Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Highway Man ❯ The Highway Man ( Chapter 1 )

The Highway Man

Alfred Noyes (1880-1958)

 

PART ONE

I

THE wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
    The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
    The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
    And the highwayman came riding—
                      Riding—riding—
    The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

II

He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
    A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
    They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
    And he rode with a jeweled twinkle,
                      His pistol butts a-twinkle,
    His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky.

III

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
    And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
    He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
    But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
                      Bess, the landlord's daughter,
    Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

IV

And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
    Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
    His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hay,
    But he loved the landlord's daughter,
                      The landlord's red-lipped daughter,
    Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—

V

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
    But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
    Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
    Then look for me by moonlight,
                      Watch for me by moonlight,
    I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

VI

He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
    But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand
    As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
    And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
                      (Oh, sweet, black waves in the moonlight!)
    Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.

 

PART TWO

I

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;
    And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
    When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
    A red-coat troop came marching—
             Marching—marching—
    King George's men came matching, up to the old inn-door.

II

They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
    But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
    Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
    There was death at every window;
                      And hell at one dark window;
    For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.

III

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;
    They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
    "Now, keep good watch!" and they kissed her.
                      She heard the dead man say—
    Look for me by moonlight;
                      Watch for me by moonlight;
    I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!

IV

She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
    She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
    They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,
    Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
                      Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
    The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

V

The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!
    Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,
    She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
    For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
                      Blank and bare in the moonlight;
    And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain .

VI

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
    Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
    Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
    The highwayman came riding,
        Riding, riding!
    The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still!

VII

Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!
    Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
    Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
    Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
                      Her musket shattered the moonlight,
    Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death.

VIII

He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
    Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
    Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
    How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
                      The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
    Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

IX

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
    With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
    Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
    When they shot him down on the highway,
                      Down like a dog on the highway,
    And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.

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X

And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
    When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
    When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
    A highwayman comes riding—
                      Riding—riding—
    A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.

A/N—This one is just because I LOVE a) poetry, b) Gundam Wing, and c) romance. I think this poem is the ultimate romance.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of the characters, which are owned by Bandai, and written by Rika Takahashi. Nor do I own the Highway Man, it is owned and written by Alfred Noyes.

 

Characters:

 

Dokyou- Bess

Duo- the Highway Man

Quatre- Tim

Trowa- a soldier

Heero- the land lord (who in my story is Dokyou's BROTHER.

Wufei- another soldier

Relena- King George

 

 

On with the story…

 

Dokyou's P.O.V.—

 

The wind blew up and, with it came the night. It blew the trees this way and that. The moon shone against the clouds well. The road looped over the shadowed moor.

 

A lone shadow came to the crest of the hill. The shadow rode to the inn door and was identified as the Highway Man; Shinigami.  Or as I know him to be, Duo Maxwell, the love of my life. I am a landlord's sister.

 

He had a French cocked hat shadowing violet eyes that never seemed to stop laughing. Beneath those eyes, for those able to get past them, was an impish smile. A lace collar hugged his thin, pale neck, and his slight frame was clothed in a velvet coat, and brown doe skin breeches. He wore thigh high boots, and he seemed to shine with a non-existent light, so that even his rapier hilt, and pistol butts twinkled. His beautiful copper hair shown in its customary braid, the part of himself he was most vain about…

 

He reached with his whip, and tapped on the windows of the inn, but all were locked, so he whistled a tune from our favorite song, and I opened the window, quickly braiding my black hair, that at this moment seemed purple in the moonlight.

 

At the end of my braid, I locked it with a dark red love knot. The ribbon, I cherished as Duo had given it to me. My black eyes showed merriment, I'm sure.

 

He gave me his usual jester's grin, and I smiled back. How I love his smile…

 

I jump as we hear a creak, and look towards the source; the stables…There through a crack in the door, peeked Quatre, the Stable Man. His aqua-marine eyes glowed with insanity in the moonlight, and his once golden hair, now the color of moldy hay, shook gently as he held back the rage I knew he felt towards Duo, knowing my love laid with Duo, as his with me.

 

He stared and listened dumbly as he heard Duo speak; “One kiss my bonnie sweat heart, I'm after a prize tonight, but I will be back with the yellow gold before the morning light. Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, then look for me by the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight, I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though Hell should bar the way.” I sighed, knowing there was no form of dissuasion that could spare me now.

 

He rose tall in the stirrups, and I stretched down from the window. He could hardly reach my hand, so I let my hair loose in the casement, and smiled as he blushed as it hit his chest. He inhaled it, and smelled, I'm sure roses. It was my turn to blush, as he kissed midnight locks in place of rose tinted lips.

 

He tugged his reins, and rode westward, with a final glance over his shoulder, leaving me crying, and missing him, as soon as he was out of sight.

 

I waited for him at morning, and at noon, and both times passed left me with empty arms.

 

At sunset, my heart leapt for joy as a shadow rose over to stand before the sun, before the moon had risen. I paled as the one shadow turned into many, then as they rode closer, I identified them as Queen Relena's red-coated troops.

 

They marched the inn, completely ignoring my brother, Heero, who owns the inn. His cobalt eyes seemed to slice at whom ever they were focus. His slight, but muscular build shook with rage as the soldiers drank the ale HE had to pay for.

 

He knew of my feelings for Duo, and knew that it would be viewed as a scandal, but, as he was a very private man, so left me to my private life.

 

But as ten soldiers drank his ale, and gagged and bound me to my bed, he knew there was not much to me to do, with out getting us both hurt, if not killed, so settled for growling.

 

I shook in horror as two soldiers identified themselves as Trowa, and Wufei started to bind me to the bed, and place a musket under my breast. They kissed me and ordered me to `keep good watch.' Then they moved to the window, where I could plainly see the road Duo would ride. Trowa had odd bangs that covers one of his eyes, the showing eye glinted forest green. Wufei looked oriental, with his slanted black eyes, and tightly pulled back hair. I soon started to struggle harder as I realize what had happened… `Quatre!

 

That had to be it. He heard Duo and I speaking, and told a scout, who told the authorities! They plan to use me as a hostage against Duo!!! Oh, I'm so sorry Duo! This is all my fault for not realizing sooner!!!!' I sobbed as I heard my love say “Then look for me by the moonlight, watch for me by the moonlight, I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though Hell should bar the way.”

 

I writhed my hands as hard as I could, but all I managed to do was soak them with blood, or sweat, I know not which. The hours seemed to crawl, and at last at midnight a single finger touched the trigger. I stopped worrying about the others, and just settled for the one.

 

I sat as still as possible, as Trowa and Wufei sat and played cards. The blood rang in my ears, but all was silent on the road… Blank and bare, in the moonlight.

 

Then, Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!… Had they heard it??? The horses hooves rang clear! They gave no sign. Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!, in the distance, were they deaf they did not hear? Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, appeared Duo, Shinigami, My Love.
The red-coats looked to their priming! I stood tall, and still, hoping this would save Duo.
Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night! Nearer he came and nearer! My face was like a light! It burned, and glowed from sweat in the moonlight.


My eyes grew wide for a moment; I drew one last deep breath, then my finger moved in the moonlight, a musket shattered the moonlight, shattered my breast in the moonlight and warned him—with my death. I screamed in agony, and the soldiers looked on in shock, as I lost color, and blood. But, I realized how right it was, that Duo should live. I took one last shaky breath, and fell into oblivion.
Duo's P.O.V.—
I heard a shot, and turned to spur to the West; I did not know who stood bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood! Not till the dawn I heard it, my face grew gray to hear how Dokyou, the landlord's sister, the landlord's black-eyed sister, and the love of my life had watched for me in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Back, I spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, “You took her! You took the one thing I loved in this life, WHY!?! You should have taken me!” And then I let out a bloodcurdling scream.  With the white road smoking behind me and my rapier waving insanely, I headed for the inn. There I heard 12 shots, not sure why I counted them, but I did. Blood red were my spurs in the golden noon sun; my velvet coat turned wine-red.    When I realized who those shots were meant for, all I could do was smile, knowing I'd see my love again. They shot me, the Great Shinigami down on the highway, down like a dog on the highway, and as I lay in my own blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace constricting my breathing, I realized that due to circumstances, I would probable always search for Dokyou. She was far too pure to be where I was sure I was headed. Little did I know that I was to see that inn for many millennia after I took my last shaky breath.

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X

And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
    When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
    When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
    A highwayman comes riding—
                      Riding—riding—
    A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.