Disclaimer: I do not own either Gundam Wing or Lord of the Rings
Warnings: yaoi (1x2) bits of violence
Chapter 16
White. Plain, beautiful, whiteness. The vast plain was of a perfectly immaculate white, only disturbed by occasional snow dunes blown by the wind. A cold breeze sang to the end of the horizon, echoing past the blue sky. As the day aged away, cold crept on the valley, oblivious of the sun's pale rays. The light reflected on the snow like a mirror, making it impossible to stare at the ground. Far away, dark storm clouds loomed menacingly, risking to spill their snowy rage over the plain.
Aseldir brushed his hands together furiously in a vain attempt to bring back some feeling to them. Although they were fairly south, the winter was short but merciless. Even with all the sun, it was bitterly cold and the best fur coat wouldn't be able to block the bone-chilling wind away.
Bad luck had pilled itself on Aseldir. Firstly, he was forced to find the boys in the dreaded temperature. Secondly, with last night's storm, he feared for their safety and health. Thirdly, last but the worst, he had spotted a gathering of about ten soldiers marching in the same direction as him. They were undoubtedly Ineluki's and were seeking the same thing as him. From that moment, the red-haired soldier was forcing the pace. His poor horse was shining with sweat that hovered dangerously between ice and steam. Still, it was primordial that he found the three boys before the next storm came up.
Patting his horse's neck, he encouraged him further. Midday was coming soon and he would allow a short rest. Cursing against a cold gust of wind, bitter dreams of heat and warm food filled his mind.
********
Days inched by slowly, one by one. The first time Wufei had made his way from Fangorn to Rivendel, it had taken him a few days at the most. Now, with two normal horses trailing behind him, Shadowfax had to keep a reasonable pace. Thus, they had now walked for two weeks without a single sign of the forest. The storm clouds were now right over their heads and they didn't doubt that it wouldn't be long before it exploded.
The boys were resting while munching their last dried nuts. At this rate, they would run out of food before they reached the forest.
" Wufei, do you have any clue on where we are?" Duo asked impatiently, stomping his foot to bring back the blood.
" Truthfully, no. Shadowfax is the one guiding us. He managed to safely bring me to Rivendel before."
" Great. Follow the horse. That doesn't sound good at all." The braided boy replied hotly, shuddering furiously under the cold.
" He is right. Without landmarks, even the best guide can get lost." Heero agreed, barely able to stop his teeth from chattering.
Wufei didn't say anything and contented himself in staring at Shadowfax intensively. The proud horse shook his head up and down. Usually, it meant he was ready for action, but this time, he looked worried. The Chinese boy frowned inwardly.
" Still, we are better off moving. Let's go. We have rested long enough." Wufei finally said, standing up.
The others followed silently. They were all eager to get out of the cold as soon as possible and find a shelter before night instead of sleeping outside, like they had done for two weeks.
Luck was definitively on their side that day. After barely three hours of hard-pressed walk, they found themselves before a small hill housing a cave. The entrance was nearly fully covered by snow but the wind that engulfed itself in it and whistled betrayed its presence.
The boys didn't have to urge their horses forward, they moved of their own. They still had to dig their way in and it was a tedious task but they didn't care. The prospect of getting out of the winds was too appealing.
It took a full half hour to clear the entrance enough so that the horses could fit. They eagerly got in and many sighs of relief echoed down the cave.
" That's better! But we should do something about the wind. Bury the entrance again maybe." Duo suggested while inspecting the walls.
" Good idea Maxwell. We'll have to leave a hole for oxygen." Wufei agreed immediately.
" Let's go then." Heero said, kneeling down on the ground and starting the pile.
The three pilots worked hard for four hours to build the wall. It fell and crumpled a dozen times because of the wind, making the frustration reach summits. The last time it fell and they had to start over, Duo cracked. He fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter much to his comrades' worry. When he finally calmed down, he stared at the pile of snow in total disinterest. Heero and Wufei called him often, but it was only when the wall was half done that he moved and helped.
So, after four hours of fighting winds and cold and snow, they had their wall up. They decided to rest a little, slumping down against the walls, panting.
" So, we pass the night here?" Duo asked, eyes spaced out.
" We could, but I think this cave goes farther in the hill." Heero replied, getting up and carefully making his way towards the black of the tunnel.
" Anything to be as far away from the cold as possible. Let's go." Wufei agreed and followed the Perfect Soldier.
Duo grunted deeply and forced himself on his feet. The others didn't know anything, and it was better that way. He didn't want to slow them down or worry them, but he felt that he was covering something. He had trouble breathing and he was light-headed. It was impossible to tell in the cold, but he suspected that he was feverish. He just hoped it wasn't some unknown illness from Middle Earth.
He quickly fell in steps with the others, holding Shinigami's reins half- heartedly. It seemed like the cave had no ending as it became darker and the light from the hole in the snow wall dimmed away. Soon, they found themselves in utter darkness. Silence fell on them and they didn't dare move. There was something in there, farther in the hill.
" We're not alone." Heero suddenly said, confirming everyone's thoughts.
The three of them silenced, straining to hear something. A slow hiss pierced the silence, followed by a deep but soft growl. Wing raised her head up and cried in alarm, pulling against Heero's hold. Shinigami did the same when two bright yellow eyes illuminated the shadows. Duo forced his horse's head down and whispered something to him while keeping a wary eye on the yellow irises.
Contrarily to the others, Wufei couldn't move. Not because he was afraid, but because the eyes had caught his spirit. He was looking past the golden irises, farther into its holder's soul. They belonged to a beast, it was plainly evident, but it held wisdom and caution. They were calculating.
Suddenly, a deep growl echoed down the cave, making even the earth rumble. The thing got closer and the three boys managed to identify what it was.
A huge white wolf was looking at them very intensively. Its hackles were raised to the gums, allowing it to make his under-earth growl. Its height was the most impressing. From paws to shoulder, it came to the boy's armpits and from nose to tip of the tail; it had to measure six feet at most. Its claws were out and it was crouched in a position to attack.
Of course, Heero was the first to react. He unsheathed his sword and let go of Wing who bolted away. The Perfect Soldier was about to strike when Wufei stopped him. The Chinese boy stared at him for a few seconds before turning his attention back on the wolf.
When Wufei got closer, the beast lowered its hackles and backed a little, confusion clear in its eyes. When the boy finally pressed a hand on its head, the animal completely surrendered and lowered its head. Wufei caressed him a little longer before turning to the others.
" Come on. We're allowed passage." He said before motioning to the wolf to guide them. The animal complied, turned around and started at a slow trot so that others could follow it easily. Heero and Duo followed, surprise plain even on the Japanese boy's face.
" Aren't you going to fetch Wing?" Duo finally asked.
" No. She can't get out anyway." Heero replied coldly.
The rest of the trip was made in silence. They walked for two good hours, keeping a steady pace. They seemed to be going down in the earth as the tunnel was constantly leaning down. Duo made a sharp remark on how he didn't want to go back down in the ground after Helm's Deep's battle.
" Hey Wu-man. Don't you think we're far enough? It's starting to get cold again." the braided boy pleaded as he started shivering again. He immediately shut up when they entered a big room.
It was dimly lit by a hole dug through the hill but every detail was crystal clear. A hundred shapes of pure white were massed in the room. As soon as they got in, they started to move and get up. The cave was full of white wolves as big and sometimes bigger than the one guiding them.
The three boys followed, unable to say anything, as the wolf guide led them to the far end of the room where one particularly large beast rested. It was at least twice as big as the other wolves and it's without doubts that they guessed he was the alpha male.
The beast raised its head slowly and studied the three boys carefully. After a minute that seemed like hours, he got up and stepped closer. The wolf guide moved away quickly, tail between legs.
It was truly impressing to have a beast taller than you sitting barely a foot away. Its piercing eyes studied the boys one after the other before finally stopping on Wufei. The two stared at each other without making a sound. Minutes inched by and Duo was starting to loose patience when the wolf finally moved. The beast got up and approached his big nose towards Wufei's neck.
It happened very quickly. In a flash, the wolf had opened its massive jaws and had clamped them solidly on the Chinese boy's neck. But as soon as they had closed, it opened them again. Wufei stood unfazed with only a slight change in his posture signalling he was aware of what had happened. Heero and Duo reacted immediately and drew their swords, only to be stopped by a sign from Wufei.
The wolf slowly retreated and laid back down like he was when they got in. The great beast watched them intensively before closing its eyes.
*********
Duo looked at Wufei for quite some time before daring to speak. The Chinese boy was eating his piece of meat quietly as if nothing had happened. It was as if the fact that they were in a cave full of giant wolves, eating their meat was perfectly normal. Heero didn't seem bothered either. He was sitting cross-legged across the fire, sword on his lap while he cleaned it. Somehow, something was wrong with the tableau.
" I don't want to interrupt anything, but what the hell happened?" the braided boy finally burst out, unable to contain his questions anymore.
" Keep it down, Maxwell. We're invited but he could very well change his mind." Wufei warned, not even looking up from his meal.
" He? Invited? Did I miss something?" Duo asked next in a whisper.
" Fenrir. He's the big wolf I talked to earlier. He's the chief, the alpha of this pack. I asked him if we could rest here for the night, and he accepted." the Chinese boy replied naturally and took a long sip of water.
" Slow down. Talked? To a wolf? How?" the American demanded in total surprise and confusion.
This time, Wufei took some time before replying. He set his cup down and stared in the fire for a few seconds before hesitantly answering.
" It's quite hard to explain. It wasn't usual talk, with words. It was more like thoughts, without being it. We spoke through our minds but it wasn't telepathic. Just by looking in his eyes, I knew everything I wanted to learn. It was, weird."
The two other pilots listened attentively, especially Heero who nodded knowingly.
" You're right Wu-man, I don't get it. I didn't know you had the power to speak to animals!" Duo exclaimed than quickly lowered his voice after seeing the angry glances the other wolves cast.
" May I remind you that you have the strangest personality ever?" Wufei bit back.
Duo didn't reply but contented himself in smiling sheepishly. Inside, he was sighing with relief. He was glad they hadn't noticed his other bizarre faculty. Traveling to a dream world when he wished and speaking to people there wasn't exactly normal. Also, he felt like his sickness was worsening. He was so tired that he had to fight to stay seated. His breathing was raged and harder than ever. At least he was still able to hide it to the others. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to play the comedy though.
" I thought so."
Duo snapped his head up and realized that he had been dangerously close to falling asleep. Catching himself, he tried to think of an excuse and looked at Heero. The brown-haired boy looked at him than Wufei and spoke.
" I was feeling something in the air while you were 'speaking'." He said plainly.
" Felt?" Duo asked curiously." Reminds me of when you were staring at something in space that day in Tom Bombadil's territory. You still haven't told me what it was."
" Someone was watching us." Heero answered while putting his sword away.
" Really? Like that last night in Helm's Deep? You sure are a weird duo." The American joked with a quiet laugh.
" It's nothing funny Maxwell. We don't know what's going on, what it is." Wufei said sharply. " It could be dangerous."
" Bah. Might as well use it to our advantage." Duo replied and shrugged. The sooner they closed the conversation, the sooner he'd be able to sleep and rest.
" Isn't Fenrir the name of a demon in some old Greek or roman mythology? How come they use it here?" Heero demanded pensively.
" I don't know, but it's not the first connection we have with them." Wufei answered and proceeded in explaining all that he had seen in Orthanc, Isengard's Tower.
Duo tried to listen, but he soon abandoned. His eyelids dropped of their own and there was nothing he could do about it except lay down before he fell. Snuggling comfortably in his blanket, he faintly thought of visiting Tallien before he completely fell into oblivion.
********
Heero was glad when Wufei finally ended his tale. He was growing tired and the next day would be as challenging. Casting a side-glance to the slumbering braided pilot, he wished to do the same but he still had one last thing he wanted to know.
" Why did Fenrir bite you?" Heero asked finally with a tired edge to his voice.
Surprised by the question, Wufei raised two elegant eyebrows. " It's better if I show you." The Chinese boy took his collar and opened it so that his left shoulder was bare. Right where the neck connects with the shoulder, there were two holes. " Fenrir 'marked' me. If we are in need of help, I show this to any wolf pack and they'll help us."
" He only pierced the skin with his canines." The Perfect Soldier remarked thoughtfully.
" Yes. He said he had poison on them that'll prevent the marks from disappearing." Wufei added and couldn't stop the yawn from coming. He stretched his arms in a vain attempt to remove the many knots in his back and shoulders.
Taking it as a sign that the conversation was closed, Heero prepared his bed, not without casting quick glances to Duo sleeping on the other side of the fire. He felt pulled to go and install himself beside the braided boy. Shaking his head, he abandoned the idea with a little pang of regret. Sleep didn't take long before claiming him too.
Wufei watched Heero while he was making his bed and rolled his eyes. It was so evident what was going between him and Maxwell that even he could tell. Lying down, he wondered what they would do tomorrow until sleep grasp him.
*********
Silence reigned in the wolves' cave. Not even the slightest breath could be heard amongst the hundreds of sleeping beings. The air was completely still until a loud cough echoed against the walls.
Duo was curled up in a ball under his covers, hands to his mouth and eyes shut tight against the pain coming from his lungs. His cough was hard and scratched his throat. After some time, it died down and the braided boy panted to catch his breath. He waited a few seconds before turning on his back. His illness was becoming worse every day. He knew that if he didn't found someone to help him, it could very well be lethal.
Turning on his side to stare at the fire, he noticed something moist on his hands. He stared in horror at the blood in his palms. That was not good at all. Tuberculosis could be healed on Earth, but on Middle Earth, he didn't know if their knowledge was advanced enough to.
" Awake already?"
Duo jumped at the sound of the voice and quickly washed his hands on his pack he used as a pillow.
" Yeah, this place gives me the creeps." The American boy replied and sat up to stretch.
Heero stared for a second, as if searching for something wrong but seemed to found nothing because he got up and went to wake Wufei up.
The wolves didn't stir while they were packing and leaving. Only Fenrir opened and eye to watch them go only to close it quickly. The horses were standing near the entrance to the tunnel with Wing who had been shepherded by Shadowfax. It took them two hours to walk back up and a good thirty minutes to destroy their snow wall that had survived the night.
Their good mood was totally spoiled when they caught a glimpse of the sky. It was dark with the storm clouds that had been taunting them for two weeks. The three boys looked back to the cave and were torn between two choices. Pass the day with the wolves and risk to run out of provisions or risk the storm and arrive to Fangorn Forest before it spilled.
" I say we go back and ask Fenrir for shelter." Duo suggested, not liking the clouds one bit.
" I think it safer to continue." Wufei countered and got on Shadowfax. " Fenrir said it was half a day from here on a horse. Even if the storm does start, we'll still be able to get there before dark. Let's go." He finished and started walking.
Duo grumbled but didn't felt like arguing so he followed Wufei silently. Heero walked a little behind, looking back and frowning. Something was wrong but he didn't say anything. His comrades looked worried and tired enough.
********
Duo cursed profusely but was cut short by another coughing fit. They hadn't walked for two hours that the storm had started. They could barely see farther than the tips of their horses' ears because of the snow flurry. They kept close so as not to loose each other. It's useless to say that Heero and Wufei quickly found out about Duo. He coughed more and more and his eyes were a little unfocused. Of course, they had asked, but the braided boy refused to admit the seriousness of his illness and put it on the account of ' the bloody weather gave me a cold'. The two other pilots didn't believe it one bit but abandoned trying to get a confession out of him. It was well know that if Duo didn't want to say something, you'd never be able to get it out of him.
It was midday and they still didn't have a clue on where they were. They agreed to keep going for another hour before stopping to rest. It was straining work to walk in the snowstorm and it was costing them a lot of time and energy.
Just when they were about stop, an arrow flew an inched from Wufei's head. The three pilots turned their horses around so that they back to back and formed a triangle. That way, they would see any attacker coming. Unfortunately, in the snow, they couldn't see a thing. Swords at hand and ready, they waited for the first move.
Another arrow flew and missed Duo's middle to hit Heero's back. The Perfect Soldier arched his back in reflex and nearly fell from his horse but managed to prevent himself as ten soldiers suddenly appeared and charged them.
The fight, from outside, was rather comical. Because of the snow, the pilots nearly beheaded one of their comrades, thinking he was an enemy. The soldiers did the same but successfully killed four of their number. When the battle was finally looking promising, Heero, not being able to support the pain in his back any longer, fainted and slid off of Wing's back. The mare whinnied in worry and stood over him protectively as a pool of blood started staining the white snow.
When Duo realized what had happened to the Japanese boy, he cursed and tried to get to him but a soldier blocked his way. His mind half clouded by rage and fuzziness from his illness, he barely managed to evade a nasty blow to the head. The sword continued down and passed so near to Shinigami's head that the horse bolted away in surprise. Duo looked back while trying to control his mad horse and saw that the two remaining soldiers were closing in on Wufei. He watched, powerless, as the Chinese boy fought to bring them down and called his name. As the black horse continued on his escape, the battle became smaller and smaller until it disappeared under the snow.
Shouting frantically, Duo tried to make Shinigami stop but the horse would have none of it. Suddenly, another cough fit made itself know and the braided boy had to hold tight on to the stallion's mane in order not to fall. When he opened his eyes, it was to realize that the snow was becoming fuzzy and that his horse had four ears instead of two.
" Not now." was Duo's last words before he fell unconscious and slid off Shinigami's back. The horse, feeling the weight disappear, stopped sharp and turned around to gently push his master with his nose. Even when he whinnied in alarm, the boy didn't budge. Shinigami lay down beside Duo and waited for him to wake up.
*********
Wufei panted and brushed the sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hand. He had finally managed to get rid of the soldiers, but it was the least of his worries. He jumped off of Shadowfax's back, kneeled beside Heero and frowned worriedly. Not waiting a second, he carefully removed the arrow in his back, releasing a fresh flow of blood, and tore a large piece of his cloak to use as a bandage. It didn't stop the liquid from flowing, but at least it slowed it down. Carefully removing Heero from the ground, he installed him on Wing and himself climbed on Shadowfax. He looked around one last time and resumed his walk. The regret that got hold of his heart was great as he left. He couldn't afford to search for Duo even if he dearly wished to. Heero was badly injured and needed immediate attention. Also, with the storm, he risked getting lost and now they would all die. Of course, once Heero was under care and the storm had died down, he would search for the braided boy. He hoped that Shinigami would bring the boy back before the storm got him.
******** The end ********
That's it for this chapter! I know, poor Duo gets all the bad luck but I like to torture him! Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.
A-chan
Warnings: yaoi (1x2) bits of violence
Chapter 16
White. Plain, beautiful, whiteness. The vast plain was of a perfectly immaculate white, only disturbed by occasional snow dunes blown by the wind. A cold breeze sang to the end of the horizon, echoing past the blue sky. As the day aged away, cold crept on the valley, oblivious of the sun's pale rays. The light reflected on the snow like a mirror, making it impossible to stare at the ground. Far away, dark storm clouds loomed menacingly, risking to spill their snowy rage over the plain.
Aseldir brushed his hands together furiously in a vain attempt to bring back some feeling to them. Although they were fairly south, the winter was short but merciless. Even with all the sun, it was bitterly cold and the best fur coat wouldn't be able to block the bone-chilling wind away.
Bad luck had pilled itself on Aseldir. Firstly, he was forced to find the boys in the dreaded temperature. Secondly, with last night's storm, he feared for their safety and health. Thirdly, last but the worst, he had spotted a gathering of about ten soldiers marching in the same direction as him. They were undoubtedly Ineluki's and were seeking the same thing as him. From that moment, the red-haired soldier was forcing the pace. His poor horse was shining with sweat that hovered dangerously between ice and steam. Still, it was primordial that he found the three boys before the next storm came up.
Patting his horse's neck, he encouraged him further. Midday was coming soon and he would allow a short rest. Cursing against a cold gust of wind, bitter dreams of heat and warm food filled his mind.
********
Days inched by slowly, one by one. The first time Wufei had made his way from Fangorn to Rivendel, it had taken him a few days at the most. Now, with two normal horses trailing behind him, Shadowfax had to keep a reasonable pace. Thus, they had now walked for two weeks without a single sign of the forest. The storm clouds were now right over their heads and they didn't doubt that it wouldn't be long before it exploded.
The boys were resting while munching their last dried nuts. At this rate, they would run out of food before they reached the forest.
" Wufei, do you have any clue on where we are?" Duo asked impatiently, stomping his foot to bring back the blood.
" Truthfully, no. Shadowfax is the one guiding us. He managed to safely bring me to Rivendel before."
" Great. Follow the horse. That doesn't sound good at all." The braided boy replied hotly, shuddering furiously under the cold.
" He is right. Without landmarks, even the best guide can get lost." Heero agreed, barely able to stop his teeth from chattering.
Wufei didn't say anything and contented himself in staring at Shadowfax intensively. The proud horse shook his head up and down. Usually, it meant he was ready for action, but this time, he looked worried. The Chinese boy frowned inwardly.
" Still, we are better off moving. Let's go. We have rested long enough." Wufei finally said, standing up.
The others followed silently. They were all eager to get out of the cold as soon as possible and find a shelter before night instead of sleeping outside, like they had done for two weeks.
Luck was definitively on their side that day. After barely three hours of hard-pressed walk, they found themselves before a small hill housing a cave. The entrance was nearly fully covered by snow but the wind that engulfed itself in it and whistled betrayed its presence.
The boys didn't have to urge their horses forward, they moved of their own. They still had to dig their way in and it was a tedious task but they didn't care. The prospect of getting out of the winds was too appealing.
It took a full half hour to clear the entrance enough so that the horses could fit. They eagerly got in and many sighs of relief echoed down the cave.
" That's better! But we should do something about the wind. Bury the entrance again maybe." Duo suggested while inspecting the walls.
" Good idea Maxwell. We'll have to leave a hole for oxygen." Wufei agreed immediately.
" Let's go then." Heero said, kneeling down on the ground and starting the pile.
The three pilots worked hard for four hours to build the wall. It fell and crumpled a dozen times because of the wind, making the frustration reach summits. The last time it fell and they had to start over, Duo cracked. He fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter much to his comrades' worry. When he finally calmed down, he stared at the pile of snow in total disinterest. Heero and Wufei called him often, but it was only when the wall was half done that he moved and helped.
So, after four hours of fighting winds and cold and snow, they had their wall up. They decided to rest a little, slumping down against the walls, panting.
" So, we pass the night here?" Duo asked, eyes spaced out.
" We could, but I think this cave goes farther in the hill." Heero replied, getting up and carefully making his way towards the black of the tunnel.
" Anything to be as far away from the cold as possible. Let's go." Wufei agreed and followed the Perfect Soldier.
Duo grunted deeply and forced himself on his feet. The others didn't know anything, and it was better that way. He didn't want to slow them down or worry them, but he felt that he was covering something. He had trouble breathing and he was light-headed. It was impossible to tell in the cold, but he suspected that he was feverish. He just hoped it wasn't some unknown illness from Middle Earth.
He quickly fell in steps with the others, holding Shinigami's reins half- heartedly. It seemed like the cave had no ending as it became darker and the light from the hole in the snow wall dimmed away. Soon, they found themselves in utter darkness. Silence fell on them and they didn't dare move. There was something in there, farther in the hill.
" We're not alone." Heero suddenly said, confirming everyone's thoughts.
The three of them silenced, straining to hear something. A slow hiss pierced the silence, followed by a deep but soft growl. Wing raised her head up and cried in alarm, pulling against Heero's hold. Shinigami did the same when two bright yellow eyes illuminated the shadows. Duo forced his horse's head down and whispered something to him while keeping a wary eye on the yellow irises.
Contrarily to the others, Wufei couldn't move. Not because he was afraid, but because the eyes had caught his spirit. He was looking past the golden irises, farther into its holder's soul. They belonged to a beast, it was plainly evident, but it held wisdom and caution. They were calculating.
Suddenly, a deep growl echoed down the cave, making even the earth rumble. The thing got closer and the three boys managed to identify what it was.
A huge white wolf was looking at them very intensively. Its hackles were raised to the gums, allowing it to make his under-earth growl. Its height was the most impressing. From paws to shoulder, it came to the boy's armpits and from nose to tip of the tail; it had to measure six feet at most. Its claws were out and it was crouched in a position to attack.
Of course, Heero was the first to react. He unsheathed his sword and let go of Wing who bolted away. The Perfect Soldier was about to strike when Wufei stopped him. The Chinese boy stared at him for a few seconds before turning his attention back on the wolf.
When Wufei got closer, the beast lowered its hackles and backed a little, confusion clear in its eyes. When the boy finally pressed a hand on its head, the animal completely surrendered and lowered its head. Wufei caressed him a little longer before turning to the others.
" Come on. We're allowed passage." He said before motioning to the wolf to guide them. The animal complied, turned around and started at a slow trot so that others could follow it easily. Heero and Duo followed, surprise plain even on the Japanese boy's face.
" Aren't you going to fetch Wing?" Duo finally asked.
" No. She can't get out anyway." Heero replied coldly.
The rest of the trip was made in silence. They walked for two good hours, keeping a steady pace. They seemed to be going down in the earth as the tunnel was constantly leaning down. Duo made a sharp remark on how he didn't want to go back down in the ground after Helm's Deep's battle.
" Hey Wu-man. Don't you think we're far enough? It's starting to get cold again." the braided boy pleaded as he started shivering again. He immediately shut up when they entered a big room.
It was dimly lit by a hole dug through the hill but every detail was crystal clear. A hundred shapes of pure white were massed in the room. As soon as they got in, they started to move and get up. The cave was full of white wolves as big and sometimes bigger than the one guiding them.
The three boys followed, unable to say anything, as the wolf guide led them to the far end of the room where one particularly large beast rested. It was at least twice as big as the other wolves and it's without doubts that they guessed he was the alpha male.
The beast raised its head slowly and studied the three boys carefully. After a minute that seemed like hours, he got up and stepped closer. The wolf guide moved away quickly, tail between legs.
It was truly impressing to have a beast taller than you sitting barely a foot away. Its piercing eyes studied the boys one after the other before finally stopping on Wufei. The two stared at each other without making a sound. Minutes inched by and Duo was starting to loose patience when the wolf finally moved. The beast got up and approached his big nose towards Wufei's neck.
It happened very quickly. In a flash, the wolf had opened its massive jaws and had clamped them solidly on the Chinese boy's neck. But as soon as they had closed, it opened them again. Wufei stood unfazed with only a slight change in his posture signalling he was aware of what had happened. Heero and Duo reacted immediately and drew their swords, only to be stopped by a sign from Wufei.
The wolf slowly retreated and laid back down like he was when they got in. The great beast watched them intensively before closing its eyes.
*********
Duo looked at Wufei for quite some time before daring to speak. The Chinese boy was eating his piece of meat quietly as if nothing had happened. It was as if the fact that they were in a cave full of giant wolves, eating their meat was perfectly normal. Heero didn't seem bothered either. He was sitting cross-legged across the fire, sword on his lap while he cleaned it. Somehow, something was wrong with the tableau.
" I don't want to interrupt anything, but what the hell happened?" the braided boy finally burst out, unable to contain his questions anymore.
" Keep it down, Maxwell. We're invited but he could very well change his mind." Wufei warned, not even looking up from his meal.
" He? Invited? Did I miss something?" Duo asked next in a whisper.
" Fenrir. He's the big wolf I talked to earlier. He's the chief, the alpha of this pack. I asked him if we could rest here for the night, and he accepted." the Chinese boy replied naturally and took a long sip of water.
" Slow down. Talked? To a wolf? How?" the American demanded in total surprise and confusion.
This time, Wufei took some time before replying. He set his cup down and stared in the fire for a few seconds before hesitantly answering.
" It's quite hard to explain. It wasn't usual talk, with words. It was more like thoughts, without being it. We spoke through our minds but it wasn't telepathic. Just by looking in his eyes, I knew everything I wanted to learn. It was, weird."
The two other pilots listened attentively, especially Heero who nodded knowingly.
" You're right Wu-man, I don't get it. I didn't know you had the power to speak to animals!" Duo exclaimed than quickly lowered his voice after seeing the angry glances the other wolves cast.
" May I remind you that you have the strangest personality ever?" Wufei bit back.
Duo didn't reply but contented himself in smiling sheepishly. Inside, he was sighing with relief. He was glad they hadn't noticed his other bizarre faculty. Traveling to a dream world when he wished and speaking to people there wasn't exactly normal. Also, he felt like his sickness was worsening. He was so tired that he had to fight to stay seated. His breathing was raged and harder than ever. At least he was still able to hide it to the others. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to play the comedy though.
" I thought so."
Duo snapped his head up and realized that he had been dangerously close to falling asleep. Catching himself, he tried to think of an excuse and looked at Heero. The brown-haired boy looked at him than Wufei and spoke.
" I was feeling something in the air while you were 'speaking'." He said plainly.
" Felt?" Duo asked curiously." Reminds me of when you were staring at something in space that day in Tom Bombadil's territory. You still haven't told me what it was."
" Someone was watching us." Heero answered while putting his sword away.
" Really? Like that last night in Helm's Deep? You sure are a weird duo." The American joked with a quiet laugh.
" It's nothing funny Maxwell. We don't know what's going on, what it is." Wufei said sharply. " It could be dangerous."
" Bah. Might as well use it to our advantage." Duo replied and shrugged. The sooner they closed the conversation, the sooner he'd be able to sleep and rest.
" Isn't Fenrir the name of a demon in some old Greek or roman mythology? How come they use it here?" Heero demanded pensively.
" I don't know, but it's not the first connection we have with them." Wufei answered and proceeded in explaining all that he had seen in Orthanc, Isengard's Tower.
Duo tried to listen, but he soon abandoned. His eyelids dropped of their own and there was nothing he could do about it except lay down before he fell. Snuggling comfortably in his blanket, he faintly thought of visiting Tallien before he completely fell into oblivion.
********
Heero was glad when Wufei finally ended his tale. He was growing tired and the next day would be as challenging. Casting a side-glance to the slumbering braided pilot, he wished to do the same but he still had one last thing he wanted to know.
" Why did Fenrir bite you?" Heero asked finally with a tired edge to his voice.
Surprised by the question, Wufei raised two elegant eyebrows. " It's better if I show you." The Chinese boy took his collar and opened it so that his left shoulder was bare. Right where the neck connects with the shoulder, there were two holes. " Fenrir 'marked' me. If we are in need of help, I show this to any wolf pack and they'll help us."
" He only pierced the skin with his canines." The Perfect Soldier remarked thoughtfully.
" Yes. He said he had poison on them that'll prevent the marks from disappearing." Wufei added and couldn't stop the yawn from coming. He stretched his arms in a vain attempt to remove the many knots in his back and shoulders.
Taking it as a sign that the conversation was closed, Heero prepared his bed, not without casting quick glances to Duo sleeping on the other side of the fire. He felt pulled to go and install himself beside the braided boy. Shaking his head, he abandoned the idea with a little pang of regret. Sleep didn't take long before claiming him too.
Wufei watched Heero while he was making his bed and rolled his eyes. It was so evident what was going between him and Maxwell that even he could tell. Lying down, he wondered what they would do tomorrow until sleep grasp him.
*********
Silence reigned in the wolves' cave. Not even the slightest breath could be heard amongst the hundreds of sleeping beings. The air was completely still until a loud cough echoed against the walls.
Duo was curled up in a ball under his covers, hands to his mouth and eyes shut tight against the pain coming from his lungs. His cough was hard and scratched his throat. After some time, it died down and the braided boy panted to catch his breath. He waited a few seconds before turning on his back. His illness was becoming worse every day. He knew that if he didn't found someone to help him, it could very well be lethal.
Turning on his side to stare at the fire, he noticed something moist on his hands. He stared in horror at the blood in his palms. That was not good at all. Tuberculosis could be healed on Earth, but on Middle Earth, he didn't know if their knowledge was advanced enough to.
" Awake already?"
Duo jumped at the sound of the voice and quickly washed his hands on his pack he used as a pillow.
" Yeah, this place gives me the creeps." The American boy replied and sat up to stretch.
Heero stared for a second, as if searching for something wrong but seemed to found nothing because he got up and went to wake Wufei up.
The wolves didn't stir while they were packing and leaving. Only Fenrir opened and eye to watch them go only to close it quickly. The horses were standing near the entrance to the tunnel with Wing who had been shepherded by Shadowfax. It took them two hours to walk back up and a good thirty minutes to destroy their snow wall that had survived the night.
Their good mood was totally spoiled when they caught a glimpse of the sky. It was dark with the storm clouds that had been taunting them for two weeks. The three boys looked back to the cave and were torn between two choices. Pass the day with the wolves and risk to run out of provisions or risk the storm and arrive to Fangorn Forest before it spilled.
" I say we go back and ask Fenrir for shelter." Duo suggested, not liking the clouds one bit.
" I think it safer to continue." Wufei countered and got on Shadowfax. " Fenrir said it was half a day from here on a horse. Even if the storm does start, we'll still be able to get there before dark. Let's go." He finished and started walking.
Duo grumbled but didn't felt like arguing so he followed Wufei silently. Heero walked a little behind, looking back and frowning. Something was wrong but he didn't say anything. His comrades looked worried and tired enough.
********
Duo cursed profusely but was cut short by another coughing fit. They hadn't walked for two hours that the storm had started. They could barely see farther than the tips of their horses' ears because of the snow flurry. They kept close so as not to loose each other. It's useless to say that Heero and Wufei quickly found out about Duo. He coughed more and more and his eyes were a little unfocused. Of course, they had asked, but the braided boy refused to admit the seriousness of his illness and put it on the account of ' the bloody weather gave me a cold'. The two other pilots didn't believe it one bit but abandoned trying to get a confession out of him. It was well know that if Duo didn't want to say something, you'd never be able to get it out of him.
It was midday and they still didn't have a clue on where they were. They agreed to keep going for another hour before stopping to rest. It was straining work to walk in the snowstorm and it was costing them a lot of time and energy.
Just when they were about stop, an arrow flew an inched from Wufei's head. The three pilots turned their horses around so that they back to back and formed a triangle. That way, they would see any attacker coming. Unfortunately, in the snow, they couldn't see a thing. Swords at hand and ready, they waited for the first move.
Another arrow flew and missed Duo's middle to hit Heero's back. The Perfect Soldier arched his back in reflex and nearly fell from his horse but managed to prevent himself as ten soldiers suddenly appeared and charged them.
The fight, from outside, was rather comical. Because of the snow, the pilots nearly beheaded one of their comrades, thinking he was an enemy. The soldiers did the same but successfully killed four of their number. When the battle was finally looking promising, Heero, not being able to support the pain in his back any longer, fainted and slid off of Wing's back. The mare whinnied in worry and stood over him protectively as a pool of blood started staining the white snow.
When Duo realized what had happened to the Japanese boy, he cursed and tried to get to him but a soldier blocked his way. His mind half clouded by rage and fuzziness from his illness, he barely managed to evade a nasty blow to the head. The sword continued down and passed so near to Shinigami's head that the horse bolted away in surprise. Duo looked back while trying to control his mad horse and saw that the two remaining soldiers were closing in on Wufei. He watched, powerless, as the Chinese boy fought to bring them down and called his name. As the black horse continued on his escape, the battle became smaller and smaller until it disappeared under the snow.
Shouting frantically, Duo tried to make Shinigami stop but the horse would have none of it. Suddenly, another cough fit made itself know and the braided boy had to hold tight on to the stallion's mane in order not to fall. When he opened his eyes, it was to realize that the snow was becoming fuzzy and that his horse had four ears instead of two.
" Not now." was Duo's last words before he fell unconscious and slid off Shinigami's back. The horse, feeling the weight disappear, stopped sharp and turned around to gently push his master with his nose. Even when he whinnied in alarm, the boy didn't budge. Shinigami lay down beside Duo and waited for him to wake up.
*********
Wufei panted and brushed the sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hand. He had finally managed to get rid of the soldiers, but it was the least of his worries. He jumped off of Shadowfax's back, kneeled beside Heero and frowned worriedly. Not waiting a second, he carefully removed the arrow in his back, releasing a fresh flow of blood, and tore a large piece of his cloak to use as a bandage. It didn't stop the liquid from flowing, but at least it slowed it down. Carefully removing Heero from the ground, he installed him on Wing and himself climbed on Shadowfax. He looked around one last time and resumed his walk. The regret that got hold of his heart was great as he left. He couldn't afford to search for Duo even if he dearly wished to. Heero was badly injured and needed immediate attention. Also, with the storm, he risked getting lost and now they would all die. Of course, once Heero was under care and the storm had died down, he would search for the braided boy. He hoped that Shinigami would bring the boy back before the storm got him.
******** The end ********
That's it for this chapter! I know, poor Duo gets all the bad luck but I like to torture him! Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.
A-chan