Marked for Death Part 16
Heero opened his eyes and couldn't help but smile lightly as he recognized the warm arms wrapped around his body. Behind him he could hear Duo's soft, even breathing as the braided boy continued to sleep. Beyond both of them the fire had died to softly glowing embers and sunlight was slowly starting to creep into the cave. From where he lay Heero could see the sky was still mostly full of clouds, but they were lighter now with many holes, so the rays of the rising sun were able to sneak through and begin the slow process of drying everything.
Moving very slowly he slipped out of Duo's arms, careful not to wake the Shadow yet. Stepping to the other side of the cave he retrieved his clothes and found they were significantly dry now. Brushing off the now dry dirt he rewrapped the piece of cloth around his waist and tied it off, then slipped on the leather boots. He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped quickly outside the cave and began his small search.
He hadn't wanted to leave Duo's embrace but duty called. One of the problems with his people being so well prepared for such instances was that they had to keep the surrounding areas hospitable for quick and easy escape. This meant that he had a duty to make up for the wood they'd used that night and at least make a pile in the cave which would be ready in case there was need to use that cave again.
He knew perfectly well that the wood was so wet in the surrounding area that it would most likely mold in the cave, but there wasn't much he could do about that. Taking one of the larger blades from his arm he proceeded to cut down a few branches from the surrounding trees and made quick work of their leaves and small out-chutes. Before long he had a good sized bundle, which he quickly gathered up and brought back to the cave.
As he stepped inside and headed for the back corner to pile the new wood with the pile they hadn't used, he heard Duo move behind him.
The Shadow yawned and stretched then froze, red sliding over his face. Heero watched with a raised eyebrow of amusement as Duo clearly blushed and glanced around the room hurriedly for his clothing. How odd to see the Shadow suddenly so worried about his nakedness when it hadn't bothered him the night before.
Duo stood up and quickly retrieved his clothing, quickly throwing it on without bothering to brush off the dirt and leaves he'd picked up on their walk through the rain. Running a nervous hand through his bangs the braided boy turned back to look at Heero.
"Umm, Heero... about last night..."
Heero raised an eyebrow in question. It amused him to no end that Duo was actually suddenly bashful about what had happened. He had to admit that he'd probably seemed really silly in his stubbornness to keep his clothes on the night before, and now it seemed that they had switched roles. "You didn't enjoy it?" He asked.
Oddly it never really occurred to Heero to regret the night before or their nearly instinctual actions. It had just seemed so natural at the time, and too enjoyable to stop. And now, the morning after, it still felt natural and his mind was still repeating the scattered fire-lit images of passion that he knew would haunt him for a good long time.
Duo blinked and shook his head. "No, no! It's not that! It's just that... I..." His eyes flew around the small cave, as if searching for the answer to be written around the vaulted stone walls. Heero allowed himself a small chuckle and walked up to Duo, acting once again on instinct.
He stopped right up in front of Duo and touched the boy's chin, he let his fingers drift down the side of Duo's face slowly, then leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to Duo's. A second later Duo kissed back lightly, Heero feeling the smile slipping across his lips. He pulled back just a bit and met Duo's eyes. "I have no regrets."
A look of relief washed over Duo's face and he let out a sigh. "I honestly don't know what came over me. I guess you just looked so delicious all wet and naked." The edges of Duo's mouth curved up into a mischievous smirk and he leaned forward, kissing Heero, though this time the kiss was deeper and much more active, Duo's tongue begging for entrance. Heero eagerly allowed it entrance and the two kissed deeply until lack of breath forced them to pull apart.
"As much as I'd love to stay here and reenact last night..." Duo murmured softly.
"We should meet up with the others." Heero finished for him.
Duo nodded.
That said the two set about erasing the evidence that they'd stayed in that cave. Duo moved about brushing out their imprints on the ground with his boots and helped Heero stamp out the fire, then scatter the ashes. With the cave cleaned the two stepped out of the cave and started walking again. Yet this time Heero didn't lead, instead they walked side by side in silence.
'Find what amazes you,' Trowa's voice echoed in Heero's head. Heero entertained a small smile at his old friend's words. Yes, he'd definitely found what amazed him, in the most unlikely of places.
He never would have thought that the person to make him feel like this would be a smart-alec Shadow who'd apparently never had another friend in his life, save for the prince which he was Shadow to. Heero never would have dreamed that he'd end up falling in love with anyone, much less a human boy who'd grown up in a castle surrounded by people yet all alone.
His life up until this point was so completely different. He'd been raised as one of the few of his people who would be sent to a kingdom to guard one of the kings, as a King's Guard. But, due to the fact that his people were being wiped out by humans left and right, Trowa had retracted that order and made Heero a protector of their own small tribe. So even though he wore the mark under his eye, the 'king' he was supposed to protect was his own people. In fact, his mission to find Sorata was the first time he'd ever been sent out of the village since he'd been born. He never would have guessed that one simple mission to find an old friend from his village would lead to such a drastic change in his life.
Heero generally wasn't the type to act like this. Everyone knew him as the well-trained sentinel who was always around to help protect to village when needed and that's exactly what he was. Least that's how he saw himself until now. And then Duo came along and somehow he'd changed; though he wasn't sure quite how. He still knew his duty to his people and he still knew he wasn't human, but a Marked One. If someone asked him he probably couldn't even really place his finger on what in his life had changed other than the obvious part about them having to find a new home. All he knew was that Duo was a large part of his life now, and he had no idea where that would take him.
Heero glanced over at the boy walking next to him and noticed that Duo's expression said he was in deep thought too. Heero wondered about what. He apparently had been staring for a while because Duo noticed and glanced back at him, flashing him a happy light smile. Then the braided boy reached over as they walked and clasped his hand tightly around Heero's. Heero flashed a small smile of his own and the two continued walking, hand in hand. It just felt so natural.
Up ahead the forest around them began to shrink, the trees becoming thinner with more bushes growing up around the bases. Sunlight shown over everything now that the canopy was thinner and the world seemed to shimmer from the retreating drops of rain, which reflected the light. And somewhere beside them there was movement...
Heero froze and whirled around, tattoo-weapon in hand within the blink of an eye and ready to throw. He let to weapon fly, knowing that the movement in the bushes was far too much for a simple animal, it had to be a person. The weapon glinted in the air, flying quickly toward its target, when a vine suddenly shot forward and caught it.
Heero and Duo blinked in surprise and watched as Trowa and Quatre stepped out from behind the bushes, the vines melding back into Trowa's skin. The leader of the Marked Ones nodded once in greeting and tossed Heero's weapon back to him.
"You nearly got me," Quatre said with a nervous smile. "That's some great aim, lucky for me Trowa was able to catch it."
"Are you being followed?" Trowa asked.
Heero shook his head. "We lost them yesterday after we left the caves. You?"
Trowa shook his head.
Duo stepped forward and grinned broadly at Quatre; that's when Heero noticed something very interesting. Both Trowa and Quatre were soaked from head to toe. He lifted an eyebrow in question while Duo just came right out and asked.
"You guys get stuck in the rain?"
Quatre snickered softly. "No, we swam away from them. There's a river that runs through the mountain... but it's really long."
"Oh really?" Duo smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous light.
Quatre blushed slightly and attempted his own mischievous comeback. "And it appears that you two are on better terms again, or was I just imagining that you were smiling and holding hands?"
That comment got a blush out of Duo and he gave a light chuckle. "Caught red-handed I guess."
Heero turned his attention to Trowa. "We should meet up with the others as soon as possible."
The leader of the Marked Ones nodded and the group set off, without much more hesitation. Save that this time Heero and Trowa led the group, while Duo and Quatre walked side by side, poking occasional bits of fun at each other. Heero noticed a small smile on Trowa's face as he glanced back at the two. That smile was so small, most wouldn't have noticed it, but Heero knew that it meant Trowa was happy, quite happy.
"You sorted things out?" Trowa asked softly, so the other two boys wouldn't hear. If they heard they gave no indication.
Heero nodded, not taking his eyes off the path ahead of them. "I found what amazes me," he said softly. "And I'm not letting go."
That made Trowa smile even more and he reached forward, clapping a friendly hand on his old friend's shoulder. Neither Duo nor Quatre noticed the movement but Heero didn't care. He knew it was gesture of approval and friendship.
What he'd said was the truth. And he would hold on to Duo... for as long as the braided boy allowed him to.
~*~
Wufei sat silently, his head leaned back against the rough bark of the tree. He could feel the jagged pieces of bark digging into his back, but not painfully. His hands rested softly in the grass on either side of his body and his eyes were shut, enjoying the sunlight as it shone on his face. So warm and soothing...
He found himself the calmest he'd been in a long time. After deciding to himself exactly how he would deal with Darrin and what he would do when he got back to the kingdom, he found an incredible weight had disappeared from his shoulders. He wasn't nearly as tense anymore, and felt so peaceful. There was certainly something to be said about determination and the sheer will to carry out revenge on someone. Not because he hated the person, but to help others. In the end he realized it wasn't completely revenge, it was a sentence of punishment that Darrin deserved, no matter who dealt it out. The man was dangerous and had clearly shown he deserved no quarter or mercy.
Now if only the others would get back...
That thought brought a small knot to rest in his stomach and he sighed. His peaceful state was very short lived. Still, at least one problem was solved. Now if only he could hear something from the other four, it was really bothering him that they hadn't shown up. He refused to give into the thoughts nagging at the back of his mind, he knew worrying wouldn't do any good.
Behind him he heard feet shuffle against the ground and he didn't move. It was probably Annah, coming over to speak with him. He recognized that he welcomed her company, silent or speaking. Something about the Marked girl just made him feel at ease, she somehow knew exactly how to fix his mood, even when he was in one of his worst states.
But the voice he heard wasn't Annah's.
"Man, you look so lost without me! You miss me that much Fei?"
Wufei's eyes shot open and he whirled around, scraping his shoulder on the edge of the tree in his surprise. His eyes widened as he spotted his Shadow standing only a few feet away, a huge grin painted across his face.
"Duo?" He choked out in surprise.
Duo smirked. "No, Fei, I'm a figment of your imagination."
Wufei stood up and brushed himself off, smiling at his friend. It took all his willpower to curb the impulse to jump forward and embrace his friend tightly. He refused to do that though, because it wasn't like him at all. Plus he was king now, or would be when he got back, and he had to get used to not doing such impulsive things. He knew Duo would understand his restraint.
Duo apparently did, because Duo closed the space between them and embraced his friend in a tight grip for a brief second, in greeting, then pulled away. "You look pretty worn." Duo commented.
Wufei smirked. "You don't look so good yourself." Wufei gestured toward the many scratches and tears in Duo's clothing. He was well aware of how strange both of them looked, but then they were both used to living in a palace, being on the run in clothes borrowed from other people did a lot to change their looks and condition.
"Where are the others?" Wufei asked.
"They're with the rest of the Marked Ones, Quatre too. I left them there to come find you... a certain red head said you were in this direction, sulking."
That had to be Annah, Wufei thought.
Duo didn't say anything more but Wufei could see the curious glint in his friend's eyes. He knew Duo wasn't blind and if he didn't see what was going on between him and Annah... Wufei knew that Duo had figured it out. The light in his eyes made that obvious.
But then the light in Duo's eyes also hinted at something else. Wufei took a shot and guessed that Heero and him had solved their problems in their time alone.
Good, one other problem out of the way.
Now on to the huge one.
"We should head back. Time for us to decide what to do about Darrin."
The humor melted out of Duo face, shifting to an expression of determination that matched Wufei's. The Shadow gave a short nod.
"Let's go."
And with that the two headed back to decide what to do next.
~*~
Trowa sat on a large bolder, only a few feet away from the main mountain side and the entrance which had been collapsed to prevent Darrin's men from following. The other Marked Ones moved around him, gathering up their small amount of belongings and cleaning up the area, but there was a small amount of unease in the air. He could feel it and he knew exactly what the source was.
When he and the others had returned they were welcomed warmly and there was much rejoicing and many happy faces. But beneath all of that Trowa could sense what they were trying to hide. When one lived among a certain group of people for most of their live one learned to hear their actions. And he could just feel the tension in the air. Everyone seemed to be worried about what would happen now that they were all reassembled with no home to go back to.
Trowa wondered that himself, a little. But he also knew that he wasn't really allowed to wonder about it, it was his job to decide. The problem was that despite how well prepared his people were, the one thing they hadn't done was stake out a particular spot to live in and fall back to if something happened to their home. Everyone knew they would have to start from scratch in a new place, and human or not, that idea was a terrifying one for many. Many of whom hadn't ever left that one area of the forest.
Yuki stood next to him silently, taking up her normal spot as his protector and watching the forest around him. Quatre had gone to check on Hijiri and make sure he hadn't actually done any damage and now the two were talking lively, Trowa guessed that Quatre was recounting their little adventure to Hijiri and the group of children which were slowly gathering.
Heads glanced up as Duo and Wufei stepped into view and Trowa gave the slightest of nods, signaling that it was time. That small nod was noticed by nearly everyone, showing just how uneasy they all really were. They'd all been watching him for some type of decision... and it was time for him to give them one.
Slowly all the Marked Ones and their guests moved closer to Trowa, until there was a small gathering where most could see. Trowa frowned lightly and glanced to Wufei.
"Prince Wufei."
Wufei stepped forward and gave a short nod in response, but he remained silent.
"We have decided to aid you. Whatever caused this in the first place, be it our warrior which was sent or Sorata long before any of this, we acknowledge that it is partially our responsibility. Also, you and your friends are responsible for helping us to escape, and we are in your debt as such. Thus a small amount of us will travel with you to your kingdom to help you sort out these matters, while the rest search for a new area in which to live."
Trowa stopped and let his words hang in the air, giving them time to sink in. No one made any comment, to agree or disagree. Being that their number was so small it had been decided that his word was law, and it was his duty to take care of all of them. This seemed to be the best way to do that, and it seemed that everyone agreed with him. He allowed himself the smallest of smiles that most would have missed. Now came the hard part.
"Heero, Brei, Yuki, Annah and myself will travel back with the group to Wufei's castle, where we will work on fixing these matters. The rest of you will head north and search for an area much like the one we previously had. Selenay, you will be in charge until we return."
Trowa gave a short nod, signaling that the informal meeting was over. The crowd around him dissipated, backing away and going back to working to cover their tracks and scout the area. Thankfully the tension in the air had dropped and Trowa let out a slow breath to calm himself. Turning on the stone he addressed the small group that had stayed near him, those who's names he had said, the ones who would be travelling. He met eyes with Wufei.
"How would you suggest we do this, being that it is your castle we will be sneaking into."
Wufei frowned and thought for a moment. "You're right that an all out attack would be a stupid idea, and I certainly wouldn't think of endangering that many of your people. However, our sneaking into the castle won't be easy. Darrin and the other advisors know most of the secret passages thanks to Duo and myself's wandering as children. We were only able to sneak out one because of our haste."
A smirk lit up Duo's face. "There is one they don't know about..."
All eyes turned to the smirking Shadow.
"I used to sneak and get food from the kitchen, but I could never get in, get it and get out in time. I found a passage near the kitchen, it's an old pit that I'm guessing they used for waste and forgot about. The only problem is that none of us are small enough to get through. Maybe Quatre, but that'd be pushing it."
Quatre nodded and gave a small smile. "I know someone who could fit."
Trowa glanced at him and followed Quatre's eyes to Hijiri, who was out with the other children. "Hijiri?" He asked. Quatre nodded.
"If you'll allow it, would he fit Duo?"
"Definitely. He could sneak in that way and create a diversion while the rest of us find Darrin."
"Agreed. Hijiri!"
The young boy looked up in surprise at Trowa's voice and quickly rushed over, looking all ready to go. Trowa suppressed a small chuckle, it wasn't hard to tell that Hijiri wanted to come with on this little 'adventure'.
Duo quickly explained the plan to the young boy, giving him a very detailed description of the tunnel, where it led and what he'd have to do. Meanwhile Wufei knelt down and drew in the ground a rough layout of the castle and where Darrin and his men would most likely be.
Plans were laid out and set, and by the time that everyone had the layout of the castle memorized the sun was starting to set over the horizon. Small camping fires were lit, as soon as Wufei assured everyone that Darrin and his men would have already headed back for the castle.
"I was taught strategy by him. His only chance to win here was to catch me or Duo, which he failed. Now he knows we're heading back for the castle, so he'll have gone back at top speed to make sure he beats us there." He explained.
As Wufei finished explaining and the group started to settle in to sleep one of the Marked Ones timidly approached the group. His blue eye locked with Annah's, the other permanently closed from a long scar. Annah stood up from her spot and stepped forward, drawing Wufei's attention.
"Something wrong Shai?"
The man nodded lightly. "We found something in the woods, not far from here. I believe the Prince would be highly interested in it."
Wufei looked up in surprise as Shai held out his hand and opened it. The Prince's eyes widened and he gave a choked gasp. Duo and the others whirled around just in time to see Wufei tearing through the forest as fast as he could run, Shai leading him.
TBC...
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