POV Aiden The logs crackled in the makeshift campfire.
After we found Geralt, he hadn’t told us much of anything, other than to follow him.
At first, I was wary after all, I didn’t know him at all but Ciri had assured me we could trust him, since he’d already helped her once before, when she’d been in danger in the Brokilon forest.
I’d sighed, and we’d followed Geralt through the woods on horseback him on his mare, which he’d apparently named Roach, of all things.
Ciri had stayed with me, on my horse, quieter than I’d ever seen her before.
I hadn’t said anything everyone grieves in their own way.
I was sad myself.
I wanted to punch something out of pure rage.
From time to time, following Geralt through the forest, I’d still see Mousesack’s smile, hear Commander Albert’s laugh whenever he beat me at training, the queen’s voice Calanthe, that woman who seemed so hard on the outside, yet so loving toward Ciri and everyone close to her.
All of it, because of Nilfgaard… Even though I know what Calanthe did must have hit them hard, it won’t stop them for long.
Maybe it’ll set them back a year or two, but they’ll come back, more determined than ever, and eventually lay siege to the northern kingdoms exactly what Calanthe and Mousesack had feared all along.
But what bothers me most, I think, is how the northern kings reacted.
They did nothing or next to nothing.
I hope, not without some bitterness, that they’ll eventually understand the suffering Queen Calanthe had to endure to make those decisions, for her people.
I felt a slight wetness on my knees: faint tears trickling down Ciri’s face as she slept against me during our stop.
She murmured her grandmother’s name, likely lost in a dream of her.
I gently stroked her hair and dried her tears with the edge of my glove.
That’s when Geralt said: “Honestly, it’s rare to see her trust someone that much.” I looked up at him.
He was sitting on a log, our horses grazing behind him on what he’d prepared apparently some decent feed for the animals.
I turned my eyes back to Ciri and answered softly: “Yeah.
Honestly, we ended up together in an extremely dire situation, and I think that’s when we started trusting each other completely.” Silence settled for a moment, as if Geralt were searching for something to talk about.
I beat him to it: “You’re a witcher, right?” He nodded, calm.
“Yes.
A witcher of the Wolf School.
That’s actually where we’re headed Kaer Morhen.” Curious, I asked: “I know a little about Kaer Morhen, from the book The Monstrum, or a Description of Witchers but that book never gave the exact location.” He nodded, tossed another log onto the fire, and said: “Kaer Morhen is extremely hard to reach.
First off, geographically, it’s a real headache getting there.” He traced a path in the dirt with a stick and went on, calm: “After that, you have to take the Witchers’ Trail some call it ‘the Killer,’ too.
It’s an incredibly dangerous path: without knowing exactly where to step, a traveler who tries it has every chance of dying, or getting lost.
Not to mention the monsters lurking around it.” He continued: “If you want a simpler answer, Kaer Morhen sits northwest of Kaedwen, up in the Blue Mountains.” I frowned.
“Kaedwen?
Don’t you have trouble with the king out there?
From what I know, he’s not exactly fond of non-humans.” Geralt shrugged.
“We avoid the capital and the main roads.
And honestly, our neutrality creed might work in our favor with the king or maybe he just doesn’t even know we’re there.
Either way, we’ve never had any direct trouble with him.” I nodded.
Monsters intrigued me too: during my potion training, I’d handled ingredients taken from creatures, read books about ghouls and alghouls, but I’d never actually seen one myself.
I asked, curious: “What are monsters really like?
I mean, do they act like wild animals?
Or more… human?” He looked at me, a little surprised, then smiled, amused.
“You know, something’s been nagging at me since earlier.
Usually, people who see a witcher for the first time fear us even when they’re paying us for a job well done, you can feel it in their eyes, like they’d almost rather kill us.
But you’ve never shown a trace of hatred, or disgust.” I stayed quiet for a moment, eyes on Ciri, sleeping, still gently stroking her ash-colored hair, then finally answered: “I think it’s because I don’t come from a place eaten up by prejudice, and I had a good upbringing.
I’ve always believed in meeting kindness with kindness, and cruelty with cruelty that’s probably why I don’t feel that kind of aversion.
And besides, according to Ciri, you saved her life that makes you someone I trust too, in my eyes.
Does that make me naive?” Geralt gave a small laugh.
“No, I wouldn’t call it naive.
Just be careful not to assume everyone’s kind, though.
That said, hold onto that mindset I promise you it’ll take you far.
And you’re right about one thing: a lot of people think witchers have lost their emotions, but the mutations don’t do that.” He stared into the flames, calm.
“We still love, cry, get angry.
The mutations just make it harder to show any of it the good and the bad alike.
Anyway, to answer your question: monsters come in all kinds.
Some act like plain animals drowners, ghouls.
Others are made through magic golems, gargoyles.
And then there are some far smarter ones higher vampires, dopplers.” Another question was nagging at me: “Why are you out here, this time of year?
I thought witchers went back to their keep for the winter, and winter’s coming soon.
Why are you still out here?” He looked me straight in the eye.
“Calanthe sent a messenger all the way to Kaer Morhen.
I think she already knew this war was lost before it even started, and she wanted to save you both.
Of course, I’m putting it in my own words in her message, she made sure to remind me she still hated me, over that whole destiny business.” I didn’t understand and asked, unsure: “Destiny?” He looked surprised.
“She never told you?” I shook my head.
He sighed.
“A few years back, Calanthe hired me, through Mousesack, to stop an impostor demanding her daughter’s hand.
Word was it was some kind of monster.
At first, I nearly turned it down I don’t much like working for kings or queens, it’s always a nest of schemes of every kind.” He glanced at sleeping Ciri and went on, calm: “On the day of the princess’s celebration, the monster showed up and demanded her hand.
Calanthe wanted me to kill it, but my medallion, and my own experience, told me right away it was a cursed being.
I refused to kill it, and had to fight the queen’s own knights to protect it.” I smiled slightly that sounded exactly like the queen and asked: “Is that why she hated you?” He shook his head.
“No.
While we were fighting those knights, the princess had had enough turns out she was in love with the man herself, and she made it very clear to her mother that she intended to marry him, with or without her blessing.” I laughed, looking at Ciri.
“Guess stubbornness runs in the family.” He nodded.
“Exactly.
After that, the curse broke, and the monster turned back into a man.
Calanthe wanted to reward me I refused at first, since I’d technically broken my original contract.
But she insisted, so I finally said: ‘I want that which you already have, but do not yet know.’ And that’s the exact moment the princess threw up, right in front of the whole court.
I just froze, same as everyone else I’d just claimed, without even knowing it, a Child of Surprise.” I was stunned.
“A Child of Surprise?
Like in the legends, the ones that bind two people to some important destiny?” He nodded.
“Yes.
And unfortunately, Calanthe wasn’t thrilled about that.
She protects her children above all else, like a true lioness.
She had me thrown in prison, meant for execution but Mousesack got me out, and once she’d calmed down, passed along a very clear message: never set foot in Cintra again, or face execution on sight.” He tossed another log onto the fire, stood up, crossed his arms, and looked at me.
“Honestly, I don’t know why she ended up asking for my help anyway.
But Ciri is my Child of Surprise, and I can see how attached you two are to each other her especially.
She can be stubborn as a mule, but when she wants something, she always gets it one way or another.
So I’ll protect you too, Aiden, don’t worry.
But tell me what do you plan to do now?” I lowered my head.
“I don’t know… I want revenge, that’s true.
But mostly, I want to learn more about my past what the queen told me and above all, I want to protect Ciri.
That’s the promise I made to everyone who gave their life to save us, and I intend to keep it.
But I know my limits, I…” I clenched my fists slightly inside my gloves and looked Geralt straight on: “Geralt, train me.
I want to get stronger.
When I saw those mages, I felt like an ant about to be crushed by some massive power.
Watching that duel of spells from a distance, I felt useless.
I thought I was strong I was still painfully weak.” I glanced at Ciri.
“I know countless trials are waiting for us, and I feel it, deep down, that I need to get stronger like something terrible is coming.
Don’t ask me why, but…” I turned my eyes back to Geralt.
“Train me.
I don’t care if I throw up my guts, get beaten every single session, get called an idiot or useless.
I’m just asking for a chance to be trained.” Geralt sighed, then stayed silent for several seconds before answering: “Fine.
I’ll train you.
But get ready for hell there won’t be any room for kindness.
I’ll train you like a witcher apprentice, nothing less.
Is that clear?” I nodded, serious.
“Yes.
Very clear.” He nodded back, moved off a short distance, settled into a meditative position, closed his eyes, and said: “Now sleep.
Training starts tomorrow.” I nodded, gently pulled Ciri’s head against me, lay down beside her on the ground, pulled the blanket over the two of us, and fell asleep holding her close.
— POV Geralt I cracked one eye open to watch the two children sleeping, then sighed, looking up at the sky.
“Is this really destiny, handing me these two?” What Aiden didn’t know was that I’d seen his eyes change one turning icy blue, the other snow white while he was talking about wanting to grow stronger.
I had no idea what it was: not a curse, not a possession, but something magical, and terrifyingly powerful.
My medallion had vibrated violently, and every combat instinct in me had screamed to run, just from meeting his gaze.
I still didn’t understand what that phenomenon was the moment he fell asleep, that pressure had vanished completely, as if it had never existed at all.
But I’d felt it, all right.
No doubt about that.
I smiled slightly.
“Destiny sure has a funny way of telling me I’m not getting any peace anytime soon.” I hesitated, turning over in my fingers a communication crystal one a certain red-haired sorceress had given me, right before I left her bed.
I sighed.
“Once we get to Kaer Morhen, I’ll need to call her.
Hoping Yennefer isn’t with her I don’t feel like arguing again, especially since she still holds it against me, for having the djinn’s wish undone, the one that bound us together.
But it was for the best, for both of us.
I still believe that.” I shivered again, remembering Yennefer crying in my arms, after I’d saved her from the djinn the wish that had bound the two of us together.
We’d been deeply in love, back then.
Then, during a contract, I’d gone along with Triss and we’d stumbled onto another djinn.
I’d wanted to know, once and for all, whether my love for Yen was truly genuine or just a product of magic.
So I’d made the wish to undo that first bond: only another djinn could break it.
And just as I’d feared, my love for Yen turned into nothing more than friendship while what I felt for Triss stayed real… I sighed.
“My life, huh…”