Lady Leia and the Prince, Part 4

The man didn't come to until the last rays of the sun were setting on the valley. Leia was starting a stew made from herbs and good mushrooms her uncle found growing in the woods when she heard groaning from the cart. Falcon and the unicorn were next to the cart, cropping soft green grass. She hurried to the man's side to find him tossing and turning and mumbling incoherently.

“Hey.” Leia shook his shoulder. “Sounds like you're having a pretty bad nightmare.”

He blinked at her with dazed hazel orbs. “Am I dreaming, or are you an angel?”

“You're not dreaming, not that I know of, and I'm not an angel.” Her fingers gently brushed away the lank hair over his eyes. “My name is Leia Organa of Naboo. My uncle Obi-Wan went to the stream to get us water for tea. What's your name?”

He winced, putting his head in his hands. “I...I don't know. I don't know what my name is.”

“You don't know?” Leia frowned. “Can you remember anything? Do you know why they were keeping you in that tower?”

“I...I'm pretty sure I'm some kind of criminal. Maybe. That's what the walking skeleton told me yesterday, after his men beat the tar out of me.” He rubbed the side of his head. “I had a name, once.” His face scrunched as he focused, trying to clear the thick cobwebs out of his brain. “Something with an H.” The gravely voice faltered, as if it were being held back by an unknown force. “H...he...han...”

“Han?” She pulled the extra cloak around her shoulders as an errant breeze blew across the tree tops. “Is that your name?”

“I guess it is now. It's as good a name as any other.” Han rubbed the side of his head, giving her that lazy grin. “Not a bad rescue there, Leia. I did pretty darn well too, considering how lousy I feel. You know sometimes, I amaze even myself.”

“That doesn't sound too hard.” Leia rolled her eyes. “They let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape.”

“Easy?” Han waved a long finger in the vague direction of the fortress. “We just escaped from a big fortress and half the Chancellor's guards! You call that easy?”

Her fingers went over the gold hilt of the sword at her side. “They're tracking us.”

“Not these horses, sister. Falcon's the fastest things on four legs, and your nag kept up with him pretty well.” His eyes went to the white horned horse nibbling on grass. “Is that thing real? It's...it's a unicorn, isn't it? I've heard of them, I think, but I've never seen one. I thought they were a myth.”

“So did I.” Leia shook her head. “There's something about that one. I feel like I've known it all my life.” The girl shook her head. “But I'd never seen it before today.”

He sat up slowly, moaning at his creaking bones. “Damn it, that hurt.” Han clutched the side of his head. “I feel like an entire herd of cattle ran over my back. What I need is a bath, a decent meal, and a night in a soft bed.”

Leia shrugged. “I can't provide the bed, but there's the stream a few minutes from here if you want to wash, and my uncle has vegetable stew on the fire for dinner.”

He made a face. “Don't you have some quail, or a nice roasted pig with apples?”

“I'll go hunting tomorrow, but for tonight, this is what we have.” The girl stood, brushing off her armor. “I'm going to gather berries for dessert.”

Han smirked. “You sure you don't want to take a bath with me? I could use someone to scrub my back.”

“Scrub your own back.” She pointed her slender finger towards the misty forest. “Follow the row of oaks to the stream, but watch out for the bramble bushes.” He reeled into the cart when a soft cloth was flung in his face. “Use this as a towel. And stop treating my uncle and me like nursemaids. Just because we rescued you doesn't make us your servants.” She stomped off as he was still catching the cloth.

“Leia?” Obi-Wan looked up as he emerged from the woods with a pot of water. “Are you all right?”

“Uncle Obi-Wan, that man is impossible!” Leia glared at Han's back as he retreated in the direction of the stream. “The moment he woke up, he tried to flirt with me, then demanded meat, then ordered me around like he's some nobleman! He's just a common criminal!”

“Maybe he is.” Her uncle looked up from his pot. “Was he able to tell you anything?”

“No.” The girl sighed. “From what he says, someone wiped his memory clean. All I know is his name might be Han.”

“We'll settle for that, for now.” Obi-Wan took a taste of stew, then added more herbs. “The closest town to here is Scarif. It used to be the headquarters of the Jedi order, but nowadays, it's mostly a port village. We'll be able to restock supplies there, and someone may know something about Han and his animal companions.”

The unicorn nudged Leia's back. “Hello, boy.” She stroked his velvety nose. “Want to go down to the stream and get a drink? I could use one, too. I saw berry bushes there when I was gathering water for the stew earlier.”

The moon was just rising as they arrived at the stream. Ripples of water twinkled like stars as they splashed merrily over the mossy stones on the banks. Han was a bit further down, his bare back turned to her, whistling as he used her cloth to scrub off the grime. White beams caressed lengthening shadows, turning the trees into strokes of inky blackness.

Leia had just leaned over to gather a few plump blackberries from a bush when the first shaft of moonlight showed down onto the deep emerald grass. The moment it hit the unicorn's horn, the white glow swirled around the creature, trailing sparkling dust in its wake. It stood upright; the horn became a sword at it's side. Hooves lengthened into fingers and toes. White fur became a coarse white tunic and trousers. The long golden mane transformed into a golden mane of hair, and the tail vanished all together. The large blue eyes remained the same...eyes that Leia had looked into every day of her life.

“Luke!” She almost leaped into her brother's slender arms. “You're all right!”

“Leia!” Her brother gave her the biggest hug he possibly could. “I'm so glad they didn't get you.”

“What happened to you?” Leia touched her brother's smooth cheek. “Who did this?”

“Palpatine.” Luke frowned, blinking back tears. “He and his men came an hour after you left. They burned everything, and what they didn't burn, they stole. Mother and Father...he took their energy, then killed Mother. Drained Father completely. I heard Father's screams...”

Leia pulled out a ragged handkerchief and handed it to Luke. “Here. So Palpatine turned you into the unicorn?”

He gratefully took the piece of linen, gulping back sobs. “He tried to take my magic, too, but...he couldn't. Something pushed him back. He turned me into a unicorn so he could cut off my horn and to keep others from touching me. He's a black Sith magician, a corrupted Jedi.” He wiped furiously at his eyes. “When I'm in that form, all my magic is in my horn. It's what's keeping me alive.”

“So,” she began, “by day, you're a unicorn.”

“And I can only be human at night, when the moonlight falls on my horn. As soon as the first rays of the morning sun touch me, I change back.” He sniffled. “We're lucky the moon is full tonight. When there's no moon, I'll have to remain a unicorn.”

“Hey?” Han stumbled over to them in his navy trousers with their red stripes, trying to get his ragged yellow silk tunic over his head. “What's this all about? I was washing my hair when I saw some weird light...” He raised an eyebrow at Luke. “Who's the kid?”

Leia put an arm around him. “This is my brother Luke. He's the one I asked you about in the tower. The one Palpatine and Tarkin were holding in the Fortress.”

“So you're the one they were looking for.” Han grinned. “Nice to meet you, kid. I guess I missed you earlier. What were you in for?”

“I was in the stables. Palpatine wanted my magic.” Luke frowned. “I heard them talking about a really important prisoner in the tower. Tarkin mentioned he was going to increase security. That was you?”

“Yeah kid, that was me.” Han shivered as a breeze ruffled the shiny green leaves over their heads. “How about we go back to the old man and get some of that stew? I'm so hungry, I could eat anything, including stew made by some old man.”

“Luke!” Obi-Wan got to his feet as the trio strolled back to the camp site. “You're all right!” Cloak-muffled arms wrapped around Luke in a tight embrace.

“I'm fine, Uncle, at least for now.” The youth managed to pull away. “Palpatine turned me into a unicorn to make it easier to get my magic.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “I thought something felt strange about the unicorn. Unicorns haven't been seen in these parts for years, since the Jedi order died out.” He gathered three crudely carved wooden bowls. “Here, children. We'll talk and eat.”

Han wrinkled his nose at the bowl. “Where's the real silverware? And the crockery?”

“We had to leave in a hurry, lad.” Obi-Wan used a carved spoon to ladle stew into his bowl. “This is all we were able to take with us. Leia and I made the bowls and the cutlery on our way here.”

“You did this, sis?” Luke grinned. “You're getting better at carving. I know you were working with Father in his shop.”

Leia slurped the earthy liquid in her bowl. “But you're much better than I am. You can build and carve anything. I've seen you make chests and whole tables that would put Father to shame.”

His sweet face turned pink. “Aw sis, I'm not that good. Not as good as Father was.”

Han ate his like a giant was after him. “I haven't had anything decent to eat in days.” He wiped his lips with a piece of cloth. “All they gave me in prison was bread and water, and the bread was moldy.”

“We'll pick up supplies in Scarif.” Obi-Wan frowned. “We're going to have to sell the carts to afford it. I'm afraid I have little money, not enough for what we need.”

“I have money.” Leia looked down at her soup. “It was from selling Father's chairs in town. I was going to give it to him when he got home. But now...” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Luke leaned over and rubbed her back. She wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist. “Now we have more need of it than he does.”

“We'd still be better off on horseback.” He turned his eyes to Han, who was slurping his third bowl of stew. “Sir, how are you on that horse of yours?”

“Like the wind, oh ancient one.” The taller man gave him that insufferable smirk, though it was still a bit weary. “I may not be able to remember everything, but I know I can ride. Chewie's a fast runner. He can keep up with the horses, or I'll rig up a smaller cart for him on the back of Falcon.” The wolf, who was chewing at some small furry creature he'd caught for his own dinner, looked up at the mention of his name. Han absently tossed the bowl aside. “And my compliments to you, old man. That was almost tolerable.”

Luke frowned. “Uncle Obi-Wan is a great man. He used to be a Jedi mage, you know.”

Han smirked. “I seem to be running into a lot of myths lately. I thought they were nasty old wizards whom parents used to frighten children into behaving.”

“That's the Sith. They practice the black Force arts. Jedi mages use the light Force.” Obi-Wan turned to Luke. “You and I need to work on your training, while you're still human. We have to find a way to counteract this spell.”

“Palpatine never told me how it could be broken.” Luke pushed his own bowl aside. “Only how it works on me.”

“We'll find a way, brother.” Leia rubbed her brother's shoulder, then turned to Han. “And we'll find out what happened to your memory, too.”

“Wish I could tell you more about that.” Han shrugged. “Every time I try to remember something from before this morning, my head ends up feeling like demons are trying to break it down. All I know is, I committed some kind of crime. I was in a maximum security prison, and the walking skeleton back there said I owed the Sultan of Tatoonie money.”

“I can give you something for that head of yours, lad.” Obi-Wan went to his bags. “I have herbs that will help you sleep if brewed properly.” As he pulled out the herbs, he nodded at the blankets set out near the cart. “And I think the rest of you had better get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow. If we get up early enough, we should be in Scarif by noon.”

“I don't get up early, old man.” Han stretched lazily as Chewie rolled over next to him. His master gave the wolf's furry tummy a good scratch. “I get up when I get up.”

“Look,” Leia snapped, “you are not some nobleman being pampered by his servants before a leisurely day of hunting. Right now, you're as much of as a peasant as my uncle and brother and me. We have to find out how to get this curse off my brother and what Palpatine is up to. He killed my parents and turned my brother into a story from a fairy tale. Who knows what he has planned for the kingdom and Queen Jania?”

“The queen? Jania?” Han winced, rubbing his head. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Maybe you worked for the queen.” Luke stood, stretching out his slender limbs. “As a huntsman or messenger. You said you were a good rider.”

“Maybe I did.” Chewie rubbed at Han's side. “Come on, boy. Let's find something soft to spread out in the cart. There's no way I'm sleeping on the ground.”

Leia glared at his back as he went through the blankets. “Oooh,” she grumbled, “he's so exasperating!”

“Don't be so hard on him, sis.” Luke put an arm around her shoulders. “I heard people talking about Palpatine torturing the man in the tower for three days straight. Sometimes on the rack.” The gentle youth frowned. “Unless there was someone else up there with him, he's been through hell.”

His sister sighed. “All right. I'll talk to him. Don't you stay out too late with Uncle Obi-Wan. Mythical creatures need their sleep, too.”

“I know.” He gave her a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, sis.”

“I love you, too.” She turned to Han as Luke went back to help Obi-Wan with the fire. Han was struggling with the blanket. “Need some help, Your Highness?”

“Your Highness.” Han gave her the lazy smirk again. “I could get to liking that.”

She ignored the urge to kick his shin. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get some privacy for me and Chewie.” They finally spread the blanket out over the cart together, knotting it between the slats. “Thanks there, sweetheart. You're pretty good at this sort of thing.”

“Would you please stop calling me that?” Leia made a face. “If we're going to travel together, we need to start getting along better.”

“All right.” Han crawled under the tied down blanket. “Little stuffy in here, but it'll do.” The cart rattled as he laid down another blanket. “You should be nicer to me.” His scruffy head popped out from under the blanket, complete with that smirk. “I might work for royalty, after all. Maybe I'm even a nobleman. I could report you to the queen.”

She put her hands on her hips. “If you're a nobleman. It's more likely the queen would report you to her sheriff, and he'd dump you either in the prison at Imperial Castle or back in the tower.”

Han stroked Chewie's head as the wolf whimpered and rubbed against him. “I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me out of there. It's not something I'm...really used to. That I remember.”

Her eyes widened. The last thing she was expecting was for him to be cordial. “You're welcome. We couldn't have left you in there, any more than we could Luke.”

“If it's any consolation,” he went on, this time with a real smile, “you're good at your job. I've never seen a woman who could fight like that.”

“My father taught me how to fight. Luke wasn't interested. He's really more of a scholar. He cries when he steps on an ant hill. Me, I'd rather do something to help others than bury my nose in a book.” Leia suddenly felt a bit awkward. “First thing when we get to Scarif, we'll ask around and see if anyone recognizes you or your animals or knows something about you, ok?”

“Ok.” Han's smile was really beautiful when he wasn't being an ass. Her heart melted under its warmth. “Maybe you could teach me how to handle a sword like that.”

Leia gave him her own warm smile. “If you show me how to handle that mechanical bow. I've never seen one before.”

“Sure.” His voice came out as a squeak as Obi-Wan came over with two steaming tin cups. “I think I need that brew now, old man.”

“After today, I suspect we all will.” He handed the cups to Leia and Han. “Hopefully, your dreams will be more pleasant tonight, Leia.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” She sipped the bitter drink, pursing her lips at the taste. The squawk of a crow could be heard in the distance as it scalded her tongue. “Wonder what he's doing out at this hour of night?” Black wings fluttered over them, up towards the trees. “Crows are daytime birds.”

The former prisoner shrugged. “Maybe he's just lost.” As soon as Han finished his drink, he let out a wide yawn. “Well, I think it's time for me n' Chewie to turn in.” He smiled sleepily at the girl. “See you tomorrow, sweet...Leia”

She nodded, yawning herself. “You too, Han.” She'd barely snuggled into her blankets on the ground before falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was hearing Luke and Obi-Wan's voices off at the stream and the bone-rattling snores of Han and Chewie on the cart.