Sionnach (closed)

[KieranSoares]

As Andre took the plate, he leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead in thanks before settling once more to eat. After a couple bites, he looked over, curiosity clear on his face. "I've never had anything like this. It isn't Norwegian, is it?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"No. I don't think I could make a single Norwegian dish that didn't include pickled herrings." Riley said as she sat down beside Andre. "This is Mongolian. Arslan Khan would make the children this when we grew tired of waiting for our parents to set up camp. It was always a long day when we were traveling and we would be famished by the end of it."

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre smiled at that. "Your family talks about Mongolia pretty fondly. We'll add that to the list of adventures for the future."

 

[heartofcourage]

“They would welcome us with open arms, but it’s getting there that’s the problem. Slavers see it as an easy way to pick up merchandise.” Riley said softly, looking over at Andre as he ate. “They’ve tried to combat the problem, but it’s difficult.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll manage," Andre assured her simply. When he finished eating, he cleaned up for her as she often did when he cooked, and built up their fire a bit more as it grew dark out. "You should go see your parents," Andre murmured as he worked. "I know you're worried."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I should, but I don't know what I'll find when I do. I guess I'm afraid of that." Riley admitted as she looked over at Andre. "Ma was already hanging on by a thread and Da as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I imagine they're not doing well... But they never let each other stay down for long. I think there's some hope there, even if it looks dark. Your Ma will probably be out of commission for a while more, though." He sighed, running his fingers back through his shaggy hair. "Things are... Difficult. And I don't know if it's safe for us to go ahead to Scotland."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley let out a little sigh as he said it wasn't safe to go to Scotland. "I hate to give in to that bitch so easily."

 

[KieranSoares]

"So do I," he half-growled. Andre was not an aggressive man by any means, and he preferred to be a pacifist. But Stila had been wearing on him too long. "There's a dark part of me that wants to gather up all the Northern Riders, and get Lukas and Tanya to bring all the Imperial Riders as well, and just hunt Stila down. Make her feel what it's like to be cornered and outnumbered. Even her dragon wouldn't be able to protect her against hundreds of veterans. And God help her if Tanya gets hold of her."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you want to come see Ma with me?" Riley asked, looking over at Andre. "They love you like a son. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll come with you, sure," he murmured with a small smile. Even if he wasn't keen on going back inside, he wanted to be there for Riley and for her parents even if there was little he could do.

Putting his things away and pulling logs to the edges of the fire to let it die down, Andre followed alongside Riley, hand-in-hand.

Sam had spent the evening in and out of his quarters, only leaving when necessary, and doing as much of his work within earshot of Fiona as he could without disturbing her. When Riley and Andre arrived, they found Sam at a desk in the parlor attached to the bedroom, reading over letters by candlelight, and everything was quiet to give Fiona the peace she needed to rest.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley saw Soma sleeping with his head on the side of their mother's bed, Fiona's hand tightly in his hand. She could feel the sheer desperation and depression coming off their mother in waves. It broke her heart to know that she felt that helpless.

"Did you eat dinner?" Riley asked softly as she kissed Sam's cheek.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Didn't feel like it, but Rissa made me," Sam confirmed quietly, hugging Riley to his side as she stepped up. Looking up at her and then to Andre, he asked, "You two okay?"

"Nervous, mostly, but Ri's got me covered," Andre assured him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We would have come sooner, but...we needed some time." Riley said softly as Sam pulled her against his side. "I knew she would need some time as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Time is what's needed, but th'last thing she wanted was t'wait longer." Sam laid his head against hers, looking toward Fiona. "But things're at a standstill right now anyway. Too much t'talk over before we can make any moves."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What can Andre and I do?" Riley asked as she took a seat at his side and took his hand in her own. "You tell us what you need and we'll do it."

She was frustrated that her family had been taken so low by forces outside of their control. Fiona had worked to shield her children from most of the bad things that haunted her. It didn't make them blind to it, but the realization of how much Fiona had given up in order to keep them happy was crashing down on her.

"I can take your command. I can take Ma's command. I will do anything." Riley said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"There's nothin' to be done right now, love," Sam murmured. "Everything's turned inward right now. We have t'figure out our next move. Just... Look after folks. No one should be out alone. We don' know what Oliveras is gonna do next, nor if she intends on lettin' von Morden start operating again."

 

[heartofcourage]

"But Da..." Riley said softly as Sam told her there was nothing to be done at that moment.

"Sam?" Fiona murmured, waking from her slumber at the sound of voices in the room.

She was nearly too sore to move, her head and neck aching even with medication. All she had done was sleep, trying to feel better and keep the intense depression at bay.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was on his feet right away, making his way over to Fiona's side. Gently as he could, he helped her readjust to get more comfortable. "What d'ya need, love?" He murmured.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley watched as Sam moved immediately to take care of Fiona. Soma stirred as well, Fiona talking in hushed tones to them as they got her more comfortable. Riley wanted to kill someone. The look on her face was absolutely furious and it took every shred of will power that she had to not walk out of that room and find someone to punish.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once Fiona was settled and Sam sent off Soma to get something for her to eat, Sam looked to Andre. "Look after her a moment, Andre." Turning his gaze to Riley, his own expression seemed harder, but more concerned now if it was possible. "Riley. Walk with me." He beckoned her after him, heading out of the room and just down the stairs to a nearby parlor with a door leading out to a raised patio and garden area. Sam paused inside the parlor, motioning for Riley to close the door before he turned to stare out at the grounds and the movement of soldiers here and there on duty, and smoke rising from the nearby camps.

"I'm angry, little kit," he murmured, eyes cold and unblinking as he stared out. His gentleness with Fiona, and his exhaustion from recent events, had given way to a hallmark of his younger self- the ability to turn stone-faced and serious and calculating at any moment. "An' I know you understand tha' better'n anyone right now. Stila Oliveras can't be allowed t'continue. Fer Andre's sake, yours, your Ma, Dola... An' everyone we care about. She came here an' pounced on an opportunity t'get her boot on our throats so she could cripple us, put us into doubt about th'isles an' who they're allied with, an' take away one o' the most dangerous minds in Europe. We don' know if she took von Morden fer her own sick reasons, or t'free him an' work with him or control him. But th'facts remain tha' Stila Oliveras has broken into highly defended areas, killed agents, wounded incredibly important people, terrorized and abused in one way or another, an' she's been involved in plots meant t'make us buckle. An' now, she's attacked th' Rider Queen. Regardless of who Fiona is to me personally, she is a leader and a symbol for the North who's never let us down. Even when we lose, she comes through and keeps people together an' does all she can to avoid and fix damage. She saw the Invernessian refugees fed an' housed in the months after we fled. She's helped keep them together as a community, an' helped Kayla an' I an' the Northern rulers all stay unified, thanks either t'her leadership or just th'fact tha' she had loyal Riders and dragons at hand to offer to the cause. Stila laying her low is no' just a targeted attack on our family, or something to make Andre or you nervous. It's a move t'intimidate everyone an' cause more chaos so she can work unchecked."

Sam turned his hard gaze to Riley then. "I don' know what she wants or what her end goal is, an' I don't give a damn. She needs t'be put down. An' I trust you know tha' too."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley listened as her Da vented all of his bad feelings about the situation to her, telling her that Stila needed to be put down like a wild animal. She agreed, but she also knew that it was easier said than done. She was a powerful woman that likely had powerful allies in her home.

"Are you telling me that you want me to take care of her?" Riley asked in all seriousness as he turned his angry gaze towards her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam sighed, almost a growl, turning away and rubbing his temples. "I would never ask you t'do tha', Riley. I'd ask Kell 'r Qira, even Jani. Hell, I'd ask Tanya. But Kell an' Qira are overstretched jus' keepin' things safe here, an' failing because they can' account fer everything an' Stila knows it. I'd ask Jani, but I need her here with Ezra fer defense too. An' Tanya... I can't ask that, even if I know she'd say yes."

He gazed back out the glass doors, his expression hard but sad. "She's a new mother an' wife... She's too much like Naiya... I can't ask her. But I can't ask my own little girl either... I normally wouldn't..." He let out a quiet, defeated sigh then. "But I'm going to... I have to. I don' know if you can succeed, but I know you won't give up, an' I know you have skin in this game too."

Sam finally turned back once more, conflicted, frustrated, angry, and simply exhausted. "If yer Ma wasn' in this condition... I'd take her with me t'do it myself, quiet an' quick. Th'same way we've dealt with people in th'past." He took a deep breath. "Andre can't go. He's capable, but I'm worried Oliveras would make him freeze up, especially if she got hold of one of you. So even if I don't want to... Riley, I'm askin' you to come with me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That's a lot to think about," Riley said as Sam asked her to go with him to take care of the threat that they were facing. "Let me think about it. You have to think about what's best for Ma right now. She's barely hanging on."

"We'll figure this all out, Da. I promise." Riley said as she stepped forward and wrapped him in the tightest hug that she could give him. "Just hold on."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think, th'more threats I take off her plate righ' now, the better," Sam muttered, wrapping his arms around her. It was easy to feel the tension across his back and shoulders. "Take yer time. If you don' want to risk it, I won' blame you. I'll find another partner."