06-Feb-2002
He found himself once again in the same strange dream. A great darkness, dense and thick in shadow lay out before him for as far as he could see. When he turned, all he could hear in the blackness behind him was the roaring of the sea, as the waves crashed against the cliffs, like some great angry lion. There were no stars above him and no moon to give him light. Scrambling in the darkness, he clawed his way forward trying to find a way out of the earthly prison. He knew he was lost, and just as the panic began to make his head swim with fear and doubt, he saw a blinding flash of white before him. Peering through the darkness he swore for a moment he saw a figure, but as he began to run towards it, he found no such thing there. Spinning around he heard again the great crashing of water against the rocks and ran from the sound. Blindly he raced as fast as legs would carry him, until he came to the edge of a great cliff. Staring wild-eyed into the pitch before him, he had no time to scream as he began to fall into the swirling depths below him...
Heero immediately woke when Duo let out the ear splitting scream as he lay firmly pressed against him in the blanket they had been sharing. They had both moved in their sleep during the night and were now comfortably tangled in eachother's arms. Duo even had a leg draped over Heero's own. Struggling out from under Duo's firm hold and deadweighted limbs, Heero sat up and shook him causing the scream to falter then stop in a great gulp of breath. When he turned to see Duo's face in the low light of the moon, he found that although the braided youth was breathing hard and had his eyes wide open, he was clearly not awake. He shook him harshly a second time but wasn't able to get Duo to snap out of whatever gripped him so tightly in terror. He called out for Trowa needlessly because his brother was at his side in moments after he too had been awakened by Duo's cry.
Duo hadn't stopped thrashing, and was still very much asleep. His face was contorted as if he were in a great deal of pain. "Quatre, do you know what's wrong with him?" Heero yelled as he and Trowa held the boys' thrashing body firmly against the ground.
"No, no I've never seen him like this!" Quatre had appeared behind Trowa watching in horror as Duo screamed again and began bucking against Heero. Heero looked to Trowa, but even his older brother seemed to be at a loss as to what they should do. He was just about to raise his hand and strike the boy to see if the blow could wake him from the terrible nightmare when he found himself being splashed with icy cold water from above them.
Heero turned sputtering and spitting into the direction the water had been pitched from, to see Trowa holding a young man with hair as dark as coal at knifepoint a few feet from he and Duo, and Quatre nearby with his sword drawn as well. He met the black eyes of the young man briefly before looking to Duo who had gone still and silent in his arms. "Who in the Great Hall's name are you?" He shouted, seeing Duo was relatively calm, and apparently unconscious.
"My name is Chang Wufei. Your friend looked like he needed some assistance, or I would have announced my presence more politely." The young man remained very still as Trowa released his hold and lowered the knife.
"You are Chang Wufei, the healer? We've been searching for you for the past several days. Are we near Galat then?" Quatre asked enthusiastically from around Trowa's protective stance.
"You're in Freisel, the borderlands just south of Galat. Seems like you have found me just in time. Your friend does not seem well. And yes, you are close to the border of what was once Galat. I'm afraid it is mostly in ashes now." Wufei looked at the figure on the ground and shook his head in concern.
"We came to ask for your help, but not for Duo." Quatre replied trying to gather his wits about him while Trowa knelt beside Heero and Duo who remained on the ground.
Wufei gave Quatre a confused look and moved to where the other three were crouched on the ground. He lifted Duo's eyelids and listened to his heart as it thrummed in his chest, then felt his face and forehead and nodded. He removed a small flask from his side pouch and tilted Duo's head back slightly in Heero's hold allowing a dark amber liquid to spill from it and into Duo's open mouth. He then massaged his throat to make sure it all went down before standing and addressing Heero and Trowa. "It seems your friend has just had a bad nightmare brought on by his fever. The liquid I gave him should help to reduce the fever and allow him to rest peacefully."
"I thank you, Chang Wufei. I am Heero Yuy, second born to the throne of Malavin and this is my older brother Trowa. Wufei looked steadily at Trowa who had his knifes' point still precariously close to his throat. Over there, with the longsword, is the Crown Prince of Berengaria, Quatre Rababera Winner."
Wufei asked raising a brow when no introduction was made of the forth member of their troupe. "And the one in your arms is?"
"This is Duo Maxwell." Heero replied glancing quickly at the sleeping boy in his hold. "Our friend."
"And my cousin." Quatre added with a huff and a glare at Heero as he resheathed his sword.
"I see." Wufei studied the odd foursome he had encountered and let out a small smile. He had heard news that the Prince of Berengaria was seeking him, and was surprised to find himself in the company of three royals instead. "I know why you have come. However, this is not a good place to discuss such things. Travel tonight with me to a safe place where you may rest and recover from your travels. We can talk there. Agreed?"
Trowa nodded and slowly withdrew his blade then helped to lift Duo into Heero's arms. They gathered the horses and their gear and quickly followed Wufei into the darkness. After walking for about a mile or so they came to a patch of rocks. Wufei climbed up and around one and then disappeared behind another. As they made their way over the rock they found on the opposite side, hidden from view was an entrance to a cave that lead down into the side of the hill they stood at the base of. It was a clever spot to hide; the mouth of the cave was covered with shrubs and impossible to find unless looking for it. It was broad enough for them to bring the horses inside, but not enough to have them continue to the lower depths of the cave, so they tied them securely and left them water before continuing to follow their guide deeper into the rocky cavern.
They passed through a narrow crag that opened into a huge open space almost forty feet across and tall enough for three men to stand on top of each other high. The most amazing thing was that the walls were completely covered in bright purple crystals of varying shape and size sparkling in the light from the torches Wufei had around the cavern. In the center of the space was a table with six chairs, some bowls, books and candles. On one wall were two low beds with blankets and quilts strewn across them and some straw on the floor at the base. In another corner was a small fire burning under a large black pot, its steam rising and swirling above their heads. Herbs and spices hung neatly in bunches in rows between two torches that had been tied securely to a few large crystals.
Wufei nodded to Heero to place Duo on one of the cots and then made his way to the pot and spooned out some sweet smelling broth into several small wooden cups and handed one to each of the strangers. Trowa let Grace hop from his arm to the back of a chair where she watched the dark haired youth move about under her careful scrutiny. Then they sat themselves around the table and began to discuss who they were and why they had been brought together.
After several hours, Trowa and Quatre had brought Wufei up to speed on their quest and why they were seeking him out, along with their adventure thus far. Heero remained by Duo's bedside, occasionally adding in his two cents and made a grunt or nod from time to time. They had decided to wait until Duo woke to continue any further, and although it was already morning, they agreed to sleep for a few hours in the dark comfort of Wufei's cave.
Heero remained awake well after the other three had drifted off, and stroked Duo's sweat soaked bangs from his face as he sat beside him. He knew that the strange mercurial boy had somehow crept into his heart along their odd journey and was trying to figure out just what to do about it when Duo's eyes fluttered open. "Wha happened? I didn't get kicked again did I?" Duo asked with a broad grin and a small laugh.
"You had a fever. And a nightmare." Heero answered softly.
"I don't remember anything about it."
"At least you admit you had one."
"I believe what you say. If you say I had a nightmare then it must be so, Lion." Duo smiled at Heero's scowl. "As for the fever, maybe it was just from being around you."
"We have found Chang Wufei. And in a few hours we will discuss what to do next. For now, rest." Heero snapped impatiently at Duo's goading.
"As you command, your highness." Duo laughed softly before closing his eyes once again.
Heero stood abruptly and settled himself against the wall farthest from the teasing of Duo's mouth. Letting out an explosive sigh, willing himself to succumb to sleep as well.
End Part 5
(:./ebony/dragon5)
