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"Dawning"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: Not ours. They belong to rich people. We just snuck them out of the high-security vault when they weren’t looking. Pairings: 3x4, 5x2, 1+(um…eheheh…we have no idea.) Warnings: Angst (which is fixed), AU, Fant, violence, character death (a couple of the bad guys, don’t spaz), questionable humor and LEMON!!! Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 Summary: When a man of obsession turns to the powers of darkness to curse two lovers that are against him, then those that can must do everything they can to break the chains that ensnare them all. *emphasized* //spell or thoughts//
"Dawning" Chapter Three: Of Dreams
Eyes firmly closed, he listened to the sounds of rustling as a cloak was moved against the hay in another corner of the barn. Then the sound of a body falling to the stack, a deep sigh…and silence. Duo counted to ten. Then he waited a bit more. When he deemed it absolutely safe he snuck free from his bed and crept over to where the Major was sleeping. He leaned over and looked into the quiet face for a moment, listening to the deep, even breaths. Knowing now that the Major was not going to wake up, Duo lifted a corner of the blanket and slid in beside the dark haired man, curling up against his side. Within minutes he was fast asleep. + Wufei slowly came to consciousness, the remnants of dreams releasing him. He sighed and breathed in, becoming aware of warmth and a pleasant smell surrounding him. Enjoying the smell, he breathed in a lungful and nuzzled more deeply into the warm silk beneath his nose. …Wait a minute. *Silk*? *Warmth*? With a muffled exclamation, Wufei jerked back away from the warm body he was spooned up against. He stared for a moment. It was the thief, Duo. When had he--? And what had *he*--? With a sharp jerk of his head, he looked down at his hand and at the braid that was firmly wrapped around it. What the!? With a harsh curse, he bolted from the blankets and stood, breathing heavily, trying to ignore the way his body cried out for the missing warmth. As he was trying to get his mind back into some semblance of order and to calm himself down, Trowa walked casually through the doors. He nodded to the obviously flustered Major. “Good morning, Wufei.” Wufei stared for a moment at his Captain’s cool tone, then exploded. “Why the *hell* didn’t you wake me *up*!” Trowa shrugged slightly, his green eyes glinting in the morning sun that made its way into the barn. “I tried. You wouldn’t let go.” Wufei gaped as Trowa paused to look over at the still sleeping thief with a speculative gaze and then back at his Major. The slightest smile hovered at the corners of his mouth. “I can’t blame you though. He *is* very cute.” Wufei wasn’t sure that he had heard his Captain correctly. He continued to stare at Trowa. The Captain arched an eyebrow and smirked. Snapping his jaw back into place, Wufei gathered up the rest of his tattered dignity and shot a glare at his superior and friend. “Your sense of humor leaves something to be desired, Barton.” He snarled, turning to walk out of the barn. “Ah, but that isn’t what you *desire*, now is it?” came the reply. “AAARRGH!!” Trowa watched silently as Wufei stormed out of the barn, waving his arms as he muttered under his breath. Turning at a slight sound from the bale of hay beside him, Trowa met sleepy violet eyes. “What peed in his porridge?” Duo mumbled, struggling up out of the blanket and looking to where the irate Major had disappeared. Trowa declined to comment. + In the early morning, two shapes made their way through a forest, barely visible in the dense fog. Duo peered through the thickness, trying to gain an idea of where Wufei had disappeared to, or at least where they were going. The Major had stomped off, muttering something about ‘scouting ahead’ but Duo was certain that he really just wanted to put some distance between them. He hadn’t *really* meant to snuggle with the soldier last night. He just wanted a presence near him that he knew, without a doubt, was normal and could hold his own against a wolf. The snuggling had just been a nice little bonus. “Let’s rest here. It’s not a good day for traveling.” Duo nodded in quick agreement. The fog had settled over the land in a thick haze, coating their skin and clothes with a layer of chilled moisture. Duo didn’t even want to move, much less travel. He just wanted to curl up under a blanket with a certain Maj—ah, in front of a fireplace and wait it out. “I can do with some rest myself after last night’s happenings.” He tugged on the reins in his hands. “Come on girl, it’s too cold out. Come *on* girl—I mean boy. Goliath.” The horse’s name seemed to be the safest route for now until he got used to the idea that he was in all male company. “Come on, Goliath.” The stallion snorted, grudgingly moving forward until his nose touched the tree Duo led him to. Duo quickly tied him to the thin trunk before settling and leaning against it as comfortably as he could manage. “It was a nightmare last night. Madmen with axes, a huge black wolf on the rampage—” Trowa flicked a sardonic eyebrow at that, settling opposite Duo against a tree of his own. “He could have killed me!” Duo protested, indignant at his traveling companion’s seeming indifference. “And there’s more. There was the most beautiful man.” Trowa froze at this, although his mask of indifference didn’t falter. Duo continued his description in a whisper, pulled back to the memory of the night before. “Alabaster skin, hair like the first rays of dawn, blue eyes… And his voice…” Trowa’s indifference fell with an almost audible thud as he looked up. “He spoke? What did he say?” “I asked him if I was dreaming, and he said I was.” Trowa snorted in laughter. “It’s true!” Duo proclaimed. “You must believe me!” “No, I believe you.” Trowa assured him quietly. “Oh.” Duo said flatly, bitterness at being humored weighing the words. “*I* see.” “I believe in dreams.” Trowa continued softly. “This man…did he have a name?” “Not that he mentioned. Wufei called him Quatre. Why?” “Well, perhaps he might wander into my dreams. Wouldn’t it be nice, if I could call him by name and pretend that we had met before?” Trowa smoothed a finger along the hawk’s cheek, receiving a nibble on the digit in return. “I’ve waited a long time to meet such a person.” His hand fell, a little self-consciously. “Now get some sleep. The hawk will alert us if anyone comes.” Duo stared at Trowa’s relaxed visage for a moment, rubbing a hand briskly up and down Goliath’s forelock. “I must be out of my mind.” He whispered, looking out into the fog. “Out of my mind.” Wufei watched the thief silently from where he was hidden in the trees and had listened to the two talking. With a slight smile, he turned and went on with his scouting. + Zechs took a deep breath before striding into the private gardens of the archbishop. There was a full dance in progress, a young woman of moderate beauty and in a white costume dancing before Treize and the other dancers. As Zechs approached she turned in the dance, and stopped abruptly at seeing him. Treize looked up, irritated that he had been interrupted. “Have you caught him?” “No.” Zechs admitted, fist clenched at his side. “Then why do you enter my garden,” Treize snapped “unwashed, unshaved?” “Barton has returned.” Treize froze, anger and perhaps a hint of fear in his eyes. “Walk with me.” Dismissing the girls around him, he stood and motioned Zechs to his side as he walked toward the upper balcony. “This is a time of great unrest, Captain. There are wars, poverty, political intrigues. I raise the price of taxes only to be told that there is nothing left to tax. Can you imagine.” Halting he looked at Zechs, once again a tyrant sure of his position. “I want him found. Do not fail me again.” Zechs bowed, kissing the extended ring and hastily making his way back out. Treize watched him go, disliking the feeling of unease. Abruptly he turned and clapped to gain one of his aide’s attention. “Bring me Cesar.” “At once, Your Grace.” + *thwack* Duo drug the tip of the sword as he moved the pieces of branch aside, then refreshed them with a new one. Moving back around, he swung the sword around until it was in the right position, judging the swing that he would have to make to cut this branch. An axe would be better for cutting firewood, of course, but he had to admit that the broadsword in his hands was doing a fairly good job. Tongue peeking out of his mouth in concentration, he heaved the sword up to swing— —from behind someone grabbed the base of the sword in one hand, stopping the motion. Duo turned to see who it was and let go abruptly, stumbling back at the anger in Wufei’s eyes. Trowa settled himself comfortably on a log, well out of range. Quietly he observed to the hawk. “He is in so much trouble.” The hawk chirped a little in agreement, head bobbing. “This sword,” Wufei informed him icily “has been in my family for five generations. It has never known defeat. Until now. This stone—” He pointed to a piece of jade embedded on the tip of the hilt “represents my clan. This” now he pointed to a sapphire in the center of the hilt “our holy allegiance to Rome. This stone” he pointed to one further along the hilt “was my father’s.” A flickering sadness went through his eyes, but he continued as if he were simply giving a lecture. “And this—” Duo saw the empty place on the hilt and panicked. “Surely you don’t think that I—” “No. This place is mine to fill.” Wufei abruptly remembered just why he had started this explanation and turned a full Death Glare onto the thief. “It was *never* designed to use against firewood!” “There isn’t anything else to use!” Duo protested. Wufei continued to glare at him and Duo sputtered. “Well there wasn’t!” “Just don’t touch it again.” Trowa watched silently as Duo sent a withering look after Wufei as he stalked away. “Fine, chop your own firewood then.” He mumbled under his breath. “What am I even doing here anyway?!” Trowa sobered, seeing that Wufei had slowed a little so that he could hear the answer to that question as well. “I have a quest to fulfill.” “Ah.” Duo, now that he was finally getting some answers, turned his full attention onto the captain. “And what is this quest?” “I have to kill a man.” “And does this walking corpse have a name?” Despite himself, Trowa smiled a little. He could just imagine how Duo was going to respond to this answer. “His Grace, Treize Kushrenada, the Archbishop of L’Aquila.” “Oh. Oh well then, you’re probably quite busy. I’ll just let you get to it. Happy Hunting.” “I need your help doing it.” “Not for the life of my mother, even if I knew who she was!” Duo tried a version of Wufei’s glare, but apparently it didn’t work right. Trowa certainly seemed unfazed. “You know how to get into L’Aquila without being seen.” “It was chance!” Duo protested vehemently. “Pure chance! I fell down a hole and followed my nose.” Trowa didn’t respond, but Duo knew that he hadn’t given up either. “Look, sir, I owe you my life. The truth is, I can never repay you. I have no honor. I never will have. I don’t think you will kill me for being what I am. But better that than to return to L’Aquila.” Duo turned away, determined to get as far away from these two madmen as he possibly could. A sword abruptly appeared in front of his nose, sticking straight out into a tree and vibrating a little back and forth from the impact. Duo swallowed hard, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Wufei glaring in his direction. Again. Reaching out with a slightly shaking hand, he stopped the sword’s motion. “I’ll…go get some more firewood.” Wufei growled, “And I’ll go with you to make sure that nothing *happens*.” Trowa and the hawk looked at each other and then after the two as they wandered further into the woods. “Well…that was interesting…” + The rabbit was darting about in rapid circles, leading Quatre on a merry chase. Still, the blond was managing to herd it in the right direction, toward the brambles that he had set up near the clearing where camp had been set up. He had hunted before sunset, of course, wanting to eat something. But whatever he ate while in hawk form was never filling enough for a human appetite, which meant that he had to worry about ‘breakfast’ as soon as night had fallen. It was very irritating. The rabbit made the mistake of darting into the brambles, thinking it offered a haven of sorts. “Got you!” Quatre hissed in triumph, sliding into a halt on his knees and snatching the back feet of the rabbit. “My lord?” Quatre paused, startled out of his hunt and looked up. The rabbit took advantage of his momentary confusion and wriggled free, darting out the other side of the bramble where Quatre couldn’t follow. “Oh damn!” The blond exclaimed, looking about anxiously for his dinner, but of course it had disappeared from sight. “My lord?” Quatre looked around, not seeing who was speaking. “Up here.” Finally he spotted the thief, only a hint of his profile visible, considering that he had been tied with his arms around the trunk of a tree behind his back. “Ah, there you are. What are you doing up there?” “Ah…well, you could say that it’s a bit of a, um…test.” “Oh really.” Quatre arched an eyebrow, standing and rolling the cuffs of his sleeves up to his elbows. Trowa’s shirts were always too large for him, and tended to hang a bit. “Yes. The Captain said that even I wouldn’t be able to undo his knots.” Duo was very carefully saying the truth while skirting about it entirely at the same time. “So he tied you to prove it?” Quatre’s voice was skeptical. “Ah…in a manner of speaking…” “And where are Trowa and Wufei?” “Um…well, they didn’t say where they were going precisely. Perhaps they felt I worked better without an audience? But I truly can’t get free and would vastly appreciate some help.” Quatre hesitated. “Please, my lord? A giant owl examined me quite closely not a moment ago.” Duo saw the tender hearted lord wavering and put on his most pitiful no-one-loves-me expression. “Please?” Quatre bit his lip uncertainly. Duo upped the wattage of his pitiful ‘help me’ smile, oozing charm and innocence. “Please?” Quatre’s head sunk for a moment as he gave in. “Alright.” Taking a knife from his belt he leaned up and sawed the rope holding Duo in half. A snap sounded behind him and he flinched, turning around to face it. “Listen, do you think we should—” As he turned back around, he realized that Duo had disappeared. “Many thanks, my lord!” A voice called back, becoming fainter by every word. “I’d never have gotten free by myself. Tell the captain he ties a wicked knot.” Quatre brushed one hand through the side of his hair, biting his lip again. “He’s going to kill me.” He whispered to himself. + A black rider sat in the dawn light, his hand aloft for a hawk to land on. “Good morning. Let’s go find Duo.” “And this time,” Wufei muttered sourly “I’ll tie him to my belt by that braid of his.”
Velvet: Well, that was fun.
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