Memory - Part 2
Later that night, Zaiya slept outside, on one of the sides of the rocky mountains that surrounded the Nightsister village. It was a place she liked to go sometimes but now she had a whole new reason. Laid on her blanket so she could watch the sky. Since Maul had mentioned it, she couldn't stop looking up. It felt like her eyes were opened now; she could see slight patterns in the stars, changes in the darkness, some areas were more blue than black. Hearing her friend talk about it, it was like there was beauty there that she hadn't been able to see before. There was something so beautiful about it that she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before.
"Are you really so obsessed now?" came a familiar small voice. Her head shifted, looking up beyond the soft locks of her ashen white hair. Her blue eyes landed on the grey ones of her red and black friend. Her smile curved upside down, her upper lip tattooed in the same darker shade as the rest of the markings on either side of her face, that same bright smile she always had when she saw him.
"You opened my eyes, so I want to see more." She told him as he padded over. Her crimson coat was balled up as a pillow under her head, but she shuffled over on it and her blanket, petting the ground beside her for him to join her. He paused, then took a seat beside her.
"You like it that much?" He asked, looking at her with a slight frown. Zaiya nodded and he let out a little sigh, leaning back and laying beside her on the makeshift bed to look up at the sky.
"It's beautiful." She told him emphatically, her eyes drawing back up to the sky. "I know what I want to do now. I want to see all the stars and be the strongest I can be. I'm not afraid, I will take the trials and earn my Crimson. Maybe even stronger than you!" She giggled, grinning once more.
Maul snorted derisively, "Yeah right." he shook his head, but a smirk on his lips as he too gazed into the sky, eventually falling asleep beside his friend.
Training increased, and soon after they had made their promise, Maul was sent to the Nightbrother village. It was harder to see him, but that did not stop her. She had to learn how to drive a speeder, though she was too small to reach the pedals. It was a long way to walk so the Nightsister had to come up with a new way.
Dathomir was home to many dangerous flora and fauna. Poisonous plants, fungus and the pods that held the dead. There were also snakes, eels in the waters, loping beasts in the forests, skittering bugs in the marshes. And Rancors. These beasts were formidable and powerful, huge forearms and heads squashed into their bodies, a flat snout, leathery plates and claws and teeth, they could easily kill a weak Nightsister or Brother with one swipe. But they were also fast. So Zaiya made up her mind.
She travelled in secret to the marshes, using all the skills she had been taught thus far to track down one of these beasts. There were large footprints in the mud as she walked, and found it hard to pull her little feet out of the thick marsh to move quickly. To her detriment, she forgot an important rule when hunting Rancors… don't get caught on the ground.
There was a growl and Zaiya, who had been too focused on the footprint in front of her, looked up sharply. There stood a huge beast, huffing. Its hot breath rising before it in the cold air.
"Oh…" was all she could manage, before the thing charged her. Zaiya tried to move, only just managed to duck aside, losing the shoe on her right foot as she yanked her leg from the mud. The girl found something to cling to, and scrambled up the nearest twisted tree. She was glad Sheena wasn't there, else she would have been punished severely. She hugged the trunk of the stupid tree as she tried to shimmy her way higher as the rancor circled around, aiming to swing at her again. She leapt from the trunk seconds before it splintered into a thousand pieces behind her. Landing on soft but solid ground, she took off running. She was fast, but this thing had far longer legs than she did, it was only a matter of time before it caught her and turned her into minced Sister. She was sure Maul would tell her she had the dumbest plans, and right now she agreed with him. But that thought reminded her of why she was doing this. To go see him again.
The trees and plants and bushes flitted past her vision as she ran, her legs burning and chest heaving, there had to be- ah! She dashed to the left and into an outcropping of thick trees and vines, she shot through it easily, but stopped on the other side. The rancor roared and lumbered after her… but in it's blind rage, failed to realise how close these trees were. It ran forward, and immediately got stuck among the trunks, as it thrashed, the vines got tighter. It was stuck. It screamed and roared and thrashed, trying to strike the Nightsister just out of it's grasp. The noise was getting too much for Zaiya, and in a moment of sheer irritation, she stomped her foot and shouted at the beast.
"Shut up!" There was a pulse, an echo to her voice. And the rancor stopped. It was suddenly so still and silent, looking down at her with beady blinking eyes. "You are so noisy!" Zaiya huffed. The creature blinked again. "Do you want to get out of there?" She folded her arms, looking up at the thing. It managed to lower it's head to get a better look at her. Apparently that meant yes. She didn't know how she knew… but she knew. "Well then I will help you if you help me." She told it. It seemed calm, so Zaiya reached out and began to walk forward. When she drew close to the rancor's face she laid her hand on its snout and closed her eyes. She felt the creature, and felt herself, it was like there was a fabric around them, pulling in all kinds of directions. She felt the one for the creature under her touch, learning the feel of the creature, not physically, but it's life force. Then she heard it, something she had always heard hints of, but was stronger now than ever. It was music, notes of song and melodies played by no musician. She was hearing… life. The music that made up the grass, the water, the earth and the sky, the beings around her and the one under her hand.
Her lips parted and she let the tune fall away from her mouth and into the air. It filled the silence and surrounded the girl and the creature, all resistance to her presence disappeared then. The rancor was listening gently, no longer wanting to harm the child that could make such a sound.
Zaiya didn't know what it was, but she would accept this feeling as it came. This felt natural… whatever it was. She looked through endlessly blue eyes and rubbed the top of the rancor's snout. It gave out a purring little noise. It seemed to be totally tame to her now, and a smile came to her face.
"That's better isn't it?" She grinned.
After a few minutes of fussing, she pulled all of the vines away and was able to help the rancor, who she affectionately began calling 'Morra' seeing as that was the closest sound to the name she had 'felt' within the beast, and the large creature was finally free. It let out a little growl of thanks and she nodded, climbing up it's arm.
"I have to see my friend, can you take me?" She asked. Morra grumbled and hoisted Zaiya up onto it's shoulder, and began to make its way towards the village. The Nightsister had to hang on tight.
Maul had mixed feelings regarding his new home. On the one hand it was away from the Nightsisters, and the brothers treated him with more respect. On the other hand he was no longer near Savage and Feral and… and the one Sister that cared to know him. He wondered if she would remember him later, remember the things she said to him when she grew up. She would not be permitted to visit the village most likely, not while she was so young. The Sisters did not visit the village often it seemed, unless they wanted to torture the Brithers or choose a mate. He wondered if he would learn more about the strange magick he had. Would mother teach him still? It seemed none of the other males had his power. Nor did they have his colourings. None of the other males were a bright and vibrant red in their skin. Why was he so different?
He recalled Zaiya saying the same, that she was similar but different to her own people. When he had expressed a similar feeling she turned to him and looked him over from the tips of his toes to the top of his horns, a look of understanding coming across her face. Like she just realised something.
"Different, but not less." She had said in a strange whisper. He wasn't too sure of the meaning, but he liked what she'd said.
He had not expected to see her again for a long time, if at all… settling into the new reality that was the life of a Nightbrother. The Nightsisters did not care for him or his kind. She too would forget in time. He was beginning to be sure of this… until the day a rancor strode through their training grounds outside the village. They had been shocked, the men taking up their weapons- but the rancor did not attack. Not to mention there was a Nightsister, swathed in red robes, long white hair hanging around her shoulders that perched curiously on the beast. A miniature Nightsister. Maul had seen it from afar, slack-jawed and stunned as she slid down the beasts arm, and petted it's hand, then it turned and wandered off.
"Where is Maul?" She had asked so matter-of-factly. The adult males were on edge, wary of the little female, knowing if anything happened to her it would be their lives. They were not friendly however, growling slightly but she didn't seem to care. Then she spotted him. Eyes he knew lit up, it was a colour he had only seen in her. There were no deep oceans or blue skies on Dathomir. The only bejewelled blue was her eyes. Before he even knew what was happening, she was running over to him.
"Maul!" He didn't know why he liked the way she said his name, but he stood stiffly among the other Nightbrothers as the Sister stopped in front of him in a flurry of dust and the fabric of her skirts.
"What are you doing here?" He hissed, looking between her and the other males. Her eyes stayed on him, unwavering as though there was nothing she feared.
"I came to see you." She replied bluntly. "If you can't come to the Sister village, I will come here." As if it were obvious.
"Was… was that a rancor?" He asked with a confused expression.
"Her name is Morra."
"You named it?"
"No, she told me." This was making less sense.
"Rancors don't talk." He huffed, confused as to what she was talking about. She often would say strange things but he was still not used to them.
"I know, she told me with the music."
"What music?" He asked, and her face lit up this time.
"I'll show you!" She held out a hand, palm facing him. He didn't move. After a few seconds she let out a sigh and shook her hand in front of his face. "Give me your hand." She demanded.
"Why?" She pouted in response. Oh.. that was… cute. He didn't know she made faces like that. After a second or two he finally reached out and she pressed her hand on his.
"You have to use the invisible magick." She explained, though he was not sure he understood until he watched her close her eyes and let out a deep breath. He followed suit, trying to reach into himself at the strange well of power he could feel. He could feel power swirling around them, and recognised the second signature as her. It was more powerful than usual, and was different to what he knew. He could use his power to strike, and attack, hers felt like… water if his were fire. But even that seemed inadequate. He was trying to figure it out when he heard her voice, but not with his ears.
Listen. How he heard it, he didn't know, but he stilled and tried to listen as best he could. Do you hear it? She asked and he was not sure what she meant at first…. But then… then he heard it, the little notes, so soft, like he was just too far away from the source. A frown crossed his brow and the boy moved closer to it. Then closer. He didn't realise he had physically gotten closer to her until he felt her breath on his cheek, instinctively he wanted to move away, but the music seemed a little closer now. Then their foreheads touched, and he heard it. There was a burst of sound and colour in his head, beautiful, haunting, majestic… all of it coming from this connection.
It lasted only a few seconds before he drew back with a gasp. His chest heaving and eyes wide.
"What was that?" He asked, stunned.
"You heard it?!" She asked gleefully, hands clasped together and bouncing on the spot. She didn't seem to care about the other Nightbrothers being around, she was focused solely on him. He nodded, feeling baffled.
"What was it?" He repeated, calming a little from the strange feeling.
"I don't know… but it's everywhere." She looked around like she could see something he couldn't. Could she always hear it? Was it there all the time? He couldn't hear it as he could before, but everything suddenly seemed a little brighter. "Show me how you use your magick again." She told him suddenly.
"It's not like yours."
"I like yours better." She grinned and he felt heat rush into his face. He looked past her to the Nightbrother men standing around. Was he allowed to? The men seemed a little confused, they didn't know what to do with this mini Nightsister. The clan of Witches dominated their entire lives, what were they supposed to do? Tell her no? Maul did not get an answer, but was shaken from his confusion when a cool hand grasped his own. Zaiya seemed to grow tired of waiting, and tugged him along with her off to another area where they might not be stared at so much.
The two practised what they had learned from Mother Talzin about the power, though his was more powerful. He could move things, push and pull objects, he could feel things in the air around him that others couldn't. He didn't know how to feel about the Nightsister and her strange music. Was she like him? Was she the same as him or a little different? Did it mean he was more special? Or more of an outcast? He was so focused, that he didn't realise he was being stared at at first. Until the prickling sensation creeped up over him and he whipped his head around to see her sitting on a rock, those big blue eyes watching his every move.
"What?" He asked.
"You're so pretty." The zabrak stared. He was… what?! Heat flooded his face and he couldn't find the strength to move for a full minute. She grinned and his eyes narrowed, oh, she was making fun of him! In a grunt of annoyance he used one of the little rocks he had been floating to fly at her suddenly. It crashed at her feet and broke apart. The girl made a funny little yelp and jumped up, looking back at his smirking face with alarm. Then she began to laugh. The bubbling sound filled the clearing and his ears. Oh? She was laughing at him? With a huff he threw another small rock with the strange magick and it was aimed at her body this time. She made another funny noise that made him smile as she darted away.
"Can't get me!" She cried and ran from her spot on the large rock, circling him. Oh it was a game now?
"Yes I can!" He grinned, lifting the fist-sized stones without much of an effort this time. It seemed to be easier when he was not concentrating so hard. He lobbed the little stones her way, chasing her through the strange root-like trees, his instincts kicking in as he ran. No matter how she ducked and weaved in between the rocks and roots and trees, he could smell her, hear her, all his senses enhanced for this hunt. Her laughter bubbled back past his ears, a flash of white of her hair and he dashed to the left. Then right. Then a minute later he pounced. The two went rolling across a patch of soft dirt and red grass, a whirl of red and black and white. He pinned her under his little form with a triumphant growl… or it would have been a growl if his voice was a little deeper, for now it sounded more like a chitter.
"I told you I would!" He huffed victoriously, dropping to sit beside her. She just laughed some more, the both of them panting heavily.
"Maybe I let you!" She grinned with a giggle. He snorted, it was his turn to pout, folding his arms. After seeing this she just giggled harder, and tugged at his arm to make him lay beside her, his head near her own. "Alright you got me." She admitted with a grin. They looked up at the sky, a proud smirk on his lips. The stars were beginning to show, meaning it was growing late, and she would have to return to the clan.
"There's so many…" Maul muttered in awe.
"And so pretty…" Zaiya sighed. "I think the starlight is the most beautiful thing ever." She stated firmly. He turned his head, and looked at the strange girl, white hair splayed across the ground, and the stars reflected in her eyes as she gazed up at them.
"Yeah… they are."
