Grake just finished feeding the child, who contently settled to sleep, when a knock sounded on the door.
"Just a moment!" Grake called out. His green eyes flicked to the child, but he remained asleep. Relieved, the old villager gently lowered him into a make-shift crib that he made out of one of the large baskets. The lot of potatoes, which he kept in it previously, now sat in an untidy pile on the floor next to his stove. His eyes strayed there for a moment, then returned to the rough wood of the crib. The little Human's skin was so thin and fragile. He was certain to get splinters, the way he always flailed his limbs when he was upset.
"I'll build you a better crib soon." Grake promised. The knock on the door repeated.
"Coming!" Grake hurried to the door and flung it open, expecting to see his neighbor Grish again and ready to pour out more thanks. Instead, several stern pairs of green eyes met him. Grake's heart fell.
"Elder Haren? Elder Dar. Elder Jahn. Good evening to you. How can I be of help?" He tried to smile while his heart clenched with foreboding.
"Good evening to you, too, Grake." The eldest of the villagers smiled faintly. His eyes brows were thick and nearly silver. The younger of them, Jahn, with eye-brows still almost fully dark, huffed and shouldered Grake aside. He strode right to the crib, where he stood and glared at the little Human, his eyes slightly unfocused as if he was looking into great distance.
His breath catching, Grake blinked at that, his hands nervously flinging to the edges of his gown and grasping it for comfort. He shifted, urged to go there and pick up the child, shielding him from the disgruntled villager's attention. Instead, he forced himself to remain where he was, only watching the other with worried eyes.
Frowning even deeper, so his dark eye-brows joined together into a single furry line on his forehead, elder Jahn turned to the others.
"It is not a Human." He accused loudly.
Grake's heart fell.
Turning back to the child, the villager continued. "If it was, it would have said so under his name. But its just a bunch of numbers and letters."
Grake opened his mouth to protest, but another village elder was already walking to the little Human's crib and bending over it. Another moment of silence followed.
"There is an H in it. Where it should say his kind." Elder Dar pointed out to the others, unlike the other elder also including Grake in his gaze. His voice sounded much calmer as well, with a bit of curiosity and excitement despite his attempt to keep an esteemed image.
"Hmm. That means it could be a Human." A fourth voice spoke and another villager stepped out from behind them, his arms folded across his chest in a dignified manner. Grake blinked at their village librarian.
"Fir?" He asked, a little bit lost. The librarian nodded to him solemnly and some of the worry left Grake's heart. At least one of these villagers would be solidly on his side. While not exactly a friend, Fir was a very responsible villager. And while not an elder, a librarian's advice was always well respected.
"Some Human Mages have gibberish like that where it should say Human. It changes back and forth. Their magic is cause. And his eyes glow. Is that true, Grake?" The librarian addressed Grake directly and he nodded, relieved at the offered explanation. The absence of statement saying that the child was Human did bother him quite a bit and he had intended to go and speak to Fir about that, himself. Now he had a good explanation.
"Hmm. I have never heard about this. Our legends don't say anything about this." Jahn frowned at the librarian in doubt. The other villager's sharp eyes immediately held on him, heavy, and his voice grew impartial and cold.
"I found a mention of it in one of our newer books. Human mages are a recent appearance in our worlds. So, of course, this wouldn't be mentioned in our more ancient legends. But it is true. So, he could be a Human."
"So, it's a mage?" This time, the other younger elder, Dar, turned and peered at Grake's foundling with rising interest, bending so he could look at his face. He probably wanted to see if the child's eyes did glow like the spreading village rumors said, but Hero's eyes were closed and it was hard to see that in bright glow of the fireplace, next to which Grake placed his crib. The little Human liked the warmth.
"He. It's a Human boy." The librarian corrected. "Right, Grake?"
Grake nodded again, greatly relieved. So far, the reaction of the elders seemed better than he expected.
"Then, its even worse than we thought." Elder Jahn concluded in a grave tone. Grake blinked in confusion.
"We cannot have a Human with magic living with us in our village. Humans are unpredictable! Destructive!" The younger elder continued, his tone raised to a contrary manner.
"And dumb..." Fir smirked a little. Grake's mouth down-turned, not expecting such betrayal. Usually, Fir always praised the Humans, admired them for their ingenuity and bravery.
"Greedy as well." Dar joined, but the slight smile on his face and dismissive tone, told Grake that he was joking. Ah! So they were countering their fellow elder's grave words by humoring them.
"Its just a child. I doubt that he is very dangerous to us." Dar turned to Jahn, but the other villager huffed.
"We don't even know what magic he has!" He exclaimed and turned to Grake. "Where did you say you found him?"
All pairs of eyes of his late-night visitors turned and rested on the old villager. Grake uncomfortably shifted under all that attention.
"Under a really strange Tree. Not too far from here. I was heading home on the way from Jarosk. I have a friend there, you know, elder Haren." He looked to the eldest of the elders for support and the villager nodded to reassure. Defensively, Grake turned to the others.
"He was crying and I... I couldn't leave him there, all alone."
"You should have left him there! Whoever left him there would have surely returned! Now, they won't be able to find him! If they show up here, they can say that you stole him from them and demand recompense, which our whole village will have to do, because of you!" Jahn accused.
"But there was no one there! Only monsters! I couldn't leave him there by himself. " Grake protested.
Dar frowned and looked at the main elder with an expression that lacked his previous humor. "That's true. Monsters kill all Humans that they find. Maybe they killed this child's parents and that's why he was there all alone. Their bodies were probably nearby, dead. Or disappeared already. You didn't see anything, Grake?"
Grake's hands unwillingly began to shake, since the idea previously didn't occur to him. It made horrible sense, though. Swallowing, he tried to speak, but found that he couldn't. He merely shook his head.
"Its all right, Grake. You're safe. Don't worry." Grake felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and found the eldest villager's pale, green eyes resting on him. Encouraged, he nodded and tried to relax. And he flicked a glance to the sleeping baby, a pang of pity going through his heart. Not just abandoned, then, but an orphan?
"Poor child. We should go out there and check." Dar also spoke with some sadness appearing in his voice.
"Check for what? Its too late. It's been five days. There is nothing there!" Jahn scoffed.
"True. The World probably removed all trace of their presence from that place already. It doesn't like death magic." Fir told everyone.
"I still don't think it's a good idea to bring that Human here, though. What happens to one of them is not our responsibility. There is nothing to be gained by doing this. And since he has magic, he is nothing but a danger to this village." Jahn narrowed his eyes at the Human baby.
Green eyes moved to Grake and he shifted miserably under that blaming glare.
"I say that he takes it back. Leave it to its fate."
"But, Humans don't respawn like us!" Grake protested, his hands starting to shake at the thought of having to do this, should the elders decide against allowing the little Human to stay.
"You would defy our decision?" The younger elder raised his tone of voice in warning.
Grake waivered, his expression miserable, shifting from leg to leg, but didn't answer, his gaze falling before the younger elder's scowling glare.
"I..." Grake looked at the other elders, all of whom were now looking at him sternly. His shoulders slumped, defeated. His lips down-turned, trembling, about to cry.
His heart ached for the little being. Humans didn't respawn like villagers did, they all knew that. What happened to the Humans after they died was a mystery. That meant that if this child fell asleep, he might not reappear elsewhere anew, with a nice family to take care of him. He might not reappear anywhere at all!
This was going all wrong! How could they be so cruel to a living being without the gift of respawn? What could he do? If he didn't comply with their rules, then they could make him leave as well. He was too old to try to settle in another village.
Or... Maybe he still could?
Bart said that he was willing to take him in, didn't he? Bart's village was not very far and Bart was the elder there. Surely he would speak for him.
And... If Bart's village didn't accept Hero there, then he would go to Jalil's village.
Grake still held his head lowered to the ground, but his heart already lifted, encouraged by his decision. He just didn't look forward to the journeys ahead. How would he even bring the baby Human with him? Put him in a basket? Maybe strap him to his back. And add some padding? Grake winced. His back hurt more just from the thought about it. He would need milk, too. Grake knew how to make special baskets that could hold sixty times the amount of things, but he was not so good at enchanting buckets. Who could he ask for help in that?
"Grake?" The eldest of villagers prompted gently and Grake startled, looking up. His weary face held a silent question.
"Grake, are you willing to assume full responsibility for this child?" Haren asked. Grake blinked, then his mouth opened and closed, as he found himself unable to say anything once again for the strong feeling that welled up in his heart. Instead, he hastily nodded.
Elder Jahn startled and looked at the eldest villager in surprise, his eyes widened.
"Elder Haren... That is not what we planned to..." He began to protest, but the eldest villager gestured him to be quiet. Frowning furiously, the younger elder clenched his jaw tight and obeyed.
"Then you may do so." The eldest elder nodded to Grake graciously. The villager jumped, his heart over-flowing with gratitude. Haren lifted a finger in warning.
"But remember. It's every villager's responsibility to think of his village and our common welfare first, ahead of your own."
"Yes, yes, of course!" Grake burst out.
"You may keep this child. But if he becomes a danger to us, it is you whom we will hold accountable for his actions, until he comes of age. His choices will be held as your choices and any wrong he does will be held as your wrong, even into your next respawn. Knowing that, do you still accept this burden? You will treat this child as a Blessing and raise him as your own?"
This time, Grake slightly hesitated, but then his green eyes fell on the small Human, peacefully asleep in his hastily made crib, and he beamed. He shifted his shining gaze to the other villagers with full confidence.
"I do. I will accept responsibility and raise him as my own, in full accordance with our traditions and beliefs." He spoke the usual words required by the occasion. His heart sung.
Jahn rolled his eyes and huffed, but still said nothing. It would be against tradition to speak in public against an elder's decision. And Haren was the eldest of elders. He was an elder when Jahn himself was just a small child running through village paths. Still, he continued to frown at the ground, his entire face showing his disagreement with this decision.
"Good. We will still need a full ceremony later so everyone knows that you've accepted a Blessing." Haren nodded. "Decide when you are ready to do that and let us know. Until then, take care of yourself and of your little one." Haren ordered in a kind tone.
"I will. I will!" Grake promised, evoking smiles from everyone but Jahn.
At that, giving him another small nod in farewell, the eldest of elders turned and started walking away from Grake's house. The librarian solemnly nodded to Grake in farewell and also followed him. Jahn stomped out of Grake's house with a surly expression, not giving him a courteous farewell, but Grake ignored the rude gesture. He was too happy.
Dar smiled. Giving the sleeping little Human another curious look, he went by and grasped Grake's shoulder.
"Congratulations, Grake. And good luck. I think you'll need that. As well as some helpers." He suggested in a good-natured way.
"Yes! I am already working on that." Grake glanced to the table, where lay a piece of paper with symbols on them – his letter to his friends, asking for help.
"All right, Grake. Then I will see you and your foundling later. At the Ceremony." Dar left.
Relieved, Grake stood by his door and watched the departing figures, barely lit by the light of scattered torches.
"Haren, that was NOT what we discussed before we came here today. Allowing a Human to live with us is DANGEROUS. Even a small one like that." Grake heard Jahn protest, unable to help himself, but once again the chief elder gestured him to be quiet and he clenched his mouth closed.
"We are going to regret this. Mark my words..." The younger elder grumbled under his nose and then sharply turned, choosing to walk a bit further from the group.
"He is right, Haren." It was now Dar, who voiced his doubt, once again very serious. "And it's not just because that child has an unknown to us magic. Grake is very old. He will soon respawn himself. Who will take care of that child then? We know so little about the Humans."
"I'll speak to my brother in Garlins and see if there is anything else in our books about the Humans when they are little. And their mages." Librarian Fir offered and the eldest elder nodded his permission.
"On the other hand, Grake has always been a responsible villager." Dar switched to his usual, carefree tone. "So I don't see why we shouldn't let him try? That Human is still little and he is alone. We do not have to worry about what other Humans might do if something goes wrong... As long as he does not become a danger or bother the other villagers too much, it's really not our concern what Grake does with him. If he chooses to treat him as a Blessing, then let it be so." He concluded.
The voices of the elders grew too quiet as they walked further away. Relieved, Grake closed the door and looked back at the sleeping baby Human. He walked over to him and sat down on his chair, where he slumped, briefly closing his eyes. His worst worry was now over. The elders had accepted Grake's decision and that was good.
"You are safe now, Hero." Reaching out, Grake touched the child's tiny, curled up hand. So, so small and helpless. "Everything will be all right now. You see? Wait and trust. Things always turn out well in the end if you just believe. Kindness always comes back to you, even if it takes a little while. You are here for a reason. And one day, you'll show to everyone that I did not make a mistake. Then, they will be glad that I saved you."
The child merely continued breathing, his chest quickly rising and falling. Grake's wrinkled face lit up with a gentle smile.
"Sleep..."