Disclaimer: Not mine
Also, something strange is going on, and nothing I can do to denote scene/POV changes is working, If anyone knows why, please help. Apart, from that, there are only three scene changes: from Duo to Ariel, and then from Ariel to Andreguo, and finally from Andreguo back to Duo.
Heero blinked, watching the silhouettes of soldiers through the cloth of his tent. Since the attack, every man in the camp was on his toes, and every second night there was a false alarm. Watchtowers were being built closer to the river so that they would be useful for the watch shifts.
Heero turned back to his papers, absorbing the news he had recieved. Fabrisia, so far, had been left alone, although the Airmessens were still hovering menacingly near the border. Greye's prince had been killed in battle, and the Hastrosian peasants were mutinous, demanding more protection.
But the news that really interested Heero was from his own country. An attack had been made on the capital, Ferith. Treize had escaped unharmed, as had the Royal Princess of Sanq. The problem now was where they could go for safety. Ferith was overrun, and there was no hope of recovering it in the near future.
So, instead of going to their allies, Treize, in his infinite wisdom, had decided to tour the war camps, to "boost morale," or so he said in his letter. Naturally, Relena would be joining him. Her father had protested strongly, but Relena was adamant. She thought that the people needed her, and was suffering from Heero-withdrawal.
The 'tour' was to begin at Jamice in Greye, and continue down the border. They would arrive in Yhman within a fortnight.
Heero gave a loud sigh. Relena. Here. His brain refused to connect the two words, not wanting to accept their meaning. Behind him, Duo approached slowly, absorbed in his meagre lunch. The braided boy paused as he observed Heero's slumped figure, and frowned in concern.
"Heero?"
The cobalt-eyed knight turned, his body straightening. Duo looked him over, worried by what he saw. Dark rings encircled the blue eyes, and the slightly flushed face was strained and exhausted. Putting down his bowl, Duo sat next to his knight-master.
"You feel ok? You don't look so good." He commented.
Heero shrugged off his fears, "It's nothing- just a headache."
Duo accepted Heero's answer, though he was still uneasy. "So what's all this?" he asked, picking up his lunch again.
"Correspondence. Ferith is overrun, and Treize and Relena are coming here." Heero replied glumly. Duo winced. The pink princess herself...
Looking at Heero, Duo became more and more certain that something was wrong. Heero was sweating slightly, and his eyes were dull and glazed.
"Heero, I think you should see a doctor. We can't afford to have you falling sick now. C'mon, there's a good one in the camp." Duo grabbed Heero's hand and pulled gently. Heero shook his head.
"They're all busy enough without me bothering them about a headache." He said, as reasonably as he could. Heero wondered vaguely why it was so hot.
"I really think you should-"
"Shut up! I'm fine. I don't need your help!" Heero snapped. Duo dropped his hand as though it were a snake.
"Fine. See if I care." He snarled, and stormed out of the tent.
Why is that guy such a pig? Duo wondered furiously. I was just trying to help...
Without thinking about it, his feet followed the familiar path to Quatre and Trowa's tent. With a flash of guilt, Duo realised he hadn't gone to check up on his friend after his fall, and the subsequent chase.
Opening the flap without a pause, Duo grinned at the surprised Trowa. Then his eyes dropped the Quatre, who was lying with his head in Trowa's lap and a damp cloth over his eyes. Duo's own eyes widened speculatively at the protective glare Trowa lowered at him.
Quatre lifted the cloth and peered at Duo. He smiled, but remained silent. Surprisingly, Trowa spoke for him. "Quatre has a headache. He got a concussion when he hit his head."
Duo nodded, and quietly tiptoed away, feeling he wasn't wanted. He wondered at the relationship between Quatre and his uni-banged knight master. He doubted that it was purely platonic, whether or not the two realized it.
Duo caught himself contemplating the idea of such a relationship between himself and Heero, and snapped off that thought like a brittle twig. It was an impossibility, and he didn't know why he'd thought if it in the first place. Heero was an insufferable git, as proved by his comments earlier.
The thought of the argument, and what had provoked it, naturally sent his eyes drifting towards the medic's tent, where they locked onto a scarlet sign.
Quarantine
Dread crept through Duo. Every army's worst nightmare was disease, the silent killer. In situations like these; crammed, dirty and insect-ridden; plague was almost inevitable.
A passing surgeon saw Duo's horrified face. "Be careful who you talk to, boy. Don't know who's got it."
Duo swung around. "What are the symptoms?" he asked quickly.
The man shrugged. "The early signs are a fever, headache and abrupt mood swings. After that comes the..." But Duo was already gone, pelting up the hill towards the tent at the crest.
Oh God, not Heero, please not Heero...
Ariel scowled as his grey mare was led away. Sir Bredingwhaith's mount had contracted colic and died, so Ariel's ever inconsiderate knight master had commandeered Ariel's beautiful Sirasri. The mare had been the last present he had recieved from his father.
It seemed irrational to get worked up over this. It would do him no good. So he bottled up his anger inside his head, refusing to let it see daylight until it was ready to aid his cause.
Still, he couldn't completely hide his loathing for the fat knight beside him, and chose to disguise it as a childish sulk. A heavy hand descended on his shoulder, and Bredingwhaith beamed at him.
"It's just a horse, Ari my lad, no need to look so put out. You'll get another one soon."
Ariel almost snarled at the man as Sirasri disappeared from view. He hated Bredingwhaith, pitied himself and loathed the nickname Ari.
Bredingwhaith was right; he would be getting another horse soon. Since so many of the animals had died, due to poor feed and noxious weeds in the area, Yhman had a flourishing horse trade. Ariel had seen those beasts, and had no illusions as to what sort of nag he would be getting. Worse still, Bredingwhaith knew the value of Sirasri, and there had been no mention of returning her when he found another horse.
Bredingwhaith, perhaps sensing the latent fury, tousled Ariel's silver-blonde hair and strode away to inspect his new horse.
Ariel turned on his heel. He knew he looked like a sulking child, and didn't care. In a way, some part of his mind mused, he was merely a cross child. But the rest of Ariel refused to dignify that with a response.
He watched with detachment as people rushed through the camp, but it suddenly occurred to him that people were rarely busy at this time of day. He grabbed the wrist of a passing man from his position in the shade. "What's going on?" he demanded. The man stared at Ariel as though he would bite him.
"The plague," he muttered, "the plague is here." Ariel dropped his wrist and leapt back, scanning the man for signs of illness. Thankfully the stranger appeared fine. "Symptoms?" Ariel barked.
The man's eyes slid towards the safety of his own tent, but he replied "Starts off with a fever or a headache, then mood swings. Then you faint, and sometimes cough up bile. After that, you go unconscious. That's as far as the first case has gotten so far, but fifty people have already been quarantined, it's that contagious."
The man had been out long enough. He dashed away into the rapidly thinning crowd, and Ariel let him go.
He couldn't help but hope Bredingwhaith contracted the disease, or at least a mild case of it, only so that the fat pig couldn't ride. For a moment, he was appalled at himself, but quickly shrugged it off. The bastard had taken Sirasri, after all.
Dormien Andreguo paced the length of his high, yet narrow tent. Things were slowly slipping into position. But it was too slow. He fiddled with the thick chain around his neck, toying with the pendant hanging off it. Progression needed to speed up. There was only so much time before the mountain passes in Greye were blocked with ice and snow. The plan had to be executed and the evidenced destroyed before the passes closed.
A noise from the corner of his tent drew his attention. He made an impatient sound, strode over, and slammed the wicker lid down on the basket. The creature inside hummed and rustled. Damned thing was getting too big for its basket.
A new stage would commence within the week. His allies were forming, and his control over the camp was growing. He clenched his hand into a fist, pleased with the mobility. All his life, his left hand had been afflicted with a crippling arthritis.
Moving to the flap of the tent, he shot a warning glance towards the wicker basket. A murmur issued from within. Shaking his head in disgust, he left the tent.
Duo burst into the tent, and watched as Heero's head turned so slowly towards him. Duo dropped to his knees beside him, and felt his forehead. Heero had a fever.
The dazed blue eyes looked at him for a moment, unrecognising, then Heero made a tiny mewling sound, and passed out. Duo caught him, looking around helplessly.
"Yuy?" came an incredulous voice. Duo turned to see Wufei, standing nervously at the opening of the tent, staring at Heero's crumpled form.
"Don't just stand there!" Duo snapped. Wufei jerked into action, moving towards them, and helping Duo pick up the taller knight.
Slowly they made their way down the hill. Hushed whispers followed them. The soldiers were frightened. Sir Heero was their luck. He was, in their minds at least, the only thing holding this little camp together. And he had the plague.
"Maxwell!" Wufei hissed. "We have to get Yuy out of sight. Morale is low enough already."
Duo nodded, and together they manoeuvred Heero into the medical tent. There was a shocked silence as they entered. Stunned eyes turned towards them, and zeroed in on the limp form in their arms. Then a field-nurse gasped, and the spell was broken. Medics abandoned their patients, conscious and unconscious, to crowd around them, all determined to be the saviour of Sir Yuy.
Duo was shouldered impatiently to the side, and Wufei was collared and hurriedly questioned. Apparently the medics knew his reputation, and decided he was far more important than the lost looking squire in the corner.
Duo watched as Heero was man-handled onto a sturdy camp bed in the corner, and partitioned off with a few dirty blankets. Somewhere during the transition, Heero awoke briefly, looking around wildly and muttering in his native language, before he relapsed into a tense sleep.
Slowly the knot of people dispersed to their various patients, and Duo carefully parted the blankets and stood awkwardly beside Heero's limp form. A rustle behind him alerted him to the arrival of the head surgeon.
The balding man peered at Duo over his glasses. "You da squahr?" he asked. Duo frowned, confused for a moment, before translating the strange accent. "Yeah, I'm his squire."
The wizened man nodded. "You wait dere!" he barked, pointing to the opposite corner. Duo moved obediently to the corner, watching as the man plunked a bulging kit down on the end of Heero's bed. He reverently removed half a dozen odd, wood and metal objects, and a small, carefully padded jar of leeches.
Duo winced as he watched the squirming black worms. He hated leeches. The thought of willingly allowing worms to suck his blood disturbed him more than a little. He watched as the slimy creatures were placed to the side, and one of the metal instruments was pushed down Heero's throat.
"Hmmm.... de tonsils appear fine." The doctor said, removing the thing briskly. "So it's definitely not just a cold."
He began to slowly unscrew the lid of the jar. Inside, a long black leech stretched up towards his hand. Duo felt sick.
"I'll be back, Heero," he said quickly, and darted outside.
Outside, he took a couple of deep breaths.
Heero's sick. Dozens of other people are too, and the doctors have never seen this disease before. But there's no reason to worry right now. No one has died...yet.
Duo instantly regretted thinking that last word.
A familiar head of silver blonde hair bobbed past, and Duo called out to him. Ariel turned, his eyes growing cold as he saw who had called out to him.
"Yes?" he asked, his tone icy. Duo hesitated. He wasn't sure exactly why he had stopped Ariel from doing whatever it was he was doing; it just felt natural at the time.
"If you're just going to stand there, I'm leaving."
"No, wait," Duo said quickly. "Look, have you heard anything from Gerohn?"
Ariel looked at him as though he were insane. "And why would I be communicating with that brainless lump of lard?"
Duo blinked. "Well, he is your brother. Not to mention that any inheritance you get will come from him."
Ariel's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't count on it." He said dangerously.
Confused, Duo stepped back. Ariel took this as his chance to escape.
What the hell did he mean by that? Gerohn will inherit everything their father has, which isn't much, and the most Ariel can hope for is a farm or two, even if Gerohn is generous. What does he mean, "I wouldn't count on it?"
Uneasily, Duo recalled an incident from their childhood. Lord Fandes had come to visit at Maxwell, and brought gifts for the family. The man had been embarrassed and apologetic, when he discovered that Lord Maxwell's brother had three sons, instead of the two he had expected. It was only a little thing, but the expression on Ariel's face after everyone's back had been turned...
Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Duo turned, and headed in the direction of their tent. With a pang he realised that for the next few days, maybe even weeks, the tent would be his alone.
But a small hand tapped his shoulder, and Duo turned to face the little maid he knew vaguely as Maisy. "Squire Duo, you can't leave. You have to stay here." the girl told him, carefully. Duo turned on his heel, and instantly started for the tent where he'd left Heero. She blinked; they didn't usually take it this well. Maisy once again tapped his shoulder.
"No, Master Duo. You have to go to the Quarantine area, not the sick tent."
Duo spun around again, his mind curiously blank. Wufei sat, already, in the roped off section of the camp. It was filling fast, and Duo detachedly made a mental note to get a tent as close to the sick tent as possible, in case something happened to Heero. At that thought, he woke up a little.
Nothing will happen to Heero, He reassured himself.
Thanks to the peace person, once again, for betaing. And I was wondering, do you want a 13x5 pairing?