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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 520396" data-attributes="member: 1674">The witch is back part 1By the time they had returned to the Hornswythe, the wind from the south had turned into an outright storm, just like the Taurosphinx had promised. As they reached the riverside of Barel, they saw that the skiprock was still there. Captain Yengly and his crewmen were all on board, fastening the cargo to the boat and covering it all with waterproof sheets, trying to add additional protection against the elements for both the cargo and the men.After a short negotiation, they convinced the captain to go up north to Mansk, and after some additional coins had changed hands, Yengly agreed to go during most of the night, as well. The adventurers settled down under a sheet with their back to the cargo crates and chests as they began their journey to the north.The horserat was in the back of the boat- Ben had covered her with a sheet, too, and after he saw that the crewmen weren't feeling comfortable around it in spite of his reassurances of the animal's tameness, he stayed with here.With the storm blowing strongly and steadily from the south, and the river's flow reversed, they moved ahead much swifter than they had on their way south, so that their lack of comfort was more than compensated by a gain of speed. However their spirits were soon dampened by the wetness creeping into everything- their clothes were permanently damp, making them shiver as they huddled under their protective sheets.As one rainy, stormy day was followed by the next, and their mood changed for the worse, the Hornswythe river began to change as well. When they had travelled down the slow-moving, peaceful river, it had been a calm stream of grayish-blue water with a surface that gently reflected the golden sunlight. Now, however, the Hornswythe looked like a completely different river. The peacefulness had gone, and it was now in constant turmoil, and the color had changed to a dirty dark brown. Furthermore, there was something even more troubling slowly taking place- with each day, the river got redder. At first, the taint was hardly noticeable, but slowly but surely the red stain was getting stronger and stronger as the tainted water of the Blood Sea replaced the water of the Hornswyther itself.Apart from that, one day looked like the other. Sitting in the confined spaces of the boat all day, each of them wished to be apart for awhile, while their only duty during the day was to keep out of the way of the crewmen. So being on watch at night was a pleasant change, since it at least gave them something of importance to do.It was on one of those nights, on the third one after leaving Barel, to be more precise, that this nerve-wrecking monotony was interrupted. They had beached the boat on the muddy bank and Niklas was on watch, idly trying to keep their small fire going that they had lit with wood which they had kept dry on the boat, as he heard a sound behind him.Turning around, he saw three Asaathi with their scimitars drawn in hand. Reacting with lightning speed, he rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid getting hit in lethal spots. Still, he was cut three times, but even though he was badly wounded, he managed to get up while he was shouting for his friends to wake up.Immediately, they were on all their toes, ready to fight back, as Niklas was bit by one of the Asaathi. Before he could strike back, he was utterly paralyzed, standing stiff as a statue.In spite of this, it was soon clear, that the Snakemen were no match for the heroes. Once their plan to murder the sleeping passengers of the boat was disrupted, they didn't stand much of a chance. In the end, they were defeated, and when Niklas had recovered and they were all healed, the dug out a ditch where they buried the Asaathi.After about another week of uninterrupted storm and rain, the winds lessened, and eventually the cover of clouds tore apart and first sunrays broke through to the drenched ground. As they reached Mansk with the last bit of water that was running up the Hornswythe, the dozen days of rain and cold were just a memory of the past, and the sun was burning with the full force of sommer amidst a clear, blue sky.In Mansk, they bid farewell to the men of the Skiprock and explored the city.The Gravelfist Orcs had told them about this city. Set on the eastern side of the Blood Basin, Mansk had been founded by some of the human barbarian tribes from the Plains of Lede. Accordingly, it was a rather chaotic place full of wooden and even canvas structures inhabited by wild and free people. Half of the city consisted of tent camps where the semi-nomadic people, who came here to trade, lived, while most of the city dwellers weren't much more than barbarians themselves, having settled down only one or two generations ago at the most.Still, the adventurers were used to rather rough manners from their relations with the Gravelfists, so that they were able to adapt to the local customs rather well. After a day in the city they were ready to travel on, and they went down to the harbor.There was only one ship at the docks: the "Dojann Ahklain", a dual mastered sailing ship that belonged to a half-elven woman called Tamalaine. They booked a passage to the mouth of the northern branch of the Hornswythe, from where they would go on by foot. (Or in Ben's case, by rat.).By noon they set sails, and the next three days offered a nice change of pace. The sky was cloudy, and the water slightly brown and a bit turbulent, but the air was clear and at last it was dry and warm. The adventurers were free to relax and take care of mundane tasks like mending their traveller's clothes or oiling their weapons and everybody cheered up. Of course they were aware that they were still in the middle of a race against the minion's of the Hag Queen, but after their speedy journey up river, they were confident that they would win.Then, on the morning of the fourth day, the sky grew increasingly dark and oppresive, and the winds picked up again. All through the morning, captain Tamalaine was barking orders and her crew was tying down hatches, loosening sails and preparing for the worst.As the adventurers stood on deck, Ben took them aside:" I don't want to tell the crew, they are busy enough, but I do not believe this storm is natural. As a matter of fact, it reminds me of the thunderstorm the Storm Hag had summoned when we fought at the Slitheren camp in the Blood Steppes last year...".Noone said anything. They had all feared something to that effect ever since the weather had taken a turn for the worse in the morning.Niklas was the first to react. He climbed up the mainmast, gripping it tight as it swung like an upside-down pendulum. Once in the crownest, clutching the rail, he stared towards the center of the storm. And there, sure enough, he caught a glimpse of a huge wild-haired female figure, flitting back and forth in the heart of the storm. And now that he saw her, he could even swear that he heard her cackling laughter amid the thunder and the lightning. At last, the Storm Hag had caught up with them.</blockquote>

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