Seven

***For Meghan's Birthday***



Part Seven

"Are you sure my lady?"

Willow wrinkled her nose and sent a firm look to the Elf next to her.

"Very sure Legolas," she affirmed. "There is no way that I'm riding on a horse again. I'll walk thank you very much."

"But, the distance-"

"I'll let you know if it gets to be too much," she interjected, giving him a bright smile. "But I'm going to stick with the ground for the time being. I just didn't have that great a time last time. Besides, I don't think you would be all that comfortable with me riding with you. You can ask Aragorn, I have trouble with the entire concept of staying on the horse."

The Elf shook his head, offering the stubborn redhead a quick grin before trotting off to talk to Gimli, who was quite possibly worse than her and Xander when on a horse. Speak of the devil, Xander chose to sidle up to her at this point.

"Ever notice how all the guys want you to travel to Helm's Deep more or less in their laps?"

Willow frowned, giving Xander a playful slap on the cheek.

"You have got to stop thinking bad things about everyone here," the redhead advised him. "We're going to be here for a while Xander."

"But we don't have a clue as to what to do with ourselves," he retorted, sending a minor glare up to where King Theoden led the group of civilians heading to Helm's Deep. "And he isn't making things any better. Neither is Pretty Elf, trying to get you on his lap every five seconds. I'm thinking he has nefarious intentions."

"I think you've lost your mind," Willow returned. "Xander, since we've met Legolas I've been soaked to the bone, doing a very nice impersonation of a drowned rat. Then I dried while on a horse and commenced traveling on the damn thing for about a day. I came off that horse sweaty and smelling worse than said horse. After which I was involved in a brawl. The only time I've looked any bit presentable was after a bath and some sleep, but I'm right back to my sweaty, unpresentable self at the moment."

"Yeah, but he's been all scrubby and stuff too," Xander protested. "Not so much as the rest of us, but it does show on his Elfiness every now and then. Hey, maybe he was going to try and convince you to take a bath with him!"

"Xander, he was just being polite," Willow rolled her eyes, nudging her friend with her elbow. "Stop reading so much into everything."

"But then what would I have to do for this rather long and tiresome trip?" Xander replied, giving her his first real smile in a few days. "But I suppose if my Wills would like me to stop, I could make the effort. So, how goes the spell modification?"

"Hard," Willow admitted, looking down at the parchment in her hands. "I have all the ingredients and the right incantation, but getting it to be something of that magnitude without ending up in a coma is the real dilemma."

"Coma?" Xander repeated, alarm written all over his face. "Did you just say coma? There will be no doing of spells that could possibly result in coma! I forbid it!"

Willow arched an eyebrow at him.

"That worked on Dawn," he muttered in defence.

"When?" Willow demanded incredulously.

"When she was just like ten," Xander retorted. "And that's besides the point Willow. Coma? You can't risk that! Remember you're needed here. If not for the fate of this world, then for me. I won't be able to behave myself one iota without you there glaring disapprovingly at me."

"Xander, relax," Willow patted his shoulder in reassurance. "My ultimate goal in this is not to end up in a coma. Believe it or not, I do have some regard for my own safety."

"Says the girl expecting to die about a week back," Xander muttered under his breath. Willow gave him a sharp look.

"Shut up Xander."

*****

"My lady, how do you fare?"

"Hmm?" Willow blinked, looking up from her calculations to see Aragorn standing beside her. The redhead looked around, seeing that everyone was over their break and ready to head back to the march.

"The spell?" Aragorn prompted her. Willow shook her head, giving the man a bit of a smile.

"It's coming along," the redhead admitted. "But not as I would like. It's hard to figure out a way to adjust the spell to keep all the bad guys out and good guys in. And how to keep it up like that for a while."

"Can you do it?" he asked her, concern in his voice.

"Sure, I think," Willow looked uncertain. "There's some doubt, but I'm pretty sure I can do it. And besides, doesn't hurt to try."

"That is not what Xander is claiming," Aragorn corrected her gently. "He is declaring that this spell will have really adverse effects on you. Something about the spell possibly killing you."

"That's so untrue," Willow protested feebly. "There's a chance for coma and really bad pain, but no death."

"Either way, the outcome does not look well," Aragorn looked very worried. "Perhaps you should not attempt it . . ."

"Oh no," Willow shook her head. "I'm going to attempt, and I'll be just fine. That way, afterwards, I can dance around you and Xander singing 'Nah-nah-nah, I was right!', though if there are lots of people around, it might not happen."

Aragorn managed a small sad smile for her.

"I certainly hope that is what happens my lady," he told her sincerely. Willow smiled back at him, giving his arm a gentle pat.

"Stop calling me that."

*****

Now, if she changed this from past tense to present tense, invoked Hecate over Poyxena, and . . . what's going on up there?

Willow frowned, looking up at the commotion that was occuring up front. She saw some the men riding forth, while some of the women were starting to scream.

"What's going on?" she asked the nearest person, who turned out to be Eowyn. The blonde woman shrugged, wide blue eyes watching the men started pulling out their weapons.

"We are under attack," Eowyn declared softly, trying to run forward to help. Willow scrambled after her, clutching her spell to her chest as she tried to pull out the sword given to her by Gandalf before. Both women were abruptly cut off as Theoden rode his horse up in front of them.

"Lead them to the fortess!" the king commanded, motioning to the scattered women and children.

"We can help!" Eowyn pleaded with her uncle.

"I need you to help them," Theoden refused. "Please!"

Willow stilled, looking between Eowyn and her uncle. She turned, watching as Aragorn rode up behind them, Xander at his back. Her friend saw her and shrugged.

"If any of these guys get past us, you'll have to stop them from getting all the others," Xander told her. Willow frowned at him.

"That was lame Xander Harris," she shot back. Xander just shrugged again, hefting his sword and pointing it in the direction of the fight.

"Just don't fight Wills," he pleaded with her. "It's not going to get us anywhere just yet."

"But-"

But he was already gone, trotting after Aragorn into battle. Willow felt torn, watching her friend ride off and seeing Eowyn beside her.

"Come," the blonde woman instructed, her voice choked with anger. "Let's get the people to Helm's Deep."

Willow nodded, watching her friend ride off in concern.

"To Helm's Deep."

*****