Prison Break

"Yennefer has gone to Crippled Kate's," Geralt told me as I arrived for lunch, having headed out in the morning to grab some supplies for Triss and Philippa, who was now up and about, feeling better about life.

"The fuck has she gone there for? If anyone would go there…"

"Fuck off." He paused before adding, "Well, I would probably be considered a regular visitor. Cheaper than the Passiflora but the quality of girl is just the same."

I laughed, Dandelion looking up and chuckling too, as I asked, "Okay, seriously, why is she there?"

"Her contact in regards to the prison where Rita is being held is apparently a regular there."

"She leave me a message? Does she want me to meet her there?"

"Yes. Soon as you can."

That was a suggestion to not enjoy a tankard, so I threw some meat into a roll, grabbed what I needed, wished everyone farewell, and headed out into the city again. It was easy to see, with each passing day, the number of non-humans on the streets had been shrinking. Many had already fled to safety, out of the reach of the witch hunters. Suicide rates had apparently skyrocketed. Some decided to take the fight back to the witch hunters. And those that did nothing ended up on the pyre. Burnings still happened almost daily. It was a grim situation.

Crippled Kate's was no Passiflora, being situated near the docks rather than the affluent Gildorf area. But walking inside, while the clientele was markedly different, most of the girls still looked as beautiful as anywhere else, my eyes taken by the rather cute elven woman dancing on a table nearby.

I noticed Yennefer sitting in the corner, head covered by a hood, but there was no missing the black and white she wore, plus she looked up and actually smiled at me. I gestured to the bar, amused at how quickly she shook her head. Figuring I should forego getting one of my own, I took a seat next to her, smiling when she lowered her hood and she looked at me.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" she asked. My jaw dropped and it made her laugh. I definitely stumbled over my words for a few seconds. "We're here alone, Ragnar. I just wanted your honest opinion."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I wonder why you never wanted to sleep with me whenever I visited the Lodge."

"You're with Geralt."

"Oh please, you know what he's like. I certainly know what he's like. The number of whores he's slept with over the years would even make you blush." I raised eyebrows at that. "I can read his mind. He doesn't like it."

"He's my best friend. Or one of them, at least. And I wouldn't stoop to sleep with the woman he loves."

"But do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Yen, if you were single, I'd have you in bed so fast, it would make your head spin. I think you're absolutely fucking gorgeous, and despite the fact you can be a little… difficult… that wouldn't mean anything when I had you underneath me."

That made her smile, amused when she grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you for being honest, Ragnar." She took a deep breath. "I wish you had fucked me when you had the chance."

I couldn't help raise eyebrows again. "You're serious?"

"I wasn't present all the time, but I knew what was going on. God, they were all smitten with you, Ragnar. Never thought I'd see the day Philippa Eilhart would almost float because she was so happy. Triss never looked so happy. Francesca and Ida were in love with a human of all things. Rita talked about you constantly. Fringilla… well, I think she was willing to turn her back on her country for you. Sile finally didn't feel lonely."

"And you?"

"Obviously Geralt and I didn't see each other often, but while he would be away and he'd happily fuck his whores, I… behaved. But I'm a flesh and blood woman, and I have my own needs."

"You're not thinking anything, are you?"

"If you mean do I want to sleep with you now… I look at how happy Ciri is now and I do find myself wondering if it's purely the physical thing. But I can't do it to Geralt. And I know you can't either."

"You haven't ever mentioned…"

She laughed. "Of course I have, justifying it by suggesting he'd enjoyed the flesh of his whores, and I was tempted by the flesh of another good man I knew. I asked him never to mention it to you because I didn't want you falling out over something that never happened. At least he understood my viewpoint. He wondered why you didn't just fuck me."

"He did?"

"Would have pissed him off a little bit, but he wouldn't have blamed you either."

"You're serious?"

"You want to fuck me?"

"God yes."

That made her smile. And, I'll admit, just admitting it bluntly was a relief. I'd wanted to fuck her for years. I was just never going to act on it. She leaned closed to my ear, feeling her hot breath on my neck. "I shave my pussy, Ragnar. Like the sound of that?"

"You're a fucking tease, Yen."

"I know. The thought that you're probably a little turn on is rather arousing." I just met her eyes, gazing into them, and all she did was smirk. "I bet you're nice and hard under the table."

"If you're not careful, I'm going to bend you over said table, rip your trousers off, and do something we clearly both want but won't do."

"Maybe you'd like my arse?"

"Yen…" I growled, "Stop it. I'm liking this side of you, but stop it."

She leaned forward until our lips almost touched. "Want to kiss me, Ragnar?" she breathed.

"If I do that, I won't stop until I have you upstairs in bed, and we both know that." I had to ask, "Where has this come from anyway?"

"I've thought about you in that manner for a long time. The idea of you inside me, making love to me… You think I don't wonder about others? I looked at you, Triss, so many others just… enjoying life. Then Geralt would find his pleasure with all his whores, and I know how much enjoyed it. Wasn't always just a physical thing for him. I feel like I've missed out. Always prim and proper. No wonder people couldn't stand me."

"Yen, you drive me up the wall at times, but I've always liked you. Definitely always found you attractive."

She leaned against my shoulder. "Why didn't you make a move?" she whispered, "I wish you'd made a move. Now I sit here and… regret." She sighed. "Maybe I should have done something. It's not your fault. I understand why."

"Quite the confession."

"Seeing Philippa with such a grin on her face the other morning after it was clear you'd clearly made love… If you're eager to sleep with someone like her, and I don't mean that too negatively, it almost makes me wonder if there was something wrong with me."

I lifted her head with my finger, meeting her eyes. "Yen, you're almost perfect," I said quietly, immediately earning a smile. "Trust me, if you were one of my girls, with Triss, Ciri, Jutta, Cerys and whoever else, I'd be a very lucky man indeed."

"Not sure I could handle that. I'd want you to myself." She leaned against my shoulder again. "Geralt and I had an argument, Ragnar. No… it was a real fight. The worst one I can remember us ever having. Things were said that… can't be taken back."

"What was it about?"

"Ciri." She sighed. "We vehemently disagree about what she should do. I think becoming empress is a good thing. She'll bring peace to the land, and I think she'd make a wonderful leader. Geralt is almost adamant she follows the witcher path. I don't want that life for her, Ragnar. Our disagreement just developed into other things. I love him but… many other thoughts I had just came spilling out."

"So that explains the conversation we just had?"

"Partly. I just finally got you alone."

We sat in silence until the door opened and a young elven woman walked in. Approaching our table, I wondered who she was before she bowed in front of us. She looked at me and smiled before looking at Yennefer, who was now sitting up straight. "So?" she asked.

"He's gone to the Passiflora."

Yennefer sighed. "Did you follow him?"

"Even went inside until I saw him choose a girl and escort him upstairs."

"Thank you, Emma," she stated, handing over a few coins, "Appreciate you coming to tell me."

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Me too." As soon as Emma was out the door, Yennefer gestured to the bar. "Innkeeper, a bottle of vodka and two cups please."

"Yen, what's going on?"

"The arsehole has gone to the Passiflora to fuck some whore instead of try and find me and sort shit out. So fuck him." I made to stand up, but she grabbed my wrist. "Please don't go. I know what I just told you, but I promise you, those were only thoughts. I'm not going to go seeking revenge by sleeping with you."

"Sure?"

She nodded. "Promise."

We only enjoyed one drink before the contact she was waiting for turned up. He was immediately suspicious, but before he could run off, I grabbed his wrist and led him to our table, gesturing for him to sit down, letting him know that we were not the town guard nor witch hunters. All we wanted was information. Once he settled down, I made sure I placed a tankard in front of him, watching as he eagerly drank the whole thing, so I bought him another, warned him to sip it and to just relax.

He told us a rather long and convoluted story about his escape from Deireadh, but in the end, Yennefer was able to figure out a possible way into the prison through ancient elven ruins under Oxenfurt. Thanking the ex-prisoner, Yennefer suggested he find a new drinking establishment, as if we could find him there, so could those likely still looking for him. He took the advice to heart, finishing his tankard and disappearing out the back door.

Hearing her sigh next to me, I shuffled my chair closer and wrapped my arm around her. "I'm okay," she whispered.

"Let's drink. Then we'll head back. Tomorrow, we'll head to Oxenfurt."

We polished off the bottle, so that by the time we stumbled out of the brothel, Yennefer was giggling away, of all things, while my head was certainly pounding. We managed to walk our way back to the Chameleon, aware we'd spent quite a lot of time there, so it was getting dark by the time we stumbled through the door.

The looks we received were amusing. Yennefer certainly giggled away as she cuddled into me. "The fuck you done to her?" Zoltan wondered.

"Nothing. We met her contact then had a few drinks."

"A few?" Triss asked, laughing away, "I haven't seen her this drunk… ever…"

"Where's Geralt?" Yennefer asked.

"We haven't seen him most of the day."

Zoltan and Dandelion looked guilty and I knew why. They knew where he'd gone. "He told you where he was going, didn't he?" The two men shared a glance then nodded. "Don't suppose he told you why?"

Zoltan shrugged. "It's Geralt. I thought you would understand."

"I do understand, Zoltan. One, when I'm not around. And, two, not after we've just had the mother of all arguments." She turned to me. "Escort me to the Passiflora."

"What? Yen, you're in…"

"Now, Ragnar!"

I sighed. I really didn't want to be caught in the middle of this. Triss stood up, as did Ciri. "Yen, maybe you should…" Triss started to say.

Yen… started to cry. The first time I'd ever seen her shed tears. "All I said was that I wanted the best for her. Sure, we disagreed but now he goes and does this." She wiped at her eyes, smearing her make-up. "Fucking bastard," she muttered, "So much for fucking loving me if he just gives up and goes see his whores."

"Maybe I should go with Ragnar?" Ciri asked.

"No, you're not involving yourself in this. Ragnar, give me five minutes to fix my face. Then we're going."

I sighed again. "Maybe you should…"

She stormed past me, stamping up the stairs. Triss, Ciri and Priscilla followed her immediately while I took a seat at a table, Zoltan placing a tankard in front of me promptly. I sipped at it as he sat next to me. "Don't tell me," he muttered, "I really don't want to be involved."

"Neither do I, to be honest."

"But you have a soft spot for her."

"I hate seeing any woman hurting. Call me old-fashioned."

Hearing the stomp of feet on the stairs, Yennefer had fixed her face and looked… angry. Triss, Ciri and Priscilla shrugged helplessly. They'd probably tried talking her out of it but I guess Yennefer was determined. With nothing but a gesture of her head, I was expected to follow. Zoltan quietly said I should probably go, just in case.

Yennefer strode through the streets of Novigrad, and though I was able to keep pace with her, she didn't say a word. Didn't even look my way. Anyone walking in our direction practically leapt out of the way. Walking into Gildorf, you could always see the immediate difference in the buildings, what people wore, and jus the general appearance of everything around us. The upkeep of simple things like the road we walked on and the small gardens that allowed people to relax.

Opening the door into the Passiflora, the Madame recognised me before stepping in front of Yennefer. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Geralt of Rivia. Where is he?"

"He's currently being entertained as a client. He asked not to be disturbed."

"Which room is he in?" Yennefer asked, enunciating every word clearly.

"As I said, he asked…"

"You have three seconds, otherwise I will destroy the place in the next three. Where. Is. He?"

The Madame looked at me. I didn't want to be there or involved, shrugging almost helplessly. The Madame clearly didn't want a fight either. "He's upstairs. Room three."

"Thank you. Ragnar, with me."

Stomping up the stairs, the music kept playing and people avoided looking at us, clearly guessing as to what was about to happen. To my surprise, the door to room three was open, and she burst in. Taking a deep breath, I walked in behind her, almost bumping into her back. Geralt was in the middle of having fun, a human woman on his face, an elven woman on his cock. They both stopped moving, the elf turning around and looking at us. "Can we help you? We're rather busy."

Silence for a few seconds before Geralt lifted the human off his face, then lifted his head to look at us. "The fuck are you two doing here?"

"You bastard," Yennefer whispered, "You fucking bastard, son of a bitch. We have an argument and this is your reaction? Come here and fuck some whores?"

"I fuck whores. You're surprised by that, Yen?"

"I tolerate it when we're apart because I know what you're like," Yen said quietly, no doubt keeping her temper in check, but I noticed her wipe at her cheeks again, "Yet the first moment we have a little problem, life becomes a little difficult, you resort to this."

"You made certain opinions very clear during said argument, Yen."

"That doesn't mean I don't love you."

"No, but I am just a dumb witcher. What the fuck would I know about anything? Paraphrasing, of course."

"I've never said…" She sighed. "Can you at least ask these two to leave?"

"No, I've paid for their time. Either say your piece now or wait until I'm back tomorrow."

"You… won't even come home tonight?"

"No."

That broke her. Everyone has their breaking point, and I guess she reached hers. She burst into tears, turned and ran out of the room. I just looked at Geralt. "You're an idiot," I muttered, "That woman loves you and you're just…"

"You didn't hear what she said, Ragnar, and you certainly don't know what I said back. Now, unless you want to join in here…"

"No, I certainly don't."

"Then it's probably best you escort Yen back home."

Walking downstairs, I apologised to the Madame for causing a scene before wandering outside. I found Yennefer on the ground by a fountain, resting her head on her arms as it was clearly she was sobbing. Helping her up, I had to admit surprise at her reaction. She was usually so guarded, so I took this as a sign of how heartbroken she was. Trying to lead her back the Chameleon, she could barely walk, so I sighed before picking her up in my arms and carrying her home.

She'd worn herself out as, by the time I walked through the door, she was half asleep. I think the drink had probably helped that. For some reason, the place was rather quiet, Triss and Ciri joining me as I helped carry her upstairs to her room. Lying her down, I suggested Triss and Ciri help get her ready for bed.

"Stay," Yennefer whispered.

"Yen, that's not a good idea. Not after our conversation earlier." Triss grabbed my wrist. All I had to do was give her a look, and she understood. "Trust me, the body is willing, but the mind is screaming no. Plus, you're a little drunk and…"

"And if I was sober?"

I looked at Triss and Ciri. "Then I would stay." When they both smiled, I guess they understood. "But I think you'll wake up tomorrow with a sore head and relieved I didn't stay with you. What you need to do is speak to him."

"Ciri, stay with her for now. Keep her company," Triss suggested.

"Of course. Perhaps best she's not alone."

Triss led me back to our room. The first thing she did was kiss me. Hard. The sort of kiss that suggested other things were going to happen. "Thank you for being so sensible," she whispered, "She's hurting right now and that would have been a foolish decision on her part."

"Triss, what she told me earlier…"

"Isn't a surprise to me. She loves Geralt but she's always been attracted to you. She's just hidden it well from you, but the rest of us know."

"She still wants me to fuck her even now."

"I know. But I know you'll do nothing because of Geralt."

"He's an idiot. What he's just done… how she can forgive him for that…"

"That's for them to worry about." She kissed me again, and that led to our clothing being removed rather quickly. "But you've just done a good thing for her. You've proven you're her friend above all," she added, leading me towards the bed. "But put her out of her mind for now."

I looked up and down her naked body, feeling the smile form. "Who were we talking about?"

"We were talking about you fucking me, Ragnar."

"I'll fuck you later."

She smiled as I showered her body in attention first, the nexus being her pussy, which I ate out for what felt like hours. Could have been hours, something I would happily do, having woken up many times in the past with an aching jaw having eaten her out all night, giving her so many orgasms, she could barely stand up when getting out of bed.

But while she enjoyed my talents, she wanted my cock even more, eventually grabbing my wrist and pulled me up onto her, ensuring my cock slid inside her, making her gasp, releasing a little groan myself. "Just fuck me," she whispered.

So that's what I did. On her back. On my back. On her knees. Against the desk. Against the door. I'm not sure what got into either of us, but I don't think there was a surface in that room which we didn't fuck on. I have no idea how many times I finished inside her, but she was on her knees, sucking my cock, when the last time I came was on her face.

"Okay, I have no idea what I've done to deserve all this," I muttered, resting on my knees with her, "Certainly not complaining though."

"First, you impressed me today. Second, we haven't had fun like this alone in a while. Third, I love it when you finish on my face."

After cleaning up, we got into bed and promptly passed out, both of us exhausted. She made me laugh in the morning, amazed that I woke up rock hard as always, but she couldn't handle the thought of more sex. "Little tender this morning," she whispered.

"Hey, I wasn't the one saying 'Fuck me harder, Ragnar! Harder!' The only thing that surprised me was the fact you didn't offer anal. When you're in that sort of mood…"

"Did you want to fuck my tight little arse last night, Ragnar?"

"No, I'm just saying…"

"Maybe tie me up and fuck my arse?"

"Triss, stop teasing."

She leaned over to my ear. "You know I love it when your thick cock spreads my tight little arsehole." I gave her a look that made her shudder. "God, I love it when you look at me like that," she whispered.

"I think we should get up."

She pouted before giggling, giving my arse a slap as I got to my feet. Getting dressed, we headed downstairs for breakfast, everyone present except Yennefer and Geralt. Ciri suggested a certain someone had woken up but had a stonking great headache, so would need a little time. "Well, long as she's ready to go to Oxenfurt soon."

Yennefer appeared around an hour later, ready for the day as always, but there were subtle signs she'd been up half the night crying, and also the fact she was seriously hungover. But she managed to put away a little food and drink, and despite the fact her mind was clearly elsewhere, she asked me if I was ready. I was going to ask if she was really up for this, but she insisted that any delay could result in Rita being tortured even more.

We rode there together, different horses, surprised she didn't just take a portal. I think she needed some fresh air and time to think. Halfway there, I had to stop us as she started crying again, pulling her horse towards mine as I hugged her. "You must think I'm pathetic," she murmured.

"No, I think you've finally undone the lid of your emotions, and now you can't put it back. Same thing happened to Philippa. Still the only person to ever see her cry."

"You're a good man, Ragnar. You might sleep around, but you've never lied to any of your lovers. They've always known the truth, and it's because you're a good man that they tolerate it." She paused. "No, not tolerate, they full blown accept it, and some of them seem to enjoy it."

"Most of them," I whispered.

We arrived in Oxenfurt mid-afternoon. Stabling our horses outside, I let her take the lead as she seemed to have a good idea of where to go. We stopped beside a well, glancing around and thankful we were far enough from the main road to remain unnoticed. I had only one question. "Yen, you haven't been here in a while. How are you so confident this is what we need?"

"Novigrad's heirarchs have taken great care to eradicate any and all memories of the city's elven roots. Even if anyone remembers the ruins are there, they have no recollection of how far and where they extend."

There was a boulder blocking the opening, so that's when I thought I'd show off. I certainly earned a grin, and a definitely look of approval, as I removed my jacket and shirt, and just about managed to move the boulder off. It took a few minutes, and I certainly worked up a sweat, but I managed to move it by myself, feeling every muscle in my arms, chest and back strain with the effort. Once clear, Yennefer looked me up and down, then called me an idiot.

"But I did enjoy the show," she added, stepping towards me, running her hand up and down my chest. I thought being all sweaty would have bothered her. When her hands move to my arms, I might have flexed a little, earning another grin. "God, no wonder they all want you," she whispered, "As a physical specimen alone…" She cleared her throat. "Don't get distracted, Yennefer."

"I'll put on my shirt and jacket."

She gave me something I didn't recognise to carry, telling me just to press a button when I found Rita, and that she would use a portal to find us. Wishing me luck, the kiss on the cheek I received wasn't a real surprise considering everything. I still wondered if this wasn't a job for Geralt, but considering my reputation with the Lodge, I guess it wasn't a real surprise she wanted me to find Rita. I would definitely be the first friendly face she'd seen in a long time. I just hoped she was okay…

The ruins were dark, so I had to find and light a torch so I could see ahead. I had a feeling no-one had been down in them in centuries, finding more than one skeleton, assuming they'd been there since the day of the elves, or were the remains of tomb raiders. Coming to a blockage, I had to use my Thu'um to break through a wall, and that's when a pungent stench infiltrated my nostrils.

Dealing with simple monsters like ghouls and rotfiends were not a problem, relying on my sword and Thu'um to deal with them. The sewers also held another secret as I found a mound of corpses, and looking up, I could just about guess that they were dumped from the prison. Little wonder necrophages were all over the place.

Entering the basement of the prison, I caught the first couple of witch hunters by surprise, taking great delight in gutting them. The door that would allow me out was locked, searching the bodies and finding the keychain. It took a few attempts to find the correct key, but I was soon through and into the cells themselves. Shining my torch from cell to cell, I eventually found the one I wanted. And what I found… infuriated me.

"Who's here?" I heard Rita whisper. Approaching the steel wall, I let the light illuminate my face. When her eyes met mine, she nearly burst with joy, or into tears. "Ragnar?" She put a hand to her forehead. "Gods, I'm hallucinating…"

I reached through the gap and took her hand. "I'm here, Rita. It's real."

She squeezed my hand so tightly, I knew I was the first bit of hope she'd felt in a long time. Running her hands up my arm, she was soon by the door, placing the torch down so I could run my other hand up to her face. She smiled, closing her eyes, as I gently caressed her face. "We're getting out of here, Rita," I said.

"No chance," she said sadly, shaking her head, "We'll both die in here."

"We?" That's when she gestured behind her. In the darkness, I could see someone else, but I didn't recognise them at first. Then she looked my way. "Sile?"

"They captured her first. Her condition's critical. It's pointless... You'll never open it without the key... The warden keeps them with him at all times. His room is upstairs."

"Fuck the key. I'm the Dragonborn…"

"Ragnar, we won't get out of here alive if you use your gift. It will draw their attention." She reached through, grabbing my hands in hers. "It will draw every witch hunter towards us. Kill them all, Ragnar. Every single one in these walls. Kill them all. The warden has the key."

"I'll be right back."

I refrained from using my Thu'um. Before walking out into the courtyard, I had to wipe my cheeks. It was something that occasionally happened. I felt such righteous anger, particularly when it came to the women I adored being hurt, that I needed to release it somehow. First, a few tears. Second, I would let the anger flow.

The first three witch hunters barely knew what happened to them. There would be no honour in what happened for the next few minutes. I butchered them, and those not killed by sword, met the flames from my palm. Their screams fill the late afternoon air, but I knew it wasn't so loud that it would attract too much attention, at least for the moment.

Once the courtyard was littered with the bodies of witch hunters, amazed I hadn't taken a scratch, I went searching for the warden. I found the coward in his quarters. He fired a crossbow as I walked through the doorway, the fool missing what was a point blank shot. Withdrawing his sword, fighting in his quarters wasn't the best idea, but I learned quickly that he was used to torturing defenceless prisoners. Soon as someone showed up that could defend themselves, he fell to pieces.

I gladly took his head. And also his keys.

Returning to the cells, I opened the door before I used the little trinket Yennefer had given me. A portal immediately opened nearby, Yennefer striding through. Seeing Rita first, her face fell. Then when she saw Sile, I thought she was going to break again. No matter what happened with the Lodge, they were still fellow sorceresses. Still sisters with magic.

"Rita? Síle?! When I get my hands on the sons of bitches..."

She walked towards Sile, bending down to comfort the woman. "Yenna… I shan't make it…"

"Hold on, you must hold on."

The desperation in her voice broke my heart. When Yennefer tried to move her, Sile cried out in agony. I moved forward, crouching down next to Yennefer. "I'm dying, Yenna. I'm a sorceress, let me die with dignity."

I heard Yennefer catch her sob before it escaped. We had wondered what had happened to so many of them. Seeing Sile like this… None of us had expected it. "Take Rita, Yen. Get her to safety."

Yennefer looked at me, and I could see the shimmer in her eyes. "Ragnar, you can't…"

"Let me spend my last moments with him, Yen," Sile whispered.

"Love him?"

Sile looked up and met her eyes. "We all did, Yen."

Yennefer kissed my cheek. "I'll get Rita to safety. But… you'll have to fight your way out of Oxenfurt."

"I look forward to it." I looked to Rita. "Philippa is safe. What you need to do first is recover. Just get some rest. As much as you need. We can organise everything later."

Despite the situation, she smiled. "Look at you, all in charge."

"This is my fault."

Sile grabbed my hand. "It was never your fault, Ragnar."

I waited until Yennefer and Rita escaped through her portal before I sat on my knees next to Sile. Leaning down, I rested my forehead against hers, feeling her fingers caress my cheek. "At least I got to see you again," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, and I couldn't help the sob I released, "I'm so sorry."

"Hush, Ragnar. You did everything you could to keep us safe. Please, help me up to sit."

Leaning back against the wall, I just about managed to sit her comfortable against me, resting my arms around her as her head rested against my chest. Her breathing was ragged, and it was obvious that trying to just get her out of the cell would be impossible. The torture was obvious. They had completely and utterly broken her. I was upset for her but the witch hunters… they were going to pay…

"That first time we made love, Ragnar… One of the best days of my life… Gods, every time I had to go home, I simply counted down the days until I would return. Even just an hour or two in your company, and you'd happily sit there and listen as I talked about everything I was up to. You were so patient with all of us. And then we went and messed it all up."

"I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if I got to meet you again, Sile."

She leaned back, turning her head so I could kiss her, stroking her cheek at the same time. "I love you, Ragnar." First time she'd ever said those words to me, and it made me smile. "Shame I waited until I was about to die to say those words, but I go to my death knowing my last moments are in your arms. Can't imagine a better death." She reached up and wiped my cheeks. "No more tears, Ragnar. Now that you're here, I'm feeling very little pain. I feel… content. Even happy." She took a deep breath. "Do you have a dagger?"

I unsheathed it and handed it to her. Pointing the tip where she thought she should, I took it from her and placed it where it would work better, and that she would not suffer. She placed her hands over mine and took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"No."

"It's okay, Ragnar," she said softly, "Soon, no more pain. One thing before I die?"

"Anything."

"Kill them all."

I choked back a sob. "Fucking gladly, Sile."

Sile de Tansarville died in my arms a minute later.

I didn't kill them all, but making my escape from the prison meant needing to get out of Oxenfurt afterwards. And the witch hunters knew what was going on as they were waiting in number. I unsheathed my sword around twenty metres away from them. I counted them. Must have been twenty, thirty… I didn't care if it was a thousand. They were all going to die.

"You know who I am?" I called out.

There was some consternation in the ranks, perhaps surprised at the question. "A soon to be dead cunt unless he surrenders immediately."

"So you don't recognise me?"

"Should we?"

"No, but you'll soon know my name."

I unsheathed my sword and strode forward. They unsheathed and walked towards me. Once they were within the perfect range…

YOL – TOOR – SHUL

Some of them burned where they stood. A few immediately broke and ran. Others showed at least some bravery, roared and charged.

MUL – QAH – DIIV

Blood was spilled on the streets of Oxenfurt that evening. Any witch hunter I found died where they fought. I didn't like killing ordinary guards, but as they were usually working in conjunction with the witch hunters nowadays, those that chose to stand and fight died where they stood. I didn't want to take any of the bridges leading out of the city, as no doubt they were waiting for me, so I managed to swim across a stretch of water, found the stables where I kept my horse and only mounted once I was out of view.

It was late by the time I arrived back in Novigrad. Assuming word would have spread about what happened, I made sure I had my coat on and hood up as I walked through the gate closest to the Chameleon. Striding into the tavern, it was after all the entertainment had ended for the evening, the last few guests finishing their drinks.

"They're all upstairs," Dandelion stated.

Walking into one of the spare rooms, Rita was already in bed, though she woke up and immediately wanted me to sit near her. Running my hands through her hair, in the light of the nearby candle, I could see the cuts and bruises on her expose flesh. "I killed a lot of them," I growled, looking over towards Yennefer, Ciri, Triss and Philippa sitting around the room, "Those sons a bitches paid with their blood."

"Sile?" Rita whispered.

"Died with dignity… and in my arms."

Rita nodded, noticing her lower lip tremble. Triss sat next to me, cuddling into my side. "I'm sorry, Ragnar," Yennefer said.

"Not your fault, Yen. But before we do anything with Ciri, I won't be leaving Novigrad until Radovid is dead." I caressed Rita's cheek, leaning down to kiss her. "At least you're safe now."

"Thank you, Ragnar. Already thanked Yen, but I should have known you'd come get me in the end."

"Anything for a sorceress."

"Ragnar, a word," Yennefer stated.

Following her out into the hall, she gestured for me to follow her into her room. Walking in, she shut the door behind her, then walked towards me. Then she kissed me. I'll repeat that so there is no confusion.

She. Kissed. Me.

Hell of a kiss though. I couldn't help respond, immediately pulling her towards my body. God, she smelled wonderful and her mouth tasted like how she smelled. When she pulled back, there was certainly a little colour to her cheek, lips slightly parted in that way I knew a woman was a little excited. Then I cleared my throat and stepped back. "You're actually rather cute when being awkward, Ragnar."

"Yen…"

She stepped forward, placing a finger on my lips. "Just a kiss, Ragnar. And one deserved for what you did today. I'll make nothing more of it if you don't."

"You sure?"

"Ragnar, let's be honest. There's a good chance that three of the four women in the other room want to fuck you at this very moment. And Rita will want to once she's recovered."

"And you? What do you want?"

"At this moment in time, I really don't know."

Clearing my throat, I gestured to the door with my head. "I'd better go, otherwise I'll want to stay."

"And do what, Ragnar?"

"See that shaved pussy of yours, for one."

For some reason, she seemed to find that amusing. It was the first genuine laugh I'd heard from her in two days, and when she hugged me, it felt normal between us again. "At least you're honest as always, Ragnar."

"It's a failing of mine."

"No, always be honest. Wear that heart of yours on your sleeve. It's only ever going to be a good thing, most of the time." She gave me a squeeze. "Thank you for everything. Gone above and beyond for all of us."

"And I'll do it again tomorrow if necessary."

Walking towards the door, I glanced back to see her standing in the middle of her room, smiling at me. But she also looked lonely within those few seconds. I knew that when Geralt finally returned, things could get ugly.