Astra: Zello once again!
Shizuko: Enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reviewing, keep it up! It makes us want to write more!
Astra: zup zup!
Chapter Ten
Hilde sat on the floor, her back up against the wall. Catherine watched as Hilde sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"I HATE sitting around doing nothing! I can't stand it! If only I could at least bring up a com. orb to contact someone, anyone!"
"So why don't you?" Catherine questioned.
Hilde gave her a demeaning glance. "The cell is enchanted to keep us for using magic, of course."
"Don't look at me like I'm stupid, I meant to imply that we should figure out a way around that. For example, through something at the device keeping that enchantment going, the device that happens to be right across from our cell door."
Hilde stammered for a moment, abashed. "Why didn't you say that earlier?"
"I was still deciding what we could throw at it, silly. We don't have many materials handy."
"You still could have given me that little glimmering piece of hope!"
Catherine shrugged. "Now that you are aware of my plan, any ideas?"
"We could grab one of the helmets off the guards…"
"Oh yeah…they'll never suspect we're up to something…"
Hilde shrugged.
*
Heero dispatched the final soldier with a slash of his dirk and looked around. Wufei wiped the blood from his katana on the shirt of a fallen enemy soldier. Trowa's dirk was all ready sheathed. Strangely, the young man was moving around in circles, peering into the forest.
"Trowa, what are you doing?"
Trowa turned to Heero. "Have you seen Relena?"
Heero looked to Wufei, "Weren't you watching her?"
"ME? WHY on this beautiful earth would I be watching some onna?"
Heero shrugged, of course. Then he added, out of curiosity, "How did you become the commander of a co-ed compound?"
"That's why Trowa's my second in command."
"Funny, no offense, Trowa, but I didn't ever see you as a ladies' man."
Trowa shrugged.
Heero's wandering mind retuned to the problem of the missing girl.
"Better go look for her."
*
Wufei, Trowa, and Heero had returned from their search unsuccessful. They were standing around discussing their next course of action when Wufei thought he heard a twig snap. He gestured the others into silence. Then, moving as quietly as possible he stepped into the shadows towards the noise. Trowa and Heero couldn't tell where he was. That is, until they heard a thwack, a yelp, a word that would not look nice in print, and a "Stupid onna!"
"Commander Chang?!"
"Medic Catalonia, move!"
Trowa and Heero listened as the new voice, a woman's, spoke again, "Stay away from me you chauvinistic pig!"
"What is that? A wooden spoon?? Of all the…"
THWACK!
"OW! Typical onna, can't-"
THWACK!
"*censored*"
Heero and Trowa watched completely bewildered, as Wufei stomped back into the clearing, rubbing his head. He was followed by a furious blond woman wearing a dirty medic's uniform.
Extending his arm in her direction, Wufei said, "May I introduce Medic Dorothy Catalonia."
Trowa and Heero blinked, then nodded in the girl's direction.
There was a moment of silence until Heero spoke, "Well. She isn't Relena, what are we going to do about that."
"What, we need another onna?"
"Chauvinistic…."
*
Relena awoke sprawled on a cold stone floor. She fluttered her eyelashes, regaining her sight and adjusting to the dim light. She pushed herself up with her arms and sat on the floor. She hugged her shoulders; it was cold.
She stayed still for a while, trying to guess where she was. Her cell was made of solid rock, it looked like it had been carved straight into the earth, and there were no windows. Only a door made of the same stone. There was a small vent in the door, to let in air and let out the smoke of the brazier.
In the corner, there was a small, rough blanket. She crawled over and lay down. There was nothing she could do for now.
Uncountable hours later, she heard footsteps in the hall and the sound of a key sliding into the lock of her door. There were also the mumbled words of a spell, the door most be kept locked by machinery and magic.
The door swung open and she could see the silhouettes of two guards.
"Good, you're awake. Get up."
Relena followed their commands, for now.
*
Quatre sat motionless, looking about in the silence as Duo and Vlieger hovered overhead. Suddenly, something huge and gray hurtled out of nowhere and knocked Quatre from the saddle. He fell with a strangled cry that, to no real credit of his, could almost be called a scream. Duo, for once, could not find his voice. He did, however, manage to stir into action enough to nudge his mount down towards the attacker. Vlieger extended his gleaming claws, but had to pull up sharply as three more shapes rushed at them. Duo pulled up with a yell of surprise and remained just out of reach for a moment, looking desperately for an opportunity to help his friend. It was from up there that he was able to get a good look at the attackers. They were wolves, larger than any he had seen before. He winced as the first one dug its teeth into Quatre's shoulder, causing a sudden patch of crimson to blossom over his now-shredded cloak. The victim had gone very pale, and no longer seemed to be reacting to the savage attack.
The silver sound of a command whistle coming through the trees stopped all action quite suddenly. To Duo's surprise, a redheaded girl of about ten strode confidently towards them, the whistle in her hand and another wolf at her side. She surveyed the scene, not at all afraid, with a smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Another team, Silverpath? We seem to be doing very well today, no?" She rubbed her wolf companion's head, a full smile across her face. The first wolf walked up to her, dragging an unconscious Quatre by the remnants of his cloak. The girl nudged his comatose form with her boot but received no response of any kind. "Is he dead, Bladefang?" she asked matter-of-factly.
Before the wolf could respond, however, Duo snapped out of his state of shock and landed in front of the girl. "Hold it right there, kiddo. Whaddya think you're doin'??"
She blinked at him, unimpressed. "At the moment, I think I may be face to face with this unfortunate boy's friend."
Duo scowled. "So? Who do you think you are to be doing this?!"
The girl fingered her whistle. "I don't think, I know. I'm Mariemaia Khushrenada, and I know who you and your friend are."
"Wha—??"
She smiled sweetly. "You're both wolf meat." Duo barely had time to realize that she had the whistle to her lips again before a blur of gray fur and glittering fangs obliterated all else.
*
After several long hallway and a few flights of stairs, Relena found herself standing in front of a heavy oak door, the two earlier guards flanking her on either side and an additional guard in the back. Relena's hands had long since been tied behind her back. The guard on the right knocked smartly on the door. Another guard, sword drawn and ready, opened it. When he recognized Relena's guards, he nodded and let them in.
Before her Relena's eyes could adjust to the new lighting, she was roughly pulled to the corner where her ankle was chained to the floor. Well, no luck in getting out this way.
The first three guards left. The guard who opened the door turned and looked to the desk on left wall, the one farthest from the door, for further directions. It was only then that Relena realized someone was standing there.
It was a woman, her hair was styled in two tight buns and glasses rested on her nose. The woman nodded curtly and the guard left the room. She stayed, leaning against the front of the desk, for a moment before she walked up to Relena.
"Relena Peacecraft, I presume?"
Relena looked at her defiantly, "And who may I presume you are?"
The woman smiled. "I suppose I should be asking the questions…but I can give you that. Commander Une, First Class."
Relena gave a slight gasp. Commander Une? She was famous throughout the Rider and Flyer world for her genius military strategy and ruthless interrogation.
"Now that I've given you one question…it's time for me to ask a few of my own..."
*
Midii had been watching the Northern base for a while. She remembered Trowa's words, "Someone with the power to control an ice dragon…" All right…so they were special. They had figure out the secret. So what was it?
The dragons were all fitted with collars, but it looked like they were more for attaching riding saddles to. The ice dragons were considerably bigger than the Flyer dwarf-dragons. One of the smallest Icys, as she had taken to calling them, was at least three times the size of Astin!
Maybe a closer look would help…but she was kind of afraid to do that. Walking into the prisoner cell had been way to easy…she couldn't believe that they were fighting complete idiots. There had to be some reason.
*
Hilde had already checked all her pockets without any luck. Catherine was in the process of digging through her coat. Suddenly, the latter straightened with a look of triumph, something clutched in her hand. "What is it?" asked Hilde.
"It's a spinning top," said Catherine triumphantly. "I found it on one of our travels. I think it'll be heavy enough."
"Great!" said Hilde, grabbing the top, "let's go!"
"No! Wait!"
Catherine was too late. Hilde had already flung the top through the bars of the cell. Fortunately, one of the guards had suddenly been struck by a violent fit of coughing at the same moment and neither heard the top strike the large crystal shape on the wall. Catherine winced at the impact, but sighed in relief when the device merely cracked instead of shattering. Hilde immediately sat down with her back to the door and cupped her hands. After a tense wait, a small blue orb appeared in her hands. She gritted her teeth. "The restraining charms aren't all gone yet, but I think I can hold this for a little while. Let's see if we can contact Commander Chang."
*
Duo winced as he slipped back into consciousness. He had a splitting headache. Moving to massage his head he found that his arms were tied together behind his back. On further inspection he found that his legs were bound as well.
As he slowly began regaining his wits he looked around. He was lying on his side on the cold floor of some cave. He could just make out the unconscious form of Quatre on the other side of his new home.
He heard a quiet growl and he sound of footsteps behind him. He struggled to turn himself around, but found his muscles were like water. Instead the creator of the footsteps aided him by walking into his line of sight.
"Don't bother trying to move. I have you well dosed."
Dosed? With WHAT?
"Haviat."
She had answered his question. He hadn't said it aloud. The girl grinned wickedly.
"Yes, my dear friend. I have telepathic abilities."
If he had had the energy, Duo would have gasped.
"Makes escaping look all that much harder, doesn't it?"
Astra: Mariemaia enters stage left!
Shizuko: And so do the cute wittle wolfies…!
Everyone: *stare*
Wolves: *growl*
Shizuko: Wha?