Rescuers

Waking up next to Triss Merigold was always a good way to start the morning. Waking up next to her the morning after a night of lovemaking certainly helped me wake up with a smile. Spooning back against, I could hear she was still asleep, so I lay there still half asleep myself, my fingers lazily stroking her body. She usually woke up no more than a few minutes after me most mornings, if she wasn't already awake.

She did eventually wake up, turning around immediately to cuddle into my chest, feeling her head rest just below my chin, lifting it up so I could at least give her a soft kiss. "Ragnar, I'm feeling tender this morning. No sex."

"Ah… sorry…"

"Well, I certainly urged you on. I guess it was thinking about today and, I will admit, I'm a little worried. So there was that little part of my mind thinking 'Might be the last time for a while'."

"You think they'd try and arrest us?"

"I'm sure those still in charge are slowing figuring it all out."

"Once we have Dandelion in our hands, and know the story of where Ciri is, Geralt can move on while I can help you regarding your issues." I sighed. "Part of me doesn't want to leave the people of Novigrad to their fate though."

"You want to save the world again, don't you?"

"Not the world, but I've seen this shit before. Thing is, I just have this bad feeling that mages are only the first on the list. Once there are no mages left, who will they target next? Dwarves? Elves? Anyone non-human?" She hugged into me and didn't reply. "Sorry, it's hard not to think about it."

"I do too, every day. All I can focus on right now is saving my friends and fellow practitioners. The fact they go after harmless people like herbalists… Tomira was her name, in White Orchard?"

"Aye. Still remember her rather fondly."

"Imagine she was taken by the witch hunters. How would you feel?"

"Triss, I had to stop myself going on the warpath after what they did to you."

She cuddled into me tighter. "I know, Ragnar," she whispered, "Thank you."

Eventually rising, dressing and heading downstairs for breakfast, Triss had offered to help rescue Dandelion, but with Zoltan, Geralt and myself, plus a few thugs that Djikstra had agreed to give us, we suggested that everything should be okay, though we knew that even the best laid plans never went off without a hitch.

Joining my friends at the Rosemary and Thyme, we wasted no time heading out, mounting our horses, riding through the east gate and eventually south towards the ambush point. Turning off the road, we rode up a hill that offered seclusion but a great view of the main road between Novigrad and Oxenfurt. Djikstra's men were already there waiting for us, the typical sort of thugs I expected. They'd be useful fodder. Half a dozen dwarves appeared not long after our arrival, Zoltan introducing us. We certainly had numbers now, though we knew Dandelion would be escorted with a sizeable number of guards.

"Why didn't we just have Dudu order his release?" the dwarf did grumble as we sat down to watch the road.

"That would have raised too much suspicion," Geralt replied, "They obviously couldn't identify the bodies, but he had been missing for a few days by the time Dudu walked back in posing as him. This is the safer bet."

"What's the plan?" I asked, receiving a couple of looks as if I was stupid, "Look, it's all well and good ambushing the transport, but what if this is a diversion?"

"Dudu would make sure it wouldn't be," Geralt replied, "But I see the reason for concern."

"We killed the guards, break in and rescue him, Ragnar," Zoltan stated, "Keep things nice and simple."

"Besides, I'm sure killing a few more witch hunters would please you," Geralt added.

Settling back down to watch the road, there was plenty of traffic but no sign of any transport for hours. It did get a little boring, Zoltan and I eventually sitting down by a small fire to play a few rounds of gwent, thankful again we just played for fun, as the dwarf would have fleeced me of every coin I had. Zoltan mentioned something about needing a better deck of cards, but I only played the game for fun.

Then Priscilla appeared out of nowhere. I didn't really like the idea of her being present, nor did Geralt, but Zoltan surprisingly spoke up for her, that big soft heart of his, so Geralt and I relented rather easily, Priscilla offering to help keep watch. It was easy to see how nervous she was. I hadn't spoken to her all that often, at least in a private setting, but it was easy to figure out how much she cared for Dandelion. Zoltan was convinced our friend was head over heels in love, and it seemed like Priscilla might be returning those feelings.

The thought that Dandelion was finally settling down with just one woman. It actually boggled the mind. Though I guess I shouldn't really be one to talk considering…

We waited most of the day, the sun only starting to set, when there was the call that there was dust rising. That could only mean an approaching transport, Geralt confirming he could hear horses approaching. Many hooves, heavy. Meaning only a transport wagon was being moved. Orders were made for me to get into their places.

"Ragnar, put the fear of the Eternal Fire into them," Geralt muttered.

I knew what he meant, walking out into the middle of the road. I knew the horses and transport would never stop for a lone man standing in the road, so I waited until they were in range before I let rip with my fire shout.

YOL – TOOR – SHUL

The horses in the lead reared up immediately, dropping those in the saddle to the ground, while others dismounted immediately, swords in hand. It always amused me how there were very few who used both sword and shield, most working with only a sword, finding carrying a shield too cumbersome.

With our numbers, I won't say we made short work of the guards, but it was easier thanks to the friends we had along. But they kept us back from the transport carriage long enough that Dandelion was taken from it, and before we could stop them, he was whisked away on a horse.

"Geralt, Ragnar. Go after them, we'll finish off these bastards!" Zoltan called.

Roach and my horse were waiting nearby, leaping into the saddles and taking off. The rider had quite the head start over us, grateful that Geralt was immediately taking the lead, using his senses to follow the hooves of the horse, able to decipher which set belonged to the rider, able to sense which hooves suggested a horse carrying two people.

Though we were likely riding slower than the rider who had taken Dandelion, Geralt wasn't overly concerned, believing he wouldn't be taken to Temple Isle. The guards would have safe houses, where they could wait it out until they were sure they were safe. Passing by a camp by the roadside, I could only assume they were war refugees. Recognising Geralt as a witcher, they were quite unfriendly. That's when I just suggested they. Taking one look at me, arms folded across my broad chest, they were soon pointing us in the right direction.

It took around half an hour of riding before we came upon a dead horse, dismounting immediately. Geralt checked it and concluded it was the same horse we'd been chasing, the body still warm. We looked around to find, up a small hill, a cabin on the edge of a forest. Waiting a few metres away from the cabin was a dwarf and looked like two halflings.

I didn't blame them for being suspicious, being approached by two more strangers, but it was obvious the guard had entered the cabin with Dandleion, no doubt hoping to lie low, not believing anyone would have been able to track them. It didn't take much negotiation for them to reveal a secret entrance into their cabin. "Want to use that gift of yours on the front door?" Geralt askd.

"What gift?" the dwarf asked, "I'd rather you not damage our cabin if at all possible."

"Can I just shoulder the door open?" I asked.

"No. I think it's been barricaded."

"I'll just follow you, Geralt. It's one guard. He sees both of us, hopefully he just shits himself and gives up."

A trapdoor was further in the forest, opening it to see a ladder leading down into the darkness. Considering his better eyesight, I suggested Geralt go fast, hearing him mutter though I quickly followed him down, ensuring I didn't step on his fingers at least. We discovered the trio waiting outside were artists, as we found paint, supplies, and plenty of finished and half-finished pictures. I would have liked looking through them all, though only once we were done.

Finding steps leading into the cabin itself, we both managed to climb up near enough silently, hearing Dandelion try and negotiate his way out of his current predicament. Hearing only one other voice, it suggested the guard was totally alone.

Unsheathing our weapons, we walked into a large room to find Dandelion now tied to a chair, his mouth now full of what must have been a cloth to keep him silent, and a lone guard. With a weapon already in hand, the tip moved between Geralt and I.

"Lower your weapons. Now!" he ordered. He wasn't a guard. He was a witch hunter. All the more reason to kill him in my eyes.

"My friend and I are armed. Sure you want to make that order?" Geralt asked.

"I have the Eternal Fire on…"

"My friend, your Eternal Fire means precisely fuck all within these four walls," I growled, "You either lower your weapon and piss off, or you die."

He didn't piss off. He chose to die. Idiot. Took around five seconds for him to end up on the floor, blood pooling around him. Dandelion was trying to talk though his mouth remained full of the cloth to keep him quiet. Geralt and I stood in front of him, folding our arms.

"You know, I'm trying to think of a reason to take that out of his mouth," Geralt stated.

"While he can tell us what we want to know, silence is golden," I added.

Dandelion was not happy, and I'm sure he let fly with quite a few choice words. We were a little mean, waiting a couple of minutes, before we relented, Geralt undoing the ropes holding his hands behind his back while I took the cloth from inside his mouth.

"You two can be rather mean when you're working together," he stated, doing his best to appear unhappy, but once his wrists were free, giving them a quick rub, he stood up so we could shake his hand, "It's good to see you two. Been a long time."

"That it has, Dandelion," Geralt stated, taking the offered hand, "Come on, we'd better talk outside."

We'd only just sat down when Zoltan and Priscilla came riding up. I guess Geralt and I riding back at breakneck speed would have attracted plenty of attention. When she dismounted and almost sprinted up to hug him, Geralt and I shared a glance and a grin, Dandelion almost having to push her away as she tried to wrap in a bear hug.

"Priscilla!" he finally stated, holding her by the shoulders, "I'm fine. Trust me, I'm fine now."

"I was so worried, Dande…" She couldn't finish that as he kissed her. And she… practically fell into his arms at the touch of their lips. I gave Geralt a gentle elbow, jokingly wrapping arms around the shoulders of each other and sighing.

"Our young man is finally growing up," I stated.

"Wonder when the wedding is?" Geralt wondered.

That ended the kiss very quickly, Priscilla blushing brightly, Dandelion clearing his mouth once or twice, unable to find any words. "Um… so… what do you know about… everything?"

Geralt patted the bench next to him. "Take a seat. We have a few questions about what happened with Ciri."

"Ciri? But… she's not with you?"

"Dandelion, we've been searching for weeks now," I explained, "Nothing but rumour and sightings, following the trail. It has just ended with you. If she's not here, then the only other place is Skellige."

"What happened, Dandelion?" Geralt asked.

He explained from the very top, thankfully skipping over unimportant details, but he had no problem admitting to the planning of the heist, putting it into motion, then how it all went basically tits up rather quickly. Then the important bit, his reunion with Ciri and their fight on Temple Isle.

Then Geralt admitted something I hadn't heard him say the entire time. "I'm worried, Dandelion."

That made the bard laugh. I thought Geralt was about to clock him one. A hand on the shoulder from his friend made the witcher relax, the grin too. "About who? Ciri? Have a little faith, Geralt. You have any idea how she fights?! The girl can take care of herself, believe me. Anyway, she's gotta come back for that little box. The trinket that started it all."

Geralt dug into his little bag of goodies, pulling out the tiny box. "You mean this thing?"

Dandelion looked between the pair of us and seemed to realise just how busy we'd been in trying o get him out of jail. "You get it from Whoreson?! Whoa, Ciri'll be overjoyed. Whoreson on the other hand's gotta be pretty furious!"

"He's dead," I muttered. Dandelion met my eyes and would know he wasn't just dead.

"Guess you're no stranger to fury, Ragnar. Well, can't say I regret the man's abrupt passing. Deserved it as much as he deserved that... awkward nickname." Looking between us again, he quickly put two and two together. "Sooo, what about Sigi Reuven?"

"Aye, we've seen him too," I replied, "He's not dead, Dandelion. No reason to kill him."

"I can think of a couple of reason why you would, Ragnar."

"Aye, that's true. But that's water under the bridge."

"He's a useful ally to have around for now," Geralt added.

"Djikstra? An ally? How times have changed."

"We're technically in the employment of Emhyr var Emreis, Dandelion," Geralt confessed, "The emperor wants his daughter."

"You're not just going to hand her over, are you?"

"Fuck no," I muttered, though it wasn't my decision. Wasn't really Geralt's either. Ciri was a young woman, more than capable of deciding for herself. When we actually found her.

"I'll worry about that later, Dandelion. Just want to find her first. Make sure she's okay. Anything else you can tell me?"

"Yes. She was worried about a curse. Not one on herself, I have a feeling it was trying to lift a curse."

"Remembering anything about it?" Geralt asked.

"Yes, I remember the words." I raised my eyebrows in surprise, so did Geralt. "They were elven. Ciri was constantly repeating them to herself, probably not to forget. Went like this: 'Va fail, elaine, ceàdmil folie! Gleaddyv dorne aep t'enaid, bunn'droh ithne i'yachus.' I did what Ciri was doing, repeated them constantly so I wouldn't forget."

"Mean anything to you, Geralt?" I asked.

"Something about a curse, to do with ugliness. I do know a little elven, as you're aware. And the ugliest thing I've ever seen was something I saw in Crow's Perch." He looked at me. "Something to keep in mind, Ragnar. We might need to head back there eventually." I nodded my understanding, left wondering if they'd buried all the bodies yet. He sighed, rubbing his forehead with his right hand. "Fuck, slipped through our fingers again. She was so close…"

"She came here from Velen. Somebody there helped her, apparently. Maybe she went back?" Dandelion suggested.

"Doubt it. Talked to the baron there. He's the one helped Ciri. Said she rode off to Novigrad to look for Yen and me. And Yen's in Skellige, looking into traces she thinks Ciri left behind there."

"Skellige," I stated. Geralt nodded, meeting my eyes, and I made sure he knew what I was thinking.

"Ciri mention anything else? Maybe a deformed midget?" Geralt asked.

"Didn't say much at all, to be honest. Geralt, she's no longer that little girl who ran around Kaer Morhen. Sure, she's still impulsive, alive, but she's also stubborn and sulky... Apple didn't fall far from the tree, let me tell you."

I couldn't help chuckle as Dandelion had to get his own punches in considering Geralt loved throwing shade his way in return. Priscilla and Zoltan returned, suggesting we head back to the safety of Novigrad. Mounting up, Dandelion taking the same horse with Priscilla, we quickly found the main road back to the city.

As the rest headed towards Rosemary and Thyme, I headed to the Kingfisher first to collect Triss. She was already back waiting for me, greeting me as always with a hug and a rather nice kiss. But before I could do anything to perhaps delay our journey to the Rosemary and Thyme, she asked if we managed to rescue Dandelion.

"Aye, he's alive and well now."

"Well, I would like to see my old friend."

So that ended any idea of perhaps falling into bed with Triss for the time being, taking her by the hand and we headed to the tavern. As soon as we walked in, Triss practically screamed and ran for the bard. Priscilla looked momentarily put out before realising it was her, glancing my way and grinning. He was soon inundated with a million questions again, simply reassuring her that, despite spending time in jail, he was feeling surprisingly okay.

Favours must have been called in, as within the hour, food was being delivered, while the tavern was still full of alcohol, our group gathered at the table to sate our hunger and simply enjoy another job complete, with everyone again safe and sound. I could see Geralt was away with his thoughts half the time, but at least there was still Skellige to investigate. I had a feeling he was almost missing Yennefer, particularly as Triss spent the entire night on my arm, while Dandelion and Priscilla were a couple very much in the early days of their romance.

"You should head off as soon as you can," I suggested, "Trail is already cold as it is."

"I will, unless there's anything you need me for? Triss? Dandelion?"

"If Ragnar stays here, I'm sure we'll manage," Triss stated, "Ciri is the most important objective, Geralt. And I'm sure Yennefer has already made progress."

"Or pissed off all of Skellige and I'll find her in chains or something."

"Kinky," I joked.

"We'll talk tomorrow about any potential journey, Ragnar. I'll have to find someone willing to sail there. Ships from the Continent are not always welcome in their waters."

"Never had a problem before. I know it's been a couple of years, but I used to visit at least once a year myself."

"Things have changed because of the Black One's."

"Try the Golden Sturgeon," Zoltan suggested, "If there are any captains who'd be willing to sail to Skellige, that's where you'll find them."

"You can all stay here tonight," Dandelion suggested, "If you're remaining here for the time being, you're certainly welcome to stay, Ragnar."

I looked at Triss, who simply smiled. "Sounds like a good idea, Dandelion. I'll pay, of course."

"Of course, but you'll pay a very decent rate. You've been staying at the Kingfisher, correct?"

"Aye."

"Ah, I'll make sure the room you have here is much nicer."

"Set of handcuffs would be nice too," Triss mentioned, to the amusement of the table.

"For you or for him?" Zoltan wondered.

"That's for us to know and you to hopefully never find out," I retorted.

The revelry lasted until long into the night, and we all eventually headed to bed around the same time. I had taken my time drinking, so was still with it enough to agree with Geralt to meet in the morning so we could go asking about sailings. Otherwise, I wished everyone goodnight and joined Triss in our new bedroom, thinking we'd have to collect our things from the Kingfisher the next day.

She was already naked on the bed when I walked in. The mind was willing… but I was exhausted. Everything we'd been doing was simply mounting up. It must have shown on my face. "Just sleep?"

"Trust me, I want to, Triss. I always say the day I don't…"

"You do, but you're tired. Trust me, I understand. I've had days where I've been drained where all you've done is hold me all night."

I stripped off and joined her in bed, feeling her body mould against mine. I got hard as always, as my body was always going to react to her body in such a manner, but the idea of doing anything sexual was simply too much. I was half asleep when she whispered, "I need your help, Ragnar."

"You have it."

I'm not sure what it was, but she turned around in my arms, and for the first time I could remember, burst into tears. Every woman of the Lodge I'd been intimate with was a strong woman. Stronger than I was, and even in this world, men were seen as the stronger, whether it was physical, emotional or psychological. The women of the Lodge were many things. Intelligent. Ambitious. Powerful. Resourceful. And though they showed emotion, they rarely showed it, but they seemed to enjoy letting their guard down, only briefly, around me. I appreciated it every single time, feeling it was just another bond I had with them.

Triss… sobbed, what she called 'ugly crying'. I just held her, offering soothing words, running my hands up and down her back. She cried for a long time, and I knew it was just a release of the pressure she'd been under for gods only knew how long. The fact she finally released it, and so easily in front of me, she almost got me shedding a tear along with her, because even though I wasn't experiencing it, I could certainly understand the pressure she was under.

When she calmed down, she murmured, "Sorry."

"Never apologise for showing emotion, Triss. It's rather healthy, to be honest."

She looked up and smiled, her cheeks rather wet. It had been a solid cry, lasting a good few minutes. "I needed that. Just needed you to hold me as I cried."

"Holding it in a while?"

"I walk by the pyres every day, Ragnar. A few of them were friends. Others were just people I might have known. But even strangers… It's not right, Ragnar."

"Trust me, I agree entirely. But I'm not sure what I can do."

"You can help me. That's all I ask. All I want."

"Then you have it, as I said."

"Sort whatever you need to do with Geralt first. But you'll stay for now?"

"Once I've helped you, you'll join me?"

"Absolutely."

We made love, because I knew, in that moment, she needed me more than anything. She looked wonderful as always while riding me, resting my hands at her hips. It was slow, intimate, and exactly what she needed, the smile never leaving her face the entire time, and once she enjoyed her orgasm, she laid down on my chest, wanting nothing more than my fingers trailing up and down her back as always, relaxing in content silence otherwise. Shifting off me eventually, she ended up spooned against me again, and after letting me know how much she loved me, she drifted off to sleep.

Geralt and I headed to the Golden Sturgeon the next morning. Most taverns opened early and closed late, as men and women would sometimes want a beer with breakfast, a beer with lunch, a beer with dinner, or a beer for every hour of the day. Walking inside, it was amusing to see a few people already rolling drunk, figuring they probably hadn't stopped from the night before. It always amazed how some people managed to afford it.

We stopped one of the waitresses, asking if they had any ship captains as regulars, pointed in the direction of one at the bar. Considering he could barely stand up, I had a feeling he'd probably been on a bender for a few days. I stayed back at Geralt approached him. I could see Geralt frustrated within about thirty seconds, and when the conversation ended without a handshake, I had a feeling an agreement hadn't been reached. He walked back towards me with a face of thunder.

"Thousand fucking crowns the bastard wants," he muttered.

"I take it you don't have that?" He looked at me as if I was the stupidest man on the Continent. "Okay, I won't ask how much you need, so what will you do?"

"Notice boards. Contracts. Looks like I'll be busy for a while. There's a good chance that, whatever you're up to with Triss, you'll both be joining me on our way to Skellige."

"No way of communication with Yennefer?"

"She doesn't have a xenovox and I doubt has her megascope. Does Triss still have hers?"

"I think it's at her place in The Bits she rarely uses nowadays." I sighed. "Guess we have little choice but to travel all there eventually."

"Triss will be joining us?"

"Aye, once her fellow mages are safe and sound."

"Then I would suggest we get busy, Ragnar. I might disappear a while, but we can keep in contact. I'll also head to Crow's Perch, make sure that ugly creature is still there. Can't take him yet, but I'll let whoever is in charge to keep him safe for now. Other than that, I'll save money…"

"Hey, Captain?" I called. He looked my way. "Is it a thousand for just one or do all passengers need a thousand?"

"You all want sailing; you pay a thousand crowns."

"Well, I've got a couple of hundred crowns, Geralt, so I can add that in. Triss… I think is broke. Though she could take a portal."

"Why don't you?"

"I love the open sea."

He snorted but kept any other opinion to himself. I didn't hate portals, I just thought they were weird, instantly travelling one place to another. I did worry entering them sometimes, wondering if I'd end up being discombobulated while travelling, end up with arms for legs and legs for arms, or my head up my arse.

Walking into the Rosemary and Thyme a little later, Geralt still had a face like thunder, the others figuring out rather quickly that it hadn't gone as well as we hoped. He picked up his things, letting us know he was going to head south as there would likely be more work in and around Velen rather than in Novigrad. I walked with him to where he kept Roach stabled, saddling him up before placing his bags over the rear. Before he mounted up, he turned to me, offering his hand. "Thank you, Ragnar."

"For what?"

"For helping. I know you were ordered to, but you could have easily pissed off and done your own thing. Spend much of my time on the road alone. Get used to it but… it's been nice having your company most of the time."

"Getting soft in your old age?"

He barked a short laugh. "Maybe. Just maybe. Look after yourself. And look after Triss."

"I will. You know what I'd do to protect her."

He nodded in understanding, as I know what he would do to protect Yennefer. The women we loved were formidable themselves, but we'd… well, I do wonder to what lengths we'd go at times. He mounted up and, with a half salute, he turned Roach and headed towards the gate that would eventually lead him back south. I had no doubt he'd find plenty of work and would return rather quickly with a coin purse with just what we needed.

Despite the fact he could be a surly, silent bastard at the best of times, we could already feel the loss of his presence once I'd taken a seat at the Rosemary and Thyme. At least Zoltan and I could laugh at Dandelion, in a complete flap as he was trying to get the tavern organised. The man had a vision and grand plans for what he wanted to turn the place into. Considering it had been a rather notorious brothel, it probably wasn't a bad idea to give it a lick of pain, some new décor, and a new name.

Triss had disappeared while I was away, and with nothing to really do myself, I spent most of the day lazing about, generally nursing a tankard of beer though drinking it slowly, Zoltan occasionally with me, but even Dandelion and Priscilla would sit down to keep me company. I did enjoy listening into all their conversations about what they wanted to do, as it was amusing to hear they were on virtually the same page about everything. They would share these little glances, small smirks on their faces, and it was obvious to see how much they cared for each other.

"Dandelion," I whispered a little later, when Priscilla had wandered upstairs, "Don't you dare fuck this up."

He smiled, patting my hand. "I won't."

"Good. Because, if you do, I won't be the only one wanting to beat your head in for it."

"Ragnar, she's the one. Taken a long time to find her. Remember that list you and Zoltan found?" I nodded. "I haven't seen any of them in a long time now. My only thought when I was in jail was that I hoped to see Priscilla again. Even if it was just the once before they put the noose around my neck."

"Sounds serious."

"I'm going to settle down here, run my tavern, and spend my days ensuring she's happy. Nothing else interests me any longer. My days of travelling, following yourself or Geralt around… they're at an end. I need put down some roots."

He sounded completely and utterly serious, and this was a man who rarely took anything seriously. Honestly, I could only wish the man luck.

Triss returned later that evening, taking off her hood and it looked like she'd seen a ghost. I was up on my feet immediately, despite feeling the effects of a few hours' drink. She hugged me tightly and I had a feeling why. "More?" I asked.

"Another three. I knew one of them. Sweet young girl. Barely twenty years old." She leaned back. No tears this time. Only righteous fury in those gorgeous eyes of hers. "We need to get them out, Ragnar. Every. Single. One."

"Then we should get to work."

She took my hand and led me upstairs to our room, locking the door so we were not interrupted. Sitting back on the bed, she still needed my arm around her, her hand resting in my chest, as she explained everything she'd been up to. With every sentence, I could only be more impressed with what she'd been doing. The danger she faced every single time she left our room was nothing compared to what she was doing to save every single person she could.

"What can I do?"

"How much do you hate witch hunters, Ragnar?"

"I'd kill every single one of them, Triss. You know that. And not just because of what they'd do to you, Yen, Philippa, and all the others. They stand for something I cannot agree with. Fuck the Eternal Fire. Fuck the Hierarch who has given the hunters free reign within these apparent walls of safety. Fuck Radovid and his persecution of you and your kind."

"I received news, Ragnar. They'll be performing raids in Farcorners tomorrow morning. Dawn raids to catch people unawares. But the concern is there are very few if any mages there. It's non-human territory."

"They're already changing their objective. No mages to persecute, so who do they next? Anyone who doesn't look human. The only people who might still be safe are the elves. Fuck, even Zoltan…" I kissed her forehead. "I'm going to pack a few things and head out."

"I'm coming with, Ragnar. I am not sitting any of this out. And we'd best go incognito. You stand out in a crowd anyway, but as long as they don't see your face, we should be okay."

Packing the few things we actually needed, Triss and I headed downstairs. Our friends could see the intent on our faces and chose not to ask what we were planning on doing. Zoltan simply wished us good luck, Dandelion stating our room would always be available when we returned. Thanking them both, we headed out into the darkness.

I'd noticed without really paying attention, but between leaving there and the gate leading out into Farcorners, I couldn't help noticing the number of patrols. The streets were teeming with guards and witch hunters. It was utterly ridiculous. I had been left thinking our attack on the barracks might have changed things. I asked Triss if she'd heard any news about Menge. Apparently Dudu was doing us a favour, still posing as him from time to time to keep up appearances, but the doppler was suffering for it, because he didn't just take on the appearance of Menge…

Thankfully, the night remained dry though bitterly cold, Triss and I eventually finding a secluded spot where we could lean against a wall, covering ourselves in a fur as she leaned into me. "Get some rest," I whispered, "I'll wake you when they start."

"What about you?"

"Too angry to sleep. I think of them; I think of you. Even if you're here with me, it still pisses me off."

Triss dozed but woke up at least once an hour. I think she had nightmares but didn't want to tell me. I knew seeing more burned at the stake had bothered her. Those she had been unable to save. Both of us worried about those of the Lodge. We knew most were still alive, but simply had no idea where any of them were. I still felt guilty about not having kept them safe, despite everything that happened.

Just as the sky was starting to brighten, I heard them arriving first. They came in number, of course. Bright torches. Weapons glinting in the light. They thought themselves righteous in their quest, justified in their cause. They no doubt knew which houses to head towards, which doors to knock on, which poor unfortunate bastards to drag out and perhaps find summary 'justice' performed on them. Triss was awake and alert next to me. We were hidden enough that our presence went unnoticed.

Perfect.

I stood up and covered my head with a hood, Triss doing the same thing. Looking at each other, we nodded. Even if a torch shone in our face, they'd see our chins at most. Unsheathing my sword, we went hunting ourselves.

We heard the first shouts, aware we wouldn't stop them all, but we were going to leave a message of our own. They worked in trios, so we headed towards a rather isolated homestead, one witch hunter banging on a door, demanding entry, the two others already with swords in hands. Noticing our approach, they turned and warned us to leave.

"I'm counting to three. If you're still here, you're dead," I stated.

They didn't wait for me to start counting, both running towards us. Triss lit one on fire as I met the swing of the hunter coming towards me. I'd been trained in Skyrim, and I'd been trained by the witchers. I was a melding of two different styles. Most of my opponents couldn't deal with it, not knowing what I was doing to do next. All I did was cut down the hunter opposing me, stabbed my sword through the gut of the one on fire, and strode towards the third. He charged… then he died, slicing across his throat, watching him drop to his knees, fingers to his neck to stop the blood flow.

We walked off without watching him take his final breath.

Having caused a commotion, two teams of three headed in our direction. No longer carrying a shield, Triss and I used fire spells to keep them back, needing to use my sword to fight off one who managed to escape the flames. Despite all this, we could still hear the cries and screams of those who had opened doors to be greeted by men in brown armour.

The only reason I wasn't using my Thu'um wasn't the promise I'd made to the Greybeards. It was, if I used it, they would know exactly who was fighting them. But that didn't mean I couldn't use magic. I rarely used it, but doing so against witch hunters certainly put a grin on my face.

The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air as we prowled the narrow alleys of Farcorners. Neither Triss nor I kept count of how many we killed, though I was left thinking that surely we must be thinning their numbers after what we'd done at the barracks and now killing plenty here. But while we did, we walked by more than one open door to find the occupant slaughtered where they had stood. The fact they hadn't even bothered arresting them…

We'd sent a message of our own, but we knew we'd have to make ourselves scarce eventually. Pulling back into the alleyways, we headed south away from the city, walking out into the fields, cutting across and heading south-east. We turned east and following the walls in the distance, only turning towards the city itself once we were entering one of the eastern gates, as far as possible from Farcorners. I'd dropped my hood by this time, Triss keeping hers up as usual, getting past the guards by staying close to me and coughing continuously. Doing that meant no-one wanted to get close to her.

Taking a circuitous route back towards the tavern, it must have been midday by the time we walked through the door of the Rosemary and Thyme. Taking a seat at the table, Dandelion and Zoltan were busy with work, and I was already half asleep by the time Zoltan placed a tankard in front of me.

Priscilla burst through the door a couple of hours later. I was up and armed so fast, nearly everyone in the tavern was looking at me. "You won't believe what I've just heard at the market!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Dandelion asked.

"Witch hunters were carrying out raids this morning in Farcorners. Mass arrests and some summary executions. But apparently they lost quite a few of their own. Rumours are that at least twenty witch hunters were killed. Quite a few bodies of their bodies burned. And more than one with their head missing, suggesting… execution…"

Three pairs of eyes looked at Triss and myself. She'd woken up as I had stood up, though I was now sitting down again, Triss cuddling into my side. "Farcorners, Priscilla? Plenty of non-humans live there. Guess they've changed who they're going to persecute. And I guess some people have had enough and chosen to fight back."

They knew not to ask any questions. Zoltan simply wandered over with two small glasses, passing one over to me. We tapped them together and knocked the shot back, our eyes meeting. He gave me a simple nod to start. "Know a few dwarves who live in Farcorners. I'll have to make some enquiries, making sure they got out of it okay."

"I hope they're safe."

"Me too, Ragnar." He paused a moment. Another nod. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"What do you intend on doing now?" Dandelion asked

"We'll lay low a couple of days, then Triss and I have more work to do. Don't worry, we'll make sure nothing ever come back on you. I give my word on that."

"Ragnar, I'm exhausted. Let's go to bed."

That sounded like the best idea stated yet, making her giggle as I picked her up in my arms and carried her upstairs. We barely undressed before falling into bed. We were fast asleep within seconds.