Isolated, frozen and crumbling

[Mother Askani]

(Apologies, got a little busy with school work)

Ru followed behind the young woman, as quick as she could, trying not to let a gap form between them. It couldn't have been too far seeing as she made it to the ruins in good time, though perhaps it was the adrenaline that got her to her destination rather quickly. Neverthless it was still pumping, now for them both, in the moment.

Looking down she could see the imprints of the woman's feet within the snow. For the moment, they were clear, but if the wind was to get back to blowing thing could get just a tad bit messy; in the event that the prints would be covered.

Her breathing had become heavier than normal, well they were running....and in the snow. They were sure to get a good workout on their way. She could feel a little sting in her legs, and her breath had become visible to her. Spouting from her nose and mouth like steam. Eh.

"It's going to be alright, we're going to get there, and we're going to save your master dear. Your doing fine..." she said to encourage the young woman. It was all support. Maybe it would take her kind away from all the negative that could tanspire. She gave a warming smirk, and continued to follow behind.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Though the signs were becoming ever fainter as they continued onwards Tia'Ilandra was confident that they had the right track, something of this path sang to her; Her master was this way.

The other Togruta was keeping good pace despite the wave of adrenaline and excitement that's momentum pushed Tia onwards. For the moment the cold was quite forgotten, left behind in that temple perhaps, or perhaps she was simply warmed by the reassuring voice of her new companion as they forged a path back to Raaf.

A little further on she slowed her gait cautious and wary now. The terrain reminded her of the are in which they had landed, she saw similar beast tracks to those she had noted before.

“Careful here,” she looked pack to be sure the other Togruta had heard and observed her warning. “We are close now. There may be more fissures just below the ice.. I used the rocks from here.”

As if to illustrate her point she put weight on the snowy patch to ahead of her, and watched as her foot went straight through the thin surface. She yelped and yanked her limb back out of the new fissure, scrabbling back towards the other Togruta.

“Its here somewhere!”

She looked around, eyes darting, searching for a sign of the site where her master had been entombed only minutes before.

[member="Sochi Ru"] [member="Corvus Raaf]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus could sense her Padawan and another, stronger presence. She was struggling to keep the barrier in place but the sign renewed her hope.

'I am here Tia. I knew I could trust you.' It was a weak message, but her Padawan would receive it.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] | [member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

The young Togruta didn't wait around. She scrambled up upon a jutting black rock topped with thick snow, stopping there to look again for her master, Nothing clear, several patches of snow could very well have been the area she had last seen Corvus, she couldn't be sure.

Tia swallowed closing her eyes; So much adrenaline had coursed through her system she was now concerned that she simply wouldn't be able to focus enough to find her serenity and listen to the force.

She tried regardless, struggling to isolate her senses and shut out the terrible cold that surrounded her now, fighting off the sense of futility that threatened to take her spirit.

Only the calming aura of confidence from her new companion gave her any hope of achieving the state she felt she needed. If she could emulate just a fraction of that composure and focus then she might be able to detect her master.

'I am here Tia. I knew I could trust you.'

Tia's heart leapt, she almost allowed herself to leap with it and cried out with excitement.

"Master! Master I found her! Hold on Master!" she shouted suddenly, a wide smile warming her cold features. She looked to the newcomer and pointed to a patch of disturbed snow. "There! that's where she is!"

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

She came to a halt beside the young woman, and there was white smoke that was released from her mouth. She had been running, and that was a symbol of her exerting herself. She looked around, and didn't see much but several amongst several patches of snow. At least they were near, now all they needed to do was find her. Trying to think of some type of solution, because it pained her to see the young Togruta distraught, she was cut short however, as it was this very Togruta who took charge and found her Maters location.

She turned her head in the direction that the young woman pointed to...she nodded, and she quickly scanned the area....she turned to her fellow and gave a cunning smirk.

"Just over there is a withered tree trunk. We can use that to create some type of way across...shall we? It'll require the both of us." she said calmly, trying not to make her nervous.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Tia looked to the her companion, eager to hear something, any idea as to how to reach and save her master. She shivered, a chill running the length of her spine.

Her new accomplice looked over the scene, considering the dilemma that faced them and nodding; The gesture alone was enough to renew Tia's spirits, but the other Togruta followed it up with the confident smirk of someone pleased with themselves. Hopefully that meant a plan was to follow. She bit into her bottom lip uneasily as she waited.

"Just over there is a withered tree trunk. We can use that to create some type of way across...shall we? It'll require the both of us."

Tia followed the gaze to the withered husk of a tree, it wasn't too far. That would certainly provide them with some stability over any other cracks in the ice. Tia'Ilandra nodded to the other Togruta, in reply and considered a path over the rocks to the trunk.

“We must do so quickly...” she urged obviously preparing to move to the trunk.

[member="Sochi Ru"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Mother Askani]

Sochi nodded, and twisted her body as she sprung into action. The plan was in motion, all they had to do was act. She looked toward the path of rocks that led to the tree trunk, and she took it. She hopped stone to stone swiftly.

She could feel her fellow just behind her aw they both raced against time to find the solution to the problem. It had to have been fate however. What if Sochi hadn't been here? Then what? Surely there was something for her to gain from them as well. Thus that remains unknown for the moment.

Moving at such a quick pace she halted her movements so she could come to abrupt stop just in front of the subject. She manuvered herself behind it, and she nodded to the padawan that was with her.

"We can use the Force together to knock the tree over...from there we can use it to form a makeshift bridge for us to reach your master. Alright? We shouldn't waste anymore time. We're almost there."

She moved behind it, and gave her some arm space so she could stretch out freely. The younger Togruta was sure to join her, and then so Ru closed her eyes, and reached out her hands. Suure such a feat could be done by her only, but that would take much longer and would require focus. LOTS of time was something they just didnt have.

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

She followed the other Togruta eagerly, understanding that her masters only real chance now was complete trust in the force.

They arrived at the stump and Tia moved to the other woman's side; Waiting, preparing, centring herself.

"We can use the Force together to knock the tree over...from there we can use it to form a makeshift bridge for us to reach your master. Alright? We shouldn't waste anymore time. We're almost there."

Tia nodded and joined her companion in position, closing her eyes and finding the currents of the force already at work as Sochi exerted her pressure on it, she mirrored the motions of the other
Togruta and added her will to the effort to push over the tree.

With growing excitement she felt the tree shift and begin to fall..

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

The combined teamwork saw the tree uprooted quicker than it usual. This was good. She however split her focus, and reached out with her right hand, her fingers were facing upright and they were in a curled position as she exerted her strength in the Force to try and slow the rate at which the trunk feel towards the ground.

Her faced strained only slightly, and her eyes were closed. Her performance was graceful in appearance thanks to her exotic pigmentation. At least she didn't appear old and wrinkly when she strained the muscles in her face. Thank the Force.

The trunk had come to a abrupt stop given time, and with that she turned to [member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] and nodded at her fellow. They would need to exert themselves once more and move it over towards the crater that encased her Master.

"Shall we? Just one more time my dear."

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Tia'Ilandra spirit was lifted as she felt the dead tree give way. She had added what strength she had to the effort although she was fully aware that her companion had done the lions share of the work, and that alone she would have struggled to even tip the great weight.

She had felt the strain of the action on her companion almost as much as she felt it within herself, the effort was far greater than the Padawan had been force to expend since first joining the Jedi order. Her companion was far more skilled than she, a master most likely Tia thought. She felt the change as the unknown Master used the to also slow and cushion the trunks fall.

Tia opened her eyes to find her companion looking at her, nodding. Tia looked at the familiar face, more mature than her own but still near enough to her own to give her pause.

Some day I will be her like her...

The thought gave her hope, and something else to think on.

"Shall we? Just one more time my dear."

Tia nodded to her companion, confidence growing now that they were so close.

"I am ready, friend" she replied, but she used the Togruti word for friend in place of the usual basic.

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Mother Askani]

She smiled, Togruti eh? There was literally no place like home. She nodded to comply with the answer she was given and with that she exerted her abilities over the Force to act upon the trunk in front of them.

All they had to do was place it above the crater, and then proceed to extract the Jedi Master from within. There was a sense of relief there...it was a pulsating feeling deep inside, it provided a beacon of hope for them both indeed.

In a slower motion, she reached up with her hands and pushed them forward in a smooth motion to exert herself over the trunk before them. She would surely be joined by [member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] and then with them both they could move things into position.

 

[Tia'Ilandra Shaasa]

Tia joined Sochi once more in the effort of moving the burden of the fallen tree. It was as great an effort as before, harder in fact considering the effort Tia had expended thus far today. On her own she doubted that she would have been able to persist this long, and she knew now that only with the help of her companion and the will of the force that brought them together would her master survive.

She focused again going through her own process of preparation once more. Master Raaf had told her that eventually she would not need to prepare to thoroughly for a task such as this but for now it felt very necessary simply to achieve a mindset were she could offer help.

Tia mimicked Ru's motions with her hands, feeling the joint effort once more. Slowly, ever so slowly it seemed to Tia, the uprooted tree drifted into place. With what felt like painstaking care she felt Sochi delicately guide it to rest in place, displaying a precision Tia could only admire for now.

She opened her eyes and looked at the results of their work, broad smile breaking on her features, she turned to Sochi, clearly excited and elated.

“We did it!” Tia wasn't surprised, she had held faith that they would succeed, but nonetheless the results gave her cause for early celebration.

Impetuous, and with feline agility that had served her well since near infancy, Tia'Ilandra scampered across the placed log and perched above where she now knew with utter certainty her master to be. The makeshift beam held firmly, well anchored as Sochi where Sochi had guided it masterfully.

Tia glanced back to her companion again and looked at her with renewed energy.

“W-what now?”

[member="Sochi Ru"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was growing weaker. A quick recovery was possible but only if she was able to be rescued soon. A Barrier like this was a heavy drain on her ability to call on the Force and she wondered now, as she had done so many times before, if today was the day she would join the Force.

But she sensed her Padawan was nearby and tapped into an overwhelming emotion of hope. 'Atta-girl...'

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] | [member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Mother Askani]

Content with the fact that she could assist with bringing hope and excitement to [member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"] she could only smirk and bow her head slightly with complete humbleness. Though it was long before the young Togruta took off amongst the make shift bridge. Ru was glad to see it holding as strong as it was given the fact that it was withering away slowly. Though she didn't much trust it all too much and decided they must act quickly.

She followed her and the ran to the center of it. She looked down, and clearly there was a crater their where the snow caved in. Hmm... She turned to Tia when she heard her words..."What now?" Ru thought to herself for a second. Then she reached into a pouch upon her belt and pulled out a grappling hook.

"Your gonna be todays hero dear..." she said crouching down and tied the cord around the trunk of the tree. She pulled it and handed it to Tia. I'm gonna clear that snow...and your going to have to go down and get your master. She's probably growing weak, and she might not have the physical strength to pull herself up yet. Once its cleared, hop on down, grab her, and then pull yourself to safety." she said standing up and looking down.

It was good Ru brought along her minor equipment, usually on trips such as this she leaves such things behind. Clearly a lesson for them all here eh?

She took a deep breath, and she brought up her hands. They were parallel to one another. This was it. With a burst of the Force, she separated her hands and the focus would be seen on her face.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was as weak as a kitten but was mightily relieved when the snow and rocks were lifted from her Force Barrier - and not a moment too soon. It evaporated as the last of the heavy snow was moved - a light dusting covering her exhausted looking face as the bulk of it was moved by the Jedi Master.

Corvus was relived that Tia scrambled down to meet her and lift her up. With the strength she had left, she gave assistance to her Padawan and scrambled up the ravine and back to level ground. There she slumped and closed her eyes. Not to rest but to enter Serenity. It was an Ability she’d learned as a Master, given its complexity. It required patience, inner strength and a deep connection to the Force and allowed her to regain focus and power. She was still physically tired, but her Force connection was once rejuvenated.

She thanked the Jedi Master who had helped them and noted the physical similarities before turning her attention back to her Padawan.

“Tia. As melodramatic as it sounds, I owe you my life. It is my recommendation that your actions count as your Trial of Courage. Your level head, use of the Force and undoubted courage are a credit to you.”

She smiled. “Now, let’s go and get you a crystal if you’re ready.”

[member="Tia'Ilandra Shaasa"]