Seeing And Understanding
“So, where we off to now?” Bailey asked.
“Ya’ll see.” said Jolee mysteriously. Bailey smiled and shook her head.
“Is green an important colour to Grubbs?” Bailey asked after a while.
“Yep,” answered Jolee, “It’s the peace colour, that’s why they welcomed you as much as Stranger.” Bailey raised her eyebrows momentarily.
“Because I was wearing green?” she asked sceptically,
“And you were leadin’ tha Steef.” Added Jolee.
Soon Jolee led Bailey towards another large hut. Outside there was a long sturdy bench and sitting on it, was Stranger wearing a different green shirt then Bailey was used too, it was looser and softer with a deep ‘V’ neck and longer sleeves. It looked like someone had attacked him with a brush too, trying to tame his wild mane of hair, although, Bailey thought, you could never
really tame Stranger, he was just too independent.
“Sit on the bench, I’ll be back inna minute.” Said Jolee.
Bailey nodded and crept up behind the relaxing Steef. When she was close enough she pounced and covered his eyes with her hands.
“Guess who.” She grinned. Stranger broke into a smile and covered her hands with his own,
“’Ello Bailey.” He said dryly. Bailey took her hands from his eyes and grinned at him when he looked round. She chuckled when his eyes went wide, she nonchalantly blew at a loose strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.
“Yes?” she asked, mockingly innocent.
“What’s all this then?” Stranger asked softly, twirling Bailey’s braid around his finger.
“Yeh, you don’t look too bad yerself.” Bailey teased, flicking at Stranger’s own newly acquired braids with gentle fingers. His beads were green too, just like the colour of his eyes but made of a slightly translucent material. Bailey grinned as Stranger gently tugged on her own braid. “Apparently I’ve been dubbed a valley guardian as well. Green’s supposed to be their colour after all.” Stranger smiled slightly, he chucked her chin gently and rubbed her nose with his own,
“Well, well, my lil’ one. A valley guardian.” He sounded proud.
Bailey sat down cross-legged on the bench. Stranger stroked her hair while they waited for their Grubb guides to return.
“Have you decided what to do yet?” Bailey asked quietly after a while. Stranger stopped stroking her hair and placed a hand on the back of her neck.
“No. Not yet.” There was a pause, “Bailey?” Bailey looked over at him,
“Yeh?” Stranger let out a sigh.
“Nothin’…” Bailey smiled slightly,
“You want a cuddle,” she asked, Stranger looked at her sharply, “Or what?” Without waiting for an answer Bailey put her arms around Stranger’s stomach and gave him a hug. “Hugs make everythin’ better.” Bailey said cheerfully. Stranger pressed his nose to her hair.
“Nah, you make everythin’ better kid.” He muttered fondly. He ruffled her hair and grinned.
A few minutes later Jolee returned and beckoned to Bailey and Stranger,
“C’mon you guys!” she called, looking at each other questioningly Stranger and Bailey slid off the bench and trotted after Jolee. The young Grubb girl led the two bemused wanderers around the large hut until they came to the doorway, a guard stood at the door, “’Iya Job.”
“’Ello Joey.” Greeted the guard cheerfully, “You want ter go in now then?” Jolee nodded, the guard stood aside and bowed respectfully to Stranger. Stranger still seemed slightly uncomfortable by this treatment.
Jolee led the way into the large hut. When Bailey’s eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting in the hut she saw that it was some sort of storage building, as her eyes fell on one corner, she broke into a grin.
The Grubbs had retrieved all their equipment.
Bailey turned to Jolee,
“You did this?” she asked,
“The Grubb soldiers that met you did, they-”
“Broke the skylight an’ hauled up our stuff, right?” finished Stranger, also grinning. Jolee nodded, smiling broadly.
“It’s all there if yer want ter check.” Jolee said, “Afterwards the Seer wishes for you to join him on a ramble before the evening meal.”
“Thanks Joey.” Bailey said exuberantly. Jolee smiled, bowed and left them. Bailey pulled her hat onto her head.
“Wow I missed this.” She grinned and tugged gently on the hat brim. Stranger pulled his own hat over his ears and held up his poncho.
“I don’t think I fit into this anymore.” He muttered ruefully. Bailey snickered. Stranger’s eyes glowed and he dropped the poncho over Bailey’s head. It came down to Bailey’s knees… Bailey laughed, she pulled the hat brim over her eyes.
“D’you think I could pass off as you?” she asked jokingly. Stranger grinned and brushed Bailey’s hat off her head, ruffling her hair.
“Sure you could squirt.” Stranger said amused. “Sure you could…”
After checking all their equipment both Bailey and Stranger found that the Grubbs had in fact recovered everything they had had before Caste Raider had ambushed them.
Bailey added her hatchet and dagger to her pack and swung it onto her shoulders while Stranger gathered up his poncho, ammo satchel (which was now void of ammo) and folded up his crossbow.
When they’d packed up everything Bailey fidgeted nervously as she brought up the Seer’s request.
“Erm… So whatta ya think we should do?” Stranger made a deep sound of consideration in his chest. Until finally,
“Yeh, we’ll go an’ see what he has ter say.” So saying they left the large storage hut and made their way to the Seer’s hut on it’s woven platform.
It took some time but Stranger finally managed to get up the ladder, while Bailey patiently waited at the top. For a moment or two they dithered outside, wondering how to let the old Grubb know they were there. But really, they needn’t have worried…
“Come, come, come in and make yourselves at home my friends!” called the old cracked voice. Bailey and Stranger looked at each other before ducking through the bead curtain. The elder Grubb was sitting in the same chair and looked delighted to see them both, “My, my, don’t you two look nice.” Bailey and Stranger shared identical looks that said something along the lines of ‘Ooookay’.
“Joey said you wanted to see us.” explained Bailey,
“Aha! So, I did, so I did. Yes, I wondered if you would walk with me a while, share some stories with an old dreamer?” Bailey looked at Stranger, he nodded fractionally. Taking this as permission Bailey inclined her head to the old Grubb,
“We’d be honoured.” The Grubb broke into a wide, toothy grin,
“Good, yes, that’s very good. Would you help me out of my chair, child?” Bailey edged closer and helped the Grubb haul himself from the armchair, “Ah, thank you. Now, let us be on our way, there is something I must show you.” The Grubb, human and Steef left the hut and clambered down the ladder. Seemingly instinctively Stranger set the old Grubb on his shoulders as the mismatched trio set off through the Grubb village.
The elder Grubb directed Stranger and Bailey north along the bank as they left the cluster of buildings up to the source of the Mongo River. As they walked, the old Grubb asked them about their journey to the Grubb village.
Bailey looked at Stranger, Stranger smiled slightly and put a hand on her head, after some hesitation Bailey began to talk.
She started about how she’d met Stranger but the old Grubb stopped her,
“No, no. Tell me how you came to Oddworld and your…revolutionary ventures.” The Grubb Seer smiled at that. Bailey raised an eyebrow but complied and told the old Grubb (with Stranger listening intently) all about how she helped caused the collapse of the Magog Cartel’s two biggest production plants. “And what about you Stranger?” the Grubb asked once she’d finished. Bailey sensed Stranger tense even if outwardly he remained composed.
“That’s fer me ter know, my past is ma own.” There was an uncomfortable silence, and then; “I was checkin’ ma Fuzzle traps when I heard a scream…” he began and between them, Bailey and Stranger told the old Grubb of their adventures.
When they’d finished it was nearing dusk and they had travelled far up the river, it’d be dark by the time they got back… The old Grubb led them up a sharp track, heading away from the river slightly. When they reached the top, they were met with a gruesome sight.
“Steef were the traditional protectors of the valley and the Grubbs, living in harmony with nature.” Began the old Grubb, “All this changed, however, when Sekto dammed the river in order to control the water for his Sekto Springs bottled water company. His forces killed off Grubbs wherever they tried to live as they used to, and he had all of the Steef hunted down to prevent them interfering with his business venture.” The elder Grubb paused sadly, “The heads of our precious Steef guardians, Sekto mounted on the wall of his office…and this is what he did to us…”
Bailey looked at the sign again and swallowed. It consisted of a tall, thick pole, and lashed to the pole at just over Stranger’s head-height, were four dead Grubbs, with signs hung around their necks;
No Fishin’.
Bailey simultaneously felt sickened, upset and outraged.
“Sekto has a lot to answer for…” she thought furiously. Her fists and jaw clenched, her eyes blazed and she felt stirrings of the Rage in her stomach. Stranger sensed Bailey’s ire and was touched by her fierce loyalty, he put a hand on her head and stroked her hair. “We’ll make him pay.” Bailey growled, low enough for only Stranger to hear. “He can’t get away with this… He won’t…I won’t let ‘em…”
“We should head back.” Stranger said finally,
“I need ter get Bailey away from this.” he thought to himself, feeling a small amount of resentment towards the old Grubb,
“She doesn’t ter see this kinda thing at her age…”
“Yes yes, we will miss dinner if we linger.” Bailey’s stomach rumbled.
“Wouldn’t wanna do that.” She muttered. The Grubb wheezed with a dry chuckle and Stranger smiled affectionately at her.
“Let’s go then.” Stranger murmured and herded the young human away from the grisly sign.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much on the food front.” Apologised the elder Grubb, as they walked back, darkness beginning to fall. “There have not been many fish to catch, they are dying right along with the river.”
“Trust me,” Bailey said, “When you’ve been livin’ off dried fish sticks for what seems forever, anything else is a feast...”