Crash landing

Page eighty

Anakin was cursing. At everyone and everything.

His legs hurt so bad.

Every step felt like he had been training for hours. His muscles were burning.

He had barely walked like... a kilometre and that in a comfortable pace.

He looked around, in search of any animal that would make some good food.

His stomach had been churning for days, because towards the end, they had to ration their food so badly, he had only had a bite in the last four days... or were it five?

It already hurt to think about it

But there was nothing. Just nothing.

It was cold, his trousers were wet from half molten snow on the ground, his shirt from that water that dripped down the leave less trees. He was shaking a lot and he wished so desperately for any warmth... just any.  But no, even in his boots had gathered molten water.

The landscape was almost only white... the only hints of colour at the brown naked tree trunks, the dark green pine trees, and the occasional splotches of these little blue and violet flowers.

He had tried the flowers already, they tasted disgusting. Bitter and disgusting.

If there would just be any animal, he'd be so happy.

Finally, he spotted some movement. A bird. A small creature, only the size of his fist. He looked at it with eyes widen in hope. Food. Finally.

In a short moment of stupidness he attempted to run for the bird... obviously the bird flew away.

He yelled out in frustration, but he couldn't keep up with the small creature, his legs were too sore and tired.

In utter frustration he punched the tree closest to him, actual tears building in his eyes. His food, his so deeply craved food, managed to get away.

And then.. something dropped on his head. He jumped away and grabbed for his hair... something slimy was there he looked at his hand, that was now covered in a slimy, transparent gue.

He gasped, as he realised what he forgot. Birds, lay eggs. He looked down, and to his uttermost luck, the blanket of half molten snow, together with the fallen down nest, had protected the eggs as they fell down.

They laid in there, and he couldn't have been happier about anything else.

Very carefully he lifted the remains of the nest up, and held it, with the three small eggs close. One other had fallen to the side and sprung, but one more survived the fall without the nest, landing on a particularly high bit of snow. He put it to the other eggs in the nest.

Happily he made his way back. The eggs were tiny, but at least they were eggs.

As he returned he spotted Ahsoka throwing snow to the side with the helps of the force. One bit after another she cleared a little area, around where there brenches were.

The brenches were moist by now. It seemed like nothing else had survived the winter. Their tents were gone, so were most of their previous tools. He hoped that one of the others kept the knive close.

Slowly, Anakin went over to Ahsoka. He didn't want to move his legs quickly. It was still all wet, but at least mostly snow free.

He was wet too anyway, so he set down on one of the slippery brenches.

"Hey snips..."

"Hey SkyGuy..."

And that was all of conversation they exchanged until the others returned.