Butcher of Buki. (Part 2)

- Flashback. Bridge across Buina. Three days ago. -

"Shh, Sparky, I know, I can smell it too even earlier than you." - Alan patted slick black mane of the horse and sent calming vibes through their telepathic connection he decided to keep open all the time. Not only it can help to send proper commands, Sparky can be calmed down even in midst of battle using it. Handy.

He rode down the muddy slope and to the right, surrounded by distant noise of the fast flow belonging to the mountain river named Buina. It goes through all eastern part of Kaedwen and joins Pontar at the south.

But now the scenery of natural beauty and serenity was broken by blood and gore. It was on the stone bridge across – one abandoned cart and bodies around. Wooden surface was broken and burned in several places, on top of a dozen arrows being inlaid in it's side.

Alan rode closer and disembarked Sparky, letting it stay by the road while looking at everything that was left after the quick battle.

'Blood everywhere. Way more than bodies can give.' - he looked to the side. - 'Some were dragged out to the river, no use finding trail there.'

He moved to the stone bridge and sat down, touching the paving.

'Claw marks, three in line. Long and deep. Something really strong left them here.'

They signified involvement of some type of creature. Alan looked around more and found another several steps away.

'This creature is huge with broad footing. Manticore? No, too early to say that. Such marks can be left by wyvern too. Royal one.'

He went to the cart and looked at the arrows. They have glaring resemblance to the ones elves used on them in Flotsam. But what perplexed him is different. The angle they were inlaid was too straight and the top of the arrows chipped due to too much force used. Half of them even broke because of the impact. That actually happens when one use a crossbow with regular bow arrows instead of bolts. As former has stronger tension force of the bowstring.

'Seems like someone is trying to fool people here and mask the attack.'

What made no sense was where the beast came from. It can be avian as one of the answers, but normally monsters of such size will attack from the air at different angles and have a landing trail. Nothing of this sort was present here.

"What the hell happened?" - he looked at the bodies and what puzzled even more is the cause of their death. All were killed with cold weapons and arrows. Not even a single one fell due to monster attack.

'It almost seems like the monster actually fought on defenders side, drove attackers away and left with the caravan. Clearly the attack was unsuccessful, not to say the least. The other side seems to be very concerned to cover their involvement.'

Alan looked around more and saw a barely visible trail of blood. It lead to the forest by the side. He followed it using magical vision and found a little patch of cloth smeared in blood. It was unrecognizable, all crimson.

He cleaned it with a spell and sighed.

'Damn, I shouldn't meddle in this. Whatever this caravan and creature are, it is not worth it getting into international affair. Why should dragon medallion react to this caravan? What are they transporting that is marked green in it's connections? Looks like I need to see it through.'

In his hand was a ruined cloth.

White and blue striped one.

- Flashback end. Current time. In front of mayor house in Buki. -

"You can go." - Alan said into the air, but it was addressed to the one man who guided him the whole way. The later fidgeted a bit like a little virgin ready to lose it all in one move. - "What?"

"Mmm, can you train me to be a knight?" - Tanhir asked with a loud voice.

"Do I look like a knight?" - remembering Order of White Rose and their stupidity Alan felt annoyed by the comparison. It clearly insulted him.

"Of course!" - said the idiot with full certainty that he is complimenting the person.

"I'm a witcher." - Alan breathed out, calmed down and said finally.

"Mm... no, I don't want to be a witcher... I want to be a knight and impress her!"

"Then go and be the one. Fight some windmill." - Alan shrugged. - "And name your horse, but don't take Rocinante, it is taken already."

"I... I want to learn how to fight with a sword!" - Tanhir said with new found courage, but quickly deflated under the unimpressed gaze of the young witcher.

"You want to kill? Sword is a weapon. Learning how to weild a sword means using it for what it was created and that is to kill."

"N-no... I... I will protect." - he puffed out his chest thinking that his reasoning is impeccable.

"You are really a great specimen to become knight. Right in their books." - sighed Alan and Tanhir thought he received approval, a huge compliment. - "Sword is a weapon. It stabs, chops and twists to end life. You kill with it. Kill one, other will stay alive. But you still kill. Protection is just a consequence of your killing. "

"Hehe..." - Tanhir rubbed his head in lack of thoughts. - "So... teach me how to be a knight."

"I am a witcher." - repeated Alan.

"But... I need'a to be strong'ar... if I can't, she will'a be taken..."

"Who are you even talking about all this time?" - finally Alan grew interested a bit.

"I...I can't tell! I... promised!" - said Tanhir, but Alan already saw everything through Vibe and frowned at the image, however he decided to let it go for now. Later he might visit that girl for a chat.

'Can it be her, who killed people on the bridge?'

Alan didn't pay any attention to knighthood seeking idiot of a man and moved to the door. He sighed again about what was transpiring inside. Before making the last step, battle trance overtook him, suppressing emotions and sharpening processing speed of the brain, making world around to go in slow motion. It wasn't much but on the level where his body can react freely.

He didn't knock, the door was barricaded. Alan teleported inside and from the first step sent a jab at the man on left, holding the other's arm and twisting it. He spins around, sending the soldier tumbling on the floor and hit the chin of another again with a freed elbow, now sending him down for good.

Before his partner can stood up boot landed on his head several times, rendering him unconsciousness too.

Two down.

A twang of Temerian assent was heard from the room.

'Three more, two men one woman.'

The later went forward with two daggers at hand. She jumped inside the corridor and froze for a split second, noticing that their foe was a youth with two swords behind his back and a witcher medallion to highlight it all.

Alan sent space ram at her, sending further down the corridor to the wall.

"Goddammit, fight me like a man!" - she screamed, while trying to stand up from the ruined wardrobe inside the room she was hurled to. But from the seamless movements and speed that made a youth attacking them just a blur in her vision, girl simply gave a brave front, seeing that witcher didn't opt for lethal force.

Alan snapped his finger, used accio to get her daggers and with all his might threw them in her direction. They effectively nailed her loose jacket with one hell of a cleavage, exposing bare skin from neck down the navel, to the wall.

"Fuck! Fuck! Let go of me, you jerk!" - she screamed with clear rage on her youthful face. She was about seventeen to eighteen and her daffodil short hair only added to the image of unruly girl she is portraying now.

Another man jumped out and Alan kicked away his weapon, to which soldier ducked the next strike with difficulty. It was too fast, the only thing saving him turned out to be experience and great training of a Temerian special force.

Man rolled and went for a kick himself, while Alan stepped forward, sending his balance in disarray and twisted his leg, to the ground. The man garbed in golden black colors of Kaedwen went down on his knees. Alan twisted his hand behind the back, while taking a dagger and pressing on his neck.

If he was right about the man inside, taking a hostage was actually not very effective, but that depends on situation. Alan is not their enemy and by the occupation neither they have anything to do with him.

"Can we talk now?" - he said aloud. - "I am a witcher and have contract here."

The man tried to break away, but was hit in the temple with a hilt of a dagger and became drowsy from impact.

"Stop." - came a calm, but severe voice from the room. - "Come inside slowly and let my men go."