#Lore24 – Entry #135 – Muckenmyre Month #14 – New Allies at the Wayfare Inn

From the journal of Takara, Slave Inquisitor of the Stellae Illustris, Town Marshal of Grimbridge.

I awoke about midday, still feeling as though I had been soundly beaten, but my wounds were noticeably less painful after having rested.  It was another unfamiliar room in which I found myself, though this one was…cozy, I suppose.  It wasn’t large, but had enough room for two beds, the second containing a sleeping Satella, a wardrobe and chest of drawers, neither matching, but both having seen quite a lot of use in their time.  The scent of the swamp, though heavy upon us, was lessened now that we were within the witch’s domain, and over it I smelled fresh bread and smoked meat, boar, if my nose wasn’t mistaken. 

I got out of bed as quietly as I could, biting down against the many pains in my body, and I let Satella rest as I slipped out of the room.  The narrow hall beyond had an ancient feel to it but was well maintained and clean.  The Witches of the Ways were adamant about providing travelers with pleasant stays if they simply followed the rules.  Coming to the end of the hall, I peered out of the window, saw the wagon and our horses, one of the guards leaning against his spear by a small outbuilding, likely where the two bandits had been kept.  Making my way downstairs, I came into the common room, saw another of the guards sitting at the bar, appearing to have just awoken himself, likely not used to hours of hard riding after his usual shift had ended.  Several of the injured survivors from the caravan sat around the room as well, nodding appreciatively to me as they saw me.

I was greeted momentarily by the proprietress, an older human woman by the name of Izel, who ushered me quickly and politely, yet quite insistently, to one of the tables, promising that a propre meal would do wonders for me.  She came off as very motherly, and as she went behind the bar, I heard her speaking to others, likely her children, who would help her run the inn.  Moments later she came out with a tray of sliced bread, butter and jam, hot tea, and a bottle of something I couldn’t immediately identify.  She advised me to drink the concoction first, assuring me that I’d feel much better once I’d done so.  When I asked what it was, she said that it was cummi berry juice; I was unfamiliar with the name, the berries apparently grew within the Muckenmyre, and as I examined it, found the mixture to be a slightly thick, whitish color that smelled similar to blueberries mixed with ginger and perhaps ginseng.  I drank it down, finding the flavor satisfactory, though rather salty, and within a few moments felt my pains beginning to ease, the bruises and cuts upon my body fading rapidly.  I began eating the bread and tea, having expected nothing else, but then I was brought a plateful of the boar meat and cooked vegetables and some local roots; I had thought to decline so much, but Izel insisted, saying that I was a “growing girl” and should eat up.

I am rather ashamed to say that I did not leave a single morsel behind, hadn’t realized I had been that hungry, though I suspect her healing potion might have had something to do with that.

As I finished up my meal, finding it quite pleasant and filling indeed, I spotted four people coming down the Way from the north, an older human man, whom I immediately figured on being Izel’s husband, and a younger man, obviously their son, each carrying bundles of firewood, and two others that were certainly not of the inn’s regular occupants.  The third was a half-elven man with a rugged look about him, wearing well-worn traveler’s garb in greens and browns, a bow secured over his shoulder, a sword on one hip, a full quiver on the other, carrying several large fish strung together in one hand, and a pair of opossums in the other.  The fourth was an absolute giant of a half-orc, standing at least seven feet tall, all battle-scarred muscled, carrying a pair of boars, one over each of her massive shoulders, clad in simple hides, a large axe bouncing on her back, a smaller one hanging from her belt.

They followed the husband and son around to the rear of the inn, the half-elf doing all the talking, seemingly friendly enough.  Recognizing rangers when I saw them, I headed outside into the warm and humid afternoon sun, checking with the guardsman on watch first before I ventured around back.  As they were busying themselves butchering the animals, I introduced myself to the rangers, again getting somewhat confused looks when I bowed to them, and explained the circumstances we found ourselves in, and that I would like to hire them on as guides through the swamp.  The half-elf introduced himself as Jessiryn, and his companion as Augra, though she merely grunted and continued field-stripping the boar, and upon his request, I gave him some more information about the nature of our hunt.  I excused myself politely once he had requested time for them to consider our request, and as I departed, could hear him talking to his partner, though she had yet to utter a word.

Satella and the other town guards were in the common room having their meal when I returned, and we discussed our options, having some of the surviving merchants join us to see what they wished to do.  Though most of their goods were taken, they still intended to reach Grimbridge and try to salvage what they could from the situation and perhaps get passage on a ship bound up the coast in lieu of traveling the Way again.  Most of the town guard would accompany them back to town, though another attack was unlikely, leaving two of them with Satella and myself to track the bandits and the twins.

Jessiryn approached our table then, and announced that he and Augra had decided to join our hunt.  Though they were fairly recent arrivals in the area themselves, they had been hunting the swamp enough to know the area well enough, and would very much like to offer their aid to Grimbridge and the traders. 

And so it was the six of us would depart the inn, having offered our payments to Izel for her kindness, that afternoon, taking the flatboat Jessiryn and Augra had with them, though it was a bit crowded with six of us aboard.  Still, the hunt was resumed, and our new companions would prove most capable during the coming days.