Private Where Snow and Stars Fall

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Mysa was not one beholden to the more prudish ways of many Outlanders, she'd spent the first 6 or so years of her life treated as a test subject, had not known care or love or any touch that was not sterile and clinical. Then she'd been sent here, to Midvinter, and she'd found herself in the embrace of a King, a warm and cozy King who passed her on to his son, who was just as warm, and just as cozy.​

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From there she'd become a rather tactile child. She would always play closely with Théodred Heavenshield giving piggybacks and helping to make his childish injuries better. When she met Darien Cordel it was more of the same, they'd held hands as they ran through jungles, supported one another, there was no consideration as to whether it was the proper way of things, no thoughts of cooties and the like.​

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Touch was important to her, and so even the touch of this stranger did little to unnerve her. It was simply a necessity, how else would he remain in the saddle?​

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His grip tightened and she seemed to soften beneath him in response, no longer on edge and braced to catch him should he slip. Even when his chin settled upon her shoulder she didn't seem to mind, or even really notice.​

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"He was a great man" she said of Thrand, "Immortalized in his death." It might not make sense to one not privy to their ways, but it didn't have to. Thankfully Starlin did not seem to actually be judging, if anything he was just confused.​

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"Well, I hope they will. I'm more than willing to relearn their ways if I must, it has been years since I stepped away."​

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His protests were met with a soft chuckle and a shake of her head, "I quite enjoy roughing it" she confessed, "But even I know better than to turn down an actual bed." He hadn't spurned the notion, so that was something. She could travel with him, with them. Odiir would get some time to roost and roam as he pleased, Raé some much needed time of rest, and whatever dear Theryn wished to use her for, but Felix?​

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Well, Sir Starlin permitting he'd accompany her as always. He was her shadow, after all.​

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The awe he felt resonated between them as Heavenheim came into view, particularly the rocky titans who faced the sea. "This will have been Fridheim when you were last here" she remarked, "It has expanded quite considerably in recent years, a true jewel."​

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They were soon entering through the landed city gates, and Mysa guided Raé up toward the seat of House Heavenshield and soon brought her into the family stables. There she dismounted, and offered up a hand should Starlin require assistance getting down. Felix was already there, nestled within the hay lining the floor of Raé's stall, licking at his paw.​

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"I'll be right back" she said, "Oh, are you hungry?" There was always something being cooked, ripe for sharing.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Yeah, she could travel with them. She could have that empty room down the hall, the one he sometimes jokingly offered to Miri and Kyell in the event they had another baby. (Or to Eli, if his new pup grew so big she needed her own room to roost in.) By the time they reached Heavenheim, he was actually feeling pretty enthusiastic about the idea, and the sight of that great fairytale city had him flying high. He started to sing as they approached the gates.

“Hey, pretty baby with the high heels on, you give me fever like I've never ever known!...”

The romantic nature of the lyrics wasn’t something he considered; he just liked the upbeat tune and the way the rhythm matched the clop-clop of the horse’s hooves. It also helped that he had the satisfaction of finishing the song right around the same time that they reached their destination, with Mysa dismounting and turning around to help him down as well.

He took her hand and sort of flung himself off of Raé’s back, staggering as he hit the ground. It did little to dampen his mood, however, as he nodded enthusiastically at the mention of food. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” He glanced at Raé. “Er, not really. It’s just a figure of speech."

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

He sang, and though it was not a song she was familiar with she found herself quite enthralled all the same. There were bards amongst her people, those who told tales through musical oration, and she had always been quite fond of listening to them, watching as they played and recited historical events.​

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That he was so moved by the mere sight of the city was a nice and unexpected revelation. She didn't bother him with further talks as they rode, instead she set them on their route up through the streets until he was finished with his song and they'd reached their destination.​

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She patted Raé on her neck, then nodded to Starlin. "No horse to eat, I'm afraid, but I'll bring back something from the kitchens."​

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Then she was gone, off into the main house. It didn't take her long to find and acquire what she sought, and before she left she gave Thurion Heavenshield a gentle kiss on his cheek and informed him of her plans to visit the College. They'd return here again before leaving for Coruscant, she felt certain. Well, she had to right? Had to get her old things out of storage.​

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It was only Felix which accompanied her this time when she brought a small cauldrons worth of stew, and two bowls, down to the stables and laid out the warm cloak on the ground for them to sit. She poured him a portion, then herself, before setting the half-full cauldron between them. "Help yourself to as much as you need" she said, as she removed a water skin from her belt and offered that out too.​

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The stew was very meat-heavy, well flavoured and seasoned.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

With Mysa having gone to get food, Starlin was left alone with Raé. Despite having ridden to the city on the mare's back, he was still a little timid around her. But by the time Mysa returned, even that had clearly changed.

"Horsey, horsey, eat your corn, lift your tail and blow your—" He broke off upon spotting the white-haired woman, one hand reaching out to stroke Raé's neck. "Oh hey! Is that food?"

It was. Starlin was surprised at her willingness to eat so close to the stables. Might've been a cultural thing. At any rate, it posed little danger to him. He ladled himself a great heaping helping of stew and proceeded to eat it with relish.

"Good stuff," he muttered between bites. Gesturing to the main house, he asked, "Nice place, too. You live here?"

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Upon hearing the soft singing provided by the Outlander to her mare, Mysa had purposely slowed for a moment to better relish the sound of it. A sweet moment to be sure, so many were very quick to dismiss animals, to view them as inferior, but here he was interacting with Raé, stroking her neck even. She beamed brightly once she'd been spotted, and nodded her head.​

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"Elkki stew," she explained, reaching into her pocket to pull free a crust of bread wrapped in linen which she offered over to him too. Sitting across from him, she didn't even bother with a spoon and instead lifted her bowl to her lips and drank the broth. Just what she needed after days in the woods. Warm and hearty. "Sometimes," she remarked as to whether she lived here at the Great Hall, "I call many places home."​

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Starlin seemed to have a healthy appetite, and as she watched him eat an almost impressed look crossed her expression. "You are not shy, withdrawn..." He'd thus far embraced everything she'd thrown his way, "That is good, you have spirit. Curiosity."​

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A soft hum left her as she tilted her head a little to the right. "You sing often?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin gasped in delight at the sight of bread. As if suddenly possessed by the spirit of a duck, he snatched the crust from her, dunked it in the stew, and tore into it with his teeth. “Thank you.”

Mysa gave a vague answer to his question. Which was fine. He had sort of put two and two together, figuring out that she was some sort of important person (or at least related to somebody important), although he didn’t know the specifics. Something to figure out later, he supposed.

Right now, he was distracted by the “tattoo” on her lower lips, which had begun to magically disappear as she ate. “Uhhh,” he began, pointing to his own lip. “Your line thingmajig is… vanishing.” Like lipstick, he realized. Was it just paint? And here he thought it was ink…

"You are not shy, withdrawn… That is good, you have spirit. Curiosity."

“People usually just say I’m an idiot,” he said with a grin. “But thanks. You're pretty cool too. Very easy to hang out with.”

"You sing often?"

“No, actually. Well, not in public. I play guitar in a band called Friendzoned at the Funeral.” He used the bread to sop up the last of the stew. “Why, do you sing?”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

The bread was more of a hit than she'd been expecting, perhaps she should have brought more than just the heel. "Most welcome, Sir Starlin" she remarked with a soft inclination of her head, "I shall fetch more, before we leave." She would never have it said that she left a guest lacking, or wanting. Hospitality was important, after all.​

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When he gestured to his own lip and made mention of the vanishing line she set down her bowl and reached up a hand to wipe her mouth. "Shame," she mumbled, "Usually I can get a week out of it. Oh well." No great harm done, three days was still something, and it wasn't exactly difficult to replace. "Do you have markings, too?"​

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Mysa had a great many, though given how bundled up she was it was impossible to tell. ​

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An idiot, he claimed. She chuckled lightly, but shook her head. "No, I don't think so. You seem fearless and optimistic, good traits to have." She was easy to hang out with? Well that was good to know. "Not so bad yourself." Her head tilted the other way as she regarded him as he ate, taking him in more than she had before now. Blue eyes, framed by dark curls. The contrast was more than a little interesting, and reminded her of Théo.​

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Gods how she missed her brother.​

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"Guitar" she mused, with a very soft nod, "I'm more familiar with percussive instruments, I never got the hang of.. strings?" Mysa shrugged. "I sing here and there, to share the stories of my people. It is nice to listen to others though, reminds me I'm not alone."​

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She spent so much time alone, amidst nature, with just her creatures for company. Not that she minded, of course, but things had definitely been lonely since the Phoenix passed, and Théo ran off to live his life. Everyone was growing up, moving on. Even Theryn had found many things here to keep him busy before his inevitable return to Aurum.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“I thought it was a tattoo,” Starlin said with a chuckle. “Y’know, permanent.” Watching it smear under her hand, he was reminded even more of lipstick. Force, he used to love watching girls paint their mouths with lacquer and gloss…

"Do you have markings, too?"

Perhaps surprisingly, he shook his head. “Nah. I’m a wuss when it comes to needles. I do have a lot of scars, though.” He’d been in too many battles to count, and had the galvanized flesh to prove it.

“Fearless and optimistic? Girl, you’re makin’ me blush.” His cheeks did feel a little bit hot, though that could’ve been from the heat of the stew. “We just met, you know. You haven’t seen me face down some big threat or great tragedy yet.” But she was largely correct in her assessment. In spite of everything the galaxy had thrown at him over the years, Starlin was still the happiest person he knew.

She seemed to study him more closely. Starlin stared back, at first trying to be funny, but then he grew nervous under her gaze and looked away, cheeks redder than ever.

He’d had a string of bad luck when it came to women. Isolda, Ishani, Iris. (Hey, how come they all had names starting with I? Weird…) All of them had been unrequited, doomed never to grow into anything more. After a while, he basically just gave up trying. He didn’t want to get his hopes up again, mistaking friendliness for flirtation.

“You mean you play drums?” he asked, glad to talk about something he loved. “Oh yeah, you guys are really into the bardic traditions. What’s your favorite of those?”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Permanent. "Not this, no," she retorted with a grin which broadened when he spoke of his fear of needles. So there was something indeed which set him on edge. Curious. "It's not so bad, usually" she said insofar as tattoos were concerned. "Boney areas are certainly unpleasant, but I quite enjoyed most of mine."​

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Her skin was fast becoming a tapestry. The hip tattoo had been the worst of the bunch, there wasn't much there to cushion it, but it was also a very special one and thus she didn't regret it for a moment. Still, they weren't for everyone.​

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Starlin was blushing, and Mysa found her own cheeks reddening slightly too. "That just means you've yet to prove my assessment wrong" she countered. "So it shall remain such, Sir Starlin, for now at least."​

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Her visual interest in him seemed to worsen his embarrassment, and after a few more moments enjoying the process of mapping out his features she looked away to spare him from any more discomfort.​

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"Drums, yes. Hand drums, mostly." As for her preferred... "The tale of the Vinterbound. My brother Théo and I rode into battle on the back of a Vhaanir, Arelwis, and the scourge of these lands was almost entirely wiped from existence." The grin which accompanied those initial statements soon fled though. "It's also the tale of how Grandpa became the Sun God..."​

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Mysa's heart had been broken that day, she hadn't even said a proper goodbye. She'd fled instead, her grief so raw. It hadn't lasted long of course, she was back with her family in no time, but even then she couldn't quite bring herself to see him off. The first kind soul in the entire Galaxy... Mysa slipped a hand into her pocket, and lightly ran a thumb over the wooden figurine nestled there.​

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"Have you had enough?" she inquired insofar as the stew was concerned, "There's a little more left, if you'd care for it."​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“You enjoyed being stuck with a needle?” Starlin asked, side-eyeing Mysa. Was she one of those people who liked pain?

He listened as she spoke of the Vinterbound. Though he had a few questions—he had no clue what a Vhaanir was, for one—he stayed quiet, recognizing the lingering grief she harbored. “Sorry for your loss,” he murmured. Maybe that was a dumb thing to say, since the battle had probably happened years ago, but still. At least her grandpa had become a solar deity upon his death.

“Uh, sure, I’ll take some more.” He polished off the last of the stew, discreetly belched, and wiped his mouth. “Okay… Is it time to go to the College now?”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Mysa shrugged.​

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"It's sort of... cathartic?" Probably didn't make any sense, especially not to someone who so clearly had a disdain and phobia for the damn things, "Let's my mind be free for a little while, I suppose. All I can focus on while it's happening is, well, that it's happening."​

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There was more to it than that, of course, each of the tattoos she bore had great sentimentality to her, they were representative of something or someone.​

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His apology came and went with just a soft nod of her head, the girl was more than happy to glide on past that conversation entirely if he'd allow it. Instead she finished off her stew and waited for him to be done also. It didn't take much longer.​

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"Sure, you still haven't answered though... Landing pads, or steps?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Cathartic? Starlin puzzled over why she might see it that way. “Is it because it gives you control over your body?” he asked, his tone careful, if not gentle. “Decorating your flesh like it’s a canvas, choosing the designs that are inked onto your skin…”

Between her avoiding the subject of the battle and Starlin eating the last of the stew, for a little while silence reigned. “The steps,” he replied, swiftly recovering his good humor with a smile and a nod. “I’ll even race you.”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

From the change in her expression, it was clear that she'd never considered it from that perspective before. Yes she saw her body as a canvas, a tapestry, but was it to regain some sense of control in her life? "Huh..." Further introspection had her nodding her head, "In a way, I suppose." She had spent so long out of control, after all, first left to the devices of her Creator and the minions who poked and prodded and experimented, then feeling thoroughly out of place in the Galaxy, passed between people every time she felt settled. It had gained her a large, doting family in the end, but she never quite knew where it was she was supposed to be.​

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At whose hearth, in whose arms, where she ought to lay her head at night, and whether it was strange to have two sets of parents, and brothers who doubled as cousins. Her eyes drifted to Felix; at least she always had him to keep her grounded/​

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"You speak of scars; you are a warrior then? A Guardian, like my Papa..?" Mysa had a great many scars of her own, some of which rend lines through her tattoos even. "Maybe one day we can trade."​

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For now though, they had a mountain to ascend. She rose up to her feet, then offered down a hand to Starlin to help him back to his feet. "Felix, kom" she called out to the ferocious kitty, her voice sing-song and filled with adoration, "We'll borrow horses to get us to the foot of the mountain" she declared, before softly faltering, "Or a horse, if you'd feel more comfortable sharing?"​

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He was still new to this, after all.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Pretty much,” Starlin replied with a nod. “My lightsaber is blue.” Her next statement threw him off. “Uh, how would we trade scars?...”

She asked if he wanted a horse of his own. “Probably not a good idea. I’ll stick with you. Long as you don’t mind the smell.” He felt a little self-conscious about the stench of smoke that clung to him, knowing that many people didn’t like it.

Although Mysa didn’t seem like the sort of person who would even bother to offer in the first place if it bothered her. Hell, she probably would’ve kicked him off if he stank that bad.

“How do you say your horsey’s name again?” he asked, cautiously approaching the snow white mare.

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Blue.​

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Definitely a Guardian then, though by looking at him she wouldn't have immediately guessed that. Then again, those she surrounded herself with were big Valkyri warriors, and it was impossible to judge others based off such a society. She brushed aside her overshirt to better show the lightsaber hilt she carried and grinned, "Purple" she declared, "Though, I don't know what that would make me."​

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As for trading scars. "You know, trade stories. Show you mine if you show me yours type of thing..?" Wasn't that something everyone did?​

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Starlin decided not to have a horse of his own, and she thought him wise for it. "Who knows, maybe if you return again we can get you in the saddle with the reins." As for her beloved horse. "Raé" she declared, though she soon shook her head, "But she needs rest. I worked her for several days in those woods, she deserves time in her stall." A chance to recuperate, to properly eat and drink her fill.​

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Instead Mysa plucked the cloak up off the ground and brushed off any debris, then offered it to Starlin to trade for her own back. "We'll borrow Floknir" she decided instead, gesturing for him to follow as she strode several stalls down to where a midnight black stallion was waiting. He was tackless though, so before she entered his stall she wandered further past him to the tack shed and brought forth the saddle, bit, halter, and reins. Mysa was quick to set them into place once she was inside Floknir's stall, well practiced.​

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Then she stroked along his abyssal mane and set a kiss upon his nose, right where one single speck of white stood out against the inky backdrop.​

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"Duktig pojke, Floknir" she cooed, "Kom igen." With an added whistle and a very gentle tug she led him forward from his stall and toward the mounting block, he was a very large horse after all, meant for the Valkyri, whereas Raé was more pony. Horse sized for Mysa, but too small for the natives to comfortably ride. Floknir had arguably the opposite problem, though she still hefted herself up into the saddle regardless.​

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Then she offered a hand down to Starlin.​

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"Felix, väska." She watched as the mighty cat stretched, rose, and then ambled his way into the main house. When he returned a few minutes later, he was burdened by a knapsack which she reached down to pluck from his maw. "Such a good boy" she beamed, as she threw it over her shoulder and glanced toward the passenger at her back. "Ready, Sir Starlin?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“That would make you somebody with a purple lightsaber.” Starlin shot finger guns at her. The color-coding of lightsabers was arbitrary anyway, with only the more traditional ones lining up their color to their particular class. He had an orange shoto, after all.

"You know, trade stories. Show you mine if you show me yours type of thing..?"

Starlin’s face flushed scarlet. “Heh, some of my scars are a little, uh… too close for comfort.” He looked away, then hurried off to the stables like a fire had been lit under his ass.

Soon he was back in his usual joking mood. “Floknir the Flokinator,” he said, whistling upon seeing the majestic black stallion. He took Mysa’s hand—she looked rather small upon the big boy’s back—and settled in. “Oho, this is more like it.”

He beamed at her. “Let’s gooooo!”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

His answer brought a bright grin from her, as well as a chuckle. "You fit right in here, Sir Starlin" she declared, her statement boldly uttered, "You do not trivially attach labels based on the superficial. I knew I liked you." Mysa was typically very good at reading people, but it was still extremely nice to have her suspicions proven correct, at least where someone's good character was concerned.​

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Starlin soon turned beet red, and Mysa's grin only grew. "As are some of mine" she confessed, with a very light shrug of her shoulders, "But some are not all, no?" She reached up a hand to brush away some of her braided fringe, revealing a scar which lay along her hairline. "Almost split my head in two" she claimed, "Vinterbound... Gods damn their unnaturally risen states." She hadn't come toe to toe with many of them, most had been wiped out before she and Théo could really approach the battlefield after all, and Arelwis and her fellow Vhaanir had certainly done a number on them, but that didn't mean all had been snuffed from existence.​

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In the weeks following Thrand Dawnbringer's death, hunting parties had sought out the rest of them. Mysa hadn't even been looking for them, in truth, but she'd happened upon one all the same. She'd learned that day never to let her guard down. Yet... Here she was. Her guard, down.​

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The jovial nickname he immediately gave to her brother's stallion made Mysa giggle slightly. "I shall have to tell Theryn that one" she hummed, "Floknir the Flokinator, you are a funny man Sir Starlin."​

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He seemed more at ease this time as he mounted the horse and sat behind her. She reached back, taking his hand to ensure he wrapped it properly around her waist once more, then nudged Floknir into action. At the horse's heels, Felix cantered too. Off they went, across the snow-swept lands of the West, headed back East toward the Heartlands. Mysa pulled her hood up, encouraging him to do the same, hoping to keep some of the brutal windchill from setting in.​

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It was a quiet journey for the most part, and soon night was upon them. "We should rest" she told him, "We can finish in the morning." It was only a few hours out now, but traveling in the dark was not so wise, not if one did not stick to the beaten path. It was easy to get lost, turned around, especially on evenings like this when the snow seemed so intent on falling heavy.​

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"How are you at seeking firewood?" she asked, as she swung her leg over the side of the saddle and made to get down.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“You like me, eh?” Starlin bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. Unused to being praised by anyone these days, he had no idea what to do with her words or the sentiment behind them. We just met, he kept reminding himself. It’s fine, we’re all just being nice to each other here, there’s no pressure… “I like that you’re so direct.”

Mysa commenced showing off her scars. “What’re Vinterbound?” Starlin asked, eyeing the serious-looking cut along her hairline. “And, uh, who’s Theryn?”

Astride Floknir, Starlin once again positioned his arms carefully around her waist. Her clothing was thick enough that he wasn’t anywhere near touching bare skin, but he could tell through the layers of fur, leather, and linen that she was all muscle. Tough girl.

They traveled until nightfall, at which point Mysa advised that they make camp. Starlin had an easier time dismounting this time, and he nodded in response to her question. “I’ve done it before.”

He wandered off in search of firewood, returning several minutes later with a bundle in his arms. After dumping the pile on the ground, he searched for Mysa. “Look what I found,” he said. Pinched between his fingers was a purple flower, pretty but common. “I take it this is a sign that spring is coming soon?”

Did they even have spring on the planet with “winter” in its name? Eh, well, the flower had managed to grow regardless. On a spontaneous impulse, he tucked the purple flower in Mysa’s hair, then went to set up the fire.

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"Yeah. I do. You're easy to like." Seemed a no brainer to her. When he reciprocated with praise of his own she smiled. "Life is too short to beat around a bush, no?"​

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His questions had her eyes lighting up, and she tried to squish down the grief which often accompanied talks of the former. "Vinterbound are an ancient race who were once a scourge on this world, they sought nothing but destruction, and weren't so much... alive." Mysa frowned slightly. "It was in the great battle we fought in defense against them that my Grandpa passed."​

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As for Theryn. "Theryn is my little brother. Floknir is his stallion, but he's busy reconnecting with his roots, training with my Papa, so he won't mind."​

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Starlin was quick to fall into the role of firewood gatherer, even faster than she'd expected. Once minute he was there, confirming that he'd done it before, and the next? "Please be safe" she called after him, before she turned to spy their immediate surroundings. She led Floknir toward the treeline, which would protect them some from the worst of the snow, and hitched his reins to a tree, before clearing a space free from snow on the ground so that a fire could actually be set up.​

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Provisions were fetched from the knapsack, and by the time that Starlin returned with a bundle of old, dry wood in his grasp she'd prepared a simple meal. Now all they needed was a flame to cook the meat over. She steepled the firewood, allowing space for the air to flow, and then set about trying to light the kindling with a simple flint and steel.​

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He soon distracted her with the flower, so the fire remained unlit. She peered up at him, knelt on the ground, and blushed deeply as the beautiful purple flower was first revealed to her and then slipped into her hair. "Heatherdrops" she breathed, eyes unexpectedly brimming with tears, reaching a hand up to delicately touch it. "One of my favourites... They thrive through the cold, resilient and beautiful." They had such a wonderful scent too.​

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"Thank you" she whispered. "It was sweet of you to bring one back."​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

“So the Vinterbound are… undead? Zombies?” Zombie-type creatures could be found everywhere in the galaxy. Starlin hated them. Mindless, flesh-hungry, shambling corpses… nasty.

“Noice,” Starlin murmured after she explained that Theryn was her brother. He had no siblings, though the many children who had stayed with his family over the years had given him a taste of what it was like.

"Please be safe."

“I always am,” he said cheerfully, before setting off. By the time he returned, she had set things up for dinner. After placing the flower in her hair—heatherdrop, she called it—Starlin turned his attention to the unlit fire. He snapped his fingers, and with the Force he set the dry wood ablaze.

“Aw, don’t mention it,” he said, sitting down before the fire. Now that night had fallen, the cold was deepening. He was glad for the warmth of the flames.

Mysa Snowstrider​