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Of the Fells

"Sei la mia bambina." Vincenzo grinned, touching her cheek before he went on his way. Kitty followed along to spare Valentina any further embarrassment.

Theo gave Valentina a gentle smile, "Yer parents're lovely people." He tried to show her that he didn't think of her differently because of them.
 
"They are lovely people." Val said softly as she looked towards Theo who's smile did something strange that made her belly flutter. "My Ma deserves someone who makes her so happy. Her first husband was a man who was brutal. I think that's why they treat me like that. I was separated from her for so long."
 
"But they love ya," Theo nodded as he rose. "My Ma used t'treat me sorta like tha' after I was away fer a few years t'Wick." It was the first he'd spoken of his own family, but that was all he said. "Y'care fer a walk?" He offered another of his gentle smiles. Showing his softer side seemed to be second-nature, but then again, he seemed to be a family sort of man and was probably far gentler with people because of it.
 
No man in Inverness had ever taken an interest in Valentina. She always faded into the background and she was sure that her overprotective brothers had something to do with that. Even when she wasn't claimed as a Ghis, they would take care of her. Theo smiled at her, asked her for a walk, and Valentina suddenly felt strange. She blushed, glanced down at her shoes and then shyly nodded.

"I would love to." She said softly as she took his arm like she had before. "Thank you."
 
Theo led them along outside to the courtyard and they enjoyed a fair few minutes as they walked into town, until Valentina caught sight of her third-eldest brother. He was just returning from his work at the lumber camp, his axe on his belt, and he was perusing a blacksmith's small outdoor stand when he locked eyes with Valentina. Boar turned, about to greet her, when he saw Theo. Boar had always had a deep distrust of other men outside his family and close friends, a quality instilled in him by his cruel father who'd felt the same. Valentina had never gotten a chance to really understand Tamblin, but she had witnessed the many times when she was small that Tamblin would go after Boar because he was still too small and too young to fight back while his older brothers vastly outsized him and Selena tried so hard to save him until she was simply run off and fled to the Edinburgh countryside.

Boar eyed Theo suspiciously, but was entirely civil as he approached. "Hiya, Val," he gave his sister a smile, but then turned his gaze to Theo. "... Who's this?" He clearly didn't like that Valentina was holding the stranger's arm.
 
When Val caught sight of Boar, she wanted to run the other way. She pulled Theo to a stop, bracing herself for the worst as her brother eyed them both wearily and approached them.

"Hi, Boar." She murmured softly as he gave her a smile and turned his attentions to Theo. "This is Theo. He is the one that protected Julia and the children."

Hopefully her brother would be impressed enough with that feat that he wouldn't delve too deeply into the budding relationship that she and Theo seemed to have.

"How's Emma? And the children? Has she had that little one yet?" Val was struggling to change the subject, to steer him towards a more distracting conversation.
 
"... No, no' yet." Boar knew what she was trying to do, and though he didn't like it, he went along with her for the moment. "Emma's doin' jus' fine, but th'boys are givin' us hell. Our neighbors've been helpin' 'er while I work." He glanced at Theo again, and Valentina knew Theo could feel the entire lack of welcome in Boar's gaze, not to mention the warning. The brothers among the Ghis all did this to their sisters, but Selena had been spared of it thanks to having run from home. Kayla and Valentina received all of that unwelcome sheltering whenever they were around their brothers and other men.

"I 'ave t'get 'ome, Emma's waitin'," Boar stepped closer to kiss Valentina's cheek before he headed off with one last glance back at Theo.

"Did... I do somethin' wrong?" Theo asked quietly.
 
"You were holding my arm. That's what's wrong." Val said, watching as Boar left in a hurry. "Theo, promise me that you won't let my brothers scare you off. They seem to treat it like a sport. I'm not even allowed to have male friends without them talking to them first."
 
"Why don't y'tell 'em y'don' like it?" Theo asked her with honest concern. Many people had suggested it before, but she'd never really outright told them to stop. She'd only made such comments as she did to her father, telling them not to treat her like a child.
 
"They won't listen." Val said as they continued on their walk. "They love me and it's just one of the things they do to show their love."
 
"Doesn' mean y'shouldn' try." They continued on, and, worse than Boar, they came across the most protective of all the Ghis brothers. Durban and Marri had set up their little home on the edge of the town in the forest, but Durban could be found often helping the carpenter, delivering lumber and moving things around for the old master craftsman. Theo paused mid-stride at the sight of the giant Ghis and let go of Valentina's arm for her sake. Theo knew Durban was a Ghis brother as he looked so like Brogan and Boar.
 
When Val caught sight of Durban, she knew the reason why Theo had let go of her arm. He was the largest of her brothers and had as much bite as Brogan did. As they approached, she saw the way that he sized Theo up and she was glad that Marri was there at his side.

"Valentina!" Marri called out, grinning at her sister-in-law. "I'm surprised that we didn't see you this morning when Gabriel took his fall."

"Papa didn't tell me about it until lunch." Val said softly as she looked up at her brother, watching as he continued to glare at Theo. "Durban, this is Theo. He's the one that helped Brogan and Julia."
 
At Valentina's explanation, Durban's expression surprisingly changed to one of surprise and a fair bit of welcome. That was the largest difference between the brothers. Brogan and Durban knew an ally when they proved themselves. Boar, however, was much more stubborn about who he let closer. Again, the mark of Tamblin.

"Theo," Durban gave him a smile and shook his hand gladly. He'd heard about Theo when he'd gone to check on Annie and Annie told him how he'd helped. There was something to be said for Durban and Brogan; they gave other men a chance and made decisions quickly about how well they liked said men. So perhaps Durban wouldn't be the largest threat to Theo.

Theo smiled kindly, almost thankfully, and also greeted Marri politely. Marri, being from a tavern background, had encountered many different people, and she knew his accent well. The old tavern at Caernarvon often entertained islanders, and most islanders on all sides of the isles had a similar accent, so he sounded similar to, perhaps, a person from Castle Town or Islay or Mull.
 
"Come on. I'll fix us all a drink and something to eat." Marri said, taking her husband's arm and pulling him towards their little house.

Val followed behind dutifully and soon she heard the sounds of Seamus and Elise playing in the yard. No doubt Gabriel was resting with pain killing herbs that Vincenzo had given him.

"Mama!" Seamus called out when he saw his mother, instantly wrapping his arms around her skirts as she walked into the yard. "Da!"

Val smiled at Seamus. He was a large little boy, a bruiser who played rough, but loved abundantly.
 
"C'mere lad," Durban scooped his son into one arm, then Elise into the other. They often called Seamus 'Little Boar' because of how much like his uncle he was. And having helped to raise Boar, Durban knew it well. Inside, they found Gabriel doing all the chores he could with one arm until Durban stopped him and made him sit down. He was a very responsible and too-serious boy, exactly like his father had once been as a young man.
 
Marri doted on Gabriel as Durban made their son sit down. She kissed his brow and then moved with Elise into the kitchen to fix everyone a meal. Seamus played with his father, wrestling playfully until he caught sight of Theo. He moved from his father to this stranger and stopped in front of him.

"Hi." Seamus said with a beaming smile on his face.

"Seamus doesn't know a stranger." Val said as she kissed her nephew's cheek. "Seamus, this is Theo."
 
"Hiya, lad," Theo smiled back, and Valentina could see he loved children right away, just like he'd been with Annie. He shook Seamus' little hand. Durban sat down beside Valentina.

"So..." Durban murmured while Theo was distracted with Seamus. "You two look awful chummy. I'm guessin' y'must've made pretty fast friends with 'im." He wasn't teasing, only observing.
 
"He needed a sympathetic ear." Val said, looking over at her brother. "And I know I have at least one good ear to lend."

About that time Marri came back into the room with a tray, Elise trailing behind her to find a seat. She served a tray of scones and tea, stopping to kiss her husband with a loving smile. Val caught the little smiles, the touches between the two of them and she looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Another little one on the way, huh?" She asked her brother with a smile. "You have to learn to keep your hands to yourself, brother."
 
"Shush, you. Y'only get t'tease me after yer married an' you understand," Durban growled playfully. "Besides, 'it ain' polite conversation fer a lady' as Ma says." But they both knew their mother loved to tease her children endlessly about such things. It was mostly an effect of Valentina's caretaker as a child, Ashelin. She'd loved to tease and gossiped brightly all the time. There was never an unkind word out of her, only gentle teasing.
 
"Between you and Brogan and Boar and Ashien, I'll never marry." Val said as Marri sat next to her husband with a smile.

"Never say never, Valentina. I never thought I'd get this brute to settle down any roots, but here we are." Marri commented, taking his hand and squeezing it.
 
"These ain' roots," Durban insisted. "I'm still goin' back out t'the Highlands every summer." Even though he'd never wanted to be the nomad his father had turned him into, he'd loved it, and he was a restless wanderer still. Often, Marri would catch him wandering about town or the countryside for no particular reason. And on nights he couldn't sleep in his own bed, he'd go and lay out under the stars.
 
"And Papa is sending me to Normandy with you." Val said as Marri glanced at Durban, unaware that they were taking Val with them.

"Well, it will be nice to have you along, Val. Seamus is a handful and I always need another set of eyes to keep track of him." Marri said.
 
"Th'more the merrier. An' I know ye've always wanted t'go," Durban leaned over to kiss Valentina's cheek. "Y'always were jealous when y'saw I brought Ash an' Kay a tiger." That had been one of the craziest things Durban had ever done, giving a white tiger cub to the young twins as Ashien had been sickly for most of his life up until he was about sixteen and left home, and Kayla had always been the smallest of them all. Durban had wanted them to have a protector.
 
"I was jealous. I cried for days after you came back." Val said softly as Marri laughed softly. "But Ashelin insisted that we couldn't care for one even if you had brought one for me."
 
"I know. Tha's why I got you tha' sheepdog y'loved so much. Wasn' 'is name Roman? 'E went back and forth with ya t'Italy every year. Besides, yer no' a tiger kinda lass. Ye'd do better with a cat 'r a good fetchin' dog."
 
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