The Ice Prince
Chapter III
On Duo's seventeenth birthday, Dorlian received a letter that told him of a ship arriving at
Libra Port in White Fang. There was no return address and the letter was
unsigned. The merchant was wary at first, but once he read it, all rationality
fled him. "The ship holds a precious cargo," said the letter, in
crabbed, hasty handwriting. "You can make your fortune once more!"
Dorlian was ecstatic
and at once made preparations for the long journey to the heart of Oz.
After the initial shock of losing his fortune had worn off, Dorlian had
tried, for his children, to appear content. However, he had always remained
dissatisfied with their simple life and jumped at this chance to return
to the city. Quatre, Relena and Duo tried reasoning with him, telling him
that he had no idea from where or whom the letter had come, but their father
was deaf to their protests, and eventually they capitulated and helped him
pack.
Neither Quatre nor
Duo believed that anything would come of the letter, though Relena cherished
a hopeful belief that their father would find something of worth. The cottage
whirled with activity as the three of them prepared their father with clothing,
food, and other small necessities, surreptitiously tucking in little trinkets
they had made themselves. "We're doing this for contingency, you understand,"
Quatre had told Duo as he crammed a woodcut into a bulging leather pack.
"This letter is some trickster's idea of a fine prank, and Father will have
to sell all he can in the city to buy provisions for the road home." Duo
had nodded ruefully. Then, because Quatre was occupied, Duo had gone out
to ready their only horse, a grayish mare named Wing. Worked far too hard
for far too long, the mare was only halfway decent, but she was easy to work
with and did try her best.
It took about a week
for Quatre to repair their dilapidated old cart, bartering furiously for
paint, wood, and wheels, but finally everything was ready for their father's
journey. The evening before he left, Dorlian asked his children what they
would have.
"A new dress," Relena
said decisively, her blue eyes shining with excitement and hope. She plucked
at her own dress, a drab, tired thing. "I've got a grand total of three
dresses and a few pairs of pants and shirts. A change of clothing would
be so nice. I'd also like some velvet and silk cloths -- please, no more
corduroy or gingham! -- and a new sewing kit, or at least replacements for
some things I'm missing from the old one..." She continued on in this vein
for some time before winding down and allowing Quatre to take the floor.
After a thoughtful
silence, Quatre shrugged and said, "I'd like a bunch of new books, if you
could. I know that Khushrenada must have come out with some new works while
we were away. If you can't get the books, an instrument by Quinze -- like
a gittern or a flute -- will be fine. Either way, Father, it'll cost you,"
he warned, as his father brimmed over with effervescent happiness and assured
him that cost would almost certainly be no problem.
Duo was actually in
the next room, folding laundry -- the needs of the household did not conveniently
cease while Dorlian prepared to leave -- so Dorlian peeked in the door.
"Beauty?" he called brightly as he ventured in.
"Wrong guy, I'm Duo,"
the boy muttered absentmindedly as he folded a sweater Relena had knit
and put it on the top of a pile of folded clothing. He frowned for a moment,
looked hard at the sweater, then snatched it back and glanced at his father.
"Do you think we packed enough sweaters?" he asked, his brows knitting together
as he rose and pressed the sweater into Dorlian's hands. "It's close to
wintertime, and what if a blizzard gets you? You'll freeze, that's
what, unless you've got forty layers of sweaters on. Do you know how cold
the winters get around here? I was talking with Heero the other day and
he warned me that it can get cold here during the winter, I mean
you know it gets cold during winter but he said really seriously
cold --"
The man suppressed
a chuckle at his son's nervous rambling and draped the proffered sweater
over one arm, then raised his free hand, cutting off Duo's stream of words.
The youth sank into his chair and picked up another garment, folding it automatically.
His fine-boned hands moved jerkily, without their usual unconscious grace.
"There's no need to be so anxious," Dorlian assured his son, placing a
hand on his shoulder. "Wing's a good horse, if a mite tired out, and there
aren't supposed to be any blizzards for a good month yet."
"But it's still a possibility.
And a number of other things could happen to you as you run off chasing
rainbows. There could be bandits, or robbers, or wolves, or the cart could
break down, or Wing could lame herself," Duo insisted, his gaze fixed on
the garments he was mechanically folding. Then, in one of his characteristic
mercurial mood changes, he looked up at his father with a heartrending expression
in his eyes. "Father, I don't like the idea of you haring off into the wilderness
on the say-so of an anonymous letter. You're my father and I don't want you
hurt!"
"Duo, don't get yourself
wrought up over such silly possibilities," Dorlian returned lightly, in
too blithe a mood to be discouraged. "Nothing will happen to me. Anyway,
I came here to ask you what you want from White Fang. I already asked your
older siblings, both of whom gave me quite a lengthy wish list."
Duo raised an eyebrow.
"What I want, huh?" He stopped working for a moment, evidently giving the
question great consideration. "You know, that's the first time in a long
time anyone's asked me that." Before the merchant could respond, Duo continued.
"There's nothing I really want, you know, other than your safe,
healthy, sane arrival. I'm happy here..." He laughed a little. "I'd be fine
with nothing more than a rose."
His father looked at
him speculatively. "A rose, Duo?"
Duo nodded emphatically.
At least you'll be able to bring one of your children a gift once you
realize you're off on a wild mule chase... In a perverse flash of whimsy,
he added, "A black one. To match my clothing." His father lifted an eyebrow
himself and Duo sighed. "Please, Father, humor me. Black roses don't grow
around here, but they don't cost much either. That should appeal to your
thrifty side."
Dorlian chuckled. "You're
quite right, son. The only thing cheaper is a bottle of air."
At sunrise the next
morning, Duo and his siblings gathered outside to bid their father farewell.
Quatre checked the cart one last time and pronounced it as good as it was
going to get. Relena wrung her hands in filial worry and Duo continued
trying to persuade his father to stay until finally Dorlian decided he
had stalled enough and, with a smile and a wave, left for White Fang. Duo
watched his father disappear into the distance until he could no longer
pretend that the speck on the horizon was Wing and her glad cargo. Then
he allowed himself a rueful sigh -- this ordeal was provoking a lot of
those -- and went back to the cottage to tend to the remainder of the last
day's laundry.