'What is the meaning of this?' I yelled, but no one could hear me. A dirty piece of cloth were stuffed between my teeth, a tight rope around my neck made it hard to breathe, and walking blindfolded down the stairs is not as easy as you should think, not even with two people gently 'holding' your hand. They sure know how to treat a lady. Assholes.
I did not allow them. I fought every step of the way, but the more I fought, the tighter the rope around my neck got.
'Let me go!' I wanted to scream at them, but whomever walked beside me told me to shut the fuck up, because I was about to die for my crimes. Hanging from a tree.
At that moment I knew. The ''law'' have found me. My search for freedom was over before it had started.
Hell no! I tried again to wrestle out from ropes that was strictly tied around my wrists, behind my back. No use. I could not breathe. Pulse was rising and could see my life pass before my eyes in slow motion.
There was no doubt in my mind. My fate was settled. I would be hanged on neutral ground. Probably with the Grandmasters blessing.
''Here is good. This tree.'' I think it was a mans voice speaking. A woman's voice followed directly after, with an intense eager to get it done right away.
I could hear they fickle with the ropes, I felt it tighten. I got on to my toes.
The sack over my head was ripped off. I could see.
Never been so happy in my life to see: I don't know. 6 or 7 soldiers serving Temeria. Blue Stripes, special forces, ready to hang me.

''For what?'' I asked again.
The pretty lady was angry as fuck. Oh, man. I've never seen such a furious face in my life. The people I've robbed and killed in the past looked like flowers in comparison. Even when they caught me in action.
''You murdered one of ours! You murdered my friend!'' she yelled.
Obvious, I rejected. I've killed many people, but never a blue stripe. I'm not stupid either.
''Captain'', an elder Stripe came close to me, looked me in the eyes and asked me to explain what happened.
Captain, I thought. So the bitch was a captain. Great.
''I don't know what you are talking about?'' I tried to hide my fears from dying by keep my head high, but anyone watching my hands would seen it easily.
Another man came forward from the dark. He was the leader, I saw him earlier when he arrived with his squad. Commander Hatzel, I think his name was. I can't recall the exact words, but they never stopped asking me about this soldier that I supposedly should have killed.
''We can end your life here and now, and we will.'' He said.
Leut. Leo, the one who would give the final kill order, he held up a piece of paper next to my face. I've seen it before, all over Novigrad.

So, that man. I knew now. But he was no Blue stripe. He was a merchant. Just a merchant.
''It looks like her, does it not?''
The others agreed. All, the others agreed. Especially Captain Gretel. Again she pushed forward for my kill. Raise the rope, let her swing, do it now. Do it!
Still hear the words in my head while I write this.
''Do you want to die?'' Leo whispered.
''No'' I said. ''I am innocent. You have the wrong person. I have never seen that person before in my life. I have a common face, ok!'' My words were mixing up in a random order. It's what fears does to you. I've seen it before, I've been on the other side of the rope. . . before. Now I stood in my victims boots.
A new experience, I must admit.
They did not buy it.
''She's lying.'' The Captain walked in circles around me. Spitting, cursing, explaining how such a good man this soldier I killed was.
''I did not kill any man!''
''Shut up!''

Behind me the tall stripe hold the ropes. He was ready to do what he was told. Any minute now. He gave me some creepy looks. Something was oddly familiar about this guy, though.
''TALK!'' Someone yelled again. I gasped for air. I had no choice. I want to live!
''Wait. WAIT!'' I replied until they loosen the grip a bit.
''There was a man, on a tavern, ok?'' I looked at the commander. I'm sure my eyes were wide open, screaming for my poor chances of survival. They will never believe you, another voice in my head called.
' I have to try non the less', I said to myself.
''I am a thief, ok. I was on a mission. A mission. Ok?''
''Liar'' I heard the Captain.
I had to continue. '' I was about to rob a wealthy merchant, in a tavern. I got to his room, it was empty. I did what I had to do, grabbed the goods and was just about to leave when he came in. I pushed him out of the way, and the idiot slipped and fell dead with the meeting of a table. I swear to all the gods in this world. I did not know he was a blue stripe, and I did not kill him on purpose. He was clumsy, and I did not stay there to double check if he was alive, even. I got my ass out of there as fast as possible. . .''
''LIAR, hang her now!'' The Captains voice got louder.
But then a surprising thing happened. The commander and the Leut. started thinking, or talking or discussing, whatever. But they did not share the captain's idea, at that moment. I held my breath.
''Do we believe her?'' The commander asked.
''I am a thief, not a murderer'' I said. Not entirely true, but they did not need to know that.
''I only pushed him.''
''You killed him!'' Guess who that came from.

So, there was a lot back and forward talking going on. Never mind me with the rope around my neck, and this strange, silent man behind me. And why the fuck is he smelling my hair?!
Eventually the Commander came up with a suggestion.
''Maybe we can use you.'' He said and came closer.
''Someone needs to repay the death of our soldier, and maybe you should do that. One year of service. One year under my command. Disobey once, and you'll hang slowly from this tree, or any other tree.''
The beauty-captain screamed at him. There was no fucking way the Special forces was suppose to keep a thief in their ranks, especially not a murderer as myself. There was no way they should feed people like me, give me a uniform, pay me or allow me to sleep in their tents. No chance that they should treat me as any other soldier. People like me should die, slowly, right now.
The commander and the Leut. Did not listen to her, right now.
But I rejected the offer.
If I accepted I could never, ever – return to my family in Novigrad. All my uncles, brothers and sisters. I'd be dead to them. My plan was, stay as a witcher until people forgot about that stupid, dead man in the tavern, and then return to them.

The man behind me whispered something. Very bad timing, asking me.
''I know you''
I looked at him.
''I know that smell''
Oh, shit, I thought. Pictures where dancing in front of my eyes. Scenes I thought I had forgotten. I remember where I've seen him before.
''The tavern, the drinks, all the drinks. . .You were the drunk one. . . And there was the room we borrowed, and the table we broke, and a mirror, and we tossed out some people, and I think maybe a man broke his neck when he accidently 'fell' down the stairs. Whops. And, man… what a night.''

It all came back to me. I think I even shared a smile. He did too, but then he got all serious.
''You stole all my money''
I blinked at him.

''Answer me!'' Leo yelled again.
''What? No, wait. . .''
''Accept the deal or we hang you, right now.'' Leo said, and started to count down from 5.
''5. . . 4. . . 3 . . .2 . . .''
Up on my toes again.
''I accept, I accept!''
I held my breath.
''I'll join, I'll serve Termeria, please just let me live!''
I am pretty sure at that point that everyone inside and outside could hear the Captains protests. I was pretty sure she was THIS close to put a dagger through my heart, right there, right then.
And needless to say, I was relieved when they cut me loose.
Hatzel then gave me a coin as a token of my 'loyalty' to the crown and a promise that if I loose or betray that coin, I'll fucking swing, again.
I looked at it, shining thing decorated with Temerian lillies – not worth a shit. Well, apart from my life.
I looked at the Commander. ''For Temeria!''
Inside I was already dead.