Broken Soul | Din Djarin

chapter ten: the village

The cool winter breeze of the forests of Endor brushes against your face as you walk out of the Razor Crest and step onto the forest floor. Taking a deep breath, the smell of the redwood trees and moss brings you a sense of comfort that you didn't know that you needed. You hadn't realized how much you had misses this place... and how the forests of the Endor moon have become the closest thing to a home for you in... years. The Child's ears twitch in the wind as he sits in your arms. You adjust the satchel on your shoulder that carries your old clothes, looking over at the Mandalorian. 

He's looking around, taking in the scenery through the barrier of his visor. Your heart sinks when you remember that he isn't able to see the nature around him as you can. The scanners and shade of his visor hide the exact beauty and details of the forest, denying him the sensations of the environment around him: the smell of the moss and trees, the wind against his face and hair, and the sounds of the creatures of the forest moving around him.

I wonder when he was last able to feel the wind on his face or breathe in the fresh air... air that's not filtered through his helmet.

You look around at the makeshift landing zone and observe the forest where Mando had chosen to land. The Ewok village shouldn't be too far away. It looks like he's landed nearby the place where you had first met.

"What are you looking for?" His modulated voice interrupts your thoughts.

You smirk at the opportunity his question has given you. "The tree that you shot me out of."

His helmet drops in exasperation at your comment while laughter bubbles out of your chest.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'm looking to see how far away the camp is." You start to walk into the forest, struggling to hold back your laughter. The Mandalorian tags close behind you, smiling under his helmet at your amusement.

"I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?" The evident smile under his helmet is radiating through his voice as he follows you.

"No, I don't think you will," you smirk.

The sun has started to set in the sky, casting a familiar golden glow over the trees and nature around you. The sense of familiarity with your surroundings sets you at ease and you smile as you look around at the beautiful forest. The hike to the Ewok village was brief, and you're thankful that the journey wasn't too difficult of a trek as the gashes on your body still send spikes of pain throughout your body as you walk. Gritting your teeth, you lean against the surrounding trees to help you through the woods as you walk. The pain has been subsiding as time has passed, but the movements through the bush have reawakened some of the injuries.

Rustling in the bushes makes you hesitate, looking at the bushes around you with narrowed eyes of suspicion. When the noise returns a few moments later, you freeze. There's something in the woods, watching you. You can sense it. Mando pulls his blaster from his holster when he realizes your change in body language, turning to see what caught your attention while moving closer to your side to offer you protection. The Child can sense a presence as well and his head turns to look at you, cooing to get your attention. You hold the kid closer to your body, a protective instinct overtaking you. Leaves rustle around you in the bushes and you can hear movement in the trees. You look up at the branches, your eyes combing through them while you reach for your saber. You focus on the presence nearby, narrowing your eyes at the space in the bush that has started to part to expose who had been watching you from the shadows.

You relax when you realize who it is, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Wicket." The small creature disappears back into the trees at the sudden sound, chittering quietly to itself.

Mando looks at you in confusion at the word and you clip your saber back onto your belt. 

"Wicket, come back out. I know it's you." A smile breaks over your face as you scan the bushes for your furry friend.