Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Juno, you'll frighten her." Hanni commented, smiling at her mate even as her amber gaze told of her exhaustion.

Fiona gasped as she was wrapped up in her uncle's arms, his excited tone of voice telling her that the entire family had waited a long time for this moment. "I'm sorry it took me so long time come home."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sorry, kit," Juno chuckled, letting her go. "It's just that... ever since Owen last visited, I hoped you'd come." He returned to Hanni, kneeling beside her. He'd always been the most energetic of his family, a happy disruption among the usual calm atmosphere. "This is Hanni. She puts up with me, to say the least."

"The absolute least," Oleg commented, making Juno chuckle.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Our kits would have joined us, but they have gone for the winter camp that the elders put on during the first snowfall." Hanni explained, glancing at her mate with a fond smile. "They were so excited and we didn't know when the dragon would arrive. Voluun's kit is there as well. He helps put the whole thing on."

As if on cue, Voluun stepped through the door, shaking snow off his fur as a petite, tan fox stepped in behind him. Handing her mate her cloak, she turned to look at the family with a small smile.

"I thought Voluun was telling me lies again when he said his niece had made it home." She said softly, coming to kiss Fiona on the cheek before she did the same for Oleg and Anya. "I'm Ericka. I guess I'm responsible for that big lump over there."

 

[KieranSoares]

Voluun simply rolled his eyes with the smallest hint of a smile, used to her teasing though he secretly enjoyed it.

Rhett soon stepped out of the kitchen, bringing bowls for Hanni and Anya filled with roasted meat and hearty root vegetables. He seemed to make it his job to look after the sick and frail members of the family, and he turned to welcome the rest of them into the kitchen to get their own food, letting Ericka and Fiona go first as Fiona was their guest of honor, and Ericka seemed to be expecting though she was hardly showing just yet.

"Is Yul coming?" Oleg asked Voluun.

"He got to talking with Lady Invah, I wouldn't be surprised if he's late," Voluun answered with a smile. "You know how he is."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona got her bowl of food and quietly took a seat next to her grandmother, glancing around at the big family that she had suddenly found. Her uncles were warm and welcoming, her grandparents just as welcoming too. She had nothing to worry about with her family around her, she thought to herself as the sounds of laughter filled the warm room.

"We have three kits." Hanni said to Fiona, grinning at her niece as she seemed just a little overwhelmed by everything. "Tom, Talia, and Red. Tom is almost 13 and is getting a little too big for himself. Talia and Red are sweet little things. Talia is 10 and Red is 6."

"And we've got one nearly grown and one on the way." Ericka said with a chuckle. "Per is almost 16. He moved out last spring and we just discovered that we are expecting another kit. I don't think we'll ever have the house to ourselves again."

"It was just me." Fiona said to them all as the conversation suddenly quieted down. "Ma was too sick to have another after I came along."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She did write to us before she passed," Oleg told her. "I only ever received two letters. The first was about you, the second was... Somewhat of a farewell." He glanced around at his children and their mates. "I wish she could've seen all of this. But... Our pride got in the way, mine especially. Though I suppose things came out alright in the end, despite all the bad. We have our oldest grandchild here with us. I hope you'll be able to stay for the Solstice. I know Inverness is your home, but we'd like to steal you away for some time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's nothing pressing for me to get back to in Inverness. I can stay for a while." Fiona said as her grandfather commented that her mother had sent a final letter home before she died. "No more talk of sad things tonight. I want to enjoy my family."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Agreed," Oleg nodded, knowing that serious things could be left for the next day. Fiona would be able to quickly and easily see the family dynamics. Oleg and Anya seemed to lead quietly while Rhett took care of them and the house. When Yul arrived, he proved to be the quiet one and he always had a journal in his hand, designing things for his craft as a woodcarver and carpenter. He was glad to see Fiona, and though he was a decade older than her, he almost seemed shy.

Juno was the life of the family, and his energy was what kept Hanni going. He was constantly at her beckon call, but made sure Fiona knew how glad he was to see his oldest niece.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona slowly relaxed as the evening went on, studying her uncles and her grandparents. She could see flashes of her Ma from each of them and it was easy to imagine the bright soul that had been Tatianna living there with them in her youth. Her demons had stifled her spirit but there were so many flashes that Fiona was almost in tears.

As the evening drew to a close and her uncles escorted their mates home, she sat quietly with her grandfather next to the fire as her grandmother retired to bed.

"I think Ma was ashamed that I was human." Fiona said softly. "Da absolutely didn't want me but she told him that there was always the chance that I would change. I think she drank a little more the longer time went on and she knew I wouldn't be what they both hoped for."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Your father was a sort who convinced himself that humans are nothing but danger and bad luck to werefolk. If she spent enough time with him... He mightve convinced her of the same. But there are some days that I almost think that she was better off in Inverness... Hunters don't reach the isles easily. Here on the mainland, however, we're at constant risk. Then again, I wonder if she wouldn't still be alive if she'd stayed. We white werefolk are always the first to be stolen away or killed, if not the black-furred."

White fur was a prized commodity, but there were many hunters who killed black werefolk out of suspicion and superstition. They were the same sort who feared black dogs and cats.

 

[heartofcourage]

"When she wasn't deep in her cups, she used to tell me stories about this place. She made it seem so magical." Fiona said with a smile to her grandfather. "She always promised that one day she'd show me everything. As a child, it seemed like a beautiful, far away place."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll certainly be happy to keep her promise for her," Oleg assured her. "But out of curiosity, how did you manage to get a dragon to bring you here? I know you woke her, but she seemed to treat you like you were her own."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Invah has adopted me as her own, I guess." She said as her grandfather asked her how she had managed to get a dragon to bring her to them. "She's been worried for her mate and I promised that I would come along to wake him up if it was possible."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hm... I will have to speak with her. I wouldn't want to keep her from her family. Perhaps I could invite them to the Solstice. Two reunited families." Oleg glanced toward the fire. "I don't suppose your father let you have much to do with tribes back in Inverness, if he never taught you our languages."

 

[heartofcourage]

"No." She said softly as her grandfather asked her if she had been given and opportunity to interact with the tribe. "He always told me that there wasn't a place for me there. He wouldn't take me anywhere near the village. And he never bothered to teach me how to speak any languages. My grandfather tried to help me get involved, but he died before anything really stuck."

 

[KieranSoares]

"There are Erygonians and Lunars there, aren't there? Teo Erygonians, if memory serves me. They're a bit different from us, as we are Kalma. But I know of Suara Corel. She's a fine leader. Taqu'un Maliar as well. Despite the separation, most tribes do know of one another. I had hoped that you might've gotten the chance to know our traditions. But you still can, if you like. You are Voya, no matter what Owen told you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm not sure where I really belong." Fiona admitted as her grandfather insisted that she could still know the tribe and all their traditions. "I have a fox. I know she is there. But I don't know if I belong with a tribe or if I'm alright on my own."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You may find you're somewhere in between as well," Oleg offered. "But anything you want to know, we will gladly teach you. Anya's certainly looking forward to showing you what you've missed. She's hoped against hope your whole life that you might come. I admit... I gave up hope after Owen came and told us he'd left you with Ephriam. Then when a letter came from the Ghis family through Queen Kjersten, Anya and I just held each other and wept out of joy, knowing you were coming."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My da didn't leave me with Ephriam. He simply left." Fiona said softly. "He walked out when I was little and never returned. Grandpa found me nearly half starved and took me home. He told me that he had died and wouldn't be coming back."

The news that her grandparents had wanted her all that time hit her hard. Her grandma had wanted to show her everything, giving her a lovely little life.

 

[KieranSoares]

Oleg drew Fiona close against his side. "Owen may well be dead by now... He didn't look well when he came here, and he didn't take any supplies when he wandered off west, and he didn't know where he was going either..." There was some disdain, but also pity in Oleg's voice. He didn't want to feel bad for Owen, of all people, but he couldn't help feeling some sympathy for the Fox who'd lost the love of his life and lost himself with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She made him happy. I know that for certain." Fiona said as Oleg held her tightly against his side. "He would light up when she was near. When he spoke to her, it was soft and sweet, in Swedish so that I couldn't understand. She would smile so brightly."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know they loved each other, but I also knew he would ruin her. When she refused to see reason... My pride got in the way. Rather than reason with her, I told her she was no longer Voya. I regretted those words the moment I said them, but I never took them back... She told me she would rather be a Blackstone than Voya, and she took a few things and left for Malmo to catch a ship with Owen. Her last letter to me... she told me she wished she could've been both Voya and Blackstone, and that Owen and you could have too. I could never bring myself to write back to her and tell her she was welcome home, and so were you. I wish I had, if only for your sake."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Wherever she is right now, she's happier than when she was alive. I can promise you that." Fiona murmured softly as her grandfather commented on how he knew that she was going to ruin her life. "I think I inherited her stubborn streak."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She got that from me," Oleg smiled somewhat bitterly. "She and I clashed all her young life, though we never really had a problem until Owen." Oleg looked down to Fiona then. "I wish I had gotten the chance to speak to Ephriam, though. What was he like?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He was the best." Fiona said with a grin. "I loved my time with him. My Gran died a long time ago and I think I filled that void for him. He wanted me with him all the time."