The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 52
The Secret Seller
Ben could not believe it. He absolutely could not believe it. This was the last straw. He had finally had enough. As he stormed through the halls of the Eastern Palace, he muttered small curses under his breath. Curses in Basic. Curses in Huttese. Even a couple Twi'lek curses that, if he were still apprenticed to Master Qui Gon, would have earned him a sharp tug on the old padawan braid.
He did it. Gaius really went and did it. Even after Ben and Robin's explicit warnings to keep his kleptomania to an absolute minimum, the thief could not help himself. Ben barreled up a flight of stairs and entered the hall where him and his friends were staying.
He saw Panne standing in front of Gaius's door. And he knew she noticed him just by how her ears flicked in his direction.
Ben stopped in front of her as she stood guarding the door.
"Panne."
"He swears he didn't steal it." Panne sighed.
"And you believe him?" Ben asked.
"Surprisingly yes." Panne replied, "Especially given the fact that I was the first person to come tearing up here ready to lay down the law. And he is terrified of me."
"Amused more than terrified."
"Tell that to the wet undergarments that I smell through the door." Panne replied, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Ben shook his head, "Let me through."
Panne sighed and stepped to the side. Ben gripped the doorknob and shoved his way into the room.
"NO MORE, WHISKERS! I YIELD!" Gaius cried as the terrified thief jumped behind a chair and used it as a barrier between himself and the door, "I swear to Grima, Naga, and every other god in existence I did not steal it!" He peaked out from behind the chair, "Oh." His fingers tapped against the chair's backrest, "Hi, Benny."
Ben crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the wood floor. He narrowed his eyes at Gaius and waited for the thief to come out from his hiding spot. He could feel some mild fear from the thief. But there was also a sense of relief coming from the red haired man. Gaius did not fear Ben as much as he feared Panne.
Slowly, Gaius emerged from behind the chair. As soon as he did, Ben reached out with the force and ripped his personal pouch from his grip.
"Hey!" Gaius cried.
Ben flicked the pouch open and peaked inside.
Candy. Lots of candy. Little pieces of chocolate. Enough taffy to feed the entire group for an entire month. A lollipop or two. And then he saw it. A little, shiny object sitting beneath a large mound of sugar sticks. Ben dug into the pouch and dug out a diamond encrusted brooch in the shape of Naga's divine symbol.
He eyed Gaius. The thief tapped his fingers together nervously.
"I really did not steal it."
"So this just grew legs and walked into your candy pouch?" Ben asked as he held the brooch up in the air.
"Heh, you wish." Gaius snorted, "Nope. I didn't steal it. It was given to me."
"This is the now Duke Phillip's daughter's brooch. Why on earth would she give it to you?"
Gaius gave Ben a wry smirk. A quick waggle of his eyebrows and Ben had his answer.
"Kriff, Gaius." Ben groaned, running a hand over his exasperated face.
"What? I gave the lady a good night on the town." Gaius smirked, "Then I escorted her home. And well… I offered her some candy. One thing led to another. There was this one part where-"
"I do not need the details!" Ben interrupted. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tossed the delicate brooch over to the thief. Gaius easily snatched it out of the air, "Just make sure you give it back."
"You know it's considered rude to give a gift back."
"And it's even ruder to kick a comrade's insolent ass while staying in another person's house. So give it back!" Ben snapped.
"Pfft, you won't hurt me." Gaius replied with a smirk.
"True." Ben folded his hands behind his back, "But I can ask Tharja to… conduct an experiment."
All color drained from Gaius's face.
"You wouldn't."
Ben chuckled, "Are you certain of that?"
The thief's eyes flicked down at the brooch in his hands. Back up to Ben. Then back down to the brooch. His shoulders fell and he sighed.
"I'll make sure to give it back."
"Good." Ben nodded, "Let us not speak of this situation ever again."
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked, "I would gladly give you some pointers when it comes to the ladies and-"
"Never. Again." Ben reiterated.
With a final huff, Ben turned on his heel and exited Gaius's room. As the door clicked shut behind him, he heard Panne uttered a long sigh.
"He really needs to grow up." Panne muttered.
She looked sad. Her lips were drawn into a frown. And there was a lot less confidence in her posture. Ben knew she cared about Gaius more than she let on. The two were nearly inseparable whenever they traveled on the road. Perhaps there was more to their odd friendship than he thought?
"If only we were that lucky. Gaius will always be Gaius." He placed a hand on Panne's shoulder, "A man like him needs a friend like you by his side. So don't abandon him. He may not realize it, but he needs you."
Panne gave Ben a small nod. Ben replied with a small pat on her shoulder. Just as he was going to finally take a breather and fit some meditation into the day, he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. Ben glanced past Panne and saw Robin burst up the stairs. The tactician let out a loud wheeze and put his hands on his knees.
"I-" Robin wheezed again and took a deep breath, "I heard Gaius did a thing."
Ben gave the winded tactician a small laugh, "The thing has been dealt with."
"It has?" Robin gasped, "So I didn't have to sprint all the way back here from the village market?"
Ben laughed some more and shook his head, "How did you even-"
"Tharja."
Ben arched an eyebrow.
"I'm not the only one she follows around, apparently." Robin wheezed. He sucked in another deep breath, "She saw Gaius with the Duke's daughter last night. And she correctly assumed Gaius did some stupid. So she made sure to tell me and Panne. Then we heard some guards talking about how the Duke's daughter was missing her brooch. And well… safe guess."
"Correct person. Wrong reason. And Gaius will return it."
Both Ben and Robin walked past Panne as she stomped into Gaius's room. They both heard Gaius utter a small whimper before Panne began to berate him again. Ben paid it no mind. As frustrated as Panne could get with the thief, she would not hurt him. He was a part of her Warren. While she would certainly berate and scold him, she would not lay a hand on him in a harmful way.
Robin sighed as he pushed the door open to the room he and Ben elected to share. Space at the Eastern Palace was limited. It was a sturdy fortress. But a small one. Built into the rocky face of a tall mountain peak. More space was dedicated towards armories and food stores than to actual living space. So each one of Ben's company had to share a room. All of them that is, except one.
After spending several weeks in the same tent as Tharja, Ben thought it was only fair that she received her own space. And she gratefully accepted. Gaius and Panne shared a room. And lastly, Laurent and Donnel agreed to bunk up. Everyone was happy with the arrangement. Although, Ben was not sure if that was due to the pairings or due to the actual mattresses they were all sleeping on now. A good, soft mattress did feel so much better than a mat on the hard ground.
Robin walked over to the desk at the far end of the room. His pack sat on top of it. He threw the pack open and withdrew a small game board that had been folded in half. Robin frowned, blew some sand off of it, then opened it up.
"Care for a game, Ben?"
Ben smirked, "Why not?"
Robin smiled and set the board up on the small table that sat in their room. Ben pulled up a chair and leaned back as Robin placed the pieces on the board.
"Did you hear anything at the village market?" Ben asked.
Robin shook his head, "Nothing, again."
Ben let out a long sigh, "We've searched all over these mountains for a week and still nothing." Some sunlight streamed in through the window and into his eyes. Ben blinked and shielded his eyes with his hand.
"What should we do?" Robin asked as he finished setting up the board and made the first move.
Ben pursed his lips and made his first move as well, "I'm not sure." He hummed to himself as Robin made another move, "Good move. Good move indeed."
"Well, we have exhausted Eastern Ylisse. And Southern Ylisse. So that leaves us with two options at this point." Robin pointed out as he studied Ben's reaction to his own move, "We can continue north into Regna Ferox. Or move back west and search around Themis." Robin moved another piece. A small thrill went through him as he took one of Ben's knights from the board, "From Themis we could go into Plegia and search through there."
"What is there to search there?" Ben asked with a small snort, "The only major settlement is the Capitol. There are scattered, uncharted villages throughout the desert. But good luck finding them. It would be an exhaustive search effort. One that we have neither the time nor the resources to conduct. Plus, there is a new King in Plegia. And we do not know if he is hostile to Ylisseans or not." Ben took Robin's bishop, "We may not be at war anymore. But that does not mean tensions disappeared."
Robin nodded, "All accurate points." He frowned as he studied the board. He moved his rook, "So that sounds to me like you don't want to head for Themis?"
Ben frowned, "I know we have to search there at some point but," He tapped his hand against the table, "I just can't help but feel we won't find him there."
"Feel?" Robin quirked an eyebrow, "I'm guessing it's a force wielder thing?"
Ben sighed and gave him a small nod. He moved his own rook across the board. Robin uttered a small curse under his breath. This game was beginning to slip out of the tactician's grasp.
They made the next few moves in silence. Finally, Robin furrowed his brow and uttered a frustrated snarl.
"Damn it all!"
Ben chuckled, "Checkmate."
"How do I always lose to you!?" Robin cried as he leaned back in his seat. He reached over to a small glass of water that he grabbed midway through their game and took a sip.
"You are easy to read." Ben smirked.
Robin narrowed his eyes, "Easy to read? What do you mean by that?"
"Well-" Ben took a breath, "The Force allows me to sense another person's emotions. And you wear your emotions on your sleeve. It helps me predict your intentions."
Robin gaped at Ben, "Really!?"
Ben nodded as he started to reset the game board. Robin leaned over the table.
"You have to teach me!"
Ben paused as he set a knight down on the game board. A long sigh rushed from his lungs.
"Robin…"
"Our games will be a lot more fair if you do."
"You cannot learn the force simply because you want to win at a board game." Ben replied with a long sigh.
"Oh fine! Then you can teach me to use it for winning at chess and for use on the battlefield."
Robin was caught off guard by Ben's steely gaze. He actually felt like shrinking back in his seat a little bit.
"The force is not a tool for amusement or violence, Robin." Ben scolded,
Robin cringed, "Gee, sorry if I pushed the wrong button."
Ben waved his hand, "You don't have to apologize, Robin. You did nothing wrong. You were just unaware of the nature of the Force. There was no harm at all."
Robin nodded, "So what is the nature of the Force?"
Ben sagged in his seat, "Robin-"
"How can I learn this sort of stuff if you don't teach me?" Robin asked, "You saw what I did back in the desert to that treasure hunter. I used the Force! I don't know how I did it, but I did. And that was not the first time either."
Ben's gaze flicked up at Robin, surprised.
Robin cleared his throat, "I- I think I used it to destroy a reeking box during our last battle in Plegia. It manifested itself in lightning for some reason."
He saw Ben's eyes widen, "Are you sure it wasn't an overcharged thunder spell?"
"Nope. It was not a El or Arc class spell." Robin sipped his water again, "I've never cast blue lightning before either. Or after for that matter. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing. I just felt a surge of power. And I used that power. And that power came out as ridiculously strong, blue lightning."
Now he saw Ben pale. The swordsman leaned towards Robin.
"Blue lightning?"
Robin shifted under Ben's gaze, "Y-yeah. Is that a bad thing?"
Ben drew back in his seat. His mind raced. Robin not only was a natural with the Force, but he managed to summon lightning with it as well!? That was a trait normally reserved for Force Adepts on the dark side of the spectrum. He could recall the lightning Count Dooku wielded with such devastating proficiency. The first time he faced that power had been in a duel with the late fallen Jedi turned Sith Lord. And during the war that followed that duel, he had witnessed its terrifying power multiple times in some terrifying situations. Some of which he considered himself fortunate to have survived.
How could someone like Robin wield such a sinister power? Robin did not have an evil bone in his body, as far as Ben could tell. So how was he tapping into the Dark Side? How was he able to cast Force Lightning? Without any training for that matter? Was he just that gifted? If so, how did Ben not notice before?
"I'm beginning to think its a bad thing." Robin muttered as he noticed Ben's furrowed brow and worried expression.
"Don't use it anymore." Ben said, his tone firm.
"Why?"
Ben sighed, "It's probably best if you don't know why. Just don't give in to that power anymore."
Robin let out an exasperated huff, "Well, I can't exactly avoid using it if I don't know why. If you just teach me-"
"No!"
"Why not?"
Something snapped in Ben. A rush of both fear and anger surged through him.
"Because the last person I taught was my apprentice and he-" Ben trailed off as he realized he was yelling. Robin was giving him a stunned look.
"Ben?" Robin looked at his friend with worry.
The swordsman slumped in his seat and put a hand to his eyes.
"The last person I taught was my apprentice, Anakin. And," Ben took a deep breath, "he is the reason the Jedi Order no longer exists."
Understanding washed over Robin's face.
"Is this the same Anakin that you have nightmares about?"
Ben swallowed hard and gave Robin a small nod. In that moment, Robin saw Ben drift off to a different place. There was fear in his eyes. Fear, sorrow, and intense regret. Ben sniffled and shook his head.
"Robin," He began, "A force wielder's power is very much tied to their emotions and mental state."
Robin nodded, "I remember you explaining that."
"Well, the older the person is when they begin to train with the force, the more susceptible they are to the darker aspects of it. That is due to the more varied emotions an older person can experience."
"How old were you when you started learning about the Force?" Robin asked.
"I arrived at the Jedi temple when I was barely a few months old." Ben let out a wistful sigh, "It was my home. I was raised there. And I knew nothing else until Master Qui Gon Jinn took me as his apprentice and we went on our first assignment together. Being in that environment since that age allowed me to learn the dangers of such emotions as anger and fear. That allowed me to not be tempted by the dark side of the force."
Robin furrowed his brow, "Tempted?" He shook his head, "The more I hear about this emotion part of Jedi Philosophy, the stranger it becomes to me. You all basically denied your humanity in order to control your powers."
Ben frowned, "I never looked at it that way. But, in a sense, yes. We did."
"And I'm guessing the reason you're telling me about this whole age issue is because of your old apprentice."
Ben's face saddened, "Yes. Anakin was nine when he arrived at the Jedi Temple. Initially, the council refused to train him for the very reason I explained to you. But my master was adamant that we train him. Anakin was naturally gifted. Much like yourself in that regard. And when Master Qui Gon died, his last wish was for me to train the boy."
Robin's eyes widened in surprise.
"That must not have sat well with whatever council you followed. You couldn't have been much older than Anakin when all this happened?"
"You're not wrong. And it did not sit well with the council. But given the manner in which my Master died, they felt compelled to grant his last request." Ben breathed, "I was not the right person to train Anakin. Anakin should have been apprenticed to someone like Master Windu, or Master Plo Koon. Not me. He needed a mentor. A father figure. Not a brother."
"You guys were that close."
"Well yes we fought-" Ben caught himself before he mentioned the Clone Wars. He cleared his throat, "We fought in many battles together. Over the years, Anakin and I became very good friends." Ben's eyes glossed over, "Then… then he betrayed us. Gave in to his lust for power. And now," Ben took a deep breath, "Now I may be the last Jedi alive."
Robin bowed his head and took in Ben's story. It explained his reasoning for not wanting to train him. Hell, if Robin was in his shoes, he would have said the same thing. Having an apprentice turn traitor would be a devastating thing. And apparently, Robin shared some similarities with his old apprentice. Which sparked even greater hesitance in the swordsman.
"I've decided." Robin finally spoke.
"Hm?"
"I want you to teach me." Robin said. Ben opened his mouth to deny him, but Robin cut him off, "But only when you are ready to teach me. And only when you think I am ready to learn. I may be similar to Anakin, Ben. But I am not him. I don't plan on betraying anyone, ever. Besides I'm a grown up. I don't need a father figure or a mentor. But I do need a teacher. If for no other reason than to have a solid foundation so I can explore these powers I know nothing about."
Ben rubbed his chin, There it was again. Robin never ceased to surprise him. There were many things he and Anakin shared. Tremendous power was one of them. They were both swift learners. Charming individuals capable of forming everlasting friendships whenever they wanted to. Incredibly intelligent and very brave. Willing to do anything to save those they cared about.
And that was the crux to Ben's caution. But his mind was put more at ease with Robin's choice to be patient. That was a quality Anakin did not have.
"I'll think about it." Ben finally replied.
"Good." Robin nodded, "So… Regna Ferox tomorrow?"
"We'll take a day to rest and resupply. After that we will go north."
"Sounds like a plan." Robin gestured at the chess board, "Best two out of three?"
Ben smirked and made the first move.
"You better make it best three out of five."
….
"Beef! Get yer beef here!"
"Screw the Beef!" Another shopkeeper shouted over the first one, "Chicken! Grilled, pan-fried, raw! I'll give it to ya how ya like it."
"Care for a vegetable anyone!?"
The din of the market filled Ben's ears as he walked with Robin and Tharja through the small village. While the village was not very populated, it had a bustling market. Mostly because it was the only market this far into the mountains. Small groups of villagers milled about. Going from stall to stall, shop to shop. Most just window shopped while they bought food from street vendors. Ben himself had already filled his own food pouch with plenty of dried nuts, dried fruit, jerky; stuff that would last on a long journey. He did not want to stop and resupply very often. Robin and Tharja followed his example. But they were also mages. And both were curious about finding some magical supplies. Especially Tharja, who wanted to craft some poisons in order to keep herself busy while traveling.
"See anything?" Robin asked the dark mage as her shadowy eyes flicked from vendor to vendor.
"I saw one stall selling newts." Tharja smirked, "He may have some promise."
Ben arched an eyebrow, "What is a newt?"
"Super poisonous amphibian." Robin answered, "Best not to go near one."
"And they are excellent for poison crafting." Tharja said with a slight giddiness to her voice, "But one must be careful when using them. Ingest any of their natural toxins and well… it'll be an unpleasant end."
"I'm guessing you are speaking from experience?" Ben asked.
"Several foolish novices in the Grimleal temple erred in their work. A newt accidentally lived and slipped into their shared water pot." A dark smirk crossed Tharja's lips, "Needless to say, the aftereffects of such a mistake were very interesting to observe."
Robin leaned close to Ben, "She's like a twisted version of Miriel." He whispered.
Ben uttered a quiet laugh, "If you say so."
"I've decided." Tharja nodded, "I'm buying some newts. Maybe a few deathcaps as well."
Ben paled, "Deathcaps?"
"Bad mushrooms. Make sure Gaius doesn't try to candy them." Robin explained.
Ben gave Robin a confused glance, "How does one candy a mushroom?"
Robin shrugged, "I don't know. But I have a feeling it's something that red haired scoundrel would do."
"Fair point."
"Kenobi."
Ben froze as Tharja swept past him and over to the mage selling newts. A voice just called him? And not only did it call him, it used his surname. While many people on this planet knew him as Ben Kenobi, most people did not refer to him as such. It was always much more informal. Often times he was called Sir Ben, or Mr. Ben, or just Ben. Never Kenobi.
"Hey, Ben?" Robin shook his shoulder, "You alright?"
"I thought I heard someone call me." Ben replied as he began to stretch out with the force. He was not crazy. Someone did call him. But who? And why?
Robin arched an eyebrow, "Well, I guess you could have heard something. There is a lot of noise around here."
"Here."
Ben glanced to his right. His eyes landed on a small, covered cart laden with all manner of random trinkets. Swords made of bronze, steel, and iron sat on a rickety, collapsible table in front of the cart. Lances leaned up against the cart's canvass covered sides. Then there was the motley assortment of magical tomes and spellbooks. All ranging from basic fire spells to very dark magics the likes of which were normally never sold in Ylisse. There was also potions all along the ground near the table. Vulnaries and elixirs. Potions to fight of fatigue. Potions to make a man feel stronger for several minutes.
And standing behind the table was the strangest part of the entire makeshift shop. A young woman with striking red hair. Nearly scarlet in color. Her pale face had a large, friendly smile on it as she called out her wares to the crowd. Her outfit was a mottled looking thing. A patchwork of orange and yellow fabrics with a massive collar.
Ben felt drawn to the stall. For some reason he heard the voice coming from there. But the woman had not called him. No, she was too busy advertising her wares.
"One thousand for this genuine bronze ax!" The woman called as she hefted an ax nearly as tall as her. Ben raised an eyebrow when he saw a large chip along the sharpened edge. The woman gave the market a sheepish smile, "Mildly used."
She tossed the bronze ax to the side and noticed Ben and Robin both staring at her.
"You there! Fine gentlemen, are you interested in anything? I've got swords and daggers. Potions and maybe a few poisons. An ax or two. Or perhaps you are more inclined to the lance." She snapped her fingers, "Oh who am I kidding?" She pointed at Robin, "You are clearly the mage type. I've got just the spell for you." She sifted through several tomes and yanked a faded red book from a large stack, "Very complex one. At least that's what the dead guy's notes said."
Robin paled, "Dead guy?"
"Yup! How else do you think I managed to snag this piece. So what do you say, one thousand?"
Ben's eyes widened, "One-one thousand!? You just admitted to pilfering a corpse for it."
The woman bobbed her head back and forth, "Fine. You've twisted my arm. Let's go with nine hundred and… two."
Ben folded his arms. He glanced over at Robin. As much as the mage tried to look not interested, Ben could tell his curiosity was getting the better of him. He had such a voracious appetite for knowledge. A complex spell would be something he wanted.
"Four hundred." Ben smirked back.
The woman's smile ran away from her lips, "Are you trying to swindle me?"
"Darling, I have a feeling you might be trying to swindle me." Ben replied with a wry grin.
The woman frowned. One of her fingers went up to her chin as she carefully studied Ben and Robin.
"I know you from somewhere." The shopkeeper hummed. A loud gasp suddenly rushed from her lips, "You're Obi the Skywalker!"
Robin covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh out loud. Ben sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"I'm not-"
"Nope. You are!" The shopkeeper grinned, "I remember seeing you perform at an inn back in Plegia. It was pretty impressive. Never seen a trick like it before." She smirked, "Tell you what, buy the book for eight hundred and I'll throw in a vulnary for you."
Ben chuckled and pressed his hands against the table top, "I'm not interested in vulnaries. I am… I am a great and powerful magician after all! I have much more refined taste."
"A concoction then!"
"I want to see what you have in the cart." Ben replied.
The woman drew back a little bit, "In the cart hm? That's for only the most loyal of my customers. And well, I know your name but you don't know mine." She smiled, "I better change that." She held out a hand, "The name's Anna. But some people call me the Secret Seller."
"Secret seller?" Robin chuckled.
"Yup! Cause I'm a secret. And I'm a seller." Anna replied, "Makes sense yeah? Anyways, the back of the cart normally has some of the more rare items. An enchanted dagger or two. Really powerful spell books that I just so happened to find. A couple healing staves." She moved to the side, "Feel free to take a look."
Both Robin and Ben nodded and went to the back of the cart.
"Obi the Skywalker?" Robin snickered before jabbing his elbow into Ben's ribs.
"Roll with it." Ben hissed back before scanning the items in the back of Anna's cart.
She was not a liar. Most of the stuff in the back of her cart was rather similar to what she already had on display. Ben saw some swords with more unique designs. Perhaps they were enchanted. He did not care about those. For some reason, the whisper her heard came from this cart. He was determined to find the source.
Robin carefully brushed some healing staves out of the way.
"I wonder what kind of spell books she has?" Robin muttered as he thumbed through some books.
Ben shrugged, "I don't know. What spell was on that one book anyways?"
Robin hummed, "Bol-something. Looked like a fire spell of some kind. I may very well get it."
"Well don't let her know that. I'm trying to negotiate a lower price for you."
"Aw, that's so sweet." Robin chuckled back. He slid some more books out of the way.
Robin furrowed his brow. Lying on the floor of the cart, hidden beneath a mountain of spellbooks, was a strange, silver cylinder. Robin pressed his lips together and reached for it.
His fingers brushed against the metal cylinder. An image flashed through his mind. An entire land filled with lava. Ash choked air. Black sand and intense heat wrapped around him. A sense of hatred and dread filled his core. Suffering unimaginable resonated from the scorching land. He drew his hand back and let out a loud gasp.
"What is it?" Ben glanced over at Robin. He slid over to where the tactician stood.
Ben's blood froze in his veins. He felt like he could hardly breathe. Robin glanced over at his friend. All the color in Ben's face was gone. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Ben's hands shook by his sides.
Without a word, Ben reached out and picked up the strange object. He handled it with tender care. As if it was the most fragile thing in existence. Like how someone would hold a rose. And as he lifted it from the cart floor, his hands shook even more.
Robin tapped Ben on the shoulder. The swordsman looked over at Robin. The tactician saw intense sorrow in Ben's eyes.
"What is it?" Robin asked.
Ben swallowed hard, "This-" He took a shuddering breath.
He did not answer Robin's question. Instead he turned on his heel and returned his attention to Anna.
"Include this in your deal, and I will pay full price for the spell book."
Anna drew back in surprise, "Really!?" She narrowed her eyes at Ben, "And why do you want that… thingy so badly? What is it worth to you? Hm… maybe I have half a mind to keep it for now."
Robin raised an eyebrow when Ben subtly waved his hand in front of Anna's face.
"You will include this in our deal." Ben said.
Robin's eyes widened as he saw Anna's eyes glaze over for half a second. The secret seller swayed in her spot. Then she shook her head.
"Whoa! I must need to eat some spinach or something. What did you say, Mr. Skywalker?"
Ben drew back in surprise, "I was-"
"Tell you what." Anna smirked, "I'll let you have both the book and the thingy for two thousand. Since that thingy is obviously so important to you. Hell of a bargain I say."
Robin tugged on Ben's sleeve and leaned into his ear.
"We don't even have two thousand." Robin whispered.
"I'm aware. Let me negotiate with her." Ben hissed back, "One thousand for both."
"Pfft!" Anna snorted, "Yeah, like that's gonna happen. And I don't know what that little hand wavy thing you did was, but if you're trying to cast some magic spell on me, it isn't going to work. Mind tricks don't work on me. Only money." She folded her arms, "One thousand five hundred."
The dumbfounded look on Ben's face nearly made Robin double over with laughter. Before Ben could argue back, Robin stepped in the way.
"One thousand and I will point all my friends to you for a new sword."
"Oh?" Anna shifted her gaze over to Robin, "What friends are we talking about?"
"How about Prince Chrom and the Shepherds?"
Anna's eyes widened to the size of dinner plate, "You're one of the Shepherds, aren't you?"
Robin nodded, "And I might be able to put in a good word. Maybe, I can even convince Knight-Commander Frederick to come to you for weapons and armor."
"Sold!" Anna cried. She grabbed Robin's hand and gave it a firm shake, "Did you see that Obi." She jabbed her thumb at Robin while Ben looked flabbergasted, "That is how you negotiate." She reached for the spell book, "Here is the spell. It's called Bolgannone. Really potent fire spell. As for you Obi, enjoy your… thingy. Whatever it is." She let out a happy sigh, "Well, I'm not selling anything else around here. All poor farmers and stuff. Oh well." She shrugged and began to pack up her wares, "Regna Ferox always treated me well. I'll definitely move some product up there. Fare well, Obi and-"
"Robin." The tactician smiled before turning on his heel and walking away. He stopped and noticed Ben not following him. Robin rolled his eyes and grabbed Ben by the arm.
"Come on. Before we blow through all of the money."
"H-how?" Ben asked as Robin dragged him away from Anna, "I'm known as the Negotiator. How did I lose?"
"Negotiator?" Robin chuckled, "I thought you were Obi the Skywalker?"
Ben ripped his arm free from the laughing tactician's grasp.
"Not a word to Gaius."
Robin snickered, "I don't know. It'd be pretty funny to tell him about how I out negotiated you."
"Not. A. Word." Ben replied.
"Oh fine!"
Robin laughed some more as the duo regrouped with Tharja and made their way back to the Eastern Palace. The dark mage talked excitedly about the new poisonous brews she could make using the ingredients she bought. She also took an interest in Robin's new spell. A spell that, even by her own admission, was very powerful.
Her gaze flicked to Ben's hands, where he still cradled the silver object. She could see the reverence he held for the object. Once they all returned to the palace, Tharja followed Ben to his room while Robin went to the training yard to try and learn his new spell.
She slipped into his room just as the door was about to close. Ben did not notice. He slumped into a chair and let the object rest in his lap. Tharja tucked her own spell book close to her chest and took a few cautious steps towards Ben.
"What is that?" She asked.
Ben glanced up at her. She saw some tears misting in his eyes.
"This was Anakin's." He replied with a small sniffle.
Tharja's eyes widened, "His weapon?"
Ben gave her a shaky nod, "I grabbed it when I defeated him. And I thought I lost it when I arrived on this world." He ran a hand over the polished hilt, "How in the world did that merchant get it?" He finished with a mutter.
Tharja shrugged, "Does it matter? You have it now." She smirked at him, "I'd suggest not losing it again."
Ben snorted, "Of course." He took a deep breath and clipped the lightsaber to his belt, "Are you ready to travel tomorrow?"
Tharja grimaced, "It is going to be very cold, isn't it?"
Ben nodded.
"I might have to borrow your cloak."
….
Thankfully, it did not snow on the march north. The passes through the mountains were much easier to navigate from the Eastern Palace's side of the mountains. Which allowed Ben and his friends to eventually leave the mountainous region and enter the vast, icy plains of Regna Ferox. Despite the more favorable whether, it was still extremely cold. And the snow drifts that covered the roads were thick and tall. Forcing their march to slow to a crawl.
Ben waded through the snow. He kept the force channeling through his body. Which helped him stay warm since his cloak was wrapped around Tharja. The nearest village was just a few more hours north. Once they arrived there, Ben would start searching for any orphan boys that matched Luke's description.
He stopped as Tharja tripped up in the snow. A series of bitter curses rushed from her lips as Ben helped her back to her feet. Gaius glanced back at the pair.
"You okay back there, Sunshine?"
"Don't make me hex you." Tharja snarled back.
"Geez, just trying to be helpful." Gaius replied, "I don't like the cold much either. You don't have to get so snippy."
"Says the king of snippiness." Robin chuckled as he trudged through the snow.
Robin raised his gaze up to see Panne coming to a stop in front of them. Donnel and Laurent also paused beside the Taguel. Robin drew up alongside the trio.
"This seems kind of familiar." Panne muttered.
Robin followed her gaze up the snow covered road. Sprinting in their direction was a villager. Not a young man like Donnel was. He was a middle aged man. Terror filled his eyes as he got closer.
"Don't go any further!" The villager shouted at them as he sprinted forward.
Robin raised a hand. Beckoning the villager to slow down. At that moment, Ben and Tharja arrived alongside the others.
"What's wrong?" Robin asked.
"Bandits." The Feroxi villager gasped, "A whole gang of them are trying to lay siege to my home!"
Ben furrowed his brow.
"I'm running for my life while I still can. That merchant won't be able to hold them off for long. And I am not dying today."
Ben grabbed the man's arm just as he tried to keep running.
"Hold on. A merchant is defending your village?"
"For now." The villager gasped, "But once those bandits kill her, they'll come for us next! I suggest you steer clear."
The villager tore his arm away from Ben and raced down the road. The group watched as the man rushed off into the distance. Donnel scowled.
"Coward." The farm boy spat.
"Compared to you, absolutely." Tharja muttered.
"Ben, you don't think that's our merchant, do you?" Robin asked.
Ben grimaced, "It very well could be."
Robin grit his teeth. He reached into his coat and drew his spellbook, "That means we have a perfect opportunity for me to test my new fire spell." He waved for the others to follow him, "Come on! We've got a village to save."
….
Victor scowled. How was this possible? Why did the raid stop? He had ordered his bandits to lay waste to the village. Pillage it. Kill all but a few of the villagers. But instead, his men had stopped their advance. As they all sat in the shadow of a nearby forest, Victor squinted at the village.
"What is wrong, brother?"
Victor glanced over his shoulder. His twin, Vincent, emerged from the tree line. His own crew of bandits at his back. Victor sighed as Vincent smirked.
"Is the village too scary for your gang?" Vincent chuckled. He moved to draw his ax from his hip, "Perhaps my gang will be able to get the job done."
"No." Victor snapped back, "It is my turn to do the honors. You know that."
Vincent chuckled again, "Of course. I was just offering in case your crew were too squeamish." He brushed some fresh snow from his purple pauldron, "What are you waiting for then?"
Victor eyed the village closely. His scowl deepened when he saw the reason his men hesitated. Standing in front of the village, her small cart blocking the way in, was a red haired woman with a steel shortsword. A small smirk graced her lips. Victor felt his blood begin to boil when she offered the bandits a cute wave. She knew they were there. And she was not afraid.
"Oh ho!" Vincent laughed, "That one is a real beauty. The traders will pay well for her."
Victor's lips curled into an evil grin, "Yes, they will."
The red haired woman waved at them again. She cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Hello there!" She called, "Are you here to purchase something?"
Vincent slapped his hand against Victor's red shoulder pauldron. The twin chuckled.
"Well, go have fun." Vincent said, "Me and my boys will go back to the hideout."
As Vincent turned to leave, the woman shouted at them again.
"Are you potential customers? I must warn you, due to the high demand of my products, my prices are not cheap."
Victor's eyes gleamed. He pointed at the merchant and shouted back at her. His strong voice boomed out over the forested area.
"Your prices will be cheap for me!" He bellowed, "As in free!"
The woman tilted her head to the side, "Yeah… that's not going to work for me."
"Too bad!" He leveled his ax at her, "Take her boys! Then we can have fun in the village!"
His bandits uttered a furious battle cry. All of them charged in unison. Meanwhile, Victor stayed near the treeline. Content to watch the carnage. There was no sense in getting blood on him. Besides, this merchant was just a small, helpless woman. His men would have no trouble with her. None at all.
One of his archers knocked an arrow. Just as he was about to loose it at the girl, the merchant moved. Victor froze where he stood. He watched in shock as she zipped across snowy ground and buried her shortsword into the archer.
Before Victor could even blink, she moved again. And another one of his archers fell dead into the snow.
His fist curled up at his side. No, no he should not let this bother him. A few archers were nothing to worry about. His foot soldiers had her surrounded now. Soon they would overwhelm this pesky merchant. Then she would regret killing his men.
The noose tightened around the merchant. Victor smiled as she spun around and realized the predicament she was in. She appeared calm still. But Victor could see that deep down, she knew she was in trouble.
He took a step forward. He wanted to personally see to her capture now. Such defiance was not a slight he would tolerate. Just as his boot crunched in the snow, he heard a voice to his right.
"Pardon me."
He glanced over. His eyes widened in shock. Seven people stood to his right. Three mages. One of which appeared to be a very intimidating dark mage. Two swordsman. One of them sucking on a lollipop. The other with a rapier in his grip. A foolish farm boy with a pot on his head stood next to that swordsman. And a-
Is that a giant rabbit?
The swordsman with the rapier cleared his throat, "We will give you one chance to walk away Mr-"
"Victor." The two other bandits he had at his side turned to face the newcomers, "And I will not have you giving me orders. I do what I please."
"I had a feeling you would say that." The swordsman sighed, "Tharja." The dark mage stepped forward, "If you would please?"
"Gladly."
A blast of dark magic shot at the bandit on Victor's right flank. The man screamed as black fire consumed him. Within seconds, he was a pile of ash laying in the white snow. The man to Victor's left turned to run. A lightning bolt struck him down before he could even take a step. Victor took several steps back.
"You-you-" He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. The men he had surrounding the merchant all turned to see his attackers, "Kill them!" He roared.
His men hesitated. They were not sure what to do? Plunder and gold lay before them. The only thing standing in their way being the defiant merchant. Their leader wanted this merchant dead already. So why was he calling them back to deal with some random travelers?
The merchant cut down an ax wielding bandit as the entire group hesitated to follow Victor's confusing order.
"Nope. I cannot allow that either!" The merchant shouted, "Those people happen to be some loyal customers of mine."
Victor grit his teeth and drew his ax. Before he could turn to attack the newcomers, the man with the rapier surged forward and placed the tip of his blade beneath his chin.
"So?" The bearded man smirked, "Care to surrender?"
Victor snarled at him. The bearded man sighed and glanced over at the merchant. Four of Victor's men were charging back towards him. The others were dying in the snow near the merchant's feet.
Victor noticed the swordsman's focus waver. The sword lowered away from his throat. A victorious smile crossed Victor's face.
I have you now!
He raised his ax. Just as he was about to bring it crashing down, the man flicked his wrist.
Victor felt pain rush through his chest. It was sharp. Burning. He looked down and saw a deep, red slash in him. A wound that ran from hip to shoulder. As blood seeped from his body, Victor gulped.
"I-" His ax fell as his body suddenly felt weak, "I... see an open field, Vincent. Such beautiful flowers."
His body slumped into the snow.
It did not take long for the other bandits to scatter. Robin managed to launch a massive blast of fire at all of them and it sent the enemy running for the forest. The tactician gave Ben a wide grin.
"I like this new spell." Robin beamed.
Ben chuckled, "I don't doubt it."
As he laughed, Anna came bouncing up to them.
"Well, this is a surprise." The merchant smiled, "I didn't think I'd be running into you two again so soon." She blinked and looked past Robin and Ben at their friends, "And your friends are?"
"Donnel!" The farm boy waved with a bright grin.
The red haired thief looked up as he looted Victor's body. He gave Anna a small wave.
"Gaius." He lifted a small sack from the man's hip and smiled as he shook it. A satisfying jingle hit his ears, "Thank you." He patted the dead man's cheek.
"You may call me Panne, man-spawn." The rabbit lady said.
The other woman with jet black hair muttered to herself as she walked around the dead bodies. She stomped her feet, shivered, then wrapped the brown cloak she had tighter around her body.
"That's, Sunshine!" Gaius pointed at her.
"My name is Tharja." The dark mage hissed before shivering again.
"And I am Laurent." The youngest member of the group bowed, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss-"
"Anna." The merchant smiled. She returned her attention to Ben and Robin, "I suppose I owe you both one. If you all had not come along, well… some nasty things would have happened. As my version of a thank you, you each may take one thing from my wagon. Within reason of course. No touching the super expensive stuff please."
"Really!?" Gaius chirped.
"That won't be necessary." Robin replied.
"Oh come on, Bubbles!"
"Well I have to repay you all somehow." Anna placed her hands on her hips, "I don't like being in debt to other people."
"Well," Robin breathed, "You travel a lot, don't you?"
"Of course." Anna smirked, "I'm the Secret Seller. It's part of the job."
"Then you may have seen or heard of someone," Robin glanced over at Ben, "multiple someones that we are looking for."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. A girl with blue hair and one arm. Her name is Marth. And a baby boy with blue eyes named Luke." He nodded over at Ben, "His kid."
Anna hummed to herself. She put a finger to her chin and shook her head.
"Nope. I got nothing."
Robin let out a defeated sigh.
"But," Anna continued, "One of my sisters may have heard something. I don't really keep my ear to the ground. So I don't hear much about current events. I'm more concerned with making a profit. But my sister pays attention to that kind of stuff, even while she is selling. She may have heard something."
"Great!" Ben exclaimed, "Where is she?"
Anna grimaced, "That's the thing. I lost contact with her. I fear she may be in trouble. I came to Regna Ferox not only to sell my goods, but to also hire some mercenaries in order to find her."
Ben glanced over at Robin. The tactician shrugged. Just how hard would it be to find another merchant like Anna?
"Where was she last seen?"
"When I last talked to her she was heading for Port Ferox. A good idea really. Great payday." Anna replied.
"Great!" Robin smiled, "We can cut west from here and be there in a week or so."
"From Plegia." Anna finished.
Robin's smile ran away from his face, "She was crossing the desert?"
Anna gave him a grim nod, "That's what she said she was going to do. We make that kind of crossing all the time. Less likely to run into bandits that way. Better for business. So after we parted ways, I went about doing my own thing. Trading and such throughout Ylisse. Eventually, I made my way out to Port Ferox. And there was no sign of my sister. I learned that I was the only secret seller to be in town in months. I figured she decided to change course and go to the Longfort before banking east back towards Ylisse. But when there was still no sign of her-" Anna shook her head, "Needless to say, I'm a little worried now."
Robin gave Ben an uncertain glance. The swordsman rubbed his chin.
"You're certain she would have information on Luke and Marth?" He asked Anna.
Anna nodded, "At the very least, she will have heard about one of them."
Robin grimaced. He glanced at Ben, "I guess we might be going to Plegia after all."
"It will take some time." Ben muttered, "We are on the other side of the continent."
"Don't worry about that." Anna chirped, "Because I'm tagging along. She's my sister after all." She strode towards her wagon. "All aboard everyone. And tell your red haired friend to keep his eyes off the merchandise."
Ben nodded, "Did you hear that Gaius?"
"Yeah, yeah." Gaius replied dismissive wave of his hand.
They all moved towards Anna's wagon. Tharja was the first to hop into the wagon. A relieved sigh left her lips as she finally had some shelter from the snow and bitter wind. Gaius and Panne hopped inside next. The Taguel had to slap one of Gaius's hands as he reached out for a golden dagger. Laurent and Donnel clambered in and took a seat close to where Anna drove the cart. Ben got inside and took a seat beside Tharja. He had to move some books out of the way. But eventually he had a comfortable seat. Robin entered the wagon last. When he finally found a spot to sit down in, he looked across the wagon at Ben.
"Are you sure about this? We have not covered any ground here in Regna Ferox yet."
"The way we have been searching has not worked so far." Ben replied, his voice hushed, "Maybe we will find something this way."
Robin gave him an uncertain nod. He felt just as worried as Ben. Not only for baby Luke, but for Marth as well. It had been a few months now and there was still no word regarding her. For all Robin knew, she could be lying dead on the side of the road somewhere. Or worse, Kage could have captured her. He already tried to kill her once before. What would he do now that he was off Maul's leash?
He sank into his spot in Anna's wagon. The red haired merchant looked back to make sure everyone was inside. She flashed them all a bright smile then snapped the reins. Her horse snorted and took off to the west. Robin guessed they would arrive at the Plegian-Feroxi border within a week. From there, it would be a long, arduous search through the desert.
This was a very risky move on Ben's part. Robin shifted in his seat.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
And chapter! Anna has arrived! And we are branching off from the canon paralogues and into some more original stuff! I'm so excited. The next chapter involving Ben and his friends is one I've been planning for weeks!
As for this chapter, Ben found Anakin's lightsaber! In the Force Awakens, it called to Rey. In this story, it called to Ben. And Robin is growing even more curious about the Force. Hopefully Ben will give him and teach him soon.
Anyways, let me know