Pebble in Hand...

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade's face almost broke down when Kat mentioned her name was complicated. What was so complicated about Scherezade? It was a good name, as far as names went. It had a start, a beginning, and end. It had... It had implied a future that she could have had, she suddenly knew. A future of a Sith, probably a Sorceress. She came from a place where a harsh dichotomy between Sorceress and Warriors went. Was she supposed to be the Sorceress or the Warrior? Was Brayden meant to complete her in that sense? She shook her head, trying to push those thoughts away. Kat didn't know who or where Brayden was, and Scherezade was inclined to believe her on that one.

When Kat apologized, Scherezade lowered the pebble in her hand. So okay, she could deduct, carefully, and with a certain probability, that Kat wasn't out to hurt her or end her. At least, not for now. So she didn't need that pebble in her hand anymore. And if she would, she could probably grab something that would cause more damage.

Listening to Kat speak about the floating rocks, Scherezade remained quiet for a moment. A part of her mind wanted to insult the blonde for her lack o education, but the smarter part of her mind knew that she didn't even know what her own education was, and that if Kat somehow got her out of a pebble, she was probably better schooled than herself in ways that were lethal. And anyway, there was someone they could ask.

"I don't think it's important enough," she admitted, "there are a lot of things in this galaxy that bread the cardinal rules of physics. Like be being a pebble. How is that even possible? And why do you have to train me? And... And..."

Questions. Questions were crowding her mind now. But she couldn't pic them apart anymore, separate one from the other. Her past had been erased, not just in memory, but her right to actually live her past was snatched from her. She hadn't grown into being what she was now, not in the traditional sense. She hadn't been a toddler, or a preteen, or... What was she even now? Or at least, how old was she supposed to be? And why was everything such a mess?

"I'm cold," she confessed at last, "where can I find warmer clothes?"

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The pebble in Pebble's hand went down again, though Katrine only noted it with her irises moving to see it return to the ground before looking back at Scherezade. She'd then said it wasn't important why the rocks were floating since there was a lot of things in the galaxy that broke cardinal rules of physics, like her own condition. Questions started rolling in and questions started forming in order in Katrine's mind, stored for her to answer once she was sure Scherezade wasn't going to ask any for the time being.

"It's not unimportant. I'll find the answer in my books later," she promised with a small smile. The library here on Ryloth was very informative for her but she'd spent so long searching for information on Mandragora and then structures once belonging to other Force groups that Katrine hadn't found time yet to further study the planet but now that she knew about this place, she couldn't just leave it be.

In her head, the questions were waiting though. Like things breaking cardinal rules. "What things?" Katrine asked since it seemed Scherezade knew some more about this than she did. As for how the girl was a question, Katrine shrugged. "It's a mystery we can figure out together but a lot can be done with magic and not just with magic. Like, time travel is possible... and conversing with the dead... and girls being pebbles... There's actually a lot of examples." If she was putting her mind to it, Katrine could think of a great many things that were pretty extraordinary but turned out to be possible, though she'd only scratched the surface with her list.

Scherezade shrugged to the next question when she found it in her head. "That's what she said, your grandmother," Katrine told the girl. "I mean, I'm not possed. You've got potential, I could feel it even when you were a pebble." It felt strange, from hearing the heartbeat to playing games with a pebble before she'd watched the pebble transform into a living being and grow before her very eyes. Magical, actually. Enough that Katrine felt like she wanted to answer Scherezade's questions even though she was usually the one asking all the questions.

Cold. Where could she find warmer clothes? Katrine had felt a tiny bit chilly but she was used to a bit colder climates so it didn't hurt her so much. She could always change for the fur to keep her warm. Though she did have something for Scherezade. "Wait here," she told her before standing up and going around her for her speeder parked just slightly behind the girl, removing the security over her blanket before spreading it. "Here's a blanket. I've got a lot of clothes on my Mom's ship though," Katrine talked as she moved back, preparing to put the blanket over the girl's shoulder, not much thinking of her possibly rejecting that as she came closer.

Then it occurred to her she was a bit hungry since she'd skipped dinner on the count of her invitation into the spirit realm. "Hey, you hungry? I think I need to eat before I start howling," she asked, slightly at random. Though the comment might be lost on her company, Katrine didn't think much of that. She could hunt for food but frankly, her options were sorta limited here on Ryloth. So buying some food seemed like a better option if the girl was down.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

You've got potential. That sentence triggered a response of pride within the girl, and she held her breath for a moment in surprise. Potential. Yes, she reached inside her mind. The potential was there, and it would have been even without all these strange things happening. She came from a legacy of... Of... Of darkness. She could almost taste it. But what exactly did it mean? To that she had no answer. There were too many random cards, and she still had to make sense of too many thing. But the potential was there. Even if it hadn't been Kat to... to find her.

Waiting as she was instructed, she blinked at the sight of the blanket. For a breath, she had to keep herself from stumbling backwards. It was just a dark blanket, it was't the kind of darkness she'd been trapped in for an unknown amount of time. And yes, that was a blanket. She knew what blankets were, of course she did. So she remained quiet as Kat wrapped the blanket around her, allowing herself to find comfort in the protection it provided against the cold.

The next question was about hunger.

Scherezade nodded. She hadn't eaten since before the darkness, and now that Kat mentioned it, her stomach grumbled. Her first instinct was to go for milk, but she wasn't a baby anymore, she reminded herself. That posed a problem. What food did she eat? Entire menus lashed in her mind, but she couldn't begin to even imagine what tastes it all had. Maybe there was a milk version for grown ups she could start with. Start small. Take small steps. And then figure this entire mess out.

"Clothes and food," she nodded, not entire sure which one was supposed to come first. A small alarm sounded in her mind then. These were things that had to be paid for. She had nothing to pay with. And then that sense of pride again, reminding her that she would be covered.

Existence was beginning to tire her.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Her question on food was met with a nod before Scherezade's sounded itself off. "Guess that answers that question," Katrine decided after a smile. "What do you like to eat?" She'd asked casually, not putting too much thought into it. Kat could anything, she was pretty open to that considering her early life among the warriors but the wolf inside her from time to time sought more raw food acquired through the thrill of the hunt but she was open to just anything if the other person felt like it.

Then Scherezade suggested clothes along with food and a lightbulb went off in her head. In truth, she didn't think much about it. Katrine wasn't too shy about her body but hearing the word clothes now reminded her that Pebble was covered with a white sheet essentially beneath the blanket she'd given her. "You're right," she said after a moment. "Let's swing by the Crimson Shadow and find you something to wear there. Mother has left behind all sorts of clothes. We can snack while we choose you something and then get some food," she proposed with a smile. A snack wouldn't disrupt their meal as far as Kat was concerned since they were both hungry anyhow but clothes were probably a good idea.

"Come on," Katrine called, moving towards her speeder and sitting over it, bringing the engine to life and waiting for Scherezade to join her.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

What did she like to eat. What did she like to eat?! Mother's milk was the only answer she could give, so Scherezade refrained entirely from answering that question. There were things you couldn't get away with saying when you weren't a baby anymore. But was she still a child? From what she could tell, she wasn't exactly old. There were no wrinkles on her arms, which was the only part of herself that she could see. She'd have to find a mirror later.

Following Kat, Scherezade gulped again as she realized the were going to get on a vehicle. She'd never been on one of those before, not that she could remember, anyway. But there was little for her to do other than go along, unless she wanted to stay here wearing a blanket and not having food.

So she got on, the movements of her limbs still awkward as she struggled to gain balance once seated, and she shut her eyes tightly once Kat had started driving the thing. Scherezade was happy that they hadn't eaten yet. With the way her stomach felt now, she'd probably have thrown up if they had.

And when they finally arrived, she needed a little bit before she could get off. Her legs had wrapped so tightly on the speeder that she had to coax herself into releasing the relevant muscles. Only then could she look, eyes opening to stare at the ship. Another vehicle. Everything was vehicles. On Endelaan, people mostly walked on foot. Her parents used... Speeders, to get around, but they were some of the very few who did, and they'd never take her or Brayden with them when they did so.

"It's a nice ship," she tried to compliment, realizing just how awkward that sounded, "does it have any mirrors?"

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

In front of the Crimson Shadow, Katrine used the speeder's control to lower the hangar bay doors, noticing Scherezade was coming off the vehicle and waited her out. The question on mirrors had her looking back and grinning. "Of course. What sensible woman converts rooms into a closet and doesn't install mirrors?" Well, she assumed because that was what Mother had done. The walk-in closets Katrine had seen all had mirrors though Mother had gone for many at once which Katrine loved about the Crimson Shadow since she hadn't done that in the later ships.

"Come onboard, gotta get this puppy inside," she told Scherezade as she slowly rode the speeder up the ramp and into the hanger bay, parking it in its designated spot where it always was, even before she'd taken it. Katrine just assumed it was where it was supposed to go and didn't come up with a new place. The Light Freighter wasn't big but it was enough for her, especially with the light modifications Curupira had done in the time she'd used it. And since her disappearance, Mother had left everything behind, including her own communicator though Katrine didn't use it much since she had her own.

She'd wait for Scherezade enter before she'd moved back to the panel, closing the ramp up. Even if Ryloth was safe since it was under Confederacy rule, Katrine still preferred the doors shut. Once it was, only a small number of people could gain access to it, especially throw the key panel. "Let's snack and dress," the blond said before she kept moving through the ship. First, she'd gone into the front, assuming Scherezade would follow, entering the small kitchen area, pulling out different snacks she had in storage before she'd continued into the back. Of the five dormatories, there were original, only two were actually kept as dormatories while the others had been converted to suit Curupira's needs. Mostly, the walk-in closet, which let Katrine get all the picks she wanted. And that was exactly where she was taking Scherezade now. In the space, most of the walls were covered with either clothes hanging or tucked into storage, shoes included.

Katrine, however, moved to the single surface that could be used to sit, which was a low armchair, dropping their snacks into it before she pulled out one of them, ripping the bag open and offering. "Try this," she said before reaching in for one herself. "And try anything you'd like. We can refit whatever is too big." And with that, she threw the snack into her mouth, letting the girl give the place a look around.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Sensible woman. How was she supposed to know what a sensible woman was? She'd never met any. Flashes of images in her mind showed that while there were a great any things that could be said for the women who came before her, sensible was not a word often used. Or, at all.

Walking behind Kat and her speeder, Scherezade couldn't help but noticing the ground give way to cold metal. She was even colder now, her shoes wearing no protection. Grandmother, you could have at least given me some shoes, she grumbled within her thoughts. For a split of a moment, the girl was almost sure she heard a response, but just as soon as she had thought it, it vanished, leaving her mind her own. That was weird. I don't like that.

Walking quickly after Katrine, the former pebble noticed that her walk was almost effortless. Once she had regained control over the proper muscles, it was almost as if the body knew how to move. Not just to perform basic functions, but to give her a sense of nearly gliding on the air. She supposed that was what walking lightly felt like. And she felt it. Well. It was something, at least, to learn how to properly walk in a matter of the amount of time it had taken from pebble to human. Hopefully, other things would come just as quickly.

When Katrine removed the snacks, Scherezade made no response. After all, she didn't know that the food was hiding in that. Those bags looked nothing like breasts. Or food, come to think of it.

And next they were in a room full of... Full of clothes. Scherezade held her breath, letting the image of it sink in. This was nothing like she'd ever seen before. The blonde offered her something, and she took it from her, staring to see what she'd do. Apparently, that was the food. For now though, despite the sounds of her stomach, Scherezade opted insead to just look at the room full of clothes.

"You said your mother left," she noted, thinking on just a little while ago, when Katrine had mentioned that her mother had left things behind. The only people who left things behind... Well, were people who left, "why did she leave? Where did she leave to?"

As she spoke, she reached for the nearest thing to her. A pair of black pants, made of material that appeared to be somewhat glossy. Pressing it against her body, she shook her head, realizing just as any other woman, that these pair of pants would definitely not be for her. But at least she knew they were pants. Progress!

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

A few more snacks popped into her mouth, Katrine began going through the outfits hung high, going from one to the next, then plucking a few and giving Scherezade a look before she threw them to the side. They were all pretty but not the special expensive things. Mother always kept those in the back of the closet and let her try them on if she was in a careful mood. As she moved back to continue looking, going through the girl and the more mature colors, Scherezade brought up Mother, her hand freezing mid-air

It had been over two years now that Mother had vanished. When she had gone, no device, no note, Avarisa had used the situation to break her and get her to leave everything else behind. To corrupt her. She thought of Mother lots in that time but not too much sense. For a while when she had arrived to Ryloth, pressing into her Templar ring which Mother had given to her years from now, calling her to come home but it had been a while now that she'd actively let herself think about her. Her sapphire gaze shifted over to Pebble as the questions came in. Why did she leave? Where did she go? Each question existed in her mind already, the answer bit blank.

"I don't know. I don't know why she left or where she went," she told Scherezade, her expression sad. "Things are not like she told me when I was little. She never left back then in this age. Chloe came into her life all grown up and suddenly she had to figure out how to take care of a grown daughter she hadn't given birth to yet," she rambled, a sigh escaping her as she suddenly pulled out a short pink dress with a lot of till and full. She remembered putting this on once. It was big on her and the skirt section reached the floor but Mother always let her wear her clothes when she was little. "What about this one?" She asked after a beat, showing it to Scherezade. "I have a leather jacket that would work great with it."

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Sherezade said nothing about the tale of Katrine's mother. Mostly, because she didn't understand any of it. She understood the separate words, even the sentences that they formed, but their meaning was entirely lost to the child. Instead, she just stared as Katrine thought she was explaining the situation, and just nodded. Comprehension could wait for later. And a tiny annoying feeling in the back of her mind told her that her own story would sound pretty much the same anyway, at least in terms of coherency. There was one important lesson to take form this though - family meant little. Her family wasn't her. Katrine's family wasn't here. It appeared they were both more or less thrown into a survive or fail situation.

And that made her angry beyond words.

However, her anger would wait. Taking the pink dress from the other woman, Scherezade removed the blanket and white dress in front of her, seemingly entirely unaware to physical privacy being a thing. She did almost faint though, when her own body was revealed to her, and there were parts on it that she didn't remember having. Jumping from baby to someone going through or was finished with puberty didn't go down easily. And this was going to be her meat cage for a time to come.

Biting her lower lip, she slipped into the pink dress, her fingers knowing how to work the closing of it with ease. Scherezade was just about to search for a mirror with her eyes, when something else caught her attention.

She didn't know how to explain it. But there was... Something. The room as well as Katrine faded out of her senses and she looked around wildly with a near panic as she tried to understand what it was. Her feet moved of their own accord, still bare against the floor. Like a hunter after its prey she darted, fingers almost screeching against the metallic walls. Something was calling her, drawing her, demanding her. That something was right now, more important than food, more important than clothes, more important than stupid families being stupid.

Through the hallway and into the room near it. It was almost as if she was following a shining trail that didn't actually shine.

There it was! The thing that was calling her! Scherezade moved forward, hands reaching out as she tried to close the distance between her and what appeared to be a book, and any thoughts she might have had at that pointed were completely nulled.


[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The dress taken, Katrine had shoveled around some more dresses before she'd found one for herself, putting it down before she'd moved around to find the leather jacket she'd looking for, leaving it for Scherezade when she was finished. Glancing over at Scherezade just then, she noted she'd gotten naked and was putting the dress on. The thing of it was, Kat hadn't batted an eye to that. Once or twice, she'd been scorned for undressing herself but it had gone right over her head all those times that it had gone over her head now.

Before she'd actually spoken up, Pebble had suddenly moved right out of the closet, leaving Katrine standing there confused for a second before she followed right after her, curious as to what had made her suddenly move so quickly. In the back of her mind, she could hear a murmur of a sort but it was neither here nor there to what it actually was that the blond simply followed after Scherezade, finding her in her room suddenly.

It was when she realized what she was doing, reaching for the grimoire laying on her bed. Katrine found herself holding a break suddenly, watching the girl move to the book, understanding suddenly that the murmur she had heard had been meant for her though she didn't get why she was hearing it. The child is summoned. She will be claimed, a whisper suddenly reached her mind, the spirits speaking up to her.

And all Katrine did was smile, waiting.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

In her mind, she knew what it was long before she could actually see it. Whispers inside her brain, telling her of who and what and where.

"You're a Jart," she whispered, her voice just barely above the sound of breathing. There was no need to nod. Instead the Jart extended a wing that ended in a claw, and Scherezade understood.

With no doubt in her heart, she turned her head off, and stepped closer and closer, until she was within reach of the terrifying beast. But there was no fear in her, and she was somewhat surprised to find herself thinking whether or not the spirit would let her hug it.

As she neared, the Jart's wing began to fold around her, giving her the answer. Everything was perfect. She was falling into her place, where she was supposed to be. This was the path that had been carved for her. This was the string of the web upon which she would stand. And this was the spot from which she would hack piece by piece into building a future that was suitable to her.

The Jart's wings closed around her entirely. Her sense of self was engulfed in sweet warmth.

And then she felt it. The claws, ripping down her back. It hurt, but Scherezade didn't see a reason to scream. This pain was right. She closed her eyes and let it overtake her. If all it took to be with the spirits in this manner was this pain, she would pay the price a thousand times fold.

When Scherezade opened her eyes, she was back in Katrine's room. She could sense Katrine right behind her, and she somehow knew the other woman was smiling. Turning to her slowly, she smiled back in earnest, perhaps for the first time since she'd come out of the pebble. And then she turned around again, lifting the dress to show Katrine the mark that she knew now adorned her spine.

"Past and present."

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

It felt odd, the way she had heard them speak in her mind before [member="Scherezade deWinter"] had touched upon the Grimoire.. Then she head and more whispers reached her ears but these were unclear unlike before and somehow, Katrine knew they were speaking to the girl and not her so the conversation was nothing the Witch would be privy to.

Didn't matter though. It was over shortly, her sapphire gaze noticing Pebble looking at her again with a smile of her own before the girl lifted up her shirt to show her the new tatoo. Almost immediately she recognized the symbol when her own mark was different. "You're a Jart!" Katrine happily pronounced. "I'm a Jart too" She happily declared, pulling on her white top to reveal her colarbone and the tatoo which had been given to her by the same spirit. Hers though was exact to what Avarisa had proudly displayed through the years, offering limited explanation to why thast was that Katrine had always believed as a child it was a symbol of their family rather than the whole pact.

You were a Jart, a strong voice suddenly boomed into her head, her head turning slightly as she listened. "Am I not a Jart still?" She asked, engaging in a conversation that was one sided on the outsides. You are, the softer but sharper voice of Jart responded, but the marks across your body are proof of you being more, the third voice, sounding more trickery and deceiving yet honest one the less spoke. "What does that mean?" Katrine insisted but the spirits grew silent once more, refusing to answer her.

Her gaze shifted back to Scherezade with a half-smile remaining. "They're being coy," she declared with a shrug. Katrine wanted to know, absolutely but if she learned anything with spirits through her life, it was that she couldn't quite demand answers the way she could with the living. Instead, her attention diverted back with the girl. "Past and Present?" She remembered suddenly what Scherezade had said. "What do you mean?" She, of course wanted to know the answer.

The child was entrusted to you. Teach your Ward, Jart suddenly graced her with another nudge, reminding her of something important. "Oh! He's right! It's time for your Trial by Fire," she remarked, hurrying over to the much smaller spellbook and began flipping through it before she remembered and moved away, going through one of the cabinets, looking through a few scrolls that were here. One of them was hers, given to her by her Nona. That one was special and slightly aged after being with her for almost her entire life but a few of them were near, written after having met Paige who'd required her very first scroll. Her fingers moved through the collection, before she pulled one, unscrolling it slightly to check which one it was before she'd brought it over and handed it to Scherezade.

Mighty spirits, bright forth the mist, bring forth the fog. Spread forth around me, hide me now!​

The spell was unchanged from the spell her Mother had taught her long ago, only translated to Galactic Basic so she could make use of it within the Mandragora. Katrine herself still used the Paecean version but for Pebble, she figured using this version would be better suited, as it was with most of the people inside their group. "This is a spell, one that calls Mist. You have to memorize it, you have an hour. Might not work at first go but no worries. My tutors always had I had like five tries before it was good," she offered with a shrug. It only really applied to the Trial by Fire and the first casting. "Memorize. Concentrate on what you want to do. The outcome should be literal mist around you. It's meant to hide you temporarily," she explained after a moment. "Focus on the outcome, see it in your head. The spell is meant to guide you towards your goal." It was the explanation she offered, letting Scherezade take the scroll from her. It didn't occur to her whether or not the girl knew how to read the spell or not, though somehow, that sort of thing usually didn't occur to her. It was just one of those things that Katrine needed to be told point blank in order for her to figure out.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade grinned from ear to ear as Katrine proclaimed that she was a Jart too. Finally, after coming out of that damned pebble, things were clicking. She wasn't alone. She might've been the only one of her family to be awake, or alive, but she wasn't alone. Katrine was a Jart too.

For half a heart beat though, Scherezade blinked in confusion as Kat asked if she wasn't a Jart any longer. It took the girl a moment to realize she was not the one Katrine was speaking to. Giving Katrine the privacy one could expect when in a private conversation, Scherezade quickly corrected her dress to sit back as it was meant to be.

"The placement of the mark is not a coincidence," she answered when Kat asked the direct question, "my grandmother's spine was covered entirely, though in her case it looked more like a botched surgery." Realizing then that this could be interpreted as her grandmother being a Witch (which Sherezade frankly wasn't entirely sure about, but she most definitely knew she hadn't been claimed by any spirits). "The Mandalorians did it to her when she was captured. They tried to turn her into a human puppet. It cost them dearly. And that is Past."

Beneath her words, she could feel it rising - the hate towards the mere word 'Mandalorians'. It was a soap opera on its own, those centuries of war between the barbarians and her grandmother, and the many others who were involved. It was a tale of pain and revenge, mostly, though she wasn't sure it was a tale that had ended in any way. If Mandalorians still existed in this time frame... She would be expected to continue the campaign to eradicate their existence.

Thankfully, she was a long way off from being able to even scratch a single one of those colorful tuna cans, so she could put those thoughts aside for the moment.

"Present," she added as she calmed herself down, "is the shape. This is not the scar my grandmother bore. This is my tattoo. And I think I had a choice in receiving it."

Trial by fire. She knew what that was. The initiation for every Witch. Her mother had gone through it. Some of her aunts had too. And there was an entire Dathomirian branch that did that and more. And since she was a Jart, any question she might have had regarding her affinity with the Force was already answered. She was going to pass the Trial by Fire with ease.

When Kat spoke the words in basic, Scherezade could almost taste them. "So spells do work in basic," she remarked, adding that new information to the pile that was already in her mind.

She took the scroll, but there was no need to open it. Her grandmother knew the spell, and her mother had known it too, even though this version of it didn't contain the "great spirits of Dathomir" bit, and a few other words had been altered as well. But the rest of the words of it were already in her mind, without the need to study them.

But theoretics aside, the fact that she knew the words did not mean that she could cast the spell. Those were two very different things. Katrine mentioned needing to cast something five times before it was any good.

Concentration. Not even a day as a sort of adult, and she was already going to have to concentrate.

Scherezade welcomed the challenged with open arms.

Pinning her focus down, she envisioned it. Literal mist around her. She knew what mist was, even if she'd never actually seen it.

"Mighty spirits, bright forth the mist, bring forth the fog. Spread forth around me, hide me now," she whispered softly, her eyes closed. She could feel something tickling jus beneath her skin, calling up powers that she should have mastered centuries ago.

"Mighty spirits, bright forth the mist, bring forth the fog. Spread forth around me, hide me now," she repeated. There was that sensation again. Stronger now. There was still no mist surrounding her, she didn't need to open her eyes to know that.

"Mighty spirits, bright forth the mist, bring forth the fog. Spread forth around me, hide me now," there. It was working. Scherezade opened one eye. What was around her was far from enough to actually hide her from anything or anyone. But she was standing inside of a gentle cloud, there was no doubt about it.

Grinning, now was the time to succeed. She latched on to the feeling of the Force, for now she knew what it was, and pulled in the cloud to herself. Amplify.

"Mighty spirits, bright forth the mist, bring forth the fog. Spread forth around me, hide me now!"

The entire room filled with thick fog. Scherezade waved her had in front of her face just to make sure the mist was thick enough for her not to be able to see it.

"I thought Trial by Fire meant literally fire," she giggled as she moved her arms inside the mist she'd created.



[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

The girl explained shortly after her question asked. The placement of the tattoo was no accident since her grandmother's spine was covered with scary given to her by the Mandalorians. Katrine listened carefully as she talked, recalling Mandalorians in a very distant story of her own Nona. They'd tried to turn Pebble's grandmother into a human puppet. It was strange hearing it so considering the stories she'd once heard from Nona but then, there were rumors now throughout the galaxy of the very same Mandalorians spreading and forcing a cure down the thoughts of any Force Users in their wake. Katrine considered her far from them now that she didn't completely pay attention. Uncle Isley considered himself one so she couldn't condemn a whole group for their madness. "My Nona told me about then when I was little. They'd been friends once. Mandalorians protected Dathomir and they worked together," she told Pebble, "But what I've been hearing recently about them doesn't make much sense. They seem to have a severe prejudice against Force Users now, trying to shove a cure down their throat." While it seemed like Scherezade was a little too young and too new to the galaxy she'd been dropped in, seemed somehow important to let her know.

"However, I should still say not all Mandalorians are bad. My Uncle Isley considers himself one even though his Mother is from Dathomir. I've never met the lady but the Morte Clan is neutral from what Nona told me." The Cavataio family and the Morte Clan, residents of their Morte mountain. Katrine had seen it sometimes though she'd never gone there. Nona was no longer a Clan Mother by the time of the second unification but she still kept her hands on the pulse of the planet. Maybe it was a habit or something else, Katrine didn't know, but the stories of her Nona and the stories of Uncle Isley connected right there.

Pebble continued soon after, explaining the present, which was the shame. "It's a bird," Katrine pointed out. "That is what Jart is. A bird native to Ryloth. Which I didn't really know about until recently. My last name is Hawk. of the Singing Mountain Hawks. Our name comes from the Paecean word Ceta. Not a lot of people in my family know this, but the first of our family was named Ceta when her ship landed on Dathomir. She was small and her mother died in the crash. They were Mandragora before they were Dathomirians," Katrine clued her into the knowledge she now possessed about her family. Avarisa had been coy about the lessons she had given her, showing her the tattoo and revealing the question with their last name but not explaining about the Mandragora or Jart.

Scherezade's sudden reaction to being given a spell in basic had startled her slightly. It was a relatively new thing but like her Nona before her proving the Witches wrong a couple of centuries ago about whether or not Witches could indeed use the Force in the way others did, Katrine had continued to prove them wrong yet again when she began to use spells in a different language. It was a silly outdated notion some Witches still had, one that Katrine refused to be a part of. "Of course they do. Spells are meant to help you achieve your power. When the exiled Jedi Knight came to Dathomir, they were somehow unable to comprehend how the Force worked. The spells were meant to unlock their potential but they were meant to be the sole use of our magic." There were without doubt spells that did things powers could not. Magic had achieved an evolution in its own right, unlocking sources the outsiders still had much to learn, like the usage of the magical ichor. Nona had told her about it a long time ago but until Katrine had seen it for her own eyes and actually allowed herself to absorb it, she hadn't had quite believe all it was capable. "Some magic will let you do things other Force Users can't even comprehend yet, while other spells essentially do the same thing as powers do. Like the power of moving things with your mind. You can use a power or you can chant, ultimately you will get the same thing," Katrine explained before she sat down on the bed, beside the Grimoire, opening her own spell as she let Scherezade work on her first spell.

She could hear the girl chanting and making her attempts though Katrine didn't distract her, let her go through the process. She could feel the small achievements through the Force but she'd waited until all five turns had been completed, already feeling its success before the fog had spread around her as well. Out of habit, she still looked up, her eyes meeting nothing but the mist yet again. She could feel where Scherezade was though. "Excellent," the Lupine offered. "I was right about your potential," Katrine commented though she offered no explanation to why she'd said that. The Call Mist spell had been the test of the test, slightly more powerful than the basic spell.

A small giggle left her lips when Scherezade commented she'd expected literal fire. "Everyone does," she pointed out. It wasn't long ago that someone else had said the exact same thing. Though she'd involve fire. Not because Scherezade was asking for it but because the spells involving fire were both fun and useful. The Mist spell was useful as well, gave a spooky vibe while hiding the caster in plain sight but it couldn't do much harm.

Next, though, she concentrated, pushing away the mist out of the room partially. It would fade soon but for now, she had needed to see a bit. After that, she's summoned a piece of empty parchment to her side and began to scribble spells she wanted Pebble to learn.

Mothers of Old, give me strength, give me a boost. Give me the power to overcome the struggle I am about to Face. I will overcome all with true power of the ancient way.​

"Next, I'm going to give you the Spell of Focus. It's used for stronger spells. You don't quite need it right now but you should always have it at your side. You won't always have your full concentration," she explained as she wrote down the symbols, however, proceeded to write two more spells as she did.

Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive.

The fire that burns, mother nature’s domain. Let me be the guiding toolof the fire’s arrows!​

She'd explain soon enough but she'd wanted them to go down. When she finished, she stood and brought it over to Scherezade. "So, the first one is the Spell of Focus," she reminded her, her finger passing over the first line, then moving to the next one. "Second one is the Spell of Fire Creation, first stage. I'd recommend you do the Spell of Focus first than that. The last spell," she continued, index finger moving to the last one, "Is the Arrow of Fire, weakest one. You won't do that. That's something for you to learn on your own. I will, however, dictate you the more advanced version while you're still focused." One spell would empower. The other would create small sparks. The spell she would dictate to her would allow her to cast small arrows, guided at her command and being throw at around twenty feet but because the sparks of fire were weak, it wouldn't do much harm for the ship.

After a moment, her palms came together as if she was holding a small bowl in it. "Ignite the fire inside your palms," she instructed then, waited until Scherezade was ready for the dictation. When she'd managed a quick memorize of words spoken, Katrine would leave her be for now. She was getting hungry anymore but the Trial had to be finished when it began.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

A prejudice against Force Users. If her grandmother had been around, she would've certainly cackled at the notion. But she wasn't, and instead Scherezade was, and all Scherezade could do at the statement was blink. You couldn't cure something that wasn't an illness. You couldn't annihilate midi chlorians out of everything or else nothing would exist. That plan was as stupid as stupid plans came, which meant it was very typically Mando. She huffed. Kat could try to excuse them all she wanted. After all, she didn't have a history with the Mandalorians as the deWinters or the Family of Darkness did. If this Uncle Isley was different, Scheredaze might give him a pass. Maybe. But the rest of the colorful cans of space fish still had to die. Preferably, in agonizing and slow ways.

Next came a short explanation about Jarts, Kat's last name, and some of her family's origins. Scherezade didn't really have a response or any questions to that, but she welcomed the tale anyway. It was interesting. And, slightly more important, it gave her the few moments needed to regain her self control and stop omitting waves of hatred to her surroundings.

After that was the explanation about spells doing things that powers could, but also things they couldn't comprehend. To that, she merely nodded. Kat seemed to be really enthusiastic about explaining these things to her, and she didn't really want to bum the girl by telling her she knew those things since they came with the install package her grandmother had placed in her mind. Theoretics were easy. The doing was hard. And anyway, Kat's excitement about it all was nearly contagious, so why stop a good thing that was happening.

Taking joy though, Scherezade copied the spell Kat gave her for focus into her memory. It was another spell that both her mother and grandmother knew, but in Basic, and, simpler. The came the spells of fire. Which she wasn't supposed to use.

Well then.

Instructions were instructions.

"Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive," she wasn't really expecting it to work. That wasn't how these spells went. You had to do them several times. For now though, she closed her eyes and allowed the sense of the Force to wash over her. It felt stronger this time, as she felt more sure about her ability to manipulate and use the Force. Still in diaper stages, but knowledge was there, and thanks to Kat, it was being used practically too.

"Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive," Scherezade repeated. Almost there. She could feel it in the tips of her fingers, rather than her palms. But it didn't matter. A few more times and the fire would burn.

Gathering the Force about her, she desperately wanted to take a short cut, but braced herself. "Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive," came the third time.

With the first spell, the fourth time had been the magic number. But now she would need to hit the fifth, she knew. Fire wasn't her domain by inheritance. She would have to claim the fire and consume it for herself for it to be useful to her.

"Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive, Sparks that burn, ignite. Sparks that ignite, come alive," came the last two times.

Dominate the fire, she whispered to herself.

When she opened her eyes, the fire was burning low, but burning.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Having prepared everything for the girl, Katrine waited as she pulled from her own memory the spell she planned on reciting to her. She could feel it, the way the Force was engulfing the younger girl, building up all around her. It felt almost palpable to her, making her thing yet again, the potential was there and the possibilities were possibly endless.

Scherezade chanted over and over as she the Force around her built, herself proving exactly what Nona had taught Katrine when she was little. Old Witches were wrong, the source for both of them were the same. Why Witches of old were unable to use the Force the way the others had was still unclear to them but Satara had been proof it was wrong, each generation of the Hawk bloodline continued proving so. Other families as well, generation by generation.

When the spark ignited above the palms of the girl's hands, Katrine smiled. "Now repeat after, keep your focus and know where you're sending them," she instructed. "The fire that burns, mother nature's domain," Katrine spoke clearly, giving a small pause enough for Scherezade to repeat after her, "It is great power I require now. Give me the power over the flames, guide them where I am." She stepped back as she finished reciting the word, no focus on her not to disrupt Scherezade's task. The more advanced spell would allow for the arrows to shoot at Pebble's demand, where she sent them yet the sparks were too weak to actually cause a fire themselves, they would be put out upon impact. The spark was good on its own but separated into tiny arrows, it wouldn't cause harm to the room, which was exactly what they needed now.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The warmth of the little fire spread through Scherezade, covering her with a blanket of relaxation. She had this under the belt. Proof of her inherited power. Not that there had ever been any doubt. Later, the time would come for her not to show what she'd inherited, but what she could actually do. That was where training and honing would come in. Not just within the Force, but with everything.

Kat gave her more instructions. The girl nodded and took a deep breath.

"The fire that burns, mother nature's domain, it is great power I require now. Give me the power over the flames, guide them where I am," the words flowed smoothly from her, the feel of the Force washing over her once again. She glanced quickly towards a bare spot on the wall ad concentrated on it, the forming arrows drifting through the air towards it. They were almost fairy-like, rather than weapons of flamy and warm destruction, but this was just a start. A damned good start.


[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

As she had dictated the spell, Katrine watched Scherezade, having moved out of her way. Pebble gave her a nod before she started, chanting the incantation with ease, bringing a smile to the Witch watching her progress. Now, back at home, there would be a test, with another Witch who would try to distract Scherezade from performing the spell right but Katrine didn't do that. This was Ryloth, not Dathomir. It was also the Mandragora and the spirits required of her to teach, not to mess with the minds of her students which suited Katrine just fine so the old Trial by Fire gained a new order.

Sapphire gaze focused on the arrows as they formed, the shapes dancing towards the metal war at Scherezade's command. Katrine continued to smile as she watched. The arrows were always a fun spell for her and now watching Pebble perform after she'd given her the spell made her feel... was that pride? Yes, she thought so. It felt like pride, she was sure of it.

"Wonderful!" She happily declared. "That concludes my version of the Trial by Fire. Let's get something to eat now," she insisted, reaching for Pebble's hand with the intention of dragging her away from the bedroom in which they were. They'd find some food in one of the twin cities.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade let Kat drag her to the kitchen, not flinching when their hands made contact. She didn't have the exact vocabulary to describe how what they'd just done had clicked something inside her, brought a piece that lingered outside of the frame right inside, to where it belonged. There were more pieces, she knew. And they would all have to be reigned in. Put together.

But they were there. And with Kat's help, Scherezade was going to build the tools she needed to hopefully soon start bringing them in on her own, not always depending on the kindness or interest of an outside stranger. For that was what Kat was, or at least was until a few hours ago. Things were changing. Change wasn't exactly in the air, but she could still smell it nonetheless.

"I want to try bantha wings," she grinned as she sat down, ready to taste real food for the first time in her life.



[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]