Private Long Overdue

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The Fortress of Dawn
Late afternoon​

The final stretch was always the hardest. It was a climb he'd done before, albeit a long time ago. The mountain path was treacherous, as they so often are; at times the path widened enough to allow one to walk unhindered, but most of the time it required one to keep a close eye on where they placed their feet. A strong rope prevented one from falling over the side, tied between iron spikes designed to stick to the hard rock through any weather. If there was one thing the Valkyri had learned better than most other species, it was traversing mountainous terrain, and therefore had developed a plethora of tools with which to do it.

There was a roaring blizzard; hard winds coupled with heavy snowfall. By the time Thurion spotted the first faint light of lanterns in the distance, his furs and leathers had turned almost pure white. Flakes of ice clung to his beard and his cheeks had turned ruddy from the harsh cold.

Finally he reached the gates of the Fortress of Dawn, and from where he stood looking up he spotted dark figures moving upon the ramparts. "Halt! Who goes there," they called out over the roar of the storm. Pulling back his cowl, the lone wanderer stated his name. "Thurion, of House Heavenshield!"

If he'd been able to see the man atop the walls at all, he would have seen a man in disbelief. "Open-- Open the gates!" With a loud creaking the iron gates were swung open from the inside, and another temple guard appeared holding a torch. "Master Heavenshield! Your Grace--" A reassuring pat on the shoulder from Thurion stayed the man's shock. "Please, this way. You'll be wanting to see the Grandmaster, aye?"

Once inside the high walls of the mountain fortress, the wind subsided somewhat and he was able to shake the chill of the road from his bones, and within the area opened up into a vast courtyard only fit for a Jedi temple. Cattle in the form of bovines and sheep huddled together to weather the blizzard in their pens, and a stray hen raced across the grounds heading for its roost. "Nothing's changed one bit," Thurion remarked fondly.

Then, as he was led through the courtyard, he set eyes upon the statue of the Dawnbringer at its center. It was an all-together different depiction of his father from the proud, stoic one found at Heavenheim; this one, which was actually a set of bronze statues, depicted a simple man flanked by his two young boys. The smaller of the two sat upon his shoulder and pointed to the stars with wonder etched on his face, while the older clutched his hand with similar awe.

It was a depiction of what could have been, had fate been kinder to them. It was a depiction King Thyrian himself had requested of the sculptor as the finishing touches were made to the Fortress of Dawn, to pay tribute to the man behind the legend.

"The Grandmaster is inside, overseeing a fresh batch of recruits. We've received more applicants these last few weeks than all of last year," the guard informed him while they made for the temple entrance. They came to a stop just outside, and the man turned to him. "Is it true what they say, Your Grace? Did you slay the Crone in single combat?"

Thurion offered a blank stare, before offering a soft nod. "You should get back to your post, guardsman. I know the way. May the Force be with you."

Once left alone, he reached into his pack to produce a bouquet of flowers from their garden at home he'd taken great pains to keep as pristine as when he picked them. He entered the temple in search for his beloved.

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

"...a Jedi's life is a hard life, filled with many sacrifices. But the rewards far out weight them and in time you will learn to be better than you already are", that conclude the first address to the new recruits that had traveled the steps from far and wide over Midvinter to come and study under the roof of the Fortress of Dawn. They all got up from their seats and took their first Jedi bow toward her. Some even thought to go further and give Coci the royal bow but she stopped them before they could complete it. "Not here, not under these eves". She gave them a smile before dismissing them. Like her husband, it was difficult to get used to the bowing now, years had taught her to accept the Jedi bow but it did cut at odds with her.

"Grandmaster Heavenshield", one of the Dawnguards entered, he had fought along side all his fellow Valkyri and knights on that day against the crone. He still limped but in time would recover well, "The High King has arrived at the gates", he informed her. And for a moment, so fleeting she thought he meant Thyrian, before realisation triggered. The news of Thurion's arrival had traveled throughout the Halls quickly. "The gates?", she questioned, "Does he not know we have a landing pad now?", she smiled at the guard, who did not really know what to do or say to that, so stoic in his countenance.

It had been a few weeks since Thurion had traveled to the Northmark to see their son, and Coci was eager of news from them and to see her husband. She did not need direction to find him, their force bond guiding the way as if the walls and anything in their path was invisible. Coci entered the main corridor, that led to the outside world and already she felt the sting of the high mountain air on his cheeks. The main doors where open, people bustled about in excitement and she knew he was not far behind them. He was easy to see, standing a good couple of feet above everyone else, and golden hair flecked with the touch of snow. The rest of him covered too.

"I see you decided to take the hard road", she grinned as she approached. Her hands reached for his, they were cold as ice and she rubbed them as best she could to warm him. On her toes, she craned up to kiss him, not caring who saw, they never did. "Come lets get you by the fire", the main hall having more than one hearth to warm the wary traveler.


Thurion Heavenshield

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The moment he laid eyes on her a bright grin broke out across his face. Everything about her stood out in a crowd, thanks to their immensely deep Force bond; he could smell her scent from across the hall, he could tell apart her light footsteps amongst many, and most of all he could sense her presence in the Force without any effort.

"Hey, you," he greeted her prior to their lips meeting for a tender kiss between husband and wife. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist, bouquet of flowers still in one hand. "I did. I wanted to experience the climb once more, like any other pilgrim."

He followed her to the hearth and removed his thick fur cloak now damp with melted snow. He leaned forward and ruffled his long blonde hair with both hands to rid himself of any leftover bits of ice and snow still clinging to him, leaving it an unkempt mess atop his head. "Mother Midvinter proved yet again that she's the true ruler of these lands," he added with a chuckle. "She's still the same feisty old girl, no respect for kings whatsoever!"

Next he plucked the bouquet of flowers from its resting place upon his discarded furs and offered them to her. "I, uh, brought you these... from home," he delivered in stilted fashion while rubbing the back of his neck. "Figured you could use a bit of green in this place. You know, in your office, or wherever..." He always did feel like a shy school boy during such romantic gestures. Not to mention in a public place.

"Oh!" He suddenly remembered. "I also bring news from the North."

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

“That is something that every person on Midvinter should remember, that we are only here to visit”, she agreed with Thurion, but not just Midvinter, that is the same of any planet in the galaxy. How many times had she heard or read edicts of governments that herald that they own a place, as if a planet is theirs to possess, the day will come when everyone dies but the planets remain. She grinned, who has the last laugh then?

He presented her the flowers he had tucked away behind his back. Her grin changed to a smile as she took them from him, and leaned up on tip toes to kiss his cheek, like a courted girl. “They are beautiful”, she recognised them from the garden at home. “I shall put them in my office”, she noticed his awkward stance, still the awkward young man she first met standing in from of her. Coci’s heart sored with happiness, not because of the flowers only, but because Thurion of old was back.

With him warmed up, she took his hand and lead him away heading for her personal quarters where they could talk in private and relax. The day was done for her, all her meetings completed and the new recruits now in the hands of the Dawnguards. “What news from the Northmark?”, she wondered what that might be and anxious to hear how Théo and Ylva were going in their re-establishing some of the people effected by the war.

She pushed the door open and lead Thurion inside her quarters, before him laid a small living area with plush sofas and beyond that to her bedroom. It was styled in the way of the Valkyri with additions and touches of the other races of this fair planet. “I’ll find a vase for these”.


Thurion Heavenshield

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Following her to her private quarters within Dawnguard Temple, once inside Thurion took a moment to look around. It was quite the contrast, mixing that local homely feeling with state-of-the-art technology from outside of Midvinter. If anyone had a knack for interior decoration however, it was his wife. He was more of a builder than a designer.

"It's cosy," he complemented her living quarters. "Quite unlike my old office back on Voss, you remember? I never know what to do with all that... space." He fiddled a bit with his hands while she looked for a vase, but soon sunk down into one of the comfy-looking sofas. He kicked off his boots and put his feet up on the far armrest, lying down and resting his eyes for but a moment. His tall frame made his feet stick up by about half a meter, but he was too comfortable to notice or care.

He seized what rest he could until Coci's return, reaching out to take her hand as she drew near. Gently he pulled her towards him, laying her down upon his body and putting his strong arms around her waist.

Their noses touched and they both smiled, and Thurion could not help but lose himself in her sparkling eyes, like a cluster of stars twinkling upon those infinite black pools. He would have said the words, except she would already know them in her heart. So instead he placed a kiss upon her lips to speak for him.

"Our boy is doing just fine," he informed her while resting her head upon his heart, fingers stroking her raven hair. "They're slowly rebuilding, same as everyone else. The North lost just as many sons and daughters as the rest of us. But they are hopeful." Tremendously strong, the Valkyri spirit.

But what he had been truly longing to reveal to his beloved came next.

"Ylva is with child," he whispered, placing a kiss in her hair.

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Fluffing up the flowers in the vase, Coci was finally happy with the way they arranged. And she placed them on the window ledge to get as much Sun as possible. And hopefully the Sun would see the offering from his son. It was the small things that kept her connected to Thrand after all these years, she still missed him greatly. Thurion does too although he never says.

As he pulled against his body she smiles as she looked into his eyes so blue like the sapphire, more beautiful even. Their kiss lasted for a long as they desired, love coming from her heart into his, it always would.

“Your office on Voss was a complete mess”, she grinned. “Do you miss Voss?”. In a way she did, it had been their home for a long time after all. Coci remembered the day she first saw him, on a mission to the Dark Heart, he ignored her, but she also ignored him. It was not until the cave did, they finally connect.

She was pleased to hear about Northmark, she knew Théo would not rest until everything that could be done would be done. But nothing would ever replace the loss of life that each Mark had suffered, all the races of this fair planet had suffered greatly. Her children always worried her, no matter how old they are now, Nina was finally doing something that would keep her in one place, and Coci hoped that they could see more of her now. Théo had regained his force powers, even more powerful than before, if that was even possible. But Thirdas, he was the troublesome one, not on purpose of course but he still got himself into trouble. The galaxy was ripe for that and after the war he had suffered too.

Then he dropped the news, how he could have kept it from her for this long astounded her. Normally Thurion gets as excited as a giddy kid. “What?”, she smiled with pure delight. “Oh, that is wonderful news”, she beamed with joy. “I must go see them soon”. It had been some time since she had been north.


Thurion Heavenshield

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

His wife's reaction when learning of their future grandchild made him chuckle as she lay on top of him, making her bounce to the rythm of his chest. Now that the cat was out of the bag he too could show his true feelings and share in the joy she felt.

"You should, I'm sure Thora would be happy to see Grandma again. Poor girl could do with some more normalcy after what she went through during the battle." It had been her choice to come and see warfare up close, and had come out visibly shocked by what she'd witnessed. It is never an easy transition, going from a peaceful upbringing in a loving family to the brutal, and very real, horrors of war. It was never gradual, but rather always a plunge.

His eyes closed as his forehead leaned against hers.

"If it's a boy, they are thinking of naming him Thyri," he revealed softly. "After his great uncle."

As happy as he was, he could not help but shed a lone tear crawling its way out the corner of his eye. The pain of his brother's passing still weighed terribly on him. More tears would soon follow.

It's an awful feeling, knowing you're the last of your family; knowing that you have no more elders to turn to for counsel or shelter, and that you, in fact, have become that same elder the younger generations hope to turn to for that same wisdom.

"You know, after he was returned to me... I'd hoped to keep him in my life. Did I not deserve as much?"

He turned away from her as best he could where they lay together on the sofa, trying to spare her his woes. But it proved fruitless, as she would simply turn his head back to face her.

"You're all I got left, Coci. My father, my brother, my mentor... Yours is the only piece of my heart still beating. Those other pieces are irreparably broken."

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

It was such a lovely feeling, an amazing idea that they would have yet another grandchild to fuss over. Théo was certainly leading the way on that count, it made her wonder if Nina would ever had children, she would be such a great mother or Thirdas for that matter? Although he is still young and has life to live before settling down to family life. At least he had started down the road to establishing something to build on. Nina had been such a quiet thing, mostly because of the lack of speech throughout her childhood and maybe that carried over into her adult life, but not now.

“That is a great name”, she smiled a little, hidden behind the smile was sadness. And the mood changed with both of them thinking of Thyrian, the pain of his loss still raw in their hearts, and more so for Thurion, which was natural.

“You both did, you both deserved to have back the time lost”, she caressed his cheek as his face turned back to her. “But it has not ended, it is only on pause. And the day will come when you will see not only him, but all your family standing side by side and then you will have eternity”.

Coci sat up and pulled him with her, sitting next the him with her arms around his waist. “You really think I am all you have left? .. of immediate family yes, you are right but .. what about your children?, their children? Seems to me you have more to live for than you once did”.

She leaned over and kissed his warm lips, “Can you not mend the broken pieces of your heart with them?”. Coci understood him though, it is harder as the years pass to see all those people that were once in your life gone, whether it is from childhood or those that your find on your journey along a path through life. But they go, and others come, and the circle continues.

“I know you miss them, I do too”, she snuggled against his chest to provide comfort for him, and herself.

Thurion Heavenshield

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

She always did know what to say whenever he lost hope and succumbed to the staggering losses in his lifetime. People don't know that behind Thurion Heavenshield were the ever-encouraging words of comfort of his wife, always steering him on the right course when personal suffering led him astray. Were she not there with him at every turn, he likely would have fallen off the deep end long ago.

She kissed him, and he returned it wholeheartedly even as tears wet his beard. Once it ended he was able to stem the flow of tears with one last sniffle.

"You are right, of course," he put his arms around her as she rested against his chest. "My children, my grandchildren... they're everything to me. I just... I'm afraid another shadow will descend upon our people and I'll have no-one to turn to for wisdom. That I will not be able to face it."

He nuzzled into the top of her head while his fingers fussed in her hair.

"Then, let's both make a solemn vow to each other, here and now: In the case one of us falls and the other does not, then we will not seek death but live on for the sake of our children. Until fate deems it so that we may see each other again. No matter how much it hurts."

Merely entertaining the thought of losing her of all people was physically painful to him. He could feel his heart skip a beat to the point that it felt like it would never beat again.

"I love you, Coci. Every last bit of you. No matter how many grey hairs you get," he teased gently. In truth, they only made her more beautiful.

Coci Heavenshield ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

“If, a new threat comes for us on Midvinter, you will not be alone in facing it. We never have been”, she looked up into his handsome face with a smile. “And we will face it when it comes like we always do”, she understood his fatigue, she felt it too. How many more battles can they possibly fight? But Coci knew that between the two of them, they would fight these battles with every fibre of their being, and to the last breath. After all that is what Jedi do.

Her fingers drew circles on his chest, she watched them. “As for wisdom, that is past down from generation to generation and guess who is the one they will be looking for, for it”. He was the father figure of Midvinter now, just like his fathers before him. She giggled, doubting it would ease his mind.

She poked his ribs, knowing this to be the place he is most sensitive in. “Maybe I should dye it, purple or something outrageous for the fun of it”, she teased him back before finding his lips for a deeper kiss. When the kiss ended, her fingers played in is beard, finding his own grey hairs among it.

“We should go get something to eat, I know the cook is roasting meat for the Jedi today”, he had to admit the thought of food appealed now, especially in this cold climate. “And I think there is a barrel of Théo’s finest in the cellar”, not that Thurion drank it, but she most certainly did.




Thurion Heavenshield

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Her jest regarding dying her hair brought a chuckle out of him. Once more providing proof of her ability to correct his course during his bouts with despair.

"Oh dear, that... that simply won't do," he grinned. "I won't let you!"

He snatched her up into his lap and his lips found the side of her neck to nip playfully, before their noses touched for another nuzzle. In the midst of their playing, his hands were given a life of their own as they would begin to caress her back and the contours of her body underneath those robes of hers.

"Dinner can wait," he whispered, eyes fixed on her lips. "I'd rather skip to the dessert..."

He placed his lips upon hers for a hard kiss of passion, and he laid her down on the sofa with his tall, muscular frame bearing down on her, not unlike a lion and its pray.

"You're overdressed," he uttered between kisses, and began to disrobe her one layer at a time. His fingers ran through her raven hair, and with a flick of his wrist the door to her office was locked seemingly on its own.

Coci Heavenshield ​