Beyond All Doubt Part 3
The first rays of golden sunlight poured over the Shay kingdom, casting a bright glow over the city and surrounding hills. At the earliest sighs of light, Kumi's eyes opened and she sat up in her bed, turning to the young man beside her. Smiling warmly to herself as she watched Trowa sleep peacefully, she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Sighing softly in his slumber, the young soldier's arm fell limply from where it was wrapped around his lover's waist, never waking. Still smiling, Kumi rose from the bed to change and start the day.
Walking into the hallway and closing the bedroom door behind her, she finished braiding her silver hair as its end tip fell past her waist. Moving towards Heero's room quickly, she peered in to find it empty and there were no sounds in the house to relieve her that he was still there.
Biting her lip as she stepped into the living room, Kumi fought the small tears that threatened to fall. There was no doubt to her where her brother ran off. By the time he returned, he would be an enlisted member of the Shay army in preparation for the war to come. Sniffing softly, she quickly dried her eyes and forced herself to put on a brave front for when Heero returned. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel any guilt for his actions.
Hobbling from the guest room, Duo bounced on his good leg as he entered the hallway. Making as little noise as possible, he bit his lip and peeked into the room once more. Seeing that Heero was still sleeping soundly in the opposite corner, he watched him with a sad smile before closing the door silently. Suppressing a grunt of pain, the wounded fey made his way towards the living room.
Turning at the sound of someone behind her, Kumi spun around. Stumbling into the room was a braided stranger who stopped instantly on his heels as his violet eyes widened when they fell on her. Her own cobalt eyes widening with his, she screamed at the top of her lungs before quickly running into the kitchen.
Duo remained frozen, despite the wince caused by the shrill scream. When the young woman disappeared, he didn't even have a moment to react before she stormed back into the room with a large knife, her eyes narrowed as she approached him growling, "I don't know how you got in here, but I'll help you make a quick exit!" From the hallway, they could hear hurried footsteps making their way towards them.
Bolting into the room, Heero and Trowa took the scene as Duo backed up from Kumi with wide eyes, shouting, "Whoa, wait a second!"
His emerald eyes widened, Trowa called, "Kumi?"
She halted and turned to face him as she smiled in relief, "Trowa."
His gaze filled with concern, her brother fixed on the braided boy and asked, "Duo?"
With the same relief, Duo looked up from where he remained pinned against the wall towards the familiar face and sighed, "Heero." At that, all eyes were on the young stable hand.
"Heero?" Kumi frowned in confusion. Looking from the stranger to her brother, she inquired, "What's going on?"
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hands and began, "Calm down, sis." Trowa went to stand behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she lowered the knife in her hand. Running a hand through his hair, he gestured to the braided teenaged against the wall and explained, "I went for a walk last night and I found him in the woods. He was stuck in a bear trap."
Quickly looking to the frightened boy before her, Kumi looked down at his wounded leg. There was fresh blood seeping through the white bandages. With her eyes widening, she gasped, "Oh, you poor thing!"
Before the others could blink, she ran back into the kitchen. Taking the pot filled with fresh water, she began a fire to boil. As that was started, she grabbed some herbs and called to into the living room, "Get him off his feet! He shouldn't be on them with a wound like that."
"Sis," Heero tried to retort, only to think better of it when he noticed that the gashes were torn enough to bleed again.
Duo noticed his gaze on his leg and smiled shyly, "Really, there's no needed to worry about this. I can manage..."
Chuckling deeply as brought a stool over to him, Trowa shook his head, "There's no use arguing with her, trust me." Sighing deeply, Duo gave in and sat atop the stool as Kumi returned from the kitchen with a cup if herb tea in her hands.
Holding the cup out to their guest, she said, "This should help dull the pain in your leg." Blinking in shock at the offered cup, the braided boy slowly reached forward and accepted it.
Smiling genuinely at her, he replied sincerely, "Thank you." Blowing on the steaming tea and taking a long sip, he watched Kumi as she hugged Heero tightly.
"I thought that you already left to enlist without saying good bye," she said quietly when they broke apart.
His eyes widening in surprise, her brother shook his head, "You know I wouldn't do that." From where he sat, Duo smiled warmly at the scene between the two siblings.
Blushing at their guest when she turned to face him, the silver-haired girl cleared her throat, "I am sorry for the way that I behaved earlier." Extending her hand to him, she smiled sheepishly, "I'm Kumi."
Taking her offered hand, he kissed the back of it and smiled in return, "Duo." The smile on her face grew as her blush reddened deeper at his gesture.
Raising an eyebrow at the exchange, the tall soldier concealed his curiosity when the stranger looked at him and nodded in greeting, "Trowa."
"Nice to meet you both," the wounded boy grinned brightly.
Trowa tilted his head and stated rather than asked, "You aren't from here." Noting that Duo's gaze had become one filled with questions, he said, "The exchange of a kiss on the hand in introduction is usually only performed by someone of royalty."
Smirking at him, the fey noted who his greatest obstacle was going to be. Shaking his head, he admitted, "No, I am not from here. I am from a pretty distant kingdom, actually. There, it is common practice for a man to greet a lovely woman with a kiss on the hand. Actually, it is an insult to them not to do so."
At that, Trowa took the brass comment for what it was. Meeting Duo's smirk all the same, he silently welcomed the challenge that was presented to him. "I was looking for a friend of mine when I stumbled into that trap last night," the braided teenager explained as he looked to where Heero and Kumi were standing.
Folding her hands, the young woman commented, "Must be a pretty good friend if you came a long way to find them." Trowa nodded at that as the curiosity and skepticism returned in his eyes as he watched the strange boy.
At that, Duo shrugged, "I'm just worried about him, that's all."
"Well, I better boil more water to clean those gashes again so they don't become infected," Kumi thought aloud before making her way into the kitchen again. Trowa watched Duo out of the corner of his eye as he turned to head back to the bedroom to change into his uniform, leaving Heero and Duo to themselves.
Tuning to the injured wanderer with an amused look, Heero said, "You were trying to sneak out, after all."
With a snort, Duo smirked, "Trying would be the keyword." Glaring down to his wounded leg, he growled, "This isn't helping my progress in finding my friend."
Shaking his head, the other boy asked, "How far away is he? Do you at least have time to stay for something to eat?" Even as he asked the question, he wondered why it was he hoped the violet-eyed stranger would stay.
Lowering his head, the braded fey answered, "I really don't know. He has been missing for a while now."
Heero frowned, "So the soul purpose of your traveling is just to find him."
Duo's head fell further as his eyes suddenly looked very tired when he nodded, "I've have been looking for some time now."
Seeing the obvious distress in his guest, the stable hand's frown deepened in a concern that he rarely showed. Folding his arms, he suggested, "Well, you might want to consider getting a horse, if you have much further to go."
From the kitchen, Kumi's voice called, "He's not going anywhere in his condition! He can stay here until he recovers."
His head snapping up at that, Duo tried to think of something that would get him out of having to lose more precious time than he already had. "I really appreciate everything you're all doing for me," he said with a nervous smile, "but I'm really not sure that I can stay here much longer." Zechs could be days away yet and he was still in this house, trying to fathom a way out.
Looking back to the kitchen over his shoulder, Heero came to his aid as he said, "He's a guest, Kumi... not a prisoner."
Standing in the doorway, his sister cautioned him, "He may be a prisoner, or worse, if he's caught with that injury when Treize's Clan decide to move." Heero's eyes widened as he considered that, having forgotten about the impending threat... The same threat that caused him to leave the room the night prior to have run into Duo in the first place. Cursing quietly at that, his eyes narrowed as his fists clenched.
Blinking at the revelations made to him, Duo turned to the other boy as he put the pieces together and stated, "That's why the age to enlist in your kingdom's army was lowered."
At Heero's solemn nod, the injured fey cursed to himself then. Things had suddenly gone from bad to immeasurably worse as he was now aware that he was lost in a world that would soon be wracked by war. Biting his lip, he silently considered his options. Even if he was able to get away to heal himself, he would still be caught in the middle of a war.
Staring down at his leg, he thought aloud, "This is going to slow me down enough as it is... and if I run into that movement..." Turning his head up to look at the other boy, he smiled sadly and shrugged, "As long as you don't sleep on the floor in the guest room, I guess I can stay for a while."
Heero shrugged back, "I tend to sleep like that in my room, so it doesn't matter."
Laughing at that, Duo shook his head, "I don't think I'll ever understand you." At that, the stable boy smirked at him and walked towards the kitchen to help his sister with her cooking. When breakfast was ready, they both walked towards the dining room table, each with two plates filled with food.
Hoping over to the table, Duo smiled in appreciation to the hosts as Trowa entered the room. Kissing his mate's cheek in thanks for the meal, the tall Commander took the seat beside her. Taking the seat beside their guest, Heero ate his own food in silence. Peering out the corner of his eye to see the Asian boy beside him, Duo watched him in quiet interest and curiosity.
Knowing that he was going to have to make the best of this unfortunate situation, the young fey then made it his mission to see that these generous humans were looked after. Judging by the circumstances being grave enough that the age requirement for soldiers had been lowered, it was clear that they were going to need Duo as much as he needed them now. If anything, it gave him a purpose while he tried to handle his reason for entering this very different world in the first place.
* * * * * *
Nearly a week later, Duo was able to limp on his damaged leg without the need of a crutch. While he could have easily healed the wound in a matter of seconds, he slowed the process considerably as not to draw any unwanted attention to him by the humans he had been living with. Even still, a human would have needed more than a week to recover from his injury as it was.
Heero and Kumi remained very kind-hearted to his needs and care during his stay, something that he was pleasantly surprised to find from members of their race. Most tales he heard in regards to humans only involved those times they were engaged in war. He silently felt guilty for coming to such a quick conclusions that all humans looked out for their own needs with no regard for others, the same as so many other fey felt towards them.
Also during his stay, he came to meet others, Quatre, Wufei and Sette. Each so different in personality, they all welcomed Duo as one of their own when he was introduced to them. When referring to Heero and Kumi, and even Trowa despite his obvious uncertainty towards him, Duo considered them all his friends for accepting him the way that they had. And it saddened him that when he did find Zechs, he would have to leave them all behind to return to his own world. Not wishing to think of that again, he moved his thought to other things.
Trowa had advised them that from what the army scouts had learned, these was still no sign of a move to attack being made in the near future. Heero held off on enlisting only to allow himself more time to train. While he was mentally ready, he knew he was not as prepared physically. His days now were solely devoted to exercising and conditioning himself.
During those times, Duo befriended Kumi in listening to her concerns and reluctant support for her brother, offering any bit of support that he could for her. In the end, it was Heero's decision and as much as he wished, himself, that his friend would reconsider his choice, he made no move to change the young stable hand's mind.
Walking with a slight limp towards the back living room window, Duo peered out to the fields stretched behind the house. In the open backyard, Heero stood still as a statue as he aimed his bow at a tree all the way across the land on the other side of the house. Smirking to himself, the braided fey silently admired how much his friend's aim and skills with his bow and arrow had improved in the short time he had come to know him.
His right cobalt eye shut as he aimed on his target, the Asian boy had another arrow hanging loosely between fingers to be knocked a second after firing the first. It was a difficult tactic that was a necessary tactic in war for any archer. For the last couple days, he had been working particularly hard in mastering the skill. Smiling to himself, Duo walked from the house to join the other boy.
Remaining completely still, Heero's opened eyes narrowed as he locked his target. Letting go of the first arrow, he quickly knocked the second and fired it a split second later. The second arrow lodged itself a few inches from where the first was embedded in the thick tree trunk. It was quite the improvement compared to the first results he had.
Walking beside his friend and tilting his head to the side as he regarded the marks, Duo smiled, "Not bad." Gesturing to the spare bow beside him, he asked, "May I?"
Turning to face the braided teenager, Heero regarded him with a small smirk of amusement and replied, "Sure." Pulling an arrow from his quiver, he handed it to him.
"Can I have a second?" Duo questioned as he accepted the first arrow. Nodding, the Asian youth handed him another arrow and took a step back to watch. "Thanks," the fey grinned as he knocked the first arrow, dangling the second between his fingers the same way Heero had.
Focused on the same tree, he closed his right violet eye. Locking his body stiff as he pulled back on the bow, he released the first arrow to quickly load the second before the other boy could blink. The instant that the first arrow sunk into the tree trunk, the second split it right down the middle, splintering it into pieces.
With his wide eyes staring in disbelief at the sight, Heero blinked in shock, "Impressive."
Smiling at him as he lowered the bow to where it had been lying on the ground, Duo grinned, "I forgot to mention that I'm a soldier, myself."
Raising an eyebrow at that, his friend commented, "That surprises me. You don't look like a soldier."
Chuckling deeply at that, Duo sat beside the other teenager and smirked up at him, "Let me guess. It's the braid isn't it?"
Nodding, Heero took a seat on the grass. Taking the string off his bow and working to tie on a new one, he looked out the corner of his eye and inquired, "Have you been a soldier for long?"
Frowning, the young fey looked out past the house and the hill to the beautiful city as he sighed deeply, "Longer than I wish to recall."
Lowering his bow, the stable boy watched his friend and replied, "It can't be that long... you seem close to my age." That actually wasn't far from the truth, Duo noted to himself. By human standards, he would be sixteen, like Heero. However, in his world, he was actually closer to one hundred years in age.
Shaking his head, he forced a smile and said, "Well, let's just say long enough. That doesn't change the fact that I think that you're too young to have to join an army." Heero frowned deeply at that, but didn't respond otherwise as he returned to his task of tying his bowstring. Turning back to face him, Duo asked, "Why are you so anxious to join, anyway?"
Heero's hands paused in their work at the question. Taking a deep breath, he lowered the bow into his lap and met the other boy's violet eyes and answered, "My parents were killed when I was ten years old... by people trying to take over this territory."
Duo's eyes widened at that, then saddened as he looked away and lowered his head, speaking quietly, "I'm sorry."
His eyes clouding over with memory, the young stable boy frowned, "Even after all this time, I can still recall how they died..." Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away again and stated softly but firmly, "I want to make sure that doesn't happen to anyone else."
Biting his lip, the fey nodded, "That's an admirable reason." Turning to meet his friend's gaze again, he told him, "I respect that you care so much to look out for people that you don't even know... I'm just sorry that you had to go through that."
"Unfortunately, it happens to people, and a lot more than it should," Heero replied and finished with the bowstring. Settling it down on the ground, he rubbed his hands together.
Leaning back, he stretched his body out on the tall grass, folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the clear sky. Duo watched him silently, finally able to understand the normally silent boy that had come to probably save his life. There was a long silence between them when Heero spoke at last to the sky, "Kumi doesn't want me to go."
The braided teenager smiled sadly down to him, "She's your sister. She worries about you." Lying down beside his friend and folding his own arms behind his head, he looked up to the sky, himself as he admitted, "Actually, Kumi and I were talking about you last night."
Quietly, Heero turned his head to meet Duo's gaze as he looked towards him as well. Noting the questions in those cobalt eyes, the fey smiled, "She said that she keeps asking herself what your mother would do. She said that through that, she's finally realized that you mom would want you to be happy... So, Kumi told me that if following this goal of yours makes you happy, she'll support whatever you do, just as you would support her in whatever made her happy."
Looking back up towards the sky, Heero had to clear his throat at that. "You didn't have to..." he began, then stopped himself. In an even quieter voice, he said sincerely, "But... thanks."
Smirking, the braided youth offered, "I could help train you, if you'd like. I've been in my own kingdom's army long enough to teach you some tricks."
"What about your friend?" the Asian boy asked as he watched him.
Frowning deeply at that, Duo shook his head, "I don't even know where to start looking at this point. I may as well do something helpful while I'm here. I'll start searching again when this situation is taken care of..." Gazing back up to the sky, he concluded, "That's why I'm also joining the Shay army."
Sitting up quickly at that, Heero stared down at him with wide, shocked eyes. Remaining stretched out on the ground, Duo smirked up at him, "I can't leave here knowing that you're all in danger."
Tiling his head at him, the other boy commented, "You're unusual."
Laughing at that, the fey shook his head, "You of all people to make that statement."
Blinking in confusion at that, Heero asked, "What makes you say that?"
Closing his eyes as he grinned widely, Duo shrugged, "I have yet to make heads or tails of you since we met. But, I like you and your friends. That's why I decided to stay and help fight."
Regarding him silently as he considered him, Heero remained silent as the other teenager waited quietly. Finally, he said with a nod, "It's appreciated." Rising to his feet, he stretched as Duo sat up with a bright smile.
"Well, if I'm going to start training you, we better start with swords. Do you have any?" he questioned. Heero nodded in response as he walked towards the house. Gone for only a moment, he returned with two sheathed swords.
As he handed offered the old blades to him, Heero admitted, "They are not in the best shape."
Taking up the swords, Duo unsheathed and examined them carefully. They were not the cleanest of weapons and worn with age, but they were still sharp and heavy enough for their purposes. Taking one of the blades, he handed the other to his friend and nodded firmly, "They'll do fine." Stepping back a few paces, he held his sword up in a defensive stance as he said, "We'll start with the basics."
Lifting his own sword, Heero nodded with an eager, determined look in his eyes and began to run towards his opponent. Duo easily blocked the swing made against him as their blades clanged against each other. They both took a step back, readying themselves for the next move. The fey stepped forward and almost caught the stable hand off balance when he blocked the strike.
Moving back again when their swords met, Heero quickly moved forward again, mimicking the other teenager's movements only not quite as smoothly as he all but stumbled forward. Picking up on his mistake, Duo dodged him easily and swung hard enough to knock the blade from his hand. Frowning at the fallen blade from where it stuck up from the ground, Heero turned back to his friend.
Winking, Duo smiled and reassured him, "You're not doing bad for a beginner. Don't get discouraged with yourself. We'll just take this one lesson at a time." Pulling the sword from the ground, he handed it back to the other boy as he said in a more determined voice, "So the first lesson, footing." Accepting the blade back, Heero nodded to him and prepared himself.
From the living room window, Kumi watched their skirmish as she carried a basket filled with laundry. Smiling to herself, she oddly felt a sense of relief in knowing that Heero was being looked after. Chuckling as she shook her head, she moved from the window to allow them their time alone to train.
* * * * * *
Looking up to the sky as the sun began to set, he peered through the tall trees as a he smirked to himself as he took a deep breath of forest air. Behind him, one of the dark clad soldiers approached quietly as he asked, "Sir, King Rashon is becoming restless. He wants to know when we will be moving for the Shay kingdom."
Turning back to the scout, Treize smiled maliciously, "The good King needs to practice more patience. What we are planning to do can't be rushed if we hope to be successful." Crossing his arms, he ordered his scout, "Tell Rashon it won't be much longer, if it makes him feel better."
Bowing his head, the other man replied, "Yes, sir." At that, he turned to run off for his horse.
Shaking his head as he watched him off, Treize sighed to himself, "That fool knows nothing of strategy if he cannot so much as understand the importance of waiting things out." Looking back towards the sky, he chuckled deeply, "After all, where is the pleasure in destroying your enemy if you don't enjoy watching them squirm, first?"
TBC...
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