Category: Angst, Adventure, AU, Slave/Master

Pairings: 1x2, 4x3 (eventually), 5x?

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Warnings: This story does show how a lot of people felt about the owning of slaves, a feeling that was very alive in this country not that long ago, as well as in many civilizations down through the ages. There are some good owners and some bad owners, like in everything. If someone owning another person bothers you, you might not like this fic. But then I'm not forcing anyone to read it. There are also M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Golden Lights Part Fourteen

By SilverLady

Duo yawned and rubbed his eyes as he walked down the hall to the room Trowa had allowed Quatre to use as a place to store the things he'd bought. He figured the only way to get the blonde to go to bed was to drag him there, personally.

The sight Duo saw when he opened the door was the one he expected to see. Quatre was standing in the middle of the large room, looking at the list in his hand and muttering under his breath.

Duo leaned against the doorjamb and watched for a moment. "Do you have any idea how late it is?"

Quatre looked up in surprise. He'd been so engrossed in what he was doing that he hadn't even heard the door open. "I'm almost finished. I just have a few things left to pack."

Duo sighed as he walked into the room. There didn't seem to be very many packs for a trip that was supposed to take at least three months. "You know you could have gotten help doing this."

"They wouldn't know how to do it right."

"So you're planning on doing this every day we're on this trip?"

Quatre blinked at him in surprise. "If I have to."

Duo sighed again. "Show me what you're doing. The least I can do is help." He picked up a pole that had been lying on the floor next to a large pile of material. "What's this?"

"A tent pole."

"What pack does it go in?"

"It doesn't."

Duo frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I'm going to use it as one of the support poles for the packs that we put on the pack horses."

"But I thought you said it was a tent pole."

"It's that as well. It's more practical to use an item for more than one thing. Why should I take poles for pack support and more poles for tents when the same pole will work in both situations."

Duo nodded slightly. "Makes sense." He picked up a small pack. "What's this?"

Quatre glanced over. "Clothes."

"How many of these packs are mine?"

Quatre indicated three small packs sitting a pile to Duo's left. "Those."

Duo looked them over. "Is this all the clothes I get?"

"Only one of them has much clothing in it. The other two have the other things you'll need."

Duo turned around and looked at Quatre is surprise. "What?"

"You don't need that many clothes. Though I did pack more than usual since we'll probably see a large difference in temperature between here and the mountains."

"Don't you people own anything?"

"Oh, you have a lot more things when you're moving the whole tribe. I'm just planning things as if it was a small exploring or hunting party."

"How many horses are we taking?" Duo had heard Quatre had been in the stable yesterday looking over every horse Trowa owned. Heero had told him that the Master of the Stable had commented to Trowa that the next time he went to buy horses he was taking Quatre with him. He had been very impressed with Quatre's knowledge of horseflesh.

"Ten."

Duo nearly choked. "Are you going to make all the others walk?"

"What others?"

"The other people."

"It will just be five people. One horse to ride and one to carry the extra packs. I made sure that every horse is saddle broke, so that we can switch off."

Duo hadn't believed Heero when he had said that Quatre had axed all the other help that had been planned on. "You think the five of us can take a camping trip alone?"

Quatre looked at him, innocent surprise on his face. "Of course. You are all grown men."

Duo snorted at that statement. "Do you know how many times I've been on a horse in my life? Horseback riding is not considered a necessary skill for a slave to learn."

"I've taken that into consideration. I figured we'd just travel part of the day at first to allow everyone to get used to riding."

"Why not just take a couple of wagons?"

"Have you ever ridden in a wagon over most of the roads around? It's less rough on your butt to ride a horse."

"How many tents are we taking?"

"Two. One for us and one for the others."

"This I can't wait to see. How about sleeping arrangements? I don't like the thought of sleeping on the ground."

"Neither do I." Quatre walked over to one of the packs and carefully pulled something from it. Turning, he handed it to Duo. "You can fill this bag with air. It won't leak out and it forms a cushion between you and the ground. It's very comfortable. And in the morning you deflate it and it rolls back up into this small ball."

Duo looked at the item he held in his hands. "Really?"

"Truly. It's more comfortable than what a lot of people call a normal bed. It doesn't have things to poke at you."

Duo yawned as he handed the roll back to Quatre. "If I'm going to help, we'd best get moving. I want to get to bed."

Quatre laughed and nodded. "Come on. I'll show you how to pack the small tent."

Duo watched for a moment as Quatre ducked around several piles of things. It was nice to see the blonde actually enjoying himself. Maybe Trowa's got the right idea after all. I just hope the rest of us survive it.

*****

Duo groaned and held his hands to his head. The ringing in his ears was driving him up the wall. He had a headache to end all headaches.

Finally he realized that the ringing noise wasn't in his head. It was coming from the bell hung over the bed on the other side of the room. "Damn it, Quatre! Will you go see what the hell he wants! That damn bell's giving me a headache."

The bell ringing was his only answer.

Rolling over he prepared to throw his pillow at Quatre, only to realize at the last moment that there was no one there. "Where the hell is he?"

Groaning again Duo rolled out of bed. "I'm going to do something rude with that damn thing in a minute." Continuing to mutter oaths under his breath he headed down the access hallway to Trowa's rooms.

Trowa looked up when the door opened. "It's about time you..... Duo, what are you doing here?"

Duo glared bleary eyed at Trowa. After finally persuading Quatre to go to bed, Duo had headed to Heero's room to make sure there wasn't anything Heero wanted before he went to bed.

There had been. Him.

He'd finally climbed into his own bed an hour or two before being rudely awakened. "I figured it would just be easier to come tell you that you're wasting your time. He's not in the room."

"Where is he?"

"How should I know? He didn't tell me and leaving me a note would be useless."

Trowa sighed, but before he could say anything else there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opened and a young boy came into the room. "Lord Trowa?"

"Yes?"

"Felix sent me to tell you that your slave is out in the stables, preparing the horses. He's nearly finished, too."

Trowa smiled at the boy. "Thank you for letting me know. Tell Felix I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Yes, Lord." The boy turned and scurried off.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Trowa looked over at him for a minute. "Go get Heero up and tell him to meet me in the front drawing room. I'll get some kind of breakfast rounded up."

Duo blinked. "You're serious?"

"I did tell him that we were leaving in the morning. It's morning. I guess I should have told him that noon would be better, but it's too late now. I'd hate for him to have wasted all that effort. Heero can sleep later."

"I mean about me getting Heero up now. Do you have any idea what kind of a bear he is in the morning?"

"No. I've never had to wake him."

Duo huffed. "If I'm not back in an hour, bury me in that field out near the other house. The one with the big tree. I like it there." With a fatalistic sigh, Duo turned and headed towards Heero's rooms.

Trowa shook his head as he watched him leave. There were times when Duo could be downright melodramatic.

"William!" he called out, knowing that the man would be hovering nearby. It was his turn to watch the master's door.

Immediately a stout looking man entered the room. He was dressed in full leather armor and had a sword slung over his back. The only reason his sword was on his back was because he had a large mace in his right hand. William was one of the trained guards Trowa's father had deemed necessary sometime ago. In fact, William was one of the original ones.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Could you have someone go and wake Wufei? Tell him breakfast will be in the front drawing room as soon as he can get there. Then send a message to the kitchen to have some sort of breakfast made up and sent to the room."

"Of course, my Lord." Saluting smartly, William turned and left the room.

Trowa sighed as he turned and headed back into his bedroom to dress. He had found clothing laid out for him when he'd gotten up that morning and had a feeling that this was what Quatre expected him to wear. He wondered if the others had received the same small reminder.

He studied the shirt as he picked it up. It was a dark green color, with a small bit of embroidery down the sleeves in a richer shade of green. The design of the shirt was simple, designed to be comfortable but not too clinging.

The pants were also of the same shade of green as the shirt. They would fit him well, without being so tight as to chaff as he rode. The dark brown leather boots were also designed for riding, with a bit of heel to keep his foot from slipping through the stirrups, but not so much that walking in them would be awkward. 

As he slipped into the clothes, he was impressed by the fact that they fit him perfectly. He had been unable to go with Quatre yesterday when the boy had gone to purchase the clothing and other supplies. He'd asked Quatre if he could get the things for him and Quatre had assured him he knew what sizes were needed. Apparently he had.

Quatre had seemed a bit surprised that he trusted him enough to go alone, but Trowa knew that this was a necessary step in earning the boy's loyalty.  He hadn't told the boy that there was no way for him to leave the city without being stopped by a city Guardsman. Quatre's clothing alone marked him a slave and even if he knew that and changed, everyone in the city had to have identification papers with them. Quatre didn't.

So he'd given him a letter, stating that Quatre was purchasing things on his behalf and that the merchants were to send the bills to him, and sent him on his way.  The letter would also let any Guardsman who stopped him know that Quatre was on legitimate business for his master.

He had been relieved when Felix reported Quatre's return four hours later. He hadn't wanted to admit he'd been anxiously awaiting that bit of news. He didn't want to think of what could have happened to Quatre if he'd tried to leave. The Guardsmen weren't known for their gentleness in dealing with runaway slaves.

A final glance around the room to ensure everything that was needed had been gotten and then Trowa turned and left the room.

I hope I'm not making the biggest mistake of my life.

*****

Duo paused outside the door to Heero's bedroom. He'd been quite serious about what a bear Heero could be if woken up before he was ready. Duo had made that mistake once. It had taken nearly two weeks for the bruises to disappear. It had been two days before he'd been able to talk right.

He had often wondered what kind of life Heero had led to have that kind of reaction. Hell, even he wasn't that bad when he woke up and he'd been trained to be a killer.

With a sigh of resignation, he opened the door and walked into the room.

After closing the door he looked over to the large bed, where Heero lay sprawled. The softest of exhalations was the only noise he made as he slept.

Duo drank in the sight for a moment. It was rare that he was awake enough to enjoy the sight of Heero asleep. When he would leave him in the night he was usually so exhausted that he could barely see straight.

"Heero," he whispered softly. He knew that Heero would usually awaken at the slightest noise.

"Go away," a voice growled.

Yup. Definitely bear mode. "You have to get up. Trowa wants you to meet him in the front drawing room."

A dark blue eye glared at him. "Do you want to die?"

"Not today. But you do have to get up. Trowa made the mistake of not specifying what time he wanted to leave today and Quatre's already got everything ready. Seems morning means something different to him." He smiled as he walked across the room. "Besides, if I'm up than you should be too."

As he stopped next to the bed a hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist. With a quick jerk, Heero yanked him down onto the bed. "You bet I'm up."

Duo laughed softly. He could feel how up Heero was. "We really need to get moving."

Heero arched an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Duo blushed. "Not that kind of moving."

"We won't have much opportunity after today."

"It's not like they don't know what's going on." Duo smiled slightly. "And Quatre really knows what's going on."

Heero looked at Duo for a minute. "What?"

Duo reached up and laid his hand on Heero's cheek. "Do you think, after we leave the city, we could pretend that we're just two people in love? Not master and slave."

Heero rubbed his cheek against Duo's hand. "You stopped being my slave a long time ago."

"I know, but...."

Heero placed a hand across Duo's mouth. "We don't have to pretend. We can be exactly what we are. I'm sure that Trowa and Wufei won't mind." With that he leaned in and pressed his lips to Duo's mouth.

Duo sighed. He wasn't sure Heero quite understood what he wanted. But this would be enough for now. He'd work on the rest.

Just as Duo felt himself melting into the kiss, Heero pulled away and sat up. "We need to get going." With a slight smirk, Heero was out of bed and padding naked towards the bathroom.

"Bastard," Duo muttered under his breath, staring at the ceiling. Why does he always do that to me?

Heero glanced back over his shoulder. "Join me?"

"Hell, yes." Duo jumped out of the bed and followed Heero into the bathroom. "But won't we be late?"

"Not very."

*****

Wufei glared at Trowa as he walked into the room. "Did you have to send that behemoth to wake me up?"

Trowa smiled. "I just asked if someone would get you. I didn't specify who."

Wufei walked over to the table and snatched a muffin from the basket. "Who's idea was it to get up at this ungodly hour of the morning anyway?"

"I'm afraid I didn't tell Quatre any specific time."

"You should have," Heero commented as he walked into the room. "Apparently his people get moving a lot faster than us."

Trowa watched as Duo followed Heero into the room. He made note of the fact that Duo was walking slightly odd and that his hair seemed to have been rather hastily braided.

"You certainly have moved fast enough," Trowa replied.

Heero arched an eyebrow at the double meaning he heard in Trowa's words. He was about to retort when a soft voice interrupted him.

"Master?"

Trowa turned to find Quatre standing in the doorway. He was about to reprimand him when he remembered that he hadn't included Wufei in the list he'd given Quatre the other night. He was going to have to remedy that. He sure didn't want to be 'Mastered' for this entire trip.

"Yes?"

"Everything is ready, whenever you wish to leave, Master."

Trowa nodded. "Thank you." He glanced over at the other three men.

He shook his head when he noticed that Duo had picked up at least three muffins and was in the process of stuffing one of them into his mouth. He hoped Quatre had taken Duo's seemingly non-ending appetite into consideration when planning the food for this trip.

"Shall we go then?"

"But..." Duo started to protest around the muffin he was presently eating.

"You can eat while we ride," Heero informed him, smacking Duo's hand away from the muffin basket.

Duo sighed. "If you say so."

Trowa looked over at Wufei, who nodded slightly.

"Since I'm up anyway, we might as well get going."

Trowa looked back at Quatre, who stood patiently in the doorway. "Where are the horses?"

"In the stable yard, Master. I can bring them around front, Master."

Trowa shook his head. "No need. We can just as easily start from there." Moving across the room he stopped in front of Quatre. "Lead on."

Quatre nodded slightly, then turned and headed down the hall. Trowa followed quietly behind.

Heero glanced over at Duo before leaving the room behind Wufei. Duo quickly reached out and snatched another muffin before following.

*****

Trowa stopped and looked at the sight in front of him. Ten horses, saddled and packed, stood quietly waiting for them. He had a feeling that Quatre had done everything himself.

"Quatre."

"Yes, Master."

"I want you to be sure everyone can take care of their own horses by the time we get ready to move on tomorrow. That includes saddling and stowing the packs."

"Yes, Master."

Wufei frowned, but said nothing.

Heero nodded his approval. It didn't seem quite right to expect Quatre to do everything on this trip. Not when they were all perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Maybe that was part of Quatre intended to show us with this trip. We've become awful reliant on slaves to do all the work.

"Do you have any specific horse chosen for any of us?" Trowa asked as he walked up to the horses.

"Yes, Master." He indicated the dark brown horse he was standing next to. "This one is yours. The white one is for Heero, the black for Duo and the gray for Wufei."

Trowa nodded. That left the golden colored one for Quatre. An appropriate choice.

As he moved forward to mount, Quatre was there to assist. Trowa was about to protest that he was perfectly capable of getting on a horse without help, but something stopped him. Quatre was willingly helping and he wouldn't stop him.

Within a few minutes all five were mounted and ready to move out. Duo was a little nervous about this but he refused to let anyone know just how unnerved he felt. Everything will be just fine. Don't let the horse know he scares the heck out of you. Duo glanced down. And don't think about how far it is to the ground if you fall.

Trowa looked around at the others. They all seemed to be ready. "Quatre."

"Yes, Master?"

"Lead on."

Quatre blinked for a moment, then nodded. Nudging his horse into a walk he led the small group out towards the street.

*****

 "Has he left?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. See that this trip really is his last."

"Of course, sir."