This chapter is dedicated to JanusKate. Sorry it took so long to upload!
They spent the next few minutes in silence.
Rey stood behind Kylo Ren as he seethed at the lake. She couldn't see his face but she knew beneath his helmet he was frowning as the last traces of the TIE fighter bubbled to the surface.
Kylo Ren flexed his gloved fingers, and occasionally Rey could hear some incoherent grumbles hissing out his helmet.
Rey shifted her arms from their position, bored by waiting for Kylo Ren to recover from the shock of losing his ship to what can only be called his own stupidity – although Kylo Ren's stupidity was no shock to Rey. She was uncomfortable supporting her wounded shoulder and so she plopped herself down on a rock and began to tear the hem of her garment.
Finally snapping from his trance, Kylo Ren jumped around to face Rey. He watched her for a few moments before speaking.
"What are you doing?" It was a simple question but he still managed to ask it like an insult.
Rey rolled her eyes, thinking that she mightn't bother answering. However, she had nothing better to do than humour him. Why not? She thought.
"I'm making a sling, for my arm – you know, the one you injured." She finally replied being snide.
Kylo Ren revealed nothing of his reaction. That damn helmet. Rey thought in irritation. Instead he took a few steps towards her, the wind whipping at his cape.
Rey believed she was doing a fine job of fashioning herself a sling and of tying it single-handedly – literally. However, Kylo Ren – whether deliberately or not – continued to pester Rey.
"Do you need a hand with that?" Ren asked, pointing at the makeshift sling.
"No." Rey answered gruffly, just as the material slipped between her fingers and was carried by the wind to Kylo Ren's feet.
She had never had a problem patching herself up in the past, but now Kylo Ren was walking towards her, snatching the cloth from the snow and holding it in front of him.
Rey frowned at him but made no attempt to take it back.
But Kylo Ren just stood there.
Rey ran her uninjured hand through her hair in frustration.
"Well? Are you-"
"I- I…" Kylo Ren's deep reverberating voice was, for once, speechless.
"You don't know how to… tie a sling?"
He immediately threw the cloth back at her and turned slightly, attempting to hide is already masked face with one of his gloved-hands.
Rey rolled her head back and sighed in frustration and she swiftly laid the sling over the arm of her injured shoulder and threw the ends over her back.
"Here," she began, turning her back to Ren. "Just tie it."
She stood still for a few moments receiving no response. Kylo Ren seemed to love wasting time in thought rather than action, Rey noted and she almost thought he wasn't going to do it until she felt leather brush over her neck as he tied the ends together.
Rey finally relaxed her arm, feeling the support of the sling.
Pivoting on her heels, she began to stomp back towards the alcove where they had first encountered each other. Night had finally descended and Rey was not partial to losing her fingers or toes in the frosty night air.
"You're welcome!" Kylo Ren called from the shoreline, obviously having stood there in shock as she had left without so much as a thank-you.
Without turning around Rey lifter her hand up and gave Ren a thumbs-up.
"And you're still the one who injured me." She called out. "Such a child." Rey huffed under her breath.
The wind continued to howl but Rey could still hear Kylo Ren run up and fall into line next to her, matching her steps.
Rey glanced at Kylo Ren out the corner of her eye. What is he thinking? She thought curiously. Following me just to give me an ultimatum: join him or get killed. Has he finally changed his mind on that? After all, he's had plenty of chances to attack me. Perhaps not, he's still trailing me… unfortunately.
Rey frowned and looked away from the black-clad sith. She slightly huffed and skipped forwards a few steps, not enjoying the implications of walking side-by-side with the man who tried to kill her.
Unfortunately, Kylo's large stride soon caught up with her. Speeding up her steps she attempted to get ahead of Ren again but he soon caught up again, their steps making loud crunching noises in the snow.
Rey shuffled ahead again but this time she side-stepped in front of Ren. She was about to comment on his irritating persistence when a great gust almost knocked the two over. Rey dug her heels into the snow and grabbed onto Kylo Ren with her free arm in an attempt to steady herself. The wind shook the branches of the tall thick trees, increasing with intensity as they began to crack and snap above the pair.
Kylo Ren shot out his arm and grabbed onto Rey's arm, attempting to pull her in a different direction.
"Fssss! OW!" Rey cried out, wincing at the splitting pain she felt in her shoulder. "Let go!"
Kylo immediately let go, but yelled to Rey over the sound of the wind and trees being torn apart.
"Just follow me!"
Kylo led Rey through a seemingly endless trail of twists and turns through the snowy forest, dodging falling branches and trying to hold themselves up against the wind.
The constant force of the wind against her bare skin was beginning to burn, and Rey could feel heat spreading across her cheeks and forehead.
Finally, Rey's feet hit a solid dirt path and the wind ceased to whip around her. Ren had led them to a path cut into the mountainside, apparently skilfully designed to keep the wind out.
Rey followed in line behind Kylo for a short while, glad to be out of the wind although still able to hear its howling.
Where is he taking me? She wondered, slightly concerned he was leading her back to the First Order.
"Where are we going?" Rey asked, but Kylo Ren kept walking with his back turned to the padawan.
She stopped in her tracks, and it only took a few seconds before Kylo Ren realised the woman was no longer following him. He turned to face her, waiting for her to explain her sudden halt.
"I won't follow you unless you tell me where we are going… or at least until you start talking." Moments passed. "...Well?"
A sigh fizzed through Ren's helmet. "We could die out here if you don't follow me."
Disappointed by his responce, Rey rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. Of course he wouldn't give a straight answer.
"I guess I'll take my chances alone." She circled around and started to head back, inciting Kylo Ren to call out.
"Wait!" He stood still, but he tried to pull her back through the force, only slightly. It tingled in the tips of her ears. "I – find it difficult to talk to you." He admitted, struggling to get the words out. "This isn't how I pictured this.." He muttered, trailing on.
Rey became perplexed; she furrowed her brows, unable to hide her confusion.
Kylo took a step forward. "I dreamed of this… of you."
"W-what?" Rey gasped in bewilderment, her heart violently thrumming in her chest.
Unbeknownst to Rey, Kylo was equally as taken aback by his words after he witnessed her reaction and realised how he could have been misinterpreted.
"No, nononono… not like that!" Kylo spluttered, trying to correct himself. "It's just… uh... it's a base. I made it back when I trained here alone." He pulled at the ends of his gloves, inspecting their seams. "The First Order doesn't know it's here."
"Oh-ohh. Good." Rey fumbled slightly, stepping passed Kylo. "Let's go then." She feigned a smile at him, squeezing her eyes shut in the hopes he'd take the hint and move on.
All Kylo could manage was an "Ahh." as he started leading her towards his base.
For the next few minutes Rey focused on trying to occupy her thoughts - to think of anything BUT Kylo Ren.
After almost 2 months I've finally updated!
Everyone's probably already lost interest - I know I had.
However, sudden inspiration struck and I had to keep going! (Also who can resist Kylo being a bumbling idiot for once?)
Hope you all enjoy this new chapter, don't forget to send me some feedback!
Next chapter is Kylo Ren POV! We'll find out more about his "base" in the mountains. (hehe)