Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona nodded towards Ciaran as he told her that Will was doing a fantastic job as a ranger. She smiled at that, proud that Will was giving it his all and listening to her advice to keep on the straight and narrow path.

"He'll do everyone proud if he has the chance." Fiona murmured, nervous as the two brothers watched her so closely.

"Stay and have some food, Ciaran. Viola cooked like she was feeding an army." Valentina offered her nephew.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'd love to, Aunt Val, but my men-"

"I'll take care of it," Sam assured him. "You never seem t' get enough t'eat." He clapped his brother on the shoulder and went on his way while Ciaran finally entered, kissing the girls' cheeks as well as Valentina's. He took Sam's seat and ate gratefully. He was always so busy- content though he was with his life- that he often missed meals. He had a decidedly warmer presence than Sam by quite a long shot. If Fiona had been dealing with Ciaran from the start, she would've long since been caught by his men and then all charges might've been dropped. But with Sam, there was no telling when he'd finally drag her in or if he'd allow her a real chance to tell her story.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Mama, I want to go..." Ruari insisted, long since finished with his food.

"You could stand to learn some patience, bambino." Valentina said simply as she glanced towards Theo. "I'm sure your Da has some chores that can keep you busy until we're all ready to go."

"But Mama..." Ruari pouted, his lower lip sticking out at the threat of chores.

"Enjoy it, Ruari. You never know what you'll miss until it's all gone." Fiona said softly to the little boy.

 

[KieranSoares]

"S'alright, lad. I'll 'ave you do th' garden work," Theo offered to lessen the sting, knowing his son preferred the plants and jars to brooms and cleaning.

 

[heartofcourage]

Soon enough, the dining room had cleared out, leaving Valentina, Ciaran, and Fiona at the table as Ciaran finished eating. Valentina watched Fiona closely over her mug of tea.

"Where will you go from here?" Valentina asked softly as Fiona glanced up at her.

"I'm not sure. I want to go see Will to make sure he's alright and has what he needs. Then I'll probably go back to my camp for a while." Fiona murmured. "I'm tired of being out in the woods."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It would probably be best if you moved a little closer to one of the villages," Ciaran murmured as he finished. "That camp in the woods wasn't an isolated incident. We've found four other people of Mediterranean origin, in similar outfits, dead around the woods. And considering you were connected to Kerrigan who seemed to have started all this, I'm concerned for your safety. It looks to me like someone is covering their tracks and dealing out punishment. But we can't seem to figure out who."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Until your shoulder is healed, I don't want you going to do things alone." Valentina said as Fiona mentioned not wanting to stay in the woods. "If you need, we can send someone with you to help pack up your things."

"I'm a fugitive. Even if Sam knows where I am, I won't have other people getting in trouble." Fiona said quickly.

"Dear, sooner or later, Sam will bring you before his brother, but that time is not now." Valentina said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We have much bigger problems to solve than those of market thieves and deaths by self-defense, especially now that we know this woman that you faced is linked to these other dead men and they're all likely from Greece," Ciaran told Fiona. "And seeing as Will is doing so well, I wouldn't mind letting him have some free time to help you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Who would want anything to do with me? Well, besides your brother." Fiona murmured as she thought about the dire circumstances that he was describing. "I'm nothing special."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You might think so, but Will would beg to differ," Ciaran told her with a smile. "He's got half the new recruits convinced you're some kind of angel and they keep getting bolder toward their senior foresters when the older ones insist they have to find you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"They do have to find me. I did something despicable." She said softly as she looked at Ciaran. "However, I'm not willing to hang for what I did and I know that very well might happen. There are people out there that curse the Blackstone name. You know, all I ever wanted in life was to be a seamstress. To make beautiful dresses for women to wear and be proud of. My Da made sure that I never could."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's never too late to start, as soon as this mess is sorted," Ciaran insisted. Though he wasn't firmly an optimistic man, he did know that good people could find their way if they just tried and had a little help.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't think so." Fiona murmured, unwilling to talk about the matter further. "I'll have to be content with what I have."

Ruari came back into the cabin, fairly twitching with excitement. "Alex, would you come with me?"

Valentina let out a soft sigh and looked towards her eldest son. "Shall we go before he explodes?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex nodded and followed his mother out, while Ciaran's attention remained on Fiona. "Content with what? Running? Fear? Starvation? No, Miss Blackstone. Content is a sense of home, knowing you won't starve because you have a way to make money, and being able to walk freely through town without worrying Sam or a guard will come arrest you any second."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You have no idea anything about me or the life I've had to lead." Fiona said in a low voice full of warning. "Don't act like you do or that anything will be so simple."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And we call Sam stubborn," Ciaran sighed before rising from his seat. "No, Miss Blackstone, I don't know your story or where you've been. But I do know that a life of theft will kill you sooner or later, be it by hanging when you're young, or starvation when you're too old and weak to keep up anymore. You would do well to actually give a damn about your own future and take some help for once in your life before no one wants to help you anymore." He never raised his voice or sounded angry or even impatient. He simply sounded worried and a little frustrated. But as he finished, he walked away to get back to work.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona felt like a scolded cub as Ciaran let her know how he felt. She knew she was stubborn, but she had seen what would happen if she allowed someone else to take care of her. It always ended in heartache. First her mother, then her father, and finally her beloved grandfather. When she was left alone, she stood and went to gather what little she had. She left a few coins on the table and slipped away.

She would see Will, but there was a stop that she needed to make first. It was slow going, but she was soon knocking on the door to Annie and David's house, waiting patiently until David opened the door.

"I don't want to disturb you, but can I visit the drake?" Fiona said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

David fixed Fiona with an odd look, surprised to see there there so beaten up and alone out in the open. But he didn't hesitate long before running a hand back through his short hair. "Sure. I was just about to check on him. One second." He disappeared from the door for a minute or two, and returned with a covered bucket. The smell of fresh bloody meat was apparent, telling Fiona that David and Annie had been to the market that morning to pick up food for the drake. The most expensive part of caring for a drake was not the specialized tack or the sheer amount of space they needed, but the cost of meat as they were omnivores.

David led Fiona out to the storage barn where he'd cleared a large area for the drake to sleep as none of the stables were large enough. The dark-gold beast sat in the back corner, hunched and fairly drooping from clear sickness and weakness. David opened up the makeshift stable and stepped in. "Morning, friend," he said softly. "Silas decided to name him Roman," David told Fiona with a smile. "This fellow's likely Italian drake, so Silas felt it suited him. Not to mention, he's been obsessed with Vincenzo's stories of Italy lately."

Roman grumbled low in his chest, pacified as could be while David checked him over carefully. Getting his saddle off had been a chore because some of the bolts had struck through the thinner parts of the leather when he was attacked. Now free of the saddle and bridle, his beautiful, lithe form was wrapped up with bandages and David had quickly sewn a few horse blankets together to lay over him and help him keep warm.

Roman looked to Fiona, remembering her from the day before. He laid on his belly, stretching out his muscular neck toward her to get a better look. For how dangerous his kind could be, he was a particularly docile fellow, and more so because he was sick and wounded.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona couldn't explain why she needed to see the drake but something in her did. Maybe it had been her grandfather's stories of his life with a drake or the fact that she was lonely, but Fiona slowly made her way towards him. Carefully she sat down on the ground next to him and gently stroked his neck.

"I've been thinking about him." Fiona said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

David couldn't help but smile at that. "He's quite something, isn't he? He must make for a fantastic ride." He stepped back over to the meat he'd brought, having mixed in some herbs that would help lessen the pain that Roman most certainly was in. He brought the pail over and set it down before the drake, but the beast didn't touch it. He had no appetite even for fresh bloody beef.

"He hasn't eaten since he arrived," David murmured, pulling on his leather gloves to try to hand-feed Roman, but the drake just turned his head away and let it rest in Fiona's lap.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He just needs time." Fiona said softly as Roman lifted his head and placed it in her lap, content to just sit there. "Would you mind if I stayed here with him a while? I promise not to be a bother."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Feel free. I'd like to get him up and walking before long. Drakes can't spend whole days laying down or they start to get weak." David took off his gloves and laid them aside. "And if you wouldn't mind, see if you can get him to eat something while you're here." He left them be to go to check on the horses.

Roman rumbled softly at Fiona, nuzzling her hands lightly. He seemed to be a fairly gentle giant and he understood she was someone trustworthy.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona nodded as David left her to her own devices. She leaned in and hugged Roman tightly, feeling a connection with him that she hasn't felt with any animal before. She let out a sigh as they shared a moment together, a wounded soul and a wounded drake.

"Let's get some food in you." She said softly as she pulled the bucket closer to him. "When you're well, we will ride to our heart's content."

 

[KieranSoares]

The great beast refused the meal again, but after a bit more patience and coaxing, he finally began to eat slowly but surely until the bucket was empty. Licking his maw clean, he shifted slightly into a more comfortable position on his unhurt side and let his head rest in her lap once more. He was a fine specimen, with a ridged crest along his head with two slightly curving horns extending back, and a ridge of silky black fur edging his spine from forehead to tail tip in a gorgeous tuft. His eyes were lovely dark golden brown, gentle as if he weren't the fighting military beast he'd been raised to become.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was relaxed next to Roman, watching as he slowly ate and then settled on his side with his head in her lap. He was a handsome drake, one of the best looking that she had ever heard described. It was a shame that his master was dead and for a brief moment she entertained thoughts of becoming his new owner. She didn't have the means or the space for a beast like him, though.

Dragons had always been special to her family. Her father had named her Fiona Margaret Blackstone after the saint who had slain an legendary beast. It was perhaps the only part of her father that she cared to think about with joy. She carried her name with pride instead of sadness.

"We can rest a while, but then we need to get up and move, wee beastie." She murmured to Roman, looking down into his gentle eyes. "Just a bit to get your muscles back."