Heero wasn't sure with whom he was more furious – himself, for being taken in by a fraud, or Duo, for deceiving him. Trowa had warned him, but no, he'd let himself get involved, let himself care for the man, for goodness sake. Was he really that naive?
He was still fuming as he entered the holding area where Duo was being kept. He approached the man's cell and demanded, "Is it true? Did you write this note to Sylvia, Duo?"
Heero didn't know what it was that he expected as a response. A denial, he was sure, even though there was no other explanation. But certainly not the look of devastation on Duo's face. If Heero had been any less furious, he would have wanted to comfort his friend… but was he really a friend? How could he be, after all the lies?
["I'm sorry, Heero,"] Duo began to sign. ["I couldn't tell you. Not… before."]
Heero didn't bother to sign in return. Why go to such an effort for a traitor? "You didn't answer my question."
Duo shook his head. ["I didn't write it."]
Heero chose to take that at face value, for now. "But you could have, couldn't you?"
After the first denial, he had expected another. Instead, Duo nodded, the look of devastation only deepening.
["I couldn't tell you,"] the man repeated.
"Why not?" Heero demanded.
["No time. Must leave. Please, Heero, help me."] The pleading in Duo's eyes was nearly enough to move Heero to action. It was painful to resist it, but the pain of Duo's betrayal was stronger and it fueled Heero's anger.
"Why should I? I've done nothing but help you, and you've done nothing but lie!"
Duo visibly flinched, but didn't relent. ["If not for me, for Sylvia."]
It took Heero a moment to parse the spelling of the name. "Who's Sylvia?" he asked, wondering why the name sounded familiar. He ought to know who that was, but…
Before Duo could respond, a voice came from the entrance to the corridor.
"Prince Heero, there you are."
Heero turned to see none other than the newly crowned Queen, wearing a dark cloak pulled up over her head as if trying to escape notice.
"Queen Relena," Heero responded, at a loss.
"You must hurry. We need to get Sylvia away immediately." She lifted a ring of keys and walked to Duo's cell, unlocking it. "Duo, she insists that you have to take her. Are you able?"
The man nodded, motioning a ["Thank you"] and leaving the cell.
"What is going on?" Heero demanded.
"There's no time," Relena insisted. "Follow me." She turned and Duo followed, looking askance at Heero as he walked by. Heero jogged to catch up with the Queen.
"Explain while we walk, then."
Relena nodded. "Sylvia is a dear friend of mine. She's been trapped in an abusive political marriage and Duo has been sent to help her escape." She looked at Heero. "I don't know what is between the two of you, but I beg you, allow him to do this."
Heero clenched his teeth. "Duo does what he wants, as you can see. But I won't allow him to go with her alone. Where he goes, I go."
Relena blinked in shock. "But… you're the Prince. You have to stay."
"You want this done, do you not? Consider this my favor to you. Duo will be more likely to succeed with my aid."
"Cannot you send your man, Nanashi? How am I supposed to explain your sudden disappearance?"
"Be creative. An emergency, I don't care. I'm not letting him out of my sight." He'd be damned if he'd let Duo get away after everything. He was one puzzle Heero was determined to solve and damn the consequences.
"Very well," Relena acquiesced. "I'll think of something."
Heero had barely paid attention to where they were going, but soon they arrived at the stables. Good thing he'd taught Duo how to ride, he thought bitterly.
"Send someone for Nanashi and Catherine. They will also accompany me." When she made to protest, he held up his hand. "There's safety in numbers."
The Queen narrowed her eyes, then nodded. She gestured to a stablehand and gave him instructions to do as Heero had asked. Then she entered the stables and approached a cloaked figure who was waiting next to a white mare.
"Sylvia?" Relena asked, getting the woman's attention. The woman in question turned to face them, relief flooding her eyes as she saw Duo.
He turned to Duo. "How, exactly, were you going to communicate with her without an interpreter?"
Duo shrugged, the signed, ["I would have found a way."]
"Not likely," Heero replied, still upset. He took a deep breath, needing to get his anger under control.
Nanashi and Catherine arrived, and Relena quickly introduced Sylvia to each of them. "I understand you're to take her to Wanderer's Cove. Sylvia knows the way. Thank you, each of you, for your aid. I will truly be in your debt." She turned to her friend, taking the woman's hands in her own and kissing her on the cheek. "Be well. I shall miss you, but I'm happy you're going somewhere you can be safe."
There were tears welling in Sylvia's eyes, and Heero turned away to give the two friends a little more privacy for their farewell. It didn't take long. Relena instructed a groom to saddle five horses, and Heero hoped fervently that Duo would be given an even-tempered one. He had mastered the basics of riding, yes, but he was not up to handling an unruly mount.
"We'll return once Sylvia is safely away," Heero told Relena once they had all mounted. She nodded in response and he looked at the others. "Catherine, ride next to Sylvia, where the roads allow riding abreast. Nanashi, take the rear. Duo, you will ride next to me."
Duo could feel the tension radiating off Heero as he rode beside the Prince. When he had been confront in the cell block, the fury in his eyes had hit him like a physical blow. What had started out as a mission had become something very different, he had realized. He'd come to care for the Prince far too much. He couldn't truly follow the plan they had devised before he'd gone to the Sea Witch. All that was left was to ensure that Heero never discovered what Duo truly was. If he'd remembered Duo Singing to him on the beach, he would have let on by now.
As for whether he knew about the mer, Duo still couldn't tell. What he did know, however, was the Heero would never instigate a war against the underwater kingdoms, not without serious provocation, which would not be forthcoming by any of the kingdoms in this part of the ocean. What did it matter if he knew? Heero was too kind, too caring to lightly send his people into harm's way just over the discovery of the mer's existence.
Besides, knowing about the mer wouldn't reveal the past. There would still be no memory of the war that had killed Duo's parents and so many others on both sides. No reason for retribution for the dead and buried when they didn't know it had even happened.
There had been no conversation in the hours since they had left the palace and the city behind. When reaching a crossroads, Sylvia simply indicated the direction, and the others had followed. He could tell that Heero had more questions for him, but he apparently didn't want to ask them while others were able to hear. He was most likely only concerned about Sylvia. As far as Duo could tell, Heero kept no secrets from Catherine and Nanashi. It would have been difficult for Duo to answer in any case, as the moon was only half full and was intermittently obscured by clouds. There wasn't enough light for Heero to clearly make out any signs Duo made.
Duo wasn't sure how much longer they would be riding. He could tell that they were angling slightly away from the ocean, as the salt in the air was lessening. In fact, this was farther away than he'd been from it since becoming human, and it was making him increasingly uneasy.
His unease turned to alarm when Catherine came to an abrupt halt ahead of him, reaching over to catch Sylvia's arm and murmur to her. Sylvia halted her horse as well, and he and Heero did the same.
"Show yourselves!" she demanded into the night, drawing a throwing knife from Duo knew not where. He looked around, but he couldn't see anything in the dark beneath the surrounding trees. He saw Heero draw his sword and wished he'd had a weapon as well, but he was unskilled in the sorts of weapons used above the water. They'd only drilled in hand to hand combat during their time on the ship,there hadn't been time for anything more..In any case during their haste to depart, he hadn't thought to ask for a weapon.
Men started to emerge from the shadows surrounding them, one by one. All were armed and ready to attack.
"You'll surrender if you know what's good for you," came a gruff voice from one of the men. "You're surrounded and outnumbered. All we want is your coin, and maybe a turn with the ladies."
"Like hell we'll surrender!" Heero yelled, and at that moment he and Catherine sprang into action. Duo saw a flash of a weapon from behind, Nanashi he was sure, but his attention was focused on keeping his seat on his horse, which began shying and neighing in fright as soon as one of the men came at them from beneath the trees, screaming and slashing a sword in his direction.
Without thinking, Duo dismounted on the side away from his attacker, then dove beneath the horse at the man's legs. Probably a stupid idea in hindsight, but he managed to avoid being kicked by the animal so he didn't worry about it further.
He may not have been instructed in how to use a weapon, but the training had included unarmed defense – get in too close for them to use the weapon effectively, and disarm as quickly as possible.
The man fell atop him as Duo collided with his legs, and the sword clanged harmlessly to the ground. His horse reared, and Duo rolled away from it as quickly as he could, fearing being trampled. It was the right instinct, as the hooves came down close to where he'd been. Then the horse was running off into the trees. He didn't have time to think about the ramifications of that, however, as his attacker got to his feet. Duo dove at him again, knocking him down once more before he could reclaim his sword.
They wrestled, rolling on the ground as each sought the advantage. Duo's lessons had evidently been effective, as he managed to get the man in a headlock. The next part he knew how to do from before his time as a human – a mer could be killed by a broken neck just the same as a human could. With a snap, the man went limp in Duo's arms.
Shoving him away, Duo jumped into a crouch and surveyed his surroundings. The rest were engaged with the rest of his party.
Several dead men lay near Catherine, knives sticking out of their throats, and she now had her own sword out, engaging with another from atop her horse. Heero's horse had apparently bolted as well, as it was nowhere to be seen. He was fighting two men, one armed with a sword and the other an axe. Nanashi had also lost his horse, and was clashing swords with a man farther back on the road.
Hearing a noise, Duo saw another man rush out from the trees, passing him by and diving straight for Heero's exposed back. By the time Duo could do anything, the man was too far for him to reach.
He didn't think, he just reacted.
"Heero! Behind you!" he shouted, desperate to warn the man. An instant later, he realized what he had done. Pain shot through his legs and he heard the rending of clothes as his pants split asunder. He fell to the ground when his legs buckled then began to burn so hot his mind went blank. His first transformation had been painful, but Quatre had siphoned off the pain with his powers as a Wave Whisperer. There was no one to help him now, and he heard himself scream before everything went mercifully black.
