Chapter 31
If Meri had known just why it was Alex was looking at her so strangely, she probably wouldn't have fallen asleep so easily, but instead would have been mortified. His expression was an attempt to keep some semblance of control over his emotions and thoughts.
He glanced at her once more before turning to make up his bed, a small smile finding its way to his lips, despite his inner turmoil. Her face, when she was sleeping was angelic and her improvement over the past few hours was like a weight off his shoulders. Her cheeks once pale were now rosy and flushed in her sleep. Tendrils of hair had curled around her face when they drying and now framed her face in little, dark curls.
As he spread out the blankets his thoughts began taking a path backwards and though he tried to keep the images from coming, he saw it all again anyway. Pausing he ran a hand restlessly through his hair and sighed. This wouldn't do at all. //There is no emotion…\\ the words seemed to echo through his mind, mocking him. As he returned to arranging his pallet, he thought that some things should just be forgotten and those wayward thoughts were such *things*.
Through with laying out the pallet, he flicked off the lights and letting out a large sigh, he sank down on his bed and pulled a blanket over himself before turning back to his thoughts.
He had tried so hard not to see anything; he didn't want to embarrass her, or himself. He hadn't even sensed her waking up, so it came as a complete surprise when she panicked and fled. //Or tried to flee,\\ he thought with a wince. She hadn't gone far and before he could even look away he saw more than he had ever expected to see of his padawan.
A low flush started on the back of his neck at the very thought and he swallowed hard, embarrassed for her. She had been so mortified.
A fit of coughing interrupted his thoughts and he frowned as he realized his throat had bit of a tickle. Surely, he wasn't coming down with something. He hadn't been sick in years. Most likely it was just being out in the cold air and that little dip he had in the river. On top of all that, he was weary. Yet, despite his earlier fatigue he found he couldn't fall asleep. Unable to sleep, his thoughts returned to his apprentice.
//It was certainly an accident,\\ he maintained. He'd been so startled at first, so surprised that he hadn't looked away at once. //Stop thinking about that!\\ he commanded himself.
In the dark, he pushed the blanket off his chest impatiently and turned on his side. Maybe he needed to turn the heating unit down now…but thinking of Meri and wanting her to be warm, he decided against it. Firmly he pushed all thoughts out of his mind and fell into a light meditation as he attempted to center himself.
All his efforts failed, however and—half-dozing—he tossed and turned for a long while, more from the sudden aches that had attacked his body and his rebellious thoughts than anything else.
Long after Meri had fallen asleep, Alex finally followed, dropping off into a restless sleep that was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
* * *
In one of the sturdier buildings in what had once been the Rebel camp, Folly stood looking out a window at the howling storm. He and most of the men Alex had recruited were stuck there, along with some of the Rebels they had managed to catch and subdue.
By the time the guards Alex had spoken too back at the meetinghouse had gathered any available man and gotten back to the Rebel camp, the blizzard was almost upon them. There was a brief skirmish between the Rebel's and the rescuing party, but the latter quickly overwhelmed the few scattered Rebels who were leaderless.
Now the majority of them were holed up inside the largest building. The blizzard was lasting longer than any of them had anticipated, forcing them to bed down on the floor or wherever there was a free spot. Food was scarce, but water was in abundance; just melt the snow.
From what Folly had seen of this blizzard, they just might be stuck there longer than any of them had first thought. Folly had seen some blizzards go for up to four days and this storm had only been going for a full day. Night was again approaching, and as Folly looked out the window he was thinking that it was about the same time the day before that he'd last seen the Jedi.
A smile quirked Folly's lips as he thought of the younger man who was obviously very attached to his apprentice. He just hoped that the Jedi knight had found Meri and that she was all right. Over the weeks, he himself had become a bit attached to her.
As soon as this blizzard let up he planned on taking a few others in a rescue party. Depending on how long the blizzard lasted they might need to be dug out.
Folly sighed restlessly as he turned from the window. He didn't like being cooped up, but all any of them could do now was wait.
***
As a Jedi apprentice, Meri had the ability to be woken from a deep sleep by the slightest sound and as she blinked her eyes open slowly, she knew it was a sound that had awoken her.
She wasn't quite sure what it was at first that she had heard. The wind still howled outside, she was used to hearing that by now. The old chalet creaked and groaned every so often, but that, like the wind was a sound she had become accustomed to.
Slowly she let her gaze drift around the shadowy room. She could barely make out the form of her Master on the floor over by the wall. The light was so dim she couldn't make out his facial features at all. She didn't know if the dimness was from the blizzard or if the sun was again setting. She finally concluded it was probably a bit of both.
A frown puckered her brow, but she didn't move a muscle. She remembered all too keenly the pain that would lace across her back if she did. Instead she lay perfectly still and just listened.
When the sound finally did repeat itself, she startled, her brown eyes darting towards the sound.
"Master?" she question worriedly.
A low groan, followed by incoherent mumblings answered her.
That was enough for her and carefully she began easing herself upright, her anxiety overriding any pain.
Spotting Alex's robe at the end of the bed, she reached for it and then slid her arms into the sleeves so that she was wearing it backwards and it covered her chest.
When she first put her feet to the floor she briefly felt a wave of dizziness that quickly passed. For a moment she stood in place, glancing around for the switch that would bring the lights back up. When she found it, she walked carefully over and brought the lights up.
Even before she had pulled her hand away, she was looking toward her Master, who was still making unintelligible noises.
With one hand holding the robe close to her body, she dropped awkwardly to her knees by his side.
Anxiously her eyes darted across his features; she had thought that maybe he was asleep at first, but as she looked at his face now, she knew that was not it at all.
His black hair was mused; a few strands fell across his forehead, as was their habit, but now they contrasted starkly against his ashen face. His cheeks held only a touch of color, but it was the symbol of a high fever, not health. Dark circles under his eyes were the only other color in his face, previously there before, they now stuck out vividly.
"Oh, Master," she whispered, frightened by the sight.
Uneasily she reached out and brushed the strands of hair off his forehead and startled when she felt the heat of his skin. There was a strange raspy noise to every breath he took that she knew was not a good sign.
As she brushed her hand across his forehead, the knight's eyes fluttered open weakly and Meri saw a haziness in the normally crystal clear blue eyes that unnerved her.
"Master?" she breathed.
"Meri?" he murmured then began coughing.
Meri shifted on her knees restlessly. "Master, we need to get you off the floor. It's too drafty down here."
Alex only mumbled in return.
Meri grabbed his arm and began tugging. "Master, come on. Get up," she ordered. After much coaxing she finally managed to convince the incoherent knight he needed to sit up.
Meri ignored the pain in her back as she stood and leaned down to pull Alex to his feet with one hand, while she held the robe close to her body with the other.
He stumbled heavily to his feet by Meri's side where he promptly almost pulled them both back to the floor when he teetered to one side.
Meri grabbed his arm, steadied him and led him towards the bed. The irony of it struck her that he had done the same for her the night before and now she had to do it for him. As soon as he collapsed on the bed, his eyes closed and he didn't make another sound.
She pulled the blankets up over him as he began to tremble, her concern mounting. Silently she wondered how he had become so sick in such a short time. She hadn't noticed the previous night the dark circles that were already under his eyes from lack of sleep. And she didn't know about his dip in the river on her account, though if she thought about it, she might have realized.
All she knew right then was that he was very sick and if the way he looked was any indication, becoming steadily worse.
Biting her lip, she glanced out the window, almost wishing the snow had stopped since she last looked, but the wind continued to howl and the snow to fall.
If Meri had known just why it was Alex was looking at her so strangely, she probably wouldn't have fallen asleep so easily, but instead would have been mortified. His expression was an attempt to keep some semblance of control over his emotions and thoughts.
He glanced at her once more before turning to make up his bed, a small smile finding its way to his lips, despite his inner turmoil. Her face, when she was sleeping was angelic and her improvement over the past few hours was like a weight off his shoulders. Her cheeks once pale were now rosy and flushed in her sleep. Tendrils of hair had curled around her face when they drying and now framed her face in little, dark curls.
As he spread out the blankets his thoughts began taking a path backwards and though he tried to keep the images from coming, he saw it all again anyway. Pausing he ran a hand restlessly through his hair and sighed. This wouldn't do at all. //There is no emotion…\\ the words seemed to echo through his mind, mocking him. As he returned to arranging his pallet, he thought that some things should just be forgotten and those wayward thoughts were such *things*.
Through with laying out the pallet, he flicked off the lights and letting out a large sigh, he sank down on his bed and pulled a blanket over himself before turning back to his thoughts.
He had tried so hard not to see anything; he didn't want to embarrass her, or himself. He hadn't even sensed her waking up, so it came as a complete surprise when she panicked and fled. //Or tried to flee,\\ he thought with a wince. She hadn't gone far and before he could even look away he saw more than he had ever expected to see of his padawan.
A low flush started on the back of his neck at the very thought and he swallowed hard, embarrassed for her. She had been so mortified.
A fit of coughing interrupted his thoughts and he frowned as he realized his throat had bit of a tickle. Surely, he wasn't coming down with something. He hadn't been sick in years. Most likely it was just being out in the cold air and that little dip he had in the river. On top of all that, he was weary. Yet, despite his earlier fatigue he found he couldn't fall asleep. Unable to sleep, his thoughts returned to his apprentice.
//It was certainly an accident,\\ he maintained. He'd been so startled at first, so surprised that he hadn't looked away at once. //Stop thinking about that!\\ he commanded himself.
In the dark, he pushed the blanket off his chest impatiently and turned on his side. Maybe he needed to turn the heating unit down now…but thinking of Meri and wanting her to be warm, he decided against it. Firmly he pushed all thoughts out of his mind and fell into a light meditation as he attempted to center himself.
All his efforts failed, however and—half-dozing—he tossed and turned for a long while, more from the sudden aches that had attacked his body and his rebellious thoughts than anything else.
Long after Meri had fallen asleep, Alex finally followed, dropping off into a restless sleep that was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
* * *
In one of the sturdier buildings in what had once been the Rebel camp, Folly stood looking out a window at the howling storm. He and most of the men Alex had recruited were stuck there, along with some of the Rebels they had managed to catch and subdue.
By the time the guards Alex had spoken too back at the meetinghouse had gathered any available man and gotten back to the Rebel camp, the blizzard was almost upon them. There was a brief skirmish between the Rebel's and the rescuing party, but the latter quickly overwhelmed the few scattered Rebels who were leaderless.
Now the majority of them were holed up inside the largest building. The blizzard was lasting longer than any of them had anticipated, forcing them to bed down on the floor or wherever there was a free spot. Food was scarce, but water was in abundance; just melt the snow.
From what Folly had seen of this blizzard, they just might be stuck there longer than any of them had first thought. Folly had seen some blizzards go for up to four days and this storm had only been going for a full day. Night was again approaching, and as Folly looked out the window he was thinking that it was about the same time the day before that he'd last seen the Jedi.
A smile quirked Folly's lips as he thought of the younger man who was obviously very attached to his apprentice. He just hoped that the Jedi knight had found Meri and that she was all right. Over the weeks, he himself had become a bit attached to her.
As soon as this blizzard let up he planned on taking a few others in a rescue party. Depending on how long the blizzard lasted they might need to be dug out.
Folly sighed restlessly as he turned from the window. He didn't like being cooped up, but all any of them could do now was wait.
***
As a Jedi apprentice, Meri had the ability to be woken from a deep sleep by the slightest sound and as she blinked her eyes open slowly, she knew it was a sound that had awoken her.
She wasn't quite sure what it was at first that she had heard. The wind still howled outside, she was used to hearing that by now. The old chalet creaked and groaned every so often, but that, like the wind was a sound she had become accustomed to.
Slowly she let her gaze drift around the shadowy room. She could barely make out the form of her Master on the floor over by the wall. The light was so dim she couldn't make out his facial features at all. She didn't know if the dimness was from the blizzard or if the sun was again setting. She finally concluded it was probably a bit of both.
A frown puckered her brow, but she didn't move a muscle. She remembered all too keenly the pain that would lace across her back if she did. Instead she lay perfectly still and just listened.
When the sound finally did repeat itself, she startled, her brown eyes darting towards the sound.
"Master?" she question worriedly.
A low groan, followed by incoherent mumblings answered her.
That was enough for her and carefully she began easing herself upright, her anxiety overriding any pain.
Spotting Alex's robe at the end of the bed, she reached for it and then slid her arms into the sleeves so that she was wearing it backwards and it covered her chest.
When she first put her feet to the floor she briefly felt a wave of dizziness that quickly passed. For a moment she stood in place, glancing around for the switch that would bring the lights back up. When she found it, she walked carefully over and brought the lights up.
Even before she had pulled her hand away, she was looking toward her Master, who was still making unintelligible noises.
With one hand holding the robe close to her body, she dropped awkwardly to her knees by his side.
Anxiously her eyes darted across his features; she had thought that maybe he was asleep at first, but as she looked at his face now, she knew that was not it at all.
His black hair was mused; a few strands fell across his forehead, as was their habit, but now they contrasted starkly against his ashen face. His cheeks held only a touch of color, but it was the symbol of a high fever, not health. Dark circles under his eyes were the only other color in his face, previously there before, they now stuck out vividly.
"Oh, Master," she whispered, frightened by the sight.
Uneasily she reached out and brushed the strands of hair off his forehead and startled when she felt the heat of his skin. There was a strange raspy noise to every breath he took that she knew was not a good sign.
As she brushed her hand across his forehead, the knight's eyes fluttered open weakly and Meri saw a haziness in the normally crystal clear blue eyes that unnerved her.
"Master?" she breathed.
"Meri?" he murmured then began coughing.
Meri shifted on her knees restlessly. "Master, we need to get you off the floor. It's too drafty down here."
Alex only mumbled in return.
Meri grabbed his arm and began tugging. "Master, come on. Get up," she ordered. After much coaxing she finally managed to convince the incoherent knight he needed to sit up.
Meri ignored the pain in her back as she stood and leaned down to pull Alex to his feet with one hand, while she held the robe close to her body with the other.
He stumbled heavily to his feet by Meri's side where he promptly almost pulled them both back to the floor when he teetered to one side.
Meri grabbed his arm, steadied him and led him towards the bed. The irony of it struck her that he had done the same for her the night before and now she had to do it for him. As soon as he collapsed on the bed, his eyes closed and he didn't make another sound.
She pulled the blankets up over him as he began to tremble, her concern mounting. Silently she wondered how he had become so sick in such a short time. She hadn't noticed the previous night the dark circles that were already under his eyes from lack of sleep. And she didn't know about his dip in the river on her account, though if she thought about it, she might have realized.
All she knew right then was that he was very sick and if the way he looked was any indication, becoming steadily worse.
Biting her lip, she glanced out the window, almost wishing the snow had stopped since she last looked, but the wind continued to howl and the snow to fall.
