Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Invah drew Fiona a little closer as she said that, and Glaynviahr didn't have a chance to ask any questions before a bunch of children fascinated with the ridge of fur along his spine began playing with his tail despite their parents trying to remind them to respect the great dragon. Glaynviahr didn't mind in the slightest, instead turning to catch the children in the circle of his arms and chide them gently in Erygonian, at which they all laughed and scampered away over or under his arms.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We're going to give my Ma a ceremony tonight. Will you come?" Fiona asked, glancing up at the dragon as she was held just a little bit closer. "Everyone wants to give her a proper send off."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you would like me to come, I will for you. I feel I wouldn't belong as I didn't know her... but at the very least, I can pay my respects, a mother to a mother. Especially seeing as I've practically adopted her kit." Invah nuzzled Fiona lightly and settled quite contently there with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It would mean a lot if you were there." Fiona said softly as Invah nuzzled her gently.

It would have meant even more to have Sam there. She had never really opened up to him about her family and the pain that it had caused. Now, all of that was gone. The chance to have him be a part of her family had been lost forever. Her heart broke a little more as she pressed her cheek to Invah's scales and her tears came back with stunning force.

 

[KieranSoares]

Invah carefully scooped Fiona up and carried her away from any onlookers, knowing Fiona valued her privacy.

By the time all was prepared for Tatianna's proper send-off, Glaynviahr was helping stack the logs for the pyre and Invah came with Fiona to look on with her family.

It was just as the pyre was finished that Fiona was suddenly barreled over by a much larger beast and she heard a familiar rumbling and whimpering as she was nudged and nuzzled desperately.

Roman flopped over on the ground and pulled Fiona close, hugging her tight and whining in relief as he reunited with her. Those attending the funeral looked on in surprise at seeing a drake so far north, and Oleg came to make sure Fiona was alright.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona gasped as she was suddenly thrown into the snow, Roman nuzzling against her frantically before he hugged her tightly and turned over onto his back.

"Roman?" Fiona murmured, looking down at her drake as Oleg came to her side. "Beastie, how did you get here?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Roman wasn't listening at all, simply hugging and nuzzling her until some warriors he'd bolted past finally caught up. Oleg stopped them, speaking to them in Erygonian, likely about the drake belonging to Fiona.

Only moments later, another familiar drake approached with a dark rider, and Roman finally let Fiona get up before he went to nuzzle Kennah. On her saddle, Sam was silently looking on, having been allowed in after Roman had bolted into the village. He was surveying his surroundings, until he slipped from the saddle and pulled down a large bundle and approached Fiona.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched as Roman hurried over to Kennah, nuzzling against the other drake as Sam sat in the saddle. Fiona felt that same gut wrenching reaction that she had the night that Sam had caught her with Dorn. She wanted to melt into the ground beneath her as he slipped from the saddle with a dark bundle in his arms and made his way towards her.

She couldn't think of anything to say, shaking in her boots as he drew near.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam came to pause before Fiona, meeting her gaze with an unreadable expression of his own, before he placed the bundle in her arms. It was Roman's tack and saddle tied up with a rope, and the thick cloak she'd left at home.

"Ciaran an' Aleister'll look after Will while you're gone," Sam muttered. "An' there's money in yer saddlebags fer a ship t'get Roman home if t'go by sea." That was all he said before he turned back to Kennah and climbed back into the saddle.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam...." Fiona murmured as he climbed back into Kennah's saddle. "Would you like to stay? We're sending my Ma off."

She glanced towards the pyre that was waiting to be lit, her family watching the scene with interest while trying to seem as if they weren't really listening in.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam had been just about to draw Kennah around and leave, much to Roman's heartbreak, when he paused at Fiona's words. Even Sam could not feign indifference when it came to giving people their final send-off. He couldn't even stand not to give criminals proper funerals, at least burials.

With a quiet sigh, Sam's posture slackened slightly and he slid back down from the saddle. "I suppose I ought t'at least pay my respects."

"Fiona...?" Oleg asked as he came to her side. "Who is this?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona felt a slight tug on her heart as Sam slipped back from the saddle and agreed to stay. She had no idea what to think but she knew she couldn't hope for much. She turned towards Oleg as he asked who Sam was.

"Samuel Ghis." Fiona said, unsure of how to introduce Sam to her grandfather. "General of Inverness. He...was bringing Roman to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're the one who asked Queen Kjotva to find us," Oleg murmured, greeting Sam with a handshake. "My name is Oleg Wegirsson, High Shaman of the Voya."

Sam nodded to Oleg and bowed his head ever so slightly. "I'm glad we found you, sir." His gaze turned to Fiona for just a moment. "I can' speak for 'er... But I think Fiona needed t'come 'ere fer some peace o' mind."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He promised I'd come home one day." Fiona murmured, glancing at Sam and then at Oleg. "Are we ready to start, Uka? It will be late if we don't."

She turned from Sam to place her tack on the ground next to Invah. She couldn't look at Sam any longer. It hurt too much.

 

[KieranSoares]

Oleg glanced between the two, aware something had probably happened between them. But he simply nodded to Fiona and brought her together with his wife and children. Oleg gave each of them a torch to light the pyre and they stood in a circle around it as he recited ancient Erygonian rites with some difficulty, his voice cracking now and then.

Sam kept back away from the proceedings, knowing it wasn't his place to join the family as he didn't know them nor had he known the woman they were sending off. He kept beside Kennah and Invah, Roman settling down as he realized there was something somber and serious going on.

When the pyre began to burn, Oleg gathered his family close, and a village silversmith came to them. Though it was common custom in Lunar and Erygonian culture to present the deceased's closest relative or mate, the silversmith's family thought it appropriate to present a ring to both Tatianna's parents and her daughter. But Fiona was also given a second ring, and the silversmith pressed it into her hand muttering, "If Owen still lives and you ever find him... Maybe this will help soothe his heart. If he is gone from this world, put it on his pyre if you ever have one for him."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was in tears as she watched the pyre burn. She had been so little when her Ma had passed away. She only remembered her father's anger at her, the screaming at her tiny cowering figure after her Ma had been taken away by those that would bury her. She remembered playing in the fallen leaves next to the freshly dug grave as her Da mourned, staring at his mate's resting spot for hours until it had grown dark and cold. His face was a mask of anguish, loss, and uncertainty. When he had looked towards his daughter, she had seen his eyes filled with a sense of heartbreaking loneliness. It was the only time that he had ever allowed her to approach and hug him, his arms wrapping around her as tightly as he possibly could. His anger had been forgotten for a moment and the only thing he had left of Tatianna was in his arms.

Fiona was taken out of the memory as the silversmith pressed the rings into her hand, telling her that one was for her Da if she ever found him. Glancing down at the bands, she nodded. Her father might have been cruel, but he had loved her mother more than anything in the world. Even if he couldn't save her from their demons, he had mourned her for the rest of his life.

"Thank you." Fiona said softly, holding the rings against her chest as she watched the pyre continue to burn until it was nothing but ashes.

"I hope that wherever she is right now, she's happy." Fiona murmured softly, tears still coursing down her cheeks as she thought of the mother that she had never really known. "And that she doesn't hurt anymore."

 

[KieranSoares]

It was Rhett who wrapped an arm around Fiona, tears in his eyes as well. Roman quietly came to her side and nudged his head under her arm.

After a long while, the family was left with only their dearest friends to watch over the pyre. Oleg was meant to be the one to tend it, but his children all took over for him. Invah looked after them all, offering a kind word here and a gentle embrace there as each made their peace with the woman they'd lost without any goodbyes.

 

[heartofcourage]

Her Uncle Rhett held her tightly, giving her a shoulder to lean on as she cried. She hugged Roman as he came to her side and nudged his way under her arm until she was leaning on him as well. The pain was immense and she only stopped crying as the ashes were tended to by her uncles. She sat quietly next to Roman, watching the scene with an empty feeling in her chest. She ached, but there was really nothing to be done for that.

 

[KieranSoares]

By the time the fire had burned down and the smoke had ceased, it was long past sunset. Rhett scooped up some of the ashes in two small glass bottles, giving one to his father and one to Fiona. Some tribes did this to take the ashes to a place the deceased loved in life, so that if the spirit ever visited, they'd first arrive in a familiar and comfortable place.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona took the glass bottle and stared at the ashes for a long moment. The rest of the family was winding things down, packing up to go back home and eat the feast that had been provided for them by friends and neighbors. They would laugh and talk about Tatianna, remembering the soul that wasn't returning home.

"I'll be there in a bit, Uka." Fiona said softly as she continued to sit next to Roman, Invah a short distance away as her grandfather came to check on her. "I want some time alone."

 

[KieranSoares]

Oleg simply nodded and pressed a kiss to Fiona's cheek before he turned to follow Anya.
After a long while, Roman looked up to see Sam approaching the remains of the pyre a distance away from Fiona. Sam knelt, murmuring some prayer or well-wish in Erygonian for Tatianna, before he buried some small object near the grave.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched Sam, wondering what it was that he was burying in the ground, but she said nothing as she leaned her head against Roman's scaled shoulder and let out a long sigh. She was depressed and a little frightened, unsure of whether she should talk to Sam or not. So much had happened between them that it felt wrong not to say something.

"Thank you for staying." Fiona finally said, still unable to look him in the eye.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam remained where he was, knelt in the snow, for a long moment after Fiona spoke until his gaze finally lifted to look at her. "Everyone deserves their last rites an' respects, even if I didn' know them."

He rose and came over to Roman, patting the drake's broad neck before murmuring, "... He would've tried t'swim the North Sea t'follow you. Nearly jumped off the ship a couple times too, then sprinted most o' the way here. Kennah almos' couldn' keep up. He's quite a tracker, if 'e can follow th'trail of a flying dragon..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's a good beast." Fiona said, looking at Roman as he seemed to have a pleased and content expression on his face. "Too good for the likes of me."

She blew out a breath, the bottle of ashes rolling in her hands before she finally looked up at Sam. "Sam...I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how sorry I am for what happened."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam's gaze dropped to the ground. From all the time Fiona had known him, it was clear enough that he was struggling with how to feel. He wanted to ask why, but he knew she'd tried to tell him before and he simply wouldn't hear it.

Finally Sam laid his cloak down on the ground beside her and settled there. "... Now that I've 'ad time t'think about it... I jus' want t'know what changed. Did I do somethin' wrong?" He glanced over at her. "Did y'love him? What happened...?"