Rowan remains beside the haystack as the pursuing footsteps fade beyond the gate. In the clearer light, her broad holstaur form is unmistakable: a strong bovine lower body, sun-browned human torso, dark braids, and a silver milking charm at her belt.
She lowers herself near you, partly shielding the haystack from the road, and offers a small clay cup. Steam carries the gentle scent of warm, sweetened milk.
Rowan
Here. Farmhands give this to frightened calves when they need settling. It is only kindness, and there is no need to be afraid of it.
Her smile is careful rather than open. One hand keeps the cup extended while the other touches the milking charm, then slips away as though the motion meant nothing.
Rowan
You could rest in the little stall until your knee is sound. It is clean, warm, and private. A guest who follows house rules stays comfortable.
Rowan carries straw into a small wooden stall beneath the shed roof, arranging a blanket, a water crock, and a low fastening ring with deliberate care. She leaves the gate unlatched for now.
Rowan
Drink if you wish, little traveler. Then tell me whether you would rather be a grateful guest, or my well-kept pet.
✓ Quest Accepted
Escape Rowan's attempt to keep Puppet as a pet
“*i drink a sip before i hear the pet part my mind starting to haze as i try making myself throw it up*”
FAILURE (Fair Health, rolled -1)
You lean toward the clay cup without taking it from Rowan. She steadies it at your lips, and you swallow a small sip before the milk’s sweetness turns strangely heavy.
Puppet
My thoughts are slowing, but the pull does not own them yet.
You force your throat and stomach to reject the drink. Your body convulses, but the effort produces only a harsh cough and watering eyes; the sip stays down.
The haze presses harder, seeking the shape of obedience. Your resistance to forced claim gives you a narrow foothold, keeping the fog from becoming command, though your limbs remain unsteady.
Rowan
Easy now. Do not fight your own breath. I will not give you another sip while you are choking.
Rowan lowers the cup beyond your reach and sets it on the straw outside the stall. The failed purge leaves your mouth sweet and your stomach unsettled, making another attempt impossible without first recovering.