FF: Two Worlds (Chapter 23: Gray Skies)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Title: Two Worlds
Chapter 23: Gray Skies
Series: Royalty (Book Three)
Author: Cilia
Edited and Revised by: Brndn
E-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Feedback: Please god yes
Pairings: B/W, C/f, X/J, Amy/m
Distribution and Archiving: Sure go for it
Summary: You know this dont you?
Missting Parts: E-mail me and I'll send you what you need.
Notes: A Big Thanks to my beta "brndn" for getting me started on this again
and being my faithful beta and Ollie for plot line helping.

Two Worlds
Cilia

Chapter 23: Gray Skies

The sky was gray. A dull, depressing, stay-inside-by-the-fire-snuggling kind
of gray. She had never seen a gray sky like this in all her time here. Maybe
this was their autumn. It was probably a bad idea to march in autumn, but
then again they were heading for the Nether, so did it really matter.
Unfortunately, there was to be yet another war after this, maybe not as big,
but still, marching in snow or mud was never a good option.
Cordelia and Stjar?a walked with the general, along with Xare and Grimm.
The rest of the entourage followed in five organized rows of ten soldiers.
?Hey Stjar?a, think we?ll have rain?? Buffy asked.
?No,? Cordelia answered before Stjar?a had even had a chance to look at the
sky. The brunette couldn?t miss the confused looks, ?don?t ask me how I
know.?
?Stjar?a?? Buffy questioned and after a glance to the sky, the elf nodded.
?Good. No mud then.?
?Have you guys, ah?given any thought to the fact that we have to travel
through a couple of human settlements before we get to the entrance?? Grimm
asked. He seemed uncomfortable in the black cloak, now embroiled with the
golden rose.
?I?ve been wondering about that also, General. How do you plan to get??
Xare waved at the mass behind them, ??past the humans? We arrived in the
Great Forest through stealth, it will be hard to mask such a large force as
this one,?
?The news should have spread to the villages by now, no doubt, and I?m sure
Willow had the good sense to send messengers to the cities we?ll pass. Even
if she didn?t, I doubt that anyone would openly attack or block such a large
force,? Buffy said and proudly looked back at her soldiers.
After contemplating the words of the slayer, the rest had to concede that
an attack on the full Surface and Drow Elf army would be foolish.
?So Grimm, who did you spent the night with?? Cordelia asked, drawing her
attention away from the road and towards the thief. When no clear answer
came, except for some mumbling, she added. ?Hey, I told you to save the bull
for later. It?s later, so spill.?
Grimm now found himself at the center of attention, from not only his
companions, but also at least half dozen soldiers that marched directly
behind them.
?Well? she was a woman of noble blood, if that?s what you?re inquiring,? he
said with a sly grin and rubbed his nails against his shirt then examined
them.
?Come on!? Cordelia urged. ?You have got to give us more than that!?
?I can make that an order, Grimm.? Buffy said in a commanding tone, not
taking her gaze of the road.
?We know Xare hunted down Tark, so you?re the only mystery left,? Stjar?a
said.
?Excuse me, but I did not hunt down anyone,? Xare exclaimed.
?Hunter, or huntee, doesn?t matter,? Stjar?a said with a grin.
?Drow or Elf?? Cordelia asked.
?Drow,? Grimm answered, as his satisfied grin got bigger.
?Hmmm,? Cordelia said thoughtfully.
?He spent the night with Piratess,? Buffy said in an even voice.
All eyes grew wide.
?What!? both Stjar?a and Xare exclaimed.
?Very perceptive, General,? Grimm exclaimed with a soft golf clap. The
soldiers listening cocked their heads to get a better look at him.
?I refuse to believe that,? Xare exclaimed. ?Queen Piratess would not-?
?She didn?t bed him, Number One.? The general interrupted, ?and it?s
totally up to the Queen whom she spends her time with,? she finished in the
same even voice.
?I will not believe it until I see it,? Xare stated and focused her eyes on
the road.
Cordelia leaned over to the thief, ?I guess I owe you an apology,?
?No, nothing happened so you can save it for later,? Grimm said, causing
both Stjar?a and Xare to snort.
Buffy let a smile appear on her lips. She, of course, had conveniently
forgotten to mention that when she was carrying Willow back to their room,
she had gone past the room where Grimm and her friend shared the bottle of
elven wine. She even had to stop and look again to make sure of what she had
seen. But, the group didn?t need to know that, and, of course, Tessa had
told her as much during their morning meeting. Turns out that the Queen had
been somewhat impressed with the young thief, but it would take a lot to get
her to admit that again. Or just some more elven wine, Buffy smiled to
herself.

As the night fell on the marching army, Willow and Amy joined them for
dinner in Buffy?s large tent. Its good to be the king, she thought, or
general, as the case may be. Of course, when everyone else left, Willow
would stay. This thought brought a very large, goofy smile to the slayers
face, and it would not seem to go away. But for now, they were all just
enjoying the welcomed rest to sore muscles.
?Pass the salt,? Cordelia asked. The salt levitated from the table and
landed in front of her. ?Thanks, Amy.?
?You?re welcome,? Amy said with a smile as she took a spoonful of the stew
the cooks had whipped up.
?Don?t overdue it Amy. Just because you can levitate-?
?Doesn?t mean I?m infallible. I know, I know? Amy finished.
?Still, she?s got a point. Magic can be tricky,? Grimm said, pointing his
spoon to underline the statement.
Stjar?a laid down her spoon to rip a piece of bread off the large loaf in
the center of the table. ?You know, someday, Grimm, I?m going to stop
believing that you?re a thief,?
?Oh, I?m a thief alright.? He responded as he casually returned her spoon
to her, smiling at her bewildered look. ?I?m just a well read and well
traveled one, that?s all,?
?You know, I can?t believe how quiet things have been,? Buffy said and used
a piece of bread to clean the insides of her bowl.
?I think the generals are doing their best to keep their soldiers out of
trouble,? Xare said. ?Last night, Tark took upon himself to discipline a
royal that had stepped out of line. I believe that most of the drow generals
wish to avoid a confrontation? for the time being,?
?Speaking of Tark?? Cordelia asked with a smirk.
?Who is just a friend,? Xare added quickly.
?Stop it you two. Xare?s love life, or lack thereof, is her business, not
ours,? Buffy admonished.
?Aw?? Cordelia pouted. However, after receiving a loving pat on the thigh
by Stjar?a, she seemed to perk up a bit.
The dinner passed quietly with the occasional joke and quip about the
groups love lives, or, as Buffy had pointed out, lack thereof, until the
only the sounds breaking the silence outside were the guards calling out the
all-is-well. Willow had curled up next to her wife, while Amy wandered,
alone, back to her own tent. She spent the night staring out a small window
cut into the fabric. Grimm was asleep the instant his head hit the pillow,
giving Stjar?a and Cordelia some much needed time to be together, but
quietly though. Xare found herself standing in the middle of the camp
staring up at the stars. The clouds had disappeared and the twin moons had
risen into the sky. No matter how often she saw them, after almost a century
underground, lights twinkling in the sky were fascinating.
?Lady Xare,? a familiar voice said.
?You don?t sleep much, do you?? she asked.
?Neither do you. I think I just want to spend as much time as possible out
here before venturing back to the Nether,? Tark said as he looked up at the
twin moons, only half full, but still casting their golden light upon the
land.
?You want to stay here?? Xare asked and looked at him.
?Yes, can?t you feel how the air is different, the colors brighter? How
everything here is just so? more,? he said with a breath.
?I wish I had met you sooner, General,? Xare said.
?Trust me, I was not much fun,? Tark chuckled.
Xare cast the male a skeptical eye, ?What made you change??
?My talks with the Red Mage. Litni and her acceptance of me, many things
actually,? Tark explained.
?Elf maidens?? Xare asked with a smile.
?That too,? Tark nodded with a joking smile of his own. There was a long
silence between them. Comfortable, but long.
?I should take my leave of you now,? Xare said.
?I think I?m going to just stand here a little while longer, if you don?t
mind?? Tark said.
?As you wish. Good night, General,? Xare said.
?And a good night to you, Lady Xare,? Tark said with a polite smile and bow.
Xare wandered into the tent she now shared with Cordelia, Stjar?a, and a
snoring Grimm. Lying down on her cot, she placed her hands behind her head
and closed her eyes with a content smile on her lips.

-

Al?x wondered what the sky looked like right now. They had stopped for the
night, or least what he thought was night. Long ago, he had accepted the
simple wisdom that: Night is whenever you feel tired and ready to sleep.
?Hey,? Joyce said as she sat down next to him.
?Hey? look, I never thanked you properly for saving our hides back there.
You know, with the golems??
She raised a hand, ?Save it, you?re my friend. Besides, I?m sure you could
have handled it,? she said, ?Right Gymli?? she exclaimed loudly.
?Bah, coulda taken?em all on wit? ?r eyes closed,? the dwarf shouted back.
?Right Al?x??
?Of course, Gymli,? Al?x agreed with a grin.
The relative quiet of the caves was broken by: ?Whar? be me heroes?? as the
unmistakable voice of King Einar bellowed.
?Evening to you, Einar,? Al?x said with a formal nod.
?Fine, fine work ya did, lad,? he said. ??N ye too, lass,? he added turning
to the avatar.
?Oh it was nothing really?? Joyce said with a modest wave of her hand.
?Nonsense! Even yer mentor ?ere ?ould be atellin ya ?at cleavin a golem in
?alf ain't no easy task,? Einar said with grand gestures.
?Einar? please don?t encourage her. She?s uncontrollable enough as it is,?
Al?x said, unable to hide a smile.
?How long before we reach the outskirts of Necris?? Al?x asked, trying to
change the subject.
?If ?n we don? be arunnin inta any more trouble, I?d be asayin? ?bout nine
days, but ?at?s settin? a brisk pace,? Einar said thoughtfully as he stroked
his beard.
?Let?s see, the elves will be at the entrance in ten, maybe eleven days,
then it?s a three day walk from there to the city?? Al?x said
thoughtfully. ?I?ve been there once, or twice,? he explained.
??At be plenty o?time ta circle ?round ?n join up wit? da elves,? Einar
stated as he started drawing maps in the dirt with a dagger point.
?Or we could send the two hundred over to join up with the elves, while we
wait?here?with a small force, for the main army. They?re only two days
behind us,? Al?x said as he drew some more lines on the maps.
?Looks like a plan,? Joyce offered as she looked at the drawings.
Einar turned to an aid and said ?Run?n get th?maps ?n me generals.? He was
off in a flash.
?Kind of impromptu for a strategic meeting, don?t you think?? Joyce asked.
?Nah, we ?ave da rocks ta sit on, ?n da ground ta draw on, what more da we
be needin?? Einar asked and that was that. The king had spoken. So the
remainder of the evening was spent fine tuning the battle plans. The end
result being that Al?x would remain at the outskirts of Necris with Joyce,
Ziel, Gymli and a division of fifty dwarves to wait for the main force to
arrive. King Einar and Theris would take the remaining forces and meet up
with the Elf Alliance, therefore giving them two fronts on Necris. But they
still had at least nine more days of marching before the plan could be set
in motion, and when the elves would actually arrive was not an accurate
guess. Then Al?x came up with an idea.
?Theris, can?t you travel through the higher planes and meet up with the
elves?? he asked.
?Yes, but I would need a point to navigate by,? she said.
?Isn?t that? a bit dangerous?? Joyce asked. ?I mean remember when the mages
tried astral projection and failed.?
?Walking the planes isn?t the same,? Theris explained. ?So, theoretically,
I should be safe.?
?Can you focus on this,? Al?x said as he fished a tooth on a gold chain
from underneath his armor.
?A? ah?tooth?? Joyce asked slowly.
?Actually it?s a splinter from a dragon?s tooth? I pulled it out of Stjar?a
a couple of years ago. It should still have some of her on it,? Al?x said.
Theris nodded and stood. ?I?ll attempt the walk in the morning,?
?You kept?a tooth?? Joyce again asked slowly.
?Well, I kept the skin, too,? Al?x said and padded his armor.
Joyce?s eyes moved around as she tried to understand, she finally just
waved it off, ?I?m going to sleep,? she announced and stood.
?What?? Al?x asked and looked at Gymli and Einar who both shrugged.

TBC... of course you'd do horrible things to my mailbox if I didn't....