Challenge #04763-M014: Found on the Doorstep

Their back was so injured they couldn't move. The litter they were on was dumped unceremoniously at the cottage of an old devil who raised goats. They had bled and taken injuries for the ones that now ditched them as useless. Yet, they felt no rage. Even if they died here. They got hurt saving people from a monster attack. That, for them, was good enough. -- Anon Guest

Kosh woke to the barking of his goat, Nani, who was convinced that she was actually a dog. Someone was too close to the front door. It was not yet dawn, when he was used to rising and getting on with things. Grumbling, he rose from his soft bed and warm wife, pulling on at least a pair of pants before investigating the ruckus.

"Klappe," he told Nani. "Platz."

Obedient as any hound, Nani parked her rump on the tile, stubby tail wagging.

Outside, on the doorstep, was an unwanted soul. Not a new one in a basket, but a rather more mature one on a litter. Whoever had left hir there had knocked on the door and ran away. They might have been hoping for the best, or relying on the reputation of minor miracles associated with this house. Or they might have been assholes relying on he and Delia's reputation for taking in random lost souls.

The ex-adventurer on the litter had half bled to death on the way here. Kosh used his shadows to at least staunch the bleeding and told Nani to go fetch Delia. He'd apologise for the hooves on her stomach at a later hour.

Kosh knew better than to try and move hir now. Even with his shadow helping, it ran the risk of causing even more damage. He could not help beyond holding hir hand and keeping hir company until Delia arrived. Rumpled, sleepy, and gorgeous, of course.

She could fortify this poor soul with relative ease. Well. Easier than Kosh could. "The people who brought hir here did more harm than good," she reported. "At least we can take hir in now."

It was still a very careful series of movements. From lifting to moving hir inside to gently placing hir on a bed better suited for recovery. Even with the best Druidic magic to help, it would be months before ze could even try to fend for hirself.

Ze blinked awake just as Kosh was adjusting hir new bed.

"Ah. Hallo," said Kosh. "Do you have a name you like?"

"Miralov," ze managed. "I'd shake your hand, but... I can't even shake my head."

"I'd say 'well met', but... circumstances." A vague gesture at all of Miralov. "You're going to need a lot of care in the coming days. And your friends have left on other adventures."

"Good. I told them to. There's evils that have to be defeated, and lingering for me will do nothing to stop them."

Nani started sniffing at Miralov, trying to figure hir out. She was content to follow Kosh's lead, though, and treated hir with care.

"We'll do what we can for you, but it's going to take a lot of time," warned Kosh. "Starting with some fresh Dire Goat milk. Good for quite a lot of things. Just... not this."

[Photo by Liv Cashman on Unsplash]

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