Storm

Harry's Game

Ryan looked up from the carving he was working on, splinters digging into the callouses on his fingers as the knife glided over the wood. His careful gaze scanned the treeline, in hopes to see his sister coming home, but his hopes where constantly dashed every few minutes as realization started to sink in.

When he knew that his sister wasn't coming back, he allowed his thoughts to drift into a pleasent day-dream, Iris's pale hair and stunning eyes flooded his brain, causing a rare smile to grace his rugged features.

Suddenly, a pair of fingers flashed in front of him as a dull snap echoed through his eardrums. "Yer majesty, are ye with us now?" Asked the advisor and elder of the clan, Sharon O'Patricke.

"Ah!" Ryan shook his head slightly, blinking as he focused on the woman who raised him in his teenage years. Sharon chuckled a little and sat next to him, clasping her hands together, looking up at him a serious look. "I know about the towns girl, Ryan." She sad in a low voice, making sure no one could here her.

"I figured ye would, I could never hid much from ye." Ryan said with a weary sigh, looking up at the cloudy sky, knowing that he had never been able to hid anything from the one woman that could ever take the place of his birth mother.

Sharon noticed the closed off look on Ryan's face and grew stern. "Oh no, we are talkin' about this." She warned, pulling on the back of his shirt to force him back into a sitting position. Ryan grunted as his tail bone collided with the log, pain shoot up his back.

"She is of a different life than you, Ryan. She would never fit in here if you asked her too, and it would be wrong to ask her to choose between you and her father." She reprimanded, standing up to face him. "Not only is it unethical, but it could prove to be dangerous for both parties."

"Dangerous?" He snapped, standing up tall, towering over the woman, her frustration boiling over in his body, turning his blood hot with anger. There was nothing dangerous about being with the woman he was falling for, at least not in his mind.

"Yes, dangerous! If her father found out, he would come after you. This would force the girl to choose between her lover and her father, and how unfair to her would that be?"

That caused him to pause, he had no doubt of the disapproval her father would hold if he found out, and it could possibly grow violent, something that he wouldn't mind. But he had never considered how Iris would feel about the situation, or how she would be torn apart from the choice. He never thought that she would possibly choose her father over him.

"Leave me," he ordered in a slow, calm voice. "Leave me to my thoughts."

Sharon opened her mouth to argue, but say the darkness clouding his eyes and thought it best to leave him be.

Ryan straightened his spine, clasping his hands behind his back, opening up his chest to face the bridge, his eyes narrowed as he let his thoughts drift off to his best coarse of action.

XXX

The soft, melodic sound of Iris's hum followed her as she wandered dreamily through the owns square, ignoring Sophie, who had been trying for five minutes to catch her best friends attention, but to no avail. Iris had been acting like this for a couple of days, and it was worrisome to all who knew her well. Sophie gave up as Iris danced about as she headed down the ally way, in between the Inn and the courthouse, on her way home, deciding that is would be pointless to try and drag her friend down from the clouds where her head lay.

Iris sang softly, a song with no coherent words, only sounds that came out in song, her vibrato lilting and gentle as she closed her eyes, paying heed to nothing around her, only the gypsy who had stolen her heart.

"Hey, watch were ye are goin'!" A gruff, harsh accented voice snapped at her moments before two bodies colided into each other. Iris had been so far into her day dreams that it took hew a few moments to realize she had run right into Colm Mikhail.

Iris snapped out of it and took a quick step back. She, along with everyone in the town, knew that Colm was a violent man, even when sober.

"I, ah, I apologize Colm." She stammered, hoping her quick apology was enough to spare her his sharp tongue.

Colm looked down at her from the bridge of his nose, his startling blue eyes are sharp, like a cut of ice, just waiting to make someone bleed. "Watch it, Calloway, wouldn't want to get hurt." He warned in a low tone, his accent harsh and unforgiving.

Iris swallowed as she looked down. "I'm sorry." She muttered, turning to leave, and quickly.

Colm grabbed her arm, firm and unyielding, but no where near enough pressure to harm her. "Also, Miss Calloway, if ye are to continue to meet that gypsy, I would recommend being more discreet." He said softly, not meaning to be cruel, but to simply warn her against making a mistake that could end lives.

Iris's heart grew cold as she realized that she had been caught. "Colm, I know we barely know each other, but I beg of ye, don't tell anyone." She whispered, her breathing hitched in her throat.

"Be careful next time, Calloway. That's all I have to say." He let her go roughly and took a few steps backward. Iris didn't even look back at the man who could ruin her life, instead, she ran home, her blood pounding in her ear, causing a splitting headache.

A throat being cleared broke the silence after Iris had spent a few seconds catching her breath, leaning against the door. She looked up, and knew that she was done for.

XxX

Ryan looked around nervously, his red scarf fisted in his hand. He had found a note, from Iris, in one of the trees by the town telling him to meet her by the well.

"Ryan?" Her soft, lilting voice called out, startling the gypsy out of his worry filled stupor. "My love, are you alright?" He ran to the petite blonde, smiling.

Until he saw her tear streaked face.

He took her face in his hands, stroking away any more tears that dripped from her delicate eyelashes. "Iris, whats wrong, what's happened?" He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers, but she made no sound to answer him. "Iris?" He urged after what seemed like forever.

"I can't be with ye." She said slowly, biting back a fresh wave of tears.

Ryan laughed softly, leaning down to kiss her, think she was joking, only to be pushed away. "No, Ryan, stop. I'm being serious." She said in a brave voice.

The gypsy frowned as he attempted to pull her into his arms, confused as to why the change of heart. She looked up at him, her eyes turning cold, the spark of life he so adored disappeared.

As hard as he tried to push her into speaking, the more she remained tight lipped.

At last she spoke, "Ryan, leave. There is nothing for ye here now." Ryan's eyes misted up, but e refused to let her hurtful words bring him down. He straightened up his spine, hid eyes turning as cold as Iris's had become.

"Fine." One word, stated in the bitter tone of loathing, almost broke the young blonde as he turned sharply and walked away.

When she knew he was gone, Iris allowed herself to let the tear fall over her reddened cheeks, her throat tightened as she covered her face, her knees shaking with the effort to stay standing.

The bushed rattled as Keith took a few wary steps towards his daughter, his eyes sad, but his face determined. "Ye did the right thing, Ir-."

"Don't. Ever. Speak. To. Me. Again." She barked, spinning to face him with fierce eyes, the periwinkle turning to a burning ice. "Ye had no right to make me do this." She snarled, his chest heaving with her labored breathing.

"But ye still did it, so therefore, ye had yer doubts." Keith said impatiently, trying to keep his temper down. "Ye didn't believe ye could be with him."

"But I was willin' to try." She snapped, giving him a seething look before running past him.
"Iris!" He called after her, running after her for a few feet before slowing to a halt, deciding it best to let his daughter think things through on her own.