Chapter 6: We Aren't Alone
Sitting at the edge of the water, Cowan sighed. It was boring out here. Sure, it was a nice place to look at, but that only worked for so long. Once you’d been on Yavin IV for more than a month, it was just another lake with forest around it. In the end, they were all pretty much the same. Though, truthfully, all the ancient columns and other stones that had interesting engravings on them were at least mildly interesting.
With another look over the water, he wondered if Cira had drowned. It had been a good while since she’d dove down under the water. But no, bodies would usually float up, wouldn’t they? Cowan shrugged to himself. She’d be up eventually. Then they could keep going and get back and he wouldn’t have to even see her for another twelve or so hours. And that brought up another tangent. Had he really been here so long that he was no longer phased in any way by an at least relatively attractive young woman stripping down to her underclothes?
Apparently, he had, and Cowan wasn’t even sure if that was a bad thing or not. But it was something. Another random thought to take up time while he waited for her to reappear. His excuse for simply sitting there was, currently, that he was guarding her tunic. Not that he would stop anyone that happened to walk by and take it...but this was Yavin IV, and nothing like that ever happened anyway...so he was back to sitting and being useless only a second after coming up with an excuse.
And then, finally, a hand escaped from the water. A moment later, Cira’s head appeared and she was gasping for breath. He sat up slightly, noticing that she was still holding her arm above the water. She was...holding something. Cowan tried to look harder but couldn’t make out whatever it was. So, he waited until she’d managed to swim closer before asking the obvious, “What is that?”
Without actually saying anything, Cira threw the thing his direction. It flew in a long arc, and Cowan had to jump back slightly and reach out to catch it. And, of course, it hurt. After yelping out of surprise more than actual pain, he realized he was holding a small(and sharp edged) clear blue crystal of some kind or another. He flipped it over and idly inspecting it and, when she had gotten out of the water and had a seat in the grass not too far from him, he asked the next question, “Where was it?”
At first, it sounded as if Cira wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer, but she lay back and did her best not to use any sarcasm at all(as there was enough tension between them as is, and she was getting tired of it), “Small cave down there. I think someone else has been there...that one was all that was left.”
“Ah...” Cowan trailed off before tossing it back over to her, “Guess that means we have to keep going.”
Cira caught it gracefully and then lay the small crystal down on her tunic which was still on the ground next to her, “Its still early in the day, we have time.”
With nothing to say to that, the usual silence returned. Cowan forced back a sigh as he did his best to think. No...not think. Feel. The best way to get back and be done with this was to find where the Force was calling him to. So...do that, then away from Cira, and no more annoyances until the next day. Some break was better than none, at least.
“You want to start moving on or keep resting for a little while longer?” Cira broke the silence with a tone that any normal person would have identified as friendly, and even attempting to be helpful, but, of course, Cowan didn’t see it that way. To him, it just sounded pushy any annoying.
This time, he did allow himself a dramatic sigh before glancing over to her, “I was waiting on you.”
As he idly dusted himself and got back to his feet, Cira sighed, too. One day, she was just going to give up trying with him. She was beginning to think he was just trying to provoke her to get into a fight with him so he had an excuse to start claiming that he was right all along. Not that she would give him the pleasure of that, but one day she was going to harm him if he kept this up.
“Just a second, then,” she said calmly before getting up and trying her best to get the rest of the dirt off of her before pulling on her tunic and the rest of her clothes again. She didn’t mind being damp, so it wasn’t really a problem at all. After clasping the belt and putting the crystal in one of them small pockets attached to said belt, she tried to straighten out the deep blue tunic before motioning off in a random direction, “Lead on.”
Cowan had, intelligently for once, been reaching out with the Force to the best of his ability and trying to focus. When he saw her point, though, he’d figured out a direction and shook his head, “This way.”
He started them north even more. They headed back into the thick jungle and towards the mountains that were no longer very far off. An hour and they were in the foothills, with the jungle turning into more of a loose collection of trees that was probably more of a forest now...if there was such a difference. And, thankfully, they were closer now. Cowan could feel that much. It was just a matter of determining exactly where he needed to go and then finding out how to get there.
“Cira,” he said the word over his shoulder in a tone that was very surprising. It wasn’t as antagonistic as usual. In fact, it was almost friendly.
Almost worried by this, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “Yeah?”
“Did you hear that?” this time he stopped and turned to face her. There was an look of concentration on his face, which was definitely trying to mask at least a hint of fear.
“Nooo...” she said more quietly this time, trying to focus on the sounds of the forest around them, “What am I listening for?”
Cowan waited to respond. Then, after a moment, he nodded, “That.”
Now confused, Cira shook her head slowly and tried not to wonder if the Thyferran was losing his mind. She bit her lower lip before saying slowly, “Still not hearing it...”
“I thought you were supposed to be better at this outdoors surviving than I am!” Cowan suddenly growled and threw up his arms in frustration, “It wasn’t even that quiet! I don’t see how you cou----“
The words were not so much cut off as drowned out...drowned out by a deep, and of course, very loud roar. It lasted for at least ten seconds, and the echo another twenty. When it had finally passed, the two young apprentices stared straight at each other, eyes wide and gaping.
Finally, Cowan managed to mumble, “...something like that, actually.”
Cira allowed herself a very slow nod, with one hand managing to move in slow motion to the blaster pistol that was on her hip, “...I did hear that.”
The only sound that followed for a few moments other than Cira removing her blaster pistol and checking the power pack in it. After that, she whispered, “Why are we not running from here?”
This was the part Cowan hadn’t been sure about. This was also the part he was really starting to hate. But he then got his own blaster pistol out and nodded towards the direction they were going(which just happened to also be the direction the angry roar had originated from), “I think I need to go that way.”
“Typical,” Cira said with a sigh and the slightly hint of a grin.
The same tiny expression tugged at Cowan’s face, “Yeah...at least we’ll have a good story to tell tonight.”
“Let’s just make sure we’re able to tell it.”