Call of the Wild
Chapter 4
"Ah..," Qui Gon Jinn commented, rather breathlessly, when the prolonged run finally slowed to a cautious walk along the ridge of a grassy swell lined by drought-gnarled tree trunks. The she-creature led them forward, plucking a path through the brambly overgrowth with small, precise steps.
Obi Wan followed last, discreetly rubbing at a painful stitch in his side. He had not done a Force-sustained sprint of that length in some time, and he was loathe to admit to even the pang of a taut muscle. It would only mean endless training runs over hundreds of kilometers. He had learned over the years to announce his various discontents with an eye to diplomatic self-preservation.
"Don't fret," the tall Jedi answered, sensing the thought despite his apprentice's tight-lipped silence. His eyes gleamed. "My knees are killing me."
They were clothed in near-darkness now, the last smears of lurid red and gold sinking on the far horizon. Their guide abruptly halted and threw back her head in an ear-splitting howl. Her call was answered by another from the far side of the ridge, and then accented with a series of short, staccato barks and yips. She bounded down the steep slope, the Jedi slithering after her. At the end of the descent, amid a cascade of dust and small pebbles, they landed in a soft stretch of turf carpeted by a flowering grass. Another semi-circle of black twisted trees stood in a stately ring at its boundaries. Beneath their spreading roots were dark openings, entrances to dug-out burrows; from these shady porticos emerged the citizenry: people like their guide, shaggy and toothsome, some walking on four feet, others half-crouching upon hind legs to have a better look at the visitors.
Cautiously they pushed further into the midst of this expectant circle. A low thrum of curiosity reverberated in the air and the Force as the Jedi stepped softly forward into full view of the watching pack members. Like their host, none of these wore clothing or ornaments, nor carried weapons or tools of any kind. And yet their minds shone in the universal energy with a distinct light that marked them as beings possessed of full intelligence and freedom.
The leader – a hulking male crowned with a trailing ruff of thick fur - paced into the center of the ring and touched noses with the female who had led them hither. She dipped her head almost to the ground and then lifted it again, holding her throat exposed before him, an obvious submission signal. The chieftain gently grazed his teeth against her jugular and then released her in a ritual gesture of dominance. She turned, dark eyes flicking to the two humans, and spoke a few rumbling phrases in her native tongue. Strangers, clouds descended, she explained.
The massive alpha padded forward and reared onto his hind legs, until he stood eye to eye with Qui Gon. The surrounding pack grew silent and tense. Obi Wan's hand strayed to his saber hilt.
The Jedi master exchanged a brief admonitory glance with his apprentice before turning deliberately to face the chieftain again. He bowed low before the waiting pack leader, straightening with exquisitely measured calm and raising his chin to bare his throat. A growl of surprise ran around the circle. The mighty jaws of the chief opened a fraction and grazed across Qui Gon's exposed skin before withdrawing again. The witnesses stirred and relaxed. Several humming sounds of approval sounded in the night air. Stars glinted silver, reflected in dozens of shining eyes.
The chieftain turned his amber eyes upon Obi Wan next, the question clear. Qui Gon took a step between them, eliciting a collective growl of displeasure from the pack. "Obi Wan," the Jedi master instructed quietly. "They need to see the chain of command. In their own way."
The Padawan raised his eyebrows but reserved all comment. He carefully sank to one knee before Qui Gon and tilted his head back, leaving his own neck unprotected. The tall man laid one hand against his student's throat, as though preparing to throttle him, and then let go. The gathered pack thrummed and muttered its assent. The chieftain fell back a pace, accepting the declaration of relative authority.
Chitatik are swarming, their guide warned the crowd, her voice a sharp barking shout. Shelter your families.
Now! Take to earth! The chieftain rapped out his orders in a thunderous voice, one which echoed off the nearby rise of hills. His people scattered, slinking and scurrying into their homes beneath the trees' roots, disappearing beneath the protective arches of the dark limbs into subterranean fortresses. The scout who had accompanied them dropped to her four legs and turned glittering eyes upon Qui Gon. With me, she seemed to say, her urgency rippling in the Force. Or face death here among the chitatik.
The Jedi master nodded and jogged after her, Obi Wan close behind. They scrambled under the roots of a twisted pillar of black wood and slithered into a soft cavern beneath. Here below the air was cool and sweet and scented strongly of rich soil and musty fur. Their hostess crouched near the entrance and hastily threw up a barier of fresh earth against the opening, sealing the three of them in protective darkness.
