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Spirit of the Blue-Eyed Wolf

Chapter 2

Wufei woke in a soft bed. For a moment the young man wondered if he had actually never left the village, and his encounter with the demons and the silver wolf had been nothing but a dream. But as soon as he opened his eyes he realized that that wasn't the case. The bed and the room it was in were completely unfamiliar to him, and it was definitely not the small chamber at the inn. The room was spacious with three large windows. A fire was burning in the fireplace across from his bed, and he could see his staff leaning against the wall beside it. The rest of his pack was sitting on a small table, and his monk robes were hanging over the chair next to it.

My robes?!

Wufei swallowed. He realized only now that someone had taken off his outer garments. Instinctively he clutched the quilt he was covered with and pulled it tighter around his body only to notice that his chest had been tightly wrapped with linen dressings. The bandages made it easier for him to breath with his bruised ribs. Whoever had put them on had obviously some healing experience.

The young monk looked around continuing his visual inspection of the room. How did he get here? And where was HERE anyway? The last thing he remembered was fighting that flying demon and then… Right, then I passed out.

Wufei cautiously pushed away his covers and climbed out of bed. He still felt a little weak and lightheaded, but he knew from experience that the fatigue would wear off soon. He put on his black and blue robes and slipped into his sandals that were sitting next to the bed. He almost reached for his staff, but then he realized that it might be seen as rude or even hostile to carry, what could be considered a weapon in a house where he was a guest. At least he assumed that he was a guest.

Wufei slowly opened the heavy oak door and found himself in a long candlelit hall. While he was still deciding on which direction to take he heard voices, or rather one voice to be precise. The other sound was more akin to a yelp or whimper.

"I am sorry. I know this hurts but there is no easy way of doing it. I need to wrap the wound tightly so the gash will not open again when you move."

As he followed the voice, the young monk soon found a staircase leading downward into what looked like the main chamber of the castle. He could see a large fireplace and beside it, on a bed of blankets and furs, rested the large silver wolf. A man, Wufei recognized him as the rider he had met in the woods, was kneeling in front of the animal, bandaging its injured shoulder with linen strips.

The wolf raised his head as he noticed the monk, alerting its 'master' of his presence. The tawny haired man turned his head just as Wufei reached the foot of the stairs.

"You woke up, I see. But what are you doing out of bed? You should still be resting."

"I am fine." Wufei assured him.

The man eyed him and for a brief moment an amused expression crossed his face. "If I remember correctly those were the exact words you used just before passing out earlier in the forest."

The young monk flushed slightly. He did not need to be reminded of that. "I suppose I overestimated my own strength back then. But I feel much better now."

"Is that so? In any case, at least sit down somewhere, if for no other reason than to put my mind to ease."

Wufei looked around, found himself a comfortable, overstuffed armchair and settled down. For a few moments he watched as the tawny-haired stranger continued tending to the wolf. Finally he asked.

"Where are we? And who are you?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon, how rude of me. I have not introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Treize Khushrenada, and this is my home, Wolfstein Castle."

"Wolfstein Castle?!" Wufei echoed. The place the villagers had told him about.

"Yes," the man confirmed. He was finished with his work, but didn't rise. Instead he started to pet the silver wolf's large head as he continued his conversation with the monk. "And you must be Wufei Chang?"

Wufei blinked. "How…?"

Another amused smile crossed Treize's face. "My companion told me about you. You remember meeting him at the tavern in town the other day?"

The younger monk nodded. "Lord Peacecraft? Yes, I remember him."

How could he not remember the man?

Suddenly the tawny-haired man grew serious. "You were lucky, you know. This forest is not a place to be traveled alone."

"I realize that now." Wufei admitted. "If it was not for him…" He gestured at the wolf that seemed to have fallen asleep. "I have never seen a wolf this large. Is he your pet?"

"My pet?" Treize laughed. "Hardly. You could say he is my companion. And I would not suggest calling him a 'pet' to his face. You might lose a finger, or a hand…or something else that is precious to you."

"Does he have a name?"

"A name? Well, yes of course." The older man nodded. "I call him Miri."

Miri? A strange name for a wolf, Wufei thought. But then it wasn't your average wolf to begin with.

"Well, since you are down here, perhaps you can help me and keep an eye on him while I go fetch some water for him?" Treize rose to his feet and headed for a door at the south side of the room. "If he wakes, do not allow him to get up. I do not want that wound to start bleeding again."

"Wait, how am I supposed to…" stop him? Wufei tried to protest but the older man was already gone. I guess I'll just have to hope that he doesn't wake up, then.

No such luck. The sound of Lord Khushrenada's footsteps had not even completely faded when the silver wolf slowly opened one eye and then both, and Wufei realized that he had only pretended to be asleep. The animal raised his head, then pushed itself up into a sitting position.

"Wait! You heard what he said, you are not supposed to move…I…" am talking to a wolf, as if I expect him to understand a word of what I'm saying. This is absolutely ridiculous.

The wolf yawned and stretched its muscular body.

This can't be good. Maybe if I pet him he will lay down again? He seemed to like it when his master... his companion did it.

The young monk rose from his chair and took a few cautious steps toward the canine. The animal tilted its head and watched him with apparent interest, but the moment Wufei reached out to touch him the wolf pulled back his upper lip to reveal his powerful fangs. An angry low growl rumbled deep in his throat. The young man quickly pulled his hand back. After watching those jaws rip demons to pieces he felt no desire to take any chances.

For a long moment man and beast studied each other from a safe distance. Wufei could not help but notice the intense but somewhat sad look in the wolf's blue eyes. It seemed somehow familiar, as though he had seen that expression before, somewhere.

"Ah…He already seems to have grown fond of you."

The monk's head snapped around at the sound of Treize's voice. Fond? A moment ago he was ready to rip my throat out.

"He usually does not let a stranger get that close to him." The tawny haired man was carrying a tray. "You must be hungry," he said. "I brought you food. It is only bread and some meat leftover from dinner, but it should help you recover your energy faster." He set the plate with the food on the table and gestured for Wufei to sit down and eat, while he walked over to the fireplace and put a large bowl of water in front of the silver wolf.

"How are your ribs feeling? I noticed you were all bruised up when I put you to bed." Treize took a seat across from the monk.

So he was the one who disrobed me. A slight hue of crimson stained the younger man's cheeks, and he quickly stared down at his plate. "Thank you. They feel much better now, thanks to your care. Are you a healer or something?"

"A healer?" Treize gave an amused snort. "Hardly. But let us just say I have some experience treating injuries, because someone I know is somewhat of a daredevil who does not seem to understand the word caution."

Miri raised his head from his water bowl and made a noise that sounded almost like an amused snort.

Wufei frowned, and for a brief moment he wondered if the animal actually understood human speech. He was becoming more and more convinced that there was more to this blue-eyed beast than met the eye. No, he was most definitely not a demon, but he was not an ordinary wolf either.

When the canine was finished drinking he casually strolled over to where Wufei was sitting. The young monk looked at his plate, then at the animal. Oh I see. You don't like me, but you are not above begging for table scraps, are you? He cut off a piece of meat, plucked it off the fork with his fingers and held it out to Miri.

The wolf, looking almost offended by the offering, turned his nose up and walked… no strutted away.

"Do not take it personal. He is not the most social being and it takes him a while to warm up to someone." Treize chuckled. "I think, once you are done eating, you should go back to bed for a while. The sun will rise soon, but you need more rest before you are ready to continue your journey."

Wufei nodded. "I reckon, you are correct, Sir. And I thank you for your kind hospitality."

###

After a few hours of sleep Wufei woke well rested and energized. He felt like he had not slept this well in a long time; which was not surprising considering that he rarely had the chance to sleep in such a soft and comfortable bed.

The young monk pulled back the heavy curtains from one of the windows. The weather was beautiful and from the position of the sun he could tell that it was just about mid-day. If he was to leave now he would still be able to cover several miles before nightfall.

Wufei left the bedchamber and headed downstairs, but he found neither the silver wolf nor his human companion in the main hall. After a moment of contemplation the young man decided to look around and see if they were somewhere close by. He cautiously opened a few doors and ended up in what looked like the inner courtyard. A well-worn cobble-stone path seemed to wind around the castle and lead to the stables.

"Looking for something?"

Wufei nearly jumped. The unfamiliar voice had startled him. He turned to face a young man, about his age, with brunet hair that covered part of his face.

"Umm…yes, for someone actually."

"Well, you have found someone." The young man replied. "You must be the guest Master Treize told me about."

"I suppose. And who might you be?"

"Nobody. But you can call me Trowa. I take care of this place."

"I am Chang Wufei. Feel free to call me Wufei."

"Since I have the feeling that I'm not the 'someone' you were looking for," the young man remarked, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "Pray tell, who is it you are trying to find?"

"Umm," Wufei replied. "The master of this castle, I reckon."

"Which one?" Trowa asked, but then he shrugged. "Well, it does not matter anyway. Master Milliardo is still sleeping, and Master Treize went out for a ride. He will not be back before sundown."

Right, there are two of them, I almost forgot. But this isn't good. What am I going to do? I can't just leave without at least saying good-bye and thanking them for their help. That would be incredibly rude.

"By the way, before Master Treize left, he asked me to tell you to wait for his return. He wants to personally show you to the road that leads around the forest, and make sure you get there safely."

"Oh…Is that what he said?"

"Yes." Trowa confirmed. "My apologies, but I need to return to the kitchen now; I have a roast in the fire. But if you would like you are welcome to join me, I was just about to sit down for some tea," he suggested.

Wufei nodded. "Thank you. I will gladly take that offer"

There was something about the other man that made him feel very much at ease. Perhaps it was the fact that they were not only close in social status, but also in age. Ever since he had finished his training as a monk, Wufei had mostly been dealing with people older than him.

"From your clothing I take it you are a monk. But as far as I know there is no temple or shrine anywhere around here."

"I do not hail from this area," Wufei explained as he followed the young man to the other end of the castle and down a short flight of stone steps. "I have been traveling since harvest time."

"Ah, I see." Trowa opened the door at the bottoms of the stairs.

The kitchen was warm and spacious. A fire was burning in the hearth and a large roast was hanging on a spit above the flames.

Trowa walked over to it and unhooked the chain that secured the skewer. "Wild hog," he explained as he rotated the roast slowly. "Master Milliardo shot it the other day. It will be to die for when it is done."

Considering the delicious smell that was already filling the kitchen Wufei didn't doubt that one bit. He watched as Trowa heated a pot of water and started to prepare the tea. A short time later the two men were sitting, across from one another, at a large heavy table beneath the kitchen window.

"When you said you take care of this place, you did not actually mean on your own, did you?" Now that Wufei thought about it, he had not seen any other servants around.

"More or less." The other man replied. "Their Lordships do their share, but what is left is mine to take care of."

"Sounds like a lot of work."

"Yes, but I am not complaining. You know what they say, do you not? If you do what you like, you will like what you do."

"Is there some food to be had?" Lord Peacecraft was standing in the door to the kitchen. His hair was loose and he was wearing a plain tunic over his leather pants.

"Master Milliardo you are awake already?" Trowa rose from his chair. "I made porridge, let me dish some up for you?"

"Porridge?" The older man echoed, apparently not too impressed with the idea. "What about the hog roast? I would much rather have some of that."

"Unless you prefer to eat it raw, my Lord, I would suggest you let me finish cooking it first."

"Fine," Milliardo sighed. "Porridge it is."

"You want me to bring it upstairs, my Lord?"

"No, I shall eat here."

The fair-haired man took the seat that Trowa had just vacated and looked at Wufei, as thought he only noticed him now.

"So we meet again. I have been told you ran into some trouble in the forest last night. You can not say you had not been warned, can you?"

"Indeed, I can not," the young monk admitted. "And I was not going to."

"Well, perhaps there is hope yet." Lord Peacecraft remarked nonchalantly, then he turned to Trowa. "Did Treize leave already?"

"He did. And he wanted me to let you know that he will be waiting for you at the twin willow bridge."

"Oh really?!" A soft smirk crossed the young man's features.

Along with the porridge Trowa served his master, he put out a plate with bread and cheese. He also set a large tray with fruit; grapes, cherries and wild berries of all kinds, in the center of the table. Taking the chair next to Wufei the young man reached for a piece of cheese and gestured for the monk to help himself as well.

The idea of a servant and his lord sitting at the same table, breaking bread together as though it was the most natural thing in the world surprised Wufei somewhat. But he had to admit that it was not the first surprise, and probably not the last, he had been in for since he had set foot in this castle.

"Umm… I assume Lord Khushrenada took Miri with him this morning?"

"Miri?" Trowa sounded puzzled.

"The wolf!" Milliardo gave him an intense gaze and understanding finally dawned in his eyes.

"Oh, right, Miri, the wolf." The young man gave Wufei an almost sheepish look. "I was not aware you had met…Miri."

"I reckon Treize took him. Why do you ask?" Milliardo asked.

"I was just wondering about his shoulder. I feel somewhat guilty about him getting injured because of me."

"You do?" The fair-haired man studied the young monk for a long moment in silent bewilderment. Then he cleared his throat and reached for his spoon. "There is no reason to feel guilty. Wolves are rough and rowdy; they get hurt all the time. They are also resilient and heal quickly. And not to forget they are also very proud. Unlike dogs, they would be insulted if offered table scraps."

Wufei swallowed. He almost blushed at the hint of his little 'mishap' from the night before. How does he know…? Well, I guess someone told him. I'm sure they had a good laugh about it, too, he thought as the older man finally started his meal.

"So, where did you learn to fight demons like that?" Milliardo looked up again after a few spoonfuls of porridge.

"The land near the monastery where I was trained was swarmed with demons; mostly minor ones, nothing as large as those I saw in your forest last night. Eliminating them to protect the farmers and their livestock became part of our training."

"Interesting. What else do you do, when you are not fighting demons, I mean?"

"Well, when I find time for it I like to read." Wufei replied.

"Truly?" the older man huffed. "Then you really should take advantage of Treize's library while you are here. He too is a real bookworm who could spend days cooped up in that room if I was to let him. Have Trowa take you there later."

Once again Wufei was caught by surprise but somehow he managed to stammer. "Thank you, my Lord. I appreciate the offer."

#####

The moon had already risen, even though the sun was still sitting low in the sky, when the large silver wolf sprinted through the forest, following the flow of a narrow creek. Some way in the distance, near a wooden bridge another lone wolf was waiting. His fur sparkled like copper in the light of the evening sun.

Moving against the wind Miri made sure that he wasn't noticed as he approached the bridge. His upper lip curled back just a bit in an expression reminiscent of a smirk. He ducked low and nearly crawled to breach the last few yards between him and the other wolf. Then he jumped up in a surprise attack.

The copper wolf, noticing the invader at the last moment, spun around and both animals nearly collided head-on. Mischievously Miri nipped at his ear before jumping back. He danced around, his tail wagging, then bowed his front legs while holding his rear up, an unspoken invitation for his copper-colored companion to try and catch him.

Playfully the two canines chased one another through the glade, occasionally engaging in play fights. At one time they both tumbled down to the water's edge and nearly got soaked. They rough-housed for a good while, before the copper wolf managed to pin down his silver companion. He held him down with one paw and slowly and leisurely started to lick Miri's ears. After a few more moments of token resistance, the silver wolf just relaxed and closed his eyes.

When the sun had almost set both canines headed toward Wolfstein Castle. They parted at a hidden path near the castle that let through a secret passage into the cellar. Miri stayed behind, watching his companion until he disappeared through the hidden door.

#####

Wufei had decided to take Lord Peacecraft's offer and had asked Trowa to show him to the study, or library, after they had finished their tea.

Lord Khushrenada truly liked books it seemed, because the room was filled with them. The center piece, a heavy wooden writing desk was cluttered with books and scrolls Shelves, reaching all the way to the ceiling, lined the walls. There were books about wars and battles along with books about spells and magic; tales of brave heroes and stories of sweet romance. Wufei didn't even know where to begin.

He eyed the desk, curious about what sort of reading material his lordship preferred, but decided that it wouldn't be polite to snoop. He finally found some pieces of poetry to his liking and he settled down in one of the armchairs near the small fireplace. He was so absorbed in the book that he didn't even notice the door being opened.

"Ah, here you are."

"Lord Khushrenada!" the young monk looked up. "I hope you do not mind me using your study without your permission."

"But of course not." The tawny haired man made a dismissive gesture. "Books are there to be read. I am glad you found something that interested you."

"I did. In fact I saw a lot of very interesting books in those shelves."

"Well, then I would suggest you stay for another day or for as long as you wish and enjoy them?"

The offer was tempting, Wufei had to admit. Reading was a luxury he hadn't been able to indulge in much since he started to travel. "Well, perhaps I could stay one more day." He agreed after a long moment of contemplation. "It will also allow me to recover a bit more."

"Excellent!" The other man seemed pleased. "Then it is settled. If you do not mind I shall join you. Perhaps later we can talk about books we have read."

"That sounds rather interesting." The monk nodded.

#####

"More wine!"

The innkeeper threw a somewhat apprehensive look at the two strangers as he reached for the wine pitcher.

The men had arrives in town shortly before sundown, on horseback and with a large covered wagon. Their horses looked strong, but tired as though they had traveled a long way. The men seemed rough and rowdy and even the village children, who usually were curious about any strangers, were avoiding them.

"Your wine, Sirs." As the innkeeper refilled their goblets he glanced at the heavy swords at the men's sides. "Are you traveling traders or merchants?" he wanted to know.

"Merchants?" the man with the dark hair snorted while his blond companion replied:

"Not unless you want to buy pelts. We are hunters, wolf-hunters to be precise."

T.B.C.

Author's Note: