The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona pursed her lips together tightly as the man introduced himself and then demanded answers. She stared at him for a long moment before her eyes drifted elsewhere in the room.

"Ma. He needs you to answer him." Riley insisted, coming to the side of the bed.

"He asks what he already knows." Fiona muttered as she stared off into the corner of the room. "And he knows I am a seer. My dreams mean...nothing."

"I flew halfway across the world to make this happen and I will not let you be petulant." Riley countered, listening to the raspy laugh that came from her mother that turned into a terrible cough.

"The dragon is full of stars...more than he could ever count. He knew nearly all of them." Fiona muttered again, making no sense and scaring Riley.

"She's not normally like this." Riley explained to Steris, terrified that her mother had lost her mind completely.

"I'm perfectly lucid." Fiona countered, her eyes snapping back to Riley and Steris. "He warned me. He made me swear. I would never...tell a Judge...what I dreamed. They would only use it against me. I've known of all of you since I was a child. I know what you destroyed in him."

"They aren't here to hurt you, Ma." Riley reached for her mother's hand, stopped by Steris's assistant. "Mama, I promise. They've given me their word."

Fiona continued to stare into Steris's gaze, unblinking as if she knew every single secret that he possessed. "My flesh is peeling...from my bones and it's taken...my sight while I sleep. You know what that means."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know many things, Fiona Blackstone," Steris murmured with absolute determination and cold focus as he met an old enemy coursing through her veins. "Above all, I know the Hunger. If you resist aid, it will win. I ask you trust in your daughter's judgement, and the Judges that still love Ephriam even if we still resent his departure. I love my old sworn brother too much to allow his granddaughter to die facing what he once triumphed over as a young Fox."

The door opened and Alex paused in the archway seeing several sets of eyes turn to him. Glancing over them all, Alex turned toward Steris as the old man straightened.

"Dr. Irons, I presume," Steris murmured. "You have a rather stubborn patient."

"You don't know the half of it," Alex sighed with a nod, then looked to Riley as Sam appeared in the doorway too. "Riley, love. I'll take over here and share my notes."

"Not much will happen while we strategize," Steris added. "Half of us will take time to change and rest while the other half work, and we'll switch out later. Once we have a plan of attack, we will inform your family." He looked down to Fiona again. "Until then- as much as you may not like it, Rider Queen- we need to get you fluids and a light meal. You will need your strength. And you have my solemn oath that you won't harm anyone you care for."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona said nothing more as she stared at Steris. She was growing tired and when she was tired, she was at the most dangerous time. It was then that the sickness made itself known.

Riley glanced to Alex and then to her father. With a nod, she slowly took her leave. Gently touching her father's arm on the way, she saw the exhaustion and deep sadness in his features. He wouldn't last much longer than her Ma at the rate he was going.

She closed the door to the apartment quietly behind her, leaning heavily against it as silence enveloped her. The sound of a door opening close by caused her ears to twitch and she glanced to the door that was open just a crack.

"Riley?" A little voice asked, and Riley smiled for the first time in ages as she saw her baby sister standing there.

"Hello, my little love." Riley murmured as she knelt and wrapped Tati up in the tightest hug she could muster. "Why are you awake? It's very early."

Tati shrugged, still warm and sleepy from her bed. "I heard...voices."

"I brought some help for Ma. I'm sorry we woke you." Riley whispered, picking Tati up and entering her bedroom.

Tati's head was heavy on her shoulder as she gently placed her into bed. It only took moments for Riley to pull off her riding armor and she slipped in beside her sister, holding her tightly.

"I came...to see Mama." Tati murmured, snuggling up against her, a stuffed dragon tucked up her arm.

"I'm sure it did her good. Da too. They need all three of us more than they know." Riley whispered, listening to Tati's steady breathing as she fell asleep. "And we need them..."

 

[KieranSoares]

After the shift change around dawn, the castle remained fairly quiet but still uneasy. With strangers around, there was suspicion but also hope among the Ghis. While some simply waited and hoped, others dove back into work to shut the worry out. The Judges welcomed the aid of the Leopard that Andre has brought along, finding her to be knowledgeable as well.

Late in the morning, Andre came to find Riley, having let her sleep in after her long journey. He found her still in Tati's room long after the little girl had gone off to breakfast and some Rider training as she so often did lately. Not wanting to wake Riley, Andre quietly retreated to the parlor outside the bedrooms and waited there. After they'd parted on strained terms, Andre had wanted nothing more than to make things right with his wife and offer her the comfort she needed. He didn't feel right parted from her for too long, always wondering if she was eating well and safe when they were far from one another. And true to his usual caretaker nature, he soon fetched ingredients from the kitchen to make something simple over the parlor fireplace for when Riley woke.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley woke to the smell of cooking food drifting to her. Her fingers closed over the empty sheets, noticing that Tati was long gone. She sighed and turned to her back, taking in the aching of her bones from too long in the saddle. She could hear someone in the other room and knew that it was probably Andre. Even if they had parted on bad terms, she knew he would be determined to care for her.

By the time she had roused herself from bed, the entire space was filled with delicious smells. She entered the main room and paused when she saw her husband. There would be a long discussion about what had happened, but now wasn’t the time.

“I’m going to call for a bath. The hotter the better.” She murmured, needing to scrub off the miles of flight from her fur.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Everything should be done by the time you're out," Andre murmured as he watched over a simmering pot of hearty barley beef stew. Even if food was limited, he had the culinary knowledge to make it delicious and filling. He went about his work calmly as usual, as though everything was fairly normal. He didn't want to ruin Riley's relaxation with his own gripes, nor did he want to put more on her while her mother's life was on the line.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Koah.” Riley said softly, touching his cheek gently. “We had a fight. One of many we will have in our lives, I’m sure. We won’t let it come between us.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, Ri. I still want to say I'm sorry. You didn't need extra pressure in that moment. And I'm sure the Judges wouldn't have liked an extra stranger around." Andre met his wife's gaze, his eyes showing no grudge or anger. "Nothing's different between us."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll tell you everything one day." She said softly, leaning in to kiss her husband before she straightened.

When she left the room to bathe, she paused outside of her parents' apartment. Inside she could hear cries of pain and agony, followed by low threats as they all worked to heal her mother. It pulled at something inside of her. There was danger in the air. Danger that was dark and palpable. Every dragon and caller near the castle was in danger it the Judges failed in their mission. Fiona had done her duty in protecting them from the Hunger, but there was only so long that she might hold out.

It took moments for Riley to pull on her cloak, exiting the castle to seek out the Johania and the Northern riders. Leaders were gathering for their morning meal and to discuss what had happened overnight. It was clear that none were expecting to see her when she showed up, a few rising to their feet out of respect as she held out a hand to stop them.

"I cannot discuss what is happening at the moment, but I would highly suggest that any rider and dragon not needed for protection retreat to a safer distance." Riley said, looking at all gather.

 

[KieranSoares]

Among those gathered were Lukas, a still-recovering Jani, Costa, and Danica, and several captains under their command, as well as a few lieutenants in charge of the Alstadt Riders lent to the Northerners by the Empire. Upon Riley's orders, the Johania and Alstadt officers offered no question nor protest, treating her as essentially acting Rider Queen while her mother was grounded.

"Go, spread the word. Fan out, offer patrols and protection to villages and other cities nearby," Costa immediately added, sending the others off while he, Danica, and Jani remained. As the only lieutenant unwounded, Costa had been Riley's right hand among the Riders as Ezra had been to Fiona.

"I'll relay to our people," Dani muttered with a salute to Riley. Jani sat back, stiff from her healing wounds but still as involved as possible. Costa faced Riley with an intense focus.

"Sam sent word to a select few outside your immediate family that you found help for Fiona," he explained quietly once he was sure no one else was listening in. "I assume things are getting even more tense if you're worried for the dragons being close. What else can we do to help?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley kept her composure as her order was snapped to, but she was immensely uncomfortable. She lowered her eyes as Dani saluted her and left the circle. Her eyes flicked to Jani for a moment before she regarded Costa.

“Keep the rumors to a minimum and keep a tight grip on all information in and out.” Riley said as Costa left as well to dole out her orders.

“I wish they wouldn’t do that. All the saluting and everything.” Riley muttered as she took a seat next to Jani.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's all appearances," Jani murmured, nudging Riley's shoulder gently in greeting as she sat down beside. "We act cold and professional in public for the same reason your parents do: to avoid rumors and undermining. As far as anyone else knows, the Rider Queen is recovering from a legendary clash, and her daughter is stepping in temporarily with absolute support from the Rider Corps."

Jani reached out to smooth Riley's fur back fondly. She had always been openly loving of Fiona's children as something of an aunt to them. "When we were your age, we functioned a lot more like siblings. We were mercenaries with no loyalties except to our bonds, and leadership was decided by might and support. But that looseness had some weaknesses that the Empire exploited. So we got more professional and structured, and we eventually organized into an official branch of military to make sure upstairs and hotheads and enemies didn't undermine the whole thing. If it were up to me, I'd still do things the way we used to because I believe in fighting with my heart, not my head. But I have to admit it was a smart move. Now when officers go down or our Rider Queen is out for the count, there's clear structure to keep people focused and organized. And part of that structure is giving our absolute support to the woman standing in for our queen."

Jani shifted, wincing at some soreness. "I promise you're still our kid. We'll make fun and scoff at you in private and when the war's over. But in public and until you're not military anymore, we won't have anyone question you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley pulled away when Jani smoothed her fur back, too much weighing on her at the moment to accept the gesture. "She wanted different for Soma and me. Now look at us. Changed by war, parts broken and shattered. Jani, there was a whole world out there that we didn't even know existed. Greater threats than simply sweeping the Empire from our homelands. Part of me always wanted to believe that she was courageous for wanting to take care of matters herself, but I know now she couldn't have."

She watched as dragons and riders slowly took to the skies, following her orders to retreat to a safer distance. She wasn't even sure if distance could protect them from her mother if all went wrong.

"If she falls, you're free. You're all free. There would be no reason to continue on with this war. I have my own debts to pay in the end and cannot continue on as the Rider Queen."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We were always free, kiddo. Your mother has been trying to convince us all to leave and save ourselves for two decades," Jani murmured, following her gaze to the other Rider and dragon pairs retreating west and south. "And maybe a lot of them would go. But not me. Not Dani or Costa, not even Ezra, broken as he is. This is our family. We're Ghis now. And Ghis belong in Inverness. Broken and scarred or no."

It was perhaps the root principle of the majority of the Ghis Clan who were fighting or supporting the war effort: they belonged in Inverness, and they would live, fight, bleed, and die to make sure the family returned. There were those who wanted vengeance for Fiona or lost loved ones. There were those who had fought so long to return and lost so much that failure wasn't an option. There were those who fought to bring Ashien Ghis home, or to reclaim and make safe the graves of Kitty and Vincenzo. And then there were those who were simply so loyal and loving of their homeland that nowhere else could be home.

"For me... Inverness isn't just land," Jani murmured softly, letting on some vulnerability she rarely showed. "It's where all the hearts of the people I love lie. Even Dola desperately wants to see us back there, so she can help rebuild and contribute to the clan that gave her a second chance. The same goes for your Andre, even if you two don't plan to live there. And... Even if we lose her... I swore I'd get your mother home. Even if it's only her ashes, I'll get that woman home. She's my sister, and Inverness is hers. She deserves to rest with her grandfather at the very least."

Jani went quiet then, wrestling with a ball of tension and grief in her chest with an angry frown. She wanted to support Riley in such a moment of uncertainty, but she was struggling to stay calm, much less maintain her typical devil-may-care attitude.

"I know you're scared. It might feel like this'll all be for nothing," Jani whispered after a long moment. "But as long as the blue and black of the Ghis flies over Inverness again when we're done... I consider the blood I shed to be worth it. But that's something for each individual to decide for themself. When you're done losing things to this fight... Fiona made sure we all have the freedom to walk away."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley was silent for a long time after Jani stopped talking. “There’s one more thing I have to do today before I can rest.”

Riley turned her gaze back to Jani, her ears flattening slightly. “How would you like to help me convince an elder dragon he needs to retreat for his safety?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I would face impossible odds with you any day. But making that old lizard leave is probably the most impossible thing I can imagine." Jani considered Riley's expression for a long moment. "We can try. I'm not sure if asking Dzana for help would do anything. She won't leave either as long as Sam is here."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley gave Jani a nod and slowly stood to lead her to Schaller. It felt like a march towards death as they approached the side yard of the castle. There was a heaviness that wasn't there before, one that only the callers might know was even there. Them and their dragons. It weighed down on their souls even as their minds remained clear. Through the tightly closed glass of her mother's rooms, she could hear pained yells. She closed her eyes briefly to steel herself as she approached Schaller's side, her hand tracing lightly over his scales.

"I'm here..." Riley said softly, her courage faltering for a brief moment before she raised her gaze towards his and resolved that she had to be the villain in this story. "I'm here to issue you an order...as the Rider Queen."

The words sounded foreign on her tongue. She was a pitiful excuse for a queen of any sort, especially when she was compared to her mother.

"I'm here to issue you an order as the Rider Queen." She said again, her voice a bit stronger as she raised a hand to Schaller's great maw. "You are to leave and patrol our borders...for your own safety and for ours."

 

[KieranSoares]

When Riley and Jani approached the space Schaller had claimed over the last few weeks, they found areas where the ground was churned up, then haphazardly patted back down. The great dragon had anxiously been flexing and digging his claws into the soil for days, often without realizing it til he rose to go speak to someone or find food.

When Riley stepped up, Schaller lay almost against the side of the castle with his head on his arms, eyes closed as he listened to his Rider endure the Judges and their battle for her life. Any relief he might've felt at the arrival of help was quickly drowned in dark, heavy worry, and a sort of grim resignation to something only Schaller knew.

Feeling Riley's touch, Schaller opened his great green eyes and watched her pause before him. He shifted his maw into her hand when she struggled to speak, only to pull back and lift his head out of reach when she gave her orders. He stared silently down at her for a long moment, processing a variety of emotions that Riley could innately feel. There was deep confusion. Hurt. Worry. Rage. Betrayal. He gave an aggressive snort, igniting the green glow of his chest. He would never turn fire on her, but the primal warning and refusal was clear.

"Last I checked, the Rider Queen still lives," Schaller rumbled with a dark frown. "You may be acting in her stead, Riley Elowen, but you are not my queen. Leave me to my vigil. I promised I would be here for her."

"You're a danger to everyone here," Jani spoke up bluntly to support her daughter-in-law. "Your loyalty is second to none, old man. I know that. But I also know that if something goes wrong up there and you end up infected or driven mad, you'll be putting this entire clan in mortal peril. Fiona would order you away too, you know that. In fact, I'm pretty sure she tried a couple times."

"I'm not some out-of-control fledgling or feral. And I will not abandon her. I promised..." Schaller trailed off, not wanting to admit aloud in front of Fiona's own daughter that he had a longstanding pact with his Rider about being her merciful executioner if the struggle grew too great. They had decided long, long ago that if one couldn't be saved, the other would relieve their suffering in a final act of love. Schaller would not abandon his post when his dearest love might need to ask him that final mercy. In his mind, leaving her now would be the ultimate betrayal.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Schaller, I might not wear her crown, but you know that I have to take this role. I have to act as queen, even if you and others refuse to acknowledge any one else but her.” Riley said softly, knowing that he spoke out of fear rather than malice.

“I’ll never know what happens in the mind of an elder dragon. I’ll never pretend to know. However, I saw with my own eyes what happens when a dragon is infected with this illness. My family will never be the same because of it.” She tried to reason, knowing that it would be difficult to make him leave.

“If you believe that you can stand firm in the face of all of this, you can stay. If you believe, even for a single moment, that you could falter, you know you must go.” Riley murmured. “I’ve already promised to defend her against them if all is lost.”

 

[KieranSoares]

A long silence passed between them all. Jani stood at Riley's side in total, unwavering support like she had always done for Fiona. Schaller considered Jani for a moment, then Riley. A moment of realization seemed to come over him, as if seeing Riley in a new light. For perhaps the first time in her young life, the dragon was seeing her not as a kit he had often looked after and helped to raise. He was seeing her as an adult Fox in her own right. She would always be the adventurous one who took too many risks, but he now saw the woman who'd grown up fast in the face of war. Now, she was wearing her mother's mantle and putting the greater good of the dragons and riders ahead of all else.

A massive hand reached out and drew Riley in til she was gently hugged against Schaller's maw. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into her, keeping his head low on the ground in what she knew to be a show of respect between dragons. "Oh, little kit..." he sighed, his voice trembling with barely-contained grief. "I'm so sorry, Riley. I'm sorry you have to carry all of this. I'm sorry any of this has happened to our family."

A tear escaped despite his best efforts to remain stoic. Jani quietly stepped back, letting Schaller and Riley have a moment to themselves. He was, for all intents and purposes, something of a godfather to her, and he had treated her like his own all her life. In this instant, he was like a parent grieving his child's scars and hurts earned from facing the realities of a harsh world. Curling around her like he often did with Fiona, Schaller held Riley close against his maw and both offered and sought comfort that no one else could give.

"I have to stay," he whispered in a watery voice in the dim after his wing covered them. "I fear if I leave... we would lose ourselves without the other. I have to be here. If she... if she falls, I have to be here for all of you. And I promise, whatever happens, I will let these Judges look me over for signs of illness. I won't let myself go unchecked, no matter how I hurt. Just, please... let me stay, Riley."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley leaned her head against his maw, letting him curl around her to shut out the world. “What has happened with Ma is simply an accident. No one could have known.”

“If she falls, you’ll stay with Tati. Tati needs a strong dragon who understands this family. Who understands all that Ma wanted for her children and just how special Tati is.” Riley promised him, trying to soothe his anxiety and give him something to hope for. “I don’t want to say yes because you would be in immense danger. I would never want to see you in the same position as Hesperus.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know you would never let it get that far. Nor would I," Schaller tried to reassure her, despite implying the worst. "I... I will follow your lead, Riley... If you truly believe the risk is too great..." The stubborn old dragon rarely changed his mind without weeks of convincing, even with Fiona. He didn't want to give in to Riley's logic, but as she sought to soothe him, he knew her judgement was clearer than his in the moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley was quiet as she thought. It wouldn’t do for either of them to wallow in self pity. Schaller was meant for action. She was meant for action.

“You and I will patrol.” She finally said, pulling back from his maw to look into one great eye. “We will patrol and keep this castle safe. Old man, we need a purpose. Sitting in sorrow will do is no good. If they see the both of us up there, doing our duty, it would give them hope.”

“Dry your tears. Swallow that sorrow. Come with me to do our duty.” Riley pressed her forehead against his maw. “You and I, for Ma.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Schaller took a deep breath, nuzzling her back before the fire in his chest ignited with warmth once more. Smoke drifted from his nostrils as he rose and folded his wings, leaning a horn down to her and scooping her up in a practiced, smooth motion. "She would do the same," he muttered, turning from the castle with both worry and a sense of purpose to fetch his saddle. Jani had left them be, seeing Riley had the great elder handled.

Riders and soldiers out on patrol couldn't help looking as Schaller passed. None of them expected the dragon to leave his Queen's side unless she was out with him. While Riley had ridden with him many times, it wasn't a sight anyone expected. And as if he were indeed carrying his queen, Schaller silently commanded right of way. In that moment, the little Fox on his shoulders was his anchor and his charge.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley took his offered horn without question, waiting for him to approach the barn where his tack was kept. She slipped effortlessly to the ground to help him assume his gear. She slipped on pieces of her own armor from her family’s storage as well. Pulling on her gloves as she stepped from the barn, she looked at one of the stable boys who stood by in case of assistance.

“When Lord Schaller and I return, please have Markos waiting. Tell him we are in need of his assistance.” Riley ordered easily. “And send word to my husband that I’m unable to join him for breakfast.”

She left the stable boy and checked Schaller’s straps one more time before she allowed him to lift her into the saddle. It felt strange being there, settling into the place where her mother had spent so much time, but it was what was needed of her. She looped his reigns over the saddle horn, giving him free reign to do as he pleased.

“By your leave, Old Man.” She called, buckling herself in with her straps and settling in.