Chương 33: Chapter 31:

An arrow may fly through the air and leave no trace; but an ill thought leaves a trail like a serpent. - Charles Mackay

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three Days Later:

Current Year: 1261

"Absolutely not!" Mousesack said while giving me before returning his gaze to his work.

We were currently within his laboratory he had set up inside the keep of Kaer Trolde. It was quite grand, a lot of magical instruments and a large alchemy setup were placed within the room. Mousesack was currently trimming and tending to a special breed of magical plant. He was examining it using a magnifying glass. Every couple of seconds his hands glowed with a light blue light, most likely using some sort of diagnostic spell that would check for the plant's properties.

"Master, I'll be fine." I replied while letting out a sigh. "I am just going on a small monster hunt for two weeks at most. A witcher needs to ply his trade."

"You are not just a witcher." Mousesack stated while looking up from his work once more. "You are my apprentice, a druid studying magic. Why do you want to risk your life so needlessly? Besides, a boy like you wouldn't start out on the path till he was at least fifteen. Even my friend Geralt told me that."

I rubbed my head with my hands. Mousesack was certainly being difficult. I had already asked Crach if I was free to leave Kaer Trolde if I wanted to. He told me that if I had gotten permission from my Hierophant then I would be free to do whatever I wanted. I was trying to get out of here so I could go and find a strong monster to fight. I wanted to test my newfound skills on a strong opponent, but I hadn't had the time to do so yet. I also wanted to study their mutagens when I was done… My research into that particular field has been stagnating.

"Ah yes, the infamous 'Geralt of Rivia'. The 'White Wolf' that the famous bard Dandelion wrote about. He is from Kaer Morhen, home to the School of The Wolf. You've told me time and time again that you both are friends. Despite that, you should know that this is different. I'm a witcher that has been studying magic for two years already. I know that I'll be fine if I keep my wits about me." I pleaded with Mousesack once again. If he doesn't accept my proposal, I might just have to sneak out.

"And? What about Ciri? What am I supposed to tell her? When you don't come back, what then? Do I say that her friend was torn to pieces by a fiend? Maybe a siren?" Mousesack asked me outrageously.

"That's not going to happen." I sternly told him "I've been preparing myself accordingly. I will not meet my end due to overconfidence in my abilities. I'll be back soon, both of you will hardly even notice I'm gone. Just enjoy yourselves on this little vacation while I do some witcher work."

"Fine." Mousesack said while sighing in reluctance. "You still didn't answer my question, what am I supposed to tell Ciri?"

"Tell her nothing." I said with utter seriousness. "Tell her I went to visit the druid circle in my old village, or that I went on a small fishing trip."

"You want me to lie? To the princess?" Mousesack asked with a tinge of disbelief.

"Your words, not mine." I replied while shrugging my shoulders. "It's your job to keep her safe, that includes the dangerous things her friend is possibly doing."

"...Fine." Mousesack said. "You have two weeks, don't… don't die. Cirilla and myself and have grown quite attached. It would be a shame to lose my only apprentice so young."

"Of course, Master." I said while nodding my head in a small bow. I then turned my body and began walking towards the exit. "I'll be back soon, enjoy yourself."

"I'll certainly be having more fun than you will, apprentice." Mousesack stated while I was walking away

I thought that I heard some footsteps coming from outside the door, my witcher senses went off slightly. I quickly opened the door and began to peer outside into the hallway. I looked at my surroundings for a moment, but I wasn't able to notice anything out of the ordinary. My sense of smell wasn't able to pick up on anything besides the alchemy lab that was behind me, there were several potent decoctions that were being brewed. Their stench was almost overwhelming.

"Is something wrong?" Mousesack asked from behind me, he had noticed my alertness.

"No… it's nothing." I responded quickly. "Must have just been my imagination…"

"Not even out of the keep and you're already a little jitterish." Mousesack said with a small laugh.

I gave a small chuckle at his comment and then said goodbye to Mousesack once more. I began walking through the tough stone hallways, looking for the exit to the keep. After several minutes and after getting lost once, I found my way to the exit. The guards that were stationed at the door let me through the large doors without much trouble, only a question or two asking where I was going. As soon as I made my way outside, the cold brisk air of the Skellige isles hit me in full force.

I flicked my hand in a particular motion and then I was suddenly wearing my heavy set cloak from before. As soon as it appeared, I began walking my way through the icy tunnels of the mountain that led away from the keep. I continued walking for several minutes until I reached the harbor that was situated below the keep.

I wasn't planning on taking a boat, but the path that led away towards the rest of Ard Skellig wasn't far from here. The particular destination I had in mind should only take me a day or so to reach on foot, if I kept a steady pace. The particular monster I wanted to look for was in a village that was slightly to the south, it was called Fayrlund.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.O.V Switch: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon

A Few Moments Before:

Current Year: 1261

"You are not just a witcher." I heard Mousesack say from within the heavy doors to his laboratory. "You are my apprentice, a druid studying magic. Why do you want to risk your life so needlessly? Besides, a boy like you wouldn't start out on the path till he was at least fifteen. Even my friend Geralt told me that."

I was going to head inside to Mousesack's room, but I heard him start speaking loudly from within. I put my ear towards the door in order to listen in on what they were talking about. Mousesack sounded like he was really getting upset. Is Harkon in there with him? What are they even talking about? Harkon isn't the type to put his life in danger for no reason. Not when he has friends like us that he needs to worry about.

"Ah yes, the infamous 'Geralt of Rivia'. The 'White Wolf' that the famous bard Dandelion wrote about. He is from Kaer Morhen, home to the School of The Wolf. You've told me time and time again that you both are friends. Despite that, you should know that this is different. I'm a witcher that has been studying magic for two years already. I know that I'll be fine if I keep my wits about me." I heard Harkon respond to my grumpy tutor with a frustrated tone.

Why Is Harkon trying to leave us? That doesn't make any sense! Why would he even want to go anywhere else? He has everything he needs right here with us. He doesn't need to go anywhere, I won't allow it. I'll tell uncle Crach to stop him if I have to.

"And? What about Ciri? What am I supposed to tell her? When you don't come back, what then? Do I say that her friend was torn to pieces by a fiend? Maybe a siren?" Mousesack seemed to ask with distress. He didn't want Harkon to leave us either.

Monster?! Torn to pieces?! I can't believe this… Harkon wants to go out and hunt actual monsters! I know that he is a witcher… but he's only a few years older than me! There's no way he can fight any true monsters at our age.

I was slightly panicking that Harkon was going to leave. I wouldn't be able to take it if he left us and went to die in some monster infested cave. Doesn't he care? Shouldn't he know that there are people who would mourn for him if something happened? I was playing with these types of thoughts in my head for too long and missed some of the conversation.

"Tell her nothing." I heard Harkon say very seriously. My heart was filled with dread. "Tell her I went to visit the druid circle in my old village, or that I went on a small fishing trip."

He… He wasn't even going to tell me himself? He was going to have Mousesack lie for him? This is outrageous!

"You want me to lie? To the princess?"

"Your words, not mine. It's your job to keep her safe, that includes the dangerous things her friend is possibly doing."

"...Fine. You have two weeks, don't… don't die. Cirilla and myself and have grown quite attached. It would be a shame to lose my only apprentice so young."

"Of course, Master. I'll be back soon, enjoy yourself."

"I'll certainly be having more fun than you will, apprentice."

I heard Harkon making his way towards the door and decided that it was time I took my leave. I needed to find uncle Crach and stop this from happening. I quickly and as quietly as I could took off down another hallway. I ran for a few minutes down several staircases and through several other passages before I reached uncle Crach's room where he did most of his governing. I banged on his door a few times. *Bang Bang Bang*

"Uncle Crach!" I pleaded at the door. "You need to let me in! It's important!"

I heard some large sounding footsteps coming from within the door and then suddenly it opened up to reveal the massive frame of my uncle. His fiery red hair was combed neatly and he stood with an imposing figure. He looked worried at all the commotion that I was causing outside.

"Ciri!" He exclaimed while grabbing my shoulders and looking at me with a serious gaze. "What's wrong?"

"It's Harkon." I said while a few tears were starting to form in my eyes. I didn't want him to leave and go off to die. I don't want him to go… Everyone I know always leaves. My parents left on a ship and they never came back either. I don't want Harkon to meet the same fate.

"What? What about the boy? What happened?" Uncles Crach said while giving me a hug. He was trying to console me as best he could.

"He's leaving… He's going off to fight some monsters somewhere else on the isle. He just asked Mousesack if he could go. Please Uncle Crach! You have to stop him!" I begged my uncle.

"Ahh…" My uncle replied with a small sigh. "Ciri… I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to come out and say it… I already know he's going."

"W-what?" I asked in disbelief. How could uncle Crach already know he was leaving?

"He… He asked me today if he was free to leave and ply his trade. I told him he could if Mousesack agreed to it. He is the one who is technically in charge of him, not me." Uncle Crach said with an almost guilty tone.

"You… You knowingly let him go off to fight… by himself?!" I asked incredulously. How could my uncle do this?!"

"He defeated King Tuirseach in single combat, Ciri. I believe the boy is competent enough to defend himself." My uncle explained his reasoning to me.

"That was only a spar!" I exclaimed with anger. "He's going off to fight actual monsters! Not old men who know how to swing a sword!"

I pushed Crach's hands off of my shoulder and then backed away from him slightly. I can't believe him and Mousesack would knowingly send Harkon away to die in such a manner. Any number of things could happen. What about bandits? Skellige is crawling with them. Harkon had already told me of the potential dangers that the world has in it, something my grandmother would repeatedly refuse to do.

"Ciri please…" Crach stated while holding his hand out to me. "Come inside, we'll talk about everything."

I shook my head with either anger or sadness, I couldn't really tell which. I ran away from my uncle with tears in my eyes. I headed for my room which was only a few halls away. After running for around thirty seconds, I reached the door to my quarters. As soon as I reached it and touched the cold metal handle, I decided on something. If these 'so called' warriors aren't going to help Harkon, then I will. I know that I'm no match for the monster of this world, but I know how to use a sword well enough. Harkon had already taught me how. I'm not as good as him yet, but two heads are usually better than one.

I opened the door to my room and quickly got my cloak that would protect me from the elements. As soon as I had grabbed it, I quickly ran out of the room and over towards the gate. Harkon had probably already left by now, I would need to be quick in order to catch up to him. I continued to run down multiple hallways and through the feasting hall in order to reach the entrance to the keep. As soon as I had reached it, I noticed that there were two of my uncles men guarding the door. They probably weren't going to let me out, even if I asked nicely. A sudden sprung into my head and I just decided to roll with it. I didn't really have any other options.

"Help! Help, please!" I said while running towards the guards in question.

"Princess Cirillia!" The guard on the left yelled out and then quickly approached me with his hand on his sword. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Both of you need to help." I pleaded with the two men. "My uncle is being attacked! You need to help him!"

The two guards just looked at each other and then took off running down the hallway I had just come through. I took this opportunity to make my through the gates and down the carved out path through the mountain. After a few minutes of running, I reached the port that was situated underneath Kaer Trolde.

I noticed a lady that was shoveling snow outside of one of the taverns. She was using a very worn down looking shovel that barely was able to do the task it was designed for. I quickly approached her side in order to ask her something.

"Excuse me?" I said politely.

"Hmm? Need something girlie?" The lady asked while glancing up at me. Then she tore her eyes away and continued to shovel away at the snow.

"Did you see a boy coming through here that was wearing a similar cloak to mine? He might have had very uhh… bright looking eyes?" I questioned her.

"Ah, you mean that witcher boy who was just here? Yeah, I saw him. He just left that way not too long ago." The kind woman said while pointing her finger towards the trail that led away from Kaer Trolde.

"Thank you." I said while slightly bowing my head. I took off running in the direction she was pointing at. It was a path that led to the southern end of Ard Skellig, if my memory serves me correctly.

I quickly ran by all the taverns, apothecaries, and other businesses that were surrounding the port. I noticed the trail that the lady I met had been kind enough to point out and began to follow it. There only seemed to be one set of footprints that have been made in the snow recently. I wasn't really able to tell, but I think they looked fresh enough. Hopefully they would be Harkon's, I didn't see any other sets currently walking away from the village.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.O.V Switch: Harkon

A Few Hours Later:

Current Year: 1261

The daylight was starting to fade away. Dusk was starting to settle in over the islands of Skellige. I decided that I had travelled as far as I could for one evening and made my way over to a tree that was far off from the trail in order to take a rest.

I picked up some stones and sticks that I had found laying on the ground. I finally sat myself down, making sure to rest my back on top of the heavy pine tree I was currently resting under. I allowed myself a moment of rest before I started to gather the stones up into a circle. I placed all the sticks and twigs I had managed to gather up inside of it. I used a small Igni sign in order to set the small campfire alight. I warmed my hands over the fire, allowing my fingers to defrost slightly from the colder temperature.

I enjoyed the warmth of the fire for a few minutes, allowing myself to relax from a hard day's journey. Suddenly, I heard a few twigs snap from behind me. I quickly summoned a sword to my hand through the use of my artifact. I immediately shot myself up from my sitting position and into a battle ready stance.

"Who's there?" I asked the empty space around me. Suddenly, I saw a familiar ashen haired girl appear from the darkness of the tree line.

"You've got to be kidding me…" I exclaimed while letting out a loud groan. It looks like the day just had to end on a troublesome note...