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Journey of a Thousand Miles

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

-Confucius-

Part 18

The next morning I woke up early as usual. I washed, got dressed and went downstairs. The moment I stepped into the hall Boreas and Aeolus jumped all over me, wagging their tails in excitement.
Xander was setting the breakfast table in the dining room. He had offered to help out around here during Trowa's absence, and Zechs had been only too happy to accept.
"Am I the first one up?" I asked, somewhat surprised. Usually Zechs woke up long before me.
"No, Master Zechs is already up," the old man told me. "He left about thirty minutes ago for a ride."
"Without his dogs?" That's unusual, I thought. But suddenly it hit me. Zechs hadn't simply gone on one of his customary morning rides. "Xander," I asked. "Where is Walnut Ridge?"
"Walnut Ridge?" he echoed, surprised.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to explain right now. I need to get there as fast as possible."
"It's a walnut grove about five miles south of Aberdeen," Xander said. "Or at least that's what it used to be. Nothing there now but some old trees and overgrown fields."
He told me how to find the place, and less than ten minutes later I galloped down the road to Aberdeen.

Zechs had a good thirty minute head-start, and I realized that there was no way that I could catch up with him. But I also knew that there were certain protocols to be followed and rules to be agreed upon, before a duel could start. So, perhaps I could get there in time after all.
Truthfully, I wasn't quite sure what I was hoping to accomplish. I really didn't expect that I would be able to stop them now. But somehow I just needed to be there. I was worried, and although I realized that Zechs was probably only trying to protect me, I was a little upset that he had lied to me.

At one point I took a wrong turn in the road and didn't realize it for a few miles. I had to ride back and lost some time. When I finally arrived at Walnut Ridge I didn't see anyone. For a moment I thought that I had either come too late or that the duel had been moved to a different location, but then I noticed several horses tied up under a group of trees. When I got closer I also saw the men. Zechs and the Baron had taken their positions, and one of the assistants was already counting down.

Zechs, standing with his back to me, hadn't noticed me yet and I remained quiet so not to distract him.

"Three…Two…One…Fire!"

When the shots rung out they sounded like one. Baron Kinnley dropped his pistol and went down on one knee, cradling his right hand. I assumed that Zechs had shot him until the prince calmly spoke.
"I hope, Sir this will be the end of it. From now on stay away from me, because the next time I'll not be aiming at your weapon.

As Zechs turned to retrieve his cloak that he has discarded before the duel, he noticed me. He seemed somewhat surprised and for a moment he just looked at me. Just as he opened his mouth to say something Baron Kinley moved.

My eyes went wide in horror as I realized that Kinnley was reaching for his pistol. "Zechs, watch out," I yelled.

The blond aristocrat spun around, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion. It was hard to tell if the baron was able to discharge his gun before Zechs' bullet hit him in the right shoulder. As the doctor rushed to Kinnley's side to tend to his wound, Zechs lowered his weapon and glared at the baron in disgust. "Sir, you are despicable," he spat before he turned away.

I was still stunned. I had always felt that Kinnley couldn't be trusted, but I would have never thought that he would scoop so low as to try shooting a man in the back. How disgraceful!

Zechs put on his cloak, walked over to where the horses were tethered and mounted his steed without ever looking back. I was surprised how composed he was. The fact that he could have been killed didn't seem to disturb him at all. It wasn't until I had caught up with him that I noticed his right hand, the one holding the reins, was shaking. So, he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be after all.
"Quatre, I…" he spoke after we had ridden for a while quietly. "I have to thank you. You saved my life."
"I only warned you," I disagreed. "You saved your own life. I have never seen anyone move so fast."
"Nevertheless," he replied very seriously. "I'm greatly in your debt."
There was another moment of silence before I asked: "Why did you lie to me? You promised that you wouldn't be dueling with him."
"No, I didn't." Zechs shook his head. "I said that it was foolish of me to let him bait me, but I never said that the duel was off."
"But you let me to believe that it was," I accused.
"Quatre, please, I'm in no mood to argue right now." Zechs' voice sounded very tired and underlined with a hint of pain.
When I looked up at him I realized that he was unusual pale. "Are you alright," I asked, concerned.

Then I noticed a trail of blood running down his left hand and dripping from his fingers. Apparently at least one of the baron's bullets had found its target after all. "You are wounded."
Zechs gave me a tired grin. "So I've noticed."
"Why didn't you let the doctor check you out?" I chided.
"Because he brought that doctor," he explained. "I'm not sure how far he can be trusted. Besides, it is only a scratch, really. The bullet only grazed my arm. Dr. Baker can take care of it once we get home."

"Let me take a look at it," I demanded. "We should at least try to stop the bleeding, or you might pass out before we even get home."
Zechs didn't argue. We stopped our horses and dismounted. I helped him to take off his cloak, but there seemed to be no way to remove his coat without hurting him.
Zechs pulled a small folding knife from his pocket and handed it t me. "Cut open the sleeve," he suggested.
I did as he requested and removed the sleeve of his shirt as well. Luckily the wound didn't look as bad as I had feared. Perhaps Zechs was right when he said it wasn't serious. Nevertheless, the bleeding needed to be stopped. Remembering what I had read in a book about domestic medicine I used some strips of fabric, that I cut from his shirt sleeve, to dress the wound tightly.

*****

As soon as we arrived at Blue Lake Manor I told Xander to send one of the servants into town to fetch Dr. Baker. I also ask him to have plenty of hot water ready when the doctor arrived and to bring some clean towels and linens up to Zechs' bedchamber.

"Consider it done, Master Quatre." The old man nodded, and left to carry out my instructions without asking any unnecessary questions.
I insisted that Zechs lie down while he waited for the doctor. He arrived less than an hour later.
Dr. Baker was a gentleman in the prime of his life with slightly graying hair. He had a neatly trimmed mustache and was wearing a pair of golden rimmed glasses.
"What happened?" he asked as he washed his hands in a basin with warm water.
"An accident on the shooting range," Zechs replied. "I'm afraid I was a little too careless."
Well, that wasn't a complete lie.
"I see." The doctor nodded as he reached for the towel. If he suspected the truth, he didn't show any indication of it.
"Young man," he addressed me, as he opened his medical bag. "I would prefer if you would wait outside while I tend to Mr. Marquise. I'd rather not risk you passing out on me at the first sight of blood."
I almost snorted. How squeamish does he think I am?
I felt compelled to point out that I was the one who had dressed Zechs' wound in the first place, but I bit my tongue and left.
After he was finished with his patient Dr Baker wanted to speak to me.
"I have cleaned his wound and stitched it up," he explained. "Mr. Merquise should be fine. I also gave him some drugs to dull the pain. They could make him feel a little lightheaded. He might also feel dizzy from the blood loss for a while, so please make sure he stays off his feet for a day or two. I'll be back on Friday to check on him."
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll make sure Mr. Merquise gets lots of rest," I promised.

*****

Zechs wasn't the easiest patient to deal with, but I managed to keep him in bed for a whole twenty four hours. The next two days he spent mostly in his study, reading and painting. When Dr Baker came to re-examine him he seemed rather satisfied, and determined that Zechs could go on with his normal routine once the stitches were removed.

The following Sunday I drove to Chesterfield to pick up Trowa. On the way home I told him everything that had happened while he was gone.

"How do you do it?" I asked once I had finished.
"Do what?"

"Take care of Zechs. I only had to look after him for a week, and I am exhausted."

*****

When cousin Treize had left I had promised him to make sure that his roses were well taken care off, so I usually went two to three times each week over to his manor to check that the gardener hadn't forgotten to water them.
It was such a beautiful, sunny afternoon that I decided to take a walk, rather than to ride, to Rosewood. As usual Trowa accompanied me, which made the stroll even the more pleasant. Everything was in order and Treize's roses looked as beautiful as always.
On the way back we took a break in a clearing near Blue Lake. We settled down in the lush grass next to one another. For a while we were just lying there, watching the clouds.
"This is getting boring."
Trowa propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me. "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."
"We aren't very far from the game-keepers cabin. Remember the last time we went there; that afternoon when it was raining?"

"But it isn't raining."

Trowa reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. "We could pretend it is," he whispered. "What do you think?"

I smirked at him. "I think we should hurry before we get soaked."

We raced each other to the cabin and arrived there laughing and out of breath. While I got some wood to light a fire, Trowa went to fetch some blankets from upstairs. He spread them out in front of the fireplace, and a few minutes later we were sitting next to each other, watching the flames, just like we had done that afternoon when it rained. And just like then we had taken off our coats.
I moved closer to Trowa until I was leaning against his body. He put his arm around me and pulled me even closer, and I rested my head on his shoulder with a content smile. Being this close to Trowa was simply wonderful.
We sat quietly for a few moments, then Trowa turned his head a little. His right hand came up to play with my hair and he whispered. "May I kiss you, Quatre?"
I gave him a tiny smirk. "I thought you would never ask."
Trowa dipped his head and covered my lips with his own. The kiss started out just like out first one had, but it lasted much longer. Trowa's hand cupped the back of my head; his fingers digging into my hair. He moaned softly against my mouth. It was such a sweet sound. I felt a shiver running down my spine. His tongue moved over my lips, and I parted them slightly, almost instinctively.
Slowly Trowa lowered me down onto the blankets before he broke the kiss. He was kneeling over me, and when I gazed up and into his eyes I noticed a fire burning in them that I had never seen before.

We kissed again, hungrier this time, more passionate.

"You are beautiful, Quatre. And you taste wonderful." Trowa moaned again and closed his eyes, suckling on my lower lip before he pulled away slightly. He placed a trail of soft kisses along my chin and down my throat. My heart was beating frantically as his slender fingers started to unbutton my shirt. I felt a rush of cool air against my heated skin as he peeled away the fabric. His hands were warm, callused from working, but surprisingly gentle, as he ran them over my chest.

He slipped my shirt over my shoulders and dipped his head to nuzzle the nape of my neck. I shivered with delight as I moved my head to expose more of the soft flesh to his hungry lips. Trowa answered the unspoken invitation with more kisses. He placed them along my collarbone and up my throat. His lips were hot and soft as velvet.
"I love you, Quatre," he whispered into my ear, his voice sounding unusually deep and husky.
"I love you too," I breathed.

His hands roamed over my chest and my abdomen. He let them run up and down my sides. My skin felt like it was burning under his feather-light touches. A warm and pleasant feeling started to spread through my body, before settling deep in my loins.

Trowa captured my mouth once more. My lips parted as I melted into his sweet kiss. I gasped, as his fingertips brushed over my nipples. Never before had I realized how sensitive the little buds were. His fingers circled my nipples softly, teasingly.

I closed my eyes in sheer delight.

"Please look at me, Quatre," Trowa whispered. "I want to see your eyes."

I blushed slightly as I complied. He raised his hand to brush away a few strand of hair. I gazed up at him and our eyes locked.

"Your eyes are beautiful," he cooed. "They are like the water in a clear lake. One could easily drown in them."

"Oh, Trowa…" I slipped my arms around Trowa's neck, pulling his head down to me. I brushed my lips against his and kissed him softly, while I buried my fingers in his hair. Trowa sighed in pleasure, and we deepened our kiss as passion and desire got the better of us. Lack of air finally forced us to break our kiss. "You make me feel like I have never felt before." I panted breathlessly. "I'm burning, inside and out, when you touch me. Please don't stop."

"Anything you want," he whispered as he let his warm hands wander over my chest again. "I have been dreaming of this for so long." Another very long kiss followed and then another whisper. "I love you so much, Quatre." His mouth moved slowly toward my ear, his lips closed over its tender lobe, and began, very softly, to suckle. At the same time his fingertips trailed slowly over my belly.
I suddenly felt the urge to touch him as well. My hands moved down his back. I tugged at his shirt, pulling it out of his trousers. As I slipped my hands beneath the fabric and started to caress his hot skin, I was rewarded with another delighted moan. While one of my hands kept stroking Trowa's back, I bought my other hand between us and ran it over his well-muscled chest. I searched for and found one of his nipples, and brushed my fingers over it ever so softly, copying what he had done earlier to me. I wanted to make Trowa feel the same way I was feeling; wanted to ignite the same fire in him that was burning in my veins. I knew that I was successful when he made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a low growl. I could feel the little silky bud perk up and become hard beneath my fingertips, almost instantly.

Trowa's kissed his way up my throat, then covered my passion swollen lips with his own. Between kisses he moaned, and whispered my name.
I wasn't sure if it was those sweet sounds breaking from Trowa's lips or his touches that sent another wave of warm fuzziness through my body.
I had never done any of this before. In fact I had never even been kissed by another man - or woman for that matter - in the way Trowa kissed me. The way that my body reacted to his gentle caresses was wonderful, arousing, exhilarating, but also quite overwhelming and a little frightening. I realized that there was more to "this" than just kissing and fondling, but I wasn't sure if I was ready yet for anything else. Part of me wanted more; yearned for everything Trowa was willing to give me, but another part of me was more than a little nervous.

Trowa must have noticed my nervousness, because he pulled away slightly and smiled at me reassuringly, brushing the soft skin of my cheek with his knuckles. "Relax, Quatre. I would never do anything you don't want me to do; anything you are not ready for yet," he spoke. "Trust me."

I smiled back at him. "I do trust you. Otherwise I would not be here with you now. It's just that I have never done any of this before."
"There is nothing wrong with that. You are still so young, Quatre. You will learn. There is so much I can teach you; so many wonderful things that we can do together," he whispered softly. "All in good time."

"Thank you."

We shared another long and deep kiss before Trowa stretched out next to me, putting his arm around me. As I rested my head on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart, his fingers played slowly with my hair. I wasn't not sure how long we had been lying like this when Trowa stirred. "I think we need to head home, before anybody starts looking for us."
I nodded regretfully. "You're right. But before we go, promise me that we will do this again some time soon."
Trowa smirked. "Anytime you want," he promised. After a last short but affectionate kiss he rose and extended his hand to help me up as well.

*****

Zechs was sitting in the drawing room, reading a letter, as we came home.
"Post from Cousin Treize?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yes, and there is a letter for you too."
"Good news?" I wanted to know as I walked over to the small table near the entrance door to retrieve it.
"I would say so. He is on his way home."
"Oh, that's wonderful," I exclaimed. "Then his search went much quicker than he had expected. He certainly was lucky to meet that young Chinese gentleman, Mr. Chang, wouldn't you say so?" Treize had spoken in his letters about how crucial the young man had been in his investigations.
"Yes, I suppose it was," Zechs replied. There was a strange tone in his voice.
At the time I didn't think too much of it. As I broke open my letter and settled down by the fireplace to read it, both Zechs and I, grew quiet. ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________

T.B.C.

Author's Note: Happy Valentines Day! :-)

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