Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Hunting The Dragon ❯ Chapter Three: Visitors In Evening ( Chapter 3 )

Hunting The Dragon

Chapter Three: Visitors In Evening

Two months later-

"Mage!" Trowa looked up to see Juroku looking seriously at him, his face pale in the flickering fireplace's light, for it was not quite dawn.

"Yes?" the servant replied, setting aside Trunks's sword, which he had been polishing.

"Somethin' be wrong wi' Gold Wolf." Eyes narrowing, Trowa immediately stood, sliding the sword into its sheath.

"Where?" Neither one for words, the two hurried from the cabin.

Gold Wolf had filled out slightly in the months that they had been at the hermit's abode, but he was still very lean, something that was quite obvious when the golden-furred wolf was panting for breath. Trowa knelt beside the beast.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, for he could see no injury on the wolf.

"Three armed men, coming this way…. They were talking about the Dragon Lord," the wolf explained, his whines sounding exhausted, for he had raced from the very edge of the forest to the cabin.

Trowa's face whitened. "The Hunters…."

"Trowa?" The servant looked up to see the dragon lord leaning against the door's frame, pale blue eyes focused on him. "What did you say?"

"We have to go. The Hunters have finally caught up with us." Now it was Trunks' turn to blanch. The dragon lord managed to stand on his own, and reached for a sword at his waist…

…The same sword that Trowa was still holding. Looking apologetic, the animal mage slipped the blade into the sheath at Trunks' side and spoke to Juroku. "We'll leave as soon as possible. If the Hunters come to your door, tell them that we stayed at your home for two or three days a week ago, but that we didn't tell you anything about us."

"I'm coming with you." The words of Gold Wolf took Trowa by surprise, and the brown-haired man jerked his head towards the beast, green eyes wide.

"Excuse me?" He wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

"I'm coming with you. I have…business to attend to, outside this forest. It would be safer for me to travel with someone who can understand me and tell people I won't eat them."

Trowa gazed at Gold Wolf for a long moment before shaking his head and sighing. "Very well, you may accompany us if it will make your journey safer."

"He's coming with us?" The animal mage couldn't tell if Trunks was amused at the prospect or annoyed. "Well, I suppose that ruins any chance of us not attracting attention in towns. Oh well." The dragon lord moved to reenter the abode, and stumbled, Trowa swiftly moving to his side to steady him.

Although dragon lords heal faster than humans, Trunks had never been hunted before, and the toil was telling on the handsome lavender-haired youth. There was still a grayish undertone to his flesh, and he slept more hours than he was actually awake. The two months had done him well, however, and all of his wounds from the shards of glass had healed completely a week before.

"You be makin' sure he takes his `erbs?" Juroku inquired gruffly, managing to hide his sorrow that the visitors had to leave. Despite being a hermit, he had enjoyed the company, and was sore to see them go.

"Of course," Trowa assured the hermit as he accepted a bundle of freshly picked herbs. "I'll make sure he doesn't miss a single dosage." As Juroku and Trunks watched, Trowa entered the small cabin and came out with two heavy packs that he had prepared just in case something like this happened. However, he hefted them both, ignoring Trunks' request to let him carry one of the packs. Trowa did, however, relent to letting the dragon lord carry the light bundle of herbs.

…

"Fair wanderin's," Juroku called out softly, watching from his doorway as the trio departed, disappearing from view and hopefully in the direction of a much safer place. Sighing, the large man entered his cabin, his very empty cabin, and watched for the Hunters to arrive.

That evening, they did, storming into his cabin without even a knock. The giant hermit glanced at them for a brief moment before poking his fireplace to get the dry timber burning once more.

"May I `elp ye, good travelers?" he murmured after a moment, words slow and thoughtful, trying to buy the trio as much time as possible.

The leader of the group, his tiger blue eyes cold, marched forward to glower at the hermit. "We are looking for a dragon lord and a companion of his. Have you seen them?"

"A dragon lord an' `is companion, ye say? Well, I dunno much `bou' dragon lords, bu' two travelers passed by `ere a week `go, roundabou'. They stayed only a day thou'. One o' them be a dragon lord?"

"Yes, one of them was a dragon lord." The only blonde of the group was polite enough, his bright blue eyes gazing upward at the recluse. The youth smiled brightly, brushing a pale yellow lock away from his face. "Could you point us in the direction they went?"

Juroku couldn't help but smile back; the blonde's grin was infectious. "Lemme think, good sir, I simply waved `em on…." He paused, trying to buy Trunks and Trowa more time even if it was only a minute or so. Poking idly at the fire, the hermit let a thoughtful frown grace his features before he glanced down at the petite blonde. "North, they `eaded North."

"Thank you!" The blonde beamed even as one of the brunettes rolled his eyes.

"Quatre, must you befriend everyone we meet?" the dark-eyed young man asked, even as his faint grin betrayed his amusement.

"Of course," Quatre informed him, still smiling. "Allies are always a good thing."

"Goten, Quatre, we've taken enough of the man's time." The leader inclined his head towards Juroku. "Good day to you, sir. May the king look kindly upon you."

"Good day to ye, sir, an' t'all o' ye," Juroku responded, straightening to his full height and gazing at them all with steady blue eyes. "Fair travels."

"Just one thing before we go…. Does the king know of this abundant forest? I would think he'd enjoy hunting the animals of this forest." The leader spoke in a manner that clearly showed he was trying to be polite, but the hermit immediately stiffened, his eyes hardening.

"'unt? There be no `untin' `n THIS fores', so I says!" The hermit hadn't met to snap, but the disdain for hunting was obvious in his accented words.

"Don't you give tithes to the king?" the hunter called Goten inquired, his dark eyes wide with surprise.

The hermit frowned at them all, the frown not threatening but unwelcoming. It was clear he didn't consider them welcome guests. "Like I say, your dragon lord an' `is frien' wen' North."

"You are in the kingdom of Estonia. You must pay tithes to the king, and that includes hides from beasts of this forest." The leader didn't notice the anxious look on the blonde's face or the dangerous glint to Juroku's eyes.

"Git. Out." The hermit came the closest he ever had to sounding angry.

"Ryo, can't we just leave? It's just one forest and he's just one man," Quatre pleaded, cornflower blue eyes flickering between the hermit and the swordsman.

"Come on, Ryo, Quatre's got a point. The hermit isn't bothering anyone, and he just helped us…." The leader frowned at the other two dragon slayers.

"We have a duty to perform," he stated, pride evident in his voice. "The king has ordered us to report anyone not respecting the laws of Estonia."

"Are ye leavin'?"

"No." And with that, the dragon slayer drew one of his blades, the sword gleaming in the fireplace's glow.

(To be continued….)