Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

When they reached the keep, Fiona watched over the drakes as Sam went to get the letter. Roman and Kennah drank side by side, Roman splashing water every which way in a playful gesture.

"Roman, I don't know what I'm going to do with you." Fiona said with a smile as she nuzzled against Roman's maw, the drake purring in contentment with the action.

 

[KieranSoares]

Roman nuzzled up against Fiona until Sam returned, at which point Kennah came to get Roman's attention. Sam smiled at the two before kissing Fiona's cheek and giving her the letter.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona took the letter from Sam and looked down at the hand writing on the envelope for a long moment. She couldn't bring herself to open it just yet. It was silly, but that letter and the contents meant a lot to her. She glanced up at Sam as she tucked the letter into her pocket.

"Shall we see if there's room for Roman?" She asked him, watching as the two drakes rumbled and purred at one another. "When Kennah falls, she falls hard."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sure there is," Sam welcomed her to follow him, leading the drakes outside the courtyard where the town began to fan out before them. But off behind the keep courtyard was a huge pasture that had a path to the stables. A couple new drake-sized stables were being built, but they weren't for holding the drakes in. They were for holding gear and feeding. Drakes couldn't be penned up like horses, so they had the run of an entire new pasture.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I should probably mark Roman." Fiona said as Roman and Kennah ran into the pasture, immediately going to some of the other drakes that were already there. "Like you have Kennah marked. Maybe I can get the silver smith in town to make me something for him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can get 'im a leather collar until y'did somethin' more permanent," Sam offered quietly as he watched Kennah seemingly introduce Roman to the other drakes.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll pay you for it." Fiona murmured, as stubborn as ever as she wrapped her arm around Sam's waist and learned her head against his shoulder.

"I see the both of you made it home." Julia said as she found them both standing at the fence to the pasture, watching the drakes that had been adopted into the royal stables. "Did you have a good evening?"

"It was peaceful." Fiona said with a smile towards the queen, glancing at Sam with a warm grin. "Just the kind of night that we both needed."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam's arm wrapped around Fiona's shoulders in return before he looked to his mother and offered her a small, peaceful smile. "We're jus' findin' Roman a place with Kennah. She decided t'go off an' break 'im out o' Annie's barn last night."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know. David came by with Danny and Silas this morning to pick up some supplies for the stables. Silas was very upset that Roman was gone when he went to feed him this morning." Julia said with a chuckle. "Your Da has promised him his very own fledgling as soon as the drakes get settled and start breeding."

"Silas loves those drakes. I think he might love them even more than his horses." Fiona said softly as Sam wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders and held her tight.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Silas migh' have one before long," Sam chuckled with a glance to the drakes who were now chasing around the pasture. "Though not even Ann knows much about how drakes are with their fledglings, so we'll have t'see how tha' goes."

Sam let go of Fiona only for a moment to embrace his mother and kiss her cheek. "What're you up to, Ma?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Enjoying a morning walk. Your Da went to the lumber camp, Ashelin is off with Carol, and Heather has occupied herself with her kitten. I've already seen everyone else but the two of you this morning, so I thought I would come and see what the two of you had gotten up to." Julia said as she hugged Sam and smile.

It had been a long time since she had seen him so happy and carefree. He was a totally different man now, one that she had Fiona to thank for bringing back to her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We jus' got back from breakfast over a' the village. I wanted t'give Fiona tha' letter from Kjersten," Sam explained in return. He hadn't told Julia hardly anything about Fiona's personal business, knowing Fiona liked to keep such things to herself, but he hadn't been able to slip an official letter from the Swedish throne past his mother. So he'd told her simply that it was about Fiona's family.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's not ever day that a person receives a letter from royalty." Julia said with a grin as she gave her son one last kiss on the cheek and bid the two of them a good day.

A week passed as Fiona and Sam continued to explore their new little life together. Roman had made the move to the royal stable, much to Silas's dismay. The little boy was promised the chance to visit the drakes whenever he wished and Kennah quit breaking her love out of his stable every evening.

Will had been called on to his first patrol with the Rangers and Fiona took the opportunity to have Sam over more often, as discreetly as they possibly could. One morning, she woke to the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Frowning, she lifted her head off the pillow and glanced towards Sam, seeing him still fast asleep beside her. Quietly, she crept from bed, pulling on her dress as she went and shutting her door quietly behind her.

She was still partly asleep as she opened the front door, staring at a face that she never wanted to see again. "You're going to turn around and leave my doorway right now." She said instantly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' here I thought you missed me," the visitor murmured with a half-smirk. A sometimes-partner to Morgan Kerrigan and an occasional informant to some of the crimelords in the area, Rilor Myronsi was a golden werelion with a short-shorn mane and a reputation for blackmailing and black market trading. Last Fiona had heard of him, she'd owed him a 'favor' for getting her out of trouble after she'd been caught stealing cloth to make her own clothes. She'd known him since just after her grandfather died, when he was one of the first to take advantage of her lack of skill and street knowledge. He'd been both good and bad for her health in her time as a thief, sometimes saving her, sometimes luring her deeper into trouble with crimelords.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't need you darkening my doorway anymore, Rilor." Fiona said, enough venom in her voice that it sounded like a hiss. "I owe you nothing and I will never owe you anything again. In fact, you're lucky I haven't turned in your sorry hide like I did Morgan."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You and I both know Morgan let you do tha'. Otherwise you wouldn' 'ave put a hand on him before 'e cut your throat." Rilor leaned on the doorframe casually. "I wanted to stop by and say hello, see how you're doing now that you're 'honest' or whatever role you're playin' these days."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't believe for a moment that you're sincere in anything that you do." Fiona said, crossing her arms over her chest as she level him with a heated gaze. "You're not going to bother Will or I ever again, understand? Or else you'll be the one watching for a knife at your throat."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Even though you both still owe me? Don't think I forgot about tha' day I nearly got skinned helpin' you two get away from those opium dealers."

It had been a misunderstanding, Will and Fiona framed by whoever had stolen the opium from the two sellers. Rilor had come along at just the right moment to get Fiona and Will to a safehouse, but had had to run for his life to avoid being caught and killed.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We're square on that, Rilor." Fiona said, remembering the event very clearly. "I cleared up the misunderstanding. I spent three days in jail when they really wanted you. I don't owe you a single thing now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I disagree," Rilor muttered, his charm and good mood beginning to fade. "I taught you two everythin'. Three days of meals and safety in a cell don't pay back a damn thing, much less nearly losin' my hide."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have nothing more to give you. I am trying my hardest to lead a good and honest life now. I don't need to steal and I don't you hanging around. All you'll do is ruin this." Fiona murmured, knowing that Sam could very well wake up any moment. "You need to leave. Right now."

 

[KieranSoares]

Rilor let out an exaggerated sigh. "Okay. Alright. Fine." He simply stepped away without another word and disappeared into an alley across the street. A moment later, Sam stepped out to see Fiona closing the door. He was in just his trousers and his short hair was still a bit messy from sleep.

"Hey, love," he murmured. He was curious, having heard her talking, but he decided not to ask about her business. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her with a sigh. "Morning..."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched Rilor leave, not shutting the door under he was well out of sight. About the time that the front door closed, she saw Sam entering the living room, his hair still messy from sleep and his pants slung low on his hips. She gave him a small smile as he wrapped his arms around her and wished her a good morning.

"Good morning." She murmured, hugging him tightly after her confrontation with Rilor. "Do you want breakfast? I can get us something cooked before you have to go."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm no' in any rush," he muttered, pressing an adoring kiss to her neck. After the first time they'd made love, Fiona was seeing a new Sam emerge- one who loved easily and casually and was incredibly affectionate when they were alone together. He was still loving in public, but in a rather chivalrous and proper way, knowing neither of them liked much of their personal business to come out in front of others.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You always say that and then you get pulled away the first chance possible." Fiona said, giving him a small smile as he pressed a kiss to her throat. "Will should be back some time this afternoon. I guess our evenings together will have to come to an end for the time being."