20th day, 2nd month,standard year 24934
Tahl was upset again today. Thea is back from the Healers, and she's...civil to Tahl. That's the only way I can describe it. She doesn't lecture her, or yell at her, but I can see why Tahl thinks Master Thea wishes she hadn't picked her.
If I had a Padawan, I'd make sure they never got that upset because of me. And I'd make sure someone, anyone, did something about bullies like Dilan and Savus. I haven't mentioned Savus before...he's Dilan's friend. He's not nearly as, well, immature as him-he's a little older. That's what makes it worse- he knows how to hurt, I know he knows it's wrong and yet he does it anyway. He saw Tahl and me in the corridor, he said some stuff- and when Tahl told him to go away he laughed and said. "If I was your Master, I'd have dumped you by now. All the same, I think your real Master still might." I had to grab Tahl's tunic to stop her diving at him.
I dragged her to the Room Of The Thousand Fountains, in a slightky vain attempt to get her to calm down.
"That-that..." And then she began swearing in Huttish. Quite loudly.
"Tahl, don't. Release your anger."
"I'll release it alright. Into his face."
She wound up stormiing away, without me, so I sighed and wandered off, to the Star-map room. Which is where I am now.
I hope Tahl doesn't get into any sort of trouble.
*****
3rd day, 3rd month, stanard year 24934
Savus is avoiding us. Maybe Tahl told her Master, and Thea gave him a lecture.
My fourteenth birthday in two days!
*****
5th day, 3rd month, standard year 24934
After today's lessons -dueling and diplomacy- Tahl grabbed my hand and dragged me to the Room Of A Thousand Fountains. She led me to the top of her favourite waterfall.
"Happy birthday," she said, and handed me something.
A single flower. Seven petels- one for each colour of the rainbow...all
glitter inside and sparkling with the light.
"It's beautiful."
"It's not real," she said. "It's fake. I got
it on the last mission me and my Master were on."
"Real or not, I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was a yell from the water below. It was Nela. "Hey, you two! Come on!"
We climbed down-as fast as we could-and found all the others there as well.
We spent the whole day in that room. It was emoty apart from us, for most of the day-Master Cilia came in, but she eventually went out again, only sitting in meditation for a few minutes. Then Master Mapru came in, saw us sitting around talking and frowned.
"You children are cerntainly in here a lot...and I don't see you meditating or doing anything of use."
"It's Qui-Gon's birthday," Clee said. "That's why we're all here."
"Indeed. And isn't there anything more useful to do...assiting your Masters, doing something that may benefit someone, if that concept isn't too alien to you?"
"This is benefiting someone." Somti spoke up, and Mapru raised an eyebrow and waled out.
I don't like him. I don't like him at all, actually. He was actually thinking of taking a Padawan, I heard- and Binn and Somti were on the list he was considering. I hope for their sake he changs his mind.
When I got back to Master's quarters, he smiled and said. "Happy birthday, Padawan." and he handed me a present. A small basket. Inside were two small chocos, rolled up in beautiful wrapping of green and silver.
"They're lovely," I said, although in reality I'd hoped for something more...personal than chocos.
"All the way from Senali," he said to me. "Very expensive."
I smiled back.
"Padawan," he added "It's my own birthday very
shortly...thirteenth of the third."
"It is?" I said. I hadn't known that before.
I know very little about my Master, now I come to think about it. I know his first name-Kanak-I know his age and I know his style of fighting (I can't beat him in duels, though. Not yet) but I don't know a lot. Not really.
"Oh, you needn't worry about gifts," he said lightly. "Eat up, they're lovely."
The chocos were gone in two small bites.
******