Hello, Everyone!
It's time for another part of Mary Windfiddle's story :) Last time our heroes were still traversing Ekoba when they happened upon The Hut, the mysterious establishment ran by Granny Gretel, a mysterious and sketchy hag. They traded some stuff and information and met Jojo - the flaming skull Granny was keeping as a pet.
“So, children.” Granny Gretel clapped her hands. “I can see that you’re going into Ekoba. Very nice place you’ve chosen, again. You always find the most peculiar spots to go to.”
Mary could feel the ridicule in her voice and it made her uneasy.
“Would you like to find someone you can trust inside the city?” Granny said. “Because Granny knows people.”
Mary glared at her. Yeah, right, as if we’d trust someone recommended by someone WE don’t trust! she thought.
“Tell us more about that person so we can gauge how they could be of use to us,” she said.
“He lives within the First wall and has access to the Second,” Granny said cryptically. “And he, too, is one of my dear grandchildren, so you should play nice.”
“I think we should go and check out the situation for ourselves before asking for any more help,” Bruno said.
“Suit yourselves,” Granny said. “Anything else I can do for you? Any kind of information I can gather? Anything to find out?”
Mary’s chest tightened. She glanced at her friends. They seemed distracted at the moment. She touched her copper ring, but before she could send a Message to the old woman, she heard in her head: Yes, child?
Mary gulped. Had the hag been able to read her thoughts the whole time? Her mind flashed to all the unflattering remarks she’d made inside her own head while they were in ‘The Hut’ and felt her ears burn with embarrassment.
I’m sorry for what you might have heard, she thought. I was just joking around!
I don’t know what you mean, child, Granny said in her head. So, what do you need?
It was now or never. Mary composed herself and stared at the old woman’s eyes.
I need to know how I can resurrect my parents. Both of them, she thought. Or at least talk to their spirits.
Granny Gretel cocked her head and flashed her a toothless smile.
I think we can arrange that, Mary heard in her head.
“So, nothing else?” the woman said out loud.
“W-what about… um, your favourite grandson Aurum?” Mary asked, trying to sound casual through the fluttering of her heart. “Don’t you have any gift for him?”
“Of course I do!” Granny said.
She leaned in and gave the bard a big wet kiss. Mary winced--she’d had her fair share of aunties trying to kiss her in her childhood--but the bard didn’t flinch. He even smiled and thanked the old woman as if this was the best thing in his life right now.
“So, that was all, I presume,” Granny Gretel said. “Now, off you go.”
She made a gesture as if to shoo them and, just like the first time they’d visited ‘The Hut’, their feet started sliding on the floor, like something was pushing them away. It moved them through the small room and into the greyness outside.
“Oh, good,” they heard the Flaming Skull’s voice before the door closed behind them, “I was beginning to get sick of these three.”
Mary, Bruno ans Aurum continued their way through Ekoba. The country didn't get any better. It didn't get worse either. It was just always grey, always dry, always depressing.
Riding through a skimpy forest, the trio began to discern a tree lying in the middle of the road in the distance. Some figures were standing around it, sizing them up. Four people, to be exact. Two of them were unsuccessfully trying to hide in the sparse underbrush.
All right, this was classical ambush behaviour. Even without having experienced something like that herself, Mary was able to easily figure it out. She looked at her friends. They seemed tense but kept riding slowly towards the fallen tree.
She studied the four people around the road. They were young, almost boys, holding crude tools which could double as weapons if need be.
If that was all that the ambush was, Mary didn't think her group ought to be worried. They'd faced drow and undead, a few teenagers shouldn't have been a threat.
The boys stepped out of the way and the trio rode past. And that was going to be it, Mary thought, until she heard a snap, the flutter of clothes, a gasp and three screams.
She turned around and saw Aurum. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, he'd teleported from his horse and was now holding a dagger to one of the boys' throat.
"All right," he said. "Why are you stalking us? Who sent you?"
Oh, no! Is this and ambush?! And... on whose part? XD
See you next time!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossary and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: These are 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 and Bruno) 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.