Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Julia nodded, heeding Kreston's warning to remove herself from the gate tower. She hurried down the ladder, looking around at the mass chaos that was starting as the gate creaked and groaned. Looking over her shoulder, she knew that it would only be a matter of moments before the city was overrun.

"Ruben! Ring the bell." She called out to him, letting him know that he needed to warn the citizens of Inverness that trouble was on its way.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ruben bolted at her call, but an arrow coming over the wall from the Erygonians was lucky enough to catch his calf and he stumbled with a snarl, falling to hands and knees.

As he tried to rise, the bell began to ring on high, and up above, Julia could see her blinded husband in the belltower, Kate at his side. Brogan heaved the bellrope, the massive bell tolling out deeply. Kate had her bow, and Brogan had his blade. He'd bid her lead him to the tower as he needed to do something to help despite his blindness. Even without sight, he could wield his blade.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia watched her husband and daughter for a long moment, torn between price and fear as she hurried to her nephew. She knelt at his side as he went to his hands and knees and growled in pain.

"Should I call you a healer?" She asked him, knowing that he would be stubborn like his father and probably refuse treatment all together.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No, no, it's fine..." Ruben growled and snapped the arrow, pulling it out. It'd gone straight through, so it wouldn't be too bad, just bloody. "Go to Brogan an' Kate, keep away," Ruben handed over his bow to her. "Stay safe... We can' recover without our Queen if we take a hard blow."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia responded by kissing her nephew's cheek before she turned to run for her husband and daughter. "The both of you need to get back into the keep...now!" She called, looking at Kate with a disapproving glance and her husband with a look of fear.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I ain' sittin' aside, love," Brogan shook his head. "An' Kate didn' want to either. We don' 'ave any extra help yet, an' Kate's a fine shot. I migh' not be able t'see, but I can hear well enough t'make sure nothin' gets up this tower. An' yer a fine shot too." He stepped toward her and pulled her close to kiss her. "We're gonna fight."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Brogan, no." Julia insisted, looking up at her husband with a deep frown as he insisted that he could still help. "I'm not going to lose you again. You need to be in the keep."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ya never lost me before," Brogan spoke gently. "I'm not goin', love." The telltale loud splintering crack of the gates being nearly broken made him frown. "Ain' a way in hell tha' I'm sittin' aside when my people are facin' this."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You stubborn man." Julia swore softly, pullin him down into a brief kiss. "Katherine, go into the kitchen and get Chessie to start boiling water and oil. Have the men inside pull the pots into the roof of the keep."

 

[KieranSoares]

Once Kate had gone, Brogan's hands found Julia's waist and he set his forehead to her own, wishing silently that he could look into her eyes and see that wonderful emerald again. "Beauty..." he whispered. "I love ya." She could see and hear that all he wanted was peace, and time with her away from everything to love her and enjoy her company without a worry in the world. He often regretted the first days of their marriage when he'd purposely avoided her to keep from showing her that he had any heart.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia sighed softly, her strength sapped as her husband confessed his love for her. She had alway known that the surely giant of a man had the softest heart of anyone she'd ever known.

"And I love you too, Brogan." She murmured softly. "But don't go soft on me yet. We're still in danger. I need you to be the strong warrior that you've always been."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've always been soft on you, y'know tha'," he teased gently, then he kissed her in that lovely, deep way that could make her knees go weak. He searched for just one last moment of softness and quiet with her before the tide of harsh war fell upon them.

The crack of the gate met the end of their kiss and Brogan reached back, drawing his broad claymore. "Get yer bow ready, darlin'... we've got more'n a town t'protect this time."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia's eyes fluttered shut as her husband delivered that kiss that could bring her to her knees. She whimpered, gasping as the kiss ended with the cracking of the gates and she was told to bring her bow to the ready.

"You stay in my sight, love." She warned softly as she turned to see if they were breaking through the wooden gates just yet.

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' you stay in mine," Brogan said before he could think about it- it was such a natural thing to say- but he shook his head and went silent to listen to the ram. Finally, one last strike ripped the gates open and men scattered to get some distance before the Erygonians could overtake them. Kreston was roaring orders, and the archers were doing their best to hold back the tide of cannibals so the warriors could dig in and balance themselves.

It was the women that brought out the boiling oil, led by Chessie and Kate, positioning pots and cauldrons above the way into the keep, building small fires under them to keep them hot. Erygonians surged toward the Keep with all ferocity, and toward the bell tower. Dazu fought his way to the tower to defend the royals above, and Brogan readied his blade with a soft prayer for strength and fortitude.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia armed herself with her bow and her short sword. Her husband had taught her to fight like the fiercest of his warriors and she would be damned if anything happened to Inverness that day. She was giving orders by his side, pointing to those that might well topple the new resistance.

"Take out their shaman!" She cried out towards the archers, knowing that he was the center of their power.

 

[KieranSoares]

Arrows fell toward the center of the Erygonians, including flaming arrows on the shaman's hiding place, but his men's shields saved him. Dazu heard the order too, and literally threw himself onto the shields after leaping off the gate tower, and collapsed the battalion and shields. "FIRE!" He roared at the archers and quickly ripped a shield from an Erygonian. Arrows rained down directly on the group and Dazu suffered two arrows to his arm and to his side, but he escaped alive. Then he began ripping into the pile, until Julia saw him drag out an unconscious Tidannon.

"Amg'ii dune! Amg'ii eb Shamag!" The Erygonians cried, and suddenly they all turned around and ran like hell was after them, straight at Dazu.

"DEFEND HIM! DON'T LET HIM FALL!" Kreston roared, leaping from the gate tower stairs to come running to Dazu's side. Ten men joined them before the Erygonians' charge struck hard. They'd lost their minds and their only motive was to kill those who'd taken their shaman. Dazu stood over Tidannon, fighting like a mad beast. He gave no ground, no one could take the shaman until a flying axe struck Dazu's shoulder and he fell. Tidannon was pulled away by his people and the Erygonians fled, giving up their immense stride into the city for the sake of the health of their leader. They were brutal, but incredibly loyal.

"HEALERS!" Kreston cried, now half-collapsed beside a badly wounded Dazu who was coming to grips with his pain in order to overcome it. He sat up with a deep breath, and ripped the hatchet from his body.

"I am okay..." he spoke calmly. "Just need breath."

They'd suffered very few casualties, but widespread wounds. Erygonians loved to wear down their enemy rather than kill them. But it wasn't over yet. Once Tidannon was safe, the Erygonians came back before anyone could recover. They were back for revenge now, and the defenders were thrown aside now that they were so fatigued. Only archers stood between the invaders and the royals now, and Brogan pulled Julia from the belltower, forcing her to lead him back to the keep. They couldn't hold the town, and the civilians were already safe. They had to retreat.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia guided her husband down the narrow stairs, looking up at the keep to her daughter as she waited there with Chessie.

"Kate! Get your brothers! Now!" She cried out to her, warning her of the danger that was coming.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Go on, darlin', hide in the cellar," Chessie spoke quickly, sending Kate on her way. "Arm yourself an' your brothers, protect your mother, sweetheart, we can't let her baby be hurt."

Inside, Ciaran was suddenly in a frenzy, unable to find his twin brothers. They'd disappeared when they were helping to haul the oil to the roof. "SAMUEL!" He cried. "RHODAN!" Neither could be found, and their little belts with the daggers Brogan had given them were missing. Julia entered to find her eldest son panicking, and he faced her with fear and shame, "They just disappeared..." he shook his head, at a loss.

 

[heartofcourage]

The thought that her twins were missing made her blood run cold. She could see the guilt that her son had, but there was no time for that. She took Brogan's hand off her shoulder and handed it to Ciaran.

"Take your father. I have to find your brothers." Julia said with a calm panic in her tone as she raced out of the keep again, searching for her wayward twins. "SAMUEL! RHODAN!" She cried out, searching the chaos for her boys.

"Gabriel! The twins are missing!" She shouted to her nephew, knowing he could move through the ranks much faster than she.

 

[KieranSoares]

Gabriel immediately raced out into the ranks, searching down low to find the boys, but it was Julia who would find them by sound, not sight. She heard Samuel cry out from beyond the gate, her maternal instincts catching the sound of her son's voice among the chaos and noise. He cried again, "Rho! Mama, help! Da!" He cried painfully for his family, but suddenly, the Erygonians stopped fighting, many of them looking entirely confused and terrified, and began to flee. But through the gate suddenly came charging a vast army of werecreatures and centaurs of all races and colors, but all covered in blue warpaint to show allegiance to Scotland and all carrying Lunar tattoos. The Mav Ro had come. The Erygonians were overcome, and for the first time Julia had ever heard of, the Erygonians surrendered and allowed themselves to be arrested and rounded up.

"The shaman is dead!" Shouts came around them, and through the gate, Julia saw two centaurs gallop in. One was holding an incredibly bloody and unconscious Rhodan, and the other held a terrified, sobbing, and not-as-bloody Samuel. She heard one speak to a Mav Ro leader. "These boys killed the shaman. Who are they?"

The leader's nearest man pointed to Julia, "Shaylia Julia ei tahr Chela."

The centaurs galloped toward the keep, and the Mav Ro leader came to Julia, "Milady, your sons..."

 

[heartofcourage]

The sound of her son's cries beyond the gate made Julia weak at the knees. She sucked in a breath and started to run for Sam's voice, her heart racing so loudly in her ears. Then all hell broke loose behind the gates, the war over nearly as soon as it had begun. When the Mav Ro leader came forward with a terrified and crying Sam, Julia snatched him up in her arms, holding him against her side as she looked down at Rho.

"Rho..." She murmured, forgetting about Sam for a moment as she snatched Rho into her arms, hugging him tightly. "Oh, my moon..."

It wasn't time for sorrow. Her son was wounded, perhaps mortally. "Call for a healer!" She nearly screamed, her voice tinged with panic.

 

[KieranSoares]

Valentina was the first out the door, coming to take Rhodan from Julia as he was in the worst condition. "Come on, Julia, bring Sam," she spoke calmly. She didn't go too quickly, making sure not to jar Rhodan around. He'd been wrapped in a Mav Ro's cloak, and when Valentina pulled in back after laying him in a bed in the infirmary, she held back a gasp of horror. The poor young boy's left arm was gone, looked to have literally been torn and bitten off by an Erygonian several times his size.

Vincenzo entered and took Sam. Most of the blood on him was Rho's. Sam had only suffered broken ribs, perhaps a concussion, but his greatest wounds would be a shallow stab in his side and his trauma. He sobbed uncontrollably, apologizing profusely to Julia. "I'm sorry we kept it a secret, Mama," he choked out. "We just wanted to help..." So they'd been planning this all along. The two boys, so young and inexperienced, had planned to, and succeeded in cutting off the head of the snake by killing Tidannon. He would never have expected children, and the boys had known that.

Rho began to awaken as Valentina was cleaning up the wound, having to cut further up his shoulder in order to make it even enough to stitch and treat properly. He apparently was so shocked that he didn't notice the pain even when he saw what his aunt was doing. "Ma...?" He asked, turning his head to see her. "Did we win...?" He was dangerously pale and his eyes dim, a bit afraid as he awaited her words. If they hadn't won, he'd feel that he'd failed.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia had seen some very disturbing things in her life, but the sight of her child missing a limb absolutely stole her breath away. She wanted to rage at someone, but it seemed that little Sam was more than willing to take the blame for what they had done. Turning to look at her youngest twin, she took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Samuel, there is a reason that your father and I forbid you both from going into the battle." She said in a soft voice, reaching out to push her hand through her son's dark hair. "And yes, there will be punishments, but I am happy that you are alright."

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, drying his tears and trying to calm him before he made himself too sick. "Go with your grandfather. Stay with Ciaran and your Da. Do you understand?"

She didn't even hear an answer before she turned to sound of Rho's faint voice. She was quickly back at his side, holding his cheek gently to keep him from looking at his arm. He was so pale, so weak, so small. She gave him the best smile she could manage, her hand gently stroking his cheek.

"Yes, my moon, we won." She murmured softly, kissing his brow. "Now hold still. You are hurt very badly and we must help you heal."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm almost a little glad Da can't see... that way he won't see this." Rhodan nuzzled his cheek into her palm and fell still. For the first time in his life, the last thing he wanted to do was move. Sam wouldn't leave him despite Julia's order, and he remained close at Rhodan's side, quiet and trying to keep out of the way. Valentina, once she finished with Rho, carefully picked Sam up and tucked him in on his brother's good side.

"It's going to be up to you to help him, Sam. He needs you more than ever." Valentina kissed his forehead and went to get a few things. Vincenzo came to wrap an arm around Julia as the boys drifted off to sleep together as always.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia was quiet with her thoughts as her father-in-law wrapped his arms around her shoulders to comfort her. He was more like a father to her then her own had been and she valued his opinion greatly.

"My husband cannot see. My son has lost his arm." She said softly, struggling to come to terms with what was happening with her life. "My oldest son does not want this kingdom. My daughter wants to be like her father. And I'm with child...how does any of this make sense, Vincenzo?"