The port at Pont Vanis was busy. As Eskel and his horse disembarked he was greeted by a sign that read Welcome to Pont Vanis. The armed guards up and down the boards however seemed to counter that welcome. He stopped a dock worker and asked if he knew where he could find Geralt of Rivia.

"Geralt of Rivia, you say?" It was a soldier of some rank. He walked closer and examined Eskel while the dock hand slipped away.

"Is that a problem?" Eskel asked, slightly irritated. The soldier looked him up and down then straight in the eye.

"For you, no. Same eyes. Same wolf head medallion. You're a witcher."

"Do you check everyone out this closely?" Eskel asked crossing his arms.

"Not usually. However, these are not usual times. I count Geralt among my friends, and trouble has been coming in here lately. Don't wish to send more his way."

"He can handle it."

"Oh, no doubt," the man laughed. "But when he 'handles it', my men and I are left with a mess to clean up. I have enough trouble as it is."

"What kind of trouble?"

"This ship came in from Redania, so you are probably familiar with the witch hunters." Eskel nodded. "That kind of trouble. Anyway, you should be able to find Geralt at home this time of day along with Triss. Take the main road west out of the city. Their cottage is not far along on the right."

Pont Vanis was a pleasant city and the weather clear, a luxury he had seen rarely of late, so Eskel took a leisurely ride following the cobbled city street out the west gate where the road turned to hard packed dirt. A half mile down the road a cottage came into view. It was nestled under some willow trees. Quite picturesque. As he neared he could hear voices on the far side of the house. Circling to the other side he saw a flower garden with bushes of large pink roses, and Geralt and Triss relaxing in the shade. Triss leaned against a tree while Geralt lay with his head in her lap as she combed his white hair with her fingers. A vision of Brinna running her hands through his hair came unbidden. He took a deep breath and cleared his head.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" He asked as he rode under the low sweeping willow branches. They looked up and smiled. Geralt got to his feet and greeted him warmly after he dismounted. Eskel noted the ring Geralt wore. "Did I miss something?" he asked. Geralt laughed.

"I guess so. I married Triss a little over a year ago." he said reaching for her hand.

"The first witcher to marry. Just something else for Dandelion to write about."

"Not the first. Lambert and I ran into a witcher from the School of the Cat who retired and married a widow with children. So, who knows who else walked this path before."

"What brings you to Kovir?" Triss asked.

"I finished up a contract and needed to get away. The witch hunters have gotten out of hand. A witcher would be a fine catch indeed."

"It's gotten as bad as we'd feared then if witchers are fair game." Triss said. "Come inside and we can talk and get some food into you as well. You look like you need it."

Eskel hunched over a steaming bowl of stew and ate heartily. He finished the bowl and downed a tankard of ale. He pushed the bowl away and leaned on the table feeling better on a full belly.

"So, what do you want to know?" He asked looking at them.

"There's not a lot coming out of Temeria and virtually nothing from Redania," Triss said. "The King sent agents out but we've had no communication from them. I fear the worst. There have also been some witch hunters coming boldly into the port and we've had reports of some sneaking in dressed as merchants or refugees. Some of the stories that are coming out of the mainland are frightening."

"They have scouts as far as Lyria. I ran into a group of them just outside Vengerburg." Eskel began. "It was only a few of them but I didn't want a fight so close to the city. I tried to avoid them as best I could but it became impossible the further west I went. Temeria has been becoming more hostile and Redania is downright dangerous. Even us witchers will swing in Redania. I hid my swords under my saddle and wore a hooded cloak just to get near the gate at Novigrad. Still had to hex the guard to get by. They are shaking down everyone. They're throwing people in prison for carrying the wrong herbs. I wasn't planning on going to Novigrad, but those hunters were everywhere. A lone rider would have drawn too much attention so I used the crowds to hide. I was near the city docks when they finally spotted me. I threw a lot of coin at a merchant to take me with them. The streets into nearly every major city are lined with corpses. But it's more than just persecution. It's like they are actively searching for something."

"What could they be looking for that could warrant this kind of cruelty?" Triss wondered. Eskel drained the remaining ale and said nothing. Geralt picked up on the subtle change.

"You know what they're looking for. Does it have something to do with you last contract?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Eskel said gruffly as he stood and went outside. The moon was just peeking up over the horizon. He climbed the ladder to the stable roof and sat, watching the it rise in the sky. Yes, he was pretty sure he knew what they were looking for. He just didn't know why and that was what was bothering him the most. He had been sitting alone for some time when Geralt joined him.

"You're brooding." Geralt said.

"Nah," Eskel replied.

"I've known you my entire life. You're brooding. Did something go wrong with that contract?"

"No." Eskel shook his head.

"Something happened." Geralt insisted.

"Yeah, something happened…"

He unsheathed his sword and stepped into the glen. A young woman kneeled in a patch of herbs, gently plucking them. His medallion vibrated faster. She stood and turned. When her eyes met his he caught his breath. She was simply the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Heartbreakingly beautiful. She was slim yet had a very shapely figure, her hair a dark contrast to her fair skin. Her eyes watched him intently. He wanted to stare into them forever. Something indescribable pulled at him; a physical pull on his body, mind and soul.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you." He finally managed to say. Her expression changed when he spoke. She nodded in acknowledgement. "Your father sent me. Your family wants me to find you a safer place."

"Witch hunters…" she said. Her voice was unafraid but he lost whatever she said after that. The sound of her voice rang in his head like a fine music that he never wanted to be rid of. He followed her as she entered the small house and began to gather some things into a travelling bag. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her every move was poetry in motion. No bard anywhere had ever created line or song as beautiful as her simple movements. When she turned to face him, he coughed and turned away. He felt shame at being caught watching her so openly yet it hurt to not look at her. Feeling her lips touch his cheek in the alchemist's cottage nearly undid him. It was like her simply being cast a spell over his mind and his heart.

"Yeah, something happened," he paused, never taking his eyes from the dark horizon. Geralt watched his friend, his brother, in silence. Eskel continued in a hushed voice, "I fell in love."