Moonlight

It was a few weeks later before Xander was able to get Dawn to patrol with him alone. Any time he had tried to talk to Dawn or get Spike to shoot pool, get a beer or something, Buffy and/or Willow had some reason for him not to. Dawn was only with him now because Buffy had ordered Spike to go with her and Giles had backed her up saying something about a Buggypuff demon or something like that.


He thought back to when Willow had done her forget spell. After it had lifted, he had realized that when they got their memories back, he got all his memories back. He could remember training as a solider and some of the battles he had fought. Which was kinda cool, but what really got him was the hyena, which was much, much stronger... oh yeah, he had all of her memories. There was a tug of war at times when the instincts of the dominate female clashed with the soldierfs will and with what he wanted to do.


During the time he spent away, he spent a lot of time researching the spotted hyena. What he found made him want to laugh and cry at the same time. He finally decided that the leader had picked him because his mind and memories felt like home. Xander found that hyenas patrolled too and females were more likely to lead border patrol and clan wars.


When groups of intruders were sensed near the territorial borders, a cooperative attack would be initiated to drive them away. These "clan wars" were characterized by coordinated rushes and attacks by both parties, as well as frequent vocalizations to call in reinforcements. Actual physical contact was a rarity, but sometimes injury and death occurred from severe biting.

* And damn didn't that sound familiar * he thought.

Casting a sideways look at Dawn, he asked, "Soooooo........ Dawnie, can I ask you a question?"

She gave a small smile. "You just did."


Xander rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder against hers as they walked along.

"OK, so another one then. Whatfs going on with everyone? The only ones not acting wiggy are Tara, Giles and Anya. What did I miss here, Dawnie?"


Dawn stopped walking and with a sigh, turned to look at the man she thought of as a brother. She fingered the dagger strapped to her belt.


"A lot, Xander, a lot."


It looked like she was going to start explaining, when a loud snap was heard off to their right. Both spun around, dropping into a fighting crouch, fists and daggers ready. Xander motioned to Dawn to start making their way to a nearby crypt for cover. Creeping along, they could hear footsteps. There were a lot of them.


Xander stood against the wall, head high and slightly cocked. His mouth closed and shoulders erect, listening to the sound of the footfalls moving closer and the breathing that went with it. Leaning into Dawn, his voice barely there, he whispered.

"Human. Five, maybe six, males."


Dawn gave him a strange look, leaning around the side wall before quickly slamming back against the wall. She gave him a look filled with ice and steel.

"Soldiers."
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On the far side of town, down in a dark basement, there was a secret door leading to a candlelit room. The sent of lavender and cloves filled the space. Hard oak flooring gleamed wetly in the flickering flame save for the lines in the flooring that flickered all on their own, with nothing as iridescent as candlelight. These lines curved and twisted, forming a pentagram. At each point, a dark stone pulsed with raw uncut gems- ruby, emerald, sapphire, amber and garnet. Ruby at the top most point, next clockwise sat the sapphire, then amber, garnet, and emerald.


At the edges of the room, stood a dozen shrouded women, their black robes making them nearly invisible, swaying in time with the chants sighing through the air. Against the far wall a lovely table sat, carved engravings stark against white silk, a blinding contrast against the dark wood. Two massive midnight black candles sat on golden pedestals, where a matching bowl lay in between them waiting. In front of the bowl, an elegant double-edged dagger had been heated to a peacock blue color. It was a hand engraved ricasso with Celtic interlace on the face of the blade. A handle of lacquered bone, framed by hand carved brass quillions. In all, an exquisite weapon.


In the center of the pentagram knelt a trembling pale figure, heavy iron cuffs anchored his wrist to the floor along with his knees and ankles. The only clothing he wore was a single gold arm band with two solid gold bars wrapping the top and bottom of the band, with gold vine weaving connecting them. Fine leaves sprouted off the vines with tiny fruit. At the center of the band, a small emerald sat surrounded by claws of garnet, a pair of square rubies framed the jewels. The band was sealed tightly his flesh.


As the white robed lady stepped up to the table to pick up the dagger, the chanting grew faster. Turning with bowl and dagger in hand, she glided over to the bent back, placing the bowl under his bare chest. She slowly dragged the blade from one side to the other, the cuts bone deep. Now, bleeding freely a whimper could be heard under the chanting. Unhurried carving began to appear in the soft flesh of the poor beingfs back. If it had not been so gruesome, the design would have been pretty.


When it was finished the raw gems were glowing, the pulse of them almost a living thing. The bowl was almost full when the banded arm gave out, as its jewels flashed and joined their counterpartsf thrumming. The figure walked around the circle three times three, dropping a bit of blood onto the stones at each pass, feeding them as payment. Finally, the chanting reached its crescendo, red hair spilled back as the white robed person tipped her head back and began to drink the stolen blood. As she did, black and gold sparks shot out of the gem stones into the whimpering bloody form at its center. At the first spark, he began to scream.
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"What?" Xander growled back at her.

They both peeked back around in time to get the second biggest shock of the night. It had Xander planning escape strategies in the back of his mind. Buffy walked out of the woods straight at the uniformed men, a big smile on her face.


"Riley, Hello."


Said man stepped toward her with a warm smile of his own and a kiss.


"Buffy, I didn't think you were going to make it tonight."


She shrugged, leaning into him."I had to drop the pet vamp off with his nanny."


They shared a look that had Dawn gripping the dagger harder and green flashing in Xanderfs eyes.


Riley and Buffy shared another kiss before he asked "So when are you going to bring your pet back to play again. The boys and I had so much fun last time."

The other men in the clearing whooped laugher, nodding in agreement which had Buffy giggling and Dawn slapping both hands on Xanderfs chest to keep him still. Dawn looked up at Xanderfs face and really saw him for the first time in the weeks he had been back.


His lips were pulled back in a snarl, and his eyes green. A sub vocal growl rumbled in his chest as she felt where her hands were pressed, a low whine coming out of his throat.


"Xander, not now and not yet. There are bigger problems than them." That got the snarl turned on her. Dawn smacked him hard on his chest again.

"Don't you growl at me! I have been working on this all summer! I wonft let you fuck it up by being hotheaded!" That seemed to snap Xander back to himself as he looked down at her.

"Sorry, Dawnie." He said with a small grin.


They both tensed as they turned back to watch the solders walk away, with Riley and Buffy cuddled up together. Stepping back out into the clearing when it was clear, Dawn and Xander looked at each other.

"We need to talk."