Claymore and Dagger (closed)

"Who says that I didn't? He's here, isn't he?" Fiona challenged Sam as she turned to look at him as a little girl that shared his emerald eyes and dark hair waited at the door. "I'm here to get my pardon and collect my reward. I want a Shanendoah horse and the rest of the payment in coins."

"You're not getting anything until we sort this out." Luckily for her, Morgan had given her an entire story to tell about how she found him that night after her escape and caught him off-guard to take her chance to start new. "Tell me exactly what happened after you got out," Sam demanded, motioning for her to sit down at the warden's desk while he let Heather take the spare seat. "Who let you out?"

"I did it myself." Fiona commented, lying to keep Will out of the entire mess. "You underestimate me, Ghis. This isn't my first go around with the criminal world. How do you think that I get in and out of buildings the way that I do?"

Fiona glanced towards Heather as the little girl sat prim and proper in her seat, listening to what her big brother was saying. Something about the way that she absently stared at the wall told her that the little girl had no sight. It was sad, but things happened to even those in high places.

"Morgan and I have a past. I came across him last night as I was going to the my camp and I surprised him. He came quietly. He knows that he has caused trouble and wants to make amends." Fiona tried to explain as she remained calm and collected. "And I'm serious in wanting a Shanendoah horse. The rest doesn't matter so much to me. You can use to to pay back those that I might have wronged in the past."

Sam listened closely, taking down notes in the warden's book as she spoke. He was going to confirm the story with Morgan. "We'll see about rewards when I sort this out. When y' say you two have a past, what d'you mean?"

"What do you think I mean, Ghis?" Fiona asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders. "I do what I have to in order to survive. It doesn't make me a bad person. He protected me from some bad men and I repaid him in the only way that I had."

"Hm..." Sam was still very suspicious, but he rose from his seat. Looking to the warden, he murmured, "Keep her here, and look after Heather." He touched Heather's shoulder as he passed by, having her stay behind away from the potentially dangerous man. He was gone a good twenty minutes before he returned to open up the warden's desk and he pulled out a couple pieces of paper to write something out. He had the warden sign both along with his own signature.

Finally, he looked to Fiona. "Come with me." He had Heather follow too, and he borrowed a soldier's horse so they could ride back to the keep. Sam led them inside and straight to Rho in the main hall. "Rho. Read this," he handed one paper to Rho and his twin read it over after a glance at Fiona.

"Seems all in order to me," Rho shrugged. "Even if she didn't catch him, she did bring him in. I'm sure many people will feel safer without him on the streets." Rho signed it and then the second paper before handing one to Fiona. "Congratulations, Miss Blackstone. You're officially pardoned. Keep this paper with you so guards won't give you any trouble. And if you'll just come with me, I'll get together your bounty and a good horse from my sister's stables. And if you'd like, I'm sure we can find an honest job for you so you don't have to worry about needing to steal to survive again." He gave her a kind smile, but Sam's expression didn't change nor did he offer her any congratulations. He simply stepped away with Heather.

Fiona looked towards the future king of Inverness with a suspicious glance. She had never had someone simply want to give her all the things that she had asked for. He was even willing to give her a job to make sure that she never had to steal again. It was almost too good to be true, she though to herself as she glanced towards Samuel Ghis and the little girl who was holding his cloak so tightly between her fingers.

"All I need is the horse. Everything else you can keep." Fiona said, a stubborn tilt of her chin as she looked at the two brothers.

"Miss Blackstone," Rho chuckled, "There's no catch here. You can have everything promised and asked for. My Da always made it his business to give pardoned criminals new options so that they wouldn't have to go back to their old ways. And now that he's tending more to keep and family matters, it's my job, and one I love. You don't have to accept, but the option is there for you."

"I'd take it, Blackstone," Sam called as he went to sit down with Heather. "Jus' because you're pardoned now doesn' mean y' won't be considered a fourth-time offender next time." Rho shot him a glare, but put a hand on Fiona's shoulder.

"Ignore him. He has a hard time accepting that people can change," Rho assured her. "Come with me, I'll set you up."

Fiona stared at Sam Ghis for a long moment as Rho told her that he would take her to get a horse and the rest of her reward. She didn't say anything more as she turned and followed behind the prince to get what she was promised.

Heather sat quietly as Sam seemed upset. Her brother was always a little moody, prone to brooding, but she had never known him to be mean.

"You should be nice to her, Sam." Heather said softly. "She sounds like a nice person."

"It's no concern o' mine whether she's nice 'r no'. I do my job. She's pardoned. Tha's the end of our business. Knowin' how these things usually go, I'll never meet 'er again except in passin' 'r if she 'as any trouble. I don' care what she thinks o' me."

Rho led Fiona to his father's office, sorting through papers before he took one and had Fiona wait while he went into the treasury office. He returned with a sack of coins and gave it to her. "It's all there. Now if you just take this paper to Annie Ghis or David Shenandoah, they'll help you pick out a horse," he told her, handing her another paper.

Heather nodded, shrinking back slightly from her brother. She didn't like when he was so harsh. His voice took on a gruff and short tone without him even being aware. It would scare her sometimes, but she had to remember that it was just Sam and he wouldn't hurt her.

"Can we go find Papa? He'll take me on a horseback ride." Heather said softly to her brother, not wanting to upset him but wanting to leave him alone to gather his thoughts.


Riona looked down at the piece of paper that she was given and the sack of coins from the treasury. She knew that she wouldn't keep much of it after she was done gathering the things she would give to Will. He was a good soul who deserved all the good things in life.

"Thank you." She said in a soft tone and tucked the paper and coin purse away in her dress pocket. "I can't guarantee that we'll never meet again, but I will try my hardest."

Sam paused at Heather's softened tone, knowing she was tiptoeing around him now. Looking down at her, his expression grew relaxed and kind. "I'm sorry, lovely. I'm jus' an old grump. I'll take y'out ridin' if y'like. I know 'ow much Dun loves you." Sam's charger had always been sweet on her, as most of Annie's horses were soft on women and girls.


Rho smiled to Fiona at her words. "Just remember we're willing to help you find a good job if you need."

"I don't need anyone to offer me charity or give me a job that I didn't earn." Fiona said with a stubborn tilt of her chin. "It might not be the best life that I live, but I do survive and I take pride in what I am able to do."

"This isn't charity, Miss Blackstone. This is opportunity. The offer still stands should you want or need it." Rho escorted her out to the door so she could go on her way. "Good luck," he said as she stepped past. "If you have any problems with guards harassing you, let me or Sam know."

"I don't think it's your guards I have to worry about. It's your brother." Fiona said as she nodded her head towards the prince and made her way out of the keep to Annie's stables.

A strong looking man was tending to the stalls as she entered, a little boy around the age of 10 that was his spitting image was trying to help. An even younger child, probably around 5, was hauling a pail of feed and trying to be of help as well.

"Hello. Um, Rhodan Ghis sent me here with this." Fiona said as she handed the man the piece of paper that she had been given.

David Shenandoah paused as he heard Fiona speak, but it took him a moment to respond because he recognized her. Taking the paper, he read it over quickly, and he offered her a smile. "I knew I recognized you. Good to know you're turning over a new leaf." He looked to the older boy. "Danny, you're in charge. I'll be back." He motioned for Fiona to follow while he went down the line of stables and brought out two horses. One was lean and taller, while the other was much broader and burly. "These two are ready to go out. You're free to take a ride on each if you like to see which suits you."

"Well, the horse isn't for me. It's for a young man who wants to be a ranger." She murmured as she looked at both horses, listening to Danny tell his younger brother what horses needed to be fed. "Which do you believe would be better suited for that duty?"

"A ranger? Well, your average soldier would want a strong, stocky fellow who knows how to fight. A ranger would be more concerned with speed. But this lad can fight as well as any of them," he said as he patted the neck of the taller steed. "This is Volgern, he's the colt of a Danish war charger and a French walker mare. We don't usually train up horses for speed so much as strength, but Volgern is one of the fastest we've ever had."

Fiona considered the two horses for a moment longer before she nodded and chose the taller of the two. "He'll work beautifully." She murmured as she glanced towards David. "How much extra for you to include a saddle, bridle, and some tack with him?"

"Depends on what you're looking for." Came a voice from beside them and Fiona turned to see a beautiful woman with black hair and bright eyes. "David has become something of a master saddle maker. He has all sorts of beautiful designs and those made for comfort."

Annie glanced towards her husband with a smile, obviously proud of everything that he had accomplished. Silas soon came to her side, bored with helping Danny feed the horses. He clung to her skirts as the bundle in the sling against her chest moved and the tiny girl within whimpered. She was newly born and beautiful, with her father's dusky skin and her mother's dark hair. Bridget had been the answer to many of their prayers.

"She says for a ranger, so I probably ought to meet this fellow that it's for. And don't worry about the cost, Rho's left a note about it; 'A horse and all the gear,' it says." David smiled to Fiona. "Why don't you send your friend over and I'll set him up."

"No, even that is too generous. I have enough gold coins to pay for it." Fiona tried to offer as they said that they needed to meet Will. "I can bring him by this afternoon. Would that be alright?"

"Should be fine. With this little one so young, we don't leave the house very much." Annie said as she placed a hand on Silas's thick black hair. "David will keep a look out so the little ones can nap. That way no one disturbs them."

"I'm not taking your money, Miss Blackstone. Just bring your friend by," David insisted, and sent her off.

Will was loitering around the market avoiding trouble as best he could for Fiona's sake, but that didn't stop some shopkeepers from chasing him away just to be sure he didn't steal from them.

When Fiona found Will, she admired that he was trying his hardest to keep out of trouble. She knew how easy it was to fall back into that life of crime.

"How about I treat you to a nice hot meal at the tavern and then I have somewhere to take you." Fiona offered, jingling the coins in her pocket with a grin. "Been a while since I've had a full belly."

Will's eyes grew wide at the sight of the large coin purse. "So it all worked out? Morgan actually went in?"

"He sure did. And I got my full pardon and the letter to prove it." She murmured with a grin as she jingled the gold again. "Now, do you want that meal or not?"