FIC: REPOST: Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 1b/?

["Beckett, Kevin" <kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 1b/?

Disclaimers:
Buffy, Willow and all of the other characters and places from the show
belong to Joss Whedon, WB and Mutant Enemy etal. Everyone and everything
else is mine. None of my characters are meant to resemble anyone living,
dead or un-dead, if you see yourself you are looking way too hard.

Rating: 
PG-13ish (to start I guess)

Other: 
The Latin and Gaelic are mine; I take the responsibility for any
translations of them. In addition, the descriptions of the rituals, spells
and other craft work come from my traditions, so please don't take offence
if something described here does not match your traditions or what you think
it should.

Archiving etc.: 
Ask and I'll say yes. 

Spoilers:
Everything up to the middle of season four - I diverge then.

---------------------------------
Part I (cont.)
Dum vivimus vivamus (Let's live while we're alive)

A short while later the two lovers assembled with the rest of the group in
the basement of Willow's parent's house. A portion of it had been recently
transformed by her efforts, with the able assistance of her father and her
former teacher Brightstar, into an area suitable for her to do her rituals
and other work. A large area of about 30 square meters had been sectioned
off from the rest of the basement and walls had been raised creating an
octagonal workroom. The concrete floor had been taken up in the area to
reveal the earth underneath and then slate and wood pieces had been laid on
the earth in a complex interwoven parquet pattern. In addition, the eight
walls had slate and wood panels hung on them. The area was brightly lit
with four-armed candelabras on four of the walls; there was no unnatural
lighting used at all.

The group was waiting for Willow dressed in the ritual working robes that
they had made from hand-woven cotton. Each robe had been embroidered in
traditional Celtic patterns by its wearer, and reflected the personality of
each member. The robes were tied in front of the members with a long white
cord, some wrapped once around their body, others two or three times. The
assembled coven wore no clothing, other than the robes, and none of them
were wearing any jewellery. Buffy felt practically naked, the robe was very
comfortable, but the lack of anything else other that the once wrapped rope
holding the robe closed made her a little self-conscious. She had spent
several nights since the Solstice embroidering her robe, using Willow as an
aid for ideas and inspiration, she felt that she had done a fairly good job,
certainly better than Xander's effort.

Willow moved into the room and with gestures and eye contact began to
assemble the coven at one end of the room.
"Ok all, its about an hour to midnight, lets get started." She said as she
sat down in an old oak chair that was in front of an old desk and
bookshelves placed at the South end of the room near the entrance. The
other members took up places on the floor in front of their leader and
waited expectantly. At this point a large, grey and white, self-possessed
feline wandered into the room, looked around and proceeded to jump up on
Willow's lap, as if it was her rightful place. With a contented purr, it
tucked its head down and proceeded to go to sleep.
"Shadow-Cat, about time you showed up!" Willow said stroking the cat and
scratching it behind the ears.

Willow then turned to the group and began the nights work with the
traditional "Blessed be" opening.
"Blessed be" replied all of the assembled witches.
"Even though most of you have done your reading," Willow continued with a
mock glare at Xander, "it is traditional in our path to spend some time
discussing the work to be done, why we are doing it and what we are hoping
to accomplish."
"Tonight is the festival of Imbolg which we also call Candlemas, Lady Day
and Bridemas." Willow continued, launching into lecture mode.
"It is one of the four lunar festivals in our calendar, which are dedicated
to the Goddess, in one of her incarnations." Willow looked up at Giles,
"sorry Giles, you and Dagda are in the background tonight since the God is
in his young boy aspect."
"That's ok Willow," the former watcher replied. "I'm happy to let you do
all of the heavy early work. My part will come latter." He and Willow had
discussed the nights schedule earlier in the day. Willow had been looking
for reassurance that she hadn't forgotten anything, and Giles looking for
reassurance that Willow was up to the challenge.

"The Mother Goddess has recovered from the Solstice birth of the Sun, and is
being transformed into the maiden of spring." Willow continued with her
lesson.
"As I told Giles the God is in his aspect as the young boy so most of his
power is currently dormant. This is the traditional time of year for
initiations and the renewal of vows, and we will be doing some of those
later. It is the time to honour the Goddess for her gifts of healing,
smithcraft, and poetry, these gifts represent the mysteries of renewal,
transformation, and inspiration." Willow finished her mini-recap of the
importance of the nights work.
"Ok, now for the work." She said, placing Shadow-Cat on the floor and
standing up with the rest of the coven.
"First we get out the brooms, and perform the ritual cleansing of our work
area, we will then prepare the circle and this room for tonight's work.
Then, starting at mid-night we will do the Imbolg ritual, with a slight
modification. After that has been completed, I plan on conducting a number
of initiations. Later we will have a second special ritual." Willow
continued, feeling much stronger and focused now that she had started.
"What will the second ritual be for?" Asked a tall, blond witch.
"Well, it's for Buffy and me, Sam." Willow answered.
"How's that?"
"You all know that Buffy and I have committed ourselves to each other."
Willow said, taking Buffy by the hand.
"Well, this ritual is to commit our vows to each other and to set the stage
for our hand-fasting at Beltane."

"Sounds good to me," replied another of the witches.
"Me too," said another.
"About time," Xander and Anya said simultaneously.

"What is the modification to the Imbolg ritual?" Asked a woman who was
slightly older than the majority of the group. Like Willow, Giles and three
others she had her cord wrapped three times around her body, signifying a
3rd degree witch.
"Well, Susan," Willow answered. "Because of the second ritual, I'm going to
have Buffy in the centre with Giles and me, even though as you all know, she
isn't a witch."
"Hey, I'm an almost witch," Buffy retorted, "after all, you will be
initiating me before our ritual tonight."
"Hey, its cool with me," Susan replied, "in fact, having Buffy in the
centre, with her innate power, will probably help in raising the sphere."

With that the witches got to work some collecting the ritual brooms for the
cleansing of the work area, others to collect the candle stands for the
quarters and others to ensure that all of the required tools were in place
on the Alter.

"Ow!" Xander exclaimed, as he was wielding a broom over the work area, these
floors are cold on bare feet.
"Stop complaining and get working," Anya answered, while working her own
broom. "You'll warm up once you get busy."

As soon as the floor had been swept Willow and Giles went quickly to work
using the chalk Willow had brought to inscribe glyphs and other symbols on
the walls and on the floor.

Soon it was time for the real work of the night to begin. Willow called
them to the circle, and forming them into the traditional male/female
pairings at the cardinal points with the remaining four taking up their
places between the compass points. She also took pains to balance the
circle with experienced and less-experienced witches in each of the four
quarters. Everyone took great care to insure that they did not erase any of
the chalk markings on the floor. Giles lit the candles on the four candle
stands, as Buffy extinguished the candles on the walls. Willow lit the
candles that were on the Alter and made one final check to insure that all
of the working tools she would need were present. Giles, Buffy and Willow
then took up their places in the centre of the circle.

Willow then started the coven in the ritual chants and breathing exercises,
which were used to focus and ground them for the night's magic. In the
effort to concentrate on what she was doing, Willow failed to notice a grey
and white figure quietly enter the circle and take up residence under the
Alter. When she sensed that the group was ready, she and Giles took the
Sword, Salt and Water and cast the circle. When they had finished, she
returned to the centre, and holding firmly onto Buffy's hand began to draw
in the energy from herself, Buffy and her coven, to create the shields that
would protect them, and the mundane world, from the power she was going to
bring into the circle as part of the night's work. As had happened earlier
in the evening, Willow noticed that she was drawing up a tremendous amount
of energy.
"Oh boy," she thought to herself, "with this amount of energy to work with,
I'll be able to handle anything that comes up tonight."
------------------------------------------

Interlude,
Another time, another place.

In a brightly lit room, several people, both male and female were sitting
around an old oak table waiting for one of their members to return. The
room was lit with candles and lanterns, and a merry fire was burning in a
large fireplace that had been set into one of the stone-walls of the room.
There were several tapestries hung on the walls and the stone floor was
covered with rushes. Despite the fire, all of the room's occupants were
clothed in heavy wool garments, several layers of them, and they all had
heavy fur lined boots on. They were passing the time by reading from large
tomes, eating and conversing quietly amongst themselves in small groups.

Suddenly the door swung open and a man, dressed liked the others, rushed in.
"Its time." He exclaimed. "I have felt the raising of power by the Chosen
one." 
"Can it be true, Grael?" asked one of the women in the room as she and all
the others rose from the table and made ready to leave.
"Yes, Amana, for the first time I think we have a chance to bring over the
one person who will be able to help us in our desperate struggle." Grael
said as he gathered up some items from the table and headed back out the
door.
"But we must hurry, if she manages to finish the Invocations we won't have
another chance for a long time, maybe forever!"
At that he and all of the others left the room and headed down a long
corridor. The entered another, larger, room which was very similar to the
workroom in far off Sunnydale. 
"Quickly, to your places," Grael said, "I've left a gate in the circle so
that time is saved, once we are in, I'll re-seal it."
The group quickly arranged themselves into a working circle. Once all of
them had taken their places Grael took a long-sword from the Alter and moved
to the gate. As he said the ritual words "co-healal dorrys" to re-seal the
circle blue flames chased up the blade of the sword.
"Now, to work" he said as he took his place along side Amana in the centre
of the circle. "This woman is the most powerful person I've sensed in a
long time, even if she has been poorly trained."
With that, the group began a complex, multi-part chant that soon had visible
effects on the air in front of the Alter. A visible thickening of the air
was happening as the group worked together to form a portal. Only this was
going to be no ordinary portal, for their aim was to bridge the fast
distances of space-time and dimensions to reach what they prayed would be
their saviour.
Suddenly Grael let out a shout "dorrys brishey magh!" And with those words,
a gaping hole appeared in the air before the Alter. The hole was rimed with
blue fire and appeared to be without depth.
"Now to cast out our plea for help." Grael said to the group.
As one, they shouted out, both mentally and orally their plea for
assistance. "Chosen one, help us! Save us from the demons that are killing
our people!"
"Now we wait and prey she will answer us," Amana said quietly.
------------------------------------

Back in Sunnydale, Willow and Buffy were still holding hands as Willow was
beginning the process of calling out the Invocations to the Guardians, when
she felt a mental pressure on her mind. "Chosen one, help us...." Willow
tried to brush off the thoughts, thinking that she was just tired, when the
pressure returned, " Chosen one, help us! Save us from the demons that are
killing our people!"
Willow stopped what she was doing stunned. She had heard and read about
telepathy, but she had never expected to experience it first-hand.
Tentatively she replied mentally "who are you? And why do you need my
help?"

"She replies" Amana shouted out, "we are plagued by all types of demons, and
nothing we can do helps." She quickly sent back mentally.

Willow thought for only a second about what she should do. She was
consecrated to help others, and duty and honour bound to respond to those
who asked. She swiftly came to a decision.
Tuning to the coven she said, "Giles, Susan, take over here, I've been
called."
As soon as Susan entered the centre of the circle Willow passed over to her
the web of power she had raised saying to her, "Quickly Susan, as soon as
I'm gone finish the ritual for tonight." Responding to Susan's questioning
stare she said, "no time for questions and answers, we'll be back as soon as
we can."

Mentally she then cried out "We come." For she understood that if those who
were calling her for help had demon problems, there was no one better than
the slayer to help them.

"We?" asked a bemused Grael.
"Don't ask questions!" Amana replied, "quickly all of us, the transfer
spell."
With that, the group began another complex chant, which had its immediate
results in Sunnydale.
"Quickly woman, you must activate the portal from your end" Grael sent
mentally to Willow.

Willow knew, somehow, to call out the spell "dorrys brishey magh" and
suddenly in the middle of her workroom the gate appeared. Like its twin, it
was rimmed with blue fire.

"It's ok Buffy," Willow said to a stunned slayer. "Our help is needed
elsewhere on demon disposal. Trust me." With those words, Willow took
Buffy by the hand and walked into the portal.
As soon as they entered, the portal collapsed and disappeared.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting start to the evening," deadpanned
Giles.
------------------------------------

Nothingness, pure-black without the hint of light, the two women travel
though the dark without sensing their movement. Since without reference
points, how can you measure speed and distance. Suddenly the black is
pierced with a blue flame in the far distance, and the two women can now
tell that they are moving swiftly towards it.

Quickly they are through the portal and tumbling to the floor, surrounded by
chanting people in heavy robes. The temperature is bone-numbing cold,
especially for someone wearing nothing but a cotton robe.

Buffy, innately able to quickly recover from just about anything took a
quick look around the very unfamiliar room, turned to her lover and friend,
and said quietly, "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Meow!!" Agreed a very confused Shadow-Cat.

-----------------------------
Finis Part I

To be continued...