I`m really sorry about the funky symbols, but I`m having some computor issues...
Ok. I know it`s been a while. I`m sorry. V.V
Dedications, as always.
Ed: Trust me on this one. At my school, the english teacher are either a)
older, balding women b) grandmothers c) toadish in appearance or d)
perverts. Thanks for reviewing!
Mithros: ^^ Ok, then. Don`t worry, I plan on continuing. Actually, I know
exactly what I want to put in a chapter about fifteen or so down the line,
so you shouldn`t have to worry about me not continuing.
***
October 30, Minas Tirith
Ò...In the drawing beneath the box.Ó
Duo blinked and tossed down the book.
ÒMan! Solo reads the weirdest stuff.Ó He rolled his eyes and dropped to
the ground, feeling under his brother`s bed with one hand.
ÒDust.Ó He sat up and looked around the small stone room.
ÒWhere is it...Ó Standing up, he climbed onto the unmade bed and felt on the shelf above it.
ÒNothing...nothing...Ó He picked an object up.
ÒHey! A gold piece!Ó Pocketing this, jumped lightly off the bed and walked
over to a chest of drawers standing next to the door.
ÒLocked.Ó He drew back from it and reached into his pocket, where he
pulled out a small twig of metal.
ÒBut not for long!Ó He smiled and kneeling down, set about picking the
lock.
ÒCome on, you...Ó With a small click the lock opened.
ÒYes!Ó He put his tool away, then opened the drawer.
ÒClothes. LetÕs see whatÕs underneath them.Ó
Duo brushed his hair out of his eyes then carefully picked up a stack of
clothes, being careful not to unfold or disturb them anymore then he had
to.
ÒI`ve found the treasure!Ó He crowed to himself, lifting out a small pouch.
ÒSolo`s money bag! I`ve finally found where he keeps it in his room!Ó
ÒReally?Ó
Duo froze, money bag in one hand, stack of clothes in the other, kneeling
next to an open drawer in his brotherÕs room.
He slowly turned around, noting with relief that it was not his brother
behind him, but his father.
ÒUh...Hi, father.Ó
A smiling older man looked down on him. ÒWhat was that, Duo?Ó
He grinned in an embarrassed way and carefully put both the stack of
clothes and the leather pouch back in their places.
ÒI...er...Ó
He suddenly sprang up and sprinted out the open door, down the hall
and out the front door, shouting ÒSorry `bout that!Ó over his shoulder.
As he ran down the street leading away from his house, he barely missed
colliding with a girl, about his age.
Instead, he swerved to the side and tumbled over a basket of fruits,
sending them flying.
ÒHey, are you ok?Ó She asked, as he stood up and brushed himself off.
ÒThat must`ve hurt.Ó
He looked at the apples lying on the ground and tossed her one.
ÒWhat`re you doing here, Hilde?Ó
She smiled, ÒI could ask you the same thing.Ó
He bit into the fruit. ÒTrue. Well, if you must know, I was running for my
life, after being caught exercising my purloining abilities, so to speak,Ó He
looked at her curiously. ÒYou?Ó
She laughed, ÒYou might want to keep running.Ó
Duo turned around to see a heavyset man walking towards them,
sending him a dirty look.
ÒUh...Ó Duo bent down and picked up an armful more of the sweet fruit,
before grabbing Hilde with his free hand and dragging her down a side
street, that would take them back to the main road on this level.
ÒC`mon!Ó
A fruit slipped out from his arms, bending down he swore, ÒAh, damnit.Ó
He glanced at her.
ÒCatch!Ó
He tossed her the apple that he had dropped, and as she caught it, he
stopped running.
They were in what served as a town square, a small area with a couple of
benches and, if you walked over to the wall, a view over the land.
He sat down on a stone bench, and after a moments hesitation, she sat
down next to him.
There was silence for a while, before Duo spoke up.
ÒTodayÕs the thirtieth, right?Ó
Hilde responded, ÒYes. Why?Ó
The braided boy grinned and jumped off the bench. ÒYa know, tomorrow
night?Ó
She looked at him, confused.
ÒWhat? You mean you forgot?Ó He slapped his head, ÒAll Hallows Eve?
The thirty-first?Ó Seeing that she was still drawing a blank, he continued.
ÒThat means, a c-e-l-b-r-a-t-i-o-n.Ó
He watched as the meaning of his words clicked.
ÒA party, Hil`! Costumes, food, bonfires, the works!Ó He sat down on the
stone ground in front of her.
ÒThink of the fun!Ó He grinned at her.
ÒYou`d have to be insane to not go.Ó
ÒCall me insane, then, I guess.Ó She leaned forward, resting her chin on
her cupped hand.
ÒI assume you are going?Ó
His eyes widened as he stared at her, ignoring her last question.
Ò...What? How come?Ó He asked, utterly shocked as to why someone
would not want to go.
ÒDancing,Ó She answered simply. ÒHate it.Ó
ÒOh,Ó He sat next to her on the bench. ÒYeah, me too. DonÕt know why
they insist on making it part of the party.Ó
Hilde nodded her agreement.
ÒItÕs still fun, though,Ó Duo looked at her, ÒWhy miss out, just `cause you
donÕt like to dance?Ó
She paused for a moment, her hands playing with a loose string on her
skirt, before she responded.
ÒI`m not sure, actually. It just...always seemed to dampen the fun, I
guess. It`s not much fun to sit all alone in the dark, watching couples
dance around the fire.Ó
Duo nodded vigorously, ÒI know what you mean. I`m sitting out there
too.Ó
ÒReally?Ó She looked at him, ÒWhy donÕt I ever see you?Ó
He rubbed the back of his head, answering that he usually ended up
hiding somewhere.
Hilde laughed. ÒHow come?Ó
Duo looked at the ground, muttering something inaudible, before
snapping his head back up and talking louder.
ÒBut like I said, it`s still a lot of fun,Ó He got an idea, his eyes lighting up,
ÒHey! How`s this: when the dancing starts, we both meet somewhere. To
get away, of course.Ó
He grinned, ÒPlease? Sounds like you could use some company then, and
I know I could.Ó
She paused, thinking it over, before asking, ÒWhere would we meet?Ó
Duo shrugged, ÒI don`t care. Behind the smithery?Ó
She smiled, brushing her bangs out of her face, then responding, ÒThat
sounds good. It`s on the same level as all the main booths, too. We won`t
even have to go that far.Ó
ÒYeah, but we`ll still be far enough away from the bonfire. NobodyÕs
gonna make us go back to the main area.Ó
She thrust her hand out, ÒDeal, then? Shake on it?Ó
He grasped her hand, giving it a hearty shake.
ÒDeal! IÕll be sure to meet you there, babe.Ó
Duo dropped her hand and leaned back, watching her reaction through
strands of chestnut hair.
He chuckled nervously as she stared at him, unsure of what to make of
that last comment.
***
She stared at him, unsure of what to make of that last comment.
ÒSolo? What did--Ó
The tall boy peeking around a pillar motioned for Cathy to come look for
herself.
She sighed and did so, poking her head out below his, her light skirts
blowing in the breeze playing around the city.
After looking for a few moments, she stood up straight and glared at
Solo.
ÒAll right, I looked. What did you mean?Ó
Solo smiled and withdrew his head, ÒCan`t you see?Ó
She crossed her arms, ÒIf I could, would I be asking you?Ó
He turned around, his hand grazing the stone pillar.
Catherine looked at him, ÒWell?Ó
He shook his head, ÒAnd they say that men arenÕt perceptive.Ó
She glared at him, ÒAnd exactly what is that supposed to mean?Ó
ÒShh.Ó He put a finger to his lips. ÒWatch.Ó
Solo, a soldier of Gondor, went back to spying on his younger brother,
sticking his head around a pillar to watch two young people talk.
Cathy sighed and stuck her head out also.
ÒSo...what did you mean?Ó
Solo grinned widely, ÒA part of my training is lip reading.Ó He spoke
directly to Cathy, ÒAnd I can tell you that what is going on over there is
very interesting.Ó
ÒReally?Ó Cathy looked up, curious, ÒWhat`s he saying?Ó She asked as she
scrutinized the form of the long haired boy.
ÒWell,Ó Solo said, ÒHe just said, `I`llbe sure to meat you there, babe`.Ó He
beamed at the girl next to him, watching as she stared at him in a
confused manner.
Ò...So?Ó
ÒSo? What do you mean, `so`?Ó Solo asked, standing up straight and
crossing his arms.
ÒDuo, my little brother, mind you, just called Hilde, your best friend,
`babe`.Ó
ÒI got that, Solo.Ó Cathy sighed, ÒBut unless you feel like telling me why
that is so important, I donÕt think I`m interested.Ó
He exhaled loudly, muttering about stupid women, before pulling her onto
the ground and squatting next to her.
ÒLook. I call people `babe`, right?Ó He asked, continuing when Cathy
nodded.
ÒI`m his older brother, right?Ó Cathy nodded again, looking impatient.
ÒSo, he decides to copy his older brother, imitate him, and calls Hilde
`babe`.Ó
Catherine stared at him, one eyebrow raised and the look on her face
screaming, ÒAnd your point is?Ó.
Solo sighed again. ÒSo...Ó He made gestures with his hands.
ÒSolo, the only answer I`m getting is one of very high self praise on your
part,Ó She crossed her arms, ÒSo unless this is conversation is going
somewhere, I`m going to leave.Ó
He ran a hand through his hair, ÒLook. Who do I call babe?Ó
Cathy blinked.
ÒHow should I know?Ó
ÒPeople that I like,Ó Solo said, talking slowly, as if to a young child.
ÒNow, we have already determined that I am his older brother, and he
looks up to me,Ó He was interrupted by a small cough. He glared at
Catherine before continuing, ÒHe looks up to me, and imitates me. So,
since I call people I like `babe`, then since he copies me by calling Hilde
`babe`, then he. must. like. her.Ó He stated, punctuating the important
words.
She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
ÒDon`t you think you are reading too much into this? You _think_ you
hear him say `babe` once, so you now think he must like her?Ó She shook
her head.
ÒYou go ahead and believe that, Solo,Ó She played with a loose thread on
her skirt. ÒBut I still say you are reading too much into this.Ó
ÒAm not!Ó Solo replied childishly, sticking his tongue out and crossing his
arms.
ÒAre too,Ó She responded, mimicking him in a teasing fashion. ÒTo find out
who a person likes, you need to ask them. Not just assume. I say you ask
him who he likes. He can`t lie, remember?Ó
ÒIÕm not going to do that,Ó Solo said, shaking his head, ÒThat`s too mean.Ó
ÒIsn`t that what older brothers are for?Ó Cathy asked, ÒBeing mean?Ó
ÒNo,Ó Solo glared at her, ÒI`m not going to do that! ThatÕs cruel. He sucks
at not lying and not telling the truth, so heÕs got no way to defend
himself. Besides,Ó He poked his head out around the pillar again, ÒI think
this tells me all I need to know.Ó
Cathy rolled her eyes, ÒOh, come on, Solo. This,Ó She waved a hand at
the scene behind the pillar, ÒTells us nothing.Ó She stood up, joining the
boy in looking around the stone pillar.
ÒI say he doesnÕ`t like her, and you are jumping to conclusions.Ó
He turned around, now facing her. ÒWho`s brother is it? Mine. If it was
Trowa, then youÕd have more say, but since it`s Duo, I get the final word.Ó
ÒNo, he gets the final word. I say we ask him.Ó
ÒWe can`t ask him, Cathy. All we can do is go by hs actions. And his
actions say he likes her.Ó
ÒWell, I say he doesn`t.Ó
ÒHe does.Ó Solo watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ears.
ÒLook, Cathy, I`ll make a bet with you. I say he likes her, you say he
doesn`t. Whoever`s right gets,Ó He did a quick count of his savings, ÒSix
gold coins from the other, agreed?Ó
Catherine nodded.
ÒHow long do we have to find out?Ó
Solo shrugged. ÒEither until he says something, or two months, whichever
comes first. At the end of the time period, we assume he doesn`t like her
because he didn`t do anything.Ó
She smiled, ÒSounds like a deal.Ó
He grinned, held out his hand, and shook on it.
***
Review?
Please?
Just press that little purple button...
Ok. I know it`s been a while. I`m sorry. V.V
Dedications, as always.
Ed: Trust me on this one. At my school, the english teacher are either a)
older, balding women b) grandmothers c) toadish in appearance or d)
perverts. Thanks for reviewing!
Mithros: ^^ Ok, then. Don`t worry, I plan on continuing. Actually, I know
exactly what I want to put in a chapter about fifteen or so down the line,
so you shouldn`t have to worry about me not continuing.
***
October 30, Minas Tirith
Ò...In the drawing beneath the box.Ó
Duo blinked and tossed down the book.
ÒMan! Solo reads the weirdest stuff.Ó He rolled his eyes and dropped to
the ground, feeling under his brother`s bed with one hand.
ÒDust.Ó He sat up and looked around the small stone room.
ÒWhere is it...Ó Standing up, he climbed onto the unmade bed and felt on the shelf above it.
ÒNothing...nothing...Ó He picked an object up.
ÒHey! A gold piece!Ó Pocketing this, jumped lightly off the bed and walked
over to a chest of drawers standing next to the door.
ÒLocked.Ó He drew back from it and reached into his pocket, where he
pulled out a small twig of metal.
ÒBut not for long!Ó He smiled and kneeling down, set about picking the
lock.
ÒCome on, you...Ó With a small click the lock opened.
ÒYes!Ó He put his tool away, then opened the drawer.
ÒClothes. LetÕs see whatÕs underneath them.Ó
Duo brushed his hair out of his eyes then carefully picked up a stack of
clothes, being careful not to unfold or disturb them anymore then he had
to.
ÒI`ve found the treasure!Ó He crowed to himself, lifting out a small pouch.
ÒSolo`s money bag! I`ve finally found where he keeps it in his room!Ó
ÒReally?Ó
Duo froze, money bag in one hand, stack of clothes in the other, kneeling
next to an open drawer in his brotherÕs room.
He slowly turned around, noting with relief that it was not his brother
behind him, but his father.
ÒUh...Hi, father.Ó
A smiling older man looked down on him. ÒWhat was that, Duo?Ó
He grinned in an embarrassed way and carefully put both the stack of
clothes and the leather pouch back in their places.
ÒI...er...Ó
He suddenly sprang up and sprinted out the open door, down the hall
and out the front door, shouting ÒSorry `bout that!Ó over his shoulder.
As he ran down the street leading away from his house, he barely missed
colliding with a girl, about his age.
Instead, he swerved to the side and tumbled over a basket of fruits,
sending them flying.
ÒHey, are you ok?Ó She asked, as he stood up and brushed himself off.
ÒThat must`ve hurt.Ó
He looked at the apples lying on the ground and tossed her one.
ÒWhat`re you doing here, Hilde?Ó
She smiled, ÒI could ask you the same thing.Ó
He bit into the fruit. ÒTrue. Well, if you must know, I was running for my
life, after being caught exercising my purloining abilities, so to speak,Ó He
looked at her curiously. ÒYou?Ó
She laughed, ÒYou might want to keep running.Ó
Duo turned around to see a heavyset man walking towards them,
sending him a dirty look.
ÒUh...Ó Duo bent down and picked up an armful more of the sweet fruit,
before grabbing Hilde with his free hand and dragging her down a side
street, that would take them back to the main road on this level.
ÒC`mon!Ó
A fruit slipped out from his arms, bending down he swore, ÒAh, damnit.Ó
He glanced at her.
ÒCatch!Ó
He tossed her the apple that he had dropped, and as she caught it, he
stopped running.
They were in what served as a town square, a small area with a couple of
benches and, if you walked over to the wall, a view over the land.
He sat down on a stone bench, and after a moments hesitation, she sat
down next to him.
There was silence for a while, before Duo spoke up.
ÒTodayÕs the thirtieth, right?Ó
Hilde responded, ÒYes. Why?Ó
The braided boy grinned and jumped off the bench. ÒYa know, tomorrow
night?Ó
She looked at him, confused.
ÒWhat? You mean you forgot?Ó He slapped his head, ÒAll Hallows Eve?
The thirty-first?Ó Seeing that she was still drawing a blank, he continued.
ÒThat means, a c-e-l-b-r-a-t-i-o-n.Ó
He watched as the meaning of his words clicked.
ÒA party, Hil`! Costumes, food, bonfires, the works!Ó He sat down on the
stone ground in front of her.
ÒThink of the fun!Ó He grinned at her.
ÒYou`d have to be insane to not go.Ó
ÒCall me insane, then, I guess.Ó She leaned forward, resting her chin on
her cupped hand.
ÒI assume you are going?Ó
His eyes widened as he stared at her, ignoring her last question.
Ò...What? How come?Ó He asked, utterly shocked as to why someone
would not want to go.
ÒDancing,Ó She answered simply. ÒHate it.Ó
ÒOh,Ó He sat next to her on the bench. ÒYeah, me too. DonÕt know why
they insist on making it part of the party.Ó
Hilde nodded her agreement.
ÒItÕs still fun, though,Ó Duo looked at her, ÒWhy miss out, just `cause you
donÕt like to dance?Ó
She paused for a moment, her hands playing with a loose string on her
skirt, before she responded.
ÒI`m not sure, actually. It just...always seemed to dampen the fun, I
guess. It`s not much fun to sit all alone in the dark, watching couples
dance around the fire.Ó
Duo nodded vigorously, ÒI know what you mean. I`m sitting out there
too.Ó
ÒReally?Ó She looked at him, ÒWhy donÕt I ever see you?Ó
He rubbed the back of his head, answering that he usually ended up
hiding somewhere.
Hilde laughed. ÒHow come?Ó
Duo looked at the ground, muttering something inaudible, before
snapping his head back up and talking louder.
ÒBut like I said, it`s still a lot of fun,Ó He got an idea, his eyes lighting up,
ÒHey! How`s this: when the dancing starts, we both meet somewhere. To
get away, of course.Ó
He grinned, ÒPlease? Sounds like you could use some company then, and
I know I could.Ó
She paused, thinking it over, before asking, ÒWhere would we meet?Ó
Duo shrugged, ÒI don`t care. Behind the smithery?Ó
She smiled, brushing her bangs out of her face, then responding, ÒThat
sounds good. It`s on the same level as all the main booths, too. We won`t
even have to go that far.Ó
ÒYeah, but we`ll still be far enough away from the bonfire. NobodyÕs
gonna make us go back to the main area.Ó
She thrust her hand out, ÒDeal, then? Shake on it?Ó
He grasped her hand, giving it a hearty shake.
ÒDeal! IÕll be sure to meet you there, babe.Ó
Duo dropped her hand and leaned back, watching her reaction through
strands of chestnut hair.
He chuckled nervously as she stared at him, unsure of what to make of
that last comment.
***
She stared at him, unsure of what to make of that last comment.
ÒSolo? What did--Ó
The tall boy peeking around a pillar motioned for Cathy to come look for
herself.
She sighed and did so, poking her head out below his, her light skirts
blowing in the breeze playing around the city.
After looking for a few moments, she stood up straight and glared at
Solo.
ÒAll right, I looked. What did you mean?Ó
Solo smiled and withdrew his head, ÒCan`t you see?Ó
She crossed her arms, ÒIf I could, would I be asking you?Ó
He turned around, his hand grazing the stone pillar.
Catherine looked at him, ÒWell?Ó
He shook his head, ÒAnd they say that men arenÕt perceptive.Ó
She glared at him, ÒAnd exactly what is that supposed to mean?Ó
ÒShh.Ó He put a finger to his lips. ÒWatch.Ó
Solo, a soldier of Gondor, went back to spying on his younger brother,
sticking his head around a pillar to watch two young people talk.
Cathy sighed and stuck her head out also.
ÒSo...what did you mean?Ó
Solo grinned widely, ÒA part of my training is lip reading.Ó He spoke
directly to Cathy, ÒAnd I can tell you that what is going on over there is
very interesting.Ó
ÒReally?Ó Cathy looked up, curious, ÒWhat`s he saying?Ó She asked as she
scrutinized the form of the long haired boy.
ÒWell,Ó Solo said, ÒHe just said, `I`llbe sure to meat you there, babe`.Ó He
beamed at the girl next to him, watching as she stared at him in a
confused manner.
Ò...So?Ó
ÒSo? What do you mean, `so`?Ó Solo asked, standing up straight and
crossing his arms.
ÒDuo, my little brother, mind you, just called Hilde, your best friend,
`babe`.Ó
ÒI got that, Solo.Ó Cathy sighed, ÒBut unless you feel like telling me why
that is so important, I donÕt think I`m interested.Ó
He exhaled loudly, muttering about stupid women, before pulling her onto
the ground and squatting next to her.
ÒLook. I call people `babe`, right?Ó He asked, continuing when Cathy
nodded.
ÒI`m his older brother, right?Ó Cathy nodded again, looking impatient.
ÒSo, he decides to copy his older brother, imitate him, and calls Hilde
`babe`.Ó
Catherine stared at him, one eyebrow raised and the look on her face
screaming, ÒAnd your point is?Ó.
Solo sighed again. ÒSo...Ó He made gestures with his hands.
ÒSolo, the only answer I`m getting is one of very high self praise on your
part,Ó She crossed her arms, ÒSo unless this is conversation is going
somewhere, I`m going to leave.Ó
He ran a hand through his hair, ÒLook. Who do I call babe?Ó
Cathy blinked.
ÒHow should I know?Ó
ÒPeople that I like,Ó Solo said, talking slowly, as if to a young child.
ÒNow, we have already determined that I am his older brother, and he
looks up to me,Ó He was interrupted by a small cough. He glared at
Catherine before continuing, ÒHe looks up to me, and imitates me. So,
since I call people I like `babe`, then since he copies me by calling Hilde
`babe`, then he. must. like. her.Ó He stated, punctuating the important
words.
She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
ÒDon`t you think you are reading too much into this? You _think_ you
hear him say `babe` once, so you now think he must like her?Ó She shook
her head.
ÒYou go ahead and believe that, Solo,Ó She played with a loose thread on
her skirt. ÒBut I still say you are reading too much into this.Ó
ÒAm not!Ó Solo replied childishly, sticking his tongue out and crossing his
arms.
ÒAre too,Ó She responded, mimicking him in a teasing fashion. ÒTo find out
who a person likes, you need to ask them. Not just assume. I say you ask
him who he likes. He can`t lie, remember?Ó
ÒIÕm not going to do that,Ó Solo said, shaking his head, ÒThat`s too mean.Ó
ÒIsn`t that what older brothers are for?Ó Cathy asked, ÒBeing mean?Ó
ÒNo,Ó Solo glared at her, ÒI`m not going to do that! ThatÕs cruel. He sucks
at not lying and not telling the truth, so heÕs got no way to defend
himself. Besides,Ó He poked his head out around the pillar again, ÒI think
this tells me all I need to know.Ó
Cathy rolled her eyes, ÒOh, come on, Solo. This,Ó She waved a hand at
the scene behind the pillar, ÒTells us nothing.Ó She stood up, joining the
boy in looking around the stone pillar.
ÒI say he doesnÕ`t like her, and you are jumping to conclusions.Ó
He turned around, now facing her. ÒWho`s brother is it? Mine. If it was
Trowa, then youÕd have more say, but since it`s Duo, I get the final word.Ó
ÒNo, he gets the final word. I say we ask him.Ó
ÒWe can`t ask him, Cathy. All we can do is go by hs actions. And his
actions say he likes her.Ó
ÒWell, I say he doesn`t.Ó
ÒHe does.Ó Solo watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ears.
ÒLook, Cathy, I`ll make a bet with you. I say he likes her, you say he
doesn`t. Whoever`s right gets,Ó He did a quick count of his savings, ÒSix
gold coins from the other, agreed?Ó
Catherine nodded.
ÒHow long do we have to find out?Ó
Solo shrugged. ÒEither until he says something, or two months, whichever
comes first. At the end of the time period, we assume he doesn`t like her
because he didn`t do anything.Ó
She smiled, ÒSounds like a deal.Ó
He grinned, held out his hand, and shook on it.
***
Review?
Please?
Just press that little purple button...