I wonder if Tara will be diplomatic and reserved when she asks Aleksander or if she will say anything to him at all about finding them. Then there is always the Athynae approach though I wouldn't suggest it, it probably wouldn't be very effective in a case like this.

I do wonder though, what has Aleksander so distracted. Does it have something to do with the letters or is it something else entirely?

Great stuff, the story is moving forward and keeping my attention. Tara and Willow are learning to work together which is probably as precarious as my children getting along but I hope it isn't too problematic.


This line was just giggly fun.


I could just see her reflection in the spoon buffing her nails on her shirt

Nit: (Just one)
"Without a moments pause she stopped halted her worrying and opened the envelope." That's a lot of stopping you have there for the opening of an envelope.

Looking forward to more soon.

Willow is hilarious in this chapter (example: “Honey, I’m a ghost. I know stuff.”). You do extremely well in showing two completely different characters in the same scene !!

I wonder why they would hide her mothers letters and it be particularly important to watch her on the 19th birthday! Intriguing stuff. Urk - how can she so easily forgive her father but hold anger at her mother?

Awesome Write !!

That explains how he remembered to go over to the house on Tara's birthday. I wonder why he would keep all those letters, and in a hidden place as well.

‘Willow suggested, looking at Tara through her reflection in a spoon.’
I love this!

You’re doing a great job of sorting out both the temperaments and mechanics of portraying Tara and Willow. They are great fun to read!

Hmmm – I see a clue. Sniff, sniff. Do I see Tara traveling to each of the Mages Guildhalls in search of her mother and maybe some progress of her own in the guild? Oh, maybe I’m just way off the mark. Regardless, Tara's mother has generated some answers but even more questions.

Cool... ...

Looking forward to seeing how much fun that covresation will be... ...

Excellent job...

Nice one!!... ...

Ohhh this was awesome!

“Honey, I’m a ghost. I know stuff.” part made me chuckle.

Ha xD, will leave a more detailed comment when I get home, class is about to start!

Ohhh, so the mom was sending letters!

"A question like that could only truly be answered with a confrontation with the woman who left her to die."
The mystery thickens!
Count me as entertained and hooked!

A wonderful update. Like the others, I also loved the reflection in the spoon, along with the entire inner conversation over dinner.

I’m good. No praise required, please.”


So her mother was sending reminders to Aleksander! Brilliant! So now we will be off to Cyrodiil, and a tour of the Mages Guild halls!

Athynae: I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story and are looking forward to more! I hope this next chapter satisfies any questions you may hold to what Tara may have in store for Aleksander! Thank you for the nit

mALX: Hehe I'm so glad that you love Willow! Thank you for the compliments. My only notion to Tara anger at her mother is the feeling of abandonment, but TBH onlw Tara can answer those questions... Maybe she will one day

King Coin: I'm glad the chapter help answer some questions for you

Acadian: Aww thank you! It is fun to write for two different characters, and it's so much fun seeing how they interact with each other.

McBadgere: Hehe, thank you!

Fawkes: Thank you so much for the compliments! Im so glad you liked that line of Willows

SubRosa: Thank you for the compliments So glad you're enoying te story

P.S I wonder if any BtVS fans noticed the reference to the S5 episode 'Forever' with Willows line '...I'm a ghost. I know stuff.'









Tara walked over to the dining table, glaring at Aleksander as she sat in her seat. She wondered why he would do such a thing. It’s one thing that he had been in contact with her mother for years on end, but to not tell her about it? It was unacceptable.

Still, despite the subtle anger dripping from her every pore, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him about her discovery. Was she nervous? Yes. Was she scared? Most probably.

She sat with Mildred and Aleksander as she ate her meal, occasionally glancing at Aleksander with every bite of the delicious food. She desperately wanted to say something, but she couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t. Maybe she couldn’t handle confrontation which to lead to the loss of a great friend.

She didn’t know what to think, and with Willow constantly nagging for her to ‘demand answers’ from Aleksander, thinking was not going to get any easier. So she did the next best thing.

“Mildred,” She started, holding the back of her palm to her forehead. “The meal was lovely, b-but I think I need to lie down…”

“Oh, dear what’s the matter? Is it my cooking?” Mildred panicked.

“No, just a mild migraine,” Tara lied. “But I do need to lie down.”

Mildred nodded as Tara stood up and headed to her bedroom. Aleksander was paying no attention to her whilst Mildred had a worried expression on her face. It made her feel sick that she had to lie to avoid confrontation, but she knew that if she had time to sleep on it, she would feel better in the morning. Hopefully.

She walked into her bedroom and changed into her bed clothes. She could see Willow’s image in the window, which made taking off her bra rather uncomfortable. She decided to take her Bra off under her blouse, leading to an awkward moment of trying to undo the knot with minimal room to even move. She couldn’t quite reach, leading to an even more awkward motion of trying to move the bra around so the knot at the back would be at the front, which, again, her having her blouse on for privacy made ever more difficult.

She looked in her reflection and could see Willow giggling at her actions.

Tara smiled slightly before finally removing the bra. She then crawled under her duvet and swapped her blouse for her bed shirt. She knew that one day she would be comfortable with the fact that there would always be someone around watching her change but for now? She wasn’t going to let it happen.

She put her head on the pillow, regardless of the fact that she wasn’t even sleepy, and tried to get her forty winks.

“So what are we going to do about Aleksander?” Willow asked. Tara ignored her.



The next morning Tara woke, surprised that she had actually fallen asleep. She got out of her bed and put on her clothes. She walked out of her bedroom and headed downstairs. She stared in awe at the state of the dining room. It was a mess, a mess that certainly wasn’t there when she went to bed the previous night. Chairs were thrown around the room, glasses were smashed and food was splattered on nearly every inch of the wall. The sight that horrified her the most, however, was the painting above the fireplace. It was ruined. Slashed from end to end with burn marks from which looked like- A shock spell?

She continued to stare until she saw Mildred wander in through the kitchen. She ran downstairs to speak with her whilst she brushed the mess into a tidy pile.

“Mildred, what happened?” Tara asked. Mildred didn’t reply.

Tara stood directly in front of Mildred and asked her the same question, but was again met with no reply.

“W-who did this?” Tara asked. This question peaked Mildred’s curiosity. She looked at Tara with a disgusted expression, as if Tara was a lowly beggar asking for change.

“How dare you ask a question like that? You know very well who did this!”

Tara looked at Mildred, confused. Mildred then turned and walked away from her. Tara wasn’t ready to give up, so she decided to try Aleksander.

She assumed he would be in his office so she headed there, and she was right. She walked into the office and before she could say a word, Aleksander looked at her from his chair; a forced smile on his miserable face.

“Tara…” He greeted. His tone worn and empty.

Tara approached him slowly.

“What happened? Is Mildred okay?” She asked.

“I think last nights antic have upset her a bit. You must understand.”

Tara looked shocked. Everyone spoke to her as if she was supposed to know what had happened.

“No, I don’t. Tell me!” She begged.

Aleksander gave a sigh of regret, then rose from his seat and embraced Tara.

“I’m sorry that my deception upset you that much, Tara. And I completely understand and support your decision to leave to find your mother.”

Tara stared at Aleksander in utter disbelief.

“Wh-what? What decision?”

“Tara, don’t try and make me feel better by denying what you said. It may have been said in anger, but you spoke of what your heart desires. Maybe with you going on your journey it will help me find piece of mind, too.”

Tara broke away from his embrace. She couldn’t remember anything that he was speaking of, but she decided to go along with it anyway. If it made Aleksander feel better, then there was really no point in arguing.

“Now, I put your bag by the front door last night.”

Tara smiled reluctantly. She was being pushed out by something she wasn’t even aware of. She didn’t know whether or not she should go, but it was clear that she did. Maybe she did say all those things the previous night and somehow lost all memory of it. Maybe she hit her head during the destruction and caused her memory loss. All she was aware of was that she was gone. For no reason or explanation she was to leave Farrun and Go to Cyrodiil. Why? She didn’t know. But even though it wasn’t her decision, something inside her made her realise it was the right one.



Tara stood with her backpack outside Aleksander’s house. Mildred wasn’t present; she was still upset and wasn’t going to forgive the innocent Tara any day soon.

“Make sure you write to me when you find Jada.” Aleksander made her promise.

“How am I supposed to find her? I can hardly remember what she looks like?”

“You’ll know, Tara. Believe me.”

Tara smiled. She didn’t know what else to say, so she waved goodbye and began to walk away. However, after taking a few steps she turned around to ask Aleksander one final question.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Mother had been writing to you?”

“Because she asked me not to. I’ve told you this.” Aleksander informed her.

“Remind me.” Tara asked. Aleksander seemed hesitant for some reason, but he obliged.

“She was worried about your father finding out that she was betraying their agreement.”

“What agreement?” Tara asked.

“I don’t know, she didn’t tell me.”

Tara looked at Aleksander. She could see in his eyes that he was telling her the truth; but it still wasn’t enough.

She smiled and turned to walk away again, but this time turned and ran toward Aleksander, jumping into his arms and holding him tightly. Tears falling softly from her eyes.

“Thank you… for everything.” She muttered. She held the embrace for a few seconds before gradually releasing it.

“Goodbye.” She smiled. Aleksander nodded in a reply.

“Good luck.”

She walked away for a final time and headed out of town. The Farrun air soon to become a memory, but she wasn’t phased. Despite the rush of her leaving she had a new, important focus in life. Despite the people she was leaving and the state she left them in she knew it was the right decision to make. She didn’t make any more final goodbyes, not to Karliah or anyone. She was leaving and that was that.

This was the start of something new for her; a mission. Her mother was waiting and Tara had her questions ready. All se knew was that her mother was in one of the mages guild halls in Cyrodiil under a new name. it was going to be a challenge, but she knew she was going to find her. She knew the journey would be tough, but it’s not like she didn’t have any company.

Maybe now Tara would find the brighter future she’d always craved.

Maybe…

*



SPEW !!! ROFL !! I could picture this whole scene, this had me rolling !! These kind of details totally make your story, I love them !!!




I love these lines, they show how fragile Tara really is inside.


URK !!! Looks like "Watch her closely when she turns 19" has a meaning now.


Poor Tara, and BRILLIANT plot !!!! Love how you've thought this out !!!

*

This was wonderfully written and I so enjoyed being inside Tara’s head as she wrestled with her feelings and self-doubts over dinner. Then a cute as can be scene of modesty at bedtime. Then an unexpected walk of shame (no, not that kind) in the morning!

The glaring takeaway from this episode is a simple and new truth: Never, never, never ignore Willow!

I am so looking forward to the next conversation between T&W!

Nits:
’Maybe she couldn’t handle confrontation which to lead to the loss of a great friend. ‘
I’m not sure what your intended wording was. Did you perhaps mean a ‘could’ instead of the ‘to’?

’She decided to take her Bra off under her blouse, ‘
I wouldn’t capitalize bra here.

’All se knew was that her mother was in one of the mages guild halls in Cyrodiil under a new name. ‘
You meant ‘she’ of course.

I loved Tara trying to take off her bra underneath her top. That is so much easier to do with the kind that have clips in the back!

Uh oh, what happened in the dining room? Let me guess, Willow was walking around in Tara's body getting her anger out?

And now we see where the title comes from! Let us hope that she finds that brighter future in Cyrodiil, and that she does not kill anyone in her sleep...



nits:
She decided to take her Bra off under her blouse
No need to capitalize bra here.

Maybe she did say all those things the previous night and somehow lost all memory of it. Maybe she hit her head during the destruction and caused her memory loss.
Since these sentences are phrased as questions, they ought to end in question marks rather then periods.

Naughty Willow... ...That was rude...I'd give myself a damn good talking at the next time we were about...

Excellently done though...Loving it all...*Thumbsup*...

Battlemage or not...That was rude...

Blacking out and making a big mess seems to be becoming a theme around here... ...

I absolutely loved this...

Nice one!!... ...

*Applauds heartily*...

I like the way Tara and Willow can see one another in reflections. Poor Tara is going to have to cover every mirror and window, or perhaps get over her modesty. Unless Willow learns to politely look away! It’s fun to see the two of them coming to terms with their situation.

Yikes, then in the morning we see the results of Willow taking charge. She did push Tara into seeking her bright future, but I wonder what else she’s willing to do while she’s walking around as Tara. As Acadian said, do not ignore Willow!!

Just thought i'd explain my absence for the readers of A.B.F. Basically my internet went down unexpectedly and i've been unable to get in back up for quite some time. I have been on occasionaly with the use of my phone, but that is to impractical when it comes to reading stories due to the awful state my phone is in! Haha

But I am back, and new A.B.F. will be up soon, as well as me FINALLY being able to catch up with everyone's stories!

Yay, welcome back!

Thanks so much for checking in! We were getting worried about you, Tara and Willow. I'm so looking forward to you continuing this wonderful story!

mALX: Thank you so much! I'm very glad you are enjoying the plot and how it's unfolding! Hehe I'm glad you found the bra scene amusing, too

Acadian: Indeed, Tara does have trouble communicating her feelings towards people and the dinner scene shows this. Maybe she'll overcome these issuses and become a stronger person in the future? But for now, we have Willow for that Thank you for the nits

SubRosa: I hope dear Tara finds her brighter future too, but I doubt it will be easy I'm glad you enjoyed the bra scene too! Thank you for the nits

McBadgere: Thank you for enjoying the story! Blackouts are annoying for the victim, especially with how it appears Tara sleepwalks! haha

Grits: Haha sell they say a mirror is a gateway to the soul! Or that is at least what i say! I'm sure they'll learn to live with each other... eventually! Haha









Cyrodiil wasn’t how Tara had pictured it at all. From what she had read she expected a mass of dense jungle as far as the eye could see, but from where she was there was no jungle. Barely a group of trees in sight that could even attempt to qualify for the status of ‘jungle’.

She could see forests and fields of grass swaying in the gentle breeze, but that was about it. To say she was disappointed was an understatement, but she couldn’t really let it get to her. She was here for a reason; a reason more focal than the lack of excessive shrubbery.

Tara had entered Cyrodiil from the Hammerfell border, but didn’t have a single clue as to where to go from there. She dropped her bag and barely managed to climb a bulky rock. She stood atop of the rock and looked out into the distance. She managed to see what looked like either a large castle or a small city. Despite the notion that she had no idea what it was she decided that it would probably be the best place for her to go. At least from there she could ask for directions, maybe even find a nice room for her to spend the night in.

She hopped off the rock, stumbling onto her bottom as she landed. She stood up, brushed herself off, grabbed her bag and followed the path to the city. She spent the majority of the journey wondering what she had left behind. She still couldn’t explain what had happened back at the house. Both Mildred and Aleksander had spoken to Tara as if she had caused the destruction, which she was certain she hadn’t. She had no theories that she hadn’t already pondered, no more questions she could ask herself that would be more than answerless. All she could do was hope that she would have some sort of answer soon, but until then, her current task was her main focus.

She wondered why Willow had been so quiet. She understood that she could only see Willow in a reflection, but she didn’t know that she needed a reflective surface to speak with her, too. Unfortunately, Tara didn’t have any way to test whether a reflective surface was the only source of communication, which annoyed her deeply. For all she knew Willow could have known something about what happened back at Alexander’s house.

It annoyed Tara that she couldn’t get what happened out of her head. She had a focus, a goal, that she had to complete for her own gratification, but she couldn’t help thinking about what had happened.

She continued walking, looking at her surroundings and taking in the Cyrodillic air. On second thought, Cyrodiil was rather beautiful. From the herbs and plants that seemed to be in every empty space, to the deer and other wildlife that pranced gayley to the harmonic sound of unseen birds was rather breathtaking. She gave herself a mental slap on the forehead for being so prejudiced about the province at her first glance, but she now knew that she was in a place of beauty. A place she couldn’t wait to explore... whilst looking for her mother of course – Wow, I forgot that for a second...

Suddenly she stopped and edged her eye line toward the main road again. She saw something which caught her attention. A man sat by the roadside. He didn’t have anything with him, no bags or rags, and he was dressed too nice to scream homeless. He looked happy, a large smile on his face as he appeared to be singing to himself.

Tara felt uneasy. She looked for a road she could take which would avoid the man, but she couldn’t see any such thing. She didn’t want to take a detour through the wilderness as Mara knows what could have been out there.

She decided that bravery was her only option; although she kept a shock spell in her mind just in case. She slowly began to walk again, trying to avoid eye contact with the stranger. She continued pacing past the man, giving him subtle glances as she passed him. As she passed him she could feel his eyes watching her as she walked. She ignored it and continued walking, relieved that she managed to avoid an awkward conversation with the-

“Excuse me, miss, I don’t know you do i?”

Tara stopped again. The man was speaking to her. Avoiding being rude, she turned around with a smile.

“Um… no, I don’t think so…” She replied, turning back to her original position. But before she could take a step the man said something which made the hairs on her neck stand up.

“You’re looking for someone, aren’t you?”

Tara slowly turned to look back at the man.

“H-how did you know that?”

The man chuckled, standing up as he did. He began to approach Tara.

“I am a seer of things not too distant. I am told things from the spirits beyond that those mere habitants of Nirn couldn’t possibly understand. I’ve been given a message about your path and I knew I had to wait for you at this time, on this day. I have been waiting a long time for you.”

“You have?” Tara replied with a cautious tone as the man continued to approach her.

“Yes, I have. You’re looking for someone lost. Someone who is lost, but you’ve never forgotten.”

Tara smiled, “Yes, yes I have! My mother!”

Tara began to get excited. This man knew things that only she did, and that surely must have meant something.

“I know, child.” He replied. He finally reached her, but instead of stopping to speak with her he walked past her. Her gaze followed him, slightly confused.

“If you want to know more then, please, follow me. The journey will be long, but it will be worth it, I assure you.”

Tara thought for a second. She barely knew this man and he was already basically promising her answers? But he knew thing’s he possibly couldn’t? That is not just coincidence…

“Where are we going?” Tara asked the man, who continued to walk.

“I own a shop near the imperial city. I bought it from a friend of mine. It’s an alchemy shop, but I use it for other purposes. It’s very private and secluded. Perfect for me to tell your fortune.”

Tara thought that this seemed too good to be true. Could this man truly tell her what her path will lead to? Could he tell her where her mother was? Could he be the person who gives the one thing she had been craving her whole life?

She thought for a second, wishing that somehow Willow could tell her what to do or what to think, but she was alone. This decision was hers to make alone. She knew what the right thing to do was and she knew she had to tell the stranger now.

“…Okay. How far is it to your shop?”

I'm delighted to see you continuing this!

I agree with Tara that a newcomer to Cyrodiil might expect jungle, but I also agree with her assessment that ‘Cyrodill was rather beautiful’. Then she backed it up with some delightful descriptions.

’For all she knew Willow could have known something about what happened back at Alexander’s house.’
Yup. I’d be takin’ that to the bank!

A wonderfully mysterious encounter with an equally intriguing stranger. Tara displays quite a bit of courage here as she initially travels into Cyrodiil by herself, then takes a chance on trusting a stranger. Testament, I believe, to how strongly she yearns to find her mother. I hope she finds her answers ahead.


Nits:
“Excuse me, miss, I don’t know you do i?”
‘I’ of course.

“I own a shop near the imperial city.”
I’d capitalize the proper name of a city and the game calls it ‘The Imperial City’.

Oooh!!... ...

Excellent stuff!!...

Definately nice to see this story back...Some really nice stuff in there...

I'd heard that Cyrodiil had been supposed to be jungle...Strange really...It's not like Bethesda to arbitrarily change things on a whim... ...( )...

Love the descriptions of Cyrodiil though...And it seems as though Willow is hanging her etheric head in shame at the mo... ...

The man!!...The could be considered slightly creepy in an "I've been sat here for some time waiting for a teenage girl to wander along" way...And yet, I like him!! ...He's brilliantly done...Looking forward to seeing where this leads...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds*...

Yeah! You're back! I loved how Tara expected a jungle when she came to Cyrodiil, nice bit of touching on lore! Great Write !!!

I loved your dig at the jungled Cyrodiil. Funny how it magically turned into Merry Old England when it came time to make a game based there, isn't it?

For all she knew Willow could have known something about what happened back at Alexander’s house.
Somehow, I think Willow just might have a few ideas...

This stranger whom the spirits speak to seemed to be a harmless nut at first. But then when he mentioned his nice and secluded shop, well, the creep factor really kicked in. I hope that is a good shock spell Tara has ready, just in case!



nits:
wildlife that pranced gayley
I believe you wanted gaily.

Unseen birds, I like that!


“I own a shop near the imperial city. I bought it from a friend of mine. It’s an alchemy shop, but I use it for other purposes. It’s very private and secluded. Perfect for me to tell your fortune.”

Uh oh. Better keep the shock, fire, and frost spells handy!

Interesting, I think Willow took some liberties with Tara’s body. She seems to be exerting some influence on Tara’s thoughts too, not just hiding what she did (or while Willow was ‘in charge’ perhaps Tara wouldn’t be able to remember?). This is more than a friendly rider.

What a bizarre guy. Considering the only alchemy shop I can think of near the Imperial City is rubble, that can’t bode well for this encounter.

Acadian: I'm so glad that you waited so patiently for an update! I too agree with the hope that Tara's encounter being able to help find her mother, but didn't mother always tell you not to talk to strangers? haha

McBadgere: I'm glad you enjoyed the description of Cyrodiil! I'm sure anyone would be dissapointed to learn that what they've researched wasn't exactly meant to be

mALX: Awwww thank you mALX!

SubRosa: Haha thank you! I was surprised to learn that Cyrodiil was meant to be a jungle! I'm sure tara was equally as surprised to learn it wasn't

Grits: Hehe thanks! I had to give SOME mention to those ninja birdies

King Coin: Your theories on Willow intreague me! I'm so happy my story can provoke so much thought!

Author Note: I am still catching up with everyones stories. my lack of internet for a month left me dangerously behind! haha.











It took Tara and the stranger almost half a day to travel to his shop. Conversation was kept to a minimal, with the stranger making idle chatter involving mud crabs. He did, however, reveal his name as Argenor, which she was grateful for as calling him ‘Stranger’ was verging to the point of rude.

Tara stood outside the shop whilst Argenor fumbled for his keys. The shop was located by a large river, and it was out in the open. Not as isolated as I thought...

She stood awkwardly, looking around at her surrounding. The shop, which the sign insisted was called ‘All things Alchemical’ was large, easily three floors tall. It was surrounded by unique trees that she hadn’t seen before, which made her smile and Cyrodiil was surprising her more every second. It was quiet, beautifully quiet... but also slightly eerily.

Eventually Argenor managed to find his keys and he went to unlock the door, looking around as he did so, which Tara found odd. Once the door was open he beckoned Tara inside, but she was hesitant.

“Are you coming in?” Argenor smiled. Tara remained hesitant, but the grin on Argenor’s face slowly eased her nerves. She took small steps until she was stood by the door. She looked behind her at the road leading to the shop, her reasons why uncertain to her.

Tara walked into the shop, followed by Argenor who closed the door behind her. That’s strange. Why is he using his key to close the door? Maybe the door is broken.

Once Argenor had closed the door he walked over to Tara, leading her to a seat. The shop was rather bland, empty even. Apart from a table and chairs and a few books scattered around, the place looked abandoned.

Tara assumed that this was part of what made the place so secluded, after all you didn’t need much equipment to tell someone their fortune. But there would be something like a crystal ball at least.

Tara stopped thinking so hard and sat down as Argenor headed upstairs, calling down whether she would like a glass of water or not. Tara accepted and not before long Argenor came back down the stairs with a glass of water. He handed it to her and smiled before he sat down.

Tara waited for him to do or say something, but no, he just looked at her. She saw his eyes slowly examine her face before he began to chuckle.

“Oh I’m sorry! You must think I’m so rude!”

Tara smiled nervously and shook her head, “N-no, not at all.” She took a sip of her water, eagerly observed by Argenor.

“It’s just you look so much like you’re mother, it’s astonishing!”

“You’ve met my mother?” Tara smiles.

“No, dear, but i have seen her face in my visions. A beautiful woman; much like yourself, in fact.”

Tara laughed awkwardly, taking another sip of the water, which tasted odd. Must be water from the river.

“So... are you going to tell me more about my mother?” Tara eventually asked after a short silence.
“Indeed.” Argenor replied as he continued to scan Tara with his beady eyes.

She couldn’t help but feel that something was up. He was creeping her out on an epic scale. He defiantly had something other than fortune telling on his mind, but she couldn’t figure out what. All she knew was that even though she’d only been there for five minutes, she needed to get out. She gulped down the rest of her water and stood up.

“I’m sorry, sir, but i really have to go. I can’t be here to long.”

Argenor ignored her, continued to leer over her. She took this as her que to leave. She headed to the door, only to discover to her horror that it was locked. She turned to Argenor; subtle panic in her voice.

“Can you unlock the door please?” She asked. Argenor continued to ignore her. She could feel anger and panic welling up inside her.

She also felt something else. Something unusual. Her legs began to fall weak, her head faint. Her whole body began to turn cold. She stumbled to the door again, desperate to escape. Suddly her legs gave and she lost control of them, collapsing to the floor, still with a firm grip on the door knob. She began to let out a tired scream as her eyesight began to go. Her surroundings began to turn black and her grip started to loosen at an alarming rate. Before she knew it she had blacked out.



Tara woke, still groggy and unable to mover her arms or legs, but this time due to the fact that they were bound to a chair. Her mouth was gagged with a cloth. She was unable to speak. She was unable to do anything.

She could see Argenor sat opposite her, doing something to himself with his hands that she could barely make out. She didn’t want to think about it. All she wanted was freedom.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Argenor said as he slowly rose from his seat. “That’s good; I would have felt uncomfortable if you were asleep during our time together.”

He began to walk over to Tara. Someone who was once a kind old man had now become a threat. She struggled for freedom with muffled screams and she tried to set herself free, but it was a failed effort.

Argenor finally reached her and began to stroke her face with his wrinkled hand. She screamed again, tears of fright welling up behind her eyes.

“You’re so beautiful...” He informed her. He put his face close to hers and kissed her left cheek. His hands began to touch her inappropriately. They started on her shoulders, slowly removing part of her shirt to reveal bare skin. He then moved his lips from her cheek to her neck; and act which caused her to scream and revolt with more passion.

She looked to her right to avoid seeing what the old man was doing to her, when to her surprise she saw something. Something which made her smile inside.

Willow.

There was a mirror to the right of her, Willow in her misty goodness staring at her.

“Tara, relax. You have to relax.” Willow ordered.

Tara shook her head, confused and still frightened. Willow repeated herself again, but this time had aggression in her voice.

“Listen to me you NEED to RELAX! Trust me Tara, okay?”

Tara didn’t understand but decided to take Willows advice. She closed her eyes and thought of calm things, all the while still aware of what Argenor was doing to her.

She continued to think of happy things, Farron. Aleksander. Karliah. Kittens. Flowers, Clothes. Mildred’s mystery stew. Farron. Aleksander. Karliah. Kittens. Flowers, Clothes. Mildred’s mystery stew. Farron. Aleksander. Karliah. Kittens. Flowers, Clothes. Mildred’s mystery stew.

She opened her eyes. She was outside. Her hands and feet were unbound. She smiled with elation as she rose to her feet. She checked her body for damage, which there was none of. She bagan to laugh in relief, but then collapsed to the floor again in shock. She didn’t understand what had happed, but she was glad that Willow had done something. Whatever it was- wait, what’s that smell?

Tara turned her head and looked behind her, staring in shock at what the source of the smell was. Argenor’s shop up in flames. The roaring fire that was at least 100 feet high was releasing a cloud of deathly looking black smoke.

She stood and backed away from the fire, still in utter shock about what had happened. First she was tied up and gagged, about to get attacked by Argenor, and the next she was free and outside the burning Alchemy shop.

What is happening?

“WHAT’S GOING ON!” She screamed as she watched the shop burn.

You painted a wonderfully gradual picture of sixth sense doubts turning into a real threat. We could see and were suspicious, but Tara’s youth and drive to learn more of her mother blinded her until it was too late.

Not too late for Willow though! My gosh, I was so relieved to see that reflection of her in the mirror. Knowing what she was capable of, it brought a smile to my face - and she did not disappoint. Yes, think calm thoughts, Tara – of Mildred’s mystery stew - while I open up a can of Willow Witchcraft Whoopass! I love how you managed Tara's escape from this danger and even tied it into that burned out shop on the banks of Lake Rumare.

I have no doubt that Willow ensured Argenor was trapped inside and will never terrorize another young girl again. Willow: You go girl!

I loved this episode!


Nits. Forgive me here, but your editing was off a bit. Perhaps this episode was rushed to post?

“You’ve met my mother?” Tara smiles.
smiled

“No, dear, but i have seen her face in my visions.
I

He defiantly had something other than fortune telling on his mind,
definitely

She took this as her que to leave.
cue

Suddly her legs gave and she lost control of them,
suddenly

He then moved his lips from her cheek to her neck; and act which caused her to scream and revolt with more passion.
an

Tara didn’t understand but decided to take Willows advice.
Willow’s

She didn’t understand what had happed,
happened

Brilliant!!...

Told you he was odd!!... ...

That was scary and creepy and many other squirmy type emotion things...

Geez...Trusting much?!... ...

Love the way Willow took charge...I hope we get to see Willow in full fight-mode at some point...I like her... ...

Excellently done...Loved it...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Oh cool. Nothing like a weird guy leading you into an abandoned shop, locking the door behind you, and then giving you strange tasting water.

Ah yes! Willow! She pulled through for Tara.

So The Stranger - Argenor - owns the original All Things Alchemical? From his furtive nature, I wonder if he really does own it, or if he is breaking in. Or if does own it, if someone is after him.

Nope, he is just a creep. The way he locked the door behind Tara showed that, and how he took so long to go out of sight to poison her water.

Looks like Willow saved the day. For once her habit of destroying places was a good thing! Thankfully that mirror was there. I loved Tara trying to think happy thoughts, so that she could relax enough for Willow to take over. And now we know a little more of what it takes for that to happen in the bargain.

Finally, now we know how that shop got burned down!

I can't stress how much I love this! As soon as I saw 'Tara Willow' I immediatly assumed '...yup, thats Buffy', but I take my pre-judgement back because this ROCKS!

I'm all for the whole dark past thing, as Jessika is, too, looking for her Brighter Future, so she and I can relate!

I'm still reading, but I look forward to more!