Hope Falls

"If you are confident in your abilities, then make a plan to save the day. Make the people safe. Heroes aren't made by doing as your told."

---

"Mauled?" Aodhän scoffed. "He will be flinging a pelt on his back and half way back here by now. It is Hawk."

“Hero.” Ruairi snorted, shaking his head. “Not a title I want, Princess. Often times hero’s are under qualified fools who just happen to get lucky, and another half the time they are lauded in death because they got themselves killed.”

---

“You think Florence will see it that way? Her husband bravely battling wolves single-handedly?”

"No, of course she won't. I believe it though, I can't believe anything else. He didn't want to go, was angry at us for sending him." Aodhän glanced over his shoulder with a frown when there was a knock on the door. "That didn't take her long."

---

"What title do you want?"

“None… Titles are heavy. They come with expectations. Labelling someone a hero is the worse thing you could do to them.”

---

“Would it take you long to come if you’d heard I was in trouble?”

"Mm, never call you a hero then." Avani laughed tiredly, interlinking her fingers with his and squeezing his hand tightly. "If you feel like you need to do something, for your colleagues, for your boss then you do it. Don't allow others to stop you from showing them how worthy you are."

---

"Isolde, Aodhän." Florence spoke before she had even opened the door. Her hair up in a messy ponytail, darkened circles under her eyes. Wearing the same dress from the day before, having thrown on the first item of clothing she had touched. "What is this? It is early. It is - you worry me, asking for me this early. Is Mor okay? Eira? Are you both?"

“I need to see that the men who returned make it through the next few hours. Once I have assured that then I’ll see what there is to be done.” Ruairi nodded, brushing his thumb across the back of her hand.

---

“Our children are fine, thank you.” Isolde had the door opened by one of the maids, gesturing Florence into the room. “Take a seat…”

"Take - Isolde..." Florence cautiously stepped inside properly, lowering herself down to sitting when Aodhän nodded toward the sofa. "What - what is this?"

---

"Is your boss - is he alive? If he isn't back with them?"

“They’re using him for ransom… from Kael.”

---

“Wyatt’s men came back this morning without him. We have sent men to talk to them, to pull the true extent of the story. But it appears he went down fighting and has been taken by the Wolves.”

"H- he.... what?" Florence laughed sharply, lifting a trembling hand up over her mouth. "I - I don't think I heard you right. Say that again?"

---

"Kael... not the Queen?" Avani wrinkled her nose. "That's... that's interesting."

“Wyatt did not return with his men, they were attacked.”

---

“He is Kael’s right hand man. He’s trained the boy with a sword and defence since he was well enough to do so… Kael sees him as a father figure.”

"B- bu- but he is alive y- yes? I - I would know if - if he wasn't wou- wouldn't I? A- and... and you have alre- already sent people to help." Florence stammered

“We received the news ten minutes ago. And ten before that we received the news that Indira delivered a stillborn.” Isolde said quietly, moving to sit down on the couch opposite Florence. “We have not yet told Kael of what is happening, he is already a broken man as you can imagine, this would obliterate him. As I said - we have sent people to find out what happened from the soldiers. Once we have ascertained numbers and the like, we will start planning to send help.”

"I - I am sorry for your grandchild. I hope Ka- Kael is able to grieve, hope he doesn't keep it brewing inside." Florence turned her gaze away when Isolde was in front of her to stare at the window, gripping onto her own hand tightly. Repeating the question, more desperately, "I - I would feel it if h- he w-as dead, wo- wouldn't I?"

---

"My father always used to warn Arzen and Ishaan to keep their circles small. Don't love. It just makes you weak, puts them in danger."

“Kael does the opposite. He loves in buckets. His parents, his sister. Wyatt and his son. Your sister. Fiadh, Ada and Dmitri. I do not think the boy could harden his heart if he wanted to.”

---

“I believe so, with the mating bond.”

"I thought so..." Florence whispered, "I - at least he is alive. At least- Maybe he wishes he were dead, maybe.... Plea- please have people out to find him by this evening, Isolde. Please..."

---

"Loves in buckets, is loved in return in buckets. He came to check on Indira which was... unusual for me. Men I have experienced will nod approvingly at it being a boy and not- not care of any implications to the woman."

“I do not know how many times I can tell you that he cares for her.” Ruairi chuckled then, “He does care for her, not just as a mother of his sons, but as his friend. If if those babies weren’t his he’d be here asking.”

---

“I’ll do my best.”

"You have plenty of staff, plenty. You can spare some of them to go and help the man who has served you, loyally, asked you how high when you gave told him jump." Florence whined. "You didn't even let him say goodbye to me this time! Doing your best isn't enough. You need to send people out to look for him by this evening, Isolde."

"You do not command her." Aodhän piped in sharply. "There are plenty of things involved here. It isn't as easy as it is in your head."

---

"Mm," Avani hummed, turning her head to watch her sister. Her thumb gently brushing against Rauri's knuckles. "I refuse to leave here until she is well, physically and in her mind. I will be writing to my husband and telling him to send the youngest of my boys over, all of them if he doesn't think he can cope. Isolde shall have to make room, or I will find somewhere to stay nearby."

“Once we have the information we need then we go to the Seers, and then we work out a plan based around that. I cannot just send another dozen of my men to their deaths or wounding with no planning. Hawk is important, but he’d be disgusted with us if we used his men as fodder for the Wolves.”

---

“You think he will allow you to stay here for that long?”

"I am already here, I don't believe he cares enough to send anyone here to collect me. It would cost more money than it is worth."

---

"Isolde." She sobbed then, leaning forward to bury her face in her hands.

“And you think he’d send your sons across the sea?”

---

“Florence. I am telling you what we are going to do. We will be sending help, when we have worked out the best way to do so rather than just bursting into action!”

"No, no probably not. It is.. worth asking, though."

---

She choked on the next sob as she tried to stifle it, lifting her gaze up to stare towards the wall.

"Keep yourself busy." Aodhän advised. "Thinking on it will do no good, whatever your mind is coming up with will torment you. Stay busy until we have an update for you, Florence."

“As soon as we know more we will inform you.”

---

“Of course not… what are their names, your children?”

"Rahul, Arnav, Rakesh, Aryan." Avani hummed the names softly. "I have a pattern with naming the boys. It sounds silly to say all of their names all together."

---

Florence shook her head, mumbling a thick, "Thank you." before getting to her feet and heading out of the room.

“Was it intentional to follow yours and your husbands initials with the boys?” Ruairi chuckled lightly.

---

“We have a funeral to arrange too… We will have to send someone to begin digging soon.” Isolde grimaced, running her hand over her face. “So much to do.”

"Yes," Avani grinned. "That was my idea, and he huffs and rolls his eyes whenever anyone notices but it satisfies me."

---

"We shall divide the jobs, one of us can focus on Kael and the baby. The other on Hawk, his men."