Work Text:
You've live in the town for your whole life. You’re probably going to die there. It's a nice place to live, all things considered. The scenery is gorgeous, there are good taverns, nice shops, and most of the people are nice, give or take a few assholes.
And for your whole life, there's been an old man who live just on the outskirts of the town.
There are some rumors that the village sprang up around him, that he was here first, that he's either immortal or much younger than he looks.
Whatever the case, he's a nice man. He runs a sheep farm and sells the wool, sometimes even sells cardigans he makes.
On the occasions he comes into town, he will often be swarmed by children badgering him for stories. You were once among these children. Intensely curious about the strange man's life.
He'll always try to refuse at first, saying he has somewhere to be, but he always gives in with a smile on his face.
The man will string tall tales of being a child soldier, fighting for the independence of a country built by him and his brother. He'll say he was exiled twice from that country, and that all three of his lives were taken by the hand of the same man, only to be brought back to life by him as well.
He tells these tales with laughter in his voice, jokes strewn throughout. The children infront of him will giggle and ask what happened next, and the adults who know the stories will fondly roll their eyes, knowing the man is exaggerating.
You've never been quite sure if the stories he was telling were real or not, old men are liable to stretch the truth after all. However, on the rare occasions the man would be in town the same day as a traveling bard, when the musician would sing of revolutions in far off countries, the old man would get a far off look in his eyes, and they would seemingly go from a vibrant blue to a stormy gray.
But just a quickly as the look got there, he would wash it away by singing along if he knew the words.
You've only ever spoken to the man a few times beyond asking him for stories as a child, just buying wool from him during winter, but you’re fairly certain the man's name... is Tommy.
And if you were to be asked to describe Old Man Tommy in one word, you would say, that despite his long life, with tragedy and betrayal at almost every turn, "He's happy."