Serena did not pause to wake her master as she pulled on her tunic and pants, preparing for their journey that would start at dawn. She pulled the tent flap open and saw that such time would come soon - it was already beginning to get lighter, the birds being the first to stir and start up their morning songs. Entranced by the beauty of their natural woven melodies, she slid out of the tent and pressed her hands into the small of her back, stretching her spine - then sighing. A part of her wanted to let Tia sleep longer so she would leave the vicinity for a little while and take a brief walk in the forest, hoping the Jedi Master would not sense her absence and wake upon taking notice.
Not to mention, having been caught obstructing Tia's direct orders could have brought strict discipline upon her head, Serena thought. As such, she would simply use the excuse of having to take care of her daily functions and return shortly - with plenty of time left to wake the Jedi and set out on the next leg of their journey.
Suddenly, a memory intruded where none should have been. She remembered the young soldier touching her wounds, his fingers grazing over her skin. The Padawan's cheeks flushed but she was not sorry she allowed the contact to take place. The thought surprised her and she was forced to dismiss it, guiding her feet onto a nearby man-made path. It was time to take care of the 'natural' business . . . of things.
I would like to see to your wounds . . . they may need tending.
The thought so stunned and preoccupied her, that the Jedi lost track of how far down she had gone down the forest path. It was a low, guttural sound that stirred Serena back to reality, focusing all her senses upon the direction and finally, the source. Amidst the thick foliage of magnificent underbrush she spied two elk-like creatures, entwined in a most suggestive mating position. The arrawtha-dyr, she thought in recognition of the species, remembering some of the reading she had done on the Kashyyyk flora and fauna, shortly before departure. The male was a beautiful specimen, boasting an imposing crown of many-pronged antlers. The female, much smaller with its head barely visible above the shimmering thicket, seemed to be the one producing the very sounds Raine heard only moments ago. She had never seen creatures copulate before her very own eyes; most of her education on that subject came from abbreviated holovids from the Temple's library. It was both interesting and mesmerizing to watch. Waking light of impending dawn bathed them, making them look as though a halo covered their skin. In perfect synchronicity, the broad male mounted the female, their hips moving in silent unison.
It wasn't turning her on. Or so she kept telling herself over and over, but the sight of the animals fornicating only a few meters away from her had her heart pounding and her nipples hardening against the semi tight top of her under-tunic.
"Sir? ... Serena?" A familiar, deep accented voice coming from behind her caused Serena to falter in her abrupt attempt to face the speaker. Her breath caught, the Jedi visibly startled while trying to dismiss the temporary state of her arousal so the trooper would not catch on.
His dark brown gaze meandered to the fornicating arrawtha-dyr and then back to her. He wore no uniform. In fact, he was rather scantily dressed since their last meeting. She then saw the glistening moisture on his skin - the man was likely taking a quick bath in the nearby stream. The thought of him doing so brought on a visual that sent a surge of blood to her cheeks. To mask it, Serena quickly straightened the hem of her tunic, then bent down to pick out a pebble that had embedded itself in her foot. When she straightened, the man's eyes were on her under-tunic, his pupils wide in the low light coming up from the horizon. The female's moans grew louder and she tried to ignore them, pushing the images of the copulating beasts out of her mind.
"What are you doing out here?" Matthias said casually, appearing far more composed than she was. Did the suggestive scene behind him not affect the man at all? Apparently the life of a soldier helped one grow accustomed to all kinds of visuals.
"Just looking for some privacy." It came out blunter than Serena had intended, and she added, "Sergeant."
Jayne's eyebrow rose. "We should be leaving soon."
"Would you prefer it if I soiled my trousers for the sake of your keeping a schedule?"
"I was under the impression it was the Jedi general's order for us to leave at dawn." The darkness in his tone was reprimand enough to Serena, even though he did not intend it as such. At that point, it was merely a reminder of a fact. The Padawan bowed her head.
"You are right, of course." She could not bring herself to look at the man so she glanced to one side when bringing her head back up. It was a mistake. The lovemaking in the background was getting hotter, with the two creatures now nearly howling with pleasure. Serena ripped her gaze away and closed her eyes, figuring it was safer. That way she did not risk meeting the trooper's gaze while retaining a clear head. "Master Renan could use a few more minutes of rest, to get her strength back. I imagine the trek before us will not be an easy one."
