"Yu....yu a tief!!" a scared little voice.
"I'm a tiefling, but I promise, child, I won't hurt you. I know you're just scared and hurt."
"'n....not mean tief...yu fwend?"
"Yes. I'm your friend." -- Anon Guest
The child was still wedged into a very small space and Flourish currently couldn't tilt hir head for fear of upsetting the birds. They had decided to nest in hir antler-like horns. Getting down to the child's level involved lying awkwardly on hir belly.
"Well. I'd like to be a friend," ze said. "It can't be comfortable in there."
Sniffle. "Da said tiefs 're bad news." Glistening eyes spilled water down filthy cheeks. "'m not 'lowed t' talk to 'em or look at 'em or... He's going to be so mad when he wakes up."
"He will be sleeping for some time," Flourish tried to figure out good words to soothe a frightened baby out of what had once been a very bad house. Hordes of ne'er-do-wells had seen to the fact that the child's father would never get angry again. "I can promise you that he is not mad."
"Da says... 'tween a tief promise an' dogshit, take th' dogshit."
What a lovely father this poor baby had. Flourish sighed and propped hirself up on an elbow. "You know... it's really uncomfortable talking to you like this. I'm getting a crick in my everything down here. Are you cold?"
"'es..."
Well. That was something ze could fix. There was always a pair of them in the Big Go Bag. It was part of the equipment for members of the Legion of the Unwanted. Flourish sat up and pulled out the twin dolls. One in the image of a maiden, and the other dressed more or less like a soldier. "I happen to have some little friends that can help you. Which do you like?" Ze also summoned hir red squirrel from hir hood. "Blue can take one to you if you like. I have it on good authority that either can give nice warm hugs." The doll was a master work of artisan creation. Charmed like a ring of warmth, but not capable of hurting the holder with its heat.
"Das not blue... 's red." A single finger pointed out the maiden.
"Tieflings do have a sense of humour. Do you know any jokes?" Flourish sent Blue to drag the maiden doll towards the kid. "Try me."
Blue stayed in the hidey-hole to let the child pet her. "What's two fings y' can't have f'r bweakfass?"
"I do not know," Flourish lied.
"Lunch and dinner."
Flourish laughed like it was the funniest thing ze had heard in hir life. "Oh that's a good one. Say. Do you know why oysters don't share?"
"Why?"
"Because they're a little shellfish."
Joke by joke, the child came into the light, growing less afraid of the devilborn.
The next step would be getting them to safety without seeing anything disturbing. One problem at a time.
Flourish focussed on winning their trust.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / michey]
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