AN: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
{-}
Martin had been pressing them for nearly two days time. They had journeyed back to his cottage and packed their things for the journey to Darlian's castle. They were now just in view of the stronghold. Martin halted his horse and looked at the castle. He motioned for the others to stop as well.
"We shall rest here for a while," said the wizard.
"Rest?" asked Duo. "But, we are less than an hour's journey from the castle! Why rest now when we can offer our services to the King in only a few moments!"
"We shall rest here," repeated the wizard calmly. "Take the horses over towards the edge of the woods. We shall set up a temporary encampment."
They all nodded and dismounted, leading their horses to where the wizard had directed. All save Heero. He stared at the wizard's vexed face.
"What troubles you, Martin?"
The wizard snapped out of his thoughts. "Nothing, my boy, but we must not arrive until this afternoon. Several events must occur first."
"Events?" asked Heero.
"Never mind," said the wizard. "Come; let us rest for a while."
But, Heero did not follow. He glanced at the stronghold with his blue eyes. "I will join you in a little while," said Heero emotionlessly. "I think I shall ride ahead a little ways."
"Very, well," said the wizard as he trotted off to join the others.
Heero urged his horse onward towards the waiting palace.
{-}
Zechs and his band also peered at the castle as well. They were all dressed in disguise, as planned. He peered at the castle closely and turned to look at Lady Une. The sorceress held her crossbow in her hands. All was going according to plan.
"I want to break camp here for a little while," said Zechs as he dismounted. "You five," he said as he pointed to some of his soldiers, "go out and find some wood for a fire. At nightfall we shall proceed to Darlian's stronghold. Noin, I want you to take a group of men with you and enter into the city. It is better we go in several smaller groups then rendezvous later. I will send others after you, in two hour shifts."
"Yes, General," said Noin with a nod as she galloped off to gather her men.
Zechs kept his eyes on the castle. He watched as the five soldiers went mounted their horses and started out on their search. They rode away, as did Noin and her group of soldiers. Zechs sighed and turned around to meet the face of Lady Une.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Not I," she replied. "What do you want General?"
"I want to rest for a while," he said as he began to walk past her.
"You fear what your eyes may see," she said quietly. "You know she is there, you have only yet to meet her."
Zechs clenched his fists at his sides. He had no time for this foolishness. He turned about to look at Lady Une once more.
"She died the day Milliardo Peacecraft died," he said coldly.
"That is all I needed to hear," said Lady Une as she nodded.
Zechs grunted and turned sharply to walk away from her. He sat himself underneath a tree and tried to relax. However, his mind was uneasy and his thoughts drifted back and forth. Restlessly, the Lightning Count turned and walked briskly over to his horse. He mounted and galloped off. A ride in the country side would surely clear his thoughts.
{-}
Relena walked through the sick bay. There were people all over the place, lying on cots. Many had died in the course of the war. The people had flooded into the city, in hopes of safety. Thus, the spread of disease was inevitable. Relena had done all she could for those in need. She tried to comfort the families of those who had died. She visited the suffering and dying, holding their hand to be some sort of comfort. It was all Relena could do.
Relena sighed as she looked about her. Times were worse than ever. She walked on through the crowded hospital. As she looked ahead of her, Relena saw a woman with long braided hair approach her. The woman smiled warmly at the Princess and bowed slightly.
"Oh, Sally really, do not trouble yourself," said Relena with a chuckle.
"Relena, you know I normally wouldn't but today is a special day. It is your birthday after all and you do just happen to be a Princess," said Sally.
"All right but just this once," laughed Relena. The princess grabbed one of the two baskets full of bandages that Sally had under her arms. The two women walked together and sat down on some stools. They began to wind and fold the clean bandages so that they could be more easily accessible.
"You really don't have to be doing this," said Sally as she watched the Princess.
"I don't mind getting my hands dirty. Besides, war affects everyone; not just the sick and wounded. I will do everything I can to help."
"Times are hard," agreed Sally. "But, I hope you will be enjoying yourself tonight, at least for a little while. It will be nice to escape for a couple hours to celebrate your coming out.'
Relena smiled, "I can't believe it. I was surprised that father would even think of throwing a party at a time like this."
"Well, I think it is a good idea," replied Sally. "The whole city is going to celebrate. It will give everyone some relief I think," she added sadly.
Relena reached over and gripped Sally's hand. "Together, we will all pull through. I can feel it. A miracle will come soon and save us all, I promise you that Sally."
Sally smiled. Relena squeezed Sally's hand and let go. The two continued to roll bandages for some time, quietly relishing in each other's company. Relena sighed and looked out at the beautiful spring day. It was perfect; nothing could tarnish the beauty of spring, not even a war. The princess' thoughts drifted off. She dreamt of feeling the warm air upon her face, her golden hair blowing in the breeze. She could almost feel herself sink into the soft green grass amidst a field of wild flowers.
"Relena?" asked Sally.
Relena looked up sharply to see the woman staring at her with a puzzled face. Relena smiled and continued to work.
"Sally," started the princess.
"Yes?"
"Do you think I could go for a little ride before the party?"
Sally stopped suddenly and looked the young girl sternly. "You know very well that the King would have a fit if you were to ride your horse outside the city walls unescorted!"
"I will not be gone long," persisted Relena. "Besides, I shall stick close to the city. I will simply ride into a field to pick some wild flowers. I shall return within an hour. I will not be missed at all."
"Relena, no, I am not covering for you. If something were to happen the King would have my head!"
"Oh please, for my birthday present?" begged the girl.
Sally winced at those words. She knew would give in eventually.
"Fine, but no more than an hour!" ordered Sally.
"Thank you!" said Relena as she jumped up. "I promise to bring you back a lovely bouquet!" she said as she began to run off.
The young woman ran through the hospital ward and into the royal stables. She grabbed her riding cloak and mounted her horse. Moments later, Relena galloped out of the city into the freedom of the world beyond. She took off her hood and let her hair blow freely in the wind. She let her horse carry her to wherever it felt. It did not matter what was going on around her. Right now, Relena was free.
{-}
Meanwhile, Zechs men scored the area looking for firewood. However, their idle minds soon forgot the real task at hand and they simply relished in the fact of proclaiming freedom from their general even if it was just for a little while. They rode across the fields, idly, laughing and joking. It almost did not even occur to them at first that they could be spotted by the enemy.
"Slow down for a minute," said one of the men.
"What is it now, Charlie?" asked another.
"Out there," replied Charlie as he pointed north, "I see a rider coming our way."
The others looked closely. The faint image of a lone rider on a white horse was approaching them.
"Rei what are we going to do?" asked Charlie. "Do you suppose he's seen us?"
"Better wait and see mate," replied Rei. "Come on, let's go hide over there in those trees for a bit," he said as he pointed to a spot of forest.
The others nodded and followed their ringleader into the outskirts of the forest. Tying up their horses, their unsheathed their swords and un-slung their crossbows. The small group watched as the rider came closer. Charlie peered closely. The rider was definitely alone and wore long robes. He saw no weapon, and found it curious the way the rider sat upon his saddle. Suddenly, realization hit him,
"That's no man…" he began.
"It's a wench!" growled one of the other men.
"A pretty one at that," said another man.
"Indeed, a pretty young thing," agreed Rei.
"What are we going to do?" asked Charlie.
"Kill her!" whispered one of them harshly. The man started to aim his crossbow.
"Wait!" ordered Rei. "Tell me mates: When was the last time any of you scoundrels had a woman?"
The four men looked around at each other questioningly.
"What's your point?" they asked.
"My point," continued Rei, "is that she's alone, armless, and beautiful; think of the possibilities. I say we have our way with her first. I don't know about you, but I've been stuck in this bloody army for so long I can't nearly stand it. I want to feel again, just for a little while. Besides, there's nothing like the scent of a woman's flesh."
"Yeah, you're right," said Charlie. The other smirked maliciously and nodded as well. Rei grinned and gave the order. They raised their crossbows and prepared to take aim when she drew just a little closer.
{-}
Relena rode onward, carelessly. Before she knew it she lost track of time. She halted her horse just outside the outskirts of a forest and looked back at her father's castle in the distance. She had been gone longer than an hour, she was sure of it. Sally was going to have her neck. However, Relena sighed and smiled contently to herself. It had been wonderful to escape for a while. She had been cooped up inside the city walls for so long; she had almost forgotten what it was like to ride in the country side. When the war had started, Relena was restricted to the grounds. She was only allowed out, every once in a while, with several armed escorts. At the assassination of the High King, Relena was forbidden to leave the city, along with every other member of the royal family.
It had been a tortuous couple of weeks for the young woman. She longed and needed her freedom. But now, the Princess Relena knew she could stay no longer and had to return to her life. She had her duties to fulfill; she had to be who she was meant to be. Yet, sometimes she wondered if she was truly being herself.
Shrugging the remainder of her thoughts aside, Relena began to turn her horse around. But she suddenly stopped when she heard a rustling noise in the bushes. Relena turned her head sharply and peered into the dark green forest. Seeing nothing, the young woman began to think it was nothing more than a squirrel.
Laughing at herself for being squeamish, Relena pulled on the horse's reins beginning to back away from the forest. But her horse would not obey and began to resist her commands. It was almost as if the animal were in fear.
"Come on," said Relena gently. "It's nothing, shhhhh, it is nothing at all but the wind," she whispered soothingly into the animal's ears.
Relena was about to try again, when her horse gave a sudden jolt. Looking down, Relena saw an arrow sticking out of her horse's neck. Screaming in terror, the girl struggled to control the distraught animal. But her steed reared on its hind legs, throwing Relena violently from the saddle, and fell dead to the ground. Relena screamed as she sailed through the air. The last thing she remembered was the sharp impact of the hard earth and she struck head and knew nothing more.
{-}
Rei and his men smirked as they stepped out of the undergrowth of the forest. They walked towards the young woman who lay helplessly upon the ground. She was unconscious and knew nothing of the danger that was approaching her.
"She's prettier than I thought!" exclaimed Charlie as he knelt down beside her.
"Yes," agreed Rei. The man picked up Relena's golden hair and smelled it. "She smells lovelier than a rose too. I told you boys this was a good idea!"
"What about the Lightning Count?" asked Charlie. "We've been gone much longer than we should. We can't make him angry."
"Who's thinking 'bout the Lightning Count when we've got a pretty little filly on our hands?" demanded one of the other men.
Charlie swallowed and looked about in caution. Something was not right. The other men laughed as they began to draw closer and closer to young woman lying on the ground. Charlie froze suddenly,
"Wait!" he cried as Rei was about to touch the girl.
"What is it now?" asked Rei.
"Do you hear that?" asked Charlie fearfully.
The five men grew silent and listened as the sound of a horse's gallop drew close to them. It was a little too close for comfort. Charlie spun around and cried out. A knight, riding a white horse with brilliant white armor, was charging towards the group with his sword upraised.
"What the…" said a puzzled Rei. "Aim your crossbows men! This knight rides to his death!"
The other four took aim and at Rei's order, released the arrows from their bows. The black arrows flew into the air and soared straight towards the white rider. But to their dismay, when the arrows struck the knight's suit of armor, they bounced off as if they were mere pebbles.
Fearfully, the soldiers drew their swords and prepared to meet their foe. With a battle cry, Rei ran forward to meet the attacker, in an attempt to knock the white knight from his horse. However, to the soldier's dismay, the knight simply rode through his assailant and brought Rei down with a single blow. Terrified, the remaining soldiers took flight and began to run for their lives. Who was this mysterious warrior? What type of armor was he wearing? It was like nothing they had ever seen. Yet, as they ran, the knight continued to pursue them and hunt them down like rabbits. He silenced their cries swiftly, until the only remaining soldier left was Charlie.
Charlie was well on his way away from the battle scene, but the sound of hooves thundering on the ground made the man look back in horror. The warrior on horseback was pursuing him quickly. Looking ahead and running at full speed, Charlie saw in front of him another man on horseback drawing near him. He recognized the rider instantly.
"General Merquis! Have mercy my Lord and come to my aid!" cried Charlie breathlessly as he continued to run.
Zechs Merquis saw the plight of one of his liege's and immediately began to charge forward at a full gallop.
"Hurry my Lord! I beseech…"
Charlie's cries were silenced as he dropped to the ground dead. The white knight pulled up his horse and glanced at the new rider now approaching him. The man was not dressed in the garb of a warrior, but he could tell this General Merquis was a trained soldier. The man wore a strange mask on his face hiding any features from the white knight.
The two men met and clashed swords with full might. They clenched teeth as they began an onslaught of blows against each other. Equally matched against one another, the battle raged on.
{-}
Relena stirred and opened her soft blue eyes. Her head was singing from the fall, but she sat up quickly. She was not alone. Looking around her, she saw five men running about frantically as a rider on horseback terrorized them. The rider was dressed in pure white armor and sat upon a white steed. Relena ducked down in the grass to avoid the fray. At one point, the battle drew so close to her, one of the soldiers on foot dropped dead not five feet from her. Relena looked at the stricken face of the dead man. Lying in his hand was a crossbow.
Suddenly, Relena's mind flashed back as she remembered what had happened just minutes earlier. The last thing she remembered was the arrow hitting her horse. Realization hit her hard. The five men on foot had attacked her and now this white knight was saving her life! Relena suddenly grew excited at the thought as she watched the warrior chase down the last man.
Just when she thought all was well, Relena noticed another man on horseback approach. The two horses charged at each other as the knights met in battle. Relena watched fearfully, praying her savior would not be harmed. The young woman quickly picked herself up off the ground and ran towards the fight. She knew it was foolish and dangerous, but she also knew she had to do something to help the man who had saved her life.
Meanwhile, the two men were exchanging blows with their swords. Zechs grunted over the force of his opponent's blows. The man was strong and wore armor unlike any he had ever seen. But, the Lightning Count was undefeated, he was not about to lose now. Zechs pulled out a dagger and slashed his opponent's side where the armor did not protect him. His enemy grunted slightly and continued to fight with full force against the Lightning Count. Zechs lashed back, somewhat surprised at the white knight's strength. He had things to do and he could not risk his time fighting against one man. Zechs devised a plan. Pulling back sharply on the reins of his horse, Zechs caused the animals to rear up and kick out at his opponent. The white knight's own horse whinnied in protest and reared also, knocking its rider from the saddle. Zechs smirked.
He dismounted from his horse and took out his crossbow, aiming for the warrior's neck.
"Stop right there!" cried a voice.
Zechs froze and looked up to see a young woman holding a crossbow aimed directly at him. His face grew taut at the sight of her. Her long golden hair was the color of honey, and her sapphire eyes held the same fire as Zechs' own. A queer expression crossed over his face, and for a moment he thought he was looking at a ghost. But realization hit him hard, and the Lightning Count dropped the crossbow to the ground, ran to his horse, mounted, and rode away. Just before he disappeared he took one last longing look at the young woman.
Relena held her ground firmly, but watched with bewilderment as the warrior rode of more quickly than she expected. Had his face not been hidden by a mask though, Relena would have seen the pain and torment in his eyes.
Relena quickly dropped the weapon and ran urgently to the side of the fallen white knight. He was bleeding heavily on his right side and Relena watched as blood began to stain the green grass. As far as she could tell, the knight was unconscious. Delicately, Relena began to remove the warrior's helmet to allow him to breath. She watched closely as the metal object came off of his head. She gasped slightly. Before Relena, lay a handsome young man with unruly born hair. His face was set in a battle rage. Gently, the young woman brushed a hand soothingly across his forehead.
However, at that instant, a strong hand came up and grabbed her own, taking the young woman off guard. Relena screamed and fell to the ground as the young man pinned her down tightly. Relena found herself looking up into fierce Prussian blue eyes. She told herself not to be afraid and returned the stare with equal valor. She spoke to the young man,
"You have saved my life; I am only here to aid yours now."
Recognizing who the young woman was, the knight released the girl and fell back into the grass holding onto his side. He sat up and examined the wound. It was not too deep; it would only prove to be a great discomfort.
"May I help you?" asked Relena bravely.
He looked up at her sharply, "It is nothing," he replied curtly.
"Nothing indeed!" exclaimed the young woman. "You are bleeding badly and in need of medical attention. If you will only allow me to look at the wound I am sure I can help."
"I am fine, do not trouble yourself," stated the young man coldly as he stood up.
Relena nodded realizing there was no point in persisting. She also rose from the ground and stood in front of the young man.
"I thank you for your help," she said. "Had it not been for you, I shudder to think of what might have happened to me."
The young man nodded. He walked past the girl and towards his horse. Relena watched somewhat confused as the man started to mount his steed.
"Must you away so soon? Please, do not go yet. My father will be grateful for your services and shall wish to reward you."
"I do not seek a reward," said the knight.
"Will you not at least seek a hot meal and warm welcome? Believe me sir, I am in your debt and it shall be repaid. I only live but a little ways from here, inside the city over yonder."
The knight peered at the lady before him. He recognized something different about her demeanor. Though her clothing was simple and tasteful, her manner was bold and wise. She was learned and not unaccustomed to the ways of the world. She spoke with much dignity and grace. He could sense noble blood. He was certainly surprised to find that her persistence startled him slightly. She was straightforward and bold, something women were usually not. The young woman was not afraid of him at all. As a matter of fact, she almost challenged him.
"I have companions that I dare not leave," said the young man.
"They are invited as well," stated Relena. "For a friend of yours is a friend of mine, for saving me."
"You do not even know me," said the young man coldly.
"Well let us start with introductions: I am the Princess Relena Darlian, daughter to King Darlian, Lord of the Northern Realms."
Inside, the young man's walls crippled. She was the daughter of the king. This was very interesting indeed.
"And you are?" asked the girl quietly.
"Heero Yuy."
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