Militat Omnis Amans (Every Lover is a Warrior) Part 9a/?

["KPB/LCMB" <kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Militat Omnis Amans (Every Lover is a Warrior) Part 9a/?
K. Beckett (c) 2000, with the exception of musical lyrics which are (c) the
individual artists / labels.

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 descriptions of 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: R

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.:
On "Stake and Chakram Library"
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/kerrison29
Which is maintained by Bill LaBarbera
Anyone else, just ask and I will say yes.

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

Thanks to all who have commented, I appreciate everything that was said. As
before, all meaningful criticism, support and suggestions are welcome.
Please be patient, it takes me awhile to get everything down, as I have very
little free time for writing.

Please note that things perceived by characters other than by the five
acknowledge senses have been enclosed in < >.

mailto:kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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A priori:

Willow's strike force has been driven into the Rockies to find refuge in one
of the more isolated villages. The demon offensive has laid siege to the
Capital and the outlying towns and villages have been put to the torch.
While making their break for freedom the strike force was required to cross
a deep gorge, with only a fragile rope and wood bridge. Everyone but Buffy
had crossed successfully when two demons who were trying to get away from
the slayer attempted to cross the bridge and destroyed it. Buffy faced with
overwhelming odds against her, since an army of demons is quickly heading
for her position, has just attempted to leap across the gorge.

Synopsis for part IX:

An interlude, of sorts, as Willow's strike force rests and re-groups before
continuing their mission. They will begin to make plans for continuing that
mission by creating for themselves a secure base of operations in the
mountains. They will also participate in a very significant, and life
changing, event in the lives of some members of the strike force. In
addition, they will receive some very unexpected help.

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Part IX - Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. (Perhaps one day
remembering even this will be pleasant)

I'm coming, I'm coming home to you
I'm alive, I'm a mess
I can't wait to get home to you
To get warm and undressed

There've been changes beyond my dreams
Everybody wants me to sing
There've been changes beyond my grasp
Things I'm sinking in
So keep me, keep me in your bed all day, all day

Nothing heals me like you do
Nothing heals me like you do

London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do)
Heather Nova, Siren
(c) 1998, V2 Records

The young blond woman looked around at the forces arrayed against her, and
at the chasm before her, and decided. She paused for a moment, asking her
Goddess for assistance, ran to the edge and leaped. Just as she thought she
would make it across the ten meter distance she realized she wouldn't and
began to fall the two hundred meters to the floor of the gorge.

"No!" She screamed aloud as she suddenly sat up in bed, half-awake
half-dreaming, covered in sweat, even though the ambient temperature in the
room was barely above freezing.

"Buffy," said the concerned red-haired woman sharing the large king-sized
bed, "wake-up love. You're having the dream again." Willow, due to the
shared link between them, had been instantly aware of Buffy's dream, and
just as instantly awakened, but as had happened before, it hadn't affected
her in the same way.
Willow quickly embraced her lover and began to softly stroke her face, neck,
and shoulders trying to both comfort and reassure her. In addition to
comforting Buffy, she was also trying to insure that they did not disturb
the two other women who shared their bed, and who were, thankfully, still
cocooned asleep deep under the multiple duvets and comforters which nearly
smothered both them and the bed.

"Shush love," Willow said softly, almost crooning, "you're safe; you're
alive and ok."

Willow continued her reassurance efforts as Buffy slowly regained awareness
of her surroundings. It was the wee hours of the night, with over two hours
of dark remaining before the early summer dawn.

"Water," Buffy finally croaked, and looked around the large room which was
lit only by a small lantern, as if to reassure herself that she was in fact
safe, "my mouth feels like it's in the desert."

Willow reached across her soul-mate to the night-table and poured a glass of
water from the pitcher that was now a permanent feature of their bedroom,
"here you go Buff," she said as she passed over the water; Buffy immediately
began to gulp the water, rapidly draining the glass, then passing it back
for a re-fill.

Buffy had been periodically having the dream of falling into the gorge ever
since the day, four months ago, when she had made the Herculean effort of
leaping it. She had nearly not made it across. Just as she thought she
would fail, and plummet to her death, she reached out in desperation and
managed to snag the edge of the cliff with one hand. She had hung on in
desperation, for what felt to her to be hours, but in reality had been only
seconds, until Daithi had reached down and pulled her to safety. Willow's
strike force had immediately remounted their horses and had headed up into
the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where Padrick led them on what had
turned out to be a two week journey to one of the more isolated villages in
the area. It had taken longer than expected since they had been required to
dodge roving patrols of demons most of the way.

The village of Morning Breeze was more than isolated. It was remote and
hidden in a small valley up in the high Rockies, at well over 1,300 meters
in altitude, far from the main roads and trails that criss-crossed the
mountains. It had once been a small silver mining town, which had almost
become a ghost town when the mine was depleted over forty years previously.
It had survived, barely, on supporting the small sheepherders and
homesteaders that dotted the mountains on the slopes of the valley. As a
result of this isolation, it was unknown outside of the small area
immediately surrounding it, and therefore a perfect hiding location, more
than suitable for Willow's needs. The only reason that Padrick even knew
about it was due to his grandparents having been born in the town, while the
mine had still been in operation. The town, with its population of less
than fifty, had only one small general store, no working inn and limited
amenities for the weary travellers. The one thing it had was seclusion and
a large number of abandoned homes.

Willow had instructed Daithi and Amana to liase with the villagers and to
make arrangements for the use of three of the abandoned buildings. In
particular, she was looking for two homes and a third building that they
could adapt to become their command and research centre. After some quick
negotiating Amana had settled on one building, or rather complex of
buildings, that she felt would be perfect for their needs, the old abandoned
inn. It was large, had ample working area in the old tavern, and had ten
usable bedrooms located on the three upper floors. It had also been the
towns gambling centre and therefore had a number of additional large and
small rooms on the ground floor, which could be modified by the group for
their own purposes. In addition to the main structure, several outbuildings
included stables, a laundry in addition to an extensive bath works. It was
located just outside of the village proper and was surrounded by an old
fence, which, once repaired, would provide privacy and some defence against
potential attackers. When Amana had presented her reasons for choosing the
inn Willow had quickly agreed to its use.

When they had acquired the inn it had required extensive rehabilitation,
having been abandoned for over thirty years. The group had worked steadily
over the first few weeks that they had been in the town cleaning it up and
by repairing the windows and roof to generally make the place habitable,
before they worried about making it suitable for their research and work.
They used the barter system to acquire both the property and the materials
they needed in their renovations, by trading the protection of the guardsmen
and the services of the mages for what they required in material and general
labour. They had also arranged for a number of the villagers to work in the
reconstituted inn as cooks and serving help. This provided a desperately
needed source of employment for the village, and in return, Willow had
agreed to re-open the tavern portion of the inn for the use of the villagers
and the surrounding farmsteads. This arrangement was agreeable to all,
since even in their remoteness the villagers were aware of the troubles in
the greater world and this arrangement gave them employment, greater
security and protection.

Over the last few months they had discovered that the town had acquired its
name in part due to its weather. The prevailing northern wind was bitter
and very cold as it roared down over the snow-capped peaks before it shot
through the valley. Due to the height of the surrounding peaks the sun rose
late and set early, however, they had used the good weather available in the
late spring and early summer to the best advantage, trying to get as much of
the exterior work completed as soon as possible before the return of the
long mountain winter, and its promised deep snow drifts. They had also
taken the time to repair the covered walkways, which linked all of the
buildings, that provided shelter from that snow and the harsh elements as
people travelled from one part of the complex to another. Even with the
current relatively good weather, the altitude, combined with the already
cold temperatures on this earth, resulted in barely temperate days and
incredibly cold nights. Everyone dressed in multiple layers of clothing to
shield themselves from the climate.