A Place Of Ones Own (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Annie leaned down low over Ferrous's back as he leaped over the fence and started to run along the forest. The horse knew her well and she took in the fresh clean scent of the forest around them as they road. He seemed to know just what she was thinking as they veered through the thicket of heather that grew on the hills next to the keep, their momentum causing it to ripple around them in a great wave.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ferrous found her favorite trail in the forest and darted along its length, leaping over the occasional fallen log until they came to a halt at a small glade that the river ran through. Ferrous was panting but he seemed quite happy with their run. He walked to the river bank and paused beside a stump. She'd taught him to do so a fairly long while ago, just so it would be easier to climb off on the sloping bank.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie dismounted, sitting on the stump as Ferrous drank from the river. She looked over the glade, a sigh leaving her lips as she looked up at the great war horse.

"Thank you, beasty." She said as he looked down at her. "I need this time today."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ferrous lifted his head from the water and looked at her as she spoke. He gave her a soft snort before continuing to drink. They spent a long, quiet while there and Ferrous rolled in the grass once just to entertain her. It was nearly noon when Ferrous picked up his lead rope again and brought it to her. He knew as well as she that they couldn't stay away all day, or else David would worry. Plus, Ferrous knew she needed to eat.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie climbed back onto his back as he led the way home at noon. Their pace back was slow, leisurely and she enjoyed the time spent with her horse. She could see the smoke rising from the chimney as they returned to the paddock and she knew David must be home. She dismounted from Ferrous's back, letting Annabelle from her stall to mingle with the great warhorse as she entered the house.

"I'm home, love." She said softly, closing the door behind her.

 

[KieranSoares]

David was crouched before the fire as he tended it beneath a soup pot, and he rose to give her a smile. "Enjoying a little time with the beast, huh?" He came to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I hope he made you feel a little better, love."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He did." She said softly as she hugged her husband tightly. "He took me through the forest to the stream."

"Why did you stay at the keep so long?" She asked him softly, looking into his eyes as she continued to hold on to him.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I talked to Vincenzo... you know, about what happened. I asked him if he had any idea why it happened... if there was anything I could do to help you if we tried again.He sent me to talk to the healer who'd been around when your mother was there, and she said that Cassie had a little bit of trouble and lost her first baby too because of stress from Brogan's war with Wick. But the next time, she stayed completely away from any affects of the war, and she was perfectly fine. She said it was just stress, nothing else... If... if I'm honest, I thought it was my fault that you lost the baby, Ann..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"How could it be your fault, David?" She asked softly, looking at her husband with a confused look. "You didn't do anything to cause this."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I should've made you stay home and not get involved with the fight. I shouldn't have given in so easily... I... should've..." he trailed off as tears filled his eyes, and it was just then that Annie realized he was just as hurt as she was. His first chance to be a father after such a long time of not being sure. When he was finally positive, the chance was taken away as if to say 'you took too long, now you can't have a family'. Not to mention, from the moment he'd known she was pregnant, he was already attached to the baby, imagining and daydreaming about finally holding his own child, helping them take their first steps, teaching them to help their Ma at home... even though he would have another chance, it just all seemed so maddening and cruel.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, love..." Annie said softly as she took her husband's face in her hands and she kissed him gently. "We can try again. There's nothing to say that we can't try again. I just need some time to heal."

 

[KieranSoares]

"God, why am I losing it when I should be comforting you...?" He asked quietly as tears slid down his cheeks. "We were both so ready to be parents... but... worst of all, the world will never get to see what great person that baby could've been..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because the baby was a part of you too." Annie said softly as she hugged her husband so tightly. "You can't think about the maybes and what ifs. We'll have another chance. I swear to you that we'll try until it happens."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know..." He murmured as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're always right about things like that... I'm just always slower than you to see it..." He let his head rest against her own and she felt him begin to relax as he got a hold on his emotions. He'd never been a hard sort of man, but he tried not to be too soft either, if only to be the strong support for her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie just held her husband in silence, letting the enormity of what had happened wash over them. When a few moments had passed, she pulled away and pressed a kiss to his lips. It wasn't sexual, but soothing. She wanted her husband to know just how much she loved and adored him and always had.

"Let's eat, love." She said softly as she looked into his eyes. "Then we'll rest. I think we deserve a day off."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sounds just fine to me," David nodded, joining her at the table. Life was fairly steady and calm, even enjoyable once more as the Erygonians backed off and calmed down, even began to work with the Invernessians to survive a harsh winter until it seemed that a lasting peace was imminent. Ria added to the survival effort with a month-long trip to Normandy that brought back much-needed supplies. As Julia drew closer to giving birth to her unexpected child and relations became smoother, everyone began to hope that the war would never resume.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie worked around their home to get it ready for the dead of winter. David had been out getting lumber for their fire and she had been entertaining Ria that afternoon. As she put dinner on to cook, she turned back towards Ria with a steaming kettle.

"You might have to stay here tonight, Ria." She said as she put more steaming water into her mug. "The snow is picking up outside. David won't like you trying to go home in this kind of weather."

 

[KieranSoares]

"David doesn't like me doing a lot of things. He thinks I'm an old woman," Ria smirked to herself. "He acts like I'm seventy when I'm not even forty-five yet." She was indeed quite young considering that her son was in his mid-twenties. She'd been a young mother, about the age of Annie's own. "He'll worry himself grey with the two of us."

Ria had settled into Invernessian life quite easily, though she was still one of the most exciting residents with her stories and confident and standoffish manner. She never let men overstep her, not even Brogan, and she wasn't afraid to get into a fistfight for her honor. She'd done so at least five times since arriving in Inverness, and had a reputation in the taverns as having 'the devil's fortune and God's grace' for her incredible luck and wit, but also her charm and sheer grace to sweep through a fight, challenge, or just work without a slip or mistake. Of course, she'd also gathered some admirers, especially the men who adored her darker skin and her lovely Greek accent that sounded crisp and heated off her tongue. Ria had talked with Annie about such matters in her life many times.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He worries too much sometimes. I keep telling him that some things are just beyond his control and he can't worry about everything in the world." Annie said as she sat down beside her mother-in-law with a steaming mug between her own hands. "In fact, I'm sure he's probably stocking your house with firewood as we speak."

Annie let out a sigh as the fire warmed her bones. It was nice to just sit and relax. She and David had been working hard to get everything ready for winter and that hard work took their minds off the hard work they'd also been doing for a family of their own.

"So, my Aunt Valentina tells me that you've been seeing the tavern owner. Gerald is a nice man." Annie said with a grin on her lips. "He's certainly as headstrong as they come too."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He is, but I'm weighing my options," Ria nodded. "Gerald's a lovely man, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit to a werewolf whose greatest passion in life is slinging drinks to lumberjacks, you know?"

Gerald Koziin had been one of the first werecreatures in Annie's memory to take up permanent residence in the town after Kreston had brought his brothers in arms to help Julia. He was a grey werewolf born of a human woman and a werewolf man, thus his particularly 'human' first name, and he'd been raised, according to what Annie knew, between Glasgow and his tribe's home forest. He'd come to work at a tavern and never left, even inheriting the bar from the previous owner. He, like Ria, was an exotic sort of person with many stories and very talented (or just lucky) in whatever he tried his hand at.

"I've also been spending some time with a werelion by the name of Koto. What can I say, I like the fur and the tribal mindset. But Koto is Erygonian, a Calm that joined your father's side. The other humans aren't too thrilled about having Erygonian allies within the town, but Koto's a lovely man too. Softer and quieter, but a sweetheart."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't think David would like it if he knew that you were seeing two men." Annie teased, a smile on her lips. "But I'm happy that you're happy, Ria. You deserve happiness."

Almost as if on cue, the front door of the house opened and David stepped in with the snow swirling around him and an armful of firewood. Annie was up on her feet in moments, going to help him carry in the load and set it next to the fire.

"I missed you, love." She said, stealing a kiss from her husband as he shook the snow from his cloak. "And I'm making your favorite tonight for getting us firewood in this storm."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I do this all the time, love," David chuckled. "It's nothing special." As he set the wood aside, Ria continued on as if she didn't mind that David was hearing her.

"I just don't know if I want the fun with Gerald, or the quiet and romance with Koto."

"Whoa, what?" David turned to his mother.

"Girl talk, sweetie."

"You're courting?"

"Nope."

"... Okay, you're seeing someone?"

"Two someones."

"... I'm not going to ask," David just went about his business, making his mother chuckle as she crossed her arms.

"What, you don't like the idea of your mother trying to find a new man?"

"No I like it just fine," David gave her a sort of awkward smile. "It's just... strange to think of my mother out there flirting with men, because I know you do."

"Every chance I get. Even with Brogan when I can," Ria turned with her usual smirk to help Annie.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your mother is out sowing her wild oats." Annie said as David acted like it was nothing and she laughed along with Ria as David said that he didn't mind. "Just like I remember a certain someone doing with the Bower twins to make me jealous."

The Bower twins were the beauties of Inverness when Annie was courting David. A silly little fight between she and him had sent him running for the tavern where Gracie and Emily caught his eye. Of course she had David had made up and Gracie was married to the cobbler with three children and Emily was serving at court and engaged to a rich clansmen, but Annie loved to tease David about the incident even so many years later.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's not my fault that Grace and Emily are absolutely stunning and you decided to run me off for being late to a date," David teased right back.

"Okay, children," Ria grabbed them both and pulled them close to her on either side. "So tell me, David. How would you feel if I ever did end up with someone?"

"Married?"

"Not likely. I never married before and it sounds like a waste of money."

"Either way, I'm fine with it."

"You have to call him 'dad'," Ria smirked.

"Never, not even Brogan gets that honor," David mirrored the same smirk.

 

[heartofcourage]

"That's because my Da scares you still." Annie said with a smile as she looked over at her husband, admiring him as he seemed to be alright with his mother finding love again. "Ria, if you do find someone that you want to spend your life with, you have to at least promise that we get to meet him before any big decisions are made."