Ask Here We Meet

[Wurfuhlla]

It was mid day on Yavin IV. The council had been deciding on where to place Wurfuhlla for the time being. Thankfully they had a Knight who was eligible to train a padawan. Seeing as how Wurfuhllas first mission as a padawan was a success without casualties, they decided to give him the chance to progress as a Jedi.

“Wurfuhlla, we are placing you under the care of your new master. Vayla Mirana. Go to this room on these orders and give them to the Knight there. And may the force be with you.”

Wurfuhlla nodded and followed it with “And may it be with you” as he turned to leave the room. He began down the hall reading the rooms names and came across the exact name on the Paper, ‘Vayla Mirana’ “Hmm, okay.” The Wookiee said as he prepared himself for his second master. He raised his right hand to wave the door open with the force and entered the room to see a woman. She had bright blue eyes. Uncommon for Pantorans.

This was the time for introduction. Wurfuhlla wanted to try to speak in his native tongue to see if the new master was capable of understanding him. Probably not as usual around here but it was worth a shot.

“Hello, I’m Wurfuhlla. You’ve been chosen to be my new master.” Of course to anyone that wasn’t a Wookiee and didn’t know the language it sounded like “Hurrggg-agagagaga-ahh” which is loud and quite abrasive but he couldn’t help it.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Incense. It burned with aromas of frankincense and patchouli, musk and myrrh, enveloping scents to envelop the senses and send them spiraling into soothing bliss. The Jedi Knight breathed them in steadily, taking note of the taste as much as the smell. While smoke curled up her nostrils, as slow and sweet as a calmed violin, she sipped from her cup. Hot green tea tickled her lips, carrying its own aroma of grass and moss with hints of seaweed that danced on her tongue and reminded her of home.

For the first time in days, Vayla found herself in the right frame of mind for some long overdue meditation. This was not the time to don jacket and go gallivanting around the galaxy, hopping between cantina and shopping mall. This was the time to take up her white robes streaked in blue, and though the hood was lowered her head felt covered by the helmet of silence and solace. She sat cross-legged before a small table serving as her own private sanctum. It was arrayed with incense burner, teapot, candles and bells, but it was reverence to order and not worship to deity that was carried out here.

So, there she sat, that Pantoran from a home so close yet so far. She had smiled before that day though what spread across her lips just then was less superficial and far more sacred. Today was the day that she would be taking on another Padawan and, though her nerves had crept up her body like a hundred tiny snakes, her meditation had paid off. The Force is with me…

It was with someone else, it seemed, for just then the door to the Knight’s quarters gave way. Her concentration broken, Vayla looked to the Wookiee who had just entered, revealing himself as a tall mass of gray fur with purple eyes that bore into her own. What they found were no Pantoran’s golden eyes by any measure; these were the electric blue of prosthetics.

“Greetings,” Vayla smiled after trying and failing to comprehend what the young Jedi had conveyed. Language barriers were yet made to be broken. “I am Vayla Mirana.” WIth that, she rose from the floor and approached Wurfuhlla with a simple bow before narrowing her eyes. “I believe, apart from working on our speech, that your first lesson should be how to knock on doors.”


@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

The Wookiee had realized she couldn’t understand him. This would probably be a problem if he hadn’t learned to manipulate his voice through the force. A clever trick he picked up in his initial training. It allowed him to speak to others without a problem. Now, Wurfuhlla would begin to speak in the common tongue through the force.

“Yes master, apologies. I will work on that.” She was right of course. A knock would’ve been suffice but as usual Wurfuhlla wasn’t thinking about privacy in the moment. He definitely needed to work on his actions.

“I look forward to the training and teachings in the future. The council thinks you are a good fit for teaching.” The Wookiee was excited. He learned quite a bit from Nova and gained his first step with him into being a true Jedi. The findings of his crystals. A great task to accomplish.

Now the teenage Wookiee would await for his masters first orders, or teachings.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Vayla cocked a brow as the Wookiee spoke again. Of course, she had been briefed enough by the Council to know what his vocal capabilities were. More so of what his capabilities with the Force were in order to bridge the two. Explorer that she was, language may not have been her strongest suit but it was nevertheless an exciting entrance for exploration. Her former padawan had been a Blood Carver, and while able to speak Basic it was certainly a fulfilling challenge to speak with him.

“Apology accepted,” Vayla tilted her head in a casual dismissal of the apology itself. She was glad that Wurfuhlla was respectful enough, whether by nature or training, but she wanted him to know on the front end that her new master was capable of levity. Gravity would come soon enough, both in terms of seriousness and levitating.

“We already share commonality, Wurfuhlla.” She pronounced the name as best she could. “The Council thinks you are a good fit for learning. Further, you can teach me—how to speak to you in the comfort of your own tongue, perhaps.”

Ke Eoto had done the same when training under her. Granted, their tongue was Basic the whole way, but she was sure that the Wookiee could serve her linguistic pursuit to some capacity as far as learning Wookiee went. Shyriiwook...right?

“Would you like some tea?” Vayla gestured toward the table, then toward a chair. “Perhaps to sit?”

She was aware of what reaction that might elicit. Some Padawans were so on edge that everything was a test to them. So she maintained her smile.

“I assure you, this is no test. I’m simply inviting you into my chamber for a bit of conversation before we take the next step. So, step forward, Wurfuhlla, and sit or stand, drink or do not, at your leisure.”


@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

It was kind of the Jedi to truly want her padawan to relax and be come comfortable. And as his master had suggested, he sat. Though the seat was a little small for the Wookiee he did his best to relax in it. Once settled in his seat he looked at what she called tea. Intrigued by a new drink he leaned forward to fill a glass and begin to sniff if it’s any good. A refreshing smell came from the glass. Wurfuhlla nodded in approval as he began to take a drink. It was new. Very different than the drinks he was used to.

“I could teach you Shyriiwook of course. Although it’d only be for you to understand. Other species don’t really have the vocal capabilities of speaking in Shyriiwook..” Wurfuhlla realized he was speaking to a Jedi Knight and immediately followed his statement “Of course you already know this. I don’t know why I was explaining it.” The young Wookiee usually spoke what was on his mind a lot but he’s learning to think before speaking.

The padawan wanted to know what the first exercise as a padawan with Vayla would be like. So of course he asked. “Where do you plan to go for our first training session?” Wurfuhlla was hoping for a place very intriguing. Somewhere that he had never seen and was exotic or full of adventure. Wurfuhlla’s purple eyes looked upon his masters “I trust it’s somewhere full of force energy.”

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

There was a kind of composure to Wurfuhlla, a clear sense of respect, but he just as much came off as eager and excited. Vayla could relate, delighted that her student was ready and willing to begin their training, but it would not all be about ‘going’. Some of it would be more about ‘staying’. They just had to define the parameters.

“Are the two of us not already somewhere full of force and energy?” She held out a hand to her quarters but it would be clear that she was not limiting her words to just this room. “A Jedi Temple is just so. Sometimes we forget that as we go out exploring for old ruins and ancient objects and wells of Force…”

She let that sink in for both of them, reflecting on such truth herself given that doing those things was right up her alley. “It’s true that my vocal chords are unable to speak Shryiiwook, but what about your own when it comes to speaking Common? Is it not the Force which supports your efforts? Surrounds your voice?”

He had a chance to answer if he wanted but he did not need to. Vayla set her cup down and rose from her seat. Pacing over to a strongbox she retrieved her lightsaber, splaying fingers so that it found a perfect balance in the palm of her hand, while allowing Wurfuhlla to see the blue and black and silver.

“Through the Force, the impossible appears possible.” The lightsaber began to levitate from her hand, its owner grinning as though she was a Padawan again. “Surrounds my hand and this hilt. Lets it float up and down in thin air… Come, join.”

She nodded to her student. Whatever his prior training with his former master, he had his own lightsaber and this was a simple task even if he could already do it. There was yet a reason for everything.

“The air of the jungle is thicker. We will be heading into it, Padawan, for days and nights. A Wookiee may know the trees but you may not yet know what truly surrounds them. You will show me what you do know and I will show you what I can, but like a lightsaber hilt with no support . . . ” Trailing off, Vayla let go of the Force. The hilt landed in her grip. She willed it up into the air again, let it fall, and this time she moved her hand so that it thudded upon the floor. Then her smile became less cheerful. " . . . Gravity takes its course... The gravity of the situation is very real, Wurfuhlla, and I may or may not be there to catch you if you fall.”



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

This was a very strong lesson. Wurfuhlla could feel the weight, and understood. He had to be able to take care of himself even without the force. “So you’re saying that this next lesson isn’t necessarily about the force? And if not then what would I have to train in? Combat, strength, speed?” A confused look laid on the Wookiee’s face.

Perhaps there was a far deeper meaning within what she speaks. Perhaps something the Padawan just can’t fathom quite yet. He did know that they would be spending nights in the wild. This was right up his alley as his master stated. Perhaps he would have to take in the aura around him. There was only one way to find out the true meaning behind her teachings.

After making it outside to the jungle, he looked to his master and couldn’t help but ask “Are we looking to find something specific? Or perhaps we’re not looking for something but connecting?” The Wookiee would have many thoughts rushing through his mind but he wanted not to worry. He was in good hands. The council trusts her and so should he. The only thing left for him to do was get out there in the jungle and survive.

He began to walk forward and he pulled out his lightsabers and looked upon them. They were made of wood and metals. He felt he wouldn’t need them for what he was goin to do. He set them back on the belt around his waist and looked back to his master, awaiting there travel through the trees.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC

Spoiler: Music OOC

Vayla was pleased to see that Wurfuhlla had caught on to the lesson, watching his mind work and hearing his words in the privacy of her chamber. There were only four walls to contain his thoughts and they were not enough to hold him back. “Oh, it’s as much about the Force as it is not, my friend. You will be one with the Force and the Force will be with you...but that will not be all and that will not be enough.” She shrugged, subtly enjoying her ambiguity. Her own master had taught her that teaching could be as fun as learning. “You will see.”

Some masters might have begun this journey into the jungle with nothing but a lightsaber, a cord of rope and a stick of chewing gum. Vayla had come a little more prepared than that and expected the same of her Padawan. Amid her traveling gear between her body and her backpack she had brought the lightsaber, the cord and the gum but also first aid supplies (especially band-aids and hand sanitizer), sleeping bag, food and water, a book, a toothbrush—the works. All in all it was a lightweight option for the days and nights ahead; neither individual wanted to be overloaded, and comfort in excess was not the idea.

“Both,” Vayla answered her earnest student between chewing gum; it helped stimulate saliva, which was important in the heat. In the open air there was yet nothing to enclose either of their thoughts; they were as free as the trees, the birds, the bugs and the air itself. “You will know what you are looking for after you have already found it. That, though, will come later.” She looked away for a moment, pushing past large leaves and scanning the environment.

“For now, we’re going to keep this simple. Remember, we won’t be in and out of here in a matter of hours. Our provisions are a last resort so we’ll need to plan accordingly.” Sticks and twigs crunched beneath her hiking boots as the pair marched on. “First: Find water. Keep watch for rivers, streams, creeks. You’ll hear them before you see them. Second: Build shelter. We’ll need to utilize a camping spot whose foliage provides shelter from wind and rain before we even set ours up. Third: Find food. This world is teeming with life, both predator and prey, though we can only afford to be the former. Mind you, there are creatures here who wish to convince us otherwise.”

Vayla listened to the sounds of the trees just then, picking up whistles and chirps, groans and roars, this one from over there and that one from over here. She knew that the pair of Jedi were being watched from all sides without ever knowing what was watching them. The question was how many of those eyes were hungry for Human and Wookiee? “Of course, you already know this,” she grinned. “I don’t know why I was explaining it.” The Pantoran was, after all, speaking to a Wookiee.



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

This was like living on Khashyyk. In the jungle, building shelter, surviving. So similar to home. Only difference is that now Wurfuhlla wasn’t with his tribe or in a village. No, all he has is his master. He took a look at the provisions of his master and the little he brought himself.

His two lightsabers, small crafting material, snacks to hold him over. The jungle was a natural habitat for himself. And when his master mentioned the dangers of predators, Wurfuhlla couldn’t help but want to laugh. He has dealt with many dangers on his home world. Including overgrown arachnids. I’m sure whatever physical enemy that lived on a planet full of Jedi was not going to be as difficult as is annoying.

“I believe I’m understanding better the idea of what my lesson is.” The Wookiee spoke in a calm tone. “We should start working on a shelter. As many sturdy branches and large leaves as we can manage. I brought leather straps and rope. Should be strong enough to hold.” If there was one thing Wookiee’s could do well other than fight, it was build and survive. Their history is quite impressive. Though not as technologically advanced they had survival skills out the wazoo.

The padawan began to climb the large trees and breaking off some of the larger branches to use for the shelter. His only worry was that he’d be the only one to know exactly how to construct the shelter. So perhaps this was where Wurfuhlla could return the favor of teaching his master something. After knocking down a few branches he climbed down and looked to his master before asking “Have you ever built shelter?”

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

The pair of Jedi had come across a stream that would easily fulfill their hydration needs. Furthermore, it was located not far from a small jungle clearing that granted ample room and flat land to set up shelter while providing wide bark and leaves to ward off rain and wind. This was not simply stumbled upon; Wurfuhlla’s natural senses had honed in on the locations and his master had allowed it without any help. It was all she could do to smile behind his back as she followed his lead, letting the Wookiee prove himself in territory that might be foreign if familiar.

As Wur climbed the trees, Vayla took to the ground, grouping stones in a circle for a campfire. She moved with precision, as tightly and surely as if her hands held lightsaber hilts instead of tools of another sort. Even if she was not being observed, by the time her Padawan looked upon her he might have his question answered without ever hearing the words.

“This is not my first expedition into the wild, my friend,” The Pantoran teased. She had grown up on a world of ice and cold but had since learned a galaxy of fire and heat. With the branches that Wurfuhlla knocked down, Vayla began to gather them and construct their lean-to's. "You entered my quarters to find a Jedi Knight garbed in white robes streaked in blue. Comfortable garments, I’ll grant, but long forgotten here in the wood and wild...” With the rope she brought she began fastening one sturdy stick to the other. “This is a time for getting dirty, Padawan, so I hope you can keep up!”

Some time later and the duo had since found their water source and constructed their shelter. The next step was to find food. This was a task that two could take but Vayla was anxious to discover the next chapter of her book. She sat on a stump beside her makeshift quarters, enjoying a cup of tea and the mild breeze blowing between the trees and down from the canopy, sunlight glinting overhead. It was still day.

“I’d like a healthy variety of meat, fruit and vegetables, my young apprentice.” The master conveyed plainly while turning a page. “Preferably boar or gopher, pineapple weed, burdock root, parsnip, berries . . . ” She trailed off, crossing her brows at her student. “Well, what are you waiting for? I’m getting hungry!”



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

This was confusing for the Wookiee. His master sat and relaxed as she expected him to go and hunt not as a means of supply. Just simply because she’s hungry. Wurfuhlla couldn’t help but look at her and sigh. “Yea.. not a problem.” Before she could rebuttal he dashed off into the jungle.

Once the Wookiee found an area where he believed hunting would be easy, he grabbed a branch and used his lightsaber to sharpen the end of it. This was now his spear. After putting away his lightsaber to allow for complete silence he slowly moved forward to see if there was any sign of wildlife nearby. He could smell an animal of sorts but wasn’t sure what it was. He began following the scent.

Along the way the Padawan had been looking at the trees and bushes for any signs of fruits, berries or vegetables. There a couple trees containing fruit. Wurfuhlla climbed the trees to get the fruits, after collecting them he placed them
In his bag and climbed back down. This wasn’t enough. He needed to find something with protein enough to live on. And then he saw it. A snake slithering on a tree. Wurfuhlla instinctively grabbed it right at the joint of it’s head and snapped it’s neck with the force of his hand. Once he confirmed it was dead he placed it around his neck, being that it was a rather large snake.

This hunt went on until he could see the sun setting, giving the sky an orange color. He began heading back to his master after collecting a snake many fruits, countless berries and even some fresh leaves from the trees to use for wrapping around the snake meat. “Hopefully she thinks it enough to satisfy.” He said as he was approaching the newly set campsite for the master and apprentice.

Once he made it there he dropped the dead snake in front of her and set the bag down gently. Wurfuhlla stabbed his hand made spear into the ground and sat leaned against a tree. “We should eat and rest.” The Wookiee looked at the snake and then stood back up. He grabbed it by the tail end and slid it to the area designated for fire. “Don’t worry, I’ll start the fire as well.” Wurfuhlla let out sarcastically but in his native tongue. He knew it would be enough to cause a problem if it was to where she could understand.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Rebuttal was not on the menu. At the teenager’s less than enthusiastic compliance, Vayla simply held a stern gaze until his back was turned and he was off, then she smiled behind him. By the time he came back his master had hardly moved from her stump, though the book in her hands was now that many more pages turned. She looked up from it only when a ‘thud’ hit the earth before her feet. It was a snake—a rather large snake.

Without saying anything just yet, Vayla merely watched her Padawan continue to exert himself, stating what they would and should do next while going about it via preparing their meal and the fire. He spoke again; the Force did not translate. He had said enough. The lack of translating combined with the tone said it all.

With that, Vayla closed her book, stood up and paced toward the campfire. It was a dry place at first, merely rocks and timber, and then Wurfuhlla began to strike flint. As the sparks commenced, fire suddenly sprung from his grip, and if he wanted to keep his hands and fur from getting singed then he would quickly back away.

With her own hands, Vayla had channeled the Force to ignite the campfire an instant later, creating crying flames that sprouted tall before she contained them and controlled them to a more appropriate blaze. She was not sure if her student had ever witnessed Pyrokinesis before but, if not, he just did.

“Everything is easier with the Force, right?” The master queried the student. Her gaze was stern once more. “After all, why grab anything with your hand when you can pull it toward your hand through thin air?” She would let that question settle, daring Wurfuhlla to answer it. It was Vayla’s turn to take a tone with her voice.

“Your first lesson, Padawan, is self-discipline.” She smiled, finally if firmly. “Overconfidence is a path to the dark side…” She waved her hands lazily. “...Yes yes and all that and yes-yes… The plain and simple truth is that you cannot learn anything if you think you already know everything. Look around you.”

Vayla took a moment to close her eyes and open her ears to the jungle, breathe in the sweet earthen air, though her student did not quite need to mimic her. “You may think you know these trees better than some Pantoran from a frozen moon...and maybe you do…” She opened her eyes. “But do you? I once came out here to find myself, Wurfuhlla, with nothing but a lightsaber, rope and chewing gum and, oh, I found myself...” Pausing, she crouched beside the campfire, resting her hands over the crackling flames. “...But only after discovering that the Force would not work for me unless I was willing to work for it…”



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

Exhausted from his hunt the Wookiee sat and stared at the flames that almost took the fur on his arms. The flames a bright yellow and orange color. The words of the Jedi speak true but Wurfuhlla hadn’t want to learn in the moment. He just wanted peace.

“The force works for me because I believe in it. If I didn’t believe it was the energy that flows through me and binds all things in this galaxy, then it wouldn’t have chosen me to be a wield the power it gives. I’m merely a vessel that the force channels through, I only want to become strong enough to be the Jedi the force calls to me to be.”

This was a good learning moment for the Wookiee he must admit. He got up and walked to a tree and leaned against it. His arms relaxed on his lap. “I understand it’s your place to teach me, master. I am sure you only want me to succeed the proper way, but for now I need rest. Climbing all those trees was a work out.”

Wurfuhlla then laid his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. It was only a matter of seconds before he was asleep. He had been hungry until he leaned against the tree. Surely he would be ready to eat breakfast in the morning.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Vayla smiled at her student’s response. There was a kind of humility in his words, how he reckoned himself to be a mere vessel for the Force to channel through. He was not wrong. But did he truly know it? If he did, he would have to prove it. His master was not willing to let words speak for themselves, thus had brought them both into the wilds where they would have to rely on one another as much as learn from each other.

Vayla was not really brushed up on the anatomy of Wookiees. She just knew that they were tall and strong, large and tough. Wurfuhlla was sixteen years old but appeared no different than an adult of his kind. That he was exhausted already after gathering a snake, some berries and leaves in an environment not terribly different from the jungles of Kashyyyk had come as a mild surprise but the Jedi Knight just blinked it off.

“You’re not alone…” Vayla whispered between herself and the fire while Wurfuhlla took his nap. “I, too, only want to become strong enough to be the Jedi the Force calls me to be…”

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC

The morning arrived with sunlight drifting through the canopy as dawn danced overhead. Vayla had awoken refreshed. Her student would find his master preparing breakfast at the campfire. There was leftover snake along with two bowls of vegetable broth and a hearty fruit each that was the size of the woman’s fist and red all over.

“Morning!” The master would calmly greet the student. That was if he had woken on his own accord. If not, her voice would have been amplified enough to drag him out of bed. “Eat up.” She personally offered Wurfuhlla his portions. He had proven himself yesterday, after all, and despite his less than enthusiastic attitude she felt it only proper to serve him this morning.

“I hope you’re ready for another workout,” Vayla teased. “After breakfast, we’ll be on the move and on the climb. There’s a Massassi tree all on its lonesome a little east of here but it will be no simple walk. Howler packs prowl in between and the tree itself has become the home of rodents and beetles who aren't very nice.” She sipped on tea that soothed her spirits and offered some extra energy.

“We’ll both be climbing that tree. At six hundred feet high it will take some time and cooperation, though hopefully we’ll find what we’re looking for without needing to reach the top.” She did not make it obvious as to whether she was joking or not.

“Apart from the blueleaf shrub I need to make more tea with, we’re looking for the celadon flower. It bears the name of its color and stands out amid the tree’s purple leaves, but it is a small thing and rare to find. Find it we must, however, or fail in the attempt depending on how many critters attack us.” She shrugged. “I hate beetles. Whatever your own fears, that is one I have yet to overcome!"



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

The Wookiee woke up to the sound of his master’s loud voice. “Huh?” The Wookiee grunted as he was awoken from his slumber. The smell of cooking filled the air. And he must admit it smelled quite amazing. Made him hungry and he hasn’t even stood up yet.

Wurfuhlla grabbed some food that was prepared and downed it. Once he finished his meal he yawned and stretched. Then his master went on about what they were looking for. A flower? At least Wurfuhlla gets to climb trees. It’s a beloved favorite for Wurfuhlla.

“Right. Well I don’t fear much anymore. I love the hunt. I don’t know much about flora. Hopefully I know what I’m looking for.”

The Wookiee with a slight confusion began to walk over to where he was sleeping and grabbed his belt. After buckling it around his waist, he placed his lightsabers on each side of his belt. Shall anything try to stop them on their quest it would surely regret it.

“I’m ready to go when you are master. You know the way better than me.” Wurfuhlla leaned again a tree awaiting his master’s initiative for their journey.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC

As the pair of Jedi grabbed their items, Vayla secured her backpack over her shoulders, though had decreased its weight even further. It carried only emergency supplies and climbing gear, enough for both of them. “Oh, I don’t know the way . . . ” She trailed off while gazing between the trees. “ . . . But the jungle will show me…”

The foliage grew deeper as the Jedi traversed. A vast entanglement of branches intertwined with one another as though limbs locked in an embrace. Wooden spires stood as sentries that stabbed the sky, the sunlit clouds like golden twinkles as though the stars were already peeking through.

“Not bad…” Vayla mused beside her Padawan. “For a Pantoran to find herself at home in a place like this, eh?” She jabbed a playful elbow toward Wurfuhlla. It was no alien thing for an alien to go through enough habitats to become familiar with them but the contrast between Pantora and Yavin IV was not lost on this one.

“Hold up,” she held up a hand while halting her feet. Amid its green body, Vayla had almost overlooked the shape that was creeping behind the bush, though the yellow head, orange spines and red tail gave it away as a ‘howler’. It was alone but not alone. A scout from the pack, more like.

“Listen…” Vayla commanded. “...But not too much. Howlers can stun their prey with their, well, their howl. Even if that one has not spotted us its friends are surely nearby. If we aren’t careful we will find ourselves surrounded.”

She looked between the beast in the distance and that very distance, there where one Massassi tree was waiting yonder for brave adventurers to climb it. Then she looked at her student. “Well? What shall we do?”



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

Wurfuhlla was a natural hunter. Claiming the head of a howler would be something to remember. But he’s here for training. Perhaps safety was the better option. He looked to his master who asked him what to do.

“Hop on my back. I’ll get us to the tree as fast as I can. And quiet of course.” Wurfuhlla was strong enough to carry her and climb and it’d probably be what would have to happen after Wurfuhlla look to the right of him saw two more howlers. “Master move ever so slowly... we’ve got company.”

As Wurfuhlla began to kneel down for his master to get a good position and grip, he knelt on and old dry twig.. and yes the twig snapped...

Three howlers nearby and a twigs snap would echo. Wurfuhlla looked around to see if he could see the howlers. They were still as if they were listening for the next sound to pounce. Wurfuhlla may be able to use his force roar but it would only stun these beasts for a few seconds.

“Master it’s time to go..” Wurfuhlla whispered as he would slowly be him to get a good position to start running.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC

“Hop...on your...back?” Vayla blinked, keeping her voice low despite her qualms. She had never piggybacked anyone for as far as she could remember and the very prospect made her feel like a 4EY Scout Droid. Still, she had asked her student for an answer, not because she had none of her own, but because she trusted his judgment as much as tested it. He would have to prove himself. She would let him.

“Righto!” With that, the Pantoran climbed the back of the Wookiee, looked down and…-snap!- went a twig. That was not good. Despite her climbing reservations, Vayla secured herself on the large and furry back, wrapping limbs around the torso and finding it nigh impossible to stifle a chuckle. She was enjoying this far more than a teacher should be, perhaps, but that was a lesson that this Jedi Knight had yet to learn.

“Agreed, Padawan.” She kept one hand wrapped around Wurfuhlla’s collarbone, the other hand holding her hilt at the ready. “Ride! Ride forth like the wind!”

And so the pair of student and master were off.

Sure, they could have taken to stealth, tried to sneak their way around the predators, but more than likely they would have snapped some more twigs and been converged upon by a prowling pack in no time. No, Wur had the right of it: Run. So they ran. They bolted. They charged. The howlers? They heard. They bolted. They charged...

The one closest to the Jedi, that which had taken to the bush, stooped to bellow forth a mighty howl. Had its targets not been Jedi, had its roar been amplified by its allies, then it might have stunned its prey, but Vayla did her part to ward off the lonely call by calling on the Force. Wurfuhlla passed the howler just then. Vayla could have taken its head clean off with one fell stroke. She left it alone and it did the same, if not quite by choice.

Even as other howlers in the pack entered the scene, dashing on two legs and preparing to leap, the Wookiee was just too fast and the Pantoran just too amused; she couldn’t help but cackle. “That’s it, Wur!” She cheered, the gravity of their situation bested by the fact that she was piggybacking on her Padawan. “Onwaaaard!”



@Scoobert

 

[Wurfuhlla]

They were passing the howlers left and right. Wurfuhlla able to ignore the roars thanks to his masters force capabilities. It was amusing to her, Wurfuhlla had no idea why but he knew that if he wasn’t focused on running then he might not get the chance to know why.

They were coming closer to the tree that they were supposed to climb. This might work out for them if the Wookiee can make it to the tree and sink his claws into it to climb high enough away from a pack of death.

“Oh no” Wurfuhlla let out as a howler appeared directly in front of them. He kept running because he had a last second idea. “Master, hold on!” He yelled as he was getting ready to jump.

He jumped up and with one foot he landed on the howlers head and began to push up for a second jump. Once he lifted up into the air he used the force to bring a large vine his way to swing on across a crevice in the ground. A large enough one to keep the howlers away for a while.

Landing on the other side Wurfuhlla still felt his master on his back. The Wookiee’s heart beating in his chest after that experience. He didn’t know he could actually do that so smoothly. It must have a heat of the moment thing but he was able to save the pair nonetheless. Plus they were only a few hundred yards from the tree.

@Die Shize

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Ambience IC [Recurring]

Spoiler: Music OOC

The howlers on the other side howled but their howls were hollow from across the cliffs and they quickly lost interest. Getting down from her student’s back, Vayla patted it in thanks. “Well done, Wur!” He had just passed his hidden lesson of ‘escaping prowlers while piggybacking master’ and it would not be forgotten. “That was...that was quite exciting!” She thought better of adding ‘let’s do it again’ and decided to get her bearings.

The dense foliage that surrounded them obscured the view of the great Massassi tree in the distance but whose crown was unmistakable; a purple mass that towered over the other trees with the kind of dominance that could not be denied. Adjusting her pack before journeying onward, Vayla gazed through the growth while scouting for more threats. The howlers held home behind the duo but there would soon be ferocious rodents and flesh-eating beetles to contend with.

The smaller the creature the harder to see, and though these new contenders came in swarms they would be hiding within the Massassi tree. This time the Jedi would not be caught off guard. “Wurfuhlla,” Vayla called gently. “Look around you. Tell me what you see.” It was an echo to the last time she had told him to do so but this time he would need to open his mind and not just his eyes.

"Peer through the bark and leaf to see what lies behind, feel the wind against your fur before it blows your way, hear the whispers of creatures while you're yet yards away...and tell me what you see." With Force sight, the world took form around you like your feet were planted at its core, but tinted anew, or maybe it became a radar as though you were sitting in a cockpit. However his immediate surroundings would manifest, Wurfuhlla would see as much as he could behind his eyes even if in front of them all he saw were the many trees blocking his view of that one Massassi.



@Scoobert