Author: Merula

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: AU, Fantasy

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.

Into the Woods Part 1

"Where did you come from?"

The question came from the shadows beneath the trees, startling the child. He gave one more futile tug on the vines that had wrapped around his ankle and when that failed, took a deep breath. He was one of The Chosen. He was not supposed to be frightened.

"Sanctuary," he answered, peering through the shadows. Who was it? Was it someone from the village?

"An elf?" The voice sounded surprised. A shadow seemed to detach itself from one of the trees and moved closer. The child felt relief overwhelm him- it was the right height- and the shape of the ears curving out from the head...

"Yes milord," the child dashed away the tear at the corner of his eye. "I know we're not supposed to be here- but Sister Helen- maybe you know her? She's ill. I was looking for the fever bark..."

"I know her." A gentle touch on the top of his head. "You're one of her orphans?"

"Yes, I'm Duo. She took me in when my parents died..."

"Didn't she warn you about the forest?"

"Of course! But she was so ill- and I didn't go that far in..." The child cast a glance back over his shoulder at the darkening path. "I left the path when I saw the tree- but the vines..."

"You're lucky it was just the vines that caught you. There's worse in these woods- you know that, right? Sister Helen warned you?"

"Yes. Goblins and dryads and trolls- and they'll eat us if they catch us." Duo looked fearfully back up at the figure beside him. "Shouldn't we leave soon?"

"A moment." The figure fumbled at its waist, and a moment later, struck a light. The child gasped as he got a clear look at the other's face.

"You're... not an elf..."

"That's right." The creature smiled, showing razor-sharp teeth. "I'm a goblin."

He looked surprised when the small elf drew himself up as tall as he could and closed his eyes. "If you're going to kill and eat me, please be quick."

The goblin sighed. "I'm not going to eat you, little one. I'm going to let you go. Hold the light." The elf opened his eyes and blinked up at the goblin in shock.

"Let me go?"

"Yes. So hold my light and be still so I can free you."

Duo took the light in a shaking hand as the goblin knelt down beside him. "You really aren't going to eat me? Or make me work in the mines? Or-"

"No. You're too little. Like with fish- we always throw the little ones back." The goblin muttered something under his breath and touched a finger to the vine, which promptly untwisted itself from around Duo's ankle.

"But... won't something else get me then?" Duo hunched over a little.

The goblin shook his head. He reached out a hand to the tree beside them, carefully tearing off a strip of bark and handing it to Duo. "This is what you came for?"

"Yes," Duo tucked the bark into his pocket, his eyes focused on the goblin. "But how will I get home?"

"If you stick to the path- and keep the light- can you be careful with the light?"

The child snorted indignantly. "I am seven summers!"

"I see. Then just take the path home- as quick as you can. Don't fall or lose the light."

"And nothing will grab me?" Duo persisted.

Sighing again, the goblin put one of his fingers to his mouth and bit the tip with his sharp teeth. Duo watched with wide eyes as a drop of greenish blood welled up.

"Hold still for a moment." The goblin pressed the tip of his finger to the base of Duo's throat. The blood flared warm and then cool against Duo's skin, and then the goblin moved his finger away. "There. I've marked you- do you know what that means?"

Duo nodded, smiling. "I belong to you?"

"Exactly. My mark should keep you safe on the way home- and once you get there, Sister Helen can take it off for you."

The elf's smile dimmed a little and the goblin wondered why. Still- it was growing later and there were things that would be awake soon that even his mark wouldn't guard against.

"Now- go! Hurry home as fast as you can! Sister Helen needs that bark, right?"

Much to his surprise, Duo threw an arm around his neck in a quick one-armed hug. "Thank you!" He said before dashing back to the path and hurrying carefully away.

The goblin watched him go, shaking his head. "Getting sentimental, Heero," he chided himself. "That little one would've sold for quite a bit. Still... I owe Sister Helen." He got to his feet and went back to his patiently waiting pack beast. "Hope the kid doesn't get into too much trouble. At least he'll never dare set foot in the forest again..."

~*~

Many years later....

"Duo- we have to go! You heard the elders last night! It's the plains sickness again-"

"I know that, Quatre- but you know the forest is forbidden! Don't you ever listen to the old stories?"

"Of course- that's why I know our old city has the cure!" Quatre pushed his blond hair off of his forehead and glared at his cousin. "We have to go in and find it!"

Duo, undeterred, glared back. "Into a forest filled with creatures that hate elves! Our people enslaved and abused them-have you forgotten?"

"That was ages ago! We'll just slip in, find the city and get out again! They'll never even know we were there!"

Duo could see a lot of things wrong with that plan. "Cousin-"

"Duo- we have to go. We can't let more of our people die- not like our families did... besides she's ill..."

"I know," Duo sighed. "I know. But I don't think it's wise. No one that has gone into the forest has ever come out again- you know that."

"You did!"

Duo bit his lip. "I was seven- a child- that's the only reason I got out! And I had help!"

"Help?" Quatre's brow furrowed. "What do you mean help? You always said that you ran in and back out again..."

Duo bit his lip harder, damn; he hadn't meant to let that slip. Not now, after all this time. But he couldn't let his cousin go wandering off into danger. "Doesn't matter- you want to go deeper in- all the way to the city! I don't think any of those in the forest now are going to let us just waltz back to our old home!"

"Like I said- we'll sneak in! They'll never know we were there! Just like when we were kids-"

"Sneaking into the orphanage kitchen is a lot different than sneaking into the forest."

Quatre stopped glaring. His gaze dropped to the floor and the tone of his voice changed. "Duo- I have to go. She's ill. If she dies... then I won't ever be able to fulfill the promise I made to my father..."

"And if you die in the forest, then you still won't." Duo rubbed his forehead. "Look- I'll go. You stay here-"

"I'm not letting you go by yourself!"

"You're the one with family obligations! You have to stay!"

"You're my family too. I'm going with you."

Why did he even try? He knew how stubborn Quatre was. "All right. One day- sunrise to sunset- if we don't find anything we get the hell out."

"It's easier to sneak around at night."

"There are worse things out at night. Goblins and trolls remember? Dryads are out in the daytime, but maybe they won't be quite as bad."

"Good point. Okay. Edge of the forest, tomorrow at sunup."

Duo, knowing his cousin as well as he did, made sure to be at the edge of the forest way before sunup. He didn't trust Quatre not to go sneaking in without him.

He sat in the cool grass, his mount grazing beside him, and let his fingers slide under his collar, feeling the slightly raised edge of the green mark that sat at the base of his throat. How many times had he touched it over the years, assuring himself that it was still there?

Belonging to someone, even a goblin, was better than belonging to no one at all. Son of no one, sibling of no one, even Quatre was a distant cousin at best... and Quatre had known his family...

"There you are!"

Blinking, Duo looked up Quatre. "Sure you want to do this?"

"It's sunrise. We can't waste time on another discussion." Quatre spurred his mount towards the forest line and Duo hurried to catch up.

~*~

"Watch the vines."

Quatre nudged his mount away from the innocent looking plant and lifted an eyebrow at Duo. "Why?"

"Thought they might grab you." Duo scratched the back of his neck. He didn't like this- not at all. The forest was quiet- too quiet for someplace that should have birds and small mammals and other things hurrying about.

"Right." Quatre consulted the scroll he'd 'borrowed' from one of the elders. "I'm trying to figure out where we are- there's three paths on this that we could be on..."

"Well, we know the city is in the center- or should be if no one's torn it down."

"That's true- but if they hated the place as much as the elders say, it would be easier to just let the forest reclaim it." Quatre frowned at the scroll again. "And even after nearly 100 summers since the Flight, we should find something."

"I hope so." Duo urged his mount into a slightly faster walk. "The trees are getting bigger."

"Good- that means we're in an older part of the forest."

The path turned suddenly, taking them down a small hill and beside a stream. Carefully picking their way over to the other side of the stream, the cousins stopped beneath a large tree.

"Just give me a moment with the map- and let the beasts drink." Quatre dismounted and went to sit against the tree, tilting the scroll into a stream of light that broke through the heavy branches.

Duo dismounted and led the beasts to the stream. He let them drink as he studied the forest around them. Still not a sound- and it worried him. He knew there should be some signs of life...

A faint sound was his only warning. He whirled, his eyes widening.

Quatre was covered in branches-wrapped in them- one of them even covered his mouth. He was struggling, but the sheer amount was defeating him.

Duo rushed to his rescue, pulling out his long knife, cursing himself for not thinking that other plants could be traps...

He tripped. A root had sprung up from the riverbank, grabbing his ankle and encircling his leg. He slashed at it with the knife- only to have it knocked from his hands by another root.

A moment later and he was pinned to the ground, bound and silenced by the roots.

"Hmm.... Looks like I caught two foolish elves..." Duo twisted towards the sound of the voice, but saw only the tree and his trapped cousin.

A man leaped down from the branches. Dressed in shades of brown and green, his hair hiding part of his face, he made Duo's heart turn cold. A dryad.

Quatre struggled as the dryad leaned close to examine him. "Very nice." He moved to Duo, kneeling down to examine him. His fingers brushed Duo's throat. "What's this? Already caught I see. Sent back to get another prize for your master?"

Duo pulled at the roots that bound him, tried to bite through the one wrapped over his mouth, but they didn't give an inch.

"Well, he'll just have to do without. I'll let him know I have you-" The dryad stood up, gesturing with his hand. The roots twisted, tearing themselves from the ground, binding Duo's hands behind him, his arms to his sides, hobbling his feet. Another one wrapped around his neck. "Lie still there until he comes, or you'll choke."

The dryad moved back to Quatre, who was looking at Duo with astonishment. His gaze quickly snapped to their captor, who reached out a hand and stroked Quatre's cheek. "You, however, he hasn't marked. Lucky for me." The tree behind Quatre gaped open and he tumbled into the darkness. Duo tried to lunge to his feet, only to have the roots tighten down.

"Wait patiently," the dryad smiled and vanished into the tree. The bark closed behind him and Duo was left alone on the bank.

~*~

Heero blinked at the bird. His elf? He didn't have an elf. What the hell was it talking about? Had Trowa gone insane?

Shrugging his shoulders, he headed towards the part of the forest that belonged to the dryads, wondering what the hell was going on. Surely Trowa wasn't setting him up for a trap- the goblins and the dryads had been allies for years- against both the elves and the trolls...

The bird chirped at him and he tugged his pack beast into a faster walk. An elf with his mark? He hadn't marked any elves! There had only been that one...

Oh no. No. That was years ago. Surely the kid had Sister Helen take it off! Someone had to have noticed!

He followed the stream, hurrying now. He saw the branches of Trowa's tree; saw the two elven mounts standing patiently by the stream- those would be worth something...

And beside them on the ground, neatly packaged as only a dryad could do, an elf.

Hellfires.

Violet eyes glared up at him for a moment, before softening into something that looked like surprise.

He remembered the eyes...

"It is yours, isn't it, Heero?"

He turned towards the tree, schooling his expression. "Yes Trowa. Thanks for holding on to him for me."

The dryad, lounging on a branch, lifted an eyebrow. "Risking a lot sending him in to bring out another one."

Another one? Ah right, there had been two mounts. "Well, you know me, always a risk taker."

Trowa nodded. "Anyone who hunts in the old city is that. Still, you hadn't marked the other one- so he's mine."

"Fair enough. The animals?"

The dryad shrugged. "All yours. What would I do with them?"

"Thanks." Heero caught them by the reins and fastened them to the back of his pack animal's saddle. Then he reached down and pulled the elf to his feet. What to do...?

He freed a rope from one of his packs and made a loop at the end, placing it around the elf's throat. What had his name been?

"Free his feet for me?"

"Of course. Hands too?"

"No. I just need him to walk- not carry."

The roots fell off of the elf's feet and Heero tugged him towards the pack animal. "Thanks again, Trowa."

"Any time." The dryad vanished back into his tree.

He tied the end of the rope to the front of the saddle and sighed. He couldn't let the elf go, not now that Trowa- and more than likely a few other dryads had seen him. No one with elven sympathy lasted long in the forest. It was one thing to let a child on the edge of the forest go- no one had seen it, no one ever knew... but an adult elf bearing his mark? Caught by the dryads? If he tried letting this one go, he'd be roasting over his own people's fires by morning.

Heero cursed again under his breath as he turned his mini caravan towards home. The elf- Duo, he remembered- balked, his head turning towards the tree.

"Come on," he said gruffly, sure that they had an audience, and tugged on the rope. Duo glared at him under his bangs, but followed along docilely enough.

The market would be open when he got to town, Heero thought. He could sell the beasts- and the elf- there.

But...

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because one day maybe I'll need help- or someone like me," the lovely blond elf smiled in his memory.

He couldn't sell Duo. He was one of hers... and there was no way to get him back to her...

Looked like he didn't have much of a choice... at least not now. Maybe... maybe later...?

He cast another glance back over his shoulder at his captive and sighed. This was not going to be easy.

TBC...

 

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