Chapter 53

Having given Henselt and his forces a decent amount of time to return home, I felt much more comfortable about crossing the Pontar. We traveled across a rather large and impressive bridge, and finally arrived into Kaedwen proper. We still gave Ban Glean, Kaedwen's most southern city, a wide berth since I had no doubt the retreating army stopped there to resupply based on what I could see in the spyglass of the city so we simply moved around the settlement and kept going up the main road.

Which is why after a week on the road, having not come across much other than a good number of travelers and merchants that usually travel major roads like this who were more than happy to ignore us, we found ourselves camped at the crossroads to Ard Carraigh and Ban Ard near the ruins of Shaerrawedd.

"It is sad knowing that what was once an awe-inspiring elven palace has been reduced to a common stopover for travelers on the road." Ivar noted as our camp was not the only one at the crossroads that night. A dozen campfires could easily be seen blazing in the night and at the local inn. The local village made a killing on catering to those traveling the main road.

"At least the elves did a good job destroying the place beforehand and ripping up fondations so their invaders couldn't plant their ass here like they did in so many other places. Small victory though since if any wanted to put the money forward they could most likely pull a city from scratch here. Only laziness stops them." I commented as I ate my soup we made over our own fire.

"It must have been beautiful once. Though I do not agree with their methods I can understand why radicials like the Scoia'tael, especially their members old enough to remember the far past, could become so hate filled. Just looking at the ruins fills me with a sense of mournfulness, I can't imagine how it must feel for them." Ivar said with some sadness while looking at remains of an old archway we were camped by.

"Yup, I can too." I said simply. "It's hard for any emotional being to move past a cultural trauma like that, especially when you are still being actively repressed to this day."

"Hatred is a powerful and poisonous force." Ivar said sadly as he continued eating.

Not much else to say about that, now is there?

---

Within the next week we were within sight of Ard Carraigh and damn was it big.

The scale of the fortress city was impressive despite the fact it didn't hold the population size of other places like Novigrad due to its walls and the bridge we were crossing into said city alone. I suppose it only made sense considering how it was the capital of the largest kingdom in the North, even though technically Ban Ard was considered the true pearl of Kaedwen due to its mining and magical academy.

Huh, makes me wonder what Radovid did with it once he took over the country in the third game. I would not be surprised if he went all Order 66 and Darth Vader on it like the Jedi Temple in Star Wars.

"Now that we are here, what is the plan to get to Kaer Morhen?" Ivar asked as we rode through the city.

"We'll stay here long enough to buy a cart full of supplies, maybe two, that the Wolves would want to bribe them to convince you to enter and stay in the fortress itself for one rather than freeze your ass outside to the coming winter. Then we'll use the main road to head north to Vespaden until we hit the Gwenllech. From there we move upriver until we hit Kaer Morhen." I explained.

"It can't be that simple, can it?"

"Well, the lore about the location states that there are signs only a Witcher would recognize how to get to the place easily. Though considering the fact the place was raided before I think that just means that 'easily' isn't the only path there. The fortress is planted next to the river so it is just a matter of following it until we arrive. Of course, it could be hard to do so with one or two wagons full of supplies."

"So we must search for these signs and hope for the best that you or I can spot them?"

"Pretty much."

"Forgive me for not finding that to be the best of situations, especially since we will be in the mountains when winter starts." Ivar said in a deadpan tone.

"We'll figure it out." I reassured him. "The point is we need to find a good amount of building material first that the Wolves would find immediately useful while cooped up for the winter, which means we need to stop by the bank and then go to merchants who sell what we need in large amounts."

"Well, we are in one of the major capitals of the North so I doubt we will find ourselves lacking in either." Ivar admitted.

"Yup, now our first stop is the local Vivaldi Bank branch."

---

"Huh, roughly ten thousand gold in my account. I was better off than I expected." I muttered to myself as I recalled the number the accountant read off before we left with my large withdrawal.

"You did take a number of small jobs along the way, and Seltkirk paid us well for our work back in Vergen," Ivar commented. "We've also been very frugal with our expenses. It's no wonder you managed to save so much."

"We," I corrected him. "Speaking of, here's your cut." I deposited a sack of coins in his hand. Ivar boggled at it.

"Wha-bhwa? What?" Ivar sputtered in confusion.

"You did kill all those necrophages and harpies. Only fair you get a percentage of those contracts at least. I know you have the stipend to cover expenses but I don't like not paying people when they do a good job." I explained. "I plan to pay Dogmeat in treats and other doggo things.

"I-well, thank you. It is entirely unnecessary but very generous of you." Ivar said, still feeling quite surprised but also thankful.

"Think nothing of it. Now, we need to buy a large cart or two. Then we need to find merchants who can sell preserved foods, tools, building supplies, alchemical ingredients, alcohol, and other useful things the Wolves might need in large amounts and won't try to stiff us too much out of greed or because I'm a Witcher. Might need to look around a bit since I'm sure we aren't only people stocking up for winter." I said as we rode off towards the main market district of the city.

"It's too bad one of said Witchers is not where to tell us exactly what they want and we have stuck to merely guessing what they could be after." Ivar pointed out.

"Yeah, but what are the odds we will come across one of them now of all times?" I asked.

---

Spoiler: The Odds!

"I'm still amazed you have so many merchant connections, Vesemir. More so how well we did and the amount of goods we were able to trade." Leo said in slight awe as he worked hard to tie down a number or traded goods and supplies to the cart so they did not spill out of it. It was quite the sight seeing his master and father-figure wheel and deal with local merchants with the comparatively small amount of coin and goods they had for the task of stocking up Kaer Morhen for winter.

"Make do with what you have," Vesemir grunted as he lowered a barrel of salted pork into the back of the cart. "It helps that I've been trading here for the past century. That last tradesman? I used to buy supplies from his great-grandfather."

"I guess that would make things easier. Was the city different back then, or not so much?" Leo asked curiously, still having to remember that his master was almost two centuries old for all that he looked like he was in his 50s or 60s at most.

Vesemir considered the question for a moment. "It was smaller, for certain. Less manufacturing, some more minorities like dwarves and gnomes. They do more mining now, and less lumber. And of course, fewer monsters. There were benefits to being so close to one of the main Witcher schools."

"Too bad most forgot about that now." Leo scowled a little at how ungrateful people were. He had heard the terrible stories of the Wolf School's past and how even the royalty of the country tried to wipe them out once upon a time. If it wasn't for Vesemir he would likely be dead, just another starved orphan from the end of the first war with Nilfgaard.

"People have short memories, and are naturally self-interested. That combines to make people short-sighted. I may have helped this person's grandfather, but what does that matter to his grandchild sixty years down the road? All they know is the rumors, and those don't paint us in a flattering light." Vesemir replied. "Of course, it doesn't help that there are so few of us that we have little opportunity to change their minds." He bent over to better stack a bundle of blankets.

"Still, makes me feel like-" Leo cut himself short as someone caught his eye. "Vesemir! Another Witcher!" Leo said in an excited whisper and pointed to behind his master.

Vesemir stood up and rubbed his back. "Are Eskel and Lambert back already?" He turned around and saw immediately where Leo was pointing through the gathered crowd. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Neither. It's not someone I recognize. For one thing he's blond and is wearing a Griffin medallion like Coën." Leo said, recalling the Witcher from another school that once spent a winter at Kaer Morhen. "You think they knew each other well?"

"A Griffin? Odd to see one this far from Kovir." Vesemir mused. "Best to make them feel welcome."

"He's not alone though. I don't think the man he is riding with is a Witcher. Client maybe?" Leo wondered as he spotted the scholarly-looking man riding alongside the Griffin and talking a good deal with him. He also noticed a young hound walking along with their horses. "Should we go over and greet them or not?"

"Of course! It's the neighborly thing to do." And the prudent thing, Vesemir thought as well.

I hope the client doesn't mind them interrupting then, Leo thought as he hopped off the cart and along with his master walked over to intercept the two riders as they came down the road. Huh, why is he wearing two medallions? Leo wondered as he noticed another one hanging from his hip.

Soon the unfamiliar Witcher spotted them and looked quite startled to see them all things told. He pointed them out to his companion and he seemed quite surprised as well. The hound remained… a hound.

Vesemir reached him first. "Greetings, Griffin. It's good to see that another Witcher's Path has taken them here. What brings you to Kaedwen?"

"Well… would you be surprised if I said I am actually glad to see you? Makes asking if I can winter in your fortress much easier when the Grandmaster of the Wolf School is right in front of you after all. Kaer Seren is kinda… buried after all." the Witcher said a little awkwardly. "Name's Markus of Kovir, and these are Ivar and Dogmeat, also of Kovir." Markus introduced their group.

"It's an honor to meet you, Grandmaster Vesemir!" Ivar said with complete honesty and even a great deal of cheer, something which Leo was not used to seeing in anyone addressing his master. It was a nice change of pace.

Vesemir chuckled. "I must be more famous than I thought, if you know who I am."

"Coën spoke of you before…" a pensive look came over the Witcher's face as he simply lifted up the griffon-headed medallion that was hanging from his hip. Vesemir's face fell and Leo could only hang his head in grief as the news sunk in. How the man who had helped teach him to swing a sword and do Signs was now gone.

"He's dead, then." He sighed deeply. "His loss will be deeply felt by the others."

"He died defending the North during the Battle of Brenna. A medic named Shani was with him during his last moments and she gave this to me." Markus explained.

Leo started. Just like she said, he thought as he stared at Vesemir. Leo remembered that day, where during training when Ciri fell into a trace and foretold Coën's and… Geralt's deaths, and now both had come true.

Vesemir had made the connection too, if the slight widening of his eyes was any indicator. "Well. I'm guessing you being here isn't a coincidence. You said you wanted to spend the winter at Kaer Morhen?"

"Yes… and I had a request regarding that. Would it be alright if Ivar also wintered with us? He hired me on as his guide/protector in his efforts to study monsters and he would really appreciate getting insight from other Witchers besides me, and… well he's been a good friend since a certain event not even a year ago." Markus said.

"Found him recovering in a village after he'd taken a rather nasty blow to the head from a cyclops." Ivar explained as Leo eyes just widened at the thought of anyone, even a Witcher, surviving a direct hit from a cyclops. After giants they were some of the strongest beings on record according to Vesemir.

"Lost a good deal of my memory from the hit, and while I still maintain muscle memory for a lot of my skills and have recovered a good deal through exposure and general learning I'm still missing a great deal. What I do know is that Kaer Morhen is the only Witcher School still active and I figured if I wanted to get back on my feet I needed to find it and hope its inhabitants would be willingly to take me in." Markus finished.

Vesemir sucked in air between his teeth, making a sort of hissing noise. "You and the dog can come along, no problem there. Especially with what happened to you - I'd be remiss if I didn't help a fellow Witcher in need." He focused on Ivar. "However, your friend will have to stay. We don't trust outsiders at our fortress, not since… well, you know what happened to your fortress. Ours didn't get hit by an avalanche; instead a mob attacked and butchered every man, woman and child there."

Leo could only frown at the reminder. He knew that Vesemir hated recalling that event just as much as the 'Witcher Tournament'. He lost a lot of good friends to both events.

"I understand that you wouldn't trust non-Witchers and people you don't personally know after that, but Ivar here is a good friend and is the last person who would betray us. He wants to learn from us so that the world might be a better place since despite there being fewer Witches in the world, monsters are still very much a problem for common folk who live outside high city walls. Sometimes even within them! I'm willing to take full responsibility for him during his stay and pay for his entrance in the form of ten thousand gold coins in whatever supplies or goods you need." Markus said in total seriousness.

Vesemir held up one hand. "Slow down on the word vomit, Griffin. I'm an old man, can't expect me to take in all of that at once. Now. Did I misunderstand you, or did you offer me ten-thousand ducats to let you and this scholar stay at our place for the winter?"he asked skeptically.

Leo was still processing just the idea of all that wealth.

"I don't have it all on me at the moment for obvious reasons, but I do have a bank account that holds most of it and at least 750 ducats burning in my coin purse right now."

Vesemir's eyes narrowed. "Boy, if you were a horse seller I'd be looking at the teeth real close. But there's a simple way to tell if you're telling me the truth." He moved his hand in the Axii Sign towards Markus's direction.

"Wait one moment." Markus said suddenly before he took off his cap for some reason. "Okay, go for it. Not sure how this works exactly but I will try to be as willing as possible." Markus nodded.

Vesemir raised a brow, but just nodded at the strange behavior. He then Signed firmly towards him. "Tell me your name, your school, and why you are being so generous towards a stranger."

Markus's eyes glazed over.

"My name is Markus, as far as I know since that is what the healer tending to me said it was, I'm of the Griffin School though I have no memory of my training, and I'm being generous because I have a lot of money and I'm desperate for help from other Witchers since I'm way in over my head with the world in general." Markus said all at once.

Vesemir lowered his hand; Markus shook his head like a dog shaking off water before quickly putting his cap back on. "Ugh! That feels so wrong."

Without wasting any movement, Vesemir turned towards Ivar and did the same thing. "Tell me your name, your place of birth, why you have accompanied the Witcher here, and why you want to come to Kaer Morhen."

"My name is Ivar Holien, I was born in Kovir and Poviss, more specifically in Lan Exeter where I also attended the university there. I accompanied Markus since I hired him to be my special consultant on all things monster-related since it is a passion of mine to learn and earn my title of professor for it. While I hope to learn from other Witchers from Kaer Morhen I also came because it is where Markus wanted to go and as a friend I support him." Ivar said very openly, not looking nearly as glazed over as Markus had when under Axii's effects.

Vesemir lowered his hand and exchanged looks with Leo.

"Can you fake telling the truth under Axii?" Leo asked curiously. Not that they thought they were lying, only that it seemed an important thing to know in the future if he used it on someone.

"It's difficult, but possible." Vesemir answered. "The only people I've seen manage it were senior Witchers or full-power mages. Assuming it worked in the first place. The more difficult the question or contrary the request to the victim's nature, the harder it is to cast." He looked at the two. "I'm guessing neither of them fall under those categories."

"So that means we can trust what they say then? Or at least give them the benefit of a doubt?" Leo asked as Markus looked a little put off from being subtly insulted, but didn't argue against it. "What if we put a bag over the scholar's head? Or even made him unconscious the whole way back to Kaer Morhen? That way even if somehow he was lying he can't lead people there later." he suggested.

Vesemir hrmm'ed as he considered Leo's suggestion. "Wouldn't stop a tracking charm, even an accidental one. But I think we can trust them not to deliberately betray us."

"To be fair, it's not like the fortress is a secret anymore anyway since people have assaulted it in the past, a good mage could scry it, and there might even be historical records of location somewhere." Markus pointed out.

Vesemir frowned. "You're not helping your case. Besides, I've not been idle these past fifty years; I've spent much of my time on the Path tracking down records of the fortress and destroying them."

"How would you break into a royal records vault and- you know what. Not gonna ask. Feel like it's one of those, 'if I tell you I would have to kill you' kinda situations. Still, like you just said we have no intention of betraying you. Besides, most other people hate Witchers on principle anyhow and I don't think allying with people that hate me is good for my long-term health." Markus said.

Vesemir nodded. "Leo, take the wagon over to the stable, then meet me at the inn next to it for lunch. Markus, Ivar, follow me; I suspect we have a great deal to discuss. Best to have those sorts of conversations over a hot meal."

"Well, since I already offered I might as well buy it then. Order whatever you want." Markus offered with a smile.

Vesemir gave a quiet laugh. "Be careful what you promise, lad. We Witchers can really pack the food away. Here's hoping that coin purse of yours is as deep as you claim it is."

"If not him I have recently come into some money myself." Ivar said with pride.

"Do scholars make a lot of coin?" Leo asked curiously.

"They do when they explode half a dozen packs of necrophages with nothing more than a sling." Markus said, much to the wide-eyed reaction of the older Witcher and his apprentice. "Fun story actually, we can talk about it over food and drink."