With a cry of alarm Willow slid down the dusty slope
before thumping to the ground, a second cry of pain
following. "Oh my aching butt," the reddish brown
haired girl groaned, the sun beating down on her.
Much more gracefully the Slayer slid down beside her,
her glossy black hair shining in the sunlight. "You
all right?" Michelle asked, offering a pale brown
hand.
Willow took it, pulling herself to her feet with a
wince. "I will be," she winced, rubbing at her bottom.
She looked up at the taller girl plaintively, "So now
that we're away from the city and out on the
reservation can you please tell me what's going on?"
"I'll try," Michelle smiled gently, "though it may
take a bit of time."
Quietly the situation was sketched in, the two women
standing carefully out of the bright summer sun. Over
the past several weeks people had been disappearing
from around the reservation and the nearby city,
usually one at a time and when they were out on hikes.
Search and rescue vehicles along with many volunteers
scoured the countryside, but for several days nothing
was found. Finally there was a break, but it was a bad
one when a searcher found what appeared to be a human
bone... one that had been chewed on.
"Ew," Willow made a face.
Michelle nodded seriously as she said, "It looks like
something is hunting down humans in this area." She
made a face as she confessed, "I've been trying to
find something since the disappearances first started,
but so far nothing."
Willow shifted the bag she was carrying as she
quietly said, "Which is why you contacted Giles and he
sent me."
"Yeah," Michelle agreed. Her blue eyes twinkled
slightly as she said, "I know Mr. Giles said that
you're an expert, but...."
"I'm not quite what you expected?" Willow asked
wryly. Her jeans were comfortable, a bit beat up, and
her white blouse was already a bit dusty, but she
certainly didn't look like some expert in the occult.
"I've been doing this sort of thing for a few years
now," she explained, "at first with Buffy and now on
my own."
"Fair enough," Michelle conceded then she flashed a
smile, "I know I certainly don't look like a monster
slayer, either."
Willow found herself looking over at Michelle, a
faint blush coloring her cheeks. The taller girl was
generously proportioned, her full breasts pressing
against her white T-shirt, the cut offs practically
painted on her hips. She carried a few stakes along
with a crossbow, looking almost dangerously wild in
her outdoors surroundings.
"You carry it off pretty well," Willow answered her
honestly. She looked more serious as she asked, "Any
idea what might be behind the attacks?"
"A few fleeting sightings, is all," Michelle
answered, "the accounts are pretty garbled, but they
mention feathers and wings."
"Which doesn't help much," Willow frowned, "it could
be something native like Raven or an imported monster,
like a harpy, gryphon..."
"Those things are real?" Michelle blinked.
"Ran into a gryphon shortly after I moved to
Seattle," Willow shrugged as she pulled out some
lotion to rub on her bare arms, "looked pretty close
to the drawings, too."
"Huh," Michelle looked impressed. "All I've ran into
are the traditional vampires," she admitted, "and a
few local nasties."
"Give it time," Willow shrugged. She looked up into
the clear sky as she mused, "This thing, it's been
attacking single travelers and small groups?"
"So far," Michelle acknowledged before looking at her
suspiciously, "why?"
"Back when I worked with a group," the faintest sound
of regret tinged her voice, "one of us would go out as
bait." Willow smiled slightly, "Might work here, too."
Michelle frowned, fingering one of the bolts for her
crossbow, "You do know I might not be able to save you
in time?"
"Who said anything about me being bait?" Willow
joked. A bit more seriously she continued, "Even if
you can't get the drop on it, I can take care of
myself."
Michelle smiled faintly, "I'm sure you can."
Not long afterwards Willow was walking along one of
the many routes marked on the tourist guide to the
area, coincidentally the route that had the most
people disappear off of it. Climbing up over rocks she
looked around her curiously, trying to emulate a
tourist while also keeping an eye out for any possible
threats.
'Not that I know what to look for anyway,' Willow
admitted. She knew very little about Native America
creatures of myth and legend, much less the monsters
of the region. Rupert Giles, the current head of the
Watchers hadn't been much help when he called her in,
either, just mentioning that there was a possibly
lethal creature in the area.
"Is this working?" Michelle's soft voice was in her
ear.
"Loud and clear," Willow confirmed softly. The
speaking charm was a easy spell, tied to her earring
and necklace, and let her communicate with someone as
well as if they were using a normal walkie-talky. It
also had a low magical signature, so hopefully
whatever they were tracking wouldn't be able to pick
up on it.
"Try to stay in the shade too," Michelle gently
cautioned, "we don't want you getting heat stroke or
something." She crouched behind the trees nearby, far
enough away to avoid being seen while still near
enough to nail the thing with a crossbow bolt.
'Hopefully,' Willow amended. "I'll try," she answered
her honestly, "but there's not that much shade to be
had."
"Fair enough," Michelle conceded. Quietly she added,
"Is it me or are there a lot of ravens up in the trees
today?"
Willow looked around cautiously, and indeed there
were a lot of the black birds on the branches... all
around where Michelle crouched. Her eyes widening in
alarm Willow felt the surge of magical power in the
air even as she cried out, "Move!"
Michelle jerked, more in surprise than anything else
and the black birds descended on her in a cloud of
feathers. "No," she wailed as she was engulfed, the
swirling flock lifting her off the ground somehow,
ignoring her struggles.
Willow raced forward, thoughts racing as she ran. 'No
time for anything fancy,' she thought, ''I have to get
Michelle free fast!' The air was leaden, cold as she
reached where Michelle had stood, gazing upward into
the eerily black sky above, blackened by all the
birds.
"They hunt us....." the words seemed to echo down
from the flock, "kill us without caring or concern.
The hunters must be punished, priestess...."
'Priestess?' Willow blinked, 'Why do they call me
that?' Shaking herself she focused on what was
happening, "And what of the travelers who came through
here?"
"They did not show the proper respect," they cawed
back, "like you!"
'They sound angry,' Willow thought even as she
mentally completed the spell. With a few words flames
danced around her hands,, flaring brighter and
brighter. A cry and the flame burst exploded into the
ravens, disrupting their hold a moment and sending
Michelle plummeting towards the earth. Running forward
Willow caught her, grunting in effort.
"Thank you," Michelle managed weakly, her face and
arms scratched up by the bird's talons.
Willow was surprised to feel a flash of warmth within
her as she held Michelle close, then fought down the
urge. "I'm not done yet," Willow answered, easing
Michelle back to her feet.
"What are you going to do?" Michelle asked, a certain
degree of awe in her voice.
Willow looked up a the swirling flock, disorganized
now but still a real threat. "Make damn sure they
don't do it again," she answered.
This time as Willow called up the fire spell Willow
didn't even try to restrain herself, flames dancing in
a protective aura around her body. Her hands glowed
brighter and brighter, eyes going almost while as she
channeled the elemental power of nature itself.
With a final bitten off syllable Willow released, a
massive wave of flame washing across the sky, scouring
it clean of most of the birds, the remains
disappearing in a flare of magical power after she
struck. Finally she stopped amid the plaintive cries
of, "Mercy, mercy."
"Swear that you won't harm human beings again,"
Willow said coldly, "and I'll spare you. Otherwise
I'll burn you out of the sky."
"We so swear," they cawed back then quickly, without
fan fair the birds were gone, the blue sky clear once
more.
"Remind me not to piss you off," Michelle finally
sighed, leaning against Willow's arm.
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