Assassins (Part 1).

"Are you really leaving?" - Ciri stood by the side of the kettle with water and every time a pig tried to come for a drink, kicked a pole near it with irritation, scaring the animal away. A poor pig was relentless and showed resentful tendencies.

It was thirsty. It was fighting for survival.

"Hey, stop kicking my pig!" - bar owner stuck out his bald head from the opened window and screamed with anger.

"I'm not kicking your pig! I'm kicking the fence." - protested Ciri with an upset look.

"By kicking the fence you kicking the kettle that kicking my pig!" - refuted the old man.

"Bar owner, you need to read more books, kettle can't kick!" - snorted Ciri with superiority and seeing meaningful glare from Yen, who was fastening her bags to the horse, proudly turned her head to the side.

"Not for long, I promise. We will meet again soon, Ciri." - said Alan, dragging the girl couple of steps away before she can give a poor fence another kick.

The pig tripped the kettle over in agitation, finding solace in the pool of muddy water.

"Yes, take away this unruly girl of yours." - bar owner snorted. He clearly wanted to say something else but saw a deadly glare of deep purple eyes. Something flashed in them. He thought he saw turquoise lightning mixed with aqua blame.

Fat on his face trembled, and finally, he disappeared inside his establishment.

"Ciri, you need to listen to Yennefer. She might be strict and nags from time to time, but she really loves you and won't do harm." - he said and caressed her hair. They were almost weightless and as soft as a feather. She looked at him with stubbornness.

"I heard everything." - came a voice from the side. Yen didn't turn around and kept tending to her horse. Obviously there was nothing more to do for it, but Yennefer found something interesting on its neck. She was very engrossed in stroking the same spot.

"Khm. Ciri, I will come to find you in Gors Velen." - said Alan, turning his head slightly to the side under the insistent hands of the girl. She silently was braiding his pitch-black hair.

He smiled, looking at the door that opened. A man walked out and went to the powerful horse. Yen followed him with a look and shifted her interest to the mane. Apparently something interesting she found on the neck escaped there.

"If you won't, I will come to find you and drag you there. Yen said Gors Velen is a beautiful and bursting town of mages and for mages. I wanted to see it with you first." - Ciri said, Her nimble hands were halfway through the process. She took her time doing it.

The two wings, separated in two necklaces, clicked together by accident. She looked at it and smiled.

"If you are a mile away, I will feel you and find you." - she said.

Alan nodded. It should be him telling her this.

The properties of this world changed every artifact he had. Wings of Freedom were no exception. The necklace still created a bond, but it can show direction only within a mile radius. The longer distance will render artifact useless. But within that mile, Alan sensed Ciri very clearly and even can see the other side to some extent.

"And don't play around." - she pouted. - "With that elven woman in blue specifically. You absolutely, positively can't!"

Alan laughed and flicked her forehead. A little bird landed on the head of the horse. He glanced at it with a crafty grin.

"Very funny, Alan." - Yen looked at it and frowned with irritation. The bird was audacious enough to leave a mark on her horse and fly away before receiving due punishment.

She cleaned its forehead with magic.

"You need to go, Ciri. I will catch up with the old man and we will come to find you together."

Yen twitched.

"I doubt he will come." - she said coldly. - "Too proud and stubborn. He better go kill a hag for a random village that will not pay enough to cover even medical expenses. Later he will again sleep in the open without a proper meal for days."

"Sometimes it happens." - said Alan, giving Yen a glance.

"Sometimes is not exactly a proper word regarding Geralt."

Ciri finished braiding and stroked the side of his face, admiring her work.

"Maybe, but you again will use your connections to send money to a certain random village with a covert order to raise the pay of a certain witcher."

Yen twitched again.

"I don't know what you are talking about." - she said stoically.

"Yet, that thing you don't know about happens with avid frequency." - pointed out, Alan. He knew Yen well enough to see how really soft and kind her heart was. And how much she loved Geralt.

It was such a rare sight in his life experience that felt almost unnatural. One can say many things about Yennefer, but the last that will come to mind is to describe her as devoted.

Yet she clearly was. Blindly. While burning herself. With no regard for consequences.

"Are you done saying goodbyes? We are late for the road." - she mounted her stallion. It dug into the ground with eagerness for the wonderful run.

"Mm, you absolutely must come and find me." - she said with pink cheeks and fidgeted.

"Oh, come on. Kiss him already and let's go. Should I wait all day?" - came a cold voice from the side.

Ciri raised her head and before she had time to think, warm fingers entered her hair behind the ear, and seizing her head, brought her closer. She melted in him again. Her entire body felt the blood boiling and responding to his every move.

It ended faster than she wanted.

"Go. Or Yen will turn me into a dog and you into a duck." - Alan turned her around and slightly pushed forward.

"If she turns me into something, it will be a beautiful swan! Right Yen?"

"You wish." - scoffed the sorceress. - "Hop on the horse, Ducky. And you, Wolfie. If I see you half-dead again, I will finish you myself."

"Then I need to hide properly from you if such a thing happens."

"Don't push it, you know what I mean!" - Yen gave him a hard look that lasted for some time. Enough time for Ciri to become irritated again. - "Be careful."

Alan silently nodded. They departed with resolute haste in direction of Gors Velen.

He looked at the wooden signpost, that knew better days and turned to the other road while hopping on his Sparky. It was already the third one. The first was killed by the stray arrows of Scoia'taels he encountered briefly. It wasn't even a fight. They retreated as soon as his horse was down.

Perhaps wanted to rob him, but never thought he can deflect arrows with a sword.

The second was butchered by Rience men to cut his escape. Not like he wanted to run in the first place.

So, this Sparky was the third and also rather young. Still, it was an admirable stallion with black mane and fur.

Alan pulled the reins and departed in another direction.

A bird landed on the signpost on the wooden board facing, pointing at his back.

The word 'Anchor' was drawn on it with clumsy handwriting.