Hi guys! The next chapter will be up next Sunday.

Review Responses:

Harmoni, I've been dying to write that little bit about Buffy and her weapons. My sister and I were watching the movie long before I had planned this fic and I had turned to her and suggested the scene. I've got a few others that I'm looking forward to. Hee hee

John, yeah, there's some action in this part, both at Hogwarts and in Middle Earth. So you were right. As for Sam and Frodo, you'll get to hear from them in the next chapter.

Zayra, yes, I'll feature Remus some, but I have a lot of characters to filter through. You won't see him featured for several more chapters.

Kyra2, you're right, I just don't see Buffy going into hostile territory without being well armed. It was one of those little bits that I saw before I even started this fic that I wanted to write.

Thanks to all who reviewed, you guys are awesome!!

LOTR Notes:

Láthspell: Rohirrim word, means evil news.

Thanks to my beta, PuNkYCoWGiRL!

Chapter Eighteen

Clarification

Neville looked nervously around the dark forest as he walked next to Blaise. The dark forest at night scared him even more than fighting the army of demons had. At least then he could see them coming and he didn't have time to think or feel, only react. Here, he had no clue what was going to jump out at them. Or when.

He wasn't even sure that Faith's idea of two of them joining her for Friday night's patrol was a good idea. Especially since he was stuck with Blaise.

Not that she was horrible or anything, he just didn't know her very well. And people he didn't know very well tended to make him nervous. He surreptitiously looked over at her and saw a calm but guarded look on her face.

The Gryffindor frown slightly. Where had he seen a look like that before? As his thoughts leapt around, he finally touched on it. Draco had had the same look when he first started training with them. And he realized that she was probably just as afraid of being hurt by them, as they were afraid of her betraying them.

Neville chewed on his bottom lip as he thought this over. Dawn had trusted Draco almost from the very beginning and he had turned out to be a pretty good guy once you got to know him. And Draco and Dawn both seemed to like Blaise. Which meant that she was probably easy to get along with once you got to know her.

Deciding to take the first step of friendship, he asked, "How have your classes been?"

Blaise blinked her hazel eyes in surprise and looked over at him. "Fine... I guess... Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "You've been training with us for over two months and I've realized that I haven't taken the time to get to know you... So, I'm trying to get to know you... So, classes fine?"

She smiled. "Not too bad. As much as I enjoyed Spike's class, Mr. Lupin is doing just as good of a job."

"Yeah. We learned so much from him our second year. It's a shame that most people can't accept that he's a werewolf."

Several feet in front of them, Faith smiled to herself as she listened to them. She had been a little worried about the Slytherin girl being able to fit in since she carried herself in a different manner from the others. Not to mention that she was a pretty tough cookie. Even Faith had been impressed at how well she handled herself during lessons.

There was a crash from the bushes to the left and they all froze, then steadied themselves. Neville looked over at Blaise and was surprised to see fear creeping into her eyes. For the first time, he thought that a lot of her confident air was just an act - a way to disguise her insecurities. He reached out and gently squeezed her hand in encouragement and she squeezed back.

However, the figure that stepped onto the path in front of them was not what they expected. The flabby skinned demon was dressed in muggle clothing and looked around in distress.

"I can't seem to find my... cat. Oh, hello... I didn't mean to... intrude on your nightly walk. Don't mind me," the demon said as she nervously waved.

"You must be Tilly," Faith said, relaxing her stance. "Buffy and Spike told me that you lived in the forest."

"Oh yeah, the slayer and vampire. Such a strange couple. Are you a slayer? You feel like one."

"Yeah. I'm the new muggle defense teacher."

"Buffy died? That's a shame, she was nice - for a slayer."

"Nah, Buffy didn't die. Well, at least not recently. It's along story, but there are two of us."

"Oh. I was just looking for..." Tilly's eyes suddenly got big, then she turned and ran.

Faith frowned and turned to see what was behind them. "Duck!"

The two instantly dropped to the ground and felt something pass over top of them. "Split!" Faith called out and they rolled in opposite directions off the path. Then they jumped to their feet to see what they were facing.

Faith had already begun her attack against the ten-foot behemoth. It had only one eye in the middle of its forehead and had greyish-green skin. "Dammit! I need a sword or a knife."

Neville remembered that the dagger Buffy and Spike had given him for Christmas was tucked into the back of his waistband. He pulled it out and cried, "Here Faith."

She held out her hand and easily caught it. The she drove it into the thing's chest. While she did do some damage, it didn't seem to make any difference.

"It's skin must be too thick," Neville said.

"Its eye! Go for its eye!" Blaise called, seeing an obvious weak spot.

"I gotta get up there first, yo," Faith said as she ducked to avoid a meaty fist.

"Not a problem," Blaise said as she pulled out her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" And Faith quickly rose in the air until she was eyelevel.

She threw the dagger, causing the thing to fall to its knees squealing in pain. Then Blaise lowered her back to the ground.

In the meantime, Neville had transfigured a fallen branch into a sword, hoping that the longer blade would enable Faith to pierce the heart. He called out Faith's name and tossed it to her. She had no sooner wrapped her fingers around its hilt then she had swung and cut the thing's head off.

"Well that was fun," Faith said cheerfully as she retrieved the dagger. "Not bad guys. Not bad at all. Quick thinking. Where did you find the sword?"

"It's actually a branch." He waved his wand and it returned to its original state.

"Huh. Having you wizard guys around is handy. Next time I'll have to remember to bring a sword of my own."

"What do we do about the body?" Blaise asked.

"We'll just drag it off the path. The local meat eaters will do the rest." Faith gave them a sly look. "So who wants to carry the head?"

scenebreak

Buffy watched as Gandalf leaned heavily on his staff and Legolas' arm as they entered what she assumed to be a throne room. Men watched them hungrily from the sides and her senses tingled slightly. Which was perfectly fine with her. She had gone far too long without a good fight.

The doors groaned shut behind them and she could hear them locking into place. It was a rather ominous sound and she could feel the others around her brace themselves for any possible threat.

"My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming," came a hissing voice at the front of the room. It was said so quietly that she was sure that only Spike, Legolas, and herself heard it. "He is a herald of woe," said a dark haired man, who leered over the throne, into another man's ear.

She assumed that the old man sitting on the throne was the king. He didn't look like much of a king except for the crown he wore. His clothes were spotted and dirty. Long, stringy strands of white hair hung in his face and seemed to merge with his beard. Tired, cloudy eyes peered out from a heavily wrinkled face.

It was no wonder that Éomer said that the man no longer recognized his kin. She'd be surprised if he could see past the end of his nose.

They continued their slow walk forward as Gandalf said, "The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King."

"He's not welcome," the dark haired man hissed. It made Buffy wary and she could see men moving into position out of the corner of her eye. She signaled to the others to fan out.

The comment seemed to prompt the old man into action. "Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" The king wheezed and then looked at the younger man for approval.

"A just question, my liege," he said patronizingly. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Láthspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest," he declared as he approached the group.

The company stopped as one when Gandalf commanded, "Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm."

"Ouch. That had to hurt," Draco murmured.

Gandalf swung his staff in front of him for all to see and the man backed away in fear. "His staff. I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

Men began to charge them from out of the shadows and they turned to face them head on.

"Whoo hoo! 'Bout time we got to see some action!" Buffy cried cheerfully as she easily ducked under a swing before using a swift uppercut to knock the man out.

Aragorn and Legolas moved in front of Gandalf to clear him a path to the king. They threw punches and men to obtain their objective.

"Duck honey," Ginny called out to Harry before leaping over him to tackle the man sneaking up behind him. She slammed his head onto the rock floor before getting back up.

"Nicely done," he said with a grin before kicking another man.

"I try," she answered simply.

Dawn saw the man who pulled the king's strings trying to escape. Not willing to let that happen, she kicked the guy closest to her so that he stumbled onto the other. While he flailed about, she used that time to reach him and punch him solidly across the jaw. "I don't think you're going anywhere, buddy."

He looked up at her with surprised eyes. "How did you..."

"Kick your butt?" At his nod, she smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

In the meantime, Gandalf had nearly reached the king. As the fighting died down, he said, "Hearken to me! I release you from the spell."

An eerie laugh escaped the king's lips and Gandalf looked up in surprise. "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey."

Again, Dawn was struck with the thought that the voice sounded different than before. It sounded almost like Gandalf had when they first met him in the forest.

Gandalf threw off his grey cloak and his white robes seemed to gleam. A white light filled the room and the king shrank back from it.

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound," Gandalf said as he pointed his staff.

Spike saw a blonde woman enter and try to run to the king. He reached out and grabbed her. "Hold on there, pet."

"He's my uncle. You must let me go," she cried, struggling in his arms.

"Just wait. Gandalf is trying to help him," Spike said and she ceased her struggling to watch.

"If I go, Théoden dies," the king rasped.

Dawn's eyes widened as she figured it out. She was hearing Saruman's voice through the king's lips.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him," Gandalf said as he went up the two steps to the throne.

"Rohan is mine!"

"Be gone!!"

The king leaped forward and Gandalf used the tip of his staff to smite him on the forehead. The king fell back in his throne and slumped forward slightly with a light moan. Only then, did Gandalf relax.

Spike let the woman go and she rushed forward. She took the king's face in her hands as she dropped to her knees.

Small gasps could be heard throughout the hall. The king began to change before their very eyes. The years seemed to fall away as his hair darkened and the wrinkles faded. His eyes became clear and coherent.

He looked closely at her and recognition gleamed in his eyes. "I know your face. Éowyn... Éowyn."

She smiled as tears glistened in her eyes, then she threw her arms around him. "Uncle," she said in relief.

Théoden looked around the hall after she released him and his eyes stopped on one figure. "Gandalf?"

"Breathe the free air again, my friend," the wizard said in satisfaction.

"Dark have been my dreams of late," Théoden said as he stood, looking at his trembling hands.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword."

Háma ran forward and presented a sword to his king. Théoden slowly drew it and it seemed as if new life sprang through his limbs.

Dawn pulled the struggling man she had captured forward and pushed him in front of the king. "I'm sort of new here, but I think this slimy excuse for a person was responsible for some of this."

"Gríma," Théoden snarled.

"Oh, this is the creep who didn't want Gandalf to have his staff," Buffy said, stepping forward. "Seems like he didn't want you to have any help. Sounds like a traitor to me."

"I've only ever served you my lord," Gríma cried, cowering.

Théoden started down the steps, gripping his sword firmly in his hand. "Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!"

"Send me not from your side."

He raised his sword to kill Gríma, but Aragorn stopped him. "No, my lord! Let him go. Enough blood has been spilled on his account."
"Very well. Get this filth out of my sight."

"Gladly," Buffy said and she began dragging the man towards the door. He struggled the entire way, but she effortlessly got him to and out the door. She gave him one final kick down the stairs, then returned to her friends.

"Thank you, my lady. Now where is my son? Where is Théodred?"

Éowyn's eyes brimmed with tears again as she said, "He is dead. His patrol was ambushed by Saruman's orcs."

Grief flashed briefly over the king's face, but was quickly replaced by a steely resolve. He turned to look at Gandalf. "Truly you said that the courtesy of my hall is lessened. I shall remedy that. Food will be provided for you as well as rooms to freshen up in. I must attend to several things before we meet again." Then he strode out of the hall.

"Does that mean we get to take a bath?" Ginny asked hopefully.

scenebreak

Willow opened her eyes to find herself in a small clearing of a peaceful forest. She looked down and saw that she was still in her kitty pajamas.

"Wills! It's so good to see you!" Came Dawn's voice just before Willow found herself being hugged.

"How are you guys? Did you find..."

"Uh, Willow," Dawn interrupted, pulling back so she could look the redheaded witch in the eye. "We're not exactly sure how secure this connection is."

"Gotcha. You guys ok?"

"We're fine, a little tired, but fine. All of our friends are fine."

Willow nodded. "We haven't found the artifact you wanted to buy or its owner. There seem to be a lot of similar ones out there."

"Ah. I think we're staying for a least another week," Dawn said, carefully choosing her words. "How are the other teachers?"

"Five by five," Willow said with a grin. "The kids are having a good time."

"That's great."

"We miss you guys."

"Yeah, same here," Dawn said sadly. "But if all goes well, we'll be back soon."

"Can't you stay longer?"

"I don't want to risk it. Plus, I've got a meeting to get to. Give everyone our love."

Willow blinked and found herself back in the room she shared with Tara. Deciding to wait until the morning to tell everyone about the visit, she snuggled into Tara's arms and went back to sleep.