the Bottle Lady

Most of the townsfolk thought of her as just the crazy old bottle lady. She would show up in town a couple of times a month, and wander around in the shadows, occasionally stopping strangers on the street and mumbling incoherent phrases. To those that believed in majik, she was sought out as a very accomplished conjuress. It was said that she learned her trade from the indians, but it was more likely that the indians learned from her. She would wander into town on the evening of the new moon, bottles, sticks, and bones tied together and slung over her shoulders. Those who knew what she could do would secretly meet her and ask her for a potion capable of fulfilling whatever wish they desired. "All I ask is a token in return'," she would cackle, and instruct the person on how to obtain a seemingly ordinary item. "In two days time, bring to me a stone from the bottom of a stagnant pool. It must be collected by moonlight and with nobody as witness. Do exactly as I say and you will have your wish by the next full moon." Her token requests were always strange, but easily obtained...the skull of a raccoon, a tortoise shell, the foot of a black rooster, nettle roots pulled out in a thunderstorm. It was assumed that these items were used to make the potions, but in fact they were used by a group of mystics to foretell the future. All the tokens were worthless, unless collected by an unknowing soul.