Private Into the Lion's Den

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Midvinter

Ancient. Noble. Savage. Unforgiving.

A land of glorious heroes and monstrous beasts aplenty. It breeds only the strong; only the brave; only the fierce, and there are none more fierce in loving and defending their homeworld than the Children of Midvinter — the sons and daughters of the Great Mother. Once divided by inner strife and distrust, the disparate races have achieved a sense of unity and cooperation unheard of in the annals of history. This alliance, while first brokered by the last King of Men, has only truly borne fruit in the reign of its current High King:

The Lion. None more lauded; none more burdened, for dark clouds are gathering on the horizon, creeping ever closer. Sinister plots from within and ruinous threats from without are threatening to lay waste to all that his dear father and beloved brother built, not to mention the lives of those he cares for. Everything and everyone he cherishes is bound to the fate of Midvinter, so he must be strong, always. Give hope unto others, even when it appears lost to him.

He finds himself increasingly needing distractions such as these to keep him going. The impending arrival of one of his dearest friends and confidants has erased the bitter thoughts and lifted his spirits more than once today. Valery Noble is a Heavenshield in all but name, christened into the family by receiving the same ring he and every member of his house wore.

City of Heavenheim

Thurion stood on the circular landing pad, eyes lifted to the skies with great anticipation. He was dressed in dark leathers common to the Valkyri, with the sigil of his house emblazoned in gold upon the chest of a blue tabard. The pelt of a mighty lion was draped across his shoulders, adding even further width to his incredible height, cutting an imposing figure befitting a man of his reputation and station.

He bore his wedding band on his left hand, while his right sported the ring of House Heavenshield.

As Valery's ship finally cut through the thick clouds promising more snow come nightfall, the man could not help but grin at the sight.

"There she is."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Winter outfit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

This time, she came prepared.

Valery stood near the ramp of the shuttle, dressed in some thicker leathers and clothing that would protect her against the cold. She had underestimated it during her first visits and regretted wearing her usual tunic each time. But with what she knew to be on the horizon now, Valery understood that she needed to prepare herself more carefully. Thurion hadn't just summoned her for dinner or to explore the world, after all — the future of Midvintir was at stake.

The day he had visited her on Niv Hani, he had told her about the Dark Lord's threat, but during her own visits after that, she had learned there was more than just Carnifex to worry about.

Today, she hoped to help him address some of it.

After a deep breath, Valery steadied her mind and waited for the rumbling of the engines to stop. The shuttle had touched down, and with the familiar hiss of hydraulic gasses venting out, the ramp was lowered. Valery walked down the metal walkway and stopped only when she spotted her dear friend, "Thurion," she said with a smile, before picking up her pace to close the distance. As soon as she reached him, she extended her arms and pulled him into a friendly hug.

"I hope you're doing well?"

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

All at once his worries were pushed to the side upon witnessing his dearest friend descend the ramp of her starship — a sight the natives to this world had grown increasingly accustomed to in the decades since Thurion's fateful arrival, though they may not comprehend its inner workings — and he greeted her with open arms as was his custom.

"Valery," he embraced her wholeheartedly before gingerly taking her hand and raising it to his lips. "Lady Noble," he added in a manner more formal and befitting a king. "I am well enough, though my spirit soars whenever in your presence." His hands enveloped her shoulders as he looked her up and down. "I see you're showing Mother Midvinter the proper respect this time around," he grinned. "Come!"

Stepping off the circular landing pad, the High King walked the Sword through the streets of Heavenheim unescorted and unattended, as was his preference, while regaling her with the background of the capital's various landmarks. They wandered the busy docks that never slept as great longships for fishing expeditions unloaded their cargo before setting out anew. This naturally led them to visit the beating heart of the city in the form of the vast marketplace, where goods from all corners of Midvinter could be traded or simply beheld, be it food, tools, trinkets, or arms and armour.

Presiding over said marketplace were a trio of circular bases, two of which featured towering statues depicting Thurion's immediate predecessors. The central base featured Thrand Dawnbringer, the victor of a world-spanning civil war to dethrone the corrupt usurper of his father's crown. To his right-hand side resided Thyrian the Uniter, hailed for bringing about the unification of Midvinter and establishing the Treaty of the Three Kindreds.

Thurion's father and brother, respectively.

He explained as much to Valery, then pressed his hand to his lips before placing it upon the foot of each statue, but neglected to offer an explanation for the third, empty base to his father's left, nor was there a plaque or sign to enlighten the unenlightened.

"Both men perished before their time," he said, recalling how he'd held them as they passed away, the sole survivor of the trinity. "Now I am the keeper of their memory; the custodian of their legacy." He turned to her and smiled, but it was a smile laced with the most profound sorrow. Thurion gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before wandering off, waiting for her to join him.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Winter outfit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Always the gentleman.

Valery smirked when he raised her hand to his lips and dipped her head, "You know me, the cold is my worst enemy. I'm not making that mistake twice." She chuckled and allowed him to guide her down the landing pad, from where they took further steps into the city. It wasn't her first time visiting, so much of it looked familiar. But walking alongside someone with Thurion's knowledge meant she'd be able to learn something new every time.

Today, his tale covered the statues that stood along their path. His brother and father, both remembered for incredible acts of valor and selflessness to protect the people of Midvintir. The third base was empty, though, without any description there, Valery had a feeling who it was meant for.

She briefly eyed Thurion and offered him a warm, comforting smile, "I'm sure the people around you will remember, too. Perhaps not the same way you do, but their lives will be remembered for a very long time." As long as those statues stood, there would always be people curious to learn about the men behind the pieces of art.

They'd not be lost to History.

"Where are we heading?" Valery then asked as he began to guide her once more. "The Palace? Or did you have something else in mind?"

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion instinctively put his arm around Valery as the weather started taking a turn for the worse with increasing snow and harsher winds. "It's a good thing you arrived when you did," he said. "Looks like the beginnings of a blizzard." As for whereto next, the King smirked at the distant shriek coming from on high. "There is one more location I'd like to take you. One most unique to our fair city."

Together they followed the cobbled street leading uphill to the highest point in the city. Atop the hill there stood a lone tower, far greater and taller than any other. Two guards were always stationed at its entrance to keep would-be thieves or miscreants from disrupting what dwelled within. Once inside, the tower appeared to be all but empty save for a spot for the guards to put up their feet. All that was of note was the revolving staircase going ever upward. The higher the pair climbed, the more clues in the form of shed feathers and straw presented themselves.

"You're about to meet the true protectors of Heavenheim. I would advise you to stay behind me," he turned to her and instructed, taking her hand in his.

Upon reaching the upper floor, Thurion removed his glove and held out his hand towards the corner of the tower where a great mass of feathers and fur sat huddled under a mess of yellow straw one would usually find in a stables. A massive head reared up at their arrival, its eagle eyes baring down on the pair. The sight of the stranger had the owner of said head rise to his feet, shrugging his feathery mane and shielding his family behind outstretched wings.

"Hey buddy," Thurion inched closer to the majestic creature who, while bonded to the Lion King long ago, remained wary of the unknown woman. Finally, Thurion placed the palm of his hand upon the beast's yellow beak capable of piercing even the toughest plate armour. This seemed to calm him, enough so for Valery to approach should she wish to.

"Valery Noble, allow me to introduce you to Skywalker — lord of all gryphons — and his family." He pointed to the huddled mass behind Skywalker as a second large head reared up, blinking sleepily. "And his mate, Cloud-Dancer. They've recently given birth to three healthy cubs, haven't you, boy?" He gave Skywalker a good scratch behind the ear, causing the winged feline to purr with delight.

"This is my friend," he gestured to Valery, causing Skywalker to turn its head to look at her. "You can trust her."

Cocking his head to the side, Skywalker observed the small bipedal as caution turned to curiosity, sniffing her hair to get her scent. Finally, the gryphon patriarch sat down and lowered its great head, presenting his feathery forehead. Thurion smiled.

"You've passed the test," he encouraged. "Remove your glove and place your hand against his forehead, and you'll be formally accepted into his pride."

All the while, a trio of tiny heads peeked out from behind their mother's wing.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Winter outfit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

"One with a roof over our heads, I hope?" Valery joked, as the wind and snow picked up all around them. Blizzards weren't uncommon on Midvintir, from what she heard, but why did one have to come crashing down right as she visited? She did appreciate the sheltering arm of her dear friend to keep her somewhat protected against it, but it didn't quite compare to a roof and a warm fire. Perhaps a hot meal and some blankets to wrap herself up in.

But they weren't going somewhere nice and warm just yet.

Valery followed him up, higher and higher — colder and colder — but she didn't complain. Thurion wanted to show her something important to him, so she'd resist the uncomfortable cold and be there for him. These true protectors sounded quite useful too. Perhaps they could help address some of the issues on the planet. Which... did make it surprising that Thurion requested her to stay close behind him. Were they dangerous?

When they made their way up, Valery understood why. She looked at the massive creature with widened eyes and began to smile. They reminded her of the Ayda back on Keshi, her own homeworld. She had managed to ride one there with Kahlil, and even the kids had been taken for a ride. This one looked a little bigger though, and-

Oh gods, it began sniffing her hair.

"Uhhh..." Valery smiled sheepishly and looked at Thurion for answers. "Test?" she asked, as the creature dipped its head for her. She blinked at it, pulled off her glove and slowly reached out to place her hand atop his feathers. "Aren't you a cutie, hm?" she gently patted the creature and looked at Thurion with a smirk, "Aurra and Vera would love meeting your friends here. They're both very fond of animals, and these are really interesting."

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The King looked on with pride as Valery was welcomed into the fold so readily, though gryphons are stubborn and highly reserved creatures; it would take more than this initial encounter to take flight with them or entrust her with their young. But for her to have come out of it unscathed or even threatened was a huge first step.

"Well done," he congratulated her with a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be a gryphon rider before long!" A soft squeak from one of the fresh cubs coupled with a deep purr from his mate made Skywalker turn away from the pair and return to his post by huddling up with his family. "Take care, bud."

Taking the first few steps down the revolving staircase, Thurion turned to Valery and offering his hand as they descended together. Besides being the gentlemanly thing to do, it was somewhat easy to slip on the plentiful straw and shed feathers. His backside could attest to that. Upon passing the guards posted at the bottom of the tower that was the Eeyrie, Thurion couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's funny — this post became infamous early on among the City Watch because of the number of injuries inflicted by over-confident attempts at getting familiar with its residents. Most have learnt to keep their distance and rarely brave those stairs, but we do get the occasional rookie—"

A messenger came running up the hill with a raven on his arm, waving a tiny scroll bearing an unbroken seal.

"Urgent message for you, sire," he saluted, eyes shifting towards the miniscule woman at his side. Thurion examined the seal to discern its origin. "This seal belongs to Jorn, Chieftain of Clan Hardrada. Hardinge is only a day's ride north of here," he thought aloud, brows furrowed. Breaking the wax seal depicting a gauntleted fist, his eyes darted from word to word in quick succession despite being a poor reader.

"Vinterbound have come down from the Broken Teeth and crossed the Hjaalmarch in droves," he summarised, aware of Valery's limited familiarity with Midvinter geography. He gestured to the messenger and was handed a stubby pen, then proceeded to scribble something on the back of the scroll. "Take this to Lord-Commander Gregor. He's to dispatch a regiment to Hardinge as speedily as possible."

The King glanced over at Valery. "Inform him that the Lion rides forth, and he shan't be going alone."

Thurion led Valery down the hill back the way they'd come and made for the stables. "I regret we must cut the city tour short, my dear," he told her upon fetching his ornate saddle and preparing his royal steed, the Midvinter breed of horses far larger and stronger than those more common to the galaxy. "However, it would seem you'll be receiving a crash course in the perils native to this old, old world."

The snowwhite stallion shook its golden mane as Thurion placed his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself into the saddle, then offered Valery an expectant hand.

"Ride with me, Sword of the Jedi."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Winter outfit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

"This is a rarity for me," Valery admitted and chuckled. "Usually, I get the death glares, the growling, or even the biting and scratching." Vera and Kahlil were far better with animals than she was, but at least Fuzzy seemed to like her. Now, she had gained some respect from the gryphons as well, so perhaps she was finally making progress!

Probably not.

Valery took the offered hand to make her way down the slippery staircase again. She was often too stubborn to accept help for situations like this, but the last thing she wanted was to get embarrassed and cold at the same time. The hand was taken without complaint or grumbling, and together they made it back down.

"I can see why people would-" Valery stopped speaking right as he did. Someone was approaching and judging by their pace and expression, it was urgent.

The words that followed as Thurion read the letter shed little light on the situation — Valery was unfamiliar with the geography of the planet, and she wasn't too knowledgeable about Midvintir's history either. Not enough to understand the implications of what he described. His tone and response, however, made it clear that they were to address this situation immediately.

"I'm with you," she assured him when he looked her way. Thurion then picked up the pace and led them downhill, back the way they came. Not into the city to find a warm place for a meal or rest but to the stables. Valery watched him ready his steed and spent a quiet moment admiring the creature. Just like the gryphons and every other animal she had seen on the planet, there was something particularly fantastic about these horses.

Once offered, Valery accepted Thurion's hand and pulled herself atop the saddle. She placed her hands on the King's waist and drew in a breath.

"I'm not sure where we're heading or how serious this is yet, but you'll have my blade, Thurion."

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"I know," Thurion grinned, pulling her up into the saddle. Midvinter steeds were strong and durable, and could easily carry two people for extensive travels over hills and under trees. "Ride, Morning Star," he bid his brilliant white steed, patting him on the side of his neck. "Show us the meaning of haste!" The noble stallion set out, thundering forth through the cobblestone streets of Heavenheim and out the north-east gate. People and guardsmen alike cheered as their High King rode past, and as they crossed the threshold to the great outdoors horns sounded from the parapets, announcing the Lion's departure.

As the tall banners depicting the golden feline rampant upon the azure field billowed behind them, Morning Star ferried them along the snow-laden highway until the relative comforts of the road no longer coincided with their destination. They turned north, treading untouched woodland paths as the sun swiftly descended to their left, barely visible through the passing trees. As darkness fell, further travel became too arduous to attempt and the white steed was finally allowed food and rest, his reins tied to a nearby tree as Thurion and Valery set up camp in a glade.

Before the roaring fire essential to keeping them warm through the long night — where temperatures reached so far below freezing it wasn't even funny — did Thurion and Valery huddle up together, the former doing all the could to make the latter feel more comfortable.

"I know it's awful advice, but it's better not to think about it too much," he told her, putting his arm around her shivering form. "Took me a while to get used to it as well, believe it or not. I may be of Midvinter, but I was not born here." He reached into his pack and pulled out a jug of honied mead. "Here, take a swig of this, it should warm you up."

"You must have question," he then said. "It is only right that you know what you've signed up for."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Winter outfit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Cold.

It was all she could think about, as they sat together by the campfire. The ride on his steed, away from civilization and into the wild, had been beautiful and a much-needed distraction from war and suffering. But now she suffered, as temperatures dropped even further. The fire she had created for them with the flick of her hand was essential, but for perhaps the first time in her life, it barely felt adequate for the warmth she needed.

"T-thanks..." she said when he offered the honied mead, "I'll b-be o-okay." She wasn't, but she was too stubborn to admit that she couldn't stop thinking about the cold. So, she took a swig from the jug. And another... and-

She stopped herself, knowing how little resistance she had to alcohol.

"D-does Midvintir have summers?" Valery asked jokingly, but there was a hint of genuine interest in her tone. They had more important things to talk about, though, so she quickly continued, "Where are we going? And why?"

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

A slight smirk tugged at his lips when asked about Midvinter's seasonal rotation, but her next question had to be given priority. He threw another log on the fire, causing a mass of fiery sparks to ascend into the air. He considered long before providing an answer.

"There once existed a curse upon these lands," he began ominously. "Through foul necromancy of unknown origin, the buried dead would rise from their graves and march on the living. Valkyri belligerence coupled with a strict clan structure assured unceasing war, providing plenty of bodies with which to muster the armies of the dead. It became such a problem that the old custom of burial mounds were replaced with cremation so as to deny the undead another servant."

He hold on Valery tightened ever so slightly as he stared into the flames.

"Millennia later, the undead mustered a massive horde and launched a full-scaled assault on the old capital of Tháinbroek. My father, High King Thrand, led the city's defences with me and my brother at his side. We broke the horde that fateful night by severing the magic that bound them, but many scurried back into the darkest reaches of this world, their will broken. We were victorious, but we had lost our king. Thyrian was crowned the following morning, his first official task presiding over our father's funeral."

The Lion followed the sparks as they sailed high into the dark night, sighing deeply.

"The Vinterbound, as they are called, still stalk the deepest woods and farthest reaches of the north and do make intermittent appearances, but they are not the fighting force they once were. They're like lost souls, shambling about in a daze. The message I received earlier today stated that a large number of them have come down from the Broken Teeth — the mountains to our north — and crossed the Hjaalmarch — the river running between the village of Hardinge and said mountains. For Clan-Chieftain Jorn Hardrada to request immediate aid, it must be a sizeable force indeed."

He turned to Valery, the flicker of their campfire dancing upon her face. He knew what he would say next might sound too incredible to believe.

"I have met and spoken with their leader, Val. He sought me out whilst visiting these very woods some years back, me and my granddaughter. He described to me the pain his people are in, and that they yearn to be released from their state of decay. I promised I would do what I could, realising they too are Children of Midvinter, even in undeath. He seemed like a man of his word, and my hope is that this is merely a show of force to gain my attention. Hence the urgency of our departure, as I do not want a massacre borne of some misunderstanding."

Thurion suddenly chuckled, stroking his frost-bitten beard.

"And yes, we do have summers," he added, having not forgotten. "It gets slightly warmer."

Valery Noble