Chapter 13: In Which They Come to Paradise
"Farewell. I will be watching."
"I'm sure you will." Buffy said icily. She mounted her horse and took off away from the castle. She had been eager to leave ever since she had arrived.
"So we're going to find the Crown?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?"
"I'm not sure. Because if we find it, we'll have to make a choice."
"So?"
"You should be afraid Buffy. Morgan is a powerful woman."
"So am I."
"Hold there!"
"Yes? I'm not in the bloody mood to fight if that is what you want." Spike looked at the knight with the lion on his shield.
"You are questing for the Great King, are you not?"
"I am."
"Then I am your brother. My name is Gaheris."
"Son of Morgause." Spike nodded to himself. He was proud he remembered all of it.
"Yes. Morgause of Lothian. Where are you headed?"
"To find the crown of Knowledge."
"Interesting task. It is said to not exist."
"We like the impossible." Buffy butted in.
"Who are you mistress?"
"She's my wife. Duchess of ----." Spike mumbled the last word. He could see Buffy about to protest and willed her not too.
"I like her. Strong looking. Good for child bearing. May I accompany you on a leg of your journey?"
"You don't have an elsewhere to be?"
"Beg pardon Duchess?"
"Aren't you on your own quest?"
"You do not wish my company. I leave you with good tidings." He took off the other way, slightly irked.
"Why didn't you want his company?"
"I dunno. Your wife?"
"Women don't travel unmarried with single men. Now answer me. You had to have a reason. He's a big knight. A normal one. You can't stand my company. Why would you turn down another's company?"
"Because." She stiffened. "Because it's us against them. We have to be on guard. Like you said, we're not from around here. We can't trust them."
"I think we can trust him."
"Maybe I didn't want someone to intrude. Ok?"
"Really? What are you saying Slayer? You want to do the horizontal tango?"
"Ew. No." She wrinkled her nose at him. "God. Never mind. You always do that."
"What?"
"When I finally feel like I can talk to you, you act like the stupid male you are." Even though she was insulting him Spike felt happy. She hadn't said Vampire. She was treating him like a man.
"Sorry. I am male. Want me to act like a priss?"
"No. That's not you."
"Then how should I act."
"I don't know. You are so annoying. You're always confusing me with your stupid questions."
"Fine. How about we fight then? That always settles things."
"Nice try. You can't touch me."
"Touched that knight didn't I? Maybe I can touch you." He pulled his horse up to her. She stepped back and pulled out her sword. "You're scared."
"No. I'm not. Why would I be scared of you?"
"I can see it. I can smell it."
"Go away!" She turned her horse and thundered away. Spike stayed for a moment, stunned. He had no clue she would react that way.
"I wouldn't hurt you now. Even if I could." He murmured taking off after her. He could hear her horse's hoof beats but as he grew closer a strange fog surrounded him until he was next to her but he couldn't see her.
"Spike? Is that you?"
"It is love."
"Where are we?"
"I'm not sure."
"You promise not to try and touch me?"
"Yea. I promise. You got my bloody heart in your hands don't you? I'm love's bitch for crying out loud." He felt her hand reach him and he took it. It was cold and clammy.
Then the fog parted. A boat sat in front of them, empty save for some oars. "It's waiting for us." Spike slid off his horse and looked at Buffy.
"Where does it go? We shouldn't just get in some random boat."
"To Avalon."
"What's that?"
"Where the old world is. Morgan is a priestess for The Goddess."
"We have a quest to fulfill. We don't have time to go there."
"I have a feeling this is where we have to be. This is the key." Spike got into the boat. It stayed completely still. He held his hand out to Buffy. She shook her head. He waited but then she slowly walked over and he helped her into the boat.
It glided across the water, through the mist without them even having to touch the oars. "I wonder if they need me back home." Buffy wondered out loud.
"I'm sure they're managing."
"I hope. Dawn doesn't have me to protect her from Glory."
"Try not to think about it. Just concentrate on this."
"What's this?"
"This place. This quest."
"Yeah. Ok." The mists parted. Buffy, who could see where the boat was going gasped. "Spike. Turn and look. Avalon. It's beautiful." He turned. Even in the darkness he could see the magic it held. It glowed with strange lights. Up above sat the moon with stars stretched across the deep blue of night. As they drew closer they could see men and women, scantily clothed covered in flowers.
The boat pulled up on shore. "Welcome to Avalon." A young woman in a green dress greeted them. All at once Spike knew it was Nyneve or sometimes referred to as Vivian, the high priestess and Lady of the Lake.
"My lady." Spike bowed. Buffy curtsied.
"Welcome to Avalon."
"We are glad to be here." Buffy harumphed beside him.
"Why are we here?"
"For the Festival of Beltain. And also I have heard you are questing for the Crown of Knowledge. A great undertaking."
"Yeah. How does everyone know?"
"Magic my dear. I believe that by coming here and participating you will find that elusive crown you are seeking." She smiled. She held all to much knowledge in that smile. It was unnerving.
"It's here? Where?" Buffy swung her head around. Vivian laughed.
"In one form or another."
"Huh?"
"You will understand. Come with me." The woman waved over a few maidens in waiting who whisked Buffy away to change. Some men in waiting took Spike.
"Farewell. I will be watching."
"I'm sure you will." Buffy said icily. She mounted her horse and took off away from the castle. She had been eager to leave ever since she had arrived.
"So we're going to find the Crown?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?"
"I'm not sure. Because if we find it, we'll have to make a choice."
"So?"
"You should be afraid Buffy. Morgan is a powerful woman."
"So am I."
"Hold there!"
"Yes? I'm not in the bloody mood to fight if that is what you want." Spike looked at the knight with the lion on his shield.
"You are questing for the Great King, are you not?"
"I am."
"Then I am your brother. My name is Gaheris."
"Son of Morgause." Spike nodded to himself. He was proud he remembered all of it.
"Yes. Morgause of Lothian. Where are you headed?"
"To find the crown of Knowledge."
"Interesting task. It is said to not exist."
"We like the impossible." Buffy butted in.
"Who are you mistress?"
"She's my wife. Duchess of ----." Spike mumbled the last word. He could see Buffy about to protest and willed her not too.
"I like her. Strong looking. Good for child bearing. May I accompany you on a leg of your journey?"
"You don't have an elsewhere to be?"
"Beg pardon Duchess?"
"Aren't you on your own quest?"
"You do not wish my company. I leave you with good tidings." He took off the other way, slightly irked.
"Why didn't you want his company?"
"I dunno. Your wife?"
"Women don't travel unmarried with single men. Now answer me. You had to have a reason. He's a big knight. A normal one. You can't stand my company. Why would you turn down another's company?"
"Because." She stiffened. "Because it's us against them. We have to be on guard. Like you said, we're not from around here. We can't trust them."
"I think we can trust him."
"Maybe I didn't want someone to intrude. Ok?"
"Really? What are you saying Slayer? You want to do the horizontal tango?"
"Ew. No." She wrinkled her nose at him. "God. Never mind. You always do that."
"What?"
"When I finally feel like I can talk to you, you act like the stupid male you are." Even though she was insulting him Spike felt happy. She hadn't said Vampire. She was treating him like a man.
"Sorry. I am male. Want me to act like a priss?"
"No. That's not you."
"Then how should I act."
"I don't know. You are so annoying. You're always confusing me with your stupid questions."
"Fine. How about we fight then? That always settles things."
"Nice try. You can't touch me."
"Touched that knight didn't I? Maybe I can touch you." He pulled his horse up to her. She stepped back and pulled out her sword. "You're scared."
"No. I'm not. Why would I be scared of you?"
"I can see it. I can smell it."
"Go away!" She turned her horse and thundered away. Spike stayed for a moment, stunned. He had no clue she would react that way.
"I wouldn't hurt you now. Even if I could." He murmured taking off after her. He could hear her horse's hoof beats but as he grew closer a strange fog surrounded him until he was next to her but he couldn't see her.
"Spike? Is that you?"
"It is love."
"Where are we?"
"I'm not sure."
"You promise not to try and touch me?"
"Yea. I promise. You got my bloody heart in your hands don't you? I'm love's bitch for crying out loud." He felt her hand reach him and he took it. It was cold and clammy.
Then the fog parted. A boat sat in front of them, empty save for some oars. "It's waiting for us." Spike slid off his horse and looked at Buffy.
"Where does it go? We shouldn't just get in some random boat."
"To Avalon."
"What's that?"
"Where the old world is. Morgan is a priestess for The Goddess."
"We have a quest to fulfill. We don't have time to go there."
"I have a feeling this is where we have to be. This is the key." Spike got into the boat. It stayed completely still. He held his hand out to Buffy. She shook her head. He waited but then she slowly walked over and he helped her into the boat.
It glided across the water, through the mist without them even having to touch the oars. "I wonder if they need me back home." Buffy wondered out loud.
"I'm sure they're managing."
"I hope. Dawn doesn't have me to protect her from Glory."
"Try not to think about it. Just concentrate on this."
"What's this?"
"This place. This quest."
"Yeah. Ok." The mists parted. Buffy, who could see where the boat was going gasped. "Spike. Turn and look. Avalon. It's beautiful." He turned. Even in the darkness he could see the magic it held. It glowed with strange lights. Up above sat the moon with stars stretched across the deep blue of night. As they drew closer they could see men and women, scantily clothed covered in flowers.
The boat pulled up on shore. "Welcome to Avalon." A young woman in a green dress greeted them. All at once Spike knew it was Nyneve or sometimes referred to as Vivian, the high priestess and Lady of the Lake.
"My lady." Spike bowed. Buffy curtsied.
"Welcome to Avalon."
"We are glad to be here." Buffy harumphed beside him.
"Why are we here?"
"For the Festival of Beltain. And also I have heard you are questing for the Crown of Knowledge. A great undertaking."
"Yeah. How does everyone know?"
"Magic my dear. I believe that by coming here and participating you will find that elusive crown you are seeking." She smiled. She held all to much knowledge in that smile. It was unnerving.
"It's here? Where?" Buffy swung her head around. Vivian laughed.
"In one form or another."
"Huh?"
"You will understand. Come with me." The woman waved over a few maidens in waiting who whisked Buffy away to change. Some men in waiting took Spike.