Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I have to deliver a package." Fiona said as Rhett stepped out from th house so she could see him. "Do you know this woman?"

She handed him the note from the stall vendor, pushing Roman away as he snuffled at the both of them, scolding him for being a pest.

 

[KieranSoares]

Roman seemed ever so slightly mischievous and kept nudging and snuffling all over Fiona, until Rhett caught his lead and looked him square in the eye. Roman sat down slowly, never breaking eye contact until Rhett smiled and let go, motioning for Fiona to follow him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You best behave, Roman, or else I'll make you go stay with Sam." She said as the drake finally got himself under control.

Fiona followed behind Rhett as he motioned for them to follow. She enjoyed spending time with her uncle. He was a quiet soul but bright and cheerful most of the time. It did her heart some good to be around him.

Meanwhile, a lovely young fox stood on the outskirts of Sam's small camp, a smile on her features as she watched him interact with Kennah. She hadn't seen him in a very long time but he seemed to still be the same person that she had known back in Inverness.

"I never thought that I would see the day that Samuel Ghis came to my neck of the woods." She said, taking a step towards him and his drake.

Stacia had left Inverness shortly after she turned 14, her parents moving back to their home town to take care of her ailing grandparents. She had always been a lovely black fox, wisps of white coloring around her green eyes and on her muzzle.

"My Ma told me that she had seen you and I thought that she was making up stories." Stacia said, a happy smile spreading across her face.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam looked up from inspecting Kennah's feet and claws, and paused as he saw the fox. "Stacia?" He asked quietly, rising from Kennah's side and stepping away from her. "I never thought I'd see ya again, lass."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It does my heart some good to see a familiar face from Inverness. I've missed it terribly." Stacia said as Sam approached and she hugged him tightly.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam gave her a small smile and gladly embraced her. Though he was still recognizable, he looked incredibly different, tall and broad and solid. "If I 'ad known ye were here, I'd 'ave come t'visit between visitin' the Triad courts."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You probably long forgot me." Stacia said as he said he would have come to see her if he had known she was there.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don' forget my friends, Stacia," Sam chuckled softly, though she could see he seemed tired and there wasn't a clear indication as to why he was there.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What brings you to this neck of the woods? It's not common that someone from Inverness would stray my way." Stacia said as they walked back towards his camp.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's a long story... but th'short version is tha' I was bringin' a drake to my-... to his keeper." Sam settled beside his small campfire and his beautiful emerald drake came to join his side. He reached up to stroke her neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. "This is Kennah. I think I belong t'her more than she does t'me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She's a lovely beast, Sam." Stacia said as Kennah calmly laid her head on Sam's shoulder, enjoying his attention as Sam stoked his fire a little higher. "I saw that we have another dragon in town now. I haven't met her yet, but my Ma said that a dragon caller brought her. She's somehow related to Oleg and Anya."

"How have you been, Sam? And your family too. I'm sure those twin girls have grown so big by now." Stacia knew the entire family and had been friends with them before she moved. Brogan had even helped to pay to send the family back to Sweden so many years ago.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam didn't say anything in response to her talk about the dragon-caller, but he nodded at the mention of his family. "We've 'ad a good period of peace since tha' last war when I was young. A few disruptions recently, but everyone's doin' alright even since Gran passed a few years back. The girls're startin' t'come into their own. Heather's learnin' t'ride alone, an' Ashelin's shapin' up t'be a fine court lady. Ciaran an' Justin're steady as ever... Kate an' Kell're expectin' their first cub, an' Annie an' my cousin Kayla 'ave 'ad a couple children since you left."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Everything moved on without me, I see." Stacia said with a grin as Sam told her about his family. "My grandparents passed away a few years after we moved back. Da decided he liked it here and we decided to stay for good. He and Ma have a little house on the edge of town. He still makes weapons for the local guards, but he's slowed that down recently. I own the tavern in town with my mate. You would like him. He reminds me of your Uncle Boar. Tavir is from Egypt, but said he likes the cold weather more."

As they caught up, Roman came cresting over the hill in a run. He still wore full saddlebags, a telling sign that he had slipped away from Fiona and Rhett after they had delivered the package to the family on the edge of town. He only had eyes for Kennah as he growled and snuffled at her, nuzzling against her cheek with sweet affection before he noticed the new comer. Soon, he was sniffing at her, nudging her with his maw as he glanced to Sam from time to time with a curious look in his eyes.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Roman. Goddammit," Sam sighed in annoyance, causing Kennah to snort at Roman too. She knew exactly why Sam was so easily frustrated- Roman had spent the entire journey to Sweden trying to run off and find Fiona, only to get into trouble or get the group off track.

Sam caught Roman's lead and made the golden drake meet his eyes. "I've 'alf a mind t'put you through military trainin' fer this, drake. Now go back t'Fiona an' stay there. When ye've got tack on, y'stay with yer rider." Even if the drake couldn't understand word for word, Sam knew Roman was plenty smart enough to get the jist of it. Sam let go of Roman's lead and nudged him away from Kennah. "Sorry, Stacia. This bloody lizard keeps gettin' into trouble an' runnin' off from th'people 'e's supposed to be with."

 

[heartofcourage]

Roman deflated as Sam scolded him, telling him that he needed to go back to Fiona. Kennah even seemed annoyed with him in that moment. He let out a grunt and turned to go back towards the town, glancing over his shoulder every so often to see if Kennah or Sam had changed their minds.

"It's alright." Stacia said with a grin as she watched Roman slowly making his way back home. "We have a horse that is much the same way. She won't leave my mate alone. We finally had to build our own barn next to the tavern so she wouldn't break out as often."

"You should come to the tavern. I can at least keep you fed and warm while you're here. It's only going to get colder." Stacia offered.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don' take charity, lass. But I'll be glad t'rent," Sam nodded and patted Kennah's neck before loading his few belongings into her saddlebags. He followed Stacia back into town, catching a glimpse of Roman heading toward Fiona and Rhett.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, we can fight about that." Stacia said with a grin as he packed up his camp and she was soon leading the way to the tavern.

Fiona was freezing by the time that she saw Roman again. The drake came up to her side with his head lowered, a scolded look on his features as she nuzzled up against her for a moment with a deep rumble.

"We've been looking for you everywhere, Roman." Fiona scolded him, leaning back to look him in the eye. "You can't just run off, beastie. Uncle Rhett needs the things in your saddlebags. I know you want to see Kennah, but you have to be patient."

Fiona paused as she saw Sam walking into town with a dark colored fox and Kennah. The two of them looked happy, talking about laughing among themselves as they continued on their journey. As Sam glanced in their direction, Fiona met his eyes for a moment before she looked away. It seemed that the only person he wasn't happy to be around was her.

 

[KieranSoares]

As they stepped into the tavern after Kennah was given a warm spot in the barn beside, Sam shrugged off his cloak and hung it up. Behind the bar, a lithe Jackal with all manner of Erygonian tattoos was just drying a bunch of tankards he'd finished washing. It was slow at the moment, and he was getting ready for the influx of patrons as others closed shops and headed home for the day. The tavern dealt only moderately in alcohol, and more in food and as a common gathering place being so close to the central longhouse.

Tavir looked up, golden eyes complimenting his sandy-colored fur as he caught sight of Stacia and Sam. "Stacia," he spoke in a rich Egyptian accent. "You disappeared on me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I had to go meet an old friend, Vir." Stacia said with a smile towards her mate as she took off her fur lined sheep skin coat and hung it on the hook next to the door. "Sam, this is my mate, Tavir. Vir, this is Samuel Ghis. I've known him since I was a kit. We grew up in Inverness together before Ma and Da moved us back here."

 

[KieranSoares]

Tavir stepped out from behind the bar to greet Sam with a handshake and a smile. "Welcome. Stacia talks about your family every so often. I think I might have to save up some money for a visit to Scotland soon." Tavir gave Stacia a gentle smile. He'd been incredibly abrasive to everyone when he'd first arrived in the village, having escaped from a farm where slaves human and non had been forced to work. Stacia had been one of few to get past his shell, and he'd repaid her kindness by becoming a steadfast friend and provider for her, as well as her business partner and mate now.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Vir wants to show me the rest of the world. He says too much snow will ruin me." She commented, kissing her mate's cheek fondly before she moved back towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry, Sam? I have a pot of stew going that will warm you up."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm a Jackal, little fox. Snow doesn't like me," he chuckled in reply, stepping away to clean tables.

"Tha' sounds pretty good t'me," Sam nodded in response to Stacia's question before he took a seat at the bar. He drew a few krona from his belt pouch. "Mead too, if ye've got any."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't take his money, Vir!" Stacia called back from the kitchen as she knew Sam would try to pay. "His money is absolutely no good here."

She came back a few moments later with a hearty venison stew, a few sweet pastries on a plate, and a tankard of ale. She placed all of it in front of Sam with a smile.

"Your Gran would never forgive me if I took your money. She always said that you were the one that needed to be taken care of the most." Stacia murmured, reaching out to touch Sam's hand for a moment before she turned to busy herself behind the bar. "So, no one's been able to catch your eye yet, Sam? I would have thought that a lucky lady would have snatched you up a long time ago. Probably even a litter of children following you around Inverness, acting too serious for their own good and trying to be like their Da."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam paused before he began to eat, shaking his head. "No. I told you all a long time ago tha' I wasn't interested in all tha'." Even in their time apart, Stacia knew him well enough to know there was something more.

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, you have or had someone and you're being too stubborn for your own good. That sounds about right for you, Sam." Stacia said, glancing over at him as he insisted that he wasn't interested in all of the stuff that love brought with it. "I thought I was too stubborn for it too, but then Vir changed my mind when I least expected it."