On The Wings Of Odiir

[Lief]

Outside the Crowseye Residence​

Thainbroek​

Midvinter​

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTIB10eQnA0​

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How long had she been gone from this world? How much had she seen, experienced, in her absence? She had left without saying goodbye, without a trace... Only the frir she loved in her place.

Had Felix made it back to Gideon? Would she find the cub at his feet? He hadn't been at the Great Hall, that was for sure, this was her last hope. But she was here for more than just her companion, she was here to see him again, Gideon, the man who had won her soul.

Would he understand? Would he demand an explanation for her disappearance? How could he possibly understand? She stared at the doorway from afar; it looked as though their reconstruction was complete, which was good to see. The Crowseye Household deserved so much more than she could bring to their family...

Shuffling on her feet, she looked away and bit her lip. Would the cloak they had crafted together from their final hunt still be here? Would he have kept it? Did he think she had forsaken him?

Surely not. None on Midvinter knew what happened to me, not even the King and Queen. This wasn't personal, it wasn't even my choice...

With a small exhale of breath, she finally made it up the steps and gently set her fist to the door. One knock, two knocks... Would he even be here?

[[member='Gideon Crowseye']]

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[Gideon Crowseye]

The door opened slowly for Mysa, the large imposing figure of Gideon's father standing silently before her. His face was overly somber as he stared at her a moment, his lips moved to speak twice, but nothing came out of them as though finding it too painful to bear. Behind him his wife moved to the door slowly, as she saw who it was she gave a small bow. This seemed to break the large man from his thoughts as he bowed rather hastily. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, it has been quite some time since you've honored our house with your presence. Please, come in if you wish, but I don't think you'll find what you came for here. I couldn't allow him to defile our home with those trickster born machines, and contraptions. He's taken to building a home closer to the forests. He isn't welcome here any longer."

With a slight bow he moved his hand to his wife's shoulder to support her as she stifled a cry. With a quick set of directions and a goodbye he shut the door behind him as he walked away. The quiet argument that had no doubt taken place every single day since Gideon had been sent away from his childhood home happening once again. What he did was against the Gods though as far as the old bear was considered, and not even a son could be allowed to corrupt an entire household.

If she followed his directions through she'd find herself just outside the forest limits, an odd hybrid of a home looking incredibly out of place. Its builder was learning as he built, and that much was obvious, progress was continuing however. Solar generators hummed powering the interior and half logs were nailed into the exterior wall to make it look more in place. Still there was much work to be done, and much to be redone before it was actually right.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Almost immediately the door was thrown open, revealing to her the old Crowe who had always been so welcoming to her. Now he seemed as cold as the tips of the distant mountains, with a faraway look in his eye. That had the young girl step back some, and look to her feet with shame. She had been correct when saying as much to [member='Thurion Heavenshield'], everyone did hate her for her absence... Even though it had been entirely out of her control.

Something drew his attention and made him find his voice, and for that she looked up and saw his Lady wife stood just behind him. She looked pale, as though she hadn't been sleeping well, which only made Mysa feel worse. Then came the man's explanation, and her heart sank. She could tell that the Lady Crowe did not agree with the decision, and tentatively Mysa gave her a sympathetic look. Was this her fault, for showing him worlds away from Midvinter? Had she caused a rift between this most loving family?

After giving directions, he left her there on the porch. It felt... Hollow. The whole experience. She doubted she would be welcome within their home again, and that pained her. How many nights had she spent here, helping to cook and sew? Minding the children?

Turning she made her way through the City and out toward the forest beyond. She had made a mess of everything she touched, perhaps it would be best if she did not show her face to Gideon at all? And yet as she halted with the mind to turn and flee she saw something unusual. A home that was not entirely of Valkyri design. Was this why he had been removed from their household?

As she stepped closer she admired all of the strange additions. The solar panels mixed in with lumber... Awe set itself through her expression, and she took another step closer, then another.

And finally a sight she had longed to see ever since returning to the world graced her vision.

Pouncing through the snow, baby Felix all but howled his amazement at seeing her there and the girl sank to her knees to embrace the frir. He had grown significantly since she had last seen him. Her face buried into his fur, and she began to sob for all that had happened. Grateful to be home, with her family, to see Felix again, saddened by the effects her offworlder life had had on Gideon's...

"I am so glad to see you alive, so glad that she did not hurt you..."

[member="Gideon Crowseye"]

 

[Gideon Crowseye]

He heard the happy yipping from inside the house, sweat pouring from his brow as he stared at the temperature controls with a look that was moving on from pleading and well into straight out begging. "By the Gods, the fact that some would even want it this hot is mind boggling." Taking a deep breath he read the directions for the fourth or fifth time trying to figure out how to unlock the bloody thing and turn off the unrelenting cascade of hot air. It wasn't even warm, oh no, this was like living on the surface of a star.

It wasn't his first hangup, or even his hundred and first hang up. No, he'd worked on this for the better part of a year, well some of that was work, but most was really learning the how and why. Neither of which was as difficult as the earning of credits over the first two months in order to buy supplies for all this. He wasn't sure he understood the math of it all, but he'd done a bit of work aboard a ship, and gotten a chunk of the profits. The people were rough, and he was pretty sure he'd just been paid for being large, and looking handy with a blade. Muscle work, they seemed to call it.

Now many months later he stood here at the mercy of a thermostat display as he cried out in victory as he found the reset code. "HA! Take that you infernal machine!" With a whoop he set the heat to cool as he stepped outside to see what the yammering was about and get a breath of fresh, and very cold air.

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Mysa did not let up, nor did Felix.

The pair remained knelt there in the snow for what could easily have been an eternity; the cub licked her face, sniffed her hair, nuzzled against as much of her as he could, and in return Mysa petted him and nestled her face into his thick white fur. When had she come to rely on his companionship? Since that first fateful night together the pair had forged a connection, it seemed as though he hadn't forgotten.

Crunching snow gained her attention and she looked up curiously to see Gideon emerging from his home.

Breath caught in her chest. She held Felix close, and simply admired the man who had long since won her heart. He who had taught her greater methods of hunting than she had known prior. Who had shown her another side of Midvinter. Another way to live.

Whose life she had ruined.

"I'm sorry" was all that she said as he noticed her there in the snow. Sorry for her unexplained disappearance. For the abandonment of his family. For returning when he seemed to have finally moved on.

[member="Gideon Crowseye"]

 

[Gideon Crowseye]

He just stood there and smiled for a minute, before finally speaking. "Well, you said Midvinter was home and you wanted to stay here. So I tried to make us a blend of out there and down here, but mostly of burnt my fingertips and sent enough voltage through me to keep my hair on end till I die." Taking a few steps towards here he turned around back to the small house and shook his head. "Is it just me or is it lopsided? I mean I can't even say this is my first one, I burnt that one down, but I suppose this one at least isn't on fire."

With a rather cheeky grin he turned back to her and broke into a run scooping her up in his arms. "And you missy, mission and duties or not, you do not disappear like that without warning me? Understood?" The smile on his face broke through his attempts at looking cross, he was just happy to see her in the end. "I've also finally taught Felix to stop eating out of my bowl. Quite the task but slowly and surely."

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

Nothing. He wasn't angry or perplexed, he didn't shun her presence there, he just continued on as if nothing at all had happened. As though their last hunting trip had been just yesterday, and she had come to wish him good morning.

It was odd, she had thought she would be hated here, ostracized for her absence, but quite the opposite had proven true. Her parents had been more caring than she had seen them in a while, Thrand had been eager to meet his big sister, Felix had leaped into her arms, and now here Gideon was... Just accepting it for what it was.

She looked past him to the house and smiled. "Maybe a little lopsided, but that doesn't bother me much..."

Then, all at once, he was upon her. He ran through the snow like a frir on the prowl and scooped her up into his arms. Her legs hung feet from the ground, but she did not care. Felix sat at his feet, peeking up, while Mysa wrapped her arms around him and nestled in close.

"I didn't... It wasn't..." She faltered for a moment, mumbling to herself as her feet once again touched the ground and her eyes followed suit, gaze lingering to the snow. "I didn't leave by choice."

[member="Gideon Crowseye"]

 

[Gideon Crowseye]

He rose an eyebrow confused as she stood their looking down, "Really? Lopsided?" Turning around he tilted his head slightly to each side. "I mean maybe a little, but I suppose we can fix that. Though I think that's just the wood itself, not the actual house so it isn't going to collapse or anything." Scooping her hand in his he slowly walked into the house with her. It was a very obvious work in progress but the oddest mixture of ancient Midvinter, and a full holo system. Most of the Midvinter look was actually covering more modern things, but hey he tried.

Stopping for a moment he bent down and kissed her nose. "So where did you run off to on me? Felix here howled for days after you didn't come back you know?" Laughing quietly he absently pet his shaggy head. "Tell me though, my flower, where have you been?"

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]

 

[Lief]

She walked with him into the humble home, and was genuinely surprised by the progress. Exhaling a small breath, she glanced in awe. "You did all of this, yourself?" How? Where had he gotten the technology? She turned on her heels to look up at him, a small smile lining her lips. "I'm impressed... So very impressed."

After turning full circle to admire the room she sighed, only to have her vision eclipsed by him. His lips gently touched hers, and she leaned up to deepen the kiss... She had missed him so dearly, would have done anything to have him by her side through the entire misadventure.

And then came the questions.

"I didn't run off. And I didn't leave Felix behind. I ordered him back home, I was afraid he'd be killed otherwise..." Swallowing she turned her sights down to the little cub to avoid Gideon's gaze. "I was taken from Midvinter, I did not leave by choice. I do not know where I ended up, but it was full of darkness."

She shuddered at the thought of it. "If it wasn't for my Uncle Thurion, I'm certain I'd be dead or completely insane..."

No more talk of it, she did not wish to speak about her experiences.

"I'm home now, though, I won't leave like that again."

[member="Gideon Crowseye"]

 

[Gideon Crowseye]

He rose his eyebrow at the tale without questioning much, it was obvious she didn't want to talk about it. Still though as far as he had come it was also clear he had so much more to learn. How does a Princess get taken off her own planet against her will? Weren't they in protected space? Then again they weren't in a strong position to defend themselves he supposed. He had learned quickly of weapons like blasters and ballistics, what chance did his bow have against the like of those. Of course he'd also learned of a weapon called a bowcaster which had made him feel slightly better about such things over all for some reason. The thing didn't seem to resemble or even sound like a bow, still it felt a bit more familiar.

Reaching out a hand he slowly moved away a lock of falling hair from her face as he smiled at her soaking her in. "I suppose that is all that matters, or at least for the moment. I've had a few adventures myself while you were gone. I hitched aboard an outbound shuttle and did some work for a bit to make enough credits to buy the basics. It's been touch and go, well I mean the fires were pretty bad, but lessons learned. It's quite wonderful though, well for the most part. I'll never get used to how warm it is out there, its just not natural. Of course then again I suppose not every planet can be a snowy paradise."

[member="Mysa Snowstrider"]