Cherchant (Kylo Ren x Reader)

Eight

Steam rises from the spring in the cool evening air. You are soaking your sore muscles after an intense day of training. You'd come to rely on your time in the spring to process the changes your life has swiftly undergone. Over the past few weeks, you had felt yourself growing stronger, both physically and in the Force. You'd taken more and more time away from the Cherchant in this pursuit. And if you were being honest with yourself, it was difficult to be separated from Kylo.

Tonight was different though. You were here to think.

The day had started off the same as so many before it. You'd woken early, left the guest suite to find Kylo waiting for you with a protein rich pre-training breakfast. No caf on these mornings because it effected your concentration. He had been his usual mildly brooding self.

You'd arrived in the clearing and settled into your routine. First, quiet meditation. Then, you'd moved on to manipulation of objects. Stacking stones that weighed more than you did was fast becoming your new artist's medium. You'd perfected your method of visualization and were having a blast drawing on your creativity. Today's structure resembled a stormtrooper. Kylo had not been amused. After he'd scattered the stones and small boulders with a flick of his wrist, you'd pressed him about his action but he'd swiftly shut down your line of questioning.

Instead of fight him on it, you decided to move on. He'd thrown you a staff and started moving through the forms he'd taught you. In tandem you danced side-by-side, executing each turn and swing with as much power behind your movements as you could muster. He noticed your strained approach to the exercise. Anger flashing, he stopped you.

"No! You are relying on your physicality and completely ignoring the Force. You need to let your body glide through each form while focusing on the next one. If you'd just LET GO you would be way further along in your training by now!"

Stung by his words you just stood there, staring up at him like a scolded child. You'd seen him lose control now and then but he'd never taken it out on you this way. He must have sensed your hurt because he dropped his staff and huffed away, presumably to cool down.

You had never questioned why sparring was part of your training. Like each of the other skills, it felt good to learn. You enjoyed the feeling of growing stronger and faster even if you'd never come up with a good reason that a bar owner from Okiwaan needed to be combat ready.

You continued your forms alone.

After a while, Kylo returned and let you know he was ready to spar. You understood by his sour mood that an apology wasn't coming. At least not before he got some of his pent up aggression out.

You had taken your favorite starting position and were prepared to begin. You exhaled low and long, feeling the Force flow. Attempting to shield his mind from yours and vice versa added a layer of challenge to the exercise. He must have still been agitated because his mask slipped for an instant and you were able to intuit his first move. You spun to your right, using the staff to deflect his blow. He looked surprised but so were you because he'd come at you full strength.

Having seen him in action enough to know his massive stature and strength could do real damage, you'd felt a twinge of fear. He noticed and you felt his concentration falter further. With a flick of his wrist, he used the Force to fling a fist-sized rock directly at you. You knocked it away with your staff. He spun around and you blocked another hard blow. He tried to send a second rock at you but this time you were ready. You raised your hand out and stopped the rock midair.

That was a new trick!

You sent it speeding back toward him and he deflected it easily. It shattered against a boulder a few yards away. He swung his staff again but this time you stopped it midair.