The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond

A Vow of Education

**~~~~~**

Chapter Four: A Vow of Education

**~~~~~**

I had just finished for the day. I had finished some trenches so that when the warm rains came it would not flood the lands below and would instead feed into pools of water for livestock. It was a simple job, but there was a certain beauty in the simple jobs of the everyday laborer.

Though I towered above them, they bravely came out of their homes and greeted me, some offering loaves of their bread or fruits and vegetables from their fields. It was significant to give such a thing to me, and I accepted gratefully. The things I was doing seemed minimal, but I had to consider that the labor alone to do some of what I could do in an afternoon would take them weeks and moons to accomplish.

It had only been six moons since my sentence was acquitted, deemed innocent from the charges that kept me in this land for so long. I once might have resented my situation, but I now saw that I could have asked for no greater blessing. This place was a land of peace and beauty. Cities were few and far between. People were not piled on top of one another in a constant struggle for resources and power.

Here, I could truly be free.

Funny.

Once a place of captivity and prison was now my freedom – my paradise.

I finished my work early today because Raina and I were supposed to go together, but I saw her on the road, and she told me I should take the afternoon to myself and that she could handle speaking to the farmers on her own.

I know she includes me in nearly everything she does and would not exclude me on purpose. Her suggestion was one of genuine care, and for good purpose too. She knew I was in the process of making my own cloth from the plants I found here. Retting plants such as hemp, ramie, and flax is a relatively simple process, but creating a loom large enough to accommodate my frame in this land has been a significant challenge.

Thankfully, I have some assistance in this. Creating a fundamental loom at my size was my job, and locals looking to earn either favors or coin assist in weaving the fibers together is their job. It is a symbiotic relationship, and one that is beneficial to us all. I could do the process myself, but that would hardly be earning my keep.

So, being released from my afternoon chores, I elected to go back home and continue my work on my own abode, a home carved into the side of the cliff side directly beside the ocean. There was a large crevasse in the stone which I had been carving and clearing away, and it was starting to take true shape with an entrance and a single, large room where I was carving my bed.

On my way, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the day, the sun's light warming my face and energizing me with its youthful glow. I relished the sensation of feeling the sun's light. It made me feel like years of my life spent in cold, harsh darkness were being burned away, replaced by the fond memories I made so very recently with Raina.

Raina. What an amazing woman. She is the reason I am here, alive and free. She has shown me such care and love. Truly, it is a blessing from the Four Sovereigns that she came into my life.

Her and her daughter both; though, I had a sneaking suspicion that I made little Terrilyn nervous. It was completely understandable. From her perspective, and from the perspective of all from this land, I was a giant. The stories about my people do not paint us in a flattering light, and for good reason. The Orion and the people of this land have had an interesting relationship since the beginning.

The primary element that keeps these wonderful people safe, unbothered for the most part by our people, was the Directive of Noninterference. I couldn't recall when it was created, but its primary objective was to keep this land untainted and pure, undisturbed by the "progress" of the Orion.

In essence, those in power at the time determined that these people needed to be able to progress on their own timeline, uninfluenced by Orion culture. We had our technological advances and our own scientific discoveries as well as the influence of magic in some of our arcanely gifted. It was determined that these people needed to progress in their own way and in their own time.

Sometimes, our influence was necessary, saving certain elements and cultures by removing them from areas where our quarrels and wars spilled over, but we have always tried to stay separate.

While some, such as myself, do not see harm in providing guidance and knowledge, others see this interference as a disgrace, influencing and tainting a "pure culture."

Regardless, I was here now, forsaken by my own land and culture to live out the rest of my days, and I was going to use my knowledge to help these people for the rest of my days. By entering this land, I accepted the possibility of exile years ago and forsook the notion of seeing my homeland again.

This was something I was at peace with. There was no one home who would miss me. There was no one home who helped make my house a home. I made a new home – a new family – adopted by two of the kindest individuals I have ever known.

So, with these thoughts in mind, I began my walk home. It was then, on my way home, that I noticed Terrilyn, Raina's daughter, crying by the fence of one of the nearby fields. I don't know what inspired me to look down in that moment. Perhaps it was the guidance of the Four Sovereigns, but this path led me here, and I decided to walk it.

She told me about the horrid boys who called her "Illy," and how they bullied her. Just the thought of someone so sweet – so innocent – being belittled because of her family history resonated with me. In this way, our cultures – the Orion and these people – were very similar.

The actions of one reflect on the whole family, especially the descendants.

Hearing her desire to learn inspired me. Terrilyn was young, meaning her mind was optimal for sculpting and absorbing knowledge. She had so much potential, and she was not permitted to grow her mind due to circumstance. This young girl had to sit under windows and listen to lessons and stories to expand her knowledge. She could only be taught so much using this technique. This is what truly drove me to my next actions.

This, in its way, was where our cultures were severely different – and where their culture was lacking. Did they not know how different perspectives could further their minds? Enrich their experiences and expand their thinking?

I could teach her only so much, so someone else needed to help enrich Terrilyn's mind. I had been asking around for some time about the different residents, and it was now that one of these names came to my mind – Mehlein Hohru.

Mehlein's writings were known across the world, especially in the land from which I hailed. Despite our Directive of Noninterference, it did not stop us from acquiring knowledge from the land of these people. He was a poet, a mathematician, an architect, and an excellent historian. His storytelling was known to the Orion – and to me.

What was better was that he was here – in Creewood.

I was originally asking for myself, but this alternative was fortuitous, and I decided to seize the opportunity for both of us to educate ourselves.

It was decided.

I brought Terrilyn to the doorstep of this retired tutor and offered my services in exchange for his kindness in providing Terrilyn with knowledge I could not give her. She would learn by his hand, her mother's, and my own. She would get what she desired – education, a priceless experience.

It was when she asked me why I was doing this that I saw something in her eyes. For some time, it seemed like she was hesitant to trust me. It was completely understandable, seeing that I was once viewed as a monster from another land.

But, seeing her now, I saw a true glint of her mother's fascination and caring. I saw a determination and drive in this young mind, and I knew she was seeing past my size and seeing me not just as an Orion, but also a friend and someone who she could trust.

Irefused to fail her.