Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ On the Run ❯ Chapter 9

On the Run - epilogue

by KatiKat

It took them only a couple of minutes to pack all their things and bundle Mil and the newborn child warmly. Trowa expressed some concern about exposing the child to cold so shortly after his birth, but seeing no other way out, they at least wrapped him in thick furs to minimize the exposure.

The soldiers were waiting for them with the sleigh and horses in front of the main door. It was already dark outside, but the surrounding area of the inn was lit by torches. While descending the stairs, Mil was leaning heavily on Treize, gritting his teeth as every step jarred his strained muscles. Trowa was following them, the happily slumbering child in his arms.

Heero had already helped Duo down the stairs and into the waiting sleigh. Shinigami was dancing around them, wagging his tail as if he couldn´t wait to be on the move again. Heero covered Duo with furs and smiled at him assuringly as the braided man kept looking over his shoulder, checking the road heading North for any signs of Howard and his men.

"Don´t worry," Heero whispered to him, catching Duo´s face in his glove-covered hands as the violet eyed young man kept looking around nervously. "I´m sure the Count sent out sentries. We would know if someone was coming."

Duo looked at him, swallowed, then nodded once.

They both turned around as the main door of the inn opened and Treize stepped out with Mil. The blond man was breathing heavily, droplets of sweat were running down his face. He was white as a sheet and his lips were pressed together tightly.

One of the soldiers opened the door of the sleigh, and Treize helped Mil get in. It was a slow process full of painful, half-broken gasps as the lifebearer´s body protested against the harsh treatment. Finally, Mil was seated though and the Count covered him with the pre-heated furs. Treize leaned closer, gave Mil a quick peck on the lips then covered the blond´s head with the hood of the warm coat.

When the aristocrat moved to the side, Trowa stepped into his place and with a small smile, he laid the baby in his Bearer´s waiting arms. Then the door of the sleigh was closed. With a last smile and touch to Duo´s cheek, Heero followed Trowa to where the soldiers were waiting for them with horses.

Even though the front and the sides of the sleigh were rather low, the back was higher not allowing the occupants of the sleigh to see what was happening behind them. And since the horses were waiting for their riders behind the sleigh, Heero disappeared from his mate's sight. Duo looked around nervously, not wanting to meet the eyes of the man sitting next to him. He still felt quite guilty for pulling other people into their affairs. But in the end, he allowed himself to throw a small glance to the side. He started when he realized that Mil was watching him searchingly.

"I don´t think we have been introduced properly," the blond man said, a small smile playing around his mouth even though exhaustion carved deep lines in his pale face.

"Uhm... I´m Duo Max... Yuy. Duo Yuy," he introduced himself hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" Mil asked him, his smile growing. "You seem rather hesitant about it."

"No... I mean yes. Yes, I´m sure," Duo said more firmly, lifting his chin.

"Good. I´m Milliardo Peacecraft-Kushrenada, Baron of this and Count of that. To introduce a nobleman is rather complicated," he sighed, then winked at Duo. "But it would be alright if you called me Mil or Milliardo. The whole title is a rather long tongue twister. I would shake your hand, but as you can see, I´m rather busy right now." He lifted the sleeping bundle in his arms a bit, then smiled as the child gave out a sound resembling the mewling of a new born kitten.

Despite his nervousness, Duo smiled at the nobleman sitting by his side. He took an immediate liking to the blond man and couldn´t help but admire his strength. Milliardo didn´t complain, nor did he blame them for anything. He simply accepted the facts of the situation they needed to handle it somehow. Duo wasn´t sure if he could find such courage in himself.

The child made a contented huff. Duo looked at the bundle in the blond man´s arms and asked curiously. "Does your son have a name?"

Milliardo laughed. "I must admit that we didn´t actually have the time to find one. My pregnancy was rather… unexpected." With the last word the blond man´s face grew serious and something resembling to pain entered his blue eyes.

Duo didn´t know what to say.

"So," Mil broke the silence that settled over them. "Will you tell me what´s going on here? Nobody wants - or has the time - to tell me anything. It´s quite annoying."

Duo swallowed and turned his eyes away. "It´s... a rather long story..." he stated quietly.

Mil nodded. "Good. We have time," he prompted him. "And I swear that I will never betray your trust. Trowa and Heero know my secrets too. At least some of them..."

The braided young man sighed. He really felt the need to talk to somebody. Not that he didn´t love Heero and Trowa dearly but... they were simply too close to him for Duo to talk to them about what he felt. And so, with a heavy heart, he started his story...

*-*-*-*-*

From the back of a tall, black horse Heero watched Treize talk quietly to one of his men, Rufus if he remembered it right. The Enforcer noticed that at least two thirds of the Count´s men - including the captain of Treize´s personal guard - were staying behind. He had a suspicion what the aristocrat planned to do but he wasn´t sure if it would work out.

And so when Treize mounted his nervously dancing horse, Heero moved closer to him. "You want to get them," he stated, his voice flat.

Treize looked at him, adjusting the reins in his gloved hand. "Yes," he answered simply.

Heero shook his head. "You don´t know Howard. You have no idea what he is capable of," he warned the Count.

The aristocrat looked him squarely in the eye. His voice was ice cold. "And you don´t know me and what *I* am of capable of!"

Heero had no answer to this statement. The two men looked each other in the eyes for a couple of seconds, then the Enforcer turned his horse and joined Trowa right behind the sleigh, Shinigami trotting after him.

Treize kicked his horse and raised his hand, giving the small procession the sign to go. The horses moved forward.

*-*-*-*-*

Howard jumped down from his horse in front of the inn and threw the reins to one of his men. For a moment, he stopped in front of the dark building and looked around. Something was wrong here, but he couldn´t put his finger on it. Tosten, the little coward, told him about the Count and his guards, but now everything seemed to be quiet. Almost too quiet, he would say.

Narrowing his eyes, he stepped to the main door, took the knob in his hand and turned it. The heavy wooden door opened easily. He pushed it open until it hit the wall. The main room seemed to be empty. Did the bird fly away already?

Howard stepped into the room, his men following him. He noticed that the wooden floor was completely wet as if dozens of snow covered feet ran around the room. Suddenly, Warrick appeared in the swinging door leading into the kitchen. He was pale and he trembled nervously.

"Warrick," Howard greeted him coldly with a nod and stepped closer to the bar.

The inn´s owner swallowed, his eyes darting from side to side. "He... hello, Howard. So, Tosten... uhm, he found you."

"Yes, he did," the mercenary leader answered, his eyes narrowing further as he watched the man behind the bar look around fearfuly. "He said that Duo is here. Is it true?"

"Uhm..."

Noticing droplets of sweat run down Warrick´s meaty cheeks, Howard let his hand drop to the hilt of his sword. Then suddenly there was a noise coming from the first floor, and simultaneously a shout echoed from the outside.

"Warrick! What have you done?!" Howard snapped at him, baring his sword. His men copied his move, just as the swinging door banged open and the sound of feet running down the stairs reached their ears.

The inn´s owner raised his arms defensively. "It´s not my fault. You have to believe me!" the man yelled, stepping back from the furious mercenary.

"No, I don´t!" Howard retorted and swung his sword. Warrick followed his mate into the realm of the dead.

Then the mercenary leader turned around to the chaos that erupted in the room in the mean time. His men were fighting the soldiers of the Count´s personal guard, and even though the mercenaries were of a larger number, they couldn´t compare themselves to the king´s elite troupe.

Howard gripped the hilt of his sword more tightly and cursed loudly. He would get them for this. They would pay! He would make Duo his even if he had to return from the dead to do it.

He cried out and threw himself into the battle.


The End