Hemo

You’ve just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As you look around, your gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. You 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.” ((How do you respond?)) Judane was tired enough from the travels, not exactly being the healthiest horse in the stable. Her eyes hardly gave the woman a glance as her exhaustion dropped her onto the cushions, her legs unable to withstand their buckling shakiness. She had never met this woman in her life. But...the chance of rest was desperately needed. "I suppose if you were looking for dark secrets, you won't find any..." "I've hardly said a thing, yet you're already on the defense," The crone muses, drawing a long, pipe to her lips. She takes a puff, before slowly blowing it out, smoke drifting from the carved bear mouth at its tip. "Oh, don't let me interrupt, continue." "..." She raised her brow, examining her face for tells...before she ultimately decided to relent. Fair assessment. "You are a stranger, after all, ma'am," "But I thought you had nothing to hide." "I thought you weren't going to interrupt." "By all means, continue the story." Judane sighed, taking a slow breath. Her eyes drifted to the outside of the tent...to the unknown, dank and decrepit...then back over at her weak, tired form. Her decision was quickly made. Leaning back on the cushions, she tries her best to get comfortable. "What can I say? I grew up on a sheep farm, raising them and shearing and spinning wool 'till my fingers stopped bleeding. Met the love of my life at a young age, and we eloped. He was a brilliant man, obsessed with magic and technology...I'm not as smart, so it would always go over my head, but I loved supporting him, you know?" The crone hums with acknowledgement, inspecting the contents of her pipe. "And where is he now?" "Well...brilliance needs brilliance. I could only really listen to conversation, and I couldn't travel with him everywhere. I tend to have periods of illness, which keep me home, so he would often travel alone. And one day, he decided he was going to the big city, to collect some books for his collections. that he would be home within the week. So I kissed his cheek, and bid him well, and he left. But he never came back." Judane would raise a hand to itch at her face, her gaze turning to the side. "I suppose I couldn't really blame him...he had so much potential, and he wasted it with me." "So he left his sick wife all alone? My, doesn't sound like the gentlemanly qualities so adored by the modern age." "No, it doesn't...which is why I am here, and not resting on my bed. I'm making my way to the cities, you see...? I've saved coin for travel, and hopefully, for treatments." "It's quite the journey for you to undertake by yourself," Another puff was exhaled. There were no fancy shapes, but the natural swirls of the smoke were just as distracting. "But with your attitude...you just may survive." "Oh, I'll survive alright," Judane nodded sagely. She had been so calm throughout this discussion...it wasn't the first time she was asked of her life, as she travelled on the road. "I'll survive just fine...right after I have a nap."