Despite everything, Heero slept through the night and when he woke up, the sun was already climbing far up into the sky. It was later than he usually got up and to make matters worse, he was confused for a few minutes, not remembering where he was and why he was lying in the grass. His mind was somehow fogged, and he had to blink, his eyesight focusing on someone sitting next to the extinguished fire. It was the blond mage, and he was the only one -- there was no sign of Duo, Trowa or Wufei. In broad daylight, Heero got a much better picture of Quatre, who was busy with a pestle and mortar, crushing a handful of leaves, his movements concentrated.
His robes hadn't been black like Duo's as Heero had assumed, but a deep, purplish midnight blue, like Duo's eyes. He pursed his lips, not allowing himself the time to think why he had compared the fabric to the mage's eyes. Quatre's robes were fit for a king, sporting white embroidery on the sleeves and the hems; wavy, flowery, nonsensical patterns. Despite sitting in the middle of a forest, everything white was unstained, unmarred, and in pristine condition. The only difference with Duo's robes had a different way of being tied around the waist and it fell a little looser around the shoulders, showing that he was wearing a spotless white shirt underneath. His staff, also of similar height as the sollevar and bearing less markings, was standing upright against the tree. Quatre's blond hair was impeccable, and his blue eyes were friendly and staring right back at him. Heero immediately looked away, caught in the act.
"Good morning," Quatre said.
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?" he barked in return.
"Duo thought it was for the better if you rested," Quatre answered. "Your body and mind are very strong, Heero Yuy, but sometimes you have to take a step back and rest. It was necessary for you to heal."
Heal... Quatre's words made him look at his own chest, and to his utter disbelief the cuts were gone -- the bruises, the pain...it was all gone. Heero wrestled himself out of the blankets without taking an eye off of Quatre, suspiciously looking around. Where were the others? The only sounds were those of birds and Quatre grinding the leaves together with the mortar and pestle. He added a few berries and appeared to be softly humming. It was almost idyllic, too good to be true.
"How can this be?"
Quatre looked up briefly, shooting him an apologetic look. "I am sorry, I usually ask permission before I apply any Healing. You were in bad condition, though. Like I said, your body and mind are very strong, and you were holding yourself together with pure willpower."
If it weren't extremely impolite, Heero would have growled at him. What nonsense! He wasn't even feeling tired! He patted with his hands over his body, but everything felt fit and healthy. Nothing reminded him of the fight of yesterday.
Trowa announced himself by jumping over one of the bushes, a burlap sack in his hands. The bow on his back shifted with every movement, and the arrows in his quiver rattled. Ignoring Heero, he walked over to Quatre and emptied the contents of the bag in front of him. It was fruit, too ripe fruit.
"How did it go?" Quatre asked.
Trowa shook his head. "Stock is running out extremely fast. There's still plenty of wheat and grain though, but you can't expect people to survive on nothing but bread. The best horses have been commandeered."
The capital city was half a day away from here. Had Trowa run to the city and back again to bring this news? Heero tried to squelch his suspicion. Where was Relena?
"There's a small river downside this hill," Trowa suddenly said. "If you want to freshen up, that's the place to go."
Heero nodded, and turned around to leave. He didn't have a bar of soap, but a dive in a river would have to do for now. It was at least more refreshing than walking around in the same pants every day. The hill was nothing but a high slope and he could already see the river from here. Zigzagging around the bushes, some noises reached him -- there was already someone else bathing here. Heero used a particular large bush to keep himself out of view as he tried to determine who was already down there -- if it was Relena, he would have to go look for another spot to take a dive.
It was Duo.
The sun lit up the same copper and gold tints just like the fire had done for him at night. Some strands were even honey blond, completely weaving the mass of hair into one palette of colors, covering his back, reaching even past his backside, the water parting the thick strands... From this distance, he could see a large part of his upper body, his skin rather pale for someone traveling around in the outdoors. Heero had to swallow thickly until it dawned to him what he was doing. Duo probably wouldn't appreciate being spied upon, and Heero tore himself away from the scenery, hoping that Duo hadn't seen him. He ran as fast as he could alongside the river, praying that the water would be cold. Icy cold.
He returned much later, not having paid attention to the time. Quatre had gathered everyone around the extinguished fire, pouring cool, refreshing water for everyone. The fruit was portioned and tastefully arranged on several plates. Heero noticed how Quatre had set one plate apart. Where was Duo? Was he still bathing?
Relena's hair was wet as well, and she was combing it with a pearly comb he had never seen before, slowly braiding it on one side. He wondered briefly where she had been bathing, and why she hadn't called for him to guard her. The river was large, not carrying a strong current and shallow enough to not drown, but still. She had a plate in front of her, barely touched, and she still carried that worried look on her face. Heero took some of the offered fruit, Quatre passing around some left-over bread. It was remarkably fresh and he was moving over to Relena to sit next to her.
She finally noticed him, her face immediately brightening, and she gasped out loud when she was about to greet him for the morning. She jumped up, amazement clear in her eyes.
"Heero! Your cuts! The bruises...You're completely healed!"
"I needed the rest," he answered dryly, and allowed her to touch him -- it wasn't uncomfortable, and she was merely poking him, in awe about the disappeared injuries.
"Good morning everyone," Duo all but chirped as he entered the circle. Every head moved into his direction. He accepted happily the similar chipper greeting in return from Quatre and ignored the other grunting about 'too perky for a good morning'. His eyes sought out Heero, and narrowed significantly when he spotted Relena touching him. For the first time in his life, Heero colored red from...from what, really? This was more than embarrassment, this was something else entirely. Not only did he want Duo to be the one touching him, he also wanted Duo to look this smoldering all the time. There was something behind his sudden harsh look that was...exciting.
"You need other clothes," Relena said and moved away from him. He released the breath he had been holding and looked in Duo's direction; for a few brief moments he reveled in the burning fury in those lively violet eyes, a fury he couldn't identify, couldn't understand.
The trance was broken when Duo turned on his heels and stalked over to Quatre, who already held up his plate. In the morning sunlight, Heero got a better impression of his robes; the flames were embroidered with such intensity that they seemed to be alive, wrapping themselves around the black fabric, setting him on fire and changing with every movement he made. The golden, orange and dark red threads shone in the sun, liquid fire covering him as he settled down, accepting the plate and thanking Quatre for the breakfast.
Relena returned with the pants and shirt for Heero that she had bought after their stay in the inn close to the border of Romefeller country. He excused himself for a minute to get changed, which left him a little time to think in private.
Heero had already figured out that both Duo and Quatre were something more than just travelers, as well as Trowa and Wufei. Apart from the fact that they screamed 'mage' to him wearing those typical robes, all of their clothes were too neat, too wealthy looking, and with the exception of Trowa, too impractical for traveling for longer periods of time. The archer wore leather armor, supple and cut in the right way to give him maximum freedom of movement, but the used leather was of the best quality Heero had ever seen. Wufei's armor was exotic and foreign, but it looked heavy; he couldn't imagine someone walking for miles and miles wearing that.
He stuck his arms through the shirt and pulled it over his head. He wasn't afraid of mages, but like many people, was wary of them. The four main streams of magic -- Fire, Death, Ice and Healing -- were not equally represented in this world, and each and every mage differed in strength. Darlian had taught him at least some of the basics to understand magic in general; Heero knew that Death magic was as good as extinct, and that it was forbidden to seek any knowledge about it. Ice and Healing magic were commonly called 'nature magic' as a whole, because of both these powers drawing on nature. Heero didn't understand the reasoning behind that, but as a lot about magic was shrouded in mystery, he knew it wasn't of much use to dwell upon it. Out of the all the magic streams, Healing was of course preferred; skilled Healing mages were rumored to be able to cure anything shy of death itself.
Not many were as open about their...talents as Duo or Quatre. By certain rules that had been agreed upon among mages, they identified themselves with robes and staff, so people knew who they were -- a clear identification would hopefully avoid painful or embarrassing situations. No one was killed for being a mage, but often feared, though Heero couldn't remember why this fear existed and where it originated from. It was even stranger that both Duo and Quatre all but flaunted their status; the robes they were wearing were more than just identifying them as mages, they were calling for attention. Maybe there wasn't as much fear for mages and magic in general where they came from?
He finished dressing and returned to the group, ending his train of thought about mages. It wasn't his business anyway; after breakfast, they would split up and go their own way. Stepping into the circle, Relena nodded at him approvingly and he picked up his plate again, continuing to eat the rest of his fruit. She had even put another slice of bread next to his food, and he gratefully ate it.
Duo was eating a peculiar orange fruit and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin before he addressed Relena.
"Esshan-diva, where will your travels bring you?" he asked. His voice was soothing to listen to, Heero thought. He couldn't place the accent, but Duo's voice was able to reach several timbres in one sentence, changing from word to word as they reached his ears.
"We're...traveling to visit family," Relena said. Her hesitation was more than obvious, and she quickly hid her face behind a large piece of fruit. Duo nodded, accepting the answer and tore a little piece off of his bread.
"In Auda country?"
"We also need to help a friend," Relena said, reminding Heero of their promise to Noventa. "To look after his granddaughter."
Duo nodded again. "We're traveling too. Maybe we can all go the same way and accompany you," he suggested. Heero looked at him.
"Are you heading in the same direction, then?" For some reason, he was under the assumption that Duo and company were heading the other way.
"We were actually planning to go to Romefeller country, but we have heard the rumors of war."
"Romefeller country has already fallen," Heero said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. With Noventa out of the way, Khushrenada would have no problem appointing his men in the right position to relieve Romefeller country of their natural resources, supplying for his growing army and providing even more manpower for his expansion thirst.
"It's going to be used as a crossover to Maganac country," Relena supplied. She stared at her fruit as if she wasn't sure to whether bite it or not, missing the lightly disturbed look on Quatre's face. "My father...our people are afraid of Khushrenada and his mage."
Duo didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. Heero was convinced that Relena knew how to recognize a mage, and was surprised to hear her use the word so casually. Relena might not realize in whose company she was, or she simply believed that mages weren't as dangerous or fearsome other people held them for.
"You're not going to Sanq Kingdom?" Duo asked, drastically changing the subject. Both Heero and Relena looked at him quizzically. He had asked the question in an almost child-like manner, innocent and curious. His eyes belied his friendly, calm voice; there was a dark determination behind those eyes that unnerved Heero.
"We're not going to Sanq Kingdom," Relena confirmed and sat upright as she put the rest of her breakfast away. Her movements were controlled and graceful, but Heero noticed the strain.
"If you're going to Sanq, Princess, we could travel together. That would be for the best, really."
"What do you know about the Kingdom of Sanq, then?" Heero snapped. He hadn't forgotten Darlian's words, and neither would have Relena. Hearing Duo talk about it as if one could just pack up his stuff and visit it, was annoying.
Duo carefully dabbed at his lips and his cheeks with his napkin, wiping away some fruit juice that somehow had managed to land there.
"The Kingdom of Sanq is a paradise," he said, and his voice was low and serious. "Where people can live together and in peace, without fear, without war, without pain. Equality, peace, freedom, brothers and sisters, no judgment, no condemnation."
"A utopia," Relena said and the hint of disbelief was clearly evident. "There's no such country or kingdom, and if there was, Khushrenada would run over it."
Duo looked at her, his face surprisingly expressionless. "The Kingdom of Sanq is supposed to be restored to its previous grandeur when the legitimate heir to the Peacecraft Throne returns and assumes said throne."
"Peacecraft?"
"Ever heard of the name?" Duo asked, and he sounded far too innocent.
"Enough," Heero interrupted brusquely. "Relena, we need to go."
A hint of confusion flashed over her face before she nodded. She didn't object and stood up from the ground. Nervously, she brushed a few leaves from her dress and smoothed out some wrinkles before picking up the basket and digging around in it, looking for the leather bag.
"I would like to compensate you for your expenses," she said. "I have a few silver coins..."
Duo lifted his hand. Quatre was just looking at her, a friendly smile on his face -- he didn't seem perturbed in the least. Trowa was still eating, and Wufei just glared indecipherably.
"We all have our reasons to look for the Kingdom of Sanq," Duo said. "Think about it when you're in the next city."
"The silver coins," Relena insisted. His hand was still up in the air.
"I won't accept any money from you, Princess."
She frowned, still wondering why he addressed her like that, and remained standing with the basket in her hands, shooting Heero a glance.
"Let's go, Relena," he said, turning around. They had left Vayeate close to the camp, reins hobbled to a tree. The large horse had room enough to move, and was in the company of another horse; the animal was light-colored, almost reddish, and not as tall as Vayeate. It was bearing a simple saddle and reins, all made from dark leather and lacking any finery. It had to be their pack-horse, Heero figured. It would be difficult to ride the horse with four people at the same time; maybe they took turns just like he and Relena did. Vayeate bristled when Heero hoisted the saddle, blankets and provisions on his back; he even bit at Heero when he took the reins in his hand.
"Hush, Vayeate," he said, patting at the horse's neck. "Let's go. C'mon."
He had to tug twice at the reins before Vayeate finally started to move; if he didn't know any better, it looked like he didn't want to leave the other horse behind.
Relena sketched a deep bow to the four people in the grass.
"I thank you for your troubles," she said. "It was a pleasure to meet you all, esshan-dars."
"Be well, esshan-diva," Duo said, but his voice was carefully neutral. Quatre waved at her. "Until we meet again, Princess."
"Heero..."
"Yes?"
"Who do you think they really were?"
"Two mages, that's for sure," Heero answered. Relena sat in the saddle, looking puzzled, the basket in front of her. Vayeate stepped in a very slow pace; if it were possible, the horse was outright pouting.
"A Fire mage and an Ice Mage," she said. "Funny, I thought that they were as opposite to each other as their powers. I never dreamed of seeing a full-trained mage, and now I see two together."
"Together?" Heero suddenly cocked his head.
"Yes, as in 'traveling together'?" Relena said, raising an eyebrow. He didn't answer to that.
"They had no right meddling with our business, whether we're going to Sanq or not."
"Oh Heero, just because father said..." Her voice drifted off.
"We'll find that kingdom, even if it's the last thing we do."
Heero drew his lips in a stubborn, tight line, and they both remained silent. Relena was probably thinking back to what her father had said: that she was a Peacecraft and needed to go to the Kingdom of Sanq, where they would 'help' her. A kingdom that was barely described and documented, a paradisiacal place that was supposed to live again once the rightful heir assumed the throne. Had Duo and Quatre referred to her as 'Princess' because of...Heero had never heard of that title before; it sounded foreign, and he didn't want to admit that the thought of Relena being an important heir bothered him. He wished Relena everything well and the best in the world, but how could he protect her if she really turned out to be this 'Princess'?
Vayeate snorted again. That horse had a serious attitude problem, and Heero tried to spur him on to quicken his pace just a little. Relena didn't pay attention, slowly swaying back and forth in the saddle. She bore the same stubborn look as Heero, but he wasn't going to start a discussion with her. They had other things on their minds, and the first thing was to find and rescue Sylvia Noventa from wherever she was. If Relena could think of any relatives, they could hopefully stay there for a while instead of trekking through the countries. From there, they could search for the Kingdom of Sanq. Especially Relena needed a home, a stable base; it would be for the better if they could bring back at least some certainties in their life.
They reached the capital of Auda country when the sun was far above the horizon. A large entrance gate welcomed them, the banners on the battlements showing Khushrenada's coat-of-arms: a stylized lions head. Lions were extinct, and it was a riddle why the man had chosen the image of a dead animal to represent himself. Vayeate's hoofs resounded on the brick-pavement, the small streets perfectly clean...and void of any life. The few people outside hurried in several directions, eyes cast down as to avoid any interaction. A young child started to wail and was silenced quickly, the mother hurrying inside a house, slamming the door close behind her and the child.
Relena dismounted, stretching stiff limbs. The center of the city closely resembled the capital of Romefeller country, sporting a large square with a granite fountain, almost an exact replica, including the statues of the five warriors. She went to sit on the edge of the fountain, feet dangling, and took the small sewing kit and her blue dress out of the basket. Heero stuck his hands in the remarkably cool water, freshening himself up a little. From a corner of his eyes, he took a peek at the statues, to see if they had survived the ravages of time better here.
The descriptions were completely worn off, no surprise there, but the faces of the warriors had been slightly better conserved and showed five males, two in robes, one in some kind of armor, and the one on the right had a bow on his back. Heero did a double-take; with a little bit of fantasy, he could recognize Duo's face in one of the statues -- one of the two who wore robes, of course. He shook his head violently, causing Relena to look at him. Duo's face wasn't that special, and it was certainly not similar to this statue, he told himself and turned demonstratively around, his back to the statues.
Relena opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and instead tossed him an apple. Heero caught it and munched on it as she continued to work on the dress, mending the tears that the bandits had ripped into it. She was very softly humming to herself; it was the very first cheerful sound he heard her make ever since they left the farm behind. He didn't recognize the tune and maybe she was making it up as she went. Two men and a woman carrying some crates eyed them, gazes hollow and fearful, and quickly hastened their pace.
Munching on his apple and looking around, Heero thought at first that it was his sollevar that scared the people; the weapon was standing upright, the sharp tip shining in the sun. There was still some caked blood on it; he hadn't exactly had the chance yet to clean it thoroughly, and sticking it into the fountain here to rinse it off didn't seem like a spectacular idea to him.
Another woman, all of her hair tucked under a shawl, threw Relena's freefalling, long hair a jealous look before hurrying away again. No eye contact, no words...these people had been plundered and ransacked, and the fear of something incredibly awful had been put into them. Khushrenada and his mage...what had they done to this nation?
The ripping sound of fabric being torn apart shook him out of his thoughts. Relena frowned as she sowed the new hem into the dress; it was certainly reaching above her knee after she was done. The frown disappeared quickly however and she took up her humming again. At first sight, nothing looked wrong about her; just a girl taking care of a quick sewing job...but he knew how much tragedy she had suffered in such a short time. He also knew that she had clammed up, not wanting to talk about it, which had been very strange for her, as she talked about almost anything that came to her mind.
She was carrying sadness with her, and it disturbed him that he wasn't able to get her to open up, like the way she managed to break through his defenses and was able to read him like an open book. He wasn't able to offer her the same comfort and consolation, and she deserved someone good to her. Like a husband...but he knew he couldn't be more to her than her guard, her savior, anything...but her husband. Maybe she had considered him as such for the future, even though they never had spoken about it heart to heart. He still wanted to be her friend, not out of obligation but because he truly cared for her.
Relena softly patted him on the arm and nodded in the direction of a few Treize Faction members. They were wandering around the square, obviously bored, and talking out loud just as obnoxious as in Romefeller. One of them had a white sash of a messenger tied around his arm. Messengers were the only way to get news around in this world; they accepted to deliver your message in any country for a hefty price. Nonetheless, their delivery was always guaranteed, despite their obvious dangerous job. Almost anything could happen during their travels, and they stood out because of their general sign of recognition: the white sash or scarf around the arm. The messengers were a source of information; they picked up bits and pieces of news everywhere they went. This man could know where this Nichol guy was, their only lead in finding out where Sylvia Noventa was being held.
"Relena, can you stay here?"
She stared at him dumbfounded.
"Why? What are you going to do? Heero..."
With the Treize Faction in sight, it was for the better to hide his sollevar, and Heero maneuvered the weapon in between Vayeate and the fountain, so it was out of view thanks to the horse's ridiculous height. Not answering Relena, he left her side and stalked after the men at a respectable distance. He had killed soldiers of the Treize Faction, and it was very feasible that his description had been shown around to apprehend him. The men were bragging about battles Heero was sure of they hadn't participated in, to change the subject to the consistency of meat and if it tasted better with sweet potatoes or string beans. When they halted in front of a large two story house, they still hadn't finished their discussion, heatedly defending their own individual choices. Heero gritted his teeth. Lots of people didn't have anything to eat due to them plundering the lands, and now they were making these ludicrous dinner plans!
Only the messenger with the white sash entered the house after saying his goodbye to his friends, and the heavy oak door closed behind him with a thunderous sound. Heero was never going to be able to enter the house via the front door, so he hurried into the adjacent alley, in the hopes to find a side door, an open window, anything. Luck was with him; a maiden was beating a rug out, leaving a window wide open after she was done. Trying to conceal himself in the relative darkness of the alley, Heero sneaked up under the window, climbing on top of a rickety barrel.
"Where is she?"
Was this the voice of the messenger?
"She is safe," a low voice answered. "The esshouin can dispose of her whenever he wants."
"I think esshan-darava Une will do the honors," the first voice answered. He sounded impatient. "Well, Seditch?"
The following sounds were hard to identify: rustling of fabric, jingling of...coins, Heero thought, they're exchanging money.
"Yes, you're right. How's the esshouin doing?"
"Better than you if you don't hurry up."
"Don't worry Nichol, you --"
"Why haven't you closed the window?" the impatient voice barked. "You know what I told you about closing windows!"
"You sure are ..." With a loud bang, the two shutters of the window were closed, cutting off the man's sentence. Heero almost fell off the barrel and pressed himself against the wall. Only after a few minutes, he carefully climbed down, careful not to make any noise. At least he had confirmed that this Nichol guy was in this house, and he would think of a way to make this man talk! For now, he had no choice but to return to the fountain, where he found...
... Duo and the others standing around Relena.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, though his voice lacked the gruffness he intended to speak with. Duo smiled at him, warm attention dancing in his eyes.
"We are free to move around wherever we want," he said, accent drifting into Heero's ears.
"As long as Khushrenada doesn't get the idea to start collecting tolls for the roads and forbids people from traveling around," Trowa dryly delivered.
"Don't give him any ideas," Duo said, though not chiding. Heero eyed him.
It was the middle of the day -- the sun was fairly high in the sky, giving off more than an average warm temperature. The mage was all dressed in black, the flames appearing to consume him alive, and even Quatre in his dark blue robes with the pristine white embroidery must be uncomfortable, or sweating at the least, and yet...Heero didn't spot even the smallest sign of discomfort in either of the two.
Duo's braid dangled over his shoulder, catching the sunlight. Heero realized he was staring at him and feeling a little strange, he turned his head, missing a small smile on Duo's face. The pack-horse that traveled with the group stood calmly next to Vayeate, two large packs on its back. Heero snagged the sollevar away once he saw Wufei looking at it.
"You're awfully conspicuous," he said, referring to their robes and staffs.
"Sometimes that's in our advantage," Duo answered, not perturbed at all. "Are you planning to travel any further today? There's only barren wasteland behind the capital city, and you won't find another inn for quite a few days of riding."
"Did you especially come back to tell me this?"
"I've seen more of this world," Duo replied "You two have traveled a lot the past few days if you're from Romefeller country, and now here -- why don't you take a little rest? That is, if you're not on the run for something...more dangerous than life itself."
"It's not my decision to make," he growled in return. Duo's smile didn't falter and he crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking perfectly at ease. Quatre was dipping his hands into the water of the fountain and brought them up; he stared at the water he had just scooped intensely. Trowa was not far away from him, running some of the water over his wrists. Wufei had distanced himself from the group and seemed to scout the area, his golden and red armor flashed every now and then.
Relena's voice was hesitant. "We have been traveling non-stop, Heero," she finally said. One hand lay on the basket. She was obviously thinking of the remaining silver coins.
"We could use some rest, Heero. Some time to...think. Vayeate needs some grooming too, and his hooves checked," she continued.
"Are you sure?" he asked. He trusted her decision, but staying here wasn't appealing to him at all. Auda country was draining him; the downtrodden people, the heavy burden everyone seemed to carry around here...but if this was Relena's decision, he wouldn't do anything but agree.
"It's settled, then," Duo burst out, voice excited. "I know a perfect inn for us all, and I'm sure that they'll have rooms. It doesn't look like much trade is going on and maybe we can help the people around here."
He didn't ask the others for their opinion, which surprised Heero, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Relena showed him a sheepish smile, and collected her sewing kit, thanking Quatre when he handed her a small needle that she overlooked. The blue dress went with the kit into the basket and she hopped from the edge of the fountain, taking Vayeate's reins, who had all but been cuddling with the pack-horse.
"Your horse is beautiful." Relena admired the physique of the reddish animal. "What's her name?"
"Mercurius," Trowa answered and combed with his fingers through the thick mane. "She's very strong and perseverant."
He and Relena engaged in a conversation about their respective horses -- it was pretty clear that it was Trowa's horse, the way he talked about it -- and Quatre walked a few steps behind them and Wufei was nowhere to be seen, which left Duo to fall into step with Heero. The mage didn't utter a word, but a large grin graced his lips. Heero was too stubborn to start talking to him, so he just stole glances at him from under his unruly bangs. He didn't mind that they were going to end up in the same inn. A voice in the back of his mind told him in the same musical voice as Duo's that he wouldn't mind it at all.
The Summer Swan was a ridiculous name for an inn, but the rates were rather cheap and the rooms clean, which was a big advantage. Relena was already grateful that the people didn't ask ridiculous prices, but when she mentioned it, the innkeeper flinched and told her that "Esshouin Khushrenada sets the prices, esshava. We wouldn't dare deviate from his word, oh no, not at all." He threw Relena a funny look before he inscribed their names into a ledger, the quill scratching the thin paper.
"Esshan-diva," Quatre said, but not to correct the innkeeper -- he held out a piece of cloth to Relena, the same midnight blue color as his robes.
She shook her head, not understanding.
"It's common that the women here cover their hair," he explained. "If you please...?"
"Oh, but naturally," Relena quickly said and grabbed the cloth from Quatre's hands, throwing it over her head to cover her hair. The innkeeper looked strangely relieved, and asked her to sign for payment and shoved the paper and quill at her. When all the formalities were done, he showed her to her room, ignoring Heero who he assumed to be a simple servant; thus Heero brought up their belongings and threw them in his own -- significantly smaller -- room.
The girl continued to talk with the innkeeper, curiously inquiring about the habits and traditions of Auda country. It didn't interest Heero, so he wandered outside, back to the streets. It was still lifeless outside, but at least there was fresh air. Besides, he had someone he needed to pay a visit to. Nichol. It would be for the better to leave Relena out of this; she would only get worried about what he was going to do. He wouldn't shun violence to gain knowledge about Sylvia Noventa's whereabouts; the sooner they found her, the better. Another crime on Khushrenada's list, and Heero would make him pay for everything he had done.
He went twice in the wrong direction before he finally found the house again. Everything looked the same here, especially with all the damp, dark colors. Romefeller city had been plastered white, with colorful roof tops and drying laundry hanging over balconies; this was one continuous black and gray nightmare. Heero decided that his best chance was the window on the alley side. It had been closed, but it had wooden shutters and he could possibly pry them open and climb in. Staring into the alley as he weighed his option, a voice suddenly spoke behind him, the tone familiarly lilting.
"It's not a large town, but still, I'm surprised to see you here."
Heero didn't have to turn around, but he did anyway.
"You're following me."
"I'm looking after you," Duo said.
"Why?"
"I know you don't need a nanny," Duo said. Heero's cheeks flushed. He'd been rather brusque when he'd said that, but Duo didn't seem to repeat it because he was upset about it -- he looked rather amused. "I wouldn't expect our warrior to need a nanny anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Heero," Duo's voice was flat, almost toneless, "have you ever felt tired? Have you been able to work all day long, doing intense physical labor, without as much as a minute of rest, and still not feeling tired?"
Heero frowned. Chopping wood. Cutting grass. Stacking hay. Plough the lands, and only until Relena told him it was lunchtime he would take a break.
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Please answer my question." Duo took a step towards Heero, who took a step backwards, into the alley. The hem of the mage's robes dragged behind him, floating just a little above the ground.
"I get tired just as anyone else," Heero protested at first, but he never lied before and wasn't going to start now. "No...I don't think I get really tired, as in exhausted."
Working at Darlian's farm had always filled his days from morning to evening. That he did the job of at least three laborers wasn't something that came to his mind -- he was used to working hard, out of respect for Darlian and because he enjoyed the work. He never thought once of sitting down and resting. Only when Relena sought him out to have lunch with him, and still only then because he was too polite to deny her; otherwise he would just continue working until it was too dark too see.
"Your weapon," Duo abruptly changed the subject, "how did you obtain it?"
"Do you know someone named Howard?" He countered with a question of his own.
"Could be," Duo answered dryly. "I know many people."
"He gave it to me, and told me to seek someone from Maxwell Church."
"Did he?"
Heero wasn't mistaken -- that was a smile on Duo's face. He was wondering why the other was smiling, and why his smile was so close -- their faces almost were touching each other. How had they ended up in the alley, only a few millimeters separating them?
"Yes, he did," he answered lamely.
"Good boy," Duo murmured, his breath warm on Heero's chin. He was actually a little smaller than Heero, but he could only think of his smile -- he wanted to see more of his smile, more of his lips...and there was this sudden urge to taste those lips. He wanted to know what they tasted like. They were awfully close in the alley and no one could see them anyway...
Duo's black robes blended with the shadows and the flaming golden embroidery seemed to adjust to the surroundings, the colors darkening. Suddenly, Heero's hands reached forward and he grabbed Duo at his sides, fingers clutching at the thick fabric as he pulled him close, immediately pressing his lips on his.
Duo said something, or tried to say something, but their lips were smashed together in a crude kiss; tasting and probing, lips on lips, nothing more. Something was pounding against his shoulder -- Duo's hand, but Heero didn't feel it. It was as annoying as a bug buzzing around him, and he simply ignored it. The pounding didn't last long and Duo tilted his head just a little, lips parting slightly, and chestnut brown locks mingled with Heero's tousled dark ones, their faces closer than ever. He had never kissed someone before, let alone someone of the same gender, besides from a few modest pecks on Relena's cheeks, to congratulate her on her birthday.
His hands were tugging at Duo's robes, fingers clutching at the fabric as to never let him go. Heero's lips bruised his, unaware of his own force -- he was simply pressing and pressing, not even parting his own lips to deepen it. He broke the kiss up just as abruptly as he had started it, surprise about his own actions and Duo's response washing over him. The mage stepped away from him, almost stumbling over his own feet. The look on his face -- was that fear?
Confused, Heero wanted to say something, but Duo turned away from him and ran, leaving him behind in the alley as the tuft of his braid disappeared out of sight, the mage turning around the corner. Dumbfounded, Heero stayed behind in the alley, questions piling up in his mind. He had kissed someone rather ferociously, and it wasn't just 'someone'-- it was a boy, and a mage to boot. Why had he done this, and why wasn't he feeling uncomfortable about it? He had never thought...but Duo was someone that he couldn't help but to want him. There was something about him that made Heero feel...complete, comfortable, as he never felt before. Confused, he closed his eyes for a moment.
He didn't feel like returning to the Summer Swan just yet, but subconsciously his feet were moving in that direction. Duo's reaction -- and his physical response -- puzzled him, and the look of real fear on his face had shaken him. How could someone be afraid of him? Did Duo know about the men he had killed? That he was willing to kill again to protect Relena? Those bandits didn't deserve to live, preying on innocent people...and hadn't Trowa been the one to put an arrow through them? Duo had to know about that...he slowed his pace, as the hairs on the back of his neck started to prickle. Was someone following him?
Standing still, he look around, only to find the large center square he was standing on abandoned. Annoyed, he caught sight of the five statues of the fountain, bathing in the last sunlight of the day. They almost looked lively and colorful now, instead of simply carved statues -- but Heero growled something incomprehensible and stalked away. It was getting cold, and nothing in Auda country could keep him outside. His mood had taken a plunge, and he wanted to punch someone; maybe that was why the last remaining people outside fled from him when he approached.
The innkeeper had anticipated that his few guests appreciated warmth, so the two large fireplaces were blazing. Heero shivered a little from the transition from the outside cold to the inside warmth, and blinked a few times to get his eyes adjusted to his new surroundings.
Three guests were sitting in the corner, enjoying an early dinner. Roast beef and potatoes, if his nose didn't deceive him. The two women looked rather wealthy, their light woolen coats strangely contrasting with the dark red and yellow silk dresses they wore. At second sight, the man sitting opposite of them, eating far less gracefully, was probably a bodyguard instead of a traveling companion. Heero ignored them; Duo and the rest of his group were sitting in the west corner, Relena amidst them with the piece of fabric neatly draped around her head, not a single strand escaping from its confinement.
Duo sat a little apart from the rest, listening intently to a boy who was gesticulating wildly. Dressed in a shirt, a short jacket and pants and rather slender built, it was difficult to see if it was a boy or a girl, but Heero assumed it was a boy...until the person in question turned just a little, pointing outside the window and he could see a certain tell-tale curve in the chest area.
She had short-cropped hair just as black as her clothing, and wore no jewelry or anything stressing her feminine side at all. She was awfully intimate around Duo, to his dismay; she even put her hand on his arm, and he didn't seem to mind at all -- worse, his grin got even wider, and the next second he laughed out loud, even though she tugged at his braid. Heero gritted his teeth. He wasn't jealous, not at all, no, not in the least...but now he knew why Duo looked so afraid after the kiss they shared. Funny, he hadn't taken Duo to be of the cowardly kind. If he wanted to be with this girl, inappropriately dressed as she was, why didn't he simply say so?
"I see you want to kill Maxwell already," a voice next to him commented dryly. "That is all right -- everybody has felt the urge to kill him at one point."
He hadn't even noticed Wufei coming in; he hadn't even noticed Wufei hadn't been at the table in the first place. The man could move without making a sound and unseen, which was a frankly amazing with his rather conspicuous armor.
Heero couldn't decipher from his tone of voice if the other was serious, sarcastic or just hinting at something else. He didn't want to kill Duo at all, but apparently Wufei assumed that his murderous look was aimed at the mage, and not at the girl next to him.
"It pains me to say, but I suggest you wait," Wufei continued. His slanted dark eyes never looked at Heero, or at Duo. He seemed to be able to keep an eye on literally everything in the room. "You also get a lot in return if you stay by his side."
"Like what?"
"You will find out," he answered him and bumped past his shoulder when he stepped forward to join the rest. This time Heero had no difficulties discerning his voice; he sounded very confident.
Heero went to sit down with the others, albeit grudgingly. It took a few minutes before Duo joined them as well, but he didn't choose a seat close to Heero. Instead, he moved around away from him to make room for the strange girl.
"Hilde told me where your friend is," Duo said. Heero looked at her, practically wiggling into Duo's lap, and scowled. She send him a saucy wink and smiled impishly.
Relena folded her hands together in front of her. She was wearing the blue dress she had been mending; she had once again taken off a bit of the hem to repair it, and now it was reaching just above her knee. The light brown dress she had bought in Romefeller country just before they crossed the border was far too thin for this climate; it was not surprising that she was the closest one sitting to the fire. She looked pretty, but her face was marred by a worried frown that she tried to hide.
Not for the first time, Heero made the resolution to talk to Relena -- to really talk, and ask if she was all right; no more hiding behind words, just the plain and open truth. He knew her -- she was bottling things up inside and she didn't want to talk about it, not even when put under pressure. It didn't happen very often; Relena was someone who preferred to share her emotions and talk about them freely, but there were things she put far, far away. He had to remind himself that she witnessed first-hand both her parents dying, suffered a brutal attack from bandits, and she still had the strange words of her father to deal with.
"Heero, are you listening?"
She was addressing him, and only because it wasn't in his nature to blush easily, he was saved from a burning red face in public. Here he was, worrying and thinking about her well-being while she had been talking!
"Yes, of course," he replied stoically. He quickly turned to Duo, and shot Hilde a glare -- she was still sitting on Duo's lap, amusing herself by trying to find out in how many ways she could bend and twist his braid.
"Like I said, we can help you save this girl," Duo said. "If her being reunited with her grandfather will mean that Noventa will return to Romefeller country and organize a resistance against Khushrenada's reign, then her rescue is imperative. If there are many thorns in Khushrenada's side, he can't concentrate on annexing other countries, and Maganac country in particular."
"Esshan-dar Noventa will do that, I can and will give you his and my word for that," Relena said determinedly. "It was because of Khushrenada keeping his granddaughter hostage that he surrendered. It's already eating him alive; as soon as Sylvia is with him again, he'll have strength enough to return."
"But how is Noventa going to prevent Khushrenada from simply kidnapping Sylvia again? There's a huge battalion of the Treize Faction stationed in Romefeller country," Heero objected. The pain in her eyes when she looked at him was real, but he wasn't going to give into her just because she made that promise -- he was rational, and rescuing someone wasn't as easy as a walk around town.
"Heero, we can't leave Sylvia in the hands of that man!"
"It's not that I don't want to save her," Heero said. "But it would defy all purposes if we save her, send her back to her grandfather and two days later, Khushrenada simply has him at his mercy again by kidnapping the girl anew. With his mage, it's especially easy to accomplish."
"He is right," Wufei admitted, and he was clearly unhappy to agree. "We have to make sure the Noventas will return in power instead of offering them a shaky basis. Are we really sure this esshan-dar will keep himself to his word, only if his granddaughter is around?"
"We've started out on less," Duo said and his eyes had a dark glint to them that told the other not to push it. Heero frowned. It looked like the mage had more than one face -- one flirty, funny and one taking things less seriously, and another one strong and determined, and even one tough as nails and absolutely not to mess with. It was confusing, and he didn't know if he liked it.
"Let's talk about the girl and where she is, and then discuss our options?" Quatre suggested.
A jug of water stood in front of him, two ice cubes keeping the liquid cool. It didn't surprise Heero that Duo's hand was close to a piping hot drink on the table. Nobody asked if he wanted something to drink, and the waitresses didn't seem all to bother to actually do their work.
It was Hilde who cleared her throat.
"I was running errands when I overheard Seditch," she said. "He needed me to get some provisions, and when I returned he was busy talking to some ill-mannered, impatient oaf." Her voice was quite feminine; high-pitched and light, as if dancing on the wind. "I didn't catch his name, but he was flinging all kinds of names around, showing off how important he really was. I was able to catch the name 'Une' over and over again," she continued. "I couldn't get more, Seditch told me to get lost..."
"Une..." Quatre frowned, trying to figure out why the name rang a bell.
Heero studied the girl. She had named the same name he had overheard during that conversation he couldn't make anything of. Seditch, Nichol and Une. He engraved the names into his mind.
"Hilde is the town's errand boy...errr, girl," Duo explained and smiled, mistaking Heero's look for suspicion. It meant that Hilde, also without an education, did all kinds of errands for everyone, and was paid with food or a place to stay for one night. Looking at her, he didn't think she would be very happy being dressed up in silk and lace or forced to talk about her future husband and how wonderful the drapes matched with the curtain.
"I could track it down to Catalonia Castle, however," she said, wearing an impish smile. "I heard the cook say that Nichol had traveled from there before arriving at Seditch's. I know of the Castle -- it's widely known for its dungeons as complex as a mathematical problem."
"Again with the dungeons," Duo muttered, blowing softly on his drink. "Why doesn't anyone lock up his hostages in a nice castle with a backyard full of flowers and a breath-taking view of some mountains?"
Trowa snickered. "You just don't want your clothes dirty, if that's possible."
Duo shot him a foul look.
"Catalonia Castle?"
"Dorothy Catalonia is the granddaughter of Duke Dermail," Quatre pointed out, but it didn't tell either Heero or Relena much.
"Duke Dermail is the one who presented Auda and Iria country on a silver platter to Khushrenada," Hilde added, her voice filled with barely veiled anger. The two countries were both relatively small, and fell by tradition under the reign of one ruler, in this case Duke Dermail.
"Catalonia is also a relative of Khushrenada." Duo heaved a sigh. "Dermail lived in the house now used by Seditch until he was...upgraded to a castle, which is now known as Catalonia Castle."
"And the previous inhabitants of the castle?" Heero wanted to know.
"I'm sure Khushrenada has introduced them to some very special leave of absence," Duo said, grimacing. He shook his head, heavy braid slipping over his shoulder. Before Heero could even think of it, Hilde tucked it back with a familiarity that showed she had done this numerous time before. He shot her a murderous look, but either she didn't notice or chose to ignore it.
"A castle with dungeons," he said, more brusquely than he intended. "How are we ever going to get there?"
"We just wait," Duo said.
"What?"
"We just wait," he repeated. Relena looked just as confused as Heero.
"The rumor mill will have done its work by now," Quatre said, calmly as ever. "The rumor of two mages and a Nataku warrior in town, for purposes unknown. Any nobleman or ruler will want to invite them to at least test the waters. Politics is just like a pond; everyone throws out his fishing line."
Hearing Quatre casually confirm what Wufei was made Heero look at the other in a whole new perspective. The typical armor was a dead giveaway that he was a warrior, but Heero never could have imagined he was from Nataku -- that country was legendary for its army and extremely tough standards in training. It was still a mystery how one of the most tough and well-trained armies had been defeated by Khushrenada; had that been the mage at work again, or had it been something else?
"Why would they invite you?" Relena asked politely but slightly disbelievingly.
"To ask us what we're doing here in the first place, then if we would like to join their cause," Duo responded as a matter-of-factly. "What's the only thing that's better than one mage? Three mages."
"So we just wait until Khushrenada invites us into his lion's den?"
"Dermail," Duo replied, almost absent-mindedly. "Duke Dermail will invite us, probably for dinner and drinks, and we'll have a talk. A most polite and civilized talk, of course. A nice chit-chat...but we have to do this carefully, because if we screw this up, we could cause a rift in the mages' society."
"Dorothy Catalonia knows the most about the five legendary warriors," Trowa suddenly spoke up.
"Mages' society? What about Khushrenada's mage?" Relena asked out of the blue.
"Pshaw," Duo said, making a dismissive gesture. He took a sip of his drink.
"You know about the four streams of magic, right? Fire, Death, Ice and Healing. Not everyone capable of magic knows immediately what to do with it or how to use it. Usually, one is proficient in one stream; it's very rare to have a mage excel at two streams, or even being able to handle two streams. It's all very complicated. People who are capable of magic come together in Libra, where we study and gather all our knowledge. We share what we learn, we teach each other."
"I've never heard of this Libra before," Heero said.
"Libra isn't accessible to non-magic people," Quatre clarified. "We do all the work there ourselves, using our magic. You can't use Fire to repair your clothes, and being able to Heal doesn't automatically mean you have a dinner prepared for you out of nowhere. Everything that can be done by hand though, is done by hand. It builds character."
"What does that make Khushrenada's mage?"
"Zechs Merquise," Duo said. "His name is Zechs Merquise and he isn't a mage."
"Excuse me?" Heero almost stumbled over his words. He had heard so much about this mage and how dangerous he was, and Duo was simply denying his existence?
"Dorshin'esshun," Duo whispered as he stared into his mug. A silence fell, and Heero looked from the one to another; he hated not understanding what was going on, and he hadn't any knowledge of the mages' language and their culture. What was Duo saying? Even Relena looked confused, but she was intrigued; he could see her filing the information away for further use, learning from every bit of knowledge that was handed to her.
"We have our own people roaming the countries to seek out those who are able to learn magic," Quatre took over. "You know how people nowadays think about magic, and there have been cases of mages-to-be being assaulted or chased away from their hometowns simply out of fear. To prevent similar situations, we scout for talented or extraordinarily gifted people. Once we've found someone, we always ask them to come with us. They can refuse, of course, but they instinctively feel it's for the better because we can give them proper training and guidance. Merquise was one of the very few who searched out Libra...which is always a bad thing."
"How come?" Heero asked.
"Because people who embrace their magic and search out knowledge to train as fast as possible have other means for their magic than people who keep their talents hidden," Relena thought out loud.
"Excellent, Princess," Duo said and smiled brightly. "That was exactly Merquise's point -- he wanted to know how strong he could become, as fast as possible, and how much he could study, also as fast as possible."
"And?"
"He's a particularly strong Fire mage," Quatre said. "I have taught the man some simple novice classes -- concentration, meditation, and the like. He was very brash and wanted to learn, almost obsessively. I certainly encourage zeal and diligence, but I felt that something was wrong with him. He was too focused on becoming as strong as possible in the least amount of time."
"Khushrenada could be pressuring him," Relena suggested.
"Could be, Princess," Duo agreed. "To make a long story short, he wasn't really popular or loved, but he was the top of every class. There wasn't a single day wherein he didn't greatly improve. We didn't know whether to be happy about it or to cry, and we tried to reign him in, or at least slow him down."
"You see, almost every mage develops in time a signature spell, a strong power that concentrates his -- or her -- magic for a certain amount of time to be unleashed in one blow or strike, depending on the magic used. We call that a trademark, or dortang. In Merquise's case, his dortang was Detonation -- an exceedingly large, focused amount of Fire magic that targets an area and blows it up, including everyone and everything caught in the radius."
"That's horrible," Relena said. Her eyes went wider, looking from Duo to Quatre and back again as if realizing only now what they were capable of. Without a doubt, she was wondering what their trademarks were; Heero found himself wondering too.
"Merquise ended up being a dorshin'esshun anyway," Duo said and he snorted.
Again there was silence, and just as Heero was about to ask what he meant, Quatre told him: "A dorshin'esshun is a mage without complete training. Merquise knows the basics, but he didn't stay long enough in Libra to finish his studies. A lot of magic isn't focused on power or strength, as he wanted it to be. Magic isn't about destruction -- it's about concentration, meditation, and silence most of the time."
"Raw power is one thing, knowing how to use it another," Duo continued, emptying his cup. "Everyone capable of magic can do something, but it's how you use it and what you do with it. We basically teach how to use magic for oneself and for the good of people, but we can't always control what they're going to do with what we teach them. The only thing we can do is to keep tabs on the most powerful, and rely on messages from throughout the world what our students are doing."
"There are that many mages?" Relena asked, tone of voice surprised.
"More than you think, Princess, but yes. Because of everybody's fear of magic in general, no numbers are made public. We don't keep records and we address our students with the names they want to be addressed with. We don't want them to be persecuted for something they're able to do. Wonderful things can be done with magic -- there shouldn't be a need to keep this all shrouded in mystery."
"You don't seem to be afraid of being recognized or persecuted," Heero said, pointing at his flaming robes and outstanding staff. Duo suddenly bared his teeth in a maniacal grin.
"That's because people know me."
Hilde laughed softly, and Heero was sure she laughed at him. Quatre suddenly struck up a conversation with Trowa, and Wufei was still watching everyone around him like a hawk. He had suddenly the urge to stand up and walk away from them all, if it weren't for his promise to protect Relena. She looked perfectly at ease amidst these people with their powers and magic and strange behavior, and it was only that damn promise that kept him here, otherwise he would have run for his life. This was all going to be trouble, he was sure of it.
Chapter 4 | Chapter 6 |