I of the Storm

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Mandalore

Rawnie smiled as the soft snow beneath her crunched under her light footfalls. She wanted to laugh, pick some of it up, throw it at her partner. It had been months since she'd been home. Really home. She'd been on Mandalore, sure, but not really home. Not here. She... felt homesick. There was something about the endless winter when she found herself this far north, that just sang to her. The cabin she was born in was just through that thicket of trees. The village was only a little further on.

She dusted snow off her pearl white beskar'gam, pulled the white fur pelt over her armored shoulders. She felt almost naked when she didn't wear it. Not herself. Especially here. Freezing winds blew past. A storm was coming. They'd arrived just in time. They could probably make it to the cabin before the storm hit, but the village seemed unlikely.

"We should move," she called to her blue skinned lover, "Temperatures can drop pretty rapidly this far north and we don't want to get caught in this storm."


[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lorane was having a bit of a hard time controlling himself. It was almost disgusting how long he'd gone without tromping through some snow. He wanted to take his coat off and roll in the icy white powder until it stuck to his everything and started making him feel like he needed to retreat into a blanket with some coffee. And then do it all again, this time with Rawnie.​

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Wow, did she look happy. It was like watching some sort of predatory animal being released into their natural habitat after being captured for a few months. And it certainly did look like her natural habitat, what with all that white armor and the cloak she had on. He smiled at her as he felt the cold start to work its way into his limbs through the metal of his boots and tech-gaunt.​

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"Sure, darlin'. Sooner we're somewhere warm, the sooner we can eat something... I'm hungry."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

She truly was a predator. Her hands itched for her bow. To creep along the tree lines, scout out her prey. Stalk through the snow. Launch an arrow right through the eye. Her stomach growled slightly and the urge to run off and find meat grew more intense. She could kill a few small beasts on the way if she had the bow. They could skin them, then roast them over the fireplace in the cabin. Perhaps if they hurried, she could run back, grab her bow from where she left it in the cabin and-

The winds picked up, blowing thick flakes of snow with it.

No. There was no time. She would have to make due with that they had stored. Hopefully, her brother had been keeping up with things while she'd been gone. Clan leader or not, he still had a responsibility.

"Come, just over here."

She held a hand out for him to take so they would not get lost in the thick snow.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lorane reached out and grabbed Rawnie's hand, gently squeezing it as he trudged with her through the snow. He could see the cabin a little bit more clearly as they ended up right in front of it.​

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"So... Is it warmer in there?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Home sweet home. Her buir had built it himself, finishing it right before her mother gave birth to Corrin. Rawnie had come only one year later. This little cabin was where she grew up, chasing small rodents, trying to catch them before they could disappear in the trees, learning to hunt, chasing her brother around the forest with sticks... She smiled as her hand touched the door. With the slide of a card key, it slid open and Rawnie pulled Lorane through into the warmth. Well, warmer. There was no fire going just yet. She'd take care of that.

"I'll get a fire going," she told him, "you go ahead and make yourself at home."

The cabin was comfortable, dark, but inviting. There was little in the way of decoration, save for a few of her fathers weapons that Mother had hung up on the walls for him and had remained untouched for years, and a single holoportrait of the entire family. Little Rawnie holding a bow, wearing thick white furs, sitting in the snow in front of the cabin. Corrin was standing right next to her, arms crossed. Zandra was smiling in the arms of a man Rawnie had just started to forget about. Her father was taller than her mother by about a foot, well muscled, scars on his face. But he had kind, gentle eyes and a smile that was infectious. Rawnie remembered the smile, at least, even if she couldn't remember much else.

The blonde removed her helmet, then her furs. She shook both off before hanging them on hooks on the wall. Her boots came next, then the armor, piece by piece until she was wearing just her underarmor. Fine. He'd seen her in much, much, less.

She went to the fireplace and knelt down in front of it. Now to see if she couldn't get it going again.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor took off his jacket and hung it up to dry as he watched Rawnie look at the fireplace. It had wood in it... But the wood was fuel, rather than the smaller pieces that would be used to start the fire. He crouched down next to her and gestured to his gauntlet.​

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"I can make a really small fire, if you want. The bigger pieces will catch."​

​

He imagined that with the water steaming off his boots and gauntlet, he probably looked like he'd just caught fire, himself. At least he was drying off, though.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie already had the flint in hand when he approached. She made a face. She knew how to start a fire. Did he think she didn't? That she needed his help?
Then she got over that line of thinking. He just wanted to make things easier because he was cold. Why was she feeling so defensive? She didn't need to prove her usefulness. Not to him.

She shrugged and stepped aside for him.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor raised an eyebrow when Rawnie made the face at him. He shrugged and decided to simply ignore it until after they could get warm and comfy.​

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"Flamethrower: Low power."​

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The specified weapon emerged from its little slot in the gauntlet and sprayed a thin stream of blue flames into the pile of wood. Soon enough, it caught, and he deactivated the gauntlet and took it off before looking at Rawnie with a joking smile.​

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"I'm guessing you wanted to do that yourself, huh? It's no fun if I don't get to show off too, sometimes."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

The blonde blushed but shrugged it off with a good natured smile.

"I just... don't like being shown up. I'm supposed to have the home field advantage here and you're already winning."

She snickered, shaking her head, her earlier annoyance already forgotten.

"Well, anyway, welcome. This is where I was born, did I tell you that?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor gently poked Rawnie's shoulder teasingly.​

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"Taking us through that blizzard wins this round, darlin'."​

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He gestured towards the picture on the wall, smiling at what was pretty clearly baby Rawnie. And obviously Zandra. Which would make the boy Corrin, and the man Calico... Damn, was he tall.​

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"You didn't tell me, but a little, tiny, adorable, version of you in a ball of fur gives it away a little."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie was confused for a moment. What was he- Oh. She'd forgotten about that picture. She straightened up, looking closely at the tall man with his arms around her mother.

"I forgot this was here..." she mumbled, "I wish you could have seen us when we were all still together. The village was never quite as lively as it was when buir- I mean, my father was around..."

She wanted to smile back at his grinning image, remembering their snowball fights and the time she'd killed the black horned Uxi. He'd been so proud of her for that. Her first kill on her own.
A whine from the other room stole her attention just then. She whistled once and a slobbering, ugly creature came bounding in right to her.

"Lord Cabur!" she squealed, "Missed you, boy!"

She knelt down so the old strill wouldn't have to over exert himself. He excited sniffed her, waved it's long reptilian tail and Rawnie ran her fingers over it's leathery skin.

"Lor'ika, this is the strill I told you about. This is Lord Cabur."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor chuckled as he sat down in front of the old lizard. Lord Cabur didn't smell nearly as bad as the one or two other strills the Chiss had encountered. The reptilian-looking creature reminded him of an old dog, especially with all the tail-wagging. He put his hand to Cabur's nose and scratched him behind the ears a little.​

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"Well, aren't you a handsome old thing? Definitely better than the pups I met before. I bet you smelled us coming a mile away."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie grinned at Lorane's reaction to the old strill. She was proud of her mutt. He was family. Father had adopted him a long time ago, before Corrin or Rawnie were even born, after Uncle Galaar was killed in a war. He'd been with them ever since.

"His sense of smell isn't what it used to be, but his hearing is top notch. Never find a better hunting strill in your life."

She patted the floppy leathery creature on his back and stood back up.

"I wanted to show you the village today too, but with the storm..."

She glanced out at one of the tiny windows at the wash of white. No. Even that small hike would be dangerous. Not even the animals were out today.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor smiled up at Rawnie and squeezed her hand. He knew she was excited about showing him her home, but he didn't feel a real rush. He was happy enough to sit here in the cabin and talk until the storm blew out. He stood up and kissed her on the cheek.​

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"You think I'm not happy to sit down and wait out the storm with you? Just let me change into something dry."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Corrin was not here. If he were, he would have heard them and went running to meet her. He was probably stuck in the village because of the storm. That meant they were alone until it was over. She smiled.

"You don't have to change you know. Nobody is here. Just take it off and get under the covers with me. "

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lorane's smile got a bit wider as he unlocked and removed his boots before slipping his arms around Rawnie. His hands fumbled a little bit for a moment, but he managed to get at the hook that kept part of her under-armor closed.​

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"Well, then, visahot... Would you like to help me a little bit?"​

​

He leaned in and kissed her, his eyes wandering a little bit as Lord Cabur picked up his boots and curled up with them in a corner. He mentally shrugged and concentrated on kissing his lovely girlfriend, instead.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Undressing each other. She liked it when they did that. Even if it led nowhere and all they did was sleep, there was something so intimate about exposing yourself to your partner. All her scars collected over the years, the faults in her skin, the imperfections. All on display for him.
And vice versa.

As he kissed her, her fingers went to the front of his shirt. Button by button, her fingers worked their way down, down, down.

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor slowly managed to undo the rest of Rawnie's upper armor, and found himself trying to slip it off her as much as he could without pulling away. He could feel her skin on his hands, and for a moment, he just hugged her and stopped kissing her so he could look into her face.​

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"It might sound prettier to say it in Cheunh, but I love you."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

The fabric was tight, difficult to remove without assistance. She pulled with him, slipping her arms free, sliding it down her body. She never wore anything under it. Too much fabric. Too constricting. Without her armor on, she felt naked anyway. She paused in her disrobing when she spoke again.

I love you.

They'd said it before in their own respective language, but hearing it now in plain basic felt so... official. Like he was asking her to marry him. She wouldn't be shocked at that. Her people moved fast, married young and married quick. She always assumed that if she did ever marry, the courtship would be rather quick. They'd jump to marriage and children in less than a year, if possible. That was simply the way of things.

"I know you do. I never doubted it. I feel... awkward saying this in basic, but, I love you too, Lorane."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor hugged Rawnie and gently kissed her cheek.​

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"I know, too. But it's not just in the way you're thinking of it, either. You're also the best friend I've ever had. I like that I can be in love with you, and also feel that way at the same time."​

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He held her a little bit closer, taking in the fact that she still felt warm, even with all the cold weather, and the fact that she still smelled the same way she always did. There was no question for him of whether or not he'd keep her as long as he could. It'd only taken him a few months to decide that the answer to that was yes.​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​