exhale ; chirrut + baze

3 / baze-person-who-shot-me-malbus

CHIRRUT BREATHED IN, his eyes opening ( not that it mattered ), the material underneath his back completely unlike the usual sandy ground of the Jedha streets. He sat up quickly, his hands running across the material of a bed. A bed. A honest to goodness bed. Chirrut fell back onto the bed, running his fingers lazily across the wooden frame behind him and the soft cotton sheets beneath him.

He wondered when was the last time he slept in one of these.

Before he could fully reminescence, the sound of a door opening pulled him from his thoughts, the soft click of the door closing behind the person, and then gentle footfalls, making its way towards his bed. Something was set down with a  clunk, and then, the sound of water dripping.

Chirrut let out a soft grunt, shifting in the bed, alerting the person of his awakened state. The actions of the person stopped, and the sounds ceased. Chirrut almost let out a pitiful whine -- he's almost blind in the silence.

"You're awake," the person stated. The voice was male, deep, mellow, warm.

"Obviously," he replied, sitting up.

Chirrut didn't know how he sat up the first time, but he was certain he didn't notice a sharp twang of pain lacing up the upper area of his arm. He tried his best not to show pain, but his wince gave it away. The man looked to him and let out a short breath, before taking Chirrut gently by the shoulders and settling him back down onto the bed.

"Rest," he advised, "you need your strength to heal."

"What happened?" His other hand went to the arm, and instead of finding smooth skin, he found the scratchy surface of a bandage. He thumbed the edge of the bandage, running a pad over the ridges of the bandage.

The man flushed, "I-I shot you. With an arrow."

"You what?" Chirrut turned his head to the man, so that he could see Chirrut's angered expression.

"You were running away. I shot you. Arrow went right through."

"You shot me," Chirrut said, the fact slowly sinking in.

"Chirrut."

"Well," he leaned back into the bed. "Thanks for that."

The man was silent.

"Wait a second," Chirrut paused. "How do you know my name?"

"I, uh -- " the man began.

"Because the Force wills it, Chirrut Îmwe," another voice sounded. Chirrut nearly jumped out of his skin.

The voice was a woman's now, her voice silk, and tightening by the second.

"The Force?" Chirrut questioned.

"Wait, you don't know what that is?" the man asked.

"That's why you're gonna be his teacher, Malbus," the woman replied.

"Wait a second . . . what?" If Chirrut could hear a man's eyes widen, it would be now. "No, Mara, please, there are several more experienced Guardians to teach him -- "

"But you're going to. Or you can leave. Forever."

The door opened and slammed shut. The man sighed, standing up, his chair skritching back, before he stalked over to the door and opened the door, disappearing back outside.

"What training?" Chirrut asked into the space around him, and all he got was what he usually gets:

Silence.

~

BAZE BREATHED IN, giving chase to Mara, who was several paces away.