This was a mistake, Rey thought.
The wind blew harder against her back and pushed her forward, but would suddenly swirl and make her stumble back. The light dusting of snow from earlier clumped on her ankles and shaggy boots, adding more weight to her walk. The sunlight dimmed and the the snow cover glowed, making her eyes water even with the sunglasses on.
Still, she continued walking with Kylo Ren draped over her shoulders. Once they reached the Temple, she could have him bound and ready for pick up by Poe and his team. The information he had on the First Order would be extremely useful to the Resistance. General Organa would more than likely handle the interrogations best. Master Luke would be pleased about her restraint. Kylo Ren would stand trial, and justice would finally be had. Sparing his life was the right decision to make.
Snow fell in thick clumps, obscuring the Temple. Thunder rolled overhead, and a crack of lightening struck the top of the mountain. Rey tried to march faster and nearly fell forward, so she had to slow down to a walk. A trickle of his blood leaked through her collar and stuck to the hair on her neck.
I'm going to die out here and it's all his fault, she fumed, suddenly feeling the intense urge to drop him and run for the Temple. But she didn't, and so she trudged even though the snowfall grew thicker and thicker.
She stopped when she couldn't see the Temple anymore. The wind blew around her as if it wanted to crush her within its grasp. If she kept moving forward, she had to reach the mountains soon. They were only a couple hundred feet away. So she plunged forward, trying to shake off the dizzying feeling of walking blind. The feeling overwhelmed her and she stopped again. Her teeth chattered as she took deep breaths to keep the panic at bay.
She closed her eyes, centered herself, reached out for a secure line within the Force. She felt its comforting pressure meet her own energy.
I need to find the Temple.
Her eyes still closed, she followed the Force's guidance and turned left. She could see the Temple come closer in her mind. When her hands brushed against something hard, she opened her eyes and saw the frozen-over double doors on the deep blue face of the mountain.
She lowered Kylo Ren on the snowbank so her hands were free. She closed her eyes again and felt the immense weight and strength of the ice that held the doors together. The ice shattered from her intense need for it to be broken, and the steel doors flew open. She dragged Kylo Ren inside and slammed the doors shut again.
In a rush she set up the portable winter tent and dragged a still unconscious Kylo Ren inside it. The walls reflected their body heat and started to warm the frigid air. Rey considered giving Kylo Ren a stimulant so he could take care of his own wounds, until she took a closer look at the deep gashes across his abdomen.
Rey used the stimulant nose spray on herself and shuddered off the oncoming fatigue. She removed Kylo Ren's helmet, revealing the blue-tinged face inside. She patted his clammy cheek, but he didn't respond. He barely breathed, and his pulse was slow. She continued to glance at his face as she used the laser knife to cut his shirt into pieces and removed them. With a sponge rehydrated in antiseptic liquid she cleaned his wounds and sealed them with a sheer layer of skin sealant.
Although the tent had warmed considerably, he was still freezing. Feeling the last effects of the stimulant in her sagging eyelids, she fumbled to cover Kylo Ren with a reflective blanket, followed by an electric blanket. She looked at her communicator that she left on top of the first aid kit. She reached for it, missed, and passed out on the cushioned floor.
Rey wandered down the labyrinth of metal walls and scuffed black floors, hearing voices but unable to find them.
"Grandfather? Is that really you?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner, but I feared…"
The conversation grew into a louder argument. She recognized the first voice as Kylo Ren. The second softer, sadder, older voice was unfamiliar.
"Ben, you still have a choice. It is a hard choice, but you can still make it. Go back to your mother and uncle. They will give you the salvation you need."
"Salvation?"
A third deeper, whispery voice rumbled beneath her feet.
"Darth Vader was indeed powerful, but his son Luke softened him, and Darth Vader died as a weak, broken man. Is that how you wish to be remembered?"
"No!" Kylo Ren bellowed. "No, I do not need your pity or your salvation. I will not betray the First Order like you betrayed the Empire."
There was a flash of red light, and then—
Rey awoke gasping for air. Her left side felt warm from sharing Kylo Ren's blankets, her skin pressing against his. She practically jumped to the opposite side of the tent, but Kylo Ren still slept peacefully. Some color had returned to his face and he was breathing deeper breaths than earlier.
Somehow, she went inside his mind without meaning to and relived a memory with him. Almost. The walls between them were probably a defense he always had up, even when freezing to death. Now the question was if he would remember her intrusion when he woke up.
In a huff Rey picked up the communicator and clicked it on.
"Poe? Poe are you there?" she said in hushed tones.
Silence, and then he answered. "Rey! Are you all right?"
"Yes, just fine. I just wanted to let you know that I'm a safe shelter at the Temple and…"
Her last word hung in the humid air, her eyes tracing the edges of Kylo Ren's face.
"There's a snowstorm going on so I'll probably be here for a while."
"Oh, good," he answered with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll let Luke and Finn know too."
"No, not yet. Calling you is probably cheating."
"You won't have to worry about me snitching. Stay safe, all right?"
"Rodger that."
She snapped the communicator shut. Kylo Ren stirred and mumbled something in his sleep. Gingerly Rey lifted the blankets and spied the brightening red of his wounds. In a couple hours, he would need another bandaging.
He awoke just in time for her to clean his wounds.
"This might sting a little," she said and she gently pressed the antibiotic sponge against the raw edge of his wound.
He flinched and curled his fists for a moment, then relaxed. She focused on soaking up the blood and filth.
He cleared his throat and said, "You should have left me to—"
"Shut up."
This made him laugh, and the laugh made him gasp in pain.
"So how is the traitor?" he grumbled.
"Finn's training is coming along fantastically."
"Then why isn't he here with you?"
Finn was crafting his own kyber crystal with Luke, but Kylo Ren didn't need to know that. "Like I said, he's training. What brings you here?"
"You, actually."
Her hand froze on the can of skin sealant.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked tersely.
"Supreme Leader Snoke is interested in your abilities, and wanted me to capture you alive to bring you to him."
"So you came alone?" she smirked.
"I've long since completed my training, Rey. I've been over you even longer."
She sprayed the sealant over his wounds slowly, evenly. Her face still flushed hotly.
"You must still think you can capture me alive if you're telling me all this now."
"I tried to tell you earlier. You should have let me die in the snow."
The brief amount of energy he had petered out and he seemed to fight to keep his eyes open. She tossed a blanket to him and packed up the medical equipment.
"That will have to do for now."
"Why did you save me?"
"I've decided that I'll have you arrested and brought to General Organa."
He clenched his jaw and glowered at her. He must have realized he didn't have the cover of his mask because he tried to turn his whole body away from her.
"Lay on your back," Rey demanded, pushing him back by his bare shoulders, "or you'll open your wounds again."
They looked at each other, their energies pushing against each other to a point of near fusion. Rey felt like she was on fire and needed to be cooled on the cold, hard surface of Kylo Ren's body.
Rey pulled away from him to put the first aid supplies away, breaking the spell.
"What was that?" he asked faintly.
She didn't trust herself to answer, so she started cooking the powdered soup over the portable boiler plate instead. When she had finished, Kylo Ren had already fallen asleep again.
AN: Won't be updating until Monday or Tuesday. Have a good weekend!