Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Dances in the Glen ❯ The Outsider ( Chapter 9 )

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Dances in the Glen

By: SaiyanBlack

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Heero was sitting in the low shelf built into the rock under a large window in the central quarters of the Wolf Wing Clan. He wasn't alone; women of the clan were going about normal daily business in the room, barely sparing him a glance. Or if they did, he didn't notice. A soft breeze came in through the opening behind him, playing with a few strands of his hair and sending cool fingers of air down his bare spine. He hardly felt the passing of time as he sat there, thinking.

A large, warm hand on his bent head startled him, but he didn't outwardly show it, instead letting the comfort that radiated from the caring gesture seep into him.

"How bad is it?" he asked in a low voice, knowing that his question could not be directly answered. The warmth of his bu'lasa's hand didn't recede as the older man sat next to him on the stone shelf.

"Not the best, but it isn't bad. You could have done worse."

Heero sighed; he was still in deep, no matter what he tried to do about it. He'd killed. Worse, he'd given the order to kill. Luckily, he'd been able to save Duo's hide from the punishment as well. He remembered the open look that the braided brave had given him as they exited the Council Chambers. It was full of thanks and worry. But it was the least he could do. He'd still given that order.

"I failed," he said out loud. Next to him, Odin snorted in contempt. The aging blonde man leaned over so that his head was level with that of his foster son's.

"Look across the room," he ordered in a kind voice. Heero followed orders and his dark blue eyes came to rest on a familiar sight.

Sitting with a Resh'ta-ne woman was Relena, who had a puzzled but determined look on her face as she listened to the woman talk. The woman was Luyu, a newly married girl, only a couple season-turns older than him. Her gold earrings glinted in the combined light of the cooking fires and the sun as she spoke slowly to the young blonde.

He watched as Relena nodded, paused a moment before carefully speaking back to Luyu. It occurred to him that she was trying to use what little she knew of his language to communicate with the older girl and was not doing it so successfully if the black haired girl's giggle was any indication.

"Heero," his bu'lasa said, "getting her was the best thing you could have done. It may have been luck, but such strength is always something the Council looks for. A leader must listen to the spirits, the earth, their mind and their heart before such luck as you have can come to them. Your heart will take you places if you follow it, remember that."

He stood, his hand on Heero's bare shoulder, "Don't worry about the naming, the spirits know what they're doing. By the way," he added before he turned away. "Go to the shaman and perform the Aish'tala. It will take the weight off your shoulders."

Odin left, nodding to a few of the older women in greeting as he left the large room. The brave turned his eyes back to the two young women before him and watched as they spoke to each other. She was learning, he thought to himself, but there were still so many things she didn't understand. Their culture was still alien to her, though sometimes he forgot that. She seemed to soak up everything like a dry cloth in water.

He sighed, maybe his bu'lasa was right. He needed to be cleansed of the blood of men before he could see things clearly. His conscience weighed too heavily upon his mind for him to work correctly. Maybe that's all he needed.

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The darkness surrounded him, washing over him within the pure water that fell over his shoulders from above. His breathing was even, his heart beat steady, but his mind was inward. Looking at the past, present and future.

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"What's your name, chey?"

A small shake of the head.

"No name huh?"

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Bright golden eyes looked up at him, open trust showing in the amber depths.

"I don't care what the Elders say, you're my friend."

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"What can I do?"

"Just follow your heart, Heero. For warriors like you and me, that's the best way to live without regrets."

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Black eyes considered golden ones for several moments and he watched as the two creatures seemed to communicate silently. Zero let out a puff of air and Finn moved forward to lick at the horse's muzzle in a friendly way. He was glad that they got along.

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"Congratulations, Heero. Welcome to the world of men."

"Thank you, Jor-tyee."

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"In the light of the massacres of our people by the white men, the Council has decided that a small force of warriors should be created to protect the Village from outside view. Because each of you has exceptional abilities for your age, you have been chosen to represent your Clans."

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"What do we tell them, Heero? We just killed ten men."

"We'll tell them the truth . . . that I gave the order."

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"Relena, come."

Curiosity shone in her blue eyes, "Where are we going?"

He looked back at her over his shoulder in the breaking dawn.

"Home."

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"Go to the shaman and perform the Aish'tala. It will take the weight off your shoulders."

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"Hey Heero! I just heard the good news! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Quatre."

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"What's wrong with the idiot? I haven't seen him around in a couple of days."

"The girl, Hilde, is sick. Sally-winema doesn't think she is going to make it, Wufei."

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A young woman with shining blonde hair smiled at someone out of his view, her blue eyes twinkling with happiness as the sun caught the feathered earrings in her ears and the ceremonial painting on her cheeks.

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Gun shots. Darkness to one side of him and burning light to the other. Flames caught everything, destroying their home. Animals ran for the woods, braves lay on the ground motionless. There was crying all around him . . . and shouts. Men were yelling orders at each other. But they weren't his people.

They were white men.

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When Heero returned to the well lit chamber of the tribe's shaman, the blonde woman turned immediately to look up at his damp form. The purifying water of the Aish'tala clung to his dark hair and bleached hide clothing, but never did one drop fall to the flat stone floor. Sally's light blue eyes considered his indifferent expression before she stood to his height.

"What did you see?" she inquired through ritual. He seemed to think a moment before meeting her gaze straight on.

"Praise, sickness, marriage, fire . . . and death."

He bowed to her, his troubled blue eyes leaving hers and exited the chambers. She watched his back as he disappeared behind the door of her chambers. Sally sighed, silently returning to her seat to think. A young woman who was training in the healing arts came up to her position with a cup of liquid between her hands. The shaman took the drink, nodding to the young brunette.

"What troubles you, Sally-winema?" she asked in a small voice.

The older woman looked up at the apprentice, "Heero has confirmed my suspicions. If what the a'saii are seeing in the water is true, our people are in great danger."

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"Lena! Lena! Lena! Lena!!"

Relena let out a deep breath, trying to let out her growing annoyance that way instead of snapping at the young boy. She turned to look over her shoulder at Eli, who sat behind her away from the fire. She had hopped that the wooden building sticks provided by Luyu would entertain him for longer than five minutes. Apparently not.

"What is it, Eli?" she asked, turning to look at him.

The boy held up his creation, a jumble of wooden sticks with the ends wedged in holes on the sides of other sticks. It almost looked like the framework of a house, or one of the portable tents that the braves carried around when they left the Village. She smiled at the boy, who beamed up at her in return.

"See? It's Zero!" he exclaimed and Relena chuckled, knowing how unlike the black stallion the little creation really was.

"What is Zero?" she asked, using the opportunity to help him learn.

"Horsy!"

She laughed, finding the childish term endearingly cute. "Right! Now what's the word that Heero uses?"

He paused for a moment, staring at the jumble of sticks in his hands before looking back up at her with a smile.

"Ah-ah-nuh!"

"Close," she told him with an amused smile, "A'ana. Try again."

"Ah-ah-nuh."

Relena opened her mouth to correct him when the door flap to the common room flipped open, Heero coming in looking a bit damp. Some of the other women in the room didn't even look up as he walked through the room and the few that did, didn't pay him a second glance. But she watched him the entire time, maybe searching for some type of recognition from him. He hadn't once talked to her in the three days that they had been here and not once had he even glanced at her.

There was sudden movement to her left side as Heero passed behind her and she turned when she heard a strangled cry. Above her, the dark brave held the wrist of an elderly woman which was raised as if to strike the blonde girl. Relena stared wide eyed as Heero forced the woman to the floor with his grip, no emotion on his face.

"Quali'la nusu chey-la," he said in dark tones as he stared the woman down. He released her wrist and she pulled it to her chest, holding it there as if he had hurt her. And he probably had. All Relena could understand from the exchange was one word: "her."

"Relena," he called and she looked up at his face, but he was looking away from her so she could not see his expression. "Collect your things here, you're coming with me."

She nodded, turning to gather the dried food and pelts given to her by the Clan leader and the sticks Eli had been playing with when all this started. Standing, she grabbed the small boy's hand and followed after a quickly moving Heero, who had started on his way once he saw that she was ready. As the left the common room, she tried to ignore the silence, but she had a feeling that she had done something very, very wrong.

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