We were few in number. We had no idea how many the Wild Hunt would bring but we all knew they would seriously outnumber us. Despite all our gifts, we knew this was going to be one hell of a fight. But the plans we were putting in place might just give us the edge. Geralt had taken charge. I thought Vesemir might have wanted that role, but he took a step back, and it was Geralt who gave the orders.
Our friends had their talents which could help. Zoltan with his barrels of what he called 'Mahamakam Mix'. Ermion and his pockets of gas that, when lit, would explode. Vernon and Ves with their traps that the Blue Stripes used to their advantage. Yennefer spoke of a magical dome that would keep everyone safe, at least for a period of time. Triss would simply rain down fire. She spoke in such terms, I got a little turned on.
Lambert spoke of the armoury, the weapons that we might find within. Eskel spoke of 'witchers traps' that would also assist. If we needed anything, it was weapons, so we spent a couple of hours digging out weapons, armour and other things that would assist us during the battle.
Gathered around a map, all of us ready and waiting, but unsure when the Hunt would appear, we made our final preparations. Geralt was in charge, and he gave me his orders. "Two things, Ragnar. Most important is that you are the last line to protect Ciri."
I glanced at the young woman. She was not happy being ordered to remain in the keep. "She's capable of looking after herself, Geralt."
"I'm not asking, Ragnar. I'm telling." He met my eyes and added, "Please." I took a couple of seconds, released a deep breath. I understood why. The fact he said please told me more than anything. Didn't mean I liked it. Nodding, he added further, "Triss will be on the walls here," he pointed at the map, "Yen's magic dome will offer protection but, in the event they do manage to teleport through in number, if you can keep her safe…"
"I can help, Geralt!" Ciri stated rather vehemently.
"Ciri, we're doing this to keep you safe."
"I trained for this. You know my skill. I managed to survive without you for..."
"Listen to him, child. All of us are here to protect you. Let us do it," Vesemir stated. If anyone could get through to her, it would be Papa Vesemir. She met his eyes and her shoulders sagged. It only took a few words for her to see sense.
Geralt explained what he and the others would be doing. Keira would be wielding her magic. Zoltan would be rolling his barrels about. Ermion would ensure the Hunt would be blown up. Roche and Ves would go hunting. Letho… would be Letho. Cerys would remain with Ciri, sword in hand, should even I fall to the Hunt.
"We have several fall-back positions. If worse comes to worst, we fall-back on Ragnar and the keep. That is where we make our last stand if the Hunt make it that far. Ragnar, will be using your Thu'um?"
"Oh yes, I will be showing the Hunt my power at last."
"Good. Another reason to keep you back. Almost like a nice surprise. Right, there's nothing else we can do except wait for them to arrive. Any questions?" Everyone shook their head. "The Hunt will be here soon enough. Take these last moments of peace for yourselves."
Ciri had already disappeared, clearly unhappy. Triss met my eyes and gestured with hers towards the stairway. Noticing my confused glance, as I wasn't quite sure what she meant, she wandered over and whispered into my ear what she was suggesting. "Cerys, Jutta and I are going to have something eat and make sure we're ready to go. Head upstairs."
I did just that, walking into an empty bedroom, but out on the balcony I found Ciri leaning against the barrier, taking in the view. There was a reason why Vesemir had originally chosen this room to live in as it was breath-takingly beautiful at times. Standing next to Ciri, I heard her sigh. She was such a reminder of Geralt at times, it was amusing how alike they could be.
"I understand why but I'm not that little girl anymore, Ragnar."
"I can see that, Ciri."
"But he's still treating me like that."
"No, he's protecting you from people who will use you then kill you. And… I'm sure he does still see that precocious little girl he helped raise and train. He can't help it. And his decisions are based on keeping you safe and the fact he loves you."
"Just wish he'd trust me…"
"He does. So do I."
She turned and manoeuvred so she stood between me and the railing, lifting herself up to sit on it. If she lost her balance, she'd fall to her death. When she rested a hand on my chest and looked up to meet my eyes, I saw a look in hers I'd seen often times before. I couldn't help but sigh. "Cirilla…"
Thankfully, all she did was move her hand around, her other joining me around my back, and I hugged her in return, feeling her legs wrap around me too. "Missed you," she whispered. She looked up again and I couldn't help but think she had grown into quite the beautiful woman. My thoughts must have shown on my face. "You're thinking we shouldn't."
"Aye."
"Why?"
"Because I remember you as that same precocious little girl Geralt still sees."
"But what do you see now?"
"Right now, this minute? I see nothing but a beautiful young woman."
"Are you worried I'm untouched, Ragnar?"
That question made me laugh. Methinks Triss had been talking. "No. I'm worried how Geralt and Yen would react should I act on whatever is on your mind."
"And what do you think is on my mind?"
"Well, considering how you're arms and legs are wrapped around me now…"
"I've had a crush on you for the longest time, Ragnar. Longer than Cerys. Unlike her, though, I wasn't going to remain a virgin until I had the opportunity to fuck you." I couldn't help chuckle. "But, by god, you were the only thought when I masturbated every single time. And I've done that a lot…"
"So I made an impression?"
"I would have loved nothing more than you to be my first, Ragnar. But you were with Triss, and… I didn't know that your relationship was how it obviously is."
"Ciri… Part of me would love nothing more than carrying you to the bed behind me and showing you what you clearly want. But there is that other more realistic part of me that… doesn't want to ruin what we already have."
That made her chuckle at me. "Ragnar, it's just sex. Make me cum right now and I'd feel a lot better about things."
"I'm wondering who influences you most with all this talk."
"I have no problem admitting what I like and what I want."
The moment I caressed her cheek, a smile formed that lit up her eyes. Never touched her in such a manner. Moving her cheek into my palm, I ran my hand up until I ran my fingers through her ashen hair. "Kiss me," she whispered. I hesitated a moment, her eyes meeting mine, the smile broadening. "Kiss me," she added a little firmer.
I liked that.
It was a terribly bad idea… but I also wanted to kiss her. I'd wanted to kiss her seeing her back on the Isle of Mists. It probably wasn't the right thing to be doing, but when our lips met, and I made her giggle as I pulled her to my body. Deepening the kiss, when I made her whimper quietly into my mouth, I opened my eyes as she did the same, and she needed to break the kiss as a rather sweet smile formed.
"Well, about time," she said quietly, resting her head against my chest.
"Is that all you want? Or are you wanting to go down a possibly difficult road?"
"I want you, Ragnar," she whispered, "I have for so long… Guess I was good at hiding how I really felt about you."
"I knew you had a little crush, but this sounds like something a bit more than that…"
"Maybe…"
"Make love with her."
Ciri nearly fell over the side as I turned around so fast the voice, I turned back, grabbing her by her tunic and ensuring her feet were touching solid ground again. Turning to look at Triss, she wore such a grin on her face, I wondered if it was her that said it. "What?"
She walked towards the pair of us, Ciri giggling away as she cuddled into me, and I couldn't help but wrap an arm around her, though I was feeling both embarrassed and guilty. "How much did you hear?" Ciri asked.
"More than enough to know that you want Ragnar intimately, and that now is perhaps the best time for that to happen. Ragnar, I will make sure you are not disturbed for the next hour."
"Triss, wait…"
She stepped forward and kissed my cheek. "Ragnar, you know I certainly understand. This young woman… well, Cerys gave herself to you and you enjoyed it, did you not? And trust me on this, Ciri and I used to talk a lot about many things, but to a young woman starting to understand herself and how she felt, she let it known very early on what she wanted in regards to you." I glanced at Ciri, and only then did she start to blush. "I'll be honest, I was more than willing to let her enjoy you as her first, but you have this idea in your head that a woman needs to be a certain age before you will sleep with her."
I shrugged. "It's something from back home. Generally, it's eighteen when you're considered an adult and capable of making such decisions."
"Well, Ciri is now twenty-one and more than capable of making such decisions regarding her private life. Ciri, what do you want right now?"
"I want Ragnar." She smiled. "I want to fuck him. Or him to fuck me, to be accurate."
Triss just smiled at me. "Well, there we go. Ciri has let it be known what she wants. Ragnar, what do you want?"
I just gazed at Ciri, and she almost wilted under it, but the look on her face was one that she knew exactly what I was thinking, and knew exactly what was going to happen after I replied, "I think you should wait downstairs, Triss."
"That's the correct answer. I'll make sure you are undisturbed."
I had Ciri naked within a couple of minutes. She was spectacular. Quite a few scars. A smaller bust compared to most of my lovers, though they suited her rather athletic frame. A tuft of white hair over her pussy, which certainly amused me. A great pair of legs. Desperate to have me the same way as hers, I certainly enjoyed her hands running all over my body, though once she had me naked, taking my cock in her hand, all she could whisper was, "Wow."
"I do like hearing that from any new lover I have," I said softly.
"No fucking wonder, Ragnar. You're fucking hung!"
Laughing, I hugged her tightly to me. "Never change, Ciri. I enjoy the fact you just say what's on your mind."
"I just want to fuck, Ragnar. Triss told me what you're like, but we won't have time for all the bells and whistles. Next time, we can really enjoy each other."
"You sure? Always think a first time together…"
"Trust me, Ragnar, there will be a next time," she said softly, "There will be a lot of next times, I hope."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ciri sat down on my lap, our fingers running up and down the backs of each other as we kissed again, feeling her pussy search for my cock. I was surprised at how easily I slid inside her, though she felt as tight as I would have expected, whimpering into my mouth as she slowly took my entire length. When she had taken all of it, she broke the kiss and stroked my cheek. "Fucking finally!" she exclaimed quietly.
"Good things come to those who wait."
"I've wanted for this moment for a long time."
"We have time to enjoy it before they arrive."
She started to slowly ride me. Gods, she felt wonderful, unable to stop the occasional groan as she would slowly lift herself up, then slowly lower herself back down. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she was definitely enjoying herself immediately. I helped her keep balance with both my hands on her back, gently running my fingers up and down as always, while she was eager to either kiss me in between all her panting and moaning.
It was all rather exciting, little wonder I felt my orgasm approaching rather quickly. Warning her, she started to ride me a little faster, her kisses harder and a little more desperate. I could obviously figure out why, so I let her know that, even when I did cum, I'd stay hard enough for her to still enjoy me. That didn't slow her down, though. I think she wanted to try and orgasm together. Rather sweet of her to think about that.
I warned her, then I groaned, then I couldn't hold it back any longer. While I was enjoying my own, Ciri didn't relent for a second, riding me harder and faster, desperate to orgasm herself. "Oh god," she cried, "Ragnar, I'm close…"
"Keep going…"
Each drive down on my cock was full of her desperation. Despite feeling rather light headed, I wanted her to enjoy her own, making sure I kept her balanced as she was doing all she could to bring herself off. Taking a hand from her back, I licked my thumb and met her eyes. She chewed on her lip but nodded eagerly as I gently started to rub her clit.
Worked like a charm. Within a couple of minutes, she cried out then started to shudder in my lap. As with all my lovers, it was beautiful to watch her enjoy her first orgasm with me, though I usually made them cum in other manners the first time. I didn't always leap straight into sex first. "Hope you're not done just yet," she whispered.
"Oh?"
"I remember Triss stating something about at least an hour."
I made her squeal as I easily picked her up and put her on her knees on the bed, getting behind her and sliding back inside. She laid her head down, probably ready for me to just fuck her, so definitely surprised her when I lifted her up so her back rested against my chest. Positioning her legs so that rested outside of mine, I returned my fingers back to her pussy as I started to gently pump her again, my lips finding her neck and collarbone.
"Okay, I love this position," she whispered, moving her head so I could practically bite her neck if I wanted, "Ragnar," she breathed.
I have no idea how long we'd been going. Ciri had her head resting back against me, eyes closed but such a smile on her face, one that suggested she was loving every second. I was so focused on her that I didn't see the figure waiting at the top of the stairs until I focused and stopped moving immediately. "Oh fuck," I groaned.
"Yes, Ragnar, keep going. I'll cum with you."
"No…"
She obviously heard my tone as her eyes opened, looking to see where I was looking. She turned to look where I was looking. To my surprise, all she did was lean back against me, grabbing my arms so they were wrapped around her.
"Should have known this would happen," Yennefer stated with a sigh.
"How long have you been watching?" I wondered.
"Not long. Trust me, not long. But… I suddenly found my feet wouldn't move. And… seeing her like that with you… it is beautiful…"
"Can we finish here and we can discuss this later?" Ciri asked.
Yennefer nodded but still couldn't move. "Do you love him?"
"Yes. More than anything."
I couldn't help smile. Yennefer nodded again. "Okay. Very well. We'll discuss this later. Ragnar, I won't be telling Geralt. Not yet anyway. Not sure how he'd react and I need his mind on the Hunt."
"Thanks. Appreciate it."
"Can't believe I'm going to say this but… have fun, the pair of you."
"We are," Ciri whispered, "Thank you."
Once Yennefer disappeared, I had to ask, "Love me, do you?"
"Maybe differently to the others. I think I've loved the idea of you for a long time now. But now that I'm here with you, it's just confirmed those feelings." She burst into laughter. "Should have known we'd be caught by someone. Just our luck, right?"
"Want to finish up?"
"God yes."
I think getting caught actually turned her on a little bit, as her next orgasm arriving before mine, and she was rather suggestive about what we could do next. She had rather an active imagination, which I found quite thrilling, to be honest. "Maybe you can fuck Cerys and I together?" she asked quietly, definitely trying to get me to finish.
"I should be so lucky."
"We talked all the time. She's been in love with you for years now."
"I know."
We moved so we could at least lay down together, Ciri cuddling into my side. I'll be honest, I had never actually imagined we would have ever been intimate. Though I was aware of her interest in me, I had never intended on acting on it. But considering what loomed on the horizon, I guess there was no point worrying about it. I'd thoroughly enjoyed it, and the constant smile on her face suggested she had too.
Triss eventually appeared at the top of the stairs, suggesting it was time to get ready and head back downstairs. Ciri happily wandered around naked, Triss complimenting her before kissing my cheek, suggesting that I spend a night with Ciri soon after the battle so we could really enjoy each other. Considering we'd now cross that line, I thought it was a good idea.
"Yen say anything?" I wondered.
"Ah… My fault. Sorry. I was busy chatting with Vesemir. I didn't even see her head through the door until it was too late. How… did she react?"
"Better than I thought, considering she caught me fucking her."
Ciri and I dressed rather quickly, and after a rather nice kiss, whispering her hopes that we would be intimate again rather soon, we headed downstairs together. The keep was rather empty. Jutta and Cerys were sitting together, talking quietly. Vesemir appeared to be preparing some last minute potions. Geralt was about to head outside when he noticed me appeared, turning and gesturing for me to follow.
Falling in alongside him, we walked outside through the massive double doors. Lambert, Eskel and some others were making their own last minute adjustments. It was certainly a hive of activity. We stood together, standing in silence, and I cleared my throat, wondering what he was going to say.
"I approve," he finally said.
"What?"
"Ragnar, I'm not stupid. I know you don't think I am. I've known how she's felt about you for a long time now. Trust me, I know when you've had sex. And I know you just had sex with Ciri. So… I approve."
"You… you do?"
"Honestly, I can't think of anyone who'd try and protect her more other than Yen and I, maybe Vesemir. She's a young woman now, capable of making her own decisions. If she wishes to be with you with the others, I'm not going to stop her."
"You're serious?"
"I wouldn't joke about something like this. One thing though." I met his eyes. "You break her heart, you hurt her in any way, and I will put you in the ground, Dragonborn or not. Understand?"
"I do, but I think…"
Before I could finish whatever I was going to say, the temperature immediately seemed to drop by ten degrees, and Geralt and I could see our hot breath in the air. We shared a glance and nodded. "Keep her safe," he said before he headed to the doors, yelled out they were coming. Everyone came rushing out except Ciri.
Once there was calm, I walked inside as she looked at me, already frustrated. I gave her on final hug, told her to be safe, before I headed back outside. I felt a bit useless waiting there in the courtyard while Geralt and the others were busy fighting, but I guess he had his reasons for keeping me in reserve. My imagination did run a little wild, smirking at the idea of the Hunt bursting through the doors, only to find themselves blown away by me as I stood there, waiting for them.
I noticed the magical dome appear above us, no sign of Yennefer but I knew she was on the roof of the keep. Cerys appeared beside me from inside. "She's not happy," she whispered.
"I know. I'd rather be out there as well."
"They'll be in for a surprise if they make it this far."
I thought the dome was meant to stop the Hunt from appearing inside it, but within a couple of minutes, I saw portal appearing nearby. Ordering Cerys to cover Ciri, I headed off in their direction, finding Zoltan and Vesemir already in battle with Wild Hunt hounds, and a few of their warriors. Grinning to myself, I leapt into the action straight away, and I learned quickly that these bastards were big, strong and talented.
Seeing a flare in the distance, I looked to where Triss should have been responding with fireballs. But when there was no reply, Vesemir yelled at me to check on her. Didn't need asking twice, rushing down the steps and her position one on the wall.
Too many Hunt bastards were already inside the dome, and I had to wonder how many Geralt and the others had already killed, and how many were already on their tail. Triss was doing her best to fend them off, but I could see the relief on her face on her face when I appeared at the top of the steps, the three warriors near her turning my way when I yelled at them.
Gesturing with my hand, I prepared to take them on. They approached me cautiously, eventually spreading out so one would come directly at me, the other two at an angle. I smirked at the one ahead of me. "Ah, I do love it when my enemy is arrogant," I muttered, turning to the one on the right, using my Thu'um to blast him over the parapet to the ground far below.
That left me two on one. Triss would have helped, but she was busy using her spells to keep a couple of hounds back. When taking on two enemies at once, I was always taught to never allow them to use their advantage, to always go on the attack, leave them defending themselves, even confused at how you could possibly gain the upper hand. Now that I no longer carried a shield, I used my sword with the one ahead, left hand wielding magic as I ensured the flames kept him back.
With the one ahead quickly taking a sword through the gut, amazed that my sword so easily punctured his armour, I turned to the third and put him down quickly. Triss had managed to kill another couple of hounds, but another couple of portals opened, spilling more of Hunt warriors and hounds out.
"Fuck," I muttered, "Triss, I'll take care of them. Help them out there."
I knew my Thu'um was going to be given a workout over the next however many minutes and hours. The hounds wilted easily under my flames, the warriors were made of sterner stuff though, and learned quickly to use a little magic of their own to protect themselves. So I mixed up Thu'um, magic but generally relied on my sword, as always. They kept coming, and I was left wondering what was going on outside.
In fact, I was fairly sure the fighting had moved inside the fortress, but from my position, I could only rely on what I could hear, but considering Hunt warriors kept distracting me, I didn't have any idea what was going on around me. Cerys was busy helping the best she could, but more than once, Triss or I had to step in help her. She was talented but the Hunt were stronger, and she struggled to match their strength.
"Don't tell me to pull back," she almost growled.
"I won't. Just stay close, watch my back."
Ciri appeared. She just glared at me, almost daring me to say something. "I can help."
"I've heard about your own gifts. Triss, watch our backs. You two, with me."
The Hunt were everywhere by now, and most of our colleagues were now in the fight for their lives against the Hunt. Geralt and Vesemir were unhappy Ciri was no longer in the keep, but considering she was by my side, they just warned me to keep her alive. Swords were now swinging, the occasional use of my Thu'um, while Ciri flashed about. Having never seen it, I couldn't help but be impressed, as she's blink one way, then the other, the Hunt barely able to react in time.
I only knew something was going wrong was when the temperature suddenly dropped again, snow starting to fall, and it seemed ice started to form immediately. "The dome is failing!" someone yelled.
"Well, that's not good," I muttered, "Keep fighting! Yen will keep it in place as long as she can!"
We were closing portals as quickly as they were opening, but even then, warriors and hounds were pouring through. We were now being seriously outnumbered. I'd lost track of where nearly everyone was except Ciri and Cerys, both remaining by my side as I'd asked them to. Both saved my back more than once as we were surrounded more often than not. Warriors I could handle fighting, but the hounds were nothing short of a pain in the arse.
The courtyard was now full of everyone fighting. The witchers were working as a team. Keira and Triss were practically on the front line by now. But it was the number of Wild Hunt now within the courtyard. "Ciri, get to the keep!" I yelled.
"No!" she yelled back, "We fight, and if necessary, we die. All of us together."
I should have retorted that they didn't want her dead. They only one they wanted alive was her. "Cerys, watch her back."
"What are you going to do?"
"Eredin and his cohorts will come knocking soon. I am to meet them."
I knew things were going wrong when Triss yelled my name. But it was a yell full of terror. I sprinted towards her position, noticing her, Lambert and Eskel almost surrounded three deep by Wild Hunt warriors. I couldn't use my Thu'um with my colleagues in my way, so simply charged, slamming into their backs, almost laughing away as around four of them hit the deck.
The two witchers said nothing as we just focused on killing as many as we could. I could hear the flames erupting from Triss' palms, hearing the shouts and cries of warriors as they were burned to a crisp. "This is exhausting," she murmured at my side.
"Just a little longer. Surely they can't keep sending warriors through. Where is everyone else?"
"Fucked if I know. Scattered? Dead?" Lambert retorted, for once not being sarcastic. He simply didn't know.
We fought for as long as we could, the ground now littered with the bodies of warriors and hounds. All around us, we could hear steel upon steel, the cries of the wounded and dying, the explosions as grenades were tossed, the sound of magic being used. But when I glanced up and saw the dome starting to really flicker, I knew something was going to give, and it would either be them or us. We would not be fighting to a stalemate. There would have to be victor.
"Get Ciri. Teleport her out of here. Anywhere," I muttered to Triss.
"You know she won't leave," she replied, and I heard the sadness in her voice. She knew this might be the end. We were now completely on the backfoot, holding the line. Nowhere else to go now. The only saving grace was that my Thu'um was endless. I could use it again and again, trying to remember different Shouts that would give us any advantage.
Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion. The dome flicking above finally failed. The temperature immediately dropped, far more than I'd ever felt before. I'd heard of being at the heart of a proper ice storm, where everything seems still, but anything within the eye simply freezes in place. There was a loud knock at the gates. Someone was requesting entrance.
They burst open and I felt the cold blast. I tried to step forward into it, and it was through the ice and snow that I saw them approach. I used my Th'um, or at least I tried, raising my sword to strike, glancing to see Lambert and Eskel already frozen in place. I fought against it as long as possible, Eredin walking towards me. I knew he knew who I was. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was only four words.
"You have failed, Dragonborn."
*****
I stood next to Geralt as we stared at the pyre. "I will cry for you, old friend," I whispered, "I failed you. And I failed him."
"He went down fighting, Ragnar. He wouldn't have wanted to die any other way. There are no retired witchers for a reason."
Ciri had already run off after taking his medallion. She was inconsolable. No-one really knew what to do with her, and definitely didn't know what to say. She swung between unbelievable grief and almost righteous anger. She blamed herself as much as I blamed my own failures. But Vesemir had died trying to protect her. I knew, at heart, he died with love in his own for her. He would have known his death would like have led to this very moment.
Geralt finally took a few faltering steps forward. He was overcome by grief, and it was in these moments that the whole 'witchers are stripped of emotion' unfortunately rang true. He could not cry, as much as I knew he wanted to. I do not know what quiet words he shared with his old master. They were not words for anyone except for himself and Vesemir.
Lambert and Eskel stepped forward to offer their own words. Everyone knew the relationship between Lambert and the old man had been tempestuous at best, and even he seemed overcome by his grief at the loss. But it was grief mixed with anger, something I liked to believe everyone was feeling that night as we said goodbye.
I stepped forward alone, bowing my head and whispering a few words to the Nine. "I know Sovngarde is not something believed within these lands," I whispered, "But warriors such as yourself shall be invited to the Great Hall. We will meet again when I die, Vesemir. But I can promise you one thing. Your death will be avenged. The Wild Hunt will now pay in rivers of blood. I will not fail again."
Once his body started to burn, our group returned to the silent keep. Snow now lay deep on the ground. The ice had melted, or we'd walked around and burned it away. Gathering at the large table, I was amazed that everyone had survived. We were all nursing wounds, and that was possibly what hurt most about losing Vesemir. He paid the ultimate price for us all.
For the first time in a long time, Geralt looked completely and utterly lost. I didn't even bother asking him what we would do next as I don't think he knew what to even do with himself. I knew we would have to go on the attack eventually, as suggested by a half-drunk Zoltan, but it became apparent that any attack would only be a few of us.
Triss snuggled against me once we headed up to bed, and she wept the entire time, I think even crying as she slept. Cerys and Jutta had given us space. No idea where Ciri had ended up. I would have searched for her, but I was left thinking she needed to be alone with her mixture of rage and grief.
Things changed quickly, and it was no real surprise. Eskel was already packing his things after the funeral, planning to leave first thing in the morning. Lambert, Geralt and I escorted him to the stables where his mount was waiting when we woke up, none of us having really slept.
"I won't be returning," he stated, "Nothing for us here now. Vesemir kept this place alive, made it feel like home. Without him here, I just want to see it crumble."
"Where will you go?" Geralt asked.
"South, maybe east. Plenty of work available. But I'll walk the Path alone from here on out. Might find somewhere to eventually settle for a time. But the days of wintering here are over."
I shook his hand and wished him luck. Lambert did the same. The farewell shared by Geralt clearly meant something to both men. They'd known each other for decades. Geralt walked out of the fortress with Eskel and his mount only returning a few minutes later alone. His was not the first farewell over the next couple of days.
Those who had given time to assist us needed to return home. Ermion would return to Skellige, and to be honest, after everything that happened, Cerys choosing to return home as well was no surprise. We stood together on the balcony after she had readied herself to leave. "You are going to involve yourself in things I can't possibly comprehend, Ragnar. Suddenly the idea of becoming Queen of Skellige doesn't seem so fanciful."
"If that is your dream, I'll return soon and help however I can."
"I'll do it as long as you visit often."
"I don't think I'll be the only one who will want to visit all the time, Cerys."
We hugged for a long time, a few soft kisses, but I knew how she felt at heart. We'd lost Vesemir but, technically, we had won the battle. The Hunt had not captured Ciri, though it was only due to her unique gift that we had somehow managed to survive. But it still felt like a crushing defeat for nearly all of us. Cerys left with Ermion, thanking the old man for all his help. He offered all of us some advice, as one would expect from an old friend.
Lambert left only a day or two after Eskel. Much the same, he would not be returning either. No-one was surprised by that. What was a surprise, to me at least, was who would be accompanying him on the Path.
"Does that bother you?" Keira asked.
"No. Why would it?"
"Well, after what we shared recently…"
"Which didn't exactly end on the best of notes, Keira. Safe to say, I think that facet of our relationship is well and truly over."
"That's unfortunate."
I shrugged. "You want to leave with Lambert, you go with my best wishes. I find the idea amusing, to be honest. You know what he's like, right?"
"I've always found myself attracted to… difficult men."
Still, she seemed happy to leave with him. What amused me was Lambert approaching me, the first time I'd ever seen him unsure, as he simply didn't know how I'd react, as he obviously knew we had previous. I almost laughed at how awkward he was being, simply told him good luck at putting up with her most of the time. That seemed to be relieve him before he stepped closer. "How bad is she going to get?"
"The sex will generally be worth it, Lambert. You'll be fine."
"Any feelings for Keira?"
"Absolutely nothing romantic. Not after what happened at the tower. That killed any idea of me ever thinking about it again."
Roche and Ves left almost immediately, wanting to return to their men. Everyone thanked both of them, as their offer of help did go above and beyond what they were used to dealing with. Roche did ask me to visit him at camp when I could, though was aware that we would be busy going forward dealing with the Hunt. Ves, on the other hand, whispered in my ear what she wanted me to visit her for, which probably came as no surprise to anyone.
Letho left rather quickly, stating he would head east over the mountains. To our surprise, Geralt did invite him to remain for a little while, but Letho rather politely refused. Zoltan returned to Novigrad to continue his work alongside Dandelion. I agreed with his idea of going on the front foot against the Hunt, tired of feeling like we were on the defensive, but Geralt needed to get his mind right first.
After a week, only a few of us remained. Geralt and Yennefer, Avallac'h, Ciri, Triss, Jutta and myself. I knew Avallac'h had ideas when it came to Ciri, but he seemed to sense the depression we were all in, so instead of badgering us about taking the next step, he gave Ciri something to focus her mind on, continuing her training as the rest of us… grieved.