Author: eena_angel2001
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Category: BTVS/LOTR
Pairing: Willow/Aragorn
Spoilers: Two Towers Movie. End of Season Five for BTVS.
Summary: Response to Malana's Challenge, Willow makes a minor
miscalculation . . .
Original Challenge:
I've seen Two Towers 3 times already and am absolutly in love with it. It has gotten me reinterested in LOTR crossovers. Since I'm already slow in writing my BtVS/West Wing crossover, I don't want to attempt another fic write now. So I'm hoping someone will write this for me.
Rule 1. Must be a Willow'/Aragorn pairing. Now I know that Aragorn has Arwen. But I really want to see him with Wills in a story. You can either pretend the Aragorn/Arwen pairing never happened, or you can find a way to work around it.
Really as long as it's that paring I don't care about anything else. But here are some more guidelines if people want to follow them.
1. Willow messes up a spell and is sent into middle earth. This can happen either durning the first book, or the second. If the first Willow becomes close friends with Boromir, and is devestated when he dies. If it happens in the Two Towers, she must be a part of the Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli story line.
2. Willow and Aragorn get off to a bad start. Aragorn doesn't trust Willow.
3. Willow does have magic ability, but please don't make her out to be more powerful than Gandalf.
4. The group helps teach Willow how to fight.
Hope someone does this pairing.
Thanks,
Malana
"Maybe we shouldn't do this."
She rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth to stop herself from yelling at her companion. Instead, she went still, counting down from ten in her head before turning to her companion.
"We have to do this," she reminded him. "We have to bring her back."
"That's not the problem," he sputtered. "It's just, should we be messing with forces like this? Willow, that price the spell mentions, we don't even know what it is."
"The price is kind of secondary to everything else," Willow returned, sighing as she looked up at the night's sky. "We have to do this Xander. The Hellmouth is in chaos. The Council can't keep all the demons at bay and getting Faith out of prison is taking too long. If we don't bring her back now, there might be nothing left to save." Xander gave a sigh of his own, falling back on his heels and looking back towards the town of Sunnydale. He could see the dark houses, people holed up in fear of the evils taken to the street after Buffy's death.
"We have to do this," he admitted in defeat. "I'd just feel better knowing what the price was."
"I don't care," Willow stated firmly. "We need to do whatever it takes. This place isn't going to last that much longer. We need Buffy, we need the Slayer."
"Agreed," Xander mumbled, hanging his head as he reached for objects of the ritual. Silently, the two went about their business, pouring sand, drawing circles on the ground, and smearing their faces in ritual paint.
"This brings Buffy back, right?" Xander asked suddenly. "Not some weird zombie type Buffy?"
"The actual Buffy," Willow affirmed. "Flesh and blood, alive and well."
"Okay," he nodded to himself absently, settling down on the floor next to his friend. "Let's do this. Before I change my mind again."
"It'll be okay," Willow assured him. "I translated this along with Giles. We're pretty sure this is right."
"Pretty sure?" Xander repeated in alarm. "Willow, you better be damn sure! I don't want us accidentally raising the wrong body."
"It'll be Buffy," she assured him quickly. "That part is clear. Again, just the price part of it. We offer up the price, I'm pretty sure the words are right."
"Again with the pretty sure instead of the certain," Xander shook his head, tossing his friend a reprimanding frown.
"If you turn me into something unnatural, I'm never forgiving you."
"There is no transformation in the spell," she assured him. "That will not, probably not, most likely won't happen."
"Wills," Xander sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just stop talking and do the mojo. I'm about ready to bolt."
Willow tossed her friend a wry smile, one that he missed with his eyes closed. The redhead took in a deep breath, trying to gain some calm as she looked over the spell once more. Very slowly, she began reciting the words, voice steady and in focus.
Her eyes floated over to the grave in front of them every now and then, noting the lights that began appearing. She nodded to herself slowly as Xander reached for her hands, reciting the part she had made him memorize. The lights continue to grow around the grave, a wind picking up around them.
She took over the rest of it, shouting the words to be heard over the gale. Her eyes went to the grave as she spoke, seeing the lights take form on the grave. The outline of a body could be seen, growing in definition until she could see it was a female form. The definition grew, long blonde hair appearing on the female's head.
Tears pricked her eyes when she saw Buffy's body define fully and materialize in front of them. The spell was stopped, Willow waiting with bated breath as the figure stirred.
"Holy shit," came the whisper from Xander. "We did it."
Buffy opened her eyes, looking around her in confusion. Her eyes fell on her friends and the Slayer opened her mouth.
"Willow? Xander? What happened-"
Willow wanted to reply, lights flashing around her suddenly. She shrieked when she felt a pulling, hearing Xander's shout joining her own. Buffy was becoming alarmed, but Willow saw nothing more as blackness descended and the ground disappeared before her feet.
***
"I have been sent back to you now, at the turn of the tide."
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, could only shake his head, staring in wonder at the wizard before him. Gandalf the White, formerly Gandalf the Grey, back from the dead. He knew Legolas and Gimli were behind him, bowing to the wizard. He felt he should be doing the same, but his knees couldn't make the trip. He just had to stare at the man, as if to verify that it was him.
Gandalf had only a smile for him, and a pat on the shoulder.
"Come Aragorn," the wizard commanded, nodding his head further into the woods. "We will leave for Edoras, after our reinforcements arrive."
"Reinforcements?" Legolas repeated, a frown coming over his features. "Who? From where do they hail?"
"They come from far away," was the vague response. "And they are not expecting us or to be our reinforcements. But they are coming nonetheless, and with little choice left to them."
"Gandalf?"
The white wizard stopped in his tracks, standing before a small pond. He looked up at the sky, squinting at the sun. There was a puzzled look on his face as he turned back to his companions.
"They're not here yet," he laughed. "Typical."
"Gandalf," Aragorn stepped forward, concern on his face. "Who are these people? Why would they meet us in Fangorn Forest?"
"I have already told you," Gandalf reminded him. "They are not expecting to meet us. They are not expecting to be here. But they are coming anyway. I was told, before I was sent back, that they would arrive now. They will be a boon, not a weakness in our attempt to rid Middle Earth of the darkness of Mordor."
"Who are they?" Gimli asked, repeating Aragorn's initial question.
"Well-" Gandalf cut himself off, frowning as he turned back to look at the pond. A small smile came over his features and he turned back to his companions with a twinkle in his eyes.
"You shall meet them yourselves," the wizard replied, stepping back from the pond. He pushed Aragorn away as well, stopping a good ten feet from the water. The man was confused, opening his mouth to demand answers.
But before he could, a great chill went up in the forest. Wind blew heavily around the foursome, blowing cloaks and hair into their eyes. A light began to appear in front of them, growing wider and wider as the time passed. They could only watch, dumbfounded, startled when the light went out.
There was a quick scream and a splash, with a spray of water coming to meet them. Aragorn heard mumbling, drawing his sword immediately upon hearing voices. Legolas and Gimli drew their own weapons, standing tense in preparation for whatever lay in the pond.
There was some more moaning, snippets of conversation meeting them.
"Willow? Are we dead?"
"No."
A brief pause.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We're not dead, we're wet."
"What happened?"
"Got me."
"Could you be more helpful?"
"Could you get off me first? I love you and everything Xander, but I don't like being all snuggly with you while in water."
There was some more splashing, followed by a series of sheepish apologies. He could not make out the figures just yet, knew only one was a tall man and the other was a slight woman. Both seemed unaware of their presence, more concerned with getting out of the water than noticing their surroundings. And then:
"Where are we?"
Gandalf chose this time to step forward. He lay a hand on Legolas's bow, pushing it downward. The others complied, lowering their weapons while the wizard stepped forward to meet the strange arrivals.
"You're late."
***
Willow wasn't aware of much after the ground disappeared on her. She had shut her eyes, feeling the cool wind on her face, but unable to look around her for fear of what she would find. Surely this was the price that the spell demanded. She and Xander would die to return Buffy to the world of the living.
And then, the strangest thing happened. They fell faster than before, having only a few seconds of the sensation before they were dropped to the floor. And into water.
The chilling water was a blow to the senses. Her eyes shot open, her mouth opened in a gasp, causing her to swallow some water. She felt someone descend upon her, knowing it was Xander. But his weight was keeping her underwater, and she struggled against him.
Finally, she was able to reach the surface, a stunned Xander more or less still on her.
"Willow? Are we dead?"
A just question. The redhead coughed a bit, thinking the situation over.
"No," she answered firmly. Xander was quiet for a moment, trying to heave himself up and out of the water but failing.
"Are you sure?" he asked her tentatively. She sighed, rolling her eyes a bit.
"Yes," she answered tiredly. "We're not dead. We're wet."
"What happened?" he demanded of her next. The redhead was too exhausted to do much else but shrug indifferently.
"Got me."
That earned her a frown from her friend.
"Could you be more helpful?" he asked in an irritated tone.
"Could you get off me first?" she threw back at him. She was angry for a second, but that passed. Instead, she continued to talk to him, in a slightly less tense tone.
"I love you and everything Xander, but I don't like being all snuggly with you while in water."
He got a chastised look to his face at that. With a few apologies, he got off of her. He fell to the side, causing water to spray up in her face. She shook her head, managing to make her way into a standing position in the water. She heard Xander's sharp intake of breath before she registered anything else. She looked up, noticing the forest they seemed to be in. It was huge, massive, and dark. Not like anything she had ever been in back in Sunnydale. Of course, that led her to believe maybe they weren't in Sunnydale anymore.
Xander seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"Where are we?" he asked, curiously as he strained his neck to look to the treetops. She shrugged, not really having an answer for him.
"You're late."
The answer had come from behind them. It caused both humans to freeze as they were, Willow shooting Xander a panicked look. Xander moved swiftly, pushing the redhead behind him and turning to face the speaker.
Her green eyes fell upon their company, causing her to gasp yet again. Four of them all together. One, an old man dressed all in white. He had a bit of a grandfather look to him, increased by the twinkle in his eyes. Another, a tall blonde one, who she couldn't see all that well, but could see he had a bow. The third, a small thing, with red hair and a bit of a standoffish look to him. The axe he was brandishing didn't help matters much. And the fourth, tall dark and handsome-and with a drawn sword. The redhead gulped, shrinking a bit behind her friend as she stared at these strangers.
Xander broke the silence, putting forth the question they all wanted to ask, in true eloquent Xander form.
"What the hell are you?"
***
Laughter answered his question.
Xander frowned, debating whether or not to be offended by the old man in white in front of him. The guy was laughing at Xander, but not in a mean way. More of a greatly amused way with a lot of warmth to it.
But he was still laughing. And not answering the rather important question Xander had asked.
"What are you?" he repeated through clenched teeth. "Where are we? What happened? And finally, why?"
"A good number of questions," the old man finally answered. "And you shall have your answers. But perhaps you and the lady would like to step out of the water? I am not sure about you, but I fear she is feeling a bit cold."
That startled him, causing him to look over his shoulder at Willow. The redhead managed a weak smile from him, visibly shaking as she clung to the back of his robe. Xander turned back to the man and his companions, sending them an openly distrustful look.
"We will not harm you," the old man promised, motioning to the others to put their weapons down. The dark-haired man and the blonde one were quick to reply, with the midget being the last. He seemed a bit put off at the suggestion of dropping his axe, mumbling about foolish risks in the damned forest.
"Come now," the old man waved at them. "You will catch cold unless you get out of those clothes."
"Um, true," Willow piped up, voice shaking from the cold. "But we don't really have any other clothes to get into once out of these."
The old man stopped and then smiled sheepishly.
"All right, but then let us rid you of those wet robes," he suggested, reaching out a hand to Willow. "We can give you warm cloaks to throw over top. That should suffice until we can find a spot to start a fire."
Willow looked uncertainly at the outstretched hand. She wasn't quite sure whether to trust the man. But it seemed like the only good solution because she so wanted out of these woods. She wasn't sure if she was hearing things but when the old man had said "fire", she thought she heard the trees grumble. Grumble unhappily.
So she took the hand, rather hesitantly. Xander gave her a sharp look at that, but she waved it off.
"Too wet to care," she muttered, allowing the wizard to pull her out of the water. Xander frowned at her and then shrugged himself. He followed right behind his friend, glaring at the others, letting them know he was far from trusting just yet.
"Now, about your questions," the old man started, throwing a grin in return for Xander's glare. "I am Gandalf the White. I am a wizard and you are now in Fangorn Forest. You were brought here as a result of the spell the young lady cast. And finally, you were brought in order to aid us in our hour of need."
That stunned them a bit. Xander's glare abruptly went from the strangers to Willow herself. The redhead seemed to shrink in on herself for a second, face going beet red as she tried to defend herself.
"I didn't bring us here," she stammered, frowning at the wizard. "I brought Buffy back-"
"For a price, no?" the old man arched an eyebrow at her.
"Well yeah," she stuttered. "But this was not the price. The price was something completely different. Someone must have interfered with the spell-"
"That is doubtful my dear."
Willow frowned, turning an exasperated face to Xander.
"This was not the price!" she insisted. "I don't know exactly what the price was supposed to be, but this is not it! I mean, the spell clearly states that the price would be for us to give up a part of our lives-"
"So, you prefer death to life?" the midget finally spoke up. Willow stopped, her mouth opened and shut a few times as she tried to come up with an answer for that.
"We're not saying anything," Xander finally said for her. "But we are saying that we expected something else. And now that this happened, well, it makes all of this a very suspicious incident indeed."
"Did you just say indeed?" Willow couldn't help but ask in disbelief. Xander went red, coughing a bit before glaring at his friend.
"Anyway," Willow quickly said. "The spell was translated and this was not anywhere in the fine print. It says plainly 'the supplicants will give up their part in this life'-"
"Do you have the spell here?" the old man, Gandalf asked. Willow nodded, shrugging off her rather heavy and wet robe. She noticed that the three other strangers went strangely red and turned away.
She frowned at them, looking down at herself. She took in the bare skin and laughed.
"I'm not naked underneath boys," she giggled. "It's just a tank top."
She continued to laugh at the flustered strangers, reaching into the pocket of her wet jeans to pull out a wet piece of paper. She handed it to Gandalf, folding her arms when he took it.
"See?" she looked a bit proud of herself. "It's all right there-"
"I see," he interrupted her. "But it doesn't say 'life'."
"What?" she made to move to his side, looking at the paper. He pointed out something in the middle.
"I can see where you went wrong," he told her. "This should be 'depart' not 'leave', which isn't much of a difference, but it leads to trouble down here. What the spell actually says is 'the supplicants will give up their part in this world'. World, not life."
Willow felt her eyes bug, snatching the paper back from Gandalf. Her eyes traveled over the words, face paling with each passing second. Xander felt his calm break.
"Willow?" he began testily. The redhead looked up, giving him a guilty grimace.
"I made a minor miscalculation-"
"You call this minor!" Xander spread his arms out, gesturing to the woods and the strangers around them. "Willow!"
"It's not my fault!" she protested, before stopping herself. "Okay, maybe it is kind of my fault, but not entirely. Giles told me it was the proper translation. And if you think about it, a slight error in conjugation usually doesn't have this sort of ramifications-"
"Willow!"
"I'm sorry!" she wailed, in genuine distress. "I might have been a bit hasty, but we needed Buffy back! Besides, look on the bright side. We're not dead."
"And how long is that going to hold?" he muttered, turning exasperated eyes to the treetops. "Old guy-"
"His name is Gandalf," interrupted the dark-haired man. He stepped up to Xander, a slight menace in his eyes.
"And you should not address a lady in such a tone," the man continued.
"Aragorn-" Gandalf began in a warning tone.
"Don't worry about it," Willow was quick to jump in, pulling on Xander's arm to draw him away from the confrontation. "I'm not that much of a lady anyway. And he's kind of got a reason to be mad. It'll pass. Don't fight."
"As my lady wishes," the man, Aragorn, bowed out. Willow raised a brow at his actions, smiling a bit goofishly. Xander glared at her and she shrugged.
"You don't see that kind of chivalry anymore," she muttered in defense, before shivering again. "Sure is cold."
Gandalf started, shaking his head"
"Oh, I forgot," he laughed to himself. "Out of the wet robe Master Xander. Both of you will freeze if we don't move quickly."
Xander shrugged out of his robe, accepting the cloak Gandalf passed him. The wizard turned, beckoning to the so-far silent blonde man in the back. He emerged, throwing a cloak over Willow's shoulders. The redhead was grateful for the warm cloth. She smiled, raising her head to thank the man when she was shocked still.
"Ooh, pretty!"
She really wished her mouth would stop working without her brain's permission.
***
The pretty man went red, just like Willow.
"What I meant to say was . . ." the redhead trailed off, making a bit of a face. "I'm sorry. My brain and mouth never really work on the same wavelength. Stuff just gets out."
"It is quite all right my lady," the man muttered, sending her an embarrassed grin.
"The lad doesn't mind," the dwarf roared, decidely more amused with the newcomers now. "I think he appreciates the compliment. Don't you pretty boy?"
The blonde man turned his head sharply, glaring death at the dwarf behind him. It only served to make the dwarf laugh harder. Willow was inching away from the blonde man, still red in the face from her outburst. Xander chuckled, poking her in the ribs as she joined him.
"I didn't know you were back to liking boys?" he needled her. Willow sucked in a breath, glaring fiercely at her friend.
"I didn't mean it like that!" she insisted. "It's just that, well, he is pretty! Too pretty! Not human pretty! Look at the ears!"
"He is Elf my lady," the man, Aragorn, spoke up from beside the dwarf. He too was smiling amusedly at the redhead, laughing at his friend from time to time.
"Elf?" Willow repeated, eyes going back to the creature she had flustered. "Oh, that explains a lot. Human guys aren't nearly that good-looking."
"Hey!" Xander frowned at her, a playful twinkle in his eye.
"What?" she tossed back.
"Nothing," he shrugged. "Can't argue with that. But I felt as a human guy, I should put in my protest of 'hey'. That sounded kind of like a put down."
"It was not!" Willow frowned at them. "Oh this is all bad. Can we start over?"
"The lady speaks wisely," Gandalf interrupted. "Very well, as you know, I am Gandalf the White. This here is Aragorn son of Arathorn, Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas son of Thranduil."
"I'm Xander, son of Robert," Xander tossed in with a shrug. Willow made a bit of a face.
"I'm Willow, but I don't have a 'son of' thing to add. Makes me feel kind of left out, and outnumbered."
"I do not believe your husband would allow that," Aragorn smiled at her. Willow frowned.
"Husband?" she turned, looking at Xander before giggling.
"You mean Xander?" she laughed, pointing to her friend with an incredulous look on her face. "You think we're- NO, no, no, no, no, no, no. We're just friends."
Xander pouted, sending her a bit of a glare.
"Add enough 'nos' there?" he muttered unhappily. "And the rambling redhead is right. We are not married. I'm not her type. None of us are really, we lack a certain key requirement with her-"
"Xander, shut up!"
"Well, you were all laughing at me!" he retorted.
"I was not-" she stopped herself, rolling her eyes skyward. "We are so getting off track. Gandalf, you were saying stuff. Hour of need."
"Ah yes!" the wizard smiled at them, his eyes dancing with amusement as he watched their interaction. Now, he stepped forward, motioning the two newcomers to follow behind him.
"We will explain all on the Edoras," the wizard replied. "But we must hurry now."
"Wait a minute," Xander held up his hand. "No offence, but we haven't decided anything. We don't know who most of you are and whether or not we can trust you."
"Xander . . ." Willow went red, pulling on his arm. "You're being rude."
"I'm being practical," he tossed back. "We were dumped into another dimension or something Willow. I realize that might have been completely our unwitting doing, but still. We are in a foreign place and apparently in the middle of some big apocalyptic mess. Now, these guys say they're the good guys, and I'm not saying you aren't, but we don't know. Hell, we don't know where we are and what the hell we've gotten ourselves into. I'm not willing to give blind trust here."
"A wise choice," Aragorn nodded. "But we have no time for such delays. You can come or we can leave you here. Either way, we must make haste. Much more hangs in the balance than you know my friend."
"What is it that would convince you?" Gandalf asked. "What is it that you need to see? Would it take the image of an Orc raid on a helpless village to sway your mind? Please let us know, but Aragorn is right. Do so quickly, we are in much hurry."
Willow tugged on Xander's arm, nodding her head ever so slightly behind them. Xander nodded, walking a bit of a distance off with her before falling into hushed tones.
Neither noticed the Elf, listening in on every word they said.
***
"I trust them."
Xander sighed, running his hands over his face before looking at his best friend.
"I got that," he muttered. "But I don't get it. Why Wills? And don't tell me it's because of Pretty Elfie over there. I'll be the first guy to celebrate your renewed interest in our sex, but that is no reason to go running off with strangers-"
"Xander," Willow cut him off firmly, eyes blazing a bit. "I'm not making this decision based on a hormonal thing, okay? Don't you know me a bit better than that?"
Xander sighed again, nodding his head in defeat.
"And this just feels right," she continued, face going soft as she pleading with him. "I trust them, I trust Gandalf. Kind of reminds me of Giles. And with all that power in him, he could have just forced us to go along with him by now. I say, we do it. Besides, there is no way I'm spending another minute in this forest. No offence best bud, but I'd rather go with the weapon wielding guys than be stuck in here with you as my only defence."
"None taken," he returned easily, sending her a bit of a sly grin. "I wouldn't want to be trapped in here with me as my only defence either. I'd be dead in a hour."
"So . . . you agree?" she needled. He sobered, looking off at the strangers that were waiting on them.
"Not entirely," he muttered. "But if you say so, who am I to protest? Let's go help them kill an Oar or whatever."
"I think he said Orc," Willow corrected him mildy. Xander scoffed at that, leading her back towards the others.
"Orc? Like that sounds intimidating."
***
"They are coming," Legolas whispered, barely audible enough for his companions to hear.
"Good," Gimli grunted. "Let's get out of these damned woods. The trees are starting to make me uneasy."
"Afraid of a tree, Master Dwarf?" Legolas smirked at him.
"I did not say afraid!" the dwarf thundered. "I said uneasy! There is a difference!"
"Oh, is there?" Legolas continued. "I thought both meant the trees were frightening you."
"Dwarves are never frightened!" Gimli roared, face red with outrage. Aragorn placed a calming hand on the dwarf's shoulder, turning to his comrades with amusement in his eyes.
"Enough," he scolded lightly. "Do not do injury to each other before the armies of Saruman can."
"Harm?" Gimli repeated, sending the man a glare. "You think one of those lowly Orcs is going to harm a dwarf! I'll have you know-"
"Come!" Gandalf's voice rang clear over the woods. All turned to see the wizard disappearing fast amongst the trees. They hurried to follow, Aragorn turning to see if their new companions were behind them.
"We must ride to Edoras!" Gandalf called from the front. "Saruman has set his sights on Rohan. And if we do not stop him, he will surely destroy it."
A grim silence descended on the group then, all marching single file through the trees. Only after a while was another sound made, Willow's voice hesitantly breaking the quiet of the forest.
"Who's Sore-U-Man?"
***
Willow decided that horse-back riding wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She honestly couldn't believe that some people did this to relax, it wasn't relaxing in the least.
But then again, that probably had more to due with seating arrangement and her general lack of knowledge about horses. She had never been riding in her entire life, neither had Xander. This had surprised their companions and led to some general mixing up of partners and the such.
Xander had ridden with Gandalf because he had the super horse that would be more able to bear the weight of two full grown men. She wasn't quite sure that the horse, Shadowfax, was a super horse, but that was what she guessed from everything said. Someone had said something about it being a Master of horses or something like that. Legolas had called it some pretty name in Elvish, unless his Elf eyes deceived him. She didn't think his Elf eyes would do that, they were so pretty.
Willow had been put on the horse with Aragorn, originally behind the man. But remember her lack of experience on a horse? Well, she kept sliding and almost falling off because her grip wasn't quite what it was supposed to be. Aragorn finally just stopped and swung her around with one arm to seat her in front. It had been a shock, causing her to squeal very unladylike. Was he really that strong or was she really that light?
Anyway, at the front wasn't any better than behind. You would think spending hours traveling with on a horse almost in the lap of a gorgeous man would be fun, but it really wasn't. The terrain they rode over was rough and very hilly. Going uphill, she was constantly smacking into the man behind her. Going downhill, she had to cling desperately to his arms to keep from falling off. She guessed it wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't been going as fast as they were. But Gandalf wanted to reach this Ed or Russ's place pretty fast.
As well, sitting half on the saddle, half on Aragorn, was very uncomfortable. Especially with all the galloping they were doing, causing Willow to be jiggled around a lot. And it made her butt hurt.
And finally, the worse part of the trip, the smell. No offence to the pretty horse they were on, but after a few hours of traveling under the hot sun made the horse sweat, and smell. Really really badly. The worse part was when she realized the smell was clinging to her and Aragorn. She really wanted to take a bath.
Thankfully, Ed or Russ's place finally came into view after about a good six hours or so. She saw the walls of the city when they were about half an hour away. It reminded her of all those Medieval cities she had seen in history books and stuff. Stone walls, tall lord's house rising up behind it. She would like to say it was pretty, and it most likely was on other days, but today, it just looked damn dreary.
They had to go uphill again just before they reached the city. She was leaning back, trying not to hit Aragorn as much as she had before, and her eyes began to drift. She looked up, seeing the palace front steps. There stood a woman, dressed all in white, with long blonde hair falling all around her. Her face was small, not able to see much definition from Willow's spot, but her heart constricted at the sight. The woman reminded her an awful lot about Buffy.
Her mind went back to her friend. She had risen her from the grave and then disappeared. She couldn't help but worry just then. What if Buffy had been too disoriented and confused to make it back to the house? What if she was weak from the spell? One didn't come back from the dead without at least some fatigue. What if some demon met up with her before she could make it to Giles? What if it had all been in vain, Buffy dying again defenceless before she could even register how she had been brought back to life? What if-
"My lady?"
The voice, whispered in her ear was full of concern. Willow blinked and shook herself, clearing her head of all the thoughts of Buffy. It wouldn't do any good to worry about her friend right now. There was nothing she could do, not right now. And hello, this was Buffy. Willow was sure she was all right. She hoped anyway.
"What?" she finally murmured in response.
"We have arrived," came the reply. "The gates are opening."
And so they were. Willow gave a big smile at that.
"Thank the Goddess," she muttered, reaching over to pat the horse's neck. "No offence horsie, but from now on, this redhead is walking."
This caused Aragorn to laugh, a deep rumbling she could feel with her back up against him. Willow blushed, realizing that she was still in his lap and practically glued to his front. The redhead leaned forward, trying to discern how exactly one dismounted. She hadn't mounted on her own. Again, Aragorn had swung her up with one arm.
Luckily, Legolas appeared at their side, offering his hand to her. She smiled gratefully, swinging her legs to one side and allowing the Elf to pull her to the ground. When her feet hit the earth, Willow brightened considerably. The Elf smirked at the look on her face, to which she just shrugged.
"Well, that was interesting."
Xander, who had scrambled off Gandalf's horse. She felt badly for her friend. Shadowfax hadn't even been sadled, riding bareback was probably less fun than riding with a sadle.
"Remind me never to get on a horse again," her friend continued.
"Only if you do the same for me," she laughed softly, wrinkling her nose a bit. "We smell like horses."
"I noticed that," Xander grimaced. "Oh, this trip is turning out to be much fun. For our next trip, can we go to a hell dimension?"
Willow rolled her eyes, smacking him lightly on the chest.
"Don't say that," she reprimanded.
"Oh come on," he whined. "I mean, look around Wills. Do you see all these people? I've been to funerals that had more life in them."
She made to scold him, but snapped her jaw shut when she got a good look at all the people around them. There were peasants, all dressed in various blacks and greys, just standing at a distance and staring at them. Emotionless was one word for their faces, suspicion the word for the look in their eyes. They all looked like the life had been zapped out of them.
"What a fun place we ended up," the redhead muttered. A touch on her shoulder drew her attention to Aragorn. He motioned both of them to follow him, moving to climb the steps of the palace. They followed wordlessly, staring at everything in great curiosity. Willow heard Xander let out a bit of a whistle when some guards approached them. They were dressed very nicely, in what looked like furs and silk, along with chain mail. This place was like the Middle Ages in some many ways, but then again, it was really not.
"Gandalf," one of the guards was greeting the old wizard. "We cannot allow you before the King Theoden so heavily armed."
The wizard started, looking at his companions before breaking out into a little smile. He motioned to his companions and they begrudgingly handed over all their weapons. Willow had to swallow a giggle when she counted all the daggers and other weapons Aragorn handed over. The man had been armed to the teeth. Gimli had only his axe, and Legolas had his precious bow. Both of them had not been happy to give up their weapons, actually glaring at the men who took them.
Willow started when she noticed the guards looking her way. She raised her empty hands, signifying she didn't have any weapons. Xander did the same, but the guards searched him while they left her be.
"Sexism," she swore she heard him swear under his breath.
"Your staff."
The guy in charge was speaking to Gandalf again. The wizard looked genuinely surprised, looking from his staff to the man in front of him.
"Surely you would not deprive an old man of his walking stick?"
The words were spoken so innocently, full of reproach and pleading at the same time. Xander gave a titter at that, barely covering it with a cough, as the man consented and moved aside. Gandalf nodded, giving the redhead a little wink before clasping Legolas's arm tightly. Leaning heavily on his staff, the wizard gave a good show as he led them into the palace.
She felt a hand on her arm, noting Aragorn had taken her by the arm. He gave her a look, casting his eyes to all the armed people surrounding the hall they had entered. She understood, linking her arm with his, trying to look as innocent and girlie as possible. No threat here, just some little redhead, no reason for the guards to worry.
"Theoden," she heard Gandalf start. "The welcome of your hall has lessened as of late."
She looked up, seeing the man Gandalf had been addressing. He was possibly the oldest looking man she had ever seen in her life. His skin was all white and crinkled, translucent to the point she could see all the veins in his face. His eyes were clouded over, making her doubt that the guy was even all there. His hair was all white and frizzled, looking none too attractive. He looked old, and weak.
And it felt wrong to the redhead.
She was confused, looking to Gandalf for some sort of explanation. But the wizard paid her no attention, instead focusing on the man seated to the right of the old king. Willow looked as well, seeing the man cloaked all in black. He had stringy black hair, that looked like it seriously needed to be washed. His skin was pale, but in a sickly way. His lips were tinged black and he hunched over, looking very suspicious indeed.
She didn't like the looks of him.
"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?"
The words, barely able to leave the old king's lips, drew her attention back to the throne.
"A just question my liege."
Ew, slimy guy in black was talking. She didn't like the way his words floated over her, causing her to cringe. He rose to his feet, marching towards Gandalf with a sneer on his lips.
"Late is the hour you have come to Edoras Gandalf the Grey-"
"Spare me your poison Wormtongue!" Gandalf barked, straightening and letting go of Legolas's arm. He brought his staff up and Willow swore that Wormtongue's face actually got paler.
"I told you to get the wizard's staff!" he growled, sidling away from the wizard in question. Willow tensed, seeing men appear out of the shadows of the hall. They looked mean and ready for a fight.
And they were going to get one.
***
She saw Xander tensing beside her, felt the sudden surge of adrenalin she always got before facing a vamp, and then let loose a right hook on the first goon who came within reaching distance.
Damn it! Bastard had a hard head. Great, now her hand hurt. Stupid evil goon guy-oh wait, have to duck. Legolas was sending another goon falling over his shoulder, and unfortunately right in her direction.
She dropped to her knees, punching a still conscious goon into the appropriate amount of unconsciousness. There was a grunt from behind her, and she turned around to see Xander standing triumphantly over another goon, his nose a bit bloody. Her heart jumped to see the wound, but played it down when she was the proud look on his face. Having her fuss over him would probably take away from his victory moment. Later, she promised herself. She would give him a good fussing later.
Willow managed to clamour to her feet, snatching what looked like a club up from the floor. She spun around, seeing most of the goons had been taken care of. Her eyes went Aragorn's, and then to the rising man with a sword behind him.
"Duck!" she screamed, and then swung without waiting to see if he listened. Aragorn's eyes widened and he ducked out of her way instinctively. Willow tried not to wince when her club hit the side of the goon's head, steeling her features into what she hoped was a fierce look.
And then it was over, with all rushing men laying on the floor in various states of knocked out. Willow kept the grip on her club, not yet ready to give it up. It felt nice and heavy in her hands, giving her a secure feeling.
The redhead let her eyes travel over to Gandalf, who had been rather busy during their brief skirmish. The old wizard stood in front of the old king, staff held high. Willow let her eyes flick over the room, seeing that evil slimey black guy was stuck firmly under Gimli's boot. She was seriously starting to like that dwarf.
"Theoden, King of Rohan," Gandalf could be heard mumbling. "I release you from the spell of Saruman."
The redhead itched to step forward, to join the wizard as he worked his magic. But he seemed to be doing fine without her, she doubted he would need her help. Even as the king began to laugh, she knew Gandalf had the situation under control.
"Saruman," Gandalf muttered, dark eyes looking down at the king. The old man continued to laugh, sneering in the wizard's face. Willow swore she saw Gandalf's eyebrow twitch; the wizard looked mad.
Gandalf cast off his robes, revealing his white clothes to everyone. Willow winced as a bright light hit her eyes, focusing intently on Gandalf.
"Saruman, I will draw you as one draws poison from a wound."
"Good way as any."
"Hush Xander," she muttered out of the corner of her mouth. She dared a glance sideways, assessing her friend for injuries. His nose had stopped bleeding and there was a bruise forming on the high side of his right cheek, but he was all right for the most part. Funny, none of the other boys had gotten injured in the least. Willow wondered briefly if they were like superheroes in this world, or something.
Gandalf was winning on the throne side of things. Willow could almost feel Sore-U-Man struggling in vain against Gandalf's power. The redhead had felt just a smidgen of the wizard's power before, and it was astounding. A level of power she could only hope to achieve a fraction of in her lifetime.
Willow winced when Gandalf slammed his staff into Theoden's forehead. Her breath caught in her throat as the king stood still for a second and then began to droop forward. In her mind's eye, Willow could see another old man, with straight white hair falling to his waist, scowling as he struggled to his feet. Must be Sore-U-Man, Willow was glad Gandalf had kicked his ass. She didn't like the feeling she got off the mere presence of his power. Sore-U-Man was bad news, real bad news, like Master bad news, but not as bad as Glory bad news.
God, she was babbling in her thoughts. The redhead felt a bit sheepish but shook it off. After all, not like any one could know what she was thinking-
"Geez Will, tone down on the thoughts already."
Well, anyone besides Xander that is. Speaking of which, she looked upwards and shot him a bit of a look.
"Lookie," he murmured, ignoring her look. "Kingie's all better."
She looked and indeed, Theoden looked much better. Willow watched with wide eyes as the man began to fall to his knees, colour flooding back into his face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman rushed to Theoden's side. It was the woman from before, the one she saw on the palace steps. The one that reminded her of-
"Holy flash of Buffyness," Xander muttered, watching the woman with the same wonder Willow felt. She could hear the bit of sadness in his voice, knowing he was thinking along the same lines she had been. How were their friends back home? Would they ever know?
"My Lady?"
"Willow," she corrected automatically, eyes never leaving the face of the blonde woman by the king. "My name is Willow. Please stop with the my Lady business. I'm not a lady in that sense of the word."
Aragorn was looking at her funny now, but she could hardly care. Her eyes left the blonde woman, traveling to the slightly winded Gandalf. The wizard nodded in her direction, as if knowing what she was thinking. As one, both magical beings turned to look at the slimey evil man pinned under Gimli's boot.
The man started whimpering immediately.
***
There was a lot of drama after that, but Willow didn't want to dwell on it. What the redhead really wanted to do was talk with Gandalf. The old man had promised them answers once they reached this place. And now that they had arrived, Willow found herself thinking along the same lines as Xander.
What the hell were they supposed to do here?
If these people needed a hero so bad, why didn't they call on a Slayer? Or Angel, or another one of the warriors of the light? Why them? Why her and Xander? What was so important about them?
But all these questions had to be left unanswered for the moment. Gandalf was off talking to the king, and Willow didn't want to interrupt. Whatever spell Theoden had been under, it was a lot stronger than most thought. He remembered nothing of the recent events of his kingdom, not even of his son's death. Imagine, waking up to hear that news . . .
Willow shook her head, clearing all these meddlesome thoughts away. She couldn't do anything at the moment. No, the only thing she could was try and get some rest. There was a whole lot of crap coming in the next few hours, and the redhead felt like she would probably need her full strength for it.
So sleep was in order. Willow made for the bed loaned to her, pausing when she caught a whiff of her clothes. The redhead wrinkled her nose, remembering her rather uncomfortable and long trip on the smelly horse.
All right, bath first and then rest. And then they could deal with the issue of whatever the hell her and Xander had gotten themselves into.
***
"What do you mean you don't know?"
Willow flinched, thinking that letting Xander do the talking hadn't been the smartest thing in the world. As it was, her friend had the tendency to be annoying. Right now, he was being just plain abrasive.
Not that he didn't have good reason to be the way he was at the moment, but he should keep in mind that they were in an alternate universe. Pissing off their only allies was not the way to go right now.
"Xander, please," she whispered softly, trying to calm him down but failing. She tugged on his sleeve in a futile attempt to rein him in. She pleaded with Gandalf with her eyes, begging the wizard to just stop talking right now.
But he didn't get the hint, or he chose to ignore it. The white wizard sat down in a twirl of robes, settling behind a long wooden table and leaning his staff against his seat. Grey eyes met her own, moving onto Xander in a second. The young man seemed to recharge at this, rising to his feet with anger written all over his face.
"How can you not know?" Xander demanded of Gandalf. "How can you just say that you don't know? It's impossible for you not to know! I thought you were sent back by the Powers-how could they not tell you what we're doing here?"
"Xander, stop yelling," Willow pleaded again, exchanging a look with Aragorn and Legolas, both who were expressionless. Gimli stood right next to the Elf, and he was looking downright hostile at this moment, glaring at the young man who was screaming at the wizard. Willow figured she better diffuse this and fast, but she wasn't quite sure how. Xander had stopped listening to her like ten minutes ago.
"The Powers sent me back to help turn the tide," the wizard corrected. "They told me they would send me various tools with which I could help defeat the evil of Sauron. You two happened to be some of those tools. And yes Xander, I was not told how you would be helping exactly, but I was told that you would. That is all I can tell you."
"That's not enough!" Xander protested.
"Xander, stop it!" Willow grabbed him by the arm and spun him around to face her. "We've dealt with worse from the Powers. And I agree with you, it's not enough, but you have no right to take it out on Gandalf. We know the Powers, they do this kind of vague stuff. We just have to accept it."
He wasn't happy, but at least he was shutting up. Willow sighed, shooting Gandalf an apologetic look before frowning.
"Do you even have an inkling as to what we should do?" she asked tentatively. Gandalf only smiled, shaking his head.
"All I can say is that we should all work together to solve this problem right now," the wizard answered, rising to his feet. He motioned for all of them to follow him and they did so. Willow fell in step with Aragorn, shooting him a look and not liking the way his jaw was twitching. The man was angry, though she wasn't sure if he was angry with Xander or with the king Theoden.
She was kind of leaning towards Theoden of course. While Xander was being loud and abrasive, he was within his right to be angry. He had been pulled from his world and thrown into the midst of this strange one. And add onto that, there was a seriously bad war going on that he had all but told to participate in. Xander had reason to be acting like a jerk.
Theoden was kind of acting like one because he wanted to, despite not having a real good reason. The king, upon his revival, had taken up acting like a grade A jackass. First of all, he refused to listen to Gandalf, not heeding any of the wizard's warning even though Gandalf had been the one to help him regain control of himself. And then he tried to pick a fight with Aragorn, trying to assert his authority as king over the other man when all Aragorn had been trying to do was to help. Theoden was a headstrong person, no doubt deeply hurt by the death of his son, but unable to see past his own sense of importance. Theoden was king of Rohan, and if he wanted to save Rohan, he was going to have to swallow his pride and accept the help that came.
Too bad Theoden just didn't seem to want to do that.
Willow sighed, trudging alongside her companions while keeping a good eye on Xander. Her friend had ended up next to Gimli and both were shooting each other glares while they ran after Gandalf. She hoped they would behave themselves because she really wasn't in the mood to referee another dispute.
"The Fortess of Helm's Deep is great and grand, but it is isolated," Gandalf was saying. "If the people of Rohan go there, they will be walking into a trap."
"Then let's not go there," Willow suggested hopefully. Legolas gave
a harrumph at that.
"If only Theoden was as easily convinced as you my lady," the Elf muttered. Willow sighed again, deciding not to bother Legolas about that whole 'my lady' thing which she had told all of these people to refrain from repeatedly. Instead she focused on what Gandalf was saying, listening while running after the wizard as he headed for the stables.
"You're leaving?" Xander asked, tone slightly concerned.
"The people of Rohan will not be able to defeat Saruman's army in their current condition," Gandalf explained. "I must head out, find help aid. Look for my coming, on the dawn of the fifth day."
"And we do what until then?" Willow asked nervously.
"Help them," Gandalf gestured to the people outside the stables. He turned to Aragorn, clasping his shoulder firmly.
"Their defences must hold," the wizard instructed him. Aragorn nodded, clapping the hand reassuredly.
"They will hold," he promised him. Willow watched their exchange with wide eyes, when suddenly a thought hit her.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, waving her hand for attention. "Oh! A plan! I have a plan! Or a thought really, but it could make for a plan."
"My lady?" Aragorn looked at her expectantly. Willow glared at him, swallowing a retort before turning to Gandalf.
"About a few months ago, I had to hold a fort of my own," she explained. "Long story short, there was these Knights of Byzantine that wanted to kill me and my friends, so I held them off by making this force field thingy appear around our hideout. It kept them out for a good few hours. Now, I know Helm's Deep is probably way bigger than our place had been, but with a little work, it might work."
"A little bigger?" Xander declared disbelievingly. "Wills, we were in a little shack in the middle of nowhere. Helm's Deep is a huge fortress equipped to hold a whole nation's population. I think saying it's a little bigger is a severe understatement."
Willow pouted, jutting her chin out a bit as she glared at her friend.
"I could pull it off," she sniffed. "Well, I think I could pull it off. Anyway, there's no harm in trying. Is there?'
The last question was directed towards Gandalf. The wizard was
already mounted on his horse and he paused to think about it.
"Try your best," he finally answered. "Any help would be much
appreciated. Helm's Deep needs to hold its defences. At any cost."
Willow nodded. Xander still looked miff, but nodded as well. The wizard sighed and hefted his staff.
"I will see you again in five days," he addressed them. "Farewell until then my friends."
And then he was off, galloping out of the stables and out the door before Willow could even blink. Damn that horse of his was fast.
"Come," Aragorn spoke up, motioning his companions with a wave of his hand. "Let us discuss plans with Theoden."
"Like that's going to get us anywhere," Xander muttered ruefully. But he quieted and shuffled after the man after one hell of a glare from his redheaded friend.
They had much to do. There was no more time for fighting.
***
"Are you sure my lady?"
Willow wrinkled her nose and sent a firm look to the Elf next to her.
"Very sure Legolas," she affirmed. "There is no way that I'm riding on a horse again. I'll walk thank you very much."
"But, the distance-"
"I'll let you know if it gets to be too much," she interjected, giving him a bright smile. "But I'm going to stick with the ground for the time being. I just didn't have that great a time last time. Besides, I don't think you would be all that comfortable with me riding with you. You can ask Aragorn, I have trouble with the entire concept of staying on the horse."
The Elf shook his head, offering the stubborn redhead a quick grin before trotting off to talk to Gimli, who was quite possibly worse than her and Xander when on a horse. Speak of the devil, Xander chose to sidle up to her at this point.
"Ever notice how all the guys want you to travel to Helm's Deep more or less in their laps?"
Willow frowned, giving Xander a playful slap on the cheek.
"You have got to stop thinking bad things about everyone here," the redhead advised him. "We're going to be here for a while Xander."
"But we don't have a clue as to what to do with ourselves," he retorted, sending a minor glare up to where King Theoden led the group of civilians heading to Helm's Deep. "And he isn't making things any better. Neither is Pretty Elf, trying to get you on his lap every five seconds. I'm thinking he has nefarious intentions."
"I think you've lost your mind," Willow returned. "Xander, since we've met Legolas I've been soaked to the bone, doing a very nice impersonation of a drowned rat. Then I dried while on a horse and commenced traveling on the damn thing for about a day. I came off that horse sweaty and smelling worse than said horse. After which I was involved in a brawl. The only time I've looked any bit presentable was after a bath and some sleep, but I'm right back to my sweaty, unpresentable self at the moment."
"Yeah, but he's been all scrubby and stuff too," Xander protested. "Not so much as the rest of us, but it does show on his Elfiness every now and then. Hey, maybe he was going to try and convince you to take a bath with him!"
"Xander, he was just being polite," Willow rolled her eyes, nudging her friend with her elbow. "Stop reading so much into everything."
"But then what would I have to do for this rather long and tiresome trip?" Xander replied, giving her his first real smile in a few days. "But I suppose if my Wills would like me to stop, I could make the effort. So, how goes the spell modification?"
"Hard," Willow admitted, looking down at the parchment in her hands. "I have all the ingredients and the right incantation, but getting it to be something of that magnitude without ending up in a coma is the real dilemma."
"Coma?" Xander repeated, alarm written all over his face. "Did you just say coma? There will be no doing of spells that could possibly result in coma! I forbid it!"
Willow arched an eyebrow at him.
"That worked on Dawn," he muttered in defence.
"When?" Willow demanded incredulously.
"When she was just like ten," Xander retorted. "And that's besides the point Willow. Coma? You can't risk that! Remember you're needed here. If not for the fate of this world, then for me. I won't be able to behave myself one iota without you there glaring disapprovingly at me."
"Xander, relax," Willow patted his shoulder in reassurance. "My ultimate goal in this is not to end up in a coma. Believe it or not, I do have some regard for my own safety."
"Says the girl expecting to die about a week back," Xander muttered under his breath. Willow gave him a sharp look.
"Shut up Xander."
***
"My lady, how do you fare?"
"Hmm?" Willow blinked, looking up from her calculations to see Aragorn standing beside her. The redhead looked around, seeing that everyone was over their break and ready to head back to the march.
"The spell?" Aragorn prompted her. Willow shook her head, giving the man a bit of a smile.
"It's coming along," the redhead admitted. "But not as I would like. It's hard to figure out a way to adjust the spell to keep all the bad guys out and good guys in. And how to keep it up like that for a while."
"Can you do it?" he asked her, concern in his voice.
"Sure, I think," Willow looked uncertain. "There's some doubt, but I'm pretty sure I can do it. And besides, doesn't hurt to try."
"That is not what Xander is claiming," Aragorn corrected her gently. "He is declaring that this spell will have really adverse effects on you. Something about the spell possibly killing you."
"That's so untrue," Willow protested feebly. "There's a chance for coma and really bad pain, but no death."
"Either way, the outcome does not look well," Aragorn looked very worried. "Perhaps you should not attempt it . . ."
"Oh no," Willow shook her head. "I'm going to attempt, and I'll be just fine. That way, afterwards, I can dance around you and Xander singing 'Nah-nah-nah, I was right!', though if there are lots of people around, it might not happen."
Aragorn managed a small sad smile for her.
"I certainly hope that is what happens my lady," he told her sincerely. Willow smiled back at him, giving his arm a gentle pat.
"Stop calling me that."
***
Now, if she changed this from past tense to present tense, invoked Hecate over Poyxena, and . . . what's going on up there?
Willow frowned, looking up at the commotion that was occuring up front. She saw some the men riding forth, while some of the women were starting to scream.
"What's going on?" she asked the nearest person, who turned out to be Eowyn. The blonde woman shrugged, wide blue eyes watching the men started pulling out their weapons.
"We are under attack," Eowyn declared softly, trying to run forward to help. Willow scrambled after her, clutching her spell to her chest as she tried to pull out the sword given to her by Gandalf before. Both women were abruptly cut off as Theoden rode his horse up in front of them.
"Lead them to the fortess!" the king commanded, motioning to the scattered women and children.
"We can help!" Eowyn pleaded with her uncle.
"I need you to help them," Theoden refused. "Please!"
Willow stilled, looking between Eowyn and her uncle. She turned, watching as Aragorn rode up behind them, Xander at his back. Her friend saw her and shrugged.
"If any of these guys get past us, you'll have to stop them from getting all the others," Xander told her. Willow frowned at him.
"That was lame Xander Harris," she shot back. Xander just shrugged again, hefting his sword and pointing it in the direction of the fight.
"Just don't fight Wills," he pleaded with her. "It's not going to get us anywhere just yet."
"But-"
But he was already gone, trotting after Aragorn into battle. Willow felt torn, watching her friend ride off and seeing Eowyn beside her.
"Come," the blonde woman instructed, her voice choked with anger. "Let's get the people to Helm's Deep."
Willow nodded, watching her friend ride off in concern.
"To Helm's Deep."
TBC