Chapter 35: Encounters

February 25, 1276… The Circle of Kovir…

They rode abreast along a small trail traveling west in the shadows of the Dragon Mountains to visit the Circle of Kovir. Millie sat sidesaddle in front of Geralt as he held the reins so his arms cradled her while she slept. It was already noon and the sun had risen and warmed the air. Trotting along on Broggha, Triss held Rosina wrapped in a thick blanket so she could hardly move. She latched the child against her body so she'd sleep for the journey. Ahead and off the trail Cirilla trudged Kelpie through the deep snow in the field.

"Look over there." Gretka shouted, she pointed.

Far in the distance the lush woodland of the druid's forest appeared and crept across the scenery of the frozen countryside. Kelpie let out a shape whinny when she spurred her forward to join Triss and Geralt where the trail began to curve.

"We'll reach the druids before nightfall." Triss said with some hesitation in her voice. She canted her head when a rush of wind sent the snow swirling high into the air.

She gazed south at the rain clouds sprawling and billowing across the flatland; a flash of lightning split the sky like a serpent, followed by the roar of thunderclap.

"Storm's brewing." Geralt muttered.

"Really?" The enchantress replied. He eyed her, then turned his gaze ahead when she smiled at him. The witcher knew she was eager to reach the grove before the storm. "It looks like it's going to pass over quickly."

"Best we not risk it. We should find some shelter." Cirilla warned.

"Not a bad idea... we could use the rest and take the time to care for the horses. I could make something for the children to eat too..." Triss answered. She looked down, beneath her cloak. Rosina was waking up and she felt the child struggling to move.

"The countryside around these parts are littered with old mining caverns, shouldn't have to travel far to find one." Geralt said in a low voice.

"There!" Cirilla pointed to an outcropping of rocks. Beyond the opening was an old hunter's cave and Triss agreed that they would rest in it.

The cavern was a short climb through the rocks. A small frozen waterfall trickled with icicles dangling above the opening like prickly spears. Millie woke and rubbed her tired eyes. She clung to Geralt's arm and pressed her body against his chest as the witcher climbed from his saddle. They walked into the cavern stepping over the piles of broken crates. Triss lit four torches hanging on the wall and took one to light the passage ahead.

"This place is a squalor." Cirilla whined.

"You wanted to wait out the storm, didn't you?"

"Yes, but not here." Cirilla answered.

"At least there aren't any bedbugs." Triss laughed. Around them several old braziers laid scattered about. She lit them, cobwebs and all. "Make us a cooking fire, Ciri."

"You're the pyromancer." Cirilla replied in a cheeky voice, then took the torch from the sorceress's hand.

The cavern was littered with broken clay pots. She and Gretka took a piece of wood from a pile and added them to each brazier, then she threw the torch in it.

"It's done?"

"Mhmm" Cirilla yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "I'll go and fetch us dinner."

"Be careful."

"You want to come with? So I don't hurt myself catching rabbits?"

"Very funny, Ciri just be careful."

"Mmhmm...promise."

"Thank you, I feel better already."

Geralt stood silently looking at them both.

"I'll be needing this." Cirilla said, as she took the witcher's crossbow from his back. She took some twine from her saddleback and unspooled two arm's length, then walked to the entrance of the cavern.

"What's gotten into her? Why is so prickly today?" Triss asked. "You should with her." She urged him.

"Ciri doesn't need my help." Geralt replied. He sat on a crate and watched the sorceress spread a hide and placed Rosina on it, then together they unsaddled the horses. "What's happened to Broggha?"

"He picked up a limp on his left hind leg after we crossed that stream back there. Probably have a rock stuck in his hoof..." Triss replied, grunting as she took the horse's leg and dug a small jagged rock. She looked over to the cave's entrance.

"Ciri's gone."

"I wasn't looking for her…" Triss sighed. "I was—dammit… am I so easily read?"

"Like an open book." Geralt goaded.

"Maybe so, witcher but I have my reasons."

"You should rest, I'll finish up here." He said, then took a wooden currying comb from his saddlebag and started to groom the horses.

"Are you sure?"

"You were up all night watching over Ciri, you need to rest."

"Alright, but just for a little while. Don't let me sleep too long." Triss said.

She sat on the rocks, leaned her back against the caves' wall and quickly drifted into an uneasy sleep. It wasn't long before Geralt finished tending the horses; he fed them oats from a small sack, then water them with snow melted over the fire. The witcher saddled them, then cleaned his hands with water an old rag.

"She's exhausted." Cirilla voice rang in a whisper behind him. She entered carrying three hares, skinned, and already spitted.

"Triss." Geralt called the sorceress.

She answered with a small wordless moan. Her head rested in an uncomfortable position. Geralt came closer to watch her sleep. He took her hand and the enchantress shift her body.

"Are you going to stare or wake her? She can't sleep like that. Take it from me, she'll wake up with a terrible ache."

"She needs the rest. If I try to move her, she'll wake up and be bad tempered." Geralt mumbled.

"The do it gently." Cirilla answered. She sat down and threw the meat over the fire.

The witcher's brow furrowed with a frown when Cirilla laughed at his awkwardness; he tried to speak, but she still him with a raised finger, knowing she'd caused him to be even more self-conscious.

If I move her, Triss wake up. He stood mulling what to do. He'd already done it in his mind long before Cirilla told him to. He'd seen her sleeping many times, but there was something beautiful about the way she slept so relaxed.

"Something wrong?" Cirilla asked.

"I can sit here and watch her until morning. She's calm… peaceful. Her face isn't creased with worry. When she sleeps, I get to see her true self... not the woman marked by pain and hurt when she looks at me."

"What?"

"Nothing." Geralt murmured. I want that woman, I fell in love with her, all of her. He ran his finger along her face. There was a hint of tears pooling in the corner of the sorceress's eyes; it rolled down her cheek and nose into his palm. She's dreaming, something unpleasant. "Triss." The witcher called out her name again. He sat beside her and took her body against his; it was more pleasant than the stone she was resting on, yet despite his roughness, she remained asleep for a little while longer.

"You smell nice." She whispered. She opened her eyes fleetingly.

Cirilla watched them from her perch by the fire. She was sitting legs crossed eyeing the children play. She tore her gaze from them only long enough to turn the spit dripping savory juices into the open fire.

"Come and eat something." She called Millie and Gretka to her side.

"Don't want it," Gretka said. "...we don't want to eat."

"Girls, you must." Cirilla answered sternly.

She ripped a piece of meat and blew on it until it cooled, then she fed the children each even portion of bread. Rosina came to her hands outstretched and she gave the child a small piece of the hare, so she'd gnaw on it. She took another from the fire and carried the whole spit to Geralt.

"Here..." She commanded. "...you both need to eat something. We've not eaten since we left the inn."

"Hmm." Geralt grumbled. He lifted the spit carefully inspecting roast. "It'd made a good stew."

"Eh, I haven't got any pots to make us stew." Cirilla replied, stepping back.

Triss moved. She'd fallen asleep the moment she'd sat down to rest. Her eyes fluttered, then she opened them. "Has the storm passed?" She asked. "We need to get going."

"It's moving overhead now." Cirilla replied.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long." Geralt said. Taking care not to move his body to much she was still leaning against him.

"You finished caring for the horses alone?" Triss asked. "Why didn't you wake me? You let me sleep all day? I wanted to help you with..."

"It's fine… you needed the rest more than me." Geralt said looking down at her. The sweet scent of her hair drifted up to greet him.

Triss sat upright fully awakened. She met Cirilla's gaze on her. The girl held a spit in her hand.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that, what's going on? Do I have something on my face?" The enchantress asked. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then smiled. "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"No reason and no… there's nothing on your face." Cirilla stood with a strange little smile, she bend at the waist and brought her face closer, then passed Geralt the spitted meat.

"Ciri?"

"I swear it. I was smiling because you were mumbling while you slept."

"Liar." Triss chuckled.

"I would not!" Cirilla replied. "Geralt, tell her."

"Mmhmm, you were snoring too... loud, but comely."

"Really?" Triss smiled. "You should have woken me."

"Mmhmm." The witcher said. He bit into the hare, then placed it at Triss mouth. "Ciri made it...it's good."

"You're lying...I don't snore when I sleep." She whispered, before taking a small bite. "Have you eaten anything?"

"Not yet." Cirilla answered.

Geralt passed the meat and crouched forward on his knees when Rosina came to them. The child had stick in one hand and a dirty piece of meat in the other. She turned and tried to run when he tried to take them away, but he grabbed her. Geralt wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her off her feet. He kissed her neck undaunted by the ambience and Rosina roared into a loud ravishing giggle.

Triss watched as Geralt took the stick and dirty piece of meat from her hands and threw them into the nearby fire. Rosina let out another gulping laugh again when he touched her nose playefully, then squeezed her eyes shut to mimic him. Squirming and twisting her body to climb up she pulled his hair when Geralt pretended to sleep. He feigned snoring, but the child found no humor in his antics. She pried his eyelid opened.

"She knows you're pretending." Triss said softly.

Geralt snored again, but Rosina scratched his face. He tickled her side and she let out a small giggle, then wriggled herself to the ground. When, he feigned a few more exaggerated snorting her laughter echoed across the cavern. She stretched out her hands and threw herself, leaping into Triss's arms before she was ready. She offered to suckle her, but Rosina angrily refused.

"She's refusing me again.".

"She wants what we're having."

"But…"

"Don't worry, she'll come, when she's hungry." Geralt said. He suspected she already knew and still his words were meant only to calm her.

"It's our bond, Geralt, just us. Something only I can give her. I don't want to wane her off, not yet."

They moved to the fire and sat in each other's company, listening to the storm rumbling as it passed over head. The occasional flash of lightning lit the caverns to the clap of thunder. The children gathered around them, beside the fireplace. When the storm died, Geralt left them to ready the horses. Alone, Triss and the children watched them. Cirilla sought calm and quietness at the cavern entrance. She hurried unaware into her own thoughts, her desire burning with the absence of Cerys suddenly burst at the thought of their eventual reunion.

'I miss you, you know?' Triss heard Cirilla mumble.

She'll have more scars I'm sure of it and they're mine to care for. She blushed indulging in her yearning to lose herself in Cerys bewitching eyes. She hugged herself then ponder their eventual reunion.

A hug? No something intimate. Something to say you're mine forever. I'd kiss her, no matter where we were, I want to kiss her for all to see. Cirilla smiled. I'd steal her away, keep her to myself a full night.

"Are you alright?"

"Mmhmm." Cirilla whispered and turned.

"Ciri, I that look, that loneliness and longing to hold, and be held by the person you love." Triss said. "I know that look and I know how miserable it feels."

"Can't be helped.'

"I know."

The storm had passed and now it was almost dark. Triss came to her; they stood together looking out across the snow-covered plains, then she wrapped her arms around her. Their hugs were never long enough, the softness of their embrace. Triss's gentle squeeze, wrapping her in a warm swaddling embrace that was never long enough.

"Your hugs are so pure...so simple and perfect. Just like that, it makes me feel better." Cirilla said holding onto her arm.

The enchantress gave a smothered laugh. "Hugging you is the only thing I can do right now to comfort you, Ciri." She squeezed a little tighter, rubbing her shoulders. "Somewhere out there, Cerys is feeling the same way you do. You'll see her soon enough; you just have to bear it a little longer."

"I know, but it isn't any easier." Cirilla whispered.

"It's never easy, baby girl." Triss replied. They ended their embrace and Cirilla walked to the horses. She took their rolled bedrolls, fastened them behind the saddlebag, then helped Gretka into the saddle.

"I'll take Rosi." Geralt said.

"Are you certain? She's demanding you know and you're going to have to carry her until we reach the safety of the druids." Triss replied.

The witcher shifted the pouch on the front of his armor so the child can rest flat against his chest. He took Rosina against his body in a warm cloth, then slid his cloak to his front. Triss tightened the wrap, then she fastened a knot high on his shoulder.

"Is it tight enough?" He asked.

"Yeah, anymore and I'd suffocate you both." Triss smiled.

She went to Millie side and lifted her into the saddle. Together, they emerge from the cavern to make their way onto the path below. The children rode on the horses where they were warm and protected from the cold; Cirilla, Triss and Geralt walked ahead holding the reins until the road forked, then mounted their horses and galloped towards the druid's grove. As they neared the grove, Gretka sat upright gripping the horn of the saddle, as if she were steering the horse. She'd removed her hat letting her hair flow in the cold wind. They reached the forest's edge as darkness began to blanket the land.

"Look there." Millie said.

As they drew closer, the snow began to thin. The land, even the air looked and felt like summer; the wild grasses before the bounds of the forest grew lush and tall.

"Hold on Millie! We're going to slow down." Triss said. "We've reached the grove."

The girl leaned back onto the sorceress's chest, as she slowed the horse to a trot. Their quick strides had put them ahead leaving Geralt and Cirilla trailing far behind. At the boundaries of the grove, Millie's eyes were fixed on the great tree that grew at its center.

"What's a druid?" She suddenly asked, looking up for answer, as Triss's eyes left the trail and came back to her.

"They're healers and scholars of the forest. They care for the injured, sick, and orphaned." She answered. They shared a smile, then Millie look ahead. "They'll be our host."

The others soon reached them. Geralt marked a blood-stained arrow that had gone unnoticed before. The small trickle of blood on the snow, faint paw marks marked the path of a wounded animal through the thicket into the copse. The wild shrubs and bramble growing on the earthen banks tangled together marking the grove's outer defenses.

"Blood…" The witcher murmured.

"Where?"

"There."

"It looks old. Probably from a wounded animal. Chances are it's seeking the druids help." Triss replied. She looked down at Millie who held onto the horn of the saddle leaning far forward as if to peered through the thickets. "What is it?"

"Something's moving." The girl said.

"Don't scare us." Gretka whined.

"I'm not lying..." Millie replied. "...I saw it."

Geralt dismounted his mare, Cirilla too leaving Gretka to ride in the saddle. Rosina clung to her father's chest, as he walked forward leading Roach by her reins. All around them, the trees grew together amidst the brambles. Cirilla hurried ahead, then suddenly, then birds nesting in branches flew aloft singing their song that echoed a warning deep inside the grove. Four trees marked with runes came to life. The tips of their branches moved like fingers, their roots sprang from the ground, and the creatures began to march forward. The creepers scrambled, and intertwined around them, concocting a horrible monster. Gretka screamed, and Millie quail with fright.

"Damn!" Cirilla muttered. The brambles snaked across the ground latching onto her boot unnerving Kelpie. She commanded the mare to flee, then reached for her sword drawing her blade partly, before Geralt stilled her.

"Wait, Ciri...don't do anything to provoke them." He said. "They're not attacking."

"Wonderful." Cirilla snarked. "Is it a good time to mention that it's got my leg?"

"Calm down." Geralt muttered. "I've seen this before… Caed Myrkvid. The druids used this kind of magic to entrap trespassers. The oak tree came to live and..."

"Well then, that sounds pleasant enough..." Cirilla said. "I'll stand perfectly still and wait to be bludgeon and eaten by the bushes and a walking tree."

"Some kind of test?" Triss whispered.

"Maybe." Geralt answered. "But why?"

"Interesting, magic." The sorceress mumbled.

"Wonderful. Are we done? Can I swing my sword now? It still got my legs."

"No. Just wait a moment." Triss answered. She cast a simple spell to release Cirilla from the vines.

Why have you come, sorceress? A powerful melodic voice whispered on the wind.

"I am Triss...Triss Merigold and these are my companions. We seek the flaminika, Ermion and the druids of Skellige sent me here. My child is…"

The boscage halted its assault. Geralt felt Rosina wiggling her body; he looked down into his cloak and she was wide awake. Her small freckles sprinkled face looking up at him, her eyes appeared as a witcher's eyes, but blue like the blooming bluebells. She blinked scrutinizing his face. Cirilla began to sheath her sword still gripping the hilt as the vines retreated. The trees borrowed their roots and took the shape of trees again.

"What happened." She asked when the path opened. The witcher took her hand from her sword and helped Gretka down from the saddle. She took Kelpie's reins and the girl's hand.

"I don't know." Triss replied.

Cautiously, they entered the grove crossing a small shallow stream. An old petrified tree was home to the owls, another bridge the ponds. Triss hoisted Millie from the horse and firmly placed her on the ground, but the girl still clung to her leg. Small flows sprang from larger streams and meander along the ground flowing deeper into the forest. Narrow worn paths lined with stones led them to the center of the copse where the large oak tree grew. The tranquil sound of a distant waterfall was soothing, like the pleasant smell that lingered in the air.

"Look mother look!" Millie said, pointing to the strange shadows moving along the bough.

"Don't be afraid. It's just the animals." Triss replied. She held the girl's shoulder reassuringly. "I'd never let anything hurt you."

They continued along the path. Soft under their feet, the forest was dark and menacing, the moon was hidden by the thicket, then it wasn't. Soon, everything came alive in brilliance. One by one the fireflies woke and synchronized their nuptial ritual. Small yellowish green glow lit the ground, more of the luminescent glows clung to the small fallen branches and lit the way.

"Pixies!" Gretka shouted.

"They're not pixies, just fireflies." Cirilla laughed.

"But I want pixies."

"Well then, they're pixies."

"Mmhmm." Gretka clapped.

The creatures of the night paused to stare; a squirrel chased another up a tree fighting over an acorn, deer grazed without fear of the foxes and wolves. Voles surfaced from their burrows to nibble, as the owls and hawks perched peacefully in the branches above them. A buck cropped the grass, as the does and their fawns roamed on the small islands surrounded by streams of flowing water.

"It's very peaceful, here." Cirilla whispered.

"It is." Triss replied.

Deeper inside the forest, a druid cared for a wounded animal, others moved slowly and tended the grove. An old grayed pair meditated in the moonlight beaming a small circle down through the canopy of the trees. All around them, small sturdy cabins scattered the grove, the largest sat deep beneath the forest-canopy. Built with interlocking logs, each stood on small earthen mounds, their roofs covered in vines and thick green moss as if they too were part of the forest. Smoke billowed upward from the chimneys of another, the aroma of roasting meat hung in the air. Across a small shallow pond, the entrance of the cave was marked by rough hewn stones decorated with carvings of woodland beast and beyond it was the druid's great house.

"Greetings." Geralt spoke to the old man standing quietly and looking at them.

"Welcome travelers." The druid said. He had a sour face, long grayed bear and small wrinkled at the corners of his eyes. Another druid joined them and took hold of the horses. Cirilla collected their bedrolls and saddlebags, then the old man led the beast away.

"We're seeking an audience with the flaminika of these woods." Triss said quietly.

"The Mistress will speak to the sorceress when morning breaks." The elder druid said. He led them to the largest of the cabins a stone's throw from the druid's great house.

"We…" Geralt began to speak, but the old man pursed his lips and frowned.

"Forgive us." Triss interrupted. "We'll respect the wisdom in your words. Thank you. The children are tired Geralt, we'll rest for the night. You and Ciri are leaving at daybreak. You may not need to, but she needs the rest."

The druid agreed to the witcher's displeasure, then he took his leave.

"Triss, we came a long way..."

Yet naught can be spoken now that cannot at forenoon. The same melodic voice echoed across the grove. The children looked around searching for the person speaking.

'That voice again.' Triss spoke to them in her thoughts.

'Someone doesn't want to be seen.' Geralt answered.

'Not overly complex magic, but difficult to precisely locate the user. Come.' The enchantress answered. She took the children hands and they entered the cabin together.

Inside was a fireplace and a simple bed. Herbs and plants for brewing potions hung from the joist. Cirilla dropped their saddlebags and bedrolls in the corner. She removed her swords and carefully set them aside, then she tugged on the string to her cloak and threw it on the floor. Millie and Gretka giggled when she fell on it. Triss made her way around and loosened the cloth wrapping Rosina to Geralt, then she turned the child's entire body. There was a knock on the door, then another. Cirilla stood and opened it, but there was no one there. She looked around, then down at her feet. There was food on a tray. Bowls of steaming soup, two loaves of bread, fruits and a bladder of wine. She collected the food tray. The sweet smell made her mouth salivate. They sat at the small table and ate, Geralt only nibbling on a piece of bread dipped in soup. After they'd eaten, Gretka and Millie obeyed Triss's command that they ready for bed. The girls pulled aside the quilt and crawled onto the bed.

"I'm going to sleep." Cirilla mumbled. She went to the corner, removed her armor and lay on the floor. "Can you leave the candles burning?"

"Why?" Triss said looking over curiously.

Cirilla glanced over her shoulder. "I don't want to stumble in the dark when I wake to relieve myself." She grabbed her bedroll and used it as a pillow, then slid her hands between her knees. Sleep was quick in coming when she closed her eyes.

"I think Rosi is ready to sleep." Triss said to Geralt a moment later.

She put the child on her chest and laid on the opposite side of the bed with her knees curled up and her feet towards Gretka's and Millie's. She knew Rosina could not sleep save she was resting on hers or Geralt's chest with her hand woven into their shirt.

"Tell us a story." Millie whispered. She peeked her head from underneath the cover looking down the bed at the sorceress, then Gretka appeared beside her.

"A good one." She said.

"Alright, but only a short one." Triss replied. Both girls shifted the lower half of their bodies beneath the thin bed cover. "Once upon a time…"

The enchantress began telling them the tale of a boy and a magic lamp from the faraway lands of Ofier. She'd had barely reached middle before they were all asleep. Triss took Rosina from her chest and laid her in the bed. She tried to stand, but the child opened her eyes and clutched her.

"I'm still here, little witcher." She whispered coxing the girl back to sleep. "Geralt are you awake?"

He grunted from the corner, then swallowed his discomfort. A strange dizzying sensation gripped him. The room felt smaller than it should've, then his vision blurred.

"Roll out something on the floor for us."

Geralt sat quietly perched on a small stool, to his left was the cabin door. He found the wall beside him and steadied himself. In the grove, the noises of the night were silent save for the distant sound of horses nickering.

"Use this too." He heard Triss say, but her voice sounded like it had come from far in the distance. "Take our bedroll beside Ciri. Try not to wake her. Lay it right there in the corner. I'll join you as soon as I get Rosi down."

She pulled the unneeded coverlet and threw it. He seized it from the air. The scent of a woman lingered ever so faintly on the throw, a simple scent, but it wasn't hers, and almost too faint to notice. He squinted, then took a long deep breath to quell the uneasiness he felt. By the children's bedside Triss was ready to stand when a gesture caught her eye. Geralt staggered unsteadily, then knocked over the candlestick spilling wax across the windowsill as he tried to brace himself.

"What's wrong?" She asked taking care not to raise her voice above a whisper.

"This place, everything about this place. The quilt, the scent on it. I can't remember, but it's familiar. You don't feel that?" He answered. The witcher found his footing, then shook his head groggily to regain his senses.

"No..." Triss said. She climbed from the bed and lend him her shoulder. "...this cabin is soused with magic, but I don't sense anything harmful. Still, I have a feeling that there's something strange happening here. I don't think it's spells or charms or I'd sensed them." No, this is different. I felt her calling to Rosi again, but he's being affected by the connection. Its stronger in here. "Come… we'll sleep out there. Ciri, can stay in here with the girls." Whatever this is, he isn't going to rest tonight.

Triss pushed opened the cabin windows and propped them with a stick, then she opened the door. The coolness of the air caressed her skin. Geralt took another deep breath and collected his thoughts. The remaining candles flickered in the pool of wax, then hissed as their wigs fell and their lights were snuffed out.

"Wait for me beside the stream, I'll bring us a spread for the ground so we can sleep on it." Triss cupped his face and hers showed the kind of tender concern she' always shown.

Geralt pushed the door wide opened and trotted out. When he was out of sight the sorceress turned her attention to Greka now awake and sitting on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Triss asked.

She lit two candles, then poured the pool of molten wax on the floor and pressed the candlestick on the wax mound where numerous other candlesticks had burned out. The flames flickered and danced to the breeze from the still open door.

"Gretka, what's wrong." She asked again, then sat on the bed beside them.

"I want to pee." The girl answered. She laid her head on Triss's lap, then close her eyes. "I'm scared to go out there."

"Alright. Let me wake Millie and I'll take you both."

"I'll take them." Cirilla growled awake from her light slumber and sat up on the floor. She glanced around the room, then rub her eyes. "I need to go too." She murmured and pushed herself off the floor. "Come on, Gretka."

A gentle nudge to her side and Millie jerked awake. They slipped from bed and took Cirilla's hands moving slowly as she pulled them along behind the cabin and deep inside the forest. When they returned Triss had already collected the bedrolls from the floor. She spread Cirilla's where she slept, then rolled their other into a bundle and held it under her arm.

"Going somewhere?" Cirilla asked still standing in the doorway. She let go of the children's hands and watched them climbed into bed.

"Geralt and I will sleep out there. Mind your sister and the girls. Use this for a pillow." The sorceress replied. She handed Cirilla a rolled quilt. "I made your bed, so don't sleep on the bare floor."

Cirilla took it. She give Triss a dismissive wave over her shoulder, then fell onto her bedroll. The witcher unrolled the quilt and covered her feet, then with a quiet stare she pretended to sleep watching until the enchantress left the cabin and quietly closed the door behind her.

***][***

Far from Pont Vanis the far north brought the longest and coldest nights. The evening air in the grove was infused with a kind of warmth. The stars above had transformed the blackness and Triss welcomed the coolness of the night breeze and the aroma of the grasses. The silence, the unfamiliar trees, the sound and sight of water gently cascading between the rocks. She stepped lightly to avoid the outgrown roots. The fireflies dimmed their lights and the grove settled in the starlight. The sorceress gazed at the moon hanging so low with all its pale glow.

"Geralt." She called out into the darkness.

"Here." The witcher's voice came from among the trees.

She sauntered to the edge of a small stream that flowed through the grove. She felt an anomalous crawl on her skin; a feeling of someone or something watching from the shadows. As if all the trees in the forest had grown eyes and turned their gaze on her, she smiled when the sensation faded. Triss found Geralt deep in the grove leaning against a fallen tree absorbed in the calmness of the night.

"It's quiet here." She said. His back faced her as she stalked towards him. "I can truly come to love this place."

"You're thinking about giving up being a sorceress to live among the druids?" Geralt asked whimsically.

"Clever, but no. I don't intend to do anything so drastic. At least not so quickly. I was thinking maybe you could build us a small cabin, somewhere out there." Triss teased. She wrapped her arms around him letting the bedroll fall by her feet. The witcher's medallion around her neck rapped the crown of his head as he reached his hands behind and held her. The warmth of her body reached him through the faint scent of her fragrance of strawberries essence.

"We have a home. Always did." Geralt said.

"I know and I'm very fond of our home in Pont Vanis, Geralt. The vineyard in Toussaint, and Kaer Morhen most of all. I was only making an allusion to how beautiful it is here. We've had so many wonderful moments, haven't we? It's been..."

"Perfect." Geralt cut her off.

Triss smiled, she kissed his head. "There's so much to look forward to. Speaking of Toussaint, did you read Barnabas's letters?"

"Mmhmm. He said the vineyard is coming along. The new wines are fermented in barrels made from oak harvested in Nazair and Ofier. It was almost too expensive to purchase, but everything is just as it should be. Barnabas followed your instructions to the letter."

"Oh, how I miss the smell of the wine in Toussaint, I miss it's sunsets even more. The sweet scent in the air. I'd lay out soaking up the sun to get that good even tan."

"You've mastered the art. Spent most of your days outside and the nights..."

"The nights with you were beautiful, but I miss the sun on my face, a good bottle of wine and a days rest. I'm looking forward to all of that."

"That it?"

"No... but even I like to keep some things private, witcher."

He looked up taking in the circumstances. "I'm looking forward to everything with you."

"So am I, Geralt. So am I."

He pulled her close. They'd always had a passionate and affectionate bond, but it was none of those things nor their past that kept him bound to her and her to him. They knew that. Together they'd age and see Rosina grow as the sorceress had promised, that was enough, simply being with her was enough.

"Barnabas said the new wines were his masterpiece. A cru classe to be envied by all the other sommeliers. He filled the cellar for you. Vintage of 1267, 1270, and 1275." Geralt said. He lifted his head; his eyes held a pale queer look, hers were secretive and warm. "We'll take some of it to Kaer Morhen and fill the cellar there… it's been awhile since we were there."

"Are you tired of the cold, already?" Triss asked, trying to free herself. She felt his hold get tighter as he canted his head and pecked her neck, then her collarbone.

"Nooo..." Geralt squeezed tightly, his fingers pressed the leather pants to her skin. He clutched the medallion with his teeth and tugged on it. "...I enjoy the nights in Kovir and the promise of more."

"Careful or you'll break the chain."

"It's been through worse."

"I have no doubt, but I'd prefer it if you didn't break it now. It's mine, remember?" Triss smiled. She suspected he was only being playful, but suddenly she wished she were in Kaer Morhen; in her bedroom at the witcher's keep. "What will you do when all your cajolery and sweet-talking fail?"

"I'd get on my knees and beg."

"Really?" Triss looked down then winced when she felt his mouth on her skin again.

"Yeah."

"Don't you dare. I'd give you anything, Geralt." She whispered. An indulgent smile crept on her lips. "I was thinking…"

"About what?"

"I was thinking...how did you become so amazing?"

"You…" His head snapped up. He held her face and whiffed her, his hands were cool on her skin and rough. "...the long nights we spent together, the smell of the fireplace and your hands stained and smelling of herbs after you brew your potions. I'd listen to you go on about your work and Tancred's court. The noise of your megascope and countless evenings watching as you sit at your table reading scrolls after scrolls. The simple but normal life we've made together..."

"You trying to make me cry again? Stop dwelling on the past" Triss nudged him gently.

"Not dwelling and no...not trying to bring you to tears." Geralt murmured. She felt his tension flow over him, his head shifted slightly as if to look at her.

Silent, but enthralled by their tryst, she uncoiled her arms and escaped him. She collected the bedroll from the ground and walked away. Triss was halfway along the rutted path when she noticed he hadn't moved. Geralt ogled her across his shoulder hoping to steal a glimpse of her face. His thoughts were of the scent of her hair until he met her lashing gaze. She made a soft gesture and extended her hand.

"Are you coming along?" She asked.

The witcher uncrossed his ankles and pushed himself off the log. She offered her arm and without thought and he took it. They took their stroll through the grove venturing deeper into the trees. Beneath the golden light of the full moon her skin appeared almost honey.

"You're awfully quiet." He groused.

"I have a lot on my mind." Triss replied.

"I know." He tugged on her arm. "Stop thinking about things you have no control over."

"Control? I don't want to control anything, Geralt…." She whispered. "...when we're through here, my only hope is that these druids can help me keep our child safe. Now that the mages have regain some respect and some of the power we ones held... I intend to keep things the way they are. Scheming and plotting only muttles the water. The Council and Conclave were supposed to bring order not create this kind of chaos and mistrust. As for Kovir's politics, things will fall into their rightful place or I'll make them bend to my will. Either outcome is suitable to me."

"And me? Do I have to bend to your will?"

"I'd never want you to be something you aren't, Geralt. The truth is, it wouldn't be as satisfying."

"Satisfying?"

"Truly, Geralt its extremely infuriating when you utter such self-abasing or servile nonsense, you know?" Triss chided gently. Her voice was neither arrogant nor coquetry. "It wouldn't be as satisfying to turn you into my obedient plaything, I want you just as you are, mysteriously stubborn and difficult."

She watched his eye and readied to pounce to give him more of her mind, but Geralt said nothing. His fondness had robbed the witcher of his senses, now all he could think of was the way her lips moved even when she was angry. Triss sighed. She tried to walk away but Geralt pulled her back a step. He turned her to face him, his stare became more penetrating as he struggled to find the right words. The enchantress pinched and tugged on his armor with her index finger and thumb.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have reacted like that…" She said.

Geralt grabbed her chin. "Don't apologize."

He leaned forward and quickly took the sorceress's lips with his. Her arms encircled him bringing the sweetness and heat of her breath on his face. She rose up on her tiptoed stirring a soft moan in his throat and after a few moments, they slowly pulled apart looking into each other's eyes. Quietly, Geralt took her arm and they strolled through the forest until they reached a clearing neath the large oak tree.

"Give me a moment, I'll lay out a spread for us to sleep on." Triss said.

She pulled the string on her cloak and rolled it, then removed her jacket and laid it in the leaves. She unrolled their bedroll across the ground and sank to her bottom delighting in the softness of the ground beneath her hands. Geralt stood gazing into the night.

"Such a beautiful night." The enchantress whispered and he turned his gaze back to her.

Recognition dawned on his face, she'd finished spreading the bedding and laid down to rest. The earthy smell of leather, his sweat on the bedroll kissed her skin and after a short impatience wait, his silence began to gnaw at her. Triss sat up and pressed her back against the tree, against the soft moss growing on it's trunk.

"Come and sit with me. Please." She spoke softly.

Geralt shifted his body and ran his gaze over her. He stood with his hands at his side as the sorceress removed her boots. She tucked her legs, heels touching her butt, then propped her arms on her knees. From where she sat the moon dipped behind him as if to play, then he reached for the buckle of the belt holding the sheathes of his swords.

"Move...a little that way." She pointed. His expression dulled. "Geralt!" Triss called to him again. "Move."

He stepped to his left and just as the moon had vanished behind him moments before, it reappeared and engulfed them in its light.

"Stop standing there as if feeling sorry for yourself… put your swords away and remove that armor, then come and keep me warm."

The witcher took a few long steps forward and threw his swords beside her. He went to his knees; his hands followed the spread and reached her feet. He traced her calves and up to her thighs, then caressed her side until they reached just below her breast. Geralt grabbed and pulled her down, then felt her hands on his shoulders and neck moving up to the back of his head.

"I'm up here, witcher." She said firmly, then lifted his chin from ogling her. He stroked her cheek and the beginnings of a smile shaped her face before he kissed her.

There was a cool intimacy about the air around them when he pulled back to look at her face. He held her in a long stare, then moved back. Geralt slipped his jacket over his head and removed it. Triss took his weapons and set them in a neat pile, then she patted the ground in front of her, between her legs.

"Lay down here."

"Say something." He said in a throaty voice.

"Hmm, I did." Triss replied. "I asked you to lay down."

The witcher rested his arms on her thighs and laid on the ground between her legs. Her arms draped around his body, his head rose and fell on her breast with every small breath. He had a fondness of reminiscing in quiet moments like these.

"Tell me something else..." Geralt said. His eyes had softened. "...something good."

"Something good." Triss pondered aloud. "I remember one evening at Kaer Morhen, it'd taken me nearly the entire day to rearrange the room and move the tub by the window, remember?"

He laughed throatily. "Yeah. I remember you wanted to do it alone. That evening the scent of oils seeped from your room into the halls. Everyone in Kaer Morhen could smell it."

"It wasn't for everyone, just you. And if my memory serves me correctly, it worked like a charm. Most nights you'd come to bed quickly, we'll lay there as the moonlight crawl into every crevice and wash my bedroom walls in that silver hue. You remember those nights we'd spent sitting on parapets of the balcony looking across the valley as far as the eye could see."

"Kaer Morhen won't be the way we left it."

Triss looked down, she pulled his body tightly into her chest, then kissed the crown of his head. Her scent invaded his whole being and she his. Geralt slid down so his shoulders would lay on her lap, as she brushed his beard and trace his face.

"No. It won't." She finally answered. The enchantress combed her fingers through his hair. Suddenly, he pushed himself from her arms and peered through the forest into the darkness.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a hushed tone. The evening winds raked the leaves across the ground, then an unexpected gust blew the branches breaking the canopy and cast an ugly shadow around them. Triss had already felt the watching presence nearby since the moment they left the cabin but she said nothing.

"There was someone there, spying on us just now." Geralt said.

Triss chuckled, then tugged on his shoulders pulled him down. "Relax, it's nothing. The mistress of this circle's been watching us. She's kept her distance and blocked herself with magic so I wouldn't be able to read her thoughts. It's nothing terrible."

"You knew someone was there the whole time?"

"Of course, this is her realm Geralt. She possesses an unusual control over this place and commands everything in the forest. The trees, the animals, the water, everything obeys her. That woman's been watching us; it isn't intrusive, but I felt the same presence when that strange voice confronted us. It was her all along calling to Rosi as we entered the grove… then again in the cabin."

"Why?"

"Well, we're here because of Rosi, so it isn't unusual. She's trying to observe her from a distance. What's curious to me is her interest in you. I can't say any more than that I'm afraid, I really don't know."

"She's interested in me? Why? Never been here before."

"Well. She's gone. I won't be able to learn more than that without being forceful. It'd be rude to pry especially with those methods. You don't need to be on guard, if she meant to do us harm she wouldn't have allowed us to enter her forest." Triss answered. "Lay down."

She shifted her legs and Geralt tucked himself back in her embrace. He felt the warmth, of her hands, her eyes were strikingly bluer in the light, her touch more soothing than balms.

"The flaminika has never laid eyes Rosi before we got here."

"I know."

"Then—."

"She's only curious, Geralt. It's obvious why she reaching out to Rosi, but I want to know her interest in you. You nearly collapsed in there. What happened?"

"Something about the smell in there. It was familiar to me, like a distant memory, but far out of his reach."

"Have you tried to remember? Sometimes the smells and sounds help you know? Though, some memories are pleasant, others can be awful."

"No. Wasn't trying to remember, I wanted to forget this, or had to." He replied.

"How do you know that for certain are you sure? Let me examine you, I promise it'll be nothing intrusive...a simple spell, that's it..." Triss said. She stole a glance of his face weighted with a faint grin. "What in the world are you smiling at?"

"Nothing… I wouldn't mind your intrusive examinations." Geralt murmured, looking up with wolfish eyes.

"Noted." Triss replied. Her skin was warm, her cheeks were suddenly kissed crimson, as soft smile curved her lips. "You've become quite the talker...I know, you'll say it's because of me, still, I like it...a lot."

She held out her hand and a small tamed flame appeared. It glide smoothly through her fingers then up into the air before him.

"To cheer me up?" Geralt asked.

She stroked his trimmed jawline, then slid hands inside his shirt. "To keep us warm." Triss replied. They watched her fire dance in the breeze. The witcher took a deep sigh, he could feel its heat on his face.

"Bring it closer..." He coaxed and she did. "...closer."

Triss grasped the flame, then closed her hand. When she opened her fingers, it reappeared dancing across her palm. The witcher brought his hands up and took hers. He put her arms around himself leaving her flame to levitate and stand watch over them. His eyelids slipped closed; his mind protested, but exhaustion took him and his body grew heavier.

"Triss?"

"Hmm."

"I love you." He murmured, but she uttered no reply. Her body enveloped him entirely, her sweet scent overtook him, as she stroked his trimmed jawline and slid hands inside his shirt. Geralt felt a welcome warmth creep upward through his legs and overtook him. Not long after, the witcher closed his eyes to sleep.

"Are you awake?" The sorceress finally found the words to speak, but he said nothing. She brought her lips to his ears and placed a gentle kiss on him.

The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile, when he rolled onto his side. He moved his head against her. He could hear her heartbeat louder than before. He tried to answer, but nothing would come out. Weariness spread through him and soon; his breathing became calmer and the whole of his weight rested on her.

"I love you too." Triss whispered to him. He's asleep. She smiled to herself, then pressed her back against the tree watching the flame she'd conjured slowly fade.

As Geralt slept head heavy on her lap, she delved into her own thoughts until it was nearly midnight. The sorceress pulled her cloak around them like a blanket, and though her legs were numb from the weight of his body, she loathed the thought of moving him. He stirred and turned speaking her name. She felt some relief when he shifted to make himself more comfortable. The noise of the forest and the soothing sound of the waterfall in the distance grew muffled as she began to fall asleep. The evening felt endless, the cool ground beneath their bodies, his warmth reminding her until she could no longer keep her eyes open. They lay together peacefully, asleep. It was almost sunrise, but the calmness of the grove hastened them into another of their dreams of Kaer Morhen.

Tris found herself standing on the walkway between the inner and the lower courtyard. Geralt and Rosina stood below on the training grounds practicing with their swords. Rosina had bundled her hair in a tangle messy pile, a perfect blend of her auburn streaks and Geralt's milk white tresses. She leaned against the parapet, propped her elbows, then laced her fingers. She rested her chin on her hands and quietly watched them. Rosina rolled her shoulders to stretched, then took her wooden sword from her back.

'Feet apart. Look down, fix your stance and attack…'

'Yes, father.' Rosina raised her sword and took the Add an Aenye stance. The witcher's called it the Fiery Dancer. She held her blade flawlessly and leveled with her body just like he'd taught her.

'Footwork… deflect… block...' Geralt commanded. '...attack!'

When she struck, each of her blows staggered him. The witcher countered and Rosina parried his strikes. Her small hands quivered even from his tempered blows, but she kept her sword trained on him. She took long deep breathes, her arms and legs ached, he'd made her carry a log to the river and back, but she stubbornly raised her sword. When he thrust his wooden sword forward, she stepped aside and swung her with all her might moving swiftly. When he countered, she leapt to avoid another of his tricky blows and landed on her feet.

'Good.' Geralt said. He gave her a rare approving nod and the child's face lit with a smile.

She gazed at him. The piercing blue of her eyes swallowed the blacks of her small pupils. She'd let down her guard for a moment and paid for it. She shifted her blade behind her back warding off another of his blows.

'Don't let down your guard.' Geralt warned.

Triss looked on as she swung at him, their wooden swords clashed together. When they paused, they each took two steps back.

'Attack, me again!' He commanded. 'Let your swings be fluid, don't give away your move before you strike.'

Rosina hesitated, then launched four vicious blows. Geralt parried three, but the fourth struck his side.

'I...I hit you.' She shouted proudly.

'Surprised?'

'No.'

'Then do it again. You have to be faster. Trust yourself'.' He said. 'Come at me again.'

They crossed swords in a brief, but furious bout, then she switched her stance to the Temerian Devil. Rosina raised her sword high to strike downward but leveled it at the last moment and stabbed. Surprised, Geralt brushed aside her next blow and grabbed her arms. She punched with her free hand, but he caught her wrist and pinned her.

'Argh!'

'Stop complaining. You're trapped, free yourself.'

Rosina twisted her arms, then moved her fingers to form her sign. She cast Aard to knock him down, but he shielded himself with Quen.

'Good, but your footwork is getting sloppy.' Geralt said.

Anticipating her next move, he eyed her watching for the smallest twitch of her fingers, the imperceptible tensing of her muscles. Sensing her anxiousness, Geralt feint and she quickly raised her sword. She shrieked when she felt the sting of her own wooden sword hitting her back and intensifying the pain of his blow.

'Relax. Don't let your anger get the better of you or you'll make mistakes. Patience is a witcher's ally.'

Rosina nodded. Her breaths were heavy, her feet unsteady from near exhaustion. She turned twirled her sword, then prepared to strike. She cut across her body, her moves were wild and undisciplined. Geralt parried at the last moment and dodged her wooden sword by a hair's breadth. Rosina moved with shocking speed, but he sidestepped her wild charge and tripped her feet. She fell to the ground and lost her sword, then slowly pushed herself up. The panicked yelp came from Triss high above them on the parapet, but he ignored it and every urge as his mind scream to him, commanding him to rush to her side and pick her up.

'You hurt?' Geralt asked.

'No.' Rosina answered. She held her side and winced her face was twisted with pain. He waited and watched as she went to her knees and rested on them.

'That's enough for today. Come and let me look at you.' He said.

'I want to keep sparring.'

'You need to rest...you need to learn control.' He said, then stepped back. 'Stand up. Let me see your hands.'

'Augh!' Rosina growled. She grabbed her sword and hurried to her feet, then rubbed her face with her forearm.

'Don't be a child, show your hands.' Geralt said and her face hardened. He swatted, then laid his sword at his side. "Come here."

She stepped closer and Geralt took her hand. He rolled up her sleeves; she had dark welts across her arms and forearms. Her bruises would fade by before morning, but he knew he had some answering to do.

'See, it doesn't hurt.' Rosina snatched her arm away. She took her sword and stepped back.

The child took a long deep breath, then circled. Geralt pivoted, matching her steps. She crept forward, then with the swiftest of blows struck him twice, before retreating to regain her position. Her blows were powerful and smooth. He blocked overhead, then across his body, her moves were precise and to anyone of lesser skill, she'd be a deadly foe. The witcher give ground to let her advance, then he countered and connected with her leg. Rosina leaned back and dodged his second blow. She fell to her knees and slipped past his sword. She slashed at his knee, but Geralt lifted his leg. He swung from above, but she caught the wooden sword above her shoulder and broke it. In her excitement, she conjured her fire and engulfed it. The wooden sword disintegrated in her hand frightening her.

'It's alright, you improvised.' Geralt said, to quickly calm her, but she remained frightened by her own magic. He flicked her chin upward. 'Hey, look at me, don't be frightened and I'm not angry.'

'Bah, I defeated you.' Rosina lifted her gaze to his.

'Yeah, you turned my sword to ashes.' Geralt said in amusement, then he canted his head to send her along.

'That's enough, you two.' Triss shouted from above them. She strolled down the walkway into the lower courtyard, then sat on tipped barrel. She smiled at the witcher, then called their child. 'Come here, Rosi. You did well. Are you hurt?'

'Uh uh, it doesn't hurt, and my bruises will be gone in the morning. They're always gone when I wake up.' Rosina smiled.

'I'm so very proud of you. Your father too, he's just too thick headed to admit it.' Triss said quietly. She look coyly at her daughter, then tugged on her shirt to bring her closer. The enchantress tucked the loose strands of hair as Rosina looked at her from under her eyelid. 'Don't give me those eyes. Your father does that when he's done something he shouldn't have done.'

'You're not mad at me for using my magical fire?'

'Magical fire?' Triss chuckled. 'No, I'm not.'

'But... you told me not to use it and…'

'...spells you didn't teach you.' They both said together. 'I remember what I said, but do you remember what I also told you?'

'I'm the daughter of a witcher and a sorceress and magic is part of me.' Rosina replied.

'And you are a part of me, so how could I ever be mad at you?'

She raised her head to her mother's hands moving to cradle her face. The sorceress wiped away the grime from her daughter's cheek, then examined her hands. She opened her shirt revealing her skin. The welts on her body were frightful looking. Triss ran her hands across her daughter's chest and Rosina felt her aches soothed. Her bruises faded like the morning frost as the sunrise and her rosy colored skin returned.

'Sit.' Triss said. She took a wooden crate from beside her and set it in front of her. Rosina sat on it and watched with amazement as her mother held out her hand.

A flame appeared. Triss let it creep up her hand until it swaddled her fingers. Rosina could feel the heat from the fire, yet it never singed her mother's skin. She touched the wood and set it alight, then turned the rocks into molten slag and sand into molten shards.

'It's beautiful.'

'Beautiful?' the girls arrant lack of fear and interest startled a small laughed from the sorceress. Her blue eyes were lit. She'd learned magic with the sorceress Keira Metz and Margarita Laux Antille, she studied all manner of simple spells, but nothing like her mother's sorcery and charms. Rosina peered closer when the enchantress nestled her flames in her palm.

'Take it from my hand.' She instructed Rosina.

The girls reached out and was startled when flame leapt into her hand. She tried to brush it away, but it moved swiftly crawling across her skin. Rosina let it dance across her palm, then cradled it. Carefully listening to her mother's coaxing, she grew to a roar, but Triss intervened taming it to a small fire. The child felt the heat on her face and the warmth in her own body.

'It doesn't burn me, mama.'

'You're attracted to it, because it's warm and beautiful. It's the most beautiful weapon of all and the most destructive. The fire we conjure can be unpredictable and welcoming, not every sorceress can wield it with grace and elegance. You can make it do whatever you will it. You can save those you love or cast it to devour those who mean to hurt you. Close your hand.' Triss said quietly. Rosina did and the flame disappeared. 'Remember, it comes natural to you, because it is a part of you, just as it is a part of me. Go inside little witcher, bathe and get out of those clothes. Are you hungry?'

'Mmhmm.' She answered.

'Good, because I made you something. Get, your father and I will be right behind you.

'Are you going to scold him?

'Rosi, please go inside.'

'Yes, mama.'

She walked up the walkway towards the inner keep.

'Ciri should be returning soon.' The sorceress heard Geralt's voice from her hind. She turned. He was looking up at the evening sky glowing a hue of red as the sun set. 'It shouldn't have taken her three days to kill a pair of katakans.'

'She decided to travel by horse. Yes, we spoke using her megascope.' Triss replied. 'You know, Rosi is still a girl? Aren't you being just a bit too hard on her? You were never this hard on Gretka and Millie when you trained them.'

'I was stern with, Ciri.'

'I know that, but…'

'She's strong. Physically stronger than all of them, even Ciri.'

'Her mutations passed from you makes her stronger than children her age yes, but she isn't unbreakable, and she is prone to injuries, because she doesn't fear a thing.'

'She's able to heal quickly, she's fast, her instincts are flawless.'

'She's like her father, stubborn and eager to please. She wants nothing more than to please you… make you proud...'

'I am proud of her, you know that.'

'Don't tell me, witcher, tell your daughter. Look how happy she looks. All she wants to do is swing that sword since she returned from her stay with Rita and Keira.'

'She grew up…'

'Are you sulking because she's growing up?' Triss laughed. 'She's the perfect lady for you and privy me to her temper. Seriously, Geralt we knew she'd get her way. Keira and Rita are even more lenient than us. I warned you before we let her go to them, didn't I?'

'I'm at a loss, just like I was with Ciri. I don't know what to do, what to say to her.'

'You don't need to do anything to impress her, just be her father.'

Geralt turned his head and looked at her. 'She learned a few habits from her time with Keira and Rita.'

'I know. Yesterday, she demanded her bath water be scented with lavender.' Triss remarked. 'I guess it couldn't be helped. They hounded me so much I had to relent and let her visit. If my memory serves me right, you agreed to Keira and Rita taking her for a while. Something about Lambert and Eskel keeping up with her training?'

'Yeah.'

'We'd agreed it'd be good for her to be around other children. Still, Keira said she struggled to bond with the other children.'

'Hmm. Remember what happened on Skellige? Ciri said Rosi broke a boy's arm.'

'After he pushed her.'

'Right.' He said almost proudly. 'They said Ermion spent the day mending the bone. He left his mug swollen so he wouldn't forget or so the story goes.'

'She's strong. Remember the time you took her on your first hunt together?'

'Yeah. We were on our way to Toussaint. Rosi begged me to let her slay the giant viper. I was concerned she'll get bit and poisoned, then she took it upon herself to go without me. I caught her at the entrance of the snake den dragging the creature's severed heads. Surprisingly enough she'd already killed them easily. We made our way back to the town to collect the coin. She had blood all over her and her eyes hadn't reverted. Afraid the other children would tease her, she asked me to stay with the blacksmith while he worked on our swords, so I told her you'd meet her there, after she collected them.'

'When I got there, she'd already ran away. The blacksmith said she'd gotten into a spat with the other children. I searched everywhere I thought she'd be, I tried hydromancy, but she hid herself from me. Later, I found her swinging her sword at the grape vines. The whole incident had her upset. I asked what happened and she said the children called her a witch, so she beat them.' Triss chuckled to the small smile creeping across the witcher's face.

'She's short tempered, kinda like Ciri.'

'Yes, she is and so are you when the moment calls for it. You got more restless when Rosi left and you've become even more restless of late since Gretka and Millie left for Aretuza. I know you're worried about the girls, but they'll do well. You know that, don't you? They'll be studying under Rita and Keira's tutelage after all.'

'Hmm...' He sighed. '...that's what I'm afraid of.'

'You know they won't allow them to endure what I endured as a student there. Rita give me her word and Keira will spoil those girls. They'll be will care for. Now, go and talk to your daughter, she needs her father.'

Geralt stared as the enchantress raked her eyes across his face. She watched him hurried to Rosina reaching her before she opened the gates to the upper courtyard. He called her name then knelt and opened his arms. She ran to him and leapt into them. He held her head against his chest hugging her tight when she burst into tears and began to cry. He swept her off her feet and carried her through the wooden gates into the inner keep of the fortress.

'Papa?'

'Hmm.'

'How did it feel to kill that man?' She asked.

'Why do you ask?'

'I want to know what it feels like.' Rosina lifted her head. She dried her tears, then lay her head back on him. 'The other children called me a monster and a freak. Aunt Keira said it isn't very nice. Am I a monster? If I'm a monster, can I kill them when they hurt me?'

'You're none of those things.' Geralt took a deep breath. She was old enough to hold a sword, she was skilled and taking a life would be easy, learning control and when to kill was something much harder. 'When you learn to control your magic or to use your sword, it isn't just for killing.'

'But...

'We don't kill out of hatred or fear, Rosi. If you have to kill someone...do it only to save your life and or the life of others.'

'Ciri said the same thing.'

'She's right. I'm proud of you, Rosi.' Geralt said looking down at the child in his arms.

'Really?' Rosina smiled. She took a deep breath, then clutched his shirt. She tucked her body and relaxed.

'Mmhmm. Never forget it."

'I won't.' She whispered. She laid her head on his chest and quickly fell asleep before they reached the upper keep.

***][***

Morning in The Druid's Grove...

He opened his eyes to the singing of the birds. It was morning and the first thing he saw was the Triss's face. Her cheeks were a patchwork of rosy hue spotted with small freckle spots. Her blue eyes nested in flecks of her auburn tresses in an enticing disarray. She must have woken sometime before him, yet the enchantress hadn't moved, nor had she made any attempts to wake him. The dream was so vivid the witcher believed it real. He could still smell the scent of the fires burning around the keep.

"Good morning." Triss greeted him softly.

"You're up early." He groaned, then shifted his body so his weight now rested on the ground. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful and I didn't want to disturb you."

"Sleep well?"

"I did. Surprisingly well actually."

"You should've moved me." He stretched his whole body and yawned. His low toned voice made the sorceress smile.

"I'll confess, I could hardly pass up the chance to watch you sleep like that."

"I was dreaming about us… and it felt so real. Even now I remember the smell, the sound of the wind blowing… was it a dream or bits of what's to come?"

"I don't know. If I were to guess witcher, I'd say it's all those things. This place is more than it seems. The magic flowing here is strong... different."

"I remember it so vividly...you?"

"Hmm… so do I."

"We were at Kaer Morhen... Ciri left on a hunt... Gretka and Millie had gone to Aretuza to study under Keira and Rita... It was us two and Rosi. I was training with her on the grounds. She hit me more than once with her sword… and she burned my sword with her magic." Geralt mumbled. "...she was good, no better than that...her form was perfect. It'd had made Vesemir proud."

"Admit it, you were proud." Triss chuckled. She dragged her eyes from the distance to look down at his face.

"Yeah...we'd practice for hours, Rosi hands and feet were covered in bruises, but she kept pushing."

"She'll always have you firmly wrapped around her little fingers."

"Maybe..."

"What? You disagree?" Triss teased, as his eyes refuted the claim. He rubbed his unshaven chin staring upward at her. There was a paleness to his face. "Get up, Geralt Ciri's waiting for us. The two of you have some ways to travel and I have an audience with the mistress of this circle."

"Let's stay a little while."

"Why? There's nothing for us to do…"

"Just stay and sit…"

"Alright, but just for a little while longer or Ciri will come looking for us." She replied. Her thumb caressed the small scar on his forearm. The witcher closed his eyes and lay his head in her arm. "So, what exactly are you hunting this time? I don't need to be worried, do I?"

He opened his eyes to the sound of her voice.

"I won't know until we search the area for clues. The contract read monster in the mines. Anything could be living in the depths, a troll, a giant or cyclop. Ciri's insists it's just a nest of Vespertyls."

"Vespertyls?"

"Giant bats…there's an old saying. Wherever Vespertyls lair, barbegazis calls to the lost."

"That sounds interesting, but I haven't the slightest idea what a vespertyls is."

"All the reading you did at Kaer Morhen, you saying you never opened the witcher bestiary?"

"Remind me again which one of us is the witcher. Killing monsters is your specialty and though I did manage to do a bit of light reading during the time we stayed at Kaer Morhen, I'd admit… I never had the pleasure of perusing Vesemir's book of monsters." Triss laughed. She leaned over him. Like raw umber the witcher's yellow eyes studied her as she cupped his face and kissed his lips.

"We could…"

"If you finish that sentence, my answer will be yes, and we'd never leave this spot..." The enchantress whispered. "...tell me more about these, Vespertyls creatures, Geralt?"

"They're ugly bat-like creatures that live in caves and mines. Swarm their prey, but Igni makes short work of them and they smell better than necrophages. You remember when we..."

"Ugh, yes I remember being covered in necrotic flesh, Geralt. You aren't making it any more appealing and if you keep talking about it I'm going to hurl." Triss smiled. "You know..."

"What?" Geralt said, tilting his head upward.

"I hope Ciri is right and you're up against Vespertyls or something less dangerous... like rats."

"Perfect... just happened to remember a few tricks I learned from a certain sorceress about rat catching."

"What can I say? You were a quick study." Triss replied.

"We'll be quick, and I'll hurry back to you."

"You better. And please be safe, that's all I want. Ciri is going to burst at the thought of killing a barbegazi. She's been eagerly waiting to deal with that contract ever since she found that parchment hidden amongst your things. She has her mind set on this."

"Whenever Ciri sets her mind on something, there's no stopping her."

"I'd have to agree." Triss massaged his face, then patted his shoulder. "Get up and get ready."

Reluctantly, the witcher sat up. He took in the tranquil calmness of the morning. Across the grove, the sun hadn't yet risen, and the druids were going about their affairs. The young ones learning to be druids themselves were gathered by the entrance of the great house in a company with the mistress of the circle. They bowed with the reverence chanting as she led them through a melodic ritual. Unlike the others, she never lowered the cloak that shrouded her face.

"See the woman there? Triss said. He felt her warm hands on his side, beneath his shirt. It was comforting, her hands caressing his scars. "She's the mistress of this circle."

"Why are they all gathered around her?"

"They're pupils...all the druids obeyed her without any exception." Triss answered.

When the druids finished their ritual the morning sun had already risen to another day. They moved about the grove taking to their task, as others tended wounded animals. The flaminika alone walked behind the great house. She crossed the stream onto the small island surrounded by stones, then vanished into the forest.

"Let me help you with that." Triss said rising to her feet as Geralt picked his armor off the ground and donned it. She helped the witcher fastened the buckles one after the other, then handed him his swords. The scent of the oils on the blades stung her nose. "I'll get the girls and wait for you at the entrance of the forest, alright?"

"It's a simple job."

Triss laughed inwardly. "Of little comfort, witcher." She whispered. "When has it ever been simple for us? Your jest all but made it certain... I'll be anxious until you're both back."

Geralt was silent for a moment as he contemplated her words, then he walked towards the a druid sitting comfortably on a fallen log. It was the same grayed old man who had greeted them the night before save he appeared much older in the daylight and carried with his staff made of oak.

"I can hear your footsteps." Triss said. She'd caught a whiff of something new long before the sound of snapping twigs and rustling leaves drew her attention away from him. When she looked back, he was gone, disappeared beyond the huts and amongst the trees. "Why are you spying on us?"

"Excuse me, my dear I did not mean to intrude." A woman's voice came out of the forest. "I'll leave you be."

"No." Triss answered. She sighed then took a long breath and released it. Behind her was the mistress of the circle. "Good morning."

"Greetings." The druid spoke. "Are you alright?"

"I am..." Triss replied. "I should make the proper introductions. My name is Triss." She offered without the druid's inquiry, then quickly brushed the leaves from her clothes. She collected her cloak from the ground and held it across her arm as the woman came closer.

"You are Triss Merigold and I am Visenna."

"You're the flaminika, the mistress of this circle?"

"Do you not believe it so?" Visenna answered. She gave a single nod, then smiled indulgently. "Welcome to the Circle of Kovir. Did you and the witcher sleep well?"

"Yes…we did, it was pleasant. Forgive me, I have quite a lot on my mind."

"You're speaking of the war that has come to Kovir?" Visenna asked, but Triss closed her eyes. "Have I struck a chord?"

"Certainly not." The sorceress finally answered. She ran her palm up her face then through her hair.

"Your mind is troubled... chaotic." Visenna whispered. She gestured with her hand so she and Triss could walk together. "You're far from the battle of that horrid place and still you dream of it and your thoughts lingers there. Is it not so?"

"It is. Everything I care for and hold close to my heart is here in this grove." Triss said. She gazed across the pond at the center of the forest. "My child, Ciri, Geralt, those little girls; my love is tether to all of them—."

The Flaminika followed her down the path winding through the grove until they reached a small circle lined with stones. Gretka and Millie were following behind a pair of gray-haired druids as they foraged for roots and plants for their potions components and spells. The children were playing now and gathering wild berries from the forest floor. Across the tiny pond, Cirilla sat quietly on the cabin steps watching them.

"Why do you clutch them so tightly?" Visenna asked. Triss look puzzled. She tore her gaze from Gretka and Millie back to the flaminika. "You doubt yourself, not as a sorceress, but a mother..."

"If only my worries were as simple as this place…" Triss interrupted. Her eyes followed as the girls ran to Cirilla and offered their hands filled with wild berries.

"We druids live simple lives." Visenna spoke softly. Triss took notice of her faint smile and deep green eyes straying to the children's laughter. "We haven't much...only what you see..."

"Forgive me, I didn't mean it as a slight. It's just… listening to their laughter almost makes this place feel like we belong." Triss looked at the woman.

"Right now, your place is here."

"I'm grateful you've allowed us to enter your realm. We haven't rested like this for so long I'd almost forgotten how it felt. Even in Pont Vanis it always feels like the war is just a messenger away, but here...there's a calmness here… a calmness to Rosi. Everyone is so relaxed, even him."

"This forest offer respite to all."

"I should've come sooner. Ermion told me to seek out the mistress of the circle of Kovir when Rosi's abilities first appeared. I waited because everything was under control until it wasn't. I didn't want to bring her here and I thought I had to convince Geralt, but the truth is I had to convince myself. I was afraid to admit how powerful a source she is."

"Yes." Visenna mused. "The girl is is powerful source. Mousesack spoke of her months pass, yet you and Geralt never sought me out. Worse, you've done little to confine her magic."

"I had my reasons. I'm her mother and I'm supposed to do what's best for her. You and your druids have the experience I lack in this subject… of that I am convinced. I'd hoped just coming here would help." Triss replied with frustration in her voice.

The flaminika stepped across a small streamlet and walked to where a large boulder covered with moss sat nestled among the brightly colored wildflowers.

"Come, sit with me awhile." She said, then in a mastery of her power over the forest she commanded the wind to still its whisper. Silence fell upon the grove for a moment and was lifted only by the soft singing of the birds.

Triss sat on the rock beside the druid. She surveyed the trees, birds, and the children playing around them.

"When she's older, bring the child here. She can live with me for a while and learn our ways."

"You'd do that? Why?" Triss asked.

"Why what?" Visenna said. She glanced at Triss. "Do you not wish it so?"

"I—." Triss paused. Surprised by the druid's offer and unsure, then like a relief to the lingering silence they both felt Rosina wake. "I'm grateful for your offer, but I don't think I'll be able to send her away. Even to live with you."

"The girl will learn much living among us druids, but she can best learn how to control her powers from you. You're her mother and your bond is strongest."

***][***

Cirilla entered the cabin and returned a moment later with Rosina. The child's head rested on her shoulder her legs wrapped around the witcher's midriff. Her chestnut and milky white tresses hung messily in tight ringlets on her back and shoulders. She pulled and tucked her sister's hair. As they drew nearer, Triss's eyes softened and her frown faded.

"Did she sleep well?" She asked. Triss stood and took Rosina into her arms, then hugged and kissed her on the lips. The child's smiles were always soft and unblemished, her eyes always smitten.

"Do you jest?" Cirilla grumbled. "This little tyrant wanted to play… she only tired before dawn."

"Should have known. What about the girls?" Triss smiled.

"They slept until morning."

"Ciri, this is Visenna. She's the Mistress of the grove." The sorceress said taking her attention from Rosina for a moment.

"Hello, child." Visenna give a polite nod. Cirilla stared at the women's hooded face, then she too bowed in reverence.

"Good morning, Lady Visenna." She returned the druid's gesture, then she took a stem from a small pouch on her side and picked the berries from it. Triss laughed. It'd been a while since she'd seen Cirilla act so formal.

"What are you eating?"

"Dewberries... I picked them from over there. They grow wild in the forest." Cirilla answered, then she held out her hand and opened her palm. Her fingers were sticky and stained with the juices seeping between her them. "Here, have some."

Triss took three firm dewberries, then bit into them. Her face sour; a strong sweet taste spread across her tongue and lips.

"It's very sweet..." She said. "...a bit tart, but nice."

"Mmhmm, a bit." Cirilla replied, licking her fingers. "Have you seen Geralt?"

"He went to get washed up in the stream." The sorceress answered. She pulled Rosina close to her body placed her on her breast and covered them both with her cloak. "...what?"

"Nothing. I didn't say a thing."

"Mmhmm...well, he'll be back soon, and you can set off."

"Where did you go?"

"Another of your interrogations, Ciri?"

"No, I'm just curious to know where you've been."

"We strolled through the forest then slept beneath the tree. Something about that cabin made him unwell so we slept outside."

"Or it was just a ruse to lure you into the woods for a moonlight tryst."

"Ciri, stop it. Just because I wasn't able to sense anything out of the ordinary doesn't mean the presence of magic in that cabin didn't affect him."

Visenna had quietly ensconced herself on a nearby boulder to watch them. The druid said nothing as she listened to the banter between them. She laughed as Cirilla waved her hand dismissively and walked away. The flaminika waited until she was a good distance from them, then spoke.

"The two of you are close."

Triss's expression changed. She hesitated, staring into the distance, suddenly aware that Visenna had been listening to them all along. "We are and as you just witnessed, Ciri enjoys teasing me."

"She cares for you and trusts you."

"Our lives crossed so long time ago...Ciri was just a child then and I...I was that silly girl. I've loved her since and we've grown even closer since she came to Kovir." The enchantress felt Rosina's pinch and looked down. Her small face moved against her body not to suckle but to play. She held her feet to keep her from kicking the druid.

"She is very beautiful. Your witcher must have wanted her..." The flaminika suddenly said. 'Her smile is much like his when he was a child.'

"What?"

"Your daughter is mesmerizing. The witcher must have wanted her or you wouldn't have given him such a thing."

"No, I wanted her as much." Triss closed her eyes. "I knew what it'd cost me and I was prepared to bear it. I dreamt about her… and what our future would be like after he asked me about children..."

"And what of the child? You knew all she would endure and still you turned to magic to mend your womb."

"Medicines or potions wouldn't have worked on their own... even those made by the famous druids well learned in making potions and elixirs." Triss interrupted. Her face twisted, as if Visenna's words had torn open an old wound. "I suffered a great deal to have her and she is worth every moment of that excruciating experience."

Visenna felt the gentle nudges to her body stop. She gazed at Rosina with and intriguing affection as the child's reached for her. The druid touched her feet and felt the strong presence of magic.

"I understand, but the cost is a heavy one...a blade that cuts the wielder." Visenna whispered. "It was unwise to believe the child born of such powerful emotions and magic would be ordinary. You're her mother and Geralt is her father. If he'd become a mage, the man would have made a terrifying sorcerer."

Hmm, she speaks about Geralt like she knows him well. She knows his name, that much is certain, but it doesn't tell me anything really. Come on Triss, get a grip. What are you thinking? The sorceress pondered her thoughts and Visenna grinned listening unbeknownst to her. How is she connected to you, Geralt? An old friend perhaps? Or someone more intimate… maybe someone he's...no she's the flaminika after all.

"It's obvious you care for him deeply and your love for your daughters and the witcher spurs you to act foolishly." Visenna said. Her chuckle interrupted the sorceress's musing.

"I caused this when I took her to that place, and I hate myself for it." Triss said. Her voice was soft, wistful, and the druid only listened. "Now I'm worried."

"You are speaking of what happened in the Garden of Freya?"

"I am."

"Yes, Mousesack spoke of it." Visenna said.

"So, you know then what she can do?"

"I know what the child did." Visenna answered. "Will you send her to Aretuza?"

"I'd never sent her away..." Triss answered.

"No, you mistake my words. The child must learn from you. She'll make a powerful sorceress."

"I'll teach her everything I can… everything I know. Her father will teach her how to be a witcher. I hope that's enough to keep her safe."

"She'll be safe." Visenna replied.

There was a slight chill in the air from the morning breeze, as the sun dipped behind the trees, then just as quickly returned its warmth to their faces. Her eyes were on Cirilla standing on the narrow footpath. She'd stopped to wait for Millie and Gretka who were lagging far behind. The girls had wandered off into the forest gathering berries in a small basket. At the edge of the streamlet they held each other's hands as they crossed to the other side. They'd almost reached the edge of the stream when suddenly amidst the trees on a rocky overhang they heard a rustling sound.

"There's something there." Millie whined. She backed away, then screamed.

Honeyed colored eyes set in chestnut fur, a fox appeared atop the outcropping above them. She stepped back and lost her footing spilling her basket of berries. Triss jumped to her feet. The screams weren't that of wounded animal, it was Millie's.

"Millie! Gretka!" She called to them. Cirilla had already begun a search.

"They're not in any danger. Nothing will harm the children here." Vissena said calmly, but Triss's concerns exploded into full blown uneasiness.

"Ciri go and find them please." She said struggling to keep her voice even and calm.

Cirilla called to the girls. They turned, still beneath the outcropping and they waved to let he know they were safe.

"It's just a fox. See!" Gretka said.

Another burst of movement drew their gaze back to the rocks. They drew back as the fox climbed down and amble past them. It crossed the streamlet and joined a wolf lying beneath the tree. Thick silver-gray coat of fur, it stood taller on all four legs, it's large paws kissed the dirt. They came together, their soft affectionate squeals and playful growls echoed through the forest, as they nibble on each other's faces. The wolf licked the fox's mouth and neck. He bit her tail and she bit him back. They sunk to the ground, the wolf's gray eyes landing on the children as it laid its head on the fox's, mixing their furs.

"Tis a wolf."

"Pffh! Pyro's bigger and scarier." Gretka answered. She knelt, gathered the basket and all the berries she could and closed Millie's hand around the handle

"Tis not mine." Millie said.

"It's gone. Here's yer basket...ye nearly lost it. You want some?"

"No."

"Just take it." Gretka replied.

Cirilla announced her whereabouts and called them both to her side. Gretka and Millie ran through the dew-covered grass and became wet up to their knees. When they appeared, Triss showed a practiced smile as if all her worries had suddenly fade into nothing. They offered her berries and she took them.

"Girls, come here and introduce yourselves. This is lady, Visenna." Triss called the children.

"Greeting, m'lady." Millie was first to speak to the Flaminika. She curtsied with her basket in hand, then Gretka.

"They're well-mannered." Visenna replied. "Hello children...you needn't be so formal...you can call me Visenna or mistress."

"Are you a witch, m'lady?"

"It's not polite to call someone a witch, Millie." Triss whispered.

"Tis rude." Gretka added. "Ye should call 'em sorceresses."

"Forgive me, lady Visenna...I didn't mean to be rude." Millie said. She looked to Triss who smiled.

"Alright."

"Are ye a sorceress?" Millie asked again.

"Why do you ask, child? Do you want to be a sorceress?"

"Mmhmm...our mother will teach us." The girls laughed and shrugged their shoulders.

"And you will make a fine magician." Visenna replied. "Are you not frightened of me?" She asked the children.

"No." They answered.

Rosina lifted her mother's cloak and peeked out. She reached and Triss realized her child's interest in the medallion around her neck.

"Girls, could you excuse us a moment? Run along and play but stay nearby so I can keep my eyes on you." Gretka and Millie answered together.

"Come on Ciri, come play with us." Gretka called to her, but Cirilla had already perched herself down. She wanted to listen; she knew why they'd come to the druid's grove; why Triss had insisted they visit this place.

"Later, girls." Cirilla mumbled.

"Tell me, child. What really troubles your mind."

"You've felt Rosi's power haven't you?" Triss answered. "It's been much calmer since we arrive in this forest, but I can feel it even now. She's still just a child—"

"She's a powerful child. She creates strong illusions… and she speaks to the animals. The child can create powerful visions and conjures her surroundings to soothe herself, yes?"

Triss sighed. There was a long silence then she answered. "Yes, but how exactly could you know all those things? We told no one. Dammit...the visions she creates… they aren't always the most pleasant and it frightens me. Could they…"

"Yes?"

"Could they harm someone?"

"You already know the answer to that, my dear."

"I do, but I was hoping for something else; something to ease my worries."

"She'll grow and become what she's meant to be. The girl is much too young to do many things. Have you not seen your child's future?"

"My visions aren't predictive. They aren't even always clear or revealing. I've seen scraps...just scraps, small bits that appear to us in dreams. I have so many questions." Triss replied.

"The dreams are a telling of what could come to past. If you want that future, you need just be her mother." Visenna replied. "Perhaps the child of the elder blood can see her sister's future?"

"Rosina!" The sorceress raised her voice and stopped her squirming. "Please don't fight me...you need to eat or I'm going to burst."

"She does not want your breast?" Visenna asked and Triss frowned.

She held the child closer and slipped the cloak over her, but the girl stayed hidden only for a moment before her interest strayed and she peeked once more.

"No, she's been refusing me since we returned to Pont Vanis. She's determined to fight me at every turn until she is too hungry to resist."

"The child has withdrawn...the bond you share made your absence difficult."

"I know."

"Forgive me, I do not mean to cause you pain." The druid whispered. "Come with me."

"It's alright." Triss said softly. She took a deep breath then settled.

She and Cirilla followed the mistress to a fire pit lined with stones on the forest floor and flanked by two wooden posts. A barkless log lay fell on the ground beside it. Visenna threw a few cut logs into the pit, then beckoned to Triss to light them. The flaminika fetched water from the stream in a soot blackened pot, then hung it over the fire.

"Your scent." Visenna murmured when she sat. "It takes my mind to a time long past."

"What are you saying? You've had a child?"

"Yes..." The flaminika answered. "...a boy… a beautiful boy, but I could not be a mother to him. What...?"

"Most sorceress have no desire for children...some even scorn the thought..." Triss replied. She felt Cirilla's hands. "Ciri...what are you doing?"

"Nothing…" Cirilla shrugged "...I was… checking." She put her arms around Triss's shoulders, then sniffed her. "Fine, I'll stop it." Hands on her hips, she walked to the other side. Her gait reminding them that she was still a young woman beneath the witcher's armor. The witcher threw herself on the rock behind the sorceress and leaned on her back. "I can't smell anything different about your scent." She whispered. "It's the same... as always… just your perfume…"

"Nay, girl. It's faint, but it's there. Her scent carries the subtle savor of a suckling mother." Visenna learnedly explained, clearing her throat when she was finished. She peeled back her hood and revealed the whole of her face. Her red hair was plaited together around the back, just above her nape like hanging vines. Though she too was a sorceress, the druid used no magic to nurture her beauty.

"Everyone can see Zizi, sucking on her breast." Cirilla replied. She fixed her gaze on the druid and smiled.

"Of course. My sight haven't left me yet, child." Visenna chuckled.

Even aged and she appeared so, there was something soothing about her voice and the way she strolled barefoot about the grove foraging among the wild plants. The tall grasses came together when the wind ceased then leaned again when the cool breeze returned. Visenna plucked wild herbs and crushed it in her hand.

"Here, drink this." She offered, but Triss hesitated. She looked to Cirilla, but the witcher shrugged her shoulders.

"I've already tried every remedy... I'm not the problem, my daughter is..." Triss said, but the druid came nearer. She put her hand to the sorceress's mouth and she reluctantly drank. "Ugh, it tastes awful."

"It will help." Visenna whispered quietly. The tonic she'd given Triss was a simple mixture of valerian, motherwort and parsley herbs.

"I like her." Cirilla whispered to Triss. "She's like you, warm, motherly and full of concerns when there needn't be any."

Visenna listened as she scraped the bark of a sapling and rubbed the secretion on her hands. "May I?"

"Mmhmm." Triss answered. She put Rosina in her arms, but the child writhed her body wanting to return to her mother's.

"Calm down Rosi, she's not going to hurt you." Triss tried to calm the child, as Visenna mashed another mix of herbs.

"Bleh." Cirilla barked. "She's not going to like it."

"She knows..." Visenna smiled, then sat the child on her lap and held her arms around her. "...like your mother, she also knows the taste of my remedy is awful."

Triss fixed her eyes on them as the flaminika laid her child across her lap. She poured the tonic into her mouth and Rosina gurgled. Her face churned from the bitter taste, she tried to spit, but Visenna pushed her chin and held her mouth shut

"She's a busy one." The flaminika said cupping her hand to over Rosina's nose to let her whiff the scent. "Feed her quickly… she'll eat."

Triss took the girl on her breast, and the child latched on. A moment later the sorceress felt the strong flow as Rosina began to suck, hesitantly at first, then more vigorously. She settled calmly, then began to play with her mother's hair and neck. She rested a moment, then continued with moans and grunts, like a ravenous animal. She cried when the sorceress moved her from one breast to the other, then sucking loudly until Cirilla's hands on her feet made her play.

"What did you do?"

"Tis an old medicine." Visenna replied. She smiled quietly as Cirilla moved her face close to the sorceress body to whiff her again.

When she finished feeding Rosina, the child reached for the druid. Visenna took her into her arms. She played with her fingers and bonded with her. The druid closed her eyes to the child touch, she took small labored breaths, then removed the girl's hands from her skin. So strange.

"The child has her father's hands...and your eyes."

"She does." Triss replied. It had only been a little while since she finished feeding, but her breasts ache for Rosina to suckle some more. Visenna put Rosina into the sorceress's hands, then lifted her hood over her head.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes." The druid said, warning them to Geralt's presence as she left for the great house.

Rosina heard her father's voice and made a raucous sound. She looked up and found him, then hid her face. Sitting on the rocks behind them and sharpening her sword, Cirilla ran her finger along the edge of the blade. It was sharp, and oiled. The witcher slid it into its sheath, then tied the strings on her cloak.

"You finished with the druids?" Geralt asked huskily when he near them.

"I had a chance to speak with her a bit...Visenn..."

'Do not give the witcher my name. He is not to know of me.'

'Why are you listening to our private conversation? I had a feeling you were avoiding him but haven't the slightest inkling why. Alright, I won't tell him, but I have questions and you have some explaining to do.'

'After the witcher is gone, bring the child to the great house.'

Triss placed Rosina on the ground and let her walk to him. The child had grown more confident on her feet. She hastened her pace and ran. Hands open and outstretched, she shrieked, then stopped to look back at her mother knowing she'd be right behind. Geralt's eyes fell on them, his face bore a hardness, as she gleaned her usual smile. In one swift stride she came to him and the witcher held the sorceress by her waist crumbling her gown.

"What did the flaminika say about, Rosi?" He asked when his fingers found her face. Triss turned so her lips brushed the center of his palm. She'd already pried into his mind and but quickly stopped herself.

"Not much." The sorceress whispered. "I know it isn't what you want to hear, but you have to trust me. I asked you to stop worrying about things you can't control, remember? Let me do the worrying. You were the one who told me that. You're going to drive yourself crazy. Right now, my mind is everywhere. There's so much unrest out there. There's one surety at least... things will die down eventually, but I don't want you to be distracted… when you get back, I'll tell you everything."

She laughed to herself when Geralt's eyes strayed down to their child. That gaze hardly lacking expression held a deep and familiar affection. He ran his fingertip on Rosina's face, and she lifted her head.

"What did you see?" She asked.

"Her tricks." Geralt answered.

Triss lifted his gaze to her, his answer tempted her to pry into his thoughts again and see what Rosina had shown him, but the sorceress quickly quelled her urges. Gretka and Millie appeared behind them, their childish giggles parted them, but only fleetingly.

"We're off..." Cirilla announced. She knelt down in front of the children and brushed their hair. She kept her hands on top of their heads gently raking their locks back.

"Are we leaving?" Millie asked.

"No...just her and Geralt."

"Mmhmm… we're going to hunt a monster. We'll return in a few days."

"You scared?"

"Not really." Cirilla said.

"I am." Gretka replied.

"You'll be careful won't you…? Promise?" Whispered Millie.

"I'll promise if you promise to watch of everything while I'm gone..." Cirilla nodded. She flicked their cheeks and stood. Her hands slipped into her cloak as they walked towards the entrance of the forest. "...me and Geralt will be back before you know it. Come along, you still have lessons with Triss."

"Mmhmm, later. When says we can play a little if we keep from the water and stay in her sight." Millie answered.

"We shan't be training or sword fighting if they're gone." Gretka added. She and Millie hurried. When they caught up, Cirilla held out her hand and they took them.

"Let me take her." Triss said in a low soft voice. She took Rosina from Geralt's arms as they near the thickets of the grove boundaries and perched herself on the moss-covered wall.

She felt the child's anxiousness, the sudden rise in her magic, as the witcher went to fetch his mare. The horses had already been saddled and grazed nearby. Triss felt Visenna's presence too from deep within the grove reaching out to help, but she had already calmed her child. Cirilla whistled for her mare and Kelpie came to her.

"Friends of yours?" Geralt asked when he'd finished preparing his horse and returned to them.

"Did they all come to speak to me, you mean? No, they were summoned by your daughter. She knows you're leaving us..." Triss answered. "...this is her way of saying she's going to miss you."

Around them, the birds and owls flocked to and perched on the branches. The hares sprang from their burrows; the fawns leaped across the stream and gather nearby.

"You'll need this. Take it." She motioned for him, then ducked her head. The witcher removed the chain from her I'd put it on your neck, but my hands are full." Triss said. She removed the witcher's medallion from her neck. It was warm from resting against her skin, and suddenly he wanted to be as close to her. "Put it on." She commanded.

They shared a brief moment, then he took Rosina's hand. Her eyes were on him and seemed to swirl into a deep blue pool.

"Be careful...both of you." Triss said and Cirilla answered. They shared a simple gaze. She knew what the sorceress felt and need not hear the words. "When you both get back, we'll leave for Lan Exeter and attend the ball. We'll be waiting for you here."

The enchantress forced a small smile. Geralt had a strange look on his eyes and she hadn't recognized the reaction on his face. He held her side and the harshness of his touch felt intense. He noticed but said nothing about the gown she'd worn. It was simple but beautiful and just for comfort. Undaunted by the ambience, the witcher found her lips and parted them with his. Their child between them, he kissed the depths of her mouth; it was passionate and still, there was something different about it. He tucked her body into him resting his mouth on the corner of her lips.

"What is this, Geralt?" Triss asked easing his body from hers.

He slipped his hand in the small of her back to cage her there. "What...?"

"You know what… don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

"You're holding something back."

"Yes, I am. Listen, I read your mind a moment ago. I didn't learn much and I wasn't prying..."

"Wait—"

"No, listen I didn't mean to, but I did and I'm sorry. I slipped up— I know you mean well, but try not to throw yourself into the mess you see out there...don't involve yourself in the local politics or strife."

"Triss..."

"Yes?"

She didn't learn much. The witcher took in a deep breath then let it out. "You think I'd be angry if you read my mind?"

"No." She replied. Tears soaked her lashes and blurred her vision. She tried to wipe it away, but Geralt reached her face and knocked it to the ground. He ran his thumb along her cheek. His fingers were warm.

She took a deep breath, clutching onto his armor. The witcher scent was ambrosial; a blend of potions, old leather, dirt and wildflowers. He'd moved closer, but Triss held out her hand with a gesture keeping them apart.

"I'm fine, Geralt…" She whispered quietly, then quickly wiped her eyes. "...just promise me you'll avoid getting dragged into the local politics… it's not your job to relieve the plight of everyone you meet."

She felt his breath hitch on her face. Whatever he wanted to say he could not bring himself to utter it.

"After we leave, go back to the cabin... I left you something."

"Flowers or salted cod?" The sorceress chuckled.

"No cod."

"Tell me what it is…"

"No… and don't try to read my mind." Geralt mumbled. His eyes held hers and the sorceress couldn't look away. The faint scent of her perfume set his mind at ease. "...you'll like it." He said.

She could put up only a small struggle when his lips met hers gain. His kiss was no tease, there was nothing guiltless about it, just a deep longing. Each nip was more passionately and demanding than before. It was the best he could muster in the moment and still it felt small.

"The way you kissed me just now... you shouldn't do that, not when you're leaving...not with everything happening out there. You know how much I hate goodbyes…"

"Ewww… Ick." Gretka giggled from behind. Millie angled between them and hugged his leg.

"Millie?"

"Hurry and come back." The child whispered.

"Remember what Ciri told us? It's only a few days." Gretka said.

Geralt patted their heads, the moment weighed on him. He kissed Rosina's forehead, welcoming her hands on his face and Triss's fingers on his nape, then he stood and walked to Cirilla who waited patiently clutching the reins of their horses.

"Ready?" She inquired, when Geralt reached her.

"Mmhmm…" He mumbled.

Cirilla released the reins to his horse, then pushed aside her cloak. Her armor and breastplate hugged her tightly. She tightened her gauntlets, moving her fingers to make sure she could still grip her sword, then she quickly mounted her mare.

"Everything alright?" She asked, as Geralt began to speak.

"Saying farewell feels…"

"I know..." She interrupted waving him on with a small tilting motion of her head. "We should go."

***][***

March 1, 1276…Toina Valley, Narok...

They rode across the countryside to reach Arviken at noonday. The witchers left their horses in the town stables and move through the city on foot to the inn. Cirilla led them east through the alleyway towards the trade quarters. At the corner, she held the stone wall, then slipped into the crowd. A few twisting turns in the marketplace, they crossed from alley to alley avoiding the throngs of townspeople crowding the streets. Arviken was rich in its architect of cobbled streets and quaints alleys. A thin layer of snow covered the footpaths between the buildings; the air smelled strongly of pine burning in the chimneys that peaked high above the rooftops.

"Take a right at the corner.' Geralt said. Cirilla look over her shoulder to the witcher walking behind at a slower pace.

"You know this town? When did you visit these parts?" She asked.

"Long time ago, Yennefer and I stayed in Aedd Gynvael. Can't say it was all pleasant...I did a contract there..." He answered. "...in Rakverelin. It's the city we passed on the way to see the druids...where we waited for Triss…"

"Yes, I remember. It's only been a day since we were there."

"Right...the city is about half a days ride north." Geralt mumbled.

A few hundred yards down a wide alleyway they reached the Hangman's Den. Cirilla swung open the door and entered; there was loud laughter of frequenters at a table at the far side. The tavern was quaint, the walls were made of aged bricks and bound with crumbling mortar. Column with hardwood beams on top held the upper floors.

"Welcome, witchers." The innkeeper greeted them, then gestured the pair to a quiet corner. She knew why they were there and quietly dispatched her helper to send word of their arrival.

Cirilla settled in, there was a welcomed aroma of roasted meat and wine. The floor creaked beneath their feet as the wooden door shut behind them. The inn was warm and well-lit save for one corner across the room. Candles burned on the walls; bards played folk songs. A few strides and Cirilla reached the table. The wooden bench wobbled and groaned as she sat down on it. It had gone quiet; every eye was upon them until they removed their hoods and revealed their faces. An old round shields and battle axes hung from the cross beam, the emblem of Clan Tuirseach, the head of a white bear was etched on it. The innkeeper came to them, she was middle-aged and spoke with a Skellige lilt.

"You're Skelliger?"

"Aye, me da came from An Skellig."

"That makes you Tuirseach." Geralt said.

"Aye, it does ah suppose, but me ma is from Poviss."

"So, you should speak the common tongue."

"Yes, I do." The woman said. Her lilt vanished revealing the rearing of nobility.

"You're not a commoner, why do you pretend..."

"Look around you, witcher. This place is all I have left of my mother. My father was a warrior and my mother the daughter of a seafaring merchant of flour and grain. It's been in my family and I dare not part with it. Do you find my attachment to such a thing strange?"

"No." Geralt answer.

"Well, what will it be—"

"Honey mead." Cirilla blurted out. She'd stayed quiet; the smell of mead in the air overwhelmed and stirred her senses. Geralt took notice, but the dim lighting where they stood hid her blush. Honey mead. She smiled attempting to hide her face.

"Alright then." The woman said.

Around them, the other patrons quickly returned to their business. Cirilla scanned the room, her eyes drifted to the wall beside the stairs. Wooden crates were stacked high and neatly; sacks of potatoes, flour, and grain pile atop barrels. It was dusty, the faint smell of dried meat and wine lingered from the cellar.

Merchants of grain and flour. Cirilla thought. until the innkeeper returned and offered her the honey mead. Cirilla took the mug and whiffed it. She closed her eyes. A small smile crept across her face, then she took a long gulp, before setting it down on the table.

"She hankers for honey mead?" The innkeeper queried.

"Mmhmm." Geralt answered.

"The one who posted the contract you are here to claim is my uncle." The innkeeper said. "He lives in a manor a short ride from here and I've sent Diana to fetch his servant to take you there."

"Thank you." Cirilla replied and the woman took her leave of them.

"So… how'd you and Cerys meet again?"

"It's a long story, we haven't got the time." Cirilla answered.

Geralt put his hand on the table and gestured to their surroundings. "We've got nothing but time, Ciri." He answered. Cirilla smiled, her face grew flushed, she looked away, but Geralt could read the reflection on her face.

"You're embarrassing me." Cirilla whispered.

"If you don't want to talk about it…"

"I don't want to, but if I stay quiet, you won't let it be." She drinks from her mug, then told him.

They sat waiting for the contract's owner, both with the backs towards the wall. Geralt knew someone would speak to them or approach if they waited long enough. The afternoon had waned into mid evening when the servant appeared. Cirilla conversed with the man, then she and Geralt followed the servant out of the city. By late evening they reached the nobleman's manor. The gray stone walls rose from the snowy and pine green backdrop of the countryside; it's reddish clay rooftop was angled with steep slopes. Two towers adorned each corner. Lamps lit the old mullioned windows betraying their beautiful wooden shutters.

"We're here, m'lady witcher." The servant spoke just as the horse's hooves clatter on the cobbles marking the edge of the manor. He hadn't spoken since they left Rakverelin. He climbed down from his horse. Another servant took the witcher's horses, into the stables, then the first led them into the manor. The inside was lit in an ethereal luminesce. Old murals decorated the walls, one of a young girl hung beside the grand staircase that running to the chambers above. She was the woman from the inn, the other was an image of her mother or perhaps hers. Suddenly, they were greeted by the lord of the manor. Aged and tense, the man's face looked wrinkled with worry; he was as tall as Geralt.

"You are the white wolf, yes?" He asked. "...and she's the ashen witcher they speak of?''

"Yes."

"What can you tell us about the monster."

"No one has laid eyes on it." He answered. "And no one has returned. The band dispatched to kill the beast never returned to claim their coin. Then the witcher appeared, but he too refused."

They moved into the study following the nobleman as he walked and spoke. A grand fireplace heated the chamber, the walls were adorned with more murals and portraits of a younger figure and the lady of the house. A servant appeared with a purse made of hide and weighted with coin. He forced it into the witcher's hand, then step back.

"What is this?" Geralt asked.

"Your payment, witcher. Two thousand bezant..." The nobleman spoke, then dismissed the servant. "...a small fee to slay a monstrous beast. I've waited for months to be rid of it. Take the coin and fulfill the deed."

"Heavy purse for a small contract."

"Indeed. Yet a member of your order refused the offered sum, so I spared naught and weighted the purse with more coin."

"Member of my order?" Hmm, who was it? Eskel? No, maybe Lambert...a job like this would be easy for them. Letho wouldn't venture this far, Kovir intelligence would be on his tail. "Remember his name?"

"No."

"Did you see his medallion?" Cirilla asked, but the man answer was the same. Geralt weighted the coin purse in his hand again, then passed it to her. "What more can you tell us about the beast?" She asked stringing it to her belt.

"The creature dwells in the mines south of Aedd Gynvael. Take the road to the old fortress. The city will come into view from the hilltops… the mine lies just beyond the hills past the old ruins of Lavonia… when you enter, you'll hear them."

"Them?"

"The monsters… I've not been there myself…, but my men says you can hear the creatures hissing and cackling deep inside …"

Hmm. "Could be Vespertyls?"

"Maybe."

"Perfect lair...and likely home to a barbegazi." Geralt mumbled.

"Let's go...we can stay at an inn for the night and set off in the morning."

As they left the manor, a calm northern breeze pervade the air. Soon the land was enveloped by a wisp of fog as Geralt led them through the pine forest. Slowly, they trudge their horses in the snow until the reach the other side. In the distance, the burning lights of the city came into view. The journey had bought them a few hours to sleep at the inn before morning, when they left the road, choosing instead to, to take the path through the pine forest. As they trudge along, they commanded the horses to move faster when they reached the bend in the road. Moonlight washed the countryside behind them and illuminated the woods ahead; the heavy wind swayed the small pine trees from side to side casting wild shadows. The trees loomed against the dark night sky. At the forest's edge, Cirilla waited on the road.

She read the signpost. Elberton.

"The ruins of Lavonia...what is it?" She asked.

"They say the old city was plagued by a ravaging disease, so the mages razed it to the ground..." Geralt answered. "...Elberton sprang in the shadows of the old ruins or so the stories go."

They rode towards the city; the gates led to the hovel of the eastern quarters. The night watchmen stood atop the battlements. Below them, a few city guards patrol the dark streets and alleyway sharing the night with the courtesan luring travelers with their charm.

"Ye want a lady to keep ye warm, handsome?" a woman's voice interrupted his wandering thoughts.

"He's warms enough and hasn't got a need for a strumpet." Cirilla croaked. She pulled her hood down staring at the woman. "...we need an inn."

"Strumpets." Cirilla muttered walking ahead. "...a few bezants for a bed and the pleasure of a warm body to share it.

"Follow the lamp." The guard pointed to the lanterns hanging in the distance.

"She ye woman, witcher?"

"My daughter." Geralt answered the woman, then urge his horse to follow Cirilla's mare.

The streets were loathsome, the air stank with a foul putrid odor. When they reached the inn, they climbed down from the horses. Cirilla rapped the door and waited. A few moments later, the peephole slid open and two eyes appeared from behind the wicket.

"We need a room." The witcher said, her voice soft almost groggy.

"Nay, we've naught witchers… can offer a warm fire and me floor."

"We're grateful…" Cirilla said.

"We need water and feed for the—" Geralt said.

"Put ye horses in the stables then and come on." The innkeeper welcomed them. She closed the wicket and opened the gates to let them in.

They made for the stables. Geralt removed Roache's saddle and bridle, then let the horses roam. Cirilla brushed Kelpie; then set her mare loose with a gentle slap on its side. She untied a small bale of hay, then filled the water bowl. After, the witchers entered the inn and settled beside the hearth. The innkeepers appeared carrying more firewood. She gave them food and wine to eat and drink. After, Cirilla unrolled their bedrolls inside the warmth of the fireplace, then removed her swords and armor. She sat quietly as Geralt slipped off his boots and place them near the fire. The witcher set his swords on the floor making sure they were still in his reach, then knelt in front of the hearth to warm himself and meditate.

"Why are you brooding?" Cirilla finally said. He hadn't voiced his thoughts, but it gnawed at him. The stiff silence only came when his mind drift away to Triss.

"Not brooding." He answered, then faced the fireplace.

"You're thinking about Triss and the girls. Zizi will alright.

"I know."

"Eh…" Cirilla sighed. "...then it's Triss you're worried about. She puts up a front and acts like nothing is wrong...it can't be that easy, can it? After Talgar she's...different."

"Triss is the same. Every mistake eats her up… she blames herself for the way things are in Kovir."

"She's always wearing the blame for everything...why?"

"A lot of deaths and suffering, Ciri. Even in war, battles don't fade easily from memory." Geralt said. He rotated their boots so they would dry evenly.

The witcher looked over his shoulder at Cirilla laying on her bedroll in fetal. Their eyes met for a moment and she nodded. When he turned to face the fire, her gaze fell on the steam billowing from their boots drying beside the fireplace. She shut her eyes and quickly fell asleep knowing he'd watch over her. Geralt closed his eyes to meditate and found only sleep.

The Hunt...Vespertyls and Barbegazi...

Cirilla woke, yawned and revel in a long stretch. It was just before day break, she donned her armor. Geralt woke to the creaking sound of the door. He raked the room with his eyes, then sat up. The wig lamps were lit; the smell of the town's bakery seeped into the room. He stood up and slowly put on his armor as the innkeeper entered carrying freshly baked bread.

"Did ye sleep well, witcher?" She asked disappearing behind the wall into the small kitchen.

"We slept fine." Cirilla replied.

The woman returned a moment later with two steaming bowls porridge carried on a tray with two loaves of bread. Cirilla sniffed the bowl and took it. She broke a piece of bread, dipped it in the porridge, then took a bite. The sweetness surprised her and she quickly took another mouthful.

"It's really good."

"Ye want some more?"

"If it's not too much trouble." She replied giving the woman her bowl.

"Tis no trouble, girl." The innkeeper answered. She went to the kitchen and returned with another bowl of porridge. "Ye's a scrawny little thing...can't 'ave ye starving in me home, can I? This one for ye, witcher."

"Hmm, thank you." Geralt grunted.

"You should try it." Cirilla said. She took the bowl from the tray and handed it to him.

Geralt grasped and tilted it slightly. She offered him a half a loaf of bread and the witcher took it. He bit into it, then broke another piece and dipped it into the bowl. Cirilla broke hers into small chunks, then used the wooden spoon and stirred it into her porridge. They finished their meals quickly and returned to donning their armor and preparing for the hunt. She unsheathed and began to oil her blades as Geralt grabbed his boot from the fireplace. He examined slipping his hand inside to feel if the insides. Though satisfied they were dried, he frowned. The leathers had stiffened from being left beside the fireplace too long. He carefully worked them on, then stamped his feet into his it.

"Ready?" He asked, as the innkeeper came to collect their tray.

"Of course." Cirilla answered.

She sheathed her blade and stood. Geralt give innkeeper coin for their stay, then made their way to the stables. They saddled their horses and set off through the western gates. They rode out along the wagon path, until the cobblestone turned to dirt, then he led them into the pine forest. The ground was still covered with snow and the trees made the path seem even narrower as they reached the hills. It was still dark, and soon the yellow lights given off by the braziers along the city walls faded in the distance. Day was breaking as they passed the old ruins. Cirilla held the reins of her mare tightly and Geralt took noticed.

"C'mon." She growled as her beast. Kelpie walked forward, shaking her mane as if she could sense the danger ahead. Geralt too grew anxious, he felt a peculiar sense of dread washed over him.

"Take a deep breath and steady your thoughts...set everything aside and focus on the hunt." He said, hoping a few words of encouragement would calm her.

They trotted their horses to beat the morning fog, shrouding everything in a grayish white haze. The morning cold bit their skins and brought a longing for the sun, as the reach the entrance of the mines. They entered. Geralt lit a torch entering the mine. Cirilla followed and he give the lit torches to her, igniting another for himself. An eerie sound echoed around them as she slowly drew a silver sword from her back. They forged ahead torches raised high to light the way.

"The sun's almost out… daylight will give us the advantage if the sunlight reaches in there." Geralt said. Both witchers came to a halt and listened. The cackling sound echoed from deep within the mine.

"Hear that?" Cirilla whispered.

"Sounds like vespertyls." He answered. Geralt opened a vial of cat and drank it. He groaned, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and his vision sharpened.

"You alright?"

"Yeah...Triss potions are strong."

"Are you whining?" Cirilla said as they entered onto the larger cavern deep inside the mine.

She raised the torch and peered up, vespertyls pups clung from the roof of the cavern. The witcher heard a thump in the darkness and level her torch so she'd clearly. A pair of fully grown vespertyls drop to the ground and moved on their wings and hind limbs towards her. She lit the brazier, to light the space then threw her torch into creature's midst to scatter them. The flame illuminated the area and revealed many more of the winged monsters gathering. Cirilla swung her sword cutting down a pair them; she launched at a third, the tip of her sword struck the creature as it took flight. It screeched in its death throes, flapped its wings and rose into the air. Geralt used Aard and thrust the monster against the cavern wall.

"What did you do that for? It was going to die." Cirilla said, looking back.

"Don't be careless, Ciri. It's dead when it's not moving." Geralt answered moving ahead.

The corpse left a gruesome smear of blood along the wall. Cirilla angrily plunged her sword down into its lifeless body. Two more vespertyls came forward unhesitatingly and Geralt swatted them aside. Above, more creatures awoke, their bat-like wings flapping loudly. The darkness coalesced ahead of light from their torches as they moved forward into the opening. Loud cackling alerted more of creatures to wake.

"Sounds like the whole lot's woken...I can't see anything in here."

"Stay behind me, there's too many of them… I'll light the way ahead." Geralt said. He passed her his torch, putting himself between her and the monsters. "They're trying to surround us."

The witcher scanned through the darkness. He could see clearly. More vespertyls hung motionless, their eyes peered down from the cavern ceiling. Others leapt into the air and flew towards the entrance. He used Igni and killed them with a stream of fire, as Cirilla butcher the hordes of others attacking on the ground.

"Can you hold them back?" She said sheathing her sword. "I only need a moment to make the spell work."

"What kind of spell?"

"Something Triss taught me...I hope it works!" Cirilla replied, then raised her hands high above her shoulders.

The fire on his torch flared as she muttered something unfamiliar. She wove a learned spell, flames appeared in her palms, then she sent it roaring into the air. Their screech of numerous vespertyls were deafening, their wings set alight like parchments. Their pups clinging to the safety of the cavern ceiling plummeted to the ground as the flames clawed along the walls and swatted them. The air filled with shrieks; the creatures circling overhead in flight lost their wings and smashed into the walls unable to stay in flight. Their bodies twisted into grotesque piles of meat. Those on the ground trashed their wings about to put out the flames, then succumbed to it.

"They're all dead." She muttered, then lowered her hands. The roaring flames them faded into her palms

"How do you feel?" Geralt asked.

"That was exhausting…" Cirilla replied. She let the flames die, then took a deep breath.

Geralt stared at her, then he began to follow as Cirilla descended the walkway into the lower levels. She strode forward stepping over corpses of creatures she'd killed. The air reeked of fire and charred flesh.

"When did you learn to do that?"

"Triss's lessons. And that was the first time I've managed to control it. It isn't very easy and..." Cirilla paused. She looked on as he sheathed his sword and grasped the torch. "...if she were here, she'd give me a talking to for that."

"If Triss were here she'd be proud of you, Ciri..." Geralt said. They crept forward along passage and soon it opened into a second chamber. "...she'd give you a lecture on the dangers of using those kinds of spells sure, but she'd be pleased you handled it masterfully."

"Ha… she always warning me to be careful…I can hear her now… 'be careful, Ciri."

Geralt took a vial of White Honey from the pouch on her chest and drank it to neutralize the Cat potion he'd consumed, then another vial of Petri's Philter to intensify his witcher signs. Save for the darkened corner, sunlight partly lit the center of the cavern through large cracks in the roof. He threw aside the torch, then drew his sword. They searched the ground for claw marks and signs of the monster's presence. Dark bloodstains marked the ground amid the litters of bones and rotten flesh.

"Be careful, stay close to me." Geralt commanded.

"Mmhmm." Cirilla answered. "It's eerie in here."

It eeri in here. An unfamiliar voice echoed her in common speech from the darkness.

"Stop teasing me." Cirilla turned around.

"That wasn't me."

"It came from over there" She pointed at a round boulder.

Geralt peered into the dark section of the caverns and two bluish silver orbs appeared. Cirilla turned around and met them; the glow of the monster's eyes. The strange proportion of it's ugly form took shape before them, then slight away onto the rocks. Below the creature's eyes was an ugly grin revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. A shiver ran down Cirilla's spine and she startled to Geralt hand on her shoulder.

"It...it speaks?" She gasped. Cirilla clutched the hilt of her sword, her breaths grew heavy, her stomach cramped with fear. "...a barbegazi."

"It's not speaking...not like us. They mimic common tongue." Geralt replied. His voice and small squeeze on her shoulder calmed her. He moved her behind him. "...whatever you do, don't let its claws or teeth grab onto you."

"I won't." Cirilla answered.

Suddenly a sound like nothing she'd heard before. The ground rumbled beneath her feet. Geralt sprang forward; he was swift, using Quen and his sword to block the creature's blow. Cirilla raised her sword to help, but he'd beaten the beast back. The large claw struck him with a glancing blow that staggered him. A dozen swift legs let the creature whisk across the cavern like a centipede. It covered the ground between them in a fluid scurry, then reared is body exposing its neck. Cirilla swung her sword downward in a deadly arc to sever the creature's head but curled its body as swiftly as it had advanced and protected itself. The witcher stepped aside, as Geralt moved in. He used Igni and singe the monster with a stream of fire forcing it to uncurl it's body.

"It doesn't look too happy about that." Cirilla remarked, as the beast retreated into the corner. "It's armor is too thick."

"You won't kill it with blows to the body, Ciri."

"It'd be easier if it stops moving and let me hack it to pieces and then we can return home."

Cirilla braced herself, as the barbegazi scurried back and then forward. It was almost on top of her, when she swung her blade and severed its claw exposing herself to its strike. The beast raised it's other claw and smashed her against the wall of the cavern and pinned her there. Her sword had softened the blow; pain throbbed in her arms. Her mouth tasted of blood; she'd heard and felt the crack of the bone in her forearm. Cirilla unsheathed her dagger and sunk it deep into the creature. It's hiss filled the cavern; warm blood oozed from the creature's wound down her arm.

"Damn!" Cirilla grunted.

The barbegazi snapped its smaller claws viciously scraping the chainmail in her armor. She released her dagger and held the creature away from her face. The distinct snap of a crossbow string drew her gaze for a moment and she quickly tucked her head. The barbegazi's armored skin deflected the bolt. She pushed the creature aside and clumsily stepped away.

"That was close."

"Are you hurt." Geralt said.

"It's nothing serious." Cirilla replied.

Geralt crank his crossbow and released another bolt. It flew true and pierced the creature's eye.

"Get back. I'll draw its attention to me." He said.

The witcher kicked a rock across the cavern to divert its attention from her to himself, then cast Quen, as the beast leapt after him. His barrier shimmer and faded, the barbegazi's blow drove the witcher to his knees. Cirilla let out a terrified howl. She lunged forward frantically and smashed her sword onto its back forcing the creature to scurry away into the shadows.

"Its body is hard like a dragon scale… and it's fights like it wants to live." She grumbled, helping Geralt to his feet.

"Dragons are sentient, wise and possess magic...not easy to kill with tricks. This monster is primal… listen, go for the soft areas between the sections of its armor." He answered. "It's coming back."

"I'm going to end this now!" Cirilla said. She turned and raised her sword as the beast set the gaze of its good eyes upon her.

It stalked, readying to pounce. The sound of its claws clicking against the cavern wall set the witcher's teeth on edge. She thrust the point of her sword in barbegazi's body. The creature writhed in agony as she worked her blade violently moving it side to side.

It released Geralt from its grasp and turned to fight, but he drove his sword into it and twisted. They moved together, sinking their silver swords deeper into the monster's body. It coiled itself to protect it's vulnerable underbelly, but Geralt cast Igni.

"It's not—not making—this easy!" Cirilla growled as she hacked at the beast. It coiled its body as she pulled back her sword for another thrust. The witcher plunged it even deeper into the creatures body. It tried to flee, but she held on stubbornly. She jerked her blade back and forth, stopping when she felt the last of the thick fiber beneath the skin give. "That should do it."

The beast screeched and flung itself against the walls; it body fell to the ground limp. Cirilla climbed onto the monster's back and cleaved its head as her trophy with a single swing before sheathing her sword. They scanned the cavern together and tended their wounds. Geralt carefully inspected her cuts then his own. The barbegazi's blows had left the witchers bruised him, but potions dulled his pain. Their hunt proved more satisfying than either had expected.

"We have to get back." Cirilla warned through a clenched jaw. She removed her gauntlets and fastened them to her waist.

"You're hurt."

"How can you tell?"

"You not doing a good job hiding the pain. Let me see it."

"It hurts." Cirilla said. Adrenaline coursed through her body; the throbbing pain made her groan and gritted her teeth. Geralt took her hand, but she jerked herself free.

"Ciri, don't be difficult. Let me see." Geralt replied. She removed the armor from her midriff so he'd tend to her wounds with ointments.

"Whatever you're going to say, just say it...I was reckless and sloppy." Cirilla muttered.

"No…, I wanted to say let's get back quickly. Triss can look at your wounds. Nothing is broken, so..."

"Eh... the scars will be a reminder." Cirilla replied. "Damn...that hurt. It feels like I was hit by a chort."

"Know the feeling. The pain will be worse in the morning if we don';t reach the grove tonight. Going to need a few stitches to close these up..." Geralt said. "...Triss will take care of it. This ointment will keep your wounds from getting infected."

He bandaged her wounds, then made her rest, before their journey. It was late morning and he knew her pain would only worsen as the adrenalin wane and the soothing of the ointments wore off. An uneasy calm settled over them as they mounted their horses and rode into the countryside. The brisk air took hold of her cloak and hair; the cold soothed her aches, as the sun high in the eastern sky warmed their faces. The green pine trees whispered with the wind.

"If we keep at this pace and stop only to rest the horses, we could reach Triss and the druids before nightfall." Geralt said.

***][***

The Druid Circle…Midday

As dawn broke, they finished an exhausting night. Visenna bathe Rosina in the stream that flowed through the roots of the oak tree at the center of the great house, then the druid used her knowledge of sorcery to bind the child's magic to the pendant on her neck. She placed a binding charm on the child's bracelet and anklet. The spells were meant to keep the child protected and her magic under control. They watched over Rosina together until she woke. Then, as midday turned to afternoon, Visenna took her into the garden. They passed the coppice where the druids gather more firewood, then followed the small footpath until they reached the stream. She picked up Rosina and carried her across streamlet. Gretka and Millie begged her to let them go deeper into the forest to play and got her permission, only when they agreed to stay where she could hear them.

"Bathing her in the water seems to have worked; her magic feels a great deal calmer now." Triss said. She spread a quilt on the ground beneath the trees, then walked to the stream.

"There's nothing in the grimoire…her magic is chaotic. Until she can be taught to control it Rosina will have outburst and we will help her."

"Thank you. Her magic has been considerably quieter since we arrived here..." Triss answered. She dipped her hands in the stream and splashed the cool water on her face. The breeze kissed her wet skin as she took another handful and drank it. "...at first, I thought it was just this place, but it's not is it?"

"This place is steep in old magic."

"Yes, I know that, but that isn't what I'm getting at."

Visenna loosened her hold as Rosina tried to pry herself free. She watched as the child go to the brook to her mother. Triss knelt down, dipped her hand in the water and ran her wet fingers on Rosina's face. She washed the child's hands and face, then carried her to the quilt to rest. They listened to the water flowing through the rocks in a dozen cascades. All the small mammals around them sprang from their burrows heeding Rosina's call. The branches on trees fell silent as the winds still; the birds flew to the rocks where she could reach them. Intrigued, Visenna's eyes fell on the child with eager interest.

"She's still able to call the animals to her."

"I didn't remove her magic, but merely tampered it." Visenna replied.

"Hmm...why does everything about you seem so familiar?" Triss whispered. Her eyes query as her fingers caressed the grasses beside her. "Rosina took to you quickly...something about this place."

"Yes..." Visenna interrupted, tearing her gaze from the distance to look at them.

"You've never met her before, so why?"

"Come here, child." Visenna outstretched her hand and took Rosina's. "...I know this face. Her laugh is like his, when he was just a boy..."

"What do you mean? Who are you, really? Why did Ermion insist we come to this circle? There are other druids in the north...but he told us to bring her here."

"So many questions…"

"I am desperate and eager for answers…"

"Then who I am should matter not..."

"But it does. It makes sense now...I suspected it before when I sense your presence yesterday..." Triss mumbled. "...there was something unusual about the lengths you went to conceal yourself from him, and just now… the way you spoke about Rosi... when you said to his, you meant Geralt, didn't you? You're his mother?"

"That was a lifetime ago, my dear. Listen to me carefully, Triss. You cannot not speak of what you've learned here to Geralt." Visenna said. She gazed at Rosina calling to her. "The witcher must not know; he cannot search for me. He will not find a mother in me."

"How can you say those things? No matter what he is, he is still your son."

"Can't you see I have to desire to cause him pain? I do not wish to torture him." The druid replied.

"Eh, I can't say I'd understand even if I knew what your reasons were. He's had a hard path to walk and he's come a long way. I won't judge... those are your regrets."

"Still, you want to know why I left him in Vesemir's care?"

"No, I don't…"

"Tell me child, would you love him as you do now if Geralt did not become what he is?" Visenna asked, but Triss remained silent. "Well?"

"Maybe our paths wouldn't have crossed... but...who knows such things? In some twisted way Geralt and I would never be together now had you not left him with Vesemir. Then again I can say the same about many more moments in our lives."

"You see…she is as like Geralt when he was a small boy..." She smiled when Rosina took her hair and pulled on it. "...he'd tug on my hair and laugh. She has his laugh...the very same face when she laughs at her own mischief."

"She does." Triss answered. Her eyes appeared heavy-lidded with exhaustion as she smothered a yawn.

"Sleep and let me care for them?"

"I could use the rest." She whispered.

"Then rest a bit… you're exhausted."

"I'll take a little nap. Please wake me before the sun goes down." Triss murmured, then sighed as if all the tension she'd felt had been lifted.

Later, she was woken by a nudge to her side. Amidst the peals of the children shouting she sat up greeted by the cool air and Millie's smiling face peeking from behind the skirt of the flamininka's gown. She'd recalled spreading a quilt over the ground and leaving the children in Visenna's care, but it felt as if she'd closed her eyes only for a moment. The noonday sun was gone, and the afternoon passed.

"Did you sleep well?" Visenna asked.

"I did…" Triss replied. "How long was I asleep?".

"It's nearly sunset."

"That long? I hope the girls weren't any trouble." She spoke quietly staring out across the grove at the lit fires.

"They were well behaved… the girls kept themselves busy and she kept me company." Visenna smiled. She moved aside revealing Rosina playfully hiding behind her skirt. The child burst into laughter and leapt onto her mother's lap coiling her arms around the sorceress's neck. Triss kissed her daughter's cheek, then gently ran her finger along her face.

"Could you look after them a little while longer? I need to assemble my megascope. I have some things to attend and..."

"There's a megascope in my cottage by the great house."

"Yours? Are you certain you're comfortable with me tinkering with your personal effects? I know how we sorceress's value our possessions so I can't imagine..."

The druid chuckled and waved her hand. "I've not used it in ages..."

"I'm grateful."

Visenna outstretched her hand and Rosina took it. She watched as the child led the flamininka through the grove where the trees were sparse. When they reach the clearing, then druid took Rosina and settled her against her hip. Triss made her way to the great house. After she returned, she found them beside the hearth. She sat opposite across the fireplace. The flames hissed and crackled. Neither spoke a word as they stared through the flames. Around them the forest came alive with the nightly calls of animals, then everything fell silent again save for the sound of the breeze tousling the dried leaves. She warm her hand over the fire.

"Where are the girls?"

"The children are sleeping." The druid answered. "Did you tend to your affairs?"

"Yes…"

"Is something wrong?"

"It depends. Everything seems to be progressing faster than I anticipated. I want this war to come to a swift end, so I can put this behind me."

"Tell me, what's troubling you?"

"I'm worried… but there are so many things to be uneasy about these days. Geralt's gone on a hunt and out of my reach. A small comfort is that he has Ciri with him. There are also other pressing matters at hand."

"Politics?"

"That, for starters, my child, then these dreams I've been having lately. In my dreams there's a creature. It never reveals itself to me, but I feel its presence there avoiding me. Every attempt to confront it ends the dream with horrible images of harm coming upon my children."

"Did you dream about it just now?"

"No. I actually had a peaceful rest. Still, adding to my worries is Nilfgaard. It seems the shift in Kovir's power is beginning to escalate tensions with Emhyr. Then there's the news of more unrest brewing beneath the surface here in Kovir. If this drags on another year the mages will shoulder the blame."

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to fight... it can't be helped. So far, I've counted on the internal turmoil in Nilfgaard to keep the emperor distracted, but Emhyr won't sit idle much longer. Not while Tancred continues his march on Redania…"

"Perhaps a summit of the mages is needed to settle the unrest. You are the leader of the Council and Conclave. You can end this."

"That would mean giving Radovid what he wants. Now isn't the time; a summit will be called when it's all over. I can't take any more risk. Calling a summit now would give our enemies a tempting target. All the mages Radovid despise gather in one place. Besides, if we appear to have gathered too much power, we could lose our one ally. My way is less risky, and it ensures not just Kovir's, but also the interest of the other kingdoms too."

"Many more will die."

"I know. Too many have already died already…a great deal of them at my hands."

"You can't carry that burden…"

"Can't I? Visenna, this war started because Tancred lend his aid and offer the mages shelter. Things spiralled out of control… now Kovir is advancing deeper into Redanian territories each day. If Tancred manages hold Kaedwen in the coming months, Nilfgaard will look to strengthen those kingdoms on its northern borders. It's the only option or Emhyr risk having realms sympathetic to Kovir at its borders."

"The Emperor of Nilfgaard knows his throne will not survive a war with Kovir. He is no fool...the people are weary of the wars and taxes."

"No, Emhyr is certainly not a fool. He knows a war where Kovir is seen as the aggressors could be the perfect ruse to divert attention from Nilfgaard's internal strife. At least for a moment. If things continue as they are, Nilfgaard will become more isolated and threatened. We could find ourselves facing Emhyr's army."

"Another war with Nilfgaard..."

"I hope it never comes to that… but we don't always have the fortunes of choosing our enemies. Still, it's not like before. Even now with everything that has happened, the specter of war with Nilfgaard scares me. But, losing them scare me more. I have reasons to fight."

"You mean the children and Geralt?"

"I do."

"You're the advisor to Kovir's king. Tancred's is wise, but the man is not beyond hubris. Power lure even the noblest of kings."

"I know that too well… and it worries me too." Triss replied. She took a long deep breath. The air carried the perfume scent of flowers growing in abundance. "Well, enough of that… may I ask you a question?"

"Yes?" Visenna answered.

"Why did you..."

"You want to know why I give up my son?"

"Forget I asked..." Triss mumbled, then looked away. "...I would never presume to know your reasons whatever they were, but I can't imagine giving up Rosi or these girls"

"Do you think me a monster?" Visenna asked.

"No." Triss answered with equal firmness in her voice.

A sudden breath of wind caressed her face. Calming and peaceful it carried the leaves along the forest floor. Visenna fixed her gaze on Triss. The moonlight flickered in Rosina's eyes as her small fingers grip tighter each time her mother moved. The druid took a stick and prodded the fire. She placed two fresh pieces of wood in it and sat. The flames crackled and leapt into the air moving to the rhythm of the gentle breeze.

"Geralt should've returned by now." The druid said abruptly. .

Triss lifted her eyes meeting the druid stare. "They're late." She whispered.

As the night encroached around them, her eyes drifted towards the edge of the grove. Suddenly, the witcher's name rouse her thought. Wondering where they were the enchantress had lost herself in thought. In the quiet she'd heard the horses through the thicket and waited for the two to appear, but Cirilla came alone. Triss coiled her in a small embrace, then stepped back.

"You're hurt, what happened? It's not like you to make mistakes, Ciri hold still and let me see." Triss asked, then opened her armor. She slipped her hand beneath Cirilla blouse and felt the wound. "Where's Gerald?"

"He's tending to our horses."

A moment later Geralt joined them near the great house where the druids gathered.

"Welcome back." He heard the sorceress say.

"How's Ciri?"

"Considering she traveled injured and she's still able to stand and speak I'd say she'll be alright. I have questions, Geralt."

"Don't be angry with him, I was careless." Cirilla replied. She removed her swords and set them aside.

Geralt eyes strayed from them when the mistress of the circle appeared carrying Rosina's in her arms. He caught a glimpse of her face then met her eyes. He remembered waking to those same gentle eyes gazing down at him while he lay injured. She had aged but not much. Suddenly, a shiver coursed through his body; the memories of her creased his face. She leaned forward to give up Rosina, but the girl clung to her adoringly.

"She's happy to see you." Visenna said.

"Greetings." The witcher answered unsure. Faint memories of her stirred emotions he did not care to feel. He looked to Triss, but the sorceress was absorbed.

"It brings me joy to see you're alive and well." Visenna said, a faint smile crept across her face, but he said nothing.

"I need something to clean her wounds." Triss interrupted.

"Let me see it." Visenna voice echoed from behind. "Take the child Geralt. Be gentle, she needs to sleep."

He took Rosina's against his body. The witcher cradled her head, buried his nose in her neck and breathe her scent. Her giggled drew attention to them.

"She needs to sleep, Geralt." Triss said. He sat and tried to lull Rosina, but her eyes remained opened like an owl.

"She's not going to sleep." Cirilla muttered.

"Well, he started playing with her and now she's wide awake...he'll put her to sleep…he has his ways of getting her down without any fuss."

"Come child...open your shirt." Vienna said. She gestured and Cirilla obeyed. She opened her blouse and clutched her hand against her chest to cover her breasts. "The child can stay with me tonight…"

"She won't allow you to sleep."

"She'll be good company." The druid replied. She knelt down and inspected Cirilla's wound, then gently pressed it.

"Dammit… pardon me, m'lady, but that hurt."

"Hold still, child."

"It hurt." Cirilla shuddered clenching her hand.

"Be still." Visenna commanded once more. "Geralt? Come and sit. I want to hear stories of your adventures."

He sat quietly at first as Visenna dressed Cirilla's wound, then he began to speak.

"There...the bleeding has stopped...but she needs medicines." She whispered.

"Is it… is she alright?" Triss asked.

"Yes," Visenna answered. "...her wounds will heal with simple remedies and some rest. Go and wash up, child then come to the great house. I'll put medicine on it and change the dressing."

"Thank you."

The flamininka came to her. "I'll take them so you and him can be alone. Help this one to the great house."

Sometime Later…

A calmness settled around the grove. Geralt kindled his lamp and entered into the forest to follow her. When he reached her, she held his face and he tensed. Her gentle strokes continued in ernest. She pulled him into her and the witcher's chin graced her forehead as their bodies met. He grasped her side, then took a deep breath and inhaled the fragrance of her body nestled against his own.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Ciri?"

"Sleeping like a child."

"That didn't take long."

"She's exhausted."

"So are you, Geralt. You were gone more than a few days." She spoke softly holding her wants in check.

"You tired?"

"No. I've slept. Well in fact without those horrid dreams. Your mother kept an eye on the girls. Rosi, loves her you know?"

"Hmm."

"You should speak to her."

"Nothing to say."

"Geralt, she's your mother…" She paused. She knew when he was ready, he would tell her about his mother, but until that time came she wouldn't press him further. "...I can't say I expected this, but I'll listen when you're ready to talk."

"I don't remember all of it...maybe you can."

"No, it's too dangerous. I could hurt you."

"It's been years. I remember being injured; it was bad...but she managed to heal my wounds. When I woke, she was gone."

"And now your paths have crossed again. Fate has a strange way of twisting our journey. It isn't always pleasant, but…"

Geralt kissed her, shutting the sorceress up. It wasn't what she'd expected but it was welcomed. "We came here for Rosina's condition, nothing more." He said.

"I know that." The sorceress answered. They hadn't made it far into the groove when a fog surrounded and walled them in.

"What's this?"

"It isn't my doing, but it gives us some privacy." Triss replied. Her mouth opened against his, and she kissed him fully letting the witcher taste her lips. "You're going to make love to me right here, then I want to hear about your hunt." She murmured, then began removing his clothes.

They step into stream and bathe together, then made love afterwards beside the water's edge. When he kissed her stomach, the enchsntress let out a small sound she couldn't quell. The witcher lifted his body and propped himself on his arm gazing as while she laid on her back. Triss held his medallion and brought him down to her. She kissed him once more and their bodies swelled with small intimate touches. She conjured food after they were spent, so they would eat, then smiled when his fingers parted her hair covered with dirt and crumpled leaves.

"They say Tancred's army has taken Kaedwen and Radovid is preparing to attack Talgar." Geralt said suddenly, but she pretended not to hear his query. "There are rumors." He pressed.

"When did you start believing in rumors?"

"Only the true ones. Whispers at the inn. They said Tancred's taken all Kaedwen."

"What do you really want to say?"

"Kaer Morhen is a tempting price."

"The rumors are true. Rita and Keira said as much. Kovir's already captured large swaths of the Kaedweni countryside, but the Kaer Morhen Valley isn't very hospitable to an Army that size. I had ask Evelyne to monitor the situation before we left Pont Vanis and give me any news about Kaer Morhen."

"And?"

"Well, information is scarce; everyone is being so tight lip about it. Intelligence reports didn't even mention it. It's as if there is a deliberate effort to keep whatever is happening there a complete secret from me. It's only renovations of the grounds...so I'm told...that is Tancred's only interest in the keep."

"Hmm. If that's true why the secrecy? No one's winter there since we left."

"Well, except him."

"Letho?"

"Yes."

"You know what I'm going to say next."

"I do, and I admit that it's a bit suspicious, but I see no ulterior motives in Tancred's ordering it's restoration. It was his sister's the princess idea I've been told. Kovir does have some of the best architects and it possesses mountains of riches... they pay me a fortune for my services."

"Your services?" He asked. His eyes grow more intense.

"Geralt be serious. Look, it's well within their means to repair Kaer Morhen. Or do you disagree?"

"No." He answered.

Triss ran her hands down the witcher's chin to his neck and he turned resting his head against her stomach.

"Vesemir was always trying to fix one crumbled wall after another. We should give it time. We have no reason to believe this king won't keep his word. Still, I'd be lying if I said their presence there wasn't unsettling, but right this moment there are more immediate concerns."

"You mean the war?"

"No witcher, I meant out child. The druids know so much about these things. Her magic has been significantly calmer since we got here. The girls are safe here."

"They have you."

"They have us."

There was a moment of awkward silence between them, then he spoke. "The rumors about Talgar are true too?"

"More rumors?"

"Radovid's mass an army across the river ready to attack Talgar a second time? If there's any truth to them, it means Redania intends to avoid Kovir's main force and strike the countryside. It'd make sense to force Kovir to split its forces into smaller units to defend a larger area." Geralt repeated the whispers heard in the town.

"Precisely. It's a cunning but brilliant plan."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We? We are going to do nothing at the moment. Those particular rumors are unconfirmed, but yes, there are rumors. From the looks of it, it seems the Redanians mean to attack along Talgar's western border. If they manage to seize the crossroad, Radovid will control every major road into the heart of Kovir. He could march an army through Velhad to Lan Exeter and onto Pont Vanis before Kovir could mount any substantial defense. It's no surprise the people are scared."

"Tancred's spread his army too far."

"I know. After our victory at the gorge, Kovir's intelligence grew convinced that Radovid would retreat to lick his wounds and gather his remaining strength..." Triss answered. "...but they were wrong. That man's only desire is to see me on a pike and he's going to stop at nothing to get it. If this war drags on any longer, Kovir will lose more of her sons and husbands. And Triss Merigold the hero of Talgar will be the name every Koviri mother curses as they bury their children. Even Tancred wouldn't be able to able to keep the mob from lighting their preys and demanding my life. If this war turns and sours, more mages will end up as kindling for the pyres that are sure to burn in Kovir?"

"You're being too grim, try to think about something else." Geralt growled. He tried to get up, but the sorceress held him down. "I could never bear the thought of losing you, so I find those happy moments when we're together..." She put her finger on his lips and silenced him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry about me. It's just..." Triss said. "...this war, Geralt. Holding out hope feels as futile as losing hope. Right now, Radovid's army is still on the Redanian side of the river. Getting across will require extensive preparations. They'll need to gather enough barges and rafts, then wait for the weather to cooperate."

"The weather is a small setback. Gathering barges and rafts will only buy a few weeks at most."

"A few weeks is all we need. I hope." Triss muttered. "Besides, my gamble worked. Cerys' forces have joined the fight. Skellige long ships continue to raid Redania's coastline. There are reports of how she led the ships that decimated a Redanian flotilla attempting to resupply Hengfors by the river. Tancred's army has the city nearly surrounded. T, but they've halted their siege for now."

"It won't be easy to break. Sieging the city will take a great deal of resources."

"According to my sources, the city outskirts lay in ruins. The inner fortress is holding. Those walls surrounded the original city before the surrounding countryside grew. Tancred pulled his forces back because of the temporary truce and Radovid used the opportunity to strengthen his position. Still, Skellige didn't sign the agreement so Cerys isn't honoring it..."

"Cerys attacking Redania?"

"Redania, Nilfgaard... everyone not allied with Skellige or Kovir. Our young Queen is a force to be reckoned with."

"Have you and the mages been called up again?"

"No, not yet. I suspect everyone is focused on the festivities being prepared in Lan Exeter. Either way, I have no intention of leaving until we're finished here. Our child is my priority, Geralt." Triss replied. She slid her hands along his face and Geralt tilted his head.

"After this, you'll be going back to…"

"Let's change the subject. Save the war and politics for another day." She interrupted, then she ran her finger across his brow down to the tip of his nose.

The witcher took her hand and kissed her palm, then he shut his eyes as she lightly stroked his temple with her thumb. He opened them when she planted a kiss on his forehead, his wolfish eyes drew her into his plays, then her body answered his touch. Legs coiled around him, they made love on the bare ground. Her hands clutched his arm, the other massaged his back. Geralt kissed her and she found him with equal feeling and roughness. After, the witcher held her close to his body as they laid amongst the leaves unclothed.

"We should eat something..." Triss said. "...had me a pear, would you?"

The witcher took the pear and bit into it, then handed it to her. She took a small bite beside, his, before conjuring more food. The enchantress propped herself on her elbows watching as he gazed up at the night taking the occasional bite. Geralt lay in her arms eventually falling asleep. When she woke later, they were together, his face resting in the small of her back. The moon had risen high in the night sky, the trees cast eerie shadows around them. She moved herself from his arms waking him.

"We should bathe and sleep."

She walked toward the edge of the bluff where the stream poured into a small pond and waited. Geralt entered the pond and walked towards the deep until the water climbed above his waist. It was deep enough for a swim, so he swam toward the bluff where the enchantress sat. When he stood the water was barely above is waist. He persuaded her to join him and as Triss stepped into the water. A sudden chill ran up her body. The water was cold but pleasant and soon he put his arms around her. When they finished their bath, they laid on the ground and slept by the water's edge. At sunrise they woke and clothed themselves to join the flamininka at the great house.

Thanks for reading this chapter. It's been a while. I decided to take a break after my last deployment. It took me a while to get back to the things I love to do, but I am getting back into this story. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think I am always looking forward to improving my writing and ideas.