Your Nobody Till Somebody Tries To Kill You.
The Sun rose just as early as it did in Sunnydale.
Guts was nowhere to be found so Buffy borrowed one of Bilbus' swords and drilled through the morning. As she practiced slashes and parries, She shoved away the images of Angel that pressed upon her. Angel was dead, it was the living and those she had left behind she had to think of now.
Willow, Xander and Giles depending on her, waiting for her to come back. Would they keep looking for her tracking her. Would they even know that she was alive here in this place fighting to rejoin them.
As the sun coasted toward noon, Buffy joined Bilbus at the forge helping him wield his hammers and anvils.
Jeryan appeared at Bilbus's wagon. "Smith, where is the Black Swordsman and the other stranger
"What is this about?" The old man asked
"It's about you answering my question. Now where are they."
Buffy leapt to the ground lightly. "What do you want Jeryan?"
"It isn't want I want Girlie, you and the Swordsman have been stirring trouble all over town and the City Guard wants to speak to you."
"Well Guts isn't here, and as for me…I doubt the City Guard really wants to harass me for fighting off some drunken dolt."
"That's your story girlie, the dolt in question claims he was attacked without cause. I don't want trouble for the group so if the guard says they want you then Your going to go with them."
Bilbus opened his mouth to protest but Buffy shushed him. "Fine I'll get my stuff "
As she retrieved the weapons and gear Blbus had made for her, some finished that very day, she walked past Jeryan and whipped out her hand with snake-like quickness to snatch the coin-purse at his belt. Holding it up, she dumped its contents on the earth.
"Purse looking a bit heavy there, Jeryan. How much does betrayal net you in this part of the world."
"You vile snake " Bilbus snarled
I've nothing to be ashamed of …the protection f the caravan is the most important thing." The fat warm simpered unconvincingly
"Don't worry about it Bilbus just means that I have an excuse to kill him if he ever again looks at me like he has been." What a difference a day made she thought to herself as she walked toward Jeryan's wagon. One day as Guts' partner and she was starting to have his attitude about killing.
A tall man in armor awaited her; at his back, a dozen armed and armored men. "So the stranger … Jeryan was good to his word lucky for his purse and his innards." His comment produced cruel laughter among the rest of his squad. "I am Talson Corborlwitz of the City Guard, where is your lover The Black Swordsman."
"Guts and I aren't like that, " Buffy snapped tightly "is every male in this place a boorish piece of shit." It dawned on Buffy she had been living in a pretty civilized society, Guys in her time wouldn't have dared speak openly the way that this ass and a few others did.
"Well I can settle up with the Swordsman later." Talson pulled out a large Axe and marched toward Buffy " you are under arrest for disturbing the peace and harassing the citizenry."
"Your citizenry tried to assault a child and as for disturbing the peace the tavern owner can testify that he was the one that started that fight."
"He draws water in this town. You draw nothing but trouble. Besides, I've little doubt a trouble maker like you has caused grief aplenty."
Buffy couldn't be sure what it was but in that second he sounded like every teacher or principal who had ever had it in for her. Every time her mom had to endure the condescending stares and sarcastic remarks of some smart mouth that thought they knew what it was like to raise a child alone.
Talson reached for her. She honestly said to herself that she was shaking him off so that she could explain herself further, that she wanted to solve this reasonably. But the feel of his touch on her caused something primal to snap inside of her and she snapped out her fist in a punch that sent him flying. She had rarely ever used her slayer strength on anything that wasn't demonic in power. So she was briefly surprised at the distance she got with that one punch.
The squad converged on her and the spear she had been carrying lashed out to take one of the onrushing enemies. She rammed spear in half way then used the dying mans body as a brace as she guided herself in a flip overtop she landed in the midst of the squad.
A man tried to gut her and she snatched his sword out of his very hands using the handle to break his nose. Reversing her grip, she slashed out with the blade striking at exposed joints where the amour did not protect her foes. She would often stab one and using that body as anchor to kick at two or three more.
The remaining squad converged on her, would they have overwhelmed her, perhaps, perhaps not for the point became moot a second later as several of them fell with crossbow bolts lodged in their throats.
Buffy looked around, Guts was marching toward them. A repeating crossbow mounted on his cannon arm was the source of the shots. He was cutting down the troops as if they were nothing. The crossbow clicked loudly signaling its empty state. Four men rushed Guts as one. Buffy shouted a warning and moved to cut them off but Guts unleashed his vast blade. It scythed through the air cutting down all four in mid rush.
That left her with two to fight including Talson who's thick amour had protected him from the worst of Buffy's earlier punch. He was however standing back watching the fight. Not risking himself as his men fell one by one.
A war cry snapped her attention back to the fight, a trooper ran at her crying out. She lacked the time or room to ready a good defense so she simply ran right at him. In a symphony of perfect timing, they came together, she used his body as a kind of step ladder launching herself into the air and snapping out a kick that twisted his whole body right around. As the guardsman's helmet flew off, Buffy lashed out with the sword in her hand as she landed crouched on the ground. His body dropped to the ground blood spewing from the gash she had inflicted.
"When I get back I have to thank Xander for those chop-suke movie marathons he forced on me."
"So Swordsman, still hiding behind women, letting them do your fighting." Talson sneered
"Who are you" Guts asked
"Talson Corborlwitz of the Corborlwitz family, I have always known that your defeat of my uncles in battle was nothing more then trickery, that they fell victim to your dishonorable tactics. You'll find me much tougher opponent.
"Actually Samson was a bit of a challenge, all that armor and grunting and waving around of the flail."
For Uncle Samson for Uncle Udon," Talson screamed as he rushed Guts slashing at him with his Axe.
Guts beat back his attacks with ease "Your actually better then your Uncles and you don't waste as much time talking." Guts muttered
Talson screamed louder and flailed at Guts with the Axe. "Villain, daring to insult the memories of the Corborlwitz warrior family like that." His AXE spun through the air slashing, and slicing.
Guts sighed as his huge sword leapt to deflect every blow from the swiftly moving Axe. "And you have spine I don't see you on your knees begging for your life like Udon was at the end. "
Talson screamed and flew at Guts who slid to one side like a ghost. Talson clotheslined himself on the arm Guts held out. His feet whipped into the air and he fell to the ground with the wind knocked out of him. Guts pressed a boot to Talson's throat.
"Corborlwitz men aren't smart enough to do anything on their own so who gave you the idea to come out here and arrest me and the girl."
"The Duchess, she wanted you detained. But once I learned who you were I waanted some payback. "
"Did you mention that to the girl."
She didn't give me the chance
"In my defense, he was rudely grabbing at me." Buffy said tightly
"He is Corborlwitz of course he was stupid and rude, its one of several things they've passed down for … Five hundred years isn't? " He asked Talson casually as though his boot heel were not still digging into the fleshy throat.
"Did I do a bad thing "
Guts shrugged " You can't really call yourself a Corborlwitz till you have shown craven cowardice and gross incompetence in battle."
He took his boot away. "Come on lets go visit the sisterhood,"
"Why them?" Buffy asked mystified
"Their Mercenaries, mercenaries don't encamp anywhere without Deep pockets to support them. Whoever is paying them either knows this Duchess or is this Duchess. Either way, the Sisters can tell us where to find her. "
He walked toward Bilbus ' wagon to retrieve his pack Buffy head a whistling and reached out with slayer speed to snatch a crossbow bolt from the air. Talson looked at her amazed "how did…?"
"Corborlwitz crossbow sneak attack, one of many techniques that stand out in my mind about fighting your Uncles." Guts tossed over his shoulder as he kept walking.
He walked away with Buffy trailing behind him. "I'm impressed I'd of thought you would have killed him on general principle."
"Frankly Talson seems much more competent then either of his Uncles. Maybe I'll do it some other time. But, not today." Guts paused, "You must be really strong and fast to catch a crossbow like that."
"I'm good at what I do." Buffywas evasive,for some reason, she felt reluctant to admit to Guts what she was or the full extant of what she could do. Was it fear…or a deeper darker wisdom?
Why Is This Man Smiling?
Buffy and Guts arrived at the encampment of the Sisterhood that afternoon. Valkis welcomed them and some of the women in the camp looked at both of them with great awe. Bilbus joined them Chiana presented Valkis with a light, slim and deadly looking sword.
Buffy thought she saw Guts stare at the weapon with faraway eyes. It seemed completely different from the huge weapon he swung with such elite skill.
"An impressive weapon, Smith truly impressive I've not seen its like." Valkis smiled
"Ah tis a right piece of work, the design of the blade and handle Belong to Guts, tis his prompting that guided my hand at the forge. I've few precious things aside from my little girl, the Lady Buffy tells me that I owe you and yours for saving her.
"Dad made a bunch of weapons for every member of the Sisterhood in camp."
The women gave a cheer moving into line to collect their new swords. Pairing off, They began to spar and practice with them and soon cries of delight were being heard as they all discovered that as light as the blades were they were still strong and tough.
Valkis smiled at Guts "A masterful design, where did you first encounter it."
Guts looked at her a moment then turned away "You know where by now, She carried one like it every day. It saved her life, maybe it will do the same for you. "
Buffy found herself asked to spar and Puck buzzed around cheering her on. She paired off with a taller dark-skinned girl whose face reminded her of Kendra. Eventually the girl's flawless fighting style reminded Buffy of the dead Slayer as well. Even with her Slayer speed, Buffy was being pressed hard.
Valkis joined them later and Buffy asked about their Patron.
"The Duchess, her family controlled this part of the valley for generations of border disputes and quick conquests."
"What's her story?"
"The usual for a woman of influence in this world, Her father saw her as chattel. Useful only as trade goods to lure in decent royal blood to forge alliances of convince and to produce royal heirs to cement a claim of power. Her brother saw her as an obstacle to his hopes of succession. When her father married her off to some brute, she had a son. Her brother schemed against her and the child, especially after the husband died. More of the brother's dark plots no doubt."
Buffy had to admit all this intriguing was worthy of her mother's Passions fixation "What about the brother?" she asked and valkis told her the rest of the tale
According to Valkis, the young scheming Duke, Her brother tried to usurp her a few times then one day several years ago the brother went in to the village to hire some girl he had seen as a maid. Brother Dearest was bringing her home when bandits attacked his Wagon slaughtering the young Duke. The Elder Duke was devastated. Would not eat, drink or rest, just wasted away. The Duchess took over running things acting as regent until her son reaches age of majority and is ready to assume the throne. Then she learned about Sisterhood of The Hawk. Since their membership was composed entirely of women sworn to emulate the now legendary White Hawk female commander, The Duchess saw them as the perfect guardians of her and her still politically naive son.
Buffy nodded " Still I wonder why Talson the head of the city Guard tried to arrest us today."
"Talson is a bureaucrat, fond of his family and often strutting and preening after the real danger has passed. He is a competent enough organizer but it is small wonder that mistress looks to me and my girls for protection."
She paused in her to look at Buffy who was watching a glimmering light on the hillside over looking camp from the erratic moment it was Puck and where Puck was Guts was usually brooding.
"Your friend is moody."
"Guts has things on his mind, so do I in fact, but I think all this Sisterhood stuff has him remembering things. I mean a whole warrior sect grown out of the legends surrounding people he actually knew."
"I am as nervous as he, I have admired Lady Caska All my life; wondered if I am half the warrior and leader she was. He can say, one way or the other, yet what if they hated each other, What if he betrayed her somehow?
What if everything you know about her is wrong." Buffy said quietly
"There are women in this camp who freed themselves from lives of poverty, abuse, fear and ill-use because they heard the tales of Caska and decided to be brave." Valkis nodded "What if everything they have lived their lives for is a lie?"
"You make too much noise Guts complained as Buffy approached " if you can't move like a warrior we'll be helpless when we fight the GodHand."
"Valkis is sitting down there trying to decide if she wants to worship you or stab and kill you, Maybe you might want to calm her down."
"And tell her what, that Caska was a great warrior and great tactician. Do you know what their great warrior and tactician did once, … went into combat while having …women troubles." Guts snapped "I mean what made her think that she could do that. "
Buffy smiled at an odd memory, Willow, Cordy and her discussing how Buffy could fight, let alone do anything else during her time of the month. Giles and Xander had walked into the room at a point in the conversation when graphic detail was being used to illustrate Cordy's point of view. The reaction of the boys had been hilariously over the top. Very much like the tone Guts was using now.
Buffy applauded Caska in her head, fighting during her time of the month was a bitch and a half and she had increased strength, speed and stamina on her side. To Guts however she said "Maybe she wanted to be judged as a warrior not as a woman."
"As a warrior she had few peers. She and I only really fought the one time but she was good. Griffith was the best I ever faced I only beat him once. "
"Did she and Griffith…"
"She wanted to, hope and prayed for the day, resented me because Griffith came to care about me in a way that he cared about no one else. "
"Guess it just wasn't meant to be huh? "
"What did you learn about their patron."
Buffy repeated the tale told her by Valkis and Guts nodded. "And The Sisterhood told you this is where Caska grew up?"
""Well there isn't a statue or anything but that's what they said. Why is it important?"
"WE will have to fight for our lives to escape this place before this is over. There are too many that have thoughts they will not want to leave behind and they will hate us for the truth we have to tell."
"I'm not going to like this?"
"The girl the Duchess spoke of was Caska. When she was younger, her father sold her to a local lord who said he wanted her as a serving girl for his household. He didn't even wait to get her home before trying to rape her, would have if not for Griffith that was who was leading the rogue bandit troop."
"This is bad. So Griffith Killed this Duchess' Brother. " Buffy sighed
"No, Caska did that. at Griffith's urging. After that moment, she decided her destiny. To fight for what she wanted to take by force what she had merely dreamed about before. "
"How could a girl younger then me kill anyone let alone a trained noble?"
"Griffith tossed her a sword and told her to fight, if she still had something to protect, she did. The noble died, end of story."
"Christ, this place is brutal."
"Doesn't matter really we will have to fight for our lives anyway no matter what."
"Huh? Why"
Guts held up a hand smeared with blood. Buffy noticed for the first time that the wound that Puck called The Brand was oozing blood. "Something is close," Guts said quietly "Very close and getting closer or we are getting closer to it. Soon we will see what's causing it. Soon we will fight."
What then " Buffy asked grimly
"We'll force them to call the GODHAND, You do whatever it is you are supposed to do …then you can go home and I can finish this here and now."
"And how exactly do you make a powerful demon call up it demon masters pray tell sir. "
"It did the last time I fought an agent of the GODHAND, he revealed his demon form, I cut him to pieces and he called the GODHAND to try and save his life and soul."
"It can't have been that easy "
"Well there was the several dozen troops I fought to get to him, the castle I pulled down around his ears in the process and the fact he came close to killing me. "
"I was afraid of that any other good news about our chances "
"The only survivor was a single girl, in the whole of the castle, one girl survived the attack. A girl left orphaned because of me. She swore she would have vengeance on me for the lives I took that day. I don't expect this will end any better in fact I'm expecting that it will end even worse."
Buffy looked at the evil looking grin on the face of her partner and asked the only question that made sense at that point "knowing all of this …why are you smiling?"
He didn't answer her nor did she expect him to. Buffy wondered if Guts' predications of bloody massacre were not a self-fulfilling prophecy.