Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Welcome t'the family, darlin'," Boar muttered, hugging her lightly against his side before he finally left her to return to his own family. But before he went, just after he'd struggled to his feet, he added, "I can't wait fer ya t'see th'clan at its best."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wouldn't say that. I might regret having an overprotective husband who has over protective brothers." Dylan said with a smile up at Boar as he struggled to his feet. "I'll come see you and your wife tomorrow. We can talk about those paintings properly."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I look forward to it, love. See you then," Boar smiled before heading toward the main road. Though it was clear his knees were complaining about the strain, he still had a confident, even stubborn stride.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan watching him go, stubbornly walking towards the city. He reminded her very much of her husband. The stubborn streak was strong in the Ghis family, it seemed. She smiled and shook her head, standing from her spot to explore around the loch before she went back to the keep. She figured enough time had passed that it was appropriate. Instead of going back to their rooms, she looked over the paintings in the great hall, studying the faces of Ghis from centuries past.

 

[KieranSoares]

The keep's main decorations were in tapestries and paintings in the great hall and two main halls, but sparse elsewhere. The paintings went back a to the first Ghis ruler, and another three-hundred depicting the Ghis who led the wandering clan from its Celtic roots in Ireland, into Dun Edyn territory and eventually to Inverness and Loch Fae. The first King of Inverness had his portrait before the construction of the keep, and the next before the finished keep and its glorious banners with his wife, four sons, and three daughters. The next was Ashien's grandfather, Tamblin the First, whose portrait was dark and his expression was far more serious and even angry. After him was the Tamblin Dylandra knew so little about beyond his cruelty. His portrait was very different from his father. He was sitting in a chair in a private chamber, leaning forward on a thick cane with his hands resting on the top and his head resting on them. One leg was fake, a wooden stump belted tightly to his leg, and he was missing an eye, covered by a black band instead of a patch. His hair was long and slightly curled like his sons, greyed and swept back with little care. He looked pensive, even sad.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan studied the portrait of Ashien's late father, noticing how much he looked like him. He might have been slight, almost like his mother in that regard, but he was the spitting image of the man that had broken all of their hearts. She felt a slight sadness when she regarded Tamblin Ghis. His gaze seemed to know just how broken everything was around him but there was no way to fix it.

"His heart is mine now." She murmured softly to the man that seemed to stare straight past her. "And I will make sure that it is never broken again."

 

[KieranSoares]

Only moments after Dylandra spoke, a gentle, giant hand laid on her shoulder. Durban had been up walking around to distract himself, and found his dear new sister-in-law studying the broken expression of his father's only portrait. "I think 'e knew 'e was going t'die soon. Tha's the only reason 'e accepted when Ma asked 'im t'add 'is own picture t'the line o' kings. Tha' was only a month before I challenged 'im an' lost.*

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's a haunted soul." She murmured as Durban looked at his father's portrait alongside her. "He wants to love and be loved but he can't. How someone can be that miserable, I'll never know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Because o' his own Da," Durban murmured. It was hard to admit Tamblin was not just a monster, that he was as much a victim as his own children. "But he wasn' lucky enough t'escape all tha' like we did. Ma saved us. His Ma only managed t'save our Uncle Seamus. But she died when Seamus was exiled an' Da killed Old Tamblin."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll never understand how someone can turn away your Ma's sweetness." Dylan said as she glanced St Durban. "She would have carried Ash around like a baby if she were able. She cares about all of you greatly."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He loved 'er more than anythin' in this world. But 'e was too afraid t'let 'er know. An' 'e was under someone else's control. Oliver Colton kept Da afraid til th'moment Brogan struck Da down. Colton's still out there somewhere... But 'e's never going t'touch this family again."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Did she love him? I doubt there isn't anyone out there that your mother couldn't love." Dylan said with softly as a smile crossed her lips.

 

[KieranSoares]

"She still does. Vincenzo is the love she always needed, but Da was 'er first love. Even if it was only fer a little while..." Durban sighed, looking down at Dylandra. "Ash an' Kay're off in their own little world. I've been tryin' t'make amends with Selena, Boar's with 'is family, an' Brogan's still closed away. What've you been up to?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I actually just saw Boar. He ate lunch with me down at the loch. I explored Inverness a little. Ordered Ashien a wedding band. It's been a productive day." Dylan said with a smile towards her brother in law. "I think I'll be painting Boar's family tomorrow."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Almos' forgot you were an artist too. I think Emma'd like tha'. But he'll have a terrible time gettin' the boys t'sit still. Little Kay maybe not, but Leon likes t'run around."

 

[heartofcourage]

"They might have to wait until they're older but we can get them painted. I think all of them together would be a sweet addition to the keep's portraits." Dylan said with a smile towards Durban. "I could paint your family too. Something proper to hang here as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll see. After all this... I think I might take my family out t'the highlands fer a little while. Jus' a week 'r two t'regroup... We're not nomads anymore, but I still find my old campsites from time t'time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"They would enjoy that. Ashien might as well, if I can get him away from Kayla long enough. I haven't had the chance to meet her yet, but he said she needed much more time to heal until she was ready." Dylan said softly, knowing that Ashien loved his twin sister very much and was only seeking to protect her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You'll probably see 'er once she can start t'make it through th'day on 'er own again. Ash never wanted you t'see our family broken an' beaten like this, an' 'e's tryin' t'save Kayla's dignity too. But fer righ' now, she doesn' seem t'want anyone around but Ma, Vincenzo, Ash, an' her Captain."

Dylandra hadn't met this Captain yet, and didn't even know his name. All she knew was that he was an Irish officer under Lord Stephen Monaghan- Sarah's father- and he'd killed the Norwegian King and gotten Kayla out of the keep.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Being a part of a family means not getting a choice to pick and choose. I had to come to Inverness. It doesn't matter if it was during a war or not. Family is family." Dylan said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Ashien can't protect me from everything all of the time."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'might 'ave t'teach 'im tha'. Especially now tha' he's startin' t'regret ever havin' left Kay's side, an' havin' taken Ballas." Ashien hadn't voiced these depressed thoughts to Dylandra, not wanting to worry her any more than he already did. "He thinks if 'e was here, 'r if Kay had th'tiger, she'd 'ave been safe. But what 'appened was... my fault. She stayed t'help me when I sent everyone t'Aberdeen. An' she stayed even after th'emergency evacuation. An' then she agreed t'marry Olaf t'save me." The demons Durban had gained through the whole experience were weighing as heavily on him as any of his siblings along with the post-traumatic stress.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She's a grown woman able to make her own decisions, Durban. She did what she thought was right for her family." Dylan said, seeing the pain on his features as he thought about the suffering that his little sister had gone through. "If I know this family, she'll have no regrets."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I wouldn' be so quick t'think tha'. We're all going t'have regrets from this war... Nothin' this painful 'as 'appened since Brogan an' I started fighting Da." Durban kissed Dylandra's cheek in a silent farewell before going on his way. He just wanted to retreat to Marri again.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan watched him go, her heart aching for the family that was struggling so much. She didn't interfere, simply letting them each do what they needed. She found a sunny spot in her room, tucked into the windowsill, where she could sketch the scenery outside. She was lonely, but Ash's time with his sister was much more important. She could occupy herself for as long as it took.

 

[KieranSoares]

Dylandra was left on her own for quite some time until Ballas found her, rumbling softly and tucking his head under her arm. And close behind him was one of the Ghis siblings Dylandra had still not spoken to directly. Selena Ghis was a tall, confident, even imposing woman with a clear understanding of her role in the world and an independence that made her stand out in the family. Though she worked well with any Ghis and loved them all, she was not a woman for crowds larger than her siblings and mother combined. All Dylandra knew of her was from Ashien and from the serious letter Selena had sent him calling him home to the war.

"Ballas," Selena called, pausing in the doorway when she saw Dylandra. Selena had no idea who she was looking at, but Dylandra could tell immediately by her dark Ghis eyes and hair and her age that she was Ashien's older sister, a trapper and hunter who'd lived on her own for years with her sweet son Ruben who'd been such a delight in the dark gathering of men for war.

Selena fixed Dylandra with an odd gaze as Ballas so happily nuzzled against her. "Good evening," Selena murmured, not quite sure how to approach the stranger. She didn't know anything about Ashien's wife, so she didn't connect the dots quite yet.