The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

Even though Soma walked with purpose and confidence as he approached, Kate could see him looking all around in wonder at his aunt's castle and city. They were finally getting back into territory once stewarded by the Ghis Clan, and some old stories of Edinburgh were finally coming to life in the young prince's mind. When he came to a halt before Kate, his cub-blue eyes met hers with absolute determination.

"Whether she knew it or not, Ma's been preparing me for this all my life," Soma told her with a hint of a smile. "All those council meetings and spending time with Aunt Kay are going to make me a nightmare for anyone trying to stand in your way here." Soma knew all about his aunt's style of governing and already knew most of her plans for restoring her laws and practices. After his time spent fending off the Empire's old council at every turn with their own laws, he was as prepared as could be to help restore the High Throne.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate clapped him on the shoulder, pulling him in to hug him tightly. Any of the apprehension she had seen earlier was gone now. "This is our birthright, love. No matter who comes and tries to take it from us, it is ours. We control our own destinies now."

Kate then let him go to turn back to the business at hand. She explained to him what she was doing and what had been done. "Can someone send a messenger to the camp to check on my brother's condition?" Kate called to an assistant.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Already dispatched before we entered the gates, Your Majesty. Per the Lord Protector's orders," the assistant assured her. "We should hear back before nightfall."

"I'm honestly trying not to think too much about Ma and Da right now," Soma admitted to his aunt. "I trust that Alex and Loren will look after them and fix Da up as best they can. But I'm still worried." Soma sighed and shook his head. "I'll worry about that later. Right now we're in a critical time where order needs to be reestablished for the civilians' sake, and the rest of the isles need to be notified of what's happening. But also, as of now, Ireland has a direct connection back to the North and the Triad again. We should be seeing William himself or a representative here within a couple weeks. I've also heard Aunt Kay is planning to host a gathering of all the Northern leaders after the war is done."

"Your Majesty!" A voice from overhead called. A black dragon with an agent Rider landed close by and the young Wolf hurried up to Kate. "Your Majesty, I've just come from Wick. Clan Royer and Ferngill have surrounded and seized Clan Wick's holdings. King Cahal and Prince Abel have been taken prisoner."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate took the news of the capture of Wick in stride, her green eyes not betraying the absolute panic that she felt. Fiona could withstand against Royer when she had been taken. Cahal and Abel couldn't, not with the many hard seasons that they had already had to withstand.

"Dispatch yourself back to the front and gather a small group of dragons. I want them watched." Kate said with the rider before she turned to look at Kell.

"We can either fight or abscond with them." She said in Erygonian to keep their conversation private among themselves. "Which agents do you have here that could do either job?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell folded his hands behind his back, mulling over the news with a dark frown. "If they were willing to torture Owen and Fiona, they'll certainly threaten the same to your uncles to keep us at bay. I would either send Qira and have a couple Riders ready to pick them all up, or I'd send a task force of Axemen and our best Riders. My fear is that if they see us coming, they might make an example of one of them."

"Abel may be in the most danger here," Soma muttered. "He's only really an advisor since he rejected the title of King. And from what you've told me, Aunt Kate, he can't take much abuse in his current state. We know Qira could get in, but he'd need help with getting two people out."

"If either I or Shani go, that leaves one of our royals unprotected," Kell warned his nephew.

"I know... but we need to end this war sooner rather than later. We have people all over the north end of the isle who desperately need us after Royer's been abusing them, and Emile before him. The werefolk around Inverness, the people of Wick, even Royer's own clan now."

Kell looked to Kate, knowing it was a very sensitive situation. "I would choose Qira and Shani, of course. But we may also benefit from sending Riley on a distraction mission at the same time. But with them away, that leaves us more vulnerable if Royer is watching us as closely as I think he is. It's your call, Kate."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Send Qira and Shani." Kate said as she considered all of the possibilities that she had been offered. Her uncles would be as good as dead if she didn't do anything. She couldn't have that happen. "Riley stays as a lookout. Send word...to Fiona. I'll have need of her services if she can get away from Sam."

Kate stood with her hands on her hips, head bowed as she thought about everything. She was safest there in Edinburgh with the axemen at her back. Having Riley in the sky, the city would be watched over in the very least. It was the best option that she could foresee at the moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell nodded and turned, heading out to gather Qira and Shani. Soma remained by his aunt's side. "Leave defenses to me, focus on the city and reconnecting with your allies and vassals," Soma advised. "Kell and Qira will work this out and Shani's the kind of risk-taker we need to make their plans work. If anyone can get Cahal and Abel out, it's Qira and Shani."

As Soma spoke to his Aunt, Kell pulled Shani and Qira aside, keeping their conversation in Erygonian and well.

"Cahal and Abel are captured and vulnerable to severe abuse if left in Royer's hands for long. I need them out as soon as possible. Use any resource you can to get information and get into Wick. With all the chaos happening right now, Royer's going to count on us being too busy here to react quickly. So you two need to get started immediately. I know I said we need you on Rissa and Bo at all times, but Abel and Cahal are far more vulnerable right now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll go wherever you feel I can best serve the queen." Shani murmured, glancing up at her father. "If that means sticking a knife between Royer's ribs, I'll gladly do that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"As much as I would love that right now, I don't think even you two could get close enough to him. He may not have the numbers we do, but he's proving he has a vast array of defenses and a lot of people very willing to die in his defense. But goddammit it would solve a lot of problems to just... fucking end it." Kell snarled to himself quietly. Qira's brows furrowed in concern. It wasn't like Kell to show a temper. Kate was usually the brash and direct one, while Kell was always cool-headed and efficient.

"You are cracking, eldere," Qira murmured softly in a tone he rarely used outside very private quarters. "You have too much weight on your shoulders."

"It's fine. Yes, there is a lot of new pressure, but we've been preparing for this. I just need to adjust and Soma is helping to smooth out things on Kate's side so I can focus on mine. Give me time. I've only been Lord Protector again for... well, a few hours." Kell nodded to Qira, his jaw clenched. "I trust you to work with Shani and figure this out. Get our family out of there alive... for Kate's sake if no one else." With that, Kell turned on his heel and stormed away, his hands still clasped behind his back and his shoulders tense.

"You see, my love," Qira murmured to his daughter. "Kate may not be Ghis by blood, but she is at heart. That's the temper. But Kell? A proper Aleister. Stoic, never says more than needs saying. And sometimes, never saying anything at all. Thank your lucky stars that Bo happens to take after Kate a little more. He won't go silent when he's overwhelmed. Still... They get it right in time."

Sighing heavily, Qira put a hand on Shani's shoulder. "We are doing this my way, which means we do it ourselves and take some weight off the others. If you will be Lady Protector, part of your job is to protect Bo's sanity too."

Qira glanced around, spotting Rissa nearby. "We leave tonight. Gather only what you absolutely need, and spend a moment with Bo. But don't let anyone know we're leaving. I have to talk to your mother. I'll meet you here in the courtyard when it's time." He looked back to Shani and pressed a kiss to her forehead, his golden eyes showing her that stoic, proud expression she'd always known. "You have impressed everyone beyond our expectations. And beyond my wildest hopes. As much as I didn't want a child to grow up to be like me... I am even prouder that you will surely surpass me." With a final pat to her shoulder, he made his way through the chaos to Rissa.

"My love," Qira muttered as he came up beside her, a term he rarely used outside private quarters. He kept his eyes forward, scanning everywhere around Kate and Rissa. "I know you have too much on your plate already. But may I ask you to see to it that our Wolf survives a few more days? He may go completely white if he keeps this up." It was Qira's way of letting her know he was about to disappear. But he added, "And maybe Bo too. He is always nervous without his shadow." He glanced back toward Shani when he said that.

 

[heartofcourage]

"The Aleisters need deniability." Shani said in her usual calm voice. "The closer to the throne, the brighter the light that is shone. They cannot be seen with blood on their hands even if it was at their order."

Shani glanced up at her father as his heavy hand was placed on her shoulder. She gave him a nod when he explained to her that it would just be the two of them and she needed to gather everything that she needed to achieve it. As she left his side, she turned only once to watch him approach her mother before she disappeared entirely to gather her things.

Rissa watched the crowd with sharp eyes, just as Qira did. She let out a sigh as Qira came to her side and explained to her what they were off to do and what he needed from her. "So, Shani has been chosen again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I will fully admit that it's my fault," Qira grunted. "It's been my fault all her life. I raised an assassin, when I promised myself I wouldn't." Qira turned his amber gaze to Rissa. "Each time she's hurt, I want to go back and throttle myself for encouraging her on this path. But now... well, Kell and I have given her every opportunity to step away and just be... normal. She won't do it, my love. She knows who she is, even so young..."

He shook his head, but kept his hard, stoic demeanor in public. "I am sorry. The pain and worry you feel for her is because of me. But I believe in my girl. I wouldn't take any of it back. We get to come home because of her, and more importantly, she is finding her place."

Qira wasn't one for speeches, and it immediately tipped Rissa off that he was worried about the mission. He had a tendency to get things off his chest before he entered a mission that might seriously end in his death.

"We're leaving tonight. Even with all this chaos, there's time to see her off," Qira murmured. "She'll be back in two days, I promise."

 

[heartofcourage]

"As will you." Rissa said softly, turning her head slightly to look at her husband. "You'll return with her in two days. We did not come this far to fall now, Qira. I have an estate to take back and make flourish again. I need you to help me do that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's the plan," he assured her. "The cubs come first. But I will not gamble my own life where I can help it. My wife would kill me." He offered the smallest hint of a grin, trying to lighten the situation even if only a little. "As long as I have anything to say about it, you will not lose me, eldere. We have wayward drakes and good people to care for." His fingers laced through hers. "And we have a very nervous Prince to teach."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We'll have a home again. Not a yurt, not a tent, not the open sky. A home." Rissa said softly, thinking about the manor that she had left behind, the one that had been built by her father for her mother and had become the only thing she had left of her family history. "And I refuse to go back to it alone, Qira. I mean that."

 

[KieranSoares]

Qira's fingers laced through hers. "We all promised to see you home. And you know I take my promises very seriously." He glanced northward in the direction of the McClure estate. "I will be there with you." His gaze returned to hers and he added softly. "I wish we could have a moment of peace to ourselves before I go. But you have an entire castle to sort out, and a kingdom after that. Just make sure you take as good care of yourself as you do Kate and Kell."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I promise." Rissa said, kissing her husband before she shooed him to get on his way. She watched as he left, melting into the crowd until she couldn't see him any longer. With a sigh, she turned back to her duties while she sought to forget what her daughter and husband were doing.

At the camp, there was a quietness around the tents of those that had remained. Anyone who could fight was on their way to Edinburgh while the wounded had stayed behind until the city was safe to transport them. Fiona was exhausted, kept bedbound by Yasmine who insisted that she needed to rest her lungs and let the broken bones mend before she was more seriously hurt. She had taken herbs to numb the pain, to calm her mind.

Sitting quietly in bed, she tried to focus on anything other than the fact that Sam was undergoing a procedure. She glanced at her father as he read next to her, unbothered by everything as usual. "How are things with you and Blair?" She asked him softly, just trying to make small talk.

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen was half-dozing as he read. He inhaled deeply and woke himself up when Fiona spoke, and laid his book aside. "Very well, I think," he offered quietly. "And I've been getting to know Jane too. They have a lot to figure out, even moreso now. But Blair is nothing if not dedicated to that woman and to Nora. I think they'll be just fine."

Owen turned toward Fiona, his gaze tired but calm. "I'm enjoying seeing her find her place in the world, honestly. Seeing her find her people... and being accepted thanks to your support."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I didn't do anything." Fiona said softly as he brought up her role in bringing Blair to them.

She was quiet for a long moment after that, her fingers idly picking at the thin fabric of her blanket. It was clear that she still wasn't back to her usual self, but more withdrawn and distant with even her close family. Fiona couldn't shake the melancholy that clung to her so tightly.

"I saw her. Just glimpses, really." Fiona said softly as she talked about her mother. "She looked so healthy and free, so happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen's brows furrowed when Fiona brought up Tatiana. It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about, but once he did, he sighed and sat back, nodding slowly. "I'm a little jealous that you saw her... Especially if she was so vibrant." He reached out a hand to lay beside hers, letting her choose whether she wanted him to hold her hand. "She must be so proud. But she must also be livid with me for not stopping you from going into some of these recent fights and sneaking into Inverness. She was always so protective."

 

[heartofcourage]

She glanced down at his hand before gently taking it in her own. "I could hear Margaret screaming in victory during the battle and I'm sure Ma was right there with her. She doesn't fear things anymore. I'm not sure that she ever really feared things."

"Da, I can't shake this. I can't get rid of the guilt that wants to eat me alive from the inside out. I've pushed them all away, thinking that time and distance would help, but I still feel hollow." She confessed to him, perhaps the only soul in the world that might understand her. "He wanted death. It was all he wanted. It shouldn't have been like this though."

 

[KieranSoares]

"No, it shouldn't have," Owen agreed, his pointed ears tilting back slightly. "In a perfect world, he would've sought help and been able to recover or at least live peacefully. In a less perfect world, he would've asked for a merciful and graceful exit instead of forcing you to be his executioner in bloody battle. Not to mention the souls he took with him and those who are irreparably harmed. You did your best, little kit... but there is little comfort in that, I know. For what it's worth, I am proud of you for how you handled this. You did everything you could to offer him a peaceful way out, and when the time came, you brought him down fast and as cleanly as possible. People tend to mythologize terrible moments into acts of heroism. But what you did here was what needed to be done, for everyone's sake."

Owen paused a moment, and then offered quietly, "Maybe in time... you might talk with Markos. You might even reach out to Hesperus himself. I won't pretend to know what's best to help you, my little love. But perhaps seeking some kind of absolution would help. If I know you at all, you will blame yourself forever for things you couldn't control."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm just like you." Fiona said with a slight smile, squeezing his hand as a rustling could be heard and she saw Loren appear. "Is the surgery done? Is he alright?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen was about to say something more when Loren stepped in. He had a fresh apron on and it seemed he was returning from cleaning his tools by the case in his hand. He had a calm, straight expression as he entered, one that Fiona knew was carefully crafted for his work. "It's good and bad news," he told Fiona gently, coming to pause at the foot of her cot. "His knee was in bad shape... Not just fractures, but crushing. We were able to repair and set it, but it's going to take a long time to heal. But I'm afraid that after it does, Uncle Sam may need a brace on that knee for the rest of his life, and he may need a cane sometimes. He'll be able to do everything he used to for the most part... But I don't think he'll be able to run."

Owen's gaze returned to Fiona as Loren bowed his head slightly. Owen knew Fiona would want to blame herself for this too. "I'm sorry, Auntie," Loren murmured. "Alex was there directing me the whole time, and he said there wasn't anything more we could do with an injury like that. But we can make sure he isn't in pain from it, and we can help him regain some range of motion with physical therapy. I promise I'll get him as close to his old self as I can."

Loren's youth showed in such words when other doctors would advise against getting too personal with a case or patient. But Loren was a nephew worried for his aunt and uncle.

 

[heartofcourage]

The news reached her like a punch to the gut. He would never be able to run again. Her fox was screaming loudly with sorrow, but Fiona could only manage a shaking breath as she thought about Sam and their future together. He had always chased after her with wild abandon. That was how he had shown his love, but now...now it wasn't possible.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Loren. He's alive and that's what matters." She said softly as she bowed her head to gather herself. "We would be foolish to think that we could make it to the end of all of this without losing something."

She wanted to rage, to howl out her sorrow and pain, but it was best to lock it all away and continue on. That was what everyone needed from her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll tell you the same thing I'll tell him when he wakes," Loren said softly. "If you need help, if you need to talk, we're here for you. Alex, Yasmine, Jan, Luna, me... Just remember that." Loren didn't push after that, knowing it often did more harm than good. "He should wake in the next hour or so. Once he's clear-headed, we'll discuss all of this with him. So take your time to think and let me know if you have any questions."

With that, Loren stepped back, needing to get back to Alex. "I'll see you in a bit," he murmured and stepped out.

Owen remained, silent at his daughter's side. He had still kept hold of her hand through all Loren had said, hoping to anchor her against the bad news. He let the silence stand a while. Even if he didn't know what was going through Fiona's mind, he knew it wasn't good.

"Little kit," he finally said softly. "I'm sorry, Fiona." There was nothing he could do to fix it, but he hoped she would remember he was there for her and Sam both.