Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"No' without my queen," Sam whispered even as he heard hostile voices approaching. "We go together, be it home 'r the afterlife." His dark green eyes were gentle and calm, but determined. He'd either rip them a path out, or at least take a good score of their enemies with them when they fell. It'd be a handful fewer men for Brogan and Ciaran to fend off from Inverness when the invasion struck.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona saw the look of determination in his eyes as he swore that he wouldn't leave without his queen. She was in pain, but she would keep up with him the best that she possibly could. She reached out a squeezed his hand as another contraction ripped through her viciously. A hard landing with Invah had caused the issues and she knew Invah was hurt as well, but Gaiann had been left in charge of his mate while Sam had gotten her to safety.

"We do what we have to do." Fiona said as the pain finally faded. "Together."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam hugged her close for a long moment before he led the way toward their only exit out of the half-ruined building. Buildings in the streets of Glasgow were burning, King Gallus' men fighting and failing to defend their homes. The king was already dead for sure, but they fought on.

They navigated through back alleys and side streets as quickly as possible until another contraction brought them to a halt in a wide alley. Sam paused to steady Fiona again, but he froze at shouts leveled in their direction.

"There they are!" One snapped, and Sam had no choice but to scoop Fiona up and flee. Crossbow bolts pinged off walls behind them until Sam took a wrong turn and had to stop short, a locked tall gate in their way. Fiona would hear him lose his breath suddenly when he staggered, a bolt protruding from his back.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was not prepared for her husband to stagger, dropping her in the process. The pain of the hard cobbled street as she landed was incredible, but it was nothing to the pain of seeing him lying in a pool of blood. She could see soldiers advancing and despite her pain, she pulled his sword and readied herself to defend him.

 

[KieranSoares]

As the dark shapes of Imperial soldiers approached, crossbows at the ready, Sam struggled to sit up on his knees. He took his own small crossbow from his back, his fingers fumbling with the bolt and his vision hazy. He managed to aim and fire, but what he gave, he got back in spades. One Imperial fell, and the rest all shot at once. Sam didn't make a sound as bolts thudded into his chest and stomach and arms, and two struck Fiona in the arm. Sam's head slowly bowed, a wall beside him stopping him from collapsing completely as he murmured, "... Fiona...?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Not like this. It's not going to end like this." She growled, helpless tears in her eyes as she switched her sword hand, stepping in front of her husband to keep him from further harm. "You stay with me, Samuel. You're not going to leave me."

Fiona woke with a start at that, a cold sweat drenching her skin as she looked around the quiet cliff and the scenery beyond. They weren't in Glasgow. Sam was still intact. Her own belly was still flat and trim, the pain from the dream having dissolved in an instant. It had been another horrible dream.

 

[KieranSoares]

A couple hours had passed, and Sam was still fast asleep. More often than not, her nightmares would wake him when she started, but it seemed he was too tired to have been woken this time.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona glanced down at Sam, surprised that she had woken him. Usually he was holding her tightly against the nightmares that had started plaguing her. She wiped a hand across her brow before she slowly lowered herself back to his side, not able to relax and go to sleep again.

 

[KieranSoares]

After a short while, Sam awoke with a deep inhale, lifting his head slowly and finding her already awake. "Hi, love," he murmured quietly as he sat up.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Hi." She said softly as he woke and sat up. "Sleep well?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"No' really... Bad dream." Sam rubbed his eyes and glanced down at her. "You don' look like you fared much better. Y'look even more tired now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think a bad dream is an understatement." Fiona said as he admitted that he hadn't slept wel. "I thought they were gone."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What.was it this time?" He asked, drawing her into his lap. "No' another about th'dragons, I hope..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"About us." Fiona said as he drew her into his lap and held her tightly. "I was miscarrying our child and we were trapped in Glasgow. I'm pretty sure that you died and I was trying to defend you. It wasn't exactly happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam sighed as he laid his head against her shoulder. "Sounds like we're worried about th'same things, then... I dreamed we were fightin' in Aberdeen, tryin' t'keep ships out o' the bay t'Inverness. Invah was in th'water punchin' holes in ships but they were firin' cannons on 'er, an' Gaiann was setting ships on fire... Ye'd have thought we 'ad the upper hand... but th'enemy unleashed a score o' dragons on us. They destroyed our defenses an' you an' I were captured t'be hauled t'Vienna fer execution..." Sam shook his head at that. "But we didn' give 'em the satisfaction... We went our own way."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm scared, Sam." Fiona said softly as she rested her head against his. "Why are these dreams happening? What happens if they don't stop?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm scared, Sam." Fiona said softly as she rested her head against his. "Why are these dreams happening? What happens if they don't stop?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"They're jus' dreams, love. They're worries, but tha' doesn' mean anythin' will come of them." Sam closed his eyes. "There's tribal elders y'can go to if yer tha' worried about 'em. But they ought t'go away..." He didn't sound terribly sure of that.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't want to see you die each and every time." She said softly as he said that they should stop with time. "You called me your queen, those he. You said you wouldn't leave without your queen."

 

[KieranSoares]

"... Well, that's no' too surprising... It's bound t'happen, isn' it? Naiya didn' want t'be royalty anyway, an' Rho'll want t'focus on family. I suppose I'm th'only one left t'take over. Ashelin likes court life but she's no' interested in ruling. An' neither is Heather. They both want their own lives."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam, I've told you that I would support you in whatever you decided to do. I just want you to be sure and happy with the decision. It will mean some changes but we can get through it all together." Fiona said softly as he mentioned that he was the only one to take the throne from their father.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Da prepared us both fer th'job, knowin' I'd be helpin' Rho as 'is General. I know what t'do an' I could do it comfortably," Sam murmured, but he still seemed on the fence as to whether he'd be happy with it.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam, look me in the eye and tell me you'd be happy." Fiona challenged him, know that he probably couldn't do that. "If you won't be happy, then your Da will find someone else."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't know if I would be," Sam admitted quietly, meeting her gaze. "Work 'as never afforded me any 'appiness, but it gives me purpose tha' makes me feel like I actually 'ave somethin' t'contribute t'the world."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You know that I would help you with your work as your wife." Fiona said softly, knowing that he was so uncertain. "You wouldn't be alone in any of this."