Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Reluctant Companion ❯ Chapter 18

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Reluctant Companion 18

Betaed by Skippyscatt

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Wufei carefully dug out all the bones he could find and explained to the men he set removing the
muck around the area that they were not to throw a single thing away. They respectfully nodded.

It didn't take them long to begin bringing the bones to Wufei.

He had cleared off one of his tables and started putting the bones out on it. It was long enough
that he could lay each skeleton out on it. He put them head to head and began sorting through the
scrambled pieces of human bone.

It took him quite some time to get the job done. It was particularly difficult as the bones came in
with no logic or reason, just random bits handed to him by respectful men. As he sorted and
catalogued the bones he made notes. After he had the skeletons completed, he made more notes.
Then he sat down to go over the notes in detail. When he was done he sighed and went to find
the captain of the guard.

.

"Well, my lord, this is most distressing. I still have the gold. Never found anyone it belonged to.
Master Heero, most likely, or you. But if this is who I think it is, it solves a mystery that's hung
around for years. All sorts of hidden places in this hulk. And collapsing walls and all sorts of
things. So. Never could see why the lady would leave, himself was a bit of work but she stuck by
him. And that son of his thought the sun rose and set at his daddy's command. I remember them,
I was just a young thing. All wild an' full of myself, but I remember the gentle lady and that boy.
Bout fourteen, fifteen at the time. And everything falling apart all around us. Still ... well. What
is there you got to tell me?"

Wufei picked up a skull. "See here? It's been cracked. And not by a blow. This right here."
Wufei pointed. "I think this person fell down that damn narrow slick flight of stairs. Or was
pushed." he picked up a rib. "And here, and here. This one's been stabbed. In the heart. As to
who they are. That gold and especially the ring make me fairly sure that it's the lady and the son.
What were their names?"

"Lady Angelica and Young Lord Christopher. He was a right handful, for all that he was good
hearted. So." he reached out to touch the bones. "Who's who?"

Wufei looked up to see Milliardo hovering in the background. "Come on in. You'll burst in a
minute."

Milliardo gazed at the bones with a puzzled look. "How do you know which bone belongs to
who."

Wufei picked up a pelvis and explained the differences in male and female anatomy. He showed
Milliardo and the captain the marks that made him sure that the young lord had been stabbed.
The lady had cracked her head on the stairs for some reason. Milliardo sighed.

"So you're telling us that the young lord was stabbed and she cracked her head on the stairs? But
why was he stabbed and how did she fall?"

Wufei fingered a rib bone. "I don't know. These bones don't say. And I refuse to guess. The
times were violent, perhaps someone stole the gold. The young lord caught them, they stabbed
him and decided to throw him into the cistern. She caught him or her and chased them, slipped
on the stairs and fell. So she wound up in the cistern too. As to why the cistern and stables were
abandoned. Who would want to house horses in a charnel house? So. We know as much as we
ever will." Wufei turned to the captain. "Arrange for the proper interment please. I'll write a
letter to Heero. The old lord was his relative, he should know about this as soon as possible. Get
a messenger ready to mount up within the hour."

The captain saluted, allowed that he'd have to write a report as well, said they'd better wait on
the burial until Heero had his say, then left. Wufei shook his head. "Milliardo, get me a couple of
nice boxes. I'll put these relics in one for each of them, and lock them away for now."

Milliardo went into the storage room and hunted until he found two simple wooden boxes. He
took them out to Wufei then suggested that they shouldn't just more or less dump the bones in
them. Wufei agreed with him and said he had some nice plain wool cloth in his chest. They went
to find it and used it to line the boxes. Then Wufei put the bones in the boxes and folded the
cloth over them. Milliardo stopped him before he put the tops on.

"I'll say a few words over them." Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Well, I am a priest of Anchora. Or
perhaps I should sing a blessing?"

Wufei thought. "Since we're not sure who they are, perhaps just the blessing."

Milliardo cleared his throat and sang a general funerary blessing, his voice clear and firm. Wufei
realized that he had a very nice bass voice. He listened respectfully until Milliardo was done then
he gently placed the covers on the boxes and tied them down with string. Milliardo picked up the
heavy pot of sealing wax that Wufei had set to melt and poured a large dollop on the knots.
Wufei sealed them with his official seal and with his personal one.

Milliardo swept his bangs out of his eyes with one hand and held them. "What now? Where do
we put them until we know what to do?"

Wufei eyed the boxes for a moment then decided. "We'll put them in the village temple. They'll
be fine there. When we find out for sure, or as sure as we ever can be, then I'll make final
disposition. Will you carry them, or should we get a conveyance of some kind."

Milliardo pushed at his bangs again. "A small wagon, pulled by a mule or donkey would be more
respectful. But I can carry them if that's what you want."

"You're right, go get a wagon. And I'm going to cut that mess when you come back."

Milliardo grinned. His bangs had gotten long enough that they were in his eyes all the time.
Wufei had been threatening to cut them for a week. He hurried off to get the wagon, winding up
with a two wheeled donkey cart neatly draped with mourning shrouds.

.

Wufei sent off the letters by courier and settled in to wait for what information Heero might be
able to provide. The boxes resided on a small side alter in the temple tended by a young acolyte.

The next month was good. They worked out, argued about the book they read together each
night. They comforted each other, and loved each other.

When the letter came from Heero, they both had to laugh. He was slightly indignant that they'd
found his great aunt and cousin when no one else could, even if they'd never know exactly what
had happened. He also said that he'd be there for a proper funeral in three weeks.

Milliardo gave Wufei a horrified look. "Three weeks? Oh, Anchora! What am I going to do? I
don't ... he won't ... dammit!"

Wufei petted Milliardo's braid and silenced him with a kiss. "They'll be here in three weeks.
That gives us plenty of time to arrange everything. You're going to settle down and help me. So
... you don't what? And who won't what ever."

"I don't want to go away, but I'm sure Heero will take one look at how happy I am and take me
away. And Duo won't want to even see me. So ... what are we going to do? Please! I don't want
to be taken away. I'd rather he beat me half to death."

Wufei tugged Milliardo over to his favorite chair. Milliardo knelt at his feet and put his head in
Wufei's lap, a position he took up often while Wufei brushed his hair.

"Very well. Set your mind at ease. One, you are mine. Heero can't take you away. I have papers
on you. Two, if Duo objects to your presence, you'll just have to stay in the apothecary until they
leave. Now. If you get hysterical, I'll give you a draught. A nasty one."

Milliardo shivered. "No, I thank you. I'll be calm. I'm sorry I'm such a baby. I just ... I want ..."
he silenced himself with a sigh.

Wufei tugged on Milliardo's braid to make him look up. "And ... do you really think even Heero
could get you away if I don't what you to go? Think." Wufei's fierce glare made Milliardo shiver
again, for a different reason.

"No, lord dragon. You're right. So, what kind of funeral should we have? If Heero has accepted
that the bones are Lady Angelica and Young Lord Christopher, and it seems he has, the service
has to be a High Ceremony. We need at least twenty priests and attendants, I don't think there's
more than six or seven in the whole area."

Wufei shrugged, saying, "Well, you know more about what should be done than I do. You make
the arrangements, write whatever letters are necessary to get the proper officials and take care of
anything else needed. Oh, and don't forget that the beer will be ready just in time. You better
make another batch right away, or we'll be out again."

That was one of the things that had made the month so good. Milliardo's beer had been a huge
success. It took a while to make good ale. First the grain had to be malted which was tricky. If
you let it go too long the barley would sprout, if you didn't set it long enough, there wouldn't be
any sugars. They had actually built an entire building devoted to getting the malting process just
right. Milliardo had explained the entire process to Wufei and had him write the whole thing
down in his neat script while he read from his messy notes. He'd had a failure before he got it
right. Now the ale was excellent, even though the whole of the keep insisted on calling it beer.

Milliardo didn't really care, all he cared about was that it was good, and plentiful. He kept ale in
all stages all the time. Cook had let one brewing nearly run out before she started another,
Milliardo kegged some each time and was experimenting with storage. He wanted to see how
long he could keep beer and what the results would be. He'd also persuaded Wufei to pass purity
laws. He told horror stories of all the things people put in beer and ale to make it last or to stretch
their supply. Wufei had shuddered and complied.

"I'll look into it at once. And I'll write to the main temple to send officiants who do nothing but
funerals. They'll send right away to tell me what arrangements to make. At least we have three
weeks warning. I'll get started in the morning."

.

The next morning Milliardo wrote to the temple telling them the situation and asking them to
send the appropriate people in time for the ceremony. He also ordered more supplies for his beer,
deciding to brew two batches, back to back, and store it in barrels. It wouldn't be in them long
enough to sour. If it did at all. He was beginning to have doubts about the virtue of fresh beer.

Wufei, meanwhile, watched his lover as he took charge of the brewery and the funeral with an
aplomb that he was sure Milliardo would never have managed a year ago. He knew he'd made
mistakes with him, but Milliardo had turned out quite well. He was going to rub Heero's nose in
that rather firmly. Duo on the other hand was going to be delighted.

He helped where he could and saw to the continued smooth running of the domain.

.

Milliardo smiled at Wufei. "We have four days until we're invaded by twenty priests and
acolytes, Heero's contingent and Quatre and Trowa. Have I left anyone or their dog out?"

Wufei snorted. "It's not that bad. This place is huge and I've seen to repairs enough that all the
bed chambers are in good heart. The priests and acolytes will stay at the temple, the soldiers will
stay in barracks. There's going to be plenty of food and beer and Heero said he'd bring wine.
We're almost out. Too bad we don't grow grapes. We could make wine too. All the plans have
come together. Let's go for a ride."

"Fine idea. The weather is nice and this is one of the last really nice days we'll have before
winter sets in. A ride it is. But I'm not dressing up, I've got work to do too, work I can only put
off so long."

"Well ... race you." Wufei shot off at a dead run, Milliardo trailing braid and curses behind them.

The stable didn't take long to saddle their horses and the stableboys all gathered to see Wufei
mount. He used a simple assisted mount but it always made the stable boys snicker to see
Milliardo make a cup of his hand and toss Wufei into his saddle. Wufei was perfectly capable of
mounting by himself but Milliardo insisted for some reason and Wufei decided to save his
arguing skills for something more important. Milliardo gave his usual glare around and mounted
his own horse.

"Why don't we go look at that new irrigation canal. I think it's almost finished."

Wufei nodded and turned his horse in the proper direction. They rode in silence, enjoying the
lovely weather, each man thinking his own thoughts. They rode to the canal and started to ride up
its length, riding in the general direction of the river.

"Not much water in there. Shouldn't there be more?" Milliardo examined the trickle in the
bottom of the canal with some misgivings.

Wufei eyed it with dismay. "Yes, there should be at least three times that much. The canal is
blocked further up stream. We better go take a look. If it backs up enough to over flow, there
could be some nasty flooding. Somewhere we don't want it."

They rode up the canal until they found the blockage. One wall of the canal had been badly
constructed and a large block of stone had fallen into the canal. The water was backing up into a
shallow valley which was filling up and nearing overflow.

Milliardo dismounted and examined the mess. "Well, if I move that." he pointed to the offending
bolder. "The rest should wash away easily enough."

"You're right. Just be careful. I don't fancy jumping in to save you. And that water is going to be
cold."

Milliardo was stripping off his outer clothing as they spoke. He draped his things over his saddle
and turned to the canal, wading in, he struggled to move the bolder. It was lodged firmly in the
middle of it, the rest of the debris cementing it firmly in place.

He wrestled around with it for a little while, until he managed to clear space to get a rope around
it. He tossed the end to Wufei who tied it to his saddle bow and started backing his horse up.
Milliardo got on the other side of the bolder and pushed. When it finally gave way, Milliardo was
washed down the channel several feet by the strength of the water. Wufei forced his horse into
the current and broadsided it, allowing Milliardo to clutch his stirrup. He guided the horse out of
the canal and into the road way. Milliardo slumped into the dirt, panting.

Wufei started to dismount, worried that Milliardo might have injured himself. Milliardo stopped
him with a gesture. "I'm fine, just out of breath, and filthy. I should have done something with
my hair too. It's going to be a bitch to get clean. Sorry."

"Are you sure? I have some stuff in my saddle bag, if you need it."

"No, I'm really fine. Just need to catch my breath. Better already."

That was when they heard the galloping horses. Wufei snarled, "Now what.' and turned to meet
the horsemen.

Heero and Duo galloped up.

"Wufei! What? What happened? We heard the shouting."

Duo jumped off his horse to go to Milliardo's aid. Heero took one look at the situation,
announced that he'd be back with a blanket and galloped back over the rise.

Milliardo sat up, shivering and held out a muddy hand to fend Duo off. "You don't want to touch
me." He gave Wufei a piteous look. "It's me."

Wufei braced himself for Duo's next words. "Dammit, Wufei, I gave him to you to take care of.
To teach. Not to abuse. What the hell is going on here?"

Milliardo's jaw dropped. "Take ... take care of? Me? But ... High General!"

Duo glowered at Milliardo. "You're a prince. A damn stupid one, but still a prince, and a
member of the order in high standing. You actually think I'm going to allow you to wind up in
just anyone's hands?"

Milliardo could think of nothing to do but prostrate himself at Duo's feet, to which Duo took
immediate exception

"High General."

"Oh, for Anchora's sake get up. You'll get filthy wallowing around on the ground like that."

"I'm all ready filthy."

Duo looked Milliardo over quickly then turned to Wufei. "I can see that. I'd really like an
explanation. Now!"

Wufei just shrugged. "The canal was blocked. We were afraid that there'd be a flood if we didn't
clear it quickly. He nearly got washed away. And the water is cold." Wufei looked around.
"We'll make a quick camp there." He pointed to a good size flat area. "He needs to warm up.
Come on."

They met Heero coming back, on a different horse Wufei was glad to see. He brought a blanket
and a fire pot with him. And several guardsmen. They setup a wind fly and started a fire.
Milliardo crouched down near it gratefully. He'd wrapped the blanket Heero threw at him around
his shoulders but he still felt chilled.

Heero blinked once then just looked smugly at Wufei. "See. I told you. He's a pest and a great
fool. But once bound he's bound for good. Now, we need to get him warm and dry ..." Heero
looked at Milliardo consideringly. "And clean. We'll never get all that mud out of his hair if we
let it dry."

So Milliardo was surrounded by guardsmen intent on stripping him out of his wet, muddy and, he
realized with embarrassment, nearly transparent linen smalls. He took a deep breath, reminded
himself for the thousandth time of Wufei's command to be calm, gave up his blanket and
endured their attentions because he didn't want to have to return to the keep in this condition and
listen to a lecture from Cook, and Guard Captain Jenks, and the stable master, and ... he sighed.
Half the keep would have his head on a plate.

After stripping down, Milliardo allowed himself to be doused with buckets of cold water from
the still backed up canal, soaped with Wufei's special cold water soap and drenched again to
rinse off. He shuddered from the cold water but was glad to be clean again.

While Milliardo was washing off Wufei had been filling Duo and Heero in on most of their
efforts while he brewed tea for all of them. One of the things the guardsmen had brought was a
huge tea pot. Wufei poured water into it and set it to boil. Milliardo cuddled up to the fire as
close as he could safely get. Wufei gave him an affectionate look and told him to tuck the corner
closer, out of danger.

Milliardo nodded and returned his gaze to the fire. He kept trying to remember that Wufei had
told him to be calm, but it was hard. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Alright? You look flattened."

Milliardo nodded. "I feel ... a bit disconnected. That water was really cold, I still feel chilled. And
a bit dazed. Sorry."

That's all right. I think you're a bit shocky. Stay close to the fire until you get warmed up. I'll
talk to Duo and Heero for a while. Don't worry. Remember what I said."

Milliardo turned back to the fire. "I'll try. I will. But ..."

Wufei just patted Milliardo's shoulder. "Hush. Be calm."
.

Milliardo stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm finally warm again. We should be getting back to
the keep. Cook will have our hides if we don't." he suddenly grimaced. "Oh shit. And we better
send someone ahead to warn them that you ..." he gave Duo a venomous glare, more worried for
the moment about Cook's displeasure than anything else. "Are very early. She'll have a cow.
And I don't fancy one of her dressing downs on top of being frozen and half drowned."

Duo had gazed at Milliardo in amazement as he grumbled while Heero was frankly laughing
himself silly. Milliardo gazed at them in contempt. "Well, I don't. You know how she gets. And,
dammit, I still have to start a new batch of ale this afternoon. Wufei ..."

Wufei just leaned against his horse and snickered himself breathless. He was waiting for
Milliardo to realize that neither Heero nor Duo was surprised to see him happy and useful.

None of them were a bit surprised when Milliardo did realize, although the swearing was
amusing.

When he was done swearing Milliardo crossed his arms over his chest and demanded
explanations. Wufei said, between snickers, "I'm sure you do, but that stance would look a lot
more commanding if you weren't naked."

Milliardo snorted softly, "Don't change the subject. Hand me my pants." Needless to say, this
caused a great deal of further merriment, which he joined.

.

They rode into the keep, surrendered their horses and separated. Milliardo confessed that he
didn't feel clean and was going to take a bath before he went back to work. Duo announced that
he would take a contingent of men back to the canal to repair it. And Heero and Wufei needed to
closet themselves in the office for the foreseeable future to go over business and finalize
Milliardo's plans for the funeral.

Milliardo drew his bath, trying to get his head around the fact that Duo didn't seem to be angry
with him, in fact had been quite civil to him. He just couldn't get his head around that. He kept
thinking of what he'd done and trying to understand. He also kept reminding himself that Wufei
had told him several times to be calm, polite and himself. He worried at this until he realized that
his fingers were wrinkling.

Milliardo finished his bath and went down into the lower level. Once they'd gotten the cistern
truly clean and a chain pump installed, it was easier than anyone would have thought to start a
brewing. When he'd realized that he was going to be brewing as much beer and ale as was
needed, now that the beer was fit to drink, Milliardo had put in two more tuns. Wufei had
grumbled a little at the expense as Milliardo had needed kettles, tuns and barrels. But the keep
went through about an imperial gallon of beer or ale per person per day. That was a lot of beer.
With the addition of nearly a hundred extra people Milliardo was looking at a consumption rate
of two hundred gallons of beer a day. He'd prepared for it but the early arrival had set his plans
off. He was just glad that he didn't have to brew for the two villages too. Although he'd been
asked to teach the local brewers his new techniques and share his yeast, which he was glad to do.

He'd thought about asking the locals to help with the volume of his needs but he didn't trust their
quality. They were still working on the fact that the wort had to be boiled for an entire candle
mark. As well as the fact that the fermentation tuns had to be covered. He sighed and started
shoveling malted barley into a huge square boiler that he'd had made. After that was done, he
checked a kettle of malt syrup, that he'd made himself after learning the recipe from one of the
brew masters he now corresponded with.

He built a fire under the boiler and smiled, remembering the cussing and fussing of trying to vent
that amount of smoke. They'd wound up running a vent pipe from the fire box up the chimney. It
worked well unless the wind was from the south.

Milliardo tugged at his hair then snarled shit!' he'd forgotten to tie his hair up again. He picked
up a clean rag and ripped off a long strip from one side. He unbraided his hair, checked to see
how dry it was, grimaced at the wetness and braided it with the strip of rag. He wrapped the long
rope of his braid around his head tying it in place with wraps of the rag, creating a turban like
arrangement that kept his hair out of his eyes and any mess.

He checked the wort to see if it was boiling yet and started when he heard the voice of one of his
helpers reprimanding him for doing it all himself. He just smiled at the man and left him to stir
the first batch of wort to keep it from scorching. He started shoveling the malted barley into the
next boiler. He was setting over two hundred gallons to brew and they'd need every drop.

Both men looked up at a clatter of feet on the stairs. Milliardo flinched as the person stumbled.

"Hey! Be careful. Those stairs are slick and worn. Slow down."

The foot steps slowed to a more reasonable rate and Duo soon showed up at the bottom of the
staircase, thankfully upright.

"Wooo! I didn't know this was down here. What's with this place?"

Milliardo wiped sweat off his face and bare chest. He'd shucked his tunic when he'd lit the fire.

"No one really knows anymore. We found the bones while we were cleaning the cistern out."

"I was wanting to see that. Where is it?" Duo was a bit dirty so Milliardo knew he'd seen to the
canal and now was probably gathering information to try to figure out what had happened.

"You're standing on it. Or in it. Depending on how you look at it."

Duo looked around. "On it? What?" He hopped back as Milliardo picked up a lever. Milliardo
gave him a sad look. "Don't look at me like that. Where's the cistern?"

"Underneath the floor. Here." He started to hand Duo the long metal pole but Duo held out his
hands in a "you do it' sort of gesture and got out of the way.

Milliardo pried up the tile and stood back as Duo stuck his head and shoulders into the hole. "I
see what you mean." He stood back up. "Was it that full?"

"No, I was cleaning it out and ..." Milliardo trailed off as Duo got a really good look at him.
"What?"

Duo just clamped a hand over his mouth to keep in the laughter. "Go ahead, I'm used to it.
Everyone thinks it looks ridiculous, but you've got long hair. Get malt syrup in it, I dare you."

Duo just leaned on a pillar and roared. Milliardo waited with an impassive expression on his face
and his heart in his mouth, what if Duo was offended. After Duo got control of himself he just
shook his head. "Show me the rest of this place, please."

Milliardo dragged him, figuratively speaking, to see the boilers and fermentation tuns, the barrels
and the water pump. After telling his aid to make sure that the wort boiled and didn't scorch he
suggested that they go see Cook for some treats. Duo shrugged and said that would be good.

"But don't think you're going to get out of telling me the whole story. Wufei is being grilled by
Heero even as we speak. So..."

Milliardo just sighed, he couldn't stand this anymore. Duo yipped in surprise as Milliardo
prostrated himself on the floor, laying down flat and putting his hand near Duo's foot. "Please,
High General, forgive me. I am nothing, was never anything. Please."

Duo blinked down a Milliardo for a moment then asked him, "What is wrong? Get up."

"Why are you being so kind to me? After what I did, you should hate me. You should be trying to
... to ... make me as miserable as I made you. How can you just forgive me?"

Duo knelt and touched the back of Milliardo's hand. "I forgive you. I just do. You've learned
your lesson, haven't you?" Milliardo nodded. "So, there you are. Get up." Milliardo got to his
feet, head hanging. "And come on. I want to taste your ale, and I want some pie. You can tell me
your story while we eat."

Milliardo followed Duo to the kitchens, trying to reconcile what was happening with what should
be happening.
.

When they got to the kitchens Cook showered Duo with treats and tea, refusing to give him any
ale until he had something in his stomach other than pie and cookies. He happily ate her offerings
while listening to Milliardo tell his tale. When he ended it Duo just smiled.

"I'm going to have to thank Wufei. I was hoping he could do a little something with you, but I
hardly recognize you."

"Thank you. But ... I don't understand. I thought you'd hate me. I ..."

Duo held up a hand. "Give up. I don't hate you. I hate what you did, but if you hadn't, I'd never
have met Heero. We're so happy together. And we're making plans for a child this year. So,
while I'll never forgive what you've done, I can forgive you."

Milliardo bowed his head. "Thank you so very much. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make
it up to you ... Somehow."

"For now, just get me some of that beer."

"It's ale. I'll be right back." Milliardo got up to get the ale and almost missed Duo's question.

"There's a difference?" Cook covered her eyes with both hands and moaned.

Wufei and Heero rescued a glazed eyed Duo an hour later. He blinked at Milliardo and said
rather quickly. "That's all very interesting, but I have to go to see about the funeral. Bye!"