Aww thanks for the really sweet review heather, worked extra quickly to get the next part done for you (plus if you think these build up suspence wait until the cliff hanger at the end of the book hehehehehehehe heart attacks guarenteed). So although this chapter is quite slow bear with me, I have my reasons.
There was a knock at Obi Wan's door.
It was Anice "I don't believe this, not again!", she handed him a datacard.
His eyes scanned the screen swiftly "What? Where has she gone?"
"The mountains most likely, but nobody really knows for sure"
The Jedi was horrified, "What? On her own" He grabbed his cloak, "I'm going after her".
Anice put out her arm across the doorway "If she doesn't want to be found she won't be. I speak from numerous experiences".
"She's done this before?" He looked puzzled.
"Many times, although not since she was made Quelena. Once she left for three weeks, Dextro had the entire planet scouring those woods, but she came home on her own when she was ready." The old woman sat down doggedly, the years showing in her movement "If they couldn't find her you never will. No one knows why she goes and Kyia refuses to talk about it".
"So we just leave her?" He replied in incredulous disbelief.
Anice nodded, "She can take care of herself and she knows these lands better than anyone on the planet. I'll say this much, she really chooses her moments".
He re-read the message, "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is coming here? That solves that mystery, she thinks she is facing the Sith Lord"
"And Master Yoda two days afterwards" She saw Obi Wan wince at the combination "I think she needs time to gather herself before the approaching mist"
"She must be alarmed"
Anice stood and shook her head chastising, "There is more in Kyia than any of us realise, what ever comes, I have never doubted that she has the strength to face it"
Obi Wan stayed silent in reply, Anice was correct about one thing, there was more to Kyia than anyone realised, he had noticed that she was a woman who kept her secrets, and he would probably never know a parsec's worth. "I still wish she had taken somebody with her"
"I think that defeats the exercise"
Obi Wan laid his cloak over a chair in defeat, "It also defeats my mandate. A goodbye would have been prudent"
Once again the old woman saw straight through him, "You would have never let her go, The Force knows I wouldn't" she paused "And the note was as close to a goodbye as she ever gets. If anyone asks she's off world for diplomatic reasons"
The Jedi Knight gave up "Fine, but I still do not agree"
Anice sighed "Now you know how I've felt for the past twenty five rotations" The way she pronounced it told the Jedi she meant years and not days.
Kyia looked at the dual moons from her perch in a tall Hevior. The tree had long ebony black branches with dark green spear shaped leaves that created the upper canopy on Elphora. A yellow Naxt vine wound its way around the tallest species on Elphora and Kyia had expertly climbed it to get as high as she could before the branches became too weak to hold her. From this height she could look down on the entire forest, spotting other plants that her mother had taught the names of when she was young. Below she saw the large brick red star shaped leaves of the Yi-ad. She remembered her mother's voice telling her how when the mists descended upon Elphora and covered everything with it's sticky dew the leaves caught the moisture in the wells in the centre of the leaves to survive in the drier seasons. Kyia saw in her minds eye her mother pointing out the species that drank from them, telling her in-depth how they supported ecosystems. It was all she had ever wanted in life, to spend it out here amongst the forest discovering new plants and new uses for them, and she had missed not being here. Many times she had tried to escape from her rigorous routine of training to be a Jedi, Quelena and member of the Guard, and many times duty had dragged her back. Anice had once told her that the reason her parents had only one child was to make sure that she did not find away to escape her destiny by passing it on to a sibling. They were right, there was a time when she would have done anything not to be crowned.
Briefly Kyia considered whether Obi Wan had found out yet. "His reaction is going to be interesting," she said out loud.
He would not understand, maybe he could learn to, she thought, but not today, not now.
She looked down at the distant ground. It was a long way down. Kyia shrugged then stood up upon the branch, and then she jumped.
The wind roared past her ears as she fell, her body perfectly rigid, falling feet first with her arms stretched towards the sky. The forest floor moved closer at an alarming speed, a few metres before she hit the ground, a consequence that would certainly kill her she grasped for a the limb of a tree with both hands. She swung her body around it a few times to reduce her velocity then jumped to the floor. Kyia landed in a crouch only slightly winded, a smile on her face.
"That's something I haven't done in awhile". It was only now that she started to realise the real reason why she had come out here. She walked over to the lower leaves of a Yi-ad and drank deeply, her thirst disappeared instantly; next she went in search of food. The Jedi Knight did not have to look far, at the base of another Hevior tree was a bush containing large dark blue seedpods. She picked one and cracked it open, spooning the porridge like substance out with her fingers. Kyia smiled again remembering how she had lived off the forest for weeks at a time, much to her family's annoyance. She wandered amongst the trees, picking at it absently, suddenly her ears picked up a roaring sound. Anticipation filled her; she knew what it was.
Obi Wan was alone meditating in his room but he could not seem to reach the calm that meant he was one with the Force. He sighed knowing blatantly what the problem was. The Jedi half smiled knowing that the development of his over-protectiveness of her would amuse her.
/I'm okay/ a brief touch through the Force came from Kyia but then she retreated back into the shadows.
It made him feel better, but whatever she working through he felt useless. "I should be there, I should be…" He stopped suddenly realising his statement. "She's right I am a control freak". But in reality he knew he would have to face up to the fact that he was starting to care for her more than he should.
Kyia moved like a whisper through the forest. The roaring became louder and the trees cleared to reveal a giant waterfall that fell from a high crag, the water pooling at the bottom before it continued its run underground. She dived in; it was refreshingly cool against her skin as always her skin and hair colour changed to a silky turquoise blue. She swam deeper and deeper. Elphorans were descended from amphibious mammals, although most of the population had lost the ability, a few remained able to breathe underwater. This was the reason Kyia had never been found when searched for, the water was her private world. The light evaporated as she went deeper to the warmer waters heated from the planets porous crust. On the lakebed she curled up in a long leafed planet that flickered in the current like a candle flame. The Jedi Knight briefly thought of Obi Wan.
/I'm okay/ was the message she sent to him. He would be worried, but at least he was not going to try and find her, if he were he would have done it already.
Lulled by the water she drifted into a calm dreamless sleep.
She awoke refreshed, although it was dark her eyes could make out a brief light like a diamond on the surface, she kicked her legs towards it and surfaced.
Kyia took a deep breath, she choked and threw up the water in her lungs "I hate that part", the automatic reflex removed the water to prevent suffocation. She swam gracefully to shore, vaulted up on to the bank and edged around to the waterfall. The sound of the water was almost deafening but she knew it would be worth it, she put her hands over her ears and slipped behind it. The waterfall was deceptive; it was in fact two stationed directly above each other. The lower river had cut out a path into the rock that most missed unless they studied the falls closely. The cave was wide from where the river had shrunk over the centuries, but it was old with carvings of vines and handprints embossed into the rock. She put her hand against one of them wondering, not for the first time who they belonged to. She had put her own here years ago. In a place where the river curved to leave a ledge out of the water she sat and took a deep breath running through her mediation exercises, calming her mind of the chaos so she could think. Kyia knew why she had come here, to gain strength, clarity and above all power over her enemies. She could not afford to have weaknesses anymore. Her mind began to slip deep into its subconscious where it would remain until it was time to return.
There was a knock at Obi Wan's door.
It was Anice "I don't believe this, not again!", she handed him a datacard.
His eyes scanned the screen swiftly "What? Where has she gone?"
"The mountains most likely, but nobody really knows for sure"
The Jedi was horrified, "What? On her own" He grabbed his cloak, "I'm going after her".
Anice put out her arm across the doorway "If she doesn't want to be found she won't be. I speak from numerous experiences".
"She's done this before?" He looked puzzled.
"Many times, although not since she was made Quelena. Once she left for three weeks, Dextro had the entire planet scouring those woods, but she came home on her own when she was ready." The old woman sat down doggedly, the years showing in her movement "If they couldn't find her you never will. No one knows why she goes and Kyia refuses to talk about it".
"So we just leave her?" He replied in incredulous disbelief.
Anice nodded, "She can take care of herself and she knows these lands better than anyone on the planet. I'll say this much, she really chooses her moments".
He re-read the message, "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is coming here? That solves that mystery, she thinks she is facing the Sith Lord"
"And Master Yoda two days afterwards" She saw Obi Wan wince at the combination "I think she needs time to gather herself before the approaching mist"
"She must be alarmed"
Anice stood and shook her head chastising, "There is more in Kyia than any of us realise, what ever comes, I have never doubted that she has the strength to face it"
Obi Wan stayed silent in reply, Anice was correct about one thing, there was more to Kyia than anyone realised, he had noticed that she was a woman who kept her secrets, and he would probably never know a parsec's worth. "I still wish she had taken somebody with her"
"I think that defeats the exercise"
Obi Wan laid his cloak over a chair in defeat, "It also defeats my mandate. A goodbye would have been prudent"
Once again the old woman saw straight through him, "You would have never let her go, The Force knows I wouldn't" she paused "And the note was as close to a goodbye as she ever gets. If anyone asks she's off world for diplomatic reasons"
The Jedi Knight gave up "Fine, but I still do not agree"
Anice sighed "Now you know how I've felt for the past twenty five rotations" The way she pronounced it told the Jedi she meant years and not days.
Kyia looked at the dual moons from her perch in a tall Hevior. The tree had long ebony black branches with dark green spear shaped leaves that created the upper canopy on Elphora. A yellow Naxt vine wound its way around the tallest species on Elphora and Kyia had expertly climbed it to get as high as she could before the branches became too weak to hold her. From this height she could look down on the entire forest, spotting other plants that her mother had taught the names of when she was young. Below she saw the large brick red star shaped leaves of the Yi-ad. She remembered her mother's voice telling her how when the mists descended upon Elphora and covered everything with it's sticky dew the leaves caught the moisture in the wells in the centre of the leaves to survive in the drier seasons. Kyia saw in her minds eye her mother pointing out the species that drank from them, telling her in-depth how they supported ecosystems. It was all she had ever wanted in life, to spend it out here amongst the forest discovering new plants and new uses for them, and she had missed not being here. Many times she had tried to escape from her rigorous routine of training to be a Jedi, Quelena and member of the Guard, and many times duty had dragged her back. Anice had once told her that the reason her parents had only one child was to make sure that she did not find away to escape her destiny by passing it on to a sibling. They were right, there was a time when she would have done anything not to be crowned.
Briefly Kyia considered whether Obi Wan had found out yet. "His reaction is going to be interesting," she said out loud.
He would not understand, maybe he could learn to, she thought, but not today, not now.
She looked down at the distant ground. It was a long way down. Kyia shrugged then stood up upon the branch, and then she jumped.
The wind roared past her ears as she fell, her body perfectly rigid, falling feet first with her arms stretched towards the sky. The forest floor moved closer at an alarming speed, a few metres before she hit the ground, a consequence that would certainly kill her she grasped for a the limb of a tree with both hands. She swung her body around it a few times to reduce her velocity then jumped to the floor. Kyia landed in a crouch only slightly winded, a smile on her face.
"That's something I haven't done in awhile". It was only now that she started to realise the real reason why she had come out here. She walked over to the lower leaves of a Yi-ad and drank deeply, her thirst disappeared instantly; next she went in search of food. The Jedi Knight did not have to look far, at the base of another Hevior tree was a bush containing large dark blue seedpods. She picked one and cracked it open, spooning the porridge like substance out with her fingers. Kyia smiled again remembering how she had lived off the forest for weeks at a time, much to her family's annoyance. She wandered amongst the trees, picking at it absently, suddenly her ears picked up a roaring sound. Anticipation filled her; she knew what it was.
Obi Wan was alone meditating in his room but he could not seem to reach the calm that meant he was one with the Force. He sighed knowing blatantly what the problem was. The Jedi half smiled knowing that the development of his over-protectiveness of her would amuse her.
/I'm okay/ a brief touch through the Force came from Kyia but then she retreated back into the shadows.
It made him feel better, but whatever she working through he felt useless. "I should be there, I should be…" He stopped suddenly realising his statement. "She's right I am a control freak". But in reality he knew he would have to face up to the fact that he was starting to care for her more than he should.
Kyia moved like a whisper through the forest. The roaring became louder and the trees cleared to reveal a giant waterfall that fell from a high crag, the water pooling at the bottom before it continued its run underground. She dived in; it was refreshingly cool against her skin as always her skin and hair colour changed to a silky turquoise blue. She swam deeper and deeper. Elphorans were descended from amphibious mammals, although most of the population had lost the ability, a few remained able to breathe underwater. This was the reason Kyia had never been found when searched for, the water was her private world. The light evaporated as she went deeper to the warmer waters heated from the planets porous crust. On the lakebed she curled up in a long leafed planet that flickered in the current like a candle flame. The Jedi Knight briefly thought of Obi Wan.
/I'm okay/ was the message she sent to him. He would be worried, but at least he was not going to try and find her, if he were he would have done it already.
Lulled by the water she drifted into a calm dreamless sleep.
She awoke refreshed, although it was dark her eyes could make out a brief light like a diamond on the surface, she kicked her legs towards it and surfaced.
Kyia took a deep breath, she choked and threw up the water in her lungs "I hate that part", the automatic reflex removed the water to prevent suffocation. She swam gracefully to shore, vaulted up on to the bank and edged around to the waterfall. The sound of the water was almost deafening but she knew it would be worth it, she put her hands over her ears and slipped behind it. The waterfall was deceptive; it was in fact two stationed directly above each other. The lower river had cut out a path into the rock that most missed unless they studied the falls closely. The cave was wide from where the river had shrunk over the centuries, but it was old with carvings of vines and handprints embossed into the rock. She put her hand against one of them wondering, not for the first time who they belonged to. She had put her own here years ago. In a place where the river curved to leave a ledge out of the water she sat and took a deep breath running through her mediation exercises, calming her mind of the chaos so she could think. Kyia knew why she had come here, to gain strength, clarity and above all power over her enemies. She could not afford to have weaknesses anymore. Her mind began to slip deep into its subconscious where it would remain until it was time to return.
