Read Online Star Wars - Kenobi by John Jackson Miller - Free Book Online
Authors: John Jackson Miller
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Annileen looked ahead at the tortured terrain, worse than anything behind. Snit’s massive hind feet might punch through the crusty sand and catch anywhere. When Annileen looked back, she could tell the mystery rider saw the danger, too, His blue-gray eyes locked with hers. “Give me the girl!”
Without thinking, Annileen repositioned her arm under Kallie’s chest and pushed. Her daughter, unaware of the new arrival, screamed as she lost her last handhold on the reins. But less than a breath separated the eopie and the dewback now—and a long arm reached from the billowing cloak to grab her. Annileen transferred Kallie’s other arm to his and shoved.
Annileen slammed across the monster’s back as the weight fell away. She saw Kallie and the rider atop the eopie, which was slowing now from the additional burden. No way would it carry two for long, nor three for a second. Snit was her problem. Recovering, she looked forward. It was just a matter of finding the—
Krakkk! Snit’s rear foot struck a hole. Annileen went somersaulting forward, even as the impossible mass of the dewback went aloft underneath her. She saw light as the suns flashed before her eyes—and then darkness as the bulk of the dewback eclipsed them.
And then, nothing.
CHAPTER SIX
“MOM!”
Annileen opened her eyes and swiftly shut them. “I can’t see.”
“Wait,” Kallie said, brushing the grains of sand from her mother’s eyelashes. “Try now.”
Annileen tried again. She saw a young face stained by saddle grease hovering over her, lit from above by the high suns. Annileen tried to speak, but her voice cracked. “K-kallie. You … you—”
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay.”
“—you’re grounded,” Annileen said. “For life.”
Kallie grinned. “She’s going to be all right.”
“Yes,” replied someone else. “She is.”
Annileen couldn’t hear where the voice was coming from, but she didn’t want to sit up to look, either, not when the sand was nice and soft and warm.
Kallie vanished from her view, and another face replaced hers. It was the rider from before. His hood was removed, now. He had reddish blond hair, lighter than his beard and mustache. His blue-gray eyes looked on her with what Annileen interpreted as bemusement. “Hello, there,” he said, in an accent she couldn’t place. “You’ve taken a nasty spill.”
“You might be on to something,” Annileen said, coughing.
He smiled. A pleasant smile, she thought; not one of Orrin’s winning ones, to be sure. But understated, and inflected with well-meaning. As was his voice.
“You’re in one piece,” he said. “You’ll be picking sand out of your clothes for a while, but nothing appears broken.” The man produced a canteen from the folds of his cloak. It was an old garment, she saw, its deep brown turned tawny in places from wear. Beneath, she could see he wore a blousy tan tunic. The stranger paused as he knelt close. “May I?”
Annileen tried to nod.
He lifted her head gently so she could take a drink. Annileen drank desperately, half realizing that seventeen years of her teachings about strangers in the desert were vanishing before her daughter’s eyes. Annileen didn’t know what to think about the newcomer, other than that he seemed to be dressed out of her seconds bin at the store.
Annileen gasped as she finished swallowing. She nodded her thanks to the stranger and then narrowed her eyes. “Kallie?”
The stranger stepped away, and her daughter reappeared. “Yes, Mom?”
Annileen’s hand shot up, grabbing at the girl’s collar. “What were you doing ?”
A guilty look crossed Kallie’s face. “Well, you had half the galaxy showing up at the Claim to get drunk—and before lunch, even. I figured if I didn’t get out and work the animals on the range, I’d be stuck in there helping.”
“Yes—but why that animal?”
“I—I don’t know.” Kallie shrugged. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d care. You were busy
Without thinking, Annileen repositioned her arm under Kallie’s chest and pushed. Her daughter, unaware of the new arrival, screamed as she lost her last handhold on the reins. But less than a breath separated the eopie and the dewback now—and a long arm reached from the billowing cloak to grab her. Annileen transferred Kallie’s other arm to his and shoved.
Annileen slammed across the monster’s back as the weight fell away. She saw Kallie and the rider atop the eopie, which was slowing now from the additional burden. No way would it carry two for long, nor three for a second. Snit was her problem. Recovering, she looked forward. It was just a matter of finding the—
Krakkk! Snit’s rear foot struck a hole. Annileen went somersaulting forward, even as the impossible mass of the dewback went aloft underneath her. She saw light as the suns flashed before her eyes—and then darkness as the bulk of the dewback eclipsed them.
And then, nothing.
CHAPTER SIX
“MOM!”
Annileen opened her eyes and swiftly shut them. “I can’t see.”
“Wait,” Kallie said, brushing the grains of sand from her mother’s eyelashes. “Try now.”
Annileen tried again. She saw a young face stained by saddle grease hovering over her, lit from above by the high suns. Annileen tried to speak, but her voice cracked. “K-kallie. You … you—”
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay.”
“—you’re grounded,” Annileen said. “For life.”
Kallie grinned. “She’s going to be all right.”
“Yes,” replied someone else. “She is.”
Annileen couldn’t hear where the voice was coming from, but she didn’t want to sit up to look, either, not when the sand was nice and soft and warm.
Kallie vanished from her view, and another face replaced hers. It was the rider from before. His hood was removed, now. He had reddish blond hair, lighter than his beard and mustache. His blue-gray eyes looked on her with what Annileen interpreted as bemusement. “Hello, there,” he said, in an accent she couldn’t place. “You’ve taken a nasty spill.”
“You might be on to something,” Annileen said, coughing.
He smiled. A pleasant smile, she thought; not one of Orrin’s winning ones, to be sure. But understated, and inflected with well-meaning. As was his voice.
“You’re in one piece,” he said. “You’ll be picking sand out of your clothes for a while, but nothing appears broken.” The man produced a canteen from the folds of his cloak. It was an old garment, she saw, its deep brown turned tawny in places from wear. Beneath, she could see he wore a blousy tan tunic. The stranger paused as he knelt close. “May I?”
Annileen tried to nod.
He lifted her head gently so she could take a drink. Annileen drank desperately, half realizing that seventeen years of her teachings about strangers in the desert were vanishing before her daughter’s eyes. Annileen didn’t know what to think about the newcomer, other than that he seemed to be dressed out of her seconds bin at the store.
Annileen gasped as she finished swallowing. She nodded her thanks to the stranger and then narrowed her eyes. “Kallie?”
The stranger stepped away, and her daughter reappeared. “Yes, Mom?”
Annileen’s hand shot up, grabbing at the girl’s collar. “What were you doing ?”
A guilty look crossed Kallie’s face. “Well, you had half the galaxy showing up at the Claim to get drunk—and before lunch, even. I figured if I didn’t get out and work the animals on the range, I’d be stuck in there helping.”
“Yes—but why that animal?”
“I—I don’t know.” Kallie shrugged. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d care. You were busy
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