PART TWO

CHAPTER ONE

THE RETURNERS

Terra was still in shock from her rescue when the archers, joined by other Returners from the cave, came to meet the company. She was aware enough to notice a giant of a man approach. He was an immense with a bright red beard and hair, which immediately gave her the impression of a lion's mane. His eyes were dark and fierce, betraying great depths of authority and shrewdness. Terra did not need to be told the man's name.

"Terra," said Edgar, "this is Banon, leader of the Returners."

She had the impulse to curtsey, but on second thought felt it inappropriate in the rustic setting, and gave a nod, almost a bow, instead, and awkwardly extended her hand. For a moment she didn't know if he would take it. He watched her every move and expression with eyes so penetrating that she was unnerved. But then he relaxed and shook her hand (more gently than she would have thought possible), and his expression turned to one of mirth. At that moment, Terra thought, everyone breathed again. She hadn't noticed until afterwards (and so it might have been her imagination), but the joy and noise with which the Returners initially met Locke and even Edgar—though they showed him the respect proper to a king—subsided as everyone watched to see the result of the encounter between the "witch" and the chieftain. It was surely a momentous occasion, though no one perhaps understood its meaning.

Banon spoke with a deep, raspy voice like distant thunder: "Welcome, Edgar, king of Figaro. Welcome, Locke, our friend who has returned to us. And welcome, Terra, Captain and sorceress of the Empire, who comes in the form of peace and friendship." Terra didn't know whether "in the form of" carried any implications; it was spoken with earnestness and not a shred of mockery or distrust, though from this shrewd eyes she guessed that she was under suspicion.

I'm afraid from this moment on the suspicion remained—at least in her mind.

After this jovial and formal greeting—Terra realized a curtsey would not have been out of place after all—Banon ordered the soldiers' bodies to be buried, a bonfire made, and the meal prepared, and then retired with King Edgar. The two men sat and talked on rocks in the shadow of the cave opening. It was a striking image, the travel-sullied king and the kingly barbarian, both bearing that admixture of qualities, one by accident of fortune, the other by accident of nature.

But all this time Locke was so enraptured by his reunion with his friends that he forgot about Terra altogether. Terra watched him talk rapidly with a group of boys and young men. Each interrupted the other and talked louder and faster to be heard, but most of the interruptions were jokes and questions about Locke's journey, which he recounted with all the gestures and energy and ebullience that he possessed. Terra didn't even have the comfort of her Chocobo, for they had been led away.

So she sat by herself, inconspicuously, so she hoped. From time to time she glanced at Edgar and Banon, then at Locke and his friends, and then at the boys gathering wood for the bonfire. The latter had the unpleasant habit of whispering to one another and staring at her, as if she were a caged animal. She tried not to let it bother her. She looked around for female companionship but found none. There were no women or children to be found. This clearly was a military band.

Terra sighed and absentmindedly uprooted the grass.

I'm sorry to say that Terra's situation didn't improve much after dinner. Edgar and Banon retired again to talk by themselves, and then for the night. Terra had suffered the embarrassment of asking to be part of their conversation, only to be denied as politely as possible by Edgar, who confessed that she did not yet have Banon's full confidence, though he assured her that by his efforts she soon would.

For more than an hour Locke was nowhere to be found. It was getting dark now, and Terra remained by the huge bonfire, which began to burn low, and tried to ignore the obnoxious boys, in whose whispers she caught word "witch" all too often. She was looked on with fear, fascination, lust, and curiosity, but in the end they lost interest in her. She grew irritated with Locke and even Edgar, and by the time Locke appeared (still surrounded by his friends) she pushed her way through to him and demanded that he come talk to her alone. Locke was bewildered by her anger and his friends laughed openly at her intrusion, and joked among themselves about reasons why she wanted him alone—all of which were of course suspected to be amorous. Locke reproached them and took Terra aside.

"Locke!" said Terra. "You've left me alone all night. I don't know anybody here!"

"Come on, Terra," he said. "I haven't seen these guys in a long time. I promise to stay with you tomorrow." From his tone of voice, he might as well have accused her of nagging. She instantly resented him for it.

"Fine," she said coldly. "Just show me where I'm sleeping. I'm going to bed."

He said he didn't know where she was to sleep, but that he would find someone who did. He returned and asked one of his friends. She didn't hear the answer, but the others started laughing and Locke punched the speaker in the arm. A play fight followed. Locke and the other man wrestled on the ground. When it was over everyone had forgotten about Terra.

I won't relate to you the entirety of that miserable night, but after repeated inquiries without success, Terra finally tried to find her way in the cave by herself. But finding no place to sleep, and it being too dark even with mounted torches, she went back outside and asked where she could find her baggage. By this time both Locke and Edgar had disappeared for the night.

Finally, after a long and tedious search, she found their Chocobo, only to discover that their things had been taken somewhere else. The forest was now very dark, the stars were out, and the bonfire was a ruin of embers. Most of the Returners had gone into the cave for the night. Finally, after pleading with one boy, she prevailed upon him to go get her pack from the cave, and also her tent. She waited so long that she despaired of his ever coming out again. It was a cold night without a cloak. Finally the boy returned with her tent and Locke's pack. "Good enough," she thought.

She set up her tent in a flat area to one side of the cave opening, near the treeline. Finally, cold, miserable, and alone, she crawled into her tent, wrapped Locke's warm and smelly blanket around her, and tried to go to sleep. By now everyone had gone to bed, and the only sound came from the crickets and an occasional wind in the trees.

For a long time Terra was too angry to sleep. Then, when she was about to doze off, she heard a twig snap nearby. It was loud and came from the forest.

"Who's there?" she demanded. There was no answer.

It sounded like a big man—or an animal. It came closer, until she heard it sniffing around the tent. It ran its nose across the canvas on one side. Terra was absolutely silent, trembling like a leaf, too scared even to check for Locke's sword. "It must be a bear," Terra thought. She was petrified, lying curled up, with heightened senses and her heart pounding, not daring to make a sound. Finally, with a grunt, the beast lost interest and lumbered off into the woods again. Terra wept bitterly, and didn't drop off to sleep until close to dawn.