The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I haven't decided yet which is the best course of action." Fiona said as she accepted a mug of stew from Ezra and started to eat if only to keep her strength up. "If I do give myself up, I need you to step into a leadership role. Lead the northern riders alongside Felix with the Johania and...Tanya, I suppose."

"And get my Da and Blair to safety. Take them to the haven if you must." She glanced over at Ezra and she could almost read his thoughts on the matter. "At least I'm not asking you to deal with Sam."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If I were to stand by and let you give yourself up, I will have to deal with Sam.* But Ezra didn't try to dissuade her, knowing they were in a difficult position but Fiona would likely be far better off in captivity than Owen. "I'll do whatever's necessary in your absence if need be. But you won't be gone long if any of us have a say." Ever the loyal lieutenant, Ezra was ready to do anything she asked of him.

 

[heartofcourage]

“It’s all part of the game, isn’t it?” Fiona asked as Ezra insisted that he would still have to deal with Sam if she were taken into captivity. “A cruel game, but a game none the less.”

Fiona glanced towards the field as Schaller came in to land. “Now I have to convince him…”

She handed Ezra her half finished meal and stood to go and speak to her loyal dragon.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'd wish you good luck, but I don't think it'd help with Schaller," Ezra murmured, letting her go to her partner.

Schaller was picking a few stray arrows out of his wings and arms, likely fired by panicking soldiers. But it seemed no major weapons had been used just yet. As Fiona drew close, he eyed her curiously. "I assume you had the other Caller under control if you didn't call me in... I could feel you two clash."

 

[heartofcourage]

“For now.” Fiona said as she climbed up into his forearm and took a seat. “If I can keep my new sister under control, I might be able to get somewhere.”

She looked up at Schaller and let out a soft sigh. “We have a choice to make, my friend.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't like the way you said that," Schaller murmured, his shoulders tense as he could tell his partner was about to say something he wouldn't like. Settling and giving her his full attention, he fixed her with a serious gaze. "What's going on?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona explained the entire situation to Schaller, not sparing a single detail. When she was done, she let the silence stretch between them as they both thought about the consequences of what Blair had done.

“I can survive the longest out of them all.” She said as she felt Schaller tense. “And I know Kate and Soma would act quickly if I were to turn myself over.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller was silent for a long time as she explained the situation. His immediate instinct was to protest, but he also knew how delicate the situation was. Even if Owen was in good health and Royer had been lying about him being badly hurt, Owen was still at far greater risk and less likely to be kept alive for long. Fiona, on the other hand, was someone Royer would want to keep alive and in his control.

"And when the armies march on Edinburgh, what then? Royer will leverage your life against us at all turns. He'll torture you and try to break you. And if you come out the other side alive... My love, living with those memories is horrific. The last thing I want for you is to finally get home and be unable to enjoy your life anymore."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I have you to help me…and Sam…” Fiona said softly. “And quite honestly, I’ve lived through some terrible times.

“I’ve not made up my mind what will happen, Schaller. We still have hours before then.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know this is your father and you'd do anything for him... But don't forget how much you mean to us too, little Fox," he muttered, curling in around her the way he always did when she was troubled or would come to him because she couldn't sleep. Her officers knew that when Schaller curled up with her, they weren't to be disturbed unless necessary. Carefully held and protected in Schaller's arms, he nuzzled gently against her, grappling with the knowledge that his partner might be taken from him soon.

"Once Owen is safe... Just give the word, my love," he murmured to her. "Kste might be angry at me for destroying things, but no castle, no city, and certainly no self-righteous Scot will keep me from you if you call."

 

[heartofcourage]

The next morning, Fiona was ready and in the field before dawn. She had ordered Blair and Jane to stay out of sight and she only had Ezra, Dani, and Costa at her side. Schaller would provide support from above as they met with Royer, ready for anything that he might have to throw at them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Just after dawn, a retinue of drakes, knights, and dragons came from Edinburgh. During the night, Royer had kept his own dragons grounded knowing Schaller was only causing chaos, not actually attacking. As he approached that morning in armor and flanked by his elite guard, Fiona could see the dragons on his side were not the mindless beasts her past enemies had held captive. These were fully intelligent, loyal dragons with bonded Riders who'd pledged themselves to whom they believed was the rightful ruler.

At the front of the pack on a fine blue northern drake, Royer cut an intimidating figure. As a former Clan King, he was much more rugged and ready for a scrap than a typical noble. His armor, while polished and fine, was proper battle plate and leather with scars of past skirmishes. He wasn't that much unlike Brogan or Tamblin all things considered.

Bringing his drake to a halt before the Northerners with his four finest Riders close behind and the drake riders a bit further back, Royer faced Fiona with a grim expression.

"Well, Your Majesty. I promised you a parley... Here I am." He dismounted, handing his drake's lead to an aide. "Though before I start makin' deals... I'd like to see my daughter-in-law."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I wish I could accommodate that request, but Blair Dyne has worked alone in stealing the princess in the night. I only just found out the bond between the both of them, my lord.” Fiona said with a shrug of her shoulders, acting as if her hands were tied in the matter. “I’m sure when the Lady Jane wishes to reach out, she will.”

“However, after much thought, I do have a proposal that I think you’ll find worth your time and efforts. You believe that my father is not a worthy trade, but there is something that you would want in return.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Royer's expression remained neutral as Fiona insisted Blair worked alone and she had no control over the situation. He likely didn't believe a word, but he let it go for the moment. When she mentioned a proposal for the return of Owen, he raised an eyebrow. "He isn't worth much t'me, but tha' doesn't matter. It's what he's worth to you. So... what d'you propose, milady?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“Me.” Fiona said simply. “I will trade myself for my father. Right now.”

Fiona could hear Dani and Costa murmuring behind her, not part of her planning and startled with the news. She was sure of herself in that moment though.

“The only thing I ask is a moment with my father before the trade to complete.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Royer stared at Fiona for a long moment, not quite believing she'd offer herself. His eyes cast over each of her officers, seeing Danica and Costa looking a bit panicked, but seeing Ezra completely composed. Then his eyes turned to all of their dragons, especially Schaller looming close by.

"I suppose I could accept tha'," Royer said slowly. "But on the condition tha' your people stay far back. I'm no' bringing him out to a situation where you can jus' take him an' run. An' I want one o' my dragons within reach. Once you're done talkin', you'll submit to capture without a struggle."

Fixing Fiona with a hard glare and looking for any sign of trickery, he called over his shoulder to one of the Riders. "Bring Blackstone out. We'll send a doctor with 'im til 'e's back across the border." Ordering such a thing confirmed that Owen was indeed in bad condition. The Rider and dragon took off, soaring back toward the city.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona have a nod and turned back towards her party, taking the time to strip off her weapons and pass them to Ezra to return back to Sam.

“It’s going to be alright.” She said to Dani and Costa. “I promise.”

She was just stripping off a few final pieces of armor and her cloak when she heard the dragon returning.

 

[KieranSoares]

"What the hell are we going to tell Sam?" Dani demanded in a quiet whisper as Fiona handed over her gear. "He's going to lose his mind, Fiona."

"Schaller and I will take responsibility," Ezra spoke up calmly. "We agreed with this plan. I wonder if it won't get me thrown in jail, but for Owen's sake... this needs to be done."

"We might never see you again," Costa spoke up softly, a man of few words who'd been unfailingly loyal to Fiona from the moment he and Danica joined her. His dark eyes were full of worry and even sadness as he looked at his trusted captain. "If Royer gets desperate... You'll be first in line to die."

Seeing the dragon arrive, Dani got even more nervous, but to their credit, she and Costa didn't stop Fiona. They trusted her, even if they didn't trust her life to anyone else. All Dani could do was step in closer to Costa's side, holding a bundle of Fiona's gear tightly to her chest. Ezra had her weapons, tying them together with a sword belt, and Costa had the majority of her armor.

Schaller stepped in to press his maw to Fiona's side one last time, silently bidding her farewell with a promise that they'd meet again. Then, he backed off with the other dragons til Royer's own approached.

The Rider slipped down to help a doctor in a heavy coat off the saddle, and they together went to the dragon's hands to carefully lift up a broken Owen Blackstone, sitting him on a nearby boulder near Fiona's campfire. The old Fox had been cleaned up, but he was still a mess. His shoulder and several bones in his left arm and hand were broken, all bound up and in a sling. It seemed he'd suffered some damage to his left knee as well, as it was carefully bound with a reinforcing splint to stabilize it. One eye was swollen shut, and a deep claw wound from a dragon had been bandaged on the right side of his ribs. He wasn't terribly responsive to the Rider and doctor, but he did start to come a bit more awake as he recognized his comrades and dragons nearby. The two humans retreated to a respectable distance, allowing Fiona the promised moment alone with her father.

"Little kit," Owen murmured as she approached. He suddenly looked so much older and more fragile than ever before, and his raspy voice threatened that he might be getting sick after his injuries.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona approached her father, taking his face carefully in her hands and pressing her forehead against his own. “They’re taking you home, Da. You’ll ride Schaller to the border. Blair and the rest will be with you the entire way.”

She didn’t think she could say more to him without upsetting him. It went unspoken that she would be staying behind in his place.

“I love you, Da.” She murmured softly in Erygonian.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't do this, Fiona..." Owen whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm an old man. I'm not worth this... I knew the moment they came to fetch me..." Tears rolled down his face, his uninjured hand clutching her sleeve weakly. "I can manage. I've been through worse..."

 

[heartofcourage]

“And this is my time to take care of you. I made a promise, didn’t I?” Fiona asked, kissing his cheek as he sobbed. “I’m strong enough to handle this. I’m stubborn like my Ma.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't make me lose my little girl, I wasted so much time already," he begged quietly, burying his face against her shoulder. He knew he couldn't stop her even on his best days, much less in his current state.

 

[heartofcourage]

“You won’t.” Fiona whispered as he clung to her so desperately. “Now, I need you to be strong and go with the rest of them.”

She glanced up at the doctor and the other rider, giving them a nod to come and attend to Owen. She upheld her part of the deal by stepping away, allowing her riders to stay at a distance.

 

[KieranSoares]

The pair helped Owen to his feet even as he quietly protested, and slowly walked him over to Fiona's officers where Ezra took over alongside the doctor who'd be accompanying Owen. The Rider returned, pulling a set of manacles from his belt.

"The king's orders," the Rider muttered as he locked her hands in front of her in the shackles. "As long as you cooperate, you'll be allowed to walk free and we won't chain your hands behind your back. Any tricks, and you'll be chained within an inch of your life at all times," he warned before taking her by the arm and leading her back toward Royer's group. They remained for a long moment, watching Schaller come forward to pick Owen up gingerly. The old fox was too unstable to ride in a saddle, so he was wrapped in cloaks and blankets and settled into Schaller's hands for the flight while the doctor rode with Costa.

As the others mounted up in silence, Ezra turned to face Royer's retinue, looking to Fiona with his shoulders squared and a determined, grace expression. Even from the distance, she saw him briefly press a hand over his heart in a symbolic gesture of love and farewell among his people, and he smoothly caught Sadah's horn as she leaned down, climbing into his saddle and leading the others into flight southward.

Royer watched them all til they were out of sight, and then turned toward Fiona with a hard stare. "I think a meeting between you an' Markos is long overdue, Rider Queen. I expect you t'be on your best behavior."

He gave a motion to the Rider who seemed to be her guard, and he pulled her toward his dragon who scooped her up in a firm but not uncomfortable grip. Soon they headed east into Edinburgh, where Fiona would be searched, stripped of everything save basic clothing, and confined to a lightless, cold cell beneath the castle.

At Hadrian's Wall, a long night's siege was winding down as both sides were exhausted. Despite Sam's best efforts and Soma's solid plans, the wall hadn't fallen. Royer had reinforced the wall well, and brought up so many anti-dragon weapons that they'd managed to repel the entire Rider battalion. A handful of dragons and Riders had fallen before Sam called them back to change tactics. With their enemies having the higher ground and fairly solid defenses, no charges could be made at the wall and they hadn't managed to break open a pathway yet. For the first time since their campaign began, Soma was frustrated with himself for failing to overcome an enemy. Sam had assured him that a multi-day battle was going to happen eventually, pushing his son to switch to proper siege tactics instead of all-out battle. Even if Soma was the finest tactical mind they had, his lack of experience meant he needed his father's guidance still.

In late morning as Sam was riding through the camp checking in with officers and those resting, he had Riley and Soma both with him, showing them how he operated his camp. In the night, Sam had sent out Riders to find out what was taking Tanya and Joachim so long, and they'd just received word back that the pair had reached London but were going to be slow getting to the front. Tanya had reported Joachim was ill. She'd sent a message meant for Fiona, but with Fiona away, Sam had taken it and learned that Joachim too was being hounded by the Edinburgh Caller. It was bad enough that the Emperor had nearly collapsed a couple times. Being that both parents were away from Vienna, Joachim had brought his son, though he'd decided to have the boy travel in secrecy with guards and a nurse a bit behind him, just to keep him safe.

As Sam explained what he'd learned to his children and his concerns about Joachim's well-being, he pulled Kennah to a halt. Roman and Elin, respectively carrying Riley and Soma, also paused as Sam looked to the northern horizon. They could all see Schaller and a host of familiar dragons coming in, but Schaller's saddle was empty.

"Gods, Fiona, what've you done now...?" They could hear Sam mutter to himself, eyes wide with concern. As he saw the dragons headed for the south end of camp to land, he pulled Kennah around and set off at a fast trot through the camp. "Come on, kids," he called back to his children. "Schaller was carryin' someone." He didn't have to say it aloud for them to know he was scared that it was Fiona, who rarely allowed herself to be carried unless she was badly hurt or deeply upset.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley glanced over at Soma as Sam ordered them to follow, scared that Fiona had been hurt as the dragons and riders returned. She was confused because Fiona wasn’t there. Or at least Fiona couldn’t be felt as they drew near. Riley kicked Roman into a trot behind Kennah, pausing only for a moment when she saw Schaller’s dark look to know something had happened.