Chapter Seven
The chestnut haired sorcerer beamed as his violet eyes followed the enthusiastic
boy in front of him. The blonde laughed softly as several dogs nipped playfully
at his knees. Quatre's grasp of charm spells were expanding with leaps and bounds
as the days wore on; his affectionate persona spreading to every person and
animal that they passed.
The town they were traveling through was lively and beautiful, all the people
friendly and accepting. 'I wish everywhere we went was this peaceful,' the brunette
thought to himself as he ran his fingers down one of the smaller dog's backs.
Duo had convinced the blonde to try and persuade a stray creature to follow
them from the outskirts of the town before. The spell had been a great success
and was so effective that half the dogs living there were now walking with them.
'It's amazing how just several days of constant reassurance have affected his
confidence. I can't believe how stupid his previous teachers were to not realize
this.'
In the far corners of the sorcerer's mind however he knew there was another
reason for Quatre's happiness. The boy's feelings for him aided his training
greatly. 'I know he likes me a lot I just don't know what to do about
it. Heero is gone. I should just give up on him and focus on what I can have
now,' Duo contemplated with a sigh, 'I just can't seem to stop thinking about
him though and I know it's not fair to Quatre if I can't give myself to him
100 percent.' The brunette frowned suddenly when he noticed the blonde went
quickly still, staring ahead of them.
"What is it?" Duo inquired.
"Look at all those men over there. They look like soldiers or guards to
me," the blonde informed, as he gestured towards the end of the dirt road
they were currently walking on. Duo glanced over and cringed at the familiar
uniforms. 'What the heck are Dorothy's men doing here? Shouldn't they be bowing
down to the woman like the obedient animals they are?' Lady Dorothy was one
to always get her way, which irritated the sorcerer to the core. The one time
he had been hired to do a job for her he had left the first day there, sick
to death of her attitude and actions.
"Let's get out of here, Quatre. Those men I don't feel like dealing with
today," Duo stated firmly as he pulled the blonde towards him.
"Who do they work for? Is it someone bad?" the blonde asked, as he
allowed his instructor to pull him along.
"Well, well, well if it isn't that little sorcerer. Shouldn't you be at
home, hiding away from the world?" one soldier joked.
"And shouldn't you be licking your mistress's boots?" Duo retorted.
The dark haired man snarled at the sorcerer, stalking towards the two.
"Punk, I'll show you what happens when you disrespect our Lady," the
man growled. One of his fellow guards bolted up to him, tugging sharply on his
left arm.
"We don't have time for this. You know the Mistress will be furious if
we don't hurry and search the towns on this side of the continent," he
informed in a sedate voice.
"Oh and what does your precious lady have you searching for this time?
Finally decided that she needed to get a better personality?" Duo smirked.
"We can't stand around here and let him say that!" the original man
hollered.
"Be calm. You know that people will say what they will about our mistress.
Just leave them be and let's continue the search," he said patiently. The
man snorted at the remark before shrugging the man off and stomping away from
the three.
"I love messing with that guy. He never seems to learn," Duo laughed
as he ruffled Quatre's hair to show him that all was sound, "So what are
you guys looking for?"
"Just between you and me the lady has us going on a wild goose chase. Some
of the men saw a Unicorn so we've been scouring the whole damn continent trying
to find it."
"A Unicorn? I wish I could see one of those. I bet it would be pretty,"
Quatre commented.
"Unicorns are extinct though. You'll never be able to find one. I think
those guys that saw it were chugging down the spirits if you know what I mean,"
the brunette sorcerer remarked.
The soldier chuckled, before turning back to gaze at the other men. "Better
get going. I'm sure it's going to be a long day."
The sorcerer nodded in understanding as he watched the soldier follow the others
down the street and into the center of the town. 'A Unicorn? How stupid to believe
something like that. I can't believe Dorothy would be so idiotic as to actually
think one was still around.'
"Do you think there might actually be a unicorn out there somewhere?"
Quatre inquired as he returned to patting one of the dogs.
"I really don't think so. Human's hunted them to extinction and we're nothing
if not persistent," the sorcerer pointed out.
"I know. I suppose it's just the little kid in me that wants to believe
desperately that faeries and unicorns are around, just in hiding," the
blonde announced.
Duo grinned brightly as he gave his young charge a brief hug. "So where
do you think we should go now?"
Quatre shrugged. "I don't know. I've never traveled this far before so
I don't know anything about the layout of the land."
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure all we're doing is going to make up for
your lack of experience in the outside world. You're magic is improving with
each new lesson. You're doing splendidly," Duo praised.
The blonde blushed brightly at the approval in the sorcerer's voice. 'He's so
good to me. I hope he feels the same way about me as I feel about him.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slender fingers gently caressed the mass of platinum hair spread out against
his shoulder. The black haired individual sighed as his gaze strayed from his
lover to the horse kneeled down and asleep beside them. 'This task is becoming
more and more difficult with each passing day; first Dorothy and now Treize,
who's going to be next? By the time we're done we'll have every single wealthy
person on this side of the continent hunting for Heero.' Only several days had
passed since the initial meeting and they had already run into Dorothy's men
twice and Treize's yet another time. Only by the grace of the gods and his lover's
magic had they been able to pass undetected.
"Love?" a muffled voice called out quietly, "Shouldn't you be
asleep?"
"Can't seem to make myself," Wufei answered in a hushed tone, his
fingers continuing their constant action on the blonde's locks.
Zech's smiled sleepily as he leaned forward, planting a brief kiss on his boyfriend's
lips. He then returned to his original position, nuzzling against the figure's
neck. "I wonder if we'll be able to eventually sleep at an inn?"
"I highly doubt it. It would be next to impossible to hide Heero in a room
and you know he'll refuse to sleep in a horse stall," Wufei said with a
faint smile.
The blonde laughed at the remark. "It would be fun to see though wouldn't
it? He would have a complete fit; probably knock over a few people here and
there."
"I thought you liked sleeping on the floor though. That way we have to
curl up closer to each other for warmth," The black haired bartender said
slyly.
"Well that is true," Zechs murmured, his mouth working gradually to
cover the nape of his lover's neck. The young man beneath him gasped quietly,
tightening his hold on his boyfriend.
"I sincerely dispute the notion that Heero would look forward to waking
up next to us doing this," the brown-eyed man pointed out.
"It's not like he hasn't done this with Duo, granted it has been some time
since they were together although now we know that Heero had a very valid reason
for leaving," Zechs noted. He shivered slightly, trying desperately to
forget how cruel his sister really was. 'I just can't believe she would stoop
so low as to kidnap and try to force someone to love her. That's just wrong.
She has the same evil streak our father does.'
"Don't worry about it, love. You are not your family. I know both your
sister and father have wronged greatly but they're not you," his boyfriend
chided, knowing instantly what was running through the blonde's mind.
The sorcerer nodded as he took several deep breaths, wrapping his arms around
the taller man's lower back. "I know. I guess it's just shocking to have
them thrown back into my life. I had hoped that I wouldn't have to ever deal
with them again."
"I suppose the saying you can't escape your past is very true. I know it
was for me. Duo couldn't seem to stay away from us could he?"
The blonde chuckled as he remembered the first time he'd been introduced to
the longhaired brother.
"As I recall his words were something like 'Hide me Fei! I accidentally
set fire to some guy's chicken coop although frankly it was his daughter's fault
for wanting me to show her a spell so close to the place,'" Zechs exclaimed,
his face lit up in amusement.
The bartender shook his head at the faint memory. "He's such a nuisance."
"You keep saying that but I think you actually enjoy his company. You have
to admit he makes our lives much more interesting," the blonde announced.
"I presume you want me to agree with you, right?" Wufei inquired.
"If you know what's good for you," Zechs grinned as he kissed the
Chinese man firmly on the mouth.
"I suppose he isn't that bad."
The blonde burst out in laughter, forgetting quickly to keep quiet.
/You do know that some of us want to sleep tonight, don't you? / the sudden
voice asked as it rung out in both their heads. /And I happen to think that
Duo is a delight to have around. /
"Says the one that sleeps with him," Wufei retorted, before being
hushed by his boyfriend.
"Sorry about that Heero. We'll make sure to keep our voices down next time,"
Zechs apologized.
/Make sure that you do. Although I suggest all of us get some sleep. I'm sure
more guards or soldiers will be after us tomorrow as well. /
Both men nodded in agreement, settling down to rest. Heero gazed at the two,
silently wishing that he were back together with Duo. 'I wonder how he's doing
right now. Does he even miss me?'
TBC