The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

At the sight of his sister arriving in full armor, Burke immediately turned to approach. The crowd parted for him til he came to stand towering over her. "Ashleigh," he murmured quietly, that single word carrying all his worry and fear for her very presence there. Even if victory seemed sure, he didn't trust that she wouldn't be targeted. But instead of telling her to leave or reprimanding her, he simply pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. Their family had been a bit scattered in the past few months with preparations to take back England, but more than that, Burke was just glad to have one of his sisters with him.

The Elder Brogan stepped up as well, bringing a long case with him. "Kids," he addressed Ashleigh and Burke. "I think it's time you two brought this home, aye?" As Burke let go of Ashleigh, Brogan opened up the case to reveal Ashien's own slim Claymore. It'd been lost when Darkwood fell, but then stolen by a German artist who'd been welcomed to Darkwood by its new owner years later. The artist, who'd idolized Ashien as an architect and artist, returned the blade personally to Dylandra where she'd taken up residence in the Rus under Monomakh's protection. Now, the family had brought it across the continent so it might return home. Each of the Ghis brothers had a similar wish for their blades: if they fell, they only asked that their Claymores make it home.

Burke looked down at the blade with furrowed brows, then stepped back. "Da's cavalry saber is mine to carry. From the day I was adopted, he built me up as his successor as a master of horses," he murmured, tapping the pommel of the fine cavalry blade with a smile to his sister. "But his heirloom Claymore... Grandma had that made for him, and that's your birthright, love. No one better than the daughter of one of the finest Scotsmen to ever live."

 

[heartofcourage]

Ashleigh knew that Burke would be scared to see her. He was always nervous when it came to her and her future. She was keenly aware that she would one day be the queen of England at Edward's side, but she had never shown any hint of fear when it came to her role. Edward had supported her through the most difficult time in her life. The loss of her father had shattered her family completely and it was unknown whether they would pull through. In the end, it was through Dylandra's force of will and their love of Ashien that all four of the Ghis children had finally come through the other side of the darkest of times.

"They're all safe, Burke." Ashleigh promised as he kissed her forehead in greeting and hugged her tightly. "Edward and the children. Our sisters. Mummy. They're all safe."

When Brogan came forward with the claymore and Burke instantly gave it over to her, Ashleigh felt conflicted. There were many who still saw Ashien as a traitor to the English. He had sworn to hold out against invaders, but he had run to save his family. She still remembered that night so long ago, how he had shook her awake in the dead of night and told her to hurry. It was pitch black outside, no moon to be seen as she frantically packed up what little possessions meant the most to her. The family had met in the great hall, Ashien looking particularly stern as he gave orders to Van to close down the manor and hide their valuables while Dylan ushered all of the girls outside to a waiting wagon that was already loaded down with possessions. London was glowing in the distance. That sight she would always remember. London had never glowed like that before, but the fires of the attack had already set the city ablaze.

"Whether my father was a traitor to the English crown will be a matter for my mother-in-law and my husband to sort out when they take the throne." Ashleigh as she took the claymore from her uncle. "I can say that he did no different than I would have done for my own family."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ashien did what any family man would," Brogan assured her. "And with Henry's support. Even if he's gone now, I'd say th'old king's word still stands." Passing the empty case off to an attendant, Brogan turned toward Sam, who'd joined Fiona's side. "Lead on, son."

"This isn't my battle, Da," Sam said with a shake of his head, motioning to the veteran Axemen and the older soldiers and Ghis brothers who were all front and center. "Even if Ma an' all your wives'll kill me... This is a battle fer Kitty's sons."

"Then let's see our Darkwood kids home!" Boar growled with a smirk, looking to Burke and Ashleigh before turning his gaze to the manor. "I'm lookin' forward to th'day Dylandra walks back through those doors... I'll hunt down every lost painting for 'er if I have to."

Brogan climbed back into his saddle, drawing his Claymore alongside his brothers. "Alright, then. Bo an' Shani'll already be in position. Shields front, archers load up!" A ripple of motion went across the entire battalion as shield-bearers waded to the front and every archer nocked an arrow but kept their strings loose for the moment. In three separate lines, the entire battalion began moving forward with the Ghis brothers in control.



Inside the estate grounds, Brogan and Shani had just located a locked cellar door off the side of the manor. According to Dylandra, the door led into a wine cellar and there would be a staircase inside leading to the kitchen. Brogan, who'd cultivated his own lockpicking skills long before becoming an agent, was already working on the lock with Shani watching his back. After a few clicks, Brogan put his picks away and carefully lifted the heavy door. The hinges threatened to squeal, so he moved as slowly as possible. Looking to Shani, he motioned her through first knowing that she was better at scouting. He followed close behind and lowered the door as silently as possible.

The cellar was packed wall-to-wall with casks and bottles. It seemed either the occupying lord had been stocking up for a feast, or he was an avid collector. The sheer number of crates and casks gave the pair plenty of cover, and plenty of places to spy on two other people currently there loading bottles onto a rack.

"There's a bloody army outside and he's worried about his wine collection?" One of the two grumbled at his companion. "Should've gone to London proper last night before the gates closed."

"Or gone south and defected," the other sighed, only to give a sharp grunt when his companion punched his arm.

"Say it a little louder, why don't you?" the first man snarled.

Brogan, peeking out from behind a crate, motioned Shani toward the man on the left with a signal for a headlock. They weren't soldiers, so they didn't need to die. But they needed to be put out of the way for Shani and Brogan to get upstairs.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani stayed low and in the shadows, stopping when she heard voices in the darkness of the cellar. Neither made a noise as they listened to the quiet conversation of the two men who walked amongst the casks and crates that seemed more than enough to fuel ten armies. Shani crouched as Brogan took up his own position and they waited as the clanking of bottles muffled any sounds that they might have made upon their entrance. As Brogan motioned to her, she nodded and in tandem, they struck, both of them pulling them men away from the racks and soon subduing them without trouble and without a sound.

Shani pointed off to the side where a small alcove would make a space suitable enough for the men to be contained and they were dragged there before being bound and gagged. Once that task was done, they regrouped at the base of the kitchen stairs.

"Stairs lead to the kitchen larder. From there into the kitchen cookhouse. There are stairs that lead up into servant's quarters from there. We can reach the great hall along that route or find a more direct path through the dining hall." Shani whispered, glancing towards Brogan.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If they've still got servants going around doing menial tasks, we can assume this time of day that most of them will be around the house doing chores, not in their quarters. And if we do run into anyone there, they're less likely to be armed." Brogan glanced up the stairway, his pointed ears trained forward. "There's people in the kitchen... at least three. But from what I know from Dylandra and Burke, we should be able to slip past and up the stairs to the servants' quarters. There's a counter island in the center of the kitchen that we can use to break line of sight."

Heading up the stairs to the still-open hatch, Brogan folded his ears back and peeked up over the edge briefly. Slipping back down, he whispered, "Three. Two cooks, and it looks like an off-duty guard. Opening the door to the stairs is gonna draw attention..." Glancing back up, he sighed quietly. "Count ten seconds and then go. I'll be right behind you."

Brogan disappeared up the steps and into the pantry and larder room. Shani could hear the people in the kitchen talking up until about seven seconds, when a loud crash of pots and pans came from the kitchen. Brogan had managed to cause a hanging rack of cookware to fall, turning everyone's attention away from where Shani was headed. It was innocent enough that no one would suspect it was anything more than an old nail giving way.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani bolted for the servant's stairs at the end of her given signal. She took the steps two at a time as quietly as she could. It seemed like the coast was clear until she got to the top and heard heavy boots on carpet just beyond. She mentally cursed and ducked down low beside a thick table in the hallway, using the shadows to disappear. A man appeared from seemingly nowhere, entering the staircase that she had just exited, calling down into the kitchen at the commotion that had just sounded so loudly. She hoped that Brogan heard the man before he started up behind her and wasn't seen.

 

[KieranSoares]

It was only a second after the man left Shani's line of sight that she heard a muted gasp. The commotion down the stairs went on, but Shani saw the man reappear. It only took a moment to realize Brogan was carrying him over one shoulder, struggling against the much larger man's weight. "Fuck," Brogan grunted, doing his best not to outright drop the man as he lowered him to the floor. Brogan's shoulder was drenched in blood, but it wasn't his. Realizing he'd been caught and knowing he couldn't let the man sound the alarm, Brogan had done exactly what Qira had taught him: kill silently, and keep moving. There was a deep gouge just above the man's clavicle where Brogan had driven a knife directly down into his heart.

Breathing heavily and trembling, Brogan looked at Shani with wide eyes. "I... I didn't have a choice." But instead of freezing up and panicking, Brogan began scanning the hallway they'd arrived in. "We need to hide him... Open up one of these servant bedrooms, I'll... I'll put him in a wardrobe or something." Taking deep breaths and trying not to hyperventilate, he began dragging the man along while taking care not to leave a trail of blood. It wasn't as if Brogan had never killed anyone- he'd shot many from a distance defending Arslan Khan's camp. But he hadn't killed anyone up close before with his own hands. He was trying not to let it get to him, steeling himself for more if necessary.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani saw the panic and knew they were in a dangerous situation. She was calm as she moved to help Brogan, pushing open the first door that there was and found it empty, motioning Brogan to follow her. As soon as the door was closed behind them, she turned and look at him, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him to get his attention.

"Look at me, Bo. Look at me." She hissed softly. "Look at me."

His golden eyes were wide, panicked and shocked. If he could be pale, he would be. He wasn't made to be a killer and she knew that. He had done it to preserve this mission and to give the forces outside a chance.

"You have a choice right now: you can go outside and join the rest or you can pull it together and get me to the lord of this manor." Shani whispered. "we don't have time to panic."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not panicking," Brogan muttered, taking a deep breath. Without hesitation, he nodded to her. "I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together... Always." He pulled her into a brief embrace before stepping past. "Just don't make fun of me when I fall apart later, yeah?" It was a weak attempt at a joke, but it was all he could do to push down the shock. It was how he always handled things that really bothered him: by leaving it aside til he was alone and safe to break down.

Brogan slipped back into the hall, getting his breathing under control as quickly as possible. They crept along silently as their fathers had taught them. Shani was usually in the lead being quicker and smaller, but Brogan was determined to pull his weight. They reached another staircase leading up to the manor's top floor. Brogan went up first to check the upper landing, then motioned Shani up as well. They didn't know exactly where the occupying lord was, but they knew he primarily occupied the top floor while the middle and bottom had been turned into makeshift barracks for his large force of bodyguards and a number of Hess's own soldiers.

Just as they were considering their next move, Brogan pressed himself flat against the wall beside Shani as they heard shouts go through the entire house. "We're under attack! Defensive positions!" The manor came to life with people rushing around. To avoid being caught, Brogan pointed Shani toward the nearest door.

"Should be the master bedroom," he whispered, letting her go first to secure it. With all the noise around them, they could take down anyone inside fairly quickly.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani ducked into the room as chaos broke loose inside the manor, men running to take up positions as servants ran to safety. The room seemed empty as Brogan closed the door behind them. What had once been a serene and peaceful room that Dylan and Ashien had called home was now a severe and austere setting. It had been stripped of any warmth of the previous occupants and replaced with military markings. A collection of weapons lined the walls where paintings had once hung and military ranks bestowed upon the new owner from the Empire lined the large fireplace. It was a far cry from what Ashien had once cultivated.

Shani was about to turn when she heard a noise and spotted the slightly opened door. A balcony lay beyond and the occupant of the room was shouting orders to gathering troops below. She held up a hand to Brogan, halting him in his step as she quietly made her way towards the door and glanced through the slight opening. It was most definitely the lord of this manor, his dress giving him away. He wasn't a large man, but older than Shani by a fair deal. She silently pulled free a length of cord and twisted it around her gloved hands, testing the strength twice as she calmed her racing heart. This is what her Da had trained her for. This was her moment.

The poor sod didn't suspect a thing when she sprang like a panther, the cord wrapped snugly around his throat in an instant. She cut off his orders and dragged him down behind the balcony railing where he wouldn't be seen by his troops and she held tight as he bucked and struggled.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan surged forward as soon as she had a tight grip on the lord. Brogan pinned his arms down, not allowing him to claw at Shani or the cord. The man struggled and choked, trying desperately to kick at the young Wolf, but it was all for naught. As soon as his limbs relaxed, Brogan let go knowing Kell had asked them to try to take the man alive. He then bolted to the bedroom door and shut and locked it. Shouts from below the balcony warned them that soldiers had noticed their lord's sudden disappearance.

"Shit..." Brogan muttered, looking back to Shani. "I don't know if we can sneak back out with him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's not going to be a "we", Bo." She kissed him deeply and didn't wait for him to protest as she shimmied up the side of the balcony, climbing higher onto Darkwood Manor. She hoped that he used the distraction to his advantage. The building's stone was slick, but she made quick work of it as she climbed the dizzying peaked roof of the tower and was soon pulling a familiar piece of fabric from her hip pouch. For the first time in twenty years, the flag of the Empire was pulled from the spire and replaced with Ghis tartan.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Shani!" Brogan shouted, about to follow when a hail of arrows aimed for her came sailing up. Brogan was forced to duck inside, but none of the volley found their mark. As Shani pulled down the banner, a loud screech of a whistling arrow went up outside the manor grounds from the Northern battalion, signaling a full charge.

More arrows came flying at the young woman on the roof, but that indeed left Brogan unattended, allowing him to grab their captive and flee the way they'd come through a gap in the wall. At the same time, the North was mowing down defenders at the gate. With a massive barricade in the way, they weren't quite trying to get in. They were simply buying time for Shani and Brogan to get out with their captive.

In the chaos of the fight outside the gate, the Axemen were bloodthirsty, unhinged beasts ripping through professional mercenaries like they were made of straw. The Ghis brothers were at the front, backed by their children and grandchildren. After they'd seen Shani on the roof and fired the signal, Qira had suddenly disappeared without a word while Kell coordinated other agents to encircle the walls and look for Brogan to help him. Anytime he wasn't giving orders, Kell's eyes were trained on Shani, hoping against hope that she'd survive the storm of arrows being launched at her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani slipped down the roof, the arrows hitting the hard slate where she had been standing as she used the metal of the flag pole to hang and provide protection. Her eyes quickly scanned the area and she made her plan in an instant. She released the pole and slid down the roof, her boots catching the edge and giving her a moment of purchase. She dropped down and grabbed the stone gutter, dangling to see what her next move would be. It was a sheer drop into what was a garden below. A quick calculation told her that it wasn't the best option, but she could survive the fall with injury. There were shouts growing closer and soon they would be in that garden, cutting off her path.

Flexing her legs, she gained momentum until her small frame was bashing against an upper window of the tower. Glass cut her as she entered the darkened space and she crouched low, pulling free a dagger to arm herself in case there was anyone else inside. It was deathly quiet inside, dust caked on nearly every surface. It looked like an artist's studio, one that had been locked away for decades. She didn't have much time to dwell as she opened the door and slipped out into the hall, needing to find a way out.

 

[KieranSoares]

Rushing footsteps seemed to go through the entire manor as Shani sought to navigate a portion of the manor she hadn't studied much because it was far from the ideal route to take for entry or exit. As she got out into the hall, she could hear distant shouts all around for men to find her. The hall itself was rather bare and in disuse as well, a handful of paintings on the wall covered by dust cloths. Just as she found the main hall, three men came racing up the stairs with swords drawn and caught her in the open.

"Drop your blade!" One, a clear officer, commanded with his own sword leveled at Shani. "Come quietly or be dispatched on the spot, Northerner."

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani didn't hesitate as the man leveled his sword and gave his command, jumping towards him and driving her dagger deep into his chest and twisting it free. He gave a scream of pain as she shoved him to the side and quickly grabbed the sword that fell from limp fingers, leveling it the two other men. The second one swung on her and she countered, shoving him off balance and into a wall as the third struck just as quickly. She countered again, using her dagger to stab into his belly. When he doubled over, she kicked her foot into his chest and sent him back down the staircase, tumbling away before the second man could recover. Shani spun and presented the second man with both sword and dagger, ready for a more fair fight this time around.

 

[KieranSoares]

The last man took a step sideways, eyes wide as he realized he was outmatched. Instead of lunging forward, he sprang sideways toward the stairs roaring for help and drawing all attention to Shani's position. Soon a handful of the lord's bodyguards and mercenaries came charging up, and several more hurried to block her exits. Several attacked her at once, some wielding shields as well and pushing into her space to try to overwhelm her. A few below even had crossbows, leveling shots at her while she tried to defend against the swordsmen.

 

[heartofcourage]

Even if Shani felt panic, she didn't show it. If she showed any moment of weakness, she would be dead. Instead, she held her ground, fighting against those that meant to kill her. She stayed low to avoid the bolts that were dangerously close to hitting, defending when she needed to defend and retreating back when she needed to retreat. Men were pushing her back along the balcony of the great hall, further towards a dead end. A moving target was better than nothing, she decided as she turned and vaulted over the railing and snagged the great chandelier that hung far above the first floor. She was small enough that it held her weight, but it creaked and groaned dangerously as it swung, errant shots pinging off the ironwork from below.

Shani pulled herself into the frame, using it to protect herself as it swung wildly, men calling out to one another to watch themselves. It wasn't a great position, but it wasn't death. Her mind quickly calculated what she would do from there. There was really only one choice from what she saw between the men at the balcony and the men below. She used her weight to swing the chandelier until she launched herself onto the thick oak beams beyond and from there she leapt. She ran and leapt for her life, beam after beam until she sent herself crashing through the great stained glass window beyond and straight onto the roof of the solarium below.

The old glass barely held as she sprawled out on the slick surface, blood from various cuts making the landing even more difficult. Shani slid a distance before she stopped and carefully pulled herself to her hands and knees as spiderwebs formed beneath her. If she fell now, it might be over. The solarium was nothing more than glass and iron, storing plants and long untended.

 

[KieranSoares]

As Shani steadied herself, men scattered to find windows to shoot at her from, and others hurried to break into the solarium. But movement from an unexpected direction caught Shani's eye. Perched on a second-floor balcony not far from her, claws dug into the railing as he leaned out, was her father. Qira's amber eyes were deadly focused on her, taking in her surroundings and the incredibly dangerous situation she was in. As bolts flew at her and threatened to damage the glass roof further, Qira dropped onto a section of tile roof near the solarium top. He was too large to dare going out onto it to get her, but he leaned out as far as he could with an arm extended. "Flatten yourself out, cub," he advised calmly in his native tongue, hiding the panic rising in his chest. If she fell, she would either die on impact or be finished off by men below who were starting to try to purposely break the glass beneath her. "Slow and steady," Qira encouraged.

 

[heartofcourage]

The moment that Shani saw her father, she let out a breath of relief. He was still too far to help, but he was near. Shani carefully flattened out her body as glass exploded just beside her, a bolt whistling past her head and an entire section falling towards the stone flooring below. Shani clenched her eyes shut for a moment before she carefully pushed with her boots on the iron framing, moving at what seemed a snail's pace towards her father's outstretched hand.

 

[KieranSoares]

With his nails digging into a wooden beam beside him, Qira stretched and leaned out as far as he could. Just as she came within reach, a section of glass shattered beneath her legs. Qira grabbed her wrist just in time to stop her falling, but all that was holding her up now was a thin iron rail. Taking a deep breath, Qira dared to place a foot on one of the frame bars, the glass around him cracking. His focus was so centered on her that he wasn't ready for a bolt to strike into his side just above the waist. Snarling in pain, he used that surge of adrenaline to pull Shani closer with one arm. Pulling her against his chest, he stumbled back onto the tile roof and pushed her against the wall, shielding her with his own body as they regained their balance.

A trio of whistling arrows went up from the Northern battalion, signaling to everyone that they'd secured their prisoner. Brogan had made it out with the lord in tow. In response, Qira grabbed a small loop of rope and a hook from his belt. "We can't trust they'll surrender right away and let us go," he muttered, tossing the hook up to catch on the balcony above them. "Run like hell, little love." The other end of the rope went trailing down the side of the manor, ending only a couple feet from the ground.

 

[heartofcourage]

As the glass came loose beneath her, Shani let out a yelp and gasped as her father grabbed her wrist in a death grip. Her eyes locked onto his and he positioned himself so that she wouldn't fall any further. They were locked like that for what felt like an eternity before she heard him roar and suddenly he was jerking her forward against his chest and then against the wall of the manor to safety. Instantly, Shani grabbed his armor, steadying herself as he pressed her flat with his much larger frame and the signal was given that the lord and Brogan had been found and secured.

"You'll be right behind me." Shani said as he gave them a path to escape and she said nothing more as she took the rope and stared to repel as she had been taught, running the moment that her boots hit the ground.

Outside the gates, Fiona had grown impatient with the fight, even as the Axemen worked quickly and the Calvary did their part. Armed with her crossbow, she made her way towards the front gates, Ashleigh left in charge of Roman for the time being.

"Sam! Riley!" She called, getting her daughter and her husband's attention. "Sam, lift me up! Riley, follow after me. We're going to burn ourselves a path in."

 

[KieranSoares]

Shani's path to the gap in the wall was mostly clear, the archers having lost sight of her or she'd gone too far to hit. But as she reached the wall, Qira wasn't with her. He'd disappeared from sight, his grappling hook and rope missing.



Sam dashed toward the barricade with his shield at Fiona's command, keeping them covered til the moment he dropped it and let Fiona step into his hands and onto his shoulder til she could reach the upper ledge. Tossing his shield up with her so they could cover themselves, Sam helped Riley up the barricade as well. "I'll get their lord out front an' center t'try to make them stop, but if all else fails, we'll blow the gate!" Sam shouted after them. They wouldn't damage the manor if they could help it, but the walls and gate were fair game.

 

[heartofcourage]

Shani made it to the wall and glanced back for her father, stopping briefly when she saw she was alone. He was gone as was his rope and hook. She didn't have time to think about the fact that he had melted into the shadows. As soon as she was through the wall, she was intercepted by one of Kell's agents and whisked away from the area, her mission done for the day.

Fiona pulled herself on top of the gate and used Sam's shield to cover Riley as she was joined by her daughter. "You're small enough to crawl into the spaces below. Use your flint to start a fire and we'll burn this debris away."

Riley looked at her Ma as if she had lost her mind for a moment. "Really?" She asked as she reached into her hip pouch and pulled free her flint and some wool.

"Really, love. Sometimes we have to do dangerous tasks." Fiona said as bolts thumped against Sam's thick shield. "Go. Quick."

Riley nodded and shimmied down between pieces of furniture until she found a good enough spot to strike her flint and get a sizable flame going. Fiona helped to pull Riley free and as soon as the two stood back on top of the barricade, Fiona pulled a small bomb free from her pocket and tossed it inside.

"Run." She warned, giving Riley a shove towards the parapets beyond to get her moving.

 

[KieranSoares]

Below, Sam pulled their allies away from the barricade while Fiona and Riley worked, doing his best not to alert their enemies on the other side. By the time everyone was clear, a massive explosion rocked the east wall and sent flaming debris scattering. In the smoke and dust, Brogan's bugle rang out and was soon joined by several others. Only an instant later, Axemen and cavalry charged through, smashing the twisted remains of the gate and what little furniture still smoldered there. A number of men moved in to clear debris away while the rest coursed through.

Atop his own mount, Sam charged in with the Northern banner, closely followed by a number of agents who had the manor's lord chained between them. "Lay down your weapons!" Sam roared at the manor's guardians. "Surrender now an' be spared, your lord has been toppled!"

Sam's demand seemed to split their enemies down the middle. Many men on the ground dropped their weapons and were rushed to the sides to be chained, but many still in the manor refused to give in. It didn't take much to get the main doors open, allowing the Axemen to flood inside. Once Sam was certain they'd gained the upper hand, he came galloping back to the archers and support who kept back from the main fight. "Shani! Brogan!" He called. "Where are they?!"

"I have them!" Kell's voice sounded above the din. Shani had just arrived at his side, being seen to by healers as they extracted glass and wrapped up her wounds. Brogan stood close beside with a shield borrowed from a defender, ready should a stray arrow or bolt come their way. He was still in the midst of an adrenaline rush, focusing on his job to avoid thinking about what had happened inside the manor and how he'd nearly lost Shani.

Sam came riding up and looked to Shani. "Where's Qira, love? We saw him up there with you, where'd he go?"