Chapter 3 – Friends for never?
I'm so, so sorry I didn't post earlier but what with writers block and internet bans and my College course _ anyway, on to the disclaimer ;)
Disclaimer: My application for the ownership of Star Wars was disapproved. *grumbles* If you recognise 'em, I don't own 'em.
Many thanks to my wonderful Beta and Grammar-Nazi, Araloth the Random.
Ok, replies to my anonymous reviewers. I forgot in Chapter two *sheepish grin*
Ch 1-
Nannon- Thank you :)
Ch 2-
Drake 5- Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying it :) Aye, I agree with that. A lot of people seem to think that the Sith have no free will, as such. I wonder as well...my muse has a habit of taking me to unexpected places ;) I don't think I'll change it, just follow my inspirations. Awesome! Having no mistakes is always a good thing!
Thank you to Anakinpadmekenobi and Nannon for their reviews for Chapter 1 and Drake 5, Horus346 and AngelSheWolf for their reviews for Chapter 2
Thank you to alboc, anakinpadmekenobi and chronosaura for adding my fic to their alert list :) Love all you guys!
Juggling baskets and parcels, Inyri pushed open the pitted wooden door to her house. She sighed heavily as the hinges noisily creaked.
"I have to get X'lor to fix the door," she muttered, dumping the parcels on the scrubbed table. She looked around, surprised that Nyree hadn't run to meet her like she normally would. She froze, listening to some almost indistinct noise. Her eyes narrowed as he heard faint voices from the man's room. She walked quietly to the room, trying to listen to what was being said. The sound of his muffled voice made her come to an abrupt halt.
"You may want to leave me now, girl. You don't want your mother getting angry."
She raised an eyebrow and walked closer. Nyree's high pitched voice drifted through the door.
"I'll go now. Can I see you again tomorrow?"
Inyri frowned and pushed the door open, her stern gaze meeting the guilty-looking eyes of her daughter and the impassive stare of the Zabrak. Her trained eyes took in the situation at a glance and she turned to Nyree.
"Why is my patient on the floor, Nyree?"
Nyree opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by the man.
"I fell," he said shortly. Inyri raised an eyebrow again. "The girl came and helped me." He shifted on the floor slightly, wincing in pain as the blanket caught on the bandage, pulling it slightly from the crusting wound on his torso. Inyri was beside him in an instant.
"Nyree? I'll need warm water and new bandages," she called to the young girl who immediately jumped up and ran out of the room. "Sir, I have to change the bandages," she said to him.
He shook his head, sounding as if he were biting back a whimper. It was strange, given how resilient and harsh he seemed to be. "Yes," she added, a little curtly. "If I don't, the wound will fester again. I will not let that happen to any patient of mine, Jedi or not."
He smiled wryly at her words. "I suppose I am lucky to be your patient then." Inyri looked at him questioningly. "I think most local healers would have refused to touch a Zabrak, given the unpopularity of my tribe, let alone care for one properly." He sounded more serious now.
"Why not, sir?" came a small voice from the doorway. Inyri and the man both turned to see Nyree, carrying a largish wooden bowl balanced on top of a pile of folded bandages. Inyri quickly relieved her of the precariously tilted bowl, placing it on the floor beside her. Nyree deposited the bandages on the rug and turned to the man again, her keen eyes taking in the details of his tattooed features. She repeated her question. "Why not, sir?"
He sighed, "Girl-"
"My name is Nyree," She interrupted, smiling brightly. "You can call me that." Inyri groaned and opened her mouth to say something to her daughter, but the man held up a hand, cutting her off.
He turned back to Nyree, "Very well ... Nyree," he replied, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Sometimes men..." He gasped as Inyri began gently separating the blood-encrusted bandage from the wound.
She looked at him apologetically and said to Nyree. "Please stop bothering my patient, darling. I need him to stay still or he could get hurt. Ask your brother about the Zabraks if you want to know about them." She took a sharp knife from the sash around her waist and began cutting the bandage.
Nyree's face fell, "Yes mama," she mumbled, "I go ask X'lor." She waved to the man and trudged out of the room.
He turned back to Inyri when she had rounded the corner, "Why send her away?" He asked shortly, his yellow, red rimmed eyes narrowing slightly, "She was only-" he broke off. What the Sith is happening to me? He thought frantically. Why am I growing so...soft? She is so small...so innocent...but I must remember who I am...what I am. I am the apprentice of the Sith, not some child-loving Jedi...
"Sir," Inyri replied, a little nervously, "She is too young and spirited. I need...quiet...to be able to work properly." She had by now removed the bandage from his stomach wound and was soaking a clean cloth in warm water. When he didn't answer her she forced herself to look at his face.
He was gazing into the distance and the intensity of the expression on his face frightened her. He seemed to be in some extreme inner turmoil. Anger, confusion, hatred, fear and something almost akin to sorrow passed over his countenance in quick succession.
"Sir?" She repeated shakily. He slowly turned to look at her, his eyes suddenly dulled by the pain.
"Yes?" he asked flatly.
"Um, nothing. It was nothing," she stammered in reply. His eyes narrowed slightly. She looked down at the damp cloth and said, "I was answering your question, but you seemed to not hear me..." Her voice trailed off as she saw his gaze had turned from her and he was no longer listening. She sighed and dipped the cloth in the water once more. Wringing it out, she glanced at the wound. Besides being crusted with drying blood and puss it seemed to be slowly healing, though the man's tattooed skin made it hard to tell.
I wonder what caused this wound, Inyri thought. It's unlike any I have treated before. The cut almost appears to be burnt along the edges... She glanced at his once again impassive countenance and began washing the wound. She winced sympathetically as she heard him hiss in pain.
-o-
He tried to release his pain into the Force, but couldn't. He couldn't feel the Force any more. He didn't know what was stopping him, and he was frightened. And furious. He had been so in touch with the Force that he had never imagined life without it, and he hated it. He hissed as the warm damp cloth dragged across the wound. The water was burning him, seeping into the wound and causing burst after burst of searing pain.
His tortured mind wandered back to the girl, Nyree. Why wasn't she scared of him? He had heard that children were able to sense whether a person was good or bad, but she hadn't seemed to realize he was a Sith. Stop! He told himself, as soon as I am healed I will go from here...I will never think of them again. I will return to my master and become, once more, Darth Maul. The apprentice of Darth Sidious. I will return and never come back. He felt a slight tightness at the back of his throat, but he swallowed hurriedly, blaming the burning pain from his wound for its appearance.
"Be a little more careful, would you?" he growled at Inyri. She looked up in surprise,
"Sir, I wasn't touching you..." she began, her voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed dangerously once again and he reached out a shaking hand.
-o-
Nyree closed the front door behind her. She began kicking a small stone down the path, humming a tuneless little melody. She was completely oblivious of the small, round droid that, a few moments later, detached itself from the bushes at the door of her house and followed her.
"Nyree!" she turned to see her friend Solange waving at her from her family's doorstep. She ran and hugged her friend enthusiastically.
"Sol! I haven't seen you for ages," Solange hugged Nyree back and asked,
"Where have you been?"
Nyree hesitated, wondering if she could trust her friend enough to tell her about her new friend. She decided she could, "Can I tell you a secret, Sol?" she asked in a low voice.
Solange's eyes widened and she giggled excitedly, only to fall silent when she saw the seriousness of her friend's expression, "A real secret?" she replied.
"Yes, a real secret!" Nyree's eyes were shining as she savoured the prospect of sharing her secret. She pulled Solange into a doorway and whispered in her ear, "I have a Jedi friend. Can you believe that, Sol? A real Jedi!" Her face was nearly glowing.
Solange looked at her, her mouth hanging opening amazement, "You're so lucky. Can I see him?" she whispered back, grinning madly.
Nyree hesitated for a moment. Would her Mama mind if she showed her new friend to Sol? Probably. Would he mind? Probably not. She weighed the two options in her mind.
"Nyree?" Asked Sol, her smile fading slightly. "Are you ok?"
Nyree grinned brightly, "Mama won't like it, but she'll be away all day tomorrow. Come then and I'll take you to meet him."
Sol hugged her friend tight, drawing back when she saw the horrified expression on Nyree's upturned face. She felt a burst of pain in the back of her head and everything faded into black...
Sorry this was so short, but my muse took an impromptu holiday and seeing as I haven't updated for ages and I came to a point where I could end the chapter, I did :)
Review and you shall have COOKIES!