The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 16: Family Matters IV
Narrator: After following the cured botchling, now a lubberkin, Dom and Geralt, along with Dominik's close friend Faram of Undviik, set out to find the Barons missing family. After following the trail, the Witchers eventually learned that Tamara, the Baron's daughter was in Oxenfurt, while his wife Anna, was now a servant to the Crones, who Dominik and Geralt had encountered earlier. After saying their goodbyes to Faram, Dominik and Geralt ready themselves to set out for Oxenfurt, to find Tamara, before they go back to Crow's Perch, to find out from the Baron where Ciri had gone.
"Ghouls, and Alghouls, two post conjunction creatures, susceptible to silver and…." He trailed off when he heard the old Witcher begin to snore.
He looked up from the book, and met Ciri's eyes, and he could see the mischievous smile begin to form on her face. The two looked back over to the chair, and could see their Uncle Vesemir slumped over, the book still open on his lap. The old Witcher's loud snores echoed through the chamber, and he sighed, leaning back, 'Ghouls and Alghouls' sliding from his lap. He heard Ciri snicker, as she bit into the last bit of an apple and closed her book.
"Finally, he's asleep, you ready," She asked him, her green eyes looking at him eagerly.
The two of them were young then, perhaps 12, almost 13 at the time. He smiled at seeing her young, excited face. Her freckles covered across her nose, and her ashen hair was tied up in a messy bun. He almost scoffed at how scrawny his younger self truly was. He took one more look down at the book in front of him, before turning back to Ciri.
"I don't know… he was furious with us last time," He said unsurely.
Ciri scoffed, and scooted over next to him, staring up at him with those pretty green eyes, "Come on, please! We already read the chapter, it's beautiful out, the pendulums are just waiting to be ran!"
"Ciri… I don't know maybe-."
"Please Dominik," She said, looking at him with those eyes pleadingly.
He sighed, knowing that he was going to relent. Finally, he gave her a small smile, and closed the book in front of him.
"Alright fine, come on, let's get going," He said, smiling down at her.
She smiled, and leaned up, kissing his cheek. He tried to stammer out words, and she laughed, standing up to her feet. The dream took place after the incident on the double pendulum at night, where she kissed him the first time. She laughed again at his reddened face and helped him up to his feet.
"Come on, let's go," She said excitedly, grabbing his hand and leading him off.
He saw his younger-self smile, as he followed her through the halls of Kaer Morhen. They passed through the large entry hall, and eventually out into the courtyard. The sun was beating down that day, truly beautiful as Ciri had said. He yearned for those days, just the two of them, running around the giant walls of the Witcher stronghold. Eskel, Lambert and Geralt were nowhere to be seen that day, so he and Ciri easily made it to the pendulums.
Ciri ran over to the rack that contained the wooden practice swords, and pulled out two, tossing one over to him. He caught it and twirled it in his hands. It was a calming feeling, just the two of them and the pendulum. It had been a situation they were often both in, and he loved every moment of it. Ciri raced up the steps, and gracefully leaped onto the poles, and with great strength from such a small girl, pushed the giant pendulum forward, causing it to move back and forth. He smiled at her work and she back flipped off the pegs, before turning back to him.
"Well, do you want to go first," She asked him, holding up a blindfold, twirling it in her fingers.
He smirked and took it from her hands, "Bet I make it through longer then you without a slip up?"
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "In your dreams. What are we betting?"
He looked up and thought for a moment, "Mhmm… extra slices of whatever desert tonight?"
"Done," She said without a second thought, "go on then, let's see if you can back up that talk."
He smirked, and put the blindfold around his neck, before walking up the steps and readying himself. He took one last look at the swinging pendulum, before pulling the white blindfold over his eyes. He took in a deep breath and began. He stepped onto the pegs, and twirled his sword, stepping past and the pendulum, his feet moving in a precise motion.
"Go on, footwork, three steps, half-turn pirouette," He heard Ciri yell from the ground below.
He perfectly executed the combo, and spun back behind the swinging pendulum, when he heard Ciri whistle appreciatively.
"Well look at you, you're on point today," She said, as his feet moved with a mind of their own.
"You've seen nothing yet," He shouted back to her, leaping forward over the pegs, twirling his blade around his back, and bringing it back to the front.
"Yeah, you seem to be-. GERALT," Ciri yelled, making him freeze in his tracks.
They weren't supposed to be training just then, and if Geralt found them he would surely be angry. He stopped on one peg, and as a result felt pendulum slam into him, knocking him off the pegs, and back onto the ground.
"Ow…." He muttered as he heard Ciri begin to laugh.
He felt his back ache, and the blindfold was pulled off his eyes, to reveal the face of a laughing Ciri. She laughed, her green eyes shining with delight, "Hahaha, I can't believe you fell for that!"
He rolled his eyes, looking up at her, "You were just scared I'd go too long for you!"
She scoffed and smiled widely at him, "In your dreams," She said with another smirk, before reaching her hand down for him to take, "Are you okay?"
He heard the sincerity in her voice, and it made him smile. He sighed and felt a tingle run up his hand, as it always did when she took his hand and helped him to his feet. He dusted himself off and met her emerald eyes.
"I'm alright… I can't believe I fell for that again," He said with an eye roll.
Ciri laughed, and met his eyes again, "We've been here for almost three years and you still do."
Three years almost. It had been that long, that every morning he awoke, down the hall from her, hearing her voice in the morning, training with her, having her constantly next to him. It was a happy time in his life, being there with her. However, he never forgot the reason he was there. Neither of them did.
"Three years," He said, looking of into the distance towards the mountains, "hard to believe that it's really been that long," He said, before turning back to her.
Her jolly demeanor suddenly fell, and she nodded, "I know… are you alright? I… I heard you scream last night. I came to check on you, but you had fallen back to sleep. I can come stay with you later if you want," She said her voice dripping with concern.
It was the last thing he wanted, for her to worry about him, when she had even more important things to worry about. He remembered at the time, her visions, and magical accidents were beginning to happen more and more. She was scared herself, scared of her own power. He didn't want to add his nightmares to her list of worries. He gently grabbed her hand and she met his eyes.
"I'll be alright, you have enough to worry about, I'll be fine I promise," He said reassuringly.
She kept their eyes locked and shook her head, "Just because there are things going on with me… doesn't make what's happening to you any less important. You're always there for me, let me be there for you."
"You already are," He said, a smile coming back to his face, "Just by being here you are. I'm more worried about you. I won't let you down, I'll make sure you stay safe."
She scoffed and laughed, her smile returning, "I can take care of myself you know."
He laughed back and nodded to her, "Yes, I know… but still. I won't fail you… not like I failed mother and father… and Bella."
His face fell, and Ciri was quick to react. She gently touched his face, and brought his eyes to meet hers again, "There was nothing you could do Dom… you did everything you could."
He felt his stomach churn and he shook his head, "No… I didn't. I…. I should have gotten Bella out like they wanted. I… I failed them, but I won't fail you Ciri… I promise I won't."
Ciri smiled up at him, and it always did, he felt his heart flutter, his worries leaving him.
"You won't fail me… you never could. You saved my life, more times than I can count-."
"You've saved mine just as many," he said with an eye roll.
She laughed and smiled at him again, "Yes, but still. You made me feel like a real person, and not just some princess, a pawn in someone else's game. You're one of the most precious people in this world to me, and I promise, you'll never fail me."
You'll never fail me. If only she knew that she was wrong.
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He awoke in a cold sweat and felt his body ache. He grunted, but the fatigue almost felt good as he sat up in his bed roll. The night before, he had trained with Geralt for longer than they had both planned. The sparring had been intense, but with every match he felt his reflexes sharpen, and his movements become more precise. He had still gotten knocked to the ground by the older Witcher more times then he could count, but each time he got progressively better. It gave him a feeling of optimism that he was able to awake and still move the next morning. It meant his body was becoming used to the vigorous training again.
He was still far from ready, but it was a start.
"Ah, good you're awake," He heard Geralt say, almost making him leap out of his skin.
He shot around and the Witcher was walking back from their horses, the whole camp already almost packed up. He sighed, and slid out of his bedroll, standing up and stretching out his arms.
"Do you ever actually sleep," he asked the older Witcher, letting out a long yawn.
Geralt laughed and met his eyes, kicking some dirt onto their fire, "Ha, sometimes, not for very long normally. Someone's gotta get up and clean the camp up, now don't they?"
He scoffed, "I clean up after myself."
The older Witcher rolled his eyes, "You ready to get going, probably take us an hour or so, to get to Oxenfurt if we ride hard. With luck, we can find Tamara and be back at Crow's Perch by tonight."
The armor he had been wearing so far in Velen would certainly need to be improved. The monster claws, sword blows, and axe of Nithral had done a number on it. He would be able to improve it in a city like Novigrad or Oxenfurt, Geralt had the appropriate diagram, and he was sure a talented smith would be able to take what he already have and give it the appropriate improvements. His blade was still sharp, despite the old sword having some wear and tear, it would him a good job for a while longer.
He managed to slid his armor on, and his blade. Despite the aching bones, he was ready to start the day, and actually looking forward to it. If all went well, tonight he would learn more about Ciri. He would hear from a man who had actually seen her and talked to her. The Baron's words weren't those of beastly Crones who had tried to kill her. He had actually spoken to her, fed her and clothed her. Despite what he had done, and the kind of man they discovered he was, the Baron had helped Ciri.
The sun was high, and the day over the normally rainy countryside. He told himself in his head, that it was some kind of sign the day would go well. At least he hoped it was. He saw Geralt climbing up onto the back of Roach, and joined the older Witcher, on Clop next to him.
He sighed with a smile on his face, and Geralt smiled over at him, "Well, well you seem to be in high spirits for once."
"What's that supposed to mean," He said with a laugh, the smile staying on his face.
Geralt chuckled, "Well gotta admit, it's nice to see a smile on your face. Haven't seen it much since we got into Velen."
He sighed, but kept a smile and met the Witcher's eyes, "Well, I got to see Faram again. We've found out what happened to the Baron's wife and daughter… and if all goes well, I'll learn more about Ciri tonight… and that'll always put a smile on my face."
Geralt smiled at him, "Yeah… I feel the same. Dominik before we go… I wanted to say I'm sorry again. The two of you, it… it killed me having to separate you both."
He felt his heart pump, but it didn't detract his smile. He pulled the drawing of Ciri out from his pocket. The black drawing of her made his stomach flutter, he didn't know if it was accurate, or if she was even more beautiful than the picture made her out to be. However, he took solace in knowing he would find out soon.
He met Geralt's eyes and shook his head, "It's alright. I… I was mad at you, didn't want to talk to you, see you or anything. I was a stupid, angry, ignorant child. I…. I'm sorry. You were just trying to do what you thought was right. After Rivia, I thought you died… I hated myself, thought that you had died thinking I hated you… but I don't I never did. I lost my first father and mother… and I was blessed to be able to find you and Yen… so I think I should be the one… asking YOU, if you can forgive me."
He didn't know why the words chose that moment to come out, but he had been sitting on them for weeks. The feeling he had in himself after what happened in Rivia, it had consumed him for the whole time since. He thought that Geralt and Yennefer were dead, and they had both died thinking that he hated them. He was angry with them, carried that anger for so many years on his own. He blamed them, blamed everyone in the world except himself for not being able to find Ciri. The truth of the situation was, to him that the fault lay with him. Despite what everyone told him, it was his duty to protect her, he had promised, but that didn't stop his younger self from placing the blame on others.
Geralt looked at him, the older Witcher formed a small smile from atop Roach, "There's nothing to apologize for… you had a right to be mad. Both of us, we both failed her… we can make up for that now."
The sun had reached a high point, and he smiled over at the Witcher, snapping Clop's reins.
"Well? What are we waiting for then, to Oxenfurt. Come on Clop, let's get moving," He said, as his loyal mount road off, sending Geralt and he towards the city.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Geralt, do you think Dandelion will be here? Maybe doing one of his lectures at the academy," He asked the older Witcher as the two navigated the crowded streets.
After weeks of traveling in the open air, swamps, bogs and marshes, he had to admit being in a city again was a nice change. While he loved being out on the path, spending time under the stars, listening to the quiet sounds of nature, he also did love the feelings of being in a large city. It reminded him of his childhood, the days he spent in Cintra. The feeling of walking through a market, seeing the different arrangements of goods, armors and food people sold was always exhilarating to him growing up.
However, at the moment he was only focused on his goal. The fisherman had told them where they could find his brother's house, however getting to it in Oxenfurt without drawing too much attention to themselves was proving difficult. Sailing a small boat into the harbor, past the Redanian blockade was hard enough. Geralt had dawned a cloak as soon as they entered and pulled the hood up to not draw too much attention, especially since the city was crawling with Redanian soldiers. They were passing through the marketplace, trying to keep a low profile.
Geralt shook his head, "No, don't think so. If he was, we would've heard about it, you know how he likes to publicize his appearances."
"Do I ever," He said with an eye roll, "You know he's been asking permission to write songs about me for years."
He heard Geralt chuckle as they rounded a corner, "And why haven't you let him?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "To be honest, I don't want the attention, especially if I'm looking for Ciri. After we find her, he can write as many as he wants, but for now… I don't want to risk it."
Geralt nodded but saw a smirk on his face as he pulled his hood down, "Smart idea, can't wait to hear that ballad. The Young Wolf, and the Swallow? How's that sound?"
He rolled his eyes at the older Witcher as they stopped outside the door, "You're fucking hilarious. Is this the place?"
Geralt laughed and turned to the building, "Yeah, last building on the edge of the harbor. Should be it."
"Good, come on. Quicker we get in, quicker we can get back to Crow's Perch," He said, walking up towards the door.
Geralt followed behind, and he was surprised to find that the door was unlocked. He slowly creaked the door open and entered. Whoever the fisherman's brother was, certainly was better off then the man. A dining table sat in the first room, with bookshelves and other tables stacked about. A fire was roaring in the hearth, warming the entire building. A large glass window let whoever was downstairs see out over the Oxenfurt harbor, a gorgeous view. The man who was sitting at the table's head shot up, and he looked at the two Witcher's wide eyed.
"Aye, who are you," He asked quickly, getting up to his feet.
The man looked similar to his brother they had met back at the lake. A black beard, and hair, he did however obviously appear to be a lot more well off. Geralt stepped forward from behind him, his black armor and sword clattering.
"Your brother sent us, we're looking for Tamara, the Bloody Baron's daughter," He said to the man.
"We only wish to talk to her, make sure she's alright," He added in after Geralt had finished.
The man looked like he wanted to protest. However, the site of two armed, armored, larger men in his home seemed to put him off. He took in a deep sigh and met their gaze.
"Aye… if my brother sent you. Give me a moment to fetch her," He said, walking up the set of stairs to their left.
He sighed in relief that it had been so easy. He saw Geralt go lean back against the wall when he heard a hissing sound. Back on the table, was a small white cat, staring at him. He went over to pet the creature, but it swiftly dodged his hand and leaped down onto the floor. It pattered along the floor, up onto a bookshelf, leaping from table to table, until it rounded a corner into a backroom.
He scoffed, "If only I could move that fast…" he said ironically.
Geralt walked up next to him and nodded, "Well, made a whole Witcher school based around Cats for that very reason."
"Ever met one," he asked, turning to face the older Witcher, "A Witcher from the school of the Cat," He asked out of curiosity.
"One or two. The group isn't looked on very well, like all Witcher's, the numbers are dwindling," Geralt told him.
"Yeah…" He said, remembering the history lessons from Kaer Morhen, "Didn't they turn into hired assassins more than monster hunters?"
Geralt nodded to confirm, "Yeah, it was the start of Witcher's getting a bad name. Doesn't mean they aren't great fighter though, you think me, Eskel, and Lambert have quick movements, you should see some of the moves the School of the Cat use."
Upon hearing Geralt say those words, a small idea started to form at the base of his head. In his history lessons at Kaer Morhen, he had of course learned of the Witcher schools. Wolf, Bear, Cat, Viper, and Griffin. All of them had their own strongholds, types of armor, and ways of fighting, that if mastered would make one a master monster slayer.
However, what would happen if one Witcher, could master all give schools of combat.
"How about you," Geralt asked, getting his attention, "Ever met any Witcher's other then Faram when you were traveling?"
"Only one other, and only for a short while," He said, remembering the time, "He was from the School of the Griffin, named George, Faram and I ran into him. Three of us stopped a Bruxa and it's thralls from destroying a village. Decent guy didn't talk much though. Faram and I offered to let him travel with us, but he refused, said he preferred to be alone."
He remembered the Witcher George and the short time he had spent with him. His Witcher name was George of Toussaint, and the only thing they got out of him about his past, was that he used to actually live in the duchy, the son of a knight. The man was able to cast signs more powerful then anyone he had ever seen, even Geralt. That didn't mean he was a slouch with his blade either. The village in question had splurged to have the vampire killed. It was unlike any vampire he ever encountered up until the Alp in Claywitch, it had an army of thralls, and used dark magic for necromancy. The three of them had to train some of the villagers to fight, and the fight itself was dangerous. He remembered watching George slay the Bruxa, and finally cause all the monsters to fall.
He and Faram both enjoyed the man's company, however he insisted he wanted to travel the path alone and left them.
"School of the Griffin eh? From what I heard they're some of the best at using signs out of all the Witcher schools," Geralt told him, leaning back against the table.
He nodded in agreement, "I believe it, man's signs were the most powerful I had ever seen…" He paused and the idea started to creep into his head, he met Geralt's eyes, "Geralt… has any Witcher ever mastered all five?"
Geralt's eyes narrowed, "All five of what?"
"Wolf, Bear, Griffin, Cat, Viper… the five Witcher schools, five different types of combat and fighting styles… has any Witcher ever been a master of all five," He asked again.
The older Witcher thought for a moment before shaking his head, "No, nobody has. Probably because it's damn near impossible. Even when Witcher's were more plentiful, the schools kept their secrets closely guarded, even from other Witcher's. Nowadays, probably even more so, with how little of them there are left."
His enthusiasm faded. The idea had peaked his interest. What if he could master all the forms of Witcher combat? He didn't have mutations like Geralt, he didn't have magical powers like Ciri, or Yennefer. He was just a man. He had almost been killed by Nithral, what chance would he stand against other, higher members of the Wild Hunt? Would he even have any chance at all? How was he going to save Ciri, and defeat the Hunt in his current state?
While he may not be able to master all the forms of combat, he did have ones he could try. He would stay up for hours to train with Geralt, mastering the School of the Wolf even further, perhaps Faram could teach him some techniques from the School of the Bear. It seemed unlikely, but what if he could somehow find the Witcher George, and learn skills from the School of the Griffin?
He would do whatever it took, whatever it took to be ready for the final battle when it came.
"I'm here, now tell me who you are, are you two of my fathers men," A new voice rang through the house, stopping him from asking Geralt anything else.
The two of them turned, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The Baron's description of Tamara had been spot on. She had shorter, choppy brown hair, and green eyes. The girl was taller, almost as tall as he, but she certainly did not seem very happy to see them. She wore blue armor, and hunting gloves, and was only missing a sword at her hip to be exactly as he had pictured her.
Geralt shook his headfirst for the two of them, "We're not his men, but he hired us to make find you, make sure you were safe. I'm Geralt of Rivia."
"Dominik of Cintra," He said after Geralt had finished.
The girl met his eyes, and stayed locked with him, "Very nice to meet you, Geralt of Rivia, Dominik of Cintra. As you can see, I'm alive and I'm quite safe, so you can tell my drunken father I will not be returning and have a pleasant day."
He had expected a reaction like this. He almost laughed; the girl had a fiery side to her. It reminded him a bit of Ciri when they were younger, and he wondered if Tamara had gotten it from the Baron. He had no intention of forcing the girl to do anything, however he couldn't help but see a bit of himself in her as well. Angry, bitter, wanting to throw their family away.
Geralt held his hands up in a calming gesture, "We have no intention on forcing you to return. But… we do want to know, we've heard things from your father, we want to hear your side of the story."
The girl scoffed and leaned backwards against the table, "There's not much to tell. I spent most of my life hidden under my bed from his bouts of drunken rage. I found myself at a point where I was wishing for war, so they could ship him off. Had to spend years listening to him beat my mother… finally we had enough and ran."
He had always grown up in a place of love and caring. His mother and father rarely ever got angry at him or his younger sister. The trend continued with Geralt and Yennefer. Of course, they would get angry, at times he felt Geralt was being too hard on him, but normally that was just during his training. He never had to experience what Tamara had, but he knew what it meant to feel loss, and that was the worst pain in the world, true loss.
He nodded to her, "Your father has made mistakes, we're both aware. But I can tell he truly cares for you and wants to make things right. That's why he's sent us, to make sure you're okay," He said, taking a step closer to her, meeting her green eyes with his, "I've met evil men before. Truly evil men. Your father isn't one of them."
He was expecting a snarky response, a comeback, but it didn't come. The girl looked like she was trying to form words, but nothing was coming out. She met his eyes, and he saw her face go slightly red. She stuttered for a moment and then shook her head, her eyes still locked with his.
"And how would you know? You don't seem any older then me, how could you know true evil," She asked him, her voice slightly shaking.
He looked down at the swallow around his neck, and felt a jolt run through his head. The fires of Cintra, the words that Ciri was missing, every evil monster he had ever encountered.
Their pairs of green eyes met, "I was 11 when Nilfgaard invaded Cintra. Killed my mother, my little sister, my father. Chased me for a month before Geralt found me. The woman I love, the ONLY person who kept me going through it all. Kidnapped, taken away, I've been looking for her for eight years. I've killed monsters I thought were only a myth growing up, only to find out a person had set them loose. I know evil," he said, turning back to meet Geralt's eyes.
"Evil is evil," he said, getting a smile from the Witcher, before turning back to Tamara, "Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Your father has made mistakes… but he's not evil."
She seemed to digest his words. She looked down at the floor, before looking back up at him, "And my mother? What about what he did to her?"
He shook his head, maintaining eye contact with the girl, "What he did was inexcusable, but he wants to make things right, that's why we're here. We also figured out where your mother is."
The effect of the sentence was instantaneous, "What!? You know where she is, you must tell me, I have to go get her!"
Geralt took the opportunity to speak up again, "Before we tell you, you need to tell us what happened the night after you escaped, we… we know Anna miscarried, and we think we know why."
Tamara's eyes went wide, but she nodded in understanding, "I… I had never seen so much blood in my life. Mother she… she was covered in it. I thought something was wrong, I tried to help her, but she kept screaming how it was better that way, she didn't want to bear another child from his seed… I thought she was just hysterical from the blood loss," She said, her tough outer demeanor breaking.
He met Geralt's eyes, and nodded, "That was probably the start."
Tamara looked at the two Witcher's, "The start, the start of what!?"
He looked back and met Tamara's eyes, "Your mother made a deal with the Crones, or Ladies of the Wood. She didn't want to bear that child, went to the Crones for help, asked them to take care of her problem… and they did, in their own twisted way."
Before Tamara could interject Geralt continued the story, "After that, the Crones sent the Fiend that attacked you guys to collect your mother. Took her to Crookback Bog, to begin a year of servitude."
The young woman's mouth fell agape, and she turned, pacing back and forth. She met the eyes of the two Witcher's again, "I… I must go and get her! If she's alive, then I need to find her, go and rescue her!"
He felt his own eyes go wide as he shook his head, "That's a BAD idea. The bog is dangerous, and the Crones… well them even more so. Geralt and I almost didn't make it out, and we're Witcher's."
The girl shook her head indignantly, "Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to believe I can do this alone. I've made friends, powerful friends who will help me."
"What friends," Geralt asked, as the door behind them swung open.
"Fuck me…" He said, when the man walked through the door.
The man wore the armor of the Witch Hunters. He didn't know much about them, until Kiera had told him more during their quest. The man was tall, bald, a bit of the armor guarding his face. A longsword was attached to his hip, and he coughed as he entered, walking with a sense of power to his step.
He stopped in-front of the two Witchers and scoffed, "I had not expected the Baron to stoop to hiring Witchers to find his daughter."
Dominik scoffed, and Geralt narrowed his eyes at the man, "Baron has something that we both need. We only came to find Tamara, give her news about her mother."
The man kept eye contact, and Dom began to think his nose couldn't go any higher, "We are well aware of the situation with the girls mother. As you can see Tamara is safe and sound, under the warmth of the eternal fire she has found her calling. She will not be returning to her father."
He always had a distaste for religious fanatics. He didn't believe in any particular gods himself, thinking that if any gods were real, and they let the things that had happened to he and Ciri occur, they weren't worthy of worship. However, he always learned from Geralt to respect what people believed in. Everyone had the right to worship how they choose and pray to who they wish.
However, the tone of the man wasn't one he liked.
"Tamara is old enough to make her own decisions, we have no intentions of forcing her to do anything. We only wanted to make sure she was safe, and tell her about her mother," he said, turning to the man with his arms crossed.
The man nodded, "Very well, you've shown yourselves to be men of good character, surprising for Witcher's. Come Tamara, we have preparations to make before we head out."
He turned back to see Tamara nod at the man, before looking back at the Witcher's. Dominik could see the uncertainty in her eyes, as she walked between the two of them, next to the head Witch Hunter. She turned back to face them, meeting their eyes.
"Thank you… the both of you for respecting my decision, and for telling me about mother. I hope the Eternal Fire will bless you with its warmth one day," She said, her tone sincere.
He sighed, disappointed. He wanted to do what he could to get the girl to at least go see the Baron. However, he knew that she was an adult, and he needed to respect her decision. The Baron had caused serious damage to the girls childhood, damage that may not be able to be repaired. However, he saw himself when he was sixteen for the moment. The snows had begun to gently fall over them, and Geralt brought up the idea of heading back to Kaer Morhen for the winter. He remembered how angry he had gotten, he said things that he regretted to that day, before riding off himself, the beginning of his journey alone.
He carried so much resentment and anger with him towards Geralt for those years afterwards, and he didn't want to see her do the same.
"Can I give you one last piece of advice before you leave," He asked the girl, just before she and the Witch Hunter could walk outside.
It got her to pause, and she met his green eyes with hers, before slowly nodding. He sighed, and looked first at Geralt, before turning back to her.
"Cherish your family, what you have of them, never take it for granted," He started. The girl looked as if he was going to protest, but he quickly continued.
"Years ago, when I lost my first family, it was only me and the woman I love, Ciri. We wondered for a while until Geralt found us… and I was blessed enough to have another family. Not everyone gets that chance, but I did," He said, turning to Geralt now, "He raised us, trained us as if we were his own son and daughter and… and everything was great. That was until… Ciri disappeared, and I… I blamed Geralt, the world, gods, everyone else. He tried to take me with him to look for her but… but eventually I set out on my own, bitter, angry, resentful, hating him."
He sucked in a deep breath, gripping his hand over the swallow pendant, and turning back to Tamara, "I carried all of that anger in me for years… that was until two years ago when… when I thought that he had died. I thought…I thought he died, thinking I hated him, resenting him and blaming him. I had been so focused on the bad… I didn't think about any of the good, and there was much more good then bad. Thankfully, destiny smiled on me again, and he's alive… my point is," He said, meeting her green eyes.
"Don't carry so much hatred, anger and resentment, that you forget about all the good, it'll kill you on the inside…. Good luck, with wherever destiny takes you," He said, nodding towards her one last time.
She was silent for a moment, her eyes staying locked on his. He saw a red flush go up in her cheeks, and she nodded towards him, "Thank you… Dominik of Cintra. I shan't soon forget your words…" She said, before walking out the door with the Witch Hunter.
He sighed as she exited, and the door closed. The house became silent for a moment, except the pattering of the white cats feet on the furniture. It was his hope that his words would resonate with the young woman. She could hopefully learn a lesson from him, and his mistakes. He felt Geralt come up behind him, a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, I forgive you," The older Witcher said, as he turned to face him.
He smiled up at him, his chest thumping, "Thanks Geralt… you know… I can't wait for the four of us to be together again. Me, you, Yen… Ciri, it didn't last long enough last time..."
Geralt kept his smile and nodded, "I agree… but we're close now. Come on, let's get riding back to Crow's Perch. Time to finally cash in on our contract."
A/N: So, Dominik and Geralt have finally completed their end of the contract with the Baron. They're riding back to Crow's Perch to finally figure out what happened to Ciri after she arrived, and where she's gone. What did you guys think? What did you think of the dream sequences and flashbacks we keep getting? What about the idea Dom mentioned? Is it possible for someone to master all five forms of Witcher combat? Are you excited for another Ciri POV? We're almost out of Velen, but still got some exciting fights to go. Favorite, follow and leave a review telling me what you think. I'll see you all next time!
PS: 1.) Yes I am aware that the School of the Manticore exists, but I decided not to include that since it's a DLC school, and we don't know too much about it. 2.) I know the last two chapters have been shorter and lacking in action and I apologize. I was going to combine the two, but I felt it would drag on far too long. I also considered adding the conversation with the Baron to this, however that contains a Ciri pov, which I like to make a little longer, so I decided to hold off till next chapter. See you all then!
