Faith's Cruciamentum continued.
Faith looked at her make shift torch. The branch was on fire now, it didn't have long before it was useless to her, but thinking about Rory's teachings, she remembered something else. The human eye can see much farther than people realize. It was just detail that people need to see up close. She was positive the Pack would come for them. And their vision was even better than a normal humans. A moving flame would hopefully get their attention, if not theirs than someone's. She raised the branch up and moved it side to side, methodically. Then up and down, a crude cross in the air. Hopefully it was enough. She quickly stomped on the flame and though dirt on it to make sure it was out. Now to check out around that cabin back there, see if there was anything she'd missed, like maybe G.
Xander and the Pack moved quickly, but carefully though the area leading out to the old miner's cabin. Scenting the air for Giles and Faith. So far the scents had alluded them. Then Kyle called their attention to a light in the distance. A flame, moving. After a moment Heidi's voice could be heard saying softly, "is it my imagination or does that kinda look like a t or maybe a cross?"
After a moment the others agreed, it kinda did. "Bottom line someone is moving a flame around out there. A cross would be a great way for Faith to pretty much scream 'hey, I'm here'." Xander said. "Use it, let's head there."
The Pack continued on in the direction they'd seen the flame.
Faith moved cautious!y around the edge of the cabin, keeping an ear out to the sounds of the animals. Even out here, there was birdsong. She made it around the cabin and there he was, tied up. Ooh, someone was going to be in alot of trouble when she got her hands on them. He was awake and working to loosen the ropes around his wrists. The was blood on them and the ropes were fraying. Faith moved quickly to help him. "Sorry G, I don't have my strength right now, but I'll get you out just as fast as I can." She told him, untying the gag. "Hey, there was a vamp tied up back there too. I lit the thing up. So, you okay, G?" She asked.
"Faith, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen."
"Who wouldn't listen, G?" She asked, working on the ropes around his wrists.
"Quentin Travers with the Watcher Council. He's testing you. It's a rite of passage or at least that's what they call it. I call it a barbaric act of cruelty. They temporarily, using a drug, disable your Slayer abilities. Then they put you up against a vampire. They claim it's to test your resourcefulness."
"In that case, I probably did pretty well then. I remembered some of Rory's lessons. I made a fire by sparking two rocks together, then wrapped my tshirt around a branch and made a torch. Then I followed the birdsong. When I couldn't hear the birds, I knew there was a predator around. Found the vamp trying to untie itself and lit it up. Then came looking for you. Well that and trying to signal the Pack. I'm sure they're out looking for us."
"You'd be right." A voice said softly. Xander stepped out of the dark, the Pack materializing around them. "We saw your signal, good thinking. Come on, let's get you guys out of here and find us some Englishman who need a reminder to play nice in other people's territory."
Giles was much fitter than many men his age, but he wasn't up to a hike in the shoes he wore to work, or over the terrain between the old miner's cabin and where the Pack had left the cars, so Xander sent Kyle and Tor on ahead to drive them closer, while he and the girls helped Giles and Faith over the rocky ground.
Once they met up with Tor and Kyle, they headed back into town. They made it to the High School and delivered Giles and Faith into Jesse's waiting hands and first aid kit. He set to work cleaning Giles wrists, while Jenny fussed over him. Willow brought him a cup of coffee and the others began to plot how to deal with a pompous Englishman.
Giles told them Travers and his people, at least two others, were staying at the Sunnydale Arms. Faith told them there might be another one as a Wesley Wyndam-Pryce had been the one who came to her place, claiming to be her new Watcher and possibly another, because she wasn't sure he was who had shot her with the dart. So possibly five that they were aware of, at least, maybe more.
The Pack, along with Faith and Jesse descended on the Sunnydale Arms. Finding the rooms the Council members were staying in, they blitz attacked them, putting bags over their heads and carrying them outside in the early dawn light.
It was an odd sight that greeted people going to the mall that day. Five naked Englishman, tied up and gagged, sitting in the middle of the mall with a sign on a board nearby saying. 'This is what happens when you get caught kidnapping a girl in Sunnydale'.
A/N In case you're wondering, rapping quartz and pyrite (fool's gold) against each other will make sparks. There are a few other ways too.