The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Sam, this dragon is large enough to have wiped out Greek and Egyptian fleets if the stories are to be believed." Fiona said as she saw Sam worried about what was before them. "I'm not an invalid. I can handle Markos. The rest of you have much more important things to take care of and this lets me feel like I'm still helpful in the scheme of things."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you're sure, love," Sam murmured. "In the meantime... I need to make sure we're as prepared as we can be. If this Hesperus is on his way, we have weeks at most."

With no appetite left, Sam left his bowl aside and rose to organize some of their gear. It was what he often did when worried, arranging and rearranging things to assure himself everything was present and ready. He wanted to go to Soma and start planning, but he knew they all needed to have a break for a moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched as Sam moved nervously around their space, his nervousness feeding into her anxious energy. She sighed and placed her bowl aside, rising from the cot and moving to collect the materials that she would need to change her bandages.

"Are you going to help?" She asked, looking over at Sam as she slowly got everything laid out, mixtures of herbs and lotions, fresh bandages, and water to wash her wounds.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam looked up, immediately returning to her side. "Of course. I said I would." He sat down with her once more when they had everything together. With his focus pulled to looking after her, he pushed everything else aside in his mind.

He began carefully unwrapping her hands, not wanting to disturb the splints on her fingers and the bits that needed to stay in place til her bones healed. For the first time, she saw the gruesome holes in her hands that had healed shut and were now large, dark, jagged scars beginning to scab over fully.

Washing his own hands first, Sam took a soft cloth to gently wash hers. He was careful as could be, reminding her of previous times she'd been hurt or too ill to properly care for herself alone. Sam found solace in looking after her and their children, even if he worried deeply for them the whole time and it hurt to see what other people did to them. When he'd patted her skin dry, he let her have a moment to consider the damage while he readied everything else they'd need.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fingers that weren't splinted, she could just start to move more, the normally slender appendages still bruised and swollen. Quietly, she looked over the wounds, turning her hands over to look everything. There were smaller wounds where Markos has used silver nails driven into her skin to try and gain information. She had stubbornly refused.

"Good thing you married me when we were younger." Fiona murmured softly, turning her hands to look at the scarring on her palms. "I might not be beautiful for much longer at this rate."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hush," Sam chided her gently. "I'd be a fool not t'marry you. Back then and still today." Setting things aside, Sam carefully cupped his hands beneath hers and pressed his forehead to her own. "Don' you start any of tha', love. You're still gorgeous. Just ask Jani," he teased with a half-smile, knowing the other Rider had been flirting with Fiona for twenty years. "A few scars won' change that. An' if my parents are anythin' to go by, I'll still be head-over heels for you an' followin' you around like a lost puppy when I'm a grey old man."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It does...wound me in a way." Fiona said softly as she stared down at the terrible marks that marred her flesh. "I never thought that I was a vane person. I still don't believe that I am, but that's difficult to reconcile."

"I survived Barbarossa. I survived the Imperial forces. I'll survive this." She murmured, her eyes moving to meet Sam's once more. "It won't be easy, I'm sure."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Vanity is a far cry from worryin' people migh' think differently of you for your scars," Sam assured her softly. "It's tougher for women, I know." He leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, a hand lifting to her cheek. "It won't be easy. But you've come back from death itself against all odds. You can do this too. And you know the kids an' I will help you get there."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's something I didn't tell you, Sam." Fiona said softly as he promised that they would get her through everything as a family. "When I was out there...on the cross...he was there too. Hesperus. He might have abandoned Markos but he talked to me. Not in the way that he's been speaking to me. In a way that...you would think I'm crazy. I don't understand any of this. He's not in my family line and I don't know how he's able to torment me this way. Never in my life have I wanted to run from a challenge as badly as I do right this moment."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, his brows furrowing. "Talkin' to you in a different way? What'd he say?" Seeing Fiona afraid of a dragon's influence made Sam tense, his first thoughts for her safety and their children. "Anythin' you can tell me that'll help us be prepared, love... I need to hear it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"They talk through our blood. He takes advantage of callers at their lowest, uses them and tosses them aside. He did so with Markos. He tried to do so with me and might have succeeded if Andre hadn't come." Fiona said softly, slightly ashamed about what had happened. "He can speak to me in ways that only Reven could, and you saw what happened there. What happens if he's able to break through all of the barriers and shields that I've worked to build?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's not immortal," Sam growled at the idea of her being overtaken. "He may be thousands of years old, but he's not invulnerable. Anyone can be overwhelmed. An' if he's gonna threaten my wife an' my homeland, I'm gonna unleash this entire alliance on him. I'm not playin' games with a monster who wants t'destroy entire countries."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Samuel..." Fiona said as she bowed her head, her fingers curling as much as they could around his own. "There might come a time when you have to choose between me and our children."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Absolutely not." Sam's reaction was instant. Anytime she bought up the idea of her death or him having to move on, he vehemently resisted. It was one of the few subjects that could reawaken his temper. "No one's takin' you away from us."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona quietly moved her hands to cup his left hand between both of hers, careful of her wounds and broken fingers. She kept her eyes on his own, her face as serious as it had ever been.

"I trust you, Samuel Durban Ghis, with my life." She murmured softly. "I know that you will be my sword and shield if needed. You always have been. You have been my greatest love and friend. You have been the best husband that I could have asked for. I'm asking you to look me in the eyes right now and promise me that if you are faced with a choice between myself and our children...you'll make the right one."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam stared at her for a long moment, and she could see his younger self ready to fight, ready to explode at her for how often in their marriage she'd put everyone else before herself to the point of injury, or risked her life. But instead, his shoulders sagged and he leaned forward, pulling her into his lap and wrapping her up in his broad arms.

"Don't make me choose," he whispered almost helplessly against her shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Don't put me in tha' position. We're not done raising Tati an' Soma... An' you wanted another. I need you to be safe."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I need you to promise me, Sam. Please." She begged him, tears brimming in her eyes as he fought so hard to have to say those words. "If it were just a regular dragon, I would say that we could face it together, but it's not. It's not. I don't know how to even begin preparing for this kind of a task. I just need to know that in the end my family will be safe."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was quiet for a long moment, simply holding her as the reality set in that they were about to face a colossal beast of myth who'd proven he had no love even for the Caller who should've been closest with him. Letting out a shaky breath, Sam pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. He reached up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek and muttered, "If it ever came down to it... Nothin' would stop me from protecting our kits. But the second they were safe... Love, you know I'd charge into the depths of hell after you."

 

[heartofcourage]

A soft nod came at his promise, sniffling as more tears came. "I want nothing more than to give you another child. To see Tati and Soma find the one that completes them. You know what I'll be fighting for. I'm so sorry for all of this, Sam."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Stop bloody apologizing for things you didn't ask for," Sam growled, hugging her tightly once more. He buried his face against her shoulder again, taking that long moment to simply hold her and hope it wouldn't be one of the last times.

When morning broke, it was with a sense of urgency as Sam sent out word across the liberated areas about Hesperus's approach, calling for all the anti-dragon weapons they could gather and salvage. Sam hated to use them, but it was becoming necessary both against Hesperus and Royer.

In the meantime, Markos seemed to flit around like a curious puppy, seeking out Fiona's finest officers in hopes of meeting them and their partners. At one point it earned him a slap across the face from Danica the moment she saw him. She knew she couldn't do much more than that without defying Fiona's orders, but she wasn't about to let Markos walk on without some kind of retaliation. Markos was stunned for a moment, then gave her a nod of understanding and an apology for disturbing her, and let her be.

When Markos came to find Riley, she was with Jani. She'd asked the young Fox to help her rebuilding her round shield that had been shattered back in London. The metal pieces were all still there, but the wood needed replacing and repainting. They'd just started cutting the circular shield out of boards that had been glued and clamped to make one piece. It was finally dried enough to cut and put on the metal fittings.

As Markos approached, walking barefoot through the grass, Jani glanced up from carefully measuring to center the shield boss while Riley was preparing the handles for the back side. Markos offered a friendly smile, but it faded as Jani dropped the shield boss and stood to fix him with a glare of pure murder.

"Stop," Jani commanded, making Markos pause a distance away. "Turn around and fuck off, lapdog."

"I wanted to ask the Princess-"

"And stay away from my kid," Jani snarled, reflexively reaching for the hatchet at her hip.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He can ask me what he wants to ask, Jani." Riley called as she focused on the metal pieces at hand, sitting in the grass and carefully working with Jani's borrowed tools. "I don't promise that I'll answer, but he can ask."

She glanced up as Jani seemed unwilling to backdown, her hand still resting on the handle of the hatchet she always carried. "Jani, let him pass. It's alright."

 

[KieranSoares]

Jani's venom receded ever so slightly, but she still stayed on her feet, crossing her arms and glaring death at Markos. "One step out of line and you're Avi's lunch," Jani warned darkly.

"Fair," Markos said with a genuine, kind smile before he came a little closer. Seeing the shield materials, he was immediately intrigued and distracted for a moment, but shook himself to get back on track. "Princess," he addressed Riley with a small bow. "I just wanted to ask... did Major Zaufberg get Miss Gia's scale? Did it help at all?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He did." Riley said as she tightened one of Jani's handles, fiddling with the bolts until it was to her satisfaction. "He is grateful to have something of Gia back. However, right now he wishes to be alone. He's still healing."

She glanced up at Markos as he stood by and watched her closely. "I would warn you to leave he and his mother alone for now. Andre can hold his own when he's irritable and Jani doesn't like Dola to be bothered."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I wouldn't intrude. That was why I gave the scale to your brother instead of coming to hand it over myself."

Markos watched her work for a moment, curious and almost innocent-looking. "I, um... also wanted to say that if you wanted help preparing for Hesperus, I am all too willing. I don't want your mother to face him alone."

"What do you care?" Jani growled deeply. "You tortured her."

"I care deeply," Markos said softly. "She has always been a hero of mine. An idol, even. But I had to choose between her and the man who saved me. And now my loyalty to my bloodline and my master have been betrayed. So here I am."

Jani stared at him for a long moment, vicious thoughts staying silent for the moment. "Yeah, well, if it were up to me, you'd have been dead the second you showed your face here. Just because Royer did something for you doesn't excuse what he's done to thousands of people."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Jani." Riley murmured as Jani viciously tried to put Markos in his place. She glanced up at her mother-in-law, ready to put her in place and remind her of her mother's orders from the night before when a call went out and she glanced up at the three dragons that were flying into the camp. "I'm late for a meeting."

She stood and handed the half completed shield to Markos, looking over at Jani. "Maybe you could use his help in repairing the shield. He's got two hands and can listen at the very least."

Riley gave Jani a smirk as she passed by, hurrying to meet her mother and Andre. Fiona was sitting with Schaller, quietly talking to him as the three dragons landed on the edge of camp and came walking to their meeting point. Riley met Andre as she walked, taking his hand and glancing up at him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She asked her husband as they walked, pulling him to a stop when she saw that one of the three haven dragons that had arrived was Rikke. "You don't have to find another dragon so fast, you know. No one would blame you."