Chapter 55

"So that's three carts full of various stuff between us, and one of us, I assume one of you two, also needs to carry an unconscious and blindfolded Ivar for the trip. You sure we aren't pushing the limit of what we can take with us?" I asked Vesemir as I helped finish tying some crates down in one of the carts we had bought, along with a few more horses to move all our shit.

Vesemir wasn't lying when he said he had a serious wish list and I had basically given him all the funds he could need, and the scary part was I was pretty sure there was still more! I'm sure if Eskel and Lambert were here we would be moving two more carts full of stuff. Fortunately for me, most of it was inexpensive construction stuff - plaster, what looked like powered concrete and mortar, planks of lumber, and stuff like that. Another cart was piled high with either preserved food or stuff that was used to preserve it - flour, baking soda, etc. Salt featured heavily on that list.

He'd also bought at least three of every tool in the shop. Hammers, saws, levels, drills, stone and wood chisels (I guess there was a difference?), leatherworking tools, needles, thread, mortar trowels, buckets which would be used to haul water, a new grindstone to sharpen stuff, and on and on and on.

Then there were the alchemical ingredients. So many alchemical ingredients.

I was pretty sure Vesemir had cleaned out the entire store of supplies, not that the proprietor minded too much. Entire crates of reagents, bases, and the bottles in which to store them, consume them, or - in the case of two carefully padded crates - shatter into explosions. Impact casings for bombs, the ingredients for gunpowder (used here in mining and demolitions, but rarely in warfare, oddly enough, and under the name 'ignis volatilis'), and fuses for time-delayed explosives. And alcohol! I'm fairly sure the retailer thought we were all raging alcoholics, or secretly dwarves.

One cart even held a crate that contained a dozen chickens - a rooster and eleven hens. Four goats were tied to the back (I think I heard Vesemir mutter something like 'Eskel's goat seems lonely') and would be towed by the horses whether they liked it or not. He even bought two cows, which Vesemir said would be butchered over the winter at Kaer Morhen, but in the meantime would contribute to the castle's compost pile.

At least Dogmeat was making a bunch of new friends if all her happy barking and sniffing was anything to go by.

Finally, as a bonus with our (my) extra coin, Vesemir decided to splurge on a selection of sweets, as well as an entire bucket of honey. Turns out Witchers have a ridiculous sweet tooth, who knew?

"He can ride with me up front, if he wants to learn about monsters I will give him enough to publish several books worth a damn about it. His sling could also help drive off any wolves or other beasts who are looking for an easy meal. You can drive the back cart and Leo the middle one. Horses will likely follow my lead well anyway so just make sure they keep moving at good pace." Vesemir said as he proceeded to climb into the front cart.

"What a wonderful opportunity! I wouldn't mind your thoughts on certain published texts as well if possible." Ivar said as he climbed on up on the other side and sat not to Vesemir.

"Gladly, lots of hogwash they print these days. Back in my day the average scholar knew the difference between a ghoul and drowner…" Vesemir trailed off as he directed the cart down the road.

"Time to mount up then." I told Leo as I got on the last cart, one with Griffin and one other bought a horse, and followed the younger man direct his cart forward.

I hope Síle didn't try to call over the winter. I wouldn't be able to pick up since I placed the xenovox in a safety deposit box. As it was we were now leaving the city of Ard Carraigh and off to the School of the Wolf's home base. A trip that according to Vesemir should take less than a week under his direction.

It was nice being able to kick back and just relax with the finish line in sight. All I had to do now was hang out on a cart with Dogmeat and enjoy the ride.

---

In retrospect, buying a ton of supplies with lots of gold in a major city's market district and leaving with only a small group of people would make any half decent lookout think that his band could grab an easy score. Which was the most likely reason why we were currently surrounded by two dozen bandits currently playing the old 'leave your cart and all your valuables and maybe we'll let you live' routine.

Of course, Vesemir was having none of that shit.

"Let me just stop you there, son. You see who I am, who the person back there is? We're Witchers. I'm sure you've heard the tales about us. Inhuman monsters in human form that get paid coin to hunt other monsters, those that steal children away in the night, have special powers beyond your kin, and so on. Well, it's all true. I may look like an old man but the truth is all I have to do is wiggle my fingers and I can kill you as a person might a fly." Vesemir said in such a dead serious tone the bandits actually took a step back. "We carry two swords for a reason. One for monsters, and one for people. So the question is now, do you honestly want to risk it?"

The bandits took a good long minute just looking at each other. Some looked like they really wanted to risk it for a chance of an easy score while the older looking ones were more wary. I was worried someone would do something stupid and there would be a fight after all.

Thankfully, saner minds prevailed.

"Get on out of here the lot of you. Damn mutant freaks." the leader of the bandit of criminals cursed loudly as he and his cronies moved out of the way so that we might pass on through.

"Thank you for following good sense, son. Let me get that for you." Vesemir said idly as he Signed Igni at the unlit torch on the man's side, causing it to lit up and the man to drop it in fright like it was his hand that was on fire instead. "Gonna be night soon after all. Lots of monsters prowling about that could be dangerous for you fine folk."

I couldn't help but look a little smug as my cart passed by bandits and all of them looked equal parts angry and scared. I made sure they were out of sight before my gaze dropped, looking towards Vesemir.

"For an old man you certainly put the fear of the gods in people." I complimented him.

"That's nothing. Back in the 1230s I came across these highwaymen…"

---

"Alright then, we'll stop here for the night and in the morning we will reach the Gwenllech. From there Ivar will have to be unconscious for most of the first day and blindfolded for the rest as we follow the Witcher's Path." Vesemir said as he finally finished pitching his tent and was now sitting the rest of us by the fire. While it wasn't winter yet it was certainly chilly this far north.

"Considering our encounter earlier and the amount of goods we have I think it would be prudent to set up a rotating watch through the night. Even if off the main road the animals we bought mean we have to be on lookout for wolves and such." I pointed out.

"Good point. You and I don't require as much rest so we will take second and first watch respectively. Leo can do the final one as part of his training." Vesemir decided.

"Of course." Leo nodded.

"What about me?" Ivar asked. "Can't I contribute?"

"Well since you offered, you can help look after the animals. The goats, horses, and cows all need to be watered, and the chickens need fed. If they make a mess by the camp you get to bury it for us." Vesemir said with a smirk.

"... I really shouldn't have said anything and just acted like the dainty scholar you think I am." Ivar mutered.

"I stopped believing that the second I learned you study monsters for a living and took out whole packs of necrophages single-handed." Vesemir laughed.

I just patted Ivar on the back. Better him than me.

"So, other than you two is there anyone we can expect at Kaer Morhen to be bunking with us?" I idly asked as I brought out some stale sausage to eat and everyone else had their own dinner. Even Dogmeat was digging into a beef bone Vesemir got for her.

"Sadly there are only two I can think of that will be there waiting for us or on their way. Eskel and Lambert. There is another Wolf on the Path but… he doesn't come by at all." Vesemir said a bit sadly.

I honestly think his emotions are wasted on a lowlife like Berengar, but he was entitled to feeling them.

"Huh, we really are a dying breed. Do you have any contact with Witchers from other Schools at all?" I asked curiously.

"Rarely. Sometimes I come across some on the Path, especially when word of a big job is around, but it is getting less and less likely every year. Coën was the only Witcher from another School we had winter with us in decades. We used to be closer to the Cat School but that was a long time ago. As for the others…" Vesemir just shook his head.

Damn, I would have thought that at least some surviving Witchers from different schools would hang out with one fortress still in use.

"You ever think it might be possible for them to come together? We need Witchers to have a functioning guild after all. We might be from different schools but we still share a common origin and mission. Pool our resources as it were." I suggested.

"Not easily. For one thing you would have to find them. Outside of winters Witchers rarely stay in one spot these days. Then there's the fact that each school has their secrets. They don't like sharing them with outsiders, even other Witchers, outside of their schools. There's also the fact that each school's mutagen process is different. Bears are big and strong, Cats sleek and lithe, Griffins channel the Power better, Vipers are capable of processing powerful potions and poisons that would kill most Witchers and Wolves are the most balanced."

He stared into the fire. "Of course, that comes with trade-offs. Bears have issues with joint degeneration and others issues brought up by serious mutation. Cats trend towards psychosis. Wolves had a high mortality rate during the mutation process. Vipers are more likely to get addicted to potions in general. And Griffins?" He looked at me with - pity? "Channeling the Power with as much ease as you do comes with a cost. In the short term, magical exhaustion can be an issue - in acute cases, strokes or even brain hemorrhages. Long run, magic-induced dementia. I've yet to meet a Griffin who didn't end their days drooling in a bed because their magic melted their brain."

Oh, wow. That was… that was lovely information to hear.

"That's not even going into the different ideologies the schools picked up along the way when the Order of Witchers split up. Cats picked up reputations as assassins and thugs for hire, going after humans just as often as they did monsters. Griffins maintained most of our knightly origins but that also came with being much more likely to get involved in politics and having no issue hunting down monsters who don't deserve it, like dragons. The Bears are the most inhuman out of all of us, taking their mutations to an extreme and with personalities to match.The point is that the Orders split up into groups for good reasons. We all believed in different things and wanted to follow those beliefs. That's not even getting into kingdoms sponsoring the different schools… but no kingdom does that now so that's no longer an issue." Vesemir said a bit bitterly towards the end.

"Okay… so we're all different. But we're also dying out alone. Surely we could convince at least a few, right?" I offered.

"Maybe, but that would be up to the individual Witchers." Vesemir concluded. "It's not a bad idea, mind you, but it's a concept with no understanding of the historical baggage. But who knows? You might be the catalyst to renew the Witcher guild." He gave a mirthless laugh. "Or you could lead us all to our deaths. Won't know until the story's told."

I stayed silent for a moment there.

"You know, there's an expression that comes to mind that I think you would like very much. 'When the snows fall and the white winds blow. The lone wolf dies but the pack survives'." I quoted.

"That's good for one threat, but in my experience, gathering the wolves in one place just makes them an easier target." Vesemir said sadly.

"Witchers will always be targets. What matters is that we fort up our den as best we can and hunt when needed. I'd rather not give up, especially since no matter what people say the world still needs Witchers." I stood fast.

"I want to be a Witcher." Leo suddenly spoke up, him and Ivar having been sitting quietly as Vesemir talked. "I want to be a Witcher more than anything. I also want to protect the people who helped raise and train me. I want to do for others what you did for me, Vesemir. You always told me life as a Witcher would be hard, but I think it is a life worth living and something worth fighting for, together." Leo said with steel in his words.

"I might not be a Witcher, or even one in training, but as a scholar I can say it will be a sad and tragic day in history if the Witchers ever vanished. More so for the common man for whom those they fear might be the only means by which they might live." Ivar also chimed in from his seated position.

And Dogmeat just chewed on her bone, but she was agreeing in spirit!

Vesemir sat there, taking in all our words, but just sighed and shook his head. "Haven't had a talk like this in decades, normally everyone is content to talk about swordplay or monsters. How about we come back to this another time. After all, we aren't even behind stone walls yet. You lot get some rest. I'm taking the first watch." Vesemir said as he rose from the fire and walked off towards the edge of the camp, kneeling onto the ground and mediating.

We took that as our que to let the conversation rest, Leo looking a little worried he upset his mentor and Ivar looking as if he unintentionally insulted someone.

I knew it was just because when you live as long as Vesemir and faced a number of tragedies you tend to only see the worst outcome in anything. Not unlike a lot of elves in that fashion.

I was woken sometime in the middle of the night to yelling and the sound of swords clanging against each other, interspersed by the woosh of Igni and the muted wumph of Aard.

I quickly burst out of my tent, sword in hand, followed not long behind by Leo and a sleepy-looking Ivar while Dogmeat's barks could be heard a little ways off. Namely in the direction of Vesemir's watch post which was now full of lit torches held by the same bandits as earlier and the old man himself going full out against them. Seriously, Vesemir was spinning around and using his sword in a way an old guy like him normally had no business doing so.

He reminded me of Seltkirk, in a way; instead of hitting faster or harder than his opponents, he used timing and quick footwork to make his enemies do most of the work for him. A swing would be deflected into an ally's arm; a flicker of light, and a bandit was clutching at their throat; Aards were timed for maximum chaos; Quens were deliberately shattered so as to detonate in the middle of as many enemies as possible. Vesemir never let himself settle into a pattern, either; he was moving slow one moment, almost languid, then striking faster than a snake the next, which would lead into a crushing blow that plowed through shield, helm, and skull with one strike.

Watching him fight, I understood how he'd been tapped to be the sword-fighting instructor for an entire school of Witchers.

I couldn't let myself be distracted too long though since though I'm sure Vesemir could handle himself I wasn't gonna not back him up.

I ran forward with my sword held high, Leo only a couple steps behind me, and went straight towards bandits that were holding back a bit from fighting and had a few ranged weapons on them. They saw us coming and readied themselves.

Of course, no one expects the teleporting Witcher!

One Gal a couple dozen feet away from the enemy and I was a few feet over their heads before I smashed down into the ground with an Aard that went off like a ground pound shockwave right in the middle of their group. Bandits were literally thrown off their feet as they were braced in the wrong direction for their enemy, scattering across the ground around me like tossed over stones.

Seeing as I hate giving people fair fights, as they struggled to pick themselves up I proceeded to stab at as many down men as possible through their hearts and necks. A few were able to get on their feet faster than most and one man even tried to stab me from a kneeling position as he was getting up before I literally disarmed him.

A stone whistled past my head, and I heard a sharp CRACK! from behind me. I turned to see one unlucky bandit go cross-eyed as he tried to look at the rock embedded in his forehead, right before he fell down dead.

Damn. Ivar got good aim. Not that this was news for me, but nailing a guy thirty feet away in twilight is still very impressive marksmanship.

I turned to see that Leo had also engaged some bandits; I saw very similar swordplay to Vesemir's, if naturally not as experienced with it. Still, he had little trouble taking down bandits that tried to target him due to their own lack in skill. I even saw him use Igni to make a man break his guard in fright only to ruthlessly exploit the opening.

Between Vesemir, Leo, Ivar, me and even Dogmeat, though she mainly bit at exposed ankles while bandits' backs were turned, it was never in question that the bandits were defeated. Just a matter of how long.

Answer, less than five minutes.

"Have to say, while your sword work is as bad as you said your Sign usage is powerful and creative. However, they should support your sword arm, not replace it." Vesemir lectured as he came over to us, already wiping his blade clean of blood with a rag.

"At least I didn't try to fight them all by myself without shouting a warning." I shot back.

"They came out as a group quickly, there wasn't time to shout out. I knew the sound of fighting would wake you up anyway. Dogmeat here did give me some advance warning with her barking." Vesemir said as he bent down to pet the hound in question.

"Ugh, I had hoped that your earlier words scared off these ruffians. Still, at least that's a few less brigands in these lands." Ivar said with disgust as he stared at the corpses around us.

"That's one way of looking at it. By the way, you are as good a shot as your stories said." Vesemir nodded approvingly. "We best strip the bodies for anything valuable and then burn the corpses so necrophages don't gather. Let's- Leo, you alright?" Vesemir suddenly asked in a concerned tone, causing us to turn to the young man in question.

He was starting at the corpses a bit more intently than I think was healthy, shaking slightly while doing so.

"This… this was the first time I killed anyone. I just acted when I saw you in danger and let your training guide me, but…" he struggled to find the words.

"You need a moment?" I asked, recalling that this 'first kill shock' wasn't a surprise back home even among well-trained soldiers.

Leo then took a deep breath; the shaking in his hands stilled. "No… no." He took another breath. "I'm good."

A groan came from one of the bodies. Vesemir poked it with the toe of his boot. "Huh. This one's still alive… well not for long with that wound." The bandit in question was clutching at a gaping gash in his stomach and moaning in agony. "I told you lot what would happen earlier, you only got yourself to blame. Least I can do is make it fast."

Drawing his knife, he bent over and-

Oh.

The groaning ceased, and Vesemir straightened after wiping the blade on the grass. I didn't say anything, for what could I? It wasn't like we had the resources or skills to save his life, or escort him to law enforcement who would likely execute him anyway. Gut wounds are a slow and painful way to go, as I'd learned only too well back at Vergen. Some of those soldiers had taken days to die despite the medics' best efforts.

"Best check to see if there are any more like this one. Easy to miss survivors in large battles like this. I swear I came across the same bandit three times sporting scars I was sure were killing blows in my younger years. Made me think I was being haunted by a wraith at first." Vesemir chuckled as he walked off to do just that.

A little morbid humor wise, but you gotta be able to laugh at dark shit sometimes.

On the plus said I could now take part in the favorite pastime of Witchers and murderhobos everywhere. Looting the bodies!

That night we went back to sleep richer and with the smell of burning flesh in the background. It wasn't at all pleasant.