Mountain High

Geralt woke us at dawn the next morning. Kinder than he would have done if it had just been me. I would have received a kick in the stomach. A soft kick, but a kick nonetheless. With Ciri asleep in my arms, he bent down and gently shook my shoulder. I was awake straight away. "There's some breakfast for you. Get up. We should get moving soon."

Kissing Ciri softly on the forehead provoked a smile, and she definitely wanted another kiss on her lips after that. Geralt cleared his throat, making her groan. "It's just a kiss, Geralt."

"Just making sure. You should have got it out of your system last night."

"Oh, there's something…" She trailed off and blushed. "Crap, I probably shouldn't finish that considering it's you."

"Probably a good idea," Geralt replied, at least partially amused.

She got up first, no problem with being nude in front of either of us. Geralt looked away but I drank her in as she put on her underwear first. I at least put on some pants before getting out of the bedroll, taking a seat on the log next to Geralt, thanking him for breakfast. Ciri sat next to me, and we ate in silence, taking in the view, no doubt away with our thoughts of what we might be facing over the next few hours.

"We'll leave our horses and supplies here," Geralt stated once we were done eating, "Take only what we need."

"Sword. That's all I'll need for this bastard," I stated.

"If I could, I'd kill him with my bare hands," Ciri murmured, her voice… unlike I'd ever heard. We'd dealt with our grief. Only fury remained for the three of us.

A small pier was nearby with a boat roped to it. Boarding, Geralt took the tiller as I grabbed the oars. No point relying on wind as it was only a short hop over the water. I faced Ciri while rowing, watching her body language. Not a single hint of nerves. Only determination to get the job done. I knew she'd been thinking of doing this since perhaps the moment Vesemir had sacrificed himself. She wore his medallion around her neck, noticing her playing with it occasionally. No doubt he was on her mind as we approached the opposing shore.

Disembarking, we knew that was it. We would not be leaving with either Imlerith dying or him somehow getting the best of us. I didn't plan on that happening, and doubted it could happen. But I knew it was going to be one hell of a fight. As we walked up the path towards what sounded like a party, Ciri explained how she knew of Bald Mountain.

"The men at Crow's Perch, they spoke of this place. Aard Cerbin. Home of the Ladies of the Wood. The peasants feared coming here. And the baron thought the Ladies of the Wood a terrifying tale for naughty children. Incidentally, I wonder how the baron is."

"It's not a happy ending," Geralt said, "He found his wife in the end, but Anna was… unwell."

"His daughter is safe at least," I added, "Though with the witch hunters."

"You met his daughter?" she asked.

"Ah… yeah…"

Geralt couldn't help himself, hearing a light chuckle as Ciri look at me, smirking away. "Ragnar, are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"It was only the one time."

She stopped, leaning up to kiss my cheek. "Well, I can certainly understand why she'd want you in return." She turned towards Geralt. "Any word on the baron?"

"No. But Ragnar and I dealt with his men at Crow's Perch. Once the baron departed, they… were being unkind. We resolved that issue, kept the peasants safe." Ciri looked at me and smiled. "Invited the Black One's to keep them safe. It was our only option."

"I hope the baron and his wife are okay, at least. He treated me kindly. I can only wish him well."

Continuing on, Ciri proved to be a wealth of information, much of it having been learned from Avallac'h while they had travelled together. Her mind seemed to be a sponge, simply soaking in all the information possible about the Wild Hunt, who the major players were, their strength and weaknesses, and how we could get on top of them. She was confident that, no matter what, Imlerith would be on the mountain.

"He craves the pleasures of the flesh -- wine, sex..." She looked straight at me after those words. I grinned and shrugged in return. "The Crones indulge him, flatter his ego. I'm certain he'd not let this opportunity pass, and will be on Bald Mountain for the Sabbath."

"Know anything about this place?" I wondered. The massive oak tree dominated the area. I'd never seen such a tree in my life. I remembered the Gildergreen back in Whiterun, but that was a shrub compared to the oak I could see.

"Centuries ago it was a hallowed site for druids. But then the Crones arrived, destroyed the Velen Circle and deformed the sacred oak atop the mountain. An important feast is observed here annually."

As we approached the entrance to the revelry, a pair of guards looked just about ready to make our day get off on the wrong foot. Thankfully, they recognised Geralt with his white hair, and seemed to know me, though being called 'that big fucker' made me scowl, Ciri giggling despite the seriousness of the matter at hand.

Geralt was blunt as always, telling them that he wanted to get to the top of the mountain. I thought they'd laugh in his face. Instead, they remained serious, telling him and us that wouldn't be possible, but if we sat and waited, the Ladies may descend from the mountain to visit the peasants. Geralt wasn't a particularly patient man, and I knew Ciri wouldn't want to be delayed, but I took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and thanked them for the invite.

"Best we don't draw too much attention to ourselves. Let's mingle and meld ourselves into the action. Then we can move on and simply be ignored."

"Ragnar, we stand out as it is with our swords," Ciri replied.

"True. But they're sheathed right now. And they already know we've worked for the Crones. So why give them reason to be suspicious of us? Far as they know, the Crones invited us here."

We took the offered drink, glancing at Geralt who sniffed and nodded it was fine to consume. We didn't partake in too much conversation. Ciri certainly didn't look in the mood, and I figured asking too many questions would only attract attention, so we kept the topics simple. But Ciri grew impatient rather quickly, so armed with at least a little information, we thanked them for the conversation and drink before moving on.

As we wandered in the direction of other tents, Geralt stopped us as he recognised someone, who I thought was a small child. Geralt said he wasn't a child but a godling. I'd only ever met one before and, I'll be honest, I thought them adorable. Far too sweet and innocent for the world they lived in.

This one was named Johnny and he knew Geralt in return. "Well I'll be, you're back! And I see you've found your lass! I'm Johnny. We've had the pleasure already, a bit one-sided though it was. See, I saw you runnin', your back to me, as it was, heh, havin' the pleasure of... 'Tis a long story."

"Does he take a breath?" I wondered.

Ciri laughed. "Nice to meet you too, Johnny."

He looked at me. "I remember seeing you. Hard to forget someone of your size. You that Ragnar I heard mentioned?"

"Aye. Nice to meet you, Johnny. Geralt told me all about you."

"I'm sure he did."

"How are things, Johnny?" Geralt asked.

"Health's good so no complaints. I have to ask, though. What brings you here?"

Geralt got down on a knee whenever he wanted to take a child into his confidence. "Looking for a path to the summit, Johnny. You happen to know a way?"

The fact he tried to talk us out of such an idea didn't come as any surprise. But he seemed to realise we would not be talked out of it. He figured out we were there for a reason. "Path up the mountain starts t'other side of the gate, so you'll need the key. Old Thecla only gives it to those she deems worthy of the Ladies' presence." He thumbed behind himself, making sure we looked where he was pointing. "You'll find her in that tent over yonder. I wish you all luck."

"You seen an elf named Imlerith?" Ciri asked.

I swear he went a lighter shade a blue at just the mention of his name. "Yeah. What's it you want form him?"

"He killed my friend."

"Out for vengeance, eh? Let it go. Dyin' foolishly won't help. Even the Crones bow and scrape before that one."

Ordinarily, I would have thought he was a smart kid… godling… but there was no chance we would be dissuaded from our task. He looked at our faces and sighed. He explained what Thecla would do once we arrived in her tent. He was confident Ciri would be accepted to walk the path up the mountain. He wasn't sure about myself. Geralt… was old and ugly. I chuckled at the blunt remark. He'd heard plenty worse before.

Leaving Johnny behind, we weaved our way through the crowds. It was certainly a celebration, with feasting, drinking, music and dancing, and if I didn't know any better, plenty of hidden fornicating. I had a feeling that this event was one of those 'anything goes' events. Ciri could see I was a little distracted, as there were some rather pretty girls about. Thankfully, all she did was give me a gentle dig in the ribs, whispering for me to remained focused, though she knew I was anyway.

Making it to Thecla's tent, I was surprised there wasn't a line of people waiting to be judged, left thinking most revellers perhaps hoped the Crones would descend the mountain instead. The fact Thecla was an old woman and blind didn't come as any great surprise. There was only one other woman, a younger woman that may have been her daughter or even granddaughter, who seemed to look after her.

It was no surprise that the old woman accepted Ciri almost immediately. Then she sensed Geralt and I were with her. "Who else is with her?"

"Oooh, he's a big one. Rather young. Tall and broad. Definitely virile."

The old lady seemed to take a sniff of the air. "He's had the girl."

Her attendant looked between us. I kept my face blank. Not sure about Ciri. "They're trying their best not to show it, but it's clear they love each other."

"I choose you, boy. You shall see the Ladies. Now, who's the last one?"

"It's grey and veiny. Got a scar. And eyes like a viper."

Geralt didn't take kindly to that and convinced the old lady to allow him to appeal her choice. That seemed to amuse her, but she stood up and offered her challenge, escorting us towards a nearby diving platform. Glancing over the edge, there was water far below. It looked dark and dank. Definitely not for drinking. The old lady held up a coin and explained the ritual Geralt would have to complete. Handing me his weapons, he took off his boots and shirt before the old lady dropped the coin into the water.

"Back in a few minutes," Geralt stated before he dove into the water far below.

Ciri took my hand, gesturing for me to follow her. Taking a seat at a table near the tent, we nibbled at a little fruit, continuing to hold my hand across the table. She just about managed to raise a smile, but it was clear she was trying her best to remain absolutely focused and not distracted by anything else. Not sure how long it was but a sodden and rather smelly Geralt appeared through the crowds, walking straight towards Thecla's tent, Ciri and I following him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

Thankfully, Thecla stated he had proven himself worthy, and it was announced that we would be allowed to head up the mountain together. He was allowed to keep the coin, and it was considered payment. We would meet someone called the Gatekeeper, who would allow us access.

Passing through the gate, we walked the path through a cave, and it wasn't long until we met the Gatekeeper. I didn't have a clue what it was, Geralt muttering it was a sylvan. That still meant nothing to me, Ciri whispering that it was a Relict. That… didn't bode well in my mind.

He asked for our names. Ciri wasn't going to tell hers. I said I was the Dragonborn. He seemed to know who we were and said we were allowed up the mountain. When it came to Geralt, we should have known the coin was a problem. The fact it was called the Defier's Oren should have rung alarm bells.

Leaping down from his stone chair, he was a fat little fucker, quicker than I would have anticipated, and he had claws I certainly wouldn't want anywhere near me. He should have realised that Ciri and I were not going to just let him attack Geralt. I'm sure, in a one on one battle, he would have been a tricky opponent to get on top of. Three against one? It barely took a couple of minutes to leave him a bloodied corpse on the ground.

As we left the cave, Geralt and Ciri decided that would be the best time to have an argument about who would fight who. Imlerith was further up the mountain, the Crones dwelled in a cave underneath the giant oak. The pair looked at me, returning a shrug in their direction. "Rock, paper, scissors?" Geralt asked Ciri.

"You're on."

I laughed loudly as I watched the pair of them play the childish game. Ciri lost, which made her throw a little strop, though I knew Geralt would have done the exact same thing if he'd lost. They were so alike at times, it was scary. "I'll climb the mountain and take care of Imlerith. You can take care of the Crones. Ragnar will go with you."

That made me grin. "Well that's hardly going to be a challenge then, is it?" Ciri asked.

"They're dangerous. You know they are, Ciri. And I know Ragnar may have one or two questions for them."

Ciri looked at me. "I think they ate the children."

Ciri's face fell before she frowned. "I think I'd like to hear their answer to that one."

"I know you're talented, Ciri, but I'm going to tell Ragnar something." He met my eyes. "Keep her alive or I'll kill you myself."

Ciri giggled as I wrapped an arm around her. "They won't touch a hair on her head."

He snorted, returned a nod, and turned walk the path up the mountain. Ciri turned to look at me, running a hand up to the back of my neck, dragging me down to kiss her. It was a soft kiss, but one full of all feelings she had for me. "Let's go," she whispered.

Finding the Crones wasn't terribly difficult, just following a series of paths into a cave system and following the noise. It did take a few minutes, having to clamber over ledges, trying to remain as quiet as possible, though we knew catching them by surprise would likely be impossible.

We eventually found them in a large cavern, ankle deep water on the ground, running red with blood. The three Crones were in their other forms, rather beautiful and very naked women. If it wasn't for the fact they were covered in blood, I might have been distracted for other reasons. The fact their voices were the same simply had my hand at the hilt of my sword. The three were gathered around a cauldron and one didn't have to think too hard about what was inside it.

"Question first then kill them?"

"Aye. I already know but I want to hear it from them."

Ciri jumped down first, her light splash attracting their attention. When I jumped down behind her, I made a hell of a lot more noise, keeping my hands free for the time being. The three beauties were enveloped in a mist, the Crones real true forms appearing. To call them utterly horrific would be an understatement. Ciri already had her sword in hand, ready to start swinging.

"Welcome, Child of the Elder Blood."

"We knew you would return."

"Your taste lingers on our tongues."

"Where are the children?" I asked.

"Where do you think, Dragonborn?" the fat one replied, rubbing her stomach, "They made a terrific lunch."

I roared…. Then I Shouted.

YOL – TOOR – SHUL

They were ready for it. They seemed to know exactly who I was and what I was capable of. They took some of the flame but used magic to keep the worst of the effects at bay.

I smirked as I unsheathed my sword. "Ciri, get ready to unleash hell."

MID – VUR – SHAAN

"Strike, Ciri."

SU – GRAH – DUN

"Really shouldn't have pissed me off, you fucking cunts," I growled as I went on the attack.

Ciri almost laughed at how fast she was able to swing her sword, and adding her own abilities, the trio of Crones stood little chance against her. While I was swinging just as fast, adding my brute force to it, had the fat one I was fighting on the back foot. I took plenty of damage myself, as they used the nature surrounding us to their advantage, but I knew I wasn't going to die in that cave of horrors. The Divines would have my back on this occasion.

The fat one fell rather easily, turning to see Ciri busy blinking between the remaining too.

"Ciri! Move!"

She blinked out of the way, appearing next to me.

FUS – RO – DAH

They were not ready for that one, sending them flying backwards. Ciri and I walked slowly towards them, swords hanging at our sides. We let them stagger back to their feet. Our swords struck once… twice… again… The Crones staggered back, now bleeding from wounds. They tried to use magic, use whatever was around them to their advantage. Ciri blinked to a position behind them, two quick strikes, forcing both of them to stagger forward.

My sword went through the chest of one, buried all the way to the hilt. She hissed and spat at me, twisting the bade in her chest before taking it out. The last had collapsed to a knee. I couldn't see her eyes but she looked up just in time to meet my eyes.

"You're looking at the wrong person," I stated as the sword appeared, striking into that space between shoulder and neck. The Crones collapsed to the ground.

Both of us were breathing deeply, glancing at each other and smiling, Ciri walking towards me and giving me a tight hug. Hugging her back, we didn't need to say anything for a couple of minutes. Suggesting we should head back to see how Geralt was getting on, Ciri wanted to check they were all dead. I walked over to look over the fat one. Considering the blood flowing from her wounds, there was little chance of her rising again.

Then I heard a cry, turning back with sword in hand to see the one I'd put my sword through standing up. "She's got the medallion!" Ciri cried.

FUS – RO – DAH

It should have worked, if the Crone hadn't turned into a flock of crows and flown away. Ciri tried chasing after them, but it was hopeless, the crows flying through a small gap and disappearing in an instant. "Damn it!" Ciri shouted. Then she looked at me and was on the verge of tears. I hugged her again, kissing her forehead. "I want that back one day," she whispered.

"Once all this is over, we'll make sure we get it back."

"Burn the other two," she muttered, "Make completely sure."

So I did that, for her. I watched the flames reflect in her eyes as I burned the fat one first. The smell was like nothing I'd ever smelled, and to be honest, I felt as if evil itself left the body as I made sure next to nothing was left. I did the same with the other body, and only when Ciri was satisfied did we finally leave the cave.

We found the path leading up the mountain, and what amused me was when we were approached by at least six succubus coming the other way. Ciri was rather amused when I recognised them for what they were, moving aside as they seemed to be running away in fear. "How do you know what they are?" she wondered as we resumed walking, hearing curiosity but also amusement in her tone.

"Ciri, do you really think I've limited my list of lovers only to humans and elves?"

"True, but a succubus? Never would have thought."

"I'm sure you've figured out my libido is something else. So I heard about one living in Vizima and tracked it down. First time I've been left completely and utterly outmatched. My god, it was a fun couple of nights though."

Ciri giggled. "Now I'm intrigued, Ragnar. Just what else have you been up to."

"It will take a couple of drinks to go down that rabbit hole."

Arriving at the top of the hill, I was hoping we'd find Geralt still in battle so Ciri and I could assist in killing the Wild Hunt bastard. But Geralt was already victorious, sitting at the edge of the cliff. Ciri went to sit by him as I walked over to check the body. The fact there was a black armoured body but no head, noticing the bloodied maul on the ground nearby, suggested it had been a rather brutal battle. Taking a seat next to Ciri, Geralt glanced my way and he was obviously exhausted… and carrying a number of wounds.

"Fucking arsehole," he muttered.

"Learn anything from him?" I wondered.

"We didn't exactly converse, Ragnar."

"We slew only two of the Crones. The third fled... with Vesemir's medallion. My sole memento."

"What matters is that you avenged him, Ciri." He then looked at me. "And I know someone who will help you get it back."

"Avallac'h claims vengeance is only ever satisfying when served cold. He's wrong," Ciri stated.

We fell silent as we took in the view. It was late afternoon, the sun starting to slowly set, but we couldn't hear if the revelry below us continued or not. I wondered if they would even be aware that two of the Crones were now dead. Whatever the case, I think the lives of the peasants who called the woods home had changed forever.

Finally rising to our feet, we chatted about our options as we walked back down the mountain. Though Geralt was still to be convinced, Ciri seemed to think that having a bunch of sorceresses to help us would help. I kept my mouth shut, simply because I hoped to see some old friends and lovers again, if the gods proved kind again.

Walking back into the festivities, everything fell silent upon seeing us. The fact we were all coated in blood drew attention. That's when eyes moved from us towards the oak on the hill behind us.

"It's dead," someone said.

"Oh my god!" another cried, and soon there were shouts and cries all around us.

None of us put their minds at ease, instead letting them know that they were finally free of the Ladies influence, and it was up to them to now live as they pleased. They parted as we walked forward, as I had a feeling none of them would have really tried to stop the trio that had just killed the Crones. Our little ship was still tied up where we had left it, rowing us back across to where we'd left our horses and supplies. Having barely eaten all the day, the first thing we did was cook a simple meal. Geralt was exhausted, and I was left thinking it must have been one of his hardest battles. Ciri seemed… relieved. We had made our first blow against the Wild Hunt, and I knew she'd have plenty of thoughts in that mind of hers.

Opening a bottle of spirit that Geralt always kept in his pack, we toasted a job completed, agreeing to wake early in the morning and begin the long journey back towards Novigrad. We discussed what to tell everyone, as I remembered Yennefer's words about supporting Ciri, but I do wonder if she had any idea what Ciri had wanted to do. I was actually confident Yennefer would have approved, as she knew Ciri was talented at many things.

Ciri didn't want to do anything that night except cuddle, which suited me just fine. Feeling her fingers trail up and down my chest, my arm wrapped around her, fingers moving up and down her side, we simply relaxed, enjoying the presence of the other. "I often dreamed of something just like this," she whispered, "Lying with you on a bedroll, a campfire crackling nearby, maybe near a river or a lake, before or after making love. Never thought it would come true." Geralt was snoring nearby, which made her giggle. "I'll admit, that noise wasn't part of it." She kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Ragnar."

"No chance I was letting you do that alone, Ciri."

That earned me one hell of a kiss before she wished me goodnight, spooning against me, sensing the smile on her face as I cuddled her against me. I think we both slept rather well that night.

Mounting up the next morning, the next stop was Novigrad. The journey back north took a few days, as we had to ride back to the main road first, and then there was the slog, miles upon miles in the saddle, and we simply couldn't ask our horses, despite them being pure thoroughbreds, to canter along for hours each day. And despite the sense everything was a rush, having dealt with one Wild Hunt general, having gained our first real victory, I was feeling confident and I knew that was rubbing off on Ciri. Geralt tempered his opinion as always, but compared to him, even I was a youth.

It was a good four or five days later that we crossed the Pontar and the walls of Novigrad finally came into view. We'd been unbothered most of the ride, only having to deal with the occasional group of bandits, the idiots thinking attacking the three armed and armoured people was a good idea. As always, we showed no mercy when it came to bandits, though all we did was kill them. We didn't make an example. No real point, in all honesty.

Geralt made no big deal of the fact Ciri and I wanted to make love, but suggested we take a tent from the first bandit camp we took care of. That same night we made camp, he made sure I put the tent up, and after dinner and a drink, he promptly told Ciri and I to piss off into the tent but keep the noise down while we were in there.

She'd been in a good mood since leaving Bald Mountain, so that night in the tent, she was… very eager. It was the first time we pleased each other at once, her lips wrapped around my cock, while I buried my face in her pussy. She blew me to completion, taking my load on her face, hearing her giggle away, but she sat up and spun around, practically riding my face, looking down at me as my cum dribbled down her chin.

"Like this look?" I mumbled a reply considering I was rather busy at that moment. "Next time, you can blast on my face while I'm on my knees."

I lifted her up enough to ask, "Okay, what's got into you?"

"I feel I can do whatever is on my mind with you, Ragnar. Would I be correct?"

"Aye, most of the time."

"Eat my pussy, then you're fucking me."

"Love it when you're bossy."

"I just want to cum, Ragnar."

She did a few minutes later, and I kept my hands wrapped around her thighs, keeping her in place, as I kept eating her out. That just made her giggle in addition to all the moans. "Well, I'm not going to complain if you want to keep going," she breathed.

I eventually had her on her back, on my knees this time as I lifted her body. She loved that position, able to see my eyes and what I was doing with my mouth, as much as I could watch every single reaction on her face to what I was doing. After her next orgasm, she was practically whimpering for me to make love to her. I relented easily, of course, her arms and legs quickly wrapped around my body, our mouths joined, as it was incredibly tender and loving what followed.

"Love you," she breathed, feeling her body react with each gentle thrust.

"I love you," I whispered back. It earned the sort of smile that didn't appear too often.

We made love until we simply couldn't keep going, exhausting ourselves and falling asleep as soon as we snuggled up together. The next morning, I woke to find her having turned around while she slept, her head buried into my chest. When she woke up, leaning back and smiling, she ran her fingers down my cheek as I just gazed at her. At moments like that, we could briefly forget about everything else taking place in our lives.

"When we get to Novigrad, you're probably going to be busy."

"I haven't seen Triss in a while now. She'll be… missing me…"

"She promised me one thing. No-one will ever get jealous. I know I won't. Triss will… take control, for want of a better word. Not of you, but of how this will work with your lovers."

"You don't mind that?"

"Ragnar, I've entered this with eyes open and completely understanding how this will probably work. All I know is that, since leaving Kaer Morhen, I've had you to myself. All I've wanted is to feel loved, I mean truly loved. I know our relationship going forward will be unusual, but I don't mind that at all."

Something she said immediately bothered me. "You think you're not loved?"

She shuffled so her body pressed into mine. "I mean this sort of love," she whispered, "The love between a man and a woman. Anyone I've been with before, there's always been an agenda of one sort or another. With you, you're here right now because you just want to be with me. You don't care I'm of the Elder Blood."

"Well, I know you're special but, you're right, I love you because you are Ciri. Not Cirilla all your other names." That made her giggle. "Do you think of the future?"

"All the time."

"And what do you see?"

"I… don't know yet. I can only be honest with you about that. My mind is all about the Wild Hunt. I'll worry about everything else once they are defeated."

It was a sensible idea. Keep her mind focused on the enemy for now, and everything else would hopefully fall into place afterwards. Geralt said nothing as we joined him at breakfast. He probably heard our conversation with his hearing, though he wasn't one for eavesdropping, so he would likely have ignored nearly everything we said.

It was another couple of days before we approached one of the gates leading into Novigrad itself. And that is where we witnessed the final descent into madness of Radovid and his witch hunters. The mages having managed to escape, it was clear in the weeks that we'd been gone that they had changed their focus. Anyone non-human had been impaled and burned. It was easy to recognise halflings, dwarves…. It seemed only the elven folk had managed to escape the fire for now.

"He dies," I growled.

"What?" Ciri asked.

"Radovid. He dies. Right now, don't care if Emhyr marches across the Pontar the day after. At the moment, he appears fucking benevolent compared to what I see right now. And I will not stand by and tolerate this. Who is next on the list? How many more sacrificed to the fire before they're done?"

Geralt nodded. "Very well. But we can't afford to be distracted right now. Not unless we can afford the time to deal with it. But you make that step to regicide, Ragnar, there's no stepping back."

"Right now, don't rightly care, Geralt. You know I'm not one to stand aside and watch innocent people suffer."

After placing our horses in the stable, we managed to pass through the checkpoint with any problem, though I did hear Geralt receive a few more comments that before. The only difference now was that Geralt was capable of defending himself, and I already knew witch hunters were cowards, only going after those who couldn't defend themselves.

Dandelion had been busy while we had been away. The tavern had been renamed to the Chameleon. He had turned into a real cabaret with Priscilla the star attraction. It was quiet when we arrived, no-one on stage and few drinkers. Probably a good thing, because as soon as we walked through the door, Zoltan and Dandelion were immediately distracted by Ciri. Zoltan had obviously seen her at Kaer Morhen, but the soft spot he had for her was enormous, while Dandelion was almost overcome as the two embraced. He'd always worn his heart on his sleeve, but like everyone, he adored Ciri.

"Triss is upstairs, Ragnar," Zoltan stated, giving me a look, then he looked away, "Jutta… went home. Well, sort of. She joined Cerys back at Kaer Trolde."

"She say why?"

"Like Cerys, thinks this is well beyond what she's capable of handling. Wild Hunt scared the absolute shit out of her, and she freely admits she wants to live to see her children born. She left a letter. Triss has it. She's upstairs, as I said."

I glanced at Ciri, and all she did was giggle. "Go, Ragnar. I've enjoyed your company long enough."

I kissed her cheek and, admittedly, did rush up the stairs. I found Triss by herself in her room. The smile that appeared on her face lit up the room, taking her in my arms as she walked towards me, that first kiss always like the first, soft but with no end of feeling behind it. Then all she wanted to do was rest her head against my chest and be held, probably for the rest of the day.

"Where have you been?" I explained everything since the day she left. Hearing Ciri and I had been at it like rabbits for part of the time didn't surprise her. "She needs to be loved. It's the one thing she's always wanted. And the fact it's you is even better. What then?"

"We went to Bald Mountain, fought and killed by Imlerith and the Crones." She went still in my arms for a moment, and I wondered if she thought we'd done the wrong thing. Then she gave me a squeeze. "With you and Geralt, she would have been safe."

"She was. Imlerith is now dead. So are two of the three Crones. Thought I'd killed the third one. Made of strong stuff it seems."

She kissed me again before taking me by the hand, sitting on the edge of the bed together where I could kick off my boots, Triss immediately cuddling into me once we were laying back with our heads on the pillows. "How have you been?"

"Frustrated, more than anything."

"Who have you managed to get in contact?"

"A few people. Ida…. She won't help, Ragnar. She added even if you contacted her and tried with all your charm, she's not going to give up her safety. Francesca would like to help but won't leave Dol Blathanna while the war continues. No idea where Fringilla is."

"Fuck," I muttered.

"Jutta has gone home for now. She left you a letter, but I told her you would understand."

"Of course. We'll go get her once this is over. With Cerys, is she?"

"I took her home. Cerys made sure Jutta will stay with her. Still not entirely sure what Cerys wants herself. She's a little confused about everything. Loves you to absolute bits, but wants the opportunity to take the crown."

"She should do the second thing," I said quietly, "What the situation here?"

"Awful. Since the mages have escaped, they've turned on everyone else that isn't human. Nearly all of them impaled then burned. We need to resolve everything and leave here forever."

"I'm going to kill Radovid." That made her jerk her head in my direction. "I mean it, Triss. You know what I'm like. Never killed a king before. First time for everything."

"Then I think you'll need the help of the Lodge for that. And I know one or two who will want revenge upon him too."

"Two birds, one stone. Who is else there? Keira is out. She's gone with Lambert."

"Doubt she would have helped anyway, Ragnar. Not after Kaer Morhen. No more favours owed and I don't think she was interested in a reformed Lodge."

"So who does that leave, realistically?"

"Philippa Eilhart and Margarita Laux-Antille. Given the relationship between the two, I'm looking for Philippa. Yennefer has made contacts but… she eventually suggested to wait until you got here, knowing you would want to be involved."

"Really?"

"Ragnar, she genuinely likes you as a friend. And she knew how much it would mean to see them for the first time in months."

"I'll thank her when I see her. So, what have we learned about Philippa?"

"It's a long story, Ragnar, so I'll cut it down to bite size. In short, she was here, at this inn, under our noses the whole time. Transformed, seated on her perch, with a dimeritium band on her leg."

"Oh, for fuck… She was that fucking owl Zoltan owns? Why don't we…"

"She's not here any longer. Zoltan lost her in a card game." I laughed. It was just our luck and I really should have known better. "A man showed up here, fleeced Zoltan bare, then proposed they play for the owl. Naturally, he won. Then he politely thanked Zoltan for the game and left." I sighed. I really should have known better. "Thankfully I have one of her feathers. I'm thinking hydromancy and a form of sortilege will help track her down."

I kissed her, which made her giggle. "No idea what any of that is. But we'll do that first thing tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Do you have plans for this evening, Ragnar?"

"I do." I got up, walked to the door and turned the key, locking it, before turning and looking back at the bed.

"You have ideas, Ragnar?"

"Uh-huh."

"Do they involve me being without any clothing?"

"Aye."

"And you?"

"Aye."

"And we'll be going to sleep later rather worn out, a little sweaty, maybe even a little sore."

"I'm hoping all three, to be honest. And not just yourself if it's done properly."

She beckoned me closer with a finger, sitting up on her knees as I kissed her. "Missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you."

I think we made love until we were both worn out, covered in sweat, and I was certainly feeling a little numb in certain parts of my body. Triss… had passed out with a smile on her face. Job done.