Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2002 5:18 pm
"That's insane!" William barked, "Who are you, that you dare to
accuse a man of the law?"
The stranger's voice was harsh and clipped, his hatred getting the
better of him. "I am Chang Wufei, and I will have Meiran's justice!"
He lunged forward and his blade met William's in a scatter of sparks
as steel met and slid apart. Behind Heero, Relena gasped, her hand
reaching out to touch his arm urgently. "Heero," she cried, not sure
what she was asking him to do, but knowing he could stop this madness
from continuing. If Wufei killed the Sheriff, he would be hanged, and
the memory of his wife forgotten. She was not sure if Guy had killed
Wufei's wife or not, but she had no desire to see anyone hurt. Guy of
Gisbourne had always had a ruthless and brutal reputation and she
wouldn't put it past him to have raped and killed a Saxon woman. He
was a Norman, and so thought it was his supreme right to do whatever
he wished to the Saxons. She, herself, was a Normon, and so despised
the smudge these men brought to her heritage. It was a never-ending
cycle of hatred that she was sure would destroy them all unless it
was stopped.
"Heero," she said again, her hand still on his arm. He nodded to her
unspoken plea, his eyes assessing the situation carefully. William
and Wufei were locked in combat, the sound of their fighting filling
the whole glen. Everyone had backed away to allow the combatants
room, even the Sheriff's men. No one could get close enough to stop
them.
Except him.
Like Relena, he knew he could stop their duel. There were too many
innocents nearby and if there was one thing he hated, it was the
meaningless deaths of innocents. As for the Sheriff and Chang, he
could not say he cared. The quarrel was theirs alone, he only wished
they would take it somewhere else. Still, Relena wanted him to do
something, and for the sake of her father, he would.
Wishing for the sword he had hung above the mantle as a sign of his
release from war, he motioned for Relena to stay back before striding
forward, his mind completely focused. In mid-stride, he smoothly
reached down and drew the dagger he always kept in his boot, waited
until the Sheriff and Chang clashed together again, and slid between
the two, his dagger taking the brunt of William's charge while his
right foot lashed out and kicked Chang in the stomach, knocking the
breath out of him and making him fall backwards. William growled at him
across their matched blades, his sword seeking the upper hand though
he should not have continued the lunge. Heero glared at him,
wondering what he was doing.
"Enough, Sheriff, this fight is over," he said, his voice rough as he
sought to keep William's sword from overpowering him. A few feet
away, Chang was getting his feet under him, rage painted across his
face.
"You are out of line, <i>my lord</i>," Willian seethed, "The law is my
business and this man has drawn steel against an officer of the law.
He is <i>mine</i>!"
Their two blades fought for dominance, Heero using both hands to
drive the Sheriff back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chang
stalk towards him, black eyes flashing. "I will not allow anyone to
interfer!" he cried, raising his sword, "My revenge is my own!"
"Heero!," someone cried, before a maroon and gold blur crashed into
Chang, causing him to go sprawling, his sword skittering out of his
hand to land in the dewy grass a good twenty feet away. The Sheriff
gasped, his blade faltering and Heero used his distraction to flick
his wrist, unarming him and catching the Sheriff's sword in his own
fist. Immediately, Heero swung, his cold gaze going to Chang who was
still on the ground, a small, feminine shape picking herself up even
as he watched.
"Relena," he said, totally shocked. She had launched herself at Wufei?
for him?
She looked up to meet his eyes and he went to her unconsciously,
reaching out a hand for hers. "Relena, come away quickly." She nodded
and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to safety. William strode
past them both, calling his men forth to arrest Chang before he could
move. Heero ignored them, intent on Relena.
"That was foolish, Relena," he said, coldly, keeping the worry out of
his voice. Scattered and disheveled, she managed to catch her breath
and look him in the eye, her voice slightly hurt when she spoke.
"He would have attacked you, if he had gotten any closer."
"You could have been hurt," he replied, forcefully. This time, she
dropped her eyes, unable to look at him. She said nothing.
It was at this moment, that he realized the whole crowd had gone
silent, some looking at Relena with wide eyes, horrified at her
unladylike actions. Knowing that the crowd's reaction could be
damaging to Relena's reputation, he caught the only sympathetic gaze
he found in the crowd and gave the man a look, knowing he would get
the hint.
Quatre nodded in understanding, and stepped forward, applauding
loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have been inspired by Lady Darlian's
show of courage. Let us all give tribute to our brave Lady by dancing
away the evening and enjoying ourselves." Encouraged by the
minstrel's words, the crowd broke out in applause, the once tense
atmosphere dissolving with Quatre's beautiful voice. Relena, so
surprised she could scarcely get a word out, went quietly with
William when he led her out to the dancing area. Heero looked to the
side to find the Sheriff's men dragging Wufei Chang away, bound
heavily and gagged. If he was lucky, he would be jailed a few days
before William had him hung. It might just be enough time?
Silent as a summer breeze, Heero Yuy vanished into the shadows,
watched only by a pair of predatory ice blue eyes?
* * * *
"What were you thinking, Relena?" Catherine raged at her later on in
the privacy of the bedchamber Relena shared with Dorothy. Cathy paced
back and forth across the room, ranting out her worry for Relena's
safety. She was not really angry, she had just suffered a terrible
shock, and she had always shown extreme worry by getting angry. It
was Catherine's way. Relena just sat in her chair, properly contrite,
and let her go. She would wear herself out eventually.
"Throwing yourself at that?that?<i>man</i>?and he had a <i>sword</i>! You could
have been <i>stabbed</i>, Relena! You must have been out of your mind to?"
Relena let herself drift, keeping half and ear on what Catherine was
saying. The night's events had definitely tired her and William had
escorted her back to her room to rest. Dorothy had not yet returned
and Relena was only glad. She needed time to think things through
without Dorothy's snide remarks.
She, herself, really didn't know what had gotten into her. She had
only reacted to the sight of Wufei ready to attack Heero's
unprotected back. The whole fight had not been a fair one, especially
when the Sheriff had refused to back down. She had felt many
undercurrents in the past few hours, and it would take awhile to
untangle them all. What most upset her, was Chang's arrest. William
had told her he would be judged for the crime of attacking
an officer of the law, but Relena was still worried. The man had
looked so?devasted. Surely it could not be right to imprison a man
for something he did under such strong emotions. Perhaps she could
talk to William again and have Chang released. William would
understand if she explained everything to him.
"?Heero jumping between them. As if your performance wasn't enough,
he had to play the war hero and?
Heero. She knew he wasn't really angry with her. She had seen the
flash of fear in his dark eyes, quickly covered the with icy
emotionless fa?ade he presented to the world. He had been genuinely
concerned for her, and it made her heart warm with a feeling she had
never felt before. It was strange really, when Wufei had attacked
William, and Heero had pushed her behind him, she had never felt
safer in her life. Not even with her father. She had known
instinctively that while Heero was with her, she would never be
harmed. It was interesting, and she wondered what Heero felt when he
was with her.
"Relena, are you listening?" Catherine stopped her tirade to put her
hands on her hips and glare at her friend, "Don't you know that you
could have been seriously hurt?"
Relena smiled gently, "Catherine, thank you for your concern, but I'm
perfectly alright. Besides, I couldn't let that man hurt Heero?"
Catherine blinked and then laughed softly, sitting herself down on
the edge of Relena's bed. Relena tiled her head, "What?"
"You called him Heero." Catherine grinned, "Does this mean you two
are?"
Relena looked away, "It just means that we are friends again." She
frowned, "At least, I think so?" She sighed, "I'm not really sure.
He's so hard to read?"
Catherine smiled and hugged Relena quickly. "Whatever the case may
be, I'm just glad your alright. I'm going to go check on Father.
Tonight's events were a little shocking for all of us. Get some rest,
Relena, and I'll see you in time for the hunt tomorrow."
Relena nodded and waved good bye to her friend before standing and
checking her reflection in the mirror. She had no intention of
resting until she had talked to William about Wufei's punishment, and
now was the best time to do it.
* * * *
Quatre sighed wearily and pushed open the door to his room tiredly,
not bothering to close it as he sat his harp down carefully, treating it
with a reverence one would have associated with the care of a good
woman. Quatre's life revolved around his harp, without it, he did not
know what he would do within himself.
Stretching and yawning, he sat and took off his coat and boots,
feeling slightly better without the extra weight. The night's events
did not weigh heavily on his mind. Serious matters like those were
best left to the nobles and lawmen. He was only a simply minstrel
with the dream of being a bard, he would only get himself in trouble
mixing with the higher classes.
"Ah, there you are, Minstrel."
Quatre looked up and squinted at the figure in the doorway,
silhouetted by the brighter lights of the hallway. A woman stood
there, with sunflower blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that held
him like a fox before the hounds. He blinked once, realizing who the
lady was.
"Miss Dorothy, I did not recognize you for a moment. " He stood
courteously, feeling the lack of clothing he was wearing. "May I help
you?"
She nodded once, a little smirk on her face as she stepped into his
room uninvited. She reached back to close the door behind her and,
for a moment, Quatre thought he saw a figure pause a moment in the
hallway before moving on, but the door closed and he was then
absorbed in what Dorothy was doing.
"I thought you might like to do something for me."
He blinked again at her, eyes wide as he realized just how little she
wore. Her dress was very low indeed and her hair was down, cascading
over her shoulders. Her chest seemed to heave with each breath as she
stepped closer to him and his gaze could not help but be drawn to
that part of her anatomy. She smiled at this, and drew close enough
so that her breath whispered across his cheek.
It was only then that he realized what she intended.
Her lips grazed his and he jumped, thoroughly startled.
"My l-lady," he stuttered, surprised. She only laughed.
"I am no lady, sir," she said, pulling back a little to look him
directly in the eye. "I am the daughter of the Sheriff of this
worthless Shire, little higher than a wandering minstrel." Her lips
curved in a smirk again. "Can you resist me, Quatre? Do you <i>dare</i>
resist me?"
She leaned forward again and this time he let her kiss him, his mind
spinning. If he stopped her, she would definitely be hurt and might
even reveal this night to her Father, and he would be forced to leave
Huntington in disgrace. On the other hand, if he did go through with
it, and was found, he had more to lose than just his pride. Still?
Miss Dorothy was very persuasive.
And he could feel that deep down inside, she was just a frightened
little girl that needed guidance, something she would never get from
the noble she would be forced to marry. He would be a more gentle
lover than any young stallion that was led to her bed.
Decided, he slipped his arms around her, letting her do as she may,
his harp forgotten on the floor.
* * * *
accuse a man of the law?"
The stranger's voice was harsh and clipped, his hatred getting the
better of him. "I am Chang Wufei, and I will have Meiran's justice!"
He lunged forward and his blade met William's in a scatter of sparks
as steel met and slid apart. Behind Heero, Relena gasped, her hand
reaching out to touch his arm urgently. "Heero," she cried, not sure
what she was asking him to do, but knowing he could stop this madness
from continuing. If Wufei killed the Sheriff, he would be hanged, and
the memory of his wife forgotten. She was not sure if Guy had killed
Wufei's wife or not, but she had no desire to see anyone hurt. Guy of
Gisbourne had always had a ruthless and brutal reputation and she
wouldn't put it past him to have raped and killed a Saxon woman. He
was a Norman, and so thought it was his supreme right to do whatever
he wished to the Saxons. She, herself, was a Normon, and so despised
the smudge these men brought to her heritage. It was a never-ending
cycle of hatred that she was sure would destroy them all unless it
was stopped.
"Heero," she said again, her hand still on his arm. He nodded to her
unspoken plea, his eyes assessing the situation carefully. William
and Wufei were locked in combat, the sound of their fighting filling
the whole glen. Everyone had backed away to allow the combatants
room, even the Sheriff's men. No one could get close enough to stop
them.
Except him.
Like Relena, he knew he could stop their duel. There were too many
innocents nearby and if there was one thing he hated, it was the
meaningless deaths of innocents. As for the Sheriff and Chang, he
could not say he cared. The quarrel was theirs alone, he only wished
they would take it somewhere else. Still, Relena wanted him to do
something, and for the sake of her father, he would.
Wishing for the sword he had hung above the mantle as a sign of his
release from war, he motioned for Relena to stay back before striding
forward, his mind completely focused. In mid-stride, he smoothly
reached down and drew the dagger he always kept in his boot, waited
until the Sheriff and Chang clashed together again, and slid between
the two, his dagger taking the brunt of William's charge while his
right foot lashed out and kicked Chang in the stomach, knocking the
breath out of him and making him fall backwards. William growled at him
across their matched blades, his sword seeking the upper hand though
he should not have continued the lunge. Heero glared at him,
wondering what he was doing.
"Enough, Sheriff, this fight is over," he said, his voice rough as he
sought to keep William's sword from overpowering him. A few feet
away, Chang was getting his feet under him, rage painted across his
face.
"You are out of line, <i>my lord</i>," Willian seethed, "The law is my
business and this man has drawn steel against an officer of the law.
He is <i>mine</i>!"
Their two blades fought for dominance, Heero using both hands to
drive the Sheriff back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chang
stalk towards him, black eyes flashing. "I will not allow anyone to
interfer!" he cried, raising his sword, "My revenge is my own!"
"Heero!," someone cried, before a maroon and gold blur crashed into
Chang, causing him to go sprawling, his sword skittering out of his
hand to land in the dewy grass a good twenty feet away. The Sheriff
gasped, his blade faltering and Heero used his distraction to flick
his wrist, unarming him and catching the Sheriff's sword in his own
fist. Immediately, Heero swung, his cold gaze going to Chang who was
still on the ground, a small, feminine shape picking herself up even
as he watched.
"Relena," he said, totally shocked. She had launched herself at Wufei?
for him?
She looked up to meet his eyes and he went to her unconsciously,
reaching out a hand for hers. "Relena, come away quickly." She nodded
and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to safety. William strode
past them both, calling his men forth to arrest Chang before he could
move. Heero ignored them, intent on Relena.
"That was foolish, Relena," he said, coldly, keeping the worry out of
his voice. Scattered and disheveled, she managed to catch her breath
and look him in the eye, her voice slightly hurt when she spoke.
"He would have attacked you, if he had gotten any closer."
"You could have been hurt," he replied, forcefully. This time, she
dropped her eyes, unable to look at him. She said nothing.
It was at this moment, that he realized the whole crowd had gone
silent, some looking at Relena with wide eyes, horrified at her
unladylike actions. Knowing that the crowd's reaction could be
damaging to Relena's reputation, he caught the only sympathetic gaze
he found in the crowd and gave the man a look, knowing he would get
the hint.
Quatre nodded in understanding, and stepped forward, applauding
loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have been inspired by Lady Darlian's
show of courage. Let us all give tribute to our brave Lady by dancing
away the evening and enjoying ourselves." Encouraged by the
minstrel's words, the crowd broke out in applause, the once tense
atmosphere dissolving with Quatre's beautiful voice. Relena, so
surprised she could scarcely get a word out, went quietly with
William when he led her out to the dancing area. Heero looked to the
side to find the Sheriff's men dragging Wufei Chang away, bound
heavily and gagged. If he was lucky, he would be jailed a few days
before William had him hung. It might just be enough time?
Silent as a summer breeze, Heero Yuy vanished into the shadows,
watched only by a pair of predatory ice blue eyes?
* * * *
"What were you thinking, Relena?" Catherine raged at her later on in
the privacy of the bedchamber Relena shared with Dorothy. Cathy paced
back and forth across the room, ranting out her worry for Relena's
safety. She was not really angry, she had just suffered a terrible
shock, and she had always shown extreme worry by getting angry. It
was Catherine's way. Relena just sat in her chair, properly contrite,
and let her go. She would wear herself out eventually.
"Throwing yourself at that?that?<i>man</i>?and he had a <i>sword</i>! You could
have been <i>stabbed</i>, Relena! You must have been out of your mind to?"
Relena let herself drift, keeping half and ear on what Catherine was
saying. The night's events had definitely tired her and William had
escorted her back to her room to rest. Dorothy had not yet returned
and Relena was only glad. She needed time to think things through
without Dorothy's snide remarks.
She, herself, really didn't know what had gotten into her. She had
only reacted to the sight of Wufei ready to attack Heero's
unprotected back. The whole fight had not been a fair one, especially
when the Sheriff had refused to back down. She had felt many
undercurrents in the past few hours, and it would take awhile to
untangle them all. What most upset her, was Chang's arrest. William
had told her he would be judged for the crime of attacking
an officer of the law, but Relena was still worried. The man had
looked so?devasted. Surely it could not be right to imprison a man
for something he did under such strong emotions. Perhaps she could
talk to William again and have Chang released. William would
understand if she explained everything to him.
"?Heero jumping between them. As if your performance wasn't enough,
he had to play the war hero and?
Heero. She knew he wasn't really angry with her. She had seen the
flash of fear in his dark eyes, quickly covered the with icy
emotionless fa?ade he presented to the world. He had been genuinely
concerned for her, and it made her heart warm with a feeling she had
never felt before. It was strange really, when Wufei had attacked
William, and Heero had pushed her behind him, she had never felt
safer in her life. Not even with her father. She had known
instinctively that while Heero was with her, she would never be
harmed. It was interesting, and she wondered what Heero felt when he
was with her.
"Relena, are you listening?" Catherine stopped her tirade to put her
hands on her hips and glare at her friend, "Don't you know that you
could have been seriously hurt?"
Relena smiled gently, "Catherine, thank you for your concern, but I'm
perfectly alright. Besides, I couldn't let that man hurt Heero?"
Catherine blinked and then laughed softly, sitting herself down on
the edge of Relena's bed. Relena tiled her head, "What?"
"You called him Heero." Catherine grinned, "Does this mean you two
are?"
Relena looked away, "It just means that we are friends again." She
frowned, "At least, I think so?" She sighed, "I'm not really sure.
He's so hard to read?"
Catherine smiled and hugged Relena quickly. "Whatever the case may
be, I'm just glad your alright. I'm going to go check on Father.
Tonight's events were a little shocking for all of us. Get some rest,
Relena, and I'll see you in time for the hunt tomorrow."
Relena nodded and waved good bye to her friend before standing and
checking her reflection in the mirror. She had no intention of
resting until she had talked to William about Wufei's punishment, and
now was the best time to do it.
* * * *
Quatre sighed wearily and pushed open the door to his room tiredly,
not bothering to close it as he sat his harp down carefully, treating it
with a reverence one would have associated with the care of a good
woman. Quatre's life revolved around his harp, without it, he did not
know what he would do within himself.
Stretching and yawning, he sat and took off his coat and boots,
feeling slightly better without the extra weight. The night's events
did not weigh heavily on his mind. Serious matters like those were
best left to the nobles and lawmen. He was only a simply minstrel
with the dream of being a bard, he would only get himself in trouble
mixing with the higher classes.
"Ah, there you are, Minstrel."
Quatre looked up and squinted at the figure in the doorway,
silhouetted by the brighter lights of the hallway. A woman stood
there, with sunflower blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that held
him like a fox before the hounds. He blinked once, realizing who the
lady was.
"Miss Dorothy, I did not recognize you for a moment. " He stood
courteously, feeling the lack of clothing he was wearing. "May I help
you?"
She nodded once, a little smirk on her face as she stepped into his
room uninvited. She reached back to close the door behind her and,
for a moment, Quatre thought he saw a figure pause a moment in the
hallway before moving on, but the door closed and he was then
absorbed in what Dorothy was doing.
"I thought you might like to do something for me."
He blinked again at her, eyes wide as he realized just how little she
wore. Her dress was very low indeed and her hair was down, cascading
over her shoulders. Her chest seemed to heave with each breath as she
stepped closer to him and his gaze could not help but be drawn to
that part of her anatomy. She smiled at this, and drew close enough
so that her breath whispered across his cheek.
It was only then that he realized what she intended.
Her lips grazed his and he jumped, thoroughly startled.
"My l-lady," he stuttered, surprised. She only laughed.
"I am no lady, sir," she said, pulling back a little to look him
directly in the eye. "I am the daughter of the Sheriff of this
worthless Shire, little higher than a wandering minstrel." Her lips
curved in a smirk again. "Can you resist me, Quatre? Do you <i>dare</i>
resist me?"
She leaned forward again and this time he let her kiss him, his mind
spinning. If he stopped her, she would definitely be hurt and might
even reveal this night to her Father, and he would be forced to leave
Huntington in disgrace. On the other hand, if he did go through with
it, and was found, he had more to lose than just his pride. Still?
Miss Dorothy was very persuasive.
And he could feel that deep down inside, she was just a frightened
little girl that needed guidance, something she would never get from
the noble she would be forced to marry. He would be a more gentle
lover than any young stallion that was led to her bed.
Decided, he slipped his arms around her, letting her do as she may,
his harp forgotten on the floor.
* * * *