Chapter Seven - "On The Road Again"

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Three days after the little council, Willow and Xander's patience had run out. They sought out Giles, and found him and Elenya in the small garden next to their bedchamber.

"Willow, Xander," Giles said, turning away from Elenya with a familiar expression upon his face - one that read "Come back later," but they weren't playing along this time.

"All right, what's the deal?" Xander asked, staring Giles down. "You haven't said ten words to us since the big meeting the other day. And everyone else keeps clamming up whenever we show up. What's up?"

"Xander, this isn't - "

Xander shook his head. "Heard it already. But - "

"But nothing, Xander!" Giles snapped angrily. "I'm trying to say goodbye to Elenya - "

"Goodbye? What?"

" - and you barge in, as always, without a thought for anybody but yourself - "

All talking stopped, and even the birds ceased their happy chirping.

"Excuse me?" Xander finally asked in a low voice.

"Xander, I didn't..." Giles shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"What did you mean, saying goodbye to Elenya?" Willow asked for the second time, not least to prevent things from getting any chillier between the two men.

Elenya smiled grimly and adjusted the green baldric hanging low on her hip. For the first time, Xander and Willow noticed she was carrying her sword, and that a great gray cloak, along with a heavy backpack, was laid out on a bench at her side.

"I've had a dream these last few nights. The growing Shadow is stirring up an ancient evil in the north. Burning eyes and bright flame..." For a second, she hesitated, her eyes clouded, but then she smiled again. "I must face it. I cannot come with you."

Willow stared at the older woman. "Wait - you're going to fight some ancient monster by yourself?"

Elenya shrugged. "What else could I do? Buffy would do the same, were she here," she noted.

"But Giles - "

"Giles... Giles understands what must be done," Elenya said, turning back to the doorway once again. "No matter how painful it may be."

"Elenya - "

The Slayer shook her head. "Not now, please, Willow," she said.

"I'm sorry." Willow caught Xander's eye and nodded back the way they'd come. "We'll, uh..."

"Yeah, we'll - "

But Elenya was already heading inside to join Giles. Willow and Xander stood there for a moment then retreated out of the garden without another word.

-

Much to Willow and Xander's relief, the very next morning, they were summoned by Elrond. The time had come for them to depart, if they were to beat the early winter storms that threatened the High Pass over the mountains.

"If you hurry, you will be on the eastern slopes before the first snow falls," Elrond told the three travelers after they had gathered before the gates of Rivendell. Few had come to see them off - Elrond and his three children, Aragorn and Gandalf, and, surprisingly, Bilbo Baggins, bundled up so heavily he was almost as large as a Dwarf.

"And then?" Giles asked absently. His thoughts were on Elenya, who had quietly slipped away after a final farewell earlier in the morn, not the alpine weather or anything else.

"I cannot see where the road will take you once you cross over the mountains. But I would make to the south, towards the realm of Galadriel, and seek out her counsel."

[He knows something,] Willow thought, watching Elrond as another Elf brought forth a mule laden with supplies. [Something about Galadriel.]

She remained silent, though, and smiled politely along with the rest of them as Bilbo issued a somewhat rambling farewell.

"Do watch out for Orcs," the elderly Hobbit concluded. "Beastly things all over the pass... especially in the caves..." Then he trailed off, lost in some distant memory.

"Bilbo is right. The winter will only make the Orcs more bold," Aragorn said. "Do not let down your guard until you reach the eaves of Mirkwood. Beorn's folk still hold their ground there."

"Above all, do *not* sleep in any caves," Gandalf added solemnly.

"Good luck!" Bilbo said with a smile and a wave.

And then they were off again, riding east into the dark.

-

The High Pass was quiet and empty, and bitterly cold even through the heavy cloaks the Elves had provided. No snow had fallen yet, but the clouds were dark and getting darker. The wind seemed to be against the little group, for it pounded them relentlessly from dawn to dusk, day after day.

For a fortnight after leaving Rivendell behind, their only foe was the weather, which was growing steadily harsher the higher they rose into the mountains. When the sun began to set, they set up camp under a large outcrop of rock, and soon had a fire raging.

"Another week, and we'll be in sight of Mirkwood," Giles said as he helped Willow prepare their dinner - stew, as it had been since their second day out of Rivendell.

"Another week? Great," Xander muttered. He stared glumly at the pot containing their supper. "Can't you find us a rabbit or something?" he asked Giles.

"Up here?" Giles asked then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Xander."

"Yeah, well - "

Giles suddenly stood up and hissed "Be quiet!" even as he drew his sword.

"What the - "

"Quiet!" Giles hissed, peering into the wind.

A second later, Xander and Willow heard what had him so anxious - the howl of a wolf, and not all that far off. They both jumped to their feet and Xander tugged his own sword free from its scabbard.

"Here!" Giles grabbed one of the thinner logs from the fire and pressed it into Willow's hand.

"What?"

"They're afraid of fire. Hit them anywhere you can, but don't get too close. They go for the throat," Giles explained.

"Always quick with the comforting word, Giles," Xander snorted. "Should we make a break for it?"

The former Watcher shook his head. "They'd run us down before we'd gone ten yards," he replied. "At least here, we have the fire. With any luck, they won't come near because of it."

There was another howl, this one far closer than the last, and then Willow grabbed Giles by the arm. "There!" she whispered, pointing up the path to their left. A massive gray wolf, almost the size of a pony, was creeping towards them with malice in its yellow eyes. It howled once, and then bared its jagged fangs at them.

"Stay back," Giles cautioned, stepping in front of Willow. He and Elenya had fought Wargs such as this before, and they were brutal beasts, more dangerous than vampires. Xander hesitated only a second before joining him at the front of their little campsite.

The Warg regarded them with unmistakable disdain, finally coming to a halt little more than five feet away from them, its tail hanging out over the mountainside. It eyed them for a few seconds then pounced.

Giles and Xander jumped in opposite directions, and the Warg flew between them, landing right next to Willow. She screamed and scrambled backwards, hurrying to put the campfire between herself and the slavering beast.

Cursing, Giles spun around and slashed at the Warg's hind with his sword. The beast howled and jumped away from the blade, but began to dash around the campfire instead of turning to face Giles. Two quick steps and it was face to face with her. She began to stammer out a spell, but it was too late. The Warg snarled triumphantly and jumped at her. The redhead shrieked, then vanished under the gray-black creature.

"Willow!" Xander cried. He started to charge the Warg, but Giles pulled him back and tossed him aside.

The Englishman gritted his teeth and swung his sword at the Warg's spine with all his might. Steel cut flesh and the Warg howled once, then went limp. Giles tossed his sword aside.

"Help me!" he snapped even as he began to grab the dead Warg's neck and pull it off of Willow.

The two of them managed to haul the corpse off of Willow, a task made much easier when it began to dissolve as they did so. In seconds, nothing was left of the Warg but a desiccated hide.

"Wha?" Xander blurted out.

"Like vampires," Giles replied. He tossed the filth-encrusted hide off to the side, where it soon vanished entirely in the sunlight. Of far more concern was Willow, who was pale and motionless.

"Oh, God! Willow! Is she - "

"Just unconscious," Giles quickly assured him. "Here, let's get her a bit closer to the fire."

They gently carried Willow to the side of the fire, miraculously untouched by the Warg attack, and she was soon slowly beginning to wake.

Giles left the two alone and went to keep watch on the path in case another Warg happened upon them.

He wondered if either of the others had noticed the Warg had gone straight for Willow.
-

End Chapter Seven

More to come!