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Code of Honor

"Live if you can, die if you must, but always fight with honor!"

- Native American aphorism -

Part 6

Treize rode for a couple of hours. It was almost dawn when he stopped at a small stream at the foot of a mountain chain, to allow his stallion to rest. He knelt down by the stream. The water was cold and crystal clear. He cupped his hands and drank some of the refreshing liquid. Once he had quenched his thirst the colonel settled down beneath a large tree. He was at no real danger at the moment. This was a good time to assess his situation and to decide what to do next.

He had no idea how far it was to the border to Ghent. After being captured he had tried to take in as much as possible of his surroundings, so that he could remember them later on if needed. However, he knew that he had been unconscious for several days, and he couldn't be sure how far, if at all, the group had moved after he had collapsed. Treize decided that his number one priority right now was to find out where he was, so that he wouldn't accidentally move even deeper into Iterian territory.

He was wearing only a plain tunic and a pair of trousers. If he was to come across people they shouldn't be able to tell if he was Iterian or Ghentanian just by looking at him. Still he had all intension to stay clear of villages and settlements. Treize expected that Lord Wufei had sent out soldiers to every town to warn the people. Perhaps he had even put out a bounty on his head. At least that's what he would have done in the commander's place.

Treize didn't worry too much about food at the moment. He knew that he could go without it for a few days as long as he had enough water. It was spring and grass and vegetation was lush, so at least his mount would be able to take care of himself.

The colonel's considerations were suddenly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. And to make things worse, it was the voice of a child. Treize unsheathed his sword, as he jumped up and started running in the direction the cry had come from. Only a few moment's later he reached a small clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks and paled when he found the source of the scream. A young boy, no older than eleven or twelve years old, was lying in a growing puddle of blood on the forest floor; a large, sand-colored mountain cat hovering over him.

The animal hissed at Treize and bared its enormous fangs, daring him to come closer and try to take away its meal. The colonel let out a scream as he attacked; hoping to scare the cat off. He didn't expect that the animal would charge him. With one large bound the feline landed right in front of him, and lashed out with its large and powerful paw. The hit knocked Treize's sword out of his hand and he had to jump back quickly to avoid being shredded by those sharp claws.

While Treize scrambled to get his sword back, the cat retreated toward its prey. Mighty jaws locked into the boy's shoulder, as the animal tried to drag him off into the bush. But Treize wouldn't have it. He charged again, aiming for the cat's neck as he brought his sword down. The feline ducked and he wasn't able to land a full hit. The blow only wounded the cat instead killing it. But it was enough to make the animal turn and take off. Moments later Treize lost sight of it, as it disappeared into the beep brush. The colonel kept his sword at hand, as he knelt down next to the injured, unconscious child. He winced at the sight of the wound at the boy's shoulder. Quickly he ripped off some pieces of his own tunic and started to dress the injury. He wrapped the makeshift bandages tightly in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He was afraid that the boy might die if he didn't see a healer. The other wounds; a few cuts on his legs and his head seemed minor compared to his shoulder injury.

Treize realized that this boy must have come from somewhere. There had to be a village or homestead near by. However, he no idea where to find it, and he was afraid that he might loose precious time searching for it. Besides, there was no guaranty that there would be a healer in the settlement. There was only one place that he knew off, where the boy could get the help he needed, but taking the child there meant that he would be recaptured for sure. Treize hesitated, but only for a short moment. There was no way in hell that he could leave an innocent boy to die just to save himself.

Carefully, he slipped one arm under the boy's knees, the other under his back, and scooped him up. Treize cradled the child against his chest as he hurried back to where he had left his mount. He knew he there was no time to waste.

#####

"Do you understand now why I didn't trust him?" Towa asked his lover. The two of them were sitting by the fire cleaning their weapons. There was little else to do but wait for the soldiers that Wufei had sent out to come back. Before they knew which way their prisoner had taken they wouldn't be able to pursue him.

"I do understand," Quatre replied. "I never said that I didn't. However, I'm still not convinced that he is that bad of a person."

Trowa sighed, as though he had expected that answer.

"You have got to admit that he could have easily killed both of those guards if he wanted to, but he didn't. He…" Quatre suddenly stopped himself in the middle of the sentence and stared at something beyond his lover's shoulder. "I don't believe it. Trowa turn around."

The brunet turned his head, and his jaw almost dropped.

###

Treize reined his stallion to a halt in the middle of the camp, dismounted and carefully put down the injured boy. Most of the soldiers just stood there and stared at him in bewilderment.

"Get your healer," he yelled at one of them. "Quickly."

But just as the man was about to leave Quatre already entered the scene. He pushed a few men aside and dropped to his knees next to the unconscious boy.

Finally the other soldiers came to life as well. Treize didn't resist when he was seized and disarmed. Somebody pulled his arms onto his back and tied them together with what felt like a leather strap.

"Take him back to his tent," Trowa ordered. "And don't take your eyes of him for even a second."

"Wait, I need to ask him some questions," Quatre called out, with a gaze over his shoulder. "What happened?"

"He was attacked by a mountain cat," Treize explained. "I heard his screams and was able to chase the animal off."

"When did it happen?"

"Shortly after dawn."

"Did you do anything to treat his wounds?"

The colonel shook his head. "I'm not a healer; I wouldn't know the first thing about it. I only dressed them so that he wouldn't bleed to death before we got here."

Quatre nodded. That was all he needed to know at the moment. He turned toward the soldiers. "Hagart, get my healing supplies. Branton, I will need hot water; lots of it and quickly."

The two men nodded in acknowledgement and scurried off to carry out their orders.

#####

"Why did you come back?" Wufei glared down at his prisoner. When he heard that the colonel had returned to the camp on his own, he had been just as dumbfounded as anybody else.

Treize was sitting in his tent, with his back against the pole he was chained to. He wouldn't be as comfortable as he was before, but the only one to blame for that was himself.

Treize looked up at the commander, a smirk curving his lips. "I realized that I forgot to thank you for your hospitality, and I didn't want you to think that I'm rude."

Wufei's fist's clenched, and his eyes narrowed. He wanted nothing more than to slap the colonel and wipe that smug grin from his face. "Damn you, Khushrenada. When are you finally going to start taking me seriously? Do you think just because I'm younger than you, you can keep mocking me?"

"What makes you think that I'm not taking you seriously? I always take my adversaries seriously."

"Tell me why you came back?" he demanded. "Did you think we would let you get away again?"

"No," Treize replied. "Only a fool would allow that to happen, and I think that you are anything but a fool."

The commander blinked. Is he making fun of me? But there was not as much as a trace of sarcasm in the prisoner's voice. It was not what he had expected, and it confused him.

"So, you are trying to tell me you came back only to save that boy's life; an Iterian child who you have no connection to?" Wufei didn't sound convinced.

"What would you have done in my place?"

The question caught the commander of guard. He frowned in confusion. I thought I came here to ask questions, not to answer them.

"Answer me, Lord Wufei," Treize insisted. "Would you have let an innocent child die just because it wasn't born on the same side of the border as you?"

Wufei frown turned into a scowl. "Of course not," he replied sharply.

"Then why is it that you are so surprised about my action? Do you really have that low of an opinion of me? Do you think I have no honor at all?"

Wufei was saved from answering those questions, when the flap at the entrance was pushed aside and Quatre walked into the tent, his basket with healing supplies in hand.

"Did you get injured as well?" the blond asked Treize. "Your clothes are soaked in blood."

"I'm fine," the colonel assured him. "Most of it is the boy's blood. I just got a few scratches on my wrist."

"Let me see," Quatre demanded, crouching down next to the prisoner. He checked the man's arm and nodded in approval. "You're right, those aren't very deep. I'll clean them and dress them."

"How is the boy?" Treize wanted to know.

"He will survive," Quatre told him. "And thanks to your quick actions he will probably even keep his arm."

Wufei stayed and watched for a few more moments before he left the tent. He called over one of the nearby soldiers. "Find Captain Trowa and tell him to see me in my quarters."

"Yes, my Lord." The man nodded in acknowledgement.

#####

"Are we still going to break camp and leave for Itoko (1) tomorrow morning as planned?" Towa asked, as he was sitting together with Wufei in the commander's tent.

"I would leave rather sooner than later, but it depends on whether Quatre thinks that the boy can travel or not."

Trowa nodded.

"The reason I called you; however, is to discuss the prisoner's security. I want at least two guards around him at all times. Make sure the men know to be on their toes, and not to let themselves be fooled again."

"You worry too much. I have already taken care off it."

Both, Wufei and Trowa turned their heads at the sound of Quatre's voice. The two men exchanged a surprised look as the blond dumped a pile of clothes onto the floor.

"What's that?" the commander asked with a gesture at the garments.

"His clothes." Quatre smirked. "I figured; a naked man won't run very far."

Wufei blushed slightly as he stared at the young man in surprise.

Trowa let out a deep bubbling laugh. "Sometimes your way of thinking scares me, Quatre." ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

(1) Itoko - Capital of Iteria, where the royal palace is located

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