Mind Body and Soul - Two
If anyone noticed Wufei's sudden interest in the eastern wood no one said anything. They probably thought it was just another aspect of his thirst for knowledge.
Although there were still many who offered to accompany him, there were many times he would sneak off alone before anyone noticed.
He was out before dawn the morning following the sighting. Making a beeline to the spot where the snare had been, he didn't see anything human, animal or otherwise.
Finding the clearing just as the sun had completely emerged from the horizon, he found the remains of the snare and a flat stone had been set up beside it. On the stone, lay a few Tsaro root, some nuts, and a flower. A surge of elation bubbled up inside of him, and he almost danced on the spot, the emotion was so overwhelming.
He pocketed the snare cord and then the roots and nuts, using a much gentler touch than he would have normally afforded such things. Then, the flower he pick up as if a breath would shatter it.
It was a common weed. He recognized the variety easily. During the spring and summer months, it was abundant everywhere. But this close to winter, even the hardy weed should not have been able to flower.
It was a gift, and he accepted it as if it were more precious that any gold or jewels.
Afraid that this would be the last of his encounter, he tried to think of someway to prolong it. On impulse, he pulled out one of the honeyed cakes he'd snuck from the kitchen that morning for his breakfast. He left the cake still warm, wrapped in a napkin.
"Hopefully no one will come and steal that from you before you get to it," he said out loud. As if the intended recipient could actually hear him.
Leaving the clearing, a bird chirruped at him. Again, it was a common variety. A plain brown sparrow that he ordinarily wouldn't have given more than a moment's thought. Today, however, he took the time to notice that as plain as the bird was it had sparkling deep blue eyes like gemstones, instead of the normal beady black.
Feeling bold, he smiled and waved at the bird. "It might not be such a good idea to stay around here for long. Whoever set that snare is bound to come and check it. I'm surprised they haven't already set a new one."
Wufei left the clearing quickly after that. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest. The pent up energy brought him back to his cell in almost no time.
Laying the flower gently on his table, he tried to think of a way to keep it. He could dry it, but even then he would not be allowed to display it. As a rule, they were not permitted such decoration. As a member of the mind priesthood, he was allowed books though.
Selecting one of his heavier books he had used for making notes, he opened the leaf and laid the flower in it, wincing as it was flattened by the weight of the tome.
No more gifts were exchanged over the next few weeks but Wufei had become keener in spotting his friend in his various forms. He was on most occasions a similar shade of brown to his hair color but seemed incapable of fixing his eye color.
A squirrel, a badger, a mouse, several different varieties of birds and one time even a wolf.
The time he was a wolf had frightened him for a moment because Wufei was not entirely certain it was his sprite. At first, he was certain, and started to say something, but then another wolf appeared, and he was afraid he'd stumbled on a pack by accident.
The newcomer used shoulder nudges and growls to send the first wolf away, and, just before the second wolf left, the priest was sure he's seen its eyes flash a very vibrant green.
A second sprite? Only this one didn't seem as fond of him as the other one was.
Regardless of the fright, Wufei kept going back into the forest, and whenever he thought he spotted his new friend, he began talking about whatever he could think of. He quashed any feelings of foolishness for trying to keep up a one-sided conversation as it kept the sprite coming back.
One morning, his sprite appeared on the other side of a stream as a magnificent stag. He looked so beautiful and majestic he took Wufei's breath away, and Wufei very stupidly said the first thing on his mind. "You look very beautiful today," he breathed.
The stag blinked at him in surprise.
"Uh… that is…" Wufei tried to correct his mistake. Casting around for a way to correct his error, a small movement caught his eye.
Was that a head in that bush? Hunters! He thought alarmed. Instantly, he was waving his arms at the stag wildly.
"Quick! Run! Hunters!" he yelled at the beast. In that form, there was no way hunters could pass up what would be meat for the rest of the winter.
The stag reared up and twisted as if trying to discern the direction of the danger. At the last second, it veered away, and the priest felt something bite into his cheek as it flew past him.
Testing his cheek as he watched the sprite in animal form bound into the forest, he found the arrow had left a shallow cut right along his cheek bone.
A minute later, two very angry hunters descended on him. "What under the gods do you think you were doing? You let it get away!" the first one roared. Wufei recognized them from the local town.
Standing up to his full (though not very tall) height, Wufei tried to project an air of calm superiority that some of the other priests were so good at. "I apologize for interrupting your hunt, good men, but I was studying that animal," he said in a calm sedate manor, hoping that would be enough to send them away.
Spying the priest's garb, the two hunters looked at him with distaste. "Uh… sorry…er… father," the second one said reluctantly.
Gingerly touching his cheek, he responded. "Yes, well, be more cautious of your aim in the future," he commented all knowingly and left the vicinity of the stream. He tried not to worry as he heard the hunters head off in the same direction as the stag.
Halfway to the abbey, he turned around and headed back. As much as his cheek probably needed stitching, he needed to be sure his friend was okay.
As he reached the stream, he heard a horrid scream that sounded like a hundred different animals screaming out in pain. In a panic, he ran towards the sound but he was not expecting what he found. The two hunters were lying dead with matching expressions of surprise on their faces. There was no mark on them to reveal how they died. It just looked like they keeled over while walking in the forest. Perhaps the fey had other defenses? Wufei was having trouble feeling too bad for the two men. In his gut, he was fairly certain they died because they had tried to kill his sprite.
"If you're here, then where is he?" he asked himself looking around for any sign of an animal.
Lying not too far from the hunters was his sprite, in full form. Tears were running down his face and he was clutching his leg. It was bleeding heavily. He looked at Wufei imploringly and the priest felt his heart beat stutter in his chest.
Gently approaching the fey, he knelt to inspect the damage. The arrow had pierced straight through his leg and would need medical attention.
"I can help you, but I'm going to have to take you back to my room to do it. Is that okay?" he asked.
Blue eyes looked at him in terror, and he shook his head adamantly. For whatever reason, he kept his lips clamped tight, unwilling to even cry out in pain. At best, he would make a small whimper in his throat.
"Look, I understand you don't want to be seen, but I can't take care of this here. Perhaps you could change into something small? Like a cat or something?" It was probably very presumptuous of him to think that the sprite would do something like that in front of him, but worry was making him bold. If sprites were anything like humans, he would bleed to death if he didn't get help soon.
Undoing the sash on his robe, he wrapped it around the wound hoping to slow the bleeding. "If you don't want to come with me, perhaps there is somewhere I can take you?"
The fey looked like he was considering his options, then closed his eyes tightly and melted into the form of a cat with black, white, and brown patches.
"All right," he said, rewrapping the much smaller leg. "Let's get you back."
He'd almost made it back to his room when he was spotted by Quatre and Heero. "Wufei! What happened?" the blonde priest asked, looking at his bleeding cheek.
"Hunters," he answered curtly.
Heero looked at the wound and scowled. "I told you you should not go out alone," he reminded.
"Yes, well, these hunters were shooting at everything that moved. You would have just been shot as well." On inspiration, he added, "Look at this. I found this cat shot, and I found two dead men out there. If you had gone, you probably would have been hit too."
"You found men dead?" Heero asked. At the same time, Quatre looked at the cat. "Hello, kitty," he said charmingly, trying to pet the "cat".
Said cat just sniffed and turned its nose up at the gesture. Quatre looked almost heartbroken. "What? What's wrong? Animals usually like me," he pouted.
"He's probably not going to be too friendly to people after being shot, Quatre," Heero stated calmly. "I don't even know why you bothered to save it. It is just a-" Heero cut off the last of his thought as he was pinned by the baleful stares of two priests and a cat.
He had no idea how the cat managed to make him feel ashamed of what he was going to say, but Heero changed topics by getting directions to where the two bodies were so he could get someone to collect them. He also made Wufei promise to get his cut taken care of.
Safe in his room, Wufei laid his patient on his table and ran to get the supplies from the medical room. He just barely escaped Sally by telling her he wanted to take care of his cut himself. Ducking and dodging anyone else who might stop him, he rushed into his room, almost to have the life scared out of him because he found the sprite had changed back to his original form.
He was bent over his leg with his hands hovering above the wound, and it looked like the bleeding had slowed.
Suddenly, Wufei felt very stupid. Why didn't he ask the sprite if he could self heal?
"Why didn't you tell me you could heal yourself?" he asked a little irritated. He'd been in such a panic it would have been nice to know.
The fey gave him an odd look and shrugged one shoulder as if to say 'I'm not very good at it.' He then showed Wufei his leg and the priest saw that although it was indeed better, it was still bleeding. However, it was now at the point where it would just need cleaning and bandages to heal.
Suddenly shy, he looked up at the Fey, embarrassed. "Is… is it possible for you… to…to remove your pants," he asked, blushing and indicating the leggings made out of some odd animal skin. Nodding, the fey slid off the table and balanced on his good leg. His balance became somewhat precarious however as he tried to remove the pants.
Wufei caught him as he started to wobble, but then realized what a bad idea that was when the sprite continued to use him for support while he stripped off his pants. And… oh gods… was wearing no underclothes beneath them.
The heat in his face was so intense he could feel it throbbing as he tried to pretend he wasn't touching the firm warm thigh of a beautiful fey while he cleaned and dressed the wound.
He scrabbled around for something to distract him. "You know, it might be a little easier if I knew what to call you," he suggested.
His patient looked away from him and began worrying his bottom lip. Turning to make eye contact, he mouthed a word that Wufei couldn't figure out. About all he could tell was that it had an 'o' sound. It looked like two, but when his asked if that was right, the other shook his head.
Wufei found his reluctance to speak odd. He knew he could make noise because he heard him do so on that first day. He's also made a wide range of noises as an animal, so why not speak?
Then again, what did he know about fey? Only rumor and legend. Perhaps the creature's voice had mystical properties? There were records to suggest that some fey did have strange abilities.
"Can you not speak?" he asked.
A reluctant look and a shaking of the head.
"You can speak, but do not wish to?"
A nod.
"Will something bad happen if you do?" He suddenly thought of that horrible scream he'd heard in the wood and those dead men.
A more vigorous nod.
"Well, I guess we'll have to find another way to communicate. Although, I warn you I'm not much of a conversationalist either. Most times I bore people to tears. Can you read or write?"
Head shaking.
'Well this is going to be awkward,' he thought. Then, he noticed the other's eyelids were starting to droop heavily. "If you can change back into a cat, you're more than welcome to sleep on my bed. You don't have to worry, I'll watch over you. I won't let anything happen to you."
The sprite gave him a sleepy little smile and melted into the form of a mottled cat again. This time, he remembered to keep the bandage with him so it reappeared in his cat form, still snug to the leg.
Wufei picked him up from the table and laid him gently on the bed. Unable to resist, he stroked the cat's fur and had a flutter in his stomach when the cat purred for him.
"If only I could speak cat," he whispered quietly to the sleeping animal.