Stoatorian Guard Rainblade-Ryalors Private Completed Where We Began

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil's confusion turned briefly to surprise, then to mournful reflection, his paw tracing the leather strips woven around the hilt of his mother's blade. "I never knew," he remarked, his voice quiet. "Uncle Talinn never talks much about Mum's youth. He doesn't talk much about her at all, really. She's always been a big mystery." He hesitated before adding, "I feel like I lost her before I really got to know her. I know we've just met, but... well," he deferred, "if you ever feel like talking, sharing any stories of what she was like, I would feel honored." He glanced toward Caden before adding, "And I'd love to learn more about Minister Freemont as well. I know your feelings are mixed on her, Caden, but I'd be happy to learn more about what she was like from a beast she called friend once."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"'Mixed' is a good way to put it," Caden said, unable to completely keep the sardonic tone from his voice. He watched Tanya closely, trying to discern her reaction to Daniil's words. He felt like he was caught in a valley choke point, enemies encircling him. Talking to the older vixen about his parents had been simpler, if not easy. At least in that case he was well enough in control of a portion of the narrative, and there were no secrets with the potential to completely and violently reorient the reality of a beast he cared deeply about. With Daniil and Tanya even simply skirting around Vaelora's history, there were too many opportunities to veer into territory that Caden's nerves told him would bring about his demise from some exotic poison that killed him as slowly and painfully as possible.

He tried to shove away the paranoid thoughts as the energy of mild panic told him to get up and run. Internally he was at war; externally, he assumed an expression of engaged interest. "It seems there will be a lot of reminiscing in order for you, Tanya." He forced out a small chuckle. "Perhaps Daniil and I should have you over for dinner--and Jeshal, too, of course. I'm sure you both could keep us entertained with stories from the old Imperium."

I just may need to have a word or two with you first, Tanya. The prospect of telling her everything was terrifying, but even more terrifying was her finding out through somebeast else. 'Gates, he wanted to melt away into nothing in that moment. But he kept a hold on Daniil and did his utmost to keep up the affect.

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

A sympathetic nod followed Daniil’s words: she knew nothing of her parents, not really, and certainly not even the name of her mother. She could well understand his eagerness to know more than what he had observed; how she would manage to balance honesty with protecting Vaelora’s wishes would take some more serious thought, considering how close to danger her admissions had already come. Getting me back for that runaround for the Brushes after all, eh, Mina.

Eyes darted to Caden as she reflected on the observation. “Mmm, seems like there’s a lot of that to be done: me own fault for leaving for decades, I suppose,” she chuckled. Any discomfort the marten might have given off was read by Tanya as a general unease for which she couldn’t blame him in the wake of their conversations. “Dinner’d be nice. As for entertainin’, well…Jeshal’s the better storyteller of us both so I wager he’ll have a tale or two, though maybe less about your parents. If either of you’ve been here long it’d be nice to get some tales about all we missed an’ what the biggest changes are. Feels like the city’s as overwhelming as it always was, but…be nice to hear your thoughts on it all.”

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil glanced toward Caden, getting his read on the offer, before looking to the vixen and shaking his head. "I'm afraid I don't know much," he admitted. "I'm rather recently arrived from Westisle myself, and from what Caden's told me, he's only been here slightly longer than I have. Really, in a way, this is a homecoming for all of us." His paw slipped into Caden's and he squeezed it affectionately as he looked to the marten with clear fondness in his eyes. "I guess it's really fate. We both left the Imperium around the same time, near the same age, and both came back together. I like to think that the gods, or whatever there may be, wanted to pull us back together again."

He glanced to the vixen, adding, "If you want some really good tales and gossip, though, my sister Mileya is a fiend for it, and she's been here far longer than I have. She's been stationed in Amarone for the last decade, and from what I gather, she knows everyone's salacious secrets. I could always invite her to come visit and give you both an introduction."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"Considering what you've told me about her already, it seems she would know anything worth knowing in the Imperium," Caden said. He gave a nod to Tanya. "I've tried to catch up on the history and politics since I returned, but I've really only collected the broad strokes. I'm grateful I missed the civil war, at the very least. It sounds like I missed some of the worst days to be in the Imperium and returned in time for the country to see itself revived."

He returned Daniil's paw squeeze and affectionate gaze. "I'm glad for many of the changes for the better I found upon returning. In Varangia, beasts like us do not need to hide, which is one of the reasons I stayed there. I remember realizing my inclinations as a young beast here and being afraid of what that might mean for me. I was concerned when I came back here that it would be the same as when I left. Now, though, there is much greater acceptance, even at the highest echelons of Imperial society."

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

Mileya. Tanya hastened to recall to mind what Dusk had mentioned of the vixen. “…our representative in Amarone - 'Gates, she's the spitting image of Armina now, it's disconcerting sometimes to see her, I keep forgetting she's adopted and not Armina's own blood.” Already she could feel a prickle of dread for how she might break composure at the sight of the vixen, but perhaps that was all part of her penance for the damage she’d done across the seasons. A test of her old poker face. On the matter of practicality it would always do to be better informed of all she had missed, though at its core she knew any of the trio raised by Vaelora would prove impossible to resist keeping an eye on. She owed her niece that much after failing her. She nodded at the offer, keen to spend some more time with family regardless of the ache. Perhaps she could bring Kinza and Lorcan along: it would be good for them to have some connections of their own.

Green eyes turned back to Caden, nodding agreement at the mention of the civil war. Truth be told from the sounds of things she was not convinced she would have survived had she remained, let alone the fallout which came as a result. To think that she and her husband had escaped just before the city fell into such chaos.

Her expression softened when the marten spoke of his relationship and the fears of returning: maternal affection for the pair, and the closeness they displayed, made her immediately protective of their happiness. For the most part she had always been afforded the luxury of her preferences being of no concern, though the possibility for an alternative to taking a husband had rarely crossed her mind. As for the interspecies nature of their relationship….well, she would have been quite the hypocrite after the crushes of her youth. “I’m glad to hear it,” Tanya replied, “the city would be far poorer without beasts like you two in it. Seems like plenty’s changed since last I was here what with woodlander inclusion an’ all, but if anybeast happens to take issue with you two, feel free to point ‘em my way.” Lips quirked into a smirk. “I’m certain the both of you are plenty capable of handling yourselves, ‘course, but the offer’s there. No need for young and upstandin’ citizens such as yourselves to dirty your paws with the ignorant.”

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"We've had a fair bit of that already, dirtying our paws with the ignorant." Caden rolled his sore shoulder, rubbing at it with his paw as he recalled the fight in the supremacist tavern. He was glad that Tanya had taken it well in stride, accepting both him and Daniil without so much as any semblance of awkwardness or hesitation. There was something he felt at her offer of protection, a warmth of gratitude and even something akin to a feeling he had not experienced since he was a kit.

It took a moment to place, but a distinct memory of his mother suddenly surfaced. It was so vivid in his recollection, Caden did not know how he had forgotten it until that moment. They were on the deck of her merchant vessel during those brief years between when Sken left the Imperium before her eventual return. Their ship had been attacked by pirates and his mother and the crew were fighting off a boarding party. He was supposed to stay belowdecks and out of sight, but of course he did not listen and charged into the fray with his dirk. At six years old, and a small kit at that, even with his training and scoring several good hits on the enemy, it did not take long for one of the pirates to take hold of him and attempt to use him as a bargaining chip. Sken did not hesitate. The look of cold fury on her face made Caden's hackles prickle even as he remembered it. She had charged the offending pirate, moving faster than Caden--and likely the pirate--thought possible. He was not quite sure what happened, probably because he closed his eyes as he saw his mother's sword swing, but he felt blood pour out onto him, and when he opened his eyes he was looking down at the pirate's head on the deck in front of him. His mother took Caden and placed him behind her, standing between him and the enemy like an immovable wall.

"Stay behind me, Cade," she said. "Nobeast is going to hurt you, I promise."

And they didn't. Outnumbered as Sken and her crew were, the fury and love with which his mother protected him did not know defeat that day. When it was all over, he recalled breaking down in tears as she held him close.

Blinking in the present, Caden realized he had been gone in the memory longer than he thought, and his eyes shone.

"Oh," he said softly. He took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry. Just got lost there remembering something from the past, my mother...she..." Caden tried to find the words to explain. "Well, Tanya, suffice to say that it's been a while since I felt the warmth and comfort of something akin to maternal protection. I'm very grateful for your care."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil looked to Caden as he was lost briefly in his own reverie, and he found his eyes watering in sympathy with Caden. He knew too well that feeling of getting lost in the past, remembering those who were gone. He put a paw around Caden's shoulders and held him comfortingly, his other paw stroking the marten's shoulder and back. "It's okay," he murmured, then glanced to Tanya. "It's wonderful to have you here, Your- Tanya," he corrected himself before he could use another royal title for the vixen. "We might not be the family to each other that any of us expected, but one thing the Harbor has taught me so far is that family is the beasts you love. By that metric, I have more family here than anywhere in the world, and it just keeps growing."

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

Once again the intensity of emotional response caught the vixen off-guard and for a moment panic flared that she had said the wrong thing. Hers had been a life of suppression and avoidance: anything outside of anger was to be locked away, rarely displayed lest it be seized upon as weakness. It had been the only way to survive. That Caden and Danill felt comfortable in the expression of how they felt – and with her of all beasts, after such a short time together – suggested something achingly poignant.

Perhaps there was hope for the future of this place after all. Sken, you’d be so proud of him.

Deflecting her gaze for a moment to blink hard before her own glassy eyes could betray her, the vixen twitched her ears and relaxed. “Oh, the pair’ve you,” she chuckled, voice strained with emotion for a breath, “you’re enough to make an old crag like me go all mushy. I might not be either of your mothers, but know that if there’s anythin’ either of you need, you can come to me an’ know I’ll do all I can for you. And you’re right, Daniil: this place brings all sorts together, and it ain’t always about blood. Much as I was keen to get shot of this place last time, I think that’s what pulled me back. The beasts.”

She sat forward a little, a glint of mischief lurking in still-shiny eyes to try and offset the discomfort being so openly affectionate often felt. Still, discomfort be damned: she knew her heart and these two were helping her heal some part of it. “You two might be responsible old adults now, but I hope you weren’t thinking you could say those kind things to me and escape without a hug.”

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden settled into the warmth and comfort of Daniil's touch. He suppressed the urge to let out a small purr, not wanting to make Tanya any more uncomfortable than she already appeared to be with the open display of emotions. At her suggestion of a hug, he grinned and glanced at Daniil with as much mischief as the vixen displayed.

"Well, I normally reserve hugs for family, but I suppose she's close enough." He stood and, opening his arms wide, scooped the small vixen into a hug, lifting her from her chair with little effort. For all the words that had passed between them during the course of the conversation, the physical contact cut through even the deepest of reservations he had about her. She was probably one of the closest connections he had to his parents, and the only of his mother's friends he knew to still be living and in the Imperium. He hadn't realized he even had a need for such a touchstone to his past, but something within him felt a distinct catharsis at reconnecting with Tanya in such a way.

He set her gently back down on her footpaws and gave her one last squeeze before releasing her and taking a step back with a smile. "I'll never be too old or responsible for a hug. Just ask Daniil how I feel about hugs."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil's soft, throaty chuckle was a far cry from Armina's high barking laugh (almost a cackle really), but there was something of her in his smile as he stepped forward and, with far more gentleness and composure than Caden but no less warmth, bent to hug his great-aunt. "He's very big on hugs," Daniil confirmed, "and so am I - just in private, not public. Displays of affection that way make me uncomfortable." He patted Tanya on the back before releasing her, straightening up. "So," he inquired, "what will you be up to in the Harbor? Uncle Talinn will certainly want to see you, I'm sure."

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

A gentle ‘oof’ escaped the vixen, mildly startled by the speed and ease with which the marten so gracefully scooped her into an embrace. It was ridiculous to feel such, really, given his size and the fact her youngest was predisposed to indulging in similar hugs, if only to tease or prevent her from causing mischief.

Sure enough something deep-set within her own heart dislodged then and there. Caden was, for her, likewise a connection to a past long thought lost. He was a chance to do right by those she had hurt most. It was a pain and regret she had long through buried, surprised to find healing in, and she found herself uncharacteristically melting into the hug with a solid grip. The future of the city would be in good paws with beasts like these two: despite everything thrown at them they had grown up so well.

Daniil likewise caused a skip to her heart, a vulnerable intake of breath she hoped he would not notice in registering his expression, the gentle hug. How in ‘Gates did he manage to remind her so much of her niece when they weren’t even of blood? It made her heart ache, and despite efforts otherwise she held the embrace a few moments longer, eyes closed tightly, before disengaging.

“Beast after me own heart, there,” she murmured with a wink to Daniil, burying the grief in demonstration of the subject. “I ain’t so good with showin’ emotions out and about myself. As for your uncle Talinn, aye, reckon I owe him a visit,” she replied, the sharp flick of her tailbrush a contrast to the musing expression she wore. “After that, who knows? It’s quite freeing being in the city a free agent for once, but suppose I’ll need a job again eventually. What of you both, though? Both Guardsbeasts these days? How’s that been sittin’ for the pair of you?”

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden held off on commenting on Tanya's visit to Talinn, and felt something within him shift towards anxiety again at the mention of the todd. At some point he would have to face the elder Ryalor, an eventuality he was not keen on. Thankfully the vixen quickly shifted subjects to something he could comment on with ease. Settling back down beside Daniil again, he threw a casual arm about his partner's shoulders and leaned back in his chair.

"It was easy enough to land a job instructing recruits, at least once the powers that be believed who I was and what I've been up to the past thirty years." Not typically taken to boasting about his experience and skill, Caden was able to take some pleasure in knowing Tanya would be interested in the broad strokes of his story. "Since I left the Imperium as a teenager I did a stint in the Armöstan military, then started my own mercenary crew. Ran some, uh, wild campaigns with them, which included taking part in a revolution and personally unseating the genocidal king of Armöst, splitting the country into three allied states. Got paid handsomely for that. One thing led to another in the years following, and eventually I saw myself finished with that career and settling down to train army recruits in Varangia."

He rubbed the back of his neck, sadness tinging his voice. "Certain events brought me back to the Imperium, and it seemed a natural continuation of things to use my old connections in War to keep training beasts. I prefer to keep out of action in the field these days if I can, considering I have an adopted daughter to raise, and I was glad the Ministry was amenable to allowing me a position where I stay out of trouble, at least on duty." The jack looked around at the room, gesturing to the space with his free paw. "It's a bit strange, being back. Some of it seems so familiar, yet so much has changed; it's a bit like walking around in a dream some days. But I have a lot of reasons to be grateful for being back and the life I've been able to start building here for myself and my daughter."

His gaze met Daniil's and he gave the todd a warm smile.

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil looked to Caden in interest, the story clearly being a new one to him. His gaze turned sad at the mention of what brought Caden back; the fate that had befallen the marten's family was truly unfair, and while none of them had talked of it, being present for and witness to Caden calming Asta after her nightmares had been enough for Daniil to understand the gist of what had happened. More than anything, the Freemont-Delgaard family deserved peace. Hopefully the Imperium would give them that.

Daniil met Caden's smile, though it was a little strained by knowledge of how much it had taken for them to get here. "You grew up here," Daniil remarked, "so I'm sure you have stronger memories of Bully Harbor than I do. I was only here for about a year before we went back to East- Westisle," he corrected himself, remembering to use its new title only belatedly. "For me, it's almost like it's all new; at most the recognition is hazy, half-remembered." He shrugged as he added, "There's also been too much that's happened since. I couldn't tell you where was the apartment where I was raised, or if it even exists anymore. The Ryalor Embassy from back then is gone; that whole complex burned down and was built over. It's basically a whole new city to me."

He smiled and added, "At least I have the best teacher here to guide me now. I'll admit, being in the Guard wasn't my first choice, but, well, at least I can do some good here." He looked to Tanya and added, "I'm sure if you wanted to come back to the Ministry of War, Minister Grovsnor would welcome you. Weren't you part of the Black Five or something? I think I remember Mum saying something like that."

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

Interested Tanya was: she listened intently to the marten’s tale of travel and campaign, a small pang of nostalgia for the vibrancy of youth tinging her more technical interest in the politics of warfare. Whilst the parent in her would forever be unsettled at the thought of a beast so young introduced to such bloodshed, Caden stood as testament to his own talent and resilience. Brows raised appraisingly at the mention of his work in Armöst, making note to ask him the details some time. That certain events remained undisclosed did not bother her so much as the inference that the call to the Imperium had not been a happy one, but at the very least he seemed to have fallen on his paws with a decent job and Daniil.

The vixen’s expression softened to quiet understanding as he described the surreal feeling of his return; she could well empathise. Every street corner, sometimes nigh unrecognisable, still carried the ghosts of those she had known, loved, and loathed. Thoughts on the matter did not linger, however, and Tanya smiled to hear of a daughter. From the sounds of it she’d found a good father.

Green eyes flicked to Daniil as he gave his answer, whiskers twitching at news of this Ryalor Embassy. It had seemed that many old structures had fallen to the ravages of time and disaster which had swept the city streets over the decades. She could hardly pass comment, however: she’d exploded the Ministry of War on her exit. You’re welcome for the new fancy building.

The question turned to her previous involvement within the Ministry. Ragged ear flicked uncomfortably and, just for a moment, something haunted sat behind her eyes. She’d been so young when she’d taken the post, naively hopeful she was doing the city some good from behind the curtains at the expense of staining her own paws crimson. She’d been too young. Worse yet, involvement with Gordon’s assassination had all been another rung on the ladder.

“Oh aye, I was part of the early Black Five. Served as the Last Quartermaster back before I was Minister of War,” Tanya replied. “Truth be told the ‘istory books won’t have a fraction of the work I was asked to carry out for the Emperors of the time. Likely a good thing, too.” She scratched her muzzle. “…Temptin’ to ask for the job back as it’s familiar enough, but I ain’t so sure it’s wise these days. I wager the way War is run is also a fair bit different to how it was back in the day, but I can’t grouse too much at progress. Maybe there’s still room to lend a paw with consultin’ or training up a new Quartermaster.” This time she wrinkled her nose in playful disgust. “‘Course that’d mean early starts all over again on a payroll.”

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

The jack rubbed at his chin in thought. "I can't say with confidence how similar or different it is, having been a kit at the time, then keeping my head down under Brudenell before I jumped ship from the Imperium altogether. I'm sure dropping your name would put you a bit higher up than the standard pay for a new recruit," Caden said with a chuckle. "It certainly did for me. Well, that and impressing a few beasts on the training ground."

He nudged Daniil with his elbow "Though with this one, I impressed him in quite the different way during training, hm, Daniil?"

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil blushed a deep pink at the comment and the nudge. "I may have found your technique to be quite advanced," he mumbled, trying to recover some of his composure.

 

[Tanya Keltoi]

“Ha! Cheeky sod.” Tanya shot Caden an affectionate grin at the teasing before reaching out to pat Daniil’s shoulder. “Now you play the long game: white fur shows blush well, though somethin’ tells me you already know plenty about that.”

They seemed a well-matched couple: dear to her as Caden had ever been, and now Daniil since learning of him, Tanya was delighted to see that they were content and good for each other. If the city was kind to them – and ‘Gates she prayed it would be – a well-deserved future lay before their paws. There was plenty still to discuss, and doubtless some more uncomfortable truths to uncover, but at the very least they had the support of one another.

Dusting herself down, the vixen adjusted her coat and shook her head with a smile. “Well, this all being the case I shan’t hang around and interrupt whatever training it is you two’s were planning on undertakin’ this afternoon. No doubt it’d all be a bit too much for my old sensibilities. It’s absolutely lovely to get to see you again – and meet you proper, Daniil. No doubt your mother’d be proud as anything to see where you are. Both your mothers, actually.”

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden stood and pulled Tanya into another hug, less forceful than the previous embrace. "Thank you for stopping by, Tanya. It really means quite a lot that you were willing to talk to me about all this." He ran a paw through his headfur and let out a deep sigh. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I first ran into you at the Bilge, but I'm glad you're back in the Imperium."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil smiled, filing away the note about getting Caden to blush for further use. So far he'd failed to scandalize the marten in any way, but perhaps a few conversations with Tanya about his infancy would yield some suitably embarrassing stories. "It was delightful meeting you too, Aunt Tanya," he murmured, leaning forward to join the hug with an arm of his own. "Please, even if you don't reach out to Uncle Talinn, do keep in touch with us. I would be quite interested in hearing your stories of the old days." And more about Mum. The hints at a wilder, freer Vaelora were intriguing to him, so unlike the kind and loving vixen who had adopted him or the reserved statesfemme that House Ryalor had memorialized. I haven't been to her grave in a while, he realized abruptly. She'd been buried with state honors in the same Bully Harbor cemetery usually reserved for captains and ministers - indeed, where there was probably a memorial to the presumed-dead minister in his embrace. As a young orphan the symbolism had gone over Daniil's head, but he later appreciated the boldness of Nadia Darkon's decision to treat his mother not just as a Vulpinsulan, but as one of the best of them. Maybe we can go to visit her grave as a family.