Obi-Wan bent down. “Yes, I think so.”
“Definitely.” Anakin’s voice rose in excitement. “And then he passed over the grass here. This way.”
He led the way off the trail into the forest. Obi-Wan noted the clues and followed. After a morning of looking for tiny changes in the ground and leaves overhead, Wren had left a substantial clue to his progress. It must be part of his strategy to mix up his hard clues with some easier ones.
Anakin led the way through the dense forest. It was easier to track Wren now. The ground was soft and the leaves underfoot were still wet. Obi-Wan allowed Anakin to take the lead, enjoying the fragrant walk through the trees.
Anakin stopped and turned. “There’s a clearing ahead,” he said in a hushed tone. “And some caves. Do you think we’ve caught up with him already? Those marks still look fresh.”
“I doubt it,” Obi-Wan said. “But proceed carefully. We have to get close in order to end the exercise.”
“A lightsaber’s length away,” Anakin said. “But I think our only chance is to surprise him.”
“Anakin—”
Obi-Wan’s call was swallowed in the shadows. Anakin ran silently ahead, then dashed out into the clearing.
Obi-Wan followed, wishing he could teach his Padawan to curb his impatience.
He wished this even more when he realized where Wren had led them. They had stumbled on a malia den.
He remembered the malia from his first trip to Ragoon-6. They were fast, agile, deadly creatures, fierce predators with triple rows of teeth.
Anakin stood frozen in the middle of the clearing. He had seen the malia spread out on the rocks. At first their blue-gray fur had melted into the shadows.
At least they hunt at night.
He had fought them with Qui-Gon. He remembered the gleam of fluorescent green eyes, the cunning of the creatures as they circled. He did not want to meet up with them again.
“What are they?” Anakin whispered.
“Just…back…up.…” Obi-Wan murmured.
But even as they took two steps backward, Obi-Wan saw one creature stir. A long, tapered snout lifted. Two fierce eyes opened. A low rumble deep in the malia’s throat told Obi-Wan that they were in trouble.
Chapter Three
The malia sprang at the same time as Obi-Wan. The creature was just a blue streak in the air. Obi-Wan slashed at it and it fell with a wounded howl.
The rest of the pack rose. Obi-Wan counted swiftly. Sixteen. But there could be more in the caves. They were lean, rangy creatures. One malia stepped forward and lifted its snout. Its eyes flashed as it bared its triple row of yellow teeth.
“Attractive creatures,” Anakin said, his lightsaber at the ready.
“Back up slowly. Perhaps they won’t attack. But if they do, don’t underestimate them,” Obi-Wan said rapidly as he backed up a step. “I fought them with Qui-Gon. They have very quick reflexes. They will come at us from the trees. They will try to separate and surround us.”
Anakin took a cautious step back. “How did you defeat them?”
“We didn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “A native tribe helped us.”
“You needed help?” A flicker of nerves crossed Anakin’s face.
“Yes, Anakin. Even Jedi need help occasionally. So just keeping backing up…very…very…slowly. Oh, and another thing. Don’t look them in the eye.”
“Oops,” Anakin said.
The snarling pack surged forward. Obi-Wan saw a streak of blue as two malia separated from the others and headed for the trees. Another dodged to come at Anakin from his left.
“Anakin—”
“I see it—” Anakin almost stumbled, surprised by the burst of speed the malia took on as it pounced. He barely got his lightsaber lifted in time to slash at the creature’s neck.
Obi-Wan made sure his Padawan had succeeded even as he tracked another malia that was circling toward him from the left. At the same time, he kept his gaze roaming in the trees, where two malia were jumping from branch to branch. “Whatever you do, don’t let any get behind us,” he said as he leaped toward the malia, brandishing his lightsaber. The malia retreated, snarling, its eyes a flash in the shadows.
Anakin whirled to fend off two malia that were attempting to get behind him. At the same time, another malia dropped from the tree.
Obi-Wan leaped toward him to help his Padawan. Back-to-back, the two of them fought the snarling pack.
The air seemed to be full of flying fur and pointed yellow teeth. The malia attacked in a fury. Obi-Wan and Anakin had to use their feet to kick, as well as their lightsabers. Anakin was not yet able to easily use the Force to move living objects, but Obi-Wan was able to send several malia flying with his outstretched left hand.
They continued to back away into the forest. Now they could use the trees as barriers. Anakin fought furiously. The rhythm of the battle took over his actions. His lightsaber was a red blur in the shadows, and his body became a weapon as well. He leaped, kicked, and whirled. He sent a malia flying with a well-timed chop of his hand to the animal’s windpipe. A strangled snarl ended in a yelp as the malia flew backward and hit a tree.
There were now eight malia left, half the original pack. Two were limping from the battle. The others circled, snarling. They still bared their teeth and howled at the Jedi, but Obi-Wan could see that their attack had become less focused. They had not expected such resistance.
Next to him, Anakin was breathing hard. His lightsaber was held firmly in his hand. Not even the slightest tremble betrayed how hard he had been working.
“Let’s keep backing up,” Obi-Wan murmured. “Slowly. Do not look at them directly.”
Anakin gritted his teeth. “Believe me, Master. I won’t make that mistake again.”
The malia continued to follow them, but kept a few meters away as the Jedi retreated. Obi-Wan did not blame the malia for the attack. The Jedi had stumbled on their territory. He did not want to wipe out the entire pack.
The Jedi speeded up their pace a bit. The malia did not follow. They huddled together and roared their anger as Obi-Wan and Anakin retreated. The shadows gradually swallowed them up, and soon all the Jedi heard were their angry snarls.
Anakin shivered as he deactivated his lightsaber. “The sound alone is enough to scare you,” he said. “Do you think they’ll follow us?”
“I doubt it. Despite their cunning, they are simple creatures,” Obi-Wan said. “They were defending their home. We were lucky that it was daylight. They weren’t in hunting mode.”
“You mean they would have fought harder?” Anakin asked incredulously.
“And longer.” Obi-Wan tucked his lightsaber back in his belt. “They would not have given up.”
“And here I thought this was such a peaceful planet,” Anakin remarked. “Why would Wren lead us into a malia den? That seems extreme, even for Wren.”
“He wouldn’t,” Obi-Wan said. “We must have misread the clue. Let’s return to the place on the trail where we saw it.”
They quickly moved through the trees, retracing their steps. They bent over the clue once again.
“It was my fault,” Anakin said. “I saw the grass flattened at the edge of the trail, and I assumed it was Wren.” He carefully searched the surrounding ground as Obi-Wan continued to study the disturbance in the dirt.
Anakin was right—it was an impression of a heel. Wren had put too much weight on his foot, enough to leave a mark. It indicated that he had stopped here for a moment. It was an easy clue for the Jedi to follow. Wren had not bothered to try to conceal it or make it harder to read.
It wasn’t like him. Then again, maybe it was. Wren enjoyed being inconsistent.
“Master—this way,” Anakin called. “This time, I’m sure.”
Obi-Wan crossed to the opposite side of the trail. Here, the level ground dropped sharply to a steep rocky hillside.
“Look, here. And here.” Anakin left the trail and leaped down the slope from rock to rock. “He went th
is way.”
Obi-Wan followed. It was important to let Anakin lead. That was part of the point of the exercise.
Anakin made his way down the steep slope, his footing sure and swift. They reached the bottom of the slope and immediately plunged into a forest so thick that the overhanging branches shut out all light. They paused for a short moment so that their eyes could adjust. The trees were tall, with long, flat leaves and vast trunks with thick, peeling bark. Anakin began to study the ground again.
Obi-Wan searched without moving, his gaze traveling over the dirt, rocks, and surrounding trees.
Frustrated by his inability to find a clue, Anakin straightened and began to study the trees around them. He hurried forward to a tall trunk and leaned in to examine it.
“He rested here. He touched the trunk with his finger.”
Obi-Wan saw the slight flaking of the bark near Anakin’s pointing finger. “How do you know? All the trees here have peeling bark.”
“There is sap running alongside. Here’s a fingerprint. Smudged. But it’s there.”
“Yes. So he went—which way?” Obi-Wan enjoyed the keen look in Anakin’s eyes.
With the trunk of the tree to guide him, Anakin eagerly searched the ground again. “This way!” he called triumphantly. “We’ll catch him yet!”
Smiling, Obi-Wan followed Anakin through the forest. This was what he’d hoped for. Anakin had forgotten his impatience with the exercise and what he’d thought was his secret feeling that it was a waste of time. He was now filled with the excitement of the chase.
They moved through a thick curtain of needles and bark. They could no longer see the mountain looming over them. It was as though they were tucked away in a fragrant green cave.
Then the trees stopped abruptly and they came upon a sheer rock wall. The wall curved around them and rose on three sides. There was no way to go except back the way they’d come.
“It’s a dead end,” Anakin said, disappointed. “But I was so sure Wren came this way!”
“Hold on,” Obi-Wan said. “Look around you. You might be missing something. Remember your Temple exercise to explore the present moment? Close your eyes.”
Anakin closed his eyes. Obi-Wan waited until he was sure his Padawan had focused. “What did you see?”
“Bark and leaves under my feet. Sheer wall ten meters ahead with insufficient handholds for climbing. Small plant growing in one crevice thirty meters up. Snow dusting at top of cliff. Bird circling twenty degrees to my right. At the base of the rock wall, what appears to be a small opening—a den of a small animal, or—” Anakin’s eyes popped open. “A cave.”
Obi-Wan smiled. He had seen the entrance to the cave minutes before. “Let’s see what it is.”
Anakin and Obi-Wan examined the small opening. “It’s not as small as it looks,” Obi-Wan said. “It could be the nest or den of an animal.”
“It looks like it opens up,” Anakin said, peering inside. “Let me go in.”
Obi-Wan hesitated. He would rather be first. But part of this exercise was also for the Master. He had to learn to let go, to allow his Padawan to test his skills. He knew Anakin was well trained and could handle what lay beyond.
“All right, Padawan.”
Without a glow rod, Anakin would have to feel his way. He eased inside the hole carefully, one hand on his lightsaber hilt.
Obi-Wan heard Anakin’s voice echo hollowly. “It’s a cavern! It’s beautiful!”
Obi-Wan squeezed inside the hole. It was a bit more difficult for him to make it. He wondered how the tall, stocky Wren had managed.
He was able to straighten after crawling just a few meters. Anakin stood ahead of him, scanning the cavern.
It truly was beautiful. The walls shimmered with phosphorescence, lighting the space. The cliff face outside had been gray, but this stone was pink with veins of bright gold and silver. Cone-shaped deposits of the stone hung from the ceiling and rose from the floor.
The smooth floor sloped steeply downward. Anakin hurried ahead, running his hand along the wall. “He’ll never expect us to find him in here.”
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, testing the air. It smelled fresh. There was most likely another opening in the direction they were headed. Wren had probably left the cavern by now.
The air smelled damp as well. That was normal in a cavern. Pools of water sat in the depressions of the stone floor. Some of them quite deep…
“Anakin!” Obi-Wan snapped his Padawan’s name. His voice echoed, but Anakin had run ahead, around a corner, and hadn’t heard. Obi-Wan picked up his pace.
He rounded the corner. Anakin had paused before another opening to the cavern. This one was larger and began above Obi-Wan’s shoulders. Through it they could see only a patch of blue-and-violet sky. Against the shimmering pink and gold of the walls it was a breathtaking sight.
“Anakin, we should get out of here,” Obi-Wan called as he quickly made his way toward his Padawan. “I think this cavern may flood periodically.”
Anakin nodded and waited for his Master to catch up. Just then Obi-Wan heard a noise. A slight whoosh sound. He moved faster. Anakin turned back to the opening.
“It’s so beautiful,” he said in a hushed tone.
The whoosh grew louder. Now it was a roar.
“Hang on!” Obi-Wan shouted as a wall of water suddenly blocked out the sky and headed straight toward them.
Chapter Four
Anakin desperately clung to a ledge as the water rushed into the cavern. The force of it battered him against the cavern wall. Another wave entered, and the water went over his head. The shock of its coldness almost made him lose his grip.
He fumbled for his breather with one hand while he hung on with the other. He began to feel light-headed as he struggled to attach his breather with one hand. Spots swam before his eyes.
He managed to insert his breather and inhaled deeply. He felt strength flow back into his muscles. Still, his body was being pummeled by the furiously rushing water and battered against the cones and the wall of the cave. He had to get out or he would drown.
He glanced back. He could barely see his Master, who was clinging to a rock hanging from the ceiling. As Anakin watched, Obi-Wan transferred his grip to the next cone. Fighting the rushing water, he pulled himself forward.
Anakin grabbed the ledge a short distance away. He pulled himself forward, too, every muscle straining with his effort. He reached for the next handhold. Then the next. He fought for every centimeter.
At last he felt the smooth curve of the cavern entrance. He paused there, holding on against the violent water, waiting for his Master. After a few moments, Obi-Wan pulled himself up next to Anakin. He pointed up. They would have to let go now and try to get to the surface. Anakin nodded.
Anakin rolled his body into a ball and rested his feet against the cavern wall. He closed his eyes, gathering his strength and the Force. When he felt the Force enter him, he pushed himself off the cavern wall.
The power of the water almost battered him back against the wall and swept him inside the cavern, but Anakin fought it with all his strength, swimming up, trusting that air and sunlight were above.
After a few meters, the pull of the water lessened. He was able to make headway against it. He saw a lightening above. Sunlight. He swam toward it eagerly. The dappled patterns seemed to beckon him.
He burst above the surface of the water. Ahead he saw a booming waterfall, spilling down from a cliff above. That was the source of the powerful current both above and below the surface. Anakin waited until his Master broke the surface and then struck out toward the bank.
He pulled himself up onto dry land. He ripped the breather from his mouth and gasped for breath. Water streamed off his clothes and the ends of his hair as he bent over, gathering his strength. Beside him, Obi-Wan was doing the same.
“The malia den, and now this,” Anakin said when he could speak. He shook his head, sending water droplets flying. “Did I misinterpret the clu
es, Master? They seemed so clear.”
“No, I think we went the right way off the trail,” Obi-Wan said. “But we shouldn’t have gone through the cavern. Jedi clues are designed to be difficult, not life-threatening.”
Anakin flushed. It was his fault. In his impatience to impress his Master, he had rushed into the malia den and into the cavern.
But Obi-Wan wouldn’t say anything. That was the trouble. It was worse for Anakin to have to wonder what his Master was thinking.
Obi-Wan scanned the surrounding area. “No doubt Wren used a cable launcher to vault the cliff face.”
“But I didn’t see any marks above,” Anakin said. “Wouldn’t the launcher have scarred the rock face?”
“Let’s return and examine the cliff again,” Obi-Wan decided.
“I’d rather not take another dip,” Anakin said with a shiver.
“We can climb the hill here,” Obi-Wan said, scanning the steep incline that rose from the bank. “That will bring us on top of the cliff overlooking the cavern.”
They climbed up the steep incline, occasionally using their cable launchers. The sunlight dried their clothes and hair and warmed them as they climbed high above the water. At last they reached the top of the cliff.
Anakin stood at the top. From here he had a commanding view of the waterfall below and, in the distance, the valley. Still more mountains rose behind him.
He turned and found the overlook to the forest’s edge below. It didn’t take him long to find where Wren had been.
“Look, Master. He was here,” he said, pointing to a place where the grass was flattened. “He could have been watching from above while we stood there.”
“Possibly,” Obi-Wan said. “There was no way for him to know that the cavern would flood, I suppose.”
“At least we know for sure that we have him,” Anakin said. His Master still looked uncertain. “Don’t we?”
“Let’s follow the trail,” Obi-Wan said.
Anakin moved to track Wren’s progress over the top of the cliff. A trail led into the mountains, and he began to trudge up it.