“You don’t know for certain?” Liliana asked as she stuffed Sanura’s blanket into the rucksack.

Curtis sighed and shook his head, speaking quickly as he packed spare food. “I took the most roundabout paths I could but I don’t trust them. Everyone was extra tense because of the uprising.”

“Maybe they won’t come. Heavens know they have plenty else to trouble them.”

“Still... better safe than sorry.”

Both tied up the packs they were filling then set them by the back door. “Bo?” Liliana called as she stepped into the main room. “Isabeau?”

Brianna stuck her head out of her and her sister’s shared room. “She’s out with Ronon.”

“Tell her to get back in here!” Curtis snapped.

“I did, Pa, but she was...”

She trailed off as Sniffer began barking outside.

“Isabeau!” Lilliana dashed to the door and yanked it open, hastily scanning the outside. The meadowgrass, tinged with gold, was softly swaying in the breeze. It would have been a lovely afternoon if not for the threat clinging to her heart. “Isabeau!”

Sniffer was standing on the road, barking and dancing in place. A few moments later Liliana spied Ronon hurrying towards the house from the forest, carrying Bo. Liliana reached out her arms for her daughter as Ronon neared and he handed her off as she spoke. “Mama we saw them – there were a whole bunch of them coming!”

Liliana set Bo down, her hands shaking as she locked eyes with Ronon. He was panting and curtly nodded. “Run. I’ll hold them off. Just get out.”

She shook her head. “Ronon – you can’t.”

“They wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me, now get out!” He shoved her into the house and shut the door, grabbing a shovel as a weapon. Liliana and her girls grabbed their bags then made for the back door, catching Curtis’ attention out back and he hurried them towards the barn.

Ronon’s chest heaved as he stalked forward, stepping onto the road beside Sniffer who continued to sound the alarm. Five men on horseback were galloping down the road towards him, spurring their horses faster when they caught sight of him. Several shouted a raised their weapons yet Ronon did not flinch, raising his shovel.

Brianna caught sight of him on the road as she ran, holding Bo’s hand. She could see the mounted men charging towards him and looked away, letting out a cry of fear before entering into the barn.

Ronon lifted his head, watching the pounding hooves of the horses as they neared, bringing the roar of thunder with them. Fifteen yards. Ten yards. Five yards. At the last moment he dropped his shovel and leapt at the oak beside the road, latching onto a rope. His bodyweight pulled against the braided twine, lowering him as he swung and the opposite end of the rope yanked up a net that spanned the width of the road. The horses yanked their heads back but it was too late – the startled animals rammed against the netting.

The force of their momentum yanked the rope back and Ronon hissed as his back was slammed against the trunk of the tree and his palms burned as the rope heated and tore at his flesh. He held on for as long as he could bear then let go, dropping onto the ground and rolling down the slight hillside as the suddenly slackened net tripped and tangled the legs of the horses. Mounts and riders smacked against each other and the ground in a flurry of shouts and panicked bellows.

Ronon climbed to his feet, taking a moment to assess the extent of the damage his trap had caused before rushing forward again, grabbing the shovel and taking it to the first man who recovered, knocking him upside the head.

Liliana and Sanura were on one horse and Bo and Brianna on another as the four females galloped out of the barn, heading for the cover of the woods. Curtis watched them go, his heart hammering in his throat, then grabbed a pitchfork and ran across the meadow to assist Ronon.

The Satedan was trying to get to their attackers while avoiding the flailing legs of the ensnared horses. One mare broke free and charged off into the meadow, dragging her screaming rider with her by his foot caught in the stirrup. Another of the horses recovered as Ronon tackled one of the men who struggled to his feet, punching him in the face before yelping as his side was cut open by a blade. The man utilized Ronon’s distraction to shove him away then swiftly raised the knife again, bringing his arm down only to have it hit the handle of a pitchfork as Curtis intercepted the stab.

Ronon rolled away, staggering to his feet as one of the horses bolted past, knocking into Curtis’ back, making him stumble. The other two riders had recovered and one rode in-between Ronon and the man with the knife, allowing him to get back to his feet.

“Get the hell off my land,” Curtis snarled.

Smith looked down at him from his mount then smirked, lowering his prod Curtis’ face. Ronon stiffened, holding a hand to the bleeding cut on his side, catching his breath as Curtis glared at Smith. Smith jerked his head at the other rider and the man dismounted, stepping over to the dying meadow grass and setting it on fire with his prod.

The veins in Curtis’ neck began to show. “No!”

The rest of Curtis’ family watched from the treeline. Bo had dismounted to grab Sniffer’s collar when she approached. Liliana began to urge her girls to look away as soon as she saw Smith level the prod at her husband’s face. Bo followed her gaze and shouted. “Pa!” Before the mounted Brianna or Liliana could stop her, Isabeau broke the cover of the trees, Sniffer at her heels, racing towards her father, only slowing once when she noticed the burning grass that had been blocked from view by the cabin.

Smith whipped his head around towards the trees when he heard Bo’s shout and Ronon screamed and lunged, yanking Smith off his horse and slamming his fist into his face again and again as the last mounted man spurred his horse to a gallop, charging at Isabeau with a prod. “Isabeau!” Curtis bellowed, running towards his daughter only to be tackled by the man with the knife. Ronon leapt off of Smith and mounted the driver’s horse, kicking the animal in the ribs as he charged past Curtis, locked in combat with the other man while Smith moaned, trying to see past the blood on his face.

Bo slowed when she saw the stranger charging at her and turned around, racing back towards the trees, but as the sounds of the horse’s hooves got louder and louder she knew she wouldn’t make it back before the rider caught up with her. The hoof sounds suddenly doubled and she screamed as an arm hooked around her waist and hoisted her up. She was pulled onto the saddle and as she got the wind beat out of her from the movement of the horse, she could see that the rider behind her was the strange man who’d been chasing her. She looked up at the man who had grabbed her and smiled as much as she could when she saw that it was Ronon.

Ronon halted his horse as soon as he was near to Liliana and Brianna then set Bo down. Liliana was giving him a wild, grateful look and Brianna noticed the blood staining the side of his shirt. “You’re hurt!”

“Go!”

None of them had ever heard him snarl and Brianna hastily helped Bo back onto their horse. Ronon pulled his mount backwards, pivoting to face the perusing rider then suddenly yelped and arched his back as the other man charged past and struck him with his prod between the shoulder blades. Liliana shouted and turned on her horse, Brianna and Bo’s horse already trotting further into the trees. Ronon whipped his head around to face his attacker then screamed as the tip of the prod connected with his side, shocking him so violently that he fell off his horse.

Liliana turned around in time to see him writhe on the forest floor as electric tendrils danced over his body. His attacker dismounted and strode over, unsheathing a knife. In the distance she could see Curtis riding over on one of their attacker’s horses, but knew he’d get there too late. Ronon’s body was shaking as he struggled to rise but his attacker kicked him in the side, knocking him over onto his back.

“Leave him alone!” Brianna shouted from several yards away as her mother struggled to unsheathe her own knife.

The man jabbed his knife at Ronon but the Satedan caught his arm and shoved against him, keeping the blade inches from his throat. The man bit his lip and slugged Ronon in the side of the face, attempting to distract him, and Ronon retaliated by kicking him in the stomach, knocking him away.

Liliana had hastily handed her mount’s reins to her eldest daughter and now ran towards the two men, her blade drawn. Ronon shakily got to his feet as his attacker recovered and ran at him. Ronon screamed and charged towards him, grabbing his knife arm and bowling him over. The man yelped and landed flat on his back then yanked his blade at the only part of the Satedan that he could reach, slicing open his temple. Ronon gasped and jerked his head as his left eye suddenly filled with blood. His attacker shoved him to the side, laying the knife across his throat then let out a choking sound, his blade nicking Ronon’s neck as he stiffened.

Ronon blinked enough to be able to see the man above him slowly lurching forward, blood trickling from his mouth, his eyes wide with surprise. He suddenly slumped on top of Ronon and the Satedan scrambled out from under him, glancing around to spy Liliana striding forward to yank her knife from the man’s back. She then flipped him over onto his back, watching as his lips twitched, and dragged the blade across his throat, releasing a brief rapid of blood before the man went limp.

She dropped the knife, taking a few steps backwards as Curtis reached them, looking to them all with worry yet relief relaxed his brow when he could tell that none of his family were injured. “Lil!” he shouted when he caught sight of her staggering away from the bloodied body of a man.

Ronon was trying to catch his breath and studying Liliana in awed surprise. After a moment she looked to him, wiping a few wisps of hair off of her forehead with bloodied fingers, leaving a light stain. Ronon nodded his thanks and she returned the gesture, swallowing hard then jerking in surprise as Curtis’ arms were suddenly around her in a desperate embrace.

The Satedan climbed to his feet, looking out at the dying meadow fire and the two horses meandering about, skittishly grazing. Smith was galloping away down the road, barely able to remain upright in the saddle. Curtis’ hand was then on his shoulder and he looked over to the older man. The two locked gazes in a silent acknowledgement of each other’s courage before Curtis stepped away to hug his girls.

Ronon leaned his forehead onto the tree he sagged against, jumping a little and hissing when his side wound was suddenly touched.

“Hold still,” Liliana quipped as she lifted up his shirt to examine the slice. Shen then looked up to his face, cupping one of his cheeks as she examined the dripping cut on his temple. He studied her face as she examined him, noting the man’s blood that adorned her brow. His voice was husky. “Liliana....”

Her eyes met his and he parted his lips to say “thank you” but before he could, she’d pulled him to her in a fierce hug. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back, feeling her heart hammering against his chest. “Why didn’t you leave?”

“I wasn’t going to leave either of you here,” she quietly answered, tangling her fingers in his curls that had escaped their ponytail in all of the ruckus. “Thank the gods that I didn’t.”

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh, knowing that he had been reckless with his life, finding it difficult to care when he knew that Teyla might be waiting for him in the afterlife. “...Thank you.”

She merely gave him a small squeeze then pulled away, stepping over to her family as Ronon noticed that both Sanura and Isabeau were in tears. Brianna approached him with a timid expression, carrying her small medical kit. Ronon swallowed hard then smiled at her before a sob choked out of him at the sight of her and her sisters so fearful, but alive and well, the impact of what he’d almost just lost slamming into him. He fell onto his knees, holding his side, tears stinging his cut face. His uninjured side was slammed into by Bo as she clomped onto him and Brianna knelt beside him, hugging his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

Branded Heart

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