Private Where Snow and Stars Fall

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"Something like that" she mused, a ponderous expression falling over her features, "I was only small when they wrought their tragedy upon our home, when they gave me this," she gestured back up to the scar running along her hairline, "Most do not speak of them much anymore, so I may be remembering them a little wrongly. A child's mind can be rather... hyperbolic, no?" Had they been dead or simply something else? Mysa couldn't remember. But they seemed it. Acted like undead zombies in her mind.​

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She could have lied and said she knew for sure, but that wasn't the kind of woman Mysa was.​

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Once they had paused to make camp, and the flower had been set within her hair, Starlin took over the process of lighting the fire. No flint and steel, or lighter, or any other tool she was familiar with, came into his grasp. And yet all at once and quite suddenly, with just the snapping of his fingers, a fire was ignited all the same. Mysa took a step back at the suddenness of it all, eyes widening in a flash of fear she couldn't squish down.​

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Part of being an open book was being honest about your weaknesses too, about those phobias housed deep inside. And Mysa had no great love of fire, for all that she'd been subjected to at the lick of it. Somewhat ironic, given that her late Father was the Phoenix King, known for being a fiery figure. She'd never felt fearful of him though, not even when he was ablaze, he'd seemed... contained. Random wild fires, or those in the hands of ones looking to harm her?​

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She shuddered, then finally settled when it was clear he was doing nothing more than lighting the fire. One hand reached up to once more touch the beautiful flower tucked into her snow white hair, and fear gave way to a gentle smile once more.​

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Mysa knelt down beside him, also grateful for the warmth of a campfire, and stuck into the snowy ground the ends of a few metal skewers which held pieces of seasoned meat upon them, tilted at an angle so that the meat itself was set over the fire. Almost immediately the smell of it had her tummy rumbling.​

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"Are you warm enough, Sir Starlin? I hope the cloak is sufficiently cozy."​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin shrugged. He’d never heard of the Vinterbound himself, so he couldn’t say for certain either. All he had was her word to go by. “Well, I’m glad they’ve been taken care of,” he said. “They don’t sound friendly, so I’d rather not meet one.”

Mysa seemed startled by the sudden fire that bloomed. “Oh, that’s just a Force trick,” he explained, waggling his fingers. “Pyrokinesis, it’s called. Pretty easy once you figure out how to do it.”

Bending his rear end toward the flames to warm it, he grinned. “Yeah. But it can’t cover all my extremities.”

Once she started cooking, he took a seat beside the fire, wrapping the cloak tightly around his body. He seemed to grow more thoughtful, staring quietly into the flames, when seemingly out of the blue he asked, “Do Midvinterians have arranged marriages?”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"There hasn't been a Vinterbound sighting in a great many years. Mother and Master Syn were the last I heard of encountering any, I do believe we should be safe insofar as they are concerned." There were other creatures on Midvinter which were dangerous of course, but Felix would catch wind of them long before they approached, and if not he then Mysa herself. She was quite... astute.​

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As for the fire, now that she had calmed his explanation made a lot of sense. She nodded her head, glancing down to his hands and then back to the fire. "I have no great love of untamed fire" she confessed, and even now the soles of her feet seemed eager to fuss as though freshly blistered. Those had always been the worst of it, though the tapestry that was her body knew a great many scars and burns just as it knew ink.​

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Things fell silent for a time while the meat cooked, and Mysa set about portioning them each out some of the other provisions she'd brought. Bread, hard cheese, some freshly gathered berries, and even a little wine though that remained in a skin for them to share. When his question came it was quite the surprise, and for a moment she pondered on the answer.​

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Then she shook her head.​

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"No, not that I am aware of. Life is already too short, too brutal, let those who love love. I've never heard of someone forced to marry another, Runa would not approve of such I do not think... Not that I can speak for the Gods." Queen Runa, Mother of the Gods, seemed far too compassionate to stand for such. "Why do you ask?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

The food was very simple, but then they were traveling, so that made sense. Starlin had already begun to snack on the berries while he waited for her to answer his question.

Mysa said no. Starlin tried not to sigh too loudly in relief. “Good,” he said. “I’ve had more than enough of that crap lately. My apprentice and my other apprentice’s girlfriend both just got… arranged.”

Corazona von Ascania and Eliphas Dune had both been hit by the Hammer of Duty, with disastrous results. Cora had caved under the blows, agreeing to marry the worst Prince in the Rim, while the matter of Eli’s need to produce an heir had yet to be resolved. To say nothing of the tangled web of Starlin’s feelings for Isolda, Eli’s betrothed.

“It seems complicated and messy and uncomfortable,” he said, tossing back another berry. “I actually got arrested for trying to help Makko’s girlfriend escape it all. But it turned out she didn’t want my help anyway…”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

The berries were an odd mix of sweet and tart, and Mysa knew that they made great syrups, cordials, pies, and even stuffing for certain gamey meats. They had none of that, of course, just the berries themselves, but seeing him eating them brought such thoughts to mind. She beamed a smile, perhaps she should find a way to bring some with her if she did in fact end up going to Coruscant. A cutting to propagate, then she could show him all the delightful ways they could be enjoyed.​

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Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. Chances were once they reached Coruscant he'd go back to his every day life and duties, and on such a bustling world they'd likely not run into one another again. Quite unexpectedly, she found her heart sinking at the thought.​

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The smile faltered, then fell entirely when he spoke more on arranged marriages.​

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"And outsiders see our people as living in the past" she mumbled, with a soft shake of her head, "At least we know better than to force something disingenuous. I am sorry to hear about your students, Sir Starlin, and I am glad to hear you're willing to stand up for what you believe in, even if it is not the easiest path to take. Admirable, and brave. Not many have the stones to go against the tide. You are a good and noble man."​

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She turned the skewers, scorching the other side of the meat, and reached for a little of the cheese, breaking a corner off the wedge. She chewed on it, savouring its nutty taste, and waited until she'd swallowed before speaking again.​

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"What of you, Sir Starlin? Have you a love in your life?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin loved fruits. When it came to alcohol, he tended to get drinks mixed with some type of sweet fruit, as it helped with the taste. He also enjoyed smoothies flavored with cryptberries, a notoriously toxic berry to most other humanoids. But Starlin’s Balosar heritage made him largely immune to its effects, provided he got a small size drink and didn’t have it every day.

He grew a bit flustered as she went on praising him, keeping his gaze averted toward the campfire. “I mean… heh… Everyone else called me an idiot for using a Jedi mind trick on the Crown Prince of Ukatis…”

Still. It felt good to get some positive feedback, rather than the negative or lukewarm responses he’d gotten from the Prince, other Jedi, and Corazona herself.

Dinner was served, and Starlin dug in.

"What of you, Sir Starlin? Have you a love in your life?"

He nearly choked on a bite of meat. “Um,” he muttered, taking a sip of what he thought was water to wash it down. It turned out to be wine, which only made it worse. He sputtered. “I… I’ve had plenty of crushes, and I’ve been, uh, in love a couple of times, but… my feelings were never reciprocated.”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"An idiot?" Mysa could not help but chuckle, "A foolish endeavor in the end, perhaps, but with the right intentions." She did not see such as idiocy, nor could she ever be pushed toward believing such. Still, she'd more than made her point and poor Starlin seemed about ready to combust as brightly as the fire he'd conjured up if she continued along in the same vein. For now she let the matter lie, and ceased her positive deconstruction of his personage.​

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She waited for Starlin to take one of the skewers worth of meat before she reached for one of her own, ensuring that he was first to eat, or drink, as had become her ways insofar as guests were concerned. Hospitality mattered, after all. Her eyes widened when he began to choke, though it did not last long before he washed it down with the wineskin. She was about to remark upon how she hoped the meat was satisfactory, and hadn't been the cause of his sudden lack of breath, after all she wasn't the best cook in existence, when an explanation fast came.​

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Apparently her query had been most unexpected.​

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In so short a span of time the pair had become rather candid and open. Though it was clearly a difficult subject she'd brokered, he didn't shy from it.​

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"Unrequited love, it leaves its mark... You will find your one, they are out there somewhere. Mother Runa would never leave one so virtuous without."​

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She waited a moment more, to ensure that he regained his breath, before taking a bite of the meat for herself. ​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin smirked, but didn't say anything more. Even Mysa had to admit what he had done was stupid, even if his intentions were good. It's universal; I'm still the galaxy's biggest fool. Just checking to make sure...

Wiping some wine that had spilled down his chin on the back of his hand, he shrugged. "I'm not looking to find 'the one'," he said. "I was just hoping to find somebody who's willing to put up with me, and who I can stand in return. 'Cause if you think about it, all the romance is gonna fade away eventually. All that you'll be left with is..."

He trailed off, seeming to struggle to find the right words, and glanced at the wineskin as if it might be responsible. "Love, I guess." He snorted. "What about you, Mysa? You got a boyfriend, or a beau, a suitor...?" He wasn't sure what the Midvinterians called their lovers.

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"Love" she echoed back with a soft hum, and a tender nod of her head, "Whether or not they are the one, some fated soulmate, or not... There is someone out there, Sir Starlin." She had watched curiously as he wiped the wine from his chin, then pondered on an answer as he turned the question back her way.​

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"No" she said rather plainly, "I have felt platonic love, and kindred love, and I have had a crush once before myself, but..." Mysa shrugged her shoulders, reaching into her knapsack to pull free a parchment wrap filled with meat slithers. She tossed a couple over to Felix. "My Grandpa and my Papa were the first to claim my heart," dear sweet Thrand who had been the first to show her any form of love, and Thurion Heavenshield who had shown her unconditional love. "And as a child, I dearly loved my friend Darien Cordel like we were bound by blood, siblings."​

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Where was Darien these days? Had he successfully integrated into the Silver Jedi, or had he ended up elsewhere in his bid to outrun his father's past? Mysa did not know, and it brought a raw pain to her features as her brow crumpled. As for her crush? "Then there was Gideon... I do not know if that was love, it was too fleeting to know for sure. He passed in the battle for Thainbroek... So young."​

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He'd been the first to kiss her though. The only one to kiss her, in truth. He had been gone for quite some time now, and Mysa had been away from Midvinter since then hot on the heels of her wayward brother. No time for love, no time to even wonder if she was missing out.​

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"There I go" she muttered, with a small smile, "Oversharing again. Here, pass me that..." Mysa extended a hand out toward Starlin and the wineskin he was still handling.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

It was sort of funny, her talkin’ ‘bout love while flinging chunks of raw meat at the big kitty. Kinda cute, too.

At least, until things took a sad turn. She’d lost a crush who had been killed in battle. “Chit,” Starlin muttered. “Sorry to hear it.”

She called it oversharing. “Hey, I’m the one who asked,” Starlin said, passing the wineskin over to her. But he recognized that she might not want to talk about this stuff. “You got any, like… preferences?” Surely that was a lighter topic of discussion.

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Things turned momentarily somber, though neither seemed in a rush to keep it that way. She managed a tiny smile when his sympathy reared its head, but otherwise did not continue to delve into it. Instead she took the wineskin and sipped from it. Far sweeter than even the mead she was most used to and that was packed full of honeyed goodness. One gulp, two, then she handed it back his way and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.​

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"Preferences?" she inquired with a curious tilt of her head, grateful for the change of subject, "In what sense, Starlin?" She had not consciously dropped the titles prefix of course, but as night fast set and the warmth of the fire called to her things began to feel a little more secluded, as though the rest of the Galaxy was shut out. Til only the pair of them and the two animals accompanying them remained, along with the crackling of firewood.​

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She offered him another skewer, then reached for the final one herself. A healthy appetite to be sure, especially after days spent in the woods.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Like, uh... Tall, or short." He held up his hands at different level to indicate height. "Blonde hair, brown hair, red hair... Muscular or thick or skinny..." He kept going, finding his grin again as he rattled off random physical and personality attributes. "Funny or sweet... or do you like 'em dangerous? Do the bad boys do it for ya, girl?"

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Mysa just sort of stared at him as he lifted off a bunch of random traits, physical and psychological, her brows raising. She waited admirably until he was done, then allowed another broad grin to form as a chuckle leapt forth from her.​

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"Can't say I've given it much thought" she confessed, "Must they be funny or sweet?" As for 'bad boys' she shook her head. "Nothing truly bad, no, there's enough of that in the Galaxy. And I care not for height or weight or hair colour. Who they are matters, not what they look like."​

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She shook her head, then tilted it a little to one side as she regarded him fondly.​

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"I've never really had the space to explore such, what did you say.. Preferences?" With a soft hum she glanced back to the fire and took another bite of the fire roasted meat. "Since you mention it, does that mean you have preferences?"​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Really?" Starlin feigned shock. "I've met girls who wouldn't date a guy who was under six feet, believe it or not. Some of it—well, most of it is pretty ridiculous. It's like when guys ask each other whether they prefer a girl's... uh." He suddenly seemed reluctant to finish the rest of his sentence, cheeks coloring slightly. "Well, never mind. I admire your lack of shallow materialism."

"Since you mention it, does that mean you have preferences?"

"I have a thing for hot warrior babes," he admitted, laughing. "Yeah, I dunno if I could live with a girl who couldn't defend herself. I'd be scared to leave her alone, and that wouldn't be good for either of us." He thought of his mother, whom he hadn't seen in years now. He'd hidden her away somewhere secret for fear of endangering her with his presence. "It's all right to have standards, y'know."

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

"I live among strong warrior men, who tower over me and leave me feeling dwarfed. Having someone more my own size would admittedly be nice" she smirked, it was true that amongst the Valkyri she and her mother, and indeed Nina Heavenshield too, resembled mere children, blessed snowflakes though they might have been. Umbaran set against the mighty folk of Midvinter? Suffice to say she was used to being in others' shadows.​

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Starlin's trailed off words earned him another grin. "Oh, is that what men speak about in their free time?" she wondered almost idly, "Perhaps more women ought to wrap themselves in fur then, makes it harder to be... oggled."​

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It was easy to make Starlin's cheeks redden she had noticed. That he was so forthcoming with his feelings was a breath of fresh air. In many ways he reminded her of her Papa, he too wore his heart upon his sleeve. It was a noble trait, she'd found.​

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When his preferences came she perked a brow. "Hot... Warrior... babes..?" Mysa whistled quietly, trying to hold off a chuckle, "Maybe you've come to the right place then, many Valkyri women fit such a bill. Though it might be you who'd have an issue with their height in such a case."​

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Standards. Yes, she nodded to that. "It is wise to know what you want, saves everybody from potential heartache. I don't know, I guess someone who could hold their own, without being afraid to be... open? I do not subscribe to the notion that men should be stoic, and carry all the burdens as though some mindless statuesque drone."​

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She had been surrounded by strong men ever since coming here, though. Men who could laugh, and cry, and know when to ask for help. A difficult set of standards to live up to in truth, though she thoroughly believed that oughtn't be the case.​

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"You have many desirable traits, Starlin," she finally stated, "Please, do not base your self worth on whether or not others can see that."​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Oh, is that what men speak about in their free time? Perhaps more women ought to wrap themselves in fur then, makes it harder to be... oggled."

“Aw, tsk tsk, it’s just like comparing experiences,” Starlin muttered, giving her a little smirk. “When you’re young, you want to see how you measure up to your peers. You’re concerned about how normal you are, or at least you want to be perceived as such… Then over time you realize it doesn’t matter all that much whether you’re like other people or not.” His smirk widened. “As for me, I have learned to admire all aspects and iterations of the female form. I want it all, baby! WOO!”

His voice echoed through the valley, a chorus of woos repeated back to him. He threw back his head and laughed, thoroughly amused.

“Tall babes, short babes, babes of average height. I don’t care, as long as she thinks I’m alright…”

Mysa then saw fit to inform him that she found him alright. “You really do like me, don’t you?” Starlin said, chuckling. The pitch of his voice lowered and softened as he spoke. “I really like you a lot, too…”

He stared at her for a few seconds longer, then started to get up, seemingly about to close the distance between them…

…Or he would have, had the end of his cloak not caught fire.

“Oh chit!” He quickly removed the cloak and stamped out the flame, even dumping some snow on it for good measure. “Aw, man… Well, it doesn’t look that bad. Sorry about that. Wasn’t looking where I was going…”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

There it was again, that roguish charm which lingered within him. His carefree attitude and humour free to spread its wings now that he wasn't afraid of offending her with such talks. Offending a Valkyri, even one merely adopted into that lifestyle.. That was no easy feat, and though a Snowflake she may have been dubbed in name she was not so fragile as that which fell from the frozen skies above.​

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He wanted it all, and his proclamation rang back and forth through the trees in a multitude of echoes. A brief jolt of fear ran through her, and she turned her head into the darkness to listen for anything else which might travel on the wind. Her eyes shifted this way and that as she better sought to heighten her senses, and then satisfied that his boisterous nature had not called forth anything fierce from the woods she relaxed and chuckled too.​

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"It all, hm? One woman is not enough for you, Mister Jedi?" Or perhaps he meant all parts that men often deliberated over, which features they most preferred. Did Starlin simply enjoy it all? Her eyes lit up in humour, then her cheeks reddened as he called into question her initial feelings toward him.​

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"You are easy to be around, and fun. Different... But in a good way." He admitted to liking her too, and she could feel her heart racing in surprise. Starlin stood, and Mysa watched as he initially made to move toward her... Then the scent of burning hair reached her nostrils, and she leapt up all at once to see the very ends of the cloak caught within the fire.​

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"You are lucky that it is heavy wool and fur" she remarked of the cloak, once it had been deposited onto the ground where the snow could snuff what little remnants of fire clung to it, "Such does not go up in flames the way many other fabrics will." Singed, sure, emitting a horrid smell, yes, but in comparison to most? Well, he hadn't found his whole self up in flames, just the ends.​

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"Are you okay?" she inquired as she approached him, before kneeling down to inspect the ends of the cloak. "Don't worry about the cloak" she chuckled when he made his apology, "It's simply got a story to tell now.. Character." She offered it back up to him, should he wish to find himself embraced by its warmth once more.​

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Starlin Rand ​

 

[Starlin Rand]

"It all, hm? One woman is not enough for you, Mister Jedi?"

“Naw. That’s too much trouble. One woman is enough for me.”

Starlin was indeed lucky that he wasn’t literally on fire right now—though the burning in his cheeks felt hotter than the flames. “Well, I guess that proves this is real fur,” he remarked. Not that he had ever doubted it…

“I’m fine,” he replied, standing there awkwardly as the campfire crackled. Now, with the moment ruined, he was a bit befuddled. Had he really been about to…?

He had a tendency to move too fast, he knew. Eagerness combined with cockiness and hotheaded impatience. Well, the fire had ironically cooled him down.

“I should probably head to bed,” he said, taking his cloak back from her hands. “Get some sleep. I must be tired if I’m letting my clothes trail into flames.”

Mysa Snowstrider​

 

[Mysa Snowstrider]

Starlin seemed a little deflated in the aftermath of the fire, and truth be told Mysa could hardly blame him. For a moment there things had almost took a drastically different turn, and while she was thoroughly enjoying his company the last thing she wanted was to ruin things, to make things awkward or whatever.​

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He muttered something about going to bed, and she nodded in response. "Alright, let me fetch you a sheepskin." Just like that she rose up and approached the midnight black stallion, removing a roll of fabric from the back of his saddle. Unraveling it she revealed two decently sized sheepskins, which she lay on opposite sides of the fire after clearing away at the snow with her foot.​

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Wool side up.​

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"Sleep well, Starlin, I'll keep watch for a while."​

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Mysa sank down onto her own skin, heavy cloak perfect for fending off the cold, and called Felix over to her. He curled up, nestling down beneath her cloak, and for a time she merely ran her fingers through his fur. Then, once the frir was asleep, she pulled from her knapsack a length of leather she'd been working on and settled down to get some more progress made by the firelight.​

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Starlin Rand ​