The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"I'll get in as close as I can and drop you so you can help Sam and guide them back to me. I'm pretty confident I can hide in the bay. I'm no water dragon but they won't see me in the dark against the water."

Once she was set, Marth took off as fast as he could, getting up high again and making a wide circle around to the back of Edinburgh. He soon dive down again and made a water landing, sitting as low as he could to allow both of them to breathe as he waded in and underneath a large pier. Letting Riley climb out onto his head, he boosted her up to the edge of the pier and let her back on land to fetch Sam.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley stood on her saddle as Marth floated, grabbing one of her Da's jackets out of the saddlebag and climbing back into the pier. "Stay here and stay quiet. I'll be back. I'll alert you if there's danger."

She pulled on the jacket and let it swamp her, disguising her as she made her way down the pier and towards the old chapel once more. It seemed to be quiet, much more so than when she had left. She slipped back inside the chapel and quietly knocked on the door to the room to get her father's attention.

 

[KieranSoares]

The people residing in the chapel were silent as Riley passed through, all told by the three women Riley had met earlier to let her go unhindered.

When Sam heard the knock, he rose and moved his chair to open the door a crack, only opening it fully when he saw Riley. "Miss Tremblay and I have an understanding," he told her quietly in Erygonian so that Ramsey wouldn't understand. "Don't be too rough on 'er as long as she's quiet an' cooperative."

He hauled Ramsey up, taking a moment to grab him by the collar and pin him to the wall. "Listen, rat. You make a sound out o' place, consider yer fuckin' legs broken. Understood?"

Ramsey nodded quickly, visibly trembling as Sam stared him down. He let Riley take Delphine, and they stepped out of the chapel with a quick pace, their prisoner's bound hands hidden by spare cloaks.

 

[heartofcourage]

Even as Riley followed her father with Delphine in tow, she didn't really understand why they were taking the woman with them. However, if Sam insisted that she was coming, there was little Riley could do to dissuade him.

"This isn't a good idea." Riley muttered to him in Erygonian. "An extra person is going to make this so much more difficult, both in flight and when we get to camp."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Marth can handle her just fine, an' I've told her she'll be fine if she behaves. She knows who we are and the world of trouble she'll be in if she causes an issue."

As they walked down narrow back streets, Sam occasionally reached out to tug Ramsey along when he slowed, glancing at Delphine here and there. When they drew near to the harbor edge, Ramsey grew more and more nervous. Sam noticed, growling a warning, "Steady, Ramsey. Nothin' stupid."

When Marth's great head peeked out from under a pier, Ramsey halted in his tracks. When Sam grabbed him, Ramsey suddenly tried to tug away and opened his mouth to yell, only getting out a strangled yelp when Sam grabbed him by the back of the collar and into a headlock. The sound was enough to alert nearby dock workers, several eyes and lanterns turning their way as Ramsey choked.

"Fuck," Sam snarled. "Marth!" He half-whispered. Marth's great claw rose up and snatched Ramsey away, coming out from under the pier for everyone to climb on

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ramsey..." Delphine gasped in fear as she watched Sam suddenly wrap him in a headlock and choked as a dragon appeared from beneath the darkened pier. "Mon dieu..."

Delphine froze in her spot as Marth grabbed Ramsey in his claws and emerged entirely. "Come on." Riley insisted, pulling on Delphine's arm as the woman went weak at the knees.

"No..." She cried, fear making her collapse to the ground as Riley looked to her father with a shrug. "No."

Delphine was overcome with images of her mother's death; a small lesser dragon having been employed to light the fire that burned Jehanne Tremblay at the stake. She hadn't even been allowed to cry as she watched her burn, every moment scrutinized by higher lords and reported to the king. If she showed weakness, it was her turn to be burned. Instead, she stood there and barely blinked, terrified of dragons from that moment forward.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Come on, lass," Sam told Delphine, stepping over to scoop Delphine up. "No time fer this." As voices began calling out concern and drawing nearer, Sam stepped up on Marth's crest, putting Delphine in the saddle between himself and Riley. As people came too close, some began to panic seeing a dragon clearly not marked with the clan colors.

"Riley!" Sam urged, drawing his crossbow as guards were called, a few coming around a corner nearby. When one drew his own crossbow, Sam fired a quick shot before Marth took off, dropping the man in his tracks.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley took Marth's reigns and pulled to direct him in the dark and confusion towards the open bay. If they went towards the castle, it would be instant death for any of them. As her father gave her cover and kept Delphine in the saddle, her did he own part and got them into the air safely. Delphine was still in a panic, sobbing in terror as Riley expertly swung Marth around the bay, pulling him higher in case any of the ships were equipped with the same dragon weapons as the castle.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once they were beyond arrow height, Sam put his crossbow away in his back holster and reached out to Delphine, steadying her with his hands on her arms. "You're alright, Miss Tremblay. Take a deep breath, we'll level out soon."

Knowing she was having a hard time, Sam changed their positions in the saddle, climbing up to sit in front of her and facing her as Marth leveled out far above any weapon reach. Holding Delphine's gaze, Sam was dead calm. "Easy now. You're okay."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just kill me." Delphine begged as they were switched around until Samuel Ghis were sitting in front of her. "Tue-moi."

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Riley asked, focusing on guiding Marth and moving out of the saddle to give her father more room.

"He used a dragon to burn her." Delphine sobbed. "Elle a crié si fort. I can hear it in my sleep. I hate dragons."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Lost someone to a dragon, sounds like," Sam murmured to Riley at her question.

"Tu vas bien. Aucun dragon ne te fera de mal pendant que tu es avec nous," Sam spoke in slow but confident French, having learned enough to pass from their family members in France and Normandy. "C'est Marth, le partenaire de ma fille."

Hearing his name, Marth glanced back over his shoulder but kept quiet seeing the terrified woman.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Eye forward, Marth." Riley scolded, still vigilant that they might be in danger and not needing him distracted. "Until we touch down again, I need you to focus."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm focused," Marth grunted, continually scanning around them in case Riders gave chase. As they got a ways away, the distant sound of emergency bells made Marth pick up speed and altitude, seeking to disappear into the dark before any of the rebel Riders could spot him. The ride remained tense as Marth continued west and Sam eventually got Delphine at least quieted down. By the time they touched down back on the edge of camp, Marth was exhausted from the constant high speed. Now back in friendly territory, he could relax. Even if someone had managed to follow, other dragons would go out to fight if they got too close.

Sam helped Delphine down off the saddle, glancing to the east horizon to see the first hues of dawn. "Let's get them inside under guard." He kept a hand on Delphine's shoulder to keep her moving. Marth opened up his great claws and almost immediately, Ramsey tried to flee. Sam was faster, snagging him by the sleeve and plowing him into the ground. Ramsey let out a startled grunt, and wheezed as Sam's boot planted between his shoulders and pressed down.

"Name your price," Ramsey begged. "Any amount. Any favor!"

"I don't know, lad... what do you think my wife's worth?" Sam asked through gritted teeth, leaning his weight into one leg til Ramsey was gasping for breath.

"Everything I have, anything at all," Ramsey choked out.

"You've got nothin' outside yer father's reach, son. Nothin' to offer an' nothin' to save you," Sam growled harshly.

"Sam, Riley." Kell's voice came as he and several agents and guards arrived, keeping other soldiers away and surrounding the two prisoners. Seeing Ramsey Royer, Kell's confusion at the commotion dissolved into a deep sigh. "Again, Sam?"

"Again. Because men don' know when t'stop hurting our women," Sam growled darkly with a glare down at Ramsey.

Looking to one of his agents, Kell murmured, "Fetch Qira, and get a spare tent set up with guards on all sides." Seeing Delphine, Kell paused. "... Make that two tents. Sam, who is this?"

"Delphine Tremblay of France. Ramsey's mistress. We have a deal fer the moment. I need Finn called in immediately an' she's not t'be harmed 'long as she's no trouble."

"I see..." Kell's mind was clearly turning with potential questions for the woman, but he kept it to himself for the moment. Two agents hauled Ramsey to his feet, and two more helped drag him away as he struggled for his life. Another two approached Delphine with Kell in the lead to escort her away.

Sam turned to Riley in the meantime, a hand coming to her shoulder. "Good work, lass," he muttered. "Yer Ma's gonna come hunt me down soon as she finds out I'm back. She knows it's never good when I don't come t'bed. I'll take the blame fer everything."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure Andre will have a few things to tell me." Riley said as she turned to look at Marth. "But I'll leave you to Ma. Marth needs my attentions for the moment."

She leaned in and kissed her father's cheek, giving him a small smile before she started to walk along with Marth to get him settled after a long, hard flight. It was clear by the time that Sam made it to his tent that Fiona was still awake. She sat on her cushioned camp chair, working on a small axe that the elder Ghis brothers had given to her during her training in the past day. She was sharpening it, focused as Sam entered and only glancing up when she was satisfied with the axe's sharpness. It was a truly beautiful weapon, made with her in mind and a true welcome to the Axemen. The handle was carved with a Ghis bear, but smaller and feminine. Durban and Boar had worked to carve into the wood the same vines that covered much of her decorative armor, making the weapon as her own.

"You have less than a minute to tell me where you've been." Fiona said softly, her voice low and dangerous. "And if the words Edinburgh even pass your lips, so help me, I will put this axe to use this evening."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam paused at Fiona's demand, about to speak when she warned him against mentioning Edinburgh. Sighing quietly, he came over to stand before her. Sam was ready to face her wrath and it would be worth it in his mind. "You did the same fer Riley with me. And with Qira," he told her quietly. "No one knew we were there til it was too late t'stop us, thanks t'Kate's escape tunnel." He knew that'd get him in even worse trouble, telling her they'd been inside the castle itself. But he wasn't going to hide from what he believed was the right thing to do.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We went hunting for the man who raped our daughter and the man who ordered it done." Fiona said as he admitted that he had been inside the castle that evening.

She had no words at that. In fact, she was completely lost for them as she thought through all that might mean. He might even bring Brenna Royer to their camp if he truly cared enough about his son.

"Are you...bloody insane?" She finally murmured, looking up at her husband with a look of disbelief. "Samuel, what are you going to do if the entire whole of Royer's army comes down on us before that fucking dragon arrives?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Brennan Royer can't hope t'make an attack on us, the North's got th'advantage of more men, dragons, supplies, an' the ability t'move anytime. If he empties Edinburgh of defenders, it'd be easy t'take an' he knows it. I'm banking on it." Sam held her gaze with a firm resolve. "I hunted down the man who had my wife tortured an' crucified. I don' think tha's much different than what we've done before. I'm only sorry I didn't think t'bring gunpowder an' leave a bloody surprise fer those bastards."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You also asked my dragon to lie for you." Fiona muttered, meeting her husband's gaze as she mentioned Schaller. "So now I have a husband and a daughter who will run off at a moment's notice to avenge their anger, a dragon that will lie to make it happen, and officers that also knew and kept it all secret. I have not been this absolutely livid with you in years...which is saying something."

 

[KieranSoares]

"So you're the one person of this family tha' doesn't deserve justice?" Sam asked quietly. "I'm supposed t'sit by an' let someone get away with trying t'destroy you? No, love. Not this time. I stayed out of the business with Micha von Morden fer the most part after he shot you. I'm quiet when people tear you down an' insult you most of the time because you've asked me not t'react. Ramsey an' his lackeys did horrible fucking things t'you. I couldn't sit by this time. I would've torn Edinburgh apart if I'd had Schaller an' didn't care about returning it to Kate. Gods know I would've razed that entire fucking castle fer what Ramsey did. You'd want t'do the exact same if it'd been me or Soma or Riley."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I did for my father and look what it got me." Fiona muttered, pushing herself out of her chair and leaving her axe behind on the cushion. "I'm going to bed."

She didn't tell him to leave or stay. Instead, there was a resignation to her anger that Sam would always feel righteous in what he had just done.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam watched her go, knowing he wasn't welcome to follow. But he still murmured, "I love you, darlin'... Sleep well." For all the cruelty he wanted to unleash on Ramsey, his softness always came out for Fiona when she was upset, even at him.

In a newly-erected tent, Delphine had been unbound and given a simple cot and accommodations, and a runner had been sent to get her some extra clothes and basics from the nearby village. Her tent was surrounded by guards since there was no permanent, secure structure for prisoners, but she'd also been given a bit of privacy as well with Sam's assurance that she had promised to cooperate. But before she could settle in too much, Kell Aleister stepped in and paused at the entrance. "Miss Tremblay. A messenger has been dispatched to fetch Finnegan Royer. In the meantime... we're very interested to talk to you."

As the Lord Protector under Kate, Kell had something of a terrifying reputation in the Royers' court, though perhaps not as frightful as Fiona's. But as the mistress of what the North considered a false prince, Delphine knew all too well of Kell's reach and power. He controlled the finest assassin in the world, protected several of the most powerful people in Europe with and without thrones, and he was the father of the man who would take Ramsey's place when Kate dethroned Brennan Royer. And now the dark Wolf stood before Delphine in his fine black uniform, Kate's colors on his chest with a few other pins denoting his station. And only a moment later, a nearly-identical, younger black Wolf with a damaged ear stepped in as well in a similar uniform. Young Brogan Ghis didn't carry the same air of danger and control, but he was focused and sharp beside his father, schooling his entire bearing to one of neutrality and seriousness.

"Khelt Aleister the Third, Lord Protector of the Scottish High Throne," Kell introduced himself. "And Crown Prince Brogan Damien Aleister son of Her Majesty Queen Katherine Ghis of House Aleister. And you... are Delphine Tremblay, lover of Ramsey Royer and member of the Royer Clan's court."

 

[heartofcourage]

If Delphine had been scared by Sam, she was absolutely terrified to be in the company of Kell Aleister and his son. Her position at court had been one of being seen and not heard, which meant that she was often overlooked when it came to matters of importance. Brennan Royer would speak freely with her still in the room, unafraid that she might repeat anything that she had heard. After all, she was a whore and the daughter of a witch. Who would believe anything she said as true?

In spite of her fear, Delphine carefully stood from the small camp chair that had been placed in the tent and greeted them both cordially. "Monsieur Aleister." She said with a slight curtsey. "Monseigneur Ghis."

She wrung her hands together in nervousness, struggling to gather together all of her wits. If she could face Brennan and Jane's father, she could face this. If in the end she burned like her mother, so be it.

"A member of his court, oui. A welcome one? No." She said softly. "I came to his court when I was eight. My mother was burned as a witch when I was ten. I've been a problem for him ever since."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I am curious why he kept you in his court if you were a problem for him. Please, sit." Kell motioned for her to return to her seat as he and Brogan took their own. "I'd like to get an idea about your involvement in all of this and why Samuel decided to take pity on you. Tell me how you and your mother came to join a Scottish court, and how you ended up involved with Ramsey."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My father was a Crusader who died in the Holy Lands. He raped my mother on his way and left her to fend for the both of us. She had been a nun and they dismissed her from the order when she could no longer hide the pregnancy. She tried her hardest to make life work for the both of us in Avignon, but there was nothing there for us. When I was eight, she reconnected with her half-sister who was living in Edinburgh. My aunt worked in Royer's court as a governess. My mother made me swear that I would tell no one about my father and we made our way to Scotland." Delphine let out a long sigh, still wringing her hands together. "My mother was hired as a governess to the young Princes as well. That's how I was first introduced to them. I helped to teach them French, but we were practically babes in the nursery together. It was...magical. Being in Scotland and being at the palace was everything that I could have ever wanted in my life."

"Then...Lord Orkney took a liking to my mother. She denied his advances and he found out about my parentage. Before I knew it, she had been arrested for witchcraft. A whore could not be around the princes. Surely that was what she was. They...tortured her for weeks on end but she never broke. In the end...they burned her at the stake. I might have joined her if I hadn't been so young, but they forced me to prove my loyalty by watching her burn. A dragon lit the fire, and I watched every moment of it. Finnegan and Ramsey wanted to protect me, but I was banished from their lives and given a position in the kitchens. I think Brennan Royer knew that he had killed an innocent woman and what little conscience he has inside of him wouldn't let him put a child on the streets."

"Finnegan was my protector when I was growing up, but Ramsey...I've always loved him. We were never going to be able to marry, so...being his mistress seemed to be the next best thing." Delphine admitted. "I can still love and support him as a wife would. I'll just...never be good enough to be his wife."

Delphine cleared her throat and looked up at Kell as she let out a long sigh. "I do love him. I also know that he has done terrible things. The man that is out there now...that's not my Ramsey."

 

[KieranSoares]

There was sympathy in both the Wolves' eyes for Delphine's plight as she explained her position, and Kell glanced over at Brogan a few times to consider his reactions. When Delphine finished, Kell nodded slowly and looked to his cub once more. "Your thoughts, son?"

"Well we certainly don't need to make your situation any harder, Miss Tremblay," Brogan spoke confidently. "But thank you for being open with us. It's... Terrible, the things that happened to you and your mother. It must've been terrifying to face a dragon again. While I won't apologize for my uncle's decision to take Ramsey, I am sorry you had to face that."

Kell was silent, letting Brogan be the diplomat. He was quietly impressed that Brogan had noticed the detail of the dragon, that there was a tell of fear in Delphine when she mentioned the creature, and Brogan had offered a genuine sympathy about it.

"If you would, when Finn arrives, what do you intend to do?" Brogan asked.