Nothing felt real in that moment. I looked out to the ship that had laid anchor in the distant harbor and then back to Steele. That entire ship looked like the ones I had read about in several books about naval warfare and seamanship. Based on what I knew, this was a large ship meant for travel and comfort. In my mind, it was more likely to be a cargo ship with luxurious elements than for speed. The hull of the ship would look different, more streamlined, if this was some kind of attack.
The wind swirled around me, coming from the sea. It meant the wind was with them, and they would undoubtedly be coming ashore based on the small boarding ship they were lowering off of the starboard bow.
My heart started pounding out of my chest. What was going on? Was it excitement that I was feeling? Or anxiousness?
I was inclined to think the later rather than the former simply because Steele's expression hadn't changed from stoic and contemplative.
Anxiousness.
Worry.
Why was Steele so concerned with seeing this distant ship? What was going on? Why were they here? There was almost no time to actually get the answers from Steele because, slowly, he pushed himself off of the cliff, landing solidly on his feet, and took several steps away into the ocean.
For a moment, my mind panicked. Where was Steele going? Was he going out to meet them? Was he going to run away? Or did he know these individuals were hostile and was preparing to meet them or head them off?
I needed to know.
I charged toward the edge of the shale cliffs after Steele, noticing that my momma was jogging right behind me, and called out to him, shouting into the wind despite the gusts carrying my words away from him.
"Steele! Who are they? What do you think they're doing here?" I shouted. The wind blew Steele's graying hair fatefully. His violet eyes did not turn to face me and instead remained fixated on the horizon. I suddenly felt frustrated.
Why was he ignoring me? Was he ignoring me? Could he really not hear me?
"Steele! Kassa-en de throid?" my momma called, which simply asked what he seeing? "Koo'psion? Koova ka'non psion?" Dearest. My dearest love. It was something my momma called Steele from time to time. It was a term of endearment and sign of mutual affection; at least, that was what Steele told me it meant.
At the sound of my momma's voice, Steele finally managed to tear his eyes away from the approaching dinghy and back to us.
"Raina… Terrilyn… koo'psion. Koova ka'non psioni," he said in his beautiful, strange dialect. He switched to common as he lowered his gaze. I knew immediately that something was very wrong. The questions spilled out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.
"Steele? What is it? What's going on? Do you know them? Why they're here?" I asked, the rapid firing of questions made Steele smile weakly. At the very least, he was amused with my curiosity.
"I do not know if I know them personally, but I am thinking there are a few familiar faces among them. Hear me. They are going to leave Creewood and this portion of the coast alone. I will ensure it, but I may… have to go with them." Steele's words hung limply in the air. I felt like an autumn leaf clinging to the dree only to be pulled free by a strong gust of wind.
Go with them?
Leave?
I looked up into Steele's violet eyes and saw the immense amount of pain in them. He obviously did not want to leave, but I had to wonder why.
"Dad," I said, the word slipping out of me in a disbelieving sigh. "Why? What do you mean go with them? I don't understand."
"I agree, Steele," stated my momma, her motherly tone sounding like she was scolding the giant practically standing at eye-level with us. "Please, tell me. Koo'psion." There was another pang of something deep in the flecks of Steele's violet eyes that I could not even begin to fathom. It was like an entire history all on its own hid in his mind only now to be glimpsed in his eyes.
I took a breath and turned my eyes to the ship and the approaching dinghy once again, eyes fixated on the rapidly growing figures as they neared the beach. There was not a lot of time. If Steele was going to say something or explain what he meant, he was wasting time.
"Steele – dad – please," I pleaded. Perhaps it was something in my voice. Perhaps it was the impending unknown approaching us on the waves. Whatever the case, he yielded to me.
"According to Orion law, we are not supposed to interfere with the natural progression of cultures and technologies in this land or any territory belonging to your people. It is called the Directive of Noninterference. Well… by living here and helping your people, I have interfered. I came here against orders to… try to stop… my son…" Steele's voice trailed off for a moment as he remembered his son, Mithos, before continuing his explanation. "If they are here for the reasons I believe they are, I am to be taken into custody by my people and brought back to Iothea for trial."
My stomach dropped into my shoes.
Steele…
Arrested?
Apprehended for helping us? Punished for teaching us?
This was absolutely ludicrous.
"That's absurd!" I shouted, instinctually placing my hand on my sword. "I won't let them take you. Let me be a character witness, Steele. Momma and I will help, right?" My mother nodded confidently, though I noticed something in her eyes as she gazed up at Steele. It looked like a reluctant acceptance, which only made my hackles raise.
Was she giving up? Was this her "respecting his culture?"
No!
I refused.
In defiance, I stared back up at Steele as reassuringly as I could.
I wasn't going to let them take Steele, no matter what ridiculous tradition they proclaimed. According to our laws, Steele was a citizen of our land and The Four of Creewood needed to approve any citizen being taken to another province, district, territory, or continent.
Steele was one of us.
Steele must have seen the expression on my face, because the next thing I saw were his hands cresting over the ledge of the shale cliffs. One hand gently pressed against my mother's back while the other pressed against my spine. The warmth of his hand soothed my nerves, but it did nothing to calm my defiance.
"Koova ka'non psioni. You mean more to me than the sun's light," smiled Steele. "Let us see for what purpose they are here. Perhaps… this is a visit from comrades or pure coincidence that they arrived here on the shores where I reside."
Tenseness clenched and unclenched my chest with each breath. I was not reassured at all by his endearing comment, but he was right. There was no sense in being too defensive until we knew why these Orion were approaching.
I practically shoved myself against Steele's hand, using his palm as a wall and slinking down to start subtly stretching.
The dinghy was growing closer and closer. In Steele's foreign tongue, I heard some of the other Orion speaking and shouting orders to the others who were rowing the dinghy. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing as I felt the hilt of my sword warming at my touch.
We stood there for I was not sure how long when I first heard the sound of the oars catching the water. The rhythm was distinct and followed a specific pattern of the rowers coming up for the catch, pushing, and going in for the swing. I could hear mutterings and words, all in Steele's native tongue, growing louder and louder, distinguishing itself from the waves that were crashing against the beach.
When the dinghy so close, Steele drew his hands away from us and turned to face the approaching sea vessel. I approached the very edge of the cliff, practically standing at Steele's side, as the massive boat ran aground a short distance away from us.
When I stared at the boat, several things stood out to me. One of those things was the fact that the wooden panels that constructed it were immense and not constructed of hundreds and thousands of much smaller logs. There were five Orion on board, and their attire was unusual compared to how Steele had presented himself for so long.
All five individuals worse billowing cotton shirts and matching light blue vests which all bore the same crest as the one on the banner that hung off of the stern of the dinghy. The faces of four of the Orion were youthful, looking to be my age or possibly younger, and had clean shaven cheeks. Their eyes, varying in color, instantly intrigued me, but that would have to wait because my attention turned to the older gentleman leaping down off of the dinghy and onto the sand.
His weight caused him to sink into the sand and shook the shale cliffs my momma and I were standing on, but he didn't seem to take notice. It was as easy for him to shake the stones from the cliffs as it was for me to kick a pebble down the dirt road.
This last Orion was a portly man whose age showed in his face. He had the same number of crow's feet on his face that Steele had, but his attire looked like someone of nobility or of official status. His vest was blue as was his coat, which was trimmed in that same yellow gold color that was on the banner, but he wore a cravat around his neck unlike the other Orion who rowed him to shore.
Steele and this other, older Orion stood a few arms' length apart, each evaluating the other's position and demeanor. The sound of the ocean resumed, uninterrupted by calls and commands from the individual Steele seemed to be staring down.
Steele's entire posture was rigid and taut, ready to spring into action at any moment. I laid my hand on my blade, knowing that there was little I could do if these five Orion decided to rush Steele. I cursed under my breath, the feeling of uselessness creeping back over me. It had been quite a while since I felt this way, and I hated the sensation.
Then, the new Orion spoke, his voice equally as thunderous and encompassing as Steele's voice, but harsher and mildly more pompous.
They spoke in Steele's native language, but I understood them perfectly.
"It has been many moons since I have laid eyes on you," said the foreign Orion.
"And I you," replied Steele in his own tongue. The other Orion's rigid brow, chiseled seemingly from stone, suddenly broke. His features, once obstinate and rigid, softened into a smile that was akin to the one Steele gave me – caring and grandfatherly.
The portly Orion stepped forward, his lips spreading and laugh erupting from his chest and spreading to his eyes, and held out an immense forearm toward Steele, who took it and clasped it firmly. The two clasped one another's forearms in a beast master's handshake as they maintained their eye-contact.
Both of them started chuckling as they pulled one another into a partial embrace, clapping one another on the back as they pulled away and continued speaking in their native tongue.
"Wofur Otagun, you Mossback. Of all the faces that I thought would greet me, yours was the last," greeted Steele. The tenseness eased from my body, but not entirely. I continued watching the two interact not as authority and civilian, but as old friends who had not seen one another in a long time.
Steele took a partial step backward to look at his friend, his laugh contagious and making my momma smile as she watched these two interact.
"My friend, you look like an officer of old or one of those diplomats we used to spurn. Don't tell me you accepted the promotion," stated Steele as he reached forward and tugged at the knee length frock coat before leaning back on his heel placed his hands on his hips. Wofur Otagun mirrored Steele's stance, placing his hands on his hips and looking down, obviously embarrassed.
I saw Wofur reach up and scratch the back of his gray balding head before turning his sapphiric gaze to Steele.
"Unfortunately, my friend, it was an opportunity I could not afford to lose," sighed Wofur. "And, with a heavy heart, I am not as young as I once was."
"Nor am I," stated Steele. The two of them shared a kindred look before bursting out in laughter, Wofur stepping forward and resting his hand on Steele's shoulder. This old friend of Steele's revealed a part of him I had never seen. I could practically see the years melt away, revealing two young men shooting the breeze and exchanging stories collected from the day.
I felt the last of my anxiousness drain as I suddenly found myself smiling uncontrollably. This injection of youth was something I had never seen in Steele, and I loved seeing him like this.
It was only after Steele and Wofur stopped laughing that I noticed Steele's violet eyes turn toward my momma and me. Wofur's eyes widened and his level of comfort obviously diminished. It was obvious he wasn't used to interacting with our people based on the way he shuffled his feet awkwardly and glanced at Steele for some sort of cue.
"Wofur, I would like to introduce two people who are very precious to me," stated Steele. He reached up and clasped his friend's shoulder, leading him a little closer to the cliffs where my momma and I were standing. I almost lost all track of my manners as I looked up into Wofur's sapphire blue eyes, but managed to snap out of my trance as Steele introduced us.
"This is Raina Toro," introduced Steele as he gestured to my mother who, after a moment, curtsied and smiled politely before placing her hands folded in front of her. "And this is her daughter, Terrilyn Lun."
Of all the things Steele taught me, proper etiquette for his culture and language was one of them. I swallowed dryly, hoping my words wouldn't fail me, as I gave an introductory bow, placing my left foot slightly behind my right, bending my knees as if to curtsey, and bending my torso over while keeping a straight back. I placed my right hand flat against my sternum while I extended my left, bending the elbow slightly.
I didn't need to look up to know that both Steele and Wofur were impressed, but he was getting ready to get the surprise of his life. Keeping low in my bow and keeping my eyes averted, I spoke as loudly and clearly as possible in Steele's native tongue.
"Greetings, Wofur Otagun, to Creewood of Weslox. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Terrilyn Lun," I said. I saw Wofur's eyes widen with surprise, probably because he didn't expect me to be able to speak his language as if it was my own. The curious look shifted into a look of someone who was impressed before he bowed in return.
"Pleasure to meet you, Terrilyn Lun. If I may be so bold, your pronunciation is flawless. Steele taught you?" asked Wofur, glancing at his friend before turning his sapphiric eyes onto me.
"Yes, Steele is an astounding instructor. Everything I know comes from him," I said. I saw a beam of pride cross Steele's eyes as he glanced down at me and then back to his friend.
"Wofur, be true with me. You have not come here simply to mix pleasantries. What is the purpose of your travels?" asked Steele. I could tell by my adoptive Orion father's posture that his guard was still up. He was evaluating his friend and the other Orion aboard the dinghy. There was a subtle cloud that formed in Wofur's eyes, and I knew something was amiss.
After a moment of these two old friends locking eyes, Wofur spoke.
"Steele, there are certain issues that have arisen. It is my job, as well as the Captain's directive, to explain the situation and, if possible, convince you to come with us," said Wofur. Steele's muscles flexed subtly as he lightly clenched and unclenched his fists.
"In chains?" he asked softly, no malice in his voice. Wofur shook his head.
"No. A free man, and one whose prestige is still recognized. Steele, this is a desperate matter we have come to you with, and only you can assist. We need you to come home…"