Ranfryd's last Sojourn

Previously: Esmiralda and her companions have discovered that the shattered ship—found upside-down and in the middle of a forest—was once captained by Harfirgorn the Merciless, a pirate of some repute that vanished long ago. On a quest to find his final resting place and the treasure that he is most likely buried with, they are accosted by a shambling, undead thing and draw the attention of a mysterious woman...
 

I felt a pang of sympathy for her. It was bad enough to see such an unnatural thing done to a man; how much worse would it be to know the poor wretch, to have loved him, to have seen him in better days?
 
"I'm sorry."
 
She dismissed the gesture. "It is none of your concern. Thank you for releasing him."
 
"An..yt...ime," Broo Fang said. "Had I known...that...you were.........near....I would not...have...kicked him...so hard."

Baram grunted. Seymuhr slapped his forehead. I gave the Daughter of the Wolf a tight apologetic smile. I had already apologized for the manners of my companions and didn't see the need to do it again.

"What I think my companion meant to say is that he would have been more gentle with his release," I said. "How did he come to this sorry state, if you'll pardon the question?"

She glared at me, but Seymuhr stepped in, standing in front of me in what could have been a protective gesture. That was odd. I thought it was unnecessary and wished he could have stood downwind.

"We are searching for this mountain witch, as you call her," Merrick said. "We know her name, which is Athelane, and seek to destroy her if, in fact, she still lives."

"She exists. What you see is proof. There is more further north, closer to the mountains. It is there that my husband went, seeking the source of an evil that is permeating our land. He left in the night, while I was asleep, under the misguided impression that he was protecting me from danger."

I glanced at Seymuhr, who still stood in front of me. I stepped aside and waved some fresh air toward my nostrils. "How did he know where to go? Can you take us?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. He might have just ventured north, with no clear direction in mind. Her evil—you will see it soon enough, if you continue your course—should not be too difficult to follow."

"You...followed your hus...band this far. Could....you..."

"Yes, I can," Baram said. "If you truly seek to confront this evil, then I will accompany you. I would have done so long ago, and I urged my husband to be patient, as well. For the mountain witch has found great power in her hidden domain and ending her reign will be difficult."

"More than your husband could handle," Seymuhr said. I winced, and wondered at the lack of compassion in the man. I started to protest, but Baram stopped me.

"Indeed, more than he could handle, as you said." She looked down at his shriveled body and paused. For a moment, her eyes gleamed, but then she blinked the wetness away. "He was a stout man, strong of heart and limb, with the fierce blood of a warrior in him. It was not enough."

"We are four, where he was one," Seymurh said. He cocked his head from side to side, stretching the muscles there and his fingers crackled as he tightened them into fists. "And I've not met a foe that I could not send to Ewl's dark domain."

"We are five, not four," I snapped. "Even you've enough fingers to count that high..."

"Save your strength," Merrick broke in. "And you as well, Seymuhr. For if this Athelane still lives after all this time, it may be that she has already visited—or been sent—to the dark god's realm and found the power to escape death's embrace."