Toussaint (Part 4)

Night. A time for the monsters to roam. A time for the witchers to hunt.

Warm wind ruffled her hairs, tied with an unassuming ribbon. Despite the weather, she had a scarf around her neck. It looked very unusual to the people, like someone made it from soft metal and drew many strange symbols on it. Albeit the latter never showed themselves at night, as if the scarf knew not to reveal its wielder.

"Ciri, if you have something to say, just say it." - sighed a young man by her side. He had a vertical scar across his left eye, but it only added some charm to his handsome features and emphasized the gaze.

It was deep and had the same feel she always had from Geralt.

Somehow his eyes always forced her to feel different things. One time it enthralled her, another made her sad or mischievous, and now slightly angry at his indifference.

"Hmpf, Aliana is beautiful. No? She stared at you during the entire dinner." - Ciri kicked the stone away from the road. It landed into the pool of water by the side and scared the frog away.

"Well, she is way more direct than Lufonso. The guy only stayed silent the whole way and always looked at you while you were busy with the food." - shrugged Alan.

Ciri clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"He never saw a beauty before!" - turned Ciri her head to the side.

"You said Aliana is beautiful."

"Hmpf... so what if she is? I can fight! And use magic!" - raised her head the girl proudly.

"And you are more beautiful if you ask me." - added Alan without a second thought. Ciri froze for a moment but didn't say a thing afterwards. - "Let's talk about other things. Aliana is not a topic I'm interested in. We have a very big case here." - Alan waved his hand and noticed the slight smile on the girl's face.

She was so easy to read.

"You are right, I'm terribly interested in it too. What can it be? A curse or a monster of some sort? From the books, I can't remember any monster like that. Well, there was one... it liked to feed on pregnant women. A cursed one. What was its name again?" - Ciri nodded and hopped a bit. She was very free spirited and energetic as usual.

"Botchling. But it isn't the one. Mothers are alive after that. It can even be a work of a dark magic." - added Alan with a contemplating look. - "But all clues tell it is a curse of some sort. A strange and illusive one."

"Really? Oh, then according to grandpa Vesemir we need to find a tragic case or something..."

"Not necessary. Many think curses are born from tragedy, but their source can be even love. The thing that always present is a sort of severe obsession and magic. It is not like any words will create a curse, especially of such a grand scale. Otherwise every witcher will be dead long ago with all the 'dickhead', 'ingrate' and 'fuck you' I hear from people."

"True." - said Ciri and glanced at Alan with slight sadness. She seriously hated this. The way people treat witchers, who help them without a second word.

"Anyway, Alfonso said some interesting things during dinner, but ultimately we will know more after meeting the prime contractor." - said Alan and frowned. - "But I really don't want to meet her."

"Why? Do you have a history? Ouch! Why did you flick my forehead? Ouch! Again! I will ride you terribly one day! What are you laughing at! Hmpf, turn to your wolfie form and let me ride you! Don't want too? I dare you to do it, hmpf!"

"Do you even..." - wanted to say something Alan, but only sighed in defeat.

"Yeah." - Ciri smiled and raised her little fist. It was firm and with calluses from constant training. Some may find it rough and not ladylike, but Alan saw a unique sense of beauty from the scars and roughness.

A representation of her hard work.

It was a sign of her free spirit and will that burned like the sun.

"Ciri, Anna Henrietta is a ruler of this land. She is a duchess and rumored to be moody. She is strict and can be ruthless at times, like a spoiled child. That is why I don't want to meet her. One can never be too careful near a person with such a personality."

"And I heard from locals she is a benevolent ruler."

"That is true. She is. Anyway, we will meet her tomorrow and see how it goes. What we need to investigate all things is to find the first child that died due to it. There might be a lead." - said Alan while walking along the road, lit by torches. He sighed with a relaxed feeling. As always, her presence made his mind overall brighter and at ease.

Ciri felt a hand patting her head, like he did in Kaer Morhen every time she felt down. It made her wonder at the feeling of nervousness she experienced now.

They locked their gazes together.

"You have grown up, huh?" - said Alan.

"Where are you looking at?" - huffed Ciri in reply.

"In your eyes."

"Exactly! In my eyes! You should look lower while saying it... well... at least milady Yennefer told me so." - she said with defiance coupled with contemplating look.

"What?" - Alan felt incoming threat of something.

"He-he. Milady Yennefer also said, that if a man looks at me like that, it is the time to make a serious decision." - Ciri said sagely.

"What kind of decision?"

"Either kick in the gut or remove the blouse." - Ciri said with all seriousness.

Alan nearly tripped. A witcher who should never loose footing did so today.

"Yen... Ciri is a piece of work as it is. Don't add to it please!" - exclaimed Alan at the air. Only a satisfied snort at his side was the answer. - "Listen, don't remove the blouse, got it?"

"Tch, who wants to remove it?" - Ciri puffed her cheeks.

Their walk was short. Guest house stood with all proudness of its towering one floor building to the side of the olive plantation, right behind the forge.

People here were more at ease with night time.

In northern villages one can hardly find a person outside during night, but here it was different. It seems like local knighthood did a good job and ridded the land of most monsters, leaving only serious cases for a professional.

"Can I go with you?"

"I have another thing to ask you about. It is a very significant task, Ciri." - said Alan.

Ears of the girl twitched with rapt attention. Witcher task! That is some proper stuff! She already vowed to see it to the end.

"We need information about Toussaint, its customs and what we can do here to earn the living. Can you ask around about the case with the infants or other work? We can earn some good money and Alfonso might help."

"Hm... and here I thought... it is all talking."

"It is a necessary step in every investigation, Ciri. Information is..."

"A weapon witcher used just like sword, elixirs and magic. Something that is known is no longer a threat, but a target to kill with a method you know." - finished Ciri with a sigh. - "I know all that. Fine. I'll do it. And you... don't play around in the palace!"

Alan only smiled in return.

"I like so much. When you smile. You do it rarely." - Ciri said with very rare intonation in her voice. The one full of sadness coupled with soft kindness.

Silence descended between the two. It wasn't awkward, but comfortable.

"You need to stay low key about your questions. We can't be more careful. I can't help but think that this case has an extraordinary origin." - said Alan after some time.

"Fine. But later I'm coming with you! You can't deny me!" - Ciri strictly looked at Alan and later regarded it as a joke. - "Tch, why it works for others and not you." - she mumbled inaudibly. - "Otherwise I would have ridden you already!"

"You said something?"

"Nope. Ask people around. I know."

"Let's go to sleep, tomorrow will be a long day." - said Alan and walked inside their house.