A Taste Of Things To Come

[Lief]

As she stepped toward the edge of the clearing she heard the unmissable sound of Joon's voice and felt her whole body relax. Thank the Gods she's okay...

She whistled softly for Felix to keep up before stepping through the trees and laying her gaze upon her new friend. Because that's what she was, above all else, a friend... Regardless of how little time she had known the woman for.

Moving to kneel before her, she offered a very slight smile before dropping the cloak to the ground. Within it lay some of Joons more crucial items, including her lightsaber. With the objects off the cloak, she wrapped it around Joon and sighed ever so slightly.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Joon's ear, before tipping up her chin so she saw it was Mysa and not some random stranger or guard. "Are you okay?"

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon nodded under her fur. She heard Mysa, but was tired and cold and didn’t want to move too much. Under the hood, she saw the bundle unwrapped on the white ground and the trinkets inside were all hers, including the lightsaber hilt. How could she have missed that?

Understandable with all she’d been through.

As Mysa wrapped her up more, Joon let out a cold breath, mixed with a sigh. And then those things Ayra did once, Mysa did – touched her face, cared for her, looked at her.

"Cold. But…ok, and thank you….for coming." She pushed out a smile. "Come with…me. Please."

Her eyes did the talking because it was getting colder for her to do it physically.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Mysa rubbed her hands up and down Joon's arms to try and keep her warm, making quiet shh'ing noises. The woman looked on the edge of death, her already pale skin practically blue. It didn't look good, and Mysa knew she was running out of time.

"Don't worry about speaking, conserve your energy, I'll get you out of here."

It wasn't until that moment that the young Snowstrider remembered something which had been taught to her during her journey to the mountains with Coci, and instantly she settled her hands in place on her new friend's shoulders and focused through the Force... Could she do this on somebody else? Force, Mysa had barely been able to do it on herself the first time.

Slowly but surely though, with each second of intense focus passing by, Joon's inner body temperature would begin to rise, until it settled at a very comfortable norm. Not too hot, not too cold, she'd feel just right.

"Lets get you out of here..." Only Mysa still had no clue how she was going to manage it. Was she willing to give up her personal ship? Try and claim that Joon had stolen it?

Mother isn't stupid, she'll know... But if I'm such a problem child then it shouldn't come as too big a shock, right?

Maybe she'd be left without a replacement ship until she'd learned her lesson. A small price to pay for the ensured life of another.

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon nodded, and closed her eyes and focused like she had on Duro. Take herself out of the equation. Ignore the noise…the screams…the explosion…the rubble…stay small and hide and be quiet.

She felt the touch on her shoulders, and ever so slightly a warmth came over her. Gentle and soothing from the inside out, which made her gasp at how it felt so natural but yet it was so quick from Mysa’s touch. Her eyes opened and she smiled, nodding with more colour to her face.

"Come with me, Mysa." She winced, sitting up straight and cracking her bones that were stiff. "My ship is…somewhere, outside the city. I can’t remember where. Would it still be there? We can leave now and I’ll help you, and we can work together for everything you want!"

She looked past the warrior woman into the forest, making sure nobody was there.

"I’m not leaving you here with that monster," she said icily.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Seeing the colour return to the woman's cheeks filled Mysa with a sense of relief. Offering down a hand she helped her to her feet, wincing to the sound of creaking limbs. Hopefully there would be no lasting damage caused by Midvinter's frigid weather.

"I can't leave" she said, with a distinct sincerity, "Mother isn't bad, honest, she's just... Heavy with child, emotional, protective. I'll be fine, it's you I worry for. You threatened the future Queen of Midvinter."

She exhaled slowly, before glancing through the trees. Joon having her own ship would make things easier. She just had to get her there.

"This isn't goodbye, Joon. You just need to lay low for a while... Promise me you won't come back here looking for me, I don't need rescuing. We'll meet again, of this I'm certain."

Now came the time to lead her away, back through the trees and away from the City.

"Which side of the City did you leave the ship?"

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Joon stood, a little hunched, and wrapped her arms around herself inside the cloak and nodded with her head directly opposite, where the trees seemed to part for them.

"Directly opposite here. Through...there," she said quietly.

Her sad eyes turned to the girl who had helped her, but seemed so sad, reminding the clone of herself.

"You can leave if you want, it's easy...just come with me. And if you...stay, then I can't promise I will not return." She shot out her hand and clamped it around Mysa's wrist. "I won't ever forget you. Ever. You are kind, and powerful and strong. I will come back for you if you stay. One day, somehow. I will."

She didn't even know where she would be tomorrow, let alone in a position to return to help Mysa. It hurt to think about leaving alone.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Not too far then. Just one small hurdle, and Joon would be free from the consequences of her actions. Thankfully Midvinter was technically inept, they did not monitor the comings and goings of spaceships. They had no knowledge or infrastructure for such. Nobody would hinder her escape.

"Okay, I can get you there."

Offering out her hand to Joon, without knowing whether or not the woman would accept it, Mysa took her first step away from the safety of the trees before Joon spoke.

"I know I can leave, but I can't. Not now. My family have lost so much already... It would be wrong of me to drop this on them, especially with the babe so close to coming."

She offered a small smile, an attempt at reassuring the woman, before motioning with her head for them to move.

"I won't forget you either, Joon. And I do so hope our paths cross again. Just... Don't hold anything against Mother. I don't want to have to pick sides in the end... She was just worried for me."

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a heavy heart, and a sorrowful brow, Joon nodded and took Mysa to walk with her, huddled close for warmth and guidance.

"I care not for that woman. I care for you and you alone. You helped me....you found me...and that means everything."

Resting her head on Mysa's shoulder as they walked, a stumble here and there on the frosty grass and hard rock and wood, she wanted to say so much and ask much more, but didn't know how.

She just walked, not understanding why Mysa couldn't leave, and not knowing where she would even go. It hurt.

"Be safe. Please be safe, oh Mysa...I will miss your strength and kindness. I will come back for you."

It was a promise to herself, let alone Mysa.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Mysa said no more on the subject of her mother. It was clear that the two would not reach an agreement where that was concerned, so perhaps if she didn't mention her mother there would be no issue attached to it. A girl didn't have to be tied to their parents at all cost, she could have a friend that existed outside of that loop.

A friend. Mysa smiled, drawing comfort from the woman beside her who was nestling into the furs and lay her head against her shoulder. In response Mysa supported her, with every trip over rock or bramble she caught her, and together they finally came through the trees and into the clearing beyond.

Joon's ship was just a stones throw away.

Her heart ached with the knowledge that she would be once again alone here on Midvinter the moment that she took the final step aboard her ship. But it was for the best, for now at least. It was a necessary pain.

"We will meet again. Whether here, or elsewhere, matters not. But right now your safety is more important."

She pulled back from Joon, staring her in the eyes for a moment before finally leaning in and kissing her on first the left cheek, then the right, before finally her forehead. There her lips lingered, slightly back from the skin so that she could whisper softly to her newfound friend.

"May the Gods guide your flight away from here, Joon. Until next we meet..."

[member="Joon"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The sensation of a kiss was strange, at least so it felt on her skin. Comforting, but what was she to do? Kiss back? Say thank you.

Joon just looked ahead at Mysa as her small ship loomed behind them under the snowy bracken and overhangs. Her eyes blue and sad, her face trying to force a smile. Everything she truly had that was good was always taken. There was no hope in trying to be happy.

"Our way lies together with the Force between us. You have saved my life, Mysa. I will always be with you, and I will not stop until I have saved yours. That is my vow."

With a small nod of the head, and her hand reached out for the girls with a gentle squeeze, Joon didn't look at Mysa as she turned to activate her loading ramp, shaking off some frost as it came down to let the clone onboard.

It would be a long time before she would see Mysa again.

A long, long time...

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]