The Old Well
The young farm hand leant closer and said with garlic laden breath, “…and then you’d be looking for the Wolf’s Bane Inn. Best place for pathfinders like yourself, it attracts all sorts of travelers up and down the river and lake. Someone there might know something about the old ruins you were asking about.” With that the young man leant back into his plow and lifted the reigns to move the oxen back into motion.
But he stopped.
“Mind you, all sorts of visitors make up all sorts of reasons for the Inn’s name. My ‘pa and his says it’s nothing to do with the unpleasantness with the wolf men, and I believe them. I’ve been there and it’s a normal place with the strangest thing being the guests that spend the night. Yes sir, people like you explorer and adventurer folk.”
He paused to push his sweat drenched Blondie hair from his eyes.
“Don’t you spent too much time in the courtyard behind the inn. It’s all old paved stones and overgrown with Wolf’s Bane. It’s creepy as is, but there is the old well back there.”
He stopped, as if that was enough.
“The old well. The first well. That well was here before the first people came through here to settle down and grow crops. Some older people, dark… all sinister like, once lived here. Not much was left when the first humans came through here, except for the water well. Those settlers used it, and all those that drank from the well became wolf-men at the next full moon. It is true or may my oxen’s hooves fall off.”
He looked over at the oxen, hesitantly and is anticipating some great supernatural punishment. None came, and relief washed over the man.
“You go look at it, that old well. It’s all gated over with the old cold-wrought iron that the darkness hates. The evil was locked out and wolf’s bane was tossed in to grow and take root. The whole inside of the well is overgrown with it.” he swallowed deeply “but sometimes you can still hear grumbles from deep inside come out at night.”
“Stay clear of that well. Nothing good there.”
The young farm hand leant closer and said with garlic laden breath, “…and then you’d be looking for the Wolf’s Bane Inn. Best place for pathfinders like yourself, it attracts all sorts of travelers up and down the river and lake. Someone there might know something about the old ruins you were asking about.” With that the young man leant back into his plow and lifted the reigns to move the oxen back into motion.
But he stopped.
“Mind you, all sorts of visitors make up all sorts of reasons for the Inn’s name. My ‘pa and his says it’s nothing to do with the unpleasantness with the wolf men, and I believe them. I’ve been there and it’s a normal place with the strangest thing being the guests that spend the night. Yes sir, people like you explorer and adventurer folk.”
He paused to push his sweat drenched Blondie hair from his eyes.
“Don’t you spent too much time in the courtyard behind the inn. It’s all old paved stones and overgrown with Wolf’s Bane. It’s creepy as is, but there is the old well back there.”
He stopped, as if that was enough.
“The old well. The first well. That well was here before the first people came through here to settle down and grow crops. Some older people, dark… all sinister like, once lived here. Not much was left when the first humans came through here, except for the water well. Those settlers used it, and all those that drank from the well became wolf-men at the next full moon. It is true or may my oxen’s hooves fall off.”
He looked over at the oxen, hesitantly and is anticipating some great supernatural punishment. None came, and relief washed over the man.
“You go look at it, that old well. It’s all gated over with the old cold-wrought iron that the darkness hates. The evil was locked out and wolf’s bane was tossed in to grow and take root. The whole inside of the well is overgrown with it.” he swallowed deeply “but sometimes you can still hear grumbles from deep inside come out at night.”
“Stay clear of that well. Nothing good there.”
All Wolf's Ear project posts can be found here. (link)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment