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"From the Shadows"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: The boys are not mine (curses!) however all the other characters are, and the story, and the idea, and my evil muse. You can have my evil muse. Pairings: 4x5 Spoilers: Nope Warnings: AU, soooo AU, maybe a hint of OOC, violence,
lemon, language, political scheming and fantasy elements. Oh, and
unicorns. ^_^ Rating: R Archived: Gundam Wing Diaries Betas: Velvet and Caitilin *emphasized* =thought= ::mental communication: :
" From the Shadows " Chapter 7 The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack
it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end, there it is.
Never had Wufei imagined that someone so beautiful and delicate looking could be intimidating, but damn if he weren’t rethinking that assumption now. Quatre wasn’t saying a thing that was rude or threatening…and yet the judge was quaking in his boots. It was probably from the promise of slow and painful repercussions in those cold blue eyes. It was making Wufei slightly uncomfortable, and the look wasn’t even aimed at him! In five minutes the judge went from blustering and unhelpful to the soul of gentility and cooperation. Anything Quatre wanted, Quatre got. In no time at all they were surrounded by reports of the various natural disasters over the past ten years, in a quiet reception room and with their own servant waiting outside the door to serve any needs they might have. Maybe even needs they didn’t have. “Wufei, are you any good at reading Hainian?” Wufei forced himself to focus on the task at hand, instead of feeling slightly proud of his life partner. “I’m fairly fluent, yes. Why?” Quatre sat down at the table, giving him a dry look. “I’m not. Not really, anyway. I can get the gist of things, but this is going to require more in-depth understanding. Maybe I should have brought Zechs with me…” he faded off, then shrugged. “Oh well.” Wufei sat next to him at the small table and picked up the first report. It was very dry, with an insipid amount of detail. In sheer self-preservation, he started to skim through it instead of reading. “Nothing unusual in this one.” “Hm,” Quatre agreed absently as he thumbed through his report. “Nothing in this one either…what’s the date on yours?” Wufei flipped it open to the front and checked the date. “Marcen, ten years ago.” “Hm. Mine is from eight years ago, early spring. Violent storm, right?” Wufei nodded thoughtfully. “Considering that they are just on the edge of the sea, storms are to be expected.” “It’s the frequency of them that I’m questioning. Ten years ago they were spaced out every other year, not five times in one year.” Setting his report aside, Quatre shifted through until he found one that was only two years old. Flipping it open, he started scanning through it. “Hm…how very interesting.” Wufei paused in choosing a new report, giving a glance askance. “What?” “The damage this time is almost twice than it was eight years previous.” The blond quirked an eyebrow at his companion. “If you lived in a coastal town, and knew that there was a possibility of getting hit by a strong storm at least a few times in your lifetime, wouldn’t you build structures that had a chance of surviving them?” “Of course.” “Then why are they asking for funds to build—” he paused to look up the words, reading them with growing sarcasm “—‘modest structures that will be crafted from light pine and thatch’?” “Pine?” Wufei objected in despair. “I’m no craftsman, but even I know that pine is the softest wood. You don’t build anything of pine that you want to last!” “If I were doing this, I’d be building those houses out of stone and thick mortar. Not wood at all.” A light went on in the blond’s head and he sat up abruptly. “Wufei, look up something for me—there’s a forest at the top of the province. What’s the main tree in that forest?” Wufei dug through several reports until he found one that dealt with a forest fire in the area Quatre was referring to, and skimmed through it quickly. When he found the answer he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the urge to swear. “Pine.” “I wish I could say I was surprised,” Quatre muttered in disgust. “I’ll bet you that they’re using cheap labor, somehow, to cut down that forest. The wood is costing them practically nothing.” “I don’t take sure bets. How do we prove this?” “We go take a look for ourselves, naturally. And without tipping off our hand.” Quatre eyed the other reports in resignation. “Let’s see what else they’re lying about.” + After a full day of reading, Quatre had a whale of a headache. When dusk started tinting the sky with dark reds and midnight blues, he and Wufei had decided to call it quits. After all, they knew what they needed to—everything had been lied about. Everything. Every ‘natural’ disaster in the area was staged, exaggerated, or mishandled in order to gain more funding. They found an inn along the main strip, ate a very hot and filling meal of some local food they didn’t recognize and went straight up to their room. There were two separate beds, one pushed against each wall. Quatre took the nearest one and fell onto it face first, not even bothering to take his boots off. “You’re not going to sleep well fully dressed,” Wufei pointed out calmly. “Nuh,” was the overwhelmingly intelligent response. With a sigh, Wufei tugged off the blond’s boots, his jacket, and rearranged him until he was at least fully on the mattress, instead of half-on, half-off. By that point he was fast asleep. Wufei hesitated slightly, not willing to withdraw just yet. Very, very gently he stroked hair away from Quatre’s face, his fingertips tingling from just that innocent contact. The door behind him opened and Wufei whirled around, sword half free of its scabbard before he realized it was Duo. “Quiet,” he hissed at the boy. Duo peeked around the Chahiran and saw his boss sprawled out on the bed, out cold. “Rough day?” he whispered back. Wufei just nodded. Reading all of those reports had been mentally draining. He wanted sleep too at this point. “Find out anything?” “Lots. Tell ya in the morning, I’m bushed.” Duo flopped onto the other bed, curled in on himself and not two seconds later was snoring contentedly. Wufei was all set to protest this—there was a pallet meant for Duo—when he realized that arguing with the boy was likely to wake up Quatre. Well, if he moved the pallet right between the beds, he would be closer to Quatre anyway, which was his preference. Sighing, he got up and dragged his bed into place, stripped himself of everything but his pants, and was soon emulating the other two, deep asleep. + The nobles of Renge were just as happy to see the three Hearken leave, apparently satisfied that all was well. They offered no protests as the trio rode out of the city gates. Quatre waited until they were away from the walls before quirking an expectant eyebrow at Duo. “So? What did you turn up?” “I dunno why, but the past few years anyone that commits any kind of crime from murder to petty theft is sent up north. I heard a lot of rumors, but there was one man that had been sent up there and escaped, coming back home. He told me that they have these huge lumber mills up there. That’s where he worked.” Wufei and Quatre exchanged a significant glance. “You said it was cheap labor,” the Chahiran pointed out. “Who better than prisoners you don’t have to pay?” “Sometimes I hate it when I’m right,” the blond sighed. Duo looked back and forth, ears pricked. “Someone wanna fill me in?” “One of the things we discovered is that whenever some kind of disaster happens, the government here requests financial aid in order to buy wood to build new houses and buildings. The wood they buy is always pine, which just happens to be the main tree in this province.” Duo put two and two together, and rolled his eyes when he got four. “Slick. Real slick. Okay, so what now?” “I think we should go to the latest ‘disaster’ area first, just to verify with our own eyes if this one is genuine or not, then I want to go up and check those lumber mills.” “Doing that will tip at least a few people off that we’re suspicious of them,” Wufei warned with a dark frown. “They expect us to go straight back to the capital at this point, it’ll look odd if we don’t.” “I know.” Quatre shrugged helplessly. “We’re just going to have to be careful.” Duo sighed, and noted forlornly, “Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.” + Most of Renge province was either forest or open grass land. It simply wasn’t possible to cover that kind of territory without attracting someone’s attention. By the time they reached the town of Mecker, set just on the border of Vraith Forest, there was something of a welcoming committee waiting just outside the town’s gates. “They’re used to attacks,” Wufei noted quietly to Quatre. “Those are some very thick walls.” “Well guarded too,” Quatre observed. There were at least a dozen men patrolling along the top of the thick timbered walls. “And those two waiting for us look like the mayor and the guard captain.” Wufei cast the portly gentleman with the rich blue tunic and the thinner, darker man standing beside him a thorough study. Quatre’s guess was probably right on target. "How do you want to play this?" "We're just passing through," Quatre answered with a falsely innocent look. "We need to check something in the next province and this was the shortest route. Right Duo?" "Yup." Duo grinned impishly. Wufei rolled his eyes slightly. "Why do I get the feeling that you two use that excuse often?" "Because you're a bright and insightful individual?" Quatre ventured cheerfully. "Just play along, Wufei." Nodding, he dropped back and sighed. The blond might look innocent and harmless—the same way that a casaden could right before it flexed its claws out and took your head off. If he hoped to live to a ripe old age with this man, he'd better learn not to underestimate Quatre's deviousness. Quatre waved in a friendly hello as they neared the gates. When he was within arm's distance he stopped, palm over heart and gave them a brief bow. "Hello. I’m Quatre Raberba Winner, Hearken. These are my companions, Duo Maxwell and Chang Wufei." "I am Adrian Forrest, Mayor of Mecker," the portly gentleman responded in a low gravelly voice. Despite his rich blue tunic, the man did not carry himself like a man of position, and his general unshaven and un-kept appearance didn't help. "This is Delian Forrest, commander of the town guard. Welcome to Mecker, Lon. How can we assist you?" Quatre's smile widened deliberately as he caught the man's tone. It was subtle, but he could hear faint echoes of worry in that greeting. "Sorry to drop in like this, we're on our way through to the next province. Is there a good inn here? We'd like to stop for the night." The mayor almost immediately relaxed. "We welcome your company, Lon. And there is an excellent inn here; my sister and her husband run it. Come this way, and I'll show you." "Thank you, that's very generous." Quatre docilely followed along, Wufei and Duo trailing along behind him. His eyes noted that there was quite a few new buildings—signs of a booming economy. Hm. That was rare for a border town that specialized in timber to experience anything like a 'boom'. Unless, of course, there was something else nearby that supplied demand…something like a new lumber mill, perhaps? All of those guards working at that mill would have a great deal of money but no source of entertainment or diversion except this town. He looked at Wufei, riding closely at his right and inclined his head toward one of the new buildings. The Chahiran nodded back, eyes silently assuring that he had noted the same thing. The inn was an older building, but it had newer additions to it, including a very nice stable in the back. They handed their elks over before following the mayor inside. Quatre was glad to see the place was clean and fairly well kept; there was fresh saw dust on the floor, and the tables and chairs might have been mismatched but they weren’t covered in moldy or stale food either. A large, rather matronly figured woman bustled from behind the bar and just from her pudgy nose alone it was readily apparent that she had to be related to the mayor. "Welcome, Lons. Three rooms?" "Yes, thank you. We have mounts as well already in your stable." Quatre turned on his most charming smile, manner friendly. "It would be a silver a night for all three of you, and a half silver for your mounts." Quatre mentally winced at the high prices, but paid without arguing. "I hope that includes meals?" "Of course, Lon." Well that was something at any rate. "Excellent. Wufei, Duo, how about a hot bath, supper and then turning in early? I’m more than willing to take advantage of a soft bed." Quatre kept one eye on the mayor as he said this, noticing that the man looked particularly relieved with these plans. "Sounds good to me!" Duo caroled. "I’m kinda tired, really. What about you, Fei-fei?" "Boy, use my full name or I'll beat on you until I feel better." Wufei leveled a particularly lethal glare at the skinny brunet when he said this, which bounced right off of Duo's face splitting grin. "But yes, I agree that it sounds good after a full day's travel. Do you have a bathing chamber in the back?" "Yes, Lon," the matron said respectfully. She was rather uneasy seeing a man that was obviously not Hainian in her inn, but if he were in the presence of two Hearken, she wasn't going to raise any objections. "Here, I'll have my daughter Lisey show you. Lisey!" A much thinner version of the matron appeared, bobbed a curtsey, and without a word showed the three up to their respective rooms. Once they had stashed their bags in the rooms and gathered up a clean set of clothing, she led them back down the stairs, through a short hallway, and into a very large bathing chamber. Four copper tubs were arranged on each wall, built in shelves holding soap and towels above each tub. "Pull the chain with the red handle for hot water, the blue handle for cold," Lisey instructed quietly. "If you'll leave your clothes in that wooden basket there, they'll be cleaned and given to you before you leave tomorrow." "Thank you." Duo beamed at her, shucking out of his over tunic and shirt before tossing it towards the basket. The young woman gasped at the half-naked boy, flushing bright red before she bolted out of the room, door slamming behind her. "Duo," Quatre reproved. "What? It's not like I was going to strip completely with her in the room." "Yes, but she didn't know that." Quatre would have continued the lecture, but Duo was quickly yanking his boots off, and the blond just knew that whatever else he said would go right in one ear and out the other. Dammit. The kid never listened to him. Giving up, he focused on getting out of his travel stained clothes. He did take a moment to pull on the red handled chain right above his tub, letting the water be filling up as he undressed. When he sank into the tub, a satisfied sigh slipped from his throat, echoed by both Wufei and Duo. After so many hours and days on the road, a hot bath felt heavenly. It took nearly an hour for them to finish, being too lethargic to really clean up in a hurry. During this whole process Wufei was careful to keep his back to Quatre and not look at all at the blond. As each day passed, the bond become more powerful, more insistent in being completed. If he looked at Quatre now, and saw him…no. The temptation would be just too much. Despite his resolve, when he got out and quickly dried off, he did cast a quick peek in the blond's direction. Damp golden hair curling over pale skin, eyes shut in pleasure, water glistening over smooth skin and muscle…Wufei's mouth went dry as his eyes drank in the sight. Damn…oh damn, why did his mate have to be so beautiful? And stubborn! Dammit, dammit all to hell. Tearing his eyes forcefully away, Wufei quickly yanked on clothes and strode for the door. In something approaching his normal dry tone he called over his shoulder, "I'll meet you two in the tap room. Try to pry yourselves loose before you look like dried prunes." Quatre waved back an acknowledgement, not bothering to open his eyes. Duo, on the other hand, was eyeing that retreating back thoughtfully. Wufei hadn't noticed the silent study he'd been subjected to, and the former orphan had seen a lot—the tight control furrowing Wufei's face, the quick glance that had turned into an outright stare of longing and desperate need at Quatre…oh yes, he'd seen quite a bit. Duo just wasn't sure if it spoke of trouble or not. Or what to do about it, if it was trouble. ~*~*~*~
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