Hello, Everyone!
Last time, our heroes, having just finished their fight with Racox, discovered that he’d been carrying a human sacrifice for the resurrection of Meltarond. It was a woman and she was dead now. Mary blamed herself but Bruno reassured her that they could resurrect her with the sack of diamonds they found on Racox’ saddle .
Before that, however, they needed to find a place to rest and stock up on useful items. Aurum suggested Granny Gretel.
As much as she was wary, Mary was curious, too. How would Granny Gretel come to them this time? They were in the middle of nowhere, with snowy fields in all directions. No way for the old hag to sneak between houses or fly in as a crow.
But ‘fly in’ was exactly what she did.
A little dot appeared in the sky and quickly grew, as it was approaching them. It was ‘The Hut’ itself, with giant wings flapping on its sides. It came closer, and when it was just a few feet from the ground, a pair of long rooster legs unfolded from underneath it and sank into the snow. The legs bent, helping the building land down.
Then, just like that, it was like the Hut had always been on this field.
The door creaked open and the warm light from the inside shined onto the snow. Granny was grinning behind the counter, surrounded by all her herbs and little tsotchkes. She was wearing a comfy hooded sweater, as if she knew she was going somewhere colder.
"Here come these morons once again!" a nasty voice came from above the door. "How come you’re still humoring them?”
"Hush, Jojo," the woman said, "Is that a way to talk to Granny's children?"
Agatha glanced at the Flaming skull and her tail twitched.
"Children!" the old woman said. "Welcome, welcome! So nice of you to visit your Grandma! What brings you here?"
"Granny!" Aurum smiled. "We have something for you, and we want to see what you can give us in return."
"Oh? What is it, my dear?"
“A very precious and really special item!” the bard tried to convince her. “Very rare. Worth at least a few healing potions.”
Aurum pointed through the door to the dragon skin and Granny leaned out to look at it. It lay on the snow, broken and torn, its scales dim and lifeless… It looked neither precious, nor special.
“Hmmmm,” Granny said. Her eyes were glinting with curiosity. “Do you need it, dear?”
“Not really!” Aurum said.
“Well, I don't need it, either.” The hag shut the door. “What else can I help you with?”
Mary gritted her teeth. She could see the hag’s interest. Granny Gretel desired the skin, she was just playing it cool. She wanted them to think she didn’t need it and then, when they’d left for Pamagos, snatch it from under their noses.
Granny Gretel beamed and pointed towards four armchairs placed around the counter. "Come on, grandchildren, sit!”
Mary gasped. The motion had revealed a very familiar item on her chest. She looked from it to Aurum and back.
”Why does she have your Fey amulet?” she Messaged him. ”Did she steal it?”
The bard avoided her eyes. “I gave it to her,” he replied in her head.
There was something fishy about this. Aurum wasn’t sincere. If he wasn’t going to tell her the truth, she’d try and get it from the hag herself.
“Granny,” Mary asked. “How did you get Aurum’s amulet?”
“Oh, that old thing?” the woman chuckled and held it up. “We made a deal for it.” She grinned at Mary’s frown and continued. “We have our own relationship, dear, the same way I have with you.”
Mary glanced at Aurum. Was she lying? Did she make him give up the amulet? Aurum looked back with an apologetic smile and Mary decided not to push him, for now. She was going to ask him again when they saw each other eye to eye. Maybe he’d tell her more about that deal if he wasn’t pressed by the situation.
"So, Granny, was it?" Agatha cut in. "Do you have anything useful for us?"
"Like what, dear?"
"Healing potions?" Aurum said.
"Something to kill a dragon?" Bruno added.
"This talking skull?"
Granny laughed. "Agatha, dear, Jojo is not for sale. But if you bring me an arsonist that you don't mind dying, I can surely make a talking skull, just for you."
Mary stared at Agatha. The tabaxi's tail was twitching excitedly. Was she serious?
"As for killing a dragon…" The hag looked at the ceiling as if to think of something. "I can try to find you a dragon-slaying arrow."
"Yeah, that would be good."
Mary wasn't happy with this whole situation. The hag seemed all nice and stuff, but she had taken Aurum's amulet, and she did not seem entirely honest with them. She never had been.
"Do you know a certain human by the name of Jared Flay?" Mary asked. If she couldn't find the answer to her more pressing questions, then perhaps she could at least find out about this little detail that'd been bothering her for a while.
"Jared? Flay?" Granny looked suspiciously cheerful saying that. Like she was playing with them. "I can't say I do. Who are they?"
"Someone we know. I wonder, if he was one of your grandchildren, would you even tell us?”
"My Grandchild, eh? Why would you think so?"
"It doesn't matter why. Is he or isn't he your grandchild?"
The hag went quiet for a while. Her smile didn't leave her lips but her eyes were darting back and forth between the four of them.
"You know, dear. If, by any chance, they were my grandchild, and they had asked me not to tell anyone about them, I couldn't possibly do that, could I?"
"But we're your grandchildren, too!"
"Even among my grandchildren there's a certain hierarchy."
Mary glared at her. So she knew Jared. Now Mary was sure of it!
"Anyway, Granny," Agatha said, cutting the tension in the air. "I was wondering if you could find me something. A broom."
“A broom, dear?”
“Yes, a flying one. Like for a witch.”
“Oooh, I see. I’ll see what I can do.”
They asked for potions, too, as well as scrolls. Granny was eager to oblige them--at a cost--but Mary was still looking at the amulet on her chest. She couldn't get rid of the thought of that hag deceiving Aurum and stealing the trinket from him.
Sooo, how about that hag, eh? There’s something fishy about her, has been for a while now. Do you think Mary will find out what happened with Aurum’s amulet?
Hopefully, we find out next time!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossaries (Part 1 and Part 2)
and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: Mary Windfiddle's story is my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.