A Wonderland of Snow

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Well, there was wisdom in that. Hard to buy wisdom, but a measure of it regardless. Theo spoke of things Kaili had already told others which perhaps added a layer of irony to it all, a good idea of the saying ‘live as I say, not as I do.’ As he joked about her being messed up she gave him a nudge on his shoulder and a weak grin.

He mentioned his kid and Kaili slowly nodded.

“And we should be sober for that too.” She added. “No being drunk around kids.”

They moved over, had furs laid out for them and Kaili leaned into them without hesitation. Perhaps caused by the drink, perhaps just fatigue. The man might have asked if she was comfortable, but all he got was a barely audible. “Yeah, yeah…” before Kaili was out cold.

She was gone.

Far gone.

The night would roll before she woke at all.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

A nudge with a boot woke him. The captain of the long informing Théo they were about to arrive at the Norvegr-fen docks. He could already here the sound of the city at work in the distance of his mind, and Théo was certain he had only just fallen asleep, the light of the morning streaming into his eyes told him otherwise though. A slight pain pulled at the side of his head, he must have had more mead than he recalled, that and the hardness of the ships deck had not been comfortable to rest well on. He had grown too used to a soft bed.

Théo stood up stretching his back which creaked alarmingly before he looked down to the bundle of furs that had engulfed Kaili, so that is why he was cold through the damp night, she had stolen them from him. Pulling the long boat along side the docks, all hands jumped out and secured the boat and he turned toward the north of the city to see the tops of New Himmeldal poking above all other roofs. Théo knew Thora would be up and busy already, but would not be allowed to leave until the appropriate time which her mother would assign.

His daughter was growing fast, just like a Valkyri would which saddened him. Although she would have everything her heart desired, at least from her father, he hoped that her development would give her more of a childhood after all that time is small compared to the years of being an adult. Once you achieve adulthood, it is for life.

He crouched, reaching for the bundle of fur to shake awake. "Kaili .. wake. We are here", he gently encouraged.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

It had finally happened!

Thora had grown just that little bit more that her small fingers could reach the latch of the front door, enough for her fingers to curl over it and pulled it down. A big beaming smile broke her face as she raced out the door into the street. She had not even waited for her mama to wake, or go to Boo's room to jump on his bed to wake him but she knew her papa was returning home today with someone new for her to meet.

Bare feet and only her night dress on, Thora ran toward the docks with her long auburn curly hair a mess on her head much to the amusement of the locals. She was well known in Norvegr-fen of course, all for the wrong reasons of being a tear away and mischievous and the daughter of the Lord of their city. Some of the elders even yelled out to her to return home or dire consequences would befall her but she did not pay them any mind. "You will catch a cold Thora", or "You will cut your feet young lady".

She sighted her papa! then he vanished but she kept running and into the long boat she finally landed. He was leaning over a bunch of furs but Thora launched and landed on his back throwing her arms around his neck. "Papa papa!", she screamed with delight and was hoping for a ride. Even though he had not gone away long, she missed him, hopefully his return would mean that she did not have to have that horrible oat meal for breakfast today.

She did not get her ride, instead Thora found herself in a large bear hug into which she vanished as her papa kissed her long messed up hair.

​

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Thora Heavenshield"] [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

She had forgotten what this felt like. The headache, the undeniable pain of a dehydrated mind and body. Mead tasted better than it felt the morning after and Kaili should have remembered this. As Theo shook her awake Kaili felt the first regret of spike as if someone had shot a dart straight through her brain yet managed to keep her alive. A hand reached up to gently caress her temple as her eyes shut close with a grimace. She had coped before though, she was raised in part by one of the Moross gods of mercy, a master healer.

“Up in a minute.” She grunted and tried to push herself off the ground. The morning light was not her friend at this point, not in the slightest. She kept the hand to her temple and began to focus. “Just… A minute.”

From her hand it felt like a small, cold breeze of ice and snow began to envelop her brain. Part of her felt it all as they dove into each crease and wrinkle before she lowered her hand with an uneasy sigh. It wasn’t gone, but the worst of her headache was at the very least negated. Just in time for a child to rush straight into Theo and disappear.

Even Kaili had to admit she was impressed by that one.

She stood up and gave the duo a moment to themselves before she knelt down to the kid’s size.

“Hey kiddo, what’s your name?”

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

Coming out from the folds of her father's cloak, Thora turned to find the young woman looking at her. She was so pretty with her long golden hair framing her features and she seemed kind in her face. Thora turned on the spot directly toward the woman as she spoke, "I am Thora Heavensh-ield", it was a mouthful for the young Thora still, but she was proud with the result and it showed in her stance as she raised her chin a little.

Thora looked up into her papa's face as if looking for pride there too and she got it in the form of a smile, "Who are you?", she asked in return and stepping toward her at the same level. Thora did not hide the fact she was studying her face, the young woman was so different in features to the likes of the Valkyri, they were more refined, more sharply cut and she was skinny.

She reached out a hand and gently touched the woman's hair, it was so soft and shinny in the morning sun and it kind of reminded her of Thrand's hair, her second cousin, but his was more pure white a result of his Umbaran heritage. And there was a strange tingling around the woman, a sense of her Thora could feel which she still did not understand. But it was a good tingling like she was friendly, a little sad maybe but nice.

"Hair is pretty", she finally said to the young woman before her and she wondered if she would ever be allowed to play with it. She had just the ribbon that would suit it!

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[member="Kaili Talith"] ​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Thora Heavenshield"]

“Well it’s good to finally meet you, Thora-” Kaili was cut off by the child’s question and a weak smile spread on her lips along with a tiny chuckle. “I am Kaili. I am a friend of your father’s.”

Children weren’t hard to navigate. Curiosity steered them from what Kaili had found, and when it wasn’t curiosity it was always something close to it. In Thora’s case it seemed to lead her to Kaili’s hair, and the grown-up wasn’t about to stop her simply because she liked pretty hair. Sure, Kaili herself had grown up reading droid manuals and information pamphlets on recent discoveries within the field, but in the end Kaili was — as she had come to realize — an exception more than anything.

“Your hair isn’t all that bad either, Thora.” Kaili said and gently ran her hand across the top of Thora’s head. “I see that your father has shown you all of his tricks.”

A wry grin fired up at Theodred.

“Never met someone with hair quite as nice as your father’s.” She said and looked back at Thora again with a warm smile. “What’s his secret, huh? Between you and me, what do you think his trick is?”

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

Thora looked between her papa and Kaili, not really sure about what she meant by tricks and papa's hair but she grinned anyway. Not sure if it was because of what Kaili had said or the fact that her papa was rolling his eyes with a grin that caused her to do so as well. "He does have pretty hair, and lets me play with it sometimes", she added to her papa's shame. But what his tricks were she did not know, "Maybe it is all the fish he eats", Thora knew that was not the trick, he hates fish.

But she had a think, grandmama has black hair but it is not curly like papa's. Grandpapa has golden hair and that is not curly either, so where did he get his curls from? maybe it was someone else? like greatgrandpapa? ... she was lost in her thoughts for the moment realising that she knew very little about them all really. Same on her mama's side and she but it in her mind to ask them later.

"He likes eel", to which Thora got a gently tap on the top of the head from her papa which made her giggle. "Do you like eels? if you do I can catch one for you, they are everywhere here .. right under the long boat all alone the fens", she ran to the side of the boat and looked into the water hoping to see one in the murky water to point out to Kaili. At lot of Thora's spare time was spent in the fens, exploring and catching all manner of creatures to bring home to papa and mama and Boo. Boo was the only one that would appreciate her catches. Maybe Morfy too, he liked to try and eat them.

"Look there!", she yelled out not taking her eyes of the eel feeding on something the landed on the surface of the water. It was long and black and slick and shinny, and wriggled in the water twisting with it's catch. It was soon joined by another trying to steal the catch from the other's mouth and before you knew it, both were writhing in a ball in a fight. Thora enjoyed watching them, to see which one would win.

To add to the melee the captain of the long boat threw in a piece of old bread which only invited more and more of them to come wrestle for the morsels, Thora thought this was wonderful and laughed with it all as all the eels gaped with wide open mouths.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Thora Heavenshield"]

Fish. It was something that Kaili would admit she rarely ate these days. Carbohydrate packs and protein packs might have lacked the taste sensation of real foods but it kept you going. But regardless of that it would have been rude to decline a young girl’s candid request to catch a fish. Thora was a beam of happiness that reminded Kaili just a little of what it was like to be that young and in awe of everything around. It was refreshing almost, though she suspected if not hoped that Thora’s adolescence was different from her own. There were the bad parts too, of course. Hard to escape those.

“If you think you can catch me a fish then go ahead.” Kaili said and grinned as she knelt down to carefully look over the edge of the boat. “Actually…” The mature adult said and rolled up her sleeves. “Why don’t you show me how to do it?”

That grin lingered on Kaili’s lips as she gave Thora a look that said it was a challenge.

“Bet you can’t catch that one.” She said and pointed at one of the bigger ones.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

For the moment, Théo stood watching the play between the two girls. He did not approach the side of the long boat to look at the eels, he had seen enough of them in the waters of the fens and his childhood curiosity had long gone. But not his mischievous nature, and he was entertaining the thought of sneaking up behind them both to push them in the water but thought better of it. Thora would love it he knew, but Kaili would probably tear strips of him, figuratively and literally and he did not fancy being flayed.

A chuckle accompanied his walk to watch closer, Thora never one to deny a challenge would try her best to catch the smelly thing. "That one?", his daughter pointed making sure she got the right one, before she reached down with her out stretched hand, the other holding onto the side of the long boat and she leaned over.

Théo watched as suddenly the eel flew out of the water and straight into Thora's hand and she jumped back in triumph holding it high in front of Kaili with a large smile. Sh*it. He knew Thora was attuned to the force, strong with it in fact, but she had not shown any signs of knowledge of it not outwardly until now. And it seems his daughter had discovered a natural talent for it in secret.

"That's cheating", he said with a smile and flash Kaili a look. "You and I need to have a talk, when we get home". He ruffled her hair making sure she understood she was not in any trouble for what she just did. "Go on take the eel home, I am sure Morfy will love you for it". Théo gathered their bundles and bags and lead Kaili off the long boat and started toward New Himmeldal.

Thora raced ahead with eel in tow but did not go to far ahead keeping them both in sight, she did not want to miss out on anything. "Had not had the chase to explain the force to her yet, she is still young", she wasn't really, he had been around her age when he entered the Silver Temple on Voss to study but Théo did not want that life for her, he wanted her to have the choice when the time came.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

There was that saying that cheaters never prospered. While Kaili would have anticipated the move, she was still taken aback by it. The eel seemingly jumped into Thora’s hands which her father seemed to call cheating. In truth Kaili had considered doing the same but decided against it, undoubtedly the water was far too cold to stick her arms into it. As Kaili watched the girl triumphantly wave the eel around she couldn’t help but smile once more. The rolled up sleeves of her shirt and jacket rolled back down and she stood up from the ground to signal defeat. Not that she had given it a try, but something told her Theo wanted to get a move on.

As the kid ran ahead the tone of the conversation seemed to drop just a little. Kaili raised her eyebrow with Theo’s admission that he had not told her about the force. Seemed a little bit unfair on the girl, but he had his reasons. Kaili had grown up in a household where the force was just about as natural as breathing. Everyone had their own little gifts in it and they were nurtured accordingly. The fact that Theo hadn’t told his daughter about these things were, well, alien to Kaili.

Still, this was a judgment free zone.

“Hey, I am not really one to judge. My plans for kids are…” Decades away, at least so she had hoped. It came with longevity. “Very distant, if at all.”

“Just keep in mind that she will be walking that path blindly until you do.” Kaili’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. Her lip curled into a lopsided grin as a chuckle grumbled from her throat. “Might spend her life as an eel whisperer, you know.”

The tone of her voice made it known it was a joke. As much as Kaili could admire the idea of letting the child decide for herself, some decisions were too big for a child to make, or worse, fear. As long as Theodred didn’t let it get there he and Ylva - and Thora - would be fine.

Looking at the home of the Heavenshields, Kaili couldn’t help but draw parallels from the architecture to some of the ‘simpler’ styles she had seen when Mara still lived on Kilia IV. Rustic, in a sense, but not to be underestimated. Though hopefully not lacking some of the more common comforts of modern-day living. It took less than two days in a pre-spacefaring society to appreciate the necessity of plumbing and proper sewage control.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"I'am being too protective ain't I", a question and a statement, he knew he was but still he only wanted what was best for Thora. Théo knew full well the implications of the force in Valkyri left unchecked. Some could cope well enough, others would hide it and some, in the more isolated parts of Midvinter were hounded as witches. But in the years in which the Heavenshields and afterwards, the Hearthfire's, the suspicious Valkyri had started to learn and accept it. Of course it would take generations to rid them of the superstition entirely.

"It's just that I want my daughter to have a childhood, one without duty and training in such things as the force when she is barely old enough to understand what it is. But you are right I have to keep check of it and of her too". He let out a long sigh as if resigning to the inevitable, as he ran his fingers through his thick black curly wonderful hair.

"My parents did the best they could to give me a childhood and juggle their duties with the Silver Jedi when they were leading them. But it was hard you know? there are so many things I missed out on because of it .. but then again so much was given to me as well. I would not be the man I am today without it". He was running around in circles in his mind and what he expressed to Kaili, she probably think him touched.

"I don't know, I just want her to run around wild, catching eels", he smiled at the thought of her being an eel wrangler, it was not that long ago she was into everything pretty and pink, although that part of her has not gone completely.

"What do you think?", he said leading Kaili up the steps to New Himmeldal and pushed opened the already opened door to step inside the warmth of the main hall and the crackling fire in the hearth.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Every parent wanted what was best for their child in one way or the other. Sometimes that meant that they took it out on themselves, and in some cases it meant they took it out on their child. Theodred had not struck Kaili as someone who would take it out on his kid, and she knew this assumption to be correct. He was too soft for that. His worries were very valid and she simply gave him a small smile as he fantasized about the childhood he wished for his daughter to have.

Reminded Kaili a bit of home, if she was honest with herself.

“I think that you are overthinking it.” Kaili said, placing her hand on Theodred’s arm as if to gently pull him back down to the ground. “You are her parents, but she is also her own person. You can only guide her in the direction you want her to go, the rest of where that journey goes is up to her.”

“You can let her catch those eels, you can let her run wild in a field of…” Kaili spread her arm to the side and looked outside the door to find the nearest field of flowers. But alas, “Snow.”

Kaili looked back at her friend.

“You could do what you say and set up a regimented schedule and lessons for her…” Kaili trailed off and looked around the room for the kid. “Or you could just tell her about the force and what that means for her. That she has something inside of her to an extent that very few people have, and leave it at that. If she wants to know more, tell her, if she doesn’t then you don’t have to push it, but she needs to know.”

“There is no need for no ancient weapons and hokey religions, just the truth between a parent and child. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“She will come to you when she feels ready to learn more. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.”

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

He led Kaili to the hearth in silence as he thought over her advice which was sound advice. And she was right, he was overthinking it all and it was good to have someone outside of the family to see it. "You are right", he said finally while taking off his black thick cloak and tossing it to the side table. "I suspect she knows something already, not everyone can pull an eel from the water like that, she would know that. I will tell her". But the matter of teaching her was another thing, the training even if the basics, was something that a trusted mastered should do not a parent, no matter how well they know the force or mastered it, as best someone can master it. He could enter her into the Dawnguard, have mother or father teach her, but that too would not be the way to go. Like Kaili said, no hokey religions or ancient weapons. Which caused him to smile.

"Ancient weapons", he spoke his thought, he knew she meant lightsabers, but ancient weapons are a necessity here on Midvinter. He glanced over to his sword resting by the wall. "It can't hurt to train in them though", he looked at her with a grin. A loud noise echoed through the Hall from the upper levels of New Himmeldal, and before long a face looked down at them both. It was Thora, "Papa I am hungry", she vanished and the next thing she was bolting down the stairs. "Can you make me lunch please?". They could all do with some food.

Thora grabbed Kaili by the hand and led her to the kitchen, Théo followed and would soon start to prepare something for lunch from the larder. Some nice smoked meats and bread, fish was never on the menu in House Heavenshield, and juices. He laid it all out on the table with plates and cups for them all to help themselves. "Is Kailia staying with us papa?", Thora was excited to have someone new to talk to and entertain.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Kaili looked at the sword and then the grin lingering on Theo’s lips. She shook her head to give that silent disagreement on the matter but she wasn’t exactly about to argue it. After all, her most deadly weapon was herself. She could throw a nastier punch than most could, and that most likely said something for someone that didn’t look much like a heavy-weighter. She wasn’t skinny, but she certainly lacked for bulk.

As Kaili glanced around the hall she took in the sights and sounds. It was hard to miss the footsteps above and as they came echoing pitter-pattering down the stairs. Kaili could do little more than wave at the (not-so) little girl that grabbed her hand and led her away.

“For a bit, until you guys grow tired of me.” Kaili said and took her seat by the table. “Or until duty calls, I guess.”

Looking over the food Kaili gave the man a curious glance. Did he cook this? He’d have to forgive her if Kaili wouldn’t quite believe it. He was a family man, undoubtedly, but she always imagined that as a Heavenshield he’d have other people for it. Perhaps that came with prejudice and preconceptions of who people were based on their names, a problem Kaili was all too familiar with at times. She shouldn’t have, but she did.

A piece of smoked meat went into a hover before it began to move in Kaili’s direction. Her hand was extended towards it and with a soft dunk she let it fall down to rest on her plate. Taken aback for a second with a cautious, awkward glance at Theodred she began to think on what it was that she had done. Still, if there was ever a way to introduce Thora to more mundane applications of the force...

“Sorry, uh…” She said as a grin tugged at her lip to try and make things easier on herself. “Habit. What are the house rules? Forks or force?”

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

Watching Kaili move the piece of meat was not something that came as a surprise to her, but what did was that Kaili could do that trick too! Thora beamed a smile as she watched the meat hit the plate before she met the gaze of the young lady next to her. It was not something that the family Heavenshield did at the table, but it was not because of any rule, it was just all she knew. Thora flash a look toward her father, he did not seem upset or anything and Thora knew deep down that if he wanted to, he could do a lot more. How powerful was her papa? or for that matter Kaili?

"There is no house rules", she said checking with a look to her papa. "Well not about this anyway", she added as there was actually plenty of house rules, like clean your teeth, wash your face and hands and don't track mud through the house and so on and so on until Thora forgot them all.

"What else can you do?", she asked now interested in all Kaili's tricks, "I can do this!", and Thora proceeded to push away the plates on the table which had food on them she did not like. Push them far enough to be on her papa's side as he sat down watching the two of them. It was odd to Thora, her papa looked at Kaili with a strange face, he wasn't angry or upset but he was thinking and thinking hard. But he nodded to her, as if speaking without words which intrigued Thora even more.

As if pretending to not pay attention, her papa took up the plated filled with pickled pork and it seemed to hover off his hand and float across the top of the table and land right in front of her and now it was Thora that got the message and reluctantly she chose a piece to put on her plate, the smallest piece she could find. Thora could hear his words in her mind, Eat it is good for you.

Without even worrying about knives and forks, Thora picked up her meat in both hands and took a bit waiting for Kaili to do something special.

​

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Thora Heavenshield"]

It seemed Kaili started a bit of a thing with her carelessness. Although the immediate panic was gone, the lingering aftertaste of guilt for not asking first was hard to drop. In environments like this she had grown up with the idea that putting in practice was always a worthwhile endeavour, and the less time you spent touching the food with your grubby fingers and hands the better. Perhaps it was in the homey environment she found herself in. It was still a vastly different home from her own but welcome nonetheless. And that Thora tried to push the undesirable food dishes away to her father, well, that too was familiar.

With an audience of two now taking looking in her direction Kaili found herself dumbstruck. She didn’t know what to do or demonstrate, she usually just acted as the situation called for. She most certainly had no party trick lined up her sleeve that she could just pull off. She threw a few looks around the room trying to come up with anything but came up short-handed. It wasn’t her home and she didn’t want to presume the meaning or value something had.

“Okay, hmm…” Kaili said, her lips thinning as she thought on what to say. “I am very good at mechanical things, and creating them.”

“How about after dinner, you bring me anything broken and I promise you that I can — one hundred percent — fix it within less than a minute.” Kaili’s head bobbed back and forth and she felt the need to clarify. “... Within reasons. The bigger they are, the longer it takes and such, of course.”