-Two Worlds II- (Chapter Nine: A Night in the Woods)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hi :)
Yes, some begged and some threatened so I guess it paid of,
Cilia

Title: Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness
Series: Royalty
Book: 4
Chapter Nine: A Night in the Woods
Author: Cilia
Author's e-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Pairings: Well duh!
Distribution and Archiving: List archivers and anybody else who has my stuff
can go ahead. Other's please tell me if you chose to archive this.
Disclairment: Joss owns some and I own some. But hey I think I write better
then he so he can just pucker up and kiss it for all I care.

Summary: Nine years have past in the Old Realm since the deperture of
General Elisabeth Anne Summers after the Battle for Necirs and the following
Search for Willow. Now Willow Summers, her wife and Leader the Alliance
Council must bridge the gap between the worlds to seek out her out, the
darkness is rising and the Last Hero of Necris is needed now more then ever.
So the final story in Royalty Epic begins.

-Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness-
Cilia

Chapter Nine: A Night in the Woods

Autumn of the year 4040 in the Mage calendar and the 9th year of the
Alliance

Hi?
Well I?m back for that update I promised? been a while I know almost three
years to be exact, but who?s counting? In case you don?t remember or the ink
has faded, I?m Elisabeth Anne Rosenberg-Summers, mother, slayer, wife and
general and all this at age 23, ugh! I never ever planned for this you know.
But here I am leading a small army through the Northern Forests of the
Kingdom of Elves and my life is still an AD&D game I swear to god.

Cordy joined up with us a few days ago, she?s all grown up and in control of
her life, unlike me who?s still trying to piece it all together. We?ve had
our talks and we both admit that what happened in Tharon is in the past and
that it was in fact a mistake on both our parts. I was looking for someone
to ease my pain I guess and Cordy? well Cordy didn?t have the remarkable
self-control she has now. For a former clueless she really has come a long
way. We?ve talked about it and reaffirmed our friendship through some
training sessions, being a Guardian really suits Cordy or Ranger Knight
Moondancer as Litni calls her. I?ve found out that she really misses Stjar?a
and wants nothing more but to return to her once this is all cleared up. So
it looks like more of us will retire once this is done, well Guardians or
Slayers are never really retired just taking a sabbatical.

I?ve talked to Willow some more. We spent the nights up in the treetops,
yeah kind of like Stjar?a and Cordy did long ago. We?re making progress? I
think. We?ve talked about the past nine years in her life, what she?s been
through and then about my time back home, about how Luna?s death caught us
all off guard and how I hoped Spike would pull through it all and not go do
anything universally stupid. Willow hasn?t known happiness in nine years I
think since the Alliance is pretty much her life. I can see why she has
grown to care for Litni, you can?t help to like her as a teen, and so I
wonder just how adorable she was when she was a kid. She and Tare are
unified in the fact that they are the only ones that haven?t seen any
action, but they?re friendship seems to be firm and they trust each other.
Maybe it's a sign that the Alliance is doing some good in healing the rifts
between the Drow and the Elves.

I?ve got this feeling that Litni hasn?t been honest about what happened when
she and Tare killed that spy in the forest. She?s been asking a lot of
question about the Shadows, but maybe I?m just getting paranoid in my old
age. Also I?m pretty sure we?re being followed, which is bad since we?re
supposed to launch a sneak attack, so the mission might already be
compromised. I plan on sending some Scouts out to search, but since we?re in
a hurry I doubt that they?ll find anything since the Shadows are very
deserving of their names, they seem to just blend in with their
surroundings.

We?re heading into the Great Wilderness, it?s a long stretch, and yes you
guessed it, of wilderness that separates the Dark Lands from the rest of the
world. We?ll cross it where it?s the thinnest. It?s a steep climb, but
Cordelia says she has friends on the other side that will help us.

I?ve been thinking a lot about my mother and Al?x, what I will say if I run
across them, telling mom that she?s a grandmother. I wonder if she has
dragged Al?x up to the altar or maybe they split up. I really missed out on
a lot, but I guess it was a lose lose situation, stay here and risk danger
to June or go home and miss out nine years of my friends and family lives.
- Elisabeth

Elisabeth placed the piece of coal in it?s pouch and closed her journal, she
?d found it buried where she had left it in the hidden drawer of the chest
she?d left in the Palace basement. She sat on the log of a fallen tree and
the forest around her was thick, but she didn?t let it bother her. She felt
comfortable here the forest had a pleasant feel about it and maybe that was
the reason Cordelia spent so much time here.
?There?s something following us,? Willow said as she stepped into the
clearing. They were about an hours walk away from where they?d camped for
the night.
?You didn?t blink in?? Elisabeth asked and looked up at the moons through
the hole in the foliage.
?Felt like walking and a mage should never indulge herself in the power,?
Willow answered as she sat down on the log.
?What?s following us?? the General asked.
?Not sure, getting kind of a mixed reading, sometimes it?s good and
sometimes dark,? explained the mage.
?Maybe the Royals sent somebody to watch over us, they?ve done it in the
past,? Elisabeth said as she placed the journal in the satchel she wore.
?Are you getting the same strange reading off Litni too?? Willow asked.
?Yeah, she?s hiding something, not sure what though,? Elisabeth muttered.
?Just an interest I think, I know Tare saved her from getting killed and I
think Litni is a bit embarrassed about the reasons for her distraction,?
Willow answered with a smile.
?I hope June grows up to be like her though,? Elisabeth said with a smile.
?What an elf?? Willow asked with a smiled.
?No, independent, strong, honest? normal,? Elisabeth counted off with a
smile.
?Normal?? Willow asked with a raised eyebrow.
?Well as normal as she can be,? Elisabeth answered with a laugh.
?This will all be over in a few weeks and then we can return home,? Willow
answered before she could catch herself.
?You? you are coming back with me?? Elisabeth asked with wide eyes.
?I?m coming back, to be there? for our daughter,? Willow answered with a
small smile. ?I?m tired of it all you know, the endless back stabbing and
all that political stuff,? she said.
?Well you?ll be welcomed back,? Elisabeth answered and gently took Willows
hand and gave it a squeeze. Willow smiled at her wife and Elisabeth smiled
back. Elisabeth pondered for a moment whether or not she should press the
advantage and kiss Willow, but the mage just smiled.
?Your aura is flaring,? she said and placed a gentle kiss on Elisabeth?s
lips. Elisabeth smiled as she leaned into the kiss, which then ended all to
soon.
?We? better get back to camp,? Willow said and stood.
?Yeah? back? to camp,? Elisabeth said as she stood. Willow just smiled as
she took her hand.

Meanwhile back at the camp Litni was in the throws of a dream, in had been a
repeating one since the attack on the army, she fought the Shadow, but then
it got all confusing, she found herself standing in front of a man, dressed
like a lord. He was tall and dark, with two prominent scars on his otherwise
handsome face and he spoke to her in a deep voice.
?My gift I give to you,? he said and handed her a glowing ball that merged
into her chest.
?Who are you?? she asked.
?The Lord of Sun,? the man answered.
?Why are you giving me this?? she asked.
?I have no need of it for my journey is over, but yours is just beginning,?
he said and then the world went dark and she found herself watching scenes
flashing before her eyes. First was the picture of a mighty dragon rising
above a field of battle with a person riding upon it?s back, then she saw
Tare fighting alongside Tark, then herself standing on top of the battered
castle wall waving the flag of the Roses. Watching her was a Shadow and then
his white eyes were looking into hers.
?This? isn?t right,? she said.
?Yes it is,? he answered and just as he kissed her she woke up with a
start. Throwing off her covers and in the course of sitting up she woke
Tare.
?Go back to sleep Litni,? the drow muttered and turned on her side.
?Yeah? sleep,? Litni said as she lay back down. ?Need it after all,? she
muttered and closed her eyes.

Cordelia chase stood on the forest, perched on the thin branch of an old
pine tree, she watched over the camp, she could see the smoke rising up in
the distance and felt the presence of something behind her.
?Tell them that we?re on our way,? she said without turning around, but
since there was nothing to see she wouldn?t have seen her visitor. ?And that
the Slayer and the Mage are with us,? she added. There was a flap of wings
signaling her visitor?s departure.
?So he?s still alive, amazing,? she muttered as she lowered herself to the
ground. ?But what?s his plan,? she said to herself as she touched down on
the forest floor. Then she felt it, somebody was spirit walking around her,
somebody very familiar, but as soon as she felt the presence it was gone,
just like a dream.

TBC...