-Come on, lads, let's get this loser tied up nice and proper. Free slaves don't come to us very often, the pirate captain said, as a fireball hovered in his hand.
* * *
Throughout his life Haldrom always thought of himself as part of nature, a natural occurence, perhaps a disaster, rather than being part of the people, the human society. He didn't make that choice consciously, it just happened that way. His childhood was spent tending to crops and spending a lot of time alone, his adolescense was filled with stress, which broke his ties with humanity even further, and sunk him deeper in the world of loneliness and laboring crafts. The only exception to his social ineptitude was when he was amongst fighters - soldiers, mercenaries, recruits. Most of his language, stylistics, jokes, songs, legends, and poems were accumulated through socializing with people of the blade, whether they were complete bastards or noble at heart.
Naturally, Haldrom developed his personality from the things familiar to him. His thoughts grew slowly, like the plants he farmed, and formed into words overtime like fruits, not ready to be used until ripe. His feelings had to heat up and bend like the iron he worked with, stubborn, steady in their slowness, and not easily shared. The only exception to his inner state was state of anger and sense of danger, as if his only moments of true living happened when he was in a fight.
Just like back then, ten years ago, his slow simple and over analytical mind and his stubborn uncompromising temper had lost him the girl, who chose a smoother talker and perhaps rightly so. Will she ever be his? Does he want her now? Does he have a right to want her? Now, laying in the soothing waters of the Sirani island hot spring, against a warm nude body of a woman sleeping on his chest, his mind came to order. How easily he could be manipulated. By a rogue woman, by a friendly half elf, by a wandering lizard, by a shipwrecked rescue, by anyone who really shows him kindness, a small bit of kindness.
Having a few beers with Djironnyma and a night with this mysterious girl has done more for him in this entire winter than anything. At last, no uncertainty, a sense of completeness. All it took to melt down his stone heart was a little bit of sincere caring.
He could not believe that one man with a few kind and honest words could change his vision of Tol Vanima, something that a dozen of rude, loud, self important, stupid mouths could not accomplish. How smooth, how masterful, how humble. He started with an apology, and won Hal's heart with that humility, putting himself, not superior, but on the same level.
"Was that all it took to make me a loyal friend?", Haldrom thought. "Would I be willing to agree with any lie, if the person is being good to me?"
He did not like that thought. But it was persistant, growing to its full and unstoppable bloom.
"Yes, hell yes. I'll be a friend to anyone who shows me a bit of heart."
Has life beaten him down that bad?
"Hell, yes."
Caressing the woman's hair and keeping her sleep in peace, he started dozing off. The poisonous scar from his shoulder wound finally stopped aching, and the back massage he received let itself be known with a relaxing oozing wave of pleasure in his muscles, which were so tense for a long time. Pleasure of a woman's touch, he has not felt it in years. Now he was closer to being human than he ever was before. And now he knew that it was all completely wrong. For once it didn't feel forced, and for once he felt remorse. A small spike in the back of his mind, as he looked up at the sky full of stars above his head, and did not notice when the men approached.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that the pirates already took his weapons and armor, which the girl put on the tree to dry. They took her dress and armor as well. The second thing Hal noticed was the ship. They pointed spears at their chests and said "move it".
Haldrom spoke, his lifeless eyes fixed on the man with most regalia:
"Let me clear this up. You would ambush and capture two defenseless naked people who lay resting in a warm pond, to sell them as slaves?"
The man answered:
"You're not as dumb as you look. Now move it."
Haldrom squinted and got up, shielding the woman.
"You are evil."
The man smiled:
"Well, what are you gonna do about it. That's life."
Haldrom was once again alive.
"Tolerate no evil! Tolerate no evil!" He screamed as he lept out of the pond, still wearing nothing, jumped into the spear, seizing it by the blade, and mounted its wielder, and then proceeded to beat the man with the edge of his own spear. The girl proved able in self defense, and together they dispatched the ambush in a matter of minutes.
This was an odd month for Hal Banestone. Sure, the feelings do assist in self expression, when they are properly configured. But it's the rage that wins the day when his ass is really on the line.
Oh, and the girl? Nothing serious. What happens on Sirani, stays on Sirani.
Hal Banestone and Social Skills
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