Chapter Five
Learning Curves

---

Change, while inevitable, arrives in many forms…a natural evolution perhaps, or a deliberate choice, or even external forces unexpectedly thrust upon one… but regardless of the means, there is always a choice as to how change is handled. Some accept it better than others.

As she got dressed, Willow wondered for the hundredth time how this could possibly be happening to her? While the others had dropped off to sleep almost immediately after the guys left the night before, she had stayed up for some time thinking. And Willow Rosenberg was one unhappy camper! How was it possible that she had lost her magic? How was it even a conceivable notion that such a thing could happen to her in any dimension? There had to be something wrong with Spike’s crystal…or his spell preparations…or something. There just had to be! There was no way that she could lose her magic – not after she had worked so hard to become a witch. And how unfair was it that Anya, of all people, had magical ability here? Giles, okay, sure, she could see that. And Tara really didn’t seem to mind that her magical ability had morphed into something else entirely. But Willow minded very much. And for Anya to get chosen over her? There was just something exceedingly wrong with that no matter how Willow looked at it!

Dawn was having a great time. She was in a neat new place with the people she loved best. The only thing that could make it better was if Mom was here. As that was impossible, she’d have to make do with all the cool things about Middle Earth. Hmmm… Her best friend was here and he was like some kind of folk-hero legend or something. Everybody seemed to be getting along okay. According to Spike’s revealing spell/crystal dealie-thing, she wasn’t going to be opening any portals anytime soon. Joy, joy. No more worries about being kidnapped and bled by creepy hell gods or their nasty little minions. And that was such a huge relief, because she hadn’t been sure whether or not she was still the Key. The fear of a repeat of that experience had been in the back of her mind for some time now, and knowing that it wasn’t even possible was like getting a new lease on life…or at least permission to be happy with this life. She hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d first seen Spike again…well, except for during that rather gruesome bit with the town people and the troll heads. Between the sadness and the badness, that did not merit any kind of smile whatsoever! But so far this was turning out to be a pretty neat adventure. And best of all…no algebra whatsoever in her immediate future, thank you very much! That alone was reason to smile, which Dawn did non-stop as she washed her face.

Tara was pretty much at peace for the moment. She liked these people. They were very down-to-earth, or actually Middle Earth in this case. Her pun caused a secret grin to bloom as the girls made their way downstairs to breakfast. She felt comfortable with these townsfolk. They reminded her of the people in her own hometown – without the misogynist tendencies or misplaced religious fervor, that is. And unlike so many times before in her life, she was very pleased that she had not stuttered nervously in the presence of strangers. The Scoobies were getting along surprising well with everyone – each other, the villagers, Spike – and that, in itself, was cause to make one happy. Tara was a big fan of peace, which had been in short supply for way too much of her life. So she was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. Hopefully that would be for quite some time to come.

Anya was amazed by how well run this little inn was! She didn’t know how much Barnaby was paying his people, but they were very efficient workers. From the bartender last night to the serving girl bringing their breakfast, their form was flawless, every move yielding results. No wasted time or laziness apparent. What she could do with even one employee like that back at the Magic Box just boggled the mind. The profits could be enormous! Then again…they might not get back to Earth and Sunnydale, so that could well be a moot point. And although she would miss her store greatly, at least Xander was here with her, so that was all right. You didn’t survive a thousand plus years, let alone successfully transition from demon to human, without being adaptable to any situation. Anya doubted that any of the others had seriously entertained the notion that they might be stuck here, but it only made sense when considering that Dawn’s blood was sort of worthless now – in the way of opening dimensional doorways that is – and Spike had been here for six decades already. And if the man who apparently knew everyone hadn’t found a way out yet, then she figured it was best to start fitting in now. As she sipped her juice, Anya observed the locals and wondered how much it would cost to hire away some of Barnaby’s help if she were to open a shop here.

Buffy wasn’t paying very much attention to the food, although she had to admit that the fresh bread in this place was better than any she had ever tasted – including her mother’s, and that was saying a lot. She was thinking very hard about what it would mean not to be the Slayer. All those times she had wanted to be a normal girl. Looked like she finally had her wish, but she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. There had been another time when she had lost her powers, but this didn’t really compare. She didn’t feel scared or powerless here – just confused as to how she fit into the big picture. She was used to being a warrior. Tara was motherly, Anya was business savvy, Giles was wise, and Willow was smart smart smart even without the magic. What did she have to offer? Spike had mentioned there were several other tests he wanted to try with them to see if anyone displayed any natural tendencies towards other things, and she was anxious to get on with that. There had to be something she could do…something that would be useful. Her thoughts were interrupted when the serving girl set a freshly baked loaf of bread on the table directly in front of her. Questions could wait until after she had another piece of bread. As she savored the first bite of melt-in-your-mouth warm bread, a very important question occurred to Buffy. Was her metabolism tied into being the Slayer? If so, she’d have to run a few miles to pay for enjoying her second, no third, slice of this wonderful bread.

---

To be fair, Spike had warned them, but Dorina turned out to be even more of a talker than the girls had expected. As the morning wore on and measurements were taken and outfits acquired, they learned a lot about the town history and even more about the town gossip. They learned, for example, that Burgess Crowler had been married five times in twenty years – traded in for a new wife every four years or so, apparently – but that none of his ex-wives spoke ill of him. Indeed, the ex-wives were friends and ended up living together in a large house provided for them by Burgess. In fact, those women all spoke so highly of him that it was almost as if they were under some kind of charm. And although everyone thought this very odd…since it caused no problems in the community…what was the harm? They also learned that there had been quite an uproar some months ago when a mule got loose from his hitch and spent the night roaming the town. Between the ruined flower beds, the tipped over paint cans, the garbage in the streets, and the muddy hoof marks tracked everywhere…the town ladies had been in quite a tizzy until the whole mess had been cleaned up. And although no one had ever ‘fessed up to it, Dorina suspected that the mule had been let loose as a prank by some of the tweens in town, likely those Hargle boys up the road. They had been worrisome toddlers, always getting into trouble, but once they had reached their tweens – just out of school, but not yet set in a career – those three had caused more than a few headaches for their parents and the town elders. Something like this would have been just their sort of thing. Of course, that had been before the trolls, and those boys had been exceptionally well behaved since then. They had even volunteered for extra guard duty at the gates to relieve some of the men with families. That was all before ‘dear William’ had saved them, of course. No telling if those boys would go back to their unruly ways or if the miracle of reform had finally occurred. Apparently some of the older folk had placed a wager on this possibility, and she confessed with a grin that she had put down five pitneys herself against the boys reforming. After all, some people were just naturally drawn to trouble, so the odds should be in her favor.

By the time the girls left Dorina’s shop, they were all amused, relaxed and distracted from their own concerns. How could you not be after listening to her carry on so? They had all been clothed appropriately and had each received two complete outfits with more to come as soon as Dorina could finish them. Parsa and Telan would be in the next few days to help her and she promised to have the lot of them delivered before the fortnight was up. Satisfied, the girls made their goodbyes and headed out to explore the town. It wasn’t that hard to find their way around, and the people they met along the way happily greeted them. Apparently word had gotten out that they were friends of Spike’s and his hero status had rubbed off on them, or at least that was all they could conclude as they walked away from another local with free goodies in hand. One lady had pinned fresh flowers in everyone’s hair, while another man had offered them the use of his horse and cart for the day. And though they had declined that offer, preferring to explore by foot, they were starting to feel the benefits of being associated with the local legend. The baker had loaded them up with the most wonderful pastries, so the girls were happily satisfied by the time they decided to head out to the wall and see what the guys were doing.

---

Finding the wall turned out to be as easy as following the men carrying building supplies. There was quite a crowd by the wall and most of the people seemed to be in a very fine mood judging by the pleased expressions. And it wasn’t just the men who were there. There was a group of young children running around picking up small pieces of wood and other things. Some of the older ladies had seen fit to prepare large platters of sandwiches and fruit for the men. And some of the younger girls were serving what looked like lemonade. But most of the girls who would be of dateable age were milling about in small groups at a distance, watching the men work, smiling and blushing if anyone looked their way. And although their behavior in particular struck Dawn as being very silly, Buffy was bothered by the fact that so many of them were staring pointedly at Spike…and Xander? Judging by Anya’s quickened step, Buffy wasn’t the only one who had noticed that particular phenomenon. The girls made their way toward the front of the group to see what exactly was going on.

It was pretty easy to figure out once they got close enough to hear. Xander was explaining to the gathered men how to strengthen their supports while Giles added his two bits about how they could build in some additional protective measures should anyone successfully breach the wall. Spike, for his part, was standing back silently and letting the two of them have the floor. Tara noticed that whenever a local would look questioning about something, Spike would either nod approvingly or speak up to clarify a point. And as plans cemented for how best to repair and fortify the wall, the locals were listening intently to Xander and Giles, and not looking to Spike repeatedly for confirmation. By the time the group had scattered to fetch all the necessary tools and supplies, or just to eat lunch, there were many looks of admiration being directed towards the two men, who both seemed pleased by the acceptance of their ideas, but so absorbed in plans as to not notice the appreciative looks from the women in the crowd. The girls noticed, however, and their reactions ranged the gamut of emotions. Anya was rather proud that other women were looking at Xander – so long as long as he knew where to keep his eyes. Buffy was feeling more than a bit possessive and hoped they’d look more at Xander and Giles and keep their eyes off Spike, particularly that brunette hussy that had been dancing with Spike the night before. Dawn and Tara found it all very amusing, particularly when one older lady kept batting her eyes and trying to catch Giles’ eye over a glass of lemonade, which he accepted with a muttered ‘thanks’ but never bothered to look up. Willow was beginning to get irritated again. Apparently no one could be bothered to see how she was feeling about losing her magic, but they sure had time to notice some silly women staring at strange men in their midst!

Spike waved the girls over and they joined their men by the wall for a lunch break. Xander was extremely excited with the wall project and couldn’t seem to talk about anything else, much to the others’ amusement. Dawn was rethinking the concept of pastry for lunch after tasting a bite of Giles’ sandwich. A brief internal war resulted in her jumping up to get a sandwich and glass of lemonade for herself. After all, she was a skinny girl, so no harm, she thought as sighed in satisfaction. Upon seeing how much she was relishing each bite, the other girls exchanged a quick look and followed suit. The group made small talk as they ate, mostly about the plans for the wall and how the girls had spent their morning. Giles and Xander were curious about where they could get some more clothes, but Spike reassured them that once Barnaby had seen that the outfits provided the night before had fit them, more clothes were already being arranged and likely in their rooms as they spoke. Anya was again amazed – and not a little jealous – by how efficiently productive Barnaby was and made note to observe him more closely during their time here. Speaking of which… “Spike, can I ask what comes next? We really didn’t get into that yesterday with everything else going on. Are we here for the foreseeable future or what?”

The others immediately quieted and paid attention as Spike seemed to ponder his answer. “Well, pet, honestly I don’t know exactly what to do with you all just yet. There are other external factors that we haven’t discussed yet – and won’t be doing so here at all, savvy?” A quick look to make sure everyone understood. “This wall needs to be fixed, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving here with that unfinished. Not to mention that I’m expecting my friend, Strider, to meet us here.” He grinned boyishly. “He’s certain to be surprised by you lot. But I don’t foresee either one of those taking more than two weeks at the most. That sound about right for the wall repairs, Harris? Giles?” Concurring nods. “So, we’ll likely be leaving here sometime about two or three weeks out. I need to collect some information before I make definite plans after that, but our next stop is most likely Rivendell. For now though, I’d like to ask that none of you mention any of what we discovered last night with any of the local folk. It’s better…safer, that is…that no one know anything more than that you’re friends of mine, for now anyway.” He paused and Dawn took that break to speak up and ask why it would be safer. Spike was quiet for so long that she didn’t think he was going to answer her. He stood up after a few minutes, and with a sad smile he simply said that he had a lot of enemies and they had targeted people he cared about in the past. He walked back toward the wall without looking back. The Scoobies sat there for a moment in silence and then Xander and Giles made their excuses to get back to work. The girls said goodbye and left to explore a bit more. As they walked off, Buffy glanced over her shoulder one last time and got a clean view of Spike’s face as he stared out past the wall. He seemed to be lost in though and she was struck by how solemn he seemed and wondered what he was thinking about.

---

The girls spent another hour wandering around before they decided to head back toward the inn. They had mostly been lost in their own thoughts since lunch and no one could have said what they had actually seen since leaving the wall. As they came around a the corner of a building though, they saw someone that caused all of them to snap out of their own reminisces. Sanje was walking by them. Actually, she was teetering by them, her arms so laden down with boxes that she could not see around them to where to step next. Tara immediately stepped forward to help with her burden and the others quickly followed suit. Between them they divvied up the lot until everyone was carrying a much smaller load. Sanje smiled softly and voiced her appreciation as the girls followed her. They hadn’t far to go and it was only a few minutes later before everyone was unloading their cargo, which turned out to be scads and scads of material. Sanje hadn’t said much beyond thanks since they had run into her, but she offered the girls a drink of water that was gladly accepted by all. As they sat in a homey living room the quiet stretched out, but it wasn’t truly uncomfortable. It was more of a reflective quiet. After a bit, Sanje started talking and explained that the material was to make blankets, drapes and tablecloths, which was what she did for a living. Anya remarked that it was good to stay busy during times of grief and that it looked like this was plenty of work for her. Although the others were slightly horrified by Anya’s bluntness, Sanje didn’t seem offended in the slightest by it.

“Aye, lass, it is a dark time, mind you, but I’ll get through all right. And staying busy is a sound manner to deal with any kind of turmoil. Routines are very important during troubled times – provide stability, they do. And sewing is part of my daily routine. Working the material and reshaping it, well it comforts me to do something so familiar. And considering how unnatural everything has been around here for some time, well, I need normal right now.” She glanced sadly around her living room. Everywhere the girls looked they could see reminders that a young child had lived here recently – small shoes by the fireplace, a doll on the couch. It was a reminder of the loss this woman had recently experienced and the girls found they all wished there was something they could do to help. Dawn spoke up and asked if there was anything they could do, which seemed to jar Sanje out of her own thoughts and back to the present.

“Eh, what was that? Don’t know that there’s much to be done, at this point. Can’t undo what’s already done. Can’t bring back my Rosie, bless her soul. She was a good child. You would have liked her, and she would have been thrilled to meet all of you. Strangers and people who had traveled anywhere and had stories to tell fascinated her. William was her favorite person in the whole world. Child thought the sun rose and sat on him. ‘Course she came by it honestly as she grew up hearing me talk about him.”

“How long have you known Spike?” Dawn asked.

“Why I can honestly say that I’ve known him longer than anyone else in this village, child. And a right silly name is Spike, if you ask me. William is a much more solid name and the only one I address him by, but the crowds love to talk about him like he’s larger than life and Spike or even William the Bloody has much more of a ring than just William. But I’m rambling now… what was I saying again? Oh, yes, I’ve known William since I was a little girl…only six years old and had wandered off when my parents weren’t watching. We were at a picnic outside town, and I got too close to the river and fell in. I likely would have drowned before anyone noticed I was gone, but William was there and fished me out before it got that far. I still remember how I had closed my eyes and tried to hold my breath when I went under the water, but I was choking on the water, until I felt myself being hauled upward. When I broke the surface, I opened my eyes and mouth at once – and the first thing I saw was William who I managed to spit river water all over. He got me wrapped up in a cloak and carried me back to the picnic where my parents had just discovered I was missing and were panicking. They insisted he stay overnight with us in appreciation, to which he agreed. I was completely fascinated by him and I drove both my parents and him to distraction that evening with my endless stream of questions. Rosie was the same way around him – always pestering him with something or other, but he was so patient with both of us.” Sanje paused a moment and wiped her eyes before continuing. “Anyway, William left the next day and I never though to see him again, but a few months later he showed up out of the blue and stopped in to visit. After a while we got used to seeing him a few times a year. And as the stories about his adventures spread and he became more well-known, the whole village came to claim him as our own personal protector…although I like to think I was the first to do so.” Sanje’s mood seemed to lighten as she talked about Spike. “As times grew more dangerous, William insisted we build up our weapons supply and start training regularly, just in case. He was concerned that we would be caught unaware and be unable to protect ourselves. He’s actually the one who suggested we build the barrier wall years and years ago after a particularly vicious encounter with some wild wolves one winter. That project started when I was still a child, and here we are now rebuilding those same walls, and William is still here protecting us.” She smiled softly, her affection for Spike obvious to all of them.

“He’s quite noble, William is. Not that everyone appreciates him properly. There are some who don’t recognize him for what he is, a true hero. Like those foolish girls in town trying to win his eye.” Buffy scowled. “Like he has time for them or any interest whatsoever.” Sanje scoffed and Buffy lost her scowl.

“What makes you think he’s not interested in any of them?” Buffy hesitantly asked.

“Why on earth would a man who’s still mourning the love of his life be interested in some silly girl who giggles every time she opens her mouth?” Sanje demanded.

“The love of his life?” Dawn asked as Buffy held her breath for the answer.

Sanje smiled at them curiously. “Of course, child. It happened before I was born, but there aren’t many who can say they haven’t heard the stories about William and his elven wife. It may be nigh on fifty years since she was murdered, but a man doesn’t forget or easily move on from true love.”

---