Chapter Text
While the Goblins had left even the groups without Solrae alone while they'd searched the city, nobody had trusted them enough to sleep without a guard. Like before, Solrae and Astarion took turns, allowing the others to sleep through the night and wake up as well-rested as one could be when sleeping in these ruins.
Solrae had taken the first watch this time, and thus, their meditation ended shortly after sunrise, when the eastern sky had almost lost its orange color and changed to blue. Astarion was facing away from them, towards the sun, though he turned around when he noticed the others stirring. Aside from their group, some of the Goblins were already awake, loudly digging through the leftover objects in the houses, while others were snoring just as noisily.
Tara stretched in a decidedly cat-like fashion and allowed Gale to pet her head for a moment before he got up and started with breakfast.
Solrae walked over to him. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better, after Tara's help. Not to say your efforts were unwelcome! It's just that she's the one who was successful."
"She had impressively good timing." Solrae smiled at Tara, who gave them a look that almost seemed appreciative, before Solrae turned back to Gale. "Do you know how long it will be before you need another artefact?"
"A few days, at least. Don't worry, I don't need to consume them daily. We should have plenty of time to visit 'Auntie Ethel'."
"Good. We could have kept searching here, but..."
"But we may be running out of time. I know. Now, would you like some breakfast before we have to leave?"
The guards at the village's southern entrance let them pass without issue, even if Tara got a few curious looks. She was sitting on Gale's backpack, front paws on his shoulder as she surveyed the area. When something came towards them, she was the first one to notice, followed shortly by Solrae and then Wyll.
Most of the blood on Scratch's paws had been cleaned off, but a few ruddy spots still remained. He hesitated for a moment after spotting the group, but when Solrae knelt down, he came closer.
"You found us." After giving him a moment to sniff their hand, Solrae reached out to ruffle Scratch's fur. Shadowheart and Wyll joined them only a moment later, gently running their hands through the fur on his back.
Scratch's tail wagged slightly at all the petting, though his ears remained lowered. "My friend didn't wake up again. I stayed with him until I knew he was gone."
"I'm sorry." Solrae continued petting his neck. "I'm glad you found us, though."
"So am I. Can I come with you, then?" Scratch's tail sped up slightly when Solrae nodded.
"Of course. We might end up in dangerous places where you'll have to wait outside, but we'll keep you safe," Solrae answered, hoping they'd be able to keep that promise. "Are you hurt at all? Or is there anything else you need before we can keep going?"
"No, I'm fine." Scratch looked back briefly. "Fine enough, at least."
"All right. Bark if you need anything." Solrae patted Scratch's head one more time, then got up to continue south.
The day was... pleasant, which still felt strange. A light breeze was picking up, and more clouds were gathering on the sky, but more often than not, the sun shone down through the trees, warming their clothes. Scratch trotted next to them, occasionally sniffing at one thing or another, though he never separated too far from the others.
Some ways down the road, the sounds of nature were interrupted by yelling voices, not too far away. Just a few steps later, Solrae could see who was shouting: Two men, who had cornered Ethel against a small mound of dirt.
"Hm, I'm not exactly the type of person to help little old ladies," Astarion commented, "But maybe we should, if we want her to take a look at our brains."
"That's your only reason for wanting to help?" Wyll slightly furrowed his brows, while Solrae moved towards Ethel and the two strangers. Wyll followed after a moment, more concerned with the woman's well-being than Astarion's opinions.
As they got closer, the men's words became audible; something about their sister.
Ethel raised her hands, trying to calm them. "Lads, for the love of all that is holy, I've never clapped eyes on your sister!"
"Drop the act, hag! Mayrina said she was going to see you!" The first man glowered.
The second, though, seemed almost scared of Ethel. "Please, just let her go. We only want our sister back, nothing else."
"I already told you, I don't know where she is!" Now Ethel noticed Solrae's group and turned to them. "Please, can't you tell them I wouldn't harm a mouse, sweetie?"
Something about the interaction felt intensely off, though Solrae couldn't quite place their finger on it. Maybe they just felt for the two men looking for their sibling. "What's going on?"
"This hag took our sister!" The first man answered, his weapon-hand twitching.
"Petal, I swear, I don't know what's come over these two boys. I don't know where their sister is." Ethel turned towards the two men. "Please, I'll gladly help you look for her if you want me to."
"Don't believe her," the calmer—or just more scared—man asked Solrae. "Our Rina left us a letter saying she was going to meet with her. She never came back."
"Poor dearie must have gotten lost," Ethel said. "We should stop wasting time and look for her, then!"
"Oh, stop pretending! You know damn well where she is!" The angrier brother had had enough; he drew his weapon and charged at Ethel.
Wyll stepped between them, blocking the man's swing with his rapier. Maybe on instinct, maybe because he'd believed her; Solrae didn't know, and it wasn't important. The man took it badly either way. "So you're with her!"
Solrae drew their dagger and ducked underneath the swing of the more timid brother, then shoved him. He fell, unbalanced. These men weren't fighters.
But they were determined. The man got to his feet again, was about to take a swing at Solrae when a dagger plunged into his back. He fell to his knees, sputtering blood, revealing Astarion behind him. "You're welcome."
Closer to Ethel, Shadowheart smashed her mace against the other man's leg, sending him to the ground with a crunch that wasn’t quite drowned out by his scream. Without stopping, Shadowheart raised the mace again, this time targeting the man's chest; he went down, wheezing.
Ethel covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh dear. Thank you, petal! But these poor lads—Their sister will be so distraught to hear about this."
Solrae narrowed their eyes. So their instincts hadn’t been wrong, after all. "What do you know about their sister?"
"Well, she is staying with me. I'm so sorry to deceive you, petal, but she asked me not to tell her brothers where she went. You can come by and visit any time, my offer to take a look at your eye still stands.” She looked over at the two men. “Just, don't tell the poor girl about her brothers. It’d be the end of her." She smiled, then vanished into thin air.
Everyone paused for a moment, the brief silence only interrupted by the two men desperately gasping for breath, but getting weaker.
"Well, that was unexpected," Astarion finally commented.
Wyll grimaced. "Damn. I didn't mean for a fight to happen."
Solrae looked at the two brothers, lying on the ground, but still moving. "Shadowheart, you're a cleric, right? Can you heal them?"
"Well, I can try. But I doubt they'd trust us even so."
Solrae shrugged. "We can tie them up first. They don't need to be completely fine, just well enough they don't die." They looked over at Wyll, who fished some rope out of his bag of holding while Shadowheart laid a hand on the first man's shoulder.
As soon as his wounds were starting to close, Solrae tied his legs together, then his arms behind his back. He was groaning, but at least he and his brother weren’t at death’s door anymore.
"And you think just leaving them like this is better than killing them quickly?" Astarion asked. "Who's to say no wild beast will come for them as soon as our backs are turned?"
"I tied the knots loosely. With how weak they are, getting untied should take them long enough they can’t follow us, but it should be fast enough that they'll break free before anything else gets to them. The fight would’ve startled any animals in the area, and the Goblins are far enough away."
"Hm. Fine, if you think that's wise. Now, shall we go?"
Solrae nodded, then started moving down the path.
"Well," Shadowheart said after a few moments of silence, "At least this means our chances of Ethel being able to help us with the tadpoles are a lot higher than I thought. Of course, it also means she's a lot more dangerous."
"Now that we have come all this way, we may as well go and visit her." Lae'Zel nodded towards the brothers. "Especially if you don't want those two to die as soon as they come free."
"You're right," Solrae answered. "I'm also curious about their sister. If she's there willingly, that's her choice, but from what I've heard of hags, I have my doubts."
They looked back towards the brothers one more time, then focused on the path forwards. The trees were thinning out, making way for some wetlands, rays of sunlight shining through the clouds and illuminating a pool of water here, a patch of grass there, as birds sung hidden in the few remaining trees. It was idyllic, just like Ethel had said in the grove, if a little worn-down, wooden paths that led from island to island partially submerged in the water.
Something about the whole place put Solrae on edge.
The birdsong was a little too rhythmic, bordering on monotonous, not to mention that Solrae couldn’t spot a single bird.
The water moved in a slight breeze, but ever so slightly out of sync with the wind.
If Ethel hadn't just vanished into thin air, Solrae might have ignored it, assumed it was a trick of their mind. Considering Ethel was clearly not the human she pretended to be, though, Solrae decided to trust their instincts, and reflexively grabbed Astarion's sleeve when he was about to just walk past them.
"Excuse me? I though we'd decided to visit the old lady!"
"And we will, but watch your feet. Something is off about this place." Solrae let go and walked to the edge of the water, where a ray of sunlight caught on something metal. "Unless you wanted to step into that thing."
Astarion paused. "Well, that's not very welcoming of our dear Auntie," he commented, and offered Solrae to go ahead with a mocking bow. "Since you're so great at spotting them, perhaps you should lead the way."
Solrae nodded, moving carefully, though most traps were a little away from the sunken bridges. No fish were flitting past Solrae's feet when they stepped into the water, though, nor any frogs or tadpoles.
"So, what's our plan once we reach the teahouse?" Wyll asked, tone hushed. "I hope you don't plan on just accepting whatever she offers?"
"That depends on what she wants," Solrae answered, not looking at Wyll so they could focus on the wetlands around them. "We need those tadpoles out. But we don't know if she can do it at all, and I'm not about to risk my life for her 'maybe'."
"Keeping your options open, I see," Shadowheart answered, just as quietly. "That might be a good idea. And it might also help us not make her angry."
Near the teahouse, a bit off the path, Solrae spotted a group of sheep. They wouldn't be unusual here, a source of milk and wool for an old woman living away from the nearest city, but with no fence around them and traps in the water, Solrae had to wonder how those sheep had survived uninjured.
They were about to move towards them, perhaps ask for any information, when Tara hissed softly. "I wouldn't get too close if I were you, Mx Zauval." Her fur was raised, wings slightly spread as her tail swished from side to side.
Gale looked at the tressym on his shoulder in mild surprise. "I didn't know you disliked sheep, Tara. Though, I do agree something feels off about them."
"I would doubt that they are sheep at all, Mr Dekarios," Tara answered, refusing to let them out of her sight. "What exactly they are, I can't tell, but they are not simple animals. Perhaps they are not animals at all."
"Now, traps in the water, I can understand. But what's the point of fake sheep?" Astarion asked.
"The point would not be sheep, but hiding what they are," Lae'Zel answered. "Apparently, 'Auntie Ethel' doesn't want any visitors to know what, exactly, she has near her house."
"Hm. Well, let’s not begrudge an old lady her privacy," Astarion answered. "Maybe we should simply knock on her door instead of pestering her pets."
Solrae looked at the 'sheep' a moment longer, but then nodded. "All right. Looking too closely might tip them off we noticed something, too, and I'm not sure we want her to know that." They turned away from the sheep and walked up a short flight of stairs to a simple wooden door next to a well.
Their knock was answered quickly. "Come right in, petal!"
Solrae kept their dagger lose in its sheath, but their hands away from it as they opened the door. Inside, the house looked homely; some herbs were drying on the walls, and the smell of a fresh tart filled the air. Shelves and tables were covered partially in knick-knacks, partially in various potions that reflected the light shining through the windows in a myriad of colors.
"I'm glad you could make it here, love. And thank you for your help. Now, shall I take a look at you?" Ethel smiled kindly, just the way Solrae was not used to grandmothers looking.
They were distracted from her anyway, by a human sitting at a table, using a fork to break a tart into smaller and smaller pieces but clearly reluctant to take a bite.
Solrae smiled at Ethel. "I hope we're not intruding on you and your guest."
"Ah, don't mind her, sweetness. Just pretend she isn't even there." Ethel glanced at the Human. "And you eat up, girl."
The Human looked up. "Auntie Ethel, please, I can't eat another bite."
"Stop complaining. Remember, you're eating for two, so get to it."
Reluctantly, the Human raised the fork to her mouth and swallowed, grimacing as the food went down her gullet. Then she went back to moving it around on her plate, every now and then trying to raise the fork to her mouth again but letting the food fall back onto the plate long before it could reach it.
The way the Human was treated definitely made Solrae a lot more reluctant to take any deal Ethel might offer, though they tried to keep they voice sweet as honey. "All right then. You said you might be able to help with our problem?"
"Yes, I did. I know I said I had something at home, but I do have to admit that was a bit of a lie. Don't fret—I can help you, but the thing I have at home is me." Ethel smiled as she leaned in, laying a hand under Solrae's chin to tilt their head up. Solrae tensed, but didn't fight, yet. "The tadpole is behind your eye. So, I will take it out, kiss it for good luck, and once that nasty little worm is out, I'll put your eye right back in. Help and payment in one. What do you say?"
"Which part of that would be the payment?" Solrae asked, taking half a step back to get Ethel’s hand away from their chin.
"Why, your little peeper, petal. That's why I'm kissing it for good luck."
Gale leaned over to Solrae, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That sounds like a Hag Eye spell. She wants to see out of our eyes, who knows why."
Ethel's eyes focused on Gale. "Ah, you're a wizard, aren't you? Trust me, it's not like any spell you may know. The eye will stay right in your head, I promise."
"Will there be any changes to it?" Solrae asked.
"Well, of course, but you have two of them, don't you? And I promise you, it's much better than what the little wiggler would do to you without my help."
It would be better than ceremorphosis, but Solrae still didn’t want to lose one of their eyes. Especially considering how miserable the Human looked.
Solrae nodded towards her. "I'm assuming that's Mayrina? I hope you were planning on treating us better than her."
"I already told you, don't worry about her. It'd be best for you to keep your nose to yourself."
Solrae tensed slightly, but still kept their hands away from their weapons. They didn’t want to provoke a fight. "She did come to you for help, too, though, didn't she?" They asked. "So if you're offering your help, how can I be sure we won’t end up like her?"
"You're a cheeky one, aren't you, petal?"
Mayrina had been watching the argument, and finally dared to speak up again. "Auntie Ethel, can I—"
"Good gods, Mayrina, stop being such a nuisance. I'll come deal with you later." Ethel waved a hand, and Mayrina vanished, much like Ethel had done not long ago. When she turned back to Solrae, she was all smiles again, which felt far more threatening than bared teeth would have. "Don't you worry, dearie. You’re smarter than little Mayrina, and you wouldn’t be any use to me if I kept you here, after all. So, what do you say? Just a little deal, and you'll be on your way."
"Sorry," Solrae answered. "But I’m an archer. I need both of my eyes, and I prefer if I'm the only one seeing through them."
"Are you sure, petal?” Ethel waited, but neither Solrae nor any of the others wanted to take her up on her bargain. “Well, in that case, I had better go and look after the girl. You can come and visit any time if you change your mind."
With that, she vanished.
Solrae looked around, but couldn't spot any sign of her still being nearby; no sounds, no breeze of someone moving past them, no furniture getting moved ever so slightly. "Scratch, can you still smell her?"
Scratch raised his nose into the air, sniffing a few times. "No. Her scent is everywhere, but only in the way smells stick to the place you live"
"I can't sense her anymore, either," Tara commented. "It seems like she really did go wherever that poor girl was."
"We've got to go after her," Wyll said.
Gale agreed. "Surely we won't leave a pregnant girl in danger, right?"
Astarion rolled his eyes at the idea, but Solrae nodded. "We should." They looked over to Astarion. "Aside from helping Mayrina, there might be valuables wherever Ethel went."
"Fine. I hope that girl is at least thankful for all we're risking on her behalf."
Solrae looked towards Shadowheart and Lae'Zel, who nodded, if slightly reluctantly. "All right. Then we'll have to find out how to get to where she is."
"Perhaps you want to check over here," Tara answered and leapt off Gale's shoulder to fly to the border of a fireplace. "There's magic on it."
"Illusion magic, from the feel of it," Gale agreed and held a hand into the flames. "See? It's not hot."
As far as Solrae could tell, it looked like an ordinary fireplace, but the fact that Gale didn't flinch and Tara's fur wasn't singed was proof enough. "Then that must be the path she takes when she doesn't teleport." And it being hidden meant she most likely did not want other people using it unless they were expressly invited. While Solrae had never met one themself, from what they'd heard, angry hags were not to be trifled with.
They turned to Scratch. "You should stay up here. It'll be dangerous down there."
The moment Solrae said 'stay', Scratch sat down, though his ears were drooping. "Be careful. I don't want to lose another friend."
Solrae gave him a smile and ruffled his fur. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
Gale looked towards his tressym. "Tara, can you watch over him? I would feel much more comfortable if I knew someone was making sure Scratch didn't get himself into any trouble."
Tara flicked her ears. "Mr Dekarios, I can tell when you're just trying to make me stay out of something. But," she looked over towards Scratch. "I suppose I can take on some dogsitting duties. As long as he doesn't drool on me."
"I'm sure he will be very careful," Gale assured her with a smile, and Tara took to the air to sit on a shelf near Scratch, right next to a window.
The others filed through the fireplace, the flames pretending to lick at their clothes but not burning them. Behind it, long stairs led downwards, far beneath the wetlands. Nobody spoke, and they all stepped lightly, lest they call attention to themselves. The silence was heavy, dragging at Solrae's limbs as if it was trying to stop them from going further.
Then whimpering started wafting up from below, and Solrae almost wished for the silence back.