The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Well, we can consider it your greatest challenge yet." Kate said with a smile as she relaxed back in her chair and continued to converse with her nephew, talking about their plans.

There was still a light rain falling across the camp as the flap to Owen's tent opened. Fiona looked inside, seeing Nora at her post. Quietly, she stepped inside and gave Nora a small smile.

"Don't get up. Sam brought me to see my father." Fiona said softly as she noticed that Owen was asleep. "He doesn't want me out long in this weather, but I needed to see him."

 

[KieranSoares]

As Nora settled back into her seat, having been ready to give Fiona a moment alone with Owen, she took a moment to look over her former mate's daughter. "I heard a bit of what you went through... Awful as it all is, I wanted to offer my apologies for all of this. But also my gratitude. Because of you, I'll get a chance to get to know him again." She looked down at Owen and let out a quiet sigh. "He finally started to rest peacefully once you were back."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There is nothing for you to apologize for." Fiona said softly as she came to her father's side, reaching out to touch his cheek with her bandaged hand. It struck her just how old her father looked in the moment, worn down by his own time with the Royers. She had never truly considered how much time had passed in the scheme of things, from the moment he had left her in Inverness to now.

"I wanted to hate you." Fiona said softly, looking up at Nora. "I wanted to think the worst of you for taking my Ma's place in his life, even though I know it's not fair. You didn't have a choice. I know you still love him, and he still cares for you and all I want for him is to find happiness. That's all I've ever wanted for him. That's why I did what I did. He wouldn't have survived."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm grateful to even have a chance to be here with him," Nora murmured softly. "I always wanted Blair to know him. But I also worry she's ruined her chances here by acting with her heart and not her head. She loves Jane so... I'm afraid my daughter is young and foolish still, and it nearly cost you your father. I only hope she can make up for it in time."

Owen began to stir slightly, his hazy eyes blinking slowly open as he felt Fiona's hand on his cheek. It took him a long moment to fully come to and realize who he was seeing. "Oh, little kit..." He whispered, tears immediately flooding his eyes. As he tried to sit forward, Nora leaned in to help him, supporting him so he could embrace his daughter.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona embraced him, holding him as tightly as she could in spite of her own pain. She nuzzled against his cheek, her eyes squeezing against her own tears. It wouldn't do her any good to lose herself right then. Owen needed her to be strong and stoic as she always was.

"I told you I was stubborn like my Ma." She whispered, pulling back slightly to look him in the eye. "And I'd do it all over again if I had to."

 

[KieranSoares]

"No one should have to be this strong, Fiona," Owen told her quietly, resting his head against her shoulder as he tried to gather himself. "Not her. Not you... No one." With half his body broken, he couldn't do much more than lean against her and hold her with one arm, weeping over what she'd been put through in his place.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Shhh..." Fiona murmured, trying to calm him as he seemed to grow more upset with her there. "If you get too upset, I'll have to leave. I had to pester Sam all morning to get the chance to come and with the rain, I'm not sure when I'll get the chance again."

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen's fingers clutched the back of her shirt, as if he could keep her there despite her warning. But soon he was exhausted again and began to drift off. Nora tucked him back in carefully, brushing the tears from his face. She couldn't help tears brimming in her own eyes, her heart aching for him. "He's gotten a little better, staying awake longer..." She tried to offer a small positive as much for herself as Fiona. But she couldn't manage a smile. "Doctor Irons says he'll recover, but it's going to take a lot of work and he may need help with things for a long time. But that's okay... We'll look after him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Of course, we will." Fiona said softly as she leaned down to kiss her father's cheek, upset that she had caused him so much anguish, but hiding it well. "I'll be back in the morning. Tell him that when he wakes again."

She hesitated to leave, but knew that it was for the best. She gave Nora a nod and took her leave, exiting the tent to find Sam waiting for her.

"There's one last person I need to see." She said softly, slipping her arm through his. "Hopefully seeing Schaller will go better than seeing my Da."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam pressed a kiss to her lips as she returned and pulled her hood back up over her head, walking with her to where Schaller was resting just on the edge of Alex's portion of camp. It was impossible to cover the great dragon from the rain, but the Riders had gone as far as to dig out little trenches around Schaller so that the rain wouldn't pool beneath him. He was half-stretched out, his side hurting too much to curl up as much as he'd normally do. Fiona could see all the little pock marks of arrows that had lodged in his scales, and a handful of scales missing around his arms and neck from his crash. The wounds on his side and several deeper sword wounds had been carefully cleaned and then covered by large patches of fabric, the edges attached to his scales by a simple adhesive. This was the best way to make bandages for such massive creatures at the moment.

Schaller was not in nearly as dire a state physically as he'd been when Fiona fled Inverness and had to leave him behind, but he looked like all of the strength had been drained from him as well. Fiona had never seen him weak even when on death's door, but it seemed the fight with the other elder and experiencing Fiona's pain had laid him low for the time being. But as Fiona approached, his great green eye opened and immediately focused on her. Lifting his head a few feet off the ground, Schaller crawled toward his partner with a burst of determination, not caring how his wounds ached. As soon as his maw pressed into her arms, his eyes closed and he let out a low sigh. "Hello, my love..." He whispered.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Hello, old man." Fiona said as she wrapped her arms around his maw and leaned into Schaller's scales. "I see I can't leave you alone for a moment without things going to hell."

She nuzzled against him and simply reconnected with him mentally, enjoying the nearness that she had with him. "I'm sorry that I did what I did, Schaller. I shouldn't have put you in that position."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hush. You did what was necessary, and you know I would face that hell with you again." Scooping Fiona into his hands, he held her close to his chest, his maw still tucked into her arms. He stilled and she could feel the tension leave his body and mind. "My dearest little Fox," he rumbled deeply, his voice hitching slightly. He wouldn't weep, but she could feel the emotion welling in his chest. Taking a deep breath to steady himself once more, he simply basked in her presence.

"I'm gonna check in with some folks. You keep her warm, old friend," Sam said with a little smile to the dragon as he looked up. "I'll be back in a little while."

Schaller nodded, folding a wing up over his head to shield them both, his chest igniting to keep them both warm against the storm.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't you cry too." Fiona murmured as Schaller lifted her to his chest, tucking her against his scales as Sam left them in peace. "I had to deal with my Da and I don't know if I could handle it if you started as well."

"I owe you everything for taking away some of that pain, Schaller. For trying to help me." Fiona murmured.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're my partner, Fiona. My soulmate. Your pains and challenges are mine. I only wish I could've stayed with you the whole time... but that other damned dragon..." He sighed quietly. "I thought after Reven, Dzana and I were the eldest left. But it seems someone is still left from the ancient days when some dragons were like gods and kings. This Hesperus... I wonder if he's named after the Greek god, or the god is named after him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Markos, his rider, is a mystery. He hates Royer with a passion, but he is incredibly loyal. I've never seen someone quite like him before. He wanted to speak of all the dragons and almost seemed to admire me, but he had no problem torturing me for Royer's pleasure." Fiona said as she got comfortable in Schaller's hand, her body sore and tired.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It sounds as though your business with this Markos isn't finished, then. I normally wouldn't fault a man for being loyal to those who helped him... but this is inexcusable. The Royers didn't torture you for information. They did it to tear you down so there would be one less major force to deal with in this war. But they are fools indeed if they think laying you low would break the Northern spirit. It's done exactly the opposite."

 

[heartofcourage]

"As much as I want to think I'm a nobody, I'm proven wrong time and again." Fiona said, leaning her head against his maw and letting her eyes close. "Are you feeling alright? I knew when you got hurt. The jailers thought that I was losing my mind with how loudly I was screaming."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Rory tells me I'm lucky I didn't end up like Avfairn," Schaller muttered with a sigh. "If those bolts had gone any deeper, I don't know if I'd be here. Thankfully Riley was watching my back so those were the worst of my wounds, and Dzana came in to get the soldiers off me when I crashed. As for how I feel... well, maybe a little better than you at the moment. We're grounded for now, it seems."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just because I can't use my hands and my body is sore doesn't mean that I couldn't still fly. I can fly with my eyes closed." Fiona said with a small smile as Schaller mentioned that she might be a little worse off than he. "Don't tempt me or else I will prove you wrong."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then I am grounded and you can convince another fool to fly with you." He chuckled softly at that. "My wing needs time to heal. But I promise you that as soon as I'm able, I'll take you on a long flight over your homeland. After all... We're finally back."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That reminds me. You need to be careful. They know your true name. I'm afraid that they might know far more about you than we previously realized. They know about Rikke and the other small elders as well." Fiona said, her mood turning serious in an instant. "I won't risk anything with these people."

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller's brows furrowed in worry as she mentioned Rikke and Sveri. "My name is not a secret... but we've kept the little ones hidden carefully. This Markos has done some very thorough research if he knows of them. Sveri especially. They are as safe as we can make them right now, far in the Swedish wilderness with the Voya and other dragons about. But if there is any hint that Royer intends to strike at them, no wound will stop me from going to them. Dzana would probably beat me there as well."

Keeping his wing up to shield her, he drew his head up to look down at her. "We have a lot of work to do in order to be useful again, my love. But I think it's safe to say we've done more than enough, and we've earned a rest. I worry for the young ones and the innocent we left behind as well. But we need to rest and trust our allies who love us most." He then cracked a small smile. "A far cry from my attitude when we were still butting heads and trying to get ourselves killed two decades ago. I think you were right. I've gone soft."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll protect the young ones until my final breath." Fiona promised, swearing to Schaller that she viewed the little ones as her own. "I promise you that."

Leaning against his warm scales, she let out a long and tired sigh. "I've done too much for the day and I'm sure that I'm in for a scolding from all sides. Come and see me tomorrow. They're sure to be less grumpy if you come to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Less grumpy at you, maybe. But I don't mind taking the brunt of it," Schaller chuckled softly and held her a while longer before Sam came back to get her into bed.

In the following week, the army made a slow march northwest, skirting past Edinburgh and instead cutting the city off from the southern Scottish Clans. The liberation of Glasgow was easy, Royer having not allowed them to keep major weapons stockpiles or dragons for fear of the supplies being seized by rebelling townsfolk. When Gallus the Third was reinstated as King of Clan Glasgow, the entire territory erupted into celebration, flying their old banner alongside Kate's with immense pride.

As the armies began to wrap up and around to try to lock Edinburgh in with the navy's help in the bay, Royer sallied out with his own navy and dragons and managed to keep the bay free despite Ivan of Denmark's best efforts. Soma was furious to learn the Danish King had been wounded, though thankfully not fatally. This drew the ire of Sweden, Kjersten personally joining the navy with her reserve ships to reinforce Ivan. She was on her way to Scotland by the time the last gap on land was sealed by the Northern Armies. Some Clans tried to fight, afraid or too loyal to Royer to accept the Ghis back. These Clans were given an ultimatum from Soma: stand down and become independent when Kate retook the throne, or be taken over by force to keep the peace. While no one wanted to harm the formerly-independent clans, Soma wasn't about to let them threaten Kate and her loyal allies.

With Edinburgh sealed off, several battalions were dispatched to Aberdeen alongside a fleet from the navy. The man who'd taken over with Royer's help turned out to be a coward. He'd made many threats and boasts to the Northerners until a battalion showed up on his doorstep with a naval fleet just off shore. He bowed immediately to the pressure and offered a deal to Kate for his loyalty in order to keep his throne. Soma left that decision to her as the former ruling family had been wiped out completely.

The next great surprise came when the Northerners got near the borders of Inverness and Inverlochly, where they were repelled instantly by a ferocious attack in the night by guerilla fighters, drakes, and highly-trained dragons. Soma ordered the march to halt there, wanting to get a better idea of Inverness's defenses before charging in. And he hoped that if Edinburgh fell first, Inverness's new rulers would cower and give in.

It was at this point that Soma gave Kate the all-clear to attempt her journey to Wick. With Qira and Kell healed and ready, and Shani, Bo, and Rissa having rejoined the army's march while Shani re-honed her skills and strength again, Soma knew Kate could walk into Wick with her focus totally on her uncles instead of worry for her family.

With the last frost over two weeks prior, even Scotland's northern reaches were fully thawed, the warm rains causing more mist than usual as the ground warmed. Amid the darkness, Kell had slipped into Wick to clear the way for his wife. And in the heavy fog of early morning, Qira escorted his queen along the muddy path on two plain-looking horses, in very plain, ragged-at-the-edges clothing. They carried no symbols of their station or affiliations, and Qira's arsenal had been cut down to only what could be hidden under clothing.

When they reached the old city of Wick, it was a far cry from what Kate remembered. The little clan and city, once proud and ferocious and rich because of their strength under Lochlan O'Hennessey, and made richer and more educated and worldly in Cahal's time, had been reduced to a grey, colorless husk like Inverness had been in Tamblin the Mad's time. Even richer districts had become slums, the markets nearly bare of goods and food. The only business thriving in Wick now was the undertaker, it seemed. As Qira and Kate passed by, they could see people toiling in gardens and in fields outside the city, desperately trying to plant enough to survive the coming winter, even though many were so starved that it'd be a miracle if they made it that long.

Dunland Keep was also a shadow of its former self. No proud Wick banners flew anymore, only those of Royer's mockery of the former Scottish high banner. All riches and useful materials had been stripped away and sold to feed the population. The inner courtyard was a mess, the groundskeepers long since let go. Only a smattering of guards stood about, all in Royer's colors and tabards. Thankfully, they were all too tired and hungry to care about two ragged travelers until Qira and Kate approached the outer gate.

"State your business," a guard called down half-heartedly from the gatehouse to the pair. His face was sullen and sunken, his armor ill-fitting both due to his youth and being underfed for so long. "The Lord is not holding public court right now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If you would inform his lordship that his niece is here to speak with him, I'm sure that he would change his mind." Kate called back, dismounting from her steed to stand in the thick mud that caked everything surrounding Dunland Keep. "I've never seen this keep look so worn." She murmured as she took in just how terribly Wick looked as it had been kept under the thumb of Royer.