A Mercenary's Tale - Chapter Four
Questions and Answers
I dipped my head into a water well in Anchorhead. People would claim it was a waste of water, but I didn't see it that way and besides no one was looking. I left my eyes open as the water bathed my hair. I watched the swirling branches of purple slide away from my ever greying hair. I closed my eyes softly and shook my head from side to side.
I opened my eyes.
Down in the distance, something was submerging towards me. Fast. I left my head dipped in the water and decided to see what it was. I didn't realise how dark the water was and all of a sudden the object was directly infront of me.
A hand grabbed hold of my collar, threatening to drag me into the well. I grasped the hand, trying to pry the fingers from my collar.
Then a head formed.. This was no object, it was a corpse.
I looked at the head.
It was Revan's head.
I screamed.
I was suddenly pulled up from the well and I looked at Maria "I.. I.." Was all I could stammer.
"Bah.. Weak. What happened?" She asked me. I just stood there, stunned, I kept shaking my head in disbelief.
"I saw a corpse!" I exclaimed to Maria. I watched as she dipped her head in the water to see what I was talking about and she promptly ascended her head again and turned towards me.
"You're talking crap, their's nothing down there, Jaro." Maria sighed. "NOW look. All my hair is wet." She said. I could have sworn she growled but ignored it. "Well, lets get to Parda's Palace." Maria added.
Still shook up from what just happened. I followed Maria to Parda's Palace...
***
"I have a question." I stated to Maria, turning to face her under the dual stars that Tatooine orbited. Maria sighed.
"Shoot." She said back as she carried on walking.
"Your fighting and skill is incredible. I watched how you fought back on Manaan, I've seen impressive fighting before and you match up to it, but, how come you get the look of fear in your eyes during your fights?" I asked her. Maria looked away from me and carried on walking before laughing harshly.
"You're very perceptive, too perceptive. What are you hiding, Jaro?" Maria asked in return.
"Lifes mysteries, battle scars, the usual stuff that grizzled fourty one year olds hide." I replied, running my hand through my hair.
"Fine.. When I fight, I fear. I do not fear death, I fear life itself and the atrocities it brings." Maria said to me, I watched her keenly as her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "Death can never be feared. Once you are dead, their is no one you can hurt but while you are alive you can hurt and you will get hurt. It isn't that I fear hurting my enemies or I fear physical hurt from them. I just fear life, the wrongs it brings, the destructiveness that almost always ensues." Maria took another sad sigh. At least I was getting to know her a bit better now.
"It's not that I haven't been on the side of destroying life, I still am. Life is just.. Misunderstood. And that's my wisdom for today." Maria said to me, rubbing her arms. It was probably some kind of nervous reaction to finally being open for once. *If* you could call *that* being open. It sounded like some kind of Mandalorian battle cry.
"Confusing, almost. But.. If I'm ever approached by anyone needing a Scholar in the arts of brutal philosophy, I'll know where to send them." I replied to Maria, chuckling. Maria chuckled back, at least she was a little loosened up than what she used to be. Parda's Palace was much closer now and our little chat would soon end.
"You're very secretive. So.. What's your philosophy?" Maria asked me, at least their was conversation now instead of ignorant threats. The question made me laugh and I looked away from Maria before deciding on how to answer it.
"Fear death, not life. Death brings the living pain." I replied to her question. Maria nodded and pulled a questionable smirk.
"Not bad, but I think I like to live on the dangerous and confusing side." She stated. Parda's Palace was ever closer now and I watched as Maria stretched and yawned. "What's your aim in life then?" She asked me. Women.. Always questioning a Man's motives.
"My aim in life is to wait." I stated.
"Wait for what?" She asked me, I sighed and rubbed my chin.
"For a beautiful woman." I replied, taking the honest route with Maria.
"Fourty one and you're still waiting, that baffles me." Maria replied, raising an eyebrow at me. "I would have thought you'd be married by now." She added.
"I was. A long, long time ago, kiddo. It's.. Really not something I want to talk about, so can we please carry on?" I told Maria. She frowned at me and nodded in my direction.
"I am thirty one, Jaro. I am no child." Maria told me. I raised my eyebrow, somehow, I didn't believe that.
"You look five years younger at the most." I stated to her. I realised it was a compliment, but it was more me spouting my suspicions off.
"No need to compliment me. I already know how wonderful I am." She replied to me, cockily. I began to laugh.
"My oh my.. You have some guts sister. If you must really know, it wasn't a compliment. I just don't trust you." I told Maria, heatedly. I watched as a sudden blush crept up her cheeks, flustered by the fact that I wasn't complimenting her.
"Well, for retracting your compliment I should really kill you.. But since Parda will make a good job of that himself, I'd rather sit down and watch. Besides, your blood isn't worth getting my hands dirty on." Maria said, seething at my brutal honesty.
"Hmph.. Back to threats again. What is it sister, you can't take the truth?" I asked Maria. Maria stopped and glared at me. I knew this was going to be one of those Carth-gets-a-slap moments but she was promptly disturbed by a gurgled scream coming from the direction of Parda's Palace. Suddenly, Maria and I exchanged a worried glance as we changed our pace from a soft, gentle stroll to a frantic dash.
Questions and Answers
I dipped my head into a water well in Anchorhead. People would claim it was a waste of water, but I didn't see it that way and besides no one was looking. I left my eyes open as the water bathed my hair. I watched the swirling branches of purple slide away from my ever greying hair. I closed my eyes softly and shook my head from side to side.
I opened my eyes.
Down in the distance, something was submerging towards me. Fast. I left my head dipped in the water and decided to see what it was. I didn't realise how dark the water was and all of a sudden the object was directly infront of me.
A hand grabbed hold of my collar, threatening to drag me into the well. I grasped the hand, trying to pry the fingers from my collar.
Then a head formed.. This was no object, it was a corpse.
I looked at the head.
It was Revan's head.
I screamed.
I was suddenly pulled up from the well and I looked at Maria "I.. I.." Was all I could stammer.
"Bah.. Weak. What happened?" She asked me. I just stood there, stunned, I kept shaking my head in disbelief.
"I saw a corpse!" I exclaimed to Maria. I watched as she dipped her head in the water to see what I was talking about and she promptly ascended her head again and turned towards me.
"You're talking crap, their's nothing down there, Jaro." Maria sighed. "NOW look. All my hair is wet." She said. I could have sworn she growled but ignored it. "Well, lets get to Parda's Palace." Maria added.
Still shook up from what just happened. I followed Maria to Parda's Palace...
***
"I have a question." I stated to Maria, turning to face her under the dual stars that Tatooine orbited. Maria sighed.
"Shoot." She said back as she carried on walking.
"Your fighting and skill is incredible. I watched how you fought back on Manaan, I've seen impressive fighting before and you match up to it, but, how come you get the look of fear in your eyes during your fights?" I asked her. Maria looked away from me and carried on walking before laughing harshly.
"You're very perceptive, too perceptive. What are you hiding, Jaro?" Maria asked in return.
"Lifes mysteries, battle scars, the usual stuff that grizzled fourty one year olds hide." I replied, running my hand through my hair.
"Fine.. When I fight, I fear. I do not fear death, I fear life itself and the atrocities it brings." Maria said to me, I watched her keenly as her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "Death can never be feared. Once you are dead, their is no one you can hurt but while you are alive you can hurt and you will get hurt. It isn't that I fear hurting my enemies or I fear physical hurt from them. I just fear life, the wrongs it brings, the destructiveness that almost always ensues." Maria took another sad sigh. At least I was getting to know her a bit better now.
"It's not that I haven't been on the side of destroying life, I still am. Life is just.. Misunderstood. And that's my wisdom for today." Maria said to me, rubbing her arms. It was probably some kind of nervous reaction to finally being open for once. *If* you could call *that* being open. It sounded like some kind of Mandalorian battle cry.
"Confusing, almost. But.. If I'm ever approached by anyone needing a Scholar in the arts of brutal philosophy, I'll know where to send them." I replied to Maria, chuckling. Maria chuckled back, at least she was a little loosened up than what she used to be. Parda's Palace was much closer now and our little chat would soon end.
"You're very secretive. So.. What's your philosophy?" Maria asked me, at least their was conversation now instead of ignorant threats. The question made me laugh and I looked away from Maria before deciding on how to answer it.
"Fear death, not life. Death brings the living pain." I replied to her question. Maria nodded and pulled a questionable smirk.
"Not bad, but I think I like to live on the dangerous and confusing side." She stated. Parda's Palace was ever closer now and I watched as Maria stretched and yawned. "What's your aim in life then?" She asked me. Women.. Always questioning a Man's motives.
"My aim in life is to wait." I stated.
"Wait for what?" She asked me, I sighed and rubbed my chin.
"For a beautiful woman." I replied, taking the honest route with Maria.
"Fourty one and you're still waiting, that baffles me." Maria replied, raising an eyebrow at me. "I would have thought you'd be married by now." She added.
"I was. A long, long time ago, kiddo. It's.. Really not something I want to talk about, so can we please carry on?" I told Maria. She frowned at me and nodded in my direction.
"I am thirty one, Jaro. I am no child." Maria told me. I raised my eyebrow, somehow, I didn't believe that.
"You look five years younger at the most." I stated to her. I realised it was a compliment, but it was more me spouting my suspicions off.
"No need to compliment me. I already know how wonderful I am." She replied to me, cockily. I began to laugh.
"My oh my.. You have some guts sister. If you must really know, it wasn't a compliment. I just don't trust you." I told Maria, heatedly. I watched as a sudden blush crept up her cheeks, flustered by the fact that I wasn't complimenting her.
"Well, for retracting your compliment I should really kill you.. But since Parda will make a good job of that himself, I'd rather sit down and watch. Besides, your blood isn't worth getting my hands dirty on." Maria said, seething at my brutal honesty.
"Hmph.. Back to threats again. What is it sister, you can't take the truth?" I asked Maria. Maria stopped and glared at me. I knew this was going to be one of those Carth-gets-a-slap moments but she was promptly disturbed by a gurgled scream coming from the direction of Parda's Palace. Suddenly, Maria and I exchanged a worried glance as we changed our pace from a soft, gentle stroll to a frantic dash.