Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Battle of the Heart (formerly untitled) ❯ You Can't Die On Me ( Chapter 9 )

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I've been rather busy with updates to this story and to SotP. Hehe, I love abbreviations. …er…Anyway, here's the next installment. I hope it's up to par. (Why do people say "up to par" anyway? I mean, in golf you want to try and get the lowest score…so wouldn't it make more sense if the phrase was "down to par?") I hope this chapter is down to par!

Oh yeah, and this chapter is dedicated to Winter's Roar…because it contains the action scene she's been asking for. I hope it's "down to par." Hehe.

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Never will. It's a hard-knock life, huh?

You Can't Die On Me

The company left the inn early the next morning, after a quick breakfast consisting mostly of leftovers from the night before. The horses saddled and well rested, the troupe made their way towards King Peacecraft's castle, where they hoped to encounter Lord Antwan and Lady Lucrezia. The dusky dawn that rose to greet them was much the same as the hazy twilight from the night before. But there was one difference between those two times that made the ride slightly more sufferable.

Now they consisted of one more member.

Duo sat astride a lean, black stallion. He was talking in hushed tones to Hilde, who rode beside him on her horse; she appeared much happier now that her braided friend had returned. The twosome hung back slightly from Sally and Wufei, who rode front-to-back in silence. The whispered words and the clopping of hooves were the only sounds that broke the air, excluding of course, the ever constant chirping of birds rising for the morning.

With one day behind them, Wufei's high-strung, adrenaline-fed attitude had diminished. Having one day behind them-one day ahead of Treize-allowed him to adopt a faint feeling of comfort. He felt like the most dangerous leg of the journey was behind them, but he couldn't be sure. After all, he wasn't quite sure how Lord Antwan and his daughter, Lady Lucrezia, could help out the cause of Sally, a maid, and a couple of knights. Once Treize learned of their whereabouts he would surely attack Antwan, rather than give Sally the chance to fight back and take back her father's throne. Not that she had the power to do so, but better safe than sorry.

Sally felt slightly better at the return of Duo-in fact, his presence made her happy, since she had assumed he had died in battle. In her foolishness, she had begun to hope that perhaps her father had escaped from battle with his life as well. Wufei had shred her desperate thoughts when he told her early this morning that he had seen Shang fall with his own eyes. But perhaps reality was better than being disappointed by hoping against hope. And no matter how she tried, her father's death put a heavy damper over Duo's return.

The group was aware that Treize wouldn't allow Sally's flight to go unhindered. They were wary each and every turn, looking over their shoulders for signs of pursuit. News of Lady Sally's flight was bound to have reached the public ear by now, so towns weren't safe; every person throughout the kingdom would be on the lookout for runaway nobility, unless Treize resorted to spies and informants.

Sally had been confused as to why Treize might work in secret, and she had come to Wufei with her question.

"He wants us to let our guard down." He had told her. "Try and make us think we're home free. He wants us to slip-up."

And now, the tawny-haired woman was bound and determined not to slip-up. Despite her attitude a mere twenty-four hours ago, Sally didn't want to die. In fact, her desire to live burned within her, fueled by her lust for revenge. No one had the right to kill her father and live where he had once ruled; it didn't seem fair. She glanced up in front of her, seeing Wufei stiffen visibly on his horse. He stopped suddenly, and Sally's heart sped up fearfully. She stopped when she drew up beside him, hearing Duo and Hilde cease their chatter.

She caught his onyx eyes, her expression slightly worried. "Wufei, why have we stopped?" she whispered in query. He broke away from her stare, his eyes darting to the small forest to their right.

"The birds have gone quiet," he whispered, his enigmatic attitude heightening Sally's fear. Was someone nearby…one of Treize's minions? What if they found her?

Wufei's deep eyes widened suddenly, and he turned to Sally and smacked her horse on the rear to set it off at a gallop. "Run!" he called after her, and over her horse's hooves she could hear Hilde's piercing scream. There was danger, and he wanted her to runaway. She frowned, her eyebrows drawing together.

'I can't leave my friends,' she thought, anger rising within her. She pulled on the reins, turning her horse back towards the trio…what she saw stunned her.

Duo was fighting two men off, blocking Hilde from their swords. He had his own sword out, and was making a valiant attempt in the two against one scenario. Hilde had no weapon, and therefore no way of defending herself against the blades of the foes.

Wufei was fighting against one swordsman. When there was a break in the fighting he shot her an angry glance, motioning for her to keep riding. Sally's stare broke away from the young knight when she saw a fourth man moving towards her, a toothy grin on his face and a gleaming sword in his hand. Her fingers gripped tightly into the horse's reins, watching the oncoming swordsman uneasily. She was useless without a weapon!

But she needed to save her friends, and there was only one way to do it. "Hey!" she called loudly, her voice clearly audible above the clashing and clanging of the heavy metal. "It's me you want, and I'm getting away!" She heard a shout from Hilde and a cry of outrage from Wufei. Seeing the men break away from the fights, she turned and spurred her horse into the forest. The animal stumbled against the thick undergrowth, and Sally felt small twigs snapping against her face as she rode. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she spurred her horse faster. There was no way they could catch her…she was horseback and they were running on foot.

Suddenly her horse let out a bleating, strangled cry, and the sound sent shivers down her spine, covering her skin in goose bumps. The animal stumbled and fell on its front knees, sending Sally flying forward off the saddle, landing unceremoniously in a heap on the forest floor. She felt bumped and bruised, but nothing seemed to be broken. A groan escaped her dry lips.

Blood poured from the side of her poor horse, drenching the cold ground a dusty crimson. The animal lay on her side, an arrow protruding sickeningly. Her sides heaved up and down sharply, her breath coming out in gasping sounds through her nostrils and mouth. Sally crouched beside the fallen mare, her smoky blue eyes scanning the forest for signs of the archer who felled her horse. What she saw chilled her to the bones.

One of the swordsmen was coming towards her, his blade raised. But that wasn't what struck her as terrifying. What caused her heart to stop was the scarlet blood dripping from the end. Fear caught her heart in a tenacious grip. Whose blood was that?

As the man approached her, Sally hardened her resolve and braced herself to fight. When he went to attack her she used her seated position on the ground to kick up at the man's wrist, satisfied when the sword went sailing out of his unsuspecting hands; it landed not ten yards away from the pair.

Sally scraped her fingers against the ground in her haste to stand up and sprint towards the fallen weapon. She could feel her blood pumping in her ears, along with the thudding of her attacker's chase. She was closing in on the blade when she felt something heavy thrown against her back, sending her flying forward. She cried out as she saw the ground rush up to greet her, and the sudden impact and combined weight on her back caused the air to go rushing out of her lungs.

The man crushed her to the ground with his weight, and the loss of her breath made her unable to cry out for one of her companions. He yanked on her hair, pulling her face from the ground and freeing her throat to attack, and Sally's eyes widened in horror when she felt a dagger being pressed to the tender flesh of her throat.

"If you scream even once, wench, then I'll tear apart your pretty little neck," the man hissed harshly, yanking on her hair for effect. His elbow was digging into her back, and she attempted to wriggle away from the pain, but to no avail. All she could manage was a pathetic whimper.

She heard a familiar shout from behind her, and in a moment the weight on her back was gone, and Sally turned over immediately, scrambling to her feet. Wufei had come, and he had thrown the man off her back, and was now facing him, sword raised. A strangled gasp escaped her lips as she saw the deep, gaping gash that dampened Wufei's side. He was bent over from fatigue, but his glare at the man never wavered.

"Run, damnit!!" Wufei demanded of her once more, and in this split second the attacker was able to make a grab for his sword. Sally cursed herself for not getting there sooner, and her fists clenched angrily at her sides, shaking in silent fury.

'There's no way Wufei will be able to take on this guy,' she thought, watching closely as the Chinese man forced himself to raise his sword, wincing slightly as the motion opened his wound even wider. The burly attacker advanced on the knight, throwing all his weight into a hefty thrust, which was parried with difficulty. Sally glanced around wildly for a way to help out her companion.

'Think, Sally,' she told herself, tying to calm her overdriving nerves. 'Keep your composure. Think!' Turning away from the battle, Sally spotted a large branch that had fallen and was now decomposing in the earth. Grasping the grimy branch, she turned towards the dueling pair, her eyes widening in horror.

The attacker had just knocked Wufei to the ground, disarming him from his sword. He raised his blade, ready to deliver the final blow.

But it never hit home.

Sally swung the hefty branch with all her might, and it connected firmly in the man's side, which was unprotected since he had raised his sword with his arms. The contact made a sickening thud, and the woman swore she heard the crack of a few of his ribs in the process. The desired result was achieved; he dropped his sword immediately, falling to the ground with the force of the blow. Wufei didn't waste a second. Using his diminishing strength, he grabbed his fallen weapon and stabbed the man in his chest, watching with half-lidded eyes as blood flowed freely from the new chest wound. The man had just enough time to let out a gargling gasp before he dropped to the forest floor.

Then Wufei fell to the ground, unmoving.

Letting out a startled cry, Sally ran towards the knight, noticing that his eyes were closed, and he was unconscious. She yanked off her cloak and pressed it tightly against the open wound, hearing him hiss in pain involuntarily as the rough fabric was shoved against the tender flesh. Keeping the cloth pressed with one hand, she used her other to smack Wufei's cheek lightly.

"Wake up!" she commanded. "Wake up now, Wufei!" Anxiousness caused her voice to come out harsher than she intended.

Slowly, his eyelids slid open to reveal his opaque obsidian orbs. He let out a great, shuddering cough, followed by another. Sally flinched when blood spurted from his mouth, hitting her in the face. A slow droplet dripped down his chin, and the woman quickly wiped it away with her hand, pressing even tighter against his wound.

"Aaah…" Wufei groaned, eyelids half shut in weariness. "That doesn't feel particularly good, Sally." She smiled at his sarcasm, thankful that he wasn't delirious yet.

"Just say awake…you know, I can't believe you lost in a swordfight," she said lightly, her tone slightly condescending. But really her words were just of relief…and more than a little fear. He was losing too much blood.

"Humph," he growled weakly. "I'm not dead yet." At these words a slow, frightened shudder rippled along Sally's spine, and she could feel the colour drain from her face. Her terror intensified when his eyes began to close once more. She leaned over him, grabbing his face with both hands.

"Don't close your eyes!" she told him sternly, watching as he struggled with staying awake. But, against her fervent wishes, his eyes slid shut, and he welcomed unconsciousness gratefully. She tried shaking him lightly. "Wake up!"

A twig snapped. Sally froze where she was positioned, leaning over the knight. Before she could turn and survey the area, she felt something blunt and hard smash into the back of her skull. She let out a cry as her vision was blackened at the corners, and the force sent her falling on top of the unconscious Wufei. Her vision heady and dizzying, she only had time to grasp on tightly to the body underneath her and tense her muscles before the second blow hit.

Her vision blackened fully, and she remembered no more.

TBC…

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