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Thread: The Foundling [Dathomir]

  1. #21
    Mesh'la squeezed Cariad's hand, looking over with a smile. She was relieved that Cariad was with her. Whatever they found, she would not be alone to face it.

    They traveled in companionable silence for several more minutes, Mesh'la wrestling with how to tell Cariadwen why she was really out here. She deserved to know the truth. It wasn't likely it would change anything, but it was still difficult to bring up.

    "I ...I asked where it was they found me." Mesh'la clutched at her friend's hand like it was a lifeline. "When I was a baby. In case ...in case she's still out there."

    She'd stopped walking, and looked down at their hands entwined together. "She abandoned me, but I keep wondering. I don't know if I can ever stop wondering about her."

  2. #22
    TheHolo.Net Poster Cariadwen's Avatar
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    As they came to a stop, Cariad’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

    It was no secret that Mesh’la had not been born into the clan, as Cariad and many others had. That wasn’t unusual in itself. There had been plenty of their sisters and brothers who had come from other clans, merging their communities into the ever-growing Undead Fires. Where they differed, of course, was that they usually came as part of a group, with mothers and children together. Cariad remembered, as a child, hearing an elder hiss that one of her clan sisters was not to question Mesh’la any more about her family and why they had not remained with her on Dathomir, that the clan was her family now.

    There was only one her that Mesh’la could be talking about: her mother. When Mesh’la glanced down, Cariad watched her expression.

    “Is that where you want to go? To where you were found?”

  3. #23
    "Yes."

    Mesh'la bit her lip, and then looked up. "I don't expect I'll find her, and I don't need her anymore.

    "I already have family." She tightened her grip on Cariad's hand, feeling a flush of happiness when their eyes met. "I just ... I have to see for myself."

  4. #24
    TheHolo.Net Poster Cariadwen's Avatar
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    “That’s where we’ll go, then.”

    Suddenly, all of Mesh’la’s earlier levity and eagerness to get out beyond the boundaries of the clan territory made so much more sense. If there had been any doubt in Cariad’s mind that it was the right thing to do, it was cast aside when Mesh’la’s hold on her hand tightened. Cariad could feel how much this meant to her, could even see it in her face.

    “Do you.. know how far it is from here?”

  5. #25
    "Two days on foot, one by rancor."

    Mesh'la's uncertainly melted away and she was smiling again, tugging Cariad forward by her hand. "They say it was a miracle I was even found. It is outside of the usual hunting grounds for the clan."

    She turned to face Cariad, so suddenly the other woman bumped right into her. "They said the Fanged God led them to me."

  6. #26
    TheHolo.Net Poster Cariadwen's Avatar
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    A mention of the Fanged God was enough to evoke a strong response from any of the Nightsisters. Since before Cariad had even been born, the clan elders had depended upon the wisdom and guidance of Dathomir's spirits to ensure the safety and prosperity of the clan. According to the stories they shared, the Fanged God had taken a particular interest in the Undead Fires, decades ago, so much so that the elders claimed they were favoured above all other witch clans by the spirit. Cariadwen had never personally seen the Fanged God, or been addressed by him the way that some of the older witches had, but she knew enough about the power of the magic around them to know that it was better to pay credence to the spirits than to doubt them.

    "Of course he did... but I think we would have found you, regardless," she said, smiling, unable to picture the clan - or her own life, for that matter - without Mesh'la as part of it. "You were meant to be part of our family."

  7. #27
    "Obviously!"

    Mesh'la released her friend's hand in order to scramble on top of some fallen trees. "Anyway, that's two days from now. For now I heard there was a lake, or a pond, or something like that along our path. So, if you want to do some swimming I think it's a couple hours that way."

    She pointed, and jumped down from the logs, sweeping her hair up into a ponytail as she walked onward.

  8. #28
    TheHolo.Net Poster Cariadwen's Avatar
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    It didn't matter much that the path they were walking was one Cariadwen hadn't taken before. Though the Nightsisters kept close to their clan grounds, each of the witches had a connection to Dathomir that could guide their steps anywhere they went and calling them inevitably home. Vaulting up and over the fallen tree trunks, Cariad felt the pull of Dathomir's power, of the Force, as she strode on after Mesh'la. The feeling wasn't strong enough to rely on entirely, but whenever they came to a point where their path might split, where either trail could lead them onward, it was Dathomir that kept them moving. Sure enough, the path to the lake revealed itself through the sound of running water, a thin stream winding it's way like a shimmering cord through the trees. When she caught sight of the surface of the lake through a gap ahead, Cariad's pace quickened - though she forced herself to look down at every other step, to make sure she wasn't about to trip over a tangle of roots or vines.

    "I don't suppose you know whether there's anything living in this lake."

  9. #29
    "I heard it was salty - some damage from the Devastation caused the water to go bad. So, it should be empty."

    Mesh'la walked up to the edge and peered into the water, which was surprisingly clear. There were no fish, or other things, in sight.

    "Yes, it looks fine. Unless you're scared." She looked over her shoulder at Cariad, who made a face as she joined her at the shore. Mesh'la was already pulling off her footwear and dumped her pack a safe distance from the water. "It'll feel good after that hot hike."

    She shimmied out of her pants and then grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head, dropping her clothes on the pack. Walking back to the lake, Mesh'la picked her way around the edge, using the Force to sound out how deep the water was. Once she'd climbed up a bit and found a depth she liked, she leapt off the edge straight into the cold water.

  10. #30
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    While Mesh’la jumped in without hesitation, Cariad crouched at the edge of the pool. She reached down and trailed her fingertips across the waters surface, testing the temperature. It was chilly, but a glance up at the sight of Mesh’la, emerging from her dive, was enough to convince Cariad to start pulling off her boots and shedding her clothes. Gooseflesh rose on her bare, pale skin. With a stone in place to hold down her bundle of belongings, Cariad slipped down into the lake and after a moment of treading water, she pushed off toward the centre and Mesh’la.

    “I cannot believe… how cold it is in here,” she said through a grin.

  11. #31
    "It is not that bad," gasped Mesh'la, teeth chattering as she stretched out and swam toward the center of the pool. "I think I'm getting used to it already."

  12. #32
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    When she was as far from any edge of the lake as she could be, Cariadwen slowed and again began to tread water. Apart from the ripples radiating around the two of them, the lake was still. The entire clearing was quiet, in a way that Dathomir - with its abundance of hardy fauna and flora - rarely was.

    “I’ve heard stories.. that spirits sometimes live in lakes like these. Down at the very bottom,” she added, glancing down into the waters depths then up at Mesh’la with both eyebrows raised.

  13. #33
    Mesh'la grinned, her teeth gritted against the cold. "Only one way to find out."

    She took a deep breath and dove underwater, splashing Cariad with her kicking feet as she swam deeper. After a few moments she stopped her physical movement, concentrating with the Force and locating the bottom of the pool.

    It was deeper than she'd thought initially, possibly an old lava tube that had been flooded from an aquifer. Mesh'la felt for the floor with her mind, and then pulled on it. Rather than moving an object toward her, she let the pull yank her body through the water to the bottom. Bubbles streamed from her nose and then stopped as she looked around, holding her last breath in her lungs.

  14. #34
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    Under the surface, the lake wasn’t quite crystal clear. A trail of bubbles lead the way after Mesh’la, down into the darker waters below. Cariadwen dove after her, kicking hard to keep up. There was a familiar ripple in the Force and moments later a rush of bubbles blocked Cariad’s vision as Mesh’la surged deeper into the lake. A few more hard kicks and Mesh’la was within arms reach. Cariad floated just behind her, trying to see what had caught her friends attention.

  15. #35
    She pirouetted slowly underwater, one toe touching the ground, until she was facing Cariadwen. Mesh’la let her eyes drift across the other woman’s form as she continued her turn, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her own body. Her held breath trickled out and then escaped in a rush of bubbles, but she stayed at the bottom for as long as she could, swimming a little to make sure no creatures were sharing the space.

    The cold knifed through her and her empty lungs burned as Mesh’la finally pushed off the bottom and stroked for the surface of the water. The air was somehow even colder than the water as she gasped for breath, waiting for Cariad to surface.

  16. #36
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    A moment later, Cariad broke the surface opposite Mesh’la with a splash. The banks of the lake seemed as still and quiet as they had left them, only the ripples spreading outward from the two of them disturbing the water's surface. Cariad smiled as she pushed wet hair from her face. Studying her friend's expression, her smile became a little less certain.

    “Did you see any lake spirits down there?”

  17. #37
    Mesh’la shook her head, her hair pooling around her shoulders. “No,” she managed, spots of color on her cheeks, perhaps from the cold. “Just you.”

    She kicked her legs just enough to stay afloat, unsure what it was she was feeling. Cariad seemed to sense a change, her smile faltering, and Mesh’la reached out to touch her friend’s arm to reassure her. Of what, she wasn’t sure.

    “It’s cold, we sh-should get out,” she chattered, her fingers sliding down Cariad’s forearm to grasp her hand and give her a tug in the direction of where they’d left their clothes.

  18. #38
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    A little shiver went through Cariad when Mesh’la’s touch trailed down her wrist - caused by the cold air, perhaps, the heat of their hike now entirely washed awake by the chill of the water.

    She let herself be pulled back towards the shore, though a part of her felt almost reluctant to leave the lake. As chilly as it was, Cariad didn’t want to disturb the quiet around them. It was so calm and peaceful, and it was rare to have the opportunity to swim and just... enjoy someone else’s company.

    By the time they were almost at the lake’s edge, with their clothes in sight, she had silently convinced herself getting out was the smart thing to do, if only because she could practically hear Mesh’la’s teeth chattering at arm's length.

    She gave her friend’s hand a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

  19. #39
    “Fine!” Mesh’la said brightly, pulling herself up and out of the water, her skin prickled with gooseflesh. “Just need to warm up, I think.”

    The young Nightsister found a wide rock in the sun at the water’s edge and perched on it, easing her chilled flesh against the hot stone.

    She had never felt any shame in being naked, it simply wasn’t the way of the Witches. And she had certainly seen her Sisters without their clothes before. Yet, as she watched Cariadwen climb out of the lake, Mesh’la felt a new appreciation for the way the sun shone off of her wet skin.

    Their eyes met and she fought the urge to look away, instead patting the rock beside her. “Come, we should dry off before we continue.”

  20. #40
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    Standing over the lake's edge, Cariad gathered her hair into her hands and squeezed water from it. She looked back at Mesh’la and smiled as the other witch gave a broad patch of exposed stone an inviting pat. Sunlight painted the rocks' surface; it was almost hot to the touch. Cariad sat and, realising how pleasant a spot Mesh’la had found, she reclined, propping herself up on her elbows. She closed her eyes, her face tipped up towards the sky, and basked cat-like in the warmth.

    “If this is as exciting as this trip gets, I won’t complain.”

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