Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or the Witcher series.
Geralt decided to cut through the woods to Blackbough. They arrived with no hassle. He overheard a man in front of a house as they rode up the path. "...Hanna." Geralt hopped off, Ruby right behind him, and approached the man.
"Looking for a hunter named Niellen," Geralt told the man.
He responded, "Found him. What do you want?"
Ruby piped up. "We're here to help you look for your wife." Geralt's turn to speak came up. "Where did you last see her?"
"Five days past, 'fore dawn. Were on my way out to hunt, she were asleep. I come back, found no sign of her," Niellen asnwered.
"Maybe she went to the neighbouring village, forgot to tell you?" Geralt asked. Just as he asked that question, a woman came out the door of the house that Niellen was standing in front of. "No, my sister were never gone this long before," she said.
"Did you try looking for her?" Ruby asked.
The woman replied, "Asked 'round the village, none saw 'er go. She must've left when they were still sleepin'...Told her time and again not to wander off on her own. She never listened."
"I mustered some menfolk to scour the woods. Nothin'," Niellen added.
"We'll look in the woods, you might've missed something," Geralt stated.
"Did she have any friends?" Ruby questioned.
"Hanna kept-keeps- to herself mostly. Watches the blacksmith's young'uns atimes. And in the village, Glenna, the butcher's wife, she likes her best," the woman commented.
"Great. We'll try to find her," Ruby told them with a smile.
"No promises," Geralt added, and the two walked away.
"So, who do we ask first?" Ruby questioned.
"I think I want to go to the blacksmith first."
"Okay, let's go then."
The two found the blacksmith with no problem. The blacksmith was hammering away on his anvil, his two children, a boy and a girl, sat behind him. Their eyes caught the sight of Geralt and Ruby. "Wow! My dad used to forge swords like yours. And is that a scythe on your back, miss? Can I touch them?" the boy asked.
"It's sharp," Geralt responded. "Better not."
"We need to talk to your dad," Ruby declared. The man turned around. "I forged swords once," he told Geralt. "Now it's scythes and hoes. For good arms, you'll need to go to Novigrad."
Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of arms. "Ooh, can we go to Novigrad, Geralt? Huh? Can we?" she asked excitedly.
"We'll go there soon enough," he responded. "Anyway, we wanted to ask you about Hanna. Heard she looked after your children.
The little girl spoke up. "Aunt Hanna? Do you know where she is?"
"No, that's why we're here. She maybe tell you where she was going? Or anything else?" Geralt asked. The daughter responded once more. "Hmm...she said turnips were healthy and we ought to eat 'em." Ruby giggled softly. The son then spoke up. "I saw her go to the forest! With another lady! It was dawn, almost - I'd gone out so I wouldn't wet the pallet."
"The forest? She's done for," the blacksmith expressed grimly.
"Why?" Ruby asked.
"A huge pack roams the area. None from the village dares go in the forest. Niellen's the only one not afeared, but then he's a hunter..."
"Did you see the other woman? Did you recognize her?" Ruby asked the son. He responded, "No, she walked in front of Aunt Hanna; I couldn't see."
"Before I go, let me look at your stock," Geralt demanded. The blacksmith complied, and two pieces of parchment caught Geralt's eye. They looked like maps. "I'll take that off your hands," he said, gesturing to the paper. "Thirty crowns," the blacksmith replied. Geralt handed him the money, and looked at the map.
"What'cha got there, Geralt?" Ruby asked. The witcher handed her the map. "See for yourself."
Ruby scanned the paper. "What's this about a cat's head?"
"It's about the Cat witcher school. I think they're worth looking into another time," he responded, and she returned the map. "Okay, let's go talk to the butcher's wife."
After some asking around, the pair finally found Glenna, plucking feathers off buckets of chickens. "Greetings. You Glenna?" Geralt asked.
"Aye. But gristle and marrow's all I'm willing to sell, and you'll have to wait till I'm done carving it," Glenna responded.
"Wanted to talk to you about Hanna. Hear you were friendly."
"She'd come by atimes, we'd talk."
"She seem strange lately? Any idea where she might've gone?"
"Hmm...strange? No, a cheerful soul, always."
"If I'm to judge, the wolves got her. Been howlin' the nights through, lately. Even the Baron's men're afeared to come by. Hanna must've gone to the wood, to gather mushrooms, maybe. Strayed too deep, and the howlers got her."
"Thanks, farewell." And on that note, they left Glenna to her business. Geralt spotted a merchant, and asked him to show his stock. Another one of those maps were there. Geralt decided to buy it. "What did you get this time?" Ruby asked as Geralt unfurled the map. "Hm."
"What? What is it?"
"The maps I've found, they're witcher caches, specifically those of the Cat and the Wolf schools. Those usually mean crafting schematics."
"For what?"
"Equipment. Armor and swords."
"What are we waiting for then?! Let's go! For the weapons!" Ruby cheered, pointing at nowhere.
"These are pretty far away. Maybe later."
"I'll hold you to that. Anyway, something seems weird about this. I'm still wondering about that lady the kid saw Hanna with."
"Well, now's a good a time as any to go to the woods." And go to the woods they did.
After some wandering in the night, Geralt's ears picked up snarls and growls. He drew his steel sword, Ruby following suit with Crescent Rose. Geralt headed in the direction of the noise, Ruby tailing behind him. A pack of wolves, which they promptly disposed of.
"Witcher?"
Geralt and Ruby turned around, quickly folding Crescent Rose, and Geralt sheathing his sword. It was that woman who was with Niellen at the house.
"What're you doing here?" Geralt asked. "You shouldn't be in the forest alone."
"I came to tell you...you needn't look for Hanna. She'd 'ave returned long past if were she alive."
Ruby and Geralt glanced at each other. They mentally agreed that something seemed off. The woman continued. "I'll pay you twice Niellen's pledge - just tell the man that his Hanna's dead."
"But don't you want to know what happened to you sister?" Ruby asked. "I know I would..."
"I've no illusions, dear. In Velen, you're gone as long as she's been, you don't come back. Hanna's dead for certain. Niellen ought to accept his loss, move on with his life."
"Nope. I think he deserves some closure," Ruby answered almost immediately.
"I'm not the type to leave jobs undone. Sorry."
The woman's expression changed to one of scorn. "Folks speak true about you witchers - you're heartless beasts," she spat, and stormed off. "Let's move on," Geralt said. He examined the area the wolves were hanging around. A corpse, torn to pieces, lay in front of him. Ruby caught up, and the sight gave her a shock. "Is...is that...?"
"Probably."
A meter away from the corpse, a dog's disemboweled corpse lay in a pool of blood. Ruby gasped. "Who could've done this?"
"Whatever it was, it's not human. Take a look. Those cuts were made by long claws. The flesh is torn clean off." Right next to the dog's carcass, Geralt spotted claw marks on the ground. Deep claw marks. He looked around some more, and found tracks next to a rock, also covered in claw marks. His suspicions were confirmed. "Ruby, we've got to be very careful now."
"What is it?"
"We are dealing with a werewolf."
Ruby's breath shallowed. She had never fought a werewolf before; she just thought they were just stories from the fairytales. Geralt moved up ahead. He found a tuft of fur at arm's length from the rock. Geralt sniffed it, and almost gagged a little. Clearly, whatever shedded it hasn't bathed in a while. He walked off, following the stench of that fur. Ruby followed him as closely as she could without bothering him. She followed his trail a little further, then he abruptly stopped. A man's clothes laid on the forest floor. He walked a little further, and found a trail of more clothes, leading towards a hut. The fur hung on one of the walls suggested that this place was a hunter's quarters. Geralt motioned Ruby to get inside as he entered. The two searched the place, until Geralt found a few sheets of paper on the floor in the bedroom. "I found something," he called out, and started reading.
"What is it?"
"Our werewolf took precautions whenever it was time for him to transform. Either way, he could still be dangerous. Judging from these notes, he can't control himself when he's in his werewolf form. Come on, we have to find him." They stepped out of the house and searched the area. Ruby found some blood on the ground on the side of the house. She hollered for Geralt, and he inspected the stains. "Looks like he was dragged," Ruby commented.
"You're right. The blood's barely dried yet. Let's go." The two then followed the bloodstains, leading to a door under the house. Geralt took out a bottle of Cat and downed it. Ruby took out a head lamp, also hidden in one of the pockets of her skirt, turned it on, and wore it on her head. Geralt casted the sign of Aard on the door, promptly breaking it down. Without a word, the two descended into the newly found cavern.
The pair turned the corner, and it was empty. "The werewolf is most likely going to be here after dark. It's the middle of the day, so for now, we should search the place," Geralt stated. With a nod from Ruby, the two combed the cave. All they found were a bunch of herbs and crafting materials, which Geralt took and saved for later. "Hey Geralt," Ruby called out.
"What is it?"
"How are werewolves...created, for lack of a better word?"
"Lycanthropy is a curse."
"Can we break it?"
"Not really."
"What?! Isn't there any other way?!" Ruby cried out.
"There are remedies out there, but they don't work. Trust me, I've seen it all," Geralt responded, remembering when he tried to break a lycanthropy curse from Vincent Meis, an old Viziman guard captain. Granted, he broke the curse with true love, but what are the odds that it could work again?
With a sigh, Ruby reluctantly agreed. "If that's what you think, Geralt...so what now?"
"For now, we wait until dark." Geralt took out a cruet filled with a blue fluid from his pocket and poured its contents on his silver sword. He handed the vial to Ruby. "Here, put this on your scythe," he commanded.
"What is it?"
"It's an oil. Werewolves hate it."
Ruby took the vial, drew her silver scythe, and applied the oil to the blade.
It was midnight now, and the two hunters have long finished their preparations. Geralt downed a dose of Cat, a potion that let him see better in the dark, while Ruby put on a head lamp, stowed somewhere on her person. Inside the cavern were the werewolf, accompanied by three wolves, which spotted them and alerted the werewolf. "Silver, now!" Geralt barked as he drew his silver sword, the blade hissing out of its sheath. Ruby unholstered the silver scythe and unfolded it. "Take care of those wolves! I'll handle the werewolf!"
"Right!" The two then charged at their adversaries. Ruby zipped over to one of the wolves with her semblance and impaled its ribs. The wolf collapsed, its breathing laboured, considering she stabbed it right in the lung. Meanwhile, Geralt clashed with the werewolf. He performed a pirouette, and slashed at its chest. The werewolf snarled at the witcher, and returned it with a claw to his own chest as well. Geralt rolled to its side to try and get a better angle on it. Two hard swings of the sword, one to the leg, the other to its side. The werewolf turned to its adversary, and brought its fists down on Geralt. He backstepped the attack, and sliced its chest once more with a mid-air spin.
She turned her attention to the other two wolves. One wolf pounced at her, but she sidestepped. She charged at the wolf that had tried to pounce her, only to have the other one pounce on her back. Ruby immediately reacted, jabbing the wolf off her back with her scythe's handle. The beast whimpered as it fell on its back; Ruby turning to it, and stabbed it right in the heart. Ruby turned towards the last wolf, and using her semblance, ran towards it, catching its torso on the curve of her blade, and bisected it. With the wolves taken care of, she turned to help Geralt, who had just casted the Igni sign, the wall of flame setting the werewolf on fire, who started struggling to put it out.
The two began their respective attacks, slashes and stabs from sword and scythe rent the werewolf's flesh like it was going through a meat grinder. The creature howled in pain, and in its rage, took a swipe at Ruby. It managed to hit her scythe, knocking it out of her hands. It poised to strike her when she was distracted, but Geralt managed to stun it with the Axii sign. As she scrambled to pick up her scythe, Geralt resumed on the offensive with a quick slash at its neck, however, he missed and cut its shoulder. The werewolf snapped out of its trance and growled at the witcher. It did not expect Ruby to shoot at it with Crescent Rose. Two shots to the gut, and three to the leg. The werewolf fell to its side, and Geralt raised his sword...
"Noooo! Stop! Don't harm him!" The woman from earlier appeared again, from the entrance of the cave.
"What?!" Ruby cried out.
"Think we need to talk," said Geralt.
"It's Niellen!" she cried out, and knelt before the creature.
"Lycanthropy can afflict anyone. But it is a curse, so sorry, but I have to-"
"You don't understand! I love him! He was near to bein' mine, till you two came along! Go away! Leave us be!" Geralt and Ruby glanced at each other. That nagging suspicion the two had on that woman was confirmed. Geralt decided to press on the matter.
"Not till I find out what's going on here."
"I love him, always have. Even after I'd learned his secret."
Niellen grunted. "You...you knew? Did you know I shut meself in here to wait out me change?"
"I knew and I didn't mind. But you chose Hanna. I wanted her to see you. I wanted her to fear you. She'd not have stayed. And we could be together."
"You brought her here...that night. 'Twas the reason I had the taste of blood in me mouth come morn."
"I did it for us! She was to see you turn, naught more! I didn't want her death, you've got to believe me!"
Niellen growled. "I don't. And I'll kill you willingly. First time for that, in fact." The woman's eyes widened.
Ruby could not believe what just unfolded. Her mind was going a mile a minute. She was touched, she was confused, she was disgusted, she was shocked. It was frustrating, but she couldn't think of what to say. What should she do? She found herself looking at her scythe. Can she do it? Should she do it? Her heart raced, she knew that they didn't have a lot of time. Is it right for them to intervene?
"You won't kill anyone. Ever again."
Niellen growled.
"No! Don't hurt him!" the woman shouted.
"Get out of here before I change my mind. Run!" Geralt answered as the woman fled. He turned his attention to the werewolf, which was standing on its hind legs now, ready to strike at the hunters.
That was quickly remedied by five bullets to the chest. With a whimper, the werewolf fell to the ground, and a pool of blood flowed from under the corpse. Ruby had a look of confusion when Geralt took out a knife and an assortment of vials. She decided to press on the matter. "Geralt? What are you doing?"
"Monster parts can make for good crafting materials and alchemical reagents," he replied as he kept working. Ruby shuddered at the thought. All the more reason to not try one of his potions. Geralt found a key on Niellen's corpse, and the two left the cave. Geralt whistled for Roach, Ruby immediately hopping on the mare's back as she arrived, while Geralt went inside the shack and took everything he thought to be valuable.
"Where to now?" Ruby asked as Geralt hopped on and squeezed his calves together, signalling Roach to start moving.
"Now, we head to Crow's Perch. See what this Baron business is about," he replied.
The ride continued in silence. As they left Blackbough, they spotted an old woman on the side of the road crying out for help. Geralt stopped to see what the matter was.
"Help an old, feeble woman?" she asked.
"What's wrong?" he replied.
"T'other night blasphemers - pox take them! - profaned the shrine to Verna the Merciful. Shrine's gotta be repaired, else Verna'll take umbrage! Our cows'll croak, kiddies'll be covered in warts and our dogs'll get the mange!" she proclaimed, as Geralt glanced at the wooden statue. It was a somewhat crude carving of what looked like an old hag hunched over, and from the looks of it, she was either quite fat or pregnant.
"Warts and mange? Sounds dangerous. Fine, I'll help you," he replied. Ruby giggled at his response. And with that, Geralt grasped the head of the statue and put it back upright. "Done," he called out.
"The good gods have sent ye to me! Someone to repair their shrines from this day on!" she cried out.
"Look, already got a trade - I'm a witcher. Restoring traditional roadside structures in wood - just not my specialty."
"Fightin' evil - that's a witcher's callin'! And vandals're worse than beasts!"
"Fine. I see any damaged shrines, I'll take care of 'em. Won't go out of my way, though."
"Nothin's outta the way in these parts. And the gods'll guide ye!" and on that note, the lady started praying to the statue. Geralt got on Roach, and they were on the road again. Ruby spoke up once more as they approached the keep.
"How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"How did you make the decision to let the lady live so quickly?"
"Are you saying we shouldn't have saved her?"
"N-no, but..." Ruby tried to continue, but came up with nothing.
"We're here," Geralt stated, as they approached a wooden bridge to the keep, with two guards standing in front of it. "Let's see what this Bloody Baron had to do with Ciri."
A/N: I read this fic called "Professor Torchwick" a long time ago, and I saw in the author's notes that the author believed that Ruby was the kind of person who sees things in black and white. Upon further reflection, I think he/she was right. So, this basically made Ruby in an ethical situation...challenging to write. Add lazy to that and you have that big ol' delay.
Sorry about that.
