Chapter 10.

Kendra had failed. She hadn't even known there were such things as apprentice watchers this morning, but then it wasn't her place to know such things. It was her place to protect him and she'd failed. That the one-eyed man was preternaturally strong and stronger than any vampire she had ever faced was no excuse. She couldn't move any more, every part of her body ached from the beating she'd just taken. She'd die, and then he would die, and a new Slayer would take her place. She closed her eyes and waited.

A meaty 'thwack' sounded in her ears and the one eyed man then stood with an arrow sticking out of his side. She turned to the almost watcher. One of his eyes was swollen shut and she could hear the raspiness of his breathing. His hand was bleeding badly and yet he had managed to kill this monster. She could tell from where the arrow stuck out that the wound would be fatal.

The monster seemed to realize this too. As he abandoned her, pulled out the arrow and staggered towards the downed and helpless watcher. Hoping to take the man who'd killed him to the underworld with him.

Kendra was not about to let that happen, she was the Vampire Slayer. She kipped up and dove for the monster, tackling him by his feet.

She watched as the arrowhead skittered to a stop just inches from the watcher's eye.

She had stopped the one eyed man from killing the watcher. She searched his body for clues as to why they were attacked. Her heart stopped when she came across the ring of Taraka. This boy had pissed off some very rich people. She had read about them in the writings of Dramius. If she remembered correctly, they never sent only one assassin and a 'full-contract' would stay in effect until the target was killed. She very much hoped it was not a contract of that type.

She pushed the assassin's body into the sewers then collected Xander's arrows for him. Xander was sitting against a tree, wrapping his injured hand with a piece of his undershirt. She handed him his refilled quivers. He gave her his unbroken spear, the other had been broken in the fall.

"You should get that treated properly." she told him.

"giles" he croaked. "first aid"

She helped him to his feet. Except for his head and hand he was in pretty good physical shape. Kendra was in far worse shape, she hurt all over, but she'd heal faster than he would. She followed him to the senior watcher's house. It did not escape her notice that he carried his bow in his injured right hand and with an arrow nocked.

Because of the injury to Xander's throat she had to explain to the groggy watcher that, yes, she was a Slayer; that his Slayer was probably fine; she had been called in May. The same look of recognition passed across his face and Xander nodded to add his quiet input.

"Oh good Lord." Giles rubbed his eyes. "I need some tea." Once the tea was on, he set about cleaning their wounds. Xander's first as his were more likely to get infected. "No archery for at least a week with this wound."

Xander mimed shooting with his left hand.

"I'll take a look at it in two days. If you can talk by then, we'll discuss it. Promise me you won't try anything until we talk. You could cripple yourself if you push this.

Xander nodded his agreement.

The tea kettle whistled. Giles went to fetch it and returned with a tray. "I know you don't normally drink tea, Xander, but tea with honey is supposed to be very soothing for the throat."

Then he examined Kendra's injuries. He took her into the bathroom to examine injuries to her chest.

Kendra was a bit confused. "I do not understand. Mr. Zabuto has examined me many times. Xander is a watcher, is he not?"

"Almost. But he's also a 16 year old boy." Giles told her

"Oh." Kendra was shocked that he was no older than her and already a hunter. A hunter so good that someone had hired the Order of Taraka to kill him.

"Yes, well. Were it a life or death situation, I'm sure he'd wait until it was over to be... er, distracted. But he still would be. It's simply the nature of young men." Giles applied the last bandage to a cut under her arm and the side of her breast where the assassin's boot had caught her and broken the skin. "All done. I'll leave you alone to dress."

Kendra blushed at the idea of Xander thinking about her that way. "You have done dis for your Slayer, yes?" she asked before he could leave.

He sighed. "Too many times," he said and gave her a small smile.

She came back to the living room to find Mr. Giles covering Xander with a blanket.

"quite tuckered out, i'm afraid," he whispered. "there's a room upstairs you can use for tonight. we can sit there and you can tell me about what you learned from the mayor."

Giles listened while Kendra told him about the Mayors short term plans for Sunnydale. The denizens were to go into hiding while the Mayor brought food in for them. To await this day of Ascension. Such an innocuous word to cause so much dread.

Then she described the fight between them and the assassin. Giles felt the colour drain from his face when she handed him the ring.

"I am certain dat Mr. Xander was the target. De assassin ignored me until I engaged and showed meself to be da Slayer. I doubt he would have attacked Mr. Xander if he had known I was de Slayer." Kendra explained.

"No, especially considering that you defeated him. That's quite a feat." Giles allowed.

Kendra bowed her head. "Dat is because I did not defeat him. Xander shot and killed him. I was already defeated at the time."

Giles lifted her chin. "That man was a monster. That it took both of you to defeat him is no shame. I can tell from the marks on Xander's neck that he was very close to death when you intervened. That he had the strength to fire an arrow with his hand so damaged speaks only to his fortitude and not to any weakness on your part."

"I was defeated in single combat." Kendra said flatly.

"You have been training for years and have Slayer strength to boot." Giles countered. "If you were defeated, then I dare say he had an unfair advantage over you."

Kendra gave him a weak smile.

Giles gave her a hug.

Kendra stiffened at this unaccustomed display of affection, but soon found herself relaxing into his arms.

"There, there now. Off to bed with you. Morning will come far too early I'm afraid."

A/N: Xander's scratchy voice will be uncapitalized and without punctuation. Whispering will be uncapitalized with punctuation.