A/N: Holy cow, I finally have an official final chapter count of 30. I seriously never expected this story to be 30 chapters long, and I certainly never expected how wordy each chapter would be. This one is around 7,000 words. That is a MONSTER for me, who used to average between 2,000 and 3,000 words per chapter in previous stories. This story just wouldn't be satisfied with less, I guess. (And the rest of the chapters I've got coming are averaging between 5,000 and 6,000, so set aside plenty of time as they get edited and posted.) So you may have inferred that we're hurtling toward the finish line. You'd be right.
Thank you for comments and reviews; they make my day.
Although they didn't dare travel on the main road, they were never far from it once they neared the mountains, keeping it in sight from a distance through the trees. This was a double-edged sword. It was a relief to continue in a fairly straight line, and Rey didn't have to worry about walking in lingering snow that refused to melt even as the days grew undoubtedly warmer. But it also meant that the tension in her rose every time a distant sound reached them from the road.
For several days, she strained her ears for unfriendly sounds that meant they were spotted. In fact, she was so preoccupied by the possibility of such sounds that she was almost deaf to anything that was far closer. That was how one early afternoon, she nearly missed the cries that made Ben halt in his tracks and search the trees. It was his actions that brought her back to their surroundings, and once she paid attention, she could tell that these cries, while miserable, were not threatening. In fact, they seemed to come from a child.
All at once her ears honed in on the sound, trying to locate the direction it came from. She and Ben glanced at each other briefly before his eyes focused and he nodded forward. Rey quickly jogged in the direction he indicated, him close at her heels. It wasn't long before the wailing became louder and more distinct, and she only had to adjust her trajectory once before coming upon the child sitting against a tree trunk.
He was dark-haired, and Rey caught a glimpse of caramel-colored skin before he buried his face into his knees. He couldn't be more than four or five years old, and while his cries were muffled by his actions, they still did not cease. She dropped down to her own knees, hoping to coax him out. But he shook off her hand when she touched his arm, and she looked helplessly up at Ben.
He was swiveling his head around, possibly looking for the child's missing party. But if anybody else had been close, surely they would have heard the boy. Ben looked back at her, his brow pinched in caution.
"This is a Gungan child," he said grimly, and Rey's eyebrows shot up.
"Are we that far west already?"
"Nearly, but we're still at least a three days' journey north of the closest Gungan village," Ben answered with a formidable pursing of his lips. "We're almost to our destination, and they wouldn't have been allowed so near -" He stopped abruptly, his head jerking as if something just occurred to him, and he looked around again. There was something akin to understanding in his eyes, but he did not explain.
Instead he knelt beside Rey, now intent on the boy. Silently she wished him luck. If the boy wouldn't speak to her, there was no possible way he would speak to the man who must resemble a giant to one so small. But when Ben spoke, his voice soft and persuasive, the words were in an unknown tongue that caught her off-guard. She looked swiftly at him in surprise, and so did the boy. Only then did she realize that Ben had spoken the boy's language.
She shouldn't have been surprised that he could do that, she thought to herself.
The boy replied in a questioning tone, and Ben answered shortly, holding his thumb and pointer finger close together. Then, pressing a hand against his chest, he said, "Revan," and he looked over to Rey, the boy following his gaze. With a stutter of comprehension, she mimicked Ben's gesture and said in as reassuring a voice as she could, "Helena." She hoped it was an adequate pseudonym after the grief she'd given Ben about calling her 'Kira'.
The boy's light-brown eyes were wide, but his cries had subsided, and he said, "Zakai."
Again Ben spoke, a few short words, and he formed a tent with his hands. The boy nodded eagerly, saying another word, and Ben nodded in response. Zakai continued to jabber in his tongue, and Rey felt more than a little awkward not knowing what was going on.
She didn't feel safe interrupting until Zakai was done, and Ben, with an audible exhale through his nose, bowed his head and ran his hand through his hair.
"What is it?" Rey asked.
"He's part of a splinter group, exiles from their villages," Ben replied. "I can't understand everything he's saying, but I think he was separated from his brother. What they were doing away from the rest, I don't know."
"We have to take him back to his family," Rey immediately insisted, and Ben sighed again in response, but there was a small, knowing smile on his lips.
"I knew you were going to say that," he said, and Rey could see he was a little amused, even while annoyed at the inconvenience of a detour. But before she could make any further argument, he looked back at the child, his fingers beckoning quickly. Zakai stood, hope and relief clear on his dirt-smudged face. She was tempted to offer her hand to him, but the boy only had eyes for Ben. It was Ben's hand he reached for; it was Ben who had never looked so startled in front of Rey.
He was still in the process of schooling his features as he spoke. "They're probably further back from the main road. I doubt that he would have crossed it alone. Let's start that way." And with a puzzled glance down at Zakai, who was gripping his hand fiercely, he began walking.
Rey lingered for a moment or two, observing the odd pair in wondrous puzzlement herself, Ben's tall frame towering over the tiny child. It was certainly humorous to see him take such tiny steps in order to match Zakai's pace; he was clearly out of his element. But his discomfort was endearing, as was the fact that he had not hesitated to help the boy. Rey didn't allow herself to linger for long, and she quickly caught up and began searching the trees and ground for any sign of Zakai's group.
It had been over an hour when they came across a fresh track of criss-crossing footprints in the dirt, by which time Zakai had grown tired, and Ben was forced to carry him. Rey had to keep her eyes peeled on their surroundings so as not to give too much attention to how much the picture of Ben carrying a small child appealed to her. She pointed out the tracks to Ben, who grunted a little as he adjusted his hold.
"Let's hope it's them," he grumbled. They followed the tracks for only a short time before the unmistakable scent of smoke filled their nostrils. Whatever encampment they were approaching, it was close.
"If it is the Gungan camp," Ben muttered quietly, "they won't be terribly trusting of a strange man carrying their missing child in. They'll be more understanding if -"
His words were interrupted by a sharp cry, and Rey looked up to see they had come into view of the camp, and a woman of the same complexion as Zakai ran toward them with arms outstretched. Zakai immediately stiffened in Ben's arms, then wriggled out with a jump down to the ground, his tiny legs pumping furiously as he ran toward the woman and threw himself into her arms. Rey smiled fondly at the sight. She turned to share a smile with Ben, but his focus was on the crowd of people that had followed the woman and were now looking curiously at them.
"They're not going to let us walk away easily," he muttered again, and continued to walk forward. By the time they reached Zakai, the woman had released him to be embraced by the rest of the crowd and stepped in their way.
She uttered something in her own tongue, and grasped both their hands in hers. One at a time, she lifted Rey's hand and then Ben's to her cheek, gratitude spilling over in relieved tears. Rey was a little uncomfortable at the display, but Ben was practically squirming to get out of her grasp. The woman gave no heed to Ben's impatience to be released, but soon disengaged their hands, anyway, and returned her attention to Zakai.
With their hands freed, they both noticed an elderly man breaking away from the group to approach them, as well. He stopped in front of Rey, giving her a slight bow, and said, "I must thank you both for the return of our little son."
His vowels were clipped and pinched, but his accent was no deterrent to understanding him. Although Rey wondered at his use of the word "son". He seemed too old to be Zakai's father, or at least too old to be the husband of the woman she presumed was Zakai's mother. "It was the least we could do," she replied. "We couldn't have left him alone."
The old man's eyes twinkled in rueful amusement. "Well, then we are fortunate it was you who found him. Others would not be so kind." He cast a curious glance over to Ben. "You are not friends of the tyrant, I suppose, to help a Gungan."
Ben shook his head. "No. Not friends."
"Then you are both welcome at our fire, such as we can make it in these times."
Ben inclined his head politely, but shortly. "You do us honor, but I'm afraid we cannot accept."
"Then how can we let you part as friends, if you will not accept our thanks?" He maintained a friendly exterior, but there was a definite warning in his words.
Rey glanced warily at Ben to gauge his reaction, but there was little change in his expression. He only paused quietly for a few moments before replying, "We would not wish you to doubt our friendship. We will partake in your fire. Thank you."
Rey's eyebrows shot up. There was barely a day's journey left, and Ben was willing to further delay their arrival? But she didn't think it wise to openly dispute his decision, especially as the twinkle returned to the old man's eyes and the chill that had permeated his words disappeared rapidly. "You will not regret it. It is an honored day, to be sure. The return of our lost son will add gladness to our celebration. Come, come."
He gestured to the camp where the crowd was returning, Zakai bouncing on the shoulders of an older boy. Ben and Rey followed him, not without sharing a look or two.
"It is the night of the first spring moon, and we will give thanks to the Mother," the man explained as they walked. "In our villages, we would keep the fires burning all night, but it is not safe to do so here. But it is still necessary to show honor, so we lit the fire at midday, and will let it burn until sunset."
The Gungans had a religious tradition of their own, one which Rey had read a little about in Luke's home. Information had been limited, and what she had read seemed simple, yet mysterious. The Mother the man spoke of was the earth; the sky, they called Father. Water and Fire were their children. They dwelt together, balancing each other and giving life to the animals and plants that grew. She was intrigued at the thought of observing one of their celebrations, however curtailed it would be.
"Of course, we were not sure it would be fitting to do so, with Zakai missing, but now that you have brought him back, there is no reason to call it off."
"You don't fear discovery?" Ben asked, eyebrows furrowed, and Rey was surprised to see he looked almost angry.
The man turned back to face them. "Every day for nearly two years, I have feared discovery," he said seriously. "Others who have been led to our camp have shared in that fear for however long they have been a part of it. We do not take risks lightly. It would be ingratitude to treat our safety as though it were not a gift. But we will do what we can to keep our culture alive, especially as many of us are separated from our blood."
Some of Ben's ire vanished as he met the man's eyes steadily, but he looked no less stern.
"You also wish to evade detection, I imagine," the man said shrewdly. "But here, you are friends. And friends speak their names. I am Rugor."
Rey's eyes flicked to Ben briefly, but she didn't wait to follow his lead. "I'm Helena."
Fortunately Ben's response wasn't far behind, but he wasn't done shocking her for the day. "And I'm her husband, Revan."
Rey nearly collapsed to the ground.
She took her time to recover, her shock not abating even as Ben hurriedly whispered to her his reasons for claiming himself her husband. His close proximity was distracting as he leaned in and explained that unmarried men of a certain age in Gungan culture were regarded with suspicion. This was a race of people who were strongly motivated by familial bonds, and to avoid marriage and the promise of further family marked one as an outlier.
"But you're not a Gungan," she whispered back to him in an unbalanced hiss. "And why should it matter when we didn't even give our real names?"
"In the main, I was carrying Zakai, one of their children, and they saw that. I tried to warn you that I might have to claim marriage, but they interrupted me before I could. They wouldn't trust me and my intentions if I admitted to remaining unwed." He looked around the camp, totally missing how her eyes were still as wide as saucers. "If they even believe my claim, which they might not."
Well, that was comforting.
It wasn't until she began observing the people in the camp that her heart stopped fluttering so wildly. There were a few of them milling around the large fire that Rugor had spoken of, while others sat outside their tents in quiet speech. Both men and women roamed the camp, as well as some adolescents - boys, mostly -, but there were very few children. Zakai stood out simply because none seemed as young as him.
He had apparently not given up on his adoption of Ben, immediately clambering to Ben's side once he had extricated himself from his mother. Ben looked just as surprised at the boy's continued attachment as he had when Zakai first took his hand, but Rey didn't miss the secret way he smiled to himself at the attention. Somehow, he was pleased that this child was not intimidated by him and purposely sought him out.
Rugor had disappeared briefly after he'd brought them within the circle of the tents, but he appeared again as Rey hung back from where Zakai was leading Ben around. Rugor had at his side another man, younger and leaning on a makeshift cane, with messy light hair and a complexion far more like her own than the Gungans. And she realized, with a start, that they were heading for her.
"I'll be," the man exclaimed softly as they came near. "You can't get away from us, can you?" he asked Rugor. "At least these new friends don't look like they'll be such a drain on your kindness."
Rugor smiled lightly, then with that polite bow, he said to Rey, "We seem to be in the business of taking several strangers into our camp, Friend Helena. This is Matthias, who became our friend not many days past."
Matthias, his green eyes alight with humor, poked Rugor in the side, a sign of familiarity Rey wasn't sure she would have ever dared with the elderly man. "And lucky for me, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Rugor said slowly and with an air of aggrieved patience. "Very lucky." Without another word, he turned and left Rey alone with Matthias, although Rey didn't miss the glance he gave to Ben, whose attention was divided between her and Zakai.
"So," Matthias adjusted his balance, hopping a little on his unbandaged leg, "you found the little wandering scamp, did you? Right glad I am of that; it was an unhappy morning after Jabaar came back without any idea of where his brother was."
"Yes," Rey replied, unsure of how to conduct herself around this surprisingly jovial fellow. "Do you know how they got separated?"
Matthias shook his head. "I don't know enough of the local lingo to be a good listener here, and the ones I can speak to were all wrapped up in searching or comforting the mother." With another hop and a wince, he said, "Can we sit? This cane is digging into my palm something fierce."
"Oh, of course," she said hastily, and they settled themselves on the ground.
After a little sigh of relief, Matthias turned to her, his expression a little more sober. "So besides being the champions of the day, what brings you out here?" At Rey's hesitance to answer, he immediately laughed out loud. "Keeping quiet, that's probably smart. But you wouldn't have to doubt me if you wanted to share. If Gungans are willing to offer room for both of us at their fire, we don't need to keep all that many secrets."
"Maybe some, though," Rey replied warily, afraid of offending him. But his smile just grew more broad. "How did you find them?"
"Oh, they found me," he corrected, pointing to his leg. "I was in a bad way, and they took pity on a poor deserter."
"Deserter?" Rey's interest was suddenly piqued.
"Yep," he said shortly. "Got tired of the whole thing, and after seeing a mate get beaten to a pulp for marching out of place, I scuppered."
"Were you caught? Is that how you got hurt?" Rey asked, barely taking her eyes off Matthias even as Ben approached.
"No, was lucky that way. This is nothing compared to what they could have done to me if I hadn't made it. No, it was a couple nights later. Got my foot caught in a trap, clumsy that I am, and that near finished me off."
"How long was it before the Gungans found you?" Ben interjected, still standing above them.
"Oh, near a day," Matthias answered easily. "And I'll say, I half-expected them to finish the job. Gungans haven't much reason to think well of any of us. These, though . . . well, they took me along on their caravan without question. Can't think why. Don't know where they're headed, but we stopped here yesterday."
Rey glanced up at Ben, wondering if he had any insight into Matthias's story and the Gungans' surprising hospitality, but though he met her gaze, he didn't look as though he had any ready answers to give.
"So," Matthias stated abruptly, looking back and forth between the two of them, "you two are wed and bound, is that it?"
Ben's attention immediately became fixed on a distant point, and Rey blushed.
"Well, that answers my question and it doesn't," Matthias said curiously. "Either way, if that's what you've told them, you're in for an uncomfortable night."
"What do you mean?" Rey asked, trying not to confirm nor deny by her countenance. She wouldn't look up at Ben, afraid that the gesture might add to any suspicion.
"Well, these people will be on the prowl for proof, and they won't be afraid to test you just for laughs. They're a little freer with such things, and they'll expect you to act like you're married, whether they believe you're married or not."
He grinned mischievously. "Point of fact, they'll probably be more eager to experiment and make you squirm if they believe you're not married, just to see how far you're willing to play your part." He chuckled. "I'll be interested to see that myself."
"Well, I sincerely hope we won't disappoint," Ben said dryly. He leaned over and offered his hand to Rey, who took it instinctively. "Zakai wants you to see a particularly fat worm," he said as he pulled her to her feet.
"Aye, that's the way," Matthias said with an informal salute, and Rey hated that her blush returned as Ben led her away.
Matthias had not been mistaken, Rey came to realize as evening drew near. The Gungan people were very open with their affections. Never to the point of discomfort, but it was extraordinary at how freely they made physical contact with each other. Several she saw walked arm in arm, and other groups sat together, arms flung around shoulders while they ate with their free hands. The few small children were constantly being swept up, tickled, and set back down. She began to comprehend that when Rugor had spoken of Zakai as a "son", it was not because they were related by blood. In fact, this nomadic community was formed piecemeal by members of various Gungan villages, and very few had known each other before coming together. But this didn't stop them from forming a close, extended family among what used to be strangers. She was fascinated and touched in an aching way.
Matthias had also not been mistaken about the scrutiny she and Ben were under. She felt watchful eyes on her, anticipating what she could not tell. But she did feel uncomfortable being on display. She wished Ben had never publicly made his claim, no matter the fodder it gave to her increasingly active imagination.
Ben didn't openly acknowledge the examination he was undergoing, but he did remain by her side as often as possible. When they stood or sat together, the distance he had once kept was nonexistent. Rey began to miss that distance, no matter how it had irritated her before, because when he was so near, her heart was in constant upheaval, made worse when he stole his arm around her waist as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She found it difficult to concentrate on the conversations some of the Gungans tried to engage her in, her mind occupied so fully by him and what she should do in order to correspond with his behavior.
She was finally given a chance to breathe when Rugor called for everyone to gather around the bonfire. This invitation was a signal for the men and women to separate, and Zakai's mother took her in hand and, without speaking, led her to sit with the women on one side of the fire. It was not yet sunset, but the light had grown gray, and in an hour or two it would be time to let the fire dim and die.
The ceremony was not elaborate, and it was far less mystical than Rey had first imagined it might be. Rugor stood on one side of the fire while an aged woman stood opposite, and they spoke in their own tongue. A gesture here, a risen voice there, but it was mostly a sedate kind of prayer, volleying gently back and forth between the pair. Rey stole a few looks at her companions, expecting to find them all rapt with attention. But, though there were some who were intent on the proceedings, others were clearly bordering on listlessness, and she even spotted a couple of women whispering to each other. The children squirmed in laps, while those who held them struggled to keep them in place and listen at the same time.
Religious ceremonies lost some of their mystique, she supposed, when one was raised to be familiar with them.
The prayer was soon complete, and the woman who had stood across the fire from Rugor spoke a few more words to the group, and the proceedings were apparently finished, judging from the way the people began to dissemble. She rose to her feet alongside Zakai's mother, and they shared a slightly awkward smile in place of speaking to one another. The next moment, though, Zakai came tearing through and launched himself into his mother's legs, prompting an audible "oof!" as she placed her hands on his shoulders. She gave Rey another smile along with an indulgent shrug, and walked a few steps away to converse with her son.
But Rey was not left alone for long. Another woman, who had been one of those to attempt conversation while she had been so distracted by Ben's playacting at marriage, came to stand beside her, and offered her another smile as well as an unexpected squeeze of her shoulders. Rey whipped her head around in surprise at the gesture, and was immediately struck by the sincerely friendly look in the woman's eyes.
"You have made quite the impression on Gemma, it seems," she began in that same clipped accent that Rugor had spoken with, though with a low, melodious voice. "Not surprising, though." Her long, glossy hair swayed from side to side, and the creases at the corners of her eyes lingered as her face sobered.
"No," Rey fumbled for a reply. "I wouldn't want to imagine what it is like to lose a child, even for a morning."
"And Gemma has lost enough for a lifetime," the woman said in a confidential tone. "Not another child," she said quickly as Rey's eyes widened in horror, "but she has spent months not knowing if her husband is alive or dead."
Rey's shoulders sagged a little, and she looked at Gemma once again, who was listening with a soft smile to Zakai speak with exaggerated gesticulations of his arms. She pressed her lips together, then turned back to the woman.
"If I understand correctly, you've all lost something. If not people, at least your homes."
The woman's eyes were now grave. "You are right. None of us would be here if we had not been compelled to conceal ourselves. Though I do not desire to appear ungrateful. The alternative to concealment would be worse."
Rey shivered, and bowed her head, but the woman looped her arm through Rey's, drawing her gaze back up. "You needn't be sorry for another person's desire to do harm. Come, speak to me while we wait for Alya to bring out her instrument." And, with a gentle pull, she guided Rey out of the crowd that was still milling about the fire. Rey looked back to where the men had been gathered, slower to disperse. Ben stood there, his head bent to speak with Rugor.
"You are Helena, is that right?" the woman inquired. "I'm Delphine."
Rey gave her a shy smile. "I'm pleased to know you, Delphine."
"And I you."
"Really?" Rey asked with a good deal of confusion.
"Why should that surprise you?" Delphine responded curiously.
Rey hesitated, her reply a little stiff. "I would have thought someone like me would be an enemy to you."
Delphine nodded once in comprehension. "I see. Well, that wouldn't be fair, although it wasn't far from the truth a couple of years ago. The oppression, regular searches, the soldiers sent to keep us 'in our place'," she mocked the phrase bitterly. "It was why I fought in the rebellions that were always being put down by Snoke's lackeys. It is why Gemma's husband's whereabouts are unknown to her, because he fought the same fight in their village. She joined our camp several months ago to hide herself from those who would bleed information from her."
Rey was tempted to look Ben's way again, remembering the many times he had been sent to the western villages as Snoke's Captain. Did these people guess who he had once been and what he had been ordered to do to them?
"But," Delphine continued, "circumstances change, and war breeds strange bedfellows."
The Resistance, Rey thought to herself.
"Although the changes came for us even before this threat of war. It has been at least two years now since the Knights began to hide us rather than execute us."
Rey's neck cricked painfully, so quickly had her head jerked in response to Delphine's statement. "The . . . Knights?" she repeated weakly, and she didn't resist the urge to look Ben's way now. He continued in conversation, none the wiser to the explosion that had been set off in her brain.
"Of Ren," Delphine clarified. "As I said - strange bedfellows. There's no telling what prompted it, but one day they were hunting us down, and the next . . . they were giving us the means to go into hiding and sparing us from the worst of Snoke's orders.
"I had no idea that the deaths being reported were a ruse until I was spared the lash by the Captain himself. He knew precisely my role and offered me a deal."
Rey's breathing became heavy and quick, her breast filling with the tension of wonder and excitement. She tried to control it, hungry to know more, and she pressed Delphine's arm with her own. "What was it?"
"Safe passage out of my village and the promise that my family would not be targeted, as long as I made myself scarce. I was loathe to leave them, and there still is a part of me that wishes I had stayed, but my daughter begged me to take the offer. I was given a clue of where to find Rugor, and here I am today. Safe, and waiting for the day I may return to my family. That day, I think, approaches more swiftly than I ever thought it would when I came here."
"And you believe that your family is safe, too?" Rey asked, her eyes wide and searching.
Delphine considered the question for a moment, then nodded with amazement in her own eyes. "I believe they are. I can't answer for the turn-around from the Knights and their Captain, but I will not dispute it. I believe they are true to their word, concealing the fact that all of us here live when we were slated to die. They themselves have vanished, as well, since the rumors of war began circulating in the autumn."
Rey felt an unbidden tear track down her cheek. The wonder she felt was quickly turning into a swell of pride and elation, and all at once she wanted to embrace every single one of the people in the camp tonight. Ben, most especially.
Delphine started in surprise at Rey's betrayal of emotion. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect to make you cry. I only wanted to explain why I am slow to think of you as an enemy."
"No, no," Rey uttered hastily, wiping at her cheek with a muffled laugh. "I'm only glad, so glad. I had no idea that this had been going on, and I -"
Delphine laughed with her softly. "Well, it's touching how keenly you feel it. Now I know we couldn't be enemies."
Rey smiled, and searched for Ben again. She must speak to him; it was too wonderful to know what he had done. She might berate him a little for keeping silence on yet another thing she felt entitled to know, but she was too proud of him to be angry. However, it was a little harder to see him, now that darkness was creeping over them and the fire was not replenished.
"And now you look for your love," Delphine said indulgently. "You cannot be expected to stand here with me all night."
Rey's smile dropped immediately, and she turned back to Delphine. "My . . .?"
Delphine lifted her brow questioningly. "Have I spoken out of turn? He is your husband, after all." Rey didn't miss the hint of teasing in her voice. Was she one of those who Matthias had warned her about, who would be skeptical about her relationship to Ben? But that possibility was trivial compared to the word she had used to describe him.
"I'm sure he'll find you once Alya begins playing the lyre. A man generally can't resist when his woman dances before him."
Rey nearly choked. Dancing?
Still Delphine went on unchecked. "You do seem well suited, from what I can tell. And neither of you go very long without looking for the other."
"I -" Rey stuttered. That word that had fallen from Delphine's lips so easily had effectively silenced her.
"I can't blame you for that, though," Delphine whispered, leaning in conspiratorially. "With a figure like that, he looks to be a very pleasing lover. You have no cause to complain in bed, do you?"
Rey turned positively purple. She couldn't have responded even if she and Ben were truly married.
Delphine looked suspiciously serene. "Oh, you two are still becoming used to each other; I see. Well, enjoy what you can and keep learning. In the meantime . . ." she trailed off, and almost on cue, a trill of sound reverberated through the trees.
Delphine's smile became full, and she grabbed both of Rey's hands in hers. "I told you, he won't be able to resist finding you if you're dancing with the rest of us."
Rey tried to protest as Delphine pulled her along, barely noticing that several of the other women were gathering again at the fire's edge. The old woman was strumming a small harp with a deft hand, and Rey searched the growing darkness for someone, anyone, to rescue her from embarrassing herself. Especially when she was sure her face was still bright red from Delphine's insinuations. And there was the matter of that word.
"No, I can't," Rey attempted to wrench her hand out of Delphine's grip, but Delphine's hold was strong.
"Nonsense," Delphine responded, placing Rey at her side, and another woman boxed her in, as if by design. "A child could do it."
"But they're your dances," Rey grasped at the faintest argument she could think of, knowing Delphine would likely bat it aside just as quickly. She was a little faint herself, having gone through a gamut of emotions in just a few minutes. How could she be expected to dance? She'd hardly been given a chance to process anything Delphine had said. And where was Ben during all of this?
But Delphine showed no mercy to her. "And you'll catch on. Just follow my lead." She leaned in again. "He'll find you."
The strumming became louder, and Alya began to warble out a song. Rey cast her eyes about, searching the sea of masculine faces that watched the women stamping their feet in a steady rhythm. Some began to clap along in time, ready smiles appearing, and some soft laughter came from somewhere she couldn't tell. And then she saw him, nudging his way to the front of the pack, his face scrunched in curiosity. But she barely had a chance to study his expression before Delphine suddenly pushed her to the side, and she was forced to concentrate, lest she ram into the other women around her.
The rhythm was slow, the steps careful as they circled the fire. Rey looked around madly, wondering what in the world she ought to be doing with her arms while she walked in time, but there didn't seem to be a consensus, even among the Gungan women. Some kept their arms at their side, some raised them into the air, and some, like Delphine, waved them back and forth gracefully (although none pushed the women next to them, as Delphine did to her).
Then with a strong stamp of their feet, they all twirled, and Rey followed suit a beat later, flushed red with embarrassment and wishing that the earth would swallow her whole. She had come back around to where she had begun, and she couldn't look Ben's way. Another strong beat and a twirl, which caught Rey a little less off-guard, and the circling of the fire continued. Another few twirls, and Rey thought that perhaps she was making sense of the pattern.
And then the beat quickened, and she panicked, sending wide eyes Delphine's way, who just laughed and nudged her along with her shoulder. The elevated tempo was fortunately the only change, and they repeated the steps over and over. Rey began to feel a little more at ease, and she chanced a look toward Ben when she came around in the circle again.
He was standing still, his arms folded across his chest. It was a stark contrast to the other men, who swayed and clapped along with wide smiles and muted cheers. But she could see, even in that brief instant, the corners of his mouth deepening, and she felt his eyes pressing in on her, watching her as though she were the only person in the world. She spun away with a laugh.
One more glance at Delphine, who gave her an encouraging smile, and Rey was filled with a swift sense of daring. All at once she felt free, and as she followed the pattern of movement and twirled with the rest, her arms began to move of their own accord, sometimes lifting high, and sometimes wrapping around her middle. There was no ascribed design, only a feeling that guided her actions. Her steps became hops, and another laugh escaped her. The music's pace picked up again and again, and she skipped and hopped with abandon, spinning and smiling and letting go of the weeks of tense control she'd fought to maintain.
When was the last time she had danced? Not at the Harvest Ball, no. She'd been too nervous and then the evening was cut short, anyway. And even had she danced there, it wouldn't have been anything like this, anything like this daring, wild spinning that would not be cowed by the world. And then she remembered the last time she had danced, much like this, so many months ago. In the rainy courtyard.
Ben had been watching her then, too.
Rey threw herself into her final spin with more zeal than grace, and she immediately began to topple over. She tried to recapture her balance, but it was to no avail. Fortunately, before she hit the ground, she was caught by a pair of powerful arms. She grasped a couple of times at them, steadying herself while also trying to pull herself up. Once she was sure of her purchase, though before she was fully upright again, she looked up to thank her savior. And she met a pair of familiar dark eyes, ablaze with a fierce gleam she was beginning to interpret.
Ben pulled her to her feet, those accursed eyes of his roving over her face as though to ask her if she was hurt. She shook her head ever so slightly in answer, and he exhaled softly to express his relief. Her lips parted in wonder that they could communicate without words, but it also seemed completely natural.
"You're quite quick, Friend Revan," a voice chimed in, and Ben abruptly became rigid under her hands. Rey shook herself a little and joined him in turning toward Rugor, who was watching them with a raised eyebrow. Another song had begun without her knowing, the men now also taking part, and they stood a little removed from the group. "Your wife, I'm sure, wishes to show you her gratitude."
The same mortification she had felt at Delphine's suggestiveness rose up again, and she wanted to hide her face away. Of course, the closest thing to bury her face in was Ben's chest.
"I'm sorry?" Ben asked remotely, his voice barely heard above the music and general gaiety.
Rugor took a step toward them, and laid a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You've done your wife a service, and you must wish to accept her thanks."
Rey seized the opportunity she had, hoping to put him off. "Yes, of course. Thank you," she said hurriedly.
"You're welcome," Ben responded immediately.
But this was not enough to deter Rugor, although he removed his hand. "Ah, come now, you both can do better than that. You cannot be ashamed to kiss your wife." He was looking up at Ben keenly, and Ben stared back. Rey knew a challenge when she saw one.
Ben turned to her decisively, and she nearly stepped back at the way his eyes now bored into hers. Her lips parted again as stifling anticipation roared through her, an anticipation that grew when she saw the telltale bob in Ben's throat. He lifted his hands to her face, cupping her jaw gently, hiding away her mouth from any onlookers with the long expanse of his fingers. The barest tug pulled her in, and he was right there. This was the moment. Her eyes closed.
His lips brushed against hers so lightly, she hardly felt them, but she still shuddered in a silent gasp at the whisper of contact. He didn't close the gap again, but she could feel his breath tickling, tantalizing on her lips as he hovered achingly near, and it was only her absolute stupor of thought that kept her from leaning in and bringing to life his ghostly kiss. How could something so small and brief have such power to immobilize her?
When he pulled away, she followed him instinctively, chasing that kiss that was a mere promise of what could be, raising herself a little on her toes. But when it was clear he was out of reach, she rocked back, staring at him gaze at her. She saw the minute changes in his expression, the setting of his jaw as he swallowed uncertainly, the obvious way his eyes studied her like she studied him, searching for her feelings on what had just transpired.
And she became certain of two things at that moment.
The first was why exactly Ben had kept his distance before. If he allowed himself to come too near, with no mask to hide behind, she would see everything. His pain and hope, the continual longing for understanding, the passionate nature that could erupt any minute. But most of all, what she was now so sure of, was that he wanted her. The same desire he had awakened in her burned just as brightly in him. But there was more than hunger; there was genuine regard and fervent care. There was passion and recognition and affection, and it was all focused into an ardent want. Of her.
The second was that she loved him.