The Proper way. Demand an Explanation

I decided not to push my luck. I had more experience and greater magical knowledge. I would probably win, even on her home turf. On the other hand, there was a storm outside, I was hungry and tired and the last thing I wanted to do was get into a wizarding fight with a girl who hadn´t even tried to kill me. I breathed out, calming my nerves.

"Fine." I said, taking my hand off my dagger and sitting down "The proper way. Now tell me. Why did you try to **** me? What do you need me for that you couldn´t just ask?"

Solmina sagged with visible relief. Suddenly, she looked a lot less menacing. The black cloak suddenly made her look much smaller and younger, like a small boy trying on his father´s clothes. Drawing her bowl of soup closer, she took a spoonful. "Let´s start things over, OK?" she said. "Eat first, then I´ll tell you." She handed me another bowl. "Well, go on. I´m sure a big clever Wizard Man like you can tell there ain´t nothing in there." With that, she went back to slurping down spoonfuls of hot broth, as if nothing had happened.

Checking to make sure she was telling the truth, I started to eat, mouth watering in uncontrolled anticipation. It was so good! A perfect blend of root, leaves and sinew, with a slight sharp zest that might be wine or maybe vinegar. This little witch may have the tablemanners of a drunken pirate, not to mention a propensity for poisoning her guests, but she had cooking skills that would put the foodmaster of the High Sultan´s own court to shame!

After my second bowl, I turned to her again. "Now do you feel like telling me what your game is?" I asked.

The witch looked up from her bowl, "Mmfolrigh." she tried to say through a mouthful of soup, "Ull temf yu." she swallowed, "I´ll tell you. There´s something up with the forest. Something bad. There´s a decay spreading, there´s trees - young ones! - just falling over and rotting. Not being eaten by burrow-lice or pinepox or anything, just rotting into black gunk in a matter of days. Then, last month, I went up to the Menhir of Clarity Hill and it had some lichen growing on it!" she noted my puzzled expression and tried to explain, "Look, there´s this big stone on a hill built by the- ach, it doesn´t matter...- Just... It´s bad, OK? Very bad. As in not good. There´s something in this forest, My forest, and I need to find out what it is.

Now, my Nan told me that if there´s ever something really bad-looking going on and I can´t make arse nor elbows of it, I should ask the Lord of Green about it. She told me how to summon him. That´s where you come in," she blushed slightly, "As it were..." she took a deep breath and continued: "See... For the ritual to work I need some male spiritual essence. Good, strong stuff, preferably from someone who knows magic."

I was starting to put two and two together in my head, not quite sure if I liked what I was getting.