Ask The Beast of Yavin IV: Chapter 3

[The Storyteller]

North of the Temple, Yavin IV ​

The coming of the night did little to silence the jungle. If anything, the sounds and songs increased in fever, the volume pitching high into an utter frenzy. Nothing escaped the land and its thousands of eyes; each step of progress was marked from afar, by one animal or another. Amongst the canopies of the trees, whisper birds watched on like feathered sentries; their shrill calls near mocking in nature. Belly birds weren’t much better, either.

Despite occupying the Temple itself, few Jedi had dared to venture this far in, the risks often outweighing any reward. The land was simply too wild, the force uninhibited it to almost dangerous degrees; there was no order here, instead only the chaotic law of nature.

The further one traveled, the denser it became. There were no paths here and no established routes. Thickets of grass reached as high as the knee and amongst them hid the gnarled roots of ancient trees; vines, as thick as veins, hung on jutting branches, their tendrils reaching like fingers of a hand. One ought to be careful, lest they find themselves caught amongst the jungle and its snares.

Caught up amongst nature’s proverbial net was something queer. Something unusual. It was foreign, and otherwise out of place. Amongst all that there was in the area, this one thing stood out in plain sight. Abandoned in the mud was a single, stained shoe, no bigger than that of a child’s.

Upon its discovery, the cacophony of the jungle would fall silent…

@LadyRen
@LouJoVi

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee could still remember the terrible sound of that howl. It was terrifying and she really wondered what could have possibly caused it. She was still confident about not only finding the missing youngling but also about finding the beast and eliminating it once and for all, so it would never dare to set foot on the temple grounds. It had committed an atrocity by abducting the innocent boy and it would pay for that. Her opinion on that might have seemed a little radical, but she was really angry. She knew that wrath was dangerous as it was an intense emotion, so she really tried her best to swallow it all down.

They had reached the first parts of the dense forest in front of them. Hailee realized that with every step she took, the thicket seemed to grown even denser and she really hoped that they didn't have to search for too long, as every minute could possibly lead the boy closer to any danger. She had to watch every step she took, careful not to step on any root or to get entagled in thick vines. Even the air seemed to grow thicker with every step and it slowly started to feel a little oppressive. Would they find any helpful trace to bring them closer to the boy?

She was, however, glad that at least Pêro was there with her. She was not alone. She had a wise, powerful knight at her side whose familiar severity soothed her somehow. She had grown used to his rather stern, emotionless manner and so she soon managed to deal with her anger. And she was still rather optimistic to make progress in their search for the boy. "Can you sense anything or maybe even... anyone?" she asked full of hope. She herself could sense a few things, but nothing that could prove useful. They were clearly surrounded by a few living creatures, but none had a presence so prominent that it could be the said beast or the youngling.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro was used to walk in the jungle that surrounded the Jedi Temple. Being surrounded by nature used to always calm and comfort him. It made him feel so much more closer to the Force, as if he was protected by it and there was nothing else that he needed to fear.

However, this time the jungle wasn’t comforting. Under his stern face, the Knight felt on the edge, as if at any moment he and Hailee could be attacked. While he could feel the Force around him, this time Pêro wasn’t using it to relax, but to identify if there was anything dangerous approaching them. So far, he felt nothing. Even birds and small animals were absent, they seemed to be hiding from something. Perhaps from the creature that captured the Youngling.

“No, I felt nothing.” Pêro said to his Padawan. “There is nothing out, not even animals. It’s as if the entire forest is empty.” he frowned, while looking around. The forest seemed to be dead. “It’s possible that they are hiding from the beast, maybe it passed through here. Let’s look around after the tracks.”

The Knight would walk toward some bushes, to see if he could find something. However, he soon turned back to his Padawan. “Hailee, stay close to me. If this thing is still around here, we need to stay together. Stay close to me while we search.'' while her training was going well, she wasn’t prepared to go into a direct fight.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee noticed a change in his voice. It was just a slight hint of discomfort, but I told her that he was on edge, too. And unfortunately that made her a little more nervous than it should. She had honestly hoped that he would be as solid as a rock, but when he started to speak, she could feel him getting nervous and perhaps a little alarmed.

She followed him closely at first, but soon started to wander off a few meters, examining the ground, but as he called her back, she obeyed hastily. He was right. Something could literally lurk in the thicket, but she hoped that he would sense it before it would get to them. However, she also remembered that Knight Kahina had told them that it was extremely fast, so they had to be on their guard.

She was a little bit suprised that he seemed to be truly worried about her right now. He had repeatedly shown her already that he did care about her safety, but right now the usually so cool, calm and serious knight seemed actually shaken. "I will not wander of, I promise" she reassured him honestly, even if she was starting to feel a little adventurous. She sensed no danger right now, so she thought that it might be helpful to split up with the purpose of covering more ground, but she wouldn't dare contradicting him.

They went on, Hailee staying closer at his side as he wanted it, looking around eagerly. Out of a sudden, she felt an unfamiliar, strange pull to the right. She looked around, slightly startled by the feeling, when she suddenly spotted something. "Over there" she said to him while heading into the direction without further ado.

There was clearly something on the ground and she couldn't stop herself from wanting to know what. Just a few meters to the right, her gaze suddenly fell upon something dark, leathery and when she had reached it, she saw the tiny shoe peacefully laying on the ground. She squatted down, letting her index finger trace along the mud-covered, little shoe, when she was suddenly hit by a strange realization.

The boy was frightened till the very edge as the gruesome dark creature dragged him with it and while he screamed in pure terror, the little shoe hit the ground. She pulled back in horror, trying to grasp what has just happened, while an icy shiver ran down her spine. Gasping, she shot Pêro an horrified look.

@LouJoVi

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro nodded, satisfied with Hailee's answer. He knew how tempting exploring a forest like this one could be for a new Padawan. He would not have minded that she did it in another moment, but the circumstances that they were now not favoured an adventurous spirit. She could end up getting taken or worse.

The two would search their surroundings after possible traces left by the creature. While Pêro searched, he would occasionally turn to look to see if Hailee was still with him. He wanted to certify that she was safe, fearing that the beast could use their distraction to move and caught one of them.

After some time searching, Pêro found nothing that could show where the beast went. It was as if the creature had flown or moved in a way that left no trace. The G'weneen were starting to believe that it couldn't have passed by this part of the forest.

Then, he heard Hailee calling for him. She was walking toward something and Pêro followed her. "Did you find something?" he asked, watching her pick something from the ground. It seemed to be a shoe and by the size it could only be of a child. This must be from the Youngling.

The Knight saw his Padawan have some type of reaction when she touched the shoe. Pêro held her back, trying to show that he was there. Hailee seemed to be horrified with something. "What you saw?" he asked, calmly. The G'weneen was nearly certain that she did Psychometry and it could be traumatic.

@LadyRen

 

[The Storyteller]

“Help!” A voice rang out. “Help me!”

It echoed and carried, bouncing between the trees with little to no direction. It waned, then grew till finally settling some distance away. There was no mistaking it…

It was the voice of a child. It was Davi.

“Help me! Help! Help!”

There was nothing but screaming. Literally, nothing. No other sounds inhabited the area, not even those that followed a chase. Amongst the darkness of the jungle, there was only the youngling’s voice, as if that were all that remained of him. His cries alone imprinted there.

Should the Jedi take off in search, they would find new signs, as well as new horrors. Amongst a clearing of trees, there lay remnants of a struggle. Broken branches amongst a litter of rocks, the grass itself trampled flat. Most disturbing of all? On the upturned earth was a splattering of blood. A sizable spill, the depths of crimson now coagulating into a curdle. The beast had made a kill.

There was but one comfort. The blood was mammalian in color; belonging to an amphibious race, Davi’s color was not red in coloration, but rather green. The blood spoiled about the ground…it did not belong to the youngling.

“Help! Help me!” Yet again, the cries converged, their volume louder and clearer than ever before. "Help! Help! Help me! Help!”

It was never-ending.

And it was coming from above.

Up amongst the canopy of trees sat the flock of native birds. They looked down at the Jedi, their heads cocking back and forth as if in thought. One then opened its mouth and let out a harrowingly familiar sound.

“Help me...Help!”

The whisper birds. They were mimicking the cries of the youngling.

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Still in shock, she just stared at him blankly, trying to make sense out of what has just happened. Had the Force just tried to helm them? She wondered whether Pêro had seen the same, blurry, if not even distorted image of Davi being dragged along with his horrible, gigantic, dark creature, but judging from his worried look, he must have at least sensed it. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Or was this just an actual representation of what had happened here?

When he asked her about her finding, she was still, shivering. So he hadn't seen it. She swallowed, trying to find a way to explain this traumatizing experience, but she was still a little speechless. "I've seen him...Davi. The creature dragged him through this area. Maybe we should try to reach the others, the beast must be close", she replied, voice still a little shaky. "Knight Kahina gave us the comlinks, maybe we should use them. I mean...this vision felt extremely real. Like I could literally feel Davi's pain and his fear... and I could see this terrible creature. It has passed through this area not long ago. It was horrifying..." she went on after her little pause.

She rose to her feet again, shooting Pêro a questioning glance, but before the knight got any chance to answer, a heartbreaking sound shattered the silence of quiet the forest. A cry. A children's desperate cry for help. Hailee looked around her, suddenly panic-striken. Where the hell was Davi?! His voice echoed from all around. Her heartbeat accelerated strongly, while she automatically stepped closer to Pêro. She couldn't locate the sound at first, as it was seemingly bouncing of every single tree in the vast thicket of the jungle, but then she could sense something living. Her glance shot upwards, landing directly on a bird who just opened his beak, letting out this strangely human, desperate cry for help. This couldn't be real, could it? She took another step backwards, right into the direction of Pêro, hoping that she would not step on his foot, but they were suddenly surrounded by those birds.

@LouJoVi @Pêro Erval @HoneyMagpie

 

[Pêro Erval]

Hailee seemed to be in shock, while staring blankly at him. Whatever she had seen, it was something that she wasn’t prepared to see. Since she didn’t mention having Psychometry, Pêro wondered if it was the first time that his Padawan had made it. If it was the case, she would need help to train it. He knew cases of individuals that nearly went crazy because of visions.

Pêro paid close attention to Hailee’s description of what she saw. While she talked, the Knight would still be holding his Padawan and using the Force to calm her down. “This vision that you had is part of a rare ability known as Psychometry.” he explained. “I’ll talk more about it with you when we return to the Temple.”

“If you saw the creature pass through here, then we need to continue walking.” Pêro said, while helping his Padawan get up. Since there wasn’t much time since it happened and the Youngling was still alive in her vision, it meant that there was still hope of saving the child with life.

Before he could ask if she saw the direction that the beast went, the once silent forest erupted with screams. The voice seemed to be that of a child, but were coming from all directions. He saw a large flock of birds on the trees and the voices were coming from them.

"Whisper birds." Pêro saw to his Padawan, while frowning at the birds. He never heard that wild individuals of this species could do it. He could feel that Hailee was nervous and while he tried to remain calm, the G'weneen felt unnerved. "We need to continue walking. These birds aren't dangerous." at least it was what he learned. However, his eyes would never leave these bizarre creatures.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She forced herself to breathe deeply, repeatedly. It had all happened so fast. This shoe calling to her, the vision, the birds. It was a lot to grasp and process for the moment, but she appreciated her master's presence and comfort. She knew he was hardly ever exhibiting any emotions and so she felt really thankful for his support and his aims for calming her down.

With a frown, she considered the word describing the apparent ability of hers. Psychometry. She had literally never heard of it and was therefore extremely curious for his explanation once the youngling was back in safety, but right know they had more pressing matters to attend. The birds were still making her a little crazy because it was not only cruel, but also completely unexpected. On Corellia, there were no whisper birds and she had never heard of them before anyway, but even if they were just birds, the cries they were sending out were horrifying, as they were echos of Davi.

Once back on her feet, she rubbed her temple, before pulling herself together. "You are right. We should go. I saw the beast drag him in this direction" she informed the knight as calm as possible while pointing into the according direction. They clearly had to hurry, there was no doubt about that. She tried to block the birds out, trying to not let them distract her further while she directed her gaze back to the front. She looked for more traces, any clue that would make it easier for them to follow. But then she remembered a different important detail:"The comlinks. Maybe we should inform the others about the trace" she repeated a bit stressed out.

@LouJoVi @HoneyMagpie

 

[Pêro Erval]

While Hailee recovered from her vision, Pêro remained vigilantly watching the birds. The whisper birds would remain imobile on the branches. Usually, they would fly away in panic if someone approached them. It was what used to happen when a flock of these animals appeared at the garden of the Jedi Temple.

However, the birds weren’t fleeing. The only explanation that the G’weneen could think for it was that they were probably more afraid from something else rather than from the two Jedi. They were probably afraid that if they flew away something could attack them. It could only be the beast.

Pêro turned his attention to Hailee when she said the direction to where the beast had carried the Youngling. “It goes deeper inside the jungle. I have never been there before.” he said, while looking to where his Padawan had pointed. “We will need to be even more careful. There will be several predators here.”

He nodded in agreement when Hailee said that they should call the others “I agree.” he said, before pulling his commlink. “Knight Erval, here. We found one of the Youngling’s shoes discarded among the mud. The beast went deep in the forest and we are going to follow it. Did any of you find something?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kyosuke Yamato]

The first sound to chime back over the comlink would be a nearly deafening roar from a large monster, followed by Kyosuke grunting in pain, and any vague distant noises that came from Knight Tonor and the pack of howlers in the background.

Then the ignition of Knight Yamato's split-saber, followed by the elegant hum of both blades whirling through the larger howler's meat and hide, along with a sudden shriek that was almost instantly cut short.

More painful groans and grunts came from the raven-haired Knight at the other side of the comms before his saber disengaged, and he finally managed to respond to Knight Erval's message.

"Buh--" More pained grunting as he teetered on the edge of crying out from whatever it was that happened. "Busy!" More strain broke through his tone. "Howlers!!"

And then one of the last things heard over the message would be the cacophony of the pack's hisses and howls before the comms went silent.


@LadyRen @LouJoVi @Reylo4evr @HoneyMagpie

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

When Pêro mentioned that he himself had also never been this deep inside the jungle, the Padawan swallowed. It did not only mean that the conditions of their perilous journey deeper inside the thicket were difficult, but it also meant that there were clearly reasons why the deep parts of the jungle were not visited that often.

She noticed that Pêro was still watching the birds, which unsettled her a little further, urging her to direct her own gaze upwards again before turning her attention towards the comlink in her master's hands. She had this unexplainable feeling of looming danger ahead, right before Knight Yamato answered their call, or rather a deafening roar chimed thraugh the device.

Immediately, Hailee gasped, a shiver running down her spine. She had been briefly taught about them, knowing that they were rather common in a swampy areas, but after hearing knight Yamato's painful grunts, her eyes went wide. "We have to help them!" was her first, rather impulsive thought, but she immediately reconsidered her statement. Could they just leave behind this fresh trail leading towards the youngling who was in urgent need of help? And how many howlers were attacking the Knights right now? She had not enough information to assess the situation properly, which was why she panicky looked at Pêro, thoughts spinning.

@LouJoVi @HoneyMagpie

 

[Pêro Erval]

While he waited for the others to answer his call, Pêro briefly looked at Hailee. She was already nervous since the vision and it seemed to have become after he said that they would go deep in the forest. He could even feel these feelings come from her through the Force.

“Everything will be fine.” he said, giving her one of his rare smiles. Pêro was trying to calm her, he wouldn't be going to reprimand her for being nervous or even afraid in this situation. If it wasn’t already enough that this was her first mission, Hailee also needed to deal with a mysterious beast and creepy Whisper birds.

Then, Yamato finally answered his call. Pêro stared wide eyed at what he was hearing and the roar of the Howlers. Different from the birds that were looking at them from the trees, these creatures were dangerous predators. Being one of the reasons why Padawans and Younglings couldn’t go alone inside the forest.

“Of course. We need to go here immediately.” he said to Hailee. Depending on the size of the pack of Howlers that was attacking the others, they could be in enough numbers to subdue the Jedi. They would need help to escape from this attack. “Come, they don’t have much time.” the G’weneen gestured for the Padawan to follow him. Hopefully the two would arrive on time.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She didn't know what to say or to even think. How could things run out of hand so quickly? This whole incident with the Beast was shady per se, but why did they have to deal with Howlers and creepy birds as well? She hadn't imagine her first real outdoor mission to become this...intense.

Hailee admired Pêro's tranquility. Even though they had just received terrible news, he seemed to be able to keep his cool. Hailee surely knew that she couldn't freak out herself, but with all these challenges suddenly coming out of nowhere, it became frequently harder to remain calm. She felt her heartbeat accelerating, but she forced herself to take a deep breath.

When the knight urged them to run, she followed him without thinking twice. She had quite a decent sense of orientation, so she knew that they were headed West, in the right direction, but since they were moving diagonally, they were also moving in the direction of the beast. She started to sprint, but after a few meters she realized that they were just passing thorough a clearing that exhibited even more definite traces. Traces of a fight, this time.

She immediately stopped, wanting to examine the scene further, hoping that they wouldn't make a terrible discovery, but as she slid to an halt, her gaze fell upon something interesting. "Wait a second" she gasped breathlessly, knowing that they wouldn't have much time, but she couldn't ignore these signs. Alongside broken branches and some upturned earth she found a puddle of a greenish, slimy liquid that was definitely not human. But something was clearly attacked here.


@LouJoVi @HoneyMagpie

 

[The Storyteller]

The Jedi duo weren’t the only ones investigating the site. Above them was a lone woolamander, most likely a male sentry judging from its size and the alarm call it raised. The commotion caused by the birds earlier had drawn its attention; now the animal focused on the two below, with an open expression, a mixture of both caution and curiosity. Again, it gave a tempered holler , and soon enough, more of its brood appeared.

Woolamanders typically lived in troops, their numbers capable of reaching into the double digits. Caring and kind, the semi-sentient species preferred the cover of the canopies; they were born and raised amongst the heights of the gigantic Massassi trees native to Yavin IV. With rotund bellies, a pair of arms that were much longer than their legs, and a thin tail capped with a bushy tuft of rainbow-colored hair, the woolamander were quite unique in their nature. The females were the easiest to identify as they often cradled their young using their long, descended arms; there were several of them present, alongside a rather injured-looking male.

The largest amongst them, the matriarch, was last to reveal itself. Old and wizened, with fur turning gray, she gave the Jedi an assessing glance. The rest of the troop dare not make a move, lest she explicitly wished it For now, at least, all seemed calm with the matriarch unwilling to move too much. The reason for this became clear as cradled in her own palms was the missing young, Davi.

 

[Pêro Erval]

Pêro started to run toward the location of the other two Jedi, while making sure that Hailee was coming after him. The others needed their help, but they couldn’t let their own guard down. There was still a mysterious beast around here that could attack them at any moment.

Before the two could go too far away, Hailee warned him about something that she saw in a nearby clearing. When he followed his Padawan here, Pêro saw that a fight seemed to have happened here. He could even see a puddle of green blood. Unlike his Padawan, the G’weneen wasn’t shocked or scared by it. He looked at the scene with a frown, wondering which of the creatures of Yavin IV could have made. Was it the beast that took the Youngling?

“We need to continue. After we help the others, we can return and investigate this place.” Pêro said to Hailee, while gesturing to her to follow him. However, before they could walk away, the G’weneen saw some movement in the trees. When he turned to look at it, the Knight saw a woolamander. The creature holled, making several others of its same species appear. Soon, the Jedi were surrounded.

“Don’t be afraid. They aren’t violent and will only attack if we do something against them.” he said to Hailee, seeking to calm her down. They would not be in danger, the woolamanders don’t used to be aggressive.

However, Pêro stared wide eyed when the largest of the creatures, probably the matriarch and leader of the group, appeared. At first he thought that it was carrying her young, but soon he saw that it was the Youngling that disappeared from the Temple. He wondered how the woolamander found the boy and why it was carrying him so carefully. Did they save him from the beast? He knew that they were considered semi-sentient, but never thought that they could care for someone of another species.

Wanting to see if Davi was fine, Pêro carefully walked forward, approaching the tree where the leader was. He sat on the floor in a meditative position and used the Force in an attempt to bond with the woolamander. Focusing on it, he hoped to show to the animal that the Jedi weren’t a threat and that she could give the boy to them.

@LadyRen @HoneyMagpie

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Once Hailee found the scene, it was hard for her to avert her gaze again. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but as Pêro urged her to go on, she nodded shortly. He was right. The others were in need for help, so they couldn't waste any more time. However, when Hailee stood up again, directing her gaze back to her master, she realized that he was watching something above.

Hailee's eyes followed his and her gaze soon landed on weird, colorful creatures she had never seen before. First the birds, then the green blood, now those creatures. Her first impulse was to draw her lightsaber, expecting a sudden attack by those animals waching them, but she resisted the urge to grab the hilt and get into position.

Her master soon explained that she had nothing to fear from that she actually had to admit that they didn't seem aggressive at all. At first, she spied a whole bunch of those creatures, not quite sure what to make of them while they seemed to ba assessing them critically, but then her gaze landed on something very interesting. The largest creature carried a Nautolan boy. It seemed like she was even protecting it. She held him like it could be her own young and Hailee had know idea about the sentience of this foreign species so she was clearly getting confused.

When Pêro went to the ground, she watched him attentively, realizing what he is doing, even though she had no idea how to directly bond with animals herself. She approached her master carefully, slowly getting down on her knees, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. She wanted to seem as calm and trustworthy as possible, hoping that this would persuade the creatures to hand back the youngling, but she had no idea how the youngling even fell into their hands. Judging from the green blood and the injured creature in the back, it seemed as though they had been protecting the youngling from the beast. But would they be willing to trust the Jedi?

Before she could think about it, Edaara's voice broke the silence of the jungle. She informed them that they should come as quickly as possible, because the beast was apparently approaching, but Hailee had to admit that they had just entered a huge dilemma. Could they leave Davï in the hands of the creatures? Or should someone escort him back to the temple while the rest dealt with the beast? She felt her heartbeat accelerating, her thoughts beginning to spin, but she knew that Pêro needed to concentrate and so she decided to take the call herself. "We will be on our way soon, but right now we need to deal with a certain situation. We've found Davï and he's fine, but he's not in our custody yet" she briefly explained their complicated situation, trying to keep her tone as soft and quiet as possible, if not even soothing.

@LouJoVi @HoneyMagpie

 

[The Storyteller]

The woolamander troop were watchful of the two Jedi, all the while chattering back and forth amongst their ranks. It was as if they were conversing with one another, discussing possible options and/or thoughts. These animals were no strangers to the Jedi, nor to the temple; in fact, their troop frequently traversed the temple’s boundaries, using it as an interim between long journeys. The Order saw little issue in this and as result, the woolamanders became somewhat familiar with the ground-bound bipeds. They watched padawans spar in the morning and lounged with the masters when it came time for meditation. It seemed a relationship had formed between two groups; though one of respectful distance, it was still nonetheless harmonious.

Perhaps that is why they came to the youngling’s aid. Desperate, Davi cried for help and the woolamanders answered without hesitation. From above, the troop rained down rocks and branches, with the largest of their males even assaulting the beast head-on. Though he did not escape unscathed, the leading male was apparently victorious in wrestling young Davi away; bloody and bruised, the dominant chap was otherwise pleased with his efforts, even if it meant he was now nursing a number of severe wounds. Gashes ran across his entire body, starting up from the shoulder and moving down to the belly. A portion of his ear was completely bitten off and the lower end of his tail was hanging by only a slither of tendon. Though gruesome, the wounds would heal, just like all the others from past encounters. The woolamanders were a hardy bunch, the jungle of Yavin IV breeding only the strongest. The fittest.

The matriarch held authority purely for this reason; she was the eldest and wisest, surviving longer than most others. It was on her command that the troop moved and now she debated what to do next. With a soft coo and sway of her hands, she jostled young Davi awake. His reaction would prompt her next choice.

Groggily, the youngling awoke, his head lulling aside as he again tried to get his bearing. The poor child was exhausted, the entire experience wearing him down. He didn’t seem surprised to see the woolamanders but he was most certainly stunned to see two fellow Jedi.

“Y-you found me!” Though scratched up himself, the nautolan somehow mustered a smile. “Boy, am I glad to see you!”

He then looked up the woolamanders, settling them as if they spoke a common tongue. “It’s okay. They’re friends.”

This seemed to be enough for the matriarch as she began her descent to the jungle floor. It was slow and laborious but with the gentleness of any matron, she put Davi down, even offering a hand to steady him when the youngling wobbled. One of his feet, absent of any shoe, was badly cut. Other woolamanders came down the trees as well, but they were mostly youngsters, their curious nature more accepting than that of the adults; the juniors of the troops approached cautiously, sniffing at the air about the Jedi before deciding whether or not to approach further. They looked to Davi for further cues.

“How did you find me? I thought I was a goner…”

 

[Pêro Erval]

As soon as he took his meditative position, Pêro searched for the woolamanders presence through the Force. Once he found then, the G’wenee would start to show to them that the two Jedi didn’t want to hurt them and that they were here to save the Youngling that the matriarch was carrying.

While he did it, the Knight was totally oblivious to the fact that Edaara had contacted them and Hailee was talking to her about what was happening. Pêro was focused on not losing the bond that he had established with these creatures. Through it he was even able to feel that one of the animals seemed to be hurt.

The G’weneen would only open his eyes when he heard Davi talk with them. “It’s good to see you too.” he said to the Youngling, before rising from where he was seated. The woolamanders approached the two Jedi and let the boy in front of them. As far as Pêro could tell, the boy seemed to be fine.

“We followed some clues that brought us to you.” Pêro turned to his Padawan. “Hailee, see if Davi is fine. I need to thank our friends for having saved him.” he walked carefully toward the woolamanders. Then, the Knight stretched his hand toward the hurt alpha male and tried to connect with him through the Force.

The Knight was trying to show that he wanted to help. If the creature accepted it, Pêro would approach and touch it. Using Force healing, the man would heal the damage that was left when the woolamander fought the beast. While he did it, the G’weneen hoped that Hailee would be asking questions to Davi about what happened to him.

@HoneyMagpie @LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee still couldn't believe her eyes. The monkey-like animals did not only have Davï, but they had actually attacked the beast to save the helpless young Nautolan. She felt a deep warmth of gratitude and relief growing inside her while the largest of the creatures slowly and carefully put the boy down. Hailee had no idea whether Pêro would be able properly communicate with them, but she nodded gratefully towards the large creature above her, carefully offering Davï in her own hand while squatting down next to the youngling.

Once Pêro informed him how they were able to find him, she smiled warmly."We are glad to have found you. Without the traces, that would have been difficult but we are really relived that you are fine. It seems like they have saved you, Davï" she said softly said to him, while offering him the opportunity to sit down on her lap. Davï looked rather fine, but his naked little foot seemed to be slightly injured so that was something Hailee wanted to fix as quickly as possible. Without further ado, she cupped his little foot in her hand and closed her eyes, concentrating on the Force surrounding them. She was more than grateful that Pêro had already taught her Force healing and that she had done it in the past, otherwise she wouldn't have been so confident to heal him. His wounds weren't that bad, but she couldn't let the boy suffer anymore as he already went through a lot. She tried her best to control all of her stirred up emotions to focus, but she slowly felt the progress. Once she opened her eyes again, she couldn't deny that the healing certainly had effects on her exhaustion level, but she felt more than relieved when she saw that his foot was almost fully healed. "There you go. Everything is fine now. We will keep you safe", she softly told him while helping him to his feet, still stabilizing him with her own hands.

"Pêro, I still think we need to hurry. The others are still in trouble", she would say to her master as soon as he was done. She didn't know what to do with the youngling, but truth was, that they should really start to hurry or else the other Jedi could be harmed. Even though she forced herself to remain calm in order not to frighten young Davï any further, but she felt a slight nervousity creeping back in. They wouldn't have time to hurry back to the temple, because the beast was close already but Hailee knew that she would do anything to keep him safe.

@LouJoVi @HoneyMagpie