1 Chapter 30

Sounds slowly began to filter into the young woman's consciousness and a light shudder went through the slender form as the dulled sound of shrieking wind penetrated her senses. The return of sensations soon followed and Meri groggily became aware of light strokes on her back.

She let out a muffled moan into the pillow as her senses sharpened and hot pain flared across her back.

"Shh," a soft voice soothed and a cool touch lingering on her back eased the pain.

Meri froze at the voice as her memories rushed in as though a dam had burst. The last she remembered was running from the Rebels and another shiver shook her small frame.

A gasp of horror became trapped in her throat and her dark eyes opened wide only to see a wall facing her from across a small room. The next thing she became aware of started her heart pounding; she was lying on her belly and she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing.

Her mind jumped to what she thought was the most obvious conclusion and when another brush went down her back she screamed, grabbed at the blankets beneath her and tried to launch herself away from the bed. She ended up going down in a pathetic heap when her weakened legs wouldn't support her.

She began to scramble away clutching at the blankets she'd managed to pull down with her, trying to cover her exposed skin when a voice broke through her panic.

"Meri, it's just me, it's just Alex. It's okay. You're safe."

Pain began to bleed back into her consciousness as the adrenaline faded and she turned stiffly to look behind her. Alex stood on the other side of a double bed, a bacta wipe hanging from one hand. He was trying to avert his gaze, but at the same time obviously worried.

"Master?" she questioned in relief. Then realizing her appearance, she jerked the blanket around her and tried to cover her front. The only problem was that left her backside uncovered, but she really didn't care as she was sitting on it.

Alex set the wipe down on a small table and grabbed the beige pants that had been laid flat to dry.

Quickly he came around the end of the bed and knelt in front of her, her pants, now dry, in his hand.

She lifted her head to meet to his eyes, a light blush coloring her pale skin. "I thought…I thought you were…" she stammered.

"I know, you're okay," he assured the shaken girl. "Here," he offered the pants to her.

She glanced at the pants, then up into his face. Then it dawned on her.

Alex, seeing her hesitation, looked into her eyes and immediately began to color. The red flush started at his neck and spread quickly upwards.

"I…I had to do it, Meri," he murmured softly. "You were cold and wet and could've died." He paused and glanced at her, but she had ducked her head down to hide her embarrassment. "I didn't see anything," he assured firmly.

Meri wanted to die. She could have added for him "until now."

She snatched the pants out of his hand, mortified.

"Do you need help?" he asked softly.

"NO!" she yelped out quickly.

He flushed, but stood up quickly and turned his back to her.

Glancing up to make sure he wasn't looking, she awkwardly began to pull on the pants while trying to hold the blanket to her chest at the same time.

By the time she had them up to her waist, she was huffing with the exertion. With a last tug, she pulled them all the way up and whimpered in pain as it grazed the low whip marks.

"Meri?" Alex asked in concern. He had turned slightly, but refrained from looking.

"I'm done," she breathed out.

He turned quickly and took in the pain that shadowed her young face. "Can you stand?" he asked as he knelt by her side.

"I'll try it," she said shortly.

He offered her his arm, and she grasped it with one hand, holding the blanket to her chest with the other.

Alex placed his other hand over her hand on his arm and pulled her up as she struggled to stand. The skin stretched across her back as he did so and she gasped as the pain washed over her. Once on her feet, she swayed weakly, her face again white.

Alex steadied her and then still holding on to her arm, took a step behind her to look at her back. He drew in a soft breath at the sight of fresh blood oozing from the harsh cuts.

She swayed unsteadily again and Alex quickly stepped back to her side. "Come on, before you fall down again," he joked lightly as he led her the few, short feet back to the bed.

He helped her to lie down on her stomach again and she sank thankfully into the soft mattress. The hot pain in her back was again soothed with a cool swipe of a bacta wipe.

Quiet fell over the small chalet and Meri's mind raced feverishly with all that had happened. Suddenly her Master's voice broke the stillness. She stiffened at the cool edge to his words. "Meri, would you mind telling me just what it is you thought you were doing?"

The question fell heavy into a pool of silence, the only sound that of the storm raging outside.

Meri was about to answer and in fact opened her mouth to do so, but instead of words, she sneezed violently, shaking the whole bed with its force. The pain laced across her back and it felt as though the whip was falling all over again and she couldn't help the whimper she tried to muffle.

Alex's stern look softened and he perched on the edge of the bed. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked quietly, reaching a hand out to brush the loose hair out of his apprentice's face. When he had done so, he was met with large brown eyes shimmering in tears of pain.

"I'm sorry, Master," Meri said softly, quickly blinking away the moisture. She was silent a moment in thought and then began again slowly to explain. "I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. I was afraid you would die, like Master Ariana and I just couldn't let that happen!"

Alex shook his head slightly, but any anger he felt at his apprentice was banished by her words of fear. "But you didn't know that would happen, Meri. The Force has different destinies for us all."

"I dreamed of it, though, Master. I dreamed the same dream that I dreamed before Master Ariana died. I dreamed she died, but this time it was you!" The seventeen-year olds voice was low, almost as though she was afraid to speak of the dreams that had haunted her for years.

"Dreams are not always sent by the Force, Meri. And even then, not always to be trusted. The future is always changing. Do you understand?" his gaze was warm and she looked away disturbed for a reason she didn't understand.

"Yes, Master. I'm sorr—Aaachoo!" she ended in another sneeze and her long hair, which had been coiled away from her back, fell loose, and spread across the sticky wounds.

"We'll talk more later," he promised evenly and then reached to lift her hair away from the wounds.

Meri hissed in pain as he pulled the thick tresses away.

"We need to keep this out of the way," he commented. "I don't want to risk an infection of those wounds."

"I can try to braid it."

Alex looked at her doubtfully. "You try and lift your arms over your head and you'll be in agony."

"Cut it off, then," Meri muttered, by this time too weary to care anymore.

"I don't think so, Meri. Why don't I try to braid it?" he offered.

A short giggle erupted from her and Alex looked affronted.

"Do you know how?"

"I think I can figure it out," he said as he began to run his fingers through the thick locks to get as many tangles out as possible. "I braided this, after all," he continued a few seconds later when he came across her padawan braid and gave it a short tug.

Meri didn't answer and wouldn't have stopped him for the galaxy. Truth be told, she was enjoying the feel of his hands in her hair. Although it had many tangles, he was being very gentle.

She had relaxed into the pillow, her eyes had drifted shut and she was just about to fall asleep when he finished combing out the ends of her hair. That wouldn't have bothered her, except he began to comb the hair away from her temples and forehead, his fingers occasionally brushing across her skin.

Suddenly she began to feel strange—her heart fluttered and her breath caught in her throat. When he brushed his finger over one of her small ears, her heart took off and began pounding.

"I think I'm doing this right," he said wryly, his voice coming from above her.

Meri didn't answer, too busy berating herself for immature feelings that she thought were ludicrous. She couldn't know that his braiding her hair was affecting him more than it was her.

He finished quickly and found a piece of thread to tie off the braid. "I'm through," he murmured, placing the braid over her shoulder for her inspection.

She glanced at it and was surprised to see the braid was tightly made and well done. "You did well," she said, a touch of her surprise lacing her tone.

She frowned in confusion when Alex didn't answer, but got up and moved quickly away. She watched as he gathered the remaining blankets, her eyelids becoming heavy.

Turning, he saw her watching him. "Rest," he said in a firm tone. "I don't want you getting sick."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"I'm making a pallet here on the floor. Now, I mean it. Go to sleep, Meri."

She didn't argue with him and the last thing she saw as her drowsy lashes lowered was Alex, looking at her strangely.