Fic: The Wolf Within (15/?)

[Erin <erin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

What am I up to? Part 15 now? Well, here it is. Hope it doesn't
disappoint. I considered ending it at a very bad place, but decided
to go the extra mile and write a couple of additional paragraphs.
You'll know what I mean when you read it. :)

TITLE: The Wolf Within
AUTHOR: Erin (erin@xxxxxxxxxxx)
SPOILERS: None, really.
RATING: PG-13 at worst, because of some violence. It is a
Buffy/Willow fic, so if that bothers you, or it's illegal to even
think of a Slayer and a Witch getting it on, then just don't read it.
Or move.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.
I'll put them back when I'm done, no worse for wear (but maybe a
little happier). Most of the werewolf stuff is copyright White Wolf,
such as Garou, Crinos, Child of Gaia, Glass Walker, etc.
ARCHIVE: Currently, I believe my stories are being archived at the
following places:
Kim's Corner - 
http://www.fortunecity.com/village/villageplace/93/
Bill's Page -
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/kerrison29/default.htm
Gary's BtVS Fanfiction -
http://psycho.simplenet.com/fanfiction/index.mv?index+buf
Please let me know if I've left someone out, or if one of the URLs is
in error. Anyone who isn't listed here who wants to archive my
stories is welcome to, just let me know so I can add you to the list.
Thanks.
FEEDBACK: Constructive comments are encouraged.
SUMMARY: (Buffy/Willow) Willow discovers that there is more to her
than meets the eye, and it could tear her life apart.


Part the Fifteenth

"And when She was done, Gaia looked down at the animals she had
created. 'Something is missing,' she thought. 'There are none here
whom I can trust to defend Me from the Wyrm.' And truly, it was so;
the animals had not the intelligence to defend Her. Man, in his own
blind way, barely understood who She was. And the other shapeshifters
were too preoccupied with their own agendas, their own desires.

"And so Gaia took her fiercest, noblest creature, Wolf, and merged him
with Man. And this new creation she called Garou.

"'Garou shall be My defender,' Gaia said to her other creations. 'His
Rage will know no bounds, and he will protect Me from the Wyrm, and
you will give him honor.' And the animals accepted this, and Man hid
from it, as always. But the older Changing Breeds objected. Gurahl,
who was the eldest and had long held favor in Gaia's eyes, said,
'Mother, it is not just that we who are the eldest and wisest must
give honor to the young and impetuous, and teach them all our
secrets.'  

"Gaia looked down on her children sadly. 'It is My wish,' she told
them, 'that the Garou be given every tool which may help them to fight
the Wyrm.' And the other Changing Breeds slunk away, looking
jealously on Garou, and vowing to fight against him." -- From the
histories of Nikolai Speaks-The-Past, Galliard of the Silver Fang
tribe

* * *

After a light breakfast of powerbars and leftover rabbit, Buffy and
Willow said their goodbyes to the old Fianna.

"Now, remember," he was telling Willow, "you have the gift of
communin' with the spirits, so don't be shy about askin' them for
help. Gaia bless ye, and keep ye safe." With that, Finian smiled at
the two girls, shifted into wolf form, and loped into the brush,
leaving the two girls alone.

"So, Will," Buffy said, breaking the silence. "Where are we, and how
do we get from here to there?"

Willow dug through her pack for the map and GPS. "According to this,"
she said, looking at the device, "we're about five miles south from
the edge of the area Nichole marked off for us." She looked up at the
blonde Slayer. "It looks like it will be a few hours walking, unless
we travel in the Umbra."

Buffy frowned. "Yeah, but it looked like they tracked us down pretty
easily there last time. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not
risk it."

"Ok," Willow nodded her agreement. Flashing a smile and giving the
Slayer a thorough kiss, she shouldered her backpack. "We'd better get
going."

A dazed but happy Slayer followed her from the clearing.

* * *

Oz whimpered, the nightmare overtaking him once again. Every time he
slept it was the same -- _she_ would come, she would stand before him,
and he would reach out to her. And then, a flash of silver; the blade
would slide into his gut before he realized what happened. It burned
with cold fire, leeching all warmth, all life from his limbs.

He stumbles back, the blade slithering out of him with a sickening
hiss. As if a cork were removed from a bottle, blood starts pouring
out of the wound, splattering on the ground.

"Why...?" he gasps, looking up at Willow for some explanation, some
reason that makes sense. I thought you loved me, he thinks, but he no
longer has the energy to speak.

She looks down at him, sadly. "I'm sorry. But I can't let you live
any longer."

He collapses, his eyes trying to focus on the ground which is now an
inch away from his face.

"I'm really sorry, Oz," he hears her say, as always. "But you have to
die."

The young Black Spiral woke with a start, his heart pounding. He
looked down quickly to see if he was bleeding, but the wound was not
there. Not yet, he thought to himself.

Pushing himself upright, he looked around the small cave where his
pack had sheltered. The others were all still asleep, whining with
whatever nightmares tormented them, keeping them on the very edge of
insanity. Now that Oz was awake, he was restless. He felt the urge
to track Willow, to make her one of them. Then they could be together
again. And the nightmares would go away.

He sat, and waited impatiently for the others to awaken.

* * *

"Christ, we've been wandering this area for hours," Buffy said,
irritably. She brushed her sweat-soaked hair out of her face, wishing
for the thousandth time that she had brought a headband, scarf, hair
net, _anything_ to keep her hair out of her face.

Even though the temperature was much cooler this far north, the two
girls had been hiking through the woods for hours, trying to find any
evidence that they were in the correct area. So far they had found
nothing, leading both girls to wonder to themselves if Nichole had
screwed up. Neither one wanted to voice that opinion out loud,
though, afraid of what it would mean if it were true.

"Well, according to the GPS we should be in the area," Willow said
defensively. "Although we've covered most of it without any luck,"
she was forced to add.

The tempers of both girls had been running short with the food, and
their water situation wasn't looking very good, either. If there was
one thing that Willow remembered from her disastrous sixth grade
camping trip, it's that you never drink standing water. She had to
coax Buffy away from a promising looking pond, asking the Slayer to
trust her personal experience.

"We're going to get Blair Witched, I just know it," Buffy grumbled.
The air was gradually getting cooler as the day wore on toward
twilight. Both girls knew what could happen if they were stuck out in
the middle of the woods, no food, no water, and no shelter.

"Maybe we should start looking for some place to hole up for the
night," Willow suggested. "It's getting dark."

"Start looking for some place to die, you mean," Buffy's temper
flared. "There's no way we can find someplace where we won't be
tracked by Oz, either in or out of the Umbra."

"Well, do you have a better suggestion?" Willow snapped. "Because if
you do Miss-Know-It-All-Slayer, I'd like to hear it."

Any tart rejoinder Buffy would have made at that moment was
interrupted by a blood-curdling howl. Both girls looked at each
other, knowing exactly what that howl meant.

"Run," Buffy urged, grabbing Willow's hand and leading her deeper into
the forest.

* * *

The door to the Dream of Gaia magick shop chimed, and Nichole looked
up to see Chris enter, black trenchcoat flapping around his legs.
"Got cold out there all of a sudden," he mumbled, closing the door
behind him.

Nichole nodded. "Ever since yesterday." She was sitting behind the
counter, looking dully at a quartz crystal she held in her palm, idly
turning it over.

"You hear anything?" Chris leaned against the counter, picking up the
crystal to look at it.

Nichole shook her head. "Nothing. I can't get a spirit to track
them, they're all too afraid."

"I'm sure they'll be ok, Nikki," Chris said, using a nickname he had
for her from long ago. "Those two are very resourceful, they can take
care of themselves--"

"They're young girls, Chris. Most other Garou are given years of
training before their Rite of Passage."

"They're strong girls, Nikki. Willow's been dealing with vampires and
such since she was fifteen. And Buffy, she's the Slayer." Chris held
her hand, clasping it tightly in both of his.

Nichole chuckled softly, looking down at their hands. "What, you
believe they can do it, now?" she asked, her eyes looking up to search
his. Needing the closeness, the reassurance.

"I do."

* * *

Willow ran until she was sure her heart was going to burst, the mad
howls of the Spirals pursuing them every step of the way. She was
certain that they would have been caught by now, but it appeared that
the Spirals enjoyed the chase, and the fear.

"Got...to stop," Willow panted, her legs slowing down seemingly of
their own accord.

"No, Will, you've got to keep moving." Buffy pulled on her, but she
was just as exhausted as the redhead.

"Buffy." Willow stopped, nearly collapsing in the process. She
swallowed, and her throat felt raw and dry. Buffy skidded to a stop
and turned, also exhausted and out of breath. "Buffy," Willow
continued, "I want you to know that I love you." She reached out with
a trembling hand, and briefly caressed Buffy's cheek. Turning away,
Willow shifted into Crinos form, waiting for the Spirals to arrive.

Buffy looked at her lover, her reddish fur illuminated by the cold
moonlight. A serenity had fallen over Willow's fierce features, and
Buffy couldn't help but think that at that moment she _was_ nobility.
And the Slayer was damned if she'd let her love face death alone.

She slowly removed her backpack and tossed it aside, only retaining
the slim silver blade that Giles had given her. She swung it once,
experimentally, adjusting to its weight in her hand. Satisfied, she
lowered the blade, and slipped her free hand into Willow's.

Both girls watched the treeline, hearing the howls of the approaching
Spirals.

* * *

Oz smelled her now; they were close, very close. The Alpha had been
holding the pack back from attacking, milking the fear of their prey
for all it was worth. Oz growled with impatience; he needed this
chase to be over, needed to be back with his Willow once more. He let
loose a howl of desire, of longing, only to have it answered with a
howl of challenge.

He and the pack burst forth into the clearing.

* * *

The howls woke him from a deep slumber, old instincts fighting to the
surface. How long did I sleep this time? he wondered, looking about.
His hidden cabin was still in the same shape in which he left it, so
he assumed he wasn't asleep that long.

A second howl broke him from his reverie. Warm brown eyes narrowed in
suspicion and he rose, cold joints creaking in protest.

* * *

Willow watched as the Spirals burst from the treeline into the
clearing. There were clearly four of them, just as she had seen in
the Umbra. The hackles on the back of her neck rose at the sight of
the Wyrm-Garou. She growled, watching their Alpha step forward, manic
grin plastered on his short-muzzled face.

She watched him as he moved, remembering the lessons that Buffy taught
her about how to size up an opponent, judge their strengths and
weaknesses. Her heart sank as she realized that he didn't seem to
have any.

He charged her then, the rest of the pack howling out their support.
He was fast, but she was just a little bit faster, dodging out of the
way of his tackle, and raking her claws across his face, unfortunately
missing his eyes. Blood welled from the deep cuts as he stopped and
pivoted to face her, still grinning.

Buffy backed up from the fight, keeping a close eye on the other three
Spirals. They seemed to be engrossed in their leader's fight with
Willow, which was all to the good as far as Buffy was concerned. As
long as we can face them one-on-one, Buffy thought, we might stand a
chance. She kept her blade up, waiting for anyone to make the first
move.

Oz watched as the Alpha charged Willow again. He knew that if the
Alpha could take her down, she would be theirs; they could kill Buffy
at their leisure, and take Willow by force to break her, make her
serve the Wyrm. And then she would be his.

Willow stumbled and dropped under the Alpha's attack, and Oz only
realized at the last second that it was a feint. The Alpha jumped on
her, lips pulled back in anticipation of a throating. Willow brought
her back legs up and caught him, managing one good rake with her claws
across his chest before she kicked him off, sending him sprawling
across the clearing.

The Alpha stood, his eyes blazing with fury. His grin was gone now,
and he howled in rage. He pointed at Willow, his hand starting to
glow with that same sickly green fire that was reflected in his eyes.

Buffy didn't know what the green stuff was, nor did she want Willow to
be on the receiving end. The Slayer leapt forward, her silver blade
cutting neatly through fur, muscle, bone. The Alpha's arm hit the
ground, green fire snuffed out in an instant.

Time slowed. The Alpha stood there, jaw agape at his arm which now
ended abruptly right below the elbow. Black blood poured from the
wound, and the enraged Spiral aimed a killing blow for Buffy's head
which the Slayer was just barely able to dodge. Buffy ducked under
the blow, feeling her hair whipped by the force of its passing. She
thrusted up with her blade, the foot and a half of cold silver sliding
into the Alpha's chest like it was soft clay. In less than a second
she whipped the blade out, blood spraying as she did so, and jumped
back to avoid counterattack. The Spiral roared in pain, reaching out
for the Slayer with his one remaining hand -- and dropped to the
ground, dead.

The other three spirals let loose with howls of outrage, and came
after the two girls. So much for reprieve, Buffy thought.

Willow met the first attacker, a small, jackal-headed Spiral, with a
bone-crunching fist right to the muzzle which snapped his head back.
Suddenly, she felt an iron grip grab her arm, and she turned to see a
Spiral who had attacked her from the side. He grabbed her right arm,
and Jackal leapt forward to grab her left, bearing her down to the
ground.

Oz, upon seeing the Alpha fall, immediately went after Buffy,
blind-siding her with a tackle. She quickly discovered that having
five hundred pounds of snarling werewolf ram straight into you was not
a terribly nice feeling. She elbowed Oz in the face, trying to make
enough room to bring her blade up and into play.

Willow, unable to break the hold that the two Spirals had on her arms,
immediately shifted into wolf form, her smaller lupine shape easily
sliding out of the startled Spirals' grips. She darted around one
Spiral, feeling his claws rake her side as he tried to make a grab for
her. Noticing Buffy's struggle, she ran straight for Oz, only
shifting into Crinos at the last minute to slam into him, carrying him
off of the trapped Slayer.

Buffy jumped to her feet just in time to meet the attack of the third
Spiral. She tried to dodge the blow, but not quite fast enough; his
clawed hands ripped into her side, knocking her away like she was a
rag doll. The Slayer could only watch as the third Spiral walked over
to where Willow and Oz fought, grabbing the Glass Walker by the arms
and pinning them behind her back as Oz tore at her stomach and chest
with his claws.

Buffy tried to rise and felt the searing heat of bile in her throat.
She was getting cold, and she noticed with some detachment that her
entire side was covered in blood. Her blood. Her vision swam, and
she blinked several times to try to clear it, all the while crawling,
sword clutched in one blood-covered fist, to try to save Willow.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting roar erupted in the clearing; Buffy looked
up, her eyes unable to focus. A huge shadow, one which dwarfed the
smaller Garou, rose up behind the Spiral that was holding Willow.
There was a sickening tearing sound, and the head of the Spiral flew
across the clearing. The body dropped instantly, bearing Willow down
with it.

The two remaining Spirals, Oz and Jackal, disappeared, and Buffy's
last sight was of the huge shadow bending down to engulf her lover.
Then, darkness.

* * *

Willow opened her eyes, the dim firelight illuminating what appeared
to be a roughly made log cabin. A large, burly man bent over the
fire, stirring what looked like a soup kettle; he was softly humming
to himself.

The redhead could feel Buffy laying next to her, still in deep
slumber. She snored softly in a way that she always did when her
Slayer senses allowed her to fall into her deepest sleep. Willow
always found it insufferably cute.

The man turned, and saw Willow watching him. He smiled, a smile which
was nearly hidden by his full, salt-and-pepper beard. The man stepped
forward, laying a warm, dry hand on her forehead. "Rest now, young
Garou," he told her, his rumbling voice drawing her into sleep. "You
are safe here."

END Part 15


--
Tara: "I am, you know."
Willow: "What?"
Tara: "Yours."
----------
"So Willow's not driving stick anymore. Who would've thought?"
-- Faith
*email: erin@xxxxxxxxxxx