The Hunt continues! Yes I think my poor little story must continue, because it has yet to be noticed by most of the Fiction seekers out there. It's a hard job to sculpt a halfway decent plot, and though I have yet to do it, I hope that what I have started here isn't too bad. One more thing. If this chapter has a lot of mistakes, or is a little weirder than usual, it's not really my fault. It's my drug induced self, because I have walking pneumonia at the moment.

Disclaimer:: For Valentines Day, my step sis bought me a small set of Gundam figures, and as much as I huggle my Duo, and Wuffie-kins I know they will never be mine. They belong to some company over in Japan. As for the figures, go buy your own. ^_^

Wild Hunt chapter 2::

Ice pale marble stretched the expanse of the wide hall. Draperies of blood scarlet and black hues spoke the tales of many battles long passed, even though they were greatly faded with age. A courtroom of a great lord, done in royal silver and red, empty of the courtiers that would bring it to it's full glory.

//Empty all except for me.....//

Lowering his candle the Rider stared at the empty room. He was still hooded, even though there was no one to observe him. Turning away, he swiftly moved down a long corridor, snuffing out his light as he moved. From other directions he could hear the subtle stirring of his hounds, which were now sleeping, preparing themselves for yet another night of searching....like they had been for the past few thousand years.

Passing through the large doors at the end of the hall, he finally reached his rooms, far different from the grandeur of the court. The walls were bare of all ornaments, and filled from floor to ceiling with shelves of books. It was freezing there, for no fire burned in the hearth, which appeared to have been out of use for sometime. Though a small candle had heralded his entrance by bursting into flame. This was all the light the Rider needed.

Reaching up to remove the fastenings of his cloak the Rider sighed, and then collapsed into a chair. He buried his face in his hands.

"Rough night Me'Lord?" a soft voice questioned.

The Rider didn't look up at the sound. His servant usually knew when to leave him alone; this was not one of those times.

"What is it Quatre?" he growled softly, running his fingers through the unruly hair that fell haplessly into his eyes. A stirring at the far side of the room caused him to look up, and watch warily as the blond elf of the Seleighe Courts stepped forward.

"I was wondering why you came back empty handed. This doesn't usually happen." The blond blinked, a puzzled expression fixed on his delicate features. "You also feel saddened.... I can tell." Putting a pale hand over his heart Quatre smiled. "I can always tell."

The Rider glared at the elf, angry and surprised all at once. The quiet servant always was considerate of his master's privacy, and never came to him without permission. Something must be bothering the boy for him to invade like this.

"Something bothering you?" he hissed softly, making his blond servant cringe, nervously. Standing up to tower over him, the Rider tilted his head to the side. "You want something?"

"No!" Quatre stammered. "I...I....Gomen..." he finished lamely, hanging his head. Not daring to look up at his master for fear of his fury.

The Rider chuckled softly, and sat back down in his chair. "Iya, I want to hear you say this. If it bothers you that much to actually come to me willingly, then it must be something." He gestured with his hands at the elf. "Finish."

The pale boy twitched nervously, staring at the floor. "I...I picked up on the emotions of the quarry again." He shuddered, casting a quick glance at his master.

"And?" The Rider questioned in annoyance.

"....and she...well.. felt different." He winced as he said the last few words. "I noticed when you first came back that there was no one with you....so I thought you killed her...." A small growl from the Rider caused him to talk faster. "Well I thought I should leave you alone, because you felt angry, and I went walking through the catacombs, when I felt her." He seemed to brighten at this, his face becoming more relaxed. "The only reason I knew it was her was because no one else lives here, so it was nice having a change of emotions to sense." He smiled softly again.

"Well....? Is that all?" The Rider said.

"No" Quatre chimed " Her physical body was strange, like she was all hot, and she seemed to be acting muzzy, like after you spin in circles for awhile......"

"Hn." The Rider grunted. "I wouldn't know. I don't spin in circles like an idiot."

Quatre blushed. "W...well then I started picking up on her emotions, and it was amazing! It was nothing like any of the other girls. All I sense from them is fear and despair, but she was... was...well angry! I also got something that felt like strong determination." He had a dreamy expression on his face. "Last time I felt something like that was when Aeri...."

"Enough!" the Rider roared, jumping to his feet. Quatre cried out in fear, backing away so quickly that he fell over, trying to escape the rage that shocked his senses. "No more! I thought I told you not to say that name in my presence...." His voice became quiet; seething with barely controlled rage. "Every moment I'm awake I am plagued by my failure. Do you have to constantly bring it up? I don't need more of this!" He moved away from the trembling elf. "Leave me. I have no use for you now." With that the Rider sunk into his chair, once again covering his face with his hands. He felt a tiny prickle of power against the back of his and then nothing, signifying that his timid servant had left him.

He groaned, suddenly feeling a tiny pang of guilt for yelling at the small elf. Quatre was his only company in the lonely chambers, well at least the only company that talked back. His dogs weren't much for conversation; and it wasn't Quatre's fault that the stupid girl had gotten away, nor was it his fault about....

Leaning back he banished the dark memory from his mind. He had to set himself to the task ahead if he was ever going to catch that girl and sitting around brooding on things past were not going to help him.

Quatre had spoken of him sensing the girl's physical body. He had also said that she felt hot and dizzy. The girl had to suffering from exposure to the elements, it would explain what the blond elf was picking up. Not really a wonder for how cool it was in the forest.Summer was waning in his realm, not that summer really ever came. It was usually cool here, even at the peak of summer and had been for some time. Why would the warm hand of summer ever want to touch one of the dark places? The combination of her fall into the river and probably spending a night on the bank in the cold air had made her ill. That wouldn't do at all. He had failed once. Once and never again.....

*

A rumble sounded through the trees. Duo groaned and placed his hand over his protesting stomach. Swallowing as bile clogged his throat, he moaned. He had been walking for sometime now, moving as fast as he could to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Rider; but hunger and illness was starting to wear on him. Too busy to stop to see if he could catch something to eat, Duo had been scanning the surrounding greenery, hoping for a small bush of berries, or maybe some kind of medicinal herb; but it seemed that nothing substantial grew here. The forest floor was covered with dense brush, gray in color, with strange looking leaves, that Duo was certain that even an ox wouldn't eat, not to mention the thorns that had been tearing his clothes to shreds as he pushed through them.

// Here's a cheerful thought// Duo thought angrily. //I'll starve before he gets me, or if I'm lucky stumble of a cliff in my delirium. That should royally piss him off.//

Looking around him, Duo tried to get his bearings. He had no clue which direction he was heading in, not to mention, no clue which way the exit was. Nightfall was inevitable, and the sheer hopelessness of his situation was enough to make him sit down and cry. Leaning his forehead against a tree, Duo was considering doing just that when a sound caused him to jump. Spinning around he scanned the trees for the source. The cry came again, filled with such agony and sorrow that Duo went stumbling off towards the cause, all the while his mind screaming TRAP! at the top of its "lungs".

//Would the Rider actually try to trap me this way?// he thought. //I'd better be careful.//

Brandishing his stick like a bowstaff, Duo finally came into viewing distance of the source of the sound. Peering out from behind a tree, Duo's eyes widened. Not even fifty feet away was a man perched on a fallen tree. He was sitting, so that Duo had a perfect glimpse of his profile.

//Well...not really a man...more like a boy.// Duo thought taking a second look. Violet eyes already wide seemed to grow even larger (if that was possible) at the sight of delicate ears that arched up into a graceful, delicate point. Throwing a hand over his mouth, Duo stifled a gasp. //He's an Elf!// he though frantically, leaning heavily against the tree for support. He watched as the elf slowly rocked back and forth, tears streaming down its delicate features, as it gave another cry of pain. This one seeming to be a name.

"Quatre!" the elf screamed, getting up from where it had been sitting. He stumbled forward, nearly falling, in his despair. "Quatre where are you?! ANSWER ME!"

Duo was trembling. The force of the elf's pain was enormous. He was only vaguely aware of the tears coursing down his own face, so enrapt was he in watching. Choking back a sob, Duo blinked the water from his vision, before coming to realize that the elf had heard him, and was staring directly at him. Dropping his weapon and jumping backwards with a cry, Duo backed away from the intense stare he was receiving from piercing emerald eyes. Or at least one eye, since the other was covered by a shock of cinnamon hair. The elf drew a sword, and leapt at Duo with a yell.

"Who are you?" the boy snarled. "One of his happy minions?" The green-eyed elf brought the blade of his sword up to gently move over Duo's jugular, while he calmly took in the now unbraided boy's state of partial dress. His eyes softened a bit, but his voice remained steely. "Who are you?" he repeated.

"Duo....Duo Maxwell." His voice shook as he said it.

The blade withdrew a tiny bit.

"Why are you here?"

Wincing at the bluntness of the elf's question, Duo promptly spit out the whole tale of hie capture in the city, to his abandonment in the forest, as bait for the Rider. Every moment of his tale, the sinking feeling in his stomach growing larger, as the cinnamon haired elf looked more and more like a cat who had gotten both a bowl of cream, and the canary with no questions asked. Finally concluding his story, Duo spread his hands wide. "Can you see now why I'm running?"

The blade wavered. The boy....elf, stared down at him. "You are the Rider's quarry....yet you are male." Laser intense eyes glared at him, a small smirk of triumph coming to his face. He pressed the offending blade once again to Duo's throat. "You are my prisoner."

*

Bum bum bum....! ^_^ Here's Trowa! ! That wasn't really as good as things should be.... But not too bad. I really have to get in touch with my inner Trowa, because I find that he is really quite ignored in most Duo/Hee-chan fics. Both him and Quatre are snubbed. I have yet to read a decent fic where both pairs are treated equally. Sooooo....Despite my obsession with the braided boy, and his stoic lover, I wrote Trowa a very tender part as a sorrow filled lover. Write me or review me, I wouldn't mind either ^_^ but flames I'm just going to use as kindling, because it's cold in here and I'm sick.