Of the Fells

[heartofcourage]

Valentina knew that her time to work had come when the serving maid came to tell her that Emma needed her help. She walked with Theo, letting her large friend take her equally large brother aside so that she could speak to him. He was agitated and she knew that she had to put him in his place before he hurt his wife in the process.

"Boar, you're going to listen to me very carefully. I don't make threats idly, but if you step foot into the room, I will have the garrison throw you in a cell." She said in her soft voice, her dark eyes looking into her brother's own dark gaze. "Theo is going to take you on a walk. When you return, if you are calm, I will allow you into the room. If you can't be calm, then you will not come back. Is that understood?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar's chest was heaving as his youngest sibling put him in his place like a child. "She needs me," he growled, his eyes wild. "I heard 'er callin' for me."

"She does need ya," Theo nodded. "But she needs a man who'll be what she isn't; calm an' collected. Once y'get hold o' yourself, y'can be at 'er side. Til then, it's gonna be just th'healers an' midwives."

Boar looked between them both, then to the floor. As irrational as he could be, he was actually fairly reasonable when it mattered most. "Yeah... A'right..."

"C'mon, lad," Theo laid a hand on the shorter man's shoulder and led him away, but not without glancing back to Valentina with a nod that told her he had the most vengeful and raging Ghis brother under control.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina nodded back towards Theo as he escorted her brother away from Emma's room. It would do him a world of good to get away and clear his head before he came back to help deal with this baby. She entered the room, finding Emma laying on her side and slumbering in exhaustion as the other midwives tried to make things as easy as they could on her.

"Emma, how are you feeling?" Valentina asked as her sister-in-law opened her eyes and looked at her with a tired gaze.

"Like I've been run over by a wagon. None of Boar's children will ever be easy." She murmured, causing Valentina to laugh as she was checked to see how far along she was.

"You still have a ways to go. Try and get some sleep. Hopefully Boar will calm down enough when he gets back to be allowed in the room with you." Valentina assured her, placing a cool rag against her forehead as she took a seat at the side of the bed to wait.

 

[KieranSoares]

It was about two hours before Boar returned, and by then, Emma was nearly ready to give birth. It was in a short lull while Valentina was outside Emma's room that Theo and Boar, both looking a bit roughed up, returned. Boar seemed level-headed despite his black eye, and Theo smiled to Valentina even despite the dark bruise forming on his jaw. Boar quietly went to join Emma's side and Theo sat down beside Valentina.

"All 'e needed was t'get all tha' bed energy out. A good ol'-fashioned clean fistfight an' a half-pint after straightened 'im right up." Theo apparently knew how to read the man well, because that was exactly what Durban and Brogan had done a few times with Boar to calm him down in the past.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina simply shook her head with a soft smile on her lips as she entered back into the room and took up her position to help bring Emma's baby safely into the world. She used Boar to help, Emma nearly screaming at the pain as she encouraged her to push. Unlike the last time, Emma seemed strong and hearty despite her exhaustion.

"One more push, Emma. You can do it." Valentina encouraged as her sister in law gave a mighty push and the tiny little girl entered the world, screaming nearly as loud as her mother had.

"Oh, Boar. You're going to have your hands full." Val murmured as a midwife handed her a clean towel and blanket. "Two strapping lads and a little beauty."

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar's breath hitched in his throat at that. A little girl. He was terrified, overjoyed, and light-headed all at once. Eli and Leon had been nothing but pride and excitement for him. But a daughter... he wasn't sure what it was that welled up in his chest, but it felt similar to what he'd felt for the most important women in his life, only... so much stronger. One of the midwives who knew Boar came to place her hands on his shoulders. "Breathe, lad," she encouraged softly, then chuckled to Valentina, "I love seein' the most fearless warriors turn white a' the mention of a li'l girl."

Boar's arms still held Emma close, still supporting her, and he finally snapped out of his stupor to make sure she was doing well. "Other'n... well, y'know... how are ya, love?" He whispered. As long as she was doing better than last time, it was a step in the right direction. But his eyes were still following the little girl in Valentina's arms.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm fine." Emma said with a tired tone to her voice as the midwifes worked to clean her up and Valentina worked on their daughter.

Before long, Emma was in a fresh gown, her little girl tucked securely in her arms as Val led Theo and the others out of the room to give the new parents a quiet moment with their new baby. Val glanced up at Theo and let out a long, deep sigh.

"How about a good meal? I feel like I could eat a horse." Val said softly, giving him a soft smile.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Well, we did bring Raul," Theo chuckled. Her charger horse Raul had quickly become Theo's favorite horse in Brogan's stables back in Inverness, and he'd always been Valentina's dear companion whose steady and strong ways made him a perfect transporter of fragile patients and fragile jars of herbs.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Never, ever Raul." Valentina teased him, giving him a rare small smile as she held out her hand for his. "I'm thinking about letting you surprise me. You can whip up any culinary masterpiece and I will eat it."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' tempt me, I'll go all-out an' take all night." He gladly took her offered hand and. "I'll see what I can find, aye?" He walked her down to the kitchens, which were currently empty of people, and he looked through the larder and pantry to see what he could make. "Hm... I think I jus' got an idea." He let go her hand to start gathering things, and she was soon watching him make pasta like a trained chef. "Li'l somethin' I learned from a friend back on th'island... 'er Granddad was Italian." It wasn't long before Valentina could see what he was going for. It was something Vincenzo had made for her on special occasions when she was in Italy. It was an alfredo with a little bit of Scottish flare, alongside beef and greens. Theo's prolific cooking meant that he had finished making everything in twenty minutes and they were soon sitting down to eat.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina was in awe as she watched Theo cook. Everything that he made looked and smelled delicious and the moment that he was done, she dug in with him, eating until her belly was aching and full. She let out a satisfied sigh and smiled at him.

"I don't think anyone's ever treated me as well as you treat me, Theo." She said softly, letting him into her world little by little.

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo smiled, but found himself a tad bashful at that. "Well, I... if yer gonna give me th'chance t'be your man... I oughta prove y'made a good choice. Besides, y'deserve it. Y'do so much an' never ask fer a thing. I'm sure plenty o' people owe their lives an' their children's good health t'you, yet y'seem t'act like y'haven't done a thing."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know I made a good choice." Valentina said bluntly, her cheeks blushing deeply as she made that announcement. "And nobody owes me anything. I do what I do out of love. It's the same way my Papa works."

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo rose from his seat to clear their dishes away to wash, and once he was done, he walked with her up to the main hall. He stayed at her side for the rest of the night, and was continually beside her as she worked and took care of Emma until one day about noon when Emma was up and walking around with baby Kayla in her arms. A huge white werewolf hurried into the courtyard where the family was gathered, calling the name Ghis. It was Selena who answered him, and the wolf, named Casso, brought them some amazing news. Julia had arrived with a massive army of English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh men alongside centaurs, a the warrior werefolk of the Mav Ro tribe, and the support of the Queen of Scotland's royal battalion. She had taken Inverness with ease and rescued all of the family members caught in the war, including Vincenzo and all the siblings except for Brogan who Julia was certain was in Sarah's possession. Those present were ready to head home immediately, but Emma and little Kayla couldn't make it yet, and would need Valentina and Theo to help them until they could.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm so sorry about this." Emma apologized for the thousandth time that day as Valentina helped her care for her infant daughter. "I'm keeping you away from your father. I know that you want to see him."

"I know that he's alright and Ma will see him soon enough." Valentina said simply as if staying behind to help care for her sister-in-law was nothing. "Besides, I think it's high time that your husband learns to care for your boys and give you a break."

 

[KieranSoares]

Theo stepped in, having been preparing things for Emma and Kayla's departure which would be the next day as they'd found a carriage to hire that would make it so Emma and little Kayla wouldn't have to deal with the stresses of cold and riding a horse. "Carriage driver'll meet us tomorrow morning in th'courtyard," Theo informed them as he took off his gloves and cloak. "So we won't be here as long as we thought."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, very good news then." Valentina said as Emma nodded in agreement.

Everyone wanted to get back to Inverness and wait on word about Brogan. It was still a tense time, but everyone was starting to relax just the slightest bit about things. It was easier with a new baby around and little Kayla certainly brightened up a lot of people's outlook. She was a pretty baby with her father's dark hair and her mother's good looks.

"Theo and I will pack for you. You just focus on this little bambina." Valentina said as she escorted Theo from the room, leaving Emma to nurse her daughter.

"Where on earth did you find a carriage, Theo? That must have cost you a fortune." Val said, looking up at the man that was quickly stealing her heart.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Merchant said 'e'd drive us since 'e was on 'is way t'Inverness anyway with lumber now tha' it's under Ghis control again. Said 'e could hook up a couple extra horses t'haul the carriage an' wagon. It's pretty small, so you an' I will have t'ride our own horses, but tha's fine. Only cost... fifty silvers 'r so." As much as he shrugged it off, that was quite a sum. "All tha' matters is tha' we get 'ome soon t'help take care o' everyone. Th'wolf said most people who were rescued were in pretty bad shape. There oughta be tribal healers arriving there too, so you'll 'ave plenty o' help an' extra supplies from them."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Theo..." Valentina said as he admitted how much it had cost to arrange transportation. "You're getting paid back the moment we get home. I know where my brother keeps some coins in case of emergency."

She hated the idea that he had spent so much, but she supposed that he was a grown man who could spend his money on anything that he so wished. He had already spent way too much money on her, feeding her during their time in Aberdeen. It was really the only thing that kept her going during that time.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Nah, it's nothin'," Theo insisted with a smile. "It's th'least I can do fer th'family tha's taken me in, an' fer you for makin' me so happy tha' they did." He took her hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek warmly. "I want t'get you home t'ease yer mind about yer father, an' I'd like t'see 'im too fer my own reasons once everything settles down."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your own reasons?" Val asked with a curious look on her features as he kissed her cheek and stepped away. "What do you have to talk to him about?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"You, mostly. I ought t'be on good terms with 'im, aye? Else I think I'll get a beating from more'n just Boar when yer family figures it out." Odds were, he probably would get a stern talking to from her brothers, but her father would be the easiest of the bunch if he knew Theo loved Valentina as dearly as Vincenzo himself loved her and took care of her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And my Ma." Valentina said with a little smile on her lips. "After all, I am her youngest. She's like a mother bear protecting a cub sometimes. I think she feels bad for all the things that happened when I was a child."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If I'm scared of anyone, it's yer Ma," Theo nodded with a chuckle. "Lovely lady, but th'nicest lasses are the ones who can rip ya apart. I think it's a healthy fear, aye?" He sat down on one of the wooden benches in the hallway, patting the spot beside him to welcome her. "I 'ope they approve. But honestly, I think even if they didn't an' you still wanted me, I wouldn' care what they thought."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wouldn't say that. Ashien nearly got himself throttled because he married without telling anyone. Boar did the same, but at least Ma knew that he had been with Emma for a long time. Ashien just one day declared at a dinner that he had a wife. I thought Ma was going to pull his ear off when she drug him down the hallway and yelled at him for hours in her chambers." Valentina said with a laugh, looking at Theo in a new light.

"But I don't want to rush this. I enjoy your company and you help me every single day with things that I need. I mean, we haven't even kissed yet and you're wanting to talk to my father?" She said softly as she took his hand and squeezed it. "Isn't that a little presumptuous?"