Burning Blood (Part 2)

"You already exposed yourself, but I doubt the witcher knows who you really are. Don't get caught. I need to attend some other matters, proceed as planned, and do nothing for a couple of days. They paid for a stay in the inn for three days in advance. We have time to complete the job." - said the mage and stood up. He whispered something under his breath and made several gestures, creating a magical circuit of the portal.

Alan stood still. Making a move in broad daylight against a trained squad will cause direct battle. He can't be sure to bring them down as it is, let alone if they have a backup from locals.

'So, he is leaving. Could it be Geralt? Is it time for him to head out to Oxenfurt too? I haven't seen the old man for months. Might as well lend him a hand there. It's good that the guy went away. Taking care of the rest should be relatively easier without him around.'

"Hey, Aclad, why does captain insist on capturing the young witcher?" - asked one of the spies. Perhaps their names were fake as well.

"Why else? To find the girl of course. She disappeared two years ago, giving us all headache. That young witcher, his name should be Alan, right? He was with her back then." - answered the man evenly. He had a slight ascent of a southerner, similar to Coen.

"Why not just capture the old man? Weeks ago we figured out where he was. He is still there." - shrugged the man in response.

"Are you out of your mind, Vatside? Capture whom? Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf? Ya go and capture him and I will watch from the side. I tell you, the last person you want to cross swords with is that man."

"Come on, I bet it's all exaggerated rumors."

"Many people said so. I even know where to find them." - scoffed the third person who remained silent for the entire time.

"Where?"

"Graveyard." - he answered with a rather grim voice. Seems like the man knew firsthand how deadly witcher's blade can be. - "I saw a witcher in battle. Believe me, if just half of the rumors about White Wolf are true, that is more than enough for us to die ten times over. And I warn you, don't underestimate the young one too."

"They say he never underwent mutations. He might be strong and well-trained, but only a human."

"A human mage. Don't forget that he is not a regular witcher and from what little information we gathered, the lad slaughtered a whole caravan from Ban Ard several months ago in Kaedwen, near Buki. They were transporting manticore and still never stood a chance. Do you think he is known as Butcher of Buki for the show? The lad is dangerous too."

"Pussy, what are you panicking for? Your pants getting wet." - scoffed Vatside.

"Knobhead. I'll see how you talk with his sword gutting you from top to bottom!" - cursed Aclad in an inaudible voice, seething with anger.

"Shut it, both of you. The lad is dangerous alright. One of the squads under Iorweth command verified it. They saw his battle and didn't dare to come close. We only act on him because he didn't have witchers immunity to poisons. So stick to the plan. After we got a lead on where that Cirilla girl is, we will retreat."

"Why are we even chasing this girl all around?"

"Beats me." - shrugged Aclad and relaxed on the chair. - "Hey, let's go a couple of rounds in gwent while we are waiting?"

"Sure, don't cry later, I got two additional cards recently from the local barmen." - said Vatside. - "Damn, I want to go home already. War is over, only we and Scoia'taels are here."

"Nilfgaard is strong. We will conquer these northern barbarians, eventually."

Alan didn't continue to listen to their banter about gwent and how great local brothel girls are. He got what he needed anyway and soundlessly left with the passing crowd.

Going through the streets of Rinde Alan admitted to himself one thing. He didn't like it here. Not only the town but Redania in general. The air around was full of fear and caution as if people were afraid to take a step in the wrong direction.

They don't live but survive here.

The same can be told about many places on the continent, but Redania was special. Perhaps Dijstra was the cause. He did a splendid job. It's no easy feat to create such a strong secret service organization that can keep the entire kingdom in check.

Alan walked through the town aimlessly for some time.

Here a boy of six to seven passed a man while throwing some round beads on the floor making him trip. Before the victim can stand up, the boy took his pouch unnoticed.

In the dark narrow valley between houses, right behind some wooden fence, a man stood straight like a spike. One might think of him as a diligent guard on duty, until looking through rather wide gaps in planks. Out there passerby can detect the rhythmic movements of a woman on her knees. There is no need to contemplate about their activity further, it is old as the world of living beings itself.

'Rinde. What a shithole.'

Alan finally approached the inn and before even walking inside heard the pleasant tune of a lute with a deep male voice as an accompaniment. Jaskier was on the scene and everyone inside kept silent. No matter what people might say about his personality, he was one of the best poets of the continent.

The door opened with a loud cringe. Several guests gave Alan displeased looks.

"Tch, another rude fellow. Can't you come later when the performance is over?" - grumbled a womanly elf at the corner. He was holding a woman on his lap, that experienced heated moments just by skin touch with the said individual. Alan twitched his nose and turned to another side where a stranger in a black cloak sat.

All is better than smelling the inner juices of a girl in heat.

So he sighed and came up to the table.

"Can I seat here? If you don't mind the company of a witcher." - he asked, not sensing any hostility, only tranquil thoughts, that almost made him drowsy.

'Damn, I screwed up big time!'

A stranger was a woman. She was wearing black. Her hand elegantly took a goblet with wine.

"You must, Alan." - she said with a sweet voice and turned to the side, giving a knowing look at the pair on the other side of the hall. - "And for the future. Not every mage is as incompetent in mind games as Triss. You were rude a moment ago."

She smiled at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes as they looked at each other. The woman froze for a moment in wonder and even surprise, before regaining composure and taking another small sip from the goblet.

"It is like he described. So strange." - she mumbled with relaxed body language.

Alan said nothing. He knew that sorceress will tell him what she wanted. Instead, he took out a bottle of dry red wine he bought earlier in another world and opened it.

"Yes, please." - the woman said portraying elegance. Her hand ran above the goblet, emptying it. Alan poured some wine for him and her. For some time they sat in silence, feeling each other through in a way beings with enhanced magic senses can do.

"You know how to treat a woman. I give you that." - said sorceress with a pleasing voice. - "But that is not why I'm here." - she glanced at the scene and said with an irritated voice. - "He didn't listen to me at all."

"I will look after him while we are together." - Alan voiced his thoughts and looked at Jaskier, who played a new song. He sighed, as he knew what it will be just from a name.

Uidewen. Sky Flame.

"Welcome to the club. You will later be even more annoyed. Jaskier never can avoid composing some lewd incoherent junk he calls poetry about any of his... muses." - sorceress smirked with venom seething through her pleasant voice. It was deep and slightly hoarse, but bewitching. Hearing it once a person would be hard-pressed not to define it even amidst the loud crowd. - "You need not be so tense, Alan. I just came to say hello. Ciri keeps talking about you all the time, irritating my ears day by day."

"She is bright and strong. She will do well." - said Alan.

"Indeed." - nodded Yennefer after a brief pause. - "Strangely, I don't dislike your company."

Meanwhile, the song depicted his battle with manticore and how he earned his title of a Butcher. People around submerged into the tale of an epic confrontation, where witcher alone stood against an entire platoon of enemies to protect the village.

"Bullshit." - grumbled Alan in a low voice.

"Poetry." - snorted Yen in return and clinked her glass with his. - "You are just like him. Walking the same path."

"Nothing wrong with that." - shrugged Alan.

"Really? You are young, Alan." - she chided him with a strange tone. - "Exceptional, talented but young."

"It is too late for that. Even if I don't provoke anyone, troubles will find me on their own." - he said and looked at the door that opened to let two people inside. Yennefer gave them a brief look and sighed, mumbling something and taping on the table with her finger. A barely traceable wave of magic might spread out. It was so subtle that Alan experienced difficulties to notice the movements of mana. He arched a brow at the sorceress. - "Just a precaution. We don't want to be disturbed by hunting dogs of Emhyr."

"They are hunting dogs of Vilgefortz before they are Emhyr's." - said Alan evenly and finally saw a change on the gorgeous face.

"Some things can't be said lightly, Alan." - she said coldly.

"I understand it well, that is why you are the only person I told this to. He is a traitor. I don't have evidence, I just know. Rience. Vilgefortz was the one who saved him from you." - Alan said in a low voice. He found it necessary to warn Yen not to do anything idiotic. Back in the books, she got herself imprisoned and spent a very long time in captivity. She was tortured and humiliated in various ways, eventually telling Vilgefortz about Geralt. - "He needs Ciri."

"Alan, what do you know?" - she asked. Seems like several months with Ciri already let both establish close bonds with each other.

"Elder Blood. He wants it for himself. He will use Ciri in his experiments. Yennefer, Vilgefortz is a dangerous maniac. Be very cautious around him."

"I might disregard half of what you said. But another half is more than enough to heed your advice." - finally said Yen and looked sideways at the nearby table with two men. - "Do you need help?"

"No." - Alan looked over there too and shook his head.

"Then I take my leave. It was a pleasure to meet you, Alan." - sorceress stood up. Ocean of mana inside her made a turn and exuded tremendous pressure, but only Alan noticed it.

'Now that is some magical juggernaut all right. I don't want to bump into her on the narrow road.'

"I'm no match for Vilgefortz. By far." - she said and walked out, leaving a letter on the table that Alan took into his ring.