The Adventures of a Healer and a Viking: Pirates, Part II

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She perched on the edge of the bed and took a small, silver box from her bag. Fingers traced the intricate design. She frowned, and stared into its surface, lost in thought for a very long moment. The ship jerked and she knew they'd entered hyperspace. She quickly slipped it back inside her bag.

She began pulling other items from her bag. Some supplies, clothes, rations. She'd have to inventory what was in the small cantina later. She wasn't sure how long this trip would take. Forehead drooped into her palms. She'd been working the past day and a half without any sleep. Plotting for this trip but also working in the medbay to keep Val alive.

It was finally catching up to her. She shouldn't have sat down.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Val understood why they had taken him to that Frigate, he understood that he had needed to go, but to him...it had felt like a prison. He had been in a place without his choosing, a place he couldn't control or leave, a place where he had effectively been trapped. It had all felt wrong to him. His skin had been crawling the entire time he'd been on the Frigate, his heart had felt like it was constantly in a race, and every muscle in his body had been beyond tense. Now that they were gone the more rational side of him came back, that feeling of control, that desperate need to be in charge had been placated.

His hand ran through his hair, untangling several knots that had likely formed over the last few days. He shook his head for a few moments, then looked behind him. He searched for Taheera for a moment, then realized she had tucked herself away somewhere. A frown pulled at his lips and slowly he wandered into the cargo hold, he surveyed the different rooms for a few seconds, seeing the Healer sitting on the bed. For a moment he halted himself, then slowly wandered over to her.

Val wandered into the bedroom, slowly squatting down in front of her.

Doing so pained him, the gash on his side stinging and his ribs screaming at him not to do what he was currently doing, but...well he felt like he had to. A hand reached out, covering hers as his thumb gently stroked across her skin to catch her attention.

"Thank you." He was not ungrateful, knowing what she had done.

Perhaps he was not the most expressive man in the world, not normally anyway. It had always been one of Aerith's complaints. She had always told him that the only place he'd ever truly expressed himself had been the bedroom, not that she had minded much, but at certain times that wasn't really an option.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She felt his pain, before hearing his approach. That discomfort in protesting muscles and healing wounds. Then his touch on her hand. Closed eyes stirred open and her head lifted from her palms. She regarded him quietly, dark circles beneath her eyes perhaps more evident than before.

Those two words she wasn't expecting. The man before her was different from the man who woke up in the medbay and the man even from a few minutes before. This was the Val she knew. Or, what little she knew of him. Or, what more she was getting to know of him. It took her a moment longer to realize why he'd said it. Those two words.

Yes, she knew what she'd done. But that was part of her job. She'd never leave anyone like that without fighting for their life, even at her own expense. She squeezed his hand tentatively, then more sure. There was something more to his pain than physical, something deeper.

As a healer and empath, she couldn't help picking it up.

"You've lost a lot, haven't you?" And there, just there. She could see it in his eyes of ice and fire.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

For a moment he remained silent. "Yes."

It was a simple answer, one without expansion or further explanation. She hadn't asked what he'd lost. She hadn't asked him for more details. She might in the future, but a part of him wasn't really willing to give that up just yet. He supposed it was no real secret, several people on his homeworld still knew him and could tell his story quite well, but...out here in the larger galaxy no one really knew what had happened to him, who he was, what he had endured.

The loss of Aerith, his parents, the children that they had raised together. He had seen much over his one hundred and twenty years, and lost everything that he held close to him. It was a pain that he still held in his chest, one that he couldn't explain nor even tried to. A part of him wondered if he would ever get over it, nearly five decades had passed since Aerith had died and even now a part of him still felt the wound as though it were yesterday. She had been the love of his life plain and simple, soulmate, if there was ever such a thing. He frowned for a moment.

The pain in his side picked up, but he didn't move an inch.

For some reason he felt that shifting even slightly would ruin the moment, breaking eye contact would somehow offend her. So he stayed where he was, quietly watching her and waiting for what he knew would inevitably be the next question.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She stared at him a moment longer, feeling that deep ache like an open and unhealed wound. Lips pursed. She waited a moment longer then squeezed his hand before releasing him. "I'm here to listen, if you ever want to share more. Healing comes in many different forms, Val."

Myrtle-ellipses met his eyes quietly and waited a beat longer. She wanted him to know that she really would listen, act as his sounding board when he was ready and if he needed it. Finally, she released his gaze and began pealing off her boots. She stifled a yawn. She hadnt slept in over 24 hours and she couldn't stay awake anymore.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He blinked for a few moments. It wasn't really an offer that had been made to him before, but it also wasn't one he was really willing to answer. The idea of...talking about any of it wasn't something that really appealed to him. He knew that he had problems, he knew that a part of him still longed for Aerith, but he didn't think bringing it up out loud would actually help. He hadn't actually said her name in...he couldn't remember how long. A frown settled on his lips.

"I think I'm good." Val didn't want to be dismissive, but It simply wasn't something that he wanted to do. "Sometimes the past should stay in the past."

That was how he saw it anyway. Bringing up Aerith, the children they raised, his parents...everything that he'd been through, what good would it do? They were at peace, he didn't want to soil their memories by dragging them into his lonely life. His head shook for a moment and his eyes closed as he slowly stood. Taheera was dressing herself for bed, apparently just as tired as he had been when he'd fallen asleep in that cave. His side screamed at him as he came to his full height, the gash there still objecting to every motion.

"Thank you for the offer thought." He could at least be polite.

He doubted anyone would make it again.

Perhaps in another five decades he would be ready to talk about it all, perhaps, but he doubted it.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She frowned, sensing his spike of pain again. But nodded at his response. She wanted him to know that she respected him, including his privacy and space. If he ever changed his mind, he'd know he'd have a friend in her. Boots were kicked off and she stood.

Barefoot, she really noticed their height difference.

"You okay there?" Gaze drifted to his side. Always the healer. Fingers began undoing the tightly wound strands of chestnut hair.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Wounds aren't fully healed." She would of course know that.

The pain wasn't too bad really, not when he got used to it. The problem were the sudden spikes of stinging that went along with moving around too much. If he stood still, or laid down, it wouldn't bother him too much, but if he ran around and actually did things? That was when issues arose. He took a deep breath, collecting himself and trying to even out his own equilibrium so he wouldn't go collapsing onto the ground from the sudden pangs of agony.

"I think you might have to distract me from the pain." Val offered with his trademark smile. "Maybe kiss it and make it better."

His hand touched his side, an unconscious gesture as he fought back the odd throb of the wound.

He'd been injured worse than this before, but not often. There had been that creature back on Thral who had nearly mauled him to death, though that had been almost twenty years ago now. He still remembered that well, the only difference here was that he had a healer.

That would speed things up. "Please?"

There was a mischievous look in his eye.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Fingers released tangled strands of hair. A chestnut brow lofted. "You are incorrigible." Eyes rolled but the corners of her lips kept twitching. Arms crossed and she studied him closely.

"You get one kiss." She stifled a yawn. A sneaky look crossed her face. "But, you have to tell me something more about yourself, first. And it can be anything...not related to...that stuff we talked about earlier."

She wasn't trying to trick him into sharing anything he didn't want to share. But she was rather pleased with herself for her negotiation skills.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He thought for a moment.

The idea was a novel one really.

Val didn't ordinarily like talking about himself, something that Taheera had likely long since picked up on. Yet small details weren't as bad as telling his whole life story, and there was the fact that in all honesty he didn't really mind sharing certain aspects of who he was. He still held certain part of things as a core of himself, who he was. Many people clung to identities that they once held, and Val was no different than others. He might have been a bit older, but that didn't matter.

"Alright." He took a step forward, closer to her. He was only a few inches from her, but slowly he extended his hand and gently pushed her back. He saw her half stumble and then fall onto the bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress before Val leaned forward to be at eye level with her.

A small smile crossed his lips as his face stopped just a breath away from hers. "I'm a farmer."

The pain in his side acted up with how he was standing over her, but that was temporarily ignored. The fact he told her was a truthful one, and something that he held near and dear to his heart. Val was not a warrior, he was not a Hero, he was not some kind of superman.

He was a simple farmer.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She sputtered as she stumbled back. Even flailing arms couldn't keep her standing. Hair mussed around her face but her eyes still peaked through the strands. But ohhhh, that bed felt good. Body continued to covet the idea of sleep. Legs half dangled off the edge, bent at the knees.

A farmer?

That was unexpected. "Okay," one hand gently cupped his aching side. Another hand reached up and cradled the side of his face. "As promised." Head lifted, lips going for his as a warm, tingling energy left her hand at his side to go into his wound. Healing through the force.

But at the last minute her lips went just above his and planted a soft kiss on his nose.

A small, mischievous giggle left her throat. "What planet did you farm on?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He took in a sharp breath as he felt the odd cooling touch at his side. It wasn't her hand, or rather he didn't think it was. The force touched him again, the familiar sensation of his flesh knitting back together. For a moment he forgot about it as her lips pressed against his nose. He frowned for a second, though the odd rush of energy that pushed him seemed to push him to ignore the ploy.

"Virith." Val very much doubted she would recognize the name.

His homeworld was very much, tiny. Smaller than most moons, populated by about ten thousand people total, and containing absolutely no major cities. The planet where he came fromdidn't even appear on most galactic maps, usually omitted simply because it was so small. That fact hadn't changed over the last century, and he doubted it would ever change.

Before she could trick him again, Val moved first.

He pressed his lips hard against hers, a passionate, deep kiss that pushed her back onto the bed, Val slowly following her and crawling atop her even as she healed the wound in his side.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Virith?

She wondered...

But didn't have too much time to think about it as he captured her lips. She gasped. Head and back pressed against the fluffy duvet cover. Lips parted and warmth flooded her body. Or maybe it was just the heat she felt from him as he settled just above her.

With one more touch, the healing on his side finished and her hand drew slowly upwards.

Breath. Breath. She had to breath, right?

She turned her head to the side, heat flushing her cheeks and down her neck. "Hey...hey, that's cheating," she managed to croak out those words. "I think you owe me at least two more things about yourself."

She was just glad the attention was on him and not herself. She didn't want to talk about things in the past, either.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"You think so, Huh?" Val said, amusement drifting through his voice.

He found that the force had an odd sort of affect on him. Perhaps it felt that way for everyone, but as soon as the wound in his side was gone he felt as though he could run a million miles, as though he had just been spiked with a dose of adrenaline. He felt great, better than he had in hours. His heart was pumping fast, though whether that was the healing, or her, was yet to be determined.

"Well." Val said slowly as he took an opportunity that presented itself, his lips slowly and gently pressing against her neck. "I carve my own furniture."

His home back on Virith was decorated with only things that he had made himself. Bed frame, tables, chairs, everything. Val was a deceptively simple man. Perhaps Taheera had already guessed that, perhaps not, but it was true nonetheless. He wanted nothing of money or riches, he wanted no treasures or trinkets. He had always been happy with what he had in life, always been happy with the simple side of things. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed the little villages in the outer rim so much.

A hand gently came to rest on her hip, his lips pressing against her skin as he let out a hot breath. "And I can't resist a woman who wants to take care of me."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

A gasp left her mouth as his lips explored her neck. Toes curled. "You're a carver, too?" Somehow she managed to make a coherent sentence. But ohhh was it hard. Fingers dug into the bedcover. The hand at his side moved to his chest, feeling the muscles that rippled beneath his shirt.

Oh. Stars.

Ohstars, ohstars, ohstars.

She couldn't help the tremble that ran through her spine. And for a moment, she wondered - what if the Jedi found out? What if they had cameras here?

She was becoming delirious.

A nervous giggle bubbled through her throat.

Get. Control. Of. Yourself.

She took a steadying breath. "And I have a hard time believing you could resist any woman, Val...," brow crinkled in thought and neck turned to face him. "What's your last name?"

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He smiled for a second, not answering but simply planting a kiss on her lips. It was a gentle, but mischievous peck. He had been truthful with her so far, and he intended on being. There was no reason to lie, not really anyway. He didn't like talking about the past, but all these things were mostly innocent, they weren't the details he wanted to hide, they weren't what he wanted to deny. Even his last name didn't really matter to him. The only reason he had not mentioned it before was because of it's pronunciation.

For a second Val drew back, rising to look down at her for a few seconds. The hand at her hip slipped beneath her shirt, fingers running over her skin in a gentle, almost massaging touch. His hands curled around her side, fingers half pressing into her back as cloth was slowly lifted up.

Val leaned down, lips gently pressing against her sternum, and then trailing down to her belly. He stopped there and looked up at her with a small smile. "Aurelios."

A noble name, the kind that one might expect to here from someone who had been born on Empress Teta or Anaxes, hardly a farmer from Virith. It was strange to say the least, unexpected for someone who claimed to be nothing but a simple man from the outer rim.

The small spark of mischief in his eyes told he knew that, as if he was daring her to ask.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Eyes closed and she had to bite back another gasp as his fingers and lips traveled. Fingers tugged through his hair. "Hmmm."

It was all she could mutter with how....distracted he was making her.

Myrtle-ellipses fluttered open. If he was expecting a question on that, it didn't come. She was fairly new to the Galaxy and the Jedi taught a select amount of history for her short time with them. But she did repeat the name, as if tasting how it sounded.

"Val," suddenly, she propped herself up on elbows that sunk into the bed which was so much softer than a hard, cave floor. Rib cage nearly knocked against his face. Toned-stomach curled inward. "I DO need to get sleep. And we DO need to plan for the pirates."

She couldn't help being mission minded. It was who she was. Maybe after...she'd be more relaxed about things. If there was an after and if they were successful.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He smiled slightly, not responding for a moment as his lips once again pressed against her stomach, then slowly traveled over her ribs. Val didn't ignore her words, but it was pretty clear that he didn't consider them all that urgent. Eventually however he pulled himself back up completely, pressing one last kiss on her lips even as his hands lingered upon her.

"I already have a plan." Val said simply as he applied light pressure to her skin with his fingertips, slowly pushing her back down against the bed.

"We're headed to the Eerie." Confidence filled his voice, that same tone that he'd had the first day they met. It was self-assured, prideful, but not commanding. He knew what he was doing, there was no doubting himself, no doubting the plan that he'd come up with. As her head landed back upon the pillows Val hovered over her, thumb gently stroking across her skin right beneath the curve of her chest. "It's a shadowport that has operated out here for nearly half a century."

He looked down at her, fire and ice meeting Myrtle. "It's the only place the pirate could have stopped. I know several people there, they'll be able to tell me where the Pirates went."

That of course didn't explain what they would do when they found the pirates, but that could be left for a later day.

"Go to sleep, you don't have to worry about a thing." He pressed one more kiss against her lips, as if commanding her.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

No small amount of lust ran through her body but she forced herself to focus on his words versus...other things. "Eerie?" She'd never heard of it before. What interested her more, though, was his mention of knowing some people they were going to run into. She'd see a little more into his world.

She let her lips linger against his for a moment longer.

"Sometimes it's my job to worry."

A soft smile. Hand lifted to squeeze lightly against his forearm. "But okay Val Aurelios. I trust you." And she did. Trust could be lost but for now, he had hers. Another yawn as her head sunk more into the pillow. Rolling onto her side beneath his hovering form, her shirt tugged back down and she fell asleep.

She was just grateful he didn't see the scar in the dark cave and it was still too low for him to see just now. Things would've been too complicated with those memories. Luckily, the next ten hours of sleeping didn't include any nightmares.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The next day would come swiftly, Taheera would awaken to find herself with a large Vikings arms wrapped tight around her, nearly pinning her, heated breath spreading across her neck and a blanket settled atop the both of them.

Val lay behind her, in a near unconscious sleep.

The Farmer had fallen asleep some time after Taheera, though it had not come as quickly or easily. The blanket had been pulled out from beneath Taheera, her small form having been manipulated in a way that he hadn't woken her up. His shirt had been tossed onto a chair within the room, though hed kept on the loose pants, likely as a favor to her more than anything else. She would find that he was fast asleep, hand beneath her shirt as if having sought the warmth of her skin.

They still had nearly an hour remaining in Hyperspace before reaching Eerie, no alerts having gone off yet and the droid still happily sitting in the cockpit.

It was a calm morning.