"Think we should go find that witch that sent for us? Grognak asks the others. These people might have him hung up in a tree by nightfall."
"I didn't even know a witch could be a man," he shrugged.
Dariels looks at the young girl with a severe gaze until she disepears in the village. He then says to Grognak: "That's probably the best plan for now indeed. We should be sure to have the opportunity to talk to the guy. And by the way, we call them Sorcerers when they're mens."
"Whatever Wells is, I agree with Grognak. We should try talking to this he-witch or sorcerer or whatever. That is, if he hasn't been hung already.", Nevaal rubs his neck for the thought of the townsfolk wanting to hang him and the other Wardens under the accusation of working with witches made his neck itch.
|
The "Jail", if it could even be called that, is no more than a hut someone had placed wooden boards over all the window. The "gaurd", a farmer equipped with a tough club. Let's you in without complaint, although he gives Grognak the stinkeye. Sitting in the room with two older woman is Linkon. He sees you and sighs. You must be the help I sent for. first of all, don't believe the Judge. He is only a puppet, the real judge is the children. Everyone they hate, everyone who did them wrong... They get called witches. Now I would never send for help if it was just false accusations. There is a witch in town... it's just not me.
"Wait what?" Terwyn stares at the prisoner. "Since when are children allowed to make such decisions? And what did you do to get on their wrong side?"
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Linkon chuckles, his tone sour. Sorry, guess I wasn't clear. The children are the only ones who have been directly assailed by the witch... or at least that's what it wants you to think. Because of that, they are the only witnesses to the crimes. The town is coming to belive the witch's magic is invisible to adults. And the reason I got on their bad side wasn't what I did... it's what I didn't. The girl, Siri.. she is hardly a child. A month from becoming a woman. Last year I had a... lapse in my relationship with my wife. Siri was a pretty lass who was learning how to cook and care for a man from my wife. One day while my wife was gone, she left Siri with me... and things insued. All I'll say of that is Siri took from it that I loved her now. She hates my wife and is doing everything she can to get rid of her. Yesterday, she complained to the court that she had a pain in her back all of a sudden. When they looked they found a sewing needle. She immediately said my wife, who is a skilled seamstress and teacher, made a dollof her... and was using it to hurt her. I, who knew the real reason behind her accusations, claimed the doll was mine, and that I was learning to see because my wife is pregnant and tires easily. The town then set the blame on me. Siri has to watch as I am sentenced to death, because she wanted me. All the better. My wife lives, and the girl suffers.
"You lucky man!" Nevaal laughed out loud. Though his amusement was quickly cut short by the disapproving looks of the others. "I mean, you should be ashamed of yourself.
*cough* Quickly adopting a serious demeanor, Nevaal continued the questioning. "So the children are the ones causing the trouble. It makes sense after speaking with that Siri girl. Any idea how we can expose them to the rest of the townsfolk?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Dariel smiles at Linkon's story. "Well well well, what Dame Fortune gives, she takes it away the day after! You, sir, are in big trouble because you were not able to control yourself... I can understand. There is no way that this little brat can throw accusations of sorcery like that. I know how you make a little girl confess, you scare her!"
Dariels seems really sensitive to Linkon's story, as it reminds him old scars.
"A huge slap on her face, that's what she deserves. That or the belt! But I'll be damned if I let an almost innocent man like you be hanged today!"
Terwyn incredulously looks at Dariel. "You mean that, do you? Slapping a woman in the face, really? Even if it's a little brat like Siri?"
The young man shakes his head.
"Didn't even do something like that when I was still on the wrong side of the law. Apart from that, where I come from that would have given you a rope round your neck faster than you could say "witch", and I don't plan to spend my afterlife next to the girl at the tree if you get what I'm saying. So maybe we should choose to be a bit more cautious in how we go about this."
Dariel smiles at Terwyn, and answers: "Well, we are the Wardens. If Frederich agreed with us, we are, by the King's law, allowed to slap her in the face. And if anyone of them try to stop us, he could be the one getting hanged for rebellion. I don't say that we kill her, I just say that we can intidmidate her. Enough for us to obtain answers. But that's just my opinion, and it has to be a group decision, with of course our mentor's approval. And from where I come from, you obey the King's law, or you suffer the consequences, no matter who you are."
|
|
Linkon sighs in wariness. Look, the girl may be the one responsible for the finger pointing, but you have to understand, that is only the witch's fault. If you find the real witch I'm sure whatever spell she has cast apon this town to make us go at each other's throats will break. If you want to see the evidence, go look at the feilds. All the land is blighted. Now, I'm not sure if it is the power of just one witch, so be careful where you tread.
"We have seen the effects of the blight. We saw what it had done to one farmer's crops on our passage into town. Even so, the evidence does not point us in the direction of a witch. As of now our strongest connection to a witch, if there is one, would be through Siri."
"You must suspect someone of being a witch if you're so sure there's a witch causing the fields to go bad," Grognak says to Linkon. "Telling us a name or two might help. Only people we know are you, Siri and that judge that's out to hang you."
"Maybe if Siri knows what Linkon just told us and thinks we'll tell the town about it, she'll want to be a little more helpful?"
|
|
Linkon sighs. Look, I don't have any specific names... just... one night I was out hunting. I had taken my bow and had caught a brace of quail. When I was out there I heard a strange chanting so I went to investigate. There was a clearing. Standing around a cauldron in the center of some standing stones where ten people. Only three I recognized and they've all been burned. But that matters not, for what I saw was some strange creature standing there among them. Its skin was green and it had long wiry hair. It wore a cloak but it was still obvious that it was not human. It stands a whole head taller than any man. I belive that creature is responsible for the blight. But the anger... that only came afterwards. For some reason, no-one will stop the hangings and burnings.no matter how horrid they are or how innocent the victim. When I told this to the judge he just said it confirms my guilt.
"Think you could direct us to this clearing, so that we can look for any trails?"
Terwyn looks to the others.
"I mean we can still interrogate Siri and her family but if we could go at the root of all this evil we can maybe stop the curse before someone else gets hurt, right?"
"Green and ugly, that's what I heard. Sounds like a witch if I ever heard one!" Nevaal declares, falling into his previous idea of the appearance of witches. He waits expectantly for Linkon to respond to Terwyn's prodding in hopes of a trail to follow.
"North along the coast. Bunch of standing stones. Easy enough," Grognak grunts. "Is Siri's family's house on our way north?"
"Really easy don't you think? If they had already seen Linkon up there, they might be better prepared for other unwanted visitors. Best to keep our wits about us and prepare for a trap just in case."
"Easy enough to find some standing stones in either case, eh Grognak?", Nevaal dismissed the possibility of a trap laid by Linkon and begins to walk out of the room. "We should find Fredrick and make our way towards the stones. If Siri's house is along the way we might be able to make a quick stop to ask some questions."
|
|
Linkon shakes his head. No, afraid not. My place is that way, Siri was learning from my wife how to sew and cook, but she hasn't done that since the whole blasted witch problem began. Linkon sighs.
As you leave Fredrick returns and gives you the news that they will bury the "witch" hung near the town's entry. Apon hearing your results, he gives you the go. I'll allow you to go, but if you aren't back by sundown I will have to come looking, and the village has set up a curfew.
The trail north passes by linkon's farm. Do you investigate?
When they have left the jail, Terwyn looks to Nevaal and the others. "You know what? As it is on our way, maybe we should take the time to stop by Linkon's house and visit his wife. Just to hear what she has to say about all these accusations and especially about this Siri gal.
"That sounds like a good plan, Terwyn. Lead the way." As Nevaal continues to walk he takes a look up at the sky to estimate the time. "Sundown, we can make it back by sundown, but I suspect the witch will be most active when the rest of the town has locked themselves up in their home."
"Master Fremont, you're good with words. So you talk to Linkon's wife ok?" asks Terwyn , as the group is on their way to Linkon's house.
|
|
The way up to Linkon's home is nice. Unlike the rest of the land. Only when you get to the farm do you notice.The blackened ground, like someone had burned the grass without fire.
The farm is well built, a nice two floor building, it seems linkon put his heart and soul into building this house. As you approach, you notice the door is open, and the smell of something cooking comes from inside... is that bread?
Nevaal looks around at the black ground and frowns. "It's as if someone has salted the earth here. No crops can grow on this blackened ground." As he nears Linkon's house, he slows down and smells the fresh scent of bread. "Well I think it's safe to assume that she is home."
Terwyn breathes in deeply when he recognizes the smell he once knew as a kid. Then he walks over to the door and knocks.
"Hello?"
Grognak shifts uneasily as the group awaits a response from inside the house to Terwyn's knocking.
"Why would she leave the door open like that? he asks quietly. "Especially after they hauled her husband away to jail and accused him of being a witch..."
His eyes dart around the homestead as he looks around the sides of the building and tries to see into the house hoping to better evaluate his surroundings.
Seeing that the young woman seems afraid of them Terwyn tries to accomodate her. "No need to fear anything Miss, we're just the help called for by unlucky Master Linkon and would like to have a few words with his wife. I assume she's here? he says, trying to peer over the young maid's shoulder into the house.
Grognak motions to the barn and silo as they await a response from inside.
"Looks like the witches missed a spot over there," he mentions to the others just before the young woman comes to the door.
Once the woman introduces herself as the house maid, Grognak wonders aloud, "I don't recall Linkon saying nothing about having no house maid..."
"Only person he mentioned besides his wife was that girl she was teaching how to sew and such. The one we saw in town after that trial."
If Linkon's wife was teaching Siri how to sew and cook then I doubt that they would have a maid. This young girl seems very suspicious. Nevaal thinks to himself and his muscles tighten as a feeling of unease washes up his spine.
|
|
The girl immediately calms, her face not quite as pale.Oh, thank goodness! I thought the town had sent news of linkon's death. Yes, Siri was the last house maid, but about 6 months ago, when Diana got pregnant, Linkon sent her away and I was taken in a month after that. It seemed like Linkon didn't want Siri around Diana when she became pregnant. inside comes the call of another woman, Leah, let our guests in, it's dangerous outside!
The house maid let's you in. Inside is a well furnished house, but the tables are cluttered with cooking supplies, you can see a oven with bread bakeing inside. An older woman, at least 30, smiles as you enter she is quite pregnant. Hello, how may I help you fine gentlemen?
"We have a few questions to ask you, ma'am. It seems your husband has been accused of working with the witch. Do you have anything to say about this accusation?
With the more charismatic members of the party staying silent, Grognak does his best to move the conversation along and get useful information from Linkon's wife.
"Diana, is it? Did the fields turn black before they took Linkon away? Doesn't make sense to me for a real witch to ruin their own land."
"Has Siri been involved in accusing everyone that's been accused so far? Someething didn't seem right about her."
|
|
Diana sighs. "siri is their figurehead. She points the finger, the rest of them comply. She isn't always the one up front, but she's behind it. As for the feilds, they went black the same time as everyone else's. Oddly though, our barn is fine. No-one knows why. They presented it as more evidence one of us was a witch. Diana points to the bread she's baking. we're using what we can not only to feed ourselves but the needy in town as well.
"That's very kind of you. Is there anything special about the barn that would cause it to be unaffected? Maybe there's some history behind the barn?" Nevaal was confused and unable to understand why the barn would be spared but he was convinced that there was some significance in it. Either Siri was clever enough to set an elaborate trap to frame Linkon, or there was something else going on with the barn.
Maybe we should take a look at that barn, then? See if we can find anything there?
Terwyn shifts uneasily.
You know what? For some reason that doesn't feel right. Not only that the first thing Miss Siri does when she mets us is behave in a way arousing our suspicions. Now everywhere we go everything seems to point in her direction? I know one thing or two about getting blamed for something you didn't do, so this feels way to easy for me."
He looks at Grognak and Nevaal, then turns to Diana.
But why would Siri point her finger at you? I thought you taught her sewing and all, shouldn' she be, I don't know, thankful for that?"
|
|
Diana isn't hiding anything, she is as she seems. "Well... I know linkon had a... thing... with her. And she has always been a selfish child. She barely listened to me and always seemed to be oogleing over linkon's wealth... oh yes the barn. It has been in linkon's family for two generations. There was another building there but it burnt down decades before. Some sort of stone building, there are carved stones lieing about, we think it's from the people who lived here before." Diana stands. "Could be that's what is protecting the barn, a leftover peace of their culture."
"Carved stones. Sounds like some sort of magic to me. I don't know much about magic, but I know enough not to mess with it." Nevaal crosses his arms and ponders for a moment. "Unfortunately in this situation we may need to take a look at those stones and that barn to get to the bottom of this mystery. Linkon may or may not be the witch we are hunting, but he is involved in some magic."
"You never seen anyone strange sneaking around before the fields went bad? Or you heard anyone else saying they seen suspicious people about?" Grognak asks Diana, looking again toward the barn as she mentions the carved stones.
"If you know anything more about the people who lived here before you and Linkon, that might help us, too. And like Nevaal said, we'll probably want to be having a look around the barn to see these carved stones and see if we can't find an idea of who's been messing around out there."
As he finishes and awaits Diana's response, Grognak starts leaning toward the door, ready to investigate the barn. He wasn't much for conversation, especially with strangers in such strange circumstances.
"Thank you for your help. I hope something in there can help us clear your husband's name and find whoever's really responsible," Grognak says as he nods toward the barn.
He stands abruptly after glancing at his companions and heads outside to investigate the barn, looking over the exterior of the building closely before suggesting they check inside.
Nevaal follows Grognak towards the barn and stops for a moment to observe the change in color of the ground. From the contrast of the black fields to the barn, he tries to find some of the carved stones that Diana had mentioned.
While following his companions, Terwyn throws a longing look back to the house where the smell of fresh bread still fills the air, so as Nevaal stops he barely can avoid to stumble into him. To mask his inattentiveness he starts to ostentatiously look around him.
"See anything, Nevaal?"
|
|
The house is pretty standard, nothing out of ordinary,
Fortunately the stones are pretty easy to find (given you all take 10) and find the light colored stones. They are a lighter shade than standard stone, seems to be something like marble but the stone is not smooth enough to tell.
there are engraving on the stone but it is hard to tell.
"Nothing that I can make sense of. Someone that studied the old stories might be able to decipher these engravings, but I have no idea what they mean." Nevaal stands up after inspecting the stones and looks at the main door of the barn. "What do you think, guys? Shall we go in?"
"No time like the present," Grognak grunts after puzzling over the light colored stones on the outside of the barn and coming away as confused as before.
"Let's see what's inside," he says, approaching the door and pushing it open.