Book 2: The Wolf Hunts

Chapter 13

The three Nilfgaardian frigates moved eastward through the fog towards Novigrad. Emhyr noticed on his port side the lighthouse from Crane Cap warning ships of land just ahead, and he nodded his head slowly. Soon, he thought. Very soon.

He then turned to his right, to his second in command.

"Give the order. Remove them from their crates."

oOo

Evie stood in the sewers with her trousers down around her ankles. While Geralt knelt in front of her and applied some medicinal ointment to her knees and shins, she asked, "So, after all that, we're going to find a different way to leave town, right?"

"Why?" he asked, looking up with a tiny smirk on his face. "Pretty sure we killed all the monsters down here. Should be smooth sailing on the way out."

He saw a touch of fear come to his wife's eyes so his smirk immediately vanished, and he added, "But, we can play it by ear, okay?"

After the battle against the foglets, Geralt and Evie had both taken health potions, and then the witcher had tended to her injuries. She had a large knot on her forehead and small gash across the bridge of her nose from running into the brick wall. But it was her lower legs about which he was most concerned. The cuts from the foglet's claws weren't deep, but he was wary of infection. He'd need to keep a close eye on her injuries.

After he finished applying the ointment, his eyes began to roam over Evie's firm, muscular legs, and he ran his hands ever so softly over her skin, causing goosebumps to pop up over her thighs.

"Witcher?"

"Uh huh?"

"What are you doing?"

He finally looked up, into his wife's eyes. She saw mischief in his.

"Just…checking for other injuries. I wish we had time for a full-body, physical exam."

"Me, too. It's been a couple of days since you last gave me one."

"Yeah," he said after exhaling deeply.

He slowly and carefully pulled her trousers back up over her injuries and then further upward, past the curve of her hips and butt. After buckling her belt, Evie looked up to see the witcher standing and slipping out of his body armor.

"My turn," he stated.

The shoulder area of his white, cotton undershirt was ripped and soaked red with blood. He pulled the shirt over his head, and Evie sharply sucked in air when she saw the deep gash running down his left shoulder and into his upper arm. The witcher dug around in his satchel and eventually came out with his curved needle and manticore hair.

As he held them out to his wife, he smiled. "Remember how to do this?"

She gave him a look. "Yes…but can we please not turn this into a habit?"

"I can't promise you that. Besides, I kinda like it when you take care of me."

"Is that right?" she asked, peering into his eyes. He nodded.

"Well, that's good…cause I like taking care of my brave witcher. Of course, knowing you, you probably consider all of this - getting stitched up - as foreplay," she said with a smile.

"Wife, as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to you, I consider everything to be foreplay," he answered with a smirk.

Evie shook her head. "I must be in love," she said as she stepped up close.

"Why's that?"

"To think a cheesy line like that is actually cute." The witcher's smirk grew a little wider. "That, and despite being in a monster-infested, foul-smelling sewer, I really want you right now." Evie's voice had turned a little husky as she brought her face just inches from Geralt's.

The witcher now wore a full smile. "That's just the adrenaline and excitement. Your body wants to burn it off, to celebrate being alive. After a contract, I always used to…you know what - never mind."

He brought her lips to his and kissed her hard. As he began to undo her belt that she had just buckled, she urgently reached for his, as well.

"What about your shoulder?" she asked breathlessly, in between kisses.

"It can wait."

oOo

Thirty minutes later, the witcher carried stitches in his shoulder and a very satisfied smile on his face. As he and Evie – hand in hand - approached the exit from the sewers, Geralt suddenly stopped and turned to his wife.

"Last time I was here, Temple Guards were all over the city. Patrolling the streets at all hours of the day. I wasn't really welcome here then. Probably less so now. So, give me a moment."

Geralt took his swords off his back since that would be a dead-giveaway as to what he was. He strapped his steel sword to his hip and covered himself with his cloak. But, this time, he decided to keep the cowl down. He'd learned his lesson in Ban Ard about looking suspicious. Evie rubbed some of Benny's ointment on his facial scars, and almost instantly, they disappeared. He grabbed his shaded glasses and put those on to conceal his eyes. Finally, he strapped his silver sword around Evie's waist.

"You're just gonna carry it, okay? I don't expect you to use it. If we run into trouble, use the weapons that I've trained you with."

After getting a nod from Evie, Geralt opened a gate, and the two of them walked out of the sewers and into The Bits, one of the more run-down neighborhoods of Novigrad. The sun had still not yet made its appearance over the horizon, but the darkness in the sky was being chased away by the morning light.

"Oh…praise Essea," gasped Evie as she stepped out into the relatively fresh air.

"I'll praise him once we're out of this hell hole."

Evie nodded and then looked around, but she didn't recognize where they were.

"How far from the fish market are we?" she asked.

"Ten or fifteen minutes." He then looked her in the eye. "Just because we're out of the sewers, don't think we're safe. In fact, it's probably more dangerous up here than down below. Remember, we're going to do our best to avoid detection, but don't make it obvious that we're trying to avoid detection."

"Right. And just how do I do that?"

"I don't know. Just…walk casually."

As they moved along the street that was mostly covered in shadows, Evie looked about. It had been at least five or six years since she'd last set foot in the one-time capital of Redania. But, even in all her previous visits, there were parts of the city that she'd never ventured into. The Bits was certainly one of them. With pigs and other livestock roaming the muddy roads, the smell there wasn't much better than the sewers that they'd just left. She noticed vagrants curled up under porches and in alleyways and wondered just what events had conspired for them to end up there. Many of the houses she passed had broken windows, and a few were even missing their front doors. The occasional building had what Evie assumed was a single candle burning within, its small flame refracting through a dirtied pane of glass. Luckily, the streets of the ghetto were mostly deserted at that time of the morning. The drunkards and fisstech users had already stumbled home – wherever that may be – to throw up, pass out, and sleep things off until it was time for the next drink or fix. The few pedestrians already up and about were most likely those fortunate enough to be employed in that time of war. She noticed that they all quickly scuttled along the muddy walkways with their eyes downcast. It seemed that they were just as nervous about being out as she was, as if they instinctively knew that the darkness was where the devil most loved to play.

Evie walked slightly behind Geralt since he knew where he was going. As they came around a corner, her body tensed as she noticed three Temple Guards at the far end of the block, walking in their direction.

"Easy. Just act natural," whispered Geralt, as if he had read her mind.

After a few more steps, she felt him tugging on her sleeve.

"This way."

Evie followed the witcher under an archway and into a narrow alley, which ran behind and between several buildings. The two- to three-story high, stone structures towered over them on both sides blocking out the early morning light. On the backside of the buildings, there were numerous crates stacked about, creating all sorts of dark hidey-holes. Evie's eyes darted back and forth, on alert for danger. She stepped into a shallow puddle of dirty, brown liquid, the sound of the splash causing her look down. She hoped the puddle was full of nothing but rainwater, but the odor made her doubt that.

"Whazzat? Waddawah?"

She jumped at the voice coming from her left, down near her feet. A homeless man, sleeping between two crates, looked at Evie briefly with glassy eyes before lowering his head back down on his arm.

"Come on," urged Geralt, gently grasping Evie's arm.

They quickly exited the alley without any more surprises, and as she stepped out into the connecting street, it seemed to her that they'd just walked into a completely different city. The cobblestone streets were free of garbage, livestock, and feces and were lined with beautiful flowers instead of sleeping vagrants. She instantly recognized the area and knew that they were very close to Hierarch Square. They came to an intersection where they could only go left or right, and Evie felt Geralt nudge her to the left, away from the square, and then, suddenly, he grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks. Down the way, near one of the city's many temples to the Eternal Fire were several more guards, along with some witch hunters.

"Damn it," she heard him whisper. "Come on."

They quickly did an about-face and headed back towards Hierarch Square. As they followed the road around a small curve to the left, the square came into view, with colorful flags and banners hanging overhead, snapping in the morning breeze. But right before actually entering the plaza, she felt Geralt nudge her into a wide but short alley to her left. They quickly came to a high wooden fence covered with elegant-looking drapery. Geralt tried the knob on the door of the fence but found it locked. He quickly swiveled his head around as he suddenly heard both men's voices and the unmistakable clinking sound of guards wearing metal armor coming their way. He immediately turned his left shoulder towards the door and pressed hard against it. An instant later, Evie heard wood snap as the door opened, and they stepped through and shut the door just a few seconds before two Temple Guards appeared. Geralt pushed Evie to one side of the doorway and brought a finger up to his lips in the universal sign for silence while at the same time unsheathing his knife.

"Didja 'ear that?"

"Wha?"

Evie could clearly hear the two Redanians on the other side of the fence.

"Thought I 'eard somethin' over there."

"For Fire's sake, Ollie. Ya always think you's hearin' sumpin'."

"Well, I'm gonna check."

"Ollie, our watch is jus' endin'. Don't go lookin' for trouble."

"It'll jus' be a sec."

Evie's eyes widened as she heard the tell-tale metallic sound of the man's armor coming near. She looked at Geralt on the other side of the door from her. He stood just a foot away from the threshold, his weapon at the ready. With each step that the soldier took, she heard the ominous clinking noise getting closer. She quickly looked down at the door knob, then to Geralt, and back to the door.

"The door looks busted," said Ollie.

Evie held her breath and quietly unsheathed her knife.

The door slowly moved open about a foot and then stopped. She couldn't see what was happening on the other side of the door, but she heard Geralt whisper, "You see nothing but a mangy, gray dog. Now, close the door and leave."

A second later, the door shut.

"Ah, 'twas just a mangy dog."

"Told ya it was nothin', Ollie. Let's git to the barracks."

Evie let out a breath, her heart still thumping fast in her chest.

As Geralt led Evie across on open area with a large stage to the right, she whispered, "Axii?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you were just going to kill him."

"Knew you wouldn't want me to."

She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop.

"What is it?"

She had a smile on her face. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

He gave a small smile back. "No."

"I do." And then she kissed him – very hard.

The witcher finally broke the kiss. "Wife, be careful how you kiss me. Don't start something you're not willing to finish."

"Who said I'm not? I still feel really randy."

The witcher shook his head but had a smirk on his face. "You are the best wife ever. Come on."

Before Evie could respond, he pulled her quickly to the backstage area, through a door in another high fence, and finally out onto a second-floor, open-air platform holding another shrine to the Eternal Flame. Evie looked down over the platform's railing and saw a narrow canal running through the city.

"Why didn't we just go through the square?" Evie whispered as they descended the steps.

"Didn't want to risk it. Last time I was here, it was teeming with un-friendlies. Let's go. Almost there."

Two minutes later, when Geralt and Evie arrived at Novigrad's fish market, it was still relatively empty. During the summer months, early morning was one of the best times for fishing, and therefore, most fishermen were still out on their boats at that time of day. The few merchants that were already setting up their stalls were selling other types of goods – furs, ink wells, candles, tools, and other junk. The fish market wouldn't get truly busy until an hour or so after sunrise. The two of them walked slowly around the empty fish stands until they saw a blacksmith sign just above the quiet shop. Even though Evie and Claude had divorced almost a decade ago, they had seen each other a few times over the years. About five years ago, they'd worked together at an archeological site in Nazair. It was then that he'd mentioned that he and his family lived in the fish market of Novigrad, two doors down from a blacksmith. Evie had remembered because Claude had joked that his wife must truly love him to put up with both the smell from the fish market and the constant metal-on-metal clanking of the blacksmith's hammer pounding his anvil all day.

Eventually, Evie found the right place.

"This is it," she stated, standing outside the front door of a two-story building. To the right of the door was a small wooden sign with the name "Debussy" carved into it.

After a moment, Geralt asked, "So…you gonna knock?"

Evie peered at him with a nervous look on her face. "Never thought I'd be introducing my ex-husband to my current husband."

"Yeah…life is messy. Want me to wait over there while you talk to him?"

"Never. You and I are a team. We stick together no matter how messy life gets," she answered and then touched his face.

The two stared into each other's eyes and smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Evie."

"For what?"

"For…being my best friend."

"Always, Geralt." And then the two kissed softly.

As they pulled back from the kiss, Geralt shook his head.

"Damn, now I'm the one who's randy again."

Evie smiled. "Tonight?"

"For sure."

"Good. Now, let's do this."

She exhaled deeply, turned to the door and knocked solidly three times.

They eventually heard movement coming from within, including the cries of what sounded like a baby. The door opened to reveal a short woman with dish-water blonde hair pulled up into a bun and holding a fussy infant on her hip. The woman's eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked haggard.

"Hello, Celeste," greeted Evie. "Is Claude home?"

Suddenly, the woman's eyes went wide with recognition.

"You!" she screamed. "How dare you come here? This is all your fault!"

The heads of the few merchants setting up their stalls in the fish market all turned towards the hysterical woman. Geralt quickly looked back behind him and then cast an Axii at the woman.

"Calm down, and invite us inside," he ordered.

Suddenly, her angry face went slack.

"Please, do come in," she said in a monotone.

oOo

Outside the Debussy home, on the opposite side of the fish market, a soldier sat in the shadows, disguised as a vagrant, doing his best not to doze off. A woman screaming somewhere nearby startled him awake, and when he finally came to, he noticed a couple entering the archeologist's home. Suddenly, he was wide awake, and he jabbed an elbow into the ribs of the man sleeping next to him.

"Wake up, Hans," he hissed. "Alert the captain. A woman just showed up."

oOo

Geralt immediately pushed Evie inside and shut the door behind him. The first thing he noticed were stairs off to his right.

"Who else is here?" he asked.

"Jordy is upstairs, still asleep."

The witcher nodded. "Let's have a seat. We gotta talk."

He moved them all to a nearby wooden table with chairs. Like the rest of the furniture and cookware in the first-floor kitchen/dining area, the table and chairs looked old and worn. Despite that, the entire place looked clean and well-tended.

Geralt cast an Axii at the crying baby and then turned his eyes to Celeste.

"You said something about this being Evie's fault. What do you mean?"

"Radovid's men came and asked Claude about her."

"When was this?"

"A couple of days ago."

"What did they ask?"

"Questions about her. When he'd seen her last. If she'd written him."

Geralt knew, based on her reaction at the door, that there was more to the story.

"What happened to Claude?"

"They took him. He told them that he hadn't seen her in years. Hadn't heard from her in years, but I guess they didn't believe him. They confiscated all of his books and papers, and they put in him manacles and took him away."

Geralt heard Evie exhale deeply. When he looked over, he saw that she was shaking her head back and forth. Guilt was clearly on her face.

"Do you know where they took him?" asked the witcher.

"I don't know for sure. They didn't say. But, after they left, I took Jordy and Oleera next to door to Mrs. Jenks, and then I followed them. It wasn't hard, at least until they got to the gate. I didn't dare follow them beyond that."

"Where do you think they were heading?"

"Tretogor. When I was following them, I overhead them say something about Tretogor."

After a moment of silence, Evie turned to Geralt. There was both desperation and panic in her eyes.

"They took Claude…because of me. Geralt, this doesn't make any sense. How is Radovid getting his information? His men were waiting for us in the mountains. Then, they somehow knew about Claude. I don't understand."

Before he answered, he cast another Axii at Celeste and then told her to go upstairs. He then looked at his wife.

"Who knows you best, Evie? Who would know that you might turn to Claude if you needed help?"

"Maybe…my friends from my time at the Academy…or my family. Are you saying one of them would betray me? That they're working for Radovid?"

"I'm not saying that. They may not even realize that they're giving out information about you. If I was trying to understand best how you think, I'd seek out your family and friends. Cozy up to them in a tavern. Start swapping life stories. Build a relationship with them. Maybe one of his spies is tight with one of your friends or family members and they're not even aware."

"Well, my only two, living family members that aren't already with us are my brother Abelard and Uncle Malek."

"When did you last see Abelard?"

She shook her head. "Four years ago, maybe? Several years before I took the tome, for sure."

Now, Geralt was shaking his head.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The timing on all of this. It's too coincidental. Even if Radovid's spies are using information from Abelard or one of your friends, it's too much of coincidence that they grabbed Claude just days before we got here. Think about it, you stole the tome two years ago. Why would Radovid wait until now to come question Claude?"

"I don't know. Maybe he – his spies – just found out about me and the tome recently."

"Yeah, maybe. Well, we're not going to-"

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the front door slowly opening. Standing in the doorway, backlit by the morning sunlight, was a giant-sized man. Even though he wasn't wearing his typical black armor, Evie recognized him immediately, her eyes growing wide. Geralt already had his sword out before the man had even taken a step into the room. After slowly shutting the door behind him, the man's ice-blue eyes took in his surroundings and then, finally, stopped on Evie.

"Hello, Evangeline. It's been many years," said Malek. "We have much to discuss."