Away From The Sunset
GS Note: Wow. This is the next part. It's kinda short but it's hard to write! I've been wrestling over this one for months and it's only 2 pages. I promise the next will be longer!
Away From the Sunset
Chapter 3
Wufei looked at the girl in front of him with a growing sense of unease. She was wearing an old pair of jeans Duo had swiped a few weeks back for emergencies and a flannel farmer's top left opened the top three buttons. She had a bandanna on her head to attempt to provide some protection against the sun. Wufei felt it grossly unnatural. Her old rag dress was tucking deep in the packs and they were currently trying to figure out how to get to the town.
"Look, I'm not about to let a lady walk!" Duo said loudly, his hands on his hips. "Wufei and I will!"
"You von't last long!" Hilde glared back at him. "It is hot! Sun beats down! I valk!"
"We can always ride double," Wufei commented. That earned a glare from Duo.
"It isn't proper!"
"Since when did you care about proper?"
"It-it," Duo stammered. "It just isn't right! And you know Shi wouldn't let it!"
"So she can ride double on Cha," Wufei shrugged and mounted up. "When it's my turn to walk she can too. It's simple."
Duo grumbled as Hilde mounted up behind Wufei. He took Shi's bridle and stomped off after them. Shi laid her ears back and nipped at Duo's hands. He yelped and dropped the reins while glaring at her. "Everybody's against me today! I shouldn't have woken up."
Wufei hid a smile at Duo's comment. It was the usual one when he didn't get his way. They travelled in comfortable silence until the rays from the sunset fell on their faces. It was once they couldn't see anymore, Duo called a halt.
"Wufei, weren't we suppose to reach the town by midday?" if Wufei could have seen Duo's face he was sure there was a scowl on it.
"I think we got turned around," Wufei said sighing. "Time to get off, Hilde."
The girl nodded sleepily, swung her leg over Cha's haunches and slid off. Wufei dismounted too. Wufei scanned the dark, just barely making out faint outlines of a rocky alcove nearby.
"Over there!" Wufei pointed. "We can spend the night here and get going the right way tomorrow!"
"Like pointin' helps," Duo growled sarcastically. "Just walk over there, I can make out Cha's outline. Do you still have Tian?"
"No," Wufei said slowly. "I thought you did!"
"I thought you did!"
"Maxwell! You lost my horse! I'm going to-"
"Boys!" Hilde cut in sharply. "Stoop dis vighting. She must not 'ave gone far, vight? Ve vill vind her vonce ve light a f're."
Wufei forced himself to relax slightly. Hilde was right, there was nothing anyone could do until they got some light. He took a deep breath and grabbed the arm closest to him. "Come on. Let's go to the shelter."
"Can you still see it?" Duo asked sarcastically. Wufei scowled even though he knew his partner wouldn't see it.
"Yes, follow me," Wufei pulled the arm he held after him. Hilde gave an indignant stumble before follow him. Since Wufei's depth perception was thrown off by the dark, he tripped over something and fell flat on his nose. He heard Duo laugh behind him.
"Who was that? Fei-fei, was that's you? Man, it was funny!"
"Shut up Maxwell," Wufei said testily. He looked at the ground. It was pile of chopped wood. He frowned at it then said, "Hm, this all seems a little too convenient."
"I found some kindling," He heard Duo call off to his side. "Now it would be great if I can find my flint…"
They eventually got a fire started with much ankle turning, bruises and cursing. Hilde added a medium sized branch from a dead tree nearby and they watched as it caught fire.
"Can we look for Tian now?" Wufei as impatiently and fidgeting in a manner not at all like his own. Hilde offered to stay by the fire with the other horses as Duo and Wufei lit a long stick with the flame to see in the dark.
"Tian," Wufei called softly as they ventured from the warm heat of the fire to the dark cold of the night with only a small flame to lead their way. Duo wrapped his arms around his body and shivered but didn't complain. "Tian, haizi…"
"Here pony," Duo shivered, distracted by the cold but worried about the gentle mare none the less. "Come on mare, where are you?"
They looked for over an hour, the night getting colder and darker if it were possible. Duo finally decided it was time to voice an opinion. "Um, Fei? Buddy of mine? I think it's kind of cold now-"
"If you are suggesting we stop looking, I will kill you."
"I know Tian is important, I love her too man, but we aren't going t do much help if we're frozen, blind and sick. She might have gone back to camp, it's not like this is the first time she's wandered off. She might be back with Hilde, we do have the only fire for miles."
"Maybe," Wufei looked around again, not seeing much but reluctant to admit the search was hopeless until they got some light from the sun. "All right, you win. But I am waking up at the time the sun breaks so you will be too."