Padmé felt like her whole galaxy was just stopped. Her Ani...gone? What had she allowed to happen?

"Jandro don't lie to me. What do you mean gone?"

"Exactly what I said. Apparently even wolves aren't enough to hold back a Jedi."

Padmé shook her head as if she could sort out all the thoughts running amuck inside. "He left...without me? Where has he gone? Did he really intended on leaving without me?"

"Its probably for the better this way flower."

Padmé walked out over to the window and looked out at the majestic mountains that rose out of the ground. Anakin hated sand, chances were he hated snow a thousand times more. She wondered if he really thought he could be okay out there without her. It was true, she had learned to trust her Jedi in all things. But this was test unlike any other that she had to face before.

"What if...what if he needs me out there? Oh Jandro I-I don't know."

At that moment the pressures building up within her heart could hold no longer. She burst out into an incredible flood of tears. Alejandro came up from behind her and wrapped her in his arms. He whispered a few words of comfort into her ears. It would be time before they would have any meaning to her, but that was okay. This was what he needed right now. Time would work its magic he was sure. And the best part was that he was confident that no Jedi would be getting in his way.

Two sets of heavy hooves pounded through the snow and ice. Patches of black and white flashed between the trees in perfect melody of the hoof beats.

"Your majesty please," one of the riders said. "We're getting dangerously close to the wolf borders."

"Let Alejandro have another one of his fits if he must," the other said. "If a queen cannot exercise her basic rights without bringing on a little danger she must -"

Something caught the queen's eye and without warning she dug her heels into the sides of her beast and charged ahead. She barely had enough time to rein in at a stop before she would have otherwised trampled the limp figure on the ground.

"Your majesty what is it?"

"Must be a wolf prisoner."

She slid out of her saddle and knelt down in the snow. She put her hand to the bloody forehead and held her breath. "He's alive. Poor creature. Here, help me get him up."

"Your highness please! We are not about to invite more trouble with wolves by taking in the pitiful remains of their unfortunate victims."

The queen rolled her eyes. "Come now captain. Anyone who could be such an enemy of the wolves must be a friend of ours. Now would you like to help me or return home to your family telling them that you lost your position on the royal guard for refusing to assist your queen?"

"Of course your highness. As you request."

The queen from beyond the mountain ranged kept an eye over her most skilled physicians as they went to work on the stranger she had picked up. Beneathe all the black and blue bruises, the lacerations, and the stitches she saw something more. This creature had at one time been a fine proud beautiful thing. Maybe this was in a way the answer to the prayers of her people.

"Well doctor what say you?"

"He has suffered a lot at the hands of the wolves. Be grateful this was an execution and not a pure game of tortures."

"Yes I know that. But will he be okay?"

"Its a bit early to tell that. We've done what we could actually - "

Anakin groaned and stretched. The queen's eyes widened and she went over to his bedside.

"Rest easy now noble warrior."

Anakin opened his eyes. He winced at the light that came pouring in from the nearest window. If he wasn't so weak, the sight of an unfamiliar face would have struck a nerve and spurred him into an all out panic attack.

"Tell me how are you feeling?"

Anakin opened his mouth, but remembering better he shut it promptly and instead just shrugged. The queen gasped and turned to her physician.

"Can he not speak?"

"Well your highness he did have an extensive injury to his neck. We put it together as best we could but we are not sure of when his speech will return."

"Oh Alejandro you beast! Forgive me dear warrior those monsters who dare call themselves wolves are oftentimes more than my patience can take. Now for a proper introduction."

Anakin nodded eagerly. The fear was still in the back of his mind that he had traded one form of suffering for another and that he was really in some Separatist command outpost or something.

"I am Queen Aurora. You're on the otherside of the mountain range. As long as your in my dominion I can assure that you are safe from the jaws of those terrible beasts."

Anakin nodded feeling some relief wash over him.

"Tell me, can you write?"

Anakin nodded right away. Aurora called for a datapad and handed it to him.

"First I must know the name of my dear noble warrior."

Anakin, my name is Anakin.

"Anakin," she said. "What a remarkable name."

Anakin saw something spark in her eyes right then. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. It was a sign of refuge and safety. But was it too much safety? Too much acceptance. Even the slightest tension in him was detected by the elite skills of Aurora.

"Fear not Anakin," she said gently stroking his face. "You're safe with me. That is an honor I rarely bestow on anyone, do you understand that?"

Anakin nodded but he felt he was feeling anything but. Padmé, his angel, was left with a wolf. Did she even know how much he loved her? He never said goodbye, there wasn't a chance. Now she was with a wolf who was a master of the lies that he wove. His chances to save her were growing slimmer by the moment. Then again, what if she didn't want to be saved?