The Platinum Hands

by Cordites Tun

Once there was a Half-Orc blacksmith who fell slowly but surely into poverty, until finally she had nothing more than her small forge and a large pear tree which stood behind it.

One day she had gone into the forest to gather wood, where she was approached by an elderly Human male, whom he had never seen before. The Elderly man said, "Why do you toil so with chopping wood? I will make you so very rich if you will promise me that which is standing behind your forge."

That can only be my pear tree. thought the blacksmith, and said "yes, of course", and signed it over to the strange man.

However, the elderly human laughed mockingly and said, "I will come in three years and get what belongs to me," then headed off away from the blacksmith.

When she arrived home, her husband, who also was a Half-Orc, raced up to the Blacksmith and said, "Wife, do tell me, where did all the wealth come from that is suddenly in and around our home? All at once, all the chests and boxes are full, and no one brought it here. I have no idea how it came to be."

The blacksmith answered, "I was offer such wealth, from a strange man whom I met in the woods. He promised me great treasures if I would but sign over to him that which stands behind the mill. For a pear tree we get all of this." gesturing at the wealth.

"Oh no!" said the husband, horrified. "That must have been a demon from The Hells. He surely meant our daughter, not the pear tree, for she was there all day behind the forge raking the yard of leaves."

The blacksmith's daughter was a strong Half-Orc with a gentle nature. Her parents loved her dearly, and took care to teach her honesty and daily prayers. She lived the three years, waking at dawn to pray to The Morning Lord, and everyday headed into the forest to worship the Deities of Eldath and Meilikki. She lived without sin.

When the time was up and the day came when the demon from The Hells to fetch her, she did as she was told by her father, and washed herself clean then drew a circle around herself with chalk. The demon appeared in the guise of the elderly man early in the morning, but he could not approach the blacksmith's daughter.

He spoke angrily to the blacksmith, "Keep water away from her, so she cannot wash herself any more. Otherwise I have no power over her."

The blacksmith was quite frightened and did as she was told. The next morning the demon returned. However, the daughter had wept into her hands, and they were entirely clean.

Thus the demon still could not approach her, and he spoke furiously to the blacksmith, "You shall chop off her hands. So I may get to her."

The blacksmith was horrified and answered, "How could I chop off my own child's hands!"

Then the elderly man changed formed to revealed his demon face, threatening the blacksmith, saying, "You chose, you cut off her hands, or I shall take you instead back to The Hells with me."

This frightened the girl's mother. The blacksmith promised to obey the demon. Then she went to the girl and said, "My dearest child, if I do not chop off both of your hands, then the demon will take me away. I was foolish and cowardly. In my fear I have promised him to do this. Help me in my need, and forgive me of the evil that I am going to do to you."

She answered, "Dear ma, do with me what you will. I am your child," and with that she stretched forth both hands and let her mother chop them off at the wrists.

The demon came a third time, however the Half-Orc girl had wept so long and so much onto the stumps, that they were entirely clean. Then he had to give up, for he had lost all claim to her.

The blacksmith spoke to her daughter, "This great wealth I gained through you, shall make sure I take great care of you, in splendour as long as you live."

But she replied, "It is not for me to stay here. I will go out into the wider world of Esau. Compassionate people shall provide me as much as I need."

Then the Half-Orc girl had her mutilated arms tied to her back. At sunrise she set forth, walking the entire day until it was night. She came to a noble's garden, and by the light of the moon she saw that inside there were apple trees full of beautiful fruit. However she could not get inside, for there it was surrounded by water.

Having walked the entire day without eating a bite, she was tired and suffered from hunger. She curled up and slept. As usual, just before dawn she rose. She was so very hungry, and she thought, If only I could step inside the garden so I could eat even one of those fruits. Then I will not perish.

Then she kneeled down as the sun rose and, crying out to The Morning Lord, to Mielikki and to Eldath. Suddenly an angel of the waters appeared. The angel closed a head gate, so that the moat dried up, and she could walk across.

Entering the garden, the angel went with the girl. She saw a fruit tree with beautiful apples. The tally of the apples had already been taken. She stepped up to the tree and ate from it with her mouth, only one large apple, that was just enough to satisfy her hunger, but no more. A dragonborn gardener saw it happen, but because the angel was standing by her he was afraid and thought that the girl was a spirit. He said nothing and did not dare to call out nor to speak to the spirit. After she had eaten the large apple she was no longer hungry. She sat by the water and watched the dragonflies flittering about. Then she went and lay down in the brush.

The noble Duke who owned this garden came the next morning. He completely his daily count of the fruit and saw that one of the apples was missing. He asked the gardener what had happened to it. The Duke saw no sign of it. It was not lying under the tree, yet had somehow vanished.

The gardener answered, "At dawn a spirit came here. It had no hands and ate one of the largest apples with its mouth."

The duke said, "How did the spirit get across the water? And where did it go after it had eaten the apple?"

The gardener answered, "Someone dressed in a gown of the angels came from Celestia, and closed the head gate so the spirit could walk through the moat. Because it must have been an angel I was afraid to disturb them. I asked no questions, and I did not call out. After the spirit had eaten the apple it went away again."

The noble said, "If what you said is true, I will keep watch with you tonight and until the dawn."

After it was dark the Duke entered the garden, bringing a priest of The Morning Lord with him who was to talk to the spirit. All three sat down under the tree and kept watch. As dawn broke the darkness of night, the Half-Orc girl without hands came creeping out of the brush, stepped up to the tree, and again ate off an apple with her mouth. An angel stood next to her.

The priest walked up to them and said, "Have you come from The Morning Lord, or from the world? Are you a spirit or a human?"

She answered, "I am not a spirit, but a poor Half-Orc who has been abandoned by everyone except The Morning Lord, Eldath and Mielikki."

The Duke said, "Even if you have been abandoned by the whole world, I will not abandon you."

The Duke asked her to return with him to his home. He grew to adore her as if his sister. He loved her with all his heart. He had hands of platinum made for her. She helped him select a suitable wife. The wife and the Half-Orc became very close.

After two years, the Duke had to go out into the battlefield. He left his young wife in the care of his adopted sister, saying, "If she has a child, support her and take good care of her, and immediately send me the news in a letter."

The wife gave birth to a beautiful son. The Half-Orc quickly wrote this in a letter, giving the joyful news to the Duke.

Now on the way the messenger stopped at a brook to rest. Tired from his long journey, he fell asleep. Then the same demon from The Hells came to him. He still wanted to harm the Duke's adopted sister and her new family. So he took the letter, putting in its place one that stated that the Duke's wife had brought a tiefling into the world.

When the duke read this letter he was frightened and saddened, but nevertheless he wrote an answer directly to his wife that they should take good care of herself and the baby until his return. The messenger returned with this letter, however he rested at the same place, and again fell asleep. The demon once more placed a different letter in his bag. This letter said that they should kill the Half-Orc as she must not be allowed to harm the child out of hate and sprite.

The young wife was terribly frightened when she received this letter. She could not believe it, and wrote to the duke, pleading with him to not be so harsh. However, she got back a similar answer, because each time the demon substituted a false letter. And the last letter even stated that they should keep the Half-Orc's tongue and eyes as proof.

The young wife slept so poorly as she thought that such innocent blood was to be shed. In the early dawn light, she had a small deer killed, cut out its tongue and eyes, and had them put aside. The wife felt a peace as the sun rose.

Then she showed the letters to the duke's adopted sister, and said, "I cannot have you killed as my husband has ordered, yet you no longer can stay here. Go out into the wide world with my child, for I want you to look after him. You can never return."

The Duke's wife tied her own child onto the back of the handless Half-Orc. She wet the child’s face with her tears and kisses. Then the sorrowful woman watched them go.

After a long journey, the Half-Orc came to a great, wild forest where she got onto her knees and prayed. Then the angel of the Morning Lord appeared to her and led her to a small house. On it was a small sign with the words, "A place for anyone to live free."

A fey fairy came from the house and said, "Welcome, maiden," then led her inside. She untied the small boy from her back. The fairy fetched milk so he could drink, and then laid him in a beautiful made-up cradle.

Then the tired Half-Orc said, "How did you know what I and this baby needed?"

The fairy answered, "I am sent by Mielikki to take care of you and the child in your care."

The Half-Orc stayed in that house for eight years, and was well cared for, by the angel of the Morning Lord, fairies of Mielikki and water sprites of Eldath. They provided the Half-Orc and the child with various foods and others necessities.

As the time past, after daily prayers, honesty, kindness, and washing her stumps in the nearby spring, the Half-Orcs chopped-off hands slowly grew back.

The Duke had finally came back home from the battlefield, and the first thing he wanted to do was to see adopted sister, his wife and their son.

When the found his wife sitting alone weeping. He asked first for the baby, and then for the Half-Orc. The wife said, "You wicked man, why did you write to me that I was to put that innocent soul to death?" and she showed him the two letters that the demon had counterfeited. Then she continued to speak, "I did what you ordered," and showed him as proof the eyes and the tongue. "I sent our son away, as my guilt would not let me mother him."

Then the duke began to weep even bitterly than his poor wife, for his adopted sister and his little son. The Duke cried for over an hour, until he thought to bring out the letters he had received. It was then his wife had mercy and said to him, "Be satisfied that she is still alive. I secretly had a doe killed and took the proofs from it. I tied our child onto her back and told her to go out into the wide world, and she had to promise never to come back here, because you thought so harshly of her."

Then the duke said, "I will go as far as the sky is blue, and will neither eat nor drink until I have found my dear sister, and our child, provided that in the meantime they have not died or perished from hunger."

Then the Duke had travelled about for nearly eight long years, searching in all the stone cliffs and caves, but he did not find either of them. He started to think that she had perished. He ate and drank little during the entire time. He prayed daily as the Half-Orc had taught him. Finally he came to a great forest, where he found a little house with a sign containing the words, " Here anyone can live free."

The fairy came out, took him by the hand, led him inside, and said, "Welcome, Duke," then asked him where he had come from.

He answered, "I have been travelling about for nearly seven years looking for my lost sister and my son, but I sadly cannot find them."

The fairy offered him something to eat and drink, but he did not take it, wanting only to rest a little. He lay down to sleep, covering his face with a cloth of morning, as he had very night for the past year.

Then the fairy went around the back outside where the Half-Orc was sitting watching the duke's son climbing trees.

The fairy said to her, "Go into the room next to your own with this child. His father has come in earnest regret."

The Half-Orc took the boy by the hand and took him to where the Duke was lying. She went to where he was lying, and the cloth fell from his face.

Then she said, "Lad pick up the cloth for your father and put it over his face again."

The child picked it up and put it over his face again. The duke heard this in his sleep and let the cloth fall again.

Then the little boy grew impatient and said, "Aunt, how can I cover my father's face? I have no father in this world. You have only ever spoken of my mother. How can I know such a wild man? He is not my father."

Hearing this, the Duke arose and asked who she was.

She said, "I once was adopted by you as a sister, and this is your son."

He saw her living hands and said, "My sister had hands of platinum."

She answered, "Our merciful deities of the forest has caused my natural hands to grow back."

A pair of fairies went into the other room, brought back the platinum hands, and showed them to him. Now he saw for sure that it was his darling Half-Orc sister and his dear son. He kissed his son, and hugged tightly his sister. They rejoiced, and the Duke said, "A heaviness has fallen from my heart."

Then the fairies collected them all something to eat, and then they went back home to his wife, who was joyous to have her son returned, along with her Half-Orc friend. There was great joy everywhere, and a ceremony was held to celebrate the son's ninth birthday.

The female Half-Orc stayed in the Duke's home. She helped raise not only the Duke's son, but also the five grandchildren that followed.

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~ based on "The Girl With No Hands" by the Grimm Brothers ~