The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona looked over the little design, happy that her children were getting along and touched that he had chosen something the incorporated both sides of the family. However, as she took his hand in both of hers, she looked him in the eye and gave him quite a stern look. "No more for now."

"Nah, I'll charge him next time." Riley said with a grin as she helped her father dish up their food, the mood lightened for the moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No promises," Soma told his mother with a handsome smile, leaning into her side. "Blame Da for setting a bad example, and Dola for getting me started."

Sam had to chuckle at that, knowing that until Andre had come along, he was the most heavily tattooed in the family save for some of the more traditional werefolk. "Let your Ma pretend you're a little boy a while longer, son. Tattoos are too grown-up for her babies."

Soma nuzzled into Fiona's shoulder at that, a silent promise that he wasn't going to grow away from her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your Da was already tattooed before I met him. He started when he was your age." Fiona said as Soma nuzzled into her shoulder, and she held her boy tightly. "I had to work to get my name added to the tree on his back. He held out for far too long."

"You should have known that you just needed to be born to him. That was automatic placement." Riley grinned as she offered Soma and Fiona both a plate before she took her own and went to sit beside her father.

"You out did yourself, Sam." Fiona said, looking over all the food that was on her plate, seeing things for Riley and Soma's tastes, and some of her favorites as well.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I asked around camp last night for some spare supplies while you were busy," Sam explained with a shrug.

"What he means is he wrote a list and got two of my aides to help him hunt it all down. Even sent a greenhorn to the village nearby for a few things," Soma teased his father, his plate resting on his lap.

"Don't tell my secrets, lad. Comfort food was called for, an' I like to look after your Ma," Sam told him with a little smile. "You know you do the same sort o' things for her."

"Yeah," Soma agreed with a smile to his mother. He and his father were cut from the same cloth when it came to supporting Fiona. Both would drop everything and go to great lengths for her without needing to be asked.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona had a smile on the edges of her lips as Soma and Sam revealed that he had worked hard to pull together that meal for the family. She looked over at her husband and chuckled before glancing at Soma, kissing her son's cheek as he admitted that he would move the Earth to take care of her.

"I hope that one day when you find that special someone, you turn that focus on them." Fiona said softly. "I don't want my children to live in the shadows of their parents. There is no need for either of you to spend your lives serving either one of us. You are your own people."

Riley looked up at Sam as she heard Fiona say that, wondering just what had happened yesterday. "You sound like Uka when you talk like that."

"Maybe I'm finally come to terms with his way of thinking." Fiona murmured, beginning her meal.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We don't serve you, Ma. We serve the same cause," Soma insisted. "You don't have to worry about us in that respect. At least for myself, I have a lifelong project in the form of reestablishing Inverness, and taking care of our Clan has been a generational goal, not just yours. Riley on the other hand... Well, we all know she does her own thing and Andre tags along happy as can be."

"As long as you're happy, an' not feelin' like our reputations are pitted against your own," Sam murmured. "That's all that matters. We don't need a second Fiona or Sam. We'd rather have unique souls bringin' their own talents."

"I know, Da. I've never felt weighed down by expectation," Soma promised. "I only ever wanted to help, not because I felt like I had to. Because I wanted to."

"That's because you're a good lad who loves his Ma." Sam's gentle smile was warmer than any they'd seen in a while amongst the stress and worry of Hesperus's approach and planning against Royer.

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, if I happen to capture a Royer while you two are off in Inverness, what are my orders? Can I crucify them?" Riley asked, making Fiona roll her eyes.

"No. We will not crucify anyone. We treat our enemies with courtesy even if they don't wish to give us the same. Markos has his orders to get information as he will, but you, my love, are not a blood thirsty warrior." She said as she looked over at Riley. "You'll wait for Andre to return before you even think of going out on your own."

"If I capture a Royer, all bets are off." Riley insisted.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Riley," Sam said softly. There was warning to his tone, but less authoritative and more pleading. "Don't. It doesn't make anything feel better. It doesn't fix anything. Take it from someone who's been there many times."

Sam had given Conrad von Morden a proper beating, taken a finger from the former Imperial Spymaster, and viciously interrogated a number of prisoners he had a personal score to settle with. He had learned many times how inflicting pain on another person never helped soothe his own.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley glanced up at her father as he warned her to stop, but she knew that if a Royer came within any distance of her, all bets were off. She gave him a nod and returned to her meal, Fiona watching her closely for a moment before letting the situation pass. With Riley, it had been best to let her speak her mind and then let it go.

"I'm surprised you went through the trouble to make kjøttkaker." Riley said out of the blue, looking up at her Da with a wide smile that he had remembered her favorite Norwegian dish.

"If we hadn't of let you spend so much time on the docks, perhaps you would have appreciated Scottish dishes more." Fiona teased as she enjoyed the scones that Sam had made for her. She had never grown up with sweets the way that Ghis children had, but she indulged when she had the chance and Sam never missed the chance to truly spoil her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tried t'make sure we had a little of everything for everyone." Sam explained, another, warmer smile coming to his face hearing Fiona tease Riley. He was glad to see her with a little spirit. "Eat up, kids. We've all got a lot t'do an' I'm counting on you t'look after the camps while I'm gone."

 

[heartofcourage]

The time seemed to pass too quickly and soon enough, breakfast was finished, and Fiona was hugging her children tightly as they said their goodbyes. She kissed each on the cheek, nuzzling against them, finding it difficult to let them go.

"Look after one another. That's all that I ask." She said softly. "If you feel something is off, be honest with one another and talk it out."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll keep each other safe and in check," Soma promised when he drew back from his mother. "The others too."

Sam was next to hold them both for a long moment. There was little more he could tell them than what had already been said, save for one thing. "I love you both. Hopefully next time you see us, it'll be with the tools we need t'make sure we have a home left to go to."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's mine to keep safe." Riley promised her Da, looking over at Soma as she made that vow. "No one can upset my little mite but me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's my girl," Sam murmured, kissing her forehead one last time before letting them go. As Soma walked back toward his tent with Riley, Sam wrapped an arm around Fiona's waist as he watched them go. "We haven't gone off alone in years," he murmured. "... Ready t'see Inverness, love?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona leaned her head into Sam's shoulder as he pulled her close, watching their children go on their way without them. "I'll help you tear down camp." She said after a few moments, pressing a kiss to Sam's cheek before she turned to help store away the leftover food for later and then tear down the tent.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once everything was taken down and packed into their saddlebags, Sam donned the last pieces of his plain armor. Their cover was that they were mercenaries under Royer's employ. They would keep the dragons in the forest and out of sight as much as possible, knowing Schaller was far too recognizable.

They set off long before noon, knowing they could hide the dragons in the deep woods and get to Dianhglen by mid-afternoon. Sam let Fiona lead the way, knowing she had known the woods better than he did. He focused on keeping watch, both he and Dzana scanning all around constantly.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona scanned the woods beneath them as they flew, watching as the thick forests started to grow more familiar. She could see the old fire that had ripped through, new growth overcoming the scarred woods. However, as soon as she could see the old fire marks, she put Schaller down, letting him settle in the thick trees. It was still a distance before they could reach Inverness, but they were closer than they had ever been.

"It would be safe for us to stay near the dragons for a time until we are sure that we weren't followed. Then we'll go by foot." Fiona said to Sam as she slipped down from her saddle.

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller glanced around as Fiona dismounted, taking a deep breath of the forest air. "Even twenty years later, I smell hints of ash. We aren't far from where Barbarossa breathed his last. And I nearly breathed mine."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And mine." Fiona said softly, looking up at the trees to see the gnarled old branches that still looked blackened combined with the thick green of the canopy. "Are you alright?"

She gently touched his arm, knowing that being back in Inverness would be just as hard for him as it was for the rest of them. He had been grievously wounded but had still gotten Invah to safety before the fall.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Lost places and memories do me little harm, my love. You survived. As such, these woods are still welcoming to me." Schaller laid down, unable to sit at his full height lest he be visible through the canopy. Dzana joined his side, her tail lightly resting against his in a silent show of support.

"They do still feel welcoming, despite everything," Sam agreed quietly. As he looked around, he surprised himself when a tear rolled down his face. Quickly wiping it away, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. "No time for sentiment right now... I didn't see anyone in the sky an' we were well out of sight of any buildings before we landed. We should only be a half-mile from Dianhglen." He looked to Fiona, still following her lead. "How long d'you think we should wait t'be safe? Or should we 'ave Schaller an' Dzana move away from the landing site on foot under tree cover?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't feel any dragons about, nor any riders." Fiona said as she pulled a thick cloak around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her wrapped hair. "It still doesn't mean that someone on patrol didn't see us. It's probably safe for us to continue, but they'll have to be vigilant. We don't want to have a repeat of Gia."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Let's go, then. I want t'make sure we have plenty of daylight t'find what we're lookin' for." Sam pulled his cloak around his shoulders, further hiding his form from anyone who might recognize them.

The dragons followed as silently as the forest would allow while Sam and Fiona oriented themselves. Eventually they found the little stream that would lead to the glen and also opened up space for the dragons to walk through the water. Sam had a hand on an axe at his hip the entire time, more nervous than he cared to admit.

As they got further into the old growth where the fire hadn't reached, Schaller and Dzana were forced to wait at a small distance as the trees pressed in closer. Sam kept even tighter to Fiona's side until they entered the little fern-filled clearing before the short cliffside where white stone was exposed. Generations of carving and reliefs trailed left to right, and Sam's breath caught in his throat to see someone had continued the tradition even after Inverness fell. Dianhglen, the place where the stories of Invernessian queens were inscribed, now held not just Julia's story, but the beginning of Fiona's. Where Julia's showed her retaking Inverness and saving her husband and mothering many children strong and famed in their own right, Fiona's showed her as a young thief, becoming a Caller, then a Queen. The most recent carving showed her atop Schaller as he roared in triumph as Imperial soldiers fell and knelt before her, a symbol of her defeating the Empire and reviving the Ghis banner a year prior when Joachim surrendered.

"If y'didn't think you were a legend before, love," Sam murmured, "now it's quite literally set in stone."

 

[heartofcourage]

Stepping into the glen, Fiona was taken by the carvings that had been added since they left. Standing next to Sam, she took in everything about Dianhglen, from the warm spring and plants to the beautiful tribal carvings. She smiled in seeing Julia on the wall, surrounded by her children who were the greatest joys in her life. Like her daughter-in-law, Julia often downplayed the role that she had in the early days of the wars with Wick. She never liked to talk about her trauma or the trauma that Brogan had suffered, instead shifting focus to the achievements of her children.

Stepping forward, Fiona gently touched the carvings in the wall that depicted her. "A living legend." She said softly, unsure how she felt about it all, but knowing that there were those out there that saw her as a hero. "I still have trouble seeing myself as the hero, but I suppose I can't argue..." Fiona paused as she heard rustling behind them, not moving a muscle as someone else entered Dianhglen.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam slowly, silently drew his axe, daring to glance over his shoulder. He was tense and ready to strike, but paused seeing the new arrival had a small bundle under one arm and a backpack and no visible weapons beyond a hunting knife. Glancing at a handful of masonry tools lying beside the wall with a makeshift stool, Sam could immediately guess it was the current artist returning.

The thin, young, smoky red Fox was frozen on the spot, amber eyes wide as she considered the two strangers and whether or not to drop everything and flee. Her eyes darted to her tools- old but well-kept and very valuable- and knew she wouldn't be able to get to them first if these strangers wanted to steal them. Swallowing hard, she took a slow step back as Sam's gaze fell upon her. He was dressed like a common hunter, and she could only hope to the Gods that he was only interested in animal furs, not werefolk. Sam considered her for a long moment. She was a beautiful, small thing, a red Fox like Owen but with little white spots here and there, almost like a fawn. She couldn't have been much older than sixteen, and she had a couple tribal markings on her right arm in white where her fur was darkest, and in black where her fur turned red.

"Hold there," Sam spoke quietly, not wanting to scare her but also not wanting her to go running to report their presence. "Just passin' through, lass. No need t'be scared."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona turned when Sam spoke, taking in the young fox who stood there and stared at them in suspicion and fear.

"You...you carved all of this?" Fiona asked softly, gesturing to the wall as she took a step away from the tools that were near her feet and put some distance between herself and the young fox. "It's beautiful."

Fiona reached out and gently placed her hand on Sam's, pushing his axe back towards his belt. This fox wasn't a threat to them.