Roanoke Colony 26th March 1609, Evening
The slump of Peter's shoulders as he came through the door told Virginia all she needed to know. She and Carlos Javier had passed a restless half hour, sometimes talking, mostly waiting. Matthew Murdoch had joined them, for reasons that he was keeping to himself, and he sat in the corner, head tilted and face blank. From time to time he hummed snatches of melody, of which Virginia only recognized the ballad of the Fantastick. Under the bandage that covered the top half of his face, she thought he looked thoughtful, as though his mind were many miles away from this place and time. For all that, he heard Peter's approach before she did, turning and lifting his head to the doorway.
She got up to meet him, lifting her face for a kiss and helping him off with his coat.
"How did it go?"
"About how you'd expect." With a nod to Javier he took a seat by the fire. "They were remarkably polite, considering. And John Storm held his temper, which has to go down as a minor miracle and an answer to prayer. But the conclusion was the same. They thanked us very nicely for all we had done, and now, if we didn't mind, they'd like us to go away please. Turns out the king has been sending emissaries with offers of mercy and clemency and, most importantly, food. John Smith up in Jamestown is on to a good thing, making friendly with the natives, but they're badly in need of more people. He figures to get them from us."
"Where is John?"
"He went straight home, fast and flaming. I think it did him good to work off all that restraint."
Matthew gave a snort of laughter. "No doubt. How long did they give you before the soldiers start arriving?"
"Oh, there'll be no soldiers. They can't spare them. But the surveyors from Jamestown will be here in three weeks. I think they want us gone by then."
"Listen, I've been run out of better towns than this one and let me tell you, this is the most civilized experience of the lot." Matthew's usual sardonic smile played round his lips. His attempt to lighten the mood did not go unnoticed, and Peter returned the smile.
"I know," he said at last, "you just would have thought they would be a little more grateful. That's all." As if noticing him for the first time, he frowned at Javier. "To what do we owe the pleasure of two visits in as many days?"
"Do I need an excuse to visit my friends, now?"
"No, but you usually have one."
"This time, I have news." He told them of the morning's visitors and their strange story. Peter listened in silence, his face growing more and more grave.
"You think that these are the ones Wanda foresaw, don't you."
"Yes." The older man's voice was firm. "I don't see how they could not be. I have recalled the three of them from their survey, since little is now to be gained from it. Whatever else happens, we must leave this place soon. I think we should accompany them and their precious burden."
Peter did not answer at first, his eyes wandering round the room as he thought.
"You're asking us to take an awful risk, Carlos. There are other places we could go, much less dangerous than this."
"I am not so sure of that." Matthew offered. "The king of England does not tolerate traitors to his throne."
"I would not return to England, and we need not go so far. There are French and Spanish colonies south of here that might have us. If not, there is land where we could start afresh."
"Peter, you are dreaming." Virginia managed to keep her voice steady. "You know as well as I do that there would not be enough of us to start a new colony. And we would hardly be welcome among the French or Spanish. The Pope holds too much sway in those countries for any witchbreed people to be safe."
"And are we to be safe with these two? Who will take us the Lord alone knows where? Virginia, I can't ask you to-"
"To follow you? Do you really think we'll be safe wherever we go?"
"Ginny, I-"
"You can't protect me from everything in this world, Peter. We should at least think about it." Her face was flushed and angry. Their eyes met and his cheeks coloured to match hers.
"Alright!." He lifted his hands in surrender. "No promises, but we will think about it."
That was clearly not the end of the argument, and so Matthew and Javier took their leave. It was a short walk back to the estate with Javier acting as the minstrel's eyes.
"Doesn't it ever frustrate you?" Matthew asked as they passed through the wide gate. "Having to be carried everywhere?"
"A little." Javier admitted. "Doesn't it frustrate you never being able to see where you are going?"
"A little, but there are compensations."
"Indeed. There are steps ahead of you, four small ones." Javier pushed open the door and directed Matthew to put him down on his usual seat. "How much longer will you be remaining with us? You are welcome here as long as we are, and after that, I would be pleased if you would join us. Your resourcefulness and experience would be of great value to our group."
"I'm not sure I'm all that much of a group player, Master Javier, although I am inclined to accept the invitation. It may suit me for a time, to lend and be lent other skills and abilities, but I would not advise you to rely on me."
"I had no intention of doing so."
Hearing the smile in the other man's tone, Matthew returned it.
"Very well then. I bring what humble knowledge I possess and the poor skill of a minstrel to your intrepid band. I warn you though, you may regret having to feed me as well. It takes twice as much food when your ears must do the work of your eyes."
"I will bear that in mind." Javier said dryly. "We will join the others at the Richards Tower later on for a full report. For the moment, I believe I need to start putting our affairs in order here."
"Will your students find it so easy to go?"
"I believe not. They have all left so much behind in their short lives that this place had become precious to them. But there will be other places and houses and things. We are a family now, which means more than all the roofs and walls in the world."
"If you say so. In my experience, they can mean more than you think."
"Perhaps. That is why I have also strived to teach them to be realists." Javier looked round the room, full of the signs of untidy people passing through on a regular basis. There were papers on most flat surfaces, books piled on the floor and what looked like a stack of instruments of torture in the corner of the room. It looked like Hal had been experimenting with metal again. Realising Matthew could see none of this, he said aloud, "If you would be so kind, Master Murdoch, I would appreciate your help in our preparations."
"Point me at it, Master Javier. Your wish is my command." Murdoch gave an extravagant bow and the two of them set to work.
Roanoke Colony, 28th March
The sun had barely appeared on the horizon when the party reached the Richards Tower. Peter and Virginia had joined Javier and his students, and together they waited on the lawn outside for the family to join them. It was in fact Remus and Logan who emerged first, carrying little more than they had brought with them. Logan eyed the cart Javier had commandeered, inspecting it from front to back.
"Not bad. Never seen one like this before."
"I designed it." Peter told him.
"Really? You've got a good eye."
"Do you know anything about carts?" The bitterness in Peter's voice caught Logan's attention and he modified what would have been a sharp reply.
"A little. Travelled in enough of them to know what works and what doesn't. What's this?" He pointed under the flat bed, at an arrangement of joints and springs.
"It stops it from bouncing around too much." Peter joined him underneath and began explaining how it worked. Virginia shot Remus a grateful smile and turned back to tucking blankets round Javier's legs. The cart had been a necessity, since it would have strained even Hal to carry the man for days on end. Peter was still struggling with leaving Roanoke, and the distraction of discussing one of his inventions was most welcome. It was the first time Virginia had seen these strangers and she had to admit that they were not what she had expected. From Peter's imagination and Carlos's account, she had imagined dark, menacing figures, glaring and growling at all who passed them. Admittedly both had an air of danger about them, as though they were constantly watching and waiting for something to happen, and neither were going to pass as gentlemen any time soon. But Virginia trusted her instincts, which were telling her that neither posed an active threat to her or her friends. She accepted Remus's help to get down from the cart, letting him take her waist and lift her as though she weighed nothing and set her on her feet. Smiling up at him, she said,
"I do not believe we have been properly introduced."
"I thought that was a fine introduction." His wide smile showed white teeth. "But you are right. Remus LeBeau, a votre service, madame."
She let him kiss her hand, surprised at his getting her title correct.
"Mrs Peter Parquah. Virginia." Retrieving her hand, she glanced down at where her husband was still crouched, explaining some of the finer points of design to Logan. "I believe your friend has met my husband."
"I believe so." They walked a little way from the cart, towards the sunrise. "I was surprised at the number of ladies who will be joining our party."
"The witchbreed is no respecter of sex or position, I am afraid. Many of these people were driven from their homes, exiled for being who they are."
"Hmmm." Was the only response. "Still, I am concerned that so large a party will have difficulty in moving quickly.."
"You'll find them well able to keep up. Don't underestimate us, monsieur."
"Wouldn't dream of it, madame. Since we're to be traveling together a while, I would consider it an honour if you would call me Remus."
"Virginia."
"Now we're better acquainted, will you do me a similar favour with these fair folk?" He gestured at the small clusters of people gathered on the lawn.
"Well, Scotius you've met, I believe? The fair haired man is Alexander, his younger brother, and the woman is Alex's betrothed, I think."
"You think?"
"I think." Not wishing to discuss the subject, Virginia ignored the sideways smirk. "Her name is Lorna Dane. Then that's Robert Trefulis, Wanda and Petros talking to Hal McCoy."
"Him I have met. What about the native girl? I wouldn't have expected to find her here."
"Master Javier accepts anyone who would come to him."
Letting her sharp tone slide past him, Remus went on in the same mild fashion,
"Because the tribes I have encountered consider the Witchbreed to be a blessing rather than a curse. They are more accepting than our European cousins."
Blushing, Virginia explained, "Danni's father sent her here to learn more about her gifts. She'll go back when she's ready."
"Danni?"
"It's a shortened version of her proper name. It means Star of the Moon in her own tongue. I think Carlos is the only who can pronounce it, though. The rest of us just call her Danni."
"Much easier to say." Remus's strange eyes continued to roam the group, before lighting on a slim figure apart from the rest, leaning against the foot of a broad oak. "Sacre-. Your Master Javier really doesn't fear anything, does he?"
Following his gaze, Virginia smiled. "No, I don't think he does. And she is much more than she appears."
"I know." Remus made his way across the grass, leaving Virginia trotting behind him, his long legs easily outpacing hers. As they approached the lone girl, she pushed herself to her feet and stood to face him defiantly, as though expecting a challenge or insult. Instead, Remus stopped so suddenly that Virginia ran into him as he bowed low.
"I regret, mademoiselle, that we have not yet been properly introduced. Please allow Madame Parquah to rectify that situation."
Not attempting to conceal her amusement, Virginia did so.
"Remus LeBeau, this is Ororo. Ororo, quiero presentarle a Remus LeBeau."
"Espanol?" Remus asked
"She escaped from one of the slave plantations to the south. Her former masters were Spanish and she speaks that language as well as her native tongue. Don't underestimate her though, she understands English fairly well." The two women shared a conspiratorial smile before Ororo offered her hand to Remus. He bent over it then asked something in a language Virginia did not recognize.
Ororo's surprise was so sudden and complete that she jumped, pulling her hand back and smacking Remus on the nose. Covering her mouth, she began to apologise in a mixture of Spanish and her own guttural tongue. He waved it off, his grin broader than ever.
"Pas de tout. I've had worse from not so pretty ladies. And you're going to be less impressed when I tell you that's the only phrase I know. Well, nearly the only one." The smile was wholly inappropriate but there was something about the young man that took away any possible offence. So she returned it and asked Ororo how she was. She knew enough Spanish, and her friend understood enough English, that they were able communicate quite well.
As the dark skinned girl talked of the disruption in packing up everything at the house, Virginia was aware of Remus's attention wandering. Whether this was typical male dislike of gossip or something more, she couldn't tell. After another few minutes, he excused himself and went to join Peter and Logan who had emerged from under the cart. The rest of the students were also picking up their possessions and moving together, so she and Ororo began to drift in their direction
The group had been joined by the Richards family and Sir Reed was leaning down from his horse to speak to Javier. Lady Susan was also mounted with Franklin safely in a sling before her. As more of the students gathered round, a hush fell across the meadow. The sun had risen now, casting their shadows across the grass and warming upturned faces. Everyone looked to Javier who smiled down at them.
"I suppose you are all expecting a suitable speech? I would encourage you to see this as a beginning rather than an ending, but I would not lie to you. The road ahead is long and filled with danger. We will encounter hardship and frustration along the way and it will be some time before we can relax and feel safe again. Yet this is a beginning. Nothing we are about to face is worse than that you have already seen. You have all come through fire and hostility to be here and have come out stronger than I could have hoped. I would not be taking you on this journey now if I did not believe you could meet it and overcome it. I know that whatever challenges you encounter, you will make me proud of you."
There was no applause or cheering, just a sense of peace sweeping through the group. Virginia saw Remus frown but was too caught up in the emotion to think anything of it. She knew that Javier must be projecting this onto the group and for a moment she did not care. He was binding them into a single unit, a family that was ready to face the world and its trials. Then Peter flicked the reins and the carriage jerked into life and the spell was broken. Sitting in the cart, she looked back on the village of Roanoke, nestling in its valley. The sun was over the hill now and the stream sparkled in its light. She thought of what she was leaving behind and a deep pang of regret clutched her heart. This was the only home she had ever known and now she knew that she would never see it again.