•two journeys• din djarin

XIV

"That's the third time in an hour Sind," Din yelled, exasperated.

"What can I say, my dad was a master at Pazaak," I replied laughing. The cards were scattered across the floor of the lounge after Din pushed them away during his tantrum. "I'm hungry, are you?" He was leaning back, his head facing the ceiling, eyes closed. My question took a few seconds to register before he finally understood my words. His eyes opened quickly with a look of surprise.

"Starving," he replied as he stood from his spot across from me. I reached out my hand for him to assist me in getting up and was graciously helped in doing so. We took the short trip together to the kitchenette to rummage through the cabinets.

"There's one bag of dried fruit, a canteen of broth, and one packet of instant bread left," I called out. I pulled out the containers and quickly assembled the small meal for the two of us. Din grabbed all of the dishes and went back to the lounge room. I, on the other hand, went to the piloting room to check the travel log. The navigation screen had a holograph of the time above it; 12 hours remaining on the trip. I looked out the large window at the dark abyss we were swimming through. The light reflecting from a nearby planet bounced off the metal detailing in the room. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a brief shimmer from under the copiloting chair.

"Sind, are you coming?" Din yelled from down the hall. I hesitated for a moment deciding whether to investigate or join him. My curiosity got the better of me; I got on my hands and knees for a better view of the space under the chair. Sitting, shoved between a box and the leg of the chair was the Darksaber. My hand slowly reached out to grab it. "What are you doing?" I heard from behind me. I quickly stood from my spot and turned to face him.

"I... I thought I heard something crack when I sat on the chair." The look on his face showed that he knew I wasn't telling the truth, but he seemed to ignore my actions and instead walked back to the lounge. I followed behind him, but not before giving the weapon a second look. Din sat on the floor; legs pulled to his chest. I sat beside him, crossing my legs in front of me. We split the food in half for us each to get our fair portion.

"Did you have any more dreams last night?" he asked. I shook my head and quickly swallowed my food.

"No, I couldn't sleep. I had a lot on my mind."

"I did too, obviously," he said. I looked up and gave him a soft smile. The was a moment of silence between the two of us. It was comfortable, with no awkwardness. "I meant it you know." I blinked hard and swallowed the spit that had formed in my mouth. "I know you think I only said it because I was emotional, but I meant it, and I have known it." I smiled softly and sucked in a deep breath.

"And I meant it just as much," I replied. We looked at each other, smiling softly and staring deep into each other's eyes.

"And it's because of that... that I want to teach you how to use it, the Darksaber." I about choked on the food I was eating. My eyes opened widely at his statement.

"You trust me with that thing?"

"It's rightfully yours, you might as well learn how to use it."

"When?"

"How long will it take you to finish your food?" His question made me break out in a wide grin. I pushed the remainder of the food aside.

"Put your armor on."

"Never thought I would hear that out of you." He chuckled out while standing. I did the same, following on his heels as he went to retrieve his armor and the Darksaber from the piloting room. I stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of me, rocking back and forth from my toes to my heels. He reached under the seat after securing his armor and pulled the saber free, handing it to me. As my fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt, the white beam emitted at my side. I raised it to my eyes to examine; the light flowed live waves in a mesmerizing pattern.