Storm

Stand and Deliver/The Highwayman

Iris absent-mindedly picked at her bread, dipping the flaky pieces into the stew that she had almost over-cooked, the meat was tough and the vegetation had a burnt flavor. The only good thing about the stew was its broth, rich with the cooked down meat and herbs she put in.

Her father said nothing to her almost disastrous supper, for he as to far into his own thoughts to pay much mind to what he ate. "Father, what do ye know of the king of the gypsies?" Iris asked after a few minutes of consideration, a frown settled on her ace. "Do ye know of him?"

Her question had pulled Keith out of his head, a stunned look passed over his face. "Beg pardon?" He tilts his head to the side, unsure if he caught her question.

"The King of the Gypsies, do ye know anything about him?" Iris asked again, growing nervous over the cloudy look her father gave her when the words settled in his brain. "Why would ye want to know, Iris?" He asked, suspicious to her motives.

"Oh, its only a curiosity. Sophie mentioned him and I wanted to see if ye knew anything." She answered, for though she lied about Sophie mentioning him, she was curious about what her father knew about the man who captivated her every thought.

Keith sat straighter, his eyes clouding over with thought. "I know his name is Ryan McBrennen, he earned his title by killing those who were in his way, for he was an overly ambitious man. He took no care for anyone in his troop, except perhaps his older sister, but that could be because of some oath he gave to someone else. As much as I don't like the man, I will admit he keeps to his word."

Iris nodded at her fathers assessment, gnawing on her lip. "Have ye ever met him?" She said the words quietly, almost as if she were afraid to know.

"Only in fights, little flower." He admitted. "In fact, he vowed he would have his revenge on me one day." Keith smirked. "Though, I highly doubt he can keep his word on that. I have bested him in fights every time we met."

Iris stood up and cleaned the table. "Are ye going out tonight?" Keith laughed softly, smiling at his daughter fondly, happily. "Ye are full of questions this evenin', aren't ye? Well, to answer yer question, aye. I am headin' out tonight." He wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

Iris gave him an apologetic smile. "One more, then. May I stay the night at the Mikhail's? I'd rather not be alone after the battle with the gypsies." Keith rose a brow at her reasoning. "Are ye afraid they will come back?"

She looked down at the dirtied bowls in her hand. "I don't think the Gypsy King will stop coming back until he gets what he wants."

Even if it is me.

XxX

Unfortunately, Iris didn't have the time to warn Sophie to cover for her as she ran, bare-foot, through the woods. Rocks, twigs, and brambles dug into the delicate soles of her feet, causing shoots of pain up her legs, but she paid no heed as she stumbled into the clearing, panting, doubling over for breath.

"Ye didn't need to kill yerself to meet me here." Ryan's silken voice sounded amused at Iris's display of exertion.

"If I was dead, I wouldn't be here." She countered, standing to her full height and looking him dead in the eyes, pursing her lips together. "Why did ye want to meet me?" Her voice was hoarse and breathless, her hands, shaky, were placed firmly on her hips, her chest heaving as her lungs sucked in the air greedily.

Ryan said nothing as he circled around Iris, his lips turning upward in an awkward smirk, which Iris found adorable, not threatening as she figured he was wanting it to be.