Sionnach (closed)

KieranSoares

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After a long, persistent winter and late spring, the folk of the north were not only anxious to begin the growing season after food nearly ran short, but terrified of what the spring thaw meant to their safety. For just across the English Channel, an army was amassing from the Holy Roman Empire, ready to invade the isles. All winter, they had been lying in wait, chipping away at the North's defenses, especially the navies that held the straits and the North Sea. Knowing his men, even with vast numbers, couldn't stand up to a northern winter in their enemies' own lands, the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa sat in wait while casually issuing threats of his immense power, lest the isles surrender and their allies pull back. Even with a war on two fronts after abandoning a small Crusade effort appointed by the Catholic Church, Barbarossa managed to hold the battle lines against the Rus and on the northern European shore versus Scandinavia and the isles. Even when his grip began to loosen to the east, Barbarossa simply instituted a draft to swell his military numbers and far outdo what the North could muster.

And then as the thaw set in, Barbarossa's newest vassals and warriors began to take the field. Dragons were seen in the skies across Europe suddenly, heading for the Norman shores to help the push across the Channel and break England's navy. The terror of common folk was outweighed only by the terror of those who knew what to expect. Dragon fire in its many colors descended upon northern Norman forts and settlements still held by the English King Henry Beauclerc, and finally ripped away the last English hold on the mainland and forced gathering warriors of what had become known as the Northern Alliance to retreat to the very shoreline, losing high ground in spades.

Amid this chaotic forced retreat, the Imperial Riders' main enemy finally emerged as a unit. From their temporary base in Scotland around Clan Inverness, dragons and their wide variety of Riders came as a united force for the first time to support the Northern Alliance. Among them, the new King of Inverness, General Samuel Durban Ghis, and his new wife, Queen and Lady Dragon-Caller Fiona Blackstone.

On the sixth day of April, the Northern Riders landed on England's south cliffs near Dover, able to just see the shore near Calais on the other side, thus giving a view of the main naval battlefield and the massive gathering of northern ships ready to move soldiers and hold the line. That evening, the present leaders, Riders, and officers gathered in council to prepare. Reports had come in that the push across the Channel would come in the morning, when the Imperial land forces would decimate the last mainland line, the Imperial navy would punch through Northern ship lines, and then transports would bring in the soldiers under the cover of dragon fire and finally take hold of England's southern shore if all went well. So among Ireland, Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and some support from the Rus and many independent clans across the northern countries, and under the primary directions of the monarchs of Inverness, Sweden, Norway, and England, the Northern Alliance formed on the White Cliffs of Dover and prepared overnight to hold the shores.

Shortly after the council meeting, Samuel being the only monarch physically present alongside Fiona and thus considered the army's main general, all officers and leaders in attendance broke off to carry news and plans to their respective units and groups. King Henry was en route while the Scandinavian Triad monarchs were responsible for holding the North Sea, thus leaving Queen Sarah and plenty of clan kings of Ireland holding the western coasts of the isles in case of sneak attacks. Scottish clan kings had gathered on the Scottish-English border to await orders, and Russian navies would arrive sometime in the night to help hold the channel. All that could be ready, was ready. And this left many feeling anxious, terrified, and listless.

In the main planning tent of King Samuel Ghis, after most others had left to attend to their duties, this left Samuel himself, Fiona, and their council of Dragon Riders wrapping up their own plans. The Northern Riders' main objectives were focused around the Imperial Riders and, afterward, the Imperial navy. As the Riders began to disperse, Sam finally took a seat, having stood and paced even through most of the planning with the other officers and the Riders. Winter had been rough on everyone mentally with the constant press of war on the horizon. Now that it was here, he felt under-prepared and like he'd wasted time, though he had done everything he could.

With a long sigh, his head resting on one hand as he stared down at a pile of scout reports under the other hand, Sam murmured to Fiona, "We're no' ready fer this."
 
Time.

It was something that they often talked about together. Time had been the issue in their marriage since the day of their wedding. It didn't seem that there was enough to enjoy one another, to plan for a war, or to spend with family. What they had were the moments that they were alone in the evening before sleep and the hours spent on the backs of their dragons. It wasn't ideal, but it was reality and they had to make it work.

Fiona glanced up from her papers as Sam spoke, lamenting that they weren't ready. It was the same thing that he had been saying as the winter wore on, a little louder as the ice and snow started to melt and Spring was upon them. He worried about feeding Inverness after a long winter. She worried about the were villages and how defenseless she thought they were. They had worked their hardest to get things in place, but she sympathized with his thoughts.

"Samuel, you could have 100 years to plan and you still wouldn't feel it was enough." Fiona said softly, knowing that it was useless to try and convince him otherwise. "No one out there could have these forces as ready as you. You've pulled together the triad, added new blood, and gotten the dragons ready and outfitted. What more do you think could possibly be done?"

The two of them had only taken two days for a honeymoon, riding for Inverlochly with the drakes the morning after they were married and coming back just two evenings later. It had been the last peaceful time that they had really had and even then, as they tried to relax, they had still talked about business and what the future might hold.

Vincenzo had lasted another month, passing away just after the new year and finally joining Kitty as he had been waiting for so long to do. The family had joined together to bury him with as much honor as they could, saying goodbye to the man that had given them the fatherly love that they had always needed. There were tears, laughter, and contentment in the fact that he was finally with the woman that he loved. After seeing that Valentina would be alright, attention was changed from their dying patriarch to the plans that were needed for battle.

There had been endless training and visits to lands beyond Inverness, raising support and funds to put together the best defense they possibly could. She had trained a few more riders herself, impressing upon them that the job was dangerous and the margin for error was low. She was truly starting to believe that maybe they could gain the upper hand in this situation from the backs of dragons, turning the war against Barbarossa for good.

"Kate made it safely to Edinburgh." She said as she stood, offering him a letter from Kell telling them all that Kate and he were back in the city to plan and Brogan had been taken to an undisclosed location for the time being.

They all knew that it meant the young toddler was with Rissa on her estate, being taken care of so that Kate could turn her attentions towards what really mattered. He would be as safe as he possibly could there on the farm. He would see his mother in secret, but would be hidden away to keep him safe from the brutal German emperor.

"And Rho moved his cub to be with Suara so he can help your Da with the defenses of Inverness." Fiona kept up with the family for Sam so he wouldn't have to do anything other than focus. Naiya was back to her job as a warrior, helping to bolster the defenses of the were so that they could be prepared in case of attack. Everyone was as busy as could be.

"We have talked strategy for nights on end, love. What else do we need to do?" She asked as she sat down next to him and glanced at his deflated figure. "We can talk over everything again if you feel it would help."

No one was as supportive and as understand of Sam as Fiona had been. She had learned not to push him, to support him silently, and to argue with him when it was appropriate. He was a hard shell to crack and, even though he would show his true self from time to time, in moments of extreme stress he would hide away further in his shell.

Seeing that he was focused on what was in front of him, she let out a sigh and sank back against the chair, giving his shoulder a shove to gain his attention. "Walk me through it. I know you won't stop until you do."
 
"Wha's more t'walk through?" Sam murmured. He had condensed their plan down and destroyed all evidence that could be stolen, and kept it from anyone who wasn't absolutely necessary. "We 'ave t'wait fer them t'strike first. Scouts an' spies say they'll be sendin' fire ships t'ram any defenders we 'ave ready, so we'll use a couple decoys t'lure them. Then they'll send the warships t'clear th'way, followed by the carriers t'drop soldiers. We focus on the carriers an' stop any Germans from settin' foot on shore. Then their dragons'll come t'harrass us an' our shore troops, tha's when our own Riders take them on. An' then we jus' fight an' pray..."

He sat back with a long sigh. "You an' I will have t'direct things from up high once the Germans start makin' counter maneuvers an' introducin' their own task forces. We're in a bad position... All we can do is react."
 
"Just because we don't have the upper hand doesn't mean that we're doomed." Fiona said, trying to keep him positive as he talked through the plans again.

Fiona stood up as he leaned back, thinking over the position that they found themselves in. It was her turn to pace the length of the tent, thinking over the training that they had been doing on the back of dragons.

"We always have dragon fire at our command. If they insist on using it to destroy villages, I will not hesitate to do it myself." Fiona said, glancing over at him. "If he wants to call my bluff, I dare him to try."

She had long threatened Sam that she would end this war on her own if she had to. A flight to Germany, a few moments of dragon fire, and then a flight back home. She only wished it could be that simple and things might be solved so easily.

"If they truly do have callers like my father thinks that they do, things might be tricky. However, I am very confident in our abilities." Fiona paused in her pacing, looking over at Sam with a small smile on her face. "And I'm very confident in your abilities to lead this all, Sam."
 
Sam's dark emerald eyes followed Fiona briefly as she paced, and as she paused to offer him a smile, he offered a tired, weak smirk in return. He took a moment simply to look at her. Amid all his worries and fears, Fiona was always there to offer an extra shoulder for the massive burden. Though she had not been raised with the knowledge of governance, war, and society as he had being a Prince of Inverness, she had taken to the role of Queen both beautifully, and rather differently than her predecessor. She could be graceful and a wonderful hostess, but what most folk loved about her was her stubborn passion for what was right, fair, and the common good. Many called her a born Ghis, fitting in amongst the stubborn line perfectly, and so naturally becoming known as a daughter of Brogan Ghis even before her marriage to Samuel. She was a wonder to Sam himself. How she could withstand his cold silence and coax him into opening up was beyond him. It was something even his own beloved mother couldn't always manage. It was something no one had managed very often since the death of Katherine Ghis, the only woman who knew Sam to the absolute core. But Fiona was on her way to finally taking up that mantle, left unworn for years.

Silently looking Fiona over in her light armor, which most of the Riders wore even off-duty in case of emergency or ambush, Sam's tired smirk became a touch warmer. "C'mere," he murmured, pushing his chair back from the table and offering an arm to welcome her into his lap. It was his quiet way of letting her know she'd cracked his shell just enough. He still had his bad days left over from years and years of self-loathing and depression and anger, but he was a far cry from the man who never showed an ounce of love or mercy to anyone but his family, despite his compassionate heart.
 
Fiona paused when she saw him lean back, scooting so that she could sit in his lap as he gave her that warm little smirk. She knew when she had broken him, cracking that hard shell that he tried so hard to keep up at all times. It made her feel as if she had accomplished the impossible when it happened.

"Are you sure that you're done talking about it? Don't want to discuss wind changes? Weather patterns? Low and high tide?" She asked him, her arms crossing over her engraved chest piece, giving him another smirk.

She moved across the room to him, slipping into his lap as she rested her head against his shoulder with a long sigh. Moments like this were very hard to come by and she took them when she could, even if she had to tease him mercilessly.

"I'm training the riders in the morning on how we will run the battle. I don't think they appreciate it, but I insist that it happens." Fiona told him softly, knowing that he would support her in whatever she wanted to do. "I'm afraid that we're heading for a fight within the ranks, but we all have to be united to survive this."
 
"None of them are military. They're all independent rebels who don' like partnering with anyone but their dragons. But I doubt there'll be any infighting beyond a couple individuals after this battle." Sam wrapped his arms around her as he spoke. "There's a few good combinations we can rely on... Some o' our Riders have loyalty tha' goes deeper than jus' fighting for what they think is right. We've got couples, siblings, close friends... An' yeah, a few tha' don' get along, but they've managed t' separate themselves from their problems fairly well a' least in battle. I'm fairly confident th'Riders'll work well. It's just a question of whether it's enough versus Barbarossa."

Sam sighed, leaning his head back. "I'm honestly tryin' t'find some balance here where I don't feel too hopeless, but don' get my hopes up either... We're so short on supplies an' people... And patriotism an' brotherhood can only go so far t'win a fight. Eventually, loyalty and righteousness give out t'starvation an' too many losses..."
 
"Sam, you know that we will lose people that we love dearly. I foresee a lot of people going through the same. There is nothing that we can do about any of that." Fiona said as Sam leaned back in the chair, his burly arms wrapped around her tightly. "Nor can you blame yourself for a hard winter and low supplies. We've tried our hardest to prepare everyone with what will happen. We will not go down without a fight."

Sam had warned her many times that planning for war was much different than the actual battle. She worried constantly about his family and her own, but they had a duty to the people of Inverness that depended on them greatly.

"In the end of all of this, no matter what happens, we know that we have done our damnedest against a force of evil." She pressed her face against his throat, eyes closing as she simply soaked in the moment with her husband. "And life will go on."

After a long moment of silence shared between the both of them, Fiona let out a small sigh. "I do wish sometimes that the first few months of our marriage might have been something different, but I think that it brought us closer together in the end. You can be as stubborn as an angry goat when it comes to some things, but I wouldn't change you for the world."
 
"Too late t'change me now anyway," Sam muttered, his eyes closed as he kissed her cheek. But it wouldn't last long as the war tent flap opened and Sam looked up to see a few familiar faces. Gabriel, Seamus, Naiya, and a few other friends and cousins. Setting Fiona on her feet and rising himself, Sam faced the grim expressions of his soldiers and family for a quiet moment before asking, "... Somethin' wrong?"

"We received word from the Norman shore. Barbarossa's general 'as taken th'last Northern holdout in Calais," Gabriel muttered. "Three survivors made it over, reported about twenty still held prisoner, the rest are dead. They say they saw Dragons come in from the south and east and land in a vineyard just outside Calais for the night. They saw maybe ten, but they're sure there's more coming or already there."

Sam nodded gravely, his eyes slowly casting over the people before him. "Secure th'three survivors. They've 'ad enough. We can' do anythin' about th'Imperial forces amassing anymore. All we can do is be ready at dawn. All of you, update th'night watch an' get some sleep. Most o' you will be land fighters on this side, but you may end up crossin' the Channel if we can push hard enough."

The group began to file away, but Naiya hesitated, looking to Sam. "I got a letter from Rho," she said softly. "He wanted me to make sure you know he's got things under control at home."

"I trust him with tha' much..." Sam nodded, and asked, "How's Loren?" It had only been a few months since the little brown Wolf cub with the lighter blaze on his face, neck, and chest had been born. Sam had tried to make Naiya stay home even though she had recovered quickly, but Naiya had insisted that she belonged on the battlefield.

"Perfect. He's making Rho pay for all his mischief," Naiya smiled at that. "But he's apparently an angel for all our parents."

"Good... I'm looking forward t'bein' a proper uncle when we get back." At that, Naiya nodded in approval as she turned to leave.

"Get some sleep too, lovers. You're going to need it more than ever before."
 
Fiona stood there, listening to reports as they came in from Seamus and Gabriel. She didn't like the idea of more dragons in the fray, but she knew that there was little she could do to stop them from choosing the side of the German king that wanted to do away with them all. They had been lied to, they would not be safe when this was all over, but no one could convince them otherwise.

She had a slight grin on her face as Naiya spoke of her small cub, the little boy safely with Suara in Inverness while Rho worked to secure things at home. Naiya had been proud of the little brown cub, but she was even prouder that she had the chance to fight this war. They were all worried about the outcome, but in the end, there was nothing they could do but try their best.

"I'll drag him away when I get the chance." Fiona promised as Naiya nodded and retreated from the tend and she turned to look at Sam. "If the weather is bad in the morning, there is no sense in trying the channel. I might fly to Calias myself and see if there is any sense to be talked into the new dragon riders. They need to know that Barbarossa will not keep up any end of his deals with them. If we can turn them to our side with diplomacy, maybe the numbers will finally tip in our favor."
 
"My concern is tha' a good number of 'em are German natives an' fighting because it's their home... I don' know how we could change their minds after all they've already supported an' seen of Barbarossa. But there are a few... Rory'd know which ones, tha' we could potentially swing our way. But I wouldn' plan on it, love. If th'fog an' rain are bad tomorrow, they could use it t'ambush us first. You'd be done for if y'went into their territory even with back up."

Sighing to himself, he murmured, "We'll see what things look like in th'morning... I'm exhausted."
 
Fiona leaned into Sam's side as he admitted that he was exhausted. Her arm snaked around his waist, hugging him tightly as she thought about what he had said. There would be little she could do to convince a native German to change their opinion on Barbarossa, but she knew that it might be worth trying.

"Let's go to bed then." She said, looking up at her husband as she gave him a push to start walking out of the war tent to their own private set up. "We can get some sleep and then make some more decisions in the morning.
 
Sam simply grumbled in response, his footsteps heavy as they made their way to the north central ring of high officer tents. Sam had decided early in his planning not to bring many people of his father's generation, leaving the older, grizzled veterans to look after Inverness should things go wrong. The only exception he'd made was for the Axemen, whose veteran warriors would be the ultimate guerrilla land force no matter which shore they fought on. As such, of his close family, Sam had only allowed Ciaran, Naiya, and his cousins to come, and of the older members, Cole was present in the camp as a defender and commander of the Axemen. Sam had outright refused to bring Boar whose knees had never recovered, and he'd placed Kreston beside Brogan and Julia to aid them if the fighting reached Inverness itself. Ashien was with Henry and out of Sam's control as part of the English Cavalry that would hold the shore, and Kayla, while not personally present, was represented by Ulfric who was Sam's main Admiral for holding the Channel. And standing in for his mother and grandfather, Alex was also present along with a wide variety of tribal and modern doctors he'd all cleared personally for wartime duty. Inverness had shown up with her best and brightest while the old veterans defended the homefront. It was a showing that would've put any other Clan to shame in the isles, but looked like a drop in a bucket compared to Barbarossa. Aided by the Rus, the Triad, the other isles, and a mix of other small countries and clans from across northern Europe, Sam's resistance against Barbarossa looked like that of a child versus a giant.

As the couple stepped into their private tent, Sam began putting aside his light armor neatly, knowing he'd be wearing much heavier leather and plate in the morning. At least in their location in the camp, they could afford to sleep out of their armor. A nighttime dragon attack was unlikely at this point, thanks to Barbarossa's smug confidence that he could wipe them off the face of the earth whenever he liked. While he was taking the battle at the Channel a bit more seriously, Barbarossa had made it clear that his reach was long enough to strike at them anytime, and he constantly teased and threatened the frontline to keep everyone stressed and scared. While he had not attempted any mass assassinations since the death of Elhardt, Rakkar, and a few other northern leaders, he'd reminded them all endlessly how easy it would be to do again. And Sam took some comfort knowing that with a man like Barbarossa, he would only use it as a threat and never follow through til he got bored or desperate.

As Sam settled onto the cot in a long-sleeved tunic and trousers, he was waiting for Fiona to join him, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her to murmur, "I love you..."
 
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No matter where she was, Fiona went about her nightly routine as Sam did his own. She would check her armor and make sure that everything was in working condition. Once that was finished, she would wash her face and braid her hair before slipping into a more comfortable night gown. She had still never grown used to wearing trousers and tunics to bed like Sam, but had done so on occasion when there was a need to do such. She was much more comfortable in her gowns than anything else.

She was just finish up when she felt Sam's gaze on her own, staring at her as he waited patiently. She gave him a smile as she joined him on the cot, his arms wrapping around her to hold her tightly. As he murmured that he loved her, she had to chuckle.

"It only took a war to make you want to say you loved me." Fiona teased him, kissing his cheek before she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too, Sam. No matter what happens during this war, we will always have one another."
 
"Don' get used to it," Sam teased in return, closing his eyes. "An' don' go fallin' out o' the sky tomorrow. I need you t'keep my sanity at 'ome." Despite his stress and worry, Sam was exhausted enough to drift off shortly after. The night was quiet aside from a mild thunderstorm in the very early hours. The rain eventually gave way to mist, warm enough that a heavy fog formed across the Channel and shores. In the Northern camp, the fog was so thick that one could barely see from tent to tent. As the sun began to rise, the camp roused and food was quickly cooked and distributed while soldiers armed themselves and got ready to form up. The ships were already waiting at the Dover Harbor, and crews began casting off quickly while footmen waited on shore. If things went well, ships would drop men on the Norman shore to dislodge Barbarossa's camps around Calais. If the navy was pushed back, there would be a large force there to stop Barbarossa from landing in England. The cavalry and guerrilla warriors were charged with patrolling the shoreline to make sure no German ships snuck past. As for the Riders, their focus was to be their German counterparts and keep dragon fire from raining down on the Northerners.
 
Fiona had dined with Sam that morning, leaving him shortly before he went to his own planning. She had things to do, namely getting Invah kitted out in her gear before she took to the skies with the other riders to see what they might be able to do in the mist.

When she came upon her dragon, she gave her a grin and hugged her tightly before she pulled out her saddle and started to get things ready. "Sam is worried about the German riders. I told him that I could go and try to talk some sense into them. He wasn't impressed with that option." She told her dragon, often talking to Invah was if she were her mother instead of her companion.
 
"It isn't exactly the safest idea. Though considering our odds, it might be worth the risk. But I'd rather we didn't go alone," Invah insisted as she placed her own armor pieces and let Fiona tighten the straps. "And we must be careful not to surprise them too much in this fog, or we'll be torn to pieces in seconds. Thankfully the fog only goes up about fifty feet, we can probably find one or two patrolling up higher."

She then knelt low for Fiona as several other Riders began to gather, readying their partners as well though it was difficult to see who in the mist.
 
"If diplomacy will save a few lives, I think it is worth the risk." Fiona said as she climbed into her position after Invah dipped low to the ground. "Especially while Sam is distracted with other things. He'd insist on going with us if he knew any of this."

As Invah straightened up to prepare for take off, Fiona got her weapons settled around her. They were well enough out of reach to not pose a threat if they did run into one of the other rides, but she also had weapons hidden that were easily accessible. Sam had impressed upon her that no one should ever be completely defenseless if they could help it.
 
"Between you and this war, that poor boy will die of stress by forty," Invah chuckled, standing up to her full height. "Who will be coming with us?" She squinted through the fog to see who else was around. "One or two, just in case."

The only Riders not present were Dmitri, Xenia, and Owen who were all looking over Inverness and acting as the messengers between Sam and other leaders elsewhere.
 
"Whoever is out and about is probably not my biggest fan. I've made a few enemies since taking over the charge of the riders." Fiona said as Invah turned to peer through the fog and see who was getting ready alongside them. "They're probably just as soon see me fall from the sky than keep harping on them about training and being a unified group."
 
"I very much doubt that. These Riders are fiercely independent, but they aren't turncoats or fools. They may resent having a commander, but they signed up for this knowing they'd be working together with other Riders under the leadership of several kingdoms. If they didn't want to be here, they'd have left by now. After all, Riders don't owe anyone allegiance, by their oldest codes. Even you, Queen of Inverness, have an ancient right to take off and never return."
 
"That's all it takes for this to fail, though. Them to decide they've had enough." Fiona said softly as they to got nearer to the riders and she could start to make out the figures of the other dragons. "Identify." She called out to see who it was that was joining her that morning.
 
"Ezra!" A familiar voice called back as the dour, older Rider came forward, his female dragon's silhouette slowly becoming visible. "My apprentice will be coming as well," he reported. Ezra had brought in a few newer Riders since he'd joined Inverness, of all ages and abilities. But his apprentice whom he was teaching to become a trainer was a man of Sam's age named Vostan from the Rus who was barely able to understand any English beyond basic tactical commands and conversation. "He may be hard to understand, but he's one of our most promising."

Ezra had been among the least problematic Riders when it came to teamwork. While all of them were lone wolves, Ezra was a teacher and thus knew how to work with just about anyone.
 
"Well, it's a hell of a learning curve when it comes to training, but nothing like throwing the new recruits into something head first." Fiona said as Ezra mentioned his new trainee. "He'll learn quickly and he'll come to respect everything that you have to say. That's the way that it ought to be."

Fiona glanced at the other female dragon that was waiting patiently for Ezra and Fiona nodded towards her. "Good morning, Daanai. I hope that you've been well since our journey started."

She tried her hardest to know all of the riders and their partners. She committed to memory all of their names and sought to address them as individuals to impress upon them that she did care about them and their lives.
 
Daanai, a similar build to Invah but much older, simply sat to patiently await the Riders, and gave Fiona a nod in return. "Good morning, little Fox. The journey has been... An interesting one. I'm curious to see how this particular crescendo goes." She was a bit distant thanks to a very objective view on life, but her logical mind was what made her a good warrior whose emotions didn't get in the way, and made her respect the need for leadership amongst the Riders during a massive war.

Shortly, Vostan and his little silvery female dragon Hakiin joined them, each nodding respectfully to Ezra and Fiona while they saddled up. Hakiin was perhaps the best suited for reconnaissance in the fog, she seemed to blend in perfectly.
 
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