Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Size hardly matters, my dear," Andvir assured her with a warm chuckle. "Invah and I can both be brought down by the tiniest of things, namely little fledglings and children. I was once particularly weak to a sweet little werepanther girl. Invah remembers."

"And that was when you yourself were no more than twenty," Invah smiled to her brother. The two traded stories back and forth for some time before they all settled to sleep for the night.

Come dawn, Andvir left them with a fond farewell before flying off northeast over the mountains, and Invah prepared for what would likely be the last leg of their journey.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was incredibly nervous as Invah took off the next morning, her family only a short flight away. She thought about her Ma and the way that she had died. She wanted the family to know that she had been happy and cared for, even if her Da was misguided. He had done some bad things in his life, mostly to his daughter, but he had loved his mate more than anything else in the world.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Invah began the long glide down near noon upon seeing the orchards and smoke of a werefolk village, she locked her wings and glanced back over her shoulder to Fiona. "Are you ready?"

The village knew a dragon would be coming, so rather than anyone looking afraid, many people came to watch in awe as Invah came soaring down from the mountain coast. In the isles, werefoxes were not so common. But here, it seemed they had a claim to about half the village's population, the other half being primarily werewolves and some werecats with small numbers of other sorts among them.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's too late to go back now." Fiona said softly as Invah slowly made her way towards the village, the group gathering outside the village to watch the great dragon make her descent. "I've never seen so many foxes before."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I haven't seen this many at once in a very long time," Invah murmured back, and soon she touched down. The residual speed made her have to jog a few paces to slow down, and soon she turned to face the half-awed, half-nervous onlookers. After helping Fiona down, Invah looked to a slowly-approaching black Fox warrior, marked by his spear and a wide, muted green sash about his waist over dark hide trousers, and a heavy hide vest.

"Ah... Aalai, dhroghoru'un, arbali kicha." The Fox spoke tentatively in Erygonian.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona slowly slipped down off Invah's back, standing there for a long moment as a black fox approached, his clothing strange but familiar at the same time. She wiped her sweating palms on her skirt, stepping away from the protection of the dragon as the fox spoke in Erygonian.

"I don't...speak Erygonian or Lunar." Fiona said softly, looking at the fox and hoping that he understood. "I'm looking for Oleg."

 

[KieranSoares]

Invah leaned her head down beside Fiona. "Amu ed rolikair fen Oleg Wegirsson, Eis e shuum ta'tebey."

The Fox's eyes widened as he looked at Fiona once more, and he spoke in broken English, "You are... Granddaughter? Of Oleg?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona nodded as the fox's eyes widened, asking her if she really was the granddaughter of Old. "Tatiana was my Ma. Tatianna Olegsdottir."

 

[KieranSoares]

As the shock faded, a smile came to the fox's face. "Voluun!" He called behind him, and a powerful-looking white Fox warrior with a sash and markings of a veteran stepped out. He was probably twice Fiona's age, and the black Fox welcomed him forward. "Voluun, eti humir michake saro."

The Fox called Voluun fixed Fiona with an unreadable expression. He looked like a powerhouse. As Foxes were normally lean and athletic, he was more heavily built, like a Wolf, speaking to the possibility that he was half each Fox and Wolf.

"I... I did not know my little sister's daughter still lived..." The white Fox murmured before letting his spear drop. He wrapped Fiona up in a tight, warm embrace, almost as if he couldn't believe she was real. "I never thought I'd see you in my life, little kit..." He didn't seem to question that she was human, nor did he act as if she were not a Fox.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was stunned when the hulking fox stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug, murmuring that he wasn't aware that his sister's daughter still lived. That meant that they had known about her. Had her mother written home to tell them about the little girl that she had given birth to? It didn't seem to phase him that she was human either, not an ounce of fox in her save for her stark blue eyes that told of her heritage.

"Ma died a long time ago." Fiona murmured as Voluun murmured that he didn't think he would ever see her in his life. "I didn't think that I would ever make it here, honestly. I wasn't sure that any of you wanted to see me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You are family," he told her with absolute confidence, drawing back to meet her gaze. "But... I don't even know your name. I never had the chance to read my little sister's letter..."

"Her name is Fiona Blackstone," another voice reached them, and a grizzled, war-scarred old grey Fox in dark robes over a light shirt, hide trousers, and a maroon sash, stepped out from the crowd. He was closely followed by a small group of old werefolk in similar dark robes, all clearly elders.

The old Fox paused before them, and Voluun faced him as if unsure of his motives. "Unvim..." Fiona would be able to recognize the Erygonian word for 'father.'

"I never thought I'd see any trace of Owen or my daughter ever again, especially after I disowned her," the old Fox muttered. "And I certainly never expected to see you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're Oleg?" Fiona asked softly as the grey fox came forward, telling her that he had never expected to see her after he had disowned her mother and her father. "Fiona Margaret Blackstone. My Da named me after a dragon slayer. He had hopes, but he also hoped I wouldn't be human. Ma...never seemed to care very much about anything. She spoke of her home in sad tones. Said that we couldn't go back."

"They're both gone. Ma died when I was three. Da...I haven't seen in ages. We assumed that he was dead too." Fiona told her grandfather, bracing herself for the worst.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know she's gone... And I know Owen left you. He came here a long time ago. He stayed only long enough to tell me my daughter was dead, and that my granddaughter was with his own father. Then he left eastward. I have not seen nor heard from him since."

Oleg sighed, shaking his head. His ears folded back and his gaze dropped to the ground. "I am sorry, Fiona, that my fights with them meant that you would not know your own people... I can only apologize, and hope you can forgive an old Fox. And if you can..." He offered her a rather pained but hopeful smile, and opened his arms to her. "Welcome home, little kit."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona said nothing as she stepped into her grandfather's embrace. She had no idea that her father had traveled all the way to Sweden to tell her ma's family that her ma was dead. She had no idea that Owen had one day walked off into the distance and never returned. Perhaps he still was out there, alive and thinking about the love that he lost and the daughter that he had left behind.

"My grandpa took care of me as much as he could." Fiona murmured softly, her cheek resting against Oleg's shoulder. "He died when I was young and times were hard."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If I had known, I might've been able to help... Or at the very least, send someone to bring you home." Oleg's embrace grew a little tighter. "There's so much to show you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Inverness is home." She murmured softly, pulling back to look up into her grandfather's steady gaze. "It always been. It might not have been the place that you wanted Ma to end up, but it's where I belong and where she rests."

She reached up to the necklace around her neck and pulled it out. The locket that was on it, she opened and showed him the stark white fur that she carried inside of it. It was the last reminder of her mother that she had and she wanted Oleg to have it.

"I've carried this with me for a long time. I want you to have it." She murmured, her cub blue eyes looking into his gaze.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Fiona opened the locket, tears began to brim in Oleg's eyes. His keen sense of smell could detect the familiar scent of his daughter, but the sight of that pure white fur alone made him feel weak. He slowly, gingerly accepted the locket and drew it close against his heart in one hand, closing his eyes to will the tears away.

"I think... This might be just what I needed, little kit," he murmured with a shaky voice. When he finally managed to regain control of his emotions, he kept Fiona close and looked to Invah. "I'm sorry, dhroghoru'un, I didn't mean to be rude. I am Oleg, son of Wegir. Would you give me the honor of knowing your name?" Oleg's people seemed to have a deep reverence for dragons, and probably a healthy bit of fear as well.

"Nothing to forgive, Shaman. I brought Fiona here to help her find her family. I am Invah Kyre, daughter of Azri Danuube, and the guardian to Inverness' royal family in Scotland."

"Did you..." Oleg looked at Fiona in surprise. "Did Fiona wake you?"

"She did."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da didn't lie when he said he spoke to dragons." Fiona said as her grandfather looked down at her in surprise. "He never taught me, but it wasn't hard to figure out. Invah's been awake for a few months now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Our people... The Voya, have long revered dragons and their callers. It was why I welcomed Owen at first, because he woke a dragon very dear to us."

"And who was that?" Invah asked.

"His name is Glaynviahr. He lives in the mountains above our village," Oleg murmured, turning to look at some nearby tall peaks.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Invah's family lives in the mountains. Perhaps he is a relation of yours as well." Fiona said, glancing at Invah as a new group of foxes joined the group already assembled.

Two white foxes, very similar in appearance to Voluun were helping a frail fox to walk towards them in the thick snow. She was beautiful with white fur etched with silver, calm amber eyes that took in the entire scene with serenity.

"Oleg, is this her?" The woman murmured, her eyes haunting but wishing that perhaps her hopes and dreams for a piece of her daughter returning had finally come true.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Anya," Oleg murmured, coming to take his mate's hands and support her himself. Oleg was still strong despite his age, but hard winters had begun to wear on his already-frail mate. "It's her," he told her with a more hopeful smile than she had seen from him in several years. "Fiona's found us."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, little kit." Anya murmured as Oleg told her that indeed Fiona had found them. "Why are we standing around in the cold? Let's get her inside."

Anya looked to her three sons and then at the great dragon that was standing beside the large group. "Voluun. Yul. Make sure that our lovely guest is taken care of. Rhett, please bring Fiona's things with you."

Anya reached out and touched her granddaughter's cheek gently, giving her a soft smile. "I'm your mormor, little kit. Anya Torsdottir. I've waited a very, very long time to meet you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Among the group Fiona saw before her, Voluun seemed to be the one rather out of place, his features clearly half-wolf and his fur a different shade of white, but he acted as though Oleg and Anya were his proper parents as he nodded to Anya and his younger brother followed to escort Invah around to where there was a large cavern meant specifically for dragon guests, as the Voya always welcomed them.

The middle brother, Rhett, was rather athletic and graceful, and looked uncannily like Fiona's memory of Tatianna. He smiled to Fiona and picked up her bag which Invah had left for her, but he didn't seem to speak, and there was a telltale, deep scar that even his fur couldn't hide, stretching around the base of his neck. Every tribe of werefolk had their troubles, but it seemed that everyone from the Voya had some sort of mark or scar.

Oleg kept an arm around Anya to support her and wrapped his long robe around her for warmth, welcoming Fiona and Rhett to follow after Invah nuzzled Fiona lightly. She would have a chance to rest properly after the long flight.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll see you later, Invah." Fiona said softly as the dragon nuzzled against her and followed the two foxes as they showed her to a warm cave that would shield her from the weather and allow her time to rest after the long journey.

Fiona smiled back at her uncle as he lifted her bag and she followed behind her grandparents as they led her towards their home. It was a nice little home, large enough for a family to live in. As she stepped into the warm living space, she noticed that a few of her uncles were still living there. Weapons were stored just beside the door, next to some of her grandmother's delicate things.

"Are you hungry?" Anya asked as Oleg helped her to sit in her chair by the fire. "We were just about to start our meal when we heard news of the dragon approaching. Rhett is an excellent cook."

Fiona glanced around the home, the smells of something delicious cooking reached her as soon as food was mentioned. "I haven't had much of an appetite since we've been traveling, but I can certainly try."

"Little kit, in this family, you don't try. You either eat or your uncles will eat it for you." Anya said with a chuckle as she looked towards Oleg. "Should we gather Juno too? His mate, Hanni, has been ill this winter. The poor dears have been stuck at home since the weather turned cold."

"Ma had four brothers?" Fiona murmured softly as she took a seat next to her grandmother.

"Juno and Rhett were of the same litter." Anya said with a fond smile towards her middle son. "Yul was born just before Tatianna. Voluun we adopted when we thought we would never have kits of our own. We never expected to be parents so late. Fate has a funny way of working things out."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll go and see if Hanni is up to it," Oleg said with a nod at the mention of Juno and Hanni. He left Anya with a kiss to her cheek and stepped out. Juno only lived a short way down. The family kept close to the central longhouse, Oleg being an elder.

Rhett set Fiona's bag down beside the door, catching his mother's smile and returning one of his own. Though in most tribes her sons would be living on their own by this point, the Voya and their neighbors had a tradition of family sticking together until the younger members found mates and split off. Voluun and Juno both had mates, but Rhett and Yul did not. Rhett had never found one because he'd lost his ability to speak as a teenager thanks to Hunters. Yul, on the other hand, was far too focused on his work as a craftsman.

Rhett went to the kitchen to warm the food again, and it was only minutes later that Oleg returned. Juno, the only member of their family that wasn't a white Fox, but fiery orange with dark hands and feet and a white face and tipped tail, stepped in carrying his mate who was a lovely but exhausted black Fox.

"She insisted on coming," Oleg spoke up with a smile as Juno set Hanni down in an open chair. Juno turned to look at Fiona, and a bright smile broke out over his face.

"Muun'icha-chaami," he declared and wrapped Fiona up in a tight hug as if he'd known her all his life.