Youthful Mistakes: Part 2

By KnightMara

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. The Great Flanneled One does! All hail George Lucas!

This takes place a year after Youthful Mistakes Part 1.

A year later, with memories of his trip to the hospital fading into the back of his mind, Luke was ready to start testing his limits once more. It was easy for a teenager to get bored on a desert planet, and Luke was certainly no exception. With the harvest over, and endless months of monotony ahead, the boy was growing exceedingly restless. In addition, his bond with his Uncle Owen had begun to fray at the edges again as Luke consistently tried to assert his independence and Owen pulled tightly on the reins. It was only a matter of time before the two of them were at it again, and Luke was trying desperately to avoid the inevitable blow up at all costs.

At this moment, it meant getting out of the house. He didn't care where he went or what he did, so long as he was not around to somehow walk into trouble, as he seemed wont to do lately. He'd already been yelled at twice this week, and it had taken all of his reserve not mouth off in return. Even though he knew now, without a doubt, that his uncle loved him dearly, it didn't make living with the man any easier. Owen was still gruff, still stubborn, and still apt to push Luke's buttons. Luke had quickly learned that the best way to avoid this was to avoid him.

He slipped into the kitchen where Aunt Beru was putting away the breakfast dishes.

"I'm going over to Windy's," he told her.

She spun on him with an incredulous look. "And just how are you supposed to get there?"

Startled by the quickness of her response, he stammered, "I'll walk?"

Clearly, she'd been expecting him to come in here and say something like this, for she replied rather quickly, "You are not walking across the desert to get to Windy's by yourself."

"But, Aunt Beru–" he pleaded.

She shook her head resolutely.

"But Biggs is visiting family somewhere, Tank broke his leg last week, and Deak seems to be permanently grounded!" Luke complained. "And I'm bored out of my mind!"

"Whining won't get you anywhere," she stated firmly. She watched as Luke's gaze lowered in disappointment and embarrassment, and she smiled. She'd gotten him. "So, you'll just have to suck it up and catch a ride with your old aunt."

Luke looked up to meet her amused gaze and the corners of his lips twitched. "You prepared for that one, didn't you?"

She responded with a playful pat on the head. "What good is having a teenaged nephew if you can't tease him every once in a while?"

Luke merely rolled is eyes.

Beru laughed. "Just give me a minute to get finished here, and then I'll take you over there."

He quickly kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Aunt Beru." He then dashed to his room to gather a few things.

She watched him go, a sympathetic smile tugging on her lips. This was no place for a boy to grow up, she mused. But it was the only safe place for him in the galaxy. Quickly putting away the rest of the dishes, she took off her apron and headed for the garage. She called loudly, "Come on, Luke."

"Coming!"

In a few minutes, they were cruising across the desert toward Windy's farm. Like the Lars, Windy's family were moisture farmers, so they had a lot in common in that respect. Beru also regarded Windy's mother as a dear friend, and the two boys would often laugh at the women's desperate need for each other's company when their husbands were away. They'd exchange recipes, complain about their respective husbands' behavior, and exchange stories about their teenage boys. Usually, they'd end up giggling like a pair of schoolgirls, which almost always drove the two boys out of the house in search of escape.

Unfortunately for them, the boys were not as close as the two women were. Luke saw Windy as one of Fixer's buddies who was merely to be tolerated for the sake of company, and Windy saw Luke as the goofy, dreamy kid that he just didn't get. But both of them realized that on a desert planet, one couldn't get too choosy about his friends, so they made the best out of their time together.

Noting Windy's face as he made his way to the garage upon arrival, however, Luke could see that making the best out of things might be difficult on this occasion.

"What's that look, Windy?" he demanded as he stepped into the garage.

Windy fixed him with an intensified version of the same look and answered, "It's the What's-Luke-Skywalker-planning-that-will-nearly-get-us-both-killed' look. I'm surprised you didn't recognize it."

"Oh, come on," Luke remarked easily. "When have I ever nearly gotten you killed?"

"Nearly got yourself killed," Windy argued.

Luke laughed. "That's different. Besides, it was Biggs' fault, anyway."

"Yeah, right," Windy murmured dismissively. "So, really, what's on your agenda for today? Why're you out here?"

With a shrug, Luke explained, "My aunt drove me out here with her cause she's visiting your mom and I was bored silly."

"Oh no." Windy threw Luke a look that spoke of countless agonizing sessions of listening to those women talk.

"Exactly," said Luke, mirroring his expression. "So I felt it would be a good day to have an adventure."

Luke didn't miss a single implication in his friend's wary expression. "What kind of adventure?"

"Well, what haven't we done yet?"

"Considering that we're both barely fifteen years-old, plenty."

Luke blew his bangs from his forehead in an exasperated huff. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And you're crazy," Windy shot back.

"So everyone keeps telling me," Luke remarked dryly.

Windy shook his head, frustrated that Luke seemed bent on doing something exciting. "Well, look. I've gotta feed my dewback, so come with me and we'll think of something." He headed toward the door and bent down to grab the large crate of feed capsules.

Luke closed the distance between them in two steps and spun Windy around excitedly. "Since when do you have a dewback?"

Windy's panic was evident in his expression. "Since last week. Why?"

Luke jumped gleefully like a two year-old. "Yes!"

"Luke, whatever you're thinking, forget it."

"Oh, come on," Luke pleaded, gripping the other boy by the shoulders. "Haven't you wanted to ride him yet?"

Windy purposefully disengaged Luke's grip. "Yeah, and I rode HER the day I got her."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "And how far did you go?"

It was obvious where this was headed, and Windy could only shrug his shoulders weakly. "We went along the farm perimeter," he muttered under his breath.

"That's it?" the other boy cried. "Well, then I think it's high time you rode that girl out into the great wide open and had some fun!" He hefted the crate and began lugging it to the garage door. "Where is she?"

Knowing he was defeated, Windy replied simply. "Around the side. I'll show you."

A half-hour later, Luke was gleefully perched atop the dewback with Windy who was trying his hardest not to enjoy himself as they rode across the desert.
"Isn't this great?" Luke exclaimed.

Trying to appear as unaffected by their trip as possible, Windy shrugged. "I guess it's all right."

The corners of Luke's mouth curled upward at Windy's feigned lack of interest. "How fast can she go?"

That sparked a reaction. Windy quickly turned back to look at Luke who rode behind him, and shook his head vigorously. "No, Luke. I'm not going to tire her out just because you want a little excitement in your life."

"But she wants to run," Luke argued. He reached down and patted the dewback's scaly hide. "Don't ya', girl?"

The dewback seemed to rumble in agreement, but Windy continued to protest. "No way!"

Luke ignored him and kept talking to the dewback. "You want ol' boring Windy here to let you have a little fun, huh? Yes you do. Good girl."

"She's a dumb, stupid animal! She doesn't know what she wants!"

Luke began to laugh. "Relax, Windy," he giggled. "I seriously doubt that my telling her to run is going to make her–"

The beast suddenly lurched forward and began the dewback equivalent of a sprint, silencing both boys' arguments and forcing them to cling to her for dear life. As the wind whipped by his ears, Luke was actually impressed by the speed at which the large lizard was able to run. He had never seen a dewback at a gallop before, and he'd only been teasing when he'd pressed for speed, not realizing that she would actually be able to achieve quite a good deal of momentum out here in the open.
"I'm so going to kill you, Luke!" he heard Windy cry over the sound of the wind.

Luke chose to ignore his threat and called back, "Where is she taking us?"

Windy said nothing as he tried to identify their destination. Suddenly, he swore. "We're heading for the Wastes, Luke!"

"What?"

"Hope you brought a survival pack," was Windy's reply.

"Get her to turn around!" Luke's voice rose to a panicky squeak as he surveyed the passing landscape.

"You made her run!" Windy snapped back.

Luke winced. "Not on purpose!"

Just then, the beast seemed to lose steam, and she began to slow down.

"She's tiring out," observed Windy.

Luke grimaced. Leave it to Windy to state the obvious. "So now what?" he asked as the dewback slowed to a halt.

Windy gave him a clueless stare. "Don't really know. Guess we let her rest up?"

Luke nodded and slid off the animal's back. Windy started to follow, but Luke signaled for him to stay. "Just in case she tries to gallop again."

Windy cocked an eyebrow down at him. "Well, what makes you think I'd come back to pick you up if she did? Or if I could, even?"

Shading his eyes from the glare of the sun, Luke replied curtly, "My uncle would kill you if you didn't."

Windy looked unimpressed. "Sith knows I'm terrified of Owen Lars," he muttered dryly.

Luke chose to ignore his comment and moved to stand by the dewback's head. Placing a hand on the animal's "snout," he murmured, "Easy, girl."

The dewback jerked her head and gave a loud, irritated snort, causing Luke to quickly yank his hand away.

From his perch, Windy laughed. "I don't think she likes you all that much right now."

"Yeah, well I'm not too fond of her myself, either." He quickly moved to her side and climbed back up onto her back. "Let's see if she'll take us back home or if she wants to wander around in the Wastes for a while."

"Ugh," the other groaned. "Let's just hope she doesn't have a fondness for this place."

An hour later, the two sun-baked boys were still wandering about the Wastes on the back of a very independent dewback who appeared, in fact, to have a very distinct fondness for the place.

"Do you think she'll ever turn around?" Luke grumbled.

"I don't want to hear another word out of you, Skywalker," Windy replied hotly. "Or I'm throwing you off."

Luke glared at the back of his head, but kept his mouth shut. No sense in provoking the other boy any further. After this whole ordeal, Luke would be lucky if any of Fixer's group spoke to him again. Windy would be sure to tell them all how Luke had gotten them stranded out in the Wastes while seeking adventure in the desert, and it would be another mark on his already shaky reputation. Sighing, he peered out into the desert, hoping things would get better. And soon.

Staring out at the landscape to avoid Windy's wrath, Luke noticed the danger a split second before Windy did. "Is that a--?"

"Canyon," Windy finished in alarm. Directly in front of them, a few hundred meters out, was a narrow crevice in the sand that had not been invisible from a distance. Now, however, they were headed right toward it at a steady pace, and the dewback seemed intent on bringing them right to the edge of it. Unwavering in her course, she plodded along toward the sheer drop that was coming ever closer.

"Does she see it?" Luke cried.

"She must," replied Windy. "No animal is dumb enough to walk right over the edge of a canyon."

No sooner had the words come out of his mouth than he was already questioning their validity.

Luke shared his doubt. "Windy, I think your dewback is on a suicide mission. And we're on her back!"

Windy was frantically issuing commands to the animal, but to no avail. He couldn't lose his first pet and his only way out of this desert, but the animal did not seem to hear or care.

"Windy, I suggest we jump before we ride her right over the edge," Luke cried.

"Luke, this is my pet!"

"Well, your pet is going to get us both killed!" He quickly started to scramble off its back as the lip of the canyon loomed right in front of them.

At that very moment, the animal seemed to snap out of her daze, and she reared back in alarm. Luke, in his scramble, was knocked off balance, and he rolled off her back to land right at the edge of the cliff. Pushing himself away from the edge, he turned in horror as the startled animal bucked, kicked, and shook with Windy still clinging to her back. Then he watched helplessly as Windy finally lost his grip and was thrown from the animal that suddenly went charging into the desert. Momentum carried Windy to the edge of the cliff and over, even as he frantically clawed at rock and sand to stop his fall.

Frozen in fear, Luke could only stare as his friend slid into the canyon and disappeared from sight. It took a second before he could find his voice. "Windy!" he cried. "Windy!"

"Help!" came the frantic reply.

Cautiously, Luke eased himself to the edge of the precipice and peered down. He spotted Windy just a few feet below him, gripping the rock wall and struggling to maintain his hold. The boy's fingers were trembling with the effort, and his feet continued to slip from every purchase they could manage as rocks went tumbling to the canyon floor about a hundred feet below.

"Luke," his strained voice called. "Help me. I'm gonna fall."

"You're not gonna fall," Luke countered, trying to sound calmer than he felt. Judging from Windy's fingers, a fall was more than likely. "Just hang on."

"What do you think I'm tryin' to do?" was Windy's rankled answer.

Luke looked around, searching for any sign of the packs they'd had with them. Nothing. "Damn beast rode off with our packs!" he yelled.

"What?"

"I've got nothin' up here, Windy," Luke panicked. "No rope, no survival gear, nothin'! I don't know how I'm gonna get you back up here."

"Well, think of something, Skywalker!" Windy shouted back. "'Cause I'm startin' to slip, here!"

Every swear that his Uncle had ever told him not so say poured out of Luke's mouth in the next few minutes as he searched for some way to rescue his friend. Stripping off his tunic, he'd dangled it over the edge to use in the place of rope, but it was far too short. Pulling off his pants would take too long due to his boots, so that was out of the question. Grimacing, he realized there was only one way out of this. Down.

"Windy," he called tentatively, knowing that the other boy was not going to be pleased with Luke's assessment of the situation, "there's no way to pull you back up."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"How good are you at rock climbing?"

"Huh?" Windy's gaze was unbelieving as he stared up at Luke. Realization dawned on him. "You mean you want me to try to climb up?"

Luke shook his head. "I think it would be easier if you tried climbing down instead."

This time it was Windy's turn to swear. "Is that all your blasted brain could come up with?"

"Look, I'll help," Luke started, trying to convince him.

"And just how are you going to do that?"

Instead of answering, Luke flattened himself on his stomach at the edge of the canyon and slowly slid his legs over the edge. His feet scrambled for support as his fingers dug into the rocky crevices of the canyon lip. As he slowly lowered himself downward, his feet finally found purchase. He heard Windy's sharp intake of breath beside him.

"You're insane!" the other boy cried, his voice beginning to tremble as much as his fingers. "Now we're both in trouble."

Luke turned to his companion. "Quit wasting energy and follow me. We're gonna head sideways, toward that outcropping of rock right there." He jerked his head toward where he'd spotted the slight jutting stones.

"And how the hell am I supposed to move sideways?" Windy was clearly terrified.

Luke took a calming breath, realizing he was going to have to be the one to keep his cool. "Put your right foot right there, on that rock." Unable to point with his fingers, he was forced to use his nose to indicate the correct rock.

"Which one?" Windy gasped. "This one?" He slid his right foot toward Luke and the rock that he'd indicated. When Luke nodded, Windy placed his foot down on the stone and was relieved when it held his weight. It took a bit of the strain off of his fingers. "Now what?"

"Hang on," Luke grunted as he shifted his own position slightly to the right. "Okay, put your fingers right up there and put your feet where mine just were."

Windy complied, but Luke could see that his arms were starting to tremble. They'd have to move a little bit faster, or Windy's proclamation that he'd fall would become a fact. He shifted to his right once again, not so easily this time, as rock debris was stirred loose by his fingers and went tumbling down the wall. When he'd finally managed to get a handhold, he motioned to Windy to slide into his former position. This continued until they were almost to the rocky lip that Luke had indicated. It was then that Luke noticed that his own arms were beginning to ache and tremble. If he was beginning to tire, Windy must be in agony. He tried to quicken his pace. His fingers slid into the next crevice and he shifted his weight. The sandstone didn't hold.

Luke felt his hand hold give, a fraction before he felt himself sliding downward. His cheek scraped along the rock and his fingers tensed, straining to catch on something before he fell to his death. His foot struck solid rock, and he quickly dug his fingers into whatever holes he could find in the surrounding rock wall. His downward motion stopped abruptly, and he drew a trembling breath.

"Luke! Luke, you okay?!"

Realizing that he'd squeezed his eyes shut during his slide, Luke opened them again and looked up at Windy's terrified expression. "Yeah," he croaked out of a mouth bone dry from fear. Swallowing to work moisture back onto his vocal chords, he tried again. "Yeah, I'm fine." His cheek burned like fire and his hands stung from scraping along the wall trying to find a hold, but he was in one piece. "I don't recommend following my route down, though."

Windy managed a weak laugh. "So now what?"

Luke didn't know how to answer. He was at a loss as to how to talk Windy down, seeing as he'd nearly killed himself. Then it hit him. He'd slid down the rock face, not fallen or tumbled. That must mean that it was a steep slope, not a rock wall. Maybe his route was the best way down. "Do you mind getting a little scraped up?" he shouted upward.

"I'd rather not, thanks."

"The canyon wall is on a slope, I think. The best way down might actually be what I just did."

Windy swore at the top of his lungs. "Luke, are you out of your mind!"

Windy's exclamation had the corners of Luke's mouth twitching in spite of himself. "Actually, I think I am. But we've still got to make it down, and I don't know if there is another way."

Any further comment from Windy went unsaid as the boy's handhold chose that moment to crumble into rock and sand. Whether he wanted to or not, he was now sliding toward the canyon floor, scrambling to stop himself even as he realized the futility of his efforts. Seeing his friend's frantic slide down the wall, Luke allowed himself to begin sliding as well. Windy hit the canyon floor first, rolling onto the ground and coming to lie upon his back. Luke tumbled to lie beside him seconds later.

The two boys remained still for a moment, panting and wincing from numerous cuts, scrapes and bruises. After a moment, Luke spoke up.

"You alive, Windy?"

Windy groaned. "I think so. Otherwise, I wouldn't hurt this much."

Luke offered a weak laugh. "Well, I guess you decided to take my suggestion at least."

"Not intentionally," snorted Windy. "I lost my grip."

Shifting to a sitting position and grimacing at all the aches and pains in his banged up body, Luke sighed. "At least we're still alive."

Windy remained prone on the ground. "That's not saying much. We've got no food, no water, and no transportation." He blinked at the sky. "And it'll be getting dark soon."

Still taking inventory of his body, Luke stood. His cheek and his palms were on fire, and his shoulder felt a bit out of whack, but nothing appeared to be serious. At least his legs appeared to work fine. "So, we'll just have to hike back."

That brought Windy up to sit and stare at Luke in disbelief. "Travel the Wastes on foot?"

"People have done it."

"Yeah, crazy people! Like that weird Kenobi guy they tell stories about."

Luke sighed at his companion's pessimism. "Look, if he can do it, we can do it." He extended his arm down to help Windy up.

Windy grudgingly took his arm, but winced in pain as he started to stand. "Shavit! My ankle!" He dropped back to the ground with a quick intake of breath. "Sith, that hurts!"

With a furrowed brow, Luke dropped to his knees beside the other boy. "Which ankle?"

"The right one," groaned Windy "I should've known better than to come out here with you. You're bad luck!"

"Thanks," Luke replied distractedly as he tried to examine the injury. Moving it slightly he asked, "Does this hurt?"

"Sithspawn, yes!"

Satisfied, Luke lowered the injured ankle and sighed, "Well, at least it doesn't seem to be broken."

"How the blazes would you know if it's broken or not?"

Luke looked up at his friend's face with an expression that clearly showed that the answer was obvious. But as he was about to explain how he knew, he suddenly realized that he really had no idea how he knew. Luke froze, wondering how he'd been so sure that the ankle wasn't broken. How had it happened that he'd almost seen the bones in his mind's eye? That he'd been able to tell that the injury was more than likely a simple sprain or strained ligament? Feeling like a total fool, he simply stammered, "I j-just know."

Windy just stared at him for a moment before saying, "You're a real freak, Skywalker."

Still baffled and unable to come up with a suitable retort, Luke stared at the ground quietly. It was a long and uncomfortable period of silence that followed as both boys tried to assess the situation and figure a way out of it.

Realizing that sitting and thinking would get them nowhere, and that Luke wasn't about to start talking, Windy decided to try to reopen the channels of communication. Of course, he would do it his way. "By the way, Skywalker, your face looks awful."

Luke glanced up at him, putting a hand to his tender cheek as he did so. It was raw, sticky, and painful from being scraped along the rocky wall. He could feel the blood starting to cake to his skin and he grimaced. "Hope it doesn't leave a scar."

"Planning on being a ladies man?" Windy teased.

Luke grinned. "Holovids, actually," he joked in response. Both boys laughed weakly.

The tension broken, Windy turned back to the situation at hand. "So, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, as you pointed out, we've got no food, no water, and no transportation. And you've got a twisted ankle." He paused. "Which means, our best bet is to try to immobilize that foot and stick to the original plan."

"You mean try to hike out of here?"

Luke nodded. "Unless you want to stick around and keep the womp rats company."

As if punctuating his words, there appeared at that moment one of the very animals Luke had just mentioned. Crawling along the wall as though investigating the clamor the two boys had made by falling into the canyon, a meter-long, hair covered rodent began making it's way toward them. Although usually a pack hunter, this womp rat appeared to be alone, which was highly fortunate. One was usually bad enough.

Rising swiftly to his feet, Luke snatched a fist-sized rock and spun on the creature in one swift motion, hurling the rock with as much force and precision as he could muster. The rodent, still about fifty yards away, dodged the missile easily, but he appeared to be discouraged from his prey. He did not turn away, but he did not move another step toward them either. Luke snatched a second rock and threatened it once more.

"Go away!" he shouted as he launched the second stone toward the animal. Again, the creature dodged the stone, but he seemed to get the message and sauntered away into the rocks.

Luke turned back toward Windy. "Still want to hang around?"

But Windy was already struggling to his feet. "I'll hobble along with you, so long as you keep a few of those rocks handy."

Luke grinned dryly. "Deal. Now let's see if we can find our way out of here."

The canyon soon became engulfed in shadow as the twin suns neared the horizon, but still the two boys walked on. Luke could tell that Windy was bravely trying not to gasp in pain with each step, but it was obvious how painful his injury was. For his own part, Luke was holding up rather well, although the side of his face throbbed and his hands were practically useless through the scratches and the pain. His arm muscles were not in much better shape, and he imagined that Windy's shoulders must have been aching twice as much as his own were. After all, Windy had had to hold on for nearly twice as long before taking the same slide down the rocky wall. Luke noted, however, that Windy appeared have fewer scrapes than he did. But then again, the trade off had been a twisted ankle. One that was becoming increasingly difficult to walk on in this blasted canyon that appeared to have no end.

"Why don't we stop for a minute?" Luke suggested, sensing the other's pain.

Windy shook his head. "I want to get out of here as quickly as we can."

Realizing that he was going to have to insist, Luke put a hand on each of the other boy's shoulders and gently lowered him to a rock. "Sit down. Get your weight off that foot for a second."

"I'm fine, Luke," Windy argued. "I just want to get home." He made no effort to stand again, however.

Luke noticed. "I want to get home, too. But there's no sense pushing it if it's going to make me have to carry you half the way." He looked around and added, "Besides, at the rate we're going, we won't get home until tomorrow at the earliest. So I don't think a few minutes is going to matter all that much."

"Tomorrow?" Windy sprang to his feet, ignoring his throbbing ankle. "What do you mean, tomorrow?"

Raising his hands in a placating gesture, Luke answered calmly, "Windy, take a look around. We're deep in the canyon, there are more shadows than sunlight, and the more we walk the more likely we are to get lost. I think it would be better to rest now and get your ankle better so that we'll be better able to get home at all."

Dropping back down to sit on his rock, Windy shook his head in disbelief. "We are so dead. My parents will kill me, your uncle will kill you, and that's only if the Sandpeople and womp rats don't get to us first! How did I ever let you talk me into this?"

"It didn't take much."

"It was your stupid idea! See if I ever join you on one of your crazy adventures again!"

"Let's just try to make the best of the situation."

"The best?" cried Windy, turning red in fury. "The best will be if I kill you myself to make me feel better about this whole damn thing, Luke! That's what the best would be! I'm sick and tired of you and your crazy ideas! Always getting yourself and the people around you into trouble! Always dreaming about being a hero and going on adventures! When are you going to grow up, Skywalker? You're a farmer! You're no hero! And neither is Biggs! You two are just a bunch of losers who can't get over the truth that you are always going to be losers! You live on Tatooine! This isn't Alderaan! This isn't Corsuscant! It ain't even Dantooine! It's Tatooine, the planet farthest from the center of the universe as you're going to get!"

"Just shut up, Windy!" Luke screamed, matching him tone for tone, and anger for anger. "I know who I am and I know where I'm from! And I'm not going to sit here and let someone with no dreams and no desires tell me that I'm a loser and will never get anywhere! My father was a pilot! He got off this rock! And so will I!"

"Your father is dead, Skywalker!"

Luke felt the center of his body grow cold as ice as his rage rushed to his cheeks and his fist. In an instant, his whole world went white hot and thunderous as the blood roared through his ears, deafening him and blinding him to thought and action. He felt his body move through the haze of fury, but he was powerless to recognize or control it. In the next instant, he was clutching his aching knuckles while Windy lay crumpled at his feet. Luke's face and body were covered in a sheen of cold sweat, and he was panting as realization dawned on him. He'd somehow just decked Windy. And he didn't even remember doing it.

Suddenly weak and shaky, he sat down on the rock Windy had previously occupied and tried to collect his thoughts. He'd always had a temper, but he'd never done anything like that before. Trembling, he ran a hand through his damp hair and drew a deep breath. How hard had he hit him? Was Windy hurt? He'd have to apologize, that was certain. He'd have to apologize for what he'd done. But he wasn't sure how to go about doing that. He didn't know what to say. He'd never been any kind of fighter. A racer, but no fighter. This was something new. The guilt that now washed over him began to settle cold and hard in his stomach where the rage had just been. He felt ill. He felt confused. He felt wrong.

"I'm so sorry."

Luke blinked. Had he spoken? He didn't remember actually saying the words.

"I should never have said that. I'm so sorry."

Blinking again, Luke focused his eyes on the face of his companion. Windy was now looking back at him with a countenance that spoke of pain and shame intermingled. It took Luke a few moments to realize that it had been Windy who had apologized. But why had Windy apologized to him? Wasn't it Luke who had done the wrong?

"Luke, I'm sorry," Windy pleaded. "Say something."

Baffled, bewildered, and sick with confusion and the aftermath of his rage, Luke tried to answer. He couldn't. Swallowing back nausea, he shook his head, and rubbed his sore fist, and searched for a way to explain to Windy that it was he who was at fault. When at last he managed to form words, the words he spoke weren't exactly what he intended.

"You okay?"

Windy now looked as baffled as Luke did. "Yeah, Luke," he finally stammered. "I'm okay. Though you sure got me good. I'll have a shiner tomorrow, for sure."

Luke only nodded, still unable to gather the right words to apologize. "I was worried I'd hurt you."

Windy gave a weak laugh. "Well, you did. But I definitely deserved it." He paused. "I'm really sorry, Luke. I had no right."

Again, Luke nodded. He still wanted to apologize, to erase the guilt that sat inside him like an unwelcome parasite, but he no longer felt it was necessary. What had transpired would suffice. "We'll camp here, tonight. We'll rest up, with one of us on watch at all times, and then get an early start tomorrow. I'll take first watch."

Windy shook his head in argument. "I'll take first watch. With my ankle and my eye throbbing like they are right now, I won't get much sleep anyway. Besides, I kinda' owe you after that."

Confused, but not amazed at the other boy, Luke stared at him and nodded. He was suddenly very tired, very weary, and very anxious to put what had just happened behind him. The knowledge that his uncle would skin him as soon as he found out about this didn't even really seem to matter. The burden of his error weighed heavily on his conscience. He'd never been so angry, or so physically aggressive. It scared him.

Sliding off the rock, he crossed over to a cool patch of dirt near the shaded wall, and stretched out. Squeezing his eyes shut, he wished for sleep to come. At least for a short time, this day would be forgotten.

It wasn't long before Luke snapped awake in sudden alarm. The sun had set, and darkness now engulfed the canyon. Darting his eyes about to get his bearings and locate Windy, Luke frantically searched his mind for the cause of his unexplained fear. Had he heard something in his sleep? Had he been having a nightmare? As his gaze fell upon Windy, seated just a few yards away and calmly staring up at the stars, Luke began to feel ridiculous. The canyon was quiet, and Windy didn't seem the least bit concerned about anything. So what had frightened him?

Pushing himself up from the ground, he tried not to appear anxious as he moved quietly to Windy's side. "How's it going, Windy?" he whispered.

"Not bad," was the reply. Windy turned to study Luke with a puzzled expression. "You ready to take the next shift or something?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I'll take over."

"You sure?" Windy's voice seemed odd in the darkness. Almost fearful. Or was it just Luke's imagination?

"Yeah, I'm sure," he answered, laying a reassuring hand on Windy's shoulder. He was dismayed when the other boy flinched at the touch. He tried to get a good look at Windy's face, but it was hard to make out in the darkness. "You okay?"

Windy rose and crossed over to the spot where Luke had been asleep just a few moments earlier. Without turning to face him, he answered, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired." He plopped down on the ground and mumbled, "Have a good watch, Skywalker." And that was that.

Luke was startled by the abruptness of the entire exchange. Staring at the spot where his companion had stretched out on the ground, he sat and wondered at the boy's strange behavior. Something he'd done had somehow scared Windy, but he wasn't sure what or how. Luke wasn't exactly used to being feared. Most commonly, he was the one being bullied, usually because he was so different from the others at Anchorhead. The only people he could truly relate to were Biggs and Tank. They were the only boys beside himself who even considered the possibility of an exciting existence somewhere else, away from the dullness of Tatooine. But even they were people Luke tended to look up to. It was never the other way around. And being feared actually scared him.

"Windy?" He hoped the other boy hadn't fallen asleep yet.

The reply was a muffled, "Hmm?"

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He needed to mend the situation, and quickly. Something was nagging the back of his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Something that seemed almost like it was trying to warn him of some impending danger. Remembering the last time he'd felt such a sensation, he refused to ignore it. And if what he felt was right, the last thing he wanted was a companion who was uncomfortable in his presence.

Taking a deep breath, he plowed ahead. "Windy, I'm sorry for decking you back there. I don't know what came over me, or why I did what I did. It was wrong of me to react that way. And you definitely did not deserve it." He paused, waiting for a reply from the other boy. He heard shuffling and was able to make out the dim form of Windy sitting up in the darkness to stare back at him.

"What about all that stuff you said?" the boy finally spoke after a time.

Luke stared back at him, thoroughly puzzled. He didn't remember saying anything at all. Then again, if not for the blackening circle under Windy's eye, he wouldn't have known he'd punched him either. "Windy, I don't even remember what I said to you, but whatever it was, I didn't really mean it." What exactly had he said? Was that what had scared Windy so much?

Windy remained silent for a long moment. Luke began to wonder if he was ever going to speak up. Then finally, "Yeah, I guess it was just the anger talking." Windy's voice began to sound more normal with those words.

Still curious about what he'd said, answered, "Yeah, I guess it was."

"You'd never be so bold!" Windy laughed outright.

Luke forced himself to laugh along, although he wondered what it was that he'd said that had been "so bold." Putting more humor than he felt into his voice, he verbally agreed, "I guess not." He smiled. At least, Windy had loosened up again. He could feel better about that, couldn't he?

"So you gonna' tell me how you did that trick?"

Windy's question brought a curious frown back to Luke's face. "What trick?"

"The one where you managed to nearly choke me and punch me at the same time."

Luke suddenly felt like he was being choked himself. Swallowing hard, he tried to push back the growing panic he inexplicably felt at Windy's words. Or was it the growing sense of impending danger in the back of his mind? Fighting against rising fear on two fronts, Luke nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the cry that suddenly echoed through the canyon.

"What was that?" screamed Windy.

Voiceless and breathless, with his mouth agape, Luke shook his head in utter incomprehension.

The cry repeated itself. The high-pitched wail made both boys' blood run cold as it traveled along the walls of the canyon and was then joined by several more of the same. The faint sound of claws scraping sand and rock could also be heard below the din of the numerous shrieks, and the boys looked at each other in horror.

"Womp rats?" Windy whispered.

Luke nodded dumbly.

Windy's eyes glazed over in fear. "How many rocks you got by you?" he stammered.

Luke tried to swallow in a throat suddenly gone dry. "Not enough," he croaked.

By the sound of it, an entire pack of the giant rodents was now travelling through the canyon on the very same path that the boys had taken this afternoon. More than likely, they were following the scent of the two wounded companions, which meant that an escape was highly improbable, unless they thought of something very quickly. Individually, womp rats were not terribly difficult to deal with; but as pack hunters, they were lethal. Some of the leaders could grow to almost two meters in length. Throwing rocks at them was now the furthest thing from Luke's mind. So were any other potential solutions.

Breathing rapidly, the two boys pressed themselves back against the canyon walls and into the shadows, hoping that at least they wouldn't give themselves away by sight.

Luke tried not to stammer as he asked, "Windy, how fast can you run on that ankle?"

Now it was Windy's turn to be speechless. He shook his head, which was enough to tell Luke that it wasn't going to happen.

The cries and scurrying noises grew louder, and Luke's breathing quickened as he pressed his back even harder against the wall, hoping it would swallow him. That suddenly gave him an idea. Maybe if they moved along the wall, they'd find a cave or a crevice they could hide in until morning. He nudged Windy beside him, and the two of them began to scramble along the walls themselves, searching for any kind of hiding place the canyon could afford.

Only solid rock greeted them in their search, as the cries grew ever closer. Desperate, Luke picked up a handful of large stones to hurl as a last resort. He wasn't going to go down without a fight. Maybe if he hit a few, the rest would get discouraged. As unlikely as that scenario was, Luke clung to it as a lifeline. The situation didn't seem about to get any better than that.

To Luke's dismay, at that moment, it suddenly got worse.

An ear-splitting roar shook the canyon and caused Luke to freeze instantaneously as he reached for another rock. Beside him, Windy succumbed to his fear and dropped to the ground in a dead faint. Too afraid to check on his companion, and wishing his own brain would opt for the same response to the sheer terror that gripped him, Luke flattened himself against the rock wall and didn't even dare to breathe. He was peripherally aware of the retreating noises of the womp rat pack, but he was too afraid of whatever it was that had made that horrendous sound to be thankful.

"Luke Skywalker?"

Luke heard the human voice as though the words had been spoken right into his left ear. The sound of it at that moment was enough to finally push him over the edge of his terror. With a strangled gasp, he slid down the wall and collapsed into a lifeless heap beside the unconscious boy who had done the same only moments earlier.