Chapter 14 The Owl with Blood
A/N: You all hate Riley and now you're going to hate him so much more. And yes I have chapter 15 almost ready and to be honest this story has three more chapters left after I post 15 craziness. Enjoy.
Buffy rolled over in her bed and looked out the window and saw nothing but white. She got out of bed and walked to her widow seeing the white snow falling and smiled. She opened the window and held out her hand feeling the snow. It was freezing but she liked it. Just less than two days out though Angel was walking in the same snow. He looked up feeling the snow falling and kept walking he was closer than he has been in a long time. He was getting close to the home stretch and he wasn't about to give up now. Buffy and Cordelia had to wait until the snow was done falling before they could start the day's work but it could take its time. All three girls had headaches they had one too many drinks last night.
The snow was done falling and Whistler looked out the window of the mill and the snow was done falling. He and his crew needed to head out and make it back to their cave. They weren't supposed to sleep in the mill Cordelia warned them but they stayed there anyways. The three grabbed their stuff and headed out into the white day.
"I love the snow," Doyle admitted as they headed out the snow fell hard last night and there was a lot of snow on the ground. The tree branches held the white snow and there were ice sickles hanging on the roof side. It was just white everywhere.
"I hate the snow I hate the cold." Whistler stated as he was a fast paced walking and the other two had to keep up. They weren't supposed to be here and the day was already started. By the sun's position it was getting close to noon. They should have been up and out of here before the sun was up. "Come on!" Whistler called out as they ran over the bridge.
"Fellas, what's the rush?" Oz asked as they were now in the woods. They wouldn't make it to their cave by the night which scared Whistler. He knew Riley was out on the prowl itching to kill someone.
"If Cory finds out we've spent the night there'll be hell to pay." Whistler said but they would be paying for it come nightfall somehow Whistler just knew they were in trouble for this. If they had just left last night like they were supposed to the snow that fell earlier this morning would have covered their tracks. Right now they were leaving tracks for Riley to find and follow. Hopefully he was locked inside trying to keep warm and not come out for a few days.
Buffy and Cordelia cleared some snow out around Black Cove and Buffy took Claire out for a ride to get her warmed up. It was nice to ride her by herself. It was truly all she had left of Angel now. Claire trotted into town as people were shut in from the winter and she headed to the housing section of Cold Mountain. Once she got there she looked to a building. This building was run down now as most of its tenants were dead and gone. No one would touch it until the war was over. Buffy dismounted Claire petting her as the horse nuzzled against Buffy liking her new master. Buffy tied her up to a post and then she stood there looking up and then started. She took the flight of stairs and walked to a door. It was Angel's old place and she placed her hand on the door knowing it was empty. He wasn't here but she could hope right?
She came here once a week and sat at his door and waited hoping he would come back. Buffy then sat on the ground and pulled out a book, paper and a pen and began to write to him. "My love, where are you? With no hope of reaching you, I write to you as I always do as I have always done." She started to write on the blank paper. She then stopped writing and when she looked down a tear drop fell on the paper and smudged some of the writing. Should she give up hope that he wasn't coming back? Was he dead? No she would know if he was dead she would have felt it she just knew. The world would look a little different if he was dead.
Buffy sat at his doorstep for an hour or so and then stood up knowing she needed to go home. She turned to the door and it never occurred to her to open it. She grabbed the handle and it didn't budge. It could be locked or because no one opened it for three years it needed more than just a twist of the knob. Buffy then tried again pushing. Something inside her wanted to get in but nothing and she started to sob leaning against the door with silent tears falling. Why couldn't he just come home? Was that so much to ask for? Buff y could have sworn she didn't ask much from God she did everything right in her life. She was kind; she put others before herself so in turn why couldn't she have Angel?
Buffy headed down the steps and back to Claire with tears. Should she give up hope? It's been three years and no word how could you keep holding onto something like that. Should she move on and make peace with it? How could she though? Should she let him go? Buffy then had Claire ride to a spot up in the mountains where Angel took her when they were first falling in love. Seeing the white snow everywhere was so pretty as it seemed to glitter in the sun as it began its first stages of setting.
Angel was walking and had to stop as his stomach growled for food. He should find a place to stop and get a fire going for the night. He was up on a mountain side and as he started walking again to cover one last mile for the day he saw the land covered in snow and how the sun's light hit it. Maybe the only good thing on his travels were the sunrises and sunsets he got to see. He was looking at this sunset hoping Buffy was watching it too. 'I'm almost home please just hold on.' He thought and decided to run the last mile of the day.
Night was here and Whistler and Doyle were getting a fire going for the night. They didn't make it to the cave and they were still far from it. It was too cold to keep walking so they built a fire and would sleep here tonight. Whistler was putting more wood into the fire to get it roaring so they could get warm.
"I'm alone but I don't worry.'Cause I'm sittin' on top of the world." Whistler sung to himself and then Oz come from the woods with a deer a dead and frozen one.
"You reckon we could eat this?" Oz asked holding it up knowing they were all hungry. Whistler smiled seeing dinner.
"Hey, well you know you cook somethin' long enough you can eat anything." He explained as Oz brought it closer to the group.
"It's frozen how long it been there?" Doyle asked and Whistler looked to his singer.
"You hungry?" Whistler asked and Doyle nodded being hungry was pretty common these days.
"Yeah," Doyle answered as Whistler picked up a stick inspecting it.
"Not very long." Whistler answered meaning it was going to be cooked and they could feast.
The dead of night came and Doyle felt a sharp pain hit him and he sat up. His stomach turned upside down and he felt it pushing up the food. Doyle got up and ran to the woods and fell to his knees and threw up his dinner. He shook violently too but once he was done he felt better just dizzy. He sat there gathering himself before heading back to bed when he heard horses approaching and he got down and looked through the brush and he knew exactly who that was on the horse leading a few men.
"Good evenin'," Riley said and Whistler started to wake up and saw Riley and his heart raced. He then noticed Doyle was gone and hopefully he would stay gone. "Hope we didn't disturb you." Riley then dismounted his horse as Whistler sat up. "D'you mind if I warm myself by your fire?" Riley asked and Whistler shook his head no and Riley sat down and some of his men sat with him. Lindsey sat next to Riley and these two in the fire light looked like demons from hell. "Name's Riley Finn do I know you?"
"Whistler most people call me Whistler." And Riley nodded and looked over to Oz as he slept.
"That your wife?" Riley asked and his men chuckled and Riley smirked.
"That's a 'he,'" Whistler said knowing they were bullying him. Buffy and Cordelia were right these men were just mean. He knew Riley had his eyes set on Buffy and something in him told him he could never have Buffy. Buffy was for Angel and he knew Angel would come back and when he does Riley will have to answer to his sins. The whole town of Cold Mountain knew Angel he was the one they wanted to stay home and protect them but because of Riley's family ties to the land he became the leader.
"Is "he" your wife?" Riley asked smiling just being the biggest jerk one could be to another person.
"We're musicians he picks a banjo I got a fiddle." Whistler explained hoping they would leave them alone. If only they didn't stay in the mill they could be safe in their cave and asleep. Riley just sat there having fun teasing this man. It was like hunter torturing it's meal before it ate it.
"He looks pretty romantic by the fire" Lindsey joked and more men chuckled and Riley smiled. Whistler wished he could smack the smile right off his face but they were defenseless right now.
"It's a picture of love." Riley added laughing as Whistler sat there taking the humiliation and the verbal beating. "You gonna play that fiddle?" Riley asked.
"Sure," Whistler reached for his fiddle. "Hey wake up." He nudged Oz and Oz woke up and sitting up looking around seeing the Home Guard and he felt like running.
"Evenin' missis." Riley joked and the men laughed.
"Captain Finn wants us to play now." Whistler said to Oz and Oz picked up his banjo ready.
"Love to," Oz muttered and made sure his banjo was ready.
"We heard there were some deserters up in these parts hidden out in a big cave." Riley started and looked to Oz and Whistler as they sat there. Both knew the game was up but they had to try and play it off that they were just traveling musicians and nothing more.
"Not come to my ears." Whistler was quick to say.
"So you don't know where this big cave is?" Lindsey asked and the two said nothing but they knew they weren't fooling anyone. Riley was like a hound dog sniffing out a fox.
"No sir. There is a cave right up near Bearpen Branch we played some music up there." Whistler answered trying to throw off the scent but Riley was locked on them both.
"Never occurred to us they were outliers." Oz added in trying to help out Whistler. In the brush Doyle watched keeping quiet. "The cave you must be talkin about is nowhere near Bearpen." Riley nodded and looked at Oz's coat he recognized a part of it. The black part was what the reverend Summers wore it was distinct. Whistler then started to play the fiddle and Oz joined in.
"I wish, I wish my baby was born," Whistler started. "And sittin' on its papa's knee. And me poor girl,"
"And me poor girl," Oz joined in even though it should be Doyle singing this.
"Were dead and gone." The two sung together and the Home Guard listen. "And the green grass growin' o'er my feet. I ain't ahead, nor never will be. Till the sweet apple grows on a sour apple tree." They sung and Riley stood up looking out into the woods and Doyle watched this man. Whistler played the fiddle as the singing stopped and Riley knew the song and joined in.
"The owl, the owl," Riley sung and Lindsey listened. "Is a lonely bird. It chills my heart," And Whistler joined in hoping this could create some common ground and they would be let go. "With dread and terror that someone's blood,"
"Someone's blood," Oz joined in as they sung and Doyle fought the tears knowing what was about to happen and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Riley was a horrible man.
"There on his wing that someone's blood," The three sung together. "There on his... feather." And Whistler and Oz finished the tune and Lindsey stared them down.
"Broke my young heart." Lindsey said and looked to Riley as he finally turned around facing the two.
"We gonna be here all night?" Lindsey asked and Riley shook his head no it was time to leave.
"Stand over there." Riley pointed and Doyle sunk to the ground knowing the end was here he couldn't watch this. Whistler sat there his luck had run out.
"Cordy she don't know one end of the war from the other." He was going to defend his daughter as much as he could because something told him Riley figured out who has been helping them. "You don't have to worry yourself about her is what I'm sayin'." Whistler was trying to say just leave her alone kill me but leave her alone. "Or Buffy neither you know what I'm sayin'?" Buffy and Cordelia were innocent but he knew Riley was going to go after them and probably in vicious way and he felt hate towards this man. He couldn't defend the two girls who only offered love and along with Willow all three were suffering a broken heart from this war. Whistler got up and took his spot.
"You too," Riley looked to Oz. "You stand over there." Riley demanded and Riley got up and stood next to Whistler as Riley stood before them.
"How about you smile." Lindsey suggested while taking out his gun too.
"There ain't nothin' in this world worth a smile!" Whistler shouted at them. They had no right to do this at all.
"Put your hat over your face." Riley demanded and the two did it. But with their faces covered they looked to each other telling one another to run. They heard the click of the guns and then they took off running as Lindsey and Riley fired. They were able to dodge the first round of bullets but the second round they weren't so lucky. Doyle heard the rounds and sat there still and his world was spinning. He heard Riley's men get on their horses and head off. Doyle needed to get Buffy and Cordelia and warned them. This gave Riley an excuse to finally advance to Buffy. He would make a deal with her and it wouldn't end well at all.
Oh no now what? Well for those who know the movie know what's next and those who haven't seen it I'll get 15 up soon. I love chapter 15 and you will too. So more on the way comments and reviews are welcomed thanks for reading.