Chapter Seventeen:
Two days after their encounter with the golem, Luke woke extra early, feeling the dew that had collected on his skin roll off as he shifted. They had been given blankets of fur, but Luke discovered that his had come off of him during the night. Thus the chill of the air had roused him. But that suited Luke just fine, because it gave him time to prepare something for Mara. Today was a very special day, and he didn't want her to feel like she'd been forgotten.
Luke allowed himself a moment to appreciate the stillness of the early morning hour. It was barely dawn, and the sky as lightening to a bluer hue, allowing Luke enough light to see by. There was also a lull in wildlife activity as the nighttime creatures bedded down for the night but the daytime ones hadn't quite roused yet. Luke found it quite peaceful.
Rising, Luke glanced to his companion and saw that her blanket was only half-covering her. Not wanting her to get too cold, Luke rose and gently tugged the blanket securely over Mara.
A bit of dew rested upon Mara's face, and Luke thought it only enhanced her natural beauty. He smiled upon her and then straightened. He had work to do before Mara woke up. Making certain to get his bearings before he set off, Luke exited their tiny campsite and went in search of what he needed.
00000
When Mara roused for the day, she stretched tired muscles, though her shoulder felt like it was far worse than before, which worried her. The injury was already a constant gnaw for her, and Mara was getting more and more tired of fighting against her body. She was no longer certain that she would make it the full length of this trek, and Mara hated the fact that she might very well let Luke down.
Mara clenched a fist, determined to be strong for Luke. Forget the galaxy; she only wanted Luke to be happy.
Will he be happy when you finally drop to the earth? Mara asked herself tartly.
She glanced at Luke's bedroll to find it empty, and blinked in surprise. Where was Luke, and why hadn't she recognized his absence earlier? It wasn't like her to miss such things. Concerned at her inattention, Mara felt her forehead. To her dismay, it was a bit warmer than normal, and Mara knew she had a low-grade fever. One that would only get worse.
And with the air steadily growing colder the higher in elevation they travelled, Mara wasn't sure how long she'd make it without warmer clothing. Mara took advantage of Luke's absence and shifted her Games outfit so she could inspect her shoulder. One look made her grimace, and her empty stomach churned uneasily. It was starting to become gangrenous, judging by her uneducated guess.
Well, nothing I can do now. Mara thought sourly. Then her head came up, remembering that Leader Afkin had given them a list of herbs that could heal. I don't think herbs will heal this, but maybe they will ease the pain.
With a ray of hope fueling her movements, Mara sifted through her pack for the desired list. She found it and perused the contents, looking to the surrounding foliage every now and then to try spotting something.
But alas she could see nothing. This high up, the only vegetation was what could withstand the higher altitude and lower temperatures. And the amount of those plants was decreasing with each mile they climbed.
Sighing heavily, Mara replaced her shirt and stood, cleaning up her bed. Luke still hadn't returned, so Mara wondered if he had gone on a second hunt. They'd run out of their given food supply the day after their encounter with the golem, and Luke had already hunted once. It had been a small animal, but had fed them both sufficiently. To Mara's surprise, Luke had kept the skin and fur of the creature. Upon questioning his actions, Luke had explained that while on Trichi, he and his people had never wasted any part of the animal.
Besides, Luke had said to Mara, this animal sacrificed its life to feed us. We should honor that by using the entire animal as much as possible.
Mara couldn't help but admire his outlook, and in truth had never seen things that way. Then again, she hadn't been marooned on an unknown planet for several years. Shaking her head to clear it, Mara finished her task and decided to help Luke with his area. It would be nice to do something for him, Mara decided with a lighter heart at the thought of seeing Luke smile at her.
That brighter moment brought Mara around to one more realization: today was her lifeday. She was now twenty-one, and Mara was grateful that the Force had granted her one more year in mortality. Mara was a little sad that her lifeday would not be celebrated, but given the situation, Mara decided she wouldn't complain. She hadn't said anything to Luke, not wanting him to feel bad about not being able to celebrate her life as he always insisted when her lifeday came around.
Last year, Luke had surprised her with a trip for her and Leia to the spa, and then he'd taken her to dinner and a dance show. The day had been perfect, and she'd been completely happy to spend the time with both Leia and Luke. It was during the dance recital that Mara had first admitted that she might be in love with Luke.
That would be a day she'd never forget, Mara knew.
She smiled down upon Luke's pack, thinking in her heart that simply spending her entire lifeday with Luke— just the two of them— would be perfect. She didn't need anything. Well, except maybe to be healed.
A snapping twig brought her head up, attention keen until she saw a familiar figure emerge from the tree line.
"Luke." Mara greeted him and he smiled at her, holding something out of view behind his back. "Good morning."
"Morning Mara." Luke returned evenly. "How'd you sleep?"
"Alright, you?" Mara tilted her head. "What do you have there?"
He approached, looking a mite sheepish, but then it passed and he pulled his arm from behind his back to reveal a small bouquet of flowers. "Happy Lifeday, Mara."
Mara blinked, utterly shocked. He'd remembered her lifeday? Even with everything going on? "You... really?" Mara asked, almost afraid to take the offering for some reason.
"Yes," Luke said patiently. "You turn twenty-one today if my math is correct."
Mara met his gaze, her own moist. Luke had remembered her despite the craziness of the Wasaka Games. Her heart blossomed far more than any of the blooms in Luke's hand, and Mara finally accepted the bouquet. They were small flowers, probably all he could find nearby, but they were still beautiful. Mara sniffed them and was pleasantly surprised by their aroma.
"Thank you Luke." Mara murmured. "I love them." And you... she added in her heart.
Luke smiled, offering a hand to help her up. "There is one more thing. Come on."
Mara lifted her brows. "What else could there be?"
Luke smiled secretively. "You'll see."
Mara shook her head but followed Luke, wishing she could take his hand. But she refrained, not wanting things to become awkward on her lifeday. So she merely followed him, though at one point she heard the sound of water.
"Where are we going?" Mara asked.
Luke took her hand briefly and tugged her gently into a small glen. Mara stopped in surprise, looking about them. Luke had found a small pond that was actually a collection of spring water from the mountains. The place they were in was a small basin with a thin shoreline. As for the water, it was fed into the pond by a tiny, but constant waterfall.
"I thought you'd like to take a bath on your lifeday." Luke offered, a little hesitantly. "We don't have soap, but you could at least rinse off. Well, if you want to."
Mara looked to him. "It's really cold out..."
Luke nodded, and produced the animal hide he'd kept, which Mara saw he'd worked on. "This will act as a towel, since the fur is short. It's not perfect but..."
Mara placed a finger to his lips. "Thank you Luke, this is wonderful. It will be nice to feel clean."
Luke released a sigh. "Oh good. I'll leave you alone then. Take your time, alright?"
"Wait," Mara said, having a thought. "I want to bathe, yes, but there is something I would like to ask of you first."
Luke lifted a brow. "Alright."
"I would really love a hunting lesson from you." Mara told Luke honestly. "I want to be able to pull my weight around here, and honestly, I just want to learn how."
Luke smiled. "Mara, you more than pull your weight." When she offered him a look, he lifted placating hands. "But alright. Hunting before bathing, got it."
They returned to their campsite, where both retrieved their packs and weapons. Luke had fashioned a bow from a sturdy stick and some sort of elastic vine he'd found. For arrows Luke had found small bits of hardwood that would hold up to the actions an arrow would be required to make. Since they had access to rocks, Luke had chiseled arrowheads from small stones he'd collected. He'd cut grooves into the sticks, and then tied the arrowheads into place with vines.
Mara had fashioned a sling, something she'd become accustomed to using, and thought it would do well as a long-range weapon in the absence of a blaster. She also had a medium-length spear she had fashioned with help from Luke. He'd shown her how to carve her own arrowhead, and then attach it to her spear like he'd done with his arrows. Mara had relished the time spent together doing such things as making crude, but effective weapons for their needs.
Once they were both ready to go, Luke led Mara along. "First you need to decide where to go. Then you need to look for any sign of animal activity in the area: preferably recent activity."
"Like tracks?" Mara asked, knowing that much at least.
"Yes, but not all terrain allows for tracks to be made." Luke expounded. "So there's also scat, rubbings along tree bark, disturbed undergrowth, etcetera."
"Ah," Mara said, nodding her understanding. "How do you know which direction to go?"
"Well, if you know the area, you would know the wildlife patterns," Luke said. "However, if you're new to the area, you merely pick a direction and hope you find something."
Mara inclined her head. "Got it."
They travelled in relative quiet before Mara's body began to play games with her. She miss-stepped a few times, making noise as they went. Eventually Luke commented on that, much to her consternation. Was he starting to suspect something?
Quit being paranoid, Mara! She chided herself.
"You'll want to be as quiet as possible, since most animals have good hearing," Luke said. "If they can't hear you, they're more likely to be caught off-guard."
"Sorry," Mara muttered. "I'm trying to get the hang of this."
Luke lifted a brow, eyeing her. "You're normally a pro at stealth, are you feeling alright?"
Mara nodded. "Yeah, thanks."
He shrugged, and appeared to let it go. Mara chose not to dwell on any 'what-if's', and turned her attention to the forest floor. She spotted something promising and crept over to it. Kneeling down, Mara pointed out her find to Luke.
"It looks like something was scratching about here," she said.
Luke inspected her discovery and smiled proudly. "Good job. It looks to have small feet, whatever it was." Luke pointed out the clues that had allowed him to deduce that fact, and Mara was impressed that he'd even seen that.
"See how the ground hasn't settled much yet around the edges of the indent?" Luke asked, pointing to the place he was speaking of. Mara nodded, following his lesson intently. "This means that the animal was here recently. Nothing has had time to pack the earth back down, so whatever made this is nearby."
Excitement at how close they were getting to a target coursed through Mara, and she worked to tamp down on it so as to not ruin her lesson. Mara rose quietly, scanning the area nearby for any other clues.
Mara saw Luke walk in deliberate steps, each movement completely controlled as he too surveyed the area. Mara allowed herself a moment to merely observe the man in his element, a smile playing on her lips.
When his head began to turn toward her, Mara shook herself and returned her attention to their task, hoping he hadn't caught her. Mara almost missed their second clue, but upon her return sweep with her eyes she saw it.
"I found some droppings." Mara told Luke.
He came to stand next to her and nodded once. "Perfect. Now we have a direction to follow from the two clues together."
Mara beamed at him, and with a new spring to her step she moved onward. They walked a few more paces when rustling sounded ahead. Mara paused and Luke touched her arm, drawing her attention to him momentarily.
Luke indicated his bow, and then handed it to Mara along with one arrow. Mara blinked at the items as they were placed in her hands. She had never shot one of these before. And with her shoulder in the condition it was in, Mara didn't know if she would be able to operate the weapon.
She handed it back to him... or tried to. "You should shoot it."
But Luke shook his head. "Nope, this is your hunt, Mara."
Mara tried to think of a way out, and went with a partial truth. "I've never used one of these."
Understanding crossed Luke's features, and he stepped close, coming to stand behind her.
Mara felt the warmth of his body as a balm to her soul, and she breathed in a happy bit of air at their proximity. Then he reached around Mara and guided her arms and hands into the correct positions, speaking into her ear so they could remain as quiet as possible.
"Right hand here, left hand there, since you're right handed." His motions were gentle but firm as he helped her. "Good. Be sure to keep the arrow primed now that you have a target; that way you can aim and shoot swiftly if needed."
Mara swallowed, knowing what was coming next. Sure enough, Luke helped her lift her arms and once more positioned her limbs appropriately. "Keep the arm holding the bow steady so that your aim will be true. The arm that draws the arrow on the string should bend back to your cheek."
Luke briefly took the bow from her to demonstrate, and then handed it back to her so she could do likewise. Mara took a deep breath, praying this didn't kill her shoulder. She lifted the bow and tried to pull the string as instructed.
Mara grimaced when that simple action made her shoulder feel like someone had driven splinters into the injury there. She bit back a groan and relaxed the string, waiting a second and feeling Luke's gaze on her like a hot brand waiting to touch her skin. Swallowing discreetly, Mara tried again, and found that the string was once more difficult for her to pull back fully without feeling pain.
When she had to once more release the string, Luke stepped around her and frowned. "Mara?"
Mara hoped her face was neutral. "I'm just trying to get used to the feel of the weapon, Luke. Give me a second."
Luke didn't seem entirely convinced, so to show him that she was alright— though she wasn't— Mara forced herself to work through her pain and pull the string fully, and take aim for three full seconds before she released the string again.
"There, see?" Mara moved away, trying to be silent once more as she approached a large tree she planned to use as cover.
Luke followed her, and Mara pressed her back to the trunk, peeking around its girth to spot what looked like a small, but heavily furred boar. And now that Mara was closer she could hear soft snorting as the thing rustled about for something in the soil.
Mara was about to step out from her hiding spot when Luke tapped her shoulder. He indicated the weapon in her hands, reminding her to prep it. Mara did so with a small amount of consternation. At last she moved away from the tree... took aim... and nearly screamed when her shoulder wrenched in agony from the action.
And while she managed not to scream, Mara couldn't help that her shot missed. Of course, the animal scattered when the arrow shot by its rump, and Mara cursed loudly as their meal disappeared into the forest.
"I'm sorry Luke," Mara mumbled, handing him the bow. "I'll get the arrow back."
Not allowing him time to reply, Mara moved away. To her dismay he followed, his concern clear now.
"Mara, are you alright?"
Mara sighed. "Yes, I just missed is all."
Luke stared at her, befuddled. "But... you never miss."
Mara glared mildly at him. "Yeah? Well, there's a first for everything, isn't there?"
Luke made to speak but a sound to their left drew both their gazes. Mara jumped when she saw what she could only describe as a walking... tree approaching. "What in space is that thing?"
Luke stepped in front of Mara protectively, and then he spotted another bit of movement, this one from a more familiar source. Mara paled considerably when the mass of mossy boulders and twigs appeared.
"Oh Force..." Mara whispered, her fear returning. "That thing is coming back for me, and he brought a friend."
Luke threw her an odd look. "Mara, I don't think that's the case at all."
Mara glared at him, and Luke stepped away. "You got to do things your way last time," he said, "now please let me try."
Mara opened her mouth to retort, but her rebuke died upon her lips, her energy lagging. "Fine, but be careful."
Luke nodded and turned back to face the two things. They were still moving, but looked as if they were slowing down. Luke took a deep breath and walked towards them with cautious steps.
That action brought the two creatures to a halt a few paces from each other, and they waited for him to come closer. Luke did so with extreme caution, sensing how powerful these creatures were. Luke eyed the golem he was familiar with from their previous encounter, and then observed the wooden one beside it.
When Luke was only a few short paces from the two creatures he stopped, and the threesome stared at each other for a while. Luke eventually lifted a peaceful hand. "Easy there... we're not going to harm you."
The stone golem grumbled something, his gaze going to Mara. Luke saw this and shook his head. "She was trying to save your life. The others wanted to kill you."
The golem seemed to consider that and then settled. Luke eyed the creatures, wondering why they had come to the pair of Jedi. That was when Luke noticed that the Force seemed to be tapping his shoulder to get his attention.
Luke obediently opened himself to the Force and was deeply stunned when two voices sounded in his mind.
"The red-haired Jedi fears us."
"They all fear us, which is why they hurt us on sight."
"No one understands us, my friend."
"That is because the Kestans don't remember."
Luke looked between the two. "What don't they remember?"
Both the wooden creature and the rock one started in surprise. After a moment, the wooden one stepped a bit closer, eyeing Luke intently. "So Mother Keostea was right: the Jedi can understand us!"
There was no denying the joy emanating from the wooden being.
"Are you both golems?" Luke asked, curious at how vastly different the two of them were.
"Yes. There are many forms we can take," the wooden golem answered. "From ice or fire to water and stone."
"Are your forms determined by where you are?" Luke wanted to know.
"Yes. For example, those in the desert form from sand and stone, and as you can see, we two are made of materials found in our forest." The rock golem spoke this time, his voice decidedly deeper in pitch than the tree one.
Mara, sensing something was happening, braved the waters and approached, though she stopped a pace behind Luke. "Are you... actually communicating with them?" she asked Luke.
Luke nodded, a grin sliding across his face. "Yes. Open yourself to the Force. It's amazing, Mara!"
Mara eyed him, unsure, but he offered a hand, and Mara turned her attention to it, thinking. Then, with a deep breath, Mara took his limb, intertwining their fingers and stepping to be even with Luke. She then opened herself to the Force as he as doing, and heard the golems for herself.
"Hello Jedi of red," the stone golem greeted her.
Mara blinked. "Whoa."
Luke nodded. "I know."
Mara looked to the stone creature. "Uh... sorry about before: I really was trying to help."
The creature looked to his feet, where marks could be seen in the stone of his ankles. "These are marks I will remember, but only because you spared my life."
Mara thought that was a compliment, but wasn't certain. "Ah... thanks?" She tilted her head. "Do you two have names?"
The golems nodded their heads, though it was the wooden one who answered. "I am called Hout, and this is Kamen."
The two golems stepped a little closer, though the wooden one spoke now. "We need your help, Jedi."
Mara realized this one was actually a female, something she pointed out to Luke. He blinked, and then blushed for having not caught that fact himself. Why wouldn't there be males and females?
"What do you need us for?" Mara asked.
"The Kestans used to be our friends, but now they hate us." Haut lamented. "They can no longer understand us as their ancestors once did. We used to have a special bond, but in their quest to be better, they lost that."
"And with the connection broken,"said Kamen,"they forgot everything."
Mara and Luke shared a look. "Leader Afkin did say their history of the golems had been lost in this matter."
Kamen groaned. "Indeed. They began to see us as less and less like friends and more and more beneath them."
Luke sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. What do you want us to do for you then? We are only visiting."
Kamen hesitated, and Luke urged him to speak with a hand gesture. "The blue and tan Kestan you called Thea seemed to hear what you said about me. If she is willing to give us a chance, we could use her as a liaison to restore friendly relations between our species."
"What exactly are you guys?" Mara asked. "Animals?"
Haut laughed gently, the sound resembling wind moving through leaves. "No. We are extensions of Mother Keostea. We are guardians of her lands and children."
Luke was openly curious. "You are connected to the planet?"
Both Haut and Kamen nodded.
Despite all the excitement— or perhaps because of it— Mara felt rather weary now. Also, the exertions of her hunt were catching up to her, and she did still want that bath... "We will speak to Thea when we see her next."
"Thank you, Jedi of red," Haut said.
"Mara." The woman corrected. "And this is Luke."
"Mara... Luke..." Haut tested their names. "Very well then."
"How do we contact you if we need your kind?" Luke asked.
"If you need a golem, you merely need to connect to Mother Keostea in the Force and she will send one of us to your aid."
"What all can you do?" Mara was curious, though she had an ulterior motive. "I mean, do you have any abilities?"
The golems looked confused. "Abilities?"
"Yeah, like heal, levitate, those kinds of things."
"Oh, we can do some things, but only if we must. We try to be peaceful, but if we must defend our Mother, we will do so at all costs," Kamen said fervently.
Mara nodded. "I was just curious."
The golems began to retreat. "We know you must continue on your way. If you should need our aid, we have been given permission by Mother Keostea to help you so that you may in turn help us and her."
Luke smiled gently. "Thank you."
With that the golems left, and with surprising swiftness were out of sight. Luke stood where he was, pondering the event for a long time while Mara pulled away and waited. Eventually Luke came around and smiled to Mara.
"Time for your bath now?" he asked.
Mara breathed out a sigh. "I'd love that. Thanks again, Luke."
"Of course," Luke said honestly. "You deserve to feel special today. It's your day after all."
They began walking again, and as they returned to the water fount Luke had discovered, Mara kept stealing glances at him.
Finally Luke turned to her. "Did you need something?"
Mara quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to say it?"
Luke frowned. "Say what?"
"I told you so?" Mara said leadingly.
Luke thinned his lips. "Mara, I don't think down on you; now, or ever."
"I know," Mara replied, looking away. "But I can be so hard-headed at times... it must be frustrating for you."
Luke chuckled, bringing Mara's attention back to him. "Yes, at times you frustrate me, but never enough to make me go away."
Mara gauged his sincerity, and finally decided he was being honest. "Well, thanks for putting up with me."
Luke smiled. "My pleasure. We're here."
Mara saw he was right and thanked him again. Luke took her gear from her and then retreated to give her total privacy.
Mara watched him go, not the least bit concerned that he'd peek at her. Luke would never do such a thing. Once she could no longer hear his footfalls, Mara moved to the water, undressed carefully— the action hurting her shoulder— and stepped into the water.