The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

Steris was conversing quietly with some of the more agreeable Judges, commending Xia Hou and speaking hopefully of the future. Despite his own dedication to tradition, Steris seemed on the side of moving to the Rus and opening up. When he faced Fiona and was offered the book, Steris stared down at it dumbfounded.

"You may be disappointed in me, then," he joked softly with a melancholy smile. "I never quite understood my brother. I think only Eshai and Odessa did, and his mate. I loved him. I still do. But he was as much a mystery to me as he is to you."

He accepted the book with a small, grateful bow. "I need no repayment for coming here. While I have often battled with myself over my reasons and whether or not this was all a good idea... I know I made the right choice. The way the dragons trust and revere you is proof enough. They need you to fight on for them while they gain their own foothold in the face of empires and greed, much like we werefolk need our human allies. We must stand together or fall alone."

 

[heartofcourage]

“While I’m flattered that you think the best of me, I have to say that I’m selfish. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to return to my family.”

She looked up at Sam with a soft smile on her face, reaching out to take his hand in her own in a rare display of public affection.

“Lord Steris, this entire unruly lot of Scots cannot survive without me.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam lifted Fiona's hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles with a silent, content and relieved sigh, letting the action speak louder than words. Steris let out a rusty chuckle. "I can see that. They all waited on you with bated breath and lined up to see you the instant they could. And this one had to be dragged from your side. You are beloved, to say the least."

"Hey, Mama Bear," Andre's voice reached them as he approached. He gave a respectful nod to Steris as well. "Ma's been cooking all day with the palace staff to feed everyone, guests included. We're laying things out in the dining hall for people to come grab food whenever they like." Looking to Steris, he added, "And my partner Rikke made sure to provide for Lady Odessa too. Some of the staff just went out to start roasting meat in the courtyard."

"She will be grateful. Stoic as she is, I think she was too tense to eat beforehand." Steris turned back to Fiona, adding, "One more thing... regardless of decisions made by the other Judges, I wanted to ask your permission to stay temporarily along with Lady Odessa, and any Judges who see fit to lend their aid. We... Our brothers and sisters in arms want to help us see you to Inverness, so that we might go to Ephriam to pay our respects. We would lend our blades and minds and pull our weight, of course. But only with your blessing."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona’s smile fell slightly as Steris mentioned his want to help in their fight for Inverness. “That is a question for Soma. I only command my riders.”

“But I do warn you, my lord, that there is a brutal fight coming for Ararat. A civil war, if you will.” She squeezed Sam’s hand as she spoke. “A remnant of Hesperus has left me with…strange and violent dreams. I think you know I’ve always dreamed. I’m like Ephriam in that regard.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ararat is dying," Steris nearly whispered, letting the Rider Queen and her husband in on a carefully-guarded secret. "We who have been her caretakers for decades have seen the land grow barren and crops yield less and less. Our villagers have grown fragile and sickly. It seems every third newborn dies before their first year. We have to leave."

Sam's brows furrowed slightly, and Fiona could feel the still-new Caller within him stir. His deep connection to the land around him made his heart ache for Ararat, and he grew even more silent and pensive as his mind raced and began to reach toward the barren land without Sam realizing what he was doing. Steris watched his gaze grow distant, and only nodded slightly in understanding.

"I am the eldest Judge aside from Lord Eshai," Steris stared quietly. "And I fear I will be crossing blades with not only my brothers, but my former students someday very soon. People I've known since the day they were born... But the greater good must win out. We cannot stay where the land is dying and entire armies of Christians assault our walls every few years. We have to go."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Old men fighting a young man’s war.” Fiona murmured, a slight nod of understanding passed to the older man. “Schaller and Dzana are at your disposal. Harvest scale from them for your armor. We will keep the secret of our dragon steel for a while longer. That was Margaret’s gift to me.”

“Shall we?” Fiona asked, ending the conversation and glancing up to her husband, taking his arm to be escorted to the dining hall.

Standing with Bo and Shani, Riley watched as her mother expertly parted the crowd to leave. “We have been handed a legacy.” Riley murmured, glancing at her cousin. “Can we live up to it?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"She trusts Shani and me with an entire country and the alliances of dozens of clans," Brogan murmured, gazing off toward where his own mother had gone. "If she believes we can do this... Well, I intend to prove her right."

While he still had moments away from the public eye where he could be his energetic, adventurous old self, and he still had moments of great anxiety known only to those closest to him, Brogan Aleister was becoming exactly the Crown Prince Scotland might've expected Kate to raise. He was firm but fair, unafraid of challenging greedy or unreasonable lords, and he had immense pride and loyalty in his family that could not be challenged.

Though there had been no time for formal events and official announcements, it was clear that Brogan had already taken up his title and had a passion for it despite how he'd once balked at the idea of being royalty. And with Shani as deadly, protective shadow, his confidence was no longer youthful bravado. His words carried weight, and he used them well. He would have just as many enemies as his parents in time, but the country would also be just as loyal. The day Brogan could officially have his own announcement and be granted his title and crown publicly as Prince, Brogan would forever be cemented as the first Wolf on any known throne.

After considering the room for a long moment, hands clasped behind his back like his father while his dark uniform shone with formal pins and medals, Brogan turned to look at Shani, then Riley. He offered a light smile, putting a hand on Riley's shoulder while he secretly took Shani's hand where none could see. "Shani and I have your back. Always. Doesn't matter what titles you do or don't have. You're always welcome, and I'll do anything I can to support you. Promise."

It was another show of how Brogan had matured, throwing aside bravado for genuineness and connection. He'd changed physically too from how hard he trained in the hopes to one day match his mother's skill with a blade. His shoulders were broader and he'd begun to take on his father's incredibly athletic and lean musculature. If not for the missing bit of his ear, his green flecked eyes, and the grey now dusting Kell's coat, the two were nearly twins.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I don’t know where life is leading me.” Riley said as she glanced towards her cousin. “Maybe one day I’ll find out.”

She gave him a slight grin and left his side. She quietly came up on her brother, standing alone and watching the same scene that she had been observing.

“I’ll need to split time with Blair among the Judges, but I think that for the time being I can stand to be your heir for a while longer.” She said softly, knowing the immense pressure that was on his shoulders. “If you don’t see a problem with it, of course.”

When their eyes met, they met as equals. No longer younger brother and older sister. “I’m a Ghis, first and foremost.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Soma was the picture of focus and composure, both present and paying attention for any possible threat or useful information, while still calculating unknown plans at the back of his mind. Publicly, he was earning a reputation for his immense intelligence. Despite how busy he was acting as the Northern Alliance's strategist, he had made it his business to prepare to be a prince. He was constantly devouring books, practicing various languages, and learning whatever his aunt would teach him about her own kingdom. And despite his recent struggles and the appearance of the famous Ghis temper, having Fiona back had soothed the young Ghis enough that he seemed like himself again for the first time in weeks.

When Riley approached, Soma turned and gave her his full attention. He looked sharp in his dark uniform and Ghis tartan sash, matching his father with the addition of a gold eagle pin in honor of his aunt. Taking in what Riley said, Soma nodded resolutely. "Inverness is going to need all of us for a while even after we take her back. I'm grateful to have you with me. And I have a pretty strong feeling that Tati may be taking that Judge seat someday. So you and Andre will be free. Da promised you wouldn't be chained down by this family's obligations, and I intend to keep that promise. Especially after you stepped up for Ma when no one expected you to."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I think I’m old enough to decided what chains me down.” Riley said, her words quiet with warning but laced with clarity and wisdom that she hadn’t always displayed. “Besides, in spite of all your intelligence and schooling, I don’t know that you can keep up with the Axemen.”

Her head turned slightly to look at her uncles and grandfather. They were rugged and battle scarred, a generation that had lived through countless conflicts. They were all elderly, but they stood proud.

“And I intend to one day receive my axe from them.” She murmured, slipping her arm through her brother’s. “If it makes you feel better, little mite, I promise that I’ll never bow to you.”

The grin on her face was unmistakable as Soma’s gaze found hers again. With her free hand, she motioned for him to lead their way into the dining hall.

 

[KieranSoares]

Soma looked down at his sister with an expression of surprise as she insisted she would choose her own obligations, and that she intended to be more involved with Inverness than he'd thought. He had been seeing her differently since she'd stepped up to the mantle of a warrior and a professional Rider. Now, he saw her in a completely new light. Even if she wasn't as physically scarred and battered as older members of their family, Soma knew then and there that Riley had not just grown up as well, but she was weathered enough now to see further ahead. Neither of them would ever be quite carefree again, but they had both truly earned the name of the Ghis Clan.

His head held high and his bearing confident as his many royal mentors, Soma escorted his sister off toward the dining hall to join their fellows and family.

The hall was set up for everyone to sit anywhere they liked and serve themselves from large platters and bowls, not dissimilar to how Ghis family meals were often set up on less official occasions. While Kate's kitchen staff had made a good spread, everyone was extremely mindful of food shortages. With early crops still on the way, everyone was eating only as much as necessary, and any extra was packed up nightly for the families of serving staff and the needy.

Among those who'd stayed to eat and converse, clusters of family members, dear friends, and trusted comrades began to form. Fiona had all her trusted lieutenants close by. Even Ezra, paralyzed below the waist as he was, had made sure to come in support of his dear sister-in-arms. No one had expected him to survive, much less have any use of his limbs at all. But he was still capable of riding with his beloved Sadah, even if his days as a warrior were over. He was still committed to being a trainer, perhaps his greatest passion of all. Alongside him sat Danica, Costa, and Jani, all mostly recovered but still showing dark scars. They were all getting their strength back, and even if Ezra couldn't fight, the other three were determined to be ready when it came time to take back Inverness.

Between the tables, Dola and Andre and various kitchen staff brought around pitchers to refill drinks, until the pair were made to join their spouses and eat. Andre sat down beside Riley and offered a light smile, taking her hand under the table. "Hey. Going okay so far, huh? No fights and no egos bruised too badly. The Judges have been pretty amicable all-around. These ones, at least. I can see why they were picked to come here."