#ac fic

I'm so stressed to post stuff about someone else's content... ugh O_o ___I just need to post it... comme on... just publish and go to sleep...

Connor tucks his knees under his head, staring out at the clearing. There's a sizable buck in the distance, watching over a doe and a fawn. He could shoot the buck now, take it back to the homestead. Miriam has been wanting the antlers of a buck, and the meat would be good to trade. Connor's down wind. He could hunt it.

Haytham coughs, and Connor glares at the buck, ignoring the doe and fawn. He won't be the one to acknowledge the other first.

"If you are planning on ignoring me this entire time, I should just end you now." Haytham sighs, activating his hidden blade behind Connor. Connor is aware of Haytham - of the danger he could provide. Just like the buck, turning his back is dangerous. But Haytham is not behind him, instead sitting on the edge of his vision.

"I understand that you're," Haytham sighs, rolling his eyes. "upset, what with how I didn't inform you of General Washington's indiscretions towards your people, but-"

"Washington wasn't the one to burn my village." Connor interrupts, venom dripping into his tone. "He ordered it, and is as responsible of the act as the men who did burn it, but it was Lee."

"Connor, please." Haytham rolls his eyes, his voice disapointed. "You can't genuinely believe that Washington wouldn't do his own dirty work."

"I never said that." Connor glares deeper at the buck. "But he was retired to Mount Vernon when my village burnt, when my mother died. No other colonists were there. Just Lee and your men."

"I never ordered-"

"I know." Connor says, untucking his knees from under his chin. He moves into a crouch, glaring at the buck. "You never ordered my villages burning. You weren't here. But your men still did it. My mother's blood is on Lee's hands. My blood is on Lee's hands. My problem with you is not born from my problem with them."

"Excuse me?"

"You are a man of inaction." Connor says, his voice as scalding as boiling honey. "You do nothing, holding onto your secrets until it suits you to tell them. You lie and send others to do your dirty work until it suits you."

"Connor-"

"No." Connor says, standing and pulling out his bow. He lines his sights on the buck, watching as the doe and fawn graze near him. "You only make excuses, and you do not explain anything. I have no need for excuses. Not from you."

Connor fires, the arrow striking his target in the eye. The buck falls as Haytham rises. The doe and fawn dart off into the brush, and Connor walks towards the carcass as Haytham leaves. Connor kneels down next to the buck, and Haytham raises his gun towards Connor's head. He pauses, lowers the gun, and leaves.

Ace’s feathers laid flat as he continued to gently stir the little teapot he had ordered, while he forced himself to relax.

Just keep stirring, right? Gotta keep stirring to distill the… aura, or whatever.

A faint knock on the door startled him, his blue feathers puffing up at the thought of being spotted like this. Swiftly, the bird covered the pot behind him with his body, clearing his throat to call out, but still sounding cracked. “Come IN!”

Revvie gently opened the door after that, raising an eyebrow silently at his position and demeanor. “... I saw your post on the board.”

“My what? OH! Right right… the board post… thanks for coming, ace– Revvie. … I’m strong and good at words, mhmm.” 

They didn’t seem to believe that, but closed the door behind them as they came in. “Whatever you say, mate. What’s up?”

“Uh, sit down, we should sit down.”

Ace pointed to one of his chairs, and the human sat down, tapping their fingers on the table as they waited for him. Taking his teapot, the bird set it in the middle of said table and grabbed a cup, pouring some of his tea into it. 

Sitting down himself, he pushed the cup over to them, trying to keep relaxed. “Can you taste test this for me?”

Revvie blinked, but shrugged with a nod, taking the offered cup and looking back at him. “Since when did you make tea? I thought you were strictly a water or gatorade guy.”

“Tea’s just flavored water, right? Gotta uh. Gotta add some stuff to it so I don’t get bored of it.”

His beak snapped shut as they finally took a sip.

…

“Ace.”

“...yeah?”

“What the f–... heck, did you put in this?”

“Is it that bad…?”

Revvie’s stare softened slightly, and they put the cup back down. “Mate, the only reason I didn’t spit it out is through experience in politeness. Please tell me what you put in it.”

Deflating, Ace muttered an answer. “Just some weeds and leaves from nearby trees… that’s what’s in tea, right?”

The human’s eyes widened slightly, and they began rubbing their temples. “Hon, that’s most definitely not what’s in tea.”

“Oh… I’m sorry…”

“No, dude, it’s ok, I’m happy it was me helping and not someone else. I… Why don’t we look for actual tea together? That way we can find one that… won’t make you sick.”

Ace shuffled in his seat, hissing lightly. “It’s uh… not for me…”

Revvie blinked, squinting at him before smiling lightly. “Ah. You trying to be flirty? I dig I dig… for who?”

“............... Julian.”

“Damn, I owe Tommy two hundred bells now.”

“Galinn betrayed you.”

The words were cold and piercing - like a sword to the heart.

“Are you certain?” the words left Soma’s lips almost before Eivor had stopped speaking. Her heart thundered in her chest and she could barely hear the sounds of the longhouse around her. 

Denial.

She didn’t want to believe it, she wanted to say Eivor was wrong - she had to be mistaken. Maybe one of her other men found out about the tunnel by chance, Birna could have let something slip. Or Lif. Or Galinn.

Eivor, thankfully silent, just gave Soma a single nod. Soma felt Eivor’s sharp gaze on her, a quiet question in her eyes: 

What are you going to do?

The cold, rational voice in her mind whispered, ‘You trusted Eivor for a reason.’

Eivor was an outside voice, a mind not clouded by sentiment, and a heart not torn by the love Soma had for her closest advisors. Birna, Lif, and Galinn were the only people who knew about the tunnel. Birna never would let anything slip; she was a smart woman, a careful woman. She knew better, no matter how much ale passed her lips. Lif barely ever talked. 

Galinn … 

She glanced over at the table where her advisors sat. Birna was half reclined on the bench and leaning her back against the table. Lif sat next to her leaning forward and engaged in whatever Galinn was saying as he stood with his arms folded. 

Anger.

No. It was more like white hot rage that roiled in her gut. She stayed calm, keeping up appearances as a good leader should even though she wanted to clear every damn thing off the table in front of her.

How could he do this to her? After all she did for him? After she found him half dead and delirious in the fen and nursed him back to health. After he swore his allegiance to her. He made an oath.

She left the table and walked towards the trio, Eivor mercifully kept quiet as she followed close behind. That was good. Soma wasn’t sure she could talk quite yet as her mind went to the next step:

Bargaining.

Galinn could be reasoned with. She could offer him redemption, a way out of the mess he made. If Wigmund had offered him riches - Grantebridge was thriving and she could offer more to him than that pig ever could. Perhaps she could still use him to get to Wigmund? He need not die for this transgression. It would be a second chance. Her family could stay together and not be wrenched apart by this-

No.

He had betrayed her and broken his oath to her the second he decided to side with Wigmund. For whatever reason: money, fate, or a motive that only made sense in his complicated mind. He broke the oath and she’d never be able to fully trust him again. If she gave him a second chance: he’d betray her again; for that she was certain. What would it say to the rest of her clan if she let this one slide?

All the men and women who were injured during the frantic escape from Grantebridge. The drengr who had lost their kin to Saxon swords. All the people who had put their trust in her to lead. They’d never trust her again if she forgave Galinn for an offense that was unforgivable.

She quietly accepted the decision she had to make. The hardest in her life, somehow it was harder than leaving home to join Guthrum. She stopped short of the table and Eivor stood by her side, the question still hanging in the air:

What are you going to do?

“This will be the hardest thing I have ever done. Stay close by me Eivor. I will need you.”

Eivor crossed her arms and finally spoke the unanswered question, “How are you going to deal with this?”

“As a leader must.”

She got Galinn’s attention, barely able to look at him as she waved him and the rest of her inner circle over. The three stood in front of her and Eivor, solemn and questioning. Galinn, the snake, had the gall to look slightly confused. Pretending he was innocent after stabbing her in the back like this.

She closed her eyes, calming herself down before she spoke, “My family, my inner circle. Today we make sure what has happened will never happen again. We end Wigmund’s life.”

Lif smirked and cracked his knuckles, Galinn slapped Birna on the back. Again the snake acting as if he wasn’t the reason they were all in this mess. She turned her back on her family as she steeled her resolve for what she was about to do. She leaned heavily on the table, staring at the map. There was still a quiet voice in her head that said she could still redeem Galinn. That this could be avoided.

She had to deal with this.