Sands Of Time

Chapter Five

(Intermission One)

Duo and The Blacksmith

Duo held a hand out and swung Heero up onto the horse behind him. The Asian boy's arms wrapped around his waist, comfortably holding him. They'd done this thousands of times before, riding for long distances, pressed against each other. Once, it had been a hard task. First, because they didn't get along very well, and then because they got along *too* well.

Eyes cast about as the others were mounting and moving out, noting how Trowa slid into position behind Quatre on the snow white Arabian steed, Duo remembered how he'd come to be here. Where had it all started?

Sure, it might have been when he was just a kid, dreaming about exploring. Or it may have been when he'd stowed away upon a ship- the Sweeper- and ended up befriending the captain and getting a *real* job. Or at any other point between Verona, Venice and now. But Duo didn't really consider all of that. He was here because of Heero. His life never really started until that day out, far from here, at a small trading village along the furthest shore of Asia.

*FLASHBACK*

Duo'd always had a knack for languages. That was why Howard had let him stick around so long aboard the Sweeper, because Duo caught onto languages faster than anyone he'd ever seen. He'd gone from being a barely literate orphan to fluently speaking and reading in Latin, French, *and* Arabic... all in about two years. So it was no surprise to him that he caught onto the languages this far East. He'd always wanted to explore, and now he was, using his skills at translating to pay his way, and pick up a little extra from his own bargains and merchanting. But now... he'd come as far East as they said he could. The waves lapped at the shore just outside the village. Oh, sure. He knew from tales that there were islands in that ocean, and that he could probably get there. But the way was very dangerous, the winds and water making the journey treacherous. And he was feeling slightly homesick. He missed Howard, and Italy, and everything he'd left behind so many *years* ago. He'd never been on a time frame, and so had wandered almost aimlessly east until he'd came here. Now, he felt the urge to turn around and head back.

He was wandering down by the market, thinking of bartering for some fine silk, as a gift to the kind, aged widow that he'd been staying with for the past month or so while the last of the spring flooding stopped and the way to go back would be safer. He hated staying at inns, even when he could. It was much nicer, almost family-like, to find some kind old soul to spend quiet evenings with. Almost like a home. It was there that the commotion caught his attention, a clattering of metal, a screeching and yelling. He wandered closer, observing as a blacksmith tossed a mis-shapen horse's shoe at a cowering little boy. As Duo watched in slight horror, the clod of still slightly heated metal hit the boy right in the shoulder. A barely audiable whimper reached his ears through the ranting.

"Greetings, Master Blacksmith," Duo said, plastering an all-too-fake smile upon his face.

The blacksmith, a bulky man who was taller than most of the Asians Duo'd met. He taller than Duo, who at sixteen towered over many Asians.

"Yes? Can I help you, young Traveler?" Duo smiled more. Anywhere he went, he was Traveler. A young foreigner.

"I was wondering how much the horse's shoes for my mare would be, although I am wondering if it is worth it. This one seems to be causing you troubles."

"Indeed," the man snorted. "Bought him off of some sailors some five winters ago. Been nothing but trouble ever since."

Duo peered at the boy, covered by nothing but dirt and a loin-cloth... inadequate protection against the chill of the spring. "He don't look like normal Asians, if'n you don't mind me saying."

"Sailor claimed he caught him on them islands across the sea. I thought he'd be good help, seeing as I'm not as young as I once was. That was a mistake. Good for nothing, not worth what I spent on him."

"Then mayhaps you'd be willing to sell him?"

The blacksmith eyed him warily, but the boy looked positively shocked. From the corner of his eyes, Duo could see chocolate brown hair and eyes the color of the blue in sodalite. From the shape of his eyes and face, Duo guessed he must be some type of half-breed. He'd never seen any Asians with blue eyes.

"And what would you be needing a slave-boy for?"

Duo shrugged. "I'm turning back West as soon as the floods stop. Someone to carry the packs might be useful. It's a very long way to my old home."

The blacksmith nodded. "And how would you be paying?"

Duo hid his regret over parting with it, but he pulled from his change purse a large shimmering gold coin.

"This should cover it."

The blacksmith's eyes gleamed at the sight of the coin.

"Any trader worth his fodder would be willing to trade this for whatever you needed."

"Deal," the blacksmith barked, snatching the coin from Duo's fingers. "You can take the boy. He's your trouble now."

Duo held out his hand. "If you'll shake on it then." The man eyed him warily, but knew of the ritual from other traders. So he shook his hand, and Duo jerked his head at the boy.

"Come along. You'll be going with me, now."

The boy seemed uncertain for a moment, before the blacksmith snapped out, kicking at him. "Go on, get. You belong to him now. Be off with you!"

The boy scrambled after Duo, trying to hid behind him.

"Easy," Duo whispered, the touch of his hand gentle on the thin shoulder. "I won't hurt you. Come on, we need to get you some clothing."

Without a backwards glance, Duo turned and left the blacksmith, the wary boy keeping just a step behind him. Duo stopped by a tailors and picked up a set of clothing that should fit the slave... and talked the tailor down on the price of a strip of fine sky blue silk that caught his eye.

Duo saw Ling at the door of her quaint little house. The petite, middle-aged woman cast a worried look at the boy behind her young house-guest.

"I rescued him off a blacksmith," Duo told the woman.

She nodded. "He'll need clean clothes, a bath." She sniffed, her black eyes raking over the boy. "And food. Maybe not in that order."

Duo grinned, hefting the bundle from the tailor. "Check on the clothes already."

"Water's out back. I'll cook an early meal for today."

"Thank you," he bowed to the woman and lead the still silent boy around back.

"What's your name?" Duo questioned, pumping the water.

"..."

Duo raised an eyebrow and finally appraised his 'purchase'. Standing, the boy was an inch taller than himself, but very malnourished. Duo withdrew his opinion of the slave's age. He had to be at least seventeen, if not eighteen.

"You can speak to me," he said lightly. "And Ling. We won't hurt you."

"I... I not remember," was the reply, heavily accented, stuttering as if not only unused to speaking... but unused to speaking in this language. Prussian eyes glared at him, almost daring him to object. Duo almost smirked. He'd guessed the slave was mute, maybe weak-willed. But he could see a glint in those eyes now. Perhaps the reason the blacksmith had wanted to be rid of him.

Duo smiled. "Okay then. What do you want me to call you? What name do you want?"

The slave stared at him, as if trying to discern if Duo was for real. Finally, he said something that sounded like a name, but in a completely different language than any Duo knew.

"Hmm," Duo thought. "Heero? I guess it has a ring to it. So Heero it will be. Why don't you get in there and scrub up? I'm sure Ling wouldn't like dirty little ragamuffins at her table."

The self named Heero got in the water, eyes never leaving Duo.

"You not Chinese." It was a statement, not a question. Duo laughed.

"No. I'm Italian."

"I not know that word."

"I'm from a land far, far from here."

"Nights? Or Moons?"

Duo laughed again. Even while those eyes glared at him, the curiosity came out... in little more than baby-talk no less.

"Seasons," Duo stated. "Years." Heero's eyes widened in amazement.

"That very far," he said at last.

Duo couldn't help but laugh again.

He got the feeling he was really going to like this boy.

*End Flashback*

"What are you thinking about?" Heero's breath washed over Duo's ear; the words were spoken in a husky whisper, in a language unknown to the others of their group. Duo shivered, but smiled.

"How we first met," he said. He could feel Heero smirking.

"I like that story," he admitted.

Duo laughed, "Me too."

Quatre sent him an odd questioning look, but Duo just shook his head.

"Shut up before everyone starts to think I'm crazy!" he hissed at the man behind him, unwittingly slipping back into Latin.

"Too late," Trowa deadpanned.