"I'm too Fat" You're healthy. "I'm too old." You're mature. "I'm ugly" You're beautiful. "Why are you being like this?" Being like what? "So nice to me." Because you are the kindest, most wonderful person I have ever met. -- BKF
No matter what kind of Unwelcome People there may be, there's always somewhere where they may be welcome. The trick is finding where that is. There's the city ghettos, of course, where the Unwelcome are at least permitted. Sometimes, they're even tolerated there.
Some Unwelcome become heroes. They and their ilk are allowed more than a ghetto. And there's whispers of entire towns full of nothing but Unwelcome People.
None of those were anywhere close to where Aptitude was wandering. They had given up in trying to make themself useful. They'd been run out of too many hamlets, villages, and towns. If it weren't for their terrible skill at cooking, they'd have given up on civilisation years ago. Aptitude had drawn too close to another settlement again. Solely because of the smell.
Baking bread. Simmering stew. And -oh gods- someone was frying onions and garlic.
Aptitude knew very well that they could survive quite well on charred squirrel, carbonised fish, and nuts with berries. Survival be damned, they wanted flavour. They paused at the edge of the forest, still hiding in the bushes. Looking for any sign that they might be friendlier to Hellkin than most.
The trouble was not their fault. Aptitude was watching when they realised that one villager was unknowingly headed for a disaster. The villager couldn't see the maddening bull, but Aptitude was in a prime position to intervene.
Were they really willing to risk their life on the hope of a heel of bread?
...yes, damn the gods.
Aptitude sprang forward, summoning their limited magics as they sped to the place between stranger and animal. Readying a show of shadows and sparks to spook the beast. They threw the spellwork first, growling and snarling as they stepped between.
They got close enough to smack the bull's nose. It was with a stick in their hand, but they were that close. Aptitude had a fraction of a second to feel proud of themself before the world somersaulted around them.
Sky and soil. Around and around and around...
They woke in a bed. Something very unfamiliar to them. There was a lot of pain, something tremendously familiar. Aptitude turned their head, and saw no bars. No soldiers. Just a person tending hir hearth.
A Halfbred, Aptitude guessed. The greenish skin of the Harukh, and the pointed ears of Elvenkind. Both filtered down through the intermediary of Humans. Not a rare blend, in Aptitude's experience. Surprising that ze was taking the time and effort to care.
"You cracked your horn, amongst other things," said the Halfbred. "So don't go trying to jig."
Aptitude managed a chuckle, stopping short from the pain. "My thanks, stranger," they managed. "We haven't well met... I name myself Aptitude."
"Lorbak," said Lorbak. "Thank you for the rescue. I was so absorbed in mushrooms, that I didn't notice Mullinbirg's bloody bull. Reyrelli took him back to his paddock and hedged it with tough briars. We can only hope he doesn't bust out again." Ze stood up from hir huddle, fetching some balms and bandages. "You can speak. A good sign."
"Waking at all is a good sign under my horns," said Aptitude. "I thank you for your mercy. You could have slain a devilborn and named yourself hero."
"That would sit ill next to my heart," said Lorbak. "Can't repay a selfless deed with betrayal. The Fair Folk would turn my life to knots and worse if I even thought about it." Ze absently made a warding gesture as ze spoke. Ze changed Aptitude's bandages and balms, but left the horn. "I don't know about fixing horns. I can brace it and hope it heals. Nothing more than that."
"The alternative involves a bone saw," said Aptitude. "I'll take the brace and hope."
It was a week before Aptitude could rise from the bed without help. Another week before they could help without getting in the way. By the time the two of them could walk together to the market square, the village had had time to get used to a Hellkin in their midst.
A few pretty youths attempted flirting during Aptitude's debut toddle through the streets. Trying to lure the local hero into their beds instead.
"Thank you, but I shall stay with Lorbak. Until ze gets sick of me."
Lorbak coughed hir way around the word, Unlikely.
"Why?" the latest youth demanded. "Ze's old."
"Ze's mature and wise," countered Aptitude
"Ze's fat."
"Ze's healthy and prepared for a harsh winter."
"Ze's ugly!"
"Ze's beautiful in my eyes."
The youth stamped his feet and declared, "Then you're blind and stupid."
Lorbak said, "I never would have believed that Devilborn were crazy until today."
"I know the high value of a kind heart," said Aptitude. "A treasure beyond imagining."
[Photo by Paolo Feser on Unsplash]
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