A/N A new story by me! Yeah, thats right, Im starting a new story, one I hope to be fairly long, and maybe even historically accurate, fun. Anyway, my other Story, But It Feels So Right is being worked on too, and I might even have a chapter of Parent Problems up soon, like next week. Ok, thats not soon, get over it.
Note: this story is a Spuffy story, for all those people out there who know me as a B/A writer, um.... I'm writing a Spuffy story, get over it.
Disclaimer: I do no own Buffy, Spike or any other characters of the Buffy- verse, even though I would like to like every other Buffy fan out there.
Different Sides Of The Track
The moon was high, and few clouds hung in the August sky that night. It was warm, and the peepers were chirping merrily at the last hours of dusk. It would be pitch black soon, and there weren't many people who would be out this time of night, in fear of the wild animals that inhabited a swamp near by.
Coyotes and other wild dogs were recognized with this area, along with a rather large wild cat that roamed this area. Other than avoiding the animals, all you had to do was avoid crossing paths with a highwayman and you were set to go for the night.
This was one of the back roads in Virginia, not very often traveled. A good place that was used to sneak stolen, and even runaway property to the North. This was one of the many routes recognized by the Underground Railroad as a transport to another one of their safe houses in Virginia. Across the state there were only about twenty in all, and that was barely enough to stretch across the whole state, and sometimes the runaways would have to stay outside, instead of with the families that were involved with the U.R.
There had been more houses that helped with the U.R. but many had been found out about a week back when a really rush of runaways had tried to come up all at the same time. Countless families were fined for allowing the slaves to stay at their houses, and many were jailed. But still there were people who needed to do what was right, and kept this organization going, in spite of the fact that they might be endangering themselves to help these runaway slaves.
(-{-:-}-)
Carriage wheels creaked as they rolled over the dirt rode, traveling at a steady pace northward. One person sat up front, holding the reins of a horse in his hands, and keeping a close watch on the road in front of him. But he wasn't the only one in the small wagon, in the back; a young black man lay hidden among the clutter and hay, hiding from anyone who might be passing by that night.
He was a runaway, and the man in front was his escort to the next house inline with the U.R. It was sometimes important that the slaves had escorts, especially on nights like tonight, where walking was a death wish. There had been far to many wild dog sightings lately and it wasn't safe for any man to be walking alone without a weapon.
A small house came into view, and the driver of the carriage smiled, they were there. He figured he would spend the night, and then return home, leaving the runaway at this house. Then in a couple of days he would return, with another one, and the cycle would continue. It was all planned, but sometimes, the planning didn't go well, and the houses ended up with a half a dozen runaways, in a house that could only support four people.
He shook of his thoughts as he entered the yard of the house. The clink clopping of the horse's hooves on the coble stones alerted someone inside, and the front door was opened, candlelight flowing out into the night.
The silhouette of a woman dimly shown in the doorway, her white clothing and light skin reflecting off of the light from the candle she held in her hand. She stared at the carriage, with her emerald eyes, as it came to a stop, and the driver jumped from his post.
She rushed across the front lawn to meet him as he grabbed hold of the horse's reins, and they both walked towards the barn in silence, each only nodding at each other in greeting.
After the horse was unhitched, and the wagon tucked away in the corner of the small barn did the woman speak up.
"I was afraid you weren't coming." She said, placing the candle down on a small table used by the blacksmith when he came to put new shoes on the horses each month, and looked up at the man.
"I was afraid I wasn't going to make it, kept thinking those damned wild dogs were following me. Come to think of it, it's best that we get inside; there were probably a couple following me." He said, and moved towards the wagon.
He banged on it twice, and the head of another man popped up. He looked around, trying to become aware of his new surroundings, then he hopped out of the wagon. The woman grabbed her candle and blew it out, then led both of them out of the barn, and after tightly closing the doors, into the house.
All three sat down at the table, and the black man looked at the wagon driver, gratitude in his gaze.
"Thank you." He said, his voice unsure, because he barely knew the language.
The other man nodded, then turned to the woman. "I was hoping that I would be able to stay the night, seeing as the dogs were following me. That is, if it's ok with you, Ms. Summers." He said, and she nodded.
"Stay here as long as you like, you know you're always welcome here Xander, but I must insist that you call me Buffy, we've known each other long enough so that we don't need such formalities." she responded, yawning, and receiving a grin from Xander. "And I think it would be best if we all get some rest now."
He nodded, motioned to the black man, "His names, Charles Gunn, as appointed by his last master, I'm not sure if it's his real name, but he responds to it."
Buffy nodded, "Alright then, Charles, you come with me, Xander, I do believe you know where you are expected to sleep?"
"I do, G'night, Buffy."
"Good night Xander." She said, then, leading Gunn up the stairs, she showed him into a room.
It was small, but it had a bed, and a water basin, that was filled up pretty much to the top with fresh water. The bed had blankets on it, despite the rather warm summer weather, and the wooden floor was partially covered with a small rug.
Buffy looked at Gunn, "I know it's not much, but it's all I have ready now." She said, as if amending for a childish crime.
Gunn looked at her, "Thank you." He said again, and Buffy wondered if that was all he could say, but she didn't ask, not wanting to be rude.
She smiled at him, and left him to the room, retiring down the hall to her own room, which was pretty much the same, except it was a big larger, and there was a small cradle on the left side of the bed.
Buffy made her way over to the cradle, and looked at the sleeping child inside. She had the darkest brown hair Buffy had ever seen, and chocolate eyes. Her nose was cute, and she had some freckles even though she was young ad barely went outside in the sun. She looked like the perfect combination of her parents, Buffy's cousin Faith, and her boyfriend, Angel. They were yet to marry, and Buffy doubted they ever would, Faith wasn't the kind of girl who committed like that, and Angel, well, he really just went along with what Faith wanted most of the time.
She sighed, and sat down on her bed, taking her shoes off before lying down. She didn't bother pulling the blankets over herself; it was far too hot to even think of doing that, and very uncomfortable to sleep like that in the summer time. Her eyes closed, but she didn't fall asleep just yet, thinking about what this new runaway was going to bring.
His master would defiantly be looking for him, and just might find her house if they knew about the railroad at all, and there was no where to hide Gunn if whoever thought they owned him were to show up the next day. Buffy sighed again, and let herself fall unconscious, trying not to think of what tomorrow might bring.
That Same Night: Monroe, Georgia
The small town of Monroe Georgia lay just east of the state's capital, Atlanta. It was a quiet town that not many people came to, or left for that matter. Families grew up here, and passed down their homes and plantations through the generations, to make sure they stayed in the family.
There weren't many poor people in this town, for the people who lived there lives pretty good life overseeing the work of their slaves, and exporting the cotton grown on their property. There was nothing to worry about in this town, except for the constant threat of slaves running away.
Many did so during the clear nights in the middle of the summer. Much like the current night, where the warm air caressed the skin, and stars led their way to the North, where they would be free, less somebody caught them.
And the silence of this summer evening, only one close by could hear the argument going on the Scott's house. The raised voices were a sign that the youngest son in the household had disappointed his father once more. On the weekend he had been left in charge of the plantation, when his father, and older brother Liam had gone to Texas, seeking out new land, the head slave of the household had run off, and now the poor young southerner was getting all the blame.
William Scott paced the floor, his father before him, cursing aloud. How could he have been so stupid, as to let the head slave escape? To cause his father so much back work because his son couldn't watch over the cotton plantation for two days without screwing something up.
"William! How did this happen? Why weren't you paying attention?" Mr. Scott yelled at his son, his face red and angry.
"I didn't bloody well mean for it to happen!" William snapped back, stopping in front of his father.
Mr. Scott sighed in anger, and ran a hand through his hair frustrated. He took a deep breath, and then looked at his son again, "You will go after him."
It wasn't a question.
"What?" William asked incredulously.
"You will go after him tonight, and find him before I lose my temper will you again."
His teeth gritted in anger, William turned from his father, muttering a "fine" to him, and opened the front door. He stomped outside, and slammed the door after him, cursing again.
"How could I have let it happen? How could he have left me to watch the plantation is more like it? Why didn't he get his precious Liam to do it for him? Then maybe none of this would have happened." William said to no one in particular.
The sun was beginning to set, and the night bugs were coming out. Biting flies, and moths, lots of them too. They seemed to be everywhere tonight, flying in and around William's clothes, biting him.
He swatted at them as he entered the barn, and made his way first to a tack room, then down to the far left corner. In a lone stall, surrounded by a tack room on one side, and an empty stall in the front, was a tall, bay stallion.
He stood tall, barely noting that William had approached the stall until the latch clicked open. Dark eyes fell upon the young man, and the horse approached him, cocking his head to the side. William held out an apple in one hand, hiding the bridle behind his back with the other. The stallion cautiously put his head down to take the apple from him hand.
William took the bridle he had grabbed before, and quickly slid the reins over the bay's head, taking advantage of the horse's hunger, and cautious nature. The stallion threw his head back, aware that he had been tricked, and took a few defiant steps backwards.
Sighing, William once again held the apple up to the horse, this time allowing it to be snatched from his hand. When the horse finished chewing, William enticed him into taking the bit, and finished putting on the bridle, checking to make sure that none of the parts were to tight, or to loose.
Satisfied that he had done well, he took the reins in his hands, and opening the stall door completely, led the horse out into the isle way.
"There you go Pen. It's not that bad, now is it?" he said, looping the reins around a post.
He quickly went into the tack room, and grabbed his saddle, knowing it was foolish to leave that horse tied loosely on a post. PenDragon was the kind of horse that could escape from anything if he got the chance, but he was also William's favorite horse. He had had his since he was just a foal, and grown up riding him.
William snapped out of his flash back when he heard hooves on the cement floor of the barn. He cursed his idleness, and ran out of the tack room, carrying the saddle to see PenDragon trying to stick his head through the bars of another horses stall.
At first William thought the stallion was looking for food, then he saw what stall he was looking in.
Immediately grabbing the reins the best he could with out putting the saddle down, William led PenDragon away from the stall.
"Now Pen, you know it's best that you stay away from the mares, it's not breeding season yet, and you're not old enough to be a father." He said, tying him up again.
He then gently set the saddle on the horses back, and pulled it up, just over the withers. He attached the girth, and tightened it, checking to make sure it wasn't to tight, and then led PenDragon out of the Barn.
He made sure to close the doors tightly so none of the wild dogs would get in, and mounted up quickly. William took one quick look around, and then gave PenDragon a swift kick in the side.
"C'mon Pen," He said as the stallion took off in a fast trot, "That nigger could be anywhere by now. For all we know, he could have gotten all the way to Boston."
A/N How's that for a first chapter? Huh, Is it any good, or do you guys hate it? Yeah, I know, all of the people who read my B/A stories probably aren't going to read this one, but hey, maybe I'll get some new readers! That would be cool! Oh, and this is really like a practice chapter, like I have with all my stories to see if people will like it, so you have to review, and tell me if you like it, otherwise I wont see it fit to write another chapter.
Bloody SunSet
Note: this story is a Spuffy story, for all those people out there who know me as a B/A writer, um.... I'm writing a Spuffy story, get over it.
Disclaimer: I do no own Buffy, Spike or any other characters of the Buffy- verse, even though I would like to like every other Buffy fan out there.
Different Sides Of The Track
The moon was high, and few clouds hung in the August sky that night. It was warm, and the peepers were chirping merrily at the last hours of dusk. It would be pitch black soon, and there weren't many people who would be out this time of night, in fear of the wild animals that inhabited a swamp near by.
Coyotes and other wild dogs were recognized with this area, along with a rather large wild cat that roamed this area. Other than avoiding the animals, all you had to do was avoid crossing paths with a highwayman and you were set to go for the night.
This was one of the back roads in Virginia, not very often traveled. A good place that was used to sneak stolen, and even runaway property to the North. This was one of the many routes recognized by the Underground Railroad as a transport to another one of their safe houses in Virginia. Across the state there were only about twenty in all, and that was barely enough to stretch across the whole state, and sometimes the runaways would have to stay outside, instead of with the families that were involved with the U.R.
There had been more houses that helped with the U.R. but many had been found out about a week back when a really rush of runaways had tried to come up all at the same time. Countless families were fined for allowing the slaves to stay at their houses, and many were jailed. But still there were people who needed to do what was right, and kept this organization going, in spite of the fact that they might be endangering themselves to help these runaway slaves.
(-{-:-}-)
Carriage wheels creaked as they rolled over the dirt rode, traveling at a steady pace northward. One person sat up front, holding the reins of a horse in his hands, and keeping a close watch on the road in front of him. But he wasn't the only one in the small wagon, in the back; a young black man lay hidden among the clutter and hay, hiding from anyone who might be passing by that night.
He was a runaway, and the man in front was his escort to the next house inline with the U.R. It was sometimes important that the slaves had escorts, especially on nights like tonight, where walking was a death wish. There had been far to many wild dog sightings lately and it wasn't safe for any man to be walking alone without a weapon.
A small house came into view, and the driver of the carriage smiled, they were there. He figured he would spend the night, and then return home, leaving the runaway at this house. Then in a couple of days he would return, with another one, and the cycle would continue. It was all planned, but sometimes, the planning didn't go well, and the houses ended up with a half a dozen runaways, in a house that could only support four people.
He shook of his thoughts as he entered the yard of the house. The clink clopping of the horse's hooves on the coble stones alerted someone inside, and the front door was opened, candlelight flowing out into the night.
The silhouette of a woman dimly shown in the doorway, her white clothing and light skin reflecting off of the light from the candle she held in her hand. She stared at the carriage, with her emerald eyes, as it came to a stop, and the driver jumped from his post.
She rushed across the front lawn to meet him as he grabbed hold of the horse's reins, and they both walked towards the barn in silence, each only nodding at each other in greeting.
After the horse was unhitched, and the wagon tucked away in the corner of the small barn did the woman speak up.
"I was afraid you weren't coming." She said, placing the candle down on a small table used by the blacksmith when he came to put new shoes on the horses each month, and looked up at the man.
"I was afraid I wasn't going to make it, kept thinking those damned wild dogs were following me. Come to think of it, it's best that we get inside; there were probably a couple following me." He said, and moved towards the wagon.
He banged on it twice, and the head of another man popped up. He looked around, trying to become aware of his new surroundings, then he hopped out of the wagon. The woman grabbed her candle and blew it out, then led both of them out of the barn, and after tightly closing the doors, into the house.
All three sat down at the table, and the black man looked at the wagon driver, gratitude in his gaze.
"Thank you." He said, his voice unsure, because he barely knew the language.
The other man nodded, then turned to the woman. "I was hoping that I would be able to stay the night, seeing as the dogs were following me. That is, if it's ok with you, Ms. Summers." He said, and she nodded.
"Stay here as long as you like, you know you're always welcome here Xander, but I must insist that you call me Buffy, we've known each other long enough so that we don't need such formalities." she responded, yawning, and receiving a grin from Xander. "And I think it would be best if we all get some rest now."
He nodded, motioned to the black man, "His names, Charles Gunn, as appointed by his last master, I'm not sure if it's his real name, but he responds to it."
Buffy nodded, "Alright then, Charles, you come with me, Xander, I do believe you know where you are expected to sleep?"
"I do, G'night, Buffy."
"Good night Xander." She said, then, leading Gunn up the stairs, she showed him into a room.
It was small, but it had a bed, and a water basin, that was filled up pretty much to the top with fresh water. The bed had blankets on it, despite the rather warm summer weather, and the wooden floor was partially covered with a small rug.
Buffy looked at Gunn, "I know it's not much, but it's all I have ready now." She said, as if amending for a childish crime.
Gunn looked at her, "Thank you." He said again, and Buffy wondered if that was all he could say, but she didn't ask, not wanting to be rude.
She smiled at him, and left him to the room, retiring down the hall to her own room, which was pretty much the same, except it was a big larger, and there was a small cradle on the left side of the bed.
Buffy made her way over to the cradle, and looked at the sleeping child inside. She had the darkest brown hair Buffy had ever seen, and chocolate eyes. Her nose was cute, and she had some freckles even though she was young ad barely went outside in the sun. She looked like the perfect combination of her parents, Buffy's cousin Faith, and her boyfriend, Angel. They were yet to marry, and Buffy doubted they ever would, Faith wasn't the kind of girl who committed like that, and Angel, well, he really just went along with what Faith wanted most of the time.
She sighed, and sat down on her bed, taking her shoes off before lying down. She didn't bother pulling the blankets over herself; it was far too hot to even think of doing that, and very uncomfortable to sleep like that in the summer time. Her eyes closed, but she didn't fall asleep just yet, thinking about what this new runaway was going to bring.
His master would defiantly be looking for him, and just might find her house if they knew about the railroad at all, and there was no where to hide Gunn if whoever thought they owned him were to show up the next day. Buffy sighed again, and let herself fall unconscious, trying not to think of what tomorrow might bring.
That Same Night: Monroe, Georgia
The small town of Monroe Georgia lay just east of the state's capital, Atlanta. It was a quiet town that not many people came to, or left for that matter. Families grew up here, and passed down their homes and plantations through the generations, to make sure they stayed in the family.
There weren't many poor people in this town, for the people who lived there lives pretty good life overseeing the work of their slaves, and exporting the cotton grown on their property. There was nothing to worry about in this town, except for the constant threat of slaves running away.
Many did so during the clear nights in the middle of the summer. Much like the current night, where the warm air caressed the skin, and stars led their way to the North, where they would be free, less somebody caught them.
And the silence of this summer evening, only one close by could hear the argument going on the Scott's house. The raised voices were a sign that the youngest son in the household had disappointed his father once more. On the weekend he had been left in charge of the plantation, when his father, and older brother Liam had gone to Texas, seeking out new land, the head slave of the household had run off, and now the poor young southerner was getting all the blame.
William Scott paced the floor, his father before him, cursing aloud. How could he have been so stupid, as to let the head slave escape? To cause his father so much back work because his son couldn't watch over the cotton plantation for two days without screwing something up.
"William! How did this happen? Why weren't you paying attention?" Mr. Scott yelled at his son, his face red and angry.
"I didn't bloody well mean for it to happen!" William snapped back, stopping in front of his father.
Mr. Scott sighed in anger, and ran a hand through his hair frustrated. He took a deep breath, and then looked at his son again, "You will go after him."
It wasn't a question.
"What?" William asked incredulously.
"You will go after him tonight, and find him before I lose my temper will you again."
His teeth gritted in anger, William turned from his father, muttering a "fine" to him, and opened the front door. He stomped outside, and slammed the door after him, cursing again.
"How could I have let it happen? How could he have left me to watch the plantation is more like it? Why didn't he get his precious Liam to do it for him? Then maybe none of this would have happened." William said to no one in particular.
The sun was beginning to set, and the night bugs were coming out. Biting flies, and moths, lots of them too. They seemed to be everywhere tonight, flying in and around William's clothes, biting him.
He swatted at them as he entered the barn, and made his way first to a tack room, then down to the far left corner. In a lone stall, surrounded by a tack room on one side, and an empty stall in the front, was a tall, bay stallion.
He stood tall, barely noting that William had approached the stall until the latch clicked open. Dark eyes fell upon the young man, and the horse approached him, cocking his head to the side. William held out an apple in one hand, hiding the bridle behind his back with the other. The stallion cautiously put his head down to take the apple from him hand.
William took the bridle he had grabbed before, and quickly slid the reins over the bay's head, taking advantage of the horse's hunger, and cautious nature. The stallion threw his head back, aware that he had been tricked, and took a few defiant steps backwards.
Sighing, William once again held the apple up to the horse, this time allowing it to be snatched from his hand. When the horse finished chewing, William enticed him into taking the bit, and finished putting on the bridle, checking to make sure that none of the parts were to tight, or to loose.
Satisfied that he had done well, he took the reins in his hands, and opening the stall door completely, led the horse out into the isle way.
"There you go Pen. It's not that bad, now is it?" he said, looping the reins around a post.
He quickly went into the tack room, and grabbed his saddle, knowing it was foolish to leave that horse tied loosely on a post. PenDragon was the kind of horse that could escape from anything if he got the chance, but he was also William's favorite horse. He had had his since he was just a foal, and grown up riding him.
William snapped out of his flash back when he heard hooves on the cement floor of the barn. He cursed his idleness, and ran out of the tack room, carrying the saddle to see PenDragon trying to stick his head through the bars of another horses stall.
At first William thought the stallion was looking for food, then he saw what stall he was looking in.
Immediately grabbing the reins the best he could with out putting the saddle down, William led PenDragon away from the stall.
"Now Pen, you know it's best that you stay away from the mares, it's not breeding season yet, and you're not old enough to be a father." He said, tying him up again.
He then gently set the saddle on the horses back, and pulled it up, just over the withers. He attached the girth, and tightened it, checking to make sure it wasn't to tight, and then led PenDragon out of the Barn.
He made sure to close the doors tightly so none of the wild dogs would get in, and mounted up quickly. William took one quick look around, and then gave PenDragon a swift kick in the side.
"C'mon Pen," He said as the stallion took off in a fast trot, "That nigger could be anywhere by now. For all we know, he could have gotten all the way to Boston."
A/N How's that for a first chapter? Huh, Is it any good, or do you guys hate it? Yeah, I know, all of the people who read my B/A stories probably aren't going to read this one, but hey, maybe I'll get some new readers! That would be cool! Oh, and this is really like a practice chapter, like I have with all my stories to see if people will like it, so you have to review, and tell me if you like it, otherwise I wont see it fit to write another chapter.
Bloody SunSet