Here we go with the second chapter. I hope it's good!
I just discovered something wrong with my computer. When I write a chapter and load it on fanfiction, it completely erases the three dots meaning an hesitation or other stuff, so if you see a dot that doesn't fit or should be replaced by them, it's because it should. It's the case when Duo talks at the end of the first chapter.
I decided not to put any yaoi in this story. For those who'll flame me, I have another fanfic coming up just for you! But if I get too many flames, MAYBE I will add some, maybe not, depends on my mood.
Now on with the story.
Chapter 2 :
The faint sound of rock being stepped on was heard through the whole ruins. Mounds of still burning ashes and melted metal amplified it ten times worse. Small tongues of pitch-black smock could be seen over what looked like giant, metal cadavers. The air stank with the odour of burning metal and flesh. The stench of death was everywhere, overwhelming. Yet, not paying attention to the disaster that stood right under his eyes, the figure continued on advancing, making the same crunching noise with each footstep.
If Heero Yuy was annoyed by all the destruction, he didn't let anything show. He just kept advancing. He didn't have a choice anyway because it was the only way to get to that small forest. The car unfortunately couldn't go into this field of rubble.
Reaching the rim of the forest, he stopped for a second. After making sure for the hundredth time that is pistol was fully loaded, he landed his foot in what would be the start of a new adventure.
Heero turned his head right and left. He was secretly surprised at how small and distant the trees where from one another, being barely able to hide a Gundam. How could Duo have disappeared in there he didn't and could never now.
Still, he kept on walking, all of his senses fully alert in case of a surprise attack. The only things that attacked him though, were the trees. They seemed to move and grow taller. At first, the Perfect Soldier thought that he had miss judged the place and that it was more dense in the centre but he soon changed his mind. When he had first looked at it, he had only seen leaf trees and not a single fir tree. Now, it was completely mixed with both sorts. Secondly, they were way too big. Even if the ones at the border were smaller, Heero could have seen the tip of trees so big.
Being the soldier he was, he didn't panic at all. His main thoughts were first based on finding Deathscythe. So he just fixed himself an imaginary point in front of him and never changed his course. Lucky for him that he did because otherwise, he might not have found the path and would have kept on turning in circles forever.
He first noticed small, white stones that glimmered in the moonlight - night had fallen while he walked -. They seemed to be all lined up in two rows, one parallel to the other. Secondly, the trees were more distant and the ground seemed to have been often stepped on. In Heero's head, it perfectly matched the definition of a path.
He chose a direction by pure hazard and followed the small path. It soon started to widen as the trees became more and more scarce. The moon was at his (1) highest when he came upon the valley.
Heero stopped at the top of a rock staircase carved into the cliff itself. Even he was totally enchanted by the beauty of what stood before him.
Down the stair stood a sort of valley yet too narrow to be one but too wide to be a gorge. Small orange lights shone through windows and doors of houses both built on the ground and cliff. Merry songs came up to the boy, lightening his heart a way he never felt before. The wind brought up the odour of honey and fresh bread. Even with all the buildings, nature seemed to grow freely. Silver cascades of water went down the cliff walls, reflecting the stars like small diamonds, with a small dripping sound. Vines grew on the white marble walls and columns, adding to the beautiful purity of the place.
As if being pulled by the beauty of this city, Heero went down the steps one after the other, each thud of his feet transformed into music. When he finally arrived at the bottom, he came out of his trance. People where coming towards him, weird people. They had golden hair, striking blue eyes and small pointed ears. Even though they laughed together, Heero didn't miss the severe look they shot at him. That put him on his guards. He grabbed his gun but left his hand behind his back.
"Hoy! What as brought you down to Rivendel, the city of Elves, boy?" asked the nearest one with a wave of the hand.
Heero said nothing but glared. The elf ignored the look but spoke again.
" I am Hagen, leader of the party that's guarding the stairs." Said the same elf. " I am sorry but to avoid trouble, you have to answer my question."
Heero stayed silent.
"Maybe he's one of the King's guards who got left behind." Tried another elf.
"I doubt it Foldir. He surely doesn't have the attire of a soldier. But maybe you're right." Hagen snapped the brooch that tied his cloak and, taking the soft silver material, handed it over to Heero.
"Here boy, put this on. You must be shivering in these light clothes." He said.
Even though Heero wasn't glad to, he took the offered cloak. He only had his usual tank top and short, so under the cool night breeze he was almost shivering. As he tied it around his shoulders, he was surprised at how light and warm it was. He at first had been very suspicious about those people and had kept his pistol ready but now he hid it back again. He didn't know why but he didn't think they would harm him in any way. It was probably a little security for the 'King'. Whoever he was.
Heero turned to the party. They had been watching his every movement.
"Bring me to the King." He ordered impatiently and annoyingly, almost as an insult.
"Calm down boy!" exclaimed Hagen. " Did you hit your head? Do you know whom you are talking about this roughly? That's Aragorn son of Arathorn, King of Gondor, husband of fair Arwen, holder of the sword that was broken and repaired, leader of the fight against both Saruman and Sauron, and leader of the Fellowship of the Ring after Gandalf the Grey! Don't you dare speak of him like that!" cried Hagen in pure anger.
Heero stepped back. He hadn't meant to make it sound like that. He was just really confused and with the added information they had given him, he just couldn't keep the confusion from his cold eyes anymore.
Hagen obviously saw that and softens.
" I apologize. We give him so much respect that the slightest thing might infuriate us. You don't seem to know where you are at all it seems. Please, come with me. You will have to wait before you see him. He is at the feast right now. We are very lucky to have him, you see, it is very dangerous to travel these days and Gondor is so far away."
Hagen kept on talking about stuff that Heero didn't understand at all but he soon stopped paying attention. He just let himself be guided by the handsome elf. He didn't have a parcel left of energy to protest, all the things that had happened had drained him. When they arrived to the shelter, it was in fact only a small clearing covered by a white, silk cloth; he let himself fall against the trunk of a tree.
"Don't go to sleep just yet boy, I will go and fetch you some food." Said Hagen as he went away.
Heero couldn't help but fall into sweet slumber.
********
Duo woke up to the sound of someone whistling softly. It was a soothing melody and the American almost went back to sleep because of it. As he came more aware, the happenings of the day before came back to him with full force. He snapped his eyes open and sat up with a start.
"Ah. Finally you're awake."
Duo looked at the person speaking. He was short, with curly brown hair and blue eyes. The American looked around him. He was in a house of low roof with round little windows giving view to the rest of the town. He then looked at himself. He didn't have his usual priest clothing put instead a white cotton shirt and pants. His hair were untied and flowed around him on the bed. Even though he was scratched about everywhere, he didn't felt bruised anymore.
"It's a miracle that you escaped the forest alive, it's so dangerous these times, that's why the gate was made. Say, what's your name boy, I've never seen nor heard of you anywhere before." Asked the little man.
Duo looked straight into the man's intense eyes and started muttering and answer when the hobbit cut him.
"Where are my manners? I am greatly sorry. My name is Samwise Gamgee."
"Err. Hi, I'm Duo Maxwell." Replied Duo, taking out his hand to shake the other.
Sam imitated the gesture.
" Than Master Maxwell, where do you come from? I never heard of anybody coming out of the forest since me, Frodo, Pippin and Merry did it." Continued Sam.
Duo didn't answer. He couldn't tell him he came from L2, he wouldn't understand. Fortunately for him, Rose came in at that moment, saving him.
" I see that our friend is finally awake! That's good news. I feared the worse with you coming out of the accursed forest." Said she.
"Ah! Right on cue. You must be hungry. Here, eat as much as you like."
Sam took the plate that Rose was holding and gave it to Duo. It contained a fresh loaf of bread, a jug of water, fruit, honey and butter. It wasn't exactly what the braided boy wanted for breakfast but he ate it gracefully.
When he was finished, Duo dared to ask the question that was most bothering him.
" Can you tell me where I am please?" he asked.
Sam gave him a weird look before answering.
"Well in the Shire of course, land of the hobbits. In Bag End if you prefer. How come you don't know?" he asked suspiciously.
Duo did some quick thinking. Of course he just didn't know but that wasn't a suitable answer.
"I've got amnesia." He finally answered.
Sam softened his look and sighted.
"I am very sorry to hear that. I guess the forest does do funny stuff to people now. Anyway," he said, standing up, "Rose was kind enough to repair your clothes, so I'll let you change. Then, I'll give you a tour of the Shire, maybe you'll remember some stuff afterwards."
He took a small pile of black fabric on a chair in the far corner and brought it back to him.
"Very strange fabric this is. I've never seen anything like it before." He added while leaving.
Duo quickly changed. He was very grateful for what Sam was doing for him. Maybe he would be able to find something interesting about what had happened to him. The American looked into a full-size mirror (half-size for him) and a last problem came to him. He went into the hall and called for Sam.
"What's the problem Master Maxwell?" he asked.
"Please, call me Duo. Anyway, do you have a brush and band? My hair needs a major brushing job and I won't let them untied. " Said Duo.
Sam nodded with a smile and disappeared in the hall. He soon was back with the items.
"Your hair is quite remarkable. I have never seen any that length, not even with women." Pointed Sam while waiting for Duo to finish brushing his hair.
Duo just shrugged and followed Sam outside.
The hobbit talked a lot about everything and Duo listened avidly. It was like discovering a whole new world. Everything was different and special. When Sam engaged the matter of elves, Duo had to ask a question.
"Aren't there suppose to be elves? I saw them before fainting."
Sam stopped his whistling and looked at him.
"Yes they were here yesterday. My friend, Legolas, was one of those who brought you here. They left early this morning. You see, Strider send them here to get me and Merry and Pippin. Since you needed care, I stayed a little longer. Don't worry!" added quickly Sam at the look Duo had. "I don't mind. They say Strider will be in Rivendel for quite some time so I don't mind delaying even a month!"
Duo wasn't totally convinced that he wasn't a burden but didn't pursue the subject.
" Who is Strider?" he asked instead.
"I am sorry! You wouldn't know him under that name. He's Aragorn son of Arathorn, King of Gondor."
Duo scratched the back of his neck. By the tone of Sam's voice, the braided boy guessed that the hobbit held that Aragorn in high esteem so he didn't dared ask who the hell he was.
Sam saw his nervous gesture and sighted.
"You don't even remember the King? Your amnesia is really bad. There is a land south of here called Gondor. He's the King of that land."
And there he was, talking about Aragorn until Duo's head menaced to explode. But, because he felt so bad about lying, he listened carefully to everything that Sam said and tried to remember them all. He wished that he wouldn't have to lie about amnesia after he learned about everything the hobbit could and would teach him.
They kept on walking slowly trough the Shire, taking breaks under the shades of huge and beautiful trees in the middle of blossom. Duo had never seen so much peace in his entire life. It felt very refreshing and since that time, the thought of staying in the Shire crossed trough the boy's mind almost everyday but it was always pushed away by the thought of abandoning his friends and Colonies. Duo had never felt so torn in his life. That's why the hobbits could always find him under the magnificent malorn tree. It soothed his mind and soul.
*****
Finally, after about two weeks, when Duo was starting to get desperate, news arrived for him. Legolas came back with two other elves just to bring news to him.
They found him resting under the malorn tree like always but hesitated. He looked so calm that they didn't want to wake him up. Legolas came forth and gently shook the boy's shoulder. Duo started when he saw the elf's face but the memory of his arrival calmed him down.
" Greetings. I am Legolas." He said, backing to allow Duo to stand on his feet.
" And I am Hagen. This is my friend Foldir." Said another pointing to the elf on his right.
" Err. Hi. I'm."
"Oh, we already now who you are master Maxwell. We have heard a lot about you." Cut Legolas.
"Heard about me? From who?" asked Duo in amazement.
" First from Sam, secondly from who I believe is a friend of yours." Replied Legolas.
"What? I have no friends. At least not here." Said Duo.
"No? A certain Heero Yuy says quite the contrary." Softly whispered Legolas.
"Heero!" shouted Duo in disbelief. " Where is he? How did he get here? When.?"
The boy's incessant flow of questions was cut when Legolas's raised his hand.
"Calm down now. I do not know a lot but Hagen and Foldir here do. They were the ones who stayed with master Yuy for the longest time. They will talk with you. I must take my leave."
After a short bow, Legolas was gone.
And so, it was from the two guards that Duo heard everything that had happened to Heero since his encounter with Hagen and Foldir, and the little bit that they knew of what had happened to him before.
The next day, he was already pestering Sam about guiding him to Rivendel. Never in his life had the hobbit ever heard someone talk so much without breathing or be so stubborn about something. Finally, he gave in and, to shut him up, promised him to guide him to Rivendel as soon as the three elves were ready as well. At last, after three days, they were off.
*****
Heero woke up to the sweet aroma of honey and bread. At first, he thought he was dreaming but when he opened his eyes, the memory of the past happenings came back to him.
He was lying on a soft bed of grass, all huddled in a silvery cloak. Above him hung a white cloth and beside him, knelt a man.
Heero bolted up but, being still very tired, only managed to sit against a tree. He shot the man his best glare but he smiled, staring into those intense cobalt blue eyes.
"I am mostly sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. As you probably guessed, I am Aragron son of Arathorn. Here, eat up. You won't like being awaken by your stomach in the middle of the night." Said the King.
Heero took the offered silver platter gladly. While eating, he detailed the man kneeling before him. He must have been quite old. His black hair was streaked with white hair and a few good wrinkles covered his skin. Still, he was very handsome and the deepness of his gaze showed that he was a man of great knowledge and wisdom.
" I would like to know what is your name first." Asked Aragorn when Heero had finished eating.
The Perfect Soldier hesitated before answering. Finally, he overcame his soldier instincts. It wouldn't do any good to stay silent if he wanted to get back to the safe house.
"Heero Yuy."
" Well master Yuy, if you fell better, I would like you to follow me to a more comfortable place to speak." Said Aragorn and, standing up he offered his hand for Heero to take.
The Japanese boy refused the hand and stood up without help. He then nodded to the man to guide him to the place, which he did.
Once there, Heero saw the most magnificent house of Rivendel. The House of Elrond. Even though Elrond had traveled to the West for quite some time, it was still called that in memory of one of the greatest Elf of all history.
Everywhere he could hear beautiful songs, yellow light poured from every room. The white marble walls seemed to glow in the dark. It wasn't comparable to anything Heero had seen before.
Aragorn lead him to a big room full of people. A huge fire was crackling in a fireplace, warming the whole room. The King led him to a table in a corner and sitting, looked intensively at Heero.
" I would like to know master Yuy, where do you come from? You do not wear the attire of any country I know, and I know a great deal of them."
Heero thought for some time. He didn't want to tell him from where he really came from, just in case, so he lied the best he could under those circumstances.
" I come from a far country. My ship broke and I found myself wandering on this land. I came upon this forest but got lost. Fortunately, I found my way here."
Aragorn seemed to become more sour and reluctant to give him information after that statement. They talked about a lot of stuff but didn't go far. Both didn't want to say anything of importance, which only resulted in them talking about meaningless things. Finally, Aragorn sighted and closed the conversation.
" I have to say master Yuy, you are very hard to talk with. I had to use a lot of my deduction power to guess half of what I truly wanted to know. Now, if I guess correctly, you are not the only one lost on this land. You are searching for someone, am I right?"
Heero's eyes flashed but he didn't answer.
Aragron sighted again. " I am truly sorry but I cannot let you go. You will have to stay here as long as I see fit. Do not worry, it won't be as bad as you think it is." Added the man, seeing Heero's murdering look. " I will leave you under Hagen's charge. If any news of your friend comes, Hagen will be the first to know. Ah! Perfect timing, here he is."
Aragorn got up and walked to Hagen who had just entered the room.
" Hagen, I will leave him under your care. Please be careful, he might be an Easternman. I am not entirely sure yet but still. Be also alert, he has a friend somewhere. Do not let any stranger in without my leave. Understood?"
The elf nodded and went to see Heero.
"Please come with me master Yuy. I will bring you to where you will sleep."
And so, Heero followed the elf through the maze of roads to a small but cozy house.
"This is my home." Said Hagen, allowing Heero to get in. " Your room is down the hall. I will prepare you a bath, please wait."
Once in the hot tub, the Perfect Soldier finally managed to put his thoughts in order.
That man purposively avoided answering all my questions and now he orders me to stay here like a prisoner! He will pay for that, one way or another. And how did he know that I was looking for Duo? I'll have to be careful. I should play the obedient kid a little longer if I want a chance to learn stuff. Duo, you better be in real trouble because otherwise, you'll have a nice whole between your eyes!
After that, he got up, changed into the clothes Hagen had left him and went to sleep. He really was longing for his laptop right now!
**** That is how Heero spent a good deal of his time. Walking around with Hagen and Foldir. Of course, it helped him learn a few good things but he soon didn't found that enough. He talked to them and, because it seemed that they didn't trust him, he told them a lot about Duo. If you could consider that a lot from Heero.
Anyways, that's how he got to know that Duo was in the Shire. One night that he lingered in the Fire Room a little bit longer than usual, he overheard Hagen and Aragorn talking together.
" Legolas just came from the Shire with weird news. A boy appeared just when he was about to leave out of the Old Forest. What worse is that it fits perfectly well the description master Yuy gave me of his friend. " Whispered Hagen.
" Then that is why Sam didn't come immediately, to take care of him. Did he say anything of a friend?" replied Aragorn.
" We don't know my King. Legolas stayed a day longer to see if he was all right - the Old Forest is very dangerous- but he slept all that day so we don't know. Master Gamgee is taking care of him. " Answered Hagen.
Aragorn didn't answer at first but finally sighted.
" Tell Legolas that I am mostly sorry but I have to ask him to go back. I want that boy here under my surveillance. You and Foldir will go too. You know him best and if this entire story is a lie, we will know. Go now." Said Aragorn.
Hagen stood up, bowed and left. Heero stayed hidden in his dark corner and smiled. Now, all of his thoughts of escaping were gone. He would wait here for Duo to come and then, he would see.
**** The End
1: The people of middle earth refer to the moon as 'he' and the sun as 'she'.
Here you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to read 'n' review! I know Legolas doesn't play a big role in this part but he will, eventually. I don't know exactly how many days it takes to go to Rivendel from the Shire but I say about a week.
A-chan.
.
I just discovered something wrong with my computer. When I write a chapter and load it on fanfiction, it completely erases the three dots meaning an hesitation or other stuff, so if you see a dot that doesn't fit or should be replaced by them, it's because it should. It's the case when Duo talks at the end of the first chapter.
I decided not to put any yaoi in this story. For those who'll flame me, I have another fanfic coming up just for you! But if I get too many flames, MAYBE I will add some, maybe not, depends on my mood.
Now on with the story.
Chapter 2 :
The faint sound of rock being stepped on was heard through the whole ruins. Mounds of still burning ashes and melted metal amplified it ten times worse. Small tongues of pitch-black smock could be seen over what looked like giant, metal cadavers. The air stank with the odour of burning metal and flesh. The stench of death was everywhere, overwhelming. Yet, not paying attention to the disaster that stood right under his eyes, the figure continued on advancing, making the same crunching noise with each footstep.
If Heero Yuy was annoyed by all the destruction, he didn't let anything show. He just kept advancing. He didn't have a choice anyway because it was the only way to get to that small forest. The car unfortunately couldn't go into this field of rubble.
Reaching the rim of the forest, he stopped for a second. After making sure for the hundredth time that is pistol was fully loaded, he landed his foot in what would be the start of a new adventure.
Heero turned his head right and left. He was secretly surprised at how small and distant the trees where from one another, being barely able to hide a Gundam. How could Duo have disappeared in there he didn't and could never now.
Still, he kept on walking, all of his senses fully alert in case of a surprise attack. The only things that attacked him though, were the trees. They seemed to move and grow taller. At first, the Perfect Soldier thought that he had miss judged the place and that it was more dense in the centre but he soon changed his mind. When he had first looked at it, he had only seen leaf trees and not a single fir tree. Now, it was completely mixed with both sorts. Secondly, they were way too big. Even if the ones at the border were smaller, Heero could have seen the tip of trees so big.
Being the soldier he was, he didn't panic at all. His main thoughts were first based on finding Deathscythe. So he just fixed himself an imaginary point in front of him and never changed his course. Lucky for him that he did because otherwise, he might not have found the path and would have kept on turning in circles forever.
He first noticed small, white stones that glimmered in the moonlight - night had fallen while he walked -. They seemed to be all lined up in two rows, one parallel to the other. Secondly, the trees were more distant and the ground seemed to have been often stepped on. In Heero's head, it perfectly matched the definition of a path.
He chose a direction by pure hazard and followed the small path. It soon started to widen as the trees became more and more scarce. The moon was at his (1) highest when he came upon the valley.
Heero stopped at the top of a rock staircase carved into the cliff itself. Even he was totally enchanted by the beauty of what stood before him.
Down the stair stood a sort of valley yet too narrow to be one but too wide to be a gorge. Small orange lights shone through windows and doors of houses both built on the ground and cliff. Merry songs came up to the boy, lightening his heart a way he never felt before. The wind brought up the odour of honey and fresh bread. Even with all the buildings, nature seemed to grow freely. Silver cascades of water went down the cliff walls, reflecting the stars like small diamonds, with a small dripping sound. Vines grew on the white marble walls and columns, adding to the beautiful purity of the place.
As if being pulled by the beauty of this city, Heero went down the steps one after the other, each thud of his feet transformed into music. When he finally arrived at the bottom, he came out of his trance. People where coming towards him, weird people. They had golden hair, striking blue eyes and small pointed ears. Even though they laughed together, Heero didn't miss the severe look they shot at him. That put him on his guards. He grabbed his gun but left his hand behind his back.
"Hoy! What as brought you down to Rivendel, the city of Elves, boy?" asked the nearest one with a wave of the hand.
Heero said nothing but glared. The elf ignored the look but spoke again.
" I am Hagen, leader of the party that's guarding the stairs." Said the same elf. " I am sorry but to avoid trouble, you have to answer my question."
Heero stayed silent.
"Maybe he's one of the King's guards who got left behind." Tried another elf.
"I doubt it Foldir. He surely doesn't have the attire of a soldier. But maybe you're right." Hagen snapped the brooch that tied his cloak and, taking the soft silver material, handed it over to Heero.
"Here boy, put this on. You must be shivering in these light clothes." He said.
Even though Heero wasn't glad to, he took the offered cloak. He only had his usual tank top and short, so under the cool night breeze he was almost shivering. As he tied it around his shoulders, he was surprised at how light and warm it was. He at first had been very suspicious about those people and had kept his pistol ready but now he hid it back again. He didn't know why but he didn't think they would harm him in any way. It was probably a little security for the 'King'. Whoever he was.
Heero turned to the party. They had been watching his every movement.
"Bring me to the King." He ordered impatiently and annoyingly, almost as an insult.
"Calm down boy!" exclaimed Hagen. " Did you hit your head? Do you know whom you are talking about this roughly? That's Aragorn son of Arathorn, King of Gondor, husband of fair Arwen, holder of the sword that was broken and repaired, leader of the fight against both Saruman and Sauron, and leader of the Fellowship of the Ring after Gandalf the Grey! Don't you dare speak of him like that!" cried Hagen in pure anger.
Heero stepped back. He hadn't meant to make it sound like that. He was just really confused and with the added information they had given him, he just couldn't keep the confusion from his cold eyes anymore.
Hagen obviously saw that and softens.
" I apologize. We give him so much respect that the slightest thing might infuriate us. You don't seem to know where you are at all it seems. Please, come with me. You will have to wait before you see him. He is at the feast right now. We are very lucky to have him, you see, it is very dangerous to travel these days and Gondor is so far away."
Hagen kept on talking about stuff that Heero didn't understand at all but he soon stopped paying attention. He just let himself be guided by the handsome elf. He didn't have a parcel left of energy to protest, all the things that had happened had drained him. When they arrived to the shelter, it was in fact only a small clearing covered by a white, silk cloth; he let himself fall against the trunk of a tree.
"Don't go to sleep just yet boy, I will go and fetch you some food." Said Hagen as he went away.
Heero couldn't help but fall into sweet slumber.
********
Duo woke up to the sound of someone whistling softly. It was a soothing melody and the American almost went back to sleep because of it. As he came more aware, the happenings of the day before came back to him with full force. He snapped his eyes open and sat up with a start.
"Ah. Finally you're awake."
Duo looked at the person speaking. He was short, with curly brown hair and blue eyes. The American looked around him. He was in a house of low roof with round little windows giving view to the rest of the town. He then looked at himself. He didn't have his usual priest clothing put instead a white cotton shirt and pants. His hair were untied and flowed around him on the bed. Even though he was scratched about everywhere, he didn't felt bruised anymore.
"It's a miracle that you escaped the forest alive, it's so dangerous these times, that's why the gate was made. Say, what's your name boy, I've never seen nor heard of you anywhere before." Asked the little man.
Duo looked straight into the man's intense eyes and started muttering and answer when the hobbit cut him.
"Where are my manners? I am greatly sorry. My name is Samwise Gamgee."
"Err. Hi, I'm Duo Maxwell." Replied Duo, taking out his hand to shake the other.
Sam imitated the gesture.
" Than Master Maxwell, where do you come from? I never heard of anybody coming out of the forest since me, Frodo, Pippin and Merry did it." Continued Sam.
Duo didn't answer. He couldn't tell him he came from L2, he wouldn't understand. Fortunately for him, Rose came in at that moment, saving him.
" I see that our friend is finally awake! That's good news. I feared the worse with you coming out of the accursed forest." Said she.
"Ah! Right on cue. You must be hungry. Here, eat as much as you like."
Sam took the plate that Rose was holding and gave it to Duo. It contained a fresh loaf of bread, a jug of water, fruit, honey and butter. It wasn't exactly what the braided boy wanted for breakfast but he ate it gracefully.
When he was finished, Duo dared to ask the question that was most bothering him.
" Can you tell me where I am please?" he asked.
Sam gave him a weird look before answering.
"Well in the Shire of course, land of the hobbits. In Bag End if you prefer. How come you don't know?" he asked suspiciously.
Duo did some quick thinking. Of course he just didn't know but that wasn't a suitable answer.
"I've got amnesia." He finally answered.
Sam softened his look and sighted.
"I am very sorry to hear that. I guess the forest does do funny stuff to people now. Anyway," he said, standing up, "Rose was kind enough to repair your clothes, so I'll let you change. Then, I'll give you a tour of the Shire, maybe you'll remember some stuff afterwards."
He took a small pile of black fabric on a chair in the far corner and brought it back to him.
"Very strange fabric this is. I've never seen anything like it before." He added while leaving.
Duo quickly changed. He was very grateful for what Sam was doing for him. Maybe he would be able to find something interesting about what had happened to him. The American looked into a full-size mirror (half-size for him) and a last problem came to him. He went into the hall and called for Sam.
"What's the problem Master Maxwell?" he asked.
"Please, call me Duo. Anyway, do you have a brush and band? My hair needs a major brushing job and I won't let them untied. " Said Duo.
Sam nodded with a smile and disappeared in the hall. He soon was back with the items.
"Your hair is quite remarkable. I have never seen any that length, not even with women." Pointed Sam while waiting for Duo to finish brushing his hair.
Duo just shrugged and followed Sam outside.
The hobbit talked a lot about everything and Duo listened avidly. It was like discovering a whole new world. Everything was different and special. When Sam engaged the matter of elves, Duo had to ask a question.
"Aren't there suppose to be elves? I saw them before fainting."
Sam stopped his whistling and looked at him.
"Yes they were here yesterday. My friend, Legolas, was one of those who brought you here. They left early this morning. You see, Strider send them here to get me and Merry and Pippin. Since you needed care, I stayed a little longer. Don't worry!" added quickly Sam at the look Duo had. "I don't mind. They say Strider will be in Rivendel for quite some time so I don't mind delaying even a month!"
Duo wasn't totally convinced that he wasn't a burden but didn't pursue the subject.
" Who is Strider?" he asked instead.
"I am sorry! You wouldn't know him under that name. He's Aragorn son of Arathorn, King of Gondor."
Duo scratched the back of his neck. By the tone of Sam's voice, the braided boy guessed that the hobbit held that Aragorn in high esteem so he didn't dared ask who the hell he was.
Sam saw his nervous gesture and sighted.
"You don't even remember the King? Your amnesia is really bad. There is a land south of here called Gondor. He's the King of that land."
And there he was, talking about Aragorn until Duo's head menaced to explode. But, because he felt so bad about lying, he listened carefully to everything that Sam said and tried to remember them all. He wished that he wouldn't have to lie about amnesia after he learned about everything the hobbit could and would teach him.
They kept on walking slowly trough the Shire, taking breaks under the shades of huge and beautiful trees in the middle of blossom. Duo had never seen so much peace in his entire life. It felt very refreshing and since that time, the thought of staying in the Shire crossed trough the boy's mind almost everyday but it was always pushed away by the thought of abandoning his friends and Colonies. Duo had never felt so torn in his life. That's why the hobbits could always find him under the magnificent malorn tree. It soothed his mind and soul.
*****
Finally, after about two weeks, when Duo was starting to get desperate, news arrived for him. Legolas came back with two other elves just to bring news to him.
They found him resting under the malorn tree like always but hesitated. He looked so calm that they didn't want to wake him up. Legolas came forth and gently shook the boy's shoulder. Duo started when he saw the elf's face but the memory of his arrival calmed him down.
" Greetings. I am Legolas." He said, backing to allow Duo to stand on his feet.
" And I am Hagen. This is my friend Foldir." Said another pointing to the elf on his right.
" Err. Hi. I'm."
"Oh, we already now who you are master Maxwell. We have heard a lot about you." Cut Legolas.
"Heard about me? From who?" asked Duo in amazement.
" First from Sam, secondly from who I believe is a friend of yours." Replied Legolas.
"What? I have no friends. At least not here." Said Duo.
"No? A certain Heero Yuy says quite the contrary." Softly whispered Legolas.
"Heero!" shouted Duo in disbelief. " Where is he? How did he get here? When.?"
The boy's incessant flow of questions was cut when Legolas's raised his hand.
"Calm down now. I do not know a lot but Hagen and Foldir here do. They were the ones who stayed with master Yuy for the longest time. They will talk with you. I must take my leave."
After a short bow, Legolas was gone.
And so, it was from the two guards that Duo heard everything that had happened to Heero since his encounter with Hagen and Foldir, and the little bit that they knew of what had happened to him before.
The next day, he was already pestering Sam about guiding him to Rivendel. Never in his life had the hobbit ever heard someone talk so much without breathing or be so stubborn about something. Finally, he gave in and, to shut him up, promised him to guide him to Rivendel as soon as the three elves were ready as well. At last, after three days, they were off.
*****
Heero woke up to the sweet aroma of honey and bread. At first, he thought he was dreaming but when he opened his eyes, the memory of the past happenings came back to him.
He was lying on a soft bed of grass, all huddled in a silvery cloak. Above him hung a white cloth and beside him, knelt a man.
Heero bolted up but, being still very tired, only managed to sit against a tree. He shot the man his best glare but he smiled, staring into those intense cobalt blue eyes.
"I am mostly sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. As you probably guessed, I am Aragron son of Arathorn. Here, eat up. You won't like being awaken by your stomach in the middle of the night." Said the King.
Heero took the offered silver platter gladly. While eating, he detailed the man kneeling before him. He must have been quite old. His black hair was streaked with white hair and a few good wrinkles covered his skin. Still, he was very handsome and the deepness of his gaze showed that he was a man of great knowledge and wisdom.
" I would like to know what is your name first." Asked Aragorn when Heero had finished eating.
The Perfect Soldier hesitated before answering. Finally, he overcame his soldier instincts. It wouldn't do any good to stay silent if he wanted to get back to the safe house.
"Heero Yuy."
" Well master Yuy, if you fell better, I would like you to follow me to a more comfortable place to speak." Said Aragorn and, standing up he offered his hand for Heero to take.
The Japanese boy refused the hand and stood up without help. He then nodded to the man to guide him to the place, which he did.
Once there, Heero saw the most magnificent house of Rivendel. The House of Elrond. Even though Elrond had traveled to the West for quite some time, it was still called that in memory of one of the greatest Elf of all history.
Everywhere he could hear beautiful songs, yellow light poured from every room. The white marble walls seemed to glow in the dark. It wasn't comparable to anything Heero had seen before.
Aragorn lead him to a big room full of people. A huge fire was crackling in a fireplace, warming the whole room. The King led him to a table in a corner and sitting, looked intensively at Heero.
" I would like to know master Yuy, where do you come from? You do not wear the attire of any country I know, and I know a great deal of them."
Heero thought for some time. He didn't want to tell him from where he really came from, just in case, so he lied the best he could under those circumstances.
" I come from a far country. My ship broke and I found myself wandering on this land. I came upon this forest but got lost. Fortunately, I found my way here."
Aragorn seemed to become more sour and reluctant to give him information after that statement. They talked about a lot of stuff but didn't go far. Both didn't want to say anything of importance, which only resulted in them talking about meaningless things. Finally, Aragorn sighted and closed the conversation.
" I have to say master Yuy, you are very hard to talk with. I had to use a lot of my deduction power to guess half of what I truly wanted to know. Now, if I guess correctly, you are not the only one lost on this land. You are searching for someone, am I right?"
Heero's eyes flashed but he didn't answer.
Aragron sighted again. " I am truly sorry but I cannot let you go. You will have to stay here as long as I see fit. Do not worry, it won't be as bad as you think it is." Added the man, seeing Heero's murdering look. " I will leave you under Hagen's charge. If any news of your friend comes, Hagen will be the first to know. Ah! Perfect timing, here he is."
Aragorn got up and walked to Hagen who had just entered the room.
" Hagen, I will leave him under your care. Please be careful, he might be an Easternman. I am not entirely sure yet but still. Be also alert, he has a friend somewhere. Do not let any stranger in without my leave. Understood?"
The elf nodded and went to see Heero.
"Please come with me master Yuy. I will bring you to where you will sleep."
And so, Heero followed the elf through the maze of roads to a small but cozy house.
"This is my home." Said Hagen, allowing Heero to get in. " Your room is down the hall. I will prepare you a bath, please wait."
Once in the hot tub, the Perfect Soldier finally managed to put his thoughts in order.
That man purposively avoided answering all my questions and now he orders me to stay here like a prisoner! He will pay for that, one way or another. And how did he know that I was looking for Duo? I'll have to be careful. I should play the obedient kid a little longer if I want a chance to learn stuff. Duo, you better be in real trouble because otherwise, you'll have a nice whole between your eyes!
After that, he got up, changed into the clothes Hagen had left him and went to sleep. He really was longing for his laptop right now!
**** That is how Heero spent a good deal of his time. Walking around with Hagen and Foldir. Of course, it helped him learn a few good things but he soon didn't found that enough. He talked to them and, because it seemed that they didn't trust him, he told them a lot about Duo. If you could consider that a lot from Heero.
Anyways, that's how he got to know that Duo was in the Shire. One night that he lingered in the Fire Room a little bit longer than usual, he overheard Hagen and Aragorn talking together.
" Legolas just came from the Shire with weird news. A boy appeared just when he was about to leave out of the Old Forest. What worse is that it fits perfectly well the description master Yuy gave me of his friend. " Whispered Hagen.
" Then that is why Sam didn't come immediately, to take care of him. Did he say anything of a friend?" replied Aragorn.
" We don't know my King. Legolas stayed a day longer to see if he was all right - the Old Forest is very dangerous- but he slept all that day so we don't know. Master Gamgee is taking care of him. " Answered Hagen.
Aragorn didn't answer at first but finally sighted.
" Tell Legolas that I am mostly sorry but I have to ask him to go back. I want that boy here under my surveillance. You and Foldir will go too. You know him best and if this entire story is a lie, we will know. Go now." Said Aragorn.
Hagen stood up, bowed and left. Heero stayed hidden in his dark corner and smiled. Now, all of his thoughts of escaping were gone. He would wait here for Duo to come and then, he would see.
**** The End
1: The people of middle earth refer to the moon as 'he' and the sun as 'she'.
Here you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to read 'n' review! I know Legolas doesn't play a big role in this part but he will, eventually. I don't know exactly how many days it takes to go to Rivendel from the Shire but I say about a week.
A-chan.
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