Part 6
Xander woke up when the rising sun started baking him again. He looked around his little raft with growing fear. He had drifted all night. There was no land in sight. Not sure of what to do he attempted to stand up and look around. "I'm so sorry." He whispered to the endless water. "I love you Anya." He sat back down.
On the beach Anya stood tired and worried. She had been awake all night on the lookout for Xander. Willow was down by her feet moaning. It had been a restless night for all. Giles had worn a track in the sand as he paced around.
"He probably stayed to rest. He left late." She said again just to calm her rattled nerves. Tara agreed half heartedly.
The sun was rising and the air was growing crisp again. The pile of food had diminished and they would have to gather more. Willow's leg had taken on a pale yellow color. Anya tossed a rock into the water and watched the sand stir up. She looked closer as the water changed consistency. It turned a silver color and all of a sudden she could see Xander. Anya bent down and looked closer. He was on a raft and he looked dead. Then he moved.
"Everyone! Xander! He's on some drift wood from the wreck. I think he got caught in the current. Is there anyway to bring him back?" Giles raced over and looked over her shoulder. He glimpsed the scene before the water changed back.
"Tara?"
"I don't know. Maybe." Tara looked at Willow. "I don't have much energy left. I used most of it on Willow to keep her from getting worse. But I'll try."
"Do you know a spell?"
"I know a spell that draws things closer. I can alter it to use it like a life preserver."
"Anything. Hurry. I don't think we have much time." Anya felt slightly better. At least he was alive. Tara closed her eyes and started chanting. She waved her hands around and then started swaying. Anya grabbed her to keep her upright.
"Thanks." Tara said momentarily breaking from her chant. A wild blew up and towards them , enough so they had to shield their eyes. Tara stopped chanting and slid down to the ground. She threw up in the sand.
"If it works he'll be here in awhile. I turned the current around." Tara explained when she stood up on wobbly legs.
"Thank you so much." In the days they had been there everyone had cried except Giles. He was still stoic as ever. His grey eyes looked across them wearily. They took in everything and calculated the hope and loses. A deep scratch grooved one of the lens of his glasses which he took off now. He wiped sweat from his brow.
"No one has had a vision of the others have they?"
"No. I wish." They shook their heads.
"I ever tried scrying for them. But nothing."
"It doesn't mean a thing." They waited around the beach for a couple hours, not really wanting to venture very far. They were afraid of losing the last parts of their family. Then on the horizon they saw something.
"What is that? Oh why don't any of you have a telescope!" Anya yelled to the others. At the thing drifted closer they saw what they all hoped to see and that was Xander. He looked near to death but it was an amazing sight. Anya raced out into the water and dragged the large piece of driftwood to shore and helped Xander out.
Without knowing it Tara's spell had drawn not only Xander to her but a small fishing boat. It didn't know how but it had been drawn off course and couldn't right itself. Not long after they had found Xander the others saw the boat coming. They screamed and yelled. Dawn, who was the strongest at the moment swam out to the boat and told the man what had happened. Tara released the boat of it's spell. He felt bad and agreed to help. He also agreed to take them around the other island in hopes they found the others.
They loaded Willow on carefully and then the boat took off. It had been a harrowing few days but it looked like the worst was over.
Xander woke up when the rising sun started baking him again. He looked around his little raft with growing fear. He had drifted all night. There was no land in sight. Not sure of what to do he attempted to stand up and look around. "I'm so sorry." He whispered to the endless water. "I love you Anya." He sat back down.
On the beach Anya stood tired and worried. She had been awake all night on the lookout for Xander. Willow was down by her feet moaning. It had been a restless night for all. Giles had worn a track in the sand as he paced around.
"He probably stayed to rest. He left late." She said again just to calm her rattled nerves. Tara agreed half heartedly.
The sun was rising and the air was growing crisp again. The pile of food had diminished and they would have to gather more. Willow's leg had taken on a pale yellow color. Anya tossed a rock into the water and watched the sand stir up. She looked closer as the water changed consistency. It turned a silver color and all of a sudden she could see Xander. Anya bent down and looked closer. He was on a raft and he looked dead. Then he moved.
"Everyone! Xander! He's on some drift wood from the wreck. I think he got caught in the current. Is there anyway to bring him back?" Giles raced over and looked over her shoulder. He glimpsed the scene before the water changed back.
"Tara?"
"I don't know. Maybe." Tara looked at Willow. "I don't have much energy left. I used most of it on Willow to keep her from getting worse. But I'll try."
"Do you know a spell?"
"I know a spell that draws things closer. I can alter it to use it like a life preserver."
"Anything. Hurry. I don't think we have much time." Anya felt slightly better. At least he was alive. Tara closed her eyes and started chanting. She waved her hands around and then started swaying. Anya grabbed her to keep her upright.
"Thanks." Tara said momentarily breaking from her chant. A wild blew up and towards them , enough so they had to shield their eyes. Tara stopped chanting and slid down to the ground. She threw up in the sand.
"If it works he'll be here in awhile. I turned the current around." Tara explained when she stood up on wobbly legs.
"Thank you so much." In the days they had been there everyone had cried except Giles. He was still stoic as ever. His grey eyes looked across them wearily. They took in everything and calculated the hope and loses. A deep scratch grooved one of the lens of his glasses which he took off now. He wiped sweat from his brow.
"No one has had a vision of the others have they?"
"No. I wish." They shook their heads.
"I ever tried scrying for them. But nothing."
"It doesn't mean a thing." They waited around the beach for a couple hours, not really wanting to venture very far. They were afraid of losing the last parts of their family. Then on the horizon they saw something.
"What is that? Oh why don't any of you have a telescope!" Anya yelled to the others. At the thing drifted closer they saw what they all hoped to see and that was Xander. He looked near to death but it was an amazing sight. Anya raced out into the water and dragged the large piece of driftwood to shore and helped Xander out.
Without knowing it Tara's spell had drawn not only Xander to her but a small fishing boat. It didn't know how but it had been drawn off course and couldn't right itself. Not long after they had found Xander the others saw the boat coming. They screamed and yelled. Dawn, who was the strongest at the moment swam out to the boat and told the man what had happened. Tara released the boat of it's spell. He felt bad and agreed to help. He also agreed to take them around the other island in hopes they found the others.
They loaded Willow on carefully and then the boat took off. It had been a harrowing few days but it looked like the worst was over.