Ulfrik took in a long gasping breath before bursting into a fit of coughing, he felt a sharp pain in his back with each heave, feeling Quinn roll off his chest Ulfrik laid on the ground with his arms laid out among the glass strewn about the cobblestone street. Heaving breaths as he coughed in between each one, much like the sorceress had just minutes before. His chest rising and falling in quick succession. (Only he felt it in his chest and not his neck) as Dathan struggled to move the witcher off his back, tugging at the sleave of his black gambeson. Ulfrik fumbled around his belt for a potion, he could hear the werewolf angrily howling from above. They were hoping Ulfrik had sent the beast into the debris and caused one of his legs to be split or maybe he's impaled, perhaps his arm had been somehow lopped off, or even-

"I'm coming for you!" Niether.

"Come on, come on, you big, angry, pin cushion!" Quinn finally got Ulfrik onto his knees, and when he looked around to search for an escape he caught sight of shadows in the moonlight, dancing on the rooftops as they escaped his vison with the street lamps and blazers polluting the air with their light making it hard to see in the dark. It was only when an arrow grazed his shoulder did Quinn realize what was happening.

"Ah!" Reaching his hand to his arm, Quinn saw that he was bleeding.

Ulfrik heard a hissing noise an soon felt a sharp pain in his shoulder realizing the sorceress wasn't bluffing after all. He could feel the blood trickle under his gambeson and when he looked at Quinn he saw him frantically pulling at the witchers arms, slowly pulling Ulfrik to his feet. His potion wasn't doing much but he was able to stand. His vision was hazy and he had a ringing in his left ear.

'Ol'One eye done sulking? Good, now we can get back to work.'

"Run! Let's go, Ulfrik!" Quinn finally got frustrated and started to run, just as Ulfrik had come back to his senses the witcher dodged an arrow, simply by twitching his head to the side as he took a few uneasy steps that formed a slow and clunky run, and finally when he heard the wolf leap from the building his disorientation soon left him and the witcher bound after Dathan, the snake on his arm hissing each step ahead the pirate had made.

"Don't look back!" Ulfrik called out to Quinn as they rounded a street corner. Pushing Quinn to move faster they hurried down the street, their boots pounding against the wet cobblestone. Smacking puddles as they heard the werewolf coming straight for them.

Quinn looked back.

"Why would you say that!?" He said as saw the wolf bounding for them, Ulfrik removed the silver chain from his belt, he gave it a few swings as they ran through the now empty streets as anyone who even saw the beast running through the city quicking got inside and shut their doors.

"Just move!"

They ducked through an alley, knocking over anything they could to slow the beast down, barrels, planks, an upturned table, anything really...poor dog. The werewolf leapt over the barrel, doged the planks, charged through the table and...well...poor dog.

"You heartless bastard!" Quinn responded after seeing Ulfrik kick the pup at the werewolf.

Ulfrik was to busy trying to figure out how he could face the beast without having Quinn interfering. Should the pirate get caught in the fight...Ulfrik would hate to see what other parts of himself open up should any more harm befall the pirate.

"Take this!" Ulfrik handed him one end of the chain as they reached the end of the alley, they stretched out the thin silver chain and quickly pressed themsleves on either side of the entrance to the alley as the werewolf (hot on their heels) soon ran straight into it, clotheslined by the silver he skidded under and off across the street and ran into another building. Knocking over a blazer and food cart. Quinn looked in amazment as he tossed Ulfrik his side of the chain.

"Good idea, is he dead?" Dathan didn't have time to stare as Ulfrik pushed him towards scafolding attached to a church that led to the rooftops. "We can gawke later." The witcher reminded as the two headed down the street, the church only being two buildings away. They heard a loud roar, Ulfrik turned and drew his sword, he stood his ground in the street, facing the werewolf. The witcher could feel the cobblestone shift under his weight as he sifted his feet into his stance, drawing a semi-circle in the ground he motioned for Quinn to stay down.

"Keep quite and don't move."

He didn't hear a reply, his focus was on the werewolf bounding for him. Upturning stone under his enormous paws and splashing puddles from the rain as they faced off in the narrow street, Ulfrik remained silent. His fingers tightened on the grip of his sword as he kept his only keen eye on the approaching hound.

Quinn had never seen anything move that fast before, in one moment Ulfrik was a rock, immovable, silent, still, and the next he was air, before the pirates eyes the witcher had cut the belly of the beast, yet it still stood, even more angry than before. Ulfrik twirled his sword and didn't wait for the next attack. He ran forward as the werewolf licked its wound, only to be stopped as he felt his head ache horribly.

"Oof!" Dathan was knocked to the ground. Looking back Ulfrik saw him get back up, and defend himself against two mercenaries.

"Aw shit." Ulfrik didn't have to time to help him as the monster took a swing at the witcher.


"Come on boys! That the best ya got?" Quinn egged them on as he dodge a long sword, with the pirates strikes being faster he was able to maneuver his sabre above his opponents right greave with a striking motion, slicing his knee and quickly blocking an attack from the left. Quinn backed up, only to run into a pillar of the scaffold. Noticing a well placed rope barely three feet away, one that attached itself to a pully system that was used to get to the new bell to the top of the church. Instinctively he cut it...and nothing happened.

"Shit!"


"He will not stop until you're no more. Dead or dishonored-no one betrays Blaire." The wolf growled as he lurched forward, breaking Ulfriks quen sheild and knocking him back into a summersault. The witcher now on bended knee stood up to dodge the follow up attack by launching himself to the beasts right side and then with a quick and precise strike the witcher cut through half the monsters leg.

"Gahhh!"

Remaining silent Ulfrik brought his sword down infront of him, holding the blade two feet from his face, his legs sturdy and far apart as he waited. Ulfrik soon felt woozy again, however this time the pounding came to his chest then his head, he couldn't see what was happening to Quinn but the blood tickling down Ulfriks forearm gave him some idea. That's when he heard the bell, it was far enough away that it wouldn't bother Ulfriks ears however, Quinn must have been right next to it. Dropping his sword to cover his ears Ulfrik felt his spine tingle and his hands freeze as his bones curled and vibrated. He tried to cover his ears, only to have the wolf on him in minutes.

He tried to jump out of the way but was too late.


"Gah!"

Quinn kept his ears covered as he stood on the scafolding, another mercenary had showed up-one of the rooftop archers- and cut the bell down, killing one of his own men and nearly deafening Quinn entirely, he knew he'd never hear the same after that. He had sheathed his sword to climb the now half broken scafolding, as the bell had fallen through allmost all of it except the ladders yet everything felt considerably less stable to him as he climbed up, he could hear the archer nock his arrow as the shaft of the arrow touched the bow, as the string pulled back Quinn had reached the roof and grabbed the foot of the archer and pulled him down, he rolled close to the edge but grabbed a tile to save himself.

"Almost, let me help you!" Quinn stomped on his hand clasping the tile and kicked him off the roof.

"Finally-oh!"


Ulfrik Rolled over to his side avoiding another close call with the wolfs claws and shot out a wave of igni, the smell of burning hair filled his nostrils. Ulfrik had been around corpse eaters, fiends, hogs pits, cattle, latrines, and yet nothing was ever as unpleasant as burning hair. He dove for his sword only to feel a large hand grab him by the ankle. His eye flashed fear as he turned to sign igni only to be lifted into the air and thrown across the street. He landed with his back against a wall five yards above the ground. Letting out a helpless yell as he fell and hit the mud below. The witcher didn't have time to lick his wounds as the werewolf was on him in minutes, grabbing Ulfrik by the neck.

"Weak! I thought your kind were the protectors of humanity, the apex predetors to mind kind...heh, you can barely hold a sword." The wolf chuckled and sneered at Ulfrik who was a good yard off the ground, he was grasping at the wolfs arm as it held him in the air.

"Mind oo." Ulfrik gasped.

"What? Cat got your tounge?" The wolf antagonized as he clenched Ulfriks neck, then in a bid for curiositys sake he loosened his grip.

"Behind you."

With a confused grunt the wolf turned around and saw nothing, he shook his head and turned back to Ulfrik, "you're full o-"

He was stopped mid sentence as a steel sword was plundged into his mouth, sheer and utter surprise crossed the beasts face as he dropped Ulfrik Imediately. The witcher ran for his silver sword, knowing the werewolf could survive the deadly attack with the werewolfs ability to heal faster than a witcher pumped full of swallow. Ulfrik was fast and it payed off as he reached for the sword in the werewolfs mouth and unsheathed the bloodied blade, placing the blades of his swords on either side of the werewolves neck.

It was instant.

"Ho-ly hell." Amazed, Quinn approached the witcher, his eye was black and Ulfrik could feel his own begining to swell, his vision being what it was was, now worsening by the minute. Of course it was his left eye Ulfrik thought.

The witcher held his swords high and turned to the empty street, "Who's next!?" He sheathed his swords and picked up the wolfs head and threw it acorss the street.

"Ey?! I will slaughter every one of you! Until the streets are thick with your cowards blood!"

Quinn Put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get going...now."

Ulfrik nodded in response, and follwed him towards the sea gate, they left the bodies in the street, their carnage, their chaos. Ulfrik would never return to Gors Velen.


The Delilah, Quinns galeon, was of a decent size plenty of men aboard as well. Now Ulfrik could see why such a powerful man as a lord in the kings court could be brought down by one crew. They were greeted by a tall, broad shouldered, and gaunt looking man, with a large burning scar on left cheek. Ukfrik had also never seen a man that dark before, northerners are a pale people with farmers tans at most. As a pirate Quinn most likely sails where he pleases, which made sense especially when you looked at the crew-their were accents Ulfrik had never heard of as well. He knew that at least one man was Zerikainian, another of Nazair but aside from that nothing, they'd brake out into foreign languages which gave Ulfrik a headache.

"She's here, captain."

"In my quarters?"

"Send for Hauks, I'm gonna need stitching."

The man nodded his head and walked away. Quinn turned to Ulfrik and motioned with his head, "this way." He sounded reluctant, which was fair all things considered, not only did she leave them but Ulfrik did try to kill her with his barehands.

She was resting her boots on Quinns desk which looked to be more like a table than a desk however there was only one chair in sight. Her entire demeanor changed when she saw Ulfrik with a seemingly dismissive attitude that became one of some surprise. She dropped her hands in her lap and looked from one man to the other, her eye brows thinned as her mouth flattened into a smile.

"You both look dreadful, I presume it was a success?"

"No thanks to you." Ulfrik grunted, angrily. He hated how she had played with his life, tieing him to the pirate Quinn and nearly killing him.

"Hush now, you're both fine...more or less, and darling it's just an illusion."

Ulfrik raised a brown as felt his eye return to normal, his shared injuries with Quinn now gone, oddly enough he could even hear better, looking to the pirate Ulfrik now felt a horrible ache in his back...I wish the werewolf was an illusion. He thought quickly reaching for his potions as he walked over to a small crate and sat down with a sigh. Looking from Quinn to the sorceress as they spoke, he began to retrieve his pipe.

"Keira-"

"-Hem!"

"He's going to snitch?" Quinn pointed to Ulfrik as he winced in pain, a knock on the door came and Quinn called in Hauks, a gangly elf that wore a red cloth tied around his exposed forearm, his sleaves were rolled up and he even wore a nice vest. A real doctor Ulfrik thought as he watched Hauks stitch up his captains shoulder after bandaging Quinns forearm, fortunately the blood had clotted and little cloth was used to catch the blood.

"Keira." Dathan glared, he even looked serious.

"Your half is safely in the ban-"

"Not what I was asking, what in the hell happened?"

She folded her arms, and putting weight on her left hip. Ulfrik silently looked between the two as he lit his pipe. He caught a glance from both Keira and Quinn, Hauks turned to Ulfrik as he was mid way through his captains shoulder. "Could you not do that inside?"

Ulfrik set his arm on his knee and blew smoke at the elf, who had an irritated tick in left eye. Ulfrik didn't say anything, merely letting the elf know who was in charge and who wasn't. Quinn smirked, that devilish glance Ulfrik had almost found recognizable...annoyingly so as he thoughtfully smoked his pipe. Keira was giving him a different look, if he recalled her words correctly she wanted to talk...or not talk. Quinns smirk faded as his scowl returned to Keira, who was standing in front of the table as Quinn sat in the captains position that she had previously occupied.

"What happened-"

Keira answered quickly with a hint of desperation. "The bloody tower, I told you it would it would distort the portal-ever since that night...I landed in a barn by the way...I've had hay up my arse for two hours-does no one on this ship know better enough to draw a lady her bath?"

Keiras eyes narrowed as she grew closer to the table, Ulfrik puffed out a smoke ring, And Hauks had finished with his stiching, placing his instruments in the leather bag he had rolled out, standing up he looked at Quinn who waved away his doctor, who eyed Ulfrik one last time, Ulfrik, whose thighs were bigger than the elfs head, simply ignored the gesture.

"Fine...Makes sense I suppose. Knowing what I know of the Thanned massacre."

"You did not just called it that...In my presence." Keira was warning him, a simple pirate against a sorceress. Her arms now folded across her chest and her eye narrowed almost twisting in that familiar scowl Ulfrik had seen.

Quinn stood up, "I call things what they are, hundreds dead, Nilfgaard and Redania battling in the streets in a Temarian city?"

Quinn slumped in his chair, wincing from pain, he reached below the table he pulled up a bottle. He uncorked it and took an impressive swig, staring down the distraught sorceress he nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh just...get us underway." Shaking her head as she walked away from the table. "I want that bath." Her eyes shifted to Ulfrik, who was quietly enjoying his pipe as he had removed his swords from his back and began to clean them, he wished he wasn't in a hurry earlier as monster blood can be tricky to clean, it was his silver sword the finely crafted weapon that Quinn had admired earlier, it's blade was sliver mixed with a specail metal Ulfrik had no idea existed, the thin and curved corssgaurd as was customary for such tools, to the dragon head pommel that fiercely faced upward when sheathed.

"May I see it?"

"No." Ulfrik answered simply, he didn't look up from his blade.

"Does it have a name?" Keira asked, the metal work peaked her interest, it looked like black fire swirling around the silver. Or tendrils grasping the blade, she couldn't settle on an analogy.

"It's not a person." Ulfrik grunted, glaring at her.

She shook her head, the witcher stood up and sheathed his sword, "Any extra beds down below?"

"We've converted one of our old latrines into a bedroom-a year ago-it doesn't smell or anything." Quinn assured, "we replaced all the wood...most of it."


"I think I'm impressed Zayte."

"Zialte." The tall, gaunt first mate replied.

Ulfrik stared at him for a moment. "Zeel-tay"

"The crew calls me Z."

"Sorry-"

"Eh, I've grown used to it. You're people do not know my language, how we name our children," Z shrugged, "if it makes you feel any better...I can't pronounce your name."

"Say it."

"Ull-ik?"

Ulfrik chuckled, then nodded as he saw a smile cross Zs face. "A little." The witcher said holding up his index and thumb and squeezing the air in between.

"We'll be in Novë-grad by the mid afternoon." He said before shutting the door behind him, letting out a sigh Ulfrik Set his gear in the trunk next to the bed, their was a desk and a candle. Ulfrik snapped his fingers and the wick began to burn.

"Again!"

"Lari, it's not that impressive-"

Her shoulders slumped and she looked up at Ulfrik with a pout. "Please?"

Reluctantly,

Ulfrik snapped his fingers, and the light went out.