisis there are often things to celebrate." Relena says. I hear Trowa take in a sharp breath.
"Congratulations." Trowa says. "When will you make it official?"
"The engagement or the wedding?" Relena asks.
"The wedding. I'd like to be there Heero. I'm sure that the others would too." Trowa says.
"It's too dangerous for us all to reunite." Heero is saying. "We could all be killed in one swoop. However we do not intend to marry for at least another two years, we have pressing business to attend to."
"I understand." Trowa says. They are standing right beside the van. I decide to make a move. I crawl out the other side of the van and scramble behind the nearest tree. I brush myself off as much as possible, wiping dirt and mud from my face and clothes. When I'm satisfied that I look presentable I decide to move. Hopefully if I walk across to the campfire as naturally as possible and then make my way back to my van no one will notice me.
I step out and walk towards where the fire is dying. I can still hear the three people near the van mumbling, but their voices are quieter and harder to detect now. I'm by the fire. I stop to warm my cold bones for a moment.
"Sienne!" I hear someone call. I know that it is Trowa. He has seen me. I hope he doesn't realise that I was listening to his conversation.
I turn to where his voice came from. He is walking towards me quickly. When he stops in front of me he speaks, "I've been looking for you for hours. I'm so sorry."
This time anger doesn't boil up inside me. It wasn't Trowa's fault that Catherine found out that I'm blind. The fact that everyone else found out wasn't Trowa's fault either. He saved me from that crowd. "Don't be." I say. "And thank you for helping me."
"Where have you been?" He asks. "We looked everywhere for you."
"I.I fell asleep under a tree." I lie. I don't want Trowa to know that I was hiding under his caravan. "I'm sorry I ran off. I was just upset, but I'm better now. Did Catherine.?" I stop as I hear two pairs of feet approaching. Trowa must feel me stiffen as the strangers approach.
"It's OK." He says, putting his arm gently around my back. "These are my friends. Let me introduce Heero Yuy." I put out my hand and feel a strong hand clasp mine. His grip is strong and his hands are hard, and I instantly feel that this man, though only as old as Trowa, has maturity beyond his years.
"And this is Queen Relena Peacecraft." Trowa continues. I gulp as I recognise the name. I shake her soft, small hand and curtsey as best I can.
"Ma'am." I say softly, and feel Relena squeeze my hand.
"This is the young acrobat you saw tonight." Trowa says. "Sienne."
"Is this the blind one?" Relena asks. I must have unknowingly flinched at this abrupt sentence because she continues, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I just heard a rumour going round."
"I'm sorry Ma'am." I say. "It is true, I am blind."
"Fascinating." I hear Heero say. "An acrobat without sight. Truly you must be the best of your profession. And so young too." I blush at his compliment. There is an awkward silence that Trowa attempts to fill.
"Um, Heero and I met during the War." He says. "And Miss Relena met Heero then too. They are now engaged."
"Congratulations." I say. "I'm glad that something good came out of that war." My mind is working fast. All of those names I heard Trowa shout out in his dream. Heero and Relena had been among them. What had Heero said earlier? About the execution of the Gundam Pilots, and how they are still in danger? Suddenly I put two and two together and hopefully make four. Was Trowa a Gundam Pilot? I heard about them. It would make sense if he were, the War was three years ago and Trowa must be eighteen now, and I once heard a rumour that the Gundam Pilots were only fifteen years old. I remember because I was fourteen at the time and thought how brave these people must be.
"Sienne?" I'm snapped out of my dream by Trowa. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." I say, too quickly. "I'm just very tired and emotional at the moment. Would you excuse me?" I say goodnight to Relena and Heero and walk off towards my caravan. Trowa, a Gundam Pilot? A war hero and murderer?
I get to sleep quickly, but even in my dreams my mind is working overtime. The fact that Trowa fought so bravely in the War doesn't change the way I feel about him. But he murdered so many people. In his defence they wanted to kill him. And he helped to bring peace, didn't he? In the end I conclude that as I shouldn't know about Trowa, and I'm not even sure that I am right that he is a Gundam Pilot, I won't act differently around him. But I shall have to ask him one day.
I awake the next day to find Polly sitting on the end of my bed, holding my breakfast. I'm instantly suspicious.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Nothing." She says, too firmly for my liking. I'm not even hungry so I put my plate aside and listen to Chip munch on my toast.
"Really?" I ask.
"I thought you might want breakfast in bed. You came in quite late last night." Polly says.
"I know." I say. "And your other reason is?"
Polly sighs. "Everyone has found out about your disability Sienne. The camp was buzzing with the news this morning. I just didn't think you would want to sit at breakfast and have people staring at you."
I bury my head in my hands as the evening's events come flooding back to me. "Catherine.?" I ask.
"Would like to see you now in the caravan." Paul says, walking into the van.
My heart leaps into my throat. I knew that this would have happened sooner or later, but I had banked on it being later. "OK." I sigh. "I should get this over with."
Polly helps me to find some clothes and get me cleaned up. Paul is all for taking me to Catherine's caravan, but I know where it is. I also want to do this on my own, to prove to everyone that I'm not an invalid.
I leave with Chip hanging around my neck like a strange necklace. As I walk past the campfire I can hear people whispering and feel them staring at me. I hold my head up high and walk over to Catherine's van. I find the door and knock.
"Come in." She says. I open the door and let myself in. "Ah, Sienne. Sit down, we need to have a little chat."
"I didn't expect to see you here Heero." I recognise the voice as Trowa's, but he sounds different. I don't mean to listen but I have no choice.
"Times have changed Trowa. We are now free to do as we wish." The man called Heero replies.
"So I see." Trowa replies. Are these friends of Trowa's? I can definitely hear more than two sets of footsteps heading this way.
"And how are you Miss Relena?" Trowa asks.
"I am well Trowa." I hear a woman reply. "I have to say that when Heero offered to take me to the circus I had no idea that we would run into you."
"This is more than a coincidence Relena." Heero replies. "Trowa, did you hear that Quatre is in the city?"
"Quatre?" Trowa asks. There's a tone to his voice that makes me think that Trowa definitely knows Quatre well, and probably misses him or her. "All we need is for Wufei and Duo to show up and it will truly be a reunion."
"Don't knock it Trowa." I hear Heero reply darkly. "The chances of two of us meeting are slim. I think it would almost be impossible that the five of us could meet under normal circumstances."
"Do you think that you are in danger Heero?" Relena asks.
"There are still people around who believe that the Gundam Pilots should have been executed three years ago." Heero says. "We had, and have, many enemies Trowa. You should be careful."
"I will." Trowa says. "But you still haven't explained why you have come so far away from home. And to a circus."
"In times of crisis there are often things to celebrate." Relena says. I hear Trowa take in a sharp breath.
"Congratulations." Trowa says. "When will you make it official?"
"The engagement or the wedding?" Relena asks.
"The wedding. I'd like to be there Heero. I'm sure that the others would too." Trowa says.
"It's too dangerous for us all to reunite." Heero is saying. "We could all be killed in one swoop. However we do not intend to marry for at least another two years, we have pressing business to attend to."
"I understand." Trowa says. They are standing right beside the van. I decide to make a move. I crawl out the other side of the van and scramble behind the nearest tree. I brush myself off as much as possible, wiping dirt and mud from my face and clothes. When I'm satisfied that I look presentable I decide to move. Hopefully if I walk across to the campfire as naturally as possible and then make my way back to my van no one will notice me.
I step out and walk towards where the fire is dying. I can still hear the three people near the van mumbling, but their voices are quieter and harder to detect now. I'm by the fire. I stop to warm my cold bones for a moment.
"Sienne!" I hear someone call. I know that it is Trowa. He has seen me. I hope he doesn't realise that I was listening to his conversation.
I turn to where his voice came from. He is walking towards me quickly. When he stops in front of me he speaks, "I've been looking for you for hours. I'm so sorry."
This time anger doesn't boil up inside me. It wasn't Trowa's fault that Catherine found out that I'm blind. The fact that everyone else found out wasn't Trowa's fault either. He saved me from that crowd. "Don't be." I say. "And thank you for helping me."
"Where have you been?" He asks. "We looked everywhere for you."
"I.I fell asleep under a tree." I lie. I don't want Trowa to know that I was hiding under his caravan. "I'm sorry I ran off. I was just upset, but I'm better now. Did Catherine.?" I stop as I hear two pairs of feet approaching. Trowa must feel me stiffen as the strangers approach.
"It's OK." He says, putting his arm gently around my back. "These are my friends. Let me introduce Heero Yuy." I put out my hand and feel a strong hand clasp mine. His grip is strong and his hands are hard, and I instantly feel that this man, though only as old as Trowa, has maturity beyond his years.
"And this is Queen Relena Peacecraft." Trowa continues. I gulp as I recognise the name. I shake her soft, small hand and curtsey as best I can.
"Ma'am." I say softly, and feel Relena squeeze my hand.
"This is the young acrobat you saw tonight." Trowa says. "Sienne."
"Is this the blind one?" Relena asks. I must have unknowingly flinched at this abrupt sentence because she continues, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I just heard a rumour going round."
"I'm sorry Ma'am." I say. "It is true, I am blind."
"Fascinating." I hear Heero say. "An acrobat without sight. Truly you must be the best of your profession. And so young too." I blush at his compliment. There is an awkward silence that Trowa attempts to fill.
"Um, Heero and I met during the War." He says. "And Miss Relena met Heero then too. They are now engaged."
"Congratulations." I say. "I'm glad that something good came out of that war." My mind is working fast. All of those names I heard Trowa shout out in his dream. Heero and Relena had been among them. What had Heero said earlier? About the execution of the Gundam Pilots, and how they are still in danger? Suddenly I put two and two together and hopefully make four. Was Trowa a Gundam Pilot? I heard about them. It would make sense if he were, the War was three years ago and Trowa must be eighteen now, and I once heard a rumour that the Gundam Pilots were only fifteen years old. I remember because I was fourteen at the time and thought how brave these people must be.
"Sienne?" I'm snapped out of my dream by Trowa. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." I say, too quickly. "I'm just very tired and emotional at the moment. Would you excuse me?" I say goodnight to Relena and Heero and walk off towards my caravan. Trowa, a Gundam Pilot? A war hero and murderer?
I get to sleep quickly, but even in my dreams my mind is working overtime. The fact that Trowa fought so bravely in the War doesn't change the way I feel about him. But he murdered so many people. In his defence they wanted to kill him. And he helped to bring peace, didn't he? In the end I conclude that as I shouldn't know about Trowa, and I'm not even sure that I am right that he is a Gundam Pilot, I won't act differently around him. But I shall have to ask him one day.
I awake the next day to find Polly sitting on the end of my bed, holding my breakfast. I'm instantly suspicious.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Nothing." She says, too firmly for my liking. I'm not even hungry so I put my plate aside and listen to Chip munch on my toast.
"Really?" I ask.
"I thought you might want breakfast in bed. You came in quite late last night." Polly says.
"I know." I say. "And your other reason is?"
Polly sighs. "Everyone has found out about your disability Sienne. The camp was buzzing with the news this morning. I just didn't think you would want to sit at breakfast and have people staring at you."
I bury my head in my hands as the evening's events come flooding back to me. "Catherine.?" I ask.
"Would like to see you now in the caravan." Paul says, walking into the van.
My heart leaps into my throat. I knew that this would have happened sooner or later, but I had banked on it being later. "OK." I sigh. "I should get this over with."
Polly helps me to find some clothes and get me cleaned up. Paul is all for taking me to Catherine's caravan, but I know where it is. I also want to do this on my own, to prove to everyone that I'm not an invalid.
I leave with Chip hanging around my neck like a strange necklace. As I walk past the campfire I can hear people whispering and feel them staring at me. I hold my head up high and walk over to Catherine's van. I find the door and knock.
"Come in." She says. I open the door and let myself in. "Ah, Sienne. Sit down, we need to have a little chat."