Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 03_ Rebel Dawn - A. C. Crispin [30]
To bag his quillarat, Chewie had to travel down below the fifth level. Life was different here, for the forest in the late afternoon was almost completely dark. Animals down at this level had large eyes to facilitate their living at such dim light levels. There were dangerous predators … the kkekkrrg rro, or Shadow Keepers, that had ventured up a level to hunt, and the katarn. Chewbacca kept a sharp eye out, his every sense alert.
Old habits came back to him as he traveled the forest trails, seeing bridal-veil suckers, broad-leafed mock shyr, and kshyy vines in profusion. Things were not really green down here, but pale and washed-out looking. There was not enough sunlight to support the green growth from above.
Chewbacca walked the broad trails, feeling the rough bark of the wroshyr boughs beneath his feet. His eyes moved constantly, searching for quillarat spoor. His nostrils twitched, filtering and identifying the scents he had not whiffed in more than fifty years.
The Wookiee’s gaze was caught and held by a tiny scrape of the wroshyr bark, and a small rip in the tracery of the bridal veil plant next to it. The height was correct … yes, a quillarat’s quills had done this, and … Chewie dropped to one knee to examine the spoor … not long ago.
The animal had been heading off, on this far smaller, secondary bough. Chewbacca walked warily down a bough-trail not much more than two meters across. On either side of him yawned the green-brown-gray gulfs of the forest.
The Wookiee kept every sense alert, eyes scanning, ears listening for the faintest rustle, nostrils twitching. Quillarats had a distinctive, and, to a Wookiee, enticing odor.
His “shield,” made from woven strips of bark on a lashed-together frame, was held ready on his left forearm.
Chewie’s steps slowed … then the Wookiee stopped, every muscle poised. There! Amid those leaves!
The quillarat froze, sensing danger. Chewie leaped, shield held out.
Suddenly the air before him was filled with a rain of quills. They thudded into the shield, for the most part, though a few embedded themselves in the Wookiee’s shoulders and chest. Chewbacca’s right hand went out, grabbed the quillarat by the quilled tail, moving his hand in a particular twist that made the quills lie flat beneath his flesh.
The terrified animal squawked, turned to bite, but it was too late. Chewie heaved it up, and sent it thudding hard against the bough beneath his feet. Stunned, the animal went limp, and another quick swing dispatched it altogether.
Only then did Chewbacca take a moment to pull the quills from his chest and shoulders, and spread a salve on the tiny, burning wounds. His right hand had one small puncture, which he also treated.
Then, wrapping the quillarat in the woven bag he’d brought, the Wookiee began a triumphant journey back to Rwookrrorro.
It took him quite a while to find Mallatobuck. He didn’t want to ask anyone where she was, since any of his friends and family would be bound to identify the scent of the quillarat in his bag. Chewie wasn’t in the mood for advice or jokes.
But, finally, he located her, wandering along a little-used trail. By now two of Kashyyyk’s three tiny moons had risen, and moonlight silvered her fur as she wandered along, not at first noticing that anyone was approaching her.
She had been picking kolvissh blossoms and weaving their stems into a headpiece. As Chewie watched her, she placed the flowers on her head, tucking their fragile white beauty behind her left ear.
Chewbacca halted on the trail and stood there, lost in wonder at her beauty. His stillness attracted her attention as his movement had not, and she stopped, looked up, and saw him.
[Chewbacca,] she said softly. [I did not see you.…]
[Malla,] Chewie said. [I have something for you. A gift that I hope you will accept.…]
She froze, eyes wide with either consternation or hope, as he walked toward her, bag in hand. Let it be hope she feels,