Story about Hags

Think for a second of how much you actually know as a commoner. You probably don’t know specifically ‘Hags’, you instead have heard rumors about “The Woman of the Cliffs”. People whisper that she’s evil, cruel, and malicious. But you’re in the tavern one night drinking away your worries about your eldest daughter’s growing illness when Svenson, the local drunkard, is speaking to your neighbor, Wilfun, about his and his wife’s problems having a child, and he says “Why not speak to the woman of the cliffs? They say she has powers”. The other locals shush him up, talking about how bad an idea it is. But your neighbor looks thoughtful. You finish your tankard and forget about it.

Until a few months later, when Wilfun’s wife is clearly pregnant. Despite the good news he looks haggard and worn, and one day you notice he’s constantly wearing gloves and one of the fingers is missing. You quietly confront him for an answer and he admits he visited the Woman of the Cliffs. All she asked was for his ring finger on his left hand, but it was worth it for his family.

Time goes on, your daughter’s condition gets worse. Wilfun’s wife gives birth to a beautiful young girl who does not even cry or fuss, just looks around at the world with a calm curiosity.

One night your daughter’s condition worsens, and in a fit of desperation you scale the cliffs in the dead of night and come face to face with the Woman of the Cliffs. You’ve heard the rumors about how terrifying she is, how cruel, but could a malicious being give Wilfun all he asked for, for so little a price?

You return with a vial that the woman claims will help, her only price to be “A small favor in the future”. You administer the cure and within days your daughter’s complexion is healthy, she can walk once more, she’s smiling and laughing again. A few friends around the village have noticed the turn around of your daughter and you’ve quietly confided in them that you visited the Woman of the Cliffs. While they look shocked, some have seemed tempted. After all, everyone has their own ills and concerns that her power could fix.

The first signs of trouble come several months later. Some of the villagers come to you with concerns for your daughter, stating she is overly mirthful when people discuss problems and hardship, and far too curious whenever someone is injured. What prompted the visit is that Svenson recently broke his leg in a fall, and rather than fetch help as he asked her, she sat and prodded at the protruding bone while he screamed in pain until someone came to help. You speak to your daughter and she calmly states that of course she examined it, she had gotten Svenson alone and pushed him over a small cliff specifically TO break one of his bones so she could see it.

Planning to confront the Woman of the Cliffs, you ascend into her lair again. However all she will tell you (and she is fearsome enough you do not push) is that she will explain all if you simply sprinkle this vial into the food or drink of the mayor’s wife. You refuse, she calmly states you owe her a favor, and if you say no she can take back your daughter’s good health.

With a weary heart you return to the village, thinking of how you can do what she demands… when you pass your neighbor’s’ house, for a second you think you can see their four month old daughter through the window. She smiles and laughs at you in a way more knowing than any baby that young should be able to.