Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Gods of Thunder ❯ An Unusual Winter ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: An Unusual Winter

“Quatre, are you sure that spell is going to work?” Duo stared skeptically at the words on the page of Quatre's spell book.

Quatre frowned at him. “You question the book now? It hasn't been wrong yet.”

“There's always a first time,” Duo mumbled.

“Oh, be quiet! I need to concentrate. Now, do we have everything?” Quatre looked around at their piles of belongings. Since they didn't know what the weather would be like, and they did expect to be very far north, they were packed and dressed for cold weather. To be on the safe side, and surprisingly with Quatre's permission, they had stuffed a bunch of extra gear into Roku's storage space as well.

“We're ready,” Trowa said. “I think we should carry everything, just in case it's muddy where we land.”

“Good idea,” Wu-Fei agreed.

Everyone shouldered packs and tucked other bags and parcels under their arms.

Sally watched with great interest. “Do you have oil for Wu-Fei, in case the climate change causes…” she trailed off without saying the dreaded “s” word.

Wu-Fei shuddered.

Roku nodded. “I have it, Miss Sally.”

Sally smiled at Roku. “We can always count on you, dear.”

“I like being helpful.”

“You're such a sweet boy.”

Roku beamed.

“Let's hit the road,” Heero grumbled. “I hate standing around.”

“I need some crackers,” Zechs moaned. “I feel nauseous.”

Roku pulled a small bag of crackers from under one arm and handed it to Zechs. “I packed a bunch of these, Mr. Zechs. Mama said you might need them.”

“Thank you, Roku. Thanks, Quatre.”

“You're welcome,” Quatre said absently. He was studying the spell and murmuring to himself. “Ok, I think I'm ready.” He looked up at Sally. “So the plan is we'll return tomorrow morning. Try to keep Noin from looking for us before then.”

“Will do.” Sally waved goodbye and stepped outside, just to make sure she didn't get caught up in the spell.

“All right, then. Here we go.” Quatre held the book up and read the spell aloud in a clear voice.

There was a brief moment of disorientation and then a biting cold wind blasted across the group.

“Holy shit!” Duo cried. “Let's go back!”

Blowing snow cut into every bit of exposed flesh. Ice formed instantly under their noses and on their chins and eyelashes. It was very dark.

“This sucks!” Heero exclaimed. “Maybe Duo was right about that spell!”

“We're in the right place!” Quatre shouted back. “We're just in the middle of a blizzard! Can anyone see anything? We need to get inside!”

“I smell smoke, Mama! I think there's a building over there!”

“Lead the way, Roku! Everyone hold onto each other!”

The group formed a chain, grabbing cloaks, arms, whatever they could reach, and Roku carefully led the way through the storm until a large wooden structure loomed up in front of them. They made their way along the wall until they found a wide door with big iron studs set into it. Heero stepped forward, gripped the heavy latch and lifted it. When it appeared that it wasn't locked, he leaned his shoulder against the door and shoved it open with a loud creak.

A wave of welcome heat and light poured out and everyone tumbled inside. Heero shoved the door shut behind them.

Several big, bearded men in woolen tunics and breeches turned to stare at them in surprise. Pretty much everyone was clutching a big wooden tankard and a few had the contents dribbling unnoticed down their faces as they stared at the newcomers.

A big-boned woman, distinguishable from the men mostly because she was not bearded and wearing a woolen dress, clouted the man nearest her with the flat of her hand.

“Why don't you greet your guests, you idiot?” she exclaimed. Then she stepped forward and inclined her head politely. “Welcome, friends. Make yourselves comfortable. You can drop your gear on the table over there.” She pointed to a long table under some tightly shuttered windows. “Can I get you a meal, or perhaps a few tankards of mead? We make the best you can find in these parts. I have roast mutton and bread baked fresh this morning if you're inclined to eat.”

“How come we can understand her?” Heero muttered under his breath. “Shouldn't she be speaking Norse or something?”

“I cast a language spell on us,” Quatre replied quietly. “I like to plan ahead.”

“Food and drink sound great!” Duo said brightly. He dumped his pack on the indicated table and stared curiously at the tankard one of the bearded men was holding. “That mead smells mighty tasty. Can't say I've had that before. I wouldn't mind a tankard.”

“One moment, sir, and I'll set you up,” said the man the woman had smacked. “My name is Horvald and this is my inn. Please, as my wife Inga said, make yourselves at home. I've rooms enough for all of you upstairs. With the weather we've been having, there aren't a lot of travelers.”

“This weather is unusual?” Treize asked as he, Zechs and the others took seats at a long table near the fireplace.

The big common room of the inn boasted several long tables with benches on either side arranged in rows around a central fireplace that filled the room with warmth. The fireplace was also the only source of light. Dozens of barrels were stacked against the wall opposite the door. One barrel was open and the innkeeper dipped a thick yellow liquid from inside with a ladle and poured it into tankards.

“Aye, it's supposed to be spring right now,” Horvald said as he brought tankards to the table. “But it just keeps getting colder. This is the third blizzard we've had in the past ten days. We should be putting the sheep out to graze, but instead we're eating them.” He shook his head sadly. “These are bad times.”

“Oh pish!” Inga exclaimed as she reappeared carrying a vast tray loaded with bread and meat. “You men are so gloomy!” She set the tray on the table in front of her new guests with a broad smile. “Now you just put yourselves on the outside of that and you'll forget all about the cold.”

“Now this is what I call hospitality!” Duo exclaimed. He picked up a tankard and took a long drink. “Man, that is tasty!” He smacked his lips and picked up a chunk of roast mutton. “Yummy!”

Roku sniffed curiously at the mead. “It smells like honey.”

“Aye, little one, it's made from honey,” Inga said. “But maybe it's too strong for a youngster like you. Would you like a bit of goat milk?”

“Yes, please.”

“I would like goat milk, too, please,” Wu-Fei said quickly. He stared with dismay at the giant tankards of ale the others were quaffing contentedly.

“You should try it, Wu-Fei,” Heero said. “It's not that bad.”

“It's very strong, though,” Zechs said. He smiled at Inga. “I think I'd better have goat milk, too, if you don't mind.”

“It's no bother at all, sir,” Inga said with a smile. She disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later with three brimming mugs of goat milk. “It's quite fresh. I can put a bit of honey in it if you want it sweetened.”

“No thank you,” said Wu-Fei, but Zechs and Roku both accepted the offer of a little honey.

Then everyone dug into the meat and bread before Duo ate it all.

Duo was working on his third tankard of mead when one of the bearded men stepped over and clapped a thick hand on his shoulder.

“Little man,” the bearded fellow exclaimed, “my comrades and I are wondering just where you're putting all that food and drink. A little fellow like you wouldn't seem to have the room for it all.”

Duo grinned broadly. “Now, sir, you wouldn't be meaning to imply that size makes a difference when it comes to having a proper capacity for the consumption of drink?”

“Well now,” said the man, “while there have been a few rare individuals who could drink beyond one's expectations, in general we find there's a direct relationship between a man's bulk and the number of tankards he can drain.”

“Really?” Duo's eyes were sparkling. “Would you perhaps care to put a little wager on that belief?”

“Oh no!” Heero groaned. “Not again!”

“Do you think we should warn them?” Quatre murmured.

“They're grown men,” said Treize. “They can stand to learn the hard way. Besides, there's nothing else to do.” He leaned on one elbow and put his other arm around Zechs. “Let's watch.” Zechs leaned against him with a smile.

The bearded man shook Duo's hand. “I'm Borsgard.”

Duo hooked a thumb toward his own chest. “Duo.”

Borsgard turned around and waved at the other men. “Yo! This little man here wagers he can drink us under the table. What do you say? Who's got some coin to put up?”

“That tiny fellow? Hah!”

“My ten year old is bigger!”

With more such comments, several men collected at one table and they waved Duo over.

“Sit here, fellow! We'll drink with you, although we've had a bit of a head start.”

Horvald brought over several refilled tankards. “I don't know about that. The lad's already put away three full tankards. You've only got one up on him, Skald.”

“In that case,” said Duo, “I'd better catch up.” And he promptly drained one of the tankards.

Several pairs of eyes regarded Duo appreciatively.

“I think you're in over your head, Borsgard,” Inga laughed. “You better put your coin on the table now.”

A dozen or so copper and silver coins were produced from various pockets and dumped on the table. Duo matched it with a few silver coins of his own. Everyone eyed the money curiously, because they hadn't seen coins like his before, but they finally all agreed it was good silver and perfectly acceptable. Then they got down to the serious business of drinking.

“I may be sick,” Wu-Fei murmured. “How can he drink that stuff?”

“It actually tastes pretty good,” Quatre said.

“But that's his sixth tankard! Nothing tastes good after that much of it.”

“You're a wimp, Fei,” Heero said absently. He was working on his third tankard.

“Ho! Thurm's down!” someone cried as one bearded man slumped off the bench onto the floor.

“That's nothing!” Skald said. “He could never hold his liquor anyway.” He tipped up his seventh tankard and drained it. “Match that!”

Around the table, tankards were lifted and drained. Another man tumbled off the bench. After two more rounds, only Duo, Borsgard and Skald were left. The sound of snoring was starting to rival the roar of the wind outside.

Horvald opened another barrel of mead. “I just hope someone remembers to pay for this in the morning,” he said mournfully.

“Don't worry, sir,” said Quatre. “We'll pay for it, since our friend started it. But we'll need to be shown to our rooms pretty soon, I think. My son's gone to sleep.” Roku was curled up on the bench with his head in Quatre's lap. Zechs was sound asleep on Treize's shoulder.

“Of course, sir. But I think they're almost done. I've never seen Borsgard manage more than ten tankards and Skald's best is twelve.”

Horvald's words proved prophetic when Borsgard passed out not long after that and Skald fell asleep shortly after, sprawled across the table with his face resting in the pool of mead spilled from his twelfth tankard.

Duo stood up and stretched. “It's weird. Mead doesn't go through me quite as fast as ale. Still, I could sure use an outhouse right now.”

Horvald pointed toward a side door. “There's an outhouse through that door, but I don't think anyone will care if you let fly against the wall outside. In this blizzard, you might get lost trying to reach the outhouse.”

Duo nodded and disappeared through the side door.

Inga came in from the kitchen. “Look at this mess! Well, there was no sending this lot home tonight anyway.” She walked over and carefully picked up Roku. “Come on then, let me show you where you can sleep.” She led the way up a narrow flight of stairs at the side of the room to a low upstairs hall with rows of doors on either side. “They're all empty, so take your pick.” She opened the first door and settled Roku on a down-stuffed mattress inside.

Quatre hovered over her nervously. “Will he be warm enough?”

“Sure. Here are a couple of nice wool blankets to cover him. And the flue from the fireplace goes right up through this floor to the roof. It stays nice and warm up here.”

Trowa took Quatre's hand. “He'll be fine. Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted.”

“All right.”

Duo came up as they stepped down the hall to the next room. “It's really cold outside. I think the blizzard is getting worse.”

Inga nodded. “Most likely it will get worse for another day before it gets better. Damn ice giants! They can't leave well enough alone.”

They all stared at her. “Ice giants?”

“Yes. The ice giants are causing the blizzards. But don't you worry about that! This inn has withstood worse. You all get a good night's sleep. I'll have fresh bread, boiled eggs, blood pudding and boiled salt cod for breakfast.” Inga made her way back down the stairs.

Wu-Fei's face went pale. “I don't even want to know what blood pudding is.”

“It sounds pretty good,” said Duo.

Wu-Fei groaned.

“Anyway, let's go to bed,” Duo said brightly. “I need to warm up. A little sexual activity is just what I need to take the chill off.” He grabbed Heero and Wu-Fei by the hand and led them into the room opposite Roku's.

Treize, who was supporting a half-asleep Zechs, went into the room next to that and Trowa led Quatre into the room next to Roku's.

“Don't worry, Quatre,” Trowa said as he snuggled with the young man on the comfy goose-down mattress. “Roku will know where we are. And I think Duo has the right idea about keeping warm. One does need to be careful of frostbite in freezing weather.”

“So you plan to stay warm by removing my clothing?” Quatre asked dryly.

“Just some of it,” Trowa murmured. “You don't really need this part down here, do you?”

“Apparently not,” Quatre moaned. “Oh! That part of you is not frostbitten at all!”

“But it feels so much warmer now!” Trowa groaned. “I'll just keep rubbing it up and down in there so it stays nice and warm, if you don't mind.”

“Ah! If you insist! Oh my!”

In their room, Treize spooned up against Zechs' back and patted his tummy. “How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Zechs murmured sleepily. “Who won the drinking contest? I fell asleep.”

“You have to ask?” Treize chuckled. “Duo, of course.”

“I'm starting to feel so fat,” Zechs complained. “Pretty soon, you won't want to touch me.”

“I find that impossible to imagine.”

“But you always used to say my torso turned you on.”

“Zechs, my love, everything about you turns me on.”

“You're just saying that,” Zechs pouted. “I'm getting fat and ugly.”

“If you think so, just hold still for a minute.”

“What are you doing?”

“Proving otherwise.”

“Treize Kushranada, get your hand out of there! I'm trying to sleep.”

“Forget that. You're the one who got me thinking about your body. Now I'm all excited.”

“Treize! Stop touching that! Don't undo that! Is that your tongue? Oh god!”

“Mmm…” Treize murmured. “I rather like you're tummy like this. It's tasty. So is this part.”

“Oh!” Zechs groaned.

“Now you seem to be excited too.”

“You're the one who started licking things!”

“I don't think it will hurt the baby if I sit up while I do this. Do you mind if I move your leg over here?”

“I get a choice?”

“You can put it up here if you want.”

“Gee, thanks! Oh!” Zechs gasped. “You're huge!”

“And you worry that I'll stop finding you attractive,” Treize moaned. “I still haven't figured out how to get enough. You can sleep later.”

Zechs groaned deeply. “You always feel so good. You really don't think I'm getting fat?”

“You're not fat. You're unbelievably sexy. Especially with my baby inside you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I love you, Treize.”

“I love you, too, Zechs.

In the room next door, Duo groaned aloud. “Geez! If they get any sappier, I may be sick! What happened to the happily lustful guys we used to know? They're like an old married couple.”

“It's your own fault,” Wu-Fei muttered. “You were the one who put the idea in Quatre's head. Babies affect people in strange ways.”

“Yeah,” said Heero. “Look what it did to Quatre.”

“Even still…” Duo said.

“Anyway, stop eavesdropping on them, you damn mind-reader!” Heero continued. “Give them a little privacy.”

“It's not like I'm trying!”

“Give it a rest. And turn over. I'm not finished.”

Duo grinned and rolled onto his stomach. “If you're going to put it like that...!” He chuckled gleefully. “Who needs romance?”

“Not you, apparently,” Wu-Fei grumbled. “Can you do that quietly? I want to go to sleep now.”

“G'night, Fei.”

“Good night.”

In the morning, they were shaken awake by a shuddering rumble. It was followed a moment later by another quick, loud shaking, and then a third.

Duo sat up with a start. “What the hell was that?”

“I don't know,” said Heero, “but I don't like it. Get dressed. I want to get outside.”

“Right.”

They met the others in the hall and exchanged startled glances.

“Is this region prone to earthquakes?” Zechs asked.

“It was too short for an earthquake,” said Wu-Fei.

“It felt like big footsteps,” Roku said.

Everyone stared at him.

“Ice giants!” Heero shouted and they all raced for the stairs.

In the common room, they found excitement and confusion.

“The ice giants are outside!” Horvald cried. “They've come down out of the mountains! They'll wipe out our village!”

Inga clutched Horvald's arm and nodded fearfully. “They'll knock the houses and buildings down so we have no protection from the storm! That's what they do. They cause the storms and if it gets cold enough, they destroy human villages. We're doomed!” She began to sob.

“I don't think so!” Quatre said with an angry glower. “We didn't come all this way to get frozen to death. Roku, I need your help. Weather's tricky.”

“What are you going to do?” Treize asked.

“If it gets too warm, the ice giants will have to retreat. We're going to break the storm. Come on, Roku.”

Quatre and Roku put on their heavy cloaks and went outside. The others quickly followed, along with Horvald, Inga and several of the men from last night. Outside, the wind was howling and the snow was blowing nearly horizontally. Quatre clutched Roku's hand and the two of them struggled several paces out into the wind before turning to face each other.

“What are they doing?” Horvald cried.

“They're sorcerers!” Trowa shouted. “It's going to be all right!”

Quatre and Roku stretched their hands up into the sky and began to chant in unison. The Latin phrases could barely be heard over the howl of the wind.

“Do you think it will work?” Zechs shouted. “With just the two of them?”

“If it was just Quatre, I might worry,” Trowa shouted back, “but Roku is the greatest natural sorcerer ever born. And we haven't yet found anything he can't do.”

It took several minutes, but suddenly, the wind began to die. It managed a last few fierce gusts, but then it abruptly died away completely. A moment later, the snowfall began to lessen.

An angry roar shattered the air from only a short distance away, followed by a loud crash and the sound of splintering wood. The Norsemen huddled near the wall of the inn cried out in fear. A break appeared in the clouds and a strip of bright blue sky became visible. The break widened rapidly and sunlight streaked down toward the ground. There was another fearsome roar, but this time it was followed by the shuddering rumble of large footsteps retreating into the distance.

The clouds began breaking up into fluffy white cumulous and the air became noticeably warmer.

“Did you see anything?” Treize said. He was staring toward the mountains, shading his eyes with one hand.

“No,” Zechs replied. “There's too much fog in that direction.”

“Whatever they were, they were way pissed off,” Duo reported.

“Look!” someone cried. “Lothvar's barn is smashed in!”

“We're lucky it was just a barn!” Horvald said. “Thank the gods!”

“Ha!” Inga cried. “Thank these strangers! They're the ones who saved us. If you ask me, it's the gods' fault we're having all this trouble with ice giants.”

“Hush, woman!” Horvald said quickly. “Don't say such things aloud! Do you want to draw Odin's attention?”

“Hmph!” Inga huffed. She turned to Quatre and Roku. “Thank you, young masters. You've done us a great service. Come and have some breakfast, on the house!”

“What?!” Horvald exclaimed.

Inga pointedly ignored him as she ushered everyone back inside.