Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona worked every single day with Roman, hoping to make him stronger in the passing days. She worked him in the field every day, a bond forming between the young woman and the imposing drake. He was a sweet beast, kind to everyone, including Annie's young children. He made Fiona smile and brought her a joy that she hadn't known in a long time. As she healed, he healed. And soon, she could ride him around the field in his new saddle that David had made for him.

 

[KieranSoares]

After that full month of healing, Roman was almost entirely healed. Thanks to David and Annie's help and some advice on the side from Ria who'd once transported such beasts and had to care for them, Roman suffered no permanent damage.

They were out on their first full run where Fiona finally got to see just what a drake was capable of. He didn't have his former stamina, but it was only a matter of time before Roman was back to normal. The key to getting there was running often and pushing the limits just enough but not too much. A horse at full sprint was only about half the speed of a good drake, and Roman's running form was so smooth and streamlined that it was almost like flying. The long, low saddle allowed Fiona to practically lay against him so that the sheer force of air resistance didn't cause too much trouble, and the stirrups were actually platforms on either side of the saddle that would allow for a rider to move around on the saddle without fear of falling, and were built so that fighters could ground themselves and take shocks better without affecting their aim. But all that freedom and speed required a safety harness that hooked into both sides of the saddle and would stop a rider from falling and getting dragged at top speed. It crossed over the chest and looped the waist and thighs, fitting snugly but not uncomfortably, and made adjustable for those with armor. David had gotten all the designs from the ruined saddles Sam had let him take from the Greek camp, and David had added his own flare.

Fiona's personal saddle was gorgeous deep brown leather with shining studs and dark blue-dyed pieces here and there, over a lovely but very tough dark blue saddle blanket meant to stand up to the wear-and-tear of drakes' armor-like scales. Roman seemed incredibly comfortable with his new rider and tack, and he trusted her completely.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was amazed with the ease that Roman could snake through the trees of the forest. He seemed to be most at ease as they rode across open fields where he could stretch his legs. She was completely comfortable with him as if she had been with him her entire life. It was in her blood and she understood for the first time just why her grandfather had been so enamored with the drakes and their dragon brethren.

As she came through a clearing in the woods, she pulled Roman to a stop as she saw the rider up ahead on a sturdy war horse. Fiona was a little surprised to see that Samuel Ghis was coming down the way, his large form distinct on the back of his charger.

"Morning." Fiona called as Roman panted and sniffed at the ground around them. "Fancy a race?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam fixed Fiona with a strange and confused look, not quite understanding why she'd be out in the open with him around or why she'd even speak to him. Then again, she had a drake and she could outrun him like it was nothing.

"Dun's fast, but 'e's no drake," Sam finally answered. Roman knew his voice, and wandered right up to him. Dunedin shifted uncomfortably with the beast so close, but he stood his ground with Sam's encouragement while Sam stroked Roman's nose. "Yer both lookin' well," Sam murmured to drake and rider. "I 'ear yer workin' for my sister." He'd gotten quite the warning not to bother Fiona anywhere near the Shenandoah stables, by both Annie and David and backed up by Danny and Silas' polite request for Sam not to take away the lovely woman they'd made friends with.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Surprised that I'm making an honest living?" Fiona asked as he stroked Roman's nose, the great beast rumbling deeply in pleasure. "Your sister has given me some odd jobs. I use the money to make sure that Roman is taken care of. Kayla MacNamara has practically adopted Will, so I don't have to worry about us being out of a home any time soon."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm no' surprised a' that," he half-grumbled as if feeling a little bit ashamed that she'd think of him like that. "I'm surprised you didn' leave Inverness altogether when y'had the chance." Roman turned then, noticing a deer skitter by in the distance. He had begun hunting his own food again a week prior, both to cut food costs for him and to get him back in shape per Annie's suggestion. He'd already eaten, but that didn't stop him from being curious.

"What surprises me most is tha' yer even talkin' t'me," Sam added.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona shrugged slightly as Roman turned his attentions towards a deer that bounded through the woods. She should have let him go to hunt, but she held the reigns tightly in her hands as she looked at Samuel.

"You have a job to do. And I am a criminal." She said softly, ashamed about her past as she sat there in front of the man that was the law for Inverness. "I don't hold it against you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam held her gaze for a long moment, not sure how to react. When he finally tore his eyes away, he cleared his throat and struggled for something to say. "Listen... Uh... I was on my way t'the Erygonian village fer lunch... No one really knows you there, so, uh... Would y'like t'come? Maybe we could... Talk."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're asking me to lunch? Fiona asked in a surprised tone as Sam seemed to be a little shy and embarrassed. "I guess I can. I have no other plans at the moment besides letting Roman run."

It was a strange request, but she could almost see the vulnerability inside of Samuel Ghis. He seemed like a man that needed a friend and she was definitely a person that needed a friend as well. Will meant a lot to her, but he was too young to understand some of the things going on in her mind.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then I guess tha' race is on after all, even if I'm sure t'lose." Sam reined Dunedin in, giving him a good nudge that sent him off in a gallop down the path. Roman simply watched curiously, not knowing what was going on.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was a little stunned when Sam told her that the race was on and then kicked his horse into a gallop. She sat there for a moment with an equally confused Roman before she snapped his reigns and squeezed his scales beneath her heels. Hunkering down over his back, she gave him the room to run.

 

[KieranSoares]

Roman ate up the ground like he was absolutely flying, until he came neck-and-neck with Dunedin. Sam was leaned low over his horse's saddle, giving him the best chance even if there was no way they could win. Roman knew it too, so he made it a game, letting Sam and Dun get ahead until the final stretch. Then, Roman left them in the dust in a flash and came trotting to a halt by the palisade gate to the village with a happy rumble.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona's long blond hair, held back from her face by two braids, floated behind her like a cloud as Roman raced. She smiled and her cub blue eyes were sparkling as her drake made it a game, winning at the last possible moment. She was laughing in mirth, looking at Sam in triumph.

"It's good for him to stretch his legs. He was cooped up for way too long." She said as she detached her riding harness and slipped from the saddle, allowing Roman to explore around the village on his own.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's a beautiful animal, tha's for sure," Sam said with a nod as he slipped from his saddle. He let the horse roam too before walking beside Fiona into the village. It was much smaller than the Lunar village, but it thrived just the same and its residents were just as kind and welcoming. Many greeted Sam by name and he greeted them in return.

Sam led Fiona to what looked like a camp, but was actually an outdoor kitchen like Hara Aoli's. It was run by three werepanther sisters and a handful of other workers. Sam spoke to them in rapid, perfect Erygonian and they began working on meals for the two. Sam had long since learned Erygonian and Lunar, and had even added Gaelic to the mix to make sure he could speak to almost anyone in Scotland. He led Fiona to an open area in the grass and sat down with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was impressed with how personable Sam could be when he was around people that he was comfortable with. As she followed him through the village, she watched as he responded to everyone who greeted him, waving at them as if he had known them his entire life. Then he spoke in perfect Erygonian, ordering for the two of them before he led them to a quiet spot to sit.

"What did you want to talk about?" Fiona asked softly as she looked at Sam, wondering just what was going on in that mind of his.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam took off his leather chestplate as she spoke, laying it aside with his cloak and armguards before combing his short hair back with his fingers. He took a moment to answer, stroking his short beard. "... Kell's been working awfully hard to prove your innocence, y'know. Seems pretty invested in you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"All of your family seems invested in me. They don't even know me." Fiona said softly as she watched Sam pull away his armor piece by piece. "I could be a cold blooded killer like my Da. You all would be supporting a murderer."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But you're no'. Even I'm no' thick-'eaded enough t'think tha'," Sam told her simply. "My Da remembers yours, an' 'ow many times my uncle Cole arrested 'im. But I know you're nothin' like tha'. If y'were, tha' boy Will'd be on 'is own still stealin' an' strugglin' fer food." She was getting to see that Sam wasn't so black-and-white as he appeared to be while on the job. Or perhaps his family had managed to convince him, if only slightly.

"O' course, this doesn' change anything, Blackstone," he warned her with the smallest hint of a smile. "I'm still gonna catch you fair an' square when all this trouble's sorted out." It had become a game.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your Uncle let me stay at his home a time or two when I was younger. His children were older than me, but he was very kind and let me have a place to sleep while we waited for my grandfather to come and get me when my Da was in jail." Fiona admitted as she glanced towards Sam, watching him smile slightly as he mentioned catching her fair and square.

"So, you like a chase?" Fiona asked with a small smile of her own. "Trust me, Ghis, I can take you on a long chase."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I love a chase," Sam said with a nod. "An' I expect nothin' less, especially from you." He'd essentially been hunting her since completing his training and joining the town patrols at sixteen, but the chase had really begun after he'd risen through the ranks and heard about her more and more often.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I didn't know that you knew how to smile." Fiona said softly with a teasing tone in her voice. "You're handsome when you do."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam wasn't the sort to get embarrassed of anything, even when he'd fallen into the river while chasing her. But her comment made the fearless man look away quickly, though he didn't blush. "'Course I do," he murmured, ignoring her second comment. "I'm still human."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just because you're human doesn't mean that you know how to smile. My Da never did." Fiona said softly as she saw Sam shift slightly, uncomfortable with her comment. "He hated me. My grandpa, on the other hand, adored me and tried his hardest to support me. That's why I was so surprised when the messenger came with news that he had left me an inheritance. I thought that he had given me everything that he was capable of."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yet y'gave it t'yer friend instead o' usin' it t'survive. Now why would y'do some crazy thing like tha'?" He asked, meeting her gaze once more. He wasn't sure what to think of Fiona. Most thieves, at least in Inverness, could be honorable, but not selfless.

 

[heartofcourage]

It was Fiona's turn to be slightly embarrassed as Sam leveled that dark gaze at her, asking why she had not used the money on herself.

"Will is young and has a chance to make something of himself. I figured I had messed up my chances a long time ago. Besides, what kid doesn't benefit from a stable home, a roof over their head, and three meals a day?" Fiona asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's what my grandpa taught me. Help those that are the brightest and most deserving."

He had tried with her. He so desperately wanted to get her away from her father, but he failed every time. He had even threatened to take her away to parts unknown, but even though her father did not want her in the least, the idea that Ephriam would take her away enraged him. She was HIS daughter and that's all that mattered.