A New Perspective On Old Horizons [Ylva]

[Théodred Heavenshield]

The time spent on Midvinter these past weeks had been a blessing for Théo. Not only did he get to spend time with Ylva and as a result, their relationship had bloomed into something more, something special. He had spent time with his younger brother as well, getting to know him more and Thirdas was a handful but the young man was Heavenshield and that is all that mattered. Like all his family, every single one of them, he would love and protect with his life, if it came to that. Thirdas had returned home to Fridheim, Ylva had returned back to Himmeldal from her trip to Tháinbroek and Théo had prepared for that return.

It would be time for the two of them to travel, to see more of Midvinter which Théo delighted in. He loves this place more than any other, his home world which is in his blood more ways than one. Strange how he is more connected to this land than most of the family, most likely because he was born here. Iceborn.

With the little time he had had to himself at Himmeldal, introspection was granted and needed. Although his time away from the Jedi had proven valuable, from both a duty point of view as well as personal, his mind was not settled nor his sense of purpose. Viewing the events of the galaxy from a distance on Ilum, situated within the safety of the Pantheon, had grown intolerable. He is a warrior of the galaxy, his blood calling for a stronger purpose and he could not, and will not deny it.

He stood in the early morning fog that had rolled down the vale and surrounded the house, the horses eager to be away and treading the path to unknown parts. This would be a journey to explore regions of Midvinter even he had not visited yet, and there was plenty of them after all Midvinter is vast and wide with physical barriers that demand respect of any traveler and Midvinter demands that travels take their time.

Théo pulled on the leather strap to secure the bundles to the saddle of the pack horse, lifted his head to the skies to see the rolling clouds thicken and darken. "It will snow today", he told the horses, a family joke his mother started, stating the obvious .. after all this is Midvinter.

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Mounted atop the great Ice Wolf, Bjomolf, Ylva Solveig's monstrous hound pushed it's heavy paws through the snow of Himmeldal's wild winter-lands, a greeting of great comfort in the familiarity that was [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]'s homeland and now alongside him, her own. Over the weeks things had become increasingly intimate between the two of them, their first outing was decidedly postponed for want of one anothers company in-doors; now however she had found the world they stood upon to be a great challenge, one of which Théo had always spoken about with great pride yet Ylva had remained skeptical until treading the land herself and baring witness to the perils of it's natural landscape and the dangers of the long night and great frosts. Suffice it to say it was a beautiful world and every day was as exhilarating as the next having to hunt for their own, to live off of the land as she had upon Nirauan.

Their hearth was well in sight, Bjomolf crossing the ridge, carrying the huntress over the hill and into the open field no longer hidden among the trees and the underbrush that hadn't yet been caked in the deep snow the wolf buried beneath it's massive paws. The air brought with it a chill and yet a scent of fresh life, a cold touch to her cheeks that dampened the attire of furs that she wore over her typical gear. Against her back, her bow rocked with every step and the touch of metal upon metal at her hips sounded the company of her War Axe's; these days better off used for taking to the wood to stoke the fire rather than give way to the sound of war cries and the mesh with mans flesh. Life had changed so dramatically for her since she had met Théo and yet in some ways it had remained the same. Survival was still paramount in her knowledge of the land and what the world could provide for them, the company was far better of course, the voice of her lover far superior to the sound of her own voice trying to entertain herself in the absence of others back where they had first met.

Today she had come to a point in her life where Ylva Solveig no longer held any pride for her accomplishments over the Clan Solveig or the world of Nirauan. It was a life that had known nothing good of men and had chipped away at her integrity, her confidence having been honed only by grit refusal to let herself become a victim to lesser peoples and a harsher way of life than was meant for her. She wasn't a believer in fate and had still not come to a decision on her lovers belief in the Force aside from the knowledge that he was capable of doing these things far beyond her own capabilities but now upon Midvinter she had been given a choice to start fresh, to come to learn about herself in the absence of cruelty, that only nature and the love of a good man would encourage in her....

Sweeping her feet across and over the back of the great wolf, she dropped to the snow floor with a light rush of air, her boots sinking half way up her shins, and turning to reach for the harness strapped around her companion; as was typical for her, she had not come empty handed and today their heart would see new stocks brought into the kitchen, resources for their daily needs, herbs and meet from recent kills still fresh thanks to the harsh cold of the world around them. "Théo!" she called out, turning to look towards the entrance to their sanctuary away from the rest of the galaxy; "Gimme a hand will ya?" she added with a grin knowing that he'd probably laugh with her first greeting of him coming in the form of a damand.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

A grin crossed his face as she pulled on the last strap to secure it. Ylva was home at last. He poked his head around the side of Himmeldal watching her fuss with the pack on the back of her ever growing companion. Bjomolf did not seem to mind in fact the large wolf had grown accustomed to Midvinter quicker than most. Théo did not need the force around him now, they had become friends and both only wanted for Ylva's safety something they both spared and formed a bond over. Both of them knew however, the fire redhead could do that on her own, far able to protect herself from any dangers but regardless men will be men and want to provide safety too, those men that love. It is their nature.

"Will you try and gut me if I touch something I aught not?", he teased her. Yet rather than help, his arms snaked around her waist pulling her to him before his kissed the back of her neck while she continued to work. He now looked at her kill, it was large and heavy and would provide them with much food over the coming winter, they wold prepare it later as time was of the essence to begin their journey. Théo let go of Ylva, to move alongside Bjomolf, hands raised filled with the power of the force and the kill gently lifted off his back like a feather dancing on a breeze.

Between them they could have taken the kill to the house but, there was purpose behind this act. Since having spent time with her alone, growing ever closer a connection of reached, a realisation within Ylva that had not been 'visible' to him before her coming to Midvinter. Maybe it had something to do with their initial want to refuse each other that that path was blocked only open to them now, rather to him now. Théo knew her knowledge of the force is limited but he had not held back on it out of any agenda but rather wanted her to come to him when she was ready to know more. Not only about him, but about herself.

"I have us ready to leave. And we must start before the evening falls". This was going to be a journey of discovery on many levels. "Although He will give us fare weather until then", he looked into the sky toward the direction of the Sun. It was so comforting to know Grandpapa was watching over them, how could he explain that to her? Even he with his knowledge of the force and the world at large, it was hard to fathom that just maybe, the Gods existed.

As a child he had been blessed with a glimpse.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

As [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] moved in and took to her with his arms closing in around her sides to lock at her front above her waist, Ylva slowed in what she was doing and lifted her head a little, not really looking at anything particular but as her eyes fell half closed, she took the moment to appreciate the strength and humility that came with his embrace. Théodred was a man unlike all others she had met, capable and strong, passionate and yet only when intimidated and encouraged to show his bolder side; more commonly he was a compassionate steward over these lands, a caring and considerate lover and partner in what had become their life together where less then a year ago she would have laughed at the prospect of any such kinship.

"I won't bite you, pretty boy...-At-least not too hard".

She turned within his arms, moving to meet him face to face and raising her hands to lace her fingers at the back of his neck, draping her arms against him and leaning into his hold. Her eyes as fierce as the Ice of Midvinters many cavernous depths, seeking to take to his and as she moved in closer, she gave him reason not to stop at the back of her neck but rather kiss her like she knew he could. Theirs was a fire as bright as the amber of her hair, a mutual excitement and wealth of affection towards one another overshadowed by what could be considered at times of higher tensions, their lust for one another. She would break the deep and lasting kiss only to allow him to tend to the kill, that she might watch him work his benign magicks.

"Tháinbroek was interesting...-Some curious characters on that road" Ylva commented somewhat absently as she moved to offer Bjomolf a big scratch behind his ears while Théodred used the Force to lift the fallen beast off of the great Ice Wolf, it seeming to drift to him against all the gravity that kept them firmly planted upon the surface of Midvinter. Her cold blue eyes watched him, his hand extending to the carcass yet touching it none. She knew that look of his by now, he was concentrating and it was at least nice to know that he had to put in a little effort to be able to achieve such things. She herself didn't understand how he could do the things he could, it had kept her alive upon the field of battle several times however and that had for a while been enough for her; yet his gaze seemed to lift back to the sky almost looking directly to the sun and causing her to finally comment rather skeptically; "One of these days you're going to go blind you know...-Staring at that thing for so long...".

Moving to check the supply of arrows within the large quiver against Bjomolf's side, she pursed her lips in consideration before throwing Théodred a daring glance as she walked on back into the hearth to collect her things for the next great venture of theirs. She was accustomed to traveling light and didn't need much, but her arrows and the company of her Axe's were a must for survival had taught her no better. This world belonged to her man, yet even still she'd dare to take no chances.

"I'm set to move on when you are, love..." she returned back to the open air of the outdoors with her quiver stocked with fresh arrows and moving this time nor for Bjomolf but intent to join Théodred in mounting one of their horses for a quieter jouney in equal pace by his side.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

The horses bred hard and hardy on Midvinter did not feel the weight of either of them, at least in Ylva's case although Théo was more akin to the people of this land he still did not possess the entire physique of them having Corellian blood in him as well. He smiled at her comment regarding the Sun, she was right in the sense he did look to it more than most, but with good reason after all grandpapa would never cause harm and he always was there to look over them. How would one explain that to anyone? The gods a thing that even he was unsure of, did they exist beyond the legend? the tales told to children at bed time. Well there was something, that much was clear.

When Ylva returned and mounted her horse, Théo wasted no time in starting the journey. They would head south before turning their heads toward the west, the long way round to Fridheim and why not? this was a part of Midvinter he had no ventured into so new horizons and new perspective faced them. And it was exciting to do so with the woman beside him, he loves her yet has not told her yet.

As they began to leave Himmeldal behind, skirting the edge of the frozen lake before seeking to find the Pass to the west he looked to her sitting astride her horse looking all the part of any fair maiden of Midvinter, the only thing she lacked was a shield. "When I was but a boy, there was war in which the family fought against a foe you would only conjure in nightmares. Called the Vinterbound, the undead. In that war my grandpapa was taken from us. Killed protecting his sons, my parents or my uncle could not save him, his injuries that vast it was impossible. Although we won that battle, much was lost not only for us but all of those people living in Tháinbroek". He went silent for a moment, remembering all the displaced and destroyed lives in the aftermath of that war. Although the city is rebuilt, the lives of those affected by it will never be complete. Time will hopefully heal that.

"The day of his funeral, it is tradition to place the body on a long boat set it upon the Maw and light it up to burn the body and which the spirit will journey to Beornskald, the Grand Hall of the Gods. An elder came to my parents, told of a birth of a new God, the Sun God. My grandpapa". He turned to Ylva to see what she would make of all that. Probably think him mad. "I miss him very much, so .. in order to quieten my heart, I look to the skies".

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Ylva listened as he tried to explain himself, [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] being a man of many curiosities as far as she were concerned and yet despite her intrigue had always sought to respect him for his personal beliefs, and the privacy kept around them that she would never ask least he give it up forthright. Riding astride the mounted steed, she turned to look at him with a wary gaze, not for any question as to his mental state but rather trying not to reveal to him her great skepticism for she herself had her own biases should any such a God truly exist.

Silence was her initial response, her eyes seeking to find the path laid out before them for that was clear cut and with no question as to it's purpose. She had seen many strange things in her time, creatures that most men would think but a myth, Bjomolf was one of them, a great beast and a rare one at that for his kind had been thought to have been wiped out on their natural habitat and homeworld, Spintir.

The idea that there were beings of great power and with a mind and will, dominion over all men and women beneath them, it was too much to consider when all of her life she had suffered, barely surviving and always having to fight her own way in order to get anywhere. What kind of Gods were these that Théo might revere, to let an innocent child be taken in by savages, twisted up and forced to become one herself.

"...Does it bring you peace?".

Her words were apprehensive though it felt best to answer his searching gaze with a question of her own as opposed to speaking her mind on the matter. Théo was a lovely man, a kind and compassionate man whom in her experience often found themselves chewed up and spat out; he had proven her otherwise thus far, proven to have a strength that no one else she had come to know had, both by his strange and almost inhuman abilities but too by the virtue that he carried wherever he roamed, the interactions and want for good standing to be had by all in their meeting with him. Ylva wanted him to have this reassurance, whether or not she believed in these things, he deserved that much and she'd never seek to deter him in his beliefs.

"The only Gods Clan Solveig spoke of were those they saw in themselves" she added, so to expand on the wary tone that had shone in her voice; "Though they acted like demons" she added rather coldly, her expression tightening, jaw locking as she averted her gaze to look elsewhere and discourage her man from witnessing the look of anger that came over her in the moment; the subject far less than cheerful given the emotional scars and historical burdens she still carried because of those men.

"Did your God give you those powers you have...-Because you are his Grandson?" it sounded like a loaded question destined to be laughed at and she felt ridiculous for even asking yet she had no other real explanation to justify or validate the things she had seen him do. There was a great deal of shame and resentment for how her life had spiraled ever so out of her control until she had killed her apparent "Clan" while they had slept.

The act itself she had never sought to talk about with him in any kind of detail, he knew next to nothing about her and the time that had passed before their meeting other than the fact that she once had a family and had otherwise been raised by wilder folk. What details she might have shared were amiss to her mind, the conversation always sparking her temper and leaving her a little bitter and hard headed.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Peace?, well I suppose it does to a point. Whether all of that was true or not, I cannot say but the idea of him looking over us is, or does give me some sort of peace". Or maybe Théo just missed his grandpapa so much he would cling to anything that would keep his memory fresh. He was not the only one that missed Thrand, his own father and uncle would be more so as their history had been far more intense and telling on their lives.

It would be hours before they would reach the base of the mountain range, even longer to travel it's length to get to the pass but they are in no hurry, and this gave them both time to expand on their relationship, to get to know one another more. She spoke of her clan, never had she done so in glowing terms, if at all which naturally, he was curious about but the anger written on her face told him enough that that story would come when she was ready to tell it. Although he would probe just a little to test the waters.

"I have known good people who in their arrogance believe themselves above others", he had witnessed this in some Jedi across the Orders, in his time. "But in people that only have self interest in their hearts, or something more malicious .. that is more prevalent in the galaxy and the results are very devastating to those they choose to set their sights on". He was choosing his words wisely, trying not to inflame her countenance, not because he wanted to quell her temper but more so that he did not wish to cause her further pain of the memory.

It is difficult enough to explain the Force to something that has knowledge of it's existence, but to do so to someone that had only seen it through the workings of his own hands was even more so. Her question was valid in the circumstance, where else would it come from? considering what he had just said of his grandpapa. "No, not directly at least", he said with his mind thinking on how to explain. "My grandmama was a Jedi, not my grandpapa. My parents are very strong in the Force which I have no doubt helped me inherit their ability". But it doesn't work like that.

"The Force itself, deems who is attuned to it and who is not. Or rather who can listen to it. The Force lives within us all even those that can't sense it, everything that exists in the galaxy, it is a .. energy that is drawn from everything around us. You can't see it unless it manifests in someone attuned, and even then only through their actions". He spotted a small rock on the path up ahead, and reached for it through the force with his hand raised. The rock shifted and floated in the air toward her and when it got close to her she could pluck it out of the air.

"We also have the ability to sense the Force in others", she looked over to her searching her face for how was he to tell her she is attuned. Was she ready to hear that?

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

"I have known good people who in their arrogance believe themselves above others".

His ignorance was bliss, something that Ylva only had herself to blame for as she'd not told [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] of the atrocities that had been done to her before she'd learned to find the will to fight for herself. Her upbringing had been traumatic, a child whom once had been innocent could only be taught to survive in a life she had through experiencing the worst of others and learning to rebel, to refuse to give ones self over to such feral cruelty but to turn it back on her supposed clan and become one of them purely to survive. She'd been the only female to ever stay with the Clan for as long as she had and there were good reason in that, they hadn't ever treated women as though they were people but animals or objects to be owned and discarded when they were through.

The look of anger that had been previously strewn across her face had subsided for what remained to be remorse and discomfort, the look of vulnerability for which rarely showed upon her and again she focused her gaze on anything, everything, if only to keep herself from turning back to look at him and find his caring and concerned eyes upon her. Ylva didn't doubt in the slightest that there were monsters out there in the Galaxy that Théo had come across in his life, threats and challenges that he'd overcome, yet her demons were too large and too dark to believe he could understand the emotional turmoil of her life without somehow changing their relationship together.

Some things were simply better left unspoken.

Exploring the concept of the force brought her a welcome distraction however and after a moment, her gaze would seek his out once more, if not only to listen to his want to share in his understanding with her. This power that he had, somehow controlled and used of his own free will, to say that it intrigued her was an understatement. Never had she come across something so in-explainable in her time. She was a skilled huntress and in most cases her aim with a bow was unparalleled yet the things Théo could do defied all belief. It all sounded so complicated, the Force and how it shaped people, grew within them somehow manifesting itself like some sort of cancer or creature living beneath the skin. He seemed completely at home with it all, treating it in the same sense that he revered the sun and his recollections of his Grandpapa...

"You can sense it in others?" She questioned, not entirely catching on to the hint that he was dropping but now her thoughts moving to focus on others. With Théo that typically led to her thinking about his family, those she hadn't yet met and often wondered whether they were just as compassionate as he was or whether they were like much of the galaxy she expected to be.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"I can yes, although sometimes it is hidden only to be revealed at the right moment". Or in some cases the wrong moment, depending on ones true nature. "There are many Valkyri here that are attuned but are not aware of it, simply because they do not know of the existence of the force but my parents are see to that. It is time to let the people of this planet know of it". Too many people, in the past, had been rejected because they could do things others could not, deemed to be witches or worse and exiled because of it, or they had to run in fear of their lives. Aerin Firebrand had been one such person, forever moving from place to place, Théo remembered her story well enough having met her in his youth. The most powerful and fearsome shield maiden he had every witnessed and who became a Jedi Master.

He looked to the skies once more, this time not to revere his grandpapa but to seek to time of day and it was apparent by the waning of the Sun the afternoon had come to pass. "It is time to rest the horses and have something to eat as well". He pointed ahead of them, into a clearing by a small babbling brook that would do nicely for their rest.

Théo dismounted and began to unstrap the ration bag from the pack horse, he found his gaze wondering toward Ylva as he smiled watching her every moment taking her in, his eyes noting every curve of her body, her smile, her everything but most of all, her long red hair falling down her back toward her waist. He knew that waist, her clothing did not do it justice.

"Have you .. have you ever done something you can't explain? ..", he tested the waters some more. "A thought maybe or an action that did not make sense to you at the time?".

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

People could be judgemental, it was something that Ylva could understand and relate to; Since her leave of Nirauan she had struggled to get along with a few significant peoples within the Iron Empire, those of higher birth and stature unlike [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] who had been like her rock when everything had been so new and so much larger than the single world and life she was accustomed to living. Even in todays society there were those who had forever lived, isolated upon a single world, feeling as though the ocean of stars above were so out of reach, infinite in their possibilities yet far to grandiose to comprehend travel and exploration across. Niruaun had been that feeling for her, that sense of belonging and life where she had assumed she would never leave. Long after the end of Clan Solveig, she had remained their learning the lay of the land she had been forbidden from traveling and hunting the wildlife for need and sake of her health and growth. Today, riding alongside Théo was a farcry from the days she had imagined would be her future. His bringing her into the unimaginable was an aspect about life at his side that she loved so dearly.

"I wouldn't have guessed Midvinter would be so estranged to the Force when you yourself are so at home with it" she responded, speaking her mind on the matter as she had more or less presumed, from her understanding and listening of Théo's exploits over the world that he was something of a figurehead among leaders of the people there. His family was highborn and with his experience and knowledge around such magicks, he never showed an ounce of weakness of lack of knowledge surrounding this 'Force' that he seemed to revere. "Does it offend their Gods?" she asked somewhat blatantly, unsure what she herself really believed on the subject of religion. Unlike his mysterious power, she'd yet to see any proof of life beyond their worlds and galaxies.

With her Lover in the lead, she would turn her stead with a pull of the reigns and move to stop the great beast beside Théo's own, climbing down with a sweep of her right leg across the Horse's back and stepping down to place a hand against the neck of the animal and give it an appreciative rub, a gesture of thanks to the creature. A silent affection for the beast before securing it's reigns around the branch nearby and moving to join her man. With her, she would carry her bow and the quiver of arrows set at her waist though her axe's were turned to the saddle's harness and secured safely against the side of the horse, she needed no arms of war in the privacy of their own.

"Me?..." her brows rose in surprise and she soon gave something of a quiet yet skeptical laugh, "Hardly...-No power or God gave me my skill. I've trained all my life to shoot straight, Pretty boy" she smirked his way, a clearly amused sense of jest being offered his way though not without compassion as she stepped towards him with a little added momentum to bump up against his side and throw her gaze up and to the side, seeking his own; "I'm just a poor ol' common lass; remember, high-born..." she continued to tease, thinking nothing of the question.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

He cleared an area on the ground in the snow before placing a fur and rations on it. "I can't speak for the Gods, if they are there even but the force is here, it is everywhere. However, the Valkyri are only just learning of it now, some the hard way when the Sith came here, others through the teachings of my mother and father who believe the people of Midvinter need to know now and not be held back from it if they are gifted with it", he looked over to her seeking her face before frowning. Maybe it was time to be up front with her.

But a smile soon followed at her comment, how could it not? he loves it when she teases him. "You are anything but common Red, you are one in a million". He walked to her and stopped her from doing whatever she was doing, he did not care about that, and took her in his arms kissing her hard. The kiss lasted for what seemed like eternity, he did not wish to end it, but it would and he broke the kiss only to look into her blue eyes and sparkled with life.

"I have something to tell you, but .. I don't want to end up with a knife in my gut", he grinned but his countenance changed quickly, more serious. "Ylva, I sense in you to presence of the force. You have the ability to .. listen to it. If you open your mind and heart to it. It is there in you, just like it is in me". He pressed hard the last words, she would understand what his meaning with it.

But he stood back just a little to allow her room to take it in. And be there for her no matter the reaction.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

Taken into [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]'s arms, she lifted her gaze to find and lock with his for the briefest of moments before his lips touched upon her own, her head tilting to allow their kiss to deepen, hands brushing up over his chest to reach around the back of his neck and lace her fingers together that she might not let go of him. Such moments were heartfelt and whole, the rush of blood through her veins often leaving her feeling as though her heart skipped a beat in response to her man's invocation.

Her mouth parted for but a moment, her tongue passing between his and savoring the taste of his own, a passionate expression of her lust and love for Théo though she had yet to tell him such a thing; they two were two sides to the same coin in many cases, both so similar and yet so often their differences were significantly matched and as though they were made to coexist with their partners strengths and shortcomings.

Théodred, after a time savoring their desire for one another, broke the lock of their lips in order to appeal to her curiosity. A slight smirk coming to bare upon her pale and freckled features as she looked up at him with evident and proud amusement at his suggestion that she might run him through the gullet for what he was about to suggest. It didn't occur to her that it might be a distasteful notion given the proximity and mood of the pair, all things having passed in good splendor, their time shared on Midvinter as was any life she could have asked for.

Ylva, I sense in you to presence of the force.​

​

It took a moment to register just what exactly it was that Théo was trying to tell her and why he had asked his rather silly sounding question prior to this folley. "...Come again?" She blurted out in surprise and a swift exhale of her breath, laughing abruptly in short and quiet astonishment over this idea that she might have some sort of power like his own. "You're cute and all, Théo but don't be ridiculous..." She shook her head with a casual chuckle, soon withdrawing her hands slowly from around his neck and soon striking him playfully with her right fist towards the inside front of his shoulder.

"Don't you think I'd know about it by now if I could jump as high as you can or speak to some sort of Godly spirit, love...".

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"No you would not know it, at least you don't know it". He said to her in all seriousness. "I am not being ridiculous, I can sense it in you. You just have not learned to listen. And there is more to it than that, I started to train to use the force when I was three years old, it is second nature to me know but your life has taken you on a different path in which the force was unknown to you so I can understand your disbelief .. but it is there".

How was he going to convince her otherwise? "Come sit with me here", he guided her to the fur on the ground and sat the food all but forgotten now as there was something more important he wanted to show her. Theo positioned himself opposite her, sitting with legs crossed and he took both her hands gently resting her's in his own. "Just humour me for a moment and follow what I say, and do what I ask". It would be difficult for her to take this seriously, already her mind was closed to the idea but patience is a Jedi's virtue. For the most part.

"Close your eyes", he did the same. "Just listen to the surroundings, all the soft noises and let them fill your mind, remove everything else from your thoughts". Theo sat silently now doing the same, allowing the force to gather around him through the high pulsing energy of the living force, a connection to Midvinter that would never be denied through the sense of it and by blood. The force seemed to be centered in the very core of the planet, so untouched for thousands of years and left to be strong and untainted just like it's peoples.

He hoped that Ylva would at least try, the likelihood of her succeeding at first attempt was against the odds, but he would help until a realisation or something that would trigger her to 'listen'. And after some time of just sitting there, "Tell me what you can hear, reach out to the sounds with your heart and mind". As he spoke, Theo pulled the force to him, his tendrils swirling around his body penetrating it with life and energy filling him to the very core. The power of the lightside surging through him establishing his connection to be further and along his arms it pulsed and Ylva's hands resting in his would feel the warmth of it, and then it would enter her.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] seemed to be taking the matter far more seriously than Ylva had expected, she herself finding it all so very difficult to believe yet he was experienced in these things where as she could barely remember the name of this power without his mentioning it prior. Asking for her to seat herself, she did as he wished if only to humor him as he had asked of her; placing her hands within the gentle hold of his own, she looked up a little to meet his gaze with brows raised, skepticism written in blatant regard all across her face though she refrained from speaking of it and instead sought to listen to his instructions. There were so few times where Théo managed to get away with telling her what to do though this was a matter that meant a great deal to him. She knew that this power, this belief reigned above all else in his life and something so important to her man was just as likely to be important to her, least she failing in being the supporting strength in his life as she had grown to desire.

Closing her eyes, it took her a moment to do so simply out of force of typical habit not trusting her environment while being so disadvantaged without eyes on whatever may be upon them, this of course was a time private between them and only Bjomolf wandered the nearby forest grounds while their Horses remained tied to the lowly hanging branches of an olden tree. Listening to their surroundings as Théodred had asked of her, she did so with little to no sense of uncertainty; it was very much in Ylva's nature to pay attention to the wilds around her and this aspect of her life, the wilds themselves would later grow to become something of an atonement in the Force that at present, she could only dream of. The fact was that beyond her realizing it, her livelihood had been spent in similar grounds, Nirauan a host of wild-life and luscious natural growth for which she had learned to traverse, survive and dare she say it, even read so to speak. She was a born and bred Huntress of the wilds, her aim with the bow was instinctively honed, sharp and rarely missing her mark. Her ability to track and traverse most terrain had been self-taught over the years and it was safe to say that she felt more at home outside than she did within anything with the exception of Théodred's hearth and home.

Taking a quiet breath, her mind listened to the sound of her intake of air into her lungs; this sort of thing wasn't her typical exercise nor regular practice at all. Quietening the mind through meditation was for those with patience and those more spiritual than others. Her mind was often busied, ever on edge in the case that she be caught off guard by predators both man or creature alike. There was a certain amount of paranoia in her day t day demeanor, trusting none outside of Théodred himself and rarely finding the comfort that he often displayed socially. Seeking to focus upon the sounds of the world of Midvinter around her, doing her utmost to ignore her doubts that were ever present in mind, she spoke quietly in response; "I hear the shuffling of tree branches, the breathing of the horses...-Insects clicking and the birds singing somewhere distant...", she almost claimed that Midvinter was talking to them, a subtle thought that came to mind as she took a moment to admire the sound of life in it's most natural and innocent form, nature itself.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

He could hear all this too, which when Ylva spoke of it, it pleased him as she was doing far better than expected. Although her mind was in doubt, and in disbelief at the thought of even she was capable of such things as he could do, she had opened her mind to it regardless. Whatever the reason for it, if only to please him, it would be used as a means to an end, he had to make her realise her gift. The horses she could hear breathing were a good distance away, far enough that most without the force would not hear them, he would try and single her focus on them.

"Reach out to the horses, you know where they are, only listen to them", he hoped that in so doing she would grow to hear them breathing as if standing right next to them. This was also to center her mind so that when he would ask her to remove them as well, she would come to hear the force. With her hands still in his, more power flowed through his fingers into hers, lending her the energy in which to try and also to allow her to 'sense' his presence there. Theo would not enter her mind and speak to her there, he knew that would be too much and she would not trust him regardless of their relationship. It was too early for that.

No, this realisation would have to come from her and her alone, or else she would think it some sort of trickery on his part. "You know that the force exists, you have seen me do things others can't. You must believe .. so that the power within you can be believed".

"Can you not feel the energy in your hands?", he asked as she went deeper into herself and her surroundings. From one force attuned to another, the forced flowed through them both. And with it, a force bond was forged.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] was undeniably correct about one thing, she had seen him do things that she thought were simply not possible by any man or woman, the Valkyri were known for their height, their strength over typical humanoids but the way he moved and interacted with the world around him, the things that he spoke of so intensely, the things that he saw and felt so deeply in his heart and mind, she could not deny the existance of something, whether the Force or something else beyond her comprehension, his encouragement was taken with no small ounce of resignation in that she truly knew so little about the galaxy outside of the world of Nirauan. The world for which she had called home for all of her life, on the subject, holding places of great darkness and dangers she had seen countless adventurers enter into and never come out of; had there been a sense of some sort of foreboding feeling around these crypts of ancient races, origins that she'd not been able to identify against the Clan Solveig's recountings; yes in truth though were it the Force that Théo spoke of, only now did she consider.

"I don't have any other explanation for these things..." She muttered softly, eyes still closed and her expression poised, brows knitted together in a brief moment of confusion though subsiding to pursue the suggested direction of her focus as her man had guided her to do. It was peculiar for him to ask her to concentrate on their mounts, the horses of Midvinter carrying a much thicker grown mane, their pelts far longer than that of steads raised upon temperate worlds, climates for which could afford them the lack of a winters coat. Their breathing seemed paced, the sound of their hooves against the snow covered worldly floor suggesting that they were uncomfortable, not startled but agitated by something. Quite likely Bjomolf's presence nearby, the great wolf hadn't wandered to far from the pair of them. The beast held a kinship with Ylva that couldn't be described in the sense of a pet before the company of their owner, Bjomolf was her companion of the land and she seemed to relate to the great beast with an unusual familiarity that Théo would likely have already come to understand and have kept to himself, the Force around the beast and the wilder folk, two sides of the same coin, both feral and yet compassionate and nurturing for those whom earned their loyalty and favor.

"They're afraid of Bjomolf..." She smiled to herself, not really listening to her own words, speaking subconsciously while her mind preyed upon the outskirts of their fresh encampment.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"To explain the force is almost impossible", out side of the text book and although force users are very much aware of it, how they can use it, even that he suspected .. was a mere drop in the ocean because of their sentient limitations. But while Ylva sat centered in focus as best she could, trusting him in this, Theo let go of her hand reached to the side and picked up a small leaf now brittle and brown on the ground and he placed it in the palm of her hand.

His blue eyes look from the leaf into her face as she spoke of the horses, a small smile crept on his lips. He had sensed the approach of the great wolf as well, the horses shifted in places, nervous as he approached not that he would attack, but natural enemies always incite a level of fear from predator to prey. "Yes they are .. what else is?", he asked swiftly while she remained focused on the area of their surroundings. The horses were not alone in sensing Bjomolf's presense, nor were they the only creature of the forest to be afraid of him.

In her hand the dried leaf, shifted only a little but it shifted. There was no wind, not a breath yet the energy in Ylva's hands began to move it. The leaf lifted of her skin, drifting only an inch into the air and tickled her curled finger tips.

"Open your eyes, look into your palms and tell me what you see". Untapped, untamed raw energy flowed from Ylva.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"] knew her well, understood the fact that the doctrines and lectures that typically came with the enclosures and cultures nestled within the many Force Orders of the Galaxy wouldn't be fitting nor do her likeness any justice; Ylva didn't grasp at the educated minds of philosophers, she didn't care for the ideologies or theories of peoples that seemed so dispatched from the natural world living in their fancy lairs with garments made from materials others could only hope to earn in years. Her view of society in general was incredibly disfigured by her past upbringing, hostile towards most other peoples she hadn't the opportunity to come to know and her only guide and gifted lessons had come from her struggles, failures and overtime the achievements she had come to progress through her venturing of the lands of Nirauan; her connection to the flow of life and the wilderness that surrounded her forever a blessing compared to the materialism of these supposed "high born's".

"Yes they are .. what else is?"​

​

It was a curious question, one she didn't initially understand as she hadn't considered the other lives that might be around them, having not seen anything beyond their encampment that might be feeling threatened by the great bear of a hound. Trying to see anything smaller than the Horses for which were so apparently vocal to her came incredibly difficult and caused her expression to tighten, her struggle evident upon her face while she sought to identify the smaller creatures burrowed in the undergrowth around them, rabbits and insects most unlike the avian creatures that peered down upon them from the cover of tree's that waved against the wake of the wind; life in it's most pure form becoming so much more evident to her all of a sudden. She had never felt so ignorant of something she had otherwise thought herself to be at home within, these creatures were not foreign to her, she could track them for days and yet she would never have known their presence without physical signs for her to catch upon.

"So much else..."

She muttered, the words not making complete sense or sounding much the educated mind yet her focus remained outside of their own company, Bjomolf's presence seeming to ripple upon the world for which he was not native to. She could feel how intimidating the great wolf was to these creatures, the fear that rose up within the smaller lives seeking to hide from the apex predator. Clarity that identified her companion for the danger that his kind portrayed and quietly complimented the otherwise rare connection that she had made with the Wolf who's own kind would have typically hunted and killed her people were it a beast of Nirauan. In her loss of conscious presence over the immediate, her mind blown in her extended awareness that he had introduced, she neglected to notice the removal of his hand upon her own nor the addition of the leaf for which he gave to her. His request for her to return, to pull away from their surrounding environment and open her eyes seemed to call her back to herself, though her state of peace only leaving her half way as he looked down at the leaf and found only it's disconnection from the rest of the world that had previously seen to it's growth and benefit.

"Life...And the distance of it. It's hard to put into words..." She murmured in quiet, Théodred able to hear her though her voice hushed in want of her new found focus to remain; "I can feel the strength it was birthed into while still attached to the tree it came from, the tree that fed from the earth. The silence and absence of life that it now presents, the death of something so natural...-But it doesn't feel sad like the loss of a person...-It just feels...Right? Like there was no other moment or way intended for it" Ylva wasn't even sure she'd be making sense to her partner, yet in her mind she was discovering the difference between the end of the natural cycle of life in the force compared to the sudden and unnatural death that she had seen caused by men of the passed and the kind of fallacy and wound that her own hands had caused upon the natural energies of the world where she had killed before.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"With time and belief, in yourself and your ability to sense the force, you will be able to draw on it at will", he said shortly after her description of what she truly felt in that moment. "That was your first realisation, your first connection of something far greater than anything in this galaxy. The force exists without us, without any being that has sentient thought but through us, it can do great things or rather gives us the ability to do great things. Whether for bad or good". Even the Sith can do great things, just for the wrong reasons.

"We all experience the force differently, but you had put into words something I can't, your experience far more beautiful than mine", after all Theo had not had a realisation, the force had been with him from the start of his conception. It was natural to him, it was who he is. "Come", he stood up and reached out with both hands for her to take, and as he would help her stand, he led her toward one of the great trees by the small brook. The thick roots digging deep into the earth, into the bed of the brook in which to take up the life giving water to it's branches. He placed both her hands of the trunk of the tree, "Listen to it, through your body bring the energy of Midvinter to you". This was not unique to Midvinter as all planets, as all life has this existing flow of power.

He stepped away, allow a little distance between them and for her to center her focus on this, not him. "Do you believe me now?".

Theo slowly circled the tree, watching Ylva with every step he took. He reached for the thickness of the trunk, his finger tips the only touch with he let dance upon the rough texture of it, until they found her fingers and sudden difference in texture ignited desires within him. Her soft pale skin so tantalising to him and he wanted more as his hand moved up her arm until he they graced her neck. It was not long before his lips found the very spot on which his fingers caressed and his arms pulled around her waist and he drew her close to his body.

"Do you believe me now?", he asked once more with a whisper, there was more to the essence of life than the life cycle of a leaf. There was the essence of life between all living things to perpetuate and survive. And not only that .. Ylva is the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

​

[member="Ylva Solveig"]​

 

[Ylva Heavenshield]

"The force exists without us, without any being that has sentient thought; but through us, it can do great things"​

- [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

​

"What makes mine so different?" Ylva felt herself frown as she turned to look back to Théodred unsure whether she should be concerned or otherwise, looking for any sort of a hint from her lover in want for reassurance. He had told her that what she had described was beautiful and yet she could scarcely recall the words she had spoken aloud, her mind at the time so intently focused upon things she couldn't hope to explain to the credit of how immense it had really felt to her; for what had become her very first lesson within the Force Practice's of the Heavenshield's, there still seemed to be more to experience.

Placing both of her hands against the rough of the tree's body, she glanced to her side a moment to listen further to what he was further advising. Ylva couldn't help but notice the enjoyment that Théodred was finding in their shared experience, enthusiastic over the teaching of the Force or merely encouraged and wanting to see her come to terms with something so much bigger than they were or anything for that matter that had been associated with her past, her brows lifted a little accompanied by a slight smile as she too found herself pleased of his mood.

A moment later and she stood eyes forward with her palms held gently atop the tree bark, her eyes closed and figure docile against the light breeze of Midvinter's open winter air focusing only upon that which she felt physically, and that which she hoped to see beyond her line of sight. Ylva had grown up within the wilds, the great green plains of Nirauan had been her home and now there upon Midvinter she would find herself connecting with the natural world in a way that she had subconsciously so many times before. The Huntress was comfortable in the outdoors, spending much of her time alone or recently alongside her partner and Bjomolf, the natural world seemed to speak to her in a way unlike the buzzing world and technologies of Galactic Society. Until now, she had figured that in the absence of technology, she had simply been afforded the luxury of remembering the ways of life without such lavish workings, yet now she seemed to land upon another answer entirely.

That luxury was her connection to the Force.

Opening her eyes slowly, she found Théodred no longer at her side but behind her now, his hands sliding around her waist to sit at her front, his lips caressing the side of her neck before lifting his head higher to whisper into her ear, his body against the back of her own allowing her to relax some more, letting her weight lean somewhat more casually against him while her hands were removed of the tree and lowered to touch upon his own, holding them in place upon her front while she turned her head to the side in order to look in towards him with a faintly mischievous but also affectionate smile.

"I believe you now...".