The woodsmen's feast lasted long into the night, a bacchanal of boar's meat and brandy.
Waking snuggled up to a burly woodcutter, Lammert rouses Severin to a breakfast of cool water and roasted bacon before heading back into town, trophies in tow.
Although Remy's magical brandy has left him with a less-than-magical hangover, Lammert is amazed to find his grievous wounds from the previous day miraculously healed. He vows to glean the secrets of this curious elixir using his alchemical knowledge.
Upon seeing the evidence of their achievement tavern keep Remy seems begrudgingly impressed by their accomplishment, and offers them room and board at the Inn in exchange for their services as security and expediters. Still homeless and with no substantial income, Lammert and Severin ready assent to this offer.
After an additional meal of cured meats, bread & butter and boiled wine our heroes feel well enough to head to the castle to claim their well-earned reward. Seeing their heavy burden and knowing the road to the castle is long, Remy kindly arranges for a cart and mule for their disposal for the day. He also seals a letter of introduction for them so that they might pass through the castle gates unmolested.
Hours pass along the ill-kept castle road, but at last they reach it's gates where the semi-literate guards offer entrance upon reading Remy's note. Within the castle walls the two are met by an effete Diovian Priest named Aeron, who leads them to meet the Castellan of Lupin Castle, a certain Sir Ghigan. He courteously thanks Lammert and Severin for their service to the Barony, before his servants place a bag of 50 silver in their hands and shoos them graciously but insistently out of the Castlellan's presence.
The sun at midday and with coin in pocket, the two lads decide to explore the environs of the castle walls. Merchant stalls abound, but they are first summoned by the incessant ringing of steel-upon-steel of the blacksmiths forge. Even from a distance Severin recognizes the burly form of Henri the blacksmith from his youth spent within the castle walls. Although hardly friends, the blacksmith greets his old acquaintance warmly, and invites Lammert and Severin into his humble home for wine and porridge.
After catching up, the blacksmith tells a strange tale of being accosted by goblins- creatures of lore that most wise people pass off as being simply stories of the besotted and superstitious. But having just brushed up against certain death with a legendary creature, the two heroes put aside their incredulity and quietly listen as the massive man gives witness to his encounter.
It seems that the goblins made off with a prized creation of his - a bastard sword named 'Orendel' - the greatest craft made with his hands to date. He offers an unspecified reward if the sword were to be returned, and Lammert and Severin vow to return the blade if they are able.
Bidding the blacksmith farewell, the two warriors use their newly gained coin to buy some sundry items (including a pouch of fine Ossitanian tobacco) before Lammert invests in a battered shield sold by a wily merchant within the castle walls. Although at first hesitant to pay full price for such a well-used item, after hearing of the tales of the previous owner- a certain Sir Orkney- he agrees not only to pay the full price but a bit extra! Severin chides him for his imprudence, but Lammert is happy with the purchase, thinking perhaps that the heroic aura of the shield might now pass to himself as the new owner.
At last they make their way back to town in the empty cart, the mule slowly pulling it's lightened burden along the ancient and now overgrown road. Stopping into Savin's Sundries to spend their remaining silver, they are surprised to find that Savin has been awaiting their arrival, needing brave travelers to take goods to the house of The Witch in the north.
Lammert and Severin know The Witch by reputation only: it is said that she is very ancient, that she practices mysterious arts of sorcery, and that she lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs. Any trepidation that they might have in undertaking this task is dispelled by the substantial handling fee of 10 silver - 1 each to take the goods, and 4 per upon delivery. Still in possession of cart and mule, Lammert and Severin head out into the remaining sunlight to complete this last task for the day.
The light of the sun is fading in the sky when they at last make their way to the clearing where the The Witch's house stands. Now within viewing distance, it becomes clear that the 'chicken legs' are simply stilts that the house stands upon- a practical choice for a home this deep into the woods.
As they get closer still they notice a black cat sitting up at the house's entrance watching intently at their approach. Closing the distance further, another observation is made- what a false sense of scale had made them read this creature as a tiny house-cat was incorrect: Lammert recognizes the creature as a shadowcat, wild predatory cats normally found south of the Geryons. But as the two close the distance more the cat simply jumps lithely down to the ground and scurries into the wood, giving no challenge to their approach.
The flap of the huts entrance is then pulled back, the cat now replaced by a white-haired lady in a rough-hewn green robe. She pulls out a long elegant pipe and begins to languidly smoke from it, her large bird-like eyes watching with interest as the two men approach. Greeting her announcing that they are delivery Savin's goods, she invites the two lads in to place the delivery within her home.
Climbing the long ladder one by one, the two strong lads enter into the hut. It seems somehow larger from the inside than it seems without, stocked with smoked game and strange vials everywhere. Now within her home, Lammert and Severin are surprised to note that although The Witch has the color of an old crone, her flesh is as taut and supple as that of a maid. Lammert in particular notes her long and lithe legs escaping the folds of the robe, as well as the fine white silken underrobe that she wears beneath.
Their labors complete, the Witch offers water and game meat to the workers. As they rest, she notes having heard of their recent kill, and asks inquisitively after the details. Awed and perhaps a tad intimidated by this strange and strangely lovely creature, Lammert and Severin tell the tale at length, even embellishing the details in parts.
She listens quietly until they are quite finished, and the asks, "That is all very harrowing- and impressive- but do you truly understand what it is that you have done?"
Seeing that they did not, she explains: although yes, they did kill the boar that threatened and harassed the woodsmen, they had also removed the defender of the faerie pool itself. And with it's defender gone, the magical force that lived within the pool would seek to take it's vengeance upon any and all mortals that came within it's reach. In short- their actions had destroyed the balance of the forest, and it was now up to her to set things right again.
Chastised and abashed, Lammert and Severin pledge to support the Witch in anything that she needed to do to make up for their well-intended blunder. For her part, The Witch accepts their aid, saying:
"Well, you are here now, and the sun will set soon- so why not tonight? Make preparations- we will set out for Faerie Pool this very eve."
Thus the three set out into the cool of the dusk back to the place where Severin and Lammert had done mighty battle just the day before. Severin and Lammert trudge through the wood, they note that The Witch seems to glide through the ferns and underbrush, like they are making a path for her as she crosses. At last they catch up with her at the pool, seeing her sitting upon the great stone with her lit pipe, waiting for them to catch up.
Taking her place upon the banks of the pool, The Witch tells them to wait. And so they wait..and wait...and wait some more. Waiting until the sun dips every further into the sky, until the light of the moon and stars provides the only light to this dim corner of the forest.
Slowly- so slow that it at first seems a trick of the moonlight - a glow begins to rise from the pool. Severin and Lammert shift nervously behind the Witch, but she remains calm and still and so they resolve to keep their twittering to a minimum. Soon the glow grows in intensity, it's luminescence flooding the wood with an eerie greenish-blue cast.
Suddenly the Witch stands up! Taking her staff into her hands and striking it against the ground she says:
"Faerie of the pool! See me! See these mortals. Calm your rage and leave all in peace, I beg of thee. Hear me, creature of water and shadow."
Slowly-slowly a figure begins to stir within the pool. At first Severin and Lammert see only a shadow move beneath, but soon the form of woman emerges from the cool waters. She is dressed entirely in robes of white, her silken black hair flowing impossibly long beneath her, creating it's own pool of black tendrils flowing beneath her form.
Lammert sees her- and catches her eyes, eyes blue as the sky and deep as the pool itself- and sees that she is beautiful. More beautiful than any woman he had ever seen before. Images pass through his mind- a young girl he had seen once at a dance, the feel of the hot flesh of his first love behind Old Therevin's barn- all both merged in his thoughts and then dismissed. None were like this. None so pure...so very perfect. He begins to move forward towards this beautiful creature, his feet walking on air and with a mind of their own as they drive him towards his newly found love.
Severin sees his companion striding towards the strange and fearsome creature, and true to form acts immediately to protect his comrade. Rushing forward heedlessly, he tackles and then wrestles Lammert of the ground, holding him until the spell is past.
The Witch then hisses with rage, and in anger throws a dagger pulled from her robe directly at the nix in the pool. The creature flicks the blade aside with her robe, but is visibly shaken by the sudden assault. Seeing that battle is now underway, Severin pulls his bow to strike as the creature, but in the heat of action and confusion of facing the unknown he misses horribly and momentarily loses his balance. Lammert draws his blade to the ready, taking up Sir Orkney's shield as a guard.
The faerie begin to chant a spell, interrupted by the whish of Severn's well-placed arrow. The Witch chants as well, three points of light emerging from the ether to strike home upon the faerie in the pool. Enraged now, the faerie waves her hand and summons two globes of light from the shimmering pool- and the two wil o' the wisps make a bee-line to Severin and Lammert!
As The Witch does battle with the enraged nix, Lammert and Severin do battle with the mysterious globes of light. Lightning shoots from the first at Severin, causing his heart to skip a beat and his hands to become numb, while Lammert blocks the crackling blast with his hero's shield. At last both heroes fell the twin threats, both exploding in a scintillating burst of light as their blades strike home.
A last strike of her magical missiles drives the faerie back into the pool, sinking slowly beneath of calmly and strangely as she emerged, and finally The Witch declares the battle over and won.
Lammert asks, "So that's it? We've defeated it?"
To that The Witch replies, "Yes....for now. I think we have cowed her enough for the time being. Let's head for home, shall we?"
And with that our heroes head back to The Witch's hut to rest and recover their wits. Along the way, Lammert inquires after the powers that he had seen The Witch perform at the pool - could she teach him how to do those things?
The Witch thinks carefully before answering and replies, "Yes- I think that maybe you can. When you described your encounter with the boar earlier, you seemed very much aware of the magic of the pool. Magic insight is necessary to make use of it's powers, and that is something that you seem to possess. Come and visit me the day after the morrow, and I will see what I can teach and you and what you might learn..if you are ready."
Before leaving her hut The Witch slips Severin a healing draught to cure his minor ails, as well as a crude hand-woven charm of her own make.
And so our heroes head back home, perhaps thinking of the wider world that they have seen but a glimmer of this night. Both, however, thinking fondly of sleep in the new beds that fame and fortune had earned them on their recent adventures.
Rewards: 344 XP, 5+ Legend Reputation Trophies: Healing Potion (Cure I), Lilith's Charm, 60 Silver