Still Leaves

[Mariel Dawnrider]

Kashyyyk​

Kkowir Forest​

Mysess Glade​

[member="Kenth Typho"]​

​

Sometimes, Mariel didn't want to be a Jedi.

It didn't happen often.

It wasn't even really that she didn't want to be a Jedi at all, just that she didn't want to be a Jedi in that moment. That sometimes, all she wanted to be was a Songwing.

It wasn't that the teachings of the Jedi conflicted that greatly with the culture of her people. Far from it. But the places that it was difficult could be very difficult. That day? It was how isolated and private they preferred to be, versus the always busy and social movements of the Silver Jedi. Especially with a new padawan on her tail feathers (oh, Nadi was sweet but also omnipresent it felt for a solitary creature like Mariel), the Songwing had started to get agitated rather than just her usual grump. From an objective standpoint, the Silver Jedi were not oppressively social. But for a Songwing?

Sometimes into the forest she needed to go.

So she had left the trappings of the order behind, winging long and far across Kashyyyk to a place that she knew. Quiet, reverent. The huge tree in the Mysess Glade. She spent several days there, roosting in the branches, hunting small game in the forest outside of the glade. Allowing herself to center in the darkness and wild of Kashyyyk's forests.

Several days and hunts later, Mariel was drowsing on a low branch. Feathers fluffed up and out, eyes half lidded, she was feeling better for the time away and the quiet. Almost missed the Jedi and her padawan in fact. The next day she'd return, she decided, drowsily. But for now, she basked.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

Sometimes what was needed was a break.

Vacation.

Azure had been tough on him. Barely got out alive. It was nature that could give you some respite then. To find a focus. And so Kenth Typho went. Into the wild. Backpack over his shoulders and exploring the wilds of Kashyyyk. Plenty of it there. So unlike the urban centers he had known in his youth. No streets, lights, ever-present whoooshing of the air-speeders.

Just the animal life, the forestation and him.

He had been trailing a giant tree in the distance. Trying to get closer. The closer he thought he came, the more Kenth realized? It was even vaster. Only slowly getting closer.

It took better part of the day.

By the time Kenth was there he was tired. Settling near the roots. Plopping down after putting down some fabric. He almost missed the beautiful owl settled on one of the branches. "Oooooh, aren't you a beauty!" Kenth cooed, before quickly grabbing for one of his sandwiches. "I don't have... mice or anything with me... would be weird, but-"

Taking out the meat.

Putting it down on one of the large roots, before stepping back.

"Are you hungry, cutie?"

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

The voice broke into her basking.

Now, normally? Mariel liked a good compliment. Appreciated it a great deal. Often people didn't compliment each other (but especially compliment her) nearly enough. But the Songwing hadn't been quite prepared to return to the humans just yet so instead the voice, regardless of its words, was slightly irritating.

Violet eyes opened and she squinted down at the man.

Their kind rarely made it out here. Oh sometimes she knew, but not often. It was one of the reasons she'd chosen it. The expectation of precisely NOT this. And that made her a bit grumpy and, perhaps, a bit spiteful. Just a bit. Enough that there was a far too long moment in deciding just how she wanted to approach this.

Easy to read as an animal assessing a situation for safety instead of a bird trying to decide if she wanted to make the intruder look like a fool or not.

The fact that he had broken the silence with a compliment was the only thing that mollified her from 'verbally eat his face' to simply eating his sandwich.

She took her time with it. Stretching her wings. One leg. Then the other. Her neck. Ruffing out her feathers. Then- a hop and a short glide down to where he had left the sandwich meat. She leaned in, wings out, inspecting for a moment. Then- snap click- snatched it and tilted her head back to swallow it down.

Perfectly content to let him continue to believe what he wanted until-

"It's a touch dry and lacking the tactile pleasure of fur and bones, but I suppose you cannot have everything."

[member="Kenth Typho"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

Kenth was very patient.

Once the meal was on the rock? Settled back in and just... basked himself. It was such a nice place here. Either the smol owl would take the meal or it wouldn't. There wasn't much to do about that. His eyes closed and he just soaked there for a while. Relaxing. It had been a long trip. Wasn't a surprise few people wanted to hike here. It was wild with a capital W.

If you weren't a native?

Had to be a survivalist to stay here.

The sound of the talons tipping against the stone made him smile though. Exactly what he had wanted. Opened one eye. Watched her eat and smiled wider. Animals were a thing of beauty.

So graceful.

Eye closed again.

THEN BOTH OPENED AT THE SAME TIME.

Took some effort not to LEAP up too. Soldier training helped. "........oh dear, you can talk. I am so sorry." Scratching his head. "I didn't- not an excuse, of course- but if I had known...." Wringing his hands there. "I apologize I assumed you were non-sentient and... cooed at you."

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

Songwings couldn't smile. Beaks didn't work like that. But they had other tells of amusement. Of course many of them doubled as other things for those not as good at reading the body language of non-humanoids. She clacked her beak, a small trill coming from the back of her throat as her feathers flattened against her body only to be shaken out again.

"I believe you mean non-sapient. Non-sentient usually refers to creatures without a central nervous system, not merely an ability for intelligence but lacking the perception of consciousness. Sponges. Corals. A simple owl would still be sentient," she ruffed her feathers up further there. Her tone was clipped and matter of fact. "But lack sapience, the ability to gather- or to pretend at- wisdom, though they are often for some reason given the descriptor of wise."

The tone in the last word made it clear what she thought of THAT.

Mariel appreciated owls in the same way a human might appreciate a chimpanzee.

"I accept your apology, though I am beautiful, this is true." Feathers lowering again- nesessitating a slight turn of her head to smooth one back down that refused to go on its own with her beak.

"My name is Mariel Dawnrider. And you are?" Feathered brow arching slightly.

[member="Kenth Typho"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

The amusement went over his head.

Completely.

Instead that awkwardness was still there. From his side, anyway. You didn't just walk up to someone and tell them they were beautiful. That was weird. Creepy. And... oh... no, was this her house?? Did he just walk into her home. Settle himself down and start eating? His eyes went a bit wide, glancing around. That didn't mean Kenth wasn't listening though.

Through the panic.

"Oh... yes, I... did not know that." He said honestly. Soldier, him. Right off the streets. The chit he knew was all geared towards doing his job right. The difference between sapience and sentience had been lost to him.

Up until now.

It would forever be sheared into his ear drums.

"Well, yes." Looking at her again at the beautiful remark. She was. Very graceful, but he hadn't been expecting her to repeat it. At least she didn't seem... uncomfortable or anything? "I... am Kenth Typho. Part of the Antarian Rangers of the Silver Jedi Order." Did that even mean anything to her? "Well met, Mariel Dawnrider."

"If I am intruding into your home, I can leave, I don't want to cause any offence."

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

"Most people do not," she said airily, ruffling her feathers.

"Ah, a Ranger," bobbing her head up and down for a moment. Crouching slightly, she spread her wings before launching into the air. A few short, sharp wing beats and she was once again on the branch. A bit more eye to eye with the human. Perhaps that would put him more at ease.

Or perhaps not.

This one was a nervous one, wasn't he? Hardly seemed a good fit for the Rangers, but perhaps he had hidden depths.

She blinked, head tilting at him.

"This is not my home," she said slowly, as if explaining to a small child. Patient and happy to do so, but a small child nonetheless. "No one lives here, it would be very rude. This is a sacred place and belongs to all."

She fluffed up her feathers, then groomed several back into place absently with her beak along her left wing when they didn't go back into place on their own.

"No, indeed. I live where you do," perhaps a touch reproving there. A pause and then, "I am a Jedi Knight."

[member="Kenth Typho"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

A glance about.

Sacred?

It... well... it was beautiful, yes. Didn't see any temples or any other signs that this was holy ground though. Which didn't mean it wasn't, of course. It would be ridiculous to try and claim he knew better than her. Clearly Kenth was dealing with some sort of knowledge keeper. Which was oddly apt. Owls were always considered wise creatures. Symbols of taciturn knowledge.

A little bit stereotypical really.

But he wasn't gonna point that out.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for sharing that with me." Carefully shuffling his feet. Not wanting to crumble too much of the leaves. Maybe they were holy too? Hell, he stood up there, because maybe sitting his arse on the rocks was disrespectful too. This was really outside his wheelhouse. "A Jedi Knight?" Immediately bowing there then.

Not even questioning it.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Master Jedi."

Pause there.

"Um. Would you like more food? I have plenty to share." Shifting his feet again, stepping off a branch before he could snap it. This was a bit more familiar though. While a strange owl-like sapient creature was strange. A Jedi Master Alien? Okay, yes, that was a mental image he could work with. It wouldn't be the first time after all. Plenty of aliens within the Silver Jedi Order.

"Or something to drink, perhaps? I have a flash with spring water...?"

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

I see.

She could see that he did not really, and was just taking her word for it.

Well, Mariel had LOTS of words.

"It is called the Mysess Glade," she informed him. "This tree is the Spirit of Nyenthi'Oris, and is sacred to the Wookiees." The Songwings considered them a distant cousin.... or a sort. "Do you see that hill?" She asked, gesturing with her beak. "That is a graveyard for the local village and is protected by a Spirit Guide... a healer. I do not intrude there, but here I, and you I am sure, are welcome."

She settled a bit more comfortably on the limb she'd perched on, feeling satisfied with having passed that much on. He would understand better now, which could only stand to help him in the future she thought.

"The Glade, by the way, is named after the Mysess Blossoms," she yawned, beak opening wide and then clacking shut. "Those little pink and yellow flowers, yes there. They were used to cure the Tree, once upon a time, or so the stories go." It was with the Wookiees that she had started her path that ultimately had brought her to the Silver Jedi, and what stories they would share (and my weren't they gregarious story tellers), she carried as a cousin to the knowledge and myths of the Songwing.

"Oh, tish tosh. My retreat here was coming to an end. I have duties." Sounding a touch tired however when she said that. "Thank you, but no on the offer of food. I would become too heavy and drowsy to fly if I ate more and then where would I be? But a sip of water would be most kind. The water pools here in the crook of the branches, but it tastes of moss and that is not to my liking."

Spreading her wings, she flapped them slightly, causing a stir of wind and dead leaves. "What brought YOU here?" She asked curiously, head tilting too far in one direction. "The Order does not usually venture this far into the Kkowir Forest."

[member="Kenth Typho"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

Somewhere about a sentence or two in?

Typho dug out his data-pad. While she talked? He was taking notes. Making sure that even if he missed it now, he could read back and refresh his memory, because this was some fascinating stuff. Not exactly military-ready intelligence, nor actionable reports, but that wasn't always necessary. Sometimes... sometimes it was just pleasant to process knowledge for the sake of it.

Kept the brain young.

Healthy.

"Fascinating, Master Jedi, thank you for this. Even though the Silver Jedi Order has been here for years now..." Brows turning thoughtful there. Nodding once to himself. "...yes, I do believe we have much to learn about Kashyyyk still."

Even though Mariel stopped talking he didn't put away the pad.

Who knew what else she might share? Better to keep it on hand. Kenth watched her, as she continued to talk. His hand absently drawing her. That wasn't conscious. Just something his hands did, while he was processing and thinking. It helped in different ways. "Ah, well, of course. I am sure your days are very busy as a Jedi." A serious nod there, because he did not doubt that for a second.

A quick nod when she agreed to the water offer.

Putting the data-pad down. It revealed the drawing he had made. But he wasn't thinking on that. Instead he fetched his canister with water. Pouring some of it into the bottle cap, since he didn't have anything else to serve as a bowl.

"Here, I hope you find it to your liking."

Respectful nod, before putting it down on the stone for her to sip from.

Kenth blinked there when the line of questioning switched to him. An oh there, before laughing gently. "I just returned from a mission. I like to go out in nature afterwards. Hike a little, see something beautiful. It makes the mind quiet."

It silenced the screaming.

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

It wasn't that Mariel was pleased when he started taking notes. It's that she was VERY pleased. Chuffed even. THIS was how you handled a guest lecturer, thank you.

"Stories are meant to be shared," she said, rather graciously. "So of course."

Though his next comment got a slow blink.

"Yes, rather," she answered dryly. "They have barely scratched the surface, but I do believe their focus has been outward, more than inward." The tone said she disapproved of that in some fashion but exactly how might remain a mystery.

She hopped up when he put the datapad down to pour the water. The sketch caught her eye. As he poured, she took another hop, head tipping this way, then that way again.

"That's a very fine drawing," she said, sounding genuinely pleased. It wasn't fair to call Mariel vain (although it would be very easy to and in fact might indeed be true), but it could be said that she appreciated herself quite a bit, and appreciated others appreciation almost as much.

"That is a good reason yes." But she was still clearly admiring the drawing. "Always good to recenter oneself. It is the same reason I am here."

[member="Kenth Typho"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Mariel Dawnrider"]

A soft chuckle there.

"Indeed we have. There has been little time for introspection. Always looking outward, trying to expand territory." A soft shrug there. Kenth clearly had his own ideas about that. He didn't seem to approve overly, but a soldier only had a limited amount of energy to spend. What their superiors decided? Not up to him. Not worth worrying about. That was the truth of it. Even as a Captain in the Rangers there was only so much Kenth could do. Better to just focus on things he could control.

A nice hike. Making sure his missions went well. Keep his people safe.

That was all.

"Oh, thank you." A glance her way. Noticing the way her attention fixed on it. Even as Mariel was answering him. Head tilting there, before carefully going like- "Um... would you like to have the drawing?" It was drawn rather quickly, but it did capture her essence.

The grace, speed and beauty.

 

[Mariel Dawnrider]

"There is no sustainable expansion without significant internal building," she fluffed up her feathers.

She had her concerns about that and the Silver Jedi, truth be told. She had studied their history- yes, theirs, rather than ours. Her own history started with them from the time they arrived on Kashyyyk, but history went back farther than that and sometimes she worried that they tried to hard to ignore it, rather than to learn from it and grow.

Mariel was not perfect. In some ways she was aware of and in some ways she was not. But she tried, she did, very hard to live by the tenants she had woven of the teachings of the Songwing and the Jedi. No one, she thought, could pretend they had nothing to learn. No way to grow. But if there was no introspection, all growth outward would eventually collapse in on itself and cause nothing but despair and ruin.

She hoped, very fervently, that would not happen here.

In part because she was part of them now, yes.

But in part because if it did, her home, her very people, would be at the epicenter.

Dipping her head to get a drink, she tipped her head back with a beak full of water to let it dribble down her throat. A pause before stooping again for another sip. Head tipping this way and that, considering.

"Yes," she said finally. "Once it is finished. I would like that very much."

[member="Kenth Typho"]