A Place Without Judgement
The journey back to Ashenveli was quiet at first. Mira sat behind Jerk on the horse, her hands lightly gripping the back of his vest while the two guards rode on either side for protection. The wind was gentle, carrying the scent of morning dew and forest grass.
Jerk, normally a loudmouth full of energy, was strangely silent. For once, he seemed… thoughtful.
After several minutes, Mira finally gathered the courage to speak.
“Jerk… can I ask you something?”
He blinked rapidly. “Huh? Yeah! Ask away! But if you’re going to ask why I’m so handsome, I can’t explain it. Born this way.”
Mira giggled—soft, shy. “Not that.”
“Oh.” Jerk rubbed his neck. “Then it must be about why I helped you.”
She nodded. “Yes… all my life, people avoided me. I was always blamed for accidents. For being clumsy. For being… ugly.” She touched her cheek where the patches stood out. “But you stepped in, even when those guards pushed you. Why?”
Jerk looked ahead, eyes softening. “You really don’t know?”
“No.”
“Then listen.” He pointed at his chest. “My boss—Voltaro—is building a place where no one is judged for how they look or where they come from. Ashenveli is for everyone.”
Mira lowered her head. “But… I’m nothing special.”
Jerk clicked his tongue. “Hey, stop saying that.”
She looked up, surprised by the firmness in his voice.
Jerk continued. “My brother Heldric—he’s a genius architect. He told me to bring a craftswoman for our village. Someone who can help make clothes for our people. Someone who needs a chance.”
Mira blinked. “And… you came to Saffron Hollow.”
“Yep. And I failed over and over.” He made a dramatic face. “I begged! I complimented! I even sparkled once!”
Mira laughed.
“But…” Jerk’s tone shifted, quieter, more honest. “When I saw you, Mira… I saw myself.”
“Y-yourself?” she whispered.
“Yeah.” Jerk pointed at his own patched vest. “You think I’m perfect, right? Strong? Confident?”
“I mean… you do look confident,” she admitted.
He shrugged. “Fake. All fake. I used to be bullied all the time. Called stupid. Weak. I messed up everything I touched. Heldric yelled at me every day—not because he hated me, but because I couldn’t do anything right.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “But you fixed that fruit stand perfectly…”
Jerk grinned. “Because Heldric trained me. Voltaro accepted me. Selena and Raven treat me like family. In Ashenveli…”
He took a deep breath.
“…no one judged me.”
Silence settled like a warm blanket.
“So when I saw you,” Jerk continued softly, “I saw someone who just needed one chance. Just one person to say, ‘You’re fine the way you are.’ That’s all.”
Mira stared at his back, and for the first time she felt something she hadn’t felt in years.
Hope.
---
Hours later, the road opened up and Ashenveli came into view—a valley filled with the sound of hammers, laughter, and life. Wooden frames rose like new trees, and the scent of fresh lumber drifted through the air.
Mira’s breath caught. “This place is… beautiful.”
Jerk smirked proudly. “Of course! My brother designed it. And our boss leads it. You’re gonna love it here.”
As they passed the edge of the village, people waved at them.
“Welcome back, Jerk!”
“Who’s the girl?”
“You brought someone!”
Mira covered her face nervously. “They’re staring…”
“Relax.” Jerk leaned closer. “They always stare at me too. I’m used to it.”
“Because you act like an idiot,” one of the guards muttered.
Jerk gasped dramatically. “HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH!”
Mira burst into laughter.
When they reached the main workyard, Heldric was standing with a clipboard, giving instructions to several builders. The moment he spotted Jerk, he froze.
Then a slow smile spread across his face.
“Little brother…” Heldric murmured.
Jerk puffed his chest. “Yes! The handsome hero has returned!”
Heldric walked up and placed a firm hand on Jerk’s shoulder. “You… did well.”
Jerk blinked. “H-huh?”
Heldric rarely praised him. Ever.
“You brought someone,” Heldric said. “Someone who needed a chance. Someone who fits Ashenveli’s heart.”
Mira stepped down shyly, bowing. “I… I’m Mira. I-I make simple clothes. I know I’m not—”
Voltaro’s voice cut through the air like a warm wind.
“That’s enough.”
Voltaro approached, his presence calm yet commanding. His eyes softened as he looked at Mira.
“You’re welcome here.”
Mira’s throat tightened. “Why? You haven’t even seen my work yet… I might not be good enough.”
Voltaro shook his head. “Skill can be learned. But kindness, humility, and the courage to survive hardship—those cannot be taught. You already have them.”
Mira wiped her eyes.
Voltaro turned to Jerk. “And you.”
Jerk’s chest tightened nervously. “Y-yes, boss?”
Voltaro placed a hand on his shoulder—the same way he did with Raven and Selena when they impressed him.
“You did a good job. Better than I expected.”
Jerk’s mouth fell open. “I… I really did… good?”
Voltaro nodded once. “Ashenveli grows because of people like you.”
A lump formed in Jerk’s throat. He tried to act cool. Tried to grin. Tried to say something witty.
Instead, he burst into tears.
“H-heldric! Boss! You can’t just compliment me like that! My heart isn’t strong enough!”
Raven, who had been carrying lumber nearby, laughed loudly. “Oh look, Jerk’s crying again!”
Selena smiled softly. “But this time… it’s a good cry.”
Heldric sighed but couldn’t hide his grin. “Idiot… you exceeded my expectations.”
Mira looked at Jerk, tears in her own eyes. “Thank you… for helping me.”
Jerk wiped his face with his sleeve. “Don’t thank me yet! You haven’t even seen your new workshop!”
Mira blinked. “Workshop?”
Heldric stepped forward. “Yes. You will have your own space to sew, design, and create. Ashenveli will be your home.”
Mira covered her mouth. “A… home?”
Voltaro nodded. “Here, you’re not judged. You’re not punished. You’re part of us.”
For a long moment, Mira stood still, letting those words sink deep inside her heart.
Then she bowed deeply—so deeply her forehead almost touched the ground.
“Thank you… all of you. I… I won’t disappoint you.”
Heldric lifted her gently. “No need for that. Ashenveli doesn’t bow.”
Voltaro crossed his arms, smiling lightly. “Let’s give Mira a tour. She deserves to see the place she’ll help shape.”
As they walked through the village, Jerk stayed beside her the entire time, pointing at every building with far too much enthusiasm.
“That’s the storage hut! Raven built most of it but I helped carry stuff!”
“That’s the training ground—don’t go there unless you want Voltaro to make you do push-ups!”
“And that’s Heldric’s blueprint board! Don’t touch it or he’ll scream!”
Heldric glared. “Stop telling her nonsense!”
Mira laughed again. Really laughed. The kind of laugh she thought she lost years ago.
When they reached the center of the village, Voltaro stopped.
“This,” he said, “is Ashenveli. A place built from the ground up—by the broken, the lost, and the hopeful.”
He turned to Mira.
“And now… by you too.”
Mira felt her heart swell with something she had almost forgotten existed.
Belonging.
Jerk stood proudly beside her. “Welcome to the family, Mira.”
She looked at him—truly looked—and whispered:
“Thank you… for bringing me here.”
And Jerk, for once, didn’t say something stupid.
He simply smiled.
Too be continue...