The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond

Fears Come True

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Chapter Thirteen | Fears Come True

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The day began so wonderfully. I awoke from a peaceful slumber in my home in the cliffs. The smell of the ocean filled my nostrils as I pulled myself off of my bed. This seaside cave once reminded me of the cave which I believed would be my tomb, but I altered the interior and shaped the rock to fit my desires.

Now, it was a simple stone cottage melded with the side of the cliffs. There was a place in the back for my bed which was far enough away from the entrance that drafts no longer reached me. I carved a hole into the stone and constructed at stove and chimney to keep me warm and to cook my meals. There were portions of the rock that I hollowed out to serve as places of storage for the few clothes I managed to construct, food items, and project fragments.

After all of this time, I managed to collect enough material for a proper stuffed bed instead of moss covered stone as well as a pillow and blanket. While they were not extremely well made or warm, the people of Creewood were generous enough to spare any and all fragments because of my work with each and every one of them.

I even managed to fashion myself simple tools as well as utensils for my meals by using the rich clay of this land to mold cups, bowls, and other implements.

If I was being honest with myself, anything was more comfortable than my time spent imprisoned beneath The Turret, even if I continued to sleep on stone.

Why?

Because I was free.

I was able to move independently. I possessed a certain amount of autonomy which allowed me to act and perform tasks as necessary.

Finally, my life had balance.

This land – this safe haven for me – was plentiful and rich in all of the things that mattered. With a little assistance, the people of this land had consistently tripled, if not quadrupled, their productivity and output.

Yes, the Directive of Noninterference stated that I was technically not permitted to assist or change the natural flow of their technological and cultural advancements, but nothing I did technically fell under the directive. Using the land efficiently was common knowledge, at least in my opinion it was. Besides, how could I sit by and do nothing when some families – children – depended on these harvests to feed themselves through the harsher months?

At any rate, my people across the ocean in Iothea would need to hear of my actions and decide to incarcerate me, bring me back to my homeland, and offer me a fair trial before sentencing me. It would have put me back in the same position I was in when I first arrived at this place with Raina and Terrilyn's people.

So, I continued the course of my life, living in peace with my decisions, and enjoyed every breath my body drew.

Every decision led me to this exceptionally beautiful day. Everything from watching Terrilyn performing The Trials of Fjodora perfectly to spending the rest of the afternoon in the cool, refreshing water.

It was not until we were drying our bodies in the sun that Raina's voice caught me by surprise. She sounded concerned, alarmed even. Terrilyn was on her feet in an instant, ready to strike, but from my height I did not see anything of alarm on the horizon of the land.

"Mom! We're here! What is it?" called Terrilyn, who had mirrored my observations and turned her eyes to the land. When I saw nothing, I instinctually turned my eyes to the sea. The ocean extended beyond my scope of vision, but my eyes traced the horizon until I noticed a deviation from the norm.

All at once, I felt my body stiffen as I realized immediately what and who this was. Though my eyes were not what they used to be, the banner flying high in the wind was unmistakable.

The colors were from my homeland – Iothea.

Had my fears come true? Had my time come? Were they here to apprehend me? My body shook involuntarily for a few moments before setting and becoming completely rigid. I felt an odd tenseness settling over me as my deep fears began to resurface.

"Steele? What is it? What do you see?" asked Terrilyn, raising her voice to me to obtain my attention. Did I tell her the truth about the current circumstances that had me so uneasy? Did I keep her in the dark about the possibility of me possibly being removed from her life forever?

No.

I needed to tell her the truth. She needed the simple facts.

There was no true sense in worrying until I knew the purpose of this intrusion. After all, it could be nothing. For all I knew, they could be coming to offer an official apology from our counsel for not providing a fair trial for me, nor representation for the trial; not that I deserved it.

"Steele? Do you know what that means?" I continued to look at the banner as the sails began to furl.

"Yes,"I said, my voice low in a borderline growl. "That is the crest of Iothea – mypeople – and I suspect I know why they're here."