Head to the hovel

Venus set off towards the hovel, her legs protesting as she slogged through the mud. While she didn't much like the idea of approaching one of the locals, she would need some kind of directions to find her way back nearer to the road if she wanted a chance to get away from these cursed swamps.

A short while later, she finally drew nearer to the hovel. The fading firelight flickered weakly, casting sharp shadows around the front of the hovel. Venus couldn't tell if the occupant had just left it to burn while they slept, or if they weren't there, though she hadn't seen any signs of life on her walk in.

She stepped onto the fairly solid ground in front of the hovel, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. As she reached the fire pit, she could tell something was off. She could see flickers of torchlight from the front flap, though she couldn't see inside. What raised the hairs on her neck was the holes that riddled the sides of the hovel. They looked like they had been caused by small fireballs or other magical means, and they had come from inside the hovel.

Grasping the hilt of her sword, she considered the best path forward. While she could desperately use help, she wasn't sure what was inside at this point. While she had the element of surprise, perhaps a level of subterfuge would work better.