I’ve beaten the writer’s block! YAY!
Don’t Stop Me Now!
Loki enjoyed being in the summer valley more then most. She was still very young by Steef standards, and liked romping in the grass and chasing butterflies with the other Steeflings. But there was one thing that Loki had quite a unique knack for. So unique that only she and one other person had it in the area.
Getting into trouble.
Although how she managed to do it when Bailey was twice her age no one had any idea. Though Alika worried about her youngest she never was too afraid for her. Bailey was a constant bodyguard. And she took her job very seriously…even if sometimes they both got into a lot bother…
It was getting late spring when Loki once again got herself up to her ears in a mess. It was one of the rare occasions when Bailey’s attention had been diverted that Loki slipped away on her own and soon there was an uproar to find the missing Steefling. Although Alika didn’t blame Bailey for Loki being so devious Stranger insisted that if she went out to look she’d only get dragged into whatever Loki might have found. She was therefore put in her room and told Not To Move for
Anything by Stranger.
Bailey sat on her bed. Like she had many times she got up suddenly and paced the small room fruitlessly before sitting down again, all the time the same thoughts running through her mind.
Where is she?
What has she gotten herself into?
Will Stranger and the others find her in time?
This is all my fault.
Finally Bailey couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t just sit here while Loki got herself hurt, or even killed. Bailey left the hut and stood outside the door for a moment.
“If I was a small Steefling that gets into crud without trying…where would I be?” it only took her a moment to think of it and when she did she slapped her forehead. “
Idiot! Why didn’t I go there first!?” with that Bailey broke into a run, knowing exactly where to look.
Over the last few days Bailey had noticed that Loki had shown a lot of interest in the building of the hall at the far end of the valley. What it was for, Bailey hadn’t found out yet but it was being built like the huts but because it was so huge it took a considerably longer time and it was only getting it’s foundation finished at the end of the week. Building material and the scaffolding were scattered about the place and all the young Steef had been forbidden to go anywhere near it while construction was on the go. Bailey headed for the building site. She skidded to a halt when she reached it and looked around.
“LOKI!” she yelled, “WHERE ARE YER!?” no answer. Bailey’s heart hammered, a thousand terrible reasons why Loki might not answer her appearing in her mind. She began to jog through the area. Searching and calling as she went.
Finally she found the Steefling. Bailey stopped, pushed up the brim of her hat and gulped. Loki clung to a beam of horizontal scaffolding, a good fifty feet off the ground…
“How in the dickens?” she muttered. She sighed, “Loki?” The Steefling quivered and opened one screwed up eye a fraction.
“Bailey.” She whimpered, “Bailey, get me down.”
“Alright, alright. Don’t panic. I’m a-comin’.” Bailey looked around quickly, but first she needed to alert the adults. She saw a pile of lumber nearby and scrambled on top of it. She wobbled precariously for a moment but soon found her balance and looked around for any Steef. Luckily she saw one, too far to recognise but a dark-furred one by all accounts. She put two fingers in her mouth and blew a shrill whistle. She saw the Steef stop and turn to look towards her. Bailey put her arms in the air and waved madly. “OVER HERE!” she yelled, banking on the Steef’s superior hearing to hear her voice.
The gamble paid off. The Steef bellowed, shaking the ground and letting every Steef within almost a mile radius know where to come. The lumber pile shook under Bailey and she jumped off. She turned back to the scaffold. Now she had to get Loki down. She could tell by just looking at it that no Steef which was old enough to retrieve the Steefling could get up there and it wouldn’t hold a full- or even half-grown Steef’s weight. She sighed. It was up to her.
“Okay Loki,” she called, “I’m coming up.” She saw the Steefling nod and looked around for a way she could get up onto the scaffold. A noticed that the horizontal beam Loki was on was held up by two diagonal struts at either end. That was no good. But between each pair of struts was another pole. It was completely vertical and sticking from them were lots of sturdy pegs. Perfect.
Bailey looked back as she heard something behind her. She saw the search parties of Steef coming towards the site. She would have to be quick if she didn’t want Stranger or anyone else to stop her from getting Loki. Bailey darted over to the nearest pole and tested the strength of the pegs. They held. Quickly, Bailey climbed the pole.
She was only half way when the Steef arrived. They crowded around the bottom of the scaffolding , murmuring and pointing and even a few gasps. It was only when Bailey heard a familiar voice did she pause.
Stranger.
With a great effort Bailey ignored her father-figure and kept climbing. After a while she reached the top and slowly, falteringly and wobbling a good deal Bailey managed to stand on the beam, her arms out, balancing her. She took a deep breath and took a step forward, and then another, and another. Her confidence grew with each step but she remained careful as she slowly cross the beam to Loki on the other end.
As she reached the middle a wind began blowing. It snagged her hat and made her wobble even more dangerously. Suddenly Bailey slipped and she nearly tumbled off completely but she grabbed the main beam just in time. She hung by her fingernails for a few heart stopping seconds before she was able to haul herself up and carry on.
Down below Stranger’s heart went wild in his chest, Bailey was so close to getting herself killed. Stranger had to exercise a lot of self control not to shake with suppressed adrenaline as he watched his Bailey performing one of the stupidest stunts she had ever done. When she slipped Stranger’s heart did a somersault and he was nearly sick but thankfully Bailey didn’t fall but scrambled back up onto the beam. Stranger breathed again.
Bailey stubbornly continued her balancing act until she got to Loki. She slowly sat on the beam, one leg on each side.
“Hullo kiddo.” She beamed. Loki opened one eye tremulously.
“I’m sowwy Bailey.” She whimpered, “I promise I’ll never go when I shouldn’t again, just please get me down!” she wailed. Bailey waved her hands at the crying Steefling,
“Hey, hey. Now need fer that kid, jist leggo of the beam an’ I’ll get yer down, okay?” Loki looked at the grinning human.
“Okay.” She allowed Bailey to prise her from the scaffold and put her onto Bailey’s shoulders, they’d done it plenty of times but Bailey realised round about then that soon Loki would be too big to carry. She didn’t think too much on that now. She needed to concentrate on getting down.
Bailey slowly stood and made her unsteady way to the other set of struts that were close by. There was a rope at that end with a flat piece of wood attached to the end. An idea began forming in Bailey’s mind. She reached the end of the beam without any difficulties and pulled the rope up to her hand over hand until the little lift was at their level.
“Right, Loki I need you to sit on this and hold tight, okay?” Loki nodded, her eyes wide with terror. When she was on the makeshift lift Bailey began lowering until Loki hit the ground with a gentle bump. She was immediately smothered by her mother. Bailey meanwhile gave the rope a tug and swung herself on it. It took longer for her to reach the ground then it had for Loki but she did it without accidents. As soon as she was on the solid earth again Stranger was there. He took Bailey by the shoulders.
“Yer okay?” he asked sternly. Bailey looked up at him and nodded. She saw the way Stranger sagged in relief very clearly. The Steef took her face in his huge hands and shook her very gently. “Don’t yer ever do that again, you hear me!?” he said, scolding. Bailey nodded. “Ah, c’mere you liddle monster.” Stranger muttered and gave Bailey a relieved hug.
The Steef crowd dispersed, as Stranger led Bailey away with his hand on her shoulder and rubbed his face in a long-suffering way.
“You kid, are gonna be tha death of me.” Bailey grinned and wrapped her arms around his stomach.
“Nah, you’re going to live forever.” She said. Stranger chuckled and rubbed her hair.