Private Smoke on the Wind

[Veyla Krinn]

The fire was built low and deliberate, its flames steady rather than dramatic. Whoever had chosen this patch of ground had done so with intention, placing the wind at their back and ensuring the elevation was just enough to see movement in the dark. The stones were set to contain the heat without smothering it, a quiet testament to a traveler who knew how to live off the land.

Veyla Krinn sat on a flattened crate a short distance from the flames, one boot braced against the packed earth, and her forearms resting loosely over her knees. Her armor remained on, not ceremonially polished but properly maintained in the way of a warrior who expected use out of her gear. The crimson accents along her plates caught the shifting light and threw it back in muted glints, mirroring the glowing embers at the heart of the pit.

Her helmet rested within arm's reach, its visor dark and reflecting the flicker of the camp, while a metal flask sat beside her, the faint scent of something sharp and fermented lingering in the cool air. This wasn't a traditional gathering. Fires like this attracted those who preferred space over noise, specifically Mandalorians who didn't need a crowd to feel like they belonged to the creed.

She took a slow drink and let the warmth settle in her chest before exhaling quietly into the night air. The stillness was absolute until the sound of footsteps approached from the tree line. They were measured and not hurried, the gait of someone who wasn't hiding but wasn't looking for trouble either.

She didn't reach for her helmet or shift her posture defensively. Instead, she simply lifted her gaze to acknowledge the newcomer as they stepped into the outer ring of firelight. For a moment, she said nothing, letting the silence breathe between them as the fire crackled and popped. She allowed him the time to choose whether to pass by into the shadows or stop and rest his feet.

After a long beat, she reached down and nudged the flask lightly across the dirt in his direction, the metal sliding over the dry earth.

"It's decent," she said, her voice calm and even against the backdrop of the wilderness. "Not good enough to brag about, but certainly good enough to share."

It was an invitation with nothing more behind it. She leaned back slightly, giving him plenty of physical space to settle if he chose to stay. The firelight shifted across the planes of her armor, highlighting the wear and tear of a life spent in the fringe.

"Veyla."

She offered just her name, leaving it hanging in the air with no expectations attached. Her eyes studied him without judgment. She wasn't challenging him or dismissing his presence; she was simply curious in the quiet way Mandalorians often were when deciding whether a stranger would become a guest or remain a passerby. The fire burned steadily between them, waiting to see what shape the night would take.

Dral Kar'taal

 

[Dral Kar'taal]

Veyla Krinn​

Dral Kar'taal emerged from the tree line with a measured pace, letting the firelight find him without rushing into it. He stopped at the edge of the warmth, eyes flicking once to the helmet within her reach, then to the flask sliding across the dirt.

He crouched, lifted it, and took a short drink that was more courtesy than indulgence. The bite drew a quiet breath from him, almost approving.

"It will do," he said evenly, and extended it back to her hand without tossing it.

When she offered her name, Dral inclined his head. "Veyla."

He lowered himself to sit across the fire at a respectful angle, leaving space between them like a clear boundary neither needed to speak aloud.

"Dral Kar'taal," he answered. "I am not here for trouble. Only a pause."

His gaze moved once to the dark beyond the flames, then returned to her, steady and calm.

"If you want the quiet to yourself, say so," he added. "If not, I will keep it simple and stay."

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla accepted the flask back from him without any hint of hurry as her fingers brushed the cool metal before she took another slow and measured sip. The firelight shifted across her armor in warm pulses that caught on the worn edges of her scarred beskar, while the flickering flames cast long, dancing shadows against the surrounding trees.

She watched him settle across from her and noted the specific distance he chose to maintain. It was not defensive or intrusive but rather deliberate and deeply respectful. At his quiet offer to leave the peace of the clearing to her, something in her expression softened in a way that moved beyond her usual warrior's composure.

"If I had truly wanted to be alone right now," she said calmly while resting the flask loosely against her knee, "then I would have built this fire much smaller so as not to draw any company."

A faint flicker of a smile followed her words, and it was subtle yet entirely genuine.

"You are more than welcome to the pause, Dral Kar'taal, and you can stay here for as long as you find that you need it."

She leaned back slightly, one arm draped over her raised knee, because her posture was easy and open rather than guarded. The wind stirred at the very edge of the clearing, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and cooling earth, while somewhere beyond the safety of the trees, the night insects resumed their steady rhythm. Her gaze shifted briefly toward the thick dark beyond the reach of the flames before it settled back on him with a steady kind of warmth.

"Quiet does not actually belong to anyone in particular," she added more thoughtfully as she watched the embers glow. "It just waits for whoever is willing to sit in it for a while, and I certainly do not mind sharing mine with you."

She tipped the flask lightly in his direction as a silent invitation to take comfort in the moment. There was no pressure in her presence and no probing questions designed to pry into his thoughts. There was only a steady warmth that felt as grounding as the fire burning between them in the dirt.

"Is the weight of the galaxy feeling particularly heavy tonight," she asked softly with a voice that held real empathy, "or are you just finding that the stars look better when you aren't flying toward them?"

Dral Kar'taal