Madison slipped in the gates of Vallaki quietly just past day-break. It had been a long and dangerous journey from Barovia, and she was barely on her feet. She considered the Blue Water Inn, then shook her head. Even though she was “dead”, she was sure they wouldn’t appreciate ghosts. So she continued on until she finally reached the western outskirts. “Just a quick stop in the church…” she thought.
She tried to step in without attracting attention, but the heavy rusty door creaked loudly as it always did. When her eyes adjusted to the shadows of the old church, she instantly recognized the tall silhouette of the man who leaned on the wall in front of her. A cigar hung lazily out of his mouth, and he stared at the front of the church, not paying attention to even the ashes that fell on his arm. She stepped up quietly beside him as she had done in the past.
Leaning close to him she almost whispered, “Still spending your free time here then??” He glanced at her, then stared in shock, the cigar dropping and rolling away on the floor. He smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. “Aye… ya look well.” After returning the embrace, she stepped back and looked him over. Grinning teasingly, she reached up and touched his face. “Given up shaving while I was gone have you?? Aren’t there any pretty girls left here to impress??” They laughed together, and began to catch up on all of the happenings since she had left, eventually falling into a comfortable silence. “Maybe life can be good in this dark place…..” Madison thought to herself.
// just wrote something up quick to cover her return!! if I have time I'll rewrite it better.