Chapter 10
The night before the siblings were to leave, Zeke made it home early, and Sarah made a point of cooking them a special meal. She refused to allow Kris to help either. They had decided they were going to throw a going-away party, at least for the family. Throughout the afternoon, several of the villagers came by and wished them well, along with several reminders to stay out of trouble. Most of the boys that Zack spent time with came by as well. Every time one of them left and gave Kris a pouting look instead of looking forlorn at Zack, he had to tease her. She didn't notice most of them, but Sarah assured her it was true. It confounded Kris, but she let it go.
One of the last to arrive was the head councilman. He wished Zack luck, but he was grinning when he turned to Kris. "I know you had a rough start here, but we'll be rooting for you. I know it won't be easy to find something in Midgar while Zack's busy trying to make his way, but you got the guts to make it work. Take care of your brother while you're at it."
She gave him a smile. "Yes, sir!
At that point, he shuffled a little nervously and looked at Zeke and Sarah. They both gave him a slight nod and smiles. Kris and Zack looked between them with curiosity but waited to see what was going on. The man finally managed to find the words he was looking for and held something out to her. "Once you get to Midgar, you will both have to go through the process of getting IDs and such. Since you weren't born here, I know it might be hard for you, but both Zeke and Sarah have agreed that as far as they are concerned, you're their daughter. That being said, you can use this."
She took the envelope from him and slowly opened it after she gave the others a curious look. She held it up a little higher as she read because Zack was trying to read over her shoulder. Kris had to read it twice before it sank in. When it did, her head shot up in shock. Zack was the first to say something. He grabbed her in a hug so tight that it lifted her off the ground as he gave a whoop. "Yes! Now no one can ever say you aren't my sister again!"
Kris was still in shock when he let her down. She held a document that stated she was Kristobel Fair, daughter to Zeke and Sarah Fair. It even had the official village seal, just like the one Zack had. The shock had her standing still for several moments before she launched herself at her parents. She couldn't manage to speak past her tears, but she didn't have to. They knew how she felt.
The Councilman was still smiling when he spoke. "I hate to interrupt, but I have to get going. I wish the both of you luck, not that I think you'll need it." He gave them a wink and waved at Zeke and Sarah before he left.
Once he was gone, the family sat at their small table until later than they usually would have. Finally, Sarah shooed the two younger people to bed. They had an early morning that they couldn't afford to be late for. They both gave their parents hugs again before they finally went to bed.
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The next morning, Sarah made sure to get them both up before the sun was in the sky. Even though Zack grumbled a little, he didn't dawdle. They had both already packed everything they would need. All they had to do was change and grab their packs. Neither of the packs were small, or light, but they wanted to be prepared. When they walked into the common room, they were surprised that Sarah had a full breakfast prepared already. When she pointed to their seats, they both sat without complaint. Even though they both knew they couldn't afford to be late, they had enough time for this. Zeke was out before they were able to start eating as well.
They all sat in silence as they finished their last meal as a family. Once they were done, Sarah stopped Kris from picking up and gave them both a tight hug. When she finally let go, she grabbed their hands and gave them a bright smile. The sight of it nearly had Kris in tears. She knew the woman had to be as torn as they both were, but she was dead set on giving them a bright send-off. Her words reflected that determination. "I have faith that both of you will find everything you need. You have each other, so don't be afraid to lean on one another, and never forget that you have a family here when you need us. I love you both so much." Her voice finally broke on that, but she cleared her throat and continued. "I am already proud of you both, so never feel like you have to prove anything. Follow your dreams and have faith."
She gave them another hug after that, but it was shorter. She quickly moved, so Zeke could hug them both as well. He was never good at expressing himself, but he gave them both a long look before he spoke. "Your mother's right. You are already amazing. Go knock 'em dead."
Kris almost laughed at his encouragement, but when Zeke shook both their hands, she found she could barely keep from crying. She hoisted her pack higher before she gave them both a smile. "I promise I will write as often as I can. I'll make sure Zack does too."
Zack gave her a dirty look at that, but it didn't have any of the usual heat behind it. He gave both his parents one last look before he grinned. "I'll make you proud, and don't worry about Kris. I'll make sure nothing happens to her."
Kris raised a brow at his declaration, but she let him have the moment. They both gave their parents one more hug before they left. The sun was just coming up over the horizon when they made it to the edge of the village where the caravan was waiting. The lead merchant gave them both an appraising look. "I wasn't sure if you were actually gonna make it." He then turned and whistled loudly. A younger boy ran up with two chocobos in hand. He took the reins and shooed the boy away before he turned back to them. "These are yours until Costa del Sol. The light one is Kweh, and the other is Tor. You've paid for their use already, but you'll be responsible for their care until then. I have a little extra feed if you need it, but you'll have to buy it like everyone else. Any problems with that?"
Zack was grinning as he took the reins. "Nope. You can count on us to give them back as good as we got them."
The man shook his head at Zack's enthusiasm, but he gave them both a nod before he turned and started yelling out orders. As soon as the man turned away, they both picked a bird and started tying their things down to the saddles. Once they were done, they noticed there were several covered wagons that each had two attendants. Each cart had one man holding the reins and another holding some sort of firearm. Kris frowned slightly at the sight. She realized their presence meant the caravan was prepared for an attack and wondered how often it happened.
Her introspection was interrupted when the boy that had brought their chocobos walked up with a shy smile. When Kris returned it, the boy stood a little straighter and held his hand out. "My name is Hans. My father is the one that runs the caravan. He asked that I show you to your spot in the line-up. He wants you to stay close to the middle."
Zack shook the boy's hand as well before he spoke up. "Just show us the way!"
Hans turned and waved them to follow. As they were passing the wagons and heading to their designated spot, Kris asked what was on her mind. "I noticed that each wagon has a guard. Do you get attacked often?"
The boy paused and gave her a nervous look before he turned and kept going. His voice was low when he answered. "Not really, but there are bandits out there. That's why they asked that you stay in the middle. My father and I will be riding there too."
Zack frowned at the statement, but Kris was nodding slowly. She understood they were an unknown factor, and until or unless they proved themselves, the men they were traveling with weren't going to want them in the way. When she caught sight of Zack's face, she spoke up before he could say anything. "I understand. We can actually take care of ourselves, but we'll stay out of the way if something happens."
The boy had obviously not expected them to agree so easily, so he gave her a shocked look. It was quickly replaced by a grin. "It'll be nearly two months before we make it to Costa del Sol. I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to prove it."
She gave him a quick smile, but nothing else was said about it. Once they got to the section of the line-up they would be traveling in, the boy left them. Zack was watching everything with interest. Kris was too, but she was a little warier. She finally noticed that there were only two other women that would be traveling with them. She doubted anything would happen, but it still made her a little nervous. Especially as any of the men that caught sight of the two of them either gave them condescending smirks or looks that clearly said they were indulging children. The thought of it made her bristle, but Zack didn't seem to notice, so she kept her mouth shut.
As much activity as there seemed to be needed to get them all going, they were settled in a relatively short amount of time. By the time the sun was fully over the horizon, the head merchant had joined them, and they started out. They had barely moved far enough from the village that it could no longer be seen before Zack turned to her. He had a smile, but she could see the pain in his eyes when he spoke. "We'll come back when we're both super successful."
She knew the same look had to be in her eyes when she gave him a return smile. "You're right. Even if it's just for a visit occasionally, we'll be back." Neither of them really knew what the future would hold, but it was as good as a promise between them. They might not want to spend the rest of their lives in the village, but it would always be home.