Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Julia woke when she heard the sounds of Brogan’s armor clinking. She yawned and turned to stare at him in silence for a long moment. He seemed a little different this morning, not so brooding as he had been in the past few days.

“I was hoping this morning we might gather a party and go skating on the ice of the loch.” She said out of the blue, surprising even herself with the suggestion. “I think it would be fun and perhaps Boar would enjoy it as well. Kitty could get out of the keep and watch on the banks.”




Emma stretched luminously with a grin on her face as she saw Boar by her side. He seemed to be deep in thought as she sat up and leaned over the bed to kiss him passionately. Her fingers tangled in his thick hair as she pulled him deeper into her poisoned web.

“Good morning, my love.” She said as the kiss ended and she pressed her naked curves against his clothed body. “Have you thought about our discussion last night?”

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan smiled at that idea, "That sounds perfect." He came to her side and knelt at the edge of the bed, reaching out to take her hand. "I don' feel like I've told ya enough yet 'ow amazing ya are..."



"I 'ave," Boar nodded, "An' I was thinkin'... When Brogan lost Cassie, 'e almos' fell apart. Inverness was almos' mine, but 'e kep' goin' some'ow. If I fin' a way t'break 'im an' Julia apart... 'e won' recover this time. I think... I know what t'do. Th' same thing wha' 'appened las' time. We've got enough money t' bribe Wick into attackin' full-force 'ere, righ'? I'll bribe 'em an' tell 'em t'aim fer Julia," he grinned, hoping she liked the idea.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia smiled as Brogan knelt at the edge of the bed and took her hand, telling her that she was amazing. “It’s easy when you love your husband.” She said softly, leaning forward to kiss him softly.

When the kiss broke, she reached out a hand to brush his thick hair from his face. “Go and tell your mother to dress warmly and perhaps have the kitchens pack a snack. I’ll dress and meet you in the great hall.” Another kiss on his lips and she pulled away, smiling widely at he husband.




“Hmmm…doing away with Julia? I like the idea, but do we have to spend our money on Wick? Perhaps the perfect opportunity will present itself before then.” Emma said with a grin, kissing her husband one more time.

 

[KieranSoares]

"As ya say, love." Brogan rose, looking happier than she'd ever seen him, and he headed down the hall to speak to his mother and attend to the kitchens.



"I've thought it over, darlin'. We'll make a deal with 'em, say we'll give 'em th' money af'er they get rid o' 'er. An' when they do, Brogan's men'll 'ave worn 'em down so much tha' our own forces'll destroy 'em an' we'll keep our money. We'll 'ave Inverness, an' get rid o' its worst threat at th' same time."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia watched her husband go and smiled, her guilt still heavy on her heart, but she was quickly pushing it aside. There was no reason that Brogan had to know about her time with Ciaran. He could still be happy with their time together and she could work out the feelings that she had for both men.

She got out of bed and quickly dressed for the day in a thick wool gown of light grey. She bound her hair tightly and left her silver circlet behind. Pulling her cloak around her shoulders, she sighed as the warmth enveloped her. It reminded her of Ciaran, but the glinting band on hand reminded her of Brogan.

With a sigh, she exited the room and made her way to the great hall, ready to start her day.




Emma smiled broadly at the thought of that idea. Kissing her husband once more, she stood from the bed and went to dress herself. “We will negotiate with him then. In the mean time, if another opportunity arises, we will most definitely take it.”

 

[KieranSoares]

As Kitty and her sons and their wives joined together, followed by Valentina and Ciaran (who were looking after Kitty), they had breakfast together and then headed out to the Loch. Along the way, Boar talked to Brogan about plans to head up north the next day to visit an old friend from Inverlochly, which was his newly-made cover for going to Wick.

"Ya can' stay longer?"

"Oh, I'll be back, ol' man. Emma's stayin' 'ere til I get back." He was leaving her behind to look for other ways to separate Brogan and Julia.

 

[heartofcourage]

Along the way to the loch, Julia talked with Kitty and Ciaran, smiling and laughing at them. Kitty had a sharp wit and seemed to be glowing as they took their walk. Emma was quiet as they walked, her eyes sharp and cunning as she watched everyone around her to gage their reactions.

“Kitty, I must say that you look lovely today in that gown.” Julia said, complementing the purple dyed wool that made up her dress. “It makes you glow.”

Cresting the hill next to the loch, Julia was pleased to see other families joining in for a day on the ice. She was very much looking forward to their time together.

 

[KieranSoares]

As they went, Emma would begin to notice how fondly Ciaran looked upon Julia, how he was attentive to her every word. At Julia's comment, Kitty laughed, "Thank ya, lovely."

Out on the ice, Boar kept close to Emma, not so interested in skating as much as he was in thinking out the details of their plan. Brogan took Julia's hands and skated out with her. He clearly wasn't used to it, but he didn't care.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia couldn’t help but giggle as her big strong husband seemed so awkward on the ice. She held his arms, helping him to glide across the ice.

“Just think about it one foot at a time, Brogan. You’ll get the hang of it.” About that time she tripped into Brogan’s chest, laughing with abandon as she held him tight. “Smile for me, love. We’re here for fun.”

She leaned forward and kissed him gently, grinning at him as she looked upon with all the love and admiration in the world.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan chuckled at her and kissed her in return, and he let himself relax finally. Soon, with the same grace with which he danced the night before, he was skating smoothly. He felt incredible here with her. But that feeling was short lived as they heard the deep cracking of the ice below them, "Whoa," Brogan quickly pulled Julia closer to shore, but then the cry of a woman nearby made him look up, where he saw a hole in the ice and the vanishing hand of a child.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia was having the time of her life until a loud cracking filled the air and Brogan was pulling her towards the shore. Looking out over the ice as a woman screamed, she saw a child sinking beneath the ice where a hole had formed.

“No.” She gasped, her heart hammering as she pulled her hands away from Brogan without thinking and went speeding across the ice.

She could hear people calling for her to stop, but all she could think about was that poor child and the woman that was screaming for them. The cracking around her continued as she got nearer to the hole but still she didn’t stop. A short distance away, she dropped to her knees and then to her belly, stretching out across the ice to reach into the freezing water.

At first she felt nothing and she groaned in panic as the ice around her continued to fracture. When her hands went in a second time, she felt cloth and she wrapped her numb fingers around the little boy, jerking him towards the surface.

As soon as the child’s head broke the surface, Julia hauled him onto the ice and shoved him as far away from the fracturing sheet as she could. Getting to her hands and knees, she quickly spun around in time to see Brogan. Her green eyes locked with his for a moment before everything gave way beneath her and she was plummeting into the water with a scream.

 

[KieranSoares]

"JULIA!!!!!!!" Brogan and Ciaran roared at the same time, both bolting for the hole in the ice. Brogan, of course, reached it first and dove in immediately, and Ciaran slid to his knees beside the hole to help them out. Beneath the surface, Brogan seized Julia by the back of her dress as the intense warmth of his own body was sapped away instantly by the water, and he drew her to the surface, where Ciaran pulled her out and hurried toward the nearest house, which was his own, to get her to warmth. Brogan couldn't quite get out even with Valentina's help, so they broke the ice til it was thick enough for him, and both rushed after Ciaran. Valentina picked up the freezing boy, calling to his mother to follow. Soon, Valentina and the women who'd followed pushed all the men except Brogan out of the house. Brogan took care of himself in a separate room while the boy was cared for in another. Each had to get out of their wet clothes before they caught hypothermia. The women helped Julia to do the same, sitting her before the fireplace wrapped in a blanket.

 

[heartofcourage]

The water sucked the air from her lungs as she sank beneath the surface. Julia was freezing almost instantly, her thick skirts and cloak keeping her from kicking towards the surface. She was going to die. That thought kept swirling in her head until she felt a strong hand grab the back of her gown and hoist her back towards the surface.

She broke the water sputtering, coughing up the water that she’d swallowed. She was completely water logged, her eyes burning from the cold. She was so cold, shivering as Ciaran wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her clear from the loch.

Everything was a blur after that. She drifted in and out of consciousness until she found herself in front of a fire with a blanket around her naked shoulders. Kitty was fretting over her, chafing her skin with the blanket to keep her warm.

“Is the boy alright? Is he alright?” She kept asking through her chattering teeth.

 

[KieranSoares]

"E's jus' fine, love," Kitty promised her. "You jus' focus on yerself righ' now. Brogan soon came to join them with a blanket about his waist, and he drew Julia into his arms. He was already warming quickly.

"Ya crazy woman," Brogan muttered, kissing her forehead.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia burrowed herself against Brogan’s warm chest as he kissed her forehead. “I couldn’t let him die.” She murmured, still shivering as he held her tightly.

She was quiet after that, a giant shudder wracking her frame every so often. “I’m so cold, Brogan.” She whispered softly, her green eyes turning towards him with worry. Why was she not warming up?

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan looked down at her worriedly, and as an extra measure, he pulled her closer, pulling the blanket around them both so that, inside the blanket, her skin was pressed to his, which was almost hot compared to hers. Valentina was making a warm soup for her that would hopefully help, and soon brought it to her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia sighed as Brogan’s skin was pressed against hers, the blanket pulled that much tighter around her body. She closed her eyes and drifted between awake and asleep until she was awoken to the smell of a hearty broth. She reached her hands from beneath the blanket and took it with a quiet thank you.

Bringing the bowl to her lips, she noticed that her throat was already beginning to ache. It worried her, but she didn’t say anything to Brogan. She didn’t want him to worry in the least about her and her well being. There were more important things to take care of around the keep.

“I’m sorry I brought us out here today.” She said softly as she ate her fill and rested against her husband’s warm chest.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If we wouldn've come, tha' boy wouldn' be alive righ' now," Brogan kissed her forehead, keeping her tight against him. Several hours later, Brogan took her home to the Keep, keeping her entirely warm the whole way before helping her into bed to rest, and he settled beside her to offer his own warmth.


Boar, meanwhile, settled in his room with Emma after lunch. With a sigh, he spoke, "Damn... I thought we were gettin' lucky there..."

 

[heartofcourage]

“If you would have stopped your brother, she might very well be resting at the bottom of that loch.” Emma said with a disappointed sigh. “But I suppose our plan will have to do. I think I might have found a way to raise his suspicion as well.”

She smiled at her husband, cupping his cheeks between her hands and pulling him in for a kiss. “The red headed man with Brogan seems to have eyes for the darling Julia. Perhaps with a few words, a coupling might commence.”



Julia moaned and whimpered in her sleep, pushing away her covers as she grew too hot. “Water…” She let out in a raspy voice, her eyes opening to look at Brogan. “Water, please.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ciaran?" Boar looked down at his wife confusedly. "Ciaran wouldn' do tha' t'Brogan..."



Brogan immediately rose from the bed to get her the water, and soon he returned to her side with a mug of water, sitting her up to drink. He knew she was falling ill, and he felt a panic rising in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Boar. Watch the way Ciaran looks at her. There’s certainly something going on there.” Emma said with a mean little smile.



Julia drank from the mug like a man dying of thirst. When she was done, she leaned back in his arms and sighed. She was so tired…and so incredibly cold. Her aching green eyes turned towards Brogan and she tried to muster up a smile for him.

“You do not need to nurse me, my lord. I will be fine.” She said as her teeth started to chatter again.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hm... I noticed 'e seemed t'keep as close an eye on 'er as 'e did Ma... Maybe yer right. O' course, ya usually are," he commented sweetly, falling further still into her web.



"Yer my wife, Julia," Brogan reminded her softly, "I'm takin' care o' ya n'matter what." He wrapped her in the blanket once more. He knew these sudden changes in temperature were a bad sign for a heavy fever, and he feared what else might develop.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia sighed softly as the blanket was wrapped around her snuggly yet again. She was still shivering as she stared up at her husband, thinking over the words that he’d just said. He was going to take care of her…no matter what. He didn’t have to and she would have understood if he got as far away from her as possible. After what she’d been doing with Ciaran, she didn’t deserve his love…

“Tell me a story, Brogan.” She murmured softly, her green eyes closing slowly as she settled back into the uneasy sleep she’d been jolted from. “One about Inverness…”

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan cradled her close, his voice softening further. "Well... Back near three-'undred years ago... There was a small clan called th' Ghis, 'ardly twenty-strong, wanderin' from th' west shore after they'd lost their 'ome there t' th' ancestors o' the Wick. They came 'ere in midwinter, an' they found th' Loch Imora an' th' forest, saved 'em from starving... They b'gan buildin' 'ere, but in spring, th' Wick came t'find 'em. With th' Keep's first walls built, they 'eld out jus' long enough fer a man t' take th' lead. 'Is name was Llywen Ghis, an' 'e took on th' Wick with jus' ten men at 'is side, odds o' fourty t' one, an' 'e won. 'E built Inverness up from nothin', married a lovely girl a lot like yerself, an' from then on, th' Ghis family protected Inverness, an' always will."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia murmured in her sleep as the story ended and her husband’s soft and soothing voice was no longer there. She sighed softly, her forehead blazing as she rested in his strong arms. The illness was most definitely settling in and soon, her breath turned raspy as her lungs started to fill with fluid.

“Brogan, get off me.” She murmured a short time later, moving to push his heavy arm off her chest. It was then that she realized that he was not on her and the ache in her chest was caused by pneumonia settling in.