Chapter 2: Fear

"Have I heard of the Jedi?" I asked venomously. "It was they who rejected me."

"Why should they do that? You seem like a bright young girl to me." The woman's voice was edged with concern. It flowed like water over me, reassuring me. It's okay, the voice seemed to say. You can confide in me. I'm on your side.

"They said I didn't have the strength to be a Jedi knight, or something like that."

"That, my dear, was a lie," the woman said conspiratorially. "Your power is strong. Even now, I can feel the Force within you. Perhaps your power simply comes from a source that is foreign to them."

"But why would they lie to me like that? What could they possibly want?"

The woman sighed. "Maybe they were afraid of you."

I let out a short laugh."Them? Afraid of ME?"

"It is not so odd, you know. People fear what they do not understand. They lock it away and let it rot, rather than be brave and offer the new ways a chance. So it has always been with men, and so it will always be. So it is even with the Jedi. You are strong, but they are afraid of where your strength comes from."

Fear leads to anger...

"Tell me. How am I strong? What is the source of my power?"

"That I can show you. But let us not be too hasty. I have been the victim of fear as well. I have no desire to see you recoil from me. Do you truly want to be my student?"

"I would be honored to learn the ways of the Force from you."
"Then first you must accept who I am. You have already met me, but are you prepared to see my face?"

I shivered. What was underneath that hood that she could want to hide so badly? No matter. I was strong. I was ready.

"Show me."

The woman hesitated, then raised her hands to her hood. "As you wish."

I couldn't help but stare. The woman's face was bright red. Not the red of somebody embarrassed, but true red, like an apple. Across her cheeks were strange marks. I could not tell if they were scars or tattoos, but they certainly seemed deliberate. Her coal black hair flowed out behind her in a sleek wave. Two tiny horns stuck out from the top of her head.

She saw the look on my face. "This is why I warned you," she said, her voice silky and smooth as always. It did not seem to match her strange face. "Even you fear me, because I am not like you. If you want to study with me, you must accept me for who I am."

I gaped some more. "What ARE you?"

"It matters not what I look like, but what I am on the inside," she replied. "What are you? I see your tanned face, your rough and calloused hands, your plain clothing. Are you only a farmer's daughter? No. You are so much more. And I am so much more than what I look like. Will you succumb to fear? Or will you take me for who I am?"

Humbled, I nodded. "I'm sorry. I just got startled by seeing something new. I accept you for who you are. I accept that you are more than just your appearance."
"Good," she said, pulling the hood back on. "Then let us begin."

She turned her back and started to walk into the other room. "Wait!" I said. "Are you Amaya?"

She turned around to look at me. "Some call me that, yes. Some know me by a different name. It does not matter. We each define ourselves. Your name is but a label. It can be whatever you think suits you best. What is your name, young one?"

Kaila was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't say it. If I was to become something more than a farm girl, I needed a new name. I wanted to be assertive, to show that I could do anything.

A name floated across my consciousness, and I grabbed it.

"I am Yasu," I said.

Amaya looked at me, a twinkle of a smile in her eye. She nodded. "In that case, Yasu," she said, "let us begin your training."