Dark Cloud Rising
Part 16
by Dyna Dee
To the braided boy's delight, the next few days and then weeks passed
without any further embarrassing incidents. Though he often longed for Howard
and their shared dwelling in Ha'ber, he finally began to settle into his new life
within the Halls of Dornan. Springtime moved forward, the valley below green
and thriving after a good douse of water from frequent rainfalls followed by
sunshine filled days. Fields were planted and soon summer embraced the land,
and the days were longer and filled with the warmth of the sun.
By this time Duo was comfortable with his surroundings and the people he
interacted with every day. The daily routine, something he'd had little of in his
childhood, gave him a sense of security and belonging that he'd always craved.
Each day presented him with an opportunity to learn something new. Morning
became his favorite time of day, with training, bathing with his fellow riders and
then listening to the many tales of Amulah's past as told by the older,
experienced riders.
Not everything was perfect, of course. Being the youngest and
inexperienced meant that he had a lot to learn, and that was the reason for the
daily tutoring sessions with Jan which took up most of his afternoons. Though
he'd proven to be a quick student, the senior rider always seemed to think he
needed to learn more.
And then there was Zechs. Some of the wariness he'd felt about the tall
blond had eased after weeks had past since their altercation in the hallway and
there came no retaliation. Little did he know that the older boy was just biding his
time.
One bright, summer afternoon, as he was climbing down the stairwell on
his way to his room following his lessons with Jan, Zechs made a very abrupt
appearance, startling Duo in the stairwell. Before he could say anything to the
taller teen, the blond snatched the younger boy up, threw him over his shoulder
and effortlessly began carrying him down the stairs. Duo struggled as well as he
could, considering the undignified position he'd found himself, upside down and
with only the view of the taller teen's lower back.
"What do you think you're doing?" he yelled, trying to wiggle out of the firm
hold the older boy had on his thighs and ineffectively hitting him with his fists on
any area he could reach. "Put me down!"
Zechs ignored his demands and proceeded down the stone steps until he
came to the hallway where the younger riders resided and to a door not far from
the stairwell. Without warning, Duo was flung over the other's shoulder and set
firmly down on the floor, hard enough to cause the air to rush out his lungs.
Before he could catch his breath and react, Zechs had grabbed the end of his
braid, jumped over his body and disappeared into the open doorway. In a
heartbeat he'd bent over and quickly shut the door behind him, trapping the long
brown braid between the bottom of the door and the stone floor.
Duo tugged at his braid in vain, finding it steadfastly trapped; there was no
way it was going to come loose, and he refused to entertain the idea of cutting it
just to get away. Unable to move and too embarrassed to call out for help, Duo
contemplated what he should do. He made an attempt to turn over but his hair
pulled at the back of his scalp, causing considerable pain. There was no way
around it, he was going nowhere on his own. He could do nothing but lie on the
cold stone until someone happened by.
After some time had passed and the cold from the floor had seeped
through his clothing and under his skin, he heard a soft voice call out his name.
The familiar face of Princess Hilde came into view. "Duo, what are you doing?"
she asked, looking both amused and curious.
"I'm stuck," he answered with a roll of his eyes, unable to keep from
trembling due to the chill seeping into his bones.
"I can see that," she grinned. "How did you get that way?"
"It seems that Zechs thinks this is funny," he replied.
"I see," she grinned. "How long have you been there?"
"Too long."
"Is he in there?" Her eyes shot to the hateful door.
Duo tried to nod, but winced when the hair on the nape of his neck pulled
sharply at his scalp.
After a moment of contemplation, Hilde cautiously stepped closer to the
boy on the floor and knocked on the door. After several moments had passed
with no response, she tried again. When Zechs refused to answer the polite
knock, the girl took another step forward and in as firm a tone as she could
muster she ordered Zechs to open the door.
From the disapproving frown on her face, it was clear that the princess
was not used to being ignored. With an angry scowl she tried again. "This is
Princess Hilde speaking, Zechs. I want you to unbolt your door and let Duo go."
Again there was no response. The petite girl put her hands on her hips
and with affronted tone in her voice and a perplexed looked on her face she
asked, "Well, just who does he think he is?" Then glancing briefly down at Duo
she said, "I'll be right back." She turned and disappeared into the nearby
stairwell.
Duo was spared the embarrassment of having the other riders return from
their afternoon out and seeing him in such a ridiculous position when Hilde
returned a short while later with Garron in tow.
"It's not funny," Duo insisted after seeing his older friend smiling at his
predicament.
"I suppose from your position, it's not," Garron replied. "But from my view,
it is rather humorous."
"Can you just get Zechs to open the door?" Duo asked, irritated, then
muttered, "I swear, if he's cut my hair he'll rue this day."
Garron moved closer to the door and knocked before speaking in a loud
voice, announcing himself and ordering Zechs to open the door. There was no
response.
After a long pause, the older rider looked to Hilde. "Rayer tells me that
Zechs is out with Epyon. Would you mind taking your dragon and flying to
Epyon's lair? Once there you can slip into Zechs' room and open the door."
Hilde nodded, then gave both riders a reassuring smile before she turned
and ran down the hallway to her own room.
Garron crouched down next to Duo and sighed as the boy visibly shivered.
"I suppose as retaliation goes, it could have been worse," he said, sympathy in
his slight grin. "Zechs was told not to harm you after your skirmish in the hallway.
He gave his word and, fortunately for him, he didn't harm you, at least nothing but
your pride."
"You're saying this is all right?" Duo asked, incredulous. "My entire
backside is freezing from being trapped on the floor for so long."
"But you're not hurt, are you?"
Thought he was frustrated by the situation and that the man before him
couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards, Duo could only
concede that Garron was right. His pride was more hurt than anything else.
"Will this be the end of it or will he ambush me again when I least expect it?"
"Consider it practical training," the older rider advised. "Always be alert to
your surroundings and who might be an adversary. You might thank Zechs one
day that he had a vengeful streak because it will have made you more sharp and
alert."
"I doubt I'll thank Zechs for anything," Duo groused.
The sound of the bar being lifted on the other side of the door ended their
conversation. Duo's braid was freed and Garron helped the stiff limbed boy to his
feet. Feeling embarrassed, Duo avoided looking at the Hilde as he thanked her
for her assistance. The princess paused a moment to make sure the fledgling
rider was all right, then after getting a nod of gratitude from Garron and wave of
dismissal, she stepped back into Zechs' room and shut the door again, returning
to her dragon.
Reaching up, Duo pulled his braid over his shoulder to inspect it, feeling
relieved after seeing for himself that it was undamaged.
"Go warm your backside by the fire in the dining hall," Garron told him
with a slight grin. "And if I were you, I'd tell your friends of this incident on their
return before they hear a more exaggerated version from Zechs or one of his
friends."
Still shivering, Duo nodded, appreciating Garron's advice but dreading
telling the others of yet another embarrassing predicament. Rubbing his behind
to ease the cold numbness there, he walked stiffly to the dining hall alone.
The incident with Zechs was dismissed by the other riders as a clever
practical joke on the newest fledgling and was soon forgotten, but not by Duo.
Though the older rider didn't resort to any further physical retaliation, he
frequently ordered the braided boy to do some tedious task, knowing that a
fledgling, especially being the newest rider, had to obey. Duo's busy morning
and afternoon schedule aided him in avoiding the older, disagreeable teen, and
Garron had been right, he was more cautious about the stairs and rounding
corners in case the tall blond had other ideas on how to humiliate him. Duo made
it a practice to stay away from the older boy as much as possible.
________________________
Duo had hoped that with the daylight hours lasting longer he'd have more
time to spend outdoors, but the newest fledgling's schedule never varied. Each
and every afternoon he studied for several hours with Jan learning his letters,
reading scrolls and writing words and figuring numbers. Many times the normally
active boy found the work tedious, but Jan refused to let his mind wander for long
to other past times, bringing him back to task after finding Duo gazing out of the
open door to the lair of Jay's brown dragon or at the clouds and birds as they
floated by.
After being released from his studies, Duo was free to do as he pleased
until the evening meal. Most days he caught up to Quatre, who was usually out
and about with Ze'an and their dragons. Often other riders would join them
including Heero and Trowa.
Once the evening meal was over, Duo stayed behind the others to wash
down the tables in the dining hall, a daily chore that had been assigned to him
after his misadventure in Skeer. He'd learned from Quatre that every rider in
training was assigned a task that would benefit the halls, teaching the younger
riders responsibility and an appreciation for the work the servers did on a daily
basis. Since most of his afternoon was spent with Jan, Duo was assigned an
evening task. It came as a surprise that Heero shared the same chore. Daily the
two boys accomplished their work, usually at opposite ends of the room, with too
much distance between them to engage in conversation. Because of that
distance, they rarely spoke to each other before finishing their chore and leaving
the dining hall for their respective rooms each night.
Despite his determination to keep Heero at arm's length, Duo was acutely
aware of the other boy, his eyes frequently turning towards him. Heero made one
or two hesitant overtures towards being friendly, yet the dark haired boy remained
relatively quiet and aloof. Other than being somewhat stubborn by nature, Duo
didn't really know why he was so set on remaining cool to Heero's presence.
Their awkward first encounters left him not knowing what to say to the older boy,
so he ended up not speaking to him at all. He could only assume that Heero
might feel a bit guilty about embarrassing him front of everyone on his first day in
the Halls, yet Heero had never apologized. His failure to crack through Duo's
resolve eventually led the braided boy to believe that Heero really didn't like him
at all. Could it be that the older boy merely tolerated his presence for Trowa's
sake? Even though that particular reasoning made sense, it also made Duo feel
strangely sad that it might be the truth.
Not completely comfortable with the tension between himself and Heero,
nor watching Quatre and Trowa flirt with each other, Duo sought to widen his
circle of friends. Garron and his stunningly beautiful, black-haired wife, had more
or less adopted Duo into their family. Invitations for dinner were delivered by the
older rider or his mate on a weekly basis. He joined them in the home they had
settled into once they began their family, in the higher tiers of Rydell. Though
there remained a large room set aside for the older, mated riders on the third
level of the Halls, where all senior riders resided, they also maintained a dwelling
elsewhere because they had been blessed with three children. Aiden, at eleven
summers, was the eldest. He was a wiry and handsome, ebony-haired boy with
delicate features, all of which he'd inherited from his mother. The couple's twin
daughters, Sara and Tulan, were six. Despite the appearance of innocent blue
eyes and curly, sand-colored hair, they were a mischievous pair of imps that
teased dragons and riders alike. During his weekly visits to the homey dwelling,
the two girls constantly vied for Duo's undivided attention, helping the orphaned
boy to feel like he was truly a part of Garron's family.
Another very warm summer day had passed and Duo was wiping down the
last dining table after the evening meal. He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat
from his brow and looked up from his task to see Heero finishing his last table as
well. He paused, wanting to say something to the other boy, but not knowing how
to break the awkwardness between them. Frustrated, he bit his lip, put the
cleaning cloth into the cooling water, picked up the bucket and brought it to the
place where the workers would come by later and empty it for them.
Duo passed Heero on his way out, giving and receiving a polite nod of
farewell. Disappointed that nothing had changed between them, Duo exited the
double doors and jogged quickly to his room knowing that Wu Fei was waiting
upon him for their evening ride. After that pleasant pastime, he was confident
that Quatre would join him in his room, as he said he would earlier that day.
Anticipation made his footsteps quicker. He and his blond friend were well
on their way to perfecting the act of kissing. After the first couple of nights of
'practicing', he recalled that it had become difficult to hide the fact that both of
their bodies were reacting to the closeness they enjoyed while their mouths
mated.
Quatre was the first to try rubbing the stiff member in his pants against
Duo's thigh while they were busily engaged in exploring each other's mouth. The
moans that escaped the blond enticed Duo to give into the instinct to thrust his
hips forward, hoping to ease his own aching.
Even after Quatre's body stiffened and his breath hitched before he issued
a long sigh, Duo continued to rock his pelvis against his friend's body as his own
passion continued to build and swell within his pants until he, too, found his
release.
They had both been a bit breathless, glassy eyed and embarrassed after
that experience, but it didn't stop them from trying it again the following week. By
mutual agreement, they practiced no more than once a week, and this evening
was the time they decided on, a perfect end to a good day, Duo thought, as he
stopped in front of Quatre's door and knocked on it. He smiled after hearing his
friend's reply that he should enter. Maybe a little practice before flying with Wu
Fei would be all right.
________________________
The longer days of summer stretched out, allowing Duo more time in the
evenings to spend with his beloved dragon. After the evening meal was over and
his assigned chore was finished, the two spent the remaining daylight hours
soaring in the skies above the valley and mountains that made up the Dragon's
Spine. Wu Fei would demonstrate to his rider what he'd learned from the other
dragons that day, and together they practiced strategic maneuvers that would
help them in the event that they should have to defend themselves from an
enemy dragon. Twice a week the younger riders and dragons spent their normal
training time out of doors with the elder riders demonstrating fighting tactics on
the backs of their own dragons.
On those rare days when Jan's room became too unbearably warm to
continue his lesson, the older rider released the braided boy early. Duo would
have Wu Fei call out to Sandrock, and Quatre would return to his lair and then
lead them to a clear-water lake high in the mountains to the east. While their
dragons basked in the hot summer's sun, draped across the rocks that radiated
heat, Quatre began instructing him how to swim. All in all, Duo found the
summer days passing quickly and most pleasantly.
Harvest time came at last with celebrations in the great valley below Rydell.
Duo was happy to learn that both dragons and their riders were invited to attend
the yearly event. Duo, Quatre, Trowa, Heero, Ze'an and several other of the
younger riders went to Skeer where the blacksmith happily entertained them with
food, ale and stories of the dragons and riders his family had known. Duo
carefully sipped at his ale, remembering all too well his sickness from drinking too
much on his first visit to that city and not wanting to repeat that bout of misery.
And though Dirk teased and cajoled him to drink more, he politely refused, which
seemed to amuse the larger man even more.
It was inevitable that with the passing of the pleasant autumn days that the
clouds of the coming winter would come rolling over the northern hills, bringing
rain and cooler temperatures to the mountain city and the plains below. This
change in weather appeared to have very little effect on the dragons. Though Wu
Fei had told his rider that he preferred heat to the cold, the fire in their bellies kept
them warm even in the most frigid of temperatures.
This change in the weather, however, did have an impact on those living in
the within the Halls of Dornan. The first visible change was in the clothing the
riders wore. Fur lined jackets, cloaks and boots were provided to all that lived
and worked in the frigidly cold stone structure. The colder temperatures also
brought other changes to the routine the young riders followed daily. Instead of
bathing in the large, heated pool of water together after their morning training,
they washed themselves as they stood before large basins of heated water, next
to the blazing fire pits. The water, normally pumped to the room and into the pool
or heating vats, was much too cold to be heated sufficiently enough make the
larger pool of water comfortable. The riders rapidly cleansed their bodies while
standing at least partially unclothed in the cold bathing room before hurriedly
bundling up in their warm clothing and cloaks for the rest of the day. Their
history lesson, taught principally by Osh, was given to them while they huddled
around the large hearth in the dining hall, a fire blazing within, with a hot drink
cradled in each boy's hands to help chase off the increasing chill.
Fewer boys ventured out after their midday meal and chores had been
completed. Instead of taking to the sky with their dragons, many of the boys went
to the training room where they kept warm by sparring with each other. Other
riders strolled the halls, ventured down to the city below, or visited with each other
in their rooms, huddled up to the small, individual hearths.
As much as Duo wanted to join his friends, he still had his afternoon
sessions with Jan. The older rider's room was darker now, with the door and
window leading to his dragons lair shuttered and covered with thick tapestries to
keep out any chilling drafts. The two of them sat close to the blazing fire and Jay
fed the flames continuously with sticks while Duo practiced his letters, numbers
and reading.
Duo huddled into his cloak, hating the cold. Though his cloak was fur lined,
he still wore several shirts and pants to try and keep himself warm, and even that
didn't seem to keep the chill away completely. He stared down at the
parchment on the table top and paused a moment to flex his aching fingers.
They were stiff from both the cold and having gripped the quill so tightly as he
wrote.
Jan stood from the hearth to peer over the boy's shoulder at his work. A
faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face. "Very nicely done, Duo. Both your
lettering and names of former kings are near perfect."
"I'd write better if my fingers weren't frozen," the boy replied sullenly. It was
obvious he still resented spending the long hours being tutored while his fellow
riders were enjoying leisure time.
"Then come and warm them by the fire," the older rider said, patting the
boy's shoulder as he urged him to stand and move towards the small hearth.
Duo moved as directed, but his resentment didn't cease, nor did it go
unnoticed.
"What's on your mind?" Jan asked, sitting beside the boy and studying his
face.
Duo brushed back some of the long strands of hair from his eyes, a
fruitless gesture for the same strands fell back into place immediately. "Why
have I been singled out for these lessons?" he asked. "I've asked around and
there aren't any other riders being given this particular kind of instruction."
The man with the graying, shoulder-length hair contemplated his answer
before replying. "Most of the fledglings who come here already have a certain
amount of knowledge. They generally know how to read and write and they have
a basic understanding of Amulah's history. Your knowledge in these areas were
lacking upon your arrival to the Halls, and Garron asked that I bring you up to a
level that would meet or exceed what the other young riders know so that you will
not be found lacking in comparison."
Duo was surprised by Jan's response. Of course he knew he wasn't as
enlightened as the other boys, but still, his daily lessons seemed to go beyond
the norm. "You spend all of your afternoons teaching me just because Garron
asked it of you? Why?"
The older man gave a cryptic grin to the boy, and his answer matched it
perfectly. "Let's just say that I believe in you and your black dragon, Duo, and
that you will one day stand out amongst the other riders and their dragons."
Knowledge of many things will be an invaluable aid to you as your life plays out."
Duo thought the man was about to say more but he suddenly stopped and
pursed his lips together, indicating he was done.
The boy sighed deeply and, despite knowing the answer, he asked, "Are
we finished for the day?"
At least Jan gave him a look of sympathy before he answered. "Not quite.
I'd like to hear you read out loud and then I'll let you go and find your friends."
Standing, the older man went to the shelves on the opposite wall and without
searching the many rolled parchments there, he pulled out a scroll with a red
ribbon tied around its center. Duo breathed a sigh of relief. The red ribbon
indicated the writing, penned by a royal scribe, would contain the history of one of
the Amulah's kings. He much preferred reading those tales rather than the dry,
complicated words of law. Elaborate wording and strange phrases caused him to
stumble as he read from the scrolls tied with blue ribbons, but Jan made him read
them as well and taught him what the different words meant as well as the laws
and treaties and the significance of each.
On this day he read the story of King Penicon Haldash, the great, great
grandfather of the present King, Vourdan Haldash. His reign as King of Amulah
was rife with repeated and vicious attacks from the north. His close friend and
head of the riders' guild, Micah, rider of the gold dragon, Bright, led the dragons
of Amulah as they defended their city from the northern rebels. The war
continued for a decade, and both sides lost scores of foot soldiers and horses as
well as six dragons and their riders. By the time the invaders had been pushed
back to the distant mountains of Corinth and Muir, their opponent's fatalities had
tripled those suffered by Amulah's defenders. Both sides had become weary of
war and the hardships it brought. It took some time to recover and before the
bitterness between the two groups rose up again, years later.
Duo put the scroll containing many sheets of writing down onto the desk.
"Why does the north want to conquer Amulah so badly?" he asked Jay. "What is
it that drives them to war?"
"Jealously is partly to blame," the older rider explained. "Our lands are
more fruitful, our commerce more progressive. You'll not find many merchants
willing to trade with the north because of past treacheries."
"What other reasons are there?" the boy questioned.
"Hate," Jan sighed while leaning back into this chair with a pipe dangling
precariously from the corner of his mouth. He took a long draw from it and
puffed out several rings of smoke from between his lips, which Duo watched as
they floated up and slowly disappeared. "Hatred for the royal family and the
dragon riders faithful to them has been passed down from generation to
generation. There is no rational reasoning for their hate; it's most likely
impressed into them from their infancy, taught to children on their father's knees
and in training. The Northern descendants of the fractured guild members have
passed on their jealousy and hatred to the point that it has grown so far out of
proportion that it's bred a legacy of hate."
"When was the last attack on Amulah?" Duo asked.
Jan took another draw from his well-used pipe, and puffs of smoke came
out as he answered the question. "Ten years since an attack on Rydell, though
nothing to the extent as it was in King Penicon's time. It came in the form of raids
on the northern borders, with reports of deception and children disappearing, but
other than the theft of food and cattle, no further attack have been reported.
Though we would like to believe that the northern riders have given up, we must
stay alert and expect another attack from them at any given time. We can only
guess that their situation is becoming desperate and that their numbers have
been greatly diminished as well. Given the problem we've had with our dragons
reproducing: having very few eggs produced, and fewer hatchlings surviving the
claiming of their rider, we believe they must be having similar problems. Still, we
can't allow ourselves to be content with assumptions. I feel this time of peace
that we've known is coming to an end, that something is going to happen soon,
for our enemies have been much too quiet. Whatever is going on in the hearts
and minds of the northerners, they're keeping it a closely guarded secret. We
once had eyes and ears amongst their numbers to give us warnings and advice,
but over the years they too have become silent."
"Eyes and ears?" Duo questioned, his curiosity piqued.
"Infiltrators," Jan replied. "People loyal to us were hidden amongst the
society of our enemies and sent to us whatever information they acquired
regarding future attacks."
This was new information to Duo, though in a way he understood the
concept of secrecy and trickery in order to gain information. The people of Ha'ber
had always been wary of strangers or traders coming from other villages or cities
who might try to learn their secrets of their quality dyes and craft at the looms with
the intent to sell or use that information for their own profit. "Do we have such
people amongst us here in the Halls?"
Jan frowned and pulled his pipe from his mouth. "We've ferreted out a few
of them in the past. If they have an infiltrator here now, we've yet to discover
them."
The idea of an enemy amongst them troubled the boy. "Wu Fei's alright,
isn't he? He's safe? "
"Yes, Wu Fei and all the dragons are safe," the older man said, a
reassuring smile on his craggy face.
"What if they try to poison his water or food?" The boy was becoming more
alarmed, thinking of all the possibilities of how his dragon could be harmed came
to him.
"Dragons have a keen sense of smell and taste," Jan stated calmly, the tip
of the pipe going back into his mouth in an unhurried manner. "They know when
something has been tainted. Don't worry about a possible infiltrator entering our
halls, they generally are here only to gather information and we are as tight lipped
about our training and defenses as they are." Then slapping his hands on his
thighs, the older rider changed the subject. "Why don't you read a little more, and
then it will be time for you to go." Duo sighed and picked the parchment up
again, resigned to more reading.
After leaving Jan that afternoon, Duo carried only a small remnant of worry
with him from their earlier conversation. And once he found Quatre waiting in his
room for him, a plan for the rest of the afternoon in mind, he forgot the matter
entirely.
To break the monotony of the long and cold, near winter days, the younger
fledgling riders within the Halls of Dornan spent most of their free afternoon time
together, in rooms with large fires warming them and fur cloaks helping to ward
off the ever-present cold. Games were played and wrestling contests were had
to help use up the youthful energy pent up from being forced to stay indoors.
Duo stood at the back of the room at first, content to watch the others. He had no
knowledge of the games other boys engaged in, always having been left out of
those types of activities in Ha'ber. Yet the more he observed the better his
understanding became. Before long, he accepted Quatre's invitation to join in,
tentative at first.
"It'll be fun, Duo," the blond said enthusiastically. "I know we're smaller than
the others, but you've got to be stronger than me." Duo sat on the stone floor, his
knees up. Quatre sat opposite him and pressed the soles of his boots up against
Duo's. The blond then produced a pole, smooth and polished, and each boy
grabbed it with both hands. "When I say go, try to pull me up. Whichever one of
us is pulled to his feet first is the loser. Got it?"
"Okay." Duo firmly gripped the pole that Quatre held between them.
After both boys were ready, Quatre yelled "Now" to begin the contest. The
struggle was fairly equal, and Duo couldn't help but laugh when first he, and then
Quatre, were pulled up slightly from their places, bottoms leaving the floor.
Quatre, having played the game before, knew a few tricks and used that
knowledge to his advantage, eventually succeeding in pulling the long-haired boy
to his feet. Together they laughed, and tried it a few more times before moving
onto another game.
Duo found that he usually lost these games of strength over will; his age
and smaller size contributing to his defeat. But his good nature, even after losing,
had won over his new friends and quickly earned him the respect of the other
young riders.
The good mood of that day was dampened when Zechs and his friends
entered the room and moved to watch several of the younger boys throwing dice
at the wall. Feeling intimidated, some of the riders inched away from the
newcomers while Quatre and Trowa ignored them and threw the dice yet again.
Standing next to Heero, Duo observed the dark-haired boy stiffen and suddenly
turned away from the game. Looking over his shoulder, Duo observed Zechs,
giving Heero an appraising look.
"Hello, Heero." Zechs lowered his voice in an attempt to sound seductive.
"What do you want?" Heero asked, irritated at the interruption and wary of
the other's lascivious grin.
"Are you bored of playing children's games yet?"
"No, I'm quite content."
"I've recently received from my family a new, finely crafted bow made from
an Ash tree that grew on the mountains of Dragon's Head. Isn't that near your
home of Wishburn? It's made by a well-known craftsman and I'd like to show it to
you. Will you come to my room with me to see it?" The older and taller boy
leaned into Heero and whispered, "Come on, Heero. You know you want to."
Duo turned around, irritated at the taller boy's presence, his invitation and
innuendoes. "Leave him alone, Zechs. Can't you tell he's not interested in you?"
Cold blue eyes glared at the younger boy. "Stay out of this, Duo, or I'll
make you a stain on the floor."
The braided boy sighed as if he were bored of the conversation and the
person looming over him. "Listen, you've got to quit thinking with your lower
regions. You've got eyes to see that Heero is repulsed by your advances. You
have ears to hear the disdain in his voice. Do us all a favor and go stitch the front
of your britches up and leave us alone."
The braided boy didn't notice until he'd finished speaking that the room
around him had gone deathly still. He chanced a quick glance around to see that
every eye and ear were trained on him and the taller teenager.
He flinched instinctively at a sudden movement, but he was too slow to get
out of the way when a hand shot out, grabbed the front of his tunic and lifted him
from off the floor, bringing him face to face with a very red-faced and angry
Zechs.
"How dare you talk to me in such a manner," the tall blond growled angrily.
"My being older than you requires your respect. You will apologize or I'll gladly
flatten that ridiculous little nose of yours."
Duo swallowed nervously, but somehow he couldn't find it in himself to
apologize to the arrogant, self-righteous teen threatening him. And what was
wrong with his nose?
"Put him down." It was Heero's sharp-edged voice that came out of the
silence surrounding them.
That leering grin came back to the blond's face. "I will if you'll agree to
come back to my room with me."
"Then that would defeat the whole purpose of Duo's gallantry. I'm telling
you to put him down and to heed his words, for he speaks the truth. I've told you
repeatedly that I'm not interested in you, Zechs, and unless you want to fight with
me in front of the others you had better unhand him."
Pale blue eyes shifted from his captive to Heero, who obviously meant
every word he spoke. Zechs' lips compressed, his eyes narrowed and Duo
realized the older rider's anger was mounting. With a sudden flash of disgust on
the blond's face, Duo was suddenly and quite forcefully tossed straight at Heero,
who awkwardly caught him and stumbled backwards, the both of them tumbling
to the floor. As Duo lay sprawled, face up over Heero's body, Zechs stood over
them, almost spitting with anger. "You would choose this little boy over a man,
Heero? Well as far as I'm concerned you can have him, though you'll
undoubtedly regret your choice." With that said, Zechs straightened his
shoulders and turned up his chin just before he spun around and stormed out of
the room, trying to save face after losing his temper and displaying his less-than-pleasant
character to the other riders.
Quatre stepped forward and reached a hand out to Duo then pulled the
braided boy to his feet. "Are you alright?" he asked his friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Duo answered. He then turned to offer his hand to Heero.
"How about you, Heero? Are you alright?"
Pausing for only a moment to look at the proffered hand, Heero clasped it
with his own and allowed the other boy to assist him to his feet. "I'm fine," he
replied once he had regained his feet again. He then began brushing off the seat
of his pants and added, "Thank you."
"Let's forget about Zechs and his unpleasantness and have some fun,"
Ze'an interjected, clapping his hand on Duo's shoulder and smiling encouragingly
at the other riders, bridging the awkwardness of the situation.
As the crowd of riders around them began to wander away, the excitement
over for the moment, Heero moved closer to Duo's side and in a low voice asked,
"Why did you do that?"
"What? Pick a fight with someone who could do great damage to my
body?" Duo chuckled, trying hard not to show how unsettled the incident had left
him.
"Yes. Why did you stand in my defense?"
"Because I hate bullies," Duo stated, quickly sobering and unable to look
the other boy in the eye. "I've faced them most of my life, and I can't stand by
and watch someone bigger pick on other people."
Heero looked at Duo with open curiosity. He'd garnered only bits and
pieces of information about Duo's past during their group outings, mostly from
casual comments while visiting swimming holes or roaming Rydell or Skeer
together.
Duo's cheeks warmed slightly. "Besides, you stood up for me too," he
added. "Why'd you do that?"
"Because I didn't want him to hurt you for my sake."
Duo wasn't sure how to respond or what to think about Heero's answer, so
in order to cover his confusion, he grinned. "Guess we showed him we're not
going to suffer his bullying any longer."
Heero nodded, a grin tugging at his lips. "Would you like to challenge me
at the pull up?"
Duo laughed and shook his head, sensing that the incident with Zechs had
somehow bridged some of the distance he'd determinedly put between himself
and Heero. "I don't think so. I've felt your strength and have little doubt you
could pull me up without any effort."
"What if I were to use only one hand?"
"You would insult me."
"I could go up against both you and Quatre?"
A wide grin spread across Duo's face. "Now that might just be a contest.
Wait here and I'll go get him."
Duo and Heero took a small step away from past judgments. Though there
remained a distance between them, caused by Duo's memory of his
embarrassment and Heero's natural aloofness, they became more comfortable
and less apprehensive in each other's company, though a true friendship they
had yet to form.
The early days of summer stretched out before them with Quatre's
enamored feelings for Trowa becoming more obvious to those who cared to
notice. From Duo's standpoint, the tall, auburn-haired teen appeared more than
agreeable with the blond's flirting and frequent touching. Trowa smiled a bit more
and his green eyes sparkled with affection whenever Quatre addressed him.
Everyone seemed happy and content with the way life was progressing and so
was he. They were all ignorant of the fact that all too soon their happy lives
would be forever changed when a time of darkness and uncertainty would settle
over the Halls of Dornan.
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