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The Amulet of St. James

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The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Fri Dec 13, 2002 3:09 pm

Title: The Amulet of St. James

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the gentle souls in this fic, though god knows I wish I knew them….Mutant Enemy and that wanker Joss Whedon get credit for their creation. I’m just fantasizing a little.

Rating: Hmmm…good question…let’s be safe and say PG-13, though no TRUE smut will ever be involved here. I would never in good conscience inflict my smut ineptness on good Kittens

Spoilers: Well, none that I know of. This is just my little world. Very AU.

Copyright information: All characters are copyright of Mutant Enemy, the story itself is copyright property of Dark Delight Scriptions and may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express permission of the author. Copyright infringement is a federal offense and infractions will be prosecuted to the fullest intent of the law.

Summary: The Scoobie gang is in prep school in Sunnydale. Xander is attending Wicklow Boys School, a rather strict place where his aunt sent to him to keep him from being abused by his parents. Willow, Buffy, Cordelia and Anya are attending Dal Riata Prep, a college prep school if there ever was one. Things start to get a little dicey with the arrival of a new girl, Tara Maclay as the Scoobies get pulled into a mystery surrounding a mystical artifact called The Amulet of St. James which was in shared custody by both schools but was lost sometime in the early 1800s.



Many thanks to Sassette and choice others who opined a challenge to put the Scoobies in a prep school setting (as well as voiced a wish to see Willow and Tara in a school uniform ;) ) This is just a test fic mostly. Hopefully you'll like it.



Fall settled around Sunnydale like a comforting cloak as girls of varying ages filtered through the gates of the Dal Riata Preparatory School for Girls on the outskirts of town. Amber and red leaves carpeted the walkways, muting their steps and the sounds of youthful exuberance. The school grounds were spacious and well-kept with a beautiful mix of valley oak, redwood and pacific dogwood trees; the buildings made of stone that was old, refined and spoke of old money. While it was meant to be a boarding school, local residents had the option of either living on campus or catching the gleaming black school van to class.



Willow Rosenberg always loved this time of year with the beginning of school and the slow dissipation of summer's heat. Dressed in a navy blue weskit with the school's Celtic-themed crest on the left side of her chest, matching skirt, blue oxford shirt and navy/burgundy striped tie, she looked every inch a scholar. Her best friend, Xander Harris, used to give her such a hard time about being academically inclined. "Geez, Will, what're ya tryin' to do? Make us all look bad? Now you've got my aunt actually expecting me to get good grades and stuff. What do I know about the Spanish Intuition? Who cares?" She had rolled her eyes at his mangling of historical facts and didn't bother to further the argument. She loved him dearly but sometimes he drove her completely nuts.



"Hey Wills!" A rather perky blonde wearing a similar school uniform bounced up to give Willow a huge hug. "Ready for school? Doh! Stupid question. I'm talking to the girl who started outlining all of her notebooks in different colored pens a whole month ahead of time!"



"Aw c'mon, Buffy give me a break. Xander's already been making my life miserable as it is. His aunt is clamping down on him and he's blaming me. Just because I happened to mention, in front of said aunt, that he should really pay more attention to his math class since he really is good at it, does not make me responsible," Willow muttered, her forehead creased in a frown. "Does it?"



"Nah, don't worry about it. Xander needs a little kick in the tush every now and again. That's what friends are for. At least that's what I keep telling him every time I kick his butt in arm wrestling."



Willow snickered and was about to reply when she and Buffy nearly collided with a tall, haughty brunette. "Hey, Rosenweird, watch where you're going!" the girl shouted. The group of girls hovering near her, that were surreptitiously called the Chasettes by those not fortunate enough to be part of the "In Crowd", cackled on cue.



"Geez, Cordelia could you take up any more of the sidewalk?" Buffy groaned. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that your daddy paid for a new head transplant to contain your already overinflated ego."



"Watch it, Summers. You're already at the top of the list of the Most Likely To Live in A Trailer Park. Don't get on my bad side because I am definitely NOT going to deal with you and your little freakshow this year."



"Ooooh, Cordy…I think you've been brushing up on your threats over the summer. You might actually have me worried. NOT! What the hell does Xander see in you?" the blonde shook her head in mock wonder.



"Hmph, I'm doing him a favor just being seen with him otherwise he'd have absolutely zero chance of redemption. Now piss off, Summers. We've got better things to do than mark time with the morons. " With a toss of her head, Cordelia Chase marched off with airheaded minions in tow.



Willow glared after her, wondering how anyone in their right mind would bother fawning over Cordelia Chase much less date her. "I really have to talk to Xander about his taste in women. He should stop playing the "hard up" card."



"Amen to that," Buffy echoed. "We'd better get to homeroom. I heard Mrs. Killian's husband got caught cheating and she's been moody ever since, " she sighed deeply. "Looks like we in for a totally rough semester."



Willow nodded in sympathy as both girls entered the antiquated cobblestone building in the center of campus. They were completely unaware of a pair of ice-blue eyes watching them fearfully from the shelter of the pruned garden alcove to the right of the building. The young blonde to whom they belonged stepped from the safety of the alcove once she was sure all of the students had gone inside.



"Well, it's now or never, kiddo. Time for a fresh start," she mused and silently entered the building.




Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Edited by: Kieli at: 3/13/03 7:53:01 am
Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Cindy Lou Who » Fri Dec 13, 2002 4:15 pm

Miss Kieli, ma'am: (Said in most respectful, prep-school disciplined voice.)



I so *did not* want to be the first to post to this fic, being new and...not having piercing, ice-blue eyes to get me through, but impulse can be a crazy thing. Plus, one of the benefits of having a 3-day weekend...I get to catch up on fics and see the new ones fresh off the presses.



I've often bought books based on their titles. "The Amulet of St. James" gave me shivers and quivers the first time I saw it. Intrigued I was.



I'm not sure what a "test fic" is, but if it's like a trial balloon, then I'm watching, breath held, to see how high it flies and what direction it takes.



I really like the AU setting. :bounce



And keeping the scoobies relationships basically the same in a very different environment...Xander at a structured academy? Yikes! :rollin



Anyway, for what it's worth, I vote "oh please continue."



~~~Suse

p.s. I know it belongs in another thread but I was certainly pleased to see an update on "Come Away with Me." I thank you for that too...C.L.W.

Cindy Lou Who
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Fri Dec 13, 2002 7:42 pm

CLW: Welcome to the Pens! Glad to have a newcomer read my stuff....fresh eyes and all that (get your minds OUT of the gutter people! :P) And happy to have you at CAWM....there's an update in the offing soon. No worries about Xander...he's still the same screw up we know and love even if he's shipped of to a "good school" ;) Test fic means, if it tanks and people hate it, it's BACK to the drawing board for me LOL



Grim: Well Tara's got a little problem (which is the reason why she's been shipped off here) and starting over in a new school in a rather cutthroat preppy environment (of this I know first hand) is always a little daunting. Willow is still the same bookish, somewhat insecure girl we love dearly. She'll do plenty of growing in this fic but I wanted to make it more transitional. Don't worry about Tara....she'll have allies against Big Bads and Queen C soon enough.



Thanks for reading guys!



Toni


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Imperfectly Me » Fri Dec 13, 2002 7:48 pm

great start. :clap when do we get to see more?



Aim

Imperfectly Me
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby ExtraFlameyWT » Fri Dec 13, 2002 7:55 pm

Great start, Kieli! I love this setting, I really like the interaction between the characters...you've captured the characters so well...:) I can't wait for more!



Aimee :D

Watch out for ankle-biters.

ExtraFlameyWT
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Leila DeRange » Fri Dec 13, 2002 8:08 pm

Prep school eh?? Girls with skirts showing of nice legs. *lost in thought*

Huh what?? Oh yeah nice start!! Cordy being a pain in the ass again?? Yay! I like her better then the whole understanding Cordy on Angel. Don't know why though but I have the habit of making friends with mean people but they are usually nice to me. *shrugs* I can't wait for the update!! Okay I can but I'm really twitchy.



=LeiLa=

Favorite Gadgets:: Handcuffs, Ice cream, Chocolate syrup, Whip cream, Cherries.



Hehehe spoon anyone?



Leila DeRange
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby mscheckmate » Sat Dec 14, 2002 12:40 am

Kieli, I hope that you'll continue this story soon. The old money prep-school setting has great horror potential. Your description of the buildings and grounds conveys a creepy, unsettling Gothic atmosphere. It leaves me wondering what secrets the school holds, and what evils the Scoobies will have to fight in their quest to unravel its mysteries.



And I can't wait to find out what Tara did to get herself shipped off to the Hellmouth.



Xander: "Tara, nice axing." Tara: "My first."

Edited by: mscheckmate at: 12/13/02 10:50:44 pm
mscheckmate
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby tiredsoul » Sat Dec 14, 2002 1:28 am

Ooh, this is a cool AU! I like the thought of Tara and Willow meeting earlier and under different circumstances and settings. And what could sweet, shy Tara have done to get shipped off? Looking forward to seeing this plays out.



--celia

---------------------------------



"That was just rude. Now I forget what I was saying."

tiredsoul
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Little M » Sat Dec 14, 2002 4:49 am

Oh I like AU's, cos it's like Willow and Tara get a chance to do it all over again (well without knowing they ever did something the first place).....anyway I'll shut up now before I confuse myself ;)



Can't wait to read more :D

----------------------


'I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad..it's depressing' - Tara

Little M
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Sat Dec 14, 2002 12:57 pm

Hi folks! I'm happy to see that at least some people are enjoying my rather short start of this fic. I hope to have another update by Sunday or Monday.



To answer everyone's question, Tara and the others have not as yet been introduced to "The Hellmouth". She's just being banished to boarding school (which happened quite a lot to kids whose parents didn't want to have them around or be involved with them) for reasons that will become clear throughout the story. There will be a tiny bit of angst but not of the W/T romance variety (mostly of the "one will be in grave danger") kind.





But you'll see. Trust me, I won't hurt the girls. I love them too much. Thanks for reading and the wonderful support. You guys so rock!



Much love,

Toni


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby mollyig » Sat Dec 14, 2002 1:14 pm

Toni I really like the premise of this AU. I love Willow giddy about school, and this mysterious new student sounds quite intriguing!



As to the others, the insult exchange between Cordy and Buffy was great, looking forward to more of that.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

mollyig
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby funkyasian » Sun Dec 15, 2002 8:28 am

hey there kieli -



i'd like to add my two cents...this is a great start...i can't wait for more!!



steph

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul. ~ Oscar Wilde

funkyasian
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby xita » Sun Dec 15, 2002 9:50 pm

I love the premise :grin . I look forward to more. And yes uniforms a plus !!

-------------------------------

Buffy?

Let's change it, the Discovery channel has koala bears.

xita
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Mon Dec 16, 2002 3:40 pm

Moll:No worries. I love Queen C and all of her inherent bitchiness. I miss the witty repartee of old Buffy so I think I'll be keepin' that ;)



Steph: Hey girly girl! Happy to see you reading again.



Xita: Well the uniforms came from that conversation we all had that one night. It has been stuck in my head ever since.



On to Chapter Two!








Chapter Two



The first thing that hit her was the overall busyness of the school once she passed through the heavy oaken doors. The blonde peeked into open doors as she walked by, as if searching for something. The corridors felt warm and drowsy with the heat of Indian summer, giving the school an air of hominess and comfort. She finally found what she was looking for at the far end of the main hallway. The sign on the door read: Headmistress and Business Office. Drawing a ragged breath, the girl entered the room. A tall elderly woman greeted her with a bright smile. "Good morning, dear. How can I help you?"



"I-I'm trying to find w-where my class is. I'm new here. "



"Okay, well give me your name and we'll see what we can find."



"T-tara. Tara Maclay"



After a few minutes the secretary pulled up her schedule on a computer and printed it out. "Here we go. Now you're in Mrs. Killian's class, at least for the moment. She's in room 4B. That's out these doors, to the left at the end of the hall. All of the classes are marked by alphabet, just so's you know. Freshmen are in rooms marked D, Sophomores in C, Juniors in B and Seniors in A. Have a good day, dear," the secretary said brightly.



"T-Thanks," Tara replied and made her way to homeroom.



                                        **********



"Ravenwood?"



"Here."



"Rasewski?" Mrs. Killian's Irish accented voice droned on as Willow sat staring vacantly out of the window, inattentive to the murmuring undercurrent in the room as roll was being called.



"Here."



"Rosenberg?" The room grew preternaturally quiet as the students stared incredulously at the clueless Willow.



"Miss Rosenberg?" Mrs. Killian's voice cracked like a whip through the air.



Buffy whapped her friend on the arm to get her attention. "Ow! Hey what was that f--?"



"Are you planning on being with us today or is there somewhere else you'd rather be, Willow?" Her teacher commented wryly.



"No! No, I'm here. Sorry," she tried to make herself as small and invisible as possible underneath the weighty stares of her amused classmates. Mrs. Killian cocked an impeccably pruned eyebrow at her then continued calling out names.



"Summers?"



"Here." The rear door of the room practically made no sound as a blonde girl slipped into the room, hoping against all hope that she would not be noticed.



"Can I help you, miss?" All eyes did a sudden about-face as their attention switched focus.



"Uh-um…I think this is my homeroom. I-I just transferred in," Tara's face turned bright red with embarrassment. If there had been a hole nearby she might well have crawled into it.



"Ah, yes, I see. Right here. I suppose you're Tara Maclay?" Tara nodded emphatically. "Well, don't just stand there. Find a seat and get yourself together. The bell for change of classes will be ringing in a few moments."



The blonde's eyes searched the room for a vacant seat and, upon finding one closest to the door, settled into it. The initial curiousity of "the new girl" eventually wore off and the other students resumed their hushed conversations. All except for Willow. She continued to stare at Tara for a few moments more, feeling a bit of empathy and sadness for the newcomer.



Willow turned to Buffy, her eyes a mystery. "Man, I would so hate be the new kid here. Cordelia's going to have a field day with her. She's so shy," the redhead murmured.



Buffy laid a comforting hand on her best friend's arm. "Don't worry, Wills. We'll look out for her. Show her the ropes. And show her who to avoid," she said, casting a meaningful look at the self-absorbed Cordelia Chase, who sat across the room in the place of honor amongst her groupies.



"Yeah, you're right. Come to think of it, she's kinda cute," Willow said half to herself.



"What?"



"Wha-? Oh nothing, it's just me, you know, babbling on with no apparent reason."



A loud buzzing signaled the change of classes and the room came alive with book shuffling and hurried footsteps.



"I'll see you at fifth lunch, Will. And don't be late because we promised we'd sneak off campus to rescue Xander from cafeteria duty."



Willow sighed in resignation. "Ok ok, I got it. Don't be late. Right." She picked up her backpack and headed for the door, looking back only to see the new girl slowly gathering her things, as if in shock. "Poor kid. I know how you feel," she mused inwardly and disappeared into the growing throng in the hallway.



Mrs. Killian disdainfully watched Tara quietly leave the room, a slight sneer dancing at the corner of her lips. If she had been facing any way except for towards the back of the room, she would have seen the words "It's MY Turn Now", appear on the blackboard behind her and a screaming face puckering out of it.




Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Edited by: Kieli at: 1/10/03 7:18:03 pm
Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby mollyig » Mon Dec 16, 2002 4:23 pm

I think it's typical of Willow to have been daydreaming during the roll call; of course she'd be totally attentive when Mrs Killian started teaching though. Her empathy for poor little lost Tara is totally in character too.



The thing with the blackboard has me all intrigued now. Looking forward to more strange goings on in Dal Riata!



Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

mollyig
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby SilverWingedNemesis » Mon Dec 16, 2002 4:32 pm

What the frilly heck? *GIGGLES*



I am SOO confused...but that's not hard to do to me



Update needed!! *GIGGLES*



Great fic so far!! When do our girls meet?? *grins*





Keep up the great work!



~NICKOLE~

-----------

"I'm just kinda taking life as it happens." Throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks."-Amber Benson

SilverWingedNemesis
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Grimlock72 » Mon Dec 16, 2002 5:41 pm



Aww.... couldn't the headmistress at LEAST have brought Tara to her class ? Sheeesh, some welcome... new girl alone in a new school... now go find your class. Willow will gladly show her around probably :)



Yeah, it figures Willow would doze off when there's nothing to keep her attention. She gets bored easily.



I've never been to school in the US so could someone explain the 'homeroom' principle to me ? Do they have all their lesson in that room ? If not, why is it called a 'homeroom' ? (unless they acutally have roll-calls at school, heh)



Since Tara is painfully shy I have to wonder what on earth she could ever have done to get in trouble at her other school. Maybe someone was pestering a friend of her and she jumped in between, something like that. Can't really imagine Tara doing something just for herself that would get her in trouble (i.e. torching the local gym or such).



Can't wait to see protective Willow, heh....



Grimmy

"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

Grimlock72
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby pikescoob » Mon Dec 16, 2002 5:43 pm

Hey :grin I read another fic by you and really liked it so I thought I'd check this one out too. Oooh I like the school girl uniform thing, verrry nice! I'm interested to see where you go with this :D Can't wait for more!



--Michelle

pikescoob
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Mon Dec 16, 2002 8:23 pm

Molly: You know how poor Willow is....unless she's *ahem* stimulated very little holds her attention :evil



SWN: All in good time, my dear, all in good time.



Grimmy: I swear you ask all of the complicated questions :lol No worries because I'd get confused too. "Home room" is kind of like a Common Room. It's the place where you begin and end the day in Grade School (grades 1-8 in Catholic and some "private" schools) or begin the day in high school (grades 9-12 in Catholic and some private schools). I went to an all girls private Catholic high school (what a mouthful!) and they still called roll then, even when we were Seniors. They took the attendance policy VERY seriously. Tara didn't do anything wrong at her other school....it was something family related, but there is more to it. I hope to get to that very shortly. Didn't want to go into too much detail at the onset...might not make any sense *G* Protective Willow coming up.



pikescoob: Hey there! Long time no see. Happy that you're enjoying yourself. Hope to have an update kind of soon.


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby AntigoneUnbound » Mon Dec 16, 2002 10:56 pm

Hey Kieli--

What a great start to a story with an intriguing premise. I'm definitely gonna be keeping an eye on this one. Particular kudos to you for using "preternaturally" because let's face it, it's a great word!



You write really well (I'm a big one for form complimenting content!) and I'm looking forward to reading more. But what's up w/ that face on the blackboard?!? Methinks something ominous is afoot!



Thanks for starting this up, Kieli.

Mary

AntigoneUnbound
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby jixer » Tue Dec 17, 2002 10:37 am

Hello Kittens-



Oh good, more Kieli fic! I'm intrigued and eager to see how this one plays out. I like the setting. I'm waiting patiently. Really.



New update yet?



Sorry about that. Waiting politely. Yep.



Jixer

jixer
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:21 am

I am honoured to have Antigone Unbound reading. I hear a lot of great things about your work. I love to use quirky little words sometimes. I may not have wiccachica's talent but I like to write so....this one may get more updates than Come Away With Me. Fresh start and all that ;)



Hey Jixer! Long time no see. This is just me trying to get my writing legs back and a little more confidence. I lost some of that in the months that I've been lost in the RL void. Hope to have updates coming real soon.



T


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby TareBearRS » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:17 pm

Cool start, i really wonder what will happen next.

I like the setting.



Why didn't Willow go up to Tara when homeroom was over?

And what's with the blackboard?!



Hope for more soon!!



R.

TareBearRS
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Kieli » Sat Dec 21, 2002 9:16 pm

TB: I think Willow is still kind of tentative with the new girl...after all, Tara just walked into the room only seconds before. But no worries. There's always the lunchroom ;) And the blackboard...well...that's to come. Glad you're enjoying it.



Toni


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James

Postby Penrose Orleans » Sun Dec 29, 2002 11:01 pm

As a former patron of the most horrendous school uniform ever to grab hold of the human body, I have to say that W/T wearing plaid skirts is still absolutely adorable! I'm certainly a fan of the premise, and the development is starting off nicely! --Nora, Putting the 'Dent' in Student

"Her drama was a drama not of heaviness but of lightness. What fell to her lot was not the burden but the unbearable lightness of being." --Milan Kundera

Penrose Orleans
 


The Amulet of St. James Chapter 3

Postby Kieli » Tue Jan 07, 2003 11:33 am

Heh, it was the Nuns at Nazareth Academy High School for Girls in Philly that ruined me, Pen. I'm just drawing on personal experience :happy Sickening, isn't it? :lol I hope to pick this up soon. These past couple of weeks have not been jump start inducing. I'm happy you're enjoying it though. Very pleased indeed :grin



ETA: Many thanks to Still Waters for the North Walian dialect and the edits to my hideous attempts at using his language. It is very much appreciated.








At long last, I've found a way to scrounge a few minutes for an update. Please bear with me. I'm not entirely sure that the Welsh I used for the spells is accurate. If anyone finds any errors please let me know. Many thanks to Rane for prodding me out of my semi-retirement. I hope you all will enjoy it.







Chapter Three



"So I said to her, I said, 'Cordy, don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?' And she gives me this look like, 'God, what am I thinking by slumming it with him?' Geez, am I a glutton for punishment or what?" Xander complained, his trademark sardonic grin firmly affixed to his face. He was busily chomping on a sandwich Willow and Buffy had managed to swipe from their school cafeteria, totally oblivious to the fact that his companions' eyes had long glazed over during his ramblings about his girlfriend.



"Xander?"



"Yeah, Buff?"



"You said there was a reason you wanted us to sneak out today. I say you explain yourself or you might have a dental side salad to go with that sandwich," she growled, her eyes boring a hole into him.



He winced and chuckled weakly. "Ok ok. Sheesh, can't a guy just want to see his best buds now and again?"



"Xander, it’s not like you were sent to Alcatraz. You live down the freakin' street." Buffy grabbed him by the lapels of his rather shabby school-issued sports coat. "Talk! Now!"



"Urk…" Xander gasped. "Air…breathing preferable."



Buffy released him and sat down beside an unusually quiet Willow on one of the stone benches hidden alongside Wicklow's Dining Hall. Xander's face lit up with excitement.



"I hear," he drawled, "that everyone's all upset about some prized artifact that was part of Wicklow's Private Museum Collection. It's supposed to be, like, a million years old or something. Anyway, the Headmaster's all in a panic and stuff. He even had a big meeting with a bunch of Sunnydale hotshots, including DL's own Headmistress." He sat back smirking with his arms crossed.



Willow gave him an incredulous look. "We snuck off-campus to hear some gossip about an antique? One you're not even sure exists?!" Her voice hit the upper registers, letting everyone know that Mt. Vesuvius might blow any second. For a minute, Buffy thought Willow just might strangle him until his eyes bugged out.



Xander stared at the ground and shrugged his broad shoulders. "Well yeah, the thought about the whole "not-existing" part had occurred to me," he shrugged. "But there aren't that many teachers in Wicklow that are all that creative as far as tall tales are concerned. I figured it was worth checkin' out. A little cloak and dagger stuff. That could be fun!" he nodded emphatically, searching his friends faces for what he hoped would be some sort of forgiveness. "A-And there was that added bonus of seeing you guys….ya know, for the company."



The blonde chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "I think Xander's right. It's kinda odd that Old Droopy Drawers would come here to Wicklow for anything. Hell, I don't think she's ever left her office before. Hmph," she snorted. "Maybe that's why the teachers have been all kinds of bitchy lately. It's like the whole school got Group PMS overnight."



"Oooh yeah," Willow muttered, a slight frown creasing her brow "Mrs. Killian almost went all Anne Heche on this hot new girl. I really felt for her."



Xander's and Buffy's heads whipped around in surprise. "Erm…did you just say some girl was hot?!" they asked in unison.



The redhead's eyes became innocently vacant. "Wha—who me? Um…no…I think you two are imagining things. Hello, minds, gutter, get them out of it."



They each gave her dubious looks and let it pass. "So what do you think's up, Buff? I mean who would bother with some old item that you probably would get five bucks for in an antique store?"



Buffy shook her head. "Dunno. I hate to sound all Nancy Drew-like, but I think we've got ourselves a mystery."



"Yeah well, it won't be a mystery why we'll be stuck in "The Dungeon" for the next week or two if we don't get back," Willow said wistfully. "I hate that place. It always smells like old gym shoes and smelly guys." She pulled a face and stuck out her tongue in disgust.



"Hey now, that's the smell of studliness, thankyouverymuch," Xander said puffing out his chest and giving a rather pathetic imitation of Tim Taylor's manly grunting.



Both girls rolled their eyes at him. "Yeah well, you'd better get back to the cafeteria, Tarzan," Buffy chuckled. "Or else you'll be mopping the floors after school for the millionth time." They gathered their knapsacks and books that had been unceremoniously tossed into a corner beside their bench. The girls waved goodbye to Xander and promised to catch up with him later that afternoon.



"Hey Will, are you ok?" Buffy asked during their short trek back to Dal Rialta.



Willow shrugged slightly. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?" she replied in a noncommittal tone. Suuurre I'm just fine…I've got this girl's face running through my head and I don't even KNOW her. She had soft-looking lips…kinda edible looking actually…down, girl! Time to take a powder there, hormones, before you get me all insane in the membrane.



"It's just you're all quiet today…it's doesn't bode well when you're not babbling about something or other."



Willow gave her friend a wry smile. "Gee, thanks. Could you be any more frank?"



"No not today. Frank's gone for the week. You're stuck with Buffy until he comes back. He needed a vacation; too many other voices in my head telling me what to do and stuff."



The redhead giggled helplessly. "Seriously, though, I'm fine. It's just—" she trailed off. Well it's just that I've got this major crush that came over me in like five seconds. And I'm having thoughts, naughty thoughts…this from a Willow who is so seldom naughty. "—it's nothing. School and stuff. This year feels like it's going to be a little complicated for some reason, you know?"



Buffy linked her arm in Willow's and stared off into space. "Yep, I know. What are we gonna do about Xander's little mystery? Think it would be fun to look into?"



Willow pondered it for a moment. "Sure, why not? I don't think it'll be all that. I am curious about why our Headmistress should be involved in something that has nothing to do with our school. One thing though," she grumbled. "We don't let Xander come along when we do the sneaky stuff. Remember what happened last time when he thought Mr. Snyder was a warlock and wanted see if it was true?" Willow's ears burned at the memory. They almost got arrested for breaking and entering because Xander misunderstood Buffy's instructions to get into their elderly neighbor's house and went through the yard to get inside instead of the garage. Snyder's pit bull, Tiny woke up half the neighborhood and a very anxious Sunnydale Deputy who lived next door came charging from his house with gun in hand, wearing only his polka dotted boxers and his badge pinned to the waistband. Willow didn't think she could be so mortified in her young life. Her parents read her the riot act and wouldn't let her out of their sight for a month. Even now, they have Buffy Summers and Xander Harris at the top of their list of Those Most Likely To End Up Poor or In Prison.



"Yeah we got lucky. Good thing the old meanie wasn't home. My mom pitched a royal fit but my dad…you know him. He barely noticed." Buffy's voice trailed off. "But I'm up for a little detective work. God knows I'll do anything to get out of doing my Geometry homework."



The girls burst out laughing and broke into a run as they approached Dal Rialta's Main Hall. The bell signaling a change of classes clanged noisily in the still afternoon air.



Tara had been sitting in the shade of a large valley oak when Willow and Buffy came barreling through the school's massive stone gates. She stared after the vivacious pair, wishing that she had friends like that; fun, energetic, happy to be alive. Leaning back into the tree, the feeling of its rough bark and the cool grass beneath it helped to calm her turbulent thoughts. She'd been trying to concentrate on the crabbed runes that sprawled across the pages of the small, leather-bound book in her lap.



However, the day was too nice, so warm and mellow, even with the sounds of frenzied activity inside the old buildings drifting out of various open windows. Running her fingers over the pages, Tara thought the runes felt alive, pulsating with energy. The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight frown. "Hmm, this isn't good. If there were mystical forces here, I would've sensed it before." Closing her eyes, Tara tried to focus on the dark, thrumming letters.



"Duwies y deyrnas, canolbwyntio fy'm olwg ar un sy'n cyddio. Dangoswch y borthfeydd sydd ar agor. O'i anfad amddiffynwch i." ("Goddess of the Realm, focus my sight on the one who hides. Show me the doorways that are open. Protect me from its evil.") While the pages themselves began to glow, the runes turned a deep, fiery red. Her hands gripped the book in fear as a rushing, roaring wind filled her mind.



"Dewines! Cyfle yfi yw'e nawr. Ni allwch eu achub. Ni bodoli'r sant yma mwy." (It's MY turn now, witch! You cannot save them. The saint is no more!)



The roaring increased its intensity and Tara feared that she would either black out or lose her essence completely to the power that had found its way in. Desperately she clung to what little control she maintained and shouted into the silences of her mind "Bant a thi!" (Begone!). Just as quickly as the doorway had opened, it resealed itself. Taking short, controlled breaths, Tara tried to will herself to be calm. She stood up, sweating and shaking, and gathered her things. She rushed into the Main Hall, realising that she was almost late for her next class. Brushing sudden, hot tears from the corners of her eyes, she felt helpless and scared.



"Not again," she cried inwardly. "This was supposed to be different. They said I would be safe here."



Tara rounded a corner at the top of the stairs taking her to the Junior level and collided forcefully with a girl coming out of the nearest classroom. Books, arms and legs went flying as both girls hit the floor.



"Oof!"



"Ow!"



The blonde sat up, rubbing her head. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so c-careless." Her blue eyes searched the fallen redheaded girl, hoping she hadn't harmed her.



"That's ok." the redhead replied, wincing painfully at a particularly sore spot on her hip. "I'm a spaz anyway. A hazard to anything that moves."



Tara let out an involuntary chuckle at the girl's attempt at humor. She held out her hand to help her up. "Umm..my name is Tara. And I r-really am sorry."



The girl took Tara's hand and heaved herself off the floor, straightening out her clothing as she went. An almost liquid warmth flowed between them as their hands touched. The redhead took a hitching breath, barely able to stammer out her name. "W-Willow. Willow Rosenberg."



"O-oh, I know you," Tara smiled. "Y-you're in my homeroom, right?" Willow could only nod as any prior command of language that she had went out the window. "W-want me to help you pick up your books?"



Willow managed to snap out of her self-induced trance. "No! Erm…I mean no that's ok. As long as you're all right too then there's no harm done." A slow flush rose from her neck to her scalp as she realised she hadn't yet released Tara's hand. "Oh! Sorry," she apologised.



"T-That's ok. S-so. I'll see you a-around?" Tara asked as she picked up her bag.



"Sure! You bet. I'll be here. Not. Going. Anywhere." The blonde gave her a wave and hurried off once again. Willow bent to pick up her own knapsack when she spied a leather-bound book on the floor beside her feet. Figuring it must be Tara's she tried to get her attention. "Hey! You forgot something!" Her voice trailed off as she saw the blonde getting farther and farther away.



Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up her bag and went down the stairs. "Oh well. At least this gives me an excuse to see her again." Willow massaged the deep grain leather book cover with her fingertips. " 'r Llyfr chan Bilyn Mahr?" Her nose wrinkled in confusion. "I wonder what the heck that means," Willow muttered and stuffed the book deep into her bag. Inside, the book glowed and throbbed dully in the darkness.






Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Edited by: Kieli at: 1/23/03 12:02:21 pm
Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James Chapter 3

Postby ExtraFlameyWT » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:01 pm

Woohoo! Great update, Kieli! You have me a little worried about Tara and Willow, though...what's up with the scary dark magicky stuff? Can't wait for more!



Aimee :D

Watch out for ankle-biters.

ExtraFlameyWT
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James Chapter 3

Postby SilverWingedNemesis » Thu Jan 09, 2003 5:02 pm

HUMMM



Liking this fic..it's interesting..but now I"m all kinds of wondering... *grins* :hmm





keep up the great work



~NICK~

SilverWingedNemesis
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James Chapter 3

Postby Kieli » Thu Jan 09, 2003 6:15 pm

EF: No worries, I won't hurt the girls. But Tara is going to have some explaining to do to the Gang in later chapters. Hope you'll stick around for it.



SWN: Ok I don't know if that was a good HUMM or a bad HUMM. Kind of hard to tell if you actually like it or just merely curious. But I'm happy you stopped by.



Cheers!

Toni


Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Secret Senses"

Kieli
 


Re: The Amulet of St. James Chapter 3

Postby Penrose Orleans » Thu Jan 09, 2003 10:25 pm

Oooh, update! This is an exciting surprise! Secrets from Tara... I'm curious to see if Willow can help her with her magical issues (whatever they are... :) ) . Anyway, I'm really happy that you updated, and hope that you get inspired to update again! Great fic! -Nora

"Fear prophets...and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them." -Umberto Eco

Penrose Orleans
 

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