--Willow double checks the ingredients for her spell.
She surrounded herself with white candles for purification of the mind and opening the dream up to all senses/emotions.
Willow called out the ingredients as she put them into the mortar. "Fleabane... Salamander eyes... Bindweed. Wormwood, cinnamon, mandrake, quassia chips, mistletoe, vervain, verbena, and rose." She grabbed a long pestle and mashed the ingredients together. The smell was overpowering, it smelled of rainy days, spring and death all mixed into one. The witch poured the mixture into the cauldron. She placed Buffies journal next to her along with a long stemmed red rose.
Then she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Willow lifted her hands to the skies.
"East I call to you,
High above the trees
Gliding on a soft breeze
Eagle come to me."
A breeze floated through the room, banging the blinds against the window. Willow struggled to keep her eyes closed. The chill in the room was almost to cold to bear. She felt goosebumps rising.
"South I call to you,
Burning within me
Running through the jungle
Panther come to me."
The flames on the red candles grew as Willows palms begin to sweat, she felt the temperature
rising in her body, heat surrounding her. She felt as if she were on fire.
A small circlet of yellow-orange light arises out of the cauldron and began to spin.
"West I call to you,
Deep within the sea
Dancing with the waves
Dolphin come to me."
Above her, a dark gray shap swirled, until it made itself into a cloud, Willow felt raindrops lightly touching her, cooling
off the burning sensation.
The circle of light flashed brighter and grew a bit larger.
"North I call to you,
Underneath my feet
Howling at the full moon
Wolf come to me."
She felt the ground begin to shake, Willow squeazed her eyes shut tightly to keep
consintration.
"Goddess Eri I call you,
Everywhere I see
Joining in the circle
Goddess come to me."
Willow opened her eyes and shouted at the sky as the rain dampened her face.
"Spirits of light, grant my wishes!"
The circle of light grew bigger and brighter,
and its spinning became less smooth. Willow stepped back from the circle, afraid of what was next. It continued to grow and twist crazily. The circle of light suddenly dropped down onto it's side and toucheda large crystal that had been placed strategically next to it.It gave off a big flash of light and a beautiful goddess suddenly appears in the circle.
Eri smiled, a very sweet but sad goddess. Willow took in her beauty. She is tall with dark ringlets trailing down herback. Atop her head lay a crown of Orchids. "My child, why have you called me?" Eri asks the witch, looking down with sympathy.
Willow dispelled the story of the slayer and her lost love."She's not happy. Never at peace. I wish to let Buffy know perfect happiness in her dreams." Eri let a lone tear drop travel down her cheek
"I will help you child. I had a love once." She smiled at the memory. "His name was Izikial. I loved him more than anything on this earth. Though, soon it came is time, too soon in fact. He told me he wished to not become a god, he would leave this world exactly as he entered. Human. Though much to my protesting, nothing would change his mind." She paused and placed her olive hand on Willows chin, guiding her to stand to face her. "I will help you my darling." Eri grabbed Willow's hand and kissed her lightly on her freckled cheek.
"Though lovers lost, love shall not." Eri spoke. Willow picked up the Rose and the journal, so she can get a feel for the slayers pain.
Eri simply smiled and refused it. "I can sense her pain from here. It lingers even in the room." Eri placed her hand over the journal. As she closed her eyes, a blue light errupted from underneath her palm and coursed through the journal.
"It is my gift to you." She said.
"What is it for?" Willow asked. Eri just shook her head.
"Your heart will know when it's time. Keep it safe."
Eri sunk back into the bottle as Willow finished the spell.
"Carry this dream on wings of light-
Make my message heard tonight
By the flame and sky, the land and sea,
Heed my words and make it be."
*********************************************************************************************
--The Summers House--
God how could she be so stupid. Letting Spike touch her? Comfort her? Buffy slowly walked up her stairs and into her room, careful not to wake her family. She sunk into her bed without even disrobing. Her eyes fluttered shut. Buffy feared for what her dreams would bring her.