28-Jan-2002
Warnings: angst, language, and yaoi.
Pairings: 1+2/3+4
Author's Notes: still creeping along with the plot. Watch for cheesiness, on
the way.
The afternoon's sun was still warm and high in the sky, but soon would begin to melt into the evening. The last glimmers of daylight were making the shadows long as they passed a cluster of jagged rock and a fairly large expanse of broad-leafed trees. Duo was practically asleep on his horse as they came to a good spot to stop for the night and make camp. Quatre almost laughed out loud at Duo, until he saw the young man start to tumble from on top Moonraker. Before he could reach him, Heero had maneuvered Zero over in time to steady Duo in his saddle and grab the reins of the giddy steed. Duo's eyes snapped open as he felt Heero's strong grip on his shoulder, causing him to sport a sheepish grin.
"Duo, you all right?" Quatre asked seriously. He watched the exchange between Heero and Duo with interest.
"I think this is as good a spot as any to stop for tonight. Tomorrow we'll continue on to Galat. I think we all need rest." Trowa answered for Duo who was looking embarrassed and uncomfortable.
Heero immediately released him and sat glaring at the young man for a moment before sliding from his own horse to the ground. Quatre nodded his agreement and dismounted along with Trowa. They led their horses to a patch of trees after letting them drink in a nearby stream. It was a good spot for the horses to rest before pressing on. Birds chirped back and forth as they darted overhead. The babbling stream was cool and refreshing, and they all set about to making camp for the night, filling their water flasks, and unpacking some of their things.
Duo just sat on Moonraker gathering the energy to slide off afraid of making a scene if he couldn't keep upright. Heero's smooth voice met his ears, grabbing his attention. "Are you going to sleep up there or on the ground like us?" Duo saw Heero's smirk before it quickly disappeared into his usual stony countenance. Trowa put some distance between himself and the two as he tied off his horse nearby with Quatres'. "Well?"
"I, uh, I guess I was more tired than I thought." Duo shot him another sheepish grin as he swung his leg around the back of the horse and slid down out of the saddle. Holding on to the strong neck of the black horse, he steadied himself before turning and meeting Heero's piercing stare.
"Are you feeling well?" Heero took in the fatigued look and stiffness in Duo's every move.
"Well enough." Duo unlatched his pack from the horse and began to unbuckle his horses' girth. He was obviously exhausted, but hauled the saddle down off the horse's back and dropped it unceremoniously to the ground, causing the animal to shift its' feet nervously for a few moments.
"You don't accept help very graciously do you?" Heero suddenly asked.
Duo shot him a look of complete contempt. "I can manage well enough on my own, that's all."
"Apparently not, or you wouldn't be in the situation your in now." Heero crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against his horse.
"I will remind you that you don't know enough about me to pass judgments, Lion." Duo spoke, never letting the constant smile fade from his face.
"That makes the two of us, doesn't it?" Heero smirked as he picked up Duo's saddle and placed it neatly by his. "Do you plan on eating today?" Not getting a reply other than the irritating smile from Duo, he sighed almost inaudibly.
Duo's smile slipped a fraction from before. "I'm not very hungry. And before you ask, yes, I plan to sleep." Duo gathered his things and walked towards where Trowa and Quatre had set up camp for the night. Trowa already had a small fire burning and had something cooking for them to eat. He then went out in search of Quatre, who had gone to clean his shoulder wound in the stream. Duo settled his gear close to where the horses were and away from the fire.
Quatre relished in the water as he cleaned his wound and washed his face. It was a beautiful spot, and he was emersed in the scenery so much so that he hadn't noticed Trowa watching him from the bank with Grace perched on his arm until he heard the young man speak. "Does it pain you?"
Quatre sat on a large smooth rock as he gently wrapped his shoulder with some clean linen from his pack. "A bit, but the bleeding has stopped and it seems to be flexible still."
Despite Quatre's assurances, he looked pale and dark circles were beginning to show under his blue eyes that were dulled with pain. Trowa set the bird a loft and retrieved his own pack bringing it to where Quatre sat. Producing a small wrapped parcel, he unfolded the material and spread some red power onto a broad leaf. Using some of the water from the stream he mixed the powder into a thick paste and looked to Quatre expectantly. "It should help the healing."
"Thank you. That is very kind." Quatre smiled and moved closer to Trowa so that he could spread the paste onto the wound that was puffy and swollen with the early stages of infection. Trowa put it on gently, marveling at the smooth creamy skin as his fingers grazed over Quatre's shoulder. He was about to speak when Duo cleared his throat at the edge of the stream, smiling broadly and winking at the surprised couple. "Duo, you startled us! You always sneak up on me like that." Feeling a blush flush his cheeks, Trowa quickly washed his hands in the stream and placed the remaining powder carefully back in its place in his bag.
Duo laughed cheerfully obviously over his melancholy mood from earlier. He splashed into the stream and dunked his head under the chilly water, soaking the whole of his head and hair. Springing back up he let out a shout and shook his head fiercely from side to side. "Good lords that cold!" Quatre laughed as he watched Trowa retreat back to where Heero was still establishing camp. "Laugh all you want, Quat, I'm not done being angry with you for following me." Duo undid his braid and combed his fingers through the mass of chestnut hair. Then he quickly rebraided it and threw the length over his shoulder. "You could have been killed."
"Cousin, after Iria and father were killed I knew that if I didn't escape our kingdom would be lost."
"It's your kingdom, and don't call me cousin. There is no use to keep up the charade. It doesn't mean I care for you any less." Duo smiled and sat in silence for a few moments next to Quatre on the rock. He was bone tired and still hadn't eaten anything much since the day before last. He let the sun warm his face and listened to the pleasant babbling of the stream, momentarily forgetting that the Hordes of Hell themselves would soon be hunting them.
"What's with that guy Heero, anyway?" Quatre asked watching Duo bask in the sunlight.
"What do you mean?" Duo replied softly.
"He seems, well... he seems out of sorts, I guess."
"He's just cautious." Duo washed the dust and dirt from his face and hands in the cool water.
"Duo?"
"Hmm?"
"I think Trowa and Heero are after the Emperor as well." Quatre stated softly.
Duo didn't turn to Quatre, but responded quickly. "It seems we are all in danger from the him."
"So when we find Chang Wufei, why don't we all go to Nhol together?"
Duo opened his eyes and turned to Quatre with a look that was unreadable. "I don't want to risk their lives, or yours."
"They risk their own lives, Duo. They are going to try to defeat him with or without us. You can't go alone."
Duo looked up to the canopy of trees that swayed softly in the late afternoon breeze. It was a beautiful spot and he tried to memorize it for a time when he needed to recall it. He had been reunited with Quatre, who was like a brother to him and had found himself in the company of two very honorable Princes. He closed his eyes and thought of Heero's and his ever-present scowl, and smiled to himself. "I like them, Quat."
"They seem fond of you. Enough to put up with your constant mood swings and endless chatter." Quatre laughed and splashed Duo with a bit of water.
Laughing, the two splashed back and forth until Quatre winced in pain from something other than his shoulder. Duo immediately leaned forward to catch him before he tumbled into the water. "Enough fun Quatre, you try too hard and have worn yourself out. I forgot how taxing all of this must have been for you. The battle at the inn, your shoulder, the long ride, and now the Shadow Sickness has taken advantage of your weariness."
"Damned poison." Quatre hissed as he let Duo help him to shore and back to where Heero and Trowa sat conversing softly by a small fire.
"Something much worse." Trowa had just said as the two approached the fire. Grace chirped and Trowa immediately lowered his voice.
Duo and Quatre walked over to where Heero and Trowa sat and stopped in front of them. Duo instantly noted the change from mere conversation to something a bit more weighted, as they grew closer. He met the icy blue eyes of Heero with his own cobalt blue ones. He had Quatre propped against his side for support, which didn't go unnoticed by either of the Princes.
Trowa rose and helped Quatre to sit in his place by the fire and gave him a small mug of hot wine. Once settled, Grace floated gracefully back to her master's arm. Duo stood watching the interaction between the two Princes carefully. He smiled at the drama of Trowa's previous tone of voice and Heero's cryptic looks. He felt as if he had just stumbled onto something he wasn't meant to hear, and not being the shy kind, spoke his mind. "Something worse than what?"
"Sit and eat with Quatre, and I will tell you what Trowa and I have been discussing." Heero gave Duo a stern look and shoved a bowl of broth at him followed by a mug of warm wine. "You haven't eaten anything in days." Duo took the bowl this time and drank a long gulp from it sitting down next to Heero by the fire.
"The day before we left Malavin, we had been visited by Lord Jerrold himself of the Ice Mountain. He told us that the threat of the Emperor had grown to great for him to try to defend us from it, and that we were to go to the Nhol Empire to defeat him and his Horde. That day he spoke only to me, and told me that I was the key to destroying the evil of the Emperor, and gave to me this scroll. The scroll tells of an underground river that flows deep in the earth where the Dragon's Eye is buried. I must find it. Only with its power will I be strong enough to defeat the Emperor. To unlock the chamber where it is buried I must first find a charm with a stone in the center. It will show us the way to the Eye."
The group was silent as they listened to Heero. All thought of food vanished as the story began to spin before them. Trowa nodded his head as he ran his fingers through the soft feathers of Grace on his arm. Quatre stared wide-eyed and took a long drink from his mug.
Duo met Heero's eyes and stood. He began to pace back and forth in a nervous gesture glancing at Quatre who gave him nothing more than a shrug of his shoulders. "There is more to this than what you speak of Heero. Lord Jerrold was Quatre's fathers' advisor. Before he left to the Ice Mountain, he warned Quatre's father of the looming evil spreading towards Berengaria." He paused and looked to Quatre to continue as he paced back and forth in front of the group.
"My father ignored Jerrold's warnings for two years until the Horde descended upon us without warning. We raised our army to defend the borderlands, but we were overwhelmed. It was there that I was struck with a Shadow Sword. My sister Iria was able to stop the poison from killing me, but it is still in my system, and makes me weak and tired often. We sought out Lord Jerrold's council. He told my father to send me to the Nhol Kingdom to help in the battle against the dark forces of the Horde, but I was still recovering. Duo pledged to go in my place. We had all protested and I agreed to the quest wholeheartedly, but Duo left in the dead of night the morning before I was to leave and took with him a charm that Lord Jerrold had given me. The charm you speak of."
All eyes turned to Duo who produced a small silver charm with a star ruby in the center from underneath his linen shirt. It was the color of blood, and caught the light from the fire with almost a magical glow. "I was trying to protect you, Quat."
"I know Duo." He smiled at Duo, instantly forgiving him for stealing the charm. "When we were overrun by the Horde and Father and Iria killed... " Quatre paused and took a deep breath. Trowa put a comforting hand on his shoulder as he continued. "I had to find you. I couldn't let you go alone into the darkness again."
"Again?" Heero queried to Duo, who stilled in front of them.
"Into the Shadow World, below the ground. I've seen it before, long ago, as a child. Sometimes in my head when I sleep... " Duo's voice took on a haunted tone as his eyes became distant. A flicker a fear stirred in those violet depths that didn't go unnoticed by Heero. "I can't explain it. I have no memory of being there, yet I know I have been. I believe this is the stone that unlocks the chamber to the Dragon's Eye. But I didn't know where to seek it out. I suspected it would be hidden deep in the Shadow World, but you have the scroll that may tell otherwise. I don't know what the Dragon's Eye is, but Chang Wufei does. We need it to kill the Emperor." He turned to the group staring at him and smiled. As quickly as the darkness ghosted his features it was gone and he stood before them bright and cheerful. "Sounds absurd, huh?"
"Not at all." Trowa gave him a reassuring nod and poured Quatre some more wine. The tension that had filled their space had dissipated somewhat. Duo resumed his place next to Heero and finished his meal of broth, bread and cheese.
"Before my Father died he told me of how the Dragon's Eye gave great powers to whoever held it. That both the Eye, and the stone in the charm, were ancient relics of a long past Empire, that used magic and sorcery. Unfortunately it is based on folklore and old riddles that have become convoluted in their passing from generation to generation."
"So now what?" Duo asked sleepily.
"We rest." Heero answered directly. "It seems that Lady Fate has crossed our paths for the same purpose."
"I thought you didn't put any faith in Fate, Heero." Trowa chided.
"I am beginning to believe in things beyond my scope of understanding." Heero answered looking Duo squarely in the eye. He believed they were closer to finding their path, but three Princes and one mysterious boy with no past and strange visions, was too outrageous for even his broad mind to ignore. It was a puzzle, and Duo was a part of it as much as he, or Trowa, or Quatre.
Two Kingdoms had been represented. Heero deduced that the healer, Chang Wufei would no doubt represent the third. They were now on a quest to find the Dragon's Eye. Once found they would travel to the dark lands of Nhol to destroy the evil Emperor and save their homelands. Never had he dreamed he would be involved in such an adventure, far from the comforts of Malavin. He ignored the uneasy feeling his the pit of his stomach as he watched the braided boy finish his meal and turn weary eyes toward the fire.
Quatre had fallen asleep by the fire as the evening stretched into night. Duo moved to put him to bed, but stopped when Trowa rose, lifted the boy effortlessly and settled him in some blankets not far from the fire. Trowa settled himself next to the smaller blonde boy; with Grace high above them perched on a nearby tree branch. Duo smiled to himself. He was very aware of the fondness the two held for each other. It was sweet how in less than two days' time they had begun to grow close. It was if the air was charged with some kind of spark the moment they met.
Duo darted his eyes over to where Heero lay on his side watching the flames as they flickered orange and red around the remaining pieces of the firewood. His hair looked almost reddish by the fire. He had his gray woolen cape pulled around him and was motionless except for the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It had only been a little over a week since he was in Heero's company and yet he felt as if he had known him for a thousand lifetimes. He hadn't realized how long he was staring at the Malavin Prince until Heero snorted softly.
"Why do you stare at me?" Heero asked sounding irritated.
"I wasn't. Just thinking in your general direction." Duo quipped back.
"Again, I remind you that you don't lie." Heero smirked in the dim firelight.
"And again, I tell you that it is only an incremental half-truth, not a lie." Duo answered smugly. After a few more minutes of listening to the crackling of their fire, he softly spoke again. "So much rests with us now."
"Why aren't you sleeping? You practically fell from your horse with exhaustion. Your arm is still sore, I saw you dismount without using it. Without food and rest you'll be very little good to us in the days ahead." Heero closed his eyes and pulled his cloak a bit tighter around him.
"I'll be very little use to you either way, I'm afraid." Duo said. Sadness hushing his former cheerfulness.
Heero turned to him and looked at him sternly. How could so strong and beautiful a person believe that he was cursed? "That's nonsense. If you want an excuse for your fears and self-doubt, a self appointed curse will do just fine, but I thought you seek the truth." Heero jabbed.
Duo felt his self-pity turn to anger. "It is the truth. Everyone I ever cared for has suffered because of me. People don't call me Shinigami for nothing." He spit out softly as not to wake the others.
Heero shrugged casually, not being baited by Duo's rising anger. In fact, he was mesmerized by the way Duo's eyes turned from sparkling violet-blue to almost a black shade of purple when angered. His cheeks were flushed slightly from the warmth of the fire and the wine, which gave him a demure look in the low light. Heero wondered at his reaction to the strange braided boy but made no move to stop the feelings of tenderness creeping up from locked away places in his heart. He wanted to protect him, from what he didn't even know. He wanted to prove to him that he didn't have to run from those he cared about, to save them from some silly, self-imposed curse. He would prove Duo wrong, and committed himself that wherever their paths took them in the long days ahead, they would travel them together and banish the evil of the Horde and its Emperor. "I don't believe in the stars or Fate deciding our lives for us, but I have come to believe as of late that our destiny is our own, and that things happen for a purpose."
"I hope your right, Heero, for all our sakes."
"I suggest we both get some rest. Dawn will be fast approaching and we need to set out again as soon as possible. If what Quatre says is true they'll be coming for us." Heero rose and tossed the last bit of wood on the fire and glanced to where Duo was settling himself near their gear. The horses were together under the cover of low hanging branches and even Grace had her head tucked under her great bronze wing. "Where is your blanket?" Heero asked noticing the Duo had only his black cloak wrapped around him for warmth. "It will be a cool night. The skies are clear and we have little cover."
"I lent mine to Quatre. He needs it more than me. I'll be fine." Duo smiled and lay down with his head on his saddle. "I've gone without sleep for too long and worry I won't wake up when I need to."
"You are the most stubborn person I have ever had the displeasure of knowing Duo Maxwell."
"Likewise, Sir Lion." Duo almost giggled at the flash of malice in Heero's eyes.
"I won't call you Death, if you cease calling me Lion."
"I think both our nicknames suit us and should be left as they are, Lion." Duo laughed quietly.
Heero watched Duo as he got up and moved to lie down on the grass near the horses leaving him alone by the fireside. He had good instincts. If there was any trouble during the night, the horses would certainly let him know with plenty of time to make a hasty exit. It was going to be a cool evening by the looks of the clear night sky. Tiny stars started to appear just after the sun went down making the night take a magical, almost surreal feeling.
Trowa, feigning sleep, watched the two as they sat by the fire. Heero was completely relaxed with Quatre and Duo, which was a good sign. He was excellent with first impressions. You either passed or didn't in the first moments he met you. But there was something unusual about Duo. He had no doubt that Heero felt it as well the longer they were together. "So what's going on with you anyway? You're moodier than usual." Trowa asked quietly when he knew Duo to out of earshot. Heero cocked an eyebrow but didn't answer. Trowa maneuvered himself closer without waking the blonde boy nestled in the blankets next to him. Trowa waited for long moments for Heero to respond; thinking his brother had fallen asleep, when he heard Heero's quiet voice speak next to the crackling and popping of the fire.
"It's just odd. He seems almost familiar to me, and yet I know I've never seen him before." Heero paused for a moment watching the flames dancing around the last bit of wood before letting his gaze drift to Duo stretched out under the stars. "Why part does he play?"
"I don't know Heero. But I think it's fortunate that he found himself in our company rather than trying to travel to Galat or Nhol alone. Trowa reached for his pack and pulled out his cloak and a blanket. "It's going to be cool tonight. I think our friend will be chilly." He tossed a thin blanket to Heero who shot him an unreadable expression. He then rolled onto his side and shut his eyes intent on getting some well-deserved rest.
Heero watched the fire for a while longer. When he felt the cool night air breeze over his face he remembered the blanket. It seemed their new companions didn't have much in ways of gear. Duo's woolen tunic and black cloak would hardly keep him warm tonight. Letting out an exasperated huff he stood and made his way to where Duo was sleeping soundly. The horses stirred slightly before settling once again as he approached, confirming his suspicions about the boy's intelligence.
Duo was out cold. His long braided hair was spread out behind him like a snake as he slept on his side. Even asleep, he wore a smile, only this one was a soft smile that made him appear younger than his seventeen or so years. Heero spread the blanket over the sleeping form and watched as Duo winced slightly as the fabric touched him. Slowly and cautiously as not to disturb him, Heero placed his hand on the side of Duo's cheek and held it there for a few moments. Pulling his hand back he shook his head in frustration. "Well my strange friend, it seems you have a fever to go along with that stubborn streak and gash of yours." He quickly strode back to his pack and pulled out his own thick wool blanket that was wrapped tightly in a roll. Returning with it to Duo, he lay down next to him, spreading it out so it covered them both. In the morning they would figure out what to do next.
End Part 4
(:./ebony/dragon4)
