Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"He's not bad, Gabriel." Kate said, watching as Kell disappeared. "And shame on you for thinking the worst of someone that you don't even know. Your mother would be ashamed to hear you talking like that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's a killer, Kate. He's been a killer all his life. Anything he's told you in more than likely a ploy to make you trust him. He's no different from the Kell that killed Annie's mother."

At that, Kate heard Kelly's deep growl from the shadows, but he did not advance. He couldn't stand to be compared to his blood lusting father who killed for sport more than money.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Stop it!" Kate growled, glaring at her cousin as he continued to press her about the issue of Kell. "If you're going to act like this, I don't want you here. Go back to Inverness."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm trying to keep you from getting yourself killed, Kate! You're in the middle of a city whose general opinion is that Inverness needs to be destroyed, and you're allying yourself with an assassin and the family of three generations of Ghis enemies. What the hell are you thinking?"

But just then Kell bolted out and just as he grabbed Kate and pulled her to the ground, Gabriel grunted and shuddered. Kell had tried to pull him down too, but Gabriel had stepped back out of his reach in surprise. Gabriel collapsed to his hands and knees, and Kate could see a crossbow bolt protruding from the back of his left shoulder. He'd moved the wrong way, straight into the line of fire of a bolt meant for Kate's heart. Kell leapt up and over Gabriel, and over the garden hedges where Kate heard his monstrous snarl and a short scuffle that ended with the sound of a crossbow firing. Kell appeared back from the hedge with the weapon in hand.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate screamed as she was suddenly tackled to the ground, Kell growling at something that she couldn't see. As Kell launched himself at the hidden attacker, she noticed that Gabriel was hurt, kneeling in the grass with a bolt lodged in his back.

"Gabriel..." She gasped, pushing herself up and to her cousin. "Are you okay? We'll get you a doctor."

 

[KieranSoares]

Gabriel couldn't catch his breath, and after a moment, he collapsed onto his side. Kell dropped the crossbow and came running to Gabriel, snapping the bolt shaft halfway to keep it out of the way as he summoned all his strength to life the man who was larger than himself. "Get the doors," he grunted at Kate, carrying her cousin as quickly as he could, into the keep. He roared for healers, and soon both doctors and keep staff were helping to carry the large man into a spare room where the doctors would extract the shaft and tend to the wound. They wouldn't allow Kate in, so she was left waiting in the hall when Kell came back out to her. His wolf ears were half-laid back in shame that he'd failed to protect her cousin as he protected her.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered. "I thought I could get ahold of him and pull him down too..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It isn't your fault." Kate said softly, sitting there in the hall as she looked at Kell. "Gabriel is too stubborn for his own good sometimes. It's a fault with most of the men in my family."

She let out a long sigh and ran a hand back through her thick locks. "Send your fastest rider to my Da. Tell him that I need him here with me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Are you sure it's wise to pull him away from the war...?" Kell asked softly. He wanted to bring her father, she could see that, but he was also worried for her homeland and how they might react if their King left them for a dangerous place.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I need my Da here." Kate said softly, her head still spinning with everything that was happening around them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell didn't argue, hearing the need in her voice for her father's guidance. "I'll send for him."

Kell's message went across the bay with a rider only an hour later. Brogan would return with him, hopefully. It was the night before the last day of her Regency when the rider returned, announcing that Brogan was disembarking from the boat that had come across the bay. Kell already had two horses ready to take Kate to meet Brogan.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was eager to greet her father and she was soon mounted and riding towards the bay with Kell at her side. As they drew closer and she saw his familiar figure upon a steed, she spurred her horse on quicker.

"Da!" She called out, eager to wrap her arms around him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan was relieved to hear her voice, but she could see in his expression that she was in for his wrath. He dismounted and when she came into his arms, he hugged her tightly as she could stand, pressing his face into her shoulder. He didn't say a word, but she felt tears of his relief and stress held back for days against her shoulder.

"Katherine Valencia Ghis," he suddenly growled when he got ahold of himself and his emotions. She'd never heard him snarl at her so, but of course, she'd never done something so reckless and crazy without leaving him so much as a note. "I ought t'flay yer hide! Y'nearly gave yer mother a heart attack! We 'eard you an' the wolf were gone and we were sure y'were dead!"

 

[heartofcourage]

The feel of her father's arms around her was one of the most welcome things she'd ever felt in her life. Kate hugged him as tightly as he was holding her, telling herself that she would never make him worry so much again.

"I know, Da, and I'm sorry." She murmured as he growled at her, knowing that she was in for punishment. "But I had to come and I knew that you and Ma were worried about Rho and Sam. I didn't want you to worry about me either."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you didn't want us t'worry, y'would've stayed 'ome..." Brogan kissed her forehead and hugged her again, "Bloody stubborn girl... yer th'worst I've ever met since Selena..."

When Brogan finally calmed himself, he kept Kate at his side. "Where's th'wolf, Kate...?"

"Right here, sir." Kell answered as he finally stepped down from his horse.

"... Did you force 'er here?"

"No. She asked me to bring her. I'm here to protect her."

"... Good. Thank ya, lad... Now, where's Gabriel, Kate...?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He was injured, Da. He's too bloody stubborn and won't listen to me. I took over as regent of Wick for Cahal until he comes of age." She admitted to her father, hoping that the news wouldn't upset him much more. "Kell saved me from an assassin, but Gabriel was shot in my place."

 

[KieranSoares]

"... I'll talk to him about all o' this... but first I need t'see Abel an' Cahal."

"They'll be in Abel's study, sir... we'll take you there," Kell offered, and Brogan nodded. Brogan wasn't willing to let Kate go just yet, so they rode together on his great warhorse Phearson would could easily carry them both. When they arrived, Abel had come out to meet them, and he looked a bit daunted at the sight of Brogan. Quickly he composed himself and came to meet them, shaking Brogan's hand.

"Your Lordship."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate held her father's waist tightly as they rode together on Phearson. She didn't fear falling off the warhorse, she simply wanted to hold her Da. She knew he was angry and hurt, but she also knew that in time this would benefit all her family.

"Da, promise that you'll be nice to Abel and Cahal. They've been very nice to me." Kate asked of her father as they dismounted and Abel came forward to introduce himself.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If they're as honorable as y'say... I'll 'ave no reason t'be mean," Brogan muttered before he took Abel's hand. "Lord Dunland. B'fore anythin' else, I want y'to explain what the hell's goin' on here. Why is my daughter here?"

"We sent for her, but I'm afraid our former Regent got involved and threatened the man we sent, telling him to kill her and you and your wife if she resisted. With what Hiram threatened him with... I can't find it within myself to blame him for what damage he caused, but I'm glad he didn't have to kill anyone."

"Yer talkin' about Kell?"

"Yes, sir. Our former Regent Hiram took his sister into custody to threaten him."

"... I need t'talk to him when we're done here, Abel."

"Of course. Come in, I'll introduce you to Cahal. Kate," he looked to her. "Stay close to Kell... It's only one more day before the coronation, and... well, I know Hiram has something planned, I can feel it."

"I will keep her safe," the soft voice of her golden-eyed companion reached them as he appeared at her side. Brogan said nothing to him and trusted Kate and Abel that he was honorable before following Abel inside. Kell looked to Kate, still quiet and ashamed that he'd failed to defend Gabriel, but he hadn't abandoned her defense.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was quiet as her father entered the keep with Abel, leaving her with Kell for the moment. She let out a sigh and pushed her fingers back through her thick red curls before she looked at the dark wolf next to her.

"My Da can be a hard man sometimes, but he's got a good heart. Don't take what he says seriously until you get to know him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He has every reason not to trust me. I attacked him, and I came to your family with the intent of causing damage," Kell muttered softly. He was well aware that no one in the Ghis family was likely to trust him.

Since Gabriel's initial stand against Kell, the golden-eyed wolf had been withdrawn from Kate a bit, so much of the work she'd done to open him up had been reversed. It seemed he was certain that when their task of getting Cahal on the throne was done, he and Kate's short friendship was done too.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate saw the want in his eyes to be her friend and she knew that he was likely to pull away from her before their friendship had even begun. She let out a little sigh and reached out to him again, taking his hand in hers and holding it tightly.

"I trust you, Kell."

 

[KieranSoares]

The dark wolf chuckled and looked at her. Simply, he asked, "Why?"

Kell had little experience with trust, especially trust placed in his abilities or intentions. And above all, he couldn't fathom why the girl whom he'd attempted to kidnap, whose parents he'd nearly killed, would trust him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because." That was all that Kate would say as she gave him a slight smile. "I'm too stubborn to give up on you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think it's safe to say I'll never understand you."

After about an hour, Brogan returned, escorted by Abel to navigate the unfamiliar grounds. "Khelt Aleister," Brogan spoke up, and Kell paused beside Kate.

"Yes?"

"Walk with me." Brogan motioned him over. "Kate... you too." He had her take his arm to guide him as they walked the grounds, and Kell walked at her other side. "Now... explain t'me how you got into this."

"The former Regent arrested my sister on a false charge, and made a deal with me that I'd carry out a special mission. When I was asked by Abel and Cahal to bring Kate peacefully, Hiram took me aside and told me that he wanted me to kidnap her rather than come out in the open asking her to follow me, and if she caused trouble, to kill her. He also told me to kill you and your wife so that you'd fall to the Erygonians... I went to Inverness and tried to make a deal with Kate, telling her that I'd spare you and your wife if she came quietly. It didn't work out, but she stopped me before I could do anything. That night, she released me from the prison and asked me to escort her here to Wick, which I did."

"... Did you hurt anyone?"

"Other than what little I did to you, no."

"... Kitten, did you really release him?" Brogan paused to face her. She could see the deep worry in his features.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate felt like such a child in her father's eyes sometimes and at that moment as he asked her whether she had released Kell, she definitely felt like she was ten years old again.

"Yes, sir." She murmured softly, knowing that she was in a world of trouble.