Fishy Encounters

Discovering Meltwater Loch

 
It took about an hour for me to hike out to the loch, I still had no idea how I was supposed to go about swiping the wig from a wigfish, but figuring these kinds of things out is all part of Witching. I was immediately captivated by the beauty of the place, and walked down onto the pebbly shore. I walked along it for a bit, thinking as to how I was to go about my task, when I noticed something glimmering on the beach ahead. It was a bottle!     The bottle looked pretty old, I mean I'm no expert in bottles, but the glass seemed crudely made. I could still make out something inside the bottle though, so I popped out the cork and upended the bottle into my hand. It turned out to be a rolled up note, the paper looked much newer than the bottle, and the writing was in a modern script.  
Pssst, wanna buy a sword? Genuine lake sword, like in the stories? Just respond to this message by putting your reply in this bottle and throwing it back in the lake.  
THE Lady of the Lake
 
I'm still dubious as to the legitimacy of this strange note, but I did pen a quick message back, as curiosity got the better of me.The empahasis on the "THE" in the signature makes me sure there is some underlying conflict here, and that makes me even more curious. It is also not lost on me that the stories always speak of the sword being given to some great hero, not bought in some kind of shady deal
Hello. I'm not that interested in the sword thing, but I am sensing some underlying tension here. If you want someone to talk to, I'm sure I'll be back this way at some point.  
Tabita Ferncurl, Village Witch
    I then threw the bottle back into the lake, a small thump accompanied the splash, as the bottle hit the water. To my surprise a large fish had bobbed to the surface, I waded out to it hoping I hadn't hurt it too badly. It seemed to be just stunned, and then I relised it was a Wigfish, this is what I had been looking for! I felt a little bad for stealing its wig, but it could always make a new one. I stayed with it till it came round again, which was only a few moments.   I've never seen a fish look mortified before, and I have to admit that my feelings of guilt warred heavily with my desire to laugh at the expression on its face. With that unpleasant episode out of the way though, I now had all the ingredients I required to make the potion for Elwick. I resisted the urge to explore more of the loch and headed back home to brew my potion.

Year 1752 - Spring - Week 1 - Entry 2

Patient

Name: Elwick Greengrass   Ailment: Yeti Chest   Reagents: - Wigfish, Boar Hair  
 

Potion

Name: Hair-be-Gone   Method: Steep the raw wig in hot, but not boiling, water for twenty minutes, while keeping warm. Meanwhile crush the boar bristles with the mortar and pestle as fine as they will go, then add to the steeping wig. Leave for a further ten minutes. Strain the mixture using a muslin cloth, making sure to squeeze it all out into a small bottle, and allow it to cool before corking.   Instructions: Drink half the potion, use the other half to soak your chest hair and comb through. Vocal irregularities will disappear within a few hours, The chest hair will shed over the course of the next two days. DO NOT GET POTION ON ANY HAIR YOU DO NOT WANT REMOVED.
 

Outcome

Elwick was very pleased when I arrived at the mill to deliver his potion. He thanked me for my prompt response and paid me happily. He said his wife would be even happier, as she complained the hair was itchy and had an odd smell.
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  • Comments

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    May 1, 2022 14:35 by C. B. Ash

    Ok, I'm already dying to know if a reply comes back from the Lady of the Lake! :D