Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Spirit of the blue-eyed Wolf ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

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Spirit of the Blue-Eyed Wolf

Chapter 6

Milliardo had no idea how much time had passed and how far they had traveled while he was under Une's sleeping spell. He woke hungry, thirsty and stiff from lying on the hard wooden floor. There was not much room in his cage for him to stretch but he did the best he could. The wagon he was traveling on had stopped and he could hear sounds of humans and horses all around him. The collar around his neck still felt strange and uncomfortable. It was loose enough for him to breath easily, but too tight to shake it off. Using his paws he even tried to push the stiff leather band over his head but he ended up only hurting his ears.

Some time while he had been sleeping someone had lifted a corner of the tarp that was covering his box, which gave him a small glimpse of the outside world. From what he could see he could tell that sun was beginning to set. Around him men, glad in red and gray outfits, seemed to be setting up camp for the night. He was only too familiar with those uniforms. Treize had been wearing one just like it when they first met, along with the royal crest and the gold plated armor that identified him as a member of the emperor's elite guards. Milliardo felt a wave of guilt that wash over him as he thought of all the things his lover had sacrifice just to be with him. Treize! Where are you now? I'm sure by now you have realized that something has happened to me. Please stay safe; don't do anything foolish. The wolf sighed as he curled up on the floor again. With his head resting on his paws he kept his eyes on the opening in the tarp and watched the people who occasionally passed by.

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The sun was just about to set when Heero came across a small, but clear lake at the foothills of the mountain range he had been following for the past few days. The young ronin had been on the road ever since he had left his lord's… former lord's castle. With half a year's pay in his pocket he had no reason to find a new master to serve any time soon.

The young man dropped his bundle and knelt down at the lake's shore. As he dipped his cupped hands into the frigid water to quench his thirst, Heero suddenly heard a noise, somewhere between a horse's whinny and a nervous snort. Instinctively his left hand went to his weapon. With his thumb he pushed the katana slightly out of its scabbard as he looked around.

Across the lake, beneath a group of tall pine trees he discovered a horse, but no rider. The white stallion wasn't wearing a saddle or bridle, and for a brief moment the young man assumed that the mount might have gotten loose and ran away from his owner. But as his eyes continued to search the surroundings he found the saddle and trappings lying beneath a nearby tree.

With his left still on his weapon Heero finally rose to his feet. He frowned as he started to walk around the lake. Who in his right mind would leave his horse at a place like this? A stallion this noble and well bred was worth more than he earned in a year. As he approached, the mount snorted again and stomped his powerful hoofs. In the last rays of the setting sun his white fur sparkled like silver.

Clicking his tongue to calm the animal Heero drew slowly closer. He could see now that the horse was tethered to one of the trees, with a rope long enough to let him graze freely and drink from the lake. As the young ronin took one more step the stallion snarled at him. Ears laid back the animal dared him to come any closer.

Heero stopped. He still wasn't certain if the horse's owner wasn't anywhere nearby. “Hello?” he called out. “Is anybody here?”

His own echo was the only answer the young man could hear. But a few moments later he suddenly noticed some swift movement form the corner of his eyes. Reaching for his sword once again he turned his head just in time to see some kind of animal vanish between some bushes and thick brush. Heero's frown deepened. A wild dog? No, it looked more like a wolf; a very large and strangely colored wolf. So that's what was making the horse so nervous.

Suddenly he saw a flash of bright light coming from the bushes the animal had disappeared in. Startled the young man tightened his grip on his weapon as he jumped for cover behind a large rock. For a few long moments nothing happened then Heero's eyes went wide as a man, tawny-haired and about ten years his senior, stepped out of the bush and into sight. He was tying the laces of his tunic and adjusting his sword belt as though he had just gotten dressed.

From his hiding place the young ronin watched as the stranger approached the horse. The stallion greeted him with a series of excited whinnies. The man patted the animal's strong neck and spoke to him. His voice, however, was too low for Heero to understand what he was saying. The stranger then saddled the stallion, mounted him and rode off; never even realizing that he had been watched.

Heero waited until horse and rider had vanished in the now dark forest before he came out of hiding. Curiously he approached the spot where he had seen the bright light, but he could not find any sign of a fire or anything else that could have caused the flash. Lightning perhaps, he wondered. Very unlikely.

He looked up. There wasn't as much as a cloud in the sky. And what about that wolf? He could not find any trace of it either. Had it run off, startled by the stranger just like he had been? It was the only explanation Heero could come up with. He figured that the man must have been a traveler like himself. He probably had been resting or perhaps sleeping here in the shade.

Suddenly the young ronin noticed something on the forest floor; a riding glove he realized as he bent down to pick it up, made from the softest and finest leather he had ever touched. Heero's brows furrowed. Why would someone who could afford to wear such exclusive gear sleep at a place like this, when there was a town only a few miles down the road?

The young man shrugged to himself. It was none of his concern really.

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Lady Une appeared to be in a great hurry to get to Lord Cartorcè's castle. They had traveled through the night and most of the next day, stopping only briefly for a few times to eat and let the horses rest. All during that time the large silver wolf had been asleep in his cage. Noin, who has been checking on him periodically, was beginning to worry because the animal had not had anything to eat or drink in all that time. She had spoken to the captain about her concern, but Lady Une had told her not to worry, the wolf would probably wake up soon.

And sure enough, that evening, as they started to set up camp for the night, she could see that the animal had moved in his cage. He was lying now closer to the door and seemed to be watching the people around him. Noin quickly took care of her horse; feeding, watering and brushing him down in a hurry before filling a bowl with water for the wolf.

The large silver wolf watched her wearily as she approached his cage. A low warning growl formed in his throat and his crystal-blue eyes glared at her coldly.

“It's alright, I mean you no harm.” Noin had been around dogs ever since she had been a child, and she knew that even thought they couldn't understand human words they did react to the sound of a person's voice. So her reassuring and friendly tone was meant to calm the animal. But the growl only deepened as she set down the wooden bowl and reached out to unlock the cage. The wolf curled his upper lip; showing off his large fangs in a threatening manner. Noin couldn't help but chuckle.

“You really don't like me do you? Well, not that can blame you,” she told him as she removed the heavy chain from the door. “If someone would look me up in a cage like that I'd be in a really bad mood too. But I really meant it when I said that I mean you no harm. So please, try not to bite the hand that is trying to feed you.”

The growl subsided somewhat. Noin opened the door just far enough to slip in the bowl, and pushed it toward the animal. Instantly the wolf dipped his nose into the cold clear water and started to lap it up thirstily. The young woman smiled softly as she watched him for a few moments. He was a beautiful animal; his fur looked soft and silky. Something in her wanted to reach out and pet his head, but she knew better than to actually follow the urge.

“Look how thirsty you are, poor thing. I bet you are starving too. Let me go get you something to eat.” Noin made sure that the door was locked securely before I left. The wolf never even raised his nose from the bowl, only his ears twitched as she walked away.

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“Welcome back!” a friendly voice greeted him as Wufei entered the “White Lotus” through the backdoor - the front gates were still locked at this time of the day. He returned the greeting with a polite nod. “Thank you.”

“We are just about to sit down for tea.” The young woman gestured at the tray in her hand. “Would you like to join us?”

The monk hesitated for a brief moment but then decided that it would be rude to decline the invitation. Besides, he was sure that having tea with `her girls' wasn't what Madam Hawara was talking about when she warned him not to get `involve' with them.

“Sure, why not. Let me clean up and take my staff up to my room and then I'll be back.”

After a long night of contemplation, Wufei had in the end decided to accept the madam's offer. He had wanted to stay in town for a while anyway. Having a job that offered him free room and board was a plus. The hours allowed him to spend his days as he pleased and if he was lucky he might even find some work here and there during the day and would be able to save up some money for when times weren't as good. Admittedly a brothel seemed like an odd place for a monk to work at, but he reminded himself that he really had no right whatsoever to judge this place or the women who worked here. For them it was a job like any other: a way to keep themselves and their families fed.

#####

Milliardo was still drinking when the young woman returned. This time she was carrying two bowls, one of which was steaming like it was filled with something hot. She had to set them down on the ground to unlock the cage.

His stomach was growling at the prospect of food but when she put one of the dishes in front of him the silver wolf looked down on it in a mixture of revulsion and disbelief. He raised his head and glared at her. You want me to eat THIS? You have got to be joking?

“What?” the young woman asked. “Don't like it? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through to claim those pieces for you?”

Suddenly he raised his nose and sniffed the air. Whatever was in the other bowl smelled much more appetizing then the raw meat he had been served.

“You want this?” she asked with a little smirk. “But that's my supper. It's pretty much the same as you have in your bowl, just cooked.”

Exactly my point. Why do I have to eat this… this… He wrinkled his nose in disgust and pushed the dish back toward the door. Here, you can have it for all I care. I'd rather starve to death.

 

Noin shook her head in bewilderment. She had expected that the canine would `wolf down' the fresh and still bloody deer meat in a heartbeat, but instead he seemed more interested in her stew. She had never seen an animal act like this, but then again he wasn't just your average wolf, Lady Une implied that much. With a shrug she looked down at her bowl. I guess it's worth a try; he needs to eat after all.

She unlocked the cage once again, swapped the two bowls and to her amazement the wolf started to devour the stew instantly. “You are a strange fellow, do you know that,” she exclaimed, once more shaking her head in disbelieve.

As she watched him, the commander again felt the urge to run her fingers through the long silky fur around his neck and this time she reached out and cautiously touched the wolf.

 

Milliardo's first reaction was to recoil, but he stopped himself and swallowed the growl that was forming in his throat. She is right; biting the hand that feeds you is never a good idea. Not to mention I could really use a friend right now. And she really doesn't seem to be a bad person.

So he allowed her to pet him as he finished his meal. The stew was quite tasty; most definitely better than raw meat. I'm glad she figured out what I wanted. Suddenly a thought struck him and he looked up. Can you hear me?

There was no answer, no reaction at all, and Milliardo sighed inwardly. I really didn't think so. It must be the collar, he mused. The same magic that stops me from transforming back into human form probably also prevents me from communicating with people. I'll have to think of something else…soon.

#####

Treize Khushrenada made sure that Epyon was well taken care off before he entered the small, run-down tavern. After looking around for a few moments he found himself an empty table in the back of the room, near the fireplace and away from most of the noisy crowd. He had barely settled down when the waitress, a middle aged woman with red hair and green eyes came over to his table.

“What can I get you, Sir?” she asked.

“I'll take a pitcher of wine and a cut of your best roast.”

She nodded in acknowledgement. “Anything else?”

“Yes, can I get a room for the night?”

“It's half a silver piece if you want to share a room with another traveler. Or…” She looked him up and down. “You can have a private room for one piece of silver. Hot water for a bath is included in that price.”

“Alright.” Treize nodded satisfied. “I'll take it.” He really could use a bath. Sometimes he felt like the scent of the wolf still clung to him even if he was in human form.

The woman left and returned a few moments later with his order. The wine was strong and sweet and the food smelled delicious. The roast was thick and juicy and surrounded by a generous portion of stewed potatoes and vegetables.

“Anything else I can get you?”

“No, that should be all. But I do have a question. This is the only inn in town, isn't it?”

“Yes,” the woman confirmed. “Why?”

“Then you might be able to help me. I'm looking for two men, hunters. They might have come through here recently.”

“Hmm…” She thought about it for a moment then shook her head. “Not as far as I know. The only travelers I have seen lately, aside from yourself, Sir, were merchants. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.”

“That's alright,” he assured her. “Thank you anyway.”

As the woman left to serve other patrons and Treize started to eat, a tall man from the neighboring table rose from his bench and approached the tawny-haired nobleman. He was holding on to a glass of cheap ale, and his eyes were slightly clouded from the alcohol. His voice however was surprisingly clear as he addressed Treize.

“Couldn't help but here ya talk to Sarina,” he said. “The hunters ya looking for… If I told ya that I saw two fellows like that. Would it be worth a small price to find out where?”

Narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked up, Treize tried to figure out if he could trust the man. “I'd be willing to pay you two pieces of gold if you have any useful information for me,” he finally said.

“Two gold pieces?” the man's eyes sparkled greedily. “Sounds fair.” He slipped into the seat across from the nobleman. “The men ya looking for, one of `em tall and dark-haired the other with short, golden hair…hunters they claim to be, wolf hunters.”

“Yes,” Treize confirmed. “That's them.” At least he was sure now that the man really had seen them, or he would not have been able to describe them.

“I saw `em in Brooksville yesterday. They were trying to buy horses and it seemed like they were planning to stay in town for the night too.”

“Brooksville?!” Treize echoed.

The man nodded as he gestured out of the window toward the mountains. “It's a small town south of here, less than half a day's ride on horseback. If ya lucky they might still be there, Sir.”

“Thank you.” The nobleman pulled out his money bag as he rose to his feet. He handed the man the promised gold pieces and tossed a few smaller coins onto the table as payment for his meal.

“Um… I don't know what's ya business with those fellows, and it aint none of me concern either. But…” he scratched his head and looked down at the money in his hand. “I think I should warn ya. There are rumors I heard about `em.”

“What kind of rumors,” Treize wanted to know.

The man leaned closer and lowered his voice as though he was telling some big secret. “I've heard they were thrown out of a tavern in Shieldstown for starting trouble. The very next night that tavern burned to the ground, the keeper and his family barely made it out alive. Now, I ain't saying those fellows had anything to do with it, but …”

“Thanks for the warning.” Treize nodded. “I'll be sure to keep it in mind.”

“What about your room, Sir?” the waitress called after him as he headed for the door.

“Cancel it. I have to leave… now.” Treize didn't even hold his step or turn his head. He knew he had no time to lose if he ever wanted to catch up with those wolf hunters. If they had left Brooksville already he would have to start searching for them all over again. ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________

T.B.C.

 

Author's Note: