The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Better?" He questioned, then paused. "Forgive me... I'm still piecing things together. It's all... fragmented." He lay down before her and crossed his arms. "You're my dear Reven's Caller, not one of mine. It's strange that another's Caller would come beyond to see me."

"We come with questions," Markos's voice finally pierced through and the strange Greek stepped up beside Riley. It seemed he was finally fully with them after stabilizing Riley's connection. "Hello, old friend."

"... You are Markos?" Hesperus questioned quietly. "I think I remember you."

"We've known each other a long, long time. But I suppose you never knew me before your mind fractured." Markos stepped up and laid a hand on the dragon's claw. Immediately, Hesperus seemed to recognize him clearly.

"You're a Karides." Hesperus lowered his maw and Markos touched his nose with a fond smile as if all was right.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley knew right then that the dragon in front of her didn't know the answers that they needed to know. His mind was still in pieces, some here and together and some long gone. He couldn't remember dying, let alone anything more recent. She considered what Markos had said about treating him with respect.

"Hesperus, we need your help with something. I need you to think long and hard on the matter. What happened when you were killed?" Riley asked softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I remember a Fox." Hesperus murmured. "I didn't know her. But she reminded me of Margaret. Small and bright white, with a strange mark on her foot paw."

Markos didn't seem to know who he was talking about. "I don't recall a white Fox in Margaret's line recently save for Fiona and Soma."

"She wasn't a Blackstone." Hesperus glanced off into the distance. "She was kind and welcoming, and full of energy. She said Margaret would come to see me soon, and it would be up to her whether I'm forgiven."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley glanced off in the direction that Hesparus stared off towards. She kept her mouth shut on the mysterious figure that he had seen. She wondered if she would ever get to meet her grandmother, but she kept that thought to herself.

"I have to wonder that when you died you fractured completely. A piece of you was left behind." Riley murmured, turning back towards he and Markos.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I was fractured long ago, I think. But maybe I left whatever filled the cracks," Hesperus murmured, looking between them with a complete lack of the hubris and venom they'd once known. "... What exactly did I do? What did I leave?"

"I can show you, but I warn you: it's awful," Markos said gently, still stroking the dragon's maw fondly. "You may not even recognize yourself."

"I need to piece things together. Show me." Hesperus inched forward, and Markos gave a nod.

"This will only take a moment, Miss Riley," Markos assured her. "And perhaps I can show you some things you never saw too."

Markos turned and pressed his head to Hesperus's maw, connecting to share his own memories the way Fiona sometimes did with Schaller. Now that Hesperus's mind was clear, the connection was natural and as easy as blinking, almost involuntary. Riley felt a bloom of familiarity and warmth when Hesperus finally truly remembered the Caller before him. Markos let Riley into the connection as he showed Hesperus his earliest memories of their relationship.

A young Greek boy with shaggy hair and bare feet ran around the very lake and mountain they'd come to visit, climbing every tree and boulder he could and collecting heaps of unique stones and leaves just because they were beautiful. He was always alone, save when a proud, broad woman came out to find him. Other children never seemed to come near. No one else came near til the day young Markos fell into the lake while climbing the slippery rocks near the falls, and the force of the water dragged him under. No one was around to save him, until something flung him up out of the water and he splashed back down a safe distance away. The boy came back every day after that to try to talk to whatever had saved him.

Other memories flashed by much faster. The day Markos dove down in an attempt to find the beast and nearly drowned. The day strange men came hunting around the island and Markos tricked them into thinking the dragon was in the ocean instead. Markos showed them the day he was taken away by the Church and the day he was freed by Brennan Royer. From there, Markos showed Riley no more. Only Hesperus had a view into all Markos had done under his guidance including Fiona's captivity.

When Markos finally pulled back, Hesperus seemed at a loss. He looked to Riley and she saw a depth of heartache and guilt that the old Hesperus would've never shown. "Gods. What have I done?" He asked softly.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What you have done is left behind the worst part of yourself in my mother. Something happened when you died. Something that none of us understand. All I know is that my mother is suffering because of what happened." Riley stared at the duo in immense frustration. "So, what "happened"? She is completely closed off to all of us, which is not what my mother does."

 

[KieranSoares]

Hesperus sat up and his brows furrowed in thought. "My last clear memories are my days alongside Reven... then I began to feel so irritated at things that never bothered me before. And no matter how much I ate or drank, I always felt empty. Then the glint of gold began to draw my eye. It was never something I cared about before. I remember Margaret telling me she was worried I might've caught something from... from my daughter."

"I never knew you had fledglings," Markos said softly, full of wonder but trying to remain respectful. Hesperus's tone told them that his daughter was certainly no more. "What happened to her? What was her name?"

"Reven named her Aerica in honor of my Greek roots. She... she was no more than thirty years old when she went off alone for the first time, and returned only a month later sick and badly injured. She'd ventured into Byzantium after losing her bearings, and they ripped her apart. Another dragon had bitten her several times. At first we thought she would heal just fine and we'd keep her with us to get her confidence back. But after the illness and the wounds healed, she grew paranoid and violent. She bit me, realized what she'd done, and she fled. We never saw her again, but we heard that a dead young dragon matching her description washed up somewhere in Spain and she was burned..."

"Gods," Markos breathed. "And you... you think what happened to her happened to you?"

"If what you've shown me is true, yes. It was much slower to take me, I think. That must be why it went untreated and unnoticed til I turned vicious. By then, I'd already worn down my relationships and Aegeus asked me to retire. He thought the millennia of war and loss was getting to me. He didn't know I was sick til I nearly killed him."

Markos turned to Riley. "Your mother was absolutely soaked in blood during the battle. Even if Hesperus didn't bite her, I'm certain his blood got into some of her wounds. It's not just a breaking of her mind. It's a physical malady we can find a treatment for along with the trauma. The two paired together are a deadly cocktail." Even though they had a whole new challenge ahead of them, Markos seemed heartened by the fact that it was less mysterious. "It sounds like it shares some symptoms with rabies... but it doesn't destroy the body. That's good, that means we have time as long as Fiona is kept calm and safe."

"Margaret knew... something about it," Hesperus murmured, then shook his head. "She caught on that something beyond my control was happening, but it was right before our fight. I don't know if she ever learned anything more than the fact it was a sickness." The more they spoke, the more Hesperus was able to connect fragments of memory. "But the white Fox, she knew too. I don't know... I don't know who she is or what she has to do with any of this, but she knew I was sick. She... comforted me. She said she was once sick too, in another way, and it wasn't our fault that we gave in... I don't know if I believe her, but I enjoyed her company."

"I think Owen might be of use, then," Markos offered to Riley. "I don't know much about your mother's family outside the Blackstone Callers."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley let her gaze drift towards the ground, still not wanting to talk about her mother's family. They valued privacy and the entire family had worked had to give it to them. She let out a long sigh and shook her head.

"The fox that met you is Tatianna Olegsdottir. My grandmother." She murmured, her eyes lifting back to Markos and Hesperus. "She drank herself to death when my mother was a child."

"I will not get my Norwegian family involved in this. They are private and we wish to keep it that way. They still mourn their sister and aunt as if she just died. Don't make them have to relive that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I wouldn't ask such a thing," Markos assured her softly. "We'll figure something out."

"I'm sorry I'm not more help. My memory is still fragmented. But I will still do what I can to aid you, Markos," Hesperus assured him. "And should Fiona feel strong enough, we might speak soon. If she's being harmed by a leftover of my mind, it's my responsibility to see her through it."

 

[heartofcourage]

“No. It’s not your responsibility.” Riley said, glancing at Markos as she steeled herself for what she was about to say. “You tormented her. You destroyed her happiness. You did everything that the vicious men of the world have done to her since she was child. Through her sense of duty, she gave you what you wanted. You wanted a fight for the ages with a Blackstone and she gave you that. Now you can put yourself back together while she suffers. You, my lord, will never meet her as long as I breathe.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Hesperus stared down at Riley for a long moment, more shocked than anything. Slowly, he drew back and curled his tail around himself with a sort of meekness unbefitting such a large creature. He said no more about Fiona, but confusion and guilt radiated from him. He didn't remember much of what he'd done, but he knew it had been terrible. Markos knew he had no room to speak either.

"I think you should go," Hesperus murmured. "I'm of little use, it seems."

"You and I can keep in contact," Markos coaxed gently. "As your memory returns, we might learn something more concrete."

"I doubt it'll be of much help." Hesperus turned away from them, and suddenly they were shunted out of his domain as he closed himself off.

When Markos came to, he instantly laid back on the grass and put an arm over his face to block the light and ease the migraine suddenly setting in. "Well... that didn't go well," he murmured. He was frustrated, but he couldn't blame Riley nor Hesperus's reactions to each other. "At least we have an angle to start researching from... maybe Rory has heard of this sickness before."

 

[heartofcourage]

When she snapped back to reality, Riley stared into the fire for a while before she trusted herself to speak. "If you want to stay close to Hesperus, you won't get involved in this. Even I know that."

"I said what I needed to say and I'm sorry that it went against what you told me." Riley muttered, standing up and staring out towards the dragons. "She has trusted me to protect them and herself. My father thinks that I've outgrown this mouth of mine, but I don't think I never will."

 

[KieranSoares]

Markos peered out from under his arm, his expression worried to say the least. "Riley, I understand where you're coming from. But if you cut off any input from Hesperus and myself once he starts to organize his memories, you'll be leaving valuable information out of this search for a treatment. I'm fine with keeping my distance from Fiona if you want to play intermediary. But don't leave us out entirely."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just stop." Riley insisted, her jaw clenching so tightly that she thought she might crack her teeth. "Just stop...Markos. Give her time. Give me time."

She turned to look back at the odd man, shrugging her shoulders. "I didn't want any of this. I wanted to be off galivanting around with my husband and our dragons. Now I'm commanding the Northern Riders and I have no idea what I'm doing. All I know is that my mother is hurt and has closed herself off from the entire world. While...while I figure this out, you can work in the background."

 

[KieranSoares]

Markos sat up, his migraine forgotten for a moment. His expression offered nothing but concern and understanding, and he gave a small nod. "You're just like her," he murmured softly. "I wish you didn't have to be." Even if he hadn't known the family long, he could see the strong echoes of Fiona in her children. Riley bore a mantle much greater than herself. Soma took on pain and difficult decisions to spare others.

Markos looked down at his gathered materials. "I will do what I can to help elsewhere. You don't need to concern yourself with me for now. And I'll offer what insight I can for Alex's research. I'll avoid your mother as best I can."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm nothing like her..." Riley said as Markos declared that he would do what he could without bothering her mother for now.

When she returned to the rooms, it was quiet. No one was really speaking, caught in their own thoughts on the matter. She quietly entered the bedchamber, pausing when she saw that her mother was asleep. Wrapped in her mother's blanket, Fiona actually looked peaceful for the moment.

"How long as she been asleep?" She asked her father, glancing to where he sat.

 

[KieranSoares]

A comfortable armchair had been moved into the bedchamber and Sam was settled with his ruined leg propped up on a stool. He'd closed the window to keep everything quiet, but left the curtains open just enough to read by the natural light. He glanced up over the rim of a pair of glasses he occasionally used for detail work and small text.

"I managed to get her settled a half-hour ago," he murmured, laying aside the letters in his hands. He regarded his daughter for a moment and added, "You okay, little kit?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“No.” Riley said softly. “I’m not alright.”

She looked at her father, seeing that familiar gaze of unwavering support. He had never once made her feel less than anyone else.

“You think that I’ve changed for the better, but I haven’t. I still have a tongue that gets me in trouble more often than not. The only difference now is that she needs me and I have to take on that mantle. I don’t want it, Da. It’s hers, not mine.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, darlin'. I know better than most. In any other situation, it'd be Dani, Ezra, Jani, and Costa takin' over. But with Ezra out for good, Jani and Dani injured, an' Costa unable to handle it all..." He sighed and motioned her over to join him. "You know Andre will help you no matter what. But if you don't want this, we can work somethin' else out til we've got some of the old guard back. There are other reliable Riders. You can share this burden or give it up if you need to. You know no one expects you to be your Ma. Hell, no one expected your Ma to manage all she did. It's too much for a dozen people, much less one."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You and Ma married during war." She murmured as she came to her father's side and settled in the overstuffed chair beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Was it hard to find common ground? To be a married couple? Andre adores me and would give me the world if I asked, but we have only known each other because of this war."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Gods, it was hard," Sam admitted with a deep breath, laying aside his letters and glasses. "She was a Queen, but not the Rider Queen you know now. I was too controlling. She was too impetuous an' too willing to risk her life. We argued all the time about her runnin' off without orders an' me pushing myself too hard. Hell, there were times she'd do exactly what needed to be done an' I'd get upset anyway because she did it alone or disappeared on me. Then she was always tryin' to ground me, scared I'd freeze in the saddle."

Sam offered a small smile. "I don't know if you know this about me, love, but I used to be terrified of flying. It took everything I had not to have a panic attack every time I flew. Invah an' Dani spent a lot of time makin' me the confident Rider I am now."

He wrapped an arm around her and smoothed his fingers back through her fur. "You know, you an' Andre's relationship reminds me a bit of Kate an' Kell, but moreso of Rho an' Naiya." His smile turned a little melancholy at the mention of Riley's long lost aunt. "She was always in the lead, always the adventurous one. She never wanted a throne or titles or anything. She only wanted to live by her own rules an' look after her kin. An' she did a damn good job of it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Loren loved to tell stories about his mother. It was because of Ma that he ever knew Naiya." Riley smiled at that memory. "I used to hate having Loren around. He took your attention. Then you had Soma and I had a baby brother that wouldn't ever go away."

"It feels like...Andre and I will never be able to have a life of our own." She confessed, letting out a small sigh. "Something will always draw us back."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You don't have to play guardian for this family," Sam reminded her softly. "You never did. I wouldn't allow anyone to say a damn word if you two cut an' ran right now. This was never your fight. But... I also know you two 'ave been instrumental in this fight. We'd have lost a lot more people if not for you."

Sam met her gaze. "I know everyone's been saying how much like your Ma you are lately. How we've said we're so proud of you for takin' the lead an' earning your stripes. But I realize comparing you to her isn't fair. Even if you're like her in some ways, you're a completely different person and you shouldn't have to compromise yourself to live up to her reputation. You never wanted to be her successor. You always wanted to adventure and blaze your own trail. And I think you should. I'd send you and Andre off into the wilderness with your dragons right now if you asked. Love, I don't want you to be trapped. There are people able and, most importantly, willing to take on these roles. I'd miss you an' your help like mad, but you're not a soldier and you're not this family's keeper. Those roles will find people they suit."

Taking a deep breath and hugging her closer, Sam murmured against her fur, "I need you to be free an' happy, little love. Andre too. If you want to bow out, we'll make it happen."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You say that, but I know I’m the protector of this family. Soma will go off on his own path and be a good king. Tati will be her own person, hopefully as steadfast and able as everyone else. I was meant for this, Da. Ma brought me to all of those council meetings for a reason. She wanted me to see the fight that we had, the prejudice that she faced. She needed me to understand. I know I’m not her. I could never be her. But I am her blood.” Riley said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then tell me what you want to do," Sam murmured. "Regardless of what anyone else wants, what role do you see yourself in? Because I agree. You are a protector. But you're also a wild Fox who needs to fly free." Sam was deeply invested in his children being good, happy, independent people. Despite everything else happening, he was solely focused on his family in that moment.