Chapter 12
Arryn suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What? What is it?" asked Elantra, noting the concern on her face.
She turned to face him. "You didn't sense it?" Elantra shook his head.
"I felt something; a wave in the Force. I've felt uneasy since we landed, but I just felt something prominent."
"It might have been some common thief or smuggler that was hidden in that abandoned sector we just passed," supplied Anaria.
Arryn shook her head. "Maybe I am just paranoid," she said, looking away in a vain effort to make sense of her feelings.
"Even though I didn't sense it, I agree. Something isn't right here," said Elantra.
Arryn turned back to him. "Remember our lecture earlier? If we sense anything out of the ordinary, we are supposed to tell Master Obi-Wan or Siri or Darsha."
Anaria nodded. "I agree. I think this is a prime time that we actually listen to instructions when they are given to us," she said looking directly at Elantra and Arryn.
"Come on, maybe our Masters felt this 'disturbance,' too," said Arryn, ignoring Anaria's jest.
Anaria and Elantra followed Arryn as she proceeded to the small group where Obi-Wan and Darsha were conversing with each other. Siri was several steps ahead, talking to Emory Tiana. Darsha and Obi-Wan saw their apprentices and stopped talking. Obi-Wan nodded for Arryn to speak. "I am sorry for interrupting, Master, but I felt something, and I know we were supposed to tell you if we felt anything out of the ordinary. The only way I can describe it is as a kind of wave or disturbance in the Force."
Obi-Wan shared a look with Darsha and tensed. "When did you sense this, Padawan?" He asked. She pointed to the abandoned sector. "Back when we passed that area. I'm not sure if it was just smugglers or thieves hidden there, or-"
"The Sith." Obi-Wan finished. "I am glad you told me about this. May be Emory Tiana is familiar with the territory and can provide us with some answers."
Darsha went ahead to where Emory was talking with Siri.
"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, but what do you know about the sector that we just passed?" Darsha asked.
Emory paled and his eyes widened slightly. He quickly looked to the ground. "It is… not an area that we Bondorians take pride in. We call it the 'domain of contempt.' There are innumerable gangs, thieves, and scoundrels within those walls. It should never be traveled lightly." Obi-Wan nodded as Emory returned to his conversation with Siri. What Obi-Wan didn't notice was the smirk on Emory's face.
"What did you conclude from Emory's response, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked in a whisper.
Arryn frowned thoughtfully. "I sensed fear from him, but that was only minute. The feeling disappeared so quickly that it made me doubt I had actually sensed it."
"Don't despair, I felt it too. Do not doubt your feelings."
"Yes, Master." Arryn paused thoughtfully. "If Emory is afraid of something, he certainly is good at hiding his feelings. I think that either he lied to us or didn't tell the complete truth. I do not trust him."
"I think we must wait before jumping to such a harsh conclusion that he cannot be trusted. Do not be so anxious to make judgements. We need to wait and see."
Arryn, though still very doubtful, nodded and rejoined Anaria and Elantra. "Am I quick to judge people?" she asked solemnly.
Elantra answered, "Is this some phase that you are going through? First you wanted to know if you were going to turn to the Dark Side and now you are concerned about your ability to judge people. This is just a guess, but does Master Obi-Wan have something to do with this?"
"Yes. He told me that I should trust my feelings, and they tell me that Emory should not be trusted. But when I told him that, he said I should not be so quick to judge. I try to trust my feelings and look where I end up! I get reprimanded."
Anaria looked sympathetic. "All mentors have a way of seeing more faults than we'd like them to. Though it seems to make no sense now, I'm sure that some later reflection will show you the growth from the situation."
Arryn sighed. "You're right, Anaria, as usual. Can we change the subject?"
Elantra smiled in concurrence. "I wonder if that Jedi team is still here. Maybe they infiltrated the Sith and are in no position to contact us. Master Siri once had to do that, but she was acting as a pirate, an associate of the ruthless Krayn."
"Krayn? I've heard of him. Didn't Anakin Skywalker kill him in self defense?" asked Anaria.
Arryn snorted. "With Anakin, who knows if it was really self defense." She paused for a moment, lost in contemplation. "I agree, Elantra, that your theory about the Jedi team is logical, but I don't have the knowledge to tell you if it possible. I don't know how the Sith recruit followers, and I am not sure that I want to find out."
Anaria cleared her throat. "Um, did anyone notice that we are not in the city anymore?" Arryn looked around. All she saw was grassy plains and groups of massive Kaha trees. "We are following Emory, so I guess this is the right way," murmured Anaria. Elantra shared a look with Arryn. She felt a tingle go up her spine when Anaria mentioned Emory. Her mistrust of their guide was evident.
The Jedi and Emory walked on for several miles until they came to a small village. The populace was clad in earth toned cloaks, nearly identical to those worn by the Jedi team. Emory spoke. "You will reside just west of this village. The Bondori government has a residence there that should suit your needs." Arryn eyed him suspiciously. She didn't understand why they would be housed so far from Bondor if that was where they would spend the majority of their time. She shrugged nonchalantly and followed Obi-Wan to their quarters.
The residence was a four-story building made from a white stone that Arryn couldn't identify. Various vines grew on one side of the wall, and many massive varieties of trees surrounded the other three walls, giving off a nice bit of shade. Emory mounted the ornately carved stone stairway, and the rest of the team followed. "If you will just follow me, I will show you to your rooms."
Arryn rubbed her eyes in an effort to subsidize the thousands of questions she wanted to ask. Were all missions as confusing as this one? What was Emory Tiana really hiding? She heaved a sigh and followed her companions in a perplexed silence. She knew that there were certain times that were appropriate for asking questions and others that were not. To distract her mind from the chaos of mounting queries, Arryn focused on the unique architecture of the building.
Emory told them that quarters were on the second, third, and fourth floors and common rooms were on the first. Arryn chose the only room on the second floor that overlooked the forest. She wished that her were quarters on the first floor, but kept the heavy drapes shut to block out any evidence of the height. She sat on the bed and gazed around the simple, yet elegant room. She heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" she called.
Elantra poked his head in. "Isn't this place wizard, Ary?" He walked to the window and pulled the drapes open.
"NO!" Arryn cried, just as the light filtered in through the window. She had a clear view of the twenty-foot drop from her window to the ground. She lept up and snatched the curtain from Elantra's hand. She caught a glimpse of the descend and froze. Her head swam. She forced herself to take a step, and then another, until she backed up to the wall next to the door. Arryn clung to the doorframe, trying to tear her eyes from the streams of light. She didn't know how long she stood there, trembling, trying to get her courage together.
It wasn't too long, she knew, because the next thing she saw was Elantra saying, "Arryn, look at me." His bright blue eyes suddenly came into focus and he took her shoulders and guided her to the bed. "You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" She nodded.
"I'm really sorry for opening the window. Why didn't you tell me you were afraid? There is nothing to be ashamed of. My sister, Sadie, would not even come up those stairs if she were paid to."
Arryn's eyes widened. "Your sister, the Jedi Knight, Sadie? She is afraid of heights, too?"
Elantra nodded. "See? It's perfectly natural." Elantra waited patiently while Arryn calmed down. A few moments later he asked, "Are you feeling any better?"
She nodded. "Yes, I think I'm fine now."
He smiled sympathetically at her. "Good. Come one, let's go downstairs and see what is going on."
She agreed and took off down the stairs behind Elantra, anxious to be on flat ground.