Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private Outlawed Home

ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

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Location: Aboard the Stygian Vagabond, en route to Geminidae.
Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png


She had always imagined her return home would be different.

This was supposed to be the final prize in the life of an Ambassador, the sweet promise at the end of a harrowing journey. For they were filled with a love for their home unlike any else, but they had been born to leave it behind. At night she would dream of Geminidae, of how different it would look when she was called back and gazed upon it with the eyes of someone who had already lived most of their life, already seen what there was to see in the galaxy. How it would welcome her back with open arms, no matter how much time had gone by, for it would be waiting for her return just as much as she was.

But that time had not come yet, and this one would not be a sweet journey back home.

Palm was standing in the cockpit of the Vagabond, brown hair cascading down her shoulder as she leaned over the command deck, golden eyes moving methodically from the controls, to the readings, to the lines of light that were the stars during hyperspace and back again. The shields were down, the weapons systems completely powered off, and every single stealth measure that the freighter had was working at full capacity. Tension was rolling off of the geminaie in waves, her focus akin to the one she would display had she been dueling for her very life. Because she knew that was what was at stake right now, and she was not alone.

The amber gaze then moved to her side, meeting the icy eyes of the one who had promised to aid her in this journey. "We'll be jumping out of hyperspace soon..." There was a certain nervousness in her usually calm and collected voice. It was a mixture of things, but right now first among them was the fact that she was about to break a good handful of major laws and that if she had not calculated this jump to perfection they would be blasted away into pieces before they even got to see the mountain peaks reaching out of Geminidae's atmosphere. Ambassador or not, the Consorii weren't known for their patience when it came to unauthorized entries into their space, even more so since it was not Advena they were headed for.

This was the real Geminidae, and not a soul that had not been born in the system had set their eyes on it for centuries.

But if there was one person in the galaxy who could hope to achieve this madness, it was her. Nobody knew the ins and outs of this system as she did - and that hope was the root of the other emotions that simmered deep within her heart. This was home. This was the place Palm lived and would die for, and despite returning to it as an outlaw she could not help but hold a kind of feeling she rarely experienced. One she had shared with him before, just like she would share her homeworld.

"It'll be a rocky landing." Understatement. She knew that, she also knew Gerwald was aware of it too. There was only one way they could possibly manage to bypass the planetary defenses and patrols, and that was by jumping out as close to Geminidae's surface as they possibly could. The Vagabond's descent would be anything but smooth after that, but Palm was confident that, unless the Force decided they had seen enough of the living side of it, they would make it. The freighter was a sturdy one.

Palm took her seat, fastening the belt around her own body as much as she could, and as she readied herself for the incoming rush of adrenaline, a weird feeling settled within her. In only a few years she had gone so far. She wasn't what she once had been. Perhaps she had gone too far to truly return. As her eyes settled on the lupine one more time, she made her peace with that. Perhaps she would never really get all the way back home again, but home could be so much more than just a place.

Time seemed to flash by as the Vagabond pulled out of hyperspace with a start, immediately being surrounded by walls of jagged stone that reached high until they kissed space itself. Clouds, snow, then green as the crowns of trees that wanted to be as gigantic as the mountains came into view, the freighter still rattling violently as almost every alarm went off. As the Vagabond got closer to the ground, barely fighting the pull of gravity, Palm could not help but smile in relief even when confronted with a crash landing. They were not dead yet. They had gotten through.

C R A S H
The belly of the Vagabond collided with the ground before sliding several meters, banging against rocks and tree trunks that were simply too big to be bothered by the spaceship. Eventually they came to a halt, and as they did and the rush and aggressive movement of the landing turned into stillness, her head immediately turned to the side, heart clenching within her chest with momentary worry and a hand reaching out to find his arm in an instinctual attempt to reassure herself that he was still there and in one piece after the stunt they had pulled. There was ringing in her ears, and also the muffled sound of what she could easily tell was running water and the forest that had replaced the stars and the mountains on the other side of the transparisteel.

"Gerwald?"


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Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
Ger.png


WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

The excitement of a new world to explore kept Gerwald’s mind off the fact he was in a smaller craft than he was used to traveling in. The lupine did his best to keep it a secret that he hated to fly, but that was not going to be possible this trip. He was nervous and enthralled at the prospect at once. When Palm had asked him to go with her to Geminidae there was only one answer Gerwald could give. His words had been something along the lines of… do you even have to ask… There had been a sarcasm to it, which was nowhere to be found now.

It was not his anxiousness which was filling the cockpit of the ship, however. What was going to be a new adventure for Gerwald was a great risk for Palm. She had made it clear that what she was asking him to do was not legal by any stretch of the imagination. The laws of her people prohibited unauthorized return, and even if that was something they could forgive, bringing a stranger into places they were never meant to see would be unpardonable. If they were caught, this would not end well for either of them, but Gerwald would not be the one bearing the shame of it.

Her eyes found his as it grew time to drop out of lightspeed. For a moment he locked his gaze with hers, a reassuring warmth was what she would find despite its icy color. There was no written law that could change the one truth they both knew.

This was right.

He had shared her home with him, his past, and the pain that returning to it brought back to the surface. How could she not show him the same. Even if that was not the case, Gerwald had promised he would do whatever it took to help the geminaie to find her way back to the force and defeat the darkness which wanted to control her. What Gerwald had not told her was that she would never be rid of it, that it would always be there. Defeating it did not mean ridding herself of it, but rather becoming its master. Until she was ready to hear those words, Gerwald remained quiet on the matter.

Balance was possible, but the darkness would always be part of her now. It had been from the start.

His hand reached for hers. It was a small gesture the way his fingers laced with hers for a moment. A light squeeze was given to reassure her that everything would be fine. No matter the outcome, they were going to succeed in what they had set out to accomplish. Gerwald had to be confident. He nodded as he let her hand go, and moved to find the seat next to hers.

This was always the worst part of flying, landing.

Her plan was insane, but the only way they were going to get anywhere near the place she needed to go. Gerwald had tried to be supportive, but his dislike for flying had won out, and another secret Palm had not known before was now common knowledge to the woman. His heart raced as he prepared himself for the inevitable. Dropping out of lightspeed so they could shoot through the atmosphere as suicide in most books, but Gerwald had to trust Palm made the calculations correct. If she had not they would get caught, or they would die.

"It'll be a rocky landing."

The wolf nodded once more as his hands gripped the straps of the safety restraint across his chest. His eyes were greeted by the unadulterated beauty of the planet. Mountains so high that they touched the stars pulled at the wolf within. He could only imagine the forests this world could offer, and for a brief moment any apprehension about what they were doing left. It was short lived once the ship crashed into the atmosphere, shoving him back into his seat with a wall of centrifugal force passing through the entire ship.

There was little time to react. Gerwald knew it the moment he realized the ground was coming faster than it should. They were going to crash. Eyes closed just a moment before the freighter collided with the surface below. He should have heard the crash, but everything went quiet and dark for a moment. He could feel the way his body was tossed about, though the restraints held. The ship slid for what seemed like an eternity before it finally stopped.

Gerwald froze. His hands in a death grip on the mesh restraints. They were so tight his knuckles were white, as short shallow breaths dictated the cadence of the rise and fall of his chest.

Her hand on his arm had been the thing which calmed him.

His eyes opened, the world still spinning as it began to settle. The ringing in his ears began to fade and soon he could hear the woman calling his name. Eventually he loosened his grip on the mesh and reached for her hand. His eyes still looked ahead at the world in front of them, though the adrenaline in his system did not allow him to enjoy it just yet.

He swallowed hard as he turned to look at the geminaie.

“Let’s not do that again… ever.”

Gerwald removed his restraints, feeling claustrophobic, and started making his way to the loading ramp. He had to get off the ship. The wolf needed to sink his boots into the fertile soil of the planet.

The lupine needed fresh air.
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

idtapya.png




Location: Aboard the Stygian Vagabond, en route to Geminidae.
Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png


It had been a surprise and something that made perfect sense at the same time. Gerwald didn't like flying, and knowing of his past and his nature it was not hard to understand why, but on the other hand perhaps his years in the Confederacy and the many ships she was sure he had to be in throughout them would have made him feel more at ease when on the inside of a spaceship. They had not.

The worry disappeared and a soft smile stretched her lips as he spoke and got up. He was alright, if a bit . "I'll do my best to avoid it in the future, yes." Without removing herself from her seat yet, Palm lowered the ramp so that the wolf could get out of the ship.

Then her eyes settled on the view before her. Waterfalls surrounded by the tallest trees she had seen in her life, and in the back the mountains that reached so high they made the sky seem too low. Home. Her heart beat heavily in her chest as what she could only describe as joy pumped through her veins. She wanted nothing more than to jump out of that seat and run into the forest and through the waters until she got lost in the mountains. It called to her. But there was something keeping her in place.

That joy was bittersweet, and soon enough the longing was there once again. She was home, but she wasn't really. There were memories here, good memories. Memories she had betrayed. The fact that she could not bring herself to regret her present, in any way, made that sense of guilt deeper instead of helping to alleviate it. Her home was still the same, but she had changed. Palm wasn't sure if she wanted to discover if it would still feel like home, or if she'd rather hold on to the impressions she had of it the day she left it.

Her amber gaze fell to the guard-shotos clipped to her belt, and the well of memory was allowed to wash over her thoughts. She had been but a child back then, the last time she was in this place. A child with dreams too big and a will too stubborn. She used to dream about becoming a soll'nav, of embodying that which was taught to her, defending those tenets, and teaching them to others. That was the path she walked and that had made her feel whole and true, before home became just a memory. Palm wondered if the girl she was then would accept or, at the very least, forgive who she was now. And she was not sure of the answer.

The geminaie took a deep breath before she unclasped the belts and stood back up. Her body complained, stiff because of the stress she had just been through. Palm had asked Gerwald to accompany her, but she had not told him exactly where they were going. In a way, she was still trying to come to terms with it. The very first day she realized she was losing her old way, the way the soll'nav had shown, a part of her had immediately accepted that she would never come back here. It felt like another trespass. But then she had met Gerwald and life had taken its course, and here they were now.

Palm did not want to walk this path again, but she needed to.

She grabbed the heavy backpack that would be accompanying them on this journey as though it weighted nothing. That weight was an old companion by now and it was no strain for the powerful arms of a geminaie. Then her feet finally carried her towards the ramp. For a moment she simply stood there as the rays of the sun that had seen her grow up touched her skin for the first time in years. Her eyes glided around the forest around them, her lungs breathed an air that felt more familiar. Then her gaze reached Gerwald, the happiness as well as the apprehension and the pain gleaming clearly in the golden eyes.

Gathering the courage needed, the geminaie walked down the ramp and onto geminian soil, until she had reached the wolf, unconsciously seeking the comfort brought by closeness. The itch to run and to climb high until everything seemed little beneath her took over her heart again. But now was not the time for it. "I thought I understood how much I had missed this place...I didn't." Being here proved it. It was a weird conflict, to feel as though she did not deserve to be back and at the same time fretting over the inevitable departure that would sooner or later happen.

Palm forced herself to remember the reason why she was here today. She needed to retrieve something, and she needed to tell Gerwald where they were headed. Amber met ice as she unclipped one of the guard-shotos and moved it to the side before igniting it, blade pointing away from the lupine. He had never seen her weapons in use before, and he would be met by a saber that was almost transluscent, that left gastly afterimages as it moved and that was absolutely silent. "Ghostfire crystals. When it was time to build my sabers the Force called out to me. It brought me to this place, then to that mountain." The saber was deactivated and returned to its place as she pointed towards one of the mountain peaks in the distance.

"This is the journey that started me on the path of a soll'nav, and I left something behind on it before returning to the temple."


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
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WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

His legs could not carry him fast enough down the loading ramp. Gerwald had adjusted to space travel, but in larger vessels, and none of them had attempted what Palm had just managed to pull off. The short version of the story was Gerwald did not want Palm to see him vomit, nor did he want to leave a mess on the ship for her to clean. His stomach was twisted in so many knots he feared everything was going to come up in an instant, but the moment his nostrils took in the fresh air, everything settled.

Gerwald paused with his eyes closed and took in several deep breaths before opening them again.

He froze.

Icy blue eyes took in the landscape around him. The geminaie had tried to describe the planet to him, and the lupine had painted a picture in his mind that made the wolf within excited. What he imagined paled in comparison to everything he saw. Gerwald could never have imagined the wonders before him. The trees were tall, large enough that he could not see to the top of them. Mountain peaks disappeared into the clouds above, and the sound of rushing water crashing onto the rocks off in the distance sang a melody he had never heard before.

Time stood as still as he did in that moment. There were new scents, different sounds, as there was with any world, but there something about this place. It was pristine, and despite their crashed ship, it seemed untouched by anything modern.

It was perfect.

He looked to the woman who stood at his side. Wide eyes taking in what she said, though the wolf within begged for his attention. It took all of his focus to listen to her as Gerwald wanted to do nothing more than shift and get lost in the woods surrounding him. The planet called to him, and even though he was an outsider, Gerwald knew this place could be home. It felt right. One question consumed his thoughts in that moment.

How could anyone leave such a place?

He almost mouthed the words to Palm, but the action of her lightsabers coming to life stopped him. Gerwald could not hear them, even with his sensitive hearing. A puzzled look crossed his features until she explained they were ghostfire crystals. He nodded in understanding. The crystals themselves were exceedingly rare, and the wolf knew she should never part with them. It made what he had been planning for her seem… wrong in a way, but the lupine also knew the weapons she carried were those of a Soll’nav. When this part of the journey was complete, she needed a fresh start in every way possible.

“At least we should not be so quick to see it finished. Regardless of the mixed emotions that you are broadcasting, this is home. Your path has taken you away from the Soll’nav, but everything here will always be part of you, and has been from the day you took in your first breath.”

He turned to face the woman. Gerwald smirked as he realized from the moment they had met everything led to this moment where they would both set foot on soil his feet were never meant to touch. His guidance had led them here, and now that she was his student, his guidance would lead her to many more places. There was an entire galaxy to see, more than she could imagine, or that he could either. Both of them only knew their small portion of it, but perhaps this would be a catalyst to change that.

His eyes followed her finger to the mountain she had indicated. That explained why she had told him to bring climbing gear. He was a wolf, and not a mountain climber, but Gerwald would manage. The force would aid him where needed. HIs greater concern was whether he would be able to breathe as the air thinned out. Altitude sickness was also a possibility. Whatever it was they had come to recover, it was important. Palm would not have risked as much as she had were it something she could leave behind.

“We had better get to it then, yes?”

The wolf was restless.

“If we do not start moving, my wolf is going to tear out of me and start running. Your home is too tempting and more beautiful than I could have imagined. You are not the only wonder which Geminidae has produced, that is for sure.”

Had Gerwald meant to let the last part slip off his tongue? It seemed his battle to keep the wolf took more effort than he realized.
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

idtapya.png




Location: Aboard the Stygian Vagabond, en route to Geminidae.
Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png


She knew that the burden of guilt and sadness would not leave her during this trip, but neither would the indescribable feeling that being back in her lands brought. This was specially true when combined with the happiness that warmed her heart as she saw Gerwald set his eyes on a very small piece of Geminidae that meant so much to her. His words did more to soothe her pained emotions than any amount of her own arguing could do. She was no longer a soll'nav, nor did she carry the same dreams she did the last time she walked these woods, but she had a new path now. Alongside him.

Her past and her future would share the same starting point, but this time she would not be alone. This time she would not need to come back to the beginning.

A smile of her own was offered in response to Gerwald's own. "Yes, we need to start moving." Her answer, however, was not one delivered only out of the excitement of travelling through her homeworld. They would be running a race against time, it would not be an easy one. The geminaie had been about to elaborate when his last words caught her ear. Compliments rarely did anything for her, she was much too used to people trying their hardest to gain her favor through whatever sweetened words necessary. That was a part of diplomacy. But this was not it.

That had been genuine, the fact that it came from him only deepened the warm feeling the words had inspired. The smile widened as she gave a short, happy chuckle. Knowing that he could see her world with an emotion similar to her own even if it was new to him brought a peaceful happiness. Her eyes still on him, she came to the realization that Geminidae was almost everything to her - and getting to share it with him was worth anything.

Her focus then returned to the task at hand. Palm gave one last meticulous once over to her equipment. Although she would not need it, a rebreather rested within her backpack in case the air grew too thin for the lupine. However, the one thing she paid the most attention to were her weapons. Palm rarely carried more than her sabers. She had walked into battlefields with less armament than the one she had brought along today. Then came the explanation of why exactly they needed to be hasty.

"We are deep within Geminidae now, these are lands my people leave untouched," There would be no civilization, no sentient-made shelter, no strike of lucky help coming to the rescue if they happened to need it. "It is beautiful, but it is also dangerous." Irregular and difficult terrain, cold nights, and most importantly - creatures designed by nature to reign these territories, treacherous and deadly. "The only reason I survived the last time I was here was because I was a kid, I used the Force to hide and sneaked my way in and out."

Now she was a better fighter, but she knew there would be no hiding if they were found in the first place. Hiding was highly preferable to confrontation while on this planet. Palm was not scared, but she was much too aware of the power of geminidae's native fauna to say she felt completely confident. "We'll need to find shelter before the sun sets." The skelmorn did not wait until nighttime, dusk was agreeable enough for the hungerers to begin their hunt.

And with that, she began walking deeper into the woods, leaving the Vagabond behind. "I remember a cave a few hours walk from here, but I have no way of knowing if it's still usable." Nature was dynamic. Overgrowth, rockslides, rivers moving in...There was no guarantee that the place that had sheltered her back then would still do so now, but it was still a better option than pressing on and risking exposing themselves to the fierce night.


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
Ger.png


WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

The wolf had not intended the compliment, rather his aim was always to never mislead the woman. Both of them were aware of the feelings they shared, but they had come to a silent understanding in regards to them. Primarily that they did not talk about them. Neither wanted to put the other in a precarious position beyond what the knowledge they shared already did. He knew Palm would have never been so open had she thought her life would be saved, that he would have given his for hers. That knowledge alone brought enough questions for them to find answers too, let alone the complications Gerwald brought into the mix. He smiled at her response, however.

Her chuckle was enough to let the lupine know the comment was not unwanted. She did not need to say anything more, as both of them returned to the task ahead of them. Pulled away from the awe of his surroundings, Gerwald checked into the gear had brought with him as well. Survival in the forest would be much different for him that it would be for her. Gerwald was a creature of the woods, he could shift into a wolf where she could not. While he did not know the dangers of this forest, the lupine was well aware of how he could live within them.

The cave sounded ideal. Gerwald nodded, the inner wolf already thinking of shelter and finding a den.

“Let’s hope it is still there, and that nothing has taken up residence inside of it.”

Gerwald knew that an empty cave would not remain that way for long, not in an untouched forest. They were deep in the wood, not far from the mountain they would need to scale. If the location was ideal to find shelter from the cold, and whatever beasts may roam at night, then it was ideal for all. Another thought loomed over his mind, the very thing they wanted to hide from could just as easily use the cave for its habitation as well. He remained quiet on that matter. Gerwald was certain Palm knew the risks even more than he.

“Lead the way,” he said knowing these were her woods and not his. On Stewjon she followed his lead, here he would follow hers.

Keen eyes were kept for any sign of trouble. The lupine kept his lightsabers at the ready. One thing was certain about this trip. The crash already ensured that whatever was in the woods already knew they were there. If there was something out there to hunt them, they were already being hunted. Gerwald knew it as a predator, but did Palm.

His eyes looked ahead to her as she led them through the trees. Gerwald was still amazed that he could not see the tops of them. The way they disappeared into the sky made it look far too short for the space they occupied. His thoughts were with the geminaie, however. There was a heaviness that Gerwald was familiar with. Everytime he returned to Stewjon he felt the yearning that home always created, yet he felt the guilt of the ways he had also hurt it. The Confederacy had upset a balance that needed to be, but Gerwald had been the one to bring the hammer down on his own people.

For that he would always feel guilty.

“There are several reasons why this time is different, but the biggest of them was that crash we had back there. Whatever is out there, it is already looking for us. Everything else… is the unpredictable journey we call life.”

The wolf caught up with the woman, and stopped her for a moment. A reassuring hand rested on her shoulder before it slid down her arm.

“Regardless of all of it, I am happy that you are sharing this with me. Another part of the mystery that is Palm-Imer has become a little more clear.”

Gerwald smirked as he pushed on ahead.

“Now, let’s find this cave. If there is time when we get settled I intend on running tonight.”

Whether it was wise to do so or not.”
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

idtapya.png




Location: Aboard the Stygian Vagabond, en route to Geminidae.
Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png


Even if her gaze was focused on her surroundings, searching for signs of the forests' other inhabitants or taking note of the route they were taking and any potential locations they could fall back to in case the cave was not a viable option, Palm was still aware of Gerwald. It was not his presence or his thoughts that reached her, those ties had been cut, but she could hear him move over the forest floor. In a way, she always seemed to have a fair idea of where he was whenever he was close enough, Force or not. It was an odd feeling, but one that brought her comfort.

It was also one that raised questions, and now was not the time for them.

"You are very right. At least I know they won't be going after the ship, if its not edible it won't hold their attention for long. That's what we call them, actually. Skelmorn, Hungerers." Palm didn't know where to begin to describe the creatures, beautiful and horrible at the same time. They were creations of her homeworld and therefore a part of her loved them, they also made her skin crawl. Her mind was pulled away from that train of thought as her feet stopped out of their own volition as soon as she felt his touch against her shoulder. The geminaie turned slightly to the side, eyes catching his.

It was instinctual. As his hand slid down her arm, Palm's own slightly reached up to meet it, fingers finding their place between his. There was that feeling again, always there waiting for the little moments to surface. This time she let it be, knowing that not even her own mind had had the time to stop the gesture before it had happened. Then a smile stretched her lips. "Not too long ago the idea of bringing anyone here would have been unthinkable to me," Even the prospect of returning on her own would have garnered a negative reaction from the Ambassador. But things had changed, and right now she felt like perhaps many of them had changed for the better. "But I wouldn't have this be any other way." She had no regrets, him being here made her happy.

Palm let go of his hand before he began walking ahead, that small smile still on her lips as she resumed moving too. His next words put a tiny grimace on her expression. If it had been any other person the geminaie would have expressed her disagreement without a second thought. But it was Gerwald, and she knew him and the beast that lived within him. She remembered Stewjon, and a part of her empathized with him, wanted to run through these forests again too. It was dangerous, it was also something he needed to do. "I know there is no talking you out of it, so I'll be going with you."

Then her amber gaze caught sight of something she had been looking for. Up ahead there was another tree, but one of its branches was crooked in quite an absurd way. It stood out. A bright, full smile stretched her lips. "This way." It was all she said before her feet picked the pace up, breaking into a swift trot. Each step fell on solid ground, avoiding rocks, logs and roots, as though she had run this path a thousand times before. The muffled roar of falling water grew louder and louder, until finally the tree line ended abruptly and before them was a fall several meters tall. A waterfall seemed to sprout from the very rock itself, and they were standing over it.

Several vines from the trees fell, reaching down towards the lake that waited below. Her eyes met his, a hint of playfulness shining in them. "We need to get down," Her hands went to the fastenings of her backpack as she adjusted them, then to her own wrists to remove the gloves that covered them. "I hope you don't mind swimming," And after that she jumped, hands clinging onto one of the vines knowing that they were more than sturdy enough to support her weight or that of someone many times heavier. The geminaie did quick work of climbing down it, and when she was as close to the lake below as the vine would allow, she allowed herself to fall into the waters. Cool and refreshing, pure.

Once Gerwald got to the same level she was in now, he would be able to see it too. Behind the curtain of water that was the waterfall, etched into the rock, there was darkness. A cave.


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
Ger.png


WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

Skelmorn… Hungerers. The name alone told Gerwald everything he needed to know about the beasts which walked in the woods. She did not need to confirm his suspicions in regards to the fact they were the ones being hunted. It was a feeling the predator was not used to, but even he knew there was always a bigger fish. Fortune would hopefully smile on them, and keep them from encountering such a thing, but the gnawing feeling in the wolf was telling him otherwise.

He felt as though they were being watched, and he hated it.

It pained Gerwald to know she did not regret how things had come about. While he was pleased, happy, to be with her on the world she held dear, the comment had reminded Gerwald he was responsible for the path Palm was now on. Her smile, the way her fingers found his, drew a smile from him, however. Despite the fact Palm had cut herself off from the force, Gerwald could still feel her close in a way that should not have been possible. It was a mystery, but one the lupine did not need answers to. They were what they were, even if that was unknown. Of any he had agreed to teach, her presence was the most consistent, the most constant. She was truly an apprentice, something more than a mere pupil.

Gerwald knew his words would not settle well with her, especially after telling him about the creatures likely hunting them. He was a creature of the forest, and that of the night as well. He would not be denied what was only natural, and he was happy to know she would not protest. She did not have to like it, as long as she accepted it.

A nod was given in reply to her retort.

“I know that I will not be able to talk you out of that either… but if you wish to come with me you will have to keep up, and there is only one way I can guarantee you will.”

Nothing more was said about the matter. She could ask what he meant, but if she thought about it long enough Palm would discern what he meant. His wolf would always run with a stride that would cover more ground than she ever could without the force aiding her. If she would not rely on the force to carry her, then the lupine would have to.

Her excitement at the sight of the crooked branch thrilled the wolf. Gerwald chuckled as her pace picked up. The thrill of the run was enough to sate the beast within him for now. Had his hair not been pulled up into a bun the wind would have run through it. Wild and free, it was how Gerwald was meant to live, and for the few moments it took them to run to the waterfall ahead of them, the lupine felt alive. The responsibilities he carried, the burdens that weighed heavily on him, were given a reprieve in that moment.

The lake below them looked like nothing he had seen before. Its color was pure in a way that the wolf had only seen in images on the holonet. Not even the untouched places of Stewjon or Naboo held such sights. It seemed almost a shame to leap into the pristine pool below. Doing so would be polluting it in a way, and yet…

“Do I like to swim… someone has already forgotten Naboo.”

Gerwald teased, and yet, the jest brought one particular memory to the front of his mind. It was the first time he had let his guard down to anyone, allowed anyone closer than arm’s length, since Naedira had passed. Yes, he had gotten close to Srina Talon and Lunara Azure. Redd would always know him in a way no one could. This had been different. Palm had been allowed into his thoughts. The defenses he had built were brought down by care and concern, but his invasion into her mind had pushed the geminaie to something that neither of them could have anticipated.

His smile faded briefly for a moment as he wondered if his jest had been out of place. It was only a moment as Gerwald secured his own pack, and leaped for a vine. His foot wrapped around it just so as a gloved hand gripped it loosely. The wolf repelled down the vine allowing the flora to do most of the work in his descent. While the force was useful in preserving strength, nature had ways to accomplish the same purpose.

Gerwald crashed into the water with a splash, the cold water shocking his system as it cooled his body. He took his time under the surface to adjust to the temperature, but also to enjoy a hearty swim. When he surfaced, Gerwald set his eyes on the cave. Without a word he began to swim toward it. It’s location was more than ideal for them to make shelter, and enough so it was more than likely to be as vacant as the day Palm first discovered it. It’s route was not easily accessible to things with four legs, or beasts that could not swim.

“Yes, I think this cave will do nicely,” he finally said before passing through the waterfall and climbing onto the rocky entrance. “Very nice indeed.”
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

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Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png



"Someone has already forgotten Naboo."

That one word, the name the planet, and her mind took the plunge into the memories of that day. Her heart picked up its pace within her chest, every single emotion she had felt being reproduced as though the mere mention of Naboo had thrown them back in time and back into that cave pool. The way sharing her mind with him had felt, the pull that drew them so close and yet not close enough, how she had been a mere second away from letting those feelings command her actions, making them real in a way they wouldn't have been able to push aside like they were doing now. She could never forget Naboo, not even in the moments when guilt consumed her and she had wanted to.

Then came the coldness of the water, and Palm willed that feeling into quieting, only letting the smile caused by his teasing remain. Gerwald knew what that day had meant to her, and why she could never hope to get it to leave her mind. They had reached an understanding now, and although her heart was filled with just as much longing, it was contented by his being here. The geminaie would not name it, nor allow her thoughts to linger on the matter for long, but if she did then perhaps she would see the sad but sweet reality of her feelings. This was a painful peace. And it was enough, because she did not have the selfishness in her to demand more. This was something she could live with, even if her heart sometimes felt like it couldn't. Being by his side was worth the pain and the guilt.

When she surfaced her eyes met his, smile still on her lips. No words were needed for the golden gaze to convey the message. She had not forgotten, the memory was one close to her heart. Then that clear and pure honesty her eyes could only hold for him flashed with a gleam of amusement as the smile widened. Teasing could go both ways. "We didn't actually do much swimming that day, though." With that, she began moving towards the entrance of the cave. The nearer she got, the more that feeling of anticipation took root within her. Would it still be like she had left it?

As soon as her arms pulled her up onto the rocks and she had gotten through the water curtain, her gaze was placed on the awaiting shadows of the cavern. They glided towards Gerwald again as she unclasped the backpack's fastenings before sliding it off her shoulders. The weight was not truly a bother, but she would rather not have it on her for what was about to come next. "Wait here."

He had never seen her climb, not truly. It was one thing to grab onto jagged rocks or sturdy branches, finding the right footing in crevices and irregularities. A lot of climbers could do that. But the walls of this cave were smooth, eroded by water that must have submerged it many centuries ago. It couldn't be climbed without the proper gear, unless one was a geminaie. A small jump was all it took and her uncovered hands were helping her move up the walls with ease, soon enough the darkness would become too much and she would disappear from view, but only for a moment.

As Palm reached the roof of the cave, one of her hands went to retrieve one of the sabers clipped to her waist. The blade was ignited and brought against the rock of the roof. It would only take some seconds until little bright flecks of warm orange light came to life, quickly beginning to expand throughout the cave in crooked lines that interconnected, until the whole cavern was showered in their glow, chasing the shadows away. The lines looked like the veins of some kind of metal, and they had reacted to the heat of the blade. These were geminian glowstones.

However, that was not all that the soft light would reveal. Painted and etched into the slate, smooth stone were several drawing and patterns, covering a good portion of the cavern's walls. A small laugh came from the geminaie, surprised that her drawings had withstood the test of time. Once again, her gaze met Gerwald, who was now several meters below her. The saber returned to her belt, and then she simply let go. The fall being managed with ease by her legs when her feet reached the ground. She walked up to him. "I was here for four full days the first time around, there was a... disturbance. It made me stay put until it felt like the coast was clear. This was how I killed time." Her hand gestured towards the drawings above and around them.

Then something seemed to cross her mind, and the ghost of melancholy visited the golden pools once again. Her eyes met his with the silent plea to follow her. She wanted to show him something. Palm walked deeper into the cavern, until they were almost at its end. One of the corners was slightly more secluded, a large boulder offering some shielding from the rest of the cave. Bundled into a corner there was a pile of old blankets, a thick layer of dust on top of them as well as some cobwebs. However, what truly caught her attention, was what was on the wall next to it.

A handprint, not in the charcoal black that had made the other drawing but in a faded deep purple. Blood. Her blood. Palm crouched next to it, her hand coming up to rest against the rock, right next to the print. The print was a lot smaller than her current hand. "I was eleven. Thirteen years ago." Her hand slid down the wall, leaving the print behind as her attentioned turned to a pile of smaller, but heavy rocks. She began moving them aside, looking for something. "Finding my way around these lands was difficult, I got lost many times - but it felt right, the Force had never felt so close to me before that. So the last night I was here, knowing that when this journey ended I would become an apprentice to a soll'nav, I decided that when the time came for me to have an apprentice of my own, I would bring them here. I left something for them to find." Palm got whatever it was that she had been looking for, and she closed her fist around it before standing up, turning to face him.

"I am still the apprentice, but I did return with a master..." Her hand extended, revealing what lay within. She could not, but Gerwald would feel them through the Force. Resting in her hand were two bracelets, dusty but otherwise in perfect conditions. "We call them Y'shir amulets. Worn by a teacher and a student. They act like an anchor and a beacon in the Force for the eyes of the other wearer, even across great distances. They create a bridge." Of course, they would do nothing for her right now. Palm couldn't even be sure if they ever would, it was painful to remember that there was no guarantee the Force would return to her without consuming her.

The geminaie put a small smile on her lips but did not hide the worries inspired by her own thoughts, then she placed the bracelets on Gerwald's own hand.

"They are yours now."


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
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WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

No, they had not done a lot of swimming on that day. Too much had happened for them to simply enjoy the water, and a relaxing time in the pool. There had not been much accomplished that day other than the swirl of questions the brief moment of closeness had led them to. Gerwald had let his guard down, and Palm had given him permission to access the places of her mind no one had ever touched before. The moment had been far more intimate than Gerwald had intended. In his mind he was simply using telepathy, a thing which was as natural to him as breathing.

It had led them here.

Gerwald shook his head as he agreed with her. There was nothing else which needed to be said. The pair had become quite adept at saying everything that needed saying with their eyes. They could read each other well. There was a truth hidden in Palm’s gaze that Gerwald had access to, and the same with his for her. Honesty was all they knew from the day they had met. They had never lied to each other, even if Gerwald did try to pass off the extent of how much Naalol had devastated him. His injuries had not been physical, not the deeper ones. Gerwald carried the weight of the lives he lost that day, and the sacrifices he knew he was willing to make. Naboo had seen a reprieve, but not a long one.

He waited as instructed and watched as Palm climbed further up the rock wall. She disappeared for a moment. The wolf did not worry for her, after all this was where she had stayed for a time when climbing the mountain which led her to the ghostfire crystals in her lightsabers. The sound of her blade was as silent as before, and the only indication that it had been brought to life was the glow which began to grow around him.

Gerwald smiled as another piece of her home revealed itself. A chuckle escaped his lips once more.

“One secret after another it seems,” he said as the lupine walked to the nearest wall and placed his hand on the glowing vein in the rock. “Marvelous,” his voice drew out in an amazed tone.

Her landing drew his attention back to the geminaie. Four days was a long time to wait at such a young age, but the drawings on the cave had been her reprieve. His lips curved into a smile as he took in the scenes she had etched into the stone. While they were not as fresh as they would have been eleven years ago, Gerwald could see them plain as day.

The wolf followed her deeper into the cavern as she pressed further in. There had not been time to ask the woman which of the drawings had been her favorite, or the story she had told with them. Her journey through the past as a fast paced on, pulling him with it at a speed which amused the Knight Obsidian. Palm continued to reveal more and more of her past with every step they took and every word which came from her mouth. It was then that she seemed to remember something, something important.

A handprint was found on the cave wall where Gerwald was certain she had slept for the four days she had made the cave her home. This place was sacred to her, that much was evident now. It meant as much to her as the cabin Gerwald had taken to her on Stewjon, but for a vastly different reason. His curiosity wanted to ask her what it was she was after, but the wolf knew she would not hide it from him. This was the reason she had brought him on the journey, partly. He knew this was just the place they were meant to find shelter, but deep inside he also knew this was the place he was meant to see for the reason which was about to present itself.

He opened his palm as the geminaie extended her closed fist. The bracelets fell into his hand as his blue gaze looked down to regard them. They were simple, nothing about how they appeared seemed to be out of the ordinary. Gerwald could feel what was different, however. An energy, the force, radiated from the stones which were bound by the twine which held them in place.

Y’shir amulets, an anchor, a way to know where the other was. It was a physical manifestation of the bond between a master and their apprentice, and a way to connect them even when distance separated them physically.

"They are yours now."

Everything within the lupine wanted to shake his head and refuse them. These should have remained for the day her connection to the force returned and she did have an apprentice of her own. Accepting them felt in some way that they would admit it was possible such a thing would never happen. Her apprentice would not be soll’nav, but Gerwald was certain her connection would be restored. Yet, he found that he could not refuse such a gift. This was important to her, and the wolf knew to refuse them would in a way be a refusal of her. How could he refuse her?

“Until your connection to the force is restored, but on that day, you will wear the other one.”

He spoke in a way that would not allow her to protest. It was as much a matter of fact as the agreement they had reached about what they were willing to sacrifice for the other. If he was to be her master, then this one piece of her past would be the one Gerwald would permit. Not because thy amulets held a value in what they could do, but because how they symbolized the bond they already shared.

“Fitting that we are standing where this all began for you. Now if only I could rid you of the thing that you are afraid of the most. However, you know why I cannot.”

Perhaps she was ready to hear the truth now.

His eyes found hers, revealing the only truth he knew in this moment.

“You cannot rid yourself of a thing that makes you who you are. You can master it, use it like a tool, but you can never truly be rid of it. I will teach you balance, how to wield it, how to master it. I will teach you how to be stronger so that you no longer have to fear it.”
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

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Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png

All she could offer was a small smile. It would seem to her that wherever one of them lacked confidence, the other seemed to hold no doubts. Palm looked up to him, as a leader and a mentor, and knew he would do right by the Knights Obsidian and the Confederacy, while he still disagreed with Voph's decision to make him his successor. Gerwald did not seem to believe there would be any other ending to this predicament different to her succesfully returning to the Force and to her control of it, while she could barely hang on to that hope only because it came from him.

There was only one thing for which neither of them could find their confidence. Only one question neither of them could answer nor face, or perhaps would not. It was ironic that this thing, those feelings, were the one thing she felt the most certain about, and also the one thing she would not act upon.

"On that day, I will wear the other one." She repeated his own words, a slight nod accompanying the softly spoken agreement, still that doubt clung to the air around them like an eerie omen. On that day....if that day ever came.

Her gaze fell to the hand print on the wall once again as he spoke. A dull pain went through her head, an aching emptiness somewhere in the tether of her thoughts and memories. She knew he was right. Palm had always known. Sometimes it was just easier to look away, to pretend. But in reality, Palm wasn't even sure if she knew exactly what it was that she was hiding from. The Darkness scared her, yes, but it had always been there. It was what waited beyond it that had led to her breaking.

Golden returned to ice, worry rippling beneath the surface of the amber pools. An unknown worry, one that seemed veiled even from her own comprehension, because it was. And still his words resonated within her. If there was anyone in this galaxy whom she'd trust, it was him. "I know you are right. I've seen you," The memories from the duel that lead to him standing against Rann Thress flashed through her mind, an uncomfortable feeling wrapping itself around her throat at the remembrance, before fading away. She wanted to step closer to him, but she was also wary of allowing herself that indulgance. Palm tried to find the right words to explain.

"It is a part of me, but I feel like I don't know it - as if it had been missing for so long and now it's there, waiting for me to face it again, to see it. I'm afraid that I'll regret remembering why it came to be in the first place," That piece had been missing. It had been taken from her, erased. But not destroyed. One day it would come back, that day was drawing near. "But I will try," It was then that she smiled again, looking at him. That was the one promise she could make right now. No matter what, she would try. She would follow his guidance.

The geminaie held his gaze for a few more seconds, that inner war debating on what to do next. Then the light coming from the entrance of the cavern changed, turned dimmer as the waterfall stopped sparkling. She knew what that meant, the sun had fallen over the treetops. Sunset was upon them and the woods would soon begin to truly wake up. So would the wolf, and that realization put an end to the moment of doubt and longing.

"If you want that run we have better go now..." Palm did not have any hopes that he would have changed his mind, so she began walking with him towards the entrance of the cave once again. She had already accepted this. "Although if we are going to do this, there's one thing to know." Her eyes searched the roof of the cave until she found it, then her hand raised to point towards one of the drawings. A Skelmorn. "If we see one and it does not come for us right away, stop moving. I will handle it," Hopefully. The skelmorn were curious creatures, even when docile they had a tendency of ripping apart other beings if they could not sate that curiosity. Then again, sometimes they were anything but docile. "But if it does... you run as fast as you can, Ger." Even with the aid of the Force, she knew the amount of damage those creatures could do in the shortest span of time.

Palm could not help but be slightly nervous about this plan. Geminidae was a dangerous place. On the other hand, she could not help the excitement nor the happiness that began taking over her either, now that she was about take to the woods under the three geminian moons. He would get to see Geminidae through her own eyes, running through the trees beneath moonlight when there were no more eyes watching her. Indeed, she was happy he was here. That lively spark of playfulness returned to her gaze, a small smirk curving the corner of her lips.

As soon as they had reached the edge of the rock platform, waterfall falling before them and the lake waiting beneath, one of her legs moved to lock his own, breaking his balance. Palm's body turned and her hands found their way to his chest, with the intention of pushing him into the waters and jumping right after him. She could not race him as a wolf, but nothing kept her from racing him to the lake's shore.


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
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WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

"I know you are right. I've seen you..."

The one answer took Gerwald back to that moment. The look in her eyes then had pleaded with him to not give in. Whether she had been afraid of what would happen if the darkness in him were allowed to have free reign, or if it was that she feared the truth that would come from it, Gerwald had not known. What he did know was that he listened to another voice that day, that of his friend Lunara Azure. The ice queen had always known how to advise the wolf, and had it not been for her, the lupine would not have found the space to allow the grief of losing Naedira to run the course it was meant to. He owed the blonde woman much in that regard.

Palm had heard him, but she had not understood him, yet. This was a good step toward what she needed. The wolf had not asked her to see the darkness which was part of her, but to embrace it. If she was truly going to master the thing she was afraid of, it would not be enough to admit that it was there. As Gerwald had pushed Palm to embrace that there was more she could accomplish with the force, the wolf would push her to embrace every part of her.

He would not press it now. It was enough she was willing to admit that it was there, and that she knew it always had been.

His eyes moved to the ceiling as Palm pointed to one of the drawings. The Hungerer as she had called it. It looked like nothing Gerwald had seen before, and while he was grateful for what the geminaie had encouraged him to do, he shook his head. She would know why. They had come to many silent understandings since that day on Naboo, and this one was made on Roon. She had told him to run, even though she knew he would not. All he had to do was give her one look, and she would see the answer in his eyes.

“You know I will not,” Gerwald said as he closed the distance that Palm seemed to hold between them. A smile pulled at his lips. “We agreed on Roon… but it is endearing to hear you still are as stubborn as ever.”

That was likely the wrong thing to say, considering Gerwald did not know what she had planned. A playful gleam returned to melt the ice which had glazed over her golden orbs. He should have known something was coming, but he had been so wrapped up in the moment her words had pulled him to that he did not. When her leg moved behind his, it was already too late. Hands fell against his chest, and with his center of gravity disrupted, Gerwald began to fall.

His reach was long, longer than Palm had accounted for. As he fell toward the water, he smirked and reached out to wrap the woman up into his embrace. The lupine pulled the geminaie close, closer than they had been since Stewjon. This place, the space they shared, was familiar now, but it was no less intense as it had been that night by the fire. Gerwald’s heart raced as the two bodies hit the pool, letting her go the instant they were under the water. He did not want to drown her after all.

They swam, and the strong geminaie made it to the edge just before he could. Gerwald did not mind. His eyes moved to the three moons above them as they began to come out of their hiding place for the night. He could feel the wolf scratching inside him for the release it had wanted all day. Yet, in the moment, Gerwald was tired of hiding this part of himself from the woman. She had seen the man, and she had seen the wolf, but she had not seen them together.

Gerwald was quiet as he began to peel the wet clothes from his form. He started with the boots, and followed with the rest. The moonlight would reflect on his bare skin for a time, just before the sounds of the night were interrupted by the sound of his bones cracking. It was not a long process for him now. When he was younger it was excruciating. Every crack and pull that came with the shift shot pain through his body, pain that he accepted as part of who he was. It was not unlike the darkness Palm needed to embrace within herself.

Several seconds was all it took, thirty at most, before the man Palm knew had transformed into the beast she had met a handful of occasions. It looked back at her, almost smiling as he lowered himself to the ground. Gerwald had been clear earlier in the day that if she were going to accompany him there was only one way she would join him. The lupine had offered for the geminaie to ride on his back.
 
ɢᴇᴍɪɴɪᴅᴀᴇ

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Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

XoUVtE9.png


He got closer, and the resolve she had been trying to build back up dissipated into nothingness. "Always will be, and so will you." She smiled, if there was one thing that was not questioned by either of them, it was the fact they could be incredibly headstrong. For somethings it was an advantage, for others it would cause them pain.

There was laughter as she felt him reach out for her, dragging her along in the fall she had provoked. There was something about being close to him that Palm would never be able to put into words. Just for a moment, there was only the pull that held her to him and an instant of simple, untainted happiness. There was no thought that seemed too hopeless, no ill-promising fate. As they fell into the water, it was as though they were just two random souls in the galaxy simply enjoying life in peace. No burdens, no duties, no fears.

That moment could never be anything but short-lived, because in truth both of them had so many.

To her, it was that ever present guilt. It was a dance that would never know an end. The more time she spent in his presence, the more comfortable they grew in each other's spaces, the more her heart wanted to be there. At first it was the guilt that kept her away, and now it was the fear of that guilt having grown to weak to stop her that put another aching fetter on her feelings. But even if by some miracle she managed to muster the strength to do what she so desperately wanted to convince herself was the right thing, to pull away, life itself wouldn't let her.

The geminaie stood up as soon as she was out of the water, the familiar and comfortable rush of activity settling in on her muscles. Her hair fell down her back, water trickling down towards the ground from its ends. Rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes were all too common in Geminidae, so much so that the feeling of wet clothes was no longer uncomfortable to her, she was used to it.

Golden eyes settled on Gerwald as he pulled himself out of the lake too. The soft smile that had been curving her lips faded as she noticed something different in his own gaze. There was no worry in her, but instead a deep contemplation as the knowledge of what was about to happen settled in her mind. She had seen the human, and she had seen the beast. The middle ground, the transition, that had remained a secret. But it would no longer be so.

For a moment, there was the instinct to look away. The geminaie, unlike most societies in the galaxy, didn't truly have morals and tabboos in the same way others did. Their behavior was fluid, adaptative, and so what was comfortable for those around them would be easily accepted as the norm. Most people did not feel comfortable baring themselves in front of others, and so the geminaie would respond by granting the privacy they desired. This was not the case with him. This was not shameful to him, it was natural. There was nothing to hide in something that was accepted and embraced.

Palm had never seen anything like it.

The sound alone was enough for the woman to know it was painful, but even that pain seemed to be welcomed by the lupine. She watched as the skin gave way to fur, as the man gave way to the wolf. The bright, calming glimmer of admiration and wonder warmed the amber hue. She could not help but find it beautiful, the moment when the two parts that made him who he was were merged. Soon it was over, after only a handful of seconds, although it had felt like a much longer time had gone by. Palm could not communicate with him now in a way they would both understand, but she knew there would be no need to for the eyes of the wolf were the same as the man's.

The wolf looked back at her, and the smile returned. The geminaie walked up to the massive creature with the same confidence she did when he was in his human form, she had never been this close to him while on this form and there was so much to see and remember. Still keeping the silence that had settled between them, her hand reached out slowly until it was placed on top of the wolf's snout. No, there was no way he would be kept from the forests, new or not, it was where this part of him belonged.

"I'm sorry I'll burden you tonight."

It was all she could say, for it wasn't for the knowledge she had of these lands and the dangers that lurked in it, the geminaie would have gladly let him run to his heart's content. Then she moved to his side, carefully placing herself on his back as though he was some sort of war mount - the wolf would have certainly striked fear into anyone's heart if he wished to. Her hands rested just above his shoulders, she could feel the powerful muscles beneath the soft fur. Palm had seen him run before, she had tried to keep up. Now she would have to hold on. "Ready when you are, Ger."

They would not know it yet, but deep within the forests the creatures began to stir from their slumber. There was a new scent in the air, enticing their curiosity. The woods would welcome them with open arms, but the things that lived in it would make no such promises.


 
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
E X P L O R E
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WEARING: xxx
TAG: Palm-Imer Palm-Imer

Neither would ever give the other the satisfaction of listening to the other where danger was involved. The wolf would not allow anyone to place their life before his. Naedira had done it out of duty. She had saved many lives on Taanab by giving hers, and while Gerwald had not been there to stop her, even that was different. She gave her life for many, but Palm’s suggestion would see her sacrificing herself for one, for him. That would be a burden the lupine could not carry. There was no one who could make such a sacrifice that would not weigh on his heart. How much more would the burden be if it were someone he cared for?

It was not often Gerwald shifted in front of people as he did. Yes, in battle the lupine had shifted to and from his human form at will. Voph had made the wolf armor that could shift with him because the site of a naked man chasing people with a lightsaber drew the wrong kind of attention, or so he had been told. Modesty was a subjective thing, and Gerwald did not view it in the same way as others. This was part of him, the wolf, but he adopted the standards of those around him for the sake of getting along with the people he was surrounded with.

Knowing what he did of Palm, he felt comfortable shifting as he did. He wanted to. There were few in his life that would have accepted this isolated part of who he was as well as she. Gerwald could name two perhaps, three, others among the living that would embrace him fully. The rest simply did not understand him, even if they accepted and tolerated his presence.

The night was cool. His fur protected him from it. The gray colored hair which covered his form seemed to be muted and dull in the moonlight. His eyes remained bright. For some lupines the color changed, for Gerwald they remained as blue as they always were. It was a unique trait among his kind, but not unwelcome. It was the one thing which made him familiar to those who knew him.

Palm placed a hand on his snout. Only one other person had dared attempt it before. The wolf did not move, nor did he signal any displeasure. He simply remained still as the geminaie made herself secure on his back. Her fingers spreading through his fur brought the same calming sensation that it would to any canine, though the moment her grip tightened, Gerwald could feel the tug against his skin. It was not painful, but it was not comfortable. This did not keep him from standing.

Her words fell on his ears, and while she was not open for a response, Gerwald had understood them. If she thought herself a burden, then she was not aware of the strength he possessed in this form. The Gerwald she knew was strong, but the wolf was much stronger. His sense of smell, and hearing, were enhanced, but as a wolf they were fully aware. Everything that gave him an advantage in his human form was without hindrance as a wolf. Palm would see it first hand before the run was over.

Every sound flooded his ears. The creatures of the night were all coming to life. He could smell things on the air that were new, different than what he encountered during the day. The wolf had finally gotten free, and with Palm ready, the lupine needed no other encouragement before throwing his head back and letting out a howl. With three moons in the sky, nothing would have kept him silent, not even the knowledge that there were beasts in the woods that were hunting him, and had been since the ship crashed.

He darted ahead. The trees were still so large, but the night sky seemed clear, more open than the day had made it. It no longer felt too low for the world which contained it. As his legs carried him through the trees, past rocks and cliffs, Gerwald kept his eyes out for one thing. He wanted a clear path to the open sky. No matter what it took, the wolf would see the moons in all their splendor. They called to him, and he would answer.

The added weight on his back did not seem to hinder him at all. Before too long the wolf had found what he had been searching for, and a steady incline led the pair further up and further into the woods. Despite where they were, the wolf knew where the lake was, where the cave would be for them to return to when the run was through. It may have been a new world, but his nature, the one what always told him where home was, was the same. The further they pressed in, the closer they remained to the cave. Whether Palm realized it or not, Gerwald had found a path which did not cause them to stray too far from where they needed to be.

He could hear the water below, the sound of a river running over the rocks below draw closer. His eyes which allowed him to see in the dark would see it before Palm would. They were nearing a ravine. Gerwald knew he could cross it, and rather than slow down, his legs carried him faster. He sped up until the moment came for his muscles to shift, and in one swift motion, Gerwald leaped into the air where time would slow for a moment. The sky was clear, the moons bright and fully visible. He landed with ease, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Once more he tossed his head back and howled, this time hoping Palm would join him.
 
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Wearing: XxX.
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Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

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The wolf howled its greeting to the geminian moons, and the whole forest seemed to stand at attention to witness the arrival of a new creature into its realm. She could feel the vibrations of the sound as it went through her, and a bright smile stretched her lips. It was not wise for the wolf to sing this song, but then again not doing so had never really been an option. How could it have been when the very sky seemed to call for it?

Then the running began. Palm had knew he was fast, but now she also knew he had been holding back on Stewjon the night she followed him to the cabin. The speed at which they moved, the power behind each stride, how the land spoke to him in a language only his ears could hear. She could see it all, and even if the Force was not there to make that feeling real - it was as though she could connect to the wolf in some other way. In a manner that sprouted from the deepest and most pure essence found in every being. Instinct, nature.

The wolf was the embodiment of it all.

Adrenalin rushed through her veins as she saw her own homeworld in a way she would have never imagined. Massive trees that disappeared so quickly besides them, being left behind, the cold air that seemed to want to cut against her skin, the forest floor barely a blur in the corner of her eyes. There was nothing on her mind but the woods and the lupine, the thrill, and the different connection to that around her. It was an invisible and untouchable one, but it was still there even if not under the influence of her will.

Then the amber gaze saw the ravine ahead just as his paws began to move them faster. Her legs tightened around him as she prepared for what was to come, and as soon as they were out of the treeline and traversing through the air, it was as though Geminidae had opened up for them. The star-filled sky and the moons above them, the deep fall below walled by jagged rock and housing a pristine river at its bottom, the brief pause between rows and rows of giant trees, and the mountains in the distance. This was everything her home was, and the wolf seemed to know how to discover it with no need for guidance other than the one his senses could find.

It was magical, and Palm was sure she could not remember any run that had felt like this one. Not even the ones she held the fondest memories of.

But all had to come to an end.

He tilted his head backwards and Palm prepared to hear the wolf's song again, letting herself go in the melody. The need to join in on the song arose within her, just like the howling rallies the najax hounds would often start, it was a way of bonding. Yet it would not be the geminaie the one joining the wolf.

S C R E E C H

The enthralling melody of Gerwald's howl was suddenly replaced by a noise that threatened to shatter her eardrums. It was loud and long, as though it had wanted to imitate the howling, and it made Palm's heart feel like stopping entirely. The dream-like run turned nightmarish, and the bright peacefulness that had reigned in the shine of her amber eyes was replaced by cold, hard focus. Just as the screeching ended, the heavy sound of paws hitting the ground reached her, just as fast if not even faster than Gerwald's had been. Then it stopped, suddenly, before anything came into view. And the color drained from her face.

"RUN!"

High above them, a creature that tripled them in size had leaped, and soon enough its massive form left the cover of the trees - revealing itself as it tried to pounce on them.

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Gerwald’s howl had been answered with a screech. His heart began to race as the adrenaline of the shock flooded his system. The wolf had never heard such a shriek, and before he had seen the beast coming for them he knew it was not friendly. The sound of it running toward them reached his ears long before they ever reached Palm’s. Eyes went wide when the thing came into view and leaped into the air to pounce them.

“RUN!”

Her words only confirmed which choice between fight or flight Gerwadl would choose in that moment. It was fast, so he would have to be faster, and smarter. Yet, from the brief assessment the wolf had made, it seemed the beast would make that a challenge. It was designed to hunt and kill in a way Gerwald had never seen before. As his the muscles in his legs carried him forward toward the ravine once more, the wolf knew there was only one hope.

He needed to shift. Gerwald needed his sabers.

Everything was at the cave.

The lupine sped to the cave as fast as he could, the sound of the creature never too far behind them. It sounded close, always close, always just out of reach. It would attempt to pounce, bit Gerwald’s keen sense of hearing picked up on the shifts in the ground, or the sounds heavier steps just before it would take off into the air. He weaved and dodged, never moving in a straight line, but never straying from his intended path.

They would reach the edge of the water where Gerwald had left his clothing in a pile. He had no other way of telling Palm what was to come. Fortunately she did not need to access the force to hear his telepathy. He had been avoiding the technique because she had closed herself off from the force, and for the feelings he knew it would stir in her. His mind in hers would only make it more difficult for her to hold the darkness at bay, to not want to give in simply for the closeness they could share if she would. At least, this is what Gerwald had been telling himself. This, this was about their survival.

<<“JUMP!”>>

He did not wait for her to comply before he started to shift. If she did not understand what he had been after when his words invaded her mind, she would now. Palm had to get off of him so he could change.

The shift was quick, but Gerwald did not stop running. If Palm were watching, she would have seen it as though it were a seamless transition, because it was. Years of shifting and practice had made Gerwald quite proficient in the various things he could do while shifting. There would be no time to marvel as he reached for the pants he had been wearing. With the aid of the force, the lupine would cover his lower half and call his lightsabers to hand.

He had brought both of them at Palm’s insistence. She had warned him that her planet was not safe, and where they were going to be was not safe as well. This beast was insatiable, formidable, but Gerwald had several weapons at his disposal because of the force. He knew that Palm could fight, but as long as she refused to access the force, Gerwald did not want her attempting to protect him. With what little time they had left before the beast would find them again the Knight Obsidian issued a command.

“Get behind me.”

His tone of voice told her this would not be up for debate. He did not intend to fight this beast alone, not fully. Palm would help, but she would help with his guidance. Gerwald would use the force to aid them, but since she could not feel it, she would need to pay attention. There would be time for nothing more before the beast came back into view. It came at them, leaping through the trees. Whatever happened he could not let the creature back them into a corner.

“Run… now!”

Gerwald ran toward the beast as he had done as a wolf, hoping that they would pass under it as it was still in the air. Once clear of the the creature, the lupine turned and extended an arm. A wave of force energy would send the Skelmorn flying further than it had intended. Gerwald hoped it would land in the lake and drown. He was hoping the thing could not swim. If it could, if his plan did not work, then at least he had bought them some time to come up with a different plan.
 
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Wearing: XxX.
Weapons: The Wraith Blades ~ Vibroknives ~ Blasters
Equipment: Survival Gear ~ Climbing Gear
Tagging: Gerwald Lechner Gerwald Lechner

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Palm could barely hold on as Gerwald began to run for both of their lives. The creature behind them screeched and roared, giving chase after the morsels that had just escaped it. Her heart was drumming so hard the geminaie feared it would simply jump out of her chest. Memories surfaced, memories of hiding and of loss. She had seen many perish to the Hungerers, and her previous experience had created a very special fear that could only be inspired by them. There was nothing quite as terrifying as being chased by a skelmorn.

Her focus returned to the intensity of the moment when she felt his voice loud and clear - within her thoughts. She had never felt a pull as powerful as the one that overtook her, attempting to drag her out of the safe vault she had built around her no matter the cost if only so that her presence could join his. The very foundation of her being shook, both the danger she was now faced against and the need to reestablish her connection to him threatening to tear her apart if she did not give in to it.

Palm knew she had to resist it, for there would be no hope of ever facing her own darkness if she could not even succeed in keeping it at bay. War raging within her, she let go of the wolf and jumped, rolling to the side. The geminaie knew that nothing would stop her from intervening if it meant saving him, but at this point in time that dire need had not yet surfaced - and her mind was one of a soldier. There was a limit after which both of them knew they would do anything to save the other, but that limit had not been reached, and so the young woman would follow his lead, taking cover behind him and readying herself to provide support as the beast got caught in Gerwald's force push.

The lumbering skelmorn was flung into the lake, it's screech changing as it realized it would not land where it had intended to. Gerwald told her to run, and Palm had every intention of heeding his command until she heard the noise that came from the beast before it crashed into the waters, disappearing for only a few seconds. She had to make a decision, quickly, and as it was made she could only hope that Gerwald would trust her enough to not stop her - because it would look like madness to him.

The skelmorn jumped out of the lake with the same power that it had while moving on land, and the geminaie sprinted towards it before it could land, both lightsabers reversed in her grip in a purely defensive stance. The Skelmorn landed before her on its hind legs, standing to its full height making her look like nothing but an ant. The muscles on its back coiled as it prepared to lunge at her, predatorial eyes placed on the prize before it.

She stood her ground, and the creature shrieked again...before that shriek turned into a softer noise, equally terrifying - but with a very different meaning. Palm was making a gamble that she had considered carefully, now all there was to do was hope she had been right and get ready to do what she could to save her life if she hadn't. The beast came down then, massive claws falling to either side of her much smaller body caging her in before it lowered it's head. It could have easily ended her life right then and there, but it did not.

The beast was cooing, nostrils flaring as it smelled the geminaie, its long backcrest swaying slowly. Unaggressive. It had been agitated by their running, but they had not harmed it so far and so the skelmorn remained neutral. It was not hungry, it was curious. Curious about the woman, and curious about the wolf. It's head bumped against Palm a few times, making her take several steps back as the beast inspected her in a way that, even if pushed her around like a ragdoll, could only be described as gentle coming from something so massive.

"Don't attack it." It was all she said, knowing that it was unwise to get any more attention from the skelmorn than the one she already had. Her sabers were still ignited, but she was careful to keep them from touching the beast. It then turned its gaze onto the lupine, chirping at him, before it began to approach the much larger individual, perhaps wondering where the wolf had gone.


 
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Gerwald watched as the beast fell into the water. The sounds it made seemed to be those of confusion upon feeling the wave of energy and the realization that it was being moved. Something had altered its course, and the idea seemed to make it curious. It did not drown, nor did it remain in the water for long. The sound of its feet thumping into the ground kept his attention on the beast.​

Palm moved closer. Were it not for the fact he did not want to make any sudden noises or movements which would startle the beast, or force it to attack, Gerwald would have protested, loudly. Instead, he had to trust Palm knew what she was doing. There was another sensation pounding in his chest, the fear which gripped him when those under his charge were face to face with danger. In this case, it was justified, and because Palm was much closer to him than many, it was intensified.​

The lupine was forced to use all of his willpower to allow the geminaie to approach the skelmorn. It did not seem to make any sudden movements toward Palm, which was a relief to a degree. His heart skipped several beats as the beast seemed to butt her head playfully, gently in a way.​

Curious.

Gerwald canted his head and nodded when Palm encouraged him not to attack it. A smile stretched across the wolf’s face as he let his sabers fall back to his waist with the force’s guidance. A curious sound came from the creature as it approached Gerwald. It seemed to study him, as if it was trying to figure out why he could smell the wolf but see a man standing where the animal should have been.​

He held his footing as the action was taken. It’s forehead was encased in bone, blunt, but with enough force could break the skin. The wolf in him knew this action all too well. Not only was it curious, but if Gerwald had to guess, it wanted to play. Gerwald just wasn’t sure of the game, or the rules of that game. A smirk tugged at the lips of the dirty blonde lupine, careful not to show any teeth as it could be a sign of aggression. He was just as curious now, wondering how the beast might react to the knowledge Gerwald was the wolf it was looking for.​

Because of who he was, Gerwald had mastered beast language early into his training. Any of the skill to do with nature were those he considered to be part of who he was. The ability to talk to any creature he came across was among those talents that seemed to be invaluable to the wolf. It only took a several seconds for the lupine to isolate the skelmorn in the force. This time as he would begin to speak, images of what Gerwald was saying would flash into the creature’s mind. They could speak as one now, or at least communicate.​

"Jeg er den ulv, du lige jagede," Gerwald said, then made a soft howl as he pointed to himself.

His eyes moved over to Palm as he motioned for her to join him.​

“It’s okay. You can put your sabers away now. I do not think it is going to give us any more trouble. Not for now anyway.”

Gerwald wondered if Palm had been aware of the ability to communicate with the fauna of her world. The Soll’nav had always taught her the force should not be used on others, and Gerwald could only assume that meant other living things as well. There was much she had missed by following their philosophy, and in some ways it felt almost sacrilegious to be doing something that would be against their teachings on the planet of their origin. It forced a smile onto Gerwald’s face when it should not have.​

He placed a hand on the forehead of the beast, carefully, encouraging Palm to do the same.​

“I think it just wants to play,” the comment came after a while. “Though I am not sure that would have been the case at the ravine.”

His eyes held hers for a moment as one of the moons peeked through the clearing. This was nothing like Roon. Gerwald would have not been able to calm that beast, not without expending a lot of energy to do so. In many ways this creature was much more deadly. Agile and nimble, armored with many weapons at its disposal, it was certainly a marvelous thing to behold. Like all things Gerwald had discovered on Geminidae, this beast was a wonder to behold. The lupine was not one who like the idea of caged animals or pets, but if Gerwald were to ever take one, this would be it.​

As his eyes moved back to the skelmorn, Gerwald could see the truth deep in its eyes. It would not be domesticated. That did not mean it could not be loyal.​

Gerwald looked back to Palm. They were sharing another moment. Another question plagued his mind. How many more of these moments could they spend together before the need to give voice to what Gerwald did not want to speak of became urgent. The truth was slowly eating away at him. There would come a time when he would need to be honest with himself and with her.​

“Do you think we could get it to come with us…”

His eyes held a playful curiosity behind them, and despite how ridiculous the request sounded, Gerwald was serious. He was like a child that found a stray on their way home, and Gerwald wanted it.​

“I want to keep it.”



Jeg er den ulv, du lige jagede = I am the wolf you were just chasing.
 
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Wearing: XxX.
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This was the beauty of these creatures. The reason they were so dearly love and so terribly feared. Who could have expected a creature of such human-like curiosity and gentleness could hide behind claws that at a moment's notice would be turned against anything that neared it? The Skelmorn, in a way, were the very embodiment of what Palm was so scared of. They knew no hiding from the their tenebrous tendencies. They knew no control over them when the decided to strike - and they were comfortable in that wildness, in that raw and unbridled power.

She watched the beast as it advanced towards Gerwald. It was not hard to see what had the Hungerer so intrigued, for where it had expected to find a fellow beast, it now saw a man. The amber gaze of the geminaie remained with the two, but especially with Gerwald. His mother tongue reached her ears, a sound she had heard before on Stewjon but that did not cease to draw her in. They had agreed back then to teach each other their native languages, but Palm knew she would never tire of hearing him speak his own.

What was even more surprising was that the words he uttered were meant for the skelmorn, and the predator tilted its head to the side as it chirped and cooed. The sound made was still disturbing and dangerous, but those attributes were not shared by the creature's disposition. It seemed to understand him. And the geminaie could not believe her eyes.

He gestured her forward, and her feet moved on their own towards Gerwald. Her sabers were switched off and returned to their place, slowly, as she paced. The skelmorn seemed pleased by the closeness of both creatures that it had tried to catch, lowering itself even more until its massive head was level with theirs. Amber met ice with a question plastered in them that needed no telepathy to be communicated. You can talk to it?

The geminaie followed his guidance, and her hand reached for the beast's head with a cautious, calm speed. It reached its mark, feeling the hard armor of the creature's head - and Gerwald's hand right next to her own. Her eyes met his, a small smile beginning to break through to curve her lips. "I never thought I'd see something like this." The geminaie knew that the skelmorn could be docile, but trying to discover if that was the case required one made a gamble with their own life, like she had, and so they chose to remain away from them.

"They are...unpredictable. My people love them, we also fear them." It was on very rare occasion that Palm-Imer had difficulty finding her words, but there was something about the scene unravelling before her that made words seem insufficient. The hungerer seemed to understand they were talking about it, and soon its haunches were flat on the ground as it sat in front of the two who held its attention, back and neck lowered so that it's head was level with theirs.

As she looked at Gerwald, it would have been a lie to say his next words surprised her. The skelmorn cooed once again, before lifting its head and letting their hands slide back to their sides - towering above the pair once more as it looked at the moon. When her hand came down it touched Gerwald's own, and as Palm admired the creature before them she allowed her hand to wrap around his, even if a part of her mind told her not to. "Come with us? It would be more difficult to lose it now that it's found us. It will follow." Perhaps it was not wise, but there was something in the creature's eyes and in Gerwald's own that said otherwise. Maybe this was meant to be like this.

Palm's hand slightly tightened her grip around his own, turning her head to look at him again. There was a long moment of silence as the occurrences of the last few moments replayed in her mind, and Palm could feel how words that came from her heart tried to creep up her throat. A part of her tried to stop them, to let them fade as they so often did, for they threatened to crack the walls she had built. But that wouldn't happen and perhaps she would regret the liberation that saying them brought later, but not right now.

"I missed hearing you in my thoughts."
The Skelmorn then gave a short screech, growing impatient. It's massive head was lowered, nuzzling into the lupine. Palm let go of his hand, taking a step back even though she wanted nothing more than to remain near, the pull was stronger tonight. Something deep within her knew what the hungerer wanted, and as she tried to force her feelings back into the shadows of the recesses of her mind, to keep herself from trying to re-establish the closeness between them she so longed for, she spoke again. "It wants to run with the wolf." Her hands were then extended, eyes falling to the sabers he carried which could not go with him if he shifted. "Go, I'll return to the cave and start a fire. Tomorrow will have an early morning."

 
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Amber eyes greeted ice with a simple question, “You can speak with it?” Gerwald nodded as though he had heard her speak it. It was a reminder they did not need a connection through the force to know what the other was thinking or feeling at any given moment. Their eyes would tell the other what they needed to know, and Gerwald had learned to read hers fluently. It was as if they had their own unspoken language between them, a rare thing that Gerwald had developed with only a few, in fact, he would dare to say there was only one other person who he had shared this with.

“Beast Language. Another reason why being open to using the force to its full potential is optimal. I wish the beast on Roon would not have been beyond my control. We would not have had to kill such a majestic thing.”

Palm would hear the remorse in his voice. Despite the darkness in his nature and relative ease with which the wolf could kill, it would be clear that Gerwald did not value the reckless destruction of life or nature. He was one with it. Hunting was meant for sustenance, not the reckless waste of life. The beast would have killed many had they not taken its life, but if Gerwald could have found another way he would have.

Gerwald chuckled as Palm mentioned that the skelmorn would follow them now. He smirked as he looked to it again. They had an understanding, the wolf and the hungerer, two predators which also enjoyed to play as much they liked to hunt. His laugh was cut short when the familiar sensation of Palm’s hand wrapping around his pulled him away from the beast. Gerwald found her eyes once more, and let the silence grow between them.

Something was hidden behind her eyes. Gerwald could see the conflict, the fight. What was she fighting? He knew it was not the struggle between what she had caged. That battle was one that he could always read in her golden orbs. There was a sudden tension in his stomach, as though it had been hit with a brick and twisted into knots. Gerwald could feel it coming. Palm was about to say something, give voice to a thing that once said would not be able to be taken back. The more they fought what they felt, the closer they came to colliding with the inevitable. His eyes closed as she said the one thing which won out.

The lupine remained quiet for a moment. His heart sunk within his chest knowing it had been that intimacy which had led them to where they were now. While he was grateful to share this place with her, the planet and the beast, it had come with a great price. Those feelings which she had allowed him to see had been what drove her to embrace the darkness needed to save him. It was a dangerous game they played, and Gerwald did not want to see Palm sacrifice any more for it. There was not much else she could give.

“I have not wanted to push,” he answered finally. “It cannot be easy for you to hold your connection at bay when I… touch your mind in that way.”

He knew it was an intimate thing they had shared when he forced his way into her mind that day on Naboo. It was not so much his intrusion which had made it so, rather her allowance of it, and the confession she had shared. He was the first, and this was a thing reserved for those considered to be among the closest. Palm had never used the word intimate, but Gerwald had understood what she meant. Whether a master or a lover, the Soll’nav reserved this connection for something that was not casual.

The moment could have been more, had the skelmorn not interrupted them. It seemed there was a part of it which was impatient, jealous even of the connection the wolf shared with the woman. He laughed as Palm suggested it wanted to run with the wolf. She was right, and did not need beast language to know it. The lupine looked up to the creature as he told it to be patient. “Tålmodighed.”

Eyes turned back to Palm. He looked down at her hands, knowing exactly what she meant. A smile stretched across his face as he placed the hilts of his weapons in her care. Though as he stepped forward to give them to her, his mind pressed into hers once again.

<<“We will not be late, but do not wait up. She will keep me safe.”>>

It was not long before Gerwald stood before them both as the wolf once more. A howl let loose, this time with the Skelmorn giving off what seemed like a happy noise. The wolf did not wait before taking off back toward the ravine. There was more to explore, and little time for it.

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The morning had come before either would have wished it to. Gerwald had found a new friend, and his time with the creature which now took guard at the mouth of the cave had been unlike anything the lupine had experienced before. The sun peeked through the cave, hitting the wall of water in a way that the light danced all about them. Errant rays of light flashed in Gerwald’s field of vision, causing him to wake where he lay. His form was human again, clothed, and laying next to Palm-Imer. His arm was under her neck while the other was wrapped around her midsection. They had stayed close to remain warm for the night, but this closeness had stirred memories and feelings Gerwald had tried to contain since they left Stewjon.

He stretched, knowing his movement was likely to stir the woman at his side. “Good Morning,” the wolf said in a groggy and tired voice. She had been asleep when Gerwald had returned, but had looked cold. Now the geminae looked content, warm. He slid his arm from under her and moved before she could pull him closer. The wolf had felt the struggle within her the night before, within himself. This was not the time for them to be tempted by the conflict they both felt.

“Where are we headed today,” he asked, walking over to his pack. They had rations for their journey stored in it, and he busied himself with getting them ready, though they were for her. Thanks to the Skelmorn, Gerwald had eaten the night before.
 

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