The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

Blair nodded, turning to look toward her dragon. The ruby-colored male turned toward the wall and let out several short blasts of fire. Another dark maroon dragon poked its head over the wall briefly before disappearing again, and suddenly Fiona felt the days-long migraine lift, leaving her light-headed and threatening to make her body buckle as the tension released.

"The king doesn't take the threat of outside Callers lightly," Blair explained quietly. "He's been preparing to deal with Northern Callers from the day the Empire surrendered. My comrade is... very well-versed at subduing other Callers."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona said nothing as she breathed freely for the first time in ages. She motioned further into the field, away from the wall and the dragons, before she started to walk.

"What was your name before your joined Royer's ranks?" Fiona asked, glancing over at the younger rider. "Dyne is what he named you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Following alongside just outside of arm's reach, Blair attached her helmet to a loop on her belt. "I didn't have a family name, if that's what you mean," she answered. "I was just Blair. Or 'Mutt' as humans like to call me. I'm sure you're familiar with that as well. And regardless, slaves don't get family names."

Glancing over, Blair added, "I've answered a question of yours, now you answer one of mine. Are you really a Fox? Or is the legend of the Fox in a human's skin just nonsense?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm as pure of a Fox as you can find." Fiona said as she turned her head and met her gaze. "It's not just a fairy tale or a legend. I was born to two foxes, but I was the first human in my family's bloodline since Lady Margaret Blackstone."

"However, am I monster like Royer and the rest of the empire wanted to paint me as? That's left to be determined." She paused and turned to look at the young woman face to face. "Let me be blunt. The likelihood of this family having two humans born is incredibly small. Forgive me if I don't quite believe that you are my true sister."

 

[KieranSoares]

Blair faced Fiona with a slight furrow of her brows and a nod. "I know, it sounds impossible. I'm not even sure I believe it. But I won't call my mother a liar. She's always told me my father was a Fox named Owen, hailing from Scotland. But he never said his family name. She simply assumed he didn't have one, like her. But she did know he had a human-born daughter, and we started to put the pieces together when an Owen and Fiona Blackstone emerged as Riders for the North. A full-blooded Fox and a human-born daughter. We knew it had to be him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What is your mother's name?" Fiona asked, knowing that this news very likely had the potential to tear what she had with her father apart.

 

[KieranSoares]

Blair crossed her arms over her chest, not in an aggressive posture, but almost defensive as if she was guarding the information Fiona wanted. "... Nora. Of Orkney," she murmured, studying Fiona's features closely for any hint that giving the name would pose a danger to her mother. "A full-blooded Wolf."

 

[heartofcourage]

The news punched Fiona in the gut and she closed her eyes for a moment, lowering her head as she cursed under her breath. Planting her hands on her hips, she blew out a long sigh and thought over her options now that it had been all but confirmed.

"I don't mean her any harm. I promise you that." Fiona said softly, still unable to bring her gaze back up to meet Blair's. "For us to know...they have to meet. Can you bring her here safely?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"If my dragon can be within reach of her at all times... I can have her here tomorrow. But it needs to be in secret."

Blair looked back toward the Scottish army. "The king will already be angry that I met with you. He's forbidden me from speaking to you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I will have my father here by then as well. We can meet in secret. I swear no one will know beyond myself, my father...and my husband." Fiona swore, finally looking up and seeing with a slight curiosity that Blair seemed so willing to meet and so suspicious of Royer. "I will have Lord Schaller stand off as he has today, but my father will have Orion with him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We will meet east of here near the shore, preferably at dusk," she agreed. "If no harm comes to my mother, we will part on fair terms... But we will also need to discuss things between you and I. If you are my kin... Well, then I have a conflict of interest to solve."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We will discuss that in due time." Fiona said with a nod.

That was all that needed to be said as the pair turned to get back to their dragons, plans laid to meet back the next day. Fiona waited next to Schaller until Blair was off. She stood there for a long time, just thinking and trying to piece together everything that she had just learned.

"Ma?" Riley called, concerned for her mother who seemed completely out of it.

Fiona lifted her head to glance over at her daughter as she and Marth approached. "I need you and Andre to go get your grandfather. Bring him here."

"You're sure about that?" Riley asked, confused that she wanted to bring Owen towards the front lines.

"Yes." Fiona said softly. "Keep it quiet."

Riley simply gave her Ma a nod and turned Marth towards where she and Andre had been camping to gather him and to take off to get Owen as requested. After Riley was gone, Fiona glanced up at Schaller and gave him a lost shrug.

"She's my sister."

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller leaned his great head down, pushing his maw against Fiona's hand. "You've been carrying a lot in silence, my love. Let's get away from the front line and get Samuel. Then, you need all the rest you can get. Tomorrow will be difficult." He tilted his head, lowering one great horn for her to climb on, before turning to head southward back to the camps.

As Schaller walked down a wide lane left open for the dragons to pass through, he eventually lowered Fiona back down beside Soma's war tent where Sam could usually be found. Sam emerged a moment later, his expression growing concerned as he saw Schaller being so gentle as if Fiona was in a fragile state. "Love?" He called as he approached, reaching out to lay a hand on her arm. "I saw you go out to talk to the Rider. What's goin' on?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"We need to speak, but not here." Fiona said quietly, allowing Sam and Schaller to spirit them away to a more private location.

One husband and wife were away from the camps, away from the dragons, away from any ear that might hear the information that she now held, she told him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Beyond the camps in a safe section of woods, Sam listened closely as Fiona described her meeting with Blair Dyne. He was silent the entire time, leaning against a tree and staring at the ground beneath his boots as he thought.

When Fiona finished and silence stretched for a long moment, Sam looked up to study her expression. "How're you feelin' about this, love?" He asked softly, his first concern for her rather than any other complications this information would bring up. He would worry about the rest after he steadied his wife. "If it's true tha' she wasn't supposed t'speak to you... that raises a lot of questions. But I'm more concerned about you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I feel gutted." Fiona said softly. "And angry. All of the information that Da gave me matches what she told me. I have no reason to believe that she lied, but we are also in the middle of a war, and I know that she would lie to get me alone and bury a dagger in my ribs."

Fiona turned her back to Sam for a moment, working her hands together in nervous energy as she thought over what all of this meant. "Samuel, he abandoned me and started another family..."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hold on, love," Sam said softly, stepping up to take her hands in his own. "Didn' you say he said it wasn' his choice?" He asked softly. Sam had listened to it all, keeping her and her father's secrets faithfully. "I'm on your side, lass. You know tha'... but I don' want t'see you doubt your Da so quickly. He loves you more'n anything in the world an' you two worked hard t'rebuild a relationship these past twenty years." Wrapping a broad arm about her shoulders, he still kept one of her hands and traced a thumb over her knuckles soothingly.

 

[heartofcourage]

"They're trying to ruin me, Sam. This is what they want." She murmured, her forehead leaning against his chest as he pulled her in and held her. "They want me to doubt. They want me to be distracted. They want me to lose my mind."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They aren't gonna succeed." Sam pressed a kiss to her temple as he hugged her tighter. "You kept me together when I struggled... I'm gonna do the same for you. No matter if this whole thing with Owen an' that girl is true, I'll see you to the other side. Jus' don't take it all on alone. Please."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Who am I going to burden, Sam? You have the weight of war on your shoulders." Fiona muttered as he held her tighter. "Just draw your dagger now and do what the entire empire has wanted to do for the last twenty years. It would save the suffering of hundreds."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Fiona..." Sam lifted her head, making her look at him. It was disturbing to see a mirror of his younger self in her, so quickly destabilized by the existence of one person. "You've never been a burden to me. Never. Even if I had t'bloody carry you home on my back, you wouldn't be a burden." Taking her left hand in both his own, he ran his thumb over her rings, lifting her hand to show them to her. "We're partners. Like I told you when we were both half-dead in an alley in Inverness tryin' to escape, like I've told you in our worst an' best times. T'whatever end, love, it's you an' me. An' no fucking emperor, usurper, or rebel is gonna change that." There was fire in his voice with that last statement as he squeezed her hand firmly.

 

[heartofcourage]

Samuel held her heart and soul. He deserved it after putting her back together, but Fiona couldn't help the feelings of insecurity that bubbled to the surface when it came to her childhood. She couldn't shake her mother's death and her father's cruelty. There was a part of her that she didn't think would ever truly forgive Owen for walking out of her life, even though it had been for the best. She had her best years with Ephriam and then lost him before she knew it.

"This isn't fair, Sam." She muttered, tears starting to spill over her lashes. "This isn't fair."

 

[KieranSoares]

"C'mere, darlin'," Sam whispered as he pulled her in again, her cheek pressed to his chest while he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He didn't try to stop her tears, knowing she needed the release. Instead, he settled on the ground with his back to a tree, letting Fiona fall apart wrapped up in his protective embrace for as long as she needed. And even if Schaller wasn't right there beside them, Fiona could feel the elder dragon's mind reach out to envelope hers, feeling her distress and seeking to lighten the load a bit.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona sobbed against Sam's chest, beating his armor with her fist as he held her tightly. She wailed out her pain, deep painful sobs that left her aching from their force. It seemed like forever before she finally calmed, too tired to do much more than to cling to her husband. She leaned her forehead against his cheek, closing her eyes and trying to gather herself back together.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was quiet the whole time, leaning back so she could lay against him and take all the time she needed. With Schaller nearby, she was protected on all sides. It wasn't til early evening that Schaller brought them back to camp, Fiona cradled and hidden against his chest as Sam walked alongside. Sam got her settled in their tent and fetched dinner for them both, keeping things quiet and calm for his wife while also managing the camp's defenses as both sides sat in wait for someone to make the first move.