Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"By tomorrow, the color will have set, any extra ink leftover having been drawn out. It'll fade a little more as the ink that doesn't set is washed off, but not much." Ronun stood with her and walked her to the door of the long house. "I'll probably have a few more people in for tattoos. Some add pieces every year. I'll see you around, Fiona," he said with a kind smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona buttoned her coat against the cold as she stepped out of the long house. It was bright still and the festivities were still going on. Everyone seemed to be happy and enjoying themselves. Per was back with his Ma and Da, Ericka holding on to him as if he would disappear before she knew it. Fiona had to laugh softly as Per looked slightly embarrassed but still responsible enough to hug his Ma tight.

 

[KieranSoares]

Voluun was doing his best to keep it together, secretly just as proud yet sad as his mate. The other kits were with their own families, all either in the arms of crying parents or talking animatedly about their futures.

Music had begun near the main square, a combination of stringed instruments, flutes, and drums. Owen was with his drake, a group of children gathered around with wide, curious eyes, listening to Owen tell stories about the beast. The dragons had similar audiences. Glaynviahr in particular had a mixed audience of all ages as he told stories of Solstices and winters long past.

Sam was off near the tavern, watching as Roman and Kennah played in the snow. The egg was safely in Sam's arms, wrapped up in several layers of blankets. Kennah was a bit slow and fragile, but she was enjoying digging around and occassionally batting a bunch of snow at Roman with her hands or tail.

 

[heartofcourage]

"This is what you always wanted, Ma." Fiona said softly, watching everything around her with a sense of sadness. "We're all home now."

She watched everything a little while longer before she made her way to Sam, kissing his cheek as she looked at the egg while the drakes played. It seemed that they were growing more comfortable in their roles as parents. They made good parents, protecting their egg against everything that might have wanted to do it harm.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam smiled down at Fiona as she came to take a look at the egg. "Heartbeat's still strong, an' Kennah's gettin' back to 'erself."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You look like a proud Papa." Fiona said with a laugh as she leaned against Sam's side. Her head rested against his shoulder and she enjoyed the moment.

"I can't wait to see what this tattoo looks like. He said tomorrow I can get a proper look." She said as Roman romped past and sprayed them both with snow.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I sort o' feel like it. Kennah's my partner. I can' 'elp feelin' proud o' her egg." Sam brushed snow away from his cloak and the blankets with a chuckle.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll make a good Da some day. You have endless patience with Heather and you adore Ashelin. I've also never seen as big of a man as you cradle a tiny wee baby as gently as you do with Bridget." Fiona said with a smile as he shook the snow from his cloak and the blankets surrounding the egg. "Remind me of all of that if we ever decide to start a family of our own."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' let any o' my clan hear tha', or they'll never leave ya alone." He leaned down to kiss her properly then, his free, gloved hand coming to cup her cheek warmly.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It won't happen for a long time, mark my words." Fiona said with a grin as Sam kissed her properly and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"I love you, Sam." Fiona said softly. "I even included you in the tattoo design."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You didn' have to do tha', love," he murmured in surprise, but he kissed her again as he didn' know what to say to that.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wanted to." Fiona said softly as the second kiss ended. "I never knew what it meant to find a mate before I met you. I know deep down that you are meant for me. Sometimes that frightens me. Sometimes I think that I'll do the wrong thing again and you'll be gone before I know it. But...I still want to try."

 

[KieranSoares]

"All we need t' do is try our best, love, an' I can see a good future ahead." Sam gave her an adoring smile. "I love you, Fiona. An' I'm glad I chased after you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have a Solstace gift for you." Fiona said with a grin as she leaned into Sam's side. "It needs a few final touches, but I hope that you'll like it. Unlike you, I'm not giving it until the Solstace."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm nothin' if no' patient." Sam pressed one more kiss to her cheek before Kennah approached. Letting Fiona take the egg, Sam took Kennah's head in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Kosovo, eldere. Er hume kosav?" He asked softly, earning an adoring nuzzle from his drake before, for the first time, she mimicked Roman and pulled Sam into her arms.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh no, Roman. You've rubbed off on Kennah." Fiona said with a laugh as Roman rumbled and nudged her shoulder playfully, her drake mindful of her freshly tattooed side. "Although, we can't be too mad about this, I guess."

 

[KieranSoares]

As Kennah took the egg back in one arm, she nuzzled Fiona affectionately before making her way back into.the warmth of the barn, glancing back to see if Roman would follow. She settled in the nest of hay and situated the egg perfectly in her arms before laying her head down, tail still swishing slightly. A ways off, the toll of the new bell announced another event.

 

[heartofcourage]

As the drakes returned to the barn, Fiona took Sam's hand in her own and pulled him back towards the festivities. "You can't give up on me yet, Sam. It's my first Solstace, after all."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Who said I was givin' up? I 'aven' even started yet." Sam smirked, and in a show of playfulness she'd not seen yet, he caught her up and swept her off her feet. With a kiss, he marched along through snow carrying her without a care in the world.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona shrieked with laughter as Sam scooped her up and walked through the snow without a care in the world with her firmly in his grasp. "You are such a brute!" Fiona murmured as he kissed her senseless and she found herself falling deeper in love with him in that moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Absolutely, especially for you," Sam laughed, hugging her closer as he trudged through the snow. He set her back on her feet before they joined the gathering crowd. An Elder named Kadorin was gathering everyone as a large bonfire was being built. It would be used the next day to send offerings to ancestors and late relatives. For today, each person would add to it with pine branches to get the smoke going. In tribal belief, the smoke of green branches would welcome the ancestors to join in the evening meal in spirit, and be present for the next day to accept gifts and send their blessings in return.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona immediately got to work, helping the elders that were too old to carry things on their own. She even did most of her grandfather's work, encouraging him to rest. Rhett had long taking Anya home to rest before the evening meal got going.

"It's been good so far, Uka." Fiona said as she sat next to Oleg for a moment, watching the bonfire grow larger. "I'm glad that I came."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You, Sam, and Owen have done more than your fair share since you arrived. Us old folks appreciate it, and I'm glad you're enjoying it too." Oleg kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her. "All three of you fit in beautifully."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're not so old." Fiona murmured as her grandfather kissed her forehead and held her against his side. "You're barely silver and your tattoos haven't seemed to fade. I'm hoping that you'll be around for a long time to come."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Your grandmother keeps me young. But we're both close onto seventy, and many hard winters have served to make us a bit frailer than we once were, especially Anya. But we intend to see you again some day after you've gone home. We'd like to see Scotland. For all that was wrong in her world, Tatiana loved that country."