The Witcher: Time of The End

Second book in the series. Ciri's now married. The couple is struggling to find a normal life to raise kids of their own in. Meanwhile they're being hunted to extinction like animals.

Ydnar could only stand there and watch. He had seen this before but not like this. It was in fact a tower of some sort. The kind of towers that princes and princesses make their homes in. He watched as the man in question moved closer to Vernon. The man had snake like yellow eyes and two swords on his back. A medallion hung below his neck and it was in the shape of a cat. The man said with a sideways smirk, ‘We’ve been looking for you for so long now. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the one who is called to stop the white frost. The time of the end is near Vernon, are you ready to stop that which has yet to begin’?

Ydnar woke up with a jolt. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. He looked over at the left side of the bed where Ciri should be but she wasn’t back yet, which met that the council kept her late last night and she was going to be tired today when she came home. Ydnar rolled on his right side and closed his eyes to think about the dream. It had been nearly two full years now since Ciri and him became married. When Triss talked to her about moving here she also suggested there is an opportunity for the lodge to use a woman such as herself. Ydnar though he was a source, never really trusted the lodge. He had his reasons, among them being the fact that the lodge under a powerful mage named Phillipa went rogue in the city of Aretuza, damn near killing his beloved. Over the past few days Triss and Ciri convinced him that nothing bad could happen to her in this sanctuary. He caved and agreed to let her do what she thought was right, after all she is amazingly stubborn. Ydnar was happy here. The town had many nice taverns and because she was one of the trusted members, she made a damn good living off it. Yes, the days for her were long sometimes but she and him finally got the time they wanted to live life. He was loving it. The feeling of not having to constantly be on the move, to hunt, or to kill. Until recently he had been sleeping good too. Then he’d wake up from a dream about some rouge witcher capturing his son. He didn’t want to talk to Ciri about it since he worried it would make her worried, and he didn’t want that. To him, the Ciri he liked best was the one who had the bright green eyes, beautiful ashen hair, and the voice of a true princess. Oh for s***s sake Dandelion. He thought as the bard started playing his lute. He heard movement down on the first floor of the white walled house. Ydnar often wondered why the first level of the house was painted blue while the upstairs was white. Either way he liked living here, and didn’t want to tell her about it. Their son after all, decided to move to the continent and is now living in Skellige, still with his girlfriend that he plans on marrying very soon. Ydnar stretched and sighed. Though the confrontation with the hunt had been a little over a week ago he was starting to feel the problems from that. He took many pain relievers for three days after the battle. His arms, his legs, and most especially his chest hurt like hell. It was better now, except for the occasional tingle of pain in his chest when he worked out. He took the green covers off and put his gear back on. He upgraded to new armor now that they had a plethora of money. It was black kevlar all the way from the chest to his gloves, boots and trousers. On his shoulders were golden metal pads that were shaped like an oval shield. The trim on the chest was golden as well and really made it stand out. He now had two sheaths on the front that were gold. They crossed each other right over the center of his chest. That’s where he kept his two emerald long swords. He had another sheathe on his back that he kept his very heavy greatsword in. He had a row of golden buttons put on the very front of the armor as well. Every piece of the armor was fit to him. It hugged him tightly and was able to protect him from even the most stubborn assassins with the sharpest of blades. He had the smith put small holes in his black and gold boots in order for Ydnar to carry daggers with him. His gloves were gold with black trim. It made them stand out considerably. On his forearms there was a metal black strip that went up to his elbow. It was sharpened so that if all else fails he could bash the foe with it. He walked down the green carpeted stairs and into the large dining room where Dandelion was sitting talking to Geralt.

“What’s going on gentlemen?” Ydnar asked taking a seat next to the witcher. The chairs were made of black leather and were the high kind so not even the tall Geralt felt like he wasn’t supported. The table was made of marble and looked to Ydnar rather odd in the house.

‘Not much Yd. Did Ciri go back to sleep for a bit’? Geralt asked as he took a drink of water. Geralt like Ydnar, was a man of consistency, and liked to wear the same leather witchers jacket and trousers he always wore. The same cannot however be said of Dandelion who this morning was dressed in a green shirt, purple pants, and a green beret. He looked to Ydnar like he was going to be the main act in a street performance.

Ydnar sighed and grabbed a piece of bread that sat in a wooden bowl on the center of the table. “No. I figure she’s going to be exhausted when she comes home too”.

Dandelion emitted a short laugh and looked at Yd. ‘Two things here, one, you look like a man who's out for blood, secondly, you look like you saw a striga and a botchling mate’.

Ydnar laughed. “D****t Dandelion, I try to dress myself like you, but I just don’t think the green beret would actually work for me. The second part of that well… Please don’t tell Ciri this yet…..I’m looking at you Dandelion more than Geralt but anyway. For the past week maybe i’ve been having the same damn dream over and over again. Nearly every night. I see my son in front of a tower. Talking to him is some kind of witcher with a cat medallion around his neck. They’re talking about the white frost and the beginning of the end. I haven’t mentioned it to Ciri because..well….honestly i’ve been enjoying it here and don’t want to worry her”.

Geralt looked at him.

‘You know anything about the cat school from history or elsewhere’? Geralt asked. Ydnar ate more of the bread, cleared his throat and said, “Some. I think there were some problems coming from it. Something about rouge witchers acting as assassins or something of the like”.

The yellow eyed witcher nodded and replied, ‘You’re right on the money. That’s what they turned into. They earned much of the hate they have today from taking contracts to kill men and women instead of monsters. If I were you, i’d take that kind of thing more seriously’.

Ydnar sighed, stood up quickly, and scratched his head. He looked out of the large rectangular windows that were on the same wall as the front door. Yd then turned around and started,   

“And then….Ciri wants a daughter. Shite. Here I thought this might turn into something we can live out for the next year or so. Once again i’m hunting people it seems”.

‘You should still give her that daughter. That way she has something to do while you’re out there’. Dandelion said. Yd looked the bard in his eyes. Dandelion knew he messed up.

Ydnar smiled and said, “The things we do for those we love”. Both men laughed. “Well...i’m going down to the tavern for a bit to read what’s going on there. Either of you want to come with? Food and drinks on me”.

‘I will. I need to run a few errands as well anyway’. Geralt said.

The colorful poet replied, ‘I’m staying here. I need ideas for the new balland i’m composing’. He laughed. ‘I’m trying to work in there the part where you threw the berries into Ciri’s bra but i’m having a hard time with the rhyming, anyway i’ll figure something out’.  Ydnar and Dandelion laughed.

“That was friggen funny man. Ohhhhh i’ve never seen her blush that hard before. Oh Cirilla I love you so much”. Geralt and Ydnar walked over to the large green double doors and walked out into the bright sunlight.

Ydnar spent much of his time in bars. Most towns had them and he’d take advantage of that while he was chasing someone.Yd looked the witcher in the eyes and asked,  “Geralt. How many Vatt’ghern are there in this town do you think”? Ydnar asked quietly. The tavern wasn’t really all that busy today. This worried Yd who knew that every city big or small had people who liked to drink. The tavern was large and made out of dark wood. There were no pictures up or flags of anything but the bartender was in the middle of the room which was odd. Torches hung from the walls casting a soft orange flickering light throughout the tavern. Geralt and Ydnar had been here for maybe ten minutes and had just ordered their drinks and food. Now a yellow eyed man with two swords on his back showed up with a cat symbol around his neck. He was talking to the bartender.

‘Not many besides me. Seems a bit coincidental right’?

Yd nodded and replied, “Precisely. I’m not starting anything till I know something”. Ydnar pulled up his black hood.

Geralt looked at Yd and took a drink of the Vodka. ‘Not all of them are that way. I don’t hunt men either. This is you. I’ll back you up as my son in law but I will not kill innocents’.

Ydnar nodded and said “I understand”. What route do I go here? F**k me. If he looks at me should I look at him back? Yes I will. This is my son. No one including a f*****g witcher will get their hands on him.  The witcher did look at them, and Ydnar did meet his gaze, and kept it as long as the witcher. The man in question then walked out of the bar.

“Yeah buddy you just keep on walking. I’ve had the pleasure of tracking witchers. Damn hard to kill but possible if you bring the right tools for the job”.

‘Really? You actually tracked and killed them’? Geralt asked looking into Ydnar’s blue eyes. A young brown haired woman brought them their food and they began to dig in.

“Yes I have. More than once too. Anyway Geralt the past is the past, and i’d prefer it to stay that way, but it the man wants to dance with a special forces black one …...well….be my guest”. Ydnar said as he brought his hood back down. Geralt smiled at the man’s confidence.

Ciri walked into the house and saw Dandelion at the table in the dining room strumming away.

‘Long day yesterday’? Dandelion asked as the young ashen haired woman in a blue and white robe sat in the chair across from the poet.

“Incredibly yes. Ah I deal with it. I got some sleep but there will for sure be a nap later today”. Ciri replied

She ate some of the bread from the bowl. She grabbed a wooden glass and casted a short spell to fill it with water.

‘Anything interesting happen today’? Dandelion asked cautiously as he fiddled with his golden lute.

Ciri looked at him with a sideways glance. “No….why ..do you ask”?

‘Good to hear, no reason really’. The bard said as he went back to softly strumming.

“Dandelion, I’ve known you well…..since I was thirteen years old. I know the games you play. Please tell me”. She demanded stubbornly.

‘I think I should wait until your husband gets back’. He said as he carefully put the lute down on the table and adjusted the strings.

“Is it about our son”? Ciri asked as she drank the water in the wooden glass and waved her hand over it to put more in.

‘Possibly, but I don’t really want to talk much more about it until Ydnar comes back’.

Ydnar and Geralt walked back to the house. Ydnar bought Ciri the supplies for her to make her own perfume. Yes she does actually make her own perfume. He wondered why he never smelled such such a scent in any of the shops he’s been to. He opened the door and saw her and Dandelion talking. Uh oh. Dandelion if you told her I swear to the God’s i’ll kick your a*s and then you can put that into a poem. Ciri got up from the table and he put the brown paper bag down on the floor. She put her arms around him and he hugged her tightly. Geralt came in and sat across from Dandelion.

“Busy day? Or night I suppose”? Ydnar asked as he held her and rocked her.

‘Oh very. I’m getting used to it now though. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as last week’.

“Good”. He said as he kissed her neck.

‘Where’d you two go off to’? She asked as he let her go and she looked at him.

“Oh here and there. We had a bite to eat at the tavern then I went deeper into town to get your things. Geralt wanted to come along and honestly I think it was a good thing he did. Ciri let’s talk upstairs please”.

‘As long as it’s in the tub with bubbles, sure thing’. Ciri said looking at him with a sideways look. Dandelion whistled and said,

‘As long as I can join you too’.

Ciri turned around and shook her head. ‘Dandelion really. I’ve known you since I was thirteen, that’s rather odd’.  She laughed.

Ydnar joined in the laughter and shook his head. “Alright my swallow let’s go before Geralt decides to invite himself too”. The four of them laughed. He grabbed the bag and they headed upstairs. She walked into the room and he closed the door behind her and locked it. Her look said it all.

“He told you didn’t he”. Yd asked as he set the brown bag on the small marble table.

‘He just said it was about our son’. Ciri replied as she undid her blue robe and hung it in the large walk in closet. Ciri didn’t like not being able to bring her sword with her to the lodge headquarters. Though Triss assured her it was safe she wasn’t so sure. She was immediately down to her bra and panties. He took his armor off and set it on the bed. He cast the spell he used more than once and the tub filled with warm water and to her excitement…... bubbles. She smiled at him and shook her head. ‘Yd…..please’. He laughed. She took the rest of what she had on off and slipped into the warm water. He did the same right after. He put the flame out in the candles and the lamps with a spell. The tub was big enough for around five people. It was made of bronze and was in the shape of a large circle. She yawned. He sat down on the steps that were built into the perimeter of the tub. Ciri came over to him and sat to the right of him. Her hair was typical of her. Ashen gray, put in a ponytail with a few strands to the left and right hanging down. She never really used much in the way of makeup. He liked her that way. “I’ve just been having the same dreams over and over again. This has been going on for the last week”. She leaned into him and he put his right arm around her. “I thought it was perhaps just a dream. Every time I had the dream, which is about every other night, I saw our son and a witcher with a cat medallion dangling from his neck. They were talking about the white frost and the time of the end. In the background there was a large grey brick tower. I thought it was only a dream like I said until….today….when I saw a witcher that looked damn similar to the one in my dream. He had a cat medallion around his neck. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t really want you to worry. He looked at Geralt and I, and I gave him a don’t mess with me sort of look. Then he walked out”. Ydnar finished and sighed. Ciri locked her soft lips with his and he felt her soft neck and long legs. After a long period she retracted her lips and said, ‘well….i’m not sure we need to leave just yet, and quite frankly I don’t know if I want to leave’. She looked at him with her face so close to his. He sighed.

“You wouldn’t be the one leaving Ciri, I would”. Ydnar said.

Ciri immediately contested the statement. ‘Bollocks. Ydnar you’re not leaving me again because every time you do something bad happens. I ...don’t want to have to go through that again’.

Ydnar sighed and rubbed his eyes. He put his hand around her neck again.

“Well…...I may have to. I also told you that we’d have a daughter and I meant it. I just need to do some digging around here and see what I can find”. He said looking at her.

After a brief pause she added, ‘He can handle himself too. After all you trained him well and he did survive the hunt’.

“You’re still not getting this at all. Surviving is one thing. That’s like saying I survived the Zerrikanians I fought. I nearly died Ciri. I didn’t survive jack s**t. We’re talking about a witcher here. Someone who’s--

She cut him off, ‘Someone who’s trained to kill monsters and--

Yd interrupted, “Except the fact that he’s part of the school of the cat and they made a name for themselves as hired assassins. Ciri please don’t interupt me when i’m trying to talk to you. I want to be cautious about my next move here. You should be too. It’s not too damn hard to connect the dots and see where they lead, especially for a witcher. If I need to go back to the continent then so be it. You’ll stay here though”.

She shook her head and replied stubbornly, ‘For s**t’s sake Ydnar. No, I will not stay here. I will go with you. You do this to me every time! Look what happened the last time you did this. You nearly died when you were captured’.

“Ciri relax. This isn’t Nilfgaard were talking about this is just a witcher. You’ll stay here though. If you want a daughter anytime soon then you’ll stay here”.

‘Are you…….. threatening me’? She asked with raised eyebrows.

Ydnar sighed and shook his head. “No. But someone will have to stay back here and keep an eye on her. Do you want to be the one to track this witcher”? He asked looking her in the eyes.

‘No. I suppose I don’t. Yd you’re playing with fire here. Witchers have enhancements, you don’t, and yet you’re going to try to kill one’?

“I’ve killed witchers before Ciri. They make the same noise when they die as anybody else, there just a little bit more slippery. Besides you know me I’m a cautious man. I’ll try to do some digging and if I find that Vernon may be in danger then i’ll act on it. If not then  i’ll stop looking around”.

She looked at Ydnar and sighed. She put her soft tender hands on his scarred chest and neck. Her arms were wet and felt good against his skin. ‘Ydnar…..I…..baby….I don’t want you getting into any of this again. I’m your wife and I love you. We’re supposed to live our life here and that’s it, now once again it’s turned into a game of hide and seek’. She put her head against his chest and her hands on his biceps. He ran his hands through her luscious soft hair.

“Ciri I know how you feel. I ….honestly didn’t want to get involved either. I just can’t stand someone sticking their nose in places where it doesn’t belong”. He kissed her head and she felt the tension burn away. He ran his hands down her wet soft back and she closed her eyes. “I think you’re exhausted too”.

She moaned and shivered as he ran his hands up and down her back.

‘I didn’t do much last night either. I shouldn’t really be tired. From what I heard about the continent Nilfgaard is of course being themselves again. They started to fight a war with Brokilon’.

“That’ll work out well for them”. He said sarcastically.

‘My thoughts exactly. There seems to be more groups popping up from existing ones too. Isn’t good in my opinion. More groups just means more chaos’.

“Yeah that doesn’t sound favorable right now to go back to”.

‘No. That’s also why I worry a bit. All the pain that you and I went through’. She said as she brought her head back up to look at him. She sighed. ‘It was hard back then watching you go through that over and over again. All the scars and beatings and’ …...she looked away and sighed. ‘I don’t want you to have to go through that again. Can we love just lie low for maybe two more weeks or so’?

He sighed and stretched his arms. Ciri felt his muscles as he did so and he blushed. “Alright that’s fine. No more than that though”. She smiled at him, their lips touched, and she ran her hands up along his chest. He put his hands on her smooth long legs. Their warm, moist, tongues intersected and she felt a tingle start up inside her. She retracted and yawned.

“Let’s go take that nap then”. He cast a spell and the water was gone and to her surprise she was totally dry. He picked her up in his strong arms and walked her over to the bedroom. ‘Funny you’re doing this again Ydnar. I told some of the women I work with about you carrying me and they all blushed. I mean absolutely all of them. I never saw anything like that before’.

“Really? That’s surprising”. He said as he set her down on the right side of the bed and he came in on the left side. Using a small shockwave spell pushed the armor off the bed and onto the floor.

“I think what it was Ciri”, he said as he pulled the covers over his naked body “Was the fact that none of them knew what I look like. They probably thought I lift horses for a living and look like i’m from royalty. Not a small, short, hunched, not attractive looking, man like me”.

She put her head on his right shoulder and felt his chest.

‘Bollocks Ydnar. You’re sexy as hell. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Besides that, your sense of humor is well…...one of those things which keeps me going all day long. As far as strength you’re unrivaled. The fact that you can carry me long distances is …..well…...let’s just say it turns me on. The most important fact is that I love you’. Ciri said as she kissed his neck.

“Some of that was true. I can tell all the men out there that I have the famous Zireael under my roof”.

Ciri chuckled and replied teasingly, ‘Yeah all two of them that would know who I am’.

“Well that’s for another reason I think. Anyway, I love you my white little swallow”.  With that said they both fell asleep. Outside it had started to rain now.

Vernon was awake now. It was incredibly early in the morning and he remembered from what Ydnar told him; that if he ever wakes up in the middle of the night, to try to find out why that might be before going back to sleep. Jan on the other hand he knew was quite different. She could sleep through almost anything. Vernon put his armor on and went to see who was making noise. The house that his mom and dad bought him was exactly what he wanted. In fact it was what they both wanted. Skellige was the birthplace as far as he knew of both him and her. The house was simple. One floor with a small family room that included a fireplace, a dining room that had a large glass rectangular table in it, and two bedrooms which were fairly big. He walked out of the room and looked at the front door. There was a short man who looked like a dwarf trying to open the door. He came to the door and opened it. “Zoltan”? He questioned through squinted eyes. “What the hell are you doing here and why so early”? Vernon asked.

‘I’ll explain inside’. Zoltan said quietly. Vernon let the dwarf in and they both sat in the family room. Vernon turned on the fireplace using the spell that dad had taught him. Zoltan chuckled softly.

‘Your father has taught you well. Anyway the reason i’m here my good friend is that someone's looking for you now’.

“Who”? Vernon asked looking the muscular dwarf in the eyes.

‘Notice I said someone. I heard rumors that he’s a rogue witcher. In which case you should be damn careful my friend about how you move around. Ciri and Ydnar will of course come running if something were to happen but take my advice and try to be quiet about your business. Witchers are good at tracking targets’.

“What if I just kill the witcher before he finds me”? Vernon asked with a confused look on his face.

Zoltan broke out into laughter.

‘That’ll be the day. Vernon your father may be able to pull that off but not you. The hunt is one thing but a trained witcher is something else entirely. No my friend, take my advice and lie very low. I need to make a trek to where your mom and pop are and see if they caught wind of anything. You haven’t perchance seen anything odd around here have you’? Zoltan asked looking more closely at the young man.

“No just a dwarf that came to my house hours before sunrise. How are you going to get to my parents though? You can’t walk there, it’s a whole other dimension. I can teleport you there but even that has it’s risks”.

‘Your parents told you not to unless you’re in danger though. It could give your location away to somebody who has a trained eye. Can you construct a portal’? Zoltan asked as he scratched his brown beard.

“I can. Do you want me to do that now”?

‘Please do. Try to lie low and don’t do anything stupid’.

Vernon nodded his head and stood up. He waved his arms and out came a large orange and black portal.

‘Take care of yourself and that girl of yours Vernon’. The dwarf said as he got up from the couch.

“I will. Tell my parents I love them very much”.

‘I’ll do that’. Zoltan said as he stepped through the portal. The portal disappeared and Vernon was left standing by himself in the room. He shook his head and laughed at the event that just took place. He walked out of the room and back to the bedroom. There was still a considerable amount of time before the sun would rise so Vernon took off his armor and climbed back into bed. Who’s going to come here next? He thought as he sighed and fell back asleep.

Zoltan walked up to the large white house. It was midday here which messed him up a bit. Zoltan knocked and he heard a man come to the door.

‘Zoltan? What are you doing here’? Sorry come in please’. Geralt said as he opened the green door all the way to let the dwarf inside the house. Zoltan had on him brown leather armor which covered him fully and Geralt thought it made him look quite intimidating, even for a dwarf.

‘Geralt buddy it’s good to see you again’.

‘Same to you Zoltan’. He said as he squeezed the dwarf’s shoulder. ‘What brings you all the way over here? Actually how’d you even get here’? Geralt said as he took a seat at the table in the dining room and motioned for Zoltan to do the same.

‘Maybe later Geralt’. He said as he walked into the dining room.

‘Where are the two lovers at’? Zoltan asked looking at Geralt.

Geralt pointed towards the stairs and said, ‘Upstairs, furthest bedroom on the right’. As he drank a wooden glass full of water.

Zoltan nodded his head as he walked up the green stairs.

Ydnar sighed and heard the knock at the door. “Be there in a bit”. He said as he sighed again and got up out of the bed.

‘Guess I should get up too’. Ciri said as she stretched and yawned.

“Ohhhhhhhhh, you don’t have to. I know work was late last night”. Ydnar said as he got dressed and put his armor back on.

‘Why do I feel so lazy’? Ciri asked as she turned on her right side and laid her head back on the white fluffy pillow. Her eyes were barely open.

Ydnar smiled and walked over to where she was lying down on the bed. The covers were pulled up to just before her breasts.

“I think that’s how you’re supposed to feel when you’ve nothing to do but enjoy life”. He said as he ran his hand through her soft hair.

“Enjoy your sleep Ciri, i’ll go find out who halted mine”. He said as he bent over and kissed her head. She giggled slightly and said with closed eyes, ‘Give him or her my regards’.

Ydnar snickered and said, “Gladly, Love you Ciri”. He said walking towards the door.

‘Love you too’. She replied. Ydnar unlocked the door, opened it, then softly shut it behind him. Ydnar turned around to see a familiar looking dwarf.

“Zoltan Chivay. Something bad must’ve happened to see you out here my comrade”. Zoltan laughed as they walked down the stairs to the first floor and into the dining room to sit down at the table next to each other. Ydnar had always liked Zoltan and thought the man would do well to watch out for his kid back on the continent.

Dandelion wasn’t at the table like he was earlier but Geralt was. Zoltan looked at Ydnar and started by saying,

‘So Ydnar, the reason why i’m here, is because I picked up some sniffing around going on about your boy. All I really know is that the group calls themselves The Wild Ones. The other thing I know is that they apparently have a few members that were witchers. Now rogue of course, but other than that I don’t think they located Vernon yet’.

Ydnar sighed and scratched his head. Geralt and him looked at each other.

“Funny enough you should say that Zoltan”, Ydnar said looking back at the dwarf who had a confused look. “Geralt and I this morning saw a man who was a witcher. He looked at the two of us and then left the tavern. Equally funny is the fact that i’ve had dreams about a witcher looking for my son. I guess this confirms my suspicion. I …….have no leads on any part of this group. How’d you find out about this group on the continent Zoltan”? Ydnar asked as he drank his glass of water from earlier.

‘Well’….the dwarf started as he put his arms on the table. ‘I overheard a conversation at the Rosemary and Thyme in Novigrad. You know me, I don’t tend to stick my nose into other people's business but I thought that i’d ask about the group I heard these four men mention. They told me they came from Redania and were causing some trouble around Cintra and were heading to Skellige. They didn’t say why. Two weeks after that which brings us to well…...three days ago, I heard the news about then looking for a special someone. Someone who can stop the world from dying. The men who said it were drunk yes…..but I have reason to believe them. Now that you told me about the witcher you saw, the pieces are starting to fit together’.

Ydnar sighed. “I don’t think they are. I think we’re looking for bits of carrot in a Chort’s excrement. There are some key bits missing, one of which is why? The other is who leads them? Why now? The wild ones have been around for a number of years causing trouble for both sides. There a good force of soldiers and ex special units but there has to be someone else pulling the strings. What did you say to Vernon if anything”? Ydnar asked as he looked out the two rectangular windows in the room.

‘I just told him to lie low and not to do anything stupid’. Zoltan said looking at Ydnar. The dwarf took a seat and sighed.

Ydnar sighed and looked at the wooden glass that sat in front of him.

He laughed and said, “I promised Ciri that i’d give her another two weeks to not have to worry about me going back to the continent. I still want to hald true to that. Of course if I find anything that makes me more worried then i’ll act on it but …..she’s my boss”. Zoltan laughed and Geralt smiled as he brushed his armor off. Zoltan drank from the glass he had in front of him and asked,

‘So, Ydnar how do you like the married lifestyle’?

Ydnar looked at the dwarf and said,

“What’s there not to like? Ciri’s got a good job that pays good money, she comes home sometimes late but that’s what naps are for. I haven't had to off anybody in well…….a week and a half. I still try to work out some of course but other than that life is damn good”.

Zoltan laughed again and said, ‘I heard something about a possible daughter coming into your life. Is this true’? Zoltan looked at him with his wooden glass in his hands and his mouth half open.

Ydnar snickered. “She…..yeah she wants a daughter. See Zoltan the thing is, I don’t mind giving her another kid, as long as she's the one taking care of it. As a matter of fact that’s not going to work, she comes home way late sometimes so i’d be the one taking care of it. Hmmmmmmmmm, I never thought about that. Ah well, what’s the harm. The kid can stay here and grow up naturally. At some point though I need to go back to the continent and talk to Vernon about some things. One being the white frost and the other being the mages that are starting to form up”.

Zoltan laughed and said, ‘I can’t wait to watch you take care of a young female by yourself. You do realize that once she’s old enough to care, you’re going to end up spending more money than you’ve ever spent in your entire life’? Ydnar shook his head at Zoltan and swatted the air. Zoltan laughed and continued, ‘Add in the fact that women are fond of jewelry, clothes and are damn expensive to --

‘I hear you Zoltan and would like to say’, Ciri started as she walked down the stairs and turned the corner to look at the dwarf,

‘Most of the things you said were based on bias and rumors’. Zoltan laughed as Ydnar drank more from his glass. Ciri was back in her usual attire. Ydnar liked her in the beige shirt and dark brown pants that seemed to hug her slim, long legs. She didn’t have her gloves on as he knew she only used them for her sword as years of using it wore her hands down a bit. They’ve recovered but only because of the gloves. Ydnar never knew how she did it but somehow she managed to tie her shirt perfectly in a bow every single time. Granted she had practice but he swore it looked the same every time. Her Corset which protected her midsection and her belt which wound around her waist were both made of hard leather. There were blue green stones that were put into the large leather squares on the belt and Ydnar never asked her what they represented.

“Zoltan you just got shut down man”. Ydnar said laughing at the dwarf who was shaking his head with the glass in his hand.

‘Geralt my friend, would you say that Yennefer was that way’?

Ydnar wondered if it was too soon for that humor but to his surprise the witcher said,

‘Ya know, i’d have to say so. She loved jewelry, and black dresses’. The witcher said with a smile on his bearded face.

“I’d be surprised if Ciri was like that when she was younger though. Hell, even now her husband doesn’t buy her much, even though he probably should”. Ciri smiled and walked up to sit to the left of Ydnar.

‘I never really had time to enjoy that sort of thing when I was younger. I was always around royalty--

‘And now you’re around this man here’. Zoltan said with a laugh.

“Yeah i’ll admit it, i’m not royalty and have never been rich to the point where I could afford much in the way of expensive things. I remember having to hunt my own food and most of the clothes I had growing up were hand made. There were some that were bought but we did what we had to do”.

Ciri looked at him and said,

‘I’d rather have a husband who knows how to hunt, cook, and sew than one who relies on others to do so. To a certain extent I think Vernon’s spoiled with what he has now honestly’. She said as she held Ydnar’s left hand.

“Well it’s all relative to the times too. Vernon grew up in a fairly wealthy part of Skellige. I would say without a doubt and maybe Ciri you can back me up on this, but I think Skellige is much better off today than it was twenty years ago”. Yndar stated, as he took a drink from his glass and looked at Geralt who looked to be in deep thought.

‘I would agree. Really since Crach took over as ruler I would say they’ve been in fairly good hands’. Ciri said as she grabbed some of the large round blue fruit and a knife. She cut it up and gave part of it to Ydnar and the other half to herself.

‘Hey Ydnar you know a lot about weapons’? Zoltan asked as he leaned back in his chair a bit.

Ydnar took a bite of the sweet fruit and grabbed a small towel to put it on so that the table wouldn’t get juice on it.

“I feel”…….Ydnar started as he swallowed part of the fruit. “Like this isn’t going to be a happy discussion. Yes I would say I know a decent amount about weapons but then again so does Geralt”. Ydnar went back to eating the rest of the fruit and finished it. “It still tastes like it’s missing something but--

Ydnar stopped talking to catch a large dagger that Zoltan threw towards him.

‘For the love’….Ciri laughed ‘Of Kreve Zoltan…….really…..That could've cut into him and then i’d beat you up’. Zoltan laughed as Ydnar examined the weapon.

“It’s a dagger”. Ydnar said not looking up from the weapon. Ciri leaned to look at it as well.

The dwarf opened his mouth and said sarcastically, ‘I thought is was a katana. Ydnar your friggen genious’. Zoltan laughed and Geralt smiled.

“What would you like to know”? Ydnar asked as he looked at the dwarf.

‘Where did it come from? Why it has two metal clamps sticking out of it and why the bloody hell it’s a dagger when it looks more like a shortsword’. The dagger had a ruby, a sapphire, and an emerald in the neck of the weapon. Ydnar felt the cold metal clamps on the weapon. He looked at the blade and cast a spell to light the ten candles that were in the middle of the table. The dagger was extremely heavy. He knew what it was exactly.

“Well I can tell you many things about this here Zoltan”. Ciri listened in on what he was saying. To her the dagger looked beautiful as if it was crafted for knights or a prince perhaps. The blade was even painted black. Zoltan stopped leaning in his chair and came closer to him. “For one thing, these clamps are for a bow. It’s a special type of bow of course not just any bow. These three stones here Ydnar said pointing to the ruby, sapphire, and emerald respectively “Are to symbolize the duties of one's self, to God, to war, and to family. The blade is said to be tainted black with the ashes of the fallen. Those who used this would mount this on their bows and basically use it to stab people without having to draw a weapon”.

‘Who would use such a thing though? The blade is almost as long as a shortsword’. Zoltan pointed out.

“None of you here know anything about this”? Ydnar looked at each person who shook their heads.

“Wow. This is a damn rare find. I won’t ask, but wow Zoltan. This believe it or not is a Haak weapon. The Haaks are said in the Prophecy to invade in the year 1350. Many historians and myself believe that there were traces of them here before the conjunction of spheres. This proves this theory. The Haaks are damn good cavalryman and are even better archers than those of the Dryads in Brokilon. To save themselves the hassle of shooting off of their horses then getting off to a get a sword out and fight, they would strap this to their great bows and fight using both weapons. This is pretty friggen amazing”. Ydnar said as he gave the weapon back. Ydnar looked at Ciri who had her mouth open. Ydnar laughed.

“Sorry Ciri you married a nerd in terms of weapons and armor”. Ydnar stated as he took a drink of water again.

‘That…..was amazing. I had no idea that you knew that much about that sort of thing. I knew you know how to fight and all that, but that’s not common knowledge’.

Ydnar sighed. “Depends who you ask. I grew up being interested in that sort of thing. You can tell a lot about a person by what they carry on their back”.

‘That’s very true. Learned that the hard way many times’. Geralt said looking at Zoltan who twirled the weapon and put it back in his sheathe.

The dwarf started up again by saying,‘I didn’t realise this before but your son likes to leave dishes in places they don’t really belong. I walked into the house and saw on the furniture a few plates’. Zoltan laughed and Ydnar said,

“Yeah he gets that from his mother”. Ydnar said teasingly.

Ciri looked at him and punched him in his left arm.

‘Bollocks. My grandmother would’ve killed me flat out had I done something of the like when I was younger’. She said looking at Ydnar with a sideways smile.

Geralt had a rather large smile on his face and Ydnar knew what he was about to say would be good.

Geralt started off with,‘I don’t know Ciri, there were times at Kaer Morhen where your room was messy and you had some things lying around like for ex--

‘No, we don’t need to go through this Geralt’. Ciri said blushing. They all laughed and Ydnar said, “Please Geralt do tell”.  Ciri looked at him with a large smile and shook her head.

‘Things like her panties, makeup, and her pants. There was one time she left a large amount of glasses in there and Vesemir chewed you out on it’. Geralt smiled at her. Ciri laughed and said, ‘Yes…...Vesemir loved to do that. I learned pretty quickly not to do such things’.

“Yeah it’s funny the things you do when you’re younger”.

Ciri looked at Ydnar as he took a drink and said, ‘You never mentioned that girl you said who left you when you were younger and in Skellige. I’m just curious, was she cute’?

Ydnar slowly put down the glass and blushed. Zoltan caught it as did Ciri and they laughed.

“Yeah…...I thought she was at the time. I guess you could say being eight and she being eleven that I liked her. Nothing ever came of it but her and I used to walk the harbor together and talk about various things relative to history and the war and things like that. It was hard as hell to watch her go”.

‘Liked her that much did you’? Ciri said teasingly but then she saw his expression and she stopped teasing and felt bad.

“Well…..Ya know I did but I found out later she was one of the unlucky few who died during the slaughter of Cintra. Her father got away but only just. He and my dad were good friends and he actually wrote to us about what happened and at the very bottom it said, and I hate to inform your son because she really liked talking with him, but my daughter was killed as we ran out of the town, the arrows that were falling all around us, well one of them hit her right in the back of the head. If I remember right I think he said something about that he let go of her hand and ran as fast as he could. Her mother died after giving birth so he was alone for the rest of his life”. Ydnar sighed and squeezed Ciri’s shoulder. After a brief pause he said.

“It makes you really appreciate where you live and the life you have”. Ydnar said as he drank again.

Zoltan looked at him and asked, ‘Did it hurt to hear that when you were younger’?

Ydnar looked at the dwarf and said, “At the time yes. What hurt the most is the fact that she actually liked me. I hadn’t the slightest idea. I think back to that and honestly maybe it was a good thing she never told me. I would’ve been even more hurt than I was by her death. I still remember going to their house and sitting just outside of it late at night and crying. It hurt. That was...well my first run in with the death of someone who I really had a fondness for”.

Ciri put her right arm on top of his and held his hand tightly. ‘Is that why you asked me so many times if I liked you or not’? Ydnar laughed and shook his head.

“No my little swallow that was for a different reason. That was because of the fact that you are the famous Zireael. The one destined for great things. I didn’t believe that it was love. I honestly thought it would go away. All the things I heard about you and all the history I studied at various areas of the continent, and the most beautiful Cirilla, Fiona, Elen, Riannon showed up at my doorstep like that, and took a liking to me. I couldn’t believe it honestly. There are still times where I can’t believe it but then I wake up and see you sleeping next to me”. She moved her chair closer to his and she leaned against his left shoulder. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her.

‘I remember’, she started as she closed her eyes and she grabbed his right hand with her right hand. Zoltan was looking at them as was Geralt. Geralt had a smile on his face.

‘It took you a while to fall in love with me fully’. She said softly.

“Yeah, it wasn’t really until well, when you came back for me after I helped you get away from the hunt for the first time”.

Zoltan nodded his head and asked,

‘So you dealt with the hunt once before the battle’? Ydnar with his left hand stroked her soft ashen hair.

“Yes sir. I wanna say”...He laughed……”I wanna say I woke up after getting shot in my left arm by an arrow and bleeding out. I woke up in the lodge and heard movement. I thought that it was the hunt so I grabbed my axe and readied it to be thrown”.

‘Yes you did. I remember opening the door and seeing you ready to throw it at me. I nearly jumped out of my skin at that’. Ciri laughed with her eyes closed still. She picked her head up from his shoulder and looked him in his eyes and opened hers.

‘I remember telling you how impressed I was at all the dead soldiers and hounds. I clearly remember you blushing at that and then I sat on the bed next to you. I …..think that was the first time we kissed’. She said as she quickly kissed his cheek.

“Yeah I do believe you’re right. Was that the best kiss though”? Ydnar asked looking into her bright green eyes. Geralt had a warm smile on his face and Zoltan was sitting way back in his chair with a look of content.

After a brief pause she answered,‘I think the best one was at the lake at Kaer Morhen’.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Really? I never would’ve thought you would pick that one”.

‘What's the story behind this? I never heard you take her out on the lake’. Geralt asked looking at Ydnar. Ciri grabbed his left arm and slung it around her neck. The chairs were fairly large and she was skinny so she sat on his lap. He grabbed her around her waist with both arms.

“Well, this was just after we got away from the hunt. She teleported us to Kaer Morhen. I slept that night and woke up the next morning wanting to do some fishing. I think Ciri was out running. Anyway so I get the boat out there right and I’m having no luck except for some small ones. Long story short she decided to swim out to the boat tug on my line and as i’m reeling this in”...she started laughing. “As I’m reeling this in she goes up over the side as I look down to see what it was and says, You caught a Zireael fish and asks how much food you could get from it”. They laughed and Zoltan clapped his hands as he turned red from laughter.

“It gets…..it get’s better too. I tell her not much because I think this one’s too skinny and we laugh a bit and then I start splashing her with water which makes sense since she’s already wet. Then we sat there and talked for a bit and well...then we tasted each other's breath for a bit if you get my drift”.

They laughed again. ‘Ydnar you’re leaving out some of the encounter like the fact that that’s the first time you put your hands on me and well….anyway….that’s easily my favorite. He also took me there the day before the battle with the hunt and then we went dancing later that night as well. Even though you deny it you’re quite the prince charming’.

“Oh yeah right. That’s a lie. Ciri, prince charming would take you to his yacht that he has and take you out on the Great Sea to party with you all night”.

She sighed and said, ‘No Ydnar you...you are my prince charming. There isn’t a single sole out there who i’d rather spend the rest of my life with, share my memories with, and have kids with. Honestly not a sole’. Zoltan saw a tear run down his face. “Ciri…….I love you sooooo much”.

She giggled and said, ‘But I love you even more than that’. He kissed her neck and they laughed.

Vernon woke up to the bright foggy morning. He wondered for a second if it was all a dream, perhaps the dwarf didn’t really come here last night. No he did, you remember it. Stop kidding yourself. I hope he told Ydnar. He stirred and got up. Jan moved a but with her eyes still closed and asked, ‘How was your sleep’?

He rubbed his green eyes and replied, “Not bad but Zoltan came here in the middle of the night”.

She opened her eyes and he looked into her blue eyes. ‘That’s …..not good. What did he want’? She asked as she got out of the bed. She like his mom slept in her bra and panties. He liked watching her crawl in and out of bed.

“Well…..it appears there is a group of people looking for us. One man who’s a witcher….and no it’s not Geralt. I’m worried about this. My goal is to keep you safe of course and I will do that mark my words”.

She turned around and saw that he was eyeing her. She came over to him and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. He had gotten strong and looked very similar to Ydnar. She put her soft hand on his back and ran it up and down. ‘Your father was right Vernon. I think we should’ve stayed there a bit longer’.

He sighed. “That wouldn’t have done much good. Sooner or later they would’ve found us. I …..am a bit worried about this though. Witchers are well known for their strength and stamina. I…...don’t know”.

She sighed and put her head on his left shoulder. He put his arm around her.

‘We can always portal back there if we feel it’s too much’. She suggested. Over the last few days he started teaching her how to wield a sword and she was a fast learner. He wanted to make sure she could handle herself in any situation she found herself in.

“Yeah that’s true we could. We’ll be alright as long as we don’t do anything too risky. Skellige is a fairly safe place anyway”. He shivered as she went lower and lower on him. Did dad have premarital sex? I think he did but I don’t remember and i’m not sure I want the added responsibility of a child right now. Well at least until we get rid of these other pests.

“Anyway I need to do some things today. I need to stock up on some supplies and the like”.

She sat there and looked him. She was slightly shorter than his mom and maybe slightly larger around the waist but by no means was she any less beautiful.

‘I need to do some looking around here for places to put things. We still have all those boxes full of things on the first floor bedroom too’.

He shivered again as she felt his strong arms and chest. “Those can be for my dad to move around. He won’t mind”. Jan laughed. And said, ‘somehow I don’t believe he thinks like that’. She said as she kissed his cheek and got up to get herself dressed. Vernon sighed and got up off the bed too. From time to time he felt his muscles ache. Dad said that would go away and it was just from the last couple of days and the large battle before but it hurt bad when it happened. Vernon got himself dressed and grabbed his sword. Vernon came up to her and met her lips just briefly and said, “I’ll be back shortly”.

She replied, ‘Don’t take too long or i’ll get worried’. He smiled at her and said “I won’t. Relax. Just keep the door locked”. With that he walked out of the room and towards the door. He opened the door and was outside in the fresh morning air of Kaer Trolde harbor. He always liked this place. It felt so alive and teeming with life. He put his hood up. The armor he wore as usual was colored blue and gold. It fit him snugly and accompanied his sword nicely. He walked along the crescent shaped harbor to the store he was looking for. The store was actually large on the inside and had a variety of things in it. Kaer Trolde was a main hub. It got most of its supplies from imports. The stores and shops along the harbor sold everything you could ever want or need. He walked in and lowered his hood down. I hate shopping for things but as my dad would say the things we do for those we love.

She didn’t know what happened. She was outside of her room and in the guest bedroom trying to organize the massive amount of boxes full of things they received from Vernon’s mom and dad. That’s when the door came crashing down and she looked to see what happened and then things grew dark. She didn’t even have any time to scream. She had a full range of movement to her so she knew she was ok. She also knew that this meant they wanted her for something. She felt her face and saw blood on her hand when she pulled it away. She heard some of the men outside her cell talking and then she saw him. His big yellow eyes and a cat medallion dangling around his neck. She knew.

He walked his way back to the house. He picked up his pace a bit. No, no, no. He ran and saw the door was totally off it’s hinges. He dropped the brown bag on the table and looked around. “Jan”!? He yelled. He heard no answer. He went into the guest bedroom where he saw some of the boxes were moved around. He saw some blood on the carpet and felt sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and saw a blue beam of light then he was gone.

Ydnar looked at Ciri. ‘I felt it too’. She said looking at him. They were outside and he had his shirt off as they were eating lunch at one of their favorite restaurants.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions Ciri”.

She sighed and looked at him. ‘True. It could’ve come from anywhere’. They were sitting out in the warm sun. It felt good to finally be able to do things like this with him. To just be able to laugh and live life. It made up for all those times they spent away from each other. He finished his meat, sighed, and drank the ice cold beer in his hand.

“Damn. I wish we did this sooner”. She smiled and said,

‘If only it wasn’t for you know who we could’ve’. She leaned over the small round table and met his lips briefly. There were other people eating here yes but most didn’t pay much attention to them anyway.

“Was this one of the places you came to when you were being chased”? He asked as she drank some of the beer in her glass.

‘Yes. This was early in my time of playing hide and seek. Last time I was here it wasn’t with a man I loved and I definitely didn't have any alcohol with me either. Come to think of it both things could’ve help ease the burden a bit’.

They laughed. “Yeah I bet. Sorry you even had to go through that Ciri”.

She sighed and smiled one of her beautiful smiles, where her eyes seem to light up and the smile stretches from ear to ear. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry for. It …..was hard yes. Like I said before i’d do it all over again if it meant falling in love with you’.

He blushed and she saw it and giggled like a little girl. “Oh Ciri you know right where to hit me. I love you darling”.

‘I love you more my knight in shining armor’. There was a calm breeze that blew through every so often. It felt good. There weren’t many places out there that you could drink a beer outside and be totally shirtless while doing so. He loved it. He loved being with her and he loved doing things like this. Suddenly the candle lit up in front of them.

“Um”.

‘Ok really Luia you’re going to play that game’. She said looking at the young woman who was now looking at Ciri.

‘What’re you doing here I thought you had to work this afternoon’? Ciri asked as she got up and hugged the young woman. Ydnar got up and stood behind her.

‘I thought so too but they sent me back which of course I was fine about’. The woman looked very pretty to Ydnar. She like the others wore a beautiful blue and white robe that showed only part of her leg. She was at least as tall as Ciri  if not taller. She looked at him.

‘Is this the man you told me so much about’? Luis asked looking at Ciri.

She smiled and said, ‘Yes it is. This Luia is Ydnar my husband for two years now. You’ve my permission to hug him, he won’t bite’.

“We’ll now that i’m fed of course”. They laughed and she hugged him to which he showed off a bit by lifting her off the ground slightly. “Nice to meet you”. He said as she blushed noticeably. ‘See I thought you were kidding when you told me he could lift you off your feet like that but …….I see it’s true, my gosh’.

Ciri looked at him then at her and said, ‘Yeah I told you though he doesn’t admit it he’s strong as a bull’. Ciri looked at Ydnar and Luia said, ‘But he looks like a prince. You struck gold with the man Ciri you’ve absolutely struck gold’. He blushed a bit when she said it and both women noticed and giggled. ‘Would…..you like to stay and talk for a bit’? Ciri asked looking at her.

‘That sounds good actually, as long as of course, your prince doesn’t mind’? She said looking at him. “Absolutely not i’ll just grab us another chair”. He waved his arm and a chair from one of the tables across slid over to where they were and right next to the table. Luia applauded and Ydnar bowed. “That’s about all I got in terms of my ability to perform with magic”.

‘What about…..umm…...in bed…..’.

“Please”. He said blushing again. They sat down and Ciri said, ‘well we do have a kid’.

‘Really you didn’t tell me that’? Ydnar shot Ciri a quick be careful sort of glance and Ciri quickly picked up on it.

‘Yeah he’s ….let’s ...see three years old now’. Ciri said.

‘Wow. You struck gold. How’d you two meet’? Luis asked as a young lady brought more food out and some fruit.

Ciri looked at him. “Oh is it my turn to tell the story? Ok fine. It wasn’t anything that romantic but I found her out in the snow one morning and she was unconscious. I picked her up and ran the two or so miles back to the house I had in Kovir. I fixed her up over the course of about a day and she woke up. She was only supposed to spend a day with me and then it turned into two, then three, then before you know it a week went by and we just kinda fell for each other”.

Luia was speechless. ‘Is ….he always...this humble’?  She asked looking at Ciri.

‘Yes he is. Yeah, then about a little less than a year later we ended up getting married. I have absolutely no regrets. As you said I struck gold’.

“I don’t know about gold. Bronze can sometimes look like gold when looked at in dim light”.

Ciri sighed and smiled. ‘Ydnar please. There are few men i’ve met that turn me on as fast as you do, and even fewer that can make me laugh as much as you do’. He blushed again.

Ydnar drank more of the beer and sighed. He felt something explode again. Like a giant wave of energy. He briefly glanced at Ciri and she briefly looked at him and winked. He knew this could have two meanings. Either she wants to have sexy time with me which I doubt right here right now, or she wants me to go check it out. Probably the latter but you can never be sure with Ciri. Yes but that’s what what I like about her. He stood up and looked down one of the dirt paths a ways. He could see some Redanians walking down the road. What in Kreves name is going on here. He wondered. No those aren’t Redanians there some sort of sect of them. They came around the corner of the building and stopped and looked at him. Ciri got up and took hold of his right arm. Luia stood next to Ydnar.

‘We want you to come with us’. The large red colored guard with a giant beard said. “I don’t go anywhere without her”. He said pointing to Ciri.

‘Are ye deaf? You come with us’.

“My final time I say this. I don’t go anywhere without her. The next time you ask you’ll be looking at the sky”. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Luia blush slightly. The other people who were eating outside looked up and were watching intently.

‘Alright fine have it your way but no sudden moves understand’? The bearded one asked.

“Loud and clear”. Ydnar looked at Ciri and said, “Well sorry Luia guess this time is cut short”.

‘No big deal. I hope to see you two around again sometime’.

‘That goes double for us’. Ciri said. She grabbed his right hand and they followed the three guards through the street. She looked at him and said, ‘Ydnar, baby, you’re hotter than hell to me right now’. She said as she kissed him quickly on his right cheek.

“Easy my rosy cheeked swallow, not right here”. He said as they kept walking further back towards the start of the small town and took a right.

The guards led them to a cell with a familiar looking boy locked in it. The largest of the guards with the beard walked over to the door and unlocked it. Vernon came walking out and looked at Ydnar.

“What were you holding him for”? Ydnar asked. Vernon stood behind Ydnar.

‘That’s none of your f*****g business. You’ve got him now that’s all that matters’.

Ydnar had enough of this bearded guard talking to him and very quickly pulled out his dagger, threw it, and hit the man straight in the face with it.

“He’s my son. I have the right to know why you were holding him”.

‘Watch yourself or we'll call more guards to kick your a*s’. The shorter man said as the bearded one pulled the dagger out of his head and tossed it on the dirt ground.

“Think I give a s**t how many guards you have? I can kick your a*s just as well without a sword as with one so go right ahead and call those guards. All I want to know is why you were holding him”?

‘He’s wanted for killing some guards at the main gate’.

“Ok. See that wasn’t so hard after all was it? Alright i’ll leave you lot alone then”. The threesum started walking away and followed the path back towards the house.

‘Dad I didn’t kill any guards I swear’. Vernon said as they continued walking back.

“Not here Vernon, back at the house”.

He opened the door and Ciri walked in first and sighed. She leaned up against the wall near the marble table and said. ‘Ydnar……...why is it every time we try to have a meal together or share some laughs does it end like this? Can we ever just eat and drink with no interruptions’? She asked as Vernon took a seat at one of the large dark chairs that were around it. There was no one else at the table at this moment. Ydnar still shirtless came up to Ciri and said, “Relax, I know it sucks I agree. Believe me i’d rather”, he stopped and looked at Vernon who looked at them and he continued, “I’d rather treat you and my son to drinks and food at the restaurant, than fetch him from the reds”. Vernon laughed briefly. He met Ciri’s lips and eased her tension a bit.

“I’ll take both of you out to dinner tonight ok”? Ydnar asked and Ciri said,

‘Ok...sounds good’.

“When do you have to work next”?

Ciri sighed and sat down across from Vernon.

‘Tomorrow morning, I leave early’. Ciri answered.

“Awww. I was hoping to have my heater around for the night”. Vernon and Ciri laughed. Ydnar sat down next to Ciri.

“Well first off it’s good to see you in one piece. Secondly I don’t care why you were in there. I didn’t for a second believe what the guards told me about you. Thirdly, this has something to do about the Witcher that I saw doesn’t it”? Ydnar asked looking into Vernon’s green eyes.

‘You know about him’? Vernon asked surprised. He grabbed a glass and cast a spell to fill it up with water.

“Of course I do. Zoltan who’s currently somewhere with Geralt probably, told me that he stopped by and told you about what was going on. That was after I saw the witcher with the cat medallion. So what happened”?

Vernon sighed and started, ‘Well, I went to the market to get some supplies and I came back and the door is knocked off it’s hinges, Jan’s missing, and there’s a large red spot where I suspect she was before they took her’. Vernon drank the water and set the glass back on the table. Ciri looked at Ydnar with the eyes that said, don’t go.

Ydnar looked at her and he rubbed her face and her scar. “I think you know what this means Cirilla. I have to go and investigate”.

‘Ydnar you promised me--

“Ciri I promised you two weeks you’re right. Now that they took direct action against my own son though they pissed me off and now he’s in danger, not to mention his girlfriend too. I can’t just sit here and pretend. I…..i’m sorry”. Ciri closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can give you a week at most though. It’s going to take me time to figure out what our next step is at this point. I don’t want to just walk in blindly”. Vernon thought he himself was strong but then Ydnar stretched and he saw he was still much stronger than Vernon.

‘Do you think they’ll break in here dad’? Vernon asked as his dad cast a spell and filled all the glasses up with water. He grabbed the one closest to him and put it in front of Ciri. Vernon handed him one that was next to him and Ydnar grabbed it and drank it. Ydnar sighed and said, “If they tried it would be foolish. Against this many people. Ciri from now on in the morning you carry a longsword with you. I don’t care it you have to leave it outside the place you work but from now on every time you leave this house you’re armed. Same goes for you and I Vernon”. He sighed and drank more. “I want to see what they do next”.

‘I see that look’. Ciri said looking at Ydnar. ‘Oh come off it, i’ll be fine, I can handle myself in a fight’. She said.

“Against a witcher assassin? That’s tempting fate Ciri. I agree your swordsmanship is top notch, even to mine honestly. Just be careful please. The thought of losing you again well…..makes me very sick to my stomach”. She looked at him and kissed him long on his neck.

‘I know it does. It’s the same way I feel about both of my men. I’ll be alright not to worry’. She said as he held her in his right arm and she leaned her head into his neck.

Ydnar looked at Vernon and said, “So other than that how’s life over there been”? Ydnar asked with a smile.

Vernon allowed himself to smile with them. ‘It’s been good except for this one little error. It’s funny too because before I left I told her to keep the door locked. I also been teaching her how to use a sword so she feels a bit safer at home when i’m away’. Vernon said as he took a drink.

“That’s a good idea. Don’t worry about her too much. They need her alive. Besides, we’ll get her back Vernon”.

‘Until then can I stay here with you’? Vernon asked looking at mom and then dad.

“Absolutely. I think the bedroom all the way on the left has yet to be claimed”. Ydnar said as he rubbed Ciri’s head and ran his right hand through her soft, silky hair. She started to purr and he smiled.

‘Man, I still feel lazy’. She said with her eyes closed.

“Good. That’s exactly how you’re supposed to feel my soft little swallow”.

She giggled. ‘You impressed the crap out of my friend by the way. Me as well. That was pretty amazing. I like the way you did that’. She laughed. Ydnar ran his hands through her hair and kissed her head briefly.

‘What happened’? Vernon asked.

“Oh nothing much. One of your mom’s friends came over and sat with us for lunch this afternoon and I picked her up just to show off a bit. It wasn’t anything big. My tip to you Vernon is if you want Jan to give it to you, pick her up. Just be damn sure you can do it safely before you do. Women for some reason or another like it”. Vernon laughed.

‘Well I think it just makes them feel safe, knowing that they have a superhero as their husband. Don’t refute it Ydnar, you’re my superhero, and prince charming’. She said as she ran her hand up and down his scarred chest.

“Hey I used to be just one and now i’m both. I’m moving up the food chain”. They laughed. Ciri yawned and said, ‘It’s hard leaving you so early in the morning Ydnar. I see you sleeping and I want to jump back in bed and sleep with you’.

Ydnar laughed. “I bet. You work hard there Ciri. With the lodge under your supervision they can finally be built back up and get rid of their tarnished reputation. It’s probably stressful as well isn’t it”?

Ciri sighed and said, ‘it is. Working with Triss, dealing with issues about this or that, then they’re trying to get us to recruit more mages so they can build a school here. I might be getting sent to a few places soon. I….don’t like the idea of this but if it’s what I got to do then i’ll do it’. She said.

“House is going to be damn quiet then. That’s going to be hard letting you go for a few days like that Ciri. I’ll do it of course but….i’ll definitely miss you”.

She sighed and said to him, ‘We’ve some things to do before that though Ydnar’.

Ydnar drank the rest of his glass and Ciri yawned again. Ydnar smiled again and very gently picked her up. He looked at Vernon and said, ‘I think I better go lay your mother down in bed a bit so she has energy to go out later tonight”.

‘Sounds like a plan. I think I may do the same myself’. Ydnar smiled and carried her up the stairs and into the rightmost bedroom. The covers were already off to the side of the bed so all he did was set her down on the right side of the bed with her head on the pillow and pull the covers over her. He undid her sword belt that wound around her chest diagonally and set it on the marble table in the room. Ydnar went over to the door, closed it, then locked it up. He sighed and came around the bed to the other side. He took his black pants off, and his boots, then slid under the covers and pulled up to his chest. She took her gloves off, which she had on since the argument with the guard earlier that day. She put them behind her on a small brown wooden night stand, Ciri then took her leather bracers off her arms and undid the string on her shirt. She didn’t take it off but she loosened it. Ciri undid her belt around her waist and her corset. She set them down on the floor. Yeah maybe some of what Geralt said is true about me but i’m married now, so it doesn’t matter anyway. She laid her sleepy head on the soft white pillow and rolled to her left side to see Ydnar looking straight up at the ceiling with his head on a pillow. He had a blank expression on his face. His eyes were darting left and right every few seconds. Ciri had spent enough time now with him to know what that meant. She grabbed his right arm and she pulled herself closer to him so she could lie on his naked chest. She put her head on his right shoulder. She put her right hand on his chest and said softly to him in the dark cool room, ‘That ceiling is interesting isn’t it’? She had her eyes open only slightly.  Ydnar laughed and said softly, “I agree I like how they painted it tan while the walls are white”.

Ciri giggled softly. She brought her legs which were still in her leather pants that hugged her lower body, up over his and asked him, ‘What are you worried about’? She rubbed his strong chest.

Ydnar sighed and said, “It was that easy to tell I was worried about something”?

Ciri giggled softly and replied, ‘Ydnar, i’ve spent enough time with you to know what most of your expressions mean now’. She said as he put his right arm around her back.

He sighed deeply and said, “It’s my son, I know. Part of me feels like …..this sounds so dumb….Part of me feels like I should let him work through it and find her by himself as I had to with you. The other part says I need to help him find her and should get back out of hiding, and return to the continent. I think the first part is more out of laziness than anything else”.

Ciri kissed his neck, again, and again softly, and ran her hand up his pecks. She stopped and whispered softly, ‘That’s exactly how I feel too’.

Ydnar with his left hand brushed her silky ashen hair and felt her soft, smooth, skin that felt extremely cool to the touch.

“Well”….he started after a brief pause. “You’ll be staying here and taking care of whatever comes up”.

Ciri sighed and said, ‘Ydnar….please let me go with you. This is our son we’re talking about’. She replied.

“Ciri, you have a job, soon you’re going to have another kid, and you told me that they may be sending you places on the continent as well. I don’t see how you’d be able to go with me”. She sighed heavily and tapped her fingers on his chest. Ydnar looked at her green eyes and felt sorry for her.

‘How strong can one woman be? How many times must we do this’? She sighed and closed her eyes.

“Ciri I wish I could tell you. I’ll have Vernon to back me up so you don’t have to worry too much about me”. He whispered softly.

No Ydnar I will. I will always worry about you when i’m not around. I don’t want to lose you now, just before we have our second child, that we can love together and spend more time with.

‘It’s ……..I …...d****t….I hurt every time you leave me. I feel like I may never see you again. Back then it was only bandits and hired thugs, now it’s turning into whole groups with many members who want this sort of power. Where Ydnar is it going to stop? I know…..I get it…..you don’t know…..it just…...It drives me insane and you’re the only thing that helps me keep my sanity’.  Ydnar rubbed her back and ran his fingers through her hair. He kissed her head and put his left hand on top of her right hand which was on his chest. He held her small tender hand.

‘I don’t know’. Ciri said after a while of silence. She closed her eyes. ‘I think about sleeping at night, in a bed that was designed for two. I shouldn’t feel this way. You married a woman who isn’t used to how much men like you move around. I wouldn’t make a very good army wife’.

Ydnar could smell the sweet perfume that came off her skin. He felt peaceful, just lying there in a bed with the one he loved.

“Ciri I married a woman who has a problem that cannot be fixed. It’s the same problem we share together. The fact is we just love each other too much. You and I. We’ve both seen each other in our worst and best times”. Ydnar could feel her chest expand and contract every time she breathed.

She giggled slightly. ‘How did a witcher even get over to this part of the world’? She asked softly.

Ydnar closed his eyes and said, “Probably had some help in doing so. I need information and leads. I’ll still give you that week Ciri. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, will take me away from that”.

Ciri sighed and said, ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Ydnar …...I love you’. She whispered as she kissed his neck and put her head back on his shoulder.

“I love you forever after Ciri”. The room was dark, the air was cool, and the warmth from both of their bodies provided enough heat for them to not get too cool. It wasn’t long before the rhythmic pattern of deep sleep could be heard in the room.

“That’s absolutely all I know”. Jan said as she looked at the menacing eyes of the witcher.

‘How long have they been there’? The man said in a deep raspy voice.

“Maybe a week at this point”. She said nervously. The room they were in was dark except for two candles that were burning on the small wooden table. She was sat at one end of the table and she saw three others sitting on the sides of the rectangular table. She knew at least two of them were witchers and the third looked to be a mage.

She was chained up to the wooden chair that she was sitting in.

‘Are these, the one witcher with a hood up started, ‘The same group of people who killed off the hunt’?

Jan sighed and said, “Yes”.

‘And your father is the man who headed it’? The man asked quickly.

“Yes”. She lied to cover up her real parents identity.

‘Brehen we can’t face that many men and take two prisoners. There’s no way. Especially with another witcher around’. The other larger witcher said.

‘Maybe you can’t yes but my stealth abilities are high. He won’t be the problem I suspect. I think Ydnar will though. If what they say about him is true then the man is a skilled warrior. I looked into his eyes at the tavern one morning and saw the eyes of a confident swordsman, who’s not afraid to prove it. Perhaps we capture his wife’? Brehen postulated.

‘Ha’….The male mage laughed suddenly. ‘Capture a Hen Ichaer? How’s that going to work out? Yes I can set traps and spell lock her but only for a short time. Then there’s Ydnar and his son who both have the gene as well’.

‘Yes, I know this thank you. The man loves his wife dearly from what I gathered. He also loves his son as well. If either of them were captured he would surely follow and--

‘I’ll finish that lousey thought for you, and kill every one of us, as he did with those Zerrikanians’. The mage interrupted.

Brehen sighed and said, ‘That won’t happen. I say we hold out and wait for him to start looking around. Once he does we go in and try to get his wife. No doubt he’ll bring his son with him and the two of them together would be too much, even for us lot. We’ll figure something out not to worry. In the meantime try to make yourselfs seen around the town more. Try to get a good look at the house if you can. The more we know about their routine the better off we are. Alright, undue her shackles and put her back in the room’. She started to hurt severely and then darkness.

It was now the evening and Ydnar was the first to wake up. Ciri who was still on his chest stirred shortly after him.

“You still wanna go out to eat tonight”? He asked as he felt her head and rubbed her back.

‘If you don’t mind’? She asked as she slowly got up off of him.

“Not at all”. He said as he got up and pushed the covers off. He decided to put his clothes on and his armor as well. After all they were getting more attention than he liked. She put her corset and other things like her belt back on. She grabbed the harness for her sword and strapped it to herself again. Ydnar sat on the bed and put his black and gold boots on. She looked at him and he stood up and walked with her to the door. Ydnar timed it perfectly, so that as she reached for the door and her focus was on something else, he quickly grabbed her hand and spun her off balance back to his chest and met her lips. She loved it when he did that. He did it so gracefully every single time too. She put her arms on his chest and closed her eyes as they found each others tongue and said hello. He put his ungloved hands on her waist and she lifted her right leg up off the ground. She started to moan and breath more heavily. She pushed him back slightly and turned him so he was against a wall. She felt the tingle on her tongue and then in her back. He put his right hand up around her neck, she shivered slightly. Her mouth was full of saliva, her breasts were pushed up against his chest, and even though he had two layers on, he could feel them pushing against him. She pushed her legs into his and he could feel the gentle curve of her thighs. She opened her eyes, brought her soft pink lips back maybe an inch if that, and said in a quiet whisper,

‘You’re right...I love you too much’. He smiled and she tilted her head and came back in for desert. She felt him put his hand on her thigh, near her vaginal region and she experienced a series of tingles and felt as if she had just taken fisstech. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling she got as he worked her tongue over with his. This….well...this is why I don’t want him to leave. Not the whole reason but a good part of it. D****t Ydnar I don’t want you to leave me. Very skillfully he undid her pants with one hand and put the same hand inside them to feel her warm smooth thigh, and hips. Ciri, though she didn’t have her eyes open, felt herself blush. She could barely stand, as the feeling of him with his hand near her goods made her legs weak. He could feel the edges of her soft panties and he dropped her pants a bit lower to follow the line around the left side of her butt. She blushed again and he felt her tremble and shake slightly as he did this. With her shaking hands she undid his pants which dropped to the floor and using feeling rather than sight she found his long sword. She went inside of his briefs and put her cool hand on his hard, long shaft. With her left hand, as she retracted her lips and came back in at a slightly steeper angle, she took her panties off and then took his briefs completely off. He had his eyes closed and felt her, as she still made love to his tongue, felt her guide him into her weak spot and he worked her hard and fast. She felt it penetrate deep inside of her and she felt even weaker to the point of where she felt if it wasn’t for his hands on her waist she would’ve fallen to the floor. She started moaning louder and louder, she put her right hand down to feel it and it was slippery as it went through her hands. Her breasts were bouncing and bumping into his chest as he worked her hard. For her this was a full time job, and she thought he should earn a decent sum for his effort and the way he made her feel. She felt how wet it was down below and with her hand she brought the sweat and other orgasmic fluids up to him and rubbed it on his neck. She was sweating and felt wet in her clothes. She opened her eyes just briefly and saw how sweaty his neck was and smiled, as she continued making love to him. She moaned again and retracted her lips to put her head on his chest. She knew when he finished since she could feel the hot love drip into her. He slowly pulled it out and she ran her hands across it to feel how wet it was. It was hard to hold onto but she did hold onto it. Both of them opened their eyes and she smiled and kissed him long. After a bit she retracted and said, ‘Ydnar……..what...a workout…...my prince... is a bear in knights clothing in the bedroom’. He laughed and said softly to her,

“Now we should probably take a bath. I hate to say it but this isn’t like my sword where I leave the blood smeared on to remind people that I use it”. Ciri looked at him in his eyes and blushed, she then said ‘Well you could, but then I think people might wonder…….why it got so long’.

They both laughed and walked towards the bathroom and tub. On the way Ciri shed off the rest of her clothing and Ydnar took his chest armor and shirt off and set them on the bed. He worked his magic and then got in the tub. Pink bubbles started rising up and she applauded him as she entered and pushed her breasts up against him; she went immediately into round two of pole dancing.

Dandelion who was downstairs with Vernon, heard the moans and they laughed looking at each other.

‘Hopefully….they don’t hurt themselves. I swore they just got done with that a little bit ago’. Vernon commented as he looked at the bard who smiled and said,

‘They did but Ydnar has the stamina of a chort and she has the body of a princess. The two of them together is ….well…….let’s just say that if a fiend comes over to the house looking for his opposite sex, I think we’ll know why’. They laughed again. He heard his mom moan even louder and he laughed again until he was totally red in the face.

‘I hope…..Jan moans like that. I wanted to find out later today but that ship has now sailed’. Vernon said looking out the two large windows at the bright evening sky.

‘Well…...don’t by the way tell your dad i’m giving you tips on sexual relations but every woman has their weak spot. Some are just a bit harder to find. Ciri well, he just knows’. They laughed again.

Ydnar pulled back out of her mouth this time and lied back down in the warm water. He looked at her shaking his head and said,

“Why…..in the hell did you want me to put it there? I’m not complaining mind you but…

She giggled and swallowed his white sticky contents which to her surprise didn’t really taste like much of anything, not that she was expecting it to taste like vanilla pudding in the first place. She was surprised at how much he could produce. It was thick, and extremely viscous; and as such she had a hard time with it, but eventually it went down the back of her throat.

She laughed and said, ‘I suppose I just wanted to try something new. I don’t know honestly. I liked it but then again I didn’t really have to do much in the way of work to get it so…..anyway’ she said blushing. He loved it when she was naked and she laughed. It made her breasts bounce.

“I hate to say it my violated swallow but we only have about four hours till sunset”. Ydnar said as he got out of the tub, stretched and grabbed the green towel that sat on the marble countertop. She watched it bounce up and down then steady itself. I feel so horny right now……….damn…..

She giggled and said, ‘Violated….mmmmmmmm…...that’s a damn good word for it I do believe’. He blushed and shook his head. She got out of the tub and rubbed her chest against his back to dry off. He laughed as he felt her soft, cool, breasts run up and down his back.

“Really Cirilla? Don’t make me violate you a third time’. Ydnar said turning around and drying off his now wet back.

Ciri pushed her breasts up against his chest and brought her forehead close to his. ‘Please…..Ydnar…’. She tilted and met his lips and tongue. He brought his hand down and rubbed her legs but then she grabbed it and put it closer to her vagina. He ran his hand playfully across it and felt how incredibly wet it was. He put his fingers in just slightly and felt how soft, moist, and tight it was. He retracted his lips and said,

“D****t Cirilla, i’m not going to be able to put my armor back on since I didn’t measure based on whether the fact I had a drawn sword out.”. She laughed and then said,

‘Fine, i’ll let you sheathe it’. She said as she dropped something on the floor and as she bent over to get it she licked the tip of it with her cat like tongue. He laughed and shook his head. She then came back up and smiled at him with her playful sideways smile.

‘Ydnar…...that ..was the most pleasure i’ve ever had. Worthy of a novel written in red ink. Thanks for that. I’d like to see prince charming try and top that’. She said as she started getting dressed. He cast a spell and the water disappeared and the tub became empty again.

Ydnar laughed suddenly and said, “I’d like to think that somewhere Lambert is watching or felt it or something of the sort”. He looked at her and they laughed loud enough to be heard on the first floor, and Ciri applauded him for the comment.

They walked down the green stairs and opened the door to the outside world. Before they left the bathroom Ciri made Ydnar promise to never speak of what happened. This is where he got confused. She loved him but she wanted others to know that so she was fine with him picking her up and loving her in front of people but when it came to production time she didn’t want anything said about what happened. He could understand it to a point, but still, it made him wonder. Either way it was still warm outside. Vernon was waiting leaning up against the front of the house. When they approached Vernon he put a smile on his face and nodded his head.

“See I told you not to be so damn loud”. Ydnar said as he collected his son and they started walking off.

They were seated outside of another tavern. This one was at the far end of town. It was busy but it wasn’t overcrowded. Ciri Ydnar, and even Vernon had a cold beer in their hand and were seated at a square shaped table that was just outside the door of the small wooden lodge. A warm wind was blowing through and it felt good as the sun was an hour or so away from setting. Ydnar looked at Vernon who was drinking more of his glass. “Did you notice there were two men watching us more closely than any of the others Vernon”? Ciri who was sitting to the left of Ydnar held his left hand. Ciri and Ydnar had their hoods up. Ydnar always thought Ciri looked good with her dark blue hood up, especially her bright green eyes.

Vernon sighed and said, ‘No….were there’?

Ydnar nodded his head and said, “Yeah there were. Pick up your scanning a bit. If you’re living alone you need to be able to tell when someone’s giving you too much attention. I bet you they moved now though. If they were smart that is”.

Ciri looked at him and said, ‘Ydnar let’s not start anything’.

He sighed and looked at her. “Ciri, you don’t have to get involved but i’d like to at least know why they’re eyeing us up”.

Vernon laughed and said, ‘Could be they heard you in the bathroom’, he said quietly. They laughed and Ciri blushed.

‘I forgot. I thought’….she laughed. ‘I thought we were at Kaer Morhen where we had more room to be able to do that sort of thing’. They laughed again.

Ydnar drank more of his beer. He saw one of the men come up to the one of the tables outside and sit down at one where he could still get a good view of Ydnar and Ciri at. Though the man was wearing the usual clothing of a passerby, his scars and long katana on his back told otherwise. Ydnar couldn’t get a good look at his eyes but again he had a pretty good idea about what kind of man he was just by the weapon he had on his back. The man had a long grey robe on and his hood was up to most likely block out others from seeing him. He stretched and Ydnar saw an odd symbol placed on his forearm. Some sort of tattoo. Ydnar adjusted his dual swords on his chest and the one on his back trying to get a feel for where they were and also trying to see if this man had the guts to stick around. Vernon looked in the direction that people were coming from and found no one suspicious. The young woman came to the table with the food and they all ate well that evening. There were now a number of people sitting down around the outside area now. Ciri and Vernon were talking about something but Ydnar blocked it out and out of the corner of his eye he saw the man turn towards him and Ydnar knew he was the one he and Geralt saw earlier. The orange eyes and the hood. It all came together. One more casual walker came by and pretended to have a casual conversation with him. The two men got up and walked away. Ydnar sighed and said,

“Ciri, when the woman comes pay her with these”, Ydnar said giving her many gold coins. He then got up and said, “When you’re done and as soon as you’re done, take Vernon back to the house with you. Vernon, you keep a damn close watch behind you on your way back. Please try not to worry about me”. He said as he turned around and headed after the two man group.

‘Ydnar where are you going’? Ciri asked but he was already walking at a fast pace. Ciri looked at Vernon and Vernon said, ‘Isn’t it obvious? He’s tracking the two men that he believes have my friend’.

Ciri now understood. ‘That was dumb. I should’ve guessed that’. Ciri said watching him walk away.

Ydnar went from gentlemen mode to take names and kick a*s mode quickly. He didn’t want to get too close to the men as he already knew that one was a witcher. Ydnar tracked them before and knew that they were exceptionally dangerous. The sun was pretty much down and Ydnar also knowing that witchers have enhanced night vision took a blue pill that enhanced his night vision just as much. The path they took led them out of the town. There was also the possibility that the two men were trying to lead Ydnar away from Ciri and Vernon but they could handle themselves. Even if they have to teleport. Ydnar heard it. People were yelling about something. Ydnar knew. He turned around immediately and headed back to the town. As soon as he did that he heard the two men he was following turn and now follow him. Ydnar’s ego got the best of him. Ydnar ran as fast as he could into the rush of people running away and hoped he wasn’t too late.

He arrived on the seen and immediately took out both his emerald long swords. One was a mage and the other was …….a witcher. They have two witchers? What in the f**k? D****t, Geralt you and your morals. The two men still didn’t see him. Ciri looked nervous and eyed up the situation. Ydnar decided to show himself and said, “How’s it going men”? Ydnar looked at each of them closely. Ciri and Vernon came up behind Ydnar.

‘You sir have no business here. Put your pretty little swords away before we light you up’. The mage said in a deep voice. Ydnar was no stranger to mages but he knew they could kill in an instant and he decided to reach into his pocket and put on a deterioration ring. It was a small ring with a ruby made of Dimeritium in the very center. The wearer would push the ring into his finger to make himself bleed then it would lessen the effects of any magic to the point of hurting but not doing severe damage.

“Not until I know what’s going on here”. Vernon got nervous as the mage shot some sort of fireball at Ydnar but to his astonishment he seemed to make it disappear in his hand.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Why’d you have to do that? I just wanted to have a conversation with you about what’s going on here”. Ydnar was no fool. He knew the mage was damn good and the fireball was just a test to see if Ydnar knew novice level spells. Ydnar also knew that he needed one of the men alive and now two others were walking up to the two who were here originally.. The sun was now below the horizon and all the people in the small town closed their doors or ran away.

‘Well, well….Ydnar, it’s good to see you still breathing’. The original witcher said.

Ydnar paced back and forth and said, “I feel like you're telling a lie on that”.

Ciri tensed up a bit. Ydnar concentrated hard and telepathically told Ciri to get Vernon the hell away from here when it all goes down. Find Geralt and have him help you out too. Ciri moved closer to vernon and grabbed his hand.

‘Look. You know what we want and we’ll even take him without any blood. His calling is for the white frost and the beginning of the end. Not to live out in some botched up area with a woman he can’t even say the name of without wincing’. Ydnar knew Vernon tensed up at the comment.

“I think his calling is none of your bloody business”. Ydnar said looking at the witcher.

‘I’ve had enough’! The mage declared as he shoot a lightning bolt through the air at Ydnar which he dodged with ease. Ciri and Vernon teleported away and Ydnar was alone with four dangerous men around him. Ydnar immediately charged the mage then teleported to one of the witchers and got him with one sword as he used the other to cut his head off. The other witcher was damn quick. He leaped a large distance and attacked quickly. Ydnar kicked him in the face but the attacks kept coming on strong. Ydnar knew he was in considerable danger at this point. The mage cast some sort of fire explosion Ydnar had just enough time to back step away from. He rushed the mage in red and then teleported behind him and got him through the back. The two that were left looked at him and wondered. The witcher came at him and  hit hard and fast. The other man was strong as well. The two of them joined forces and Ydnar couldn’t get a hit off on them. The witcher cast some sort of shock wave which made Ydnar stumble and the large man got him in his right shoulder. Blood shot out and pain worked it’s way through his body. The armor helped soften the blow considerably but it still hurt bad and damaged his ability to fight. Ydnar blocked and dodged, Ydnar knew he had to get the larger man down now, while he still had the energy to do it. Ydnar blocked and kicked the witcher then before the larger man had time Ydnar thrusted both long swords through the man's gut.He quickly pulled them out and just barely blocked the witchers attack. The man was damn fast and knew how to fight. It was totally dark but the pill he took lasts for hours so he had time. The witcher used a shockwave spell again and this time knocked Ydnar down. He struggled to get back up. The witcher leaped but Ydnar kicked the man in his chest and he staggered as Ydnar got back up. Ydnar’s arm was going numb now. The witcher circled and looked at him with a hideous grin.

‘You fight hard Ydnar. I hope you realize that i’ve more men at my disposal than this though. You only put off the inevitable. I shall give you the ability to escape if you want. This time is yours’. Ydnar reached into his right pocket in his pants took a red pill and said to the witcher,

“I don’t run. Shut….up and fight me”. Ydnar said as he moved in on the man. Ydnar tried teleporting but the witcher was too quick for that to work and rolled out of the way before he could get a sword on him.  The witcher attacked and Ydnar dodged, then blocked then dodged again, Ydnar then blocked and crossed swords with him. The witcher said,

‘You cannot beat me Ydnar. I’m trained to kill and have all the advantages of mutations on my side’.

“Bull f*****g s**t”! Ydnar said as he pushed back with all his strength and the witcher for the first time stumbled. Ydnar quickly teleported and stuck his sword into the pile of air that used to be where the witcher was. The witcher rolled out of the way quickly and easily. Ydnar was exhausted. Sweat and blood dripped from his arms. He was breathing heavily. ‘I’m impressed. You’ve done well. Now is your chance to leave Ydnar.  You won’t get another’. Ydnar came up to him and swung low then high with both swords. He twisted his hips to get more momentum off his swings. The witcher tried to kick him but Ydnar grabbed his leg and twisted so he was flat on the ground. Before he had time to get himself up. Ydnar headbutted him. He fell on top of the witcher and grabbed the man around his neck. He squirmed and kicked trying to get Ydnar off of him. He shot a fire spell at Ydnar which hit but Ydnar thanks to his ring blocked it out.

“Quit squirming you piece of filth. I want to know where she is at. That’s it”. He felt a sharp pain in his lower back. Then another in his lower legs. Archers great. Ydnar stepped his foot on the man and took off all his weapons and then grabbed him and went deep into the woods near the dirt trail. The witcher said,

‘You can let me go now’.

Ydnar laughed. “Why the flying f**k would I do that”? Ydnar asked as he set the man back down on the ground and put his foot on his chest.

‘I have no weapons. You’ve beat me fair and square. I will tell you the truth. Though well….your son won’t like it one bit’. Ydnar sighed and scratched his head.

“Fine, but I swear don’t make me rethink this or your head will find a new forest to call it’s home”. He got off the witcher and followed him to a tree stump. He sat down and Ydnar stood.

‘For shites sake stop looking at me like that. I’m not going to run’.

“Somehow I don’t believe you”.

‘Sit ydnar’. The witcher said pointing to a stump next to him.

Ydnar reluctantly sat down. “Are you going to tell me”? Ydnar asked looking at him.

‘Yes’.

“F**k! Ydnar swore and punched a large tree with his fist.”You’re telling me you sold her to the Zerrikanians”? Ydnar asked looking at him.

‘Yes. I had no choice really. Anyway i’ll be going on my way now. Yes i’m done chasing you now that the Zerrikanins are starting to’. The witcher got up from the stump and walked away leaving Ydnar deep in the dense green forest. It was starting to get light outside. He knew Ciri was already off at work and he cursed again. He decided to clear his mind and walk back instead of teleporting back.

Vernon was already outside the house.

‘Did you just get back from the fight’?! He asked with a surprised look on his face.

“The fight was done many hours ago but according to the witcher you’re friend is in Zerriakania. Pack your bags and get things set up. We need to go there as quickly as we possibly can to not waste any time”.

Vernon sighed as Ydnar went into the house. Vernon followed him in and went up to his bedroom to grab his weapon.

“Is mom at work”? Ydnr asked from his bedroom.

‘Yeah. She said she wanted to see you before you go but that didn’t happen’. Vernon said as he walked into Ydnar’s bedroom.

‘Why do I feel like this is just going to be a chase from one lousy area to the next’? Vernon said as he sat on the bed. Ydnar looked at his son then said,

“It’s understandable you feel that way. Why the Zerrikanians I don’t honestly know. To me it doesn’t make much of any sense. We’ll have to be careful there though”.

Vernon looked at him ad Ydnar grabbed a pen and paper and started writing a note to Ciri.

‘I thought you had good relations with them’? Vernon asked as he got up off the bed to read what he was writing.

“I did until an incident happened where I was forced to kill some of them”. Ydnar said. Dear my little swallow,

Sorry I wasn’t home yesterday. I ran into some problems, one of them being, the Witcher is damn good with a sword. I’m ok, my wounds will heal not to worry. By the time you’re reading this I hope to be in Lyria. I am headed to Zerrikania with Vernon. I wanted to waste no time as I know the Zerrikanians can move fast and are some of the best warriors in the Northern Realms. I know I promised you a week but I can’t make that happen at this point. I hope the baby arrives when I come back not when i’m away. Ciri I love you, there won’t be a day that goes by where I won’t be thinking about you. Please take care of yourself. I will be back, I promise I will be back. Ydnar went to the very bottom and wrote, -Your knight in shining armor, Ydnar. Vernon sighed and said,

‘That was well written, maybe she won’t be upset with you then in that case’.

Ydnar looked at him as he set the letter down on the bed. “Knowing your mom, I still think she’ll be angry, but I think she’ll understand. Besides I have you this time and that means I don’t have to talk to myself”. Vernon laughed as Ydnar held out a gloved hand and Vernon took it and off they went.

Zerrikania was about as far east as one could go on the continent. They were well know for the warriors they produced there and for the Spices they export. They appeared in the outskirts of town. Ydnar put his hood up and looked at Vernon.

“You follow my every move. Don’t stare too long at anyone person, and don’t whack anybody unless my sword comes out first understand”?

‘Yes I do’. Vernon said as Ydnar let go of his hand and motioned him to follow. They walked into the large town. Ydnar knew this was going to take months to track down a needle in a haystack. The town was large and reminded him of Novigrad with it’s bustling shops and vendors and large amount of people walking around on the streets. It was very dusty outside and the wind wasn’t helping at all in that regard. Ydnar made his way through the crowd and into a tavern which was busy but there was a booth at the far back of the tavern that was open. Ydnar sat down and Vernon sat on the opposite corner. Vernon looked at Ydnar and Ydnar looked around at the people. “Vernon, everytime you walk into a tavern, look around at who’s in it. Anyone who looks at you too long can be an issue and should be carefully watched. Once your done only then do you start to relax”.

‘Got it’. Vernon replied. The tavern was made out of sandstone and was actually well constructed and had paintings up of various locations on the continent. Ydnar looked briefly at the two warriors who entered the tavern. The two females looked at him and one seemed to recognize him.

“Vern, act cool and calm”. The warriors walked up to him and the one asked, ‘Are you the famous Ydnar that we’ve heard about all over our lands’?

“That depends who’s asking”. Ydnar shot back at the young warriors.

‘Sorry, we’re friends of the one warrior Faine’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Yes that’s me. Keep it down though. Vernon scoot over a bit and give the lady some room”. Vernon did as Ydnar did the same and they sat together.

“Am I that well know here”? Ydnar asked as the young woman brought Vernon and Ydnar two strong ales. Ydnar motioned two more and then looked at the women.

‘Yes. You’re very well known. Sorry again, my name is Téa, and that is Véa’.

“Nice to meet both of you. Sitting across from you is my son Vernon. He combines my muscle with my mom’s stubbornness”. The two laughed.

‘Nice to meet both of you. Dad i’m going to tell mom you said that when we get back’. Vernon said looking at Ydnar.

“Fine. She’s already mad that I went off and did this on my own anyway”. They laughed and Téa said,

‘You’re just as handsome as Faine said you are. What brings a human far off into Zerrikania? One especially as good looking as you’.

Ydnar blushed quickly and said,

“I’m currently looking for somebody and no it’s not Ciri, it’s actually Vernon's friend. She was taken about two or three days ago and was rumored to have come here”.

Véa smiled at Ydnar and said ‘it’s true. She was here but i’m afraid you’re quite late. Ydnar, I know you bested Faine in a duel but for the love of dragons, stay far away from the men that protect her, they are extremely dangerous. She looked at Vernon and said, ‘I hate to say it but you may want to consider her a lost cause and find another’.

Vernon sighed and said, ‘No. Not going to happen. I came this far with her, she means the world to me, i’m not afraid of what they’ve got’.

Téa smiled and said,’He’s like his mom for sure, he doesn’t look half bad either. Ydnar there are two warriors and three very powerful mages with her. There’s no way you’ll be able to push through that. They will just straight up kill you. We can help you but only for a bit’.

Ydnar smiled and said, “Do I owe you ladies a bubble bath later then? I suppose at this point that’s what you deserve for seeking me out”.

The two ladies looked at each other and giggled. Véa said looking at Ydnar, ‘That’ll be for later. Right now we should eat and then find the one you seek or at the very least help you find the one you seek’. She said looking at him. A young man entered the tavern now. Ydnar didn’t see any weapons on his back. Only possibly a small dagger in his pocket but even then he tensed up noticeably. He came to the table and Vernon looked nervously at Ydnar.

‘I see you’ve found my two weapons here Ydnar. Please, names Borch Three Jackdaws. Yes I know who you are. Most people in the Northern Realms have at least heard of you though few know you have a wife like I do. May I join you’? The man with a small brown beard asked.

“Why not. Good to meet a man who this large black sword on my back doesn’t scare off”. Ydnar said as the two Zerrikanians laughed. Véa who was sitting next to Ydnar suddenly grabbed his left bicep and squeezed. Ydnar blushed slightly and they laughed. The man pulled up a chair and said, ‘You're looking for a woman, don’t ask me how I know but I just do. Ydnar you’re dealing with some of the worst scum that Zerrakania has to offer here. Men that do no good and laugh as they beat the snot out of anything and everything. She’s…..well lucky if she survives. I encourage you to stop chasing her and go back to whatever you’re doing before you came here’.

Ydnar sighed and drank his ale. He looked at him and said,

“D****t…..the next person who questions my ability to kill a few warriors and three mages that like to beat people up will find out what it’s like to live with no right hand to jerk himself off at night. I know what i’m getting into with this. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing, absolutely nothing has ever been easy in my life”.

Borch laughed. ‘It was the same for Geralt, whom I met all those years ago’. The food came as did refills on ale. ‘Let’s dig in ladies and gentlemen’. The man said and they ate.

She was in a hotel room with a man who was watching her closely. The past few days were hard on her. The original men who had her decided to send her to Zerrikania. She remembers the witcher saying how that night they planned to kill Ydnar and grab Ciri. jan didn’t know how it worked out but she did know that she was once again on the move. She was dressed in tight blue pants and a short sleeve blue top. Her boots were black with green trim. She was exhausted from all the traveling opn horses and the time she spent on the run. More than that she missed Vernon. As soon as I get out of this we marry. That’s that. I’ve spent far too long pondering the thought. She lied down on one of the two yellow beds and laid her head on a pillow. To her surprise they didn’t want to hurt her which made her trust them, slightly. The room only had one candle out of ten burning and was dark. The young man was on the other bed across from her and was watching her intently. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Ydnar saw the two warriors stop and look at Ydnar. Ydnar turned to look at Vernon and said, “You don’t attack. Only if things go badly and I get my sword out. You’re not too talk to--

‘She’s my girlfriend and about to be my wife you must understand --

“I understand”, Ydnar said as he walked closer to Vernon, “That she means a lot to you yes. The last thing we want to do is go to the jail, if we fight them in the tavern then many civilians may die and we get locked up for months. You keep your cool no matter what”. Ydnar looked at the two warriors and nodded. Borch walked behind them as they entered the tavern, Ydnar immediately noticed that the Zerrikanian male picked him up right away. They were sitting at the back table where they could see both doors clearly. Ydnar knew they were professionals.

‘Well, hello there. Ydnar you didn’t tell me you had friends in this place’? The mage said clearly recognizing him. S**t. That laugh and those blue eyes and the beard. Kieven. The legendary mage that Ydnar tracked for many months, met twice, and both times was sent back in small pieces. There were four of them, two looked to be mages and the other two were clearly Zerrikanians.

Ydnar sighed and said, “I’ve got friends everywhere Kieven. I think you know why i’m here. It’s not about you but the girl that you carry with you”. One of the men seated started to move but Ydnar sent him a look. He slowly sat back down. Some of the people in the tavern were watching them nervously. There were way too many people in here to start a fight.

‘See though you can’t have her back. She is the daughter of royal blood. The parents that she had were not her real parents. She’s due for the throne in Aedirn. We were the ones responsible for tracking her down and bring her back to the throne alive. Yes ydnar now you see why I can’t give her back’. The mage drank his glass.

Vernon’s blood was starting to boil and he wanted to cut them to bits but to his anger and surprise his dad said,

“Now I see why. Well gentlemen sorry to disturb you and your meal”. Ydnar walked away and Vernon followed him closely out the door with the two Zerrikanians. Ydnar leaned up against the side of the tavern and sighed.

Vernon walked up to him and got in his face. ‘What the flying f**k was that! You….of all people you….are afraid of them? I’m going right back in there and doing the job by myself. F**k you’! Vernon started walking back in but suddenly he felt a hand on him and then with a great amount of pain in his head he was looking at the sky dazed. Ydnar came up to him with his hood up and a stern look on his face. “What was that last thing you said to me Vernon? I heard it. F**k you is what it was. Get your a*s off the ground”.  Vernon got up and then Ydnar roundhouse kicked him back down. Ydnar wanted to get the point across.

“Get up. Why are you on the ground like this”? Vernon slowly got up and had tears in his eyes. Not from the pain mind you but from the shame he felt about having said what he said.

“Your arrogance will get you killed. There are many reasons why we didn’t fight them. One big one is they’re allied with Aedirn. If we so much as touch one of them they will start a war with us. I know you love your girlfriend but i’m not for fighting a war. Secondly, those men are dangerous. The mage who was talking, I hunted him for months, got into a fight with him twice, and both times he damn near killed me. He would have chewed you up and s**t you out of his a*s. You need to control that damn temper of yours”! Ydnar sighed and looked at the two women. “Alright let’s find a room or two”. Borch with his two “weapons” walked away from the tavern and Vernon followed; behind him was Ydnar.

Ciri just got home. She was tired and sad. She walked in and immediately went up the stairs to the bedroom. She walked in and saw the note that he left. She took off her robe and laid it on the bed. She had taken his advice and took her sword with her today. She hid it under her robe. Ciri laid down on the bed and read the note. Zerrikania? For s***s sake. That place is huge. It’s going to take him a while to come back. She started to get angry but calmed herself. She knew she’d have to make it through without him for a while. Ciri sighed and decided to take a nap. She smelled the letter and it smelled of his scent. It made her feel better. She put the letter on the wooden nightstand and slipped under the covers to fall asleep.

Ydnar came into the room Vernon was staying in. He only had his briefs on as he just came out of the tub from playing with the Zerrikanians. Vernon looked at him as he was lying on the bed. Ydnar cast a spell and lit only one of the oil lamps up.

“Are you hurt at all”? Ydnar asked as he sat on the bed opposite him.

‘Why are you going to throw me out the window’? Vernon said sarcastically. Ydnar sighed.

“I only wanted to dilute your anger a bit. I …...Vernon I know how you feel about this. It’s the same way I felt when I was looking for your mom. The only difference being that I had the knowledge that you don’t have yet. I’m not so much mad about what you said or anything like that. I’m, mad that you thought you could take them on. If I wouldn’t have been there chances are you would’ve died. My point is Vernon, there are times where you have no choice and you must kill, there are also times where you have a choice. Many civilians would’ve died in there. Plus probably us as well. Sometimes you wait your opponent out rather than forcing him into a mistake right away”. Ydnar laid down on his bed and Vernon said,

‘I ….understand. For some reason I thought this would be a quick expedition and we’d be back in a few days but I see I miscalculated. How long did it take you to find mom’?

Ydnar laughed softly. “Which time? The first time it was around five months. The second time I wanna say was six or seven months. That was hard, going from town to town, one lazy village to another. I often wonder how I managed to push myself that hard. Vernon we’ll track them as they leave and follow them. We must be patient though”.

‘I’ll try my damndest to’.

“That’s all I ask”. Ydnar turned off the lamp and rolled over to fall asleep.

In her mind it seemed so real. She saw Ydnar standing outside the house with her. He took her to Dol Blathanna. There he told her that Vernon had run away from him. Ydnar had been wounded badly by the blow that Vernon struck. Their son went rogue. She thought it was just a dream. Ciri got up out of the covers and sighed. Three nearly four months now since i’ve seen him. I’m worried. He’s going to come back and see his daughter all grown up. Well...as grown up as a two month old baby can be. Ciri had given birth to a beautiful ashen haired daughter. She looked nearly identical to her mother. Ciri usually went to work and Geralt and Dandelion would take care of her while Ciri was gone. She hated it dearly but it had to be done. She was just happy that she now had a daughter. She wished that Ydnar could’ve been here to see her come into this world but she understood he had a promise to keep to their son. Ciri got dressed and applied the very small amount of makeup she used. The last couple days had been hard for her. Things had been getting worse for the lodge. Rumors were getting spread by people that the lodge was abducting children. Last time she worked there a massive riot broke out. It was large enough that the local guards had to come in and break it up. She was angry after the fact. Who the hell would spread such a rumor? The question that she had no answer for …..yet. Ciri equipped her sword on her back and then put her blue and white robe on. She walked outside of the bedroom and into the bedroom right across from it. The baby was sleeping. She was quiet to not wake it up as she closed the door back up. Days like today, were days that she urgently needed him back home to hold her, to tell her it was going to be ok. She hadn’t heard anything about him which in her mind meant that he was ok. If she heard something about him then she would be worried. She walked quietly down the stairs. It was still dark outside as it usually was. The bed always felt so lonely in the mornings when she’d wake up.  There were some nights where she would wake up from a dream and reach over to feel the pillow or the covers on the other side of the bed, expecting to feel his body there. It was now starting to get cold here. The season was changing now. Ciri opened the large double doors and walked out into the cold night.

He looked at his peaceful white mare as he sat down on a hard rock and sighed. He took his golden gloves off and wiped his tired eyes. Ydnar didn’t know what to do at this point. He had lost most everything. He closed his eyes and tried to force himself to forget what happened but it was pointless. Vernon had run away from him. He didn’t know what from. They had been after the men who took Jan for months now and they were close to being able to come up with some sort of plan. Vernon had grown tired of this though. One night Ydnar woke up and he was gone. There was no trace of him. Ydnar wanted to lay the blame on Vernon, but the sad truth was that he knew it was only his fault. He hadn’t been the best father to the boy. Now he feared he would never see him again. Ydnar opened his eyes back up and looked at the forest in front of him. He had always liked the region Aedirn sits in. Beautiful forests, large blue lakes, and soft rolling hills. Ydnar wanted to spend some time here and just relax and think about what happened, but he knew that would be a rather bad idea. He heard reports of people following him to various places. Ydnar knew there were still some out there that wanted him dead. He angered a lot of people, whether in the war or after the war, he angered many people and they wanted him killed. He wanted to see Ciri again. It was now four months since he last saw her and it was starting to really depress him. Winter was starting to set in and he knew how cold it could get in Aedirn during the winter. His plan was to head up to Kovir and stay at his hunting lodge and wait it out. He held out some hope that perhaps Vernon would return from his fit of rage. D****t Ciri I miss you so much. What do I tell her about Vernon? F**k. That I messed up and he left me? What did I do wrong here? I know I didn’t spend much time with him hunting or doing any of that stuff, but had things that were much bigger than that to take care of.  Ydnar felt like a part of him broke. Like part of him would never be the same after what happened. The broken man stood back up and put his gloves back on. He knew he needed to go and visit her. At the very least, tell her what happened about their son. Ydnar walked along the grassy landscape and mounted his horse. He closed his eyes and the two of them appeared near the house. The sun was coming up at this point in the day and he knew she had already left. He decided to make his way to the house anyway.

Geralt and Dandelion stood up as he approached.

‘You’re alive’? Dandelion asked with a surprised look on his face.

“Yes. Well……...yes”. He said as he dismounted his white mare and walked up to the pair.

‘Ciri was so worried about you. She thought you were injured or something bad happened or …...it wasn’t a good four months. I think all the stress from her earlier life is starting to catch up with her. She dosen’t seem to really be herself anymore’.

Ydnar took his gloves off and said,

“Great…...and to make matters even better our son ran away because he was tired of searching and getting nowhere. I don’t know Dandelion ….I really don’t know anymore. I …...I thought being here would mean that …..we could live together for a while and ….well…..it’s quite the opposite now”. Ydnar sighed and then said, “I need a long nap”. He leaned up against the house and looked out at the rising sun. The breeze felt good against his sweaty body. He yawned and stood up straight. Neither Geralt nor Dandelion thought it would be a good idea to mention the new baby girl to him….at least not yet. Ydnar opened the large double doors and walked inside. He immediately went up the stairs and into their bedroom. The room was exactly how he left it. He stripped down to his briefs and crawled into the cool relaxing sea of covers. He could smell on the other pillow the faint smell of her perfume and he felt better almost instantly. Ciri, Ciri, Ciri, Ciri. His heart said it with every beat. The room was dark, cool, and smelled like her. That’s all he needed to be able to fall asleep.

Vernon was alone now and that’s all he wanted. He was fuming. Why does he hold me back like this? I could’ve found her when we were in Zerrikania. Now we’ve lost the trail again. He was riding his black mare as fast as it would go. He was now in Kaedwen and that’s where he decided he would start at. He knew they were riding somewhere up to the north. She had better not be dead by now. He thought as he picked up his pace even more. He passed by giant pine trees and dense grassy meadows. In the extreme distance stood the blue mountains. I should reach the capital before nightfall. He thought as the sun was a few hours away from setting at this point. The air was crisp and the wind was calm as he rode like a bee out of its nest to the north.

She was even more tired now than ever. In three weeks i’m to be sent to the continent. To Skellige no less. I want Ydnar back so I can take him with me. The sun was up off the horizon and started to warm the cold air from the clear night they had. She followed the dirt path and smiled a bit. She always found it funny how the mage hideout was in a small town such as this and how as you got closer to the building the path turned to roads and the buildings from wood to brick. She strayed off the path to the right a bit and walked around the left side of the house. She saw a large white mare next to the front of the house and she got excited. Geralt and Dandelion weren’t outside as they usually were but that mattered little to her at this point. She opened the green doors and quickly shut them behind her. She ran up the stairs and her heartrate was going faster and faster until she opened the door and saw her knight in shining armor sleeping in the bed. She quietly walked in and took her robe and sword off. She slipped into the covers. He was facing the drapes away from her so she brought her body closer to him and put her right arm around his chest. She felt him jump slightly.

‘Ydnar…..I thought I lost you. I was so worried about what might’ve happened’. Ciri said softly. Ydnar rolled to his back and looked at her green eyes. She laid her body fully on his chest and kissed him. He could smell the perfume as she played with his tongue. She felt like she had just washed her mind. All the thoughts and things that were stressing her out were gone. She retracted her lips and he put his right arm around her back. He knew how to undo her bra and he did it with only one hand. Ciri lifted her body up slightly as he removed the white article of clothing. She moved to his right shoulder and he grabbed around her back. They just laid there together. Neither said a word though both had much to say. All they wanted was just the feeling of each other. The feeling of being marred. That’s all either of them wanted. She closed her eyes and was lulled to sleep by his breathing and his rising and falling chest; it wasn’t long before she too fell asleep.

She twitched just slightly. “Feels good to be back in your arms again”. Ydnar said as he rubbed her soft hair.

‘Likewise. What happened to your right shoulder? There’s a deep cut here now’. She opened her eyes and saw it.

“I was practicing with a friend remember”. Ydnar said teasingly.

Ciri looked into his eyes and said sarcastically, ‘Ha, ha, ha. That joke wasn’t funny the first time when it was drowners and it isn’t really all that funny now’.

Ydnar looked at her and knew when she was serious and when she was joking. He saw she seemed to be somewhere in the middle.

“Got it on the night we last saw each other. One of the men landed a good hit on me”.

Ciri sighed and shook her head. ‘Well…...best try to not get hit then’. Ciri said as she laughed and he opened his eyes and shook his head.

“Thanks Zireael I should’ve thought about that”. Ydnar said as he laughed. Ciri put her bra back on. She sighed and got out of bed. She quickly put the rest of her usual clothes back on and grabbed his silver necklace which he left on the small marble table.

“Ciri that necklace is pure silver”.

‘Yeah….She said teasing him.

Ydnar got up out of the bed and put his boots and black pants on. She dangled it in front of his face and as he tried to grab it she yanked it away from him and ran.

“Oh….when I catch you”… he chased after her.

Dandelion and Geralt were outside the house talking about monster types when suddenly the door opened and they saw Ciri laughing and running and then Ydnar charge out after her with no shirt on.

‘Get her Ydnar’! Dandelion shouted.

To him, it seemed like either she had gotten faster or he had gotten slower because she was fast. She knew where the sea was relative to their house so she made haste to it. The sun was still strong as she moved around other people who were walking on the dirt path. There was no breeze but as fast as he was running he couldn't really tell. He was catching her but very slowly.

‘Come…..on….Ydnar…..I thought…..you….were fast….’! She yelled as she ran through more people. Some of the people walking laughed and some said some offensive words but neither cared.

“Ciri you…..better…..not let…..me ...catch..you….for ...your...sake!”

She could see the water out ahead of her. They were now on soft sand. She very quickly took her boots off and ran barefoot across the loose sand. He did the same. His breathing became rhythmic and he pushed himself hard after her. The sun was beating down on their sweaty backs as more people were watching the young couple. The sand felt good between her toes as she dug deep and sprinted herd towards the sea. He was so close he could nearly reach out and grab her. They ran right into the water. She started swimming out to sea. Ydnar was a far better swimmer than her having spent much time in the water on Skellige. It wasn’t long until he grabbed her legs and pulled her to him.

He turned her around while keeping his head above the warm water.

“Now …..don’t you….teleport…..or...She was gone. He looked on the beach and saw her. Some of the people were laughing at him. He was tired, but he knew she was just as much as he. He swam to shore and walked out of the water towards her. His pants were dripping wet and his body was soaked with the fresh water of the great sea. As he approached her she started walking away from him and giggled.

“Cirilla……...You...made me work off my….lunch...now you...owe me dinner…”

She looked behind her with a large smile and waved her hand which had the necklace in it and said,

‘This ...is your..ticket to dinner...Ydnar..’.  Ydnar liked her way too much when she was in this mood. This is the Cirilla he liked the best out of all of them. The one who kept him young. Who made him feel like he was ten years old again and chasing after his friends. He loved that about her.

She took off and he sighed shook his head and started after her again.

Geralt was talking about the Striga he killed for the King when he saw the two of them soaked  in sweat and water, running back towards them.

Dandelion got up off the ground and said,

‘Ydnar, you still haven’t got her yet!? Move man’! He shouted.

Ydnar was right on her. Instead of tackle her he waved his arm and then pushed it forward. The effect was she went flying off balance and tumbled falling on her chest. He leapt and caught her just before she popped up again.

They laughed together as both tried to catch their breath.

“You’re ……just….as…..fast...as…..me…”. He commented as he lended a hand to his air deprived wife. She took it and when she was standing, she then immediately tackled him onto the long green grass and threw herself on top of him.

Geralt and Dandelion laughed. The sun made both of their sweaty bodies glisten. Her loose strands of ashen hair dangled on his chest and her green eyes shined bright with the sun on them. She lowered herself onto him and they locked lips with each other. She rubbed his sweaty chest and he ran his hand through her ashen hair. He could still smell the sweet perfume. Sweat and water from her hair and her neck was slowly dripping on his naked chest. Her cat like tongue met his and he felt the energy come back to him immediately. She retracted and said,

‘Well…...Ydnar…..I thought...you were faster...than that’. She stated as she slowly got off of him. She lent a hand which he took and pulled himself up. When she wasn’t looking he scooped up some of the loose soil and said

“Hey Ciri”? They were right in front of the house and the two friends.

She turned around and he threw the dirt right into her loose beige shirt. She opened her mouth and immediately pushed him down in front of Geralt and Dandelion.

‘Ydnar...you're going to wash my chest this evening when we take a bath. See now’…..she tried to bounce her breasts to get the dirt out but she was having no luck. Geralt and Dandelion broke into laughter.

‘I….can’t get it out this way, so….you’re going to have to work it out of there’. She said with a seductive smile on her face.

“Mmmmmmmmm sounds hot”. He said looking at her who was still on top of him and she laughed and once again got up off the ground. She pulled him off the ground and held his hand. Ydnar waved his hand and suddenly their boots appeared at the front door. Geralt and the purple bard laughed when they came up. “What can I say, she’s gotten faster it seems”.

The bard laughed and said, ‘I’m not too surprised’.

Ciri then said, ‘Well now Ydnar, after two kids I finally learned what works and what doesn’t’. Ciri said as she stopped to see if he noticed what she said.

“Two kids”? He sighed and shook his head. “I missed her then is what you’re saying”?

Ciri came closer to him and put her arms on his chest.

‘Ydnar relax…...You’re here now’. She said as she briefly touched his lips with hers.

‘Come, i’ll show her to you’. She led him by his left hand into the house and up the stairs. They went to the right but opened the door opposite of the bedroom. She was actually moving around when they entered the dark room. Ydnar cast a spell to light all the lamps in the room. Ciri closed the door behind him.

‘I hope you don’t mind but I had to buy some things for the room in order to get it ready for her to be able to stay in it’.

Ydnar looked at Ciri and said. “Oh please, that’s fine. I wished I could’ve been here to see her come into this world but…..I ...understand that there was really no way of doing such a thing”. Ydnar looked at the small child. He didn’t want to disturb her too much as she was sleeping. Ciri came up behind him and put her head on his right shoulder. “Her green eyes and it looks to me, though it’s faint, but it looks to me like she has your hair too”. He said softly.

‘That’s what I thought too. Oh Ydnar…..I hope you don’t feel too bad about missing her birth’. Ciri said as she rubbed his chest.

“Well……...no ...no I suppose not. What’s done is done. I will not miss anymore of her life. I’m done doing that sort of thing”. Ydnar turned and kissed Ciri on her soft lips.

‘Let’s go get that bath before we both fall asleep’. Ciri grabbed his right hand and led him out of the room and across the hall to their room. She let go of his hand and put the silver necklace on the small marble table again. They went through the walk in closet and both stripped down. “When are you going in tomorrow”? He asked as he cast the spell to produce bubbles and water in the tub.

Ciri yawned and said, ‘early, early, early in the morning. By the way she likes to wake you up in the middle of the night quite often. The food is in the room in the closet. She generally settles down fairly quickly. I thought …..of a few names but…..

“Oh Ciri relax, we have time to discuss this when we have more energy”. Ydnar said as he glot into the tub. Ciri got in after him and she came up to him and laid on his chest as he laid down on the tubs surface.  He put his arms around her smooth back and ran his hands through her soft beautiful hair. She locked her legs inside of his and closed her eyes.

‘Ydnar...I love you….so much,,,words ….can’t even describe it….I mean it..all that you’ve given me. All the times you’ve saved me. Just ...everything. I love you’. She felt tears come down her eyes.

“I love you too Ciri. If not for you then I would still be living out in the middle of nowhere. We have it all now. A house, two kids, and most importantly each other. I ...wouldn't trade any of it. It was all worth it in the end. I ...honestly couldn’t ask for a better wife, mother, and friend to spend the rest of my life with. I love you my green eyed, ashen haired swallow”. He kissed her head and she had tears in her eyes.

‘Ydnar…...that ….was...absolutely beautiful’. She looked up at him and they met each other’s lips. She ran her hands along his scarred chest and neck. He touched her chest and her scar that made her look even more attractive than she already was. She retracted her lips and set her head on his right shoulder. It wasn’t long until they fell asleep.

Vernon had made it. He sat down in one of the seats of a tavern. He sat so he could see the door and waited. With any luck I’ll have beat them here and should be able to work something out with them. He sighed and asked the bartender for beer. He was physically exhausted at having to ride this far out and fro this long. Was he nervous? Sure he was nervous but he thought it was doable even if it meant exchanging some things.

He saw them enter the bar and sit behind him. Either they saw me and aren't afraid of me or something else is going on entirely. There were only two men at the table but that didn’t fool him. Ydnar always told him to expect that they always had more then they showed. He drank his beer and got up from the red booth.

“Hello Gentlemen”. He said looking at the two men.

‘Who the hell are you? It doesn’t matter, piss off before we lose our temper’. Both men were wearing traditional steel armor and had long swords on their backs.

You’ve in your possession a woman that means alot to me. I want her back. We can trade something or I can take her from you”. Vernon try ied to be intimidating like his father but he knew he failed at that moment.

‘Ha! Trade my a*****e. You’re never going to get her back’. The man with a long beard said. Two men walked up behind him. One was a mage and the other was a warrior of some sort.

‘Is this man causing you lot trouble’? The one man behind Vernon asked.

‘Yeah as a matter of fact he is’. The larger of the two men sitting said.

Vernon turned around and dodged a large blow to the head. Alright you swung first. Vernon pulled out his sword and blocked another blow to the chest. The two men behind him got up from the booth and people were running out of the tavern yelling. Vernon dodged and parried. He intercepted a horizontal slice and pushed the man backwards and then stuck his sword into the gut as he screamed and blood poured everywhere. Suddenly the mage started casting large spells at him. Vernon dodged, but one of the fire spells got him and he started to burn. From the teaching with Triss he remembered a few tricks. He cast the spell for water and immediately the fire went out but it left him hurting from the burns. Vernon tried to shrug it off and continue the fight. He blocked and dodged out of the way of two quick attacks. Then the mage said something and he was then floating in the air. The last thing he remembers is being thrown against a wall and a painful feeling in his back as he started to black out from whatever he hit.

‘I fear this water is to blame for us not wanting to get out of the tub’. Ciri said as she laid there on Ydnar’s chest.

“I’m not complaining”. Ydnar said rubbing her back.

She giggled, ‘I’m not either. I don’t want to go to work tomorrow. In a few weeks i’ll be going to Skellige. Ydnar if you can you should--

“Done”. He said quickly as Ciri laughed. “Oh Ciri why don't you stay home and just say that you're too busy dealing with the baby”.

She sighed and said, ‘Ydnar you’re a bad influence on me. No, I shouldn’t do that. Triss wants me there longer so she can teach me more things and talk more about the upcoming trip. Believe me I want to stay home but we could use the money for the baby anyway’.

Ydnar put both his arms around her and sheltered her from the world. “You’re a damn hard worker Ciri. I’m so glad that we can finally do this sort of thing. I honestly felt the day would never come where I could just sit in a tub of warm water with you and chat like this”.

Ciri looked at him and smiled. ‘I agree. Felt like it may never happen’. She locked her lips with his. Their tongues met and both felt peaceful. She retracted and came back in again, and again, and again. He could feel her breasts against his chest. Her skinny smooth legs against his hairy strong legs.

‘Know any spells to make food appear, or possibly alcohol’?

Ciri asked looking into his blue eyes.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Yes…..I know both. Only for wine though. I …...cannot recall the one for beer or vodka”. The tub that was made of bronze had about a two foot lip around it on all sides. Plenty of room for bottles and food. Ydnar waived his right hand and a blue light shined from it, all of a sudden on the very edge of the tub, appeared wine glasses, the dark bottle of wine, and various meats and cheeses. Ciri applauded his actions.

‘Ydnar, why didn’t you become a mage’? Ciri asked with a large smile on her face.

“Because then I would be sterile”.  Ydnar said as he, using magic, brought the plate of food closer to them. He did the same with the wine glasses and the bottle.

‘at’s, a gredod point’. Ciri said as she ate some of the meat.

Ydnar laughed and asked, “Was any of what you just said in lingua franca”?

She laughed and blushed. She broke away from his chest and grabbed one of the golden wine glasses. The glasses looked to be very old. Ydnar reached to his left and grabbed the bottle of wine. The label on the dark green bottle said Erveluce. He pointed the bottle at Ciri who was busy eating the meat and cheese. He popped the cap off and it hit her right in the side of her head. She jumped when it hit.

Ydnar started laughing hysterically. Ciri looked at him and put down the meat and cheese.

‘Ydnar really? You want to play that game’? She asked as she brought the whole white and blue plate over to him as well as the two glasses.

“Maybe. Depends what the game is”. They both laughed as he poured the dark smooth wine into the two golden glasses.

‘Mmmmmmmmm That smells like’? She sniffed and knew where it came from. The fruity nature of the wine. ‘Toussaint? Where in the hell did you get that from’?

She asked as she grabbed the bottle he put down on the side of the tub. She looked at it then set it back down.  

“Well….that’s not entirely important”. Ydnar said as he grabbed one of the bronze wine glasses and took a drink of the fruity wine.

“Oh yes…..Been years since i’ve had wine from Toussaint. Don’t worry about the child either i’ll take care of her”. Ydnar said as Ciri came up and sat to the right of him. Ydnar flashed his hand and turned one of the small oil lamps on so he could see a bit more clearly.

‘I’m not worried about it. You’re going to be a fine father Ydnar’. She said looking into his eyes.

“We’ll see. Fathering a son is one thing but a daughter is quite different. I don’t want to tell her about Vernon. At least not yet anyway.

‘You’ll be fine. I’ve seen the way you take care of people. You’ll do fine with her’. Ciri said as she took another drink of her wine glass. Ydnar put his hand on her neck and felt her scars. Most of them weren’t all that deep but some were quite deep. Her body, though it looked fragile and was that of a princess, was robust and able to sustain a massive amount of damage.

“Your poor body has been through so much. I feel bad for not finding you sooner when I had the chance to. Probably could’ve saved you some damage”.

Ciri put down her glass and started making love to his neck; she put her right hand on his chest and her left on his right bicep. He felt her moist tongue on his wet body and closed his eyes. Ydnar ran his hands through her silky hair and along her smooth back. Her smooth cold hands made him tingle and shiver. Her perfume filled his nose with its sweet scent. He opened his eyes, she stopped making love and said, ‘We’re here together now…….that’s all that matters’. Both her hands were on his scarred chest and her head was buried in his neck. ‘We…..we’ve both gone through a lot over what, last close to two years now? Both of us Ydnar. I’d do it all over again for you too’. She said as she felt his chest and neck. Ydnar looked down at her and said,

“Even through all the hard times? The stress, the worry, the pain, and the extremely long waiting for me to find you”? He asked as he put both hands behind her back and felt her slim waist.

Ciri smiled, looked into his blue crystal eyes and said with a whisper,

‘All of it for you Ydnar, you’re my cáerme, my knight in shining armor, my life, my lover, and well….something much, much, more than that’. She leaned towards him, tilted her head, and met his lips again. She pushed him back so his head was against the very edge of the tub and she brought herself on top of him completely. Her few strands of hair that hung down to the left of her face tickled his neck. She put her long legs on either side of his and to keep herself from slipping down his chest she held onto his arms which in turn were around her. The warm water felt good against her body and his large hands amplified the feeling even more. She retracted and came in at a steeper angle. Ydnar…..we did it Ydnar…..we have everything……..Oh Gods I love you. Her green eyes sparkled and her body seemed to glow in the faint light of the oil lamp. Ciri slowly retracted her lips and then even more slowly kissed him again and felt his saliva enter her mouth. She retracted again and just laid there on his chest. He looked at her. His Zireael, the one that saved him from living out his life in the lodge. To him she was also something much, much more. The bathroom had a large round window at the very back of the room. Ydnar looked out and saw the dark night.

“Ciri, I think we should get to bed. You’ve got to get up early tomorrow and I want you to get some decent sleep tonight”.

Ciri sighed and with her head on his chest said, ‘Take me there my cáerme’. Ydnar smiled and concentrated on the bedroom, he then narrowed his focus on the bed. Then the white light came and went. They were now on the bed. Both of their bodies were quite wet but neither cared. Ydnar raised his right hand and said something in elvish as the covers came out from under them and softly fell on top of them. They were both still naked and wet. They kept each other warm on this cold winter night. Ciri was drunk after a few glasses of wine as usual, but Ydnar felt only a little tipsey. Ciri sighed and crawled further up on his chest so she was just below his chin. She turned her body ninety degrees to her left and he put his arms around her back and waist. She loved it when he wrapped her up like this. She could feel every part of his strong body and she felt completely safe from everything. She quickly kissed his chest and said,

‘Goodnight Ydnar, my cáerme, I love you’. She whispered and closed her tired eyes.

“Goodnight Cirilla, my Zireael, my En’ca minne, I love you forever after”. Ydnar whispered back and kissed her wet head.

Ciri wanted to not wake him up but then again she didn’t have to, since she heard the baby cry out. Ydnar let go of her and got up out of the bed. He looked at a tired hungover Cirilla.

“My drunken swallow are you leaving now”?

She felt her head and slowly got up out of the warm covers.

‘If I want to’. She said as she sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was still many hours away from the sun being up as usual. He sighed and laughed softly. Ydnar found his briefs that he put under the bed and put them on. Ydnar got up and opened the door slowly. He shut it behind him and opened the door across the hall. She was crying nonstop. Ydnar was tired and groggy. The crying baby didn’t really help any either. I wonder if this is how my dad felt about me.?D****t, stop thinking about your parents Ydnar, they’re dead, gone, never to return to the land of the living so stop thinking about them. Luckily it didn’t seem like she had messed as he would’ve smelled it right away. Ydnar flashed his hand and turned on three of the ten candles that sat on a long brass plate, that sat on the small wooden dresser, in the corner of the room. Ydnar opened the large white closet and found the food and the formula that Ciri used. He set it on the bed. He walked over to the large blue crib that the small baby was in. Since both Ciri and Ydnar knew how cold it could get in the north, she decided to get some warm baby clothes for her so she even on the coldest of nights could be warm. She was dressed in a soft purple garb that wrapped her up. Ydnar being extremely careful scooped the young one up as she was still crying and looking from side to side; instead of trying to grab the bottle of milky liquid he willed it to his hands and then started feeding it to her. Ydnar cradled the young girl in his arms and kept her near his chest to try to keep her warm.  He could tell it was a very cold morning as the small rectangular window in the room had some frost on it. Her eyes were bright green and she had little specs of grey hair on her mostly bald head. She grabbed the bottle and started drinking. Ydnar slowly sat on the bed and held her close.

“You’re going to be just as stubborn as your mom aren’t you”? He said softly. She quickly finished the bottle and looked at him then at the ceiling. She started to grab his silver necklace. Ciri watched the two of them through the crack in the door.

Ydnar laughed slightly and pulled the necklace out just before she had the chance to put it in her mouth. “That’s not good. You’re already starting to like jewelry, I can hear the sound of money going out of my pockets and down into the deep abyss of Sedna”.

Ciri came in now with a smile on her face and said softly, ‘I heard that Ydnar’. She sat down on the bed next to the two of them.

Ciri was dressed in her blue and white robe and Ydnar could see her sword just protruding out of the top of it. The young baby started whining a bit again.

“Everything’s fine, relax”. Ydnar looked at Ciri and asked, “Has Triss ever taught you any of the spells for helping their digestion or for putting them to sleep”?

She looked at him with a confused look on her face.

‘I didn’t know there was such a thing’. She said softly as she rubbed his back and worked out his tension. Ydnar closed his eyes and took his hand and pressed against the small babies belly. As soon as he did that she stopped whining and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

Ciri looked at him with a partly open mouth. Ydnar got up and laid the small child back into the dark wood crib. Ydnar sighed and looked at Ciri who looked like she wanted to go back to sleep.

Ciri got up from the bed and put her arms around him. She met with his lips and then put her soft head in his chest. Ydnar put his head on top of hers and held her tightly.

‘I thought…..once you got back…...it would be easier to…..leave you and the baby but…...it seems only harder now’. She whispered as Ydnar rocked her slowly. She closed her eyes and they stood on the oak floor. She felt his hand on her neck and it gave her strength and endurance. “It’s understandable that you don’t want to leave. My little swallow, i’ll always be here. I won’t ever leave you. I’m done doing that now”. He said as he brought his hands slightly lower to feel her waist and long legs.

‘Mmmmmmmmmmmm can you come with me to work today’? Ciri asked looking up at him.

Ydnar smiled. “I’d be happy to but I don’t think they’d let me in”. He whispered as he carefully picked her up and set her gently on the soft blue colored bed in the room. He climbed onto the bed and came up next to her. She started laughing softly and looked at him. ‘Ydnar…..baby…….. now is not the time for this. Besides two young ones are enough for me anyway’.

He smiled and said, “I agree. Ohhhhhhh Cirilla, we now have two kids of our own. Did you ever think you’d have them”? Ydnar asked as he moved closer to her and she moved closer to him. He put his arms around her body and she snuggled up to him and put her head on his right shoulder.

Ciri sighed. ‘Never…..Ydnar...I ….honestly never wanted children in the first place. I thought since i’m unlikely to find a man who likes me and isn’t afraid to have to die for me, if it comes down to it, well….I thought that it was out of the question. Until I met you. I knew when I was at Kaer Morhen that I wanted to have kids with you’.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Even back then when I was still suffering from depression”? Ydnar looked at her.

‘Absolutely. I thought that we could both work through it and it would all work out in the end. I was right, everything worked out’.

Ydnar sighed and she smiled at him. “And now we have two kids and very little time”.

Ciri laughed and said, ‘Very true. Ohhhhhh my hot little prince charming, we’ve had our times. I loved every second of it. Ydnar you leave me speechless when I look at you and know how much we’ve been through together’. She sighed and shook her head, ‘Anyway….I must leave now or i’ll fall back asleep’. Ciri got up off his chest and he got up after her.

“And the problem would be what”? Ydnar asked teasingly as he followed her down the stairs and to the front door.

Ciri laughed at the comment. ‘The problem would be the money and I would be looked at differently if I missed a day of work like that. I’d rather not do that’. Ciri sighed and looked her blue crystal eyed husband up and down. She put her elbows on his chest and her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. She tilted and kissed him long. Their tongues hooked up and she felt the tingle roll up and down her back, as it did the first time they kissed at the hunting lodge. She retracted and came in again, once, twice, three times. She then looked at him and said,

‘Ydnar baby, Gods I love you. Go back to the bedroom and get some more sleep. I hope to not be gone too long today’. She said as she kissed him again and ran her hand across his chest.

“Go on, get out of here before I carry you back up to the bedroom”. Ydnar said as both laughed softly.

“I love you Cirilla, my beautiful little swallow”. Ydnar said as she opened the large green doors and looked back at him. He could feel the cold morning air rush into the house. He came closer to her and she quickly gave him one more kiss before she was off to work. Ydnar watched her walk away and agreed with her that though they were now back together it seemed much harder to leave one another. Once she had walked out of sight he closed the door and locked it up tight. Ciri’s birthday is tomorrow and I need to get started working on what I intend to craft. I have some errands to run as well. Either way, I know she doesn’t really tend to celebrate birthdays but still. She deserves it. He yawned and decided the best course of action was to go back upstairs and return to bed. He walked up and opened the door to their bedroom. He yawned again and slipped into the covers on her side. He could smell the faint scent of her homemade perfume and he let it overtake him and quickly whisk him away to the land of sleep.   

Vernon opened his eyes and saw that he was in some sort of swamp. To be more precise he saw he was in a small hut located in a swamp. ‘Stay still please. I’m trying to heal you up still. Do you know where you are’? The old man asked.

“No. I’m looking for a group of men. One of them is a mage and the others are warriors. I need to find them”. Vernon said as the man bandaged up his legs. Vernon appeared to be lying on a brown bed. Out the window of the small hut he could see very odd looking trees and swampland. He knew he wasn’t in the Northern Realms.

‘Stop moving’. The old man said sternly. ‘I know who you’re looking for. The men are dangerous and you stand no chance in hell of facing them. Vernon gave him a cocky smile. ‘Wipe that smile off your face. There’s no way you’ll kill them. I don’t care if you’ve got the gene there’s no way. There are at least five mages in the group and a large amount of well trained swordsman. You don’t stand a chance’.

Vernon sighed and said, They have a good friend of mine. What am I to do then, just let her die”?

‘Yes. I don’t know how exactly you got yourself into this mess but there’s no way of getting out of it at this point. You were lucky I was in the area. Otherwise you would’ve been dead. You suffered massive internal bleeding and scarring all over your back and chest. You won’t be able to move for a while. I strongly suggest you getting as much sleep as you possibly can over these next couple of days’. The man said looking at him. Vernon closed his eyes and fell asleep to the strange noises in the strange land.

Ydnar woke up to the bright sun of a warmer morning. He pulled the covers away and quickly got into his armor. He quickly walked down the stairs and saw Dandelion outside the house writing things down. Ydnar opened the double doors and walked outside.

‘Ah morning my armor suited friend’. Dandelion greeted.

Ydnar turned around and said, “Morning to you too Dandelion. Heard anything from the town while you were there”? Ydnar asked as he came up next to the purple bard and leaned against the house.

‘Yes actually. It’s well…...your son…

Ydnar felt like he’d been hit with a warhammer. “What about him”?

Dandelion looked at him and said, ‘well rumor has it that he’s found refuge in a far off world. He tried to go after some mages and I guess many people thought he died on the spot’.

“D****t Vernon”! Ydnar punched the side of the house. “How many times need I tell you not to go after those men. I don’t understand at all. F**k him then! He needs to understand his limits and …..well….come to the conclusion that there’s no way of saving her at this point. She’s a lost cause honestly”. Ydnar looked at the bard and said, “I’m going down to the Great Sea for a little bit. Got some things that I need in order to craft something for a special someone”. Ydnar said as he walked around the house to look at his white mare. “Morning Gvalch’ca”. He said as he came up to the large white mare and ran his hands along her neck and head.

‘May I come with you Ydnar’? The bard asked as he stood up and put his golden lute on his back. Ydnar looked at him and smiled, “Absolutely, my royal poet friend”. Ydnar got the carrots out and the large blue pills and fed both to her. She gracefully took both and bumped him with her head. Ydnar knew that meant she wanted to go for a ride. “Alright, alright, I hear you girl. Let’s go for a ride. Dandelion unless you’ve a horse then I suggest you get on”.

Dandelion walked up to the large white mare. ‘It won’t hurt her if both of us are on it I take it’? Dandelion asked looking cautiously at the scars along the horse's side.

“No. This little sweetheart leather saddlebags. Ydnar mounted the white mare and Dandelion mounted behind him. Ydnar turned the horse around and yelled, “Va Va Gvalch’ca”. The white mare took off quickly. Dandelion almost was flung off the mare. The speed and acceleration is incredible.

‘What the hell did you feed this horse….. Fisstech’? Dandelion asked.

Ydnar laughed and responded with, “No. Just some pain meds and carrots. This was the actual horse I had when I was in the army. She was bred to be fast. When I left I took this as my goodbye gift”.

‘Dear Gods. She’s not a horse she’s a beast’. They both laughed as they rode hard to get to the sea. The sun was just coming up and the day was just starting for the pair. Ydnar looked at the water and it was smooth as glass. To him that was good since he had to do some diving to get the special stones to craft the necklace he was going to make her. The problem was how he was going to get the damn stones. The stones were found deep underwater and near drowner nests and siren hideouts. Both of which are dangerous enough on land, not to mention lethal in the water. Ydnar was a special forces soldier, one of Nilfgaards finest, as such he wasn’t afraid as long as he had his crossbow with him. He knew he also needed a fire and some magic as well. He wanted to craft a necklace that would wrap, not tightly mind you, but not loosely either, it would wrap around Ciri’s neck and have warming abilities. So that when Ydnar wasn’t around the warmth of the stone around her neck could give her warmth.

Ydnar slowed the mare up slightly and looked around for anything that looked worth going into.

“Alright Gvalch’ca, this looks pretty good”. He brought the white mare closer to the water and dismounted. Ydnar hit the sand and took his armor off, stripping down to his briefs. Dandelion dismounted and said, ‘Ydnar, you’ve a wife, but if you buy me a few drinks i’d be more than happy to strip down with you’? The bard said teasingly as he sat down by the white mare and strummed his lute.

Ydnar looked at him and they both laughed. “Ohhhhh Dandelion you’re funny as hell, you know that? Makes my side split”. Ydnar reached into the saddlebags and pulled out a large black crossbow with a yellow sun drawn on it. He grabbed some bolts and then decided to at least keep his pants on. Ydnar put them back on and stuck the bolts in his pants. He also put his dagger belt on and strapped daggers to the belt that ran diagonally across his chest. The cool sand felt good between his feet as he looked at the bard and said, “If anyone approaches the horse or acts in an odd way yell. I’ll hear you and come running”.

‘I will certainly do that. Have fun, that water’s going to be damn cold this time of year’. Dandelion said with a large smile on his clean shaven face. Ydnar smiled back and walked towards the water. He had a yellow pill bottle with him that would help him hold his breath slightly longer but he knew even then it was a risk. He took one of the large yellow pills and jumped into the water. It was cold, damn cold. Ydnar felt it tightening his muscles up; Ydnar was a special forces soldier and was trained in hot water and cold water and knew how to force his muscles to perform in cold water like this. He swam out to sea and said, “This looks promising”. Ydnar saw there was a small cave down below him. He only really needed around ten of them as the rest of the space on the necklace would be taken up by pearls which he had a lot of since his time in Skellige long ago. He breathed deeply three times and then went under. He breathed out slowly through his mouth and went further and further down. He could feel the pressure building on him. He went into the cave and saw exactly what he was looking for. When he was in Nilfgaard they used to burn these type of rocks, yes burning rocks, one would think it wouldn’t amount to much but they soon discovered there was something special about these red rocks. They had some ability to trap large amounts of heat and if someone who had a knowledge of magic used them then they could permanently keep the heat locked away. In a way it was almost like trapping a soul in an object. Ydnar counted fifteen and put all fifteen into his pocket.

Dandelion was on the sandy beach. He was sitting down writing about events that happened over the past few days about where they were and what was going on. He was trying to come up with a catchy title for it all. He abandoned the idea when he saw out in the distance sirens. Sirens were massive birds who had the head of a female and the wings of a griffen. They were known to cause small boats to capsize and to cause fisherman to never be seen again. There were a number of them and Dandelion wondered if they were after Ydnar.

Ydnar quickly hit another out of the air with his crossbow. The sirens screamed and sang their song in the elder speech. That was how they communicated was through the use of songs sang in hen llinge. One of the sirens came in and tried to drag him down into the deep water. The female siren wrapped him in her tail and Ydnar quickly grabbed one of his daggers and cut himself free of the bird woman and swam back up to the surface. Ydnar started to work his way back to the shore little by little. Two more of the winged beasts dived on him. Ydnar since he was in the water couldn’t really dodge out of the way that quickly so he shot one in the right wing and just before hre could shoot another one of the sirens scratched him across his chest. Blood poured into the water. Ydnar was stunned for a bit as the pain numbed his chest. He quickly came too and wondered why he wasn’t going up to the surface. He looked down and realised he was being dragged by one of the sirens. Ydnar grabbed a dagger and cut the sirens arm off sending it deeper into the Great Sea. Ydnar’s chest hurt badly. He felt it going numb from the pain and the coldness of the water. Right I can teleport. He thought to himself. As he focused and thought about where he put his horse.

As Dandelion wrote about the green and red sirens Ydnar appeared in front of him suddenly. Ydnar hit the ground and found it hard to stand up. Dandelion came over to him and helped the poor injured man to his feet.

‘You alright’? Dandelion asked. Ydnar stumbled his way to the bags on the side of the horse and pulled out the red pain pills and a green towel. He dried himself and said, “Yeah…….i’m good…….damn ...sirens...the things…..we do ...for love”.

Ydnar popped two pills into his mouth and sat down on the sand. Luckily the rest of the sirens stayed away from the two men at shore. Ydnar stopped the large amount of bleeding that was coming from the wound and he wrapped the towel around his chest.

“Screw me….whelp...they cut deep. Damn this hurts like a dirty slug”. The cuts were extremely deep.

Dandelion looked at his chest and back and said, ‘Every day you got outside and get scratched you look more and more like a witcher’.

Ydnar looked at the poet and said, “Well, just adds to the intimidation factor really”.  They laughed. Ydnar waved his hand around and then firewood appeared. Ydnar cast another spell and the firewood was now burning brightly. The stones he took out of his pocket and looked at them. He felt their warmth already. Ydnar set the fifteen he collected down and got back into his armor. Dandelion picked up one of the special red rocks that were about as long as his thumb and as big too. Ydnar came back and brought some rope with him and a chisel. ‘What type of rock is this’? Dandelion asked as he began writing down what he felt about the strange smooth stone. The red stone had no cleavage and only had bends in it’s structure.

“I don’t know their scientific name but when I was in the army we called them soul stones. You can actually keep the heat locked in their permanently and have it emit heat forever. If you use a bit of magic, which I intend to do. What we have to do first is to get these stones hot to the point of where they’re steaming and then i’m going to chisel through them and put them on a necklace for Ciri”. Ydnar set the smooth rope down and the thirty or forty pearls he had in a brown sack.

‘All of this just for her? Wow. She ‘s going to love the hell out of this. Why though if I may ask? You two get into a fight’?

Ydnar laughed as he started putting the stones into the fire. “Nope. Her birthday, technically is tomorrow. Problem is she’s going to be working almost the whole entire day listening to people talk about crap so i’m giving her this today. I hope she likes it. The pearls are from Skellige. As a kid growing up around Kaer Trolde harbor, I used to go diving into the sea looking for these blue green pearls. They match her belt almost exactly and look as pretty as her bright green eyes”. Ydnar stated as he started putting small holes into the pearls and putting them on the necklace. “Know what I should do every other one”. He said as he pulled them off, only leaving one of the smooth pearls on the small stretchy rope.

‘You must really love her then. You went to a lot of trouble to make all this. How are you going to tie the rope without it irritating her’? The bard asked looking into his blue eyes.

“Well, first off, yes I love her more than anything in the entire world. Secondly, what i’m going to do is unite the two ends of the rope using a simple union spell. It shouldn’t be too hard honestly”. Ydnar looked out and saw that the sun was off the horizon now. He set the towel down on the sand and laid down on it looking at the fire. Ydnar laughed and looked at Dandelion, who looked at him and asked, ‘What’s so funny my mage friend’?

“Does this remind you of the time Geralt first met Yennefer”? Ydnar asked looking at the bright orange fire.

Dandelion laughed and said, ‘It does actually. Geralt and I were doing some fishing and when we were having no luck we caught a bottle of some sort. Well it turned out to be a genie and well, long story short Geralt had to bring me to Vengerberg and Yennefer healed me up. In return though she wanted the magical power of the genie. When she asked him for what his last wish was he said something to the extent of wanting to love her. It was pretty unforgetable. The whole town was pretty much destroyed of course but ...that …...was pretty amazing’. Ydnar laughed and then said, “I think that should be good now. Let’s get these rocks out and do my magic on them”.

Ciri walked out of the giant dark blue church. It was still morning but the sun was now out and off the horizon. It was starting to warm up, but only slightly. Triss who usually stayed at the church most of the time, decided to walk with her. She wanted to see Ydnar and the baby as well. She hasn't seen either of them since about two months ago in the babies case; in terms of Ydnar she, hasn't seen him since more like six months ago. Both ladies walked on the cobblestone path that led to the dirt path, which led into the town the house was in.

‘You and your husband planning on doing anything tomorrow to celebrate’? Triss asked looking at the young woman.

Ciri sighed and said, “No I don’t believe so honestly. I usually don’t celebrate the fact that i’m getting older. I guess I should now that life is starting and I can be myself again. Oh Triss, it’s been so long since I could sing and dance around any man. Since I could go to the taverns and eat with people, not having to worry about who’s watching me or where I need to go to next. I wish I didn’t have all those meetings tomorrow. It is what it is”. Ciri smiled a smile of joy and happiness thinking about her husband and young daughter.

‘You two, so perfect for each other. I was skeptical at first but you really are the perfect match’. Triss said as she looked at the large pine trees that surrounded the small town. The redheaded sorcerer looked at her and said, ‘Whenever you’re ready to do the permanent age thing all you have to do is let me know. I can do it to you and to him. Just make sure it’s what both of you want. It cannot be undone. Of course you won’t be able to have any more kids though’.

Ciri sighed and yawned. “I figured as much. That’s fine, I’ve got everything I could ever want right now. I never thought the day would come when I could actually get married with a man. I got damn lucky with him. It’s so worth it, life is so worth it”. She said softly. Triss looked at her and saw a large smile on her face and her bright green eyes were lit up like the sun.

Ydnar and Dandelion dismounted the horse and walked into the white house. Ydnar put the necklace in his right pocket in his armor. He saw Triss and Geralt talking at the marble rectangular table. They were sitting across from each other. The blinds were open and allowed the light to come pouring into the room. Ydnar sat next to Geralt and willed the small glass of water at the very end of the table to come to him. Triss stopped the conversation and looked at him surprised.

‘You use magic Ydnar’? She asked.

Ydnar smiled and replied, “Yes for certain things. I’m not much good at it but I use it occasionally”.

Dandelion came up behind him and said quietly, ‘He used it this morning to craft one hell of a birthday present for Ciri’. Dandelion sat down on the left side of Geralt. Triss looked at Ydnar with a surprised look and smiled.

‘Oh she’s going to love it. What is it if you don’t mind’? Triss asked looking into his blue eyes.

“She’s sleeping right”?

‘Yes’.

Ydnar sighed and took out the necklace with the polished pearls and warm red rocks. It felt very good on his tired sore hands. His hands were sore due to the extremely large amount of chiseling he had to do to get the elastic rope to fit properly.

Triss opened her mouth and took it carefully from his hands.

‘You actually made this? Not to sound surprised but--

Ydnar snickered softly and said, “But you thought I wasn’t good enough to make it. Come on, admit it, it’s ok, I can take the heat”. He said as Triss blushed. “I had to do some diving to get the special rocks and ran into some lovely sirens that gave me a new tattoo on my chest. Anyway, I used a basic soul trap spell on each of the rocks to get them to hold all the heat from the fire I put them in. I don’t know, I figured that when she was away from me she might want something to keep her warm and remind her of my job”.

Triss giggled and said, ‘that’s so sweet. Where did the pearls come from’? She asked as she handed it back to him.

He took it from her and said, “When I was younger I used to go diving in the harbor of Kaer Trolde. If you were lucky you could find some of the pearls under the rocks. I polished them up and kept them all these years.”. Ydnar took a drink.

‘Good that ought to her her up a bit’. Triss said as she drank what she had left in her glass.

Ydnar looked back at the sorcerer. “Has she been down lately”?

Triss sighed, ‘She doesn’t want to have to slog through meetings tomorrow and on top of that she found out she's not allowed to bring anybody with her to Skellige since only the mages are allowed to go’. She played with the wooden glass in her small hands.

Ydnar sighed and shook his head. “Great…...Now I have to worry about her and the baby. What am I saying? She felt the same way with me probably. I guess I should give her a visit then”.

‘I think you should’. Triss agreed as Ydnar got up from the table and put the necklace back in his pocket.  Ydnar walked up the stairs and to the bedroom they shared. He carefully opened the door and walked into the cool dark room. He quietly took off his armor and stripped down to his briefs. He could hear the patterns of deep sleep. Ydnar didn’t want to wake her up. He got into the covers and looked at her. He felt bad that he didn’t get to know her when they were both in Skellige. I could’ve protected her from so much. Sleep, i need to sleep. He obeyed his head and slept.

“I’ve got people chasing me. That’s why I can’t afford to stay around at this point”. Vernon said as he sat at a small round table made of light colored wood.

‘Who’s after you then’? The old mage asked. The man was completely bald and wearing a cherry red robe with dark green pants. His hood was up. Outside today it was raining. Vernon had finally recovered from the wounds. It took two long days of healing but he recovered.

“Why would you care”? Vernon said aggressively.

The man looked at him and sighed. ‘You killed many innocents haven’t you’? The man looked at his eyes and then he came to the conclusion. ‘Ahhhhhhhhhhh Hen Ichaer. The elder blood runs deep in you. I see why you killed. You can’t control your powers’.

Vernon snapped back and said, “I absolutely can and will!”

The old man laughed and said, ‘So the innocent people who died then, they just wanted to be gone from this world and you fulfilled their last request? Is that it’? The man asked sarcastically.

“Why am I listening to this crap? I’m better now I should really leave”. Vernon said as he ran out into the rain. He had his royal blue armor back on and his sword was in it’s proper sheathe down by his left hip. Vernon didn’t know where he even was. Am I on the continent or is this another world altogether? Let’s go north. Vernon wiped the water out of his eyes and started heading in a direction. He was determined to make it out of the swamp and find out where he was. There was not really much light out as the low hanging clouds blocked out the sun. The rain was cold. Large drops hit and ran down his back and face. Ahead of him were large trees that looked like oak trees but had massive amounts of vines running down them. Great. This looks great. Should I risk a teleport? Yes I think i shall. Vernon concentrated hard and the white light came and went.

Ydnar saw his son standing over a group of young men and women. He was angry. Suddenly with a smile he drew his sword and started killing them all. Blood and guts flew off his sword and covered his now red armor. Ydnar was helpless and stood by Geralt as they did nothing. Once Vernon was satisfied he smiled and looked at Ydnar. The wooden tavern they were in reminded him a lot of the one in Skellige where he got kicked out so many years ago. The light was very dim and the floor was slippery with all the blood flowing down it. Ydnar drew his sword and they fought. Vernon eventually ended up winning and he walked over to the now lying body of his father and stuck the sword right into his head; the light went out of his eyes.

“Ahhhhhhhh F**k”! Ydnar yelled as he woke up with sweat all over his body. Ciri immediately jumped up and said, ‘Ydnar what’s wrong’?

Ydnar quickly got out of bed, opened the door, and ran down the stairs. He opened the large green double doors and walked part way outside so no one could see him. He was stained in sweat. He vomited, over and over. He put his hands on his knees. He slowly walked to the white house and sat down against the building. He put his head in his hands and cried. Vernon, Vernon please……..I’m sorry. He couldn’t control anything, it all just came out at once. All the pain and frustration of not being able to find his son, not being there when he needed to be, for bringing him into a world that wants him dead. He slowly calmed himself down. He took his head out of his hands and looked at the fields of flowers that lay just in front of the house. He stood up and walked inside. Again he felt weak suddenly and put his head against one of the interior walls. He closed his eyes and thought about all the talks he had and how long it had taken Ciri and him to find him, all the pain and suffering it took to find him. How Ydnar fucked it up. The one chance he had to be a father and he messed up big. Why am I acting like this? I have another kid to take care of and a wife who’s probably worrying even more about me. Get your sorry a*s back up in that room. Ydnar tried to motivate himself. He walked slowly back up the stairs and into the room whose door was still open. Ciri watched him come in and close the door. Ydnar walked over to his side of the bed and got back in. Ciri sighed and came up closer to him and put her arms around him.

‘Ydnar it was a dream. It was about our son wasn’t it’? She asked as she rubbed his scarred back.

“Yeah it was. Have you heard anything about him”? Ydnar sighed as he rolled back over so he was looking at the ceiling.

Ciri lied down on him so her head was on his chest and she was looking at him. Her body was now perpendicular to his.

‘Only what Dandelion told me. Relax about him. He’ll figure his way around. His mom and dad are strong’. She said as she ran her soft hands up his chest.

Ydnar sighed and looked at her. “His mom is, but his dad is weak”.

CIri looked at him and said, ‘Bollocks. You know that’s not true’.  

Ydnar could tell that she had a rough day. She looked tired and stressed.

“Triss told me about Skellige. I also heard you had quite a rough day too”. Ydnar watched her sigh and get up off the bed. She was in her bra and panties and she shook her head. He quickly got up and came up behind her to hold her.

‘I wanted to take you there with me so damn bad. I was so pissed off at them when I heard it. I was wondering……..most of the women except Triss don’t know what you look like’. Ciri turned around and looked at the massive scar that was on the center of his chest.

‘What the hell is this?! Ydnar you told me you were done killing things and getting into fights. Explain this massive scar I see on the front of your chest’. She commanded as she rubbed it and felt how deep it was. She watched as Ydnar winced a bit at the pain.

“I don’t know if now's the right time for this Ciri”. Ydnar said looking into her burning green eyes.

‘Why is that Ydnar’? She asked as she folded her arms.

Ydnar sighed and said, “because you don’t seem to be in a good mood”. He rubbed her neck and sighed.

‘What does that have to do with this scar? Ydnar i’m sorry...i’m just…….she shook her head and he came closer to her.

“Ciri, pick a shoulder to cry on and let it out”. Ydnar said. She turned and did exactly that. She put her head on his right shoulder and he felt tears roll down his back. He put his head on her left shoulder and wrapped her tightly in his arms. Her perfume smelled like it always did and reminded him that she was his. If this were me long ago and I had you. How many people would I have saved? My rage back then. Ydnar I need you in Skellige. As if he read her mind he said, “I can be there with you. As long as you and Triss can keep it a secret, I can be there with you. Provided you take me to the top of the keep and we get to --

She giggled and said, ‘Done’.

She broke away from him and then kissed him over and over again. ‘Ydnar….thank you for that. I needed it so badly. I love you so much’. She said as he held her and rocked her in his arms. She put her head on his chest and he lay his head on hers.

“If I can and you feel up to it i’ll take you to the large hill I used to go sledding down when I was younger”. He said softly.

She laughed and said, ‘Yes, please do’. She sighed and was happy again.

“Now….about those scars. I got into a fight with some sirens”.

She backed up out of his arms a bit and looked confused. She then giggled and said, ‘You don’t have to tell me why. I wasn’t expecting that to be the cause. Those things are dangerous. I heard many tales about sailors getting pulled off of ships and the like due to them when I lived in Skellige’.

He smiled and said, “So did I. You don’t really celebrate your birthday much do you”? He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his armor off the floor. She came over and sat to the right of him.

‘I...well...I never had the time. I suppose now that we have a life and can give some time up for that sort of thing I suppose I should but I don’t know. I’m going to be far too busy tomorrow to do such a thing’. She looked at him and he said,”i’m never sure honestly if you’re into jewelry or not”. He reached into his pocket in his armor and she said,

‘Ydnar please, I really hope you didn’t spend much on me’.

He looked her in the eyes and said, “Define much”.

Ciri rolled her eyes and said, ‘If that’s the case we’re taking it back’. Ydnar snickeered.

Ydnar said to her, “Close yours eyes and pull down your pants. I’m joking about the pants thing but close your eyes please”. Ydnar said as she giggled and closed her green eyes.

‘If I hear’...she said still giggling. ‘The sound of a zipper or the flop of skin then I will open my eyes. I want it of course but not when I can’t see it first’. Ciri said teasingly.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Fair enough”. Ydnar took the necklace and bracelet he made earlier and it shined even in the dark light of the room. The pearls were self illuminating. She started laughing like a young girl. ‘Whatever it is it tickles’. Ydnar laughed. She felt her neck and then her wrist become increasingly warm all of a sudden. He also had a trick up his sleeve. He had bought a real golden emerald ring to replace the original wedding ring she had. He felt bad that the ring she had wasn’t super flashy. He wanted everyone to know that she was taken. He carefully slipped it on her hands and said, “Ok. Please don’t tell me to take the ring back either”. She saw it. It was bright gold and seemed to glisten, yet the room the two of them were in was completely dark. She came to the realization that this was actually the same ring but he had it modified. The green and blue were in the same exact place but the whole ring flashed and glowed as if it was alive. She started to have tears in her eyes and she had to wipe them away.

‘You ….did way too much. You weren’t even supposed to get me anything’. Ciri looked at her wrist and realized what was keeping her warm the whole entire time. Ydnar yawned and laid back in the bed a bit.

‘Where in the world did you find something like this’? She asked as she inspected the rocks and the bright green pearls.

“I crafted it”. Ydnar replied. She looked at him and smiled.

‘How…….i’ve never know rocks like this to do such a thing and the pearls to glow as well’.

Ydnar smiled. Ciri came closer to him and brought her head close to his.

“It wasn’t all that hard to make honestly. I went with Dandelion this morning to the sea and went out into the water to find the rocks. Unfortunately Ciri, these rocks are way out in the water and some sirens found me and attacked. Hence the reason why i have a new tattoo on my chest. Anyway long story short I got back, I put the rocks in a fire and then used a sort of soul trap spell on them to lock the heat in there permanently. The pearls are from the harbor in Skellige. I just polished them up real nice so they’d shine. I know it’s nothing really big but --

‘Please’…...she wiped more tears away from her eyes and said, ‘honestly you really didn't have to do this for me. I know the secret to making the ring shine too and I know it’s damn expensive to get that done’. She sighed and said, ‘to think I was mad at you for going out there and getting messed up like that too’. She wiped away more tears and said, ‘no one’s ever done something like that for me, Ydnar I love you so much…...now I need to find--

“No you don’t. I should’ve done more than what I did too. You deserve every bit of it too, all the stupid crap you had to deal with, even the things before you found me. I felt bad that I haven't really got to do something like this for you”. Ydnar said looking into her bright green eyes.

‘I love you’. She met his lips and she brought her body on top of him. They heard the baby start crying and Ydnar retracted his lips and sighed.
“Oh alright. Sorry Ciri you probably didn’t get much of a chance to sleep did you”?

Ydnar said as he got up off the bed and put his socks and boots on.

Ciri yawned and said, ‘That’s what naps are for. Ydnar truly, thank you’. She said as he found the diapers and wipes.

“Ohh Ciri, happy birthday my beautiful swallow”. Ydnar said as he closed the door and then opened the one across the hall. The smell was overpowering. Luckily for him he knew magic. He waved his hands and took the diaper off and put on a new one all without touching the article of clothing. He even made it disappear. Of course he knew that was no reason not to see his daughter. He set the things down and took her out of the crib. She was still crying and Ydnar brought her to his chest and cast a spell that calmed the mind and the body. She slowly stopped crying and now started again grabbing for his silver necklace. Ydnar carried her to the blue bed and with a snap of his hand all the candles in the room lit up. Ciri came into the room now to see both of them.

“Why do you want my necklace so much? You and your mom are always trying to steal things from me”. Ciri laughed as she sat next to Ydnar; the young baby started laughing as she grabbed the silver chain.

“I’m glad you think this is funny. Ydnar said as he cast another spell. A green ball of light flew around the room and she watched it and giggled more. Ciri laughed and was in awe at how good he was with magic. Ydnar shivered a bit. Ciri saw him do it and she put her warm arms around him. Outside it was snowing now. It was getting to be evening and Ciri knew she needed to fall asleep soon.

Ydnar looked at Ciri and handed her the young girl.

She immediately started tickling her belly. She continued to laugh and clap her hands. Above their heads the green ball of light was still flying around the room. The young girl yawned and Ciri said, ‘you tired now’? She carried her to the crib and set her carefully in their and kissed her mostly bald head. She closed her eyes and Ciri looked at Ydnar and he put his arms around her.

‘I still can’t believe we have two kids. I never would’ve thought. It’s going to be funny watching her grow up and you fighting off all the unsavory males who come after her wanting her hand in marriage’. She said as she started kissing him over and over again. The next one seemed sweeter than the last. She put her hands on his chest. She retracted for the last time and he said,

“In that case all I have to do is show them my sword and armor collection”. He said looking at Ciri who started laughing.

“Oh Zireael, we should probably get you into bed. Night approaches and tomorrow will be very busy”. She buried herself in his chest and said, ‘whisk me to the castle my knight in shining armor’. He concentrated and they were back in their room. She smiled at him and kissed him longer this time. After a long meet and greet their tongues parted once again and both laid down  in the warm bed. She took her golden ring off and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. He sighed and she came up onto his chest as she usually did. Her head on his right shoulder and her hand on his muscular chest. She kissed his neck and said, ‘Ydnar thanks, for everything….that was…..sweet of you. I love you’. She said softly as she yawned and closed her eyes.

“You’re worth it Cirilla. I’d got to hell and back just to see you happy. I love you forever after my princess”. She kissed his neck again and he put his right arm around her and held her close as they both fell asleep.

Vernon wound up in a large forest in a valley. He looked around and saw trees everywhere around him. Large pines that seemed to reach into the clouds. It seemed to be sometime in the evening for the bright yellow sun was getting closer to the horizon. Vernon sighed and picked a direction to walk. Luckily the ground was tall grass not mud like the jungle he was in previously. Suddenly as he was walking he heard movement. He quickly brought out his sword and looked behind him. I don’t want to teleport again. At least not for a little while. He looked nervously. His senses were on full alert. Suddenly a soft smooth voice said, ‘There’s no need to be alarmed’. To Vernon it sounded like a young womans voice. Vernon looked around him but didn’t see anybody, only large pine trees and the white rock valley on either side of him. “Bullshit, I don’t believe a word you say. I’m being hunted by many people at the moment and I don’t trust anybody. Show yourself”. Vernon looked around, nervously waving his sword back and forth.

‘I could’ve killed you by now if I wanted to. Look up above you young one’. The soft voice said. Vernon looked and saw the source of the voice. She was tall and had a beautiful body. She was kneeling 0n a tree limb and looking around somewhere far beyond the valley. She was nearly on the very top of the tree. The woman was dressed in what appeared to be brass armor that hugged the outline of her body and reflected the sun’s rays off of it. To Vernons surprise she appeared to be blue in color but she was no elf. She had brown eyes and long black hair.

‘Put your weapon down. I mean you no harm. Night approaches and it’s dangerous to travel the forests alone at night. I can take you to the village before nightfall but we must be quick about it’. The woman said. She backflipped off the tree landing in front of him as he put his sword away slowly.

“I’ll follow you”. Vernon said. She ran off and Vernon followed. They jumped over fallen trees and made their way to what appeared to be a giant warthog. The woman got on and motioned for Vernon to do the same. Vernon cautiously did the same and put his arms around the waist of the blue woman. The hog took off, and to his surprise the animal seemed to know it’s way through the forest, despite the falling light level.

‘My name’s Delequen, though most call me Quen. Do you know where you are’? She asked looking behind her slightly.

Vernon sighed and said, “Name’s Vernon. No, not really sure where I am honestly”.

The woman nodded and said, ‘This land Vernon, is referred to as dyffryn graig Gwyn. In your tongue it means white rock valley. My group that I lead, called the ceidwaid y tir or keepers of the land, have lived here for many generations. We’re mostly a hunter gatherer society. We hold a strong belief the land was given to us by the Gods for us to use. Unfortunately my people have been under attack for some time now, and because of this, we had to be on the move a lot. You’re free to stay in the village as long as you want as long as you don’t cause trouble. We show respect and courtesy to those who respect us. S**t’. The woman swore suddenly. The brown colored warthog moved faster and Vernon saw the edge of the forest end and to the right saw a large battle happening. On one side where the people the woman mentioned, all were colored blue, on the other side large warriors with steel forged armor were killing some of the people off.

‘Vernon if you know how to use that sword of yours then follow me down but stay close’. Vernon jumped off as the woman did and the two of them ran down the green grassy hill they were on towards the battle below. The woman got her curved sword out and slashed one of the guards across the back. Another large warrior with a hammer was about to take a swing at her but Vernon quickly chopped his head off and then very quickly blocked two horizontal strikes from another armored foe. Vernon locked his sword in the man’s and then, though it was a dumb idea he headbutted the man, who didn't have a helmet on. The man fell backwards and he came in and sliced his head off. Quen blocked then countered one of the men who tried to attack Vernon from behind. They were being surrounded on all sides of the small village. Vernon blocked another quick horizontal slice then expertly rolled under the second man’s attack. Vernon then felt a sharp pain in his left arm as one of the men knicked him with the tip of his weapon. It started to bleed but he blocked it out. More of the villagers came to the defense of the town and Vernon suddenly realized he was fighting off four men. The four men staggered their attacks to give him no time to counter. Vernon was forced to give up ground to keep them from getting behind him. Vernon then tripped backwards over a tree root that was exposed. He fell on his back and then kicked one of the soldiers who tried to capitalize on the moment. As he did that the sword hit his right leg and cut him deep. Quickly Quen who was in the are dealing with other soldiers came to his aid and shot a massive fireball at the four men. All were set on fire and burned to a crisp.  Suddenly the ground seemed to shake and Quen rushed over and grabbed him by the top of his armor and dragged him into a large crater.

‘Keep your head down and your body on the ground!’. Her voice was barely audible over the artillery that started to fall all around them as more of the blue warriors ran to the ditch and covered themselves. The noise was deafening and made his ears ring. Out in the distance he saw the projectiles land and bodies were tossed into the air. Blood was coming out of the craters. It was a ghastly sight that made his stomach churn. The pain in his right leg was hurting more and more severely. He closed his eyes and thought about home. He saw Ydnar and Ciri together and Jan off in the distance. He knew she was dead by now. It’s the reason why people could find him so easily. The bombardment ceased and his ears were still ringing terribly. Quen looked at him with her deep hazel eyes and said, ‘I’ll take you to my home and fix you up’. She started to pick him up but Vernon said, “I can walk….if ….you get me to my feet”.

She shook her head and said, ‘No. I can carry you. I may be a young woman still but we are strong warriors’. She lifted him and set him on her right shoulder. There was debris all over the place from the attack. Massive craters were everywhere and whole trees fell during the bombardment. Vernon could smell the strong scent of perfume the young woman used. It was a sweet smell that reminded him of the fresh air of Kaer Morhen. Vernon was still bleeding and soon he lost consciousness.

When he woke up he was in a large building. The room was dark and only one of the oil lamps was burning. The room was incredibly large. On the right side there was a large king size double bed. The walls of the dimly lit room looked to be made of real wood. Where in the hell am I? Just as he thought that Quen came into the room through a door. She was no longer wearing armor and instead was wearing a low cut top and green pants that hugged her skinny legs.

‘How do you feel’? She asked as she walked over to him. He only had his briefs on but could feel the pain in his leg.

“Not too bad. You’re a mage I take it”. He said as he looked the blue woman in her brown eyes. She smiled and said,

‘Well….yes and no, in the sense that i’m sterile no, though healer is what we really call them even though we know how to light our opponents up if the need arises. You’re good with that sword of yours. Honestly if you plan on staying here I could use a man of your skill. You don’t have to make the decision now but keep it in mind’. She said as she felt his wounds and looked him over. Her skin was a dark blue. She looked to Vernon to be around the age of fifteen or sixteen maybe. The fact that she was able to fully carry him meant that she was incredibly strong for her age. Her small hands felt smooth and refreshing on his body. He tried to keep himself from blushing but he saw her notice and said, ‘Sorry I don’t mean to--

“You’re fine, do what you need to do”. Vernon said as she came around to his left shoulder.

‘Where Vernon, did you learn to fight like that’? She asked as she undid the shackles and restraints that kept him on the large leather stretcher.  

“Well….from my dad. Do you know a world called the northern realms”. Vernon asked as he sat up and rubbed his tired eyes.

‘Yes. Believe it or not this land is the same world as the continent is on. We are on the other side of the Dragon Mountains that border the far north of the continent’.

Vernon nodded and stepped onto the warm sandstone floor. His leg hurt but it was manageable.

“My dad served Nilfgaard and was a special forces soldier. He’s far better than me  but that’s how I learned was from him. Now i’m separated from him and have people chasing me all over the place for killing what they call innocent people”.

Vernon looked at the young woman and she helped him walk to the large red bed.

‘You should rest. As long as you don’t mind sharing the bed i’ll do the same. You’ve been out of it for a day now and night is approaching again’. She said softly as she climbed up on the bed. Vernon got himself under the cool covers and felt exhausted suddenly. She climbed in and took her pants and top off revealing her slender shape and strong upper body. He looked away realizing he had been staring at her for a while now. She smiled at him and said, ‘Just because you killed innocent people doesn’t make you a bad person. You seem to have good control and a good head’.

Vernon sighed and said, “That’s a lie. I’ll share a secret with you, but only you. I have the gene of Lara Dorren. This is why I killed many people. I couldn’t control myself. I feel extremely guilty for doing so”. Vernon looked at the woman who brought her smooth beautiful face close to his and looked at his green eyes.

‘Ah yes. I should’ve guessed. That makes sense as to why you managed to make it here. So your mother then is the famous Zireael, and she had a son. That’s incredible. Sorry that’s rude of me to stare’. She said as she moved back to her side of the bed. She snapped her hands and the oil lamp turned off leaving both of them in the dark.

‘You must have a hard life then. Running from town to town and looking for a safe place to seek refuge. The hunt’s going to be on you quickly as well’.

Vernon sighed and said, “The hunt is no more. My father led a large battle against the hunt and defeated them, with Ciri’s help. They barely made it out of the battle alive and now they live in a separate place away from the continent. They live their life together and she and him are so happy. I …..want to do the same…...but unfortunately the one that i planned on living my life with is now dead. She was taken in the middle of the day by some men and is now most likely dead”. Vernon turned his head to the right and saw her body was on her side and she was looking at him.

‘That’s hard’. She laughed briefly and said, ‘I’m glad she found someone. Sounds like your father is great with a sword if he can take on the hunt and live. I’m sorry about your loved one, that’s gotta be hard to go through. I studied a lot of the history of the gene itself and always wanted to meet one of its carriers myself, never really thought I would have the chance’.

Vernon sighed and looked at her. “It’s hard but there have been fun times. My parents …..well they’ve done so much for me to be able to live my life without much worry but I messed it all up and now I have people chasing after me again”. He shook his head and sighed.

“See Quen it’s my fault that she died. I shouldn’t have lived in Skellige. I should’ve lived with my parents for a while longer and found something there. Now...thanks to my….stupid mistake i’m back on the run and forced to kill people. It irritates me constantly. Sorry I don’t mean to burden you with my crap’. She put her soft fragile hand on his right arm and said ever so softly,

‘I know how you feel. Though I’ve never had the gene, i’ve studied it long enough to know what it’s like to have to deal with it. Vernon, i’m always here if you just want someone to talk to’. She said as she rubbed his arm, yawned, and then brought her arm back to her body.

He sighed and closed his eyes and said, “I think I might take you up on that. I also think I will stay here a while with you and your people if you don’t mind. I like it here, it makes me feel peaceful”.

She smiled and said, ‘We'd be honored to have you with us. I’d be honored to have you with us’. She whispered softly as both of them fell asleep.

Ciri stirred and knew it was time to go to work. She wasn’t as tired as she usually was since she and Ydnar fell asleep quickly last night. She still had her necklace and bracelet on and it kept her body warm. She loved the way he could craft things like that. She slowly slipped out of bed and into the bathtub to take a quick bath before her day started. She took off the rest of her clothes and the jewelry and slipped into the tub. She tried to remember the spell he used for the water and repeated what she thought it was. Suddenly it started to storm outside and rain fell from the sky. Well that wasn’t it. Suddenly the baby cried out and woke up the sleeping knight. He sat up and looked outside. Why the hell is it raining when there’s no clouds out this morning? He wondered. Ydnar put his socks and boots on and saw that some of the candles that led into the closet and bathroom were on. He walked in and saw his swallow sitting in a tub with no water. From a place he couldn’t be seen he muttered the phrase and warm water and bubbles filled the tub. Ciri jumped slightly and turned around. Ydnar smiled as she looked behind her and all around. He walked out of the closet and through the door of their bedroom. He opened the door to the baby's room and picked the crying young girl up; he went to the white closet and found the bottle.

“I know, it’s no fun having to wait on people to give you your food is it? I know baby girl. Daddies here, he’s tired but here”. He said as he put the bottle in her mouth and she stopped crying a bit and reached up with her small fragile hands to drink. Ydnar sighed and sat down on the blue bed behind him. The candles were still on from the day before and were starting to ware down. Ydnar fluttered his right hand and five of the ten blew out. He watched the baby drink and smiled at her. “See, this is the easy part of parenting. The hard part is when you get older and start questioning things”. She finished the bottle and he set it on the bed and sat the baby upright on his lap. She burped and grabbed onto Ydnar’s right hand pointer finger. She tried to put it into her mouth but Ydnar laughed softly and said, “No, that’s not where that goes Anna”. A couple nights ago Ciri told him about what she thought to name the child, and she said she liked the way Anna sounded. He thought it sounded good as well. Ydnar cast a conjuration spell and a red, white, and blue light started dancing around the room. She laughed and giggled. To Ydnar there was nothing more funny than the way she giggled. It brought his blood pressure way down to hear that innocent laugh. One of the balls of light whooshed past the two of them and Ydnar thought it might scare her but to his surprise it only made her laugh harder. The white door opened and Ciri walked in with her robe on. She had a large smile on her face when she saw her laughing.

Ydnar looked at her as she came over to where he was sitting and leaned on his left shoulder. He put his left arm around her and held her as she watched the young girl look at the lights.

Ciri sighed and said softly, ‘I don’t want to miss this sort of thing. I think we’ll have to bring her with us to Skellige. Which means you’ll be busy with her’.

Ydnar kissed her soft head and said, “That’s fine. That just means I get to spend time with her. Happy birthday today by the way. I’m sorry you don’t get to be around much to celebrate it”.

She smiled and kissed his neck. ‘Oh Ydnar thank you. My day is celebrated by listening to mages, who are on the order of a hundred years old, talk about all the problems out there and how to fix them. It is what it is. I get through it knowing I have you and the baby to look forward to when I get home’.

He sighed and said, “Do I really mean that much to you”?

She smiled and shook her head. ‘No not at all. I just make love to you so I am better prepared when I go to work to love my true husband’. She said teasingly.

Ydnar smiled and said, “I thought that was the case all along. I’m glad you told me today Ciri. He’ll probably give you much more for your birthday then I did”.

Ciri again shook her head and came back with, ‘Ydnar please. Come off it, you know i’m yours and you’re mine’. She ran her hand along his chest and kissed his neck again. Ydnar loved the feeling of her cold, soft, moist lips on his body. The feeling made him relaxed. The baby was still laughing as she retracted her lips from him. Anna started to quiet down a bit more and then Ydnar felt her yawn. “Getting sleepy again? Alright let’s get you in your crib”. He said as he picked her up and set her in the soft crib. Ciri got up off the bed as well and squeezed his right bicep as she walked past to go down the stairs. She had her eyes closed and just lay there. The blankets were the colors of the flag of Skellige. Green and white. They were made of wool and as such were extremely soft and warm. With a sigh and a flash of his hands the remaining candles burned out and the lights that were still flying around the room flashed and were gone. Ydnar walked out of the room and shut the door. Ciri grabbed the rest of her things and stood by the front door as he came down. He walked up to her and she put her soft hands on his shoulders. Yd put his hands around her waist.

‘Yd, I really don’t feel like going today. I know I have to but I really don’t feel like it’. She said as she looked into his eyes and then put her head on his chest. He put his head on hers and kissed it over and over again. He smelled the agents she used in her hair and the sweet perfume he so loved. “I’m sorry you’ve got to do that today. That’s rough. You’re an inspiration for me Ciri, believe it or not, you’re my inspiration. How hard you work as a employee, a mom, and a wife”. She let the words he said sink in and tried not to shed any tears. He pushed her up against the wall of the house and rocked her slowly in his arms. He ran his hands through her soft ashen hair.

‘Ydnar...you’re such a man. The beautiful things you say like that to me. I…...well frankly I got lucky I found you. It’s hard for me to leave like this but with you around taking care of things …..well...it makes it much, much, easier to do so’. She lifted her head off his chest, ran her soft beautiful hands across his face and whispered, ‘I love you Yd, so much. You’re everything i’ve ever wanted in a man and much, more. You make my life so worth it, truly you do’. She tilted her head and they locked lips gently. She felt his wet, slippery tongue meet hers and she slid her’s over the top of his. The few loose strands of her ashen hair fell near his face and he let them tickle him. He brought his hands up around her neck and felt her soft skin. She held onto his biceps as she was pressed up against the wall. He knew where she liked to be touched and he brought his left hand down to her legs near her vaginal area.  

She blushed and felt the tingling go up and down. She slowly retracted and then came in again, over and over, and over. Ciri retracted again and looked at him. They both softly laughed and she put her head on his chest just briefly.

‘These twelve hours can’t go by fast enough’. Ciri said as she opened the door and stood out on the small grey stone porch. Ydnar smiled and said, “Get back home and we can have some fun tonight”.

‘Ohhhhhhh Ydnar please. That’s the best gift of all’. She blushed as she kissed his lips one last time and was on her way to the building. Ydnar closed and locked the door and walked up the stairs to go to sleep when suddenly the baby started crying again. He sighed and changed direction to go calm her down. He laughed to himself and thought about what his parents said about him when he was a baby. “Oh mom and dad if only you were here today”. With that he went into the baby’s room and took care of business.

Ciri walked into the large white chapel. She already knew this would be a bad day. She was only intimidated by one person ever. Even then she didn’t let herself get pushed around. She on her way over to the building, had to transition from loving caring wife mode, to stubborn, strong, almost pushy boss mode. It reminded her of the times long ago where she was running from town to town and had to act tough. For her though, when she got home every afternoon, she could be herself again. Ydnar kept her sane and Ciri owed a lot to him for it. She walked through the large main room that had a light colored wooden floor and echoed as you walked on it. She went past where the pews were and into the hallways of the chapel. Ciri for some reason or another was having a rather depressing day. She stopped just outside the room where they met in and leaned against the white wall. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the stones against her skin which helped. She started thinking about those she lost long ago in various battles and just through things she couldn’t control. Why am I thinking about him? I have a husband. Why? I feel wrong thinking about the man who I was with just briefly. So what…..I held his hand and we rode off into the sunset. Maybe I would’ve married him maybe not but that’s not the point, the point is I have my husband and that’s that…..the end. Why in the love of Kreeve do I feel like this? Ciri control yourself. Ydnar I need you around me all the time. I hate the way I feel. I feel like I want to kill everyone. No…...Ciri…...no……...stop……..She walked out of the hallway, through the main room, and quickly outside. She looked up at the moon which was still out. The night wasn’t even close to turning into day at this point but she felt weak and depressed. Ciri walked further away from the building and sat on the grass for a minute as tears fell down her face. I’m better than this….Galahad go do yourself in, get out of my head. Yes I’ve lost people who I took a liking to me but that’s beside the point. I’m having one hell of a day aren’t I? Maybe I should just go home for the day. Say screw it and let Ydnar hold me and tell me everythings ok. Yeah Ciri, you’re tough, you’re really tough. This is me, the one who killed Bonhart, the one who escaped from him, who was one of the rats for a while, the one who got out of the mage school alive, the one who...is married to the man of her dreams. She closed her eyes and let the tears drip down her face. How much can a woman take before she loses her cool and cries like she’s ten again? This damn gene, this gift, this curse. Too much, I need to go back to him. Ciri opened her eyes and tried to stand up. Eventually she managed to but then felt weak as her knees were shaking. She closed her green eyes and teleported to the house.

Ydnar felt something large. He knew she teleported back to him. He was still in the room with the baby and he quickly set the bab in the crib and cast a quick spell on it to put it to sleep. It was still very dark outside and Ydnar worried about her when she came home early like this. Ydnar walked down the stairs and opened the door to the cold outside world. That’s when he saw her. She was sat on a rock and looked to be in pain. He walked up to her still with only his boots and briefs on. He sat down next to her on the rock and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Not feeling it today”? He asked as he rubbed her shoulder and started massaging her tense back muscles.

She slowly stopped crying and looked at him.

‘Have you Ydnar ever had times where you felt regretful like this? I think back to all those i’ve killed and all those who died. I got to the door and was about to go in when I just couldn’t take any more of this. I felt so embarrassed about it. All the crap I had to go through and the things that i’ve done. I’….

“Oh Ciri absolutely. Everyone does. I told you about my past many times before. What it was I did and how I did it. I never forgot those hard times of my life but the secret here Ciri is to forgive yourself. You told me what it was you did and what people did to you. Stuff happens. Both of us were in damn hard situations and didn’t want to be. I think the lodge is pushing you way too hard as well”. Ydnar said as he rubbed her back. The sun was almost ready to come up over the horizon. Ciri turned and leaned in to kiss him. She retracted and they watched the sunrise together. She scooted up closer to him and put her right leg over his left leg. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

‘I …..really wish you and I could’ve found each other long ago. All the mistakes I made and the stupid things I did. I didn’t know what I was even doing. I could’ve stopped so many things from happening. Instead I had to watch as Bonhart cut the heads off of those who well….meant alot to me. One of the men tried to rape me when I was in the rats. Then one of the females did actually rape me. That was great…...made me want to kill myself. I felt somehow attached to her though’. Ciri blushed and said, ‘Ydnar…….I hope…..you don’t from this story think….i’m a...lesbian. I just wanted to fit in with her and was tired of being alone’. She looked at him and he put his arm around her neck and laid his head back on the grey rock.

“No Ciri I don’t think you’re a lesbian. In fact after two kids i’m fairly certain you’re straight as an arrow. I can’t say I’ve done something like that where i’ve had sex with a man but we do what we have to do to stay alive and make it through. I remember there was a time when I was chasing a very dangerous mage. I had him on the run and he led me right into his ambush. Long story short I spent ten days with only the piss of the men in the group to drink and they beat me, damn near raped me, they liked to march me naked through their territory and drugged me heavily. Though I escaped I was never really the same afterwards”. He said. She looked at him and laid on his chest.

‘How’d you get out of that and how were you different’?    

Ydnar started, “I got out when one of the men wasn’t looking. I very quickly grabbed one of the mages giant spears and killed the man with it. I then ran as far and as fast as I possibly could. I escaped them and spent ten more days trying to find my way back to Nilfgaard territory. I lived off the land and went hunting frequently. To answer the second part of the question, I guess I looked at the world from a darker standpoint. I thought everyone was out to get me. I didn’t trust people. In fact Ciri, you’re the first person I told about this. I’d rather you not mention this to people if you don’t mind”.

‘I won’t. Ydnar I love you. I’m glad both our lives have changed for the better’. She said as she kissed his lips again and said, ‘you’ve got to be freezing out here in that. Sorry I need to not worry about this crap and focus on living’.

Ydnar got up from the rock and said, “Easier said than done. We all have days like this where the weight of the world hits us with its full load. I’ve had that many times. The thing to remember is to enjoy your life. I think you’re tired and on top of it you’re stressed out”.

Ciri sighed and said, ‘Most definitely stressed. That’s the one thing I think I have way too much of right now is stress’.

Ydnar smiled at her and said, “There’s a place for that…….with bubbles of course”. She laughed and he grabbed her hand. The white light appeared and went; then suddenly they were in the bathroom. Ciri was still laughing as she got up off the floor and got undressed. He did the same. The pink bubbles appeared in the tub as did the water. They got in together and all the stress seemed to just fall off their bodies.

Vernon woke up later than he expected to. He saw that Quen was already out of the bed and he pulled the covers off of him and got out of the bed. His clothes and armor were on the floor; he grabbed them and quickly got himself dressed. He could more clearly see where it was he slept last night. The house itself was built into the tree. The walls were actually the tree itself. It was hollow inside and allowed for room to be able to move around. Vernon looked for the way out of the amazing house. He found a ladder and decided that it must be the way out of the house. It was extremely far down. The tree was large in diameter and tall in height. The clouds came close to the top of the house. He started down the ladder which was far more scary than it originally seemed due to the tendency for the ladder to sway back and forth. From the top of the ladder he could see the large dense green forest that seemed to go on forever. The white rocky cliffs being the only thing to stop the growth of the massive pine trees. With his feet now on the dirt ground he looked around. He saw a large amount of the blue villagers talking in a language he didn’t understand. It sounded like a form of Hen Llinge. Vernon started walking around the village. The houses were constructed from the inside of the trees. The trees that the people used for houses weren’t actually pine trees. They were much bigger around than pine trees and had much more in the way of branches and leaves. They were spaced out in a circle. In the center of this circle was the house he slept in last night, which rose up above all the others. A small breeze was blowing through and brought with it the smell of pine. Vernon followed the dirt path that followed around the small village. He saw Quen off to the right of the trail and stood behind her. She was talking to four others in the variant of the elder speech. They were standing in front of a tan colored tent that looked to be made from canvas. It looked to Vernon like the poles were made out of the dark wood pine trees. There were four of them; one at each of the corners of the rectangular tent. The sun was warm and made Vernon sweat underneath his steel plated leather armor. Quen was shaking her hand at them and it sounded like she was upset. On the dirt trail the rest of the people went about their business as usual. Some walked the path, others were talking, and some were just looking at the sky and doing what Vernon would call praying. One of the men she was talking to motioned towards Vernon and said something. She came back with a comment and shook her head making her brown hair sway back and forth. Her brass armor acted like a mirror and reflected the sun off of it. Vernon noticed all of the blue villagers were wearing the same clothes. It looked to be a full set of leather armor that was dyed green to match the pine trees color. Even the females in the small village wore the armor. Quen stopped and sighed. She said something else then walked away and motioned for Vernon to follow her. He walked away towards the start the start of the village with her. Vernon didn’t know what to say to her and he wished he knew the language that they spoke better than he did. They came upon the bodies, craters and armor of the fallen from the day before. She stopped and looked behind her. Only now did Vernon realize that she was motioning for the four others to follow her not him. He turned himself around and blushed a bit as he walked into the background. She said something to the four men that were there and they started grabbing shovels and the like from one of the tan tents just to the right of where they were standing. Quen was looking at all the bodies and then she started walking away. She came towards Vernon and said looking at him, ‘My people, they’re strong, but lately they’ve started to loose hope. That raid last night was only the start of something much, much, larger. I fear many more will die in the next coming days’. She said as she slowly walked toward the small tree houses again.

“If you need help, I’d be glad to lend you assistance”. Vernon said looking at her. She stopped and looked at him. She smiled slightly and said, ‘I appreciate the gesture but I don’t want to lose you. If you’re the one that the prophecy states will save the world from the white frost then that is your calling. I will not get in the way of that’.

Vernon sighed and said, “Who cares about my destiny. My mother had a destiny as well but she defied it and married when she knew she shouldn’t have. Truth is she let her guard down and well…”

Quen shook her head and said with a straight stern face, ‘Do you know nothing about the prophecy of the white frost? Only the elder blood or Hen Ichear can stop it and push it away. Yes I agree…..I know Ciri was a stubborn woman in the Northern Realms but at least for her she found happiness’.

Vernon sighed and came closer to her. “So you’re saying that really since my mom didn’t take care of this it then falls to me”?

‘That’s exactly it. I know it’s hard to understand but this is where your destiny lies. Your mother has seen other worlds that have been taken by the climate change known as the white frost. Vernon, no one comes out of them alive, no one. You and you alone must stop it, it will require much more than strength and swordsmanship’. She said as she continued walking towards the homes. He stood there and wondered why he had been brought into this world. He started feeling bitter and angry towards his mom for having not done what she could’ve done to stop it. Why was I never told this sort of thing? My destiny, instead of live and love is go and die. For what reason? I could care less about the Northern realms and this world. I can simply go to another if I choose to. Mom and dad I love you but why did you never tell me? I hate the way I feel. I hate it more than anything. I was never given a choice. My curse. D****t it all to hell. Vernon wanted someone to talk to about the way he was feeling now. He looked towards where the houses were and walked towards the large, light colored,  wooden wall that separated the outskirts of the village from the inside. He hit the wooden wall with all his strength and fury. He didn’t care who was watching him. In fact he hoped some people were watching him. His hands, even though he had his gloves on, his hands were bleeding and hurt to the bone, but he went until his anger vanished and only pain remained. His green eyes burned hot like the coals from the depths of hell. His face was a crimson red and his muscles were tense to the point of where they hurt. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. Why? I had it all at one point. All that was missing was a kid. That’s it, I had everything else I ever wanted. He didn’t want to teleport, even though deep inside he may’ve thought about it. He had mages after him, and strong ones at that, ones who could easily find him from the massive amount of energy that he released every time he did. How did dad do it then? How does he calm Ciri down every time without fail? Is there something I don’t understand about women? By the prophecy she shouldn’t be married like that. She rode off with what’s his name then appeared outside dad’s house one morning. She’s stubborn and wanted a life for herself yet she tells me sometimes when I ask that originally she never wanted a husband in the first place. I don’t understand at all! The only thing I understand is I hate my life! Why dad did you and her have to find me outside on that cold day? Destiny my a*s, the only thing that were destined for is death. He sighed and started walking to the houses again. As he was walking he thought to himself how long will be be until those men find me again and capture me? How long? When they do then I lose Quen as well as most of the men in the village. There’s no place that’s ever safe. The only place that’s safe is the grave. He saw Quen in the distance directing more of her followers on what to do. When she was done she walked up to Vernon and Vernon said, “I can’t stay here long. I’ve got many mages after me. If they find me here which they damn well will. Many will die here. I must keep myself moving”.

Quen replied, ‘I know you do. I will protect you from them. Surely you didn’t think that you’d be alone on this’? She asked as she came closer to him.

He could see battle scars on her neck and side of her face. Her deep hazel eyes penetrated right through his armor and into his heart.

“No you aren’t coming with me. It’s not anything to with you but …….screw me...Quen you’ve got to understand that everyone who talks to me or helps me ends up dead sooner or later. I’ve even heard there’s a group on the lookout for my parents now too. Soon maybe even they will die”. Vernon said as he looked away at the men and women working.

‘I can handle myself. Besides that i’m a mage. I can help you defeat the men following you. Yes we need more people to help but please. I know what i’m getting into here’. Vernon noticed she had red marks painted just under her eyes. Vernon sighed and shook his head. “It’s your funeral”. He said as he started walking away. She grabbed his bleeding hands as he was walking away and he turned to look at her.

‘Vernon, relax when you’re around me please. The one thing that separates your mom and you, besides her being a lady, is that she still knows how to have fun. Life is hard but try to smile occasionally ok’?

Vernon sighed and said, “Sorry Quen, but i’ve seen far too much to do that. The only thing I have is pain. I can vary the amount I show but it’s always there and will always be”.

‘I don’t believe it for a second. If you’ve that much pain then why are you still living Vernon? Because you’ve something to live for don’t you? You’ve got parents who love you dearly and would give you the world, granted I don’t know your father but your mother is that way. In fact, Vernon I think we need to pay them a visit and tell them what’s going on with this whole thing’.

Vernon shook his head and to her his eyes looked wet. “If they love me so much then why do they let me run by myself like this? I don’t understand this sort of thing”. He shook her hands off his and then punched the wall again. He sat on a stack of wood and rubbed his head.

Quen came over to him and sat down next to him. She casted a small spell that took his gloves off to show his bleeding hands. He was bleeding from his knuckles and was missing skin in certain areas.  Out from her breast pocket she took a small white towel out and started cleaning the blood off.

‘It’s because they want you to have some freedom. It’s the same reason why mother griffins in the wild abandon their young early in life. It’s not because they don’t love them, it’s simply to show their young that they’re capable of doing more than what they thought they could do’. He thought about the words she said and it made more sense to him. Now the pain shifted to how they were going to find his parents. She finished cleaning his scarred hands and she took her gloves off and held his left hand with her right hand. He felt her soft refreshing skin and the anger seemed to drop off of him as if he was in the bathtub and she was the water that washed it away.

‘The houses’, she started after a brief moment of silence, ‘The people here have been living in the trees now for generations. The trees that they all live in only come from this part of the world Vernon. Nowhere else. The trees themselves are referred to as coeden byw, which means living tree. My people have the power to will the tree around them, almost like a shield. If they need more room for something they simply will the tree to grow larger and in around two days a new room will be formed’. Vernon looked at her and asked,

“How can they do that if you said that you're the only mage”? Quen shifted her attention from the trees to him and replied,

‘It has nothing to do with magic even though one might think it does. When we kill, when we hunt, when we grow things, we always bless the soul of the animal or the land that gave us the ability to eat or to live. Everything in this life has a soul Vernon, everything. The ground you walk on, the wood you sit on, the sea that you bathe in, the animal you hunt, they’re all connected in our eyes. Even in death their is life. Men and women live on and become spirits of the past. Every day each of us wakes up we thank our dead relatives and ask them to give us strength for another day of life’.

“Is there a such thing as an--

He was cut off when a man said something to Quen. Quen sighed and replied with something and then pointed to Vernon. The way she said it made him blush. She was still holding his hand and he didn’t want to let it go. No I shouldn’t get attached to her. D****t don’t do it. It will hurt terribly. I’ve wanted kids for a while and a woman I can call my wife. Why not her? Because she has a life here. I could live with her here. I want to live with her here. If I open myself up to her then there’s no turning back. The man said something back to her and she looked and smiled at Vernon and said, ‘I’ll be back and then later today we can set off to find your parents. I think we should go before the men who are looking for you get here. From there I think we need to come up with some way of drawing them in and taking them out’. The man shouted something and waved his hand to get her to move faster. She looked at him and ushered a short word, the man grew red in the face and backed down a bit. Vernon couldn’t help but snicker slightly. She looked at him and laughed briefly and then said, ‘I’ll probably regret saying that later but anyway. I’ll be back shortly. If they get here before I come back then come find me in the tallest house, in the library and we’ll portal out of here before they get to you’. She said as she removed her hand from his and briefly ran the same soft hand across his chin. She grabbed her gloves and walked away from him. The sun hit her armor and it shined brighter than any star in the entire night sky. He sat there and watched her walk away with the man. Vernon shook his head and thought to himself, If I let her go then i’m damn fool. I want her. I will have her. Come hell or high water I will protect her. I’ll train so hard with my dad to the point of where I can fight blindfolded. I will protect her. He looked out at the land and felt the soft breeze against him. I want to spend more time with my parents. I don’t care what the cost. I need to keep myself motivated and happy despite what i’ve got to live with. He sighed and decided to get up to do some running around the area.

Ydnar woke up and felt Ciri’s arms and warm body against his. The water had cooled off slightly but neither minded one bit. Ciri’s head was right on his pecs and she said softly,

‘Should I Ydnar….quit the job’? Her eyes were closed and the room was completely dark except for the small amount of light that came from the round window that sat across from the tub. Ydnar sighed and had his eyes closed as well.

“I think, my warm little swallow, you should do whatever you think is right. I’ll support you either way. I just hate seeing you like this. Life is too short to be stressed like this all the time”.

Ciri sighed and kissed his chest over and over. ‘I agree. I’m tired of feeling like that. I know there’s a lot of money that comes from that though. We also have a daughter we need to think about too. Ydnar, I used to have all the answers but not anymore. I used to be much more stubborn and determined than I am now. You changed me for the good’.

Ydnar snickered and said, “I can always turn back into a full time bounty hunter again”.

‘No’! Ciri said immediately. ‘You better be joking Ydnar. Not letting you go and do that again’.

Ydnar sighed and ran his hands through her soft hair. Her soft smooth hands felt good on his back.

“Well either way Ciri, make your decision and i’ll support you regardless of what you chose. Please remember you’re not alone on this and besides that…….Cirilla I love you and always will”. He said as he kissed her head. The kiss sent chills directly down her spine. Both heard the baby start crying and Ydnar sighed and said, “There’s my alarm”. He opened his eyes. She felt him stretch and she opened her eyes and tilted her head to meet his lips. She brought her hands up to his chest and neck. Her legs wrapped themselves around his and she worked his tongue over in his mouth. She retracted and came in again and found his slippery tongue once more. She felt the saliva from his mouth touch hers and it sent a warm feeling through her entire body. The baby started crying now more heavily. She ran her hands down the full length of his chest and he felt the curve of her back and her butt. Her body felt like glass and gave him a high that fisstech could only dream of giving. Her perfume made him feel like he was up in the clouds with her. He slowly retracted but she kissed his neck over and over and over again. He felt her wet soft lips on his neck and it gave him a feeling that compared to nothing else in the world. “Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Damn I feel lazy right now”. He said softly.

She giggled slightly and said, ‘Good, that’s how you should feel. Let me take care of her Ydnar. I haven’t really had the chance to spend much time with her yet’. She said as she got out of the tub and grabbed the large white towel to dry off. He looked at her slim, fragile,  naked body and it gave him chills and a tingle in his lower region. She looked at him and blushed. Ydnar sighed and got out of the tub as well. He motioned his right hand and the candles and oil lamps came on to brighten up the room some. He came up behind her and grabbed a white towel of his own. Concentrating he calmed the child down slightly, just enough so that she knew it was there but still eased some of the baby's pain. Ciri took the towel off and looked at herself in the mirror. He hid himself well behind her as he was taught in the army and put his hands on her smooth naked body. She started giggling. ‘Ydnar please baby, I don’t think we need another child even though it’s tempting. I was thinking about that too. We should probably she jumped slightly when he went near her vagina. She turned around and said ‘For the love of Melitele. Ydnar….your hands……’. She laughed as he ran his hands around her butt and around her waist. She looked at the naked strong man and suddenly felt herself fall as if her legs just collapsed. He caught her and stood her back up again.

‘What did you do’? She asked as he stood there laughing.

“Nothing my off balance little swallow”.

She laughed, ‘Bollocks I know all the --

“Say that word again Cirilla, I love the way you say that”. He said as he laughed and looked at her expressen.

She rolled her eyes and said, ‘Bollocks, I know how to control my legs and stand Ydnar. You did something to me. Was it a spell of some sort’? She asked as she came closer to him.

He looked at her and said mimicking her accent, “Bollocks, I do believe you were just off balance and wanted to be caught by your strong husband”. She laughed and grabbed his arm. She held him tightly and started to say something then laughed again. He loved teasing her and making her laugh like this. He loved the way she laughed.

She asked him, ‘What was that’?

He laughed and she knew he was going to say something great, “I thought I told you before. I was practicing with a friend of mine--

She broke out in laughter.

‘I ……..she started only to laugh again. Her head went up and down as she closed her eyes and thought about the time he messed with the drowners. He watched her hair flop up and down and her breasts do the same. She opened her eyes and then said again, ‘Ok so I know you won't tell me. I’ll go back to getting dressed now after that little exchange’. She walked back to the mirror and saw how red in the face she was. She shook her head and giggled, ‘Oh Ydnar you make life so much more tolerable. I love you to the ends of the world’. She said as she picked up her bra and panties.

Ydnar sat on the edge of the bronze tub and grabbed the small scented balls of wood that she liked to have near her when she bathed.

“Bollocks, what was that”? He said imitating her accent. She laughed and looked at him.

‘Did you spend too much time in the fisstech lab when you were in the army’? She asked as she giggled and put her right hand on her hip and her left hand on her thigh. Her white bra was right in his sights and he skillfully teleported one of the small wooden balls just above her breasts and it dropped into her bra. She looked at him and shook her head, he imitated the call of a swallow perfectly and looked at her. She came over to him and laughed. He was on the edge of the bronze tub so she pushed him down on the side so his head wouldn't go into the water and she jiggled her breasts violently. Suddenly the scented ball came out and fell into the tub.

Ydnar applauded her and said, “You’re getting good at that my bouncy little swallow, well done”.

She laughed and got herself off the side of the tub.

‘Ok…...Ydnar….I really need to take care of the baby now’. She said as she went back to the mirror and applied her perfume that he loved so much. He again made the sound of a swallow. She laughed and shook her head.

‘Yndar…...I don’t know whether to be turned on, upset or, take it as a compliment’.

He laughed and said, “Well Ciri if you do all three then the two cancel out and the only thing you’re left with is to be turned on and that sounds good to me”. She laughed hard and clapped her hands. ‘Is…….that…..how that works…’? She asked as she continued laughing. She eventually stopped and grabbed her green pants from the marble countertop. She flung them out and put her long, skinny, white legs into the holes. He watched her struggle to pull them all the way up. She had to wiggle her lower body back and forth a bit to get the pants up to her waist.  She blushed and said, ‘It’s been awhile since i’ve wore them last’. She bent down and Ydnar looked down her bra. Even from here he could smell the sweet perfume she used. Ydnar laughed and said, “But you look soo damn good in them my tight little swallow”. He said as he again made the sound of the bird. She blushed even more violently and rolled her eyes as she looked at him. He looked at her and she had a large smile on her face as he made the sound again. She shook her head and grabbed her beige shirt that she always wore. Ydnar got up from the side of the tub and came up behind her. He felt her back before she put it on and pulled the loose end of her bra so the white piece of clothing fell to the floor. She sighed and said, ‘Goddammit’. She laughed and shook her head. ‘Well guess what my knight in shining armor? You’re going to get a crash course in how to put a woman's bra on’. She turned around and looked at him. He had a smile on his face and made the call again. She laughed and wiggled back and forth with laughter. Her breasts bounced. He grabbed the white article of clothing off the wood floor and said, “I need some motivation though”. Ciri stopped laughing slowly and looked at him. She smiled and came in to meet his lips. He put his right arm around her tight butt and his left on her soft, smooth neck. She started to breathe more heavily now and raised her right leg off the ground to let him know she liked the way he worked her. The scent of perfume was fresh and nearly gave him a headache but that’s what he wanted. He wanted nothing more than to just roll around naked with her in the cool dark covers of the bed as she poured the scented liquid over each other. She grabbed him around his muscular thighs and pulled him closer to her. Ydnar slipped his hand into her pants just slightly. Just enough to make her cheeks red again. He got the desired effect and pulled his hand out and retracted his lips.

She put her body close to his and he felt her smooth tongue run across the left side of his neck and her cool, wet, saliva empty itself onto him. Her hair brushed up against him and he let the smell beat up his senses and make his head hurt as if he had been knocked out in a bar fight. He wanted every inch of her beautiful, royal, heavenly body on him. He wanted to feel it all, every nook and cranny explored fully, all of her weak points where he could make her blush, all the points that only he could ever touch. She was his, truly, forever, till the last breath his; he will fight off anyone who gets near her or seconds the claim. His Zireael, the one he pledged his entire life to, the one he found damn near death outside his lodge, the one who he made laugh for the first time out on the shooting range, the one that he loved with every heartbeat, every breath, every aching muscle, the one he will always love and love well.

She pulled back from him and blushed violently a deep red that seemed to cover her entire cheek. She looked into his blue crystal eyes. ‘Oh……..Ydnar…..damn…..That’s how love is suppose to feel. I love it….oh do I love it’. She said as she then looked down and then sighed. “I guess I still have some of my magic left eh”? He asked her. She looked at him and brought her head up to his and felt his hands run up her chest.

‘Oh ..my Ydnar yes. You sexy beast. If there was a way to make something on my body grow in size when you hit the spot well….let's just say it would be big’. Ydnar blushed this time and Ciri caught it right away and kissed his neck again.

In between her dripping wet kisses she uttered to him, ‘After…….i’m done……...with ...the child……….you and I……...in the …...cool…...dark bedroom……...plenty of ….alcohol….and no ...rules….roll...around in the…..covers….the ...rest of the day…..totally…...absolutely…..naked…’ His long sword grew to it’s maximum length and let him know by starting to hurt.

“Cirilla, please”. She giggled and got herself dressed.

Vernon made the trip back now and felt much better. I need to do this more often. He felt tired now but it got his anger out and he felt much more relaxed. He walked up to the large wooden wall and was about to walk through when he heard a familiar sound. The time of day was now just after noon and there were no shadows really to speak of so he could see clearly. He looked in the distance and saw the men approach. Vernon quickly went into the village and found the tallest of the houses. Very quickly he went up the ladder. Part of the issue was the fact that he worked out his upper body today as well and he had a hard time going up the ladder as his upper body was sore. He made it to the top and looked around for the library. There were actually two doors. One looked like it wasn’t really a door to go through and looked more like an open space and the other had a very small amount of light coming out of it. He went through the latter of the two choices and came into a massive library. How in the name of Melitele am I to find you here? There were thousands of books and documents. Each were kept in black book cases. He couldn’t see over the top of them at all. He ran through the row of bookcases and as he got close to the middle aisle he looked to the right and saw who he was looking for. Outside of the room he could hear screams and explosions. He ran as fast as he could to Quen who was standing and talking to the old man. They were in a separate room in the library. The room was well lit and he could see both clearly. The wooden floor creaked a bit as he walked on it. Quen looked at him and he nodded his head. She motioned for him to wait a bit. She said something to the man and the man said something to her and pointed to Vernon. He knew he didn’t have much time. He looked at where the entrance was and saw two men rush in. they weren’t mages but looked like Zerrikanians. Vernon knew they were incredibly dangerous. Vernon ran towards them and grabbed his sword out of it’s sheathe. The two men came at him instantly and he blocked two quick attacks from the first and then rolled out of the way of the second. Suddenly a large fireball roared in and hit part of Vernon. It charred the skin of him but he pressed on and played defensively. The library was now starting to burn. He blocked and dodged and rolled out of the way again but he was being too predictable and one of the men hit him well in his forearm on his left side. The pain was bad and made him lose his sword on the ground momentarily. Backup arrived though as Quen came in and stabbed one through the chest and quickly got the other through the arm. She looked and saw the massive fire that started taking the library away. She held onto his right arm, looked him in his eyes and said, ‘Teleport us now!’. Her eyes were as big as a full moon.

“They’ll find us and trace us immediately if we do”! Vernon yelled back over the roar of the flames.

The room was now becoming hot and hard to breathe in.

‘I don’t care. Do it! I can protect you’. She yelled. As soon as the last words were out of her mouth they were out of there.

‘Ohhhhhhhhh……..ah……

‘ahhhhhhhhhhh……..Faster…..yes………...ohhhhhhhh...that’s it…….’

Ciri was completely naked as was he. She was at the very edge of the bed and he was standing up and going as fast as he possibly could. Both of them smelled of her perfume which he smuggled, unknowingly by Ciri, into the bedroom and poured over the top of each other as he planned. They smelled of perfume, piss, wine and other bodily fluids. He had a headache from the strong scent but it made him work even faster. They rolled around in the covers for a few hours now and smelled of liquor from Toussaint. Ciri’s eyes were closed and Ydnar, who knew neither of them wanted any more kids, had a condom on. He was able to still go as fast as he possibly could. She put her hands on her sweaty, slippery wet breasts and he had his hands on her equally wet stomach. Oh….Gods Ydnar…...the best gift ever. In the center of the bed there was a small lake of the rest of her perfume. Along with that on the white wall behind the bed, lines of water which in reality was warm, clear, piss ran down the walls, since when Ciri was excited she had a tendency to let it loose.

‘Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………….ahahaaaaaaaaaaa’! She moaned loudly. Luckily there wasn’t a soul in the house so she could crank up the volume. Suddenly a white light appeared on the right side of the room. Ydnar pulled out of her vagina and she pulled the dripping wet covers up over herself. The white light materialized and as it did so Ydnar cast a spell to have his armor put back on and to be clean again. She looked quickly at the man who was breathing heavily and at the young woman who was clearly naked and was wet all the way up to her head. She had the covers pulled up around her breasts and Quen wasn’t stupid, she knew exactly what she interrupted here.  

Quen blushed violently and said, ‘Well…..um……..sorry to ……..disturb you…….

Ydnar saw Vernon and saw his blackened chest and melted armor and said, “Here give him to me and I can take care of him”. Quen let go of Vernon and said,

‘There are men coming towards your house now. We just barely escaped from some mages that are currently chasing him’. Quen said.  Ydnar lifted up his son who moaned and said,

“Ciri get dressed and meet me down stairs quickly please. You”, he said looking at Quen “sorry I don’t know your name, come with me and help me treat him”. Ydnar knew the door was locked and he unlocked it by raising his leg and casting the spell. He then willed the door to open and Quen closed it behind her. Ydnar ran down the short hall and stopped at the stairs and yelled down, “Anyone who’s down there were going to have company some get ready for mages”! He heard what sounded like Geralt run and the double doors open up. Ydnar opened the door with his mind and set the injured Vernon down on the bed. Vernon moaned and clutched his chest. He looked at Ydnar and threw up. Quen came into the room and shut the door. Ydnar heard the sound of the portal pop and he said, “F**k me really”!? He instinctively cast a sleeping spell on Vernon to end his suffering for now and said, “Follow me outside if you’re not all talk about being able to kill”. She did. Ydnar ran as fast as he could. As he got out of the room he heard the door of his and Ciri’s room open. Out side Geralt was battling a number of mages and warriors. It looked to ydnar that the mages were winning and then before ydnar could get to him he was stabbed through the right side of his upper body. Ciri screamed and teleported to him with her sword waving around. Ydnar got his dual emerald longswords out, ran, and gutted one of the warriors who didn’t see him coming. There were five of them and at least two were mages, against the three of them. Ydnar struck hard and fast at the mage in red robes. The man dodged and then cast a spell to give himself a spear weapon. Ydnar dodged and rolled out of the way of the first two attacks and then blocked the other. You f**k why did you hold the block like this? Ydnar get yourself together…...He couldn’t do it quick enough. The mage immediately sent a shockwave at him which made Ydnar lose his footing and then the mage came at him and stuck the spear partway through. Luckily it wasn’t deep enough to cause massive amounts of internal damage. The mage was surprised and Ydnar capitalized on it by Spinning around and using both his swords he cut the man's head off. Oddly enough the spear was still in his right arm. He quickly pulled it out and then saw the blue female getting outnumbered as two more mages teleported in. Ciri finished her last two men. Ydnar looked at her and said, “Ciri take Geralt and teleport somewhere safe. I can help the woman and get her and Vernon out of here! She looked at him and he thought he saw tears in her seventeen year old eyes. “Baby I love you”.  She looked at him, grabbed Geralt by the arms and shouted back, ‘I love you too forever, my one and only. I will see you again Ydnar I promise’! He held back the tears he felt try to come out of his eyes and he watched her vanish from sight. Ydnar ran full speed at the three attackers. He got one through the throat. Blood splattered all over him and made it hard for him to see. He wiped it away and  quickly blocked two quick attacks aimed at his head. Ydnar fired off a shockwave and used the time to tell the woman to, “Go inside, get my son out of here! We can’t take them all out”!

‘What ab--

“Go you s**t, no time”! He shot back as he dodged two vertical slashes and then tripped the man and slit his throat. Quen ran and ran hard. She got to the house and looked back. The man was fighting off three mages. She watched for just an instant and ran in the house. Somewhere out there another portal opened. She heard a small baby crying and thought to herself, Vernon….why did you bring us here? You just ruined the life they had. You ruined it. Why didn’t you think about this? She had no time as she opened the door and lifted the badly injured Vernon. She constructed a portal and knew exactly where to take him where both could be safe. She walked through the portal and was off.

Ydnar was tired. He narrowed the number down to two but both were mages and were rather good. Part of him didn’t want to leave and part of him knew they needed to. He decided to make a quick run for it. He stood ready and when they came at him he put every ounce of energy into a strong shockwave that knocked both men off their feet and into the air. Ydnar put his swords away and ran like a bat outta hell. He went into the house and saw that the woman had done exactly what he said. Ydnar heard her crying and he opened the door and picked the baby up. Before he went he grabbed the small bottle and closed his eyes. He knew they would chase after one of them, he didn’t know which one. As soon as he thought he was gone.

He appeared in the air over a large mountain range. He wasn’t really all that high up but at the same time he was high enough that when he hit the ground, his right leg, which hit the ground first collapsed on impact and he started rolling down the hill. Ydnar tucked the baby close to him and held her like it was his life. Ydnar felt like the rolling went on for many minutes. Finally it stopped and he got up only to find he broke his right leg and couldn’t really walk. He hauled himself up and calmed the baby down with a simple spell. All around him it was snowing. He couldn’t really see much of anything. His chest hurt excruciatingly badly. He forced himself to start walking.

After about an hours worth of walking he got out of the mountains and into a flatland with a large number of trees. It was slightly warmer now. He kept walking and eventually found a cave which he decided would become his home for the night. He was a hunter and always carried a bow with him. He wasn’t really all that worried about trying to find food. He called into the cave and imitated a griffen. He heard nothing so he figured it was fairly safe. The cave was all solid rock and was incredibly dark. Ydnar set the young baby down and then casted a spell to make wood appear on the ground and then lit it. Suddenly there was light. He grabbed the baby who was squirming a bit. He set her close to the fire and kept her next to him. Ydnar unbuttoned his armor and then took his shirt off to inspect the wound. What he found was troubling. The tip of the spear had been dipped in some sort of poison. F**k me. D****t. He now stood at risk to loose his whole arm if he didn’t treat it quickly. He sat down and looked deeper in the wound. It hurt bad but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to deal with the pain. He knew what he had to do at this point. The good news was that it hadn’t really spread yet. The bad was that the only way to stop the growth of the special type of poison was to cut the infected area out of his body. Ydnar hated this but he needed to either adapt or risk losing his entire arm. Ydnar reached into a pocket in his armor and pulled out a bottle of red pills that would help reduce the pain but he knew damn well it was going to hurt like hell. Ydnar summoned a glass of water, took two pills and then grabbed his dagger from his boot. I cannot f*****g believe i’m doing this. He took three quick breaths then cut into the wound. It sent pain through out his entire body. Blood squirted out with every beat of his heart as he went deeper and deeper into his arm. He found then what he believed was the root of the growth and he had to cut it out. The pain at this point made him drift in and out of consciousness. He forced himself to stay awake as he vomited from the pain he felt. He finally cut the large fragment out of his body and it popped out of his arm and onto the ground. Blood was pouring out of the hole that was now large enough to fit a man's hand through. He grabbed his shirt and covered the large hole. He vomited again and coughed up blood. He fought through the immense amount of pain he felt and looked at his daughter. That’s why i’m doing this. For you Anna. So that you can have a chance to grow up and live in this harsh world we live in. After about a minute or so the blood stopped pouring out and came to a trickle. The pills were quick use pills which meant they were only good for around a half hour or so then they would stop working. The pain right now was incredibly high and Ydnar knew when the pain meds cut out he would be in the worst pain he had ever felt. He wondered if he could take it. He looked back at the young girl and thought, I can take it. For you, for Ciri, for Vernon, I have to take it. He sighed and looked outside. There was a good amount of wind coming in from the mountains. The sun was still up but wouldn’t be for much longer. Ydnar removed the shirt from his wound and looked at the large cavity in his arm. He shook his head and was angry at himself for having gotten hit like that. The wound really could’ve been much worse than it was. Ydnar tried to move his right leg but found it impossible to do so. F**k me it’s totally broken. Great. He sighed and looked around at what he had with him. He saw large trees outside and he knew what he had to do. His days of Nilfgaard survival school kicked in and he hauled himself up and groaned at the pain from his arm, and his leg. He knew the next couple days were going to be the real test.

Ciri and Geralt made it into a town. She didn’t really know where she ended up. She was fairly certain at this point that it wasn’t in her world though. How in the hell is Ydnar or anyone going to find me here? Geralt moaned heavily as she helped the dying witcher walk. A young man came up to them and asked her, ‘I’m a mage and specilize in regeneration magic. I can help your friend here but we must act quickly. I can carry the large man’.

“He’s heavy with all his gear on though”.

The young man looked at her and said,

‘I understand that but trust me on this I know what i’m saying’. She let the witcher go and to her surprise he actually did carry him. It wasn’t long before they arrived on the outside of a large two story house. They walked inside and the man went into one of the bedrooms on the first floor and set the man on one pof the beds.

‘Make yourself at home here. I need to tend to his wounds immediately’. She walked to where the man was looking at Geralt. He looked at her and asked, ‘You’re not from around here are you miss’? He asked. The young man looked to be about the same age as Ydnar and maybe a bit shorter in height but no less strong. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket. His pants were red and he had a brown beret on his head. Under the brown leather jacket she could see a blue shirt and a large longsword.

Ciri sighed and sat down in a large red leather chair.

“No…...i’m not”.

The man said something in elvish and his hands flashed green and he ran them repeatedly across the large hole in the man’s chest.

‘Well since I trust you at this point you’re in the world of Archaich. I don’t know where you two came from but that’s where you are. My name is Hjerto’.

Ciri sighed and rubbed her eyes.

“My name’s Cirilla but most people call me Ciri”. She said looking at the handsome young man.

‘That should do the trick then’. He said. He walked away from the witcher and sat in the chair across from her.

‘Is he a friend of yours? Husband perhaps’?

Ciri laughed and said, “No. I do have a husband yes but ….well…..it’s complicated”. The mage nodded his head and said,

‘Wait a minute, you’re Ciri? The Ciri? Zireael? I thought you made it out to Camelot with Galahad’? He asked looking at her green eyes. Her blood boiled at the name. Control yourself Ciri he doesn’t know any better.

“I did. Things went south quickly though and I was forced by the wild hunt to have to leave him behind and let him die. That’s when I met the man i’m married to now. He’s …..well…...he protected me for a long time now and he and I have been married for just about a month away from two years at this point”.

The man nodded and then asked, ‘So you’ve no regrets then’?

She answered back immediately, “None. I am madly in love with him and have two wonderful kids as well. No there are no regrets to be found here”.

‘I’m sorry I just…

“Realx. Please though don’t mention the name of the man whom I went to Camelot with. I was only infatuated with him and it wasn’t true love. Do you have a bed that I could perhaps take a nap in maybe Hjerto”? She asked as she yawned.

‘Yes Ciri I do. Right across from this room is another room that looks almost exactly like it. You may stay here as long as you like. You’re friend will need at least three days in order to fully recover. Even then he’ll be in a lot of pain doing so’. He said looking at her.

“Ok….That’s fine I suppose. I if you don’t mind am going to take a nap for a bit”. She said as she got up and went across the hall into the other room. She took her sword belt off and closed the wooden door. She got on top of the bed and didn’t even bother with getting into the covers or changing out of her bloody clothes, she just jumped up on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

Quen emerged from the portal with Vernon in her arms. She was in a small village. She knew this village well and as soon as she was out of the portal she started running and found the grey house of a mage she knew would be there. She kicked the door and waited for him to answer.

‘Quen well it's been a while’. The man said as he opened the door for her and she walked in and set Vernon on the bed in the larger bedroom. Quen looked at the old dwarven mage and said, “My friend here needs some help healing himself. I can repair his wounds but we’re being chased by ….well…..many people and I would like to use you to heal him up faster if you don’t mind”. The mage walked closer to the young man. He waved his hand and suddenly all the lamps and candles in the green bedroom came to life. His skin was almost a dark black and he had multiple wounds. ‘This is going to take some time to fully heal. Looks to me as well like someone put a sleeping spell on him’. The dwarf who was dressed in a white robe and had a large white top hat on said.

“His father put the sleeping spell on him because we got attacked”. Quen said looking into the dwarfs deep blue eyes.

‘I feel like i’m missing parts of the story but I will get to work on him nonetheless’. The dwarf reassured her as he started taking his armor off.

Quen said, “I’ll leave you to it then. I really appreciate you doing this for me Nighog”. She said as she kissed Vernon’s forehead and walked out of the room to let the mage get to work.

“Great, this is just what I need”. It was the next day on the snowy world Ydnar happened to teleport to. He made a brace for his right leg out of the wood from the trees so he could now walk but he knew it would take up to a full week to heal fully. His sleep was good and he had just gotten done eating some food that he managed to grab before the pair teleported away. He also fed the baby and then put her back to sleep. Now, on the horizon was a group of men approaching. Ydnar couldn’t tell who they were or what they wanted but he wasn’t going to let them get close. The cave was tucked away and above it was a small hill. The sun was directly behind him which was good because it gave him an advantage in surprise. Ydnar knew through years in the army that surprise was the most important element. Ydnar hobbled out of the cave with his bow and arrows on his back and went to the very top of the hill and laid on his belly. He lay there and waited to see what their intention was. The four men were dressed in what looked to be winter camouflage. The robes were completely white and they all had very large swords on their backs. Ydnar knew just from the way they walked that they knew how to use them. Ydnar notched an arrow and tensioned the bow. He fired a warning shot to get their attention. The arrow came close to one of the men who was leaning against a tree. The men looked in his direction.

“One false move and all four of you are dead. Don’t think i’d spare you either. Move along or I will splatter some blood”. One of the men who had his hands on his head came closer to him and Ydnar tracked him with the bow that was already tensioned.

“That’s close enough”. Ydnar said. Looking nervously at the man. He could now see that the “man” was actually a woman, and a young one at that.

‘The city of Johnes welcomes you to the royal palace. We know who you are and what you did in getting rid of the hunt. Not only did it help you but it helped us as well avoid being invaded. We would like you to follow us to the Royal Palace, there you will be taken care of and a special someone awaits your arrival’. Ydnar didn’t lower is weapon but hobbled over to the woman. He looked her in her brown eyes and said, “Ok. Give me a minute to grab my things and we can be on our way. I’m assuming we're not going to teleport right”? He asked the woman who had long brown hair that came down to the middle of her back.

‘You’re correct. It’s too risky. We’ve horses not far from here though’. The woman said as she came closer to Ydnar to look at him. Ydnar put his bow away on the back of his armor and said, “Damn. Horses sound pretty good right about now”. The woman giggled slightly. Ydnar put the food away and grabbed the young baby who immediately started crying as it was woken up out of a nap. He started to put the young baby in his right arm but damn near dropped her and yelled, “Ahhhhhhhhhh s**t aghhhhhhh”! The pain from the previous day went from his arm through his entire body. It brought him to his knees momentarily and then he switched the child to his left hand.

The young woman came over to him and looked him in his blue eyes. ‘You alright? Of course you’re not you just yelled. We can hold the child for you’. She stated.

“I’m fine. It’s got nothing to do with trust but I do trust myself more honestly”.

‘I understand’. Ydnar slowly stood up. The pain persisted and he felt nauseous. He looked at the woman and said, “Alright….. i’ll……. follow you”. The woman smiled and started walking away towards the other women. The baby started crying and Ydnar said,

“Anna, Rwy'n dyma mae'n iawn”. The baby settled a bit upon hearing his voice. One of the women asked,

‘You know the elder speech’?

“Barely. Just well enough to get by”. Ydnar said as the five of them plus Anna walked over to the large white horses and mounted up. Ydnar swung himself on behind the young woman. As soon as he was set they were off. Ydnar thought to himself, A special someone? Can’t be Ciri can it? There’s no way out of all the places we teleported to that we just happened to pick the same one. I guess i’ll find out soon enough then. Ydnar sighed and wanted badly to close his eyes but knew he would fall off if he did.

Suddenly Ydnar was impaled on a large spike and the baby was taken from his dying arms by a man called Bonhart. He came up to her and said, ‘You thought I was dead didn’t you? Far from Ciri, so very far from’.

Ciri woke up from the dream with sweat all over her body. She was breathing heavily and instinctively she looked over and expected to see Ydnar but then remembered what happened the last couple days. It was early morning and she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She wished that they were together. She hated the fact that it seemed like every time they started getting intimate something pulled them out of it. She heard in the room across from her a deep voice and knew that Geralt was going to be alright. She breathed a bit easier now knowing that. She pulled the covers away from her body and got out of the blue bed. Ciri opened the door and went into the bathroom that was just down the hall. The house was very pretty in her eyes. The main family room was right in the middle and off to either end of the house you had bedrooms and bathrooms. In the family room there was an oval shaped window that had a couch that matched the radius of the window. She wanted to sit there with ydnar and watch the sunrise when he got here, if he got here. No Ciri he will get here. You will see him again. She took off all her clothes and this time said the spell correctly for the warm water and bubbles. She giggled and wished Ydnar was here to applaud her. She blew out the small candle on the marble counter in the small white walled bathroom and got into the large yellow tub. The warmth of the water made her muscles relax. She sighed and it felt like she pulled a large blanket over her body.

And now I relax and rest my sore muscles.

Vernon woke up in a great deal of pain. He opened his eyes and saw a dwarf. At first he thought it was maybe Zoltan but he was mistaken. The man had a large white hat on and was dressed in a white robe. Vernon looked at him and sighed.

‘It hurts doesn’t it’? The dwarf asked.

Vernon replied, “Terribly yes”.

The dwarf sighed and said, ‘Thanks to your girlfriend you're alive. You’re extremely lucky to be too. It might take a day, it may take more like a week to fully heal you up’.

Vernon moved his right arm slightly and felt the sharp tingle of pain shoot up into his head.

“She’s….not my….girlfriend only a friend. Did she tell you we’re being hunted currently? I need to be out of here as quickly as possible”. After looking around a bit he realised he was only in his briefs. He looked down slightly and saw his legs were in bad shape. His chest hurt as if there were small bugs biting him. It was driving him crazy.

The dwarf laughed and said, ‘It’s going to be a while until you can fight again. You may be able to now but you won’t get far until you fully heal’.

Vernon shook his head and said, “As soon as i’m able to, i’ll leave. I danger you by being here in your house”.

The dwarf came back with, ‘I know the danger. Don’t worry too much about it. I’m old and prepared to die if need be. I’ll send your girl in here in a minute. What I want to do is release you and see how hard it is for you to walk around right now’. The dwarf motioned with his hand, the brass metal restraints unlocked and Vernon scooted himself up off the bed. The second his feet hit the wooden floor he felt the sharp prickle of pain go up his back and hit him in the head. Vernon gritted his teeth and started walking. It felt to him like he was walking on spikes. He pushed on and walked out to the right to continue to where the family room and library were. He saw Quen sitting on the red sofa.

“It hurts, but it’s not too bad”. Vernon reported. The dwarf came around and looked at him from every angle.

‘If you think you are able to walk well enough then that’s fine but I still think you should at least stay one more day here to be sure’.  The dwarf recommended as he flashed his hands and turned on the candles that were around the red couch. Quen sat up and turned around to look at the wounded man. His armor was off and she could see his red skin. Parts of his skin were a deep dark red, almost purple. His legs were badly bruised.

“Ok that’s fine”. He agreed with the dwarf. “Quen did all the others make it out of the house ok”? Vernon asked and the dwarf said, ‘I’ll leave you two alone for now. If you need me i’ll be in the area around the bedrooms’. He said as he started walking away.

Quen said to him, ‘I appreciate what you did. Thanks’.

He turned around and said to her, ‘Not a big deal. Always happy to help save a life’. He started walking away again and Quen stood up and walked up to Vernon who was walking over to the couch to sit down. She balanced him and assisted him as he sat down. Vernon sighed and rubbed his eyes. Quen sat closely next to him. He looked at her.

‘I….know …….your mom did. Your father and I fought off many but at a certain point he told me to go inside, get you, and teleport you out of there. I ….hope...he made it. I just don’t know for sure. He’s a strong man Vernon’. She said softly as she ran her soft hands up and down his left arm. She was still in her brass armor.  

Vernon sighed and shook his head. “I don’t want to be the death of him”. He said as he looked into Quen’s deep brown eyes. He smelled her skin from where he was sitting. It smelled like the scent of the pine trees in the land he met her in.

‘I don’t think you will. I …..was watching him fight off the mages…...he’s damn good with his sword. Reminds me of you’.

Vernon smiled a bit and said, “That’s a lie. He’s better with a sword than i’ll ever be”. He sighed and asked her, “Where are you going now? Are you heading back to the forest area”?

She sighed and said, ‘I was at first, now I don’t think I will. There’s not much to return to now. I’ve no doubt that they burned it all down to the ground’. She felt Vernon’s arm tense up and she rubbed his arm to try to get him to relax a bit.

“Another amazingly beautiful place ruined by me entering it. How many more am I going to ruin? This is what gets me so damn angry”! He said as he hit the couch with his right hand. “Everyone who shelters me dies and everyplace I enter ends up getting wiped off the map. I hate this. Yet i’m supposed to somehow save the world from the white frost? Quen I can’t even kill four lonely mages”. He shook his head and let out a large sigh. Vernon looked at the small table that was in the center of the L shaped couch.

‘That will come in time. None of this is going to be easy. None of it. I’m sorry if you thought it would be but you’re sadly mistaken. In time, maybe a year or so, you’ll be ready to undertake this task. I’m confident by then you’ll be strong enough to complete the task’. She sighed and yawned.

After a brief silence he said, “I’m ….sorry...about the village of yours……...Thanks for saving my life….I owe you a lot for that. I feel like it’s a price that I can never repay though”. Vernon looked at her. She smiled and brought her lips close to his. The burning candles in the room lit up her blue face and cast shadows on her features.  

‘You don’t need to apologize. I knew what I was getting myself into. We’ll be alright, we make a damn good team together’.  She said softly as their lips pressed together and her hands came up to his neck. Vernon slowly worked through the pain and brought his hands up to her slender smooth neck. He brushed her soft, smooth, brown hair. Their tongues locked and he could smell the forest on her skin, and if he closed his eyes he would think he was actually back there again. Vernon retracted and laid his head on the edge of the couch so he was now lying down. She did the same and they fell asleep together on the red couch.

Ydnar looked at the extremely large structure. The snow was fierce and biting. The whole fortress was completely white in color. It almost looked as though it was actually carved out of the snow itself. It rose to a dizzying height and had many windows all over the building. They entered under a low archway and now appeared to be in the structure itself. The marble floor and white walls created a amazing feeling of peace and security. The horses all stopped close to the walls and the riders dismounted. Ydnar got off the horse and looked around the inside of the palace. It was chilly inside to him. One of the woman said to him, ‘We’ll take the baby from you now and you can follow her she said pointing to the one woman who was standing in front of him.

‘You’ll get her back. We wouldn’t take her from you don’t worry’. Ydnar sighed and said,

“You better not. If you do I will bring this whole entire palace back down to the ground level and all of you with it”. Ydnar handed the woman the baby and Ydnar watched as they carefully took her and walked towards one of the many openings on the left side of the white palace. He looked back at the woman in front of him and she motioned for her to follow him which he did. He followed her all the way down the hall and they walked through an opening that was well lit by many windows that were all around the small red room. She led him to a man with a very large sword on his back.

The man in a very deep voice said to the lady, ‘Thank you. I’ll take the utmost care of him’. The man looked at Ydnar and said, ‘Hop up here on this table and i’ll fix you up’. He said pointing to a large long bed. Ydnar did just that. He took his armor off and set it on the side of his bed.

‘What did you do to your arm? That’s quite a large hole there’. He observed. The man was tall and very muscular. He had a large black beard and was dressed in black, from his upper body to his lower body.

“Well….had a run in with a mage or two who used a special poison on me so I had to cut out the part of me that was poisoned”. Ydnar said as the man looked at him surprised and said,

‘That’s quite a high pain tolerance you’ve got then. Did any of the ladies tell you why you’re here’? The man asked as he cleaned the wound more thoroughly and Ydnar winced at the pain.

“No…..though...I’ve my reasons...I’m thinking that the keeper...ohg...of this joint wants me for something”.  Ydnar said looking at the bearded man who applied a spray to the wound which numbed the pain well. The man then sat down and said some sort of spell that healed the right leg of Ydnar and then said,

‘Yes. She wants you to catch somebody for us. She knows you’re a bounty hunter--

“Ex-bounty hunter mind you”.

‘Either way. The man we’re looking for is dangerous and we’ll take care of the child well while you're gone. I know it’s hard to let someone else take care of your kid but trust me she will be well looked after. Either way if you’d put your armor back on and follow me’. The man stood up and Ydnar stood feeling much better now. He put his blue shirt on and then his armor. Both his longswords in the center of his chest had bloodstains on them but it told others that he meant business. Ydnar followed the man.

Eventually they arrived at a large oval shaped door. The man stopped, looked Ydnar straight in his eyes and said,

‘You’ll only talk when you’re spoken to and only call her highness Muriel, you’ll bow when I bow and stand when I stand, understood’?

Ydnar sighed and shook his head, “Yes I understand”. The man looked away from him and then opened the door to let both of them in. The large room was white and on either side of ydnar and the man stood soldiers that were dressed in green steel armor with giant axes in their right hands. They formed a row that led all the way down to the very end where a golden throne lay and a young lady sat. Beside her there was a younger looking woman. She looked somewhat familiar to Ydnar but he tried not to stare. For him it had been a great many years since he stepped foot into a royal court like this but he knew exactly how to act. The woman on the throne said, ‘You may come forward now’. They started walking and Ydnar kept his eyes facing forward but not at her. Along both sides of the large long room were large windows that let an enormous amount of light into the room. He noticed the other woman kept looking at him and even had a bit of a smile on her face. They approached closer to the throne and then the man he was following bowed and Ydnar did the same. The woman on the throne said, ‘Guards leave us now’. All of the men bowed and formed into one solid mass of clanking metal. They walked out and left only the four of them plus two men at the very back of the room. There was a coldness in the air. Confidence seeped out of every part of Ydnar’s skin. He aimed to impress every man or women he met.

‘You may rise’. She said. Both Ydnar and the bearded man stood up. The woman on the throne got up and walked towards Ydnar. She looked him over and he stood perfectly still with his hands behind his back. As she walked around him her long white robe fluttered a bit showing parts of her legs. Her matching white boots made a thumping sound on the polished marble floor. She walked with the grace of a princess.

‘You’re a bounty hunter are you not’? She asked as she sat back down on the throne seat after having done a whole revolution around him. She was dressed in white robes and her hair was dark brown and reached to the middle of her back. She had dark blue eyes.

“Ex -bounty hunter your highness”. Ydnar said.

‘I’ll be straight with you. We’ve a massive problem here. The man we’re after is a witcher. He has already had a run in with you. You failed to kill him then, don’t fail me now. Your skills with weapons are legendary and the man threatens our existence. He has a grudge against me. My husband, who is now dead thanks to his men, wanted me to capture the man who killed him and make him pay. I also know he’s looking for your son as well. This will be mutual then, which is even better don’t you think’? Ydnar loved questions like this where he could only answer yes or no. No matter how he answered he wound up doing the job anyway. He loved playing the game with kings and queens.

Ydnar sighed and said, “I suppose so your highness”.

The woman smiled and said,

‘You’ll be well paid and given access to all the information you want while you’re here. I cannot however let you back in until you’ve brought him back to me alive’. Ydnar felt his blood boil to the point of it coming out of his ears. He wanted so badly to let it out and yell and shout profuse things into every corner of the white room. He held himself, just.

‘Do you have any questions’? She asked looking at him. The other lady sitting next to her smiled and then the smile went away when she noticed how stern he was.

“I do. My first is, before I go on this …….capture and retrieval, I want to know for damn sure that my daughter will be safe here. I’ve gone through enough already trying to keep her safe, to just blindly assume she’ll be alright in the walls of a fortress, guarded by some Queen whom I don’t know. Secondly, I hope your information about this man is good, solid, leads. The reason I couldn’t kill him, though if I wanted to then I could have, is because he’s damn good with a sword. I’d wager to say as good if not better than me, and you want him here alive? Your highness, what you’re asking of me is going to be damn near impossible. If the pay is right, then you’ve got me, but….even for me this will be difficult”.

The woman sighed and said,

‘Your daughter will be fine. I’ve kids of my own as well, I know how you feel’. Bullshit you do. Try raising two elder bloods back to back then we’ll talk. Ydnar thought. ‘The information comes directly from first person witnesses. The pay will be much higher than anything you’ll ever receive. Does that answer your questions’? She asked.

“Yes, your highness it does”. Ydnar said as he looked at the throne chair. Her eyes shifted to the other man.  

‘Gough, take him to Grognak’. She said.

‘Yes your highness’. He motioned for Ydnar to follow as he bowed and ydnar did the same. He then followed the man out of the same door he walked into and was back out into the main area.

About an hour later he walked out of the large white fortress with all the information he could gather about the man. He also got to tell his daughter goodbye and that he’ll be back soon. Novigrad though? Back in the biggest city arguably in the whole of the Northern Realms? Talk about finding a needle in a haystack that’s about the size of a small house. Ydnar closed his eyes and concentrated. The white light came and then went.

Ydnar appeared in the heart of Novigrad. Luckily no one really seemed to notice. From what he gathered at the palace he knew the man had been seen at a number of places. One of which was a tavern that was famous for it’s bar fights and thugs. Even though Ydnar could best most anybody in a bar room setting, he was nervous about going into the tavern. It was noon in the Northern Realms which meant that most were at work and that would be good for him. Ydnar put his black hood up and walked over to the side of the massive city. Ydnar also put his black bandanna on just in case someone recognized him here. The port city of Novigrad was a sprawling town that was divided into different sections of areas depending upon your wealth and taste. As you got closer to the Great sea there were much more in the way of seafood bars, and smugglers joints where you could buy various things for your long journey across the sea. The very top of the city was for the wealthy and well respected of the area. The lower was referred to as the slums and was where the tavern that he was spotted at was located. Ydnar cast a short sweet spell that he knew would teleport his horse to the stable in the lower part of Novigrad. Ydnar then started walking. He transitioned from a dad and gentlemen to a bounty hunter and brawler. In a way he was almost glad to be back in the saddle again chasing down the criminals and scum of the north but at the same time it was a bittersweet feeling as he remembered doing this time and time again and often getting burned and having to start back at square one again. The streets were busy but Ydnar weaved his way through the crowds and tried to stay out of the hot sun. Merchants were busy showing off their wares and playing music as some performers danced in the streets. Ydnar sharpened his senses so he could hear everything and see everything. A man back at the palace wanted to wash Ydnar’s swords off for him. When he told him Ydnar laughed and told the man that having blood on your swords means people are less likely to mess with you. It was a common thing to do among bounty hunters and mercenaries who were proud of the number of people they killed. He soon entered the boundary known as the slums. He watched for any pickpockets and or any willing to challenge him to a duel. Most people didn’t really go down into this area and of course for good reason. Some of the toughest men lived in this area. Ydnar was by no means a scrawny man. Being six feet in height and one hundred eighty pounds wasn’t that intimidating. The trick was knowing how your weight stacks up against others. That was the one thing drilled into the head of every Salamander, the comparison and what it meant when you faced someone who had an advantage. Ydnar saw the red and white tavern ahead of him and he looked cautiously before coming any closer to it. The witcher’s no fool. He knows i’m coming for him. I’d rather assume that than assume he doesn’t know. Ydnar puffed out his chest just slightly and walked with a swagger that would make a woman's jaw drop. He wanted to appear like he was a badass…….because he was. He walked into the bar and noticed a few look at him. He had his hood and bandanna on so they couldn’t see his face. He didn’t actually see the witcher here but he saw two men in the back right corner of the bar that he knew were part of the local rabble and were with him on occasion. They were large men and both carried large swords as well. Ydnar went up to the very front of the bar and took a seat at one of the wooden stools. He motioned to the bartender and asked for strong beer. Just by looking at the two men he wanted to capture, he knew a multitude of things. He knew that he would fight fast if he got into a sword fight with the two men. There was a certain point where body mass comes into play. Ydnar knew he had more raw muscle than the two men but they were large to the point of where that wouldn’t really matter. Both were wearing blue jeans and ripped denim jackets. The tender gave him his drink and he started drinking it up. Before he even came in he assessed the area around the outside of the bar to know what things looked like. He knew the entries and exits and the trash cans that were to the right of the door. Ydnar drank his beer slowly and let the alcohol do it’s work. He heard the door open and using the glass mug on the table he saw them come his way. The two who came through the door sat on either side of him and he pretended not to notice. His swords were at the ready if something went down. The talking in the tavern was mostly whimsical. He drank his beer and the man on the left said quietly to him,

‘If I were you, i’d leave those two guys in the corner alone. You may end up taking your last breath if you don’t’. Ydnar underneath his bandanna smiled a hideous smile. He liked it when another man challenged him like this, almost too much.

Ydnar leaned close to the man and he said, “Buddy if I were you i’d keep your nose out of other people’s business”. Ydnar at this point didn’t want a fight to break out. It was important to remember that the target was the other two men in the corner not the two sitting next to him. If he could catch even one of the two men he could get some information. Ydnar didn’t want to spend time in the local prison either. After all he wasn’t a black one and couldn’t rely on Emhyr to bail him out. The man on the left smiled and said back to him, ‘your nose is already dirty at this point, and if you don’t leave now, then i’ll scoop you up and shovel you off like a piece of nekkar s**t’.

Ydnar smiled even more hideously and knew there was no stopping a fight at this point. He knew from the life of a bounty hunter the rule of three. When the third nasty line had been said there would be a fight.

Ydnar came in close with a breath that smelled of beer and said, “Go ahead and try me. I’m not going anywhere”. His goal was to try to get the man to do something stupid. When you had a large amount of dangerous men in a small area like this, he knew most would scatter. Soon he’d find out who had it and who was just talking a load of shite.

Ydnar saw it coming well before it got near him. Ydnar knew he was far too slow. When the man tried to strike, Ydnar quickly sent a jab right into the man’s neck area and knocked him right off his stool. Ydnar’s goal wasn’t to kill but to simply diffuse the situation by not allowing either of the two men to strike him. The second man behind him got up and at the same time the bar went absolutely silent as people watched the scene unfold. At the same time the second man got up, the two men he marked as targets got up and hustled out the door. Ydnar turned around and made a break for the exit right behind the two men. The man who just sat up, tried to grab him, but Ydnar grabbed his arms and flung him with his momentum, into the wooden wall which made him stunned for a moment. Long enough for Ydnar to open the door and then taking the metal trash cans that were fairly heavy, he slid them in front of the door to create an obstacle for the men. He saw the two men out ahead of him and took off as fast as he could run. At the very end of the street that the tavern was on the two of them split up and one went to the left the other to the right. Ydnar went to the right as well. F**k….these men know what they’re doing. They have a plan. That’s the one thing I lack right now. The man he was chasing ran and now made his way out of the slums and into the main courtyard where the common people were gathered at. Ydnar was catching him slowly but he was catching him. The man was large and lacked the agility that Ydnar possessed to be able to weave through the crowds, so he mostly just plowed through, which slowed him down. The town still played music as people watched the duo run through the street. Ydnar got close to him and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and sent a shockwave spell at the man’s feet. Both tumbled but Ydnar held onto the large man. The man was on the ground squirming and Ydnar knew there were others after him so he quickly casted a spell to tie the man’s hands and legs  together. He then issued a spell to knock him out momentarily. People formed a circle around Ydnar now to see what was going on.

“Relax people, he just stole something from me. Go back to your business”. Ydnar lied as he picked the large man up and balanced him on his shoulder. He took him around a corner and then around another corner. Out of sight now he casted another spell and looked at the man. They were in the shadows and no one could clearly see them. Ydnar knelt down close to the man who was lying down on his back looking up at him.  

“So……..about your witcher friend Brehen. Where is he, do you know”?

‘I’ve never heard the name in my life’. The man said. Ydnar smiled and bashed the man with the side of his forearm, which had the metal strip on it, and then cut into his skin, causing him to bleed.  The man flinched and then started to sweat. He looked around and Ydnar said,

“I don’t think your men are coming to save you. My question remains the same. Where is the witcher at? I saw you with him many times before and I know you know something about where he usually hangs out”. Ydnar heard some people in the crowd say ‘Over there’! Ydnar and the man were in an alley and there was only one way of getting into the area. Suddenly from around the corner he heard several footsteps. The man he had captive said,

‘I knew they’d show up. You f****n prick’! Ydnar turned around and kicked the man's head.

“I’ll deal with you in a second. We’re not done until all of your teeth are missing and I have all the information you’ve got in that bloated head of yours”. Men appeared at the other end of the alley. They were in between two rows of large buildings that ended at the back end of a building. Ydnar knew he’d have to not give up ground.  There were five of them. Enough to be a hassle but not enough to concern him.

“I don’t want to become a murderer. I only want information. Once I get it, I let him go, and all is cool. However, if you want to dance with me, i’m more than happy to do the hokey pokey with you”. The man came closer and Ydnar came closer to them as well. They grabbed their swords and said,

‘Time for your asskicking, you messed with the wrong men buddy’! Ydnar nodded his head and pulled out his dual emerald long swords. The first man challenged him by going all out with a large horizontal slice. Ydnar quickly intercepted it and then dug the second sword into the man’s neck unleashing a wave of blood out. Ydnar pulled his sword out and using both weapons, blocked a quick attack from his left. Ydnar Kicked the man with his left leg to bring him back in front of his view. Another man tried one, two, three, quick horizontal slices and on the forth one Ydnar rolled under the blade and as he rolled he stuck the right sword into the man's legs and completed the roll. The man fell to his stomach and then, as he tried to get up, Ydnar stuck a sword right in his back. Before he could pull it out, Another thug came up and hit hard nearly knocking Ydnar off balance. Ydnar blocked the blows and didn’t give him ground. The man suddenly locked swords with Ydnar, who now let go of the sword he had still stuck in the one man’s back on the ground. Ydnar now put two hands on the single sword and as the second thug came up to get the kill, he sent a shockwave off to knock him back down. With his sword still locked, Ydnar kicked the man's legs to send him off his balance which worked, and then attacked hard and fast trying to overpower the man. He was fairly skilled for a thug, but Ydnar knew he had no chance, against a trained and skilled bounty hunter that did this for a living. Eventually, just after the other man got up from the powerful shockwave, Ydnar got the man in the neck and forced the weapon to cut all the way through; as he did so the man screamed louder and louder, Ydnar then finished the job, sending his head tumbling to the ground, and sending blood pouring out of the now open neck which showered Ydnar with a thick coat of the red , warm, fluid. Ydnar looked at the other man expecting him to flee now that the alley was covered in the blood of his friends, but he was surprised to see the man come at him and try to take him out. Ydnar didn’t really even have to try and honestly felt sorry for the man, who he quickly dodged. The man came in again and tried a jab which sent his momentum forward. Ydnar side stepped and swung the sword around his body only half way, using only his right arm, he brought the sword above his head and into the head of the man who was just recovering from the jab. The man yelled and suddenly his body went limp as he fell to the ground with a thud. Ydnar wasn’t overly tired at all right now. Which for him was an odd thing after a fight. He put his wet, blood drenched, gut dripping sword back into his golden sheathe on his chest and then grabbed the second one out of the collapsed man and stuck it back in the other one. Ydnar looked at the man who was still on the ground.

“So…..that was your backup eh? Kinda sad if you ask me. So before I make a trophy out of your head, care to tell me where he is hiding at”?

He heard the man sigh and he asked,

‘Will you let me go if I tell you what I know’? The man asked.

“We’ll see. I need the information first”. Ydnar declared. He heard people talking and going about their business outside so for him, there was no rush.

‘Fine. the man’s name is Brehen. He comes from the school of the cat. He fights aggressively and is more slippery than a sword covered in blood. The last time I was with him was here in Novigrad. He then talked about going to Ard Skellig to see some friends of his and lie low for a bit. That’s absolutely all I know. Please I have a family and a wife, I would like to see them again’.

Ydnar probed his mind and found that the information was true. He nodded and cast a spell at the man to let him free and said,

“Don’t give me a reason to kill you and i’ll leave you alone, as far as i’m concerned buddy, you won the f*****g lottery”. Ydnar said as the man nodded his head and ran off. Ydnar waited a bit and then walked out from the alley. He had blood all over his armor but that bothered him little. The hot sun once again hit his face and he walked back to where he knew his horse was. Why the f**k do I feel like this will end up as a chase for the next several months? They have my kid and I let them do it. I should’ve just murdered the cuntbags who approached me in the cave. That was a big mistake. D****t. Here we go again. Well off to Skellige. Should take me about three days of rough riding to get to the quiet town of Bremervoord where I can catch a ride over to the island. I’d rather not teleport and risk giving up my surprise. In fact I can push my horse to do the journey in two if her and I ride through the night. Let’s do that. Ydnar thought as he came up to his white mare and proceeded to mount the mare.

Ciri and Geralt were talking on the red wood deck of the house. They were seated in large wooden chairs watching the sun go down. Neither of them really did much that day. Geralt spent the good part of the morning recovering from the wound. Ciri spent the morning asleep in the tub and then walked into town where she heard about a disturbance on the continent from a mage who was there only moments ago. She talked to geralt about it and they got into a conversation about the entire thing.

“See Geralt, I think it is him. It has to be. Who the hell else can take that many men down like that and live to tell about it”?

‘Many people can Ciri. I can for example, mercenaries, who knows. Novigrad is home to many races and humans of all types. To simply say this was him is well….foolish to assume’.

Ciri sighed and said, “But what if Geralt? What if this is my husband? What if he’s in danger? He went back there for a reason. He wouldn’t just teleport to the Northern Realms without a damn good reason. I know him”. She replied looking at the witcher. A calm breeze came by. They looked at the large forest that the house backed up to. There was a small clearing where tall grass grew and the sun was setting right in the middle of the clearing.

Geralt sighed and shook his head, ‘Ciri, please think about this. You’re playing with the what if’s. Those are things that could happen but most likely didn’t happen. We can’t go chasing after him, drawing attention to ourselves, and possibly get captured in the process. We can’t do that based on some assumption. Right now, we’re safe, well fed, taken care off, and most importantly out of the public eye. We need to keep it that way for a while. Let the men who are chasing us lose sight of us and then maybe within a week or so we can explore the options of trying to hunt for him. Not yet. Please relax Ciri, alright’? Geralt asked looking at the stubborn teenager.

She sighed and said, “Ok. One week. I’ll hold you firmly to that. I miss him already. How in the world did I go from having a job, a house, a husband, and two kids to nothing so quickly? Anyway Geralt i’m going to sleep on it tonight. I wish for you a good night's sleep”. She said as she got up out of the chair and Geralt got up and said, ‘Ciri come here’. She did and Geralt gave his daughter a hug. She put her arms around him and her head on his right shoulder.

“I miss him…….I miss him sooooo much right now. I can’t stop thinking about him. I go into the bedroom and sleep in a bed all alone. I knew that there’d be days like this but not every couple months. I’m trying to stay strong but it’s hard when I lie down at night and have nothing to grab onto”. She closed her eyes and let his big strong arms take the worry out of her body.

‘I know. We’ll find him. Let’s lie low for a bit longer. Within a week things should calm down a bit and we can go out looking for him. You’ve my promise’.

She sighed and let go of him as he let go of her. “Thank you Geralt I appreciate it”. She said as she turned around and headed into the house. She went down the hall and into the bedroom on the right. She closed the door and turned on the oil lamp next to the bed. She closed the red colored shades and laid down on the bed. She got back up and took her clothes off except for her bra and panties. Ciri sighed and crawled under the covers. The young woman reached up above her breasts and grabbed the necklace Ydnar made for her. She felt the stones give her warmth and energy. She felt as if she could feel the soul of her husband in the stones themselves.

Ciri closed her eyes and said, “Ydnar….I will find you. I promise I will find you. I love you forever, my knight in shining armor”. She then let go of the necklace, turned on her right side, and fell asleep.

Vernon woke up and realised it was slowly becoming darker outside now. Quen’s  body was still on top of his keeping him warm. She stirred and cast a spell of some sort and suddenly she was wearing her sleep clothes. Short brown pants that went to her knees and stopped and a brown top that left everything from her chest up exposed. She put her head right below his and he ran his hands along her back. Her body was smooth to the touch. She shivered slightly as he ran his hands around her. He sighed and said softly, “How are we going to go about this? I think we should try and link up with the rest of them, but where do we even start”?

Quen sighed and said, ‘Well……..I hate to disagree but…..I think we should stay put and see how this turns out. Those mages could still be looking for us. Besides that I have no leads on anything anyway so it would be pointless to try to find something when you don’t even know where to begin’.

“I hate to say this….but I agree with you. I guess he can handle himself for a while anyway. I just ….well…..I caused this to happen. I want to help make it better so he wouldn't be as mad”.

She laughed and said, ‘Vernon he won’t be mad at you’. She opened her eyes and looked into his green eyes.

‘Your father loves you. He seems like the kind of father that wouldn’t want you to worry about him. The best thing to do is just let it play out. We all have to trust that everything will be taken care of’. She said as she kissed his lips again and their tongues briefly touched. Her hands were on his biceps and his were on her back. After a brief moment she retracted.

He laughed and said, “Never would’ve thought this is where i’d end up. In some stranger's house, on a red couch, making love to a woman whom i just recently met. I haven’t any complaints though. I love you Quen”.

She giggled and said, ‘I love you too Vernon. Might as well just fall asleep here honestly. I don’t really feel like moving’. With that he kissed her head and they fell asleep in each other's arms for the remainder of the night.

The only one not sleeping tonight was ydnar. Who was at this moment pushing on through the night. It had been a while since he did this sort thing. He had already crossed the Pontar and was officially in Temaria. The land changed to flatlands and fields. The horse galloped at a steady pace. Ydnar knew when she had enough and knew exactly how hard to push her. He had developed a strong relationship with the beautiful white animal. She trusted him and he trusted her. He for the most part followed the path. He knew certain beasts and wraiths came out at times in the night and he wanted to avoid them if at all possible. There was a quarter of a moon out tonight which helped him find his way. He sighed and shifted his position slightly to keep himself awake. He looked up at all the stars in the sky and said, “Ciri baby, those stars up there pale in comparison to your green eyes. D****t I miss you dearly. I will take care of our daughter, I will take care of Anna. I promise, I love you”. He sighed and shook his tired head. He knew Gors Velen was ahead of him. He wanted to avoid that town as much as he possibly can. He remembered that Ciri said she had been there at one time in her life and that it was absolutely beautiful. That fact make Ydnar even more depressed than he already was. When he got near the city he would turn to the west and the next large town would be his destination. D****t Ciri I miss you. It shouldn’t have been like this. It wasn’t meant to be like this. I hope you sleep well tonight. Ydnar put his swallow out of his mind and focused on being a bounty hunter. Gvalch’ca kept on pushing and he concentrated on how he was going to approach the witcher.

The morning came much easier for Ciri until she looked over and remembered that her husband wasn’t there next to her. She sighed and stretched her fragile hands out above her head. She felt the warm covers on her body and it kept her in the bed as if it wrapped hands around her body. She sighed and then took the soft, blue covers off of her. She went to the window and opened the curtains. It was a perfect morning. Cloudless, very little wind, and a blue sky. Her armor was lying on the floor and she picked it up and set it on the bed. She laughed slightly as she started putting her clean beige shirt and dark green pants on. “Alright Geralt you win, I suppose when my husband is away i’m a slob”. She shook her head and laughed. She yawned, and opened the door. She saw Geralt’s door was still closed and she also saw that Hjerto’s door was open. She wondered where the man could be off to this early in the morning. After all the sun just came up over the horizon. She walked out of the small white, long hallway and into the kitchen and family room. On the light colored wooden counter she saw a blue bowl with various types of fruit in it. Some were large others small. There were various colors of fruit in the bowl; some were red, others yellow, and some were blue. She walked over to it and took one of the large round yellow pieces of fruit. She bit into it and the memory of Skellige came back strong, so strong, that she had to grab onto the counter with a white knuckled grip to keep herself from falling over. She wasn’t sad but reminiscent of the times. She wanted badly to return there with Ydnar and show him all the things she did when she was younger. The fruit tasted sweet but had a sour aftertaste. She sighed as she continued to eat. Looking out the window she saw three men and they seemed to be talking to Hjerto. She felt tension in her muscle. The men were in uniforms and had weapons on their backs. Ciri wasn’t really sure what the bright yellow insignia on the front of their red steel armor was but it looked to her to represent a rising phoenix. The men were standing just outside of the white wooden fence that wrapped around the front of the property and ended at the red brick street. The city reminded her a bit of Oxenfurt. Except it was much smaller. Small houses that were compact yet practical. Behind the guards people, walked and merchants did business. Ciri ate and watched the expression of the men. One of the men in the group put his hand on his curved weapon which was on his right hip. She saw Hjerto’s hands raise up in the air and then behind the three red guards appeared one of the mages that she recognized from the attack. She finished the fruit and then ran to the bedroom that Geralt was in. She opened the wooden door and saw he was watching the scene as well from his window which looked out at the busy street. Geralt turned around on the bed and said to her,

‘I think we’d better leave here soon. If something goes down we leave out through the door that leads to the porch not the very front door’.

Ciri nodded and said, “Where are we even going to go? There’s no where around here that I know of. This isn’t the Northern Realms and I don’t know what’s around this area”. Ciri wanted to do something but she just stood there and watched, as if she’d been paralyzed. There was enough light coming through the window for her to see that Geralt had both his swords on his back and was ready to go the moment something went down.

‘Notice below the red and white striped awning over there. The two men in those black leather jackets with the large swords sticking up above their heads, have been watching this house for a while now. This isn’t a good sign. I think they’ve found us, I also think we should get out of here’. He said as he looked over at her. He knew she didn’t want to go now that they had a house to stay in but she reluctantly said,

“Ok……...let’s go then, i’ve got all my things as I didn’t come here with much anyway”. Geralt got up from the bed and quickly followed him out of the house. Ciri was right behind him but she looked back and saw one of the guards hit him on the back of the head with the blunt end of his curved sword. Ciri saw a small amount of blood come out of the wound.  She turned around and they were out of the house and on the porch now. Once again as with most of her life, she was going to lose a friend because of her gift. Both of them started walking through the knee high brown grass and went back into the forest. The sun was up and out, starting to warm up the surrounding land. Ciri sighed and asked,

“How’d they even find us”?

Geralt walked through the forest and found a small brown trail that led into a large grassy valley and looked to go to a clear blue lake off in the distance.

‘Your guess is as good as mine. No doubt their tracking us through someone who’s working as a spy’.

Ciri stopped walking and said, “Geralt…..I think we should try to find Ydnar.”.

Geralt turned around and looked the young ashen haired teenager and said, ‘Ciri….what would that do for us? It would just bring them right to him and then we’d all be screwed. The objective here is not to kill them and create a scene but to try to link up and get the young kids to safety. Ydnar can take care of himself, we’ve got to do the same. What do you think he’d do if he was in this situation’?

Ciri shook her head and felt the cool breeze run through her hair. “I …...I think he’d find us. That’s what i’m saying. How do we know he’s not trying to find us now”!? She raised her voice a bit and came closer to the bearded witcher.

‘Ciri…..at this point ….you should know he’s expendable. He never stopped being expendable, even after the hunt was defeated. We have to look out for ourselves now Ciri. He knows this just as much as you and I do’. Geralt watched her turn away from him and saw her hair whipping in the breeze that came up over the hills and down into the valley. She looked back and nodded her head slowly and said in a quiet sad voice, “Alright,....... Alright. I can’t believe i’m relenting, but ok…….if that’s what you believe”. She said as she sighed and walked closer to him with her arms crossed.

‘It is. Let’s keep moving and see if we can’t get a horse or two’. Geralt suggested and then started off in the small dirt path again. As soon as we get to the area that we’ll be staying the night, i’m going to start looking for my husband, while the trail is still fresh. I can’t take this waiting around crap. See Geralt, i’m still as stubborn as I used to be aren’t I? She thought as they walked deeper into the forest valley.

Things were peaceful at the house. All were still asleep until the point in which the red wooden door came flying off its brass hinges and crashed into the side of the wall leaving a large knick in the wood and the door split in two. Quen and Vernon were still on the couch and heard the door smack right into the wall. Quen very quietly cast some sort of transformation spell and a blue light shined out of her blue hands as suddenly they were both in their full set of armor. They heard numerous voices and Quen said to him quietly,

‘Take us somewhere that you know is safe for us, we don’t have time to congress about it’. Vernon closed his eyes and for some reason, though he had never been to that particular house, he heard plenty about it to know it was fairly safe. The blue light shined around their bodies and they were off.

They appeared in the light colored wood walled bedroom of the house. The house for Vernon brought back memories of the day that he was told who his parents were. He knew that two other people lived here or stayed here. He hoped the house would be empty of people but either way the house was in a small town and was secluded in the woods. Besides, Vernon liked it here in Skellige. They were on the bed lying down. Vernon got up off the bed and Quen let go of him to look around at the inside of the house. Vernon walked up to the glass doors on the second floor bedroom and opened them revealing a bright sunny day on the Island of Spikeroog. Vernon walked out onto the balcony and looked out at all the homes. Most of the houses on Skellige were made from wood. A large number of the homes also had a fireplace. Very few of them had a balcony however. For Vernon coming back to the house that he was brought to and first introduced to his actual father was bittersweet. He didn’t really know how to feel. Most people were outside cooking, or washing clothes. The clothing of the people of Skellige was simple yet practical,  green robes and leather armor. Green and brown were the two most common colors to be found in Skellige. Vernon smelled the fresh sweet smell of cooking meat. Bear meat, seasoned with Zerrikanian spices. He never forgot the smell. In the middle of the small town was a small dirt path that wound it’s way through the land and mountains that were all around the island. Kids dressed in warm coats and jackets were outside playing and having fun while the father usually went out hunting. The moms stayed home and cleaned and cooked for the family. It was all very simple. Vernon closed his eyes and let the sound of the wind in the trees, The birds in the air, the gentle crash of the sea, and the smell of the meat being cooked take him back thirteen years. Quen came up to the room after having looked around and stepped out the white, glass doors. She saw Vernon with his eyes closed and head in the soft breeze that was blowing. Quen saw large thick pine trees, larger than what she’s used to, towering behind the small, rustic, wooden houses. She walked up to Vernon, took her gloves off, and put her right arm around his back. He shivered a bit and put his left arm around her neck. Vernon opened his eyes and kissed her forehead. She could tell something was bothering him. She looked him in his face and asked, ‘Why do you look sad? This place is beautiful’.

Vernon sighed and said as he looked at each of the houses,

“Yeah it is. Welcome to Spikeroog Quen. This isn’t where I was born but where I spent much of my life. True story…….but I didn’t meet my mom and dad until i was three years old. It was this actual house where they took me in to heal me yup”.

She looked at him when he said it, ‘you were hurt when they found you’? She asked in a concerned tone.

He smiled and said, “Yes. My dad actually found me when he, my mom, and some of his friends were out hunting together. This was when they were trying to outrun the hunt. Anyway my fake parents were killed when they took me out hunting and ran into a pack of ghouls. I think it was ghouls…….d****t now i’m starting to forget. Anyway, my dad…...he started laughing, Quen smiled, Vernon continued and said, ‘My dad’s always been super brave and sometimes stupid too, but he ran over to me as he saw me being chased by the creatures and he cut them down quickly. Mom got me out of the line of fire and he took them down. He took some damage doing it but it wasn’t serious. He repaired me and fixed me up real good on the spot. Then dad and I rode back to this house where I woke up and he treated me for all sorts of diseases and the like. I found out my fake dad, who was actually still alive for a bit after the attack, died on the way back to the house. My real father and I talked as we cleaned ourselves off and i told him about my early life and he…..well later he told me right then and there he knew he found me. He sent me off to bed and, he told me later in life that him and mom hugged each other and cried together. He told me it took them several months of searching, worrying, and tracking to find me when they least expected it. He…...said he’d never been so happy in his entire life, as when he held me in his arms and felt the touch of my hands on him”. Quen had tears in her eyes and she looked away to wipe them away. Vernon looked out at the town and shook his head.

“I hope he’s alright. I wish we got to do more together. Seems like everytime we try something comes up”. Quen looked at Vernon who had tears in his eyes too. He looked at her and he laughed. “Not many things can do that to me. But that...well….that moment was special to me. All the pain, suffering, dealing with various bandits, units, and groups. To find me and protect me. That’s when I knew I was loved”. Vernon said as he wiped the tears away and sighed. Quen put her hands around his neck and he held her around her waist. She looked into his wet eyes and said softly as she brought her blue, smooth, lips close to his,

‘He’ll be ok. If he’s smart and doesn’t do anything too stupid then i’m sure he’ll be ok’. She said.

“He responded by saying, I know he will be. Maybe while we're in the area i’ll take you to Kaer Trolde to get out for a bit and get a bite to eat. Their famous for their seafood. That will be later though”. He whispered as she tilted her head and they touched out on the balcony of the house, that life for him started in.

Ydnar was exhausted and he could tell the horse was running low on energy but he willed her on. He was trying to remember the standard timeline for most bounty hunting jobs he’s worked. Around a week at the very least. Maybe a month or two if the target was extremely good at hiding. I don’t have that sort of time. Another month of my babies life gone by. Great. He pushed the thought out of his mind and focused on making good progress today. He had already made it through the large city of Gors Velen and now, though it was getting close to midday, he was nearing the furthest western point on the continent. Ydnar struggled back and forth with the idea of getting some sleep before poking around the port of Kaer Trolde. He figured he would at least get something to eat and take the time to relax a bit so he could unwind before doing any actual hunting. He was sure that they wouldn’t show up at the tavern in the most well respected city in all of Skellige. Two more hours of this crap and i’ll be off the horse for a while. My a*s can’t wait for that. The weather had thankfully been good the whole time while he was riding which he was thankful for. No one likes to ride in the harsh rain. His thoughts turned to staying motivated as he overtook a black horse. Ciri…...how many days since…...three nearly four. Look at me i’m complaining about a few days. These few days have been non stop get up and go though. Not a moment to catch much of any rest whatsoever. Ydnar knew the human body needed to sleep every forty eight hours at minimum or he risked dying. He knew he didn’t want to do that. He knew he could make the port by the evening. The question was, is the witcher still there or not?

Quen and Vernon were sitting at one of the many booths that lined the outside edges of the tavern. It was busy this time of the evening. Many came in to watch the sun set across the water. The man servicing them their beers and she smiled at him and said,

‘If you don’t mind me asking, where were you born’? She drank the dark slipy beer and looked at him.

“Over in Kaedwen. At Kaer Morhen. It’s well….northeast of here, probably about a four days riding distance. It’s almost odd for this tavern to be this busy. We should keep our guard up while we’re here, among other more important things of course he said as he held her left hand. She smiled at him and said, ‘You and your father are quiet the smooth talking type’.

Vernon nearly spit up his beer as she said it. “He is. Not so much me honestly. I can do all right but i’m nothing special”.

She laughed and said, ‘I don’t need you to be. Every man sounds the same when they’re behind you….not that i’d know….yet’. She finished and he blushed and looked away. Quen caught it and giggled. She was wearing a low cut short sleeved top that to some thought it showed a bit too much, as it left her rock hard abs, and everything from her neck down to the start of her breasts exposed. To Vernon it looked good on her attractive body. The white pants, which matched her top perfectly, she was wearing hugged her well and went to just below her knees. In her black boots she had a dagger just in case things got too chaotic. Vernon found in the house some of his dad’s old shirt and he wore a green shirt with a brown vest and had on brown pants that had many slots for weapons, in one of them he carried his sword. He replaced his traditional boots with a green colored boot that came up a bit higher to try to blend in a bit. He could tell she put on more of her perfume because she smelled good to him. Her brown hair was down and reached to the middle of her back. Vernon thought she looked beautiful, and planned on telling her just how beautiful later tonight.

“You’re a bad influence on me Quen”. He said as the large white plate of seafood arrived on the wooden table.

Quen smiled and looked around to see if anyone was watching them. Once she was satisfied she briefly leaned in and kissed him. He shook his head and they both laughed.

Ydnar slept and felt more refreshed now than he had in the last few days. He ditched his armor for a traditional Skellig garb. He wore a brown short sleeve shirt and then a brown leather jacket with bronze buttons. His pants were green and he had brown fishing gloves on. He wanted to blend in as much as he absolutely could. Tonight, unlike the previous nights he wanted to not attract attention and focus on the conversations people were having and the food which he couldn’t wait to eat. Of course he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He had the man he bought the jacket from years ago add concealed weapon rings to the inside of his jacket so the handles of his longswords were just barely visible over the top of the jacket. There was a sword on both sides. He approached the tavern and smelled the seafood, which made him drool. The sun had almost completely gone down now as he walked into the tavern and found a small two person booth to sit in. The tavern was busy, even for a night in Skellige. This told him something was up and he wasn’t in the know as to why. This made him cautious as he ordered a large plate of seafood and vodka. The tavern was loud and Ydnar used that to his advantage as people were sidetracked in conversations. He saw one man that wasn’t like the rest. The man was of hardy stock. Well built, extremely strong and had a rather large sword on his back. He chose a table that looked way too big to be just for him. Ydnar knew…...they ambushed him…..he took it hook, line, and sinker. Whelp, there goes my idea of a relaxing meal. I’ll wait to get up until my food is done and some of the local people leave the tavern. I have a feeling I won’t be taking prisoners on this one.  He was looking at the craftsmanship on the walls and the paintings when he saw a person who looked to be too young to be drinking beer. Vernon’s here? In Skellige no less? Him and the girl are here. D****t. I will not let this phase me. I’ve a job to do tonight and he won’t enter my mind.  The man came back with his food and vodka and with them came something he didn’t order.

The man sat down and said, ‘The last time I saw you….you were having problems with your wife. Now you’re back without her’?

Ydnar laughed and said, “We’re back together. Been good for a while now. In fact we moved to another location and had another kid. She wanted a daughter and I was more than happy to give her one”.

The man laughed and teasingly punched Ydnar in his right arm. ‘A daughter. Well done. Where is the little ashen haired weasel’? He asked looking closer at him.

Ydnar sighed and said, “I wonder that myself. Somethings happened and we had to split up. My son is sitting in this very room with that blue girlfriend of his. That’s merely a coincidence. See my problem is that i’m on a bounty hunting job for a queen right now who has my three month old daughter hostage. I need to get some information about a witcher. He was rumored to have been here recently”. The large man in chef's attire looked briefly at the man with the blue woman. They were laughing about something.

The large man looked back at Ydnar and said, ‘I’ve information. Meet me at my house on the south side, the one where I fixed you up. I have the feeling a fight's going to break out tonight by that look in your eyes. Ydnar…..don’t make me have to clean you up off the floor this time buddy’. He said as he got up and went back into the kitchen to fetch food. Don’t worry, it’s not me you’re going to have to clean up. He thought. More men who looked similar came in and sat with their friend. One of them made a classic mistake of looking at Ydnar for a bit too long and that let him know they were onto him. He now had the element of surprise.

“My father is here. Quen...he’s actually here”. Quen looked at him. Both of them had eaten the entire plate of food and were absolutely full at this point.

‘Where Vernon I don’t--

“Don’t make it so obvious that you’re looking around. He’s hunting someone. He’s got that man on a mission look on his face and i think i know who he’s looking for as well. Quen if something goes down here….i’m backing him up. I don’t want to lose him now”.

Quen sighed but saw that the man had his mind made up. ‘Ok…...Ok….just please don’t do anything stupid’. She said as she drank the rest of her beer. Some of the customers had left the tavern now.

Ydnar decided this was the right time to make his move. He stood up and started walking out of the wooden dimly lit tavern. Right away he noticed two things, One being that his son was looking at him, which meant that he was looking to get involved, two, the men at the far end started getting antsy. Ydnar walked to the door and left the tavern.

Vernon saw the men get up and follow his father.Vernon got up after they left with Quen and headed out to follow them.

The men started taunting Ydnar trying to get him to do something stupid but he shrugged it off.

One of the larger men in the group who was wearing a full set of steel plate said,

‘Hey you? Turn yourself around I want to tell you a word of advice’?

Ydnar turned slowly and met the man’s gaze.

‘Stay away from that witcher. We know you’re looking for him. It will only end in death. Your death. He has many bodyguards and isn’t foolish by any means. If you go near him you will meet your end’. The man said.

Ydnar saw the woman and his son to the far right of the street.

Ydnar said, “I’m going to find him at whatever the cost may be. Maybe I will die, who knows. But I will find him and will try to kill him”.

The men grabbed their swords.

‘In that case then, here is where you make your last stand’. Ydnar smiled a hideous smile and pulled both long swords from his jacket. He was up against ten guards but there were no mages around and the streets were empty. A dim light from the torches that were stuck into the ground provided enough light to see by. One man came rushing in towards him. Ydnar suddenly leaped and covered a large amount of ground quickly. He stuck his right sword into the man’s head and a large river of blood and guts poured out from the man's mouth. He then leaped backwards to avoid a slash. More of the men rushed him this time. Ydnar knew he had his work cut out for him. He rolled under the blade of the first and then blocked one, then whirled in time to block another man, he then fired a large fireball which caught one man and lit him up. The second he did that he was, to his surprise, picked up by one of the large men. Ydnar Stuck his sword directly behind him and carved a new set of eyes into the man who hugged him. As soon as his feet hit the ground two more came in. He gave up some ground as he was forced to in order to block their attacks. Ydnar blocked and then kicked one of the guards. To his surprise one man came up behind him and damn near got him. Ydnar side stepped the man which he heard running towards him. Two more charged and ydnar angled himself to line himself up with the railing that blocked people from falling into the great sea and fired a large shockwave that sent both men into the frigid siren infested water. Six more to go now. Three now came after him and he had to constantly shift himself. He blocked one blow, then dodged, Ydnar then blocked another attack aimed at his neck. All of a sudden he was on the ground and he realised he was tackled. His chest was pointed at the night sky and two came over to finish the job. He kicked one in his mouth and knocked him down. The other got him in his stomach but not deep enough to cause major damage. Blood started to pour out from the wound and the man was ready to strike again. Ydnar using his right hand casted a fireball right at the man's face. His skin went from white to black. He fell to the ground and a sweet smoky smell filled the air. Ydnar grabbed his dagger out of his sleeve and before another man could have a go at him, Ydnar reached around and stabbed the man in his neck. He let go of Ydnar who got up and picked the man up. He ran to the railing yelling and threw the man on a sharp set of rocks some distance below the harbor.

There were only four left but the sword cut him up good. Ydnar had his swords back in his hands and blocked two quick strikes. One man tried to attack from his far right but Ydnar crossed under the blade and hit the man right in his back. Ydnar kicked him off his sword and then blocked a fierce volley of attacks from a man who was much stronger than the rest. Ydnar was soaked in blood sweat and guts. The man attacked hard and fast. Ydnar had trouble keeping up with him. Suddenly the man with his steel plated hand grabbed Ydnar’s sword and punched him in his wound. Ydnar fell to the ground with a yell. He spit up blood.The strong man lifted him up off the ground using two hands.

‘You fought well Ydnar. Your strength is worthy of my admiration’. The man said in a deep voice. Ydnar concentrated hard and drew power from the element of fire. His hand flashed a bright orange as flame leaped from his right and left hand and onto the man's head. The man let him go and Ydnar kept the flames alive. From his right he saw another man come after him. Ydnar didn’t have his swords in his hands any more so instead he dodged the first swipe then tackled the man down onto the ground and put flames directly into the man’s steel helmet. Now there were two. Ydnar dodged two quick slashes. The other man threw a punch at Ydnar. Ydnar grabbed his fist and punched him back hard enough to knock him down. The other man very skillfully threw a dagger at Ydnar and hit him in his neck. He pulled it out and more blood came out of the wound. He was starting to feel light headed. The men came at him again. Ydnar backed up. Suddenly the man’s hands flashed orange and a fireball hit Ydnar in his chest. His clothes were burning now. He casted a spell to put them out and tried to concentrate harder now. Suddenly a sword came near him. The sword hit the first man and his head hit the ground. Vernon hit the second man hard and flurried to keep him on his guard. Vernon then kicked him and then plunged his sword straight into the man’s neck. Vernon put his sword away and went over to Ydnar who started walking to the south of the city. Vernon ran up to him and Ydnar said to him as Quen took Vernon’s left hand,

“You...did damn good their son…..next time….though….don’t get ...involved….what happened there ...will be looked at...as a criminal act…” Ydnar said as he stopped suddenly and took his shirt off and casted a regeneration spell to ease the pain of his red hot chest. “D****t….there goes that vest….” he said as he tossed it on the ground. “I need to grab--

‘I’ve got them’. Vernon said. They started walking to the south.

Eventually the trio arrived at the house. Ydnar opened the door and saw that the man wasn’t back yet. He held it open for both of them and then closed it behind them. Ydnar sighed and rubbed his eyes. He then looked at Vernon and put his arms around him. Vernon put his head on his dad’s right shoulder. Quen watched them and smiled.

“I’m grateful to see you alive. That goes for the both of you. I’m sorry…..that we really haven’t done much together but..--

‘I understand. I was worried about where you’d end up. Is there a good story behind all of this’? Vernon asked as he pulled his head off his dad’s shoulder.

Ydnar smiled and said, “There is. Sit down and i’ll tell it to you while I patch myself up”. Vernon looked around the house and remarked,

‘House is pretty big for it being in Skellige’.

Ydnar sighed and sat on the black leather couch.

“Yeah it is. Hey by the way…..I don’t think you should hang around me long. I’ve got many warrants out for my arrest. That’s part of my story though but just to let you know”.

Vernon  looked him in his blue eyes as he sat next to him. ‘As mom would say, Bollocks’. Vernon laughed but he saw his dad wipe his eyes and he knew he shouldn’t have said it.

“I miss your mom dearly. I …...really hope both of them are ok”.

Vernon looked at him as Quen came back into the large red bricked room with some water for both of them.

“Thanks for that”. Ydnar said as he stopped the bleeding in his chest. Quen sat across from them on a leather chair of the same color. The room was well lit by many lamps and candles.

‘She was with someone else’? Vernon asked.

“Yeah...She was with a badly injured Geralt. The two of them teleported away and I went to go help your girlfriend kill off the rest when I then told her to go into the house and get you out of here. I then made my run back into the house,l grabbed the baby and got out of there myself”. Ydnar stopped and then said, “D****t!, d****t, d****t, d****t! That was a rookie mistake”, he said as he punched the couch.

‘What was’? Quen asked?

Ydnar sighed and looking at her he said, “Not getting any information from any of the men out there. That was dumb”.

‘You look tired dad, did you not sleep well’? Vernon asked looking at him and then he saw the large scar that was dark red almost purple.

“Son….the past day i’ve been riding hard all the way from Novigrad. I got an hour of sleep when I got here earlier today but that’s all i’m running on right now. My…..life ….well…..my life is screwed now really….I hate the way I feel right now”.

Ydnar sighed and said “alright you guys want the full story or short story”?

Both at nearly the same time said, ‘Full’.

Ydnar smiled and said alright alright. Whelp. I teleported and arrived in the air above a fairly large snow covered mountain. I hit the ground and broke my right leg instantly on impact. I then rolled and kept the baby close to me so I could keep her from getting bumped around. After what felt like forever but was only around maybe thirty seconds I stopped rolling and tried to stand up; I damn near fell back down. I got myself up and started hobbling to a nerby cave. That was after about an hour or so of walking. I seeked refuge in their and treated my wounds and fed the baby. It was there where I found out the spear that the mage had stuck in me was dipped in poison. The only way to stop it was to cut the infected part out”.

‘You didn’t really, did you’? Quen asked as she came closer to look at the wound.

“I did. I grabbed a small dagger I had and cut into the wound. I opened it to where I could get my whole fist in there and then cut the part out. It hurt….in fact it hurt a lot.I survived and adapted”.

‘Is that when the job came’? Vernon  asked as Quen sat back in the chair across from them again.

Ydnar smiled and drank his glass of water. “No. That came the next day when I ran into some female warriors who wanted me to come to a large palace. There they took care of my wounds and also took the baby away from me. The queen saw me and --

‘You got to see a royal figure like that’? Vernon asked with a surprised look.

Ydnar nodded his head and said, “Trust me though you’re not missing out on much. I’ve seen many kings and queens who gave me their to do list of who’d they like to have off their list this year. She wanted me to kill the witcher who’s after you. So I went to Novigrad and some things went down. I got information about the man coming here and then I saw you. Not really a grand story but there it is”.

‘I thought it was pretty well told’. Quen said as she yawned.

Ydnar smiled and said, “I want to find your mom Vernon. The dreams i’ve had when I was fortunate enough to get some sleep have been pretty bad. I’ve got to deal with this first though. Why don’t you take your girlfriend to the room right behind us here and put her to sleep. I need to talk to the owner of this joint as he owes me some information”.

Vernon got up off the couch and Ydnar got up as well. Vernon  hugged his father and Ydnar held his son tightly.

“Ohhhhhhhhhh I love you Vernon. These next couple months are going to be hard but we’ll get through it not to worry”.

‘I love you too dad. Can i help you track him down’? He said as he pulled away and looked at him.

Ydnar sighed and said, “We’ll talk in the morning. I want information first. I’d like to have you with me but I know a thing or two about women now and I see your girlfriend making a face that reminds me of the one that your mom made when I told her I had to travel to some land for something. We’ll talk in the morning on it. Get some sleep and keep a sword nearby”.

‘Will do’. Vernon said as he and Quen walked to the back of the house and into the bedroom. Ydnar rubbed his tired eyes and using a small spell he turned the candles out. He then laid down on the couch and whispered to himself, “Goodnight Ciri, my lovely little swallow”. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Ciri and Geralt were at a large hotel of sorts. Ciri wanted to go and start looking for Ydnar but at this time she was too exhausted as was he. There were two giant red beds. They were backed up to a yellow wood colored wall. In between the two beds was a small black wood night stand that had an oil lamp sitting on it. The floor was made of green carpet and felt better than the usual wood floors that most houses had here. The sun was just slipping into the horizon now. The dark purple shades were pulled shut. The room was dark except for the small amount of light that came through under the shades. Ciri took her sword off and turned on her right side.  She sighed and thought to herself, Should I even worry about him now? I love him yes but now we have people chasing us. It’s obvious that they know how to teleport and can feel that sort of thing. Where do I even start looking if I do go? The only solid lead I have is in Novigrad. Tomorrow Ciri, Tomorrow. She closed her eyes and put her right hand on her necklace to feel the warmth remind her of the one she loved. Quickly, she fell asleep.

Ydnar heard the door open and he got up off the couch. He saw Kiev enter the house and he looked at the large man and said, “It’s about damn time you got here. By the way we’ve got two carry ons with us. My son and his girlfriend are staying here. I’m sleeping on the couch don’t worry”.

Kiev sat at the large wooden round table and motioned for Ydnar to do the same.

‘Oh Ydnar, that’s fine. There’s a lot of spilled blood on the ground. No one there saw you do it so kudos on that but did you have to do that here’? Kiev asked as he got out two beers and some food he brought in a paper bag.

“I’m afraid so brother”. Ydnar said as they clinked bottles and drank.

‘Now...getting down to the good stuff. The man you’re looking for. The man’s name is Brehen. He was here just two days ago. Rumor has it he’s gone to Kaer Muire and --

“Same old F*****g story. Sorry, I should be used to it by now, continue please”.

Kiev started up again and said, I think from what I heard he went there with several men of his. Ydnar I know how good you are with a sword but let this one go. He’s got many men ready to defend him. He’s waiting for the right moment to strike. If I were you, I’d gather up what you have and teleport out of the Northern Realms’.

Ydnar sighed and grabbed a giant clam that he started pulling apart. “See…….Kiev I can’t do that though. A Queen who ordered this to be done is holding my daughter hostage. I have to capture the man alive and then--

Kiev interrupted with a belly full of laughter. The man turned red and said to Ydnar, ‘That’s a laugh. You’re fucked Ydnar, fucked I say. I know what’re capable of but there’s now way. Capturing a witcher alive, are you crazy’? Kiev looked at the man's eyes and smiled saying,

‘Yeah you’ve always been crazy. You realise he’s got men after you as well right’?

Ydnar shook his head and said, “No s**t? Kiev I thought I could just stay in a location and continually have sex with the ladies while I thumb myself and figure out what my next move should be.

Yes I do know. Don’t tell me how to do my job. Yes it’s going to be hard. I have done it to him before so i’m quite certain I can do it again”.  The sun was coming back up now and Ydnar realised that his window for sleeping was now gone.

‘I won’t ask how you got yourself in that situation. I advise you….as a friend to get some help with this. Bring your boy if you have to. Ciri would kill me if I didn’t try to help you--

Ydnar sighed and said, “Don’t talk about Ciri Kiev. Please”. Ydnar stood up and looked out the window that was next to the table.

Ydnar closed his eyes and exhaled a large breath. “It’s been four days now I think since i’ve seen her. I feel like from my experience that it will probably another month or two before I find the witcher and get a chance to get him. The very moment I get to him I pounce. I don’t care how many men are around him. I pounce and teleport with him. That’s that”.

Vernon now walked out of the bedroom and was dressed in his full armor. Ydnar turned around and smiled at him.

“You sleep good”? Ydnar asked looking at the young man.

‘Yeah I did. Can I go with you’? He asked as he sat down.

Ydnar sat back down and said, “Under the pretense that you do as I say, when I say, and as I say it. If you’re looking to be famous then find another hobby. I told you how hard we've to push ourselves. We ride for twenty four hours, no more than forty eight, we go a day without sleep if it means we get to a hot trail more quickly, this job is hard and you need to be quick on your feet and good with all types of weapons. Look me in the eyes and tell me you can handle it”. Ydnar said as he drank more of his beer.

Vernon sighed and looked his dad in his eyes and said, ‘I can handle it. I will handle it’. Kiev laughed and Ydnar smiled and admired the man’s confidence.

‘He’s just like his’ -- Kiev stopped as he remembered what Ydnar said. ‘Sorry I forgot’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Ah screw it. He is. He’s very stubborn and confident. Both things are good for us bounty hunters but if misused can get you killed faster than a fiend who's lost his lover. Did you tell your girlfriend about your plans? I trust she’s smart enough to not come with us”? Ydnar looked at the young man and he sighed and shook his head.

Vernon said, ‘She wanted to come with. Now before you question this let me just say, she’s damn good with a sword and knows regeneration magic. She’s almost a full mage. I’ve seen her in action many times. Dad she’s at least as good as me if not even better’.

“Son it’s not that. What if something happens to her? You’d be devastated. There’s a reason why when I go on these hunts and trips I don’t take your mother with me. It’s because my mind would be on her too much. It’s not good to have a mind that’s clouded by the one you love”.

‘Dad you told me you think about Ciri, I mean mom constantly’?

Ydnar smiled and said, “yes…..but not when i’m in the moment. Screw me. You’re sixteen years old…..you’re old enough to figure this out. If she wants to join the search then so be it. I just need to give her some ground rules and then we’ll set off”.

Vernon was slightly surprised that they were setting off so early, but he remembered what he just said. Quen showed up, walked over to the table, and sat down across from Kiev.

‘He said yes’. Vernon told her and she looked at Ydnar surprised.

“I did it’s true. However, put that smile off of your face. From now on you follow my lead, do everything I do, say nothing unless you’re spoken to or I tell you to. You don’t question my judgement either. I’ve a wife and i’ll tell you from past experiences that women love to test my judgement. You’ll do no such thing. I’ve been doing this for years now. I’m the master, you the apprentice. Don’t misunderstand me, ask questions of course, talk to me of course, not during the hunt and not in front of others, but when we’re alone then go for it. Is this understood”? Ydnar looked at the young woman and she nodded and said,

‘Yes sir. I’ll follow you’.

Ydnar nodded and said, “You better. Ok well, Kiev I then need two more horses. How much do I owe you”?

Kiev laughed and said, ‘I’ll tell you what ydnar, you’ve got yourself into a mess. Take them for free. I can get more’.

“I damn well appreciate the gesture. Alright let’s get out of here ladies and gents”.

The threesum all gave keiv a hug and thanked him for what he did for them. They got on their horses and set a course for Kaer Muire.

Two months later

Geralt was looking at the ground in the alley where the man said there was a fight. ‘There was definitely a fight here. There was blood all through here. Here, Ydnar’s blood. I can tell since it leads off into the distance. Your mage friend was right’.

Geralt got up from the ground and looked at Ciri who was looking at Geralt.

She sighed and said, “I feel like the rest of this is going to be hard to follow. I feel hopeless. Gods, is this how you felt Geralt when you were looking for me”? Ciri asked him as she rubbed her eyes with her gloves.

Geralt walked over to her and said, ‘For the most part yes. That’s probably how your husband felt when he was searching for you too. Don’t worry Ciri, we’ll find him. There’s little witchers can’t find’.

Ciri smiled and said, “I wish I had your confidence”.

Geralt started walking and Ciri put her hood back up again. Novigrad was busy today, but then again the large city was always busy. Ciri wished desperately for Ydnar to hold her hand and make the stress go away. They only recently started the search. They had two solid leads. One in Novigrad and one in Skellige. Ciri didn’t like returning to Skellige without her husband. She was determined to find him and vowed to do whatever she needed to in order get him back. She followed Geralt to their horses and set off to Skellige. It was just hitting noon at this point.

Ydnar was fairly sure that he now had the man figured out. The three of them had been looking around the whole entire continent for many months. They gathered much information and followed the witchers faint tracks. The three of them were in the small kingdom of Lyria where the man was bound to arrive. He knew for the most part what to expect from the encounter. He knew that the man would be traveling with a group of four people.

‘What's the plan for all of this’? Vernon asked as he sat on the bed of the hotel room.

Ydnar scratched his head and sighed. “To not mess it up. All we know for sure is he will have four men with him. I know we’ve talked about this before but I want to remind you not to get involved. Once the deed is done then i’ll meet you back here. If i’m not back within a day then you need to move and relocate to a new location. I don’t care where”. Ydnar said as he lied down on the rightmost bed in the room. Quen and Vernon both came over and lied down in the second bed. Ydnar closed his eyes and said, “I really…...didn’t think it would take this friggen long, to find him but I guess I should’ve”. He let out a large sigh.

Vernon closed his eyes and felt Quen put her head just under his and bring her body up so it was touching his.

‘What are you going to do after this is over? We still don’t know where mom even is’. Vernon pointed out.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Mom will find us. She always does sooner or later. If we keep moving around it would only make things harder. I foresee a bubble bath with my wife when all is said and done”. Both Quen and Vernon laughed.

Ydnar woke up and got out of the bed feeling even more sleepy. He already had his bounty hunter gear on as he quietly, without waking the two sleeping lovers in the bed, opened the door and closed it behind him. To say he was nervous was a false statement. He knew he could capture the rogue witcher and knew he could fight off the four others. It was only a matter of whether he would come willingly or not. He walked down the stairs and into the tavern itself. He immediately saw the man and the man saw him and waved him over to the table. Ydnar slowly walked over and sat down across from the cat eyed witcher. Both men had their hoods up. Brehen looked up at the man who was determined to take him to the palace.

‘Before you start Ydnar, I will go to the palace with you. I don’t want any more blood shed than what has been shed already. Your temper is legendary, shame you had to kill all those men who were simply trying to protect me’. Ydnar shook his head and ordered two strong beers and food for both men.

“Shame they had to get in my way. Don’t think I’ll treat you as anything more than a comrade”.

Brehen laughed and said, ‘Why, were you thinking we could play with a pickle tonight after a beer or two’?

Ydnar allowed himself to smile.”I’m not like that. Besides it takes much more than a single beer to get me ready for that sort of thing”. The witcher was dressed in his grey robes and of course two swords were on his back. His cat medallion hung from his neck.

‘So Ydnar...here’s how I see this going down. You take me to the palace. You then collect your reward, As soon as you walk out my men will come in and kill the woman who wronged me long ago. I will not mention your name and you won’t mention mine. Until then we drink up and eat’.

Ydnar thought about it, nodded his head and said, “Sounds fine by me”.

‘You’ve done well. The woman in white said. He had just brought the witcher back to the white palace and was standing in the large white room again. The woman was sitting on the gold colored throne.  A man in black steel armor brought out a large white pot filled with golden coins.

‘Firstly your pay. I trust you find it to your liking’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “I didn’t do this for the money your highness. I did it to get my daughter back”. He said as he looked at her. Brehen was in the right hand corner of the room next to the throne seat where she was seated in. He was chained and Ydnar knew that wouldn’t be enough for a man of his ability.

The woman looked at him and said, ‘at the very least then take the deed to the property I own far to the east of here’.

Ydnar nodded his head and said, “I can do that”.

‘One more thing…...please don’t come back to this palace. Though I like visitors, a man of your skill and ability to kill will be treated hostily if you should ever come near the area’.

“I understand”.

It was late. Very late. Ydnar arrived at the area and saw the house. His mouth ran dry and he thought he couldn’t get any colder…...but he did. He brought his white mare into the large blue barn. I’m not dreaming am I? This is their idea of a house then?

Ydnar dismounted and Carefully cradled the baby. She now had almost a full head of ashen grey hair. She slept for most of the ride and he kept her war by keeping her under a blanket that was really meant for the horse but worked just as well for her.

Ydnar Walked out of the large barn and closed the door behind him with a simple latch. He turned around and then looked at the house. It was pure white, which matched the snow that was falling around it. It looked to be three levels in height and in a large square shape. The front entrance had two large, white, round, pillars that when he touched them they seemed to be made of solid granite. They were on either side of the front door. The porch was white and large enough to be called a deck in Skellige. Ydnar tried the red key in the door and it opened to his surprise. He walked in, unsure of what he would find, but to his surprise it was fully furnished. He closed the red door behind him and locked it back up. He casted a spell and the oil lamps in front of him all lit up. The floor was made of dark spruce wood and the walls were a tan color. Ydnar saw the large white spiral staircase and smiled. He started walking up the marble stairs and to the second floor where he found the bedrooms. All of them had a full size bed in them.  Outside of the hallway where the rooms were located lied a plethora of furniture and to his astonishment a fireplace. The second floor living room had black leather chairs and couches all over. Right above the fireplace was a golden bookshelf. To his surprise once more, each of the seven large bedrooms had their own tub. Mmmmmmmm, Ciri when you get here you’re in for a surprise. He thought. The baby squirmed a bit and Ydnar said, “Ok….ok...we’ll explore more tomorrow then”. He walked up the stairs once more and found the master bedroom. “Oh my….

The room was extremely large and had french doors right outside as you exited the stairway. The doors were made of glass and had golden knobs. He opened the doors and saw the whole thing. The oak wood bed could fit up to four people. It even had a red and white canopy. Ydnar snapped his fingers and the lamps came on all at once. There was a balcony and a large golden tub right in the room. The vision he imagined made him blush. Ciri you’ve always told me I was your knight in shining armor. Well my princess….we now have a castle. Since the golden tub was empty he decided to put the young child in the it with the soft, blue blanket around her. Ydnar laughed at the thought of Ciri coming here, and he picking her up and taking her to the top floor, for a night of bubbles and drinks. He couldn’t wait to find her. Ydnar closed the doors back up and locked them. He sighed. The blue curtains were already shut and he walked up to the tall bed. Ydnar, being a man, took off the flower covers and set them on the floor beside the bed. He kept the red ones underneath them and stripped himself down to his briefs. He closed his eyes, snapped his fingers, and quickly fell asleep.

Geralt and Ciri decided well….by decided it meant that she stubbornly demanded that they teleport to the Island. It was now just past midday and they looked around the port of Kaer Trolde.

“I know that he has a friend he talks to while he stays here”.

‘Not a bad place to start. Do you you know where he’s at’? Geralt asked as he followed Ciri along the street.

“I do. He’s usually at the tavern. Last time I was here it was with Ydnar. I want to go back here with him once I find him”.

Geralt smiled and they walked into the tavern. Since it was midday it really wasn’t busy. They sat in a booth that was tucked into a corner of the wooden square building. Kiev who had just come from the kitchen noticed them right away. He walked over to the pair and said, ‘Ah the famous Zireael is back. If you’re looking for your husband, he was here about two months or so ago. He got into one hell of a fight too’.

Ciri looked up at the man and said, “Of course he did. Any idea where he may’ve gone to”?

Kiev sighed and looked at the witcher. ‘Well….no. He did go somewhere with his son and his girlfriend though. I know I personally heard something in Lyria not too long ago. I’ll tell you what though, he misses you badly. While him and I were talking, he didn’t want me to mention your name. He’s…...well…….not good’.

Ciri sighed and shook her head a bit. She then looked back at the chief, brushed a strand of her ashen hair out of eyes and said,

“Well……..I guess it’s off to Lyria. Feel like i’m no closer to finding him. At least he found Vernon though. That’s good news”.

Kiev felt sorry for the couple that somehow seemed to always get separated. ‘The funny thing is the fact that he said he took a job to catch a witcher. I thought he was done with bounty hunting’.

Ciri had a confused look on her face. “D****t Ydnar why? To catch a witcher? Why would he…….huh….Ok..well...I thought I knew my husband…..I seem to be finding out he has more than meets the eye”.

Kiev laughed and asked, ‘Would either of you like anything to eat? I’ll put it on the house’.

Ciri and Geralt smiled and she said, “It would be sad to come here and not have some form of seafood. I can always use some alcohol as well”. I never used to drink before I met him. Ciri don’t worry about it. Enjoy your life.

Quen and Vernon were lying in the bed still. Both were in their underwear. Vernon sighed and said softly, “I didn’t hear a fight or anything of the like so…...I have high hopes”.

Quen who was up on his right shoulder giggled and replied,

‘Tis indeed a good sign. I hope your father knows what he’s doing. These men are dangerous’.

“Don’t worry bout him. He may be a hothead but he knows how to control it. I see no reason why we can’t just stay in bed all day”.

She moaned and said, ‘I don’t either. Wish days like this were much more common. Can’t believe it’s been two months since we started looking. That’s gotta be hard for him to have to leave his wife for that long. I don’t know how he does it’. Quen said as she ran her hands over his chest.

“I agree. I’m lucky that i don’t have to go through that sort of thing. He lived a hard life though”.

‘I believe it. Well…….back to bed I suppose eh’. She suggested as she kissed his neck.

“Don’t have to tell me twice”. He said as he kissed her forehead and sighed.

Ydnar was sleeping well until the shrill cry of the baby brought him back out of the cloud he was in. Ydnar took the covers off and went over to the tub. He sighed and conjured up a bottle of the baby formulae. Who would’ve thought the most used spell in my repertoire would be the one to summon up a bottle of baby milk. Ydnar grabbed the baby and placed the bottle in her mouth. He rubbed her head and felt the young womans soft hair.

“You’re going to be just like your mother aren’t you? I can already tell. Then i’ll have two hot headed and hot bodied woman to take care of”. He said looking at the small baby. Ydnar sighed and opened the doors that led out to the balcony. To his surprise it was actually warm outside. To add to it there were seats outside as well. Damn this house. He sat outside with the baby in his arms. How did I go from having a house, a wife, and a kid to having nothing so quickly? How do I know they won’t be back? I need to do something to try to not think about this sort of thing. Well I need to go hunting today. How is Ciri going to find me here? D****t. I can’t try to go find her. That would be a bad idea. Hell I don’t even know where to start. No, i’ll stay here.  I have Anna to take care of and d****t I will take care of her. The young baby was starting to fall asleep again. Ydnar got up and started walking to the tub again.

It was morning again in the Northern Realms. Ciri and Geralt were already in Lyria at one of the small taverns that littered the small towns. They spent the better part of the morning looking around for any answers but the only thing they got was a tip from someone who said he walked away with a witcher. Ciri drank her glass of water.

“I don’t know. For the first time in my entire life I don’t know where to go”. She was starting to lose hope. Geralt got up from the wooden chair and looked towards the stairway. Ciri turned around and a large smile grew on his face.

“What are you doing here? I’m of course glad to see you but why here? This isn’t the safest place in the continent”.

Vernon came up and gave his mom a hug, who then got up and hugged him back.

Quen took a seat next to Geralt who sat back down in his chair.

Ciri let go and sat back down as didi Vernon.

“Dad was looking for you. Have you found him yet”? Vernon asked looking at his mom.

Ciri laughed and shook her head. ‘No. I’ve no idea where he could be now. I’m all out of leads and ideas’.

“You mean he didn’t tell you and you don’t know? He took a job from a queen in a far off land. Some sort of palace in the snow he said”.

Ciri nodded her head and said, ‘Well that’s at least something. I was starting to lose hope on finding him. We’ll have to teleport their. Palace in the snow’.

“Can we go now”? Vernon asked looking at his mom.

She smiled and said, ‘Eager to get going? Ok we can. But not here. Outside of this tavern to the right there’s an alley. We’ll do it there’.

Ydnar was hunting. Out in his natural zone. The hills and valleys of the land reminded him of Kovir. He ditched his bounty hunting gear for his leather armor. It was brown and had a slot for his bow and a sword on his back. It helped him blend in and move silently across the land. He saw something in the distance and he saw the large bear. Suddenly he felt something large. Some sort of disturbance in the well of magic. He wasn’t terribly worried at this point though. He took aim once again and squatted in the tall grass. There was a clear field in front of him so he had a perfect shot at the animal. He breathed three times and then held his breath as he let  go of the arrow and watched it fly straight into the neck of the creature. It started running but Ydnar quickly notched and tensioned another arrow and let loose. It hit the large animal in the body, but it was enough to bring it down. He waited a bit before he whistled for his horse that was a good distance away. She came up behind him and he mounted the white mare.

“Va Va”! He said as the horse gained speed. He missed the thrill of hunting, and as soon as Vernon and him were reunited he wanted to take his son out and teach him how to survive with a bow. The horse slowed down and Ydnar brought her around as he dismounted and looked at the bear. The horse was smart and as he picked it up she protested at the thought of carrying the animal.

“Gvalch’ca, calm down my little princess. I’ve got to eat. You can protest all you want but you’re carrying this. Sorry babe, tough luck”. He put the bear on the back of the horse and mounted the animal. The horse bucked and threw him off. He started laughing as he pulled himself to his feet.

“Goddammit. What the hell has gotten into you”? He asked. He had no doubt that she saw something or smelled something he didn’t. She was good like that. He looked around and in the extreme distance he saw some group of people. He sighed and said, “Ok…..we’ll go and investigate”. Ydnar got on the mare and she took off at a fast pace. Ydnar had his longsword in his hand ready to strike.

Ciri was getting tired as they kept walking. Suddenly out to her right, far away she saw something approaching with a drawn sword. She stopped and drew her sword as well. The rider came closer and the rest of the group now saw him and she walked towards where the horse was coming from. It looks like……...is that….

She put her sword away and saw him on the white mare with a large bear on the back of the horse. Ydnar got off the horse and said to her, “What the hell took you so damn long”?

She laughed and ran up to him. Nearly knocking him down. They held each other and she let out a large sigh. Ydnar let the soft touch of her hands cut him into pieces and let the tingling run all through his body again. She still smelled of her perfume and her hair tickled his neck as it always had.

‘I was….starting to get worried when I heard about the job you took’. Ciri said as she closed her eyes and buried her head in his neck.

“You worried? Not my Zireael, she’s not worried about anything”. He said with confidence.

She giggled and replied,,

‘Damn……...I…...The words…..I can’t  even find….

“I know.  I feel the same way. Oh my little swallow, I can’t wait to show you the house that I now own the deed to. The tub waits for us”. Ciri giggled and jumped up and down.

‘Oh please…’.

He smiled and let go of her. He saw the rest of the group and said,

“You guys weren’t far off honestly. I’ll take you all to the house. Trust me there is plenty of room for all of us there”. He mounted the white mare and hooked the bear by it’s legs to the side of the horse. Ciri got on behind him and the strong horse took the weight.

They approached the house and Ydnar with a flick of his wrist opened the door to the barn and led the horse inside. The whole way here, Ciri had her hands around him and under his shirt. Her head was pressed against his back. He dismounted and then helped her off. He then took the large animal and took it inside with them. The rest of the group came near the house now and went inside.

‘How in the world did you get this’? Vernon asked as he looked at the ceiling which had chandeliers with lamps in them.

“Well that’s what most people ask about me when they see Ciri. Anyway it was given to me for the job I did to catch the witcher. Any way on the second floor is the bedrooms and the large living room. The first floor is the kitchen and a larger living and dining room. Ciri and I are going to the third floor to well…..I think you all know….anyway”.

Ydnar looked at her and picked her up in his arms. She held onto his rippling biceps and put her head against his chest. He started walking up the winding staircase to the third floor. She looked at the doors and said, ‘This is impressive. Clearly they value you taking the job’.

Ydnar smiled and walked through the open doors.

“Either that or….” He started as he set her back on her feet. “They want me for something else. Ciri I think there’s something else at work here that both of us are unaware of. It scares me, and very few things have the ability to do that”. Ydnar said as he started to take his clothes off. The room was dim except for a small amount of light that came in through the glass doors at the entrance of the room. Ciri started taking things off and then looked at the red crib, which Ydnar recently found was in another area of the house, that was placed in the leftmost corner of the room. The dark blue soft carpet felt good against her tired feet.

‘We’ll figure it out later’. She said softly as she looked at her daughter. She sighed and was angry for missing another two months of her life. Ydnar cast the spell for the water and the pink bubbles. The tub started to fill itself.

‘It’s hard…..watching your kid….grow up without you near her’. Ciri said and then turned around to look at Ydnar who came over and put his arms around her smooth, naked body. She put hers around his neck and her head on his right shoulder.

“I know…...I know how you feel about that. We can only be around so much though”.

She sighed and felt his warm, strong body give her much needed reassurance.

‘I know. If it’s not the hunt then it’s something else. Same old story. Let it go…..I need to let it go’. She said softly as she let go of him and gracefully went into the large round golden tub. Ydnar walked to the doors, closed them, then locked them and pulled the purple drapes shut. He turned around and walked over to her. As he entered the water he felt all the stress wash off of his tired sore body. It cleaned his mind and his body at the same time. The room was totally dark and he flashed his right hand and turned on two lamps that were on either side of the tub. The golden tub actually had a large lip on its perimeter. Ydnar looked at Ciri, saw her with her eyes closed and knew she was thinking about something. She was sitting to the right of him and he ran his hands along her smooth, soft, arm and back.

“What’re you thinking about”? He asked.

She opened her eyes and shook her head.

‘I…..why …...why do I feel like this? I’ve always been strong and stubborn but I feel i’m loosing the ability to do that anymore. The past couple months i’ve had terrible dreams. Mostly about the past. As if i’m reliving my life. They…...well..they shook me up. I watched now for the second time, Bonhart kill the rats, I also had the pleasure to watch what happened to Yen and Geralt when the riot broke out, I…..I was so strong back then. I shrugged it off and didn’t let it phase me, not even a little bit. Why now? Why when i’m trying to forget about my s****y past do I have these dreams and this feeling of deep regret? I hate this. It’s as if my mind has weakened and i’ve grown far too soft’. She said as she dipped her head and rubbed her eyes with her hands.

Ydnar lay there next to her and just listened and rubbed her back. He heard the wind outside against the trees and the warm crackle of the fireplace that someone lit up.

“I wish there was something more I could do. I feel like I caused all this stress to happen…

She immediately looked up and over at him and said, ‘No. How could you==

“Ciri stop pretending. When I found you all those years ago, you were still stubborn. You were carefree, now that we have two kids and now that you’ve got me….well..

‘Both of us knew life was going to get more stressful though. Please……..I will not leave you and I wanted you to be mine from the very beginning’. She took his right hand in her left and said,

‘I just wish I could stop feeling like this and get on with living. That night Ydnar. The night or morning when I came home early because of depression. I feel like that Perhaps you could blame some of it on stress but not all of it. How do you do it? How do you keep yourself from growing sad at the loss of those around you, at what you did in the past, the mistakes you made, how do you live with that’? She asked with wet eyes that were looking at him.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Well…..I don’t think it’s fair to compare me to you. You’ve lived a much harder life than I. Watched a lot more in the way of death, been exposed to much more violence and stress. I try to focus on what i’ve got in my life. Regrets yeah we all have them. I think the key here my sad little swallow is to try to live your life to not make the same mistake. Try not to hold yourself up on a pedestal that’s too high. You’re human, you’ve got regret and make mistakes it’s as simple as that. I can look into getting the dream thing checked out though”.

Ciri wiped her eyes and got out of the warm water. She dripped onto the carpet and sighed as she opened the blinds and the door to the balcony since there wasn’t anybody around the area. Ciri walked out onto the small deck and looked out at the surrounding land, the tall pines, the grassy hills, the light green-blue lakes that seemed to sparkle like diamonds in the bright afternoon sunlight. She closed her eyes and let the feeling of the wind take her over and calm her down. Ydnar was still in the pool of warm water and he wondered what had happened to her the last two or so months since they were together. He sighed and got up and out of the tub. Ydnar grabbed a green towel that sat on the lip and dried himself off. He knew at this point she needed some space to be able to vent. He set the wet towel on the lip, raised his left hand which turned blue and along with the tub becoming empty, he was suddenly in his hunting attire. He looked out the glass doors at Ciri who was standing naked and leaning against the far railing of the balcony. Once again he sighed, opened the doors and closed them back up as he walked to the first level to go out for some much needed fresh air.

Why did anyone have to die back then? I could’ve prevented it. This is why no one wanted to get involved with me. I’m way too unstable. Ciri, you’ve everything you ever wanted, what the hell is wrong with you? Regret, pain, disappointment. How does Ydnar continue to love me even though he knows i’m like this all the time? How can he love me? I don’t even love myself. She sighed and saw Ydnar’s white mare and Vernon’s brown horse riding off into the distance. At first she was mad but then she thought, I guess if he was in a bad mood i’d do the same thing. D****t Ciri, he prepared a bath for you and wanted to talk about what happened and share the moment with you. You messed it up. The fault is all your own. She started walking back inside now. She still had tears in her eyes as she closed the glass doors, shut the drapes, then went up to the bed. Ciri slipped into the sea of blankets and pulled the red covers up over her entire body. Sleep, you need to go to sleep. But i’m afraid to. What if the man comes back into my dream? Am I to watch again as my friends are beheaded and mutilated? Ciri you have a husband who will hold you, love you, and make all the pain go away, please shut your mind off and go to sleep. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the cool covers soothe her tired naked body. It wasn’t long before she was up in the clouds.

“Has mom been acting different lately”? Ydnar asked as the pair rode off towards the west. They were headed to a large area of woods that was home to many types of animals. Right now they were making their way through rolling hills and around blue-green lakes. The sun was warming their backs and reflecting brightly off the waters mirror like surface.

‘A bit stressed but other than that I think she’s been fine. You scare me when you say that’.

The horse he bought for Vernon was of hardy stock. She was a black mare, and had incredibly long legs and was almost as fast as Ydnar’s white mare.

“It scares me too. She seems….to be rather…..well…...lost and depressed. I don’t….really know what’s going on with her lately. I was going to tell her that I recently found a job teaching special groups of soldiers who reside in this part, but…

‘You did? That sounds pretty cool. Sign me up and i’d love to attend’. Vernon said looking at Ydnar.

“Right on. But I need to clear it with your mother first”. Ydnar replied as they tore through the flat area of grass and started coming into the forest now. He slowed his mare down and Vernon followed suit.

He stopped his horse and dismounted it. From the side of the saddlebag he grabbed a bow for Vernon and some arrows.

“So the tube goes on your back and the bow stays in your hands the whole entire time we’re out here. You never want to be caught without it in your hands. That’s how some of my friends met their end some time ago”. He instructed as he handed the weapon and arrows to his son. They walked into the forest and Ydnar said, “You’re looking for any sort of movement or any sign of animals. If a particular area looks lived in chances are  the animal that lived there will be back at some point. Patience, Vernon is the ultimate key to this. I will show you how I shoot and then we’ll find you a suitable target and do the same. Make sure when you’re walking around you keep yourself low to the ground. Also hold the bow the way you’d shoot it so that all you’ve got to do is raise tension and shoot”. There was no wind out today so there was no need to stay downwind of the animals. Strapped to his back Ydnar had his greatsword ready to go in case they came across any necrophages which was common in Kovir and Kovir copied the climate that this world had. Ydnar breathed the fresh pine scented air greedily. The smell of the pine, the sound of the colorful territorial birds, the slosh of the water, and the feeling of the bow in his hands made him think back to when his dad took out hunting. The pair weaved their way through the dense trees and undergrowth. Ydnar suddenly stopped and saw movement far in the distance. It looked to him like a wolf. F**k. Wolves travel in packs. They have a better sense of smell, can run faster, and their bite can tear flesh apart. Both just waited for the wolf to leave. Ydnar now saw the rest of the group follow behind the lone grey wolf. He’s the pack leader. He’s keeping watch while the others move around the area. These are great wolves as well. The most rare and dangerous of the species. I’ve seen them drag remains back to their boroughs. Their extremely aggressive in nature and not to be messed with. Ydnar was patient and it payed off as the pack walked away from them. Ydnar then looked at Vernon and said, “Those were great grey wolves. You never hunt them. They will rip you apart. They’re the most aggressive of the species and leave no prisoners”.

Vernon nodded his head and they continued on deeper into the dense green forest. One other thing Ydnar was keeping a lookout for was hornets nests. He knew from experience that they could make a bad mess out of a man if he lingered to close without realising it. Ydnar stopped again and saw a large deer out in the valley that was in between the two forests. The buck was walking around by the small lake that was surrounded by the dense forest and was the middle of the valley. Ydnar pointed and motioned for Vernon to watch him closely. They were a large distance away and Ydnar knew he could whisper as long as he was quiet enough.

“So…...I steady myself which is hard since the sides of the valley slope downward. Then I aim and adjust for wind, the drop and in this case the movement of the animal. All of these things will come much easier with practice. With most animals you aim for the head or neck area. Never the rear. They can take a large amount of pain their and then you’re out chasing it for an hour or more. As you bring the strings back do it in a smooth motion. I usually take three breaths and then hold my breath as I shoot. I also hold the bow at a forty five relative to the horizon as I shoot but that’s preference more than anything else”. Ydnar said, then he tensioned and followed the animals movement perfectly. He took his three breaths and shot. The strings made a soft whoosh sound as they released the tension they had stored. The arrow rushed off the black strings and was utterly silent on it’s path to the target. Ydnar stood perfectly still. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the large animal right in the neck. It went down immediately. Ydnar then looked at Vernon and said, “Then you wait maybe ten fifteen seconds to make sure there are no other animals in the area that may’ve seen you”. They did and then both went over to the deer and inspected it. The animal had its large eyes closed and the arrow was right below the smallest part of it’s neck. The white antlers on the deer were very large and the body would produce a large amount of meat.  “Now...we find one for you”. Ydnar said looking at Vernon.

Ciri had a dream but this time it was much different than the last. She dreamt of Dol Blathanna. One of the most beautiful places in the whole Northern Realms. She saw her husband and two now grown children there. They were all in black leather armor. Suddenly Ydnar was in a casket and she involuntarily walked up to see him. He had a blank expression on his face. He looked to her to be looking through her. She reached her hand out at him as the black casket closed and she yelled at him to come back.

She awoke quickly. She sat up, sticky with sweat. She rubbed her wet face and sighed. Closing her eyes she thought to herself. Dol Blathanna? Why? What is there for me in the Valley of Flowers? Why is Ydnar dead all of a sudden? Why did he not recognize me? Am I losing his love somehow? Ciri it was a dream; yes but this is reality and the reality gave me this bloody curse that helps me predict to a certain extent the future. Why Valley Of Flowers? There are only non-humans there these days. She got up out of the bed and summoned herself a bath again to get herself clean. Ciri got into the warm water without the bubbles this time. She didn’t feel like having bubbles. She only felt depressed that she was losing touch with her life. Ciri sighed and dunked her face into the clear warm water. She brought it back out and then casted the other spell he showed her to take the water away as she dried herself off with a white towel. She looked around the large room a bit and discovered that there was a mirror next to the red crib where their daughter was. She looked in the mirror at her naked body. She saw someone else. She looked just like her but seemed unhappy and discontent. No…...i’m Ciri, I am. I will always be. Why do I feel like I lost something? What happened between now and then? I’m married to the man of my dreams. The man who i love like no other in the entire world. The man who i’ll always love. What is it with me? The opening of the front door took her out of her thought. She heard two voices and she knew it was her two men. She very quickly got herself dressed and then put her usual perfume on. Ciri concentrated and then teleported to the one area she wanted to be right now.

Ydnar and Vernon walked into the house and Ydnar said,

“You did good. You’re a damn fast learner”.

‘It wasn’t too bad was it? I was a bit off but it worked’. Vernon said looking at his father who was headed up the stairs.

Ydnar ;looked at him and said, “You did very well, if only your Grandpa was still around Vernon. He would be so proud right now. I’ll take you out more often from now on too”.

‘I look forward to it’. Vernon said as he walked to the stairs and went up behind his father. Vernon got off at the second floor and saw Quen sitting in the black leather chair. The fireplace on the second floor was on and illuminated the room in its dim shimmering glow. Vernon practicing his sneaking came up behind her and put her in a headlock.

‘What the hell’! She said suddenly opening her eyes and turning around to see a laughing Vernon.

‘You little s**t’! She said as she ran after him.

Ydnar heard his son and his girlfriend running through the house and laughed. That used to be Ciri and I back when she had fun with me. He felt bad that he left her but as he walked up the stairs she teleported somewhere. He felt her and figured out a few ideas as to where. Ydnar came into the room and got out of his hunting attire and into his bounty hunting gear. He closed his eyes, sighed, and thought of the place.

He appeared in the air. S**t. he hit the ground but managed to roll to lessen the impact. He looked around the room. The keep of Kaer Morhen looked the same as it had the day they left. He was bittersweet at coming back to this place. Ydnar flashed his hand and the main room lit up revealing how large it actually was. The whole inside was carved out of solid oak wood. The three tables were just as he remembered them. Even to his laughter, was the red bowl of small fruit that he had fun with the day they left. He let it all sink in a bit and it felt hard to come to terms with the fact that life was changing for them. All the adapting, moving, working, and most definitely stress took its toll on the couple over the years. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Ciri broke like this. She had a rough life and can only take so much. In fact, both have had their fair share of trials and hardships. Ydnar slowly walked through the main keep and remembered the good times. He then thought about Lambert and stopped involuntarily. No…..not now…...you’ll be happy and revere his death not cry and regret it. He held back the ocean but only just. Ydnar kept walking and opened the door to the outside of the keep. The day was young in the Northern Realms and to him it felt good to be back in the dense forests of Kaedwen. He inhaled the fresh scent of the Kaedweni pines and the sweet smell of the lake. The land was absolutely beautiful. Snow capped mountains in the background, thick hardy pine trees that rose to dizzying heights, and the green-blue round lake that looked as though it was placed there by man. He saw her up ahead of him. She was at the area where Yennefer was buried. She was talking very quietly. He came up silently behind her and leaned against the large rough pine tree behind him. When she was finished she slowly stood up and turned around. She looked up and jumped slightly. Ydnar stood perfectly still.

He said quietly, “If you don’t want me here I understand”.

Ciri wiped her eyes which were clearly wet and said, ‘I want you’. She came up to him and grabbed his left hand with her right and they walked the dirt path.

“How do you feel being back here”? Ydnar asked as she looked around at the tall pines and large open valley where the lake lay.

‘I don’t know. Bittersweet maybe’? She said looking at him. She saw a smile as he nodded his head and said, “Yeah that’s how I feel as well”. The cool breeze tossed her ashen grey hair around. Though she had it up in her usual look she had to brush aside the few strands that got in her face. They came to the light blue lake where to their surprise the wooden boat was still on the sandy shore.

“Ciri”? He asked looking at her.

She smiled and said, ‘Please’.

It wasn’t long until they were a good distance away from the keep and out on the lake properly. There were few waves as the wind was fairly calm now. The water was crystal clear and sparkled like a thousand little stars in the dark night sky.  Ciri Came up to where he was directing the sail and sat on his lap. He locked the sail in a neutral position and she unbuttoned the very top of his armor revealing his scarred but muscular chest. She leaned a bit while tilting her head and met his lips with hers. Tears of joy ran down her face. She felt alive again. She put her soft beautiful hand on his ripped chest and felt his tongue slip over hers. He put his right hand on her scarred neck and felt her smooth, cool, skin. It seemed almost to shock him as he touched it. As if sparks danced within the confines of the physical contact. The sun reflected off the water to produce a orange glow on his body. She retracted slowly and sighed.

‘Well…...I feel better now at least’.She said looking into his blue eyes as he took the top piece of armor off. It fell into the boat with a thud sound.

“Something else is bothering you though isn’t it”? He fathomed. Ydnar felt his love's neck and the various scars she acquired through the years. In the forests they could hear the soft chirping of birds and the rustling of the large pines as the wind blew through.

She smiled at him and felt him feel the one on her face.

“Oh my little swallow, may you never lose that smile of yours. I’d walk the whole of the Northern Realms just to see that beautiful piece of art”.

She giggled and said, ‘You’re so sweet. And you say you can’t romance women’. She said as she kissed him on his mouth again.

“Well…...yeah….maybe things are changing”. He held her around her slim back and waist line. “You worry me lately”.

‘That’s a change. Usually it’s the other way around’. Ciri teased.

They laughed and Ydnar remarked, “That’s very true. I’m always here if you need me. Even if you just want me to listen i’ll do it. Just remember that I’ll always love you. Nothing can ever, or will ever change that”. He ended and she wiped her wet green eyes and they touched again. She put both her hands on his neck. After a brief moment she retracted and then kissed his neck and said,

‘You …….damn Ydnar...you make me feel so good. Ohhhhh my I missed this’. She said as she again kissed his neck.

The helm and the stern of the small boat were slightly higher than the middle of the ship. Ydnar grabbed the handle of the rudder and corrected for drift slightly. Ciri got herself off of him and then took her clothes off to her bra and panties. She jumped feet first into the water and then came back up for air. She looked at him and using a simple shockwave spell she launched a large size wave at him, which drenched his entire body. She laughed hysterically. He was dripping wet as he shook his head, stood up to take his pants off, then he jumped into the cool light blue water and took her under with him. They were down for a while before they come up and he said,

They will wonder why this might be but here it goes”. He said as he raised his hands while he kept himself above water.

‘Ydnar what’re--

He closed his eyes and said, “Ffrind morfil y dyfnder”. He opened his eyes and felt sick to his stomach, as it took a lot of his energy to conjure up the giant fish that was about to appear. Suddenly out from the water came a giant whale. It was blue all over and looked exactly like the ones who roam off the Skellige coastline. It made an enormous sound that sounded like a loud vibration and came right up to Ciri.

‘Ydnar what …..that’s …….unbelievable…

“Let’s take it for a ride then eh”? He smiled looking at her. He climbed onto the giant beast which felt rubbery and yet soft at the same time. He helped Ciri on and they lied down on it’s flat back. It started off and she laid her head on his right shoulder and made love to his neck over and over until saliva dripped off his body.

‘Oh Gods Ydnar…..It’s too bad no one’s here to see this. This is amazing. I’ve….never felt so in love with another man’.

“Really not even--

‘No. He doesn’t even come close to you. No one comes close to you’. She said as he looked at her and their lips met again. She tucked her legs up into his and felt his entire chest. Her green eyes lit up like fireflies on a dark night. Her hair smelled like she rolled around in fields of wild flowers. The perfume that came off of her made his head hurt but he loved the high he got from the scent. The sun was just above the horizon now and it was creating a perfect orange light that illuminated the entire area in a faintly. The breeze softly blew through the hills and into the valley. She retracted, keeping her lips close to his and said to him, ‘Ydnar….I love you more and more everyday I live my life. I ...really needed this….I love living life with you, I don’t ever want that to end’.

“My little swallow, is that what’s bothering you”?

‘It is. We talked about taking the spell that allows you to keep your age and live forever’. She said looking into his eyes. The whale made a large deep vibration.

“I know. I’m…..just unsure...if I want to live forever. I’d have to see more death than I’ve seen already. If half of what the prophecy says is true then many will die in the future. I’m not so sure I want to see that”. Ydnar said as she sighed.

‘What do you think lies beyond death? I know it sounds dumb but….I just wanted to get your perspective on it. I suppose if you don’t want to then that’s fine I…

He grabbed her around her neck and brought her on top of him so he could wrap her in both his arms. She was on his chest now looking at the millions of twinkling stars.

“I’ll do whatever you want baby girl”.

‘Mmmmm….. Ydnar I love it when you call me that’. She said as she looked at all the different worlds out there.

“Ciri…….everyone struggles with the fear of uncertainty. Not knowing is a scary thing. I spent much of my time trying to figure that sort of thing out, in between battles in the army. We all did. I …...Cirilla I’ve seen too much in this life to just say that there’s no afterlife. I want to believe there is somewhere up there. I can’t see it but i’d like to believe it”.

She sighed and he wrapped his legs over the top of hers and shifted his hands to her stomach now. The warmth she received was hotter than any world she’d ever been to. She put her hands over his and said softly,

‘That makes me feel better. Last couple nights i’ve had dreams about seeing the dead. Actually I did see a spirit once but it was only once. It was of the woman whom I well…..had a thing for I suppose you’d say. I guess this confirms my theory. Ohhhhhhh Ydnar, I am in the deepest of love with you. I wish….I wish every single night could be like this. Not having to run away. Though I guess after a while it might get boring’.

He laughed and said, “Yeah that’s very true. Have you been to most of those worlds out there”? Ydnar asked as he looked up and looked at each of the small stars. Some were slightly brighter than others and some even appeared red or blue.

‘Some of them yes. I’ve no doubt that there are some that I didn’t get a chance to visit yet. It’s amazing…….the way that some of the people live on these other worlds. Much more complicated and sophisticated than ours. I don’t know…..I like the world I live in though. I also love the man I live with. What it’s been two years now since we were married’? She asked.

“That sounds about right if you can believe it. Feels like a long time ago with all the things that’ve happened. I still can’t believe I got the famous Zireael in my arms right now. Never in a million years Ciri. I got damn lucky”.

She snickered. ‘I remember you thought it wouldn’t last long’. She remarked.

He laughed and said, “That’s very true. I thought it was just infatuation. I mean come on. This was the lady of time and space, the lion cub of Cintra, Zireael, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, I truthfully thought that either I was dreaming or it was just infatuation. She couldn’t actually see something in me could she”?

She snickered and asked softly, ‘what convinced you that it was more than that’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “Well….the first time we kissed for one thing. But at the time I still thought it wasn’t true love. I guess really Ciri when you let me put my hands around your body on the boat. That shook me up and gave me mad adrenaline for hours after”.

‘You honestly thought I wouldn’t let you touch me’? Ciri asked as she closed her eyes and thought back to the time on the lake.

“I did. I knew a fair bit about you. I knew most of your story and what you went through. In fact in the army before we went to bed for the night the standing joke  believe it or not was to ask where the lady of time and space was. I didn’t for a second believe you’d let me touch you or hold you. I simply thought you were way too good for me. In a way I think you still are. Anyway, the first time I felt your beautiful, cool skin, I ….well…...I knew it was much more than what I thought it was”.

She laughed softly and asked, ‘How’d I feel to you’?

Ydnar felt her neck and then her abs. “Like a dream baby. The feeling was better than anything I got from any drug or beer. You’ve always had the skin of a princess. I’ve always wondered why out of all the worlds out there, all the stars, moons, planets, why the famous Zireael chose me to marry? That was the one thing to me that I could never figure out”.

She laughed and said, ‘Because out of all those other worlds out there, all the stars, moons, planets, the famous…. Zireael….. loved you’. She gripped his hands even more tightly.

“You’re going to make me cry Ciri. Is that really true”?

‘You thought there was some other reason’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “I did. I thought perhaps some other worlds didn’t have men, or perhaps that you couldn’t go back to some of the other worlds, or frankly that you just caved and decided you had the right time and place and I happened to be there”.

She smiled and said, ‘Bollocks first of all

“Mmmmmm I love it when you say that word”. He interrupted.

She laughed and continued, ‘Bollocks because most of those other worlds had men. Secondly marrying you was something I wanted to do since our second kiss, and thirdly there’s something more about the two of us Ydnar. We’ve both been through hell and came back for more. We understand each other. That’s something no other man ever did for me was understand me and what I had to go through. Most just looked the other way. It was you…..you who came to my rescue and saved my life. Who understood me when I had that mad outburst here at the fortress, who loved me enough to fight our way out so I could escape the hunt. No other man ever...ever did that for me Ydnar. I saw how you cared for me and nursed me back to health. You're the only man who can take a bad day and make it so much better like today for example. I love you, you mean so much more to me than you’ll ever know’.

Ydnar laughed and asked teasingly, “You never thought you’d be falling asleep on the back of a whale at Kaer Morhen with your husband”?

She laughed hysterically. After a short period of time she regained her ability to talk and breathe. She then said,

‘I can’t say I could’ve foreseen that. Oh Ydnar….They say heroes only exist in dreams and fairytales but to me you’re my hero. Goodnight my hero’.

Ydnar made the initiation of a swallow and she laughed again.

“Goodnight my swallow”. Ydnar said as he kissed her soft neck and closed his eyes as they slept, in the dark, on the back of a real, live, whale.

Just before they fell asleep he felt her shiver and Ydnar’s right hand glowed blue as a large warm red cover dropped over the cold princess. She smiled and whispered,

‘Well done on that’.

“Least I can do is keep you warm”.

‘While we fall asleep on the back of a whale’?

He laughed softly, “Exactly”. The whale kept on swimming around the large lake in the middle of Kaer Morhen and before long they had fallen asleep fully.

The next morning was rather cold. Even with the large red blanket. It helped but only just. Ciri didn’t know if Ydnar was awake yet or not and she didn’t want to bother him. But to her surprise the red blanket was taken away and replaced by a thicker blue blanket. She smiled and said, ‘damn, how do you know all these useful spells’? Ciri asked.

“Well….cause I used them before. When I was in the army I used some of them to keep warm over the night”.

Ciri laughed and said, ‘I still….can’t believe what we’re sleeping on. That’s absolutely amazing’.

Ydnar snickered and replied, “Glad you like it. No dreams last night right”?

‘Absolutely..none. It’s funny but I understand. When i’m with you I don’t dream bad things’. She yawned and said ‘well…….suppose we should go to Dol Blathanna...I mean  um….

Ydnar chuckled. His hands turned blue as both were now wearing their full set of armor.

“Valley of Flowers eh? Well I shan't disappoint my swallow”.  Ydnar lifted the young female up and set her to the side of him. Ydnar sat up and said, “Oh yeah duh. Alright mr. whale I think it’s time you joined your friends”. Ciri laughed and sat up to watch as he closed his eyes and said, “ffrind morfil nôl i'r môr”. The whale began to dissipate but Ydnar forgot they were over water.

“S**t”. He grabbed Ciri’s hand and teleported them to land. Ciri appeared back on the land just in time to watch Ydnar appear in the air over the water and fall in. She started laughing and fell onto her knees as she turned red in the face. He was in fairly shallow water and it wasn’t too hard to get out but now he was wet again.

He came up to her and said, “That was almost cool I guess”.

She got up off the ground and said to him,

‘That was impressive my love. Indeed almost cool’. She laughed again and he casted a spell with his red hands and was suddenly dry.

“Anyway….let’s do this and this”. Ciri watched in front of her as a table for two appeared with a blue cloth. Then suddenly fruit, pastries, and pies appeared on the wooden table. The chairs came after the rest.

Ciri applauded and Ydnar bowed.

‘I’m speechless. I do wish we’d met sooner now’.

“Well that wouldn’t have changed much since I didn’t know this conjuration spell back then”. He said as he sat down in the small oak wood and leather chair. She sat right across from him. The day had only just begun but he liked making her smile and enjoyed it when he got to see it. It was fun. It was still cool outside but the sun was now up fully and was reflecting off the calm water. There was a bit of steam on the surface of the water from the cold night. It made for a wonderful painting.

“Oh whoops”. He said as he conjured up two golden plates. He immediately grabbed the fruit and started eating it. The fruit was green and round. The skin was actually edible and his dad and him would usually eat it before going on long hunts as it was very high in protein. Ciri’s eyes lit up as she saw the pastries he conjured.

‘How’d you know or was it a guess’? She asked looking at him.

He smiled and said, “Both. I knew from our time in Oxenfurt that you liked pastries of that type and I also knew you liked that sort of flavor”.

She took one out and immediately started devouring it. ‘Dear Gods. Eating pastries, pies, and fruit after sleeping on a whale at Kaer Morhen’. They laughed.

Ydnar ate the fruit and took a knife he conjured and cut a small piece of the blueberry pie which he put on his plate. He then conjured a fork and started eating it. The small breeze ran through the land as they enjoyed the large amount of food.

“Dol Blathanna isn’t actually that far away, if you want to go there via traditional means”. He pointed out looking at her.

She finished the large pastry and nodded.

‘I only teleport when I have to. Otherwise and especially when i’m with you i’d rather ride over to my destinations’.

He smiled and said, “Awwwww…..She actually wants to ride with me”. She laughed.

Ydnar yawned and said, “I need to wake up some. Can’t really be falling asleep on a horse”.

‘Not easily anyway’.

“Not at all in my line of work. Damn. That witcher…..i’ll tell you what. Ran my horse and I for around close to thirty or so hours straight to make it to Skellige. That was brutal”.

‘Thirty hours Ydnar’? She asked looking at him.

He nodded and said, “Yeah. The body can go forty eight hours without collapsing but that’s not smart”.

‘That’s gotta be hard. Being on the road like that for so long’. She commented.

“It is but after a while Ciri you just expect it and deal with it. The problem is that it’s been….. well….. years since i’ve been through that sort of abuse and same for the horse as well. In a way i’m glad we didn’t meet before I went in because I don’t know if I’d still go”.

‘Would’ve saved you the trouble of getting involved’. She remarked.

“Yeah I suppose that’s true”. Ydnar said as he got up and stretched a bit. He then conjured up the two horses.

“Always wanted to go to to the valley but never had the chance. Should be rather peaceful this time of year”.

He remarked as Ciri got up from her chair and said, ‘Indeed it should. I look forward to going there’. Ciri adjusted her daddle a bit and hopped on her horse. Ydnar walked back to his white mare and took out a pill bottle for himself. He conjured up a glass of water and took two of the red pills. Gvalch’ca Snorted and rose her front legs. “Easy girl, we’ll get going don’t worry”. Ciri smiled. “You’re getting to be rather anxious in your old age, but I’d rather that than slow and unhappy”.  He said as he mounted the large mare. “Alright, let’s do it”. He pushed her on and the white mare eagerly took off. Ciri at first struggled to keep up with him but did catch up.

‘Probably be there in a half day or so’? She asked as the wind whipped past their faces.

Ydnar looked over and nodded. “Yeah there about”. He got out from his pocket his golden riding gloves and put them on. Ydnar looked over to the left at the giant valley as they rose up to the height of the pine trees.

“Damn…...that’s…...wow….”. Ciri smiled and said,

‘Took the words right out of my mouth’. Ydnar laughed and shook his head.

It wasn’t too long until the hills and mountains turned to flatlands. He knew they were getting close. Ydnar shook his head and yawned.

‘Still awake’? She asked looking at the tired man.

“For now. Should be getting fairly close now honestly. We’ll just have to cut east and hope they don’t have the gates closed off”.

Ciri looked at him with a confused look, ‘Why would they have the gates closed’?

“The elves have hated humans for centuries. It’s not too surprising given Emhyr’s take on the Scaoi’tael. We’ll have to see”.

Ydnar was getting fairly bored now that the flatlands come into view. It was just field after field, after field. He flashed his hands and out came a small eagle. Ciri looked at him and shook her head. The eagle flew alongside them. Ydnar saw ahead of him a bend in the road and knew the valley was fairly close at this point.

In the elder speech Ydnar shouted to his horse, “Va Va Gvalch’ca”. The white mare took off and tore up the path. Ciri who was no stranger to racing her horse, tore off after him. He was fast  but in her mind it was like trying to fight a witcher. His horse was bred for raw speed and stamina. He began to slow down as they neared the green gate that marked the entrance to the town. The two guards on duty waved them in and they went into the town no faster than a sprint. The town was small as was most towns at the edge of the world. Ciri wanted to head for the elven ruins that lay further up ahead. She felt somehow drawn to the place. She didn’t know why but it was as if something or someone was telling her to come here. Ydnar followed her and they came up to the edge of the town. She stopped her horse and dismounted. The view was staggering down below. Ydnar got off his white mare and looked down into the valley. He was speechless as was she. Flowers of every color imaginable dotted the valley. It was as if they were looking into the night sky but each star was a different color. The sweet smell, though it wasn’t as strong as Ciri’s perfume, was still pretty strong.

Gvalch’ch suddenly lurched up twice. Ydnar turned around and looked at the guards.

“Morning gentlemen”. Ydnar said as Ciri now turned around and went into serious stubborn Ciri mode.

‘We would like to talk to you. This is purely informal. Both of you may attend’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Ok…..where at”?

They were in a small tavern with the two guards. The men looked to be from Toussaint. They had large brass armor sets and their swords were golden sabres. They ordered drinks which to Ydnar meant that they were looking for help with something.

“What’s important, so much so to the point of seeking out a retired bounty hunter”? The guards looked at each other as Ciri took her gloves off and held onto Ydnar’s right hand.

‘Well…..we ….would like to offer you a job in Toussaint. We heard something about a bounty hunter who suddenly came out of retirement and was tracking a witcher’. He heard Ciri sighed and he rubbed her hand slightly to let her know it was ok.

“Before I accept this offer I want to know what type of job this is. Who are we talking about here”? Ydnar asked as the woman brought them their drinks. Ydnar popped his beer and started drinking.

‘It’s an ex convict and escape artist who--

“Oh, oh, For the love of melitele. Really? An escape artist and ex convict? That’s who you want me to chase? Sorry for the interruption keep going gents”.

‘He has been making crimes all over the land. The queen ordered a large bounty on his head and sent guards his way but no sign. That was about three months ago. No whiff of him since then. We want you to just find him that is all. We’ll be traveling with you as you--

“The hell you will”. Ydnar said as he drank more of his beer. He looked at Ciri who didn’t look happy.

The two guards laughed as they saw her expression as well.

“If looks could kill right”? Ydnar said teasingly. Everyone laughed except her. We just got back together Ydnar and now you’re leaving me again. Where the hell does this end?

“Do I have any time to consider this or is it a right now sort of thing”? Ydnar asked as he drank. They were tucked away in a corner in a booth out of the way of prying eyes.

‘You’ve three days of time. Think about it of course. The queen said she’d give you a place to stay and all the wine you could drink’. Said the taller of the two.

“Ouuuuuu. Well…..I think I need time to discuss this. If i’m in where do I go to”?

‘No where. We’ll find you’. The man said as they got up and bowed to them. Ydnar raised his beer and then looked at Ciri who looked at him and said, ‘Why? I know money's money but again leaving me’?

Ydnar put his left arm around her to which she took it off of her. ‘Please not now. Ydnar, I was having fun until this happened. Now….well...now I don’t know’. She took a drink of her beer and played with her glass.

“I’ll turn them down then. No big deal. I would like the money but if you feel so strongly about it--

‘You don’t’! She raised her voice and looked at him.

He sighed and looked at her, “For one thing Ciri we’re in a tavern and we’re adults, act like it. Secondly, I knew what I married into, I knew it meant leaving you occasionally. This was something we talked about over and over again. Enough said though. I’ll turn them down. Can I get a smile please”?

‘No’.

Ydnar started poking her sides and her armpits going for her pressure points. She started to giggle as she tried to push him off of her.

‘Alright alright…..i’m in a better mood now. Thanks for that’. She said as she kissed his forehead.

“No big deal. I love it when you smile like that. Oh Ciri I won’t leave you if it means making you sad again”. Ydnar said as he raised his arms to stretch.

She looked at him and said, ‘These past few days…...Ydnar you’re beautiful’.

“Really, me? Think you’ve got the wrong person”.

Ciri laughed and said, ‘No, I checked the marriage papers and it matches up perfectly’.

He smiled and put his left arm around her. This time she let him. “I wish Ciri…….I wish I did this with you more. I’m sorry I haven’t really been around lately. It seems to me when you’ve got everything set up, it comes crashing down. I know it sounds depressing but there it is”.

Ciri put her head just to the left of his and he smelled the perfume and hair products she uses.

‘Seems true though. I know what you mean. Did Vernon shoot anything when you took him out hunting with you’? She asked looking at him.

“Yes actually. He got a really nice buck. Hit him right in the neck. He’s a good shot with that long bow”.

‘Well he had a good teacher’.

“Eh that’s debatable. Anywhere my swallow wants to be right now”? He asked as he ran his hand through her soft hair.

She smiled and said, ‘as long as it’s with you it’s doesn’t matter to me’.

He smiled and held onto her as they vanished from tavern and appeared at the altar of Kaer Morhen where the witcher medallions were enchanted. She looked around and said,

‘You love it here don’t you’? She said as she went to the very edge of the large stone altar and dangled her long legs over the edge.

“I do. It’s a beautiful place”. He said as he came up next to her and dangled his legs over the edge.

She came close to him and he tilted and met her soft, moist lips. The wind wasn’t strong today, which was good since the altar was on the top of a mountain. The wind would sweep over the large rocky mountain and sweep down sometimes with a ferocious ferocity. The day was still young and the water down below was still crystal clear. From the altar you could see the large blue lake, the green valley in the distance, and the large rocky, snow covered, Blue Mountains that seemed to stretch into space.  She retracted and came in again to find his tongue and she put her hands on his scarred neck. Gods Ydnar. You’re not leaving me. Never leaving me. I love you so much, to hell and back.

He retracted and kissed her soft neck as he then looked out at the beautiful land. She smiled and laid down so her head was on his lap looking up at him.  

“Are you sad you never became a witcher fully”? He asked as he brushed a strand of her hair away from her green eyes.

‘You know...I was until I met you and then it didn’t bother me at all. Since of course witchers are sterile. The cat school is the only known school to allow female witchers as well. I’m sure Geralt would’ve made an exception though’. She said looking up at him.

“Very true. So you went through all the different courses then”?

‘Not every single one but most of them yes. By far the hardest being the gauntlet. I used to get so frustrated at that. Trying to push myself harder and harder to get through it. I never thought I could do it’. She said as Ydnar rubbed her soft neck with his right hand.

He smiled and looked at her. “You did though. You pushed yourself harder than you thought you possibly could. That determination is one of the best traits to have. It’s amazing what you’re capable of”. Out in the distance white birds flew around over the lake. The sound of the cool breeze through the dense pine trees lowered his blood pressure significantly.

‘Ydnar, did your parents ever serve for either side’? She asked.

Ydnar sighed and said, “My dad did for Nilfgaard yes. Why”?

‘I don’t know. Guess I was just curious. What were you like when you were younger’? She asked him with a smile on her face.

Ydnar snickered.

‘Ohhh that’s not a good sign’. She said as both laughed.

“Well…..that’s...sort of true. I was a troublemaker for much of my early life. I think that’s why my dad used to take me out so much. To get me to release my energy. I told you about some of my years in Skellige. The fights I got into--

‘The one’s where you messed them up’? She asked with a small smirk.

“Yes mam. My dad taught me at a young age how to fight and defend yourself and it was a good idea too looking back at it. Come to think of it didn’t Geralt do the same with you”?

‘He did. It definitely helped quite a lot. I had to be tough, being a women and  carrier of the Lara Gene as well’.

“What happened to me then”? Ydnar asked looking at her.

‘I let my guard down’. She said as she raised herself off of him and brought her lips close to his. ‘But it turned out well in the end I would say’. She whispered beautifully, as she touched his lips with hers. Her hands formed up along his neck and she pushed him down so he was lying on the stone altar as she climbed on top of him, found his lips again, and closed her eyes to feel the sensation of love run through her fragile body. After a brief period she removed her lips from his and he sighed.

“We should probably head back to the house now Cirilla”.

‘I don’t want to…..I won’t let you take me’. She said as she started making love with his neck.

“Ohhhh my little swallow you always were stubborn”. He said as a pool of wet saliva started to form on his neck. She stopped, sighed, and said, ‘If you’ve got to then so be it’.

He chuckled and said, “Ciri, you’re supposed to be much more stubborn than that”.

She giggled and said, ‘yes but not to you. I have many different faces for different situations but I only show a select few to you’.

“Ah I see. Alright my swallow it’s time to spread your wings and fly”. He said as she snickered and they were off.

They arrived back at the house and to his surprise it was only evening. They ended up on the bed and he said, “Well Ciri….hopefully that put you in a slightly better mood”. He said as he stretched his arms and got off the bed.

‘It did. I love the way you do that too. No one will ever believe what we did but...That ...you know how to show a woman a good time’.

He laughed and fired back, “I’m just glad I can do that more often with you now. Take advantage of it now because knowing the life we live it won’t be like this for long”. He said as he walked out of the room through the open glass doors. She quickly got up off the bed and walked towards him. He looked at her.

‘Is there something I don’t know’? She asked looking into his eyes.

‘I can tell there is. You’re thinking about something’.

Ydnar sighed and stroked her soft neck and chin with his right hand.

She smiled and said, ‘You scare me when you act like this’.

He chuckled slightly. He let out a large sigh and said, “I was recently thinking about the whole work thing and was offered a job. The job would be close by here. I would be training special forces soldiers. I…..wanted to tell you earlier but I didn’t want to destroy the mood. I can look for others but I think it would be good to have a source of income”.

She sighed and rubbed her green eyes. ‘You’re just now telling me then’?

“Ciri, first of all I got offered this job two days ago, secondly this is why I didn’t want to tell you. You’re too afraid of letting me go anywhere besides the front yard”.

He knew he overstepped the line a bit and her face turned from concern to upset and agitated.

‘Bollocks. Why...she shook her head and sighed. ‘Ydnar why do you think I act like this’? She asked looking right into his eyes. Her green beams tore a hole right into his very soul and froze him for a second.

He sighed and said, “Because you fear losing me so much to things that most likely won’t happen. Like today for example….I wanted that job Ciri...yes believe it or not I enjoy hunting people down. It’s the one thing in life I’m good at”.

‘Fine have at it then. When you get yourself hurt I won’t come running after you’! She shook her head and ran down the winding stairs to the bottom and he heard her open the doors and slam them shut. Ydnar stood there and closed his eyes to keep himself calm. He was having trouble doing so. Ciri why do you act like this? I give you up so you can work long hours at the lodge and now you won’t do the same for me? I don’t quite understand your rationale behind any of this. He opened his eyes and walked down the spiral stairs. On the second floor he saw Vernon with the young baby. He was sitting on the leather chair with the fireplace on. Vernon saw him as he walked up and he smiled and said,

‘Let me guess, you told mom about the job’?

Ydnar smiled and said, “Yep i did. You may want to steer clear of her for a while”.

Vernon smiled and put the bottle of white liquid in the baby's mouth.

‘Why does she act like that? I mean I get that she doesn’t want to lose you but the money’.

Ydnar sighed and sat down on the leather couch that sat across from his son who was shirtless and in his black pants.

“Vernon...your mother...has been through so much s**t in her life. Ah I forgot the baby’s here with us. Well anyway she’s been through a lot. Many, many, many people she loved and cared about have died next to her. She feels like it’s her fault--

‘Yeah dad but why? She didn’t ask for the power yes but as you’ve said you have to deal with it. Adapt and survive right’? He asked looking into his father’s eyes.

“It comes easier to some people than others. I know you don’t know but ….you’re old enough….she’s been raped, beaten, drugged, mistreated, she saw her few friends she had get beheaded in cold blood, taken away and beaten…..she’s been through a lot of pain, terrible, terrible pain”. Ciri came up the stairs and saw them talking.

‘I ….I had no idea. Will ...the same happen to me’?

Ydnar sighed and rubbed his face. “No…...not as long as your mom and I are here. This is why I was so hard on you years ago. I wanted you to be prepared for the harsh cruel reality of life. There ….well..there are people like that out there. They will do the same to you if not far worse. The--

‘So it could actually happen then is what you’re saying? Dad that scares me ….I…..I ….I don’t’ Ciri sat down away from them so she could listen and be out of the scene.

“In a way i’m glad it does. You should be scared of it. you….Vernon you’re so much better prepared for any of this then your mother was when this crap happened to her. Besides that buddy ….you got two parents that will go to the ends of the world to protect you from that”.

‘What about you’? Vernon asked as the baby fell back asleep.

“What about me”? Ydnar asked as he snapped his fingers and the baby was back in it’s crib upstairs.

‘Did any of that happen to you’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “Yeah some of it did. Um…..there was a time early in my life when i went out late at night in Skellige. Thought nothing of it really. I was jumped by three men. When I woke up I was tied up to a chair and stripped down to my briefs. I felt blood in my mouth and coughed it up onto the ground. For a day and a half I was held hostage, beaten, kicked, stabbed, and whipped. The only reason i got out …..well..is magic. This is when I found out I was a source. I closed my eyes and felt red hot anger boil over me. I blacked out. When I woke up I was still tied up but all the men were dead and there wasn’t a drop of blood to be found.Found out later that night a yell could be heard for miles away. It was an outburst. I got lucky. I ….honestly don’t think I told my parents either. I was five or six I wanna say. The point is that this kind of thing can happen. Like I said though you’re much more prepared than your mom or I was”.

From somewhere down below someone said, ‘Ydnar! You got a friend here for you’!

Ydnar sighed. “Coming”! He said as he got up from the couch and kissed his son on his head.

Ydnar came down and opened the door.

“Why is there a giant piece of s**t in the way of the door”? He asked teasingly as the man dressed in deep black armor and a giant scar on his right cheek looked sternly at him. Suddenly the man smiled and said, ‘Ydnar you little prick. How’ve you been you peter puffer’? He asked as Ydnar punched him hard in his left shoulder. The man punched him back but missed as Ydnar dodged backwards. He started laughing and the man shook his head.

“Damn man I haven’t seen you in what…..five years now I guess. What you been doing all this time Deilien? Here let’s go outside to let your wave of profanity not disrupt others”. The two brothers in arms walked out into the warm day and sat down near the firepit as Ydnar lit it up and sat on a stump. The black leathered armored man sat across from him.

‘I’ve been here and there. I heard a rather nasty rumor that one of my good friends is in danger and being hunted by some dangerous men and I decided to get involved and see if I could help’.

Ydnar applauded him and said, “Who paid you to say that and why is the lender a succubus”?

Deilien snickered in his raspy deep voice and replied, ‘What can I say i’ve got a thing for horny woman eh’.

‘Speaking of which’. He said, now standing up as Ciri came out and went around the side of the home to the barn to feed and groom the horses they had. Ydnar stood up now and though Deilien was slightly taller than him and had broad shoulders he knew he was all talk and very little show.

Ydnar turned around and then said, “Lay off my wife”.

‘Damn hell. You got a girl like that to love you without fisstech? Then she willingly married you? What kind of drugs did you use on her’? He asked with his foot in his mouth.

“Well f**k you too”! Ydnar said as he playfully pushed him.

Deilien laughed and said ‘Well congratulations. I’d like to say i’m not jealous but that’d be a lie. Anyway the men chasing you. One witcher and ten or so mages. What the hell did you get into here’? Ciri walked back out of the blue barn and looked at the man who looked like an assassin. She then sat down at the grindstone and started sharpening her sword.

“It’s not good man. Let’s just say we’re in deep s**t. I captured that man too. I could’ve killed him”.

‘Dude really? What the hell! Why didn’t you? Do you not remember how hard those freaks are to track’?

“Careful how you say that, we’ve got one living with us. Yes I do know how hard they are to track. They have weaknesses as does everybody else. You just have to look a bit harder to see them’.

‘You’ve not changed a bit. Have you told your wife about your plunders when you messed up? How it was your overconfidence that was the cause? It will be the same thing here too. You’ll wind up ten feet under breathing through a tube! What the f**k man! D****t Ydnar’! He said as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Ciri got up from the grindstone and shot a forced smile at him. She walked away to the area behind the house where the large garden lay.

“You misspoke there. Firstly you don’t know what I’ve already gone through to survive. Zerrikanians, mages, reds, black ones, the hunt, so many. I can take one little witcher and survive. Yes it will be tough but it can and will happen. Let’s sit down on something better than wood. Too old and sore for this s**t”.

Ydnar’s hands glowed blue and ten leather chairs appeared around the fire.

‘I’m impressed’. The man said as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

“Happy that I could have your approval”. Ydnar said teasingly as he sat across from the man.

‘Only one thing is missing here’. He snapped his right hand and two beers showed up next to both men.

“Well done, though I prefer a beer I can actually drink with a straight face but his works too”. Ydnar said as he popped the cap off and took a large gulp of the strong beer.

“Whew! Yeah that's a colon cleanser”. He said as he drank again. Deilien laughed as he watched the man drink it.

“F**k you…….just f**k you….”. Ydnar put the bottle down and looked at the red soldier laughing hysterically.

It was now getting darker out and Ciri walked up to where the two men were chatting and she put her arm around Ydnar in a headlock as he pretended to suffocate.

“Here baby girl drink this”. Ydnar said as he handed the bottle to her. She drank it and both men watched as she made a face. Her face seemed to curl and distort.

‘Dear Gods…….What in the name of Kreve is that’? She asked as Ydnar and Deilien were red with laughter.

“Well…..see….we called it the heartstopper in the army. I don’t know what the real name of it is but that seems to suit it pretty well”.

‘Yes….. I would agree. Goddamn’. She said as she coughed once. She shook her head and sat down next to Ydnar.

Ydnar looked at Deilien who had his whole foot in his mouth again but did so discreetly.

“Get your foot out of your mouth for the thousandth time. You’re in the presence of the Princess of Cintra, though i’ll introduce her to you as Ciri. The man there goes by many names, my favorite is the sack of the world, but we’ll just call him Deilien”. They laughed and the man said,

‘Pleasure to meet you. Sorry I didn’t happen upon you sooner’.

Ciri looked over at Ydnar and said, ‘Funny how no one wants you until you’re with somebody’.

Ydnar looked at her and replied, “Well…..that and the fact that you’re not you’re stubborn self”.

‘True’. She agreed. Ydnar looked at her and replicated his friends spell as a yellow bottle of the beer appeared next to her chair.

‘Ydnar….are we doing anything tomorrow of importance’? She asked looking at the man.

“Not unless you want to”. He replied.

She got the beer up off the ground and popped the cap off. Ciri started drinking the beer and again made a face. They laughed and grew red. Ydnar cast a spell and refilled his beer.

“Damn. Tomorrow’s going to be a bad day for a hangover”.

Deilien looked over at Ydnar and said, ‘Did you tell her about that one time we caught that bandit and you found that stash--

“No. She wouldn’t want to hear about it and I don’t want to remember it either”.

‘Bollocks Ydnar. Please do tell Deilien’. She said immediately.

‘I can’t disappoint the lady. Ok so this man you married, found a stash of vodka. It’s bright white in color and he tore the large crate open with his weapon right. He ….he then tells the rest of us who come in and we start drinking it up. Before we knew it we were all drunk beyond belief. I think he was the first to start vomiting and then I followed soon after. That was the worst vodka ever by the way’. They all laughed and Ydnar said,

“That was the least amount of fun i’ve ever had. That was disgusting”. Ydnar got up from the chair and grabbed the axe next to the wood pile. It was nearly dark now and the wind was starting to pick up a bit.

“Damn. It’s going to rain soon. Feel that? That’s a downdraft. Rains on it’s way”.

‘Course it is. Well drinking parties done now’. As Deilien pointed it out the rain started to fall. They went back into the house and Ciri drank more of the yellow beer.

She started to stumble a bit but Ydnar was quick on his feet and caught her.

“Easy Ciri. That beer is strong”.

‘Gods…… yes’. Ciri said with some difficulty as she took another large drink of the strong beer. She was sweaty to the touch and Ydnar knew it didn’t take her much to fall drunk.

“Ciri before you hurt yourself or otherwise let’s get you into bed. I think i’ll be right behind you on that note. Deilien we’ve got plenty of space here for you to stay so make yourself at home”. Ydnar said as he picked his drunken wife off the ground. Ciri finished the rest of the beer and shook her head. Deilien laughed as he carried the sweaty woman up the stairs.

He set her down on the bed and she got her clothes off except her panties and bra. She held onto the bed in order to steady herself. She fell into the covers this time instead of slipping in like she usually did. He got himself down to his briefs, shut the glass doors to the bedroom and walked over to the bed. He climbed into the covers. She snuggled up next to him and put her head as she always did, on his right shoulder. She kissed his lips and she said in a slurred speech, ‘Tomorrow…...morn...morning's …...going to be…..fun…’. He laughed at his drunken swallow and said,

“For sure baby girl. Goodnight Ciri”. He waved his hand and turned off the oil lamp.

He woke up with a major headache but that’s as much as the strong beer did to him. Ciri on the other hand was much worse off. Ydnar heard her throwing up in the bathroom. He snickered slightly and got out of the bed. He casted a spell on himself to rid the hangover he was feeling and he then did the same to her. Shwew came out of the bathroom and looked at him.

“Fun until the morning right”? Ydnar said looking at her who was all sweaty.

She smiled and  said, ‘Pretty much sums it up’.

“Oh gosh. I’m going out this morning to do some running. I need to get back into that”.

She came closer to him and he held her in his arms. She put her hands on his chest and said, ‘Ydnar…...about that job--

“Ciri don’t worry too much about it. If you don’t want me to do it then that’s fine”.

Ciri brought her pink lips closer to his and he could smell the alcohol and perfume.

‘I …..you can do it if you want to. I…...you did the same exact thing for me when I worked so it’d be unfair for me to support you. I’m your wife. I will worry about you but…..Ydnar you’re good at that sort of thing. You can take my worry away too. Besides that, I love you dearly’.

“I love you too forever and always”. She met his lips and they touched. She retracted and met him again, and again, and again.

‘I’ll join you on your run’. She said as she yawned and grabbed her usual beige shirt and green pantes to wear.

As she was getting dressed she asked him,

‘Who is that man by the way? Where'd he come from’?

Ydnar grabbed his armor and got dressed.

“He’s one of my best friends who I met in Skellige fifteen years ago. I trust him with my life even though he’s a pain sometimes”.

‘Well then I trust his as well’. She beat him getting dressed this morning and decided to come and mess with him. She grabbed his emerald long swords from his sheathes on his chest and he finished putting on his pants and boots.

She looked at the curved longswords that had a single emerald in the hilt of the sword.

‘I don’t know how you fight with these. To me they’re incredibly heavy’.

Ydnar looked at her and grabbed her sword out of it’s red sheathe.

“Same with your sword. Though for me it’s much too light. Your style of fighting tends to be much more ….agility focused than mine. You focus much more  on spins and whirls where I’m much more counter oriented. Just different ways of doing things”. He said as he sheathed her sword and she did the same with his.

She grabbed his right hand and they walked out of the room and down the stairs.

‘I know I said it before but Ydnar….I love you dearly’.

Ydnar looked at her as they walked out into the cold morning air and said, “My swallow, I love you forever, you are the light of my life and the only thing that keeps me sane”. He said as he kissed her neck quickly and began to stretch.

“Man i’m stiff this morning. Wow”. He said as he leaned to stretch his calves. A cool breeze came into the area and made him shiver. The sun was barely up at this point and as such it was still cold.

‘You already have a path worked out’?  She asked as she stretched her arms over her head.

“Yes, to the large forest and back. I think it’s around seven miles or so. Then you can come back here and do whatever. I’m going to start training a bit harder to prepare for the instruction of the class”.

‘Mmmmmmm and I get to feel the benefits of this’. She said looking at him. Ydnar blushed slightly and Ciri caught it and laughed.

“Alright my funny little swallow let’s do this then”. They were off. Not at a super fast pace but fast enough.

They got back and it was now hot outside. Both were sweating profusely and breathing heavily from the run.

‘I…...am…..going to…..take a ….warm ...bath…...you sure…...you don’t want to……..join me’? She asked looking at Ydnar who took all his clothes off except his briefs.

“Yeah...I need to get in…..better shape. I’ll join you as soon as I can….Ciri”. She nodded and went into the house as he conjured up a bench press and pull up bar. He also conjured up training dummies for later. Ydnar felt winded but knew he had to push himself harder to get stronger. Ydnar didn’t know if he could conjure the block of cement he remembered from his boot camp days. He concentrated and his hands appeared blue as the large chunk appeared in front of him. The white block of cement had a chain and strap that you put around yourself and hauled it on runs with you. Ydnar walked over to the heavy chunk and put the chain and leather straps around him. His plan was to cut the run to three miles and do it again that way. Screw me. Getting stronger sucks. Keep your head up and don’t think about it. It’s just weight. Ydnar set off and started running dragging the incredibly heavy block behind him.

Vernon woke up to grunting and wondered what was going on outside. He slept well last night. Quen was on his chest and she stirred slightly. He got out from under her and put his armor on.

‘My heater has left me’. Quen said not opening her eyes yet.

He laughed and said, “Sorry babe. I’ll be back not to worry”.

‘Please do’. She said as she rolled over on her right side and fell back asleep.

Vernon quickly went down the stairs and opened the door to walk outside. He saw Ciri and Ydnar. Ydnar was was sitting on a long leather and steel piece of machinery and benching some massive amount of weight.

His arms were burning and shaking slightly but he pushed his body past the pain and gritted his teeth as he worked the weight.

Deilien now came outside and saw Ydnar.

‘Gotta get that weight up higher Ydnar. Come on now, you know the rules’.

Ydnar put the large amount of weight back up on the crossbar and fell flat on the bench.

“Deilien……..screw off……” he was drenched with sweat. It poured down every inch of his body.

Ciri looked at the man and said, ‘That beer…...morning was great’.

Deilien laughed and replied, ‘I told you! You shouldn’t have drank that much. I was impressed with how much you could put down. Seems your husband introduced you to alcohol and taught you well’.

‘That he did’. Ciri said as Ydnar got up and stretched again to make sure that he hadn’t hurt anything. Ydnar went to the pull up bar he conjured from earlier and jumped up  and started cranking them out.

‘Yeah man! Show that bar some love’. Deilien said.

Ydnar kept going and then switched to one hand and raised his middle finger then went two hands again. Deilien laughed. He started breathing heavily and moaning to keep rhythm. He let go of the bar and shook his arms out to recover and do it again. Ydnar looked out at the group of three watching him.

“Did…..you all...just come….down here...to watch me...workout”?

‘Well I did, yes but then again I reserve the right to see that anyway’. Ciri said with a smile on her face.

Deilien laughed and said, ‘I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Why you got a woman like that. Still not sure if I understand how or why’.

Ydnar shook his head and said, “Screw off. You don’t have ...to understand...anything just ….the fact that she’s mine”. Ydnar jumped back up and pumped them out again.

‘Is this man here a kid you picked up on the way home from something? He looks like an assassin with a sword like that’. Deilien asked.

Ciri looked at the man and said, ‘No...he’s our son. Ydnar trained him a while back. He’s ….well...damn good with a sword’.

‘Is he now? Is he better than his father’?

‘I don’t think I am. I can take him occasionally but he’s good’. Vernon said looking at the man in black armor. Deilien nodded his head.

Ydnar dropped back down after pushing himself harder than last time. He wiped his eyes with his hands and cleared the sweat away so he could see clearly.

‘Don’t push yourself through too much Ydnar’.

He smiled at her and said, “Just enough….to turn...you on...right”?

She smiled showing her teeth and said, ‘Ydnar….. My prince charming…..you’ve certainly done that’. Ydnar blushed and Deilien caught it and laughed.

Ydnar jumped back up and pushed himself harder. He grunted with every pull to get all his energy out. His arms were shaking but he pushed past it. Weak men stop right now. You can’t be weak. Push yourself d****t. Don’t think just do it. He went past his previous attempt and pushed himself harder and harder.

‘Damn man’. Deilien said clearly impressed with his friends strength. He pumped out ten more and then his arms just let go. He landed on his feet and steadied himself.

“Dear Gods…….it’s ….been….a …...while…..since I went that….far”. Ydnar said as he held his hands up over his head to get air back inside of his body. Ciri walked up to him and put her body on his.

“Ciri…...you took….a ….bath….you’re going to have to….take another now……”.

‘You say that as if it’s a bad thing’. She said looking at him. She ran her soft hands across his sweaty chest and up to his neck as she raised her right leg and they touched. She felt his chest raise and lower rapidly and his ripped muscles holding her close to him. Deilien shook his head and looked at Vernon.

He suddenly conjured up two wooden trading swords.

‘Show me what you got’. Deilien sad to the man.

Vernon looked at Ydnar who retracted his lips from Ciri and said to him,

‘Kick him hard Vernon. Use your agility to out pace him’. Vernon smiled and grabbed one of the training swords.

Ydnar walked with Ciri over to where the two were sparring off at and conjured up a bench to sit down at. Ciri started making love to his sweaty neck. He grabbed her around her waist and watched as Del came in quickly and tried a few quick attacks. Vernon dodged them all and waited him out. He came in again and tried a jab but Vernon dodged. This time as he did so Vernon then threw the sword up over his head and knocked the man slightly off balance. Before he could capitalize Deilien pushed the man away from him. Del came back and hit hard and fast. He pushed some of his attacks forcing Vernon to give ground in order to match the rhythm of his attacks. Vernon sent out a kick but Del caught his foot and pulled as Vernon went down on the ground and Del hit him in his chest.

‘Not too bad. You’ve still got some to learn but not bad’. Vernon just lay there for a bit then said,

‘I was too predictable there wasn’t I’? He asked looking at Ydnar. Ciri was still making love to him.

“Exactly. I would’ve just dodged and countered”. He looked at her and said with a smile, “Can you stop? I love you my delicate little princess but not here in front of our son and my friend”. She blushed and said in his ear,

‘Pink bubbles after this’?

Ydnar came up to her ear and whispered, “Yes. We can play soak the swallow after this”. She pulled away and laughed hysterically as his joke. She turned red and held her chest trying to breathe. Her eyes grew into little slits.

Deilien shook his head and said, ‘Not sure what you said Ydnar but …...sounds hot’. Vernon got off the ground and handed the sword to Ydnar.

“Oh it will be”. He said. Ciri caught her breath and sat on the bench next to Vernon.

‘Come on up here Ydn, Show me if you’ve gotten any better’.  

Ydnar sighed and stood up with some difficulty. He stretched himself quickly and then walked up to where Del was standing. Ydnar waved the sword around and said,

“Alright Del, i’ve always wanted to tell you what I think of your sarcastic ways”.

Del leaped and spun. Ydnar rolled forward and tried to catch him in the legs. Del jumped over the rolling attack. He came right at him and chopped left but Ydnar dodged out. Del stayed close to him and tried to make him give up ground but Ydn knew how to hold his ground. Del sent a punch his way but Ydnar saw it, grabbed his fist with one hand and using the momentum from the strike, he tossed him onto the ground with one arm and then stuck the sword into his neck.

‘Since...when did you become this damn good’? Both Ciri and Vernon applauded. Ydnar bowed and said,

“Well Del….since I left the black ones believe it or not”. Ydnar got off the top of him, lowered his sweaty arm and pulled the man up off the grassy ground. Ydnar walked alongside Del and set the sword by the workout equipment. He then grabbed his armor and carried it with him in his left hand. Ciri came up and grabbed his right hand.

‘So you’ve got it all then I suppose. A house, a girl, a son, but you’re being chased’. Del said looking at Ydnar as they entered the house and saw the witcher at the large rectangular wooden table.

“Well for one thing you missed our daughter. Anyway yes that’s correct. Though”, Ydnar said looking at Ciri, “Though I would argue we’ve had to change houses much more than we would’ve liked to”.

‘A lot more. Eventually they’ll find us here too. Seems to be the way things happen’. Ciri said looking at Del. She shook her head and said, ‘I feel so lazy today. Not sure why but I feel like doing absolutely nothing’.

Ydnar smiled at her and said, “then do it. We don’t need to do anything today anyway. The only thing I may do is go into town and do some looking around. I also need to get your things for your perfume today”.

Ciri let go of his hand and said, ‘I’ll go with you. I like going into town with you’.

Del snickered and said, ‘I don’t understand then. Why are they chasing you? What did you do to upset so many people’?  Ydnar motioned to the table and said, “Take a seat”.

Del and Ydnar sat across from each other and Ciri sat to the right of Ydnar. Quen and Vernon came down the stairs and joined the party by sitting next to Geralt who was at the end eating some strawberries.

“Del, you remember that joke that we used to tell by the campfire every night? The one about the lady of time and space”?

Del nodded and smiled, ‘Yeah I do. That went on a for a while too. I remember you telling me you would like to someday meet her. I also remember you telling us, when it was quite late at night, about all the things she went through up to that point. You said something about how you felt sorry for her and wanted to protect her from what’s his name that chased her everywhere. Oh my friend, you’ve always had a soft heart for women’. Ciri grabbed his right hand at the comment and looked at him with wet eyes.

‘You really said that’? She asked looking at him.

Ydnar smiled and said, “Yeah…..yeah I did. I never liked the way people treat other people like that. It frustrated me to no end”. Del connected the dots then looked at him and her as she kissed his cheek for a moment. When she broke away he could see a small tear roll down her face.

‘Are you…...really…..Ydnar’…Del started with an open mouth.

“Makes sense now doesn’t it? Why we had to run from house to house, place to place, why swarms of people were chasing us, the whole thing. Yes, she is the real thing”.

‘Oh….my…..how on ….nevermind that’. Del looked at Ciri who wiped the tear away and moved her chair closer to Ydnar.

‘Zireael, I hope you know, but if not i’ll tell you now. You’ve got one of the most kind hearted men i’ve ever met in my life as your husband. No doubt he’ll protect you from everything out there. I’m ….not saying that to make him look good….it’s the honest truth. Without a doubt he’s got the kindest heart in the Northern Realms’. Del said as she wiped more tears away from her eyes.

‘I know…..he’s ….demonstrated that to me many times now. I knew the prophecy doesn’t state that I can marry. In fact it warns against it, saying that it’ll lead to the doom of the world. I had to marry him. He ….was everything I wanted in a man and even though I knew it would be a hard marriage to contend with, I wanted it so badly. Now...two years later’ She looked up and over at Ydnar who was looking at her.

‘Though we’ve had fights, been split up time and time again, both been interrogated by both sides, repaired each other over and over again, and played hide and seek with all forms of hunters chasing us, I love him more today than I did when I married him. The adventures we’ve been on, the places he’s taken me, the beautiful things he’s said and done with me….words can’t describe the way I feel around him; they say the elder blood is chaotic at best, but when i’m with him..well….I feel like i'm ten years old again and just an innocent little girl who’s madly in love with a strong young man’. He kissed her on her lips for a bit and then wiped his eyes looking away from Del who had a smile of content.

“Damn…..um...hmmmmm”. Ydnar was speechless, his face was red as he tried hard to hold back the tears of joy from the words she had said.

He cleared his throat and said, “That was beautiful. Oh, Cirilla, you deserve so much better than me”.

‘That’s not true at all. Life would be boring as hell if I was in a royal palace for the rest of my life, I like your stories, the places we’ve been to, the way you hold me when we walk into towns, I love it Ydnar, I love it too much, and it leaves me wanting more. The honest fact is….I don’t deserve better because I already have the best’. She said looking into his eyes. At that comment he lost the fight and the dam burst. He didn’t hide it this time. He wasn’t sad, nor ashamed, but happy, joyful. Her words hit him right in his big red heart. They reverberated throughout his entire body and produced a strong feeling of love, the strongest he’d felt since their marriage.

Ydnar shook his head and said, “Sorry……...um…..I ...really shouldn’t…...be …….crying like this in ….front of…..people”. Ydnar wiped his eyes and more came out as if the hole in the floodgates was just too big to stop up.

She brought her lips close to his, put her hands on his naked thighs and whispered softly as some of the others were in conversation,

‘Ydnar…..I am in love with you, love that is deeper than the Great Sea, bigger than that of the Nilfgaardian empire’s territory, and sweeter than that of the sweetest raspberry pastry you can buy or make’. The tears were coming down in floods now, each one taking a slightly different path down his face and chest. He looked into her shimmering green eyes and whispered as the tears ran down,  

“Ciri…….I ….can’t…..even find …….the bloody words…...I …..love you….d****t...I love you”.

Their lips met and he closed his eyes. He didn’t care if the whole world was watching it happen now. All he wanted to feel is the sweet smell of perfume, her cat like tongue, porcelain body, and the deep, sweet, overwhelming feeling of what it means to be loved by somebody. He brought his hands up to her neck and shoulder and felt the feeling lift him off the ground and take him to their little white, fluffy cloud where only they could be at. Just the two of them. Two lovers, considered outcasts by most of society due to what they did or didn’t do in their past, brought together by destiny and glued together by love; and love, love breaks through all forms of evil, darkness, despair, and defeat. She retracted slightly and came in again, and again, and again. She smiled at him and felt his scars on his chest from all the encounters he’s been in.

‘You hungry’? She asked as she looked now at his eyes.

“Now that i’m done working out yes. I can get it tho--

‘Please, i’m just as able. Maybe someday i’ll need assistance but not right now’. She replied as she quickly kissed his cheek and got up to get some food from the kitchen. Ydnar stared into the wall and thought about what she had said about him. He then remembered he had a friend over and turned to face him.

“Sorry bout that brother. I forgot I had you here with me”.

Del smiled and replied, ‘I could tell. It’s all good man. I’m incredibly happy for the two of you honestly’.

Ydnar nodded and said, “Hey man….truthfully, thank you for what you said about me there. That was rather good and I know she liked it”.

Del swatted at the air and said, ‘Please. I can be a gentlemen sometimes. Besides that we’ve been good friends since what….um…..about fifteen years ago now. I haven’t forgot what you did for me to save me from that mage. I’m ...well still trying to find a way to repay you for that’.

Ydnar smiled and shook his head, “no need to. I did what I had to do to get us out of there”.

Ciri returned with a large golden plate of food and set it down in front of the two men. She took a seat to the right of Ydnar again and sighed. She curled herself up to where she had her tight legs on the chair and her back still up against the back of the chair. She rubbed her legs and asked Ydnar,

‘If you took this job, when would you be working’?

Ydnar grabbed some of the venison he taught Vernon how to make and ate it. He cleared his throat and said looking at her,

“I would leave in the morning and get back just before sunset. I know it’s tough hours but the pay is amazing and we always have the evening too”.

Ciri sighed and grabbed some of the blueberries that were on the side of the large plate.

‘What job is it’? Del asked looking at Ydn.

“I would be teaching the art of sword combat and defensive combat techniques to soldiers who are looking to form up and create a defensive guard unit here”. He said.

Del laughed and said, ‘Man that’s right up your alley. You’ve got a good hold on all of that. I see why you’re working out so hard now’. He said as he grabbed the wooden glass in front of him and drank.

‘I worry it’s too much Ydnar. Do it of course but promise me if it starts hurting you in any way to drop it’. Ciri commented looking at him with her arms on her knees.

Ydnar looked at her and said, “I promise. If I feel like it’s too much strain on me along with being a father, and husband then i’ll let it go”. He said as he grabbed her left leg and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him and sighed. Vernon looked at Ydnar and asked,

‘Mom wanted to ask you when we are going to have a cat’. Ydnar stopped mid bite and looked at Ciri who said looking at their son, ‘I said no such thing’. She snickered.

‘Yeah you did. Remember that one time’. Vernon protested.

Ciri laughed and replied, ‘Oh yeah that one time, that occurred between the realm of never and the realm of ever. I do remember that’! They all started laughing.

Ydnar was bright red and found it hard to breathe. Eventually he regained the breath of life and said to his son,

“Vernon…..buddy I hate to say this but she wrecked you pretty hard there”.

Vernon who was still laughing next to Quen who was shaking her head.  

‘Yeah…...that’s true….i’m going to use that from now on, that’s awesome’ he said as he sighed and then laughed again.

It was mid afternoon at this point and Ydnar stretched his arms up above his head and looked at Ciri. The chairs they sat in were made of very expensive dark wood. They could actually spin a full rotation. Ydnar grabbed her chair and spun her around. He stopped her suddenly when she was facing him again.

“Well….what do you think my dizzy little swallow, shall we go into town now via traditional means”?

She looked at him and smiled brightly. ‘Let’s... my prince charming’. She said as she unfolded her legs and got up from the chair.

Ydnar casted a simple alteration spell and had his armor back on again. He got up and said, “You know what...screw this i’m getting into something more comfortable to wear. I don’t really need to be intimidating in town anyway”.

Del laughed and shook his head.

Ciri followed him and said, ‘Maybe i’ll do the same. It’s warm out anyway. It’s funny in a way. I’ve usually worn the same set of clothes for so long now it’s gotten into a habit’.

Ydnar walked up the white marble stairs with her and said, “Same”. The doors were already open and Ydnar went to check on the baby to make sure she was ok. She looked to be sleeping still.

‘What are theses? Are they mannikins’? Ciri said looking at a full size wooden man and woman on her and Ydnar’s side of the bed.

Ydnar smiled and said, “Yes. I figured we could use them to keep our armor out of the closet so it’s within reach and not deep in the closet. I used my money on it not yours don’t worry”.

She smiled at him and said, ‘As if that concerns me anyway, that’s pretty cool actually. Well done, I would say your taste in room decoration is quite good’.

Ydnar put his armor on the man and said to her, “Glad my wife approves”. Ydnar walked over to the large white closet and found a green shirt and brown pants. He also pulled out his brown vest since the other was burned in Skellige. Ciri changed her bra out for a strapless green one and put it on with some difficulty.  She put on her clothes and slipped into her tight brown shorts that hugged her legs to the knee. The top she decided to wear hugged around her midsection leaving her abs and stomach exposed. It also left a good portion of the top of her chest exposed. Ydnar got dressed and then put his vest on. Behind the clothing he took a large ruby red hilted dagger out of his armor and put it in a special strap on the inside of the vest. He adjusted it so that the handle poked out of the top of the clothing for fast removal. He put his black boots on which he cleaned recently and looked up to see if Ciri was ready.

“Damn Ciri. You look almost too good in that”. He said as he walked up to her and she put her breen low boots on this time instead of her brown boots which come up to her knee. She smiled at him and said, ‘Good, and when the men look at me you can shake them off’. She said as Ydnar grabbed her left hand and they walked down the stairs together.

“Ciri i’ll gladly do that”. He said as they came back down and into the first floor again. Around her neck she had the warm necklace that he had give her and on her finger of her right hand, the golden, green and blue enchanted wedding ring that shimmered brightly.

She saw that indeed he wore his on his left hand. Ydnar looked out the windows to the right and left of the door and saw a very bright warm sunny day outside. He opened the door for her and she went out followed by him.

‘Your mare has been getting testy lately for some reason. She had trouble eating earlier and didn’t want me to touch her’. She said looking at the blue barn.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Yeah that’s normal for her type of breed. As they age they get like that more often. I’m not super worried about that. The eating thing though…..maybe the scar is starting to bother her more. I’ll look at it before we ride off”. He said as he let go of her hand to open up the door for Ciri and then walked through himself. She snickered a bit and he asked her, “What’s up?”

‘Nothing really just’…..She stopped walking and looked at him. ‘It just feels so good Ydnar, to finally be able to do simple things like this without feeling particularly worried about other people or how to act. I never thought in all my life that a man could protect me from so much and still love me like you do’. He smiled, looked down briefly, and came closer to her. He put his arms around her waist and she put hers on his neck. He looked directly into her sparkling eyes that shined like green torches.

“This is the way life's supposed to be d****t. This Cirilla, is what you should’ve had long, long ago and i’m sorry it didn’t happen sooner”.

Ciri looked at him and said very softly, ‘Please Ydnar...You made it happen, we made it happen. All the things we did to get to this point where we can just simply enjoy being married. It was worth it Ydnar, it was so worth it, and i’m so glad to have you now, truly’.

He swallowed and said, “Ciri...thank you for that but you’re going to make me cry again. I was thinking the same exact thing though. Feels like a breath of fresh air after you’ve been in a mining cave trying to find your way out, constantly bumping into things, and occasionally falling down. It almost feels surreal really. I look forward to the rest of our life and being able to do things like this with you”. Ydnar said as they touched softly over and over again in the dimly lit barn. My life is complete now. I’ve everything i’ve ever wanted. Well, maybe a cat, but i’ll suggest it later.

He slowly came back and sighed. Ydnar walked over to the large barn doors and raised the large steel beam that locked the doors in place. Ciri opened the large doors and then grabbed her large black horse. Ydnar walked up to Gvalch’ca and looked at the cuts. He could tell they were getting worse off. They were growing more red as the horse aged. Ydnar went around to the back and dug into the jet black saddlebags. He found the cream he uses to keep the healing of the scar going or at the very least help her fight through the pain.

“Alright girl this will sting a bit”. Ydnar said as he cast a spell on her to help her with the pain. He put the thick white cream on the side of her skin and started rubbing it into the wound. She stamped her legs into the dirt ground.

“I know it hurts I get it”. Ydnar said. Once the deal was done he put the cap back on the homemade cream and put it back into the left bag. The clip clicked in place and Ydnar mounted the great white beast. He rode her out of the barn and with a spell he closed up the barn doors and locked them from the outside. He saw Ciri riding around on her black mare. Gvalch’ca grew antsy waiting around. Ydnar could tell the horse wanted to ride. She was bred in Kaedwen to be an army horse. She like many other such horses was given the best foods and the best treatment. Even in the coldest of days or the warmest of desserts she could still perform her best and knock all the other horses off the trail by a mile. Ydnar knew where the town was as he had been there once before. “Va”. He shouted and the horse took off. He looked behind him to make sure Ciri was following and she was. It wouldn’t take them long to reach. Maybe ten minutes at the most of riding. He pushed her hard to make sure she was truly feeling better. It seemed to him she was as good as ever. Ciri now caught up to him and asked,

‘How far in is it about’?

He looked over at her and said, “Ten maybe fifteen at the most”. Ciri nodded her head She grabbed and held his left hand as they rode out on the dirt path that went around the large blue lakes and through the small grassy hills. Ydnar saw the projectile come towards him, immediately changed course and hoped Ciri’s horse would follow. It did, they both rode hard right as the arrow missed to the left of them. Ydnar wasted no time and saw right where the arrow had come from. He let go of Ciri’s hand and rode hard into the large pine forest to the left of the dirt path. He saw the man in the distance. Ydnar was no stranger to jumping off horses. In fact he used to do so many times as a kid for a laugh or two. This time there wasn’t any laughs to be had as he centered himself in the saddle and stood up. Ydnar leaped at the man and tackled him to the ground. They rolled a bit and Ydnar kept his head down and limbs around the target to prevent critical injuries. When they stopped rolling Ydnar got the man in a sleeper hold, grabbed his dagger/ short sword from his vest, and brought it up close to the man's neck.

“So…….you’re a good shot with a bow. Aim was good, lead was good, correction for drop was good, you simply fired far too late and gave me time to see it. That tells me you're a bloody squirrel”.

‘No’. the man said. ‘I'm just out for the bounty on your head. Quite a lot of money was put on you. I recognized you by your horse and your other friend’. Now Ciri’s horse came up and Ciri hopped off to look at the man in a green shirt and brown pants.

“Most bounties have a paper attached to them. Where is said paper at”?

‘In my shirt. My right side pocket’. The man told him.

Ydnar motioned for Ciri to search the pocket. The man was about to kick her and Ydnar felt him tense up so he grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Still on top of him Ydnar casted a spell to tie his hands up and brought his head close to the back of his as the man was lying on his stomach.

“Rule number one a*****e. You don’t ever hurt women. I’m allowing you to live, don’t give me any reason to take that allowance away”. Ydnar reached around and into the right hand pocket of the man’s shirt. As he did so he saw another man come up near him. Ciri was watching the other direction. Ydnar pretended not to see him then with a yell he threw the dagger perfectly into the man's neck region and he fell to the ground. Ydnar grabbed the piece of folded up paper from his pocket and started reading it to himself.  Bounty of ten thousand crowns for whoever catches Ydnar. Wanted for killing multiple men in Nazir many years ago, wanted for men killed in Skellige, Kaedwen, possible Zerrikania though unconfirmed

Last name unknown.

Hair color brown, usually worn loosely and combed to the right side,

Eye color blue

Height, six feet even

Weight, deceptive, about one hundred fifty pounds]

Build, strong build

Wears bounty hunter attire and is considered armed and dangerous on all grounds. Ex bounty hunter, expert swordsman, master archer, adept mage.

Runs with a female and his horse is a white mare with marks on the left side of her abdomen

Assume kill on sight for reward

F**k me. Great. Well the only one who could’ve put this out would be that witcher. Ydnar folded the yellow paper and put it in his pants pocket.

Ciri went over to check the other man and said,

‘That was well aimed. I didn’t even see him’. She grabbed his dagger out of the man’s throat and walked back over to him.

“Well my poor little townsman looks like someone underestimated my skill. Listen to me and listen well”. Ydnar kicked the man hard in the ribs.

‘I’m listening’! The man yelled.

“Good. The next time someone puts out a flyer like this you tell him what i’m going to tell you now. Tell the man to put a skull and crossbones at the very top to make sure people like you don’t try to kill me. The very most your arrow would’ve done is give me a nasty headache. Be glad your aim wasn’t better. I don’t want to see your face ever again is that understood”?

‘Yes’! The young man said as he was breathing heavily. Ydnar sighed and looked at Ciri who looked at him, rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Alright, good day to you”.

Ydnar snapped the fingers of his right hand, and the purple restraints disappeared. The man popped up and ran as fast as he could away from them.

Ydnar sighed and leaned his back against a tree. He closed his eyes and tried to shove the anger back down in his body. It didn’t work. He opened his eyes, turned around, and punched the tree as hard as he possibly could with his right hand. Blood started flowing like a waterfall from the massive cut that opened up. Ciri came up behind the pissed off man and put her left hand on his neck which calmed him instantly. His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes to cool himself down. Ydnar without even looking said something in elvish and ran his left hand over his left to stop the bleeding and immediately close the wound. Ciri rubbed his neck and he opened his eyes and said,

“Well, ya know what. I’m not letting this mess up my mood. Alright Ciri let’s go into town still and get something to eat as well’. He said looking at her. She smiled again and kissed his cheek.

‘Let’s go’.

The sun was just beginning to go down now as they finished their meal at the small tavern in the center of town. There was an average amount of people in the building tonight so it didn’t bother him much. The giant silver plate on the table was completely clean and Ydnar was full of meat, cheese, and seafood.

“I was going to go and talk to that man who was running the instructional class in the barracks but …..no….I will still do that. I’m not deterred by a little bounty like this”.

Ciri sighed and said, ‘I admire your confidence but be cautious about this. I’ll go there with you though I know they won’t let me in’. She said as she drank the rest of her beer and sighed.

‘I’m going to sleep so good tonight Ydnar’.

He smiled and asked, “Was it pretty bad last night due to the beer you had”?

She snickered and said, ‘It was. That was bad. It didn’t taste too bad but the aftertaste….that was bad’. They laughed and Ydnar finished his as well.

“I think I should go to bed rather early tonight so I can be here early tomorrow and get the lay of the land”.

‘I think I may join you’. She stated as Ydnar took out the necessary coinage.

“Alright my swallow let’s hit the road and get back before dark tonight”.

She yawned and got up from the booth. Ciri grabbed his right hand and they walked out of the tavern and headed to the right. They walked up to the large black and white gate that marked the entrance. He looked at the black armored guard at the gate and said,

“Here to see Sir Kirby about the job”. The guard looked at him and asked,

‘Are you the one called Ydnar’?

“Yes sir”.

The guard then said, ‘Come with us then. Your woman stays there though’.

Ydnar looked at Ciri and said, “It’s getting dark. You gonna head back to the house and go to bed”?

Ciri looked at him and said, ‘I may if that’s ok’? She asked looking into his tired eyes.

“Course”. Ydnar said. Ciri came up closer to him and they touched as the guards waited for him.

She retracted and she said to him, ‘I’ll keep the bed warm for you’.

Ydnar chuckled and replied, “Oh Ciri please do. Love you baby, be cautious on your way out”.

‘Always am, Love you too my prince charming’. She said as she walked away from the gate.

Ydnar sighed and turned around to follow the guard. He started off and Ydnar followed close behind. The inside of the fort had many barracks where the men were staying in. Some of the men were looking at him and a few laughed at what he was wearing. I’ll fix that. Ydnar as he was walking flashed his right hand and was wearing his bounty hunting gear now. His emerald long swords still had blood stained on them for added effect. The men now stopped laughing. Not so funny when i’m a bounty hunter is it?

The guard eventually led him to a black and red tent where inside a man who had a large blackbeard was seated at a wooden bench close to the campfire. Ydnar sat down across from him and the man said, ‘Ydnar. Your name is legendary among men’.

“For what i’m not sure”.

‘Escaping from the black ones for one thing. You know a large amount about hand to hand combat and are a master of swords and spells. You’re legendary around here. Many of the men revere you greatly. Anyway. Tomorrow you start for me by instructing and overseeing the operation and training of our men. Tonight you should get some good sleep. Your day starts two hours before sunrise. Meet me at the gate as the men won’t be awake just yet anyway. I think we’ll get to know each other well and become good friends. Take it easy, see you in the morning’. The man stood up and fired off a crisp salute.

Ydnar stood up and returned it right back to him.

He got back to the house now and opened the barn door with his spells. He saw Kelpie in there already and he rode Gvalch’ca in and dismounted. He checked around her to make sure she was set for the early morning ride. S**t….I only have a few hours to sleep before I have to get back up. Why’d I take this job again? Because I kick a*s and others want me to instruct them on how I do it. Ydnar locked the barn door and walked out of the smaller red door.

Ciri was already asleep until he walked in. She moaned and said quietly ‘It’s late I can tell. When are you leaving at’?

“Two or so hours before sunrise”. He said as he put his armor on his mannakin and then crawled into bed with her.

‘That’s not much sleep’. She reported. Ciri felt her way to his right shoulder and laid her soft head on it. He put his right arm around her body and smelled the scent of her sweet perfume.

“Yeah….I had the same thought. I’ll get home tomorrow and take a nap if there’s time but we’ll see”.

She sighed and kissed his neck. ‘Ydnar I really hope you don’t push yourself too hard to perform’.

“I hope I don’t either my little swallow. I’ll be fine not too worry. I love you Ciri”. He said as he closed his eyes.

‘Ydnar I love you forever and always’. She kissed his neck again and brought her right hand up onto his warm chest. Damn, it feels good to be able to sleep with my wife again. I love it. The feeling I get now that we’re all together, man I love it.

The morning was cold but Ydnar got up anyway. Ciri sighed as he got out of the warm covers. Ydnar rubbed his eyes and motioned his hand towards the furthest oil lamp from the bed as to not put out too much light. He slipped into his armor and adjusted his swords and daggers.

Ydnar motioned again and the lamp shut off. He then walked around the bed to the left side where Ciri was on. He gently kissed her cheek. He started to walk away but felt her hand grab his gloved hand and she pulled him towards her. Her eyes were merely horizontal slits of dim green light. Their lips touched and she brought her warm hands up to his neck. She retracted and laid back down in the bed again.

‘I love you my prince charming’. She said softly.

“I love you too my sleepy little swallow”.

Ydnar closed the doors and walked quietly down the stairs. He got to the front door and hesitated for a second. You wanted the job. Grow some balls and get out there. He opened the door and then closed it softly behind him. It was very dark since tonight there wasn’t any moon. He walked through the tall grass and to the front of the barn. Ydnar opened the door and saw his horse sleeping on the ground. When he started opening the gate is when she got up and came towards him. She nudged him with her large head and he laughed.

“Hey pretty little girl”. He said as he rubbed the horse's neck and face. With the doors now open he mounted the large white horse and using a spell, he closed and locked the doors behind him. You didn’t eat breakfast. You really should eat something. No i’m fine i’ll go without.

He prodded the horse and she took off quickly into the dark night.

Ydnar arrived at the gate well before sunrise and as promised he saw the man waiting for him.

‘Morning Ydnar. Is it too early for you’? He asked as he opened the gate and led him into the fort.

“Nah it needs to be earlier sir”. He said jokingly. The man laughed. He was wearing steel armor all the way down. Nothing fancy but all was practical.

‘By the way we’re formal here. This isn’t the army, this is a local protection group. People around here call me stag’.

“Got it”. Ydnar followed the man all the way down to the tent again and saw four others that looked like the first man sitting around the fire. Stag sat at his desk and said to the people in the tent as Ydnar walked in,

‘This our sword and weapons expert, I’d like to present to you Ydnar. He is an ex bounty hunter for Nilfgaard’. Ydnar came in and all the men shook hands with him as he sat down at the bench.

‘So for today, what I want to do is start by talking about swords and weapons. I want you Ydnar to show off your fancy swords and talk about each one and why you use it. Afterwards we’ll go through the basics of the parry, the counter, the block, and the lock. After that the men are free to experiment around a bit with each other, with wooden swords of course. Ydnar I still want you present for the next few parts when we discuss magic and all that sort of things but you’re not leading the discussion. Any questions today so far’? All the men shook their heads.

‘Good. Well the sun’s up now so let’s get the men up and get this going. Get them off to breakfast and began shortly after’. Stag said as he walked out of the tent and ran the very loud siren that whined through the whole camp. One of the men in the tent they were in came up to Ydnar and asked him, ‘Could I …..just for a change and to test your skills….have a go at you’?

Ydnar looked at the man. He was of average height, weight, and stature.

“Sure thing. Good way to get the juices flowing anyhow”. Ydnar stood up and the two of them followed by the others who wanted to see the fight came out of the tent. Ydnar grabbed a training sword and waved it around a bit to get the feeling of it.

He stood at the ready as some of the men started coming out of their tan tents, drawn out by the smell of fresh eggs and ham.

Ydnar two handed the sword and said, “Good when you are”.

The man came in quickly and spun to the right. Ydnar side stepped the sword. The man then using his longer arms whirled to the left but Ydnar rolled under the blade perfectly. As soon as he was up the man took two quick swings at him but then re adjusted. Ydnar wanted to wait him out a bit.

Ydnar came in and faked left then whirled right. The man blocked. Ydnar then hit hard and transitioned to quicker attacks now. The man was damn good, but Ydnar was the master of the sword. Some of the men walking by watched and many brought their breakfast there to take a look.

Ydnar side stepped a large vertical slice. The man then leaped and Ydnar knew this was his chance. He dodged forward and then spun timing it just so that when the man landed, the wooden sword caught him in the back and left a large gash in his unprotected head.

Some of the men applauded. Ydnar courteously bowed and then said to the man who was now looking at him, “Your mistake there was thinking you could adjust before I could hit you”.

‘Can I have another go’? The young man asked.

Ydnar laughed and said, “I admire your enthusiasm. Sure why not really”.

Ydnar two handed the sword and the young man came in harder now. More men watched silently. He hit hard and Ydnar had some trouble keeping up with him but he held it together and deflected and blocked the wave of volleys. Yndar sent out a kick which to his surprise the man read and grabbed his leg. Some of the men gasped. Before he could do anything though Ydnar brought his other leg up and knocked the man backwards. Both men were now on the ground. Ydnar quickly came to his feet and ran to the man. The young man had only enough time to get to his feet and try to block but it was hopeless as Ydnar hit like a truck and knocked the man off his feet and back onto the ground. Ydnar stuck the sword into his chest.

“Ok…...that..was better. You tried to block when you shouldn’t have though. I was running at you like a chort but you tried to block me instead of dodge”.

‘You’re ….damn good…….I spent …..a lot of time trying to learn this sort of thing from books, charts, articles, but this is quite different to actually going and doing it’ .

Ydnar nodded his head and lended a hand to pick the man up. He took it and got up off the ground.

“I used to be like you until I became more adept at this. Took me years to get to this point, many years”. Stag entered the scene now as the rest of the large group of men showed themselves.

He came up right next to Ydnar and Ydnar put the sword down. ‘As some of you may know by now this is one of our new instructors. He’s fended off multiple Zerrikanians, mages, blacks, reds, and even special forces soldiers. This man is called Ydnar. You’ll give him your full attention for the remainder of this lesson. Today to get a sampling of weapons and tactics he is going to share with you the weapons he uses and why as well. We will be putting this to the test using real swords later and showing you an in depth look at how each of these tactics work. For most of you this should be a fun day. That is all. Your floor Ydnar’.

“Thank you. As the man mentioned I’ve seen it all. I was a bounty hunter for around six years and a special forces black one for two years. The swords that a man uses are just as important as what he looks like. You can tell a lot of things from someone’s weapons alone”. Ydnar took off his large great sword.

“Some call it the ironbreaker, others the head splitter, and others still the piledriver. I generally refer to it as the last word”. The men chuckled. “The sword itself is made of dimeritium. Mainly since I go after mages. Anyway it weighs in at around fifteen pounds”. The men's eyes grew two sizes when he said that.

“Yes fifteen pounds. Notice the amount of weight doesn’t stop me from being quick with my weapon though. This is why most men don’t carry this large of a weapon around with them though. It’s pretty damn heavy. I typically only use this if I’m fighting one on one. It slows me down far too much otherwise”. Rain started to fall now and the clouds moved in and blocked out the sun. But Ydnar remained unchanged.

Ciri woke up and heard the thunder. She sighed and the baby started to cry. There’s my alarm. How long has he been gone for now? Five hours maybe six tops. He told me it s from dawn to dusk though. Oh man. Ydnar I don’t want to interfere but I want you back here early. Ciri broke out of her thoughts and opened her eyes. She pulled the warm covers off herself and walked to the baby. She picked the little girl up and held her close to her chest. She sighed and yawned. Ciri walked over to the nightstand on Ydnar’s side of the bed and opened the door to find the bottle.

Not sure if you’re hungry or just upset. She popped the bottle in her mouth and she got her answer. The young girl suckled away at the milk. Ciri sat on the bed and flashed her right hand to turn on all the lamps in the bedroom. She smiled at her young daughter. “I can’t wait until you grow a bit older Anna and we can harass your father together. If you’re truly like me then you’ll be very stubborn with men. Your father will have his hands full”. Ciri sighed and took the bottle away from her mouth.

“Can you crawl yet”? She asked. Ciri set the baby on her stomach on the bed and to her surprise she started trying to crawl around. It was more like a scoot but it was crawling.

Anna started laughing and in turn made Ciri laugh as well.

“You’re doing it Anna. Mommy’s little girl is crawling”. Ciri watched as she moved around the whole bed. Suddenly she made it to Ydnar’s pillow and pulled out from under it a dagger.

“For the love of--”. Ciri quickly snatched it away from the young child. Ydnar why do you keep things like this around the house? Especially under the pillow.

“You’ll get your sword training soon but not just yet. I thinks it’s still quite early to start that”.

The baby giggled again and started crawling back to Ciri. She laughed and loved the innocent laugh of the little child. Outside Ciri could hear the sound of the rain and wind against the house. Ydnar you poor thing. You’re going to be exhausted when you get home tonight. I don’t know how you continue to do things like this. Ciri thought as she nudged the child to persuade her to not go off the side of the bed.

Ydnar was walking around the fort looking at the trainees and correcting anything he felt needed correction. The cold rain was falling harder now and the wind picked up considerably. It turned the once dirt area to mud now. The main trail that wound through the camp was made of rock so it held out but the dirt did not. Ydnar stopped and watched a man who was extremely quick. He rolled well underneath a slice and then whirled behind his opponent to hit him in the back. Ydnar looked at the man and he turned around to look at Ydnar.

“Well done. That takes a quick reaction time and testicles to roll under a sword like that”.

The man chuckled and said, ‘I used to do that sort of thing as a kid. To impress people. I messed it up so many times before I got it right’. The man said. He had a large scar on the left side of his neck and looked to be well built in stature and strength.

‘Can I ask you to dance’?

The rain poured down even harder to the point of where it was hard to see anymore. Ydnar knew he had only a few more hours to go now before he would be back on his way home.

“Sure, I always like a challenging opponent. We’ll play with no rules. Except no magic”.

The man nodded. Ydnar grabbed a wooden practice sword and two handed it.

“Alright let’s do this then”. Ydnar stepped in and stepped out to see what he would do. He didn’t flinch. He’s got testes alright. Ydnar knew he was already pretty good in his foot work. The man came in and tried a quick sweep then a rising slash. Ydnar blocked both attacks while keeping his stance open. Ydnar stepped in and hit hard to the right then left then whirled to set him off rhythm. The man blocked the first two and locked swords with the third attack. To Ydnar’s surprise the man delivered a quick roundhouse kick that sent Ydnar to the ground. The other men watched now. Before the man could capitalize, Ydnar sent a quick kick to his throat and quickly got himself up in time to block a series of quick attacks. Ydnar watched the man’s sword carefully and then locked swords with him again. But again almost superhumanly quickly the man pushed Ydnar and started his quick attacks. Ydnar blocked and didn’t counter. I man’ve met my match here. Ydnar backed up some but the man followed him perfectly and continued the attacks. Ydnar was slowly falling behind the man’s flurries. Ydnar instead of kicking decided to spin low and leg sweep the young man which worked. His goal was to buy himself some time to go on the offensive without giving his opponent time to counter. The man quickly got up and found Ydnar on top him. Ydnar grunted loudly as he hit for all he was worth. The man blocked his blows and deflected his attacks well. Suddenly Ydnar flung himself, using his massive calf muscles, over the head of the man and attacked again. This time he had the advantage as the young trainee was forced to block off balance and had his stance all wrong. Ydnar went so fast that the sword was a blur of movement and hummed as it cut through the air. He blocked the attacks until Ydnar cut in low and struck the trainee in his shin hard. The man released a ‘Agh’1 Sound and the other men around applauded the fight. Ydnar was sweating profusely and breathing heavily now.

“You’re damn good….i’m impressed. I ….had to actually….flip over you….in order...to get..an advantage…”.

The trainee looked at the bounty hunter and said, ‘How did you manage that? Was that magic or was that just strength’?

Ydnar calmed his breathing and said, “Strength. I pushed off the ground with my sword and it gave me extra height. The key is to work out often to get better and have an edge”.

One of the men in the group of twenty that watched the fight asked him, ‘How did you learn how to use two swords at one time’?

Ydnar faced the man who asked him and sighed. Well really from another world but I don’t want to let them know I have the gene.

“I learned it from a blacksmith in a far off town in the Northern Realms. He taught me how to use two swords at once and be effective with both. It relies very heavily on your ability to counter and work groups”.

‘How do you fight when you’re outnumbered though? Most fights take place with a large number of opponents’. The one man pointed out.

Ydnar sighed and replied, “That’s very true. I can tell you but i’d rather show you instead. Let me get six volunteers and i’ll show you how we do this”. Six men came out of the group of twenty or thirty man group and grabbed a sword.

“Ok so this relies on your ability to work groups and be unpredictable. I’ll tell you more after the fight. Single hit elimination only not drawing blood”. He told the men.

Ydnar readied his sword and assumed the stance. Two men came at him  quickly. Ydnar side stepped to keep them in his view. One man on the left came forward but Ydnar sent a strong kick to sent him to the ground. Another man came to his aid to now let Ydnar get his buddy. The man attacked aggressively. He made a single mistake by locking swords and them trying to punch Ydnar. As he tried to punch, Ydnar grabbed his fist and using only one hand, Ydnar flung the man over his shoulder and onto the ground behind him. He heard some of the men laugh and others curse. Ydnar put the sword in his chest to eliminate him. As soon as he did he was forced to block two quick attacks from another man. From his left now a boot came to his face. Ydnar grabbed the man's leg and saw a trainee try to take advantage of the situation. Ydnar sent a strong kick his way and knocked him back. Ydnar corkscrewed the man’s leg and he twisted to the ground as Ydnar again stuck his sword into the man's chest. Four more now. He was getting winded but he pushed his body past that point and focused on the situation. The four remaining were more cautious about their approach. Ydnar came right into one and hit as hard as he possibly could. As soon as he did that one came up from his left. He quickly switched targets and rolled under the slice. As he did som he was able to trip the man with his sword and the young blonde haired trainee was eliminated. Ydnar popped up from the roll and side stepped a vertical slice. Ydnar looked at all three of the remaining men and tried to keep them guessing. He came in after one of them but changed targets when he saw a man who had a bad stance. His legs weren’t lined up with Ydnar’s and it was quite easy to simply strike quickly and hit the man in the neck. Two more. Ydnar knew from experience that two was the magic number. When the opposing force was down to just two people the fight usually grew in intensity. The leftmost trainee tried a series of quick slashes and the right one tried a hard vertical cut. Ydnar dodged both. Ydnar then came in and grunted hard as he hit excessively hard at the younger trainee. His friend came up behind Ydnar to try to help him out but Ydnar sent a kick his way. To his surprise the kick missed but then Ydnar changed his tactics and sent a punch that hit right in the neck region, which knocked the man down to the ground. Before he could capitalize the larger man sent a well aimed kick his way which connected right in Ydnar’s neck region. It hurt terribly as he was much bigger than Ydnar and had much more mass to play with. Ydnar was sent off balance. The younger less experienced trainee swung and locked swords with him. The older man shouted, ‘Why did you do that you bloody fool’! Ydnar thought the same thing. All he had to do was flurry and hit him in his hands. The older trainee tried to save his buddy but was too late. Ydnar was soaked in cold rain and sweat and blood as the man's boot created a beautiful scar on his neck that opened up to bleed down Ydnars armor. Ydnar and the older gentlmen circled. Ydnar cma ein and attacked hard. He damn near lost his footing as the muddy ground became extra slick. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Ydnar hit for his life. The older trainee locked swords with him but knew he would lose the fight and quickly backed out of the engagement. The man wasn’t very good but he was smart and didn’t try things he knew Ydnar could beat him at. The man came in and hit very hard, damn near knocking Ydnar off his balance. Ydnar shut the pain of the metal boot scar out of his mind and focused hard on his movement. His mind analyzed every attack. Looking for any opening. He found it. The large man started a spin and Ydnar knew he only had one shot at this. He struck keeping his hands low on the sword and hit the older man right in the center of the chest.

‘D****t’! The man cursed.

Ydnar laughed and breathed heavily. All the men cheered and Ydnar tried to catch his breath.

“That…..wow…..that was pretty damn good…...best workout…..i’ve ever had. So...as you all could see...I worked the group and kept...all of the attackers in my view at all times. Only once did one of them get behind me….I was able to shake him off but that’s because I knew where he was at. A very common mistake is to try to end the fight too quickly. You have to commit to working out. Every single goddamn day. You have to. I aim to be stronger, faster, and have more endurance than any man I face. The second thing here is the strength of the group is so heavily dependent on knowing your tactics well. Really I should’ve lost this one. The thing is though the men didn’t compliment each other. What do I mean by that, well. If I know for example what’s your name sir”? Ydnar asked the larger man who was the last one eliminated.

‘Hans’. He answered back over the roar of thunder.

“If I know that Hans here is much stronger than I them I can compliment him by using speed. There was one attempt by someone here who did that. The trick is when you lock your sword. Ummmm Hans come out here real fast and hold your sword up as if you’ve locked with me”. The man came out of the crowd and held the wooden sword up pointing it at the sky. Ydnar came over and put his sword against his.

“Now what happened was that I saw the other attacker and sent him away by kicking him. What Hans could do to prevent his is what i’m about to show you here. So number one he could push me off balance like so”. Ydnar pushed his sword into the man and he stumbled backwards. Hans came back to him and held his sword back up as it was,

“So you all catch that? Again this depends on the opponent's body mass and your strength. I can push him and get time to breathe, set myself up, or go on the offensive. A second idea is to pick the man up by his legs which is much harder to do. I won’t actually demonstrate that but if I were to one hand the sword and then reach down with my strongest arm to lift either leg of my opponent up he would fall down. Yet another trick is to leg sweep him. To do that I simply spin low and hold my leg out to trip him., Be warned though if you mess this up and don’t strike him hard enough two things will most likely happen. One you look like a fool and the women laugh at you”. The men in the group laughed.

“Two you’re now on the ground and are completely vulnerable to attack, and three both happens and then you're embarrassed and bleeding”. They laughed again.

“So that’s how to do that. All the things I teach you are so situational though. My aim is to teach you multiple fighting styles to give you options to take on any man however large he or his testicles are”. They laughed harder.

“The point is don’t expect this to work every single time. If one thing’s not working then switch it up to try another. There is a phrase that I think sums it up pretty damn well. I guess I can leave you with this as it’s now sunset though you wouldn’t know it since it’s been raining all day. The phrase goes, the best warrior, swordsman, hunter, isn’t the one who does one thing better than everybody else, a good warrior is one who specializes in multiple trades and does all of them well. That’s what I’m a product of. I knew I couldn’t beat Hans in a strength and power contest. Yes i’m strong but he has much more body mass. I had to draw upon something else and that something else was speed and agility. This is why I say this. So this is the time to try this s**t. Do it now. Now is when you learn not when the real steel is flying through the air”.

Ydnar looked at the group of young men. “Are there any questions before I let you go”?

One man asked, ‘Do you sir ever get worried when you enter a fight with a dangerous enemy’?

Ydnar sighed and paced a bit.

“Sure I do. What man doesn’t really. The key is knowing when you bit off more than you can chew and knowing when to disengage. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow but yes I do get worried from time to time. For example the time I took on the two Zerrikanians and three mages. I was worried I couldn’t do it. The thing that saved me before I blacked out from blood loss was magic. It …..honestly was more than I could chew but I was cautious and looked for an opportunity. Does that answer your question sir”? Ydnar asked as the sun now fully dipped beneath the horizon.

‘Yes it does thank you’.

Ydnar looked around and said, “with that gentlemen I see you all tomorrow. Think about the words I said and let them become habit patterns”. Ydnar ended and watched the men start talking amongst themselves as they walked to the fire and their barracks.

Stag came up to him and said, ‘That was well said Ydnar. Here’s this and same time tomorrow morning of course. Get some sleep tonight’.

“I will gladly. You do0 the same Stag. See you bright and early”. Ydnar held the large white sack full of golden coins. Damn. Pay is more than i’ve ever received in my life. Ydnar walked out of the gate and saw his white mare who came up to him.

“Hey my white little projectile”. Ydnar put the sack in the right side black saddlebag and locked the clip back down. He yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. His muscles were sore and his neck hurt. I’ll wash it when I get home. Damn there’s really not much time for anything tonight. Ydnar mounted his horse and rode off on the path that led out of the quiet town.

After he put the white mare to sleep and grabbed the sack of coins he opened the door to the house and took his muddy boots off outside.

Deilien was sitting at the table with his son and having a conversation with him about something.

‘Look what came out of the mud today’ he said as Vernon looked around. Ydnar smiled and Vernon said,

‘You’re neck is bleeding. Besides that you look either drunk or tired’.

Ydnar laughed and said, “Man I wish I was drunk right now. Friggen body feels like it’s about to fall apart”.

They laughed and Ydnar came in and shut the door. Ydnar came up and sat next to his son. He set the pouch of money down on the table and grabbed a glass filled with water. Ydnar rubbed his eyes and said, “That was a friggen workout. The men there are very skilled. I think this city should be in good hands as long as they keep their cool and don’t overstep their bounds”.

‘Like the black ones did’. Del added.

“Precisely. Damn rain. Hope to at least see the sun for a little bit tomorrow. That sucked. Cold rain like that continually seeping down your back and face”.

They laughed and Ydnar drank the water.

“Well i’m off to the bedroom now. I need to be there the same time tomorrow so the sooner I get into bed the better”. Ydnar said as he got up and kissed his son.

‘Is it going to be like this all the time’? Vernon asked looking at his father as he grabbed the sack.

Ydnar sighed and said, “For the most part yes. This was only the first day though. I’m hoping the next few will be much shorter and I can get home sooner. We’ll see. For now the money flow is nice to have”.

Ydnar walked back to the white stairs and walked up.

The room was totally dark and he knew Ciri had already gone to bed. He hesitated opening the door and waking her up but he really had no choice. He quietly opened the door and walked in. Just as silently he shut the glass doors behind him and locked them up. Ydnar found his way through the room in the dark and set the sack of coins down on the carpet near the closet. Silently he put his armor on the mannakin next to the bed and then casted a spell to wash himself down without having to get into the tub. He heard Ciri’s rhythmic breathing and he felt bad that he got home so late. Carefully he slipped into the covers and set his tired head on the pillow. It didn’t take to terribly long until he fell asleep fully.

Ydnar must’ve only been asleep for a small amount of time but he was awake now. The baby cried loudly. Ydnar sighed and got up out of the covers as Ciri opened her eyes and saw him.

‘Ydnar you must’ve got home extremely late last night. I didn’t even hear you come in. Here give the child to me and go back to sleep’. Ciri commanded as she stood up and came over to him.

“Ciri relax i’m not dead. I can take care of our daughter”.

She sighed and looked at his neck. She saw the deep gash.

‘What on…..what is this? Ydnar’?

He shook his head as he lifted the baby out of the red crib and walked over to the black nightstand to grab the bottle again.

“It’s nothing Ciri. I train with swords so if you expected me not to have more scars then I left with you’re going to feel rather disappointed”.

She sighed and shook her head as he sat on the bed and put the glass bottle in her mouth. Ydnar rubbed his eyes and sighed.

Ciri looked at him and said, ‘Obviously you’re in a bad mood and don’t want to talk. Fine i’ll go back to sleep’. She said sternly as she slipped back into the covers and quickly went back up into the cloud. Ydnar sighed and pushed the anger out of his mind. Once the little one was done with the feeding time Ydnar got up and set her in the red crib. He looked at Ciri and felt cheated that he didn’t get time with her for anything. Baby i’m trying. Please try to understand me, i’m trying my damndest to be a good father, husband, and instructor. I’m really trying, but you’ve got to understand and work with me on this. Ydnar knew she was in a bad mood so he grabbed his armor and things for the morning and quietly opened the glass door and shut it behind him. He walked down the stairs to the second floor and set his things down on the small wooden table. He then laid down on the leather couch and conjured up a pillow and blanket. He set the pillow down under his head and quickly fell back asleep.

The morning came very fast. Ydnar sighed and damn near fell back asleep. No don’t pull the covers back up. You’ve work remember? He got up and put his clothes on. Ydnar casted an alteration spell to rid his clothes of sweat and dirt. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. He walked down the stairs to the very first floor and grabbed a large apple. The night was getting slightly brighter and he knew he woke up slightly later than he wanted to but he was ok with that. He stood at the door and thought about giving Ciri a goodbye kiss. He remembered last night and the mood she was in and decided against it.

With a sigh, Ydnar opened the door and walked out into the fresh morning air.

Ciri woke up with a sweat. She sat up and looked over at the left side of the bed and saw he was gone. She felt guilty for what she told him last night. Sometimes she acted like she was a child and other times she acted like an adult. Last night she was a child who wanted her husband home earlier, didn’t get it, then blamed him for it. Why do I have such a hard time with this sort of thing? After all he was very supportive of my job and made the sacrifice for me. Why can’t I do that for him? That thought really hit her hard. She held back tears of regret and shook her head to shake the thought out of her head. She heard movement on the second floor and she got out of the bed and got dressed. She put her usual clothes on and attached her sword to her body. Geralt said something about a Griffin problem on the far end of the town. She told him she would go with her to help him out with it this morning. She opened the glass doors and walked down the stairs. Ciri stopped and saw the blankets and pillow on the couch. Ydnar….D****t. That’s what I get for being a b***h to him last night. Great job Ciri. She shook her head and became angry with herself. The ashen haired woman continued down the stairs and saw Geralt cleaning his sword.

‘How was your sleep? What time did Ydnar get home last night’? He asked looking up at her.

She sat down across from him and said,

“Well my sleep was ok until he got home. I didn’t even hear him come into the room. The baby cried and woke us up and that’s when  I saw him. He tended to her and I basicly told him I was angry he got home so late and had a new scar on his neck. I then decided not to talk to him and instead go back to sleep. …...from …...the evidence on the second floor couch it looks like he slept down there from then on. It wasn’t great. He was so supportive and caring for me and here I am bitching about a small scar he got and the time he got home at. That wasn’t fair for me to do that. Now i’m in a bad mood”. She sighed and picked up a large piece of fruit. She bit into it and played with it in her hands.

‘Ouch. Well he’s a tough man and i’m sure he understands’.

She sighed and replied, “Yeah i’m sure he does but that’s not the point. The point is that …...he’s better at controlling his anger and aggression than I am even though I spent most of my life doing so”.

Geralt looked at her as she ate the orange colored fruit.

‘You know the prophecy Ciri. It states marriage of an elder blood is forbidden as it will lead to chaos and disorder. This is what happened last night. Any mage can tell you that. It was because of your anger of the gene. Which is involuntary. That’s normal. Don’t be too hard on yourself, he loves you dearly and will always do so’.

She smiled and felt better about the whole thing.

“Thanks Geralt. I appreciate that”. She sighed and finished the fruit. The window near the door was growing lighter and she knew the sun was up almost fully now.

‘So now…..about that Griffin Ciri. It was spotted not too long ago near the far edge of town. Locals say there is a nest somewhere up in the hills nearby. I say that’s where we start our search today’.

Ciri nodded and said, “sounds reasonable”.

Ydnar was now in a tent. He would rather be out with the men training them personally but he knew he would also be bound to be included in some of the meetings that took place. They were in deep discussion about what happened last night. According to Stag someone broke into the base and killed a small portion of the men on the west side barracks. Ydnar being a bounty hunter was the first one notified about the incident.

‘What do you think’? Stag asked sitting far back in his black leather chair.

Ydnar sighed and replied, “We must find the man of course. I hope you realise this won’t be easy at all. If the man can simply sneak into the area undetected by guards and kill like this, well….it makes me wonder who exactly were dealing with”.

One man who was sitting behind ydnar said, ‘Only a few men can cause such a thing though. The gate is well secured and monitored’. The guard said.

Ydnar turned around on the wooden bench to face the man and corrected, “Not true. In the time of about two days I could teach someone to sneak in undetected and do exactly what happened last night. You had a number of things going here. One is the fact that there was no moon so it was extremely dark. The second is that the visibility was s**t at best. Hell even a hunter from the woods could probably do the deed. There wasn’t much evidence either. That tells me the man or woman is a professional and knows what they’re doing. This isn’t just a local rabble bandit incident”.

Stag looked at him with a large pipe in his mouth and asked, ‘If I pay you double, how long do you think it’ll take you to catch the man or woman’?

Ydnar let out a large laugh and said, “I hate when people ask me that when I have no leads and don’t know where to start. That’s a good joke. Tell me another. No I don’t know how long it will take me”.

‘The problem is Ydnar’, he said standing up and walking over to the bounty hunter ‘We haven’t got much time left to train these troops. I want them battle ready in two weeks time. Which means--

Ydnar stood up, brought his chest right up against Stag’s and interrupted, “Which means I need to catch him in a few days. F**k off Stag. If you honestly think this is going to take a few days you’re mistaken. Never in my six years of doing this has a job been measured in days. I have less evidence than i’ve had in the past and even then the shortest job took me two weeks to wrap up. If you want this job done and done right then you have to adhere to my schedule. I will not act until I have reasonable information and I know exactly who we’re dealing with here. Really my first step should be to go to the tavern and ask around but since this happened overnight that won’t turn up jack s**t. The patterns on the dead men from the sword tell me it was a curved sword. This tells me we’re dealing with some sort of assassin not a rogue guard or mercenary. If this is true then it’s going to take a while to track the target. Hell the target could be days away now for all I know”. Ydnar paced up and down the tent. He shook his head and asked Stag, “Did any of your men see the person in question clearly enough to describe it to me”?

Stag sighed and replied, ‘The man was seen by some of the men but not very well. I didn’t tell you because--

Ydnar flipped his lid but cooled himself back down to a manageable level.

“Why in the flipping hell didn’t you tell me? Everything, every f*****g goddamn piece of evidence is vital to finding the man and you damn near left out the fact that some of your men saw him. Not only that, now that the event happened hours agon and the men are already filling their brains with information, some of the description may’ve been lost. D****t. Ok….from this point on Stag you pay me double like you said. Also from this point on I take over this investigation. You’re good with a sword yes but not with tracking and hunting, that’s my domain. I need to speak with these individuals. Where will I find them”? Ydnar asked Stag.

Stag sighed and said, ‘In the tent marked one a. Only one of them saw the man. Go into the tent and ask for Jonas. I understand this takes time. Do hurry though…..please’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “I’ll do my damndest to get it done with haste”. Ydnar said as he walked out of the black colored tent and followed the stone path that wound around the fort.

The tent was black like most of the others and had a large one and a written in red on the side facing the stone path. Ydnar walked inside and a guard came up to him and said,

‘I don’t recognize you from around here. Who are you’?

“Names Ydnar. I’m looking for Jonas. I’d like to question him about the killings that took place last night”.

The guard nodded his head and said, ‘Wait here i’ll grab him for you’. Ydnar nodded his head and watched as men practiced advanced alteration spells and destruction magic. A short time later a young brown eyed male came out of the crowd and up to Ydnar.

‘Nice to meet you finally. I’ve heard a great deal about you here. Good to have you on our side’.

“I agree. Likewise to meet you. Your reputation with the mages is admirable. Getting down to business now, I want to know everything about what you saw last night. Please don’t leave anything out”.

The man nodded and began, ‘It was very late. It felt like you’d just left and suddenly I heard a single twig snap. I thought nothing of it. Maybe it was a animal or something of that sort of nature. Then at the entrance of the tent I saw a dark shadow. Suddenly two men got up. There were only three in the tent including me. The men attacked the figure but ...it’s hard to explain….a weapon suddenly appeared in the figures hands and the figure jumped and spun wildly. The two men were fierce but they fell. I pretended to be dead. It was extremely dark and hard to see anything. I saw the figure wave its hands and the large staff or weapon disappeared and the person walked out of the tent’.

Ydnar nodded and wrote it all down in a small black book, where he kept all the logs from his encounters.

“Did the figure have anything special about it? Like for instance a hood or a necklace or anything? Secondly what did you do after this happened”? Ydnar asked looking at the man intently.

‘Looked like perhaps a hood may’ve been up. After the incident I stayed there until I was sure the person was gone. I got up from the bed and told the guards at the front gate about it and to my surprise they didn’t see anybody walk in. Can you imagine’? The man said with wide eyes.

“Hard to but I can. Thanks for the details”.

The man nodded and walked back to the crowd.

Ydnar knew he needed to talk back to Stag then to Ciri. The latter of the two was to him the most important.

“That’s what i got from him yes. My initial thoughts are that it’s a mage. If that’s the case then this is a whole nother can of feces”. Ydnar said looking at the pacing commander.

‘Can you give me any estimate of time’?

Ydnar sighed and thought about it. “Well. A mage, who is stealthy and smart enough to be able to sneak through well trained guards, who can strike hard, who knows how to fight. Best bet maybe four or so months. Somewhere in the vicinity of two to four months”.

Stag slammed his fist on the table which made a loud noise and knocked over his glass of water which now spilled onto the dirt floor. Stag shook his head and looked at Ydnar.

‘Ok…..ok….I understand. I will pay you half in advance and the other half once you bring me their head.  You’re free to use whatever means necessary to go about your business of finding said person. Good luck and don’t fail me’.

Ydnar was back home very quickly. He wanted to take this day to take it easy and rest up so his brain could think over the facts, but knew that Stag needed him, and Ydnar didn’t want to disappoint him. He left his horse outside and walked into the house with the incredibly heavy brown sack of coin. Vernon and Quen were sitting together when he walked in. She was talking softly to him and he had his hands around her. Ydnar could tell he had just come inside from working out.Vernon turned to look at who came in.

‘Dad’? He asked with a confused tone.

“Hey Vernon. Is mom here”?

He asked.

Vernon sighed and got up from the leather chair.

‘I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure she went out this morning to kill a griffin with Geralt’. Vernon replied as he came up to Ydnar.

Ydnar shook his head and set the large sum of money down on the wooden table. He then reached into his left breast pocket and pulled out a yellow piece of paper and a pen. He started writing a note to his wife and Vernon looked at what he wrote.

Hey my little swallow. I came back home a bit early today but you weren’t home it seems. I told you time and time again that I wouldn’t ever leave your side but try to understand me. Something happened last night which ended in two men losing their life. I was given the task of hunting this suspected mage down who did this. Ciri, I love you but please understand me when I say I will be damn careful. You won’t hear from me for probably around two maybe four months. In this span of time you NEED to be careful. Sleep with a weapon when i’m gone and tell everyone here to do the same. Before I leave I will say goodbye to our son and daughter. This job will be harder than many of the others I have done up to this point. I will be cautious but I can’t guarantee my safety all the time. I have a job to do, and I’ll be damned if I don’t try my hardest to carry it out and see it done. Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, I love you to the ends of the world, nothing, nothing in life will ever change that. Please keep the kids safe until I return home. I trust your judgement as you’re a smart young woman. I am proud of our marriage, our time together, and what we’ve built for each other. You said it yourself…..we’ve done it. At the very bottom of the page he signed, P.S Get that age thing taken care of as soon as possible. I plan on doing the same when i’m gone.

I love you my beautiful little swallow,

-Ydnar

He sighed and put the pen away. Ydnar went to the stairs and walked up as Vernon went with him.

‘When did this happen? I know during the night but were you there’? Vernon asked as they got to the third floor.

Ydnar opened the doors and walked into the room. Turning around to look at his son he said, “No. It was just after I left yesterday. Probably happened before I got here today more than likely”.

Vernon watched his father grab out of his closet different tools to help him deal with the mage.

‘Can I help you dad? Think about it, the mage wouldn’t expect two men. We could surprise the target’.

Ydnar sighed and smiled at his son, “I love your confidence. No you can’t. Vernon i’m not even sure this target is something I can handle. Mages are deadly and well…..I ...Don’t tell mom this but I have a suspicion that the mage in question was trained by the cat school. I don’t think this means witcher but from what the witnesses said it seems to be true. The mage didn’t teleport and two men are dead. Not only that Vernon but somehow the person got in and out without being seen by the guardsman in the tower. This is a hired assassin not a thug or bandit. This whole thing is bad news”. Ydnar finished and then went over to pick up the small baby. She was sleeping soundly and Ydnar kissed her thin head of hair and said, “Bye Anna. I love you my little girl. Dad will be back I promise”. Ydnar sighed and then with tears in his eyes he put the baby back down in the crib. Ydnar wiped his eyes and grabbed his extra essentials. Ydnar put his nose to Ciri’s side of the bed and inhaled the scent of perfume. He let it get him dizzy. He lifted his head off the pillow and said, “Well……...that’s that then. Damn……” Ydnar stared at the pillow that was still indented from Ciri’s head. After a brief moment he tore himself away and squeezed Vernon’s shoulder. Ydnar and Vernon went down the stairs and outside to his white mare. Vernon rubbed the horse’s face and neck and she nudged her head up to him. Ydnar started arranging things in both of the black saddlebags. The ring which bit into his finger to make him more resistant to magic he stored in his right hand breast pocket. He closed and locked up both bags and made sure it was secure on the horse. A cool breeze swept through the area and relieved some of the sweat from the incredibly hot sun. Ydnar then looked at his son and walked up to him.

Vernon hugged him and Ydnar felt tears moisten his back. Ydnar also had tears in his eyes as he put his strong arms around his son. Ydnar rubbed his son's back and closed his eyes.

“Try to ...take care of mom for me ok? ...Reassure her i’ll be ok. …..Occasionally glance in on your sister too. Vernon I love you. I’ll be gone for a while longer this time. I know it’s hard. Try not to think of me too much while i’m gone. You’re a good son and i’m proud of the way …..you turned out…..I really couldn’t…...ask for anything better”.

Vernon couldn’t stop the tears from falling. They pushed their way out of his green eyes and fell torrentially onto Ydnar ‘s back.

‘I ….love you Dad. I feel….like ...every time you...leave...something..breaks inside of me’.

“That’s...how I feel...as well. I’ll be fine though. I’m a cautious man. Take care of yourself and that girl of yours”.

‘I will’.

Ydnar let go of his son and Vernon let go of Ydnar and wiped his eyes. Ydnar mounted his white mare and prodded the horse. She moved and then started off. Ydnar waved and then picked up his pace. Vernon watched until his father was out of sight. He felt weak, in his arms, legs, everything. He was shaking. He shook his head and went back into the house.

Ydnar was off and regretting it right away. He wanted to stay one more night with Ciri. Wanted to tell her he was sorry for not talking to her last night, wanted to feel her cool perfume scented body on him one last time, wanted to just tell her he loved her. You’re letting yourself get soft. Carry out the job and think about this later. Gvalch’ca tore through the open dirt road at an impressive speed. The wind was whipping past him as they rode hard. Ydnar pulled his black bandanna out from his right hand pants pocket and put it around him. Ydnar then raised his black hood. I guess I’ll go to the small town north of here first and see if I can find anything of importance there. From what I heard it seems likely that the mage traveled through that location. Good place to start really. He settled in for the long ride ahead of him.

Ciri and Geralt were out in the thick green rolling hills. They searched mountain after mountain looking for the nest but came up empty every time. This mountain was different. They climbed up to the top and saw the large brown nest. The large tan eggs were already opened and it looked to be now abandoned. Geralt looked around and said, ‘Well, looks to me like a trap is in order then. It shouldn’t take too long to set though. We’ll need some rotting meat of some sort to lure it over here. Do you perhaps know if Ydnar keeps the skin of the animals he captures’?

Ciri came up closer to him and said, “I do believe he does actually. I think he stores them in the barn. That’s not a bad idea”. The wind picked up a bit but it was still a crystal clear day outside. The view from the top was amazing and allowed you to see the whole entire town and the surrounding area.

‘You ready then’? Geralt asked as he was already on his horse.

“Yeah sorry. I keep zoning out momentarily”. Ciri said as she walked to her black horse and mounted it. They took off headed down the grassy mountain towards the house. Ciri loved the feeling of riding. She especially loved it when she was riding with Ydnar. She wanted to ride to some of the towns in the far south of this world since she heard they’re quite beautiful down there. Maybe I’ll suggest that to him soon. The sun was passing it’s peak height of the day and on it’s way back down now. It was warm out but with the wind in her face she hardly even noticed it.

It wasn’t long until they were back at the house and she rode her horse up to the house. Geralt came up behind her on his brown mare and said to her, ‘We’re going to need some rope of some sort as well. Maybe a crossbow too just in case’. Geralt said as he got off his mare. Ciri went into the barn while Geralt looked in the house for any form of rope. He laid his orange glowing eyes on the table and saw the note. She’s not going to like this one bit. Which is why i’ll tell her about it after we’re all done. Geralt looked around and found in a white wooden cabinet a long strand of thick rope. Do I really even need this though? No not really. He closed up the cabinet and walked out of the house.

He saw Ciri with a large bear carcass in her hands. She threw it over his mare and said, ‘I ...don’t know how he carries these animals the way he does. He does it as if it weighs nothing to him”. Ciri stated as she got back on her black mare.

‘That’s probably because to him they do weigh nothing’.

She laughed and said, “Yeah very true. Alright let's go and do this then”. Ciri said as she and Geralt rode off towards the mountain.

Ydnar made it at the small town. Small being a relative term. The town was actually the size of Kaer Trolde but in terms of population it was much smaller. Ydnar pulled his horse around to the tavern and set it just outside it. He knew he would find at least one thing out here. He had a good friend who was rumored to live in these parts who he grew up with in his younger days. He was a mage and Ydnar figured he could have some useful knowledge about what he may have heard about this other suspected mage. Ydnar followed the red brick path through the small town until he got to a small wooden hut in the dense forest of the area. The house was all by itself, secluded from all other homes. Ydnar knew this had to be it. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it. A man in his late twenties came to the door and opened it up. WHen he saw the bounty hunter he freaked out but Ydnar said, “Jericho it’s just me Ydnar. Can I come in”?

The man in purple robes nodded his head and motioned for Ydnar to walk in. Ydnar did and once he was inside he lowered his hood and took the bandanna off.

‘Holy hell it is you. Since when did you commit to working out like that and wearing gear like that’? He asked in a deep voice.

“Well since I became a bounty hunter. I need some help in tracking a mage and I knew you know a lot about mages”.

Jericho sighed and motioned for Ydnar to sit down at a black wooden table. He did. The purple mage said, ‘Who are we talking about here’? He asked looking at Ydnar intently.

“Well now there’s the question. From what people described she or he is about five feet six inches and wears dark grey robes. Has their hood up usually and knows magic and how to fight well. Any of this sound familiar? I need leads on any mages besides you that are in the area”.

‘Hmmmm. Well yes there are many actually. There is one who fits your description almost entirely. Her name is Raven though that’s probably not her real name but anyway. She is well respected and studied the Lara Gene for well…..ages really. I won’t ask why since that’s not my business but she disappeared recently. Seems to fit your description though’.

Ydnar nodded his head in agreement and then asked, “Where does she live”?

‘Right here in town actually. See that trail there turns to dirt and then curves to the right a bit. If you imagine the trail as if it continued out straight and follow the line for a mile more or so then you end up at the front door of her house. She hasn’t been there in a while though. Don’t ask how I know this. She and I were well…..close let’s say’. ‘

Ydnar smiled and then he got up and said, “Thanks as always Jay I appreciate it”. He said as he opened the door and walked out into the bright afternoon sun.

Ydnar followed the directions and arrived at the large dark house. “I don’t like this”. Ydnar said as he dismounted. The horse neighed in response. He took his right longsword out and put the purple ring on his right hand pointer finger. Ydnar cautiously opened the door and rolled as he saw the metal spikes come from the right and left side. Great….. house is booby trapped. Ydnar was no stranger to this sort of setup. He knew she was expecting trouble. Ydnar snapped his fingers and suddenly the whole room lit up. He could see papers everywhere. Most were neatly stacked and organized but some were on the floor. Ydnar cautiously stepped around the creaky wooden floor and made his way into the next room. There were only two rooms to the small wooden house. The second room had what appeared to be a bed and then a closet. He looked around and saw a few windows where light was coming through. F**k me. I really don’t like this. He looked around and saw on the floor a pink bra. He allowed himself to smile slightly. It faded when he heard the sound of may horses coming towards the house. Ydnar looked out the window and saw the mage that fit the description. She was issuing orders to her men. Ydnar knew he needed to act quickly. He remembered the spell for the bindings and walked just behind the door to the bedroom so when she came in he would pounce her. It was all in theory of course but it sounded good in his mind. He pushed the button on the ring and felt the dimeritium pin poke into his skin. Ydnar focused his hearing and waited patiently. He heard the door open and the sound of small sized shoes walk towards the bedroom door. He remained dead quiet and waited. The door opened and as soon as he had sight of her he jumped and simultaneously casted the spell. He landed on top of her and she struggled under his arms. He heard men come in and he put the young woman in a headlock and turn around. He got his sword back out and the guards came in. As soon as they saw him they drew their weapons.

“You’ve killed men you shouldn’t have in a city south of here. You’re a wanted woman.”.

‘I ….had my ...reasons….for ….doing so…..’. She said.

‘Let her go or you get the feeling of a sword up your a*s’! One of the men said. Ydnar looked at the man dressed in black leather armor.

“You come any closer to me and she gets it and so do you”.

‘We …..can …..talk…...please just …. Let me go’. She persuaded.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Tell your men here to drop their weapons”.

‘Drop them…..do as I …..say’.

Ydnar watched them closely and they let go of their swords now. Ydnar moved a bit closer to him with her still in a headlock and kicked their swords further away from him. As he did so one of the men grabbed a shortsword and tried to striked Ydnar in the head. As soon as he did so Ydnar blocked and then stuck his weapon right through the man's neck and twisted. His head popped off in a large fountain of warm red blood. The headless body went limp and fell to the ground.

“Anyone else want to try to kill me……..Ydnar looked at the three men left. “Good. Next thing if you want to talk to me then tell your men to leave the house. You may have them outside the building but they must be outside the house”.

‘That’s a load of bull he’ll kill you’! One of the men said.

“If I wanted to Kill her I would’ve already. Do it”. He insisted.

‘Leave us….outside...now….no …..arguments’. She said with some difficulty. Ydnar watched them as they walked through the first door of the room and followed them out. He then watched them walk out the second door and then he waved his arm and casted a spell to seal the door from the outside. He let the woman go and she casted a spell to free her hands of his binding. They were now both in the dining room now. She turned around and lowered her hood. She had royal blue eyes and jet black hair.

‘I’m impressed. Not many bounty hunters would be so bold as to charge into the lair of a well known mage like this’

Ydnar smiled under the black bandanna and said,

“I’m not most bounty hunters”.

She laughed and then said, ‘Please...put your sword away. If I were to kill you I’d have already done it. We can at the very least have something to eat and talk. Take your bandanna off and lower your hood too’. She commanded as she conjured up a whole table of food and candles. The sun was slowly waning in the sky and the candles casted shadows in parts of the room. Ydnar took off his bandanna and then lowered his black hood. She sat down at the very end of the long rectangular table and he sat at the other end. He grabbed the meat and started eating.

“So about those men then….” He said. She looked to be around twenty or so but he knew age with mages could be very deceptive. Most mages were in fact hundreds of years old but through magic were able to appear much younger.

She looked at him and said, ‘Yes about the men. They were a necessary loss’. She said.

“Bull. I don’t know what sort of world you live in but they didn’t need to die in the slightest”. He replied as he ate more of the meat.

She smiled and said, ‘What if I told you us mages are close to being able to unlock the gates to the worlds? Do you even know what that is’?

He sighed and said, “Yes I do. How does this relate to the men”? He asked.

‘Well they stole something of mine. I got it back when I killed them. Then you decided to come into my house and sneak around looking for evidence to track me is that it? I could have you fined for this sort of thing. Or even worse’. The mage continued talking but Ydnar heard what sounded like fire outside of the small house. Suddenly the conversation was interrupted when a large explosion shook the house and fire started to burn hot. Someone was trying to hide the evidence and kill him at the same time. He saw the mage simply teleport away and wave at him as she did so. The house was coming down on top of him now and filled with dark black smoke. Ydnar stood up and felt his way to the door. He opened it and saw at least twenty men outside with bows and swords. Before he could teleport away a mage shot him with a spell that negated any of the abilities he had in terms of teleportation. Ydnar knew when he’d been beat and he raised his hands up in the air. Well done Raven. You set the trap and I walked right the f**k into  it. The next thing he remembers is feeling a man’s hands on him and then it was all dark.

Ciri got back home after dark. Geralt and her killed the large orange griffin and collected the pay. The rest of the day they talked at the tavern about things and she felt better about life and herself. It was late and once again she didn’t see Ydnar home yet. Geralt walked up the white stairs.  Vernon must’ve already been asleep at this time as was Deilien. She thought nothing of his absence but wanted to make sure she got to talk to him before he fell asleep tonight. On the table was a very large brown sack full of gold coin. She saw the yellow letter and froze up. She slowly sat down and read it carefully. She shook her head and didn’t believe it at first. She read it again and tears started flowing down her face as she closed her eyes. She was angry. Not at him but at herself. The last thing she did was get upset with him. She tried to remember if she had kissed him recently or told him she loved him but the last time was two days ago. She felt sick to her stomach. Ciri didn’t feel seventeen but felt more like nine or ten now. She calmed herself down a bit and opened her eyes. She looked at the money and shook her head. The young woman stood up and started her long walk up to the bedroom. D****t. Why did I do that? He’s out there dealing with the mage and the last thing his wife told him was she was upset because he came home late and got another scar. She knew she had two kids to take care of and also knew the money he brought home would help but for how long? Then there was the simple fact that she loved him to bits. Ciri reached the top of the stairs and walked into the already open bedroom. She closed the doors behind her and then set the large sack of money with the other one that was near the balcony door. She then lay down on the bed and took her sword off. The tears came back as she started taking her clothes off and dropped them onto the floor. She slid into the covers and thought about what she said. Ciri wished she could get rid of the anger she had sometimes. The sad woman felt regret like never before. What if he doesn’t come back and the last thing I tell him is I don’t want to talk to him tonight? What if? D****t Ydnar, d****t i’m sorry. Ciri closed her wet eyes and fell asleep.

____________________________________  

Four Months Later

____________________________________

Ydnar was just waking up at a mage's house. This was his second week of being unable to move. He had been through interrogation and escaped twice now. The second time he escaped he was picked up by a local mage who took him in and repaired him. Ydnar couldn’t open his eyes but he could feel the pain. The mage told him he had scars up and down his entire back. The first week he couldn’t eat and what little he did eat came back out of his mouth. The beginning of the second week he could actually open his eyes but every time he did so it sent a sharp pain up his back and chest. He felt soft hands on his chest and a cold cream being applied to him.

‘How do you feel this morning’? She asked.

He sighed and answered honestly, “Like i’ve been through hell”.

‘You look like it. Since you can speak now I hope you don’t mind telling me how you got here’.

“I don’t. You’re a mage right”? He asked as he felt her cold hands on his legs.

‘Yes I am’.

“I was after a mage by the name of Raven. I’m a bounty hunter by trade and thought I had her. That was four months ago. She set a perfect trap for me and I was captured. For three months I was beaten, stabbed, abused, underfed, sexually assaulted, and many other nasty things that i’ll spare you the details of. I escaped and made my way to Mahakam. Before I could get there I was recaptured by the same group and they applied the same treatments except worse. Two or was it…..maybe more like three weeks later I escaped again and then woke up here”.

Ydnar felt cold drops of water on his naked chest and it made him shiver slightly.

‘Dear…...Gods…..I….I...had no idea. Do you have any family nearby’? She asked in a soft voice.

Ydnar sighed and said, “No not nearby. I am still being hunted by them no doubt. You’re taking a very large risk by keeping me here”.

‘Please…...I can handle them. Your family who are they? Something to me doesn’t really add up. Why are you being chased’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “Are we safe where we are”?

‘Yes very. No one, not even other mages can enter the world we’re in right now’.

“My wife is Zireael. Ciri and I got married together and had two kids together. I left her because I had a job that took me way out of town. That’s when I got captured”.

‘You...and…...wow…..wow….I’ve studied a lot about her. That’s amazing. I wish the best for the both of you. Are the two kids then of the elder blood’? She asked as she patched up his legs and got the bits of metal shard out.

“Ohhhhhgggggg Shirtrhrhhh. Damn that …...ahghhhhhhhh. Ok…...damn. Yes both are …..elder bloods…...ones…...sixteen…..the others…….nine months…….the oldest is my son and the youngest is my daughter. The age difference is due to the fact that we genetically aged him forward. In reality he’s around four or five now”.

‘That’s really something. You’re lucky to be alive right now. Most men would’ve died at this point. I can see why you’re so determined. How did things work out for you two then? I don’t mean to pry but…...Cause the prophecy says that --

Ydnar sighed and cut her off. “That marriage of an elder blood will doom the world. True. We’ve had our share of ups and downs but Ciri and I have been married now for two years and neither of us…..He started having tears roll down his face. “Neither of us regret it. I saved …..her life..when she appeared outside my house and I repaired her for a day before she woke up…….she was only supposed to stay for a day but it turned into two, then three, and a week went by. We started to fell in love and well…..one thing led to another...here we are now”.

‘Wow. That’s beautiful, truly. What shall I call you’?

“Names Ydnar. How long until I can walk again”?

‘A few more days probably. Those metal shards were deep in your legs. Maybe a day if you really focus on sleeping and healing. You’re not going to look for that mage again are you’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “That’s what my pay is for. I need to find her as soon as i’m out of here”.

‘You’re going to need help. The sorceresses  name is Freya Kresky and she’s deadly powerful. You won’t take her alone. When you’re better we’ll set off together in search of her. I used to be good friends with her and know a few things about her. I hold a grudge for anyone who sickens the name of sorceresses’.

Ydnar sighed and coughed up what he tasted was blood. “So you don’t mind her dead then”.

‘Not at all. Now please focus on sleeping. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on your condition’.

Ydnar wanted to open his eyes but he knew it would lead to the harsh pain. Ciri ……...Ciri….you must survive for her. Push yourself to survive. F**k it hurts…...I want to scream and yell but it hurts to talk. Sleep…..just sleep……..Ciri...He shut his mind down and fell asleep.

Ciri woke up. It was cold in the room today. She pulled the warm covers up over her and curled up into a small ball. She has been without him for four months now and was starting to get worried. About two months ago the baby started to walk a bit. Now she could darn near walk across the whole room. Her hair was a bit thicker and she was starting to say things. Ciri was put to tears when she first called her mama. To her that feeling was powerful. She wished Ydnar was here to witness the event. Ciri still held out hope for him and knew that if he died she would receive notification of it by the soldiers since he did after all serve. Two days ago she broke down in tears. Nothing really caused it. Just all of a sudden she was out on the balcony reading one of her favorite books and she thought about him and cried. Ciri was ashamed of that. I need to be a tough mom when i’m around my kids. I can’t afford to be seen crying in front of them like that. Ydnar I miss you too much. Your touch, your voice, your strength, your security, everything I miss it all. I love you. She pushed out the thought and thought about something else. Vernon and Quen announced their plan to marry in the next few months. Things were happening quickly and she felt like her head was spinning and she couldn’t stop it. Ciri opened her eyes and sighed. When you come home Ydnar, we’re going to Kaer Morhen to have some fun and relax for a few days. I don’t care what your job says. Ciri sighed and got herself out of bed. A few days ago she decided to permanently change her age to sixteen. She liked that number and decided to keep it there.

Ydnar woke up and opened his eyes with very little pain this time. The sorceress was looking at him closely.

‘How’s the pain right now’?

“Manageable”. Ydnar heard some people talking outside the house. It sounded to him like they were arguing.

“What’s going on out there”? He asked. The young woman looked to be around twenty maybe twenty five. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a low cut green top and a matching green skirt.

‘Nothing too much. We’re trying to figure out where the mage is at right now. She’s very good at hiding but we’ll find her. Besides you’ve got to start feeling better too. I’ve no doubt that she’ll be well guarded’.

He sighed and noticed he was strapped to a bed. There was a single window in the room that provided the light he needed to see. He looked at his bruised and beaten body. The scars and cuts he had were extremely deep in nature. His legs were by far the worst part. He had deep gashes and holes where some skin was missing.he could move his legs ever so slightly and so far it didn’t really hurt but he knew that was because of the restraints. He could already see that the light outside was getting softer now. The day was ending which meant he slept most of the day. The woman was still in the room with him and she watched him move a bit.

‘Those restraints bothering you’?

“Yes”. He answered. She undid his arms and legs and told him,

‘I would suggest not moving very much at first. Course if you’ve been married to your wife this long some of the stubbornness is bound to rub off. I...hope you don’t mind…….I ...sent..your wife a …...letter detailing what happened to you--

“You ...did what”?

‘I just told her where you were and what happened to you. Four months is a long time to go without hearing from your loved one Ydnar’.

“Yeah no s**t! That’s going to make her even more worried about me”.

‘I know Ciri probably better than you do. She’s worried about you. This will help ease her pain’.

Ydnar’s blood was boiling. “Bullshit! I’m not going to sit here and listen to this. How many bandits have you rescued her from huh? How many baths have you taken with her, how many times have you repaired her, comforted her when she’s lost it, found her when she’s lost……...He closed his eyes and calmed himself.  

“Sorry……..I just…..don’t like other people meddling in things that really is none of their business”.

She sighed and said, ‘That….was my mistake. I apologize. It’s already sent though’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Well…..hope she doesn’t get too terribly worried. Lately she’s been a train wreck without me. All the things she’s done have been coming back to haunt her. I seem to be the only thing to keep her sane”.

‘That’s too bad truly. Well try to rest up and we can try to track down the mage. Not to second guess your judgement but should we see your wife before we find the mage’?

Ydnar sighed and said, “No. What return to her and then leave her again? No. We find the mage first and then….then….I return to my wife and kids….for good”. Ydnar sighed and closed his tired eyes.

‘I’ll leave you be. I’ll be in tomorrow to check on you’.

“Before you go. I meant to say thank you for all of this. If there’s anything I can do to repay you then say the word and i’ll do it”.

She snickered and said, ‘Please. You don’t need to do anything really. I did it to help you live and that’s that. Goodnight’. She said as she closed the door softly.

Ciri came back home after running and saw a odd looking letter on the table. She steadied her breathing and opened the letter. Deilien came to the table and said, ‘Someone’s popular. Who’s it from’? He asked looking at the yellow colored paper.

“I don’t know I just opened it”. Ciri sat down at the table across from the man and started reading it.

Dear Ciri,

I wanted to let you know your husband is in Dol Blathanna. He’s alive but only just. For the last two weeks now he’s been surviving but is on the edge of death as we speak. I’m not sure if he’ll make it at this time but i’ll keep administering him. He can’t talk and he can’t open his eyes yet. He kept mumbling your name and I decided to send you this letter to let you know he’s ok. I’m taking care of him and will do all I can to save him but prepare for the worst.

Your friend Val Sherra

Ciri wiped her eyes and sighed.

‘Who sent it? Is it about Ydn’? Del asked looking into her wet eyes.

“Seems to be. It’s from a friend of mine. Here sorry”. She slid the letter in front of him and she got up from the table to grab a glass of water. She drank it all in one go and thought about the letter. It says he’s ok. Relax Ciri, he’s alive, relax, relax, relax. She calmed herself and Del looked at her.

‘Well it says he’s ok. I’m sure knowing him he’ll be ok’.

She nodded her head and said, “I’m not worried. Been through too much in my life to be worried about this. Now when he gets here….that’s when the tears will be strong”.

Del smiled and said, ‘Yeah I believe it. You’re a strong woman. Suppose you had a lot of good practice though’.

She smiled and said, “At this point in life nothing really scares me anymore honestly. Well besides losing him I guess”. Ciri walked up the winding stairs to the third floor. She opened and closed the glass doors. She sighed and looked at the bed which she shouldn’t have done. Every time she looked at the bed she thought about him. Ciri put him out of her mind and took all her clothes off to take a bath. She cast the spell and the tub filled. She turned on a single lamp and put it by her as she grabbed from her brown boots the protected drawing that she always kept with her. The drawing that made her realise he did feel something in her all those years ago. “I should get this framed honestly”. She said to no one. Ciri put the drawing on the bed. She sighed and slid into the large tub. The warm water loosened her tight muscles and put her very quickly to sleep.

Ydnar woke up to a bright sun. He decided to try to walk today as he would like to be able to do something today. He sat up and felt ok. He sighed and braced himself for the worst. He hit the ground and felt the pain shoot up his back and burn a hole in his head. He just stood there and let it hit him as hard as it could. He reached down and rubbed his legs to get them to hurt more so he could get used to the pain. In his experience that was the best way of dealing with situations like this. He sighed and saw his armor in the corner of the room. He quickly got dressed and saw the large amount of blood on his black and gold plated chest. He chuckled about how he made it through such brutal punishment. He wanted the bath again. The two things he wanted the most besides his kids was the bathtub and his wife. Everything else was secondary. He got himself dressed and opened the door. Ydnar walked out of the room and saw food on the large brass table. His stomach growled at the sight and smell of food. He saw the young woman come up to him and say, ‘Well done. Looks like you’re walking fine then. There’s even more good news too. We’ve found where the sorcerer is hiding now too’.

Ydnar looked at her while he ate an apple. “Where at”?

The sorceress smiled and said, ‘She’s taken over a large portion of Oxenfurt and is holding it captive’.

“Well….let’s get over there now then”.

The woman looked at him questionably, ‘You sure you’re up for it’?

Ydnar looked her in her eyes and said, “So ready. Let’s kick some a*s”.  

The woman smiled and flashed her hands and a portal appeared in front of them. Both entered and were off to Oxenfurt.

The city was aflame. The pointed roofs of the tall buildings were burning as spells whistled this way and that.

‘Follow me this way’! She said. Ydnar grabbed both swords out and ran after her. There seemed to be mages everywhere around here. Everything was on fire. The dark black smoke seemed to blot out the sun and even though it was only the afternoon it seemed to be the evening already. The smell and crackle of flames overwhelmed the senses. They ran fast and went around the corner of one of the buildings. Three more mages came around the corner with them. To his surprise he saw Triss here as well.

‘The hell are you doing here? Not that i’m not glad to see you but..

“I can handle myself Triss don’t worry. I need Raven to finish out a contract and get back home”.

Triss nodded as more spells flew over their heads. ‘We need to go down to the very end of the street. That’s where she’s at. She’s well guarded though’.

“I can take her. I know magic too”. Ydnar fired back. Instead of waiting Ydnar charged out into the street. His ring was still on his finger and bit down hard on him. He ran down the cobblestone street and to the other side of the street. He saw the woman surrounded by six or eight black steel armored guards. She immediately started firing spells at him. Ydnar dodged out of the way and teleported behind one of the guards and stabbed him through the back. Before another could take him he  rolled under the blade and whirled to get the man right in his back. Blood showered his body. The other mages joined the fight and started dealing with the guards. Raven drew her blue and red staff weapon and came right at him. He back stepped and rolled under the attack. She quickly changed directions and fired a quick spell. Ydnar using his sword absorbed it and felt the ring bite deeper into his finger. She leaped at him and at the last second she whirled and hit him hard in the chest. Luckily it wasn’t terribly deep. She was extremely fast and Ydnar was having trouble keeping up. He forced his body to keep pace. Her could feel the heat from all the buildings burning around him. She came at him again and missed. He went on the offensive now. He fired a large blast of fire and used that to mask his sword as he lunged low and caught her in her thigh. She staggered a bit but came back at him and struck hard and fast. She then broke the spear in half and Ydnar had his oh s**t moment now as he tried to keep up. His arms were a hurricane of action and movement. He concentrated as he never had before. He could tell she was getting tired. She quickly summoned a portal. He ran hard after her and as she entered he went through with her.

The place they appeared was hot as hell. In fact it could’ve been hell. Fire was all around and lava burned hot around them. The sky was a cave rock wall. And off the sides was hot glowing lava.

She circled and said, ‘Ydnar….There can only be one winner here….there’s not enough room in this world for two’. She said looking at him with her bleeding right thigh.

“I couldn’t agree more. I like the place you chose. Pity it’ll be the last pretty thing you see”. He said looking at her.

Her smile turned into something wicked and demonic.

She came at him and flipped and twirled. Ydnar rolled under her attacks. Quickly he turned and blocked attack after attack. Ydnar then kicked her hard. She staggerd back a bit. Ydnar started his attacks and transitioned to faster attacks. Suddenly he went for her legs. She jumped out of the way but only just. Lava bubbled all around them and the air smelled of sulfur. It was hot enough to burn the hair off his arms and legs. She came in and whirled. He blocked attack after attack. Suddenly she used a shock wave spell. Ydnar dug one of his swords into the ground to try to keep himself from going over the side. He slid to the edge of the platform above the lava and fell over the side nearly falling in. He hung onto the edge of the rocky platform. She came over and looked at him. Both his swords fell into the lava. He felt his legs burning. It felt like they were liquefying right before his very eyes.

She looked down into his eyes and said, ‘You….fought well…..There can….only be one…’ As she was saying that Ydnar knew he only had one shot at this. Right as she swiped at his hands he concentrated hard and teleported behind her with his greatsword in his hands. She turned quickly and hastily stuck her pole into him but Ydnar had his much larger sword in her neck and heart region. Blood poured out of both of them but his weapon was much deeper in her then hers was in him. He yelled as he forced it all the way through. Blood and gore spilled out from her chest and she screamed a blood thirsty yell as she collapsed to the floor in a pool of blood, guts, and clothes. Ydnar collapsed and pulled the pole out of his chest. Blood shot out of his open wound. He could feel the heat of the lava and the ground below his body burned him to a crisp as he tried to shove his hand in the wound to stop the bleeding.

He yelled from the pain he felt. “Aghhhhhhh  Fuckkkkkkk Aghhhhhhhh!

The hole was damn big and he knew he really didn’t have long. He heard a portal open up somewhere and he saw people looking at him as he saw a dark black curtain fall on his eyes.

When he awoke the first thing he did was cough up more blood. He felt like hell. Opening his eyes he saw he was in one of the seven bedrooms in his house. He looked at his chest and the hole to his surprise had been fixed. I don’t understand. How? He heard the door swing open and felt tears roll down his face. She came up on the bed and laid on his body. The pain shot up but he let it. Love can break all obstacles, love knows no bounds, love will heal all. Ciri put her hands around his neck and they touched again after a four nearly five month dry spell. She didn’t want to let go of him. He brought his hands on her waist and closed his eyes to take in the sweet smell of her perfume, the feeling of her body, the cat like tongue, the warmth hotter than that of the area he nearly lost his life in. She retracted and said,

‘I wasn’t even thinking i’m probably hurting you doing this’. She said as she got off of him.

He smiled at her and said, “damn it feels good to be back here again. I thought I’d never see it again”.

Ciri was right next to his left side and she kissed his neck over and over again until it was showered in saliva.

‘You ...were pretty badly damaged when you arrived here. I had my doubts but the mages repaired you well. Ydnar…...i’m sorry the last thing I said…...was….’

“Ciri please baby you were tired and frustrated I understand”.

She had tears in her eyes and he grabbed her and flung her to his right side so she could lie on his right shoulder as she usually did. Ydnar closed and locked the door to the room and shut the burning lamp off. She stopped crying and Ydnar said,

“Oh Cirilla. I think i’m done chasing and hunting for a while. What do you think”?

She snickered and said, ‘Please...yes. Ydnar I love you so goddamn much’. She laid her head on his right shoulder and Ydnar cast a quick spell to strip them both down to their usual attire for bed. Ciri applauded his effort and pulled the covers up on both of them. His arm was around her as she laid close to him and kissed his neck. She closed her eyes and said,

‘Are you really done with the hunting or just temporarily done’? She whispered softly.

Ydnar sighed and said,“I’d like to be done for good if that’s ok with--

‘Yes, Yes, Yes …..Yes

Ydnar laughed and said, “I think that’s a yes then”. They laughed and she said,

‘I want to, once you’re feeling better, go on a long trip together. Maybe from here to the south. I heard it’s some of the most beautiful land in the entire plane of the universe’.

Ydnar smiled and replied, “Mmmmmmmm yes. As long as we can hold hands and travel by horse”.

She giggled and said, ‘Yes…..oh Gods yes…..I missed you so much’. She kissed his neck again. He ran his hand through her soft hair and along her neck. She shivered as he did.

“Oh Cirilla I missed you too. You and the kids are the only things that got me through that mess”. Ydnar kissed her head.

“Dear Gods i’m friggen exhausted”. He sighed and yawned. Suddenly he felt a warm fuzzy ball of fur on him and opened his eyes. He laughed and Ciri opened his eyes and said,

‘You weren’t supposed to come out now Luke’. Ydnar was having a hard time breathing. He turned red and then said,

“So now you truly have everything then”?

Ciri looked at him and said, ‘Yes….I now truly have everything’. They laughed again and the orange cat sat on his lower chest. Ydnar kissed Ciri’s head again and all three, including the cat fell asleep and were carried up to the cloud.

The world in front of him seemed blurry. As if he was wearing a smudged pair of glasses. He was bleeding from every place imaginable. All he could smell was blood, sweat, and urine. The room was dim, lit only by two flickering candles. One of the red steel armored guards in the group asked him question after question about him and his family. No matter how he answered he was beaten over and over. His hands were chained to the wall behind him and his legs were restrianed to the cold wood floor. Blood covered his eyelids and made it even harder to see.

The large man came even closer and then asked,

‘That woman of yours Ydnar? I wonder how she’d feel if I go inside of her while you watch. You….you will never be a man….men don’t go AWOL. You’ll never be a man’. He lifted up a large wooden board and was about to hit him when Ydnar woke up.

The second he woke up the cat jumped off of him and he yelled, “F**k you! Enough of this F**k you! Fu…….fu…..”.  Ciri quickly sat up and rubbed his chest saying,

‘Ydnar relax...i’m here, relax you’re dreaming’.

He looked around and realised where he was. He was breathing heavily and sweating from every part of his body. He sat up and then got out of the bed.

‘What was the dream about’? She asked softly as she got out of the red covered bed as well.

Ydnar leaned on the small dark wooden dresser in the room across from the bed. He closed his eyes and punched the dresser.

He shook his head and Ciri with a simple spell turned on all the candles and oil lamps in the room.

“It was…..I went through the process..of getting beaten again”.

Now that there was more light in the room she could see all the marks on his back. Where skin was missing. Some parts were blackened and others just had long, deep, red gashes that wound in the pattern of a piece of wood or blunt object. She ran her hands along his back and held back tears. Ydnar sighed and opened his eyes again. The nauseous feeling went away now and he got his breathing under control again.

‘I’m worried about the psychological effects of what happened to you’.

Ydnar sighed and turned around to meet her green eyes. He brought his hands around her tight, cool, waist. She sighed and put her head on his chest and her arms around his back.

“I’ll make it through. Dreams and bad memories will fade away given enough time. ……….Just….”. He rested his head on top of hers and said, “Just …..don’t leave me. I don’t know…..if I could….make it through on my own. I …..will never leave you again Ciri”.

‘Never. You’re mine forever Ydnar. It’s...almost hard to believe that it was ...well...three years ago now that we met each other’. She said as she brought her head off his chest and looked at him as he held her close.

He smiled at her and said softly, “Yeah it is. Feels much longer ago. We’ve...been so busy with things that we really haven’t done too much together. Makes me really look forward to that trip you mentioned to the south”. Ydnar took his right hand and ran it over her scar by her left eye. He ushered a phrase and the candles and lamps all went out leaving the only light from the window that was blocked out by the large red drapes. He let go of her and shook his head. She still held onto his neck and chest.

He sighed and said, “Why do I feel broken like this? This isn’t me today? I don’t…..know who I am anymore. He shook his head and sighed saying, “Here I am…….an expert swordsman, master archer, apprentice mage, ex bounty hunter who worked for one of the best bands of warriors and special forces groups, and i’m getting soft. I …...I just….I don’t know…..d****t no…..i’m better than this”. He closed his eyes and Ciri kissed his neck over and over again.

‘Relax…….relax……..I will...never leave you. I love you……..I love you more than anything…...you’ve been through hell Ydnar. Even a bounty hunter such as yourself has their limits on what they can go through. Whatever effects happen as a result of what was done ...well…..we’ll get through it together’. Ydnar opened his eyes and tears rolled down his scarred face. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. He put his arms around her waist and felt her beautiful, smooth skin, that seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. He was ashamed to feel like this. The long months of torture. Watching the guards break him down over and over. Tell him about his wife not loving him, never seeing her again ect, ect. He was ashamed, just ashamed and now broken.

She brought her dimly lit head within inches of his so she could smell his breath and the cologne he used; Ciri looked right into his broken crystal blue eyes and said softly,

‘Ydnar…..You...you will never,..... ever,..... be alone in dealing with this. Never…..the amount of s**t you had to go through. Please don’t be ashamed to cry…..I …...Ydnar I will never think of you as less of a man…...never…. I love you, more now than I ever had in the past, you take all the pain i’ve ever felt away and gave me so many great times. We’ll get through it. It hurt bad didn’t it, the psychological pain, the things they said’? She asked as she rubbed his chest which was now wet with tears.

He nodded and through the tears said…..”I…..I ….thought I…...was strong…….enough...to just ….take it….I ...Ciri I had ...long nights where….I sat there...and did what i’m doing now”. He was breathing uncontrollably and rapidly. He he tried desperately to stop crying like this but for whatever reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I …..don’t know..where this even came….from. I feel so,......damn,.....broken now”. He closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing back to normal levels. Ciri rubbed his chest and neck softly. She pressed her body tight against his and put her moist, smooth, pink lips on his neck and whispered, ‘Everythings fine. You’re here with me, I will not leave you’.

Ydnar opened his eyes and the tears slowed down now as he got a grip on himself. He held her tight and put his head on her cool shoulder.

“These …..mental scars are going to take some time for me to overcome. I know we still have some things to take care of like --

Ciri interrupted him and said in a barely audible whisper, ‘Like nothing. Ydnar, later….please…..just …..baby, rock me in your arms….and…….say something beautiful’. She said as she closed her eyes and felt his body warm her and protect her from everything.

He chuckled and said, “You know what got me through all this right? Thinking about the time where we fell asleep on the whale at Kaer Morhen”.

She giggled. He loved to hear her laugh like that. It was like the release of innocence. It was stronger than any drug or alcohol to him to hear that beautiful laugh.

“I thought back to our first kiss. The kiss I thought i’d never get. How….pure it was. How good it made me feel to have kissed a woman, especially one like you Zireael. I couldn’t take my eyes off you after that”.

Ciri kissed his neck over and over as he slowly rocked her in his strong arms.

‘Even though you liked me sooner than that’? She asked as she broke away from his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

He smiled and brushed a strand of her ashen hair out of her green eyes.

“I revered you. For what you did in your life. For how strong you were. I….only thought of you as an acquaintance”.

She brought her lips inches away from his and both could feel the heat from their breaths.

‘Even though I let myself get raped and would’ve been named a lesbian by most people back then? I was a criminal in all respects. I stole things, killed without a reason when I was one of the rats and …..poor Mistle and I. That….well..’.

“Ciri please. S**t happens. You adapted and survived. That’s why I revered you so much. You...well...you inspire me so much the way you’re able to do that so easily. I don’t blame you for what happened with Mistle, you told me before you were only lonely and wanted some company no matter what the cost. I understand it”.

Ciri sighed and said as she brought her hands up to his pecs, ‘Just because i’m curious, when did you start taking a liking to me’?

He chuckled and inhaled the beautiful smell of her sweet perfume. It made him so incredibly high.

“Well….When I carried you to the small shack I set you near the fire and then after you felt a bit warmer I …..He blushed and she giggled whispered,

‘Say it Ydnar’.

“I put you in the bed next to me. I only took some of your clothes off so you wouldn’t get too warm. It was then that I drew the picture of you. I liked you but only from a standpoint of, this girl is beautiful to look at and mom and dad wanted me to find a woman to love, then I said, well she’s way too good for me though”.

She shook her head in disbelief and whispered, ‘You….a incredibly handsome, strong, sexy bounty hunter who could lift women up and take them to bed, were afraid to tell me the one thing I wanted to know about you. Why’?

Ydnar shook his head now. He sighed, with his right hand he brushed the strand of hair back away from her piercing green eyes, and said, “Because you’re Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. You're beautiful, smart, funny, talented, come from royalty, and deserved in my mind so much more than I could ever give you. I told you even now I can’t believe I have you. Most people we run into can’t believe I have you. It’s …..well it’s like the queen of Aedirn falling in love with a peasant from Kaedwen. It just doesn’t happen in real life only in fairy tales”.

She smiled and said softly, ‘Well then Ydnar...this fairy tale has an ending that would make even the queen jealous of the way you love me’.

Ydnar blushed and said, “I don’t think we’re reading the same book Ciri”.

She pushed her soft body against his and raised her right leg. She whispered as her moist pink lips were now millimeters from his, ‘I think we are, I just think i’m reading the adult version of the fable while you got stuck with the child's copy’. She tilted her pale head and they touched with a feeling of fire between them. As if the feeling they got propelled them into the stratosphere. The gentle, curl of her tongue, the way she retracted her moist, soft, pink lips and came in over and over, constantly changing her angle to make him have to adapt. The way she slid her beautiful, soft, fragile hands up and down his scarred, ripped body, giving his pecs a playful squeeze as she felt his hard n*****s. She shivered as he ran his large man hands around her soft, slender arms and across her long smooth neck. Saliva started to accumulate on their mouths now and slowly dribbled down his chest. The faint light played with the muscular curves on his body and produced shadows that seemed to make this act of unbridled, untamed love even more romantic. He ran his hands along her back and with a simple pull of a loose end her white bra fell to the light colored wooden floor. She blushed and felt giddy as her puffed up breasts brushed up against his war torn chest. There was a good amount of sweat built up between them now and she slid her left hand down into his briefs; since she was now infertile and it wouldn’t hurt anything. He felt her soft, cold hand grab onto the warm telescopic sword.  Ydnar retracted his wet lips and said,“Ciri i’m not sure we really want a third child right now”.

She blushed and whispered with a smile, ‘Ydnar relax…...i’m ...infertile now…..it won’t hurt anything...even if you’re still performing’.

“Are you sure you want to take that chance”? He asked looking into her bright green eyes.

She blushed, brought her mouth close to his, grabbed his rock hard shaft, and said in a playful sideways glance, ‘Hang onto me tight my prince charming’. He held onto her waist and they were out of the room and suddenly up on the tallest tower of Kaer Trolde.

She looked at him with a devilish smile, took her panties off throwing them into the air towards the town, and walked to the naked strong man with the mile long shaft. Before she guided him in she came up close to him and whispered,

‘I told you i’d let you love me up on the tallest point in Kaer Trolde. It’s late, it’s dark, we’ve the whole platform to ourselves, and’. She stepped closer, guided him into her wet, extremely tight vagina, brought her lips within a hair's thickness of his, and said, ‘I’m horny as bollocks right now’. She saw him blush violently as he ran her hard all night long, under the stars of Skellige.

That night something changed between them. Though screams and moans could be heard all over Ard Skellig that night, the feeling was anything but pain. The feeling of true love. So many men she loved but weren't good companions, so many companions she loved but weren’t good lovers back to her. He was both of those things. He was a hell of a companion and could also satisfy her lust and greed for intimacy like no other could. She loved that about him. Yes true she was a princess by bloodline, but by all other accounts she was destined not for the throne but for a man who could…...seriously…….simply…...and sincerely……..love her.

“What if Crach comes up here”? He asked as the sun began to rise. She was on her left side looking over at him. They were lying down on a large blue blanket that he conjured up after the deed was done and she was satisfied. He was on his right side lying down and looking at her slim, naked body. Both were pressed close together to give each of them as much heat as possible.

She smiled at him and said, ‘Well my sexy little bounty hunter we shall laugh and teleport away. I’m not worried about what he’ll say or think. By the way Ydnar….about last night….that was…...amazing. You seem to be like wine; you get better with age’. They laughed. After a brief moment she ran her hands up and down his muscular chest again and brought her long, skinny, legs up over his. She still felt slightly horny despite having been satisfied beyond belief last night. There were white streaks all over her body, in her hair, on her legs especially, her abs, and even all over her face. She didn’t dare wash it off, it was his own fluid and simply didn’t bother her in the slightest.

She kissed his lips again. He snickered and said, “Never seen you this horny before”.

Ciri blushed and replied, ‘It’s well….been awhile since I was reminded of your manhood in full like that... I do believe the last time was cut short and was with a condom’.

He thought back and then said, “Ahhh yes that’s right. Yeah that was a little while ago”. Ydnar playfully rubbed her vagina to get her to giggle again. She did and he said, “Oh Ciri you’ve a different laugh for every occasion. I love them”.

She put her right hand on his still rock hard shaft and said,

‘Very true. Though I only laugh that one around you’.  She said as she kissed his lips again and sighed. They didn’t really get any sleep last night since every time he finished she felt horny again before they could fall asleep.

‘Now…...i’m quite tired…...amazing how…..getting intimate can make you that way’.  She said as she grabbed his left arm and rolled herself so she now had her slim butt pressed up against his shaft and she put his arm on her sweaty breasts. He got both his arms around her and felt her slippery, hot, urine soaked, semen stained body. She shivered as he felt everything. She wanted to simply jump inside his body and explore what made him so damn good at pleasuring her.

“Well…..my semen stained swallow let’s get you back to the tub eh”? He suggested.

CIri laughed and became cherry red in the face. After she let out her laughter she said, ‘please..Ydnar….oh dear Gods i’ve never felt this pleasured in my whole damn life. You hit every nook and cranny of desire inside and out of my body. I wish you and I met when I was much younger. The things i’d let you do when I was nine’.

He shook his head and said, “Ciri…...that’s pushing it. I love you…..for a woman...not well…..goods and services”.

She blushed and felt awkward at having made the comment. Sometimes she wondered if the magic effect messed with her sexuality a bit. Triss did say from experience it had a tendency to make women want more. Seems to be true to me at least. The way he does it he’s gonna get the skin ripped off as fast and as hard as he can go. Ok Horny time is done now. I’m back to being a mother and a wife. He kissed her sweaty neck and they disappeared in a flash of light.

They appeared in the hollow tub. She was still wrapped in his arms and then suddenly the tub filled with bubbles and warm water. He let go of her and conjured up Ciri’s favorite pastries on a silver plate. She sat up, laughed, applauded him, and said,

‘Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, you find a way to quench my hunger. You’re more man than a woman can handle’.

He snickered and put his head up against the back of the circular tub to lie down.

“You seemed to handle me quite well last night”.

Ciri laughed as she chowed down on the sweet raspberry pastries.

‘That’s true. Oh my Ydnar you’re so incredibly sexy. Words can’t even describe’. She said looking into his tired eyes.

He yawned and asked her, “Whenever you want to hit the trail and go down south for a while let me know and we can set off”. He closed his eyes and just rested there. He let the warm water billow over his tired aching muscles.

‘Maybe tomorrow morning love. I want to get to sleep in a bed with you again’. She replied looking at him.

“Sounds good to me. I look forward to sleeping with you again too. Feels like it’s been far too long since we had a chance to”. He opened his eyes and saw that all the pastries were now gone and she was licking her fingers. He smiled and started to chuckle. As he did she looked over at him and said,

‘You were supposed to keep your eyes closed while a woman eats. Didn’t your parents ever tell you that’? She asked looking at him.

“Not in the slightest Ciri. Oh my swallow you make whole again”. Ydnar Conjured a second plate of pastries and for him some elderberry pie. He grew up eating it since his mom would ask him to go and collect the berries that fell on the ground. Often times Ydnar climbed up to the very top of the massive trees to pick the freshest ones.

He then conjured up some bronze plates, utensils, and then they dug in and ate like a king and queen should.

The situation in the Northern Realms was dire. Nilfgaard was losing ground quickly while the Redaninas were actually gaining some. Furthermore, there were hard feelings between Kaedwen and Aedirn. It seemed that back on the continent the world was in chaos.

Ydnar just got done working out and after he took a bath he felt much more energized. After having played with their daughter a bit and then put her back in her crib, the group decided to sit out on the top floor balcony for a while. Ciri and Ydnar were sitting next to each other at a long blue rectangular table. Across from the two of them sat Del and Geralt. Next to them sat Vernon and Quen. The sun was low in the sky and Ydnar was starting to drift off to the cloud for the day.

‘There was talk of the black ones wanting as much help as they possibly could. They were wanting to send an expeditionary force to the east to do some reconnaissance of Haakland and Zerrikania’.

Ydnar looked at Ciri and then said,

“Yeah ….about that Del. I told my wife i’d become a stay at home man for a bit and just do some local work”.

‘Yes you did. I’m holding you to that. I’m tired of losing you to job that take you away from me. I know there’s still things we’ve got to take care of but….

Ydnar looked at her and said, “I know. I won’t. Least not for a little while. Is Emhyr still looking at crossing between the worlds’?

Ciri grabbed Ydnar’s left hand. Ydnar looked at her and kissed her cheek. She blushed in front of Del. Geralt smiled. Further down the table Quen and Vernon were poking each other and laughing loudly. Del looked at Ydnar and said,

‘It’s true. He’s trying to round up mages and open a link between worlds. I personally think it’s a terrible idea, but hey, he’s the white flame dancing on the ashes on his opponents’. They laughed. A brief moment later the baby started crying. Ydnar got up and said, “Baby alarms going off again”. Ciri, still had his hand in her’s, and pulled him towards her. Their lips met just briefly.

The kiss felt good. He liked it more than anything when she did that in front of people. He retracted and said, “Remind me to never leave you again like that. I miss your love”.

Ciri smiled and said, ‘I miss yours as well. I’ll never let you go. I’ve got you forever’.

Ydnar laughed and joked, “For good or for worse right”? Del and Geralt laughed. Ciri stood up next to him and came closer to him. Ydnar could smell the strong sweet perfume. ‘Please…..Ydnar I knew the day I married you it was for better. I love you….perhaps way too much’. They touched lips for a short time. Ydnar retracted and Ciri started making love to his neck.

Ydnar shook his head and said, “Ciri…..mmmm later but not here in front of company”. Del laughed and watched as she continued to make love for a bit longer.

‘They can get a floor show for free’. Ciri joked.

Ydnar blushed slightly and replied, “For the love of Mahakam”. They laughed. Del turned red with laughter. Ciri quickly kissed his cheek and then sat back down.

‘Oh Ydnar you know i’m joking. Go take care of our daughter love’.

Ydnar smirked and said, “Tell me again how I got you as my wife”?

Ciri looked at him with her bright green eyes and said,

‘Because you’re sexy, funny, kind, smart, damn good with a sword, and more than anything else, you care about me’.

Geralt and Del looked at him and smiled.

Ydnar nodded and said, “Sounds about right, except for that first part”.

‘Yeah I was going to say’. Del commented. Ydnar turned and went into the house. They left the balcony doors open, since today was absolutely beautiful, and there wasn’t much in the way of pests around in these lands. While Ydnar was taking care of the young girl Ciri looked over at Vernon who had his right arm around Quen.

‘Did you tell your father yet’? She whispered.

Vernon looked at her and whispered back, ‘Not yet. I was waiting for time so I could talk to him alone’.

Ciri shot back, ‘Well you’ve got it now. Just close the doors and talk to him’.

Vernon sighed and said, ‘What if he says no? What if he thinks that we shouldn’t be together’?

Ciri smiled one of her mother smiles and answered, ‘I know you’re father well. He’ll support you. Relax Vernon, he’s just your father. He loves you unconditionally’.

Geralt and Del started talking about some of the jobs they’ve been on.

Vernon nodded and then let out a nervous sigh. ‘Ok….that’s true’. Quen kissed his cheek. Vernon got up from the wooden chair. He walked around the table and into the room. He saw his dad sitting on the edge of the canopied bed with his shirt off. Vernon, like his father, wasn’t easily intimidated, but his father was the one could could get him closest to that feeling. Vernon closed the glass doors to the balcony softly. Vernon could feel himself sweat.

The baby was making noise and trying to form words. She stood up but was wobbly. She tried to walk to where Ydnar put his sword. Ydnar saw where she was going for and quickly scooped her off the ground. “Anna, though i’m glad you’re already taking to weapons quickly, I don’t think mom would approve of me letting you feel my swords”. Ydnar commented.

He saw Vernon and asked looking at him, “You look stressed. Sit down son. What’s on your mind”?

Vernon looked at him and sat next to him on the bed. ‘It’s that easy to tell’?

Ydnar sighed and said looking at him, “Yes. You’re like me in so many ways Vernon. You don’t hide your emotions well”. Both men heard a knock on the door of the house. Ydnar sighed and looking at his son said, “Take care of your sister for a minute will ya”?

Vernon nodded and said, ‘WIll do’.

Ydnar got up off the bed and worked his way down the stairs. The large doors were right at the bottom of the stairs and it wasn’t long before he reached them. Ydnar was expecting to see a friend or someone he knew maybe, he couldn’t be further from the truth. Ydnar opened the door and saw a guard looking at him. He was alone which told him he wasn’t in any real danger.

“Can I help you”? Ydnar asked as he came outside and shut the door behind him. The guardsman was dressed all in white armor. To Ydnar that was an odd thing and stuck out greatly in his mind.

The skinny but strong man looked at him in the eyes.

‘There are some men waiting for you down at the tavern’. The guard said in a raspy voice.

Ydnar sighed and replied, “Who are these some men”?

‘They didn’t say who they were but they looked to be mages of some sort or possibly assassins. Very lightly armored and didn’t wear any visible weapons’.

Ydnar looked at the sun that was know nearly dipping below the horizon. He knew he promised Ciri he would sleep with her tonight but when duty calls he answers. Ydnar waved his right hand and became dressed in his usual bounty hunter gear.

He looked at the guard and said, “alright let’s do this then”.

They rode to the small wooden tavern. It wasn’t busy much to Ydnar’s disappointment. They dismounted and he adjusted his swords a bit. The guard led him inside and to a table with two men dressed in black robes. Ydnar knew who they belonged to immediately. The black cross. The Black Cross was a group of the best fighters and assassins in the Northern Realms. Men who, like Ydnar knew every weapon there was and how to use them in every situation. The guard stopped and waved his hand signaling he was out of the way. Ydnar approached the men and they looked at him and said, ‘Ydnar…..well...well…...The best bounty hunter in these lands. Your reputation has grown considerably among our kind’.

“Glad to be known among a group of looters, raiders, and pillagers”. He said still standing.

The two men laughed and the shorter one said, ‘Please is that what you think we do? We’re not a group of bandits. Please take a seat. We simply wish to talk’.

Ydnar reluctantly sat down across from the two of them and returned with, “You’re one step above scum but one step below thugs...take your pick”.

They laughed again and the same man talked, ‘You’re funny. Did you know that many bounty hunters start out in our prestigious little group? Anyway we’re here to discuss the colonization of Tir Ná Lia’.

Ydnar smirked and as the waiter came by he said, “Kerrack spice please”.

He them looked at the men and said, “Great, so why do you need me”?

‘Hmm good question. Firstly you know how to get there…..we don’t. Secondly, There is the possibility that some of the men who worked with Skellen are looking to kill you. We don’t know for sure but it’s entirely possible. You’d be utterly safe with us. Besides we’d give you benefits. For example tracking down the various mages who still live in the outskirts of the capital city. Of course we’d pay you very well. Your girlfriend isn’t allowed to go there until we get the place fully colonized though. You may write to her, in fact I encourage you to do so. Do you remember Bonhart? Well, if you do, he trained some men. Those men are chasing you. They’re just as good as you are if not even better and there’s more of them. By the way you’ve got to decide here and now. We...well let’s just say we’re not welcomed here in this land’. The waiter brought his spicy beer which Ydnar grabbed and took a drink of. The land itself is downright beautiful. It reminds me of Sherrawedd. Go to one of the most beautiful places in the plane of existence and  get paid to hunt there. Doesn’t sound too bad to me honestly. Sorry Ciri we need the money and i’m getting antsy to try out my sword again.

Ydnar sighed and said, “Ok…...yes I can do that”.

The two men looked at him and the shorter one talked for the first time and said, ‘Then we leave here in haste’. The three of them got up from the table and walked out the tavern.

Gram was standing in the middle of the circular red brick room. Behind the large bounty hunter stood five other men dressed in black leather like him. In front of them stood the leader of the whole pack. Kadner paced and then said, “You’ve been trained and trained well. We’ve been at this since Bonhart was first tasked with finding Ciri. Now we’re looking for the bounty hunter named Ydnar. Word on the street is he was picked up and taken to Tir Ná Lia. We need to get there and do this stealthily. He can teleport so you must watch him carefully. If you f**k this up then all the effort we put in will be for nothing. You all know how to sneak around without being noticed. You have the advantage of being able to become invisible, granted it’s only for a limited time but…..use that...and use it well. I’ve told you everything about the man you seek. His style of fighting, the way he thinks, the way he acts, his motives. Use those as they will tell you everything you need to know about him. He is good….but he has faults. Among them is that whip. Not only is it hard to dodge but it’s an emotional thing as it’s how his parents died long ago. Use that on him. Remember Emhyr wants him alive. He’s to be hung next to Skellen as a traitor. Alright men let’s get outta here”.     

Merely a week had gone by now and she was worried about him. She knew he was ok but she was still worried. When Vernon first told her that he had left without saying anything she was angry. In fact fuming was more like how she felt. So angry her body could cook an egg with the heat that was coming off of her. She was his wife, she loved him dearly, she knew he had his reasons, and she left it at that. Ciri just wished she could’ve at least said goodbye to him. She walked back into the white house and saw a note on the table. Ciri set the groceries on the marble countertop and with a flick of her wrist turned on the row of lamps on the table. She sat down at the end chair and looked at the letter. It had beautiful golden writing all over the back of it. The writing was clearly in Hen Llinge which made her confused. She opened the envelope and took the paper out. It was getting dark out so she held the paper close to the lamps and read it to herself,

Dear baby swallow,

You know I love you. You know what you married into. I’m a bounty hunter. That’s what I am and that’s what i’ll always be. About two days ago a pair of men met with me and told me about a plan to colonize the land of Tir Ná Lia. I thought them stupid but came around to the idea. I wanted to tell you but they said that since they weren’t welcome in the area that I had to decide on the spot. I hope you’re not too upset with me. These men know what they’re doing Ciri. I will not, the word not was underlined, Not put myself in any danger that I cannot face. I have two kids and a wife at home. I won’t do it. While i’m here they said they’d pay me handsomely and they weren’t joking. I’ve included a bank note in the envelope. Buy yourself and the kids something nice. I’m comfortable here and quite safe. You need not worry my darling. The only thing is…….you can’t come here to see me for at least a half year…..maybe more……….sorry. She wanted to break something. Her face became red and distorted, her pink lips curled, she bit down on her lips hard enough to taste blood in her mouth. She shut her anger down …..which then turned to sadness. She continued reading,  When I found out after the fact….well……..I was pissed off as you can imagine. Not having my hands around you for that long drives me crazy. More than likely it’ll be a year or so. Could even be more. The elves here are….well…..stubborn. (Kind of reminds me of someone). She had tears but she managed a laugh. There is a rumor that some men are looking for me and possibly you. The men are bounty hunters. They were trained by Bonhart and part of Skellens crew. All I ask is for you to be careful. Stay at home (The money I make is enough to not have to worry), keep the doors locked, keep the kids inside, and use a different name for a while. I’m doing the same. When you write to me call me Solace or Sol. Tell me yours as well. Ciri……..I love you so much. As i’m writing this letter I have tears in my eyes….that’s why the page is a bit wet….sorry. I’m sitting in a golden leather chair watching the sunset right now. It’s setting right over the tops of the large pointed roofs of the city, producing a beautiful orange glow. I wish you could be here to see it with me. The thing that’s keeping me going is the time with the whale. I loved that so much. Ciri laughed hard now and turned red. She loved that even in his letters he could be this funny and make her laugh. Once she could breathe again she continued, Please baby, don’t worry about me. I know you’re my wife and will do so anyway but try not to do too much of it. Hug the kids for me and please feel free to write me anytime, life here is easier knowing what’s going on at home. As always I love you my beautiful little swallow, you’re forever mine.

-Sol          

        Ciri folded the letter and thought about what she read. She wiped away what was left from her eyes and looked in the envelope. She pulled out a bank note. Dear Gods. She thought. The note was for no less than ten thousand crowns. Ok Ciri, you know where he is now, you can relax slightly more. One year …...is a lot but you can do it. All it does is mean that when you see him we’re going strong all night long. She smiled thinking about it as she brushed a small strand of ashen hair aside. Ciri stood up and went to the counter. In one of the wooden pullout drawers she found some paper, envelopes, and pens. She grabbed them all. Ciri went back to the table, grabbed the letter, bank note, then walked up the stairs to write a letter back to him immediately.

Ydnar woke up as the sun came in through the rectangular front window. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He’s been here for around two weeks now and was tired. He missed his Ciri. Her touch, her warmth, her love. It was starting to grow on him and handicap him a bit. Ydnar got up off the large black king size bed and flashed his hand to put his armor on. When Ciri wasn’t sleeping with him he usually went to sleep naked. To him it felt more comfortable. The house he took over was beautiful. It was a single floor but had a lot of room. The bathtub was golden round, the floor was made out of a special grey stone that felt warm to the touch, the walls were a deep royal blue and it had a giant library near the front window. By now Ydnar had gotten used to the place. He liked the two large front windows he could see out of from the bed. The two windows were on both sides of the blue door. He walked over to the door and fire briefly flashed in his hands as the oil lamp on a dark marble desk lit up. He saw a letter on the floor that must’ve been slipped under the door. Ydnar picked the white envelope up and went over the desk that sat to the left of the door against the wall. He sat on the blue leather chair and tore open the envelope. Ydnar’s hands flashed blue and fresh seafood appeared in front of him to eat, as did a large wooden glass of water. He sighed and pulled the letter out. He smelled it and the scent of her flower perfume made tears rain down from his eyes. He got control of himself again and smelled the letter a second time. A chill went down his back and a tingle started in his chest. I never get tired of that. Ydnar unfolded the letter and started reading it as he ate some of the food.

Dear Sol,

I understand what happened now. I was angry at first but after a while I let it go and trusted you were safe. It’s damn good to hear from you. You know I’ll support you whichever way you go. I would never hate you for the decisions you make. A year is…..a long time though. Our daughter will be two by then, our son will be nineteen and married. Yes Sol…..the thing that was bothering him that night was that he wanted to ask you if he could marry Quen. Ydnar flew into a fiery rage. He stood up and put a hole in the wall with his steel gloved hands. He put his hands on the desk and leaned with his head in his chest and his eyes closed. Stop it…...stop it right now. Grow up. What’re you going to do when you’re daughter does something you don’t approve of? Are you going to beat her? That last thought sobered him up real quick. I will not beat women…...i’m better than that. He sat back down and continued, I will tell him to write to you on this letter. Don’t worry too much about me. I hugged the kids for you and Del is acting as a part time dad. No he isn’t doing that job though. That’s waiting for you when you get home love. Right next to that word was a smudge from her lipstick in the shape of her pink lips. Ydnar felt his crotch tingle and a shiver even greater in intensity shoot up his spine. It was funny in a way because he never knew her to use lipstick….but apparently she had some. He read on, I’m trying….to not think about you too much on a day to day basis. You’re a bounty hunter…..you gotta do what you gotta do….I understand that…...love it’s hard to not think of you too much. You make me whole, having you gone is like….well….the stars with no moon. I knew what I married into….I did. I’ll be strong, for the kids, for you. Baby I love you so much more than words con ever describe. Please be safe and hurry home.

P.S; When you get home we’re going back to Kaer Morhen and you and I are going to fill each other up with every bodily fluid known to man. The whale is invited too provided he doesn’t drown in the fluids being released. Please write me as often as you can, it’s the one thing that’ll save me from going insane at not having you around.

-Love Verona

Ydnar laughed at the letter. He ate more of the food and took a drink from the glass. He then shifted his attention back to the letter and even noticed she put another smudge of her lips by her name. He shook his head and said softly, “Oh Ciri”. He started reading again,

Dad,

It’s good to hear from you again. I was worried when you didn’t come back after that night.  I heard you’re in Tir Ná Lia. What’s it like there? Mom told me some of what it looks like but can you tell me more? Things are going fine back at the house. I’m keeping up with my training and keeping mom company so she has something to laugh at and doesn’t think about you as much. Things are going low here now. Luke the cat likes to sleep with me in my room for some reason and wakes me up as the sun comes up every morning. Ydnar started laughing. He continued, I miss you dad. I wish we could spend more time together and do some hunting or fishing but like mom said I understand. I wanted to ask you something the last time we spoke and instead i’ll ask you now. I’m not sure if mom mentioned it to you but i’m marrying Quen this next month. I think the plan is we’re moving to her home out in the woods. It’s a very safe place and has a lot of protection. I wanted to ask you if it’s ok if I do that. I was nervous that you would say no. Either way is fine. Dad...I love you. Please be careful over there. Ydnar sighed and finished his seafood. He opened the desk drawer and took out a small black pen and paper to write a note back.

The sun was at it’s highest point now as Ydnar got on his white mare. He sent the letter back home and now the real fun started. He was back on the hunt. Doing what he does best. The town he was heading for was rumored to house a number of mages and an artifact that some of the men in charge here wanted. “Va”. He shouted. The mare took off heading east from the capital.

He was there in an hour of riding. He could definitely tell that there was someone in the house. Ydnar could see the faint flicker of candles in the house. He brought his horse around the side of the brown stone building. He already has his magic resist ring on. Ydnar dismounted his white mare and walked up to the door. He tried to softly open the door but found it was locked. He listened closely and could hear a soft rustling noise on the inside of the house. Ydnar sighed and backed up a bit. The door was made of wood so he should be able to bust through it. He started his run and Remembered what he was taught. To keep his arms tucked close to him and his shoulder to the door so he could immediately start the fight. He hit hard and the door broke off it’s hinges and slammed down on the floor. As soon as he was in, his swords were in his hands. But there was nothing. To his right was a dimly lit room with a devoured body of a robed mage. F**k…...some beast perhaps? He pondered. Ydnar saw in front of him white wooden stairs that went down into a dark basement. He took a blue pill out of his right pants pocket and popped it in his mouth to get temporary night vision. He sighed and walked down the creaky stairs. Suddenly the stairs broke. F**k me. He hit the hard wooden ground and rolled to cushion his fall. As he did so he heard a loud roar and looked around as he got up from the roll. Suddenly a beast leaped out of the dark at him. Ydnar barely managed to dodge it in time. He knew it was some kind of Vampire. He wasn’t sure what kind but he knew he didn’t really have much of a choice. He had to kill it. Ydnar dodged another quick slash. Then he slashed the creature across it’s head. His sword wasn’t a silver sword so it only did minor damage. Ydn dodged again and then again. He was constantly moving and adjusting his feet. The vampire roared again and Ydnar casted a large fire spell and shot it at the creature. It hit and set it on fire. Even then it came after him. He dodged again to the right but the intelligent creature saw him do it and clawed him deep in his upper chest just below his neck. The creature put the fire out now. Ydnar had no time even to yell as it leaped again. Ydnar backed up and then rolled right. Then it seemed to disappear. Ydnar was sweating as it was warm down in the white stone walled basement. He looked around, using the pills he took in order to see more clearly. Suddenly he felt himself being picked up from behind. He yelled and cursed. Ydnar put his swords under his crotch to hit the creature in his stomach. It let him go but not before cutting him deeply in his right arm. Blood shot out from the wound. He knew it was deep since it hurt to move any part of it. He could see right into his forearm. The creature came back in and Ydnar knew he only had one real shot at this. He murmured the words and pushed both arms towards the creature. Suddenly a giant blue metal spear about the length of Ydnar’s greatsword was conjured and flew right into the vampire. It staggered and then toppled. Ydnar using his left hand, stuck his sword right into it’s neck and chopped it’s head off.  Blood shot out of the oddly shaped creature. Ydnar saw it’s head roll and then come to a stop. The creature had long claws and an oddly shapen head. It’s ears were extremely long and bent backwards. Ydnar put both swords away. From its neck hung dark black hair. He wished Geralt was here to tell him what to do and what exactly it was that he killed. Ydnar stopped looking at the creature and from the inside left breast pocket in his armor he pulled out a small white cloth towel. Ydnar put it around his forearm to try to stop the bleeding. He knew he had to get it sew back up as the cut went from his wrist to his elbow. Ydnar damn near fainted from the mind numbing pain. He wrapped it as tight as he possibly could and then sighed as he tried to keep himself from throwing up. Ydnar raised his left arm and a flame shot out and lit all the lamps and candles in the small open basement. Ydnar looked around and uttered the words, “Dear Gods”. He was speechless. In the far corners of the small room there were bodies of various humans. Ydnar knew they were mages. The only reason was because of their robes. The rest of the body was unrecognizable. Ydnar knew some vampires could regenerate, he needed to burn the body of the creature, or at least turn it to ash. He sighed and looked at the dark brown vampire. The bounty hunter uttered more elvish phrases and the body started to turn to a fine grey ash right in front of his eyes. When there was nothing left of the beast he walked over to the bodies and look at them more closely. There were three bodies all near each other. Their purple robes were torn to small fragments and their stomachs were ripped open, showing their intestines and guts, which were in turn lying in small half eaten pieces next to the bodies. The smell was unbearable. Ydnar turned and puked. Blood was all over the walls near the bodies which reflected arterial bleeding. The process of the heart pumping blood and a hole appearing in an artery, so that the blood would shoot out with every pump of the heart. It was nasty. Ydnar looked around for anything reflecting an artifact. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and walked around the basement. Suddenly he heard a faint moan. He picked his head up and looked around for the source. He heard a louder one this time.

“Hello”!? He shouted. He heard another moan. Ydnar went to where the stairs were. He sighed and taking a risk of being found he teleported to the top of the stairs. To the right was the dimly lit room with the devoured body, but to the left was a completely dark room with a bed in the opposite corner of the door. Ydnar tried to open the door but it was locked.

“Is someone in there”?! He shouted. The moan was louder this time and it answered his question. Ydnar focused his energy, which by this time he didn’t have much of, and using his left hand he shot a blue shockwave that knocked the door off its brass hinges. It went flying into the room and put a large dent into the white wall. Ydnar walked in and on the light colored wooden floor he saw a small young woman. She was mostly naked. Her dress was ripped around her breasts and her legs were bloody and bruised. If those men raped her then … He couldn’t bear the thought.

Ydnar quickly kneeled down and looked at her wounds.

“You’re gonna be ok. I’ll take care of you”. Ydnar said softly. The female elf moaned. Her eyes were closed. The most serious of the wounds was a large gash that ran just below her breasts. It looked to maybe be from a whip of some sort. Ydnar took the tattered red blouse off the woman to see her whole body. She put her hands over her vagina, thinking he was going to rape her but he said softly, “relax…..i’m not like that I don’t mistreat women”. To his surprise she actually spoke albeit softly, ‘How……..do …...I know’?

He looked at her as he took the blouse and started ripping it up into horizontal strands.

“Because i’m going to save your life and get you out of here”. Ydnar put one of them around her waist to stop the large amount of blood loss. He carefully picked her head up and brought her to him. Her head was up against his chest as he tied the red fragment around her back and tightened it.

‘There’s….noises…...basement...creature…’

“Relax..please I killed it, the vampire is no more”. He replied as he finished tying it and then picked her up.

‘I …..owe...you…..’ She said as her body started shaking. At this moment he forgot about the artifact and honestly he didn’t care much anyway as a life to him was more important than a silly artifact.

“No..Please save your energy. We’re not out of the frying pan yet, we’ve only managed to find a cool spot”. Ydnar walked out into the bright sunlight to his mare. Before he put her on he asked, “I don’t really know my way around here. Miss is there a safe town or city center near here where I can take you”?

After a brief moment she said, ‘Yes…….north…..of the …...house...a ...village…..my parents house…..please…..hurry…..I feel…...slipping…’.

“Hush young lady you’ll be alright”. Ydnar carefully put her on the horse in front of him and he mounted the white mare. His forearm was numb now which made him worry but he didn’t let it affect him. He steadied her and sat her up so she was resting against his chest. Ydnar casted a spell to put a towel over her so she wasn’t nude as they entered the town. He then said, “Va Va! As fast as you can Gvalch’ca”. The horse tore up the tan sand trail to the north. How’d a women this young get this unfortunate? I’ve seen many of these sort of things happen but not like this. She appears to maybe be seventeen maybe eighteen...hard to say. Aen Elle women look different than human women. Ydnar put the thoughts out of his mind and ran the horse as hard as she’d go.

In just a half hour he came up to a green metal gate that blocked his way into a small village. An Aen Elle guard walked up to him and scoffed. Ydnar knew he wasn’t welcome in most places around this area. There were hard feelings between elves and humans, that stemmed from centuries of conflict and tension.

The brown clothed guard asked, ‘Why is a human here to enter a village he has no right to enter’?

Ydnar looked the man in his brown eyes. Elves have large pointed ears and their faces are more oval shaped than humans. They are widely considered to be more beautiful than humans as well, though Ydnar would argue against it over a beer all day long.

“Her family lives here, I’m merely returning her to her parents and fixing her up. Once i’m done i’ll be out of here”.

The guard looked at the woman and said to him, ‘Ok….make sure you leave before nightfall. We don’t want your kind around here and you won’t be served in any of the bars or centers either. We’ve zero tolerance for trouble here in Jhorvan Understand’?

Ydnar nodded his head and replied, “I understand”. The guard motioned with his arms and the gate opened. The town was anything but simple.  Ydnar knew elven architecture was far more advanced than human architecture but it still amazed him to see the pointed roofs and circular shaped houses made out of glass. The streets were busy and he had to be careful to not hit anybody. The streets were made from grey brick and each one was painted with some elven rune marking.

“What house do your parents live in”? Ydnar said quietly over her shoulder.

She opened her eyes and said, ‘Take….a left…...here….third house on the ….right….glass...windows circular….’ The woman closed her eyes again and felt herself almost slip off the horse but the man held her firmly around her waist. He brought his horse around the bend to the left and counted three houses.

“Ok”. He said as he took the horse to the right side of the street and stopped. The houses were pressed up right next to each other and made it hard to not block exits and entrances. On both sides of the grey streets were houses. Some were the same others were taller, some had large pointed roofs, and others still had a flat metal roof. All were made with exceptional detail and sophistication. Ydnar got off the horse while holding onto the woman. He took her off and held her close to him.

“Your parents may not--

‘I…...will talk...to them…’. She whispered.

“Ok”. Ydnar walked up to the large single red door. He knocked using his right arm though it let him know the blood was still flowing. A short bit later an older couple answered the door and looked in disgust. Great….the thanks I get for saving a life. I wonder if this is how Geralt feels?

“Your daughter…..I found her in a house not far from here…..She’s bleeding and needs to be fixed back up. I would like to use your house and help her heal if you don’t mind. As soon as she’s taken care of then i’ll be out of your home”. Ydnar said speaking softly.

The man with pointed ears said, ‘We will not allow humans to come anywhere near this--

The man was cut off by his long haired green robe wearing wife who looked at Ydnar and said, ‘Yes you may. You’ve earned my trust and thanks for saving her life. Down the hall, and to the right is her room. Take as much time as you need. I’d rather not rush the healing process’. She said. She took her husband by his arms and led him away from the door. Ydnar carefully took his boots off and stepped into the house. The floor was the same rock that he had seen in the house in Tir Ná Lia. It felt warm on his socks. He carried the young woman to the bright blue walled hallway and then took a right to enter a medium sized bedroom. He set the sweaty shaking woman on her red bed and closed the door. Ydnar pulled from his pocket red pills to help relieve the pain when he checked for bacteria and infections.

“Alright...I’m going to open your mouth and drop a pill in for the pain ok”? He asked as he came to the left side of the bed and leaned over her.

‘Ok…..it…..hurts...badly’. She said as she gritted her teeth and scrunched her eyes. There was a single large window in the room that provided enough light to be able to see cleary.

“I know it does. This should help tremendously though”. Ydnar opened her moist bloody lips and dropped the red oval pill in. He watched it go all the way down her throat.

“Ok...Now i’m going to take everything off and play with the wounds a bit. You’re in pretty good shape as it is….even though you probably don’t feel like it”.

Ydnar watched her smile. He started to disrobe her and check her wounds out. She opened her eyes and watched him nervously.

He noticed her shake a bit when he ran the backs of his hands along her smooth slim outline. “Relax…..I’m not here for that. You’ve gone through enough already. I’m just doing my job and checking for any more bleeding or infections”.

‘Ok’. She said as she sighed and looked out the window. She was extremely beautiful. It was hard not to feel some infatuation as he ran the backs of his hands now across her left side and felt her smooth, beautiful skin. It reminded him of Ciri. He damn near shed tears when he said the name but he shut her out and focused on the task. “Ok….looks good….Now i’m going to carefully flip you over and do the same thing”. He whispered.

‘Ok…...Where...are you going after this’? She asked as he grabbed her naked body and turned her around. He laid her back down gently on her chest.

He sighed and said, “Well...back to the house to look around for an artifact...then….well whatever clues I find to target the fifth mage i’ll use to decide my next plan of action”.

She felt his warm strong hands brush over her. She wanted to give him a night to reward him for his care. She remembered seeing a ring on his hand that looked like a wedding ring though. In which case it was hopeless to ask. His hands worked his way up her skinny white legs and brushed her buttcheeks. She was glad that her face was looking at the bed as she felt herself blush and smile at the feeling. Feeling satisfied he picked her up and turned her back over on her back. Ydnar set her down and started to cover her back up but she looked at him and said, ‘Don’t cover me please. I’m warm as it is anyway’.

Ydnar looked into her eyes and said, “If your father comes in here and see--

‘I’ll take care of that, not to worry’.

Ydnar sighed and took the top layer of armor and clothing off. “Ahhhh”. He said as he clenched his left arm and turned away from her. He bit down on his tongue to stop the wave of profanity that wanted to erupt from his foul mouth. Ydnar sat at the very edge of the bed and started to take off the white bloody towel. He was breathing heavily and wanted to vomit at the sight of the open gash. Ydnar grabbed the pill bottle that he laid on the bed and took two. He knew since it was from a creature, especially one who eats other bodies he needed to clean out the wound. He also knew that this process would hurt greatly. Ydnar with his left arm conjured up a blue towel on the floor and a glass of water in his hand. The elven woman came to the edge of the bed and asked, ‘You’ve got your hands full. I can help you’.

Ydnar put the wooden cup in between his legs and grabbed a single pill from the bottle. He plopped it into the glass and let it dissolve.

“I’m good but thanks for offering. You need your sleep. That pill is only temporary and the pain will come back. While you feel decent now you should take advantage of it and rest”. Ydnar said as he looked at her briefly. She saw his scars and his bright silver chain necklace that hung down to just above his pecs.

‘Are you a witcher’? She asked looking into his blue eyes.

Ydnar replied, “No”.  He held, with some difficulty mind you, his right forearm out over the towel and grabbed the glass of water. He carefully poured the red stained water onto his arm and let it go inside the wound. She watched as he shook and a few small tears came down from his eyes. Once the deed was done Ydnar put the glass on the towel and closed his eyes for a brief time. He was tired and wanted to rest for a bit but he knew he had to get the job done and report back. Opening his eyes he waved his left hand and the towel and glass disappeared.

‘Your a mage’? She asked looking at his chest as he got up off the bed.

“Not a full mage. I’m a source, but not a full mage. I’m really a bounty hunter”. He told looking at her as she watched him dress. She waved her right hand and clothing appeared on the young woman. She was in a low cut top that left most of her neck exposed and a short skirt that left her skinny legs out in the open.

Ydnar put his armor back on and said to her, “Hopefully you don’t end up in that mess again. It was pure coincidence that I found you there. Those men….well...there dangerous even to a man like me. Anyway i’m off. It was nice meeting you”. Ydnar said as he started walking away. The woman grabbed his left hand and brought him to her.

‘I want to repay you for what you did’. She said as she brought her body close to his. The soft light outside made the wooden walls look orange.

Ydnar sighed and replied, “You don’t need to repay me for anything. Besides I need to get out of here now. Night is approaching and --

She interrupted, ‘And you can sleep here. Please...for the love of Gods I don’t even know the name of the man who saved my life’. She looked at his blue eyes.

He sighed and shook his head. “Names Sol. I can’t do this for a number of reasons. Most important of which is the fact that I’ve a wife and kids. Secondly, I need to report back to where I was sent out from. I also have a job to do”.

She smiled and said, ‘Well wear a condom’.

Ydnar blushed slightly. Her hair was brown and fell only to her shoulders. She had beautiful purple eyes. Her face was oval shaped and her light pink lips were small and fragile looking.

She sighed and said softly, ‘Sol…..please…...just a night….you and I...your wife won’t know. I’ll get you up before the sun rises and you can be on your way. My parents won’t know either. Come through the large shed behind the house. Move the large table out of the way and enter through the door in the floor. The tunnel will take you right outside my room. My names Kouriena. Though most call me Kourie. Come here when the moons at its highest point. At that time of the night the guards will be asleep. Be careful in the tunnel though, I don’t know what lies below’. She warned.

He sighed and knew he couldn’t say no to a women who wanted a night to feel better after her adventure.

“Ok…..Ok...I’ll be here then. But only a night. After this you don’t know me and never saw me come here”. Ydnar commanded as he broke away from her and opened the door. He closed it softly and walked down the hallway. He looked at the two parents and said, “She’s doing much better now. She needs sleep and time to recover but physically she’s in good shape. I’m on my way out of here now”. Ydnar turned around and heard the lady ask, ‘Do you need any food? Are you hungry’?

Ydnar turned around and wanted to reply yes to both statements but thought it best to simply get out of the hotbed and do his job. “I’m fine thank you. So long”. He turned around and walked out the door.

Vernon and Quen were out together walking the beach with held hands near the house. The fresh sea air felt good. The sugar fine sand felt soothing between their toes as the orange sun was beginning to settle below the horizon. She was wearing  a small shirt that to Vernon looked more like a bra. The green “shirt” Only covered her breasts and wound around her thin body. Her lower body was only covered by what looked to him like green shorts but they hugged her outline. He by contrast had on his blue shorts; that was all he needed. He dressed practically rather than to impress. The couple stopped at a wooden bench and sat down to watch the sunset over the crystal clear blue water. Their bodies glowed a fiery orange color. Quen sat down on his lap and Vernon put his arms around her beautiful body. She could tell he was thinking about his father.

‘You worry too much Vern’. She said in a soft voice. The waves breaking on the sand created a rhythmic sound.

He sighed and shook his head. “Maybe I do but I love my father. I’m sad he has to go do this sort of thing for money. He’s not going to be here to witness the wedding. It hurts….it hurts me bad”.

She sighed and felt him kiss her neck over and over. The feeling of butterflies started making its way up her body.

‘I know it does. I’m sorry…..I forgot…….if you want to wait we--

“No”. He responded immediately. “I waited for my ex but she died. I won’t wait any longer. I love you, I want to live my life forever with you. No more waiting”. He looked at the sun as it was now halfway down.

‘That’s how I feel as well. Vern you know your father loves you and will support you right’? She asked as she turned around to face him.

Vernon sighed and responded, “I’d like to think that somewhere I know that’s the case but…...there’s always doubt. In a month it’ll be done. I’ll be so glad to have it done too. Maybe life can become more normal then. I know people are still out there but…..I don’t know. Mom and dad have it hard the way they’re always away from each other”.

He looked into her deep light brown eyes as the last few moments of sun faded leaving the bright full moon and the twinkle of the stars. She put her hands on his strong chest and said,

‘Our life won’t be like that. You heard your father say that you’re so much better off then he and your mother was when they became married. We’ll be more cautious about our moves, we’ll take long baths together, ride everywhere together, have kids eventually, and have a life’.

Vernon smiled and said, “Can’t happen soon enough”. They locked their lips and made love under the full moon of a clear dark night.

Ydnar returned to the house where the vampire was. He dismounted and walked inside. The sun was just beginning to set now. He had a rough idea of what he was looking for but even then he wasn’t fully sure where it was. The house was incredibly dark so he took another blue pill. Ydnar brought his greatsword out from behind his head and walked around the small tan house. He came into one room that had a piece of paper on a dark wooden table. Ydnar looked at it but it was in an ancient dialect of Hen Llinge.  Though he spoke Hen Llinge fluently he wasn’t sure what the note was saying. Ydnar folded the golden piece of paper and stuck it in his pocket. He opened every drawer, looked in every bookcase, sifted through everything but couldn’t find anything of the sort. He knew there were five mages in the group, but only four were here, meaning the very last one took the crystal and ran. This was good but he needed leads. Unlike when a witcher tracks a beast or creature, he couldn’t just track a smell for miles and miles. He didn’t have the mutations that allowed him to see the unseen evidence. He came back into the starting room where the basement was located. He thought he heard footsteps. Ydnar raised his sword. He returned to a more open room where he could actually fight the man or beast. “I hear you…..I killed one Vampire today and would relish the idea of killing something else”! He shouted. His heart ran faster than it ever had. Ydnar knew what most if not all weapons sounded like when they were swung through the air, hammers were a whoosh sound, rapiers and sabres were more of a whomp sound, long swords, short swords, and greatswords, were a voom sound. Whips, well, they were a series of whoop sounds as the rope or coil flexed. He rolled to the right as he heard the whip go by him. Suddenly a large man appeared in front of him. Cloaking. The s***s cloaking. That’s why I didn’t see him. Great a barbers whip.

‘Hello Ydnar…...been a while…..this is my first time seeing you in person’. The man in black leather armor said with a grin.

“Pity it will be your last too”. Ydnar replied. The man came head on and grabbed his dual swords out. F**k me this man was trained well. Ydnar kept himself moving in the large white walled room. He two handed the greatsword and used its reach to keep the man away from him. Ydnar attacked hard and pushed the man back slightly more. The man very skillfully put one of the swords away and brought the barbed whip out. He quickly hit Ydnar in the neck with it. Ydnar gave some space as fresh blood poured onto the floor.

The man wasn’t even sweating. ‘Ydnar I know everything about you. You cannot win this fight’. The cocky large man said.

“You’re full of it”. Ydnar retaliated. The man tried the whip which Ydnar dodged. Ydnar tried to come in but was hit by the sword as he tried to roll under the attack. Ydnar slid on his chest across the stone floor. He got himself up on his now bleeding legs. F**k me. I can’t do this. I need to flee. He made up his mind. The spell was tricky to cast but within his ability. His plan was to draw from the earth, send up small spikes from the ground, and then escape. The man leaped and tried to slash horizontally at Ydnar but Ydnar leaped away from him. Quickly putting away his greatsword he casted the spell, blue shot out from his hands and into the ground. His body tingled from everywhere. He said the phrase and suddenly small blue spikes started to appear up from the ground. The man was launched into the air and Ydnar sprinted out of the house. He mounted his mare and rode as hard as he could. Looking back he grabbed his bow and an arrow. He skillfully shot the man's brown horse right in the rear left leg to slow him down some. Ydnar put the weapon on his back again and headed for the safety of Tir Ná Lia.

It was late. The moon was at it’s highest point now as Ydnar moved the green table out and saw the doors brass handle. He lifted it and dropped down into the completely dark tunnel. To conceal his tracks he casted a spell to close the door. It shut with a snap. Ydnar used a fire spell to light up a torch on the wall which he then picked up in his left hand. His ride back to the capital was uneventful. He took a short nap and even wrote home about the vampire and the man that found him. Luckily the injuries he sustained weren’t severe enough to hamper his mobility. The man was looking to capture him not kill him. Ydnar sighed as he followed the tunnel around to the right, It seemed to be made out of stone. For what reason it existed he didn’t know but it was very deep and had many different storage areas. Eventually he came to a ladder. He hung the torch on a wall and started climbing the wooden ladder. He got to the door and listened before opening it. When he was satisfied he opened the door slowly and saw the lights were off in the house. Her parents must’ve gone to bed at this point. Her room was unlit as well. Ydnar came out of the floor and silently shut the wooden door behind him. He looked down the hall before opening the door to her room. He walked in and silently shut it behind him. She moved a bit and he saw even in the dark room that she had only her bra and panties on. Both were in dark blue and made her look incredibly beautiful.

‘I thought you might not show up’. She whispered softly.

Ydnar took his armor and clothes off to his briefs and climbed into bed next to her. “I told you I would. I got held up a bit but regardless i’m here now”.  He laid his head on the pillow and she brought her long slim body on top of his. The condom was already on and ready to go, and so was she. Clothes were strew on the floor as he pleasured her in the dark for hours and hours.

They were both totally naked. The condom was taken off after the deed was done. She was sleeping on his left side as he wanted her there to not remind him of his wife who liked to be on his right side. There was maybe only two hours left until sunrise. He had to leave soon. She smiled and whispered softly, ‘Where’d you learn to pleasure a woman like that’?

He chuckled and said, “I told you I’ve two kids…...after a while you get pretty good at it”.

He felt her laugh and she kissed his neck with her moist pink lips. Her perfume smelled like a spice that was found in hot sauce. It was strong but not overpowering.

‘You sure you want only one night? I can give you much more than that’. She whispered in a extremely seductive voice.

He shook his head and replied, “Kourie i’d…….well…...if I had time i’d be interested in taking you up on it but I don’t”. Her breasts were up against him and her long sexy legs were entwined with his. She felt good that she’d lost her virginity to a man of this caliber. She just felt like she should spend more time with him now. She reached her hands lower on his body and felt his rock hard pole. He blushed when she touched it with her cold hands. Kourie took her hand off it and then kissed his sweaty chest. She removed her lips and asked, ‘Where are you headed to now’?

Ydnar had his eyes closed and replied in a tired voice, “I don’t know honestly. I found a letter there but it’s in a odd dialect of elder speech”.

She sighed and said, ‘Then i’ll read it for you and translate it. The least I can do to repay what you did’.

Ydnar opened his tired eyes and said, “You don’t……..owe me ….anything”. He got up and found his armor at the end of the bed.  Kourie came up behind the strong man as he looked through his armor and found two things; one, his pills for sleep deprivation and number two, the yellow note. Ydnar could feel her soft perky breasts against his back. She playfully brought her legs around him and he grabbed a hold of them and felt how smooth and soft they were. It made him miss Ciri who, in his mind had the best legs of them all.

He shook his head and said, “Kourie please……”. She giggled and came back around to sit next to him so she could read the note. She grabbed it and started reading. Ydnar flashed his hands and the oil lamp on the brown wooden dresser lit up. He took the pill and felt his energy come back. She felt him make love to her neck and she smiled as she read onwards. Once done ashe looked at him with her bright purple eyes. ‘So a number of things were mentioned. The most important was the mentioning of an underwater civilization that was destroyed sometime after the conjunction of spheres. It said that the only way to safely access the civilization is with a crystal. Apparently there’ s a king that lives down there. It goes on to say that….are you listening’? She asked as he continued to make saliva drip down her neck and breasts. He lifted up his head and looked at her. She was smiling at him and he said, “Yes”. Their lips met again and she pushed him back down onto the bed. Their tongues linked up and saliva dripped into his mouth as she retracted and came back in. Her breasts hung low over his body as she worked her hands across his sweaty chest up to his n*****s. Tingles flowed through both parties as the white hot electric dance of sex was taking its shape right before their eyes. She retracted and commented, ‘Your wife’s a lucky lady. You’re exactly the guy I’ve been looking for. I’m ….well….sad to let you go but I understand you’ve got other things and a wife’. She got up off of him and he sat up and listened more closely this time.

Ydnar rode flat out across the hilly landscape of montes conciderunt. Kourie told him this area in his tongue met hills of the fallen. There was a war waged long ago where mages fought off other mages. The explosions were so massive that it destroyed the large pines that used to grow here and left massive green craters all over the landscape. They were easily large enough to fit a horse and rider in the holes and still not be able to see him. Ydnar rode to the west and looked for the one man the letter mentioned. He was no mage but an old wise man. He was considered an outcast for his ideas about the Aen Elle lifestyle and so he built himself a house deep in the  war zone of the hills. The sun was now off the horizon and starting to make his back bake. He saw the house in front of  him and froze up. First of all the house was large. Secondly it looked like it had been attacked recently, and thirdly there were guards outside of the house keeping the large amount of visitors from getting close. Ydnar brought his white mare to a stop and dismounted. The grass was wet beneath his feet and sloshed when he walked. He came up to one of the guards and asked,

“Ubi est Gaens Froen”? Ydnar had his hood up and his black bandanna on so the elf couldn’t tell he wasn’t one of them.

The man looked at him and said, ‘Et captum iudicium mortis est’.

Ydnar sighed and knew he had a rescue mission on his hands. Why the hell would an entire population want to sentence a man like this to death? So many damn questions and too little time to ask them. Well I can ask one anyway.

“Ubi enim tenebar”? Ydnar asked looking into the steel armored mans eyes.

He sighed and said, ‘Aula regis aquam. Est autem hie plagam’.

Ydnar nodded his head and thanked the man, “Tibi gratias ago tibi, et in die bona”. The man nodded and walked to the right to join up with his men. Palace of the water king? Doesn’t ring a bell. To the west of here….ok…...well I got some riding to do then it seems.

Ciri woke up late. She opened her green eyes and yawned. She looked over at Ydnar and realised he wasn’t there. She shook her head and wondered why she expected to see him almost every morning. She answered herself in her thoughts, Because you’re married and love him forever. She kept on a strong mother face and put her wife one on the shelf. She quickly got dressed and looked at the baby. She was fast asleep still. Ciri smiled at her daughter who was just starting to be able to talk in two and three letter words. Yesterday she said dada to her. Ciri nearly let herself cry in front of the young child. She had to bite her lip and keep cool. She really wanted him home but she kept herself going by thinking about the good memories and re-reading his letters. She heard laughter and she started down the stairs. Ciri saw Geralt, Vernon, and Del looking at a paper with golden runes.

‘Sounds from his description to be Ekimma. Considered a higher vampire. He’s lucky to be alive from that’. Geralt said and saw her come up to the table.

‘Morning Ciri’. Geralt greeted as he ate more of the round blueberries.

Ciri smiled and said, “Morning…..talking about vampires and how somebody's lucky to be alive. Sounds like my husband”. They laughed as she sat down across from the group of three men.

‘Precisely. The way he tells it is ..well…..like it’s nothing really big’. Del observed.

Ciri looked at the black leather wearing man and teased, “That surprises you Del”?!

‘Yeah it does. Does he usually do that Ciri’? The man asked as she put her cold hands near the candles in the center of the table to warm up a bit.

“Constantly. He’s the most humble man i’ve ever known. Even around other women”.

Del shook his head and laughed. ‘See he never used to be like that when I knew him. Huh. Well anyway Triss is supposed to be coming here later today to join us so you’ll have another women in the house to talk to’. Del said as he stretched his arms behind his nearly bald head.

“Good. I can’t wait to be able to talk to her again”. Ciri had a huge smile now and was glad to have the mage back. She new Ciri since she was around thirteen years old and the two got along famously.

‘Well….looks like this is his last letter for a little while then. Well if he can make it through a vampire attack then he’s in good shape for whatever happens over there’. Geralt said as he slid the paper over to Ciri.

Geralt looked at Vernon and asked, ‘you ready to go out today to kill some beasts’?

Vernon nodded and said, ‘Yes sir’. The two of them got up and walked out the door of the house leaving Del and Ciri alone.

Ciri read the letter,

Dear my beloved Verona,

I’ve a great story for you today. I was out hunting a mage and got to the house that he was suspected of hiding out in. I walked in and saw a number of bodies that were devoured. I heard a noise down in the basement and went to investigate. I ended up falling through the stairs and rolled at the last second to keep from breaking my legs. Suddenly a vampire came out of the darkness. It was extremely large and incredibly fast. It had long black hair and it’s ears were swept back and looked similar to that of a dog's. The creature had claws the size of a small dagger and knew how to use them too. Trust me I found out the hard way as it clawed the crap out of my arm and chest. But it’s dead and I burned the body too. Anyway thought I would start off with that. Hopefully you're still reading at this point and not worried for me. She giggled and shook her head. Del looked at her and asked, ‘About the Vampire’?

She nodded and said, “Yes…...quite an adventure. I really wish I was there to see that one”. Ciri went back to reading,

If you are then good. This next part well…….I’m scared…...I found a young elf that seemed to be beaten and held captive but was saved when the vampire came in and devoured some of the mages. The one i’m looking for escaped and I don’t know where to find him. I saved the woman and then came back to the house to find a note that is written in an odd dialect of Elder Speech. It mentions a name but that’s all I can get out of it. The part that scares me is after the note was found, I nearly got captured by an invisible bounty hunter. Remember when I said there are dangerous men looking for me? Yes this was one of those. He found me very quickly. Ciri guard your life. I mean it. I was barely able to escape with a bleeding chest and badly torn up legs. They want me alive…...for now. I’m scared. I got back to the house where i’m writing this note now and i’m scared, for my safety, for yours, for our kids. I thought about you and calmed myself down enough to write the rest of this message but even then i’m scared. Please, please, please, be careful. We’re playing with fire here Ciri…….some time we’re going to get burned. Other than that not much is going on. Tell Vernon i’m so excited for him. I wish I could be there to see this moment in our son's life but he has my approval. I’m trying to not think about it too much because it makes me depressed. Things are getting worse here Ciri. Not to make you worry here but things are getting much, much, worse. Many kidnappings and bandits have shown up. I wasn’t scared much until one happened here. Now I sleep with a weapon in my hand and a dagger under my pillow. I’ll be careful but it’s hard……..I don’t really feel safe here anymore. My job will take me out of the area for a while as I can already see this mage being a difficult target. I will write to you again when I get the chance. I’ll get myself out of any situation….you know I will. Your love is with me always baby girl. If the worst comes then at least you’re warned. Verona…..I love you to the ends of the world and to the depths of the sea…...always.

Love….your knight in shining armor

Ciri had tears in her eyes and was afraid. She had never been afraid like this before. She got up from the table and walked to the door. She opened it and went outside for some fresh air. CIri looked at the bright blue sky and felt the calm breeze flow through her hair. She longed for his love. The only love that made her feel better. The love that let her be herself. She thought of the time they chased each other across the beach, the time when he tackled her to the ground and they kissed. They feeling she got from it, the rush of energy, and the feeling of love. She hurt at the thought of a whole year going by. It’s only been two and a half weeks and he’s going to be gone for a whole year. She heard the door open and Del came out and walked towards her.

‘You ok’? He asked.

Ciri looked at him and he saw her wet green eyes. The sun made them shine like a fire.

She said as she felt more tears come down from her eyes, “Del just...hold me for a bit”.

He was confused but he did what she asked. She put her head on his shoulder and let them come out. “I…..A year…….a …..whole year…...how...how in the world...am I to do this…..I love him yes..but…..” She said softly and closed her eyes.

Del didn’t know what to say or if he even should say anything. D****t Ydnar...you were always better at talking to women than I am.

‘It’s hard...you just gotta keep yourself busy Ciri. When Ydn and I were in basic together to avoid thinking about our parents constantly and how much we wanted to go home, we used to climb one of the nearby mountains in the morning and at night. We just tried to stay busy and do something’.

Ciri laughed and Del knew he said the right thing to her. It wasn’t love mind you but it was the comradery of taking care of a best friends wife. It made him feel good that he could do such a thing. She said as she pulled away from him, “Good sound advice but...I don’t know how many mountains there are around here”.

They laughed and he said, ‘Well either way staying busy is the key. Let’s at least eat something too…..too hungry not to eat this morning’.

She looked at him. Smiled and said, “Agreed let’s”.

They went back inside and talked for a while. She felt good that she could rely on a friend of her husband to help keep her from losing her cool in these situations.

Ydnar rode hard for the past hour and got to the fabled palace. It was large. In many ways it reminded him of Kaer Morhen. The whole thing was white and it looked to be carved out of stone. It was set right into a mountain. The odd thing was that the mountain was grey and the fortress was white. Around the area sat four guard towers. Two at the front and two in the back. Ydnar was hunkered down in the trees and bushes just outside of the large fortress. He was trying to come up with some plan of attack when he saw the man he needed walking around the outside of the fortress in shackles. There were five guards leading him somewhere. Fools…..perfect situation  we have here. Ydnar grabbed his bow off his back and readied two arrows. He wanted to do this without killing all of them and starting a war with the elves….again.

Ydnar tensed up some as he knew this was going to be a hard shot to hit from his current position. He controlled his breathing, took the lead on one of the men and fired. As soon as the arrow left he notched another and let it fly. Two men went down and the rest turned around to see where it came from. Ydnar stayed perfectly still. The wind blew softly as the elves looked around in the wrong direction. Ydnar knew he had a chance to run and grab the man. He didn’t want to mess this up as it would mean a long time of catching him again. There were only three left now and Ydnar felt secure. One of the men then looked his way. Ydnar scrunched himself into the small bank even more. He grabbed his dagger out and prepared himself. As the red guard came closer to him Ydnar leaped out of the bushes and grabbed the man in a sleeper hold. The man struggled as the others came to assist.

They just stood there helpless. Ydnar said to them, “No all you elves listen and listen well”. Ydnar had no idea of what was about to go down. Suddenly he heard a sound that reminded him of a portal. A kind of whoosh sound followed by a whomp sound of a portal closing. He was immediately in a headlock and forced to let go of the man he had.

‘Ydnar….Papa Emhyr would like to see you for your crimes. We shan't keep him waiting. Aen Elle I appreciate your cooperation in the capture of this dangerous traitor. Ydnar looked at the old mage who looked at him. He mouthed to the man to run away. The mage nodded. As the hunter was talking Ydnar found his strength and lifted the much larger man off the ground. He then set him back down and tried to grab him. The man kicked him in his face and then a fight ensued. The elves stood there with a look of confusion as they didn’t want to hit the wrong person. The hunter got a whip out and hit Ydnar in the neck with it. Blood poured out and he staggered. Ydnar tried to block the punch that immediately came after but it was poorly timed and he got hit right in the lower neck. The man grabbed Ydnar who was now on the grassy ground. He felt hands grab him under his shoulders then felt a series of painful stings in his legs. He felt himself loosing the fight as he struggled to stay awake. He looked over briefly at where the old mage was and saw nothing. Good…..now…..sleep…..just...darkness…..Ciri…..i’m sorry…...Ciri….Ciri….sleep.

When Ydnar woke up he was in a state of shock. He knew where he was. It was deep in Nilfgaardian territory. Way south of the Pontar. He was chained and cuffed in dimeritium. His legs hurt and he couldn’t see much of anything around him. The only thing he heard was the voice of a man whom he hated with all his guts. One oil lamp turned on As a man dressed in royal black armor, with gold shoulders, and a black robe walked in. He stopped just outside the iron cell Ydnar was sitting in.

‘Welcome back. Last time you were here I gave you an award for the highest honor you can receive in the special forces. Now it’s quite the opposite’.

Ydnar spit out some blood and tried not to fall under the black curtain that was working its way down over his eyes.

“I …...agree…...what do….you...want…..make ...it quick”. He said with a large amount of difficulty.

Emhyr smiled and said, ‘You Ydnar...shall be hung for your crimes. For treason, for cowardness in the face of the enemy, for turning your back on this whole establishment. You shall be hung in front of all your fellow men’. Ydnar just now noticed there was a man in here with him keeping watch over him.

‘Perhaps even your wife or kids would --

“F**k You”!!! Ydnar shouted with a bloodcurdling voice as he found the strength to stand up. He stumbled over to the bars but before he got near he was sent back down with a kick to the neck. He fell right onto his back and then he was whipped several times until Emhyr said, ‘Enough. I want him alive for the execution’.

The guard replied with, ‘As you wish’. Ydnar was lying on his chest in a pool of blood.

‘We’ll hold you here for around three months and then perform the execution. Don’t worry, you won’t be the only one to get hung. There will be others’. Emhyr looked at the black armored guard and said, ‘He’s a traitor….treat him accordingly’.

‘Yes sir, with pleasure’. The guard replied. He heard Emhyr walk away and slowly everything turned dark again. He was alone with the guard. Tears flowed from his eyes. Quiet tears. Ciri…...d****t…..d****t…..baby..I love you……..you’re mine…...i’m sorry…..He thought about his two kids and how they would handle not having a father in their life. He knew Del had a sweet kind heart and would comfort his wife accordingly. The cold concrete floor was soaked with sweat, blood, tears, and urine. The man pissed himself multiple times now. He was tired and felt as though someone was pissing on him. He heard a small amount of laughter and then it was all dark, quiet, and cold.

____________________________________

Two Months Later

____________________________________

Ydnar gave up on life at this point. The black ones had the whole entire place on lockdown all day long. There was no way to escape and he didn’t have the energy to even try. For the past few months he passed the time by thinking of all the good memories he had with Ciri and his son. The days where life was good and there wasn’t a worry on the world. That’s how he wanted to die. He wanted to breathe his last breath smelling her sweet perfume, imagining her soft delicate touch, and feeling the explosion of sparks that he felt when their lips touched. The last thing on his mind at this time was escaping. He didn’t really know how much time had passed since he was in the dark cell all day long. They did the usual whipping, beating, kicking sort. Not enough to kill him but enough to make him feel awful and make him cry. He had some nights where he would yell out Ciri’s name in his dreams….which would usually prompt another swift beating from the guards. Ydnar for the first time since his birth knew he was going to die, and he knew there was no way to stop it. He was choking on his own blood in his dry mouth at this point. The guards would give you piss to drink. If you refused you were beaten bloody till you drank it. Ydnar used to put up a fight but stopped, realising it was pointless. This is Nilfgaard…..they don’t have feelings. He was naked, cold, depressed, afraid, and most importantly ashamed. Ashamed to be part of this, to be caught, to be killed. He felt like Ciri deserved an apology for his quickly approaching absence from life. He rested until from the right cell next to him he heard a voice speak out, ‘Hey…..buddy….you alive..Ydnar.’. He opened his blood red eyes and saw on only darkness and smelled only piss. The voice said, ‘You got a plan …..in mind..’?

Ydnar who looked around to make sure no guard was watching scooted closer to the iron bar wall next to him that separated the two cells. He dragged his bloody broken body using his strong right arm over to the side. To keep himself from yelling and shouting at the pain he bit down on his tongue but before long it got to the point where he bit all the way through and tasted the thick viscous blood.

“Yes…….die”. Ydnar responded, trying to keep his head up to not choke on the massive amount of blood flowing around his mouth. Tears ran down his beaten disfigured face. They stung as they crawled into the cuts and gashes, making the pain unbearable.

‘No….we’ll get out….i’ll get...you out…...the...execution…..is when they….take your...bindings off…..you and I….when that...happens...we either...go down fighting….or…..escape..’. Ydnar could tell he was fighting to stay awake. When someone is choking it almost sounds as if he’s underwater. That was exactly what he sounded like, as both men were drowning in their own blood.

After a brief silence Ydnar closed his heavy eyes and said through the tears, “Yes……...fight...till the ….end…..die as ….warriors..”. He vomited on himself and felt some of it go back down into his mouth creating a salty taste in the back of his throat. Ydnar said softly,

“Are you …..religious...at ...all”?

A short time later he responded, ‘Yes…...very’.

Ydnar brought his bloody, broken, bound hands over to the bars and said, “Take ….my hands….let us...prey..”

The man did and Ydnar felt the cold touch of the man’s bleeding, scarred, skinned hands touch his through the bars. The physical touch brought a mix of emotions up from both the men. Here in the confines of the dark, dirty, piss scented cell, both men wept as if they were ten years old. Neither of them cared but it felt good to know neither were alone in feeling this way.

“By the Gods….of the….eternal light…..we’ve….seen the evil that...plagues this world...we’ve walked the….path of all its...forms. If ...we are to die….Gods….shine down upon us…..judge us not as….soldiers but….as men...men who….have opened their….heart to lo...love….compassion….forgiveness….and sincerity….for we are….willing to …..pay for our sins…...for your love...and everlasting….life...we pray….to the four...great ones...in your name….we pray...for ...love knows no….bounds”. Both their hands were shaking now as the river of tears turned to a waterfall of tears. Ydnar felt cold thinking about his own death. He always told Ciri that he accepted the fact that he would die someday. Now that the time was near it made him feel as if he was at peace. As if death was only the start of something…..the time of the end but the beginning of the forever. That there was something more to living and being….something beautiful….something lovely….and something purely innocent.

Ciri was in the house reading one of her favorite books. It was a cold day now that the winter had set in again. Tomorrow would be an important day for their son. He was getting married to Quen. They had been together for around a year now….maybe just under. Ciri was so proud to be a part of this wonderful moment. She wished Ydnar could see it too and hold her as they took the oath. She put the red covered book on the blue table and looked out at the mountains in the distance. The place that the couple picked out to make the permanent bond was beautiful. It was on top of one of the peaks in this odd world. Vernon told her it’s where he first met her. It was rather special to him and to her as well. The forest was amazing and stretched on for miles and miles. Vernon told her how the people built their houses out of the tree by willing it to shape what they want using a sort of telepathy. The hollow large tree would then stretch and form the inside of a home. Del was up here with her. Gerlat was helping Triss prepare things for the big day. They were out on a large balcony overlooking a ravine where the massive trees were. From here one could see the white cliffs in the distance and the snow topped mountains even further out than that. It was all very relaxing and made her feel at ease. She still missed Ydnar though. It had been nearly three months since he last wrote her and she was getting worried. Taking Del’s advice she kept herself moving. She did witcher jobs hunting beasts and creatures, she worked out constantly, went into the towns and ate to get out for a while, and tried to enjoy herself while he was away. It was getting harder now to do so. She missed him dearly…..I know...I know….it’s your bloody job….you tell me this every time you go somewhere. When can it end? When will we be together? When will I have a chance to not worry about you? I’m your wife…..I love you….I will always love you…..but when will you return love? She shook her head and stood up to feel the cool mountain air sweep into the valley. She walked to the white railing which matched the house and leaned on it. Del looked at the broken woman. He felt bad that her husband couldn’t be here for this event. He wished he could do something to help her forget but knew there was nothing that could be done. All they can do is wait and hope. Del stood up and leaned next to her. Ciri looked at the man and said, “Place is quite the contrast to where Ydnar and I were married at”.

Del smiled and asked, ‘Is it? So you were married in a place like Zerrikania’? He teased.

Ciri giggled and shook her head. “Very funny...No well...kind of….”. Del chuckled and Ciri continued in an energetic voice, “We were married in a medium sized town in another plane of existence. Del it was beautiful. So many people came to see it too…..He was dressed up in a regel doublet and dress pants. I wore a strapless dress that cut to the floor. It was a warm day outside as I walked to the white church and down the red aisle. The feeling when he put that ring on my finger. …...I never wanted”….She shook her head and held back tears. She hit the white railing with her right hand and it vibrated and rattled. Del came up and put his arm around her, ‘Relax Ciri…. deep breaths he’ll be back’. She felt herself grow tired of the waiting. She wanted him back now and was angry as if it was his fault that he wasn’t back yet. She calmed herself and continued, “I never wanted anything more in my entire life. Del...I felt like a princess that day. My life was complete, I found the one. The kiss just reinforced that. Happy memories back then...only happy memories. Did you know the man can dance’? She asked looking over at him as he rubbed her back. He chuckled and replied,

‘Ydnar? Really? He’s about as graceful as a bear on a frozen pond. The man used to trip over his own shoelaces’. They laughed together. The laughter echoed in the valley but was drowned out by the whisper of the wind through the trees.

“Well...believe it or not he can. We danced underneath the moon on the white sandy beach. That was our last day at that house….. and we danced. He held me close and spun me as if I was a top. He charmed the hell out of me that night. I want our son to have that same experience. To not have to go through the hell that Ydnar and I went through. All the bollocks that we experienced. It tore me up inside and left me a broken husk of a woman”.

He continued to rub her back and replied, ‘I think you’re the same. To me at least’. He didn’t know how to say things like he did.

She smiled and returned with, “That’s nice of you to say. On the outside maybe that’s true but on the inside i’m a wreck. Since i’m of the elder blood my anger is always there inside of me. If i’m stressed, or depressed, or angry it can well up and explode in a violent release of energy. Ydnar…..well...keeps my sanity in check. I don’t know how he does it but he does everytime without fail. I know he’ll be back...I know he will. But the waiting drives me insane. Honestly without you I….well…...probably already have a meltdown”.

Del for the first time blushed and looked away for a brief moment. ‘I’ve never really been good talking with women’.

Ciri giggled and said to him, “That’s what Ydnar said to me every time we came close to kissing for the first time”. Both laughed. Ciri shook her head and said, “Anyway…..can’t let myself think about this tomorrow. There’ll be enough of the tear factory to go around without it”. They laughed again as they walked back inside the house and sat at the dark wooden table.

Ydnar woke up again. Him and the other man were sleeping as close together as they possibly could. Both could feel the much needed warmth of the other. Neither were gay but it felt good knowing that they weren’t alone in feeling lonely. A man walked down the stairs to them and said, ‘Aww look at the gays sleeping together. How precious. Alright nut lickers time to meet your fate’. Both men slowly got up and struggled to stand up straight. Ydnar vomited. His legs burned and he wondered how he was going to even do this planned escape if he could barely stand up. It was completely dark where they were as they were grabbed by the hand and led upstairs to the upper floor. That then led to a door which in turn led to the bright light of the outside world. It hurt his head as the sun pierced his brain. It felt like a bomb went off in his brain. The area they came out in was shaped like a bowl. It was an arena. It was complete with many supporters of the black ones who were cheering and shouting profane things at them. The arena has seating on the inside of it and tapered outwards as it got higher and higher. The walls were black and had giant banners with the flag of Nilfgaard on them.  He couldn’t even hear himself think it was so loud. The dirt ground felt good on his bare feet as he was used to the cold feeling of concrete. He was led forward as the crowd now got quiet. At the highest point was Emhyr. Looking down at them from his comfy chair eating a hand prepared meal. They were led to a wooden platform that was back against the far wall of the arena. Ydnar was turned around as was the other man. They shot each other a quick glance. Confirming that this was their last chance to make a break for freedom. Ydnar quickly thought about his beautiful Cirilla, her touch, her love, her scent that made him higher than the self esteem of Emhyr, all their private times together...It filled him with the much needed anger and aggression he needed to kick a*s. The guard looked him in his eyes and before he started taking the bindings off he said, ‘You’re an admirable man. You’ll die a hero not as a traitor but a hero among us...despite what Emhyr says’.

Ydnar cleared his bloody throat and said, “Then….help us….we can kill...Emhyr..right now….”. For a brief moment the man in black armor looked into his eyes and thought about it. A second later he shook his head and said, ‘No...Not today. You’re destined for the afterlife. Emhyr will win the war...then maybe so but he paid me great deals of money to find and catch you’. The crowd stopped chanting and cheering as Emhyr stood up from the chair and walked into the sunlight above their heads. He started, ‘Ladies and gentlemen...you are witnessing what happens when you turn your back on those you serve. Let this be a lesson to those of you out there that mess with the bull. These two men who have many medals and events of succes tied to their names will die as traitors rather than as heros. They will be remembered as cowards and die as such. Without further ado, we shall make this quick and painless’. Emhyr finished as the guard took his bindings off his hands. The second he took the bindings off his legs Ydnar grabbed the man around his waist and wrestled him to the sandy ground behind him. Ydnar during the scuffle managed to grab both of the man's swords. He tossed one of them to the other man who put the beatdown on his captors. The crowd started up again as more men came down to quell the escapees. Ydnar was underfed and tired but he dodged and blocked for his life. Ydnar looked at the other man and said, “The only way is up! I’ll boost you up and then you--

‘No’! The man shouted back as he dodged another slice.

‘I’ll boost you up. You’ve a family and kids. Your life matters more than mine’!

Ydnar had tears in his eyes and felt anger and aggression like never before. He dodged and countered a man sticking his sword into the man's eye sockets to make it as painful as possible.

“One soldier never leaves another behind!! We can both get out”!

The man was having some trouble so Ydnar ran as fast as his tired body could and using what little energy he could muster he sent a shockwave out at them to disperse the group and buy them some time.

Ydnar looked at the man. The naked man knew what he was thinking and shouted, ‘No go! Leave me or you’ll never make it out! They’ve archers Ydnar!!! Go’!!!

Ydnar who had a river flowing down his dirty face replied, “Hjas…. I love you man”!..  

Hjas met his wet eyes and replied, ‘I love you too brother!! Talk to my parents!!! Here we go man’!!!

The man ran kicking up sand as he went and Ydnar followed him. They ran to the very back wall of the arena. The ledge was far up but he knew he could reach it if Hjar had the strength to get him up there. Hjar quickly bent down and put his hands together. The special forces soldier knew they didn’t have long. Ydnar was straight and always has been, but in the moment before he let him go, with a waterfall of sweat soaked tears running down his face, he kissed the man's bloody dirty cheek. Ydnar then said, “Sicut heros morietur”.

‘Levate signum in nomine Mug’. The man replied as Ydnar stepped on his hands and with a grunt he was thrown into the air. Ydnar grabbed the white ledge of the now vacant arena and hauled himself up. As he did so the naked man felt two stings in his left leg. The men were shooting arrows at him as he ran off to the right side. He knew there was a large drop but he had to take the risk. Briefly he looked back and saw the man who saved his life get stabbed through the chest and then his head rolled to the ground. Blood shot out from the empty void on his neck and the limp lifeless body fell with a thomp. Ydnar just stared and wept. He was angry, at himself, at Emhyr, at the soldiers, at everyone and everything. He got himself under a relative sense of control and looked down. The drop was rather large. Nearly thirty feet. He knew he had to. Ydnar sighed and leaped. The fall was long but he hit the sand and rolled. The pain he felt in his legs was fierce. He got up and immediately fell back down. Ydnar cursed as he saw men in the distance shooting at him. The arrows made a thump sound as they impacted the dark coarse sand around him. WIth all the strength he had left he summoned a portal and using both arms, he dragged himself through it.

Ydnar was alive…...barely. The twenty one year old man sobbed. He couldn’t stop. He thought about the other man, what he did to save his life, the grief Ydnar had, the pure kindness of the action that saved his life. He couldn’t feel his lower body and his eyes were covered with sweat and blood from himself and his enemies. He wondered how he was going to get out of this. A man came up to him as he was beginning to black out. He heard two words before he faded from reality. ‘Dear Melitele’.  

It was a cool night. Vernon stared out at the dark sky and saw billions of stars shining brightly. Distant worlds he could go to at any time he wanted. His thoughts turned to his father as he tried to stop himself from feeling bitter. He shook his head and looked back up into the sky. He wondered on what planet Tir Ná Lia was on. Ciri came out on the balcony and walked up behind him. She put her loving arm around her son and said in a voice as calm as the gentle breeze, “You should get to bed. You got a big day tomorrow”.

Vernon sighed and responded with, ‘I know……. you’re right’. He turned away from her eyes but she knew her son well and said,

“You miss your father don’t you”?

Vernon turned to look at his mom and saw that she had wet eyes as well. He then felt ashamed for crying in front of her and making her sad again.

‘I…...I….didn’t mean to make you worry I ….--

She wrapped her arms around him and he put his around her. They both stood there and cried.

Vernon felt himself shaking in her fragile arms. He could smell the sweet scent of flowers. She rocked him in her arms and rubbed his strong back. “He’ll be ok. He loves you ….dearly. Vernon..it sounds easy to say but...we’ve got to be strong for him. Ciri said as she wiped her eyes and pulled herself away from him. He looked at her. “We’ve got to be strong. He wouldn’t want us standing here worrying about him while he’s out there doing his job. I know it’s hard. I felt the same way for many months. Be happy Vernon. Tomorrow you’re on your own with her and can feel safe”.

‘True…..true’. He sighed and wiped his eyes. Ciri kissed his forehead, and then said, “Don’t ever feel you’re too old to come back here at any time either. Both your father and I will gladly welcome you back. Besides that you’re tired and should get some sleep”.

He chuckled and looked at her to say, ‘Will you ever stop being a mom’?

She giggled and replied, “Never….as long as I live Vernon i’ll always be your mom and worry about you”.

They walked into the house again and got ready for the exciting day that lay ahead.

Ydnar woke up and saw what became of his body. His world went black, his eyes watered, his throat became dry. He’d rather be dead. Why? Why my leg? A door opened and in walked a man with a large beard and grey hair.

‘How ya feel’? He asked.

“Good. Why is my leg missing in action”? He asked in a serious tone.

The man sighed and came up closer to the bounty hunter. ‘Son you were in the roughest shape i’d ever seen a man be in and I used to fight for the reds a long time ago. Your leg was pelted by two arrows. One of which was dipped in an odd poison. When I had found you there was no hope of being able to save it. It had spread so far up the left leg that I considered going even higher than what I went. We can attach a fake leg on but it costs a large amount of money’.

Ydnar looked into the man’s brown eyes and said, “Do it. I can pay the price. Luckily you seemed to do a good job with it. I ….just don’t know what my wife's going to say about this. If you’d be so kind to tell me….where are we”?
The man sat in a black leather chair and answered back, Believe it or not we’re just north of Tir Ná Lia. By the way about the leg it’s two thousand crowns. It’ll take a day to make. If you still want it’. Ydnar sighed and looked up at the red ceiling. He was lying down on a bed from what he could tell. His left leg hurt like hell. He knew it would since losing vital limbs like this usually takes some time to adjust to since the body still thinks it’s got everything. “I still am yes. In my armor to your right is a note for twelve thousand…….take your two out then then take out four thousand more for your payment”.

‘No…..please no. You were a man in need. I will not accept payment for acts of kindness. I’ll get that going right away. Anything else you need before I leave’? The man said as he got the yellow note out of his pocket.

Ydnar using his arms sat himself up a bit higher and said, “Yes. One I would like a pen and paper to write a quick note to my wife about the condition i’m in and two I need to be back out on the path by tomorrow. I still have a job to do”. The bearded man looked at him like he had seen a ghost.

‘It’s going to be a while before you get used to your current situation i’d re--

“No. I need to be back on my feet the second that leg gets here. No later. I’m a bounty hunter. The more time I sit here recovering the further away my target is getting”.

The man nodded his head and scratched his grey beard. ‘Ok….Ok…..I think I can do that. I’ll have it here by tomorrow. Until then you need sleep. The rest of your body was scarred as if someone beat you. It’s not my right to know but you need to rest and recover a bit’.

Ydnar nodded and said, “I can do that”. The man nodded and turned the lamp out. He walked away and before he closed the door handed Ydnar a black pen and a light blue piece of paper. He then closed the door and Ydnar was left in the dark. The first thing he did was close his eyes and cry. He felt guilty for surviving. The memory of the man dying played over and over in his head. Why? Why me? I think I could’ve saved you. We could’ve both made it out of there alive. Why? Ydnar felt angry. At the whole entire situation. His left leg was cut off at the thigh. Just above his left knee cap.  He knew fighting would be interesting as it meant that he now had to rely more on his strength and endurance than his agility. How am I going to make this work? What’s Ciri going to say? What are my kids going to think now that they’re dad’s a cripple? He opened his eyes and felt a sharp pain travel up his non existent leg and into his head. He started breathing heavily and sweating. Ciri….d****t...will you still love me?  Will you still take me places? WIll you? The question rang through his head as he wondered whether or not to tell his wife about the injury. Without remembering where he was he put his right hand through the wooden wall. The punch nearly broke his wrist. He forgot he was in someone else's house. He was bleeding once again but it felt good to bleed out a bit. He felt sad about feeling that way but he took his black dagger that was sitting next to him and opened the wound up a bit more to let out all the pressure and stress. The blood flowed out and calmed his head down a bit more. Ciri….I need you so badly baby. I’m a wreck of a man. I want to give up on this…..no…….I have you…..I can’t give up. What would my kids say? No…...not giving up. As long as I can walk and swing a sword I’m not giving up. He with a flick of his hand turned the oil lamp on and started writing.

Ciri was woken up by a knock on the door. The house she was staying in was only a single story home. Her bedroom was near the door. She got up from the bed and put on a warm red robe that reached down to her knees. She rubbed her eyes and walked to the white glass front door. She saw two soldiers and froze. No…….No…..really?.......No…..you’re dreaming right? She involuntarily walked to the door and opened it slowly. Her legs felt weak and tears flowed from her eyes.

‘Relax..he….well he’s not dead. At least not yet’.

She felt a bit better but was still worried. The brown carpet felt warm on her cold feet. “You men want to come inside and chat”?

They nodded and the taller one said, ‘Please if we could’.

“Yes absolutely”. Ciri opened the door further and led them to a white round couch. She sat down and wiped her wet eyes.

“Did you see him”? She asked as they sat down next to her.

The shorter man sighed and said, ‘Unfortunately yes. He didn’t want me to tell you about his condition’.

“Why”? She asked immediately.

‘He lost his left leg. It had to be removed just above his kneecap. It’s a rather long story but if you want me--

“I do. Then I want to see him”. She said as she wiped away the river that burst out of her eyes. Ydnar…….d****t……..Yes I still love you…...Gods…..what has this job done to you? Hang on baby i’m coming I promise.

‘You’re going to be tired by the--

“Tell me the story then i’ll see him”. She said stubbornly.

Ydnar woke up well before the sun was up. He rolled over on his left side as he usually did and then yelled, “F**k!!!!! F**k f**k f**k!!! D****t…...why .my leg why”? Ydnar rolled back to his back and punched his thigh just above the stub where the rest of his leg used to be. In the middle of the night two black cross soldiers came to check on his condition. They told him he would be re assigned to another job. The blow struck him incredibly hard as he’s never been told he isn’t cut out for a task. They asked if they could tell his wife but he told them if they did he’d rip their testicles off and use tham to wipe up his tears. Despite all this, the women who looked into the room from the glass window looked like his wife. She had ashen grey hair and intense green eyes. She stopped for a moment and looked in at him. He looked at her. Ciri opened the red door and walked into the bedroom. Tears ran down her face. Ydnar not remembering his missing leg, got up from the bed to put his arms around her and then fell right on his left side.

“D****t”! He yelled. She came to him and helped him up. He grabbed onto the bed and steadied himself. He carefully sat on the very edge of the white bed and looked at her.

‘You…..you thought….I wouldn’t love you’? She asked as she sat on his lap, off centered to his right side to stay off his leg.

Ciri brought her lips inches away from his and he said with tear filled eyes, “Ciri I…..well...yes….I thought….of myself as…..well…..less of man….”.

‘Please….I would never’.  Their moist lips met and he put his arms around her body. Her hands brushed his naked scarred chest. The tears rang down from his eyes and he couldn’t stop them. The scent of flowers gave him a headache, the smooth touch sent tingles and shivers all through his body, her soft ashen hair brought him energy and peace. He felt her robe and knew from experience how to take them off. Soon she was in her underwear as the red robe fell off to reveal her smooth body. She retracted then came in over and over again. Saliva built up between them as their tongues touched and slid over each other. He retracted and shook his head.

“Well…... You sure about what you said”?

‘Yes….I didn't marry you for your body I married you for your love. I hope you’re done chasing this mage of yours’.

Ydnar smiled and sighed. “Yeah…..Ciri...they reassigned me….I was pissed off at first but….. I realised it might be a good idea. They told me they would give me a weeks full pay and make me an advisor of the tactical forces league. It would be right in Tir Ná Lia. If you don’t mind then--

‘I don’t. I just want to be with you Ydnar….no more of this running around. I love you…...These last few months…..I..’

“Relax...Ciri”. He kissed her again and they hooked up for a second time. The only thing that brought him out of it was a shot of pain that reminded him of his injury. She felt him jump and wince a bit.

‘Sorry this probably doesn’t help much’. She said getting off of him and grabbing her robe that was on the wooden floor.

“You’re fine…”. He yawned and worked his arms to scoot back to the pillow. Ydnar sighed and shook his head.

Ciri came up onto his right side as she always did and he put his right arm around her.

“Whoops…..i’m lying on the covers….oh well…..screw me I forgot”. Ydnar conjured a blanket which fell on top of them. She made love to his neck and put her legs in between his. He closed his eyes and ran his hand through her silky hair.

“You get any sleep yet Ciri”?

She undid her bra and tossed it to the side.

‘Not really….a few hours maybe’. She whispered.

Suddenly the feeling of guilt came back. No….Relax….. He couldn’t do it though. Tears rained from his face and he said, “I’ve….got a promise….to fulfill….well..two now I suppose”.

She giggled and kissed his neck again.

“I feel like a broken man now”. He said softly.

She rubbed his rugged chest and said, ‘Bollocks’.

He laughed and said, “My little swallow I missed that so much. Today I’ll be getting a fake leg and at least i’ll look like a real man even though it’s just plastic. Anyway as long as long as I can use a sword i’ll be ok”.

He felt her breasts up against him and he kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight Cirilla, I love you”.

‘Goodnight Ydnar….I love you forever’.

They fell asleep in the dark room of the man’s house.

The next morning came early for her. Ydnar was still sleeping but she had to get ready. Luckily it was an afternoon wedding not an early morning one like she had. Ydnar stirred and woke up after her. “You’re up early I’m surprised. What’s the Owwww f**k me when will I learn”! He fell on his left side yet again. She came over and helped him get himself back up.

“This sucks…..I hate the way I feel”. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. She rubbed his neck and said,

‘That’s gotta be hard’. She looked into his eyes and said, ‘Hey…….relax….we’ll work through this together. You’re not alone on this’. He nodded his head and wiped away tears of frustration.

“Ciri you probably have things to do. You don’t have to stay around for this”. He said as he looked at the stub that used to be a full grown leg.

She put both her fragile hands on his chest, he raised his head, and she brought her pink lips close to his. She whispered, ‘I’m not leaving you my prince charming’.

He laughed and said, “Ciri, I think your prince charming is a cripple now”.

She kissed his lips and said, ‘Please….never use that word again. You’re not a cripple. You’re my husband. Whom I love and will always love with all of my heart’. They touched even deeper this time and he brought his hands around her naked upper body. She put her delicate cold hands on his pecs. She started to moan slightly as they shifted their lips. He retracted and said, “I missed this so much. Believe it or not there’s only so many things you can do with your horse”.

She laughed and applauded him for the joke. He loved it when she laughed like that. Her green eyes lit up like a bright star on a dark night.

‘Ydnar….I’m not sure how to take that’. He laughed and she sighed and sat up on the bed next to him.

She looked at the stub. ‘Does it hurt’? Ciri asked as she grabbed her white bra off the floor and tied it around her.

“It does from time to time. Right now it’s not too bad but that’s right now”. The sun still hadn’t come up yet and Ydnar decided to put his head back on the pillow. “Owwww…..That was dumb...don’t lie on your left side you moron”. He said to himself. Ciri came over to the left side and said, ‘Stop saying things like that’.

He laid on his back now. “Well….in a way ….it’s true. I need to get used to this...one way or another”.

‘You will…..just give it some time’. Ciri consulted.

Ydnar sighed and looked over at her. She was on her left side looking at him with her bright green eyes.

She moved closer to him. Ciri brought her lips close to him and asked, ‘What’s up’?

Ydnar sighed and then looked away from her and said, “So many things are going to be different now. I’m going to have to learn how to fight like this, you might have to help me walk for a bit, Sleeping will be interesting, bathing will be great and --

‘Ydnar all these things i’ll help you with’. He shook his head and replied, “Yeah…...great…….all because I let myself get f****n captured by a pleb bounty hunter. I...didn’t even get the man I was after either. Maybe…..maybe i’ve lost something….I used to be able to bounce back from s**t like this….now…...well….I sit here and complain”.

Ciri stroked his neck with her soft hands. Tears ran down his face. He was angry. Not at her but at himself.

‘Love…..there wasn’t much you could’ve done….I know it doesn’t help but…..’ He looked at her and said,

“It does…..I just need to step up and deal with it. I’ve heard people having things like this done but never thought i’d be the one getting it. Sometimes Ciri….well….life loves you and other times it punches you in your weak spot and leaves you winded and confused. I seem to be getting more of the latter lately. Anyway i’ve bitched enough”.  Ydnar closed his eyes and sighed.

Ciri slid up next to him and kissed his neck. He put his right arm around her again and said, “The man should be here pretty quickly. Shouldn’t take too terribly long to figure out….I hope. Artificial leg…..sounds so pathetic”.

Ciri replied, ‘No…..not to me anyway. Besides no one will know the difference’.

“Except you”.

‘As if that changes the way i think about you’. She whispered.

“Well it changes the way I think about myself”. He commented.

‘It shouldn't’.

He let out a sigh and said, “Easy for you to say Ciri, you’re not the one who has to live this way for the rest of your life. That was well said idiot…..sorry I didn’t mean to get mad at you i’m just….having a hard time believing this is what i’m left with”. Ciri kissed his neck over and over again. Her body felt good against his. It’s been awhile since he felt how warm it was and soft it was. She wanted to tell him of the wedding but at the same time she didn’t know if now was the right time.

‘Todays a good day’. She said softly.

“Why’s that”?

‘Our son’.

“Mhm what about him”.

‘He’s getting married today’.

Ydnar felt happiness inside of him like he never felt before. “Damn...that means I need to wear that doublet of mine eh”.

She giggled and said, ‘Correct’.

He moaned and said, “You know I really don’t like tight clothes that make me itch”.

She snickered and said, ‘But you look so good in it love’.

“That’s debatable. You can only polish a t**d so much”.

She laughed and punched his arm, ‘Stop saying things like that’. Ydnar opened his eyes and saw her smile.

‘We’ll get dressed up for this...then …..you and I port to Tir Ná Lia….for a warm bath…….with bubbles’. Both of them laughed and he said, “Can’t happen soon enough”.

Ydnar ran his right hand through her soft silky hair and said, “Two almost three years now since you permanently attached yourself to this”?

She thought and responded, ‘Yeah that sounds right. I still remember that day so vividly’.

He looked her in the eyes and asked, “Was it that night we danced on the beach or was it ….later”?

‘I think...that may’ve been a bit later. Either way….Ydnar that was beautiful’. She kissed his lips and he said,

“Sometimes it turns out the way it should”.

‘More often than not when i’m with you it does’.

He saw her turn her body so she was on her side and her head was on his chest looking at him. She lied down perpendicular to him. He brushed a strand of hair out of the way so he could see her green eyes that he loved so much.

“I really hope to be able to not have to change houses for a while now”.

‘Same. Feels like every time I figure out where to put things or how to organize things we have to leave’.

“Yeah…..i’m sorry I couldn’t give us a better life”.

She kissed his chest and said, ‘Please...my life with you has been fun. There’s no one else i’d rather drink in a bathtub with’. They laughed. There was movement out side and Ydnar knew he was back. Ciri casted a quick spell and she was back in her normal clothes. The man came in and saw the two of them.

Ydnar looked at him and asked, “Well….what’s the damage”?  

It turns out that walking with a real leg and an artificial leg wasn’t really as hard as he thought it was. Though in all fairness they teleported back to the house. The ceremony wasn’t still for four hours but Ydnar quickly bathed and got dressed in his green and white doublet and matching green and white pants. Ciri grabbed a strapless blue top and matching tight blue pants. She put her hair up in a ponytail leaving her few strands of ashen grey hair loose to hang down near her scar. Ydnar walked out of the small bathroom and saw her using the mirror to put her hair up. Once she finished she turned around and jumped a bit when she saw him. Ydnar started laughing. ‘Don’t scare me like that’. She giggled.

“But’s it’s so much fun watching you jump like that”. Ydnar said with a large smile on his face.

Ciri laughed. She didn’t usually wear earrings but today she had small diamond ones in her ears.

Ciri came up and walked around him. ‘You look damn good in that’.

“You’re not bad yourself Cirilla”. She came up to him and they touched briefly.

“Is it bath time yet my smooth tongued swallow”? He asked as he held her close to him.

She blushed and replied, ‘Please…..I wish….’.

“Mmmmmmm fine I suppose I can wait”.

She kissed his lips again and he held her hand as they walked out the door of the house and into the bright morning sun.

The touch of his hand in hers felt good. It was a feeling that she had missed for so long. “Does this mean I actually have to talk to people”? He asked looking at her beautiful face.

She smiled at him and said, ‘Yes...it’s common to talk when your son or daughter is getting married. Just think too we’ll have to do this down the road again’.

“Oh….Ciri i’m much better at offing people than chatting with them”. She laughed and said,

‘Do you plan on complaining the whole entire time we’re here’?

He looked back at her and said, “If it gets me to the bathtub more quickly yes……..Ok...Ok….i’ll cast a spell on myself and pretend to have fun”.

Ciri laughed and turned red. She couldn’t control her laughter. After a short while she shook her head, looked at him, and said, ‘Ydnar….stop flirting with me...you’ve already got me’.

He stopped and with a single gesture he pulled her close to him and asked, “For how long Ciri”?

She smiled and brought her forehead right up to his.

‘Forever love’. They touched again in the street outside the house.

He retracted and said, “I love it when you call me that. Alright Ciri let’s go do this”.

The couple arrived at the area the event would be taking place in. Many, many, many people were present here for the ceremony. Ciri led him to where Triss and Geralt were standing and talking. Geralt looked twice as good as him. In his black and white and black doublet and pants. Triss was wearing a orange low cut dress that reached to the floor. The wind blew softly as the pine trees shifted. It was hard to climb the large hill that led to the peak where the ceremony would actually be held. He was still trying to get used to the leg. Triss noticed them first.

‘Both of you made it here? I thought he was going to be gone for a while still? Did...something happen’? She asked with a concerned look on her face. Geralt now turned around and Ydnar said, “Well….you’re not wrong”.

‘What ….do you mean’?

He felt Ciri squeeze his hand. He got pretty good at guessing her signals and he knew that meant to tell her what happened.

“Well….as Ciri may’ve told you I was on the tail of a dangerous mage. I ended up getting captured. Long story short I got out with the help of a friend who’s now dead and got shot in the left leg by two arrows”. Zoltan and Dandelion joined in the party. “One of the arrows was dipped in poison. I….. well…..I had to lose the leg. All the way up to the thigh”.

‘Wow…..when was that’? Zoltan asked.

“This morning about three or four hours ago. I got a plastic leg now and i’m still trying to learn how to use it but yeah…..that was fun……”.

‘Well you’re alive at least. Damn good to see you again’. Zoltan said,

“Feelings mutual. Good to be done with the hunting crap”.

‘You’re done with bounty hunting then’? Zoltan asked. Ciri looked at him closely to make sure he saw her.

Ydnar pushed her back a bit. “Yes…..truly i’m done”.

Ciri quickly responded, ‘Yes he is’. They laughed and Ciri kissed his cheek. He shook his head and said, “Yes mom i’m done”. He saluted her teasingly. From behind he felt someone tackle him.

Ydnar let go of Ciri’s hand, stumbled, and then turned around.

He shook his head as Ciri started laughing.

“Del...I may be injured but I can still kick your a*s man”. Ydnar said as he playfully pushed the man.

‘Man they can make a piece of t**d into a half good looking man eh’? Ciri laughed harder and Ydnar sighed.

“Goddammit Del. You’re lucky I've got the patience for this”.

‘Right? Good to see you back here again’.

“Ya know i’d say the feelings mutual but I’d be lying”. They laughed. Ydnar felt a tap on his left shoulder and saw a man  who he didn’t recognize say, ‘We need to talk to you’.

“Mhm about what”?

‘It’s well….personal. Please we won’t be long’.

Ydnar sighed, looked at Ciri, and kissed her briefly. “I’ll be back”. Ydnar started to follow but Ciri grabbed him back and they touched again. She retracted and said softly, ‘Don’t be too long’.

He moaned and said, “Gods you look good in that top”. Ciri blushed and replied, ‘I’ll let you play with it later love’. She said as she kissed his neck a few more times. Ydnar sighed and then said, “Alright i’ll be back”.

Ydnar followed the man in black armor back down the hill a ways to where they were out of sight. The man stopped and said, ‘We need that mage taken care of still’.

Ydnar sighed and said, “And that’s when I shut the door in your face and walk away”.

‘You shouldn’t leave a job unfinished. Especially when he’s quite dangerous’.

Ydnar replied, “Like hell I shouldn’t. Find someone else, get them to do it, as far as i’m concerned i’m done with this thing”.

‘Not until you catch this mage you’re not. If you walk away i’ll find you and tell you the same thing’.

Ydnar brought himself right up to the smaller man and said with a stern face, “Then i’ll say the same exact thing and tell you to go f**k yourself. I’m done doing this s**t, done”.

‘We’ll find you at your house then and say the same exact thing as we did now’.

“Good then i’ll pick you up by your legs and make a weapon out of you. Get lost, you’ve no right to be here anyway”.

The man laughed and replied, ‘True...very true….alright well i’ll see you in a few hours then’. He started walking back down the hill. Ydnar saw a rock over by the side of the path and decided to sit on it and think. No….i’m done with this...My wife and I will live in peace for the remainder of our time. Nothing will take me out of that. Ydnar got up and walked up the path again. He saw Ciri talking to a few of Ydnar’s friends from the army and Geralt and Zoltan were talking about beer. Ydnar liked beer so he decided to join in.

‘Even that’s a lightweight compared to any Kaedweni beer’. Zoltan corrected.

‘Not true….Zerrikania can brew some pretty harsh ales’. Geralt argued.

‘Have you ever had any Kaedweni beer Geralt’?     

               ‘Yes a long time ago though. I doubt it’s changed much’. Geralt replied.

Zoltan shook his head and looked at Ydnar.

‘You’ve a worried face on my friend. What did the man want’?

Ydnar sighed and replied, “He wanted me to continue chasing that mage. I told him no and he threatened to bring men against me for refusing. We’ll see what happens. I’m not going back into this though. I will not do it”.

‘Hmmmmm you haven’t told Ciri then yet I take it’?

“Correct I haven’t. I don’t know if I ever will either. I’d rather not worry her too much about this”.

About an hour or so later everything was in place. Ydnar came up and sat in a long bench next to Ciri. She smiled and kissed his cheek. ‘What did that man want’? She asked as she grabbed his right hand.

Ydnar sighed and said, “we’ll talk about that later”.

‘Which means it’s not good’. She assumed.

“Relax Ciri...everything's fine”. Ciri sighed and shook her head. Someone else from behind tapped his shoulder. Ydnar looked around and it was Del. He motioned for Ydnar to follow. Ciri looked at the two men and whispered to Ydnar as the talking settled a bit, ‘You’re going to miss the--

Ydnar cut her off as he got up and said, “I know…..sorry...but I told Del to keep watch for anything suspicious”.
Ciri was displeased, she let out a large sigh, and said, ‘Fine go…..miss your son's wedding…...doesn’t matter to me’.

Ydnar wanted to argue with her but felt like she wouldn’t understand anyway so he just followed his comrade out of the seating area.

The two men walked to where the round white tables and drinks were at. They started walking down the mountain and out of the sight of anybody who could possibly see them.

“Hope you’ve got a good reason for tearing me away like this”. Ydnar said as they continued down the dirt trail.

Del looked at him and replied, ‘I do. I saw some movement over here just a bit ago. Looked like a lot of men but not sure where from. Ciri seemed…...upset….you two...fight recently’?

Ydnar wanted to tell the man to stay out of their personal things but he was a good friend and cared about their relationship.

“No….Del….I thought I understood women. Ciri and I well….we’ve been married nearly three years but it seems like I just can’t connect to her anymore…...I don’t know. I guess with the kids and me gone she’s just ….not herself maybe? Ydnar stopped following and stood to look out to his right at the valley below the mountain. It was beautiful. The water with the sun out made it shine a sapphire blue. Pines rose up from around the large mirror like river. Del came up to him and jokingly punched him in his right arm. He said, ‘Hey….chin up man…...She loves you, I can tell. Have you tried talking to her about any of these things’?

Ydnar sighed and looked at the man in a black suit. “Haven’t really had the time. I …..won’t leave her….I can’t leave her…..ahhh….Del…..I ...man it’s like half the time she says she loves me and lets me kiss her and the other half she’s angry at the decisions I make and it …….it just seems like I can’t do anything right. No matter what house she’s in something's wrong and she doesn’t want me to investigate. As if she thinks we’ll be ok if we don’t do anything. I suppose it could be her age too. She is sixteen after all……..sometimes she acts like it”.

Del Sighed and didn’t know what to say to him. ‘Is the relationship in trouble’? Del asked looking into his closed eyes.

“I….I don’t know…...maybe…...lately it seems like it is. She has to understand that i’m trying to do the best I can with what I have. I didn’t ask to get hurt like this. I didn’t ask to get hunted by people it just happened. Crying about this s**t isn’t going to make it go away. Like ...help me understand how you think this s**t’s going to work! And then there’s our son. She didn’t want him to move away from home at first but I was all for it”.

‘Why’s that’? Del asked.

“Cause he needs to become self reliant. I love my son….i’d go to the end of the world and back to make sure he’s safe but he’s not a little kid anymore. He needs to forge his own life and make his own mistakes. That’s how you get better in life. You learn what to do and not to do. I….her and I man….how ...how did we stay together this long? ….it sounds dumb but maybe the next time I go missing …..maybe...I won’t come back and just settle down somewhere”.

Del looked at him surprised about what he said, ‘You….Ydnar you serious’?

Ydnar nodded his head then opened his eyes and said, “Yes…...Del….I can’t take much more of this sort of thing. You know how bad it hurts when I try to please her and yet she comes out with her knife and guts me? Can you imagine? Maybe…...maybe the prophecy was right……..f**k if I know…...alright sorry Del….let’s go”. The depressed man said.

It was now approaching evening. The ceremony was now said and done. There were only a few people left around the area. Geralt and Triss were talking to Dandelion and Zoltan. Ciri was walking around the top of the mountain. She was angry at what she had said and the way she acted towards him. I’m his wife…..yes we have fights but he usually comes back quickly….we make up and then ….well...everythings back to normal. Did ….he finally…….get enough of me? ……..why can’t I do this properly? Why am I no good in relationships? Ciri looked up and saw in the distance towards the other side of the mountain Ydnar surrounded by his men. They seemed to be laughing about something. Del was with them. She turned away and had a tear run down her face. Vernon and Quen left via a portal to their new house. They were eager to get to living their new life together. Ciri remembered the days of feeling the same way. Then…...one thing after another…...they’d spent more time away from each other than they spent together. It dragged on her constantly, how the bed in every house seemed to be empty every time, how they said they’d always be together but never seemed to get around to it. She wondered if the married life wasn’t for her. Ciri looked at her hand and the ring he bought for her. More tears ran down. She looked off the large drop off. The orange sun was bright as it was setting over a beautiful orange lake in the distance. The wind rushed up and over the area and she felt it run through her ashen hair. The strong scent of pine filled her head and overwhelmed her senses. Behind her she heard someone and she quickly turned around.

Ydnar came up closer to her.

“Sorry…..I ...missed all that but there--

‘Relax….I got caught up in the moment. I forgot we...still live a life of being in constant danger’. Ydnar sighed and took her in his arms. Ciri laid her head in his chest and shook slightly. He held her tightly and rocked her. Ydnar looked out at the hills and forests below them.

“It’s hard…...you and I…..Ciri we push ourselves to be good parents, husbands, wives, sorceresses, bounty hunters, and at the end of the day we’re shot out of feelings and patients. I understand”.

She had tears running down her cheeks. Ydnar kissed her head over and over again. “Ciri...I love you...I wouldn’t leave you….sometimes my darling...I say things I don’t mean. Because i’m angry, or tired, or just don’t think. I don’t mean any of that”.

They rocked together and just felt the comfort of each other. I will not leave….ever again…...you’ve my word…..I won’t do it.

Geralt and Triss looked at the couple. “Think they’re ok”? He asked looking into her hazel brown eyes. ‘Probably. I know Ciri was saying she was having some doubts about it but….I’d really hate to see them split up’.  They watched them touch and then he spun her and whirled the shiny blue young woman around the top of the mountain. They watched the couple dance. “He knows how to love her that much is for sure”.

‘That Geralt…..Is all I ever wanted for her’. Triss looked into his orange eyes, ‘I just wanted someone to love her and I think he definitely fits that picture’.

The grey bearded witcher smiled and replied, “I couldn’t agree more”.

         

    

 

        

 

          

    

       

          

           

  

       

     

       

         

       

                     

          

  

  

  

  

  

                   

   

          

 

   

    

                

  

                                        

            

                       

              

                                       

                                            

                

                 

        

       

            

             

         

       

                         

  

       

       

    

                               

   

               

 

  

Author's Note

I just want to know if there's enough detail in the story. Thanks for taking the time to read this.