Syrges

Your character has just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As they look around, their gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. They duck and step into a tattered tent, illuminated by a series of candles suspended in the air. At the back of the tent, an old hag raises her head, “What brings you to this dingy town? She begins, then pauses to study your face—”Ah, it’s you. I’ve been expecting you. Sit,” she gestures at a cushion, “Tell me your story.”
 

Helda raises her eyebrows "Huh? Expecting me?". She suddenly bursts out in a loud hearty laughter. After the laughter stops, Helda sits down with a smile, scratches her stubble and continues "I'm not sure who you are... but I'm not the type of person to say no when someone asks me to talk about myself".

"Well.. where to start..." She stares at the roof of the tent for a moment, squinting her eyes "Well I guess I was a quite normal child... amongst the other dwarves I mean..." She laughs again and puts her face in her hands while laughing out "The humans-- and the- the ELVES! Yeah well they probably thought I was crazy..." Hilda looks up again and shakes her head. "Still so many good memories from my childhood. I still remember the smell of home-made cabbage-soup and the sound of my loud family." She starts fidgeting with the laces of her boots "Yeah the others in the nearby area all had to accept our chaotic family since we grew the best crops they had ever tasted.". "Everyone asked how the crops turned out to be so flavourful and big. I remember my mom always answering the same way... 'They are made with love, darling'" Helda's smile slowly fades while looking upwards, now trying to hold the tears back. "I- I really miss them sometimes..."  "It... It was a rough time when they passed away." "It was a sunny day when me and my partner, Elarin, came back from one of our adventures, only to meet my four siblings' devastated faces." Helda sniffles, wipe her eyes with a part of her dirty sleeve and sighs. "They had both died within a couple of days. They couldn't survive without eachother. They were truly soulmates." She smiles again "I sure hope Elarin and me will feel that strong connection some day" "We met quite recently. Him and I." "He was out in the woods one day, about five years ago, and.." Helda laughs and slowly shakes her head again. "Well let's say he weren't as experienced with nature as I was... Don't get me wrong though,,, he really is an intelligent soul, but he had been been investigating a badger's nest for a little too long and a little too close..." "The poor guy had started screaming when he had seen the sudden motion of the claws" "Ever since I 'saved' him that day, we have been adventuring and we eventually fell romantically for eachother." Hilda squints her eyes towards the roof once again, sinking deep in thought and mumbles "and.. uhh.. I suppose we are thinking about settling down soon... uhh.. selling crops like my parents... and... uhhh.." She suddenly comes back from her thoughts and blinks like she just woke up. "Oh right, what was the question again..?" "My story.. yeah I guess that was my story... Mind telling me about yours? I bet it's somewhat..." Helda looks around the tent, at the hag, and then at the candles, her face showing she's suddenly a bit weirded out "...interesting.... at least"