Private Adventure Time (Come on Grab Your Friends)

[Caden Evesa]

The trees of Kashyyyk were impressive, enough to make anyone impressed.

Standing rigid and tall, they spouted from the ground thick, their roots forcing the soil to split. It was gorgeous, in many ways, the amount of nature that surrounded the Silver Jedi if they just looked for it. Every single tree seemed to have some sort of history, some sort of story that it was telling in various ways.

The Padawan Pack had been volunteered for a walk through nature.

Many of them were indifferent to this, just going along because they had to. Yet, at the back, hovering just away from the group was a young boy who really enjoyed nature. Caden remained behind from the pack, keeping them in sight but not close enough to them so that any of them would talk to him.

He really didn't like talking to people.

He had a natural love of nature, he found it calming and peaceful, relaxing and tranquil. He loved just sitting and watching, and was really not looking forward to the day he would be moved to the big city of Commenor. He knew, of course, that there would still be nature within a hiking distance but it wasn't the same as having it directly on your doorstep.

If he could have, he would have stopped and felt every tree, attempted to find it's story. Since his discussion with Damian Starchaser , he had become a lot less scared of his ability to use the force to see the past of objects, and started accepting it and even using it on inanimate objects to grow his confidence with it. He was still too scared to use it on anything that could be connected truly to feelings though, that was a scary thought after his experiences with the lightsaber.

The trees above were gorgeous, and the dirt that stained his boot just a reminder of how gorgeous nature truly could be.

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

When the padawan pack had been volunteered for a nature walk, Milla had jumped at the opportunity. Metaphorically and almost physically. She loved being out in the forest, it felt more like home than the actual temple itself. From the towering trees, to the wildlife, even the mud and dirt beneath her bare feet. Every trip into the forest was a new adventure.

Milla's tail slowly swayed side to side as she took in her surroundings. The tall trees begged to be climbed, but that would be a task for another day. Right now she needed to keep up with the group. Her blue eyes panned towards where she saw them last and realized how far behind she was now.

Hopping off the log she stood upon, she darted after the group. She scurried through the underbrush and lept over fallen debris. The cool dirt and moss was always a welcome feel beneath her feet. The girl rounded a stump and almost crashed into another padawan.

Shifting her weight and using her tail like a rudder, she barely dodged Caden Evesa . She came to a quick stop and gave a sheepish grin that showed off her canines. "Sorry." She gave him a quick once over. He was definitely someone she hadn't met yet. "Are you also trying to catch up with the group?"

 

[Caden Evesa]

Caden was taken aback in many ways.

He didn't expect anyone to disturb him so far back, much less a girl. He had no luck with females, he tended to just flap about and make a fool of himself, putting anyone who even had the chance of starting to become his friend off of him before they'd even had chance to get to know him.

Yet he wasn't mad that he'd been disturbed.

"Unfortunately not. I actually much prefer hanging out towards the back of the pack, can enjoy nature in my own time. So long as I keep them in eyesight and can find them, what does it matter that I'm not deep in the middle of the group and engaging?"

He smiled politely towards her.

Caden gave her the once over. Not someone he had ever met before, she had a tail and teeth, sharp teeth. Definitely someone he hadn't ever met, he was sure he would have remembered a Jedi with a tail. At least, he thought he would have.

"Name's Caden, by the way"

He smiled, and looked up.

Then the look of panic.

"Speaking of the pack. You didn't happen to see which way they went, did you?"

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

The boy seemed slightly surprised by Milla's presence. Then again, he probably wasn't prepared for her to just appear before him.

From the sounds of it, he also liked to keep back from the group. Enjoying nature at his own pace. That was something Milla could relate with. Although, sometimes she strayed away from the group because she felt slightly out of place. Being what she believed to a one of a kind species tended to make her feel a little lost.

Milla gave him a nod when introduced himself. "Milla."

Her gaze turned to look behind her when Caden mentioned the pack. "They were right....there?" The mentioned pack was nowhere in sight. In fact, she couldn't even hear them. "I...they couldn't have gone to far. They were just in front of us."

Caden Evesa

 

[Caden Evesa]

They were gone.

No noises, no nothing. It was almost as if they'd just vanished off the face of the planet. Yet, it was like Milla said, they couldn't have gotten far at all. They hadn't been standing there talking for that long, he was almost sure of that. Right?

"Guess we have to decide which way they went"

Caden looked around the forest surrounding them. He closed his eyes, almost trying to reach out in the force. He had always imagined the force as a bubble that he was the center of, and anything in that bubble was what he could sense. All he had to do was push that bubble out from himself.

He felt Milla next to him, but no other students.

He looked around again. He hadn't got the foggiest idea on which way they could have gone, he wished he did. Getting lost in the forest wasn't something he had expected to have to put up with. He'd survive, thanks to the training of Damian Starchaser, but he knew he'd rather not have to employ his survival training.

"Any ideas?"

It was worth asking, right?

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla closed her eyes and reached out with the force. She could sense many living things around her, animals, trees, insects and the strongest force signature near her, Caden. The rest of the pack was nowhere to be felt.

Opening her eyes, she shook her head. "I don't sense them." Then an idea hit her. "They probably left tracks! We can follow them!" Without waiting for a response, she darted towards where she believed she last saw the pack.

Caden Evesa

 

[Caden Evesa]

Tracks.

That was actually such a smart idea that Caden hadn't even remotely thought about. Everyone who walked across mud and dirt had a tendency to leave tracks, it was only natural considering how heavy footed the majority of species in the galaxy tended to be.

The girl took off before Caden could even say anything, which was fair enough. She was clearly excited to try and link back up with the pack, and Caden didn't blame her. He wasn't really excited to be lost in the woods, wasn't an appealing idea to him.

He followed the young Jedi with a little pace. He wasn't running after her, but he was certainly moving at a pace. He just about kept her in eyesight, trying to not lose her as well. Caden kept his eyes down occasionally, trying to find broken branches and anything that would suggest people.

Then he saw it.

He shouted for Milla to stop, and crouched down. There was a row of broken sticks going off in a direction different to what they were running. He placed his hand against one of the sticks, and instantly was overwhelmed with images of people running, children running.

Psychometry, a force power he still wasn't used to.

He jerked back, eyes snapping open. He breathed out, and got up to his feet. He tried to look for Milla, he was sure she was somewhere around. Hopefully she'd hear him when he spoke, when he passed on the information that he had learned through the force.

"They went this way"

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla was almost to the spot she pointed at when Caden Evesa shouted to her. The young girl skidded to a stop and turned to see what he had found. Caden was kneeling by several broken branches that she had missed.

Making he way back over, she watched as the other padawan placed his hand on the branches. After a moment, he pointed in a direction and said they went that way. "Wait. You learned all that just by touching the branch?"

 

[Caden Evesa]

He had indeed learnt all of that from just touching the branch.

He looked at Milla and smiled softly. He began to walk, looking occasionally to ensure that she was besides him. He wasn't in the mood to lose her as well, she was his only company through the woods and he didn't really want to lose the only company he had.

"I learnt that through touching the branch. I have a unique gift granted by the force, I can see the history of objects and people just by touching it, I can see past events through it. Psychometry, I believe it's called officially. I don't know much about it but I know it's a power I have and a power I can use"

He smiled softly towards her. He continued feeling out in the force and attempted to find something, any sort of trace of the Padawan Pack in the force. He was sure they had figured out that the duo was missing, and he was sure they'd return to the temple and send out a full search party.

Right?

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla followed after Caden Evesa as he head in what they hoped was the direction of the other padawans. She glanced up at him every once in a while as he spoke, before her sharp eyes scanned their surroundings. The thought of being able to see the history of an object sounded neat, but also a little intimidating. What if the item held an unpleasant memory? Or one of great pain?

"I've never heard of anyone being able to do that before. Is it just objects, or can you do that with people also?"

Milla's eyes landed on another broken branch. This time there was a footprint accompanying it. They must be on the right track.

 

[Caden Evesa]

He nodded as they walked.

"Precognition opens me up to the dark side of the force. If I touch a person who died, for example, I would feel every second of pain and fear they felt when they died. It's a scary power, once that scares even me. Not many people know someone can access such a power"

He continued walking, eyes flicking around. He noted the broken branch as the duo walked, a pretty obvious sign they were on the right track. Caden closed his eyes again, allowing the force to flow out from him like a bubble, sense what was around him.

He felt them, they were close.

Caden tore through the trees, hoping Milla was behind him. The group was right in front of them, he could sense them in the force. He hoped they hadn't been overly missed, it would be awkward if he had to explain why the duo had gotten lost behind the pack.

Milla Caranthyr

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla grimaced a little at the thought of feel someone's dying pain. Something like that could definitely leave an emotional scar. "That...doesn't sound like fun at all. Probably best to stick to inanimate objects."

The duo finally reached the broken branch, a very clear sign that the pack was here. She let out a slow breath and reached out with the force. It didn't take her long to find the others, they were close. Caden Evesa also must have sensed them, they way he started running in their direction. Milla was right on his heels, relieved that they had finally caught up with the group.

There was something nagging at the back of her mind though. Weren't the rest of the padawans running before? What made them stop and how come no one was went back to look for them? Unless they just realized that the two were missing. Milla's pace slowed down some as she called to Caden. "Caden! Does something feel strange to you?"