The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona gave a nod before looking up at Sam. "However, I think we need to go and talk to the Elder before we return to camp."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Agreed," Sam said with a nod as well, rising beside his wife. The princes scampered off back toward the village ahead of them, and the Elder was waiting by the time the couple arrived.

"I hope everything is staying peaceful with the young princes," the Elder murmured, earning a nod from Sam.

"They're already bein' a big help. Hopefully we can finish our business here without anyone in the city knowin' we were even here."

 

[heartofcourage]

"They're most definitely assets to your tribe." Fiona said with a soft smile as the Elder greeted them. "Could we have a word with you? Privately?"

As they were shown back to the elder's tent, Fiona unbuckled her sword belt in reverence, leaving it at the entrance before she entered. She was quiet for a moment as she glanced back at Sam before she started to speak.

"I want to ask for your forgiveness." She said in Erygonian. "For all of the hardships that you and your tribe have suffered since the Fall. I know you will say that none of this was our fault, but it partly is. We should have done more to set up protections so that none of this happened to you. We failed in our duties as King and Queen of Inverness to protect those that put their trust in us."

 

[KieranSoares]

The Elder stared at Fiona for a long moment as she spoke, amber eyes sharp and never giving away a thing until he finally murmured, "... Sit, Ionnin. Osra'am." Sam joined her side, taking a seat on some cushions around a small central low table, comparable to an eastern tea table.

The Elder took his own seat as well, sighing heavily. "My name is Khorin Corel... Naiya was my cousin. I fought at Dover and watched her die. That winter, I chose to leave the front lines when a post defending Inverness was offered. I was there when the city fell. But like many of the people you see in my village, I was one of the people who refused to leave my home. Despite two decades of abuse and starving through winters, we remained as stewards of this land and did our best to survive while reviving the burned forests. We hoped that one day, it would be alive and green for the return of our lost Gol Dun and Corel kin who fled east."

Khorin sighed deeply. "Your apology is... Kind. While I do not blame you, it is... healing. To know that someone still cares. But more than that, your presence is most welcome. My initial coldness and suspicion was, unfortunately, very necessary these days."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We helped to raise Loren, as Naiya would have wanted." Fiona said softly. "He's a fine young man who loves his father fiercely. He's perhaps the only one that can reach Rho some days. Sam taught him Suara's traditions, and I made sure that he knew about his mother when it was too difficult for Rho to tell him. Of course, the Gol Dun and the Corels still mean the world to the both of us."

"We aren't so out of touch to believe that liberating Inverness will solve your issues. It might not even begin to help you heal, but we pledge to you the same thing that we always have: a place that you can live without fear. We aren't even going to ask you to fight with us. We have already asked so much of so many and seeing the state of some of your members...it would be cruel of us."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't speak for everyone... but I will say this. There are some who feel they must fight when the chance arrives," Khorin advised quietly. "They will come to you in their own time, I imagine. All I ask is that you use their talents well. Do not coddle them. We may have been ground into the dirt by the Empire and now a cruel king who'd rather wear our fur than give us a crumb in times of need, but we are still proud and able. We have been waiting for our salvation a long time, and we will not be made helpless bystanders when it is time."

"I understand," Sam assured him. "We both do. We've never liked sitting by to let others save us 'r take on our enemies for us. We're at the front as much as we can be, taking responsibility for our own fates."

"Exactly. As an Elder, I am a man of peace now... But when the time comes, I will be among the first to raise my spear. With spring here, we will soon have some strength back as things grow and there is more food available. We may need a bit of help to get there, but we will be ready."

"I've already promised Ziva that help is coming. Soon as we get back to our allies, I intend to dispatch a small caravan with Rangers t'come your way."

Khorin nodded slowly, a sense of relief spreading over him. "Thank you... there are a few here who might not make it much longer without such aid. But while you are still here, I am curious exactly what is going on. A lone king and queen don't just wander into enemy territory to chat with werefolk."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There is a threat coming, outside of the threat of what is already happening." Fiona explained. "A dragon of mythic proportions has awakened and been called to Edinburgh. He is laying waste along the way. The only way to stop him is to confront him, but we are woefully underprepared for this. We can to Inverness to see if we couldn't find Margaret Blackstone's resting place and whatever might be found inside."

 

[KieranSoares]

Khorin nodded slowly, his gaze growing distant. "I don't know much of tombs and dragons personally... but I trust a Caller's word on a raging dragon. If there is anything at all we can do to contribute, let us know."

"Focus on survival for now," Sam advised. "We've got another Caller working on a way to weaken him, and my son strategizing for how to minimize damage when he arrives. I'd recommend you keep looking after the forests. I don't want them to end up burning again."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona said nothing, knowing that the forests would most likely burn again. If her dreams came true, she knew that they would see it before the war was finished. As their meeting drew to a close, Fiona stood from her seat and stepped in front of Khorin, sitting on the rug before him with her legs crossed and her head bowed.

"I need guidance and clarity." She whispered in Erygonian. "I need all of the voices to stop and allow me to think unimpeded. If I'm not in control of myself, I'll fail everyone."

It was rare that Fiona sought religious guidance. They were faithful in their celebration of the major tribal events but seeking out something like this was incredibly rare for her and intimate.

 

[KieranSoares]

Khorin and Sam both paused for a long moment. Sam stayed respectfully back, knowing this was something he couldn't help his wife with. Khorin soon moved forward til he and Fiona were face-to-face. "In times of instability when we need grounding, it is often our ancestors that we look to. But as a Caller... your mind works in a different way. Ancestors and those passed may be too excited, or too worried, and it's making everything harder. But there is one creature that is silent who can always help." Khorin reached out, taking Fiona's hands gently and placing them on the ground. "Your fight is for so many people. But remember that it is also for this land. Others would abuse it, while those like you and I would protect it. Stone and earth rarely speak. They listen. You are so often in the sky, where the wind screams and nothing is solid. Ground yourself for a moment, my dear. Take in the silence of the earth and that which grows from it, and breathe deep. Start to come down. I can turn to ancient practices in an attempt to help quiet your mind, but self-soothing is the most potent tool, and the only one you can carry with you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona curled her fingers around the grass that he placed her hands against, the cool sensation seeping into her leather gloves. She was silent for a few moments before she raised her eyes back to Khorin.

"All I can hear is the sounds of my own screaming." She whispered, the sounds loud in her ears as she was transported back to Edinburgh as her blood soaked into the dirt when they nailed her hands to the wooden cross. "It echoed through so many. Through my children and my dragons...even through other dragons. They feel my emotions and my pain."

She had also soaked the ground with her blood when she had fought Barbarossa, her screams loud for Schaller who was mere moments from death and for Riley whom Barbarossa had threatened to rip from her womb. These very woods had heard it all, the anguish and the pain as she slaughtered an Emperor.

"I'm safer in the sky than I am on the ground." She decided finally, a tear rolling down her cheek at the thought that she would never truly feel at home in the woods that had watch her grow.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You are in control and able to see all around you in the sky, and control feels safe. But you must always return to the earth, dear. She holds up the sky for you, after all."

Khorin placed his hands over hers, noting her gloves. "I heard a little of what happened to you recently... I can understand why it may not feel safe to be bound to the ground where people can reach you. But I also know enough of your story, having grown up here myself, to know that the sky was not your home til just before Inverness fell. I remember, when I was a young Wolf, how Ephriam loved the forests and the loch, and his little granddaughter inherited that love. Even if you and I were a world apart as far as how we were raised, we knew and loved Ephriam and he spoke of you all the time. And even when he was gone, the forest was your domain til the day you became Queen."

Khorin offered a small smile, his empathy genuine but not pitying. "It can be that way again. It won't be the same; we can never repeat time gone by. But that connection is still there waiting for you. Nature has a tendency to quiet things naturally... She replaces the racing thoughts with birdsong and running water. She asks nothing of you, expects nothing. And if you really give her a moment to speak in her own way, you will hear a mother who has always wanted to embrace you. Give her a chance. Let her trees and grass embrace you."

Reaching back behind him, Khorin pulled a small open crate over to him and drew out a small clay bottle and offered it to Fiona. "If things grow too loud for you to reach out to her, just a drop of this will help even things out for a few hours. It won't leave you drowsy or impaired, just... calmer. I'm afraid I cannot save you from being a Caller, my dear Queen, but I can start you with some tools to manage this difficult time a bit better. And give yourself a chance to stop and listen to the voices one at a time. They may speak so frantically because they need you to hear something."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona took the herbal mixture that was offered, taking his words to heart with a small nod. “Thank you. I am in your debt.” She murmured softly before she slowly stood and turned to face Sam, a bit embarrassed that she had kept the depth of her sorrows from him.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You owe me nothing. Just... bring our people home," Khorin murmured, letting her go with a gentle smile.

Sam rose to meet Fiona with his brows furrowed slightly in concern, but he kept quiet for the moment and nodded to Khorin. Looping Fiona's arm through his own, Sam walked her out into the evening air. Seeing Ziva sitting around a fire with her aunt and a few others including the princes, Sam walked them over and paused on the edge of the ring.

"Boys," Sam addressed the princes. "Show us where this entrance is an' then get home. Best that no one knows anything is amiss."

The pair rose, pulling boots back on and righting their clothing to be a little less ruffled, and they set off with Sam and Fiona following a bit behind just in case anyone ran across them. It was a far enough distance that Sam could speak to his wife privately as they went.

"That was... a lot, love," Sam murmured to her, pushing the occasional branch aside for them. "Y'didn't tell me it was so bad."

 

[heartofcourage]

“How could I tell you?” Fiona asked as she glanced up at him, her fingers gently curling around his forearm. “You had worries if your own.”

She leaned her cheek into his shoulder by way of apology, hoping that he accepted. “I’m sorry, eldere.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, love..." Sam sighed deeply. It wasn't frustration or anger at all. It was exhaustion and sympathy, hurting for her and the weight she carried. "We carry our burdens together, Fiona... We help each other solve our problems, or at least help find relief. I know I can't understand it all. I'm no Caller. But I can still do something, even if it's just supporting you somewhere else so you're not so frayed."

Leaning his head down, he let it rest atop hers for a moment. "Don't struggle in silence, Fiona... it's so much harder that way." It was the very lesson she'd taught him over the course of their marriage. He'd grown more open and communicative, honest when he was feeling low and letting her help him til he recovered. And he had always offered the same support in return since he'd taken the lesson to heart.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have to be brave enough to tell you." She whispered to him, still so scared to plumb the depths of what had happened to her in Edinburgh.

He had seen the wounds and knew on one level what had happened, but he didn't know how it affected her. No one did. She hadn't spoken about it. She didn't want to speak about it. There had been so much anger and rage directed towards Royer for her treatment that she feared someone might make a rash decision. It didn't take away the hurt that she held in her soul.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was silent for a long while after that, lost in thought and worry as they continued on. When the twin princes brought them to a thick patch of undergrowth and brambles, they carefully moved some branches to reveal a well-hidden hole at the foot of a large oak. Gareth slipped in first, lighting up a makeshift torch once inside to make sure no one up top would see the flame. Morgan was next, sliding easily down the narrow opening and waiting to help Sam and Fiona.

Sam let Fiona go first, knowing he was the one likely to have problems. She fit without issue and Morgan helped steady her as she landed in the long, ancient hallway of stone brick. Sam barely managed to squeeze through with his broad shoulders, having to hack away a couple roots that kept catching on his gear. Once he was finally in and dusting himself off, he looked to the princes and they offered the torch out.

"We can navigate back in the dark without a problem, it's a straight path," Gareth assured them. "Better to go without light anyway in case someone's in the cellar."

"The door is down there," Morgan told the pair, motioning in the opposite direction from the keep. "We have a little campsite set up further down. We used to come down here to play, and now it's sort of a hiding place when things get too hectic. Feel free to use any supplies or rest there."

"Thank you, lads," Sam gave them a nod. "I know you two didn't ask for the conflict that's comin'. But I can promise you safety if things get rough."

"We know our father will fight you," Morgan spoke gravely. "Fool that he is, he'll try. All we ask is that our mother be spared. She's innocent."

Sam nodded, sending the pair off with that promise. As the princes disappeared into the darkness heading west, Sam turned to Fiona and wrapped an arm around her again, pulling her in close. Now that they were alone, he murmured, "I won't make you talk about it, love. Not til you're ready. But I need you to keep communication open about other things. If this gets too overwhelming, I need you to protect yourself an' walk out til you feel stable. I can grab things easy enough on my own if it's too much for you to be in there."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona climbed down the root system with little assistance, only letting the twins help as it opened into the cavern underneath. She was looking down the branch that led to Margaret as Sam joined them, the conversations ending as Sam sent them on their way and kept the torch for themselves. She only moved when Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"If Margaret calls to me, I'll have to go." She said softly, kissing Sam's cheek before she reached up and gained his attention with a touch to his face. "I'll be alright, love. I promise."

Before they pulled apart, she took his hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "I'll tell you soon."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam gave a nod, unable to say much more before they continued down the ancient, pitch-black hall. Occasionally they saw little drawings low on the walls, likely from children ages past who'd found the tunnel and gone to play in it like Morgan and Gareth had. Some were likely from Queen Dianh's own children in the days when she used the tunnel to visit Invah. It didn't take long to reach Morgan and Gareth's little stockpile, but they didn't need anything from it at the moment. Not much further down, Sam's torch caught the glint of ancient, tarnished gold filigree on the north wall. Winding, sharp designs led the eye toward a filigreed archway with a keystone that appeared to be made of a giant piece of quartz. Set deeply into the arch was a slab of stone with some of the most beautiful designs and reliefs set into the surface. Most prominently, the image of a great dragoness curled around the center of the slab where a cross-shaped hole was set, the same size as the key Sam and Fiona carried. All around the dragoness was a fully-detailed geographic map of Europe, with images of great beasts carved into different countries or reliefs of battles in tiny, sharp detail. The entire piece would've taken a year of work or more.

Looking over the surface, some of the deeper carvings filled in with silver and gold, Sam let Fiona take the lead as she had the key. But while he heard nothing save the sounds they made, Fiona could hear something distant beyond the door. It wasn't speech, but a quiet humming of a song she didn't know.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona looked over the beautifully carved door in front of them, her heart arching for the man that had spent so many years carving it to pay tribute to his lost wife. She knew if she fell, Sam would do the same. It was the kind of project that would consume him. Fiona glanced up at Sam as he looked over the door, wishing that he could hear the same sounds that she was hearing. The song was unfamiliar, but it still crept along her bones and blood with a familiar warmth.

"You do it." She murmured as she took the key out of her pocket and handed it over to Sam. "She's here."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam hesitated for a moment when Fiona handed over the key, looking down at it and the beautifully-carved door. Taking a deep breath, he placed the key into the lock- the motion surprisingly smooth despite centuries of being untouched- and gave the key a turn. Deep, metallic clicking began behind the door as Sam turned it further and further, making three entire rotations before the key stopped. Pushing on the door, it didn't budge. Furrowing his brows, Sam began fiddling with the key til he realized it could push further into the lock now.

With a final click, the door's latch came open and it split in two. So well-balanced, the doors moved almost weightlessly as Sam pushed them inward, stopping against the walls with light thuds. Inside, the dark void of a small, narrow hallway was lit by Sam's torch and every square inch of the walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in carvings depicting people and dragons, all captured in lifelike detail. They were so unique that they had to have been Riders and dragons that Skolgeir knew. Set into the walls, there were pieces of scales with names carved into the stone above them in Norse, all dragons who'd fallen alongside Margaret and Skolgeir.

Further down as Sam and Fiona entered, they could see the hallway open up into a large chamber with a dome ceiling from which hung a chandelier-like ornament of glass and crystals that refracted the firelight across the entire space. In the center lay a large stone tomb akin to those created for fallen kings and queens, the lid carved in the shape of a woman in light armor. Instead of the classic weapon in hand as most tombs had for their statues, the woman instead had her hands draped over a bundle against her chest, the face of an infant pressed to her throat. It was all so detailed that even the cloth of his blanket looked real, despite being carved of hard grey stone. Mother and child looked peacefully asleep, not rigid and formal like other such statues. And laying at the woman's feet was a great amethyst dragon scale, not made of stone, but surely left by Reven herself.

Sam stared at the tomb statue and across the walls which showed a great mural of Margaret's life and death. Starting from the left of the door, it showed her as a young girl fleeing a dragon attack before returning to find her dying father. She took up his sword and the mural transitioned to her as a teenager, slaying her first dragon. The central panel at the far end depicted the moment she knelt before Reven, offering her own life as she realized her past mistakes as an Arbiter. Reven allowed her to live, and the next panel showed them flying together. Other battles with the pair fighting for dragons and against tyranny came after, including the battle against Hesperus. The final panels showed Margaret in a bed holding her newborn son beside Skolgeir, then the battle in which she fell to invaders. The very last panels showed little Ulf's death at the hands of an ill-aimed arrow, and then the entombment of mother and child. The final image was of Margaret holding Ulf, not in her armor, but relaxed and content with a little smile, lounging against Reven's side while Skolgeir cooked over a campfire. It was most certainly Skolgeir's final good memory of them before their deaths.

The humming that Fiona had heard stopped as they entered the main chamber, and she began to feel someone watching them. The presence seemed guarded and suspicious, but curious. Sam seemed aware of something strange too, but he couldn't feel it pressing in. Another mind pushed against Fiona's walls, quietly demanding to know her purpose. It was protecting another, smaller presence somewhere in the room.

"Love?" Sam asked quietly, looking to Fiona for guidance as he felt a chill crawl up his spine.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She wants to know who we are." Fiona said in a soft voice, the song stopping and the eyes settling on her skin making her leering.

Fiona stood rooted for a long moment, taking in everything around them before she moved towards a small table that held long burned candles and some small offerings. It was no doubt that Skolgier left his wife and son items when he came. She reached out and gently touched the little assortment of dried flowers and stones that hadn't been seen in centuries. Fiona reached into her pocket and withdrew really the only thing that she had inside that she might leave behind: a piece of Schaller's scale. Gently, she placed it on the altar with the other items and took a step back.

"Place your own item, Sam. She doesn't like that we're here." She said as she turned and looked at Sam, trying to ignore the presence in the room.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam slowly approached the little table, first taking up a couple of candles that were only half-burned, and lighting them carefully before returning them. Placing the torch into a bracket on the wall, he reached into his satchel and rummaged for a moment before deciding on something he felt would show respect. He always kept spare tools and materials on him, and one such piece was a nicely-decorated length of leather he kept in case straps on Fiona's armor broke. He spent much of his free time tooling beautiful designs into leather to keep his hands busy, so it was a beautiful piece. Placing it down, he glanced around somewhat nervously. Knowing there was nothing he could do against the supernatural, he was completely out of his element.

The presence pressing in on Fiona lightened for a moment. She could almost feel another person beside her, inspecting the table. A haze began pushing into the edges of Fiona's vision, a distant voice calling, demanding her attention. Sam felt something too, naturally reaching out to place a hand on Fiona's back. He was worried she might fade out any moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona had felt the presence once before, when she was a young girl. She hadn't known what it was back then, but she could still remember it...especially when the figure pressed in on her brain and demanded attention. She had been little more than a toddler and it was pouring rain. The entire family was out foraging in the woods, Tatianna and Owen arguing about something as Fiona trailed behind and entertained herself. She had stopped to inspect a clump of mushrooms growing on an old log, her attention pulled away from her parents as they got further away into the woods.

Fiona had glanced up at the rustling that sounded close to her, the child glancing over the top of the log and seeing nothing. There was just the sounds of rain and the forest around her. "Mama?" She called out only to be met with silence. "Mama..."

Fiona looked down the trail that she had just seen her parents and then back towards where she had seen the noise, her breath catching when she saw a woman standing just feet away from her. The woman was beautiful, long plaited hair that shone in the grey light of day. She had kind eyes and a small smile on her lips, but the little girl was weary. There was something that made her uncomfortable when she looked at the woman. When the woman reached out and gently touched one of Fiona's own plaited pigtails, the little girl screamed and ran away.

When Tatianna found her, Fiona was in a state. She was sobbing in the middle of the trail, her face red and hair soaked from where her hood had fallen back in her flight. Fiona had fallen and skinned her knee in her flight, the child terrified and Tatianna angry at Owen that they were out there in the middle of woods on such a day. Fiona clung to her mother, sobbing into her shoulder as she stormed home and left Owen alone in the woods.

"Margaret, if you're strong enough to communicate, all you need to do is reach out." Fiona said softly.