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𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐑 ,Rune assured herself as she scaled the rocked cave walls of her room. Her hands found purchase as she hoisted herself further upwards. Far above her room,there hung a smoothed out loft,made of sheeted stone.

Rune sat up on her knees when she reached the spot,staring up at the open window on the ceiling. The moonlight poured down onto her,and she bathed in it. Moments such as these when she could be alone were the most valuable to her; Rune's eyes closed as she smiled softly,likely dreaming of adventures far from her reach.

"Ana-rune,I won't ask you again!" The voice of Mother Koril broke through her fantasies. Rune peered down from her perch in hesitation,a very annoyed Koril looking up at her.

"Hello mother." Rune tried innocently,though Koril's sternness hardly wavered.

"It's time for your lessons." Mother Koril stated bluntly. "Now."

Reluctantly,Rune scaled back down,jumping to the floor gracefully. She was far from a youngling,almost nearing adulthood. Mother Aniseya encouraged it,saying it was a good thing to maintain such childlike wonder;Mother Koril vehemently disagreed though.

"Is it thread training today?" Rune asked,secretly hoping that was the case. Channeling the thread had come quite easily to her at a very young age,it never served as much of a challenge.

Mother Koril walked alongside her into the caved halls of the Brendok fortress. She knew Rune enjoyed the ease of manipulating the thread.

"No,today is a lecture." Koril responded. Rune's face fell moodily.

"Everyday is a lecture."

Mother Koril gave her a sharp side eye,causing Rune to smile awkwardly.

"You should spend more time listening and less daydreaming." Mother Koril continued.

"Ah,but don't you know dreams are messages from the deep?" The calm voice of Mother Aniseya greeted them.

Rune smiled brightly at the sight over her other mother. Compared to Koril,Aniseya had always been much more liberal with her,which was much appreciated. She took her seat on one of the rocky cavea edges.

"Do you know why we live on Brendok,Runie?" Mother Aniseya questioned softly once Rune was seated comfortably.

"People fear our power." Rune answered immediately. She knew the answer wouldn't completely satisfy her mother.

Aniseya hummed. "Say more things."

"They don't understand our connection to the thread,I think." Rune said. She knew their coven faced persecution,mainly from the Jedi Order.

Mother Aniseya smiled a little. "And what is our connection?"

Rune pursed her lips in thought.Her mother was looking for a specific answer,something more personal. She could say the thread is the stuff of life,encompassing everything around it.

But to her it was different. It always was with her.

"It's the ability to feel my connection to the galaxy."  Rune said after a while.

"Very good." Aniseya approved,her voice laced with pride. "And those feelings will enable you to lead this coven some day."

Rune's expression tensed slightly as she anxiously tugged at one of her locs, It was selfish of her,she knew that but her mother has always stressed the importance of honesty.

"I couldn't lead the coven." Rune blurted suddenly. "Not like you do."

"How do you mean,my darling moon?" Mother Aniseya sighed,seating herself by her daughter.

Rune rested her head onto her mother's shoulder. "Because i'm not like you."

"I'm not so perfect."

Aniseya was quiet for a moment as she stroked Rune's head. Then,she stood up,gesturing for Rune to follow her. They walked the path to the cliffs,where Rune's ascension ceremony would take place in only a few short days;Rune would become a witch,a fully fledged sister of the coven.

When the two reached the edge,Aniseya tilted Rune's chin up towards the sky. The Brendok sky was a dark purple,littered with twinkling stars. There was not a day that passed bay where Rune wasn't completely taken with the view.

"Look at the stars, Runie." Aniseya whispered to her. "See how they shine for you?"

Her mother would tell her that often,as assurance whenever Rune exhibited a certain doubt about herself. But how did that make sense? Did the stars ever shine for others?

"It takes complete commitment to lead,you've taught me that." Rune shook her head,as if it would lessen the longing tugging on her heart.

When Mother Aniseya didn't respond,she felt compelled to explain herself further.

"The Brendok moons have each other,you have Mother Koril." Rune began. "But I have no one."

Aniseya glanced at her daughter in slight concern. Koril had warned her of this much,she knew Rune was lonely. But she was painfully unsure how to remedy that.

Create another life? It would be too soon.

"You have us and then coven." Aniseya responded,though she knew it wouldn't suffice her daughter's contemplation. The price of creating a dreamer,she supposed.

"You know that's not what I meant." Rune said,her tone was tinged with annoyance.

Rune wanted to see the other planets,how people lived their lives. She wished to stuff her face with foreign foods and make actual friends;And deep down,the thread of force was tugging gently,guiding her to explore it.

"You are our coven's future." Aniseya said. "They have expectations."

"I never asked for that!" Rune raised her voice,causing her mother to flinch slightly.

She had never yelled at anyone,let alone her own mother. Regret instantly filled her,however she was suddenly in no mood to apologize.

"I just..want to be free,to not hide on some isolated planet from Jedi who couldn't possibly understand us."  

"Others consider our power dark,you know this." Mother Aniseya said. "This is for our protection."

"But I don't want protection." Rune snapped,far from caring how bratty she sounded.

"Ana-rune!" Mother Koril scolded harshly. She had been silently observing the lessons from afar,but felt the need to intervene.

"You've forgotten yourself."

Rune hadn't realized she was still here,but she hardly cared.

Ignoring her mothers' objections,she fled,walking all the way back to her room. As if to drive home her tantrum,Rune flicked her hand to force shut the door closed with an obnoxious bang.

She flopped onto her bed,taking a large breath through her nose. Reaching out a hand,her fingers delicately traced the outlined edges of her ceiling.

One day,she hoped; She'd find what was pulling her.