Chapter 4 - In the Night

Obi-Wan and Mariska had walked most of the day and the sun was going down in front of them, making the jedi shield their eyes from the imposing rays. The wind was picking up and Mariska involuntarily shivered next to him, wrapping her arms around her chest.

"Obi, can we stop for the night. There is no way I'm going to go back to the palace in this cold."

Obi-Wan looked around and almost wished they would have stayed in the small town they passed a few miles back. "Do you want to turn around?" He asked, looking at his friends reddening ears and nose.

But Mariska could give Obi-Wan's stubborness a run for it's money. "No. Let's just keep going forward, I'm sure we'll run into some other civilization." She said and increased her walk, Obi-Wan simply started walking at his normal speed.

"You know I'm surprised. I wonder if people travel much around here. There are no roads, to speak of, and no real way of transportation."

Obi-Wan thought about it for awhile. "Maybe they don't want any one aound these parts. Maybe they don't have the technology. Did you read anything on it during our trip?"

"No. If I did I skimmed over it, not caring much."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Welcome to the club."

Mariska shivered again and pulled out her canteen from her backpack.

Obi-Wan was quick to notice and streached out his feelings for life signs. Mariska stopped and seeing what he was doing did the same.

"I think there's a city three miles ahead of us, don't worry we'll be there soon." Obi-Wan said and continued forward, the wind getting icy.

There next few steps however, proved Obi-Wan wrong. It wasn't a city but some kind of wood. Letting out a groan Mariska walked to the trees and sat under one, pulling out her blanket. Smiling at her compainion she said, "You thought I was crazy bringing this thing with me. Now what are you going to do?"

Obi-Wan brought his robe in closer and shivered slightly as the wind hit his face. "Umm, die?"

Mariska laughed and motioned for him to sit next to her. "Come on, I can't just let you die. What would I tell Master Qui-Gon?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "All you would have to do is explain how you didn't help me warm myself, and that I froze to death. There, that wasn't so hard was it?"

"You better watch your mouth Kenobi or that's exactly what I will be telling him when I get back."

Obi-Wan faked a look of shock and went to sit by her before she could change her mind.

Mariska felt her friend's warmth and cuddled closer to him. "You know, this isn't so bad. It's not like I have to cuddle next to Jabba the Hutt."

Obi-Wan smiled a little and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Yes well, I warn you, I snore."

"Oh, goody."

Obi-Wan didn't sleep that night, but watched out for all the things he saw in his nightmares.

"Qui-Gon he shot that ship down knowing that it was full of initiates. He killed all those children!"

"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt Obi-Wan. I'm sure he would have delt with the situation differently if he knew there was children on that ship."

Obi-Wan's anger was at a boiling point, the boy was dangerous. The council sensed it years ago and now everything was coming into plan.

SW

Lord Haitius walked the length of his palace and looked out the large bay windows. The jedi that were assigned to his council were missing; they had been out 'viewing ' his planet long enough now and he was anxious for them to return. The winds were picking up and the night temperature would most likely drop to below freezing.

"Don't you know the powers they possess?"

Haitius looked behind him and saw his son standing with a towel draped around his neck. The boy had just gotten out of the showers and was heading for bed when he saw his father.

"I have heard rumors yes."

"Well they are not rumors dad. The jedi have powers of high concentration. They can move objects around the room and even read your thoughts."

The last statement seemed to take the lord off guard and he was thinking twice about having two of them in his presence.

"Don't worry though, they aren't allowed to use their mind reading power unless they have a reason to suspect you and only under high security. At least that's what I've read."

"Well Sampson, the jedi on my planet will not be staying long enought to get suspicious. Keep them at bay, become friends with them. We can deal with them if we get them to believe what we want them to."

The son nodded and left the sitting room where his father stood, still staring out into the now freezing night.

SW

Obi-Wan was freezing, his ears, nose, mouth, chest, even his toes all felt like ice under his clothing. Mariska he was sure was just as cold except for the small amount of their bodies that were pressed against eachother. Closing his eyes he tried to think of the weather as a good thing. He tried to imagine that he was in the middle of a desert and it only now just cooled down after days of being in the heat. It didn't help. The air was cooling to dangerous levels now and he finally yielded and called upon the force.

The force was all around them and wrapped the two jedi in a blanket of warm air as the biting wind blew by, the speed of it picking up. Half way through the night Obi-Wan was tired and his using of the force was simply draining him. He was afraid though that it would be too cold to bear if he let the warmth leave them. He was right. As soon as he knew he would fall asleep Obi-Wan let his hold of the force down and the chill woke Mariska up instantly.

"What's happening?"

"I couldn't keep the force around us anymore, it was draining me. We need to find shelter or I'm afraid we'll freeze to death."

Mariska would look for the light heartedness in his words but found none, he was serious.

"Maybe we should just go back into the wood a little more and try to block the wind." She said, trying to stand but her legs seemed to be frozen. Obi-Wan took a hold of her arms and helped her into the wood.

"There Obi, that brush."

The other jedi looked and found it covered in frozen frost. He sighed, his breath mixing with the cold air. "Okay, get under."

Mariska shook her head. "You first. I will be able to crawl around you if I need to."

Obi-Wan knew arguing with her would just cause frustration and make them both even colder. "Okay, follow me in."

She nodded and waited patiently as he crawled under the brush and cuddled himself to the trunk of a tree. Mariska was in quickly after. Obi-Wan spread his arms and she sat next to him, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck as his went around her waist. They were going to make it this night.

TBC