6. First journey begins

Riding a horse was a very different experience. Ron shouted as loud as his lungs could take. This little trip he took near the city of Ban Glean showed how fast and powerful the horse was. His only problem was that he couldn't completely control the horse, but he solved it with a simple hypnosis spell on the horse.

When all the fun was over and he was back in town, Ron stared at the horse for a while. He felt that the mottled brown horse covered in white should have a better name, considering its old name to be too absurd. Thinking for a while, Ron said, "Your old name looks so bad, so let's call you Mustang from now on," and instilled his name into his mind with simple hypnosis.

It was very easy to calm relatively simple-minded creatures like horses, reassure them, and impose their thoughts on them. Otherwise, there was no way the famous witchers' simple sign spells could be so effective.

He handed the horse over to the officer in the inn and went inside. When he entered, he witnessed that the festive mood had already begun. With people working hard all day, it was normal for the volume to be extremely loud, as the only entertainment was drinking, playing with women, and playing the famous Gwent.

When Ron walked in, people briefly focused on him. Then, without wasting any time, they went back to their work.

Meanwhile, Ron saw a cloaked figure sitting alone at a small table in a secluded corner. Ron knew very well who this person was, so he quickly approached with a smile on his face and gave a proper nod and sat down.

The cloaked figure never spoke or reacted to it. He simply looked at her from under the cloak and returned his sight to the tables brimming with amusement.

"You're like a little kid who doesn't get along with your peers and watches them from afar, how about we play gwent for two rounds?"

After a while, her reaction was to look at Ron again. "So, are you the happy, sociable person who invites me to the game?"

The voice was emotionless. Ron nodded, "Yes, you might think so. We're leaving tomorrow and I'm trying to get to know my companion better. Isn't that a good thing?"

The woman was silent for a moment, then she took off her hoodie. After cleansing, a beautiful face showed itself.

The freckles on her face focused around the nose, making her face look more beautiful. Ron had to appreciate her beauty, she was in a generally pretty position, though a scar on her forehead was a slight contrast to her entire face. His golden hair and yellow cat eyes seemed to see directly into the human soul, though Ron understood only once that it was done with a simple gesture. The hand under the table was directing the sign to him.

"What do you want to achieve when you hypnotize me? Or do you want to rob me? The contract binds us together, our fates are one, and if you kill me, Fate will not be kind to you."

The Witcher put her other hand on the table, "For a fresh graduate, you know too much. So surprise me with your knowledge, how many days will it take to get from here to Novigrad on horseback? Do you think this trip will be very comfortable? I don't think you calculated all that."

"It will take exactly two months, six days and twelve hours. However; If we have to round this date, we will be in Novigrad during the autumn rains and you will be able to enjoy the rain while you sip your mulled wine." It can be said that the witchers are callous, although the facial expression of the female witcher in front of them never changed, the widening of her eyes showed her astonishment. Then Ron continued, "During the trip, we can only have one week's supply with us at the most, and that should be the upper limit or the food will spoil. In this, we have to travel on deserted roads for a week and then find a village close to us."

"And the horse…" The Witcher stopped Ron with her hand. "Okay I get it, you really calculated, are all Sorcerers like this? Aren't you usually supposed to be the grumpy, complaining and travel-hating type?"

Ron scratched the back of his head, "How do I know, I haven't even attended the sorcerer fraternity's meetings yet. Probably because I'm a fresh graduate," he grinned. "We've been talking all this time, but I've never heard of my travel partner's name. What do you want me to say to you? Miss Witcher? Female Witcher? Oh, I found it, Witchess?"

At the last word, a slight smile appeared on the woman's face. "Dragonfly, you can call me by that name. Also; It would be best if you don't say that last word in public, I don't want people to say that word to me all the time afterwards."

"It is OK for me! All right then, see you early in the morning, Dragonfly. If you don't wake up, you better be ready for a giant water ball that will suddenly appear above your bed."

"I have to tell you that, sorcerers are self-indulgent. If I see you're not awake, you can be sure I'll poke a hole in your stomach." A chill ran down Ron's spine as a menacing smile appeared on his face. For some reason, it seemed certain that he would do it when he said that.

Ron left the table and led himself to his room. He didn't have many items, which ensured he was always prepared. He positioned himself under the windowsill, facing the stars, and resumed his meditation. It gave him a wonderful feeling to feel the wild energy of chaos pouring out and baptizing his body. He was even happier when he saw the chaos energy come closer to his body and split into elements, and especially when he felt the color red.

The summer morning of 1186 was faced with heavy fog. As the sun coaxed to show itself, Ron opened his eyes and stopped the meditation. He stretched and went to the bathwater that was waiting for him. "Wash well, who knows when you'll wash again..." His body foamed up as he pondered. Whenever the temperature of the water began to drop, it was restored by simple magic.

When he finished and looked at himself, Ron's face darkened a bit, the current state of his frail body was making him very uncomfortable. For the past two days he had become so absorbed in the constant running and meditation that he neglected his body again.

He made his final preparations within the framework of the thoughts of "I must train my body well in my journey" and went downstairs.

When he descended, he encountered Dragonfly, who greeted him with keen eyes. With an embarrassed smile on her face, she began to chew on a chicken leg he was holding. "I wish I'd stab a knife in your ass. Who would have thought I'd wait this long?"

Taking a sip of Keadwen beer, Ron said, "When was saying "goodbye" to water considered a waste of time because I couldn't take a bath for a long time? Tell me, doesn't it bother you at all when you can't take a bath during travels?"

Dragonfly grit her teeth and looked towards the boy in front of her. She nearly drew his sword at the insulting words of this younger boy. "Weren't you taught not to say a word to a woman about her beauty and her scent?"

Ron shrugged, "How would I know? From my master at Ban Ard? That old man does not deign to see anyone, let alone a woman, he rarely leaves his room, constantly researches them and turns them into articles. Besides, I've been living in Ban Ard since I was a kid, wherever I turn my head, which woman can you expect me to chat with when there's a man?"

Ignoring Dragonfly's response, Ron got up from his seat and paid for his meal. Then he went out of the inn. He saw that the attendant had already prepared the horses and gave a satisfied nod.

"Mustang, did you miss me son!" Ron, who immediately started stroking the horse's head, felt safer when he felt his soft fur. The smile on his face took on a kind expression, he stroked the horse more gently.

Dragonfly grinned when she came out and saw Ron like this. That was more or less the same communication she had with his first horse. Then, when he got a contract, his horse was eaten by ghouls, but every time he rode it left an unforgettable memory.

"If you have finished petting your horse, let us begin our journey."

Ron immediately stopped petting the horse at the sound of the voice, a slight blush forming on his face. He immediately jumped onto his horse and turned his attention to Dragonfly. "Well where are we going first?"

"We're going to Rinde first. I have a job to do there, maybe we can get it in a contract from a region close to there."

Ron thought for a while and immediately shook his head, "King Heribert has a dislike for sorceresses and witches lately, even sorceresses living there need permission from the king to cast their spells. If I am to do the favor given to me according to the will of another, the first spell I will do is to stick a molten spear head in his ass."

Dragonfly licked her lips slightly at the last word. The thought of the boy gave him some pleasure, and soon he gathered himself. "I need to get alchemy ingredients from Laurelnose in Rinde. Not everyone has lucky friends, and even if they do, no one sells as well as Laurelnose, so we need to get to Rinde first."

Ron thought for a moment, then grimaced again. He thought of the smug Yennefer, who had graduated three years before him. Dragonfly was surprised by the sudden release of hot air from the boy in front of him, his angry expression making her wonder. "There that smug bitch Yennefer…" He paused for a moment, staring at Dragonfly with his fiery sapphire blue eyes. "Okay, we're going to Rinde, I'm almost going crazy to prove to that Yennefer how strong I am. Let's see if the mastery of hydrokinesis is superior to my mastery of pyrokinesis!"

Without wasting any time, Ron rode forward, with Dragonfly just behind her. Thus, in the summer of 1186, the young sorcerer began his first journey.