Okay, just to warn you, I’m changing the storyline slightly. It’s just that there are a few things Bailey needs to be told, and the old Steef is the perfect character to tell her, so, there you go, he’s not dead just yet… Oh, and I’m using ‘Steeflings’ for baby Steef. So whadda ya waiting for? Go read the chapter already!
Answers
Something tickled gently at Bailey’s nose, it twitched furiously at the sensation and Bailey woke up. She became aware of someone playing with her hair and she opened her eyes groggily. Stranger smiled down at her.
“’Ello liddle darlin’.” Bailey yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“Mornin’.”
“It’s after noon kid.” Stranger grinned. Bailey swatted at him,
“You know what I mean.” There was a pause, “My hands itch.” She muttered, sitting up and rubbing her bandaged hands together. Stranger propped himself up on one elbow.
“They’re healin’ squirt.” He took hold of Bailey’s hands, took off the mittens and began unwinding the bandages, soon they were off and Bailey wiggled her fingers. Her abrasions were healing over like the cuts on her face. And her fingers, though still raw and painful looking weren’t hurting half as much and they healing over.
Stranger drew a finger down one of the scars on Bailey’s cheeks.
“I shoulda been there.” He muttered. Bailey patted his neck, Stranger didn’t purr and ask to be scratched, he grabbed her hand, pressing it to his nose and took a deep breath, Bailey giggled;
“Stoppit! That tickles.” Stranger made a deep, rasping ‘hrm’ sound in his throat.
“He wants ter see yer.” He said suddenly. Bailey cocked her head to one side, baffled.
“Who?”
“The old Steef, he wanted ter see ya as soon as yer felt better.” Bailey frowned slightly, why did Stranger seem so uneasy about the old Steef wanting to see her. She put her arms around his neck and buried her face into the fur on his jaw.
“It bothers you?” she asked.
“I dunno…” Stranger muttered, “Something…just doesn’t seem right…”
“You don’t trust him?” Bailey asked in mild surprise. She pulled away and looked into Stranger’s face, as if the answer to her question was there, but she trusted Stranger’s instincts enough to listen to him. Stranger didn’t answer straight away, but when he did, he sounded confused and mildly agitated.
“…Hrm…Not exactly…I think he knows something…something about you…but he won’t breathe a word ter me…”
“Makes you suspicious?” Stranger quirked a half smile,
“Can you blame me? After all that’s happened to us?” Stranger’s smile widened, “Hey, yer my kid, I’m meant ter be suspicious about everythin’ where yer concerned.” He ruffled Bailey’s hair playfully, matting it into a haystack, but he sobered quickly. “I don’t want anythin’ ter happen to yer kid…” he said in a low, serious voice. “I couldn’t, couldn’t take it.” he hustled Bailey into his arms and rocked her gently, like she was very young, pressing his cheek to her temple. Bailey prodded his shoulder,
“Why Stranger, you’re going all sentimental.” Bailey teased, in answer Stranger blew her ear. Bailey squinted one eye and rubbed at her ear before swiping at him in retaliation. Stranger dodged, chuckling. He let her go and stood, stretching.
“Get dressed, I’ll be back ter take yer to the old Steef inna bit.” He left Bailey to herself.
Bailey scrambled out of bed and changed into a long, soft green tunic with full-length sleeves and the pants with lots of strips of varying shades of green material sewn together. She was just tying her bandana when she heard Stranger’s decidedly embarrassed voice outside,
“You…er…ready?”
“Just a minute, and I’ll be out. I’m gettin’ me sneakers.” She was just pulling on her socks and trainers when Stranger peeped in,
“Ain’t you forgotten somat?” he asked, Bailey looked at him, head cocked to one side.
“No…don’t think so.”
“Yer look like yer got a bird’s nest on yer head.” Bailey ruffled her hair,
“It’s your fault.” she grumbled. Stranger chuckled and came into the hut, he picked up Bailey as if she weighed as much as a twig and set her on the bed.
“Hold still.” He muttered. Bailey, immediately suspicious clapped her hands over her hair.
“Whadda ya up too?” she asked guardedly. Stranger absent-mindedly pried her hands from her head and tapped her nose with the back of a hairbrush.
“Got’s ter make a good impression on the old Steef.” He said, Bailey stared blankly at him for a second and then began sniggering. Stranger blinked in bemusement, “What?” Bailey continued to snigger. “What?” Stranger said, looking amused. Eventually Bailey managed to get words out between her giggles,
“That, has to be, the weirdest thing, you’ve ever come out with.” She giggled. Stranger mocked frowned and grunted,
“Hrm, yer can be expectin’ more of it, I’m lookin’ after yer now. Yer need lookin’ after squirt.” He undid Bailey’s bandana and began brushing. His strokes were strong and firm but gentle and he didn’t pull too hard at her hair. Bailey’s eyes began drooping and a sleepy smile came to her face, the calming, soporific effect of the brush soothing all her worries and fears.
Stranger noticed her drooping and paused, then stopped brushing. Bailey looked up at him. Stranger saw the expression he put on when Bailey scratched his neck on his human kid’s face. Stranger chuckled, he’d finally found out what made Bailey as docile as a Meep.
By simply brushing her hair.
Stranger resumed brushing, smiling to himself as Bailey became drowsier and drowsier. She really was cute as a button, he decided, not that he’d ever say anything like that. But he showed his affection in another way as he finished taming Bailey’s hair and re-tied her bandana. Setting down the brush he swept Bailey into his arms and nuzzled her face. Bailey smiled and rubbed her cheek on the waterfall of fur on his jaw.
“Love yer Bailey.” He murmured,
“Love you too.” Bailey answered. They rubbed noses affectionately and Stranger set her down,
“C’mon,” he said, “There’s someone who wants ter talk to yer.” Bailey followed Stranger out of the infirmary hut. When they’d reached the ground at the foot of the ladder Bailey came close to Stranger and wrapped her arm around his, holding his hand, needing a reassurance that only Stranger could provide. Stranger glanced down at the young human holding his hand, felt the parental instinct in his stomach and swallowed the lump that came to his throat. He realised that he still had a lot to learn about looking after a kid, and it would be a long time before he got used to having Bailey around. He realised that deep down, he never wanted to get used to it. Stranger released Bailey’s hand and put an arm around her, bringing her close. He nudged her head with his nose.
Finally they reached another infirmary hut. Bailey looked apprehensively at Stranger as he stared straight ahead at the door. Stranger shook himself and crouched down to Bailey’s eye-level.
“This is as far as I can go. He wants to see yer alone.” Bailey’s apprehension deepened. Reading her expression Stranger gave her a hug, “He’s Steef Bailey, jist like me.” He reassured. Bailey nodded, eyeing the hut warily. Stranger let her go and stood. “I’ll be right here if yer need me.” He said, Bailey nodded and taking a deep breath, she opened the hut door a fraction and crept in, closing it behind her.
This one wasn’t like hers, she noticed, it was dark with only a few shaded candles to provide illumination and there were a couple of incense burners sitting on some side tables. When Bailey’s pupils had adjusted to the dim lit of the shaded candles she saw the old Steef on a wide cot. He looked pale and ill, even in the darkness, his face sunken and for a horrible moment Bailey thought she was the only thing breathing in this place. But then a cracked, hoarse old voice spoke.
“So you’re here little one. Come closer, let me have a look at you.” Bailey crept forward as the old Steef eased himself up on a mound of pillows. A pair of deep red and burnt orange Steef eyes gazed at her, though dim and still clouded, just as fascinating. The old Steef smiled, “And what is your name?” he asked pleasantly,
“Bailey,” She said in a low voice, she felt her confidence rising and her guardedness being replaced by curiosity. “My name is Bailey.” she said again, more confidently.
“And your family name? I know humans have them.” Bailey stared, wide eyed at the Steef, how the heck did he know about humans? But Bailey answered;
“Farr.” And waited for the Steef to tell her his name. The Steef nodded sadly.
“I’m afraid you will be disappointed my dear,” he commented to Bailey’s expectant look, “Much time has passed since I spoke my name and I fear that this old memory may have forgotten it.” Bailey looked sympathetic.
There was a long pause and for a second Bailey wondered if the old Steef had fallen asleep, but he eventually spoke again,
“You must excuse an old fool who dwells in dreams. They are all I have left you understand, dreams and memories.” Bailey shifted uncomfortably, was this all she had been brought here for? To listen to an old Steef ramblings? “But you are young and impatient, as all youth should be and I sense questions in you, questions you do not even know you ask, yourself. Questions I have the answers too.”
Bailey blinked, completely confused.
“I brought you here for selfish reasons I must admit.” Said the old Steef, “Though I may answer your questions, I asked you to come here for my own closure, for some absolution from my past misdeeds. I want to leave this physical plain without a guilty conscience, and you dear, can do that for me.” Bailey frowned slightly,
“Me? What can I do?” the Steef waved his hands,
“You will understand once I tell you my story, if I were to tell it in it’s entirety, we would not have time, for it is long and arduous. However I will tell you a condensed version of the part that applies to you. Sit down my dear,” he added, “You can’t stand awkwardly in a corner during a story.” The old Steef patted the end of the bed where a soft blanket was folded, “Sit here little one.” Bailey did as she was asked, crawling onto the huge bed and wrapping herself up in the warm blanket as the old Steef began his story.
“When I was younger,” he began, “There were many Steef in the valley, and a lot more Grubbs as well. I was one of the guards of a village up north. I was a naïve Steef back then, I didn’t know it, but I knew nothing of the outside world and it’s dangers.”
“What about the Outlaws?” asked Bailey.
“There weren’t any.” Said the old Steef, grinning brightly, he looked younger and his eyes were bright with excitement as he got into his story. “And they weren’t the problem anyway. Oh no…” the old Steef paused, “Anyway, I was out, scouting, when I met a group of creatures. There was about seven of them, creatures I’d never seen before, wearing strange clothes. Humans.”
Bailey gapped at the old Steef in disbelief.
“So that’s why you said I’d returned, you didn’t mean me, you meant humans.” The old Steef nodded,
“I knew you would return someday, to undo the evil your predecessors created.” He then looked suddenly sad. “You were not the first, but I pray to Odd you are the last.”
“Why?” Bailey whispered.
“You have a good heart Bailey, a pure heart, but they deceived us. They seemed nice enough to begin with, they said they’d been exploring and had gotten lost. They came through a cave into Oddworld, or so they said… I was too trusting. I took them back and they were welcomed into the tribe. They stayed with us for a while. They learnt about us and we learnt about them too.” He continued,
“So that’s how you know about humans…” Bailey thought,
“They stayed with us for a long time, and discovered an amazing thing. While they lived in Oddworld, they got no older, they just continued as they were.” Bailey looked astonished, “You must have noticed, you have not changed while you have been here.” Bailey frowned to herself. It was true, she hadn’t changed and up until now she hadn’t realised. “They took pictures of us and made notes, saying they’d never seen creatures like us before. We took that as a compliment, if only we’d known…” The old Steef faded off, Bailey watched him quietly, curled up in the blanket.
“They did something awful didn’t they? What did they do to you? What did my kind do to you all?” she thought desperately, she felt a worming guilt in her stomach, just the fact they she and those people were the same species made her feel responsible.
“Steef began to disappear, and a couple of the humans died as well. To this day I know it was connected, but I never found out how… Finally there was only one left, a man named Farr.” Bailey stiffened. “Yes, your father I believe.” Bailey felt a sudden cold, all the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end. “He made preparations to leave, he had a family to get back too. The night before he was scheduled to leave, he stole away in the middle of the night, and he abducted one of the young Steeflings.” Bailey stared at the Steef in horror as he continued, “We pursued him back to the cave where he and his friends had come through. But he’d rigged explosive rods to seal the cave after him, so that we could not follow. But they went off to early and he was killed.”
Bailey sat frozen at this revelation, her father had died in Oddworld… Bailey tried, but could not feel anything for her dead father. He’d done something that Bailey could not forgive and severed her last connection to the human world. Bailey felt released and realised that she had been holding on to her father, her last link to her old life, thinking he was alive and that eventually she would have to find her way back to her own world. Certain that even if her mother didn’t look fer her, her father would. B now she had nothing left to tie her back.
She was now apart of Oddworld. And she felt freed. This was where she belong, she realised. But the old Steef was talking to her again;
“And at that time, for many years, I thought the Steefling had been killed as well, his blood was on my conscience.” The old Steef smiled, “Until today. Today you brought that Steef back, but now he’s grown.” Bailey blinked back at the Steef.
“Stranger.”
“Yes, Stranger. And now I can go onto the next plain knowing that he did not die on my account. I can thank you for that. A human takes a young Steef and his daughter brings back a warrior.” He murmured. Bailey just blinked at him, still taking in what she’d just been told. If it hadn’t been for her father, Stranger would never have had to be alone. She voiced this aloud. “And he would be dead by now, killed by Sekto.” Said the Steef firmly. “By I feel tired and you have been here for quite some time.” Bailey slid off the bed and folded up the blanket again, just as she was about to leave the old Steef spoke again. “He isn’t the last you know.” He said. Bailey turned quickly,
“There’re others? Where?” The old Steef didn’t answer, Bailey went and knelt by the bed. The old Steef looked at her through dimming eyes. He was fading. Bailey could see it in his eyes. If the old Steef went to sleep now, he wouldn’t wake up again… He seemed to know it too.
“My time has come,” he said in a quiet voice, “Time to rest, I am weary of this pain filled plain.” Bailey was desperate, she had to keep him together just a little longer.
“The Steef,” she asked, “Where? Where can I find them?” The old Steef let out a breath,
“Where the snow is at it’s deepest.” He said at length, “On the high pastures, in the mountains shadow.”
“Mountain? What mountain?” Bailey asked puzzled, “Are they really that far away?” The old Steef smiled weakly,
“They’re closer then you think. Just follow your heart, it’ll lead you straight. It is your truest compass. Trust it little one. And believe in yourself.” He closed his eyes as if going to sleep and let out another deep sighing breath.
He didn’t take another one.
Bailey sat back on her heels for a moment, she sighed and dropped her head. Just when it seemed she had finally gotten her life sorted, something else had to be thrown into the equation.
Bailey stood up and looked over the Steef.
“I’ll get him back to his people. I promise.” She muttered,
“Stranger,” she whispered in her mind,
“I need you.”