See first chapter for disclaimers.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Storyseeker for beta-reading this. As usual, if you have any comments or preferences, please don't be shy. RandR.

PREVIOUSLY: Andromeda Ascendant

Chosen Ones…Not

The countryside they had been passing through was pleasant enough. The light forest and occasional small farms they spied in the distance indicated a fairly primitive society. There were no signs of heavy farm equipment or trucks for hauling produce in evidence at any rate. On checking the bag of holding that they had acquired some worlds back, they discovered that it worked, indicating that magic existed at their current stop. What form it would take, however, there was no knowing.

During their hike, they had caught sight of a few people from a distance. They changed clothes, putting on something that wouldn't stand out too much; leathers and rough-spun cloth would blend in on most of the fantasy worlds or primitive worlds they had visited. They saw no sign of trouble for the first hour or so, and took the time to decompress from some of their recent misadventures. It was something that both needed.

Eventually, they had come across a road that looked well-travelled, and started down it, moving in the same direction as most of the tracks they could see. That usually indicated a town somewhere ahead. The dirt road held hoof prints, boot prints, and wagon tracks, which bore out their initial assumption that it was a primitive world. Primitive or not, it was well-maintained, which probably meant they were in a relatively settled area.

It wasn't long before they encountered a local. The man was clearly a farmer, judging by the contents of his wagon. The wagon itself wasn't going anywhere, as the rear axle had snapped. They watched the man struggle as they approached. He was unloading his wagon, perhaps in the hope of moving it himself. The horse that had been pulling it was tethered to a tree a short distance away, grazing.

"Could you use a hand?" Xander called. The man whirled and eyed them suspiciously for a moment, and then, glancing back at his wagon, seemed to sag a bit.

"We could use a ride to the next town if you're willing?" Faith offered. "Walkin' gets old, real fast."

"That's all you'd want?" The man asked.

Faith shrugged. "Don't need anything else. You think we'd rob you?" She glanced at Xander. "Do we need a busted wagon and a load of… What are those anyway?"

The man chuckled, somewhat reassured, and accepted their offer. The two demon hunters pitched in; Faith lifting the wagon so the two men could remove the broken axle and straining wheels. The man was shocked at her strength, but quickly put any questions he had aside in favour of getting the job done. The wagon was of a primitive but functional design which allowed for broken parts to be replaced fairly easily. The farmer was obviously well-versed in such repairs, as he quickly dealt with the axle clips and bolster, freeing the assembly without causing more damage. Fortunately, though a few of the parts were strained and would need replacements soon, a new axle was all the wagon actually needed.

Faith watched the wagon and its load while the two men sought a sapling sturdy enough to make a decent temporary axle. The farmer had assured them that the area was fairly settled and there wouldn't be any bandits or large predators to worry about. Xander retrieved an axe from inside the bag of holding, which he kept in a nondescript backpack to avoid awkward questions. Soon, they had what they needed and were ready to make repairs. The whole process took a little over two hours with all of them cooperating.

Faith grunted slightly as she lifted the wagon, holding it in place for the two men to fix the wagon. They quickly got the new axle in place and were securing it when Faith decided to tempt Murphy.

"I'm kind of hoping that this is the worst problem we have here."

"You jinxed it." Xander sighed, glancing at her in mild irritation as they heard the sound of hoof-beats approaching. They looked around to see a rather odd sight. Coming up the road at a light trot were three white horses, only one of which bore a rider. The rider had long black hair, and was wearing white leathers, only slightly dulled by road dust the horses were kicking up.

"Ho!" The man called. as he approached and saw the repairs being done. All three horses slowed as one. "Do you need help?"

"Nah." Faith called back, untroubled by the weight of the wagon, and trusting Xander to delay the stranger if he proved hostile. "We got it." She glanced at the farmer, who seemed unconcerned by the new arrival.

"That's an impressive feat." The man pulled his mount to a halt, and the other two horses stopped as well.

"Not that heavy." Faith assured him, carefully lowering the wagon to see if the temporary axle would take the weight.

"If you say so." The man answered dubiously, eyeing the wagon that was still half-full of sacks of some kind of root vegetable.

"We're just finishing up here." Xander offered. "It should get us to the next town where our friend here can get it done right." He nodded to the farmer who was retrieving his horse, satisfied with the makeshift repairs.

The two riderless horses approached Xander and Faith, and the white-clad man raised an eye-brow at the two.

"Both of them?" The white-clad man asked, his tone either curious or incredulous. Xander wasn't sure which.

"Both of us, what?" Faith asked, eyeing the thing that her senses were suddenly telling her was most definitely not a horse.

"I believe they are interested in choosing." The man offered. He introduced himself, and oddly, his steed, making the farmer stop and stare at him in what looked like awe to the two demon hunters. Apparently, Xander thought, this guy's a big noise around here.

"Well, I know they ain't here for me." The farmer offered. "I've got no gifts at all, 'less you count my green thumb."

The white-clad man chuckled. "A fine gift, that." he said. "And one that means you're right where you need to be for our land's sake." The words seemed to please the farmer no end, judging by the happy grin.

The stallion approaching Faith looked her in the eye. A confusing array of images flashed through Faith's mind, ending with the face of a primitive dark-skinned girl with chalk-white face-paint snarling. She knew the primitive wasn't snarling at her, somehow, but at the horse-thing. There was a strong sense of possessiveness accompanying the image.

The horse-thing backed away, looking startled.

"Don't do that." Faith said, trying to shake off the image. "She's kind of territorial."

"The first?" Xander asked, distracted, though not overly concerned.

"Yeah." Faith brightened, suddenly able to put a name, or at least a title, to the snarling face. "That's her."

The horse-thing glanced at the white-clad man, who was eyeing Faith curiously as his own steed pawed the ground restlessly. He patted her flank to calm her.

"I sense no hostility in them, Yfandes. Not even from that odd spirit." He shrugged. "It acts not unlike a guardian spirit, but…" He shook his head. "I am curious, but I won't pry." He assured Faith. "I've encountered far stranger."

The mare approaching Xander turned back to him after, apparently, consulting the other horse-things. It met his eyes. Xander clutched his head as a series of images, sensations, and instinct-driven urges nearly overwhelmed him.

The mare gave a frightened squeal and practically leapt backwards.

"Damn it!" Xander swore, his eyes squeezed shut as he concentrated on quieting his unwanted tenant. "Go back to sleep!"

"Xan?" Faith moved around to stand near him.

"I'm fine." Xander let out a relieved sigh, after a moment. "Ever since Discord used his magic on me, the hyena's been stirring." He looked at the mare, whose ears were laid back, her eyes wide. "Sorry about that. No room for more company."

The mare backed away a few more steps, and glanced at the man before quickly bringing her eyes back to Xander.

"A primal animal spirit?" The man sounded intrigued, if somewhat dubious.

"A hyena alpha." Xander confirmed. "Looong story."

"I can tell that you have it under control," the man observed, "and are no threat, provided no one intrudes in your mind again." He glanced at the mare, and something seemed to pass between them. The mare gave a full-body shudder and returned to her place at the man's side. "I suppose these two will simply have to keep looking. Farewell."

He got the three horse-things moving, and soon vanished from sight.

"Well." Xander turned back from watching him leave, to find that Faith and the farmer were reloading the wagon, as the excitement had passed. "That was odd."