The Fields of Svanir

[Anna Song]

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Thanebroek
w [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

On a continent surrounded by the sea there stood but one city for the welcoming of outsiders. Thanebroek. Here, nestled just beyond the lively activities of over a million Valkyri citizens, lay the Holmstead Inn. A hearty collaboration of wooden cottages made perfectly cozy for visitors. After all, Midvinter was no place for common comforts. Here there was only snow, and ice, and hearth fire. A far cry from the automated civilizations of the Core. No. Here there was only what the hands could build and the axe could cleave. So Anna and Mas didn't mind the pelts on the bed or the furs on the floor. They made sure their happy cottage still felt like home.

Outside in the courtyard Anna and Mas were just finishing their third archery lesson. Smiling and giving each other a happy high-five. Nice! Proud to have finally gotten down the basics of the arrow and bow. Now all they had to do to finish and earn their badge of completion was actually go hunt something.

"Well? What do you think Master. Do I look rather 'fletching' in my new furs? Hehe." Anna danced about for Mas,

"Oh my young Apprentice. Yes indeedy. But you'll never match a Zeltron woman's natural grace in feathery wolfskin."

Knight Petra (bio*) struck a dashing pose and smirked playfully. Both of the Jedi women were a far cry from the Temple fashions. Having comfortably adopted the local garb and wrapped leathers of the Valkyri people. Happy to discover that the soft furs about their shoulders kept them warm and safe. Even on the longest of voyages.

"You're such a diva Master. Hehe. So... When will our last archer lesson begin?"

Mas stood up tall and tapped her chin, "Ya know. I'm not sure. Finding a hunting guide has been more difficult than I anticipated. Oh dear."

Both women shrugged and gathered up their gear. Unsure of how exactly to proceed as they meandered about the Holmstead's courtyard.

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[Théodred Heavenshield]

Bounding down the steps of the Grand Hall, he had bid his grand papa, the King of Midvinter good morrow and see ya later! His grand papa gave him a hug that all but broke his ribs before letting him run off for adventure. There was simply no way of stopping Theo and Thrand knew this. Thainbroek, his birth place naturally is special to him, feeling more at home here than anywhere else in the galaxy. So dressed appropriately, as is his habit, Theo sported his Valkyri jerkin under which he wore his white shirt, brown leather trousers, boots, saber and no fur! It is spring on Midvinter and the thaw well and truly had melted most of the snow, only patches of it remained and poking through the grasses on the plains outside the capital are wild flowers of all colours, swaying and lifting her heads to the sun. It is still cold however, but Theo's blood thick with ancestry mettle, permits him to relish the elements.


He is on his way to the market, an area in the capital where all Valkyri trade their wares and goods, many coming from all over Midvinter to ply their trade and it is very noise! Pushing his way through the horses and carts, mountainous people and children he sensed a tingling in the force. There are Jedi here? Theo's force awareness is one of his strengths and it spoke to him now.


Allowing his feet to find the path, he followed them along a narrow dirt street until he was standing in front of the Holmstead Inn. He looked over the building, nothing extraordinary about it save for the presence of the force. However, he walked down the side of the building until reaching a courtyard at the back, there he saw practice field archery targets of boar and stag, and stray arrows on the ground or sticking out of the wooden walls of the neighbouring house, a man with a grumpy face removing the arrows and two women, who seemed to be unsure of what to do next.


“Hello”, he said walking up to them. “You are Jedi aren’t you?”. He looked back at the targets and noticed the holes in the targets. “Not bad”, he declared, “What are you doing on Midvinter?”, he asked as Jedi never really come to Midvinter unless for a purpose.

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[member="Anna Song"]​

 

[Anna Song]

Both women tugged at their bows when the boy approached. He must have been no more than thirteen by Mas' guess. So the Jedi Knight gave him a soft bow,

"Hello there. Indeed, we are Jedi. After the manner. And that was no seer's guess either. I am Mas Petra. A Jedi Knight of the Voss Temple. This is my Apprentice,"

"Hello. Anna Song. Nice to meet you." Anna smiled bubbly and gave a quick bow.

Mas turned her head and shuffled her shoulders. She was sure she'd seen [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] somewhere before too.

"Hmm. Are you very familiar with Jedi, little master? After all. I can sense the Force flowing through you. Your blood makes it strong and vibrant. Just like your senses, yes? Surly there is more you can tell us about your quick arrival."

Anna seemed a bit perplexed by her Master's words. She could feel nothing so special about this young man. He seemed perfectly common Midvinter stock to her. Ah, but Mas was much more observant however. She knew an opportunity when it presented itself. Especially in the form of a Heavenshield. Troubling with finding a guide was one thing. Trouble stumbling upon royalty, was another.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Oh you are from Voss", he smiled with excitement, extending a hand for them both to shake, and he would do so with a firm grip. "I am Padawan Theo Heavenshield, Master Petra. I study at the Voss Academy", he realised he had not seen either of them, but the younger woman is older then he and would attend other more advanced classes for her age.

"Hello Anna, it is a pleasure to meet you too". She had spots on her face, that was a first for Theo. Turning back to the master Jedi, "I sensed you two as I approached the market place and I got curious, it is not every day Jedi come to Midvinter, well except for when my Mama and Papa come to visit Grand Papa Thrand", he added.

"Why are you here? a mission?", he got more excited hoping this to be the case. But looking back to the field targets, he supposed not, why would Jedi be learning the art of the bow. "It's hard isn't it?", he pointed to the targets, "It took me months to get the hang of it, but I am good now. And the forests around the capital are full of hunting".

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[member="Anna Song"]​

 

[Anna Song]

Mas smiled. Ah yes. She had known. There was something familiar about the boy after all. [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] he was indeed. Poor Anna. She hadn't even guessed.

Knight Petra brushed away her blue hair and gave a playful smirk,

"My Apprentice and I are here on a very special mission, yes. We've come to explore the culture of the planet and apprecite it's people. A fair custom for any young Jedi Knight to learn. Anna here hopes to become something of an expert on Vylkari people someday. So our visit is nothing less than a bout of happy tourism. Hehe."

She gave a wave. A vacation, more like.

"And yes indeed. Padawan Song and I have been perfecting our archery skills. Haven't we Anna?"

The blond girl stepped forward and nodded. Her eyelashes blinking horizontally, not vertically. Oh! Oh my.

"That's right Master. And hello to you too little Master Heavenshield. It's wonderful to meet you. Do you... Do you know anything about hunting in the wilds? Master and I seem to have lost our guide. Poo."

Anna, being a Melodie, looked roughly her age. Twenty four years old. However, her species ages something more akin to elves. Slowly. So while she was full in the appearance of an adult human female? She spoke and behaved more like a teenager. Very loose. Very free. Bubbly, if you could call a fish woman that.

So Anna pouted her lips in disapproval. She wanted a hunting guide right now. Familiar, Mas Petra just smirked at the girl by her side. Oh dear. Such a baby sometimes. Hehe.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Well that is a funny thing to want to be expert in", he laughed, "But the Valkyri are a very interesting people I guess", he had simply grown up in the culture and took it for granted, but now having visited a few planets with various cultures, Theo could understand how different the Valkyri would be.

"You.. you want to go hunting?', he asked looking back at the targets. "There is more to hunting wild animals then just shooting arrows at them, if you are lucky enough to find them".

Hunting is very much a part of life on Midvinter, and the main source of food for it's people especially over the winter season. "I know how to hunt in these forests", he said looking at both Jedi with a serious face. "I could take you, but I will not if you are only hunting for sport and I forbid any killing of the Vhaanir".

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[member="Anna Song"]​

 

[Anna Song]

Mas seemed both surprised and impressed with [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] enthusiam. She certainly understood his response too. Though, Anna seemed a bit shocked at his reply. Petra continued,

"If you would be willing to teach us these ways of hunting? Well. We would be more than happy to become your eager students Master Heavenshield."

She gave a look to Anna and shrugged,

"And no. We most certainly have no desire to kill for sport either. We simply desire the understanding that all Valkyri Hunters share. A knowledge of hunting. Of tracking. And perhaps, even a new found love for the rugged truth of nature."

Mas smiled and put her hands behind her back. She was not here for trophies. She was here for knowledge and understanding. Everything that new experiences could provide. Anna seemed baffled by both persons before her.

"But Master? How can one hunt and not kill anything?"

Mas nodded with a knowing smile and turned back to Theodred. Perhaps the young master would like to take a swing at that one, eh?

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Sure, I can teach you", he smiled at the thought of taking these two out into the forests. Although there is no immediate dangers to them all, there is always the threat of the weather but one gets to know the turn in the clouds if you live here long enough. It is an art taught to Valkyri from an early age.

He looked them both over, "You will need to wear something neutral in colour to blend into the background. No scent, if you wear perfumes or soaps that stink and good solid boots". He finished.

He turned to the pretty young girl called Anna Song, such a strange name but nice. "On Midvinter the people hunt for food, there is no tagging or whatever to say you go the kill, but I suppose you could take a holopic of it. But if you really want to know about hunting you have to kill. And if we are lucky to come across a boar and kill it we can give it away to a family that needs food for the winter". The grand hall has a packed larder so there would be no need to fill that.

"Does that sound more to your liking?".

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[member="Anna Song"]​

 

[Anna Song]

Anna seemed marvelously impressed. Perhaps they would get to finish their hunting endeavors after all. Mas smiled at [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] 's wonderful response. Eager to begin with gusto. Yet it was Anna who spoke next. Stepping forward and giving Theodred a handsome bow,

"Yes. That sounds grand indeed Padawan Heavenshield. We would both be very grateful to have you as our guide in this endeavor."

Mas smiled. The girl was learning fast.

"Oh yes indeed. Give us but a moment to collect ourselves according to your instructions, and we shall set off. Hehe."

No perfumes indeed.

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Minutes Later

Song and Petra stood just beyond the shrubs and brush that marked the edge of the village, and the beginning of the wilderness beyond. Both were appropriately dressed, packed, hooded, and with their new bows shouldered easily. Ready for nothing short of an adventurous trek through the snow.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Rather then race back to the Grand Hall to collect his personal bow and quivers, Theo asked to burrow one from their the Jedi's teacher at the Inn. Naturally, being the grandson of the King everything was granted to him, the perks of the family have their advantages. He soon found the two Jedi ready for the offing and they had dressed well for the day. He smiled on approached, "You know if you are going to study the culture of Midvinter you really should live as one for a while, not lay up in the comforts of the Inn", he set the challenge to them both. He wondered how they would go, living in one of the small Valkyri homes and fending for themselves for a while.

"Come on, I have secured us some transport to get to the forests beyond the wall of the Thainbroek", He lead them around the edge of the wall to the far gate and there waiting for them is a wooden cart pulled by one horse and sitting waiting, their driver.

"Climb aboard please and hold on to the sides, there are blankets there to wrap your bodies in for the trip. Hello Brimir, did you do well at the markets? I see your cart is empty of the fish". The big long haired Valkyri looked over the two Jedi with a long gaze curious to their looks, and he did like the look of Anna, Theo could tell! his eyes gazed over her with a searching look.

"Aye young master, got a good trade for 'em too", Brimir bow to the ladies with a cheeky smile directed to the young Anna Song. He motioned to Theo to come close and whispered to him. Theo looked at the man with surprise, "I .. I don't know! You will have to ask her yourself", he whispered back. With that reply from Theo, Brimir seemed to have lost his courage. Theo jumped in the back and waited for the Jedi.

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[member="Anna Song"]​