Author's Note: This is a super old story idea that has been sitting in my writing folder in an old flashdrive for years - like back when I was still in school. It's unfinished, unedited, and will probably remain that way too.
I was in a phrased where I was really into Lord of the Rings (and the Hobbit) and I imagined a female original character as a Witcher falling into the LOTR world. The OC isn't a female version of Geralt, but she is sort of a counterpart. That means Geralt still existed in her world, but he didn't become a Witcher. And that is because I asked myself, "what if there's an alternative Witcher world or universe that only human females can accept the mutagens to become Witchers?" And what would they do if they found themselves in another world like LOTR?
It's not that far-fetch since it is canon. Ciri gained the power that allowed her to traverse space and time at will. She had to journey through many different worlds to finally find her own. And Geralt with Avallac'h help was able to travel into other worlds in the main mission Through Time and Space in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Anyway, I figured it wouldn't hurt to post what I had written during that time. I've even included my personal notes and reminders that I had for it at the end of this. If this story idea piques your interest, feel free to adopt it and make it your own.
Chapter 1
An Unexpected Guest In Arda
A breeze ruffled the wispy platinum hair of a tan skinned woman, as her golden cat-like eyes stared at the rumpled scroll in her hands. It was a contract from the village's leader to kill the unknown beasts that have been causing havoc for the farmers. When she browsed the notice board she saw that the reward was double the gold compare to the others. It seemed easy enough, but she suspected that there might be more to it than just a few beasts being pests. Or that the villagers had gotten desperate enough and hoped the high reward would be enticing for someone to finally fix their problem.
She sighed, eyeing the reward one last time before rolling up the contract, and slipping it back into her bag. Her first thoughts about the contract were correct, there was more to it. She had to deal with several beasts, instead of one or two, and they were wyverns. It was never a good idea to fight more than one wyvern at a time, especially without plenty of Golden Oriole and Swallow potions. But she's not a novice and has been at this for half a century. She always stocks up on supplies, even more so before traveling and starting on contracts.
Viera looked up at the sun, frowning at its positions. She had been tracking the last wyvern for several hours and the sun had nearly completed its descent below the horizon. An wyvern had managed to get away, because a couple of bandit and thugs thought they could use the opportunely to rob her. Once she dealt with them, she looted their corpses for anything useful and destroyed the beasts nest so that no more would hatch. She also took a small break to regain her strength, quench her thirst and sate her hunger. Then she continued on, after the wyvern's footprints to another open area where they stopped.
There was a fight, she noted the signs of a struggle and something wet on the ground. She crouched down and touched the dark spot with her gloved hands. It felt sticky and inspecting her fingers closely, she realized it was congealed blood. The dark clump of blood suggest that it hasn't been there long enough to solidify completely. The wyvern is close by and it came across another beast. The lack of a carnage and body, probably means that it's chasing its prey or it carried it off into another location to feast on. Most likely the latter, as she didn't see any signs that the prey had fled.
The wyvern must have decided to take flight, but where to? It's nearly impossible to track it when it's in the air, but she spotted some drops of blood a few feet away. She looked up, noticing that the branches ahead of her were also bent. She wiped her fingers on the grass and stood up, heading into the trees. More drops of blood led her deeper into the forest and she continued on following it.
She paused, the silver fox medallion hanging on her neck moved. She must be getting closer as it only vibrates to the presence of magic or if a monster is nearby.
The blood trail lead to a small ruin, with a broken stone arch and in the middle of it is a portal. Viera stared at it, baffled as to why there's an active and random portal deep in the forest. She scanned the stones' hard surface for an inscription, but there is none that could hint at where it's suppose to lead to. Usually anything involving portals, especially one that hangs in the air tends to involve a very powerful mage. However, she doesn't sense anyone nearby. So this must be one of those ancient hidden portals that's linked to other worlds, or at least is linked to one of them. It also happens to have a stray wyvern running amok.
It's her duty to chase after it, but she wonders if it's worth it. It involves a portal into an entirely different world. So there's no telling what it's like because for all she knows, it could be a dead or uninhabitable planet. Maybe even the void of space. If that's the case, the wyvern would perish on its own. It would be completely pointless for her to chase it if it'll result in her death as well.
Viera sighed, clutching her amulet. The monster isn't here, and the only source of magic is the portal.
"What do I do?" she muttered to herself, staring at the portal.
Even though they are the quickest way to travel they're also dangerous. She once took a portal and it ejected her in mid-air, thankfully there was water to soften her landing. And if the portal is done incorrectly or is unstable, then she'll risk a very painful death of being torn apart. But from the looks of it, this one is stable so that's one less thing for her to worry about.
She dropped her hand and shook her head. She'll just wait for the portal to close before returning to the village to turn in the contract. If it somehow manages to survive and find its way back here then she'll return to finish it. It'll be safer for her and the most responsible thing to do. She is many things, but a reckless idiot is not one of them. With her mind made up she turns to leave, but the ground began to shake. She loses her footing and falls into the portal with a curse.
The sensory deprivation and sudden burst of colors, sound and everything else always catches her off guard, even if it lasts for a few seconds. She clutched her stomach and grimaced at the sharp pain in her head. It eases once she has full control of her senses.
She pushed away from the ground and turned to look at the portal only to see it close. She frowned, glaring at the spot. "Just great...I hate portals."
On this world the stone arch of the portal is still intact, most likely because it's built into a cliff. She looked up at the sky and it's a clear blue with the sun shining brightly. While back at home it would be nightfall by now. The air is breathable and fresh with the scent of the lush green forest.
She patted off the dirt from her pants and suck her teeth at the forest before her. "I might as well take care of that stupid wyvern while I'm stuck here."
Her eyes scan the ground for tracks and blood. She found some close to a tree, which looks like the trees back home. She continued to follow it, and the closer she got the stronger her medallion vibrated. She spotted the monster feasting upon a deer. While it was unaware she carefully pulled out a Golden Oriole potion and drank it. It will help to protect her against the wyvern's venom.
She tossed the empty bottle aside and quietly pulled out her silver sword from her back. She ran at the beast, slashing at it's winged back. Doing so, kept the creature grounded so that it couldn't escape nor have the advantage over her. The beast screeched, whipping around and striking at her with it's clawed hand. She dodge, swinging her sword at it's chest.
It jumped back, whipping its long venomous tail at her face. She ducked, rolling on to its other side and striking it with her blade. It roared, trying to ram her in its rage, but she twirls out of its way. She parries its tooth-filled beak and slashes at it's wings again. It moves back, preparing itself to charge at her again.
She maneuvers away and they circle each other. The monster growls, making the first move. It jumps and she casts the Quen sign in the nick of time. Its talon would have caught her shoulder. Instead the protective shield reflects half of the damage back towards it.
It hisses and attempts to bite her again as a distraction. She side-steps, parring its tail that was trying to stab her from behind. But the wyvern managed to smacked her side, throwing off her feet. it catches her and she cast the sign Aard, throwing an telekinetic wave at the monster to stun it. She used that time to get back up on her feet and to strike at it. She kept moving around, dodging its spit poison and tail. The wyvern wouldn't keep still enough for her to land a killing blow. Eventually, she managed to find an opening for her to stab it through the neck.
Viera kicked the monster, making sure it was truly dead before cleaning and sheathing her silver sword. She crouched, pulling out her hunting dagger and two small empty bottle. She pried its mouth opened to drain it's toxin and collect the venom glands since they are ingredients for some of her useful potions and decoctions. Once done she made the sign for Igni and a gush of flames swallow the wyvern's corpse. She collected the empty bottle she tossed earlier and disinfected her newest injuries, which were already on their way to being fully healed.
She backtracked to the portal, frowning at it. Witchers can cast simple magic spells, but this is far from simple and because of that it's completely out of her depth. She'll have to wait for it to active on its own, and who knows how long that will take. It could be weeks, months or even years until the next time it does. Unless in this new world it has magic users that could help her to trigger it sooner.
Viera turned around staring at the woods. She might as well explore and see if there are any signs of people in this world. It was warm as she walked, but a soft breeze ruffled through the trees' leaves once in a while. And a few birds flew by, but didn't disturbed the relative silence. It didn't seem like she was walking for very long when she heard something else. She stopped and listened. There was movement slightly to the right of her. She tracked it to a bush, its leaves swishing back and forth before it ceased. A small fox emerged with brown-red fur, swishing its fluffy tail around. The animal let out a mewl, titling its head to the side in curiousness as it stared at her.
"A fox?" she said in amusement, slowly bending down on one knee. "If you're anything like the foxes back home then I don't think you'll be able to help me."
The fox titled its head to the other side in response.
"You're an odd one," she said, standing up. "Foxes generally avoid people and flee at first sight."
It yipped, turning around to the bush it popped out from. It's orange eyes looked at her then back to the bush and it disappeared into it. Just as she was about to leave, the fox had returned and playfully jumped in her path. Its small paws made no noise as it ran towards a tree and back to her.
Viera stared at it. It did it a second time and stopped when she headed to the tree. It kept leading her until she reached an old campsite. There was a circle of stones surrounding what was once a fire pit. It has long since been put out as the ashes and embers are very well mixed with the soil. There were also faded footprints in the soft earth in four different sizes. She turned to looked at the fox, but it had left her alone.
"Very odd indeed," she mumbled, leaning against a tree.
She now knows she's far from alone in this world. It's full of life; trees, plants, animals and what appears to be two legged beings too. She just needs to find where they are and from there figure out if they're friendly or not to ask for help. She pushed away from the tree and traveled for a bit. She came across a crystal clear river, with small fishes swimming here and there. It's a good sign as most settlements are built near a source of water. So all she has to do is follow the flow of the river downstream and eventually she'll come across people.
She flicked a peddle into the water with her boot, watching as the fishes scramble away in fright. It looks safe to drink, but she doesn't need to refill her water flask. She only took a few sips from it last time, so it's still full. She isn't hungry either, but she'll keep in mind where this river is in case she needs it. She continued on, going downwards while heading away from the river. In doing so she spots a dusty road through the trees. She reached it and heard something coming from her right.
Viera listened closely, hearing clop of hooves against dirt and the creaking of the wagon wheels against the well worn road. She got closer and saw a small caravan of what appears to be humans. She waited for them to pass her hiding spot, before trailing behind them and keeping out of sight. She was just close enough to hear gruff laughter and talking, but not to make out what they were saying.
After a bit of walking she saw an old wooden sign posted on the side of the road. There was something written on it, but she couldn't read it. She guessed that it was most likely the name of the village or town up ahead. It didn't take long to reach it and she hide in the trees. She watched as the caravan halted at the gates to talk to the gatekeeper.
This settlement is protected by a deep ditch and a thick hedge on the inner side, which is stretched around the village. It is also pierced by a large wooden gate in front of the road, which is pulled wide open. From what she can glimpse of the inside, the houses are tall with many windows and ran along parallel to the cobbled streets. Further down it seemed to hold a market, bustling with noise and people of all sizes, though most were on the tall side.
This world definitely has humans and dwarves. She spotted the familiar form a dwarf leading his pony to the stables. At first she was confused by the shortest people in the crowd, because their size could easily be confused for human children. However, they must be this world's equivalent to halflings as they too have large and hairy feet. By the time she finished observing, the caravan had already went through.
Viera finally decided to enter the village, but worried that they wouldn't let her through. Compared to everyone else she stood out the most and unfortunately she doesn't have a cloak to hide her features. She pulled away from her hiding spot and calmly walked to the gates. She held her head up high and with a polite smile on her face she waved at the gatekeeper.
He stared at her in surprise, then eyed her swords strapped to her back and oddly enough her ears. Does that mean this world has elves? That could be the only reason for anyone to be looking at someone's ears. But why the surprise? Are elves uncommon in these parts? Do they have terrible reputations? Is there conflict between the elves and humans here too?
It's certainly a first for someone to assume she's an elf. Though she suppose it could also be that they aren't familiar with elves or that she resemble what the elves of this world look like. Whatever the reason she could use it to her advantage to blend in. Hopefully, in doing so it won't cause any trouble for her to deal with. But this can only work if she keeps her ears hidden behind her hair and avoid eye contact. Her eyes would instantly give it away that she's not an elf.
Once Viera was close enough to the gatekeeper, she made sure to look away so that he couldn't see her eyes clearly. She tried to not tense as she passed through the gates. Thankfully, he didn't stop her and she continued on to the market square. She could smell it, before she even reached it.
It smelled of sweet pastries and the grass, with the tangy smell of sweat and perfume wafting from the crowds. There were many shops, some of which had a couple of stalls outside to showcase their wares. Items from shawls to swords, jewelry, fish, fruits and vegetables. Merchants called out deals and prices, charming customers over for a better look.
At first glance they ignored her presence, but then they take another look at her once it sinks in. They stare and immediately avoid her glaze when they realized they were caught doing so. She's not a stranger to being gawked at, but it's odd that it's not filled with contempt. A Witcher isn't a race it's actually a profession, but many tend to forget or ignore that. They're still human, despite the mutation they gained from undergoing the intense Witcher training, conditioning, and surviving the ritual.
A man staring at her had almost walked into a wall, but caught himself with enough time to stop. Viera shook her head and climbed the hill to see a large inn. It was three stories tall with its front facing the road. It also had two wings that ran back towards the elevated ground of the hill. Between the wings was a courtyard that was accessible through an archway. Under the arch a few steps on the left led to the main door. Above the arch was a sign, which showed a fat pony rearing on its hind legs. A white-lettered inscription was over the door, but she could not read it. But she could confidently guessed that it was the name of the inn.
Viera pulled the door opened and slipped quietly inside. She found herself in a big common-room. Drinks were served near a large log fire, and lanterns were hanging on the roof beams. It was full, but there were plenty of empty tables in the back for her to choose from. She found a nice corner spot that faced the room. She sat down, observing the people in the room.
Most were men, but there were a few women too. Everyone was busy eating, drinking and talking to pay her any notice. There was an halfling fluttering from table to table collecting coins and dirty dishes. Sometimes a table would called out to him while raising their empty tankard for more to drink. He would nod and returned in a short time with another full pitcher. Other times he would come back carefully bearing a tray with tall tankards, full to the brim with ale. They would cheer, thanking him for the quick service and return to their meals.
She wasn't too sure if they would accept her coins. Though she does have more than one form of currency because of her travels. The hobbit smiled at them and looked around the room. He spotted her and approached her table cautiously. He greeted her, while placing his palm on his chest and giving a slight bow when saying his name. But he also said a few more things, maybe asking her what she wanted to eat or drink? Viera was't too sure what he was saying, but guessed as much as she could base on his body language and the situation.
She smiled, putting him at ease and attempted to communicate. She hoped that there was at least one language that this world might shared with hers. Her first attempts was with the Common Speech of her world, "Hello, do you understand me?"
He looked at her in confusion. She tried again in Darwish and then Elder Speech. He had no reaction to them either. She slouched in her seat, frowning. Getting any information will be difficult without the ability to understand the same speech. Glancing around, she pointed to a group of humans that were enjoying a nice warm meal and motion at her own table.
At first he didn't get it until she pretended to drink and eat as though there was a plate of food before her. His face cleared up in understanding and he smiled cheerfully at her, saying something before leaving her alone.
While Viera waited she watched a group finished their meals. She eyed how much coins were tossed onto the tabletop from each member, before they left out the door. She pulled out her coin purse from her pack and counted out the same amount for only one person. She placed the coins to the side and tapped her fingers against the tabletop.
She'll need to find a place to stay for the night or two, probably in this inn and gather some supplies as well. If she knew this would happen to her, she would have packed the rest of her camping gear. Well, actually she would've dragged along a sorceress with her to get her out of this mess. But if they don't accept her coins she'll have to rough it out in the wild. As much as she disliked doing so, she's not a stranger to sleeping on dirt and hunting for food.
The hobbit returned with her meal and drink, placing them on the table. Before he left she place her palm on her chest saying her name. "Viera."
He looked puzzled. She repeated her name, doing the same motion and than pointed at him. A look of understanding filter his face and he made the same motion, saying his name. "Nob."
"Well met, Nob," she said, giving him a smile.
He went back to cleaning off the tables and refilling drinks. She scoop up the pottage onto her wooden spoon and gave it a slight taste test. It was good. She dig around it, noticing that it was made from the peas, beans, carrots, mushroom and onions. Besides her bowl was a wooden plate with a pan-fried salmon covered in a green sauce and at the bottom of it was a slice of dark bread. It looked and smell enticingly good. She broke a piece of it with her spoon, hoping it'll taste just as good. It did and she washed it down with the slightly sweet ale.
It didn't take her to finished eating her hearty meal. She leaned back, waiting for Nob to return. He does so, picking up her dishes and asking if she wanted more to drink when he pointed to her tankard. She shook her head and gestured with her hands for a place to rest by laying her head on top of them. He waved his hand in the direction of a short, fat, balding man swathed in a white apron on the other side of the room. Nob collected her coins, counting them before placing them into his pockets. He held his arm out for her, letting her know he'll escort her to the man at the counter.
She grabbed her pack and placed her hand on his arm. Viera couldn't properly loop her arm with his because of the height difference, but that didn't deter him as he gently led her across the room to the counter. The man behind the counter popped out from another room and froze in his tracks, mouth slightly agape at the sight of her. Viera guessed that he must be the innkeeper. He recovered himself and bustled forward.
He greeted her, but before she could say anything Nob responded instead. The man leaned over the counter to look at the hobbit as he spoke. The innkeeper nodded and leaned back with a polite smile. Nob patted her hand to gain her attention, saying his name again. Then the innkeeper said his name while placing his hand on his chest as he did so. She listened closely, and repeating the innkeeper's name, Barliman Butterbur. The man nodded and gestured wildly around as he said the name of the inn, Prancing Pony.
"Viera," she said, patting her chest as she said it. "Vee-air-uh."
He repeated it, until he was able to pronounce it clearly. He pulled out a heavy book from underneath the counter. She couldn't read it, but she had a pretty good idea that it was a record keeping book for the inn. He took out a quill and an inkwell to write out her name on the book, but hesitated in writing it down. He repeated her name a few times, trying to figure out the spelling for it. She motioned with her hands to write it down for him.
He sighed in relief, thanking her or at least she thinks he did so. Butterbur flipped the book over for her and she filled in the blank spot with her name and turned it back around for him. He asked her something and Nob clarified by miming going to sleep and then raising his fingers one by one. They wanted to know for how long she will be renting the room for.
"Two," she said out loud while lifting two fingers up.
They repeated the number in their language and she made a mental note to remember the word for it. Butterbur wrote it down, right next to her name and the cost of it. She pulled out the coins from her coin purse and passed him the amount. He counted the coins before writing down that she had paid. He put the book and the payment away, underneath the counter. He then pulled off a key from the numbered key-wall and handled it over to her while speaking to Nob again.
Nob nodded at him and turned to her. He offered to carry her pack, but she politely turned him down. He gestured for her to follow him as he led her to the room she rented for the two nights. It didn't take them long to reach it and she used the key to opened the door. It was a simple and cozy room. She dropped her pack onto a chair and smiled at Nob to show him that she was pleased with the room.
Nob smiled back and he started saying something to her before he cut himself off. He paused, thinking about how he'll convey his message to her. He mimed washing himself, pointed to the floor in front of him and then to the window. She understood the first part, but it took her a moment to get the other half.
"A bath," she said, glancing to the window and to the floor. "And what? Outside? No, that's not it. You pointed to the floor. Could you be asking me if I want to bathe here? Oh..."
She walked to the window, looking out of it and studying the sun's position in the sky. The sun was still above the horizon in the west, making it noon. She'll have plenty of time to shop for supplies, but she didn't want to take a bathe at this very moment. She turned to Nob, nodding her head while gesturing the act of washing and pointed to her floor. But she looked back to the window, holding her palm up in hopes he understood that she didn't want one right now.
"In the evening," she said, pointing to the sun and the horizon.
He leaned over, looking at the sun's position and nodded when he tracked to where she was pointing at. He understood that she wanted to bathe when the sun was closer to the horizon, which only happen in the evenings. After that, Nob left the room. She pulled off the swords on her back and placed them on the small table. She dragged her pack over and looked through it to see what she needed to get at the marketplace.
Viera first stop would be to get a water resistant cloak, especially one with a hood. It would help her to not stick out so much when wondering around outside. So far, her appearance hasn't caused any problems, but she might not be so lucky next time. If this world is anything like hers, there might be racial discrimination here too.
She already has a bedroll, hard soap, one thick frying pan, flint and steel for a campfire, water flask, mortar and pestle which is mostly used for potion making. With a little more digging into her pack, she also found a small bag of rice, dried fruits, water, and nuts with her. She thought there would be more food left in her bag, but she was actually a bit low on provisions. She'll need to get dried meat, cheese, maybe a loaf of bread or two, herbs and seasoning like pepper, clove, cinnamon, mint, sage, and parsley.
She thought about getting a horse, but without an actual destination it might be a waste of coins. She might not be able to afford it anyway. The whole point of taking that wyvern contract in the first place was to fill her coin purse with more money. She spent a good chunk of it on enchanting her armor and updating some of her weapons with runewords and runestones. It was worth it as they're now nearly indestructible, which means she wouldn't need to spend coins on repairs anymore.
Maybe while she's camping out in the woods, she could hunt and sell whatever she does not need to the butchers. It'll give her a few extra coins, but not a lot to live off on. However, she would have to check in with them first. She doesn't want to find out later that they won't accept it because they've already got plenty of hunters to supply them with meat. She could try and find work in the village, but not being able to communicate with them would make that less likely to happen. She's not that desperate for coins yet, but it's something to consider in the future.
She glanced at her swords, wondering if she should leave them behind. She was only going to the market to shop. If she does get into trouble, she wouldn't be completely defenseless. She knows how to fight with her fists and she does have a few daggers on her. She had a crossbow, but left that behind when it broke while she was fighting with the other wyerns. Not carrying her swords would also be one less reason to be stared at too.
While putting everything back into her pack, she found a book. She forgot that she had it. It was given to her by a friend who said that she was mentioned in it. She hadn't gotten too far into the book yet to see where. But from what she had gathered about it, it was a collection of folk tales describing monsters, sorcerers and Witchers from a simple man's point of view. It was an interesting read and wasn't as bad as she first thought. The writer does their best to stay true to the facts, but some areas were exaggerated, possibly misinterpreted or guessed at.
She doesn't have much use for the book, besides to keep her entertained while she rests. She wondered if this village has any books. She won't be able to read them, but she'll need a sample of the written language of this world to get started in learning it. Besides, if there's plenty of books around than that might mean she'll have easy access to parchment, ink and a quill too. If not, books and paper aren't expensive because they're rare. It is because it's a lengthy process to make them in the first place.
However, this place seems to be a hub for travelers so she might have better luck here than somewhere else. If this was a smaller village it would be more difficult to find any of those items. That's because smaller places tend to have a higher amount of illiterate people, unless their profession required them to know how to read or write. Those are usually merchants, nobles, monks, marshals or other high commanding positions, even those in medicine, and in law.
She placed her only book to the side while rolling her shoulders as she did so. They ache a bit from the weight of her swords and pack, but soon enough she'll be able to rest them. She checked her hair, making sure that her ears were still hidden. She played with her bangs as well, so that they'll shadow her eyes. It won't fool anyone, but it'd enough to not draw too much attention at first glance. She took one last look at her room before leaving and locking the door behind her. She pocketed the key and gave Butterbur a nod as she left the Prancing Pony Inn. The street leading to the marketplace was still crowded.
Viera came across a cloth seller who was showcasing the quality of the material to a potential customer. She paused to look at it and noted that this world also has wool, linen, and silk. There was more of the former two on display than the latter, which wasn't surprising as only those well off like nobles could afford silk.
With a cloth seller here, than that would mean a shop for a tailor or seamstress should be near by. Those shops tend to have clothing items available to purchase on the spot. If not, they'll make it for a customer as long as they're paid in advance. However, if this was a small village, especially one filled with peasants Viera would have been force to make her own clothing or at least her own cloak. If not, she might have been able to purchase someone's hand-me-downs or find someone with an spare willing to sell it to her.
She walked around, scanning the buildings for a visible shop sign of a clothes maker. She located where the bakery, butcher, and blacksmith shops were at. She finally spotted a sign with a needle and thread on it. There were some words below the image, but she wasn't sure if it was the name of the owner of the shop or just stating what the shop is for. Either way, the picture certainly helped to make it clear as what kind of items the shop sold.
She entered it and immediately found the table with cloaks folded neatly on top of it. There were a plenty of cloaks to choose from. Some didn't have hoods while others do. Some were dyed in different colors and even contain different embroidered designs on them. Viera rubbed the cloths between her fingers, realizing that a few of them were also made with different fabric material. She hoped that they were all durable and weather resistant.
From the corner of Viera's eyes, she noticed that there was a young woman staring at her in fascination. She gathered herself, placing the scissor and a piece of ribbon down on the counter. She approached Viera from behind and started to speak to her.
"I do not understand you," Viera said, giving her a apologetic smile. "And I'm sure you don't understand me either."
The woman's face dropped a little before recovering into an determine expression. She waved at separate sections of the shop, showcasing that each one contained different garments already made for purchase. Viera guessed the woman was asking which of the items she was looking for or was interested in having made for her.
Viera shook her head, redirecting the woman's attention to the cloaks in front of her. The woman picked one of the the cloaks up and unfold it for Viera to see. It was dark blue, hooded with a simple silver clasp and a silver flower design at the bottom. Viera liked it, but the problem was that it was too short for her to wear.
The woman let out a soft hum as she placed the cloak back down. She pulled out a long string from her apron's pocket. She lifted it up, asking if she could measured Viera to get the proper sized cloak for her. Viera nodded and when the woman was done, she turned back to the table full of cloaks. She rummaged through them until she found a few that would fit Viera better.
She called her over, motioning to which Viera liked the best. Viera shook her head at the ones without a hood and those that were too flashy or brightly dyed. What Viera was left with were those that more to her liking. An olive green cloak, a dark gray and another dark blue with simple designs and clasps on them. Viera felt the material between her fingers, pleased to see that the material used for them was sturdy and thick. They would hold up well against her travels and harsh weather. Viera turned to the woman and picked up the dark gray cloak.
She woman smiled, and gestured for Viera to tried it on. It fitted well on her, ending perfectly at her ankles. Viera nodded, and the woman headed back to the counter. She pushed aside what she was working on earlier and motioned for Viera to come over. The woman gesture to Viera if there was anything else in the shop that she wanted.
Viera waved her hand. "No, this is all I want."
The woman nodded, and watched as Viera started pulling out coins. She looked confusedly at the other woman when she stated the price out loud. The woman kindly lifted her fingers up and Viera counted out the correct amount. When Viera was done she left the shop, pleased with her purchase. A vendor selling tea blinked owlishly at her as she walked pass him. She gave him an amused smiled before pulling the hood up of her new cloak. With it on she won't attract as much attention. She continued on shopping for what she needed and by the time she was finished the sun was on the horizon, making it noon.
She managed to get nearly everything she wanted. Though she couldn't communicate with the butcher or find any merchants selling journals to write in. She did get some blank parchments to write on and a quill. She hoped that Butterbur or Nob might be kind of enough to let her borrow their inkwell. Maybe even teach her a few words while she was at it.
She returned to the inn, greeting Butterbur and Nob. Nob looked relieved to see her, motioning for her to go to her room while pretending to wash himself. Viera nodded, understanding that her bath was ready. She headed to her room, unlocking it and Nob told her to wait. He disappeared, leaving her door wide opened. Viera place her new purchases down, taking her cloak off and placing it onto the bed.
A inn maid knocked softly at her door frame, asking to come in. Viera waved her in and she placed down a cloth on to the floor. Two man followed behind her, carrying a large canopied wooden tub and placing it on top of it. Soon enough, they came back with buckets fulled of hot water to fill the tub. Another inn maid entered, carried in a small basket of scented soap, wash cloth, a towel, and fragrant oils. She also sprinkled fresh herbs into the bath, making it smell heavenly.
They left the room and one of the maids told her something. She assumed it was to let her know that they were done preparing her bath. The maid closed the door behind her and Viera was quick to lock it. She was excited to shed off her dirty clothes and get into the warm bath after the long day she had. She sighed contently as she sunk into the water. The soothing heat of the bath melted away her aching muscles. She grabbed the washcloth, lathering it up with soap and started washing herself. When she was done with her bath, she dried off and changed into her second paired of clothes.
Author's Notes: That was as far as I got with the story. The idea was that Viera had three paths that she could have taken that would've led her into the main Tolkien stories. I couldn't decide which to do, so I took a break to figured it out. But I lost track of time and I hadn't touched this story since then.
Option one was that Viera could've run into Gandalf either before or after his meeting with Thorin in Bree. Gandalf would be able to immediately tell that she doesn't belong in their world just from her presence. They both would have a lot of questions for each other, but the lack of communication would make that difficult. So she would have to stick close to him, while learning the language and in doing so he would also learn about her. He would see that she's got a good heart, is very skilled and could be useful. That path would lead to the The Hobbit storyline.
Option two was that Viera could've run into Strider (Aragorn) and the hobbits at the Prancing Pony OR when they were fleeing/fighting the Ringwraiths at Weathertop. She could have been camping nearby when the group got attacked. She wouldn't be able to stand by and watch, especially when they only had one person protecting/capable of fighting. This would've led to The Fellowship of the Ring storyline. However, she wouldn't have been a tenth walker. Viera is an outsider, so her only interest would be to return home. The elves would agree to help her, while keeping an eye on her since they're a bit suspicious of the timing and where her morality/loyalties lie. But while she traveled with an escort something happens that causes her to cross paths with the fellowship again.
The third option would be her roaming around, trying to find the elves (most likely those in Rivendell since they're closer in location) or Gandalf. In this path she would have had more time to adjust to the world and pick up a little bit of the language on her own. However, she keeps running into orcs and saving people from them. She's not quiet about it and that ends up attracting the attention of the rangers, elves and Sauron. The storyline for this option is vague, because I still wasn't sure which to use.
Obviously communication would be a problem for Viera no matter which option I pick for her. The languages in The Witcher are not at all similar to those in Tolkien's stories. So Viera would need to learn the Common Speech (Sôval Phârë) of this world, which is also known as Westron (Adûni). Unfortunately, we know very little about Westron, for the simple reason that Tolkien never worked out Westron to the same extent as Quenya and Sindarin or even Adûnaic. Which is why I had used English and avoided writing out the dialogue for it.
Something I had consider was to come up with a short cut - like a spell or an enchanted necklace that would allow her to understand what people were saying, but not know how to speak it. Though, doing that meant she wouldn't be able to get into deep conversation when limited to yes or no questions and gesturing. I doubt I'll do that and just stick with the old-fashion way of learning.
EXTRA NOTES:
These were my personal notes on Viera and reminders for the story.
Viera is a female given name. There are two sources for this name: from the Latin "(vērĭtās vērus / vēra)", meaning "truth" and a Russian "vèra (вера)", meaning "faith, belief". Both names are linked to a religious tradition because they are related to faith and truth of the Lord. It can be pronounced as Vee-air-uh or b-ee-EH-r-aa.
In the Witcher world, Viera is also known as Gwyncrevan, meaning "White Fox" in Elder Speech. She was given this alias by the dryads, and is also called Lady of Hellfire (Hlaith y Ufferngaenye) or Woman of Fire (Beanna y Aenya) by a few. Surprising it wasn't because of her penchant for fire, but after an unfortunate incident that provoked her rage.
A Witcher has an incredibly long lifespan and ages very very slowly. Viera is about 58 years old, but looks to be in her 20s and has long since completed her Witcher training. It's unknown how long Witchers can actually live for as they tend to died from their profession before anyone can actually find out. The longest living Witcher was said to be at least a few centuries old with the appearance of a middle-aged man. But of course he died in battle, though some theorize that if he didn't he would probably still be around for a couple of more centuries. However, that does not mean that Witchers and other races with long lifespans are immortal. It's stated that everybody ages, and everybody who ages, will die eventually. Some just age very slowly, either with the help of alchemy and magic, like Witchers and Mages, or naturally as is the case with Elves.
Viera has thick shoulder-length white hair, which is usually in a low ponytail with fringes framing her face and forehead. Sometimes her hair is in a half-up and down hairstyle. The white coloring of her hair is the result of surviving the advanced Witcher elixirs. She is of average height, has tanned skin and golden cat-like eyes. She's also built like a warrior with a six pack abs and nicely toned muscles despite being curvaceous. Her favorite feature is her legs because they're so strong that they can crush a melon. It has actually been proven to be true, as she once demonstrated it in a drunken bet.
Speaking of drinking, all Witchers' metabolism are much faster than humans. So alcohol does affect them, but it takes a lot and when it does it won't last for very long. As their metabolism works through it at a super high rate. But they are still capable of getting drunk, but only if the alcohol is fatally strong and they drank it non-stop.
Her outfit consist of a simple long-sleeve dark blue linen shirt or tunic, leather breastplate and black breeches that hugged her legs. She also has leather bracers, tall leather boots and gloves. She has a belt and attached to it is her coin purse, a dagger and a small pouch with a few potions in it. She prefers wearing dark colored clothing, because it's easier to hide blood stains if they don't wash off completely. Cause you know, Witchers aren't rolling in gold coins to be constantly buying clothes.
The portal that bought her to LOTR world is one of those ancient and hidden world portals. This particular portal only opens during the first or last day of a full moon (which happens once a month). She doesn't know this information which is why she decided against waiting for the portal to opened on its own. She knows that it could take a very long time to do so (because time is different here - as it was nightfall in her world while here it was morning). So she decided to explore the world and see if there are magic users in it and if one of them can active the portal for her. Either way, she gets involved in helping others from this world in whatever mess they're in and ends up missing her opportunity to leave. If all else fails, her friends (most likely a sorcerer using a tracking/location spell) might be able to find her or at least know of her last known location and figure out what happen to her to bring her back home.