By the Red Moon Part 27
(Flashback)
This night was going to come. He had known that it would all along, but that was not making the situation any easier.
After days of flying, running, Wing brought Heero and the infant Prince Duo safely into the hidden valley sunken beneath the surface where the portal waited. And even the steed was showing signs of grief at having to say goodbye to his tiny charge.
His feet heavy, the Captain cradled the child against his chest as he stepped through the break in the trees and found the lake that had been described to him. The water shimmered in the light of the white moon high above.
In moments, that same moon was going to shimmer a shade of red for only an instant to signify the portal door opening. And everything living within range would be taken to an entirely different world.
Craning his neck forward, Wing looked down at Duo as the little one cooed and laughed while reaching up for his face. A sad smile on his face, the steed lowered his muzzle so that the baby could latch onto the end of his nose for a moment.
The whole scene was making Heero's stomach knot all the more. Just knowing that shortly the prince would be taken away to some unknown realm unprotected was tearing him.
...Not only for the fact that it was his duty to see to his safety, but for the fact that he had grown attached to Duo in the time that they'd had together. Having to simply believe that all would be well without being able to assure it was difficult beyond words.
Clearing his throat against a lump that had formed there, Heero urged his steed quietly, "Time to let him go, Wing." Ears lowering, the white dragon frowned and pulled his head away from the baby. Taking a deep breath, the knight stepped further into the clearing.
Duo continued to coo and squeal happily as he was lowered onto a flat bed of rocks close beside the lake.
Reaching into his pants pocket, Heero removed a thick, black cord bearing a silver coin that he had warped and carved into over the course of their journey. In the light, the medallion shone with the baby's name etched into it. Carefully slipping the band around the child's neck, he whispered, "It is not much, but it is the least that I can offer you on your passage."
The time was nearly upon them. He needed to hurry, lest he be taken from this world. Tempting as it was to cross over and continue to look after Duo, the soldier in him knew that he was still much needed here to help salvage as much as he could in this realm.
Still, none of that made the leaving any easier.
Blinking his large violet eyes up at the knight, Duo suckled on the edge of his blanket. Heero bit his lip with a sigh and bent down to place a kiss on his tiny forehead. As he pulled back, he vowed, "We will meet again. May the good spirits protect you until then, sweet prince." Lightly running a hand over the baby's head, he forced himself to his feet and walked back towards his steed without looking back.
When Heero stepped into the line of trees where Wing was waiting, there was a rush of sound behind him almost like a passing gust of gale-like winds as the area around him lit up as if it was mid-day. Looking back, he managed to catch the swirling light of thousands of stars that engulfed the opening before it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
As the lake reappeared, the baby was nowhere to be found. Looking up into the heavens, the soldier saw the last glimpse of the red moon as its ghost-white hue returned.
The mission was a success. Prince Duo was carried safely to the portal and sent into a world where he would grow into a young man before returning home again. But he would be back. That was why Heero refused to tell him good bye.
Wing's head lowered beside his rider with a heart-wrenching moan as he stared out where the baby had been lying. Putting on a tiny smile, the knight reached over to run a hand over his steed's nose. "Do not worry," he reassured. "Our paths will cross again. For now, we just need to make sure there is still a world for Duo to come back to by then."
His demeanor brightening instantly, Wing's head rose a bit and he let out a cloud-plumed snort of agreement. Blue eyes shining with determination, he lowered his massive body.
Climbing into his saddle, Heero secured himself in place and with one last look back to the clearing, he lightly tapped his steed with his foot to urge him on. Heavy as his heart may still have been, he pushed his mind to preparing himself for whatever was waiting back in Sanq upon his return...
...if there was still anything left of Sanq by then.
Minutes later, the rider and his dragon were airborne and rushing into the unknown.
(End Flashback)
* * * * * *
Smiling in greeting to Heero as he took the seat beside him, Duo watched the door to the tent as his friends and family began to filter in for a meeting that Odin had called for. On this, the morning after the attack with Dekim's men, there was still a tension in the air despite the comfort in the company surrounding him.
When Quatre entered along with Relena, a particular wave a relief washed over the prince at seeing that they looked to be holding up well after their busy day looking after the wounded late into the night. This was the first he had a chance to see them prior to leaving for the assault.
"Hey," Duo grinned quietly when they sat across from him. "I'm glad you both were able to make it."
A pleased smirk on his face, the empath replied sincerely, "And I am very glad that you are fairing as well as you are after yesterday being your first real test."
Raising a hand at a surge of emotion that he picked up, Quatre assured, "No need to worry about me. Though I am sure it sounds quite troubling, there is a great deal of honor that comes in my being used to help those mortally wounded find a peace before crossing over into the eternal happiness beyond the veil of the living. It is one of the best rewards that I earn with my gift."
Surprisingly, Duo could understand that. Of course, when he had first been told of the role the empath was playing amongst the injured, he had been worried for his friend of the toll that it may take on him. But now he could see exactly why Quatre looked as at peace with the world at war as he did.
Leaning forward, Relena giggled, "We have heard from many a soldier of your bravery on the battlefield since yesterday. You made quite the impact on them. I am extremely proud of you." Her husband nodded his head to echo the sentiment.
Outright blushing, the braided prince lowered his head as Heero snickered and nudged his arm gently. Glancing over to the cobalt eyes watching him, Duo smiled back and noticed that his breath had actually caught in his throat over the way that the Captain looked at him.
Though there had been many such moments, he never really gave them much consideration. In fact, Maxwell realized how several times he had purposely shoved any real consideration over his reaction to Heero the back of his mind.
Peering over to the door, he really noticed the way Wufei and Anna looked at each other as they entered the tent talking amongst themselves on their way to the prince's other side. Quatre and Relena had the very same warmth and endearment in their own glances when they leaned their heads together and held hands tightly.
Maybe... just maybe, Duo thought, he should start examining those things that he was running from.
Before he could give the idea much more consideration, Odin cleared his throat when everyone called to the meeting was present and seated at the table.
Every eye around fell on the Commander as he began, "Thank you, everyone, for coming here on such short notice. Considering the urgency of the matter, I did not want to wait much longer to have us all sit together and discuss more about yesterday's attack."
As he straightened himself in his chair, he took a deep breath and stated, "I believe that those of us who have already thought that there could be a spy amongst us find it more than a mere coincidence that Dekim was able to bring an assault so close to our camp as a strike of luck." Heads nodded all around the table.
Folding his hands together, Odin scanned the faces watching him and continued, "Everyone around this table, I feel, are the only ones who can truly be trusted with this sensitive subject. And if there truly is a spy, I would stake my life on that person not being one of you here."
His violet eyes widening a bit, Duo looked over the group in a new light. Lady Une and Queen Sylvia were not present for this meeting. So that certainly said a lot of what the Commander thought of how far to trust even them.
There was a large part of him that wanted to believe the two young women could be trusted. But in the end, there was no way of knowing for certain. The first strike made against him was after he left Virgo- his whereabouts known by both queens at the time.
Swallowing roughly at that, the braided prince shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Not being able to trust people that he had come to like and respect was not settling well with him. But that was a troubling necessity for this situation. Whoever had made the strike against him once would not hesitate to do so again.
At least the Commander had shown his trust in Trowa even in light of the First Scout's past with Dorothy. The tall soldier's green eyes blinked in surprise at Odin's declaration of believing his innocence and he smiled in appreciation. Smirking, the older man nodded firmly back.
"If yesterday's attack truly was brought on by a spy, our location is completely compromised," Zechs frowned deeply. "But moving would do no good when they would simply relay wherever we were to go from here out until they are discovered."
Piping in, Trowa shrugged, "The strike only proved that we really have no idea where and how many more of Dekim's men there are out there. In changing our location constantly, we could be walking right into a trap at any time."
Wufei shook his head, "And yet, we cannot just stay here and wait for the next hit. That would be asking for a spell or a fight with Dekim's entire army to wipe us out."
That thought brought a heavy silence on the group as the chilling images of that possibility sank in. And with that came the only real option for their next move.
First to speak up, Heero declared, "There are arguments that could be made for and against either staying or leaving. However, we would be better off taking our chances with traveling."
Anna ran a hand through her bangs and sighed, "Ideal as it may seem, we really cannot risk splitting the army up into groups to draw out our spy. We would be much more vulnerable in smaller teams should we come up against another army like the one we took on yesterday. Our strength is in our numbers."
"I agree," Odin responded. Pointing to his three knights-in-training, he told them, "As for the prince's protection, I want the three of you keeping your ring around him at all times until we come up with a way to smoke out our enemy. Anything remotely suspicious you are to handle the best way you see fit if I am not available to have it reported to first."
Heero, Wufei and Anna all nodded their heads firmly, already devoted to the task. It was really all that Duo needed to feel better about his safety and his tense shoulders eased a bit. He noticed Zechs, Noin and Hilde across from him relaxing as well as a sign that they had been equally worried over him.
Unfolding his joined hands, Odin announced, "Now, I must meet with the other Commanders of the army to inform them that we need to prepare everyone to move out as quickly as possible. If it can be achieved, I would not feel comfortable spending another night in these woods."
No one raised an argument to that sentiment. Rising to their feet, those gathered filtered from the tent and blended back into the busy camp in their own separate ways. Not all of those soldiers walking about were so preoccupied that they did not catch the group leaving.
Mueller was one such man.
Walking off, flanked by the knights, Duo kept a violet eye peering from a corner on his nemesis. Mueller just stared hard right back until the prince was no longer in range of his vision.
At the front of the pack alongside her partner, Anna snorted under her breath, "What I wouldn't give for him to be the spy, It would be much easier to deliver a death sentence for treason to one as troubling as him as opposed to someone we have come to like and trust."
"Easy, love," Wufei snickered to her softly. "Somehow, I have the feeling that someone working for Dekim wouldn't want to stand out with such ire for us or our cause." Peering back over his shoulder to there the Virgonian was, he muttered, "Though that does not mean we should keep our guard down to him, either."
Sighing, Duo shook his braided head, frowning, "I just don't like having to be so secretive with Lady Une and Sylvia. I understand Odin's reasoning to keep them out, but it's really not settling right with me. If they ever got wind that we have been having meetings without them-"
"They will understand that not every gathering requires their presence when it comes to the safety of the army." Heero broke in.
When the prince looked back at the Captain, they shared the same sad expression. Taking a deep breath, Yuy said, "Believe me when I say that I do not like this any more than you. However, your safety comes first. Until we know beyond any doubt who is an ally, we cannot afford to risk trusting the wrong people with more than what they need to know."
In those cobalt eyes, Duo could see just how concerned Heero was for his wellbeing... and how devout he was to seeing that no harm would come his way.
And he realized he was staring with a dry throat again.
Forcing his eyes to stare forward again, Maxwell pushed his reaction to the Captain to the back of his mind once more. There were many things on his mind and as far as importance, understanding those strange feelings could not be dealt with at the moment.
Heero was right. This strange world was a dangerous one that he needed to be more leery of. For his own good, he needed to put his initial impressions of people aside and focus on staying alive to do whatever the hell it was that some prophecy believed he was capable of.
Too many people counted on him staying safe. And one of those people was someone he had to admit was quite important to him.
* * * * * *
"I do not like it, your highness."
Lady Une sighed deeply in aggravation as she looked over to the Commander that had entered her living quarters along with the whole of her advisory board.
Folding the last of her clothes, the queen shook her head, "Mueller, I really do not know what has you so worried about a meeting that did not include me. If it was something important that I needed to know, I would have been asked to take part."
Eyes narrowed, the soldier stepped forward and insisted, "I think that it is a show of disrespect that you are not a part of every meeting, whether or not they do directly effect you. After all that you have sacrificed in coming here along with our army, you deserve the right to know all of the dealings that happen in this army and with Prince Duo. This move is something that you should have been the first to know about..."
As Mueller continued, Master O's mind drifted. Since learning that the army was changing their location, he had a good feeling that they may be onto the thought that someone amongst them was working for Dekim. That theory was only confirmed when an enraged Commander of Virgo told him and the others of the meeting involving Prince Duo and his protective ring.
If they truly were keeping a look out for him, he would have to tread even more carefully now. He would be even more clever in how to get to...
"Master O?" Mueller called through his thoughts, a hint of frustration in his tone. And only then did the tall advisor realize that he was being stared at by everyone in the tent. Blinking in surprise in missing that they had attempted to get through to him, he tried to hide his surprise.
His head tilting with a deep frown on his face, the Commander asked, "Do you not also agree with the rest of us that our queen is being mistreated?"
Straightening his back and raising his bald head proudly, Orsloiv nodded, "Of course. I simply did not voice my agreement because it should not be a question that our lady be treated with the reverence that she deserves."
A very good answer as far as Mueller was concerned. It was an answer that he would expect from the advisor. But something was... off with Master O. He made certain to not let his suspicions show. Instead, he turned back to face his queen for her response.
Lady Une fixed the Commander with a glare and hissed, "Mueller, you have made every point to make your dislike of Prince Duo known. You are simply making something out of nothing because you are not the one that we are all following."
Stalking towards the stricken soldier, she warned, "Before we left Virgo, I had decided against my initial thought to demote you for you lack of respect towards my guests. Do. Not. Make me regret that decision because I could always change my mind and do much worse."
Mueller swallowed roughly as the queen snapped, "Now go back to your tents and pack your belongings for the move. If you should ever question anything that happens within this army simply because your boastful self was not included in the decision, you will regret it. I promise you that."
The knight lowered his head and replied quietly, "Yes, your highness. I do apologize for offending you." And like an animal with its tail tucked between its legs, he hurried from the tent with the other advisors in tow.
Silently thankful that he had escaped without being noticed for his lack of attention, Orsloiv was able to breathe a deep sigh of a relief while parting ways with the remainder of the board.
Without question, he was going to have to tread even more carefully now.
TBC...
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