Sionnach (closed)

[KieranSoares]

When Riley stepped out, she only made it a short way before she heard a voice from behind her. "How's your mother?"

Tanya was leaning on the outside wall alone, Riley having walked right past without noticing. In partial armor, the new Empress was taking guard duty like any other soldier. There were others in sight further away, but she was mostly on her own.

Tanya's expression was mostly neutral, but there was genuine concern there. She had changed a bit since Riley last saw her. Her dark hair was cut very short and while able to be tamed into presentable shape for more official things, it was messy at the moment. Perhaps most notable, though, was a bandaged, fairly deep cut along her jaw. Apparently she'd caught a fleeing mercenary and he got a swing it with a gauntleted fist before she killed him. Despite having only recently given birth in the last few months, she was as fit as ever, and she otherwise looked the same. The only mark of her station was a minor stamp in her chest plate of the Imperial seal, and the red and gold armband she wore.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley paused as she heard Tanya's voice and then she looked over her shoulder at the other woman. She tried her hardest not to let her hurt and anger get the better of her. She wanted to rage at someone and she knew that Tanya wasn't that target.

"She's alive. Waking up." Riley said as she turned to look at Tanya. "How is Joachim? And your son?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, Joachim's his usual worried self, even more so now as he tries to be a good father and Emperor at the same time. If I had my way, I'd take over the preparations for war for him, but he insists we should tackle it together. And Anselm..." She slowed at that, calling her boy by the name she chose, rather than 'Arnulf' as the public knew him. "... Have you ever met someone and suddenly wondered how you ever lived without them?" Tanya asked quietly. "I didn't want a child. I didn't want a boy. Not that horribly long ago, before I was a Rider, I didn't even want a lover. Especially not a husband or a noble. But my boys are the best accidents that have ever happened to me."

She stepped up beside Riley, but not too close. Her arms were still crossed, but not tense or defensive as she tried to offer a bit more friendliness. "And you? How's Andre, and the Johania boys and Marth?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"The Johania Riders are doing well. They have had to make a lot of adjustments as Andre gave up command. He's been working with my Da in the forge to learn a new trade and he's been supporting his Ma in her new life." Riley said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "And Marth is getting stronger every day."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I heard Dola married Jani Halfborn... interesting combination." Tanya looked Riley up and down and paused for a moment. "... Do you need a sparring partner to get some of that tension out? Or a drink? Maybe both."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't need anything except for time to clear my head." Riley answered back, crossing her own arms over her chest as she stared back at Tanya.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Alright. Suit yourself. I know we're not friends, but if you need anyone to work off steam with, or talk to, or drink with, whatever... Let me know. Your mother isn't the only warrior in your family that I respect." Tanya nodded to her, quietly returning to her post for the time being.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley gave Tanya a nod and turned to continue on her way. The wind was picking up as she went, a cold drizzle starting. It was a miserable day to match her miserable mood. She walked until she heard voices ahead of her and she stopped. Glancing up, she saw a small guard escorting Micha von Morden, chained and bound, on a small walk around. Her entire world narrowed in that moment. She saw red.

Riley wasn't really sure when she went into action. There was quick movement and the sound of frantic voices. She was panting as her heart raced in her chest, the crunch of bone against bone sounding as someone grabbed her around the waist to pull her off the badly beaten body of von Morden. She growled loudly and threw an elbow back to get the person off her and to get back to von Morden.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Lady Ghis!" One shouted as the man grabbing her was stunned by the elbow to the face. Von Morden was too weak to even try to defend himself, and too heavily bound regardless. Several other hands grabbed at Riley, until the ground began to vibrate beneath them all, more and more like a stampede was approaching, and a massive white-clawed hand plucked Riley out of the group and almost three stories into the air.

"Riley," Schaller grunted, pulling her away as the guardsmen slowly gathered themselves from the unexpected struggle. They tried to force von Morden to his feet, but he wasn't cooperating. Either he was too dazed, or too injured, or both.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley didn’t even stop when Schaller had her in his claws. She growled and struggled, only pausing as Schaller curled his hand around her and she could no longer see von Morden beneath them. She was panting, knuckles bruised and hurting. It hadn’t solved any of her problems and had perhaps created even more.

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller tucked Riley against his chest, stepping away from the guards wordlessly. He held her, sheltered from the cold, for a long while as they crossed the grounds. Finding a quiet corner, Schaller finally settled with Riley in his hands, shielded from a rising, cold wind. He didn't say anything, simply sitting in the calm quiet with her as she calmed as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

“You should have let me kill him.” Riley murmured after she had finally calmed. “It would have saved us a lot of trouble. I would have gladly served my time for that.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"He is your mother's to sentence." Schaller sighed quietly. We all want to kill him where he stands. But it's up to her." He laid his head on one arm. "He doesn't deserve the easy way out anyway."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I would have beat him to death. That’s not an easy way out.” Riley said as she leaned her head against Schaller’s scales. “He’s absolutely destroyed my parents.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, only moving when she heard someone approaching them. Glancing around Schaller’s claws, she saw Kell standing there with a neutral look on his face. Letting out a small sigh, Riley crawled free and stood there for her punishment.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell stood before her, hands clasped behind his back and his posture perfect and neutral, looking down at her. He was silent for a long moment, his brows furrowing in concern as he looked her over. "Good morning, little love," he said softly. "How are your knuckles? Anything broken?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“They’re fine.” She said as she stood there in front of him like he were her father. “Just sore and bruised. Nothing broken. I’m sure that von Morden got the worst of it.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's unconscious, so I imagine you're right." Kell tilted his head slightly as he looked her over, and glanced to Schaller briefly. "... Do you want to talk about it?" Kell and the others of his generation had been making an effort to meet Riley's generation halfway. The young had striven to prove themselves, and so their parents and aunts and uncles were treating them as comrades and adults, not just as young troublemakers anymore. Kell was also keenly aware that Riley had been through a lot in a short amount of time, and he worried for his niece just as much as his son and Shani.

 

[heartofcourage]

“No, sir. Not really.” Riley said as Kell tilted his head as he regarded her. “He terrorized my Ma. He wounded her in a way that she might never recover. I lost myself for a moment and attacked him. I know I shouldn’t have. I’ll accept whatever punishment is coming my way.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's 'Uncle,' not 'sir' in this situation," Kell told her gently. "And what in God's name makes you think I'm going to punish you for doing exactly what we all want to do to him? Your mother certainly wouldn't object either. Yes, I would've preferred if you'd kept control. But it's also unfair of me to expect that after everything he's done to your mother, and the things he's been complicit in that have happened to you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"But I still attacked him when I shouldn't have. If I were a rider, I wouldn't get away free in any of this." Riley said as Kell gently corrected her and told her that he wouldn't punish her. "I'm such a hypocrit. I told my Da that what happens to Conrad von Morden is up to me and I did this to the person that tried to kill my Ma."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're a young woman who is angry and protective, and you don't have the restraint of a professional soldier yet. You can bet that Jani would've done the same given the chance. Your mother would have at your age too. She's measured and careful now, but that came with experience."

Kell's shoulders relaxed quietly with a sigh. "You're too much like your mother, Riley... Much to my continued stress and worry. Don't let this happen again. But also know that no Northerner can blame you without being a hypocrite too. Especially not me. If not for your parents, I'd have him sent to Siberia to freeze and starve and be tortured for a few decades."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley's ears flicked back as Kell told her that he would have done much worse in her position if given the chance. She didn't want to be known as a heartless beast. She just wanted to protect her family.

"Uncle Kell, at least give me the chance to tell my Da what happened. I think he deserves to hear it from me." Riley asked him softly. "And I promise it won't happen again."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell offered a small smile. "Let's be honest, here, Riley. If anything like this happened to your parents, you'd do it again in a heartbeat. But, no harm done. At least not harm we mind. Von Morden will live for now. He's been beaten to unconsciousness by two Blackstones now. I'm sure he enjoyed it." He stepped up to hug her tightly. "I won't tell Sam for now. Just... in the future, talk to someone, rather than exploding."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley hugged Kell back and nodded, not really saying much as he chided her gently. When he released her, she retreated back to Schaller, just wanting him near for the moment as she worked what had happened out in her mind. It would be a long conversation to have with her Da and she wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely straight in her head.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell watched her go in silence, turning as he noticed an agent approaching out of the corner of his eye. The two made their way away together, while Schaller curled in around Riley, his chest glowing green with the quiet but mighty sound of flames igniting in his chest to ward off the late winter chill. When Riley settled in, he laid his head down and closed his eyes, letting her work things out or talk, whatever she needed to do.