The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Sadah! High speed and emergency drills!" Durban barked toward the dragoness. With a snarl, she practically chased the greenhorn dragons away from the Riders, roaring orders and herding them like a collie nipping at the heels of livestock. The dragons needed to commit life-saving maneuvers to muscle memory to save their Riders and themselves in the heat of battle. It was the split second reactions that made the difference between a treatable wound and a horrible death. Soon other decorated dragon officers were called to join her, giving the same harsh treatment and unrelenting force.

"Riders!" Durban snarled at their own trainees. He gave a glance to his brothers and niece, and brought his drake for Riley to use. "You all are gonna start runnin'. And we're gonna start huntin'. If we catch you, you better hope t'fuckin' God you remember how to grapple. If we pin you before you can undo your harness, you don't eat til tomorrow."

It was a classic form of young Axeman training. With no weapon, no resources, and no help, Axemen were expected to defend and free themselves and subdue enemies. For a Rider, being able to get free and deal with their safety gear would translate to high-stress situations in the sky where they needed to shift equipment, unhook, and prepare to jump free of a crashing dragon or falling broken saddle. Being able to get free and slow their fall was how they could give allies time to catch them and avoid impact. It had been drilled into Fiona and veteran Riders so hard that they could practice falling drills without a flinch, and even knew how to free themselves from enemy claws and fall on purpose if they were torn out of the saddle. The worst outcome was not death, but capture. If the trainers had their way, each Rider would be able to choose their fate instead of being taken prisoner, and someone might be able to save them if everyone was trained well and acutely aware of their allies' positions.

Now on foot while his niece and brothers were ready to chase, Durban menaced the Riders by drawing his axe. Trainers wouldn't hesitate to use the handle or flat of the blade to attack. With the Riders thoroughly terrified, Durban growled low.

"Five. Four."

The first few with the fastest reaction time fled in a panic.

"Three."

Some Riders tripped over each other and scrambled in the grass and dirt to dart away in a different direction from the group.

"Two!" Durban roared now that the last few began to clear out. "ONE!"

He lifted a hand to signal his kin. "Give 'em fuckin' hell, brothers," he rumbled. Boar and Brogan took off, dirt spraying behind their drakes. "Riley, hold... Hold." Saving the most frustrated and fastest for last, Durban reined his niece in just a couple seconds longer as her drake crouched low like a car ready to spring. Durban pointed his axe toward the frontrunners. "Bring me the fastest one. Show them no one is safe, lass. Go!"

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley let loose on her uncle’s drake with a volley of cracks from the reigns. As smooth as if she were riding Marth she set off after the leaders of the pack as Durban had commanded.

Fiona dismounted, pressing a kiss to Durban’s bearded cheek. “I admit, I’d have pissed myself in their position.” She said as she watched the recruits run for their lives. “I pity who Riley catches.”

Fiona turned to look at her commanders, giving them a slight smile as she left Durban’s side and came near.

“I suppose it’s not proper to get sentimental…” her words stopped as she caught sight of dragons flying in the distance.

She was speechless as she recognized Idunn, Diana, and Schaller all gliding with a great black dragon. “Did he…?”

She swallowed those words as the great black dragon banked and Fiona saw a tiny figure in distinct Voya riding armor clinging to the saddle. Tati’s seat and form were perfection, the dragon smooth in flight, but Fiona still felt something unnamed in her chest at the sight of her youngest on the back of an elder dragon.

 

[KieranSoares]

Markos, sitting high and proud in his strange saddle atop Diana, gave the lead to great Odessa of the Reven line and her little passenger. The Greek laughed brightly and called encouragement, complimenting the tiny Fox's form and confidence as that of a seasoned veteran. Idunn and Schaller watched from further back, comfortable but alert as Tati tried a new partner. Even Dzana came to join them, falling into formation with a tiny puff of pride to her chest. She saw Tati as Fiona's family saw Sveri: a fledgling they were all helping to protect and raise.

Schaller broke formation with Dzana taking up his position by Idunn, and he banked and sped up, coming in close above Odessa to check in with Tati. "You move with Odessa like you've known her all along," he called out with obvious pride. He was a little heartbroken in a way to see Tati achieving milestones and growing up, especially having been part of her Rider training. And for a Reven line dragon to accept one who was not Blackstone by blood was rather a powerful statement. It wasn't clear yet if Odessa and Tati would be partnered going forward, but Odessa's icy shell had melted in an instant upon introduction to the kit by Markos, her new teacher.

"She feels and understands all I am about to do," Odessa called back to Schaller, "more intuitive than many Callers I have flown with! You cannot convince me she is not of Margaret's blood."

 

[heartofcourage]

Tati said nothing as they all encouraged her to ride the elder dragon. It was rare that one so young might even have the strength to control the great beast, but when Markos had offered to take her flying, she didn’t hesitate.

The world around her was a blur of color. With her poor eyesight, she couldn’t see to command. It was all by feel. She could feel everything about the great Odessa. Every movement of muscle under scale. Every vibration from her voice. Every draw of breath. It was almost as if she were the dragon.

Tati gave Odessa slack in the reigns, encouraging her to dip towards the earth. She sat low in the saddle, dipping when Odessa did as the earth came up quickly to meet them. Perhaps she was showing off a little as she reigned in above the ground, Odessa gliding around the group gathered on the ground.

Fiona shielded her eyes against the sun that was burning through the mist, Odessa’s wake blowing against them all. She turned to watch the great dragon lift again, her eyes straying only momentarily to Sam. She apologized to her husband with that look, seating herself on Roman and taking off after the group.

Roman moved smoothly as Fiona gained ground. As they dipped back down to the earth, she lifted her arms to be snagged in Schaller’s claws.

 

[KieranSoares]

Roman, familiar with pickups by Schaller, maintained a smooth and constant speed, ducking his head low out of the way. Schaller's great claws closed around Fiona without snagging the saddle, lifting her up as she got a grip on his scales. He shot high into the sky, giving himself plenty of room to lose altitude with his next move. With the Rider Queen still regaining her strength, Schaller took on an odd maneuver developed specifically for dragons helping wounded Riders return to their saddle. He rolled upside down, allowing Fiona to crawl over his chest without fighting gravity as he slowly rolled back. It caused him to fall several hundred feet, but it was the gentlest and easiest way to help her, and he had room to spare. With his Rider secured, he darted after Odessa.

 

[heartofcourage]

She didn’t stay with Schaller for long. As soon as he was within distance of Odessa, Fiona was making her way to sit behind her daughter.

“Sorry for the intrusion, Lady Odessa.” Fiona called above the wind as Schaller hovered to make sure she was properly seated.

“Hi, Mama.” Tati said brightly, blinking up at her as Fiona got herself buckled into the harness.

When Tati tried to offer her the reigns she declined, shaking her head. “This is all you, little kit.”

Tati grinned even broader. “Tighten your hold.” Fiona instructed, watching as Tati corrected herself. “Pull back to your hips.”

Tati followed instruction, Odessa soaring skyward. “As high as you can take her.” Fiona murmured against Tati’s ear. “Lean forward the higher you get. When she breaks the cloud cover, give her leave to fly.”

Tati did beautifully, the clouds and mist rocketing by them. When the first break in the clouds came, Tati released the reigns and Odessa spiraled into the clear morning, her wings outstretched. Then they were gliding, far above the Scottish landscape.

“Take her towards the bay. As fast as she’ll go. Skirt the waves.” Fiona instructed, grinning as she simply had fun with her kit, the other dragons following their lead.

 

[KieranSoares]

Idunn, Schaller, and Dzana exploded through pockets of clouds, putting on a little show for their Caller and her daughter and joining in the fun without distracting from the moment. Diana and Markos fell further back, giving mother and daughter space and respect.

"I'll show you a game my mother used to play with us fledglings when we were in training," Odessa called to Tati and Fiona, deeply touched to be part of their bonding and getting her own chance to bond with the family she had lost. "Wave-dancing!"

She let her forward momentum run out, allowing gravity and her locked wings to drop them into a steep glide down toward the bay. She evened out just above the sea surface, her wingtips skirting the water. When a larger wave began to build somewhere ahead, she would pick up speed, shoot up, drop, and tap the crest of the wave with her claws as if skipping off of it, and shoot back up like she was leaping from wave to wave like solid rocks. It was a practice in fine flight control, making herself look graceful and mimicking bounding off solid ground despite it being water beneath her. For a young fledgling, it would've been fantastic and fairly safe flight training, the worst consequence being a crash into cold water. But Odessa was so adept that she barely got her claws wet and her Riders were treated to a lovely dance and a smooth ride.

 

[heartofcourage]

Tati kept her form as Odessa skipped across the waves like a dark stone. Fiona sat relaxed behind her daughter, almost imagining a moment like this with her grandfather if he’d told her about their family history. After a while, Tati guided Odessa back to shore with a little guidance from the great dragon. The landing was smooth as great claws dug into the rounded stones.

“Well done.” Fiona said, smoothing Tati’s dark fur back as she unbuckled herself and slipped from the saddle.

She left Tati to care for the dragon’s tack, a hand raised towards Markos to ensure that she did it all herself. She as more than capable. Fiona came to face the great Odessa, her fingers gently pressed against the dragon’s great maw.

“Thank you.” She said softly. “For treating my daughter like any other greenhorn.”

She took a step back so that Odessa could see her properly. “You are a beautiful dragon. You really do look like a dark night sky full of stars.”

“Lady Odessa, I cannot make up for all of the heartache that you have suffered. What I can say is that Ephriam never stopped thinking about you. I wish….i wish you could have known him as I did.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Odessa crouched low like a cat resting with her tail curled around her side, giving Tati access to the buckles and straps. As she regarded the Rider Queen- not just her partner's successor as a Blackstone, but a downright legendary figure that Ephraim had never been- Odessa seemed relaxed in a way Fiona could tell she hadn't been in a long time. And instead of dwelling on the heavy sadness they both held for Ephraim, Odessa pushed her maw back into Fiona's hands.

"You carry yourself as he did in his prime. I see him clearly in you," Odessa murmured. "And I see what has passed to your kit. You honor him." As cold and stiff as she'd been initially with Riley and others, she seemed to have warmed quickly thanks to Tati, and now she radiated deep affection for the Fox she should've known all along. "Across oceans and continents, I knew he loved you. The moment I arrived here, I could feel him again, waiting to aid you in your fight. And now, I intend to do the same going forward, as is my charge as Reven's kin."

Feeling her saddle come loose, Odessa shifted and smiled to Tati, helping her roll the leather up for storage. "And now, look at this little one. A true successor to my dear brother. Did you know, Miss Tatiana, that your great-grandfather was a natural Rider like you? Our mothers were lifelong partners and Ephraim and I were partnered practically at birth. He was in a saddle before he could walk, as I've heard you and your siblings were. He was only a little older than you when my mother took him wave-dancing and I tried to follow along, a clumsy little fledgling only just learning to stay aloft."

 

[heartofcourage]

Tati struggled slightly with the gear, more so because it weighed so much. "When...my mother died...mama took me...home." Tati said to Odessa, no sadness in her voice as she explained how she'd come to the family in her own way. "We flew...when I was...a baby."

Fiona gave Tati a soft smile, pausing when she felt Schaller nuzzle against her and she gratefully sat down on his offered hand. Tati was well aware of her birth, a story that she and Sam had told her from the beginning. The story was hers to tell, which she always did if someone asked. There was no sadness. Only remembrance.

"Tatiana is a Voya, like my mother was. She spends most of her time with them and has learned a great deal." Fiona explained as she watched Tati work. "Tati was born during a blizzard. Her mother went into labor early while hunting with Tati's father. Tati was the only one that made it through the storm. Samuel, my husband, nursed her through countless nights in front of the fire. We knew that she was ours from that point forward."

Fiona glanced towards Idunn and Diana as the dragons approached them as well, settling into the beach to rest after their flight. "Idunn. Would you tell my son that I expect to see him this evening before supper? He's been hiding from me for far too long."

 

[KieranSoares]

Idunn, ever a quiet sentinel who gladly accompanied Soma and kept to herself, nodded with a slight bow of her head to Fiona. "I'll carry him to you if need be. He was supposed to take a break some time ago and he never did."

"A typical Ghis," Schaller rumbled and sighed. "I had hoped he wouldn't take so much after his parents."

Meanwhile, Diana deposited her Rider on the shore and settled. Markos approached Odessa and Tati with a proud smile. "Well done, little fledgling," he complimented the kit, kneeling beside her and observing as she expertly wrapped up her gear for Odessa to carry to storage later. He agreed with Fiona's approach of letting Tati figure things out herself with gentle guidance, and he only offered help when asked or when she struggled due to her small stature. He had taken Fiona's request to heart to teach Tati, but he was still getting to know the kit and building a foundation of trust before they got into deeper lessons of history and the like.

Once Tati was finished, Odessa allowed the kit to perch on her arm and welcomed Markos to join them. Once all of them were settled together- a harmonious circle of dragons and their Riders- Schaller regarded Idunn once more.

"What has the young Ghis been up to?" Schaller asked with a slight curl of the tip of his tail. "I'm afraid we've all been occupied elsewhere or resting."

"Planning. Scouting. Assisting his aunt. Communicating with distant allies and coordinating for the day everyone is ready to more north," Idunn replied with her typical immense calm. "He works from sunrise to sunset, and typically comes to me after dark. He struggles to sleep sometimes, but luckily I can help him with that. I don't think we've spent more than a few nights apart since the battle with Hesperus. As long as he sleeps and doesn't miss meals, I have let him do as he likes. He knows I don't tolerate him not taking care of himself."

"It's good to know he's being looked after," Schaller muttered. "Thank you, Idunn."

The dragoness nodded slightly, looking to Fiona. "He has spent time with Tati and others, but I know he needs his mother more than anything. I only hope I've managed to keep him going long enough to get the help he needs."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was staring at the pebbled beach, her gaze far away as she thought about Soma. She found if difficult after her fight with the Hunger to stay in reality, often slipping into the beyond. She heard their words, but they were muffled as if by wool. It took a few more moments before she finally blinked, taking in a deep breath as if her body had forgotten how to fill her lungs. Glancing at Markos, her eyes were darkly shaded for just a moment before she blinked again, and they were back to normal.

"He is cursed with the Ghis madness...and the Blackstone blood." Fiona murmured. "It's been a long time since there were two Blackstones in a generation. Perhaps having his sisters will help him more than he realizes."

She thought for a moment about her father and her newly found sister, Blair. The roots of the tree were solid and thick, but the tops of the tree had thinned, leaving each of them with few choices for blood family. "My father had another kit. I pray every day that her burden as a Blackstone is less than mine. To be a caller is a type of madness. One that we learn to deal with or perish."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I am younger than many Elders here, but old enough to know what you speak of. If not for the long period Rider and Dragon alike had to hide... More would be known and shared about how to support Callers in their dark moments. Your children have gifts unique from yours, but a similar struggle with the waking world versus dreams and the beyond. I believe Soma is starting to truly unlock his abilities, and they are somewhere between yours and Riley's. His ability to communicate, even wordlessly, with my people is astounding. Even with those of us who cannot speak, even those who cannot connect well with other Callers."

"Aela and Skald- a wild mates from Svalbard, if you haven't met them- were his first taste of communicating with those of our kind that even our Queen could not," Schaller murmured. "If his experience is like Riley's, he may be struggling to stop the tide of dragons' thoughts and emotions. Reven's line is known for their deep mental abilities, and Soma seems to have the ability to hypnotize as well."

"Reven's influence is strong in him. But I've also noticed his own unique ability. All Callers develop something... Passive. For Samuel, it's his newfound connection to nature. For Soma... I believe it's part of his talent for scholarly pursuits. His memory is practically perfect. And I imagine it makes everything else difficult, if he can't forget or push things aside and get a break."

Schaller glanced down at Fiona, noting how it felt like she drifted in and out mentally. "Little Fox... Are you alright?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“You ask a loaded question.” Fiona said with a soft smile on her face, tilting her head to look up at Schaller. “I’m a dreamer, Schaller. I always have been. However, something has changed. The veil has remained thinner since I fought the Hunger. Since so few of us have survived…I supposed we don’t know what to expect.”

She sighed and patted his scales, standing to looking at all of those around her. “A dreamer, a scholar, a naturalist, and a warrior.” Fiona said with more confidence in her voice. “That leaves Tati to be the only true Rider amongst us.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Markos looked up and offered a smile. "Someone needs to have a little peace among us. But I hope you'll have a bit of your own before long. Your family is growing restless. Inverness isn't far. And just beyond it, the end of this conflict. I look forward to seeing the places Ephriam wrote of in his books. My mother loved his work."

"I too wish to see the place he fell in love with,* Odessa added softly. "Steris read from his books for me, some years ago. And Tati has already shared a couple of poems."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You might be disappointed by the life that we lived.” Fiona said softly. “It was full of struggle. Nothing befitting a man like Ephriam Blackstone.”

“And most of the land burned during the last war.” She turned to look at Odessa. “When I was pregnant with my eldest. I had to fight the emperor for my life. If the trees hadn’t burned as they did, I might not have survived.”

Even now, her hands could feel the freshly burned ash, the image of slinging them into Barbossa’s smug face burned into her memory.

“I learned in that moment what I would do to survive. His specter still haunts me, but I would kill an emperor to protect those most vulnerable.” She glanced towards Tati, knowing that it was probably her first time to hear the story. “I’ll do the same to Royer when the time comes.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know Ephriam didn't live in riches or great comfort, and there were many struggles that I'd rather none of you faced. But Inverness was his home and yours. Many died to hold the line while others fled to Scandinavia. And your husband's clan has lived there for hundreds of years. Inverness may be full of complex memories... But it is still home to people Ephriam and you care about. And it is where many rest, whose graves deserve to be under the care of their successors."

Odessa spoke with conviction befitting one of Fiona's loyal lieutenants. None of them were from Inverness and none had known it long, but they had all fought, bled, and nearly died in the hope of restoring Inverness to their friends' care.

Looking down to Tati, Odessa sighed softly. "The Judges will still need me, as my Lord Eshai's successor. But I will aid the Blackstones any way I can regardless."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Well, until the time you are required to return with the Judges, you are welcome to stay with my family.” Fiona said.

Before earlier afternoon, Fiona allowed Schaller to carry her back to the castle. Tati stayed behind with the dragons and Markos. The young fox was eager to know every bit of information that Markos had to share.

Safely back within the castle walls, Fiona entered her apartments to rest. She was exhausted easily and needed solitude before the evening meal. She paused when she saw a roaring fire and Sam sitting in front of it.

“Old habits.” Fiona murmured as she carefully removed her leather pieces and carefully slipped into his lap.

Resting her cheek against his chest, she sank into his familiar scent and warmth. “You haven’t talked much since everything happened.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was in a state that was becoming more common since Fiona's victory and slow recovery. Now that she didn't need constant care, he had been splitting his extra time between helping where he could with Kate, and working on getting himself back into what he called "decent" shape for supporting their allies and the war effort. Primarily, he had been getting some lost strength back in his bad leg once it was clear it could recover and wouldn't need additional surgeries or amputation. He had traded his crutch permanently for a cane, and had been working on simplifying, strengthening, and updating the brace design Boar had been using for years. Fiona found him wearing a new prototype- made of a combination of light leather straps and close-fitting iron supports that looked far less bulky and much lighter than the old design. He was bound and determined to walk without a cane again at some point, and his previous work on hip support for Fiona had fed into his work for the knee brace and was bringing his goal within reach.

Having his wife settle into his lap seemed to instantly relax Samuel Ghis in a way that nothing else did. His broad arms draped around her with a comfort and familiarity known only to them, and he buried his face in her hair with a half-smile. "Hiya, beauty... I know I've been quiet. Maybe I'm just... takin' it all in. The fact that you made it. That we're still movin' forward. Seemed impossible a few weeks ago... Felt like my world was ending."