As Leoren follows Elizabeth and Melissa into the brush, Kragga stands behind Saleh. The orc gasps and throws up her hands as she invites the World Mother into her body. Her eyes glow green as she enters a state of divine ecstasy.
The ruckus grows louder as the nearby trees buckle and groan, and at last you see the source of the noise through the mist--a hulking female giant! The naked giantess stands 15 feet tall. She looks like an enormous human with a slouched posture and exaggerated features: a broad nose, drooping eyebrows, and a slack mouth filled with stained teeth the size of shields.
She stomps across the path, seemingly unaware of Saleh and Kragga as an enormous foot comes down on them!
Saleh abandons the chance to strike in favour of simply diving put of the way!
With a swift prayer to her goddess, Kragga hurls herself out of the way of the giant's footfall as well!
Having escaped the giant's inadvertent wrath, however narrowly, Saleh throws up a hand to hold back any attacks. Better to let a force of nature like that pass by unchecked.
The glow fades from Kragga's eyes, and she nods to Saleh. Once the others emerge from hiding, you continue on.
As you travel, you come across a bear trap. The trap is mangled and damaged beyond repair. A few hundred yards past the trap is a shack, tucked deep in the woods. Foot traffic has worn down the undergrowth, clearing the area within 5 yards of the building. It has a chimney made from river stones, a sloping roof, green with moss, walls made from logs mortared with mud, one door, and a couple of shuttered windows. Animal bones hang from bits of string tied to the frame of an open door. A shed stands behind it.
Elizabeth looks over the hut for a moment, watching for any sign of life. She finally steps out into the clearing and approaches the building with Melissa close behind her.
Exuding complete confidence she approaches the door and raps smartly on it. "Hello?" she calls out.
Saleh remains slightly off to the side so as to be out of visibility for anyone opening the door. He has both weapons drawn, apparently the mantra 'better safe than sorry' is one he takes seriously...
Elizabeth carefully pushes the door of the hut open wider. The interior reeks of rotting flesh. The body of a woman lies on the cot where she died, covered in flies, her body bloated.
Elizabeth's hand moves to her mouth and her other reaches back to prevent Melissa from looking inside. "Stay outside," she says in a firm voice. "Saleh?" she asks, indicating the open doorway and follows him as he enters.
Saleh pauses briefly at the sight of the body but proceeds with little more than a grimace. He then examines the room thoroughly.
Melissa frowns at her mistress' instructions, but as the smell wafts out stronger, she nods and steps back into the clearing, watching the nearby trees.
There is little of interest in the shack aside from a jug of rancid milk. It looks like several people lived here until recently, but there is no sign of anybody else.
The dark interior of the shed behind the shack holds a worktable covered in sharp knives. Bones hang from the ceiling. Drawn in blood on the table’s surface, framed by a circle of blades, is the crude likeness of a woman.
Melissa notices a few black ribbons hanging from the trees nearby.
As Elizabeth exits the shed, Melissa calls out to her. "Hey, what are those?" she asks, indicating the black ribbons.
The stern woman approaches one of the dark tendrils and examines it closer.
It doesn't look like any ritual took place her, but Elizabeth recalls black ribbons and spoiled milk are usually signs of a faerie's displeasure...
"I think someone pissed off the Lady of the Woods," Elizabeth comments as she looks over the ribbons. "Or one of the other fae. Let's keep moving."
Leaving the unfortunate woman behind in the shack, you continue on down the path. It is just after noon when you hear anguished roars up ahead. The mist parts to reveal a black bear caught in another bear trap! The animal groans in pain and thrashes against the metal jaws holding its paw in place.
Saleh thrusts out a hand to keep the women back and steps forwards slowly. The legion had some war beasts but he'd never worked with them personally.
"Easy there friend." He says, keeping his voice low. "Easy. I can help you if you'll let me." He stops a couple of feet away, waiting to see if his presence enrages the animal or if it might accept help.
The bear growls at Saleh a bit but calms down some, allowing the fighter to approach.
With slow and careful movements Saleh pulls his knife from his belt. Keeping the blade in its scabbard he gently inserts the blade into the trap, speaking softly all the while and then presses sharply against the blade.
The trap springs open, releasing the bear and Saleh stands slowly, taking a step back as he does so.
"Go brother, you are free."
"Get back here," Elizabeth hisses at Saleh. "That thing will tear you apart!"
Once he returns to the rest of the group, he can see that the woman is pale and sweating.
The bear growls softly and lowers its head once it is free, as if to say thank you. Kragga approaches carefully, and it allows her to pray over its wounded leg, which begins to heal. The animal grunts again before loping off into the woods.
A few moments after it departs, a tiny creature appears in your midst in a burst of bubbles! The tiny elfin humanoid is a mere 8 inches tall and hovers on colorful butterfly wings. A skirt of leaves is the only clothes he wears.
"Well done! You have demonstrated kindness and a willingness to honor the old ways. I, Giggles, declare you friend of the forest! You have earned safe passage through our lands!"
Elizabeth jumps back from the fey as it appears suddenly. Grabbing Melissa's arm in a tight grip, she tenses as it makes its pronouncement.
Melissa pats her mistress' arm in a reassuring fashion.
"Well, Mister Giggles, ain't you the cutest thing," she gushes. "Where does that passage get us?"
"Why, wherever you want to go! You may travel the Mistwood freely without fear of trouble from us fair folk!"
Melissa turns to look at Elizabeth before turning to back to Giggles. "Could we visit the Lady o' the Woods?" she asks.
Giggles gasps and shakes his head. "Oh, no! You don't want to do that. It would end badly for you."
"I ... I have to," Elizabeth stammers out, stepping forward. "I've been cursed and I've learned that she can ... she can remove curses. I have to talk to her .. To ask her ... I don't have much time."
"The Lady is a nymph of unsurpassed beauty," Giggles says, eyes wide. "To lay eyes upon her is to go mad with desire. If that's the route you want to go down, I won't stop you! But I can't lead you to her, either. You'll have to find her on your own! Good luck!"
Giggles bows low and then vanishes as quickly as he appeared, leaving only a handful of bubbles in his wake.
"I sincerely doubt that I'm going to go mad with desire for a woman - no matter how beautiful," Elizabeth mutters skeptically.
"I guess we continue down the path," the sorceress continues in a resigned voice.
Melissa doesn't look as confident as her mistress. Her eyes seek out Saleh and she smiles, but it seems a half-hearted effort at best.
"Faeries are fickle creatures," Kragga says. "We'll have to rely on our own devices to find what we're looking for."
"That pixie was kind of a prick," Leoren mutters.
You continue along the path for another hour or so as it turns to the south. Ahead, it branches, giving you the choice to head west or east.
Elizabeth looks between the branching paths before turning to the east. "Let's continue this way," she says, leaving her opinion on the pixie unknown.
"That pixie was kind of a prick," Leoren mutters.
Melissa frowns.
"I don't know. I think he was kinda cute," she says with a shrug.
The path proceeds on for another hour. It's about two in the afternoon now. Ahead, you have another choice of routes--northeast or southeast.
Elizabeth follows along on the path continuing northeast.
The pathway curves to the north as you continue through the foggy forest. After several more minutes, the underbrush ahead rustles, and a band of eight rowdy satyrs come tumbling drunkenly out onto the path! The hairy faeries have the upper bodies of muscular, attractive men, their physiques finely chiseled. Their lower bodies are those of shaggy goats, and they have great ram’s horns curling out from the sides of their heads.
Upon spotting your band, they whistle and whoop, their arousals standing proud and obvious to see. "Well, hey now, fellows! Would you check out the bevy of beauties we've stumbled upon!" one says.
"A blonde, brunette, and redhead! What are the odds?" another slurs.
"And check out the gazongas on that green lady! Now there's a mountain I'd like to climb!" a third one laughs.
The apparent leader of the band steps forward and bows low. "Welcome to the Mistwood, ladies. Would you care to join us for a celebration? The wine is plentiful, the music is lively, and the pleasure you will experience will be legendary!"
"As ... uh ... tempting ... as that offer may be," Elizabeth hedges, "We're operating on limited time and we are seeking out the Lady of the Wood."
Melissa leans close and whispers in her ear, not quite concealing a giggle. Elizabeth's face pales slightly and grows stern. She turns to her handmaiden and responds in kind before returning her attention to the satyrs.
The red-headed girl, chastised, looks down mournfully at the ground.
"Zounds! The Lady of the Wood! More like the Lady who Gives Me Wood!" the first satyr exclaims. The others chortle with laughter. "Her beauty surpasses that of the Faerie Queen herself! Oh, if she would deign to give me but a single kiss, I would die content."
"We can tell you where to find her," another satyr offers. "But only if you share a few drinks with us first..."
"We don't bite! Unless you ask us to!" laughs a third.
Saleh growls, a sound rather reminiscent of the bear that he freed, and steps forwards. "They are not interested in your company." He states, "Or should I deal with your wood?" He draws his fighting knife unnecessarily slowly, letting it scrap out of the sheath for maximum effect.
The satyrs laugh and jeer as Saleh steps forward. "Butt out, brother! Let the ladies speak for themselves!" the lead satyr shouts.
Saleh doesn't move. "You'll wish I was the only one speaking." He replies deadpan but says no more - giving the ladies a chance to speak in their own defence...
Kragga grumbles but lowers her voice. "We've been wandering the forest for hours with nothing to show. Distasteful though it might be, this might be our best chance to learn the proper direction to go. It's your call, though."
Elizabeth nods with a frown at Kragga's grumbling. "I agree," she says with resignation.
The woman leans over to whisper to Melissa who raises her eyebrows in surprise, but then with a nod, begins digging through the small pack she carries.
Elizabeth steps up next to Saleh. "We'll agree to share a few drinks with you in exchange for telling us where to find the Lady of the Wood," she says in a louder voice and an attempt at a friendly smile. "We'll even provide the wine." She reaches out to her maid-servant who places a wine-skin in her hand.
Once Melissa hands off the wine, she steps back behind Elizabeth, hoping her flushed face isn't entirely obvious as her eyes move from the satyr's faces to their clear 'excitement'.
The satyrs cheer and eagerly pass the wineskin around. They drink vigorously, then offer their own wineskins around should anybody wish to indulge further. One of them produces a set of panpipes and begins to play a merry tune as the other seven dance, boast, and make passes at all of the ladies in the group.
After several minutes of this, the lead satyr hiccups and waves his empty wineskin in the air. "Alright! I'm ready to tell you where to find the Lady, but I would ask one more thing from you first. A kiss!" he says with a twinkle in his eye. "Just one kiss from any of you lovely women."
Leoren, who has only had a few sips of alcohol, wrinkles her nose. "Hard pass," she says.
Elizabeth passes on the satyr's offered wine and ensures that Melissa does as well.
She then pales at the offered trade. Her eyes go to the ground and she seems to be mustering up courage to refuse when a hand is placed on her arm.
"It's ok, Miss," Melissa says softly. "I'll do it."
Elizabeth's eyebrows raise in alarm. "I couldn't ask you to ..."
"You're not," the red-headed girl interrupts. "I wants to." She eyes the forest fey with an appraising look and ... hunger?
Melissa steps forward and plants her hands on her hips. She shakes her shoulders in a saucy fashion and smiles at the satyr that spoke up.
"So who do I get to kiss?" she asks with a smile. "And it best be something that I'll remember. These lips are somethin' special and don't go 'round kissing just your average bloke." She gives Saleh a wink and looks back at the gathered fey.
"Oh, truly, I will give you something to remember me by," the satyr spokesperson says with a grin. His fellows cheer as he steps forward and gathers Melissa in his muscular arms. He pulls the smaller woman towards him and begins an intense, passionate kiss. Pleasure floods Melissa's body and she feels her knees going weak. It's easily one of the most intense kisses she has ever experienced.
The satyr's hands roam across Melissa's back and begin tugging at her clothes...