EEE! I'm sorry for so long between my update, but things seemed to be working against me of late for some reason.
First, I have company, my sister's birthday party, and then I was grounded for cryin out loud! Talk about a negative turn of events.
Anyway, this is not a longer chapter (told ya not to get your hopes up) As I struggled to get this done at any decent time, but Hopefully I can catch back up now that things are quiet again.
One can only hope, ne?
On to the story! ^_^
Eclipse of Dusk
By: Hseru
Warnings: Shounen ai later on 1x2 3x4 5x? (poor Wuffers)
Disclaimer: I own not Gundam Wing, but I do own the world the G-boys traverse. Fear my god power
Chapter 19
The group's time in Phenris' care amounted to a total of three days. The time did wondrous things for nearly everyone's state of mind. The little earth spirit felt disheartened herself though. Once again her children were going off to die, and other than what she'd already done, there was not much else she could help with. The amounts of information she could provide went only so far to aid the five in their endeavor to come.
The inevitable date of their departure was set, for there was a total of four weeks until the night of the winter solstice. The journey across the plains would be easy, and quick, but they would need all the time they could get when they hit the mountains.
The packing was done, a surprisingly light, double canter-pack for each steed, with provisions enough to last the ride across the low lands. Phenris had provided a change of clothing for each of them, something they heartily thanked her for, not to mention all of her abounding kindness towards them.
She stood at the entrance to the tunnel, seeing them off at first light on the third day.
Each of the five came up, and she felt the need to give each a hug, as if she felt this would be the last time she would see them. In reality though, she would be watching their progress; helping when she could, dreading when she couldn't.
Quatre was the first to approach, genially accepting her simple show of affection, and returning it whole heartedly.
"Thank you…so much for all that you've done…" He murmured, smiling brightly at the earth spirit. She gave a small, light smile in return.
Trowa was next, then Wufei, and Heero. They didn't say anything, the latter two seeming somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, but the gratitude was plain on at least two of their faces.
Duo was the last to come up to her, and it was with a mixture of sadness and a strange hope that she saw he wore the onyx pendant. There was a gleam in his eyes that spoke of an odd determination he'd gained over the last two days, thanks to the help of one Heero Yuy.
"Duo…" She said, smiling. He gave a small smile back, and the two of them embraced.
"Thank you…" He whispered, for her ears alone. "I'll free Shinigami…then come back and say hi again."
The words wrenched at her cosmic heart. Here was a boy who'd matured mentally by three thousand years in the past three days, trying to give her a sense of hope when he was having trouble retaining his own.
They parted, and with a small wave and a cheery grin, Duo walked over to where Murasaki waited patiently alongside the other already mounted steeds.
He vaulted into the saddle, and the black mare tossed her head in response, silken mane flying like a banner as the party moved out at a signal from Heero. Each steed set into a canter, a ground eating pace even Quatre's Arabian could keep for miles.
Phenris watched them go, still aboveground even as the distance lengthened, and they became vague spots of moving color on the vast stretch of gold-green land dotted with trees. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she walked to the tunnel mouth, and disappeared inside. The earth formed up around her vanished form, and slowly the only opening to the upper world collapsed back into the ground it was made from without a trace.
…
The small posse of riders moved out across the low lands, assorted manes and tails kicked up in joy at being able to run in the open air again.
The mount's riders kept them only slightly in reign, allowing them a short run before settling them again into the slower pace, which they set to with a will.
That pace became monotonous as the time of riding extended into hours.
Sometime past noon, Heero called a halt to allow both the steeds and the riders a short rest, and a meal.
Phenris had packed an assortment of both perishable and nonperishable foods that they broke into, each of the five munching on a wedge of sharp cheese, a piece of bread, and an equally large piece of smoked deer. Because of the fact that they would be able to hunt for a lot of their food to implement with the traveling rations, the meal was intentionally light.
The steeds were given a short rub down, only a small bit of grain, for too much at one time on such a long ride could potentially hurt the beasts, and cool water from a small streamlet they'd stopped by for that purpose.
All in all, they were there a full candlemark [1] before they once again mounted up and were off.
Poor Duo, by this time his pathetically short amount of saddle time was beginning to show. Even though Murasaki's gait was smoother than any horse's, his posterior was aching from the constant movement.
Quatre, ever the sensitive one, noticed Duo's discomfort, and pulled his Arabian up next to Duo's mount.
"Hey, you ok?" He needlessly asked.
Duo glanced over at the little mage and forced a grin.
"I'll probably be ass-less by the time this is over, but other than that I'm fine and dandy." He joked. Quatre had to laugh.
"It'll get better. You're not used to it is all." He gave a grin. "I was like that the first few days I rode all out like this. I could barely walk."
Duo grimaced at his words.
"A few days? I won't last till then." He said with mock severity. Quatre chuckled again.
The next halt wasn't called until the sun hung at the horizon, just touching the foot hills running to the west, and painting the sky with a beautiful array of colors that managed to capture all the essence of the world in a single moment.
Each one of the group had a task to set up for the night after the usual brush down of the mounts.
Because of Quatre's short word on Duo's 'condition', Heero allowed the long haired youth to work on the fire and food, using the small amounts of wood Quatre gathered from the general vicinity.
Trowa and Wufei were sent on hunt, and ended up bringing back two wild hares and a large field bird thanks to Trowa's superb bow skills. Wufei had all three skinned, plucked, and gutted, then spit them to place upon the makeshift rotisserie Duo had set up over the small but hot fire. It was now dark, and the vast expanse of now blue-black sky was dotted with stars that twinkled all too merrily.
Heero placed out the bedrolls in a circle, checked the mounts again, then went to help Duo with the fire.
The braided youth took portions of their supplies, which included a small amount of tubers, water, about half of the meat from the still cooking hares, and placed the whole into a steel cauldron type deal that would eventually serve as a far better meal than merely the assorted meats.
All too soon the smells coming from the cooking meal wafted through the air, and when time came to eat, not a one of them was left hungry.
After the meal and the cleanup, The shifts were described.
Two by two, and Heero would take double shift.
Although exhausted, Duo felt like he would never be able to get to sleep, what with the twinges of pain radiating from his nether regions, and so voted to take the first watch along with Heero.
Trowa and Quatre curled up near one another just inside the circle of flickering firelight, sharing in their mutual warmth as the night began to grow chill. Wufei simply put his back closer to the fire, and fell into the light sleep he tended to adopt. [2]
Crossing his arms before him, and easing down to sit gently on his bedroll, Duo faced away from the fire with a pensive look, allowing the small warmth from so far away to get as much use as possible. His violet eyes wandered across the darkened landscape, noting the small bit of light that came from the stars and full moon.
They had four weeks until the winter solstice. Four weeks for him to be 'normal'. It seemed all too short when put into words like that.
Feeling the presence of eyes upon him, he glanced around, and found the only other person still awake watching him like a hawk.
Standing, Heero walked the few short steps to Duo, and sat himself next to the braided youth. Nothing was said for a time.
Then, surprisingly enough, Heero was the one to start the ensuing conversation.
"...How are you?" He asked softly, eyes yet scanning the surrounding darkness.
"Fine..." Duo murmured in reply. Heero glanced at him once, cobalt eyes dark as the depths of the sea.
"Tell me the truth..."
Duo heaved a slight sigh.
"ok..." He hesitated a moment more before talking again. "...I feel like this huge hopeless weight is dragging me down." He started, eyes falling to the hands clasped tightly in his lap. "Here I am wondering what I will be after I join with Shinigami, and it's damn depressing..." He glanced up with a bit of a chuckle.
"To tell you the truth...I've really felt like something was watching me the entire day. Something that doesn't seem too pleased..." The cheer went out of his face.
"I feel something coming...like that storm. Whatever it is, it won't be pleasant."
"hn..." Was Heero's enigmatic answer.
"My, what the master conversationalist you are." Duo joked, even then trying to lighten the situation. Heero glanced at him with, oddly enough, a sort of half smirk on his face that would have been hard to catch at any other time.
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Eh, not short, not long, but things should pick up from here.
1. a candlemark is literally a mark on a long candle stick that when melted through represents the passage of about and hour's worth of time.
2. Poor Wuffers....so alone.
Review, Review!!