Thanks again to all who sent in replies. I won't make you wait any longer. The verdict is in…


A Journey of Discovery ― Book Two: Pledge

Chapter Seventeen

Efam banged his cudgel once more, restoring order to the crowded barroom. "Vicar Serole, Healer Jobilis and me gave this matter a heap o' thought." He faced the small table where the Skywalkers sat in silence. "Luke an' Mara, we don'na believe ye did anythin' to hurt us. Thal Ulhas was checked out by the healer here before this meetin' started, and the lad be as fit and feisty as he e'er was. Neither o' ye contributed to the startin' o' the fire, and ye did more than most in puttin' it out, and savin' the lasses and lad what was trapped."

The newlyweds' optimistic sighs of relief were cut short as Efam continued, a look of distress filling his features.

"But, we have a responsibility to all the folks o' Zembuhl, and a good deal of 'em have in their heads that ye have witchery in yer blood and can't be trusted. So's to make people not fear leavin' the safety of their homes, we be askin' ye to leave Zembuhl this very day, and to promise ne'er to set foot in our village again."

The pub owner gave one last rap on his table, then wearily dropped back into his straight-backed chair.

Luke stood uncertainly, not sure whether he and Mara were supposed to answer or not. Finally, he simply nodded in acknowledgement to the three council members, all of them wearing countenances of sadness and regret.

Hiley was the first to approach the sentenced defendants. "Aye, 'tis a sad day fer Zembuhl, fer sure. I don't know what gets into folks, condemnin' ye just fer bein' different." He gave Luke a pat on the back in sympathy. "I'll go git that bar we fashioned fer ye, lad."

"I appreciate it, Hiley," Luke replied, before turning around to receive a handshake from Jaco.

"I'm sorry 'bout how things turned out," the dark-haired young man apologized. "I'd come to think o' ye as a chum, and I'll continue to hold ye in that regard."

"That means a lot, my friend," Luke replied with a wistful smile.

Aerie Modesa wasn't nearly as reserved as her husband in bidding her newfound friend farewell. "Oh, Mara, I'm gonna miss ye dreadfully."

Clearly ill at ease, Mara awkwardly returned the flaxen-haired girl's earnest hug. "I'll miss you too, Aerie. But you knew we were already planning to leave today."

"But I was hopin' ye'd be able to come visit sometime, 'specially after me baby is born." Aerie paused, brushing a hand against her slightly swollen abdomen and glancing at Luke. "Or ... babies. Luke," she caught the Jedi's attention, "did ye mean what ye said, 'bout me havin' twins? Did ye use yer magic to tell?"

"Well, Aerie, I think you will," he hedged. "I can't guarantee it, but, uh, yes, that's what my ... magic ... tells me."

"And they'll both be girls?"

"No, I don't know about that." Luke gave her a warm smile. "But we wish you all the best of luck, whether you have sons or daughters."

"And we're sorry we won't be able to come back to see you again," Mara added. "You can't imagine how much your friendship has meant to me." Especially since you're my first real friend, she thought to herself. Besides Luke, that is.

For the next half hour, Luke and Mara continued their farewells with the friends they had made during their short-lived sojourn. Efam and Vicar Serole apologized profusely for the decision they'd felt forced to make, Filia insisted she didn't consider the pair to be demons of the black arts, while Merta forced back tears as she hurried away to pack some provisions for the 'poor dears.' As the two Force-users made their way out of the pub, Mara continually tugged on Luke's arm to curtail his stopping to try to appease all the villagers still imbued with superstitious fear.

Outside the Lucky Red Bone, the ostracized visitors received an entirely different type of greeting.

"Mara, Mara!"

The former assassin's forward progress was halted when a tiny pair of arms locked around her legs.

"Are ye okay, Mara?" cried Rasa, switching her death grip to Mara's neck when the redhead picked her up.

"I'm fine, sweetheart."

Kavan stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group of children huddled just around the corner of the building. "We wanted to know what was goin' on, but they wouldna' let us inside." On the lookout for any adults who would force them to disperse, the boy cast a furtive glance at the pub's entryway. "We was worried 'bout ye."

"We're all right." Luke knelt down on one knee and gave the three children he'd rescued a reassuring hug. "But we have to leave the village this afternoon."

"We want ye to stay," whined Tenna, her large brown eyes brimming with moisture.

"Aye, we don'na want ye to leave 'cause o' us."

Mara looked over Rasa's head to stare at the source of the young masculine voice.

"'Specially cause o' me," continued a penitent-looking Thal Ulhas. "I'm sorry fer gettin' ye riled at the school."

"I think Rasa is the one you should be apologizing to, Thal." Mara arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"He did already," the little girl in Mara's arms said. "Thal promised to ne'er pick on me again."

"Or anyone else," the older boy vowed, before Mara had a chance to voice the obvious question. "Hmm ... Madam Skywalker, ye know how ye raised me up?"

"Yes," Mara said slowly, not sure where the question was leading.

"Do ye think ye could do it again?"

Luke fought hard to keep from laughing aloud, and didn't dare to look his wife's direction.

"I don't think your parents would appreciate that, Thal."

"They wouldna' find out." Thal's face was a vision of solemn sincerity. "Ye could do it real quick, back here in the alley."

"Raise me up, too," Rasa squeaked. "I wanna float in the air." She pointed a chubby finger at the three children still hanging onto Luke's coattails. "They gotta float at the Hall. We been good. No fair that we didna' get to float."

"Aye, lift me, too," another voice chimed in.

"And me."

"I wanna too."

"Please."

"Can ye lift all of us at once?"

(By the Force, Skywalker, we've created an army of whining monsters.) Mara's silent voice had a hint of amusement in it.

Luke straightened up, shaking his head at the pleading horde. "Children, your parents would have our hides if we did that again."

"But we wouldna' tell them," a young freckled-faced boy protested.

Luke pursed his lips in thought and raised his eyes to meet Mara's. "How about you return to the inn with us?" he said, directing his attention once more to the children. "And perhaps, if all of you are good ..."

"We'll be good," the youngsters promised in unison, heads nodding in excited anticipation.

Mara gave her husband an incredulous look. "Surely you're not considering—"

"C'mon, kids." The Jedi pointedly ignored his wife. "Everyone stay close and keep quiet."

(Luke Skywalker, you're crazy!) The redhead reached out to grab at his arm, but Luke was too quick.

(I've been called crazy before; several times by you, in fact,) he replied to her mental admonition. (Mara, the way I see it, there's a chance that by the time these children are adults, someone else from the outside galaxy may stumble upon this planet.) He paused in his silent oration, a pleading look for understanding in his gaze to her. (Shouldn't we encourage their willingness to accept beings that are different?)

(Feeding them a discourse on acceptance is lightyears different than practicing your witchcraft on them.) Mara stretched out with the Force, checking for any hostile parents ahead. (Sneaking them back to our room is going to cause fireworks enough.) She shook her head to herself in reluctant resignation. (I can't believe the things I let you talk me into.)

(Don't worry. Everything will be fine.) Luke smiled in assurance while simultaneously flicking a stone in the opposite direction to distract an approaching passerby. (Consider this a practice session of your skills of stealth.)

(I don't need practice. I need a husband with common sense.)

Luke winked at her over his shoulder. (Too bad you're stuck with me.)

Mara's only answer was a frustrated glare at the back of his head.

The little procession covertly wound its way through the snow-covered back streets, the entire group ducking in unison when a suspicious villager glanced their way. A chorus of hushes rose as the back gate behind the inn creaked loudly on its hinges.

As soon as Luke led the way into the kitchen, he was met by a very startled landlady.

"Land's sakes, Luke!" Merta paused in the middle of filling a large burlap sack, her hand poised in midair clutching a loaf of bread. "Where ye be takin' these young'uns?"

"They wanted to see our room before we left," Luke murmured, pushing the inner door open a crack and peering into the dining room. "Is anyone else here?"

"Rosella and Gerd be in their room, packin'." Merta's head swiveled back to where Thal brought up the rear of the queue of children, followed by a tiptoeing Mara still carrying Rasa.

"Ye're not thinkin' o' kidnappin' these children, are ye?" The plump innkeeper's hesitant voice seemed to be only half joking.

"They begged us to show them something," Mara whispered, "and Luke is a big pushover. I shudder to think how spoiled our own children will be."

"Aye, he is a softie," Merta conceded. She grinned as the last of the troupe disappeared into the dining room. "Sure and 'tis gonna be quiet round here when those two leave," she muttered to herself.

The furtive little parade soon filed into the modest attic chamber.

"Everybody on the bed," Luke instructed, and the dozen youngsters scrambled into place, the older ones holding their younger peers on their laps.

"Are ye gonna lift the whole bed?" Kavan asked Luke eagerly.

"Don't tempt him," Mara interjected dryly.

A little girl with a high-pitched voice spoke up. "Now can we float?"

"Can I be first?" another child asked.

"No, me!" another countered.

A dozen hands shot into the air, all vying for the privilege of being the first recipient of the hoped-for magical ride.

"I never actually said anyone was going floating," Luke teased, a twinkle in his eye.

A dozen crestfallen faces stared back at him.

"But, I guess, as long as we're here ..."

Loud yelps of joy echoed in the room, accompanied by waving hands raised once more.

"Shhhh!" Luke and Mara cautioned simultaneously.

"No one will be doing anything if you don't stay quiet," Luke added. "Now, then ..." The Jedi paced back and forth, seemingly deep in thought. "I think the first should be ... Rasa."

With his last words, Luke raised his hands and the little girl rose from her seat and glided toward his outstretched arms.

"Yip—" Rasa began to squeal.

"Shhhh!" everyone else rebuked her.

Soon the thoroughly thrilled children were each taking a turn gliding through the air. Mara joined in the clandestine merriment, her attempts at feigning disapproval quickly crumbling under the avalanche of exuberance.

"I've married a lunatic," Mara commented with a snort, just loud enough that Luke could hear. She sent Almie drifting back to the bed on a current of air. "We are going to be in so much trouble."

"We're already in trouble." Luke beckoned Tenna toward him effortlessly. "What are they gonna do, banish us twice?" He spared a sideways glance at his wife. "Lighten up, Mara. Didn't you ever dream of flying as a child?"

"Flying my own ship, maybe," she admitted grudgingly. (First you let us blast asteroids, and now this,) Mara continued silently. (What's next, Skywalker? Buzzing Mon Mothma's office in X-wings?)

(You must be a bad influence on me,) Luke returned with a grin.

She gave him an assuming glance. "You got in trouble a lot as a boy, didn't you, pulling daredevil stunts?"

Luke shrugged. "Constantly." He turned his attention back to his audience. "All right, children. Everyone's had their turn, and all of you look like you enjoyed yourselves."

Every young head in the room, whether topped by ribbons, curls, or contrary cowlicks, nodded vigorously in agreement.

"And none of you were scared, right?"

"I weren't scared," Rasa declared from her perch on Mara's lap.

"Me neither," another youngster avowed.

"None of us were scared," Kavan spoke for the rest of the group.

"Good. Now, before you leave, I'd like to talk to you for just a few minutes, about something important." As all the children settled down on the big bed, Luke straddled the back of a chair and addressed the group. "Mara and I are glad that you children aren't afraid of us. Someday, maybe not until you grow up or maybe sooner, other strangers like us might come to your village. There could even be visitors that look a lot different than us."

"Look different how?" Thal asked.

"Well ..." Luke shot a glance at Mara, but she didn't feel inclined to help him out.

(This is your show, farmboy.)

"Well, they could have different color skin, or they could have four arms, or three eyes, or ..." Luke was interrupted by a burst of laughter.

"Aww, that's silly."

"Nobody kin have three eyes."

"You're pullin' our leg."

Luke smiled at the evidence of their naïve, sheltered life. "I don't know what kind of visitors might come, and you should always be careful of new people. There could even be people from Zembuhl or one of the other villages who can do things that seem like sorcery. But I want you to remember that just because a person looks different, or talks different, or can do strange things, doesn't mean he or she is a bad person."

"We know that," Tenna spoke up. "You do peculiar stuff, and you're not bad."

"Thanks, Tenna," Luke said with a grin. "We hope all of you will teach your own children, and your children's children, to feel the same way."

"We will," the youngsters promised in unison.

A low rap sounded at the door, and Luke held up a hand for quiet. "Yes?" He glanced at Mara, who set Rasa on the bed and crossed to the door.

"Luke? Mara?" Merta's low voice drifted through the bedchamber door, and her anxious face peered into the room when Mara opened the door. "There be a passel o' nervous parents searchin' fer their young'uns. Some of them be headin' toward the inn."

"We can go out the back door," Kavan volunteered, scrambling off the bed. "We'll run fast, 'fore they get here."

Mara looked at Luke over the boy's head. (I knew this was too risky,) she grumbled silently.

Luke shook his head in disagreement, then motioned for the children. "Time to say goodbye, everyone."

The youngsters crowded close, each one giving the Force-users an enthusiastic hug.

"This was the bestest day of me life," Rasa squeaked, her arms around Mara's neck.

"Mine, too," Thal admitted, standing behind the little girl. "Madam Skywalker, I really am sorry fer the trouble ye got into. I wish ye wasn't leavin'."

Merta's eyes were wide as saucers as Thal went on to gave Mara a tearful goodbye hug. "Ye've used yer magic to replace the lad with a changeling," she muttered, staring as the normally headstrong child hurriedly followed his companions down the narrow staircase.

Mara started to refute, then paused in thought. "I guess, in a way, we did." She gave her landlady a rare smile. "Some things can't be explained any other way."

"I'll go see that they be gettin' out unnoticed, and head off any parents." Merta shook her head as she turn to leave. "Sure and I don't wanna know what ye were doin' with those children."

"Thanks, Merta," Luke said. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When they were finally alone in their room, the newlyweds wasted little time packing the last of their possessions and donning their familiar orange flightsuits. Picking up his Alliance-issued backpack, Luke took one last look around the cozy bedchamber.

"I'm going to miss this place," he murmured wistfully. "Our lives were changed here."

"Yes, but this room, this village, this planet – they're not our future," Mara reminded him. "Our future is out there, among the stars." She smiled as she nodded toward the bright blue sky outside the window. "And the future is waiting for us to catch up. C'mon, flyboy." Mara took her husband's arm as they withdrew through the doorway. "We have a rendezvous with destiny."

―――――

"There be a bag o' food fer ye." Merta pointed to a bulging rucksack as the newlyweds entered her kitchen. "Are ye sure ye don't want more warm clothes? Or at least the coats ye been usin'?"

"No, we'll be fine, Merta," Luke assured her. "You've been too generous as it is."

"But ye shouldna' given me all yer dekas. Ye worked off yer keep more than enough."

"Merta, we could never begin to repay all you've done for us." Mara set her pack down and gave the older woman a heartfelt hug. "We'll never forget you."

"Aye, and I'll never forget the two o' ye." Merta swiped at her tear-filled eyes as she received Luke's embrace also. "And fer sure no one will ever forget this year's Winter Festival."

"That we can believe," he returned. "Not exactly the lasting impression we wanted to leave, though."

"Folks got their feathers ruffled, but they'll get over it. 'Specially if there be a decent harvest."

"We can't promise that," Mara noted, turning as the sound of the back door creaking broke into the conversation.

Hiley wiped the snow from his worn boots, then handed Luke a long metal object. "Here be yer rod, Luke. Thought I'd save ye the trouble o' comin' over to get it." He looked the travelers over in amusement after receiving Luke's thanks. "This must be the get-up I heard 'bout that ye had on when ye came. That so's ye can spot each other if ye get lost in the snow?"

"I couldna' talk 'em into keepin' the coats I give 'em," Merta interjected.

"We've got plenty to carry already," Luke said, glancing at the assortment of baggage that surrounded them. "We are taking you up on the gloves and caps and extra blankets. We'll be plenty warm."

"I told ye we'd be glad to lend ye a pair o' drobbins," Hiley reminded him.

"But we'd not have a way to get them back to you," Mara pointed out.

"Some of us could ride along with ye," the metalcrafter responded. "I'd like to see that boat o' yers, and find out where that contraption goes on it." He gestured toward the shaft that Luke was carefully stowing in his gear.

"Oh, huh, we really can walk," Mara stammered, grasping for a plausible excuse.

"We're still on our honeymoon, you know," Luke elaborated with a wink, eliciting a round of laughter from their friends.

"These young folks don't need the likes o' ye taggin' along, Hiley Lenzel," Merta bantered.

"Aye, that's true enough." Hiley pulled Luke out of earshot as Merta began describing to Mara what delectable foods she was sending with them. "From what happened today, looks like ye need a few more stabs at gettin' that advice we gave ye at the gamin' booths to take hold," the older man whispered conspiratorially.

"Hmmm." Luke glanced at the fiery redhead, smiling as he remembered the men's good-natured recommendation on how to tame a strong-willed woman. "I don't know if that tip would ever work in our case, but I sure am enjoying making the effort."

"Thatta boy!" Hiley slapped his young friend on the back with a hearty chuckle. "Ye can ne'er go wrong takin' that path, lad." He helped Luke hoist his bulky survival pack onto his back. "Take care, son. I wish ye both good fortune and a long life together."

"Thanks, Hiley, and you too, Merta," Luke acknowledged both of the congenial villagers. He slung the heavy rucksack of food over his shoulder as Mara adjusted the weight of her own bundle. "I don't know what we would have done without the both of you."

"I be thinkin' you woulda managed somehow," Hiley returned. "I'll walk ye to the edge of the village."

"That's not necessary," Mara said, but the toolcrafter brushed off her objections. Merta also insisted on seeing her guests off, and the quartet headed for the outskirts of Zembuhl.

"Uh, lad?" Hiley caught Luke's attention as the orange-clad younger man turned in an easterly direction. "The Nagox Sea be that way." He gestured to the north. "Ain't that where yer boat be?"

"Oh, right." He stole a glance at Mara. "Got turned around for a moment."

"Ye sure ye don'na want me to come with ye, at least fer a piece?" Hiley raised a gray-streaked eyebrow questioningly.

"No, we'll be fine, really." Luke reached out and took his bride's hand. "But we do need to get moving, to get as far as we can before dark."

After one last round of farewells, including waves to the scattered people in the distance, the two Force-users made their way into surrounding woods.

―――――

"And so the saviors of Zembuhl have been officially run out of town," Luke pronounced solemnly, his flight boots sloshing along through the melting snow.

"Can't be a hero everyday, Jedi," Mara returned dryly as she picked her way along the rutted path. "You do realize this is not the way back to the ship."

"We'll just circle around as soon as we're completely out of sight," Luke replied. "No use making anyone even more suspicious of us."

"I don't think we can possibly act more suspicious than we already have. And if you were so worried about that, you wouldn't have been doing circus tricks with half the children of the village. You know they're going to eventually babble about that."

"I'm sure they will," Luke said, calmly ignoring her chiding. "And the adults will see that the kids are perfectly healthy, with no ill effects from having contact with us witches. Mara, we had a moral obligation to at least make an attempt to erase these people's superstitious fear of the unknown." He gave her an amused grin as he stepped over a fallen log. "Besides, I wasn't the one who first presented the school lesson 'How to Levitate a Child.'

"Humph. If they'd behaved half as well this morning as they did in our room ... Well, you weren't there. You don't know how insubordinate some of them were getting."

"Insubordinate? Mara, they're children. You have to learn how to entertain them."

"You should know, since you still act like one," she groused defensively. "Solo knows what he's talking about, calling you 'kid.'"

Luke shot her a pained look. "I've already admitted I made mistakes here. I'll probably always make mistakes. I feel like I'm groping my way blind along the path a Jedi should follow. I don't have the discipline that you do." He squeezed her hand briefly, but kept his eyes focused on the rugged terrain they were traversing. "I keep hoping, as I get older and more experienced, that ..." Luke gave a weary sigh as his words trailed off. "I can just picture Master Yoda shaking his head in disappointment. I'll never be as wise or dignified as him."

Mara stopped suddenly, jerking Luke to a halt also. "Didn't you tell me Yoda pretended to be someone else when you first met him?"

A little chuckle escaped Luke as he thought back to his first landing on Dagobah. "Yeah, he rummaged through all my gear, and he and Artoo had a tugging match over a lamp."

"That doesn't sound like dignified behavior to me."

"Well ... I guess he did have kind of a strange sense of humor at that."

"Like someone else I know." Mara gave her husband a soft peck on the cheek. "Luke, you're going to make a wonderful Jedi Master someday. Gaining more knowledge and experience in the ways of the Force is an admirable goal, but don't ever change your personality. I love you just the way you are."

"Same here, about you." Luke returned her kiss, in a more intimate manner, then looked ahead at the forested hillside. "As much as I'd like to take a break right here," he gave her a wistful little wink, "I think we'd better cover as much ground as we can before dark."

"Hmm, too bad. But maybe we can find some big cozy tree to bed down under for the night." She gave an embarrassed laugh as her stomach unexpectedly growled. "And perhaps we can lighten that pack of food a bit before too long."

"Yeah, we did miss lunch, didn't we?" Luke shifted his heavy load slightly and surveyed the slushy pathway they were taking. "All right, let's walk until we find a suitable dining location, then check out what kind of feast Merta packed for us."

―――――

Less than an hour later, the newlyweds were finishing their late lunch, or early dinner, as Mara was sure it would be. Luke had been setting a steady pace, and the prospects of halting for another meal seemed slim. The bright afternoon sun had melted most of the surrounding snow, leaving only drifts of white in the sheltered shadows of the larger trees.

Sitting on a fallen trunk and brushing crumbs from her hands, Mara's head jerked up sharply as a strange howling sound pierced the stillness. She stood and took a few steps forward, her fingers trailing against the reassuring weight of her lightsaber.

"Mara?" Even as he spoke, Luke was also reaching out with the Force.

Another low growl caught Mara's attention, and she shifted her stance in readiness. "Wild animals?" she queried aloud.

"Maybe, but there's people too. At least two, maybe three, spread out."

"Do you think some of the villagers followed us?" She was sweeping her gaze around the area, but it was impossible to see more than a few dozen meters through the dense thicket of trees.

"I doubt it," Luke murmured from his squatting position as he stuffed their supplies into their packs. "Just hunters, I'd say. I recognize the baying of their sharrets."

"Sharrets?"

"Tracking animals. Sort of like wor'hounds, except they have dense fur and long snouts with broad nostrils. We used them for trailing the scent of rishhares yesterday."

"Surely they can see we're not game, with these glowing orange flightsuits you insisted we wear." Mara surveyed beyond the perimeter of their campsite as best she could, her unlit lightsaber now held firmly in her grasp.

"Told you they'd be practical," Luke replied behind her, not looking up as he shoved the last package of food into the rucksack. "Nevertheless, you keep an eye out. I'm almost finished— Aarghh!"


I never promised there wouldn't be any more cliffhangers, did I? (I'll try to post again tomorrow.)