Private A Witch's Greetings

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

It was clear the praise she gifted Caelan was well received and she made note to ensure she offered that more often. Dreidi smiled as she listened to the surprise in his voice when she disappeared in the Force. Hiding herself. "Using Magick, I can also make myself invisible and make it even more difficult to fight me." Dreidi mentioned, "it will take time but you will learn to sense things even when they attempt to hide themselves, there will always be signs. Just need to hone your mind to listen out for them."

His explanation on why he believes that he cannot sense beyond the room was a valid point, "that could be one explanation. Hopefully in time, we will be able to strengthen your bonds to the Force and increase your range of sense. Being able to sense danger from afar will be a crucial skill in combat. Especially when fighting in wars." Dreidi mentioned to Caelan, giving an explanation on why it would be important to him to learn to increase his skills that he has.

"How are your skills with levitating objects around you?" Dreidi asked, going to test his ability to use the Force to create a tower.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

"You would be complicated to fight with intent," he noted.

Thankfully, he didn't believe there would ever be a reason for him to fight her with intent. Unless something really horrendous happened and she fell to the dark there would be no reason for them to ever be opposites on the field of battle. He certainly had no intentions of ever falling to the dark. All he wanted to do was learn to be strong himself so that he could be a strong leader for his people. He had aspirations beyond what even his father had for his people, but they were all good ones.

When she mentioned increasing his range of senses he nodded his head. If they could do that, it would surely be beneficial to his growth as a Jedi. To think that maybe he would be able to prevent what happened to his parents from ever happening to him... That was something he wanted very much. He didn't want to have children of his own and have them feel what he felt.

"Will I have to fight in many wars?"

The idea of fighting wars wasn't something he relished. Dangerous, and he didn't think that was a job for Jedi. He thought they should be more focused on resolving situations before they ended up becoming wars. Perhaps dealing with Sith on a personal level, but on a battlefield seemed extreme to him. They weren't soldiers, they were supposed to be peacekeepers, weren't they?

"As for levitation, I don't have much skill with it, to be honest. I tried, believe me. When my mother taught me to connect with the Force doing things like that sounded really neat, so I tried often, but with very little success. I can push buttons from a distance but that's about it."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

She smiled and chuckled deeply, nodding her head. "Yes, yes I am. However, you will eventually be a threat in your own way. We will just have to find what is naturally your strongest ways to fight." Dreidi mentioned as she was keen to make sure that Caelan knew there would be time for him to become someone who could match her, or even surpass her in the skills necessary in fighting.

"It is my hope that we will avoid any wars for many years, I want you to be able to grow and discover yourself without fighting and panicking about surviving to live another day." Dreidi stated, there was concern in her voice that wouldn't be possible but she clung to the hope that he would be able to grow as a person for many years before he had to face a Sith or imperial soldier of some kind.

Breathing out slowly, she returned her attention back to the thoughts of levitation and Caelan admitted to having some difficulties with it. "Then that will be the last lesson of today, achieving the ability to levitate a couple things at a time." Dreidi stated, figuring that they could end on a success for him. She smiled and with the Force guided a couple of metal balls to float around them. "To do this, you must clear your mind of thoughts and fears. Let go and embrace the moment. Sense everything around you."

"Be in tune with your surroundings and guide the Force to these objects. There is no rushing this and all is possible." Dreidi stated, weight and size of an object did not matter as long as you held the belief to succeed. "So, sit, meditate and let the Force work through you." She placed the balls around Caelan in a circle.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

It sounded great that she was going to teach him to be a formidable combatant in his own right. His mother had been a great lightsaber duelist, according to her own words, but he'd never actually seen her fight. Apparently that sort of thing was something that had been passed down in her family for thousands of years. Small wonder that Doxeti had remained independent with such a formidable family coming from it. But that was part of why his father had married his mother, a dream that was now left to him.

As for avoiding wars, well, that wasn't going to happen. None of them were so fortunate as to avoid that, least of all Caelan, who would very soon find himself embroiled in several battles.

"I will do my best," he said when she mentioned his last lesson of the day being levitation.

Despite it not being something he was good at, he'd done a minimal amount before. Perhaps he could levitate the balls? She placed them around him in a circle and he closed his eyes, allowing the thoughts within his mind to drift away from him. Once more he could feel her and Grisial within the room with him, but like before, he could feel no one else surrounding them. He couldn't feel the balls either, but they were made of a dead material, so it made sense that he wouldn't feel them.

What he could feel was the air moving around the balls, air full of organic compounds and molecules. Air that whooshed in and out of his own lungs with every breath. He had the ability to manipulate the air within him, so why not the air without? Reaching out through the Force, he attempted to shift the air around one of the balls, which caused it to roll away from him. Realizing this, he quickly stopped it and then used the air to lift it, though it only lifted a few inches and he was straining to do that. He definitely wasn't getting the other ones.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Watching Caelan worked and figuring things out, Dreidi observed the struggle he was finding out the levitation. Dreidi tilted her head as she observed Caelan, seeing where he was struggling with the Force in this regard. "Tell me Caelan, when you used the Force while we were fighting, was were you thinking in that moment?" Dreidi was curious to think about what could be the struggle with Caelan in this specific task.

"Remember to keep breathing and relax your body and your mind, you cannot force this." Dreidi stated as she sat there, breathing in deeply herself. Attempting to provide a calming and reassuring presence in the Force, hoping to help Caelan with a boost to his confidence and allow her presence to be an anchor for him.

She understood that the Force could be a tricky and complicated thing to understand but she wanted to reassure Caelan that he could do this. Even if all he did was raise a single ball, that would be a great step in the right direction.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

What was he thinking about when they fought?

"I was thinking about my father and what he'd taught me about swordplay. And then my mother and what she'd taught me about control."

Come to think of it, he had used push and pull rather aptly during fighting, hadn't he? Was it because of what he was doing at the time? Those skills were related to levitation, so if he could do those, why couldn't he levitate a simple ball with ease? Did he have some kind of mental block? That made sense, actually. Some people did things a lot better when they were under pressure than they did when they were relaxed. Maybe he was one of those people.

He took a deep breath and reached out his hand, this time thinking about the things he'd been taught by his parents, and about his parents in general. Their teaching, their love, their care for him and desire for him to be strong. The balls, all of them, began to shift. First it was a subtle rocking, but then they all lifted off of the ground and hovered around him before they began to spin about him in, essentially a state of orbit, maintaining their relative positions to one another as they did so.

A small smile touched his lips.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Watching Caelan's mind work through her questioning and figuring on his own where she was attempting to guide him was good to see. He was able to figure things out and find the pathway that helped him focus on his Force abilities, which meant that he was able to lift all the balls and get them into a state of orbit. It was excellent to see and Dreidi was glad that Caelan was learning to adapt fast, it was a positive step. "Excellent Caelan, keep the focus, connect with the Force and let it flow through you. Try balancing the balls."

It was tricky step but Dreidi wanted to test how he was with the control element, could Caelan balance the balls and hold them in place with the Force. How would he cope with letting the Force flow through him. It could be unsettling or overwhelming with how the Force was. Dreidi observed closely as she wanted to assess how Caelan was managing with his ability.

"Remember relax your mind, breath deeply and find the balance." Dreidi instructed, offering a reminder on how he could achieve the task she had just place upon him.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

To some extent he was ignoring her. Not because she was wrong or doing anything to harm him, but because he was trying to maintain his concentration. The other part of him heard what she said and soaked it in, letting it drift into his mind and become a part of his knowledge of the event, rather than a focus point. If he let go of his concentration at the moment he was going to end up losing his control over the balls and they'd go scattering to the four corners of the room.

Grisial might enjoy that. Toys to play with, and all.

But what she said did come to his mind in the form of instruction and the balls slowed in their revolution of him before coming to a stop before him in a line. Carefully, he manipulated each until they were stacked one on top of the other, keeping them held in place by focusing on the instructions of his father to remain calm in the face of adversity, and his mother to remember that control was a gift from the Force itself, not something to be demanded.

The balls remained stacked atop each other.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Dreidi could tell that the concentration to maintain his current actions and to enact the challenge she had set up was taking a lot for Caelan. It was good to see that he could do as she asked but it showed that there could be more done to assist him in being more attuned to the Force. Which made sense, he was still young and he didn't have to serious training that a Jedi went through to be able to find their balance within the Force. Dreidi remained silent as Caelan progressed with the stacking, letting him focus on the task as much as he needed to.

When he finished stacking them, "slowly guide yourself out and release the control on the balls." Dreidi mentioned, helping him slowly come out of the hard concentration to ensure he didn't send objects flying around the room. Though if he did, Dreidi would be able to reach with the Force to ensure there was no harm done with them. "It is great to see that you were able to do the task I set you and hopefully you were able to see how much progress you can make when adapting your mindset with the Force. In time, tasks like this will be much easier and you'll learn to be able to lift much heavier objects and use the Force much more precisely without deep concentration."

Dreidi demonstrated this herself by guiding the balls with relative ease back to their spot and rose to her feet, reach out to help Caelan onto his feet. "Well, think we can call it for today in terms of training. How about we grab some food and we can discuss a training programme for you." She smiled warmly, feeling pretty hungry herself.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes again to look at the balls, which briefly remained stacked. With his concentration broken, however, the balls collapsed to the ground, a few of them rolling away, though at least they didn't go scattering to the four winds. That would take a lot more strength in the Force than what he currently had. Not to mention it wasn't the outcome he desired, and as he'd let go, he'd made sure the Force understood that. If one of them happened to roll towards Grisial, well, that might have been intentional.

Sighing in relief, not that they were done, but that he hadn't blown it, he stood once more to face her. Dusting himself off, he turned and nodded his head.

"I am sure that the more I practice the better I will get. My mother always said much the same when she would show me a little bit."

Plus, that was true of most things in life. Want to get good at something? Practice it. He'd done a lot of sword practice to get even to where he could face his father in a spar without being defeated in two moves. He couldn't imagine how much he was going to need to practice these abilities in the Force in order to get good at them. Not to mention he needed to work on his lightsaber skills.

"Food sounds good. Stomach's kind of angry for it."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Dreidi nodded her head, "our parents often give us wisdom that we aren't always ready to hear, or sometimes just don't understand the importance of it till later." She was coming from her experiences and interactions with her own mother. Grisial moved from his spot and joined the pair of them, Dreidi caressed his head gently as she watched Caelan rise onto his on feet and dust himself off.

"Great, food it is then!" Dreidi grinned and grabbed her weapons, attaching them to herself. "Can't leave these behind otherwise, I'll forget where I left them and then it will be a whole ordeal." Dreidi chuckled deeply, she then led the way forward. The sword swinging from her hip, bow strapped to her back and Lightsaber clipped to her hip. Dreidi was clearly a very varied fighter and was not traditional in the Jedi sense.

Looking back to Caelan, "the bow and sword are Dathomir weapons. One was a gift, the other is a family heirloom that had been lost for generations." Dreidi mentioned as she walked, figuring that the young Padawan might have some interests in the weapons. "If you wish to learn how to fight with different weapons and how to handle them, we can go through that in our training as well. Help give you an edge in combat." Knowledge was something you could never be short on in Dreidi mind, especially when it came to combat.

"What foods do you enjoy most?" Dreidi asked Caelan, "I have a love for spicy noodles." She grinned big when thinking on them. "Be warned, I am a Zorren and we have to eat a tonne of calories, so do have a love for food." Dreidi chuckled.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

He smiled when she mentioned not leaving her weapons behind because she'd forget them and then be left with not knowing where she did. Perhaps being a little absent minded was normal for a Jedi since they tended to be focused on so much around them and all their tasks. Forgetting where one left something was probably easy to do.

"I think I will stick to the lightsaber and my fists just to not overcomplicate matters," he said when she mentioned training in other weapons. "Shooting was always my sister's skill. I don't have the patience for it."

Not completely true. He had the patience for it when he wanted to, he just didn't have the skill at it that she did and that usually frustrated him. It just wasn't what he felt suited to doing. Using a lightsaber or his fists felt natural to him. A lightsaber was basically just a lighter sword, which he used normally anyway. Learning to cope with the lack of forward heft didn't seem like it would be that difficult. Few days of practice and he'd probably have a good handle on it.

He followed her and thought about what she asked in terms of food. She also warned him that her species ate a lot of food. They must burn calories faster than other species because she was quite lithe.

"I used to say I enjoyed a well-cooked bit of fish when I was back home. Always liked the taste of it. I think, though, my tastes have changed a bit since I was forced to flee and ended up living in the lower levels here, scavenging for food. Meat and fruit were the easiest for me to acquire so I grew accustomed to them."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Nodding her head, Dreidi respected the choice from Caelan. Sometimes it was better to stick to a couple of things to master then attempting to jump into many and spread yourself too thin. Dreidi was similar in that respect, she was only talented with her Lightsaber, sword and bow. Any other weapon in her hands was useless.

Listening to Caelan's preferred foods and what he had to endure since he fled his home, Dreidi could empathise, it was tough making it on your own and while she was never living as rough as Caelan had up until recently. There were times she struggled. Surviving on Dathomir was not something for those of the faint hearted. Dreidi gained a few scars establishing her enclave as a safe place.

"Well, since we are at the Jedi temple, lets have some fish." Dreidi stated, figuring it could be a chance for Caelan to regain his love for the aquatic meat. "I know Grisial has a fondness for anything meat related."

She entered the canteen in the temple and inhaled deeply, smelling the food that was being cooked currently. While it wasn't going to be the greatest food ever made, the food here would be better than average. Plating some rice, fish and some vegetables, Dreidi made a decent size plate of food for herself. Looking over to Caelan, "feel free to help yourself to as much as you want." Encouraging the Padawan to eat as much as he desired.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

Fish did sound good. He followed her to the canteen and, like her, took a moment just to relish the smells of the place. It was delightful. Not his first time in it, having been taken there by Anneliese after she'd found him, but he always found it pleasant to just stand there and smell the aromas of food being cooked, especially after eating nothing but dried meat and fruit for months. That first time he'd gorged himself and gotten sick as a result. Something to do with not having been eating as much before. He wasn't making that mistake again.

Taking a tray and a plate, he acquired a nice filet of sauteed fish with capers, a bit of rice, and a cup of mixed fruits before getting a glass of water to accompany it. Not a large meal by any means, but enough for him, especially since he was still getting accustomed to eating normally and without fear of being thrown in prison.

He sat down at one of the tables, after grabbing utensils, and proceeded to cut into his fish while he waited for her to join him. It was good fish, he had to admit. The capers and sauce that went with it were quite nice. The chef was doing good work even if the budget was tight. Or maybe it wasn't tight and what was why it was good? He didn't know. He just knew the food was actually good and he didn't have to worry about anyone coming after him for eating it.

"The fish is good," he said. "Different from home, but good."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Watching Caelan plate his food, it seemed less than a healthy portion should be but from the sounds of things for Caelan, it made sense to start small and often to build up to a healthier portion size. Dreidi smiled as he went for the fish as well, she started eating the food, enjoying each mouthful and nodded her head. "Coruscant doesn't really have oceans for fish to grow in the normal manner, so likely either imported or grown in a fish farm. So wild fish could have a different flavour. Also fish from different worlds could be different as well." Dreidi mentioned, she had learned a lot about food from her father when he was alive, but even more since her transformation into a Zorren.

When you were needed a high calorie diet, made sense to understand the food groups, best foods for a healthy high calorie diet and the way food is made. At least, Dreidi found it helped her more. "I'll have to cook you a meal some day, see how my cooking compares to the food here." Dreidi chuckled as she dug into the food a bit more.

She gave Grisial some of the fish as they ate, letting the Vulptex enjoy some food as they sat and ate. "So, for our studies, I think it would be good for you to do some research on the basics of meditation and the various Force meditations that a Jedi can do." She mentioned, figuring that a combat meditation could be something that Caelan could enjoy and would help him better connect with the Force since he seemed for attuned when fighting than stationary.

"Also, there are a number of holocrons on the different Lightsaber techniques as well as some variations on the different styles. Take a look, we'll be starting with Shii Cho since that is the basis for all the forms, I specialize in reverse Shien and Makashi, but that doesn't mean you have to copy my styles." Dreidi offered a smile. Figuring that having a little conversation going over the training while eating would go down well.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

He listened to what she said while he ate. It was a small portion, but he wanted to keep from getting ill. Besides, it didn't take a lot to make him full, and this food was much higher in quality, which meant the nutrient content was better than what he was used to, anyway. Might not fill him up physically, but the protein within would quickly make him feel full.

While she ate, she mentioned cooking for him at some point. Yes, that would be a good idea in his mind.

"I would like that, trying your cooking," he said before taking another bite of fish.

When she said to focus on meditation he nodded. If that would help him be a better Jedi then that's what he would do. Meditation was important for all of them, anyway. Finding ones inner peace and all. Right? That's what his mother had told him, anyway. But she was right. He needed to learn how to keep his connection strong when he wasn't moving about and being active, as that was when he struggled to be in tune with what was going on around him. When they were fighting, he'd done well, after all.

Then she mentioned the forms and he listened intently, wondering which one would be best for him. Would it be one of the ones that she practiced, or something else? It was hard to say, he didn't know all of the forms and what they were used for, so checking out the holocrons would probably help him.

"I will dive into those and meditation. That should keep me plenty busy when we aren't training."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

Dreidi nodded her head, "just no harsh criticism. Not sure I could handle that about my cooking." She chuckled deeply with a smirk that indicated that she was merely joking around. It had only been in recent months that she put more effort in learning to cook and learning to prep a variety of meals. It was like she was prepping for a full home life with the enclave and other things.

"Also make sure to take time for yourself and socialise with the other Padawans. Not trying to work you to the bone or ensure you never interact with others." Dreidi mentioned as she ate the meal slowly, talking between bites when her mouth wasn't full. "Do you have any hobbies or things you enjoy to do to relax?" Dreidi asked, knowing how important it was for people to relax and destress between activities and training. She wasn't looking to cause burnout in Caelan.

It was why singing and playing her instrument was so important to her.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

"I make no promises," he said, though the small smile he made belied he was clearly teasing.

She mentioned making sure he took the time to interact with his fellow Padawans and he nodded. Yes, he would do that. It was important to make connections among his fellows, especially if he wanted to get help for Lazerian. He also didn't really have anyone he could confide in about anything since his parents were dead and his sister was missing. He could, he supposed, go to his maternal grandparents, but they'd always been busy off world as they hadn't left their roles as Jedi like his mother had. He wondered if they even knew of her death.

When she asked about hobbies, he nodded.

"I like to read. It was my favorite thing to do when I was back home. We had a small library in our home and I spent a lot of time there. My sister was more of the doer. She would go do things with our father where I liked spending time with my mother studying."

He finished off his fish and pushed the empty plate to the side.

"I believe the temple has a library. I will have to visit it."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Coruscant
Attire: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister Energy Bow, Ichor Sword
Tag: Caelan Valoren

She smirked when Caelan copied her teasing, it was a good energy to have between the two of them and Dreidi knew that the best connection they could have was if they had a similar sense of humour.

"There are plenty of books to read and there are probably some historical records that some libraries won't have. Might be a good idea to check them out, could be some things about your homeworld from the Jedi perspective that you previously didn't know." Dreidi commented, she was a fan of reading herself, it was something she had done a lot of since starting her quest to establish the enclave on Dathomir. She had begun reading and archiving many records of history and clan developments.

Thinking as she finished the meal, "we can take a walk to the library today and you can get an idea of where it is and what it is like." Dreidi suggested to Caelan.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
TAGS: Dreidi Xeraic

She brought up information about Lazerian IV possibly being in the archives of the library and he tilted his head to the side. That was something he hadn't thought about, but was probably accurate given that his mother had been a Jedi and her family had a long history of it.

"That is probably true since my mother and her family were, are, Jedi," he said.

Both of his mother's parents were still alive and serving somewhere. He didn't exactly know. He was certain that they knew of his mother's demise by now, but he didn't know how to contact them to be sure. He'd only met them a couple of times because they'd always been busy. He wasn't even sure what they felt about him. Maybe they would be proud of him becoming a Jedi? He didn't know. Someday, perhaps, he would find out.

"I would like that. At least then I would know where I'm going. This place is rather large and still new to me."