Buffy tied the knot and stepped back, rubbing her lower back. The rain fell in a thick curtain of fat, heavy drops that plummeted to earth as fast and hard as gravity could draw them. Buffy didn't mind the rain; the water hid her tears as she tended to the bodies, carrying them out of the circle of tents and wrapping them in tarps and ground cloths.
She took one last look at her morbid handiwork, then returned to the center of camp. Girls were still outside in spite of the downpour. The fire had been stoked to a roaring blaze highlighted by the hissing of the rain as it met the flames. Those who weren't carrying wood were moving back and forth through the area. Some seemed to have a purpose; many did not. The injured were gathered in front of one tent. The tent glowed with strong illumination; a lantern or three must have been in use.
Buffy held out her arms, letting the rain pound down and wash away the caked-on blood. The worst of the gore was gone by the time Bryn approached her. "How bad is it?" Buffy asked.
Bryn shrugged. "Tricia's in charge of the injuries. She's had a couple of first aid courses." She pointed at the brightly-lit tent. "She's taking care of them in there."
"How's Ms. Brannigan?"
Bryn shook her head. "Still unconscious. Tricia says her breathing's shallow and her pulse is thready."
Buffy ran her hands over her head, squeezing water out of her hair in a quixotic gesture. "We'll take Tricia's word for it, she knows more than I do. What about Ranger Young?"
"Pretty sure she's broken her... What's that big bone? The one in your thigh?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. "I suck at anatomy."
"She's lost a lot of blood and she's pretty out of it from shock and pain." Bryn wiped rain out of her eyes. "I found her radio, but there's so much interference from the storm that I can't raise anyone. We're pretty much on our own for tonight."
Buffy nodded. "Looks like it."
Bryn looked uncomfortable, then blurted, "Thanks for taking care of the... the..." She shuddered. "I can't do this." Buffy said nothing. Bryn's trembling subsided. "How... how many?" she asked.
Buffy looked off in the direction of the bodies, an unconscious gesture. "Seven." Bryn covered her mouth with her hand. Buffy looked at her. "Any other major injuries?"
The need to focus seemed to improve Bryn's emotional state. "Deena's got a broken arm. There's a broken leg, three or four ankle sprains, a bunch of cuts and bruises, and Jennifer Stewart stuck a tent pole through her calf."
They stood in the rain as time seemed to stand still. The noise of the storm muffled sound and the flashes of lightning gave movement a weird strobing effect. Buffy spoke first.
"How long will Tricia be?" she asked.
"She's almost done," Bryn replied.
"Everyone needs to get inside, out of the rain. Be good if they could go to bed."
"Do you think we should? What if they come back?" Bryn sounded equal parts startled and afraid.
Buffy shook her head. "If they were coming back, they'd have done it right after the attack, when we were scared and disorganized."
"I don't think anyone will sleep."
"They will." Buffy turned toward her tent. "When the adrenaline's gone their bodies will shut down." She heard Bryn begin telling everyone to go to bed. Inside her tent, Buffy turned on the lantern and rummaged through their things. The tent hummed with the sound of the rain. She had just found what she was looking for when Cordelia came in, just as soaked and bedraggled-looking as Buffy.
"What are you doing?" Cordelia asked.
"Looking for the extra ground cloth," Buffy said, holding up the tarp. She crawled across the tent, dragging it behind her. Cordelia squeezed to the side to let her pass.
"You're not going outside," Cordelia said, her voice ripe with disbelief.
Buffy looked over her shoulder. "I don't think those things are coming back, but if they do, I'll be waiting for them." She crawled out of the tent and stood. The campsite was vacant. Everyone was in a tent. Buffy left the camp and went up the rise to the edge of the forest. She crouched, throwing the ground cloth over her head, her hands holding it closed at her throat.
She sat there watching the camp. The rain began to subside, dropping from a downpour to a steady shower. A lone girl moved across the campground, slipping between the tents and hobbling up the slope. She stopped, looking around, then approached the spot where Buffy was.
"Here," Cordelia said.
"What is it?" Buffy asked. "Hemlock?"
"No," Cordelia said. "It's a Coke. I thought you could use the caffeine."
Buffy took a drink, then nodded toward the camp. "Everyone asleep?"
Cordelia looked back and shrugged. "More like passed out, I think."
Buffy took another drink. "You should get some sleep."
Cordelia bit her lip. "I thought... I mean, it's really not that long until morning."
Buffy held up one edge of the tarp. "Pull up a chair."
Cordelia slipped under the ground cloth and pulled it around her, bringing their heads close together. Buffy sniffed the air.
"Hey," she said, "how come you smell so good?"
***
There was no real sunrise. Rather the inky, rain-soaked blackness gradually lightened into a cloud-choked murk. The meadow was swathed in heavy mist, the forest filled with the pattering of droplets falling from the trees, and Buffy and Cordelia were asleep, leaning against each other beneath the tarp.
Buffy's nose twitched, she grunted, and her eyes opened. Her right arm was numb. She turned her head to look at it and found herself staring into Cordelia's eyes. They locked gazes for an instant, then Buffy's head jerked to the left, her hand flying up to her face.
"Gross," Cordelia said.
"That can't be your breath," Buffy said. "Did something crawl down your throat and die?"
They threw off the tarp and got to their feet, moving stiffly. Buffy felt a twinge in her neck and tightness in her hip. Not even a Slayer could sleep sitting up on wet ground without paying the price. They stumbled into camp unnoticed; everyone else was still asleep. The two of them crawled into the tent, collapsed on their sleeping bags and tore open a box of granola bars. Buffy was halfway through her third one when her eyelids abruptly slammed shut.
She was awakened by a gruesome noise, the sound of someone being strangled. She sat bolt upright, wincing as her neck protested, and realized that the sound was Cordelia brushing her teeth. Buffy could not think of anything better to do, so she fished her own toothbrush out of her pack and scrambled outside. She said nothing to Cordelia, but the two of them eyed each other warily as they attended to their teeth.
Buffy was spitting out the last of the toothpaste as Bryn approached across the trampled ground. The rest of the camp was beginning to stir, girls squinting at each other and stumbling around as though they'd forgotten how to walk. The shock of last night's attack was still very much with them.
"What's the sitch?" Buffy said.
Bryn ran a hand through her hair. "There's good news and bad news. The good news is I was finally able to get through to the ranger station on the radio."
"What's the bad?" Buffy asked.
"They can't send the rescue helicopter. The weather has everything grounded. I guess the storm's even worse down there. They're trying to send a team over the trail, but it's going to take time."
Buffy frowned. "It's ten miles. How long can it take?"
Bryn sighed. "They have to get the team together, with all their supplies, then send them out in the storm. They seemed to think it might not be today."
"So we have to spend another night out here?" Cordelia's question was directed at Buffy.
"I don't know." The Slayer sounded irritated. She turned to Bryn. "Do we?"
Bryn looked exhausted and stretched to her breaking point. "I don't think we have any choice. We have people to hurt to move." She pointed at Cordelia's feet. "Do you want to try hiking out on those?"
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "But what about the--"
Buffy cut her off. "Did they have any idea about what happened last night?"
Bryn shook her head. "They said that whatever it was probably wouldn't come back. Still, I think we should take precautions."
Buffy nodded. "Just tell us what to do." She shot a sharp look at Cordelia.
"Sure, whatever we can do." Cordelia's enthusiasm sounded wholly false to Buffy, but Bryn was too worn down to notice.
"Thanks," she said. "I'm going to see how the... the people who are hurt are doing." She stood there for a moment, then executed an awkward turn and left.
Cordelia waited until Bryn was only just out of earshot. "What are you, crazy? Why does she get to be in charge? You should be in charge."
Buffy watched Bryn walk away. "I want her giving the orders."
"Oh really? Why?"
"Because everyone respects her. Everyone will listen to her." Buffy headed toward the tent. "And because we won't be here."
"They would listen to you." Cordelia's tone began to edge toward outrage. "You could-- Wait a minute." She began to limp after the Slayer. "We won't be here?" She crawled into the tent. Buffy was already reclining on her sleeping bag.
"Bryn can do everything right, and it still won't be enough. Whatever those things are, they'll come back tonight, and they'll kill everyone. Only I won't let them. I'm going out there and getting them first."
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "Again, where does 'we' enter into this?"
Buffy turned toward her and smiled. "You'll be out there with me."
***
Xander dropped the final coin into the slot then waved his hands in a mystical manner. The coins jangled through the machine's innards as he waited. The machine emitted a short buzz and Xander's hand shot out, slamming into the button as fast as he could move it. There was a moment of stasis, then the machine belched out four sodas. "Yesssssss," he said as he collected his bounty.
"Isn't that a little more sugar than you need?" Willow asked.
Xander grinned. "Are you kidding? This might get me through until lunch." He stuffed three of the cans into the pocket of his cargo pants and popped the tab on the remaining one.
"How did the patrolling go last night?" Willow said as she walked beside him.
He shrugged. "Not bad. We killed a bad guy, not each other, so it was a good."
Willow nodded, her mouth a wide, thin line. "Well, that's nice."
"Oh, yeah." Xander took another drink. "We're going again tonight."
Willow's forehead creased. "Is that a good idea?"
Xander turned on her as the student body flowed around them. "What is this, Will? Did you suddenly become my mom? As I recall, you didn't want me hanging with you and Oz, so what's with the interest?"
Willow leaned back, startled. "I don't... I just... Well, it just seems strange for you two to be bonding after some of the things she said when Cordelia was missing."
Xander shook his head as he resumed walking. "Will, didn't I make an ass of myself then, too?"
Willow thought about that. She had to nod. "Yeah, you did."
"And we're still buds, right?"
"Yeaaaahhhhhh." Willow frowned. She could see where this was heading and she wasn't sure she liked it.
"Yeah, Faith took a few shots, but I'm big enough to overlook that. I'm not infallible, are you?" He was walking backwards in front of her, arms spread wide. Students were ducking and weaving to avoid him. "I'm just trying to lend a hand."
***
"Me?" Cordelia's voice climbed the scale. "Why me?"
"Because you've done this before."
Cordelia spread her arms wide. "But I haven't liked it... or been very good at it."
Buffy's voice was firm. "It's got to be you."
"But... but I'm injured." Cordelia pushed her legs out in front of her and gestured at her feet.
"I don't need you to outrun these things. You saw how fast they can move. On your best day you couldn't do it." Buffy sat on her sleeping bag, thinking. Cordelia fumed. The Slayer watched her for a minute then said, "Cordelia, you're all I've got, so chant your mantra, put a collar on your inner bitch, just do whatever you have to do to be ready."
Cordelia scowled. "I knew this trip was a bad idea. I knew it."
Buffy shrugged. "Just think of it as a teamwork exercise."
***
Buffy dropped the last armful of wood onto the pile behind the tent. This action was being repeated around the campsite. Buffy conceded that Bryn's idea was solid; if these things were wary of fire, then in addition to the bonfire a ring of fires would be constructed outside the cluster of tents. Buffy brushed off bits of bark and dust and glanced up at the sky. It was still a low,solid wall of steel-gray, but the fog had thinned and the lightning was gone.
Bryn was walking across the open space. Buffy intercepted her. "Hey," the Slayer said, "this is a good idea."
Bryn shrugged, her hands making jittery motions. "Thanks, but all it will really do is slow them down."
"Hey, think positive. They probably won't even come back." Buffy tried to put a lot of conviction into her statement.
Bryn's face looked drawn and tight. "But what if they do?"
"Then we fight. As long and hard as we can. Make sure everyone knows it's them or us."
Bryn's teeth flashed. "Pretty brutal. Deena said you were tough."
"She'd know. She's done a lot with a broken arm."
"She's pretty proud of that splint she made." Bryn looked up at the sky. "Mrs. Brannigan's still out. Tricia thinks the ranger's stopped bleeding. One of the sprained ankles may be broken." She tucked her hands in her back pockets. "Thanks for all the help last night. I was really shook."
Buffy said, "So was I." Cordelia limped up to them, her bootlaces trailing. Buffy pointed at them. "Why do your shoes look like that?"
Cordelia gave her an acid look. "Tricia found some bandages, but I can't tie my shoes, if you must know."
Buffy said, "I must, I must."
Bryn said, "Thank you, too, Cordelia."
"For what?" Cordelia looked annoyed.
"For the help last night."
Cordelia said nothing. Buffy gave her a sharp look. Cordelia glared back for a moment, then turned to Bryn, a smile on her face. "You're certainly welcome. Your highness," Cordelia said.
At that moment, Buffy would have enjoyed punching Cordelia in the head, but Bryn either ignored the sarcasm or was too tired and distraught to notice. "We'll light the fires just before dark," she said to Buffy, then turned and left.
Buffy rounded on Cordelia. "It's so good to know that when our lives are on the line, you can still find time to be petty."
Cordelia tossed her a haughty look. "Well, maybe I won't show you the things I found in the ranger's stuff."
"I take it all back." Buffy looked the other girl up and down. "Where is it?"
Cordelia pointed. "In the tent."
Cordelia's finds were laid out on her sleeping bag. Buffy saw a knife, a box of flares, a roll of duct tape and a coil of nylon rope. "Okay," she said. "We can use this. We can find a way to use this."
"Oh, wait." Cordelia flipped back the foot of her sleeping bag. "Thought you might be able to use this."
Buffy's eyes widened. There lay a beautiful black compound bow and a box of target arrows. "Cordelia," she said, "I could kiss you."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Great. First this trip was Night of the Living Dead. Now it's turning into Deliverance." Buffy looked at her, dumfounded. "Hey," Cordelia said, "joke, joke. I do have a sense of humor, you know."
"Oh, that's what that was." Buffy turned back to the bow. "Where did you get this?"
"Ms. Brannigan. Apparently we were going to have to shoot arrows."
Buffy sat back, legs crossed and elbows on knees. "Now if we just knew what we were fighting."
Cordelia crossed the tent and sat down. "You're sure they're not vampires?"
"Trust me. I staked one last night and all it did was make it mad."
Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe you missed the heart."
Buffy cocked her head in Cordelia's direction. "I know where the heart is. I've missed hearts before and I know what it feels like. I did not miss the heart. Believe me when I say that if that thing was a vampire, it would be ashes by now."
"Then what are they?"
Buffy's chin rested on her folded hands. "Well, they don't like fire, but that's kind of a given. Nothing likes fire." She thought, surrounded by the amber glow of the cloudy light diffused through the tent wall. "They don't like light. The flashlights bothered them as much as the fire. It's the light."
Cordelia looked up from examining her bandaged feet. "Because they're night creatures."
"They run at night. Their eyes see in the dark, so light hurts." Buffy shook her head. "It's something, but it's not a lot."
Cordelia frowned. "When Deena hit that one with the flashlight, it acted like it really hurt."
Buffy shrugged. "I imagine it did. That was a big flashlight."
"No, no." Cordelia rummaged through her pack and pulled out a long black flashlight with a checkered barrel. "It was like this."
"Hers isn't that long."
"It's the same kind." Cordelia turned the flashlight over in her hands, biting her lip in concentration. "Dammit, it's right on the tip of my tongue."
"What is?"
"I don't know." Cordelia continued to look at the flashlight. Suddenly her spine stiffened. She looked at Buffy, her eyes widening. "They're faerie."
Buffy frowned. "You mean like Tinkerbell?"
"No, not like Tinkerbell. When you were in the hospital last spring, when Giles and I had to research der Kindestod, I remember reading about the faerie. Some of them can't stand metal; they're really connected to the forest and nature and metal hurts them. Some of them die just from touching iron."
"I'm impressed." Buffy's face reflected her words. "You remembered all that from that one session in the library."
Cordelia stared at her and Buffy thought she saw something move behind the other girl's eyes. "Yeah," Cordelia said, tossing the flashlight back into her pack, "there are all kinds of things you don't know about me."
***
Faith opened the door and Xander jumped a little. He flushed and jammed his hands into his pockets.
Faith looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Sure, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?" Xander pulled his hands out of his pockets and tucked them under his arms.
Faith stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind her. "Then let's get busy."
"Yeah," Xander said. "Let's do that. Let's get busy."
***
Buffy concentrated on keeping her breathing as shallow as possible. It was the only way to keep her head still, and movement was not a good idea right now.
"There." Cordelia looked at the Slayer then leaned to one side for a different perspective. "That's all the autumn taupe we need." She picked up a small jar, unscrewed the lid and dipped her finger into the contents. She drew the finger down the bridge of Buffy's nose, leaving a dark brown smear.
The Slayer rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you brought makeup."
Cordelia paused in her work and looked at Buffy. "This from the girl who carries holy water in a squirt gun? Now, tilt your head back."
Buffy sighed but she did as she was asked. "Are you sure this is necessary?"
"Hey," Cordelia said, "I don't want the reflection off your T-zone giving us away."
"Oooh, good point." Buffy's voice was tres sarcastic. "How much longer?"
"I'm trying," Cordelia said, "but I don't really have anything for your coloring."
"Gee, what a faux pas." Buffy rolled her eyes down to look at the other girl. "Do you remember the plan?"
"Yes." Cordelia inspected her handiwork. The intention was camouflage but the effect was closer to abstract art, sort of a cross between Picasso and Mr. Stitch. She nodded. "Okay," she said as she handed the makeup to Buffy.
"My turn." The Slayer began to smear makeup on Cordelia. She was not nearly as painstaking in her application.
"Tell me again, why are we going after them?" Cordelia said. "Why not just light the fires and hope for the best?"
"Because the fire won't stop them."
"How do you know where to find them?" Cordelia closed her eyes.
Buffy spread a wide swath of green across Cordelia's forehead. "Remember when I went to get more wood this afternoon? I did a little scouting. I found a trail that I'm positive is theirs."
"What if they don't come down the trail? What if they split up?"
Buffy stopped applying makeup and looked at Cordelia in exasperation. "For someone who didn't want to be part of this plan you sure are picking it apart."
***
"...so I said, 'Yeah, I'm the one' and I dropped him like a bad habit." Faith glanced over her shoulder at Xander. "So you guys tried to fill the slaying void while B was gone?"
Xander nodded. "It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Bet you sucked at it."
He smirked. "You give us too much credit."
She stopped and turned. "Still, it took some major sack just to try."
Xander opened his mouth, closed it, and then shrugged. "Thanks for the validation."
Faith pursed her lips. "B's lucky to have you guys."
Xander kicked at the ground. "We try to mostly stay out of the way."
"Isn't that nice." They turned toward the voice. A man dressed in a long coat stood on the sidewalk about twenty feet away. He was positioned so that the light from the streetlamp was behind him. His coat swirled slightly in the evening breeze. "Sorry to interrupt your little Oprah moment."
Faith took a step to her left. "Let me guess. Mr. Trick."
His shoulders moved forward, then back. "And I believe you would be Faith, the unforeseen Slayer."
Xander brought the crossbow to his shoulder, sighted down its length, and fired in one smooth motion. Trick's response was elegant and simple. His right foot moved behind his left and he pivoted his body on the ball of his left foot. The bolt whisked by him and disappeared into the night. "Please don't do that again," Trick said. "What poor hospitality! Have I made so much as a threatening gesture?
Xander shrugged, lowering the weapon to his side. "Well, you know what they say. If you sneak around at night and drink blood, you might be a vampire."
Trick made a small applauding gesture. "Very witty, Xander. I respect a man who's first impulse is to be a smart-ass."
"Great," Faith said. "Now that we've got the introductions out of the way, why don't you beat it before I steel-toe your ass back to the hood."
Trick chuckled but his voice was cold. "Why, Miss Thang. Listen girl, I guarantee that you're closer to the ghetto than I am. But that's a typical white trash reaction to a successful brother."
Faith balled her fists. "Really. Why don't you step up here and say that."
"Please. I'm not going to fight you. Not tonight." Trick rose up on tiptoe and took a deep breath. "I'm just out getting some evening air." He took a step forward and Xander pulled out his cross. "Why is everyone so jumpy tonight? It's enough to make me feel unwanted."
"Hey," Xander said, "go with the feeling."
Trick inclined his head toward the boy. "Once again, well-played. Oh, by the way, Xander, I think what you're doing is great. A man should never close off all his options." He stepped backward. Faith charged. Trick spun to the left, slipping his right arm out of the sleeve of his overcoat. He timed the move so that Faith missed him by inches and tackled the coat, which collapsed over her and sent her sprawling on the pavement. Trick stepped toward Xander, who held out his cross. Trick stopped and laughed.
"That's good, boy. You just keep on believing that's enough." Trick glanced at Faith, who was extracting herself from the coat. "Too bad I have to leave it. It's a little chilly tonight." He grinned, an expression that froze Xander down to his toes. "Like that matters to me." Then he was gone, leaving Xander standing there with his arm extended, the cross gripped in his trembling hand.
"Shit!" Faith threw the coat down on the ground, then jumped up and down on it. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Xander lowered his cross and swallowed. "When you're done punishing the evil coat, it might be time to call it a night."
She took one last look at her morbid handiwork, then returned to the center of camp. Girls were still outside in spite of the downpour. The fire had been stoked to a roaring blaze highlighted by the hissing of the rain as it met the flames. Those who weren't carrying wood were moving back and forth through the area. Some seemed to have a purpose; many did not. The injured were gathered in front of one tent. The tent glowed with strong illumination; a lantern or three must have been in use.
Buffy held out her arms, letting the rain pound down and wash away the caked-on blood. The worst of the gore was gone by the time Bryn approached her. "How bad is it?" Buffy asked.
Bryn shrugged. "Tricia's in charge of the injuries. She's had a couple of first aid courses." She pointed at the brightly-lit tent. "She's taking care of them in there."
"How's Ms. Brannigan?"
Bryn shook her head. "Still unconscious. Tricia says her breathing's shallow and her pulse is thready."
Buffy ran her hands over her head, squeezing water out of her hair in a quixotic gesture. "We'll take Tricia's word for it, she knows more than I do. What about Ranger Young?"
"Pretty sure she's broken her... What's that big bone? The one in your thigh?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. "I suck at anatomy."
"She's lost a lot of blood and she's pretty out of it from shock and pain." Bryn wiped rain out of her eyes. "I found her radio, but there's so much interference from the storm that I can't raise anyone. We're pretty much on our own for tonight."
Buffy nodded. "Looks like it."
Bryn looked uncomfortable, then blurted, "Thanks for taking care of the... the..." She shuddered. "I can't do this." Buffy said nothing. Bryn's trembling subsided. "How... how many?" she asked.
Buffy looked off in the direction of the bodies, an unconscious gesture. "Seven." Bryn covered her mouth with her hand. Buffy looked at her. "Any other major injuries?"
The need to focus seemed to improve Bryn's emotional state. "Deena's got a broken arm. There's a broken leg, three or four ankle sprains, a bunch of cuts and bruises, and Jennifer Stewart stuck a tent pole through her calf."
They stood in the rain as time seemed to stand still. The noise of the storm muffled sound and the flashes of lightning gave movement a weird strobing effect. Buffy spoke first.
"How long will Tricia be?" she asked.
"She's almost done," Bryn replied.
"Everyone needs to get inside, out of the rain. Be good if they could go to bed."
"Do you think we should? What if they come back?" Bryn sounded equal parts startled and afraid.
Buffy shook her head. "If they were coming back, they'd have done it right after the attack, when we were scared and disorganized."
"I don't think anyone will sleep."
"They will." Buffy turned toward her tent. "When the adrenaline's gone their bodies will shut down." She heard Bryn begin telling everyone to go to bed. Inside her tent, Buffy turned on the lantern and rummaged through their things. The tent hummed with the sound of the rain. She had just found what she was looking for when Cordelia came in, just as soaked and bedraggled-looking as Buffy.
"What are you doing?" Cordelia asked.
"Looking for the extra ground cloth," Buffy said, holding up the tarp. She crawled across the tent, dragging it behind her. Cordelia squeezed to the side to let her pass.
"You're not going outside," Cordelia said, her voice ripe with disbelief.
Buffy looked over her shoulder. "I don't think those things are coming back, but if they do, I'll be waiting for them." She crawled out of the tent and stood. The campsite was vacant. Everyone was in a tent. Buffy left the camp and went up the rise to the edge of the forest. She crouched, throwing the ground cloth over her head, her hands holding it closed at her throat.
She sat there watching the camp. The rain began to subside, dropping from a downpour to a steady shower. A lone girl moved across the campground, slipping between the tents and hobbling up the slope. She stopped, looking around, then approached the spot where Buffy was.
"Here," Cordelia said.
"What is it?" Buffy asked. "Hemlock?"
"No," Cordelia said. "It's a Coke. I thought you could use the caffeine."
Buffy took a drink, then nodded toward the camp. "Everyone asleep?"
Cordelia looked back and shrugged. "More like passed out, I think."
Buffy took another drink. "You should get some sleep."
Cordelia bit her lip. "I thought... I mean, it's really not that long until morning."
Buffy held up one edge of the tarp. "Pull up a chair."
Cordelia slipped under the ground cloth and pulled it around her, bringing their heads close together. Buffy sniffed the air.
"Hey," she said, "how come you smell so good?"
***
There was no real sunrise. Rather the inky, rain-soaked blackness gradually lightened into a cloud-choked murk. The meadow was swathed in heavy mist, the forest filled with the pattering of droplets falling from the trees, and Buffy and Cordelia were asleep, leaning against each other beneath the tarp.
Buffy's nose twitched, she grunted, and her eyes opened. Her right arm was numb. She turned her head to look at it and found herself staring into Cordelia's eyes. They locked gazes for an instant, then Buffy's head jerked to the left, her hand flying up to her face.
"Gross," Cordelia said.
"That can't be your breath," Buffy said. "Did something crawl down your throat and die?"
They threw off the tarp and got to their feet, moving stiffly. Buffy felt a twinge in her neck and tightness in her hip. Not even a Slayer could sleep sitting up on wet ground without paying the price. They stumbled into camp unnoticed; everyone else was still asleep. The two of them crawled into the tent, collapsed on their sleeping bags and tore open a box of granola bars. Buffy was halfway through her third one when her eyelids abruptly slammed shut.
She was awakened by a gruesome noise, the sound of someone being strangled. She sat bolt upright, wincing as her neck protested, and realized that the sound was Cordelia brushing her teeth. Buffy could not think of anything better to do, so she fished her own toothbrush out of her pack and scrambled outside. She said nothing to Cordelia, but the two of them eyed each other warily as they attended to their teeth.
Buffy was spitting out the last of the toothpaste as Bryn approached across the trampled ground. The rest of the camp was beginning to stir, girls squinting at each other and stumbling around as though they'd forgotten how to walk. The shock of last night's attack was still very much with them.
"What's the sitch?" Buffy said.
Bryn ran a hand through her hair. "There's good news and bad news. The good news is I was finally able to get through to the ranger station on the radio."
"What's the bad?" Buffy asked.
"They can't send the rescue helicopter. The weather has everything grounded. I guess the storm's even worse down there. They're trying to send a team over the trail, but it's going to take time."
Buffy frowned. "It's ten miles. How long can it take?"
Bryn sighed. "They have to get the team together, with all their supplies, then send them out in the storm. They seemed to think it might not be today."
"So we have to spend another night out here?" Cordelia's question was directed at Buffy.
"I don't know." The Slayer sounded irritated. She turned to Bryn. "Do we?"
Bryn looked exhausted and stretched to her breaking point. "I don't think we have any choice. We have people to hurt to move." She pointed at Cordelia's feet. "Do you want to try hiking out on those?"
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "But what about the--"
Buffy cut her off. "Did they have any idea about what happened last night?"
Bryn shook her head. "They said that whatever it was probably wouldn't come back. Still, I think we should take precautions."
Buffy nodded. "Just tell us what to do." She shot a sharp look at Cordelia.
"Sure, whatever we can do." Cordelia's enthusiasm sounded wholly false to Buffy, but Bryn was too worn down to notice.
"Thanks," she said. "I'm going to see how the... the people who are hurt are doing." She stood there for a moment, then executed an awkward turn and left.
Cordelia waited until Bryn was only just out of earshot. "What are you, crazy? Why does she get to be in charge? You should be in charge."
Buffy watched Bryn walk away. "I want her giving the orders."
"Oh really? Why?"
"Because everyone respects her. Everyone will listen to her." Buffy headed toward the tent. "And because we won't be here."
"They would listen to you." Cordelia's tone began to edge toward outrage. "You could-- Wait a minute." She began to limp after the Slayer. "We won't be here?" She crawled into the tent. Buffy was already reclining on her sleeping bag.
"Bryn can do everything right, and it still won't be enough. Whatever those things are, they'll come back tonight, and they'll kill everyone. Only I won't let them. I'm going out there and getting them first."
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "Again, where does 'we' enter into this?"
Buffy turned toward her and smiled. "You'll be out there with me."
***
Xander dropped the final coin into the slot then waved his hands in a mystical manner. The coins jangled through the machine's innards as he waited. The machine emitted a short buzz and Xander's hand shot out, slamming into the button as fast as he could move it. There was a moment of stasis, then the machine belched out four sodas. "Yesssssss," he said as he collected his bounty.
"Isn't that a little more sugar than you need?" Willow asked.
Xander grinned. "Are you kidding? This might get me through until lunch." He stuffed three of the cans into the pocket of his cargo pants and popped the tab on the remaining one.
"How did the patrolling go last night?" Willow said as she walked beside him.
He shrugged. "Not bad. We killed a bad guy, not each other, so it was a good."
Willow nodded, her mouth a wide, thin line. "Well, that's nice."
"Oh, yeah." Xander took another drink. "We're going again tonight."
Willow's forehead creased. "Is that a good idea?"
Xander turned on her as the student body flowed around them. "What is this, Will? Did you suddenly become my mom? As I recall, you didn't want me hanging with you and Oz, so what's with the interest?"
Willow leaned back, startled. "I don't... I just... Well, it just seems strange for you two to be bonding after some of the things she said when Cordelia was missing."
Xander shook his head as he resumed walking. "Will, didn't I make an ass of myself then, too?"
Willow thought about that. She had to nod. "Yeah, you did."
"And we're still buds, right?"
"Yeaaaahhhhhh." Willow frowned. She could see where this was heading and she wasn't sure she liked it.
"Yeah, Faith took a few shots, but I'm big enough to overlook that. I'm not infallible, are you?" He was walking backwards in front of her, arms spread wide. Students were ducking and weaving to avoid him. "I'm just trying to lend a hand."
***
"Me?" Cordelia's voice climbed the scale. "Why me?"
"Because you've done this before."
Cordelia spread her arms wide. "But I haven't liked it... or been very good at it."
Buffy's voice was firm. "It's got to be you."
"But... but I'm injured." Cordelia pushed her legs out in front of her and gestured at her feet.
"I don't need you to outrun these things. You saw how fast they can move. On your best day you couldn't do it." Buffy sat on her sleeping bag, thinking. Cordelia fumed. The Slayer watched her for a minute then said, "Cordelia, you're all I've got, so chant your mantra, put a collar on your inner bitch, just do whatever you have to do to be ready."
Cordelia scowled. "I knew this trip was a bad idea. I knew it."
Buffy shrugged. "Just think of it as a teamwork exercise."
***
Buffy dropped the last armful of wood onto the pile behind the tent. This action was being repeated around the campsite. Buffy conceded that Bryn's idea was solid; if these things were wary of fire, then in addition to the bonfire a ring of fires would be constructed outside the cluster of tents. Buffy brushed off bits of bark and dust and glanced up at the sky. It was still a low,solid wall of steel-gray, but the fog had thinned and the lightning was gone.
Bryn was walking across the open space. Buffy intercepted her. "Hey," the Slayer said, "this is a good idea."
Bryn shrugged, her hands making jittery motions. "Thanks, but all it will really do is slow them down."
"Hey, think positive. They probably won't even come back." Buffy tried to put a lot of conviction into her statement.
Bryn's face looked drawn and tight. "But what if they do?"
"Then we fight. As long and hard as we can. Make sure everyone knows it's them or us."
Bryn's teeth flashed. "Pretty brutal. Deena said you were tough."
"She'd know. She's done a lot with a broken arm."
"She's pretty proud of that splint she made." Bryn looked up at the sky. "Mrs. Brannigan's still out. Tricia thinks the ranger's stopped bleeding. One of the sprained ankles may be broken." She tucked her hands in her back pockets. "Thanks for all the help last night. I was really shook."
Buffy said, "So was I." Cordelia limped up to them, her bootlaces trailing. Buffy pointed at them. "Why do your shoes look like that?"
Cordelia gave her an acid look. "Tricia found some bandages, but I can't tie my shoes, if you must know."
Buffy said, "I must, I must."
Bryn said, "Thank you, too, Cordelia."
"For what?" Cordelia looked annoyed.
"For the help last night."
Cordelia said nothing. Buffy gave her a sharp look. Cordelia glared back for a moment, then turned to Bryn, a smile on her face. "You're certainly welcome. Your highness," Cordelia said.
At that moment, Buffy would have enjoyed punching Cordelia in the head, but Bryn either ignored the sarcasm or was too tired and distraught to notice. "We'll light the fires just before dark," she said to Buffy, then turned and left.
Buffy rounded on Cordelia. "It's so good to know that when our lives are on the line, you can still find time to be petty."
Cordelia tossed her a haughty look. "Well, maybe I won't show you the things I found in the ranger's stuff."
"I take it all back." Buffy looked the other girl up and down. "Where is it?"
Cordelia pointed. "In the tent."
Cordelia's finds were laid out on her sleeping bag. Buffy saw a knife, a box of flares, a roll of duct tape and a coil of nylon rope. "Okay," she said. "We can use this. We can find a way to use this."
"Oh, wait." Cordelia flipped back the foot of her sleeping bag. "Thought you might be able to use this."
Buffy's eyes widened. There lay a beautiful black compound bow and a box of target arrows. "Cordelia," she said, "I could kiss you."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Great. First this trip was Night of the Living Dead. Now it's turning into Deliverance." Buffy looked at her, dumfounded. "Hey," Cordelia said, "joke, joke. I do have a sense of humor, you know."
"Oh, that's what that was." Buffy turned back to the bow. "Where did you get this?"
"Ms. Brannigan. Apparently we were going to have to shoot arrows."
Buffy sat back, legs crossed and elbows on knees. "Now if we just knew what we were fighting."
Cordelia crossed the tent and sat down. "You're sure they're not vampires?"
"Trust me. I staked one last night and all it did was make it mad."
Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe you missed the heart."
Buffy cocked her head in Cordelia's direction. "I know where the heart is. I've missed hearts before and I know what it feels like. I did not miss the heart. Believe me when I say that if that thing was a vampire, it would be ashes by now."
"Then what are they?"
Buffy's chin rested on her folded hands. "Well, they don't like fire, but that's kind of a given. Nothing likes fire." She thought, surrounded by the amber glow of the cloudy light diffused through the tent wall. "They don't like light. The flashlights bothered them as much as the fire. It's the light."
Cordelia looked up from examining her bandaged feet. "Because they're night creatures."
"They run at night. Their eyes see in the dark, so light hurts." Buffy shook her head. "It's something, but it's not a lot."
Cordelia frowned. "When Deena hit that one with the flashlight, it acted like it really hurt."
Buffy shrugged. "I imagine it did. That was a big flashlight."
"No, no." Cordelia rummaged through her pack and pulled out a long black flashlight with a checkered barrel. "It was like this."
"Hers isn't that long."
"It's the same kind." Cordelia turned the flashlight over in her hands, biting her lip in concentration. "Dammit, it's right on the tip of my tongue."
"What is?"
"I don't know." Cordelia continued to look at the flashlight. Suddenly her spine stiffened. She looked at Buffy, her eyes widening. "They're faerie."
Buffy frowned. "You mean like Tinkerbell?"
"No, not like Tinkerbell. When you were in the hospital last spring, when Giles and I had to research der Kindestod, I remember reading about the faerie. Some of them can't stand metal; they're really connected to the forest and nature and metal hurts them. Some of them die just from touching iron."
"I'm impressed." Buffy's face reflected her words. "You remembered all that from that one session in the library."
Cordelia stared at her and Buffy thought she saw something move behind the other girl's eyes. "Yeah," Cordelia said, tossing the flashlight back into her pack, "there are all kinds of things you don't know about me."
***
Faith opened the door and Xander jumped a little. He flushed and jammed his hands into his pockets.
Faith looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Sure, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?" Xander pulled his hands out of his pockets and tucked them under his arms.
Faith stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind her. "Then let's get busy."
"Yeah," Xander said. "Let's do that. Let's get busy."
***
Buffy concentrated on keeping her breathing as shallow as possible. It was the only way to keep her head still, and movement was not a good idea right now.
"There." Cordelia looked at the Slayer then leaned to one side for a different perspective. "That's all the autumn taupe we need." She picked up a small jar, unscrewed the lid and dipped her finger into the contents. She drew the finger down the bridge of Buffy's nose, leaving a dark brown smear.
The Slayer rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you brought makeup."
Cordelia paused in her work and looked at Buffy. "This from the girl who carries holy water in a squirt gun? Now, tilt your head back."
Buffy sighed but she did as she was asked. "Are you sure this is necessary?"
"Hey," Cordelia said, "I don't want the reflection off your T-zone giving us away."
"Oooh, good point." Buffy's voice was tres sarcastic. "How much longer?"
"I'm trying," Cordelia said, "but I don't really have anything for your coloring."
"Gee, what a faux pas." Buffy rolled her eyes down to look at the other girl. "Do you remember the plan?"
"Yes." Cordelia inspected her handiwork. The intention was camouflage but the effect was closer to abstract art, sort of a cross between Picasso and Mr. Stitch. She nodded. "Okay," she said as she handed the makeup to Buffy.
"My turn." The Slayer began to smear makeup on Cordelia. She was not nearly as painstaking in her application.
"Tell me again, why are we going after them?" Cordelia said. "Why not just light the fires and hope for the best?"
"Because the fire won't stop them."
"How do you know where to find them?" Cordelia closed her eyes.
Buffy spread a wide swath of green across Cordelia's forehead. "Remember when I went to get more wood this afternoon? I did a little scouting. I found a trail that I'm positive is theirs."
"What if they don't come down the trail? What if they split up?"
Buffy stopped applying makeup and looked at Cordelia in exasperation. "For someone who didn't want to be part of this plan you sure are picking it apart."
***
"...so I said, 'Yeah, I'm the one' and I dropped him like a bad habit." Faith glanced over her shoulder at Xander. "So you guys tried to fill the slaying void while B was gone?"
Xander nodded. "It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Bet you sucked at it."
He smirked. "You give us too much credit."
She stopped and turned. "Still, it took some major sack just to try."
Xander opened his mouth, closed it, and then shrugged. "Thanks for the validation."
Faith pursed her lips. "B's lucky to have you guys."
Xander kicked at the ground. "We try to mostly stay out of the way."
"Isn't that nice." They turned toward the voice. A man dressed in a long coat stood on the sidewalk about twenty feet away. He was positioned so that the light from the streetlamp was behind him. His coat swirled slightly in the evening breeze. "Sorry to interrupt your little Oprah moment."
Faith took a step to her left. "Let me guess. Mr. Trick."
His shoulders moved forward, then back. "And I believe you would be Faith, the unforeseen Slayer."
Xander brought the crossbow to his shoulder, sighted down its length, and fired in one smooth motion. Trick's response was elegant and simple. His right foot moved behind his left and he pivoted his body on the ball of his left foot. The bolt whisked by him and disappeared into the night. "Please don't do that again," Trick said. "What poor hospitality! Have I made so much as a threatening gesture?
Xander shrugged, lowering the weapon to his side. "Well, you know what they say. If you sneak around at night and drink blood, you might be a vampire."
Trick made a small applauding gesture. "Very witty, Xander. I respect a man who's first impulse is to be a smart-ass."
"Great," Faith said. "Now that we've got the introductions out of the way, why don't you beat it before I steel-toe your ass back to the hood."
Trick chuckled but his voice was cold. "Why, Miss Thang. Listen girl, I guarantee that you're closer to the ghetto than I am. But that's a typical white trash reaction to a successful brother."
Faith balled her fists. "Really. Why don't you step up here and say that."
"Please. I'm not going to fight you. Not tonight." Trick rose up on tiptoe and took a deep breath. "I'm just out getting some evening air." He took a step forward and Xander pulled out his cross. "Why is everyone so jumpy tonight? It's enough to make me feel unwanted."
"Hey," Xander said, "go with the feeling."
Trick inclined his head toward the boy. "Once again, well-played. Oh, by the way, Xander, I think what you're doing is great. A man should never close off all his options." He stepped backward. Faith charged. Trick spun to the left, slipping his right arm out of the sleeve of his overcoat. He timed the move so that Faith missed him by inches and tackled the coat, which collapsed over her and sent her sprawling on the pavement. Trick stepped toward Xander, who held out his cross. Trick stopped and laughed.
"That's good, boy. You just keep on believing that's enough." Trick glanced at Faith, who was extracting herself from the coat. "Too bad I have to leave it. It's a little chilly tonight." He grinned, an expression that froze Xander down to his toes. "Like that matters to me." Then he was gone, leaving Xander standing there with his arm extended, the cross gripped in his trembling hand.
"Shit!" Faith threw the coat down on the ground, then jumped up and down on it. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Xander lowered his cross and swallowed. "When you're done punishing the evil coat, it might be time to call it a night."