>>5195427>>5195431"Hey, before I go," you ask, "I am here looking for someone. And, well..."
"Hmm?" she looks at you expectantly.
"You seem to be familiar with this village. Do you know if a woman might've come here 10 years ago? Same likeness as myself?"
Morgantha thinks for a moment. "You will have better luck talking to Ismark," he says. "He makes it a point to know everyone who comes into the village. You might find him at the tavern at this hour."
"Thanks," you say.
Morgantha gives you a dark look. "Adventurers who come here through the mists tend to meet their end quickly. Oh, I don't mean to be a downer, but... if you came here looking for someone... I'm afraid you may be disappointed, you should understand."
You nod non-committally. You've heard this kind of talk before - your family wrote off Joannus as dead not even a year after she vanished. But to hear it from a citizen of this valley is disconcerting. You have to accept that she's here and alive, no matter the likelihood of the contrary, because without that assumption, your quest would be meaningless. "If she were alive," you ask, your voice crackling slightly, "Where might she be?"
"Not here," she says. "Far east. Past Vallaki." She gestures up to the castle. "Away from <span class="mu-i">him</span>."
"Thank you," you respond, swallowing as you glance up at Castle Ravenloft, magnificant yet oppressive.
"Do not travel by night. Travel with a companion, if you can."
You nod. "Is there any reason why?"
"Creatures of the night." She chuckles. "Take care, dearie. And remember to come back if you would like any more of my pastries."
"I shall."
She pulls her cloak over herself and once begins pushing her creaky cart down the street, disappearing into the fog.
You look down at the pastry you bought. It's pretty small. You wish she had more information about your sister, but she gave you a lead. You shouldn't complain.
(cont.)
