In Faith we Rise, In Doubt we Crumble(Seraphina Shel'Tah)

[Varus Shatterstar]

At first, Varus felt as thought the close contact with the woman might be uncomfortable. After all, they had only known one another a short time, though they'd gotten close rather quickly. The substance of their conversations had often been very serious, based primarily on concern, and they disagreed on a lot. It was obvious that they were no match made in heaven, but at the very least they were friends, and for some reason Varus was beginning to feel responsible for the young woman who laid her head against him. One thing that he couldn't quite figure out about the moment, however, was that it, at least to him, wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, it made him happy.

The young Knight lowered his arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her a little tighter to him to make sure that she was snug and comfortable. He'd make sure to keep her sated for the evening, but he wasn't sure he was going to be getting any sleep. He did so love the rain, and he could watch it all night as long as he wasn't too exhausted to stay up. The warmth of Sera against his arm and the cool mist of rain that slowly drifted into the cave. He could even smell it, the moisture filling his nostrils as the fire began to weaken a bit.

Two pieces of wood rose from the pile across the cave and hovered over to the fire, gently drifting down into the flames and giving it new life as it caught. It was a soothing sight, as was Seraphina's ever slowing breath as she became comfortable and began to drift.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The fire felt pleasant radiating off of her from a few meters away. She felt as he tugged her a bit closer against him, and made no protest otherwise. A small yawn crawled out from within her, and her eyes squinted as well. The flashes of lightning became more numerous, and the rolling thunder waged a war with the planet as the eye of the storm grew nearer, as if some kind of mortal giant stampeding through the field, smashing everything in its' path. The rain was beginning to look like a solid sheet of liquid, pouring over the opening at the opposite end of the cave with fury. She'd not been caught outside in such a storm before, and wondered just how often this occurred here. Aside from the rush of the water at the mouth of the entrance, and the fleeting glimpses of the outside provided by the flashes of electricity, the fire remained the only lasting light source.

Her lekku curled and wrapped around the front of her neck as her head made itself comfortable against Varus. Another yawn. Consciousness was fleeting, and despite her protest to remain awake, she wouldn't be able to maintain it for much longer. Then again, there would likely be plenty of time to talk tomorrow, so long as the storm passed and they were able to continue looking around for a ship to get off this forsaken planet. Unless he made an effort to keep her awake with further conversation, she would likely pass out within the next few minutes. The day was long, and certainly had been interesting, but they were far from out of the woods just yet.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

It would take some time for Varus to fall asleep, if at all, but that was fine with him. He was perfectly comfortable with the silence, and despite being aware that he could rest, knowing that nothing would be a threat to them in that kind of weather, he remained awake as Sera slipped off to sleep. Their journey had been an interesting one, and each had learned a lot about the other in their trials against Sith and the storm, but they were finally away from any danger that the storm didn't pose itself.

It was a time of peace, which seemed more and more fleeting the stronger he became as a Jedi. It seemed as though he became more and more necessary to the Republic cause as the days passed and he learned more about the galaxy and the force. It was enlightening and terrifying all at the same time to know and understand that he likely wouldn't make it much longer in his young life, but he'd already saved the lives of some, and if he could save one more it would all be worth it.

Gently his eyes slid to a close, his breath slowing as they rested, the young Knight's mind slipping into a meditative state as he remained aware of the storm, the constant beating of rain and rumbling of thunder threatening to put him to sleep eventually.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The pounding of thunder would echo throughout the night, lightning would crash into a pair of trees throughout the storm, and others would be torn from their earthly roots and topple to the ground under the sheer might of the hurricane winds that passed through as the eye of the storm ravaged the environment outside. A number of large boulders would be eroded from their resting place and slide down the side of the cave to the ground below. Overnight, the landscape would be transformed by the massive weather event.

By the time morning came, the rain had slowed to a gentle shower, and the wind had dissipated from the howling gale to a small breeze, leaving the leaves of the trees lightly lifting and falling as it passed by. The fire had died out at some point during the course of the night, and it was no longer as snug and warm as it had been. Sera's eyes snapped open as she sensed the light piercing through the cave. She shifted a bit, but tried not to wake Varus as she looked around the area, noting that nothing unwelcome had joined them while they rested, but that they had apparently slid away from their sitting position in exchange for a laying one. Whether intentional or not she wasn't sure, but she craned her neck a bit, eliciting a small crack as she adjusted her positioning, still trying to keep from waking the Jedi that laid beside her.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus didn't stir as Seraphina woke, but he'd been awake for a while, his thick chest rising and falling calmly as he laid there, his head propped up on his pack. As she opened her eyes, he sensed slight unease as the woman glanced around the cave to see that they were still alone, which gave him the perfect opportunity for a crass joke.

"I didn't pick you for the type to sneak away in the morning after a night like that.", he said, a smile stretching across his face, though his eyes remained closed. It might have been a bit tasteless and hinting, but he was sure that she would take such humor in stride. They were both young, after all, and jokes about such things would fall easier on their ears than those of old age and wisdom.

Finally Varus opened those bright eyes of his and stared at the roof of the cave for a moment before shifting his gaze to the woman lying next to him, a wink finding his right eye as he let his head fall towards her. He then took a deep breath and sighed, raising his outstretched right log over his left to cross them, getting a little more comfortable as he awaited a retort that would no doubt make him laugh. He wondered if she'd choose a different tone, however, which would still be appropriate if she was more concerned about them getting back to the Temple. Varus wasn't worried a bit, though, and in fact was enjoying the change of pace that had been thrown their way by fate.


[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A loud, obnoxious burst of laughter radiated from the girl's mouth as Varus spoke. She hadn't thought he was awake quite yet, as the last thing she could remember was laying her head against his shoulder while he was still looking about at the fire and the rain. Her hand quickly snapped down and slapped his thigh with a bit of force, her eyes darting to his as her lips curled inward, trying to hold back the smile on her face. "Yea? I hope it was good for you, I don't remember a thing." Her lips parted as her tongue found itself caught between her teeth, holding back another round of laughter.

The light was pouring in from the outside, even despite the continued showers of rain. It would seem to be somewhere around mid-morning, and although the weather wasn't great, it was at least traversable now. She glanced back to the hanging meat and crinkled her nose a bit. "I'm hungry. We should eat before we head out, especially given that the rain is going to ruin the meat if we drag it about any further. What do you think?"

Sitting up she craned her neck a bit to force a few audible cracks before leaning her body against the wall of the cave, yawning. Her hands lifted and rubbed the weariness from her eyes thereafter. "Do you think anyone has wondered where we are yet? Kian had to have made it off of Dorin, at least I sure hope, and if so, he'd be back by now I think. Though we're still a long way from home, and I don't think there's any way for them to find us without scouring the galaxy. So it is likely that we're gonna have to find our own way off of this rock at some point."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus smiled big as his words struck home and elicited a positive reaction from the pretty little Twi'Lek, but the moment she reached out and slapped his thigh his entire body tightened up. He jumped at the woman's hand popping his skin, her hand so close to rather tender possessions of his as he let out a tuft of air having caught him off guard. "Easy, Lady. I'm not a piece of meat.", he said, allowing a smirk to find his face as he leaned up and pushed himself back so that he was leaning against the wall next to her.

"Yea, I think you're right. We need to get a little food in us before we set our sites on a town or a city. We should be able to see something from the tallest peak of these mountains... hopefully.", he said, turning and pushing against the ground in order to stand. When he did he leaned back, pressing either of his hands against his lower back, a string of pops running up his spine as he sighed in relief. He then walked carefully across the cave and stopped in front of the meat, pulling a strip of it off and examining it for a moment before taking a bite.

It was rough and dry, but still very good and very fresh. He took a second bite as he reached up with his free hand and grabbed hold of a rip, pulling at it hard a couple of times before it broke free, the meat clinging to it in a few places. After that he turned and made his way back to the Twi'Lek woman, holding out the rib and offering it to her as he said, "Still fresh. It's dry, but that just makes it seem a little like eating jerky."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera's lips squeezed together, her eyebrows lifting in a slightly alerted fashion as Varus jumped and protested against being treated like a slab of meat. "Are you sure you're not a piece of meat? I mean, there's quite a bit there. If we run out of food, I can't be held responsible for calling your bluff." Her bottom lip folded slightly underneath her upper teeth, trying not to laugh but looking mighty obvious. "I'm sorry. You're right. I hope that didn't hurt your tender skin. I wouldn't want to ruin my next meal." She couldn't contain it anymore, and laughed menacingly out loud for a moment before forcing herself to quiet down.

"Do you know if there is a pathway to scale the rest of the mountain? Or will we be climbing vertically?" She hadn't paid much attention to the surroundings when they got close to the cave, as the darkness shrouded most of the visible area the evening prior. A vertical ascent would be more challenging, but not impossible. Sera just hoped that something might for once be straightforward and simple. As he moved toward the remains of the meat the sound of the tearing flesh made her cringe momentarily, the unsightly sound of the separation would have deterred her from eating if she wasn't so hungry. Without any noticeable objection she took the offering from the other Jedi and sank her teeth in, gnashing and shredding it as best she could. While it did indeed still taste good, it was a bit chewy and starting to get that typical game feeling.

Taking her share over towards the mouth of the cave she poked her head out for a brief moment, looking out and around at the flooded field below. The storm had done some substantial damage to the trees and left quite a mess, meaning that other areas were surely hit similarly bad. If they had to take the low road to get where they were going, it was going to be a wet, messy trek.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus didn't say anything at first, allowing the Twi'Lek to take the piece of meat as she got up from the floor of the gave before he responded to her jokes. "When you bite me, if you bite me, it had better be a tender and playful bite.", he said, looking at the woman with a more stern look, a serious tone emanating from his presence as he narrowed his eyes on her to gauge her reaction. He enjoyed testing the woman, but he wondered how she would react if she thought he was serious. What was more was his very own uncertainty on the opinion. Was he serious? Even he wasn't entirely certain of the intent for his words to have, but he knew one thing. She wouldn't be laughing and carrying on the way she had before.

Not bothering to await her response, Varus took another bite of the meat, chewing it as he walked across the cave to stand next to her. Strong jaw muscles flexed and shimmered across the tight skin of his face as he chewed the meat, his eyes moving from the young woman to the canyon below them, and beyond that the large span of fields that hey had crossed to get where they were presently. He looked back a forth at the damage as she did, and then he reached up, bracing himself against the edge of the cave to peer out at their immediate, rocky surroundings.

"This range has been here for thousands of years, probably. There's got to be a few paths through these mountains left by explorers who were mapping out the planet a long time ago.", he explained before leaning back into the cave and glancing over at Sera. "We'll be able to find a path, we just have to look around a bit."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera bit into the piece of meat violently while staring directly at Varus. Her shoulders lifted and fell, shrugging to the Jedi. She wasn't sure what he was quite getting at, but she figured her gestured answer would suffice. She out of the mouth of the cave as she chewed on the leftover meal, with him beside her likewise eating and looking. "A fair point. Let's finish up here and be off. If anything does use this cave as its' home, I'd rather be gone before it finds its way back."

She turned, scooping up the two packs of holocrons they were still tasked with carrying and returning to Ossus. "Perhaps we can carve a few more pieces off the carcass and stuff them into one of the packs just in case we have trouble finding food later." Sera would wait by the mouth of the cave for Varus, looking out a bit further through the small bit of rain still cascading down from the heavens, the droplets of liquid glistening against the rock formation and sliding slowly down towards the soft soil beneath. Hopefully the rain wouldn't persist throughout the entire day, that would make traveling quite uncomfortable after some time.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"Alright then.", Varus said, nodding to Seraphina with a look of confidence on his face. The next moment he finished off what was left of the meat he'd had in his hand while making his way over to the rack. He chewed the large bite vigorously as he reached up and snapped a few of the remaining ribs from the rack of the beast he'd slain, turning and handing them to the pretty young Twi'Lek before he looked back to the meat. As he did he reached up and rested his hand on the bar that had been holding it up, pinned into the crack in the wall. He looked it over for a moment before he whispered, "Thank you for your sacrifice.", as if his words were only meant for it to hear in the afterlife, then turning and making his way past Sera.

He was the first to step out of the cave and gather their surroundings with his eyes, taking in all that there was to see around the cave. He made sure that it was him so that if there was anything unsavory stalking them he'd be the first to find out and dispatch it if necessary. They seemed to be in the clear, however, and when he saw that all was calm he turned to Seraphina and motioned for her to join him.

A few minutes later as they descended out of the came they found a well worn path up into the mountains that looked to have been there for along time. It would have been sheer luck to see such a thing in the storm, but in daylight with only the remains of the storm passing over their heads, their path was clearly cut, no matter how treacherous and slippery it was going to be.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera took hold of the pieces that Varus passed to her, making sure to securely pack them into the sacks for later, just in case. Though once he turned back to finish clearing the rack she overheard him speak in a hushed tone, however wasn't able to entirely make out what he was saying. Perhaps he was simply reciting something to himself, she wasn't sure, but if he didn't want to say it aloud she wouldn't press the issue. It didn't seem terribly important to her. He passed her and exited without saying anything else, so she quickly finished tightening the packs to ensure they wouldn't loosen or release the contents while they traveled and hurried out after Varus. "Hey wait up!" She raced out, pretending like she was afraid he might leave her behind.

She followed behind him for a ways, the path seemingly directing their journey deeper into the planet, and quite hopefully towards something resembling civilization, and maybe, just maybe a starport of some sorts. One could hope at least right? She certainly did, as the Twi'lek wasn't fond of the idea of living out her days trapped on this rock. The rain was nearly passed at this point, much to her joy, and the sun was beginning to peak out from behind the clouds and give some semblance of light and life to the planet below. Sera smiled as she looked up towards it, and hustled a bit ahead. "Finally! Some karking sunlight!"

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus smirked as he heard the woman's chipper response to their ascension up the side of the mountain, which to him meant only one thing. The brighter the sun, the closer they were, and the more light they had the further out they'd be able to see. Sparkling horizons either meant water or metal, which would tell them if there was a city or simply a body of water in the distance. Hopefully they'd be close enough that it wouldn't matter, but at the highest peak of those mountains he figured it would make no difference. They'd at least be able to tell a sea or lake apart from a city or star port.

"We'll make it there in a little less than an hour if we keep this pace, and once we find what direction we want to go in we'll have all day to walk. It's still pretty early, so if we don't make it to what we're able to see in the distance, which we should, then we'll be able to at least find a safe place to camp and cover the rest of the ground tomorrow.", he explained as they walked along, one step at a time, Varus leading the way. "I've always said that if you can make out what you can see with the naked eye, though, you can reach it in a days time. We've got about 10 to 12 hours of daylight to use, so if we can at least recognize what we see to a degree then it means it can't be more than 80 or so miles away. This mountain is about five thousand feet above sea level at it's highest peak, so as long as we can see it we can make it there."

"What do you think?", Varus asked, glancing over his shoulder to Sera. "You prepared for an eighty mile run?"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Seraphina listened to Varus as he explained the estimated distance to what would likely be their destination from where they were at. It was going to be an exceptionally long day, full of walking. If only they could have stumbled upon a pair of speeders or something to lighten the distance they would need to travel, but alas, the jungle was no provider of mechanical vehicles such as that. Their fate laid in the exhausting haul they would be undertaking this morning. Sera was well in shape and capable of making the trek, though that certainly didn't mean she was eager or happy about it.

"Prepared for an 80 mile run? I mean, I'm prepared as one could be, but I think what you're asking is whether or not I'm excited. And to that, I say no. No I am not excited for that in the slightest." She stuck out her tongue towards the man, her voice filled with a playful sarcasm despite her honesty in the matter. She would go with it because there were no better alternatives, and his idea was the closest thing to a plan that they had, so that was the way it had to be, unless something better sprouted up along the way that they could not see from this elevation.

"I think this is going to be a long twelve hours. We'll need to figure out something to do for food again as well. Perhaps once we reach the peak here we can locate something like a lake, stream, or river. Animals should be nearby to drink from it, which should hopefully give us an opportunity to hunt. Though worst case scenario we can get fresh water and hope for some fish."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"I think I saw a river and beyond that a lake between here and our destination.", Varus said as he pulled himself up a ledge and rolled across it's top. He then leaned back over it, positioned on his stomach so that he could reach down and help the young Twi'Lek pull herself up as well. There was no use relying on the force now when it could tire them out quicker and deplete any energy they might need later. After that he pushed himself up off the ground, rising to his feet and turning as he leaned upright. They were about as high as they could go, though there were a few parallel peaks speckled with snow on either side of them.

He took a few, ginger steps forwards as he cast his his blue eyes across the skyline and saw the glimmering peaks of metal building tops that made him smile as his boots crunched in the shifting snow beneath his feet. He almost lost his footing, but recovered his balance as his feet spread and stopped in their place, catching rock beneath the snow. He didn't say anything about it, or even act as if it'd happened actually. He simply displayed a an indifferent look upon his face, rolling his eyes as he realized that she would likely find it funny.

"Come on, Brighteyes.", he said, more carefully taking the first few steps down the opposite side of the mountain towards the valley it was connected to. "We've got a long walk ahead of us and I'd like to see an actual bed in the next day or so."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera's hand raised and grasped Varus' as she dug her feet into the side of the rock and lifted herself up with his assistance. He was a gentleman if nothing else, that was certain. Even if he didn't want to admit it aloud, he had a certain way about him that made him seem like a stern looking teddy bear. She smiled and nodded her thanks as she stood up next to him upon reaching the top. Any body of fresh water would be good to pass by, ensuring that they had access to at the very least water, and possibly fish if they found nothing else to scrounge from as far as food was concerned. That gave them a goal to reach, and a safety net in case they came across nothing else in their travels that day.

"Right, that's good then. We should stay close to it if possible. That will give us at least food and water for today, while we reassess our situation later on."

The Twi'lek held her stance while Varus stepped a few paces forward, but a soft bit of laughter would make its' way from her chest as Varus stumbled momentarily, trying to regain his footing on the slippery ground beneath him. It would have been much more amusing to her if he toppled over, but she would settle for any amount of entertainment at this point. Quietly she followed behind him, careful not to make the same mistake and give him that satisfaction. "Don't worry, if we see an actual bed, I will let you know how comfortable it is while you look on from the floor." Another mischievous grin would pierce her soft gaze as she followed his footsteps in the soft snow, making their path and leaving their past behind.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

As Varus trudged through the snow and made his way down the other side of the mountain he smirked at the Twi'Lek's second statement, making him out to be the gentleman she thought he was, of course. In truth, if they were presented with the moment, he would have no problem being the gentleman that she knew he was, but he wouldn't waste a good opportunity for a joke. "You say that like you know me better than you do. Do you honestly think I'd let you have the bed while I sleep on the hard and unforgiving floor?", he asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the woman who trailed his steps through the white blanket beneath their feet.

"At the very least, we'd be cuddling, unless you would prefer the floor, that is.", he said, suppressing a laugh as they continued down the winding path on the opposite side of the mountain, the snow slowly fading as they found more stable, dry ground for their footing. The hour would pass, and in no time they would be wading back into the jungle of the planet, and as they did, Varus again became alert as his eyes scanned back and forth, his ears listening for any unnatural sound. Their trek was not done, but the river was only a few miles in front of them, and they would be able to follow it almost all the way to the city that he hoped laid in their path.

@Serpahina Shel'tah

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera was glad for having well insulated boots to trudge through the snow with. She hated the cold, so she would be eager to get off of the mountain top as soon as possible. She reveled in the warmth and heat, so this was a terrible situation for her. She thought back to Illum for a moment, when she and her master Kana Truden had visited there to obtain crystals for the Jedi as well as to rebuild her saber she had lost during her duel with Xhexania back on Manaan. She smiled for a few seconds, thinking back on her history and what she'd been through and accomplished since then, before snapping back to reality and hearing Varus' comment.

"Oh, dear. I don't mean to say you would let me have the bed, whilst you slept on the floor. But that is surely where you would end up. The only cuddling you would be doing would be with your hopes and dreams."

A playful grin formed on her lips as she let out a bit of laughter while she knelt down and scooped up a bit of the fluffy white snow, forming it into a ball and throwing it towards his back. Once they had made their way through the snow, ice, and frost, she gave thanks to the galaxy when her feet felt the soft moss and grass below. The jungle was a welcome sight, and meant they had made good progress thus far towards the body of water at least. Hydration was close, as was a bath, and that meant that the city would follow later that day, and with any luck, a ship to take them back to Ossus in the coming days.

"When we get to the river, let's refill our supply, see if we can't find something to eat, even if it's simply a fish or so. I could go for a bath if nothing else."

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus glanced over at Sera as she mentioned the river, his blue eyes finding a few flecks of frost left on his shoulder from the hand full of snow she'd thrown at him before. He reached up and brushed it off of his coat with one hand as he looked up at her and smirked as he replied in kind. "Oh, I'll be taking a dive for sure. I haven't had a bath in a few days myself, and I hate feeling... unclean.", he admitted as he laughed over the fact lightly before turning his eyes back to the jungles around them.

He was well aware that they were perfectly fine for now, but they were much safer up in the mountains with less and less wildlife to deal with the further up the mountain they got. Here, crossing through the valley they were in, they could have run across practically any form of wild creature, some of which posed a threat, others that would simply ignore them and continue to graze as they carefully continued past them. Almost everything wild on the planet posed some form of threat, even if the creature wasn't carnivorous. To disturb a wild beast that wasn't planning on eating them would be about as dangerous as being hunted by another that wouldn't mind a Human and a Twi'Lek for a midday snack.

"Whispers for now...", Varus said, glancing over his shoulder at Seraphina as he lead her through a thicker portion of jungle that would be harder to read for danger.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"If you hate feeling unclean..." She paused as a wide grin came over her, "You should see how you look." And with that she laughed again, gently pressing against his shoulder with her hand as she increased her stride just enough to get up beside him instead of following behind. Of course, she couldn't claim to be any more pleasant looking or smelling than he, having spent a substantial amount of time wandering through the filth of the jungle and mountain without anything besides a heavy downpour to rinse them off. Yes, the more she thought about it, the worse she felt about the joke, since she certainly couldn't be any more redeeming to be around right then either.

As Varus hushed the two when they began their trek through the dense foliage and trees once more Sera raised an eye, slightly confused as to why they would need to whisper. Her mind outstretched to his in response. If we need to be quiet, silly, why wouldn't we just communicate through our thoughts and mind? That seems just so much simpler, no? Or does letting me into your mind intimidate you? Her voice inside his head would trail off in a bit of innocent laughter as she glanced over with a smile on her face, slightly antagonistic, and yet playful at the same time. Judging by the time, and the observation from the prior altitude on the mountain she figured that it would be a few hours to the river, at which point they could both take care of the essentials, replenish their water supply, possibly fish, and continue along their way. If the weather remained calm as it were, and no other surprises arose, they would, with some stroke of luck, make it to the city by nightfall.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]