10 - A Night Full of Hags

After crossing the Tser River, the crew got a clear glimpse of Vallacki in the far distance, beyond a small mountain range. There was no way for them to make it there today, but they spied a windmill off the path. They deduced it was the Durst Family Windmill and went to investigate. As they approached, a raven perched atop the windmill and began squawking loudly, until a figure came out and a woman's voice yelled at the raven to leave. Simon and Alfonse climbed up and looked in the second floor windows but saw nothing. Aesigvarr pulled the pins from the hinges on the front door, and as the raven squawked louder, the woman came back out, causing the door to fall flat on ground. She ran out, puzzling over the door, and didn't notice Aesigvarr standing there until she turned around. Rather than responding with fear, the woman remarked on how pretty Aesigvarr looked. While they chatted, Alfonse slid back down to the ground and made his way stealthily around the windmill to eavesdrop on the conversation. The woman had a sister, just as homely looking, who came to the door and seduced Aesigvarr. She led him inside, while Alfonse and Lenore helped the other woman fix the front door. Once fixed, Talin snuck upstairs while Simon went to check on Ireena, who was still out at the road. A few minutes later, as Lenore and Alfonse fixed the door hinges, the raven started squawking again. The woman threw a bone at the raven as Talin and a young girl slipped out of the windmill and into the shadows. The rest of the group withdrew, and Aesigvarr filled them in that the women were actually night hags. He declined to mention what he had done with the hag while upstairs.