Rancor Slam
Part 8
They rode the Rancors for about half a day. When the sun was beating down on them like an Ewok War Drum they entered the foothills.
Around them they began seeing charms, warning totems, and watch posts. Markings of the Witches presence.
Cas felt Vua shift behind her. He moved closer to her. So that he was on the saddle, pressed almost completely against her. He put his hands on her abdomen then slid them down so they sat on her thighs.
He was dangerously close to becoming too personal.
She had to fight to keep from reacting angrily. She had not given him permission, or any hint toward allowing him to touch her.
She felt him laughing in the back of her head. At first she thought he was laughing at her. Then she touched his mind and realized Jak was feeling quite annoyed.
She smiled to herself and leaned in to Vua. He was startled for a moment until he realized what she was doing.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. But she glanced up and caught his eye. She played her fingers over his hands then up to the latch on her belt.
He smiled.
She laughed at him, in her head.
He shook his head.
Jak's annoyance was sky rocketing.
It wasn't Jedi-like to take joy in causing other people to feel negative feelings. They had to stop. They faced forward and rode the rest of the way in silence. But they stayed as they were.
The reached the Witch Clans' camp at dusk. The camp was in a great Ravine. All the remaining sisters from all nine clans were there.
Many of her friends from the Singing Mountain, Northern Lakes, Red Hills and Frenzied River Clans; Many of the women, who had administered her trials to become a Witch, were missing.
She watched as a suspicious looking gray blur ran in and tackled her.
"Lyn!" She cried. Lyn is a Ryn She and Master Kyl had saved from slavery not too long before Cas had faced her Padawan-to-Knight trials.
Cas had been amazed when her Master had revealed that reading Cards was actually how they girl portrayed what she saw. The girl was also an amazingly strong clairvoyant, a psychic who sees events or thoughts, gets knowledge off of people and objects at a touch.
(The fact that she would touch Cas meant her years on Dathomir had been put to good use. She finally had it under control.)
The girl had also shown unusual light-footedness, Usually a sign of Telekinesis or pre-cognition. Both are great talents in the Force. But the girl had opted to learn control over her clairvoyance before learning to tap the Force.
"Master Cas!" The girl cried. "Have you come to teach me?"
"I can teach you. I've got an opening in my apprentices." She choked.
The young Ryn's brow furrowed. "Who died?" She asked bluntly.
"Syc."
"Oh, no." The girl's face went to a puzzle. "That's terrible!"
The Clan sisters were around them. Cas gave a sad smile. "I'll be fine. We all will."
"I have told them that your creatures have your protection." It was Mother Augwynne. "But they don't like it."
"That's fine. We'll all be gone from here in less than two days. By the end of the day if you don't mind a long day." She stepped onto a near by crate so that every one could see her, then projected her voice so that all the women, slaves and children could hear her.
"Pack as much as you can carry. As soon as you have all you can take I want it reported to me by groups."
She knew she was taking control like Mother Augwynne should but she knew what needed to be done, and how to do it. So her adopted mother let her take the lead.
"I then want the Warriors and Rancors prepped for battle. We will have to hold back the Yuuzahn Vong ground forces while the carrier ships land, and until the Commandos have landed and are ready to take position."
"I also want all Clans to make their choice. You can live in Light City as a member of Dagobah society or you can continue the Dathomir way of life on the untouched eastern continent."
"Remember. You all have a choice. If you think living where your Clan chooses to live will not be what you want You can join a clan that is going where you want and it can take you. Please. All families and/or Clans. Keep your things, and people, together so that nothing is lost."
She clapped her hands, changing subject.
"You need to make your decisions and form two groups. Those for Dagobah City life." She pointed to the East wall. "And those for slightly different than Dathomir country living." She pointed to the West wall.
"Needless to say." She looked at Jak and her Rancors. "I and mine will choose the city." Jak nodded and started moving to get his things then go to the East wall.
"You have three hours to pack and make your decisions. I want to speak to all scouts in half that time. And all warriors should be ready in double it."
"Dismissed."
She walked over to where she saw Jak working, packing.
She sat on his sleeping mat and crossed her legs. She felt more than saw Jak staring at her.
She felt more than saw Vua Shai put his amphistaff down on her mat. It moved and curled around her left thigh. Slee and Uun followed his lead. Their snake-weapons curling around her right thigh and bicep.
She felt more than saw Vua, Slee, and Uun approach Jak. Asking how they could help.
She didn't need the Force to feel Jak's disdain toward the Warrior.
Jak looked toward Cas. Almost asking for permission to tell them what they could do with their Amphistaffs. But he didn't.
He shook his head and gave a ruff smile.
"We're gonna have to live with each other sooner or latter, right? Here, pass that to me, will ya?"
Cas let out a breath she hadn't know she was holding, relief flooding her.
'Something is up with Jak.' She felt Vua telling her. 'He is unusually angry, pensive when we come by.'
'Something was done to him.' That was Uun.
'By one of our old kind.' It was Slee! She used the link the least of her Yuuzahn Vong. She only used it when she had something important to say.
Slee looked at her. 'Why do our four troopers,' she motioned to them, they were standing guard at four points around Jak's encampment, 'look exactly alike?'
Cas looked at her and smiled. 'They're clones.' Cas closed her eyes to the image of a startled, almost shell-shocked Priestess.
She dropped into herself, into the small trough of the Force she carried in her heart. More specifically the one she was carving especially for her Four, her Yuuzahn Vong.
She touched it she felt her links to her four in bright living color, she felt the links they were forming to each other, too. She looked for it specifically and touched Vo Kwaad, Her Shaper.
'Vo?'
'Milady?'
'Vo, Tell them to move. They have their eight hours.'