Live Young Suffering: An Obitine Story

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Any luck?" Obi Wan asked.

"I'm looking at the same forest as you are, Obi. I think I would know if I found something."

Obi Wan was beginning to get frustrated searching for food. What seemed to him as a simple task was proving itself otherwise. He wished he's taken his master's words more seriously when he was warned that this process wouldn't be quick, but he couldn't change anything about it. Not now.

Instead, they walked.

Silence, sometimes, engulfed the two, but neither minded. Instead, they scanned the forest, searching high and low for any food sources they could. They knew they would need to spare what little they gathered for the journey ahead, but at the same time, they were so hungry, so incredibly hungry.

As the heat of the day rose, the searching grew hazy. Obi Wan noticed the Duchess' pace slow ever so slightly, and he felt bad for dragging her along with him on the quest for food. Then again, with him, she was much safer.

"Would you like to stop?" he asked her, turning to face her. "There's a cluster of rocks over there, and there's plenty of shade."

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, but when Satine looked back at Obi Wan, he knew she was begging for rest. He could sense it.

"Come on, we need to conserve some strength," he said. He walked over, and she followed. Initially reluctantly following his lead as he sat down, the duchess soon started to let herself relax, ease her tension. It felt nice on the warm rocks basking in the sun, the heat of the trees above their heads, a smooth, steady breeze. Puffy clouds littered the sky in clusters; the air smelled of fresh pines and forest life.

For the moment, the two sat together, silent. Peaceful. Obi Wan took out their small canteen, handing it to the Duchess. She took it gratefully, taking a swig before handing it back to the young padawan. He drank a little before putting it back, letting them remain in the still silence.

There had been no silence like this for a long time.

Not full of tension or fear.

Not rushed or restless.

Still, silent.

Obi Wan could have stayed there for a long time, for the space kindled within him a calmness he hadn't felt in a long time, not since he'd been alone. He could fully connect with the force, there, he thought, and he could feel the force all around him. He let himself smile, glad for the peace.

Suddenly, there was a slight rustling to their left. Satine perked up, and almost instantly, her focus attached itself to the source of the sound. Obi Wan, sensing no danger there, didn't worry about it. "It's nothing, Satine. We'll be fine." But she wasn't convinced.

"What if something dangerous is hiding over there?" she asked, turning to the young padawan, her gaze piercing through him. He sighed, then stood up. "Satine, there's nothing to worry abou-"

Satine's screams were the first thing that cut him off, as some creature emerged from the bushes, moving quite fast. She shrieked and jumped back, and Obi Wan had to catch her to keep her from toppling over.

"Whoa," he said. "Calm down. Now, what is it you're so afraid of?" He glanced over at the bushes and nearly burst out laughing. All that stood there was a small, harmless porg. "This is harmless."

"Oh, please, Obi," Satine said, half-slapping him as he let her down. "How was I supposed to know what it was while it was still hiding itself in the bushes?"

Obi Wan shrugged, amused at her frustration. "I told you it was harmless. You should learn to trust me more, Duchess."

"I do trust you," she said, the frustration still evident in her voice. "That doesn't mean I still won't get scared every once in a while." She pauses. "Besides, half the time you tell me to trust you, you're being stupid and make me worry, so really, I shouldn't trust you."

Obi Wan frowned at her words, and a short silence fell between the two. Then, he smiled. "You know, I should thank you, Satine."

"Why?"

"Because you found the first decent source of food yet." He smiled ad she grinned, but then her smile faded.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "We can't possibly eat this little creature!"

"Why not?" Obi Wan protested. "Food is food. Do you want to live or do you want to survive?" He paused. "Besides, Qui Gon wanted us to bring back all the food we could find, so that's what we should to."

"But..." Satine trailed off, crossing her arms. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Fine," Obi Wan retorted back. He decided to take care of the porg while the Duchess wasn't watching, and instead distracted her by talking to her. "We should continue forward for a little longer, but then we'll need to head back for the night." Satine nodded, not saying a word, and Obi Wan didn't complain.

Sometimes, words didn't need to be said.

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Art by p1karyu!