[CLOSED] The Education of a Rabbit.

[TweedPawn]

"I was asking why you would chose something so aggressive when you are so…Still. It is like there is something to you I do not understand that you are hiding. It is like…" She stared at him. Something was coming to her. A creature in a wood. The wood was thick with massive, still trees that blocked her from trying to follow. Della could catch glimpses of the creature, but not enough to know what she was looking for. The trees seemed to be getting thicker and taller the more she stared at them.

Well, that was strange.

"It's hard to explain. We have words for it in Namreg. But I do not know them in Basic." she resigned. Her thoughts went to the next lesson. At least Sebastian was kind enough to listen to her ramblings.

She meditated on the blade now. She felt the LIght flow through her willingly. She felt happy.

Della's heart fluttered when she felt the Force reveal the contents of the blade to her. It was like a friend taking her by the hand to reveal a secret to her. It was trying to whisper to her, when all she wanted to do was become lost in it. She was content just to hear its voice and feel its presence.

Why should she ask it of anything? Couldn't she just be with it? Couldn't she allow it to flow through her? Yes, it revealed to her faint images of the strange contents of the lightsaber. But, she desired to be one with this energy.

Della smiled. It showed her what Sebastian wanted her to see. After all, she was here to learn from him. On her own time, she would pursue this feeling of infatuation with the Force.

"I see things, but you'll have to be patient of me. I have no idea what any of it means. The most complicated machine I ever saw the innards of was a hay thrasher. Technology eludes me." Her cheeks turned red from this confession of her ignorance.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

He allowed her to speak incoherently. He understood what she meant though she never said what she wanted to. It was almost amusing. He didn't notice that her attention was caught by the woods, whatever many have been lingering around them. The Force told him of no dangers but he did feel odd vibrations behind him though the trees did much to hinder these feelings. Regardless, there wasn't enough around them for Sebastian to feel threatened by anything peering onto their intimate meditation session.

The Force flowed through Della at times and this was when she would shift and tremble with fullness and visions to interpret. She was dealing with the messages the Light and the Force sent to her in such a deep concentration to it. He knew she knew not how to organize or comprehend such information, but she did well to take whatever she could. He wasn't surprised but, instead, proud of his Apprentice's patience and intellect with something so foreign and studying such advanced topics such as the ancient tool of the Jedi.

He took his time to respond to her. The sun traveled over the clouds which guided its path over the sky, not allowing its radiance to shine down onto the planet. A small gurgle of thunder sounded in the far distance. It was singular and short in nature and easily ignored but may have put Della at an unease if she wasn't akin to being in the rain. However, her past would indicate otherwise. The hilt remained parallel to the ground where they sat in Della's hands. "Release the blade. Feel the sparks and energy flow through the components. Note the triggers of the tool the Jedi use to protect and keep the Light. Listen to it whisper you the secrets of its purpose. When the time comes, you will assemble your own and listen to its wishes and understand its purpose. Feel the crystal of the Force within giving it the strength of the Force to us in a physical form."

She was beginning to understand the instrument. Further experimentation with it would allow greater insight to its uses and purposes. When the dark green blade shot from the base, he began to answer her initial query. "I'm under great control of my emotions, but keeping them in at all times is difficult. For me, this is of little concern, but sometimes I must use my strength to subdue an enemy who wishes to harm me. It may seem like I am hiding them, but one could say I'm hiding them from myself for protection. I have seen emotions crumble powerful Jedi and do not wish to follow them down that path. I have created, within myself, a vacuum that keep the emotions deep within me. I do not fully understand their purposes but I am learning, through the study of Vaapad, how to control and manipulate them to productive ends. I have a long way to go.

"For myself, when I use Soresu, I'm using these walls I've build within me to protect myself and those around me. My strength and focus holds these walls up from the onslaught I receive when keeping so defensive. Switching to Vaapad opens the gate within the wall and releases much anguish and hatred I've taken from others that I've battled with. These emotions are purely for subduing the enemy and are well under control. I have yet to allow the gate to open entirely while keeping in full control of my emotions."

He stopped abruptly, though he was finished his speech. He was talking too much about himself and not enough about the Force. Hopefully his analogy was enough to paint a clear picture of Sebastian's use of each blade. "What is it, my Apprentice?" He sensed a quiver within her. It was faint but he was able to notice it. Something concerned her, if only slightly.

 

[TweedPawn]

It took Della a moment, even with the Force, to understand how to even turn on the blade. It was possibly through the intervention of the Force that prevented her from hurting herself. She felt it hum through the hilt. It was an odd feeling. It was alive, in its own way.

The lightsaber had an object inside of it that was a heart. The heart has the Force. Della saw the correlation between her own heart and the crystal. The Force flowed through them both, and they were both subject to its will. However, outsiders implemented their wills on both of them.

She understood the tool. Her heart went out to it sympathetically. Her sympathy extended to Sebastian. He had much he still needed to understand as well. It was hard to build up walls to defend others.It was even harder to use the anger from others as a weapon when such walls existed.

Della retreated the blade. Her body felt as if it was drifting. She felt slower, more heavy, as her mind began to sink back into meditation. She was getting closer to this Light.

"Why can't we just be lost in this? I feel like that my purpose is to flow with this Force. Not use it as a tool." Della whispered.

it is a wind.

She wanted the Force to let her run with it. If she could, she would lose herself completely in it. But there was something keeping her tied to herself. She didn't know what it was.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

"Don't stop," he whispered. Her words were inspirational and deep though she was still learning Basic. "Listen to the Force. Follow it," he continued. His deep voice hummed to her as he felt the Force around them swirl more freely and being to speak to them. It began to curl pierce their bodies. This was new to Sebastian, he'd yet to feel so connected to the Force. It was almost frightening. The Force had uncovered the path for Della to take but she had yet to take that first step into the Light. To be exposed and vulnerable to something so many would manipulate would have been terrifying at first, but once that foot shone with peace and warmth, she wouldn't be able to hold still.

She'd possibly lift her body and begin to sprint through the trees in glee and race against the shadows as he did when he took that first blind step onto his path the Light illuminated for him along the current of the Force. He could see the Force churn Della's soul, smoothly weaving into her body and relaying images of her future with images of the past. There would be nothing more confusing but it wouldn't be beyond her to understand what it meant. She was bright and wise regardless of her age. The only thing holding her back was her fear and shame, the Darkness she clung to out of habit. It would be hard to release such regret but he sat there, waiting for him to do so.

They remained there, the night covered in the same clouds which smeared the day. They sat there for a few more hours before the Force pulled Sebastian to his feet and willed him to begin leaping through the trees. Della wouldn't have been far behind, even though he was going as fast as he could. All of sudden, she'd have gained some sort of speed when she'd discovered the truth the Force revealed to her. He was unaware of this message and would continue to be so until she told him outright. But now, she would just glow with the Light she would follow for the rest of her days, regardless of future hardships she may encounter.

They stopped minutes within the run, Della physically exhausted from expending so much energy to keep up with her Master. They reached a large rock jutting out of the ground. It was slightly curved and looked to be some sort of statue or shine at one time. Sebastian began looking upon it with his eyes but soon closed them to feel it with the Force. It was void.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della dived deeper into this connection. It called to her with open arms. She fell in. Della remembered the first time she tried to swim. The terrifying sensation of going underwater and feeling as if she wouldn't make it back to the surface. But, this was different. She didn't want to return to the surface.

She was moving now. Not of her own accord, but of the Force's. How long had she stayed still? She didn't know anymore, time was irrelevant. It was a human institution. She saw images laid out before her eyes. Strange sights. She saw the burning threads of light that connected her to Sebastian. She saw lines and the patterns of creation around her. It was as off she was suddenly in a tapestry, and everything was made of threads that forever linked together.

Everything was linked. Della was starting to be come blinded to the trappings of the world, yet she ran through it effortlessly. Even Sebastian was starting to fade away, only the ghostly image of a heart covered in while flame remained ahead of Della's light of sight.

But she couldn't keep this forever. She was still trapped inside a mortal body. She was exhausted, but her eyes showed the change within her. They flashed a brilliant, bright blue before returning to her natural light brown color. She had enjoyed the run, but something had her attention.

The void.

Her silent eyes were transfixed on the statue's decayed remains. It needed to be purified. It had to be removed from the land.

"Show me how to purify." she said. She was referencing to Sebastian's use of Force Light. It had purified the temple. She did not know if she could do the same, but even if Sebastian was too tired, just explaining the idea behind the technique was enough for her to understand what she needed to study.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

She wanted to act, something he hadn't seen in her since they met. She demanded something of him, and his lip twitched into a smile that lasted not long enough to identify it. But she was still naive in thinking that she could tackle using such a complicated Force ability. Sebastian himself didn't even understand it completely and had never studied it himself. But she wanted to know and she was intimately connected with the Force which would tell her anything it wished for her to know. He'd tell her what he knew and she'd have to be able to attempt understanding the procedure herself. It didn't matter for he'd surprise her nonetheless. The Force interacted with her much more than it did him. Perhaps he was too closed off for the Force to draw near or maybe it had little to show him at this time though his Force Sense was developing.

"The Light is a philosophy, but it is also an energy apart from the Light," he began to describe. It might not have been true; they may have been the same thing. But to Sebastian, they felt too different from each other to be considered the same thing. Perhaps Della would feel something different causing this advice to be void. "Force Light felt like a giant surge of this pure energy that engulfed and transformed the Darkness into Light." As he remembered the feeling of performing the ability, he closed his eyes to meditate on it further. "This energy built up in my body before it was released in a wave of purity and cleansing. I had wanted to rid the area of that Darkness, and the Force did so through my body. You have to focus on your goals within the Light and believe your heart to listen and obey what the Force is telling you."

His speech was growing emotional. He stopped, almost abruptly, but this was all he had to say about Force Light. It was an ability he had no talent for and utilized in a time of personal crisis. He could always feel the Light and always grasped for it, but to use it as he did was unusual and would probably never be replicated again. His boots sank into the fertile soil. He took a deep breath to clear his mind and attempt to understand his emotions which erupted from the memory of using the technique. He didn't want it to go away, but, out of habit, it soon disappeared. He cursed himself silently for not being able to control his emotions as finely as he wished at the time, but believed it for the best to not feel them than to have them control and influence his actions.

His eyes remained closed, in a slight meditation as Della attempted to understand the vague description Sebastian provided of Force Light. He sensed around. The Shrine was eerie but easily ignored. But another odd reading was still around them. He felt like it had been following them. It distracted him. Like it had distracted Della during their meditation earlier. What was this? Who was this? His body remained still as he tried to identify the object. He'd failed to do so as it had a similar feel to the shrine. Did this object cause this obviously Light statue to become gray? What was going on?

Della would have been focusing on the Light for the Shrine, having a difficult time grasping the ideas Sebastian gave to use for the Force power. The Force itself would be whispering its truths to her, whether the correct mechanics of the ability or that it didn't want Della to be able to use it. Regardless, his suspicion rose as he felt eyes on them only through intuition without the Force. It may have been something to be ashamed about, but his ability to sense without the aid of the Force was greater than with it, if only because it was not as keenly developed yet. Perhaps it was already enhanced with the Force and he didn't realize. Regardless, his eyes opened and began to scan the surrounding area. His Sense stretched out to feel through the Force where it might have been. Being a void on a Light planet gave one few hiding places.

 

[TweedPawn]

Sebastian had his way on concealing himself, but Della thought she felt something stir inside the Knight. Della desired to go deeper into his words, but her mind was growing heavy. She was exhausted. She could barely think straight as the burdens of mortality rushed back into her body.

patience. not now

She gave a snort of annoyance. She was still a girl. She wouldn't allow herself to be too bothered by this. It was a fact of life. As her mother told her, you didn't start riding horses the day you were born. Della could feel her body cry out for some sort of rest and the Force seemed to encourage this. As she felt herself normalize her connection, she could feel its encouragement. Yes, there was a cycle for everything. Especially young bodies and minds that pushed themselves too hard.

"It's telling me I need to rest eventually. That no matter how much I want to, I am simply not where I need to be to be going non-stop." She gave Sebastian a smile. The vagueness of Sebastian's words seems to fit what Della was capable of understanding about the Force. She began to look around her surroundings.

There was that nagging void, but it felt unimportant right now. Perhaps, problems didn't have to be overcome right away. It was better to rest and rejuvenate before trying to overcome every single problem. She took a calming breath as she breathed her stress from her body. She couldn't sense what was coming.

She had indeed pushed herself too hard. They had gone an entire day without food or sleep. Sebastian was more capable, but Della was still a teenage padawan. She could not sense what SEbastian could. Even her normally alert senses were clouded by her exhaustion.

But it came. Not as a threat, but as something wild an untamed. It would peer right through Sebastian like an animal stalking.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

"Then rest, my Apprentice," his voice echoed in the forest. Though he was no more than ten feet away, his voice sounded distant. He peered through the forest, his eyes catching nothing out of the ordinary. She certainly needed to eat and sleep. Sebastian could only perform all this activity without nourishment due to years of practice and training in the ability. Della was still new to the Force, a newborn. Not that Sebastian was much older, he was glad she'd voiced to her her own limits. To be able to realize ones limits and not push the body into destruction was key to survival. However, what was also key was placing oneself into the zone of proximal development to ever grow an strengthen. Della was here for the past day, and she definitely deserved a rest. But this object in the woods unsettled Sebastian, and rightfully so.

Its eyes stuck into Sebastian, but wherever he'd turn in response to such a feeling, the leaves of the trees and the shrubbery would conceal it and allow it to dart away. Some slender and nimble that could travel through the branches was stalking them and using the Force to conceal itself. He wasn't one to study wildlife and knew not what it could have been. His mind raced trying to locate its position around them. It was now trying to disorient them. This thing was hungry, the clouded night released its hunger for the Force. It felt foreign to the rest of the planet, indicating that someone had brought the creature down here from elsewhere. It was wild and frightening, but Sebastian remained calm as he searched.

This became futile when a Vornskr shot out of the dark green of the vegetation and passed by Sebastian so quickly that he was unable to properly react. It disappeared back into hiding and Della remained undisturbed in her peaceful meditation. The tail of the beast had swiped at Sebastian's right hand and it started to grow numb. This was easily ignored for a short time when the black creature darted out, this time toward Della. Sebastian was prepared and Sped toward her direction, knocking the canine away from her. It seemed to faulter slightly, its nimble body able to quickly adapt to the smash to its torso. His tail swiped Sebastian's jaw and neck on his right side. Its tail held some kind of debilitating toxin and he could feel it begin to seep into his vains.

Sebastian tried to keep distance between Della and himself now, and the beast had become angered and only attacked him now. She may have been disturbed by now and watching this fight against the wild commence, but he tried to stay silent and disturb the forest as little as he could. The Vornskr passed by him five more times, his tail swiping various sections of his skin. He was growing tired but not enough to start applying Detoxify Poison and rid the venom from his body. It was slow to start, the additional strikes of the tail beginning to overwhelm him. But once he fell into the Force and focused, it became second nature and his vigor and energy increased substantially. Only once he'd reach this point would he begin striking back at the dog.

His fist rammed into the ribs of the Vornskr once and was able to break the ribs with, seemingly, little effort from him. The dog fell quickly and layed there, defeated and whining. Sebastian didn't take long to approach the creature softly. He knelt down and touched the wound. The beast cried some but soon she was healed and well. She took her time getting up and even licked the hand of her healer. She trotted silently back into the wood, remaining near enough to protect the one who forgave her aggression. Sebastian only watched from his knee and stayed there for a minute or so before rising himself.

"Damage can be undone. Harm should not be caused unless you can cure it. The best way to cure harm is to prevent it."

His words were odd and direct, yet still cryptic. It was clear he wasn't an influential speaker but knew enough of the situation to understand how to handle it. "Causing harm or pain to others is never always a Darkness. When its intent is pure and aimed toward peace, it is of the Light. Decide the best paths to take the Light will guide your actions." His voice stopped as did his body. He was looking at the shrine as he spoke but his gaze now traveled to Della. "Let's find some food." And that they did. During the dark of night, the Force was able to lead them to nourishment and warmth when Sebastian made a fire and quickly erected a temporary shelter for them to sleep in from the rain that began to trickle down the leaves of the forest.

He was up early, as he usually way. This, in now way, indicated an earliness to meetings or even a punctuality but, instead, a restlessness. He was always most comfortable when moving or meditating. He sat before the fire, allowing the rain to fall down his face and catch in his goatee while his thick braid held much moisture and became heavy. His clothes were darkened from the moisture but he sat fully erect, unhindered by the condition of his clothes. The Force permeated further than the water and he was able to find ample comfort in it.

He would be seen meditating when his apprentice awoke. She would feel something different from him. An openness, not of his emotions, but of her. She'd almost be compelled to begin to speak to him, if only colloquially.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gladly took the opportunity to rest. She did not notice what Sebastian was sensing and she had faith that her master would keep an eye out for danger. She found herself starting to drift off, even though she was sitting in a traditional meditation pose. She was used to sleeping in all sorts of strange ways back home on Sacul, accounting for the various nooks and crannies one had to wedge themselves into to hide from a predator.

Then she heard it. A Black Hound. Della's eyes snapped wide awake and she instinctively leaped from her sitting position just as Sebastian smash the beast away from her. Oh Divines! It was a n agent of the Hound!

It growled and seemed to have some sort of wretched stinger on its tail. It was ferocious. Della's senses were dulled and she found herself unable to sense if Sebastian was truly injured. The duel between man and the hound was amazing. The Jedi were indeed blessed and Della could only watch awestruck as he bravely punched an agent of death in the face.

Della was still staring at Sebastian in a dumbstruck manner after the fight was over. He spoke, and Della understood it as words, but her mind was not in the proper lace for learning. The thought of a Jedi punching something that served as an the agent of death in her people's culture stunned her.

The strange, black hound was debated and even licked at SEbastian's hand. What did this mean? Was it just a dog, after all? Still, Sebastian mentioned that causing harm was not always bad, and Della's attention was brought back to Sebastian's lesson. She would dwell on it later, when her mind wasn't restless.

In the meantime, she was mute. She ate food with her Master and tried the best she could to sleep while her mind buzzed with excitement. The only thing that seemed to calm her was the sound of rain.

The next morning, she woke up, soaking wet. She gave an annoyed sound. It was like a snort of an animal. She hated being wet. She was used to being outdoors quite often, but being soaked to the bone like this made her feel heavy and slow. Her expression of this minor agitation was somewhat comical. Sebastian didn't seem to mind the weather, however. Good for him.

He seemed different this morning. Open? It was hard to say. Della suddenly remembered the events from the previous day. She wasn't sure how to bring it up with him. Perhaps casually was best.

"My people have a Divine called the Black Hound. He is our adversary and seeks to bring balance back to creation by destroying man. He is our agent of Death and only one creature has been able to elude his howl. The Rabbit, Guanerei. We have dozens of stories about it. Just thought you should know how strange it was to see you punch a black hound in the face."

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

"Always keep your lore, Della. It will tell you more than we can." His voice was unhindered by the rain trickling down around them. Large drops would accumulate and hit them hard on the heads, but Sebastian would keep still and remain unflinching of the world around him as he floated within the realm of the Force. He was only floated lazily in it now, not searching for anything in peculiar but, instead, keeping within the peace and harmony that it produced. His body glowed a bit with Valor, though this was unintentional. The fire would continue to crackle and hiss in the mild rain but remain as unhindered by the moisture as Sebastian. Perhaps this was because he made the fire himself with the Force and it would imitate his state. However, it was probably just due to the fact that it was raining particularly hard this early morning.

"The rain is always so peaceful. The harsh sun is blocked by the gray clouds that shelter us from its damaging rays. The trees and plants soak in its nutrients from the oceans and rivers from where it evaporates. Its the stage before a surge of growth when the clouds float away and the sun is able to reach their leaves and give them energy to work and grow. The rain is always so peaceful," he reiterated, sounding as if he was going to speak the same thing again. He was only speaking through the Force, lost within it. His coherency would be diminished in this state, unlike others. But he wasn't looking for clarity or guidance, so this was largely excusable. "Please, eat up. We're going to begin your training."

The statement was blunt yet warm. Her training was yet to commence, much like he insinuated, though. The past week were tests to gauge and identify where she lay within the Force. She, no doubt, grew and learned much from these short experiences, but it was now time to begin a disciplined regiment of training to hone her body and also her mind. He was going to push her to the point of breaking which would, then, begin a day long meditation to recuperate. After this, they'd eat before training rigorously once more. After a few weeks, her endurance increased as did her strength. But what would improve beyond these was her connection to the Force. Though it would remain foggy and cryptic, she'd be able to hear and see more that the Light told her through the Force.

Diligence. He push her hard with katas within the realm of Shii-cho to bring her up on the basics of sword-play. She'd quiz her physically on the terminology and types of strikes. She'd attack his own body, sometimes cause some kind of harm to his body, which only produced a smile with a slight chuckle. He'd quickly heal it, but she definitely had a difficult time getting used to the idea of harming her Master. They'd never use his lightsabers, though. She was not in-tune with her body, the upper body, to utilize them comfortably. When they weren't practicing Shii-cho basics, they'd run through the forest for a few hours, always pushing her to go faster and longer than the last time. She'd never reach Sebastian's proficiency, but her talents didn't lie there.

Meditation was a time for Revitaling, though it took her weeks to begin to understand it and then be able to use it in small bouts on centralized areas. Once she developed this skill herself, she'd be proficient enough to use it during their running, but this would come after a six weeks of meditation. She'd be encouraged to ask questions about the Jedi or the Sith. Combat was also a topic that was regularly brought up, but not as much as the Force or the Light. She was always most curious of how the beings of either side held themselves and what she was expected to do. It took much explanation that Sebastian wasn't used to, but she continued to develop her own philosophy while feeling a bit more comfortable criticizing some aspects of the Light that may have not made sense to her.

She'd eat a lot when she could, and for rightful reasons. She slept heavily and would sometimes snore from her throat being too tired to work properly which always brought a bit of humor to Sebastian but also aggravated him a bit. It wasn't too much to lose himself in the Force when this would occur. Ten months would pass like this and Della would grow more confident in herself, though she didn't always show it.

 

[TweedPawn]

She grew so much within those ten months. There were times when she made outbursts of protest to her Master out of sheer exhaustion, but she would continue on. She was loyal to Sebastian, even when she did not agree with his methods of training and teaching. Her favorite days where when they would simply run together, Della's heart soared as if she could fly. For a couple of beautiful hours, It felt like she was back home on Sacul.

Her combat training brought out the primitive beginnings of her mothering instinct. She would always remember the first time she injured Sebastian. He had simply chuckled at her in a good-natured sort of way as Della began to barrage him with an assortment of questions about his well-being. He easily out maneuvered her in combat and Della often found herself with more bruises at the end of her combat days.

She never ceased to be amazing by the wealth of knowledge Sebastian had about the galaxy. He had the confidence of someone who had studied this sort of thing his entire life. He was also infinitely patient with Della as her curiosity always seemed to desire more information. Della began to understand and began to have less fear of the Sith. She never could quite understand why there was such hatred between the two sides of the Force. Yes, Sebastian explained to her everything about the history of how it started and continued to fester. But, it seemed so inconsequential to the larger picture of creation. Della never mentioned this opinion, but she suspected that Sebastian knew her thoughts. He understood her better than her own father, but not as well as her mother.

Della was homesick on some days. On those days, she needed more encouragement. When she meditated, she could remember the warm smells of her mother's food and could recall the cozy warren her family lived in. Sleeping alone in the open forest was a strange sensation when one was used to sleeping in a large,warm bed with other family members inside a cozy home in the ground. She wasn't afraid of the forest anymore, especially when Sebastian kept watch.

She grew into her own ways of doing things. She was playful at heart, but her skittish nature could never seem to quite leave her. She was very instinctual, and she often was aware of hidden danger before she even felt it with the Force or her senses. She also became nearly silent in her day to day activities. Her footsteps hardly made a sound and Della grew in her ability to keep herself quite hidden. She took pride in her ability to hide her Force signature from Sebastian. She rarely did this, though, because it exhausted her as much as running did.

There were some things she could not grasp. These were basic abilities that most Padawans found easy to understand. Telepathy and Force Push were but two of the abilities that Della just could not seem to work for her. Her ability to understand other skills came quickly, but till required vigorous training and incredible amounts of energy. She trained hard and rested just as hard.

Today, she was feeling playful. She was going to try to make Sebastian laugh today. She wanted to hear a good hearty laugh. So, whatever she did, it was going to have to be quite funny. Perhaps a prank was in order. It would have to be something harmless.

But how did one pull a sly trick on a Knight like Sebastian? Then Della thought a good, harmless trick. It was an old-fashioned trick, but weren't those always the best kind? Della found some sticky moss and soon found a feather. When Sebastian was fully resting, be it meditation or sleep, he opened his palms.

It would require a delicate touch. Sebastian was usually quite aware of his surroundings. Della gently placed the moss in his hand and waited to see if he stirred. If he remained still, Della would follow with a slight brushing on his face. It would feel like an insect on his face.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

It mattered little to him that she did not advanced as others would in some aspects of their training. Simply the knowledge of such techniques was enough to become strong, even if one was to never use it again. The principle of the process of learning and of allying oneself to the Force and, ultimately, the Light, all else she'd learn while trying to lift a pebble or push him over would be greater than the ability itself. Her knowledge was growing and the pool was now deep with insight and ideals of the Force. She erred plenty of times and he often saw her defeated, though she would play through it with laughter. There was a deep connection between her and the Force that he couldn't feel but only know was there.

She acted out more than he would have cared for, which was at all. However, his patience was always high with her and he knew that other were quite used to laughing. She'd grown up on a planet where stories and laughter and expression were a key part to living an not going insane. He'd often have to bring her back down to her training, though, and this was never his favorite thing, though his face wouldn't show. She'd try to get him to tell her stories or play games but he was, relatively, awful at both. Even so, she'd eat it up with her wide and alert eyes as she would any kind of sweet treat. She had a simple complexity about her.

They'd grown so close to each other during this time. The New Jedi Order didn't hold these kinds of Apprenticeships very high, but he learned much about her. This wasn't reciprocated as he'd only reveal his basic past within the Tython temple and some of his Padawanship and briefly went over some missions and classes he'd ran a few years ago. And when he tried to develop a more physical connection to the Force in the form of using it, he wasn't much of an aide in the process. He guided her with vague wisdom if not by forcing her to meditate. She may have come to realize that her Master was not well-versed in these techniques, and he wasn't afraid to let it be known.

Della knew that his slumber was deep and less aware than his meditation, which brought much information from his surroundings from the Force through Force Sense. He slept, literally and figuratively, like a log. His body straight as he layed on his back. His arms rested on his sides with his palms up. She was wise to have picked this time activity, as rare as it was. He'd wake up soon but he was still deep in rapid eye-movement and would be difficult to stir awake. The moss gently pressed against his hand which twitched at the odd sensation but was easily ignored. To continue would be to risk punishment of a physical manner from Sebastian if he found it as 'not comical.' It would be known by now that he did not hold a sense of humor virtually at all.

 

[TweedPawn]

So far, so good. The next bit required courage and quickness. Even if Sebastian did not find the joke funny, which he probably wouldn't, at least he would have to concede that Della had learned some of his burning courage. Della took a deep breath. The Force was with her.

But she couldn't go through with it. A thought occurred to her. There was a temptation now to pry into the man's subconscious. To see what he always kept hidden. Tuwan had done it to them, so would that mean that t was okay? Then again, the Bogan did it too. It felt awful to be opened like that. Della couldn't imagine making another living being feel that way.

correct

It seemed she was not alone in this thought. Della stood up and began to gather some food to keep her mind off of the uncomfortable feeling that still felt clear in her memory. She began to gather breakfast vittles for her and Sebastian. Nostalgia was coming to her.

She would do this with the other children. They would spread out into a wood or field and dig up roots and berries to snack on. The elder children would teach the younger how to tell which ones were poisonous. The roots were always the most coveted. The best ones were tender and large.
What were the ones who escaped the Sith doing now? What was her mother doing now?

Della wondered if Sebastian ever felt this way about his one mother. If he ever missed her or tried to recover a lost memory of her. Della never pressed the issue with her Master, as she could never imagine carrying the grief of losing her parents.

She brought the vittles back and began to prepare them in a manner that improved the flavor. Sebastian was not a cook, but maybe Della could show him how to improve food some day. The smell of the previous night's embers roasting some nuts did not wake the Knight.

Well, Della smirked, now there was a good reason to wake the sleepy head. She brought her feather back out and gently brushed it right above his eyebrow. She was prepared to dart at the first movement.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The black began to swirl around slowly. While Della was retrieving food for them, his mind began to stir awake. In the final stage of slumber, which would not last long, the smell of the fire and the vittles being steamed popped into his mind and his mouth salivated. His mind was still far away from where they were but his consciousness was beginning to call for him. His hands would begin twitching slightly, the muscles warming up so he could wake up almost immediately. His right hand was met with a bit of cool resistance, but this was largely unnoticed by his mind within the Force.

The sounds of morning grew and his brows twitched when Della ran the feather across his face. Her touch was almost too light for him to feel. Even so, he wasn't the most ticklish. A noise emitted from his mouth, similar to a waking groan, and he turned his head with his hands still stiff at his sides. His hands shifted some more, and the right hand felt odd. His left hand rose to smack himself on his face and then rub his eyes and forehead. He sat up quickly and flung the moss in his hand at Della's back when she started to flee from his initial movement. He'd hit her square in the back and she'd feel a slap of moisture where it'd stick to her clothing for a bit. His fresh eyes looked at her, glossed over from just being woken up.

His face shifted. It was like an attempt to smile but it was awkward and flat. His eyes would show that he was actually slightly amused by the attempt and that he successfully countered her plan. With his hand still sticky, he rose his arms high overhead and began to twist and bend in every way to stretch out the now-stiff muscles in his body. Even several hours of sleep was enough to cause his dense muscles to cramp and become rigid. He rose to his feet, his height becoming obvious once more. He looked at Della kindly, or as kindly as he could, as he walked away from the site and to a near-by stream where he would take the time to bathe and wash his clothes.

The trees an shrubs were enough to keep his nudity shielded from Della's eyes; it would just take Della not to follow and to know what he was doing at this moment. The water was clear and cool and revitalized his body. It tingled and sparked awake. He did not take long, his wet clothes being rung out tightly almost to being dry. He slipped on his trousers which he rolled up a bit with the rest of his clothing over his arm. When he reached the site, they'd be slung over a branch. This would, also, be the first time that Della would see the man's hair down, though not the first time being topless as he'd often spar with less clothing due to his tendency to sweat.

His hair was thick and wavy, perhaps due to the permanent tight braid he kept. He walked over to the small fire that he willed to ignite with his hands in his hair. His fingers worked swiftly to pull and twist his hair into the neat braid he was known to have. He looked not at Della at this time but at the fire. His mind was actually on the present and he just enjoyed to stare at things and not think at all. It was comforting to be relieved of the pressure the Force placed on him and the Light's demands of him.

This was short lived and his head rose to his Apprentice. "It smells good, Della," he said. It sounded clumsy as he tried to praise the girl on something other than the ways of the Jedi. His hands dropped to his knees when the braid was finished and tied off at the end, reaching between the bottom of his shoulder blades when straight. His eyes closed as he fell into a slight meditation but still conversed with the Padawan. "What did you find for us today?" His voice was always deeper in the morning, which was almost impossible in itself. Even so, the tone was gentle and light, which was more than what he'd do with his voice on a regular basis.

The prank had little concern to him but he would seem open enough to talk about it. It was actually a case of the fact that he'd forgotten about the mossy prank she'd tried to pull.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della couldn't help but snort with laughter at Sebastian's expression. She laughed even harder when the moss hit her in the back. Oh well, it was a good attempt, and Sebastian's groggy smile was a good consolation prize for her efforts. Della had also managed to get the Knight to even play along, in his own way. It was a good start to their morning.

When Sebastian walked off, Della understood not to follow. She was considerably much more modest and it took weeks of stewing in her own filthy clothes before she even considered bathing in the woods. Even then, she had made Sebastian stay as far away as possible. Her people were funny like that. They were all quite close together, but their own sense of modesty injected strange rules for how the genders interacted with each other.

Her people wore multiple layers, even in the heat. Entire families shared one bed, but never with a guest. They slept in a spare room or a barn. In Della's case, the extra room in the attic of the funeral parlor. Children would spend their entire lives in groups and did everything together, but never really know each other's families. The ritual of teenage courtship was quite awkward, as Della experienced when she began to realize that she would be of marrying age soon. She had finally gained the courage to ask a boy out, when fate came from the skies and picked her off of Sacul.

Sebastian's very strange habit of walking around topless first caused Della to freeze. She had never seen a man shirtless until the first time Sebastian removed his shirt, causing the poor girl's face to turn red. Even now, Della's cheeks still turned pink every time she saw him shirtless. This was more out of the embarrassment of seeing someone half-nude, instead of any sort of infatuation.

Today was no different. Della's cheeks turned pink. She noticed Sebastian's hair down for the first time, but her eyes quickly diverted to the food she had come back to preparing.

Della beamed happily at Sebastian's compliment.

"I have found some fruit, roots, and nuts today. There was some mushrooms that you showed me were safe to eat. So, I roasted those on the embers as well. It felt nice to forage, just like I used to do with the others back home. I could sure go for some Firra root. Remember the story of how Guanerei blinded the Hound with spicy powder? That was the Firra root. It's a great on food. In the mean time, I suppose food that is tame will have to do." Della replied to Sebastian. She took a silver fleshed, sweet fruit and ripped it into two halves. She placed the halves on a hot stone that had been placed in the middle of the embers. A faint scent of the fruit's natural sugars caramelizing could be detected.

"My mother always told me that food was an extension of yourself. What you ate reflected who you were. When you cook, you are really looking at your thoughts manifested and then returned into your body. Mom was always saying things like that. Here, maybe I can teach you something." Della smiled. She tucked more of the embers around the stone the fruit was cooking.

"when something is sweet, it is because of sugar. When you cook fruit, you are really cooking the sugar inside the fruit. See how it's turning brown? That means it's done." Della took a stick and poked the stone until it was out of the embers to cool.

Della then flashed a playful smile at Sebastian as she offered him first choice of the various vegetation she had prepared.

"I nearly got you pretty good this morning, huh?"

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Her voice was small and meek, but she was clearly trying to break from this. She puttered around the site as she usually did whenever they'd stay in a place longer than a week. He felt as if she was trying to make it home, or at least more comfortable. The most comfort should come within the Force, but she'd grow into this soon enough. She had to allow her time to adjust, and this time would be long. The galaxy is large and there is much to know of it. But when she'd become more connected with the Force and the Light, she'd be able to learn that much faster and adapt to almost any planet or species they encounter. There was a comfort, probably societal, to settle and live humbly. The Jedi were not such creatures and were always seeking to spread the Light and crush the Darkness from the universe. It was painfully difficult to do so, however.

He listened to her speak. She enjoyed speaking about the things she knew. They gave her security in that she wasn't as unintelligent or unwise as she may have felt during her training. Even so, it proved to Sebastian just how ignorant he was. Someone so enveloped in the Light knew so little about such simple topics like food. Not just that, but her folklore was intriguing. It resembled so much of the Force and the battle between the Light and the Dark. Perhaps this was just simple philosophy and the ability to play with words, but she could learn so quickly about the Jedi way because she had a foundation similar to the Jedi. They were flighty and passive but could be strong and resilient when need-be.

The philosophy of her mother was interesting and he didn't see much validity in it but only hummed in affirmation. Since he didn't eat much, he found it largely irrelevant. Maybe even this had significance but he did not wish to delve into something he didn't truly begin to understand, much like cooking itself. He had a raw vegan diet whenever he ate but the way she was able to extract flavors and scents to enhance the tastes was intriguing. He picked one of everything, tasting each one slowly and deliberately. She was skilled in the manipulation of the earth around her without disturbing it. As his vague Senses stretched out, he could feel waves from the world around him even thanking her for cleaning up some places that had become unkempt by the forest itself.

He wasn't sure if this was an accurate interpretation of what he was feeling, but there was nothing else he could associate what he felt. Her touch was gentle and kind as always. The Force did her well bringing her to the temple of the Jedi after such horrifics the Sith committed upon her people. He did not ask her to delve into these memories since she first mentioned them, knowing they were darker than what she could handle how he'd want her to handle them. He did not want a similar happening of such strong emotions taking over someone's ability to keep within the Light. The Force prodded to something darker than this, even, that would be in their future. In their future. Their idea to visit her home world was shone as a path through the Force they would take and it would bring them much turmoil and strife. This omen was dismissed as she brought up this morning.

"Yes," he scoffed, trying to emit a laugh of some kind though his face remained hardened. "I'll have to show you Force Pranks I've only witnessed during the time within the Temple. They seemed to work quite well, but I'm not sure if you'd be able to pull them on me. Perhaps your peers will be more easily seduced," he suggested. His seriousness was unmistakable. His emotions had only become more rigid in their time in the forest but his ability to convey emotions had grown. However, this had to be done by assumptions as his interpretation of such emotions were skewed from lack of expression.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gave Sebastian a wink. Sebastian was once again being his typical stone-faced self.

"You'll have to show me one day. Who knows? You might end up being a prankster yourself. You would be incredible at bluffing." Della watched Sebastian take his pick of the food before taking what was left over.

"I was thinking that maybe I should start trying to find ways to tell the lessons we learned here into stories. So, I can tell them to others. I've been thinking about the 'how' of it. It wouldn't be very exciting if everything was cut and dry, would it?" Della shoved a mushroom into her mouth. There were many exciting things that she learned about since she began her training in the forest.

"How about, the Force is like a river? Made of light? In order to live, you must drown in it. It can be the only way to save ourselves sometimes. Saving yourself by drowning yourself. I think I am on to something, what about you?" Della asked. She was inviting Sebastian to understand more of her world. She had told him of rabbits who cheated Death, how the Divine Luck was gifted to man, and how a bride tricked her parents into falling for the suitor of her heart, There were other stories that Della had not told Sebastian. These were darker stories.

The tales of Meadowheart, Guanerei's legendary pupil told of dark forests, blood sacrifices, and worshippers of the Hound who sought to slay him. Meadowheart would always prevail and bring salvation. But, the stories seemed to be shrouded in a shadowy mist. There was symbolism in all the stories that the children of Sacul learned, but the monsters of Meadowheart's seemed more realistic than Guanerei's tales.

It was perhaps because there was historical evidence of Meadowheart's existence. He founded the mountain kingdom that Prince BlackElk ruled over. The Prince was a living legend. Tales of him and his fifty warriors told of daring feats and adventures into unknown wilderness. The Prince himself had claimed that he was a direct descendant of Meadowheart.

Della gave herself a solid shake as if to snap herself out of dwelling too much on these darker tales.

"How long has it been since we first started?" Della said, suddenly changing the subject after a moment to allow Sebastian to give his input.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

He didn't respond to Della's wish to be able to prank others. He found the activity immature and naive as well as entirely uninteresting. Just so, he was unable to find fun in much of anything and the amusement from countering Della's initial attempt was fleeting and unrewarding. His lack of childhood had much to do with this, however, and he began to feel guilty for viewing his Apprentice so lowly. But she was a child and this was usual for children. She was new to the world and had to find some kind of comfort. But his comfort was being sought after outside of the Force. She was still a youngling and had much to learn. Her mentality needed to change if she was to grow. Hopefully the first would cause the second.

He didn't respond to Della's need to interpret her teachings. He found the activity unnecessary and complicated as well as somewhat confusing. The Force was just the Force to him. Or was it? When he meditated within the Force, he saw dark smoke littered with stars. It was usually black and gray. It was cool to the touch. It would turn a pale blue when he'd search within the Light for answers he knew not, just like this moment. It was often silent to him other than the unintelligible whispers of fallen Jedi and influential people within the Force. Even so, her words formed in his head to create a vague picture of what he was talking about. His lips twitched into a second-long smile for her powers in Comprehension were impressive.

"I do not know, my Apprentice. Is the Force calling you to return?" His question was vague yet immediate. Time was of little concern to him for the Force always had a way to bring him to where he needed to be. Before this, he could feel the stirrings within her and wondered if this was what she was feeling to require to ask such a question. Or, perhaps, she was just curious, as she was about everything else. He was beginning to understand the odd workings of a child-like mind which he'd been deprived of. It was odd and mostly unattractive to himself, but that could always change in the future. She was definitely bringing out more of Sebastian than anyone else ever could.

She answered and he did not dwell on her response. Instead, he rose quickly. "Come, we must practice." He began to walk into the clearing they'd been using for sparring matches. The following weeks he'd push Della harder than she'd been pushed thus far. He'd make her feel weak and inconsequential at time, attempting to build up her mental constitution. He never failed to try to mend any wounds afterward, either mental or physical. The mental wounds were always far more difficult to mend, though. She was progressing and he'd tell her this, but she probably wouldn't feel as such when he pinned her down and defeated her so swiftly.

Their meditations were much more intense than before, as well. Her abilities in some things were ignored as she had too much difficulty in to pursue further. However, her growth in the use of Force Light even manifested, which astounded Sebastian completely. Much like himself, when she was to ignore other aspects of the Force, she was capable of so much more when she found her niche. It was clear that she could use Force Comprehension quite well even if it was because she was forced to this due to the language barrier. Her speed was great, rivaling many of her peers that could be found within the temple. She could keep up with his greatest speed well enough, but her endurance was still much lower than his own.

Two more months would pass with this training and Della's body would begin to change. She'd be able to note tighter muscles and greater strength. She was actually becoming a nuisance in their spars, which was a good sign for a pacifist. She now glowed slightly when she meditated, her Light being unable to be contained effectively but still present, which was more than any other Padawan of her experience could say. Though her Telekinsis fell of when she had as difficult a time as himself when he was her age, she was bound to become powerful in her own skills. He'd continue to listen to her stories of lore and even begin asking genuine questions. He felt like he was her father at times when he helped her with tasks around the camp. Though he often seemed a 'father' to others, he'd never felt the sensation. It was queer.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gave Sebastian a gentle smile. Her eyes were bright and hopeful.

"Of course it does. It always wants me to return. When we separate, it feels like when I would bid my father farewell so he could help gather and sell the animals he raised. It's a bit sad, but I am okay because I know I'll see it again. I will always return." She finished her breakfast and began to smother the embers with ash. When the fire cooled, she would scatter the ashes. Her family always taught her that ash was good for the growth of plants.

Della was glad that she had been able to find enough food to provide her with extra energy to keep up with Sebastian's even more rigorous training. There were times when Della felt discouraged. Sebastian was obviously the better fighter and there were times when his distant personality only frustrated Della even more. She wanted to make him proud, yet she felt powerless against him. Still, no matter how badly Della was bruised or if she verbally snapped at him, he was always there to heal her and pick her back up.

The first time she finally was able to use Force Light, she nearly missed it. Her eyes had flashed blue, as they always did when she was lost in the Force, and bands of patterns made from light appeared across her face and hands. It wasn't until Della opened her eyes and saw Sebastian uncharacteristically surprised when she realized that she had done something out of the ordinary. Sebastian praised her for this, and all Della could do was blush bashfully. She was still a child.

That night, they ran together in celebration. It was still rigorous and a part of the training. But, the feeling of jubilation radiated off of Della and caused her to slightly shine in the evening as she felt more attuned with the Force than she had ever been. She didn't stop until her body gave out, causing her to tumble and laugh.

There were challenges, but Della was growing every day. She started to feel confident enough in her Chii-Sho to attempt to surprise Sebastian with a sneak attack from some nearby shrubs or thickets. She always lost, but she learned from her mistakes. Sebastian even started to show an expression of annoyance when Della would spar with him.

Though, she could never forget the expression of disgust Sebastian had when Della was pinned down and she retaliated with a bite just below the back of his knee. It wasn't very hard, but it did distract Sebastian long enough for Della to attempt to trip him. It didn't work, and Della was still pinned down. And no matter what kind of lecture Sebastian gave for Della's "underhanded" fighting tactics, Della was simply confident that Sebastian was envious for not thinking of the maneuvers himself.

Today was one of those days where Della found herself attempting to finally catch Sebastian off guard. He was busy with some chore of his and did not notice that Della had slipped into some nearby shrubbery to spy to him. Della had studied the way a predator hunted in Tython. Today, she was going to attempt to catch him off guard and attack him head-on. She waited for just the right moment.

Then, she darted straight for him.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Her answer was intriguing and not what he meant when asked the question. It was difficult for him to follow her at first, for the direction she took the question was unprepared for. He was also bit concerned with how she predicted the future. Was this a simple and childish desire she hoped would occur or did she actually feel this future through the Force. It was odd because she wasn't known to see the future for the length of time she'd been with her. Even so, he observed her putter around and finish her claimed chores for the site until they both went off to continue their rigorous training.

She was far behind, both mentally and physically, within the Force. She had to make up for this handicap. She did so in leaps and bounds. Every day she progressed in her speed and strength. He couldn't tell if it was enhanced by the Force or not, but he could always see it floating around her, lingering. It was faint, but their relationship had grown and she'd learned so much about her to not be able to see such things within her.

The time she performed Force Light on her own was astounding. His eyes dropped wide and he just stared. She was truly gifted within the Force. Her delicate mind, however, would become her greatest hindrance in her development as a Jedi. This coupled with her improvement with Shii-cho proved to him that she would become a great asset to the Order. He fell into Soresu quite a bit to defend against her. She was able to slip past him a few times, though it was only because she didn't expect her to improve so rapidly. Her face red with frustration began to match his own with effort and embarrassment of having been taken advantage of by his own Apprentice, something shameful to a Soresu master.

He'd continue to develop his Force Sense but it did not grow as quickly as Della's abilities with Light. And regardless of this development, she was improving in concealing herself with the Force. There were times when she'd try to ambush him for no apparent reason. These faux-attacks became so frequent that when he could not Sense her, he expected trouble from her. Since his defense would rise when this would occur, she'd been unable to penetrate his Eye.

Today would be different, however. He couldn't feel her and he knew she was purposefully hiding from him. He was disassembling their camp, intending to leave for the Temple at this time. His Sense tried to pick up on any signs of movements or disturbances in the air, even. But this was not enough to warn him of her approach. She'd become skilled in controlling the environment immediately around her to keep her out of sight even before your eyes.

Her foot slammed into his back. Alert, Sebastian was able to remain unmoved by the powerful kick and spin around to grapple her shin within his strong arm and spin it and her into the ground. If she was quick enough, she'd be able to slip out, but Sebastian's own speed had yet to be matched by the girl. He'd show her a real fight where he wouldn't hold back this time to get her to realize the dangers she was about to encounter when within the presence of the Sith, not that she had little knowledge of this already.