Beyond Time (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Dylan placed her hand on his chest, hearing the uncertainty in his voice as he sighed deeply. She knew that he was frightened and she knew that it would take time for the both of them to find a place where they were comfortable again. It would be a long road, but she would be there every single step of the way.

"Then just hold me, Ash." Dylan murmured softly. "And never let me go."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're too good to me, love," he murmured, hugging her close even if he was still hurt and sore. He had perhaps never needed her more since their first meeting. And the fact she wasn't withdrawing out of fear of what might come over him in sleep, or because of the daunting road to his recovery, made him love her more than he thought possible.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because I love you." Dylan said softly as her hand absently played with the silver band on her finger. "I never took the time to get you a ring. I mean, if you wanted to wear one, that is."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I would love to wear a ring from you, darling," Ashien murmured. Then he added with a small grin, "It would keep quite a few lovely ladies off my back."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Who are these lovely ladies? I might have to go and have a talk with them." Dylan murmured, her eyes closing despite the fact that she wanted to stay awake for Ashien. "Because you're my husband and no one else can have you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Just some nice girls I knew as a child. Most of them are married now, and the others are just friends. You don't have to worry, love," Ashien chuckled lightly, turning to kiss her forehead. "Sleep. I'll be okay for now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Wake me if you need me." Dylan said softly as she felt Ashien press a kiss to her forehead, a soft sigh leaving her lips as she let herself relax in his arms.

 

[KieranSoares]

It took Ashien a long time to fall asleep, and a few hours more before his nightmares returned. It was not so violent this time, but she was woken by him talking in his sleep, becoming increasingly agitated and giving orders to the army in his dreams.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan opened her eyes to the sound of Ashien's frantic voice giving orders to men that weren't there. She held him tighter, kissing his cheek as he twitched and thrashed lightly.

"It's alright, love. I'm here. You're not fighting anymore." Dylan whispered against his ear, hoping that her voice would soothe him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien's hand rose to her arm when she held him tighter, as if afraid she was some enemy grabbing him. But her voice caused his grip to loosen and he settled down after a few minutes, but he still muttered every so often to some officer.

Ashien suffered similar night terrors for days and refused to talk about his experience even when Valentina came around encouraging her haunted brothers to let out their fears and sorrows to their wives. Dylandra caught glances of the rest of the family, but didn't properly meet anyone because they were all healing too and not in any shape to welcome their little brother's wife. When Julia finally returned, Brogan and Kreston and a handful of freed prisoners and newly allied Wick soldiers came with her. Dylandra got a glimpse of Brogan as he was carried toward his room, his throat sewn shut after a horrible self-inflicted wound, looking thin and sick and nothing like the powerful king she'd heard of. And Julia was now very clearly showing her pregnancy. It was Kreston who came around to the family to tell them what had happened, at Kitty's request.

When he arrived to speak to Ashien and Dylandra, he already looked thoroughly disheartened after having spoken to Durban and Boar. "Ashien," he murmured as he stepped in, and Ashien, now able to move fairly freely, rose to greet him properly for the first time.

"Kreston," he spoke in return, shaking his hand and hugging him like he would any of his brothers.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan was seeing the Ghis family at their very worst. Everyone was haunted and trying to keep the family from falling apart completely. Ashien was reliving the worst of the battle time after time, each night a little better than the night before. He no longer grabbed her when he was startled but he still had terrors.

When she saw Brogan and Julia, she was heartbroken. The might king that Ashien had talked about was nothing but a shadow of himself and his wife was pale, grim, and pregnant. It seemed that nothing had gone the way that anyone expected.

When a dark furred wolf came to their rooms, Ashien greeted him warmly. His name was Kreston, Dylan gathered, and she was soon up to greet him as well.

"Kreston. I'm Dylandra." She said softly, extending her hand to greet the man that Ashien seemed to know and like.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hello, dear sister," Kreston murmured, welcoming her into a kind embrace.

"He's Selena's mate. Ruben's father," Ashien offered so Dylandra would better know who she was dealing with. She'd only seen Selena once as she was so busy caring for her eldest brother and young sister, but Ruben had made sure to come around to everyone, bringing food and books or just coming to talk to them about the werefolk that were going to be moving up to the east of Inverness soon from the Golin tribe.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ruben is a very bright little boy." Dylan said with a smile as Kreston seemed to puff up a little bit with pride. "He has come by to check on us every day to make sure that we have what we need."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He gets all that from his mother," Kreston said with a smile but no lack of pride in either his mate or son. "Selena and I have been apart a long time, so any charm he has is all her doing." Though the decade apart still bothered him, he could speak of it more easily now that they were together again.

"But I'm not here to talk about anything like that. Julia asked me to tell the family what happened at Wick."

Once they'd all sat down, Kreston began with the moment Inverness fell, and went into Brogan's imprisonment. He didn't give details on exactly what Sarah had done, but they could gather enough information when he told them Sarah had wanted Brogan a long time, and made him practically her slave and told him Julia had died in the fall of Inverness. They'd taken Wick and found Brogan miles away in the snow, dying of cold and his own failed suicide attempt. And now, Brogan was silent and haunted, and Julia was struggling to hold the weight of Inverness, a fallen husband, and a new pregnancy. Little Annie and Ciaran were on their way home soon too, but Julia was worried for what Annie might think not being allowed to see her father yet. And, Kreston added, Sarah was now in a heavily-guarded cell in the Invernessian prison.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan took Ashien's hand and held it in her own as they heard the story of what had happened during their absence. She let out a soft sigh, knowing that the family had some healing to do, including her own husband.

"When the children come, I will take them from time to time." She told Kreston. "We can paint together. It would take their minds off everything."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think they'd like that. And all of us parents still need some time together. Julia and Brogan most of all. But at the same time, I know Durban needs his family more than ever." Kreston rose with a sigh. "One more stop to make... But I think I'll give Kayla the lighter version."

"Would you let her know I'm coming to see her today?" Ashien requested quietly.

"Sure." Kreston nodded, and as he opened the door, he stepped around Ballas who padded in after days away with Kayla. He wasn't as excitable as usual. It seemed the depression of the recovering fighters and the gloomy quiet of the keep had gotten to him too. He came to Ashien first with a soft rumble, and Ashien took his broad head in his hands.

"I know, old friend. She isn't doing well," Ashien muttered, leaning down to rest his head against Ballas' own. Their relationship was usually one of play and teasing, but they were one another's support and shared a deep love for Kayla. Knowing she was so broken hurt them both more than anyone could fathom.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan had never seen her husband or their tiger so low. She gently reached out to touch Ashien's arm as he leaned his head against Ballas, talking to him softly.

"Do you want me to come with you, Ash?" Dylan asked, ready and willing to support him in any way that he needed her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien lifted his head, considering her offer for a long moment before he met her eyes. "For Kayla's sake... Not this time, love. There are some secrets she might not be ready to share with the rest of the family. And I think I need some time alone with her like when we were little."

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan nodded as Ash insisted that he wanted to do it alone. "I'll take Ballas with me and explore town then. It'll be nice to get out of the keep for a while."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Make sure to stop by the loch if you can. You might have something new to paint." Ashien sat back and Ballas climbed up on the bed to lay beside him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure that I could find something but I think that I have a different task in mind." Dylan said as Ballas settled beside his master with a deep sigh. "And perhaps I should go alone. It seems that your tiger wants your attention."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You'll have to tell me about it when you get back," Ashien said with a rather weak smile. "I think I'm going to see Selena and Durban before I go to Kayla." He kissed her cheek before rising stiffly with a sigh to go on his way. Ballas hesitated to follow, rubbing up against Dylandra before he padded out the door too.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan smiled as she scratched Ballas's ears and let him go after Ashien. When she was alone, she gathered a cloak and set out to the city. It would have been much better with Ashien at her side, but he had important business to attend to and she was out to find him a ring. If they were going to have a second ceremony, she was going to make sure that he always remembered the moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

In town, Dylandra was truly introduced to the inner workings of a medieval Scottish town. It was far simpler and friendlier than the English city markets, and everyone seemed to know each other and they welcomed Dylandra kindly. There wasn't quite the exotic selection as London, but it was all good wares and food made by people proud of their craft.

 

[heartofcourage]

It took some getting used to, but Dylan was introduced to the world around her with jarring form. She sometimes missed all of the things that the modern world had to give to her, but there was something to be said for the simple times that she found herself in.

Looking through the stalls, she paused when she came to a silversmith, glancing around at his wares. "I'm looking for a ring. Something that would remind me of a feather, but for a man."