Thanks to the creator of "Rani Veko" for kindly letting me borrow her character.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 9
Meri woke the next morning with a pounding headache and only a vague recollection of the day before. Wearily she opened her eyes and then blinked slowly to clear them. Gradually the blurry room came into focus and the pounding in her temples lessened enough for her to turn her head. At the sight that met her eyes she froze.
Her Master sat slumped in a chair next to her bed, asleep. His head was tilted to the side, resting on his shoulder, and his black hair fell over into his face. What startled her most was that he was loosely holding her hand, and for a long moment, she studied the hand holding hers. A strange feeling rose up inside of her and she, for the first time in a long while, did nothing to quell it.
The urge to jerk her hand away was overwhelming, but she hesitated for fear of causing those blue eyes to spring open and stare at her. Slowly and methodically, she extracted her hand from his, then just as quietly rose, and headed for the refresher.
She was slightly lightheaded and felt weak, but as the hot water pounded over her chilled skin, she knew she was getting better. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself, only then realizing she'd forgotten to bring any fresh clothes with her.
"Sith!" she muttered. Cautiously she peered down the hall, praying to the Force that her Master was still asleep. Silently she tiptoed back to her room and just as she turned the corner ran straight into a hard chest.
With a small squeal she skittered backwards, hands holding tightly to the towel wrapped around her. With face flushing hot in embarrassment, she looked to the figure she had run into.
Alex stood motionless before her; his face frozen in what could only be called a priceless expression at finding his Padawan in such a state of dress.
As Meri looked closer, she forgot her own embarrassment as she noticed the scarlet ears on her Master. Without even realizing it, a mischievous smile began to grow on her face as she realized just how mortified he was.
She did not realize her smile was like a powerful punch to his solar plexus, shocking him further. It was the first time she had *ever* smiled since he had known her, and it was the kind of smile that couldn't help but be answered with one in kind.
"Er...can I get to my clothes?" she finally asked, a wide smile still tipping up the corners of her mouth.
Her words seemed to work like a nerf prodder and he twitched as if coming out of dream. Meri watched as his ears--if it were possible--seemed to flush even redder and he jumped to get out of the doorway.
"I-um-I'm sorry--you--I didn't know you were up," he managed to get out.
Without even realizing it, Meri's brown eyes twinkled in humor and she just looked up at him from the doorway of her room.
He looked anywhere but at her and finally took a step backwards. "I--uh--excuse me," he muttered quickly and then turned and walked swiftly down the hall.
As he retreated, Meri couldn't hold in the soft laugh that escaped before she fled to the refuge of her room and shut the door.
Down the hall, in the main room, Alex was still reeling in shock of it all. //She smiled and laughed!//
A second later came the realization.
//At me...//
***
The brief flash of the spirited girl that Meri had shown disappeared almost as quickly as it had flared up, but as much as it had shocked him, it also had given Alex hope.
For the next week, Alex simple let Meri recuperate from the strange flu and didn't push her with any training. Instead, he met with all her instructors, including the Master who taught the lightsabre class for that age group.
It was the next week, before the healers gave his apprentice a clean bill of health, and the first thing Alex did was to arrange for their first sparring lesson.
"Focus, Meri!" Alex said firmly, as he blocked her distracted swing with his deep blue blade. With hardly any effort at all Alex disarmed his padawan, ending the match.
"I'm sorry, Master," she muttered, head down.
Snapping off his lightsabre, Alex decided it was time he pushed a few issues. Gently he grasped her chin and titled it up so their eyes met.
Startled, she looked into his face hesitantly.
"I've talked to Master Lavien, Meri. He's told me you were at the top off your class. I *know* you can do this kata. Concentrate, don't be sorry. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm trying to help you complete this kata." He looked at her pointedly.
She nodded tentatively.
"Alex!!!"
Letting his hand drop away from his apprentice's face, Alex turned at the familiar voice. At the site of his friend Rani Veko, Alex sighed. This wasn't exactly how he imagined he would tell her he had a padawan. Turning quickly back to Meri, he spoke softly. "We'll take a break now. Get you a drink of water if you like."
He watched as Meri hurried off, as though glad to be released, even if only for a little while. Sighing again in trepidation, he turned back around to see Rani hurrying towards him. "Rani, I didn't know you and your Master were back," he said with a faint smile.
"I got back this morning, and you know I couldn't wait to see how *Knight* Arieh was doing as opposed to Padawan Arieh," she grinned, then looked at Meri's retreating figure. "Helping another student out?"
He smiled wanly. "You could say that, yes."
Rani caught the look, and asked curiously, "What? Is she difficult?"
//If only you knew,// the young knight thought to himself. "She has her moments," he simply said.
"Have you spoken to her Master?"
Alex froze. //Just tell her already,// he ordered himself.
Without realizing it, his hand strayed upwards and ran through his hair.
"Rani," he paused and glanced at her. "Rani, *I* am her Master."
For a moment the other padawan froze, a look of disbelief on her face.
"W-What?" she stammered.
Glancing at the youth seated on the bench on the far wall, Alex gestured towards her. "She IS my apprentice."
Rani was quickly recovering from the shock of the news and was now studying the young girl across the room. Her next words were more what Alex expected.
"Alex! Stick a braid on you and you would look like class mates!"
"That's very observant, Rani. Thank you," he said dryly.
"How old is she?" came the next question.
"Fourteen," he said quietly.
Rani turned back to face him and her look said it all. "Alex, you've only just been knighted--I mean, don't you think this is a little rash?"
His face hardened. "You don't know the details, Rani."
Subdued somewhat, the nineteen-year-old shrugged. "What are the details then?"
Alex turned to look at Meri, who was sitting with her face cradled in her hands. Her first lightsabre practice since her Master's death had been hard on her.
"She lost her Master, Rani," he paused and glanced at his friend. "They had held a Force bond since she was a baby."
He could see the understanding dawning on Rani's face. "Why you, Alex?"
With a lopsided grin, he shrugged. "Sometimes I ask that myself, Rani. It was Yoda's suggestion I meet with her, and when I did--well--I just felt this was something I had to do."
Rani nodded slowly. She may not have approved of if, but Alex could see she understood. "Soo, do I have to call you *Master* now?" A teasing light danced in his friend's eyes.
Smiling rakishly, his blue eyes sparkling, Alex shook his head. "No, it makes me feel too old." They both laughed.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 9
Meri woke the next morning with a pounding headache and only a vague recollection of the day before. Wearily she opened her eyes and then blinked slowly to clear them. Gradually the blurry room came into focus and the pounding in her temples lessened enough for her to turn her head. At the sight that met her eyes she froze.
Her Master sat slumped in a chair next to her bed, asleep. His head was tilted to the side, resting on his shoulder, and his black hair fell over into his face. What startled her most was that he was loosely holding her hand, and for a long moment, she studied the hand holding hers. A strange feeling rose up inside of her and she, for the first time in a long while, did nothing to quell it.
The urge to jerk her hand away was overwhelming, but she hesitated for fear of causing those blue eyes to spring open and stare at her. Slowly and methodically, she extracted her hand from his, then just as quietly rose, and headed for the refresher.
She was slightly lightheaded and felt weak, but as the hot water pounded over her chilled skin, she knew she was getting better. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself, only then realizing she'd forgotten to bring any fresh clothes with her.
"Sith!" she muttered. Cautiously she peered down the hall, praying to the Force that her Master was still asleep. Silently she tiptoed back to her room and just as she turned the corner ran straight into a hard chest.
With a small squeal she skittered backwards, hands holding tightly to the towel wrapped around her. With face flushing hot in embarrassment, she looked to the figure she had run into.
Alex stood motionless before her; his face frozen in what could only be called a priceless expression at finding his Padawan in such a state of dress.
As Meri looked closer, she forgot her own embarrassment as she noticed the scarlet ears on her Master. Without even realizing it, a mischievous smile began to grow on her face as she realized just how mortified he was.
She did not realize her smile was like a powerful punch to his solar plexus, shocking him further. It was the first time she had *ever* smiled since he had known her, and it was the kind of smile that couldn't help but be answered with one in kind.
"Er...can I get to my clothes?" she finally asked, a wide smile still tipping up the corners of her mouth.
Her words seemed to work like a nerf prodder and he twitched as if coming out of dream. Meri watched as his ears--if it were possible--seemed to flush even redder and he jumped to get out of the doorway.
"I-um-I'm sorry--you--I didn't know you were up," he managed to get out.
Without even realizing it, Meri's brown eyes twinkled in humor and she just looked up at him from the doorway of her room.
He looked anywhere but at her and finally took a step backwards. "I--uh--excuse me," he muttered quickly and then turned and walked swiftly down the hall.
As he retreated, Meri couldn't hold in the soft laugh that escaped before she fled to the refuge of her room and shut the door.
Down the hall, in the main room, Alex was still reeling in shock of it all. //She smiled and laughed!//
A second later came the realization.
//At me...//
***
The brief flash of the spirited girl that Meri had shown disappeared almost as quickly as it had flared up, but as much as it had shocked him, it also had given Alex hope.
For the next week, Alex simple let Meri recuperate from the strange flu and didn't push her with any training. Instead, he met with all her instructors, including the Master who taught the lightsabre class for that age group.
It was the next week, before the healers gave his apprentice a clean bill of health, and the first thing Alex did was to arrange for their first sparring lesson.
"Focus, Meri!" Alex said firmly, as he blocked her distracted swing with his deep blue blade. With hardly any effort at all Alex disarmed his padawan, ending the match.
"I'm sorry, Master," she muttered, head down.
Snapping off his lightsabre, Alex decided it was time he pushed a few issues. Gently he grasped her chin and titled it up so their eyes met.
Startled, she looked into his face hesitantly.
"I've talked to Master Lavien, Meri. He's told me you were at the top off your class. I *know* you can do this kata. Concentrate, don't be sorry. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm trying to help you complete this kata." He looked at her pointedly.
She nodded tentatively.
"Alex!!!"
Letting his hand drop away from his apprentice's face, Alex turned at the familiar voice. At the site of his friend Rani Veko, Alex sighed. This wasn't exactly how he imagined he would tell her he had a padawan. Turning quickly back to Meri, he spoke softly. "We'll take a break now. Get you a drink of water if you like."
He watched as Meri hurried off, as though glad to be released, even if only for a little while. Sighing again in trepidation, he turned back around to see Rani hurrying towards him. "Rani, I didn't know you and your Master were back," he said with a faint smile.
"I got back this morning, and you know I couldn't wait to see how *Knight* Arieh was doing as opposed to Padawan Arieh," she grinned, then looked at Meri's retreating figure. "Helping another student out?"
He smiled wanly. "You could say that, yes."
Rani caught the look, and asked curiously, "What? Is she difficult?"
//If only you knew,// the young knight thought to himself. "She has her moments," he simply said.
"Have you spoken to her Master?"
Alex froze. //Just tell her already,// he ordered himself.
Without realizing it, his hand strayed upwards and ran through his hair.
"Rani," he paused and glanced at her. "Rani, *I* am her Master."
For a moment the other padawan froze, a look of disbelief on her face.
"W-What?" she stammered.
Glancing at the youth seated on the bench on the far wall, Alex gestured towards her. "She IS my apprentice."
Rani was quickly recovering from the shock of the news and was now studying the young girl across the room. Her next words were more what Alex expected.
"Alex! Stick a braid on you and you would look like class mates!"
"That's very observant, Rani. Thank you," he said dryly.
"How old is she?" came the next question.
"Fourteen," he said quietly.
Rani turned back to face him and her look said it all. "Alex, you've only just been knighted--I mean, don't you think this is a little rash?"
His face hardened. "You don't know the details, Rani."
Subdued somewhat, the nineteen-year-old shrugged. "What are the details then?"
Alex turned to look at Meri, who was sitting with her face cradled in her hands. Her first lightsabre practice since her Master's death had been hard on her.
"She lost her Master, Rani," he paused and glanced at his friend. "They had held a Force bond since she was a baby."
He could see the understanding dawning on Rani's face. "Why you, Alex?"
With a lopsided grin, he shrugged. "Sometimes I ask that myself, Rani. It was Yoda's suggestion I meet with her, and when I did--well--I just felt this was something I had to do."
Rani nodded slowly. She may not have approved of if, but Alex could see she understood. "Soo, do I have to call you *Master* now?" A teasing light danced in his friend's eyes.
Smiling rakishly, his blue eyes sparkling, Alex shook his head. "No, it makes me feel too old." They both laughed.
