Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Book of Days ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Title: Book of Days - Chapter Two

Author: Cherry Blossom

Notes: Shkoder, Cemandia, the Bardic Hall, the kigh and anything else dealing with the book Sing the Four Quarters doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Tanya Huff. And incidentally, Gundam Wing doesn't belong to be either. Neither does the song Book of Days which belongs to Enya. All I own is this story. 3+4, 1+2, 5+M, and other various pairings. Totally AU.

CHAPTER TWO

Blood. It stained the ground beneath his feet and bubbled up like lava, dark and hot. Quatre watched the ground split and crack and the thick liquid dribble out and over the parched land, sliding slowly towards his bare feet.

He opened his mouth to Sing but only four notes would emerge from his lips, the four notes of Trowa's name. He Sang them again and again and again….

//Trowa! TROWA!//

"TROWA!"

"Quatre i'Melek a'Raberba, wake up!"

Quatre's eyes flew open and he grasped onto Trowa's broad shoulders, pressing his nose into the clean skin of his lover's chest and breathing the deep grassy scent. Wind rustled the bedsheets and Quatre wondered for an instant if he forgot to close the window before climbing into bed before he realized that it was the kigh creating the breeze. They hovered around the pair on the bed, sliding worried fingers through their hair and across their faces. Quatre sang them a shaky gratitude and wiped cold sweat from his forehead.

"What were you dreaming about?" Trowa asked, quietly, his hands rubbing comforting circles on Quatre's back. "You were singing my name in your sleep. Over and over. I had to use command to wake you up."

Quatre leaned into Trowa's touch and sighed, the terror that had held him already receding. "I can't remember. It's all gone now."

"It must have been a bad one. You sounded so…afraid." Trowa's face was calm but his eyes were dark with worry.

Quatre shivered, suddenly cold. "Yeah."

Trowa pulled the covers up over them both and spooned Quatre against him, placing protective arms around his waist and laying his chin on the boy's shoulder. "You going to be okay?" he whispered into Quatre's ear.

"I'll be fine," Quatre whispered back, snuggling deeper in Trowa's arms. But the feeling of dread in the back of his mind would not be so easily quelled.

`I'll be fine.'

~*~*~*~*~

The Cemandian market was always full of people, but it being close to Second Quarter Festival there seemed to be even more then usual. The sea of elbows and hands reaching across sturdy wooden tables to grab at brightly coloured cloths or exotic fruits and vegetables, brought from the South, was only rivaled by the noise of many voices bartering and boasting their wares. It was a perfect place for a pair of thieves to do work.

"'Scuse me," a filthy, young boy exclaimed as he bumped into stout man draped in multi-coloured scarves of silk and carrying a rather expensive looking gold cane. "Would you wish to donate some gulls to a starving kid?" the boy inquired, trying his best to look small and helpless, fiddling adorably with the long, chestnut-coloured braid that flopped down over his shoulder.

The man brushed the boy aside and glared at him impatiently before stalking off to the tavern he's been heading for in the first place.

The boy watched him leave and grinned as he pocketed the coins he had stolen easily from the man's money belt. "Thanks for your contribution," he murmured as he disappeared into the crowd once more.

Duo loved market days, if only for the fact that all the really stupid people seemed to come out of the corners and practically beg him to rob them blind. Plus anything that couldn't be stolen could be bought cheaper around Festival Time. `Not that there's anything I couldn't steal if I really wanted to,' the boy gloated as he spotted another promising target.

An overweight, middle aged, woman was looking over the various charms and jewelry spread out over a table next to the Red Horse Inn, one of the more expensive places to rest your head at night. She was dressed in heavy velvet fabric that hung loosely around her frame and her silken purse hung absently from her arm as she debated whether rubies would look nicer then sapphires with her complexion. Duo shuffled closer to the woman, putting on his best innocent waif face. As she made her purchase and turned around, Duo pretended to stumble into her path, grasping at her arm for balance.

"I'm s-so sorry m'lady!" he squeaked in a terror-stricken voice. "I deanna mean ta crash into ya like that. It's me bum leg, you know. It just don't wanna work right."

"Nevermind child," the woman said. "There's no harm done."

"You wouldn't want to spare a gull so's I could get me sometin' ta eat, would ya, lady? I haven't eaten in a while…."

The woman smiled and deposited a quarter gull into Duo's outstretched hand. "There you go. Get yourself a warm meal, okay?"

Duo watched, wide-eyed as she walked away, the quarter gull burning in his palm. Usually, no one ever voluntarily gave him their money. Which was fine by him, since he had decided a long time ago that it was quite all right to steal from those who couldn't be bothered with charity.

`Crap. Now I have guilt.'

"Hey lady! Wait up, ya dropped sometin'!" Duo called, rushing after the woman before she got too far away.

When he caught up to her he produced the ruby-studded broach she had just purchased from the folds of his tunic. "You dropped this," he explained, lamely.

"I hadn't even realized I'd lost it. Thank you, young man," she exclaimed and patted him on the head before bustling off on her way. Duo watched her progress with a kind of bemused expression on his face. `Strange lady…'

"Whad'ya do that for?" a voice said at his elbow, causing Duo to jump with surprise.

"Geez Solo! Warn a guy or somethin' before you do that, will ya? I almost shit myself," the braided boy hissed, one hand pressed to his chest.

"Sorry," Solo said, trying to hide a grin. Duo looked at the taller boy beside him, a hint of a smile curving the peach-coloured lips.

"No you're not," he pointed out.

"You're right. M' not. So, whad'ya give the woman back her broach for? You nicked it easy, I saw ya do it. She wouldn't have missed it for a while yet."

Duo shrugged lazily. "She was nice ta me. An' she gave me a quarter gull when I asked her for money."

Solo rolled his eyes and gave the smaller boy's braid a soft tug. "You keep givin' back the profits to everyone who contributes we won't have enough ta eat, yanno."

"Aw, c'mon Solo, it's only one time. Betcha she's the only nice person in this crowd. We'll make enough to buy the Emperor's Palace by the end of t'day, promise!"

Solo sighed and released the boy's braid, running a hand through his own, shortly-cropped, blond locks. "Awright kid. Jus' this one time I'll let it go. One of these days your unenclosed morals are gonna get us killed," he muttered to himself.

Duo pouted but didn't try to argue with the other boy. Ever since he'd been little he'd idolized Solo, even though the boy was only one year older then he was. Solo had always taken care of him, ever since he was abandoned by his parents at the age of six.

(("Hey kid, where's your parents?"

Duo looked at the boy who had spoken to him cautiously. After all, he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. Mamma said so. But he also wasn't supposed to stay out after dark in the marketplace. Why hadn't mamma come back to take him home? He was scared of the dark…

"What's the matter kid, can't ya talk? M' name's Solo, what's yours?"

Duo decided that since he knew the other boy's name now, he wasn't really a stranger anymore. It would be all right to talk to him. Besides, he looked friendly.

"M' Duo."

"Duo, eh? S' funny. Duo and Solo…looks like it was fate that we met, kid. Where's your mum? You shouldn't be out so late at night. There's weirdos on the street, yanno."

Duo bit his lip and looked around the shadowed street once more. Mamma had told him to stay at the marketplace until she came to get him, so where was she? He'd done as she said. He hadn't moved an inch all day, even though he was hungry and tired and now that it was dark he was getting just a bit frightened as well.

Solo regarded Duo curiously. "It's okay if ya don't have a mum. I don't got one either," he claimed, almost proudly.

"I have a mum!" Duo cried. "I have got one. She just isn't here right now. But she's coming, I know she is!"

Solo raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, sheesh kid. Whatever you say. So how about I just wait here with you until she comes? It's not nice to be out here alone in the dark and besides, I need someone ta talk to. Whaddya say?"

Duo agreed quickly, shifting over on the step he was sitting on so Solo could sit down beside him. He didn't want to be alone and the boy seemed interesting to say the least. Duo had never had a friend before. All the village kids were afraid of him because he could talk to demons. He tried not to, but they always seemed to be around him and he couldn't help calling them. Mamma and pappa had told him once that the demons were evil and would take him away if he talked to them. They had called in a priest to send the demons away and "out of the circle" but it hadn't worked very well. The demons had made the candles tip over and burn the tapestry before the priest had put out the fire. Then the priest said that Duo had to be punished. After that, Duo had tried his best to ignore the demons when they came, but it was hard and sometimes he forgot that they were evil when they rain their fingers through his hair and tried to wipe at his tears.

"So, tell me about yourself kid," Solo urged, bringing Duo back from his thoughts with a start. He relaxed on the hard cement steps beside Duo, one arm flung up in a careless sprawl. "What's with the long hair?"

And Duo told him about his mother's wish that he keep his hair long, his favorite thing to eat, what his village looked like, what his dad looked like, and about his lack of friends.

"Yer a good enough kid," Solo said. "Why ain't you got any friends?"

Duo told him about the demons and waited to see what Solo's reaction would be. To his surprise the boy merely shrugged and said, "So? There's a lot worse things you could do then talk to demons, in my `pinion. I seen a lot of stuff on the streets and ain't no demons ever bothered me like people do, so I guess they're not as bad, right?"

Duo and Solo talked all night, and while some of the drunks and other unpleasant visitors to the square where they sat might have wanted to bother the two youngsters, Solo had a stolen set of knives and he wasn't afraid to use them. Duo stayed in the marketplace for days before finally accepting that his mamma wasn't ever going to come back for him. By that time, Solo had agreed to take him in as an apprentice and teach him how to pickpockets for a living. Still, Duo always kept his hair long, just in case mamma came back.))

Duo pushed away the unpleasant thought that his parents never had come back to the marketplace to look for him. Solo was all he needed anyway. They had stayed together and survived all these years by themselves. Who needed a mother anyway?

"How much did ya get so far kid?" Solo asked.

"Three gulls, four quarter gulls and six ha'pennies," Duo tallied.

Solo calculated in his head, a crease showing on his brow like it always did whenever he was thinking. "That'll get us some porridge and those new shoes you needed. But if we can score two more gulls we can get meatpies instead of porridge."

"I can get two more gulls easy," Duo boasted. "Plus another half-gull."

"Awright," Solo grinned. "Do it in twenty minutes and meet me over at the cobblers. I need ta go see Old Laney about the six shillings he owes me."

"Right. See ya in a bit!" Duo turned to go but found himself restrained by a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, be careful okay, kid? I dun wanna find ya face down in a gutter somewhere," Solo said, his eyes softening slightly.

Duo rolled his eyes and shrugged the hand off. "M' not a kid, yanno. I'm only a year younger n' you."

"Yeah, but you're so scrawny ya look like you're ten," Solo teased and ducked Duo's punch with a graceful move. "Get on wit' ya," he laughed. "We got work to do."

Duo stuck out his tongue and then offered a grin and a wave to the other boy as he strode away, quickly becoming lost in the crowd once more. He walked among the brightly clothed masses, stopping every so often to watch a group of street performers juggle batons of fire, or walk on glass for a few pennies. Merchants hocked their wares while customers argued and bartered over prices. Duo laughed at the young nobles who had painted their left arms green in the newest trend. He shied away from the group of priests in their trailing white robes and long beards. He didn't want to be hauled in for associating with demons again anytime soon. Duo considered and discarded many prospective targets until a man tying his horse to a post at the inn caught his eye.

`Hmm…well-dressed, gold buttons and trimming on his tunic…and that horse isn't shoddy looking either. He's gotta be rich. A couple gulls missing from his purse would hardly make a dent, I bet.'

Duo watched the man snap a curt order at the stablehand and look disdainfully around the marketplace as the poor boy hurried to take the man's horse and bring it to the stables. The man scowled at the dust on his fine clothing and tried in vain to brush it off with his gloved hands. Duo decided to adopt a limp as he shuffled over to where the man was now demanding to see the owner of the inn.

"Beggin' your pardon Lord," the boy said, making his voice higher then it usually was, "but could you spare a gull for a starving child?" Duo shoved a dirt-covered hand in the man's face, while his other stealthily worked at the tie of the man's purse.

"Off with you, scamp," the man growled, sneering at the upraised palm. "I've got no time for the likes of you."

"Please sir, even a ha'penny would do," Duo whined. `Just a few more seconds while I undo this dratted tie…' "I haven't eaten in so very long, sir."

The man glared at Duo and moved a hand to the handle of the expensive looking sword at his waist. Duo let a hint of fear show in his violet tinted eyes and recoiled from the man.

"Okay, okay. Don't get your hosiery in a bunch m'Lord. I'll just be on my way…" Duo muttered, slinking off slowly until he was a good distance away.

`Perfect,' he thought smugly to himself as he fingered the three gulls and gold plated pocketwatch he had pilfered that were now safely stowed in the folds of his shirt sleeves. `Three whole gulls and that watch'll fetch a good price. Solo's gonna be so impressed.'

"Theif! Get back here you brat!"

Duo's head shot up as the man who he had robbed scant seconds ago pointed an accusing finger at him through the crowed, his face a mask of fury.

`Oh shit.'

Duo ran, pushing past the group of traders in his way, ducking the hands that grabbed for him.

"Catch him! Quickly!"

`Yeah right, buddy,' Duo thought as he scrambled up a stone wall that separated the city from the marketplace. He landed roughly on the other side and rushed through the alleyways, trying to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible. After wandering around the city in a random pattern for fifteen minutes Duo decided that he must have lost his pursuers. He headed back to the marketplace entrance and surveyed the scene. `Looks like his Lordship has given up lookin' for me. I'd better get over to the cobblers before Solo has a fit.'

Suddenly, a large hand clamped down painfully on his shoulder and a voiced hissed in his ear. "Hello scamp. I don't suppose you know the whereabouts of three gulls and an expensive gold watch, do you? They seem to have gone missing from my purse."

Duo squirmed in the man's grip but couldn't get free. "I'll scream," he threatened. "I'll tell them you're molesting me and the guard will put you in a little tiny jail cell where you'll sit until you rot and your teeth fall out and your hair turns to ash and dust."

The man looked shocked for a few seconds and then gave a hearty laugh. Duo pouted, unable to see what was so funny about the situation. Eventually, the man composed himself and gave Duo a cold smile.

"Foolish imp," he said. "Haven't you got any more sense then to rob a member of the Royal Guard?"

Duo looked at the man in horror, only now recognizing the silver pattern on his tunic, partly hidden from dust, that identified him as Nichol Arbhhian, Captain of the Queen's Men. `Shit, shit, shit…'

"I believe you were saying something about a jail cell?" the Captain remarked, taking the boy firmly by the arm and marching him off towards the inn where the other members of the Queen's Men were currently gathering. Duo scanned the faces watching the apprehension but he couldn't see Solo's anywhere.

`I'm screwed.'

~*~*~*~*~

"I don't like her."

Queen Dorothea resisted the urge to smack her son upside the head in exasperation. Barely.

"I don't care if you like her or not," she said icily. "This betrothal will go through. Sanq's army is essential to our plans of invading Shkoder and the only way we'll ever get our hands on Milliard's lovely Royal Guard is if you, my dear son, marry the princess Relena."

Arath's eyes narrowed and he turned on his heel and stamped out of the throne room, hands closed into tight fists at his sides. Dorothea watched him go and sighed.

"Well…that went well," Seroth remarked, having seen the crowned prince in various temper tantrums before. "At least he didn't throw anything."

"There is that," Dorothea commented wryly, looking over at her primary advisor. "He'll get used to the idea eventually. This alliance will ensure our victory against Shkoder and we'll finally be able to take our rightful place in the world."

Seroth looked more skeptical. "With all due respect Majesty, how can you be sure that Milliard will agree to this war? The Empire and Shkoder are not friends but they are hardly enemies. The Bardic Counsel-"

"Will be able to do nothing once my plans are set in motion. I already have a little surprise ready for those cursed demon-singers. Milliard may be indifferent to those who dwell outside the circle mingling among his own people now, but all it will take is a little disruption…" Dorothea smiled and Seroth shivered, having seen that smile before, usually during executions of traitors.

"Disruption, your Majesty?"

Dorothea laughed and stroked a long nailed finger across the almost too pale skin of her cheek. "What could be more disrupting then death?"

~*~*~*~*~

Duo shifted, trying to force his body into a more comfortable position, which was hard to do when chained to a wall. His arms were tired from being raised above his head for hours and the circulation was almost gone, giving him that numb and prickly feeling in his hands. His hair was a mess, floating down over his shoulders in a loose tangle. He had convinced the guard not to simply chop off the braid but all his lock picks hidden in the chestnut strands had been confiscated and they hadn't redone the braid when they were through searching him. Duo looked around at the darkened cell and briefly wondered if he would ever see the sky again. The only good thing about his imprisonment was that it appeared that not even the demons could reach him so far down in the dungeons of the palace.

`So at least when I die down here I'll rejoin the circle.'

Duo snorted and blew his bangs out of his eyes one more time. The thought was not very comforting.

~*~*~*~*~

Quatre sang a quick gratitude to the kigh that swirled around him and hefted his quitara under his arm, hurrying off in the direction the kigh had indicated. `He's probably forgotten all about it,' he grumbled inwardly, quickening his pace until he was almost running. The sun was warm on his back but the breeze still held a touch of winter in it and Quatre was glad for the scarf Trowa had made him wrap about his neck before setting off for the day. "You'll catch a cold and then be miserable all second quarter. Just wear the scarf Kat." Bards were almost never sick and Quatre had always been blessed with disgustingly good health but it was sweet the way Trowa fussed over him and Quatre would be lying if he said he didn't like the attention.

Quatre saw a read-headed figure surrounded by air kigh off in the distance and waved an arm in the air. "Albek!"

The figure turned around and waved back. "Give me a second, `kay?" he yelled.

Quatre waited while Albek finished his message and sang a gratitude to the kigh, sending them on their way. Two of the air spirits blew a breeze over to Quatre and ruffled his hair in the annoyingly protective way they had of doing before grinning their wide, toothless grins at him and disappearing.

"Sorry about keeping you waiting," Albek said, coming to meet the blond.

"I kind of had a message."

"Chrsyia?"

Albek's cheeks flushed and he nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. She's just crossing the border into the Empire now. She'll be home in a couple weeks she says. Maybe sooner if she can find a ferry that'll take her."

Quatre smiled mischievously. "What else did she say?"

"Oh, you know. The usual mushy stuff."

"Like…"

"Like mind your own business, nosey," Albek retorted, his blush deepening until his whole face was almost as red as his hair. "Do I ask you about your personal life?"

"Actually, yes, you do."

"Yeah but I'm the perverted one. I'm supposed to do that." Quatre looked like he wanted to discuss that a bit more but Albek hastily changed the subject. "Look, aren't we supposed to be somewhere right now?"

Quatre blinked and then grabbed Albek by the arm and dragged him back down the hill at top speed. "C'mon," he said. "If we're late for percussion with Liene one more time she'll make us help Isolda in the kitchens."

"So?"

"So doing dishes is something I'd rather not have to do in my spare time."

"What," huffed Albek, trying to keep up with the smaller boy, "the great Desert Angel can't get dishpan hands?"

"I am so gonna smack you when we have time."

"Promise?"

Quatre growled and whistled a few short notes. The breeze grew stronger and the ground seemed to fold up under Albek's feet, causing the boy to trip and fall flat on his face.

"Oof…I did not deserve that."

"Yes, you did."

~*~*~*~*~

"Is it ready?"

"Yes Majesty."

"Show me." The Queen of Cemandia sounded almost…bored. If it weren't for the strange glitter of interest in her pale blue eyes, Quinze would have thought that she might fall asleep at any moment.

"Bring me the vial!" The high priest summoned the apprentices to him, holding his breath as the tiny bottle of clear fluid was placed before the Queen and himself. She picked it up between two red tipped fingernails and Quize broke out into a cold sweat.

"Please, your Majesty. You must be very careful with the vial. One rupture would mean certain death for us all-"

"I know what I'm doing Quinze," she snapped, placing the vial back down in the silk lined box it had rested in. "How does it work?"

Quinze swallowed and bowed low. "With your permission, Majesty, inside the vial is contaminated water from the Karjesic Mountains. You remember ten quarters ago, the village of Islaban fell to plague, despite the work of the healers sent over to help. No survivors were left, my queen."

"Yes, I remember. Get to the point."

Her eyes flashed dangerously and Quinze had to bite his lower lip to keep it from trembling. "The area was closed off but one of the healers had kept a sample of the well water in the village. The healer died of course, but his family, not knowing what it was, was easily convinced to sell us the sample. The virus is unique. It will rest inside the first living body it come into contact with and infect every being that body touches, killing them in a matter of weeks, days even."

The queen smiled and clasped her hands in satisfaction. "Perfect. This will create the confusion I need to distract poor Milliard and his Demon Counselor. But how can I send it into the Empire without arousing suspicion…"

The heavy oak doors to the throne room suddenly burst open and an imposing figure strode into the room. He stopped just before the queen and her high priest and knelt. "Majesty."

"Why have you interrupted my meeting, Captain? You know I don't like to be…bothered."

"A thousand apologies, my Queen. I must ask a favour of you."

"A favour?"

The Captain of the Queen's Men scowled. "There is a thief I brought into the dungeons. Permission to hang him at first light?"

Dorothea's voice grew soft and dangerous. "You interrupted a private meeting in order to ask my permission to kill a thief?" she hissed. "How unbelievably stupid are you, that you would think I could care less how you deal with petty criminals? Do whatever the hell you want with the little-wait….you said this thief is in the dungeons?"

Nichol nodded and Dorothea smiled and licked her lips. "I believe I have just found a solution to our problem, gentlemen."

-END CHAPTER TWO-