FIC: REPOST: Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 6b/?

["Beckett, Kevin" <kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Militat omnis amans (Every lover is a warrior) Part 6b/?
K. Beckett (c) 2000 

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 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: 
PG-13ish, not much sticky stuff this time folks, but lots of ritual action.

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.: 
Ask and I will say yes.

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

Please note that things perceived by characters other than by the five
acknowledge senses have been enclosed in < >, in addition, the ritual I have
detailed in this chapter has been done in English, rather than the Gaelic
that would be usually used for the spoken parts.

mailto:kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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With that, the four young women, followed by three of the guardsmen from the
other table, left the tavern and headed upstairs to their lodgings for the
evening. Grael had previously arranged for the eleven of them to have four
suites, however, with the rush of people trying to leave the area and head
to safety the inn was over-booked so they had to make do with only two
rooms. The four young women were staying in one of them, with Amana, Grael
and Frankel in the other. Daithi had decided that he and his guardsmen
would sleep in the hallway, in front of the doors to the rooms, as guards
and as a precaution against any otherworldly intruders. The suites were
luxurious, and in addition to a small sitting area, each had its own private
bath. The four women quickly bathed and headed off to their large
king-sized bed. They decided that sleep was going to have to take a
priority and therefore settled for snuggling into each other as they drifted
off to sleep.

<You up for this Buff?>
<I guess, bit scared though.>
<How's that?>
<It's just different, that's all. I mean that when you were going to
initiate me at Imbolg it was going to be with all of our friends and
something special. Here it's like its rushed and almost an afterthought.>
<I'll make it special, I promise.>
<Okay, see you in a couple of hours, love.> Buffy mentally caressed her
lover with gentle loving emotions and was able to boost Willow's endorphins,
just a little bit, <Oops, bad Buffy, didn't ask permission first, will you
forgive me?>
<Always, for anything.>

With their brief mental conversation concluded, the two young women drifted
off to sleep. 

Meanwhile the three older mages were deep in preparations for the upcoming
ritual. They had discussed matters with the innkeeper and had arranged for
the use of the tavern's common room. Currently two of the cooks were
clearing out tables, while the waitresses were busy washing the floors.

"How are we going to proceed," Grael asked Amana as they were arranging
candles and other items on a table that they were going to use as an
improvised Alter.
"I think the best method is for us to set-up and then let Willow proceed,"
she replied after a moments pause.
"I agree," replied Frankel who was helping to set up the room for the
evenings work by arranging improvised candle stands in the four quarters,
"after all Buffy is unlikely to fully trust anyone else other than Willow,
given that either you or I will have to be in the centre with them."
"You're right," agreed the other man, "with Aiofe and Bridie as our only
other mages we are going to have only a half circle anyways, the less
distractions we have to work with the better."

"Do we have everything we are going to need," asked Daithi who had just come
into the tavern, after arranging security with the other guardsmen for the
ritual.
"Yes," answered Amana, "what I don't have in my travel kit, I will be able
to find in the kitchen here." She paused for a moment, "Given the potential
for interference tonight I trust that you were planning on acting as the
Summoner for the ritual?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Daithi replied as he sat down by one of
the fireplaces signalling to one of the waitresses for a beer, "I'll keep
watch for now, why don't you three go on upstairs and grab a quick nap, I
have a feeling you are going to need the energy."

The other three agreed that a nap would be useful and headed upstairs.
Daithi sat quietly thinking about the events that had happened, and what the
group of them was planning to do. He thought over their chances and decided
that they would have a good chance to close the first transfer portal, but
after Willow closed it, things would get rough. He figured their chances,
and by extension humanities, was about one in six in surviving long enough
to close all of the hell-mouths.

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Later that evening, about a half-hour to the moon's zenith, Willow felt a
soft, feather light caress on her cheek. Brushing it off with a
"Shadow-cat, go away, I want to sleep," was not successful, as the touch
returned. Half waking she opened her eyes, and although she still felt the
touch, could not see what was causing it, <Buffy! Where are you, and what
are you doing?>
<In the bath love. Amana dropped of the herbs and stuff for the ritual
bath, I'm just about done, and I figured you should get up and get going.>
<Okay, Okay, I'm up, but what are you doing,> Willow was being driven to
distraction since she was still feeling the light touch on her cheek and
neck.
<Why caressing you.>
<But HOW.>
<Don't shout love, I'm using an extension of the shield thingy that Amana
taught me. I figured it might be useful to have a tool to do things like
open doors and stuff, where I might get hurt if I opened it myself.>
<Great idea, love. Now out of the bath - it's my turn now. Is everyone
else done?>

"Yes sleepy head," Buffy answered entering the bedroom, "only you are left."
"Ok then, I hope that they will let me lead tonight," Willow said as she
stripped off her sleeping attire.
"They will," Buffy replied drying off and looking for her ritual robe in her
luggage, "Aiofe was talking to Amana and was told that you will lead, and
that you get to choose who else to work with you."
"Cool, I think." Willow jumped into the tepid bath and began to wash with
the ritual herbs and oils, "I don't think they are going to like my choices
though," she continued cryptically.
"How's that?"
"You'll see," Willow replied with an impish smile crossing her face, "now
scoot downstairs and get ready."
"Yes massa." <Love you.>
<I love you too, you remember everything we discussed about this?>
<Yes, don't worry, everything will be fine.>

Downstairs, waiting for the two principal participants, were the other five
members of the group who would be taking part in the ritual.
"Evening Buffy," Aiofe called out as she crossed over to kiss her, "where's
Willow?"
"Witch girl will be down in a minute, she was just finishing up in the bath
as I left." Buffy was wearing only her ritual robe as Willow had
instructed. She was just a little cold and immediately went over to stand
in front of the fireplace. 

"I'm here," Willow said as she joined the other, "how much time do we have?"
"About fifteen minutes," Amana replied, "I trust that Buffy told you that
you will lead tonight?"
"Yes," Willow said, "and I think that I'm going to break with tradition in
my working partner."
"How's that," Grael asked wondering what exactly they were getting into.

"Well the way I was looking at it, I want to balance things as best I can,"
she replied as she motioned for everyone to join her in the centre of the
tavern, "so the way I'm going to work it is as follows: I'm going to put you
in the North Grael, with Amana balancing you in the South. With the
importance of tonight's work, and that Buffy will be invoking the guardians
of the East, I need to have Frankel in that quarter. Bridie, you will take
up the West. Aiofe will join me in the centre. This way I think that I
have the best balance of power, gender and experience." She looked around
at the others, and seeing no obvious signs of opposition continued, "okay
then, lets get to it. I trust that everything has been cleaned," seeing an
answering nod from Amana, "right, I'll ask Frankel and you Bridie to see to
the candles, while Amana and I take care of the runes."

"That leaves me to brief and ward the Summoner," commented Grael, "while
Aiofe prepares Buffy. Good plan Willow." 

Grael was seeing Willow coming into her own as the arch-mage, and that she
was quickly learning to take command of situations, becoming the leader that
they would need in the days to come. This was one of the reasons for the
initiation tonight, and he was happy to see that he and Amana were correct
in their assumptions and decisions. Leading the ritual, a comfortable
situation, would, they hoped, give some measure of self-confidence to the
young mage. Self-confidence that they knew she would need in the days to
come.

They quickly got to work and within a few minutes had all taken up their
appropriate places. Daithi and Buffy were outside of the circle, waiting
for their part in the ritual. Willow and Aiofe were in the centre with the
others at the quarters. Willow, looking to Amana for confirmation of the
timing, began the ritual as the moon was reaching its zenith, starting with
the preparatory breathing exercises and chants. After very little time she
was able to sense that the six of them were ready to proceed. She and Aiofe
then cast the circle and returned to centre to draw in the energy. The
energy she collected was tremendous, far more than she had ever collected
before, and she paused to think, "if this is what I'm collecting from a
half-circle what would the energy from a full or double circle be like?"