Chapter4: Tales and restlessness.
I don't own anything
They woke early the next morning, tired and sleepy eyed. Buffy and Spike barely got ready without falling back onto the uncomfortable pillow. Getting up at dawn was definitely not a fun thing in Buffy's opinion.
Strider kept on shooting Buffy and Spike glares throughout breakfast. This annoyed Buffy greatly; she had never given this guy any reason to throw her bitchy glances. Well besides the fact that Spike threw him against the wall, but that for only because he looked like he was bothering Frodo.
Buffy was silent throughout the whole early meal. For some reason, eating gooey mush didn't seem too appealing to her right now. But the others seemed to like it, seeing as how the little people were on their third bowl.
"You better eat, it's going to be a long ways before we can have a decent meal, this will be your last for a long time." At this Buffy snorted.' Sure yea decent, I can see Mr. Bartender's fingernails in this crap.'
"I'm really not that hungry, I'll be fine, don't worry." She could tell that this man was not going to worry anytime soon over her eating habits. Buffy looked over at Spike who was attempting to eat, but the pained look on his face made Buffy know otherwise. He needed blood, she could tell.
"I will leave now, while the Hobbits are still eating, and go find a pony. We're going to need one for this long trek." And at that, strider left the table.
"He's a big load of sunshine isn't he? Bloody Ponce, reminds me of peaches back home." Spike said as he watched Strider walk away, shooting daggers into his back with his eyes. Pippin laughed at that comment. Buffy shot him a look that clearly stated 'Continue and I will kill you'.
"Hobbits? What are Hobbits?" Asked Buffy clearly confused at Striders last comment.
"We're Hobbits, Hobbits are we." Merry and Pippin giggled.
"Are you drunk?" Buffy asked them.
Sam shot an annoyed look at the two giggling fools and replied "No they just smoked a lot of pipe weed this morning."
"Oh" Buffy said simply. She seriously didn't know what to say to this.
Then followed the uncomfortable silence…….
About an hour later they were called to leave. Upon walking outside, they all noticed Strider holding an emaciated pony. He was a tiny pony, only about 13.2 hands. His feet were severely over grown. His sorrel coat had no gleam to it, and his flaxen mane and tale were tangled in unmanageable gnarls.
"I couldn't get any better; he was the only pony left."
"He looks like he can barely hold Sam's pots and pans" Frodo said, looking distressed at the fact that the pony looked like it would collapse any second now.
"Well, he will have to do. And besides ponies are sturdy animals. We won't fare any better without him anyways." Answered Frodo, clearly annoyed. "His name's Bill."
They started packing their things onto Bills back, only packing lightly, so his legs wouldn't give out from the weight. Strider led the way, followed by Frodo and Sam who led Bill along. Buffy, Spike, Merry and Pippin had the rear. Merry and Pippin kept on talking nonsense. . The two hobbits kept their spirits up, cracking jokes every now and then. Spike mostly kept quiet though, his face starting look paler than normal. Buffy knew exactly what he needed, blood.
"Hey, when are we going to take a break?" Buffy yelled out to Strider.
"Time is of the utmost essence lady, and we don't have much of that." Strider answered.
Another 2 hours past, and by the looks of the position of the sun, it seemed to be about noon. They kept on walking, silently plodding along the earth. Buffy looked over at Spike, a tired look upon his face.
"Buffy I really need to drink." He whispered to her.
"Wait until tonight when everyone is resting. Can you make it until then?" He nodded.
The long day had finally looked like it was going to end. The sun began to set. Strider had finally been so kind as to let them rest for the night. Spike kept sending him angry glances, where Strider had been so keen on ignoring. Sam started a fire and began cooking supper. It was silent for the most part of the time. They all were tired and hungry; they really didn't feel like talking.
But once dinner was finally served, spirits were lifted. The hobbits were more talkative, cracking jokes and telling tales. All this was very entertaining, but Spike had a different story he wanted to hear.
"So Strider, where do you come from? I take it you lot is not from midgetsvill." Spike asked with his usual snarky tone of voice.
"Yes, true I do not come from the shire. I am a ranger, we don't really have homes." Strider answered, trying to keep his anger from boiling over. He was known for his docile nature, but there was something about this man that really got under his skin.
His female companion he did not mind too much, she kept quiet mostly. She was pretty too; her petite body and golden hair suited her well. He wondered if she and the man were together.
"Master Spike, tell us a tale of your land." Sounded Merry out of nowhere, breaking strider from his thoughts.
He was a bit hesitant at first. Not knowing what to do at first. But the look of the Hobbits expectant eyes made him begin his story. He knew just the tale for them.
"There once was this man, a pathetic specimen I might add. He was weak and insecure. But his heart was true, strong and loyal. He just so happened, at the time of this story, to love someone beyond life itself. She was a beautiful woman, her dark hair and hazel eyes were pure and innocent. But underneath this fake exterior, her heart was cold and prideful. She led the man on to think that she could love him, gave him hope in thinking he could ever gain her love. But once he pledged his love for her, she rejected him. She ridiculed him. "
"Soon after she rejected him, the man was walking through a dark alley. This is where he was approached by another woman. She had long black hair and mysterious dark brown eyes. She was darkly beautiful. She boasted of a better life, a life without guilt or pain. She asked the man to join her, to be part of the privileged few who had a chance for this utopia. The man eagerly accepted. And I return the woman's face turned from the beautiful exterior, to a monstrous one. He eyes, yellow and piercing. The forehead got bumpy, and her canines elongated and sharpened. She bit into his neck, drinking his blood. Near death, she made him drink her own. And in return the man fell into a peaceful and dreamless slumber."
"Thinking he was dead, his family buried him. But he awoke in his coffin. He had felt life in his body again. He clawed his way out of the grave. Upon coming out of the grave, he felt an uncontrollable hunger. A need to kill. And so he did. He had met up with the strange woman, and began a murderous rampage with her and two others like him. He lived out the years as an evil and vicious killer. A scourge to mankind."
"He came upon many people in his unlife that opposed to what he was. And he killed them. One enemy whose blood he always searched and yearned for was the slayers. He had killed two in his lifetime, a very hard feat to achieve. But there was only one who always got away. He strength and skill had always outdone him. And this angered him greatly, because at this time, he had always won a fight. And she just so happened to beat him every time. But underneath this hate, grew a great admiration for the girl. Though very young at the time, the girl was aged before her years. She was beautiful and charming, and a ruthless killer. A killer to what he was. A killer of evil."
"The admiration for the girl soon grew into love. He had grown to love the slayer, his arch enemy. She was everything he stood against, and hated. And yet his heart burned for her. He tried to ignore it, but it grew stronger. He approached her and told her about his yearning. She rejected him, saying that he couldn't love her because he had no soul. But he persisted. He never gave up hope that she would eventually love him. He kept his promise for her to protect her beloved sister when she sacrificed herself for the world. He thought it was all over."
"But the woman came back to life. Her essence was granted back to her body through the powers of her friend. She wasn't the same though, her heart was breaking for the paradise that she was being deprived of. You see, she went to heaven when she died. She felt dead inside, her heart had become stone. She yearned to feel again. And the only emotion she seemed to feel was when she was around the man. The man she had rejected long ago. They began a torrid affair. She was only seeking out the emotion and he only wanted her company. It was a violent and secret relationship that tore her mind apart. She broke up the courtship, leaving the man confused He had been used. "
"So he went to the ends of the earth for her. To get what he thought she deserved. His soul."
They all sat there, the hobbits and the man staring back at Spike waiting. "So how does it end?" asked Harpo- Dojo Frodo – Spike couldn't remember that ones name.
"Oh um he decided he didn't need it and left it at that." Spike tried to sum it up in a way that Buffy wouldn't kill him for.
They all looked a little disappointed that the tale had ended so abruptly. Buffy was looking at Spike with a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes.
"May I ask you, what was it that the man turned into where he desired blood to much?" The nosey prat Strider asked.
"Vampire." Spike answered simply.
"Is this a true story?" Pippin asked.
"No, it was all fiction. Just some tale from our home." Answered Buffy quickly. She sent a meaningful look over to Spike
Strider studied him, looking Spike over, his unnatural colored hair, and his strange speech. The woman's strange clothing and her uncouth demeanor also stood out. Strider knew that they had much more to them then they were letting on. There was something off about them.
"I think its best that we all turn in, we have another long days trek ahead of us." Strider said suddenly, and they all abided by his orders.
So, with the exception of Strider, they all laid their heads down on the cold ground. Mostly all fell asleep, including Buffy. But Spike, who still needed blood, was wide awake. He had planned on getting it at night, but he didn't think that soldier boy would be keeping lookout. He tried to think of something so he could get away and find an animal or something. ' Think man, bloody think, think think think THINK! Bathroom, that's it!'
Spike got up from the cold ground, and started to saunter away from the campground.
"Where are you going?" The still suspicious Strider asked him.
"Going to take a piss. What did you think I was going to do.?"
Strider looked at Spike with confusion, not knowing what he had just said.
"Bathroom." Spike pointed over to the bushes behind him. Strider nodded and resumed back to his brooding.
"Bloody tosser." Spike whispered under his breath as he went out in search of his dinner. He came upon a rabbit, and he drained it. But he was still hungry and hunted some more. When he was finally content he made his way back to the campsite.
"That was a bit longer than I expected" Strider said suddenly.
"Yeah well, I had some problems if you know what I mean." At this Strider chuckled.
Spike lay back down on his nice comfortable dirt and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. But he couldn't, after just hunting his blood was on over drive. He looked up at the stars for awhile, but soon became bored. He needed something to do. Someone to talk to.
"So what is this Rivendell place? ' Asked Spike abruptly.
"It is a city, where elves dwell." Strider said simply.
"Elves? I've never even thought those existed. What does that lot look like?"
"Well they are very tall and slender, perfect even. They are very fair, and their hair is usually golden."
"Really? Myths where I'm from say that elves are short and stocky. Not tall and slim."
"That sounds more like a dwarf to me. Or even a hobbit."
"Oh we have those, but they don't like being called dwarfs, they like being called 'little people'. Bloody technicalities; always have to be politically correct." At seeing Striders confused face Spike continued "Tell me more about these elves."
"They are the oldest beings in middle earth and the most intelligent. All are very beautiful." Strider got a faraway look on his face as he started remembering Arwen. "They also have very keen senses and eyesight. Like that of an hawk. They are deadly killers."
"Pansies. Probably too delicate to do anything."
"Oh no, they may look frail, but their strength is unbelievable."
"Believe me; I know how looks can be deceiving." Spike sent a glance in Buffy's direction.
There was silence for a while, each man in deep thought.
"Are you and the lady courting?" Spike was broken from his reverie by Striders question.
"Who? Buffy and I? No, we are just friends. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
"Oh well, she IS seeing someone, back home. Big tall bloke, big bulging muscles." Spike lied. He did not want Strider pursuing Buffy.
Uncomfortable silence soon enveloped the area again.
"The woman, in your tale, she seemed very noble. A hero almost." Strider said as he thought of his Arwen.
"Yes,Yes she is." Spike said very quietly. Spike closed his eyes, trying to let sleep envelope his body in beautiful entirety. But his conscious resisted.
Read on……………..
