This is a regular disclaimer, I don't own any of the character from Final Fantasy, and the characters are the property of Square Enix. The only characters that are mine are the ones I create to go into this story. So please don't sue me that would be unlucky.
Ch. 3 Visiting a Friend
The warm sunlight filtered through space in the blue curtains that had been pulled into place over the windows. Rays of light warmed Rinoa's face bringing her out of a deep slumber but she wasn't quit ready to wake up "just a few more minutes that's all" she sleepily spoke to no one. As if Hearing her request to continue her sleep the sun moved its rays up her face until they were shining directly in her eyes causing Rinoa to close her eyes all the tighter.
It didn't last long "okay, okay I'm up I'm up" came a tired voice. All night she had dreamt of a person she had never seen before and of a sorceress that looked eerily too familiar.
Why would she dream of a sorceress? She had nothing against them. She really hadn't know any personally, but she knew how feared they were and what would happen if one was found around here. Sitting up in her bed she rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes and stretched her arms above her heard trying to finish waking.
Rinoa had turned fourteen a couple of months ago. She didn't feel any older but there were strange feelings that would come over her every now again. For example she would think that she could hear someone outside her door, just to find out they were next door. How could she have heard them if they were so far away? It worried her at first, but now she just believes that her mind is playing tricks on her is all it is.
This morning however was different. Her body started to tingle all of sudden; it felt like her blood was on fire as it coursed through her body. Rinoa crossed her arms over her chest holding her shoulders as the strange feeling ran through out her body. The energy coursed through every part of her body bringing new sensations with it. All of sudden her feet could feel every course grove of the wooden floor boards of her room, .she could feel not only the smoothness of her night gown but she swore she could feel every single thread under her fingers.
She cried out as the energy coursed down her arms in a sudden explosion of power. The energy flared up from her arms like lighting moving in the clouds, then exploded toward a chair in the corner of her room. "What's happening …..? Someone please help me" she pleaded. Her mother, Julia Caraway, entered the room to see what the screaming had been about. She never expected to find the scene that unfolded in the room as she entered.
Rinoa stood still as a white aura surrounded her body and started to manifest around her arms as sparks like embers leaping from a fire leapt off her. The chair in the corner of the room had already been set ablaze by Rinoa's uncontrollable powers, "Rinoa, please you must calm down ….. I know it's hard right now but if you don't calm down the power within you will be remain uncontrollable" Julia said in a calm voice trying desperately to sooth her scared child.
"Mom what's happening to me" Rinoa asked in a shaky voice as tears became evident in her eyes, her will holding back the tears that were just waiting to be released. "Rinoa please calm down and then we will I promise to explain everything" Julia pleaded with her. Rinoa nodded her head trying hard not to think about the new sensations running throughout her body. The coursing heat that had been coursing through her blood started to subside, .either it was going away or her body was adapting to the energy now coursing within her.
Rinoa hoped it was the first as the sensation was now gone, but that hope was shattered as she took her first step toward her mother. She could still feel the intricate groves of the wood under her feet, once she reached her mother the tears had been set free forming rivers down her cheeks.
Julia took her daughter in her arms holding her tightly as if she could wish this fate away or maybe protect her from what is happening within her body. But Julia knew better than that, she knew what was happening to Rinoa and knew what she would have to do to keep Rinoa safe.
"Rinoa listen to me, you must stay inside with me today" Julia told her trying to keep her voice calm even though she wanted to cry for her child. "Why?" Rinoa asked between choked sobs, "Rinoa you are becoming a sorceress, .those sensations you were having were the dormant powers within you awaking. If others see that extraordinary power flare up within you I am afraid they will take you away from me or even worse…they may hurt you. You have to learn to control it. Controlling the power has to be your first priority now everything else can be explained later. Do you understand?" Julia said holding back her own tears. "I understand mother, I'll stay inside"
Rinoa said with a little calmer voice.
The two just stood there consoling each other for awhile longer; Julia consoling Rinoa's fears while Rinoa consoling Julia's fear that her child would change like so many others that inherited the power. Rinoa's mind tried to sort through what had just happened to her and what she was just told when her mind returned to the dream she had the night before. Now she understands that the girl in her dream was her. So who was the man that stood in front of her? She had never seen a man that looked like that as the thought of him brought a blush to Rinoa's cheeks. "Why would he stand with her, protecting her, she was a sorceress now … a hated and despised thing that will get her hunted down for sure" her mind begged.
"Mom" Rinoa asked, and waited for acknowledgement from her mother "yes dear" Julia said. "What about father?" Rinoa asked in an innocent naive voice.
That question hit Julia with more force than a direct punch would have, she felt the air leave her lungs and didn't realize that as soon the words hit her ears she had started holding her breath. In truth she had no idea how he would take it, she had kept that part of her family history a secret from him so how he would react was beyond her thought.
"I am sure that after he gets past the initial shock that he will be fine. It won't change how he feels about you I promise" Julia said with as much composure as she could gather to lie to her daughter. Julia didn't want to think about what might happen between herself and her husband because she knew that no matter what happened she would never abandon Rinoa.
Rinoa spent the day in doors, it was hard she wanted to go outside and play more than anything. She could hear other kids outside talking and laughing and wanted to join them. The thought of what would happen though if her power emerged unchecked again along with the thought of what others might think of her kept her from trying to go outside.
"Rinoa your powers are closely attached to your emotions, as along as you stay calm your powers will not surge to the surface like they did this morning, do you understand?" Julia asked. Rinoa nodded her head trying her best to take in everything her mother told her. "Okay Rinoa lets try to work on your control" Julia started, "but what if something happens and I can't control it" Rinoa interrupted with fear filling her words . "Don't worry we'll work on your control with less powerful magic so if something happens no one will get hurt" Julia said with a small smile on her face trying to elevate her worries. Rinoa slowly nodded her consent.
"Let's begin with something small. Rinoa, I want you to concentrate on the chair, feel the weight in your mind and now concentrate on elevating the chair just a couple of feet off the ground. Only think about what you are trying to do" Julia said. Rinoa closed her eyes and folded her hands in front of her like she was praying. Her eyes opened looking right at the chair, all of sudden the chair started to rise off the floor stopping a couple of feet of the ground.
"Good job Rinoa, now concentrate on putting the chair back on the ground" her mother instructed. Rinoa silently did as she was instructed and the chair returned to its place on the floor.
"That was great Rinoa, you're a fast learner. Now just remember that you have to concentrate solely on the object that you are trying to use the magic on or the magic could end up affecting anything that enters your mind." Julia informed her daughter.
"Thank you mother, it's not as hard to control as I thought it would be. After what I felt this morning I thought it would be impossible to control but, when I concentrated on the chair it was almost like I could feel it in my hands, it makes controlling the power easier" Rinoa said with a smile on her face. She was so impressed that she had been able to control the powers and that the power hadn't controlled her.
The rest of the day was spent working on her control and the use of her new powers: sleep spells, lavation, freezing, stop spells, and some weaker elemental spells like fire. Rinoa caught on quickly to the idea of how to call upon the magic within her and how she could keep the powers from surfacing uncontrolled. Soon evening fell upon the house and the last of the sunlight shown through the window bringing a whole new problem to the surface, Julia's husband.
A Major in the King's army walked down the streets of Deling City heading home for the night. In his hands he carried a bouquet of flowers for his wife. He took in the flowers' fragrance, smiled to himself and thought "I hope she likes these".
Robert had joined the army at young age and had worked his way to being an officer with strategic knowledge that he used to aid his Generals. In turn the Generals aided his status in the army by advancing him through the ranks quickly. He was well on his way of being in command of his own battalion in the army. He was a well respected man within the army and the town's people knew him and his family well. They were always welcome anywhere they went.
His wife Julia was a beautify woman with long flowing brunette hair, and a smile that could brighten the darkest of rooms. She was known for her singing voice. People tried to get her to sing whenever possible just to hear the beautiful song of the nightingale.
They had a lovely daughter that looked more like her mother than father, which was for the best. Who wouldn't want to take after Julia? She had Julia's soft eyes but hers were chocolate brown like her fathers and she had raven hair more like her mother's. They named their daughter Rinoa after the name of a girl from a dream that Julia's grandmother had. Julia fell in love with the name even though at that time she didn't understand her grandmother's dream or didn't want to understand it.
They seemed to be the perfect family to everyone in town; no one ever saw them fight or have any major problems. "That is what a family should be like", everyone would say, but there is no such thing as a perfect family everyone has their problems some just hide it better than others.
Robert reached his home on the north end of the city just inside the outer walls of the castle of King Caesar Deling. As Robert approached the door he swore he saw a table float by the window, he stopped in his tracks watching the window in disbelief.
"Rinoa put the table down your father will be home soon and we don't want him to see you doing that at least not before we get a chance to tell him first" Julia said with a little more fear in voice then she meant to express. "Everything is going to be fine isn't mother, I mean he isn't going to get mad is he" Rinoa asked catching the fear in her mother's voice. "I'm sure everything will be just fine" Julia lied once again.
Not seeing anything else happen Robert guessed his eyes were just playing tricks on him from the long hours he had been spending working back at the barracks. "I have to get some rest I'm now seeing furniture floating across the house next I will see little pink elephants" Robert mused to himself.
Taking the door the handle he entered the house "Julia?" he asked as soon as he was inside. "We're in the living room" Julia responded holding in her breath as she waited for her husband to arrive.
"There you are" Robert said smiling at his wife and daughter "the two most important people in the world to me." Raising his hand to show the bouquet of flowers to his wife, she gave a weak smile and accepted the gift. "Thank you Robert" Julia said almost choking on her the tears that wanted to run down her face.
Robert caught onto to the fact that something wasn't right as he watched Julia try her best not to cry. "What's wrong, has something happened…… you know you can tell me what it is" he asked trying to get the answer out of his wife. Smiling Julia looked up at Robert's face and saw the worry etched on his features "will that worry still be there after he finds out or will it be replaced with something else" her mind wondered.
"Do I tell him or do I try to hide it from him for as long as possible? I can't hide it from him for forever, he will find out eventually. What do I do?" her mind pleaded. Robert watched as Julia stood silent for a moment "what could be so bad that she won't tell me? Is it another man? No she wouldn't do that it's not like her. So what is it?" he wondered silently.
"Julia what is it? You're beginning to worry me, just tell me what's wrong" he pleaded with her. Rinoa watched as her mother stood silently listening to her father pleading, "this is entirely my fault" she thought, "if I didn't have these powers this wouldn't be happening" her mind scolded her.
Rinoa couldn't take it any more the silence was tearing her apart, "I will tell you" spoke up gaining the attention of both of her parents. "Rinoa are you sure?" Julia asked in a soft voice, Rinoa just nodded. Julia consented to let her daughter break the news to her husband of their newly discovered secret.
Robert turned to Rinoa, "alright what's going on Rinoa, what's wrong with your mother?" he asked a little put out with the whole situation. "Father I'm not real sure how to tell you this except to come right out with it……this morning I woke up and something had changed about me" Rinoa started but paused finding it harder to say than she thought "Well what was it?" he inquired wanting this to end before he went insane. "I woke with a new sensation …… with a new power within my body" she continued choking on her words.
"A new power" he repeated in a questioning tone. "Yes, a new power …… the power of a sorceress" Rinoa finally pushed it out of her mouth. As soon as the words hit her father's ears she regretted saying them more than anything else she had ever said or done in her life.
Robert stood his eyes plastered on his daughter "the power of a sorceress" resounded in his mind. His eyes moved to Julia as she watched him carefully to see his reaction. It was like some one put his life in a small glass orb and then took a hammer and smashed it all to pieces.
At the mental drop of the hammer he lost it "this is your fucking fault, you did this to her….. it's all your fault…. you let that fucking devil kill my daughter you bitch" he screamed at Julia as his eyes narrowed on her. "Robert I promise, I didn't think that it would affect her" she pleaded as tears ran down her face. "Please believe me" she begged him. "NO! You knew this would happen and that's why you didn't tell me about it before now…. Why should I fucking believe you any way, you have probably been corrupted by this devil's magic" he growled like a madman. "Yes, that's it once it" pointing to Rinoa " is gone you will be free from it's control" he went on with a terrifying gleam in his eye.
"Daddy, what are you saying it's me Rinoa, your little girl" Rinoa said with a shaky voice as fear started to enter her mind. "Your not my little girl you're the devil that killed my little girl" he screamed "no daddy it is me, I'm still your little girl nothings changed" she cried. "Don't worry Rinoa" he said looking into the heavens I won't let this devil use your body like this, I will put an end to it right now" he said with a sad smile on his face.
"Robert don't do it she is still our daughter" Julia begged "it is not my daughter, my daughter is not a murdering sorceress she was a beautiful child that wouldn't hurt a fly, but this creature will kill just for the pleasure of killing" he carried on. "Your wrong she doesn't have to be like that, not all sorceresses kill with their powers. Only the ones that let their powers corrupt them kill" she tried to reason with him. "Shut up I don't want to hear you defend this fucking thing" he yelled at Julia.
Robert pulled the sword at his side; he was a brilliant strategist, but a poor fighter not that it would take a great one to kill an unarmed girl that was too scared to even move.
Rinoa watched as her father pulled his sword and pointed it at her. She wanted to run but couldn't find the will to make her legs work so she stood there with tears running down her face. "Please daddy don't" she tried to say but was unable to get the words past the lump in her throat.
Julia saw Robert extend his arm toward Rinoa, when he took his first step in her direction Julia reacted.
Running in front of Robert grabbing his sword hand with both of her hands, "Rinoa remember the sleep spell" she yelled "you must concentrate on making your father sleep….you have to do it Rinoa" she continued not waiting for a response.
"What are you doing Julia are you trying to help this devil" Robert asked as he grappled with his wife trying to free his arm. "Bitch I'll deal with you for this betrayal after I put an end to the devil's life" he spat at Julia.
Rinoa did as she was told when she heard her father's words "I will deal with you for this betrayal after I put an end to the devil's life"; folding her hands she lowered her head because she couldn't look at him as she used her magic on her father. "If I don't move now not only will I die but my mother will die as well", she thought releasing her from the parallelizing grip of fear.
Then with one forceful throw with his free arm he pulled Julia away sending her to the floor. Julia looked up at Rinoa, praying that he wouldn't commit the horrendous sin of murdering their daughter. What Julia saw was Rinoa with her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed.
Rinoa looked up at her father; "sleep" was all she said with a low voice as one last tear running down the wet path on her cheek. Her father stopped in his tracks dropping his sword to the floor before he fell to the floor along with it.
Julia hurried as she got up from the floor to take Rinoa's hand, "we have to get out of here right now Rinoa" she said in a hurried voice. "Go and pack some clothes quickly" Julia told her in commanding voice. Rinoa looked at her mother with a dazed stare then nodded heading to her room.
Julia hoped that it wouldn't come to this but she was prepared all the same, .she had already packed some clothes and had them strapped to the saddle of a horse in the stable. Julia walked over to Robert and brushed aside his hair "I love you. I want you to know that, but I can't abandon our daughter or worse yet let you kill her. I'm sorry, please forgive…..someday" she spoke softly to him and kissed his forehead.
Rinoa returned to find her mother getting up from where her father was asleep on the floor. "I had to do it or he would have killed me" her mind reasoned. Julia walked over to her putting a hand on her shoulder "you had no choice" she said as if she could read Rinoa's mind. "Let's go" she said motioning toward the door and taking one last look at her husband lying asleep on the floor "Goodbye, Robert" were her last words to her husband.
Once on horse back heading out of the castle walls Rinoa turned to her mother, "where are we going to go, everyone in Galbadia will be looking for us once father wakes up" she said as if they were just delaying her fate. "To a friend of mine's" Julia responded in a cryptic answer just in case someone was in hearing range of the two women.
The ride was hard. Julia wouldn't allow them to stop in one spot for too long. She was trying to put as much distance between them and Deling City as possible. During one of the stops to let the horses rest Rinoa questioned Julia, "mother what did father mean when he said it was your fault?" "He meant that the trait for sorcery that you received was passed down from me" she responded "the trait is carried by women that have sorcery in their bloodline. This trait is passed down to each generation of females, but it doesn't always become active, that is why I am not a sorceress, but you are. I passed it down to you" Julia continued. "So someone in your family was a sorceress, who was it?" Rinoa asked. "There have been a number of family members that have been a sorceress but you have only met one. Do you remember your great grandmother Guinevere" Julia asked Rinoa. Rinoa nodded "she was a sorceress, and she never hurt anyone in all her life. That's why he said it was my fault and that is how I know that all sorceresses aren't killers."
"Did father know about Grandmother Guinevere?" she asked Julia "No, I never told him about any of it".
"There is such a small chance that the trait will surface that I didn't want to alarm him for no reason, I mean neither my mother nor myself had an active trait so I didn't think you would." Julia explained a little down hearted. "We have rested enough lets keep moving" Julia said getting up looking at her daughter. Rinoa just smiled and nodded walking over to her horse.
After riding all night and on through the day with only periodic breaks to water the horses and to eat they reached a castle that was surrounded by forests. Julia turned to her daughter "this is Castle Straum in the kingdom of Timber …… it's were my old friend lives we will be safe here" she said in a lighter tone. "What if they find out about me? I mean won't they try to kill me as well?" Rinoa asked with doubt about their safety.
"My friend is a sorceress herself and she has a girl around your age she is training in Blue Magic, a type of magic for those not born with your gift" Rinoa stopped for a moment to let that sink in. "I want you to learn from her about your powers and how to use them to protect yourself and others" she continued. "She'll be able to teach me how to protect myself" Rinoa said amazed that there was someone who could help her.
"Who is your friend?" Rinoa asked wanting to know more about her. The two rode straight into the castle courtyard where four guards approached them. Two guards reached for the reigns of the horses while the other two kept their hands on spear axes they carried. They did not trust strangers being so close to the castle.
"My name is Julia Heartilly, I'm here to see Queen Catherine" Julia spoke up in a firm voice to show the guards she meant what she said. "Go and inform the Queen" one of the guards armed with the spear ax headed into the castle. "Until he returns you will have to stay out here, I hope you understand" the guard who was obviously in charge said.
"You never said she was the Queen" Rinoa said a little a struck by the fact that her mother knew the Queen of Timber let alone was friends with her. Julia just smiled at her daughter "I know a lot people" she counted.
A few minutes later a group of four guards walked out of the large oaken doors of the castle. Behind them a voice was heard "move aside men" the voice command in a delicate tone. The men separated like the waters of the Red Sea and out from behind the guards stood two women, both had short brown hair. The older of the two wore a purple gown while the younger had on a yellow dress not quit as finely made as the purple.
"Julia, it's been too long I've missed you so much" the older woman said with a large smile on her face as she walked toward them. Julia and Rinoa dismounted their weary horses and almost as soon as Julia was on the ground the older woman pulled her into a hug. "It's wonderful to see you too Catherine, I just wish the circumstances were better" Julia replied.
"Who is this enchanting girl with you Julia, is this Rinoa? I haven't seen her since she was just a baby. She really has grown into a real beauty just like her mother" Catherine spoke cheerfully. "Yes, this is ….. Rinoa I would like you to meet my good friend Catherine Tilmitt, Queen of Timber" Julia said motioning toward Catherine "Oh stop with the Queen of Timber part, you know you can just call me Catherine, Julia and that goes for you too Rinoa" Catherine told them both.
"Yes ma'am" Rinoa answered, "just call me Catherine, okay" she emphasized. Rinoa nodded her consent to the Queen, "oh, is that little Selphie behind you Catherine it's been so long since I've seen her" Julia cooed in shock at Selphie's size but it shouldn't have been that big of a shock, Selphie and Rinoa were the same age. "Yes, this is my daughter Selphie" Catherine said turning toward Selphie.
Rinoa was broken from her reminiscing when there was a knock at the carriage door. Looking out the window Rinoa saw Yuri on horse back looking toward her. She wondered if she had missed something and questioned whether he had been talking to her and she hadn't noticed because he glanced at her with a curious look. "Yes Yuri, is something wrong?" she asked trying not to let on if he had been talking to her. "No, I just came to tell you that we will be stopping to water the horses at the river up ahead I thought you would want to know" he said. "Oh thank you" she answered and sat back in her carriage as Yuri rode on.
The carriage ride was a long one but for Rinoa as she stared out the window watching the scenery pass by it seemed to take no time at all to get this far. She never really focused on the forest's trees or the grasses of the plains that pasted by the carriage as it moved along the dirt road curved like a river through the forest. She vaguely remembered seeing the columns of soldiers on horse back that formed two rows in front of the carriage or the fact that Yuri and Thomas were riding right along side her just outside the window. Now that the past had been blow away like the morning mist when Yuri broke her thoughts, her mind wandered through a maze of new questions and emotions, that she herself was having a hard time reigning in to figure them out. Why should one man occupy her mind so, what did he do? "Well that's easy he tried to kill you" her mind answered. "Something about that doesn't seem right, why would he want to kill me I have never even seen him before" she asked herself, with her heart rate quickening with just the thought of the dark stranger. "You don't need to have met him before; it's obvious that he is a sorceress hater …… He came to kill you because of what you are not for what you have done to him …… You should have learned this by now" her mind scolded her a little too harshly.
Rinoa's heart dropped its quickened pace at the thought of him hating her just like so many other people. "Then why not kill me? Tell me that…… he had the perfect chance to do it and didn't answer that one" she retorted, "I can't" was all that was thought.
"Selphie, how long has it been since I've seen you, we were the closest of friends more like sisters. It's about time I went back to see you. I've missed you so much and we have so much catching up to do. I need someone that I can talk to about what's going on in my heart; I need someone to talk it out with. Something isn't right. Why do I have mixed emotions about a man sent to murder me? Maybe you can help me figure it out. I just need someone I can really talk to, the only other female in Seifer's army is Fujin and she is too close to Seifer for me to be able to tell her things that she shouldn't tell Seifer.
I mean she wouldn't just come out with it, but if he asked or if she thought it would put me or him in danger she would tell him even if I didn't want her too. But Selphie you are my sister more or less. If there's anyone I can talk to it would be you. I hope I can talk to you soon."
Seifer and the fifty soldiers he took with him were scouring the woods that made the nature border to the plateau's cliff, "he must have made his escape through these woods" Seifer said to no one in particular as he scanned the tree line. "Why?" Fujin questioned, not trying to question his judgment but just wanting to know what made him so sure. Seifer turned to her "there is no way that second rate assassin could have climbed that cliff without be noticed…. I mean he didn't even have it in him to finish his job" he explained looking toward the cliffs.
"Fujin" he called not turning his site from the cliff. "Yes" she answered. "Just to be on the safe side I want you to go up there and take a look for yourself" Seifer order in a low tone hoping that she wouldn't find anything up there. "Affirmative" she replied pulling on the reigns of her horse and then speeding off toward the plateau. "What does it matter if she finds anything or not? Why should it even bother me? It doesn't. If she finds something up there it will change nothing .he is still a sorry excuse for a man that couldn't even follow his orders" his mind went on. "I will kill him when I find him, nothing will change at all."
It didn't take Fujin long to reach the summit of the plateau, riding over to the cliff drop she could easily see the entire area that had been their camp site just a few hours ago. Turning her site to the forest that she had come through up the plateaus steep side she decided that there was the best place to start looking. "Now if I had just climbed up this cliff face how far on foot could I make it" she asked herself as she rode into the forest. It didn't take her long to find hoof prints in the ground, dropping down from her horse to examine the prints she looked around the trees "a horse was left waiting here that's why the heavy concentration of hoof prints" she deducted.
"The tracks seem to head in this direction" pulling herself back onto the horse she followed the trail on into the forest. After just a couple minutes ride she came upon the remnants of a camp fire "they used dirt instead of water to put the fire out so it wouldn't billow, on top of that it makes it hard to know how long they've been gone" she applauded the action mentally "he's a lot smarter than Seifer gave him credit for, shit Seifer's not going to like that at all".
Seifer sat aggravated on his horse "stupid incompetents can't find the tracks of one damned assassin it can't be that hard" he scolded in a burst of anger. While he was yelling Fujin rode up on him. Seifer was to busy ranting to notice that Fujin was back until she was along side of him. "Didn't find anything? I didn't think you would….. this guy is not that good" Seifer went on in a mocking attitude. "Come" was all Fujin said and it was all she needed to say to deflate Seifer's superior attitude toward this assassin.
Facing Fujin he fell silent, loosing his voice for a moment, then turning to the forest "men fall in, Fujin has found something we need to investigate" Seifer called out. The word was past from one man to another till everyone was assembled in the field with Seifer and Fujin. "Lead the way" he said in lower than normal voice for him. She nodded turning toward the plateau cliff again. Seifer and his small detachment of soldiers followed Fujin up to the plateau above and into the forest until she stopped at a small clearing in the woods.
Seifer looked around for a minute until his eyes fell on the camp fire that resembled a large ant mound now. "Can you tell how long ago they left?" he asked in a calm voice. "No" was her short and sweet answer. "Find any tracks?" Seifer questioned, "No" was once again the answer he received from her.
"How can this be, how did he scale that cliff with out being noticed not once but twice? If he was good enough to do that then why did he not kill anyone? Why spare lives after all the trouble" he thought quietly looking around the clearing.
"Men it seems that the assassin has slipped by us today, but I promise you we will find him. When we do revenge will be ours for the dishonor he brought upon us last night. Revenge will definitely be ours" Seifer's voice rising with every word. "We will head to Castle Straum to join up with the rest of the army; we need to make it to the Pigeon River before night to make camp. There is no way we will make it to the castle till tomorrow understood" he barked out in a voice that demanded obedience.
Squall knew they would have to stop to make camp soon; the sun was already trailing down toward the earth washing the sky in hues of orange. He just wanted to make it as far as possible before they needed to stop for the night. "Do we still have any of the deer meat left" he called over his shoulder. "Yes, do you think that I would waste it by leaving it there….get real" Irvine shouted back. "Good, then we'll keep riding till night fall…..I want to get as far as we can" Squall called back.
"Why are you in such a rush to get back, I mean the General is going to be pissed that you didn't……, I mean that we didn't kill the sorceress…… so I figured you would want to take your time getting back" Zell said breaking into the conversation. "He has a point why would Squall want to get back so bad" Irvine thought as he listened for Squall's response.
"Your right I did fail to kill her, but it's that exact reason I want to hurry back" Squall paused to think out the rest of his statement. "There are things that I need to ask him about" he continued. "What are you going to ask the General, shit you barely talk to him as it is unless you have to?" Zell counted without even stopping to think about his answer.
Squall looked over his shoulder catching a glimpse of Zell out of the corner of eye, "he's right I don't talk to the General but that's going to change I have questions and I want them answered" he reassured himself. "That's going to change" Squall spoke up in a hard voice that told more than his words did.
When Irvine heard him respond to Zell the tone he use shocked him. "He is really going to question the General, not because he failed his assignment but because of her ……What did she do to him to put this kind of determination in him…?What did he see in her to move him this way…?Nothing ever moves him anymore not even death" Irvine went over silently in his head.
Zell broke Irvine's thoughts "over there, that looks like a good place to camp, we can water the horses in that brook" he said pointing. "Good eye Zell, we'll stop there for the night it's starting to get too dark to continue anyway" Irvine spoke up now that his head was clear. Squall listened to them he knew they should stop but he didn't want to. He wanted to continue to travel through the night till they reached the camp. "Why can't I wait to question, what is pushing so hard on me to do this?" he thought.
"Alright let's make camp for the night" Squall finally relented after several minutes of silence. They really could have just gone over and started to make camp on their own without his say, but between them there was an unspoken role of leadership handed to Squall by the other two. So it was his word that stopped them, he could have kept riding and they would have followed but Squall took their suggestion valuing his friend's opinion more than he let them know.
The three stopped near the brook and led their horses over to the water to let them rest. "We need some fire wood" Irvine said looking at Squall hoping he would get the hint. "I'll go" Zell said bouncing up from the blanket he had just laid down "NO, Zell I need you to help me get the meat ready and to find some herbs that I'll need" Irvine shot back at him a little more forcefully than intended.
"Fine I'll go find the wood" Squall relented. Once he was out of sight Zell turned to Irvine with a questioning look. "Why did you want him to go? All the herbs you need are in your saddle bag… you never leave without them. So what's up?" Zell questioned. "I know Zell; I just needed to talk to you without Squall knowing. ….. we are going to need to watch him when we get back" Irvine told Zell. "Why what's going to happen? Is the General going to try to do something to him?" Zell asked a little worried about the idea of being outnumbered severally.
"I doubt it" was the answer Irvine gave. "Then what?" Zell demanded. "I'm not sure yet, but Squall seems determined to find answers about our little sorceress which could mean….." Irvine paused trying to figure out what he wanted to say. Zell watched Irvine intently wanting to know what he meant by that, "that he could decide to leave to find his own answers. Especially if the answers that the General gives him don't add up to whatever he felt or saw in that tent the other night …..do you understand?" Irvine finished questioning if Zell had followed him. "Yes, so we need to be ready to follow his lead and lend our help when he needs it right" Zell answered, Irvine was impressed by Zell's answer he really was more observant that he acted. Irvine just nodded.
Squall walked around the small wooded area near the brook looking for loose and downed limbs to use as fire wood but he wasn't alone. His thought followed him out into the trees "why do you want to know about this sorceress so badly? They're all killers….you of all people should understand that……it was a sorceress that ordered your family's death remember" his mind scolded. "Then why don't I believe it about her, she didn't look like she could hurt anything let alone kill someone…..why do I care so much". No answers came to clear his mind of the questions that plagued him, it would just have to wait till he could ask the General and hopefully he would have the answers.