The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

Sam stirred at her sudden movement, slowly turning halfway into his back to look at her through heavily-lidded eyes. "Love...?" He grunted, a hand reaching out to lay across her back. "What's wrong?"

Slowly he sat up too, pushing his hair all to one side and blinking away sleep. Seeing her clutching at her throat, a shot of worry suddenly woke him up a little more. "What's goin' on?" He murmured, a hand coming to rest over hers.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I can't...breathe..." She gasped out, in an absolute panic as Sam was suddenly there, trying his best to help her calm down.

 

[KieranSoares]

Recognizing a panic attack, Sam's worry was instantly masked behind a calm expression. "C'mere, love," he murmured, pulling her closer til they were sitting facing one another and he had her hands in his. "Look at me, Fiona," he directed gently, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles in a soothing circular motion to start to pull her attention away from the panic. "Breathe in, hold it for a moment." He mimicked the motion with her. It hadn't happened often in their marriage, but each had pulled the other out of a panic a couple times. And Sam had done the same for a few family members and especially Soma before he found his voice.

"Let it out," Sam instructed after a few seconds, drawing her in to lean on him so his hands could rub soothingly up and down her back, trying to use that physical contact to distract her racing mind. "An' again. Breathe in. You're gonna be just fine."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was struggling as Sam talked her through the panic that crept along every nerve ending in her body. She stared into familiar green eyes, following him as he drew her against him and calmly talked her down. It took a while, but she was soon breathing normally as she pressed her cheek against his chest. Her heart calmed and she finally let out a long, defeated sigh.

"It was just a dream." She muttered in a slightly embarrassed tone.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam shook his head slightly, his fingers gently massaging over her tense back. "Love, your kind of dreams are pretty rough. Not t'mention sometimes they're right." He leaned back to lift her head and cupped her face in his hands. "What got you so riled up?" There was an extra patience about Sam when it came to Fiona's dreams and Caller abilities. Owen had long since theorized they were linked.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I was back in the forest." She started, telling him everything about the dream that she could remember as he held her face so securely in his hands. "And the figure that was there wasn't Barbarossa. It was Joachim. He was dressed like his father."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam's brows furrowed in worry at her explanation, but he drew her into his lap and settled his arms around her. "Joachim's got no reason t'turn on us... Not when we share so many allies an' friends now. Are you worried he would betray us?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I saw what I saw, Sam." She said softly as he held her tightly in his arms, pulling her into his lap. "He was wearing the same gilded armor, the same sword, everything was the same. He was there for a fight."

She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a long sigh, shaking her head. It replayed through her mind again and she saw all the same features. It was Joachim, there was no doubt in her mind.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not questioning what you saw, love. Just whether you think there's any way he'd actually do it. I mean... I can't even imagine tha'." Sam sighed quietly, shaking his head and mentally adding that worry to the mountain already before them.

"Maybe it'd be worth it to check in with Tanya... See if everything's goin' alright back in Vienna," Sam murmured, though he didn't want to give in to paranoia.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It was probably nothing." Fiona insisted as Sam hugged her even tighter, never letting her think that her dreams and visions were nothing. "Sam, I've seen things before that never turned out. Barbarossa has haunted me for a long time now. I'm sure that he's just rearing his head again because he can."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tryin' to make you paranoid, probably," Sam sighed. He wasn't a man of superstition, but the Ghis family had many stories of such dreams from beyond. And Fiona's and Riley's own dreams made Sam believe there was something to it all.

Pulling back, Sam lifted a hand to her cheek and fixed her with a tired, concerned gaze. "If it keeps happening... Tell me, okay? And talk t'Alex if it starts messin' with your sleep. I need you in top form, love. An' no ghost is gonna jeopardize this for you if we can help it."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona leaned her head against his chest as he cupped her cheek and insisted that he wanted to know if she had any other nightmares that disrupted her sleep. She simply nodded, not wanting to talk for a while as she sought to process exactly what she had seen. It was definitely Joachim behind his father's gilded visor. He had looked at her with such distain and anger as their swords clashed, the wrath of a young man who was looking for vengeance.

 

[KieranSoares]

As the invasion of London drew nearer and nearer, the ambassador returned to the Northern Alliance with Amadeus Hess's answer to Ashleigh's demands and requirements for a declaration of peace. Hess's answer was colorful to say the least, insulting the "barbarians of the isles' former regimes" as unfit for the crown he believed he'd rightfully won through wit from the Empire alongside his friend Royer. He claimed that the North's inability to win with anything other than brute strength proved that they were little better than bandits. "Fitting allies to that useless boy in Vienna," he wrote in regards to the North's alliance with Joachim. The letter, directed primarily at Edward and ignoring Ashleigh's involvement, ended with the declaration:

"... and any among you that show their faces in London, be you of the Triad, the mainland, former isle-bound barbarians, or Hendrik's Imperials, shall be captured and executed on sight regardless of title or station. And should you send the army you have amassed around Darkwood, you will incur a wrath unlike any you have ever felt. If you feared Barbarossa in his time, let me assure you, my dear enemies, that you have seen nothing. You may laugh at me and my lords and think us easy pickings. But you have not seen the likes of Clan Royer, their dragons, their Caller, or their loyalty to their King. If England falls, Royer will reclaim it for a proper ruler. Not some Beauclerc runt pretending to be Prince because his grandfather let him play at the foot of a throne as a child. You are welcome to try your luck, Master Edward. But you and I both know how very dangerous this is for you and yours. As for the demands placed before me for peace, I would like to politely request you all go drown yourselves in the channel where you should've rotted twenty years back. We will not discuss terms of peace or surrender with weaklings who could not hold their crowns. Not Edward Beauclerc, not Katherine Aleister, not Samuel Ghis or any other pitiful former clan king, and certainly not any of the Ghis's monstrous mixed-blood offspring. I may not be the strongest of kings, but I swear to you that I am the most vengeful, backed by the most brutal and cunning. Tread carefully.

-H.R.M. Amadeus of House Hess, King of England & Wales"

The royals of the North present at Darkwood and their closest council had gathered to hear the letter read aloud by Edward upon its receipt. Beside him stood Hess's ambassador looking extremely nervous and guarded by two of Edward's closest bodyguards. The man had delivered the letter, then asked to defect immediately after. He was too scared to return to Hess and die when the North invaded, but also terrified to give up his allegiance to London as it would put a target on his back if Hess survived. He'd decided the North was his best chance, and he declared Hess a madman who'd destroy England if the North didn't confiscate it from him. The country was already suffering and Hess's lavish lifestyle and reckless disregard for his treasury was only making things worse. It was Royer who would be the real threat. Assuming he really did give a damn about Hess, the ambassador warned Royer might try to save his ally before the North could take London and corner him.

Kell stood beside Edward as well, taking the letter when Edward finished reading aloud. "Well, Your Majesties, Lords and Ladies of the North," Kell announced to those gathered, folding the letter in half. "It appears Hess has made peaceful transition impossible despite our best efforts to allow him to flee to freedom. And while he has laughably poor defenses and barely has an army to oppose us, we must take his connections seriously. With dragons, Royer has had enough time to react and send some help... that is, if he's actually going to help Hess at all, or abandon him as a lost cause."

"No signs of dragons from up north," Jani spoke up, lounged back in her chair with her boots on the table. "We've had people watching sky, sea, and forest for days. No one's come save two messengers going back and forth, both small northern dragons with Riders in Royer's colors."

"No military ships from Edinburgh either," Queen Kjersten of Sweden spoke up, having just arrived a few days prior and taken over command of the navy like her father Ulfric had once done under Sam's command. "The Thames is blockaded and the North Sea shore looks clear thus far. We've blocked and bought up goods meant for London, so they'll be facing a food shortage if they draw this out."

"We don' want to make the common people suffer long if we can help it," Durban advised, earning nods from many around the table. "Quick an' precise. We get Edward in place, secure the borders, and let the people start making their new normal under a fairer rule."

"We jus' need t'get the last details settled, no chargin' in full o' hubris," Sam cautioned, but paused as Soma stood and looked over them all.

"We're ready," Soma declared confidently. "The last loose ends worth tying were tied up today. Everyone and everything we need is in position, and we have battalions taking up places at London's flank and task forces surrounding the city to prevent Hess from fleeing. Kell and Qira have their people in place too, but details will remain secret til the moment they need to be shared." Stepping away from his seat, Soma pointed out to his mother and father, Kjersten, Durban, and Kell. "Each of you have worked out strategies with me and I've melded them all together so we can move as one cohesive unit thanks to our flying messengers. Ma has control of the air, Da on the ground, Kjersten at sea, Durban with the Axemen and special forces, and Kell with our agents. When all five of you give the all-clear, we'll go."

Sam couldn't help a small hint of a proud smile, and he stood as well to lean over the table. "Edward. This is your country we're takin' back. What say you?"

Edward, who was perhaps a touch paler than usual from sheer nerves, didn't give any other hint of his fear. His expression was steely and grim as he nodded. "If our young master strategist is confident in us, so am I. It's time I lived up to the legacy of William of Normandy and House Beauclerc. If all our generals are ready, we need not delay any further. Tomorrow evening, Lord Kell will get things rolling, and per Prince Soma's plans, the armies will be at London's edge ready to invade at dawn."

No details had been shared as to exactly what Kell was up to, but from past experience, most of the Ghis and their allies knew Kell was going to be opening the way for the armies. Taking down gates and their guards, keeping the alarm from being raised early, disabling wall-mounted weapons, and protecting the most important officers. Those were Kell's tried and true tactics for the start of a battle, but he never did it the same way twice.

 

[heartofcourage]

Ashleigh gently placed her hand on her husband's back to give him strength, knowing that this moment would be difficult for him. Not yet crowned as king, he was about to show the world who he was and what he stood for with the entire might of an army behind him. That was a tall order for anyone, let alone Edward Beauclerc.

"They're the words of a man who's never had a proper battle in his life. Let him be on the other end of a bomb and then he can talk." Riley practically spat out, her fur bristling at the idea that Hess would dare to call her family half-breeds. "Or better yet, let me plant one for him to find. Quick and easy."

Fiona stood quietly to in contemplation, not having taken a seat at the table. While her own visions and dreams had shaken her to the core, she knew many things that the others didn't. Riley's words echoed her own from so many years ago. How many times had she raged at the Ghis to let her burn Vienna to the ground with Schaller? It wouldn't have solved anything and might have destroyed them completely, but it would have given her the momentary satisfaction of taking down her enemy if even for a brief moment. Here in London, however, they had to tread lightly. These were their kin, their friends, their brothers. Any death would be someone they knew.

"Amadeus Hess is no different than Zaufberg, safe for the fact that he can't call a dragon." Fiona finally murmured. "Nor can he govern a country. He knows that Royer will not come for him. If Royer wanted this fight, he would be here. He would send his Caller and all of this would be done. Believe me when I say there is one in Scotland, even if we've not seen a sign yet. He's not a fool. He knows what he's doing."

"However, the force that you forget, dear Soma, is that of the were." She said, looking at her son. "Not the halfbreeds, not the freed slaves. The ones that have been waiting all of this time for a chance to come forth from the shadows. They're still here. They're still ready to fight. They are far beyond any of Hess's lines and if I were him, I would fear them."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know they're out there," Soma nodded to his mother. "It's just a matter of finding them. I've had Riders and messengers out spreading the word in between contacting the lords and cities not so loyal to Hess."

"An' Marri gave us a hint of how t'make contact with the Centaurs," Durban added. "What with the werefolk o' the isles havin' gone through twenty years of hidin', I don't know how many are fit t'fight. But we'll take anyone who wants t' join."

"The people who used to live near Darkwood have reached out," Kell offered, looking to Ashleigh and Soma. "Ashien fought for them politically and socially and was able to earn them protections and fairer treatment in his time. As such, they're going to be returning to their former homes nearby and they have offered every warrior, every blade, and most of their supplies to help us."

"They'll be most useful for guerilla fighting and chasing in the forests and fields. We'll especially need them as we push north," Soma thought aloud, taking out a pocketbook to write down some of his ideas. "But I definitely want to give them the chance to strike at Hess. Ma?" He looked over to Fiona. "I think, considering your history and your reputation, you would be the ideal person to meet with them. If they're coming out of the woodwork at hearing we've returned, they'll be heartened by the sight of you." Soma then turned his attention to his sister. "Riley, I have a similar job for you after London's ours. I'd like you to head toward Caernarvon to find a Centaur called Dalton. From what we've heard, he's still around as an Elder of his tribe and he was a dear friend to Aunt Marri way back. His people were instrumental alongside Gran's friend Casso in retaking Inverness in Gran's youth. We could use their help to do it again. Hopefully, we can find Casso or his family along the way too. Anyone we can pull in. The werefolk have a major interest in our success, knowing all of the soon-to-be-reinstated leaders intend to make a haven of the isles again. As Ma says, they're ready to fight."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll do what I can where I'm needed." Fiona said with a nod, watching her son as he formed a plan on the spot for what to do with the were that had been in hiding for so long.

In the blink of an eye, everything changed for Fiona. While staring at her beloved son, she saw him replaced with a husk of himself, his skin pale grey and eyes clouded. As he spoke, blood poured from his lips from ghastly injuries. Kell was must the same as he joined in with his own opinions, eyes dulled and clouded in death and blood bubbling along his snout. Each member in that room was marked with death and as her eyes passed from person to person, she was bombarded with the horrors that awaited them.

Edward's neck was burned from rope, a wicked looking wound that bruised and marred his tanned skin. Ashleigh was lined with stab wounds, openly bleeding onto the floor beneath her as she stood calmly next to Edward. The most horrific was Samuel. Her dear husband. Every wound that he had suffered over the last twenty years was open and cascades of blood flowed down him and onto the floor. When he turned his green eyes to look at her, she didn't see green, but pale blue of the long dead.

Fiona very quietly melted back into the shadows, not making a scene, but taking her leave towards the back of the room. The images turned personal and raw, showing her family trauma from her childhood. Her father as a vicious drunk, terrorizing her as a child. Screaming and yelling in her face, abusing her, abandoning her to her grandfather and then to almost certain death. Then there was her mother, the beautiful white fox who hid behind the bottle to dull the pain that she felt. The skeletal appearance of her when she had died, the accusation in those familiar eyes that Fiona could have done more to help her fight her demons, even if she was little more than a toddler.

"You didn't fight for me." Her mother whispered, Tatiana lying near motionless on her deathbed save for the eyes that followed Fiona as she moved further from the crowd gathered to find some peace. "You should have fought."

Fiona said nothing as she stood in front of one of Darkwood's wide windows, her hands pressing against the smooth stone of the windowsill as she centered herself. Tears were gathering on her lashes, but she wasn't about to let them fall. She wouldn't let any of them see that pain.

"Fiona, you abandoned us." Her mother murmured, the words sinking into her brain and designed to sting.

"Minns du natten då du dog?" Fiona whispered, only to be met with silence from her mother's specter. "Du kan inte komma ihåg eftersom du inte är riktig. Min mamma skulle aldrig prata med mig så."

 

[KieranSoares]

Images continued to swim before Fiona's eyes of all her worst nightmares and memories, until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. It wasn't Sam's, but still familiar as she saw Andre enter her peripheral vision. He didn't say anything at first, his expression a bit concerned but mostly neutral. Beyond that, there was a sort of warm radiating from his hand, slowly pushing against the cold dread she was feeling. He'd been developing his abilities as a Caller quietly with his mother, so Fiona hadn't really come in contact with his ability to soothe and take away negativity yet.

"I can't pretend I know what's going through your mind," Andre murmured softly. "But I know that look when I see it. Something awful coming back to you at the worst time." There were a few members among the Ghis family that dealt with nightmares and traumatic memories that came back at unexpected moments, and Andre was certainly among that number since his time in a Viennese prison. And looking up to Fiona so much as a leader, Caller, and hero in his mind, Andre offered what little soothing he could to her troubled mind. And on top of that, Fiona could feel the presence of her son close by. He'd noticed her leave and seemed to be checking in. While it wasn't clear yet what Soma's main talent as a Caller would be, he already had an immense ability to sense other Callers and dragons, similar to Fiona.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was silent for moments more as Andre helped to calm her down. She felt incredibly drained as she pushed all of the thoughts from her brain, left only with a foggy sensation that seemed to dull everything. She never moved from her spot, never showed a moment of weakness to the others. She wouldn't crumble like an untried rider. There was too much at stake for that. Instead, she took the images and the hurt internally and hid it all well.

"There are those out there that will use their gifts to torment us." Fiona said softly when she had gathered herself. "We simply have to be strong enough to know what is real and what isn't. There is a Caller in Scotland and I have no doubt they are doing this. The riders might not think the danger is important, but we as Callers are in very real peril. They'll tear our minds apart until we go insane."

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre nodded slowly in understanding, keeping his hand on her shoulder in a show of support. "I'll do everything I can to shield Riley," he offered quietly, knowing his abilities could be of use in such a situation. He worried Riley's temper could be used against her. "And I can help you and Soma and any other Callers on our side if it gets to be too much. The dragons too."

Andre glanced back as he heard the meeting disperse and people began to file out to head to dinner or bed. Sam, Soma, and Riley came their way. Andre finally stepped away from Fiona's side to wrap an arm around Riley, while Soma approached his mother while rubbing his temple as if he had a headache.

"Y'alright, love?" Sam asked softly as he stepped up to touch Fiona's hand. He'd seen her leave, but knew it was best to give her a moment before following.

"Someone's messing with us," Soma muttered, closing his eyes against a wave of migraine-like pain.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Someone is." Fiona said as she gently squeezed Sam's hand. "And you younger kits need to be prepared. You'll see and feel terrible things, but we aren't going to let them scare us away from our mission. I'm sure Hess has put out a call for help and this is Royer's response."

She got quiet for a moment and then looked up at Sam. "In Schaller's saddlebag is my jewelry box. My crown is there. We're not sending Edward and Ashleigh off to battle as a prince and the daughter of a landowner. Send out the word that they'll be crowned at dawn. She can borrow my crown for the time being."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam's brows furrowed in concern at Fiona's plan, worries about the future king and queen's safety forefront in his mind. But he nodded in agreement. "Then I suppose we'll have t'win tomorrow so they have thrones t'take over."

"We will," Soma said firmly, squaring his shoulders despite the ache in his head. "If all goes to plan, we'll be storming the palace by early afternoon if not sooner."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona moved from Sam's side to wrap her arm Soma's shoulders. She kissed his temple and let him shed all the tension that he had gathered during the meeting. She waved Andre and Riley closer, gathering them both close and holding them as well.

"We will protect each other. Do not go alone." She murmured to each of them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam stepped in, his arms helping Fiona to encircle the three, one hand on Riley's back and one on Andre's arm. Soma leaned into Fiona, his head on her shoulder as she, Riley, and Soma felt Andre's soothing presence envelope them. "If anyone gets overwhelmed, I can help take off some pressure," Andre offered once more.

"So can I," Soma murmured, knowing from experience that he could interrupt and soften attacks like what Dzana had once done to Fiona. "And we have Tanya to help us strike back once we know who's responsible. Riley and Ma will be the best to find them."

"Always got a plan, huh, little man?" Andre asked softly with a small smile.

Soma nodded, leaning back into Fiona. "Always, especially when it comes to my family."

"Good lad," Sam murmured, brushing Soma's hair back. "But I think for tonight, we all need a good rest. If they're already tryin' to hit us tonight, tomorrow'll bring more. I'll look after yer Ma."

Soma lifted his head to look at his mother, his blue gaze concerned but hardened with resolve. "You'll tell me if it's too much, Ma. And that's not a question, that's an order. I know what you're like, pushing on til you can't anymore." That earned a chuckle from Andre and Sam both, but Soma was dead serious and focused on his mother. He had always been her little shadow, growing into her assistant, and now becoming a self-appointed protector very much influenced by herself and the strong women of their family he looked up to most.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona looked at her son as he leveled his order at her. She didn't smile, but she reached out to take both his cheeks in her hands. "It's going to take more than this to bring me down, love. They can show me all the grotesque images they want. I know what's real and what isn't real."

 

[KieranSoares]

"No one's debating that you're stronger than most," Soma murmured. "You don't have to suffer in silence to prove it."

Sam looked at Fiona as Soma said that, but remained silent. It was what they often reminded each other and kept stubbornly resisting.