It had been a long week since Basch and I met Naria, the daughter of the fearful farmer. We came to visit the farm twice, and found the girl busy giving a hand to the team of workers.

`Hey! Why didn't you warn me you'd come! I haven't changed dress!' she'd said.

`How did you want us to warn you?' Basch had asked.

`Emm… Right. Well, hello, anyway!'

And she'd waved to us with all her arm and a smile that ate half her face.

The second time, Basch and I agreed to join in the job to have it done by the end of the day, which we succeeded to do. We had big bursts of laughs, a nice lunch with the workers, and much, much fun under the warm sun. Everything was like perfect.

`Well, you know the feast's date is coming close.'

We were having tea at home. My mother had put the tray and went back to work. She always welcomed Naria with open arms; and I understood this behavior. It must be so hard to grow up as a child without a mother.

`Yeah. So what? We're gonna dance together and we're gonna win. Anything against that?' said Basch after loudly drinking a sip.

`No, no', Naria objected, raising her forefinger. `That's not exactly it, because I wanna dance with Noah too!'

`Oh come on' Basch said with a laugh. `Who'd want to dance with that handicapped savage cuss.'

`Hey, hey! I won't allow you to talk this way of your brother. Noah is a clever boy, and as gallant as you are. Well, I'd even say he's worth more than you, because he doesn't talk of you in such mean words!'

I thought Naria's past promise was a joke, because she seemed to get along so well with Basch, but reality just showed me it was a strong will of hers. I felt so grateful.

`Now Basch', Naria said, always with her cheerful tone. `I'll dance with both him and you. And I don't want to you to say ill of Noah again. Understood?'

`Yeah…' Basch lamented, looking at the window.

Naria and I exchanged a skeptical look.

`Fine, fine. I see you're talking about the event already.'

The three of us turned towards the door. Mom was there, smiling at us.

'Wait', said Basch in astonishment. `Weren't you supposed to be working?'

`There was not much to do today, so I'm already finished. I supposed you've already worn your finest clothes.'

This had to be a joke, for what we were wearing could be easily qualified as pajamas.

`But… Auntie', Naria said. 'I thought the feast was tomorrow. There hasn't been the bard yet.'

Among our traditions was a chant sung by a young bard, who used to travel across the neighborhoods in the feast's morning.

`He did pass, my dear. You were just too dizzy to hear him, all sleepy in your respective beds!'

Mom wasn't wrong. We hadn't woken up early this morning, and I don't think I would have even if a war had started. I lowered my head in shame.

`Don't show me that face, Noah', said Mom with a laugh. 'Be a gentleman instead and prepare to welcome your new friend among the best dancing couples of the village!'

'Wait! Wait!' shouted the girl before rushing outside. 'I didn't bring my dress from the farm!'

'What about me?' questioned Basch in anger.

`Did Naria allow you to accompany her dance?' calmly asked my mother.

`Yeah.'

`So get dressed and go with her. Noah…'

'I know what to do, Mom. It's okay.'

She smiled again.

`Fine. I want you all to give a good image of me at the village. I'm counting on you to represent me as well as if I'd been there!'

`But, Mom, won't you be with us? Like every year?'

`No, Basch, I'm sorry. I feel a bit tired today. But don't worry, it's nothing. I'll be waiting for you here. Have fun and don't go playing around; stay with your friends, okay?'

We had to promise and went to our room.

When the sun began to deliver a crimson shadow over the horizon, I had met up with my brother and my new friend at our favorite place, next to a rock behind the huge fire. Yes, Naria also was behind the fire but as I'd said we'd never noticed her before. She must have been with other people, whom we didn't know, dancing and chatting on her side. She had no problem making friends. That night, she was wearing a pink dress, with red ribbons tied on her shoulders in the shape of a bird. I tried to tell her I found these cute but I didn't manage to.

`Look! It's the Ronsenburg brothers!'

`What are they doing with Olszewski's daughter?'

Naria turned towards the different voices that began to chat after noticing our presence, then she laughed and simply took Basch's hand and began dancing. The bard came again and sang his joyful song, along with a traditional orchestra, composed of many young people I used to have class with. They smiled to me and performed several new music pieces while other couples were dancing as well. Distinguished food was at our disposal on elegantly-laid tables, food like Mom would never be able to afford. I felt at ease, but some part of me wouldn't let me breathe. I made some paces away from the crowd and tried to focus on the nearby trees and the scent of the grass. It was so nice to feel this quiet in plain nature – strange that last time I tried to do this it ended up in a weird friendship with an unknown girl. Suddenly my feet bumped into a rock – it had become completely clear. I turned backwards with a smile on my face; now I knew what it was that was annoying me: it's the fact that the girl took Basch's hand exactly the way she'd taken mine while guiding me to my own house.

`Oh! It's so nice to see you here!'

I turned to the voice who spoke and saw a brown-haired teenager who wore glasses and a very elegant suit. Next to him, Basch and Naria were still dancing, laughing out loud between clumsy moves.

`I'm also happy to meet you again, Cirla.'

Cirla Drimer was probably the most intelligent boy I knew in all Landis. He had always got the best marks in calculation and language tests, by the time I used to go to school in the city. He was accompanied by his younger sister, who was just below our age (Basch, Naria and I); she also had glasses and beautiful brown curls that fell upon her shoulders. Both of them had been at my school, but I'd heard they also stopped their courses there to begin something else. I didn't know what it was, but I wasn't afraid: there wasn't a single subject where those two did not excel.

`I am also glad to meet you, Margit.' I said.

`Oh, thank you', the girl said, with her cheeks all red. I always thought she was as cute as a moogle.

`What have you been doing all this time, Noah? We haven't seen you in town for ages!' Cirla said.

`I'm sorry. We have much work here in the village; and lately Basch and I have also been working at Olszewski's farm, so there's even less time to travel to the city.'

`What? Ols…zewski, you said?'

`You know him, Cirla?' little Margit asked.

`Y… yes, I've heard that name before. I think it's a schizophrenic old man scaring chocobos away at the back of the village.'

Cirla's summary made me laugh.

'That's approximately it. He only has one chocobo, who is friends with his daughter, Naria. She came here as well.'

And I showed them the place where Basch and her were dancing.

`She seems to like Basch a lot', Margit said.

`She surely doesn't know how bad he is at basic mathematical operations', Cirla added with a smile.

`Should we tell her?' asked his sister.

Cirla hesitated.

`No, I think it'd be less fun. Let us just greet them!'

I let them go to Basch, who introduced them to his partner, and walked away. But soon enough, I felt again the hand holding mine. I moved my arm away.

`What's wrong, Noah? Why don't you come with us?'

`I'm fine, Naria, I'm… I'm just hungry.'

I looked right at her sky blue eyes to watch for any reaction, but she fortunately smiled and answered: 'Alright. We're waiting for you, then. Eat what you like and inform me if you find anything delicious!'

She hadn't known me long enough to understand it was a prank. I however went to the tables, to comply with my lie, and acted as if I was actually hungry. I didn't come back to the group. In the beginning, to be honest, I thought I would, but then… then, something prevented me from laughing and chatting with them. Once again, Naria came to find me. She lowered her head, since I was sitting on a chair and she was standing.

'Why are you staying here for so long? Do you enjoy looking at this table? Or are the people here more interesting than us?'

`That's not it, Naria.'

`Then stand!'

I had no choice but to obey. She took my arm and said with a delightful voice:

`These friends of yours are so cool! They're smart, but not narrow-minded. They know what it is to have fun. And the girl is so cute! What do you think they will become? Doctors?'

`I don't know. We hadn't taken classes together since a whole year.'

`That's okay. You met up again now! And right now, you've also got to dance with me. Remember?'

Oh, yeah… that.

I accepted in a way that would not have convinced any girl but her, allowed her to take my hand and we began making paces left and right, at the rhythm of the joyful music the orchestra was still playing. I had thought it would be a bad moment, but eventually I felt at ease and Naria, as I could easily notice now, was an excellent dancer. It's like she'd done that all of her life. I tried to follow her moves and dared to make some unexpected gestures, like making her turn around or fall over my arm. After some time, people became to gather around us to watch the dance. There wasn't anything special to it, in comparison with the other couples, but their presence didn't bother me. And of course, didn't bother Naria. After we were done, there was a rising applause. Naria laughed and applauded with them. Afterwards, I saw adults gathering in a corner of the place. They were surely debating about this year's best dance. Cirla and Margit went to us.

'You two were so brilliant!' Margit said. `I wonder who this year's winners are going to be.'

`After that we'll have to be going', Cirla warned. `The city is a pretty long way from here and our parents asked us not to come back too late at night. But we will miss you, Noah! Will you visit us someday?'

I don't know why my answer was:

`Me… Why me? Why not Basch?'

I turned towards him. He was busy eating all sorts of candies.

`Err…' Cirla began.

'Basch is a nice friend but he will not be willing to talk when it comes to study', explained Margit. This girl had a sense of sincerity I could barely imagine.

'And since you were at school the one we could talk to about various lessons and subjects…' added her brother.

`And, concerning your new friend…' Margit continued.

`It's better if you come without her, I'm sorry', Cirla decided. 'Our parents still don't know her so there'll be less problems if you could come alone.'

'Yes… I understand.'

Basch had indeed always been fleeing our group when we began to talk about classes or cultural topics. Suddenly, I heard the adult group's silence. They scattered around the tables and the orchestra began playing a new music, with a much higher tempo than the previous ones. The adult dancers took random people's hands and began to form a row. Naria seemed to approve this idea, since she spontaneously took my hand, called Basch to take his; Cirla went next to Basch and Margit to me. The five of us joined the row in its half, and everybody began to dance together, raising one leg after the other and singing popular songs. At the end of that night, I was tired like never before, but also filled with a feeling I'd thought would have been gone forever. I was smiling and about to ask Basch to go back home when Naria reminded me of the results. I listened carefully to a tall short-haired woman making a list of all the old and young people who participated in today's feast, and all the waves of applause, like a caring wind blowing people's fears away. After everyone was acclaimed, she said:

`And now let us conclude this celebration by announcing the two winners. After asking for the audience's choices, my comrades and I have come to an announcement. This year's feast champions are…'

We looked at each other in a mix of fear and amusement.

`Little Miss Olszewska and…'

Funny it was a young person, but in that case it had to be her, that was obvious.

`Little Sir Fon Ronsenburg!'

`Which one?' Basch and I asked at the same moment.

The woman smiled to us both. Everyone began to laugh.

`Your performance was a pleasure to see but most votes went to Noah', she told my brother.

Starting from this moment, I was swimming in a sea of fraternity and surprises; everyone surrounded Naria and I, and the blonde girl did not seem to be sad it was me. Basch crossed the crowd to say:

`Well… I definitely don't understand people's choices but… err… I have to admit you did well, brother. Here I said it, Naria; you're glad?'

`Yes, I'm super glad!' she exclaimed, throwing vertically the bouquet of flowers she just earned. As for me, an old man gave me a big bag of flour.

`This is for Linda', he said. 'This woman is wonderful. I hope she's doing fine with all the work.'

`We're all doing fine, thank you', I responded, while carrying the heavy thing.

All the others were free and I had a burden on my shoulders, but all the others were moving their shoulders in joy and my joy was free.