You are lost and alone, wandering in the night. Your only desire is to find sanctuary
The night was bitter cold, sleet starting to fall from the sky and soaking through your thin layers. When you had set out earlier in the day the sun was shining and a light breeze was blowing, but the temperature had rapidly dropped as the sun faded from the sky. There was no way of knowing that you would get lost on your way from home to the town that was supposedly only a mile away. Somewhere you had taken a wrong turn and couldn’t find your way back.
“It was those damned woods…” you mutter to yourself, cursing your brother who had sent you out in the first place. He had neglected to give you a map, only vaguely worded directions that had gotten you into this situation. By the time you had realized you were lost it was much too late to turn back. All you could do now was hope you could find some sort of shelter. Luckily, about two hours ago, you had found your way out of the damned woods and had been following a dirt road ever since. You hoped it would lead you somewhere, anywhere, that had a place that was warmer than being stuck outside. At this rate, you didn’t know if you’d make it through the night without catching some sort of cold.
You shiver as the sleet comes down thicker now, almost clouding your view of the road and anything ahead of you. Just when you think all hope is lost, you spot something. A light, a warm glowing light not too far ahead. Light meant people. And people meant salvation. At this point, you could care less about highway robbers, you just wanted a warm place to lie down.
You trudge on, renewed hope warming your spirits. The light grows larger and brighter and you realize it was attached to a building. The building boasts several windows with more warm light streaming out of them. The swaying sign hanging on the wall indicates that this is some sort of pub. Perfect! A nice ale and a warm fire would do you some good.
A few patrons stand on the front deck of the pub smoking from pipes. They are bundled up in thick coats and covered by the shelter of the building, they do not mind the cold. Hopefully they will not mind a stranger who just needs a place to stay for the night.
At first, they do not notice you coming out of the dark in your soaked sweater, but eventually one of them catches your eye. He turns to his mates and points at you.
“Wol’ ya look a’ tha!” he shouts, his voice slightly slurred from drink. He raises his pipe to you, gesturing for you to come closer. Grateful, you hurry your pace and almost run up the porch steps until you are standing a few feet away from the men. They all look pretty drunk, save for one who stands at the far corner of the porch. He does not speak, only eying you warily. Had it been another night, you might have been concerned. For now, you are just glad you found some place warm.
“A stran….a strang…stranger!” hiccups another man, giggling. “Where di’ ya come from, stranger? Can ye no see tha weather?”
You force out a nervous laugh and shrug. “I got lost a while back, several hours at least. It was sunny when I started out. I was looking for Meldenhill. Have I found it?”
All three of the men closest to you laugh as if this is the funniest thing they have heard all night. “Meldenhill?” exclaims the one who seems the most sober as he takes a puff of his pipe. “Why, Meldenhill is about five hours west. I have no idea how you came to be here. This here is Hallow’s Helm. Ain’t ya heard of it?”
You shake your head. You had never spent much time traveling out of your home and you couldn’t believe you had gotten so lost. Five hours west? You sigh.
“Well, ye look cold. And we ain’t opposed to no strangers ‘round here. Come on in, we’ll buy you a drink stranger. And I’m sure Milly’s ‘usband gots some clothes for ye.”
Grateful, you nod enthusiastically. Just as you are about to follow your three new pals in you hear the man in the corner clear his throat. You glance at him, wondering if you were just hearing things. You weren’t.
He gestures for you to come closer to him, but you are not sure if you want to be alone outside with the man.
What will you do?
Go inside with your new pals
Go talk to the man on the porch
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