The seasons trickled by and as the little orphan grew

the hero slowly learned about the world that she once knew

a place he’d never heard of struck by famine, plague, and drought

barren fields where rarely did a single seedling sprout

Sorry as he was to hear of such afflicted lands

he still had no desire to alter fate with his own hands

but as he watched the girl lament her family and home

he waved his hesitation, and the two began to roam

He told the girl he’d only stay until the sick were healed

and maybe do a little bit of labour in a field

even though his powers were returning day by day

he feared that overusing them would make them go away

Still, he’d learned to better utilise his healing spell

no longer did its casting make the healer feel unwell

and so they walked for several weeks until they had arrived

to see if anybody in the village had survived

When the two approached the town they saw some people there

digging in a field despite the dust that filled the air

the young girl recognized a man and introduced her friend

assuring them that with his help their problems all would end

Soon a hundred villagers, all hungry, tired, and weak

had gathered in the village square to hear the young girl speak

but when she spoke of magic they could only role their eyes

everybody knew that magic was a bunch of lies

The hermit was relieved although the girl was feeling grim

if they didn’t know of magic, then they wouldn’t know of him

so as the crowd began to walk away in disbelief

the grey old man leaned over to pick up a yellowed leaf

Some children stopped to stare and wondered what the man would do

the hermit smiled and held the dying plant for all to view

then with all the power he could use reliably

the dying leaf transformed into a small but healthy tree

He placed the tree upon the ground where quickly it took root

it’s branches filling hurriedly with healthy leaves and fruit

the children didn’t hesitate to pick them off the tree

the hermit was relieved to see the elders laugh with glee

“Healer will you stay with us and bless our village please

we’ll give anything to end our hunger and disease”

it made him quite uncomfortable, receiving such a quest

but reassured himself that it would still be for the best

And so the healer saw to every woman, man, and child

healing every ailment whether serious or mild

once the town was healthy then he joined them in the fields

helping to restore the soil ensuring future yields

The shovel in his hand felt so much lighter than a sword

for all the battles he had lost his strength was his reward

the powers which he’d lost were coming back to him again

he swung his shovel gladly with the strength of fifty men

As the season changed the village overflowed with song

as if the people there had been in good health all along

they offered to the healer every luxury they could

but he preferred a cabin made of straw and stone and wood

The girl who brought the hermit to the village also grew

the healer’s young apprentice wielded awesome powers too

the years went by and while the healer’s hair was turning white

the girl he saved became a fine young lady fair and bright

She married and she made a family her very own

the village soon expanded as the children there had grown

the hermit found himself the elder of a happy town

surrounded by his new friends he could slowly settle down

~