Posted July 26, 2021, 4:45 p.m. by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) (James Sinclair)
Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - Seek And Ye Shall Find… Whether You Want To Or Not
Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - Seek And Ye Shall Find… Whether You Want To Or Not
Posted by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - Seek And Ye Shall Find… Whether You Want To Or Not
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
They approached the drive for the main estate, there wasn’t any traffic. Those staying were settled and those leaving had already gone home. Runa stopped them before the gate, where all the shields were hanging. She reached up, in an impressive show of upper body strength, and pulled herself up, unhooked her shield from where it was hanging, dropped quietly, and then reaching between the wrought iron snagged her sword from where it was leaning against the fence. Sword slipped onto her belt and shield on her back, she took his hand and kissed Capall with all her heart. She knew he may not be familiar with their traditions or even the McKenzie ones, his parents not having seen value in them, but he was worth it. And she was going to do this the right way, because she wanted him to know he had value for himself and that she knew he was worth it. Then taking his hand the walked through the gate.Capall hesitated, his size refusing to let Runa drag him through, and then looked at her. “Only for you would I do this.” and he stepped through and onto the grounds.
Runa turned and looked at him, dead serious. “We leave, right now, and never come back. There is nothing here for me with out you. We’ll walk away and make our own life.”
Capall looked down at her and smiled. “Here or not, we make our own life. This is just… family stuff.” and he leaned down and kissed her in front of the onlookers.
There were whispers at first. Runa expected it and she simply held Capall’s hand and kept walking. There were insults from the McKenzies and Edmans a like.
Capall was unfazed. The only reaction to a particularly cruel taunt from a young Edman woman standing next to a young McKenzie man was a gentle squeeze of Runa’s hand.
Runa turned her gaze on the woman, letting her see her face, and she was shocked. “So easily we forget, Ella, to Rise from the darkness,” Runa’s voice was soft, a reprimand but kind and a hint of understanding the woman’s confusion, but that clearly she was wrong. Ella stepped back and grew quiet and contemplative. “I’m sorry Runa.”
“No offense taken, lass. Pretty close with the term about my mother, though.” Capall said with a nod.
“OH MY GODS RUNA! Where have you been we’ve been searching EVERYWHERE!” Ada came up in a rush, comm in her hand, =C= Revna we found her!=C= Runa looked at Ada, “Found me? I wasn’t lost.” Ada waited for a response and wasn’t really look at her. “Revna’s been trying to comm you for HOURS.” Then she looked up, eyes landed on Capall and her whole body language changed, “Runa?” She held out a hand to her. “I saw him across the wall, he was trying to get at you and Ragna.” She lifted the com to call Ragna and Seamus. The whispers were spreading, but Runa stepped closer to Ada, taking Capall with her, by sheer momentum and the look on her face making Adam back up.
Runa
“Easy, love.” he whispered. “They’ll certainly spare you… me not so much. And there has been a lot of drinking.” he reminded her.
“I can handle drunks.”
Capall looked around and said “This is a lot of drunks…”
Soon, however, they found themselves approaching the main bonfire. Seamus looked up and snarled slightly, standing and drawing his sword and stepping in front of them. “No, Runa. Just no. This is not the time or the place for… for… for whatever this is.”
Seamus
Runa stepped right in front of Capall, blocking Seamus and she didn’t blink. As he drew his sword she shrugged the shield down onto her arm. She wouldn’t draw steel on him, her brother, but she wasn’t going to back down. “Seamus, I gave you my word, if there was a problem and I needed your help I would tell you. Well I’m telling you, there is a problem, but it’s not a Marshal problem. We’re going to see the Chiefs, Michael and Revna. Now you can call Ragna and the two of you give us an armed guard if it pleases you, but we’re going.”
Runa
A voice silenced the crowd that had gathered to backup Seamus and protect the Chiefs from the traitor. “Enough, all of you… Seamus, let them pass and say their peace.” Mike said, standing up and fixing Runa with a glare. As they got closer he said directly to her, not even acknowledging the form of Capall in their midst, “Runa… this isn’t my bar on the Atlantis. As much I love you, you don’t make the rules here or get to break them and then say ‘Its cool I know the owner.’. And this? Sister… this is way past stepping over the line.”
Mike
Runa came to a stop several feet away from Mike. She met his gaze, and she was hurt, he could see it. In the bar? Sure, they were friends, family, she would do anything for Mike, for Revna. But this was serious. She loved her clan and she would never ask him to break rules for her. “No this isn’t some bar on a distant space ship. This is half of your clan seat.” And she looked at Revna who had walked up to join Mike. “I’m not asking you as family,” and she unclasped the thora pin on her dress, marking her as an Edman daughter, and tossed it on the ground. She wouldn’t ask Revna to go against Mike, they had to be united and so she wouldn’t ask that, she wasn’t here to ask that.
“Or as the clan Shaman,” the capelet came off, tossed to the ground, the turtle brooches too, “but as a clanswoman,” she looked at Revna, “As a shield maiden to declare to you, my chiefs, that I choose this man, Capall Sutherland as my own, and I am his. That I choose to share his fate, to have my name added to the list of útlagi!”Runa
There was a ripple of shock and uncertainty among the Edmans, and some of the McKenzies who understood the fate Revna was choosing for herself. There was no coming back. And Runa was choosing it on her own…
Mike watched and took Revna’s hand, squeezing it to let her know everything was fine. As everyone looked on, Mike turned so that his face was hidden from Runa. He looked at Cuyler and Helka, who had concerned creases on their brows now. This was a step they hadn’t anticipated on Runa’s part…
Revna squeezed his hand in return. Runa was serious, like REALLY serious, Revna could see it in her eyes. She was going to give up everything for Capall without hesitation. Runa was going to beat them all in their sleep for this.
But then Mike winked at them and grinned.
He turned back to Runa and Capall, his face serious and still ignoring Capall’s presence, and said “Fine. If that’s the way you want it, Runa…” and he paced back and forth a moment. “So tell me… where is this man that has driven you to seek such measures?” and he stopped in front of her.
Runa looked at Mike with a blank stare, then a scowl of confusion. She and Capall looked at each other, then back to Mike. Capall spoke up, for once his voice not quite certain. “Lord Michael… it’s… it’s me she is with.”
Mike looked at Capall as if just seeing him for the first time. “You?!?! No… that makes no sense. It can’t be you. She said the one she is doing this for is some slimy English twit named Sutherland.” Mike reached into his sporran and pulled out Capall’s letter, complete with seal. He slowly walked over to the fire, held it out, and the dropped it in the flames. He then said “Oh, ‘scuse me. Too much mead.” and turned to face away from everyone. A few motions of his arms, and then a steady stream of liquid fell onto the ashes of the charred and destroyed paper.
Jumping up and down once for full effect, Mike dropped the front of his kilt and turned back. “You are Capall McKenzie. I don’t know who this Sutherland jerk is, but I think he’s tryin’ to steal your woman, Cousin.” and he started to grin…
And then everyone lost it.
Mike
Runa was all for a good prank, but she was confused…she wasn’t sure if Mike had just pulled a really good one on he, or if he was so drunk the laughter was proceeding something really bad. Her gaze returned to Revna who took one more look at Runa and collapsed on the ground in fits of giggles. Helka was drapped over Cuyler’s arm, unable to stand on her own, Cuyler was crying, his howls of laughter carying over the crowd. Oddvar and Tara were sitting next to each other. Tara grinned evily at Runa, so similar to the way Mike smiled when he was up to something. “Girl you should see yer face!” Tara bent double, stopped from flopping side ways into the dirt by Oddvar’s quick firm arm around her waist. He helped right her and then settled his arm along the back of her chair. “Did you see that Tara? She was gonna throw that shield of hers into the bonfire too!”
“And not take it off her arm first!” Tara cried and then howled, causing Oddvar to nearly topple over in a fit of laughter before Tara caught him, holding him in place by throwing a leg over his lap.
Behind them Seamus and Ragna had collapsed into a heap together, Seamus pointing and howling, then giggling, then gasping for breath, and then laughing some more. “Ya deserve it for pickin’ on my wife all da time.” Ragna looked at Seamus, “Aww…hehehehe…are ya tryin’ ta protect me?” She looked at Runa, and then collapsed onto Seamus’ chest in fits of laughter. The rest of clan was…confused at first. Those close to them knew right away something was up, but it quickly spread out in waves across the entire assembled clan.
It took Runa all of a second to take it all in, and then dropping shield and sword on the ground she threw herself into Capall’s arms. Kissing him, devouring him, in front of everyone.
Runa
Capall had no idea what happened, but Runa’s lips on his made everything seem… well… right. He kissed her back and the clan, with word spreading of what happened, began to cheer… until the chant started. GET-A-ROOM! GET-A-ROOM!, led by Mike and Seamus of course. Capall pulled back and looked at Runa. “Here, love. Let me help you.” and he released her and began picking up her things… including her sword. As his hand closed on the grip, there was the ring of steel coming free and the point of the McKenzie blade held the sword from coming higher. Mike looked at Capall as the crowd fell silent.
Runa was busy reattaching the turtle brooches before half her dress fell off. At the sound of slithering steel she spun, her blood turning to ice. Mike looked like he was going to do something a whole lot worse than kill Capall…and so did Seamus, and her Da had taken a terryifing step towards the group, Oddvar had lifted Tara’s leg off his lap and stood, Devlin, Terje, Eldrick, and the rest. Runa knew instantly what was wrong. Her voice was tinged with tears, “NEI! Jeg har ikke gitt ham det ennå. Det er greit! Det er ingenting å gi tilbake. Revna, få ham til å stoppe! (NO! I haven’t given it to him yet. It’s okay! There’s nothing to give back. Revna, make him stop!)” Revna was by her side instantly, holding onto her. Ragna laid a hand on Seamus…the others heard Runa, and she might think it was okay, but they didn’t.
“Now then, Cousin… a quick lesson in traditions. That there in your hand is Runa’s sword. She gives it to the one she chooses as hers. You go and try to give that back and I’ll just so happen to take that hand off.” There was an eerie silence, and the tension mounted instantly. Capall looked up the length of the blade…
And grinned.
“Oh, I know exactly what it is.” and he slowly stood up, turned to Runa and said “I don’t know all the traditions by far… but I know this one.” He took the blade and slowly pulled it free of it’s sheathe, giving her plenty of time to object.
Runa wasn’t going to object. She had no idea what tradition he was thinking of, but whatever it was, she was going to give him the sword anyway. She didn’t object as he pulled it free.
With a lack of objection, Oddvar sat back down, grabbed Tara’s leg and placed it back in his lab and winked at her. Cuyler and the rest waited but not moving off.
Once clear, he took the edge and laid it against his palm, wrapping his hand around the naked steel and gripping it one-handed. He knelt before her on both knees, taking her hand and wrapping it over the one on the blade. Blood ran slowly down the blade and dripped from the point into the dirt.
“No pain will stop me from loving you. No blade will keep me from you. I pledge myself, my heart, my blood to you and you alone. I am bound by this oath as long as my blood courses through my veins or the veins of those that come after me. As long as it stains the earth below, and the sky above looks down on my promise; as long as my breath lasts in this life and the next… I am yours. I swear by your blade and my blood… now and forever.” and he looked up at her and smiled.
Tara looked incredulously at Capall. The only one to hear her soft words was Oddvar…
“An oath of blood and steel… Oh, Capall… she better love you…”
Capall
Oddvar reached an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “She was going to banish herself and all her children for him, she loves him.”
Runa knelt in front of him, gently released his grip on the blade and wrapped her own hand around the blade, placing his hand over hers and squeezed, her own blood mixing with his, running off the tip of the blade into the dirt together. She pushed the hilt of the blade against his chest, “This is my sword, I give it, my life, my heart, and my soul into your keeping. It is no longer mine, but yours. For endless life times, for all the beats my heart will take in this life or any other I am yours.” She took his bloodied hand, drew it across her shield and then her own, “For as long as I have breath and blood I will shield the same that is yours.” She reached down and ripped a long piece of cloth from her dress and wrapped it around his hand and then holding it in hers, kissed him over the bandage, and then copper gaze met green. “I will heal all your pains and fear no blade as long as I have you. This I swear by your blade that was once mine, and our blood that stains the ground and by all the gods watching or not. I will always be yours Capall Mathe McKenzie.”
Runa
There was ripping sound and Mike stepped forward. “Gimme your hands, both of ya.” As they held out their hands, Mike produced a strip of the McKenzie tartan from his own kilt and bandaged each of them. “You both can make a f$#@!ing entrance, thats for sure.” he said with a grin. He then looked at Runa…
And gave her the grin.
Turning, he said “Three weddings tomorrow!” and the clan erupted. Then Mike looked at Capall and said “Whats your favorite color?” Capall stared at Runa, and simply smiled and said “Purple, why?” Mike chuckled and yelled “Ragna! Revna! Runa needs a dress! Purple! With lots of lace and frilly s#!+ on it!!” and he clapped once and walked off laughing.
Capall watched him leave and then said softly “Is… is the Clan Chief really that crazy?” Seamus came up from behind and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Cousin… you have no idea.” and he smiled and wlaked off to find Ragna.
Capall looked at Runa. “I never expected this… but I always expected you. I just… knew.” and he took her hands in his, as if the bandages were not even there.
Capall McKenzie
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