New Fic: Tar'airah

[BurningWhiteRose]

YAY!!!



They figured it out! Now Tara cant kill her! Because that would just be wrong. Tara's nice and gentle, and couldnt kill Willow as a man. But now that Willow's a woman, she definately wont be able to kill her! So once again, I shall say 'YAY'!!



You made up for attempted murder.



Sincerely,

BWR



ps: Love the intro.

***

If homosexuals dont reproduce, why are there so many of them?-Jim David

[Spikeizmine87]

With the cliffhangers man! I though we talked about this?? Cliffhangers are BAD! JUST BAD man! I love the cute willow babble in her own head! How sad, they are both crying! And then with the hand holding! CUUTE! The realization that Willow is not a man! LMAO! Wait...I thought Tara ( please dont make me spell the name!LOL) WAS an amazon? Confussed...oh well! Great update! woo! "runs off yelling happily"





edited to add: I started a new page! go me!

-Rose

How can I tell you I love you without the fear of your rejection?



Im so in love and its hurting.

Edited by: Spikeizmine87 at: 7/18/04 8:36 pm

[little miss 666]

oh damn! that's so unfair! PS: I'm back from ranting incoherently. Oh well, atleast you warned me this time. It aint good for my poor heart



okay, i'm calm at the moment but ... OH MY GOD COME ON! STOP WITH THE CLIFFHANGERISH ENDINGS I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!



But it's okay, self confessed sucker for punishment



more soon please before i go completely insane



PPS: I'm really close right now





-lilmiss

I'm never alone I'm alone all the time. Are you at one or do you lie? We live in a wheel where everyone steals but when we rise it's like strawberry fields. I treated you bad you bruised my face. I couldn't love you more you've got a beautiful taste.

[WickedReds]

Wow i'm impressed... that was great.. i so loved it...

My wheels turning is good... always good (sometimes) but this time good..

my banana has great moves yay go banana!!



-reds

[shuyaku]

Are you trying to kill us? OMG



Great update, but it seems like they can understand each other. Can they? Hmm? Can they? Cuz that would be cool and you know Cuz I'm also thinkin' Tar'airah is adopted if that is the case...



More soon

-shuyaku

Oh God, Willow—you’re giving me the gift of Karen Carpenter. Just when I think I grasp the full extent of your love." - Tara

"Why do birds suddenly appear? It’s because, you are queer…" - Willow (Gods Served and Abandoned by AntigoneUnbound)

[everbreeze]

and when the hell did this happen??? how DARE this great piece of fanfiction escape me? GOSH DARN IT~!!!!! Well actualy I saw it before but wanted to read it after it was completed. But then again my friends would be putting me into an institute... (yes I am famouse for my impaitience)... and before I loose my self in ranting and raving for not reading this sooner... I want to congradulate you for a job well done... you have found your fiction.... keep up the great work cause I'll be watching... and if I am not satisfied... you WILL hear from me.... *smile* no worries~! You're on your way to fandom in my book~!

[LunaMuses]

me likes, me likes. hey, glad I could be of service in the ideas department (honestly, sass out of your Willow seemed natural to me... ^^')



oh, and I loved the end of the last chapter. not being a man, and not being an amazon changes the dynamics a bit for everyone, eh? hehe. now the question is, can they pull off the great escape without having a pack of pissed-off amazons on their tails? lol...



can't wait for more ^^

In Memory of Austin Evans...you will not be forgotten...

[Sheba]

I particularly enjoyed this his update..loved how u wrote the bit where they both stand in silence...which was a major bit really! Waiting for more already!

[taramagic]

oh i love this update!! it´s so cute!!

willow is just so sweet!! YAY!

[veiled isis moon]

Hey , very cool story, i like it alot



Poor Tara being forced into doing something she doesn't want to do and can't do She's so sweet and caring, she could never hurt anyone, bless her. Willow comforting her after she tried to kill her, was a very Willow-y thing to do, always thining about others. Their little stare and holding hands thing was intense, neither wanting to pull away, and you leave the chapter like that, Tara realising he is actually a she, a very nice she!!



More please.

Michelle.x

[amazonaa]

great job. but what is it with you and cliffhangers now?





more soon. please.







brittney







~Kiss this axe, bitch!---Tara "Bargaining part 2"~

[Arwen276]

Okay Let's cut the Queen crap because I'm embarrassed...I had missed 2 updates! EVEN THOUGH I was the one who suggested you announced your updates in the UPDATE THREAD a while ago when we were still in the midst of your previous 'chef d'oeuvre'



Anyway, I, as The Queen and The Common, HAVE LOVED THIS.



loved the intro...as my preceding poster person (err, whatever sounds grammatically and literally right) so rightfully pointed out,

I also liked the whole general statement for the previous update.



I honestly CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE UPDATEY-GOODNESS!



And well COMMAND YOU *since you like it so much* to update soon! and PROMISE YOU to read as soon as you update!



~Arwen a.k.a Queen of Amazoniaahh ?

Hear That Baby? You're My Always... Willow

[Artemis]

Reaching out must've taken a lot of courage from Willow, under the circumstances; but then, who wouldn't have their heartstrings pulled by the sight of a tearful Tara? It'll be interesting to see how they go about communicating with each other verbally, now that the non-verbal communication is happening. I wonder also, now that Tara knows Willow's a woman, might that count in her favour, if even only slightly, with the other Amazons? I've got an idea she and Willow are going to have a tough time ahead, every little advantage could count.



I'm glad you liked the title graphic as well Thanks for a great story.

[Kajun]

This update was intense. I had flashes of scenes from NMR, Hush and Family all thrown in together. Especially Hush. Nicely done. Now.. let’s make with the escape before Car’Bitca shows up shall we? Hmm.. the guards for the hut don’t seem very umm.. guard-y. Should be easy enough to slip away unnoticed. Shouldn’t it? I’m hooked..

[Sean Gaffney]

Reading the title for this fic, I had assumed it to be a Watership Down pastiche, with Willow and Buffy leading the rabbits to El-Tahrairah.



Still, this is very well done.

[thebardgirl]

Hello, fabulous, wonderful and may i say *beautiful* kittens! (Yes...i've had a little too much caffeine, and am possibly drunk off of chocolate, if that's possible...)

But you see, there are several things i must do for you!



1. Reply to you

2. Update like a mad fiend

3. Show you my sketch of Tar'airah that I sketched today (the girl, not the story, cause that'd just be boring; who wants to look at a sketch of paper that's been written on?)



No. 1 and 2 will proceed (with any luck tonight and right now) but the last one 3 will hopefully happen sometime tomorrow...



So...am i a nice, and attentive writer?









BurningWhiteRose-Yup, they're ALL with the figuring now...*snicker* go you and your yays, dude...oh and thanks, i'm glad i'm making up for that bad attempt at killing Willow...oh thanks, the intro was the *hardest* part for me--i had to think seriously while writing this story--how wierd is that?



Spikeizmine87-erp...sorry...*holds out flowers and candy and updatey goodness* will these make it better? Yeah, they're both with the silent-but-powerful-pain...similar to Melissa Etheridge's Precious Pain, i'm guessing...oh and i free you from ever having to refer to my characterizations by those crazy names. Please! Just say "tara" or "faith" don't attempt spelling it--i can barely remember how to. Ah yes, Tara =amazon no? But if she's an amazon...how was it possible for Willow to understand her question and then ask her one? think about that one for a bit...oh, and go you! Thanks, Rose.



little miss 666-oh good, you're back. I'm happy now. Yes, I DID warn you, so no getting angry at me. I got the frogs specifically out for you...Hey! You said you were calm! That's not calm screaming! (is a sucker for screaming readers) Ahh...really close as in...? *looks next to her* ARGHH! *falls out of chair* you could of warned me...didn't expect you right there...but thankyou lilmiss



WickedReds-Thanks, i'm glad if i'm impressing some one cause that means i'm good for something as a writer! Oh good! I have positive-wheel-turning! And your banana does have great moves...i hope you take it to funky town.



shuyaku- No! I'd never attempt another murder...Willow's was enough for me, trust me on that. Ooooh! You're a smart cookie...just for your brilliance i'm giving you a cookie! Home baked and delicious just for you. And thanks for reading...



everbreeze- Erp. *hides from angry reader* oh...wait, you no angry with me? Oh good....i was scared for a moment, and i've had to hide before...in a cave for that matter. *Snicker* You attempted the "waiting" thing, didn'tcha? See...i've tried that...okay, so that was a lie, i've never tried that. But what i mean is that it's impossible for me too. oh! My other fic (also AU, but angsty and serious) IS finished, and it's somewhere on Pens "Nothing Special Written All Over" so...if that helps, there you go.



Thanks, i'm glad to have made your possible list of fandom! That makes me just smile like a mad fiend....*grins* and i'm sorry for your impatience. But you see, i also update faster than anyone else i know--partly because of my anal-retentive side, and partly because i'm not bored with it yet--and cool! i'm being watched. I HAVE A WATCHER! Coolness...wait...i don't want to be a chosen one...i want to be a witchy-one! Ah...oh, that kind of of watching...Thanks for reading! I really appreciate your feedback, and i hope you like where i go with this insane piece of AU...



Tempest Duer-No worries, i update like a mad-fiend, remember? Hee...

Quote:

---

but at least Tara can tell that our cute little crossdresser isn't really a man...

---

I'm sorry, but that line made me crack up. It's odd to hear that we have our own little crossdresser because of me...hmm this is a strange hobby to have, no? Hmm...needa think about that one for a bit....





LunaMuses- Good, good. And yes, thankyou, i'm wondering if i should have Willow actually give Tara sass, or just give her sass minus the first "s"...i mean...wait...that came out a lot more naughty than when i said it to myself in my head...And yes, the two have everything changed with the only two lines spoken in the whole update. I think that's why i put that whole silence thing in there...Ooo a great escape? Sounds fun...can i come along?



Sheba-Thanks *grins* hey, i'm happy if you're happy...and yes the whole "silence" thing was a major theme...not that i'm stealing from any fabulous buffy episode or anything...



taramagic-Thanks, and i'm glad you're enjoying my willow-characterization...hee and btw i like your bouncy-dude...



veiled isis moon-Hey! Thanks! I'm so happy you're liking it, cause that means i'm doing something right if i keep recruiting nice people to say hello, like you! But back to the story...hmm..it's true, Tara's got a nasty situation...but Willow's there to save her, no? Kind of ironic, seeing as Willow's in the need to be saved...i'm glad you got the whole intesity of it all--i wanted it to be kind of a recreation, another version of Hush almost--erp. sorry, didn't mean to cut you off, but look! I'm updating! See? Hee...yes, a very, very, very, very (you want me to continue with this? cause i will) very, very, very, very nice she. Thankyou Michelle, it's nice to meetcha!





amazonaa-Thanks. Hmm...i don't now...maybe i'm just going through a phase? Well, it's coming to an end, so no worries! Hope you enjoy, brittney.



Arwen276- Aww...embarrassed? Hun...no need to be, i was having waaaay too much fun...beside, i figure most of the time when people don't reply that there's *gasp* something more important they're doing...so uh, no worries. One of my biggest policies, as you know, is not to kill readers who don't reply or leave feedback. Ah, yes it was you that told me the miracles of the UPDATE THREAD. Thanks again, for that, mate.



Ahah! So, the Queen has returned? With a split personality, to boot! And hey, she's happy! Yay! Thankyou, and look! I'm being the diligent writer that i can be, and updating! Thankyou, once more, almighty, grand-fabulous-babe-that-is-Arwen/Thea/Queen of Amazoniaahh.



Artemis- Yeah, i can imagine Willow just hesitating and then giving into touching tara-skin...hmm...well now think we're heading into verbal (if you can believe it!) communication, so we'll see where that takes our two ladies...hmmm maybe Willow's womanliness will help...but who knows? Amazon's aren't good with bargaining in my book...ah well...we'll see...and yes! The title graphic, i showed it to my mom (a graphic artist, actually) and she thought it was fab like me!



Kajun- Yes, intense is the perfect word for it...ah! Ah! AH! You got the reference!!! Er...or not really reference, but sorta switchoverroo that i did with Hush and such!!! Brilliant! I'm so glad you got the same feeling with it all. I was going for silence and then *boom* everything's changed with two lines out of each girl...so, i'm happy you got that...*grins like a mad fiend* hmm escape? But...Tar'airah doesn't want to leave...which is why she was going to kill in the first place, i mean it's her home. And also she just met Willow...i don't *think* she gets how much she likes that girl just yet...course i don't know...i forgot what i wrote in the update...or i'm just purposefully lying...i'll guess you'll have to read to find out...thanks for reading, though, once again.



Sean Gaffney- Oh. My. God. You figured out how i made up the name! Brilliant! I seriously just today explained to my parents how to pronounce it using that fab-bunny-book with "El-hrairah" as an example...and you know, i always imagine Willow as a kind of fiver, and Buffy as a sort of Thlayli...Thankyou. Thankyou for reading and making me literally sit up and stare at the computer...some one actually got my quirky reference...how grand...







Right, patience and in a few minutes after this post, i've got an update for you kitties...

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see my own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so; my eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed.

[Tempest Duer]

Liz, you are a wonderfully attentive writer, and I can't wait to read your update and see your sketch.

It's insulting to the whole gender[sic] of rap.



~Eminem

[thebardgirl]

Same disclaimers, no frogs, and tons of talking!









Previously:



“Y-y-you’re not a man?” Tar’airah stated rather than questioned.



“You’re not an Amazon?”









Chapter 7







“How did you know that?” came the mystified question.



“Hello! You’re speaking and I’m understanding—Amazon’s have their whole “melekah blubuh mooglah” language thingy!”



“Melekah blubuh mooglah?” The blond giggled.



“Hey, they sound like they could be real words,” the redhead was grateful to hear the other girl laugh. It was a wonderful sound.



Really pretty sound…



“Actually, it almost sounded like…um…n-n-never mind,” Tar’airah thought better of repeating the translation “I eat dog, thank you.”



“So, wait, are you or aren’t you an Amazon? How is it that you can speak English?” Willow was intent on finding everything out about this stranger that was becoming more interesting with each passing moment.



“Well, a-actually a f-few of us in the tribe are supposed to know surrounding languages in order to barter with the locals—I just happened to be a b-bonus for the t-tribe in that I was brought into this world with an English-speaking mother. I’m not of pure-amazon blood, actually. But I’ve lived here my whole l-life.”



I’ve just summed up my whole life for a strange cross-dressing girl I’ve never met before. And I’m stuttering! I haven’t stuttered since I was a kid. What is wrong with me?



“Oh…” Willow said, content for the moment. Too many questions were buzzing through her brain, and she desperately tried to avoid the lovely “why’d you try to kill me?”



That sounds a bit harsher than I want it to. Hold on, she did try to kill me, and here I am worried about hurting HER feelings? What’s wrong with me?



“How did you g-get into this place?” Tar’airah asked confused by the mysterious girl’s presence.



“I didn’t choose to be here, your buddies—one big bitchy brunette and a bunch of others—found me after I got lost in this jungle. And when I say ‘found me’ what I really mean is entrap me and then knock me around harder than a polo ball in play,” Willow grumbled.



“Caranthia…” Tar’airah whispered to herself, not daring to ask what a polo ball was. She knew that girl had something up her sleeve; it all seemed so easy to have some one to ready for her to dispose of, “She isn’t usually this stupid though, you’re a girl,” she pointed out again to the redhead.



“Yes, we’ve been over the lack of manliness here. Why do you keep bringing it up?” Willow asked mystified.



“Well, for one…” Tar’airah looked down appreciatively at Willow’s outfit.



“What? What’s wrong with my clothes?” She asked looking down, patting herself all over, noting nothing wrong since her last look.



Nope, nothing wrong, whatsoever. Everything’s here, including normal, female anatomy.



“Nothing, they’re very jungley,” Tar’airah quirked her mouth up almost giggling again.



“You just tittered,”



“Who, me?” Tar’airah said innocently.



“You, all with the tittering at my expense! Are you trying to tell me that I look like a man in this outfit?!” Willow said outraged.



“Well, it’s not just the outfit,” Tar’airah was wondering whether explaining that the short hair, and mud-face wasn’t helping, would hurt the girl. She didn’t want to hurt her feelings—or any part of her for that matter.



I wonder why I’m so suddenly protective of her? I did just try to kill her…must be a mental backlash of some sort…



Willow looked as confused as ever, and although reluctantly, Tar’airah bent down and picked up her sword in order to give the redhead a reflection.



“Um…I can understand that Caranthia could’ve mistaken you for a second or two, but if she got close to you, I still don’t get how she still could’ve…” Tar’airah was busy trying to understand Caranthia’s interesting role in this.



“Did you say that you were lost in the forest? How did that happen?”



“Well I started out alright with a bunch of local tour guides, but once we got near this tree they went all crazy and left me, standing in the middle of nowhere!” she huffed. Tar’airah handed the blade over to the girl to look at with.



“Wait, you say they saw a tree?”



“Yeah, a huge tree, with a rather large carving in it…quite crude if you ask me…”



“This tree…it didn’t happen to have the strange effect of making you, I don’t know, walk back to it after trying to walk away from it?”



“Heeey…How did you know about that?”



“Oh, god. The trees! You stepped into the Sacred Seven!”



“What with a little bit of the how now?”



“The Sacred Seven,” Tar’airah began hastily, “they were first planted with a ritual carving engraved on each seed, that’s what you saw on the last one,” she sighed inwardly at the idiocy of it all, “the intent was to catch all unwanted visitors, keep them confused and trapped until we noticed them there, caught them and then…um…disposed of them…” Tar’airah saw the visible horror on the redhead’s face.



“Oh, no it wasn’t supposed to catch you. Just those our kind find threatening…” Tar’airah encouraged the other girl to understand what she meant. After a moment it dawned on the redhead.



“Men. You’re anti-men,” Willow thought solemnly How sad. “So that’s why all the guys ran screaming away! But, wait, I’m not a man,” Willow said as if she too just found that out, “why did the trees attack me?!”



“Well, I think that’s where Caranthia assumed a little too much. It seems the Trees were planted long ago and have become clothes-accustomed. They see pants, they see men,” Tar’airah deduced, although, she was even questioning how much a tree actually saw, “at least, that’s all that I can make of it for now…”



“You’re not helping the old ego by telling me ancient enchanted trees mistook me for a bloke,” Willow pouted, sticking out her lower lip in indignation.



Tar’airah never thought she saw anything more pitiful and cute at the same time. She giggled again, slightly and then apologized for the girl’s misfortune.



“I’m sorry, but in the Trees’ defense, you’re not exactly looking supremely effeminate at the moment,” Tar’airah said pointing at the dirtied although still beautiful, Tar’airah realized, face. She smiled slightly embarrassed at her attentiveness to the redhead.



Willow, however, after grabbing the smooth surface of the sword and seeing what she looked like, had a horrified expression on her face.



“A-a-are you okay?” the Amazon asked, concerned. She’d get back to whatever Caranthia’s business was in this later. Right now she was more interested in the welfare of this adorable, albeit muddy, girl.



“My face, my hair…oh god. Mummy and daddy are going to never hear the end of this,” She swore, putting the sword down, “I guess it wouldn’t be too much trouble to wait for the rain to come and wash some of this off…” for some reason talking to this girl didn’t seem to hard. All of a sudden it was as if they were old friends, reminiscing—not a warrior and victim talking post-almost-kill.



“Oh, no I can get you water!” Tar’airah said a little too quickly for her own liking.



Moron. Can you say Moron?



Willow didn’t seem to mind, in fact, she was ecstatic at the idea.



“You can?? OH THANKYOU! THANKYOU! THANKYOU!” She said jumping up and down, whilst grabbing the blond in response. The close contact seemed to frighten the redhead, though.



Never been that close to another woman’s…nevermind.



“Um…sorry, but that’d be great,” Willow said sticking her tongue out between her teeth goofily. She could deal with being a goof. As long as she was no longer a threat that had to be killed by this woman, she was happy.



“Um…o-okay…I’ll uh…just be…a minute…” Tar’airah said slowly comprehending that for a few moments she had been embraced very closely by this beautiful woman, “with…the getting…of the water f-f-for your f-face…”



Willow stood there, waiting and heard a splash of wood on water after a few minutes. Apparently her hut was located nearby some sort of water source.



How ironic.



“H-h-here you go,” Tar’airah said handing the girl the welcome bucket of water.



Willow gratefully washed herself clean, uncaring of her pants and jacket getting wet—all that mattered right now was reinstating her femininity. Once fully cleansed, at least, to Willow’s liking she stood up, smiling goofily.



“Thanks. That feels a whole lot better.”



Goddess, if she wasn’t beautiful before…



“N-no problem.”



“So…” Willow didn’t want to press the girl. She couldn’t explain it, but she liked her, and wanted no part in the scaring away of her.



“So…” Tar’airah said, suddenly nervous.



Oh, god, you dork! You’ve scared her half to death and you think getting her water’s going to make her love you all of a sudden??? Wait, love?! What the hell?



“I s-s-should ap-p-pologize, I-I…” she wanted to do this the right way, but couldn’t begin to explain the intricate traditions of her culture. How would this wonderful, sweet girl ever understand she didn’t mean to let this happen, that she didn’t want this…?



Willow sat still on the bed—her infinite patience took control again. It seemed to come out so easily with this girl.



This gorgeous, beautiful, girl…Willow, stop! Stop! She’s trying to explain why she was going to kill you, stop thinking of…other…things…especially those two other things…



Tar’airah stopped for a moment, regrouped and began once more, this time with confidence.



“I can’t believe I put you through this, if I had known you were just an innocent wanderer, under Caranthia’s control, I would have never…it’s not my doing, it’s our stupid traditions, and I wanted no part in it, but that witch made it seem like if I didn’t then I’d be banished, and Thea would disown me and Goddess I would never have if I had known…I just wish that you’d trust me when I say I would never…will never…ah, Alahemia malacarthia!” Tar’airah huffed in exasperation finishing in what most Amazons would call more-than-four-lettered words. Tears began to roll down her cheeks again.



“Hey, hey, slow down,” Willow said getting up again reaching out to the blonde.



Goddess how weak am I? Twice I demand the victim to take care of ME?!



“If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you didn’t want to. And, hey! Bonus! You didn’t,” Willow said carefully, “which makes all the difference…”



Tar’airah scoffed at this, “But I was going to…I was going to just to please my sisters’ pressure…”



“Wait, so you were forced to do it?”



“I was given a choice to stay with my family here, or be banished. The only way I could’ve stayed was by fulfilling one of our many lovely traditions—“



“By killing me?” Willow gulped.



“No, well, yes,” Tar’airah said trying to explain.



It seemed so simple at first…



“It’s complicated,” she finished again.



“Try me.”



“Well, there’s this ritual battle for each coming of age amazon. The ritual consists with several tasks, like sparring events, spear throwing, survival tactics, etc.. The final task though, is the hardest: The Seven Day Sacrament. You go through seven days, each day having a specific ritual with one other sister, and on the seventh day you fight to the death with her,” Tar’airah finished lamely.



“That’s…” Willow had no words for this one.



Apparently I’ve been tried.



“Barbaric? Horrific? Terrifying?” Tar’airah supplied.



“Well, I was going to go with ‘bad’ but yeah, those just about cover it.”



“Yeah…I kind of ducked out of it the first time they tried to make me,” Tar’airah sighed wistfully, “that didn’t go down well with the sisters.”



“I’m guessing they don’t like pacifists,” Willow’s eyebrow quirked at this.



“They really don’t,” the blonde said with what Willow noticed was real fear I her eyes.



“So, what, Caranthia finds me and then tells you to kill me for kicks and giggles?”



“She kind of t-t-tricked me into killing you,” Tar’airah said annoyedly, “She made you out to be a big, bad scary man…which leads me to believe she’s not just gone and gotten confused over your gender. She said you disgraced one of the sisters,” Tar’airah passed off the idea as almost laughable. When she saw the girl’s averting glance, she then added, “you didn’t did you?”



“Hey, it was merely to protect my pride! She yelled at me, after I was trying to say ‘thank you’ for picking me up. So I spat right at her face.”



“You…” Tar’airah tried to let this sink in, “You, spat in Caranthia’s face?”



“Yup,” Willow said drawing out the word, utterly embarrassed.



Great, now you’re more barbaric than her bitchy-amazon friend.



Laughter erupted in the small hut, and Willow realized that the other girl was laughing at her.



Then again, spitting might be the traditional way to propose in this world.



“Uh...are you okay? Was it something I said?” Willow asked nervously.



“No! No, it’s just…” the girl fell into another round of hysterics.



“Well, I’m glad to have helped you in any way that I can. From now on, if there’s any spitting to be done, let me know. I’ll be your spittin’ gal!” Willow said giggling slightly at the scene before her.



“Thank you, spittin’ gal,” Tar’airah said letting her laughter finally dive down, “But unfortunately that means Caranthia’s either really blind or tried to pull something on the two of us. Either way, she’s been lying to me. She also threatened me with banishment from here, from my home, if I didn’t follow through.”



“Why does she want you to kill some one so badly? Why would anyone want you to kill another amazon? Aren’t you all sisterhoody?” Willow asked incredulously.



Tar'airah grinned at the words that this girl choose.



“Its partly tradition, and partly because she won’t let go that I’m better at fighting than she is, and not a pure-blood,” Tar’airah said. She knew this girl had had it in for her ever since they were kids and she called her a “malecratia,” or roughly, ‘bad-creation.’



“She’s pure-blood.”



“Well, I’m starting to prefer the non pure-bloods to the pure-bloods if you ask me,” Willow said quirkily, “but you said there were seven days of rituals, and all this stuff you had to go through before killing someone. As far as I can tell I haven’t been unconscious for seven days, although now that I think about it, that girl hit me pretty hard...”



She doesn’t miss a beat, does she?



“Ah, well,” Tar’airah teetered on this. How do you tell some one delicately you wanted to kill them sooner to get it over with? Willow noticed the girl’s discomfort.



“I’m guessing you didn’t like the wait, and the getting-to-know a person before you brutally hacked them to death,” Willow concluded; it wasn’t hard to figure.



Wow...she really doesn’t miss a beat.



“Wow…uh, you hit it right on the nose,” Tar’airah said apologetically.



“I’d do it too,” Willow conceded.



“What?”



“If I were forced to decide between being banished from all that I knew and killing I’d at least attempt to kill first," Willow said quietly.



Believe me, I know the feeling of being completely lost and separated from home…



“How can you be so incredibly understanding? I tried to kill you!—”



“Tried,” Willow interjected, “you tried and you still didn’t do it, you’re not a heartless fiend,” she said more forcefully, “if anything you should be proud that you survived so long in this kind of world with your morals intact.”



“Yeah, I’m a real moral gal,” Tar’airah huffed.



“Hey,” Willow brought up her hand and cupped the other girl’s chin, “I will not have you putting yourself down for not killing me. Personally I’m grateful for whatever part of you that exists and wishes me alive.”



“Oh, no I’m not upset that I—I mean, all of me wants you alive!“ Tar’airah exclaimed vehemently. “I mean, I don’t regret what I've done.”



“I know. Which is why you should be with the happy,” Willow was dancing her happy dance inwardly at the admission that she was wanted alive by the girl, completely, and not just for shock-factor.



“Happy? Now I have to go through the Seven Day Sacrament and this time probably stay where I ran away to last time.”



“Wait, hold on, you still have to go through with the seven day thingy? Why can’t you just go ‘no’ to their go’s?”



“Did you just ask me to go ‘no go’ to their go’s?”



“Yes, I believe I did.”



“Well that won’t do with them. They’ll banish me this time for sure, that is, if they’re not in a killing mood,” Tar’airah said glumly.



“I can help!”



“How can you, an outsider, and foreigner to the rules of an amazon tribe help?”



“I just can. See this face?” Willow pointed at her pointed expression.



“Yes, but I doubt you’ll strike fear into my sisters. Maybe make them smile to death, but that’s about it…” Tar’airah said out loud before she could stop it.



“No, you don’t get it. R-e-s-o-l-v-e F-a-c-e,” Willow spelled out, “It basically means I’m going to do everything in my power to help and you can’t say no.”



“Fine. Please, help me, oh grand and great, wait, what’s your name?” Tar’airah asked embarrassed that after all this time she still didn’t know the girl’s name.



“Willow,” the redhead breathed, “Willow H. Rosenberg, at your service.”



“Wil-low,” Tar’airah let the name roll off her tongue, and delighted in the taste.



What a beautiful name.



“What’s yours?” Willow asked curiously.



“Hmm?” Tar’airah had been caught dreamily eating up Willow’s name, “Oh, it’s Tar’airah.”



“Tar’airah? That sounds pretty. What’s it mean?” Willow asked enjoying the girl’s presence by the minute.



“The terror.”



“Oh…” Willow’s nose crinkled in disagreement, “Well, can I just call you Tara for short?”

















okay, for me that was a long update...that was long, right? Cause...umm...man that wore me out...i was typing forever, it seemed! wierd...hope you liked it!

-elizabeth

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see my own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so; my eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed.

[thebardgirl]

Tempest Duer- now i remember why i love hearing from you in my stories--you compliment VERY well!



thanks...



-elizabeth

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see my own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so; my eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed.

[Artemis]

How on earth did Tara get a name like that? Unless it was given to her after her performance in non-lethal combat training, in which case, bring on Caranthia and let her just try to separate Willow and Tara now It's good to see the two talking, and obviously and unsurprisingly smitten. It seems there's more going on than just some jealous warrior being a bitch though, I wonder where this will all lead.

[taramagic]

oh i like this update!

so cute the conversation!!! so whats coming next??

[BurningWhiteRose]

'The terror'? What about Tara is a terror...Its kind of backwards if you ask me.



Now, If you asked me about Tara in the show, if her name fits, oh yeah. Tara means Tower, and in the show? She was definately quite the tower. But not the Tower of Terror. Definately not.



So, yeah...thats all ive got to say about that.



Continue soon?



Sincerely,

BWR

***

If homosexuals dont reproduce, why are there so many of them?-Jim David

[shuyaku]

I got a cookie Thank you



They can understand each other - woo hoo!!! on Caranthia. She probably knew Willow as a girl all along .



It should be really interesting to see how they confront her...

-shuyaku

Oh God, Willow—you’re giving me the gift of Karen Carpenter. Just when I think I grasp the full extent of your love." - Tara

"Why do birds suddenly appear? It’s because, you are queer…" - Willow (Gods Served and Abandoned by AntigoneUnbound)

[thebardgirl]

Hey kittens! Oooo people read fast...coolness.



Artemis- Ah...the name. Umm...well, originally I just gave it to her for comic effect, but now i feel like i should explain it further along in the story. Ah, wait, you got it. She's kind of a freakin' awesome fighter, i know you've yet to see that, but yeah...that's what i was going for...Hee..yuppers they're smitten-kittens...hmm i don't know where this is going...wait, i didn't say that. I mean, i'm the writer! of COURSE i know where this is going! Thanks for reading...



taramagic-thanks, hope you'll like the sketchy...hmm what's coming next? I don't know...haven't thought that far ahead...seems i've caught up with myself...but don't worry, i'm always brainstorming, and the weatherman said it's the perfect brainstorm weather.



BurningWhiteRose-Hmm...Yeah...'The Terror' was more or less for comic effect...and also to um show the behind the scenes of amazonian naming techniques...Tara = Tower? Oh cool. It makes sense....unless you're talking abut Tarot kind of Tower, cause that card means disaster and everything falling apart and having to completely and utterly rebuild...wait...that DOES make sense...gah...how wierd...i should've been warned in the fourth season where that Hush-girl would end up...yes, yes i will continue...i don't know how soon, but for now: a sketch! Thanks for reading...



shuyaku- *snicker* cool, i'll be sure to reward you with more sweets next time...and yes! They CAN understand one another...Hmm...yeah i wonder what that girlie's trying to do? hmm...confrontation, amazon style! How cool would that be?





SO, here's the fab-tabulous Tara, Tar'airah or Terror as i've decided to call her...*snicker* so...without further ado i give you:



"The Terror "



oh, and i KNOW the proportions are off *smacks head into nearby wall*...but that was do to my rushing, finding a good enough picture to go from of Ms. Benson and an amazon--guess where i got the clothes from? *whispers* Xena fans, this is where you need to step up to the plate...



-elizabeth

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see my own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so; my eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed.

[tinnakaren]

Wow wow wow.. that sketch is excellent. I'm so glad I requested it



And the last two updates have been great as well.. cliffhanger-y et al. They've been both funny and sweet, and almost romantic in a very well written way



Thank you for sharing

x Tinna Karen



"You're not gonna jokey-rhyme your way outta this one." - Willow in Pangs

[Tempest Duer]

Mmmm.... amazon Tara... And, uh, the update was sooo cute! I'm sorry I couldn't be the first to post feedback, but my mother made me go to bed... oh well... I loved it! And Tara in Xenaesque clothing...

It's insulting to the whole gender[sic] of rap.



~Eminem

[Grimlock72]

Aha... a new amazon-Tara story, goody goody



Seems there is one mighty jealous amazon around indeed. The entire tradition of the fighting to the death sounds stupid anyway. It's a great way to reduce your clan-size for sure, but other than that I would seem rather self-defeating.



I could imagine Tara getting in trouble for not wanting to kill animals for food. At least that would have been some sort of reasonable request, but noooo... they want her to kill some random clan-sister for no good reason.



I'm fairly sure Tara *can* kill if she wants to. She just doesn't want to murder someone for no good reason. Self defense would be good reason, so would protecting a loved one be... heh. And for some strange reason I can see the latter happening easily (more easily than the self-defense one actualy)



Given what we know about this particulair amazon tribe I dare say Tara would be better of banished. Can't see much for her there for the rest of her life.



Willow was stupid when spitting Cordy in the face, I would have expected her to know better.



Hmm... Tara fighting this stranger really wouldn't proof much, now would it? I wonder if Willow still has her handgun, besides that she doesn't have much defense I think. It's not as if Willow/stranger would be allowed to walk away after having killed Tara. Even if Tara would kill someone for tradition she would probably leave her tribe anyway.



What happened to Tara's previous challenge/opponent? Is she still alive ? I think C-bitch will make sure the same thing doesn't happen again, can't see HOW though. (we've already established Tara can beat her on combat and if there's one amazon deserving to be knocked unconcious....: --> )



Having fun here, yup...



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

[WTtruelove]

yowza awesome sketch. I'd take her over xena any day, of course without the killing, just the detainment and imprisionment,



love how this story is going so far, more soon i hope.

[Spikeizmine87]

bad me bad me! look, theres already a new page and i havent even COMMENTED on the fic yet! grrr....ok...mentally punsihing my self................and.....DONE!



ok...awesome update! It was long and i liked readin it! So very happy that willows face is now clean, and that they have met, talked, and we already know that willow has feelings for this girl! this is great...so very happy that Tara is now known as Tara! lol. Loved it, so very very cute. But wait a moment, the TREES attacked willow? "confussed" I think I missed something...hm...ok update soon and someone PLEASE let me know the moment its updated cause i dont wanna be the last person to read it and leave FB!!!

-Rose

How can I tell you I love you without the fear of your rejection?



Im so in love and its hurting.

[Arwen276]

Umm Terror you say? lol Tara The Terror, sounds like Denice the Menace,

EXTREMELY FUNNY! you had me on the floor,honest!



umm I loved the 'talk ' between would-have-been killer and short-lived victim Willow , there's sparkage going there.



I wonder what they could do? and is C...what's her name 's plan to get rid of Tara, as a way of her taking over after Thea, ERR I mean MOI? (no one takes over MOI! by the way )

or Am I being suddenly paranoid as all monarch's are?



*ponders the question*



I ALSO LOVED The Terror's sketch very real, drooled would be more appropriate... I see more Amber than Tara though lol but it's gorgeous,

I wonder if you could do a Thea one...*wink* I could send you a picture , lol



Anyway,

more?



~Her Royal Highness

Hear That Baby? You're My Always... Willow

Edited by: Arwen276 at: 7/21/04 1:46 pm