Page 29 of Monster Lover

“Well, if there are more witches in there, they know where we are now,” grumbled Daemona.

Ghul Lykos shook his head. “If the witches and zombies had claimed Tall Town, it would be burned to the water. No, good people are still there.”

“I see no lights, nor hear any sound. Are you sure?” asked Harlin.

“I am,” said Ghul Lykos, “but they are cautious after nightfall to not attract the dark things any more than they have too.”

There was silence from the gloomy town for a short spell, until a watchman with a lantern looked out from the window nearest them. “Oi! Who goes there at this time of night?” he called back.

“It’s not that late,” answered Daemona.

“We are travelers from Greymalkin,” shouted Harlin. The echoes of his voice carried farther into the swamp than any of them would have liked.

“And the Swamp too,” added Ghul Lykos.

“Humph,” snorted the watchman. “Landlubbers,” he grumbled. “Give me a moment, I’ll get me raft.”

It was a long wait until finally, a raft appeared from behind one of the buildings on stilts, and a very skinny old man urged it toward them with a long pole. He had a nightcap on and was wearing a striped robe. His lantern hung from a second pole on the raft. He stopped when he was still twenty feet from them to take a better look at them. “Sorry, but one can’t be too cautious in these times of woe. Plenty of witches, zombies, and other foul creatures are about at night seeking to do us good folk harm if they can. We have to stay vigilant.”

“As you can see, it’s just the four of us,” said Harlin.

The old man looked them over shrewdly. “Aye, two men, a wisp of a girl, and a woman with a horned helmet?”

“Those horns are mine,” corrected Daemona.

“Oh, one of them are ye,” said the old man in a tone that was not a question. “Well get aboard then, and let’s get back to town.”

They all stepped aboard, causing the raft to list to one side until they separated a bit to balance it out. Then the old man pushed his pole back into the muck, taking them across the still waters.

“We thank you,” said Harlin. “Is there a place we can all sleep for the night?”

“Aye, there is. There is the Dew Drop Inn or Ivy’s Tavern, which has some rooms for rent.”

“Is one any better than the other?”

“That depends. The Dew Drop Inn is quieter than the tavern, but the food is better at Ivy’s if ye ask me,” answered the old man. “Plus, it’s got Ivy.” He smiled big at that.

They looked at each other, unsure of what choice to make, so Harlin made it for them. “I guess we’ll stay at Ivy’s.”

“I can’t wait for a bed,” said Daemona. “But we need to find this child’s parents too. She was kidnapped by witches.”

“And ye stole her back!?” asked the old man, aghast at the prospect. “Ye’ll bring the doom down upon us! The Count will come for her if the witches complain loud enough!”

“We took care of the witches,” said Harlin.

“I hardly think that is possible, sir, the Swamp is covered in them witches like ticks on a hound, ye couldn’t have possibly taken care of all of them!”

“The ones that stole the girl, we did. And why shouldn’t you be glad of it?”

The old man went quiet and looked at them, almost whispering now. “It’s not like I don’t have a heart, the Goddess knows I do, but I also know that the witches will come for revenge and be all the harder on us for it. They might steal a child here and there every now and again, but other than that, they haven’t tried to wipe us off the map just yet. And now, maybe they will because of that insult.”

Daemona grew angry. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Miniver,” replied the old man.

“Miniver, I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you say that and take it out of your hide myself.”

“I’m just talking about things for the good of the town is all,” the old man whimpered.

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