By the North Gate, the wind blows full of sand,
Lonely from the beginning of time until now
Trees fall, the grass goes yellow with autumn
I climb the towers to watch over the barbarous land
-Rihaku
***
It's amazing how focused a person's mind can get when it's needed.
When, for example, danger is approaching.
Will had heard soldiers call it 'being in the zone'. They talked of not seeing anything else, of forgetting fears and apprehensions and anything that might have stopped them from doing what they had to; of minds working faster and better than normally, recalling lessons long since buried in the back reaches of memory, of reflexes sharper than ever and of exhaustion being swept away. What less could an Old One, with a mind deeper than human, do?
Will clenched his fists at his sides, closing his eyes as he pushed out with his mind - probing, testing, tasting/smelling/seeing the fabric of reality - looking for the signature 'ripples', like heat-wavers in desert air, that proximity to the Dark brought. He found them fairly quickly, with senses honed by two years of this sort of searching, and saw that they were moving. Quite rapidly. In their direction.
'My first hour back and they converge like vultures on a corpse,' Will thought sourly. He was relying on his Old One senses more than on his mundane ones now, eyes shut tightly and using his mind to receive images. To his back, the senses of the others of the Six blazed brightly - the Six had always had a brighter glow than most, even Merriman with his reduced power - but he shunted that information off to the side, not regarding their presence as a factor in the upcoming battle - except perhaps, to be casualties. Will swore under his breath as the thought occurred to him. Maybe he could freeze them, catch them out of Time so that nothing the Dark did would affect them - no, he remembered with a pang, that wouldn't work.
***
'Will?'
Two big gray eyes looking up at him from a pale face, blond ringlets like a porcelain doll's framing her cheeks.
'Don't worry...this will be over soon...'
A floating figure, frozen within Time, in a column of light...
A short woman, hair a vibrant red that seemed too...alive...for someone whose eyes were so flat and colorless...She pointed her fingers at the column of light, a smirk creasing her face as she shouted out a single word.
The column exploded into shards of brilliance, the pieces of light disintegrating as they flew like shattered glass.
And on the floor, face a pale shade that bespoke bloodlessness, neck crooked at too extreme an angle...
***
Will gave his head a sharp shake, just one, tearing himself away from memory. He chewed furiously on the problem for a moment, his mind humming away solutions and probabilities. With another whispered curse, he came to the conclusion that the only thing he could do to keep them safe was to end the upcoming confrontation so quick that the Dark had no chance to get near the Six. He stretched out his senses, looking for the ripples again. He found the waverings in the fabric of reality, more quickly than before, and 'tacked' his mind to them. He refined his focus, gritting his teeth slightly as the reaction headache began to kick in. There were...four of them. And they were relatively low on the new hierarchy of the Dark that he had just recently figured out...fifth-tier, maybe, or sixth-tier about to advance. Not that much advancement happened within the ranks of the Dark - the ones above always tried to keep the ones below where they were. Or else render them unable to advance.
Will approved whole-heartedly of this practice.
He pulled his mind back, satisfied with what he had found. He grinned ferally, standing straighter as the last strains of his reaction headache faded away. He should have trusted more in his warding skills. Only four? And low-level, at that? They must not know he was there. They must have been homing in on the signatures of four teenagers, more of the track than of the Circle, and an Old One still not fully in his power. Dark blue eyes flared like searchlights from beneath sapphire glass.
They would die for their mistake.
***
"It's the Dark."
Bran snapped around to stare at Merriman at those words, as did Barney and Simon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jane shiver quietly.
The Dark is coming. It yammered around his head like ball bearings in an empty box. Memories of what he had been made his hand drop to his belt, where a sword would hang, before he snatched it up again. He wasn't the Pendragon. He'd never again be the Pendragon - he'd given that chance up when he'd refused to sail with his father. And the Sword That Blazed wasn't his to wield any longer.
He didn't regret the decision, as he hadn't when he'd made it. After all, Avalon wasn't his home - and his father...wasn't his father. He hadn't been the one who raised him, who sent him to school, who stayed up with him when nightmares wracked his childish world. Still...that didn't keep him from wishing...
He moved a little closer to Merriman. The old man was staring into the sky as Will was - Bran felt that it would be safer to be next to someone who knew what was happening. He glanced once to Will.
***
Jane watched - half-confused, half-apprehensive - as Will wheeled away from them to stare into empty sky. She heard her grand-uncle's quiet words, and felt a cold shiver run down her back, like someone dropping an ice-cube down her shirt. Only...worse.
The Dark.
Until now it hadn't fully sunk in that they would be required to face the Dark again. She had spent most of her mental facilities just getting over the shock of suddenly remembering, and then seeing Will so changed, so different...but now the full reality of the situation slammed into the seventeen-year-old girl. For a moment, she had fleeting, wistful thoughts of the days when her biggest concern had been her grades, her upcoming debates, and what college to go to. She shook the thoughts away, angry at herself. What good were grades and college if the world was overrun by Darkness?
Quickly, almost unconsciously, her eyes sought out Will, fixing on him like he was a touchstone to give luck. He stood stiffly, forehead lined like he was in pain. Jane, forgetting the flash of unease she had felt upon seeing him for the first time in five years, took a step nearer. And then his eyes snapped open, and Jane's hand flew to her mouth. Will's eyes...weren't eyes. The irises and whites had disappeared; only sheer light remained in their place, dancing like blue flames. Two blue flames behind his eyes, two blue flames that had burned out his eyes…Jane shivered.
He grinned, a baring of teeth white against darkened skin and more reminiscent of a snarl than of any expression of mirth. His mouth moved, forming words, voice too low and quiet for Jane to hear.
And then Will disappeared.
***
July 26 2002
Ooh, this REALLY is short, ain't it? Well, it was actually meant to be the intro to what is now going to be the next chapter...but the tone changed drastically so I thought it best that I split it up. Dinna worry - the next chapter is in production. And it will buck the trend of these ever-shortening parts and be longer, I swear.
As you may have noticed, I mentioned some things about the new Dark here. First is that they can't play with Time. And while Will still CAN, in battle they can stop him doing so. Second is that they have a hierarchy. Yes, the Dark is composed of more individual things/beings/people now. Will the Rider make an appearance? Eh, wait and see, wait and see! ^_^
I made Jane into a debater. Barney's an artist, and Simon...um, either rugby or football (not American football). Bran...well, I'm not sure yet. Anyone want to give any suggestions?
'Going jash' is my own expression.
And, as always, please read and review. (hugs everyone) It's because of your reviews I've been able to write this new chapter quickly. (Believe me, for me two days is quickly) And DdraigCoch, thanks for your offer. If you want, you can email me anything you notice 'off' about Bran (our darling lil Welsh boy) or suggestions to make him more real. I would really like it if you do.
Thankies again to all!
***
July 30
Revised version of 'Advent' is up! ^_^ (beams) Actually, there isn't that much change, really: I fixed that error Ashura saw (thanks for pointing it out!) And you guys reviewed! (sniffles) I feel so loved....
It's become a sort of tradition (mostly in HP fics, has anyone noticed that?) to answer the reviews in the story part; so I'm gonna try to keep up with that. I'm only gonna answer the reviews for this chapter, though.
Ashura: thanks for pointing out the error. I'm glad you liked what I've done with Bran. Will's my favorite character, but I'm trying to write stuff about the other characters too – and Bran is definitely one of the most interesting.
The Winds of Flame: (curious) What's Clear Eye? About 'going jash': 'it's cool' Really? I spent ten minutes trying to think up a word for it. ;) it's definitely saved Will's life more'n once...and now Will's bigger problem is trying to NOT let the battle-mentality take over him. About Jane: be gentle! She's just one from the Track! Please don't let your Black Riders kill her – I sort of need her alive for the story! ^_^
Gramarye: there, there.... (hands out Kleenex) Next chapter, a long one, is currently in production. BTW – any plans for a DiR/anything crossover? I love how you've done the HP and SM ones. Especially the SM one. I mean, before I read your work I would have swore there wasn't any way to make such a crossover work – but you did!
Mai: There was actually a time when I didn't like the Drews – during Greenwitch, when they were so mean to cute lil Will-chan.
Wolfie (Cyberwolf's muse, who looks like a small black wolf puppy): Cute...lil...Will-chan? (looks at Cyberwolf's dark angry Will Stanton)
Cyberwolf: Urusai. >_
Alana Lee: Yeah, Bran does seem sort of the artsy type, don't he? But harp is John Rowland's...what do you think of a guitarist Bran? And vocalist? As with Mai, thanks for the remark about the characterization. Balm to a nervous fanfic-writer's soul. ^_^ And next chapter will be out soon, I swear.
Caitie: Awww...(blushes) Thanks!
Wolfie: Now you'll give her a swelled head.
Cyberwolf: Hush, you. (lovingly stuffs Wolfie's head into a bag) Now, where were we? Oh yeah – on your favorite author's list? I agree that it's a compliment....and I'm rather shocked you have one. Most authors on ff.net don't bother to make one. ^_^ Hey, I've seen you on the Tamora Pierce list! (checks Caitie's page) You wrote that funny essay on Obedience and how the Pierce characters don't use it much! I laughed so hard when I read it...now I have to check out your other stories.
***
October 5 2003
And yet another revision. This makes it, what, Advent v.1.3? or Advent v.3? Hmm... Again, just a little tweaking here and there. I took out that 'jash' phrase (i've been making up entirely too many words for this fic) and put in a real-life phrase.