FIC: REPOST: Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 6e/?

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

Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 6e/?
K. Beckett (c) 2000 

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.

This story contains sexual acts between consenting adult women, and was
written in a jurisdiction where it was legal to do so. If this offends you,
don't read.

Rating: 
PG-13ish, not much sticky stuff this time folks, but lots of ritual action.

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 will say yes.

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

Please note that things perceived by characters other than by the five
acknowledge senses have been enclosed in < >, in addition, the ritual I have
detailed in this chapter has been done in English, rather than the Gaelic
that would be usually used for the spoken parts.

mailto:kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Just as Buffy finished speaking the wind which had been rattling the
shutters over the windows forced open the windows and swirled into the
tavern, causing the four pillars of light to flare up in response. The wind
forced its way into the circle and under Buffy. Suddenly Buffy was
levitated into the air and crucified in mid-air, ten feet above the heads of
the others, on an invisible cross. Somehow, the sword stayed where Willow
had placed it, it appeared as if it was welded to Buffy's body.

Everyone stood speechless at this latest spectacle, Willow, very worried
now, sent a tentative, <you ok Buff?>
<Fine, I should be terrified, but somehow I feel nothing but peace.>
<How are you being supported?>
<Let me tell you witch-girl, if you don't know, why do you think I would?>
<Wishful thinking I guess.> Looking over at Grael, she asked, "you have any
ideas?"
"None," he replied a little fear creeping into his voice, "this is beginning
to scare me though."
"Me to," Willow agreed, "I guess we have no choice but to finish."

Suddenly everyone felt an invisible presence with them in the circle, they
instinctively genuflected and bowed their heads.
Willow said tentatively, "Goddess, you grace us with your presence, how may
we serve?"
The presence replied mentally to all in the circle except Buffy, <YOU SEEK
TO MAKE A WARRIOR SERVANT FOR ME FROM THIS INITIATE?>
"We do," replied Willow.
<I SEE THAT YOUR NEED IS GREAT. I AM HONOURED BY YOUR THOUGHTS AND I ACCEPT
YOUR GIFT.>

Buffy suddenly felt an overpowering presence in her mind and body. She knew
that she should be terrified, but was overcome with a blissful peace.
Suddenly the presence started to ask questions.
<Initiate, you seek to serve me?>
<I do,> Buffy replied, realising that this was the ultimate test, that there
was no way to be untruthful, for the Goddess was reading every nuance in her
body and her voice.
<Do you seek to strike fear in my enemies, the enemies of humankind?>
<I do.>
<Do you seek to be my avatar and serve as my strong arm in the realm of
man?>
<I do.>
<Then know that you are my servant and avatar. That you will be so marked
and that my servants will aid you should you require their skills.>

Everyone in the circle was then addressed, <THIS IS MY AVATAR, SHE WILL BE
MY AID TO YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED. SHE MAY BE HARMED, FOR THAT IS THE FATE
OF HUMANKIND, BUT SHE WILL HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF MY GUARDIANS. I SO MARK
HER, SO THAT ALL MAY KNOW HER AS MY FAITHFUL SERVANT.>

There was an intense flash of light surrounding Buffy, which was so painful
that everyone had to avert their eyes. Buffy felt a searing pain where the
sword had been resting on her body, when the pain ended she could see that
her robe was burned away, and that the sword was gone. On her chest and
stomach there was a burn in the shape of the sword, and she heard in her
mind, <Child, the burn will heal, but you will carry my mark forever. When
you have a great need, call forth and my sword will be your tool.> Buffy
had been gently lowered to the floor as the Goddess had been speaking. When
her feet touched the floor, she collapsed. 

The Goddess then addressed Willow directly, <I GO NOW, MY CHILD. WHEN YOUR
NEED IS GREAT, I WILL RETURN.>

As suddenly as it had appeared, the presence was gone from the circle. The
elements, which had been howling outside of the inn, subsided and the four
pillars of light standing outside of the circle, disappeared.

"Dramatic," commented Willow.
"See to Buffy," Amana said, "Frankel and I will collapse the circle, and
banish the shield."

Willow went over to where Buffy was laying on the floor. She could see that
her lover was shivering, and called out, "blankets, something. I need to
get her warm, she is freezing."

Amana and Frankel had by then collapsed the circle and had banished the
shield, so Aiofe ran to the fireplace and grabbed a couple of the house
blankets that were kept there for cold guests. She quickly returned to
Willow and helped her to wrap them around Buffy, Willow was a little frantic
and called to her soul-mate, <Buffy are you ok?>
<Cold, so cold.>

<We'll have you warm soon love,> Willow said, the relief evident in her
mind.
"Let's get her seated by the fire, and some hot cider into her," she said
aloud and she bent down and picked Buffy up in her arms.
"I can walk," Buffy whispered, "after all I'm a big girl now."
"You're my big girl," Willow replied as she carried Buffy over to the
fireplace and deposited her gently into an overstuffed armchair, "and I want
to take care of you."
"Yes love," Buffy answered, as she accepted a mug of hot cider from Bridie.

Everyone drew up chairs around the fire, and began to discuss the
extraordinary events that they had witnessed. Daithi stayed for only a
short while, excusing himself to go check on the other guardsmen. Within
twenty minutes the others all headed upstairs, it was very late and they had
a hard days travel ahead of them in the morning.

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Later that night, four young women were asleep in bed. Spooned together
they slept dreamlessly, they were far too exhausted to dream. As dawn began
to creep over the horizon, one of the women stirred and carefully detached
herself from the others. Buffy went into the bathroom, and striped off her
robe to take a look at herself in the mirror. Since the evening before she
had changed, spectacularly. She started her examination at the top; the
most striking change was the three-inch stripe of snow-white hair that
started at the roots where her hair parted. However, the most dramatic
difference was the red brand on her body, in the shape of a sword. The
vivid burn from the night before was gone and in its place the mark had
changed its appearance, it now had the appearance of a tattoo. Other
changes were subtler, she had always been in excellent physical shape, now
she looked like an Amazon. Her muscles were superbly developed, they were
not grotesque, but perfectly in proportion to her body, they were also well
defined, almost sculpted. She heard the soft rustle of someone getting out
of bed and softly walking across the floor to the bathroom. She thought to
herself, "my hearing has also improved, I wonder what else has changed?"

<Looking really buff, Buff.>
<Morning love, who are you and what have you done with my sleepyhead
Willow?>
<Missed you,> she said as she came up behind Buffy and firmly hugged her.
<What exactly happened last night?>
<We had a visitor, a very important visitor.>
<I guessed that, but why?>
<That I don't know love, and I have found it unwise to ask. Join me in the
bath?>
<You never have to ask me that.>

Willow proceeded to run a bath for the two of them. The tub wasn't as large
as the one back at the castle, so there was no room for extended play. They
had to settle for quick snatch and grabs, and extended back washings. As
they were finishing up rinsing each other's hair, Aiofe and Bridie joined
them in the bathroom.

"Morning loves," Aiofe called out as she went over to the sink to wash, "how
are we all doing?"
"Fine," replied Willow, "you two cool with what happened last night?"
"It was weird," replied Bridie joining her lover at the sink, "having your
Goddess appear in the circle with you, "but I'm ok with it, in fact
honoured."
Aiofe and Bridie finished up washing and turned to leave.
"We will head downstairs and get things ready for the trip," Bridie said as
they finished dressing in their armour.
"Daithi said last night that he was hoping to head out about two hours after
dawn," added Aiofe, "that's in about thirty minutes."

<No time for jollies this morning, I guess,> commented Willow as she was
drying off.
<Not in the conventional sense anyway,> agreed Buffy, <but I do have an
idea, if you are willing.>
<I'm always willing to try something new, with you,> Willow replied
excitedly, <what do we do?>
"Lie down on the bed," Buffy said, "and close your eyes.
"Now, what," Willow asked as she did as Buffy asked.
<Now you let me concentrate for a second,> she said as she joined Willow on
the bed.

Buffy expanded her awareness, and looked with her second eyes for the now
permanent link between her and Willow. She perceived it as a thick twisting
rope of energy, which bound each of their essences together. Buffy was
going to try to do consciously what she had experienced before, she was
going to let Willow feel what she felt, see what she saw and know what she
knew. Buffy had experienced this when she had healed Willow, and wanted
Willow to know the depth of love that she felt for her, since she had
experienced Willow's emotions already. Buffy looked deep into the link,
then translated into it. She followed along until she reached Willow's
conscious mind, she then altered her own personal shields and mental
barriers and invited Willow in, to see everything and anything she wished.
Tentatively at first, and then with greater confidence Willow explored. She
looked into Buffy's oldest memories, the emotions when she became the
slayer, the pain when her first watcher died, the love she felt for Angel,
the pain when he reverted, the sorrow when she killed him, knowing that he
had regained his soul. Then Willow went deeper, she looked for and found
the emotions and memories that Buffy had for her. She saw herself, mirrored
in Buffy's mind when Buffy first met her in High School. She saw herself,
when she found out that Buffy was the slayer, and the fear and disapproval.
She saw the love that grew from their friendship, and the trust that had
been built between the two. She felt the confusion when Buffy realised that
she loved her more than a friend, she experienced the feelings and memories
of Buffy's rejection of her true feelings, and the attempt to bury them with
Parker and Riley. She experienced when Buffy tentatively approached her at
Christmas and expressed her love, as more than a friend. She remembered the
struggle that the admission had cost Buffy, and the fear that she would be
rejected. She remembered, from Buffy's point of view, the first time that
they had made love, the explorations, the tentative caresses that increased
in tempo until they had both exploded in mutual pleasure. The soft
caressing that they did after they had reached their plateaus, the sweet
nothings that they had whispered to each other. She remembered the
conversations that they had, the knowledge they shared, that when they fell
asleep they were in the arms of the one person who meant more to each other
than anyone else in the world, or worlds. Finally she saw the traitorous
attack on Buffy from Buffy's eyes, she knew the anguish that had gripped
her. The realization that the woman she loved was about to die and that
nobody was able to help, the desperation that drove her to attempt what had
never been done before, the pain that Willow had felt, mirrored, by Buffy's
desperate link. She felt the panic that was driven by love, which gave
Buffy the idea to try the impossible. She saw the complete trust that Buffy
had in her, evident in the faith that she had exhibited in the initiation.

Willow slowly regained her own senses, the phenomenon of experiencing
everything that her true love felt was breathtaking. She knew now, for
certain, that she would never be alone, that someone who had shared
everything with her, and in whom she could trust with her soul, would share
her journey through life.

<Thank-you,> Willow said to her soul. It was only two words but they
conveyed everything; her love, her dreams, and her desires to Buffy.
<You're welcome.>

"Come on love," Buffy said as she gently kissed Willow, "we have to get
going."
"I know," Willow replied as she carefully got out of bed, using Buffy for
support, "what ever gave you that idea?"
"I've been thinking for a while about it," the slayer replied, "and I
finally figured out a way to let you know how I truly felt about you, since
I already knew how you felt about me, from when I healed you."

The two women quickly left their room, after checking to make sure that they
had left nothing behind, and descended to the common room where the others
were waiting. They had a very quick breakfast and then headed to the
stables, where the guardsmen had already arranged to have their horses
saddled. Within minutes the eleven of them were heading North out of town.
Their initial progress was slow, since they were still dodging fleeing
refugees, but by mid-morning they had reached open road and were making good
time to their destination, the town of Peter's Forge. It was the closest
village or town, which was within a day's travel of where the first of the
hell-mouths was located. As they approached a small hill they could see and
smell smoke from over the rise. Turning to two of the guardsman Daithi
ordered them to scout ahead and investigate. Dismounting he suggested, "we
might as well dismount for a while. Its nearly noon, and we should eat and
water the horses while we wait for Padrick and Seamus to get back with their
report."

Everyone did as he suggested, the remaining guardsman leading the horses to
a nearby stream. No one was very hungry, but they all walked around and
stretched their muscles while eating at least some bread and cheese, since
they had no real idea of when they would be stopping again. Suddenly they
saw the two guardsmen riding hard back down the road towards them. When they
were within shouting distance they could hear them yelling, "Demons, demons
are burning the farms!"

They reached the party and quickly dismounted, their horses breathing hard
and lathered with sweat. Just as they started to give their report Aiofe
looked up the road and shouted, "we have company," as a band of twenty or so
demons poured over the hill in pursuit of the two guardsmen.

Everyone quickly grabbed their weapons and Daithi quickly formed a defensive
perimeter, with himself and the other guardsmen in front of the others and
behind some fallen trees.

Just as the first group of demons came into bow range, Bridie noticed that
an even greater group, at least one hundred, had followed them down the
hill.

"Oh, oh," she said, " it looks like we now have real trouble." It appeared
that they had found one of the main forces of demons, which had been heading
to the Capital.

"Do we run, fight or wait for the cavalry?" Willow asked thinking that their
trip might have become suddenly shorter.
"I hate to tell you this lover," replied Buffy, "but we are the cavalry."

Finis part VI

To be continued...