Tents and Teradins

[Riamah]

"Taking a vacation from being a bad guy huh? You were just as good at being one as me I think. What was it like? I remember you telling me about the claws, but not anything more than that."

There was a small noise she made, but it wasn't any word. With it came a small smile and nod, but not much more.

"What do you think would have done that? We're in the middle nowhere and nothing sentient around. At least not like us I don't think."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen thought back on the time of his own trial, his brow furrowing a bit. There were certainly good memories from that specific moment. But they were certainly nestled among some of his worst. "That was pretty much my plan. And it was odd. The sudden increase of senses. The sounds, the smells, it was like the forest around me came alive. I always considered myself to be a part of nature, but to smell the richness of the dirt. To hear the skittering of a lizard on a tree branch in the richest of details... it was amazing. And by the stars the running! When I learned I could run as Zorrens run, it was exhilarating!" Turning a bit, he slipped off of Shadow's back before turning back to help Ra down as well.

"But there were a few downsides. I realized my love of grenades now hurt a lil bit. I would occasionally scratch myself with my claws. Dumpsters were unbearable. And amid all this, the hunger. The hunger was the worse. Suddenly needing to eat. It was torture. Thankfully, being a Valde, I don't have to worry about that anymore." In regards to her question about their supplies, he lifted a finger at the Pythros. "Wild Veran Foxes. Zipher. And even these lil guys. I'm sure they'd all love to get their hands on our ration bars."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"No wonder you don't like Vjun."

That was said some humor and a smile. No dirt, very little life to speak of and no lizards to hear running over the rocks.

"I know about the scratches...You went digging in dumpsters?"

Giving him a rather odd look, she smiled and accepted the help down especially since she was holding the pythros still. Nodding at his answer, it was interesting to know there were animal thieves around.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Not exactly paradise for one who connects with the living force." Hearing her suggest that he was a sort of dumpster diver, he chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Of course not. At least, not since my street rat days. But my work often makes me move throw alley ways where dumpsters could be found. And just being close to them was enough for it to smell as though I'd dunked my head inside." Stepping up beside her, he coiled an arm around her waist, moving in stride while she continue to hold the resting Pythros which now slept in her embrace.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"We must connect in different ways or our skills are just different. Not being one so in touch with nature...might be what my issue is. Come to think of it, you know I rather lack in abilities. What I do know though I am super good at."

Shrugging her shoulders as best she could with the sleeping animal in her arms, she chuckled when he answered about being into dumpsters.

"There were days like for myself as well, but ended up getting picked up by my captain and taught how to be a merchant. Same for you in a way?"

She looked down at the pythros and back at Vulps.

"What are we going to do with this guy?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"That was me for quite some time. Really, a large part of the reason I left the jedi." Following her eyes down to the sleeping animal, he chuckled softly as she continued to speak, responding when she was finished. "A bit of the opposite. I was raised as a merchant. I later chose to be a street rat." A hand wandered over to scratch behind the pythros' ear. "Well, if we just sit him down somewhere, he'll probably wake up and fly off. Or do you have another idea for what to do with our flightful friend?"

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"I guess I grew up almost royalty. Not quite since my master had to work his way up the totem pole...but he was in the bidding for leadership and some people didn't like him. So they rebelled, he died and I ended up on Coruscant. Spent time as the street rat and then merchant."

Looking down at the sleeping fluff, Ra looked back up Vulps in surprise.

"This thing flies? I thought it was hanging on the tree. Why did you decide to be a street rat? Not a life of choice for me."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Here's to hoping neither of us meet the same fate." Lifting a hand, Vulpesen started to call a plethora of logs and sticks over through the force, which he then stacked and arranged to create the base of a fire. "Those wing's aren't for decoration, love." As if it recognized it was being spoken about, the Pythros shifted and curled up a little tighter in Ra's arms. "I wanted excitement. It was my last few months before I gave myself to the jedi. So, I went to Nar Shadaa, got into the underworld, and did what I could to learn to survive in that kind of environment.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"What same fate? Neither you nor I are my master, thankfully. Why do you think he wiped my memory anyway?"

There was something different about Ra and not many people thought of it. She rarely used the Force on a day to day basis. Even growing up, it had been something she didn't rely on. As a young adult, she hadn't even known about it. So she had learned to think like a person that couldn't use it and still did today. If she wanted to gather wood and make a fire, she would have it by more mundane methods.

"Well, you brought him over to us, he didn't fly."

When he called her love, there was likely a bit of color to her cheeks. Such compliments, thoughts and sentiment were still rather foreign to her and she didn't know how to react yet.

"Well it wasn't very exciting for me."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I suppose he did it to keep you safe, prevent you from walking the path that led to his demise. Though, you still came fairly close to it." He knelt down by the tent of wood and produced a flint and steel from his coat. WIth a few quick strikes, he managed to send out enough sparks to ignite the tinder, causing flames to start crawling up the smoking structure. "I mostly did that to keep him from getting agitated." Hearing about her lack of fun in the streets, Vulpesen shrugged slightly. "I suppose it is different when not done by choice."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"I was a lost little girl when I was on the streets. At least until my captain picked me up. With him life was good and he treated me like what I imagine a father would a daughter. Taught me all about business and other things."

Falling silent, she thought about his answer to her question. When her memory had been returned, she remembered she had watched her master fall prey to the dark and the addiction it brought. Not one to take vows lightly, she had made a personal vow to not be the same kind of person and had stuck to it.

"Do you really think I was really that close?"

Looking down at the pythros, she smiled a touch.

"Once he's tamed like this, can he be returned?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"You were on the path. That itself is a little too close for comfort. But upon that path, you were relatively far from its dark end." Finding a large log by the fire, Vulpesen lowered hismelf down into taking a seat while Ra asked about the creature in her arms. "It'll be fine. In truth, its partially like that because I've still got some measure of control." Sitting back, his lips curled into a wide smile as he watched the flames lick across the wood, growing and strengthening before him.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"Do you think he would rather be free or a pet?"

While he had taught her how to tame animals on Vjun, she hadn't practiced it. So her reading the wants or desires of this guy was beyond her. It just wasn't something Ra thought of. Looking between Vulps and the comfortable critter, she pet him a little and sat down on the log with both of them.

"There were a few reasons I was never very dark."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Hard to say. I'm not sur eif he would have a preference. Naturally, he is wild, but I'm certian he could be tamed and be content with a life of comfort as a pet." Reaching over, he once again started to pet the small animal in her arms. "If you want, i can certainly teach you how to do that. Though, at this rate, I'm afraid we'll be turning your home into a zoo." His lips curled into a wide smile as he mentioned her uptick in animal residents. Between her Nexu, her Vjun fox, and to a lesser extent, Lya, she now possessed quite a few beastial companions.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"There are many rooms not occupied!"

She said this with a chuckle and shook her head slightly. Not in denial of anything, but just because. Petting the pythros, she smiled down down at him.

"You taught me once before so I'm pretty sure I could do it again. Just haven't needed to use it so it never went any further."

Maybe there would be use for it in the future, but she didn't think so.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Back on Amar, Zarro would some times find me in the woods or the pens, just talking with whatever animals I could find. I was taming creatures before I could lift even a pebble with the force. Guess it makes sense now. Zorrens are naturally gifted in the ways of the wild force. I'm happy to pass on that gift and help you practice." Stretching out a bit, Vulpesen lounged by the fire, his eyes watching the dancing tongues of flame flicker up and lick at the air. A day in the wilds was always a good day. A day in the wilds with a beautiful woman was a fantastic one.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"I was told by my master he found me in a small farming community and raised me because it had been destroyed and my parents died. Maybe if that is true and at this point...what is true? So much is a mystery and not everything makes sense. It's odd...I have two memories of life in my mind. Are either them real? And does it even matter at this point?"

Certainly was not something that could be answered easily. Maybe time would provide one, but Ra didn't think so.

"How can you pass that gift on? I mean I get the animal skill, but other things? Just not possible I don't think."

The rest of the night and next few days passed very much like this first day. However, it seemed her hearing got better each day. Maybe it was being away from the cities, but it was odd. It almost felt like she was becoming somebody different.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Well, theres only one way to find out." In his experience, Vulpesen found that few things were impossible. Or perhaps, it was simply that nothing was impossible, simply highly improbable.

Throughout the following days, Vulpesen and Riamah would continue their travels through the woods, and with eachp assing the day, the Valde would notice that sometimes, Ra would notice a creature just as it popped onto his own Veran senses. Before, he would consider it a result of being bathed in the wild force. But there were times she cocked her head, an unconcious movement that he noticed frequently among his own people. Perhaps it was his iagination. Perhaps it was him rubbing off on her. Either way, he didn't mention it, thinking it only an odd yet endearing developing quirk.

At least, that his his policy until he woke up next to her one morning. Stretching out his muscles, he opened his eyes to look at the woman in his arms. "Well ain't you a royal si-" He stopped as a bit of movement flicked in his peripherals. A familiar flick... one he knew he'd seen in one place in particularly... a mirror. His eyes darted to Riamah's ear. There was no way he could have imagined it. It had twitched. On its own, as if it was separate from her head. As if it was... zorren. Looking closer, he could even see the tell-tale point of his race, forming on top of it. "Mother of stars..."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Maybe it was due to her past when she picked her words, but Ra had not said impossible, just that she didn't think it was possible. Not very much of a difference, but it left some doubt in her mind. Of course the time passed and the change was gradual so Ra didn't think too much on it. With a far more logical mindset, her external changes were missed until Vulps woke up before her one morning.

He didn't speak loudly, but it was enough to wake her up and she opened her eyes to look at him quizzically.

"What? Is there something wrong? Some giant spider sneaking up behind me or something?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Um, no.. not exactly." A hand rose up to cup her cheek, allowing his thumb to trace along the edge of her now pointed ear. "You're not going to believe this." His eyes mvoed from the side of her head to her face, locking on her eyes and staring searchingly into them. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for, the telltale golden flecks that heralded the eventual golden shine of a zorren eye. "Do me a favor and smile." His expression was one of wonder as he lookedover her every feature. With every passing moment, he felt as though he was having flashbacks of his own awakening, and to see it happening in another was truly an amazing experience.

[member="Riamah"]