FIC: The Twilight War (Chapter Four: The Gambles of Women)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

The Twilight War
Cilia

 

Chapter Four: The Gambles of Women

 

Litni Speed waited on the outskirts of the castle grounds, she was waiting for her friend and weapon sister, Light, to arrive. The Elf had grown ever more frustrated with the slow pace the build up seemed to move at. The armies of Sun were taking longer to gather than originally planned and she knew from Angel that the march for Necris had already set out from Larken, with a strong force, but they would need their help if they were to successfully fend off the attack on Necris and then swing up to follow the march on the Dark Lands. Although the attack of Necris was a gamble on the part of the Shadow?s, she knew that the attack would not come over land, but through the vast Nether that stretched out beneath much of the lands. That had been her original idea in coming to Sun.

Now she was slowly realizing that the army of Sun would not be much help at Necris, so she had called Light to a private council. Running a hand through her golden hair she focused on the shadows that the trees were casting and soon there after Light emerged from the shadows. The young woman was the same age as the young elf while both shared a strong sense of honor and wanderlust. Her features almost invisible beneath the hood of her cloak she smiled as she removed it and fastened her grey eyes on her elfin friend. Light was an odd mix of thief and mage, possessing a strong natural magic, but also all the charming traits of a scoundrel thief. Her hair was oddly a red color and complemented her dark skin. While her body was almost completely hidden in the rather large cloak she always wore.

            ?So mind telling me why all the secrecy, not that I mind, but I thought there was no need for it here?? Light asked in her ever-lighthearted voice and smiled as the elf frowned at her. ?Alright,? she said and raised her hands. ?I get it, very important stuff,? she said and sat down on the grass and Litni followed suite. The elf wore the simplest of clothes; the green ranger clothing that provided total coverage and maximum protection from the elements, while at the same time being relatively thin and pleasing to the eye.

            ?I?m leaving,? she said simply. ?I?m going to ask Angel toplane walk me to Necris,? she explained and then she waited for her friend's reaction, but Light only raised an eyebrow.

            ?That?s the big news?? she asked.

            ?You knew?? Litni asked wide-eyed.

            ?Of course and Al?x in all likelihood knows,? Light said referring to the Lord of the Land of Sun. ?He won?t do anything to hold you back though,? she added.

            ?So do I have to ask the next question, or do you already know??Litni asked.

            ?Of course I?ll come,? Light said with a grin. ?Can?t let you go alone now, can I?? she said and patted Litni on the shoulder, the hand lingeredthere for a moment as Litni just looked at her sometimes erratic, but trustworthy friend, she?d only known Light for a short while, but the two had become fast friends during their journey out of the Dark Lands and then she felt something, like a tug in the bit of her stomach as she studied her friend.

            ?Great,? she said and stood, a bit hurriedly. ?I?ll go tell Poet,? she said and Light just nodded and then watched Litni skip away. Shortly there after, after she?d spent some time studying the grass, she saw a pair of black boots approach her and then her eyes traveled up to meet the eyes of their owner. Blue eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire as bright as the sun greeted her and the avatar of fire smiled down at her. Joyce Sun, perhaps the most powerful mortal to walk the Realms was a regal woman, tall and with curly blond hair and an appearance that betrayed her true age. She always wore black, Light had noted, perhaps since it was the most logical choice for somebody that was equally feared and admired throughout the land.

            ?It?s hard isn?t it?? Joyce asked with a sympathetic smile as she sat down on the grass in front of Light.

            ?What is?? Light asked feigning disinterest and Joyce only smiled at the young Shadow girl. ?Forgot, you?re an avatar and all that,? she then mumbled.

            ?Well I am,? Joyce said with a smile. ?But that doesn?t makeup for experience and insight,? she explained. ?I raised a daughter, that probably went through much the same things you and Litni have gone through or must go through in the future,? she said and patted Light gently on the shoulder.

            ?So you?re saying that things will ?work out' and everybody will be happy?? Light asked. ?Sorry, talking to the wrong person for that line,? she said.

            ?No I?m not going to tell you that things will work out, only that you?re not the first one to go through this,? she said and then stood. ?Stay out here and think for awhile and don?t rush into anything,? she said in a motherly voice and then turned and walked back towards the castle walls.

            ?Don?t rush,? Light said to herself as she picked at the grass. ?I?m a shadow and we don?t rush,? she stated, but then she felt that tug at her spirit, that longing that gave her a small thrill, but also a sent a wave of guilt through her mind.

            ?Damn why can?t things ever be simple,? she shouted at the skyas she stood and faded back into the shadows.

 

*          *          *          *          *

 

Litni didn?t go to find Poet, instead she allowed herself to wander too deep into the castle, getting purposely lost among the winding corridors and seemingly endless sublevels of the massive structure. Things had got uncomfortably complicated for the young elf over the past few weeks. First falling for Poet, or that was what she thought it was at the moment it happened, now she realized perhaps that curiosity had played a big role in her getting together with Poet, not that she regretted it, after all elves were at heart playful beings. But perhaps it made her see how truly inexperienced she wasand now with Light, things promised to get even more confusing. She truly likedand cared for the young Shadow; they got along well together and complemented each other, with Litni?s warrior training under Tark playing to Light?s moreroguish style and magic use. Lately however as their wait in the castle of Sun drewon and her relationship with Poet seemed to fade in the light of the events surrounding them, she?d grown that much closer to Light and perhaps a little too close, but she couldn?t tell. Again it came painfully obvious to her that champion of the elves or not, she was still barely seventeen, a mere child by elfin standards.

            ?God I wish that Willow was here,? she said as she leaned back against the cold stone, slid to the floor and buried her head in her hands.

            ?You called little one,? a soft voice said and Litni?s head snapped up and she looked into the green eyes of the person that had been both a mother and a teacher to her during her growing years. The room seemed to grow brighterby her presence somehow and Litni found her heart lifting somewhat.

?Willow?? Litni said as she stood and the wrapped her arms around the mage and huggedwith all her strength. ?Mommy,? she whispered as Willow returned the hug.

            ?Sshhh,? Willow saidas she carefully rubbed Litni?s back. ?I?m here now, so why don?t you tellthis old mage what?s troubling you?? she asked as she slowly pulled away and studied Litni who was rubbing her tears away and sniffling.

            ?I made such a mess of things,? Litni confessed as her head slumped down to her chest. ?I thought, that if I could destroy the Heart and free Poetit would all be over and I could just ride into the sunset?? she said and the whispered. ?Like in the stories??

Willow just smiled a knowing smile and stroked her adoptive daughter?s cheek.
            ?We all think that, in the beginning,? she explained. ?And then we find out that life isn?t that simple,? she added.

            ?When? when did you figure it out?? Litni asked looking up again and tugging an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

            ?For me it happened early on, I was like you, exposed to a lot of bad things in a short time and as for your role models,? she said with a grin referring to Al?x Sun and her wife Elisabeth. ?For Al?x I don?t know, but for Elisabeth it was when she had to fight her mother at Necris,? she explained and then frowned. ?But there is something else isn?t there?? she then asked and again Litni cast her eyes downward and blushed slightly. Willow was always a bit too wise and from an early age Litni had learned that you couldn?t hide anything from the mage.

            ?I?? Litni stammered. ?I?m not sure,? she finally blurted out. ?It?s just all such a mess,? she admitted.

            ?Well you are going to have to make a decision sooner rather than later, or else all parties will be hurt,? she said in a voice so laced with wisdom that even the most stubborn of beings would be swayed by it.

            ?I know, both you and Tark, taught me that,? Litni snapped. ?But I?m also very scared,? she added in a weak voice.

            ?We all?? Willow paused and looked over her shoulder. ?We all get a little scared, from time to time,? she said. ?But if there's one thing that I or Tark taught it's that??
            ?You overcome those fears through logic, yes I know,? Litni saidwith a smile.
            ?I know it can be hard, especially when you are at the age you andthe others involved are,? Willow said diplomatically. ?But try to stay focused,? she said as her image flickered somewhat.

            ?You have to go?? Litni asked sadly.

            ?Yes they need be back in Larken,? Willow said as she faded a bit more and reached out her hand to touch Litni?s cheek once again. ?Take care,little one,? she said as Litni touched her hand.

            ?Mom?? she said as Willow disappeared and the hall was dark once again, lit only by the torches that burned low on the walls. ?I love you,? she whispered into the darkness and then felt a warm feeling of joy and security wash over her and she smiled as she turned and walked back to the surface.

 

That night under the watchful eyes of three old friends, Litni along with Light and Poet slipped out of the Land of the Sun and then disappeared through a rift created by Angel. If you?d have blinked you would have missed them and once they were out of sight of mortal eyes Willow turned towards Al?x Sun and Joyce.

            ?You understand your mission?? she asked the lord of the land, standing in his golden armor, bearing the scars on his face proudly.

            ?Of course,? he said with a nod. ?I am after all the unbeatable Sun,? he said with a grin and ran a hand through his grey peppered black hair and his brown eyes danced with mirth.

            ?Oh get over yourself,? Joyce said as she slapped her husband onthe back of the neck. ?We?ll be ready Willow,? she said with a smile.

            ?Never known an avatar of war to refuse battle,? Willow said with a smirk. ?I?ll meet you at the pass, move swiftly and silently,? she urged and then saluted them both by placing a hand over her heart and extending her palm forward. ?For glory,? she said with a wink to Al?x.

            ?For honor,? Al?x replied and returned the gesture as did Joyce.

            ?It?s good to be fighting with you again Xander,? Willow said as she felt a tug at the back of her robes and turned around to see Angelica Sun, Al?x and Joyce?s daughter in her bedclothes holding a doll in her hands. The girl had her father dark hair, but her mother?s blue eyes, Willow had met her briefly one the march destroy the Heart and she?d bonded with the young girl.

            ?Well hello again,? Willow said with a smile as she picked the girl up.

            ?The pretty elf must be strong,? the girl urged with a strange look in her blue eyes.
            ?Go on,? Willow said calmly.

            ?And my sister must? not be over con... con?? the girl searched for the right way to say the strange word. ?Confident,? she finally said with ahuge smile showing a missing tooth. ?You can put me down now Aunt Willow,? she said and Willow obediently put the girl down and then watched her trot back to her room.

            ?Strange girl,? she muttered as she turned to face the stunned parents. ?I take it she?s not done that before?? she asked and both Al?x andJoyce?s shook their heads. ?Well it can?t be helped,? she said with a shrug and started to fade back into the space between the planes. ?Be there in time,? sheurged before she vanished completely and the last things she saw was Al?x giving a firm nod.

 

TBC...

In the next chapter of Cilia's Twilight War: Revelations in the Night, sees some shocking changes in the stories relationship line-up as Starj'a and Cordelia's plan comes to light, also Buffy ponders are mission. Be there!