Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"You're the one who insisted on helpin' me." Sam gave her a hint of a smile. "Let's get going. We'll talk t'Kell an' Kate once I've gotten my things." He stepped out to go to the horse once she was ready.

 

[heartofcourage]

The ride there was uneventful, but the keep was busy when they arrived. They were shown directly to Kate's rooms, where the queen of Scotland seemed to be in a bit of pain. Julia was there, rubbing her back as Kell worked on the mountain of paperwork that had come with the news of Normandy. Valentina was there was well, mixing different things into a clear glass container. And for the very first time, Fiona saw the mysterious bodyguard, Qira, standing off to the side and watching everything with fierce eyes.

"The baby is coming." Julia said softly, looking towards Sam with a tired smile. "It started early this morning before the news came."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam immediately stepped in to Kate's side, all else forgotten as he saw her pain and discomfort. He knelt beside her, kissing her forehead. "Y'picked one hell of a time, love," he murmured. "... Fiona an' I are goin' t'Edinburgh in yer place."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If I could hold off another 6 months I would." Kate said with a small smile to her brother. "But im afraid they have grown impatient and have run out of room. It's time for them to come."

She turned gingerly to sit up, looking at her brother as Kell moved towards them. "Warwick has the lead while we're gone. You can trust him with any information or papers. Marianne too if she is feeling well enough. News will pass through the network when the baby is here. I don't want celebrations with such a dire situation hanging over us."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell stepped up to face Sam and Fiona, looking gravely serious about the whole situation. While he should've been happy about his cub coming, he was deeply troubled by everything else. "One of my men, Thalen, will meet you at the castle with any new information you need to know. While you know how this all works, Sam... Fiona, you do not. But I'm willing to let you in on it." He glanced toward Qira, who nodded and practically disappeared. Kell then continued, "I'm sure you already know I have a network across the isles built around information and protecting this family, especially Kate. And while I don't reveal everything to anyone, not even Kate, Sam is as involved in it as she is, and you will be too if you do marry him and if you two eventually take the throne."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't need to share anything with me that you aren't comfortable with." Fiona said, glancing over at Sam. "I trust Sam to keep me safe and to make decisions based on the information that he has."

 

[KieranSoares]

"For now, you just need to know that my men may approach you with information now and then. We will update you as needed. For now, we are still gathering information about what's happening in Normandy, which you two will speed up considerably."

"Kate," Sam looked to his sister. "D'you want us t'stay til th'baby's here an' settled, 'r do you want us t'go now?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I can send word when the baby is here." Kate said with a long sigh, her back aching as a small contraction came up on her. "Don't worry, Sam. I'm in the best of hands here with Aunt Val and Papa looking after me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hopefully we won' be there more'n a day or two." Sam rose with a sigh. "An' I'm going t'worry anyway." He looked to Fiona. "Why don' you go get th'dragons while I pack. We'll meet up outside."

"Give this to Warwick," Kell murmured, handing a letter over to Fiona.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Absolutely." Fiona said softly, tucking the letter into her side pocket, glancing towards Sam with a nod. "I'll be ready to go when you are ready."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam nodded back. "I'll meet you outside then." He kissed Kate's cheek and his mother's before heading off toward his room. It didn't take him long to pack what little he needed and to grab some supplies from the kitchen.

Invah and Gaiann were quick to come to the keep, each ready with saddle on when Sam emerged to secure the supplies to the saddles. He had on his own riding armor, a bit heavier and with more metal plate than Fiona, but it suited him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think I'll try this flight without my harness." Fiona told Invah as she get into the saddle, checking one last time that her belongings were securely attached. "There's no better time than now to get some practice in."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Just promise me you'll strap in if you decide to sleep along the way. We probably won't stop seeing as we can sleep in flight as well." Invah shifted and rose, making sure Fiona was confident and balanced. She looked over to see Sam doing the same with Gaiann. Sam had avoided using a harness at all, similarly to how he rode drakes. He didn't want to rely on the safety and sacrifice his form. With a deep breath, Sam climbed into the saddle and put on his aerodynamic helm, keeping his composure as Gaiann stood.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We've only just woken up, Invah. I doubt I'll sleep for a while." Fiona said with a chuckle as she place on her own helm, settling in low on the saddle to prepare for Invah's take off. "But I will if I decide to take a nap."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's a week by horse. Odds are it'll be a couple days at our speed. Might arrive between tomorrow night an' the mornin' after," Sam called. "Tha' is if we don' stop."

 

[heartofcourage]

"No one needs to worry. I can take care of myself." Fiona said, looking over at Sam with a chuckle. "This isn't my first long flight and I'm sure it won't be my last."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You all tell me not to worry about everythin'," Sam sighed, holding one of the handles on the saddle as Gaian shifted.

"Alright, you two. Are we ready?" Invah asked.

"Ready," Gaiann nodded and Sam agreed. They soon took to the sky and Fiona saw Sam's nerves show for a while as he got used to flight once more.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona settled in nicely as Invah leveled out her flight and it seemed to be smooth sailing. She glanced at Sam from time to time, concerned that he seemed so uptight in Gaiann's saddle, but she didn't make comment about it. She still wasn't convinced that he was the right person to be a dragon rider, but nothing she could do or say would make him choose otherwise.

Instead, she focus on Invah, talking to her dragon about other things. They spoke about her wedding, about the dreams that she had for her verses what might actually happen on the day, and she didn't mention anything about Sam's episode from the night before.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once Sam seemed settled, Gaiann let him run through some maneuvers, fast climbs and dives. And for as tense as Sam was, he seemed deadly focused on getting it all right and down to muscle memory. He had taken Fiona's and others' worry that he would freeze up to heart. He was trying to make sure that even if he did begin to panic, his natural reactions to flight would keep him in the saddle and alive.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He makes me so angry sometimes." Fiona said softly to Invah, watching as Sam and Gaiann flew ahead to go over some maneuvers. "He's scared to death but too stubborn to admit it."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He has a duty he takes incredibly seriously, and he will use any resource he can to improve his ability to perform it. "And he is terrified, but facing that fear is no sin. Samuel is not a man to let fear reign over him when there are people to protect."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He scared me last night. He is still depressed over things that happened 10 years ago. I thought he might try to kill himself last night." Fiona said softly, sighing as she told Invah her problems. "I don't think I can marry him with that dark cloud hanging over him."

 

[KieranSoares]

Invah visibly perked up worriedly at that news. "I'm afraid young Samuel has never shared that history with me, though his mother did tell me stories of that war. But... I had no idea he was so haunted. He always seems so stoic... I can understand your fear."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't know what to do for him." Fiona said softly. "I demanded that he speak with Suara when we got back. However, I feel like he'll fight to get out of it."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He most certainly will if he believes he deserves to suffer. People haunted by their past sometimes become... Well, masochists. In the worst way possible. And a stubborn Ghis is even worse, I imagine."