Of the Fells

[heartofcourage]

Valentina watched Theo greet his aunt with a smile on her face, slowly dismounting from Raul as Theo hugged the woman that he held so dear. Of course, she tucked away the knowledge of his full name to tease him about at a later time. This time was for him to reunite with the family that he had left behind and the family that he had lost during the war.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hello, darlin'," Theo murmured softly to his aunt and she just held him tighter.

"Jus' like yer damned father, always goin' off t'sea an' never writin'." She looked up at him once more and then to Valentina. "An' even more like 'im, bringin' a lass home. Where'd y'steal 'er from?"

"Holly, this is Valentina Ambrose from Inverness," Theo introduced her, and Holly seemed shocked.

"Not tha' Italian healer's girl?"

"Vincenzo, yeah." But Theo seemed perplexed as to how Holly knew the man when Theo hadn't heard of him prior to going to Inverness.

Holly wrapped Valentina up in a tight hug. "Welcome, sweetheart. It's such a small world... I once went t'Italy t'have Vincenzo take a look a' my son when I was hardly twenty. It's been... Near thirty years since."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina was surprised that Holly knew her father and was even more stunned that she had taken her son all the way to Italy thirty years ago.

"Papa has moved to Inverness now." Valentina said as Holly wrapped her in a tight hug. "He married my Ma and they are as happy as can be now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tha's wonderful t'hear. He was such a lovely man, I'm glad 'e's found 'is way." Holly held her at arm's length then to get a good look at her. "Y'look so much like 'im. Come in, you two, sit yerselves down. 'Ave y'got a place t'stay?"

"We were goin' t'stay in th'inn unless th'old house was still standin'," Theo told her, and Holly smiled.

"'Course it is, love. It's yours, y'know tha'. I keep th'place clean an' rent it out when things're a little lean, but it's empty righ' now."

"Then I s'pose we'll be stayin' there," Theo wrapped an arm about Val's shoulders and they stepped inside after Holly while she prepared tea and a snack.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina glanced up at Theo was his aunt got a good look at her and then asked where they would be staying. She had to laugh softly as she told him that the house was still standing and then hurried them inside for tea. She wondered if all of Theo's family was like this. It wasn't so much different from her own, especially her Ma.

 

[KieranSoares]

Holly set right into telling Theo all the big things that had happened since he'd been gone, including her own son getting remarried. He would be over later after he was done with work. Theo in return told her a very abridged and not so graphic version of his arrival in Inverness. Then Holly looked to Valentina. "Tell me about yourself, dear."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Me?" Valentina asked in a stunned tone. "Well, I'm a healer for my brother's army. I learned from my father and that is what I've been my entire life. I grew up in Inverness and Venice. I've lived a quiet little life."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't imagine why you'd want a boring thing like Theo, then. He's even quieter," Holly gave Theo a grin and he rolled his eyes.

"S'your fault. You an' Ma insisted I be a farmer, most borin' thing."

"She insisted. I wanted you to be an herbalist and carry on the family tradition. You ended up doing both." Holly rose and pressed a kiss to his cheek before going to fetch some snacks.

Theo looked to Valentina with a smile, "Y'see why yer family doesn' scare me?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"If my family hasn't scared you yet just give it some time." Valentina said with a grin as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Holly doesn't frighten me one bit. Though I am interested in learning about your life as a farmer, Theobald."

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo shook his head at his proper first name, but couldn't help a smile, "Yer gonna use tha' against me now, huh? My Ma used to call me Ruari when I was in trouble. Theobald was from my Da. Holly, on th'other hand, likes t'use 'em both so I cringe."

"Damn right I do. Only way t'get yer attention when y'were a troublesome teenage scamp," Holly called from the kitchen before she made her way back in with a tray. "Y'would've been appalled a' this lad, Valentina. He had sticky fingers when 'e was little, then turned into a rebellious teen an' tried t'run away from home more times than I can count."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Really?" Valentina asked, looking at Theo with a slightly shocked expression. "He's been nothing but sweet and calm and kind around me. I find it a little hard to believe that he would have been such a hellion in his younger days."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, 'e's changed so drastically tha' I'm waiting fer 'im t'go back to 'is old ways. But I think it was 'is wife tha' calmed 'im down," Holly smiled to Theo then, leaving it there so that he could choose whether or not to expand upon it, knowing it could be painful or awkward considering what he'd lost and that Val was his new love.

"Well... she was a good sort o' lass, went t'church near every day t'help th'preacher keep th'place up, supported th'local Lunar preacher too even though she was Christian. Bailed my sorry hide out o'jail once even though she didn' even know me an' I'd stolen from 'er. Got me a job workin' with 'er Da an' made me an honest man. I owe 'er my life, really... But she was a 'live fer th' day' kinda lass, so I am too now an' it's alright tha' I let 'er go." No sadness crept into Theo's gaze or voice anymore since he'd fallen for Valentina. He could speak of his lost love with a fondness and still stay in the present.

 

[heartofcourage]

"She sounds like a lovely lady." Valentina said with a smile as Theo talked about his wife. "What was her name?"

Theo hadn't talk much about his family. She knew that he had once had children and he had been married. She knew that he had a sister, but they were all gone now. It was a horrible way to remember your family, but Theo didn't seem to be sad about any of it.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Christine, but she went by her middle name, Eva. She'd only ever let me call her Christine... sorta like yer brother Boar only lets 'is wife call 'im Lynndon," Theo chuckled.

"She liked to call Theo 'Ruari' too when she was bein' serious with 'im."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What does Ruari mean?" Valentina asked, looking between the two of them as she searched for a meaning to Theo's unusual name. "It must mean something special since everyone calls you that in your family."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It means 'red king,' 'nother form o 'Rory.' My parents gave me th'name after th' High King o' Ireland won a long-fought war against Lochlan O'Hennessey an' tha' victory included a peace treaty statin' tha' Kent Island was an independent nation under Ireland's protection. I'd been born durin' th'war an' all the raids fer supplies O'Hennessey led on the island. Th' High King felt for us, so 'e gave us 'is protection which O'Hennessey honored up until th'year before Arland took over. Ruari's an old Irish name, common fer Kings in Ireland, 'specially th'red-haired ones. It's the High King's nickname so I'm told."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think I'll stick with Theo for the time being." Valentina teased with a smile on her lips as Holly watched them both closely. "Ruari's a bit of a mouthful when I get upset with you, after all."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've never given ya a reason t'be upset with me," Theo grinned.

"Yet," Holly added just before the front door opened and in came a skinny, tall man with a false leg leaning on a crutch. He looked incredibly like Holly.

"Evenin', Ma," he called, not realizing his mother had company until he came to the table. "Oh. Hiya, folks," he smiled to them.

"Danny?" Theo stood up and the man fixed him with an odd look.

"Uh... yeah?"

"It's Theo, lad," Holly told him softly, and Danny suddenly hugged Theo tight.

"Christ I didn' even recognize ya... What's it been, a decade? I jus' got back las' year on account o' my leg."

"Ten years, yeah..." Theo murmured, hugging his cousin close. "Y'nearly forgot t'say goodbye b'fore y'set off sailin'."

"An' who's this?"

"This is Valentina Ambrose. Vincenzo's daughter," Theo smiled to him.

"Aw, pleased t'meet ya, miss," the man smiled broadly. "Th'name's Danny Cor. I'll bet Ma's already said about yer father-"

"I have."

"How's 'e doin'? I saw 'im once when my ship docked in Venice fer trade about five years back."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's well. He is living in Inverness now with my Ma. They married only recently and they are as happy as can be." Valentina explained, a little shocked that so many people in some of the furthest corners knew her father very well. "He will be happy to hear that so many people remember him fondly and ask about him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course I remember 'im. Saved my life when I was little, but what I remember most is 'ow gentle 'e was. Treated me like I was 'is own while I was there, an' free of charge."

 

[heartofcourage]

"That sounds like Papa." Valentina said with a proud smile. "He taught me well and he has taught countless others his craft. He works so hard to make sure that everyone has everything that they could possibly want and need before he thinks about himself."

 

[KieranSoares]

They remained at Holly's home for the rest of the evening, meeting Danny's wife Carla and their children. Several other cousins came knocking when they heard Theo was around and Valentina was introduced to a family incredibly like her own. It seemed Theo was the lost patriarch, not unlike Durban.

As they went out to the old house they'd be staying in, Theo smiled down at Valentina. "So, what d'ya think of 'em?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"They're lovely, Theo." Valentina said in an honest voice. "They remind me a lot of my own family. I can't believe you thought that I might be scared off by them. It'll take a lot more than that to scare me away."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They've scared off plenty o' people, so I couldn' be sure." He opened up the door for her. It was dark inside, but had been kept tidy by Holly over the years. Once Theo started a fire in the hearth, it began to warm up and the space became incredibly inviting.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Theo, this place is lovely." Valentina said, looking around the cozy home and noticing that it had a beautiful view of the fields and the fells beyond. "I can see why you might have missed this place so much. You'll have to come back more often."