Fantasy bug and it wont go away! Attempting some manner of longer story here, and it's already longer than my usual stuff. Please don't ask where it's going, I'm figuring that out as I get there. DnD influence here, but not enough to call it a crossover, really. Not sure who will show up and when. That will also happen as I get there. Feel free to add suggestions too. :)

Quests

"Introductions"

Zechs Marquise and Treize Khushrenada walked briskly through the market stalls, or rather, Treize walked briskly a few steps ahead of Zechs, walking half-sideways to converse with his lagging friend. Zechs walked slightly behind with a detached stride, and an occasional glance to acknowledge that he heard what his friend was saying.

"Zechs, I suppose if the weather were anything less than it is you might have a passable reason for the expression on you face – and only because I am your friend. Why do you insist on not enjoying yourself?"

"Because I do not wish to encourage my friend to involve me in further excursions of leisure when he knows perfectly well that I have things to do."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Zechs cracked a smile on one side of his mouth and followed Treize through the conglomeration of tents and people until they reached an area where merchants and couriers were unloading imported goods. Treize, immediately walked over to a specific blue tent among the livestock traders. Zechs recognized the merchant as someone Treize had dealt with on several occasions and the two exchanged a friendly greeting. The merchant was quick to disappear between the tent flaps and pin them back from the inside so that the two men could freely enter - and admire - the animal inside. It was a horse of moderate size and fine features, likely an eastern breed. Such animals were not unheard of in the Western nations, but were exeedingly rare.

"What do you think?" Treize held his hand out in offer of appraisal.

Zechs thoroughly considered the horse, a mare. She looked a blood bay, with black running up her legs, mane and tail. She was handsome, with a short head and long neck on a fine, sturdy frame. Her ears curved and leaned towards each other so the tips nearly touched. She was definitely exotic looking, and it was definitely Treize.

"You have already purchased this horse."

It should have been a question but Zechs knew his friend too well. Treize nodded in confirmation. "And you still desire my opinion then?"

"Of course!"

Zechs eyed Treize for a moment, analyzing his bemused smile.

"I think you have another fashionable showpiece that you don't need."

Treize smiled and threw his arms out wide in a helpless expression, before clapping one hand on Zechs' back. "I know," he started, "I know, you are too correct. That's why she's for you."

Zechs blinked away an expression he hoped didn't look too stunned. Shaking his head, he turned directly to face Treize.

"I have a horse already, a good one too, I don't need another. Besides, it's too generous an offer for me to accept, it much have cost you no small amount to get her here."

"Zech, you have a warhorse and he's hardly appropriate for riding."

"I like Tallgeese."

"And he's a splendid destrier, that rides like a camel in peacetime. Come and see this horse move, I swear to you you'll not find a better gaited horse anywhere else and believe me, I have looked." Treize motioned for the merchant standing to the side to take the horse out on a line and trot her around so that Zechs could see for himself. The horse moved smoothly, kicking up dirt as it turned in quick and nimble circles.

"Now be polite and accept my gift so I know you appreciate the effort I spent finding a riding horse good enough to bear the mighty Prince of Sanc!"

Zechs put a hand to his face and fought off rolling his eyes. Treize was always poking fun at Zechs for his lineage. Men from the north were said to be large and imposing. Not to mention battle-mad. The truth was, Zechs was only taller than Treize by about an inch and carried a few extra pounds of muscle. As far as lust for battle, Zechs could be a little more persistent than was healthy but that was about as far as it went. Sanc itself was only marginally larger than the duchy of Oz, which was held by Treize. Trieze had been remarkably tight lipped about his own heritage, owning up to only his inherited position as duke of one of Argo's five duchies, so Zechs had little ammunition to strike back.

He looked back up at Treize who was holding the lead to his new horse. Zechs sighed, then took the rope.

"I suppose this also means you intend to take another trip within the next few weeks?"

"As it so happens..."

Treize left the sentence unfinished and ran a hand through the horse's mane. "His name is Epyon."

"Eypon," Zechs repeated to himself and ran a hand over the horse's forehead.

"Now if you're in the mood to indulge me further, would you join me at my estate for a drink? I have some opportunities I would like to discuss with you before you return home."

Treize was careful with his choice of words.

Zechs nodded, "Once my business with Weyridge is complete."

They made plans to meet up later in the evening of the following day. Eypon watched the two men with indifferent brown eyes. Her ears, however, were pointed in the direction of the movement on the outside rear of the tent.

Ouch. Dammit, it's here somewhere.

Duo crouched down as he inspected the trampled dirt and mud around the outside of the merchant's tent, hunched low and nearly on his knees. "Dammit. Way to go, Duo. You couldn't have dropped it on the cropped grass?" Duo whispered harshly to himself as his gloved hands filtered through the muck. A glint in the sunlight caught his attention, right before a very large hoof set down on it, attached to a very large workhorse.

"Hey, move you big lug!" He shoved his weight into the beast who appeared have no further interest in moving his feet, and shifted it's weight slightly against Duo's efforts to push. Duo stood and glared squarely into the eyes of the workhorse that looked half-asleep.

"Alright, time for a new plan." He hopped the fence out of the paddock and hunted down what long grass he could find growing in the vicinity of the livestock tents. "Here boy! Tasty, come and get it." He leaned over the fence and waved the grasses around in what he hoped was an appetizing manner. He was rewarded with a couple steps and a long stretch of the horse's neck, but the offending hoof moved just enough that Duo could snatch the fistful of dirt beneath it. He sifted through the dirt in his palm. "There's you are." Between his thumb and forefinger he held a fine gold ring. He flicked it up in the air and snatched it back to place in his pocket. "Let's not lose you again."

There was a loud rapping on the fence, and Duo turned to see an irate merchant scowling at him. He shouted something in a language Duo did not understand, but assumed the gist to mean "go away."

"See? You got me into trouble," he announced to the dozing workhorse before hopping the fence again and walking back around the tent in which he had previously seen a very fine horse. He rounded the tent to see the retreating backs of two nobleman, one with long blonde hair and an official looking red coat, foreign from the look of it; the other with auburn hair and the blue uniform of the regional duke. Duo smiled. He had guessed that whoever was coming for that horse was definitely well-off, and it was well known that Duke Kushrenada's "opportunities" were nothing if not lucrative, for himself as well as the few lucky enough to secure a role. He would be sure to make himself available.