Three months later, in the towne of Yew, a young woman was hunting nearby. She had easily killed four trolls all alone, and returned to Yew with a heavier pouch than when she had left. The first place she went to was the Slaughtered Lamb. "Couldst thou get me some ale?" she asked the woman at the counter.
"Sure!"
As Lora stayed drinking there, a boy came running into the inn with a message for her. "Is Lora here?" he asked.
"Yes," the young woman replied, putting down her mug, "What dost thou want?"
"The ol' herbalist gave me a few crowns and told me to tell thee that... uh, what was it? Oh yeah, he ran out of nightshade and needs thee to get him some."
Sure enough, everybody knew Lora was the right person for the job, just as they knew she wouldn't refuse to help someone. "Tell him I'll set off tonight." she told the boy, who then left as he came - running.
Unlike most of the villagers, Lora was not busy at all, and lived off hunting in the forest, so she could hunt and enjoy herself whenever she liked. Helping somebody was no trouble at all. Instead, she was pleased whenever she could earn something extra from a little task.
Soon enough, she left her tankard half full of ale on the counter, paid, and left for her house on the east side of Yew. While she relaxed on her bed and took off her boots, she considered where she might go look for nightshade.
Soon she remembered that the mushroom was first spotted in Spiritwood. She rested there all afternoon, and, as the sun started to set, she changed her clothes, grabbed a bow, quiver and backpack and went south.
© by Daniel D'Agostino 2002-2025