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The Wives of Night

Book Fragment

The Wives of Night

A most foul account of a coven of Hags

by Wenda Trudeau

 

First Encounter

It was during my time in Galath Serin that I encountered the coven of hags who call themselves The Wives of Night. My disownment was a few years behind me; I'd spent the first few years drowning my sorrows in Blackwater, and I decided to spend some time in the more wholesome company of the elves.

Just a few days into my stay, a panic started to rise amongst the townspeople: during the night no less than five children had gone missing from their beds. The next night, several more disappeared; the next night, yet more. It seems adventure is always at my heels, I decided to investigate.

8th Sunspeak 232

I set up camp in the north quarter, and while the town slept I watched and waited. Ǫrn took to the wing and I saw through his eyes. Nothing.

9th Sunspeak 232

When morning came, I found that the east quarter had been targeted, two more children were missing. Assuming that the perpetrator had exhausted the north quarter, I set up camp in the east quarter. Again, nothing.

10th Sunspeak 232

In the morning three more children were missing from the north quarter. I was sure I had been noticed the previous nights, so I took extra precautions when I set up camp again on the night of the 9th: I made myself and Ǫrn invisible. By 3am I was beginning to think that my time had been wasted again. At 3:45 I finally saw something; entering the town from the north-eastern woods came three figures, I sent Ǫrn to investigate.

I watched through his eyes as Ǫrn flew down and landed on a rooftop to watch the figures. They were three women: one old and haggard, one middle aged, and one young and beautiful.

I watched as the younger of the women seemed to fade into nothing while the others waited outside a nearby house. A few minutes later she reappeared and the door of the house opened, a young boy walked out. He was maybe six years of age (I find it hard to tell with elves) and either sleep walking or in some kind of trance. The women moved onto another door and the child followed, I'd seen enough.

The Hags

Before I continue with my first encounter, let us jump ahead to a time when I knew more about these foul creatures. Had I known this at the time, I may not have rushed in and confronted them.

The three who make up The Wives of Night have their own specialisms and perverse proclivities, by my understanding the thing that binds them together is enjoyment of tormenting others. Their self-chosen names are Driftwood Peggy, Wicked Ethel, and Auntie May – the latter being the leader.

Driftwood Peggy

Peggy doesn't seem to have the same cunning as her sisters, and seems lacking in her mental faculties. She has an affinity with water, and her appearance when she disguises herself is never as young or beautiful as the others – I think perhaps her lack of intelligence also limits her imagination.

Wicked Ethel

Ethel is far more cunning than Peggy, and is a master of [...] and trickery. [...] invisible makes [...] foe to strike [...] it's best [...] there's

[fragment ends]