FIC: The Twilight War (Chapter Four: The Gambles of Women)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

The Twilight War
Cilia


Chapter Four: The Gambles of Women



Litni Speed waited on the outskirts of the castle grounds, she was waiting
for her friend and weapon sister, Light, to arrive. The Elf had grown ever
more frustrated with the slow pace the build up seemed to move at. The
armies of Sun were taking longer to gather than originally planned and she
knew from Angel that the march for Necris had already set out from Larken,
with a strong force, but they would need their help if they were to
successfully fend off the attack on Necris and then swing up to follow the
march on the Dark Lands. Although the attack of Necris was a gamble on the
part of the Shadow?s, she knew that the attack would not come over land, but
through the vast Nether that stretched out beneath much of the lands. That
had been her original idea in coming to Sun.

Now she was slowly realizing that the army of Sun would not be much help at
Necris, so she had called Light to a private council. Running a hand through
her golden hair she focused on the shadows that the trees were casting and
soon there after Light emerged from the shadows. The young woman was the
same age as the young elf while both shared a strong sense of honor and
wanderlust. Her features almost invisible beneath the hood of her cloak she
smiled as she removed it and fastened her grey eyes on her elfin friend.
Light was an odd mix of thief and mage, possessing a strong natural magic,
but also all the charming traits of a scoundrel thief. Her hair was oddly a
red color and complemented her dark skin. While her body was almost
completely hidden in the rather large cloak she always wore.

?So mind telling me why all the secrecy, not that I mind, but I
thought there was no need for it here?? Light asked in her ever-lighthearted
voice and smiled as the elf frowned at her. ?Alright,? she said and raised
her hands. ?I get it, very important stuff,? she said and sat down on the
grass and Litni followed suite. The elf wore the simplest of clothes; the
green ranger clothing that provided total coverage and maximum protection
from the elements, while at the same time being relatively thin and pleasing
to the eye.

?I?m leaving,? she said simply. ?I?m going to ask Angel to plane
walk me to Necris,? she explained and then she waited for her friend's
reaction, but Light only raised an eyebrow.

?That?s the big news?? she asked.

?You knew?? Litni asked wide-eyed.

?Of course and Al?x in all likelihood knows,? Light said
referring to the Lord of the Land of Sun. ?He won?t do anything to hold you
back though,? she added.

?So do I have to ask the next question, or do you already know??
Litni asked.

?Of course I?ll come,? Light said with a grin. ?Can?t let you go
alone now, can I?? she said and patted Litni on the shoulder, the hand
lingered there for a moment as Litni just looked at her sometimes erratic,
but trustworthy friend, she?d only known Light for a short while, but the
two had become fast friends during their journey out of the Dark Lands and
then she felt something, like a tug in the bit of her stomach as she studied
her friend.

?Great,? she said and stood, a bit hurriedly. ?I?ll go tell
Poet,? she said and Light just nodded and then watched Litni skip away.
Shortly there after, after she?d spent some time studying the grass, she saw
a pair of black boots approach her and then her eyes traveled up to meet the
eyes of their owner. Blue eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire as
bright as the sun greeted her and the avatar of fire smiled down at her.
Joyce Sun, perhaps the most powerful mortal to walk the Realms was a regal
woman, tall and with curly blond hair and an appearance that betrayed her
true age. She always wore black, Light had noted, perhaps since it was the
most logical choice for somebody that was equally feared and admired
throughout the land.

?It?s hard isn?t it?? Joyce asked with a sympathetic smile as
she sat down on the grass in front of Light.

?What is?? Light asked feigning disinterest and Joyce only
smiled at the young Shadow girl. ?Forgot, you?re an avatar and all that,?
she then mumbled.

?Well I am,? Joyce said with a smile. ?But that doesn?t make up
for experience and insight,? she explained. ?I raised a daughter, that
probably went through much the same things you and Litni have gone through
or must go through in the future,? she said and patted Light gently on the
shoulder.

?So you?re saying that things will ?work out' and everybody will
be happy?? Light asked. ?Sorry, talking to the wrong person for that line,?
she said.

?No I?m not going to tell you that things will work out, only
that you?re not the first one to go through this,? she said and then stood.
?Stay out here and think for awhile and don?t rush into anything,? she said
in a motherly voice and then turned and walked back towards the castle
walls.

?Don?t rush,? Light said to herself as she picked at the grass.
?I?m a shadow and we don?t rush,? she stated, but then she felt that tug at
her spirit, that longing that gave her a small thrill, but also a sent a
wave of guilt through her mind.

?Damn why can?t things ever be simple,? she shouted at the sky
as she stood and faded back into the shadows.



* * * * *



Litni didn?t go to find Poet, instead she allowed herself to wander too deep
into the castle, getting purposely lost among the winding corridors and
seemingly endless sublevels of the massive structure. Things had got
uncomfortably complicated for the young elf over the past few weeks. First
falling for Poet, or that was what she thought it was at the moment it
happened, now she realized perhaps that curiosity had played a big role in
her getting together with Poet, not that she regretted it, after all elves
were at heart playful beings. But perhaps it made her see how truly
inexperienced she was and now with Light, things promised to get even more
confusing. She truly liked and cared for the young Shadow; they got along
well together and complemented each other, with Litni?s warrior training
under Tark playing to Light?s more roguish style and magic use. Lately
however as their wait in the castle of Sun drew on and her relationship with
Poet seemed to fade in the light of the events surrounding them, she?d grown
that much closer to Light and perhaps a little too close, but she couldn?t
tell. Again it came painfully obvious to her that champion of the elves or
not, she was still barely seventeen, a mere child by elfin standards.

?God I wish that Willow was here,? she said as she leaned back
against the cold stone, slid to the floor and buried her head in her hands.

?You called little one,? a soft voice said and Litni?s head
snapped up and she looked into the green eyes of the person that had been
both a mother and a teacher to her during her growing years. The room seemed
to grow brighter by her presence somehow and Litni found her heart lifting
somewhat.

?Willow?? Litni said as she stood and the wrapped her arms around the mage
and hugged with all her strength. ?Mommy,? she whispered as Willow returned
the hug.

?Sshhh,? Willow said as she carefully rubbed Litni?s back. ?I?m
here now, so why don?t you tell this old mage what?s troubling you?? she
asked as she slowly pulled away and studied Litni who was rubbing her tears
away and sniffling.

?I made such a mess of things,? Litni confessed as her head
slumped down to her chest. ?I thought, that if I could destroy the Heart and
free Poet it would all be over and I could just ride into the sunset?? she
said and the whispered. ?Like in the stories??

Willow just smiled a knowing smile and stroked her adoptive daughter?s
cheek.
?We all think that, in the beginning,? she explained. ?And then
we find out that life isn?t that simple,? she added.

?When? when did you figure it out?? Litni asked looking up again
and tugging an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

?For me it happened early on, I was like you, exposed to a lot
of bad things in a short time and as for your role models,? she said with a
grin referring to Al?x Sun and her wife Elisabeth. ?For Al?x I don?t know,
but for Elisabeth it was when she had to fight her mother at Necris,? she
explained and then frowned. ?But there is something else isn?t there?? she
then asked and again Litni cast her eyes downward and blushed slightly.
Willow was always a bit too wise and from an early age Litni had learned
that you couldn?t hide anything from the mage.

?I?? Litni stammered. ?I?m not sure,? she finally blurted out.
?It?s just all such a mess,? she admitted.

?Well you are going to have to make a decision sooner rather
than later, or else all parties will be hurt,? she said in a voice so laced
with wisdom that even the most stubborn of beings would be swayed by it.

?I know, both you and Tark, taught me that,? Litni snapped. ?But
I?m also very scared,? she added in a weak voice.

?We all?? Willow paused and looked over her shoulder. ?We all
get a little scared, from time to time,? she said. ?But if there's one thing
that I or Tark taught it's that??
?You overcome those fears through logic, yes I know,? Litni said
with a smile.
?I know it can be hard, especially when you are at the age you
and the others involved are,? Willow said diplomatically. ?But try to stay
focused,? she said as her image flickered somewhat.

?You have to go?? Litni asked sadly.

?Yes they need be back in Larken,? Willow said as she faded a
bit more and reached out her hand to touch Litni?s cheek once again. ?Take
care, little one,? she said as Litni touched her hand.

?Mom?? she said as Willow disappeared and the hall was dark once
again, lit only by the torches that burned low on the walls. ?I love you,?
she whispered into the darkness and then felt a warm feeling of joy and
security wash over her and she smiled as she turned and walked back to the
surface.



That night under the watchful eyes of three old friends, Litni along with
Light and Poet slipped out of the Land of the Sun and then disappeared
through a rift created by Angel. If you?d have blinked you would have missed
them and once they were out of sight of mortal eyes Willow turned towards Al
?x Sun and Joyce.

?You understand your mission?? she asked the lord of the land,
standing in his golden armor, bearing the scars on his face proudly.

?Of course,? he said with a nod. ?I am after all the unbeatable
Sun,? he said with a grin and ran a hand through his grey peppered black
hair and his brown eyes danced with mirth.

?Oh get over yourself,? Joyce said as she slapped her husband on
the back of the neck. ?We?ll be ready Willow,? she said with a smile.

?Never known an avatar of war to refuse battle,? Willow said
with a smirk. ?I?ll meet you at the pass, move swiftly and silently,? she
urged and then saluted them both by placing a hand over her heart and
extending her palm forward. ?For glory,? she said with a wink to Al?x.

?For honor,? Al?x replied and returned the gesture as did Joyce.

?It?s good to be fighting with you again Xander,? Willow said as
she felt a tug at the back of her robes and turned around to see Angelica
Sun, Al?x and Joyce?s daughter in her bedclothes holding a doll in her
hands. The girl had her father dark hair, but her mother?s blue eyes, Willow
had met her briefly one the march destroy the Heart and she?d bonded with
the young girl.

?Well hello again,? Willow said with a smile as she picked the
girl up.

?The pretty elf must be strong,? the girl urged with a strange
look in her blue eyes.
?Go on,? Willow said calmly.

?And my sister must? not be over con... con?? the girl searched
for the right way to say the strange word. ?Confident,? she finally said
with a huge smile showing a missing tooth. ?You can put me down now Aunt
Willow,? she said and Willow obediently put the girl down and then watched
her trot back to her room.

?Strange girl,? she muttered as she turned to face the stunned
parents. ?I take it she?s not done that before?? she asked and both Al?x and
Joyce?s shook their heads. ?Well it can?t be helped,? she said with a shrug
and started to fade back into the space between the planes. ?Be there in
time,? she urged before she vanished completely and the last things she saw
was Al?x giving a firm nod.



TBC...

In the next chapter of Cilia's Twilight War: Revelations in the Night, sees
some shocking changes in the stories relationship line-up as Starj'a and
Cordelia's plan comes to light, also Buffy ponders are mission. Be there!