A Needed Helping Hand

"Where are you going Illy!?" shouted Jul. I heard him and the others' voices getting fainter and fainter the longer I ran. With the taste of iron in my mouth, I didn't let myself stop running. It was disgusting, like sucking on a coin. 

My lungs burned. Every muscle screamed at me to stop, pleading for just one moment, while my toes throbbed and stung. I knew immediately the moment it happened that I smashed one of my toes and probably ripped off the nail from another when I tripped back in the town. 

Still, I didn't let myself stop running until I made it to the fields and familiar dirt roads. 

The moment I was out of their ranges, I let myself collapse. They wouldn't go further than the border of the town. Those thugs didn't like going out so far into the fields. 

City scum – the whole lot of them. 

I hunkered down against one of the posts that held up the two-board fence and let my frustration well up inside me until it spilled out into tears. 

The whole scene played out from behind my eyes. It was there, like a relentless nightmare, and every blink reminded me of what just transpired. I tried telling them to go away, but that first boy shoved me from behind. The moment I turned around, the next one shoved me too. It was that shove that pushed me to the ground. 

As I scrambled to get up, heart pounding out of my chest, I felt them grab at my ankles. I kicked out. It was the first good blow I managed to get in, whacking one of Jul's goons in the nose with my heel. I was on my feet in an instant, but then Jul snagged my collar and shoved me against the wall. That must've been when I bit my tongue because that was the instant I tasted iron. 

Gross.

I got in a few punches, but not before they pushed me around some more. I smashed into a barrel, which I knew was going to leave a bruise, and managed to land okay on the ground. I spotted a patch of grit and gravel on the road and knew I had my chance. 

I snatched a handful of dirt and grit off of the ground and threw it into my attackers' eyes. They howled in pain and confusion, which gave me a chance to get up and start the sprint of my life. 

The whole way, I heard them calling out to me, shouting at me – the Illy – asking why I wouldn't stay and that they could teach me so many things. 

Cowards.

They wouldn't have ganged up on me if they were alone. I could have taken them one on one. 

Well…

Maybe…

I thought I could take them. I wanted to be able to take them. I curled further in on myself and continued to let the tears spill from the corners of my eyes. 

Why? 

Why did they have to be so horrible to me? 

The word – that name – rang over and over in my head. 

Illy. 

Illy.

Illy.

It was slang, a derogative term used for children born to unwed mothers – mothers like my mom. 

Illy.

Illegitimate. 

A child who is an "Illy" is a silent mark on the family. It says that someone or both parties couldn't control themselves, and that they did it often enough to produce a child. It's not a crime to be in love. It's not a crime to show your love. Still… a tradition is a tradition. There's a reason it has endured. 

It's not fair. 

I didn't ask for this. I wished I knew my father and that my mother could be happily married. I wanted to learn things from my father and spend time with him. I wished I had a father who could teach me about the world. I wished I had him around to tell me stories and love me unconditionally. Didn't they know that? Didn't they know how much it hurt me to not have that in my life? If things were different, he would be in my life and then, maybe, I could attend school, but that wasn't the case.

Tears continued to slide down my cheeks. Frustration consumed my mind, making me shake. I was so distracted that, in that moment, I didn't even notice the sound of pounding or the looming figure until I heard his voice. 

"Terrilyn?" A shiver shot down my spine as I suddenly realized the sky was eclipsed by none other than the Orion, Steele Veyne. I looked up into his violet eyes, seeing the crow's feet by his eyes and the quizzical look on his brow, and instantly felt cotton mouthed. 

Steele spoke so softly, and yet I felt like I just jumped out of my skin at hearing his voice. 

Curses. 

I wondered if he could see the red rims around my eyes or the bruises forming on my face. I turned my face away, shying from his gaze, and tried wiping away my glossy tears from my cheeks. 

When I mostly composed myself, I dared to look back at Steele and nodded a few times. Finding my voice was a challenge, but I managed to spit out a few words. 

"Yes, it's me. Hello Steele," I said. The emotion in my voice must have peaked his interest, because the elderly, giant man moved slowly from crouching to kneeling to sitting. His head turned curiously from side to side. 

"Terrilyn? You… are upset? What happened?" asked Steele. He has always been direct – reserved, but direct. If he has a question, he asks it without hesitation, but somehow managing to do so tactfully. His question prompted my eyes to start watering again. I tried uselessly to wipe away the new onslaught of tears onto my sleeve, but it didn't work. 

Then, I heard a quick, ripping sound and, moments later, I saw Steele's index finger descend and inch toward me, a fragment of fabric on the tip of his finger. 

A handkerchief made from part of his shirt. 

I smiled to myself at the thoughtfulness of the gesture, but my hands still shook when I reached out to take the piece of cloth. 

I managed to mop up my face against the coarse cloth before I looked back up at him. Steele, sitting and waiting patiently, smiled gently and waited for some kind of explanation. I swallowed dryly and spoke as loudly and clearly as I could, which still wasn't very loud. 

"I'm alright. I just… fell…" I said, ashamed to admit I had been pushed to the ground and teased as well. Steele, with his intuitive gaze, seemingly saw right through my omissive truth. 

"You are not… eh… koonyardo vi… cloom-see," stated Steele. I couldn't stop my slight chuckle of Steele's mispronunciation or my embarrassment. At least I could help with one of those. 

"Clumsy," I mumbled. "It's clumsy." 

"Ah! Yes. Clumsy. You are not clumsy," said Steele as he mouthed the word a few times to remember it before continuing his light interrogation. "Well, you will tell me what happened?" Steele still had trouble with our language and got the word order wrong or weird from time to time. Still, he never let that stop him from trying. 

I wished I could be like that, but I wasn't. Seeing Steele wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than the truth, I decided he would find out sooner or later when I talked to my momma about the incident in town. 

I took a breath and decided to yield. 

"I… well…" This was going to be harder than I thought. I collected my thoughts while Steele sat patiently before continuing my explanation. "There are… these boys in town. They don't like it when I listen to story time and… well…" 

"They… hurt you?" I flinched as Steele's voice stiffened into a growl. I couldn't lie to him. 

"I… well… they usually just call me names, but that didn't happen today," I said, trying in some weird way to ease the situation and prevent Steele from taking out whatever anger he was capable of.

Hearing about the name calling, however, only seemed to make Steele bristle even more. 

"What names?" he asked. I wasn't sure, but I could have sworn in that moment that his violet eyes got darker and more menacing. 

"P-p-please don't be angry," I stammered, shrinking away from his gaze. Seeing my reaction instantly changed Steele's demeanor. The shadow that seemed to loom over his head as I confessed what happened in the town dissipated. His eyes softened. Even he took a breath and nodded. 

"Apologies," he said softly. "I did not mean to startle you. I just want to know." I nodded, feeling my pounding heart skip a beat or two before I replied. 

"N-no. It's okay," I muttered. I saw Steele nod, which amazed me. Perhaps it was years of time with our people or his own keen senses, but Steele's hearing was impeccable. "Um… they…. They were calling me 'Illy'." 

"Illy?" asked Steele, head turning to the side in another curious, quizzical moment. "What does it mean?" I felt a pang in my chest. 

"It… means illegitimate. It means I have no father and that my momma is unwed," I muttered. 

Curses! 

The tears started coming back. I noticed Steele stiffen as he absorbed the information. Then, seeing that it was clearly upsetting me, he changed the subject. 

"You… go to the school for stories?" asked Steele. "You like learning?" 

I wiped my eyes again and nodded, pulling my legs down so they were crossed in front of me instead of pressed against my chest. 

"Yes, I love learning, but I can't read and am not allowed to go to school," I said. 

"You… cannot read? They will not let you? Why?" asked Steele. There were so many questions from the giant man that I felt a bit flustered, but I collected my thoughts and replied. 

"No… I can't read. I mean, I can read a little, but not a lot. And I am not allowed because it's not 'proper.' The main school is for boys only and we have enough, momma and me, but not enough for a tutor to teach me," I said. The words poured out of me, and I couldn't stop myself. Somehow, now, being alone with Steele while I was feeling down let me talk to the Orion freely and openly. 

Steele's finger approached again and pointed to the blood on my foot that poked out from the hem of my skirt. 

"Do you need help? You are hurt," said Steele. I snapped out of my momentary daze as I suddenly remembered the wood sorrel and yarrow in my pack. 

"Um… no. I have some herbs," I said as I pulled out the beautiful, dried flowers from my pack. I realized immediately that I had no idea how to actually use these plants. Were they just supposed to be pressed into the cut? Were they supposed to be mixed? Drank? Eaten?

"Chew," said Steele, his deep thunderous voice sounding like distant rolling thunder that completely engulfed me. I looked up into his face and watched as he pointed to the cluster of flowers in my hand and then pointed to his mouth. "You need to make a… koonyardo vi… pool-tice? No, poultice. Like a paste or glue." 

I stared at Steele for a few more moments before nodding, showing him I understood. I was in awe of him. I didn't know he knew about plants and herbs like Kendel. 

What else did Steele know? 

I did as Steele instructed and shoved the prickly, dried plants into my mouth. It took a minute, but I managed to chew them up into an odd tasting paste and followed Steele's instructions on wiping away the blood with the clean portion of the shirt fragment he gave me and then applying the poultice onto my toes and foot, using the remainder of the cloth to secure the pulp in place. 

I was right. I had split my heel and one of my toenails was barely hanging on. I bit into the little piece of cloth that was left and cut the nail free using my knife. It stung, but somehow Steele's proud smile at how brave I was being comforted me. 

"You did so well," he encouraged, carefully tapping the ground in front of me to encourage and reassure me. 

It made me smile. 

"Terrilyn?" asked Steele. "Do you… want to learn? Go to school? Read?" My heart soared just thinking about going to learn every day, listening to stories of adventures and far off lands and heroes. 

"More than anything," I said eagerly; but then my heart clenched and began to sink into the ground once again. "But… I can't…." 

Steele shook his head and, carefully, extended an open palm to me. 

"No. Not can't. Will. Come," he said. There was something in his voice that was reassuring and coaxed me forward. I had seen my momma do it a hundred times, and I had done it a few times as well, but the whole concept of stepping onto a giant's hand, literally putting your life with them, unnerved me a little. 

Still, I did it. I pushed myself up off of the ground and into his hand, wondering the whole time what Steele's plan was. As I crouched and hoisted myself onto his palm, I could make out the grit and dirt in every line and swirl of his finger and felt the warm pulse of his heart beneath me. My entire body shuddered as Steele stood, the height alone making my head spin. 

I stared out into the vast horizon and, all at once, my mind forgot everything else. I saw endless fields all around me, speckled with clusters of trees that led into a forest and houses all across the land. The ocean stretched out far beyond where I could see, a misty haze safeguarding the secrets beyond the edge of the world. 

I was completely mesmerized at this breathtaking view. 

"Beautiful," I muttered, more to myself than to Steele. Still, he responded. 

"Ken. Sylstaryn," Steele replied in his strange dialect When he realized what he said, he shook his head quickly as if to shake something away and muttered, "Apologies. My tongue slips from time to time." 

"Don't be sorry," I said, turning to face him. "I… think your language is pretty." At this, Steele beamed ever so slightly, but gestured that he was about to walk and took a few steps, letting me brace myself before he continued to walk. 

I didn't know where he was taking me, but I spent time enjoying the sights and the air as it blew through my hair. It was faster than I had ever run before, and the sensation was thrilling. I felt like the wind. Free. 

Soon after, Steele approached a small house on the edge of the road that was a bit far from the town and crouched down, laying his hand on the ground and gesturing for me to get off. 

"Steele? What are we doing here?" I asked. I felt completely confused. This was the home of Mehlein Hohru, an older man who was a bit of a hermit. He did not like to be bothered and was not one to suffer fools. 

"Trust me," was Steele's only reply. 

With that, he leaned forward to the stone cottage and gently tapped on the door. The house was only two rooms, and so Mehlein came quickly to the door. 

The older man's upturned nose, which had a slight crook in it where it might've been broken at one point or another in his life, was the first thing to poke through the door. His eyes, narrow and beady, were black like glossy coal. His long, thin fingers hooked around the edge of the dark wooden door as he peered out. 

Seeing me, he gave a scowl, but then his eyes ventured up to Steele, and he merely stared curiously at him. Then, Mehlein spoke. 

"Well, what can I do for you?" he asked, directing his question not at me, but Steele. Calm and collected, Steele kneeled and bowed his head low before making eye-contact with the elderly hermit. 

"Sir, your name is known to me, and I would request an exchange – a favor for a kindness," stated Steele. I have never heard Steele speak so properly and with such a formal tone. And what did he mean that Mehlein's name was known to him? 

"Kindness and favor? I knew you wanted something, but at least you have manners," called Mehlein. "Your name is known to me as well, Steele Veyne. Now, tell me about these favors and kindnesses you speak of." Mehlein's voice was cold and calculated, but I sword I heard interest too. 

"You desire a well, a fence, a roof, and other work on your land," stated Steele. "In exchange, your kindness will be to teach this girl to read." 

My insides dropped into my toes. What was he doing? What was going on? I couldn't even object because Mehlein is already pacing around me in a circle like a vulture. The cane in his hand tapped and thudded into the ground menacingly as he limped around me. 

"Her? Not you? What makes you think she can?" demanded Mehlein. 

"Because I know it. She is driven and wants to know. She has a good mind and will learn. She can then teach me. While I work, she learns. Agreed?" asked Steele. 

I am so stunned that I don't get in a single word. Instead, Mehlein nodded and said, "Fine. We begin tomorrow. Dawn. Be ready and do not disappoint me." 

With that, the man hobbled back inside. Steele offered his hand to me, and I climbed on without hesitation, numb from the exchange. It is when we are almost home that I managed to find my voice again. 

"Steele… why did you… do that?" I asked. Steele stopped walking and turned those violet eyes onto me, smiling tenderly. 

"Because I want to help you. Because no life should be deprived of an opportunity, especially if someone can make a wish come true," said Steele. "Knowledge is priceless. Do not waist your mind. You have a good one, Terrilyn, just like your mother." 

I couldn't begin to describe my emotions, but I knew in an instant that I glimpsed the man Steele was – who my momma saw – and it was right then, right there, that I decided there was no way I was going to let him down.