Fourteen Up, Fourteen Down

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Today was Major Untaaura Verratoa's day off. Technically there were no days off on deployment, but one day every two weeks, each officer and soldier of the Jaanni'saari were permitted liberty to leave their duties in the camp and attend to personal matters. Most spent the time buying supplies from the Alliance commissary and communicating with friends and family back home. Some took to the woods to hunt wild game. Others, usually the occasional male under a kree'arr rut, found themselves hunting game of a different sort in the Alliance camp. Keeping soldiers with enough Alliance credits and condoms in their pocket was its own special bureaucratic hell for the Pride Marines, and always made planetary garrisons a touchy affair.

Untaaura had no family to talk to back home. She didn't make friends easily. She had no husbands - her excuse was that she was married to the Jaanni'saari - a turn of phrase but one that she believed in. Her entire universe was her career. She didn't have time to dawdle on small matters when everything that was important to her was in service of the Motherworld. Her days off usually involved reading combat doctrine, or a little extra PT to keep her body as weapon-ready as her mind was. At five feet one inch, she was short even for a female, but she never for a second wanted anyone to doubt her condition or her resolve. She was harder than beskar. Having a face full of scars tended to reinforce the matter.

So rather than a day of domestic moping or having her cabin boy put his mouth on her, Verratoa was determined to make something of it. She'd heard that the Jedi taskmaster Abarai Loki had made the fourteen kilometer trek between Sanctuary One and Miwù Shanmà a part of his training regimen for Jedi pupils. If it was good enough for their motley spiritualistic rabble, then it was good enough for a marine. She'd studied the course. It involved a fairly steep mountain grade with plenty of switchbacks, and potential danger from both wildlife and tribals. She made sure to pack not only her canteen on her belt, but also the synth leather pancake holster that held her duty weapon. If her distance running turned sanguine, then it was just another obstacle to overcome. As with anything, preparation was key. Combat boots, PT shorts and tank, hydration, and personal defense. All was adequate, and the Major left the officer's quarters, pausing only to let the camp quartermistress know that command was hers while she was on liberty.

Pausing at the gate, Verratoa looked far beyond the road, up at the craggy climb of the mountains ahead. Beyond their adobe escarpments, the clouds that gathered against the blue sky seemed grey and dense. Might be rain.

There was no sense in delaying. Verratoa took off with a trot, her gait even paced, her hands slack, and her tail keeping counterbalance as she pushed through the heart of the Jedi camp on her way to the long climb ahead.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Everything always boiled down to interpretation. How you viewed what was before you, and how you chose to tackle life's obstacles and daily hurdles. Or in today's case, class.

Most would say that she'd skipped today's session of physical education and - what had it been called? Art of Movement? Either way one looked at it, it was still moving about; jumping and exercising and getting sweaty and tired. It was also sort of boring, to be honest. Teagan had found herself grinding away at the courses and routines in the class without interest. She had found it all rather repetitive in short order, and had begun to think of as many ways as possible to simply not go. And that was what found her at the edge of the camp- a sleek silver-tipped juvenile vornskr. The rough greys of her younger pelt had become a glossy sheen, sleek and silky to the touch.

Sitting in the shade of a tree with her bony, barb-tipped tail wrapped around her front paws, she lifted her nose skyward, testing the air.

And then a new scent, brought about by the gentle breeze. A single ear twitched before the young Lupine turned to watch as one of the Cizerack marines came into view. The woman's pace was constant and maintained, and Teagan blinked as she shifted slightly.

This was new. Both ears now stood up, and the vornskr found herself with the answer to her current problem. She would simply give herself a new course of physical lessons. The teachers would no doubt say that she'd intentionally missed her class, but it was all about interpretation.

Who was to say that she didn't get her exercise while jogging alongside the nearing Cizerack?

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kilometer One

The course that took her through the heart of Sanctuary one was just to move her legs and limber her joints. There was no hardship, no accelerated pulse, no quickened breath. She simply tested her own momentum to size it up against the task ahead of her. A few onlookers turned their heads and she simply ignored them, weaving around a pair of Specialist Suri's pit droids that were milling around in a suspiciously loitering pattern. Beneath one of the large trees that stood within the boundaries of the settlement, Untaaura spotted an exotic, silver-furred animal she didn't recognize. Probably one of the Jedi's pets, the Major dismissed. The notion of pets was a distinctly forrda fascination. They were animals without an obvious utilitarian use or value as food, and took up too much by way of resources and attention. Verratoa thought about it no more and kept jogging.

It was when she'd finally made the commitment to the outskirt road that she heard the pittering of paws. It was following her. Again, her first instinct was to ignore it, and she continued her pace as the grading of the path slowly started to rise at a series of foothills.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was an even gait that she now maintained, first watching the woman pass before rising from her haunches and starting off at a lazy trot. With her own tail weaving gracefully behind her, the Lupine let her pace quicken, and soon enough she settled into a slow lope, long legs keeping stride with the Cizerack.

As the path began to rise in an incline, she drew nearer until she was almost level with the woman, and as they both pressed on, the vornskr now kept pace. She slowed momentarily, but only so that she could duck behind and come up on the woman's other side, weaving just a small bit to and fro while lips parted in a toothy canine smile.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kilometer Two

While the creature wasn't interfering with her run per se, it was a mental distraction. Her mind should be a blank slate to let the rhythms of her footfalls fill, but instead Verratoa was preoccupied by wondering who this pet belonged to, and how foolish they were to simply let it run as it pleased. For reasons unknown to her, it wasn't trying to pace her out of its territory or trying to attack or play. It simply ran along, as if somehow determined to find a reason to do so. As she crested another hill, the Cizerack Major skidded to a halt. Her body was warmed up, and she was ready to truly put her endurance to the test. But her uninvited companion was going to have to be dealt with.

Verratoa squared her stance as she watched the big pup flop to its haunches. She frowned, and hissed.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

What was this?

Blinking, the vornskr remained on her haunches, head going somewhat sideways as her ears swiveled forward in curiosity. Rangy legs and disproportionately large paws shifted as she redistributed her weight, and Teagan let her tail flip from one side to the other in amusement. Another toothy 'grin', and her body tensed in sudden movement. The Lupine sprang to her feet, as if expecting some sort of playtime to follow.

Her body was low, ready to bolt to one side or the other, and looking up at the Cizerack, the vornskr let out a happy, almost impatient bark as if to encourage whatever activity was next to come.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Ta'seei ne!"

Untaaura rebuked the animal sharply in Cizeri, which did little other than to cause the creature's head to cant slightly as it lolled its panting tongue happily. Useless! Stooping down, she found a rock on the ground, and turning in the direction of the settlement once more, gave it a powerful throw, sending the stone sailing high in the air. Hopefully the animal would be easily distracted, and the Major could run in peace.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Tawny eyes watched the rock sail back in the direction they'd come. Well now. If it had any way to be conveyed, she would've rolled her eyes. She was out here for exercise, and to enjoy the freedom offered in running. She didn't want to be relegated to a class, and she sure as heck wasn't going to be going back to the Jedi camp for a good long while. She needed a break from the lessons and chores and sameness.

With Wyl busy with his own classes for the day, she needed to find something to take her mind from the normal weighty affairs that'd held her down for the last week, and this right now... this excursion into the wild, it was just what she needed, and just what she wanted.

Teagan once more planted her rump on the ground, looking up at the woman with an almost stern expression as her ears didn't necessarily go flat, but more level as if to verbalize her mild distaste at the thought that she would chase after a simple rock. And then her upper body twisted, her head angling in the direction that the two had once been running.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Not so stupid after all...

Scratching at a scar line on the right side of her face, Untaaura followed the animal's gaze up the path. So they clearly had the same idea in mind. While it might simply be easier to pull her blaster out and sort the creature out on the spot, that was certain not to go well in the camp below. No, this strange thing belonged to someone.

"jYou want to rrun, then?"

Blue eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. Looking back up the path, she smirked, and took off once more.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

And just like that, they were off once more.

It was exhilerating in its' own way, and the vornskr kept pace with the Cizerack for a short distance up the beginning foothills before ducking off the path to weave through the wild foliage and brambles. A small group of nesting birds scattered to the sky, and a few moments later the young Lupine burst back onto the path once more, a short ways ahead of her companion. The woman had seemed to take on a faster gait, and Teagan was more than happy to follow suit, dropping back so that the two ran side by side once again.

This was far better and much more fun than any class, and the vonrskr kept her stride easily, long legs propelling her forward and up the incline.

She'd more than likely earn a stern lecture from not only her teachers, but Zem as well for ditching the day's classes, but in the here and now, it was all worth it.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kilometer Three

Now the grade was getting steeper, and the added distance was finally getting her heart working. Verratoa's face slackened its taut expression, taking breath in and out of her mouth as she pushed the trail. The dog (it looked like a dog, sort of) kept up as well in its own way, happily bounding on and off the path, threading a lazy course of her own as she stretched her legs and made sure not to overtake the felinoid. It was strange. Having the dog as a running partner was keeping Untaaura honest with herself. She pushed her pace to make a bid to overtake the dog, and the dog then turned up the pressure as she drew even. They were at parity, but the run had barely just begun. The Cizerack officer had to remind herself to maintain discipline necessary to keep her pace. Turning on speed for a temporary victory would be futile if she burned out before the summit. Already she was working up a sweat, the neckline of her PT top darkening under a sheen as she continued to pump along.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The sharper incline gave her cause to work harder, and as her legs propelled her ever onward, paws smacking the dirt-packed path in a steady beat. Her tongue slipped out as her body began to sweat, manifesting in short pants that weren't necessarily a sign of her tiredness, but more that she was pushing herself past a simple quick sprint through the woods while on the tail of a scurrying jakrab. Her short sojourns into the more wooded areas around camp had always been done in secret; the less she had to explain to her classmates for the foreseeable future the better. Dama had told her that it wasn't anything to be ashamed of, the Change, but Teagan still shied away from the thought of exposing the second half of who she really was to anyone but Wyl and a scant few others. She certainly wasn't ashamed, just cautious. Even today's running partner would be kept in the dark - after all, if the young Lupine changed back she'd be naked, and she didn't want to deal with explaining that to anyone.

Up ahead, a jagged grade of rock and shale stretched for a small distance, and the vornskr angled her direction only slightly so that she would meet the challenge head on.

A surge of muscles sent her bounding up to land on the first small boulder, and her paws continued her upward movement, quickly picking out solid enough spots to hold her weight as she ascended further.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura envied the creature's maneuverability as it took the most direct path of ascent. She, on the other hand, followed the dirt road that gently diverted a distance from the outcropping. The grading increased, slowing her gait so that she could combine the slower trot uphill with plucking her canteen from its perch on her belt. Taking a few quick quaffs, she capped it and replaced the container on its accessory clip, digging in to quicken her pace. Now her breath was heavy but consistent, and Verratoa keyed on the flank of the dog as it finally cleared its obstacle, and trotted along just ahead.

"jYou'rre gojing a long wajy frrom home..." mild surprise showed on Untaaura's face that she was still talking to it, like it was a person.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

As if in answer, the Lupine gave a waggle of her ears while letting out a hurrf through quick breaths.

Moving so that she was once more at the Cizerack's side, Teagan allowed herself a brief moment to send a sidelong glance up at her companion. Her tail moved as a counterbalance to her motions, and she let her lope settle back into the steady drumbeat of before. By now Dama would've probably only been jogging, but Teagan's smaller frame, though growing and rather gangling in her four-legged form, had to exert more effort.

Before the two, the grade leveled out for a short bit before angling upward once more, the path beginning to meander left and right and the foothills gradually giving way to larger and steeper heights.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kilometer Four

The day grew warmer, and inexplicably as they continued to gain altitude, the air became more humid. Untaaura took air in through her nose, and could smell the subtle change. Something heavy in the air, the clay and mineral smell that betrayed rain in the distance. The humidity was already amplifying her own perspiration, which dripped freely off her chin as she pushed on. Pace was critical now. She kept her momentum slow and deliberate, barely a jog that never broke into a walk as she negotiated one hill only to briefly head down the top and ascend an even higher one.

"jI hope jyou'rre ssmarrt enough to follow me back. jI doubt jyourr massterr would want to make thjiss rrun..."

Maybe it didn't have a master. In a rough and tumble camp like that, maybe it was feral and learned to live off garbage and scraps, not fearing people, but rather seeing them as beneficial companions of its own choosing.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

In response, the animal ducked behind her, veering off to run just off the path and through the scrub-brush that grew up. Weaving around saplings and rock, bounding over fallen limbs and prickerbushes. It was a good change from the steady running, and offered her the chance to work her muscles in a different manner. Leaps and dodges sent her over and around each obstacle.

Further along the path straightened out, and along the side of it a tree had fallen, providing a natural wall of sorts to the route that the two were taking. Root system jutting up from the ground, Teagan used the larger branches to propel her up so that she could run along its' wide trunk.

She paced the Cizerack woman, only now as the two ran, their eyes were on the same level.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

The animal had smart eyes.

No sooner did the observation cross Untaaura's mind than she nearly dismissed it due to absurdity. What did that even mean? Yet there they were, piercing, thoughtful, and inquisitive. Like a sentient's. The more she ran alongside the creature, the more of a weird respect she had for it. To the point where the path it took was nearing its end, Verratoa purposefully slowed her gait.

"Go ahead."

She waved a hand in a small motion, a breathy smile on her face as she watched the vornskyr take the right of way. The Major took a moment to glance at her pedometer, noting that she'd crossed the six kilometer mark without keeping track of the distance. That her exertions didn't feel pronounced was a good thing.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She had jumped from the fallen tree, her body only somewhat smooth in its' motions as her paws had hit the ground, and without missing a beat she was once more padding along at a lope. Her breathing came in sharper bursts as her muscles worked harder than normal, and the Lupine moved so that she ran along just behind and to the side of the Cizerack.

While chasing after jakrabs and scurriers was enjoyable and got her heart pumping, Teagan was finding this excursion to be far more taxing; but not in a bad way. After all, it all boiled down to interpretations of how she applied herself, and if that meant obtaining physical activities away from her classmates and teacher, then all the better. Certainly her instructors couldn't fault her ingenuity?

A sound caught her attention; a burbling and small rumbling that only grew louder the farther they went, and it wasn't long before the Lupine spied a small creek intersecting the pathway. It wasn't big - maybe five feet across, and it certainly wasn't deep either. Maybe ankle deep at best. But it promised something else, and with a burst of speed the vornskr passed her partner to speed ahead. Her tail swept waving motions behind her as she urged her body into a sprint, and soon enough she'd slowed to a jog, and then a complete stop as her head went down, tongue going out to lap up the cool water.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura felt she still had reserves to go, but she hated the notion of leaving her running partner behind. She drew up to the creek alongside the animal, and unfastened her canteen once again. By now her PT top clung to her body with sweat, dark lines at her pits, trailing her abdomen, and lower back visible as she took a few eager gulps, but not before spitting a mouthful of water aside to purge the thickened saliva of her dry mouth. The Major returned her canteen to her belt, wiping water and sweat from her chin as she watched the dog drink.

"Don't drrjink too much now, we have a wajy sstjill to go."

Did dogs get stomach cramps? Probably? Verratoa bent down to pet along the creature's back at its shoulders, noting the coat of well-preened fur. Certainly not a wild creature, not this one.

"Do jyou have a name?"

Again Untaaura was pushing the absurd, talking effectively only to herself. It wasn't as if the dog was suddenly going to have a conversation right back at her. Yet here she was, asking the dog's name. It needed a name.

"Kuurramaai jiss a good name. A sstrrong name."

A name with a lot of thoughts behind it, too. Verratoa continued to pet the animal, lost in more thoughts than she ought to be.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

As the hand moved once more to her head before traveling back down along her spine, Teagan swiveled her head so that her nose met palm, and taking a few short sniffs, her tongue came out to give a lick. Not affectionate, but more in acceptance and camaraderie. Here eyes then went to the other woman's, and her head angled slightly up so that she could scent the Cizerack's neck and cheek. There was of course the very powerful odor of sweat and exertion, but beneath that were other far more delicate scents that wove in, over, and around.

Kuurramaai.

An interesting name, and one that her mind seemed to find acceptance to.

It wasn't her name of course, but in the grand scheme of things, this Cizerack woman wouldn't ever know the real truth.

The vornskr gave a low whine then, turning her head to gaze back along the path they were traveling. She had rested well enough, and felt ready to continue on.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kuurramaai was eager to rejoin the run, as if knowing by instinct that they weren't turning back, but were still intent on taking the whole journey.

"Onwarrd then. Let'ss go! A'rrai! A'rrai!"

Feeling a spirited burst of energy from the strange bit of camaraderie, Untaaura mustered on, her pace a little ambitious at the outset but one that eventually fell into her long distance comfort zone. Kuurramaai loped easily, and as the path widened and leveled out they fell into an easy side-by-side lockstep, letting the distance draw itself out. The next few kilometers would pass on more affable terrain before hitting the serious switchbacks of the final five kilometer approach.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She'd never really had the joy of running this stretch, only heard about it from some of Abarai Loki's grumbling students. But now, after having traversed a decent stretch, the young Lupine found herself rather enjoying the terrain and obstacles that presented themselves.

She'd surged ahead in a strange yet happy willingness to finish the upward leg of their journey, and as the vornskr let her body fall back into that familiar rhythmic pattern, she pulled abreast of the Cizerack. They were committed. They were partners. They would finish the first half of this together.

And as the two running companions pressed on, Teagan let out a series of throaty barks that culminated in a sharp howl, piercing the clear sky above and even sending a smattering of brush-fowl into flight.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

The road continued before them, and spirited on by Kuurramaai's caterwauling, Untaaura picked up the pace in earnest. Now, the path before them had leveled off for a good few kilometers before the last three hard ones up the approach to the Gossam camp. The temptation here was to drop the hammer on the easier terrain, but the Major held back, keeping a disciplined pace - or at least as best as discipline could allow and keep her companion happy. The dog would occasionally put a few lengths on her to encourage her to accelerate. It was an interesting thing, running with a creature that was determined to be a partner in the journey, but not being able to really communicate. You let your feet do the talking. Tail bobbing behind in easy counterbalance, Untaaura maintained a cruising speed to allow her to free her mind. She thought about the last time she was home. The name she'd given the pup wasn't given idly. Kuurramaai was a name she guarded under her heart's lock and key. Maybe it made it easier to say when no one else was around.

At last, the gentle grade of the path arrived to the final mountainous ascent. The path narrowed and began to switch against the contours of an increasingly inclined approach. The last three kilometers seemed to be the toughest of the bunch. The crucible. The test to see if you had been smart and planned your reserves, and to see if you had the mettle to fight your way up. Her breath had quickened as a sum of her total eleven kilometers to this point, but Untaaura maintained her best for when the journey was hardest. Slowing her gait just slightly before the first real incline, she looked to the vornskyr that ran alongside.

"Alrrjight, no holdjing back."

Rolling her shoulders, the Major gave the ascent a grim and determined face, and took off, legs pumping as she met the mountain's challenge with her best effort.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Paws digging into the hardscrabble ground, the vornskr took off like a shot, pacing the Cizarack for a few short moments. It wasn't long before her rangy legs and powerful strides sent her ahead however, and Teagan felt as her muscles opened up. She seemed to eat up the last short leg, but it was easy enough to see that she too was using more energy than she had before. Her body moved with fluid grace, yet beneath the fur and skin was a strong body that was determined to finish the first half of their journey. Her tongue came out then, and she pulled in quick breaths one after the other even as she kept on.

They passed the second bend, both runners feeling the fire rising in their legs. But it would all be worth it. At the top, they would look down and know that they had made the upward journey on will and power alone.

A nimble hop, followed by a leap over a rocky outcropping, and the young Lupine found herself closing in on the third bend.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Four legs were better than two, it would seem. The eager pup took to Verratoa's insistence and approached the final leg of the ascent with a take no prisoners attitude. The Major played a game of catch-up. They were no longer companions, they were rivals. Her runner's tunnel vision blurred out the vista around her, and she only saw bounding paws and bouncing tail. Pick up the pace.

Her legs now ached. The climb was slow, and she found each stride she took she was carrying more of her body weight up the mountain. The air was less humid now, and the dry feeling on her deep breaths caused a creeping ache in her lungs. Perhaps it was time to stop smoking? One obstacle at a time. She fought against the terrain, against her running partner, against her own body. Perspiration cascaded freely down her face to her shirt, and her running motions became less fluid, and more forced. Hands that pumped slack at her sides now instinctively balled into fists as she clambered up the third switchback, stumbling once, but before dashing her knee against a rock.

Keep going.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her motions became almost heavy, as her muscles propelled her onward, yet the strain and exertion was beginning to tax her reserves, and the Lupine huffed out sharp, staccato breaths that gave away her state. She was not struggling, but she was certainly fighting. Uphill, she barreled ahead with determination.

She could hear her companion close behind her, and couldn't help the instinctive quickening of her already taxed body.

Another huff as she rounded the second to last switchback, and with a final push the vornskr charged ahead to a finish line that only she and the Cizerack could see.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura stumbled again, catching herself with her hands as she recovered a little more slowly. Her heart beat in her ears and her breathing was ragged. She spit a trail of thick saliva into the dirt as she righted herself, and with gritted teeth, she pushed on through the switchback. The lupine's gait had also slowed, but she was still putting distance on the Cizerack, and it was clear who would be reaching the summit first. Even if the contest between the two runners had been settled, the contest of Untaaura against Untaaura had not yet been decided. Ultimately when faced with a challenge, you faced yourself every time. It would be so easy to slow down, to simply settle for finishing. Her body sent strong messages to this effect, trying to rationalize the notion.

I won't quit. I won't for an instant.

A gutteral growl escaped her lips, and Untaaura punched it, kicking into overdrive. The mountainside was conquered step by step, and as her body screamed at her, her eyes could see the end. The goal, and euphoric victory. She pushed hard on weakening legs, her arms pumping tight fists as she saw only her goal...and at last reached the marker of Miwu Shanma's outskirts. Slapping a palm hard against the stone, the Cizerack collapsed onto her back, holding her hands above her head as she took in air in deep, greedy breaths.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

And the Lupine was waiting, sidling up happily to her partner as the Cizerack lay on her back.

They had both made it, both conquered this obstacle together! With a strange sort of smiling grimace that exposed a toothy maw, the vornskr hunched over the prone woman to deliver a soppy tongue swipe across her scar-pocked cheek.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Hejy! Sstop that!"

Untaaura flinched at the slobbery assault, and would've hissed if she didn't start laughing. It was a throaty laugh with the occasional snort, a graceless sound of happiness made by someone who wasn't at all accustomed to carrying on that way. Finally, the Major managed to push away the wet-nosed muzzle, continued laughing, which turned into a coughing fit. She sighed, sat up on her elbows, and looked to her lupine companion.

"A good rrun, Kuurramaai."

A group of Gossam villagers approached at the sound of the ruckus, gibbering to each other in their strange speak. Untaaura cut another croaky laugh, petting Tak's head.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The vornskr as well, resting easily on her haunches, turned her head to gaze in the direction that the Gossam were coming from. Her tongue lolled out, her chest still rising and falling in the after effects of her exertions. The Cizerack woman's words were met with a throaty, good-natured rumble, and Teagan took her eyes from the approaching Gossam, sending her gaze out over the expanse that she and her companion had just traversed.

Far below and a fair distance away, she could just make out glimpses of the Jedi settlement, and for a few short moments she couldn't help but wish that everything was back to how it used to be.

Before Ossus. Before her dad died. Before everything.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

With her breath caught, Untaaura fished her canteen free from its pouch, unscrewing the cap to slake her thirst with a few deep gulps. Mindful not to drink to the point of filling, she wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, and looked to Kuurramaai. She had no dish suitable to tend to the pup's needs, so instead the Cizerack poured water carefully into a cupped hand, a little at a time, offering it to her running partner.

"Drrjink up. We have to go back down, don't forrget. But the wajy back wjill be eassjierr."

She felt grimy and sweaty. Normally as fastidious as most of her people, Untaaura had a strange appreciation for filth and sweat stains. A badge of honor for a job well done. And at the peak of that state of things came the sonic shower that would follow. Every pore opening and every muscle relaxing. Her back rippled and her shoulders rolled in anticipation. Something brought her from her pleasant thoughts, however. Those smart eyes, they changed.

"What jiss jit?"

Was it her imagination? Did she look sad? That wasn't possible, and she was no-doubt assigning feelings where none existed.

A few Gossam villagers approached, bringing fresh water as well as a few plates of food items that seemed to atrociously alien to even comprehend. Untaaura recoiled slightly in suspicion of the food, and pointed instead to the water.

"How much?"

She pulled a credit chit from her belt pouch as the aliens chattered in their alien tongue. There appeared to be confusion as they held the food and water for the travelers to take. But they hadn't agreed on a price?

"How much? How...much...monejy?"

She spoke slowly, enunciating her own broken basic as best as she could with exaggerated mouth motions. Wasn't money supposed to transcend language barriers? If they couldn't agree on a price then what was the point? Kuurramaai was thirsty, and she could use a refill of her canteen. Old frustrations were easy to rekindle, and the Major's usual stern expression returned.

Again, the aliens held the food and water to take. They pointed to it, and then to Untaaura, expecting comprehension. One of them took an item that looked like a brown leaf wrapped around...something, and put it into Untaaura's hand over the offered credit chit. Another extended the same leaf wrap to the dog. They were attracting a crowd now. A dozen Gossam jibbering to each other, waiting to see...waiting to see something that Untaaura couldn't comprehend.

They all waited. One pantomimed the act of eating, moving an empty hand to their mouth.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The Lupine held no such reservations as her partner.

Licking her lips, Teagan had recognized right away the sight of the soba wraps being held out for them, and gave hers a quick sniff. They were always a treat back at the settlement, and now was no different as the vornskr cautiously minded her teeth, doing her best to liberate the wrap from the Gossam's hand. It was tricky, but the alien gave a light chitter before holding the leaf-wrapped morsel in such a way that let the Lupine take hold without nicking palm or finger.

What followed was a rather graceless display of a happily chewing vornskr, her tail shifting from side to side in a lazy motion, and angling her head up as she messily ate, she paused, gave a hurff to the Cizerack, and was soon back to concentrating on her meal. Which, of course, did not take long at all to dispatch, and swallowing, the Lupine leaned forward a bit to give a whorffled sniff to the Gossam who was nearest in the hopes that there would be more.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

She couldn't just give it to the dog, could she? No, they were all looking. Suddenly, Untaaura cursed the seeming inadequacy of her marine training. Of all the contingencies of ground forces occupation doctrine, nothing prepared her for the possibility of being surrounded by strange aliens that spoke gibberish and offered inedible food as a token of goodwill. She tried to smile, an alien expression which was more a grimace. Her eyes moved from the expectant mob to the rolled up...thing. It wasn't alive, that was for sure. Was it ever alive? She sniffed at the piece of food, a bouquet of even more alien aromas assailing her.

Probably not poison. Get it together, Marine. You've been shot at before. This won't kill you. This probably won't kill you.

She daintily nipped at the edge of the morsel, hamming up a pleased facial expression with an equally hammy "Mmmmm."

It wasn't fooling the Gossam. Again, they pantomimed the eating act. It was all the way or the highway, it seemed. Sighing, she looked to Kuurramaai.

"Well, jI'm not lettjing jyou beat me twjice."

Jaw clenched tight and a defiant sneer on her face, she stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and started to chew. It tasted...oh Goddess...was this a good or bad taste? She kept chewing, her eyes threatening to water as her cheeks puffed. The Major was sure she'd lost all control over her aloof poise, but she was going to hork this down one way or another. With a big labored swallow, she sighed, her brain racing to catch up with the senses and figure out just what the hell she'd just eaten.

They were still waiting on her verdict. Catching her breath, she burped. Then coughed. All she could offer was a feeble thumbs up. The chattering around them intensified as the Gossam all started to imitate the hand gesture, thumbs-upping each other in frantic exchanges of alien approval.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A long tongue licked her lips, hoping to catch any errant crumb that might be left over, and Teagan shifted where she sat, still intent on the closest Gossam. They seemed happy that the Cizerack had 'enjoyed' their offered meal, and with a soft whorrfle, she nudged at one of the aliens. It chittered happily, and rested a hand on her head before holding out another soba roll.

The vornskr stood up just a little straighter, her eyes intent on the roll, and with another happy bout of chatter, the Gossam carefully brought it closer. He let her sniff it, then lifted it so that it rested just above her snout. Another moment later and he'd layed it over the top of her muzzle, his other hand moving away and raising a single finger.

She stayed utterly still, not wishing to jeopardize her future snack, and balance the roll on her nose as the Gossam took his hand away. His mouth spread in a smile even as he took a small step back.

"Hascha!"

And just like that, the muscles in her neck snapped, and she shifted her snout so that the roll dropped into her mouth.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura rolled her eyes. Showoff, but she was impressed at the creature's talent. It definitely confirmed to her at last that Kuurramaai wasn't wild or feral. An animal had to be taught that sort of thing. Before she could wander too long in her musings, another soba roll was pushed into her hand. Damn. This was going to make any serious push down the mountain become a much more leisurely affair than she'd hoped. And worse, as long as Kuurramaai continued to eat for an audience, they were apparently going to make her eat too. But at least she was ready this time. Taking a bite rather than trying to tackle the entire morsel whole hog, Verratoa could re-appraise the food fairly confident that it wouldn't do her any harm. Again, she had no point of reference. It didn't taste like meat, or at least any meat she'd eaten. Humans put meat over fire or some bizarre ritual before they'd touch the stuff, but the Major was fairly sure that couldn't account for what she was tasting. There was spice, a lot of it, something heady and exotic that nearly overwhelmed the senses. She wanted a cigarette - badly.

"jIf thejy keep feedjing uss, thejy'll have to rroll uss back down the mountajin." She commented to herself, more or less, licking the taste from a fingertip while absently pulling at her pack of smokes. A trio of Gossam children watched intently as she went about her bad habit. Oh great.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A snort, as she let out a sneeze, and the Lupine rose to stand. She shuffled over to where a gaggle of children stood gawking at the Cizerack, and giving each a quick once-over, moved away towards the way that she and her running companion had arrived from. It was half over, their jog, and lowering once more to her haunches, Teagan let out a huffed breath. She didn't really want to go back just yet, but she also knew that it was inevitable.

She looked up to her partner, ears swiveling forward as her attention settled solely on the Cizerack woman.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kuurramaai was itching to go, but something was holding Untaaura back for the moment. Well, something other than the cigarette perched on her lips.

"Sso eagerr? We'll go ssoon."

Social obligation had a gravitational pull, and the Major tried to think what she could to to reciprocate the hospitality shown to her. It was already made plain that the Gossam weren't about to take money for the transaction, but that was just about all the Cizerack had on her person to give. Well that, and cigarettes and a loaded weapon - neither of which were in any way suitable to pass around to a gaggle of grubby kids. So without anything tangible at her disposal, Untaaura got creative.

"Would jyou ljike to ssee mjy pjicturress?"

Her pidgin basic was met with blank stares from aliens who didn't speak the lingua franca, but she carried on with it anyway. It felt right to ask. Pulling a small disc from her pocket, she squatted down on her haunches, her tail bobbing up as counterbalance as she flicked the small holoprojector on. A quick few puffs on her smoke and she tabbed to the beginning of a photo album. A woman appeared in thin air who looked to be in her late teens. Though her face was free of scars and her right ear pristine, the same severe expression was on her face as she stood like some pantomimed statue - obviously posing.

"Mjy fjirrsst dajy jin offjicerr sschool at the Jaanni'saari academjy. jI wass sso prroud to wearr that unjiforrm. Both mjy motherr and fatherr sserrved. Ourr famjiljy trradjitjion."

One of the Gossam reached over, sticking a finger into the picture and watching as the image distorted slightly. Untaaura tabbed to the next image. Again, the young and hawkish Su'taun'rrou Verratoa posed like a propaganda poster, only this time with another taller woman in uniform standing behind her and making a silly face over her shoulder.

"That jiss Kuurramaai."

The hard edge left Untaaura's expression. She spent a few seconds in silence, exhaling smoke from her nose as she lost herself in the vault of her memories. So many memories.

"Mjy besst frrjiend."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Hearing the name 'Kuurramaai' made the vornskr turn to look at her Cizerack companion's back. The woman was hunched down into a sort of crouch, showing holopictures to the Gossam. Ever curious, Teagan shifted so that her own body swiveled about. She rose quietly, intending to move to sit beside the Cizerack, but distraction brought her away from that intent; distraction in the form of her new friend's tufted tail which lazily moved to and fro.

The Lupine hunkered down once again in silence, watching the tail with intent. Paws edged forward, and craning her neck, Teagan gave the tufted end a sniff as it passed by her nose.

And on the next pass, she playfully caught the puff of hair with an outstretch paw, holding it down while burying her nose into it.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Hejy!"

Untaaura bolted up, snatching back her tail as the Gossam kids laughed at the comic relief. Her initial instinct was to swat or scold, but she couldn't even hold a completely stern face as she looked at the vornskyr and ran a paw over her snout, across her head, and scratched behind her ear.

The Gossam were beginning to mill away, but a pair of particularly young ones remained with goofy smiles affixed to their faces, and they gave one last triumphant thumbs up before running away laughing to catch up with their friends, again leaving the runners to their devices. The Major finished her cigarette, grinding the butt under a bootheel as she paused to admire the vista at the outskirts of the village. Her stomach gurgled worryingly, and she had to come to grips with the fact that she was likely going to have to take it easy on the way back.

"Admjit jit, jyou jusst came up herre forr the frree food, djidn't jyou?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

There was a final lick of her lips as Teagan lumbered ahead, moving to stand beside the Cizerack. She too looked out over the expanse before them, and with a huffed breath the Lupine angled her head up to look at her companion, lips pulling back over teeth in a macabre, beastly smile.

Free food had been a bonus. The main prize had been escaping from the day's classes.

And though she was not aware of it, Verratoa had become complicit in the crime of skipping school.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

With her running partner in tow once more, Verratoa began the descent back to camp. Fourteen kilometers the other way. Now they ran downhill, and it took considerably less effort to keep a decent pace. Which was good, since the Major didn't at all feel like pushing the envelope with a belly full of Gossam gastronomic mad science. Still, even sandbagging the course could be risky, and the Cizerack was certain whatever she'd eaten wouldn't taste nearly as good the second time around.

With a guarded pace, she continued along with Kuurramaai, the former seeming less phased by the bit of chow. The lupine loped ahead a dozen or so meters, then eventually slowed to keep the distance between them sociable.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Going down was much easier than coming up; even on four legs, the change of angle was appreciated. She was at least mindful to stay with her partner for most of the time, but there were a few instances when the allure of the brush along the side of the trail was just too much, and the vornskr was more than happy to bound off, disappearing for a short few minutes before returning once more.

It was as she dashed back out onto the trail that she caught the first scent of something... off.

Skidding to a halt, the Lupine came to a full stop in the Cizerack's path, ears swiveled forward as her head angled upward to scent the air.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kuurramaai skidded to a halt on the trail, which was certainly not her usual pattern of being not sure whether to pace the Cizerack or bolt a few dozen meters ahead and explore. Untaaura passed the Lupine but immediately thought the better of it when she noticed the dog wasn't budging. Her ears were up, same as her muzzle, and she winded the air. That caused the Cizerack to do the same, though nothing seemed particularly amiss. While her sense of smell was better than, say, a human's, a Cizerack was no match for a trackhound or the like, and considering something had caught Kuurramaai's attention, that warranted attention of her own.

"What jiss jit, gjirrl?"

Verratoa's own ears snapped ahead to triangulate on any noise in the vicinity. She didn't hear a thing. That in and of itelf was a problem, because they were in the wilderness, and you should expect to hear everything, even if the sum of everything was nothing. Or at least, nothing you'd notice. Silence, however, was precursor to alarm.

The Major reached to her waist, thumbing free the catch on her holster. Her blue eyes looked off the trail, trying to see a horizontal break against stands of vertical trees. Something that shouldn't be there.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was a scent that confused her, yet the danger that it carried with it was palpable. The fur at her shoulders rose into a spiked line as her entire body tensed. Her long, bony tail whipped about like an angry viper as her lips pulled away to expose a menacing display of teeth.

Another scent, now from behind her, and the vornskr wheeled about on her haunches to face this new, invisible threat. She let a growl begin in the bottom of her throat, a steady sound that conveyed menace. Whatever was out there, unseen and hidden, it was not a group of tromping younglings looking for flowers and roots. It wasn't Master Hicchoru; his was a unique smell that she would know from miles away. It wasn't anyone from the settlement.

It wasn't that singular, soft yet lingering grey odor that belonged to the Gossam, either. It was something else...

It was something new, and something that was not friendly.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

The change in direction spurred Verratoa to draw her weapon. Whatever Kuurramaai sensed, it had either changed direction - or worse - wasn't alone. Her suspicions were now starting to take shape into a word on the tip of her tongue. Yet before she could invoke them, her blaster was torn from her hand in a violent impact. She barely even had time to register the pain of hot spall against skin.

"Rrun!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was moving even before the word reached her lips, but it was not to flee.

Instead, the vornskr surged ahead at one of the beings that she could smell, an ugly dark green scent trail marking the path clearly. Her growl became louder, turning into a snarl as she barreled through the underbrush. And in an instant she reared up, crashing into a body that had once been so well hidden, and with little thought the beast closed her jaws around the soft flesh of an arm.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Kuurramaai!" she shouted impotently, surging ahead after the vornskr. As the beast broke through the brush, she could now clearly see one of the hidden figures. But even now, their attackers remained hidden behind ornate masks. The Major's suspicions were confirmed at exactly who they now faced. A Ysanna warrior drew his weapon up for a shot, but Untaaura savagely kicked it aside, turning with her momentum to lash a raking clawed hand at the warrior's neck. She felt the warm ichor on her fingertips before seeing the results of her handiwork, as the warrior collapsed to staunch the flow from severed arteries. The Jaanni'saari officer didn't pause in her aggression, taking advantage of his incapacitation by hastening his demise, wrenching his head and jaw to break the neck.

And that's when the world around her exploded into stars. Red pinpricks of light set against the fading darkness of everything around her. Untaaura fell to the ground as a warrior cracked her across the back of her head with the butt of his gun.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The sound of metal thumping against a skull brought her up, releasing the Ysanna and looking at the now fallen form of the Cizerack woman.

She scrambled back, as the alien she'd held down now wormed an arm out to grasp one of her fore-legs. She let out a growled yelp, jaws snapping at gnarled fingers. She felt hands clamping down on the scruff of her neck, wrenching her back and to the side, and moments later an angry mask filled her vision. She felt pulled back further, a thin leather cord wrapping around her snout and forcing her mouth closed. Her growl became a whine then, as she watched one of the Ysanna lift his rifle, and in the next moment brought it down, the butt end striking squarely between her eyes and sending her spiraling down into the depths of her subconscious.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Two hours later


Something was wrong here.

It had bothered Anbira for the past kilometer on the trail, and now it was practically screaming at him. The birds sounded wrong. The normally vibrant throaty warbles that carried on these trees were largely absent, instead the silence was only periodically punctured by a more shrill and forced call. The Jedi Knight froze in his tracks, weather-beaten skin around his eyes creasing into slight crows feet as he squinted into the distance. More a habit than anything, as the Force was a far better scout than his eyes could be. He felt a presence close by. Barely there, but a distinct feeling of pain and confusion. Acting on instinct, the Jedi bounded into the underbrush, clearing a thicket of brambles with a wave of his hand that caused the thorny snarl to bow away by an unseen force.

"Now that's not something you see every day."

Trussed up and tossed aside next to a tree was a vornskyr. It's white fur was ruffled and dirty, but through the mess, he could still occasionally see the slow rise and fall of breath. Anbira approached the beast, and quickly began to make sense of the knotted rope around the animal. Still, none of this made sense whatsoever, and didn't put him at ease.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was the sounds of brush moving that roused her, pulling her up into the waking world. Her chest, once steadily rising and falling, soon enough began to heave with exertion as she struggled in her bindings. She whined, her body writhing even as her eyes caught sight of...

And in less than a second she grew still. She knew the face that now looked down at her. With tawny eyes the Lupine craned her neck to gaze up at Knight Hicchoru.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Easy there."

It didn't even need to be said. Once the animal had sighted him, it seemed to relax, as if utterly accustomed to him. That was odd. Even though Anbira certainly knew his way around the wild, there was always a degree of acquainting required and respect to be given to wild creatures. This vornskyr didn't tense, it didn't wind him or evaluate his body language. It was almost the signs of a tame animal.

"Something got you tangled up good, alright."

And there was that. This didn't seem to be the work of a snare or trap. Someone had tied the beast up and just left it here. Not pelters, they would've made short work. And a farmer would have likely just shot it and left it be. So why all the effort? Anbira didn't dwell on the matter at present, and with a flick of his lightsaber, he made short work of the vornskyr's bonds. It wasn't likely that he'd get much of an explanation the conventional way, and Anbira dropped to his haunches.

"What happened to you?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her ears drooped low at that. How could she possibly say anything?!

If it was Master Vymes he'd understand. He knew what she was, but the other Jedi... well, no one else really... knew exactly what she was. In the face of that particular terrible knowledge, Teagan only let out a low whine. She gave a last brief struggle, shaking herself out of the coarse bonds that'd held her fast. She didn't immediately stand, rather her posture changed as she rose only to sit up. She turned tawny eyes to Knight Hicchoru. Pleading eyes that held frustration in them all the same.

Her head angled to the side as she seemed to slump, and her eyes closed tightly as she gave a nudge to his chest.

She couldn't Change, not now. Not without exposing her secret.

Another whine, and the vornskr lifted her head up, pulling away as she scented the air.

She could still smell them. She could still smell her.

Slowly she lumbered up to stand, and her eyes opened, trailing away from the Jedi.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

There was more to this. Anbira watched the vornskr turn away, winding the air toward the wild thicket beyond. Her body was tense. Not apprehensive of him, but something else. The Jedi Knight ran a hand along the fur from the base of her neck down her back. He could feel the tension, see her focused attention. Slowly, his blue eyes closed.

"Who did this to you? And why?"

Years alone on Felucia had made him depend on the wild around him, not just as a resource to be used, but a companion. A teeming presence to take solace and communion. It was never as simple as a conversation. Even with the force, there were only base feelings. But what he felt when he reached out to her was startling, and his eyes opened suddenly. The answer was crystal clear, almost as if the words were spoken.

"The Y'sanna?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At that she snapped her head to him, ears switching forward.

Yes, it'd been the Y'sanna, but his 'lucky guess' did more than simply elicit a response to the affirmative. She felt his mind touch her own, and as if on instinct the young Lupine threw up her normal mental barriers. She'd been slack, and he'd - in a way - caught her with her hand in the sweets jar. And even if he now had a notion of things, she still couldn't help but shut him out.

Instead the vornskr gave a hurff. She let her tail grow still, and with a slow blink she let her eyes leave the Jedi to once more look in the direction that she could almost see the scents of the Y'sanna. She could even make out the distinct trail that belonged to her Cizerack companion. It was unmistakable.

Her chest swelled with a long intake of air, and she let it out through her nose before sidestepping, slowly beginning to move away from Knight Hicchoru and in the direction that her nose and eyes told her to go.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

He felt the aburpt disconnect and flinched. The sudden and decisive severing was nothing he'd ever felt in an animal before. He didn't know vornskyr by personal experience. The jungles of Myrkyr were full of strange creatures with strange connections to the force, but that itself didn't invalidate what he'd gleaned. For a moment Anbira simply sat in surprise, then exhaled.

"Alright then. Sorry about that, girl."

There wasn't much time to dwell, however. The vornskyr was up again and moving in the direction her attention had been so fixated. Anbira followed, mindful of his surroundings. The Y'sanna were a cunning people. If what he'd gleaned was true, there was no shortage of danger to be found on this path.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She followed where her own senses told her to go. Truthfully, it wasn't difficult to see the trail left behind by the Y'sanna. Every so often she'd stop, lifting her head to scent the air.

Further they ventured into the forest; further into the deep woods. Sunlight trickled down through the overbrush, trickling down along tree trunks and rock faces that jutted upward. In any other situation it would've been a beautiful thing to observe, but right now...

Right now she could only think of what was possible to happen to the Cizerack, and it wasn't a hopeful thought. She stopped once more, pausing in front of a fallen tree trunk. The scents meeting her nose now were stronger, and more vibrant. Up ahead loomed another rock face, but it was the darkened, yawning mouth of a cave cut into the granite that her eyes remained on.

One ear fell, flicking back and forth as if to alleviate some unseen pestering fly before returning forward once more. She moved, though now her body seemed to gain a fluidity that took her over the felled trunk with almost liquid movements.

They were close now.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The animal's body language had changed before Anbira even felt the change himself, and he carefully managed his own footfalls and body language to match, shadowing the white vornskyr as she crept along the closing distance toward the cave with a tell-tale crouch of a predator waiting to pounce. Behind disheveled strands of hair, Anbira's eyes squinted, a reflex action as his true sight was being done beyond what he could see. The Y'sanna were elusive people, themselves children of the force and bound up by those universal mysteries in their own unique way.

As they continued their careful approach, a sudden sense of peril and alarm filled Anbira's senses just as he heard the tension whine of a tripwire brushing against the vornskyr's paw. His hand was already out in front of him as he heard the whistling puff of air, and the poisoned thorn the concealed trap fired hung a scant centimeter from Tak's muzzle.

Anbira exhaled raggedly, carefully crawling forward to pick the offending projectile out of the air, rubbing the sticky viscous coating on his fingertips as he rolled the thorn between his thumb and forefinger. Topoid berries, mashed and thickened in a kettle. The inky midnight blue color was distinctive. Very carefully, Anbira pushed the business end of the thorn deeply into loose soil, and cleaned his fingers with a leaf.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She'd frozen mid-step, only her eyes moving as the Jedi reached out to pull the thorn from the air. And when he had, she turned her head, watching as he studied it before burying it tip-first into the ground.

She whorrfled in thanks, but it was only a moment later that her eyes turned again to the cave's entrance.

She didn't know much of anything about the Y'sanna, other than the few bits and pieces of stories that she could glean from the older students and teachers. There'd never been any talk about traps.

A hesitation, and she stepped forward, her paw now finding the soft earth with a much more careful movement. Knowing it was unavoidable, the Lupine let her own senses reach out past her mind's barrier, searching ahead and looking for any other unseen surprise.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira felt the change in her presence, but this time armed with self restraint, he respected her boundaries and pried no further. It was clear to him now that the vornskyr wasn't simply responding to stimuli in the force as a reflex of nature. It was actively using the force itself. Impossible was the reflex appraisal, but the old addage went that once you remove other possibilities, even the seemingly impossible becomes the truth. Surprise was visible on his face at the realization, but they were simply too close to danger for him to act on his insights. Instead, he continued to shadow the vornskyr as they continued into the cave itself.

The light of the mouth didn't extend far, and soon they were descending into murky darkness. His eyes usefulness diminished, the Jedi relied more on more on his other senses to guide his steps, Jedi's intuition making certain the uncertain as the corridor they traversed narrowed. The tunnel thinned to where it could only be traversed single file, and then switched back. Hands brushing against stone suddenly flinched in realization. The passage they now moved within was no cave. This portion had been cut by hand.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She moved with sure feet, seeing the world around her in suddenly much more brilliant colors. Her Dama had once described what it was like to push outward into the Force when Changed, and it was a sensation so unique that Teagan felt almost a little bit nervous at the influx of what she both felt and saw. But, still she pressed onward, paws silent as they took her deeper into the darkness of the cave.

Through the narrowing tunnel she persisted, the scent of Cizerack and Y'sanna mingling together and forming an easily seen trail that wound through passageways that wound deeper and deeper into the cave.

She stopped then, lowering her body to the ground. Ahead, in the inky blackness, there was the barest of flickering lights. It bounced off a bend in the tunnel, and the Lupine inched forward before pulling up sharply, coming face to face with a tangle of hanging bones and scrap metal. Tied together, they hung suspended, like a wind-chime.

Her ears ticked back, lips curling back over sharp teeth as she turned to look behind her at Knight Hicchoru. He'd have better luck at navigating this than she.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The growing glow in the distance brought usefulness to Anbira's eyes once again, and he studied the obstacle before him as the vornskyr hung back, seemingly deferring to him to get them past. It was a simple thing, designed to give away the position of anyone who passed by. For a moment, the Jedi studied each piece as it hung along the tether, taking each as a piece of a whole. With deep concentration, he acted on them at once, moving the strands carefully to keep each piece from striking the other. The effect was to draw the strands back like a curtain, where they hung with just enough clearance. Anbira carefully stepped through, and nodded to the vornskyr.

A sound in the distance caused him to turn his head. Voices in a language he knew, but didn't fully understand. They were close.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Slinking through the opening, the vornskr remained low as she crept along. The dancing light along rock walls remained steady as she moved, shuffling herself quietly forward. She stopped then, as the scent of the bodies around the bend met her nose, mingled with that of the recognizable smell of a Cizerack, all mixed in with wood smoke and a rather enticed odor of cooking meat.

She turned her eyes up to the Jedi, unsure of what to do next.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Careful in his movements, Anbira pressed against the stone edifice adjacent to the nearest sound. As he followed it's contour, he could see the mouth of the tunnel slowly creep into his field of view. He froze in his tracks, hand instinctively going down to Tak to rest atop her muzzle. The voices now more distinct, had figures to go with them. Obscured by backlighting from an open fire, three silhouettes paced. From what he could see, they were humanoid, and they were all armed. To make matters worse, Anbira could feel the potential in all three figures. The Y'sanna weren't formally trained, but were certainly force adept. Even without lightsabers, they made for formidable opponents.

Turning back from the wall, the Jedi Knight looked to the vornskr, placing an extended index finger over his mouth in the universal sign for quiet. Hopefully with as gifted as this animal was, she also understood hand gestures. Next, he looked around for something he could use to provide a distraction. It didn't take long to find a grape-sized stone, which levitated in the air for a moment before zipping away through the tunnel opening beyond the orange glow of the fire. The rock struck audibly against stone, unseen. In unison, the body language of the three silhouettes changed, and two of the figures skulked off into the distance to investigate.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She could sense everything through the Force, the sudden alertness that swept through the air like a raging storm, and the instant caution and wariness that flooded behind. The vornskr lifted her nose to scent the air, and edging forward, the beast let her body lower down into the dusty tunnel pathway. The strength of the body odors she was detecting dwindled, and looking up, she saw the number of shadows diminished by two. Better odds, but there was no telling if there were other Y'sanna lurking about.

She inched forward, but her motions stopped immediately as she turned to cast a questioning look up to the Jedi.

His distraction had helped, but if he had more intentions to follow up with, she was nervous of upsetting whatever he might have in mind. The desire to find her Cizerack friend was strong though, and the Lupine couldn't help the single word that shot through the Force between them.

Hurry.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira scarcely needed prodding, sensing the fluidity of the moment they had been presented. With nimble movement betraying his frame, the Jedi dashed from the opening, covering ground deftly with silent footfalls as he occupied uncontested space. Still, he was cautious and rightly so. Any other adversary would enable him to move decisively, but the Y'sanna had generally the same gifts the Jedi possessed. While not refined, he was sure a Y'sanna would notice someone fully reaching their senses outward. Instead, the Jedi moved intuitively, passively observing the antechamber and what he could divine beyond in the dim light.

Suddenly dropping to a crouch, Anbira stared intently at a nondescript spot on the stone tilework. What appeared to be nothing was anything but, and the Jedi hermit's fingers brushed against the stone. He splayed his hand fully against the ground, eyes peering up in a few directions.

"Do you feel that, friend?"

He looked to the vornskyr, a hunch that his pondering words weren't entirely lost on her. There was a fierce feeling, splashed like blood or sweat. Could it be the Y'sanna? Possibly, but to feel like this in their sanctuary? Anbira raised his hand under his nose, rubbing his fingers together as he smelled them. More a survivalist's instinct than divining anything he could actually smell.

Whoever the vornskyr's friend was, she was hot blooded for sure.

Moving again, Anbira skulked ahead a distance, then turned decisively to the left.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She paused only long enough to give the spot he'd touched a sniff. It was familiar enough, and her body tensed as she moved quickly to follow him. Her body remained low, but it seemed that with each step she grew more impatient and unwilling to hold back.

It was as he went left that she felt the dam burst, and darting ahead, the young Lupine barreled past him and around another bend in the rocky tunnel. She could smell her Cizerack companion now, and the scent was only getting stronger the deeper into the mountainside that she went.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Kuurramaai?"

Untaaura's eyes opened. Well, one did. The other had been beaten on so intently that it had swollen shut. matching most of the left side of her face that had apparently offended her captors so. Pain was there, but it was everywhere else and so nonspecific as to be an uncomfortable fog, blending with the fog in her awareness and memory. Now awake again, the Major began the tedious backpedaling in her head to figure out how she got where she was, and exactly where she was to begin with.

She leaned forward to spit, a heavy red trail of thick saliva and blood rolling off her swollen lower lip and down her chest. A newer and sharper pain radiated down her spine as her tail swayed. Exhaling raggedly to keep from crying out, she fought against her binds that she could feel cutting into her wrists. Those were uncomfortable, but her tail was worse. She'd kinked it before, but it never hurt any less the second time.

Get over it

Anger flashed on her face and Untaaura thrashed against her bindings once again, which served only to cut into her wrists even more as she shook in the chair she was fixed upon. Her feet kicked and stamped in wild motions as she grit her teeth, throwing her head left and right in primal defiance. Now she remembered the faces - the unmasked faces.

"jYou'rre gonna have to do betterr than thjiss!" she shouted into the darkness, looking for any change in movement to reveal her captors.

"A Jawa can thrrow a harrder punch than jyou! jYou'd betterr jusst kjill me beforre jI get out of herre and fjind jyou!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The vornskr kept on, her nose telling her where to go, and as she rounded a final bend, she burst into a cavernous opening that was only partially illuminated by the pitiful flames of a small campfire. The dancing flames - though small - fell against a body bound to a chair, and as the captive struggled against her restraints, the shadows behind her danced wildly on rough-hewn and chiseled walls.

Teagan skidded to a halt, staring at her Cizerack friend for only a moment before started forward once more.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira watched the vornskyr trot a distance away, no doubt wary of other presences that were still close enough to be a threat. Anbira, in the mean time, dealt with the matter at hand, kneeling at the chair that held a well-beaten Cizerack woman.

"No one will be killing you, friend." He spoke quietly and with assurance, finding the bonds that held her hands fast. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Glancing to the side, Anbira carefully adjusted the emitter dial on his lightsaber, and a faint spark of blue energy lit at the aperture. Just enough to rend clean the restraints that held Untaaura to her seat. The exhausted felinoid lurched forward, sliding off the chair and to the floor, just barely managing to catch her fall with her bloodied hands.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Freedom from her stress position brought new intense pain, but a euphoria that nearly balanced it's toll as she lay panting on the floor. Her head turned from her rescuer, she only saw the figure maintaining vigil to her left.

"Kuurramaai?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Given pause in her watch, the Lupine twisted her neck to turn eyes to the Cizerack woman. A cold nose gently sniffed her friend's cheek, mindful of the injuries and blood that were easy to smell. A whurffle, and the muzzle pulled back as she turned to stare out into the darkness once more.

Her tail flicked slightly before settling into a smooth side-to-side motion, and the vornskr sidled closer to her companion, allowing ruffled grey fur to brush against bruised skin as two tails wound together in support.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Her one good eye wide and searching, she turned from her companion to the stranger who had loosed her binds. He didn't look like one of them. Didn't talk in their way. Didn't paint his face or wear a mask. Her eyes traveled down to the lightsaber in his hand. A Jedi. Wiping a smear of blood from her swollen lower lip, the Cizerack creakily righted herself onto her knees, gingerly feeling at her wrists that had been savaged by her struggles against the rope.

"Thank jyou."

Two words that had to overcome her enormous pride to say. She certainly didn't want to owe anything to a Jedi for her rescue, but she was realistic enough to know that her situation was sufficiently bleak to warrant it.

"jI told them nothjing."

There weren't many things in the way of military secrets to be had on Ossus, but Untaaura wanted it to be made certain she never broke. Defiant eye glowing blue in the dim light, she again spit blood.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"I believe you."

Anbira gave the felinoid an earnest nod of understanding. He had once been a soldier. He knew the power of an oath of service, and how important it was to keep it pristine. Through the maelstrom of anger and rage he felt coming from her, he never found a faltering of half-truth or deception.

"You're a soldier. As was I, once."

Extending a dirty hand to her, he again nodded.

"And when I was a soldier, we were taught to leave no man behind."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was ready to leave, that was for sure. The dank and cramped confines of the cave only served to agitate her nerves, and she was starting to smell things that weren't there. It was frustrating.

A low whine that shifted into a garbled string of nonsense, and Teagan moved forward, her eyes firmly set to the direction that they'd come from. She didn't move far from the Cizerack though, making sure to be close... just in case.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

From her limited experience around Jedi, Untaaura often found them frustrating to interact with. They seemed preoccupied with everything and nothing, and not exactly focused on what was in front of them. This Jedi, however, spoke in a way she understood. She took his hand in the human custom, unsure what else to do but allow him to squeeze. She reciprocated, and he eased her up to her feet. Again her kinked tail swayed in a manner that brought new intense pain shooting down her spine. She stiffened and ground her teeth, exhaling sharply. Kuurramaai was restless, staring daggers in the direction of the exit.

"Let'ss go."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

There was no need for a second uttering of the call to leave, and the vornskr moved ahead, her stride cautious and her posture tense. She scented the air around them, and though the heavy smell of the Cizerack's blood and sweat filled her nose, she was able to filter through it and focus on the less obvious. Nothing seemed out of place, and so the beast continued on. Back into the narrow passageway, and back the way that she and Knight Hicchoru had come. It was slow going, but their progress was steady. They came to the bone chimes, and carefully Teagan toes around the dangling, macabre display.

Casting a look behind her, she was satisfied that the Jedi Knight and her running partner were following.

For now, the coast seemed clear, and she turned back around to forge ahead once more through the darkness.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

She was a difficult burden to move. Not because of mass but because of diminutive height. Anbira draped her hand around his neck, keeping half-crouched to allow her to move her own feet and not be dragged along. They reached the bone chimes, and the Jedi carefully maneuvered her as he concentrated on parting the barrier once again. They were nearly past when something happened. Untaaura's ear flicked, hitting one of the strands in passing. The motion caused a cascade, and a tinkling sound to carry down the cave.

"Come on."

He surged along, letting the chimes fall without finesse as he quickened his pace. Beyond, he could hear alien tongues. They were coming.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The rattle of the bone chimes was like a deafening bell, and it was a clarion call to those who were deeper in the inky blackness of the cave.

The Lupine froze, her body twisting in the the confines of the narrow, rough-hewn corridor so that she could face the Knight and the Cizerack. She let a low growl form in her chest, and it rumbled forth from between curled lips and out past exposed fangs.

A moment later she darted forward, squeezing her body past the other two and sprinting toward the approaching sounds of more Y'sanna. She disappeared around a bend in the rock wall, and her growl grew into a bloodcurdling howl.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira trudged on, now coming to a full height that would leave Untaaura's feet dragging, but would likely afford him better speed. Shouldering her burden, he couldn't very well reach for his lightsaber, but he was prepared for the contingency.

"I may have to put you down, soldier."

The vornskr's howl quickened his pace as he surged ahead.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Marrjine." she hissed, her claws extending somewhat at the innocent slight. She tried to plant a footfall where she could. Carry her weight. She knew her strength had nearly left her, but she would be damned before she'd be the cause of someone else's jeopardy.

"jI'll ljive, Jedji. Do what jyou have to."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her howl had cut off abruptly as she tore headlong into the small group giving sudden chase. Rearing up, the vornskr barreled into the lead Y'sanna with a vicious snarl, her jaws clamping down first on his wrist, and as her neck muscles bunched, she wrenched her head up. The man cried out in shock as her teeth clamped down, then tore through skin, muscle, and tendon. Her jaws opened just enough to allow her to whip further up and close around his windpipe. Her entire body was pulled up as he jerked away. His neck offered a moment of resistance, then tore open as her weight pulled one half down and his motions pulled the other half away.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Her ears stiffened at the sounds as the Jedi dragged her along.

"Kuurramaai..."

They'd kill her! And for what? Untaaura struggled against Anbira's grasp, trying to break free and make a stand. Her entire body ached, but she had reserves. She could kill at least one. At least one.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"You'd better stow it, Marine!"

Anbira held her fast, managing to not break his stride as he moved along. It was cold calculus, but it always balanced out the same. People were priority. He didn't know anything about her pet vornskr, but it was doing what it knew was right by instinct.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She felt the edge of a spear slice along her shoulder, and the Lupine shied to the side as her jaws opened once more, teeth dripping in the remnants of a torn throat. She wheeled about, her body coiled like a spring, and after another moment she dodged another spear thrust as the Y'sanna yelled at each other, all moving back and spreading out as much as the confined area would allow them.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Through the sounds of snarling and shouting alien tongues, she heard a punctuated yelp, and that was enough for her. She struggled against Anbira, pulling free as she fell to the ground. Finding her footing on shaky legs, her claws were out and ears pinned back as a deep growl rumbled at the pit of her stomach. Major Verratoa turned back for her friend.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira grimaced as Untaaura put intense claw pressure into his shoulder in an attempt to apply brakes. She shimmied and struggled, and it would be no use to try and carry on like this in her state, so after a moment he relented. She spun about, heading the way she came towards the danger. The Jedi Hermit sighed.

"Very well. Leave no dog behind either."

His lightsaber sparked to life, and he too joined the fight to extricate the vornskyr from the threat. Rounding the corner, he saw four figures in the wan light, and three more on the ground. The smell of blood was thick in the cramped tunnel, and it didn't lend itself well to more than two attacking at once. The vornskyr had one Y'sanna at the wrist, pulling back and down to wrench him low where she could do the most damage. Untaaura herself was no slouch, grappling against a taller native. She tore the mask of his face, and seeing an opportunity, Anbira struck. A surgical stab over her shoulder, spearing the warrior through his mouth.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She jerked, her jaws tightening even further on the wrist, and with a snarl she both felt and heard the bone snap in two. Her victim screamed, folding himself over the top of her body in new desperation and wrapping his free arm around her ribcage. It was an effort to pull her up even as she continued to drag him down, and the Lupine felt her body wrenched from where she'd been standing. His awkward, lifting bearhug surprised her enough however, and she released the shattered remnants of the wrist, twisting in his hold, jaws snapping at his shoulder, then up to rake a tooth across his cheek.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaurra felt her opponent's resistance fall in an instant, seeing the smoldering ruin of his face as he dropped from her grasp. A surprised eye shot back to Anbira, growling as she turned toward Kuurramaai's assailant. He was two heads above her, and her companion covered up the best places to strike. Two clawed hands raked his shoulder, finding deep purchase as she pulled back with all her strength to dislodge him and drive him to the ground.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Another Y'sanna charged toward the tunnel opening, but rather than meeting them at melee distance, she posted up, preparing to level a slugthrower at the intruders. Anbira's eyes widened, sensing the moment and intent. A quick movement of a hand sent the barrel of the warrior's weapon askew. Even manipulating the shot as the Y'sanna were capable of doing, it was too much change to correct in too little distance, and the shot exploded into rock. Knowing he wouldn't get a second chance, Anbira surged ahead with unnatural speed, bringing up his lightsaber in a sweeping path that split the Y'sanna's weapon in two. A hand reached up, tightened, then raised above his head. The Y'sanna was wrenched off her feet, and thrown head-first into the ceiling above. Anbira released his fist, and her body fell to the floor.

"We need to leave, now!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Scents cascaded in on one another, flooding into her nose as she continued to twist in the hold keeping her paws from hitting the ground. A snarl, another jerking movement, and the vornskr threw her head to the side, dislodging the mask her attacker was wearing. It fell to the ground with a dull thunk to reveal the Y'sanna's angry features. She snapped her jaws at an ear, two teeth going clean through the cartilage before she gave another shake of her head, tearing it clean off the head of its' owner. The Y'sanna cried out in agony as his legs buckled, and with the added weight of the Cizerack pulling at him he tumbled forward to the ground, landing squarely on Teagan.

A burst of light as she yelped in startled pain at the sudden sensation of landing and being landed upon. She felt an elbow jammed into her gut, then a knee on her haunch. She squirmed, front paws going out to scrabble at the sand and loose pebbles in an attempt to gain purchase and drag herself away.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

The Y'sanna jerked his head back away from angry lupine jaws, and that was the opening Untaaura needed. She scrabbled atop, grasping the shrieking man by the jaw and pulling back with her might to tilt his head back. Her second hand reached forward, four claws hooking under skin just below his severed ear. Major Verratoa looked down at him balefully with her one open eye and grit her teeth, pulling her hand all the way to his other ear. The screams ended, replaced by a wet burbling gag as he spilled his life all over Tak.

With their assailant dead, the Jaani'saarri officer pulled his corpse free from her companion.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira grimaced. The scene was bloody and brutal, and both the woman and her pet were covered in blood. Untaaura stood shakily and looked at her dripping crimson hand, cleaning it with her tongue. She saw the Jedi watching, and her jawline set.

"jI told jyou jI'd kjill at leasst one."

And so she had. This was sordid business. He beckoned them onward.

"Let's get out of here."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was slow to her feet, but determined regardless, and Teagan managed to stand. She took a step forward, the motion causing her to halt immediately as her stomach dropped, flipping dangerously. She wheezed a breath out. Then another, and another. It was a sickly sound, and the vornskr felt a horrid piercing pain in her chest each time she expelled an angry cough. Stepping forward, she gingerly followed Knight Anbira, droplets of blood dripping from the already copious amounts drenching her pelt.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

She'd seen the lack of surety in Kuurramaai's movements and instantly turned back, dropping to her knees to see to her wounded companion. She shied from her touch, yelping and hobbling from an obvious injury during the fight.

"C'eei ta naau'rra'tee saassee'ia Kuurramaai na tee! Fjight! jYou've come thjiss farr now jyou have to fjinjissh, don't jyou rrememberr?"

She didn't even care that she was pleading with an animal. Were it not for Kuurramaai, she may very well have died today.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A huffed breath, and Teagan mustered her reserves. She would deal with the pain - was this what Dama felt like after getting hurt? There was a strange sort of heat that was growing in the bottom of her stomach, and it spread out through her body. It didn't really tingle, it was just warm. She knew she'd be able to heal fast, but it didn't make the act of being hurt any less painful.

One step, then two. Urged on by her Cizerack friend's words, the vornskr shakily made her way forward. She limped, but it seemed that with each step, and calmer breathing, the pain that'd been so sharp before was now only a dull throb. Every inhale still hurt, but she would manage.

The trio shuffled through the narrow passageway, and it wasn't long before light from the opening shone through to illuminate their path even further.

She was gonna take a very long shower once she got back to her room, and then she was gonna sleep for like, three whole days.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The worst was over. Freed from Y'sanna bondage, the woman and her strange companion were watched over by Anbira as they made complete their escape from the enemy camp. Ever-watchful for natives giving chase, Anbira was nevertheless intrigued by the strange pair the two made. Battered and bloodied, but not defeated. The woman walked tall with pride that refused to let the pain slouch her shoulders, and the vornskr never left her side all those many kilometers back home.