'The thorn of a Lily and the hiss of a snake' (Ledgic/Zech/The Caans) (Part I/II/III/IV)

Right, this is the first thing I've written in a while, and is by no means the best thing I've ever written, but I'm glad to have finally got something out of my head! This has been an interesting piece to write, and will open some doors for further RP regarding the clan and it's history, as well as more pieces of writing to detail the rise and fall of the clan, and it's many little secrets.
---

‘The thorn of a lily and the hiss of a snake’

‘Tha’ smell… ‘ow th’feck does ‘e put up wit’ it?’

Zech Caan lifted a hand to his nose and rubbed it vigorously, keeping his other hand firmly wrapped around the mug of grog he had begrudgingly purchased a few moments before. He had found many things about Booty Bay to dislike, and he’d decided that the constant smell of salt and fish was the first on the list. He coughed quietly as he took his hand from his nose and lifted his mug, taking a gulp of the grog he was certain could be mistaken for a mug of lethal poison.

He set the mug down and leant back in his chair, staring at the wooden ceiling above him. He’d finally gotten word of Ledgic being back in Stranglethorn and travelled to the bay to speak to him. He reached down into the sack on the ground beside him and pulled out two old and dusty looking books. They were barely bound anymore, a lot of loose pages trying their best to escape. He set one down and lifted another close to his face, wiping the dust from its cover. He sighed quietly at the Caan crest stitched onto it.

‘Breakin’ promises again, ain’ I dad?’ he muttered to himself as he tapped the book against his forehead. The two books had been in his possession since his parents had been killed inside the Caan village around his eighth birthday. He set the book down on top of the other and grabbed his mug, lifting to his mouth to drain the last of the grog.

Two journals… two old parchment collections of Caan history. His father had entrusted these to him, shortly before his death. At the time, he hadn’t understood why and it had taken quite a few years to realise. This was his father’s way of keeping a record of what the clan did, and it was information he was supposed to keep to himself until the time came to pass it on to his own children.

Despite the fact his father had died before he could ever explain his actions, Zech had always considered it a promise to keep, something that he would never break. The history of the clan was his to keep and to pass on when he could no longer fill that role. He lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes with a finger and thumb, he’d be able to continue filling the role, despite passing on the information, he was sure of it.

After what he had discovered in the Caan village, the remnants of shadow flame, the charred bark of the tree and ground, he knew that passing on what he knew to Ledgic would be vital. Ledgic needed to know everything that he knew, if it was going to stop him from turning into all he had fought against as a boy in the village.

He lowered his hand and stared at the journals, nodding once to himself. This could either be a bright day for both him and Ledgic, or it could be a dark one. He knew which one he was hoping for.

He grabbed the books and shoved them back into the sack; he stood up carefully, ignoring the creaking of his leather armour and the wooden chair beneath him. He held the sack over his shoulder and nodded to the Goblin behind the bar, before slowly leaving the inn.

He lifted an arm to shield his eyes as he stepped outside, the bright sunlight immediately shooting from the sky in an attempt to blind him. He grumbled as he walked across the creaking wood, an assortment of curse words and ‘fish’.

He came to a halt just outside Ledgic’s home; at least he was pretty sure it was his. He stepped back a little and peered up. He shook his head at the sight of Ledgic exercising, using a rafter above the balcony to pull himself up and down. There was something ridiculous about Ledgic that Zech could never manage to shake. He had far more potential than any Caan he’d ever known, to take everything thrown at him and still be stood up the next day.

Maybe he wouldn’t regret telling Ledgic.

Just maybe.

--

Ledgic landed on the wooden floorboards of the balcony with a slap of bare feet. He let out a deep breath, before taking in the smells of the bay. He stretched his arms before moving to pointlessly wipe sweat from his chest. As he looked up he saw Zech stood below, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently.

‘Y’done glorifying yerself yet?’ shouted Zech, he smirked widely afterwards as Ledgic stepped to the edge of the balcony. ‘Wha’ ye want? I ain’ really in th’mood t’talk bollocks wit’ ye Zech’ said Ledgic lazily.

‘It’s importan’ t’ye, trust me’ said Zech as his expression took a sudden serious turn and he pointed at the door. ‘Open up an’ I’ll explain’. Ledgic’s raised an eyebrow before turning and walking inside the house. He grabbed his discarded shirt from the night before and pulled it on as he walked down the stairs. He unlocked the door and opened it. He stepped back as Zech stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him with a slam.

He sharply turned round, before looking back at Led. ‘Yeh, sorry abou’ tha’. I don’ usually go aroun’ slammin’ doors’. Ledgic shook his head and made his way to the stairs, beginning to climb them. He stopped halfway and motioned for Zech to follow before continuing.

Ledgic stepped back out onto the balcony as Zech climbed the last step. He peered around the home, a small and fairly bare room with little to speak of inside it. He looked at Ledgic before stepping out onto the balcony.

‘Ain’ got much in this place, ye got rid o’ it?’ said Zech as he set the sack down on the floor beside him.

‘Lost a fair bit when th’wave ‘it th’bay. But it won’ take much t’replace, weren’ like we ever cared abou’ ‘avin’ much stuff’ said Ledgic bluntly, turning his head to look down at the sack.

Zech nodded and remained quiet; perhaps he hadn’t found Ledgic at the best of times. He knew that Ledgic held a certain hatred for every member of his clan, even for someone like Vale, there was a degree of dislike. But he was being especially blunt with him today, and despite any disagreements they may have had in the past, he’d never been hostile.

‘Listen, I came ‘ere ‘cause I know abou’ yer shadow’ said Zech bluntly as he turned to face Ledgic directly. Ledgic turned sharply and peered at Zech with narrow eyes, instantly clenching his fists.

‘Th’feck? I ain’ told nobody tha’d feckin’ tell ye, I don’ need it spreadin’ around’ said Ledgic, with a dull growl to follow his words. Zech held up his hands, palms forward, and shook his head quickly. ‘Calm th’feck down, I didn’ ‘ear from nobody, I foun’ out fer me’self’ he stated.

Ledgic leant back a little and let out a deep sigh, he lowered his head and lifted a hand to scratch the back of it. ‘Fine, ‘ow’d ye find out?’ he muttered quietly. Zech simply lifted his hand and placed it close to Ledgic’s face. He focused on his palm for a moment before a plume of shadow flame appeared. Ledgic instantly lifted his head and peered at the black flame licking at the air around Zech’s fingers, he widened his eyes as he looked to Zech’s face.

‘Feckin’ ye n’ all? Th’shit is this… th’clan jes made o’ pissin’ shadow or wha’?’ he said quickly, the realisation that perhaps Vale’s theory about cursed blood might not have been quite the level of bollocks that he had assumed it was. Zech should his head and lowered his hand, the shadow dispersing immediately.

Ledgic rubbed his forehead with a hand and closed his eyes. As if his head wasn’t already full of things he didn’t want to think about. And it was easy to tell that Zech had much more control over it than he did.

‘I learned from someone close, it weren’ like all o’ us were able t’do it. Ye on th’other ‘and, were forced t’use it, righ’?’ said Zech as he leant down to pull one of the dusty old books from the sack beside him.

Ledgic opened his eyes and peered from Zech, to the book, and back again. ‘Ye know abou’ tha’ n’ all?’ he muttered as he lowered his hand and simply looked at Zech with a mixture of sadness and confusion. Zech nodded and patted the book in his hand.

‘I’m gonna be tellin’ ye some stuff t’day Led. An’ I need ye t’listen n’ take it in, ‘cause I’m not gonna lie t’ye, I ain’ gonna feed ye some bullshi’ t’make ye feel better. If yer interested in knowin’ some truth be’ind everythin’ ye’ve gone through, y’tell me now. If na’, I’m gone’ said Zech with a serious tone and expression, he clenched his hand around the book tightly.

Ledgic shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at Zech’s grip on the book. Ledgic had never believed in the idea of the truth setting him free, because more often than not it had just weighed him down more. Truths about the clan never did him any good, Delzen had fed him some truth about Iriden and it had plagued his mind and memory ever since.
He let out a sigh and looked up at Zech. ‘Feck if I know if it’s gonna do me any good, Zech. But I’m listenin’, an’ I trust ye enough t’na lie through yer teeth’. Ledgic moved past Zech and sat on the floor with a thud, leaning back against the warm wooden wall of his home. Zech nodded and moved to sit beside him, still holding the book firmly in one hand.

It was an odd situation for both of them, even if nothing had really been said yet, at least nothing of importance. But for these two, they had never really just talked, ever since Zech made his presence known a year before. They had never really crossed paths, even if Zech had watched Ledgic grow up. There was a certain amount of respect between the two, but Zech knew that they’d never share a common friendship. Ledgic was the Caan that never could.

‘This book ‘ere, well there’s two actually. They’re journals, Led, me’ dad’s n’ me’ granddad’s. They’re… like ‘istory books, jes filled wit’ thin’s ‘bout th’clan, wha’ they did… wha’ they wan’ed’ said Zech as he turned the book over in his hands.

Ledgic peered at the book as Zech spoke, nodding ever so slightly at his words.

‘There’s stuff ‘bout ye in ‘em n’ all, more in me dad’s one anyway. If y’wanna know, really, I can tell ye ‘bout wha’ ‘appened… an’ abou’ th’guy tha’ did it t’ye’ said Zech as he turned his head and looked at Ledgic to try and figure him out. He knew if he was in Ledgic’s position he probably wouldn’t want to know. The past is the past and Zech preferred to let it stay buried.

‘Delzen did it. S’ow th’shadow ended up comin’ out, ‘appened in Hyjal. Some cultist showed me a vision o’ wha’ ‘appened. Kaden n’ Delzen’ muttered Ledgic as he lifted a hand and rubbed it across his mouth after speaking.

Zech raised an eyebrow and peered at Ledgic, there was something not quite right about him. It was obvious that he was troubled, but there was some fear mixed in with the obvious sadness, as though he wasn’t sure what he even thought.

‘Sa’… ye knew abou’ Delzen Hawthorn then?’ said Zech as he opened the book and flicked through a few pages. Ledgic looked up and nodded slightly.

‘Didn’ know ‘is last name, but aye. An’… I killed ‘im’ muttered Ledgic as he lowered his head again, barely managing to contain the deep sigh that desperately wanted to release itself.

‘Ye shouldn’ feel bad abou’ tha’, ‘e weren’ a good fella. ‘e came from one ‘alf o’ th’family tha’ th’Caans stem from’ said Zech as he flicked another couple of pages, before stopping.

Ledgic lifted his head sharply and peered at Zech, then moved his gaze to the book. ‘Th’wha’?’ he muttered as he leant forward, moving to read the diary entry. He peered up at the top right corner and tried to make out the date, it was unfortunately smudged out almost entirely. He peered down and began to read.

‘Found my father’s journal and have come across some interesting facts. The Caan clan is half Lordaeronian, at least it was. We’re all of the woods now, but Jessica Hawthorn was the mother of this clan.’

Ledgic looked up at Zech with a painfully confused expression.

‘Yeh, I know. ‘urt me’ ‘ead plenty when I read it fer th’first time. Jessica Hawthorn weren’ na’ shadow user, but she wan’ed t’be. After ‘er ‘usband, th’first Kaden Caan, were killed, she got angry’ said Zech as he leant back against the wall and snapped the book shut.

‘Hawthorn were a lower noble ‘ouse in Lordaeron, y’know. I dug all tha’ up when I were out in ‘illsbrad once, foun’ some stuff in Southshore’s records. They were pretty big up there, rich feckers n’ all tha’. Kaden Caan were jes a merc’, like me, an’ she fell fer ‘im’.

Ledgic leant back against the wall and looked up at the sky, lifting a hand to scratch his cheek. ‘Sa’… Delzen were part o’ tha’ family?’ said Ledgic quietly as he peered at the sky, trying to make sense of everything.

Zech nodded before continuing. ‘Her family didn’ like it, tha’s why they fecked off t’wha’ were still Elwynn back then. But ‘er family followed, some of ‘em settled in Westfall. They practised th’shadow, feck they were all proper good wit’ it’ said Zech as he tapped the book against his knee.

‘An’ once Kaden died an’ th’clan went sour, figh’s started breakin’ out ‘tween us n’ them. They ‘ated everythin’ Caan, killed loads o’ us. Feck, th’awthorns were abou’ th’only folk th’clan killed tha’ deserved it’.

Zech stopped and looked at Ledgic, who had his chin resting on his right knee, his eyes closed. But it was clear enough that he was very confused by all of this. Zech could hardly blame him, Ledgic was the youngest of the Caans alive and it took Zech long enough to understand the clan’s history.

‘Sa’… us n’ them were always fightin’, n’ they were shadow users. ‘ow’d folk like ye n’ Vale end up bein’ able t’use it?’ said Ledgic, though he didn’t move.

‘Well, like I said mate, th’awthorns were shadow users, it were in their blood. Sa’, even if Jessica didn’ know ‘ow t’use it, it woulda made it’s way into ours. Guess it only sprung up in a few o’ us, ‘cause I ain’ ever found any other stuff tha’d say we weren’ th’only ones’

‘I ripped Delzen apart ye know, s’been playin’ on me’ mind fer days. ‘e were sa’… angry’ muttered Ledgic as he knitted his eyebrows together and thought back to his encounter.

---
‘You’re all the same, you fucking Caan runts! Not a single one of you know a damn thing about life, you’re just murderous dogs! The very blood you swear by is tainted with filth, and you, you’re the worst of them. You still live, acting as if you’re so hard done by.
You’re nothing, and everything that ever happened to you was well deserved. You have his face, Kaden Caan’s disgusting face. I’m proud of my actions, my child joining your clan was of little consequence to me, that half Caan runt. You were my masterpiece, putting the shadow and your clan together to make them realise just what monsters they were!’
---

Ledgic blinked and shook his head, gripping his knee tightly.

‘He didn’ ‘ave any problems wit’ wha’ ‘e did t’me. An’… ‘e said ‘is daughter joined th’clan’ said Ledgic as he turned his head and looked at Zech. ‘Lily, ‘e said ‘er name was’

Zech instantly cracked a smirk and let out a quiet chuckle, he lifted the book and tapped it against his forehead.

‘Lily th’alf Caan, aye. Ye knew ‘er, y’know. Na’ tha’ she ever used tha’ name’ he said.

‘’alf Caan?’

‘Aye. It were part o’ Delzen’s lil’ plan, take one o’ th’lasses from th’village, knock ‘er up, get th’kid n’ kill th’mother. An’ ‘e weren’ all tha’ quiet abou’ it either, th’lass knew’ said Zech as he set the book on the ground beside him.

Ledgic turned his gaze and looked back up at the sky. He was just about understanding what Zech was saying, and the basics of it were that killing Delzen, even in the way he had done was nothing short of a favour to the world. He was a twisted old man.

‘Saela, were Lily, Led. She only ended up as Kalec’s lass ‘cause Kaden didn’ wan’ ‘er. S’pose it ‘elped tha’ Kan n’ Vale were pretty feckin’ young, didn’ matter t’em’ said Zech as he stretched his legs in front of him, crossing them at his heels.

‘Saela were ‘is daughter? But… ‘e were pretty feckin’ aged in tha’ vision I saw’ said Ledgic as he turned to look at Zech. ‘Yeh, well, I never said Delzen were youn’ when ‘e knocked th’Caan lass up, did I?’

Ledgic’s shuddered and looked away, simply muttering ‘Ergh’.

‘Wha’ they did t’ye was wron’, Led. Delzen wan’ed ye t’be th’monster tha’d rip th’clan apart, Kaden wan’ed ye t’be th’clan’s secret weapon. An’ ye can sit there bein’ all feckin’ mopey fer aslon’ as ye like but ‘ere’s a secret fer ye.

Ye didn’ end up either o’ those thin’s. An’ sure, ye’ve got somethin’ inside ye tha’ y’never woulda wan’ed, I get tha’, but y’don’ ‘ave t’use it. Sa’ much o’ th’final years o’ our clan revolved aroun’ ye, even if tha’ ain’ really a special thin’. I’m gonna leave this journal wit’ ye fer a few days, an’ I’ll come back. I can’t teach ye much abou’ th’shadow, but I can teach ye restraint, y’wan’ it t’jes sit there n’ shut th’feck up, I’ll show ye ‘ow’

Zech made a move to stand up but was shoved back down to the ground as Ledgic grabbed his arm forcefully. ‘Th’feck ye doin’?’ said Zech as he yanked Ledgic’s hand away.

Ledgic turned his head and looked at Zech again, closing his eyes as he spoke. ‘Wha’ I did t’Delzen really weren’ wrong?’ he muttered. Zech shook his head and sighed, simply putting his hand on Ledgic’s shoulder.

It was strange, being in this position. He had only been close to one Caan, and it would seem that some of the reason Ledgic had guilt over killing Delzen, was because of that Caan. Zech knew that Ledgic was the best the clan had to offer physically, but… it would take many more years to get him to the same level mentally.

‘Listen t’me, Led. Ye are wha’ ye are, an’ whether ye killed Delzen in an ‘orrible way or na’, th’guy deserved wha’ ‘e got, fer plen’y o’ feckin’ reasons, let alone wha’ ‘e did t’ye. ‘e fooled th’clan an’ Kaden t’do tha’, made ‘imself look vunerable n’ weak, like ‘e gave a toss. Look back at wha’ ye’ve done, n’ wha’ ye’ve lived through.

An’ jes wake th’feck up an’ stop bein’ a baby, ye lil’ prat. Delzen were th’last thin’ left in Azeroth tha’ ye needed t’kill t’bury yer past, a’righ’? It’s done wit’ now, move th’feck on’ said Zech as he stood up. He tapped the book toward Ledgic with his foot and moved to grab the sack from the floor.

As he rested it over his shoulder, Ledgic looked up at him with a defiant gaze.

‘Yeh, tha’s wha’ I’m on abou’. But don’ go takin’ it out on me, ye’ve got readin’ t’do. Don’ make me regret breakin’ me’ promises, na’ t’th’guy tha’ gave me tha’ journal, an’ na’ t’Saela, a’righ’?’

With those words, Zech turned and climbed over the balcony. Ledgic waited for the thud of his landing before reaching for the journal.

Just how much did he want to learn, and had he done as Zech said and finally earned his freedom from the shades?

‘The thorn of a lily and the hiss of a snake’

Part II


‘Ye’ve got readin’ t’do…’

It had been a day since Zech appeared in the bay and handed Ledgic some peace of mind, as well as a journal containing plenty of things that could steal that relief away. He looked up from the old pages of the journal to stare up at the sun, it hadn’t really been weather for sitting out and reading, the sun had even managed to burn his skin in a few places, albeit without him really noticing.

He closed the journal and began turning it around in his hands, he had read very little of it’s contents in the day he’d spent with it, mostly out of a strange sense of fear that hadn’t quite left him yet. He had never really been interested in learning about the history of the clan, how it had begun never really concerned him; he wasn’t there for that. He knew about how it ended, or at least, he thought he had known all there was to know.

Zech had told him that the journal belonged to his father, Revan, but as Ledgic was quickly finding out, Zech had made entries himself where he felt it relevant. Ledgic had often smirked when he came across those entries, the idea of Zech as a librarian of sorts amused him, in amongst the interest in concern he had felt since the journal was handed to him.

He rested his head back against the warm wooden walls of his home and closed his eyes, simply giving his mind time to adjust to the information he had managed to gather from the journal, his mind immediately drifted to the first entry, made by Zech, that had struck him.

“Iriden’s little maniac act hasn’t fooled me. I know the Hawthorns bought him out”

‘Bought ‘im out?’ Ledgic thought. It had been hard to focus on much else since he had read that, the most obvious meaning behind the entry is that the Hawthorns had paid Iriden to drop down and eradicate the clan. There was much more to it, though, did it mean that when he arrived in Stormwind and killed Saela, that he was just finishing the job? Had the Hawthorn family paid him yet again, to get it done once and for all? Was his entire reason for wanting Ledgic dead… to line his pockets?

Ledgic shook his head and opened his eyes as he lifted a hand to wipe some sweat from his face. He peered down at the journal; the Caan crest stitched into the cover and let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t as if he expected to understand everything he read, but he hadn’t counted on being confused by things that he was certain he already understood.

Iriden Caan had killed off his own clan for gold; he had killed Saela and tried to kill the rest of them to further his fortune. Or that could be entirely wrong, yet another thing about his brother that Ledgic would never discover. He opened the journal and began flicking through pages, stopping at an entry that he had read several times, written by Revan Caan.

“The second child of Kaden was born yesterday. I went along to the meeting, and yet one more time I am left with a burning hatred for Kaden Caan. The child, Ledgic, will be burnt into history – and not in the way I would have hoped for, as a father.”
He had read several entries earlier in the day that spoke of these meetings. It seemed like there was at least a loose sense of rank and public decision-making. Though not in a single entry that Ledgic had read, did it speak of Kaden actually listening to anyone else’s input. His father was the controlling bastard he had always known, nothing new there.

It wasn’t easy for Ledgic to read any entry involving himself as a child. Each and every one had detailed some sort of plan that Kaden had brought into circulation, how he had demanded that each adult member of the clan, and any children of age, to do everything to Ledgic that he had ordered. The beatings he had received as a child were a regimented structure of orders passed down from the one person meant to protect him.

Ledgic’s grip on the journal tightened slightly, it wasn’t as if the beatings he received would ever exist in a good light, he knew they would always sit as a darkened part of his history, something best left forgotten for the rest of his days. Yet, finding out that they weren’t random, that Kaden had ordered every clan member to make sure he saw his own blood on a daily basis… it was enough to make his blood boil.

‘Break ‘is spirit, eh, Delzen?’ muttered Ledgic as he relaxed his grip on the journal, allowing himself to calm down. There had been a few moments like this, a constant switch between relaxed and angry; luckily he had seen that coming. He had even had moments of anger directed toward Zech, the man that had given him all of this information. So much of what he had read was connected to him, and even if he wished he were able to not care that it had been kept from him, he wasn’t finding it easy.

He flicked the page and began reading again, he raised an eyebrow as he realised he’d managed to skip an entire entry, and it was a long one.

“Revan Caan – third day of the fourth month.

Today my brother escaped the village to be with his woman, just on the day that I shared my first night with my love. He has done that which is strictly forbidden by our leaders, leaving the village for good. Not only that, but his woman is a Hawthorn. He told me of their plans to venture out and hide, to have a family and be away from the curse that has befallen both our clan and their family.

Farewell, Relius Caan. I hope you find the happiness you and I spoke often about, by the creek. Dawn be with you, brother.”

Ledgic straightened his back and lifted his gaze from the journal to look out over the bay, his eyebrows knitted together. He cleared his throat before muttering to himself.
‘Relius Caan’

He lifted a hand and put it over his face and closed his eyes, he knew that he had heard that name before, the first name to be precise. It took a moment before he sharply dropped the hand and peered at the entry, to make sure he’d read it correctly.

“Farewell, Relius Caan.”
‘Relius feckin’ –Dawn-!’ he blurted out loudly. He looked up a moment and looked around himself, feeling a pinch of embarrassment for the random outburst, before shaking his head and looking down at the journal.

‘Relius Dawn were a Caan… an’ ‘is wife were a Hawthorn? Tha’ means… oh feckin’ ‘ell Zech, this is th’sorta shit ye shouldn’ keep t’yerself’

Ledgic lifted a hand to scratch his cheek, probably harder than was ever required and stared out over the bay again. If this was the same Relius, and it was actually the truth then… that meant Eothan and Rosemary were half Caan, half Hawthorn.

He blinked and shook his head again; it even meant that they were Zech’s cousins. It was around this time that Ledgic officially accepted that he had a headache, and leant back to rub his face with his hands.

‘Ugh, feck ye Zech’ he muttered as he took his hands away, letting them slap against the parchment of the journal. His mind was jumping from place to place now; remember every time that Eothan had been involved with the Caans, their problems, their history and especially where Vale was concerned. Not to mention that now, Ledgic was aware of just how much Caan blood flowed through their child.

The idea of telling Eothan about all this didn’t come very easily to Ledgic, it wasn’t as if Eothan wasn’t twisted into the Caans enough already, but… it would probably be best if he did, he thought.

Taking a deep breath, Ledgic lowered his head to flick through some more pages of the journal, even if he found himself even more apprehensive regarding what he might find, it seemed that the further he delved into his bloodline, the more his head hurt.

He raised an eyebrow as he reached the halfway point in the journal itself, noticing that the handwriting changed quite obviously from Revan’s to Zech’s. He knew that Zech’s parents had been killed when he was young, so, it meant that they obviously couldn’t carry the journal on, but he hadn’t expected Zech to do so. He lifted the journal and flicked through the last half of it, not every page was written on but it was definitely on its way to being full.

Zech had carried it on in place of his father.

He opened the journal again and began to flick through Zech’s entries, becoming more interested in what had been documented while Ledgic was growing up, allowing the clan’s history to wait. It was a curiosity that he wasn’t ever going to deny, especially since the clan history was giving him all sorts of headaches. He stopped on a page and skim read an entry, going back to start it again.

“Saela showed up tonight, came to tell me about one of the meetings at Kalec’s place. Pretty pathetic to think that the bosses are getting all pissy about Ledgic n’ Vale. They’re kids for fuck sake, and they reckon that Ledgic having a ‘friend’ is gonna damage their shitty little plans. Well I hope it does, bunch of wankers”

Ledgic lifted an eyebrow before letting out a fairly humourless laugh. His relationship with Valerias, even as a child, was a problem for the clan? He wasn’t really sure what to make of it, beyond the idea that breaking his spirit wouldn’t be as easy if he had something to tie himself to. Maybe, in a weird way, Vale had saved him from that fate.

‘Tha’… migh’ be somethin’ t’avoid tellin’ ‘er, never feckin’ ‘ear th’end o’ it’ he muttered to himself as he began flicking through the journal again.

He stopped at yet another entry involving both him and Vale, and began to read it intently.

“So, I got invited to my first meeting tonight. Didn’t say anything, ‘cause the last time I spoke up to those wankers I got a face full of blood and dirt. Anyway… they were bitching about Ledgic again, how they hadn’t managed to get their shit done with him. Fuck, their plan about using Vale to get to him didn’t work either. The kids started fighting. And he’s looking out for both of them, good on ye kid”

‘Use ‘er against me?’ he thought, smirking as he closed the journal and set it down beside him. He’d had enough for now, but he had more time to skim through it and see what else he could learn.

One thing was for sure though; he had a head full of stuff… and some of it he really had to share.

This is definitely one of the most brainbreaking and awesome stories I have ever read.

‘The thorn of a lily and the hiss of a snake’

Part III

“Headaches”

He’d explained what he’d read and discovered, he’d gone over it again and again but still, the information he had in his hands still caused headaches. He’d known full well that the moment he opened that journal, his mind would start to ache, but he hadn’t expected it to be quite so bad.

There was so much about the history of his clan that he could never have predicted, nor had he read anything he actually expected. The knowledge hadn’t really helped him at all, and it had rested some responsibilities back onto his shoulders once again. He may have felt relief upon reading that Delzen had been such a bastard, that murdering him had not been wrong, but that was a brief relief in comparison to everything else.

The price of his freedom came with complications and brain related pains and unfortunately for him, there were still plenty of pages left to browse.

--

Ledgic climbed out of bed and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. He’d already seen Annie off earlier that morning, and actually ended up going back to sleep, which was very unlike him. He’d put it down to his head being more tired than the rest of him.

He smirked as he walked around the bed and stood before a small table, sliding the old journal from it and into his grasp. As he lifted the journal upwards, his eyes became fixed on the Caan crest stitched into its cover. He’d often wondered what the crest actually stood for, and had found no real answer in the pages of the journal. He’d always been told that it stood for the strength of the clan, a way that others could identify them as Caans. He’d always seen it as the shackles around his wrists, the crest branded into his chest, so he could never get away.

He smirked and shook his head; he was definitely closer to the truth than the clan itself was. The Caans may have had their strength, but they definitely didn’t need to be identified, nobody lasted long enough to even hear them utter the name of the clan.

He turned around and stepped out onto the balcony, immediately lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. He didn’t often feel the need to ask for rain, but reading in sunlight this bright wasn’t easy. He lowered his arm as he sat down in the middle of the balcony and opened the journal, flicking through the pages he had read.

Ledgic had at least got the point where he didn’t need to mentally prepare before reading the journal, he’d accepted that he was going to be surprised and confused on multiple occasions. Right now, he was simply reading and accepting and waiting for Zech’s return, so he could talk it all over with someone that might have a clue.
‘Zech…’ he muttered quietly, letting out a low chuckle afterwards. He hadn’t thought Zech had a role anymore, the clan was dead and he’d never really been a part of it when it lived. Yet all those times that Ledgic felt like a protector for the remaining members, he was wrong. Zech had taken up that role, protecting even Ledgic from information that could have potentially caused him problems.

Ledgic shook his head and began to read, stopping on one entry made by Zech. It was an old entry, scrawled in charcoal.

‘She had the kid today, we’ve sorted out the folk that are gonna take her away. Ain’t like I’m old enough to be a parent anyway, got too much of my own shit to sort out.’

Ledgic raised an eyebrow and began scanning the other entries, turning a couple of pages until he found another entry made by Zech, again scrawled in charcoal.

‘She’s safe and I’ve had my left arm broken. Kalec weren’t too happy about it, but he didn’t take it out on Saela at least. Stay safe, kid.’

Ledgic lifted his head and peered up at the sky, his mind had definitely gone straight to one conclusion, but he guessed it was something best to ask Zech about. If he were right, though, that would mean that a part of Saela still lived and breathed, maybe. Though he wasn’t quite sure what to make of Zech and Saela having a child. He lifted a hand and scratched his neck; at least it wasn’t something to hurt his own head with.

He peered back down at the journal and shook his head a little. It was time to delve a little deeper and see what else he could find, Zech and Saela having a daughter didn’t really mean anything to him, even if he did wonder if that child lived or not. He began to flick through pages again, briefly scanning the start of entries to see what was worth reading. He paused and began to read another entry made by Zech.

‘Attended another one of those meetings. They were talking about who was taking over the clan when Kaden couldn’t hack it anymore. Seems like they’re gonna break the cycle, he’s gonna give it to Kalec. Guess Led is just gonna be the dog on the chain’

Ledgic snorted, so he’d never have been leading the clan. Kaden used to yell about it all the time, telling him he needed to fight if he was ever going to take over the clan and keep it great. Yet all he was to the clan was a monster waiting to happen, someone they could roll out and tear people apart with. He shook his head, it wasn’t as if this was new, he’d already accepted the fact that neither of Kaden’s sons were going to be anything more than weapons.

If it wasn’t him, it would have been Iriden and Kaden would have used either of them to further his desires. Ledgic smirked slightly, the idea that Kaden committed so much of his time and power into earning himself the monster he desired, and it never happened. A victory that Iriden and Ledgic shared, over the prick that was their father.

He looked back to the journal, that same smirk still on his face and he began to read again, flicking back and forth through its pages to find entries by both Revan and Zech. He stopped suddenly and raised his eyebrows, reading an entry made by Revan.

‘The rumours were true; there are those among the Hawthorns that have delved into necromancy. We were assaulted by a group of our dead cousins mere hours ago. If they can raise our dead… just how are we going to live through this feud? Kaden has simply bellowed that we can defeat everything they throw at us, but if they manage to kill the stronger members of the clan and raise them, this is going to become an eternal uphill struggle’

Ledgic tapped a finger against his bare knee and blinked a few times. Necromancy is something he’d never had to be anywhere near, he’d never even encountered it. Raising the dead was something that could end very badly for him, if the Hawthorns were indeed still around and looking to clean up the remaining Caans. He lifted his head, thinking about all the deceased Caans in the village alone, if they were to raise them, he would have a lot of trouble on his hands.

‘Well feckin’ ‘ell…’ he muttered quietly as he lifted a hand to rub it across his mouth. There were plenty of Caans he had no interest in ever seeing again, let alone fighting them. He’d come a long way, but if he was faced with several members of the clan at once, he wasn’t sure just how well he’d come out of a battle of that kind.

He closed his eyes for a moment and simply relaxed his breathing; he’d had to go through this process several times while reading the journal. It bred worry and anger in him a lot of the time, and he knew it was pointless letting those emotions take over. He’d simply have to question Zech about everything.

He sighed heavily and opened his eyes, looking down at the journal again. Now wasn’t the time to worry about fighting the shades he was starting to free himself from. He bluntly refused to go down that path again.

He began flicking through the journal again, letting out a few deep breaths as he did so. He stopped on a page, upon reading the word ‘Galenos’ and began to read an entry made by Revan with widened eyes.

‘There was anger in the village tonight, over the job we’ve been on for well over a month. Travelling to Lordaeron and killing Julia Galenos was apparently the easy part, even if I remained here, I would never murder a woman in cold blood. Tonight, a team of our people here killed Lucas Galenos in Duskwood. Kalec had put out a fake request for a hit on our clan and he took the bait. The gang of people Kaden sent didn’t make it back, though, and it seems the third target got away. We aren’t getting paid, I must admit I can’t help but smirk’.

‘Feckin’… we killed those two? Tha’… th’clan ruined ‘is life?’ he muttered, staring at the page intently. The clan had killed Julia and Lucas Galenos, and left Aramus to fend for himself. It wasn’t as if Ledgic really gave a damn about Aramus, but to know that the Caan clan caused him so much grief… it was a little tough to digest.

He snapped the journal shut and threw it down beside him; there was no chance that Julia Galenos would have remotely deserved what happened, and Ledgic didn’t care who paid them or why the clan went for it. He clenched his fists as his mind travelled to Omanos.

Looks like he had no family because of the Caans.

‘Feckin’… great’.

‘The thorn of a lily and the hiss of a snake’

Part IV

“Love it when a plan comes together”

Ledgic peered down at the closed journal, staring at the Caan crest stitched into its cover. He’d thrown the journal to the side after discovering more about the history of the clan and his own past. His mood hadn’t darkened at all, despite what he had read; he had simply thrown it out of mild frustration. There were many things written on those pages, by the men that had kept a documented history of the clan, that Ledgic despised.

Yet he found himself glad that he had learned what he had, because it was good to know everything that he could, it was a relief to understand more about that which made him. Even if he had fled the clan as a teenager, he had always been bound to that spot of Duskwood and the people it housed. He smirked faintly as he once again tried to discover exactly why he had been so bound to them, it was a question that he had never been able to answer. There was a single Caan that he was bound to by choice, at least for the most part, so he could understand that connection. To be bound to all of the people that caused him harm, belittled him and tried to break him, was ridiculous but it had always been there and he knew that he would never understand why.

No matter how many times he went over it in his head.

‘Well good, yer na’ ‘alf naked this time’

Ledgic scrambled to the edge of the balcony and peered down, he smirked once more at the sight of Zech, stood on the wooden floorboards of the bay, an arm lifted up to shield his eyes from the sun.

‘Proper smells like feckin’ fish down ‘ere, y’fancy lettin’ me in?’ said Zech as he lowered his arm, choosing to simply squint up at Ledgic. ‘S’open, let yerself in’ said Ledgic before pulling away from the balcony’s edge and resting himself against the outside wall of his home.

Zech stepped inside the house and closed the door quietly, before making his way across the dusty and dim lower floor of Ledgic’s home, and then slowly made his way up the stairs. As he walked into the main room of the house, he peered around and smirked. The bed was a mess, the blankets hanging off it in several places, there were piles of discarded clothes dotted around. He turned his head and blinked at what seemed to be the neatest part of the room, save for the fact it was covered in plants.

He shook his head and walked outside onto the balcony, almost stepping on his father’s journal. He leant down and picked up from the floor, lifting it to briefly tap it against his head. ‘Sa then, wha’s wit’ th’indoor garden y’got goin’ on?’ he muttered as he turned to look down at Ledgic.

‘Hm? Oh, righ’, tha’s jes Annie’s ‘erb collection. She’s pretty big on all tha’’ said Ledgic as he nodded toward the floor beside him. ‘Y’best sit down, reckon ye n’ I ‘ave got plen’y t’be talkin’ about’

Zech nodded once and slowly sat down, the creaking of the leather armour he wore ringing through the air rather loudly. He coughed slightly, in light embarrassment before setting the journal down in front of him, the Caan crest facing upwards. He turned his head to look at Ledgic again, and watched him stare up at the sky with his arms folded. He wasn’t sure what he was going to find, upon returning to the bay, he’d definitely had his worries that Ledgic would react badly to some of the things he read.

‘Fer a while there, I were startin’ t’think ye were a tosser fer keepin’ all this from me fer sa’ long’ said Ledgic as he looked away from the sky to peer at Zech. ‘Tha’ woulda been wrong o’ me, though. I get why ye did it, but I’m pretty feckin’ glad ye caved n’ gave me tha’ thin’. Ledgic nodded toward the journal, leaving his eyes fixed on it for a moment, before turning his head to peer out over the bay again.

‘Gotta admit, yer in better shape than I thought ye’d be. There were plen’y in there tha’ I figured ye’d lose yer rag over’ said Zech. ‘Aye… well, a couple o’ times maybe, but I don’ see th’point in bein’ pissed off at folk I can’t smack’ said Ledgic before letting out a quiet chuckle.

‘S’only taken me most o’ me’ life t’finally realise tha’ n’ all’ he muttered as he shook his head. ‘Sa… did ye make sense o’ th’stuff ye read?’ said Zech as he pulled one knee close to his chest. Ledgic nodded slowly and unfolded his arms, lifting them to rub his face with his hands.

‘Yeh, most o’ it. Don’ reckon I saw Eothan n’ Rose bein’ Caans n’ ‘awthorns comin’ though’ he said as he rested his hands on his thighs. Zech nodded and chuckled quietly, of all the things inside the journal, that was the one for Ledgic to bark up about.

‘I’d known abou’ tha’ fer a while, since befer I showed up. I was tailin’ Vanith but ‘e sorta vanished, I didn’ ‘ear about ‘im bein’ in Stormwin’ ‘till ‘e were a’ready dead’ said Zech as he scratched his chin. The combination of shaving, the heat and sweating was not working for him.

‘Sa’… ye didn’ know tha’ Relius Dawn were yer uncle?’ said Ledgic as he turned his head to look at Zech. He watched as Zech shrugged lightly, ‘It weren’ as if I didn’ ‘ave me’ suspicions, but it weren’ like I could prove it. If I’d smacked on ‘is door, ‘e’d o’ denied it ‘til ‘e were blue in th’face’ said Zech.

Ledgic nodded, he was probably right, everything he’d heard about Relius Dawn led him to believe he was a giant arse. ‘But ‘e did somethin’ good befer Eothan killed ‘im a’least, well I suppose it were sorta good’ muttered Zech as he stared down at the journal. Ledgic peered at the journal before looking up at Zech again.

‘He taught Vanith ‘ow t’use th’arcane… reckon Vanith must o’ threatened t’expose ‘im or ‘e coulda been protectin’ Eothan n’ Rose. Na’ tha’ it mattered, Vanith did wha’ever th’feck ‘e wan’ed anyway. But… s’one redeemin’ feature fer Relius’ said Zech with a slight grin and a shake of his head.

‘Taught ‘im ‘ow t’use th’arcane eh?’ muttered Ledgic as he turned away to look down at the floor. It had been that arcane that threatened to leave him stuck in a world of his own nightmares; it didn’t really strike him as any sort of redeeming feature. Relius would have known exactly what most Caans were capable of, and there wasn’t any chance that Vanith would keep a single promise he made, he had always been out for himself.

‘Don’ worry abou’ it Led, it ain’ like it matters. Ye read all abou’ th’awthorns, I take it?’ said Zech as he tapped Ledgic on the shoulder. Ledgic lifted his head and nodded once and let out a deep sigh. ‘Aye, I read abou’ ‘em, soun’s like th’clan ‘ad it’s ‘ands full wit’ tha’ lot. Shadow n’ necromancy… tha’s jes fecked up’ said Ledgic as he knitted his fingers together.

Zech nodded before speaking, ‘Aye, it were fecked up. An’ it was kept from people like ye, ‘cause ye were… well, y’know, th’center o’ it all really. An’ since we’re talkin’ about ‘em, I’m afraid I can’t really sit ‘ere n’ answer all yer questions abou’ tha’ journal jes yet’ said Zech before rubbing a hand across his mouth.

‘The ‘awthorns are still alive, ‘least some of ‘em are. I did a lot o’ diggin’ while ye were sat ‘ere readin’, they’re even in th’ouse o’ nobles. They’re dotted aroun’ everywhere, still got some in Westfall n’ all, even got some in Duskwood. I really ‘oped tha’ they’d jes give it up, ‘cause th’ole reason fer fightin’ were bollocks anyway, but… yeh, I reckon wha’ ye did t’Delzen ain’ pleased ‘em’

Ledgic looked straight at Zech, his eyes widened and his brow raised. ‘Y’… wha’?’ he muttered quietly as he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath through this nose. So they were still alive, and he wasn’t as free as he was beginning to think he was. It was made even worse by the suggestion that Delzen’s death was the cause for the Hawthorns resurfacing, that Ledgic had somehow cursed the remainder of the clan all over again.

‘Ye don’ ‘ave t’worry t’much, ‘least not yet. Ye won’ be their target ‘til they’ve got through a few other thin’s, but if tha’ lot are anythin’ like th’awthorns th’clan always fought… then I can take a guess at wha’ they’re gonna do, an’ who they’re gonna go for’ said Zech as he grabbed Ledgic’s shoulder tightly.

The last thing he needed right now was for Ledgic to become a worried mess, he was easily the strongest Caan when it came to fighting, that they had left and they would need him if the Hawthorns really were going to attack. There was only so much protecting that Zech would be able to manage.

‘They’ve a’ready approached Coran Dawn, they told ‘im everythin’. I ‘ad one o’ Eothan’s fellas tail Coran fer weeks now. Despite th’fact ‘e ain’ got a lick o’ ‘awthorn in ‘im, ‘e’s sided wit’ ‘em’ said Zech. He watched as Ledgic opened his eyes and tensed his jaw, looking straight at Zech.

‘Why would ‘e do tha’?’ said Ledgic quietly. ‘Eothan don’ ‘ave a fan in Coran, s’put it tha’ way. Th’awthorns think they can get t’Eothan through Coran, n’ Coran think tha’ lot’ll ‘elp ‘im put Eothan down fer killin’ Relius’ said Zech, before letting out a deep sigh of his own.

‘Trust me Led, all o’ this is one big mess a’ready, let alone wha’ it’ll become in th’future’

Ledgic nodded and shrugged his shoulder out of Zech’s grip, knitting his fingers together once again. ‘Eothan needs t’know everythin’ befer they try n’ get t’im’ said Ledgic bluntly. Zech nodded, a faint grimace stretching across his face. It was already happening, Ledgic was being overtaken by the concern of a situation that for now was a potential threat rather than a definite one.

‘Yeh, we need t’tell ‘im. An’ we’ll ‘ave t’do it t’gether, ‘cause I don’ reckon ‘e’ll believe either o’ us on our own. But there’s somethin’ else Led, Eothan is gonna be the center o’ all o’ this. Th’awthorns, they wan’ed a mix between th’two bloods after Saela didn’ work out. Eothan is tha’, ‘e’s exac’ly wha’ they wan’’ said Zech with a degree of concern in his voice.

‘Once we tell ‘im th’score, they won’ get ‘im. Eothan’s too good t’jes fall down ‘cause o’ some prats from th’past, I’m more concerned wit’ ‘ow ‘e’s gonna react t’earin’ wha’ ‘e is’ said Ledgic as he rubbed his cheek with a hand.

‘Well… once we’ve told ‘im, we need t’gather th’Caans an’ figure somethin’ out. An’ we need t’get Eothan somewhere away from th’awthorns, ‘least fer now a’righ’? First target fer killin’ is gonna be me, they’ve fought me befer, sa’ they’ll look t’take me down’ said Zech.

Ledgic turned his head and peered at Zech. ‘They’ll go fer ye first, eh? Ye’ve got a kid on th’way, Zech, y’think I’m gonna let ye be th’bait?’ ‘Reckon ye ain’ got much choice Led, th’Caans need gatherin’, an’ th’one tha’ should be leadin’ ‘em is ye’ said Zech sternly.

Ledgic shook his head, looking away again. What sort of bullshit was that? He should be leading them? He was never going to lead the clan, he had never even wanted to, much less lead the minimal amount of remaining Caans into a fight with a bunch of shadow flinging, undead raising nutcases.

‘Wha’ abou’… them raisin’ th’dead?’ said Ledgic as he turned his head, his voice quiet and slightly croaky. Zech lifted his head to look up at the sky for a moment. ‘If they’re still doin’ tha’, they’ll go fer Caans. I wen’ t’th’village t’see whether they’d a’ready done somethin’’ said Zech, before falling quiet.

‘What?’ said Ledgic loudly as he grabbed Zech’s chest piece. ‘Wha’ th’feck ‘ave they done?’

Zech peered at Ledgic and sighed. ‘Kaden’s corpse is gone. Sa’ is Iridens’

Ledgic turned away sharply and shot up to his feet. He lifted a hand and rested it over his mouth as he looked across the bay.

‘Eothan is wha’ we need t’be concerned abou’ righ’ now, Led. We need t’go an’ tell ‘im everythin’, else all o’ this is gonna be more fecked than I’m countin’ on’ said Zech as he slowly stood up, ignoring the loud creak of his armour.

Ledgic lowered his hand and instantly clenched it into a fist, he simply nodded once.

Freedom was a priceless thing, and he had never had enough to cover the cost. With every passing problem came larger problems, with every pinch of darkness came as a shade that would loom over him.

‘I’m ready’ he muttered.