No one noticed him. He hardly stood out anyway. A dark cloak was drapped over him, the hood up, and his head was down a little, whether it was to keep his face dry or keep his face hiddened wasn't a question that crossed anyone's mind. They knew his race, they knew it just by looking at him, for his features were easily seen.
They had no fear of the cloaked stranger, nor did he have any fear of them, for like them, he just wanted to get out of the rain.
Some children ran about, laughing and playing in the mud.
The stranger stopped for a moment to watch a group of younger kids playing. They were playing catch, and the ball rolled out into the rode.
A little girl went after it. Just as she picked it up she heard something, looked up the hill, and gasped in fear.
The stranger looked where she was looking to see a large wagon rolling down the hill towards the girl, picking up speed quickly. Without a second thought he ran towards the girl, leaped forward, sailed just over her head, carefully grabbing her and pulling her with him, covered her with his arm, rolled when he landed, and was just barely missed by the wagon.
Terrified, the girl clung to her rescuer, trembling.
"It's all right. You're safe." he said gently.
He put her down and started to walk away.
"Thank you." she said quietly.
He stopped and turned back around.
"What?"
"Thank you."
He paused for a moment.
"You're welcome."
After he was gone the girl recalled the feeling of his hands grabbing her and pulling her out of the way of the wagon. They had felt so different from any pair of hands she had known.
The next day she was out playing in the front yard of her parents' house when she heard footsteps. She turned to see the stranger from the day before.
She smiled, put down her toys, and ran towards him.
The stranger obviously heard her, for he turned around to face her.
"Hi!" she said when she reached him.
"Hello again."
"I'm Katy. What's your name?"
The stranger hesitated.
"It's best you don't know my name."
Though she was confused, Katy decided not to argue.
He's very mysterious but nice, he did save me after all.
"Why don't you take the cloak off?"
"If I did someone might recognize me, and it's best if my true identity isn't known."
"Are you some kind of hero?"
The stranger laughed.
"No. Not at all. I'm defienitely not a hero."
"Oh." Katy said, a little disappointed.
"Hey, mabey we can talk again some other time."
Katy perked up.
"Yeah!"
The stranger chuckled.
"See ya around, Katy." he said as he left.
Through another conversation later that day it was agreed that the stranger would come at night after Katy had gone to bed, and he did.
They had several conversations in the nights that followed, but none of them gave Katy a single clue as who her rescuer was. Finally she knew she had to ask him again.
After he came in through her window, which was only a few feet off the ground, Katy knew she had to ask him now or she never would.
"Who are you?"
The stranger turned to her.
"No one can know who I really am."
Katy was disappointed.
"That's why you need to keep it a secret."
She looked at him in surprise.
For the first time since her rescue, the stranger moved his hand. He reached up and pulled the hood of his cloak down.