Tents and Teradins

[Vulpesen]

"I suppose what matters is that I'm here now. And maybe you're right. Maybe I won't be glued to you every moment of your life. But I will do my best to be there when you need me. As I said, I'm the kind of man that'll go to hell and back. You saw that first hand." Allowing his earlier smile to return to his lips, he turned back around to focus on the trail ahead. "I know what it's like when those meant to stand beside you, disappear."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

For a moment, Ra still dwelled on her one true fear and pushed it aside. Right now it didn't really matter as neither one of them were alone. Chuckling a little when he mentioned not being glued to her every moment, she nodded.

"I think we would drive each other nuts if that was the case. Besides, if I get back into business with my merchant fleet, I will be gone quite often."

Before he turned​ back around, she would attempt to stop him with a hug. Not one that implied anything more than thanks, but sometimes that was all that needed.

"There's not plans on my end to disappear."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

As she leaned forward to wrap her arms around him, Vulpesen was happy to return her embrace, his tail flicking behind him in a mirthful wag. "Good. And if you do, just remember that if I can track someone into another dimension, i can probably find you in this one." Giving her cheek a light peck, he then resumed his earlier riding position and continued through the woods. Now, with his attention on the trail again, Vulpesen could feel something tingling in his senses, another life that had taken notice of them. A curiosity that had to be slaked. All the more dangerous to some, but at least they might be friendlier that the forest's earlier greeting. "Something interesting... and not quite as deadly as the last. Keep your eyes to the branches. Try not to act to suddenly."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"Is that a challenge?"

It was asked with a clear sense of humor, she wasn't planning on making herself disappear any time soon and didn't want to. Allowing Vulps to return to his normal riding position, she wrapped her arms around him again comfortably. It didn't matter that Shadow had her tails around her or if he did as well. Just a sign of how comfortable she was.

Glancing up and expecting to be dropped on...Ra looked around.

"What am I looking for?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Maybe it is." He grinned and rested back a bit as he felt her arms around him, enjoying the soft weight against his back. Casting his golden eyes into the canopy, Vulpesen continued his own search, hoping to catch sight of hsi target. "If I'm right, something white and fluffy. If it looks like a fluffy ball of floof, then I want you to immediately hold your breath and warn me." After a few moments more of searching, Vulpesen's eyes locked on a broad tail which poked out from behind one of the trees, a smile growing on his face. "Hello little one. Seven o'clock, Ra. Just behind the tree."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Chuckling when he answered, she didn't take it as a serious challenge. Leaning against each other was comfortable and something she could get used to. Wrinkling her nose a little when he told her hold her breath if she saw one, she listened to the description and looked around. Since he was way more familiar with the nature here, he would notice them first.

Now a thought crossed her mind and how to get good look at this critter and still remain safe.

"How about putting a barrier around it and drawing it out of hiding with the Force? Keeps it from melting our lungs."
​
[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Leaning a bit in his seat, Vulpesen tried his best to peer around the tree though an ear flicked towards Ra, showing that he was paying attention to her. "A good idea. Or you can trust me to get him over here in a far more interesting way. Pythros fur is very soft." Reaching out through the force, Vulpesen pressed his mind into that of the creature before them, doing his best to calm down any anxiety it might feel while beckoning it towards them. "And it won't make your lungs melt. You'll just bleed out through your eyes."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"That's no good, I like my eyes."

She had seen what he could with animals so trusted in his ability. If it worked on this fluffy white thing, time would tell, but Ra was confident it would work. On the chance it didn't well, she would be ready to put a barrier up around it or them.

"So what is this thing?"
​
[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

With a flap of white wings, the fuzzy creature flew towards them, moving over to perc in Vulpesen's hands which outstretched to meet it. "Meet the pythros. They're one of our smaller carnivores, and they have a tendency to lure in smaller prey with their charming looks." Sliding one of his hands up to pet its head, he coaxed out a chatter of pleasure from the tiny beast. "Some Zorens actually have tame ones as pets and guard animals to watch over their home." Turning once more as he had before, Vulpesen faced Ra fully, showing off the animal by holding it between them.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Being a more logical thinker on many things, Ra tilted her head slightly listening to Vulps talk about the creature's ability to lure in prey.

"Won't the others know not to get close? You'd think they would learn."

She couldn't help but want to pet the little guy though and when Vulps turned around to allow her to, she reached out slowly. No need to upset it and make it melt her eyes out.

"It is cute, fluffy and soft."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"You'd think. But still, the less intelligent hunters of this planet will sometimes think that they make a tasty snack. Unfortunate for them when they find out otherwise." As Ra reached out to pet it, he lowered the small creature into her lap. He loved this planet, and being able to share it with someone else that he had grown enamored with was a joy that showed obviously on his face. "They're one of my favorite animals around here. And this one shouldn't be a problem now. Just don't go doing anything like pulling his tail." Vulpesen then brought a hand behind him, running it through the fur on Shadow's neck. "Lets head back to camp, girl. We can explore more later on."
[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"But they don't even look tasty. Cuddly certainly. How do they eat them?"

Accepting it into her lap, its tail wrapped around her wrist as it made itself secure.

"Boy or girl? You touched its mind so should know. I'm not going to pull its tail, but if it falls...well it's getting pulled."

Lya let out a small grumpy noise at being replaced and sent some not so friendly thoughts to Ra, but wasn't serious on them. They were bound in a far greater way than Ra ever would be to this little ball of fluff.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I assume the Zipher do soby devouring them like anything else, just using their acid to melt the poison glands." His hand moved to join hers, scratching behind its ear. "This one is a male and I'm sure it wouldn't mind too much hanging from its tail." Leaning back, Vulpesen relaxed against the pillows of Shadow's tails, allowing the fox to take them in her own ath, trusting her instincts for direction.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"You mean you don't know the biology of how it all works? That's a bit surprising. I would attempt to learn as much as I could. How things do what they do. I'm a very curious person."

Her mind worked in odd ways most of the time and leaned to the more logical side of things. Business, science and knowledge were important to her. Not so much emotions and those she did not understand fully. Why she was a poor sith to begin with since she didn't rely on her emotions. They were also a stepping stone in her personal life as this trip was proving to be just another eye opening lesson for her.

"Does he have a name or not that sentient?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I have a general understanding. And I've poked at a few specimens that our hunters took back from the woods. But I've other things to focus on than the intricacies of the ecosystem. Most of what I know is what I've been told by those who've lived here before me." Vulpesen's fingers went from scratching behind the ear, to moving in long strokes along the pythros' back. "These aren't sentient at all I'm afraid. I guess that's one of the reasons I've seen widlers keep them as pets." The trail was quiet and peaceful, something he enjoyed. Sitting on the soft fur of Shadow, petting a small creature, and speaking with a lovely woman while birds chirped and trilled overhead, was a wonderful experience, and something he felt he could do forever. It was a change in pace. Different from war and constantly charging from battle to battle. It was serenity.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"What about when you were younger? Before you became Valde?"

Somethings had been covered between them, but not everything. She knew he hadn't been raised here and about the plight of his people, but not much more than that. Her hand gently pet the pythos' as he spoke and she nodded when he said they weren't sentient.

"The more sentient, the less likely to become pets."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"When I was younger? I didn't even know any of this existed before my trials which were a complete accident. Zarro never told me about the zorrens." Vulpesen's nails started to scratch lightly into the back of the Pythros, causing it to arch up in comfort to meet the hand. "I learned a lot about a lot of animals back then, with him being a beast tamer and all. I also read a lot of history books to learn about the different orders of the force. I guess my childhood was a but busy. Studying the force and trade under Zarro, and occasionally helping him remove poachers from his ranch." He thought for a moment on art of her sentence. 'Before you became Valde.' He had learned to be a merchant and discuss trade deals because that's what merchants do. Then he had learned to become a jedi and as a jedi he had learned to be a soldier. He followed orders because that's what soldiers do. Yet suddenly, he had been thrust into the role of a king.

 

[Vulpesen]

"When I was younger? I didn't even know any of this existed before my trials which were a complete accident. Zarro never told me about the zorrens." Vulpesen's nails started to scratch lightly into the back of the Pythros, causing it to arch up in comfort to meet the hand. "I learned a lot about a lot of animals back then, with him being a beast tamer and all. I also read a lot of history books to learn about the different orders of the force. I guess my childhood was a but busy. Studying the force and trade under Zarro, and occasionally helping him remove poachers from his ranch." He thought for a moment on art of her sentence. 'Before you became Valde.' He had learned to be a merchant and discuss trade deals because that's what merchants do. Then he had learned to become a jedi and as a jedi he had learned to be a soldier. He followed orders because that's what soldiers do. Yet suddenly, he had been thrust into the role of a king.

 

[Riamah]

"How could those have been an accident?"

Lifting her hand up as the pythros moved, she didn't want to upset him by apparently trying to hold him down. Lowering it as she saw him wanting to actually be pet, her fingers scratched behind his ears.

"And my animal training essentially started when we met. I never was one to be able to get out into nature so missed out on things like this."

She gave him a smile when he mentioned being a trader and nodded. It was one thing they had in common. Maybe when things in the galaxy found balance again she could return to those roots.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I spent a month on Myrkr, taking a vacation from the sith. When my trials happened, I had no idea what was going on with my body." Seeing Ra'amah focus once more on the animal in her hands, he beamed at her following comment. "Well, I'm happy I could provide you with the experience." Vulpesen blinked a bit as sunlight finally touched his eyes, unobscured as the pair entered the clearing where they had been camping. Looking around, he passed his gaze over the tent and their supplies. "Good. Looks like nothing raided us while we were gone."

[member="Riamah"]