Wolf Moon Part 26
The Lone Hunter, whose fear of a broken heart had forced him into emotional exile, did something quite contrary to his defensive nature. Heero Yuy took Duo's hand and placed a kiss, not borne of lust but of genuine affection, gently on his lips.
Spurred by the brushing kiss, Duo shifted in his sleep. Eyelids fluttered then parted just enough to show glimpses of violet.
Suddenly Heero experienced an unexpected sensation...panic.
Despite Heero's impassive facade, he was human. Many times the Demon Tracker has been plagued with uncertainty, although it never lasted long. If pressed, he might even admit to being nervous before battle.
But the last time he'd felt panic was when the hunting party returned to Willow Grove to find the estate in ruins, Baron and Baroness Weisman dead along with most of the household staff and his mother, Keiko, a mere shadow of herself.
That day Heero's world crumbled. His heart, benumbed by guilt, became stone. His soul, scorched by rage, became fertile ground for the hatred that kept him in a marginal state of sanity.
Now a simple kiss had exhumed the dread, the alarm...the fear.
Heero was not fearful that the honorable Irishman would mock his feeble attempt at compassion, for Duo had initiated their first tender moment with his kiss.
No, risking a crack in his hardened heart spawned Heero's panic. The subsequent fear that the thin line would splinter so badly the breach could never be repair made him vulnerable and that was totally unacceptable.
A warrior could not afford to care; it would prove too perilous for anyone who loved him. Yet Heero desperately wanted to wake Duo with a kiss. He yeaned to be embraced and caressed, to whisper in the darkness or scream Duo's name in orgasmic ecstasy.
A sigh escaped over Duo's lips, more violet was revealed.
*You can't cross the line.* Heero's private counsel ordered.
"Just for tonight."
*There will be other nights.*
Heero closed his eyes. "No one is promised tomorrow." he argued as logically as he could.
*Wait.* echoed inside his mind.
With a hard puff of air, Heero opened his eyes then leaned closer to Duo who was hovering on the edge of waking. "Shhhhh. Go back to sleep." he urged while he stroked Duo's forehead to encourage his return to dreamland.
A second sigh eased the Duel Spirit back into slumber's enfoldment. Violet was covered up and his chest rose and fell with the rhythmic meter of deep sleep.
Wrapping his cloak tighter to ward off a chill not produced by the night's declining temperatures but by his inner emptiness, Heero inched away from the source of his temptation.
Duo wiggled into the vacant space, drew his knees to his chest and burrowed under his blanket until only the base of his braid and a few wispy bangs were exposed to the nocturnal elements.
*********
Quatre and Trowa slept in the tree line's limited shelter. In his human form Wufei prowled the camp's perimeter, sword in hand, looking and listening and sniffing the sulfur scented air.
The crescent moon washed silver on dewy leaves and sparkled like diamond dust over the pitted outcrops. Bluish smoke curled around the wind that whined out mournful music. The fire's flickering fingertips engaged light and shadows in a dance macabre over the ominous landscape.
Heero poked ruby embers with a stick and watched apathetically as pinpoint sparks swirled on the heated updrafts. He was neither lost in thought nor mesmerized by the flames' kaleidoscopic waltz but had yet again withdrawn behind the wall that guarded his heart and had resigned himself to the solitude required of a Lone Hunter.
Grouped together in a stand of pines, the horses shifted restlessly. The roan stallion raised his head with a start, snorted and stared wide-eyed into the murky fog enveloping the camp. As the jittery steed backed passed a rocky ridge, the reins tethering him to a branch slipped free.
Trowa grunted in his sleep unaware that large, heavy hooves had barely missed his outstretched legs but Wufei's keen sight quickly spied the exiting equine.
"Heero." he called to the man silhouetted in the fire's crimson glow.
Receiving no response, he shouted loud enough to wake the dead. "HEERO!"
As his name ricocheted over the clearing, Heero flinched then shot an annoyed glared at the veiled Beast. "What?" he snapped not bothering to hide his irritation.
Wufei growled deep in his throat at the curt reply before pointing at the retreating animal. "Isn't that your horse?"
"Dammit." Heero hissed at both the stallion and the kinks that snarled in his back when he stood up.
"Need help?" Wufei offered his finely honed senses to aid in the retrieval mission.
For a greater range of movement, Heero slipped the cloak from his shoulders. "No." he called above the crackling fire then added, "Thank you." in apology for his rude reply."Stay here and guard the camp."
Heero glanced back at Duo then directed a string of vengeful oaths, including one about desertion being punishable by death, at the departing horse. Dampness muting his profanities, the Tracker disappeared into the fog leaving Wufei behind to watch and wait.
*********
Moonlight cut pale shafts through overhead branches and pooled faintly on the dense undergrowth but didn't provide adequate light for sure footing or to see more than a few feet ahead. Away from the fire, the air chilled making Heero wish he hadn't discarded his cloak.
In this ghostly environment, mist-shrouded trees took on the guise of trolls. Limbs became arms; thinner twigs reached out from the darkness like skeletal fingers.
Vague shapes sprang up from the fog and brought to mind myths of unicorns or Minotaurs. Perhaps Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades, would devour the Tracker or a flock of screeching Harpies would snatch him up.
But Heero's most disquieting feeling was "eyes on his back". He froze, looked left then right then behind but all he could see was gloomy mirages and all he could hear was the wind moaning like a heartbroken lover.
"This was a damn stupid idea." he mumbled under his breath. "I don't even know where to start looking."
Just as Heero decided to return to camp and hope that the horse would find his way back in his own, an outline moved in the moonlight. A snort and the scraping of hooves on the stony ground identified the phantom form as the truant stallion.
Heero picked his way around a maze of rotten stumps. Several intertwined branches blocked his sight, he pushed them aside. The parting showed the horse contently nibbling on an ivy vine.
The stallion's eyes widened then lost their surprise as Heero slowly stepped forward. "Easy." he whispered. The last thing he wanted was to be trampled by a spooked horse.
"It's all right." he reassured, rubbing the stallion's velvety nose. Steadily he reached out until his fingers caught the reins. A tug got the troublesome beast moving in the right direction.
"Come on you sorry excuse for a...."
The remainder of the sentence died on Heero's lips as a massive shadow swallowed up his exit path.
What towered over the Tracker appeared to be male. Ratty scraps of mud splattered cloth hung from broad shoulders, strained across a muscular torso twice as wide as Heero's body and barely covered legs the size of tree trunks. Oily hair curtained a filthy face and partly obscured expressionless eyes.
Long moments of tense silence passed between the Tracker and the hefty collection of sweaty flesh and solid bones. While Heero debated if the hulking figure was indeed human one fact was immediately clear, the "giant", for lack of a better description, was not friendly.
Staring up at the man who reeked of rancid meat, Heero began an inner dialogue. "I don't think he's going to move."
He reached for a weapon that wasn't there."Shit." he hissed out loud as he realized both his crossbow and his dagger had been left at camp.
With speed that caught Heero off guard, the giant planted a wide hand in the middle of his breastbone and with a guttural growl, delivered a powerful push.
Heero stutter-stepped but somehow he managed to stay on his feet. He recovered just in time to see the burly stranger grabbing for the stallion that back away with an alarmed whinny.
"Hey, you bastard, that's my horse!" Heero shouted, bolting for the smelly thief.
*********
Trowa opened his eyes. He was awake but he wasn't certain what had disturbed his sleep. It wasn't Quatre who was snuggled beside him and snoring softly.
The puzzled Priest braced his elbows, eased up enough to look over the campsite and did a quick head count.
On the fire's opposite side, Duo was curled up under his woven covers. To Trowa's right, Wufei had settled his back against a glossy outcrop with his legs drawn to his chest, ankles crossed and his sword lying across his knees.
Trowa's moving about captured Wufei's attention. He stretched and got to his feet. Several strides closed the distance then he crouched down beside his comrade. "Everything is quiet." he reported.
Trowa rubbed his hands over his sleep-clouded eyes. "Where's Heero?"
Wufei gazed dully in the forest's general direction. "His horse got loose." he stated tucking bothersome hair that had slipped from his ponytail behind his ears, "He went to fetch it."
"He did what?" Trowa's voice boomed across the camp.
The Priest's unexpected reaction jarred the drowsy cobwebs from Wufei's brain. His lips parted but his reply was abruptly cut off.
"You let him leave!"
Wufei shook his head in bewilderment, wondering why Trowa's pissed-off attitude was aimed at him. "I'm not the Hunter's keeper." he stated in his own defense.
"Which way did he go?"
Afraid his answered would be cut off again, Wufei pointed at the tree line where the absent Tracker had disappeared into the fog.
"Quatre, wake up." Trowa shook his lover until his stirred from his sleep. "Duo!" he called with sufficient volume to rouse the braided Irishman. "Get your ass over here!"
Before anyone could ask what happened to prompt such a commotion, Trowa began issuing orders. "Wufei, Duo, scout the northern perimeter. Quatre and I will pick up the trail in the forest." He paused long enough to catch his breath, "And get your weapons."
Duo raised his hand to slow the Priest's rapid-fire commands to a more understandable pace. "Hold a minute." he demanded, "What exactly are we doing?"
"Heero...that damn fool...went wandering off on his own."
"He's big enough to take care of himself." Duo declared, quite irritated with Trowa's name calling. "You don't have to be insulting." he added for good measure.
Trowa whirled around and didn't hesitate to challenge the Duel Spirit's smart-ass attitude. "Listen," he hissed, struggling to keep his temper in check, "this is barbarian territory."
"We can handle a few barbarians?" Wufei stated with cocksure confidence.
"These barbarians are mutated descendents of giants. They're simple-minded, strong as an ox and will eat any flesh, animal or man, and Heero is strolling around in the middle of their hunting grounds."
*********
A fist the size of a cantaloupe sent Heero reeling backwards before the momentum set him down hard on his butt. His right cheek stung, dots danced over his vision. A salty taste touched his lips; a wipe with the back of his hand left his skin smeared with crimson.
"Son of a bitch." Heero hissed angrily.
Jumping to his feet, Heero centered his balance, lowered his shoulder and aimed squarely for the mutant's midsection. Unfortunately he would have had better luck ramming a tree.
Air was forcefully expelled. All he could do was wheeze and gasp and struggled to inflate his lungs. Watering eyes blurred and it took several blinks to clear his sight.
Heero needed a moment to regroup, to plan his next strategic maneuver but beefy hands seized fistfuls of his shirt and sent him flying. Once more the Tracker found himself sitting, staring up at a crooked grin that made his blood run cold.
A belly deep laugh gushed from the giant's guts. His enormous form blocked the moon's silver crescent and spread an icy shadow across Heero's eyes. From the purple gloom arms reached down, hands tried to warp around Heero's throat.
As Heero scooted back to avoid having his neck wrung, his fingers dug in the dirt shoved aside by his legs. With a grunt of effort, a handful of sandy particles was flung in his attacker's face effectively slowing his advance.
Roaring with rage, the brute's heavily booted foot stomped down but, blinded by the blackened soil, his aim was off target allowing Heero to roll clear. The next roll, just ahead of the boot's crushing weight, bumped him into a boulder protruding from the ground.
Now the Lone Hunter had no means of escape. Sandwiched between "the rock and", in this case, "a harder place", all he could do was draw up and pray that the third stomping assault would also fail to make contact.
A sneer pulled back the giant's lips exposing yellow teeth that looked more like fangs. However this time, instead of using his boot to break bones and turn the Tracker's insides to mush, he selected a huge, weathered rock as his weapon of choice.
Even though it was difficult to focus through puffy eyelids, Heero never averted his sight from the colossus that was intent on reducing his head to a bloody blend of splintered skull and pulpy brain matter.
Heero had no option but to survive. For his mother's sake, to free her from her madness. For his comrades' sake, to complete the Warriors of the Rose.
But most of all he had to live for an impish Irishman named Duo Maxwell who had chiseled away his carefully crafted facade and filled the hollow in his heart with unconditional kindness.
"As long as there's breath there's hope." Duo's voice whispered inside Heero's head.
Heero instinctively knew he was not alone. He could feel Duo's strength and, lingering in his soul, his promise of protection.
The mutant's malevolent grin also held a promise...human flesh would be his midnight meal.
The rock hovered in midair then was hurled with a mighty whoosh. Quick as a fox, Heero twisted to one side then dove for the giant's knees to topple his assailant. As before the attempted tackle proved to be an exercise in futility.
In one swift movement, the Tracker was hauled up and shaken like a willow in a windstorm. When Heero's senses were sufficiently scrambled, the giant grasped his chin and tilted his head at a painful angle.
Foul, hot breath, that caused Heero's stomach to churn, hit in his face as the mutant prepared to sink his teeth into his exposed throat and tear out his windpipe.
Light glinted from the tree line then the fleeting flash vanished like it was never there. With a battle cry designed to send chills down an opponent's spine, Wufei charged into the clearing.
His sword arced upward then whined through the air. The blade slashed across the giant's ribcage, opening a long gash and spewing a fine spray of scarlet over Heero's ashen face.
A howl of pain ricocheted off the trees. Still clutching his prey, the wounded mutant spun to face the Chinese warrior who had slid into a defensive stance and raised the bloody blade for another slice.
Wufei took a deep breath, his arms tensed. The sword quivered but hesitation checked its strike. A viselike grip encircled Heero's neck. His battered body dangled, his feet brushed the ground and his arms hung limply at his sides. Swollen eyes showed only thin slits of cobalt and his lips were a sickly shade of blue.
For a moment, the veiled beast debated whether or not to transform into a wolf. The alteration would surly shock the mutant and give Wufei the few seconds needed to pounce but was he fast enough to reach Heero before the Tracker's neck was snapped like a brittle twig?
There was no readable reaction in the giant's stony expression. It seemed as if his injury was being ignored or, perhaps, it had briefly registered in the creature's dim-witted brain and had already been forgotten.
But Wufei was certain of one thing, his surrender would not improved his or the Tracker's odds of seeing the sunrise. The sword struck the ground with a muted clang.
"We live together or die together." Wufei pledged to his fellow warrior as a blue aura began to shimmer about his body.
A growl rumbled in the mutant's throat. Fingers tighten on Heero's neck, the constrictions producing garbled sounds.
Suddenly the giant froze. The squeezing stopped, fingers relaxed their death-grip. Heero slipped from the lax grasp and crumpled in a heap like a loose-jointed rag doll. Luckily the hard contact jarred his restricted respiration and triggered a shape intake of air.
The aura faded as quickly as it began. Wufei frowned and studied the mutant's perplexing response. He took a single cautious step, ready to counter any attack but none was forthcoming.
Fixed eyes gazed in a glassy stare then the sightless orbs rolled back into the mutant's shaggy head. In slow motion the spawn of Goliath pitched forward and hit the ground with a bone splintering crash. Only then was the reason for his odd behavior revealed.
An arrow had been expertly set between the mutant's shoulder blades. Three quarters of the protruding shaft had been buried in the spine with hardly a trickle of blood to discolor the feathery end.
Duo emerged from the tree line. His right hand held Heero's crossbow; his left hand held two additional arrows. His bangs were plastered to his moist forehead and there was an awkward gait in his steps as if his legs were struggling to support his weight.
Duo and Wufei knelt beside their fallen comrade. Duo carefully eased up the Tracker's body until Heero's back rested against his chest and his shoulder pillowed Heero's head.
Heero coughed and sucked in labored breaths. Lightheaded sensations spun the stars. Queasy waves churned in his stomach, cold sweat soaked his body and turned icy on his skin.
"Heero." Duo whispered as bushed back damp hair so he could look for any signs of recognition in his blurry eyes. "Please...talk to me."
It took great effort for Heero to calm his winded wheezing and put his muddled mind back in some order. Right then he didn't care about the stray horse or even if more barbarians lurked in the forest. He leaned heavily on Duo and tried to focus on sounds that made words and other noises that made no sense at all.
Finally he managed to glean some understanding of his surroundings. Gradually he became aware of Wufei leaning over him, sword in hand. He felt Duo's warmth radiating at his back and realized he was being held in the secure enfoldment of Duo's arms. But when his recovering sight centered on the lifeless mutant, a shiver seized his body so strongly it caused Duo to flinch.
For the first time Heero fully comprehended the exact size of his attacker. The realization that his comrades' intervention had spared him from great damage to his anatomy shook him to the core. Also the vision of partially eaten body parts scattered over the clearing made him cringe and draw up in Duo's embrace.
"I'm here, everything's goin' be all right." Duo assured, tightening his arms and placing a kiss on Heero's crown.
Rustling leaves prompted Wufei to his feet. Branches rattled and parted. Wufei leveled his sword just as Trowa and Quatre burst into the clearing.
The Priest and Manipulator's valiant charge ended abruptly. Pebbles shot from under Trowa's boots as he skidded to a halt. Quatre in his zeal for battle bumped into his lover nearly upsetting his equilibrium.
It took Wufei but a moment to identify the images rushing headlong toward him and about the same brief measure of time for his heart to skip a beat.
Trowa's eyes widened as they surveyed the chaotic scene. "What in the hell happened here?" he wondered, sidestepping the massive prone figure blocking his way.
"We," Heero replied nodding at the mutant, "had a disagreement over my horse."
Quatre braced his hands on his knees and leaned over for a closer inspection. "Are you all right?" he asked at the sight of welts on Heero's cheek, his cracked lips and the blue bruises encircling his neck.
"Yeah." Heero responded although he wasn't sure how "all right" he really was.
Trowa glanced over the clearing then at the moon that had already begun its descent into dawn. "We need to get back to camp." he said extending his hand. "Can you stand?"
Heero nodded, yes, then winced when pain stung through his chest. With Duo's assistance he planted his feet then paused to regain his balance. Pressing a supportive arm across his aching ribs, Heero proceeded to take one step at a time.
"Damn I hoped I haven't popped anything loose." He mumbled as Duo helped shore his wobbly stance.
When the warriors reached the tree line, Heero wondered. "How did you find me?"
"Quatre sensed your distress and we followed him." the Twilight Priest explained. He stopped to scan the outer fringes. "Where's the horse that was worth a stomping?"
Heero shrugged. "I guess he ran off."
Wufei inclined his head, listened then sniffed the breeze. Without a word he made a straightway path into the forest and moments later returned leading the fidgety stallion.
With Wufei on one side and Duo on the other side, they lifted Heero and settled him on the equine that was responsible for his impromptu adventure. Duo climb up behind Heero, took the reins and turned the horse in the camp's direction.
"I was worry about you." Duo confessed so lowly that only Heero to hear.
Heero rearranged his posture to ease the pressure on his tender ribs. "I'm sorry."
Duo rested his chin on Heero's shoulder. "Promise you'll never go off on your own again."
"I can't promise that."
"Promise I can hold you until first light."
Heero turned his head far enough to look into the Duel's Spirit's hopeful eyes. "You can hold me forever."
TBC...
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