Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"We will pass that word along." Kate promised as she stood with Kell and bowed towards the shaman. "Thank you for your consideration."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And thank you for having the courage to come, dear young ones. It is courage and understanding that will end this war peacefully..." In his age, he could not rise to return the bow, so he had to settle for bowing his head to them. They were allowed peacefully to leave, escorted to the edge of the camp by a couple quiet warriors. Almost immediately, all of the Erygonians on every side but the south began packing up to move. When Kate and Kell entered, they found Brogan there with Valentina trying to pull him back, and he looked angrier than Kate had ever seen him before but he was trembling terribly and that wasn't from anger.

When he knew they'd entered safely, he snarled darkly, "Katherine Valencia Ghis!"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da, there's no need to get upset. They are very understanding people." Kate said as she shrank back from her father's dark growl. "Besides, he wanted to meet you but I told him that you had Ma to take care of."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tha's not what I'm bloody angry about!" He finally pulled his arm from Valentina. Even in his stressed and weakened state, he was far stronger than her. "You walked straight into what could 'ave been your death! They could 'ave killed ya easily when y'gave up yer sword!"

"Brogan, it's my fault. I went to speak to them for the Queen, and I was gone a long-"

"Kell." Brogan stopped him, and Kell didn't dare to speak further. The raging King's tone alone was enough to tell him to stay out of it.

"Both o' you... go back t'the keep. Now."

"Brogan, please, they've done a great service to Inverness," Kreston came to defend them.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da, I did what was asked of me." Kate tried to reason, shrinking back as her father raged at her like never before.

Even as her uncle came to her aid, she knew that he was furious with her. "Da, please don't be mad."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Who th' hell asked you to run out there an' put yer life on th'line fer a slim chance?!" But then he stopped. He realized he'd done exactly that when he'd made her a knight. Even if he'd not asked her to directly negotiate with their enemy, he realized he'd made her a fighter and a diplomat when he gave her the sword and seal.

"Brogan?" Valentina asked worriedly, and Brogan turned away in silence, making his way toward the keep once more. Kell's fingers came to lace with Kate's, offering his strength and support. "Brother..." Valentina followed him, knowing his health was hanging by a thin strand.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate squeezed Kell's hand tightly, tears coming to her eyes as she watched her father helplessly come to the realization that she wasn't a little girl anymore. He had given her an awesome power and responsibility and she was levelheaded enough to make sure that she followed through with it. It still didn't make the situation any easier.

Julia waited in the door to the keep and she frowned when she saw Brogan coming towards her with a heavy step. "Love? What's wrong?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Nothin'..." he grunted, but she found he had some trouble navigating, having to use his hands on the walls to find his way. He looked so incredibly angry with himself, and like he'd been stabbed in the heart. He made his way until he found a chair, where he sat down and asked a maid he'd heard pass by to get him the strongest drink his cellar had.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia made her way to her husband, standing there quietly for a long moment as she let him gather his thoughts. After those few moments, she moved to his side and took his hand, holding it gently without a word.

 

[KieranSoares]

Even when the drink was set down beside him, Brogan didn't touch it. When Julia joined him, he finally laid his head on his arm on the wooden surface. "She's gonna get 'erself killed... I gave my little girl everythin' she needs t'go an' die without any warning at all... How could I be so stupid? I gave 'er th' one job in th' world tha' guarantees I'm goin' t'bury my baby..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, love." Julia said softly as she wrapped her husband in a tight hug. "From the day she was born you've always told Kate that she can be whatever she wants to be."

"And she's always wanted to be just like you. As much as I've tried, she wants to follow in your footsteps." Julia leaned in and kissed her husband's cheek. "And now that the moment is here, its hard to think about. She's a smart girl. She'll do well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She followed Kell out t'the Erygonians..." he whispered. "I haven't been tha' scared since she disappeared an' let him free..."

"Brogan," Valentina approached his side, taking his drink away and replacing it with a cup of a sweet-smelling tea. "Do me a favor, love... drink this and get some rest." It was probably made with herbs that would relax him, even put him to sleep. Valentina had recently discussed her deep worries with Julia, telling her that if Brogan got much worse, he could fall victim to a heart attack.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Come to bed with me, love. I know that I could do with a rest as well." Julia encouraged him.

She knew Val was incredibly concerned about her brother and they both knew that he was a stubborn man. She kissed his cheek again, wishing that he could relax instead of worrying about his children all the time.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Alright..." Brogan finally rose, bringing the tea with him and he let Julia guide him to their room. When Kate and Kell returned, Valentina reported with a sigh of relief that Brogan and Julia were resting, and that Brogan had calmed.

"He's not angry at you, Kate," Val assured her softly. "He's angry with himself and the world. If you'd like, you can go in and see him later... he's worried about you, more than usual."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate nodded at her aunt and looked up at Kell with a long sigh. "I'll go talk to him."

She let go of Kell's hand and made her way to her parent's room. She quietly opened the door and slipped inside. She carefully climbed into their bed between them. Even though she was 16, she still sought comfort from her parents in the way that a child would.

"I'm sorry, Da." She murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' be..." he told her softly, turning onto his back and welcoming her to lay her head on his shoulder like she always had. "I'm jus' a stubborn ol' man, an' you're a young an' brave lass who knows what needs t'be done better'n I do... I'm just so scared o' losin' you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're never going to lose me, Da." Kate said softly as she gently rested her head against his shoulder. "You taught me better than to run into a hopeless situation without a plan."

Julia hoped it would do her husband some good to hear those words from his daughter. He had always been so attached to Kate, even though his sons were his pride and joy as well. Kate was so much like him and their hearts were just as tender.

"You'll learn that your Da needs to be taken care of sometimes, kitten." Julia commented with a smirk on her lips. "He's just a big softy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I am... much as I'm supposed t'be some big tough ol' bear... havin' yer Ma started that, then you really softened me up." Brogan pressed a kiss to Kate's forehead and sighed quietly. "Yer Ma told me Kell went out there for a truce... An' Cole said y'followed when he was takin' too long... how'd it go? Who'd you talk with?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"His name is Tidus. He is their high shaman. He was a very kind person, Da. He doesn't want to fight either, but he doesn't think that he can control the will of his people." Kate said softly. "He said that he will give us until late spring because he wants Ma to safely have the baby without worry."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kate felt her father's muscles suddenly relax at her news, and he hugged her tightly with a sigh of relief. "Y'sweet lass... tha's just what we needed righ' now..." He knew that Julia and himself were both on the verge of breaking under all the stress and pressure between safety, keeping the village in food for the winter, and the baby coming. At least for a while, they could focus on their family. "I'll do m'best t'work with them during th'truce... Maybe we'll work out a lastin' peace by spring. Havin' some down time gives people a chance t'think an' consider why they're fightin' and whether or no' it's worth th' lives at stake."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate hugged her father tightly as they simply lay there and talked about all manner of things. They were joined in short order by Sam and Rho, the boys crawling in next to their mother. Julia smiled and hugged them both tightly as their little family seemed to relax for the first time in a very long time.

 

[KieranSoares]

After the Erygonians pulled back, the people were finally free to go back to hunting, gathering, and working in the lumber camps and fishing. It was just in time, too, as the first snow came within a couple weeks, early as it always did in Scotland. Instead of making Kate and Kell help at the keep, Brogan sent them out hunting and fishing with the others, doing all they could to stock up for the winter. Thankfully the late harvest was still good to bring in from the fields outside the town, untouched by the Erygonians except for light picking while they'd been camped there. When it was all brought in before the frost, Kate and Kell were among the people, doing the same work. Sam and Rho took over in the stables seeing as Rho didn't need two hands to help tend the horses, and Ciaran and Lir helped with the canning and pickling of vegetables and the drying of meat to keep through the winter.

Then one day, they received a surprise. A group of Erygonian children approached the gates, dragging a pallet behind them with the wrapped-up venison from at least five deer and a multitude of berries and edible roots. Kreston was the one who greeted them and learned that Tidus had sent the food as a gesture of his own goodwill, with a note that assured the Ghis that his people had agreed to the truce and would live in harmony with the Scots through winter and spring.

It was just as winter truly set in and the first blizzard finished that Kate was out helping shovel snow away from the gates. About an hour earlier, she'd seen Ciaran and Lir go out riding to exercise old Phearson and Valentina's old horse Raul, but just as she was finishing up with the gate area along with a few werepeople helping her, old Phearson suddenly came charging through, whinnying in alarm and rearing when anyone got in his way. He snorted darkly and came to Kate. He knew her as well as he knew Brogan. His saddle was missing, and the reason was evident in a long cut on his side. The belt had been slashed from around his middle, and his reins were broken. It wasn't long before Raul came after him, far more terrified to the point that Valentina had to be called out to calm him down.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate looked up at the horse in alarm as he came through the gates in a fright. She could see that he was injured, but she also knew he was smart enough to lead her to where Ciaran and Lir were.

"Sam! Go get Annie!" Kate called to her brother as she grabbed Phearson's mane and pulled herself up onto his back.

She turned him towards the open gate and gave him a squeeze with her heels, willing him to go to where her brother was.

 

[KieranSoares]

Phearson immediately bolted out of the gates, and Valentina followed on Raul. They headed south, to the woods bordering the Erygonian camp, and deep within, they found signs of a struggle between blood and kicked-up snow and Lir's abandoned knife. They had to leave the horses as the trees were too thick. Valentina was off like a shot along the clear tracks of Ciaran's boots and the footpaws of Lir and several other werecreatures.

"Ciaran!" She called out as loud as she could.

"Aunt Val!" They heard from nearby, and when they arrived at a tiny glade along the stream, they found three bodies of werecreatures, and a bloody-faced, teary-eyed Ciaran with an unconscious and torn-up Lir in his arms.

Valentina slid to her knees beside the two, laying out her cloak and helping Ciaran lay Lir across it. "Kate, go to the horses and take off their leads and tie them to Raul's saddle! We can use him to pull Lir back to the keep!" She quickly gathered up some fallen branches, making a makeshift pallet stretcher and having Ciaran help her get Lir on it to pull him out to where the horses were.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate nodded, her eyes wide with fright at the sight of Lir so viciously attacked and bloody. She was slow to turn and run, but she did as her aunt asked. When she was getting the horses ready, Annie came riding up on Ferrous with David behind her on a chestnut stallion.

"What happened?" Annie asked, slightly out of breath as she dismounted and allowed David to run into the woods after Val.