[center][img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pd0PFBJuPtU/maxresdefault.jpg[/img][/center] [right]Collab between [@Heat] and [@Lauder][/right] Light shone through the trees, basking the undergrove of the forest in brightness as a small grazing herd of Guid shifted across the grassy ground. The peaceful creatures had moved at the sight of two Jedi strolling up the calm hillside. One of the Jedi paused in her stride, glancing at her padawan. The battlemaster watched the Guid herd migrate away from her and San Anin until the herbivores had moved out of sight and elsewhere to continue their grazing. Birds sang songs which echoed deeper in the forest, as multicolored wings flapped and others danced on branches, trying to find a mate. A small pack of manka cats relaxed on a hillside opposite of the Jedi, a trio of young cubs play fighting with each other as their mother watched for danger solemnly. The sun hanged high in a near cloudless sky as the two Jedi had walked a few miles away from the temple, entirely on foot. "San, how do you feel? Walking out here in the wilderness?" The Jedi master asked, halfway turning towards her padawan while her eyes watched a duo of birds chirp and dance at each other in the sky. She had brought her apprentice into the most scenic part of the scenic hills of the world, where the planet was most alive. “Calm,” San Anin said simply, gazing around once more before speaking once more, “Happy.” The padawan looked to her master, silently wondering why they were strolling through this place, not that she had qualms with it. Her mind instinctively started going back to a sort of mental study as she began to silently recite notes upon notes of force abilities and proper force control and how to best become in tune with the force. In her absentmindedness, San Anin caught herself on a tree’s root, letting out a slight sound of surprise. Quickly recovering, she stood upright while continuing their walk, now being more cautious about the roots of trees. “Master, n-not that I don’t like this walk, b-but why are we here?” The padawan asked timidly. “To experience some calmness, it's been a hectic time of late. Walking out here, it's so serene and quiet. A bit different than the temple and its constant activity. The only sounds are nature and our voices.” Kyla replied, then continued her stride as she kept walking in her stroll up the hill. It had occurred to her that she had not taken San this far into the wilderness before. That was no worry though to the battlemaster. “It's the perfect place to have a conversation and to train, well once we reach the top of this hill. Which is not much further.” She added, lifting a hand above her eyebrows to block the shining sun in order estimate just how much more they needed to walk. They were headed to a quaint spot that the master Jedi had trained by herself before. At this time of the day the most vicious of predators native to the world weren’t on the prowl. The fierce razor toothed horranth tended to avoid the lower elevation parts of the planet, at least until the sun set. While the manka cats were in the midst of mating season and were more concerned with raising their cubs than preying wandering Jedi. The sight of a happy pack of the felines playing brought a brief smile to Kyla’s face as she once more focused on making her way up the grassy hill. The sound of the waterfall could be heard ahead, gaining in strength as the two Jedi moved further up towards it. “To train,” San Anin echoed as her mind began to wonder once again, this time on what training Kyla had in store for her outside of lightsaber practice. It was obvious that San Anin was not focusing much on the nature as a whole, despite knowing that her master desired her to, and instead went back to what her mind had been focusing on earlier. Movement caught her attention, the Kel Dor’s head snapping to see what it was, only to finally see the same pack of felines that Kyla had seen before her. Without so much as a moment to bask in the tranquiness, San Anin went back to her thoughts. “...maintain proper defensive stance and maintain balance to…” she paused in the walk as she tried to remember the words as she spoke to herself, “avoid being put into a disadvantage against your opponent…” The tall grass shifted under Kyla’s boots as the duo of Jedi’s reached the top of the hill. Immediately in front of them was a large river stream. Clear deep blue water filled out the pond, allowing easy spotting of the many fishes inhabiting it below the surface. So many colorful denizens of the water floated around the river, of varying shapes and sizes. As the stream flowed onwards it gave way to a large waterfall which cascaded the water over the side and an even larger pool of water several hundreds of feet below. It was quite the drop, but a survivable dive for thrillseekers. “We’re here.” Kyla stated calmly as she strolled towards the waterfall, walking along the grassy edgy. On the other side of the river was lush forest, where the sounds of life echoed from within. Their focus today was not on that forest, it was here. The battlemaster stood on the edge of the waterfall’s cliffside, letting out a deep breath as she took in the beautiful view. The canvas below stretched out widely, giving an impressive sight for miles of Tython’s lush land. Seemingly endless amounts of land stretched out as far as the eye could see. Rolling hills of grass and fern teeming with wildlife and vegetation. A thick mist hung above, veiling the treeline in a humid fog. The humongous mountains in the far distance, snow capped tops offering a far different climate to the lush warm jungles. “I don’t think you’ve ever been up here, San. Come here.” Kyle said calmly, motioning with a hand for her padawan to stand beside her. Her robes whipped gently in the breeze. San Anin followed, staying close to her master as she looked over the edge of the waterfall before taking a single step back. Her eyes drifted towards the scenery and finally, for once in the entire trip, her mind focused on the nature of the planet rather than on complicated force techniques or lightsaber training. She was tempted to take off her breathing mask in order to take in the air, if the air wasn’t poisonous to her. However, for once, her hurried and focused mind began to relax and that was all that was needed. The Kel Dor looked to her master for a moment before asking, “What kind of training are we going to be doing?” “Emotional control, during the chaos in the Silent desert you lashed out at an unarmed opponent. While I do understand what you were going through, and it had been a horrific day I am going to need you be able to control your emotions no matter the situation. Even if you are frightened or enraged, a Jedi must be able to put themselves beyond those and focus on the Force. A clear mind is a brilliant weapon.” Kyla stated, then strolled away from the cliff’s edge, moving towards even ground alongside the pond. “I’ve noticed the Force flows beautifully in this part of the hills.” She added as she sat crosslegged on the dirt ground, motioning for San to sit across from her. The battlemaster reached one hand to the side as she ran her fingers gently through the pond. Gentle waves cascaded against her skin, under her fingertips the fish in the pond danced just out of reach in the cool water. A breeze blew through the trees and sent leaves across the grassy floor beneath them. Some of the leaves landed on the water as they floated softly across the surface. The veteran Jedi lifted her fingers out of the water, then brought her hands together softly just in front of her stomach. Her eyes looked intently at her now seated padawan as the two prepared to meditate. “Close your eyes San, surround yourself in the Force. I want you to only think of serene thoughts, bat away any internal battles and doubts which beset you.” Kyla stated calmly, she kept her own eyes open for a few more moments as she picked up movement to their flank from the same hillside they had walked up. A small pack of manka cats had apparently arrived for a drink from the pond. It was the same group that had been watching them go up the hill, the vigilant mother feline leading the way as the three cubs followed her closely. The battlemaster did not move or show any outward reaction as she watched them draw closer. Then another one appeared, a larger male, a fierce mane decorating its neck as it stared at the Jedi duo. It paused in its stride, taking a defensive stance as it walked cautiously towards them. As the cubs reached the stream a few yards away from Kyla and San, the mother cat joined its mate in inspecting the two Jedi. “Breath deeply San, battle back the uncertainty and fear.” The battlemaster said softly, as she too shut her eyes, well aware of the encroaching predatory cats, sensing them in the Force. They now only stood a few feet away, sniffing the duo. She did not expect either to attack, they were not on the prowl and did not typically hunt people. But one sudden move would be very unwise. San, however, was deeply worried about the cats, wanting to go for her lightsaber just in case they decided to pounce upon the meditating Jedi. Yet, she knew that the worry was not what her master had wanted, knowing that she had to control that worry and stress within her mind. Instead, her mind once again went to force as she allowed it to move through her and allow her to become one with it. After a singular deep breath, a calm washed over her and her worried and focus mind began to relax, even as she heard the sniffing of the predators. She could feel the manka cats within the force and as she focused on their presence, she could feel their worry over the two strange Jedi that were meditating in front of them. That worry, though she could barely sense it, began to creep up her spine. San Anin began to force herself to take deep breaths as she struggled to focus on something other than the worry that the manka cats felt. It was then when she turned to her master in the force, her presence exuding a calm and control, which allowed for San Anin to grasp onto the emotion. Kyla slowly reached her hand towards her padawan as the predators glanced back towards their offspring. The cubs were hungrily drinking from the water, one had a fish between its teeth, a fine snack for the young manka cat. The battlemaster gently set her hand down on San’s leg, the Force tingling underneath her palm. She was very pleased to sense no fear in her padawan despite the presence of the watchful felines. The claws of the creatures were still tense, digging into the dirt as they kept a silent gaze upon both the Jedi. The battlemaster was still silent in meditation, the Force calling out all around her on the highly attuned world. Tython was unlike anywhere else in the entire galaxy, the Force flowed through every single part of the planet. She could still recall the pause in her steps and thoughts as she took her first steps on the planet, how powerfully the richness of the Force on the world struck her. She could sense every single animal around them, the fish swimming under the waves, the birds in the trees and especially the predatory manka cats right near them. As she let out a gentle breath she sensed the felines move away from her and San, the trio of curious cubs leading the way as they wandered back down the hillside followed by their parents. As they were left alone once more Kyla opened her eyes calmly. “Excellent job San. I could feel you battle away the fear inside. That is what I need of you, what I ask of you to always do. It is one of the many duties of a Jedi, not allowing ourselves to let our lives be dictated by fear and uncertainty. When you find yourself shaking inside, when things are too much I want you to center yourself and find the Force. No matter the situation. It will guide you.” She firmly stated, looking upon her padawan with proudness. San Anin looked at her master, a silent appreciation washing over her, knowing that she had finally done something to please her master despite the failures that she had gone through when fighting the monsters and then attempting to strike down the person who caused it. The padawan’s gaze shifted to the pond, looking to the motionless mirror that it presented of the world above. “I just hope that I can continue to center myself in the future,” San Anin stated, feeling her own doubt within herself rise about what the future may hold. "You will, San. Have faith in yourself and the Force. You have the potential for immense greatness inside of you," The Jedi master replied with a comforting smile and a hand on her padawan's shoulder. Then she spoke again, as she gave a last glance down the hillside the felines had descended, she could see the creatures continuing their trek through the beautiful plains. "Lets return to the Temple, that was enough of an encounter with wildlife for the day."