Xander and Buffy returned with their flask full of water and the twigs to start a fire. Gandalf lowered his staff and lightly touched the twigs, which ignited.
Aragorn used a large cup to put the water in to boil. Buffy sat down next to the still unconscious Angel and softly stroked his hair.
Xander and Gimli kept an eye out for Orcs, Uruk-hai or other creatures that the Sauron guy might send.
Legolas and Wesley returned from the forest carrying a bunch of leaves.
"Sorry, these were all we could find."
Aragorn took the leaves with a smile, "They will be fine." He crushed the leaves and let them fall into the boiling water. He let them set for a few minutes to allow the hot water to release the oils inside the leaves.
Aragorn carefully removed the leaves and placed them in a mortar and used the pestle to create a paste. When the paste was ready he placed it carefully over Angel's wound.
"How long before we know if it works?"
"The athelas will begin to work immediately but it will be a couple of hours before we see the effects."
Aragorn pointed to a thin red line that was traveling down from Angel's shoulder to his chest. "That is the poison. It should begin to disappear in about an hour."
Buffy nodded not taking her eyes off of the line and continuing to hold Angel's hand and stroke his hair.
Xander gave Buffy an encouraging smile. He might not like Angel but he knew how he'd feel if that were Anya lying there. He would be there for Buffy like Buffy would have been there for him. Both putting aside their feelings for the other's loved one.
~~~~
Willow watched in dismay as herself and Sauron watched the reflection of what was happening with Angel, Buffy, Xander and the others. She went from happiness that they defeated the Orc creatures to guilt over the poisoning of Angel.
She couldn't live with herself if Angel died. God, all that he had been through and then to finally be human with Buffy if only temporarily and then to be poisoned. The Fates wouldn't be that cruel would they?
She knew Buffy wouldn't blame her, but she would blame herself. If she hadn't agreed to go with Sauron to save Buffy and Dawn this never would have happened. True she was no longer in control of what her other self did but she was in control when she made the decision to go through the portal.
Willow silently prayed to whoever might be listening that Angel would be all right and she could continue to erode the other entity's control on her body.
Slowly but surely she was making progress. Even in the decisions that Dark Willow makes some of Willow shines through. Turning the Orc into a rat was Willow's idea. Dark Willow was going to skin him alive. Sure Sauron fed him to the Wargs but at least he wasn't skinned alive. Even in the smallest victories Willow took hope.
Sauron turned to Willow, "I haven't used Southron poisoned arrows since the first fellowship tried to overthrow me. It probably won't kill him like it didn't kill Faramir but it will slow them down and it definitely will distract them. What would you like to do next, Willow?"
Willow turned her dark eyes from the reflection to Sauron. "How about the Ringwraiths? Kind of hard to fight specters."
"Brilliant. They will be expecting Orcs or Uruk-hai but I haven't used the Ringwraiths since they failed to get the ring or the Hobbit. With one man down already and the others just watching and waiting they should be easy to defeat."
Willow smiled as she listened to her other self and Sauron discussing what to do next. The Dark Riders had been her idea. She had faith that Buffy and Xander could defeat them. They defeated whatever the Hellmouth spit out at them, they could defeat a bunch of dead kings riding horses.
Sauron motioned for Willow to follow him to the window. With a wave of his hand the Ringwraiths stood at attention waiting for instructions from their lord.
FUCK! Ohcrap,ohcrap,ohcrap. Why didn't she remember that it was a Ringwraith that brought her here on a fucking dragon? God what had she done? They were on dragons not horses. SHIT! She had truly doomed her friends.
~~~~
Buffy watched as the thin red line began to slowly fade. She was able to finally breathe when the angry red line began to get lighter and stop moving.
Angel's eyelids began to flicker and finally open, "Hey."
Buffy gave a trembling smile, "Hey, you. You gave me quite the scare. Don't do that again."
Angel intertwined his fingers with Buffy's. "Gave me quite the scare too. Not sure I like this being alive again. I'm not used to having to pay attention to what might kill me besides a stake and sword at the head."
Gandalf stiffened and turned to look at the sky.
"What is it, Gandalf?" Gimli asked.
"Nazgul approach."
Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn all looked to the sky. Xander, Wesley and Buffy looked at each other and then looked in the direction the others were looking.
"What's a Nazgul?" Buffy asked.
"Do you remember when you first came here and we hid in the wood?"
"Yeah, the dragon rider had Willow."
"Exactly, the dragon rider is a Ringwraith. They are neither living nor dead. They were once kings but have fallen into darkness."
"Okay, vampire like. How do we kill them?"
"No, not vampires and you can't kill them. But you can defeat them. Fire will work but they are on the dragons not on the ground."
Buffy turns to Gandalf, "What about you? Can you send fire into them while on the dragons?"
"Yes but I alone can't defeat them. There are many and we are few."
"You just concentrate on the fire thing and we'll deal with the what we have to."
Buffy turns to Wesley, "Get Angel to safety."
"Buffy, I'm not going to leave you shorthanded. I can get myself to safety."
Buffy just smiled, "Okay. Stand up."
Angel tried but he couldn't quite pull himself up.
"You don't have your vampire healing or strength, Angel. Wesley, get him to safety and then join us."
Xander looked at Legolas curiously who was staring off into space. He seemed to not really be there. What Xander knew of Legolas he wasn't afraid to fight so the thought of the Nazgul wasn't striking terror in his heart. So what was it that was causing him to stare into space?
Legolas blinked a few times and came back to himself. Turning he saw Xander watching him curiously. "I do not know why I have this connection with your Willow but she just called me to her safe place to warn us of the Nazgul approach."
"Did you tell her we already knew?"
"Yes, but she gave me an idea on how to defeat them."
"That's my Wills always thinking. What did she say?"
Legolas turned to Gandalf, "Gwaihir."
Gandalf smiled, "Of course. But how did she know of our dear friend?"
"She got her other self to ask Sauron how the Nazgul were defeated the first time."
"Clever girl. The fight for control is closer than we thought. She is very strong. I'm looking forward to meeting the real her when this is over."
"Who is Gwaihir and will he help?"
"Not a who a what." Gimli said, "Gwaihir is an eagle."
"An eagle defeated the dragons?" Xander scoffed. "Can't wait to see that."
Gimli just smiled and didn't tell Xander that the eagle was about the size of the dragon.
"Can't wait to see it either." Gimli smirked.