Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Cynehelme ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

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kmf

Cynehelme

By kmf

Rating: PG13

Warning: AU

Standard Disclaimer applies

Chapter Eight

The tiny village that they chose to stay in was a typical one. A large circular structure formed the main feasting hall, its high roof supported a central upright beam and its walls made of a series of smaller beams in a circle. The walls were made of woven willow covered with a dung and clay mixture that cured in time to a substance almost as hard as stone and its roof was made of good thick thatch. A hole in the centre of the hall allowed the smoke from a large fire to escape, but not before the smoke also blackened the thatch and kept insects and pests to a minimum. The floor was dirt, smoothed and hardened over the years by many footsteps and was strewn with rushes to help absorb spilled drink and food when feasts were held there.

Around the large structure were a number of smaller dwellings that were the same as the hall, only smaller in size. In these lived the families that worked the land, together with their animals who needed the shelter over winter. Each structure had but one door and all the doors faced towards the east aligned to the rising sun.

Dorothy had taken one look at the houses and had nearly refused to get off her horse.

"I am not staying there!" she pointed to a hut where a child, innocently scratching its head, had emerged leading a sheep. "God knows what we would end up catching!" she held her cloak close around her head as if by even looking at the poor dwelling she could catch head lice.

The headman of the village came up and bowed to them as Heero dismounted his horse and turned to lift Relena down. The old man was dressed simply; his clothes were well worn and patched but clean. His tunic was long and old fashioned, coming to his ankles, and rather than a leather belt around his waist he wore a cord which was wrapped around his waist several times before being tied off in an elaborate knot.

"My Lord, it is an honour that you choose our village to stay in tonight." he said, his voice thin but strong. He made to bow again, but Heero restrained him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, old father." he said with respect "We are honoured that you accept us to your hearth."

Relena was unsure, but felt that Heero looked a little nervous at how much respect the village leader gave him. Dorothy, who had decided at this point to get down from her horse, apparently also noted it.

"Strange.." she whispered in Relena's ear, holding onto her arm as if she was using Relena as a shield against the common folk. "Pay attention, there is much here for you to learn."

The old man has ceased his bowing. "We do not have much to provide in your honour, but we shall kill a sheep and feast on that!" he gestured to one of the villagers to go and cull an animal.

Heero held up a hand. "We bring plenty of supplies, do not kill a sound animal that you will need come spring," he pointed at the horses which his men were unloading skins of wine and beer together with bread and cured meat. "I mean no disrespect, but your village has had a hard time this winter. Let us pay homage to you."

Relena watched as relief flooded the old man's face. At this time of year only the best livestock still lived; the weak having been culled and feasted on during the autumn months. There was only limited space for sheltering animals and the farmers had to choose wisely. To kill an animal now would be to kill a valuable breeder come spring and would have lasting repercussions throughout the following year.

The headman bowed again, and gestured that they follow him, leaving the horses to be tended by the village people. At the door to the village feasting hall stood women who bowed low and tried to peel Relena and Dorothy away from the men who greeted them. Again, Heero's hand stayed firm on Relena's arm allowing her no movement. The women saw the gesture and all started to giggle, holding hands up across their mouths and lowering their eyes. Relena felt her skin glow red in embarrassment, but Heero did not release his grip of her.

Looking uncomfortable, the headman tried to intervene. "The women just want to see to the ladies' comfort." he said.

Heero was firm. "Their comfort can be seen to here. She does not leave my sight." he said, releasing Relena's arm. The women all bowed obediently, which Heero seemed satisfied with. "This village is safe," he said addressing Relena. "But stay close."

He waited for her to nod, then moved off with the men to the fire where skins of ale were breached and poured into pottery cups before being quaffed quickly with sounds of great satisfaction. Heero too indulged in some ale, but Relena noted that he drank his slowly, his eyes occasionally darting in her direction to check and see that she was obeying his instructions.

The women surrounded Dorothy and Relena, tutting at the state of their clothes and the shortness of Dorothy's hair. Some moved away to start to prepare the feast; several joints of meat were placed on a spit and settled over the fire and a young girl given the task to rotate it using a little handle. Another girl was to tend the fire making sure that the wood embers just glowed and that flames did not go so high as to singe the flesh. Bread was laid out in trenchers and windfall apples and dried fruits were placed in earthenware bowls.

A cup was placed in Relena's hand and she sipped it gratefully, her nose wrinkling slightly as she tasted the beer. It was dark and thick; Relena could detect the flavour of both nettles and hops in it. After four days of just plain water the thick brew tasted wonderful. Even Dorothy sighed in satisfaction as she sipped, content for once just to drink and not comment on the surroundings.

Gradually, the novelty of Relena and Dorothy's appearance wore off and the women floated away to converse with their men and the newcomers. Dorothy and Relena were left on their own to sit warm by the fire and to listen to the conversations. Snatches floated their way.

…It had been a hard winter.

…A glorious surprise to have a feast.

…When was Will's wife due to have her first child?

…Raiders had been spotted to the north.

Relena felt herself relax and enjoy the chatter, content in the warmth of the hall. Her eyes closed and she felt herself drifting when Dorothy elbowed her in the ribs, almost causing her to spill her drink. Relena refrained from rolling her eyes and demanding `what?' but rather turned to look at Dorothy politely.

The girl did not look at her, but rather nodded towards two women who were gazing at Heero with adoration in their eyes. Puzzled at what Dorothy found so interesting, Relena attempted to listen to the women. It was difficult to filter out all the hubbub coming from within the hall and Relena found herself almost leaning towards them to hear anything.

"...The most handsome amongst them." one was saying.

The other laughed. "Of course he is most handsome, he is a prince - they are always handsome."

Relena blinked. A prince? Who was a prince? She glanced at Dorothy who was looking at her now with a 'told you so' gleam in her eye. Relena looked back at the women. They were most definitely looking directly at Heero.

She felt suddenly cold as realisation dawned on her. Heero was a prince. Why had he not said anything about his status to her? She shook her head. No, she was mistaken. The women were mistaken. They meant that he was a prince amongst men, not a Prince of Mercia. Not someone who had everything to gain from Relena's inheritance. Relena felt sick and tried in her mind to justify what they were saying. She swallowed unable to tear her ears away from the conversation.

"Ah, would that he carried me off to his kingdom. What does he see in that Christian woman?" the first asked "She is so meek and quiet, she has no spirit at all."

"No, nor real beauty." the second laughed, half turning to regard Relena. Her eyes widened when she saw that Relena was watching her, and the girl's face suddenly flushed. The first, seeing her companion's expression, followed her line of sight and saw too that they had been observed. She grabbed her friend's arm and they flew out of the hut.

Relena sat blinking in the firelight. Dorothy edged closer and Relena wished for a moment she would just go away. Relena wanted no sharp edged whispers; she wanted instead to think about what she had heard slowly in her own time. Alas, it was not to be. Dorothy was determined to have her say.

"It would seem that our Prince Heero has not been entirely honest with you." she said emphasising Heero's title. "Why has he kept his rank from you?" Dorothy looked at her in apparent concern and worry as she took hold of Relena's hand and squeezed it tight.

Relena said nothing. There was nothing that she could say. If Heero was the Prince of Merica, then why had he never declared it? She frowned as she remembered all that Dorothy had said before, recalling the suggestions that perhaps Mercia was responsible for the deaths of her father and brother. Unknowing, she found her gaze drawn to Heero, who sat conversing with the elders of the village. He was nodding politely, listening to all that they said. No longer was he `Heero the daring warband leader', but rather `Heero the diplomat and future king', listening to his subjects and understanding his people.

How was it that she had not seen it earlier? She had assumed that he was a general in the King of Mercia's army, a trusted warrior. She had never even considered that he was of princely birth, never considered that he could converse on things other than tactics and wars. She felt her eyebrows draw together in irritation. And why would she think he was anything other than some common solider; after all he hardly talked to her. She glared at him and he, as if sensing some ill feeling in the room turned his gaze to her, his eyes staring cold and blue.

Relena did not turn away as she would have had he gazed at her only minutes before. Instead, her eyes flashed angrily at him silently demanding an explanation across the now crowded feasting hall. Heero's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw her expression, then comprehension flooded them before Relena fancied she saw relief. They continued to stare at each other, neither blinking nor making any attempt to turn away.

Suddenly, Duo was before Relena cutting off her line of sight to Heero. Shifting slightly, she peered over his shoulder trying to once again claim Heero's eyes. Heero however had changed his expression to a glare. She saw him clench his fist before he abruptly turned away.

Relena felt her ire rise once again and frowned. Duo's smile faltered and he pulled back the goblet of ale he had bought for her, squinting at it doubtfully.

"I didn't think it was that bad!" he said, before using a forefinger to fish out some flecks of hops that were floating on the surface. "A little thick, but if you hold your teeth together as you drink you can soon sieve out the bits too big to swallow."

Relena focused on Duo, trying to calm herself. He was flushed, his eyes sparkling in the smoky firelight of the hall and he swayed slightly as he held up the tankard again to her.

"He is in his cups!" Dorothy snorted from beside her, eyes rolling in annoyance.

Duo nodded "That I might be, Sister Dorothy, because even you are looking pretty to me now." he belched loudly, causing Dorothy to fall back a step or two with a look of disgust on her face.

Relena surveyed the hall. Duo was not the only one to have over indulged; the ale flowed freely and all of the warriors were drinking heartily. Some were talking about their exploits to the village men and women who listened eagerly, whilst others were more interested in the inside of their cups than conversation. The young village girls were gazing upon the men with stars in their eyes, delighting that their village had been chosen to host such dashing young men, while some of the young men (obviously attached to the girls) were looking on with frowns on their faces.

Looking back at Duo she saw he was still holding out the cup, still with the grin on his face. She reached out and took it from him, murmuring her thanks. Duo flushed a higher red, and sat himself cross-legged on the floor beside her staring intently at her face.

"You know, you are very beautiful." he said, blinking up at her.

"Dear Lord!" Dorothy breathed in disgust, her arms crossed in front of her chest looking around as if she could find someone to drag the drunk warrior away.

"Thank you." Relena smiled softly blushing lightly. She had never been told that she was beautiful before. Even coming from a man who probably could not focus his eyes, it still made her feel strangely special. She watched him smiling up at her, his eyes half-closed and decided to question him about Heero "Duo, Heero is the prince of Mercia, isn't he?"

Duo nodded then paled as he realised that he had given his foster brother away. "Sorry Princess." he apologised, squinting and trying to concentrate on his words "He wanted you to trust him and thought that you wouldn't if you knew."

Again Relena heard Dorothy whisper in her ear "So he lies to gain trust. Interesting."

Duo obviously heard and frowned. "He didn't lie. He just didn't say."

Dorothy glared back "So the omission of truth then becomes acceptable?"

Duo's eyes narrowed "I was wrong, I'm not drunk enough. You still look scary." he said and took a large gulp from his cup.

Dorothy stood, her fists clenched as if she was preparing to box him around the ears, whilst Duo just pulled a face at her. Relena stood too, and placed a hand on Dorothy's arm.

"Please, Dorothy, I am hungry. Can you kindly get me a sliver of meat and some bread?" she asked. Dorothy still glared at Duo, her breathing rapid and her eyes furious. Finally she nodded curtly and strode off. Relena sighed in relief and sat on her stool again. Looking down at Duo she saw he was wearing a smug smile of satisfaction on his face.

"You're beautiful." he said again, causing Relena to give a little chuckle. His eyes brightened as she laughed. Putting his tankard down, he shakily got to his knees capturing her hand and pulled it to his lips kissing her lightly. He looked up into her eyes "It's so easy to love you." he said before lowering his lips to her hand again.

Relena felt her heart jump and stood pulling her hand away from him. He over balanced and fell back onto his back laughing slightly in drunken embarrassment and amusement at his own clumsiness. Relena bit her lip as she watched the man struggle to his feet. He loved her? Did Duo mean it? She felt ill at ease wondering how she felt in return. Certainly she considered him her friend, how could she not after all the time he had masqueraded as Helen. But was that feeling deep enough to be called love?

"Duo!" A feminine shout came across the hall and Relena tuned to see a young girl launch herself into the arms of Duo who had just managed to regain his feet.

Duo's eyes were wide, surprise momentarily pushing the drunkenness from his brain. He looked down at the girl, who was now hugging him tightly, in shock. His mouth was moving but no words coming out. The girl, pushing away looked up at him her mouth smiling, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"I have missed you so much!" she declared before stretching up on her tiptoes to kiss him firmly on the lips. She pulled away again and grinned up at the still dazed man. "Surprised?" she asked.

Duo blinked gazing down at the girl who now had her arms wound around his neck "Hilde?" he questioned "What are you doing here?"

"We had word that you were on your way, but I could not wait for you to return." Hilde replied, kissing his cheeks and neck between the words. "I rode out hoping to find you at Heero's villa, but when you weren't there I decided to ride on a bit more and try and find you."

Duo frowned. "Do you know how dangerous that is? A woman alone travelling the countryside?" he pushed her away and gave her a little shake. "How could you have been so stupid?"

Hilde pouted, and pushed aside her cloak to show that she was dressed in tunic and leggings. "I travelled as a boy and you know I can fight as well as you. Besides." she grinned again, pressing herself once again tightly to him "I missed you. You are, after all, my betrothed." she nuzzled into his neck again.

Relena watched the pair, her eyes wide with surprise and a little embarrassment. She had never seen a man and a woman being so affectionate before and although she wanted to turn her head away she found that she could not. The girl Hilde looked at Duo with love shining from her eyes and pressed the entire length of her body close to Duo. And Duo, after his initial surprise had faded, was holding her with equal ardour. Relena wondered what it must feel like to be held so close, to feel someone's fingers caressing the length of your back, to hear someone whisper words of love softly into your ear.

She felt a blush arise in her face and turned away to give the couple some privacy and to try and dispel the aching need she suddenly felt within her own body. Feeling the need of some good cold air she made her way out of the hall, keeping to the shadows and not raising any notice from the now drunken warriors and villagers. She bent to exit the small doorway, pushing the hide that covered it to one side and was rewarded with the feel of the icy wind blowing through her clothes and onto her face.

Relena straightened and walked aimlessly away from the hall, ignoring the clay mud than clung to her leather slippers and welcoming the chill that brought her back to her senses. The village was tiny and very soon she found herself at its edge. She rested her head against the walls of a pen that held the warriors' horses. The sensation of desire had faded and Relena breathed a sigh of relief. She could not help a little chortle that rose in her throat as she remembered Duo's drunken declaration of love. Not that it had lasted long, he was obviously very much enamoured with his brave little betrothed.

"Oh please, don't tell me you are crying over him."

Relena froze as she heard the caustic tone. She turned to show that she was, in fact, laughing.

"Well, thank goodness for small mercies," Dorothy said "It would have been completely idiotic for you to loose tears over that man - and I use the term loosely." she pulled her cloak around her shivering a little. "So Duo is betrothed, even though he was in the process of declaring himself to you."

Relena raised an eyebrow "You listened?" she questioned, feeling annoyed that the girl was always spying on her and seemed to be at least one step ahead of her all the time so far as information went.

Dorothy smiled thinly in reply, and started to examine the horses allowing her gaze to wander to a wooden cart that was placed next to the pen. She drifted towards it and ran a hand over the rough wooden wheels. Still she said nothing, but left Relena with the odd feeling that she needed to justify herself.

"It was nothing," she said, folding her arms watching Dorothy fiddle with the harness leathers "He was drunk and I hear that men declare a lot of nonsense when they are in their cups."

Dorothy snorted "That is a poor excuse," she said looking at Relena "It seems to me that both brothers have lied to you. Heero about his status, and Duo about his love."

Relena felt herself grow angry "Heero did not lie!" she said.

Dorothy had suddenly come close and took Relena by the arm "He might not have lied, but he certainly omitted to tell you something of significant importance. As did Duo when he failed to tell you that he was betrothed," Dorothy's eyes narrowed as Relena shook off her arm "How can you trust any of them after this? How can you believe what they have told you about your family?" she demanded.

"Who else is there to trust?" Relena questioned. Her voice was angry but controlled. "What am I to do? I cannot return to the abbey, I have no family to turn to, the people of my kingdom do not know me; what would you have me do?"

Dorothy's frown turned to a grin "Come with me. I have friends that can help you. I have family you can trust. I can help you. Those fools are all drunk, we can be far away before they even knew we were gone."

For a moment Relena was tempted. To leave Heero and his band, leave behind his cold eyes and his omissions, to leave Duo and his drunken declarations, to be free. Then she looked at Dorothy's eyes. They glittered in the frosty starlight, full of confidence and calculation, colder than ever Heero's were. Relena bit her lip as she studied Dorothy.

"Who are you?" she asked, "Who is your family that would help?" then she shook her head and turned away "Dorothy, I know less of you than I do of Duo and Heero. I cannot go with you. For all I know you could be Kushrinada's sister planning to get me to him and be wed," she bowed her head.

A blinding pain suddenly assailed her head, and Relena felt herself fall forward careless of the mud. For a moment she laid still and dazed, spots dancing before her eyes, a roaring in her ears and a mind numbing pain in the back of her head. She managed to push herself up on her hands and knees out of the wet muddy slush and turned her head to see Dorothy standing over her a large length of wood in her hands.

Dorothy's mouth sneered. "I'm his cousin, actually," she said lifting the wood and bringing it down to connect once more with Relena's head. Relena fell once more into the mud, feeling it clog her nose and mouth. Before she completely lost consciousness she heard Dorothy murmur "And you will come with me, whether you like it or not."

tbc