In The Hall of The Ravenwing

[Arya Ravenwing]

SCHWARTZWELD
Figaro Favoura IV

(Continued from Homeland for the Homeless (https://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?57767-A-Homeland-for-the-Homeless))




Arya Ravenwing, Loveloxx Lupine of House Ravenwing, head and last of her house, walked through the halls of the Losstarot manor on Schwarztweld, and felt like she was having an out of body experience. Loklorien s’Ilancy was leading her back to the common room where her friends were waiting, and she was wearing the crest of her House around her neck for the first time in years.

She subtly patted her eyes, trying to make sure they weren’t puffy from crying. She felt slightly ashamed at her breakdown, not just because it felt weak, but because what had caused it had not been resolved entirely.

It was obvious that Lok was intent on providing second chances, but how far did that courtesy extend? To people who hadn’t personally wronged her? If she’d had an experience where her bodily autonomy had been taken away, where she’d been considered a Thing... could she forgive that person? Would she choose to bring him into her family then?

A buzz of anger was simmering still, under the weariness of being all cried out. Lok said she knew what Karrnage had done to her, and had extended him forgiveness that hadn’t been hers to give.

But that was just going to have to wait.

Arya smiled and held up the medallion as they entered the room where Jaas, Dage, and Dietre were waiting. “Mission accomplished!”

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

The sound of the door reopening pulled his attention away from the weird droid thing, which he had been watching like a hawk with his blaster half raised. Looking over at the doorway the first he saw was a smile, and secondly the medallion. He'd never seen it before, but Arya had described it before. He knew how important it was to her, and seeing her joy disarmed his caution immediately. The bowcaster slunk down to point at the ground.

"That'ss grreat." Jaas said as he returned one rare smile with another. It felt like a chapter was coming to an end, like they had finally completed some stage in Arya's life. As refreshing as that was, the medallion had been such a sole destination that he wasn't sure what the next one was. Struggling out in the void, not knowing where the next paycheck or meal will come from, it was these life goals that kept them going. Gave them something to reach for. Something to get them out of bed every day. He was so lost on his own journey that he had knowingly latched on to her's. There was an uncertainty in the future that he had to put to words.

"What now?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Keeping pace with the taller Loveloxx, s'Il kept her pace constant. Even despite the joviality that Arya spoke with as she hefted her medallion, the Losstarot kept herself to a thin smile. She was happy that the worst-case scenario had been averted.

For now.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

For his part, Dietre was instantly turning his attention from the MMU to Arya.

He bared his teeth in a strange, almost expectant greet as his feet moved without thought. He paced to the Ravenwing, angling for a close look.

"It is de Wilde and de Auftrag, yes?"

He caught himself, at the look she gave him.

"De wild and de Order?"

[Arya Ravenwing]

"Sure," Arya replied, holding out the medallion toward Dietre san Luthgarde but keeping the chain around her neck. "I guess that's what it is. Chaos and order on this side, raven on the other."

He examined both sides, and then released it back to her with a smile. She tucked it back into her shirt, pulling her nerfhide jacket partially closed.

"Now what?" Arya echoed Jaas' question, turning toward Loklorien. "I'd really like to see more of the estate here. Is it safe to remain on the planet for a few days? If it is, then I'd also like to find my ancestral home." She pictured the globe that Lok had shown her the other day, but the image was indistinct in her memory. Too much good liquor, perhaps.

"Maybe we could go for a run?" She interjected some hope into her tone, feeling like she had way too much energy built up despite her crying jag, and needed to release it somehow in a safe manner.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

Grumbling under his breath Jaas adjusted his grip on the bowcaster and finally allowed it to rest on it's shoulder strap. Looks like they were going to be here awhile. In this creepy, quite possibly cursed place. Moldy, at the very least. Like a bunch of pups he could already see them getting excited just at the word run. He carefully pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh before turning to the only other non-Lupine. The blond haired soldier didn't exactly strike Jaas as the kind of person he would get along with, but right here, right now, he was potentially the only other sane person in the room.

"I need a drrink. How 'bout you? Doess thiss place have a barr."

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

The mention of a run was enough to once more give rise to his desires to Change, and Dietre turned his eyes to the Losstarot.

"In de small orchard, yes? Will be good, I am t'inkink."

[Q. Samus Dage]

The question directed his way was accepted with a certain amount of hopeful eagerness as Samus let his attentions turn to the hulking Cizerack.

"Aye, the old gal has a stocked bar," he couldn't help but chuckle, "... thankfully we won't have to drink too awful much before we're well and truly able to deal with the little - " he waved a hand in the air, finger waggling, " - change thing that they like to do.

[Twopio]

Twopio sat stiffly in the copilot's seat in the cockpit of The Wing of the Raven, amber oculars examining the passive sensor readouts on the console in front of him. He could be inside the Losstarot mansion, cataloguing ancient data and updating his Bast'y'r language module, but instead Captain Arya had him sitting in the ship.

He waved a hand over the console, about to wipe away the sensor data, but something caught his attention. A large creature of some kind, moving in the forest not far from the estate. The droid accessed it and decided that it was not a security risk. Possibly some kind of native animal - the sensors could not define it and it was not within visual range.

The droid flagged the dataset and instructed the computer to track the creature and keep an eye out for anything similar in the area.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was a wolfish, slight uptick to one corner of her mouth, as s'Il looked from Arya to the san.

Samus would be more than happy to stay behind she knew, and to entertain Jaassuuvi with any number of the spirits that were stocked.

"If a run is what my guests want?"

[Arya Ravenwing]

***

Outside in the crisp afternoon air, Arya lifted her head and inhaled deeply. Everything smelled ... fresh in a way she wasn’t used to. It was delicious. Her inner Beast stirred, knowing She was about to get to run free, which She hadn’t done in months.

Practically ignoring the other two Lupines Arya stripped off her jacket and laid it on a low wall, shucking off her boots as she did so. Barefoot in the snow she could barely feel the cold as the Beast pushed hard to be released. Golden-eyed, Arya pulled her shirt off over her head, stripped off her pants and underthings and fell forward onto her hands in the snow, her body reforming and thick black fur rippling out across her back and along her limbs.

The Change was uncomfortable but also a relief, as if now she was in her true form. The Beast shook out Her fur, large padded feet testing the snow for a moment before turning to view Her two companions.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

Stepping back outside, Dietre let his eyes roam for a few moments. The cool air had a tinge of moisture to it that came from the snow, but it wasn't the sort of bone-chilling unbearable cold that made one freeze where they stood, miserable and shivering. It was more refreshing than anything else, and exhaling a small puff of steam, he turned to look as Arya padded out into the snow. The muffled sounds of her paws sounded as though through a door.

For him, there was still a ritual to follow; a certain method. A san could not simply throw his garments off and take to the Change. There was a way and a method. It was a process as much as anything else in his life had once been.

Another deep breath, and Dietre stepped forward.

There was a stone bench sitting along one of the outer walls, and he approached it with a sure gait. Reaching down, he brushed off the light dusting of snow before pivoting on his heel and slowly easing himself down to sit. To Change was a solemn right, given by those who had deemed him worthy. Worthy of the blood in his veins and the scars on his head. Worthy of the Brand he carried.

Both hands moved to press palms together before him, his head bowed slightly. Eyes open, he stared ahead as his thoughts traveled back in time to the last time he'd tried to Change. He had been put into carbonate midway through, and while he knew that now was different, there was a wariness still. As though muscle memory held him back for the small fear of being held in such terrible flux once more.

Now though, they were on Schwartzweld, and most certainly not captives of an arrogant Hutt.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She watched the Luthgarde with curiosity, as he moved to the side to occupy one of the many surrounding benches. Unlike Arya, there was something much more reserved in this behavior, and her eye went from him, to the questioning golden eyes of the black Vornskr, then back once more to Dietre as he bent his head ever so slightly. He stared ahead from over the tops of his eyes, and s'Il watched in curiosity as she herself idly reached up to loosen the top button of her duty jacket.

She moved to another bench, brushed off the accumulated powder of snow, and sat.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He knew the Losstarot was watching, but gave her none of his attentions. Instead, he focused on Arya's own golden eyes.

One hand moved the, to fall to the hem of his shirt, and with a methodical motion, he pulled it up and over his head. Another spot was cleared of snow, and he set his shirt neatly beside him. Leaning forward, his boots were unlaced, then slipped off along with his socks.

He stood then, stretching tendons and muscles and everything that he'd not been able to while on Arya's ship.

The air on bare skin was refreshing, and he stood like a statue for a few moments to relish the feeling. It was... pure. It was as it was supposed to be.

Trousers were soon placed atop his shirt, and the Luthgarde took a single step towards the courtyard. Bare feet left distinct prints in the undisturbed snow. Human feet. The trail shifted then, the prints becoming broader and more heavy until rather than human feet, it was massive paws leaving the imprints behind.

The mottled grey coat and ridged spine of a plated vornskr stalked forward. Hard outer shells of bone and cartilage started at the top of his head, extending down along the top of a thick, shaggy neck and further to where the base of his bony, segmented tail began.

Golden eyes took in the world around him in colored scents atop a world of black and white.

The muscles beneath his unkempt pelt propelled him onward, and before long he met Arya's nose with his own.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya watched the man Change, padding along with him in the snow until his form settled. The Beast did not care about his nakedness, only anticipating the end result.

Once two-legs became four-legs She came closer, cautiously sniffing. His shape was similar to Hers, but different enough for Her to keep a respectful distance.

And yet, as their noses touched, She smelled a familiar undertone in the layers of scent. The same smell She had picked up on when He had first come out of carbonite. She whined, wanting to run with Him and explore this strange world, but then looked back to where the other one was still unChanged.

She nuzzled Him, and then loped back toward Lok, eager for her to join them.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Much as the san had, s'Il removed her own clothing meticulously, folding each article with care before setting them beside her on the bench. Her boots she left resting on the ground, and looking to the two waiting vornskrs, couldn't help but the slight bit of surprise at seeing the Luthgarde's form. A Plated Vornskr was something she'd only seen pictures of. To see one in the flesh was wholly different.

It was a sight that only paused her momentarily, and once more she moved. Her body seemed to roll with the familiar motions associated with her Change, muscles and tendons shifting and reforming over a changing skeleton. It was a controlled action, as she held the Demi form for a fraction of a second longer than normal, allowing her body to pitch forward and down. She caught herself on hands that had widened into paws, and a sheen of shock-white fur spread like wildfire to cover her and protect her from the elements.

A last shake as she trotted forward, her bony tail lazily sweeping from side to side with each step, and the Losstarot finally joined the two Loveloxx Lupines.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya stopped still as Lok walked close, and sniffed her carefully, respectfully. A different smell from Him.

They both seemed content to walk about, but She hadn't stretched Her legs in months. The Beast whined, and then She darted off, plowing through the snow like a dark explosion, and then finding a shallower place to run.

And She ran, clearing a low wall with a bound and heading for the treeline.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He stood for only a moment longer, eyes passing over the white-pelted form of the Losstarot. Of course, the blurr of black that dashed past him immediately arrested his attentions, and without thought his body responded, muscles bunching for a fraction of a second before he exploded into movement, bursting forward with the sort of energy that had been pent up for far too long.

Bulling forward through the snow, the vornskr pressed onward as his length stretched long, his stride eating away at the distance that separated himself and Arya.

Around a copse of low trees, a nimble hop over a low-sitting shrub, and he was over the very same fence that the Ravenwing Lupine had cleared. She was determined to lead them into a larger grove, and he was happy to oblige. Even as he paced her, he veered wide before angling back in close, and as the two broke the treeline, Dietre barreled ahead with fervor, his long legs propelling him over the snow in an almost manic, happy gallop.

[Arya Ravenwing]

She didn’t like being passed and lengthened Her stride, darting amongst the trees as She swung around to try to cut him off. Leaping over a fallen tree She nearly landed on top of him, kicking up the thinner layer of snow that had gathered under the trees as She scrambled out of the way and changed direction.

She ran around and then toward him, the Beast nearly fully in control as Arya simply tried to enjoy the sensations and smells of the run.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was an almost leisurely pace that she took, loping easily after the other two. The low stone wall that both had sailed over, down the small hillock, and into the trees. She could hear the muffled thuds of paws in the snow, and as she wove through the gnarled trunks, s'Il let out a huff from her nostrils.

The greyscale world around her was a swirl of motion and movement, and ducking under a low-lying branch, the Lupine allowed her tail to thump the snow-covered bark as she passed beneath it.

Her casual gait continued on, and she came around another clump of trees just in time to see Arya nearly crash into the san.

There was no mistaking the hunger for the run in Ravenwing's motions.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

The close call didn't seem to phase him, as Dietre allowed himself the simple pleasures of the Second Form. It was liberating, to be able to run so freely. How long had it been since he'd been able to do such a thing? If he was to trust the chattering blue droid that followed Arya about like some lovesick a'kha'ru, then it was hundreds of years.

A particularly large shrub loomed ahead, and the vornskr bunched his muscles as he surged ahead, bursting straight through in a shower of snow and leaves, back into the streaming sun.

His nose found Arya's scent easily enough, and he veered off, claws digging into the soft earth and propelling him forward at a greater pace as he caught up with her easily.

[Arya Ravenwing]

She ran.

He ran beside Her, perhaps slowing slightly so he did not pass Her again. She circled around, exhaustion finally overwhelming Her muscles, and slowed to a walk before flopping down in a patch of sunlit snow.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *


The run had been invigorating, though not in the normal way that she had become accustomed to. Now, this was something entirely different. She had watched two of her own kind release themselves and stretch out, grasping and clawing their ways forward to enjoy the freedom of something so simple and freeing that the Change offered. She had let them dash off ahead, releasing pent-up energy and bursting through to a world that was as much theirs as it was hers. It was a strange notion, and a strange feeling that filled her chest now, as they all occupied the cockpit of Arya's ship.

"There," she intoned. With one hand firmly grasping the back of Jaas' seat, the other lifted to point out an old castle that was perched atop a hillock.

"That is where we are going."

The flight itself had been short, all things told. After all, Schwartzweld was a moon, and not an overly large ball of rock. But, it was home nonetheless.

From a distance, the lines of the Ravenwing Manor were slightly different than those of her own House. Whereas Losstarot architecture tended to be more simple, there was a flourish to the lines of Loveloxx buildings. Decorative arches, pillars that had been etched with intricate carvings and sunsteel inlays. Even despite the dilapidated nature, it was easy to tell that this place had once been a testament to the old ways. Much like her own home here, the house that Ravenwing built had been a grand one.

[Arya Ravenwing]

<center>https://i.imgur.com/VPe9h9a.jpg
</center>

Arya landed the Chevette77 directly in front of the old building in what might have been wide driveway at one point. It was thick with grass and weeds, waist high in spots, and formerly ornamental bushes were large enough to hide a full grown bantha.

As the ship settled and the engine cooled, she sat in her seat while the others began filing back toward the hatch, just staring at the castle-like structure.

[Twopio]

Twopio tottered in the passage, accidentally forcing everyone to walk around him as he tried to get First Mate Jaas' attention.

"I must say, Master Jaas, the Gallo pig you have kept is making a nest in a an important conduit junction! If you continue to -" The blue droid paused, circuits computing new information as his optics located the Gallo pig in Jaas' shirt pocket.

"But if it is there, then how is it also ..." he stiffly waved an arm in the direction of the galley, nearly smacking the blond Alliance officer in the face.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Quick reflexes were his only saving grace, and Samus caught Twopio's arm by the wrist just in the nic of time.

"Easy now, friend," his free hand moved to give the droid a shoulder-pat while easing its hand back dow to its side.

"Gotta be careful with those fists of steel, you know. I once had a protocol droid give me two black eyes 'cause it wasn't watching where it was wavin' its hand. Dangerous weapons, those."

[Twopio]

“Oh my!” Twopio carefully lowered his offending limb. “I do apologize Master Dage. It is not in my programming to purposefully injure, I assure you.”

He tottered backward and ran into Master Jaas. “Oh dear!”

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

"Twopio, what did I ssay about perssonal sspace?"

The hulking Cizerack grumbled loudly as he placed on hand on the back of the droid's neck and pushed him forward until he was completely out of everyone's way.

"I'll tell you what. You go catch thosse otherr gallo pigss beforre they brreak the sship sso we can eat them forr dinnerr. Ssound good?"

We with a reassuring slap on the droid's shoulder he turned to lead the rest of the progression once more to the landing ramp. Only pausing to grab his coat and bowcaster. Looking back he didn't see Arya, so he aimed his sarcasm at the next best target; S'Ilancy.

"Cool lookin' place. Sstill lookss haunted."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She only gave a shrug, busying herself with tugging at the cuffs of her duty jacket.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if it was," came the light-hearted muse. She chose to ignore his sarcasm, and instead met his words with agreement.

"Old places tend to collect old things."

[Twopio]

"But I can't - I mean I simply couldn't capture them!" Twopio walked stiffly behind the group. "I don't think you have noticed, Master Jaas, but I am not the most nimble of droids."

His golden oculars took in the small knot of beings in front of him, and then the droid turned back toward the cockpit. "Is Captain Arya remaining on board?"

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

Dietre shouldered past the annoying blue droid with a huff, intent on stepping foot back on Schwartzweld.

"You are in the way, Droid."

Reaching behind him, he grasped Arya by her hand, pulling her with him.

"The Ravenwing is coming with us," he finished gruffly.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya wrenched her hand out of Dietre's grip, growling a little as she joined them in the passage. "Of course I'm coming, nothing more I want to do than share the most crazy moment of my life with four people I barely know and a droid." She'd muttered the sentence under her breath, but with the quality of ears on board it was surely heard by everyone except the human.

"Jaas, open the door. Kraast, why is everyone jammed in here like this?"

"Mistress, I mean, Captain Arya, may I -"

"Yes, Twopio, I need you with me. Cataloguing and recording." Arya turned and popped open a section of the bulkhead in the passage, rummaging through the smuggling hidey-hole and pulling out a top of the line holocam that had 'fallen out' of one of her recent shipments. "Here, Bluebell, wear this."

She stuck the cam to the droid's chest, pushing him toward the ramp with the rest of the party as the ramp extended and people began making their way out. She ran her hands through her short black hair, pulling it a little, then gave herself a shake and stomped out after everyone else.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

Taking point once more, Jaas stomped down the ramp as it lowered, hunching over at the end and dropped down to the ground seconds before the ramp itself bit into the dirt. Bowcaster at the ready he stepped out cautiously at first, checking for any ugly beasties or spooks in masks. Just like the last place, nothing. It was tempting to let his guard down, but he knew in his heart of hearts that the moment he did that was when some ghoul thing would grab his ankles from under the stairs and pull him to his death. Nope. Not gonna happen, punk.

Although, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't thinking of taking this little journey, spicing it up with some actual monsters and ghosts, and sending it off to Coruscant to be turned into a Iridium Jones holo; or at least a steamy romance novel. Sunsets on schwarzenegger or whatever this planet was called. He swore each time he heard it somebody said it differently.

"Watch wherre you sstep, Twopio. I don't want to pull you out of a drry well again."

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

She was as moody as a dartbird, and Dietre made a face that she couldn't see as he made his way with the rest of the group.

Stepping foot onto terra firma once more, the Luthgarde pulled in a long breath of crisp air. It was not as cold as it had been at the Losstarot manor, but there was certainly a slight chill in the breeze that now swirled around them. Nothing that would require an overcoat, certainly.

"It is much more pleasant here," he remarked idly.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"We're in the southern regions. Much more temperate, here."

Her voice was level and light as she stepped from the ramp to the ground. Bits of gravel and chert rock pocked out from the ground weeds and overgrown soil vines that had choked the entirety of the entry drive. What had no doubt once been a beautiful walkway was now a mass of tangled nature.

Crouched, the Lupine reached out to sweep away a vine and a handful of leaves. She pulled out a few creeping rockflowers, then brushed clear an old paver stone. It was engraved, intricate patterns chiseled into its surface with care.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Once outside the group spread out a little, probably investigating their surroundings. Arya walked through the middle and straight up what must have been a path in a previous life, making a beeline for the doors.

A thick wooden vine criss-crossed over the entrance, the double doors tucked into a wide alcove that was nearly inaccessible. She tugged at the plants, and then squeezed through, face first into an insect web on the other side. Arya pulled down the webs, but hesitated at the doors.

It's my house, she rationalized, giving them a push. The doors swung inward, and she pulled a light off her belt, illuminating the entrance hall as she walked inside.

[Twopio]

Twopio found himself at the back of the group, but he did his best to keep up with Captain Arya as she made her way up to the great house. He tottered along, adjusting his position to make sure the holocam on his chest had an optimal view, but was stymied by the thick wooden vines that blocked the entrance to the house.

The blue protocol droid stuck an arm through the vines, and immediately got wedged in place.

"Oh dear," he said, waving his free arm. "I am unable to follow you, Captain Arya. Please, I am not made for exploration."

[Arya Ravenwing]

The rest of the party worked on making their way inside, but Arya didn't wait for them.

Striding ahead, she shone her light on the cobwebbed walls. Huge framed paintings lined the hallway, their surfaces dark with age. She could just make out some of the faces, and a touch of the strange fashions the subjects were wearing. The frames themselves had only a glimmer of shine under the dirt of centuries.

In all honesty, she had expected much worse when she'd heard how long the building had been sitting here, empty.

Arya pushed open a set of tall double doors to the right, and found the disrepair she'd anticipated. Part of the roof had fallen in, leaving the room open to the elements. Plants grew through what might have been a carpet at one point but was now just a slush of mold, dirt, and roots. She stepped in and looked up - the room had once been domed, perhaps with multicolored leaded glass?

Peering up past the woody vines that now crawled through the ceiling, Arya could see the walls of the second and third floors as they stretched up behind this room. Her boots crunched on broken glass, and she knelt down in the detritus, carefully picking up a shard of blue glass.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Slowly, she moved to stand before one of the time-ravaged paintings. Vague shapes of two people could be made out, and the Lupine let her eye track down to the debris-strewn floor. A grimy shred of carpet caught her eye, and bending down she scooped it up. A few quick swipes on her trousers, and she was reasonably satisfied that it was 'clean' enough. Once more to the painting, she began to slowly wipe away the centuries of dust and dirt.

Thirty seconds later, and she was staring at a man and a woman. Both looked out at her with calm pride, their arms linked together.

"Arya... ?"

Still her gaze remained on the two in the painting. With a free hand she reached out to swipe at the name plate, rubbing away the dirt until she could read the names etched into the flattened goldstone.




* Lord Karsim Ravenwing ** Lady Mistra Ravenwing *

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He moved to stand beside the Losstarot, dwarfing her.

"Lord Karsim and Lady Mistra were once great leaders of House Ravenwing," he rumbled, remembering the stories that he had read about the old House Alphas.

"I read about them a long time ago. They were... "

Looking closer, Dietre blinked in minor amusement.

"Henh."

He turned to Arya, still on the other side of the room, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"You look just like Lady Mistra."

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya turned around, tossing the broken glass aside and joining the others back in the main hall. Lok had cleaned the surface of it, revealing the faces on the overlarge canvas.

Hands on hips, the smuggler looked up at her ancestors -- the woman clearly resembled her.

"I don't see it," Arya grunted, but she winked at Dietre. "That room," she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "is a loss. It's probably too much to assume the rest of the house is any better. I'd imagine anything with an outside window has been compromised."

Twopio finally tottered up, and Arya put an arm around the droid's blue shoulders. "Get to recording, Bluebell."

"I -- well, of course I have been this entire time Captain Arya. Captain Arya!"

She was already stalking away up the main hallway in search of an inner room that might be better preserved than the 'sun room' she'd already discovered.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

"You do thiss everry time!"

The large Cizerack bellowed loudly between strained breaths as he pushed the two doors apart with his arms and pressed the stuck droid forward with a knee. Finally the blue protocol droid popped free; and naturally he immediately lost his balanced and teetered along after the others eventually catching his step. It took a few moments longer for him to clear the door with his wide frame. When he finally emerged he was greeted by the sight of a dilapidated structure that looked less spooky on the inside than outside. Which surprised him greatly.

"Oh, wow. Not sso bad." He exclaimed as sincerely as he could to hide the sarcasm, even as he stepped into the center of the hall, letting his voice rise to echo off the walls and fill the empty space. "I'll jusst get my toolss out of the sship. We'll have herr fixed up in no time."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Coming out from behind the broad-shouldered Cizerack, Samus had taken in the interior as well. It was certainly in need of repair, but there were still spots that seemed to have survived the ravages of time and abandonment. The aesthetic was different, and yet slightly the same as that of the Captain's home, and he supposed that it was because the two women were both Lupines.

He only knew a little of them, which he supposed was strange despite his long friendship with Loklorien. But, she'd only recently begun talking of her people with him, so his education was still in a stage of catching up.

"Not a bad place to call home," he mused.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

Muscling his way past the blonde man, Dietre moved to stand beside Jaassuuvi. With a grunt, the Luthgarde took in everything around him.

"You will be of the needing for more than the simple tools you have on the ship," he grumbled.

His eyes went to Arya then, and he started off after her. For the time being, he ignored the obvious fact that she looked as though she could be her ancestor. He would bring this up later. Passing by the Losstarot, he continued on.

"Ravenwing," he barked, "... show respect for those who came before you."

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya stopped in her tracks, and after a moment spun slowly around to face Dietre.

"What did you say?"

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He matched her look with his own steely gaze. The resolute grimace he now held was something that held patience, and yet firmness.

"Dose two," he gestured to the painting, and the Mastersire and his Lady.

"Dey are beink of you. Your family. Even for not knowink dem or meetink dem, dey are you."

His emphasis on the last word spoken was punctuated with a forceful gesture of his finger to the dusty, tile-chipped floor.

"You are wishink to have de knowink of your family, and dat also means dat you know all of us, and what we are holdink dear to de hearts."

Once more his hand came up, a finger extended to point at the Lady Mistra.

"Dem... she... deserves for to be remembered."

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

Tensions were on the rise again. That seemed to be happening a lot. As much as he wanted to keep his nose out of it he wasn't about to stand idly by and let his friends fight. Again. All this Lupine nonsense was going right over his head and seemed to be constantly flaring up between the three of them. All of this was starting to make the socio-political landscape seem tame by comparison. However, much like the latter he was hardly in any position to comment on the former, other than from a sort of observation position. Instead he just did was he always did, put himself close by in case he was needed.

There just happened to be an absolutely fascinating bit of moldy fresco right next to where Deitre was standing, and while his eyes looked without seeing, he kept his ears open in case he needed to step in between all these hotheads.

Lupines. Never again.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "I fail to see how I have disrespected them, Luthgarde. However, if you want me to bow and worship at a picture, then you're going to be disappointed."

She tried not to glare at him, but her eyes were definitely sharp.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She ignored the two for the time being, focusing on only the picture.

There was a gentleness to her gaze, as she reached up to brush away the years of dust and dirt. The frame itself still gleamed beneath the sheen of grime that covered it.

The Mastersire and his Lady were a handsome couple, and whoever the painter had been, had masterfully conveyed the heart of the two. They looked out from their canvas home, to the room beyond with calm and serene eyes. If only they could truly see the state of disrepair that their home had fallen to. That all of their homes had fallen to.

Her hand paused, then pressed lightly into the old and worn canvas.

"A'saria sie gar," she breathed out in a whisper before eventually pulling away.

A long exhale, and she finally turned away. There were lines of disappointment etched into her expression.

"It is not about bowing or worshiping," her voice was low and level.

"It is about showing a modicum of respect. You asked me to tell you everything about our people, and acknowledgment of our ancestors is a large part of it."

For a moment she paused, then turned away, starting for the door.

"I think it best that I remain outside," came her final words.

[Arya Ravenwing]

“Maybe you should,” was out of her mouth before she could stop it. Yeah, maybe she could have looked more closely at the picture in the moment, but being called on the carpet as being disrespectful, like she was a small child, was simply too much.

Arya wanted to know more about her heritage, but she had planned on a full exploration of the house first, with contemptation over the relevant surviving bits later. Not that either of the self-righteous Lupines barking at her seemed to care what Arya’s process might be.

Arya tightened her hands into fists until her fingernails cut half-moon indentations into her palms, her anger building. “They’re my ancestors and I will respect them and remember them on my terms. And when I’m fucking dead, if I have ancestors they’ll have the same choice in how they remember me.”

She looked past Dietre to Jaas. “You coming? I want to map it out so I know where to study, later.”

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She had tried to be understanding, and her attempts were flung back in her face. Shoulders slumping a slight bit, s'Il dipped her head for just a moment before turning back to Arya.

"Be careful, Cousin. If you continue to see everything as an attack against you, and keep biting the hands that try to help you, then those hands will not be about when you truly need them."

[Fenriss]

Above, safely ensconced in one of the many rafters above, a pair of eyes glittered like cave jewels as they stared down at the strangers. Invaders. Opportunists, no doubt looking for something valuable to pilfer. They were not like the white ghosts that had - many decades ago - combed through these halls. His grandfather had told him stories of those times, when all of the Wystra hid for fear of the hairless, white men. The stories of their angry words and impatience, and of their strange need to find the old Two-Bodies that had once lived here. It was a fool's errand back then, as the Two-Bodies had all left, and the ones who had stayed... well, they had returned to the dirt, never to stand or change themselves ever again.

The eyes blinked in the upper darkness, listening to the strange words spoken; some were familiar, but others were most certainly not.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

"Rright behind you, Captain."

Normally he would appreciate a little silence, but the hot words between those gathered had left a burning hole in the air that was uncomfortable to leave open; and he filled it as quickly as he could like a healer stuffing poultice into an open wound. Adjusting the shoulder strap on his blaster he turned away from Deitre and moved over to stand with Arya.

"I think I have ssome flimssi herre ssomewherre." Holding his blaster strap in place with one hand he dug into his pocket, then switched hand and dug in the other and pulled out a slip of folded up flimsi and a pen that was heavily chewed on. Sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth he began to trace the shape of the entrance way on the piece of flimsi, noting the doorways into side rooms. Hopefully this place wasn't too big. He was already running out of flimsi.

[Arya Ravenwing]

The heat was already draining out of Arya, leaving her feeling like a deflated balloon. Jaas had a quiet way of backing her up that almost always calmed her.

However, if any one thought they were going to get an apology they had another thing coming.

She turned in a slow circle, unable to pick up her train of thought from before the argument. “I want to check up the stairs, do some scans of the structure, see if it’s going to fall on our heads.”

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She had stepped outside, through the grand doorway entrance to stand in the sunlight.

Birds sounded from perches in trees, and insects could be heard singing their chorus of clicks, buzzes, and scratchy rasps. It was life on what most would consider a lifeless world, as sentient inhabitants were... scarce. At least, it seemed as such.

Moving to a small stone wall that was crumbling in some places, the Lupine slowly lowered herself to sit. She let out a long breath of air, then inhaled once more to bring in the scents that seemed so heady and pure.

A pause, and her body grew still.

There was a different smell to the air now, and s'Il tried to pick it apart from the rest. It was of a body, but not belonging to anyone in their small group. No, this was something else. Something almost wild. It was intriguing, and for a brief moment she considered going back inside, but in the back of her mind she knew that that would most likely be an ill-advised idea. And so instead, she simply remained sitting, once more bringing in a deep lungful of air in the hopes of further trying to pinpoint exactly she was detecting.

[Fenriss]

The group had split up. Two had gone deeper into the hall, one had left, and the fourth simply stayed where he was. He looked disturbed. But, it wasn't the straggler that he was concerned over. The two that had chosen to further their explorations were the ones who posed the most risk. The chance that the small tribe living in the upper remaining portions of the large manor were discovered was high now, and with one hand grasping his hunting spear, the Wystra vanished back into the full coverage offered by the shadows.

Tauss would no doubt be outside, since he had gone hunting earlier in the morning. But the rest were still safe within the confines of the old structure, their small enclave a haven.

But now there was danger, in the form of invaders, and Fenriss wove his way through the shadows to follow the two who continued to trek deeper into the manor.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

For a few minutes longer he stood, staring up at the age-old painting still reverently hung on the wall. The depiction of the Ravenwing matriarch was a thing of beauty, and the sire himself, beside her, was a study in steadfast strength.

Another few moments passed, and Dietre finally let out a long, slow breath. The Losstarot had left, returning through the doors that they'd all so previously come through while Arya and Jaas continued deeper into the manor.

Clouds darkened his expression, as his thoughts seemed to become conflicted, but it wasn't long before he finally turned away. A murmured string of words were sent to the painting, and he slowly started in the direction that Arya and Jaas had gone.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

"jI'm amazed thjiss place jiss sstjill sstandjing. jYourr ancesstorrss musst have been good arrchaeologjisstss."

The place was getting a little less threatening and more... sad, instead. There were shadows of it's past everywhere you looked, but a lot of was gone and reduced to soggy rubble piles. Jaas was becoming less afraid of ghouls and zombies and more frightened by the idea of the ceiling suddenly caving in on them. The mess was making navigating hard and his map was already devolving into crisscrossing lines that overlapped each other and made the whole thing unreadable to any but the author himself.

"Gotta be ssome sstajirrss arround herre ssomewherre."

[Arya Ravenwing]

"Sure, stairs." Arya turned a corner and came to a door that was stuck shut. She testily jiggled the handle, and it came off in her hand. "You would have thought there was a grand staircase here somewhere, but perhaps that wasn't the style."

She carefully placed the doorknob on the ground as Twopio turned about in place, his oculars glowing. "Captain Arya, there are indications that--"

"Shut up, Twopio." Arya walked past the stuck door and Jaas pushed aside a mass of vines to reveal a set of narrow stairs. "Ah ha! Well, what do you think? Up, or down?"

She wasn't going to be the perfect Lupine that Lok and Deitre were wanting. Make one joke around those solemn two and she was torn apart as if she'd spit in their faces. Her irritation grew again as she thought about it, and with a grunt she chose the stairs leading down. The floors they were standing on seemed solid enough, so she wasn't afraid of them falling in on them. Up above, however, seemed to be a little shakier. Time to explore them later.

Her light split the darkness as she descended, and after a moment she heard Jaas' footsteps on the stairs behind her.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

Down seemed a much better option, as stepping into the dark bowels of the place would bring him that much closer to Traanjirra, not that he mentioned this to his other companions. They would not understand and would think strangely of him for it. Regardless, he was committed to following his Captain, even if that was into a dank basement that was probably full of spiders and other creepy crawlies. He would be brave, for Kai.

Tightening his bowcaster strap on his shoulder he stepped in after Arya, leveraging his own light to better pierce the darkness. Checking over his shoulder, he saw only the eerie glowing eyes of Twopio's eyes staring back. Turning back his light illuminated the sort of thing you expected in the lower levels of a house. Broken storage containers, puddles of liquid, and piles of refuse. Arya was just ahead, forging her own way through the mess. It was quieter down here, with a closer ceiling that felt a lot less likely to cave in on them.

"jIt's not mjy place to assk, Captajin. Arre jyou dojing alrrjight? Thjiss hass to be a lot to take jin."

[Arya Ravenwing]

“I’m fine. I just worry about the sense of humor of the other two.” Arya jerked her head in the vague direction of the other Lupines.

“Let’s be honest, this place is a shithole. I don’t even know what I’m looking for anymore.” She was trying to hold onto anger, but a note of dejection leaked into her last sentence, and hung awkwardly in the air between the two shipmates.

[Twopio]

“Perhaps after you replay the footage you will locate something,” said Twopio, turning slowly as the cam on his chest took in their surroundings. “I am only a protocol droid and not very good at exploration.”

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

Following dutifully, Dietre couldn't help his slower pace. He drank everything in as though he was a whelp seeing the world around him for the first time.

Jaas and Arya spoke amongst themselves, and the blue droid prattled on about... things. It was one of the very first things that he'd learned ever since joining the Ravenwing woman.

Mostly ignore the droid.

It was advice that he'd taken to heart.

What he knew not to ignore however, was the tone of Arya's voice. It concerned him, and Dietre couldn't help the slowly budding seed in the back of his thoughts, that he had done something wrong. What that 'something' was he was unclear of, but it worried him none-the-less.

But when Arya spoke of not knowing what she was looking for, the Luthgarde couldn't help himself. He ambled his way past the droid to stand close to her. Jaas held an apprehensive look to his face, and the old Lupine let his hand fall upon his Cizerack friend's shoulder in an unspoken reassurance.

"The answers," he let his eyes continue to traverse the rough-hewn stones of these lower depths of the Ravenwing Manor, "... show when needed the most."

She had been bothered by the Losstarot, that much was certain. It was a mutual feeling that Dietre latched on to. Not out of malice - since the Losstarot seemed as steeped in the old lore as much as he - but out of simple blood preference.

He wanted to know her thoughts in this moment. Of what she had hoped to find.

"You want to be hoping to find something... " his grasp of Basic was trying at times, and with a look around them, he let out a huffing breath before returning to her.

"I am thinking that you are not finding what you want."

He pushed away his immediate and reactionary responses, trying to be more 'understanding', as had been explained to him so many times before in the recent past.

"What are you to be looking for, Arya."

It was the first time he'd addressed her by her first name.

[Arya Ravenwing]

She stopped walking, letting Jaas and Twopio take point as they continued on into the next chamber, a mostly intact room that might have held a swimming pool at one time.

Arya turned toward Dietre, his use of her name not lost on her. “Connection, I guess. I thought that I’d step in here and feel all the history and family here and it would just... happen. But this is just a house. And a painting is just a holo of the past. I don’t... feel it. The way Lok talks about this place, this planet, I thought maybe... maybe I’d just feel at home. But it’s just another ruin.”

She fished her father’s medallion out of her shirt and clenched it in her fist. “This I can feel. This...” Arya gestured at the room around them. “This I don’t know what to do with.”

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He stared at her, his brow furrowing in thought as she pulled her medallion out and held it protectively. He could grasp enough of what she was saying, and taking in a deep breath of the old, stale air around them, he let it back out in a long exhale.

"I am thinking," he started slowly, "... that your treasure," his head nodded to her medallion, "... is cared for. You keep it at close with you."

His gaze left her then, to take in the dilapidated state of her House's manor.

"But all of this, it is not cared for. There is no masters here to be giving the same attentions of how you give to your treasure. And so... "

He trailed off then, a strange sort of sadness seeping into his eyes.

"... It is never a thing of pretty to see, when a great family's home loses the ones that used to be giving it so much love."

[Arya Ravenwing]

"....right."

Arya looked into the san's eyes, searching for understanding. "Yeah, the house is a wreck. But that's not... I mean, I knew it was going to be bad."

She looked around, tucking her medallion back into her shirt. "Did my grandfather grow up here? Is our House book here?" Arya shrugged her shoulders. "Or those bone talismans you told me about. Those would be pretty useful. But as much as I try to reach out and understand the history here, and connect it to me... I just can't.

"It doesn't help that Lok is protecting that monster," she muttered. "More than that, she --"

Arya broke off, shaking her head and turning away.

[Fenriss]

Over so many years, the family had made enough small nooks and tunnels to pass through each room of the old manor with ease. Fenriss shifted his way through, following the raven-haired woman and that scar-headed San. They were like visions come to life, the sort of old creatures from the drawings and books that were kept in the Places of Letters. From his new vantage, he watched and listened to the strange chattering of those below.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

"More than that... what... ?"

There was a strange hesitance that Dietre could sense - perhaps this was one of those times that he mistranslated the Basic?

She spoke as though maybe he should know why she was angry? What was he to be angry over? Was he to channel her frustrations?

A few moments later he frowned in thought, taking himself back to another thing that she'd said, and with a suddenly steely look, he gave her a nod.

"The bones. Yes. I can be helping you to find them. They are most... most... " his Basic failed him then, and the Luthgarde looked away in slight shame at not being able to properly express himself.

A long exhalation then, as he cast his gaze upwards.

"They are towards the skies."

[Arya Ravenwing]

For a moment she could feel herself slipping. Those eyes staring at her with curiosity, blueish light reflecting off of those ridiculous glasses. Arya caught her breath and forced down the memories. Squashed the rising panic and fear into a brick of hard anger, and shoved it into a mental drawer.

She could take it out later and examine it, when she was alone.

San Luthgarde's words filtered in through her ears, and she squared her shoulders. "Figures I would go in exactly the wrong direction. Jaas, stick with Twopio and follow us up."

Arya turned toward the staircase, and paused. "After you," she said, gesturing the san forward.

[Twopio]

The blue droid rotated in the direction of the bulky Cizerack as the two Lupines disappeared nimbly up the stairs. "I think Captain Arya is trying to say that I am too slow." He tottered forward a few steps, knocking a metal foot on a tumbled bit of masonry and tipping sideways.

"In fact I am zero point two times quicker than the average C-3 protocol droids." Twopio waved his arms helplessly as gravity did its nasty work against him.

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

"Oh come on! Whjy am jI gettjing sstuck wjith old Bluebell?"

Jaas bellowed from his spot in the middle of the empty pool. Well, mostly empty. He stood on the edge of some of the murkiest, chunkiest water he had ever seen that was pooled in the deep end; and had been poking some of the debris with a piece of wood that had fallen out of the ceiling to see if there was anything worthwhile floating in the muck. All it revealed was a damp, moldy odor that smelled of sweaty socks and wet cardboard.

Hefting himself out of the pool he wiped his wet hands off on the sides of his trousers and grimaced at the sight of the muck building up on his boots. The brightly colored logos on the sides were already turning brown. Dank farrik!

"That'ss good. jYou'll need all that sspeed when jI usse jyou ass bajit when we rrun out of food jin a week. A planet ljike thjiss hass to have ssome bjig beasstjiess. Get movjing. jI'll be rjight behjind jyou."

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

He led the way, doing his best to navigate the maze of corridors that led to stairways, and stairways the led to more corridors. Every so often he would stop to test the stale air, a wisp of... something... taking his attentions every so often. It was a strange scent that was both familiar and new to him, but each time he thought that he could place it, it ebbed away to only be replaced by the musty notes from the rest of the manor.

The group passed through a grand library, and Dietre slowed finally until he was standing before a crumbling bookshelf, leatherbound tomes and other journals seeming to hold up the very structure that was supposed to keep them aloft.

"It is... being behind here... "

His hesitation as he ran gentle hands over each spine was easily seen, as though he was afraid that the wrong move would send everything crashing downward.

"All for de Houses. Dey haff a room for de secrets and treasures. And de t'ings dat dey keep close to de chests."

His palm passed across a book, with gold embossed lettering in Bast'yr, and he let out a soft grunt before slowly pulling it out. He held it for a moment, wiped the dust from the cover, and passed it to Arya.

"You would be liking dis one. Is about favorite foods of de Ravenwing House."

[Fenriss]

The group had made their way to the Place of Letters, and Fenriss made sure to keep pace with them every step of the way. Through the hidden passages that only small bodies could traverse, through secret doorways, peering from places of high vantage and safety.

The scar-headed san pulled a book from the many others tucked into a shelf, gave a sound, and extended it to the woman, saying words that were indecipherable.

For the curious Wyst, this was something that - never in his wildest dreams - he thought to ever experience.

Hoping to catch whatever reply the woman might give, Fenriss leaned farther from his perch high above. A slow hand shifted out to stabilize his frame, grasping the top ledge of a corner bookcase.

Moments later, yet far too late to correct his folly, a crack sounded out, and before he knew what'd happened, he was pitched forward and down. Even if he was small, the old wood was unable to hold his added weight, and the Wyst tumbled from his viewing spot. A shower of falling books heralded the unceremonious descent, and when it was all finished, Fenriss instinctively curled into a ball at the bottom of a pile of tomes and broken wooden shelving.

And even though he wasn't exceedingly close, he wasn't exactly far away, either.

Maybe if he didn't move, they'd think it was just books falling?

[Arya Ravenwing]

He passed the book to her and when she accepted it the entire bookcase collapsed. Arya jumped back, coughing as dust billowed from the pile of debris.

"I think you destabilized it," she managed, the ornate cookbook clutched to her chest.

[Dietre san Luthgarde]

Dietre gave a rumble, taking a few steps back from the bile of books.

"Is one book, not enough to making a crashing down for de rest," he puzzled, staring at the unfortunate pile of freshly-fallen books and what was left of some of the shelving. It was ornate and beautiful, looking to have been hand-carved and lovingly stained. Of course, the eons that had passed from the creation of the shelves to this day, here and now... it was a sobering thought. The library here, it was so much older than even he. Each book so precisely placed on a shelf a great many years ago. His gaze swept of the pile of books, broken shelving, and well, dust. There was so much dust and detritus.

Except...

Eyes narrowed, and reaching out, the Lupine plucked a broken shelf-board up to give it a closer examination.

A deep frown, and Dietre cut his gaze to Arya while holding up the old slat. In the dust was a very obvious three-fingered handprint.

"Dere are ones beink here dat are not us."

[Jaassuuvi Ageerrodarr]

The loud clack sounded from behind as Jaas pulled the boltcaster free from his shoulder and toggled off the heavy safety switch. The magnetic accelerators hummed loudly in the still air.

"What jiss jit, Dee?"

His yellow eyes swiveled wildly in his head, looking all around for whatever creature Dietre spoke of. This place was a mess and there were too many hiding places and avenues for attack.

"Vampjirress? Ghosstss? Lupjine zombjiess that hungerr forr brrajinss?"

[Fenriss]

The terrifying sound of something winding up - no doubt a weapon - it was enough to chill the blood in his veins. Fenriss couldn't help himself as he reached up, two spindly arms emerging from the pile of fallen books. Narrow, three-fingered hands splayed wide as he let out a helpless gasp.

"Atasko keh tu san... "

The short phrase tumbled out, and he hoped that those in the great book-room could understand his apologetic missive.

"... Aiso feynsaka ti tu seh sako... !?"

He only hoped that the next sound he heard would not be the last he heard.