Chapter Fourteen

There were a few embers left in the fire he and Padmé had built, and Obi-Wan was about to put them out with a judicious use of the Force when his thoughts and actions were interrupted by his Padawan.

"Wait, Master. Maybe we should rest a while and have a bite to eat before we head back to the space port."

Anakin had never lacked common sense, but his suggestion was certainly lacking it!

"If we leave now, we can make it back to the ship and be off this mudhole before it gets dark!" Obi-Wan argued, far more maniacally than he had intended.

Deep breath. What was the matter with him?

"I really think we should get going," Obi-Wan explained with control that seemed just beyond his grasp at the moment. What he needed most was to get back to the ship in order to meditate and come to terms with his current situation! He needed some privacy and a good deal of soul searching in order to face what he was certain was coming.

"And besides," he argued on, "what is there to eat around here?"

"Oh," Anakin replied casually, reaching into his utility belt, "these." From out of the largest pouch, the young man withdrew a skinless mammal, which resembled some type of rodent. "I've been living on these for days. They're not bad, actually. Taste like nerf."

Obi-Wan stared at the rather unappealing offering and then at Padmé, awaiting her response.

"That's fine with me. We can eat first. I'm actually quite hungry," she announced surprisingly.

He'd been outvoted, and so he tossed the remaining sticks they had gathered into the fire and stoked the smoldering embers with the end of one. Soon, the dry timber had ignited and flames licked at the source of fuel. His Padawan took one remaining stick and speared the meal with it, staking the other end into the ground, angling it just above the fire's reach.

Then, the three of them sat around, gazing at the animal, whose thin layer of fat began to melt, creating a pattern of sputtering sounds at it dripped into the flames.

Obi-Wan had always been comfortable in the silence which often passed between he and Padmé, but this was ridiculous! Was anyone going to say anything?

"I have an announcement," Anakin abruptly spoke, appearing nervous once again. "Master, I would like to say how proud I am to have been your Padawan, and how much I am looking forward to working with you as a Knight."

"The pleasure's been all mine, Anak…" Obi-Wan started to say, only to be interrupted.

"I'm not finished," the young man blurted out. "I have something important to tell you. Just a while ago, Padmé and I decided…"

Here it comes, thought Obi-Wan. What he'd been dreading. Would he be able to put on a believably happy countenance? Or would his true feelings show?

"…to break up." Anakin finished.

Wh….what?

"What? Why?" Many other words beginning much the same came to his mind; the first of which being, how? How could Anakin not want to be in a relationship with her? Padmé, as any sentient being did, had her faults, but she was absolutely the most beautiful, courageous, and intelligent woman he had ever….wait. During his silent accolades, he must've missed something. His Padawan was smiling at him, and in a most devious fashion.

"I told you," Anakin spoke to Padmé, and it was at that moment, Obi-Wan noticed, she was smiling at him as well, although in a completely different manner. And there were tears shining in her eyes.

He had definitely missed something.

"Do you not wonder how I found you out here in all this mud?" his Padawan asked, and frankly, Obi-Wan hadn't thought about it. True, he had been aware of the lack of Living Force on Vestin, causing their bond to become somewhat weakened and muddled, but he had assumed the campfire was what led the boy to them.

He was wrong. About that and a few other things.

"After the waltz, I had one of two options," Anakin explained. "I could either fight and injure or perhaps kill a few of the Vestinians, or I could flee. I chose to flee, and ended up out here. Did you know there's a huge lizard-like snake that lives out here that can jump out of the water and swallow you whole?"

Obi-Wan exchanged a knowing glance and smile with Padmé as Anakin continued his story.

"Back to what I was saying: I was hiding out here in this swamp, knowing that someone would come look for me sooner or later, when suddenly I was overcome with a wave of very strong emotions. "

"Did you practice the mantra I taught you?" Obi-Wan inquired. As a child, the boy had often struggled with powerful yearnings for his family and home, and Obi-Wan had taught him a variety of meditations which would help him release his overwhelming feelings into the Force.

"I didn't have to," Anakin explained, the sly grin returning. "They weren't coming from me. They were coming from you."

Obi-Wan didn't understand. He was a master of his emotions at all times. Well, other than most recent, and those would be purged as soon as he had a chance to meditate.

"Master," Anakin pleaded, "When I came upon you and Padmé, you were dreaming, and along our bond I could sense a great deal of love and devotion, respect and serenity. It's hard to put it into words. I've felt some of those things along our training bond before, and I know they were meant for me, but not this time. This time, they were directed toward Padmé. You're in love with her, Master. You just have to admit it."

There was a mission once, on Dralak, where he and his Master had been backed into a cave, and at its mouth was a fire-breathing draigon. The situation he was in now reminded Obi-Wan of that, although in place of a horrifying beast, was a beautiful young woman, whose hopes, dreams, and desires were shining in her passionate, dark eyes.

Was this possible? Or was he still dreaming?

"I'm going back to the ship now," Anakin announced unexpectedly. "You two have a lot to talk about."

Before Obi-Wan could respond, the young man was on his feet, headed back toward Slog City.

"And you can have my share of the swamp rat," he called back over his shoulder. "Those things are disgusting!"