A Place Of Ones Own (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"No, you're no' children, but yer still young. Don' go throwin' away yer lives when ye've hardly started t'live."

"You shouldn't either!" Ruben spoke up. "You've all got families t'live for too, 'specially you, Uncle Brogan, you've got another on th'way."

"Tha's enough, Ruben..." Brogan's voice became quiet again.

"You're going to listen, Da," Ciaran spoke in an even tone. "We're not telling you that you're done fighting, and we're certainly not taking your throne."

"You think tha's all I care about?" Brogan rose from his seat and came to face Ciaran. His blind eyes blazed as if he was glaring directly at his eldest son. "I don't give a damn about th'throne when it comes t'my family, Ciaran! You saw what 'appened t'your brothers! You all think yer ready t'put your lives on th'line, but none of you are! No one is ever ready fer tha'! Out of all o' you, Ruben an' Kate're the only ones that've seen real battle, an' both of 'em nearly died!"

Ciaran was close to crumbling in his father's intense presence, but he tried hard to stand straight and tall. It was Leon and Eli's hands on his shoulders that kept him standing. Brogan shook his head slowly, his voice dropping low and menacing. "You don' know what it's like, Ciaran... an' you don' want to know. How it feels t'know yer own son is suffering an' bleeding out... an' even when 'e survived, I knew 'e'd never be treated th'same again. An' I saw my daughter on the front lines. All I could see was 'er death comin', an' I thank th' Goddess every day fer lettin' me get in front o' Kate first. I'd rather lose my life than let 'er even be touched, Ciaran, th' same goes fer all of you."

"Da..."

"Tha's all I have t'say... an' it's final." Brogan stepped back, finding his way back to Julia's side. His siblings and siblings-in-law agreed for the most part, and the room fell silent when Brogan's echo died away.

 

[heartofcourage]

"But you can't see anymore." Annie said quietly, her voice echoing in the tense air as all eyes turned on her.

As her Da turned to look at her, she quickly went on. "I lost my Ma when I was almost too young to remember. She was killed while she held me in her arms. I am not going to lose my father because of his stupid and stubborn pride."

"You want us to have a future and you need to realize that this is the only way for that to happen. You are a great king. We are not asking you to simply step away entirely. We need your leadership but you need to let us be your might."

"Da, there is no better rider in Inverness besides me. Ruben and Gabriel are deadly with a bow. Ciaran and Kate and Eli and Leon are the kind of swordsman that Inverness can be proud of." The room was still deadly silent as she continued to speak, but everyone could see her father's stubborn streak seated deep in her eyes.

"We do not need your permission nor do we need a lecture. We will be there on the front lines fighting as our right. What we wish is that our parents that we love so dearly would give us the chance to defend our home."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan's blind eyes were filled with a sort of incredible anger, but also deep and unyielding sadness as he thought of all the things that had happened to his men, friends, family, even enemies in the past. He rose once more, standing tall as if he'd never been laid so low. "No, Annie." He turned his head in Ruben's direction. "Ruben... yer th'only one allowed on th'field, trained as y'are. But if any o' the rest o' you go out there... I'll 'ave you arrested til this war is over. Y'might know how t'swing a blade or hit a target, but y'don't know 'ow t'fight a real, bloody battle where y'could lose the man next t'ya at any moment or die b'fore ya ever knew y'were hit." With that, he placed Julia's hand in Durban's beside her, and he made his way out of the hall and toward the quiet library to find peace.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie watched her father leave the great hall and felt David's hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and looked at her husband before she pulled away and started to follow her father.

"Annie, love, please leave him be." Julia pleaded, knowing that her plea would fall on deaf ears.

Annie ignored her mother, marching into the library behind her father and closing the door. "Da, I know you're afraid..."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not bloody afraid," she heard him growl as he faced the window, and she could see the wishing, just in his posture, that he could see the outside.

"Damn stubborn kids," he muttered darkly. "Th' moment someone important to you dies, you'll finally get it an' it'll be too late."

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie saw the disappointment in his features and she knew the demons her father was battling. Moving quietly to his side, she slipped her arm around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. She would never stop being his little girl.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan didn't move an inch as she came close and laid her head against his broad chest. And as she held him, she saw a tear drop down and stain his shirt. When she would look up, her father's eyes were brimming with tears and he quickly reached up to swipe them away when he realized she was looking.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie reached up and dried his tears with her fingers, just has she had done when he was grieving her mother. She simply held him tighter.

"I love you, Da. I hope you never forget that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I love you too, sweetheart... but I'm not lettin' you lot fight... It's better fer us t'fight, we've 'ad our families an' our time t'leave a mark, an' most o' you kids ain' even got families yet..." It was becoming clear to Annie that Brogan thought he was going to die. Despite the arrival of the Mav Ro, he knew more Erygonians were coming from across the English Channel from Europe. They would overwhelm Inverness and the Isles as a whole, a more dangerous and more driven foe than Wick and Norway ever were. Almost every one of them wanted to destroy the Lunasians and Lunars for their God. Those who didn't, were executed and eaten by their own cannibalistic kind. The Calm were not fighters, the good Erygonians who'd come to help Brogan's people, but they were healers. It simply wasn't enough.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And you have another babe on the way, Da. And Ma needs you. She looks so tired." Annie murmured softly. "And yes, David and I have been working on starting a family, but all of that can be put on hold because you need help."

She let out a little sigh and pressed her cheek against his chest once more. "David seems to think that the wolves can help you get your sight back."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don' 'ave time fer tha'. Maybe once this is all over an' we manage t'make it..." he sighed and wrapped his arm around Annie. "Y'know... yer Ma'd be so proud o' you... she loved you more'n anyone'r anythin' in the world from th'moment she knew she was gonna have you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think about her all the time." Annie confessed to her father, letting him know that the woman that she barely knew was on her mind a lot. "But I'm so happy that you have Julia in your life. I've never seen you so happy."

She was quiet for a long moment before she finally found the courage to speak again. "Da, you've always been the strongest warrior that Inverness had to offer. The same with Uncle Durban and Uncle Boar. But you've all been through so much. Maybe it's time to put down your sword. You can still help without actually fighting."

She was trying to keep the passion out of her voice. She knew that her father would listen to reason, as long as he didn't feel like something were being pushed upon him. "We just have to wait for Uncle Ashien and Aunt Kayla. They'll bring more men. Same as the Irish. They always have."

"Ma looks absolutely miserable. She's scared for you. It would put her mind at ease to know that you won't be putting yourself in danger. Could you at least think about that for her sake?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I won't stop fighting..." Brogan muttered, but then he sighed quietly. "But I will... step back a bit. I won' quit defending, an' I won't put down m' blade, but I won't take th' frontline anymore... I'll compromise with you." That was the best he would give her. It was out of his nature, character, and entire system of belief to step down from defending his home even if there were others who could take his place.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're too stubborn." Annie said with a smile on her lips as she leaned in and kissed her father's cheek. "But I love you anyway, Da."

"Now, go spend some time with Ma. She needs your attention now more than ever."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," he nodded and kissed her cheek in return before returning to the great hall where things had remained silent and the younger group had tried to press their case with their parents. Durban and Boar were absolutely opposed, just like Brogan had been, but when Brogan entered, they looked up to seek his guidance.

"We're goin' to take a step back," Brogan spoke up. "Compromise. We won' take th'front any more, but we won' step down."

"Brogan-" Durban tried.

"I know, brother... I know. But we're beaten an' battered. Time fer fresh blades an' young minds t'step up, an' we'll be right behind 'em t'help."

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie caught David's gaze and gave him a sweet smile. She could see the pride shining in his eyes and that made her feel incredibly warm. She loved her husband and it was nice to see that he had complete and total trust in her.

"It will be for the best, Uncle Durban." Annie murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

Durban looked to his sons, who all gave him a reassuring smile. Silently, Durban simply took Marri's hand and gave no more contest to his children and nieces and nephews. He knew it was best to let them live as they chose and defend their home.

"I jus' have one rule..." Brogan spoke up. "I don' want any o' you or your cousins under fifteen on th' battlefield. They can help, but no' out in the open."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Agreed." Annie said quickly, looking at her cousins as they nodded as well. "None of them were involved in this discussion. We agreed that it was far too dangerous for them out there."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Good. Now... enough talk o' war fer now... now it's the last o' our family time b'fore we face th' field again. Sit down, kids." Brogan settled by Julia and kissed her hand. Eventually he coaxed her back to bed and asked that she not be allowed to take part in the battle for some while, and he with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie kept a watchful eye on her parents as she sat beside David. When her father took her mother to their room, Annie relaxed. She loved her mother, but she worried about her greatly. It seemed that this pregnancy was taking an awful toll on her.

"I've never seen the two of them so down." Annie murmured against David's ear, letting him know her fears.

 

[KieranSoares]

"They're afraid..." David whispered in return. "Your father is terrified that he'll fail to protect his people, but above all, her. And if I read her right... your mother's afraid something will go wrong, that she's not going to be able to raise another child. I imagine they're both dreading bringing a child into the world right now with the war. That's not the sort of world any parent wants to bring their child into."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I suppose." Annie said softly, thinking about their own attempts to have a child. "What do you say that we go and spend some time on the loch? We can set out one of the small boats and just drift all afternoon."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Do you think we can afford to be away?" David asked softly. He wanted to go, she could see it in his eyes, but he also knew that if an emergency arose that they'd be out of reach and slow to return.

"Go on," Durban spoke up to them. "We can 'andle things."

"You're sure?"

"Don' question me, lad, now take yer pretty lass an' go."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, Uncle Durban." Annie said, smiling sweetly at her uncle as she took David's hand and walked with him out of the keep.

She was quiet after what had happened that morning. She needed space from the rest of her family to think. She was quiet as they walked hand in hand to the loch, her thoughts weighing heavily on her shoulders.

 

[KieranSoares]

David pulled the rowboat out for them and once Annie was in he pushed it out into the water and climbed in, pushing off further with the oars. They were nearly a hundred feet out before he laid the oars in the boat and faced his wife silently. He reached out and took her hands in his own, his thumbs stroking over her knuckles.