Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Good. Everyone needs someone like that." Oleg smiled in return, then his ears flicked back and he turned to look as Rhett came out of his room. "Speaking of which... Restless, son?"

Rhett half-nodded, making his way into the kitchen. "I hope you get to see how lucky this family is to have him," Oleg murmured to Fiona. "Rhett's kept Anya going far longer than any healers believed possible. And he's done wonders for Hanni too, and the rest of us whenever we're ill."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's a boy that I watch over. His name is Will. He's 15 now, so he doesn't need me so much, but he's like my little brother. He's training to be a ranger for Inverness." Fiona said as Oldg talked about how much Rhett had helped the family. "Maybe one day I can bring him to visit."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course he's welcome," Oleg assured her as Rhett came to sit at Fiona's other side, putting a small cauldron over the fire and laying a few mugs before them. He began warming up cider, and poured some for each of them. Oleg was glad for the drink, a bit chilled despite the fire.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I've never been anywhere this cold before." Fiona said as her uncle came back from the kitchen with a pot of cider, warming them up mugs of it as they gathered next to the fire. "I think I came woefully unprepared."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't worry, little kit. We'll take care of you. We're a little worse for wear these days, but we'll make it."

At their comments about the cold, Rhett rose and fetched a blanket each to put around their shoulders. Oleg thanked him softly and Rhett settled back beside the fire.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, uncle." Fiona said as Rhett places a thick wool blanket around her shoulders. "I've never had an uncle before. You'll have to tell me if I'm doing this correctly."

She gave him a warm smile as she rested her head against her grandfather's shoulder. "Has our family ever simply had a human born? Ma seemed very surprised when I came along."

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett's simple answer to Fiona was a smile and a kiss pressed to her forehead. When she leveled a question to Oleg, he shook his head. "Not in our family. But it's not unheard of. Werefolk are the descendants of the first men and first beasts long ago, if our legends are to be believed, before the earth even came to be. There is always a chance that a human might be born, no matter how pure a bloodline is. There is no shame in it. It's a natural, though rare possibility."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She always worried that she had done something wrong. That she was being punished for how she treated you." Fiona said as her grandfather insisted that it might have happened no matter what. "I know a few other wolves in Inverness that were born human, but they usually had human parents."

 

[KieranSoares]

In the case of mixed ancestry, girls aren't as likely to change when they reach the proper age. They're more likely to be born a were. Boys are the opposite, most likely to be born human, and most likely to change later. That's why among many tribes, a handful of women born and raised in the tribe are human. In your case... You come from two mostly pure Fox lines, but it's no curse to be born human. For Tatianna and Owen to have thought that... That is the real curse. You are as much Fox and Voya as I am, just in a different form."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, now that I'm here you can show me whatever you like." Fiona said, closing her cub blue eyes with a sigh. She could almost forget what had happened with Sam as her family sought to comfort her and make her feel welcome among them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Eventually Oleg had to give in to sleep, but Rhett remained wide awake. There was a spare room for Fiona that he'd already set up and shown her earlier. In the silence after Oleg left them, Rhett drew Fiona into a gentle embrace and simply held her for a long moment. Even if he couldn't speak, he wanted her to know he was just as glad as everyone else to have her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you remember my Ma?" Fiona asked her uncle as he hugged her close and held her in the quiet of the living room. "Was she happy here?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett nodded at the memory of Tatianna, but when Fiona asked if Tatianna had been happy, he seemed unsure how to answer. Without the ability to talk and explain, and with Fiona not understanding the sign language he used with the family, all he could do was smile and give Fiona a small nod, though there was some grief there.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know she was stubborn." Fiona said softly as her uncle nodded at the idea that her mother was happy. "It's alright if she wasn't. She wasn't very happy at the very end."

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett could only sigh and hug Fiona closer, almost as if he wanted to shelter her from those memories. Eventually he sent her off to bed, where she found a simple but warm setup with plenty of blankets and a soft pillow.

Come morning, Rhett was making breakfast and Oleg and Anya and Yul were gathered together in the den once more. They seemed to be preoccupied watching out the window, where Invah had entered the village to meet the other Shamans.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona woke late the next morning and pulled back on her thick dress and wool leggings. She was still cold as she made her way into the living room to see them gathered at the window.

"Do I need to go out there? Is Invah in danger?" She asked softly as she kissed her grandmother and grandfather On the cheek.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not at all. She's come to meet the elders, and the village is curious," Oleg told her with a smile, watching the people who were staring up at Invah in awe. Nearby, another dragon landed, getting more attention from the villagers. Oleg seemed unbothered.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She does well in a crowd. You'll be surprised how easily everyone loves her in just a matter of hours." Fiona said with a grin as another dragon appeared, everyone acting as if it were perfectly natural. "I think I'll help Uncle Rhett."

She left the group at the window, entering the warm kitchen to see what her uncle was up to.

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett seemed to be gracefully handling several tasks at once, between cooking up eggs and ham, watching a loaf of bread bake in the tiny stone oven, and preparing potatoes and a thick gravy made with some leftover meat. When Fiona stepped in, Rhett gave her a smile and directed her toward the cabinets where the dishes were when she offered to help.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona moved to the cupboard and picked out the plates that they would need to eat. It was cozy there, putting her at ease as she did small tasks that would help out the family. Putting out plates and utensils, helping her uncle to cook, feeling accepted and loved no matter the fact that they hadn't met until the evening before.

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett soon had Fiona watching over the potatoes and gravy while he carved up the ham and put eggs on everyone's plates. Once he finished and set the rest aside should anyone want seconds, he gave two plates to Fiona and took two himself, bringing the food out to her grandparents. They had no proper dining table, preferring instead to sit around the fire in the den. As Rhett had stoked it earlier, the house was growing warmer and helping chase any nighttime chill away, especially for Anya's sake.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, eldere." Anya said as Rhett gave her a plate and helped her to settle in her spot next to the warm fire. "These old bones hate the snow more and more."

"I can't say that Inverness is much better but we do have lovely summers and springs." Fiona said as she sat between her grandmother and Yul, giving the older woman a smile as she chuckled gently. "Warm enough to swim in the loch."

 

[KieranSoares]

Yul was completely off in his own world, carving something out of a small block of wood until Rhett nudged him, having brought a plate for him as well.

"Oh. Kosav huma, teghi," Yul murmured, setting aside the block and knife to take the plate.

"You work far too much, lipa-muun," Oleg half-scolded, though he couldn't help a smile to his youngest son. Yul ducked his head and muttered something in Erygonian in return, making Oleg shake his head.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What does mormor mean? You told me you were my mormor yesterday." Fiona murmured, looking over at Anya as she chuckled softly.

"It's Swedish for grandmother. I made up my mind a long time ago that I wanted my grandchildren to call me that."

"And what should I call you?" Fiona asked, glancing towards Oleg.

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's up to you," Oleg answered with a smile. "Most of the little kits either call me Vuim or Uvka, Erygonian and Lunar respectively. The littlest one still calls me Uka."