Eclipse of Dusk
By: Hseru
Warnings: Shounen ai later on 1x2 3x4 5xM (Hey look...he's got someone now ^_^)
Disclaimer: I own not Gundam Wing, but I do own the world the G-boys traverse. Fear my god power
Chapter 22
After the Gnoll attack was done and over, the consequences of it were still far reaching, as it soon became evident. The five companions were back at the inn after gathering together to assess damages, too restless to sleep just yet. Each one's mind was on something different, but none were willing to share, which might have said a lot, or not considering the closed mouth-ness of most of them.
Heero's chest had been bandaged, by Duo himself after the happiness faded slightly so he could think. He had by then tied his loose, and extremely ungainly hair back with a piece of leather he found, keeping the silken mass out of his way for the task. The claw marks were deep, but not altogether too damaging. Muscles had not been severed, and nerves were still functioning. He would merely have a wicked set of scars; four wide lines running from left collarbone to lower on his right side.
No one else had been injured, luckily, except for Quatre's close brush earlier. The little mage was still recuperating, but it was not nearly as devastating a blow to him as the first time. All he needed now was bed rest.
Speaking of such, at the moment Quatre was beginning to doze leaning against Trowa's irresolute shoulder. The elf gently shook him, and motioned for him to go upstairs.
With a tired nod, the little mage excused himself, and began the climb up the stairwell, followed silently by Trowa.
Even as they reached the top and vanished from sight, a cry came from the room behind the closed door at the foot of the stairs.
Duo was the first up and moving towards the room, followed closely by Heero and Wufei. The braided youth mentally cursed himself for forgetting about Meiran and her brother.
Pausing at the entrance only a moment, Duo grasped the handle and opened the door, moving inside.
Within, he found the scene he'd feared the most.
Meiran leaning over the still body of her brother, sobbing her heart out. Duo felt his own heart drop out from under him, and he stood there silently, unknowing as to what to do.
Finally deciding to go to her, a hand descended to his shoulder, and he turned to meet the cobalt eyes of Heero.
The soldier gently shook his head.
"This is not your place..." He murmured. "Go upstairs...we'll take care of her."
Mouth open to protest, Duo then slowly closed it, and nodded in slight defeat. With a last wrenching glance at the sobbing girl, for as she was now, she seemed so much younger and vulnerable, Duo removed himself from the room, and slowly ascended the stairs to his shared room, at the moment empty.
Sparing a moment to watch him leave, Heero then bent to the task at hand. He had initially been somewhat confused, hard as it was to believe, but the pieces fell together gradually until he had a pretty good idea as to what had happened.
Sharing a glance with Wufei -the dark warrior seeming just as uncomfortable with the situation a he was, despite his assurance to Duo- he moved over to the bedside, and laid a hand on the sobbing young woman's shoulder to gently get her attention. She snapped upright as if slapped, and shot a glare at Heero. Turning her gaze, Wufei fell under that glare as well for a moment, hostility and unpredictable actions hard on their way.
"What do you want?" She said, raising a hand to harshly wipe away tears from red rimmed eyes.
She was a pretty little thing, with raven black hair pulled back and plaited in a double braid that ended just past her shoulder blades -the weave starting separately at her temples and meeting in the back- that in no way matched up to Duo's. Blazing dark eyes that were piercing in nature peered out from a brace of bangs that framed her small face, accompanied by a pert nose, and small but sumptuous lips.
Her dress was practical, a pair of baggy pantaloons that were well suited for travel, a vest, and long sleeved shirt. Her brother had worn similar raiment, different in only the fact that his pants were of a thicker, and closer fitting variety.
"We only wish to help you." Wufei spoke up first.
"No one can help me now..." She muttered, glancing back down at her brother's still form.
"We are truly sorry for your loss." Heero said, a bit too unfeeling, for Meiran turned her fiery gaze on him.
"Sorry are you? I'm sure. Just go and leave me be." She said tersely.
"But-"
"Go!" She interrupted Wufei's protest. With a highly insulted look, the dark haired warrior did just that, and left the room which had filled with such tension in so short a time.
"You follow your buddy there." She then added, looking back at Heero.
With as much of a shrug as Heero Yuy would ever give, he did as she bid, and walked from the room, closing the door behind him.
Wufei was practically livid as Heero moved from the foreboding room.
"The nerve of that woman, when we were merely trying to help!" The swords master said, on a bit of a tirade.
"It's better this way." Heero said, bringing Wufei's muttered curses to an end.
"What?" He said, coming to a stop before the soldier, and his fighting partner.
"It's better we don't get involved..." Heero said by way of explanation. "If what I believe to be the case is true, we don't want her to know anymore than she and every other person in this town knows." He paused for a moment before going on.
"I believe Duo is the reason we were attacked, the reason this village was attacked. Sarkan is sending these beasts after us, because he wants Duo back."
The news did indeed come as a bit of a shock to the swords master.
"But if that's true, then there's a chance that more are coming. Or he could very well be sending something much worse than a couple of Gnolls." Wufei said quietly, understanding washing away his previous anger.
"I know. As soon as daylight breaks, we're going to move out, buy the supplies we need, and be gone from here before something else happens." Heero answered.
With a nod of understanding, Wufei glanced up the stairs.
"Does he know?" He asked quietly.
"...No..." The cobalt eyed soldier replied just as quietly, with an odd sort of emptiness to his voice.
"Are you going to tell him?" Wufei again asked.
"I'm hoping it won't come to that."
...
It was a short time later that Heero opened the door to his room, an unusual air of exhaustion about the soldier. His darkened gaze peered about, shortly finding what he searched for in the figure of Duo asleep on one of the large beds.
He had probably fallen asleep while waiting up for Heero, because he was not under the thick covers specially used to stave off the cold that had begun to permeate the room. More like he was simply huddled upon the bed, hair again mostly down and spread haphazardly about him in a chestnut ocean.
Laying his black bladed sword where it had once before rested, Heero then moved over to the side of the bed, and began moving Duo about so he could pull down the bedclothes. He finally resorted to picking up the long haired youth, and slipping him between the cool sheets. About to pull back, the arm about his neck tightened, and he looked down into a pair of sleepy, amethyst eyes.
"Don't...don't leave me..." Duo murmured, half asleep.
With a small nod, and a quick melting of his heart, Heero straightened up enough to again pull the bedclothes down, then himself got into bed beside the sleepy youth. He immediately found a pair of arms wrapped tightly about him, and a body pressed painfully into his injured chest.
He didn't protest, however, as the pain eventually lessened enough for him to ease into Duo's hold upon him.
Almost of their own violation, Heero's arms wound around the smaller boy pressed against him, and he tilted his head down slightly to lightly kiss the crown of Duo's head, which had been tucked under his chin.
All in all, it was to a peaceful sleep the soldier went. He had not expected it to come upon him so suddenly, and the next thing he knew, his internal clock was waking him to say that the sun had risen.
...
The group, less refreshed than initially planned, set out from the waking village only a handful of candlemarks after the sun had risen. They had gathered the directions to the houses of who sold what the night before, and made quick rounds to the few merchants. Being so, they woke early to catch all business, despite the happenings of the previous night.
Only a small amount of haggling was needed to get decent prices, though truth be told, they weren't exactly stressing over the money. Speed was their number one priority, though the three not privy to Heero and Wufei's knowledge did not understand the need for such haste.
Thick clothing, and an abundance of layers were bought, as well as blankets for the steeds, ice picks, rope and harnesses should the need to climb come to their attention, food that would last in the extreme cold, and extra flint and wad [1] for the starting of a nightly fire. A large quantity of grain was also purchased for the steeds, but the foraging would not be so bad for them until they reached the peaks of the mountains they planned to traverse.
There was a good chance that they would be going on foot for some time, through large snow banks and over ice that would not support the combined weight of mount and rider, so they also added a pair of snowshoes for each member to their inventory list.
Now loaded down with only the necessities, each of the five had donned their warmer clothing, and mounted up after paying the innkeeper.
A short moment's trot had them out of the small village, and heading down the wide trader's road that wound through the northern reaches. They would be on that road a mere four to five days, depending on how good a time they made seeing as they were trying to save both the mounts and themselves, then they would fork off the main path into the untamed wilderness that lined each side. That would be when time would begin to feel endless as their forward pace would slow from the good twenty to twenty-five miles they made each day, to a mere five to ten miles a day. That was when they needed to push forward for every bit of time they could.
It wasn't even midday before Heero suddenly called an unexpected halt. His gaze was fixed behind them. The others were about to question them when he beat them to it.
"We're being followed."
Then there were five pairs of eyes aimed behind them, and the following rider crested the hill half a mile back.
The rider didn't even pause, even though it was evident he had been seen, but instead rode confidently forward at a sedated pace until he gently reigned in his horse, a light tan mare with mahogany mane and tail.
Then it was with a muttered curse that Wufei recognized their follower. A she, not a he.
Pulling up just in front of the group, Meiran, cloaked and looking quite ready for travel, sat silently on her horse, solidly awaiting the first protest to her being there.
Wufei would have voiced that with all his annoyed fervor, when Heero yet again beat him to it.
"Why are you following us?" The cobalt eyed soldier asked in a cold voice.
"I want to slay the one who slew my brother." She said with a steady, no nonsense tone.
"Woman, you would do better to go back and not have the same thing happen to yourself." Wufei butted in.
"The Gnoll who slew your brother is dead. You killed it with your own hand." Heero said in as sensible a voice as he could manage.
"The Gnoll is dead, but its master is not." The young woman insisted, judging Wufei's comment too ludicrous to even deign with an answer.
Heero almost felt Duo stiffen from where he sat astride his Murasaki, just behind Heero's solid white Shiroi, and wished to all the hells that he could shut this woman up before she went too far.
"The Gnolls' master?" Quatre said, ever the naive one. He glanced over at Wufei and Heero. "Do you know what she speaks of?" He asked.
Meiran turned her gaze from the little mage, back to Heero.
"Yes, he knows." She gritted. "He spoke of it just last night; a man by the name of Sarkan. He is the one controlling these beasts, and I intend to see him dead."
Damn her, she had listened to their hushed talking! Resisting the urge to look back at Duo, Heero nearly grit his teeth in his attempt to keep from verbally lashing out at her.
Wufei, however, had no such problems, for he didn't even bother to contain his anger.
"Foolish woman! Do you think this is some sort of game we play?" He asked, kicking his Illian forward until it stood before hers. "This Sarkan you speak of is a sorcerer, far above anything you could throw at him. Your attempts to avenge your brother's death will only lead to your own, one, I might add, that would likely be more painful that merely dieing from old age."
Angling her fiery dark gaze to the swords master, a tight, maniacal grin crossed her small mouth.
"I'd better not get myself killed then." Was her final reply.
...
The rest of the ride through the day was uneventful, if the verbal barbs Wufei and Meiran occasionally threw at each other could be called uneventful. They could not force her to go back, and they could not waste the time to take her back personally. So she was, at least for the time being, an addition to their small party. She had thought for herself though, because she was as well provisioned as the rest of them were, her saddlebags modestly packed with things necessary for cold travel. The sword sheath that held her thin, curved blade was for the moment belted to the side of her horse, free to pull at any time, as well as a second blade which they guessed had been her brother's.
Despite an obviously disgruntled Wufei, Heero was already counting her as an asset to their group; another who could wield a sword in battle with great skill, and was unafraid of skirmishes as had already been proven.
The night came quickly, what with the distraction the two of them gave the rest of the group. No one but Heero seemed to notice the way Duo withdrew into himself after Meiran's arrival though, not speaking to anyone pretty much the entire time.
The braided youth was silent as they pitched camp on the lee side of a steep cliff that marked the beginning of the mountains and end of the foothills. When a warm dinner was passed around, he was the last to finish, picking at his food enough to make it look like he'd eaten more than he had.
He volunteered to take the first watch, and left the warm circle of firelight to sit with his back to them some distance away.
As the others bedded down, Duo felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and he leaned into the person who crouched behind him.
"Are you ok?" Came the silky hard voice of Heero.
"Eleven..." Duo whispered.
"Hn..?"
"Eleven more deaths. Twelve, counting Meiran's brother." He elaborated.
"How many more people will die because of me?"
A shudder took his body, whether from the cold outside, or the odd hollow chill that originated from within, he didn't know. The only thing he knew was the pair of warm, solid arms that wrapped comfortingly about his shoulders, and the breath that licked his ear.
"You are not the cause..." Heero whispered. "If you must blame someone, blame he who really deserves such. Sarkan controls these beasts, Sarkan controlled Shinigami. It's all him and his perverse ideals that lead to such pain and death."
Duo nodded numbly, but deep inside, he didn't believe it.
Heero did not know what to do for him. Other than offering all the comfort he himself could give, this was not his area of expertise. He had to keep Duo sane, not to mention stable. If the braided youth kept blaming himself like this, it was possible he wouldn't make it back to Shinigami.
It was all too possible he wouldn't make it at all.
That scared the cobalt eyed soldier more than he ever thought anything would.
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1. Wad is exactly what it sounds like, a small wad of material that's very flammable, made from dried mosses, or cloth of a sort. Used to catch and burn the sparks from a flint stone struck against steel.
*collapses* Freakin hell! This fanfic is turning into a whole novel!
I have so much more to write, and I'm wondering if I'll loose the attention of my readers by expanding the story so much.
Please, please tell me if I am making this too long. I'll say this now, I'm over half way done with this fic, but that over half is about two thirds half way.
Which means there's a good ten to fifteen chapters still coming! (that's a rough estimate by the way) Plus I hope to keep them about this length if I can, which means if I didn't, it would be half again as many chapters to come. Maybe I'll even lengthen them more, just to get more out at one time, but I really, really need to know if you, my readers, are getting bored.
Don't hesitate to inform me, if you do get bored. I'm playing this by ear, so when I see something someone wants, I try and put it in.
Ok, that's my piece for now.
Tell me if it's too long, too short, or just right!
-Hseru
Review, Review!!