LISSA
By Rowan
CHAPTER 4 - VAMPIRE
Lissa staggered slowly over to the nearest chair - by the old research table - and sat down with a groan, "okay, break now, cleanse, well - not now. Too tired." Giles appeared with the first aid box yet again, and removed the by now stained dressing stuck to the elf's side. He gagged when he saw how the poison had already spread since the previous evening. Dark tendrils of poison snaked from the raw jagged, wound, seeping slowly down the elf's side, her skin glistened with perspiration. Giles cleaned it as gently as he could, putting three large temporary plastic stitches over the wound, holding it closed, while he disinfected the remainder and then placed another dressing to cover the worst of it. His eyes caught Buffy's anxious stare, matching his concern.
"I have to insist you get that wound looked at, er Lissa," Giles came over all overly parental at this point.
"And I have to remind you that nothing can be done, Watcher," Lissa stated, a trace of bitterness in her tone.
"But surely....." Giles began.
"But nothing! It is a mortal wound. I am dying. My brain just won't face that fact yet." Her look brooked no argument, but she continued in a gentler tone,"there is nothing that can be done, let it be." With that she got up slowly and walked into the training room, laid back down on the training mats and fell asleep. The Scoobies seemed to shrug as one and turned their attention to Willow. Buffy, however, made to follow the elf, but was stopped by Giles' gentle hand on her shoulder.
Willow, for herself, felt freer than she had for a long while. The magic that had controlled her seemed to have retreated following Lissa's powerful onslaught. Her mind seemed clearer, more focused, and with this came a sense of calm, of peace almost. She could see all her friends gathered round her, concern written all over their faces, and wanted to reassure them, but could not. Xander's and Buffy's faces swam in front of her, their lips moving but she could not discern the words. In her head was a litany from the strange elf that had come into their midst. It was barely above a whisper, but calmed and reassured her, telling her she would be fine, that the magic would be gone soon and she would soon be herself again.
"I don't know about you guys," Xander said, turning away from Willow briefly ,"but I don't trust that, that elf, or whatever she is one bit."
"Xander, I don't think she means any of us any harm," Giles started to defend her, but was cut off abruptly.
"Any harm! Look what she's done to Willow, she's catatonic. And you say she's not hurt anyone?" Xander ranted.
"Xander," Buffy walked over to the agitated young man, he tried to pull back. "Xander!" she grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt, her nose an inch from his. "She's no more catatonic now than when she was drugged up!" Angrily, she pushed Xander away, before stalking into the training room.
She approached the elf slowly, trying not to disturb her rest. 'Why are you here?' Buffy thought to herself, 'how did you know to come, that we needed help?' She turned with a soft sigh, and walked slowly back into the shop, squaring her shoulders against another onslaught from Xander. Violet eyes watched her retreating back, 'because you needed me, Buffy.'
* * *
Things calmed down a little after that. Possibly because Xander had managed to eat at least a dozen of the doughnuts Anya had brought in, along with two cups of latte. Shortly after, Buffy left the rest of the gang to escort her sister to school. It was hard to believe that only an hour had passed before she had come across the battle in the magic shop. Time seemed to have stretched out. Anya kept up the mindless chatter, occasionly adding snippets of useful information about elves. Most of which Giles had managed to ascertain from his numerous books, along with a quick call back to England. Shortly after Buffy returned, just after 9am, Lissa staggered into the Magic Shop, looking rested but, her skin had seemed paler, more translucent. Buffy handed her a bag of clothes, "I thought you might like a change of clothing," she said, to a grateful nod, retreating to the training room to change.
When she returned, she looked human, except for the ears. Dressed in a faded pair of jeans and t-shirt, but with her moulded suede boots and her hair held back in a plait, she looked like any other young woman in the room, almost. Immediately, she assembled the earthenware jars on the floor in front of Willow, then sat behind them legs crossed, motioning the other's to sit behind her in the same fashion. Her head dropped, her eyes closed in concentration. Immediately she began whispering. Again, a breeze seemed to appear from nowhere, dramatically increasing in intensity. Purple lightning forked out from the centre of the small tornado contained in between Willow and the elf, centring above the earthenware jars. Willow seemed to jerk, her whole body standing ramrod straight as she was drained of the magics obtained. Gradully, a mist rose around Willow, concentrating into a small glowing orb, black in colour. It moved into the middle jar and Lissa moved quickly, sealing it with a cork lid. She repeated the movement again as another mist left the witch, this time green in colour, which again disappeared into another jar. Three times this action was repeated. Finally, a white orb glowed between the two women, the fourth in succession. This time, with a point and a whisper it headed out the front window, through the glass and gained velocity, heading into the clouds above, then disappeared from view. Buffy watched the orb disappear before turning her attention back on her best friend and Lissa.
The elf let out a deep sigh before stretching gently and standing up, "she's all yours," she gestured to a fully conscious Willow, sat on the chair facing them all.
"Hi guys?" Willow said hesitantly. As one, they rushed towards her in a group hug, "I'm back."
* * * *
Giles moved apart from the group surrounding Willow, approaching the elf, almost hesitantly.
"I don't know how to thank you, Lissa....." he began.
"No need. I have done this before, a few times. It's not difficult," her reply was matter of fact.
"But you could overtax yourself," he was obviously concerned.
"Not really. It's just channelling magic, not using it, not using mine - not like earlier. When I bound her," Lissa spoke slowly, but clearly. 'She doesn't appear so tired, at least,' thought Giles. Wordlessly, he moved over to what was left of the doughnuts, bringing one over to her. Gratefully she accepted it and munched down, it was still quite fresh. Buffy pushed a cup of coffee across to her, "I don't know what to say?" she began, "what you did. It was, well, unbelieveable. No-one, not even Willow, could have managed that."
"Buffy," Lissa looked across from her, still munching on her confection, "elves have inherent magic, born with it, are taught to use it almost as soon as they can walk. This is a walk in the park, nothing," she said dismissing her efforts, "and before you say anything about the orb that got away, don't worry. I merely sent it back to the coven it came from." Giles nodded in understanding, but his eyes were still questioning. "Watcher, I can see you have a million questions for me. Let's go somewhere and see if I can answer a few, yes?" Giles nodded, before graciously helping Lissa to her feet and escorting her to the back.
Buffy wandered back to Willow, after Giles and Lissa disappeared to answer some of his questions. Willow was talking to Xander, he was reassuring her, as she was him. Anya stood by like an overprotective mother-hen type, nodding all the while. Of them all, only Anya actually knew of the elves, or at least appeared to, and Buffy wanted that information. She motioned Anya to come over, which she did reluctantly.
"Okay, Anya, spit it out. I want a potted history of the pointed eared kind," Buffy seemed flustered.
"I'll tell you all that I know, but I will say that I don't know everything. Elves have been in existence since, well since before humans, as far as I know...." she began. Xander and Willow seemed to pay attention to her, immediately, almost, actually looking like they wanted to hear what she had to say, for a change. Anya sat down at the research table, followed by Buffy and the remaining two scoobies. Slowly, Anya began to recant what she knew about elves.
Halfway through the story, factual and humourless as Anya's stories were, Xander's beeper went off, and he immediately reached for the 'phone on the counter-top. After a short discussion, he returned to the group.
"Sorry to muck up your story telling Anya, but I have to leave," he stated, "Principle needs me. Apparently there are weird noises coming from the basement at the school. I'll come by later, pick up Willow." Willow merely nodded, a half-smile on her face, waving to him as he headed out the door.
"That's my queue to leave too, I suppose," Buffy responded, looking at her watch, "I have a counselling session in, aargh, twenty five minutes, gotta run." And with that, she headed out in the same direction as Xander, at a run.
* * * * *
Buffy bent over the desk, head in her hands. Why she ever thought that being a counsellor would be a good idea, she never knew. KIds today, they had more problems, more issues that she ever thought she had had, ever. The boy who left the room two minutes earlier had been grief stricken over the death of his mother. Buffy tried to relay to him that he was not the only one, that she would want him to go on, live the good life, get good grades, but at this point Ken, the boy in question was too buried in grief to even listen remotely to what was being said. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Buff?" it was Xander, "er, you are NOT going to believe what I found in the basement."
"Giant mice?" Buffy joked.
"Nope, guess again," Xander was almost hopping up and down at his discovery.
"I give up, tell me," she was now curious.
"Spike," Xander looked for the reaction on her face, but Buffy hid it well.
"As in peroxide, vampire, leather duster Spike?" Buffy's voice was, to Xander, not excited, but almost eager.
"The one, the only, but with a new twist,"
"Huh?"
"He's absolutely bonkers," Xander looked into her eyes, he saw, pity?
"Show me."
* * * *
Am still writing, hope to have chapter 5 in this week sometime. Feedback - please. R
By Rowan
CHAPTER 4 - VAMPIRE
Lissa staggered slowly over to the nearest chair - by the old research table - and sat down with a groan, "okay, break now, cleanse, well - not now. Too tired." Giles appeared with the first aid box yet again, and removed the by now stained dressing stuck to the elf's side. He gagged when he saw how the poison had already spread since the previous evening. Dark tendrils of poison snaked from the raw jagged, wound, seeping slowly down the elf's side, her skin glistened with perspiration. Giles cleaned it as gently as he could, putting three large temporary plastic stitches over the wound, holding it closed, while he disinfected the remainder and then placed another dressing to cover the worst of it. His eyes caught Buffy's anxious stare, matching his concern.
"I have to insist you get that wound looked at, er Lissa," Giles came over all overly parental at this point.
"And I have to remind you that nothing can be done, Watcher," Lissa stated, a trace of bitterness in her tone.
"But surely....." Giles began.
"But nothing! It is a mortal wound. I am dying. My brain just won't face that fact yet." Her look brooked no argument, but she continued in a gentler tone,"there is nothing that can be done, let it be." With that she got up slowly and walked into the training room, laid back down on the training mats and fell asleep. The Scoobies seemed to shrug as one and turned their attention to Willow. Buffy, however, made to follow the elf, but was stopped by Giles' gentle hand on her shoulder.
Willow, for herself, felt freer than she had for a long while. The magic that had controlled her seemed to have retreated following Lissa's powerful onslaught. Her mind seemed clearer, more focused, and with this came a sense of calm, of peace almost. She could see all her friends gathered round her, concern written all over their faces, and wanted to reassure them, but could not. Xander's and Buffy's faces swam in front of her, their lips moving but she could not discern the words. In her head was a litany from the strange elf that had come into their midst. It was barely above a whisper, but calmed and reassured her, telling her she would be fine, that the magic would be gone soon and she would soon be herself again.
"I don't know about you guys," Xander said, turning away from Willow briefly ,"but I don't trust that, that elf, or whatever she is one bit."
"Xander, I don't think she means any of us any harm," Giles started to defend her, but was cut off abruptly.
"Any harm! Look what she's done to Willow, she's catatonic. And you say she's not hurt anyone?" Xander ranted.
"Xander," Buffy walked over to the agitated young man, he tried to pull back. "Xander!" she grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt, her nose an inch from his. "She's no more catatonic now than when she was drugged up!" Angrily, she pushed Xander away, before stalking into the training room.
She approached the elf slowly, trying not to disturb her rest. 'Why are you here?' Buffy thought to herself, 'how did you know to come, that we needed help?' She turned with a soft sigh, and walked slowly back into the shop, squaring her shoulders against another onslaught from Xander. Violet eyes watched her retreating back, 'because you needed me, Buffy.'
* * *
Things calmed down a little after that. Possibly because Xander had managed to eat at least a dozen of the doughnuts Anya had brought in, along with two cups of latte. Shortly after, Buffy left the rest of the gang to escort her sister to school. It was hard to believe that only an hour had passed before she had come across the battle in the magic shop. Time seemed to have stretched out. Anya kept up the mindless chatter, occasionly adding snippets of useful information about elves. Most of which Giles had managed to ascertain from his numerous books, along with a quick call back to England. Shortly after Buffy returned, just after 9am, Lissa staggered into the Magic Shop, looking rested but, her skin had seemed paler, more translucent. Buffy handed her a bag of clothes, "I thought you might like a change of clothing," she said, to a grateful nod, retreating to the training room to change.
When she returned, she looked human, except for the ears. Dressed in a faded pair of jeans and t-shirt, but with her moulded suede boots and her hair held back in a plait, she looked like any other young woman in the room, almost. Immediately, she assembled the earthenware jars on the floor in front of Willow, then sat behind them legs crossed, motioning the other's to sit behind her in the same fashion. Her head dropped, her eyes closed in concentration. Immediately she began whispering. Again, a breeze seemed to appear from nowhere, dramatically increasing in intensity. Purple lightning forked out from the centre of the small tornado contained in between Willow and the elf, centring above the earthenware jars. Willow seemed to jerk, her whole body standing ramrod straight as she was drained of the magics obtained. Gradully, a mist rose around Willow, concentrating into a small glowing orb, black in colour. It moved into the middle jar and Lissa moved quickly, sealing it with a cork lid. She repeated the movement again as another mist left the witch, this time green in colour, which again disappeared into another jar. Three times this action was repeated. Finally, a white orb glowed between the two women, the fourth in succession. This time, with a point and a whisper it headed out the front window, through the glass and gained velocity, heading into the clouds above, then disappeared from view. Buffy watched the orb disappear before turning her attention back on her best friend and Lissa.
The elf let out a deep sigh before stretching gently and standing up, "she's all yours," she gestured to a fully conscious Willow, sat on the chair facing them all.
"Hi guys?" Willow said hesitantly. As one, they rushed towards her in a group hug, "I'm back."
* * * *
Giles moved apart from the group surrounding Willow, approaching the elf, almost hesitantly.
"I don't know how to thank you, Lissa....." he began.
"No need. I have done this before, a few times. It's not difficult," her reply was matter of fact.
"But you could overtax yourself," he was obviously concerned.
"Not really. It's just channelling magic, not using it, not using mine - not like earlier. When I bound her," Lissa spoke slowly, but clearly. 'She doesn't appear so tired, at least,' thought Giles. Wordlessly, he moved over to what was left of the doughnuts, bringing one over to her. Gratefully she accepted it and munched down, it was still quite fresh. Buffy pushed a cup of coffee across to her, "I don't know what to say?" she began, "what you did. It was, well, unbelieveable. No-one, not even Willow, could have managed that."
"Buffy," Lissa looked across from her, still munching on her confection, "elves have inherent magic, born with it, are taught to use it almost as soon as they can walk. This is a walk in the park, nothing," she said dismissing her efforts, "and before you say anything about the orb that got away, don't worry. I merely sent it back to the coven it came from." Giles nodded in understanding, but his eyes were still questioning. "Watcher, I can see you have a million questions for me. Let's go somewhere and see if I can answer a few, yes?" Giles nodded, before graciously helping Lissa to her feet and escorting her to the back.
Buffy wandered back to Willow, after Giles and Lissa disappeared to answer some of his questions. Willow was talking to Xander, he was reassuring her, as she was him. Anya stood by like an overprotective mother-hen type, nodding all the while. Of them all, only Anya actually knew of the elves, or at least appeared to, and Buffy wanted that information. She motioned Anya to come over, which she did reluctantly.
"Okay, Anya, spit it out. I want a potted history of the pointed eared kind," Buffy seemed flustered.
"I'll tell you all that I know, but I will say that I don't know everything. Elves have been in existence since, well since before humans, as far as I know...." she began. Xander and Willow seemed to pay attention to her, immediately, almost, actually looking like they wanted to hear what she had to say, for a change. Anya sat down at the research table, followed by Buffy and the remaining two scoobies. Slowly, Anya began to recant what she knew about elves.
Halfway through the story, factual and humourless as Anya's stories were, Xander's beeper went off, and he immediately reached for the 'phone on the counter-top. After a short discussion, he returned to the group.
"Sorry to muck up your story telling Anya, but I have to leave," he stated, "Principle needs me. Apparently there are weird noises coming from the basement at the school. I'll come by later, pick up Willow." Willow merely nodded, a half-smile on her face, waving to him as he headed out the door.
"That's my queue to leave too, I suppose," Buffy responded, looking at her watch, "I have a counselling session in, aargh, twenty five minutes, gotta run." And with that, she headed out in the same direction as Xander, at a run.
* * * * *
Buffy bent over the desk, head in her hands. Why she ever thought that being a counsellor would be a good idea, she never knew. KIds today, they had more problems, more issues that she ever thought she had had, ever. The boy who left the room two minutes earlier had been grief stricken over the death of his mother. Buffy tried to relay to him that he was not the only one, that she would want him to go on, live the good life, get good grades, but at this point Ken, the boy in question was too buried in grief to even listen remotely to what was being said. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Buff?" it was Xander, "er, you are NOT going to believe what I found in the basement."
"Giant mice?" Buffy joked.
"Nope, guess again," Xander was almost hopping up and down at his discovery.
"I give up, tell me," she was now curious.
"Spike," Xander looked for the reaction on her face, but Buffy hid it well.
"As in peroxide, vampire, leather duster Spike?" Buffy's voice was, to Xander, not excited, but almost eager.
"The one, the only, but with a new twist,"
"Huh?"
"He's absolutely bonkers," Xander looked into her eyes, he saw, pity?
"Show me."
* * * *
Am still writing, hope to have chapter 5 in this week sometime. Feedback - please. R