POV Aiden We’d just finished eating.
Ciri had left the table a little earlier.
I was still buried in a book about different monsters a fairly interesting read, if you overlook the author’s insistence on explaining the difference between a drowner’s mating habits and a ghoul’s…
Otherwise, the book was actually informative.
What pulled me out of it was Geralt, knocking on my door, arms crossed, a grin on his face.
“So, still deep in your studying?” I smiled slightly, set the book down on the nightstand, and sat up properly on my bed.
“Yeah.
Even though I think I’m ready like Vesemir would say, preparation breeds safety.” He laughed softly, pulled up a chair, and sat facing me.
“Vesemir’s right.
But let me give you my own method for staying focused.” I looked at him, surprised.
“Go ahead, I’m listening.” He put on a grave expression, like he was about to confess a state secret, then said: “I picture a naked woman.” A silence followed.
Then Geralt burst out laughing.
“Sorry, had to do it.
Though she might be a bit too old for you.” I shook my head, amused it was a terrible joke, sure, but it had at least worked to relax me.
“No, I’m fine, but yeah, there’s clearly a lot of room for improvement there.” Geralt shrugged.
“Consider it a legacy, then.” Then, more serious: “Honestly, there’s no real magic trick against stress, or the fear of failing.
But know this, Aiden: no matter what happens, Kaer Morhen will always be your home.
And most of all…” He tapped my shirt, right over my heart, looking me straight in the eye.
“I know this sounds cheesy, the kind of thing you’d read in some knight’s tale but I promise you, it’s real.
Believe in yourself.
You’ve got the skills, you’ve got the talent, you’re not stupid.
Everyone here knows you’re going to make it.
So believe in yourself, all right?
There’s no such thing as a witcher who’s born that way there are only witchers who trained, and who know their own worth.” That hit me harder than I expected.
I nodded, my voice soft.
“Thanks, Geralt.
Really.” He smiled, crossing his arms again.
“Don’t worry about it, it genuinely means something to me too.
Besides, it’s a matter of honor for my title as trainer you’re my first student, before Ciri.
Gotta live up to the White Wolf name.” I laughed, punching his arm lightly.
“Yeah, sure.” He laughed too, then his eyes drifted to my bedroom door.
“You should go say goodbye to her.
You know that, to her, you’re the person who matters most in the world.” I sighed, pulling on my shoes.
“Yeah, I know.
But I’ll admit I’m scared she’ll get too dependent on me, I mean…” Geralt finished my sentence: “That you think she’ll struggle without you?” I nodded.
He went on: “It’s true it’ll be hard.
You two have been together for years, you’re the only survivors not counting Cintra’s civilians and you’re tied together by a lot, even things we still don’t fully understand today.
But Aiden, don’t underestimate Ciri.
Yeah, it’ll be hard.
Yeah, there’ll be moments where she goes through things alone, things that’ll make her cry, make her feel hopeless.
But it’ll teach her her own worth.
And more than that, it’ll let her actually live.” I hesitated before heading out, not looking at Geralt.
“Geralt… am I… am I too protective of her?” A silence followed, then he answered softly: “You know, the first time I became a witcher, I was still an idiot.
I thought I could change the world, play the knight in shining armor, especially toward women I still had this fairy-tale kind of morality, wanting to protect everything.
See, on top of the White Wolf nickname, they also call me the Butcher of Blaviken.” I looked at him, surprised I’d never pictured Geralt that way.
He went on, eyes distant: “I wanted to defend some villagers who were about to get slaughtered by bandits.
I thought I was doing good, protecting them.
But in the end, my actions backfired on me, and the townsfolk started seeing me as a murderer, a butcher.
That’s where the name comes from for anyone who wants to remind me of that sad story.” He looked at me with a faint smile.
“That’s what I want to teach you.
If you genuinely feel like you want to protect her, then keep doing it.
But above all, learn what YOU actually want not what everyone around you expects of you.
Even after earning that title, even after seeing people’s true face, I still hold onto my own values, my own choices.
It’s me who decides now not what I’m desperately trying to earn in other people’s eyes.
So stop asking yourself that question.
Ask instead: do you actually want to keep protecting her the way you’re doing now?” A few minutes later, I was at the highest tower of Kaer Morhen, where Ciri sat on the parapet, gazing at the moon.
I walked over with a basket of candy Triss had brought back once, set it down between us as I settled onto the ledge beside her, popped a piece into my mouth, and asked: “Why the gloomy face, Ciri?” She looked at me with a soft smile, took a piece of candy herself.
“No, I just wanted to relax a bit, think things through.” I let her continue.
She went on, eyes still on the moon: “You know, sometimes I wonder what a normal life would look like, for us.
But the more years pass, the more I feel like we’ll never really have one.
Weird, right?
Dreaming about that?” I shook my head.
She looked at me.
“No, you know, before coming up here, Geralt stopped by to reassure me I was a little stressed about the trip.” She looked at me, half-teasing.
“Aidy, stressed?
Never would’ve believed it.” I smiled softly.
“I’m not perfect, you know.
Anyway, he reassured me but mostly, I asked him something: whether I should keep protecting you the way I’ve been doing.” Ciri started to answer: “Aidy, I already told you that…” I cut her off, slipping a piece of candy into her mouth.
“I know.
That you wanted to fight by my side, travel, get revenge on Nilfgaard with me.
Don’t worry, I remembered that’s exactly why I was thinking it over on my way up here.” I looked up at the full moon, breathtaking.
“We’ve watched people close to us die.
We’re both carrying promises on our shoulders.
But despite all that, it’s our own choices that’ll decide whether we honor those promises, and what we actually do with them.” I looked at Ciri, serious.
“Ciri, I promise to keep protecting you but not the way I used to.
We’ll fight together.
We’ll live our adventures together.
I’m done seeing you as some damsel in distress, because there’s two of us now.
And yeah, you’re right: we’ll face a ton of fights ahead me, because of my old magic, I’m basically a juicy piece of meat for any mage out there; and you, with Lara Dorren’s bloodline in you, even dormant, that’s still a prime target.
Not even counting your title as Queen of Cintra, as its last direct heir.” I smiled softly.
“But should any of that actually hold us back?
Since the start, we’ve lived our own adventures the way we wanted to.
At the harvest festival, even though you were stronger than every other kid there, you still used every trick you had to win.
So let’s do the same now.
Let’s stop overthinking everything, and make our choices with our whole hearts without telling ourselves ‘but if I do this, I’ll be in danger.’ Let’s stop thinking about that.
Let’s live by our own choices, not anyone else’s.” Ciri stayed quiet for a moment, before a few tears started falling she wiped them quickly with her sleeve, then smiled and leapt onto me for a hug, hard enough that I nearly toppled backward before catching us both.
The candy basket wasn’t so lucky: it fell quite a ways down and smashed on the ground.
Ciri murmured against me: “You’re right.
Let’s stop being scared.
Let’s live by our choices, and regret nothing.” She pulled back from my chest, wiped away her last tears, and said with a huge smile: “Wait for me, Aidy.
We’ll live our adventure together, we’ll get revenge on Nilfgaard, and we’ll rebuild Cintra.
Together.” I laughed softly.
“Yeah.
Together.” The next day, I was getting my mount properly ready when I saw everyone arriving.
Ciri jumped on me first, before going to pet Nocturne’s muzzle.
I sighed, amused, looking at the four faces in front of me.
“Hope you all don’t change too much while I’m gone.” Yennefer gave a small laugh.
“Maybe Vesemir and Geralt will pick up a few more gray hairs, but I promise my beauty will stay just as stunning for your eyes, Aidy.” I coughed, embarrassed.
Triss helped by shushing Yen, who was clearly gearing up to pile on more.
Vesemir stepped up first, handing me a satchel full of ingredients, then a second one holding bombs and oils.
“Like Yennefer said, I’ll probably have a few more gray hairs by the time you’re back, but I promise that’s all it’ll be.
I packed you enough to get through the trip.
I know Geralt already reassured you, but trust me, every witcher’s been through this at the start.
I’m really proud of you.
And when you get back, Eskel and Lambert will celebrate with us.” I thanked him with a nod.
Triss went next I was caught off guard when she pulled me into a hug, but I returned it without hesitating; over the course of training together, I’d genuinely grown attached to her, her gentleness, the way she listened.
After the hug, she handed me a small crystal.
“This is a crystal storing a fireball of my magic took me all night to charge it.
Only use it if you’re truly in danger, okay?” I sighed, amused, nodding.
“Promise, Triss.” She gave me a soft, almost motherly smile, ruffling my hair.
Then Yennefer stepped forward, a smile equal parts teasing and sincere.
“I don’t have a gift for you, but know that if you ever need a sorceress, I’ll help whatever you ask.” I thanked her with a nod, but she used the moment to plant a kiss on my cheek, leaving a smudge of lipstick behind, before walking off laughing.
“There.
The gift of happiness and good luck, Aidy.” I heard a soft growl behind me Ciri, muttering something about “witches.” I rubbed my cheek to wipe off the mark, my face a little warm despite myself.
Then Geralt stepped up, unbuckled the sheath of his silver sword from his belt, and handed it to me.
I was stunned for a witcher, a silver sword is far from a casual gift.
Before I could even ask, he said: “Don’t worry, take it.
Vesemir’s not hitting the Path this year, so I’ll borrow his in the meantime, until yours gets forged.
For now, take this one it’ll put my mind at ease a little, like I’m still protecting you, even from a distance.” I smiled, looking at the sheath, drawing the blade slightly to study the runes already carved into it.
“Thanks.
I’ll take good care of it.” He smiled, and pulled me into a hug of his own.
“Come back proud of yourself, all right?” I returned the hug, nodding.
Once we’d let go, I went to join Ciri, still petting Nocturne’s muzzle.
Seeing me without Yennefer’s lipstick mark, she let out a small sigh of relief one I caught with a smile, which she returned just as quickly.
She pulled a white scarf out of the satchel she always carried, and wrapped it around my neck.
“To remind you I’m always by your side.” I smiled.
“Thanks, Ciri.” She tugged me closer by the scarf and pressed a kiss to my forehead, cheeks slightly flushed.
“Take care of yourself.” She walked back, a little shy, to join Yennefer and the others, who teased her fondly she shot back with her own jabs, amused.
I looked at them all one last time, mounted Nocturne, and started off slowly toward the gate, waving goodbye.
I fully intended to come back and see every single one of them again.
— POV Ciri Watching Aidy leave, I clenched my fist slightly.
I felt a hand stroke my hair, and looked up at Geralt and the others, who were watching me with a smile.
Geralt asked softly: “You okay?” I nodded, casting one last glance toward the spot where Aidy had disappeared, then turned to Geralt, serious.
“Yeah.
I know he’ll make it.
And Geralt you asked me once if I wanted to train at Aretuza, and I never really gave you an answer.
Well, here it is: I want to go.
I want to get stronger, so I can stand by Aidy’s side.”