Its what friends do

Posted on Thu Nov 12th, 2020 @ 5:17pm by Ensign Wulfgar Duergar

Mission: Survival of the fittest
Location: Wulfgar's quarters.
Timeline: After Truths untold - Jane saga

ON:



Jane had been relieved to hear that Wulfgar had been let out of the brig. She had been worried about him. When she had found out he was confined to quarters though. Well she had instantly put away her project, A poster announcing the recruitment of musical talents to come join the Music appreciation club. Then set off to go and visit him. their last meeting had not ended so good. She was so worried about him.

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Wulfgar sat in a chair by his bunk, an open instrument case next to him and a custom made cello propped up against his shoulder. The bow, crafted to look like a serpent, sat comfortably in his right hand while his left hand, fingers curled, pressed on the fives strings along the neck. The neck was carved to look like the figurehead of ancient Viking ships while the rest of the cello was carved into curved shapes that reminded him of his Norse heritage as he thought it looked like a battle axe. He had his eyes closed as the bow ran smoothly over the strings and his left adjusted the sound by pressure on the neck. His hands coaxed the flowing notes of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 from the instrument. There was no book or PADD to read the music from yet he played it flawlessly from memory.

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Jane could hear the lovely music as it drifted through the hall. It was beautiful. She leaned against the door outside a moment to just listen wondering idly just who was playing. Her lips rested in a soft natural smile of pure delight. When the notes finally did draw to their close Jane guiltily reached out to the chime on the barracks door. She hoped her arrival would not disrupt the musician too much.

From inside Jane heard someone say "Enter." The door opened just as another song started playing. There was a computer accompanying the music with a piano harmonizing. When she stepped in, she could see Wulfgar playing the cello, a look of peace and concentration as he listened to the music.

She simply stood there. She could no sooner interrupt him now, then she could bring herself to throw a stone through a stained glass window. It was simply a joy to silently just bare witness to. She closed her eyes and let it sink into her very soul. 'How beautiful.' it reminded her of her mother and the hours of listening to her playing her various instruments for her recordings.

The last chords of Beethoven's Cello Donate 1 died off and Wulfgar lowers the bow and opens his eyes. "Oh, hi Jane." He asked as he moved the cello to his bunk. He got up and, with a foot, slid the case next to the bunk. He took a couple of steps and sat on the bunk, gesturing to the now vacant chair. "Please sit."

Jane took the offered seat. "You play with such passion.. It's beautiful." She couldn't help saying. She could still feel the tears burning hot in the corner of her eyes. It had moved her deeply. Jane loved music and there had been something almost intimate in the way he moved his fingers over the strings making them sing for him. She swallowed hard trying for all the world to not give herself away and look down.

Wulfgar smiled as he carefully stowed the instrument and bow back into its case. "Thank you. It helps me to relax and calm down." He looked up at her as he snapped the lid closed. "You're not in trouble too are you?"

"No." came her simple answer. "I'm not in any trouble. Everything should be fine from now on." She leaned back. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Wulfgar smiled and let out his breath. He was relieved that she hadn't been punished, but then she wasn't involved directly. "That's good." He glanced around his bunk. There were a couple pictures of an older couple, one with a teenage Wulfgar and a pint size walking doll of a girl and the other, Wulfgar in a star fleet uniform and the girl was now a young adult but still dressed up like a doll. He took them down and looked at them a moment before handing them to Jane.

Jane took them carefully. She looked at each of them in turn. "Your family looks wonderful." She said before she offered them back to him. "I'd love to hear more about them, and you if you feel like talking."

Wulfgar took them and looked at them again. "They are, But I'm still afraid to send them a message. What would they think of me when they learn that I beat another person like I did? What about when they find out I was relieved of duty and confined to quarters for it?" He asked, his head and shoulders slouched and bowed. A faint quiver in his voice showed the inner turmoil he struggled with.

“I think that as parents and good ones at that. They will understand the need to punish bad behavior.” She moved over to sit with him on the bunk and put a friendly arm around his shoulders. “Wolfy. The very fact that you feel guilt and remorse for your action even as honorable as they are proves that you are a good man, and an excellent friend. Your mother and father,” She said looking at the picture of the smiling happy family with more than a little envy but also pride for her friend. “They are going to understand. They will even be proud of you for doing the right thing. And most of all even if they are disappointed a little they will always love you. Hold onto that. I will do everything I can to help repair the damage I have done to your career over this. I promise.”

"Jane, the damage to my career was my own. There were other methods I could have used other than beating that guy as bad as I did." Wulfgar took a deep breath. "The Captain said he would have done the same if he was me. That still doesn't justify the level of violence I utilized." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a side hug. "I'll understand if you wish to stay friends and I will respect that. If you wish, I won't pursue a relationship with you more than friendship. I don't regret protecting you and I would do it again if need be. Just let me be there should it happen again."

“Wolfy, I am going to tell you something. I am not proud of it and I ask that you please do not judge me or mine too harshly. I feel that you have a right to know why that man attacked me.” She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder. “He was a bounty hunter. Sent here to find a friend of mine. He thought that I would make good bait. He thought wrong. When he realized I was not going to help him, that my friend was not smuggled onto this ship with me being hidden someplace.. Well he tried for a different tactic. My friend is honorbound to avenge my death. If the news that I had been murdered had gone public it would have forced him to return and hunt down my attacker. A very clever trap. I was hoping that I could talk him out of it. Pay him off maybe. Buy more time for my friend to escape to a place where even my death wouldn't be able to reach him if it came to that.” She looked at Wulfgar then her face passive waitting for that moment when he understood just how much danger she had put him in. For the anger that would come from that. He would finally see that no good could come of being around her. Not for him, not for his family even. All of them would become tools to be used to try and make her talk. It would be pointless as she truly had no answers to give; she knew nothing of where Sentalic had gone or would go to.

"Is this friend far enough yet? Probably not. and should he have succeeded, his plan would have worked. But with me protecting you when I did it accomplished a few things. One, you're still alive. Two, your friend has more time. Three, with the catapult shut down, it will take longer for them to find out he failed and that much longer to get another person here." Wulfgar explained as his hand started petting her hair which smelled of strawberries today. "I want to be here to help you to survive and even have a good life. My parents can take care of themselves. I will include a warning to them to be wary of strangers.”

His words brought her peace. He was right. “Thank you for that Wolfy. I don't worry so much for myself. I don't think Kyle would come back after me at this rate. Not anytime soon. I… I think he might have killed my father… my mother says he has been missing for a couple weeks now. I couldn't figure out why he isn't returning my messages.” She took a deep breath that seemed to come from her toes. “My mother is on the run. I am.. I am on the run in my own way.”

"I'm sure he's fine and will contact you when he can. I can let my parents know and your mom can go hide with them. My parents know how to live off the grid." Wulfgar said, wrapping his other arm around her protectively. He kissed her on the top of the head to help comfort her.

She let out a sigh. He still didn't understand. “I would rather you didn't do that. Please. I will not let you go and entangle yourself any further then you already have in all of this. The less people to know the better.” She wanted to relax under his touch but his words had frightened her. She could see his family, that sweet older couple. His parents' eyes open and sightless, blood pooling around them, A bakery in flames, a dreadful ‘Accident” where the owner, a bright and cheerful young woman named Veronica, had failed to escape its burning clutches. How tragic. “If we are going to be together we must have a few ground rules. The first being profecinalisum. Never is our relationship ever to interfere with one or the others work. ” She glanced up at him then not sure what to expect. "If it puts things in context I had a chat with the Captain about my personal business not interrupting him or his ship again. Id really like to keep my job on the Pennsylvania so this rule is mandatory."

"That is a given and I will agree to any rule you lay down." Wulfgar said as he pulled her up into his lap and arms. He sat there listening to her and just enjoying holding her.

Jane felt her cheeks burn as she tried to relax. Everything would be okay. "Second rule, We are honest with each other and will communicate our feelings openly while in private. Conflicts will be talked out respectfully and with consideration for both our feelings." She said reaching out to fix a hair that had strayed to close to his eyes. She did relax now settling more easily into his lap. she smiled a shy unsure smile, "Your not scared at all are you?"

"How can I be scared with you close to me. I feel stronger when your near me." Wulfgar laid his cheek on her head and with a slight turn, kissed the top of her hair.

She listened to the steady thud thud of his heart. It had been an exhausting forty eight hours. "Hey Wolfy I dont want to give you any ideas, but do you think I could stay here with you tonight? Im... Im still a little scared to go back to my place alone." There was security she knew that but she just needed time for the trama to wear off a little more. "I am pretty small I shouldn't take up much space."

"I would like it if you stayed too. There's security outside my quarters around the clock and anyone looking for you wouldn't think to look here. As a bonus, I get to keep an eye on you and know that your safe." Wulfgar's hold on her tightened slightly, protectively.

"Thank you we can revisit the rules after we have had time to think on them better." She said with a yawn. "I can go grab an extra blanket." She moved to get up.

Wulfgar stopped her with a smile. "I am a gentleman, you can have the blanket, I tend to kick it off anyways." He shifted them back on the bed. He laid towards the back on the blanket and pulled it back for her. "You look tired, get some rest. Your safe now."

Jane didnt argue. She wanted too but not enough to really put the effort into it. "Thank you Wolfy. You try to get some sleep too okay." She had barely snuggled into the warmth of the fresh clean blanket and her eyes were already closing. Her breath already evening out in the steady to and fro of slumber.

"I will, Jane, I will." Wulfgar said as he threw an arm over her shoulders and closed his eyes. He wasn't far behind her in sleep either. As he fell into the deep embrace of slumber, a smile could be seen on his face to all who looked.