"Oh, I, uh... I thought your were a lot younger than that," Terri says, looking a bit embarrassed. She looks up and sees the sword pulse and wonders if that was what made Tove so nervous.
"Well, I don't know if we'll be able to help with learning about your sword, but I'm glad to have you along. The more the merrier, right?"
Ivo silently (as usual) puts down his small pack and produces a wax-sealed pottery jar. He peels the wax off and pops off the lid to reveal a jar of strawberry preserves.
"Oh, those look quite tasty!" Tyg exclaims.
As they pack up and ready themselves to leave, Terri bids a farewell to the two fey and hopes to see them again in the near future. While riding out, she slides up next to Bassius and giggles.
"I think you've suffered enough. Let me fix that for you," she says before making his hair bright, shining gold.
** spoiler omitted **
After a short but pleasant visit, Bassius's hair aside, with Tyg and Perlivash, the party packs up and continues westward toward the cottage of Lanyssa.
The trip there is uneventful enough as a slight breeze picks up and the temperature cools significantly throughout the afternoon. With any luck you'll reach Lanyssa's cottage before the inevitible rain starts.
Pushing on through the early hours of the evening you see the cottage not too far off in the distance. Based on the smell in the area, Lanyssa has a fire going in her hearth - certainly a welcome proposition in the now chilly evening.
As you approach the cottage, something approaches you from behind. Some of you know the creature well enough, but the newcomers are more than a bit disturbed to see the enormous, white-furred wolf. A wolf nearly the size of Emperor Stavian. The wolf regards the party indifferently, keeping pace as you move toward the cottage.
"Everything okay with the newcomer? It looked like your conversation was getting a bit heated over there?"
More than a little upset that they'd run out of time to visit Johd in the Temple of the Elk, Tove mounts up and continues with the group on their way to Lanyssa's cottage.
As the great white wolf arrives, Tove introduces Filtiarn, noble companion to the witch of the Narlmarches, and reassures the newer members of the party that he will do them no harm.
"Yes, he just said something that I didn't like the implications of and I let him know. He seems weary of being judged for his appearance, and if I was as old as he is, I would be too."
Terri keeps looking back at Filtiarn, an anxiou look on her face.
"Um, I hope I'm not being rude in asking, but would it be okay for me to pet you," she asks the wolf after a few minutes.
The large wolf lowers his head, allowing Terri to pet him.
Terri slowly smiles as she starts to pet the giant wolf. A tinkling giggle spills out as she thinks about the kind of tale this encounter will lead to.
"Thank you, Filtiarn. It's nice to meet you, too."
Garathane smiles brightly and says "Now that is an animal worth emulating."
Bass chuckles at the spectacle of a small woman petting a wolf three times her size, then dismounts. As his horse whinnies softly, Bass replies, "Play nice, Emperor Stavian, he's just here to guard the cottage. No need to be sharp with him." The paladin then walks up to the front door and knocks.
A moment or two after Bassius knocks on the door, the door opens to reveal a thin, dark-haired woman with eyes made of green crystal. To those of you that have met Lanyssa before, it seems as if she has aged a fair bit more than you would have suspected in the time that has passed since you had last seen her.
"Hello, Bassius. Good to see you again." Lanyssa says. "Come on in before you all catch a chill." she says waving you in.
As the two newest members of the party approach within sixty feet of the woman, she gets a curious look on her face. "Who might you be?
"Thank you," says Ivo to the witch.
Bowing to the woman with the crystal eyes, Kalaman says "I am Kalaman Mar, of these lands, newest travel companion to your friends here."
Terri gives Filtiarn one last skritch behind his ears after getting off of Placid, who is entirely unfazed by the giant predator, before turning to introduce herself.
"Terri Riverrun, Songstress and traveller. These fine people let me join them before we raided the Stag Lord's keep. I could tell you the story if you like," she says as she bows with a flourish.
"Nice to see you again, Lanyssa. Thank you for the hospitality."
"Thank you, Lanyssa." Tove graciously steps in out of the cold evening air.
"Good to see you again." Lanyssa says to most of the party. "And good to meet the two of you." she adds, looking to Terri and Kalaman, her crystalline gaze lingering a bit longer on Terri than Kalaman, before adding, "Yes, I believe I would like to hear that story, Miss Riverrun."
"Would anyone care for a bit of tea? I suspect I could scrounge up a bit of food too, if you are hungry." the witch offers.
"Anything in particular bring you back to my door, or are you just passing through? You are always welcome here, of course."
After subtly following Lanyssa's eyes, the paladin quickly accepts her offer.
"Tea would be lovely. Yours is the best I've had since leaving Taldor.
"As for our purpose in coming, our two new companions and charter-holders are on a tour of the Greenbelt, the land they have taken up the charge to defend and cultivate. We've just met Kalaman, but I can vouch for Terri's bravery in the face of the Stag Lord himself."
Garathane, ignorant of any social byplay, says, "Warm tea on a chill day is always welcome pleasure, thank you. And this is purely a social visit, though we bring news."
Lanyssa begins handing out small cups of tea before putting kettle back over the fire to heat some more water. "News is always welcome, Garethane. Anything beyond the story Miss Riverrun has promised to tell me?
"I know it is a bit cramped in here with all of us, but you are certainly welcome to stay the night. No sense in trying to set camp in the dark if you are already here." she adds with a smile.
Tove finds a spot for herself in the cramped cabin while half-listening to the exchange between Lanyssa and the others, paying a little more attention only once her hands are firmly wrapped around a cup of the witch's fine tea.
"A night in your cabin is always a pleasure. Your hospitality is most welcome, thank you."
"yes, thank you for the hospitality, especially for us you've just met. It is warming to see those who are as welcoming as yourself." Kalaman replies bowing again before accepting her invitation.
"As Bassius mentioned, Terri was indeed brave in the face of the Stag Lord. What neither mentioned is that our raid on the Stag Lord's fort resulted in the end of that particular warlord. The Stag Lord is no more and his forces vanquished."
Nodding in approval towards the resting cleric, "Tove is even wearing his old helm, reconsecrated towards Erastil."
"Thank you, Lanyssa. It is getting a bit chilly," Terri thanks Lanyssa before setting her stuff down and finding a place to weave her tale from.
"Surely, Garethane, you didn't think I was going to leave the best pat out, did you," she tells the hunter before starting to spin her yarn.
Unfortunately, something seems a little off about Terri's retelling. It's a passable tale, but not up to her normal standards. It seems something is a little off about her tonight.
"It is good to know that the Stag Lord plagues the Greenbelt no more." Lanyssa says before settling in to hear Terri's tale.
While Terri manages to hit all of the important notes, something about the tale falls flat - being more informative than entertaining.
The evening continues on with idle chit-chat before everyone settles in for a night's rest.
You are awakened by a sudden shaking. Opening your eyes you see a rather stern looking Lanyssa hunched over you.
"What do you know about your mother, child?"
Terri wakes with a start and for a brief moment, she begins to panic. It's only as she sees Lanyssa that she calms, though the woman's expression made her uneasy.
"Nothing, save that she's likely dead or long gone, along with my father. I was raised in an orphanage from infancy," Terri answers before her mismatched eyes narrow. "Why?"
"Your eyes, child. It's a sign of a non-human parent. Do you have claws too?" Lanyssa asks, more concerned than threatening.
"Huh? But, I..." Terri begins to protest, but her voice trails off as she realizes that Lanyssa knows more about her heritage than she does. She scoots back from the witch and holds up a hand. It tenses as she talons her fingers and the claws she'd used to fight with grow from her fingernails.
"I guess I should have known I wasn't human," she mutters as she lets Lanyssa get a good look at her clawed hand. She shakes it, dismissing the claws, though her nails still look too tough and sharp. "I just always thought that I'd been blessed by Desna, though I never could explain why she gave me claws. I have a feeling that having them is not good from the look on your face."
Terri's eyes are full of worry and doubt as she looks at Lanyssa. The old orphanage's matron's words ring in her head. Cursed child she'd been called. Witchspawn had also been a favorite after the death of the closest people she ever had to parents.
"No, child, your eyes and your claws have nothing to do with the Song of the Spheres." the witch says. [b]"While it is true that you are something other than a human, you are at least partially human...for now."
"It is the for now that vexes me, child. I owe my life to at least four of your companions, and what you are could bring danger or even death to them...if certain actions aren't taken." Lanyssa warns.
"Since you do not seem to know, I shall tell you. You are what some call a Changeling, others call Witchspawn, and others still call Hagspawn. Your mother was a hag of some sort, and that is not to say she was some withered old crone, but an actual Hag...could be green, could be sea, could be annis in any case your mother is a creature tied to the less gentle nature of the First World. Whichever type was your mother, that is what you will become someday, unless you can find her and destroy her first." Lanyssa says with an air of authority.
"What... What are you saying?" Terri backs away. She looks at Lanyssa, hurt and confused by her words. It's too much. She could grant that she isn't human, but a monster waiting to happen unless she hunted down her mother? How would she even find her mother.
"No, I can't be... I'm not..." She shakes her head in denial. She's not a monster. She isn't!
Right?
"Are you telling me to leave," she asks, the words surprisingly bitter. Kalaman's words echo through her mind and make her whipsawed emotions raw. Blue and gray eyes glare at Lanyssa as tears well up in her eyes.
"If you are unwilling to do what must be done, yes. But I assure you it can be done." she says sprouting her own set of claws. "My eyes were not so different than yours before the Derro took them away from me." she says sympathetically.
Terri's expression softens at that. For a long while, she couldn't think of how to respond. She curls up into a ball and rocks gently back and forth as her thoughts race by too quickly for her to focus on any of them.
"What am I supposed to do? I can't... I thought..."
The words are choked off as she begins to cry. It is hopeless! How is she supposed to find one hag and kill her by herself? What about the others, her friends that she has made? Will she have to leave them? How long does she have?
"This is hopeless," she sobs into her knees as despair crushes her spirit.
"Did you not hear me, child? It is not hopeless, it can be done, I know first hand." Lanyssa says.
"If you can not find her, in time she will reach out to you in your dreams. You simply have to be strong enough to do what is necessary when that time comes."
Terri looks up, bewilderment writ large on her face. It takes a moment for what Lanyssa is saying to get through to her.
"I...I'm not going to turn into a monster all of the sudden," she asks, her emotions doing a fair job of muddling her mind. "W-will my mother try changing me?"
"Your reactions to this news have told me all I need to know about you. I will help you get through this Terri."
Morning arrives and as you awake you find Lanyssa already at work making breakfast. Coming in and out of cottage with provisions is the unfortunate man, Hadden. It would seem Lanyssa has done a fair amount to heal the areas of flesh that the Derro had flayed from the man, but based on the few grunts and other non-verbal cues you see, his tongue has not been restored.
"Good morning. You've rested well, I trust?" the witch says.
"yes thank you, a welcome respite from the wilderness to be sure." Kalaman replies to the witch "how long have you been living in these woods?"
"With the exception of a brief, but still all too long residence with the Derro below, all my life." the witch says. "Which is certainly longer than it appears."
"I can appreciate that sentiment, of living away from civilizations."Kalaman says to the witch "how much traveling have you done?"
"Traveling? I suppose that depends on your definition. Far and wide? Not much at all. Throughout these lands Brevoy refers to as the Stolen Lands? Quite extensively."
"any and all traveling, I only ask because I seek answers, and if you have them, or know of where I can search to discover them, they would be most welcome." kalaman says to lanyssa,
Ivo takes the morning opportunity to fix his hair, remove the stench of travel from his clothes with some petty magic, and then spend a good several minutes disassembling his pepperbox and oiling the mechanisms before reassembling it.
"Prisoner of the derro? I won't linger on that topic except to offer my sympathies," he says to the witch. "But, uh, please, don't let me interrupt this conversation beyond that."
Terri finds herself clinging to Lanyssa without any memory of how she'd gotten there. Her sobs are soft as she cries herself back to sleep, not able to thank the kind woman for her warning and her aid.
The next morning, Terri is unusually quiet as she eats. Her eyes don't focus on anything as she loses herself in thought, so much so that she misses much of the conversation that is happening.
"And what sort of answers is it you seek, Kalaman? To find answers you must know, or at the very least be willing to ask the questions."
At this point, there is a quiet knock at the door, followed by Bassius, coming in from brushing and exercising Emperor Stavian.