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Realms: These Shattered Stars Logs

Chapter Three, Part Seven

It is about two weeks after the second visit to the nomads; the time has certainly been restful. Master Roakkana and the matron have been vastly amusing themselves by attempting to communicate each others' concept of the Force... using neither telepathy or a shared language, but instead building a common, symbolic language first.

Freyja gets up one morning, very early before the stars have vanished from the night sky, and quietly brings hot drinks to the matron and the master, where they communicate in strange and curious ways in the dim tent. Freyja hands them their mugs, then sits silently, leaning against Master Roakkana and watching in sleepy fascination, trying to figure out their symbols. Roakkana looks to Freyja, smiling to her as she arrives and watches; the matron too has a comfortable smile, as they return to the drawing of symbols, Roakkana perfectly unperturbed at Freyja's closeness. It's all eventually a bit much for Freyja, though, and she falls asleep with her head in Master Roakkana's lap, dreaming of dancing fire and intertwined moonlight in bemused metaphor.

Vakkal has actually gotten to hunt again, which isn't nearly as dramatic -- or gravity-defying -- as his hunt on Balmorra. In fact, the manner of the nomads' hunting is different to him, so he finds it an intriguing exercise to learn to hunt with a "pack" or team of hunters on anything other than a ceremonial great hunt.

Nistikani is still baffled about how the beadwork found its way to Linijast's tent, but he has since decided not to ask about it; as the clan mother noted, Linijast does not make a great to-do about the beadwork. More significantly, she does not dissuade Nistikani, which gives hope for the couple eventually.

It's later on the same day that Freyja spent watching the master and the matron communicating. Looking up the small hill that forms one slightly distant border of the nomad encampment, the Sedraki nomads see a somewhat peculiar sight. Freyja is coming slowly down the hill, her braid swaying from side to side and her arms outspread as if they were wings, completely absorbed in her intricately slow, back-and-forth, almost hopping dance. Leaping gaily around her and meef!ing excitedly is Jiaohua; the cause of his excitement is obviously the large cloud of birds flocking and swooping in big, slow, circling patterns around the golden skinned woman's willowy form.

    Freyja glows in the light of sun or moon, a willowy, lean, golden skinned woman with an unruly mane of fiery gold hair and frost-blue eyes alight with calm happiness. She moves gracefully, long-limbed and supple as a dancer, wearing nothing but soft blue leather riding chaps, a decorative iridescent-blue band about the end of her very long, thin Padawan's braid, and a small furry dakang curled smugly about her shoulders.

Freyja's voice mingles with both Jiaohua's and the constant trilling calls of the iridescent, blue-green birds, in a sort of chanting song. Her outstretched hands look strange -- almost as if they're covered with blue fuzz or something -- and her unruly mane of fiery gold hair floats lightly around her rapt face, lifted both by the breeze and her dance. When she finally reaches the bottom of the hill she turns to face back up the hillock, waving and singing what sounds like a cheerful goodbye. The birds seem to trill a clarion reply, swirling smoothly in one last arc about her, then swooping off over the hill in a thunder of wings.

Freyja watches, her back still to the encampment... then turns and lowers one bare shoulder a bit, giving Jiaohua an encouraging click of the tongue. Nothing loath, the dakang bounces from the ground right up to land lightly on her shoulder, happily curling around her. His head is still up, and his tail waving with remaining excitement, as she skips lightly back into camp, arms still out and her torso weaving gracefully as if she herself were flying.

The nomads which Freyja notices as having watched her seem... subdued, when she enters the encampment. No, not subdued -- stunned. It isn't tension, or at least what Freyja can tell is bad tension. But there are murmured comments exchanged out of sight when the nomads think she can't see them. They don't appear nasty, but by mid-morning Freyja is getting more than a few more obvious stares and glances cast her way. The nomads remain unfailingly polite -- courteous and friendly -- but there is a curious undertone to it; not quite awe, not quite disbelief.

Close up, it can be seen that the blue 'fuzz' around Freyja's fists is actually a myriad of brilliant, iridescent feathers of various lengths and colors, all neatly tucked between her fingers. Still trilling her wordless song, punctuated by the occasional cheerful meef! from the dakang, Freyja continues her slow, light-footed, swirling dance of flight... until she arrives at Nistikani's tent. There she grins and holds out her hands, opening the fingers so a fluttering cloud of gleaming, beautiful feathers whirls down to alight about him.

Freyja grins, watching the Sedraki native's startled reaction as she settles back on her heels, her slender braid curling about her bare feet. It takes her a moment to re-focus on the world of humanoid speech, but she forms the words clearly in her head to finally say, "Heiyo, Nistikani! The birds gave me these after I healed one of them. Can I trade them to you for something pretty for Zero and Master Roakkana?"

Nistikani blinks startledly, as if breaking out of some kind of reverie. "Uh... oh! Yes, certainly, Jedi daughter. What would you like?"

Freyja smiles, studying the sky and absently rubbing Jiaohua's ears, "Oh, I don't know... what do you have? Something large for the Wookie... and pragmatic for Zero?"

Nistikani blinks a bit. "Please give me some time. I'm sure that there's something I can come up with for them."

Freyja's smile is serenely happy as she lithely rises, "Thank you, Nistikani. I'll be back later, then." She heads off, not quite dancing still... although the thought does flicker with some wonder through her head -- what are the natives so startled by? She's not sure.

The morning of this twelfth day, the matron has been glancing eastward now and then, as if expecting visitors from the general direction of the reservation. Mid-morning, there is a curious sound from the east. Shortly it becomes clear what the sound is: an air speeder. The matron seems unsurprised and unperturbed as a skiff carrying Jedis Diath and Dakk lands some distance from the camp. However, even at that distance the hakaasts are a little skittish.

Freyja blinks, looking over with a bit of worry... are the worms causing trouble? She'll head towards the skiff, still humming quietly to herself. "Heiyo, may the Force be with you." She smiles, tilting her head curiously, "What's up? Did the matron call you?" Zero also wanders toward the speeder, scratching the back of his head. Speeders this far inland? This can't be good.

Diath and Dakk disembark from the skiff, looking to be in good humor; apparently there aren't any problems. "Hoi, Padawan Freyja," Dakk says cheerfully. "The Force be with you -- and you as well, Padawan Satau. Nope, no problems with the worms; they're all behaving themselves, if consuming a lot of food. But a freighter is a couple of days out from Sedrak, loaded with some herd beasts for them. Another freighter is due a few days after to carry the worms off to a nice little uninhabited world where the scientists can study them and they can chew on all the food they want. As for why we're here, Diath... uh, Diath...?"

Diath is mute, blinking a little and staring at Freyja. "Uh... Padawan Freyja?!" he exclaims finally, as if unable to believe it's her. The Nautolan tchs and gives the Corellian a none-too-gentle elbow to his side. That startles Diath out of whatever he was in. "Oh! Er... I'm sorry, Padawan Freyja, my apologies. The Force be with you, and with you, Padawan Zero."

"And also with you, Master," Dakk adds, seeing Roakkana and the matron coming up behind Freyja and Zero.

Zero says, "And you, Jedi Diath. What's up?"

Freyja giggles quietly at Diath, then nods politely, even though she's still smiling, "Hai, it is I, Jedi Diath. It is good to see you also, as well as Jedi Dakk."

Diath nods, mutely, still trying to assemble his thoughts, apparently. Dakk rolls his eyes. "Yes, well. As to why we're here, we got a message from the nomads...."

"Yes, that was my doing," the matron provides. "You must realize first what it took to convince the deep clans to allow an outsider's conveyance to fly over our territory... but it is better this way than to make you and others endure the week-long journey by hakaast. There is something that, it was decided by the matrons, you should see before you depart."

Zero frowns a little. "Is something wrong?" Freyja wryly notes to herself that perhaps she should wear a top, like the native nomads do, when around the Sedraki Humans. She nods interestedly at the matron's words, listening curiously.

The matron shakes her head. "No, nothing wrong. But when you told us of where the worms came from... well, it is better to show you. Jedi sons, you have been told of where to go?"

Dakk nods. "Yes, ma'am -- er, matron. We know where you want us to go." He gives another elbow to Diath, who finally manages to recover his composure.

The matron smiles and nods, "Very well then." She looks over the skiff. "Well. This will be quite the experience," she says, in a tone of voice which conveys just how eager she is to ride on one of those things, yet belying curiosity.

Freyja grins at the matron, then asks hopefully, "Are we all going along?"

Zero says, "They're smoother than they look, matron. Easier to ride than a hakaast, anyway."

Freyja laughs, "Neh, just different, Zero!" She grins, one bare golden shoulder brushing Zero's as she waits hopefully for the matron to invite them along.

Roakkana looks intrigued; he apparently doesn't know what's ahead. The matron smiles a little to Freyja. "Yes; there is something you should see." She turns to Zero, giving him a wry look. "It isn't the smoothness of the ride I'm concerned about, Devil's son. It's the height. Or rather the possible fall. With the sudden stop at the end of the fall."

Freyja covers a grin -- that she can certainly understand! Then she bounces lightly into the skiff, settling into a small space in the very back so there's room for everyone else. She grins with interest, unwittingly imitating the interested look of the dakang on her shoulders. Zero leans back against the railing. "These kind are fairly safe. Safer than some I've seen." He pauses, adding self-consciously, "Ridden."

Jiaohua does the typical dakang thing, leaning his head into the wind while tightening his grip on Freyja's shoulder with his hands and his tail, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Vakkal, the Jedi, Roakkana, and the matron climb aboard the skiff, the matron casting a glance to Zero with a smile. She sits calmly and serenely and comfortably, showing not an ounce of tension -- though one glance at her knuckles show they're bone-white as she grips the seat grips -- as the skiff thrums to life and lifts off into the air.

Freyja grins happily, tossing her head to get her wild mane of hair out of her eyes. Her Padawan's braid whirls behind her as she leans comfortably against Zero, whispering, "What do you think it is? Their landing pods, maybe?"

Zero curls an arm around Freyja's waist gently. "I'm not sure... wouldn't think the matrons would have to all agree on letting us see what amounts to someone littering on their lawn..." Freyja giggles softly. She's comfortable, happy, and vaguely flattered at Diath's reaction, although she's not entirely sure why... so she simply relaxes against her sibling Padawan and enjoys the ride.

Diath concentrates on flying the skiff, while Dakk navigates not only with a sensor-comnav system, but also with what appears to be a traditional compass and magnetic-overlay chart. The trip, which the matron intimated would take a week by hakaast, takes less than three hours. Up ahead, in the distance, the green, lush veldt is marred by what looks like a tiny brown mark in the landscape.

Freyja leans out from the skiff to look, curious as to what it is. Are the worms perhaps reproducing? The skiff looses some altitude, and continues towards the mark. It is soon clear that this isn't a tiny brown mark, but rather a titanic brown mark, at least three kilometers across -- a crater punched right into the prairie.

The matron looks up and nods towards the crater, not letting go of her seat grips. "That happened several months ago," she says, her voice unquavering. "Every so often, perhaps every hundred years or so, a shooting star will be thrust down from the heavens and strike the surface." She glances towards the Jedi piloting the skiff. "Perhaps it is more accurate to say that objects from space crash into our world. They cause much damage, as you can see."

"This one the Lady warned us about, however, and we hid ourselves from Her light the night before this one struck. Once you told us of where the worms had come from, there was some deliberation amongst the other matrons, and we believe that this is how the worms came to this world."

Freyja nods with a faint sigh of relief. "So it was as Karrac said, then? It was as rocks or something, during the asteroid fall?"

Zero hmms. "Guess you were right."

Dakk answers. "That's what we're thinking. Ark Nova tracked this one coming in, too late to blast it. The government tried warning the nomads before it hit but there was no way to get word to them."

The matron nods. "Fortunately, no clan was in the area." The skiff sweeps down over the veldt and approaches the crater, loosing speed but still moving quickly. It sweeps out over the edge, the green veldt giving way to splayed brown dirt and bared granite.

Freyja looks curiously at the matron, "So... are we sure there aren't any other remnants or anything in there?" She pauses... then says curiously, "The Lady warned you... before it struck? How...?" Her voice trails off as she realizes the matron might not want to talk about it just now... if at all.

"We do not know, actually," the matron said. "A few scouts investigated the crater, but they reported nothing of interest." She glances to Freyja, smiling enigmatically. "Yes, She did," she replies simply.

Freyja grins a little ruefully at the matron... that was about the answer she expected, unfortunately. She looks back at the gash in the dirt, then scans it thoughtfully to see if she can 'feel' anything associated with the Force around or in it. There is a touch of blight, fading and old, much as one might expect from something that happened long ago, centered on (predictably enough) the center of the crater. Freyja looks up at the Wookie, "I don't sense anything recent, Master Roakkana. A touch of blight, but it's old and fading."

Roakkana nods. "As do I. It does seem that this is how the worms came on-planet.

Freyja settles back comfortably against Zero, "Well, good. Glad we found confirmation of Karrac's words." She skritches Jiaohua's ears, then adds, "We should tell him thank you too, hai?"

Dakk glances back at the others with that conversation, but makes no move to stop Diath as the other Jedi lowers the skiff to the center of the crater. Most of the asteroid or rock seems to have been vaporized, or rather ablated, in atmospheric entry. There are pieces of what is some kind of ceramic scattered here and there, shattered but not by any sort of impact, it seems; in fact, it's hard to tell how the pieces of ceramic came apart.

Zero says, "At least he's been straight with us so far."

Freyja leans out with interest, adding, "Worm West, the first one I talked to and that Zero tagged, told me one of the worms died in the landing. I wonder what happened?"

Dakk hrms. "It's hard to imagine anything other than a buffered war droid surviving an impact like this. With a crater this size, it had to have been going at a really high speed. I'm more surprised any of the worms survived."

Freyja glances over her bare shoulder to grin at Dakk, "Well, we know four did." She tosses her head slightly to get a fiery strand of hair out of her eyes, then adds interestedly, "So, are we getting out to look closer?" She leans way over the edge of the skiff, holding on with both hands as she adds, "Although... there may not be much to see...?"

The matron seems much more at ease now that the skiff is on the ground, the engine winding down to idle. "I thought you might be interested," she says. "From what you have said, this seems to have been how the Sith worms came to our world."

Freyja blinks, then stretches further to see, her golden back arched over the railing of the skiff so far that she's about to fall out. Her voice is abstracted, "Hey... guys? Is it all right if we step out? I... think I see something...?"

Zero says, "I don't see anything. What is it?"

Dakk hmms? then says, "Well... I'm not sensing anything untoward, myself. Just some Sithstain...."

Freyja glances around to see if anyone looks disapproving -- then grins and hastily flips over the edge of the railing. "I'm not sure, Zero..." She patters over to some slight depressions in the ground, crouching next to them, "Look... the dirt here. Doesn't it look a little lighter colored compared to the dirt I'm standing on?" She looks up thoughtfully at the entire depression, adding, "It's about the diameter of a worm too... I bet here's where one of them dived into the earth!" She rises, pacing in slow circles around the skiff, studying the ground intently, "I wonder if we can find the remains of worm five..." then pauses, looking up, "Er... that is, do you care? We don't need to stay here any longer if you don't want?"

Dakk steps from the skiff and goes over to the depression, frowning. "Huh... so it is. I guess that tears it, then." He purses his lips. "If it didn't paste on impact, carrion-feeders might have gotten hold of it."

Freyja pauses again at another interesting thought... then crouches next to the edge of one of the depressions. She pokes it gently with a finger -- is it blighted? The dirt of the ground is much like the spot of dirt in front of the Monastery of Light on Marnaas: it was blighted once, but the blight has since faded. Zero says, "Uh... why do we want to find its remains, exactly?"

Freyja looks over her bare shoulder at Zero, an interested grin on her face and the long braid a swirl of flame down her back, "Scientific curiosity?" She looks back at the faded blight, then considers -- is there anyplace here that's still blighted? A second later she blinks up at the Nautolan, "Tears what, please?"

Dakk shakes his head, "Oh, that the worms came on-planet from here, and spread out from here."

Freyja says, "Ah, all right." The blight in this area is faded. There doesn't seem to be a single place that's been recently blighted, but rather the blight seems to come from the pieces of ceramic shell scattered here and there. She wanders over to one of the pieces of ceramic and cautiously holds a hand near it, to test how virulent the blight is, and if it's re-infecting the ground.

Zero blinks; "Hey, Freyja -- hold still." At Zero's words she goes still, only her eyes flicking towards him. Zero pads slowly past Freyja toward the middle of the crater. "Something in the dirt up here. C'mon... let's have a look." Freyja rises, looking curiously ahead, and paces silently after Zero, fanning out a bit so both of them can't be hit with one attack.

The little glitter of light which caught Zero's attention appears to be a small vein of crystalline substrate embedded in the granite layer which the drop-pod's impact exposed. It glitters in multicolored shards, appearing to be vaguely like quartz, but with a clarity in the refracted light that seems to defy the expected. Freyja crouches next to it, scanning it interestedly for any blight. "Pretty colors." She touches it lightly with a finger if she senses no blight, trying to figure out what it might be. The crystal feels... warm. It doesn't seem to have any other reaction when Freyja touches it, perhaps a few degrees more than it perhaps should be. It's just... oddly warm. Freyja says, "Curious... it's warm. No feel of the Force about it, though."

Zero says, "Seems familiar somehow... doesn't it? But I don't know its name."

There is a faint crunching of footsteps on the ground behind them, and Roakkana's wry voice asks Zero, with a slightly odd tone, "Adegan, perhaps?"

Zero blinks. "You're kidding. Adegan? Here?"

Freyja looks up curiously, "What's Adegan?"

Roakkana nods quietly, stepping closer. "Yes, it's very curious." He smiles to Freyja. "You perhaps have never done this before. Take your lightsaber, child, and open it up. There's a catch under the grip; the shell slides off. Pull on the forward emitter and that will slip the entire metallic sheathe off." Freyja tilts her head curiously... then nods, settling cross-legged on the ground and following Master Roakkana's directions. She holds the metallic sheath in one hand, and holds up the remainder of the lightsaber in the other.

Within the workings of Freyja's lightsaber is a complex assortment of modules and components and tightly wound coils around the axis of the 'saber. Tucked neatly within those workings, about midway along the component's length, is a small crystal widget, about the size of the thumbnail on Freyja's little finger, finely-worked and -faceted. It glitters... in very much the same way as the little vein of crystal in the ground before them.

Zero crouches down nearby and watches silently. Gift of the gods? Mmm... maybe. Gods above. Gods below? Freyja oohs softly, laying the lightsaber handle carefully on the ground next to the exposed crystal. She studies them both for a moment, then looks up at Master Roakkana, "I thought... these were only found on Ossus?"

Roakkana says quietly, "By all rights, true, natural Adegan crystals should be found only in the Adega system, where Ossus is. Similar crystals can be synthesized with relative ease, and often are for the typical, run-of-the-mill lightsabers, but are considered sub-par and of lesser quality. The Sith apparently forge their own crystals for their lightsabers. But it is said that a lightsaber with Adegan crystals is of high, nigh-unsurpassed quality."

Freyja looks at the crystal, then back at the Wookie, "If Adegan crystals are only found on Ossus... what are these? And if they're Adegan... what are they doing here?" She pauses, then adds in a more thoughtful tone of voice, "I wonder... matron, do your people see these a lot?"

The matron, who has approached, says, "Occasionally delvers into caves will find veins of it. It is not at all often that it is found. It is considered a sign of luck to find such a vein, though we cannot work the material ourselves."

Freyja grins cheerfully, "We're lucky, then!" She considers the crystal, then carefully puts her lightsaber back together, before trying to pick the crystal up.

Zero stands up slowly. "It was here all the time? I'll be damned."

The matron looks to Zero, arching a brow, then nods. "Yes, at least as far back as our history goes."

Roakkana glances to Zero and grins a little. "Surely not damned, Zero. Though... it is a surprise to find natural Adegan here."

Freyja frowns thoughtfully... it's a vein of the crystal, set into the stone. "I think, short of rock-chipping tools, we won't be able to move this." The tiny vein of Adegan crystal -- easily worth a Jedi's ransom -- glitters up at the five Jedi surrounding it. While tough, Adegan crystal is not diamond, and the rock it is embedded in certainly isn't. Some work with a small fusion cutter found in most Republic toolboxes would remove the stone containing the Adegan vein. Freyja adds quietly, "The question becomes... matron, may we move this?'

She considers. "Well... there is no taboo against them, Jedi's daughter. As I said, we have never been able to work it ourselves." She smiles. "Please feel free then to take it, if it will be of use to you."

Freyja smiles up at the matron, then runs gentle fingers across the crystal. She considers... then looks up and says, "I should be honest, matron... this is worth a tremendous amount to us. Don't let anyone tell you it's only worth some trinkets, hai?" She grins up at Diath and Dakk, "So... is there by any chance a small fusion cutter in the skiff's toolbox?"

The matron arches an eyebrow and nods. "Of course, Jedi's daughter. I will pass that on."

Zero nods, murmuring, "More than enough magic in this for a Jedi's ransom... more than for a thousand."

Dakk and Diath (who seems to have mostly recovered) exchange a glance, then nod. "I'll get the cutter, sure," Dakk says, going back to the skiff.

Freyja beams, rising smoothly and dusting her rear off, "Thank you!" She grins with a bit of excitement at Zero while the two Jedi are gone, when only Roakkana, the two Padawans, the matron, and Vakkal are present, "I wonder... do we have a full month before our date on Commenor, to try to make lightsabers?"

Roakkana nods a little. "The grinding and shaping of the crystals should be done in a good workshop, which can be found easily enough either here or on Commenor..."

Freyja brightens excitedly, "Ooh, then maybe we could try on Commenor, so we're sure we won't miss our meeting?"

Roakkana nods, "That should be acceptable. No offense, Zero, but we may also be better able to acquire a courier of the type you recommended on Commenor rather than Sedrak."

Zero says, "None taken. We never were known as a Jedi world. Well... until now..." Freyja grins, her eyes alight. It's an extremely exciting find.

Roakkana glances at the two Jedi at the skiff. "I also think that it is perhaps better to not mention our next destination to the Jedi. I will inform Knight-Captain Baas that we will be itinerant for a time; she will understand, and the others will thus not ask where we are off to next." He looks at the crystal. "As for this... I do not know what will happen with this..."

Freyja grins again, holding up two fingers, "Hopefully at least two lightsabers, Master Roakkana, hai?" She looks thoughtfully at Vakkal, wondering suddenly if he'd like a better-made lightsaber... and is she good enough to make one for him? She'll have to ask later.

Roakkana smiles wryly. "At least. There is enough Adegan here for more than two, I think. Including that double-ended one you were considering, Zero."

Freyja brightens at that. "Then... Vakkal, are you interested in another lightsaber? One that's the same small size, but not of Sith make? Someone told me they weren't quite as well made as the Jedi ones...? I don't know if I'm good enough yet to make one... but I'd be willing to try, if you'd like?"

Vakkal blinks. "I... honestly hadn't considered that, Freyja...."

Freyja grins at Vakkal, "Give it some thought, then."

Zero says, "I'd have never imagined."

Freyja looks curiously at Zero, "Imagined what?" Roakkana and Freyja both look curiously to Zero.

Zero says, "That'd we'd ever find Adegan here, of all places."

Freyja nods, her gaze getting thoughtful as she regards the crystal again, "True. Odd how the Force works."

Roakkana nods quietly. "It is... odd. A mystery to consider...."

The stone carrying the Adegan vein is quickly removed. It turns out to be little larger than a hand's span in width, and can be easily carried. The trip is made back to the nomad encampment, and they arrive in mid-afternoon. Dakk and Diath are invited to remain for the evening.

As the skiff arrives, Diath finally glances to Freyja. "Er... I apologize for my actions earlier, Padawan Freyja. I just... didn't fully recognize you at first. No, that's not right, I was... surprised. At the changes in your hair color. It was... it was a little startling."

Freyja smiles relaxedly at Diath... then pauses, to pull the braid over her shoulder and regard it thoughtfully. A moment later she murmurs, "Huh... it is a different color -- I hadn't noticed!" She grins at Vakkal and Zero, "Why didn't you guys say something?"

Vakkal blinks. "It... happened so relatively gradually, I just didn't think of it."

Freyja says, "Huh, interesting." She grins at Diath, "It's not a problem. I suppose it would be startling to see all at once."

Diath smiles and nods a bit. "Also," he says, moving to the offloading ramp, "I, uh, hadn't remembered that you were quite so... striking."

Zero says, "I assumed it bleached from all the time you'd spent in the sun. You are awfully fair, you kn- hmm. Were awfully fair, I guess."

Freyja laughs softly, "I? Wolf-feathers, I wish. Being fair and blonde is an aristoi thing. Kurasai are darker." She studies her skin color curiously, then smiles, "Well... it's not pale, but... I think I don't care. It's still a pretty color." She looks up at Diath, then giggles, her eyes mischievous, "Striking? Neh, that's Zero! I'm healthy, according to him!"

Zero says, "You're just fine, Freyja."

Freyja grins and winks at Zero, then cheerfully bounds out of the skiff as they land at the native encampment, to leans her elbows comfortably on the railing and look back in at the others, "So... what happens to the crystal? Can Zero and I have some?"

Diath blinks, looking over his shoulder. "Ah... no, that's not what I...." He chuckles then, and shakes his head. "You win. Actually, since Jedi tradition has it that knights build their own lightsabers from components they find themselves, I think the Knight-Captain would be more than happy to let you have that quantity of crystal. She might ask for a bit of it as a favor; it's not easy to find."

Freyja brightens, straightening, "Ooh, excellent! Thank Knight-Captain Baas for us, for letting us have the crystal, then, Jedi Diath, would you please?" She tilts her head curiously, smiling and adding, "What do I win?"

Diath chuckles, "No, I just meant that you win in that, uh, you knew what I meant, that's all. I will let her know."

Freyja pauses, considering for a moment... then says curiously, "I knew that you thought I looked nice?"

Diath seems to relax a little, nodding, "Yes, that's what I meant..."

Freyja says, "Um... so why would you be nervous about that?" She pauses, looking around, then adds, "Is it the same reason the nomads have seemed a little... I don't know... weirded out today?" She looks at the matron curiously, wondering if she's noticed it too.

Diath blinks. "They have been? I'm afraid I haven't really noticed." He frowns. "They're not tense because we are, are they?"

The matron smiles congenially as she stands. "Jedi's Daughter, do you know what you did this morning on the hill?"

Freyja nods, "Talked to the birds. One of them was injured." She brightens, adding interestedly, "They had the most clever behavior to draw off predators from the injured bird -- they dragged a wing, pretending injury themselves! I thought that was quite fascinating -- it's a bit like one of the tasty ground birds on Balmorra, although that's only the female protecting her chicks from... uhh..." she pauses, regarding the matron, then says tentatively, "Neh?"

The matron smiles. "Ai. You talked with the birds. Something that before today only a matron could do, to their thinking."

Freyja blinks, "Really? But... didn't they hear me say I talked to the worms too?"

"That was... slightly different, Jedi's daughter. The worms were strange, outsiders of an extreme sort -- up until recently enemies. I suspect they found it not at all strange that one who is not of the people could speak with them. Speaking with the native birds, however, which only matrons could normally do... well, it's surprised them, I think."

Freyja says a little startledly, "Oh." She considers for a moment, then adds tentatively, "I'm... sorry?"

The matron laughs as she moves to the ramp, lightly touching Freyja's arm. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Jedi's daughter. It is a gift, and one I imagine is rarely found. I cannot do it myself, but I have been told it opens one up to the rich tapestry that is the world. Cherish it, use it freely, and do not apologize for it."

Freyja smiles, looking a bit relieved, "Ah, all right." She grins, adding, "In that case, I think I'll go visit Nistikani, and see if he's got any pretties for me to give to Zero and Master Roakkana!" She beams at Zero and Vakkal, "Want to come along?"

Vakkal nods, "Certainly..."

The matron holds up a hand. "One moment...." She reaches into the wide belt around her waist. "Jedi's daughter, the Lady made me realize earlier that your time with us may be drawing to a close. And so before the time passes I wish to give this to you, on behalf of the clans." It is a folded length of beadwork, and as the matron unfolds it Freyja sees that it is a wide belt in subtle blues and purples, wide enough to be properly worn above the obi of the Jedi robes.

Zero whistles softly. "That's beautiful, matron."

Freyja blinks, her eyes widening at the lovely article she's being offered. She takes it carefully, then looks up at the matron, impressed, "This is... I..." She doesn't have words to express her feelings... finally she bows politely and simply says, "Thank you, grandmother. Your kindness overwhelms me." She studies it slowly, then smiles shyly at the matron, "For me, from all the clans? Really?"

The matron smiles and inclines her head. "Wear it proudly, Jedi's daughter. I doubt that any beyond Sedrak or within the Human reservation will recognize it, but should you return you will be known." She bows slightly, spread-palmed. "Yes," she adds wryly. "Really. We felt it only appropriate, Jedi's daughter."

Freyja says, "Does the pattern hold symbolic significance?" She grins shyly again. She always feels faintly as if she didn't do enough when given thank you gifts... but she's slowly learning from Zero and Master Roakkana to not show that insecurity.

The matron smiles. "There is some. It is an old pattern, once worn by matrons, but the craftsman has changed the colors slightly." Her eyes glitter wryly. "Nistikani did say you had mentioned blues and purples were your favored colors."

Freyja flushes with pleasure -- then takes a slow step forward to carefully offer, not insist on, a hug to the matron. She says happily, "He is correct -- those are my favorite colors! Um..." She blushes a bit again, not sure how to say thanks yet again... she finally adds, "I'd be happy to talk to any animals you wanted talked to, grandmother!"

The matron smiles and returns the hug, flattered, "Thank you, Jedi's daughter. I am told that it is interesting speech."

A few moments later, Freyja paces quietly to Nistikani's tent, experimenting with how to properly fasten the beautiful belt about her slender hips. She beams once it's on, looking up at Vakkal and Zero, "How's that? Isn't it lovely? I..." she looks a bit sheepish as she admits, "I always feel like I didn't do enough when people give me things... I know, I know, it's silly of me..."

Zero nods approvingly. "I think it looks good on you, Freyja."

Freyja grins shyly at her brother Padawan, "You think so?" She beams, bouncing on her toes a bit, then gives him a quick, happy hug, "Thank you!"

Zero hugs Freyja gently. "Don't mention it."

Freyja is walking quite light-footedly, almost skipping with happiness, next to Zero, one arm about his waist, as they approach Nistikani's tent. She bounds a couple of steps forward, landing lightly in a crouch and with an excited grin in front of Nistikani, "Haiyo! Got anything pretty for me, Nistikani?!"

Nistikani does indeed have some suitable beadwork for Freyja. One is a bead-worked ceramic medallion, able to be braided into the Wookie's fur. The other, for Zero, is a choker of darker purples and blacks, with some white bead trim and another, smaller ceramic medallion in the front. As yet the medallion is matte black, though Nistikani notes that there must surely be painters who are better than he who can skillfully paint something appropriate upon it.

Freyja brightens, settling comfortably into a half-lotus in front of Nistikani, exclaiming happily over the lovely things the native offers her. She beams up at Zero, patting the ground next to her, "Come try this on! Do you like it?" She holds up the choker inquiringly.

Zero smiles and bows politely. "No, no. This is a fine gift, Nistikani... it's perfect." He kneels down carefully next to Freyja. "I do," he says. "It's excellent."

Freyja leans to carefully tie the choker on for Zero, then sits back to study him carefully. She sighs happily a moment later, then beams at her friends, "You look so nice, Zero -- you're both so very handsome!" She considers, then says thoughtfully, "I wonder if there's any Gray symbolism we could have put onto the medallion for you?"

Zero says, "Maybe just a crosshatched Bendu wheel. I'm sure that'd make a statement when it came time for us to present ourselves as Knights..."

Freyja grins at Zero, her eyes dancing... then gets another thoughtful look, "Ooh... when we find a painter, I think I want to try having something done on my armored gloves!" She considers for a moment, then leans to touch Nistikani's cheek lightly, "Thank you again, Nistikani -- you do lovely, lovely work, and I'm very happy I can give some of it to my friends." She considers a moment, then asks curiously, "The pattern on the belt... does it have significance?"

Nistikani blinks and blushes, smiling a bit bemusedly at the touch... then tilts his head to the side at her question, looking hastily to the belt. "It is an old pattern, often worn by younger matrons in days past. Usually it is in reds and oranges and greens, but I knew that your favored colors were blues and purples."

Freyja nods thoughtfully, "I see. So... does it say I am a young matron? Should I behave a particular way when wearing it amongst the Sedraki natives? I don't want to do something accidentally disrespectful?"

Nistikani smiles and shakes his head. "Not exactly. Most matrons do not wear that pattern, but it is a traditional one. And the colors... it is not likely any other matron will wear it in those colors."

Freyja says, "All right, thank you." She rises, still alight with happiness, "I don't know how to sincerely say thank you yet again, Nistikani." She considers a moment, then grins mischievously, "Unless... you want to know how your beadwork got to the tent of the lady you're courting!"

Nistikani blinks. "You know how that happened?!" Freyja laughs softly, her eyes dancing and one hand gently stroking Jiaohua's fur. Nistikani blinks. "The... dakang?!" He shakes his head, sighing. Jiaohua meef!s happily when attention turns to him. "We do not see many of them out here. They are mainly in the forests of the Human reservation." He eyes the little raccoon-fox-dog-monkey wryly. "I had not known they were such happy little thieves...."

Freyja laughs again and nods, "Quite happy indeed. It ended up on my bedding initially, and I told Jiaohua to lead me to where it belonged." She regards the little dakang with a fond smile, "Clever, isn't he? Took me right to the correct tent, hai?"

Nistikani chuckles a little. "Very clever. I shall have to be wary of young, roving dakangs from now on."

Freyja grins cheerfully, "Hai, I also!" She gives Nistikani the open-palmed polite Sedrak bow, giving him good wishes in his courtship, then heads off with her friends.

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Last modified: 2002-Jul-16 16:14:54

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