Chapter Four

When Hecate met Xander 4
DISCLAIMER: I don't own BTVS, the book Fimbulwinter, or any pagan deities.
Chapter 4
The next morning after breakfast Captain Rain asked, "Do you want to move on today or rest up for a day?"
"Is it still snowing?" Xander asked. He walked to the stone door and removed the poles from the iron brackets. Opening the door he peered out at a blizzard, "Yeah, I guess we should rest today if you have enough food. I only brought enough for me and my apprentices."
"I think we have enough to get us to the Baron's city of Lanrest if we don't take too long," Rain said.
"Good enough," Xander said. "Maybe we can hunt on the way." He returned to the two witches, "It's still pretty bad outside so we'll wait a day before leaving. Is there anything I should be doing before I meet the Baron? To make sure he gets the right first impression?"
"Well I think you should make yourself some more rings if you have the energy," Cerise said. "In the meantime we'll discuss local etiquette with you. Maybe tomorrow we'll see about hiring one or two of these refugees to pad out your retinue. Once we settle somewhere you'll need servants and if you had evacuated from a castle you'd be looking to replace them on the way."
Avila said, "You could also make yourself a staff. As for retainers, well if you hire Rain's men from the Baron we should leave as soon after as is practical. It might cause conflict over time."
"I will have to think about what sort of staff to make but rings should be easy. I can even experiment with enchantments. I'm thinking of some sort of healing that's always working for a start. So that even if I'm unconscious I won't bleed out or freeze to death."
"Oh, my goodness," Avila said. "Can you do that?"
"I won't know for certain until it's done but I think I can manage," Xander said. "Once I get it straight I can offer you one too."
"Um, well, that would be rather useful," Avila said and Cerise snickered.
"Take your time with it," Cerise said. "We'll leave you be until lunch. We can walk among the people and see who looks like they might be an asset and who is best left in Lanrest. Come with me honeydew. We wouldn't want to jog his elbow."
"You're still hoping for a matched set aren't you?" Avila said. "Well we can discuss it as we walk."
After they left Xander concentrated and checked the ground for precious metals. It was easier to pull metal from the ground then conjure it but slower. Finding none he shrugged and started conjuring. By the time lunch rolled around Xander had a second silver ring on his left hand and a gold one on his right pinky finger.
"It's time for lunch," Avila said. "You need food if you plan to do all this enchanting."
"Thanks," Xander said. He stretched, "I think I'm done for a bit. What's for lunch?"
"Seasoned meat and cheese wrapped in flatbread," Avila said. She passed him a wrap and he was pleasantly surprised to find it warm. He sat with them outside their tent and started eating.
"What do these new rings do?" Cerise asked. She was sitting across from him eating as well.
"The other silver one has the healing effect I was talking about," Xander said as he ate. "This is very good. I don't see how you can make simple ingredients taste so good."
"Thank you, Milord," Avila said. "And what does the gold ring do?"
"It provides a shield of force magic," Xander said.
Cerise licked her lips, "Do you plan to share those enchantments with us too?"
"You get to go first if he says yes," Avila said with an eyeroll.
"If you want one, sure," Xander said. "But it doesn't sound like Avila wants them."
"I want to see where you put the third one first," Avila said and smirked.
Xander blushed and was about to answer when something started slamming into the front door, "Let me go see what that is." He finished his wrap on the way to the door.
As he got there he saw the door shudder and called out to the nearest guards, "Do you know what that is?"
"Probably a large predator," one said. "But I haven't opened the door."
"Reasonable," Xander replied. He put his hand on the wall near the door and created a set of sharp spikes pointing outward from the door and the walls nearby. The door was quiet after that, "I'll give it a minute then create a window in the door so we can look without opening it."
The point of a spear sized for a frost giant came through the door next and Xander sighed then shouted, "Get everyone away from the walls. I think we might actually need to go take care of this. Can one of you go tell my apprentices I need them? I don't want to leave the door."
"I'll go tell them lord wizard," a guard said and ran off.
Xander used earth sorcery to fix the hole in the door after the spear was removed then started trying to reinforce the stone of the door. When Cerise and Avila showed up he said, "Can you two maintain the reinforcement spell on the door while I make a part of the wall transparent so we can see what's waiting for us?"
"Yes I can do that, Milord," Cerise said. Pulling from her own ring she took over the reinforcement spell.
"With two of us strengthening the door they won't get in," Avila added as she added her power to the spell.
Xander concentrated and turned part of the stone door to a clear quartz window and made sure it was linked to both reinforcement spells. Looking out he said, "I see one giant and two giant wolves. Captain Rain, do you think you and your men can deal with the wolves while we take out the giant?"
Rain looks out the window for a bit then nods, "I think we can. We might want to ask some of the young men to help. At least the ones with their own weapons. Still I think two wolves is doable if you can take the frost giant."
"Right, as long as there's just the one I'm sure I can manage while my apprentices guard my back," Xander said. He considered creating a sword and shield or a crossbow but decided he couldn't carry one big enough to work on a twenty foot tall humanoid. He would just have to use his innate sorceries. "Do either of you girls want a crossbow?"
Avila said, "I would like one if you can manage it."
Cerise said, "I have my enchanted daggers."
Xander was very familiar with the making of crossbows even if he usually worked in wood so he was able to make Avila a steel crossbow with gearing to assist her in drawing back the wire string. He also made a dozen steel quarrels to use with it.
"Okay," Xander said with a grim look. "Let's go kill us a giant."
The two women with him nodded and he removed the bars from the door and opened it.
The three of them left first with the mercenaries of Rain's company coming behind them.
As he ran Xander created a warmth field around him that included the two women, "Stick close to me and you should remain warm."
Avila said, "Thank you milord. Let me get a few shots off before we close the distance." She was trying to sight her crossbow.
"I hope you can fire on the run," Xander said. "Stopping to aim will just make you a target." He threw a fireball but noticed its effect was diminished by the falling snow.
Cerise was throwing shadow bolts. She was hoping to get it injured before they reached it.
Xander created long spears made of nearly invisible Force magic in front of the giant then shouted, "Come and get me ugly!" He slowed down and started throwing fireballs again.
The giant rushed towards the three attacking him, "Argh!" He shouted in pain as he impaled himself on the unseen spears of force. The giant dropped his own spear and tried to back away.
Xander pulled more power from his ring and extended both spears until they extended out through the back of the giant and grew spikes to prevent him from pulling himself free.
Avila started firing crossbow bolts into the giant's head.
Cerise dashed forward and plunged both daggers into one leg and started her power draining ritual.
Once the giant died the three looked around and saw the mercenaries were finishing off the elephant sized wolves.
"I know a ritual that involves the heart of a Fellwolf," Avila said.
"Is that the name of those things?" Xander asked.
"Yes," Avila said. "If I cook it right everyone who has a piece will get some stamina and cold resistance."
"That sounds good," Xander said. "Any side effects?"
Avila said, "Anyone particularly open to the nature of a wolf might get more but it will all be beneficial and probably fade away once they're living in a city again."
"Sounds good," Xander said. "Let me tell the men." He waved over Captain Rain and told him what he intended to do.
"I agree that it sounds useful," Captain Rain said. "And it will really stretch out our rations. I don't think we should tell any of the peasants though. They can be a fearful and superstitious group."
"Okay by me," Xander said. "You can tell your men what you think is best and we'll tell everyone else it's just to stretch our rations."
"If you can butcher them out here We'll carry the meat inside for you," Rain said.
"We can do that," Avila said. "Come on Cerise."
Xander said, "Wait, let me make you an extra knife or two." He created two steel butcher's knives and handed them out.
"Mighty handy trick that," Captain Rain said as they watched the girls butcher a wolf.
"We should probably leave after we eat," Xander said. "I would almost say before but the refugees will need all the stamina they can get."
"True enough," said Captain Marcus Rain.
Once the meat had been butchered Avila stretched her hands out over it and spoke in ancient Greek. While she did that Cerise walked up to Xander and said, "Milord, we may need your help to get this all cooked quickly."
"Sure," Xander said. "I'll help as much as I can."
Once everyone and the meat was inside Xander created two smooth, flat rocks that rose up to table height and made them hot as a stove in the center and growing cooler towards the edges.
Avila organized many of the women to help her cook the meat and bring some to everyone.
"After we eat we should get going," Xander said. "If they found us once they can find us again and next time it might be more of them."
"Agreed," said Captain Rain. He had his men go and tell everyone to be ready to leave as soon as everyone had eaten.