Anakin raced through the grass carpeted jungle at neck breaking speed, the trees where a flash of green as he sped by, dodging through the trees like a bolt of lightening gone crazy.
Amidala closed her eyes shut and clung tight. It was futile to get Anakin to slow down, he had that mad look in his eyes and she knew he would not heed her.
Anakin was angry with himself on the foolish move he had made. He was angry at the Queen's reaction. He felt she was grossly overreacting to an innocent gesture. His mind was filled with the Queens face starring angrily at him. He was so engrossed in introspection and self-examination that he failed to heed the warning of the force.
With a whoop a wooden spear suddenly cut his path and fixed itself on the bole of a tree right in his path. To avoid the wooden handle cutting right into his neck he swerved heavily to one side, but he was too fast, he lost control and fell heavily to the ground, rolling on the forest floor. Even before he hit the ground he was looking for the Queen; he found her lying on the floor some distance behind. As soon as he stopped rolling he ran and threw himself besides the limp form on the grass. Gathering her in his arms he checked her for signs of life.
She was alive but unconscious. Her temple was bleeding and worse the old wound on her arm had reopened and she was bleeding again. " Maker what have I done!" Anakin said, hugging her close to him. He was almost in tears.
He turned round to see three well built warriors dressed in what looked to him like animal skins wrapped round their waists, advancing cautiously towards them. Pointing their spears menacingly at the pair on the ground.
"Friends!' he said in Capa, "we're friends, we're come to see Chief Wakabu." They stopped their advance but they did not seem convinced. Anakin bent and took out the queen's ring so unceremoniously he nearly tore her skin
Anakin normally had nerves of steel when it came to negotiation. But seeing the queen like this put him in a state. He was shaking all over.
He realized how much she had come to mean to him. He wasn't this disconcerted the last time he had seen her injured. Then she had been a friend. But now she was his life.
"Here!" he said holding the ring for them to examine. The tallest of the three took the ring, never taking his eyes off the two. He just glanced at the stone and nodded to the others, the spears were lowered. But their expression did not changed.
The leader asked if the woman was his, Anakin didn't understand, he just kept on repeating that he wanted to see the chief. The tribals did not seem to understand basic or the Naboo dialect spoken in the city, which Anakin had mastered somewhat.
Anakin told them that he needed help, he had to get this woman to a doctor fast. They nodded and beckoned him to follow them. He picked up the Queen and hoped that the speeder would not be too damaged. He found it lying on some bushes quite unscathed. He mounted the speeder, cradling Amidala in one arm in front of him while guiding the speeder with the other.
The warriors returned seated on white scooties- outdated Naboo speeders, which were much wider and longer than his speeder, with curved seats extending right to the footholds more like cut cylinders.
Anakin followed the warriors as they floated through the forest following beaten paths. They did not seem to be in a hurry. Anakin had to urge them to hurry. Presently they crossed an old log bridge and came to stand before a heavy wooden gate set in a palisade of pointed logs.
Amidala closed her eyes shut and clung tight. It was futile to get Anakin to slow down, he had that mad look in his eyes and she knew he would not heed her.
Anakin was angry with himself on the foolish move he had made. He was angry at the Queen's reaction. He felt she was grossly overreacting to an innocent gesture. His mind was filled with the Queens face starring angrily at him. He was so engrossed in introspection and self-examination that he failed to heed the warning of the force.
With a whoop a wooden spear suddenly cut his path and fixed itself on the bole of a tree right in his path. To avoid the wooden handle cutting right into his neck he swerved heavily to one side, but he was too fast, he lost control and fell heavily to the ground, rolling on the forest floor. Even before he hit the ground he was looking for the Queen; he found her lying on the floor some distance behind. As soon as he stopped rolling he ran and threw himself besides the limp form on the grass. Gathering her in his arms he checked her for signs of life.
She was alive but unconscious. Her temple was bleeding and worse the old wound on her arm had reopened and she was bleeding again. " Maker what have I done!" Anakin said, hugging her close to him. He was almost in tears.
He turned round to see three well built warriors dressed in what looked to him like animal skins wrapped round their waists, advancing cautiously towards them. Pointing their spears menacingly at the pair on the ground.
"Friends!' he said in Capa, "we're friends, we're come to see Chief Wakabu." They stopped their advance but they did not seem convinced. Anakin bent and took out the queen's ring so unceremoniously he nearly tore her skin
Anakin normally had nerves of steel when it came to negotiation. But seeing the queen like this put him in a state. He was shaking all over.
He realized how much she had come to mean to him. He wasn't this disconcerted the last time he had seen her injured. Then she had been a friend. But now she was his life.
"Here!" he said holding the ring for them to examine. The tallest of the three took the ring, never taking his eyes off the two. He just glanced at the stone and nodded to the others, the spears were lowered. But their expression did not changed.
The leader asked if the woman was his, Anakin didn't understand, he just kept on repeating that he wanted to see the chief. The tribals did not seem to understand basic or the Naboo dialect spoken in the city, which Anakin had mastered somewhat.
Anakin told them that he needed help, he had to get this woman to a doctor fast. They nodded and beckoned him to follow them. He picked up the Queen and hoped that the speeder would not be too damaged. He found it lying on some bushes quite unscathed. He mounted the speeder, cradling Amidala in one arm in front of him while guiding the speeder with the other.
The warriors returned seated on white scooties- outdated Naboo speeders, which were much wider and longer than his speeder, with curved seats extending right to the footholds more like cut cylinders.
Anakin followed the warriors as they floated through the forest following beaten paths. They did not seem to be in a hurry. Anakin had to urge them to hurry. Presently they crossed an old log bridge and came to stand before a heavy wooden gate set in a palisade of pointed logs.