Into Snow And Storm
Days passed and Bailey integrated herself with the community, wherever help was needed Bailey would go and do whatever needed doing. There was a sense of urgency in the air, stores and winter supplies needed to be made and stocked up to last the winter.
So whether it be fishing, dying cloth, helping with the stores, kippering the fish caught, making fish paste and all the other foodstuffs the Grubbs made from the fish or even been roped into making baskets and fishing nets; Bailey did it all and all the time she was learning to fit into this new existence.
She took her guardian duties very seriously as well, patrolling the boarders, armed and ready for trouble, but with Sekto gone and all the more notorious Outlaws behind bars the danger to the Grubbs had seemed that for the most part, to have passed.
As the winter laid it’s thick snowy blanket on the world around them, the Grubbs retreated indoors, living off the stores they had stocked before the snow had come.
Without the work to occupy her mind, Bailey found that her thoughts turned more and more to Stranger. Was he alright in the fierce, unforgiving winter? Did he have shelter and enough to eat as Bailey had? Or was he alone in the cold and dark, hurt, maybe even dying?
Bailey shivered and pulled a hood of blanket over her head as she stared into the fire of one of the bigger communal huts, nursing a steaming mug. Even though the hut was packed, the Grubbs huddled together, chatting pleasantly, fed and warmed, Bailey suddenly felt very alone. She felt misery creeping up on her. Jolee obviously felt it too as she came and sat beside Bailey, she and the human had become firm friends and most of the time the two could be seen working happily together, bantering lightly and laughing.
“Steef’ll be fine ‘Lee.” Jolee said bracingly, knowing instinctively what bothered Bailey, “I bet he’s in the exact same situation you are, and I bet he’s worrying himself silly about you as well.” Bailey forced a watery smile.
“Yeh…yeh, course he is…” Bailey fell silent. Jolee hated seeing Bailey so desolate and wracked her brain to think of something to pull her out of her brooding. Suddenly she stood up, and climbed on a nearby table, the Grubbs at the table picking up their mugs and looking interestedly as Jolee waved her arms for attention.
“Excuse me!” she called, “’Scuse me please!” The Grubbs soon fell silent and looked at Jolee expectantly, Jolee beamed, “I can think of nothing better on a winter evening,” she said loudly so that she was heard clearly, “Then a story, and if she’ll agree, I suggest we ask Bailey to tell us a story from her own homeland.” The reaction was instantaneous and unanimous. The Grubbs clammered for Bailey to tell them a story. Jolee smiled apologetically at her friend then jumped down from the table.
Bailey considered being irritated and refusing, but the eager faces of the Grubbs made her smile and she stood up, the blanket thrown over her shoulders and head like a cloak. She grinned and the Grubbs feel silent.
“So it’s a story you want?” she asked, a roar of sound answered her, laughing Bailey flapped her hands for quiet and she was obeyed. “Alright, a story you want, a story you’ll get.” She moved to stand with her back towards the fire, the blanket draped over her mysteriously, she cleared her throat, the sound clear in the silent hut.
“A long time ago,” she began, with a huge grin on her face, “In a galaxy far, far away…” she paused and the grin grew, “Star Wars.”
¤§¤
Days turned into weeks, and weeks – to Bailey’s increasing worry – became months. Three months passed when Bailey had the dream.
She stood on a snowfield, a blizzard raging around her. Her hair whipped across her face, obscuring her vision. Strangely she didn’t feel cold, nor did she feel apprehension when a Steef appeared through the curtain of flurrying snowflakes. She was mildly surprised when she realised that the Steef was transparent, tinted blue and glowing gently. When she recognised him, she broke into a smile.
“Old Steef.” She greeted cheerfully, “Whadda you doin’ here? Where are we? Why am I here?”
“So many questions.” Smiled the Steef fondly, “But I cannot answer them all, we only have a short time, and a lot to discuss. I’ve been sent to come and speak to you. Stranger needs you.”
“Did he find the Steef tribe?” Bailey asked eagerly, the old Steef smiled indulgently,
“Yes, he found them, he is safe and well.” Bailey felt a faint stab of hurt,
“Why didn’t he come back for me?” she asked plaintively,
“Believe me child, he tried, but he was injured. No, no,” he added quickly as Bailey’s face became scared, “He is fine now, but unable to travel back.” The Steef smiled again, “He misses you, it’s been agonising for him to know you’re waiting.”
“What do I have to do?” Bailey asked in a decided tone.
“You must go to him, there is something you must do in the north. That is where your path leads you.” The Steef began fading,
“Wait! What is it I have to do!?” Bailey shouted, trying to be heard over the storm. The Steef laughed, a deep husky laughed that remained Bailey painfully of Stranger,
“I have to leave you now. But you must go north. Amongst the Steef is where your destiny lies now.” The Steef faded.
Bailey woke with a jerk, sitting up and gasping. When her heart and breathing had calmed she flopped back onto her bed and rubbed her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling, her mind already made up, in the morning, she would begin preparations to go north, to find the Steef.
And Stranger.
¤§¤
“You are sure this is what you want to do?” the Grubb queen asked.
“Yes ma’am, I’m sure. I take my duties as the guardian very seriously, but I need to go. I’ve been called.”
“Seer, what do you make of this?” asked the queen,
“Bailey did come to me beforehand, I’ve scryed and found that she was sent a message from the immortal plain. She is meant to go north majesty. Her heart is set on it, and I believe that whatever it is that she is destined to do. It will help us as well.” The Seer defended Bailey,
“You speak as if you know something Seer. What would you do?” Said the queen wryly, the Seer bowed slightly,
“Majesty, I would kit Bailey with the best we have and let her go north. I have seen, that if we do. The Steef will return, not just Stranger, but others as well. The Mongo guardians with come again.” The queen looked from the old Seer to the young human, her face was set and determined. The queen couldn’t help smiling, she knew that even if they didn’t help her, Bailey would go anyway. The Grubb queen had to admire Bailey’s iron will. Bailey would not be swayed.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was Steef too…” the queen nodded, “Alright, Seer, I want Bailey to get the best we have.” The queen smiled at Bailey, “She has a long way to go.”
¤§¤
Bailey sat on the bed in her hut, packing everything she needed into her pack. Over the last few months she’d only need to tot around her bow and arrows, but now she dug out everything she owned; clothes, trinkets, weaponry, supplies and packed it carefully. Just as she’d finished that was a knock on the door.
“’Ello?” Bailey called,
“It’s me.” Came Jolee’s voice,
“Oh, come on in Jo’.” The small Grubb girl opened the door and came in with a black, rubbery and green, woolly things folded in her arms. Meech trotted in after the Grubb. Bailey grinned and patted Meech’s head, she cocked her own head as Jolee laid the black and green things onto the bed, next to some thick, dark pants, shirt, a kind of knitted balaclava-esque hood, green jumper, mittens and woolly hat. “What’re these?” the human asked curiously.
“It’ll keep yer warm.” Jolee smiled, she picked up the green thing, “Your old scarf was kinda wrecked, so we made a new one.”
“Aww, thanks Joey.” Jolee grinned and unfolded the black, rubbery thing. She held it up, it reminded Bailey of a drysuit from Earth.
“This is made from the skin of a sea creature that migrates up the Mongo every couple of years, you haven’t been here long enough to see it, but anyway; you wear this under yer clothes and it keeps yer warm.”
“Wow, nifty.” Bailey grinned.
“See yer inna bit ‘Lee.” Jolee grinned and left Bailey to change.
After a while Bailey was ready to leave, she pulled the woolly hat over her hair and tugged on her scarf and mittens. She took one last look at what had been home for the past few months and then went out into the snow.
The Grubbs of the village were all there to see her off, all wrapped up warmly. The wind whistled, blowing towards the mountains, as if leading Bailey where she was needed. Bailey said goodbye to her friends and was hugged by a fair few of them before she reached Jolee and was hugged by her as well.
“Take care of Meech while I’m gone.” Bailey said, Jolee nodded;
“I will.” The Grubbs clustered together and spoke the blessing of wanderers.
“There is a road in the hearts of us all,
Hidden and seldom travelled,
Which leads to an unknown, secret place.”
And Bailey disappeared into the snow and storm.