Helloooo!
I’m sure that, wherever I am right now, my vacation is going on perfectly. But since this is a pre-prepared post, I don’t have much more to tell you. So, without further ado:
Last time in Mary Windfiddle’s story, our heroes were dubbed ‘Heroes of Belfast’ and were bestowed many awards and honours for their heroism. Then they went shopping, learned some information about the paintings in Nurvureem’s lair and happened upon the mysterious ‘Hut’ which they last saw all the way back in Rackstrad.
The small creaky shack stood between two buildings, in the middle of an alleyway. It looked like it had been there for forever, but Mary knew that it wasn’t on the street a half an hour ago.
“Let’s get in before it disappears again!” she called out.
They rushed in. The door closed behind them and the familiar smell of herbs and potions filled the air.
“Weeelcome!” the old lady behind the counter greeted them with a sleek smile. “I’m glad to see you three again. Welcome to Granny Gretel’s hut!”
“Hello,” Mary said. “Can we… look around?”
“Of cooourse you can, Mary Windfiddle! Everything for my favorite returning customers!” she folded her freakishly long fingers under her chin and followed their movement across the room with unblinking eyes. “And when you’re done, I have an offer for you.”
Aurum leaned on the counter and squinted at her suspiciosly. His fairy amulet, the one that the woman had asked for before, was hidden under his shirt.
“We’re listening,” he said.
Granny Gretel reached down and took out anothes amulet--this one with a ruby on its end--on a long golden chain. The ruby gleamed under the light of the candles in the hut. As the old woman was holding it for all to see, Mary finally realized what was wrong with her fingers. Each of them had an additional phalanx. They looked like spider legs.
“My offer is that you take this pretty thing and wear it at all times,” the woman said. “In return, you’ll become part of my family. You'll be able to call for ‘The Hut’ and it will appear wherever you are. You'll shop here at a pretty good discount. And also,” she rose a finger up in the air, “you’ll be able to ask for small favors and put orders for me to fulfill.”
She looked at them quizzically. Mary frowned. The amulet was shining in white, a certain sign that it was charged with divination magic.
“Can I check it out?” Bruno said.
“You want to Identify its magic, Bruno Airhammer?” Granny Gretel said a little less friendly than before.
“Yes. We’re not going to accept a deal without checking the thing first,” he said.
“Ok, ok, suit yourself.” The woman spread her arms as a gesture of peace.
Bruno took the amulet in his hand and concentrated on it. Mary could see the white magical thread coming from his mind and enveloping the ruby.
When he was done, they huddled together.
“It’s a spying device,” the dwarf said. “Like Aurum’s Clairvoyance but portable. It’ll enable her to see and hear anything around it.”
“I don’t know about this,” Mary said. “And we’ll have to wear it at all times?”
“I don’t mind wearing it,” Aurum said. "That way we'll be able to keep tabs on her as well." He raised his voice and repeated, so that the old woman could hear him. “I'll wear it.”
“Oooh!” Granny Gretel clapped her unnaturally long hands. “I was hoping it was going to be you! Dear boy, I’m so glad!”
“Why do you call me ‘boy’ and the others by their names?” the bard frowned.
The old woman answered with a toothless grin. She reached out her long-fingered hand to shake Aurum's. The bard shivered at the touch but took the ruby amulet and put it around his neck.
“Sooo!" she clasped her hands. “Now that you're part of Granny Gretel's family, what can I help you with?”
Bruno asked for something to muffle the clanking of his Bulette armour. It was really cool and an awesome piece of protection, but the noise it was making while the group was sneaking around, made it a liability.
“I can see what I can do,” Granny Gretel said. “I probably can’t make something to get rid of the noise entirely, but maybe something to oil it and dampen it considerably? Finding such a thing might take me a while, though.”
Bruno nodded.
The only thing Mary could think to ask about was a way to find people. There were already a few she wanted to locate, starting with her birth parents. Gillean had told her that her father was dead but she felt that she must have a mother somewhere. However, to Granny Gretel’s question of whom she was looking for, she replied with another name. She didn’t trust her enough to tell her everything just like that.
“Dorina Dwendel,” she said. “I promised her father that I’ll find her.”
Granny Gretel nodded and said she knew the name Dwendel. Then turned to Aurum.
“What are you looking for, dear boy?”
“What about a nice beach full of white sand, and lots of half-naked people with liberal views on intimacy?”
The old woman looked at him with a playful grin but didn't say anything. Then reached behind the counter and took out a small box.
“Now, who wants their fortune told?”
Mary was first. She didn’t consider fortune telling very reliable (she believed in the ‘people forge their own path’ philosophy) but she thought it would be fun to hear what Granny Gretel had to say.
The woman shuffled the cards and made her cut the deck. Then asked for a question. Mary looked at her friends and bit her lips. She didn’t want them to know about her family yet. She touched her copper ring and sent a Message in Granny Gretel’s mind.
Will I ever find my birth family?
The woman picked up a card and flipped it towards them.
“The cards see a 'Traitor' in your future, Mary Windfiddle,” she said. “Look over your shoulder and be wary of whom you trust.”
Mary frowned.
“This has nothing to do with my question,” she mumbled.
“I don’t choose what the cards tell me, Mary Windfiddle,” Granny Gretel croaked. “They make connections that we can’t yet fathom.”
“My turn,” Bruno said. "I want to know the future of the political situation."
He cut the deck and the old woman took out a card. Mary gasped.
"Someone is mudding the water," she said. "But if I'm judging by Miss Windfiddle's face, you already know that."
“That’s the same guy!” Mary said. “The one from the tunnel! He took the Artefact from Agrax!”
Her friends looked at the card. It depicted the 'Bishop' and he had the same censer as the mysterious figure Mary's familiar had followed. The trio shared an uneasy look.
“And you, dear boy?” Granny Gretel turned to Aurum. “Do you have a question to be answered?”
“Nah, I’m good,” the bard said.
“Oh, come on!” Mary urged him. “Get a prediction, it’s fun!”
He agreed reluctantly. The woman made him cut the deck and showed them the card she picked. It was the 'Tax Collector’.
"Someone will desire something of yours and they'll do whatever it takes to get it," Granny Gretel said.
Aurum shrugged.
“I have a lot to give to the world,” he said with a careless smile. “Lots of desires to fulfill.”
Mary had the feeling he wasn't telling them everything.
Soon after that, their visit to ‘The Hut’ was over. They’d gotten the ruby amulet and a promise. It was a weird deal but it could turn out to be a good thing after all.
Sooo, making deals with hags now, are we? Do you think that’s a good idea? I hope this doesn’t turn around and bite them in the long run :)
See you in the next episode when we’re going to see Mary stand up to authority to help her friend. What could that mean? You’ll see!
Until then,
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)