Reflection of Fire

Part II Chapter 3

Master Skywalker's explanation left Rey speechless. How such a prominent family had managed to keep this a secret was a bit terrifying. She had wondered about their past but had not expected such a revelation. "Why does he hate Finn?" she wanted to know, after a pause. It was obvious why Kylo Ren might hate Master Dameron – he'd sort of been replaced by him. Possibly while he'd been away at those fine schools Master Skywalker had mentioned and he'd clearly hated. Hated enough to be bothered by the thought of B.B. going to one.

"They were friends. Finn was the one who told me about Ben's plans to leave us, and I imagine he blames Finn for what happened."

The fire that killed his father. And B.B.'s mother. Yes, that would explain his hatred. And Finn and Master Dameron reciprocating it. "Why do you live here, so near to him?"

Master Skywalker clearly did not expect that question, and he seemed rather startled by it. Then he looked away. "I... I don't see him. I don't see anyone, except B.B. and sometimes her father. I don't want to see them," he added when she opened her mouth to speak.

It occurred to her that maybe she should count herself lucky to be allowed to be here. Anguish was written all over his face and she could well imagine why he would tuck himself away, far from any reminder of what had happened. "I'm sorry," she offered.

He gave her a weak smile, then straightened in his chair. "It's nothing. Let's not spoil Beatrice's day with maudlin talk."

She had no time to respond before the girl herself came into the room, grinning ear to ear while she held a plate of cooked fish. "Breakfast!" she said triumphantly.

Her mood was, fortunately, infectious and Rey was relieved to find that the meal passed comfortably. Not as comfortably as at home, of course, but Master Skywalker and B.B. conversed easily and it was endearing to watch. When the meal finished, he took her off to the makeshift schoolroom, formerly an office. Rey, lacking anything else to do and clearly not invited to join them, went to the library.

It was even larger than the one at Master Dameron's house, though far dustier and less organized. She walked around it slowly, inspecting the shelves and looking for any form of order. There was none. Many of the books were nearly as ancient as the house and she worried about touching them. Even the newest books were likely older than she was. None were familiar to her, and the collection was clearly more academic than chosen for entertainment value. She smiled when she found a corner with what were obviously hasty additions – fairy tales for B.B.

Finding a book that appeared at least somewhat intriguing, Rey looked around for a place to read it. The chairs were dusty enough that she didn't like the thought of sitting in one. Her tiny room had nothing but the bed, and she had no idea what other rooms might be in the house. Or, more relevantly, if any others were clean.

The rain had stopped, so she decided on a different option, at least for now. She returned to her room, where she changed into a walking dress, tucking the book into a pocket of her shawl. Then she headed downstairs. The thought of leaving this old, creepy house, was very tempting, especially after the revelations from this morning. She wanted to clear her head and find somewhere to read her book comfortably.

Everything was slightly damp and she took care to avoid the puddles in the front driveway, frowning at the mud. The path led back to the road but she paused and didn't really want to go that direction. She already knew there was nothing but forest for many miles. Instead, she found what appeared to be a rarely used walk, once made of gravel but now being taken over with weeds. Curiously, she followed it across the grounds and into the woods.