Darkness at Dawn Part 14
A loud crash in the adjoining room woke Hilde abruptly, and she groaned as she pulled her pillow over her ears. Not again! Can't she just... Sighing as she heard a light whimper coming from the same direction, she pulled herself from her bed and slipped into a light robe. Tying it tightly around herself, she gave a resigned sigh and walked over-
Relena was kneeling on the floor in a pool of water, holding her cut hand tight against her chest as she struggled not to cry. It was clear what had happened- there were shards of pottery littering the floor. All the same, a small accident like that was nothing to send the former lady into such a state...
Hilde approached cautiously, with her hands in the open. "Relena? Are you alright?"
Relena looked up at her with large, frightened eyes. "I swear it won't happen again! Please forgive me- I didn't mean..."
"No need for that!" Hilde cut her off sharply, bending to offer her hand- Relena flinched away from the gesture, like a frightened animal.
The dark-haired Lady felt her anger rising within her- what had that monster done to this woman to make her like this? "I swear it to you, Relena, I only mean to help you. Now come on!"
Flinching, Relena obeyed the command, and Hilde sighed. It had been like this for days. She had wanted to be as cruel as she could be at first, but seeing the once beautiful and confident Lady reduced to this state... She did not have it in her to torture the woman any further.
Relena tried not to move as Hilde rinsed her cuts and quickly bandaged them. "Thank you, my Lady."
Hilde looked up from her work. "Out of curiosity, what were you doing? That was a vase, I think, that fell..."
She immediately regretted mentioning the vase as Relena's eyes filled with tears, but the other woman quickly spoke up, "I thought some flowers might make you happy. Quatre will be angry that I broke something..."
"Hush," Hilde admonished softly. "I'm sorry you hurt yourself, but it was nice of you to think of that. Thank you."
"But I didn't..."
"And don't worry about the vase," Hilde continued quickly. "There are far too many of them here for anyone to miss one. Least of all the King!"
Relena's wide eyes reflected her feelings almost perfectly- she was desperately trying to figure this situation out and, if Hilde wasn't mistaken, she was getting there. The Lady's still clouded blue eyes fell. "I will try and remember that."
~*~
Seven sets of eyes desperately scanned the trees around the small, huddled group, muted light glinting off of drawn weapons. ~Duo, Trowa, come back here quickly. We are under attack. ~
Heero barely noticed the silent reply he got back from the other two Elementals as one of their hunters finally came into view. Dorothy, next to him, was shivering in fear and mixed loyalties, and he put a calming hand on her shoulder, allowing serenity to flow through his touch. The last thing any of them needed was to be given away to the enemy! Not when two of their number were scouting away ahead of them.
Zechs froze in tense preparation as he heard a twig snapping under a careful footfall, off to his left. He could feel Wufei ready to spring from his side...
None of them could react fast enough as the world exploded around them.
Treize and Wufei moved instinctively to cover Lord Zechs as power ripped through the bushes over their heads and slammed into their attackers with brutal force. Heero spun in confusion- he didn't recognise these power signatures! But who could...
"Angel!" Dorothy's scream brought his head around just in time as he dove out of the way of a series of poisoned darts. But the yell had attracted attention to the Darkchild among them-
"Traitor! Bitch!" Dorothy stood, rooted to the ground as the remaining attackers charged at her...
"I think not," Treize laughed as he moved in from one side, Wufei attacking from the other while Walker took down the third.
It was over.
All the same, Dorothy stared into the trees and was visibly shaking, her eyes wide and unfocused as her breathing became ragged...
Heero moved to stand in front of her, his aura manifesting as a shield to them both. "Show yourself, whoever you are!"
Silvery laughs erupted from the trees ahead of them. It looked like the very shadows beneath the trees were moving as three figures detached themselves and moved forward. "Don't you already know, Hand of the Guardian? I should think you do."
Zechs groaned. "Do they all speak in riddles?"
Another silvery laugh. "Only to confound mortals, my dear Lord Zechs. Please put those weapons away- we came to help, not to do battle."
Wufei and Treize stood at Heero's side, their own auras manifesting brightly under the trees as the cloaked figures continued to advance. "Be that as it may," Wufei called, "We will not deal with people who refuse to show us their faces, and we will not permit you near our charges."
The laughter came again. "Oh, only one of them need fear a thing from us. We would be most curious to know what a Darkchild does in your group. But I suppose we could comply with your request."
The first of them drew back his hood to reveal a delicate face framed with hair like flames and lit by an unearthly glow in his golden eyes. "I am called Lucas. Well met!"
The second stepped forward and gave a funny little bow before sweeping back his hood. This Dawnchild had dusky grey eyes and golden skin, crowned with short-cut platinum blond hair. "I am Niles."
The third and final Dawnchild stepped forward and pulled back his cloak- the party gasped when they saw his face. Though the hair was different, being black as night, this one looked just like Trowa! He smiled. "I am Barton. Pleased to meet you."
Treize's jaw flapped for a moment. "Did you say you name was..."
"Guardians! Are you all alright? I swear we tried to get back here as fast as poss..." The words falling from Duo's lips halted abruptly as he took in the three newcomers.
For their part, the three turned and stared at him for a moment before all three dropped graceful bows and remained bowed, as was the custom of their kind. "Hail to Lord Maxwell!"
Duo, his expressive eyes wide in his face, gulped in shock for a moment before he automatically moved to place his hands on the head of the first Dawnchild. "Rise, Lucas, and may the Guardians smile on our meeting." He quickly moved to the other two, but he, too, gasped as the third and last stood and smiled.
Barton was finally confounded. "What? Do I have something painted on my face?"
Trowa chuckled as he stepped forward, hitherto unseen by the newcomers. "No, you don't. It's just not often that one meets one's reflection away from a mirror."
Barton started at the sound of Trowa's voice and turned in shock. "By the Guardians! Trowa, you're alive!"
~*~
The guardsmen stared in shock at the creatures standing before the gates of Sandrock, King Quatre's capitol city. It wasn't that they hadn't ever seen Dawnchildren before- of course they had- but such a group as this...
The smallest of the group of five walked forward with a smile that made his strangely disfigured nose look even stranger. "Good day to you! We would like to see Lord Quatre, if you please."
The guard stuttered for a moment before regaining his composure. "Indeed. I will need your names and your business before I can let you in to meet with our Lord, sir."
The man smiled again. "Of course! I am Simon, and my companions are Jareth, Gerald, Heller and Orin," he replied, pointing to the other Dawnchildren as he gave their names. As to our business... You may tell him that it has something to do with his cousin, to whom we have sworn allegiance."
The guard looked doubtful, but he nodded and motioned for one of his fellows to come forward. "Very well. I will announce you, but you must wait here before I can allow you inside."
Simon merely gave him a slight bow and stepped back.
The guard turned and left, feeling as though he was being toyed with.
~*~
Lord Quatre and the Mother Healer looked up as Rashid and another guard approached them. "What is it, Rashid?"
The tall man bowed. "If you please, sir, you seem to have some rather strange visitors. Dawnchildren, my Lord!"
Quatre smiled as he turned to the other guard. "Really? What are their names and why have they come?"
The man coughed to clear his throat. "They gave their names as Simon, Jareth, Gerald, Heller and Orin, sire, and for their business, they said it had something to do with a cousin of yours, to whom they had sworn allegiance."
Sally laughed. "Them?! Oh, this is incredible..."
Everyone stared at her, and Rashid asked, "You know of them, Lady?"
She groaned. "Of course! The Mad Five, as they used to be known! My lord Quatre, I'd recommend meeting with them- they might be of some use to us."
Une nodded her agreement, from her side of the table they had all been working over.
Quatre sighed. "Very well, you may show them in. Oh, and please summon the ladies Hilde and Relena to me."
The two guardsmen bowed. "As you wish, my Lord." They turned and left.
Sally gave the young King a strange look. "Why are you calling them in here? They have nothing to do with this..."
Une shook her head. "On the contrary, Relena is responsible for setting the Darkchildren free, and was probably present at times when Ramar was making his plans; I'm certain he wouldn't have thought of a mere mortal woman as being a possible liability."
The two women were the first to arrive. Hilde stood as straight and proud as ever, but everyone felt a slight wince as they watched how Relena almost hid behind the other woman. Sally frowned reflexively. At least she will look you in the eye, now. An improvement, albeit a small one.
Both women gave them curtseys, and Hilde neatly folded her hands. "How can we be of service, my Lord?"
Quatre gave her a serious nod. "We are expecting some visitors, Lady, and I felt you and your charge might be able to help us with their information, having recently seen the forces assembled by General Ramar." Relena flinched at the name.
Hilde nodded her head. "Of course, sir." She led Relena to a seat. "Are you well enough for this, Lady?" she asked in a low voice.
Relena nodded shakily. "I... I will be. I have to be." She looked up into Hilde's face. "I will be fine, thank you."
The massive doors opened again, and everyone looked curiously at the five figures following behind Rashid's massive form. Most Dawnchildren were remarkably pleasing to look at, so it made it even more curious that these five were among the most hideous creatures they had ever seen. Quatre nodded mentally. So disfigured- they must be real veterans of the Elder Wars, then. Won't this be interesting! He rose from his seat as the five bowed deeply to him. "Greetings, travellers! Welcome to Sandrock."
A rather heavyset Dawnchild with a drooping moustache smiled in return. "Lord Raberba! You are too kind, indeed... And don't you look just like little Iria, now don't you? My my..."
Quatre stifled a laugh, and caught his sister and Sally doing the same. "So I've been told, good sir. My man told me that you had some news concerning my cousin..."
A second Dawnchild stepped forward. "That we do! Lots of news, though you might have heard some of it, already..." His mushroom-like hair bobbed comically as he moved and sketched a quick bow. "If I might, my name is Gerald, and my companions are Jareth, Simon and Orin. Forgive Heller here," he said, nudging the first Dawnchild to speak with a sharp elbow, "for not having enough manners to handle the introductions."
Quatre was definitely having a hard time controlling the urge to laugh by now. "Well met! And no apologies necessary, I assure you. My companions are," he pointed to each in turn, "Princess Une, Mother Healer Po, Hilde of Jirol, and Relena of Jirol and Sank."
All five bowed again and seemed to relax, though they all sent glares in Relena's direction that seemed to soften the second they caught sight of her.
Quatre waved the five to seats and leaned back comfortably in his place. "Now what news do you have for me concerning Duo?"
"Duo, is it? How familiar," Jareth cackled, in his spidery voice. After sharing a small chuckle with his companions, the Dawnchild continued, "we merely said that to get us past the door, since your Highness must have many pressing issues to deal with. No- we probably know less about his whereabouts and condition than you do, sire. Though we almost certainly know quite a bit more than you in other areas..."
Sally heaved a heavy sigh. "Is there a point to this, or are you five simply living up to your title?"
Orin spared her a fond look. "You should expect better of us than that, Mother Healer, if you know us at all. But we will be brief, as I see you would prefer it. And perhaps you're even right. Well, we can help you when the times comes, in your battle against the Army of Shadows."
"You have met him, I can tell." All humans present were shocked to hear Relena speaking in a clear voice.
Simon turned his eyes on her. "You are quite correct, Lady. And like you, we lived to tell the tale. Not many can make that claim."
Une spoke up, "Relena arrived with the Mother Healer only a few days ago, and is still healing."
Heller nodded. "Give it time, child. Give it time. But in the meanwhile... how much did you hear of Ramar's plans? And more importantly," he rested his elbows in the table and leaned his chin into his hands, "how much do you want revenge for what he has done to you?"
~*~
General Ramar's new second in command was a Darkchild simply known as Roth; tall and lanky, with a shock of sand-coloured hair, his face was sunken and scarred. It was rumoured that Shinigami gave him that scar, though there was an equally popular rumour that he had gotten it in single combat against Ramar. Soldiers were almost certain that the second story was closer to the truth, though they had no way of knowing.
He stormed through the ranks of wounded soldiers, another report of a failure clutched tightly in his right hand. It had been the third team of hunters sent after Shinigami's company.
He couldn't help feeling as though he had been set up in this job- no one expected a team to be able to take Lord Shinigami by surprise; though most of them had never seen him before, they had all heard tales of his power, and now that they had witnessed it in open battle...
Roth stopped to compose himself before opening Ramar's tent and striding in-
The general was seated on his sleeping skins, stroking some scrap of fabric in his hands absently. He quickly pushed it away, though, as Roth stepped in and waited respectfully at the tent flap for his attention.
Ramar didn't turn. "The hunters failed, am I not right?"
Roth fought down the urge to wince. "Yes, Lord. For the third time."
Ramar finally turned, his strange yellow eyes glinting. "Most people would not want to point out how often they have failed me, Roth. You surprise me."
Roth swallowed, but held his fear in check. "You don't expect them to succeed any more than I do, sir, and I know it."
Ramar held his straight face for another moment before he let out a loud laugh and smiled. "Very true. Well, send out more. Even if they don't succeed... we can annoy him and let him know that we are coming for him."
Roth smiled evilly. "If so, then perhaps... We might get creative with what we send."
Ramar cocked his head. "I'm listening."
Roth continued, "A larger target, perhaps, one not so easily controlled or destroyed, and certainly not by his mortal companions..."
The two shared a smile as the same thought entered their minds. A dragon.
TBC...
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