The cave had a narrow opening but inside it was quite roomy. The burnt out fire in the corner and strewn bush and branches testified to the fact that the cave was a regular port of refuge-probably for tribal hunters trapped due to rain or nightfall. He propped the unconcious Queen against a boulder. Gathering some shrubs and moss he fashioned a bed for her and laid her gently on it. He removed his cloak in order to cover her with it, but it was wet and grimy with mud. He decided to give it a wash first.
Amidala was jolted out of her dreams, screaming. Her heart beating wildly as she looked around to find her self all alone in an unfamiliar place. It was raining steadily by now. Three pieces of jedi garments lay draped over various rocks, but there was no sign of Anakin. She nearly fainted again when she turned and saw a dark silhouette, of a man standing at the mouth of the cave. She was about to scream.
'It's me your majesty,' Anakin quickly assured her.
He came in drenched to the bones.
I have collected some medicinal plants that'll help that wound heal. It's also an excellent painkiller. I will first have to pound it before you can have it." As he came down to kneel besides her touching her forehead, he realized she had a high fever.
Anakin covered the cave opening with bushes and twigs he had collected from the jungle. The young jedi then, arranged the dry wood and bushes that were strewn around om the cave floor into a small pile. Taking out his lightsaber, he clicked a button on the end of the silver handle, but nothing happened. He dried it with one of his garments. Then he tried again, this time a strong blue bolt of light whizzed out from the end of the handle, he held the glowing end to a dry bush and soon he had a good fire going.
He took some stones and began pounding the plants, the sounds resounding in dull thuds around the cave interior his shadow dancing on the walls stretching out right to the roof of the cave.
Anakin was by her side now, holding out a greenish yellow paste for her to take. She gulped as she looked at the unsavory lump he held on the tip of his fingers. Hesitating to take it, she turned her head away from it. But Anakin insisted.
"If you want your arm then you will HAVE to take it." He said sternly.
The determination in his voice gave her no choice. He sounded like he wouldn't hesitate to get her to eat it, even if he had to hold her by her hair and force it down her mouth. Reluctantly she opened her mouth, and forced the bitter mixture down, feeling she would gag on it.
He then filled some of the soggy stuff into her open wound. The searing pain brought tears to her eyes. But she held it back, too proud to break down before this boy. The concoction seemed to work, because she soon slipped into a deep sleep.
Anakin sat back in the darkened cave and looked at the flames dancing on the fire. He was thinking of his next move. From what he knew the swamp was a very inhospitable place for two unarmed humans. Amidala's injury made her more vulnerable to the ravages of a trip across the swamp.
Obiwan always made sure they were well grounded on their assignment before they left for any mission. He was glad for it now. As far as his researched had told him, the Capa people were the only human inhabitants of the swamps this side of Theed.
They were not exactly swamp dwellers as their land was situated mostly on a raised fertile plateau in the middle of the endless swamp. The Capa lived in a lush valley in a mountain chain that cut through the swamp between Theed highlands and Thal Weil. But they did not have much interactions with the other tribes of Naboo, only occasionally for trade purposes did they mix with outsiders.
Crossing this range would be difficult, as it had no easily accessible passes or gaps-at least non-on the maps he had seen. Skirting it would make the trip much longer and more dangerous.
He needed a Capa tribesman to guide him through Capaland. Anakin decided that he had to contact the Capa some how in order to get the queen safely to Thal Weil on the far side of the swamp. But he needed transport, without transport he could not expect to get very far. How he wished he had his speeder now.
At this moment his patient moaned restlessly in her sleep. She called out his name several times, then she screamed. Anakin was by her side as she clung to him shivering uncontrollably. She had been dreaming again-of falling into the raging falls. He held her to him, calming her down with the force till she was asleep again.
Her forehead was hot against his bare chest; she looked very, very sick. He laid her back on the makeshift bed and covered her with his cloak, and then he piled the remaining garments on top of her too. Staring at her flushed face, he made up his mind there and then. The speeder had to be retrieved. He needed those medicines in the speeder's first aid box
It was past daybreak when Amidala stirred in her bed. She looked around her in surprise before she realized where she was. One look at her bandaged arm and she knew it was no dream.
The floor was strewn with machine parts and Anakin was sitting in the midst of it bent over a skeleton of a structure, which resembled a speeder bike.
"Anakin", she called.
Anakin wheeled around startled.
"Where did you get that thing!" She asked in a surprised tone.
"I fished it out of the swamps" he said.
"You what?" she ask incredulously. "You risked your life in that monster-infested lake for something that might not even work."
"There's no other choice your majesty," he started defensively. "We don't have a half a chance of getting to our destination without this." He said pointing to the bike.
Anakin concluded that the Queen had indeed recovered. The antibiotic shot from the speeder, which he had given her last night, had definitely been effective.
He gave her some food he had cooked on the fire during the night.
Anakin was thankful for the rains. It would mean the search operation would have to be delayed yet again. He needed just a couple of hours more to work on his bike, he thought as he stretched out on the bare floor for an hour of much needed sleep.
Amidala was jolted out of her dreams, screaming. Her heart beating wildly as she looked around to find her self all alone in an unfamiliar place. It was raining steadily by now. Three pieces of jedi garments lay draped over various rocks, but there was no sign of Anakin. She nearly fainted again when she turned and saw a dark silhouette, of a man standing at the mouth of the cave. She was about to scream.
'It's me your majesty,' Anakin quickly assured her.
He came in drenched to the bones.
I have collected some medicinal plants that'll help that wound heal. It's also an excellent painkiller. I will first have to pound it before you can have it." As he came down to kneel besides her touching her forehead, he realized she had a high fever.
Anakin covered the cave opening with bushes and twigs he had collected from the jungle. The young jedi then, arranged the dry wood and bushes that were strewn around om the cave floor into a small pile. Taking out his lightsaber, he clicked a button on the end of the silver handle, but nothing happened. He dried it with one of his garments. Then he tried again, this time a strong blue bolt of light whizzed out from the end of the handle, he held the glowing end to a dry bush and soon he had a good fire going.
He took some stones and began pounding the plants, the sounds resounding in dull thuds around the cave interior his shadow dancing on the walls stretching out right to the roof of the cave.
Anakin was by her side now, holding out a greenish yellow paste for her to take. She gulped as she looked at the unsavory lump he held on the tip of his fingers. Hesitating to take it, she turned her head away from it. But Anakin insisted.
"If you want your arm then you will HAVE to take it." He said sternly.
The determination in his voice gave her no choice. He sounded like he wouldn't hesitate to get her to eat it, even if he had to hold her by her hair and force it down her mouth. Reluctantly she opened her mouth, and forced the bitter mixture down, feeling she would gag on it.
He then filled some of the soggy stuff into her open wound. The searing pain brought tears to her eyes. But she held it back, too proud to break down before this boy. The concoction seemed to work, because she soon slipped into a deep sleep.
Anakin sat back in the darkened cave and looked at the flames dancing on the fire. He was thinking of his next move. From what he knew the swamp was a very inhospitable place for two unarmed humans. Amidala's injury made her more vulnerable to the ravages of a trip across the swamp.
Obiwan always made sure they were well grounded on their assignment before they left for any mission. He was glad for it now. As far as his researched had told him, the Capa people were the only human inhabitants of the swamps this side of Theed.
They were not exactly swamp dwellers as their land was situated mostly on a raised fertile plateau in the middle of the endless swamp. The Capa lived in a lush valley in a mountain chain that cut through the swamp between Theed highlands and Thal Weil. But they did not have much interactions with the other tribes of Naboo, only occasionally for trade purposes did they mix with outsiders.
Crossing this range would be difficult, as it had no easily accessible passes or gaps-at least non-on the maps he had seen. Skirting it would make the trip much longer and more dangerous.
He needed a Capa tribesman to guide him through Capaland. Anakin decided that he had to contact the Capa some how in order to get the queen safely to Thal Weil on the far side of the swamp. But he needed transport, without transport he could not expect to get very far. How he wished he had his speeder now.
At this moment his patient moaned restlessly in her sleep. She called out his name several times, then she screamed. Anakin was by her side as she clung to him shivering uncontrollably. She had been dreaming again-of falling into the raging falls. He held her to him, calming her down with the force till she was asleep again.
Her forehead was hot against his bare chest; she looked very, very sick. He laid her back on the makeshift bed and covered her with his cloak, and then he piled the remaining garments on top of her too. Staring at her flushed face, he made up his mind there and then. The speeder had to be retrieved. He needed those medicines in the speeder's first aid box
It was past daybreak when Amidala stirred in her bed. She looked around her in surprise before she realized where she was. One look at her bandaged arm and she knew it was no dream.
The floor was strewn with machine parts and Anakin was sitting in the midst of it bent over a skeleton of a structure, which resembled a speeder bike.
"Anakin", she called.
Anakin wheeled around startled.
"Where did you get that thing!" She asked in a surprised tone.
"I fished it out of the swamps" he said.
"You what?" she ask incredulously. "You risked your life in that monster-infested lake for something that might not even work."
"There's no other choice your majesty," he started defensively. "We don't have a half a chance of getting to our destination without this." He said pointing to the bike.
Anakin concluded that the Queen had indeed recovered. The antibiotic shot from the speeder, which he had given her last night, had definitely been effective.
He gave her some food he had cooked on the fire during the night.
Anakin was thankful for the rains. It would mean the search operation would have to be delayed yet again. He needed just a couple of hours more to work on his bike, he thought as he stretched out on the bare floor for an hour of much needed sleep.