Why oh why did this have to happen now?
Lexxa Lysk sighed flopping down on the ground next to the jumble of material and collapsible durasteel poles that were suppose be easy to rearrange into a tent that would serve as a shelter for herself and her padawan for the night. But something in the mechanism had broken and the two suddenly found themselves in a less then pleasant situation.
Usually Lexxa wouldn't have minded the open air that much and yet this time was different. The ominous clouds promised rain and she really didn't feel like getting soaked.
Her padawan, Paolo, was sitting a few feet from her under a tree amusing himself with scratching some mosquito bites here and there. His arm looked quite red by now. "Paolo, stop the scratching you'll only make them worse" she reminded the thirteen-year-old for what seemed like the millionth time that day.
'I can't help it" he whined helplessly. "I really can't!" He tilted his head to the side and looked at her with large, sad, dark eyes and she felt the wave of desperation pass through their bond. All an act. She had seen his "puppy dog act" before.
"That's not going to work on me, Padawan. You know that. Why don't you go get some firewood instead?" It wasn't really a question and Paolo knew it but she thought it sounded better then if she was to order him to do it. More amicable at any rate.
Paolo nodded, "Yes, Master" and stood up slowly, brushing leaves and soil off of his tunic. His padawan braid had decided to remain stuck against his chin, tickling it, and he swiped at it with annoyance before stocking away into the underbrush.
Lexxa dumped out a few ratio bars and protein cubes, along with a few peaces of preserved meat. Deciding on the meat, it tasted like plastoid but was a more suitable dinner then the rest, and scooped the other things into her bag. Then she fidgeted with the lighter for a while, test lighting it, and then dropped it into the pile with the meat on the foil utensils.
She slipped into a light state of meditation, allowing herself a few moment of quiet until Paolo returned.
"YAAA-HAAAA-WEEEE-AHHH-GGGRRRR!"
Lexxa looked up startled. The inhuman shout sounded remarkably, and disturbingly, like that padawan of hers. And sure enough he came barrowing through the underbrush only a few moment later, a pile of sticks under his arm and the largest one in his hand. He was waving the stick much as he would his lightsaber but in a cruder more Indian-like fashion.
Lexxa shook her head in defeat. Nothing would make this one calm down when he was having a hyper moment. 'I really shouldn't have let him suck that sugar cane on our way here today' she thought, standing up so that she could confront her wayward, overly excited, apprentice. "And here I thought you were a Jedi" she said sarcastically as Paolo bounded up to her, still waving the stick.
Paolo stopped, mid battle cry, and dropped the sticks he was holding into a pile. 'Sorry, Master. I just got…carried away."
Lexxa rolled her eyes. 'You always do, Padawan." She arranged the sticks into a more civilized fashion then the pile that they had landed in, ignoring the fact that her padawan's cheeks were now tomato red, and flicked the fire igniter several times. She sighed in relief when the flame caught and the sticks started to burn. At least something had gone right. She stabbed the peaces of meat onto a metal "spear" and proceeded to turn them over from side to side on the fire.
They ate quietly not talking much. At first Lexxa didn't realize that anything was wrong. It was quiet and she was enjoying the faint chirping of birds that floated over to the pair from a distance. But when their songs died away as the sky became completely dark the young knight was surprised to realize that Paolo had only eaten half of his peace, though they barely had anything to eat that day, and had been quiet all that time. It was very unusual behavior for her young padawan.
"Paolo? Is everything alright, Padawan?"
The boy nodded hastily, making a show of shoving the rest of the meat into his mouth. But something was wrong, she could feel it now. Waves of discomfort were radiating from the boy through their bond. His shields were tight and he was too withdrawn for comfort.
Lexxa moved closer to him, a worried frown on her face. She reached up and touched his forehead. Paolo jerked away but not before Lexxa felt the heat radiating from him. "You're burning up. You call that alright?"
Silence.
Oh why did he have to be so stubborn! What was so wrong about admitting that he was sick? Paolo hated showing weakness but still…it was just wrong!
"Padawan, what is it?"
"Nothing, Master, I'm fine" he said, trying to sound irritated but failing miserably.
"Don't lie to your master" she chided, already digging around in her bag for some fever suppressors. 'I knew I shouldn't have given him that sugar cane. But noooo.'
"It might be those berries…"
Lexxa looked up. "What berries?"
"When I went to get firewood I saw these berries. Really pretty, bright red, tasted good too. I ate several handfuls of them. At first I was ok but then I started feeling sick…"
"Great. Food poisoning" Lexxa muttered under her breath. "You're suppose to be thirteen you dummy!" She ducked back out from her scavenger hunt through her pack with a couple of fever suppressors and handed them to Paolo with the water flask. He took them silently.
Lexxa would have given him a lecture about not eating the first pretty thing that he sees but decided that he was suffering enough. The boy really did look awful, all curled up in a ball with his cloak rapped around him tightly. He was pale except for the unhealthy flush of his cheeks. His usually bright eyes were murky now.
"Cold" Paolo muttered softly.
Lexxa sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and pulled her padawan into a small hug. Then she lay him down so that his head was in her lap and pulled herself against a tree, leaning her back against the trunk. She grabbed a blanket and draped it over the boy, stroking his head fondly.
"We haven't had much luck today have we, Master? Starting off lost this morning really didn't go well."
"You're right, young one. But it could be worse. It could be raining."
The clouds must have heard her because at that moment the heavens opened up and showered then with cool raindrops by the thousands.
"With my luck something like this was ought to happen" Lexxa grumbled as Paolo sniggled closer to her and pulled the blanket over his head.
His voice floated up to her, muffled, "It's not the end of the galaxyAfter all, tomorrow is another day."