Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"My mother was a lovely woman... And Da was just crazy about her. I remember growing up that he would never forget to tell her she was beautiful, especially in front of other people so she'd get embarrassed and chase him off for it. We traveled often but she made friends wherever we went. She could win anyone over with her voice especially. I think that's what made Da fall in love at first-hand hearing her sing at a festival. I can still hear some of the lullabies and ballads if I think hard enough. She could sing in so many languages- Erygonian, Egyptian, English, Spanish... But my favorite was when she sang in Hebrew."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona had never heard her father open up about his mother. She knew that her name was Rebecca and she had been born in the south of England, but beyond that, she knew sadly little about her grandmother. Her grandfather had shared some of her recipes with her over the years that they were together, but he would always choke up when he tried to talk about the fox that had stolen his heart.

"I didn't know that she knew so many languages." Fiona murmured as she worked to dish up the food between all three of them, throwing a few pieces of smoked fish to each of the drakes.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Her parents were from Egypt and Spain, both freed slaves. She had a lot of culture for a woman who never went any further south with Da than France. She was afraid of going any further, but she was always asking him for all his stories. Me too when I went with him and the few adventures I had alone before she passed. Da never talked much about her afterward because his heart couldn't take it, but I told your mother all about her."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And now you can tell me." Fiona said, looking at her father with her clear blue eyes. "I want to know all about both of them."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And I'll be glad to tell you, but I'll leave that for another time. I don't want to ruin today with talk of sad things. In fact, part of the reason I came to find you two was because I want to know more about your Sam and you. I may have lived in Inverness for some time, but I never knew much about the Ghis, and I don't know what ended up bringing the two of you together, other than you getting into trouble."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well..." Fiona said, glancing towards Sam as her father asked about how the both of them came to be a couple. "We're both too stubborn to back down from a chase."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She was a long-time thief and I'm Inverness' General an' head o' the guard," Sam said with a shrug. "But it was after my men caught 'er last tha' I really started chasin'. Even when I realized she wasn' guilty o' what I thought, I kept goin', less t'catch 'er and more fer the chase itself." Sam looked to Fiona. "But I think she does th'catchin' more than I do."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's hopeless at chasing." Fiona said with a smile towards her lover. "My fox is sorely disappointed more often than not."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam leaned over and whispered in her ear so Owen wouldn't hear, "Tha's not what it looked like earlier." He gave her a little grin at that.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona swatted his shoulder hard, blushing furiously at his whispered words. She knew that he did it to tease but she still ducked her head like a girl caught doing what she shouldn't.

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen chuckled at their antics and shook his head, unpacking the baskets for them all. Kennah had to take Elin away so she wouldn't try to steal everything, and Sam leaned over to kiss Fiona's cheek just to tease her a little more before helping Owen.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Keep it up, Ghis and I'll embarrass you in front of your family." Fiona said after Sam leaned in to kiss her. "And I'll make sure that it's very, very embarrassing."

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' what can you possibly tell them tha' Kate 'r Rho haven' already embarrassed me for?" Sam challenged as Owen watched with clear entertainment.

 

[heartofcourage]

"That their brother got caught in a rabbit trap when he was chasing after me." Fiona commented, raising a fair eyebrow in his direction. "Or that he tumbled down a hill into a cold stream before he could get to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm no' terribly embarrassed about tha' anymore, love," Sam said with a grin. "Now tha' I'm no' tryin' t'throw you in jail, it's pretty funny."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure I can come up with something to make you embarrassed, love." Fiona said as she helped herself to the food, taking from her favorites with a grin toward Sam.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Only my mother can manage tha' these days," Sam chuckled.

"Then simply ask her, little kit. Parents love to tell their children's secrets," Owen encouraged.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure that she'll tell me all of your secrets." Fiona said with a smile as she leaned in and nuzzled against Sam's cheek like the fox that she had been born to be. "You'll never know what hit you when I bring up things that only your Ma knows."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Watch yourself, Sam," Owen warned with a little grin. "That mischief is all her mother's."

"How did you manage, then?" Sam asked as his arm draped around Fiona.

"I usually gave it all back tenfold embarrassing her in front of other people," Owen remembered with a little grin. While Fiona hadn't gotten to see much of that side of her parents, she'd seen it a few times, when Tatiana would tease Owen relentlessly, and then he'd tease right back but in front of friends, and then he'd have to follow her around like a puppy for a while asking forgiveness. Owen had rarely shown any of that in front of Fiona, but it usually showed when he was in a good mood.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam makes fun of me enough. He's as big a softy as anyone else." Fiona said, grinning up at her lover with a sigh of contentment. "And I love him more and more because of it."

 

[KieranSoares]

Owen's chuckle was deep and warm and he had to get in his own bit of teasing. "I'll be glad to leave you two be, if I'm intruding on your romance." Sam rolled his eyes. It wasn't much different from what his own family might say.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona chuckled as she looked at Sam and kissed his cheek one last time before they all returned to their meal, talking about nothing in particular. It was a nice time with her father, getting to know the man that she hadn't really ever gotten the chance to know. He was still slightly guarded against the sad moments of his life, but he seemed willing to get to know his daughter. That made Fiona feel better than she had in ages.

That evening, Fiona found herself sleeping in Sam's arms as she had every night since they had rejoined and reconnected. She was content, even if he was a restless sleeper. She knew when he was awake as his fingers would never stop moving in her long hair. That evening, however, he was still and she was snuggled against his side.

Her dreams were not so peaceful. She dreamed of the sound of war. Smoke was heavy in the air as she worked to saddle a beautiful drake of blue and gold. She knew at a glance it was Elin, full grown and powerful. She was working fast, panic choking her as someone behind her tried to reason with her. She ignored them.

"I'm going after him." She murmured.

"Your highness, it isn't safe." The man insisted, making her pause to look over her shoulder at him. "I can't simply let you run off into the heat of battle."

"There is nothing that you can do to stop me." Fiona commented as Elin shifted nervously.

The man seemed uncomfortable with the moment, wringing his hands before the terrible words came spilling from his lips. "He's dead. Went down with the dragon this morning. His brother has already insisted that the news be kept quiet for now."

Fiona felt the terrible force of the news hit her square in the belly. The anguish was enough that she woke in a cold sweat, pushing away from Sam and sitting up as sweat dripped down her brow. It wasn' the kind of dream that she ever wanted to experience again.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was woken immediately when she started, and his broad hand lifted to her lower back as he murmured in a deep, half-awake tone, "Fiona...?" He picked himself up slowly, the blanket slipping from his bare chest to pool in his lap. "What's wrong, love...?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was trembling as Sam spoke to her in a half asleep tone. She tried to process just what had happened in her dream before she spoke, blowing out a long sigh before she turned to look at him.

"You died. They said you went down with the dragon and your brother wanted to keep it quiet. We were at war with someone." Fiona murmured, struggling to contain herself. "And they called me 'your highness'."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam slowly picked himself up, his hand coming to take her own. He wasn't the greatest at comforting or reassuring, but he could tell her one thing for sure: "Well, love... I'm alive. None o' tha' happened. An' it won't, long as we 'ave somethin' t'say about it."