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Disclaimer. Characters, except for Nathanial Carpenter and Meg, belong to Joss Whedon and Fox tv, etc. Used without permission
feedback: Would be nice.
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"A great night for a weinie roast."
It was actually, black star speckled sky, the kind you only get when you are away from the haze of city lights, the diamond trails of the city below. The fire burned in a brick lined pit, flames leaping crackling.
Buffy sat staring at the flames. For once, she seemed at peace with herself and her surroundings. Willow snuggled up to Oz, Anya lay on the ground beside Xander, and Giles Sat in a chair, eyes closed.
It was almost a pity to disturb them. I threw another log on the fire. Willow jumped.
I picked up two of the three staffs I'd brought from the house. Each staff was ebony black, with brass rings around the tips. Circling the fire, I handed one to Giles. As soon as he grasped it, six rows of runes glowed, equa-distant across its length.
"These rings, and this staff, do signify thy rank as magician. When thou attainest the rank of Wizard, it shall be heralded by two more rings."
He studied the staff and its runes. I couldn't tell if he was pleased or not, but he seemed comfortable with it.
The others watched as I handed the second staff to Willow. No runes glowed, and she looked puzzled. I moved silently back to my place, and picked up my own staff.
This time, twelve rings glowed, equidistant along its length, signifying my rank and authority as Magus.
I held it up over, and through the flames, towards Willow.
"Willow Rosenberg, the time has come to decide."
She looked so much like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming train, not knowing which way to jump, unable to get out of the way. Slowly she stepped up to the fire, and held out her staff, and touched a brass ring to a brass ring on mine. And kept them together, as I slowly pulled mine back, and down into the fire. Which burned unnaturally bright and intense.
"Flame of Binding. Light of Truth."
"I," she began nervously, "Willow Rosenberg, of my mind and will, and before those here present, do swear that I will serve thee as thine apprentice. I will learn from thee and allow thee to teach me. I will hold thy truths as my truths, and in no wise will I act against thee. It is my mind and my will."
"I, Nathanial Carpenter, of my mind and will, and before those here present, do swear that I will serve thee as mentor and teacher. I will teach thee and guide thee in the Ways of Order, and see you well equipped for the travails for which I may not help. I will set thy feet firmly on the path, and I will send thee along it, and in no wise will I act against thee. It is my mind and my will."
The last word faded, and the fire roared skyward, marking the bond. To her credit, Willow stood steadfast, not breaking the connection between her staff and mine. When finally I nodded, she drew it back out of the fire, and smiled to see that it was undamaged. This time, it had three rings of runes, marking her status as Apprentice to a Magus.
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Over the next few weeks it became common to see various vehicles coming up our driveway. The Cherokee Buffy got as a graduation present, Oz's van, a harley davidson Xander purchased somehow, and the contraption Giles called a car. All, or various ones, could be seen parked off to the side next to Willow's bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle. As part of her Apprenticeship, she obtained the use of the suite a previous owner had built into the loft of the barn out behind the house. It was completely modernized, if it still retained some rustic flavour, and while Willow could have used a room in the house, she opted for the privacy the suite provided. She, of course, invited all her friends to help her with it.
The barn proper had been left as it was, and pretty much neglected except to see that the structure was sound, and the rooms that Xander used.. Willow wheedled the use of it, and it was rapidly becoming the Slayerette Headquarters, now that the school was destroyed. Giles had claimed three stalls for his books, a fourth was set aside as a meeting area, complete with computer and net connections. The wall between two were taken out for Buffy's use as a training area. The remaining two were set aside for sleeping areas, should any of them care spend the night.
We were a few miles out of town, and Giles worried about security, until I showed Willow how to set up magickal locks, and key them for those that were allowed access.
Because of the reduced amount of time I had to bring Willow up to speed, so to speak, Willow gave me permission to teach her using a rather invasive form of dream teaching. A regimen that saw most of her days free, but in bed by ten, asleep by eleven at night. At which time I would induce rem sleep, and fill her dreams with lessons. She would experience them, as if she were actually participating in the rituals, or chanting the spells. I could do three, maybe four, lessons a night, and review them the next day. It left us both tired most of the time, but she thrived, and she had questions. Lots of questions.
Willow was full of suggestions too. "If we did this this way..." "But not even..." She was good, even brilliant. But I was running up against her previous learning, which was mainly self taught, and sometimes erroneous. True Giles helped, but he was busy with Buffy and her training. So I had to force her to unlearn all the errors she had learned. Which, fortunately, were few in number. My greatest problem was holding her back.
For some reason, Giles and the others found this quite amusing.
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It was a fine Saturday afternoon afternoon when I walked into the barn. Buffy and Giles were working out with staffs in the training area. Xander was slouched over by the door, his head down in a book. Willow poked her head up.
"did you want me?" Her faces became the colour of her hair when she thought about what she had just said. "Uh, for training I mean."
"Get your staff," I ordered. heading into the exercise area. Willow got her staff, and edged in, apprehensive, as well she should be. "You've watched Buffy work out?"
"Uh, yes."
"Hold it in the ready position."
Willow balanced herself on her legs, held the staff equidistant, parallel to the ground. I picked up another staff, and swung at her. She easily blocked me, and the next and the next. I was pleased to see that she applied her lessons. Not just in defensive motions, but trying an offensive move or two.
I let it go on for a few more minutes, then stepped back.
"I want you to start learning to use this for more than just to lean on when hiking."
"Why," demanded Xander. "She has her magick, so she can just zap them."
"Magick isn't always the answer. This gives her another option." I watched her standing on the mat wide eyed, staring at me.
I glanced over at the Slayer, who was standing over on the left. "Here," I tossed the staff I was holding to her. Not with any force, just enough so she could catch it. "I'd like you to train her."
"Me, but...I'm the Slayer. I'm stronger, and I don't know f I can hold back from hurting her."
"It will do her good to go up against someone stronger. She knows how to use her magick to anticipate your moves, and to enhance her own abilities. If she does get hurt, she knows how to counter the damage. It'll also teach her to apply her lessons more assiduously."
"She's gonna use magick on me?"
"Not on you, to anticipate your moves. By watching the flow of energy , to see which part of you is being tensed for action."
"h, okay, I guess." the Slayer said dubiously. But she grasped her staff and moved onto the mat. Willow eyed her cautiously, then suddenly brought her staff up and around at waist level. Buffy expertly countered that move, and pretty soon the two girls were in the swing of things. I stepped outside the area.
"Do you think this wise?" Giles had followed me out. "Pitting Willow up against the Slayer."
"Willow is more than capable of looking after herself, and responsible enough not to take unfair advantage. I need her to learn to fight, I was never very good at it, and you look like you could use a rest. If it won't interfere with Buffy's training."
"It may even help." Giles paused, thinking. "You seem to be increasing the tempo of her training. Willow's not Buffy's."
'Willow is making excellent progress, and has come farther than I would have thought possible. She should be able to fend off any threat, and I have other things to occupy my time, or soon will have."
The Horsemen?"
"The Horsemen."
We talked a bit longer until the sound of silence was all that came from the training stall. Willow was the first to come out.
"What happened?"
"Whupped her." Willow jerked her head up and strode for the stairs leading up to her suite.
"I was holding back." Buffy came up to us and grinned. "But she really is good."
"Don't hold back," I told her.
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"So what's the plan?" Xander slouched in his chair and stared at Willow's newly made scrying glass, which could easily double as a glass topped coffee table. Which showed a scene that could have been lifted directly from Ghengis Khan and the Golden Horde. A grassy plain, slipping under the thundering hooves of countless horses. Banners streaming over the warriors' heads. But the riders weren't human. They were demons. Lead by War, Pestilence, Death and Famine. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They were coming here.
"How do we fight that?"
"By not panicking. Picking a strategy and sticking to it. By finding it's weaknesses and exploiting them."
"Weakness," laughed Xander. "Doesn't look like they have to worry about weaknesses."
"Take a look at them," I told him, and them. "Look at the organization, and at the numbers. They aren't coming in ordered ranks, no army that fights as an effective unit, or sequence of units, needs that many fighters. What does that tell you?"
I waited. No one answered.
"It tells me that their strategy is to throw large numbers of fighters at us, until we're worn down and they can roll over us like a flood. So we look at it like a flood. When a flood comes, what we do."
"Head for high ground," answered Buffy growing more interested. "Build a dam."
"We head for high ground, certainly. But we don't build a dam"
"And why is that?"
"We could build a dam. If we had the time and resources to do that. But to make it an effective dam, it would be a massive undertaking, and preparations would have to be made well in advance of their arrival. That would give them time to think up a counter measure. They have the power to blast through anything we can set up."
"We could divert the flood, like with sandbags," suggested Xander. "Channel off some of the water elsewhere."
"Wonderful," I told him. "We put up barriers, close enough so they haven't time to react. That horde is going to be a lot harder to stop than an organized army. So the other Magi, and I will have to find those windows into which we can put obstructions. Kill off some of them, as many as we can. Channel some away from the main Horde. Divert them so they come in somewhere where we have an advantage. We can't hope to stop them, but maybe we can break them up into more manageable bits."
"What are the odds?"
I stared at Xander, at them all. "About 25 percent," I told them.
"We are so dead."
*** *** *** *** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
I sent my astral self spinning down over the thundering horde, and loosed two balls of pure White energy from either end of my staff. Both struck their intended targets, spraying energy like dust, creating chaos where they struck. Horses reared, breathing fire. Demons fell from their backs, some clawing their way back up again.
I zoomed up front, barely missing a dark bolt from one of the leaders. I swooped, zigged and zagged, not presenting a clear target. My next beam hit the ground ahead of them. A mountain range burst up. The demon horde tried to stop, but I had gotten the range. Orders were bellowed, but still the rear echelons charged forward, pushing their hapless comrades ahead of them. Approximately..., well I don't know the numbers, but a good portion got shaved off from the edges of the Horde. The path they followed carried them far and way from the main body. They may rejoin the Horde, but it would take time.
The demon Princes were growing smarter as well. Look outs were placed, and an air force rose to meet me. Filling the air with bursts of their dark energy, and bursts of my white energies. I have no doubt that another observer would see this differently, but black and white suited me.
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"This is not a good idea." Meg jerked open the passenger door and hauled me out, settling an arm around her shoulder. "Not good at all."
"With Giles out," I gasped with the effort of climbing out of the car. "There's not much choice."
"Never said there was," she snapped, turning me towards the walkway, an moving forward. "Just not a good idea, with you the way you are."
Meg had been waiting when I got back. Willow had phoned. Giles had collapsed. They had gotten him to the hospital, and they'd said he'd be fine when he woke up. Which wouldn't be anytime soon. They'd be at Buffy's, and would I please call as soon as I could.
First though, I needed to check on Giles. I leaned back in my chair, and closed my eyes. I could feel myself floating, colours streaming around me. I focused on Giles, and soon found myself in his hospital room. He lay there, looking for all the world like he was asleep, and would appear so if it weren't for the monitors hooked up to him. I sensed the residue of magick, and no amateur had done this. There would be little chance of bringing him back.
I phoned Willow at Buffy's and learned that she thought there had been magick used and Angel was in town. I let Willow babble on for a bit, and told her that I would meet them all at Buffy's house, if that was okay with her. There was a brief pause, and Willow told me they would be waiting, despite how late it was. Nearly midnight.
"Buffy said.., My God..." Mrs. Summers opened the door as we got up to it, her voice trailing off as she caught sight of me. "Can't this wait?"
"No," I said. "Not with Giles out, no time."
Buffy and the others were upstairs in her room, where I gathered many such meetings had been held. I was obviously in no condition to climb stairs, neither would I be comfortable with that idea, even if I were, so Mrs. Summers helped Meg ease me onto the living room sofa. Meg asked for permission to use the kitchen, which Mrs. Summers granted, saying she'd get the others.
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"Buffy," Mrs. Summers knocked on her daughter's bedroom door. Almost immediately, the voices stopped, and Buffy opened he door.
"Mr. Carpenter's here, on the sofa." Mrs. Summers caught her daughter's eye. "I thought we were going to be honest about this?"
"I am being honest with you, Mom. Completely."
"You never told me that Mr. Giles is hurt..."
"That just happened.."
"You call a meeting with Mr. Carpenter, and and his housekeeper practically has to carry him in, more dead than alive. Did that just happen?"
"Mom, later..." Buffy stared at her mother, wondering just what she was going to say. "I'll tell you all about it, just, not now."
Mrs. Summers as clearly not happy, and opened her mouth to say more, but stopped staring over Buffy's shoulder into the room. Buffy whirled to see everyone staring at her bed where Willow had been sitting. She wasn't there now.
"I hate it when she does that," complained Xander. "What if she says a word wrong, or something. Where'll she be then?"
"H-How did she do that?" Mrs. Summers had finally found her voice.
"Mom, Later." Buffy pushed past her mother and ran for the stairs.
"She's, uh, been taking lessons," said Xander as he followed.
"From Mr. Carpenter," supplied Oz, as he brushed past.
"Mr. Carpenter?" Mrs. Summers looked confused, and then turned and headed for the stairs.
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I was pleased with the progress my Apprentice was making. Pleased with the speed and ease in which she grasped and applied her lessons. But I am also less than pleased with the mistakes she makes because she sometimes leaps before she looks.
Which was why, when Buffy and the others clattered down the stairs and into the room, they were treated to the sight of a very red faced Willow on the receiving end of a lecture such as only Meg can deliver. While I lay on the sofa trying to regain my breath.
"I thinks she's got it now," I wheezed as soon as I could get air through my larynx.
"You keep quiet," Meg snapped at me. "I'll get your tea, so you can have your meeting." She looked at Willow, who looked like she'd like to slink into a hole in the floor, and pull the carpet over it behind her. "Shall I bring you a cup dear"
Willow looked panic stricken. With good reason. Meg blends her own teas, from various herbs, teas, and medicinal plants. While she takes care to see that the tea serves it intended purpose, she is not adverse to adding strong bitter herbs to the taste. Willow started to shake her head, saw the gleam in Meg's eyes, and changed it to a nod.
"Now aren't we all glad that wasn't us," quipped Xander as soon as Meg had left the room.
"Xander." Buffy looked as if she'd have liked to have been closer to him.
"So Will, what did you do?" Xander pretended to ignore the look he got from Buffy.
Willow walked over to a corner, leaned against it and let herself slide down to the floor.
I cleared my throat experimentally, and changed the subject. "Tell me about Giles."
The story I pieced together from them all talking at once, or filling in little bits, was that they were at his house doing some research with the books they had there. There had been a blinding flash, and Giles was down for the count. They had rushed him to the hospital, waited there for what seemed like hours, and told that he wasn't waking up soon. They had returned to Giles house, looking for clues, and hadn't found any, when they decided it was best to move the meeting to Buffy's house rather than risk being caught by snoopy neighbours.
By the time we were satisfied that Giles was out of the picture, and would be for some time yet, Meg had returned with several mugs of tea, one coffee, for Xander, and some cookies Mrs. Summers had pulled out. She placed the tray on the coffee table, and picked up one of the two blue mugs.
She helped me sit up enough to drink from my cup, and placed it within easy reach.
She took the other cup over to Willow. Who made the mistake of setting the cup on the floor and pretending to ignore it. Meg let her get away with it while the others got their drinks, and cookies.
Meg cleared her throat suddenly and explosively, making everyone, except me, who knew it was coming, jump and look at her. Willow found her staring directly back at her.
"Plenty more in the kitchen." Her meaning clear. "Tastes better hot."
Willow smiled weakly, lifting the cup to her lips, grimacing slightly.
From the looks I was getting from Buffy, and the others, I was supposed to do something to deflect Meg's wrath. Which, I know from experience, can't be done, though it is possible to share in it. And, while Willow is slim trim and in great shape, she still weighs more than a few pounds, and every single one of them had popped into the air twelve inches directly above me.. I kind of hoped this would do Willow some good in the looking before you leap department.
I did however, try to get everyone refocused on the problem at hand.
"Did Giles tell you what you should do if he was ever unable to do his job?"
"Um, no." Buffy looked uncomfortably at her mother. "He never really thought this would come up."
"Does anyone have any suggestions," I asked. More because it had to be asked, than because I expected an answer.
"We were hoping that you would."
"Mr. Carpenter, can't you do it, fill in for Giles I mean?" Buffy scowled at her mother. Clearly she was unhappy with her Mom attending this meeting, and I gathered she tried to keep her in the dark as much as possible. Mrs. Summers was not going to be put off, and I didn't have time to pussy foot around words. Buffy would just have to deal.
"I'm afraid not. With Giles out of the picture, it's more important than ever that the Horsemen be delayed, and funneled into a more favorable location."
"Horsemen," Mrs. Summers gasped. "Buffy never told me..."
Buffy positively glared at me, and the others looked none too happy.
I closed my eyes, and let the others explain the situation to Mrs. Summers. Meg used the opportunity to replenish my tea, Willow looked nervous, thinking that she'd have her cup refilled, and I think Meg was thinking about it. In the end, she let Willow be.
"But can't they blast through your rocks." Mrs. Summers was not obtuse.
"Not without stopping, examining the obstacle, and coming up with a plan. Magick done while moving is never as good as magick done while you are still. For them to stop, they'd need to learn of the obstacle in enough time to slow and stop the horde behind them, or be shoved ahead. Since there's little or no discipline in the Horde, it's no easy task."
"So you place your rocks in close."
"Which means that you're in close." Willow had something more to worry about. "Where they can get at you."
"Which is what happened tonight." I leaned back and sipped my tea. "With Giles out of he picture, it's more important than ever that they be slowed, and reduced as much as possible. I just won't have the time to do Giles job."
"So we don't need Giles." Buffy sat up hopefully. "You keep on doing what you are doing, and we'll deal when they get here."
"Do you know what Giles main job was?"
"He's my Watcher. He trains me, looks up prophecies and stuff and tells me what I need to know. We can do that."
"There are countless prophecies floating out there. Most of them are false, thankfully. But that still leaves more prophecies than you can deal with, so he has to pick and choose. Decide which one to point you at."
"They won't stop because the Horsemen are coming."
"So, we need Giles," for the first time Buffy started to look worried.
"We need someone to do that part of his job."
"Look," I continued. "Buffy will have to keep up her training, patrols and other Slayer duties, she may even have to step them up. We can expect an increase in demonic activity, if some of the locals will try to curry favour with the Horsemen. Buffy won't have the time to do the research and the picking and the choosing. It's not her strong point anyway."
Buffy looked as if she wanted to argue that, but decided it was true enough.
"Willow will have to continue with her lessons, they may even be intensified as well. On top of that, she will have to take over more of Buffy's physical training. Cordelia will be here soon, and I want her trained in swordsmanship."
"Which leaves me." Xander looked at his knees. "I've done research, I mean, we all have, but Giles usually tells us what to look for, or gives us some idea anyway."
"You're saying Buffy needs a Watcher." Willow glanced at the Slayer. "But she left the council. Maybe she just needs someone with Watcher training."
"Do you know of anyone? Anyone?" I glanced around the room. No one responded. Buffy drew her knees up under her chin.
She did not look happy. I can't say I blamed her, she knew what was coming.
"At the very least she needs some one who can do the research and can call on the Watchers Council for help."
"Can she get their help without going back to the council?" Willow sounded hopeful.
"No. They consider her rogue."
"But Buffy's not rogue."
"Her first Watcher was killed, her second dismissed, her third disgraced. She left the Council."
"They would have let Angel die."
"Angel is a vampire, something they've been fighting since forever. Not only is he a vampire, but the Scourge of Ireland. Much of the Council is made up of Irishmen, old enough to remember Angelus, to have lost friends or family to him. There was little chance they would vote to save him."
"But he's not Angelus anymore, he's Angel. He's got a soul."
"That soul wasn't enough to stop him from nearly draining her."
"She didn't give him a choice."
"He still lost control to his demon. The fact is, she placed her desires over those of the Council, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But, in their eyes, she proved herself to be unreliable at best, or rogue. They will not help unless she comes to terms with them."
"Can't we do this without them?"
"There is an alternate plan."
"Which is," demanded Xander.
"The Magi step up the attacks on the Horsemen, try to weaken them as much as possible before they get here. At which time we go out taking as many of them as we can."
"So no matter what we're finished."
I shrugged. "We try, we pray, we don't give up. We hope there's enough of humanity left to carry on."
No one said anything after that.
Whoever had taken Giles out had pretty much finished us. We were too small a group. Everyone had a job to fill. No one, with any idea of what to do, could spare the time necessary. We needed the Council, but no one was willing to suggest the she go back. Wesley Wyndham-Price was a distant cousin of mine, on my mother's side, and after what the Council had done to him, I didn't particularly relish the thought of working with the them either. But I had to find the best solution to the puzzle.
Buffy huddled in the corner, looking scared and lost. All her dreams and hopes had been shattered because of who and what she was. She had finally broken free of the Watchers Council, and only months later she was being pushed back. She had had the world unfairly placed upon her shoulders, and I think she felt its weight.
"Phone them."
We looked at her, sitting there, head high. Reddened eyes, flashing with angry determination.
"Buffy, no," protested Willow.
"What choice do we have," Buffy asked, her voice bitter. She turned her attention back to me. "We have to do something. Phone them, tell them I'll do what ever they want."
Disclaimer. Characters, except for Nathanial Carpenter and Meg, belong to Joss Whedon and Fox tv, etc. Used without permission
feedback: Would be nice.
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"A great night for a weinie roast."
It was actually, black star speckled sky, the kind you only get when you are away from the haze of city lights, the diamond trails of the city below. The fire burned in a brick lined pit, flames leaping crackling.
Buffy sat staring at the flames. For once, she seemed at peace with herself and her surroundings. Willow snuggled up to Oz, Anya lay on the ground beside Xander, and Giles Sat in a chair, eyes closed.
It was almost a pity to disturb them. I threw another log on the fire. Willow jumped.
I picked up two of the three staffs I'd brought from the house. Each staff was ebony black, with brass rings around the tips. Circling the fire, I handed one to Giles. As soon as he grasped it, six rows of runes glowed, equa-distant across its length.
"These rings, and this staff, do signify thy rank as magician. When thou attainest the rank of Wizard, it shall be heralded by two more rings."
He studied the staff and its runes. I couldn't tell if he was pleased or not, but he seemed comfortable with it.
The others watched as I handed the second staff to Willow. No runes glowed, and she looked puzzled. I moved silently back to my place, and picked up my own staff.
This time, twelve rings glowed, equidistant along its length, signifying my rank and authority as Magus.
I held it up over, and through the flames, towards Willow.
"Willow Rosenberg, the time has come to decide."
She looked so much like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming train, not knowing which way to jump, unable to get out of the way. Slowly she stepped up to the fire, and held out her staff, and touched a brass ring to a brass ring on mine. And kept them together, as I slowly pulled mine back, and down into the fire. Which burned unnaturally bright and intense.
"Flame of Binding. Light of Truth."
"I," she began nervously, "Willow Rosenberg, of my mind and will, and before those here present, do swear that I will serve thee as thine apprentice. I will learn from thee and allow thee to teach me. I will hold thy truths as my truths, and in no wise will I act against thee. It is my mind and my will."
"I, Nathanial Carpenter, of my mind and will, and before those here present, do swear that I will serve thee as mentor and teacher. I will teach thee and guide thee in the Ways of Order, and see you well equipped for the travails for which I may not help. I will set thy feet firmly on the path, and I will send thee along it, and in no wise will I act against thee. It is my mind and my will."
The last word faded, and the fire roared skyward, marking the bond. To her credit, Willow stood steadfast, not breaking the connection between her staff and mine. When finally I nodded, she drew it back out of the fire, and smiled to see that it was undamaged. This time, it had three rings of runes, marking her status as Apprentice to a Magus.
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Over the next few weeks it became common to see various vehicles coming up our driveway. The Cherokee Buffy got as a graduation present, Oz's van, a harley davidson Xander purchased somehow, and the contraption Giles called a car. All, or various ones, could be seen parked off to the side next to Willow's bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle. As part of her Apprenticeship, she obtained the use of the suite a previous owner had built into the loft of the barn out behind the house. It was completely modernized, if it still retained some rustic flavour, and while Willow could have used a room in the house, she opted for the privacy the suite provided. She, of course, invited all her friends to help her with it.
The barn proper had been left as it was, and pretty much neglected except to see that the structure was sound, and the rooms that Xander used.. Willow wheedled the use of it, and it was rapidly becoming the Slayerette Headquarters, now that the school was destroyed. Giles had claimed three stalls for his books, a fourth was set aside as a meeting area, complete with computer and net connections. The wall between two were taken out for Buffy's use as a training area. The remaining two were set aside for sleeping areas, should any of them care spend the night.
We were a few miles out of town, and Giles worried about security, until I showed Willow how to set up magickal locks, and key them for those that were allowed access.
Because of the reduced amount of time I had to bring Willow up to speed, so to speak, Willow gave me permission to teach her using a rather invasive form of dream teaching. A regimen that saw most of her days free, but in bed by ten, asleep by eleven at night. At which time I would induce rem sleep, and fill her dreams with lessons. She would experience them, as if she were actually participating in the rituals, or chanting the spells. I could do three, maybe four, lessons a night, and review them the next day. It left us both tired most of the time, but she thrived, and she had questions. Lots of questions.
Willow was full of suggestions too. "If we did this this way..." "But not even..." She was good, even brilliant. But I was running up against her previous learning, which was mainly self taught, and sometimes erroneous. True Giles helped, but he was busy with Buffy and her training. So I had to force her to unlearn all the errors she had learned. Which, fortunately, were few in number. My greatest problem was holding her back.
For some reason, Giles and the others found this quite amusing.
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It was a fine Saturday afternoon afternoon when I walked into the barn. Buffy and Giles were working out with staffs in the training area. Xander was slouched over by the door, his head down in a book. Willow poked her head up.
"did you want me?" Her faces became the colour of her hair when she thought about what she had just said. "Uh, for training I mean."
"Get your staff," I ordered. heading into the exercise area. Willow got her staff, and edged in, apprehensive, as well she should be. "You've watched Buffy work out?"
"Uh, yes."
"Hold it in the ready position."
Willow balanced herself on her legs, held the staff equidistant, parallel to the ground. I picked up another staff, and swung at her. She easily blocked me, and the next and the next. I was pleased to see that she applied her lessons. Not just in defensive motions, but trying an offensive move or two.
I let it go on for a few more minutes, then stepped back.
"I want you to start learning to use this for more than just to lean on when hiking."
"Why," demanded Xander. "She has her magick, so she can just zap them."
"Magick isn't always the answer. This gives her another option." I watched her standing on the mat wide eyed, staring at me.
I glanced over at the Slayer, who was standing over on the left. "Here," I tossed the staff I was holding to her. Not with any force, just enough so she could catch it. "I'd like you to train her."
"Me, but...I'm the Slayer. I'm stronger, and I don't know f I can hold back from hurting her."
"It will do her good to go up against someone stronger. She knows how to use her magick to anticipate your moves, and to enhance her own abilities. If she does get hurt, she knows how to counter the damage. It'll also teach her to apply her lessons more assiduously."
"She's gonna use magick on me?"
"Not on you, to anticipate your moves. By watching the flow of energy , to see which part of you is being tensed for action."
"h, okay, I guess." the Slayer said dubiously. But she grasped her staff and moved onto the mat. Willow eyed her cautiously, then suddenly brought her staff up and around at waist level. Buffy expertly countered that move, and pretty soon the two girls were in the swing of things. I stepped outside the area.
"Do you think this wise?" Giles had followed me out. "Pitting Willow up against the Slayer."
"Willow is more than capable of looking after herself, and responsible enough not to take unfair advantage. I need her to learn to fight, I was never very good at it, and you look like you could use a rest. If it won't interfere with Buffy's training."
"It may even help." Giles paused, thinking. "You seem to be increasing the tempo of her training. Willow's not Buffy's."
'Willow is making excellent progress, and has come farther than I would have thought possible. She should be able to fend off any threat, and I have other things to occupy my time, or soon will have."
The Horsemen?"
"The Horsemen."
We talked a bit longer until the sound of silence was all that came from the training stall. Willow was the first to come out.
"What happened?"
"Whupped her." Willow jerked her head up and strode for the stairs leading up to her suite.
"I was holding back." Buffy came up to us and grinned. "But she really is good."
"Don't hold back," I told her.
**********************************************************
"So what's the plan?" Xander slouched in his chair and stared at Willow's newly made scrying glass, which could easily double as a glass topped coffee table. Which showed a scene that could have been lifted directly from Ghengis Khan and the Golden Horde. A grassy plain, slipping under the thundering hooves of countless horses. Banners streaming over the warriors' heads. But the riders weren't human. They were demons. Lead by War, Pestilence, Death and Famine. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They were coming here.
"How do we fight that?"
"By not panicking. Picking a strategy and sticking to it. By finding it's weaknesses and exploiting them."
"Weakness," laughed Xander. "Doesn't look like they have to worry about weaknesses."
"Take a look at them," I told him, and them. "Look at the organization, and at the numbers. They aren't coming in ordered ranks, no army that fights as an effective unit, or sequence of units, needs that many fighters. What does that tell you?"
I waited. No one answered.
"It tells me that their strategy is to throw large numbers of fighters at us, until we're worn down and they can roll over us like a flood. So we look at it like a flood. When a flood comes, what we do."
"Head for high ground," answered Buffy growing more interested. "Build a dam."
"We head for high ground, certainly. But we don't build a dam"
"And why is that?"
"We could build a dam. If we had the time and resources to do that. But to make it an effective dam, it would be a massive undertaking, and preparations would have to be made well in advance of their arrival. That would give them time to think up a counter measure. They have the power to blast through anything we can set up."
"We could divert the flood, like with sandbags," suggested Xander. "Channel off some of the water elsewhere."
"Wonderful," I told him. "We put up barriers, close enough so they haven't time to react. That horde is going to be a lot harder to stop than an organized army. So the other Magi, and I will have to find those windows into which we can put obstructions. Kill off some of them, as many as we can. Channel some away from the main Horde. Divert them so they come in somewhere where we have an advantage. We can't hope to stop them, but maybe we can break them up into more manageable bits."
"What are the odds?"
I stared at Xander, at them all. "About 25 percent," I told them.
"We are so dead."
*** *** *** *** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
I sent my astral self spinning down over the thundering horde, and loosed two balls of pure White energy from either end of my staff. Both struck their intended targets, spraying energy like dust, creating chaos where they struck. Horses reared, breathing fire. Demons fell from their backs, some clawing their way back up again.
I zoomed up front, barely missing a dark bolt from one of the leaders. I swooped, zigged and zagged, not presenting a clear target. My next beam hit the ground ahead of them. A mountain range burst up. The demon horde tried to stop, but I had gotten the range. Orders were bellowed, but still the rear echelons charged forward, pushing their hapless comrades ahead of them. Approximately..., well I don't know the numbers, but a good portion got shaved off from the edges of the Horde. The path they followed carried them far and way from the main body. They may rejoin the Horde, but it would take time.
The demon Princes were growing smarter as well. Look outs were placed, and an air force rose to meet me. Filling the air with bursts of their dark energy, and bursts of my white energies. I have no doubt that another observer would see this differently, but black and white suited me.
***************************************************
"This is not a good idea." Meg jerked open the passenger door and hauled me out, settling an arm around her shoulder. "Not good at all."
"With Giles out," I gasped with the effort of climbing out of the car. "There's not much choice."
"Never said there was," she snapped, turning me towards the walkway, an moving forward. "Just not a good idea, with you the way you are."
Meg had been waiting when I got back. Willow had phoned. Giles had collapsed. They had gotten him to the hospital, and they'd said he'd be fine when he woke up. Which wouldn't be anytime soon. They'd be at Buffy's, and would I please call as soon as I could.
First though, I needed to check on Giles. I leaned back in my chair, and closed my eyes. I could feel myself floating, colours streaming around me. I focused on Giles, and soon found myself in his hospital room. He lay there, looking for all the world like he was asleep, and would appear so if it weren't for the monitors hooked up to him. I sensed the residue of magick, and no amateur had done this. There would be little chance of bringing him back.
I phoned Willow at Buffy's and learned that she thought there had been magick used and Angel was in town. I let Willow babble on for a bit, and told her that I would meet them all at Buffy's house, if that was okay with her. There was a brief pause, and Willow told me they would be waiting, despite how late it was. Nearly midnight.
"Buffy said.., My God..." Mrs. Summers opened the door as we got up to it, her voice trailing off as she caught sight of me. "Can't this wait?"
"No," I said. "Not with Giles out, no time."
Buffy and the others were upstairs in her room, where I gathered many such meetings had been held. I was obviously in no condition to climb stairs, neither would I be comfortable with that idea, even if I were, so Mrs. Summers helped Meg ease me onto the living room sofa. Meg asked for permission to use the kitchen, which Mrs. Summers granted, saying she'd get the others.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
"Buffy," Mrs. Summers knocked on her daughter's bedroom door. Almost immediately, the voices stopped, and Buffy opened he door.
"Mr. Carpenter's here, on the sofa." Mrs. Summers caught her daughter's eye. "I thought we were going to be honest about this?"
"I am being honest with you, Mom. Completely."
"You never told me that Mr. Giles is hurt..."
"That just happened.."
"You call a meeting with Mr. Carpenter, and and his housekeeper practically has to carry him in, more dead than alive. Did that just happen?"
"Mom, later..." Buffy stared at her mother, wondering just what she was going to say. "I'll tell you all about it, just, not now."
Mrs. Summers as clearly not happy, and opened her mouth to say more, but stopped staring over Buffy's shoulder into the room. Buffy whirled to see everyone staring at her bed where Willow had been sitting. She wasn't there now.
"I hate it when she does that," complained Xander. "What if she says a word wrong, or something. Where'll she be then?"
"H-How did she do that?" Mrs. Summers had finally found her voice.
"Mom, Later." Buffy pushed past her mother and ran for the stairs.
"She's, uh, been taking lessons," said Xander as he followed.
"From Mr. Carpenter," supplied Oz, as he brushed past.
"Mr. Carpenter?" Mrs. Summers looked confused, and then turned and headed for the stairs.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
I was pleased with the progress my Apprentice was making. Pleased with the speed and ease in which she grasped and applied her lessons. But I am also less than pleased with the mistakes she makes because she sometimes leaps before she looks.
Which was why, when Buffy and the others clattered down the stairs and into the room, they were treated to the sight of a very red faced Willow on the receiving end of a lecture such as only Meg can deliver. While I lay on the sofa trying to regain my breath.
"I thinks she's got it now," I wheezed as soon as I could get air through my larynx.
"You keep quiet," Meg snapped at me. "I'll get your tea, so you can have your meeting." She looked at Willow, who looked like she'd like to slink into a hole in the floor, and pull the carpet over it behind her. "Shall I bring you a cup dear"
Willow looked panic stricken. With good reason. Meg blends her own teas, from various herbs, teas, and medicinal plants. While she takes care to see that the tea serves it intended purpose, she is not adverse to adding strong bitter herbs to the taste. Willow started to shake her head, saw the gleam in Meg's eyes, and changed it to a nod.
"Now aren't we all glad that wasn't us," quipped Xander as soon as Meg had left the room.
"Xander." Buffy looked as if she'd have liked to have been closer to him.
"So Will, what did you do?" Xander pretended to ignore the look he got from Buffy.
Willow walked over to a corner, leaned against it and let herself slide down to the floor.
I cleared my throat experimentally, and changed the subject. "Tell me about Giles."
The story I pieced together from them all talking at once, or filling in little bits, was that they were at his house doing some research with the books they had there. There had been a blinding flash, and Giles was down for the count. They had rushed him to the hospital, waited there for what seemed like hours, and told that he wasn't waking up soon. They had returned to Giles house, looking for clues, and hadn't found any, when they decided it was best to move the meeting to Buffy's house rather than risk being caught by snoopy neighbours.
By the time we were satisfied that Giles was out of the picture, and would be for some time yet, Meg had returned with several mugs of tea, one coffee, for Xander, and some cookies Mrs. Summers had pulled out. She placed the tray on the coffee table, and picked up one of the two blue mugs.
She helped me sit up enough to drink from my cup, and placed it within easy reach.
She took the other cup over to Willow. Who made the mistake of setting the cup on the floor and pretending to ignore it. Meg let her get away with it while the others got their drinks, and cookies.
Meg cleared her throat suddenly and explosively, making everyone, except me, who knew it was coming, jump and look at her. Willow found her staring directly back at her.
"Plenty more in the kitchen." Her meaning clear. "Tastes better hot."
Willow smiled weakly, lifting the cup to her lips, grimacing slightly.
From the looks I was getting from Buffy, and the others, I was supposed to do something to deflect Meg's wrath. Which, I know from experience, can't be done, though it is possible to share in it. And, while Willow is slim trim and in great shape, she still weighs more than a few pounds, and every single one of them had popped into the air twelve inches directly above me.. I kind of hoped this would do Willow some good in the looking before you leap department.
I did however, try to get everyone refocused on the problem at hand.
"Did Giles tell you what you should do if he was ever unable to do his job?"
"Um, no." Buffy looked uncomfortably at her mother. "He never really thought this would come up."
"Does anyone have any suggestions," I asked. More because it had to be asked, than because I expected an answer.
"We were hoping that you would."
"Mr. Carpenter, can't you do it, fill in for Giles I mean?" Buffy scowled at her mother. Clearly she was unhappy with her Mom attending this meeting, and I gathered she tried to keep her in the dark as much as possible. Mrs. Summers was not going to be put off, and I didn't have time to pussy foot around words. Buffy would just have to deal.
"I'm afraid not. With Giles out of the picture, it's more important than ever that the Horsemen be delayed, and funneled into a more favorable location."
"Horsemen," Mrs. Summers gasped. "Buffy never told me..."
Buffy positively glared at me, and the others looked none too happy.
I closed my eyes, and let the others explain the situation to Mrs. Summers. Meg used the opportunity to replenish my tea, Willow looked nervous, thinking that she'd have her cup refilled, and I think Meg was thinking about it. In the end, she let Willow be.
"But can't they blast through your rocks." Mrs. Summers was not obtuse.
"Not without stopping, examining the obstacle, and coming up with a plan. Magick done while moving is never as good as magick done while you are still. For them to stop, they'd need to learn of the obstacle in enough time to slow and stop the horde behind them, or be shoved ahead. Since there's little or no discipline in the Horde, it's no easy task."
"So you place your rocks in close."
"Which means that you're in close." Willow had something more to worry about. "Where they can get at you."
"Which is what happened tonight." I leaned back and sipped my tea. "With Giles out of he picture, it's more important than ever that they be slowed, and reduced as much as possible. I just won't have the time to do Giles job."
"So we don't need Giles." Buffy sat up hopefully. "You keep on doing what you are doing, and we'll deal when they get here."
"Do you know what Giles main job was?"
"He's my Watcher. He trains me, looks up prophecies and stuff and tells me what I need to know. We can do that."
"There are countless prophecies floating out there. Most of them are false, thankfully. But that still leaves more prophecies than you can deal with, so he has to pick and choose. Decide which one to point you at."
"They won't stop because the Horsemen are coming."
"So, we need Giles," for the first time Buffy started to look worried.
"We need someone to do that part of his job."
"Look," I continued. "Buffy will have to keep up her training, patrols and other Slayer duties, she may even have to step them up. We can expect an increase in demonic activity, if some of the locals will try to curry favour with the Horsemen. Buffy won't have the time to do the research and the picking and the choosing. It's not her strong point anyway."
Buffy looked as if she wanted to argue that, but decided it was true enough.
"Willow will have to continue with her lessons, they may even be intensified as well. On top of that, she will have to take over more of Buffy's physical training. Cordelia will be here soon, and I want her trained in swordsmanship."
"Which leaves me." Xander looked at his knees. "I've done research, I mean, we all have, but Giles usually tells us what to look for, or gives us some idea anyway."
"You're saying Buffy needs a Watcher." Willow glanced at the Slayer. "But she left the council. Maybe she just needs someone with Watcher training."
"Do you know of anyone? Anyone?" I glanced around the room. No one responded. Buffy drew her knees up under her chin.
She did not look happy. I can't say I blamed her, she knew what was coming.
"At the very least she needs some one who can do the research and can call on the Watchers Council for help."
"Can she get their help without going back to the council?" Willow sounded hopeful.
"No. They consider her rogue."
"But Buffy's not rogue."
"Her first Watcher was killed, her second dismissed, her third disgraced. She left the Council."
"They would have let Angel die."
"Angel is a vampire, something they've been fighting since forever. Not only is he a vampire, but the Scourge of Ireland. Much of the Council is made up of Irishmen, old enough to remember Angelus, to have lost friends or family to him. There was little chance they would vote to save him."
"But he's not Angelus anymore, he's Angel. He's got a soul."
"That soul wasn't enough to stop him from nearly draining her."
"She didn't give him a choice."
"He still lost control to his demon. The fact is, she placed her desires over those of the Council, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But, in their eyes, she proved herself to be unreliable at best, or rogue. They will not help unless she comes to terms with them."
"Can't we do this without them?"
"There is an alternate plan."
"Which is," demanded Xander.
"The Magi step up the attacks on the Horsemen, try to weaken them as much as possible before they get here. At which time we go out taking as many of them as we can."
"So no matter what we're finished."
I shrugged. "We try, we pray, we don't give up. We hope there's enough of humanity left to carry on."
No one said anything after that.
Whoever had taken Giles out had pretty much finished us. We were too small a group. Everyone had a job to fill. No one, with any idea of what to do, could spare the time necessary. We needed the Council, but no one was willing to suggest the she go back. Wesley Wyndham-Price was a distant cousin of mine, on my mother's side, and after what the Council had done to him, I didn't particularly relish the thought of working with the them either. But I had to find the best solution to the puzzle.
Buffy huddled in the corner, looking scared and lost. All her dreams and hopes had been shattered because of who and what she was. She had finally broken free of the Watchers Council, and only months later she was being pushed back. She had had the world unfairly placed upon her shoulders, and I think she felt its weight.
"Phone them."
We looked at her, sitting there, head high. Reddened eyes, flashing with angry determination.
"Buffy, no," protested Willow.
"What choice do we have," Buffy asked, her voice bitter. She turned her attention back to me. "We have to do something. Phone them, tell them I'll do what ever they want."