Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Ashien glanced at the door, knowing he had to leave as soon as possible. So many thoughts were rushing through his head. Would Dylandra be alright? What if England was attacked too? How would his poor squire, who'd only just started a month before, fare at his side? It was almost too much just to let go of Dylandra as the squire, young Benjamin, arrived to help load everything into the wagon that he'd drive for Ashien while Ashien rode his horse.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ballas can stay here with me." She said softly as Ashien looked torn. "That way you know that I'll be protected. Van is here as well and if I get really lonely, I can go to the palace and stay with Elizabeth and John. I'll be fine, Ash."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know you will... but I still don't feel any better about it." He hugged her a little tighter, kissing her as if it might just slow time or even fix everything so he didn't have to go without her. But finally, he let go to help his squire.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylandra savored that kiss, sighing softly as it finally ended and he had to go help load up their wagon. She watched him work quietly, not leaving her place until he had finished his task. Ballas was at her side, watching everything with a concerned look in his own eyes. She carefully placed her hand on his large head, petting his white fur in a soothing manner.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Ashien finished the last tie on the canvas cover over the wagon, he climbed up into Hane's saddle and guided him toward the steps for one last kiss before he finally left. "I love you, Dylandra," he murmured. "And I'll see you soon." When they finally parted, Ballas tried to follow his master, wanting to know what was going on. But Ashien leaned down to pat his head one last time. "Stay." Ballas sat down right where he was, and watched helplessly as Ashien guided Benjamin toward the gate and away from Darkwood.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I love you too, Ashien." Dylan said softly as Ballas tried to follow his master, but stopped to watch him helplessly ride away. "Don't worry, Ballas. We still have each other."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ballas whined quietly, rumbling as he looked back at Dylandra as if his whole world had crumbled. He'd never been away from Ashien since coming to Darkwood.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan sat down on the stone steps of Darkwood and wrapped her arms around the white tiger, nuzzling against him in her own sadness. "I'm scared too."

 

[KieranSoares]

Van stepped out soon, having already said his goodbyes while helping Ashien pack. In a gentle tone, he spoke as he laid a hand on Dylandra's shoulder. "Come inside, you two. It's too cold to sit out here and be miserable." Once he had them both back indoors in the warmth, he let them have some time to worry before he began to distract them with tasks here and there. Ballas didn't want to leave Dylandra's side for anything, as if she might disappear too.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan knew that she would have to thank Van for everything that he was doing for her in Ashien's absence. He made sure that she was fed and had her mind focused on a task. Ballas was at her side and as night fell that first horrible evening, Dylan was curled in bed with her arms around her tiger for comfort. The deep rumbling purr soothed her aching heart and the fear that threatened to take over her entire being.

 

[KieranSoares]

The only thing that offered any relief those first weeks was Ashien's letters. He wrote every other day, telling her of the journey home. After his sixth letter, he had finally reached Inverness and was settling in to come up with a plan seeing as Sarah hadn't acted yet. He spoke of a suspicion that something terrible had happened to Julia, but he didn't go into it, for Julia's own sake. It wasn't his business. He talked about baby Ciaran and how Annie was so beautiful like her mother, and he mentioned how happy all his brothers seemed with their families, and Selena seemed so natural as a mother to Ruben whom Ashien had only had the chance to meet a handful of times before. Valentina had found companionship in the guard that had helped Brogan and Julia escape back home, and Kitty was thriving with Vincenzo. It was all good news, but a cloud of fear hung over it all.

Then after about another month, the letters became fewer and further in-between as Ashien was constantly busy. Another month, and Dylandra was only getting one a week. He had already been in one skirmish with scouts and come out hale and whole. But then a real battle came, and Dylandra received a letter from Ashien's squire that Ashien had not been able to send a final message before he had to rush to meet the forces of Wick double-time marching toward Inverness.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan was happy with each note that came, learning about Ashien's life in Inverness and his family as he described them in beautiful detail. She didn't write back. Her words would only describe her intense lonelyness and Ballas's constant watching for his master to arrive. Instead she sketched. She sent him pictures of flowers, of Ballas, of his horses. It was all that she could do that brought her joy and as each letter became further between, she knew that the chance she would lose her husband was very real.

 

[KieranSoares]

When letters stopped coming altogether because they couldn't get through the lines of battle, Van distracted Dylandra with a new venture. Henry wanted a portrait of John and Elizabeth together in time for their wedding, so he sent the two to Dylandra with a proper royal commission. By the time she was actually painting them, she hadn't heard from Ashien in three weeks.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan was incredibly distracted by the time that John and Elizabeth came to see her for the official portrait. Still, she knew that she had a job to do and she had her supplies set up in the garden of Darkwood, waiting for the couple to arrive. She had Ballas with her as he had been at her side for weeks. She scratched behind his ears as she looked sadly down into his golden gaze.

"I miss him horribly." She murmured softly, knowing that the tiger felt the same way.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ballas only rumbled miserably. On his worst days, he'd leave her side to sit beside the gate and watch for Ashien, expecting him to come home anytime. When the gate suddenly opened just then, Ballas lifted his head quickly only to be disappointed when he saw it wasn't Ashien.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's alright, love. He'll be home soon." Dylan said as John and Elizabeth stepped into the garden, very much the couple in love. "Look at the two of you. Elizabeth, you look lovely."

Elizabeth paused and glanced down at the dress that she was wearing. It was simple, but it was one of John's favorites. She wanted it to be in that painting forever which is why she had chosen it that day to wear.

 

[KieranSoares]

John was fairly reluctant to be in the painting. He still couldn't sit still, and standing for a painting sounded like torture. "Hey, love," he said with a half-forced smile. He loved excuses to spend time with Dylandra, just not this one in particular.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Suck it up." Dylan said with a look towards John as he looked absolutely miserable. "You'll stand still in the shade of the tree because the lovely Elizabeth would like you to. I'll try to make it as quick and painless as possible."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Jeez, fine," he half-chuckled. He took his place with Elizabeth but it wasn't terribly long before he started to get stiff and restless. Still, for Elizabeth's sake, he didn't fidget or complain.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Relax, John. You look like you're facing down the firing squad." Dylan said as she watched the both of them from around the easel.

"He's been dreading this all week." Elizabeth said as she looked up at her handsome fiance with a smile. "It took a lot of coaxing to even get him in the carriage this morning. You have no idea what I promised him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sure Dylan could figure it out. She knows me pretty well," John chuckled just as Ballas went wandering off toward the gate as he so often did now. But after a few minutes, John started to get distracted watching Ballas run back and forth from the gate.

"Dylan, I think Ballas- yeah, there's someone there."

Just beyond the gate was a beautiful woman in her twenties wearing a fur cloak and riding a handsome charger that was easily recognizable as part of the breed Ashien usually raised. Whoever she was, she had a Ghis horse for certain. The horse, however, was not so happy about Ballas, and the woman looked as if she'd never seen such a beast in her life.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan turned towards the gate where Ballas was pacing back and forth at the sight of a person standing there. The woman was beautiful with one of Ashien's horses at her disposal. She knew instantly that she had to be a Ghis to have had a steed like that. Ashien sent his brothers, sisters, and all of their spouses and children horses regularly.

 

[KieranSoares]

John parted from Elizabeth as he caught the woman's worried expression. He would leave the woman to Dylandra while he pulled Ballas back for the woman's sake and for her skittish horse.

 

[heartofcourage]

“May I help you?” Dylan called out to the strange woman as she drew closer to the gates, snagging Ballas by the tied kerchief around his broad throat. “John, would you take Ballas for me?”

“I’m sorry if I’m disturbing something, but I am Julia Ghis. Brogan is my husband.” She said simply, struggling to contain her skittish horse. “I’ve come to speak with you, Dylandra. I’m afraid that things are not good in Inverness. Ashien is in the heat of battle as well as my husband. They are outnumbered and I’ve come here to London to gather some forces.”

Dylan did not like that answer in the least. She knew that Ashien would be on the front lines if he needed to be, but she desperately needed him to be safe. Without him, she was a stranger in a strange time.

“Ballas.” Dylan said softly, bringing the tiger’s attention back to her before she considered what Julia had just said. It was always a possibility that Ashien would go off to war and never come home, but she had to trust that her husband was out there and holding his own. “It is disappointing to hear that there is trouble in Inverness. I don’t know, however if I can raise any troops to help.”

“John could speak to Papa.” Elizabeth said softly, looking at he husband with a hopeful look in her eyes.

 

[KieranSoares]

John looked to Julia. "I'm sure he'd offer at least some help. But I'm going to need details about what's going on." He took Julia's horse for her rather than try to restrain Ballas, leading the beast away after Julia had dismounted.

Ballas nudged Julia's hand, giving her a soft whimper of a growl. He wanted Ashien and he'd heard his master's name.