I waswary of the vegetable stew — we had no clue who this was or whether she was friend or foe. But as we entered her house, I was surprised to see that it seemed much larger inside than it did outside. Baba Yaga-like witches often seem to have houses that defied physics, at least as far as I knew. I’d never met one in real life before.
Defying expectations, the place was surprisingly well-kept, tidy, and neat. There were a lot of tchotchkes around, made of everything from porcelain to metal, and while they weren’t the usual subjects — there were a number of odd creature-shaped ones that I didn’t recognize — it reminded me of some grandmother’s collection. A large wood cook stove stood to one side, and on it was a large cauldron filled with something that smelled incredible. I craned my neck, taking a peek. Indeed, a vegetable stew bubbled away inside, giving off the fragrant aroma of tomato and garlic. At least we knew she wasn’t a vampire.
“Thank you for inviting us in,” I said. “We’ve only been in the marsh a day or so, but I already want out. This is a scary place.”
“Traveling through the Cryptic Marshes is a grueling task,” the marsh witch said. “I see few travelers come by, except forthe bog dwellers that normally inhabit the region. But as I said, there are dangerous spirits that roam around at night. They’ll drain you of life force as fast as a vampire will drain your blood. You can’t be too careful here.”
“Why do you live out here?” Bryn asked. “It seems a very lonely place.”
“I’m not fond of people,” the marsh witch said. “My mother lived in this house, and her mother before her. I have no children, so I suppose when I die, the house will stand empty for someone to take.” She hustled us to the table, inviting us to sit. “I have stew and I have bread. If you want meat, you’ll have to bring it yourself.”
“We’re good without it for tonight,” Thornhold said. “So you’re a vegetarian?”
“I eat no flesh that has walked, swum, or flown through the air. It interferes with my magic.” She hesitated, then added, “You may call me Moki. Now then, I’ll fetch the bowls.”
“Let me help,” I said. “We always like to help out when someone’s generous to us.” The truth was, I wanted a better look at that stew before we ate it.
She gestured to me, motioning for me to come over to the stove. A stack of wooden bowls sat on the counter, along with six metal spoons. As she ladled the stew into the bowls, she handed them to me and I picked up a spoon and carried them over to the table. When we were all served, including Moki, we hesitated for a moment. She seemed to notice.
“I don’t blame you, being suspicious of strangers.” She ladled a spoonful of soup into her mouth, and then another. “If I wanted to poison you, I wouldn’t have started this stew this morning. And trust me, I’m not above poisoning strangers, but only if they threaten me. You’ve presented no threat at this time. And truly, I don’t sense danger surrounding you.”
Thornhold blushed a little, then picked up his spoon and began to eat. “This is the best vegetable stew I’ve tasted,” he said. “You really have no need for meat in it.”
“He’s right,” Reggie said, taking a bite for himself. “What’s your secret?”
Moki looked pleased, smiling for the first time since we’d entered her house. “There is an herb in the swamp that we call trichaz. It gives the stew that peppery flavor that you’re tasting. And when you are out with garlic, it enhances the flavoring of everything.”
I glanced over at Reggie. “It sounds like MSG.”
“Or salt,” Bryn said. “A touch of salt makes everything better.”
As we ate, I was surprised that Moki didn’t ask us what we were doing in the marsh or where we were going. In fact, the moment we began eating, she focused on our meal.
I took a slice of bread, smelling it. It was still fragrant and smelled as if it had been baked that morning at the latest. There was no butter on the table, so I dipped it in the soup to moisten it. It was chewy, and there were little seeds in it like sesame seeds. All in all, the meal felt more refreshing than anything I’d eaten in a while.
“I actually feel a lot better than I did,” I said.
“That’s the trichaz,” Moki said. “It has healing properties as well as flavoring. You do well to gather some on your journey through the rest of the swamp. I can show you what it looks like. It dries well, see you can carry it for some time, and it holds its healing properties for up to a year after it’s been picked.”
“Exactly what does it heal?” Ray asked.
“Ah, of course you’d be interested, cleric. Trichaz invigorates the blood and returns stamina to your body. It also reduces infections.”
Ray cocked his head to the side. “Is that when taken orally? Or will it work as a compress as well?”
Moki set her spoon down and sat back in her chair. “When used as an ingredient in food or in a tincture, it strengthens the blood and strengthens the body. But when you macerate it and add a few drops of alcohol, it works as a compress to reduce swelling and to heal bruises.”
“Oh, so it’s a little like comfrey and that instance,” Ray said.
Reggie glanced at Ray. “Comfrey? You’re proficient in herbalism?”
Ray shrugged. “I’ve always been interested in it. I have a medicinal herb garden outside my home. Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll ever see it again.”
That cast a somber mood over the group. We fell silent, returning to our food. Moki noticed the difference.
“Are you all right?” She asked.
I shook my head. “We had some devastating news recently. I can’t go into it but it means all of our lives have changed going forward. Now we just need to make it to the mountains as soon as we can. We’re trying to get through the Cryptic Marshes as soon as possible, and with this little danger as we can manage.”
