Of the Fells

[KieranSoares]

Boar drew her gently from the tent, keeping a gentle arm around her, but he didn't say anything. They made their way to the horses and she found Boar had already gathered up her few possessions that she'd brought with her, just waiting to be packed into saddlebags. He was doing the same until less than ten minutes later, just as they'd finished and were going to get breakfast before leaving, one of those horrible cannon shots went off and everyone ducked low to the ground. But this time when the cannonball his the cliffside, it shattered into shrapnel and several men suffered bloody cuts. Valentina and Boar both felt a few rip by them, but it was nothing serious.

"Let's go!" Boar roared to those who would be following, pulling himself up into his saddle. He looked to Valentina, and even as men hurried past them, Boar did not move until he was sure Valentina was coming.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina's nerves were raw and when the cannon fire sounded, she watched numbly as it hit the mountain and rained down sharp stone all around them. She couldn't be bothered with the cuts that she had sustained. She knew that if she wasn't on that horse, Boar would force her and she didn't want to make a scene.

Under her brother's watchful eye, she mounted her horse, glancing back at her father's tent one last time before she followed behind him.

 

[KieranSoares]

The journey was hard to say the very least, and a few men couldn't make it and had to stay behind. At their speed, they returned to Inverness in three days and as they arrived, women and children hurried out to see if anyone they knew had returned. Boar had only brought a roster of known dead as they couldn't bring the dead back with them, and he was greeted by a tearful and terrified Emma while Julia and Kitty came out to meet Valentina and Marri nearly fainted at the sight of her battered and comatose husband. Selena had arrived with Ruben and the boy hurried out to meet Valentina as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina had a hard time accepting the love that her family wanted to give her. She turned away from them, intent on focusing on the men that needed her help. Her first duty was to Durban and she wanted to see that he was taken care of before anything else.

As her mother tried to wrap her in a tight hug, she pulled away from her, looking at her with an extremely wounded expression. As she tried again, Val actually pushed Kitty away.

"Ma. Stop." Val practically growled, gaining shocked looks from everyone around her. "Just leave me alone."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kitty stared at her daughter with the most concerned and hurt expression. "Val... what...?"

"C'mere, Ma," Boar said softly, knowing Valentina needed to be left alone. He would break the news to their mother and everyone else. He pulled her aside and spoke softly to her, and she burst into tears. Everyone figured it out quickly, and left Valentina alone, instead focusing on making Boar and Durban comfortable and helping the wounded.

A few strong men helped move Durban to the keep and another helped get Boar home, but everyone left Valentina alone for the most part until Durban was settled and stable, and finally Julia came asking what was going on out on the battlefield. Once she was gone, it was a long while before the door opened quietly and in stepped that familiar giant, Theo.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina glanced up as Theo entered the room. Unlike anyone else, she couldn't just ignore him and blame her hearing. He knew too much about her to let that slide. She let out a long sigh, glancing down towards Durban as he continued to slumber.

"I want to be alone." She said softly, hoping that Theo would leave just as everyone else had.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," Theo told her softly, laying down a plate of lunch for her that Chessie had sent him with, as well as some herbs from the healers in a small basket. He didn't bother her any more beyond, "... I'm glad you're safe." Then, he made his way out.

 

[heartofcourage]

Val glanced at the plate that had been placed on the table for her. Her stomach felt queasy, tied up in knots as she grabbed the herbs and made a paste, placing it on Durban's tongue in the hopes that he might wake. When that didn't work, she left her brother and retreated to her room. Everywhere she looked, she saw failure. Her maps of places she would never see. Her father's herbs drying on her rafters. Everything mocked her.

She tore down the maps she had collected, ripping them to pieces before she did the same for the herbs. When everything littered the floor of her room, she finally collapsed to her knees and sobbed her heart out.

 

[KieranSoares]

It wasn't until dinnertime that Theo returned, worrying for Valentina. He came to knock on her door, but found it still slightly ajar. "Miss Val?" He asked softly. "Is everything alright?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Val was curled up on the floor, having cried herself into an exhausted sleep. She was surrounded by the chaos her tantrum had wrought, tears staining her cheeks.

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo sighed softly at the sight, stepping through the mess to kneel beside her. His solid arms scooped her up and he carefully tucked her into bed. And, quietly as he could, he cleared away the mess before leaving her be for the night.

 

[heartofcourage]

The next day Val still felt horrible. She walked around the keep in a fog, her eyes distant as she tended to her brothers and the other wounded that needed help. She hardly spoke, she didn't eat, and dark circles were forming under her eyes. It was a pitiful existence, but the worry that she held for her father and brothers outweighed her own concerns.

 

[KieranSoares]

Selena finally came to find her sister about midday, sitting her down in Kitty's parlor while the others were away. "Alright," Selena said softly. "Val, I know you're hurting and I know you're worried, but you can't keep this up or you'll make yourself sick and you'll be useless for it."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina let out a long sigh as Selena found her, telling her that she would make herself sick. She glanced at her sister, the pain written clearly on her face. She wanted to tell her to go away and to leave her alone, but she couldn't form the words.

"I know." She admitted softly, lowering her gaze to the floor.

 

[KieranSoares]

"And you're okay with that?" Selena sighed in worry, lifting her little sister's chin. "Val... Don't do this to yourself. I know you're hurting and you're worried, but you're only hurting yourself. We're all worried to death for you." She touched Valentina's cheek. "Theo too. Ma says he was losing sleep over worrying about you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina didn't want to listen to her sister's words. She knew her mother had all the support of her siblings, but when Selena talked about Theo, she felt her heart clench painfully. He was all alone in the world, without friends or family.

"I didn't meant to make him worry." She said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You should talk with him soon. He's still worried even though you're home safe. Maybe you should have that dinner with him eventually too." Kayla must've told her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina looked towards her sister and let out a long sigh. She was slightly embarrassed that the family knew about the budding relationship between the both of them. Maybe Selena was right though. It was time to sit down and actually talk to him.

"Maybe...but what do I talk to him about?" She asked her sister.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Anything. Everything." Selena leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You'll figure it out." She rose with a sigh as she heard someone call for her. "In the end, all of this is you choice, little sister. But I really hope you choose to be happy." With that, she was gone.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina sighed at her sister's words. Everything seemed so complicated with the warn and it was even more so now that she had her emotions jumbled. Still, if her entire family were in on this, she didn't stand a chance.

Soon, she was walking down the halls in search of Theo. When she found him, she was nervous again, her hands shaking as she waited for him to finish his task before she spoke to him.

"Theo?" She said softly, almost hoping that he didn't hear her so she could scurry back off to her duties.

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo turned the moment he heard her voice, and he immediately dropped the knife he was using to help Chessie prepare for the next meal. He came to Valentina and wrapped her up in a tight embrace. "Hiya, Miss Val," he murmured.

 

[heartofcourage]

Val felt her heart pounding as Theo suddenly turned and acknowledged that she was there. She almost wished that he hadn't, but she supposed that was a childish way of thinking.

"Would...you like to go for a walk?" She asked him softly again, her cheeks heating up under is gaze.

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo looked down at her with clear concern but he nodded and linked their arms. "I'd be glad to." He escorted her out to the keep grounds after fetching their cloaks. He said nothing for a long while as they went, until he finally muttered, "How are ya...?" He was clearly worried.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Worried." Val said softly, admitting to him that she wasn't alright. "I worry about my Papa night and day. He was so ill when I left him and I keep waiting for word that he has passed. I don't know what I would do without him."

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo looked down at her with eyes filled with sympathy and he wrapped her up in his broad, protective arms to offer anything that he could to help her. "I'm sorry yer goin' through all this, Miss Val... I'd change it if I could..." It broke his heart to no end to see her so lost and forlorn.