Chapter 39 One Step at a Time

A twig snapped and she spun to face the sound. "Who is there?" She asked, "Heero?"

"No he is not able to meet you. We are his companions; we will take you to him." The voice was somewhat pensive and possessed an odd foreign lilt she had never heard before. The voice sounded calm, placating but She could not forget these were the ones responsible for destroying her family and shattering her world.

"I do not trust you." Her blinded eyes narrowed and She defiantly drew the roman short sword from her belt pointing it in the speaker's direction. The foreign blade felt unwieldy in her hands. As the shield of peace she had no need for martial training. As the people's talisman, Armūs never sent her out with out an armed escort. But all that changed in a sudden flash of brilliance followed by impenetrable darkness. "I will wait for Heero."

"Chang Look, that is Heero's blade. The one I had to leave behind. I am sure of it " A second voice confirmed, a voice she had heard only once but recognized none the less.

"I know you," she growled awkwardly swinging the blade in the direction of the second speaker. "You are the one who turned the storm giant against me. This is all your fault!" she hissed then charged at him. The youth must be very agile on his feet because he apparently side stepped and caught her wrist sending the blade spinning away.

"It was not my intension to harm you. That is not why we came." The soft voice explained. "Lightning is a wild thing. I would not have called it if I thought there was another way. But Quince Barton is faithless. Even among his own kin he is known to carry an olive branch in one hand and a knife in the other. I have no doubt he would have had your people kill mine had I not acted. I Do you deny it?"

She frowned, knowing the stranger spoke truth. Armūs Strong-arm would do what ever it took to forge a strong and lasting peace for their people and, as much as she despised the fact, he sometimes needed people like Barton. She would say the man was an attack dog but dogs are loyal and only rarely attack those who feed them. It appeared even Romans knew it wasn't safe to trust Romans; Which brought her back to the matter at hand, "You and your lame wolf-general, have no right on our side of the mountains. I will not play the shield any longer. The pact with our people lies dead with the rest of my kin. Your commander deserves to die too for his crimes. I wish I could see it done." See it? A simple turn of phrase that now meant more than she had intended. She scowled and set her teeth on edge, wrestling anew with the reality of her darkened world. Her reason for living was stripped along with her eyesight but she would not meekly accept her condition. Only the bold could win a place in the afterlife and she would see her family again. Her fists clenched. "I will make your Hero honor his promise and his blade will bridge my way to Asgard." she announced matter-of-factly.

Even now she could sense the young man's presence. It called to her like a beacon offering her the death she longed for. It was her gift. All she needed was an image and a name and she could find anything. The storm lord had been the one who had given her the youth's name, shouting a warning to his friend. And Heero's image was indelibly etched in her mind having been last thing she had seen before the flash that extinguished the lantern of her eyes. It came as no surprise her connection with Heero was the strongest she had ever felt there was destiny in it.

When Armūs had taken her from Governor Varsis' household it had seemed her life was over. Then the Cherusci Prince had explained how her guardian had been trying to tax the people of Germania into oblivion, destroying their way of life. Relena knew her people were a proud race and would sooner die than bow beneath the yoke of a tyrant. They had been lied to. Her father had known but refused to act because he believed the peace was more important. He was willing to sacrifice for it. They were not.

She had wept bitterly upon learning how he her brother languished as a slave before being publically executed before jeering crowds. The Sea king stood by his vision of the future and then died crushed under the weight of it. It was clear the Roman's saw no value in 'barbarians honor' and when the great Kushrenada was injured in battle his elite soldier's exacted revenge, Not on the rebellious tribes who had been responsible, but any and all Northmen within the area. Even allies and those bound by treaty were put to the sword. Their general was wounded, so what. That happens in battle.

If the Romans had demanded a blood price of the Vandi who ambushed them, as high king, her father would have seen that the rebels paid it in full. But the traitorous Romans killed him instead. Her fists bunched in anger and frustration. When the high king and his retainers were found dead Prince Strong-Arm had been within his right to summon the tribes. From what she remembered of him, her father would not have wanted a blood feud called in his name. But the people were angry, and rightly so. It seemed the Emperor of rome would not be satisfied until her people were stripped of their dignity made little more than roman slaves. That was not the sort of peace their treaty was forged to keep.

Betrayal reaps betrayal and Armus would see the Roman's paid in full measure. The people came together because of her, the sole surviving Peace-crafter, the living embodiment of the treaty her father forged. Arminius spoke to the people and described all he had seen and heard serving in the legion. They needed to stand united if they hoped to defeat the might of Rome. The gods were with them. They would stand united in victory. She had felt proud to be a part of that. And hearing her name on the people's lips as they marched into battle had been…thrilling…But who was she now? Bereft of sight she was useless, a burden to the people who looked up to her. The only hope she had of ever seeing her loved ones again lay on the point of her enemy's sword. And she would find Heero. She sensed these strangers would try to prevent her from joining her family in Freja's field, but Heero…had promised. And from the look in his eye she had seen he had meant to carry out that promise. "It is my time to die." She growled.

"Your brother would not permit it. And we would not give him cause to despair." The foreign voice, Chang, declared.

Though sightless, she saw red, "Don't you DARE mention him! You have no right! You call my people barbarians! We offer honorable death to our foes we respect their skill. We are not like you; we do not toy with them for sport!" Anger fueled her gift. She had a name for her opponent 'Chang' the storm lord had given it to her not knowing what she could do with such knowledge. She focused her mind and reached out trying to get a sense of his location. She spun and whirled slipping free of the hands that sought to restrain her. Her mental impression of 'Chang' was not as strong as that of Heero but he was closer so it was enough. She lunged.

He was quick it was difficult to get a true read on him. His energy seemed to flow around her like water or more appropriately like the dancing flame. But she was both determined and persistent stepping sideways and twisting to the left and managed to get a hold of his clothing then fell to kicking and scratching, tearing at hair like a wild cat.

"Enough of this!" Chang sounded contemptuous and that only infuriated her more. The arms of the lightning wielder tightened around her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Calm down." Chang growled. "Your fight is ended. You are coming with us."

"I am not going anywhere with you!" She struggled in the young man's iron grip, "You have to kill me!"

"I do not have to do anything." the soft spoken storm lord whispered close by her ear. "And it doesn't appear you have much choice in the matter."

There was the sound of ripping cloth. "Since you seem determined to fight us every step of the way I am going to bind your wrists." Chang explained, "Next am going to bind your eyes. I know something of healing, and it may be that your sight will return in time, but until then they must be protected." The touch was soft and so was the cloth she felt secured over her sightless eyes. But she did not thank him for the kindness, if her throat wasn't so parched that her tongue tasted like ash she likely would have spat at him. As it was she tried to bite.

"Now, now, none of that," The lightning wielder chided, "You may be eager to die but at present you are our responsibility. You are going to have to trust us."

"I will do no such thing!" She ducked and twisted managing to slip loose and ran, calling at the top of her lungs, "Heero I'm here! You promised to kill me!"

"I said enough woman!" Chang tackled her to the ground this time. "You try that again and I will gag you as well! You want to go to Heero, that is where were going. but I tell you now he is in no condition to kill anyone and the general you are so eager to see die has requested we preserve your life. So stop trying our patience!"

"What is going on here!" A new voice called. She had been so focused on fighting she hadn't heard the approach of hoof-beats. "WuFei, Trowa, what are you doing!"

"You are here, thank the gods!" Chang sounded exasperated "Maybe you can talk sense to this harridan! She is our reason for coming isn't she? Perhaps if you can make her stop fighting us, we can all go home!"

"Home," The lightning lord whispered in surprise as if he never expected his companion to voice the word.

Chang didn't seem to notice and continued his rant. "I must admit I can see why you compare her to a shield…being so hard headed. Don't just sit there…"

She got the impression of a big man dismounting from horse and coming toward her. "Relenǽ Dēorlinde," the newcomer clearly recognized her, Knew her birth name. The thought that one of her people would side with the roman scourge left a knot in her stomach.

"Who are you!" she challenged, forgetting her current condition and sounding as if she were once again the queen of the world. No has the right to address her with such familiarity!

"Lenǽ it's I, Seax." the voice softened and she felt a hand caress the hair from her unseeing eyes.

If her wrists weren't bound she would have swatted the hand away. "You LIE! The sea king's sword was blunted, broken and buried long ago. The MereKāser prince is dead."

"No, no…I am not dead." Strong arms closed around her, and she was pulled against a chest much broader than that of the wiry lightning lord. "All Armūs has told you is false, I have just come from the hall of our Spear-neighbor (Hende-Gār) Otto explained the situation to me. I tell you what I told him. I survived the legion, I survived the arena, I even survived Barton's attempt to poison me. We have had people searching for you since you were taken but had no news until several months ago and I only learned of…father…yesterday." There was a thickness to his voice that spoke of emotion but she knew such things could be faked, she grit her teeth but let him continue.

"They sent an assassin to prevent our coming after you. I expect it was one of Barton's men if not Quince, than his brother Dekim, that family has proven themselves my enemy time and again. The assassin was subdued before he got anywhere near me. My friend Treize has protected me from all harm and kept the treaty intact after his uncle General Catalonia, was killed in battle. So I am very much alive. Please…simmer down?" She felt again like a small child swept up in his arms, her feet easily leaving the ground. She wanted to believe, wanted to accept the fantastic tale he spun. The soft-spoken stranger mounted his horse with her still in his arms and settled her more on his lap than the roman style saddle. She hadn't the strength to struggle any more but she wanted to make it clear she wasn't taken in by his lies, "I'd almost rather believe him dead, than willing side with traitors." She breathed the words into his chest.

That hurt him, it was a gut reaction. She felt his body stiffened he could not even respond to the accusation. "Do not believe it." the whisper was so quiet she was not entirely sure she had heard it. There was a forced casualness in his voice when he turned to his companions and said "Come now, WuFei is correct. We have what we came for, let's collect the others and be on our way."

"It won't be so easy; Treize and Heero are both injured. I'm sorry Mi'lord I did try to keep them safe."

"It is all right dragon, I don't blame you. Trouble comes as it will and I've had my fair share."

"As I see it you've just got yourself a whole armload more of it too." The young lightning lord's words were quiet and faraway as fatigue overwhelmed her and consciousness fled.

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"She is utterly spent; physically, emotionally, this ordeal has cost her. I'd say she won't wake until tomorrow at the earliest." Quatre shook his head having just returned from checking on the princess that lay curled on a bed roll in the back of the cave. "She must be unbelievably persistent to have lasted as long as she did, blinded, alone on the mountain. In her place I doubt I could have done it."

"She has always had a bit of the seers' gift. If she can visualize something in her mind and name it, she usually finds it. I would be out stalking the roebuck and she, just a tiny thing would come hurtling out of the wood, scare off my prey, and to latch on to my leg so I couldn't go after it. It was infuriating. The child hated the idea of my killing anything, even brought me rabbit food by the chubby little fistful." The Prince of the Rus recounted with a slight smile on his lips. "I expect the link she made with Heero was serving as her guide where physical sight was unable to. It was the only thing that kept her going; poor girl. Do you think her eyes are darkened forever?" Zechs asked tossing a few more branches into the fire.

"I can't say. With time and proper treatment her vision might return…it may not. Sally may be able to tell you more. " WuFei sighed, "It is our fault, Trowa's lightning and my flash powder…I should not have used my curse at all, let alone to lock away that much fire. When it was loosed it was very angry…so was I, which didn't help at all."

The green eyed youth ducked his head in agreement, "Heero was hurt so badly…I couldn't do anything to help him. And the fire and smoke…darkness…mist…our fault." Trowa shivered. "We were dabbling with powers we ought not."

"Enough Boys," Treize used a stout branch as a crutch to hobble over to the others and sat by the fire. "No regrets for saving our lives. I have spoken to WuFei of this before and I will say the same you Trowa. Heero and I would both be dead now had you not acted. Yes we were injured but it would have been much worse had you not carried us to safety. It was a very strange night one I as not eager to see repeated. But I'll not have you disparage that which makes you unique. I have never put much stock in fate and the transient will of the gods. But I am beginning to suspect that we have been brought together for some reason. There is some force moving in this world and for what ever reason, it seems we are meant to be together. Duo has been telling me that, even as far away as he was, he was aware of the-- what did you call it? 'Weirdness,' that was it, 'seriously high weirdness' in the valley. Do you care to tell the others what you saw?"

Duo closed his eyes, a wistful smile on his impish face, "It was a great lion, with four faces. I couldn't see them because it was turned away from me. But it looked like the thing that was holding back the crawlies that were after Tro when he was ill 'sept a whole boatload bigger and more solid looking than anything but what took Solo. Its body was black as the void and strewn with stars. Fire and smoke spread where each paw touched earth. Clouds cascaded from its mane and the wings on its heels made them boil and churn. The creature had three tails like serpents and each time they lashed, lightning struck. It was the without a doubt the largest…thing I've ever seen."

"Cheribi," Quatra supplied the name. "They act as the chariot of Allah. Figures of them crown the mercy-seat of the Arc of the Covenant; The truest symbol of the nameless god's power. When the people of Ibrāhīm (Abraham) left Egypt and approached the Jordan, the waters shrank away from the Arc's approach and the people walked on dry land. When they settled the Arc was kept in the holiest of holiest in their temple. I believe it was lost when the Kalim went into exile."

Heero stirred. A growl on his lips and a frown on his face as he fought his way past the lingering pain and stiffness and back to the world of the living. Cobalt eyes blinked open and blearily regarded his comrades. "Ow." He said.

"Heero, are you all right?" The little blonde inquired, sending a tendril of empathy in his direction to better assess the damage.

"How do you feel?" Trowa asked quietly from beneath his perpetual curtain of hair.

"Should have listened to you," The gruff gladiator stretched out one hand to touch Trowa's knee. "I did this to myself… If you are of a mind to self-destruct, I'd advise against it. It hurts like hell." Heero smiled.

It was the smile Trowa found so ludicrously amusing. Not the words. The others must have thought he was insane, laughing like he did, tears rolling down his cheeks. But they were tears of relief not mirth. Heero was going to be all right. Despite everything, Heero was going to be all right and they were going…home. He could not forget that WuFei, of all people, had come so far as to admit that that was what the villa was. It had been so long since Trowa had a home the concept seemed almost foreign. But it certainly felt like they had a real home to come back too. Warmth sprang up in his chest at the realization. He could hardly wait.

Chapter 39 notes

Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) was depicted as a stunning blonde or strawberry blonde with blue eyes and often described as the fairest of all goddesses. She is primarily thought of as the goddess of love and beauty. She appreciated romantic music and stunning floral arrangements. But, very much like our Relina, there is more to this goddess than meets the eye. Freja's benevolence was invoked for happiness in love, help in childbirths, weather, harvest, wealth, magic, and prophecy. But that is not all, she was also the goddess of battle, war and death. It was her duty to usher souls into the afterlife.

As leader of the Valkyries, She had considerable power. It was her right to claim half the souls of the bravest warriors who died in battle as her own. She rode into battle atop a mighty battle boar or used a war chariot drawn by blue wild cats. She would gather up her chosen and take them to her hall, Fólkvangr, (Freja's field) There they would spend the after-life in perpetual rest and recreation. The other half of the heroic warriors, belonged to Odin, and would be gathered up by the Valkyries and taken to Valhalla where they would live in comfort and honor. Zechs has invoked Odin from time to time but I suspect Relena would look to Freja. Not simply because she could relate to the goddess. Only Odin and his chosen warriors enjoyed the hospitality of Valhalla. Any who had not died nobly in battle was counted as little more than a slave. Freja was more generous and the places at her table accomidated not only her warriors but their wives and loved ones as well. And that was where Relena's hope lay.

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A cherub pl cherubi(m), In modern English the word is usually used for what are strictly putti, baby or toddler angels in art. The form of angel mentioned several times in the Bible. Is quite different. The biblical prophet describes them as winged creatures, each having four faces: of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man. I used a bit of artistic license making this one more lion-like similar to a chimera. Similar to the broken statue in the Etruscan ruins, since it was Trowa who called it using the words of his people.

According to midrash literature two cherubim were placed by God at the entrance of paradise (Gen. iii. 24) It is thought they were called into being on the third day of creation, and therefore have no definite shape; appearing either as men or women, or as spirits or angelic beings (Genesis Rabbah xxi., end). Another midrash declares that God inspects the heavenly worlds while sitting on a cherub as his throne. When Pharaoh pursued Israel at the Red Sea God took one of them from the wheels of His throne and flew to the spot.

Quatre would have known of them from depictions copied from Solomon's Temple, from the Ark of the Covenant. Numbers 7:89 describes the voice of God as speaking to Moses from between the two Cherubim atop the Ark . The Qur'an mentions the arc of the covenant also saying "A Sign of authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the covenant, with (an assurance) therein of security (Sakina) from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a symbol for you if ye indeed have faith. (Qur'an 2:248)

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