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Last of the Ravens

Story Arc One: Weeping Willow

Chapter 10: Clouds - part 3: New turns

Shot from such a short distance the force from the bolt made Julia stumble, she took two unsteady steps back, almost losing her balance. She groaned as felt the sharp point of the bolt inside her heart, her head lowered, her eyes shut tight and her teeth clenched in a pain. She went down on her knees, right besides the sword that was lying on the floor, and bend slightly forward. The candle snuffed out.

She heard the voices of men coming from outside.

"What the hell Artur?"

"Romina?"

"M-my finger slipped."

"Your finger sli- Are you kidding me?!"

The Witch raised her head. She saw her attackers: Three guardsmen, all wearing standard Angrenian cuirasses meant to protect their torsos. The one to the right was stouter looking and bearded, he was armed with a halberd, and also carried a short sword in his belt, unlike his fellows he was more heavily armored, sporting knights' gauntlets where the other two wore simple leather gloves, greaves, and a helmet with a visor, open at the moment. The middle one was the one that shoot her, his crossbow now empty, a knife was hanging from a leather strap across his chest. The one to the left was carrying a torch but besides this Julia couldn't make out any of his weapons from that angle, only half of him was visible through the door.

Julia stretched her left arm forward, reaching towards the guards "Please… help… help me" She said, her voice low, pleading, she exaggerated her pain, all while reading herself to cast the Sign of Aard. Even if she was hurting, the Sign will still have enough power to freeze all three of them somewhat at least, and if not, it will knock them off their feet and give her the necessary time to kill them, but she needed them to come closer to be sure.

The arbalest eyes went wide as they fell on the Witch "You!?" He cried in surprise "What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked. Julia didn't break character. Taking a better look at the arbalest, she recognized him as one of Bolo's friends – Specifically the one he gave the innkeeper's crossbow to after beating him that night. It'll make no difference to the Witch. She'll kill him like the rest.

"What th- Look there!" The bearded guard pointed at the corpses.

The guard on the left unlike his fellows said nothing but he was staring the most intently. He might have fallen for her ruse, but Julia was still unsure as of how to interpret his expression.

"I'm sorry." Rena said suddenly.

"Irina?!" cried the guard to the left.

"I'm sorry, didn want to- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Rena repeated continuously, uncontrollably, as if in a trance again. Maybe she was.

But what happened next was even more unexpected and shocking, enough to make Julia forget about her pain, if only for that one moment. That moment that the guard to the left out of seemingly nowhere took out a knife and stacked it on his fellow's neck! The Witch's eyes turn wide immediately "Fu…" her mouth went agape as the swear word never fully escaped her mouth.

The arbalest let out a sound that might have been a gasp, he didn't die immediately. He stared at his attacker in shock and dropped his crossbow. His left hand tried to reach for his own knife in his strap but his attacker acted quickly and grabbed the knife first. He took it out of its sheath, and stuck it in his neck as well.

"BY THE GODS!" Cried the halberdier, and dropped his weapon. Julia quickly moved her arm away as the long weapon fell inside the fort, it landed in front of her, its sharp point only a few inches away.

The arbalests' arms fell, his eyes wide open and teary, his face went loose as life left him for good. His attacker didn't lose any time, as soon as his 'fellow' was dead he quickly raised his right leg, put his boot in his lifeless body's' abdomen region, and kicked him, hard, throwing the corpse towards the other guard, pulling out both knives at the same time in the process.

The other guard didn't flinch much. In fact he reacted surprisingly quickly, grabbing the corpse thrown at him and throwing it back at the knife-wielder, causing him to stagger. That gave the bearded guard the time he needed to draw his short sword, along with an elaborate dagger that he had behind his belt. Whatever shock or dismay he might have felt a while ago, didn't now, his features have hardened.

The knife-wielder pushed the arbalests' body aside, to the Witch's surprise, without dropping any of his knives.

The two men stare at one another for a second, only a pace and an inch away, before engaging. The knife-wielder tried to strike first, but as he moved, the bearded one swung his sword at him with surprising speed for a man of his size, aiming for the head. The knife-wielder managed to avoid it by moving back just in time, still, the blade cut at his chin, not deeply, but it did. After that first swing, a second one followed just as quick, then a third one, pushing the knife-wielder further back, till both combatants ended up out of the Witch's sight.

Julia used that opportunity to take the bolt off, alarmed at the pain that was extending into the rest of her chest.

She shrieked as the projectile exited. "Damn it! Damn it! AAAAAAHH! FUCK!" Her teeth clenched as she swore, her eyes shut tight again. Her body bend even lower than before, she instinctively put her left hand on her chest to clutch her wound, the bolt's shaft broke at her right hand as it became a fist in response to the pain, her forehead touched the floor.

Once the pain subsided somewhat, Julia raised her head, bringing the bolt close enough so that she can take a better look at it: The broadhead sported three serrated razor-sharp blades meant to cause severe hemorrhaging on the victim, both on entry and even more so on removal -those were illegal in the Northern Realms and most of the Provinces- The broadhead's blades had rust in them but they were still sharp, suggesting that this wasn't the result of neglect, it was a deliberately brought effect, Julia also caught the unmistakable scent of Aconitum Napellus coming from the projectile as well. She let the bolt fall, and, with the same hand, quickly drew the Sign of Quen. The magical firefly started cycling her as soon as it manifested, she could already feel the Sign's healing powers mending her wound.

Sounds of fighting were still audible outside.

Julia grabbed the sword resting besides her with her left hand and started the arduous process of rising on her feet. Whatever the reasons might be for the guard's hostile actions, she decided to help him. Her chest was still hurting, but since she didn't had Golden Oriole with her to instantly neutralize any poisoning in her bloodstream, she had to wait for her body to naturally fight off the malign effect caused by the deadly projectile. Once stood, she began slowly walking towards the door, leaning close by the wall in case she would need to catch her balance on it.

One of the guards screamed in agony. She wasn't sure which one. The sound of something violently colliding with the ground soon followed.

"I'll kill you, you whoreson!" The Witch heard as she finally reached the entrance. She turned to the left to see that the bearded guard had overwhelmed his opponent.

The hostile guard was pinned down. He was still holding a knife on his right hand but the bearded one was grasping tightly at it, keeping it on the ground and deny him any use of it, his spare hand was gripping at his opponent's, fighting desperately to keep the bloodied dagger that was heading for his throat away.

The Witch walked towards the combatants, passing the still lit torch that lay on the ground. She originally tried to make as little noise as possible, but once it became evident to her that the guard on the ground won't be able to hold for long, she sped up.

Once she was close enough, she raised the sword, aiming for the back of the bearded one's neck. He must have heard her, as his head turn to her direction slightly before the sword fell. The big guard groaned in pain at the strike. It wasn't strong enough to decapitate him though. She was still hurting, her blows had less strength than before, despite using the same sword that previously managed to decapitated Rena's raper in a single swing.

The Witch's sword strike may not have killed the bearded guard, but it wounded him, and gave his opponent the opportunity to break his grip on his right hand. The next moment his knife's blade was inside the bearded guard's neck. When the bigger man breathed his last, the knife-wielder threw his body off him. The Witch realized then that the scream she heard before was his as she saw the slashing wound on his right thigh. It wasn't a serious injury, the human will survive.

The surviving guard was lying flat on the ground, sweating and breathing heavily. "Gods…" He exclaimed after a few seconds and put his hand on his face, covering the entire left side of it, he took a deep breath "Wh… What just happened?" he asked, probably no one judging by how at a loss he looked, and stroked his face upwards.

"You tell me." Julia said and leaned to look at the guard, using the sword to balance herself. The look on the man's face made clear to her that only now he realized she was here. "Why you did that?" she asked more clearly.

Instead of answering, the guard attempted to rise from the ground. He groaned as he did, and in the end he didn't went very far. He used his left hand to keep himself above the ground from the midriff up while clutching his wound with the right one. "What the…" he began but his voice trailed as his eyes fell at the Witch "You…" his eyes widened, Julia realized that he was staring at her chest "Y-you should be dead!"

Julia let out a small laugh before speaking "That's what my fencing instructor also told me the first time" She said, and laughed again. She couldn't help it, she wasn't even sure why. Maybe she grew so used to having survived fatal injuries that it seemed amusing to her when others were shocked at the fact? "She eventually came to the conclusion that I was simply too dumb to know when was time to die, haha."

The left side of the guard's mouth did almost form a smile for a second there, but it was more out of shock and disbelief judging by how intently he was staring at her without blinking – a reaction. His eyes started following the Sign of Quen.

Julia sighed. She dispelled the Sign with a left-hand gesture, to make things more comfortable for the human. She offered her hand for him to grasp.

The guard stared at it, unmoving.

"Come on, quickly!" urged the Witch.

The guard finally took it.

He groaned as he was helped back to his feet. Once stood, the guard bended immediately "Fuckkk" he hissed in pain and clutched at his wound.

"Don't be such a girl, it's not that…" Julia cut her teasing short when she saw the blood pouring through the guard's fingers in a stream, alarmed at the sight since the wound wasn't that deep and thus he shouldn't bleed that much. Worst yet, she didn't brought any bandages with her when she left the Ugly Duckling. "Any bandages?" she asked hastily.

"What?"

"We need to dress that up, are there any bandages?"

"Irina" the guard said. He didn't seem to have paid attention to the Witch's question "W-where is she?"

With all that transpired Julia had forgotten about the young woman… last she remembers, she was inside the station "Inside…" she turn to look at the post "I think?" she finished her sentence, and then turn back to the guard.

The guard attempted to walk. But before he even finished his second rather unsteady step, he lost his balance.

The Witch let the sword fall from her hand and quickly moved to grab the man before he hit to the ground. She caught him. "Don't move you idiot!"

"Fuckkkk" the guard hissed "It hurts… like hell it does." He grimaced.

Julia's eyes fell on his wound again. He was bleeding, profusely. There was no time to waste, the Witch thought, or the man will bleed to death before long.

"Listen now, don't freak out with what you are about to see." The Witch warned, rather dispassionately.

"Heh?" the guard looked at her questioningly.

"You don't wish to die I bet, so trust me. This is for your own good." The Witch warned once more, and for the final time. If the guard starts welling, or turn hostile after, his death will come from her hands. She owned him nothing, she could have saved herself.

Julia casted Quen, and with a further gesture of her hand, she transferred the Sign to the guard. The magical 'firefly' nimbly moved to the guard's thigh and began circling his wound. The guard's eyes widen in surprise but he didn't make any sudden moves. This was definitely a good sign "Means this human is grateful at least" the Witch thought and the shadow of a smile almost crept at her lips.

"What the-" the guard turned to Julia "You a sorceress?" he asked, simply, without any disgust or harshness in his voice, his face expressed only surprise. He couldn't be one of the mage-hunters that came to Weeping Willow, she concluded.

"No, a… a Witcher" Julia answered, even if the guard wasn't a magic-hating fanatic, calling herself 'witch' could only cause misunderstandings these days. "Never mind me. Bandages?" she asked again. Coupled with her advanced regeneration, the Sign of Quen can mend wounds in seconds when casted on herself but the natural regeneration of humans is a pretty slow process.

"Wwhat?"

"Bandages!" the Witch snapped at the guard, frustrated at the humans' typical lack of sense that he displayed "Do you have any with you?!" she looked at the corpses around "Or do any of your 'friends'?" she stressed the last word.

"…Inside. In the post" the guard finally answered, after seemingly thought about it for a few seconds.

"Can you walk?"

"Y-es." Despite his boldness the guard was still grimacing.

Julia let go of him, they needed to move quickly. They both headed for the station. The Witch walked while the guard limped, clutching at his wound.

Once they both passed the door's threshold, Julia snapped her fingers. They found out the reason then for the young woman's absence: She passed out.

"I guess the old saying is true "a barking dog you shouldn't be afraid"" the Witch thought contemptuously "How the hell did I actually thought that this weakling might hide some fire inside her?"

"Irina!" the guard cried and run to the young woman – in the form of a fast-paced limping. Meanwhile Julia was checking the inside of the station: There where two wooden chairs, one in the back where she took the woolen blanket, and another one -with a similar blanket on top of the seat- by the simple table where the candle was laying, along with two wooden tankards, a dish, and leftovers of bread and cheese, the table had no drawers, a weapon rack was on the back to the far left where two loaded crossbows where resting along with a square-shaped quiver to the side…

"Irina! Irina, wake up!" the guard shaked the unconscious young woman twice. When she didn't wake up he checked her pulse. "Thank the gods" he let out a sigh of relief as he confirmed that she was alive.

"Where're the bandages!?" Julia asked urgently as saw nothing that seemed to her that it could be used as first aid storage. They were no cabinets, or kits, or anything of the sort inside.

"What?" the guard asked… and then Julia realized that she misunderstood his priorities. She didn't ask any further and rushed outside to pick the new corpses up, to bring them inside, and set fire to the thing before another patrol came by.

She brought the corpse of the arbalest inside and left it along with the rapers'. It started to look like pile. She hastily went back to the entrance, grabbed the crossbow and halberd and carelessly threw them further inside.

"Hey, watch out!" the guard protested as the halberd's blade landed close to his leg. The Witch ignored him and went on to pick up the last of the evidence from outside, starting with the smaller weapons.

She put the rogue guard's knife in her belt and went immediately for the big one's dagger. Her hasty movements came to a sudden halt then as she took a closer look at the bloodied weapon… She had never seen this design before, she wasn't sure about the origins or even the metal that it was made of, but she was now sure she knew the reason behind its latest victim's excessive bleeding – the entire weapon was covered in runes, specifically those of Dziewanna, the Huntress, and not just the blade, but the crossguard and the hilt as well. It was only slightly smaller than her steel dagger, so she put it into the small scabbard behind her belt and returned to the task at hand.

Deciding to leave the sword for last, she rushed to the last dead body that was lying outside. She grabbed it by the shoulders and began dragging it towards the station. The bearded guard's corpse was much heavier so it was taking some more effort, even so, her senses were focused this time, she won't allow herself to be ambushed again so stupidly.

In the end the task took only a minute. Julia threw the last corpse to the pile and stop to catch her breath for a few seconds. She bended forward and clutched at her thighs as she was gasping for air.

"Damn, huh, you're strong for a woman." said the rogue guardsman, a hint of bemusement in his voice.

Julia didn't like the comment as it sounded a lot like a mockery in a very inappropriate time. She turned to the guard with an angry look on her face "Shut it an-" Julia stopped abruptly, her expression soften as saw that the guard had actually dressed up his wound… with a pink handkerchief?… The absence of the Quen Sign came to her attention. "Does it-ah-still hurt?" she asked between breaths, pointing at the wound with a cock of her head.

"Not as bad. But the moment that bright thingy you conjured vanished, I started bleeding again."

"Is where you live further than the Ugly Duckling? I stay there. I can stitch you up."

The guard turned to the unconscious young woman on the floor instead of answering, Julia followed his gaze.

The way she was covered with the two blankets seemingly asleep, Rena looked almost like chrysalis. The sight managed to draw a half-smile from the Witch. "She needs way more help." The guard said and then turned to Julia "Can you do something?" He continued "Anything? I'll pay you back somehow, I promise, just… Just help her!" he raised his voice as he uttered his last three words, but the gradual desperation beforehand was all Julia needed to understand the man's reasons for his actions.

Up until now this night had really surpassed all her expectations in the most negative way imaginable. And the omens weren't exactly promising any improvements in the near future… Once she made sure those two 'lovebirds' were fine and well she was sure to go pack her things up… Just in case.

"Alllright" Julia's word began as a sigh and finished as a giggle "Let's carry your sleeping beauty out of here."

Last of the Ravens - Codex

Bonus story: Without restraints

- The Sisters -

"Jagoda, enough dawdling about, come 'elp!" Klaudia gestured to her younger sister.

Instead of answering, Jagoda scoffed at her and looked the other way. She didn't move an inch from her position. Sitting on the fence, fidgeting about like a child, with that all-too-constant now annoyed look on her face -as if she was unfairly interrupted from some kind of important activity- While doing nothing of course! She was just being difficult.

Klaudia wouldn't have that attitude of hers again. Yes, her little sister had become a woman not too many days ago now, but that wasn't an excuse not to help whenever she could. She didn't have her blood today. And she ought to help, out of respect if nothing else. "Didn't ya 'ear me?!" Klaudia demanded.

"Yea, I did." Jagoda answered without changing her unpleasant expression in the least, her tone of voice wasn't any better.

"Then come and 'elp. Picking olives ain't dat 'ard now ain't it?" Klaudia said, trying to sound firm. Not too convincingly by the looks of it, as her sister remained where she was. Acting as if in control was pretty much against Klaudia's nature, and she knew it. She wasn't mother after all… but tried nonetheless.

"If it ain't dat 'ard," Jagoda said frowning "you can do it yerselv." She crossed her arms.

At her younger sister's last insolence, Klaudia put her basket down and walked towards her with aggressive steps. She wasn't mother indeed, but her patience had limits too – and right about now, they were growing thin.

Klaudia stood in front of her younger sister and put her arms on her waist, frustration started to show on her face. "Aye, I can do it meself all aright," she nodded before continuing her (most likely) feeble attempt at explaining her situation "but dat takes longs and I've to be 'ome in time to cook…" Klaudia paused. She knew that her sister probably won't be moved by her house problems since she never liked Albin – While having absolutely no reason to. Father hated Albin, so Jagoda hated him too. Because Father was always right… "I shouldn'd even be 'ere you know," Klaudia continued in a mellower voice, her face softened as well "I've me man to take care of soo…" she hardened her features then "So 'elp me!" she ordered. Her sister may be a woman now, but she certainly wasn't acting like it so she would receive the appropriate treatment.

Jagoda turned to look at her older sister. She frowned unpleasantly at her, before leaving the fence by jumping forward. Standing in front of her now, Klaudia couldn't help but be surprised at how much taller her sister has grew in less than a winter, she had almost reached her, despite their seven years of difference. "Well don'd ya 'orry about id!" Jagoda's started, her voice harsh and loud "I bet yer stingin husband's fine an full! Drinking milk! Right from Dorota's teats!"

… Klaudia's eyes went wide in shock in response to her sister's crude statement. Did she actually hear her say that?! "W- Wha-" she blinked and shook her head as tried to process it…

"So dats the one he puts me de horns wid?" she bit her lip at the reveal, her heart started racing. She was aware that Albin has been 'seeing' someone else for a while now when he slipped away in the middle of the night, leaving her alone in their bed, thinking she was still asleep… Klaudia was always holding back her tears during those times until she heard the door closing, then she allowed them to fall in a stream… She now wished that he was 'seeing' the witch like the rest of the unfaithful men in the village.

After taking a while, a long while, to let the whole thing sink in, Klaudia finally spoke, her voice came out in a weak barely-audible whisper "Whe- where did ya… 'ear dat?" she tried to raise her voice as she continued speaking, if only just enough to be audible "Ther- there all untruths, a- all of em." She licked her lips, she couldn't help it, always did when feeling anxious "J- Just ugly gossip is all."

"I saw 'em with me own eyes sis!"

"You- you dreamed id."

"I saw 'em clean!" Jagoda shouted and threw her fists up and down in frustration just like when she was little and threw a tantrum "Yesteday late I did! In Milosz'z 'ouse! The whoreson was ploughing her like a -" –– "SHUD UP!" Klaudia screamed at her sister and slapped her. Really hard.

Jagoda looked back at her sister, her hand on her cheek, her eyes wide and teary.

Klaudia froze in place. They often quarreled but she had never hit her little sister like that before…

She didn't mean to…

It just happened…

But she wasn't at fault!

Jagoda was shouting!

And others may hear her!

The first thing that came to Klaudia's attention when she snapped back to the present was that her sister was clenching her teeth… in anger.

"Ya ploughing cunt!" Jagoda yelled in anger and lunged at her older sister. They both ended up on the ground as Klaudia lost her footing.

Despite her initial attempts at disengaging, after her younger sister bit her forearm and scratched at her face, Klaudia finally retaliated.

Before long they were both fighting like feral she-cats: scratching, biting, kicking, yanking each other's hair, tearing at each other's dresses. Yet for once Klaudia didn't care. She was angry…

She had been angry for a very long time.

She was angry at her own mother for always demanding things from her and constantly reminding her that as a woman she had to always be careful not bring shame upon their family. She was angry at how her married life turned out. She was angry at herself for not realizing what kind of man Albin was before she went with him, and she now have to bare his insults for the rest of her life. She was angry that her own husband was not touching her anymore, and that each night he went off to 'fertilize the soil' as he once called it, she had to humiliate herself even further by touching her own private parts while fantasizing about all the things she would have liked him to do to her. She was angry that Jagoda looked more like Mother than she did, and Father always treated her better because of it. She was angry that her sister had ever only been reprimanded for her bad behavior when naughty while she had been slapped, spanked or locked in the attic. She was angry that her sister never once understood or respected her and was always speaking arrogantly despite being the second-born…

"…"

"Ja- Jagoda?"

"… ?"

"… !"

"… Ah- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"