By the Red Moon Part 10
"Again."
The clang of metal meeting metal rang through the air once. Then a second time. And a third.
Finally, exhausted after hours of effort, Duo's arms fell heavily at his sides when he was still unable to disarm his challenger and nearly dropped his father's sword from his right hand. Panting heavily, he was still amazed how the shirtless knight before him had hardly broken a sweat when he was almost drenched.
Pleased with the efforts given, Heero nodded firmly, "That is good for today." As he sheathed his sword, he walked over to their discarded tunics and canteens which he picked up in each hand. Turning, he tossed the prince's container over to him.
Easily catching it in his free hand, Duo pulled back the stopper with his teeth and took deep gulps of water while sheathing his blade.
Once every drop in his canteen was drained, he all but collapsed to sit in the tall grass of the opening in the trees that had become their practice area over the last week. Rain or shine, they were out at sunrise every morning to train for hours.
Sitting beside his charge, the Captain regarded him from the corner of his eye with a tiny hint of a smile.
Though it had only been a week into his working with the braided teenager, he was already making much progress from he'd begun. He never complained and listened intently to every bit of advice offered to him, readily adjusting himself as needed to improve.
Progress was slow, but steady. Little by little Duo's endurance was building along with his form. So there truly was potential there.
When his breathing finally calmed, the prince looked over to the knight and grinned, "Thanks."
He said that at the end of every lesson, but it was not only the help that he was thanking Heero for. Finding the right words of the best way to say 'thank you for saving my life' in a way that really conveyed his appreciation was not coming easily.
And so, just like every other day, Heero smirked back and nodded in response to the sentiment. "You are coming along well," he said. "Your performance as of late is a far cry from it was in the beginning."
Mentally, he snickered in recalling how unbalanced the other teenager had been in his first attempts to swing and dodge with his blade.
His mouth curling up in a surprised smile from the rare compliment, Duo replied, "Yea? I still haven't been able to catch you off guard, but right now I'll settle for not sticking myself into a tree." That grin on his face grew when the knight actually snickered at his comment as he stared ahead into the forest.
For the prince's part, he actually looked forward to his time with Heero, not only for the chance to be able to defend himself, but to get to know his rescuer better. However, there was very little information that he was able to get from the knight.
He was quiet... more so than even the quietest people that Duo had known. And his face was nearly always stoic and devoid of any readable expression that might hint at what he was thinking or feeling. Yet, he never made the braided teenager feel uncomfortable or anything short of respected for that matter.
Both Wufei and Anna had hinted on different occasions since their arrival to the encampment on how their friend was 'an interesting case.' They certainly were not kidding. The guy was as mysterious as they came.
At least there was Wing, who looked after the prince nearly as much as he watched over his rider. Wufei's had explained how the winged beasts always took great care in how they treated babies, almost taking them in as their own.
The swordsman had also gone on to say that it was evident that the white dragon recognized his 'long lost child' even after so many years when they were reunited and so fell back into his attachment.
Hearing that, if there had been any doubt in Duo's mind to Heero being the one that had carried him to the portal, his steed's actions certainly cleared that up.
...That and the way that Heero would look at the necklace hanging against the prince's bare chest every time he removed his shirt. At his first glimpse of the gold coin, he couldn't hide the shock from his cobalt eyes.
Swooping down from her perch high in the trees, Wing lowered himself to the ground and waited patiently for the teenagers.
A downdraft from his white wings turned the air enough that Duo was able to get a quick whiff of himself. Wincing, he snickered, "Yea, I had better get cleaned up before we get back to the camp. I'll be having the other men ready to surrender to Dekim if they have to deal with me like this for long."
Inwardly, he was still amazed that the knight beside him did not have to worry about such a thing even after he had done his best to challenge him in their exercises.
A small smirk on his face, Heero grabbed his tunic and handed the prince his own. "Anna and Ingier will be at the river by the time you reach it with Wing to keep watch. I will be walking back to meet with Odin. We are expecting our scouts that have been patrolling the nearest kingdoms to return any time today with reports on their findings."
Nodding, Duo tried to hide his disappointment by throwing on a smile.
More time apart from the Captain meant less time that he would have to try to break through his shell. Part of him questioned, once again, why it concerned him at all, but he ignored that little voice as he climbed into the saddle to strap himself securely. "See you soon, then," he grinned with a wave.
Lightly slapping his steed's hind leg, the knight called, "To the river, Wing."
At his rider's instruction, the dragon spread his wings with a power flap that lifted him and his charge high into the air. Shifting with the wind, he turned himself in the direction of their destination and they were off.
Both hands gripping the hand hold of the saddle, Duo peered over his shoulder to watch the knight on the ground disappearing beneath the trees. Sighing to himself, he looked ahead and peered around to enjoy his short flight.
* * * * * *
Just as Heero had said, Anna and Ingier were waiting by the river edge when the prince and Wing arrived. Smiling in greeting, the archer stepped away to give her friend some privacy while staying close enough to be able to spring into action if there was the need for protection.
His limps aching from their long workout, Duo removed his socks, boots and pants to toss them alongside his tunic beside a towel, a fresh change of black pants, a bar of soap and a brush that were already set down for him. Not even bothering to test the water, he waded his way in.
When the running river was at his waist, he made a quick dive below the surface and rose back up to wade around with a contented sigh. For a serene moment, he simply floated and allowed the current to take him for just a few feet as his mind settled into serene thoughts.
Hot as the day was, it was a more than welcoming feeling to have the cool water work its magic in easing his tense body. Taking his time, the long-haired teenager undid his braid to wash his hair as well as himself until he felt more like himself.
Stepping out where his items were laying, Duo took up the towel and dried himself before pulling his clothes on. A flat rock became his perch where he sat and worked away the knots from his hair with the brush. Satisfied that every damp lock was smoothed out, he wove them back into a braid and tied off the end.
Presentable once again, he climbed the small hill of the bank to find Wing and Ingier rolling around on the grass of the opening in a playful wrestling spar. Lightly nipping at each other with half-hearted growls and grunts, the dragons took their turns at who had the ends.
A smirk tugging his lips, the prince chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
Being one of the youngest steeds, Ingier always had a way of keeping himself entertained, usually it was in challenging another dragon that could clearly defeat him if they actually were to fight for real. The other creatures tolerated him and simply played along.
Clearly also used to Ingier's ways, Anna had her back to him and Wing as she held her bow up with an arrow drawn tightly back on the drawstring.
Both of the long sleeves of her tunic were rolled up and the angry scars that curved around her left arm to its shoulder were out in plain sight while its hand wrapped around the middle of her bow.
Her focus centered on a thick tree trunk several yards ahead of her and she stood as still as a stone. Only her long hair pulled up in a high ponytail moved when a light breeze rolled by.
Watching on, Duo slowly and quietly neared her to watch as she released the arrow to have it whoosh through the air. Snapping to a stop when the tip buried itself in the trunk with a loud think, the feathered end wiggled from the impact.
To his amazement, the braided teenager looked over to see that the archer already had another arrow pulled from the supply at her back and had it hooked to the drawstring that she pulled back. One eye closed, she sent that arrow off to slice its way perfectly down the center of the first to its tip.
A third, then a forth arrow followed to shred their way through the last.
Never losing her intense focus, Anna drew the fifth and sent it away.
In watching it break right down the center of the forth, leaving side of the tree decorated with curled shards that remained of the wooden shafts, she lowered her bow with a pleased smile on her face.
"Wow," Duo breathed when he finally caught his breath after the skilled display. Blue eyes widening in being snapped from her attention, the red-haired girl's head snapped over to meet his gaze. Grinning widely, her prince clapped and approached with a sincere, "That was really impressive."
The smile on Anna's face returned full-force as she giggled, "Thank you." Shrugging, she commented, "Just comes with years of practicing." As she slid her bow over her head to hang from her shoulder, the archer smirked, "And how was your practice today?"
Returning the shrug, the other teenager answered, "I'm improving. But I am still nowhere near as good as Heero, Wufei or any of you knights at camp for that matter."
A thought suddenly crossing his mind, he tilted his head and frowned, "Come to think of the other knights, I'm surprised that you're here. I thought that you would be at camp for when Wufei and the other scouting teams returned with their reports."
Instantly losing her smile, Anna cleared her throat and lowered her gaze, muttering, "Well, I would be an exception to that rule."
Slowly raising her head, she stated, "Being the only female, many of the knights from the other countries of the new army do not feel as though I have a place alongside them to be able to greet the teams when they first return. Wufei, Heero and Odin were all willing to argue in my defense, but I decided to volunteer to be here to keep the peace..."
Gesturing to the tree that she had used as target practice, the archer smirked, "And to work off some frustration." Only then did Duo pay closer attention to note the dozens of tiny holes that were in the side of trunk.
He swallowed roughly and turned back to his friend to say sincerely, "I'm sorry, Anna." Curiosity getting the better of him, he questioned, "Would it be alright of me to ask why you did decide to become a knight in the first place?"
The girl's eyes shifted as she lost herself in her thoughts. Taking a seat in the grass, she stared off into the forest without really seeing it and smiled sadly, "As a knight of Sanq, my father wanted to bring a son into this world more than anything so that he may carry on his legacy as a protector of the kingdom."
Her voice little more than a whisper, she sighed, "Then, I was born and my mother died delivering me, their only child. Father became quite despondent after that and buried himself into his duty to cover the pain. Occasionally, he would let it slip in my presence how things may have been easier if he'd had a young knight to train instead of a daughter."
Duo's heart ached for her as he sat down beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder.
Chuckling, Anna did not look back at him as she snickered, "As soon as I was old enough, I would sneak out into the forest with his bow and arrows to practice shooting for hours. In the rain and snow, I made sure to never miss a chance to improve myself. If he could not have a son, I was determined to become the knight that he had hoped for. Finally, when I reached the age of ten, I went to the camp of knights-in-training and enlisted under Odin Lowe."
"Most girls fall out of the official training into knighthood," the redhead continued. "But I was determined to be the first female to be knighted in Sanq. No matter how difficult, I stuck through it and earned the respect of Wufei, Heero and all of the others that I grew up with."
Tears forming in her blue eyes in a very rare show of such emotion, Anna breathed, "My father had a chance to see the knight that I would have been when I was at his side as he died from his injuries after Dekim's attack on our homeland."
Wincing, she raised her hand to make vague gestures as she explained, "See, my fellow knights-in-training and I were never officially knighted at that time. Only an ordained Sanq King or Queen can give us that honor. We were all a couple of years away from finishing our preparation for that day. Far as we are all concerned, we have already earned the title."
Her focus drifting away, the girl returned to her story. "Before he drew his last breath, my father told me that he was proud of me for the first time in my life," she whispered. "And then he was gone."
Biting his lip, Duo shifted closely beside his friend and wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders. Anna stiffened from the realization that she was actually being hugged by her prince. That initial surprise faded quickly and she leaned up against him for the much needed support.
When she felt fine enough to pull back, she reached up to wipe a stray tear from her face and smiled to the violet eyes watching her. "Even with all of the pain, I do not have a single regret of my working so hard to become a knight," the archer declared.
Brightening, Anna grinned, "Along with being the first girl to have the opportunity to defend my home and people in this way, I met my best friend in Wufei because of it. I also came to know Heero, who has since become like the older brother that I never had. Those things have made the difficult times worth enduring."
"Don't forget me," the prince huffed with a smirk. "We never would have met if you hadn't be so strong. Whatever my rank around here is, we'll always be friends, too."
At that, the archer blinked in surprise. "That... means more than you could know," she replied softly. Smiling, she nodded firmly, "Thank you, Duo."
Lightly patting her back, he winked, "Don't mention it." Taking a deep breath, he vowed, "And I promise that if and when I am ever ordained a King, my first duty will be to knight you and the others. I agree that you have earned the title without needing anyone else to say so, but having it made official couldn't hurt, right?"
Eyes widening in shock, Anna's mouth opened and closed in a couple of attempts to verbally respond. When she could not find her voice, she instead launched herself forward to give him a tight hug in response.
Snickering softly, Duo returned the embrace and suggested, "We better get back to the camp before Heero sends off a search team when he sees that I'm not back yet."
Anna laughed loudly and pulled away to dry the last traces of shimmer from her eyes. "That very well may be something that he would do, considering how protective he still is of you," she giggled.
Without explanation, the braided youth's chest warmed at the thought of the Captain being so concerned about him. Comforting as the notion was, he quickly pushed it away and rose to his feet to collect himself again.
Getting to her own feet, the redhead turned to the dragons that were still rolling around in their game and called, "Alright, boys. Play time is over for now. Let get back to the others and you can finish this at camp."
Instantly, the steeds untangled themselves and made their way to the sides of their charges. Anna lightly patted Ingier's blue-purple cheek and smirked, "You are lucky that Wing is a patient one with you, trouble." Pulling herself up into her saddle, she commented, "He could easily have you for breakfast if he wanted."
Her dragon puffed a plume of white smoke from his nostrils as though he resented the remark. Wing, however, rumbled lowly in a chuckle with as smug a look as he could manage.
Again shaking his head in amusement, Duo climbed into the white beast's saddle. Strapping himself in securely, he smirked, "Let's go, Wing."
Only needing to be told once, the steed spread his wings and gave one mighty flap to send them into the air. Not about to be outdone, Ingier was fast on his heels.
For the whole of the flight back to the encampment, the riders silently wondered what the retuning scouts would have to say of their findings.
They all could certainly stand to hear some good news.
TBC...
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