CHAPTER NINETEEN: Arrivals

"Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?" one Gate Guard asked another.

The second man was gaping just as hard as the first. "I think so. Unless we both ate bad fish and are seeing visions..."

"Why would the Army - and a General - be coming to Cordia? We're not on the usual road to the North!"

"Who knows, but we'd better get ready! Send a lad after the Head Guard, and hurry! They'll be here in a few minutes!" His worried eyes flew back to the column that had just come into sight around a bend in the road.

There had to be hundreds of them - hundreds of soldiers of Alyans, and all of them would be wanting food and shelter and...

Maybe this was a good thing? The money the Township would get from this unexpected assembly would easily see them through the winter and beyond!

Apparently, the Head Guard had the same thought; when he appeared, he set the men under his command to straightening their uniforms and ensuring everyone's face was clean. A good first impression was always highly to be desired.

Especially since the messenger approaching them was carrying a flag with General's colors!

"Send a lad to the Mayor, and tell him to step quick!" The Head Guard hissed the words out of the side of his mouth, his lips already arranged in a winning smile. The youngest Guard moved quickly to obey him.

The messenger stopped his horse a few yards away. To their surprise, they didn't get a haughty look, but a casual smile. "Greetings, gentlemen! I am the Herald of General Athar, of the Army of Alyans. We request permission to camp outside of your walls tonight."

Well, there went the money they could have gotten from offering shelter, but perhaps that was a good thing. The Head Guard wasn't sure there were enough Inns in the Township to take all these soldiers in. As the company approached, he could see there were at least a hundred more than he had thought.

"We readily give you permission to camp," he replied, knowing that under law he couldn't refuse, even if he were so inclined. He thought it quite pleasant of the General, really, to send a messenger to ask. He didn't have to do so!

The Herald nodded his thanks. "And your rules on soldiers entering your Township? I assure you, General Athar keeps his men under strict control, they will cause you no trouble."

The Mayor had arrived in time for the last question, and he hurriedly stepped forward. "Ah - yes, we have heard of your General. All we would ask would be that too many soldiers do not enter at once, and that they are all in your camp by midnight. We close the Gates then."

"Understood. I am told you have an Inn here called the Dancing Dog?"

Well, that was unexpected! "Er... yes. Yes, one of our finer establishments... may I ask why you wish to know?"

The Herald only smiled again. "General Athar wished the information. I do not question his reasons. I will relay your Rules of Entering to the General. Good day, gentlemen." With that, he turned his horse and rode back to the Army.

The Mayor and the Head Guard watched him go.

They didn't speak for a moment.

"...uh, sir?"

"Yes?"

"Was he just very nice, or very rude?"

"...I'm not sure."

"Oh, good... I thought it was just me..."

*

"Wake up..."

Heero growled and swatted at whoever was standing over him.

His hand didn't hit anything, but that was because his Others knew to duck.

"Hee-chan, wake up already! They're here!"

The Spirit Talent bolted upright, eyes open, wide-awake. "Already?! It's only been a day and a half!"

"Yeah, looks like they pushed pretty hard."

"That's... either amazing or stupid. Why would they hurry? I told Zechs we would wait for them."

It was true - he'd waited until all his Others were together again, and Duo had run out of breath from teasing Trowa - then he'd Borrowed from them to Speak to Zechs and found the distance already diminished.

And he'd found his Council a bit upset with him for leaving so suddenly.

When he'd shared the memory of that dark entity inside of Wufei, Zechs had forgotten he was miffed. They'd spent a half-hour discussing that, then when Heero started feeling tired from maintaining such a distant Link, Zechs had asked where they were staying in Cordia, then reluctantly broken away.

After telling Heero it would be two days, or longer, before they arrived.

This was one of the only known cases of Heero being misinformed and not vowing to kill someone over it.

Duo was fairly sure the Spirit Talent broke some time records getting dressed; he watched it all with a broad grin on his face.

"What's that for?" Heero asked suspiciously, pausing to stare at him.

"Oh, nothing... just four days."

"Four... days...?"

"You don't fool me, Hee-chan! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Heero glared.

"And I mean it! You tell, or I tell!"

"Duo - I'm going to..."

"Yeah, yeah, kill me, I know! But a deal's a deal!"

"I never made any such deal with you! Uh... where are the others?"

"Quatre's chasing Wufei, 'cause 'Fei refuses to say where he hid the clothes Q bought for him, and Trowa's tagging along to make sure nothing happens to either of them."

"You have got to be kidding me..."

"Yeah, I am, actually! They're having breakfast - and they're just arguing about Wufei wearing the clothes Quatre bought. He still thinks it's charity."

"Hn."

"Yeah, I know. He'll be okay with it some day, when he realizes that's just the way Quatre is. I'm glad Zechs is here, though, with the Army! We can get him some uniforms like ours; he won't be so self-conscious when he's dressed exactly like we are. I hope..."

"Hn." Heero agreed.

He and Duo left the room and nearly ran down the steps - well, Duo did run, Heero followed at a slightly more moderate pace.

They both saw Tania come out of the door to her rooms, but neither paid any attention to her, even though her bright, curious eyes followed them all the way down the staircase. They were too excited about seeing their Council Spirit to worry about her.

They did indeed find their Others in the Great Hall - Quatre was giving Wufei a dose of 'puppy-eyes', which the Exotic was stubbornly trying to ignore. Trowa was glued to Wufei's side, and trying to hide a smile. Duo and Heero sat down with them, starting in on the tray of breakfast food they were already sharing, and listening in vast amusement as Quatre continued to try to convince Wufei that accepting a gift from him wasn't bad.

He wasn't having the best of luck.

Heero ate quickly, eager to get out of the Inn and out of the Township. He knew the Army would be camped outside the Gates; he just wanted to get out there as soon as possible. He had a lot of things to discuss with Zechs - it had nothing to do with wanting to stare at the tall blond man.

Or that's what he told himself...

Duo was nearly bouncing in his chair - he wanted to see all of the others, Zechs and his Others, the Healing... he'd missed teasing Sally and Lu about their various little romances. He had taken care of the other children when he'd been living on the streets, but it hadn't been like have all his Others around. It was the only real Family he'd ever had, and he missed them.

A lot.

He'd have to come up with something stellar to let them know just how much he really had missed them. If he didn't try to play a prank on them, after all, Sally would worry that he was sick and want to do a physical check of his vital signs. The woman was beyond a worry-wart.

'Still,' he thought as Tania and Greyso entered the room and sat down at a nearby table, 'she's a lot better than that one... bossy little thing...'

He watched absently as one of the maids brought breakfast to Greyso's table, saw that she was chattering excitedly. He didn't think anything about it until Tania sat up stiffly, her eyes narrowing and turning to gaze at their table.

What...?

He tuned in to the conversation in the room, discovering that everyone in the Inn was talking about the arrival of the Army, and General Athar. That had probably been what the maid had told Tania and Greyso.

Which meant that she now knew their Commander - their Council - was here.

Well, who cared?! As soon as Heero and Zechs were seen together, any idiot could tell that their link was a proper one. Hell, most people could tell that they were Linked - as in soul-mates - just by watching the way they gazed at each other.

Still, perhaps he should remind Heero of her intention to test the link between he and Zechs. Normally, he wouldn't have thought Hee-chan needed reminding of something like that, but some of Heero's precision and perfect memory went out the window when the blond Spirit Talent was around.

Well, speak of the devil - the broad Inn doors opened and Zechs strode inside, his eyes sliding over the gathered guests and lighting up with pleasure when he spotted their table. Sally and Lu were right behind him - Duo didn't see any of their Others, but they would probably be waiting back at camp. Three were enough for Wufei to meet at once; Zechs would know better than to overwhelm him with ten of his Secondary Others at once.

Quatre, Trowa and Heero saw Zechs almost as soon as he did; they sat up straighter, themselves, and all three of them smiled. Wufei looked up from picking at his breakfast, alert to the fact that something was going on, but obviously uncertain as to what it was.

*

"That's our Commander, Zechs," Trowa whispered in Wufei's ear.

Wufei blinked. He had known they were coming - had known the Army was here - but the way Quatre had spoken, he had thought it would be several hours after breakfast before the Commander would show up. Something about Protocol, and the way the camp had to be set up...

So why was he here, now? Had something happened?

Or... maybe... judging by the way the man was staring at Heero, he'd just been really eager to see the other boy.

Wufei tried to fight down a snicker. He managed it, but just barely.

So that was what Duo had been talking about!

His Others were getting up; he quickly stood up with them and resisted the urge to grab Trowa's scarf again. The taller boy hadn't seemed to mind, but that didn't mean he wasn't silently wondering why Wufei would need to do that.

Trowa, however, used the faint unease on Wufei's face as the perfect excuse to take one small bronze hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. Wufei didn't smile, but there was a flash of gratitude in those dark eyes, and his fingers tightened carefully around Trowa's pale ones.

That was more than enough to make the Earth Talent happy.

Wufei watched quietly as the tall blond approached; when he was within a few feet, Duo glomped him with a flying hug. Zechs caught him and laughed, returning the embrace, then swung the shorter Talent around until Duo had a clear path to tackling the two women just behind him.

Duo easily took his cue, and attacked them.

Heero approached the Council Spirit next. Neither of them said a word, they just smiled at each other, each one clasping the other's arm, just below the elbow, in a rather formal embrace. Wufei was a bit surprised; he had expected more.

Then he remembered more of Duo's teasing, and had to fight a snicker again. He may not have sensed that Trowa liked him the way the Earth Talent did, but these two were completely blind.

Zechs greeted Quatre and Trowa, then turned his attention to the small boy standing next to Heero's Third. He raised an eyebrow at their joined hands, causing Trowa to blush and the little Exotic to scowl.

He grinned.

"So, you are Wufei? You have no idea how much I've wanted to meet you." He held out a hand, and the Fire Talent took it, rather reluctantly. As soon as their palms touched, he felt a wave of warm reassurance, a lot like Heero's, only less intense. He blinked, then gave in enough to give Zechs a small smile.

The Spirit Talent's mental touch had been enough to let him know the Commander could be trusted.

Zechs beamed at him, then turned and gestured to the two women. "Wufei - this is my Second, Lucrezia. She's an Earth Talent, and she's also my blood sister."

Wufei gave the woman a brief nod, not willing to touch someone else yet unless he had to. The girl didn't look like she'd be related to Zechs; she was shorter, with purplish-black hair. She must take after a different parent than Zechs did. The only similar feature they had were their wide, brilliant smiles. He couldn't help but return hers.

"And this is Sally. She's our Healing Spirit."

This female was taller, and blond, and was frowning at him.

"You've been injured recently... what happened? Who Healed you?"

Heero chose to answer. "Left arm, severe bruising."

"May I see?" Sally didn't wait for an answer, she just walked forward and took his arm in her hands, studying it carefully. Wufei tensed, but Trowa gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze and he relaxed just as quickly.

"This isn't fully Healed - does it hurt?"

He shook his head.

"Hmm... may I?" Once again, she didn't really wait for an answer. He felt the soft warmth of Healing flood through his skin again, but this time it was different. It was... nice, not alien and unsettling like it had been before. Tania may have Healed him, but he didn't like the feeling of her Spirit Talent soaking into his flesh.

Sally's was different. Welcome. It probed gently at his wrist, warming the bones and erasing the last traces of yellow bruising from his skin. He didn't object when he felt it moving farther, easing up his arm and along his shoulders. It slid through his neck and gently touched his skull, spread like warm sunlight along his back and chest and down his stomach and legs. It searched out old scars and recent aches, exploring carefully, seeking out any damage and instantly soothing it. Even the ankle he'd broken years ago, that ached slightly on rainy days, felt better after that warm glow touched it.

Wufei was left staring at Sally, who was staring right back. She was trying to smile at him, and wasn't quite managing it.

"...must have hurt a lot..." she whispered, so low that no one but Trowa heard.

Wufei shrugged, while Trowa frowned. Heero glanced sharply at his Third, and Trowa was obviously sharing Sally's words.

Before anyone could act further, someone interrupted.

"Excuse me - you are their Commander?"

Wufei winced when he recognized Tania's voice. Sally turned sharply, her eyes narrowing further when she saw another Healing Spirit talking to her Council.

"Is that the one that Healed you?" she hissed.

"Yes," Wufei answered.

"Without one of us around," Duo added calmly, having approached while Sally was concentrating on Wufei.

"She what?!" Sally was glaring at the shorter woman now, murder and mayhem clearly visible in her blue eyes.

Duo grinned.

"Yes, I am," Zechs replied calmly, raising a questioning eyebrow at the small woman.

Heero groaned mentally, realizing he'd forgotten to warn his Council. How could he be so stupid? He quickly sent Zechs the information about who Tania was and what she wanted - including her attempt to get Greyso to test their Joining.

Zechs had started to smile, but he quickly wiped it off his face. His features turned stern, set - easily displaying the fact that he had Royal blood in his veins.

Tania hesitated for a brief second, then continued. "I wish to lodge a complaint with your General - these boys are far too young to be involved in this War. They shouldn't be in the Army at all!"

"I agree with you, madam, but these are desperate times," was Zechs easy reply. "I would like nothing better than to have them safe at home, planning our Township, but I cannot."

That took some of the wind out of Tania's sails. "Oh... well... you should give them up, then! Take a Common Joining until after the War's end - if what you have already is not a Common Joining!"

Zechs glared at her. "I could no more give up a true Joining to my WarCraft than I could cut off my own legs. You are a Spirit Talent - Linked to a Council Spirit - you should know these things."

"Well, but you should put their needs before your own!" Tania spluttered.

"He does," Heero said quietly, moving to stand beside his Commander.

Zechs gave him a small smile. "Get your Others packed, please, Heero. We'll spend the night in the camp."

"Yes, sir!" Heero said happily, and turned toward Quatre. "Packed?"

"Taken care of," the blond replied, nodding.

"But, you shouldn't..." Tania tried to get Zechs' attention again.

"This conversation is over," Zechs informed her cooly. "If you really wish to lodge a complaint, it must be presented to General Athar. By your Council, since you are so Joined." He glanced at Greyso, who was already shaking his head. Zechs gave him a slight smile - which was returned - and walked away.

Lu, Heero, and Duo followed him. Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei moved toward the stairs to collect the bags.

Tania frowned, and started to follow them, when a hand landed on her arm. She turned, irritated, and found Sally smiling sweetly at her.

"You and I," the other Healer said softly, "need to have a little chat."