The stars were out, and had been out for a while, when Anakin and Eraan saw the familiar lights of the farm in the distance. They'd been on and off running for several miles, though as it got darker they'd had to be more cautious, Force-sensitive or not. The prairie looked like inviting, easy terrain in the light of day, but after dark proved to be a challenge to navigate. Eraan had become discouraged after catching his foot and tripping over some creature's burrow. He was tired. They both were.
They had argued a bit about whether to go through the canyon or around it (Eraan's suggestion to go around had eventually won. Anakin had to concede -albeit reluctantly- that Eraan knew the geography better), but by the time they reached the farm again both boys were too tired for any kind of conversation, let alone bickering.
Most of the windows in the residential building were dark by the time they reached it. Anakin noted that his own suite was still bright, so it couldn't be too late. He reached out and felt Obi-Wan meditating, a feeling that was familiar and soothing.
"Do you have a curfew?" Anakin asked Eraan as they entered the building.
Eraan shook his head. "Not really. I mean, Declan would probably chew me out if he found me coming back late, but there's no one really watching over me here. Not like it was at the Temple."
"So they don't treat you like a kid," Anakin said, more to himself.
Eraan shrugged. "I guess. I'm the only one here who's really a kid, but in AgriCorps no one babysits you if they know you can pull your weight."
They paused in front of the wide staircase that led up to the second floor, where the guest quarters were. "Well, 'night," Eraan said. "Thanks for helping today."
"Well, someone had to look after you," Anakin said.
Eraan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I sure don't know what I would do without you big shot padawans here to guide me." He gave Anakin a small smile before turning and heading to his own quarters.
"But really," Anakin called out. "I'm surprised no one picked you to be an apprentice."
Eraan turned around and looked at him.
"You're good," Anakin said. "Powerful, I mean."
"Thanks," Eraan said, but he didn't sound happy.
Anakin climbed the staircase, starting to feel the full effects of the afternoon's exhaustion now that he was on his own again. He was starving too. He hadn't thought too much about food but he hadn't eaten since midday when Eraan and he had grabbed a quick bite on the way to the fields.
He palmed open the door to their quarters to be greeted with the sight of Obi-Wan meditating in the center of the living room. Anakin had the sudden realization that his master might not be too happy with him, considering the hour. At the Temple their rooms were close by but Anakin had at least a decent chance of sneaking back in late without Obi-Wan knowing it - or at least not directly confronting him about it. Here there was no getting around the fact that he'd been gone several hours and quite a while past dark, at that. But if Obi-Wan really cared, wouldn't he have comm'd him?
Anakin shut the door and stepped lightly into the room so as not to disturb his master. He thought about grabbing a piece of fruit from a ceramic bowl on the counter of their small kitchenette as he passed by, but something was making him want to get to his room as soon as possible and stay there til morning.
"Padawan," Obi-Wan said, opening his eyes. "It's about time, isn't it?"
"What time is it?" Anakin asked innocently.
"Late," Obi-Wan said. Anakin didn't miss the edge in his voice.
"Master, Eraan and I -"
Obi-Wan gestured to the seat in front of him. "Come here and talk to me properly."
Anakin did so, unable to suppress a sigh. He wished Obi-Wan would just send him to bed and save the lecture for the morning, if there was going to be one. There probably would be a lecture, or worse, judging by the look his master was giving him now.
"Now, what have you been up to?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin launched into an account of the afternoon's events, trying to remember as many details as he could. Obi-Wan listened impassively, only raising an eyebrow now and again. Anakin could tell he wasn't terribly impressed.
"Then we had to walk home," Anakin finished. "I said we should cut through the canyon, but Eraan wanted to go around, but I think my way would have been quicker."
"So after this poorly thought out adventure you didn't think of comming anyone at the farm and having them come meet you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I don't know, I didn't know it would take that long," Anakin said. In truth, he hadn't thought about his communicator at all. When he'd been out there in the bushland with Eraan, he hadn't been thinking about anything but their "mission."
"Well, I tried to comm you, my Padawan," Obi-Wan said.
"You did?" Anakin asked. His hands automatically went to the pouch on his belt where he usually kept his communicator. Usually. Now it was empty.
Obi-Wan pulled something out of his own pouch and handed it to Anakin.
"Oh." Anakin accepted the communicator, suddenly feeling very foolish.
"Do you know where I found it? Haphazardly thrown into a bag with some other equipment on your bed. I'm disappointed Anakin, this is very sloppy. You're to carry all your essential equipment with you at all times."
Anakin was silent. His master's words stung terribly, and it was worse that he was right. But he didn't want to admit this right now. He couldn't. He could bear scolding for coming in late, but not for a stupid mistake. Not after all he and Eraan had accomplished this afternoon, as poorly thought out as it might have been.
"Well?" Obi-Wan said. "What do you have to say?"
"Maybe if you'd let me take my bag into the fields instead of putting it back in the room…" Anakin grumbled. He knew that would not go over well but, who cared? Let Obi-Wan get mad.
"I said you could not bring your remote droid with you," Obi-Wan said calmly. "Do not try and blame your lack of preparedness on me."
This wasn't the reaction Anakin had been going for. He got to his feet and stalked to the other side of the room.
"Anakin, we aren't through yet," Obi-Wan said. He sounded more tired than angry. Somehow, the patience of his master made Anakin feel all the more inadequate. Perfect Jedi Obi-Wan who always did everything right. He'd probably never forgotten anything in his life.
"I'm through," Anakin said, knowing that this was most definitely asking for it.
"You're letting your pride cloud your good sense, Padawan," Obi-Wan said, his voice still relatively level. "I need to be able to stay in contact with you when you go traipsing around. It's my responsibility to make sure you are safe."
"Why do you always treat me like such a baby?" Anakin snapped. "I can take care of myself, even if I forget my stupid commlink sometimes."
"Excuse me?" At last Obi-Wan's Jedi serenity seemed to be cracking. "I've really just about had it with you."
"Well, I'm sorry I'm such a lousy padawan," Anakin huffed. "I'm sorry you got stuck with me. Sorry you couldn't pick some perfect little suck-up for a padawan. I bet you'd love to see me dumped off in a place like this, like Eraan."
"That's quite enough," Obi-Wan said. "Anakin, you will-"
There was a loud crash. Anakin whirled around to see that the bowl of fruit had seemingly thrown itself from its place on the counter. Shards of ceramic littered the floor and pieces of round fruit rolled lazily in several directions.
He hadn't done it on purpose, not this time. But Anakin knew it was him. Without a word, and without looking back, he went back out the front door and closed it behind him.
Obi-Wan looked at the bowl - what remained of it - for a few moments before rising from his seat. Wherever Anakin had gone, Obi-Wan was not about to follow him. Let him have his tantrum.
He walked to the fruit and the broken bowl and started picking up the shards, setting them on a neat pile on the countertop.
He could not for the life of him imagine where Anakin got his ideas. Since when had Obi-Wan made Anakin feel like he was "stuck" with him? He'd taken the boy's training on himself because of Qui-Gon, that was true. But he'd done so freely and willingly, and he'd always tried his best to do right by his padawan.
He took a deep breath, picking up the fruit now. Some of it looked bruised, but he laid it all together on the counter.
Anakin's outbursts were nothing new, but they had started to get darker, less childish. He was learning how to twist the knife. Qui-Gon had always said such behavior came from a place of suffering and turmoil, and he was right. Obi-Wan had never these past few years allowed himself to despair about Anakin or mistrust his own ability to train him as a Jedi, but now all those lingering doubts and fears that had never quite left him about the boy were coming forward to taunt him bitterly.
Anakin had been too old when he'd begun his training. He hadn't been given the necessary preparations to be a padawan and bear the burdens Jedi apprentices were asked to bear. Worse, the first ten years of his life had been steeped in fear and the trauma of slavery. What could Obi-Wan do for him? What had Qui-Gon expected him to do?
He picked up a waste bin and swept the remains of the broken bowl into it, then dimmed the lights in the room and settled back down to meditate again. These dark thoughts were useless. Qui-Gon had always stressed the importance of keeping a positive mindset, and learning to do so had saved his life - and perhaps, more importantly, his sanity - on many occasions.
But at the moment, facing down another Sith Lord seemed like an easier challenge than training Anakin Skywalker.