Stranger’s Departure
A little way away Stranger felt a tug on his heart. Bailey needed him, right now. Immediately he made his way back to the infirmary hut of the old Steef. When he reached it a few minutes later, he found Bailey, coming out of the hut and closing it softly behind. Bailey looked at him, with sad, tired eyes and Stranger knew that the old Steef had left the living world. Bailey swallowed a sob as she saw Stranger. Stranger came up to her and nudged her chin so that she was looking at him.
“Bailey? What happened? I felt yer needed me.” Bailey looked at Stranger without speaking, with a sad, confused gaze. “What’s wrong liddle darlin’?” Stranger asked slowly. Bailey gulped and flung her arms around Stranger’s stomach, burying her face in his fur, sniffling quietly.
“I wouldn’t hurt you. You know I wouldn’t right Stranger? You do know that don’t you.” Bailey sounded desperate and on the verge of tears. Stranger was surprised to say the least but he soon swept it aside when Bailey looked up at him, her desperate eyes glistening. Stranger stroked her head.
“You’d never hurt me.” He reassured, “And I’d never hurt you either. Bailey? What’s this all about?” Bailey suddenly burst into tears,
“I’m sorry!” she wailed, almost hysterical, pressing her head to Stranger’s stomach, “I’m sorry for what he did to you. I never knew, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Shocked Stranger picked her up like she didn’t weigh anything, and looked into her face concernedly. He was shaken when he saw Bailey’s red, tearful eyes.
“Bailey,” he soothed, “Bailey, what have yer to be sorry for? Yer haven’t done anythin’ wrong.” Stranger eyes glowed fiercely, “What did he say to yer?” he suddenly growled, “I knew I should neva let yer go in there.” He wiped away Bailey’s tears with a gentle touch, she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Bailey, look at me.” Stranger touched Bailey’s nose with his own.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered again, eyes filling up, “I’m sorry, I never meant for it to happen.” She dropped her head onto Stranger’s shoulder, closing her eyes, the tears leaking from under the lids, “I’m sorry, so sorry.” Stranger rested a hand on Bailey’s head. All the while Bailey hiccupped quietly, her forehead pressed against his shoulder, the occasional tear sliding down her cheek.
“Okay, calm down liddle one. Calm down, I got’cha.” However much Stranger wanted to take Bailey away and cuddle her, find out what had upset her so, he knew he couldn’t. Respects had to be paid to the old Steef. He lifted her hair gently, “We’ll talk about this later.” He whispered in her ear. Bailey nodded into his shoulder.
¤§¤
The Steef was buried that day in the Grubb graveyard, overlooking the valley. ‘An eternal guardian’ the Grubbs called it, even in death the Steef’s soul could watch over them. When Bailey asked about this, the Seer explained that it was according to the traditions of the Steef, before Sekto came, that when a Steef guardian died, his (because apparently only male Steef were guardians) soul would forever wander the place he protected on the immortal plain.
“Immortal plain? Wait, the old Steef kept mentioning plains.” Bailey had said, the Grubb Seer nodded,
“The Steef believed that there was the physical plain, this world around us, and the immortal plain, a spiritual world that overlapped ours, but never joined, except were the veil between is very thin. We Grubbs believe that too.”
“Don’t I know it…” Bailey thought, remembering the voices she’d heard in the Grubb graveyard,
“I guess I believe it too…”
Appropriately on that day of the burial the sky went grey and it began to snow, drifting softly on Stranger, Bailey and Grubbs.
As the box was lowered the Grubb Seer intoned a blessing.
“Great one who made all things as they are, take thee this Steef into thy heart as a loyal follower of thine great laws.” The Grubbs joined in as they spoke the prayer, Bailey listening in respectful silence;
The long prison of years unlocks it’s iron door,
Go free now, into the beautiful land.
Forgive us who suffer in this clouded world,
Guide us and wait for us as we wait for you.
We will meet again.
We will meet again. Whispered a voice, a breeze touched Bailey’s cheek, she looked out among the graves.
She saw the old Steef. Standing among the stones, smiling at her. As she watched the years melted from the Steef until he was young and strong again, his horns re-grown. Just a bit older then Stranger. And then another Steef, this one female seemed to step out of thin air and joined him, hugging him tightly and kissing him on the cheek. The female Steef then too looked over at Bailey and smiled. Other Steef, whom Bailey guessed were friends, old comrades and family, appeared and joyfully greeted the no-longer-old Steef as well, they laughed as they hugged him. Bailey could almost feel their happiness and joy as if it were a tangible thing.
The group looked over at Bailey, realising she could see them. They smiled and Bailey felt a warm wave of love and compassion emanate from them. She bowed her head fractionally in respect, they returned the sentiment and then faded away, like scraps of smoke on the wind.
We will meet again.
¤§¤
It was a few days later and Stranger was determined to find a quite place where he could talk to Bailey, to find out what had upset the day the old Steef had died.
It wasn’t hard finding her and when he did, he didn’t wait to explain or hear her protests before he swept her into his arms and began marching towards the outskirts of the village. Both he and Bailey felt more comfortable in the wilds. Stranger continued out of the village until they were among the trees.
Stranger clambered up into a bole formed by the twisting trunks of several trees. Folding his legs beneath him he relaxed in the trees swaying gently seven feet from the ground, hidden by leaves.
“Bailey.” He said softly. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.” Bailey sniffled, Stranger gently wiped her eyes and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “What did the old Steef tell yer?” Bailey swallowed and explained, she recounted everything that the old Steef had told her, including what she had discovered about her own father, Stranger and the Steef tribe in the mountains.
Finally she went quite. Stranger hugged her close, resting his chin on Bailey’s hair.
“Oh my Bailey.” He sighed, “Why were yer apologisin’ fer undoin’ what yer Dad did.”
“He’s not my Dad.” Bailey said quietly, “I have a father, but no Dad. And I don’t need one.” She looked up at Stranger, “I have you.” Stranger smiled and nuzzled her cheek. “Love you.” Bailey muttered,
“I love yer too kiddo.” Stranger stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.
“We need to find them.” Bailey said suddenly. “We need to get you back, to the Steef.” Stranger let out a deep breath.
“Not ‘we’ baby-doll.” He sighed, “Not we. I’m never puttin’ yer in danger again. I’ll go, and then I’ll come back for yer.”
“You’re gonna leave me behind?” Bailey asked softly, Stranger wrapped his arms more firmly around Bailey, trying to make her feel how much he loved her and wanted to keep her away from danger.
“I want you to be safe.” There was a comfortable silence, Bailey felt Stranger’s soft fur on her cheek and the deep, regular thud of his heart, she felt warm and safe and most importantly she felt loved.
“I’ll miss you while you’re gone.” she murmured,
“I’ll miss yer too, but I gotta know…” he faded off and pressed his cheek to Bailey’s.
“You have to do, what you have to do.” Bailey whispered. “As long as you promise you’ll come back to get me.”
“I promise Bailey.”
¤§¤
A week had passed. Stranger stood close to Bailey, in the middle of the Grubbs of the village who’d come to see him off as he went in search of more Steef.
“You’ll be back soon won’t ya Steef dude?” asked one Grubb,
“As soon as I find the other Steef.” Stranger nodded as he swung the pack the Grubbs had made up for him over his shoulder. He went down to Bailey’s eye-level. “You gotta look afta them while I’m away kiddo.” He grinned comfortingly, “I’ll be back real soon.” He whispered for her ears only, “I love you liddle darlin’.” Bailey threw her arms around Stranger’s neck and hugged him tight.
“I love you too.” Stranger gave her one last squeeze and stood up, turning towards the Grubb queen as she approached with the tribe’s Seer.
“So you begin another journey Stranger.” The Grubb smiled, Stranger nodded. “We will look after your Bailey until you return.”
“Thankee kindly ma’am, I hope to be back fer ‘er soon.” The queen smiled and nodded and the Grubbs parted for Stranger to pass through.
“There is a road in the hearts of us all.” She said, sending a Grubb blessing after him, as Stranger walked through the groups, towards the remains of Sekto’s dam and the mountains. The other Grubbs joined in and spoke in unison as he left the village and began his journey north.
“Hidden and seldom travelled,
Which leads to an unknown, secret place.”
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Okay, don’t own 95% of the burial blessing and the second Grubb blessing apparently appears at the end of Stranger’s Wrath. Credit to Ignigeno for that information. Thanks matie.
