Brinna settled herself beneath the tree in the garden. The summer sun was very warm even in the shade. Ella curled up beside her mother and fell asleep. Brinna stroked the toddler's dark hair as she ran her other hand over her round belly. She would be giving birth again, soon. She reached for her treasure that she hid away for more than a year after bringing it from Kaer Morhen. Unwrapping the thin fabric slowly revealed each book, while not thick, was bound in a quality leather, denoting that it's owner had been one of means. Brinna carefully opened the cover of the first book and scanned down the page at the elegant, feminine handwriting and began to read…

14th Birke 1055

I met the most interesting man today. A witcher by trade, yet he was polite and intelligent. The way people go on, you would expect some dense brute that is only interested in killing and ploughing. My father would be aghast that I used the word ploughing but what good is a journal if I cannot write exactly what I am thinking?

I suppose if I am to do this, I should start at the beginning, for posterity's sake. I am Aniela Krol. I am the daughter of a widowed aristocrat. Although I know my father cares for me, I am a great trial to him. My younger siblings are married and have begun producing the next generation while I am a spinster at five and twenty. He despairs of me ever marrying. My unfortunate coloring is part of the problem. I have unruly red hair. Men steer clear for fear that I am somehow cursed.

I suppose then, that because a witcher is used to dealings with the accursed, this witcher had no fear of me…

Aniela paced the garden in a huff, muttering under her breath. Yet another man had begged off from meeting the available daughter of an aristocrat once he heard of her red hair. Her known temperament was also at issue. She tended towards impulsiveness; not a desirable quality in a wife. At the moment, she was in such an internal fury that she did not hear the witcher enter the garden from the path behind. He merely leaned against the fence at the bluffs edge and watched her pace and stamp her foot with amusement. Aniela turned and looked up, gave a start at the stranger's appearance and proceeded to fall backward, landing hard on her backside, the hem of her dress flying up over her knees. The witcher chuckled as he approached her and held out his hand to assist her to her feet. Aniela blew the hair from her eyes and accepted his assistance. His touch was gentle and kind and it surprised her. She also felt a keen tug at her inner being that became stronger when she gazed up at him.

"Well," she began as she dusted herself off, "since you've seen my knees, you should at least know my name as well. I'm Aniela."

"Vesemir." He said as he inclined his head. "I'm sorry for startling you. I wasn't expecting to see a lovely young woman talking to herself in the gardens." Aniela huffed and pursed her lips.

"You didn't. Just me I'm afraid. I am neither lovely nor young. I suppose my father hired you to clear out the storage caves? What was it this time?"

"A harpy nest. It's high enough up from the beach and the ledge is sheltered from wind and rain. A desirable spot for nesting beasts."

"At least it's taken care of now. He left a moment ago, but should return shortly to pay you. Please, have a seat." Vesemir sat on a stone bench and she sat beside him. Looking at him she saw the fine lines around his golden eyes, the light brown hair that had escaped the tie at the nape of his neck. He wasn't a handsome man, but she was drawn to him nonetheless.

She called for drink and they spoke of mundane things all the while repressing the powerful, inexplicable pull toward one another. Their time was cut short with the sound of a horse returning to the house. Vesemir thanked her and rose to leave. He looked back at her before turning the corner of the house.

"Far be it from me to tell a woman she is wrong, but you are indeed very lovely." Then he was gone.

38th Birke 1056

Vesemir came through town again, looking for Witcher's work. It has been over a year since I saw him that first time.I saw…felt… him across the square. Something in the air told me he was there and I understood. Before I realized, I was standing before him. It was a physical pull on my mind and body, like when we first met, but more. He felt it, too.I could see it in his eyes. I don't know how long we stood there without saying a word. He caressed my check with his knuckles then he was gone. I felt as if the air had left my body. My legs trembled. That has been weeks ago, and yet as I sit here in my room, my hand still shakes recalling that moment when I realized I had fallen in love with a witcher. I must find him again…

"Parry, then thrust!" Vesemir yelled at the boys who were practicing before him. They moved back to their starting positions and began again as the master looked on. Around the yard, other pairs of boys did the same as the seasoned witchers repaired their gear before setting out again.

The clop of horse's hooves distracted the fencing instructor. He knew the sound of each horse that routinely made the trip to and from Kaer Morhen, and this wasn't one of them. Turning to face the intruder he saw a dark bay horse with a small rider, completely draped in a dark green cloak. He felt that familiar pull and didn't need to see the face to know it was her. As if in a trance, he left his post and went to her. As she slid from her mount he pulled back the hood and the connection was complete. A warm pulsing heat rushed through him. He had lectured and warned each new witcher before they set out on the path of this very thing and yet he had succumbed. Heedless of anything else, he gently took her hand and led her to the keep and up the solid stone steps, not stopping until they were in his room. He closed and barred the door. In a single step, he turned from the door and kissed her. Aniela grabbed his shirt and held him tight against her as he plundered her mouth. Vesemir managed to raise his head.

"You shouldn't be here…" he whispered.

"I couldn't help it…I had to find you."

"I know," he said as she unclipped her cloak and let it fall, fully exposing her tangled mess of red hair. Vesemir grabbed a fistful of her long tresses and held them to his nose. Something about her…

They lay on his single bed, joining not just their bodies, but their very souls. The light waned as they made love over and over spurred on by something that neither could explain.

30th Feainn 1056

We make love long and often. It is glorious. The connection I feel with him is so strong made stronger now by the intimacy we share.

I have made good use of myself while I am here. I help prepare meals in the kitchen while Vesemir tends to his duties. They boys are all taught not just how to do battle, but how to care for their equipment and mend injuries as well as more intellectual pursuits (witchers actually have a very thorough education) so there is little else for me to do.

The resident sorcerer is wary of me but the boys, I think, like having a female presence around. Maybe I remind them of their mothers in a vague way. I understand that many are orphans or are given up at a very young age. The other full-fledged witchers are polite but keep to themselves. I see them smirking at me though, as if some unwritten rule has been broken.

Vesemir passes off the boys to the next master just after noon and joins me for the rest of the day. We go for walks around the fortress, make love in the watchtower or by the river. At night, he pulls out this hat…it makes laugh. When we finish, the grass and trees are somehow greener, the air fresher. It's strange, but I think it's because of us.

But it wasn't long before something changed. I began to hear voices that no one but me could hear…

Aniela dug her fingers into his thighs as she cried out, Vesemir managing to wring her body of every drop of pleasure. He collapsed beside her and held her close as they dozed in the sun. She woke to someone speaking, but Vesemir was sound asleep beside her. Turning in is arms she gently shook him.

"What is it, my fiery wench?" Vesemir teased.

"We should dress. I thought I heard someone." They rose and dressed. Aniela sat on a stone rubbing her head while he folded up the blanket. Coming to her side he touched her cheek then ran his hand over her forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes. Just a bit of a headache I'm afraid. Too much sun."

"Come. I'll brew you some willow bark tea. You'll be right in no time." He held his hand out and led her back to the mountain fortress.

The tea did indeed help but the following morning the headache was back worse than before. The morning after that, she was leaning over the edge of the bed puking in a bucket as Vesemir held her hair. When she was done, he set the bucket aside and sat on the bed beside her.

"Is there something I should know?" he asked quietly, a hint of pain in his voice.

"There is nothing to tell. It's this blasted headache."

"You weren't a virgin when you came here."

"Thanks to the libertine that was to marry me over three years ago. He seduced me then disappeared, sending word to my father that he had decided not to marry me after all." Aniela faced him. "There has been none since then and no one but you since I first laid eyes on you." He brought her hand to his lips as his eyes cleared of doubt and stood.

"I'll bring you some tea and something to eat. Just rest today. We are starting a round of Trials so I'll be busy most of today." She nestled down under the covers and fell back asleep.

Later in the evening, Aniela went down the winding stairs to the kitchen. Entering the main hall, she saw a few witchers standing around, arms crossed as several small bundles were laid out under sheets. Vesemir saw her and rushed to her.

"Go back up." He voice was commanding and urgent.

"What's happened?"

"The Trials…it hasn't gone well. Please. Go." He nearly shoved her toward the door as another hand took her arm and led her back up the stone stairs.

31st Lammas 1056

I sat for hours waiting for him to come up. Finally, as the dawn began to break, Vesemir staggered into his simple room and sat heavily on the bed, resting his head in his hands. He looked so beaten down. I sat beside him giving him what comfort I could. His eyes were shiny with tears I knew he would not shed. I was so removed from what was happening here, I couldn't begin to digest it. He made love to me, slowly, as if trying to make it last forever.

Apparently, it had been a particularly brutal set of Trials. Only two survived, just barely, and it was only the first round. More suffering awaited the two left. Vesemir lay on my shoulder and confessed the pain of training so many only to die.

Aniela shot up in bed, a high pitched scream burning her throat. Vesemir sat beside her, partially dressed, shaking her awake. When she opened her eyes, he was there, she touched his face as tears streamed down hers, her whole body shaking. Vesemir held her tight against him until the shaking subsided.

"They're here…all the voices I've heard. I heard the screaming of the boys who have died here. The ones from fifty years ago as well as the ones from yesterday. Even Aldwin. I wish you would have told me." Aldwin was smaller than his peers and he gravitated to her and Aniela and the boy became fond of one another quickly.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you. I have seen it many times but it never gets any easier. I've gone through it myself but I was so young I barely remember. What I do remember is the suffering that all that have come after me have endured. The world needs us, witchers, but at what a cost." They sat quietly together, Aniela resting her head against his chest until the voices completely faded.

"I can't stay here," she said softly. Vesemir merely nodded as he gripped her tighter for just a moment before releasing her.

"I'll wait for you downstairs." He finished donning his gear and left her to dress.

Aniela watched him from a distance as he readied her horse with slow deliberate care. Joining him, she called his name and he turned from his task to take the small bundle and tie it behind the saddle then led the bay from the shed.

"This is Ingvar," Vesemir indicated a rather large bear of a man waiting on horseback, his dark amber eyes watched her from under dark bushy brows. "He'll travel with you. Make sure you're safe. Aniela…" Vesemir stopped and just looked at her then took her in his arms and kissed her on last time.

"I'd stay if I could, Vesemir, but this place…"

"I know." He replied sadly. He helped her mount then released her ankle and watched as she pulled up her hood, turned her horse and rode away.

32nd Lammas 1057

It's been a year since I left that fortress in the mountains. I also left behind the love of my life that day. But the anguish I felt, as if rising from the ground itself, was too much. I felt as if I were dying, smothering in the grief of others. The further I travelled from Kaer Morhen, the better I felt despite my heart breaking in half.

My family has remarked how changed I am since my sojourn. I never told them where I went and why a large, hairy witcher escorted me home. I was able to calm myself with this new-found energy and live with what is handed to me.

I would never see him again. I knew that. It was more bearable that way.

13th Velen 1058

Despite my unfortunate coloring my father has managed to secure a husband for me and I did not quibble. His name is Ingfred and he is a pleasant, gentle man a little older than myself, and not unpleasant to look at. He owns a very profitable shop in Ard Carraigh and genuinely seems to like me. I think, in time, I could come to care for him, too. I believe I shall be content.

28th Feainn 1061

It turns out my husband is very profitable indeed and so we are able to have a home with a terrace and garden within the city. The summer somehow seems much warmer in the city so I retreat to our small garden. Ingfred made it just for me because he knew how much I enjoyed the gardens at my father's house.

I gave birth to my first child just over a year ago. He has his father's dark hair and gentle good looks. A second is set to arrive anytime now. Another boy, I think. I will name him Aldwin.

17th Feainn 1075

I met another interesting man today. He introduced himself as a mage named Jareth and said he was interested in magical anomalies. Said he had followed one here, to Ard Carriagh, and found me.

I freely answered his questions and told him about the pull I felt toward certain people, the way I could tell if something or someone wasn't right, how I knew what each of my six children were going to be before they were born. Also, how once I decided not to have any more children, I never became pregnant even though my courses still came and my husband still slept beside me.

My visitor was pleasant, eager, even excited. He took copious notes and hung on my every word, which I found amusing. And while I told him about whatever he asked, I kept one thing to myself. I never told him about Vesemir.

He is mine.

30th Velen 1102

Vesemir stood watch over his pupils correcting their stance, their grip, their swing. It was a familiar routine that had become entrenched over the years. His roll had changed from a witcher on The Path to fencing master. He did still seek witcher's work, usually in the spring and returning to Kaer Morhen by mid-summer to train.

The clop of unfamiliar hooves rang out across the bridge and into the lower yard. Turning Vesemir faced a man of middle age, robust in build with dark hair going grey at the temples. The heavy fur cloak he wore against the fast encroaching cold made his build seem even larger. He dismounted and waited patiently as Vesemir approached.

"We don't get visitors here very often." The witcher said. The man looked around and saw no less than ten swordsmen with weapons in hand watching him.

"I didn't come to make trouble. I'm looking for someone. A man named Vesemir. I was told I could find him here."

"I'm Vesemir." The visitor looked at him intently for a beat before speaking again.

"I have something for you." The man removed a carefully wrapped package from his saddle bundle releasing a heart wrenchingly familiar scent. "My mother asked that these be given to you. She passed some months ago…"

"The fourteenth of Birke." Vesemir quietly finished for him as he held the bundle in his calloused hands. He sat heavily on a crate and pulled the ribbon that held the cloth. A letter lay on top of the journals. The first book he had seen that first time he had met her. It had lain on the stone bench between them. And he had felt her passing. He just didn't realize what it was at the time. A fresh darkness descended upon him, making it hard to breathe.

"What is your name?" he asked after pushing back the wave of grief. The man gave a small laugh before he answered.

"My brother, Aldwin, and I wondered why our mother would leave her private writings to a stranger and why she was insistent that I be the one to deliver them, but now I know why. Her sadness suddenly makes sense. My parents were friends but never great lovers." He remounted his horse and gathered the reigns, looking straight at the witcher. "My name is also Vesemir." The witcher nodded, stood and returned to the keep. He locked himself in his room. He returned to his duties three days later and he never spoke of the visitor or the package that lay hidden in the bottom of his chest.

My Dearest Love,

If you are reading this then I am gone to

whatever lays beyond. I wish we could have

spent more time together in this life, but one

cannot look backwards. We must learn to

love the life we have and not mourn a life

lost to us. Despite the years and distance,

one constant has remained.

My love for you.