The Young family had been to the Boston docks several times but this time, everything felt different. They stood in the same place that they had met that dark haired, porcelain skinned woman. Now they said goodbye. Eleanor was temporarily distracted by hysterical cries from nearby. Ecstatic women were running towards sailors that descended from returning ships, dropping their bags to embrace them. Sisters, daughters, wives and sweethearts were all laughing and crying, swung around by the men as they placed hundreds of kisses on the faces of the cherished people they hadn't seen for months, looking like they'd never let go.
As Edward caught his wife watching this scene, he smiled and put his arm around her, drawing her closer like they were the same young lovers that they observed. The group continued their stroll until they took a turn and headed toward a more isolated dock where a large vessel was waiting.
"There she is, the Ragnarök." Iain said, with a wave of his hand toward the imposing ship.
"That's you new vessel? My goodness!" Eleanor commented wide eyed as she caught sight of the first rate man'o'war. Her leathery black sails blending with the dark coloured hull and bronze lining was such a contrast to Iain's quiet and gentle personality but fitted well with Victoria's sombre outfit and her public mask of aloofness. Like the woman, the vessel would easily fade in the darkness of the night.
Her husband recognised the three decked warship as the Prince class first rate warship that escorted them alongside Marshal Garrett's flagship, the Minotaur. Edward was transfixed by the rather impressive eight bow cannons which gave the Ragnarok forward firepower equivalent as an entire broadside of a sixth rate vessel.
"Wow, you didn't exaggerate when you said that ship is huge." Victoria said in voice close to a whisper.
"What is that?" Anne asked, pointing a finger toward a snake like creature wrapped around a terrestrial globe. The level of details on the figurehead was staggering from the continents featured on the sphere to the scaly appearance on the beast whose chin rested on his own tail as it stared ahead. The elder of the Young children felt a little creeped out by the monster expression twisted in a horrific grin, as if it was about to devour a tasty meal.
"Jörmungandr, it's a giant snake from Norse myths that crew so big it surrounded the earth and could even grasp his own tail. The god of thunder Thor defeated it in the apocalytic battle of Ragnarok and it cost him his life." Mary's eyes shined in recognition while the adults looked at her astonished with the exception of Victoria who smiled proudly at the girl.
"How do you know that?" The older sibling asked Mary, alternating between jealousy and impressed by the knowledge displayed by her little sister.
"Err... I like reading." Victoria's protegé blushed self conciously at the attention from everyone as she rubbed the back of her neck in an embarassed manner which only served to endear the girl even more to the grownups.
"I can't believe this is goodbye," Iain sighed, shaking his head in disbelief when the group reached the gangplank.
"It doesn't have to be goodbye," Edward put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "As soon as this is over, you can return, or we can visit you, wherever you are."
"Assuming you'll both be in the same place," Eleanor added with a mischievous glint to her eye and a sly grin.
"No doubt," Victoria confirmed, returning a grin of her own.
"It'll be strange travelling without you barking orders over my head," Iain smirked.
"I suppose this is the end of Captain Young for now," Edward laughed, "but I have no doubt the adventures of Captain Keith will surpass my own."
"Thank you, Edward," the men shook hands, clasping each others' wrists as is commonplace among brethren.
"For what?" He chuckled, giving a rather confused expression.
"Well, for a lot," he smiled, "you've saved my life, brought me closer to the woman I love-"
Victoria blushed, bowing her head as she tried to hide the redness that spread across her features with her dark hair. But when Iain put an arm around her and drew the Assassin closer, she lifted her head again to reveal a perfect smile. The two girls 'awed' in unison, just as they had done when Victoria wished Iain a safe journey by kissing him goodbye on their last voyage.
"-And you've been a brother to me, Edward," Iain concluded.
"You've been a brother to me too, Iain," Edward replied, "And you will continue to be for a while yet."
The Scotsman gave a sharp nod, confirming this bond.
"Until we meet again," he said, embracing Edward, "May fortune favour you."
"You too, good luck in your adventures."
"We'll think of you," Eleanor added, hugging the man herself.
"We'll miss you," the girls cried as the goodbyes became too real and truly permanent.
"I'll miss you all too," Iain replied, hugging the girls together. To him, they were like nieces, his own blood relatives.
As the sailor stepped back, the Assassin stepped forward to give her own goodbyes to Edward and Eleanor. She in turn thanked Eleanor for the role she had played in bringing the two together. It seemed that the Youngs had been working together, whether consciously or subconsciously, to push the fated lovers towards each other.
"I don't want you to go," Mary whined, refusing to let go as she wrapped her arms around the towering form of the Assassin.
"I'm sorry, but I have to," she sighed, "but think of it like this. It's not really goodbye because I'll be back, okay?"
"You promise?"
"I promise I'll see you again, Mary," Victoria vowed, hugging the young girl. Like Iain, Victoria felt that the girls, Mary in particular, were like family.
"I hope that stands for the rest of us," Eleanor said, embracing the woman.
"Of course," she smiled, "we'll be back before you know it."
"As soon as this is over, we'll set the course straight for Massachusetts." Iain said, taking Victoria's hand as they started to depart.
The two ascended the gangplank as the crew began to go through the regular routine of setting the ship to sail.
"Anne," Eleanor said as she stood behind her, one arm on her daughter's shoulder, the other around her husband, "why not sing us a song?"
"What song?" She asked.
Edward smiled, his arms around both his wife and youngest daughter.
"Something to wish them farewell with," he said.
"But it's not farewell," Mary said, looking up at her father with a frown, "they'll be back."
"Just farewell for now," he added.
"I think I know the right song," Anne decided.
As the ship began to pull away from port, two figures stood at the back, arms extended in a wave. The sun hung behind them, casting a silhouette of the ship and its crew. Blinking in the light, the family returned the gesture of farewell, as the sounds of the dock faded into insignificance when Anne began to sing. By the time the song was nearly over, the ship had grown small and now possible to distinguish the figures aboard.
"So fill to me the parting glass,
And drink a health whate'er befalls,
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call,
Good night and joy be to you all,
Good night and joy be to you all."
So that's it, the last time we'll see Victoria and Iain, for a long while yet anyway. To see more of them, go check out they're own story, Born In A Storm by RedTitanAlpha. Iain started off just as a secondary character, created by my friend to aid my story while Edward was away in France, but soon became something so much bigger, so much more important than just a background character. I'm so thrilled to see a story of the pair and after being told some incredible features that the story will include, I'm really excited for its full release and I totally recommend it!
For the rest of Brother's Fall and One Feather, just wait around for their imminent return after Shay has wreaked havoc upon the Assassins. Iain and Victoria will be back. After all, it's not really goodbye.