The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"If she asks, I will take your side," Schaller promised as Sam began gathering his things to head back to camp. Schaller would stay with the forge and materials and trade off with Dzana working with the blacksmiths and protecting the materials against sabotage.

"If anyone back at camp asks, we're goin' to get more materials," Sam muttered as he finished packing and turned to look at Riley. "We'll go pretty lightly. I happen to know tha' Ramsey Royer likes his evening strolls in Edinburgh... We'll catch him in the open."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll make sure to bring us some food other than the hard jerky that you insist on packing." Riley said as she pulled on her shirt and gave her father a smile. "No one is going to question me. Andre is busy with Ma."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam paused to kiss her forehead, regarding her for a moment. "Thank you love... And I'm proud of you. I knew I'd always love you as my little girl. But you've also grown into a good woman and we're lucky t'call you a Ghis."

With that, Sam headed off to get Jani set up and gather his things.

 

[heartofcourage]

By the time Riley had made it back to camp, she knew that she had to leave Andre a note to let him know what was happening. If he came back and saw any of his gear was missing, he would be instantly suspicious. After she was dried and changed in her flying gear, she wrote him a note that she was leaving with her Da on something more than a supply mission. She was sure that he would understand. She then packed some stored food from his cooking gear and a few of her more discreet weapons. Once her pack was finished, she went to gather Marth.

"Wake up." Riley called as she came upon her dragon sleeping, a normal sight as he often slept when he was off duty. "Da and I need you to take us somewhere."

 

[KieranSoares]

Marth shifted slowly at her call, his one eye opening halfway. Instead of complaining like he used to when they were still greenhorns, he simply yawned and stretched and sighed. "Okay..." He grunted. "Where and how dangerous...?"

Even as he asked, he leaned down for her to step up on his crest so he could take her to get his saddle.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Edinburgh and very." Riley responded as she stepped up and shouldered her pack. "Da is flying with us and we are going to go on a...hunting trip."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hm. Good," Marth grunted, getting what she was hinting at and picking up his pace a bit. Once he was saddled and ready, Sam came out in plain light armor and plain clothes, the same he'd used going to Inverness. Seeing Marth wide awake and prepared, Sam didn't hesitate to climb up behind Riley.

"Let's get goin' before someone stops us. Jani knows what we're up to, she'll cover for us as long as she can," Sam told them. Once he was sure they were all ready, Marth turned and took off eastward at speed. In the warmth of spring, he didn't have to worry so much about the cold and wind anymore.

It only took a few hours to eat up the distance before Marth began to slow and fly lower over the forest, scanning around them. Knowing Gia had fallen nearby made him especially vigilant. Sam directed him to land in the forest and get under cover. When Marth came to a halt, Sam climbed down and armed himself with his folding crossbow and a sword. Glancing over to Riley, Sam murmured, "There are werefolk in this city, but they're barely freer than slaves. Be careful, my love."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm aware." Riley said, already buckling a leather collar around her neck with a faked German owner that Andre had come up with should they need it. "And I won't take any chances. I'm not that reckless."

She armed herself with her dagger and a light sword, weapons that she could easily hide beneath her cloak and not draw attention. She knew that there would be many more eyes on her in Edinburgh than usual and she didn't want to blow their cover before they found their query.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll get to the back side of the castle courtyard an' find a spot to stake out, wait fer Ramsey t'come out. If we can't catch him in the open, I remember how the castle is laid out. Assuming it's still similar, I know about where his room'll be. I want this bastard alive for now so we can take him back an' take our time."

Once they were ready, Sam sent Marth off deeper into the woods, not wanting him to wait nearby lest he be found. They would all meet up again when Riley reached out to Marth.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley took a moment to pull off her wedding bands and put them in her pocket. The less there was to identify her by, the better. She paused and looked up at her father, touching his arm gently.

“You’re sure about this?” Riley asked him one last time.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sure as can be," Sam answered without hesitation, glancing down at his own wedding band. His face was so well-known that even a sculptor and mason from the woods of Inverness had recognized him. He decided to keep the ring on and he looked to Riley with a nod. "Ramsey Royer needs to be put down. Too many women in our family at at risk because o' him. He'd kidnap any one of you in a heartbeat. He's been tryin' to get at Jane this entire time."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley said nothing more, giving him a nod as he confirmed that he was ready for what they were about to do. "When we get close to the city, we should split up. Not entirely, but enough that we don't draw attention to ourselves."

She knew that they would probably be recognized no matter what. Her father was a mountain of a man and her reputation was known far and wide. It was dangerous what they were doing, but if her Da believed that they would be successful, she would follow his lead.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know the city well," Sam assured her. "I'll set you on a quieter route an' I'll follow at a distance. If our cover's blown before we get close to the castle, I want you to run for the north end, find the cathedral. It's bloody massive an' full of hiding spots tha' a good climber like you could make use of. If anything goes wrong, we meet there."

When they came to the edge of the forest, Sam gave Riley a quick rundown of her path and the names of the streets and landmarks she could use to navigate. Thankfully the castle was tall enough to be seen from a distance in the main streets, but Sam wanted Riley to make a believable path through some markets, making her look like a normal traveler and making anyone who might tail her have to go out into open spaces. We would trail far behind, hitting a couple different markets along the way to avoid one blowing the other's cover.

Sam fell behind as they approached the gates and found a line of people waiting to be let in. Most of them were merchants whose stock was being searched, while those with just a horse or on foot were briefly checked before being allowed in. There were a couple of werefolk there as well, so Riley didn't stand out too much.

The guard checking the individual people stopped Riley as it came to her turn, giving her a bored glance. "Your name and your business, Fox?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"My name is Stina." She murmured, thickening her light Norwegian accent. "I'm here to buy supplies for my owner." She said as she looked down at the ground, motioning to the collar that was around her neck.

She fought the urge to look behind her for Sam, but she needed to be cool and play into the character. "I don't have much time."

 

[KieranSoares]

The guard's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her accent. "Scandinavian, eh? Who's your master, then? Northerner?" He stepped forward, grabbing her by the collar to search for a brand or tag. Finding an embossed plate, he read over the false information Andre had come up with, marking her as the property of a traveling trader.

"Hm... right. Looks in order. Mind yourself, Fox. And I'd recommend you get in and out quickly. Won't be long before no one comes or goes," he warned, letting her go with a dismissive wave. "Next!" he called to those waiting in line.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley let out a gasp as the guard grabbed her roughly by the collar and jerked her closer to search for the plate that Andre had installed on the leather. She had to remind herself of the details of their fake owner, her eyes flicking towards her Da. She was holding her breath before he let her go with a shove, her heart hammering as the guard bought her story and told her to be quick in and out of the city.

Stepping through the gate, she let out a long sigh of relief. She wanted to stay and make sure Sam made it through, but she had to stay on task. She straightened her shoulders and moved into the market, her eyes glancing from time to time to the gate.

 

[KieranSoares]

It was only ten minutes before Sam came through the gate and Riley could see how he was hiding his identity. He'd wrapped a piece of cloth over one eye to pretend it was missing, and he'd purposely frayed some of his clothes with a blade and gotten mud all over his boots and cloak. The less well-groomed he looked, the more easily eyes would glance past without a thought.

His eyes scanned the market as he went, lingering on stalls but occasionally flicking to Riley as a silent sign to go on. They meandered through the streets and markets, occasionally buying small things to make it all more convincing. Once it was clear they hadn't been noticed or followed, their path turned toward the castle. Edinburgh was laid out in different districts each interspersed with residential wards. Riley got to see shadows of her Aunt's years of work as queen, built upon by Imperials and then Scottish rebels. There was also no lack of Roman architecture, worked into the city's infrastructure by clever builders and even cleverer residents. The district around the castle was primarily made up of businesses and markets and a few finer townhouses, but it seemed the rich and powerful instead lived on the north end away from the rabble and the sailors portside. When Riley reached the central market just beyond the castle's outer gates, Sam strode past her with a secret signal to follow while he went down a street running along the courtyard wall.

Bastions along the wall were heavily fortified and set with great cannons with protective metal canopies. Royer had clearly learned from Hess's failures that he needed to shelter the weapons from above. Great ballistas and even net-throwers were also perched up on the crenellations, all with ammunition and soldiers ready. Sam silently took in the vast number of weapons, but didn't falter in his path.

When they finally reached the back side of the courtyard wall where it was quietest and old buildings leaned over the streets, Sam ducked into an alleyway to wait for Riley to catch up so they could hunker down to wait for Ramsey to pass by. If the information Sam had gathered was correct, the Prince made an almost-daily walk around the outside of the grounds. It was as much to impress the locals as it was to get some fresh air beyond his father's sight.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley casually walked down the alley behind her father, alert and ready to be stopped for being somewhere she shouldn't be. She didn't relax until she was safe with her father in the alley. Blowing out a breath, she looked up at her father and shook her head.

"The next bastard who grabs me by a collar, I swear I'll take his hand." She muttered.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I was ready to shoot the rat, but he's not worth the commotion it would've caused. If y'ever see him again, though, feel free." Sam looked up through the narrow alleyway and the handful of windows facing inward. "This area's mostly warehouses an' low-income. We can probably find an empty house here t' hole up an' wait fer Ramsey to pass by." Sam looked back to his daughter and added, "I also remembered somethin' on our way in. Kate had a hidden tunnel that ran from the castle to a little chapel out here. I wonder if the Royers ever found it... she used it to escape when Edinburgh fell."

Motioning in the rough direction of the chapel, Sam offered a choice. "We wait here an' hope he goes on his walk tonight, or we check out the tunnel, see if we can get in that way. What d'you think?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's more than one way to skin a cat." Riley said with a nod as she motioned for her father to lead the way. "If we can't get to him in the castle, we know he'll come out sooner or later. He's too vain to not be seen by the public."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll give Brennan Royer one thing. He's smarter than his bloody son, not prancin' around in the open." Sam took the lead again and they headed a block down to where a small chapel lay. It could barely be called a chapel anymore, the roof sagging and the doors hanging off their hinges. Sam's brows furrowed as he looked it over, sighing to himself. "Our family's never been Christian, but the priest who used to keep this place was a damned good man... Shame all his work buildin' it has been ruined."

As they approached the broken doors, Sam glanced inside to see firelight. The middle of the chapel floor had been removed and filled with stones and dirt, creating a fire pit. The holes in the roof let out the smoke while still keeping out most of the rain. Blankets and bedding were strewn all over the floor and old pews, but it seemed most of the inhabitants were away working or begging at the moment, as only three figures sat around the fire preparing a meal from pitiful supplies. The most plentiful things were fresh wild berries and potatoes kept over the winter, and there was precious little else. All three cooks were werefolk, two female Wolves and a dark tan Lioness. Considering how best to approach the situation, Sam stepped in the doorway with Riley beside him and cleared his throat to get their attention, trying not to startle them.

All three women looked up and their ears folded back, and the dark grey Wolf stood slowly, looking between the young Fox and the giant man beside her. "There's no more room here, sir." she said quietly, obviously skittish of a human.

"I'm not lookin' for a place to stay, ma'am," Sam assured her in a gentle tone. "Is Father Patrick still around?"

The three women looked at each other in surprise at his question, and the Lioness murmured, "I'm sorry to say he's gone... He was killed for harboring homeless werefolk. It's not illegal, but some other humans didn't like it."

Sam's jaw clenched slightly. "... I'm sorry to hear that... Really I am. Did anyone take over for him?"

"The same people came and took the cross off the roof and raided the place, left it in shambles. The Church hasn't sent anyone new to take over since," the Lioness explained. "The closest we have is... well, us. We look after the people here. But you still haven't told us what you're doing here. If it's food you need-"

"No, ma'am," Sam assured her. "I'm not here beggin' or anythin' of the kind. Father Patrick was a... dear friend to my family. I need access to his room."

"The last time people came here claiming to be friends or family, they stole from us. We just use it as a storage room now. The Father's things are all gone," the grey Wolf told him firmly. "There's nothing here for you."

Sam sighed, not wanting to fight with innocent people. He looked to Riley, silently checking if she had any ideas.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley silently took in the scene, used to coming across the most desperate of situations with her mother. The difference with Fiona was that she would have offered up her own rations in a moment to make sure that they didn't go hungry. When she felt her father's gaze on her, she knew that it was her time to get them what they needed.

"We aren't here for objects. We aren't here to steal or loot. We are here for access to Father Patrick's rooms in order to use the tunnels." She said, ignoring her father's gentler approach. "Queen Katherine is coming, but before that, we have scores to settle and a battle to undertake. If you didn't know of the tunnels, we can show you for safety. Trust us, you'll need it when the great dragon comes."

When it seemed that the trio was still on guard, Riley sighed and stepped towards them. "My name is Riley." She stood there for a moment as quiet conversation happened between the three, Ghis whispered softly before she motioned behind her. "And this is my Da."

 

[KieranSoares]

The three women were stunned as they realized the gravity of not only the situation, but the identities of the two people before them. Sam added quietly, "We're here for Ramsey Royer." He didn't need to say anything more for the three to understand. The crucifixion of Fiona Blackstone was now common knowledge, as well as who was ultimately responsible.

The grey Wolf approached and bowed before them both. "I hope Her Majesty is recovering well. God bless her."

Sam was quietly touched to see that there was some tenderness toward his wife who'd worked all her adult life to help werefolk and dragons. "She'll be back in the sky before long," Sam assured the woman softly. "She's going to help us see my sister back home."

"We know of the tunnel," the Lioness offered. "As far as we know, the Imperials never found it and the Royers haven't either. If you'll follow me, Your Majesties..." She rose and bowed to them before heading toward the back of the chapel. The two Wolves offered quiet prayers for Fiona's health and their safety as Sam and Riley passed by. Fiona's legend was stronger than ever, it seemed, and loyalty to Kate and the Ghis was just as prevalent even twenty years after the fall of Edinburgh.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley was always uncomfortable when anyone referred to her as royalty. Markos did it often and she ignored it for the most part, but when others said it, she had to bite her tongue. She knew it was her birthright, but she would never get used to it. As Riley passed by the two wolves, she paused for a moment, and then turned back towards them.

"Don't pray for her health. Pray for her mind." She said softly. "She has some hard decisions to make soon."

 

[KieranSoares]

The Wolves nodded gravely in understanding, giving Riley quiet wishes of good luck as she passed.

The Lioness opened up a back room, revealing a small former bedroom now lined with mostly-empty shelves save for some vegetables stored over winter, dried herbs, and a few small sacks of flour. Some tools and cooking implements were hung on a rack on the back wall, but there was little of real value beyond the food. The Lioness motioned for Sam to help her move one of the shelves before she knelt to pull up several loose floorboards, revealing a hatch underneath.

"Be careful," she warned. "I don't know if the tunnel is still stable after lack of upkeep. Best in and out quickly."

Sam nodded, pulling up the hatch door to reveal a dark void below, the distant sound of dropping water echoing through. Reaching into his satchel, Sam drew out an oil lantern and lit it with a match before handing it to Riley. Before they climbed down into the dark, Sam looked to the Lioness.

"Thank you, ma'am. If you'd be so kind as t'keep the way open for us, we might come back this way. If not, I wish you the best of luck. If you can, get your people out of the city before the week is out. The forest along the coast will be safest."

Sam drew out a handful of coins, more than enough to feed a large group for days. "Take this. I'm not buyin' your silence... Consider it a gift from the Rider Queen who'd be here helpin' you if she could."

"I look forward to the day that Scotland becomes a haven again," the Lioness murmured after thanking him. "It will be good to have the Ghis Clan back."

Sam gave her a final nod before descending, making sure the ladder and landing were safe before motioning Riley down as well to take the lead with the lantern.