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Cody ran like his life depended on it. And well. It did.
He had been on the usual mid summer trading trip with his family. It was better to trade in a nearby town than invite the Big folk into the Shire. His family was considered respectable, but just a little odd for leaving the Shire a few times a year, even if it was for trading.
It all went wrong on the return trip, early in the morning. Just after sunrise, they had been attacked by bandits for the first time. Usually Bandits stayed far away from the Shire. Cody had done his part to make sure his younger brothers and cousins got on the wagon and sent the oldest of them to steer it home.
Cody had then found himself the target of several of the bandits while the rest of his family fought. So he ran to get rid of them.
He was good at fighting, but not good under pressure. He also didn't have his staff because his father had taken it from him the night before for a minor misdeed. So he had nothing with which to fight.
He kept running. And running. Until all sounds of fighting died down. Only... he didn't recognize where he was.
Cody started walking. Surely he would find his way home if he just kept walking west, right?
The sun grew hotter as it reached the height of its arc across the sky. The hottest day of the year, and Cody had been separated from his family. His stomach growled. He had missed several meals.
His tongue felt like cotton. He was so thirsty.
But he kept moving. He needed to get home. Needed to find his family.
By the time another hour had passed, he was down to his undergarments. He didn't know it was possible to be this hot. Normally when it got hot he stayed in the cool hobbit hole, stayed in the shade, or played into shallows of water with his cousins and brothers.
But none of that was an option.
He kept walking. He started walking in less of a straight line. At one point, he wiped sweat away, became unbalanced, and right after he straightened himself, he threw up.
That probably wasn't a good sign.
The sun beat down on him. The heat was unbearable.
Cody felt like he was burning up from the inside out. For the first time he wished he didn't have hair on his feet. Maybe they wouldn't feel so much like he stuck them in a fire if he didn't.
He squinted, spotting a lake. He stumbled and rushed for it. He didn't care about his safety anymore, he didn't care if there was danger. He didn't even stop to think it might be a trick of his mind.
He just dove in and sighed at the feeling of the water cooling his skin. He was so exhausted and dizzy, he closed his eyes as he rested and fell asleep. This was not a safe thing to do. Never fall asleep in water.
.
Obi-Wan had just wanted to take a dip in the lake. But when he left the cool hobbit hole, he noticed that there seemed to be someone in the water already. Just not at the usual beach. On the other side.
Obi-Wan swam across the lake and reached the person just in time to see them slip under the water. He put on a burst of speed and dragged him out.
He blinked at the curly hobbit hair that greeted him. A stranger. Dark skin. Pretty. Only in his undergarments, not a swim suit. Very red. And very hot, despite having been in the cool water. Uh oh.
Obi-Wan pulled him out of the water entirely and picked him up. He staggered a little at the weight but adjusted his grip and started walking. He knew everyone in the Jedi enclave, and this person must have just stumbled upon their lake.
Which was not on any maps. It was impossible to find if someone didn't know where it was or wasn't completely lost to begin with.
So, this stranger was in desperate need of help. He felt like it too.
Obi-Wan ignored his own door in favor of going several doors down to the healers.
"Obi-Wan! You can't be in trouble already!" his friend Bant, apprentice healer, scolded him.
"Um, I found a stranger about to drown in the lake?"
"Oh!" Bant hurriedly took the stranger.
The stranger looked to be around their age, a tween like them, but couldn't be more than five years out from thirty three.
Bant frowned. "He's burning up."
"Anything I can do?"
"Go find some ice packs. First thing we have to do is bring his body temperature down, then we can see what the damage is and if anything else needs to be done."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand." He hurried away to do that.
Bant resumed checking up on the stranger and cooling him down.
.
Cody groaned when he woke up. He felt... strange. Starving. Cotton in his mouth. Exhausted. A bit warmer than usual.
Memories came back. Well. At least he wasn't on fire anymore.
"Oh! You're awake. I'll tell a healer."
He just groaned again in response, wondering where he was and who that was. It wasn't anyone he recognized. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above.
It was nothing like he had ever seen in the Shire, though it was shaped like a Hobbit hole... just taller.
He turned his head as the strange hobbit returned. He was red haired, kept on the shorter side, but longer than Cody's, and his blue eyes were sparkling with joy to see him awake.
"I pulled you out of the water! you nearly drowned! What's your name? I'm Obi-Wan."
"Obi-Wan, give him space. You know how people react to strange places," the healer scolded gently.
"Oh. Right. Sorry." Obi-Wan smiled apologetically.
Cody kept staring at him. Then, as the healer started examining him, he realized that he was mostly naked, with icepacks around him.
"Uh... What's going on?"
"You were far too warm. We're bringing your temperature down. Almost down to an acceptable range. How do you feel?"
"Starving. And a little warm."
"To be expected. Thank you for telling me. We'll get you something cool to eat and keep an eye on you."
"Okay... where am I?"
"The Jedi enclave," Obi-Wan responded. "We're mostly hobbits that others consider strange. But we get the occasional elf or dwarf or human."
"...Never heard of you," Cody managed through his shock. "Why are you here?"
Obi-Wan shrugged. "This is how it worked out. We keep to ourselves and help those in need. And this place is hard to find if you don't know precisely where it is."
"Oh. I got separated from my family... bandits." Cody shifted. "I should get back to them."
"We're at least a day away from the Shire, depending on your method of travel," Obi-Wan informed him gently. "I'm afraid you're going to be stuck here for a while, until you heal up."
Cody sighed. "Oh. Well... tell me about where I am, then?"
Obi-Wan grinned, delighted, and started enthusiastically explaining the adopted family that were the Jedi. Yes, there were family by blood, but they never cared about that.
There were many people to get wisdom from, all the way from the oldest hobbit (What kind of name was Yoda, anyways?) to the elves and dwarves to the children who had their own kind of wisdom. Children of all races mingled, despite their different rates of growth.
The enclave lived in caves, carved out more than a century ago. They were comfortable and helped all those they could
Some ventured out and helped those they came across. That was actually considered a rite of passage for many young hobbits. Others chose to stick close to home and do other traditions.
Cody thought it was fascinating. He had never wanted to be apart from his family before, and preferred the Shire even with the family trade. But now he wondered.
.
Obi-Wan was happy to show Cody around, introduce him to others. Cody stuck around for a while. More than a month. As the months went on, it was getting towards fall, and it was time for Cody to leave... or decide to stay.
Cody sighed when finally asked. "I think it's best that I return to the Shire for the winter, see everyone, let them know where I'm going, then come back. I need to see with my own eyes that everyone is alive and well. And I don't know that they'd accept a letter from me anyways at this point."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I can go with you?" He offered.
"Are you sure?" Cody asked, surprised. "I thought you haven't left before."
"I haven't but it's as good time to leave as any. Besides, it's always good to have company on these trips. Your fighting is good but not up to the usual standards yet anyways."
Cody smiled. "I'd like the company."
Obi-Wan beamed. "Alright, then we'll make the arrangements."
Cody watched Obi-Wan leave, admiring his friend. Not only was he sweet and kind, he was an adorable friend. Cody liked a lot of things about the Jedi enclave but Obi-Wan was certainly a large reason for why he was staying.
.
Obi-Wan was happy to get to go with his new friend. It wasn't often he made new friends, not with how isolated the Jedi Enclave was. Besides, it was a great excuse to get to leave and see what the world had to offer, even if it was just traveling to the Shire.
He had a strange feeling something was going to go wrong but he put it out of his mind. They were just traveling to the Shire. What could go wrong?
A lot. A lot could go wrong.
Obi-Wan was surprised to find them surrounded by goblins, goblins delighted to find weak, fresh meat. He pulled out his sword. So did Cody.
And they fought. Obi-Wan kept his panic behind a door. He was not going to freeze up. He was going to make it through this fight then panic.
Cody was holding up well against the goblins, the months of sword sessions doing a world of good even though he was still a beginner. A talented one, but still, inexperienced.
But then Cody fell, pinned in by the goblins.
Obi-Wan spun and darted in to protect Cody, leaving himself open to getting hit. He cried out when a sword ripped his side open, but he still stood over Cody and fought off the goblins until Cody could get back to his feet.
He staggered and fell to the ground, hand at his side, staring at how much bleeding there was. He'd never experienced anything like this and he wasn't sure what to do. He breathed and whimpered.
Cody turned as the last goblin dropped, panting but only sporting scratches and bruises. "Thanks Obi-Wan, I couldn- OBI-WAN?" He dropped his sword and sprinted to Obi-Wan.
"Are you okay?"
Obi-Wan groaned. "I don't think I'm going to make it... too much bleeding..."
Cody found some old clothes and did his best to arrange things to slow the bleeding. "You're going to make it, Obi. I'll make sure of it." He picked up their bags, then scooped up Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan whimpered at the movement. "I'm losing a lot of blood, we'll be lucky to find help."
"I'm not leaving you to die when I can do something about it," Cody whispered. "I'm not leaving you to die. Not after you saved me from drowning."
"But..."
"No buts. We're getting you help. Any ideas where we can look?"
Obi-Wan groaned, closing his eyes. "Should be some rangers around here... hard to track them down, even the main group with children moves at least once a year... But they keep an eye on the Shire so that hobbits don't have to worry so much about outsiders getting in... Oh. Find a place to do a signal fire, that'll get them to us."
"Signal fire? You're going to have to tell me how to do that."
"Oh..." Obi-Wan murmured. "Okay... It's just a fire with a lot of smoke and you cover the smoke and let it go in different patterns..."
"That's doable, let's find a place to get you comfortable." Cody found the best place he could and carefully put Obi-Wan down, wincing at how soaked the makeshift bandages already were.
Cody set up the fire. "Okay, lots of smoke. How do I signal?"
Obi-Wan told him weakly, struggling to stay conscious.
Cody set about following the pattern carefully for several minutes. By the time he decided he needed a break, Obi-Wan was unconscious from the blood loss.
Cody was immediately at Obi-Wan's side. "No, no, come on Obi, stay with me. I can't go back without you..." He pressed more bandages into the wound, praying he was doing enough. Praying that someone would be there to help soon. Praying that they wouldn't be too late.
.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes with a groan. His side ached. ...but he was alive, at least.
"Obi-Wan!" Cody was holding his hand. He squeezed it. "How are you feeling?"
Obi-Wan groaned. "Sore... But alive."
Cody grinned. "I'm glad... you nearly died but help arrived in time."
"That's good... Now what?"
"Now I'm going to carry you to the Shire where we'll stay for the winter so you can recover completely. But uh..." Cody turned red to the tips of his ears, looking away sheepishly.
"What is it?"
"Um. My family considers that carrying someone home, injury or not a declaration of intentions."
"Intentions?" Obi-Wan took a moment to realize what he meant. "Oh. I see... So carrying me home will have your family believing we're courting with the goal of marriage for the entire winter?"
"It's practically an engagement."
"Okay. I can handle that."
"Wait, seriously?" Cody stared at him incredulously.
Obi-Wan chuckled, squeezing his hand. "I had been trying to figure out the best way to start a courtship and was planning on waiting until we got back so that the Jedi way didn't stand out too much."
"The Jedi way?" Cody asked, to buy himself some time to process. Obi-Wan liked him! Obi-Wan wanted to court him!
"Ah yes, it's not like usual hobbit courting rituals. Our way is to do a day out, starting with meditating, sharing food, and in general sharing a lot of intimacy. Flowers are still involved, but they're such a small part compared to the importance of the day."
Cody stared at him. "There's more than what you have already shared?"
"Yes. There's some fighting techniques, there's everyone's hobbies, that are mostly kept to close friends and families, there's the intimacy of not just cooking for another person but sharing the meal from the same dishes, and so much more."
"Oh. Well... we can do some of that in the Shire, can't we?" Cody asked.
Obi-Wan smiled widely. "Yes, we can, if you are willing."
"I am." Cody smiled back. He leaned forward and kissed Obi-Wan's forehead. "You get some rest, we'll leave in the morning. I have some food to make and packing to do."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Alright, that sounds wonderful."
Cody got to work, grinning widely. He didn't care how much teasing his brothers would do. He had Obi-Wan, and he was going to join the Jedi enclave. Life was great.