"GET UP! ON YOUR FEET AND INTO THE COURTYARD, NOW!" A shrill and powerful female voice ordered, tearing any shadow of sleep from my mind. I shot up upright in bed, a fact I instantly regretted as the frozen air of the night spread its icy grip all over me. Shivering violently, but unwilling to disobey whoever was shouting loud enough to wake up the dead, I fumbled for my clothes and tried to dress quickly, something made difficult by the trembling in my hands. It was no surprise that I was the very last to bolt out of the room, teeth chattering. I dared not even glance at the Master responsible for waking us up, who stood at the door threateningly, counting us to make sure that we all obeyed the muster.

Two orderly lines were already forming, and I raced to join them, making way so that I stood next to Leifr, who looked no more pleased to be out of bed. I was fully alert now, no trace of drowsiness in me, even though it clearly was the dead of night; perhaps the cold and fright had conspired to render me so awake. It was beyond fucking cold now, and a fierce wind chilled me down to the bone. The rumors flying around did nothing to help warm me up, either. Reportedly, the werewolf had escaped, the Temerian guards had been slain, and now we were being mustered in order to help find her. Well, that was a heart-warming thought - having to chase a dangerous werewolf with no arms nor armor, let alone training in dealing with such a foe. My teeth were now chattering violently and not only from the abominable cold.

Just as I was beginning to question my life's choices, the Grandmaster showed up, pace alert but oozing supreme calm and confidence. Inspecting us and finding us wanting, he bellowed a question: "Are you cold?!"

No's mingled with some yes's were mumbled out. This obviously did not please the Grandmaster. "I asked: are you fucking cold?!"

"NO, GRANDMASTER!" Came the unanimous shout. For a moment, the chill in my bones was suppressed, and the chattering of my teeth ceased, as if the stern warrior before me had scared away the cold.

"Good," concluded Svar, sweeping over all of us with a penetrating gaze. With that, he turned towards the Masters and started organizing the search. Master Jodok soon took charge of us, alongside another Master, the woman who my brave teammate had alienated earlier. Hopefully, she bore no grudges, and wouldn't feed any of us to the werewolf.

Our group was the last to move out, and we were to search along the rightmost flank of the party. The Master sternly told us to be extremely careful and call out at the slightest sign of the werewolf. The beast was extremely dangerous and could easily tear an untrained adept to pieces, a fact I needed little reminding about. Two torchbearers were selected and then we headed out at a jog, hearts thumping in our chests. I was grateful, at least, for the fact that we were moving, thus restoring an ember of warmth in my body.

We saw a wounded Temerian soldier being carried back to the keep, plenty of blood staining his armor. The sight did not exactly reassure me. As we filed out of the castle, we spread out in a loose formation, alert for any sign of the beast. We very soon came across a terrified peasant, who said he had seen a great shadow crossing his path. A terrified scream then pierced the air, and we all hurried towards its source, Master Jodok taking the lead. We reached a steep ravine, at whose bottom an injured adept could be seen, crying for help. The Master quickly descended to inspect his wounds, while someone held up a torch for him to see.

"The werewolf got him; it's pretty deep." The master pressed a cloth on the wound while he pondered what to do. "We need to take him to the castle, can't treat him here. Quick, I need five more of you down here, we need to lift him up!"

This turned out to be easier said than done. Crowded between bushes, and having to climb a very steep incline, we had to push and pull with all our strength to get him up. The poor boy screamed in pain as we constantly rocked and twisted him. I kept apologizing to him in my head, but there was nothing to be done as we struggled uphill. Once we were on flatter ground, it was a little easier for him, though my hands began to burn by the time we neared the drawbridge. Unwilling to rock him again by requesting a replacement, I stubbornly held on, even as my hands threatened to fall out of their sockets, until we finally reached a table in the courtyard on which we could drop him off. As soon as the weight was off my hands, I felt them go completely numb, refusing any further attempt from me to command them.

With better light provided by two torches, Master Jodok inspected the victim again. "It's bad, the claws managed to cut his liver. I'll have to risk giving him Swallow." Jodok took one of the vials from his belt and carefully poured half of it in the victim's mouth. The boy grimaced, then began to convulse; we held him by his hands and feet, but it was all in vain. Foam soon formed at the boy's mouth and he ceased moving altogether.

"Pity." Jodok concluded, slowly putting the vial back in its place. "You adepts are already taking some mutagens in your food and drink, so there was some chance this might have worked, but... well, you are no true witchers yet." With a last look at the dead boy, Jodok turned to us. "Let this be a lesson for you. If you go out alone, separate from your group, you are dead. It's that simple. Go by the fire and wait; I must talk with the other masters."

We waited by a campfire that had been lighted in the courtyard, all of us silent, for the death of an adept weighed heavily upon all of us, a stark reminder of the dangerous world we were entering. After seeing so much death, this one didn't hit as hard, but I still felt empty inside. I don't think I could ever take death lightly.

We saw the other adepts returning, and it looked like they were carrying someone, too. Jodok returned soon after, to inform us that the werewolf had been located and subdued. As for how she had escaped in the first place, there were only rumors, but no facts yet. Jodok told us to leave the questions for the next day and instead go to sleep, for a hard day awaited us. My bones still heavy with cold, I did not question the wisdom of that advice and headed straight for my warm bed.

Of course, nothing stopped the adepts from whispering rumors among themselves. Word was that the steward had been the one to let the princess go, purportedly under the spell of a sorceress that was traveling with the Temerians. But she was supposedly also the one that was to help break the noblewoman's curse, so the rumors didn't exactly add up. After Master Jodok appeared in the door frame, gently but firmly reminding us to go to sleep, discussion died down, and everyone tucked in for the night.

Soon, everyone was fast asleep, except for me. I had always had trouble going back to sleep after waking, and the many thoughts running through my mind did nothing to help matters. A deep cough was troubling me, and I was certain that come morning I would be ill and utterly useless. My new witcher life was certainly up to a great start.