Redamancy - Han Solo [3]

Chapter 13: Threepio's Magic

"You can whinge as much as you like, it was your fault Chewie!" Han grumbled from where he was dangling from the pole by his wrists and ankles.

"And trust Threepio to get the best deal out of it!" Tasha added, looking equally as displeased as she tried to look over her shoulder at where the golden droid was being carried on a throne by four of the little creatures (Tasha had decided to call them Ewoks because of the little ewok-ewok noise that was part of their language), whilst the rest of them had been strung up like pigs for the barbeque, ankles and wrists tied with rough vines to tree branches, and carried upside-down through the forest.

They carried them through the forest until Tasha noticed they seemed to be climbing up a steeper incline than they had done before.

"Where are they taking us?" Tasha asked, trying to turn her head to see if she could see where they were going (all that happened was her hair kept falling into her face because her helmet had fallen off when they'd dropped from the net.)

"I don't know," said Han, "all I can see is you!"

"Wow..." as they rounded a bend, Tasha realised they were taking them into ...what must be their city. It was built up around the tree trunks of the enormous forest trees, little wooden, woven, thatched tree houses, round and squat like the creatures that built them. They were built high up, so so so high up, and different levels, like skyscrapers, and connected together by a system of swinging bridges.

"I hope you guys don't get vertigo!" she shouted to the rest of the group as the city revealed itself to them in its entirety.

******

Ewoks continued to carry them up, up, up into the tree tops, the bridges they walked over wobbling slightly on the vines that held them together, until they reached what seemed to be a central meeting area, a town square of sorts. A massive pile of sticks sat in the middle, shaped suspiciously like a bonfire.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," Tasha muttered as the Ewoks carried Han on his stick over to the bonfire sticks. They leant the other heroes against a tree, clearly only wanting to cook as much as they needed at once. Threepio was sat on a raised platform near the soon-to-be-fire. Chewie growled beside Tasha. One of the Ewoks, this one wearing a large, crown-like hat came over to them, poking Tasha in the leg before moving on, and eventually standing beside Threepio, who was still perfectly happy on his throne. He then began to speak in a loud, commanding tone, and the Ewoks continued to add to the pile of wood below wear Han was hanging from the spit.

"What did he say?" Han asked Threepio through gritted teeth.

"I'm rather embarrassed general solo," began Threepio, "but it appears that you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honour!" as he said it, drums began to beat through the air. Tasha looked at Luke sceptically.

"Drums too?" she said, "drums are never a good sign." Luke couldn't help but smile slightly despite their situation. Then his eye caught something larger emerging from one of the huts.

"Leia!" he said in surprise. Tasha's head turned around as much as her present position would allow, smiling at the sight of her sister. As Leia took a step towards them, a row of Ewoks with spears blocked her path.

"Your royal highness," Threepio greeted with an acknowledgement of his hand, Chewie gurgling a welcome. Leia sighed slightly as she looked down at the little creatures.

"But these are my friends." She said the words slowly, the way you do to someone who doesn't speak your language in the hope that they'll miraculously understand what you're talking about, "Threepio, tell them, they must be set free."

At his princess's request, Threepio chunters something to the Ewok leaders, who shake their heads emphatically at him. In fact, the one with the bigger, spikier hat shouted some more orders towards them, and more Ewoks begin to tend to the wood pile that was growing below Han, this time more vigorously than before. Leia looked frantically up at Tasha and Luke, and Tasha watched Han with slight panic.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that didn't help us very much." Said Han grumpily, looking pointedly at Threepio as he said it.

"Threepio," said Luke, his voice calmer than anyone's had been at this point, "tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic." Tasha looked at Luke, smirking slightly.

"You wouldn't..." she said, a grin splitting her face at Luke's smirk.

"But Master Luke, what magic? I couldn't possibly-"

"Threepio just do it!" Tasha snapped; eyebrows raised. Threepio leant down again, talking to the chief man or whoever he was. Again, didn't seem to make a difference.

One of the Ewoks emerged with a flaming branch (where they got the fire from was mystery) and walked it over to Han. The smuggler paled slightly, his 'shoot I need to get out of this quick' smile breaking through his features as he started to try and blow out the branch.

"See Master Luke," Threepio was babbling, "I knew they wouldn't..." Tasha watched as the droid's chair began to levitate, floating and beginning to spin. She couldn't help but enjoy his panic, stiff golden arms waving about his head as the chair moved towards the fire.

"Artoo! Help!" he screeched. The Ewoks seemed equally terrified, the head man shouting and shouting, mothers hiding their young. Scores of them moved forward quickly, cutting the bonds tying them up. Tasha shrugged the bits of rope off her hands, before running over to her sister and hugging her tight, eyes squeezed shut, thankful all her anxiety earlier had been unnecessary.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she said into her ear as Luke came up behind her. She broke away from Leia, and the others hugged her, Chewie leaning down and enveloping the young princess in a fluffy embrace.

"Thanks Threepio," Luke said to the droid, who he had now returned to the ground. Threepio looked considerably worse for wear, head hanging slightly.

"I...I never knew I had it in me," his voice was still shaken, and Tasha noticed one of his golden arms was shuddering slightly. A bunch of Ewoks were looking up at Chewie, scratching their heads and marvelling at how tall he was, and Artoo seemed to be pursuing one around the perimeter of the square, shocking it every so often.

"Well," said Tasha, looking around at the peculiar scene, "what are we going to do now?"