The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Some day," Soma promised his little sister. "When it's not so patchy." He happily nuzzled his forehead against Tati's as she came in close. He wasn't too proud to admit that he still needed and always would need his sisters and his mother.

As the siblings reconnected, Sam looped an arm around Fiona and pressed a kiss to her temple. It was a silent offer of comfort, but she could also see how proudly he looked over his children who'd all come so far in such a short time. "Didn't do too badly in the grand scheme, aye?" He whispered against her ear.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I still have hopes we can add one or two more, but I'm content." Fiona said softly as Sam kissed her temple and admired his family all together. "Truly, I am."

She kissed his cheek in return and leaned her head against his own. "And I will fight every demon and villain that comes our way to keep them happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'have my sword, love," he promised her, a hand resting over hers. "For them, for you, for the rest of our days." It was a silent oath they'd shared since before they married, and reaffirmed with each struggle.

Following breakfast, Sam gladly brought Tati and Fiona to curl up together, welcoming Riley and Soma to spend a while before they got back to their own duties. It was something they'd done as often as possible when they were all together since before the second war with the Empire.

Across Castle Windsor, Brogan joined Shani's side in her room. After escaping death by a hair's breadth, he'd been at her side as often as possible. And now that she was properly lucid and stuck in bed for a while on Alex's orders, Brogan had made it his job to keep her company and help her regain her strength little by little.

Joining her side after making sure she had gotten her fill of breakfast, Bo settled into a chair and looked over to her. "How are you feeling?" He asked quietly, silently glad to see her alert and not in too much pain. It'd been a struggle for her to stay awake very long for nearly a week, and then she'd been hazy on medication til the pain was tolerable for the week after that.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Slowly losing my mind." Shani said softly, glancing over at Brogan as he sat in the chair next to her bed, the one that had most often been filled by her father or mother. "Da brought me a book or two to keep me entertained. Ma has been a hovering mess. I don't think I'm going to be with you when you make it to Edinburgh at this rate."

Shani looked over at Brogan, studying him for a moment with a long sigh. "I've never been this low before. Even when I broke my arm, I was up and going in a day or two."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Alex said you're good to start moving around more if you're bored. Most of the damage was blood loss and burns. Seems like Hess couldn't manage to do much worse than that."

Alex had been straightforward with Shani about her condition, mostly concerned about her immune system, dizziness, weakness, and any residual damage from losing so much blood so fast. But her leg was in mostly fine condition, and even the deep cut on her wrist hadn't managed to damage the tendon in her arm much. As her immune health was most at risk, he'd had to insist on her staying inside and away from too many different people, and any visitors were asked to clean up thoroughly before entering her room. Now that she'd made it two weeks, though, Alex had relaxed that rule.

Looking out the window, Brogan got an idea suddenly. "Let's go for a little ride. That's not too much, right?" Turning back to her, he smiled. "Alex wanted you to get your strength back. A walk out to the stables would be good, and I can saddle the horse for you." He knew he was probably pushing a boundary with Rissa with such a suggestion, but Shani's mental wellbeing mattered more to him in that moment. "The woods around here are secure. We can enjoy some fresh air for a while and be back in time for lunch. And I'll take all the blame if Rissa's mad."

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani glanced up at him as he suddenly suggested that they go for a ride. Alex had suggested that she get up and walk around the castle more, but he had never once told her that she could go horseback riding. He was willing to risk everything to make her happy, even if for just a morning.

"Ma will skin you alive one day." Shani said as she threw back her blankets and put her feet on the floor. "My armor was ruined and they're making me new, but I have a few pieces as back up. Grab them from the cupboard for me and I'll get dressed."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Honestly, Rissa scares me almost as much as everything we've done so far in the field," Brogan admitted as he stood and made sure she was steady before he went to fetch her armor. "But there's always something a lot more important than the fear. And right now, it's you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and trotted away.

Wanting to be safe, Brogan fetched his own armor as well and made sure he was well-armed. Even if the woods were secure around Windsor, he didn't leave anything to chance. He even went so far as to alert his partner that they were going out, so the dragon could keep an eye on the sky for them.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani was dressed in light armor, just a few pieces that she'd had backup of, when she met Brogan again. Taking his arm, she let him lead the way to the barn, taking it slow for her sake. She adored horseback riding, from the time that she was a small child. Steppe horses to regal thoroughbreds, she had always loved the intelligent beasts. While everyone else in the family was taken with drakes and dragons, her heart was still with the simple horse.

"You know he already has agents following us, right?" Shani asked as they stepped into the barn, Brogan pulling her towards a stall with a beautiful chestnut mare inside. "Your Da doesn't miss much."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," Brogan shrugged. "We'll have to get used to it sometime if I'm gonna have a target on my back my entire life." He offered a smile as he hefted a saddle over and onto the mare's back. "And someday it'll be you sending them to watch out for me."

Even if being a Prince and eventually a King still terrified the young Wolf, it seemed he'd committed to the idea. He'd spent a long time talking to his parents about it and even gotten the input of other leaders in the family. He'd chosen not just to succeed his mother, but to face the challenge of becoming the first non-human King. While Fiona was technically a full-blooded Fox, the isles and indeed all of Europe and Asia had never seen a non-human-presenting were in a position higher than Kell as Lord Protector.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani smiled gently as she pet the mare's nose, watching Brogan as he worked to get the saddle in place. "Nah. I'll just let you fend for yourself like you did back in Mongolia."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We do absolutely everything together," Brogan reminded her with a chuckle. "And with how useless I can be, I know Ma and Da will be grateful you're there to save my ass."

Turning as he finished adjusting the saddle, Brogan helped Shani step up with her good leg and made sure she was settled before he climbed on behind her, letting her have the reins. He subconsciously touched the pommel of his shortsword as they trotted out of the stables, glancing around as he made sure no threat might come for them when Shani wasn't at her best.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani felt a little bit of pain as Brogan helped her up into the saddle, the deep wound in her leg pulling until she settled. Instead of saddling up his own horse, Brogan vaulted behind her, content to share a saddle with her. It was a lot like their childhood where she took the lead on many of their adventures with Brogan along for the ride. She couldn't help turning her head and kissing his cheek as the horse trotted out of the stables and towards the woods.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan smiled lightly to himself as they settled into the ride, enjoying the familiarity of riding together away from people and buildings. Even if he'd been trying to escape Mongolia his whole life, he still loved the simple pleasures he'd known there. He felt a pang of longing for that simpler life and his beloved, stout steppe horses and childhood friends. But with Shani there, he was content.

As they passed the threshold of the forest's edge, Brogan let out a quiet sigh of relief at being away from the castle for a moment. Shani felt his arm wrap around her as he leaned his head lightly on her shoulder. It was a simple gesture, but she knew it well from all the times he'd come up to hug her after she got hurt or narrowly escaped a dangerous situation. He was grateful she was still with him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't go soft on me now, Bo." Shani murmured as his arm wrapped around her waist and his head pressed against her shoulder. "Bumps and bruises and nothing more. That's all that happened."

So much more had happened, but she was worried that if they dwelled on the fact that she had almost died, they would both crumble. She needed to be strong for him and she needed him strong for everyone.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've always been soft and you know it," Brogan protested quietly. Even if he was as stubborn and bull-headed as his mother and he could be as stoic as his father when needed, he had the gentle heart of a Ghis like his namesake.

The further into the woods they went and the more the sounds of nature drowned out the city beyond, the more Brogan seemed to relax. He suggested a path that brought them to a small stream, where he helped Shani get her leg back over the saddle and carefully lowered her to the ground. He let the horse go to drink, tying its lead to a nearby branch.

"You didn't eat much this morning," Brogan reminded her quietly, bringing her to sit by a large old ash tree with broad, far-reaching roots. He dug into his satchel and pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle with sandwiches and a jug of cordial. Having to be careful of what he ate growing up, Bo had always been dutiful about making sure he ate enough, and it had translated to being conscious of making sure those he loved didn't skip meals. Considering three of their four parents had a tendency to forget to eat while busy, Bo had been bringing them jerky and stews and snacks since he was barely six. And as Shani had gotten older, he did the same with her. Perhaps the most common question Brogan asked to anyone was if they'd eaten before they got to work.

"Andre's been teaching me some stuff, letting me help with cooking," Brogan told Shani as he settled beside her. "Dola too. I'm not completely useless, but I definitely could learn some more. This is just simple stuff I threw together, but Dola helped me roast the meat."

Looking over at her, Brogan offered a little smile. "Maybe if I tell your Ma I got you to eat a little more, she won't be so mad that I whisked you away without a word."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You know my Ma adores you. She just wishes that you had made better decisions growing up." Shani said softly as Brogan got them all settled beneath a wide tree with a spread of his own design. "You're proving to her now that you aren't a total screw up."

Shani looked down at the sandwiches and then up at him, laughing softly. "Bo, you don't have to coddle me. I know my limits better than most."

She could see the hopeful look in his gaze, and she gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If I was coddling you, I'd be cutting your food up for you," Brogan protested with a grin. "This is just taking care. I promised everyone and especially you that I'd look after you."

At her soft words of thanks, he held her gaze for a moment as his own smile turned gentle. "I know you hate being cooped up. We're gonna get you back up to speed as soon as possible, promise. Then you're gonna outpace me at absolutely everything again, and it'll all be good. I promise you'll be with us when we close around Edinburgh. I need someone to hold my hand when we walk into the castle."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't need anyone to hold your hand, Bo. You haven't for a long time." Shani said softly. "Someone to support you, yes. We had to grow up faster than most because of our families, but we can stand on our own two feet just fine."

She sat back comfortably on the grass and watched as he served up the food. "You're a good man beneath all the horseshit and bravado."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You sound exactly like my Ma. Now I know why Riley complains about Andre being too much like Sam," Brogan snorted with a grin. "And maybe I don't need someone to hold my hand. But what if I want that?" He placed a small wooden plate and cup before her with the makeshift lunch. "I'm not too proud to admit I'm scared and I'd feel a lot better if someone was beside me. I've made it this far because you've always been my someone."

She caught the slight tilt of his pointed ears as his gaze dropped to the bundle he'd opened up. "You know, while you were out that whole first week... I felt like I lost my anchor. I didn't know if it was better to stay by you and worry with Rissa, or go out and try to do things alone. Neither felt like I was doing any good. I'm not completely hopeless without you, but... Y'know, when your person is missing, you don't feel like yourself."

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani didn't talk right away as he confessed that he had missed her the entire week that she had first been placed in the infirmary. She ate quietly as she always did, looking up at him as his ears flicked nervously.

"I didn't know if I would make it out of that palace alive, if I'm honest." Shani finally murmured. "The fire caught so fast. Everything was in flames. He cut me in the places that he knew would cause the most damage when my heart pumped fast. If your Da hadn't come when he did, I don't think I would be here."

"And, if I'm honest, I knew that you would be very angry if I died." She gave a soft laugh. "Very angry."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's putting it lightly. Probably would've done something pretty stupid." Brogan found that, despite making sure Shani ate, he had little appetite. Thinking of how he'd almost lost her made his stomach knot painfully.

"I was scared I'd never get the chance to do a lot of stuff with you. That I'd have to do it all alone." He was trying his best not to give in to melancholy or worry, but he also needed to let her know how important she was to him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, then you do admit that you're my mate?" Shani asked, watching as he tried to grapple with the idea that she had almost died. "If you feel that strongly about it, then you need to say the words."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't pull a Rissa on me," Brogan smiled lightly. "I didn't want to rush you. I've known I want to be beside you for forever. But as your mate... Well, I think I already knew it before. But facing the reality of almost losing you made it crystal clear."

Brogan set aside his meal and looked her in the eye. "I love you. I want to be with you, and I want to be your partner always."

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani stared at Brogan with a soft smile on her lips as he finally got around to admitting to her what she most wanted to hear. She leaned across the blanket and kissed him, her hand coming to rest on his cheek as they shared that moment together.

 

[KieranSoares]

Whenever Shani kissed him, Brogan melted and enjoyed every moment for all it was worth. With how unsure the future could be, he wasn't going to interrupt those moments with any other thoughts or worries.

When their lips parted, he nuzzled his forehead gently against hers. "I love you," he repeated softly, more reverently as he realized that, despite telling her that all the time growing up, it had taken on a new meaning.