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Chapter 5
adat at kyr'amur = Mando'a for a person you want to kill
besom = Mando'a for ill-mannered lout
druk = general alien word for poop
phattro = an alcoholic beverage sold in bottles at cantinas and diners
~X~
"There is nothing a Mandalorian man fears more…than a Mandalorian woman."
~Just common sense~
Din woke the following morning to the sounds of life, movement around him, and the smell of food cooking. He also felt a slight weight on his chest, and it didn't come from his beskar armor. Raising his head, he saw the kid sprawled out on his stomach, sound asleep, his rhythmic breathing oddly comforting. He was once again dressed in his little brown outfit; it apparently having dried during the night and been put back on him by the woman. It bothered Din a bit to think he had slept through such activities and hadn't even noticed the child crawling up and laying right on top of him.
Was he losing his edge?
Lifting the kid carefully, so as not to wake him, Din set him aside and attempted to rise. His leg hurt a little less than it had the day before, but he also knew it was far from healed. Still, he couldn't afford to lie around much longer, for he needed to return to the Razor Crest and then get as far away from here as he could. There was no way of knowing if they'd been followed into this quadrant, and the longer they remained, the more danger they were in.
Reaching for the staff the woman had loaned him the night before, Din pushed himself up, testing his injured leg by placing a bit of weight on it. It hurt like hell, but it didn't give way, so that was an improvement. Quietly sliding the curtain back, he was greeted by the comforting view of Ravana, busy in the kitchen cooking something over the stove. She had her back to him, yet it appeared she was talking to the small animal at her side, her low voice barely carrying to his ears.
"He's asleep," he could hear her whisper to the anxious looking zaktan. "You can play with him when he wakes up."
Din assumed she was talking about the kid, for he couldn't imagine the animal wishing to play with him. Looking back, he could hear the child's quiet snores, and leaving him to sleep, he attempted to make his way towards the kitchen. He had only taken a few steps before he was forced to reach out and brace himself on the back of a chair. It would apparently take longer than he thought to fully heal. His movement was noticed by the woman and she turned around just in time to see him stumble.
"Here, let me help you," she offered, wiping her hands on a towel and hurrying over. "Were you heading for the washroom? Do you need anything?"
"No. I just didn't want to remain in bed any longer," he explained, allowing her to assist him into the chair he had been holding on to.
"I understand," she nodded, returning to her cooking. "And maybe by tomorrow you can do more than just hobble around, but only if you take care and don't push yourself. I will check your wound again after breakfast and maybe another spray of the bakta will help speed things along. You must be patient."
"I don't do patient very well," Din grumbled.
"I can see that," Ravana chuckled. "I hope eggs and more danker meat sounds good for breakfast. I need to use up as much as I can, for I can only freeze and dry so much of it."
"It will be fine," he assured her, though to be perfectly honest, he hadn't been able to even look at an egg since he witnessed the Jawas devouring the one he'd taken from the mudhorn.
"Good," was her response, her attention going back to stirring the contents of the pan. "Oh, and I laundered the clothes you left in the washroom. They're hanging over there to dry." Here she gestured to the tube where the warm air was blowing over them. "And while I'm no expert with a needle and thread, I stitched up a few of the holes for you as well. The pants were a complete loss however, that danker really ripped them to shreds with its claws."
"I recall," Din muttered. "He did a number on my leg too."
"Right," she agreed. "You can keep the ones you're wearing then. My uncle has no further use for them."
"Again, I thank you for your kindness." He was beginning to feel highly indebted to this woman, and that was a situation he hated to be in. Still, in for a decicred, in for a credit, or so the old saying went. "Do you by chance have a few tools, and maybe some cleaning solution I could borrow?" Din inquired. "I need to make repairs to my armor and equipment."
"I'm sure Uncle Rexl had a few things you could use," she nodded. "He was always tinkering with this and that, and he did love polishing his weapons. I'll fetch something from his workshop later."
"Thank you." Din was anxious to get started, but he would not pressure her to hurry on his account. She had already done enough for the both of them, and the last thing he wanted to do was impose on her further. He was sure she had things of her own to take care of and waiting on an injured Mandalorian and an inquisitive child had not been on her original agenda.
So, he did his best to learn patience, to not overexert himself, and to be grateful for what he did have. The kid was safe for now, they had a roof over their heads, and nothing was attempting to capture, kill, or eat them at that very moment.
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After breakfast, which the kid had woke up just in time for, and Din had eaten in the privacy of his curtained off area, he sat in the chair and began working on his armor. Ravana's uncle did indeed have an impressive set of tools, ones perfect for the needed repairs. She had gone outside to dry some of the meat she marinated the night before, with the kid and Zax trailing after her.
Din had placed himself near the window, able to keep an eye on the goings on outside while he worked at his repairs. And though he was focused on his own task, often he would find himself watching the child and the zaktan playing - the two of them chasing each other, with Zax running circles around his playmate, much to his delight. It also turned out that the zaktan enjoyed having his belly rubbed, something the child was only too happy to provide, his little three fingers hands buried deep in his fur and going back and forth like crazy. All the while, Ravana was busy hanging the strips of meat on the racks, stopping every now and then to laugh at their adorable antics.
Ravana had done as promised and unwrapped the bandage, checking on his wound and giving it another spray of the bakta. Yes, it was healing slower than he would have liked, but it was healing. The tissue was re-growing nicely, though he was sure it would still leave somewhat of a scar, and the steri-spray had helped ward off any infection that would have complicated things greatly. All in all, he figured they could be gone in two more days. Which for Din could not have been soon enough.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been working, but he had managed to clean and repair all of his armor, as well as his blaster - which had been covered with dirt and mud during his battle with the danker. Din was just finishing up strapping it all back in place, having redonned his normal attire - all except the pants, of course – when a low humming noise was heard approaching the homestead. Instantly, Din recognized it as a land-speeder of sorts, and that meant trouble. So, grabbing his blaster and knife, he geared up, preparing for a fight.
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Ravana had been enjoying her day, working to preserve the meat, and watching Zax and the kid running around having a good time. She had left the Mandalorian inside, apparently happy to tinker with his armor and weapons. That was fine, for she was finding it slightly difficult to converse with him. One minute she could see him as a ruthless bounty hunter, encompassing all the warrior traits her uncle's tales had described. Yet, the next moment, he would say something kind, or make a gesture of affection towards the kid, sending any preconceived notions about him out the window. He was an enigma, to be sure.
Yet, when she heard the familiar hum of a land-speeder approaching from the direction of the village, all her thoughts – both good and bad – were swept away.
"Oh, no…not him," she moaned, having no patience to put up with that bothersome Tannor today. Each time he showed up it had become harder and harder to remain civil and not outright tell him what she thought of his unwanted attentions. Still, he was coming, whether she wanted him to or not, and the last thing she needed was for him to get an eyeful of her house guests. Spinning around, she spotted the kid and her zaktan, both having stopped what they were doing when they too heard the sound. "Zax! You and the kid…hide! Now!" And while the command was a bit obscure, he apparently understood enough to leap into action. Sinking its teeth into the back of the kid's collar, the zaktan lifted him off the ground and carried him inside the house only moments before the speeder came into view.
Smoothing down her unruly curls in an attempt to appear calm and collected, Ravana turned towards her approaching visitor, praying that the Mandalorian would be smart enough to remain inside and out of sight as well.
"Hey there, Rav!" the man called out as he brought his machine to a halt and leapt out. "Long time no see."
Not long enough, Ravana thought to herself as she pasted on a fake smile. Only her uncle had ever called her that, and to hear him use such a personal nickname made her skin crawl.
"Really? It feels like just yesterday you were here." Unfortunately, Tannor mistook that as something positive, and his grin grew even wider, which only showed more of his crooked and yellowing teeth. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your uninvited company this time?"
"Thought you might be lonely," he explained, reaching into his speeder and pulling out a bag. "Got a good deal from the market today, just enough for two, in case you invited me to stay for dinner."
"You really shouldn't have, Tannor," Ravana told him, doing her very best not to roll her eyes. He was most certainly a pest, but his older brother was the magistrate in town, so making him her enemy was not the wisest thing to do. Still, if he pushed her much farther, she wouldn't hesitate to put him in his place. So far, she'd been able to placate him, keeping him at bay, but he was becoming increasingly forward with his intentions, making Ravana both uncomfortable and a bit worried. "I really have all the meat I can handle right now, for you see, I killed a danker just yesterday."
"You killed a danker?" His response was laced with disbelief, yet she couldn't tell if his doubt stemmed from thinking she was lying…or that she was incapable of doing such a thing. Both possibilities irked her greatly. "Now you're just teasing me."
"No, seriously," she stated, irritation creeping into her voice. "Look!" Here she marched over to her smokehouse, flinging open the door and allowing him to see the many racks of drying meat. "And this is just what I had left over, the rest is in the cooler."
The smile left Tannor's face and was replaced with one of frustration and annoyance. He looked down at the bag in his hand, before tossing it back into the speeder. No longer having anything worth offering, he quickly changed his tactic.
"Then why don't I stay and help you eat what you caught," he offered, striding over to where she stood. "I bet it gets rather lonely out here all by yourself, day after day…and night after night."
"I enjoy my solitude," Ravana stated, taking a cautionary step back. "I believe I've told you that several times now."
"A girl can change her mind, can't she?" he laughed, reaching out a hand in an attempt to brush a stray curl out of her eyes.
Ravana now leapt backwards, wanting his touch as much as a kiss from a slobbering bantha.
"I have not given you leave for such familiarities, Tannor!" she growled. "Nor do I desire them from you, or anyone else. Understand?"
"Come on, Rav," he persisted, acting as if she were merely playing hard to get. "I'm the best you'll ever have, and you know it. Why continue these games and just give in. I can make your life much easier, trust me."
"I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you," Ravana hissed. "And I've been nice up till now, but it seems that you are not going to take the hint, are you. I don't want you coming around anymore, Tannor. I'm not playing games, and if you're the best I'll ever get, then I would rather live alone for the rest of my life, understand? Now, please take your meat, as well as your repugnant innuendos, and leave my property at once!"
That felt wonderful, Ravana thought to herself. Telling him off had been a long time in coming, and to finally say the words was amazing. However, what didn't feel amazing was the painful grip of his hand as it shot out and grabbed her by the upper arm.
"Listen here, you stuck up little nexu!" he growled, bringing his face disgustingly close to hers. "So far, I've been patient with you, but no more! Now, this is how things are gunna go, you little –"
"Is this piece of space trash troubling you, Ravana?" came the calm but lethal voice of the Mandalorian, stopping Tannor mid-sentence.
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Din saw Zax bring the kid inside the house, dropping him in the middle of the floor whereupon the child instantly busied himself playing with his own toes. The zaktan then leapt onto the windowsill, where he could better observe his mistress dealing with the man outside. He could tell the zaktan didn't like the looks of the fellow any more than he did, especially when it began to growl low in its throat.
Taking up a position out of sight, he watched Ravana talking with the man, taking note of her body language as she did. It was obvious that she detested him, simply by the way she took a defensive stance and not allowing him to come too close. Din knew it would not be wise to show himself, and especially not the kid, so he remained hidden, hoping that the idiot would soon take the hint and leave. Yet when he saw the man reach out and grab Ravana, pulling her towards him in what seemed to be a painful grip, all good sense flew out the window.
Holstering his blaster and checking the blade in his boot, he opened the door and silently stepped outside, doing his best not to limp or in any way appear injured. Once he was in a good position to defend Ravana, and himself, he spoke out in his most threatening tone.
"Is this piece of space trash troubling you, Ravana?"
The way the man leapt back, releasing the woman as if her touch burned him almost made Din laugh…almost. He was a coward, that was obviously clear, but cowards could be unpredictable, and often the most dangerous.
"And just who the hell are you?" he demanded, though there was a slight quiver in his voice as he spoke.
"Ravana's friend," he answered. "And I believe the lady told you to get off her property." Here Din let his hand drift down to the blaster at his hip. "So you can leave warm…or you can leave cold. Your choice."
The man looked from Din to Ravana and back again, unsure what to say or do now that she apparently had a protector.
"When did you start shacking up with a Mandalorian? Or are you servicing fly-by-night clients now, Rav?" he sneered, predictably jumping to the worst possible conclusion. "I always thought you acted too innocent to be true, and all along you've been getting your money on the side playing the harlot."
Din drew his blaster at his words, ready to burn a hole in his head over the insult, but he never got a chance to fire. For in a flash, Ravana's hand pulled back and she punched the adat at kyr'amur right in the face. He went down with a cry of pain, holding his nose as blood began seeping between his fingers.
"GET OFF MY LAND!" Ravana screamed, her face red with anger and her balled up fists shaking with rage. "And if I ever see your ugly face again, I swear that it won't only be your nose that I'll leave bloody and broken, but something a lot lower, and dearer to your black heart!"
Din gave a snort when the man actually placed his free hand protectively over his crotch, understanding exactly what part of his anatomy Ravana had been threatening. Yet, her words had apparently done the trick, for he began to crawl backwards, getting a fair distance from her before he scrambled to his feet and hurried to his speeder. Once inside, he slammed it in reverse and spun around, eager to get as far away from there as possible.
Din couldn't blame the man, for one look at Ravana, and he could tell she meant every word. He had tracked and caught some of the worst criminals and murderers in the galaxy during his time as a bounty hunter, but he could honestly say he would have thought twice about taking her on right then.
As they both watched the speeder disappear through the trees, he allowed himself to relax at last, his leg screaming for him to sit down and relieve the pressure he had been putting on it by standing so long. Apparently, Ravana noticed this too, and came hurrying over, taking hold of his right arm in an effort to steady him.
"That was really stupid, you know, coming out and threatening him like that," she scolded as she helped him in the house. Zax yipped a greeting to her, happy to see his mistress had gotten rid of the disgusting man. Din was a little upset to see that the kid was still happily playing on the floor, right where the zaktan had set him, apparently willing to obey it but not him.
"You're welcome," he replied tersely, having expected a word of thanks, not censure. Still, he understood her meaning. Showing himself had been foolish, but what had she expected him to do when the besom had gotten physical with her? Remain hiding in the house and just let him man-handle her?
Ravana helped him down onto a chair then hurried to get something to prop his leg up, hoping it would ease some of the pain. Once she felt he was as comfortable as she could make him, she flopped down in the seat next to him.
"Thank you, though…really," she said in a tired voice. "Tannor's always been a real druk, but today was just the last straw. I do appreciate your help, but I could have handled him alone. Without you getting involved."
"I see that now," Din acknowledged. "I doubt he'll be able to smell anything for some time."
"No, probably not," she chuckled. "Still, Tannor is trouble, and I fear that I've inadvertently pulled you into my problems. Something you and the kid don't need any more of."
"We've dealt with worse," he assured her, doing his best to ease her conscience. "Besides, we'll be gone in a day or so. He doesn't worry me. I'm more concerned about what he might do to you."
"Oh, please, I can handle Tannor," she said with a dismissive wave. "Let's just hope he has enough good sense to stay away until you're off-planet," Ravana gave a heavy sigh. "Yet, knowing Tannor…I seriously doubt it."
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Ravana and Din spent the rest of the day taking care of the kid, with Zax aiding in the entertainment part a great deal. The little green fellow was a good distraction from their worries, keeping their minds on him and off of Tannor, or the fast approaching time when they would be leaving. Once more Din had wondered what it would be like to live a normal life, to stay in one place and put down roots. Still, he had sworn himself to the creed, to live the life of a Mandalorian as well as protect the child. This is the way. And he would remain true to his oath, even at the cost of a home, family…and love. He had once been a foundling, taken in by the Death Watch and given a purpose. Din would now do the same for the kid, no matter what.
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Miles away, in the nearby village, Tannor sat at the local bar, nursing a bottle of phattro with a few of his worthless buddies. They had of course all laughed at him when he told them the hermit woman, Ravana, had been the one to break his nose. Still, they were his only friends, so he couldn't exactly be choosey when it came to those he drank with.
"I can't believe you let her get away with that," one named Pash laughed. "I thought you said she was warm for you."
"Looks to me like her feelings have turned quite cold," another that went by Rix piled on, giving Tannor's shoulder a playful shove. "You should have just dragged her back to town and made her your woman, regardless of what she wanted."
"Well, I couldn't exactly do that when she had a Hutt-spawn of a Mandalorian there protecting her, now could I?" he growled, having up until then left that small detail out of his story. "Have you seen the weapons those mercenaries carry?"
"A Mandalorian, you say?" Pash asked, sobering quickly at the mention of this. "Well, isn't that a rather odd coincidence."
"What'cha mean?" the broken-nosed man asked, now having to do most of his breathing through his mouth.
"Just that a message came over the HoloNet today, asking for any news on the sighting of a rogue Mandalorian and some child in this quadrant," he explained. "Seems their wanted for something, and the bounty on them is a rather hefty sum."
"A bounty, eh?" Tannor hummed, a smile spreading over his bruised face. "Well, I didn't see no kids around while I was there, but how many Mandalorians do you run across these days? Maybe I need to get ahold of whoever wants them and see what I can do to help them out."
"But what if it's not the one their looking for?" Rix questioned, downing the last of his drink and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Who cares! That piece of filth deserves whatever trouble I can make for him," he spat. "At best, it's him and I get a nice stack of credits for turning him over. And worst-case scenario, he's detained and held for questioning, showing Ravana exactly what it means to disrespect me. Either way, I'm happy…and they're not!"
"Then let's find a com-link and send out the call," Pash suggested, slamming his empty bottle down on the counter before tossing a few credits towards the bartender. "Can't have all that fine bounty money flying away before we collect it, right?"
"Right," Tannor and Rix agreed, the three leaving the bar with wicked grins on their ugly faces.
Looks like Din and Ravana have trouble heading their way! Not good.
But that was very nice of Din to come to her rescue...even if she really didn't need it. He's just that kind of guy.
More on Monday! Hope you have a nice weekend.
T.O.W.G.