Everything hurt. All I could remember was the look on Spike's face when the amulet he wore lit up.
"Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say school's out for bloody summer. I mean it, I gotta do this."
"I love you, Spike"
"No you don't, but thanks for saying it. Now go! I wanna see how this ends." He didn't believe me. I confessed my love for him and he didn't believe me. It may not have been the all consuming obsession that fueled his initial interest in me, but it was love. He was the only one that really saw and accepted me. Including all the darkest corners of my soul. He was the only one that did not expect me to be more than Buffy.
It all came back to me. I remember standing on the edge of the crater that was once Sunnydale, talking with Scoobies, Dawn, and Faith about what to do next. We changed the world and I could feel Slayers all over the world waking up.
…Then Whistler appeared. I could have wept because I knew what was coming, but I was not shocked. When I have ever been allowed true happiness since becoming the Slayer. Even Heaven was denied to me.
"Sorry, Slayer. Just hold on." Whistler cried after I took the first step toward him. "You did good, great even. You changed the world for the better. You moved the balance point. You didn't just tip the balance in the favor of good for a short time, you readjusted where the balance rests." What he was not saying, is unlike when I was brought back which that tipped the balance out of whack and allowed the First to gain strength in our world to correct the imbalance. "This whole dimension will now enjoy more peace and safety from what you accomplished here. Evil will only be able to push back so much. But they will push back mind you. The Powers want to avoid that from happening. They want to make sure the new resting point is stable. We need to find equilibrium and quick while this is in our favor. "
"Just spit is out Whistler, what are the Powers going to do to me now?"
"Come on Slayer, they aren't the bad guys."
"Could have fooled me. The greater good does not forgive the sins they have committed against me and my sisters before me. I can understand it, but I do not have to condone it. What do they want?" Demanding answers lit the fire in me again. How dare they?
"The new balance is still precarious, at this moment is rest just a bit too much toward the light and they are afraid any larger movement by Evil will reclaim the previous balance. If we move you the most successful Slayer to ever live out of rotation it should instantly set a new balance and forever be balanced toward Good."
"Are you saying they want to kill me?" I was speechless. Would I go back to Heaven? What about my friends? Were they still my friends considering how the past few days went down?
"No, no. Just move you to someplace where the balance has shifted in favor of Evil. They hope by sending you there it will make such a monumental change that you can create a new balance point in that world as well. At the very least you would move it back toward Good."
"They are going to strip me of everything I fought so hard to accomplish here, and instead of giving me peace, they are dropping me into another hellhole. Tell me again how they are not the bad guys."
Whistler just sighed. "They make the hard choices. You can help a lot of people there while also securing a better future for this world. Ahh…" He cut off as my fist connected with his face. I proceeded to pound on him blindly. Finally, Faith pulled me off him.
"Thank you, Faith" was all he could manage as he coughed up blood.
She sneered back and delivered a swift kick of her own to his ribs. "I didn't do it for you, yo. Buffy would have regretted killing you later."
Dawn who was silent up until now pushed to the front of the group. "Does she have a choice? "
The "no" was deafening. Well that settles that.
"I am going with her. I don't care where it is I am going with my sister." I frowned, this was the same sister that just kicked me out of my own home. She continued speaking, "I have made a lot of mistakes and I need time to make them up to her. She is the most important person in the world to me and I can't have her leaving without proving it to her. I am going." She turned to me. "Don't leave me behind. I am so sorry about everything."
I could never hate her. "I believe you, I love you Dawn. You should stay here, it does not sound like I am going somewhere safe."
"No whatever it is, we will face it together."
Whistler interrupted. "The world is medieval in comparison and Dawn's way with languages will be a big help. Her understanding of history too. The Powers have agreed Dawn can go too." I can already feel the scheming. It may seem like they are giving us a concession, but I am sure they can use this to their advantage somehow.
"Me too, yo."
"No Faith, the Slayers we awoke will need a Slayer to lead them."
"Not me, I make too many mistakes."
"We all do. Even those nearest and dearest to me like to point out all the many mistakes I have made as a Slayer. We are human. All we can try and do is the right thing. I know you will watch out for the girls and remember that they are special and human. None of the new ones understand what was like to be almost alone against the dark and considered little more than a tool by the previous Council. Stay and make sure that these girls never have to know that feeling. Giles, Willow, Xander so much as happened, but know I will always love you and miss you. Please help the new Slayers has you have always been there to help me. This was never your destiny to fight, but you stayed with me. Whatever else happened, I will always remember that." I could see tears in all their eyes. The last few days hurt, but I could not leave this world with our relationships in tatters. They were with me through it all.
I turned to Whistler. "What can we bring? Is there any chance we can come back?"
"Never say never seems to be your motto. You will bring the Scythe, it is yours and the powers do not want Evil trying to corrupt the spell through the Scythe. As to everything else, we will make sure you have what you need, including the knowledge you need to make your way in your new home. Are you ready?"
I turned and hugged everyone with me. "Spike saved us, please remember that too for me. Let Angel know the amulet helped. I love you all. Please be good to each other." I grabbed Dawn's hand and looked at her. She nodded back to me. "Ok we're ready."
Next thing I woke up here with the feeling like my skull was on fire. As it settled down I looked around. Dawn rested about two feet to my right. We appeared to be in an overturned coach and there was a biting cold all around us. I was wearing a very old fashion dress. It was a deep hunter green with a full skirt and thick feel. I had a large fur cloak with a hood and fur lined gloves. My dress was embroidered with two keys crossed over each other. Dawn was dressed in a similar way only her dress was a light gray color. At least we were dressed correctly for the cold, but we still could not stay here for long. As the pain receded in my head, I had knowledge of a life I have not lived. We were daughters of the House Locke and our words were "Honor is Key"- very funny Powers. Our father is Lord Ondrew Locke and their mother was Lady Helena Locke nee Manderly youngest sister of Lord Wyman Manderly of White Harbor. Family history and knowledge of Titles and Heirs and Allegiances all settled into my mind as the headache subsided. I believe Ondrew and Helena were truly without children. Mother died some time ago and they were of a smaller house likely largely unknown by most in Westeros so likely easily implanted. They along with their father were on the way to Winterfell to pay tithes to the Lord Stark of Winterfell and see about making matches for myself and Dawn. In this world we were each a bit younger then our true selves. From what I could see of Dawn we were not really de-aged much. Perhaps people here looked somewhat older due to how they lived.
Dawn groaned and rolled onto her back. "Ah my head, well at least they gave us the same names. Ha, although Buffy is still considered strange here. Wow so now I have two fake sets of memories. At least this time I know which are fake. Where is Ondrew?"
Right we were on the road with our father and some of his men. "Stay here Dawn, let me go out and take a look around." I grabbed a dagger from under my skirt. My father believed that women could die at the end of a sword just like a man can and we should know how to defend ourselves. Great idea to insert us into his life. It would be great cover for some of our abilities and mannerisms. As I crawled out of the coach and took a look around there was a small skirmish going on. A couple of my father's men were engaged with very rough looking individuals, brigands. I jumped in between one man and the person that was sneaking up behind him. There were several bodies on the ground around us. I could see our father was among them. I could not tell if he was alive. I was enraged and moved among the men landing a killing blow with each strike. I could hear horses coming our way and hurried to finish these men off not knowing if that was reinforcements for them. Unlikely that this group would have that many horses. I reached the last brigand as he cut down our last standing man.
"Well, hello little lady. Put down the dagger and I may just go easy on you, keeping you all to myself. Make me hurt you and I will give you to the rest of my men to keep hurting you however they like." He was possibly the ugliest being I have ever seen, which is saying something when you consider the likes of The Master and Adam. I ran full speed at him which took him by surprise. He was no match for a Slayer. I caught his arm before he was able to raise his sword and thrust up into his chest with my dagger. The same one my father gave me for my tenth name day. And that is how the men of Winterfell came upon us; my dagger still buried in the heart of the monster that attacked us. I turn and ran to my father only to find that I had lost him before ever really getting to meet him. I know that Hank was my father, but the memories of this man were never tainted with the neglect that Hank was guilty of. We were now the last of the Lockes as Mother and Father were dead and we had no other siblings. I believe our uncle on our Mother's side would place someone in the hold until I produced an heir.
"My lady, are you well. Let us tend to your wounds" Lord Robb Stark looked concerned with the amount of blood covering me.
"Thank you my Lord, none of it is mine, please see to our men. My father is gone from this world. I will tend to my sister." I was still kneeling on the ground over Ondrew. I made my way back to the wagon and called for Dawn to join me. She was fighting the tears when I saw her look to where our father lay.
"Oh, Buffy, no."
"I think this how it was always supposed to be for him. Come on I believe we are to continue on to House Stark." Turning around I saw the men searching for any survivors. Several were turning the coach to right and putting down the horses that were lamed by being twisted among the fall. While there were hitching new horses to carry the coach, I made my way over to the grouping of men. We had been outnumbered and only two of our men had survived. One would likely lose his arm and the other was without an eye. The flashback to Xander was jarring. Robb mistook my pallor to be a result of the battle and live lost here. "We will punish these men for what they have done here." It appears that three of the brigands were left alive.
"No Lord Stark, I will punish these men as they took the life of our father."
Dawn walked up beside completed composed now and glared down at the men.
"Make it hurt Buffy."
"We can address this with my Father back at Winterfell."
After another several days of travel we entered Winterfell. How sad that we were as close as we were. It was revealed that the roads were rife crime. They knew the taxes were being delivered from all over the north and decided to stay near Winterfell in hopes of catching a prize. Robb was riding the routes hoping to stop any attacks. Father knew as well which is why we took more men then originally planned.
Once inside the great hall, Lord Eddard Stark asked us forward and requested a detailed account of what happened.
"My Lord, we were set upon by brigands. They laid a trap in the road that managed to overturn our coach. My father and his men rushed out to meet them. Unfortunately, I must have hit my head as a awoke with a great pain here." I touched my temple that I could tell still had some blood on it. Oh, I guess some of it was mine. "When I went out to face the threat, our men had largely taken the brigands. Although it appears they were greatly outnumbered. Most were down and a few of my men were engaged in one-on-one combat. Big Ugly, I mean the leader of the brigands just struck a killing blow to Brandon and did not see me come up from behind my friend and strike back at him. My dagger struck true and then your son and troupe were there. "
"That was quite brave of you. Where did you learn to wield a blade?"
"Our father always said that men and women can both die at the end of a sword and we should know how to defend ourselves."
"Yes, Ondrew was a fine bannerman and father."
"The best. With that in mind, my Lord may I request that I carry out the punishments of those that remain alive? I am the last of our House and my words condemn them. I do my own killing."
"It is not standard, but I will grant this Lady Locke. Would you care to retire for the day, and we can reconvene when you have had opportunity to refresh yourself?"
"If it pleases my Lord, I would prefer to address the matter today. Any day that they live while my father and our men don't is an offense to our honor. Honor is Key."
We moved into the courtyard and the remaining brigands were brought out of the stalks. With my father's sword I took each of their heads. I know the powers likely placed us with him as it means we have no close relations left and would be free to affect the change they desired while not being concerned of someone else's welfare. We spent some time getting to truly know the Stark family. Sansa was me before becoming the Slayer and Arya was like Dawn wanting to fight for her cause and constantly being told it was not her place. I grew to care about them, Bran, and Ricon a great deal.
The news came that the Royal Family was set to visit Winterfell. My Slayer sense was telling me this is why we were here and how we could make the most difference. I went to Lord Stark and requested permission for my sister Dawn and I to be ladies in waiting for his two daughters.
The King and Queen entered Winterfell about a fortnight later. The Queen was every bit as beautiful and regal as her reputation suggested and the King seems to be a larger-than-life personality. But they brought with them a sense of danger. Cersci was evil and so was Joffrey, especially Joffrey. My Slayer sense was telling me to kill them both and be done with it. When I discussed it with Dawn we both came to the realization that I and possibly both of us would have to kill more humans while we were here. The brigand was only the beginning. The law worked differently and often people were left to fend for themselves. Basically they had a bad case of might makes right mentality. So we stayed silent, watching and learning. I began to train Dawn with a sword in the privacy of our room. We requested to share quarters.
One day I came upon Arya waving her wooden sword in just outside the keeps walls. "Hello, my Lady. Would you care for a few pointers? My father taught us much and I can share some of that with you."
"Yes, please. Very much. Everyone says that I cannot fight because I am just a girl."
"I am not going to teach you about fighting. My goal is to teach you about surviving when others would do you harm. Okay, rule number 1. Don't die. If you can not win, run away, or do just enough to get the chance to run away. The only thing you can't fix is death." I spent the next hour showing her the basics of using a sword, but also some basic defensive moves on how to break holds to …run away.
I could tell Lord Stark was watching from the wall, but as he did not intervene, I assumed I had his permission. At the end I raised my arm and gave him a short wave.
Later that night he requested that I and Dawn meet him, Robb, and Lady Stark in the family's meeting hall.
"Lady Buffy, I was witness to the lesson you provided Arya. It was truly enlightening. You told her you were not teaching her how to fight but how to survive when someone else meant her harm. You showed her some basic sword handling and how to get away from someone that has grabbed her. I want you to continue and I want you to include Sansa and my wife for the time being. I feel as though we live in dangerous times, and I want my family, all of my family to be able to care for themselves. My sons will continue to train as proper soldiers and honorable fighters, but I want you to share everything else you can about doing everything to survive for my wife and daughters. It may not be proper for me to have them trained but spending time with their lady in waiting will not draw unwanted comments. If someone is dishonorable enough to come after women, they do not deserve any consideration in return, I would suggest that you continue to show them any of the "dirty tricks" as you called them." He took a deep breath and looked around at his family then back to me. "Would you help me in this?"
"Lord Stark, it would be my undeniable pleasure to assist you with this. I would like to have Dawn with us as well though. I have been teaching her for some time and she can assist with training while still learning more."
"Absolutely, Lady."
With a firm nod and handshake, the deal was settled. I knew I was on the right track; this is part of why we were here. I must admit though I was confused why we were getting so heavily involved in human affairs. This is not normally what the Powers are concerned with. There must be another layer we are missing.