Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"I can't remember the last time I had anything close to a friend other than my drake," Owen told her with a somewhat sad smile. "I might be a little slow at relearning, but I do want to be a part of your life. A better part this time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We'll work through it together." Fiona said with a smile as her Da insisted that he wanted to be a part of her life. "We have a lot to figure out."

 

[KieranSoares]

For only the second time since he'd returned, Owen pulled Fiona into his arms and embraced her, with more warmth and confidence than before. "You certainly have your mother's heart... but I'll do my best not to break it this time, little kit."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And I have your stubborn nature." Fiona murmured as her Da pulled her in to a tight and warm embrace. "I won't let you run away from me again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't intend to, if I can help it." Owen sat back with a smile before he heard his name. Fiona found Juno with his kits a ways away, calling for Owen to join them. Juno was doing his best to include Owen, and make sure the kits had a good relationship with the uncle they'd never known. "I suppose I'd better go. The kits wanted to show me around before things get too hectic," Owen murmured, kissing Fiona's cheek before rising to go meet up with her cousins. He would eventually be stolen away by Voluun's little family too. Ericka had decided to take the downtrodden fox under her wing and reintegrate him into Erygonian society.

 

[heartofcourage]

Red and Talia wanted to show Owen everything that they could before the festival started. When Hanni had told them what they were going to do with their uncle, they took their job very seriously. Tom was very quiet, knowing that his father wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of showing Owen around. He would hang back, waiting to see if it were really safe to give him the love that family gave to one another.

Per was incredibly happy as the festival time drew near. The first night, he would be one of the kits introduced for the first time as an adult to the rest of the tribe. Ericka was a blubbering mess as she helped her kit to prepare for the ceremony with new clothing and a new sword belt.

All of it seemed so normal. Fiona watched them all from her little vantage point on the steps of the long house, joined by her uncle Rhett after a while. She took his hand and gave him a smile, chuckling at the look on his face.

"Yes, I'm happy." She murmured softly. "And I know mormor wants to introduce me too, but I'm not sure that it's my place to take part in something like that. I think Per needs his own moment to shine."

 

[KieranSoares]

Rhett simply hugged Fiona to his side to reassure her. Per would still have his own moment, and Fiona deserved one too after having missed everything else.

As the sun rose high in the sky, everyone suddenly grew quiet as the shape of a dragon flew overhead. Glaynviahr landed near the long house behind a small tower. It had stood empty since Fiona had arrived, not even used by the watchmen. Now, Glaynviahr lifted up a bell he'd brought- about the size of a person- carefully hanging it in the tower. A warrior came with a long coil of rope, and Glaynviahr lifted him up to attach it to a lever. When the warrior was back on the ground, it was Glaynviahr who rang it first, four times.

After the fourth toll, cheers and applause arose from the village and a group formed around Glaynviahr chattering and praising him.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona watched with Sam at her side, slightly confused as to what was going on. When the forth bell rang, Sam's arm wrapped around her waist and she looked to him for some kind of explanation as to what was going on.

"So, it's officially started now?" She asked him as everyone around them celebrated.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'd heard Glaynviahr was forging a bell for the tribe to use, an' it'd be for ceremonies too. So I imagine him bringing it out a' high noon isn' an accident." Sam smiled to Fiona then and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Kosava Solstika'am, love."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona smiled as Sam pressed a kiss to her lips and wished her a happy solstice. That at least she knew without having to be told. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly, her head rating against his shoulder for a moment. It felt so familiar, like she finally had a place in the world instead of being an orphaned kit.

"I'm starving. Let's go see what food there is to be had." Fiona murmured, looking up at Sam with a happy and slightly mischievous grin on her lips.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ought to be plenty 'long the market." Sam kept his arm around her shoulders as they headed toward the main village square. All of the food vendors had set up outdoor stalls and were selling food cheaply as they could manage. In the spirit of the Solstice, they were trying to make sure nothing was inaccessible to the poorer folks, taking money and trade, and plenty of vendors were just giving away simpler foods.

Sam was prepared with plenty of krona, not giving Fiona a chance to pay as he bought this and that for them to eat. He left a few extra coins with a baker to give out treats to the children, noticing that many adults did the same, leaving extra money so that children or those who didn't have much money could enjoy all of the same things.

 

[heartofcourage]

She ate until she was stuffed, as happy as could be with Sam at her side. The weather was bright and clear, still fridged but beautiful as the winds had died down. She had never participated in a Solstice celebration that she could remember but she definitely liked what she saw. Everyone was happy, smiling, caring for one another.

From their vantage point, she could see her father sitting with her grandfather, both in deep conversation. Her cousins were running about, playing with other kits and enjoying the rare day without snow. It all seemed so...normal.

"We'll have to send gifts to Inverness for your family. I'm sure they're celebrating too." Fiona commented, kissing Sam's cheek gently. She would kiss him whenever and however she wanted now that they were back together.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If they're no' celebrating this, they'll be celebratin' Yule 'r Christmas," Sam nodded, looking to her with a smile when she kissed his cheek. "An' it migh' take some worries off their minds if they see those gifts're from both of us. My Ma's been writin' every week askin' how I am since I decided t'stay. I know she wants t'ask about you too, but she doesn' know it's okay yet."

Sam looked up as two huge shadows passed overhead, and soon Gaiann and Invah landed nearby. They'd had plenty of time alone together and didn't want to miss the festival.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You might have to help me pick out items for them but I'm sure we can come up with some good gifts. I saw a part of gloves in the market that Heather might like. They were soft and blue." She knew how much Heather adored the color blue since her Gran had worn it often.

As Invah landed on the outskirts of the city with Gaiann, Fiona stood to greet them both. When she was scooped up by Invah, she immediately hugged the dragon tightly, feeling at home in her huge hands.

"I've missed you." Fiona confessed, smiling at the dragon. "You missed so much. Sam and I made up, my Da came home, and Roman and Kennah had their egg."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And here I thought I was all caught up with everyone," Invah chuckled, smiling to Gaiann. "Gaiann insisted we go home for a while. All my fledglings were there. They'll be coming here tomorrow with gifts for the Voya."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Any gift will be appreciated." Fiona said as Invah explained that they had gone home to see her children. "And I'm sure that they were very happy to see you. It's been a long time since you've been home."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Far too long," Invah set Fiona down on her feet. "Most of them have their own little ones now, some too little to even fly."

"They've been told stories about us all their lives, while we were asleep," Gaiann added with a small smile. "I hope we lived up to expectations."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm just happy that they are safe." Fiona said as both dragons commented on their growing families. "There aren't many safe places still left in the world."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Thankfully the north, away from most of the mainland, seems to be fairly safe. Especially here in Sweden, and of course the Himalayas. And there's a haven in Egypt for those who can stand the heat," Gaiann said with a nod.

 

[heartofcourage]

"As long as I live, I promise that you will always have a safe place." Fiona promised them, hugging Invah one last time before she turned to return to the festivities.

She had never laughed so much in her life as she and Sam watched little plays in the town square, her cousins joining them for a while as the adults took a rest or continued to work on other things. About mid afternoon, the parade of kits that would be introduced as adults began. Per walked so proudly at the front of the group of five, the only boy among them. Ericka had worked so hard on his new vest and his cloak and she was silently weeping as Voluun held her tightly.

"He makes a handsome fox all dressed up." Fiona commented, looking up at Sam. "Reminds me a bit of you in uniform."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam could only chuckle, hugging Fiona to his side. "I'll make sure t'wear it more often jus' fer you."

As the four kits approached Oleg and the council of elders outside the long house, Oleg presented each of them with a small clay pot of ink. It was customary for kits to be offered a tattoo to do with their personality, the Voya, the Kalma Nation, or of their choice. They could choose not to have one, but all of these kits had been asked ahead of time and chosen the tattoo. Using ancient techniques, the werefolk were able to change the color in which the fur grew for a decade at a time, and repair the tattoo when it stopped.

Each kit accepted the ink pot, and were then given cloth sashes with the Voya's colors of purple and white and black tribal patterns. Many tribesmen wore them, especially the warriors. Being warriors-in-training, Per and one of the girls received sashes with matching armbands.

Assigning each kit to an elder or senior tribal member who would make their tattoos, Oleg came forward to motion Fiona out as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona frowned slightly as her grandfather motioned her forward as the kits each took their pot of ink and sashes for the evening's ceremony. Leaving Sam's side, she quietly made her way to Oleg, pausing in front of him.

"Uka, I don't need a ceremony too." She said softly to him. "I already told Mormor that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Per insisted," Oleg told her with a smile, looking to his side as Per nodded with a bright grin. "And the other kits agreed you deserve to be a part of it."

From the elder who'd brought the sashes, Oleg took the last and fastened it about Fiona's waist. "You also have the option of a tattoo, but that's up to you and if you say no now, you can change your mind later," Oleg offered.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was stunned as the other kits agreed that she needed to be included. As the sash was tied around her waist, she turned to look at her Da standing in the crowd. He seemed pleased that she was being included but her heart was racing fast in her chest. She was being accepted into her mother's tribe, offered all the different things that any other member was.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't be nervous, my love," Oleg assured her, letting her stand between himself and Per.

He stepped forward to address the tribe, folding his arms into his sleeves. "This Solstice, we have five young Voya coming of age, and one to welcome back to her ancestral home. We have Raiada, daughter of Reni and Stolm, a healer-in-training under Senior Healer Mailimo. Kiam and Saroan, daughters of Mjall and Faro. Kiam is a warrior-in-training under my son Voluun, and Saroan is her mother's apprentice as a tailor. We have Umay, daughter of Sarna and the late Joraan, a hero to our people. She too is a warrior-in-training under Captain Voluun in her father's memory. And we have Per, son of Voluun and Ericka, my grandson. He is in training under his father to join our warriors as well. Come the Spring Equinox, these kits will have become fully-fledged adults in the eyes of the Voya, independent but still our children. They are the last of this twenty-year generation, and next year, another twenty-year group will begin. As they are the last of their group, they will be joining us next year to help present the Voya sashes to the next generation."

Oleg then turned to Fiona, wrapping an arm around her. "Last but certainly not least... Fiona Blackstone, daughter of Owen Blackstone and my own late Tatianna. Fiona has finally come to us for the first time. And though she is a few years past the age of adulthood, we welcome her nonetheless. She is a seamstress in her home city of Inverness under, as she tells me, a kind Wolf and her son. And with Fiona... I'd like to welcome another Fox home."

Oleg motioned Owen over. Owen was slow to approach, standing beside Fiona with his ears laid back in nervousness until he too was given a sash and an ink pot. "Owen Blackstone, son of the late Ephriam, and mate to my late daughter, a drake-caretaker and a very welcome addition to our family after so long apart. I can happily say my family is complete once more, and that this is one of the happiest Solstices I've had in recent years."

When Oleg finished, the tribe around them exploded into welcoming applause and cheers, and the seven newly-welcomed members were each given a gift related to their profession. Apparently Oleg had planned this far ahead of time, because even Owen was given a gift. He received a large bundle of leather and leather-working tools for making tack and a saddle for his drake. Fiona was given several bolts of handmade cloth, each of a different lovely color and texture, and a little box containing rolls of lace, thread, ribbon, and buttons made of wood and bone and antlers.