Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Heather had an illness in her childhood which took her sight." Julia said softly as Vincenzo dutifully took her hands and placed them on the great dragon's scales.

Heather was shaking like a leaf as she felt the patterns and whirls on the dragon's scales. Just by feeling that little bit, she knew that the dragon was enormous. This was one of the reasons why she didn't like being in the water, but she was trying so hard to be brave.

"You have patterns on your scales." Heather said softly as she touched them with her sensitive fingertips.

 

[KieranSoares]

"They're all different, like snowflakes," Invah told her, letting her feel another. She leaned down further, letting Heather touch her nose. "And no two dragons are alike either."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona stood by as the Ghis showed Invah attention. It made her smile to know that the dragon had come back because of her. She took a few steps away to allow the family their time with the great Inverness kipper. Glancing to the side, she saw Sam standing there, the same confused and slightly overwhelmed look on his features.

"Are you going to doubt me anymore?" She asked him softly, a smile on her lips.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam managed to recover at least a little when her words shook him out of his stupor. He flashed her a smirk, even if it was a little weak as he was still in shock. "Of course I will. Wouldn' want t'get bored with you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, I suppose I should tell you that I have something of yours." Fiona said as he looked at her with that smirk on his features. "I'm not going to tell you what it is. I wouldn't want you getting bored. When you catch me, you'll get to see just what it is."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What? What d'you have?" He asked slowly, taking a step toward her. He felt a little jump in his pulse at the idea of continuing the chase, but he tried to ignore it.

Invah was watching this now, and leaned close to Julia to whisper, "Am I to assume those two like each other? They banter like stubborn children with crushes."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Fiona said with a smile towards Sam as he looked completely and utterly confused at the situation.

Julia laughed softly as Invah's observation. "I think he is too in love to see what he really has. Samuel is the most stubborn child that I have. He'll deny that he has any feelings until the bitter end. However, if she were any other person, he would have long had her before his brother and in jail."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Starting tomorrow, Blackstone," Sam smirked at her once more. "An' goin' to th' dragon t' hide is cheating."

Invah chuckled and let the two be, more interested in showing Heather she was perfectly safe and talking to Annie.

 

[heartofcourage]

As night began to fall, Julia sent Ciaran and Justin back to the keep to bring the rest of the Ghis to the loch. Dinner would be eaten out there with Invah as their guest of honor. As each family crested the hill, they were all in awe of the giant dragon that had been sworn to protect the Ghis family.

"Aunt Kayla and Uncle Ashien won't believe this." Kayla said as Invah seemed interested in her swollen belly. "We're hoping for a little girl this time. It won't be long before we find out."

She stood perfectly still as Invah's large hand stroked against her belly, the child within tumbling at the contact. She grinned as she felt her father's arm drape around her shoulders, Boar extremely protective still over both of his surviving children.

Fiona stayed only a while longer, slipping off into the shadows before dinner began. She didn't want to intrude on the family gathering. It was their time together and she was simply an outsider.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hey, hold on," Sam's voice called after her just as she got into the woods. "Where are you goin'?" He pushed branches aside to face her. "Ma'd be disappointed if y'left."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm going home." Fiona said as Sam followed her into the woods, asking where she was going and saying that his mother would be disappointed. "This is for your family. I feel like an outsider. No one will miss me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Well, I mean... I was startin' t'get used t'talkin' t'you," Sam murmured, trying not to admit any more than that. "An' Annie an' David love havin' you around. Tha's why they invited you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona glanced down at her ragged slippers as he admitted that he was getting use to talking to her. Her face blushed red at that admission. She had never had someone interested in her the way that Samuel Ghis was. She wasn't sure that she liked the feeling in the least, but he was kind to her when he wasn't trying to chase her to the ends of the earth.

"Look...I enjoy talking to you. I like your family a lot." Fiona said softly as she forced herself to look at him. "But I'm not the kind of girl that you need. I have too much of a past. Not enough money. You need a princess, not a thief."

 

[KieranSoares]

"This isn' about tryin' t'court you, Fiona," Sam told her firmly. "My family likes you. Yer a decent person. An' besides tha', why would I want some pampered princess? I'm an outdoorsman, I like people who can work 'ard an' get their hands dirty. An' you clearly know 'ow t'do tha'."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It wouldn't work, Sam." Fiona told him firmly, looking at him with those blue eyes that desperately needed someone to just love her. "Trust me. We're just too different."

She let out a long sigh and ran a hand nervously through her thick blonde hair. "I've never had a family before. Just a grandfather who loved me. I don't...I'm not sure that I know how to deal with all of this."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam came closer until there was only a couple feet between them. "I don' trust you on this one, lass." He pushed down his pride and his need to keep the reputation of the hard, no-nonsense lawman, and he reached out to take her hand. "Y'don' have t'be scared, Fiona."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm always scared." She muttered in a miserable tone as she noticed that Sam was holding her hand. "You have no idea what it's like."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Maybe no' in th'same way... but I do know what it's like t'always be afraid." Sam didn't know why all of this was coming out to the girl he'd only really known for a couple months when it'd taken him more than ten years to even speak of it to his mother. "I'm always scared I won' be able t'protect someone again, tha' I'll be too slow 'r freeze again like I did when Rho lost 'is arm."

 

[heartofcourage]

Again Fiona looked at Sam was he confessed what he really feared in life. Maybe he did understand in a way what it was like to have that thing that made you scared. She let out a soft sigh as she looked back down at the hand that was holding her own.

"If I stayed...would you walk me home?" Fiona asked, not really needing someone to walk her home but wanting a companion so she wasn't alone.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sure I will," Sam said with a resolute nod. And with her hand in his, he gently drew her back toward his family. No one made comment about it, seeing that Fiona seemed to feel a little out of place. But they welcomed her among them and Sam remained beside her to offer some support. Invah kept watch over her too, but gave her space.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was quiet among the crowd of people. It was awe inspiring to see everyone there and happy to be around one another. It was the family gathering that she had never had. She smiled, laughed from time to time, but most of all, she simply observed.

Julia held any child that came her way, from Luna's newest cub to Silas when he grew tired from a day of excitement. She also kept a watchful eye on Sam, happy that he obviously had someone that interested him but cautious that he was opening himself up to emotions that he wasn't prepared for.

 

[KieranSoares]

Among the adults, it was Jan and Ciaran entertaining the children most til they were tired out, and Justin joined in until he and Ciaran were eventually brought down by the older children and they all lay panting in the grass in a pile.

When things quieted down, parents carried off their younger children one by one, until finally the main royal family retreated except for Sam and Ciaran. Ciaran wanted a night alone with Justin so they went off together and Sam came to offer Fiona a hand to help her up.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona took Sam's hand as he offered it. She gave him a small smile as they started the walk through the woods back to her cabin. Will would be curious as to where she had been all day, but she had no intention of telling him who she had been with so late.

"Your family is nice. A little overwhelming all together, but nice." Fiona said as they walked side by side. "I can see how much you enjoy one another."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, y'get used t'the crowd eventually." Sam murmured. "But I still prefer t'have one-on-one time with 'em rather'n all at once."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My grandfather's house was always so quiet and orderly. He never talked much about his life, but he always told me that he enjoyed a nice quiet life in his old age. I think he just missed my Nana and being on Loch Fae cheered him up." Fiona said with a fond smile about the fox that had loved her deeply.