Into the Woods Part 6
"Get the fire going- busy yourself with chores- make breakfast, tidy the bed- stay quiet." Heero hissed softly. Duo nodded, ducking his head and hurrying to the hearth to start the fire. Whoever was outside obviously worried Heero- was it another slaver?
"Heero? Open the damn door!"
"I'm coming, Wufei. Give me a minute, will you?" He saw Heero give a final tug to his tunic before opening the door with a scowl. "It's early, you know."
The goblin that stalked in shot Duo a look that made him cringe and he hastily scurried away to get the things he need to cook breakfast. This new goblin, like Heero, showed signs of elven ancestors. His ears were pointed, his features cold and haughty, his dark hair pulled sharply away from his face and into a severe tail. There was a twisted scar that scored one side of his face- it looked as if something had clawed him.
"I'd heard you brought one back." His voice was tense with something that sounded like anger. "I also heard you weren't willing to sell."
"I'm not at the moment," Heero closed the door and stalked towards the corner that held his saddlebags. "If it changes, I'll let you know."
"I'm willing to pay-"
"I also know that I need an extra pair of hands on my trips."
"You could hire anyone-"
"No one is willing to brave the forest, Wufei. You know that. Only you and I ever go there without an armed troop."
"You could hire a troop-"
"I hate having a large group around and you know it. Anyone I could hire would just get in the way. What do you want him for anyway? You've never shown any interest in any of the others-"
"I want him for a hunt."
Hunt? Duo swallowed the lump that rose up in his throat. He knew about the hunts his ancestors used to have- was he talking about the same sort-?
"You know it's been ages since I've had a hunt- not since right after the uprising- I'll pay double-"
Heero snorted. "I don't need the money- and I don't hear you volunteering your services to go with me and help in exchange."
"I'm not grubbing around out there! Pawing around their city, pulling up plants- it's menial."
"Then you'll have to live with disappointment." Heero tugged a small container out of one of the bags and tossed it at Wufei. "There. Pay me and go."
"You were hurt by them too, Heero. Why won't you let me have my fun?"
Heero's expression turned icy. "You sound just like them, you know that? I'm sure they talked about the fun they planned to have before they hunted Meiran down."
The other goblin took a step back, it was as if Heero had slapped him. His face turned red and his mouth opened- only to snap closed a moment later.
Duo's blood turned cold... it was that sort of hunt... and this goblin had obviously lost someone to them.
"I- misspoke. All the same-"
"No," Heero's tone was gentler now. "I told you- he's more valuable to me as a servant. Besides, 'Fei, I think justice has been done. Your wife is avenged."
"How can you say that?! You still bear their marks! And- I- I never got all the ones that killed her-"
"You got most of them. The rest-" Heero turned and beckoned to Duo. "Come here."
Duo quickly moved to Heero's side. Heero put a hand on Duo's shoulder, one finger touching the green mark on Duo's throat. "Tell my friend- how many of the oldest of you are left? The ones who fled the city? Tell the truth."
He felt the command settle over him as he answered:
"Only one, my master, and she was a child when they left. Her name is Irea- and she is very ill." Hopefully not anymore- hopefully the plants Quatre's druid sent had made it in time and helped- but he didn't need to say that.
"Only one?" Wufei repeated, looking thunderstruck. "But- that's impossible! How did they all die?"
"Illness. The plains sickness killed most of the oldest- others died trying to go back to the city- or so we think-"
"You would be correct." Wufei frowned. "But you had magic- healers- plants-"
He felt Heero tense beside him- but Wufei hadn't asked if he could heal."Our magic is very weak- the elders said it was because we left the city."
"Then they are out there- near defenseless-" Duo felt panic rise in his chest, but then Wufei shook his head. "And they are not the same elves we drove out."
"No," Heero agreed.
Wufei glared at Duo. "What stories do they tell of us? Do they talk about the hunts- the amusements-"
"They tell us that our ancestors abused the other races and that if we venture into the forest, they will revenge themselves on us."
"Yet you disobeyed them-"
"I was looking for a cure- Irea is my cousin- one of my only family members left."
"You weren't here looking for treasure? Hoping to catch one of us?"
Duo shook his head. "No. I wanted to help. That's all."
Much to his surprise, the other goblin stopped firing questions at him and lapsed into silence. A few moments passed before Heero moved his hand away from the mark and raised an eyebrow at Wufei. "Satisfied?"
"For now." Wufei pulled out a few coins and dropped them on the table before stalking back out of the cottage. Duo sighed in relief and went to shut the door behind him.
Was there no end to the evil his people had done?
"I wonder what set him off," Heero muttered as he scooped up the coins. "He hasn't ever tried to buy an elf for a hunt before-"
"Can't blame him- they killed his wife-"
"Over three hundred years ago. No, something set him off- I wonder what it was."
TBC...
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