I had to wait for quite a while before Mack opened up the store.

“By the Son's Light, what are you doing out here?” Mack asked when he opened the door and saw me sitting there with the hand cart full of crates of potions.

“You told me to be here first thing in the morning.” I said and stood up. It was then I noticed that I was a little bit taller than the older man.

“I didn't mean for you to wait out here in the dark.” Mack said with a sigh. “All right, come on. Give me a hand putting out my wares before we bring the crates in.”

I went inside and with me there to help, we restocked his shelves in half the time it normally took him. We brought in the crates of potions and stacked them in the back room in the recently vacated spaces and he helped me take the empty ones out to the hand cart. I could put three times as many in the boat when they were empty, so I asked to buy more of both the crates and the potion vials.

“I can't buy more than what I normally need for the village's normal use.” Mack warned me. “In fact, you were right. The potions you sold me yesterday were a lot better than what the Hag normally produces. I only had to use a normal dose to get the same result as I did with two or three.”

I nodded. “I told you that fresh ingredients makes all the difference.”

“If you keep bringing me better potions, I might have to reduce my order.” Mack said.

_______________

You have a critical choice to make. It will change how things happen from now on.

A) Lie. B) Tell the truth. C) Tell him he can't. D) Tell him you'll sell somewhere else. E) Bargain.

Well, damn. I thought and read over the choices. I think... considering the options... I'll combine most of them and I'm going with the last one. I choose E.

_______________

“You can try.” I said and he widened his eyes in surprise. “You agreed with the Hag to buy so much each time, twice a year, every year. She agreed that she would only bring her potions here and not sell anywhere else. You keep her in supplies and alcohol and money, and she keeps you and the village alive with her magic.”

Mack's face lost the surprise look and he frowned.

“She's not going to be happy if you break your word and she said that she's been feeling a bit adventurous.” I said and ducked my head, so that he couldn't see my eyes. “She never told me how far it is to the next village; but, she did say that she's been there to do her... special errands... and the liquor was tasty.”

Mack knew what her special errands were and he had a slightly panicked look. “I'm sure that... I could probably get a better supply of ale...”

I shook my head. “She went through all three barrels of that during the winter and I paid for it.” I lifted my shirt and showed off my mangled side to make him wince in imagined pain. “The liquor you already gave me should last her a while, though.”

Mack let out a sigh. “David, I don't know what to tell you. Everyone that was sick is now fine. They all took the healing potions yesterday and didn't buy any of the general health potions.”

“You know they only work for what hurt you have at the time you drink it and not constantly.” I said.

“Tell my customers that.” Mack grumbled.

“They won't believe me.” I said and waved at my wounds. “They don't think I use it myself at all.”

“Hold on.” Mack looked at my face. “You do?”

“Of course I do!” I said. “She breaks my fingers at least once a week for not paying attention and to teach me a lesson to do things right.”

Mack took in a sharp breath and held it.

“I fall and hurt myself a lot. I break my arm at least once a month and step on something sharp every other day.”

Mack looked down at my bare feet and let out his breath. “I never noticed that you don't wear boots.”

I barked a laugh. “I've never had boots to wear! I only wore socks for about a week when I was younger to come to town for the first time. I always wear my best clothes when I come to town.”

Mack wasn't sure what to say to that.

“Do you have something here that I can buy that will tell me what villages are around?” I asked and he had a worried look on his face.

“Now, you don't have to be hasty and...” Mack started to say when Diane came in through the front door.

“David!” Diane said a little loudly and walked right over to me. Before I knew what was happening, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. “I haven't seen you all summer.” She said and then took in a quick breath through her nose. “Ugh! What is that smell?” She asked and let me go.

“Um...” I lifted my arm to my face and smelled my shirt. “It's marsh panther blood.”

“WHAT?!?” Mack and Diane yelled at the same time.

I immediately covered my face with both hands and ducked into a crouch. “I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't wash it off because it keeps any others that might be around away!”

I heard Diane whisper something I couldn't make out, then Mack's feet moved away from me.

“David.” Diane said softly as she knelt beside me. She touched my hand and I flinched away. “It's all right, David. It's just me. Diane.” Her hand touched mine and slowly pulled it down away from my face. “I'm not going to hit you, okay?”

“But... you yelled...” I started to say.

“Shhh.” Diane said and touched my other hand and pulled it down. “There. Both of my hands are occupied. I can't hit you like this, right?”

I opened my mouth to say that the Hag could smack me up good and hold my hands easily. She must have seen it on my face, because she put my hands together and held them with both of hers.

“I'm not like the Hag. No one else in this village is like the Hag.” Diane said.

I opened my mouth to tell her about Shelly and she shook her head.

“I know most of the villagers haven't treated you well, just because you are the Hag's apprentice... and because of how you look... and the smell.” Diane said. “I'm sorry about that. I want you to know that I know differently, as does my father.”

“I can't wash. If I do, I won't blend into the normal marsh smells and everything will swarm me.”

Diane looked surprised for a moment, then she sighed. “The Hag told you that.”

I nodded. “It works great. I can sneak right up on near-deer and they don't smell me, even when I'm upwind.”

“Tell me you have antlers!” Mack's voice said from across the store.

“DAD!” Diane yelled and turned her head to glare at Mack.

I flinched and tried to pull my hands out of hers. Unfortunately, the strength potion had worn off and I couldn't. She was pretty strong and held on like a vice, not unlike the Hag.

Diane quickly turned back to me and she had a sad face. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.”

“Which time?” I asked and she sighed.

“All of them. The ones that have already happened and all of the ones that might happen in the future.” Diane said and let my hands go. “I feel really bad that whatever the Hag has done to you, makes it so easy for me to scare you like that.”

_______________

You have a slight story alteration choice here. Will you make the situation better or worse?

A) Lie. B) Tell the truth. C) Confront her. D) Ignore her. E) Yell. F) Run. G) Cry.

Actually, I want to know why she never helped me. I'm choosing C.

_______________

“Why now?” I asked.

“Wh-what?” Diane asked, surprised.

“Why now? You never said anything in all the times I've been in town. Why didn't you say anything back then?”

It was Diane's turn to open her mouth and not know what to say.

“Don't make her feel guilty for feeling sorry for you.” Mack said, sternly.

“That means you don't, doesn't it?” I asked.

“Dad, you're not helping.” Diane said.

“He's manipulating you.” Mack said.

“What's that mean?” I asked, confused.

“It means trying to get me to do what you want by acting and telling me things to get me to do it.” Diane said. “I know you're not trying to do that.”

“I just want to know why.” I said and looked into her eyes. “Why did you never help me? You knew she hurt me. You knew she beat me, tortured me, took things from me...” I said and lifted my hands with only three fingers and a thumb on them.

Diane started to silently cry and tears rolled down her face.

“That's enough.” Mack said and walked over to us with a mean expression on his face. “I want you out of my store right now.”

“No!” Diane exclaimed as she reached up to stop Mack from grabbing me. “Leave him be.”

“I won't have him making my daughter cry.” Mack said to her and dropped his hands. “I don't care if it does break my deal with the Hag.” He looked at me. “You aren't welcome in my store. If the Hag wants something, you tell her that she has to come here herself and I'll work out a new deal with her.”

“Dad!” Diane said. “You can't do that! He needs the supplies we sell him! He won't survive the coming winter!”

“He should have thought of that before making you cry.” Mack said, his face firmly set in a grimace. “I will pay you out today, because I've already accepted the delivery.”

_______________

Wow, another story altering choice. Okay. I hope you're ready for this one.

A) Confront him. B) Back down and apologize. C) Accept the deal. D) Attack. E) Run. F) Kill him.

Most of those would only hurt me and Diane. I want him to hurt. I thought with a smile. I'll choose A.

_______________

“No.” I said and slowly stood up.

“What?” Mack looked confused.

“I'll be taking today's delivery back. You can pay me what you still owe me from yesterday and I'll leave.”

“You can't!” Diane exclaimed. “We need those potions!”

“No, you don't.” I said. “Just before you came in, Mack said that he might drop the order because no one was buying the general health potions.”

“DA...” Diane stopped herself from yelling in time and glared at her father. “Dad, you schemer!”

“What's that mean?” I asked as I saw Mack's face flush red.

“My idiot of a father was trying to manipulate you into dropping the price of the potions.” Diane said. “I told him not to try it, because the Hag never negotiates down. Never. Even mentioning that she charges too much will set her off on a tirade!”

“I wouldn't say that to her.” Mack said. “Not like that, anyway.”

“No, but you'll say it to David, right? What do you think the Hag would do to him if he went home with less money than he should have?” Diane asked, then she suddenly grabbed my hand and held it up. “How many more fingers will he lose because of this? How many?”

“Toes, too.” I said and pointed down with my other hand.

Mack didn't say anything and he also didn't look down, I assumed because he had seen my mangled feet earlier and didn't need the reminder.

“We make ten times what we pay for them, Dad!” Diane said. “Why do you want to get them cheaper?”

Ten times? I asked myself, shocked. I sell them the general health potion for thirty copper.

I looked at my free hand and started flipping fingers and started counting. I always included the missing finger and I counted thirty, ten times. I took me a minute to get the answer of three hundred copper. Since a hundred copper were in a silver, that was three one hundreds or three silver.

“You charge three silver for the general health potion?” I asked, still shocked.

Both Diane and Mack jumped as if they had forgotten I was standing right there, even though Diane still held my hand.

“Oh, damn.” Diane said and let my hand go. “Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...”

“What? Tell the Hag's apprentice that we've been ripping her off for years?” Mack asked. “It's a little too late for that now.”

“You always charged us full price for your items when we bought them.” I said, almost in a whisper. “You never give deals.” I glanced at Diane. “Even when you said we got that barrel cheap, you were still making a lot more money.”

“David, that's... not really...” Diane's words petered out.

“No wonder I always thought your stuff kept getting more expensive every time I came here. I worked so hard gathering all those ingredients and you barely paid anything for it. I just ordered a new boat from Michelle and I was worried, because it was going to take me half of the money from this shipment and all of it from the next one to pay for it.”

Diane took in a sharp breath and then she blushed deeply. Mack didn't say anything at all.

“I asked Mack about buying more crates and empty vials, so I could try and make enough money to buy more supplies next year, because I wouldn't have any money left when I came here in the spring.”

“Oh, David.” Diane said, sorrow in her voice.

“Your deal with the Hag is over.” I said and stood up straight as I used the Hag's technique to stay vigilant. “I'll be taking those crates of potions back now.”

“The village needs those potions.” Diane said. “Please, David. We can pay you a good price...”

“Diane!” Mack said loudly.

I didn't flinch this time from his shout. “Will you pay me a fair price for all the others, too?”

Diane let out a sigh and shook her head.

I nodded and walked around her and her father. I went to the back and picked up the first crate of potions and came back out. I had to load up the hand cart again as quickly as possible. If I was lucky, I could sit by the dock and sell them to anyone passing by.