Part 1

The sound of hoofbeats came up the garden path. About time thought Mira, when a person pays for express delivery they don’t mean by the fastest snail available. She opened the door full of words that had been building since the last time the postman had come and gone leaving her last package at the end of the path. Might have not found it either if he hadn’t run off shouting something about demons loud enough to wake her from her nap.

However, what words she had vanished as she regarded the figure standing at her doorstep glinting in the summer sun. The rider’s stallion had the well-groomed white sheen and regal trappings to make her feel both deeply conscious about her earth-stained clothes and wind-tussled gray hair as well as furious that she was comparing herself to a horse. The rider, a young woman clad in polished black armour slipped magnificently from the horse’s back, tossing her own long golden plaid behind her and casting a glance around the small garden before looking back at Mira with discerning green eyes.

One hand, Mira couldn’t help but notice as the unarmed often do, rested casually on the edge of a fine black long sword. The kind of casual that suggests the person whom has the stabbing option available to her doesn’t think the potential stabee is worth the effort…yet.

Ok, perhaps being judgemental this early in the morning. Maybe this was part of the premium service? If so, Mira was still annoyed but very impressed.

“I don’t suppose, you’d be express delivering a certain Champion Charles’ Choice Charcuterie Crate of the month club?” Mira asked hopefully.

The rider reached into the horse’s saddlebag and pulled out a weathered brown scroll.

Please be asking for a signature upon reciept, signature upon reciept, big truffle big truffle…

“I, Calvary Knight-Captain Selenica of Avalyn, have undertaken the quest-“

To deliver a certain cheeseboard of immense variety? though Mira, bludgeoning unmistakable reality with valiant but impotent hope.

“- to free these woods this day from the influence of-“

The pangs of a monotonous menu? Her stomach rallied in self-serving suggestion. Living off the land is well and good but it’s not a sane person’s first choice.

“-the dark crone who has rumoured to have held captive an innocent boy and the surrounding townsfolk in her fearful sway.”

With that, the now almost definitely not postal courier, flourished the unravelling scroll in her direction .

“If you are she, then today is that day! What say you?!”

Mira stared feeling something was expected of her but not knowing what exactly she considered the scroll that fluttered gainfully in the warm breeze. Selenica of what’s it’s face, clearly not expecting this, stood there obliging her awkwardly.

Mira sighed with relief and stepped back.

“Gosh, had me worried for a minute there. No.”

“…What?”

“That’s not me. Definitely not. Don’t look like that at all. Terribly sorry, but also - you wouldn’t happen to be some kind of premium delivery service would you?”

“Don’t look lik-“

The rider snatched back the scroll and perused it, glancing up at Mira who chewed her hair and was doing her best to not rudely look over the various saddle bags on the horse

“See you now here, this is most certainly you!” Selenica said thrusting the sheet back in Mira’s face.

“Is not!” Mira snapped back. She noticed a full-visored helm on her visitor’s saddle. Ah maybe a vision problem? Poor duck “Nose is too long, got all me teeth, a very involved daily skin care regime thank you very much and haven’t had a wart since that one spring where that maple tree with the bees and didn’t clean it right. Still, can’t complain as it made an interesting blend of syrup which would go a treat with Munster’s Sumptuous Artisanal Sourdough hamper for the Discerning Connoisseur if you’d happen to have it on your person?”

“Your trickery will not dissuade us from our reward sorceress!”

“I never! Don’t have to when people who have decided what they want to believe do most of the tricking themselves. But why ask too many questions for that kind of money?” Mira squinted at the weathered paper “Though you’d think if they were offering that much they could use a new piece of paper instead of keeping on crossing it out on the same one all the time…”