Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Spirit of the blue-eyed Wolf ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Thank you to every one who reviewed this story

 

_________________________________________________________________ _______________________

Spirit of the Blue-Eyed Wolf

Chapter 4

“So, you really are leaving?”

Wufei nodded. When Treize had returned to the castle he had told him to be ready soon after supper. There was little for him to do to get ready though, aside from grabbing his staff and his pack. All there was left now was to say his good-byes, and that's what he had come down to the kitchen for.

“I packed a few things together for you to eat.” Trowa handed him a bundle wrapped in blue and white linen.

“Thank you, that's very…”

The young man made a dismissive gesture. “It's nothing.”

“Thanks anyway,” the monk insisted. “By the way, do you know where Lord Peacecraft is?” Wufei had wanted to bid his good-bye to him too, but he hadn't been able to find young nobleman. In fact, now that he thought about it, he had not seen him since their bath together. The memory almost sent another blush into his cheeks.

“He left the castle earlier; perhaps he went into town. I'm not sure.” Towa replied with a shrug.

“Oh I see.” It was odd really, when he thought about it. Either of the two masters of Wolfstein always seemed to be `away'. In fact, he had not once seen them together during the time he had spent at the castle. I wonder if they are trying to avoid one another for some reason. Perhaps they had a falling out or something. Well anyway, it is none of my business.

“Good bye then.”

“Good bye, Wufei. Good luck on the road and maybe we will see each other again, some day.”

Wufei nodded. “Good luck to you too.”

“There you are. Are we ready to leave?”

The young monk turned his head at the sound of Treize's voice. The tawny-haired man was standing by the kitchen door. “I'm ready whenever you are, Sir.” He nodded.

“Very well, then let's go.”

“Umm…Master Treize?!”

“What is it, Trowa?” His lordship, just about to leave, turned toward the young man with a questioning look.

“Don't take Maxine with you, Sir. I'm planning on taking him into town tonight. I noticed that one of his horseshoes is lose. I want to get it fixed before he looses it.”

Maxine was the palomino gelding Lord Peacecraft had used to haul wood earlier that day.

Treize nodded in agreement. “While you are at it have the smith check his other shoes as well. Have him put it on our bill and I'll pay it the next time I'm in town.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Alright.” Treize turned and headed up the stairs. “Let's get the horses saddled, then.”

“Horses?” Wufei echoes as he hurried after the older man.

His lordship held his step for a brief moment, turned his head and gave the monk an amused smirk. “Yes, horses. Large, four-legged animals with hoofs, used mainly to ride on or for pulling heavy loads.”

Wufei nearly snorted. “I know what a horse is. However, I'm not much of a rider, I'm afraid. I'm used to traveling afoot.”

“You know how to sit, I assume.”

“Of course.”

“Well, then you should be fine. Don't worry; the horse will do most of the work,” Treize told him in a lighthearted, teasing tone of voice.

#####

“Alex, where are the ropes we bought the other day?” The dark-haired man was rummaging through one of the large boxes on top of their covered wagon.

“I already have them down here,” his companion replied.

The two wolf-hunters were preparing to set up traps in the forest. Normally they would not bother with such time-consuming and troublesome work. A well aimed arrow or two did a much better job. This time however they were paid not to kill a wolf, but to capture it. Their patron wanted the animal to be alive and unharmed, and the payment they were promised was well worth any trouble.

The sun had set already and the forest was draped in dim moonlight. It didn't bother the hunters though, since they were used to working under those conditions. They two men had chosen this location with great care. It had plenty of bushes and overgrowth to hide them, later when they were going to lay in waiting.

Mueller jumped off the wagon and looked around. He was wearing leather pants, calf-high boots and a short plain vest over his tunic. His hands were clad in thin, soft gloves that fit him like a second skin. “It's too quiet,” he remarked seriously. “I don't like it.”

“Stop jabbering and give me a hand here.” His companion was trying to pull a freshly slaughtered sheep they had brought along as bait from the wagon, but it was heavy and the blood-soaked canvas it was wrapped in made it difficult to handle it.

“Its way to quiet,” Mueller repeated as he helped his partner to move the dead sheep into the center between three large trees. “I can't even hear a single bird. Maybe we should use that charm, in case there really are demons around here.”

“Don't worry about it. We will be fine without it.”

The charm he was referring to had been prepared by their patron. They had never met him in person, but the woman, who called herself Lady Une and claimed to be his negotiator, had told them that it was meant to repel demons. When she delivered the first part of their payment she had also handed them a specially designed collar which she wanted them to put around the wolf's neck as soon as they captured it. According to her it was designed to suppress the animal's demonic powers. Mueller couldn't say that he liked all this talk about demons and magic, but the lure of the gold was greater than his concern.

Next the two men prepared three large net-traps. They hung them into the three trees they had chosen and arranged it so that the wolf could not get to the bait without springing at least one of the traps, no matter which direction it came from. Still feeling uneasy Mueller kept looking around while he was working. He had strung his bow and was keeping it by his side along with a handful of arrows.

“Where is the blood?” Alex asked once the traps were in place and the ropes hidden beneath dirt and leaves.

“Right here.” His companion stepped toward their wagon and removed a large water-skin that was filled with the blood of the slaughtered sheep. He started to pour the thick red liquid onto the ground in little puddles. The fresh blood with not only attract their prey, but also hide their own scent.

Suddenly he noticed a shadow directly behind his partner. “Watch out, Alex,” he called out.

The other man spun around and paled. “Holy shit.”

The creature he was faced with was at least twice his size, with fangs as long as his hands and claws that rivaled those of the largest bear he had ever seen. Apparently the blood smell did not only draw out wolves but demons as well. He somehow managed to jump aside, rolled up over his shoulder and reached for his sword. The demon however was more interested in the dead sheep than in him. It grabbed the carcass with both paws. Mueller had already readied his bow. As the creature tried to drag the sheep away he fired. The first arrow caught the demon off guard. It hollered, more in surprise than in pain. Mueller kept firing away and when he ran out of arrows his companion attacked. His sword wounded the creature on the hip, leaving a deep gash that started to ooze greenish blood. With another cry the demon dropped its prey and retreated. The two hunters, glad to see the creature disappear between the trees, didn't bother pursuing it.

“That was close.” Alex panted, as he leaned against the wagon to catch his breath.

“I told you we should use that charm, didn't I?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the blond hunter grumbled. “You are a real Mister know-it-all.”

Mueller didn't answer. He rummaged through one of the boxes with shaking hands until he found a leather pouch. He opened it and removed a small stone that was emitting a strange yellow light. Remembering what Une had said about how to use the charm, he set it down on the ground and mumbled the words she had told them. Immediately the light became stronger and more intense, then suddenly it burst into countless tiny pieces and spread in all directions. Mueller instinctively ducked his head and raised his arm to cover his eyes. Then the light and the stone were gone. He looked around.

“That was it?” Alex asked. “Did it work?”

“I guess we will see.”

“I guess,” his companion agreed. “Let's finish up here”

While Alex moved their wagon and horses to a distant hiding place, Mueller poured the last of the blood onto anything the two men had touched so that its smell would cover the human scent. He then used a large, bushy branch to sweep away their footsteps. The wolf-hunter looked up into the night sky. A large silver moon, framed by countless sparkling stars, was sitting directly above him. Now the waiting game began.

#####

“Here we are.” Treize reined his stallion to a halt as the two men reached a fork in the road soon after they had left the forest behind them.

They had been riding for what seemed forever to Wufei. Not used to travel such long distances on horseback, he felt sore and stiff. The gelding he was riding was rather large. His legs ached from spanning the steed's broad back and the steady bouncing in the saddle proofed to be a pain in the butt in every sense of the word.

When they had left the castle Miri had been waiting for them at the road. The large wolf had followed them for several miles before taking off on his own and disappearing somewhere into the forest.

“If you head this way…” The older man gestured at the path leading to the right. “…you should reach Tonisburg within a day or so. Tonisburg is a merchant town, at least ten times the size of Bramswick. I'm not sure if you will find work exorcising demons there, but it is defiantly a nice place to meet interesting people and catch up on gossip and news from all around the country.”

“Thank you.” Wufei winced as he dismounted and handed his reins to the tawny-haired man. “And I don't mean just for escorting me, but for everything you did for me in these past two days. I'm greatly in your debt.”

His Lordship made a dismissive gesture. “Think nothing of it.”

“No, I mean it.” The young monk insisted as he removed his bundle and his staff from the saddle. “I owe you, and if there is ever anything I can do to repay your kindness, please do not hesitate to find me. I'll do whatever I can to help.”

“Very well,” Treize gave a curt nod. “I'll keep it in mind. I saw Trowa put together a little package for you. But since one can't live on food alone…” he pulled a small black object from his saddle bag. “…my parting gift for you.”

“This is…” Wufei hesitated.

“The book you have been reading. You seemed to enjoy it, but you weren't able to finish it, were you.”

“But...”

“No buts!” Treize gave him a sharp look. “I'd take it as a personal insult if you would decline my gift. However, I do insist that if you ever are near Wolfstein again you must come by the castle and tell me how you liked it.”

“I'll gladly do that.” Wufei nodded as he finally accepted the book. It was an easy promise to make. He carefully put it into his pack, and then with a last nod and a last `good-bye' he turned to leave.

Treize stayed and gazed after the young man until his figure faded in the distance and finally was swallowed by darkness. Only then he nudged his mount, turning him around, and with the rider-less horse in tow headed back toward his castle.

######

The black-smith's house was one of the last on the main road through Bramswick. The doors were closed, but Trowa could see lights burning inside the workshop when he arrived. He dismounted and tethered his horse to one of the poles in the yard. He looked through the window and couldn't see anyone inside the smithy. But when he knocked, a door on the other side of the house where the living quarters were located, opened.

“Trowa?!”

“Oh, Hilde.” The young man turned his head. “Is your father home?”

The black-smith' daughter, a young woman about his age, shook her head. “He was called out to fix a broken wagon wheel. But he should be back soon.”

“Do you mind if I wait? Maxine needs new horseshoes.”

“Not at all. In fact I'm glad you came by. I wanted to talk to you. Come in.”

“Talk to me?” he asked puzzled, as he followed her into the house and the kitchen.

Hilde nodded as he walked over to the stove, filled a large mug with hot tea and handed it to her guest. “Milk? I'm afraid we are out of honey. The traders didn't bring any last week.”

“Milk is fine.”

The dark-haired girl put a small carafe with fresh milk on the table and gestured for Trowa to have a seat while she settled down on a bench beneath the window. The two young people had known each other ever since Trowa had been taken in by Lord Peacecraft, but they really had become friends last summer when Hilde had gotten into some trouble in the woods.

Hilde had always been a wild kid and a tomboy, perhaps because she had been brought up by her father. Unlike most people in the village she wasn't afraid to go into the forest to collect wild berries and mushrooms, even after rumors about the curse and the demon wolf started to spread. That evening she had been fishing in the creek, somehow lost her footing and fallen into the water. The strong current was pulling her down stream when Trowa, who had been hunting with Miri, heard her cries for help. It wasn't really him who had saved her, but the wolf that jumped into the water and pulled her to safety. Afraid that her father might not let her roam so freely anymore when he found out about the incident, Hilde made Trowa promise not to hell him, a promise he had been able to keep so far.

“So,” the young man asked as he looked up from his steaming tea cup. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Yesterday two strangers came into town. I had a bad feeling about them as soon as I saw them, but while Father was shoeing on of their horses I took the chance to talk to them. Turned out I was right. They were hunters, wolf-hunters.”

“Wolf-hunters?” Trowa paled.

“Yes.”

“Where are they now?”

“They left town shortly before sundown. I think they headed for the forest, but I am not sure. I'm worried about the wolves, Trowa; especially about the silver one. One of father's friends, who was in the tavern last night, said they were talking about catching him.”

Setting his cup down on the table, hard enough to make it spill, Trowa jumped to his feet. “I've got to leave.”

“But what about those horseshoes?”

“I'll come back tomorrow.” The young man was already on his way out the door. He hastily untied the horse's reins and swung himself into the saddle. I have to warn him, he thought. I have to warn Master Milliardo.

#####

Overlooking the dark forest from the top of the castle wall, the large silver wolf raised his nose toward the moon. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. The creatures in the forest, especially the demons, were restless tonight.

Suddenly a gust of wind carried the scent of fresh blood to his sensitive nose. He turned his head into the direction the scent came from and sniffed. There was no mistaken it, it was definitely the smell of blood; animal blood along with the faint scent of humans. He let out a long, high-pitched howl to call the pack he knew was near then jumped off the wall and landed light-footedly on the grass below.

As he headed south the smell became stronger and stronger, increasing almost with every step he took. But now he could also make out the vile stench of demon blood. Slowly and guardedly he approached the area the scents seemed to come from. He was aware of the pack behind him, but he also knew that they would keep their distance, waiting for his signal to either attack or retreat.

 

Hiding in the underbrush, surrounded by scrubs and bushes the two hunters barely breathes as they watched the large silver wolf approach. The animal eyed the sheep's carcass warily from a distance. His tail was straight up, his ears constantly moving and his nose was raised into the air as he searched the area with his big blue eyes.

Stop being so damn careful and come closer, Mueller thought grimly. The cold of the night was starting to creep through his clothing and he was shivering. The forest floor beneath them was hard and covered with damp rotting leaves.

All of a sudden the wolf froze.

 

Miri wasn't sure what alerted hum, a smell or perhaps a faint nose, but suddenly he knew that they weren't; alone. He let out a brief bellow to alarm the rest of the pack. And as he could hear them scatter in the darkness he too turned and ran.

 

Damn it; he is too smart. He is not buying it. Mueller reached for his crossbow and arrows even before the large wolf bolted. Writing all caution into the wind the hunter rose to his knees and fired. The arrows he had chosen was specially prepared, its tips soaked with a strong and fast working sedative.

“Watch out where you hit him!” his companion warned. “He is no good to us dead.”

The dark-haired hunter just huffed. “Don't you think I know that?” He was able to shoot one more arrow then the canine had disappeared into the darkness. “Did I get him?”

“I'm not sure.” Alex was already on his feet. He found the spot where the wolf had entered the brush with ease. With the experience of somebody who had done this many times before he followed his trail through the woods. Even in the dim light he had no problem reading the tracks. After a few feet the hunter noticed several dark stains on the forest floor. He pulled off one of his leather gloves and crouched down to touch one of the stains. When he brought his hand in front of his face, his fingers were smeared with a rust brown substance. Blood! So at least one of the arrows had found its target.

 

Feeling a sharp pain in his left hind leg Miri knew instantly that he had been hit. It wasn't a serious wound though, and he managed to keep running. Only when he felt that it was safe he stopped to check the injury. The arrow was still sticking in his muscle. Ignoring the pain he grabbed it between his teeth and pulled it out. But the damage was done. The drug was in his blood and he could already feel the effects.

His limbs felt heavy and his movements were becoming sluggish. Instinctively he ran toward Wolfstein castle, knowing that he would be save there, but he did not make it very far. His hind legs gave away first. He still tried to fight his way to his feet even as his eyelids began to droop and his head grew heavy. Finally the large wolf collapsed, unable to move any further.

Treize, where are you, his mind called out before he slipped into darkness.

#####

Treize was riding like the devil was after him. He had still been several miles away from the castle when he felt his lover's distress, and then heard Milliardo's desperate call for help in his mind. When he entered the courtyard he saw Maxine standing in front of the stable. The gelding was bathed in sweat and still saddled. Treize's anxiety grew. He dismounted, and without even bothering to tie down the horses rushed into the castle.

“Milliardo…Trowa?” he called out.

“Master Treize!” Trowa came running down the stairs. His expression mirrored the concern in Treize's face. “I can't find Master Milliardo.”

“What's going on?” the older man wanted to know.

Trowa quickly briefed his master on what he had learned from Hilde.

“Wolf-hunters?” Treize's face turned into a mask of stone. “Trowa, dry off and water the horses,” he ordered. “I'm taking Leo.”

“I'm coming too.”

“No!” His lordship's voice didn't leave any room for arguments. “You'll stay here, in case Milliardo returns tell him I'm out looking for him.” He gave the young man a reassuring look. “Don't worry, Trowa, I'll find him.”

###

Searching the forest for any sign of his lover, Treize started to grow frustrated and more anxious. He almost wished that he was in his wolf form. Compared to his canine senses, he felt just about blind and deaf as a human. He had tried several times to call out to Milliardo, but he had yet to receive a response.

Suddenly he noticed something that looked like a dead animal on the forest floor. His heart almost skipped a beat but then he realized that the bloody mess of flesh and bones wasn't a wolf, but a sheep instead. When he looked around he noticed several large net traps in the trees. Scowling angrily Treize moved his steed aside and dismounted. He used a large solid stick to spring the traps before stepping closer. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he noticed more blood on the ground. What happened here?

He could not be sure if all the blood came from the dead sheep, but he was almost certain that Miri would have smelt it and come here to check out what was going on. Milliardo, please be safe, he prayed silently. No matter where you are, I'll find you.

Treize looked up into the sky where the first red and golden streaks signaled the approaching morning, and for the first time since the curse he welcomed the rising sun. ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________

T.B.C.

 

Author's Note: