Of the Fells

[KieranSoares]

Vincenzo let out a gasp of pain as the blade was pulled from his shoulder by the dark figure as he rose, and that was enough to finally wake Boar. As the man drew back to strike at Valentina, his hand which held his knife was suddenly stopped as Boar, on shaky legs, grabbed his wrist. With one swift movement, the Ghis brother known for brutality to his enemies jerked the man toward himself, took the knife, and plunged it into the shocked man's throat before tossing him to the floor. Boar's chest heaved with adrenaline as he looked to his step-father, then to Valentina.

"Val...?" Boar muttered.

 

[heartofcourage]

Val didn't even realize that she was in danger as she watched her brother strike. It was all over soon in a bloody mess at her feet as Boar looked towards her and muttered her name. She heard him, but it was almost like he was speaking through a long tunnel as she glanced down at her father. He was bleeding. He needed her. She couldn't move...

The world was closing in around her and before she knew it, everything went black as Valentina sank towards the ground.

 

[KieranSoares]

The darkness and the silence seemed to stretch on for years and years before Valentina was awoken by the gentle rock of a wagon trundling along through the highlands among the noise of horse hooves and other carts. It was nighttime, so either she hadn't been out long or she'd been out for a very long time, perhaps to the next night. In the large wagon, she lay wrapped up in a wool blanket and there were two other wounded men and her father and comatose eldest brother, all those who could not walk. Up front, Boar was driving the cart's two horses. All around rode men in carts or on horses, a few walking who could. It was the entire army, retreating to a safer position. The back of the retreating force was the strongest to defend them all as they went. A fellow healer was crouched beside Vincenzo, speaking softly to the older Italian. Vincenzo answered something that Valentina couldn't hear.

"Sleep, sir," the healer murmured. "She's just fine." He tucked a blanket closer around Vincenzo and carefully stepped over Durban to come crouch beside Valentina and check on her.

"Miss Ambrose?" He asked softly. Valentina and Vincenzo were the best of the healers, but they could never be expected to do it all alone, so this man was part of a larger group from Inverness. Only a few healers and doctors had been left behind to care for the citizenry.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina heard the voice of the man and she sat upright, looking around the wagon with a dazed expression on her features. A few moments later, she was out of the wagon, standing in the middle of the men as they retreated to another position. There were so many wounded, many more dead, and she couldn't believe that her brother was retreating. She hurried away from the healer, pushing her way through the crowds of people as she searched for Brogan.

"Brogan...you have to turn back. We aren't retreating just yet." She said as she finally found him and Ashien riding side by side.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We're takin' up a safer position... easier t'defend. I'm not retreating, I'm strengthening my defense," Brogan growled in return, his eyes set dead ahead. Ashien knew this was true, but his expression told Valentina that he thought it was foolish for Brogan to keep fighting without a hope for victory. If they kept going like this without reinforcements, they were doomed.

 

[heartofcourage]

Val reached out and grabbed her brother's reigns, pulling him to a stop as she looked up to him. Her brow was draw tightly, the noises around her fading away as she met him in the eye.

"Then I'm staying out here with you." She said finally.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yer goin' 'ome with Durban an' Boar. An' Vincenzo'll follow as soon as 'e can make th'trip." Brogan pulled his reins from her and rode on ahead. Ashien remained, looking to Valentina.

"You can't stop him, little sister..." Ashien murmured.

 

[heartofcourage]

Val simply watched as he pulled the reigns from her fingers and told her that she was going home with Durban and Boar. She glanced at Ashien as he murmured that she couldn't stop him. Never in her entire life had she felt so helpless in a situation. There was nothing she could do to help her brother in his battle and little she could do to help her other brothers survive.

"He can't stop me either if I choose to stay." She said, looking at Ashien.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You should go home," Ashien encouraged, helping her up into his saddle in front of him. "Durban and Boar and all the other wounded will need you, and your father when he can make the trip home." They continued on after Brogan.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ash, I can't go knowing that you are still out here without Papa or I to help you." She said, looking back at her brother as they road on after Brogan. "Do you know how hard it will be to go back to Inverness with that kind of worry on my mind?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I do know, because I've had to leave when those I love were hurt many times before. But in the end, you have to realize that Durban needs you most and we can't keep him here. He needs to be home with his family. If he knows they're with him, he won't give up so easily. He was losing hope... I'm afraid he'll lose it entirely if he isn't reminded of Marri and his children, and if he isn't reminded of the home he's fighting for. At the very least, go with him because Inverness has more to offer for his health than a battlefield."

 

[heartofcourage]

Val was quiet for a long moment as her brother's words filtered over her. She finally let out a long sigh and turned in the saddle to look at her older brother.

"I can't leave Papa here." She said softly, showing him just how afraid she was that her father was going to die.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, sweetheart," Ashien murmured, hugging her tightly. He couldn't say it, but she knew he wanted to tell her that Brogan wouldn't give her a choice. When they finally stopped in what was a small valley, Brogan sent archers and lookouts up to the high natural walls and tents were pitched quickly for the exhausted men. Vincenzo and Durban were placed in the same tent and Boar refused to rest, choosing to ride his horse and help any way he could.

 

[heartofcourage]

Once they were in the valley, Val made her way to take care of her father and her brother. She checked Durban first, pleased that his wounds were healing. Perhaps that was a good sign, she thought to herself before she turned to her father. She sat at his side, taking his hand and bringing it gently to her lips.

"Papa? Can you hear me?" She asked softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

Vincenzo, even in the darkness, was pale. His skin was cold and he didn't respond to his daughter in the slightest. The only evidence of life was his shallow breathing and the cold sweat beading on his forehead from some nightmare in his unconsciousness. Another healer paused by her to leave her some supplies. Noticing Vincenzo's particular condition, he left a few cloths and a waterskin.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina had never felt more alone in her life as her father failed to respond to her. She had never known fear like this before and she clenched his hand tightly to her chest, begging him silently to just open his eyes.

 

[KieranSoares]

It was a hard night and many gravely wounded men passed in their sleep. Brogan, however, kept his sights set on defending his home. He wouldn't give in until he was dead or useless. Ashien was prepared to fight to the death, and he finally told them all of his dear wife Dylandra. He'd never told them he'd gotten married. He asked that a letter be sent on his behalf, should he fall. She awaited him in Darkwood Manor in England along with his dear friends, the princess and her fiancee John.

The next morning, a few of the strongest wounded men began helping the others to prepare for the journey home, and Durban was carefully moved to a covered cart for the journey. No one dared move Vincenzo. It was Boar who came to Valentina on his horse as she tended to her father with the aid of two other healers.

"Time t'go, li'l sister..." Boar murmured, knowing he would face opposition. "He'll be alright, but we need you at 'ome."

 

[heartofcourage]

Val ignored her brother. She could always blame it on her hearing, but she didn't want to leave her father just yet. He was too ill, too fragile. He needed her there and she knew that she couldn't leave him. The healers that were attending to him were some of the best, but she didn't want to let him go at all.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Val," Boar didn't raise his voice. He knew she could hear him. "Don't make this harder'n it has t'be..." He sighed quietly. He knew he couldn't ever understand her pain. He'd never been close with Tamblin and because of that, he hadn't put much into getting close to Vincenzo out of a base childhood distrust of other men. He loved Vincenzo, but not like Valentina or his other siblings.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll have to drag me away." Valentine promised, knowing that the moment that her brother put hands on her he would be in for a fight.

She couldn't leave her father there on the battlefield. It didn't matter if Inverness needed her, that frightened little girl that still popped into her mind from time to time needed her father even more. There had been so many years where she had never known her family and now that her family was together again, she wasn't about to lose it.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't make me do tha', Val. You know I will if I 'ave to," Boar growled quietly. But then a roar came over the camp:

"GET DOWN!"

Without a thought for his destroyed knees, Boar leapt from his saddle and grabbed Valentina, shielding her and Vincenzo as arrows and a few flying cannonballs rained down on the camp. How had Wick caught up so fast? Boar took a single arrow in the back that would've hit his little sister, and healers came rushing to move the wounded who were too weak to journey home. Three men took Vincenzo under the cover of a cliff overhang and Boar kept Valentina in his grasp. "Get on th'damn horse! We're leavin'!"

 

[heartofcourage]

Val heard Boar growl quietly behind her but she continued to ignore him. She wasn't going to leave her Papa. Then, a roar came from the camp that startled her. She turned in the direction of the crying sounds and suddenly she felt the heavy weight of her brother on her, tackling her to the ground. She couldn't breath as he gathered her under his chest, wrapping his arms around Vincenzo as well. She trembled as the arrows hit all around them, one striking Boar before the healers rushed in and ripped her father away from her.

"No!" She cried out, her fingers gripping the blanket that was wrapped around him and suddenly Boar was pulling her towards his horse. "Boar, let me go!"

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar pried her hands away from Vincenzo with a snarl, "Yer gonna get yerself killed, Val!" He pulled her away as the healers carried Vincenzo off, and those who were going home began to flee. Several were shot off their horses. Despite his pain and weakness, Boar hauled Valentina up to her feet as he stood and he looked her over quickly to make sure she was alright. He barely ducked another arrow and he snarled. "Fine! Go after 'im! I need t'get these men out of 'ere!" He let her go after pressing a kiss to her cheek- despite his anger, he still loved his little sister- he jumped up on his horse and bolted out into the open, roaring for the men who were headed home to follow him. They couldn't take Durban at their speed, and were forced to leave him to the healers. The defense finally scrambled into position and soon, their camp was secure again and the archers and cannons were pushed far away out of range.

Vincenzo had begun to waken from being moved and all the cannon blasts, and he was coughing up blood as Valentina finally returned to him.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina only had eyes for her father as Boar pulled her to her feet and checked her over. She hadn't been hit thanks to him, but she was shaking with the fear and adrenaline that coursed through her veins. She glanced at him as he told her to go to her father and pressed a kiss to her cheek, jumping back up into the saddle and riding away.

She ran towards her father, scrambling to his side as he started to cough up blood. She wiped his lips with a clean cloth, concern as to why he was in such distress. "Dove ti fa male, Papa." She murmured softly, looking into his familiar dark eyes with concern.

 

[KieranSoares]

Vincenzo's eyes turned to meet her own and as blood dripped from his lips, he assured her weakly, "Sto bene... Non è niente, solo un graffio, bambina..." At the same time, one of the other healers was taking a look at the stab wound in his shoulder. The blade the assassin had used had been fairly long, and the healer muttered to another at his side that he believed it'd punctured Vincenzo's lung and the blood had built up. Vincenzo turned to them and murmured, "White oak... tormentil, shavegrass... shepherd's purse..." One of the two hurried to get the herbs as Vincenzo began to cough again and turned himself weakly onto his side with Valentina's help so he could breathe.