Creature of the Wood - Chapter 3
I shall be thy lover...
Come unto me, my beautious maid,
I'll lead thee to the hidden glade.
Thou shalt be happy and be free,
When I play, thou wilt dance for me.
We'll feast on fruit fresh from the vine,
And I will sample the fruits of thine.
~Heather Alexander, 'Creature of the Wood'.
* * *
"That self-centered, egotistical, snobbish PRIG of a fool! Who the hell does he think he is??" Duo's voice was rising with each pacing step he took, and Trowa was half amused while wondering just how long it would take his friend to wear a hole in the carpet. He was drawn from his reverie by the sight of bright violet eyes that were intensified by fury. "Why can't I get the normal ones, JUST ONCE??" Before Trowa could respond, the braided ball of hyperactive energy was off and stalking about the room once more. This had been going on for the past half hour, ever since Duo had been asked to either quiet down or leave by his new roommate. Trowa just smirked, watching the display of anger unfold and occasionally flicking his gaze to the rather nervous blonde who was currently perched on a desk near the window.
Trowa hadn't been too happy to find a roommate when he'd returned from his nightly 'run'. Duo and Wufei's attempts to find and warn him had failed, and instead he'd found himself in yet another staredown as soon as he'd walked in. He'd hoped to scare off this one the way he had with all the others, but his winning streak came crashing down around him as the fragile-looking youth not only had closed the distance between them, but had held onto the contest of wills with a tenacious grip. He hadn't expected the waif of a boy to have such an iron will... and had eventually broken the gaze and backed down. It hadn't taken long for them to figure out that this one, Quatre, knew full well what he was... which left Duo's new companion as the one who knew nothing of himself or others of his kind.
Duo had confirmed it when he'd come storming into Trowa's room and started on his rant. Apparently there was enough banality surrounding the other youth that it was going to be damn near impossible to crack through and allow his Fae side to come free. Trowa just thanked whatever deity was listening that he'd already confirmed Quatre's knowledge before Duo had gone off. Duo had a habit of 'slipping' when submerged in his emotions and this time was proving to be no different. If one looked close enough, the faint shimmer of his Fae seeming could be perceived, and Trowa had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before he had a fully irate Sidhe lordling pacing about his room. "Alright, Duo..." He began, not flinching when the other turned on him with a glare that would make any normal person wither. "What, exactly, happened in there?"
"It HURT to be around him, Trowa!" The other almost wailed. Trowa knew that Duo was likely the most active he'd seen in helping others discover their heritage, and it was truly frustrating him that this one was going to be so difficult. "I don't know if I can get him to open up at all. He's so wrapped up in himself and whatever he's 'supposed' to be doing that he isn't giving himself any room to breathe at all. I swear, if he could work in his sleep, he WOULD." Duo slammed his back against the wall then, and slid down to sit on the floor, his chin in his hands. "I don't even know where to begin with this one."
Trowa sighed, rubbing his hands against his eyes in an effort to think. "Calm down, I don't thi-"
"Calm down??" Duo cried, looking up at him in bewilderment. "Easy for you to say, you've at least got a bunkmate who doesn't kick you out of your own room! I'm stuck with the social mushroom, and you're asking me to calm DOWN?"
"I might have an idea or two..." Came the soft voice from the far side of the room. Both boys turned, focusing their gaze on the slender blonde who now slipped from the desktop to walk over towards them. He'd been so quiet this entire time, that they'd forgotten he was even there. Duo's eyes widened faintly and he looked to Trowa, as if in apology. "It's alright. I know what I am... and what you are." Quatre fell almost bonelessly to sit on the floor in front of Duo, the sea-ice eyes softening as he spoke. "I've known for a while. I'd been watching Heero at Montessori, and had been trying to figure out how to awaken him myself. When the fire happened, I was afraid that he'd be sent elsewhere and I'd lose all I'd done so far."
Duo perked up then, listening intently. "Done so far? You mean you've actually made progress with him?" Quatre nodded, smiling as he shifted his attention between the two of them.
"He doesn't do many extra-curricular activities, so it was tricky. I'd tried getting him to go riding or walking with me before, usually by starting a conversation about whatever he was working on at the time and then coaxing him into following me. Unfortunately, it usually didn't work." Sighing softly, he ran his fingers through the shock of pale hair atop his head and looked down towards the floor. "It took me months to find something, ANYTHING that would make him smile."
"So you did find something?" Trowa inquired, seating himself on the floor so that the three of them formed a triangle with their positions.
Quatre nodded, looking up once more with the same soft smile. "Yes, I did. He likes music and I happened to be practicing one day in one of the classrooms when he walked by. I didn't even realize he was there until I felt glamour coming from him. After that, I took every opportunity I could to make sure he would 'stumble' across me while I played."
Duo leaned back, staring up at the ceiling as he processed this information. "Music, hmm? Maybe I'll have a better chance of getting him to listen more because I'm rooming with him. My flute hasn't been used in a few months, but I can still play."
"If he has a fascination with music, is there a chance he can play as well? Maybe if you could get him to join in..." Trowa began, before they noticed Quatre shaking his head faintly.
"No. He doesn't play, I've already tried to coerce him into joining me. He's content to listen though, even if his attention isn't all on the music. It still works through that shell of his."
"Well then, it's a beginning!" Duo said, grinning for the first time that day. "I'll go find my flute and see if I still have a few songs in memory. I'd rather get my practice rounds in with him not around, that way if my playing sucks, I won't drive him farthur away." Before the other two could argue, he was up and gone, the tail end of his braid trailing behind him.
Quatre just chuckled, shaking his head softly and looking over to his new roommate. "Is he always like that?"
"No." Trowa replied, returning the smile. "Some days, he's hyper."
* * *
Duo practically raced back to his room and was very happy to see that his far-too-sober roommate was absent. Good, this would give him plenty of time. He opened his closet door and narrowly avoided the avalanche that threatened to pin him to the floor. It took nearly twenty minutes, but he finally found what he was after... a slender velvet pouch containing the single item he still had from his days at the Freehold. The flute was made of a dark, almost pitch black wood, and the tone on it was absolutely perfect. He only hoped that he still had the skill to do it justice.
Curling up on his bed, he reverantly removed the flute from its home and gazed at it for a few minutes. His fingers ran along the smooth wood, and he couldn't help but remember...
* * *
"The boy has GOT to go, Anne, I just won't have this!"
"HOW can you be so cruel? He's a child still, let him BE a child for once!"
"He has no concept of authority, is continually seeing just how far he can push me, and is a disgrace to this Hold!"
Duo had curled against the wall of his room, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs as his father's angry shouts filtered through from the next room. They hadn't meant to get this loud, he was pretty certain. A soft hand on his shoulder startled him from his reverie, and he turned his tear-streaked face up to gaze into a pair of crystal blue eyes that looked down at him with concern. She started to speak, but didn't get far before he'd turned, clinging to her and sobbing.
"Don't let him send me away, 'Lena... please, don't let him!" He cried, burying his face against his sister's arms. There was nothing she could do, they both knew that. She wasn't much older than him, having been less than a year old when their father married Duo's mother. Neither of them would gain any say with their father... but she had an idea of who could.
"Shhh... it's alright." She crooned softly, stroking his hair and cradling him close. "We'll try, Duo, I promise. We'll try." She pulled back gently, letting him collapse into her lap and curl up. Reaching to her side, she pulled out her flute... a gift to her from the mother she'd never known. Bringing the precious instrument to her lips, she began to play a soft melody, one of the soothing lullabies that she had learned over the years. Its effect worked slowly, but her brother began to relax, the wracking sobs fading to stifled whimpers as she tried to figure out how to approach this new problem.
In the end, it had proved useless. Both she and their older brother, Zechs, had attempted to sway their father. Duo had even come himself, begging to be allowed to remain, no matter the cost. Lord Davin was having none of it, however, and soon the time came when Duo was to be taken away from the safety of the Freehold. He'd never been outside of it. The Hold stood just outside what humans viewed as their 'reality'. From here, one could watch the goings-on in the mortal world, but still stay safely outside of it. The place he was to be sent was far away, across the world from Davin's small domain. It was also fully within the human realm, and Duo was terrified.
He was sitting on the edge of his bed, a single bag packed to one side of him and Relena on the other. One arm was around him protectively, and she had been trying to reassure him that they would bring him back soon. Zechs had come as well, and was crouched down in front of his younger brother.
"We tried, Duo. It's all we could do." Zechs sighed softly, the mute nod from Duo almost bringing tears to his own eyes. Ever since the declaration had come, the boy had been completely withdrawn. it had taken everything he and Relena could do to even get him to eat, let alone talk. "I'm sending someone with you. That way you won't be alone there. You'll meet him soon enough, but I swear to you that we'll find a way to change Father's mind."
That was how their father found them when he came in, followed by two men of his personal guard. They had been charged with Duo's safety until he reached his destination. The three siblings looked up and fixed baleful gazes upon them, but they never even blinked. A third figure came in as well, carrying a bag similar in size to Duo's. The ebony hair pulled back into a tail, and the slanted onyx eyes made the boy seem much more severe than he was, and Duo immediately recognized him as the son of one of his father's guards. They had barely known each other, but knew *of* each other well enough that there didn't seem to be a problem.
As Duo stood up to leave, Relena grabbed his hand, pressing a small velvet pouch into it. He gazed at it in shock, starting to protest when she brought a single finger to his lips, quieting him. "Keep it for me, Duo." She said, smiling softly. "You can give it back to me in person soon enough."
He didn't know what to do... instead of a murmured thank you, he leaned forward and enveloped her in a fierce hug. His tears had long since dried, and as he turned to say his farewells to Zechs, he saw a hint of pride in the older boy's eyes. Forcing a smile, Duo nodded to him and straightened his stance. "I'll see you soon, brother mine."
"I'm counting on it."
* * *
Duo gazed down at the flute in his hands, a single teardrop glistening on the skin of his wrist as he brought the instrument to his lips. He remembered every note of the lullaby Relena had played for him... how many years ago had it been? He knew that his siblings wouldn't lie to him... they would bring him home. But it was their father's stubborn will they were going against, and he had been five years now in this forced exile. Every note of sadness in his heart seemed to flow into the music as his fingers moved over the wooden flute, sending a heart-wrenching undertone of mourning into the otherwise gentle tune.
He never heard the door open, and simply continued playing... unaware of the frigid cobalt stare that seemed to slowly soften as the melody continued.
* * *
TBC
I shall be thy lover...
Come unto me, my beautious maid,
I'll lead thee to the hidden glade.
Thou shalt be happy and be free,
When I play, thou wilt dance for me.
We'll feast on fruit fresh from the vine,
And I will sample the fruits of thine.
~Heather Alexander, 'Creature of the Wood'.
* * *
"That self-centered, egotistical, snobbish PRIG of a fool! Who the hell does he think he is??" Duo's voice was rising with each pacing step he took, and Trowa was half amused while wondering just how long it would take his friend to wear a hole in the carpet. He was drawn from his reverie by the sight of bright violet eyes that were intensified by fury. "Why can't I get the normal ones, JUST ONCE??" Before Trowa could respond, the braided ball of hyperactive energy was off and stalking about the room once more. This had been going on for the past half hour, ever since Duo had been asked to either quiet down or leave by his new roommate. Trowa just smirked, watching the display of anger unfold and occasionally flicking his gaze to the rather nervous blonde who was currently perched on a desk near the window.
Trowa hadn't been too happy to find a roommate when he'd returned from his nightly 'run'. Duo and Wufei's attempts to find and warn him had failed, and instead he'd found himself in yet another staredown as soon as he'd walked in. He'd hoped to scare off this one the way he had with all the others, but his winning streak came crashing down around him as the fragile-looking youth not only had closed the distance between them, but had held onto the contest of wills with a tenacious grip. He hadn't expected the waif of a boy to have such an iron will... and had eventually broken the gaze and backed down. It hadn't taken long for them to figure out that this one, Quatre, knew full well what he was... which left Duo's new companion as the one who knew nothing of himself or others of his kind.
Duo had confirmed it when he'd come storming into Trowa's room and started on his rant. Apparently there was enough banality surrounding the other youth that it was going to be damn near impossible to crack through and allow his Fae side to come free. Trowa just thanked whatever deity was listening that he'd already confirmed Quatre's knowledge before Duo had gone off. Duo had a habit of 'slipping' when submerged in his emotions and this time was proving to be no different. If one looked close enough, the faint shimmer of his Fae seeming could be perceived, and Trowa had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before he had a fully irate Sidhe lordling pacing about his room. "Alright, Duo..." He began, not flinching when the other turned on him with a glare that would make any normal person wither. "What, exactly, happened in there?"
"It HURT to be around him, Trowa!" The other almost wailed. Trowa knew that Duo was likely the most active he'd seen in helping others discover their heritage, and it was truly frustrating him that this one was going to be so difficult. "I don't know if I can get him to open up at all. He's so wrapped up in himself and whatever he's 'supposed' to be doing that he isn't giving himself any room to breathe at all. I swear, if he could work in his sleep, he WOULD." Duo slammed his back against the wall then, and slid down to sit on the floor, his chin in his hands. "I don't even know where to begin with this one."
Trowa sighed, rubbing his hands against his eyes in an effort to think. "Calm down, I don't thi-"
"Calm down??" Duo cried, looking up at him in bewilderment. "Easy for you to say, you've at least got a bunkmate who doesn't kick you out of your own room! I'm stuck with the social mushroom, and you're asking me to calm DOWN?"
"I might have an idea or two..." Came the soft voice from the far side of the room. Both boys turned, focusing their gaze on the slender blonde who now slipped from the desktop to walk over towards them. He'd been so quiet this entire time, that they'd forgotten he was even there. Duo's eyes widened faintly and he looked to Trowa, as if in apology. "It's alright. I know what I am... and what you are." Quatre fell almost bonelessly to sit on the floor in front of Duo, the sea-ice eyes softening as he spoke. "I've known for a while. I'd been watching Heero at Montessori, and had been trying to figure out how to awaken him myself. When the fire happened, I was afraid that he'd be sent elsewhere and I'd lose all I'd done so far."
Duo perked up then, listening intently. "Done so far? You mean you've actually made progress with him?" Quatre nodded, smiling as he shifted his attention between the two of them.
"He doesn't do many extra-curricular activities, so it was tricky. I'd tried getting him to go riding or walking with me before, usually by starting a conversation about whatever he was working on at the time and then coaxing him into following me. Unfortunately, it usually didn't work." Sighing softly, he ran his fingers through the shock of pale hair atop his head and looked down towards the floor. "It took me months to find something, ANYTHING that would make him smile."
"So you did find something?" Trowa inquired, seating himself on the floor so that the three of them formed a triangle with their positions.
Quatre nodded, looking up once more with the same soft smile. "Yes, I did. He likes music and I happened to be practicing one day in one of the classrooms when he walked by. I didn't even realize he was there until I felt glamour coming from him. After that, I took every opportunity I could to make sure he would 'stumble' across me while I played."
Duo leaned back, staring up at the ceiling as he processed this information. "Music, hmm? Maybe I'll have a better chance of getting him to listen more because I'm rooming with him. My flute hasn't been used in a few months, but I can still play."
"If he has a fascination with music, is there a chance he can play as well? Maybe if you could get him to join in..." Trowa began, before they noticed Quatre shaking his head faintly.
"No. He doesn't play, I've already tried to coerce him into joining me. He's content to listen though, even if his attention isn't all on the music. It still works through that shell of his."
"Well then, it's a beginning!" Duo said, grinning for the first time that day. "I'll go find my flute and see if I still have a few songs in memory. I'd rather get my practice rounds in with him not around, that way if my playing sucks, I won't drive him farthur away." Before the other two could argue, he was up and gone, the tail end of his braid trailing behind him.
Quatre just chuckled, shaking his head softly and looking over to his new roommate. "Is he always like that?"
"No." Trowa replied, returning the smile. "Some days, he's hyper."
* * *
Duo practically raced back to his room and was very happy to see that his far-too-sober roommate was absent. Good, this would give him plenty of time. He opened his closet door and narrowly avoided the avalanche that threatened to pin him to the floor. It took nearly twenty minutes, but he finally found what he was after... a slender velvet pouch containing the single item he still had from his days at the Freehold. The flute was made of a dark, almost pitch black wood, and the tone on it was absolutely perfect. He only hoped that he still had the skill to do it justice.
Curling up on his bed, he reverantly removed the flute from its home and gazed at it for a few minutes. His fingers ran along the smooth wood, and he couldn't help but remember...
* * *
"The boy has GOT to go, Anne, I just won't have this!"
"HOW can you be so cruel? He's a child still, let him BE a child for once!"
"He has no concept of authority, is continually seeing just how far he can push me, and is a disgrace to this Hold!"
Duo had curled against the wall of his room, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs as his father's angry shouts filtered through from the next room. They hadn't meant to get this loud, he was pretty certain. A soft hand on his shoulder startled him from his reverie, and he turned his tear-streaked face up to gaze into a pair of crystal blue eyes that looked down at him with concern. She started to speak, but didn't get far before he'd turned, clinging to her and sobbing.
"Don't let him send me away, 'Lena... please, don't let him!" He cried, burying his face against his sister's arms. There was nothing she could do, they both knew that. She wasn't much older than him, having been less than a year old when their father married Duo's mother. Neither of them would gain any say with their father... but she had an idea of who could.
"Shhh... it's alright." She crooned softly, stroking his hair and cradling him close. "We'll try, Duo, I promise. We'll try." She pulled back gently, letting him collapse into her lap and curl up. Reaching to her side, she pulled out her flute... a gift to her from the mother she'd never known. Bringing the precious instrument to her lips, she began to play a soft melody, one of the soothing lullabies that she had learned over the years. Its effect worked slowly, but her brother began to relax, the wracking sobs fading to stifled whimpers as she tried to figure out how to approach this new problem.
In the end, it had proved useless. Both she and their older brother, Zechs, had attempted to sway their father. Duo had even come himself, begging to be allowed to remain, no matter the cost. Lord Davin was having none of it, however, and soon the time came when Duo was to be taken away from the safety of the Freehold. He'd never been outside of it. The Hold stood just outside what humans viewed as their 'reality'. From here, one could watch the goings-on in the mortal world, but still stay safely outside of it. The place he was to be sent was far away, across the world from Davin's small domain. It was also fully within the human realm, and Duo was terrified.
He was sitting on the edge of his bed, a single bag packed to one side of him and Relena on the other. One arm was around him protectively, and she had been trying to reassure him that they would bring him back soon. Zechs had come as well, and was crouched down in front of his younger brother.
"We tried, Duo. It's all we could do." Zechs sighed softly, the mute nod from Duo almost bringing tears to his own eyes. Ever since the declaration had come, the boy had been completely withdrawn. it had taken everything he and Relena could do to even get him to eat, let alone talk. "I'm sending someone with you. That way you won't be alone there. You'll meet him soon enough, but I swear to you that we'll find a way to change Father's mind."
That was how their father found them when he came in, followed by two men of his personal guard. They had been charged with Duo's safety until he reached his destination. The three siblings looked up and fixed baleful gazes upon them, but they never even blinked. A third figure came in as well, carrying a bag similar in size to Duo's. The ebony hair pulled back into a tail, and the slanted onyx eyes made the boy seem much more severe than he was, and Duo immediately recognized him as the son of one of his father's guards. They had barely known each other, but knew *of* each other well enough that there didn't seem to be a problem.
As Duo stood up to leave, Relena grabbed his hand, pressing a small velvet pouch into it. He gazed at it in shock, starting to protest when she brought a single finger to his lips, quieting him. "Keep it for me, Duo." She said, smiling softly. "You can give it back to me in person soon enough."
He didn't know what to do... instead of a murmured thank you, he leaned forward and enveloped her in a fierce hug. His tears had long since dried, and as he turned to say his farewells to Zechs, he saw a hint of pride in the older boy's eyes. Forcing a smile, Duo nodded to him and straightened his stance. "I'll see you soon, brother mine."
"I'm counting on it."
* * *
Duo gazed down at the flute in his hands, a single teardrop glistening on the skin of his wrist as he brought the instrument to his lips. He remembered every note of the lullaby Relena had played for him... how many years ago had it been? He knew that his siblings wouldn't lie to him... they would bring him home. But it was their father's stubborn will they were going against, and he had been five years now in this forced exile. Every note of sadness in his heart seemed to flow into the music as his fingers moved over the wooden flute, sending a heart-wrenching undertone of mourning into the otherwise gentle tune.
He never heard the door open, and simply continued playing... unaware of the frigid cobalt stare that seemed to slowly soften as the melody continued.
* * *
TBC
