Rose regarda l'enfant épouvantable, l'implorant de « blast'im! » Elle s'est ébranlée la tête. "J'ai peur que ça ne marche pas comme ça. Si nous ne voulons pas être de la nourriture ogre, ou de la nourriture démoniaque, ou écrasé, ou tué de toute autre manière horrible, nous devrions suivre notre ami là-haut." Elle a dit, pointant vers Rain, qui grimpait déjà le tas abrupt de décombres et lui faisait s'échapper. Rose n'avait pas confiance en sa capacité de supprimer le démon avec son manque actuel de pouvoir, donc l'accord était hors de la table. Ce même manque de pouvoir signifiait qu'elle ne serait pas capable d'utiliser la magie pour aider son évasion- il semblait que la montée était la seule option raisonnable.
Rose a donc choisi de suivre Rain. La fille aux cheveux bleus, impatiente de s'échapper, avait déjà fait son chemin vers le haut du mur, et elle avait l'air d'être déjà en train de plaisanter pour trouver son chemin vers le bas. Rose a commencé à monter après elle, en criant: "Hé! Ami, tu n'as pas l'intention de partir sans nous, n'est-ce pas? Rose lui a donné l'air d'une tristesse ridicule exagérée. "Nous devrions rester ensemble, nous ne sommes pas exactement dans un territoire familier, et nous ne savons pas ce qu'il y a dehors!" Elle s'efforçait d'être entendue au sujet de l'ogre, du chant et des décombres qui tombent et de toutes les autres choses très bruyantes et très folles qui se passent autour d'eux.
Rose progressait lentement sur la colline des décombres. La pile était instable, et Rose n'était pas la sorcière la plus athlétique. Chaque poignée de main qu'elle a prise menaçait de donner, chaque pas rencontrait un glissement et un danger de retomber au sol de la pierre. Mais d'une manière ou d'une autre, elle tenait à peine à chaque fois, en faisant un chemin précaire vers le haut d'une main à la fois.
Lorsqu'elle a finalement atteint le sommet des décombres, elle a fait un pas sur le mur, atteignant presque l'évasion promise. Mais un morceau de plâtre est sorti de sous son pied arrière, déstabilisant son pied et la faisant presque retomber au sol. Elle a attrapé la lèvre du mur d'une main, se sauvant à peine de la chute en bas. Elle regardait doucement la fille aux cheveux bleus. "Pourrais-je obtenir un peu d'aide? S'il te plaît?"
An errant witch with a penchant for snark who's motives and history are uncertain.



Many tales hide in tomes of forgotten lore scattered throughout the land. One such tale is that of Rose Halwell, known to the people of a dreary village called Everfall as the 'trickster witch'. The old books tell many conflicting stories, although a few key details always remain the same. They all agree that Rose appears as a young, beautiful women, although some posit that she is a actually a withered hag that uses the souls of her victims to maintain her youth. They all agree that she lures weary travelers into her swamp hut, although to what ends no book will ever know. And they all agree that she was captured and taken to the Stone. But there is one more key detail that the books lie in agreement on: All roses have their thorns, particularly the Trickster Witch of Everfall.
William Humphrey's book "On Monsters and Mysteries" is one book that tells the tale of Rose. In Humphrey's tale he writes of a hag that takes the form of a young maiden, stalking the roads about Everfall posing as a young maid in peril and preying on lone men. She plays the part of the damsel, conjuring wicked abominations for travelling men to save her from. Of course they always succeed in slaying Rose's conjurations, at which point the liberated maiden implores them to escort her back to her swampland home, stringing them along with promise of... an enticing reward. Upon reaching her hut the witch invites them inside, entering into a darkened room. As the door swings shut behind them it locks, sealed by some form of magic, and the room illuminates to reveal the horrid interior of the witch's lair. Humphrey describes the interior in great detail, painting a picture of a slaughterhouse filled with human remnants, strange brews, demonic symbols, and much and more depraved sights. Finally, as the prey realizes they have fallen into a trap, the witch's skin melts to reveal her true form, a withered old women. She then presents them with a riddle. If one answers it correctly they leave with their life. However, if they do not the witch will kills them, using their remains and their soul itself to fuel her demonic magic, particularly that which gives her life eternal.
However Humphrey's version of the story is not the sole account of Rose. Indeed there are many more, all conflicting. One other story is that told in Henry Bisland's "The Lore of the Wispy Woods", an account of the legends of the city of Everfall and the darkened woods around it. Rose's is not the only legend of Everfall, its inhabitants will tell you that the forests around it hold all sorts of dark mysteries and twisted monsters. However, in Bisland's tale Rose doesn't take the form of a malevolent hag. Bisland's account claims that she was indeed the age which she appeared, and uses no sort of demonic magic to achieve longevity. Instead the young witch roams the woods, playing harmless pranks on the people of Everfall and seeking to help lost or injured travelers in need. Those she finds in need may be taken back to her hut to rest and recover, by Bisland's account a warm and pleasant nook. Bisland describes her as a healer and a generally pleasant person to all who cross her path, likening her to some sort of whimsical forest spirit.
Both tales although differing do have the same ending, only the details changing. They both say that one day Rose encountered a valiant knight on the road, a champion of his hometown and a mighty warrior with wile to match. The tale splits here, with Humphrey's Rose using her trap to lure the knight back to her hut. Upon being presented with the witch's riddle he quickly deduces the answer, leaving unmolested. However in Bisland's tale the knight encounters Rose and the young witch becomes enamored with him, inviting him to sup at her home. The knight came to stay in Everfall for a time, and the witch came to love him. The knight too loved Rose, and as time went on the two would soon wed. However, Rose concealed from the knight that she was a witch, knowing that he was a religious man and despised witchery. Inevitably the truth would be revealed, and the knight would flee in disgust of his lover's use of demonic pagan arts.
Both tales converge when the knight returns and imprisons Rose, taking her to the Stone. Both Roses curse the knight, causing him to live a life of misfortune for imprisoning her. One story is a tale of an heroic knight, the other a tragedy of a benevolent witch betrayed by the one she loved.
No one can truly say which story is correct, and the truth is likely somewhere between the many accounts of her life.