The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 29: A Matter of Life and Death
Narrator: The day that Geralt and Dominik intended to go and try and contact their doppler friend Dudu was interrupted. King Radovid had summoned Geralt to collect on the favor he owed to the mad Redanian ruler. Geralt went to see what the King needed, leaving Dominik with extra time in his day. The young Witcher went to see Triss Merigold, remembering the sorceress needed a favor from them. On the way however, Dominik ran into Freya Kaminski of Ellander, the only woman in the last eight years the young Witcher had ever broke his faith to Ciri for. After reuniting, Dominik helped Freya search for a lost friend. Tragically Freya's friend had been killed by a Bruxa. Together Dominik and Freya hunted down the beast, killing it and avenging the men it had killed. During the fight however Dominik was wounded, so Freya tended to his wounds, before the young Witcher headed to find Triss Merigold.
"So… you're really in Novigrad looking for her," Freya asked, gently wiping the solvent she had made onto his wound.
Freya had helped him get back to her room at the Golden Sturgeon, it was small, but she had enough room to treat him. Just like when he knew her back in Ellander, she was an incredibly talented healer. She mashed together a selection of herbs into a solvent, a paste that she applied gently to the wound on his side. It had been a deep one, but as soon as the paste his it, he felt a pleasant cooling sensation run through his body.
He sighed in relief, looking back at her as she stood up.
"Yeah… she's been seen here. First started on her trail in Velen," He explained, as Freya went to wash her hands on a bowl of water.
She finished washing her hands and turned to him. He had taken off his armor and shirt, only sitting on her bed in his trousers and boots. He watched as she pulled a long set of cloth bandages from her bag. She sat down next to him and gestured for him to lift his arms. He complied with her orders and she went about wrapping the bandages around his abdomen.
"Not to dash your hopes but… how do you know the trail is real," She asked him, pulling tightly to be sure the bandages stayed in place.
He winced slightly, but looked down at her, "Well she's actually been seen. People we've talked to have actually seen her. She was looking for me and Geralt, she… she's on the run."
"From what," She asked him, finally tying the tightened bandage around his waist and looking back up at him.
A cold chill ran through his bones as her met her gaze. To that day he still shuddered at the idea.
"The Wild Hunt… they want her… abilities," He explained to her, trying to keep himself from shaking.
He had told her everything. Geralt might not have thought it was wise, the older Witcher had been telling him repeatedly that as few people as possible should know about Ciri's powers. However, he couldn't stop himself when he started explaining. Just like all those years ago, Freya was a good listener, asking questions at the right time, and just sitting back and listening at others. She had an aura of trust around her, her blue eyes sent reassurance and warmth down his body, making him think that perhaps everything would be alright He told her his story to that point, from the Alp in Claywitch, to the meeting with the emperor in Vizima, to the fight with Nithral in the caves of Velen, and all the way up to Novigrad, even the night before when he and Geralt raided Whoreson Junior's mansion for his information on her.
Freya had taken it all in stride, simply nodding as she made the solvent to heal his wound. Now however, she sat next to him, their eyes locked and she nodded.
"Dominik, I… I'm so sorry," She said softly, not taking her eyes off his.
Quickly he shook his head, "You don't have anything to apologize for, I'm the one who-."
"No, I do… I really do," She said, quickly cutting him of, before continuing with a sigh, "I'm sorry for doubting what you said. I… I really thought it was all an excuse… that you just had used it as a way to leave me, move onto the next girl on the path."
He felt his face heat up. After what had happened with Freya other women had tried to woo him, gain his heart, but none had succeeded. Meeting Freya had made him realize the love he had for Ciri was true, and wouldn't be broken, no matter how much time they spent apart. However, Freya also helped him regain faith in himself, in his quest, gave him the strength to go on.
Slowly he shook his head, "It… it's alright. I… didn't go about any of it the right way. I should have told you from the start like I said. I… really never meant to hurt you, I just thought you deserved more."
Her eyes didn't leave him. He could see the thoughts whirling inside them, like she wanted to say a hundred things, but was having a hard time picking which one. She carefully placed her hand over his and he felt a small twinge go up his body.
She squeezed his hand once before letting it go, looking back up to meet his eyes.
"I… I called you some pretty horrible things through the years," She said, a small smile coming to her face, "Every year I saw you come back to Ellander I… I wanted to confront you, slap you, scream at you for what you did."
"You should've," He said, his voice rising to one of sarcasm, "Could've had this conversation without the whole, vampire almost killing us incident."
She scoffed and laughed, lightly shaking her head and looking back to him, "I suppose you're right…. Thank you… for what you said. I… I understand now, you were… well you still are in love with someone else. And it must be deep if you've spent eight years looking…"
He felt the swallow around his neck tremble, and he sighed, looking over at her again. The light from the sun that had reemerged casted over them both from the window. It was turning into a hot day again, and the uneventful day he thought he was going to have had quickly turned into one of the most eventful in the last few weeks.
However, he was glad that it had turned out the way it did.
"It is yeah… deeper than I ever thought it'd go," He started, and her head perked up to meet his again, "Just because it's true, doesn't mean I went about it the right way. I… I'm sorry again Freya. I don't regret a second, I spent with you… I… I hope that we can be well… friends despite it all."
She had let her hair out of its ponytail, so her blonde curls cascaded down her back. Her blue eyes sparkled in the light from the sun, as again she reached over and took his hand. This time she didn't let it go, shifting her body to face him. She gave him a small smile, and he could see fully now how beautiful she had gotten. A smaller upturned nose, her large blue eyes, she would have drove any man crazy.
She sighed, before looking at him with a smile, "Dominik… you'll always be the first man I ever loved. Been the only one since then…. I would be lying if I said I didn't wish things could be different but… Cirilla… Ciri… if she's what's going to make you truly happy then… well I hope you find her and… and if you ever need my help, with anything… you'll have it. My sword, potions… just someone to talk to… anything."
He could feel his heart thump faster in his chest, and the hairs on his arms stick up. For years he thought that Freya would forever hate him, be furious with him, and if he did see her again, she indeed would slap him, scream at him for what he'd put her through. However, he realized how stupid that was of him to think. It wasn't the kind of person Freya Kaminski of Ellander was. She was forgiving, understanding, kind, and one of the greatest people he had met in his years alone.
And she wanted the best for him, just like he did for her.
"Th… thank you Freya. I… I don't know what to say," He said, unable to form words that could express his gratitude.
She laughed and she smirked again, "Well that's certainly a first. Your wound should be fine in a couple of hours. That solvent worked wonders for the boys in the army."
Finally, she stood up, walking back over to the small table that was in the corner of her room. The large brown bag which contained all her alchemical ingredients was spilled open. She carefully took out the golden chain that she retrieved from Damien's body. Sighing, she squeezed it, before tying the chain around her neck.
He stood up himself as well, wincing slightly at the ache from his wound but was able to move his arms with little pain. She turned to the dresser opposite her and gestured for her to join her.
"Come on, let me help you get this back on," She said, as he carefully walked over to her.
"I can dress myself you know," He said in a sarcastic tone, as she helped him slide his arms into his undershirt before she lifted his armor up.
He realized why she offered to aid him, when he tried to move his arms backwards to put them into his armor, the pain flared up again. He winced as she helped him strap on the red gambeson, before she loaded the wolf armor on top of his shoulders. The armor he felt weigh him down slightly, but he soon got used to it again. She handed him his gloves, and he slipped them on, tightening them both, feeling a relieved sigh escape him. He turned around and saw her holding his blade in the sheath. Smiling she handed it over to him.
"I know you can, but I need to do something to pay you back. You did save my life after all," She said, as he tightly tied his blade across his back.
Quickly he shook his head after his outfit was finally back in place, "Freya no, you don't have to pay me back anything. Like I told you, you're my friend, I help the people I care about. I never charge them."
She laughed and he could see the mischief return to her eyes, "I can't just not do anything. Don't you Witcher's normally ask people without coin for, 'that which you have at home, yet do not know'?"
His eyes widened and a tingle ran down his spine. Quickly he shook his head, "Used to happen a lot, but not much anymore. Only ever did it once, and well… don't know what I'm getting from it, probably a bushel of corn or something."
He remembered back to Mikel in Claywitch, the foreman of the mill who he had saved from the Alp. The man had given him the Law of Surprise as payment, but he obviously hasn't had the chance to go back and collect. He wasn't in a hurry too, most of the time it was an extra crop bushel or an old shirt they forgot they had, so he assumed safely whatever it was he'd receive from Mikel would be safe.
Freya sighed and shook her head, but met his gaze again, her eyes flooded with determination, "Well whatever it ends up being. I will pay you back somehow, I swear it."
Again, he smiled, finally holding his hands up at her, "Alright, alright. Just… don't think about it too much. Buy me a drink next time I come to Ellander, and we'll call it even."
She laughed and crossed her arms, meeting his gaze with a smile, "It's a deal. I'll buy you a drink… and Ciri too, after you find her."
The words had shocked him, he scoffed and met her eyes again, "Ha, you really… want to meet Ciri?"
"Of course, I do. After hearing everything you've told me… well she seems like quite the fascinating person to get to know," She said, a mischievous smile coming to her face as she looked at him, "Besides… she's the reason you left me, It'd be interesting to get to know her."
He felt his eyes go wide, his mouth suddenly felt dry, "I… I said… well…-."
His stuttering made Freya toss her head back and laugh, she smirked at him and sighed, "I'm kidding don't worry… but I'm serious. If you ever need help… finding Ciri, or with anything else, I'm here."
Breathing in relief he felt himself smile widely again. Freya was another name. Faram, Roche, Freya… people who he considered friends, future allies. He was going to find Ciri, they were going to defeat the Hunt. And after they did, they would get together, have a drink, and looked back on what they did in amazement. He had been foolish when he was younger, Freya as he expected perfectly understood, and was now even willing to help him. He should have been honest with her and he hadn't been… and thankfully she was willing to forgive, it was the kind of person she was.
He met her eyes one last time, but then the sun peered into the room. As much as he wished he could stay and catch up more with Freya, he remembered what he had set out to do that morning. He remembered the phylactery in his bag, the reason Ciri had come to Novigrad, and what Geralt had said to him before he left. He needed to go and see Triss Merigold, to see if she could tell him anything about the phylactery, and to see what she needed their aid with.
"I… thank you again Freya. It… it means more then you'll know," He said, getting a smile from her before he continued, "What… what are you going to do now?"
Sighing Freya turned from him, back towards the table. She picked up her large bag and slung it around her shoulder, sliding the sword she had into her waist. He saw her grip the golden rose necklace around her neck, as he often did with the swallow pendant he wore. Freya gave him a smile, but he could see the worry hiding beneath her iris's.
"Well, I'm going to try and make it to Kaedwen. Damien told me he lived in Ban Ard. I'm going to find his family… give this to them and… well tell them what happened," She explained, her face falling again.
His heart did as well. He remembered the body of Damien mangled by the Bruxa in the yard. He never thought he'd see Freya cry like that, even when he spent time with her years ago, she was always so happy, seeing the bright side of everything. So, seeing her lament her friend's death had hit him, and he regretted that he hadn't seen her a few days before so he could have helped.
He sighed, looking at her with sympathetic eyes, "Is… there anything I can do to help? Go with you somewhere, anything like that?"
She gave him a light smile and gently shook her head, "No… I'll be alright. Besides, you're on a quest of your own. You're finally so close to finding Ciri, I don't want to take you from that now."
Sighing he knew the girl was right. He couldn't leave Novigrad, he was too close. They were only a few weeks behind Ciri and as soon as they had Dandelion, they would finally be able to figure out what had happened to her. As much as he wished he could help Freya more, he kept hearing Ciri's voice in his head… and it made his heart stir. He remembered the night before, Whoreson Junior attacking her. She was in danger, and he would never abandon her, not again.
He nodded at Freya and she sighed with a smile, looking at him with her hands on her hips.
"Well, you're all healed up. I need to… do something. Need to get out of Novigrad, I can sell some things but… I'll need to find somewhere to stay, at least for the next few days," She said, looking out of the window over the city.
His head perked up at her words, and a smile came to his face. He walked next to her and looked out the window with her.
"I have a solution for that," He said, making the girl turn and meet his eyes before he continued, "Head over to the Rosemary and Thyme. Talk to the dwarf that runs the place, Zoltan. He's a friend of mine, tell him I sent you, and he'll treat you like family."
"Really? I wouldn't want to impose, really I-," She started, only for him to cut him off with a shake of the head.
"No problem at all. Zoltan will take care of you, get you some food, a few drinks. You should be able to at least stay for the next few days," He said with a smile.
Freya thought for a moment, looking out the window before coming back to him. She smiled but didn't say anything. She grabbed his shoulders, and leaned up, planting a long, lingering kiss on his cheek. He felt his face go red, as she gently pulled back, meeting his eyes. She smiled up widely at him, and for the first time, he could truly see that she cared for him. It hadn't turned out like she wanted, they weren't in love, but she cared for him still. She respected his love for Ciri and wasn't pressing him. It was the signs of a mature person, and a true friend.
"Thank you… I need to get some things done in town, I'm sure you do too. I guess you'll be seeing more of me then," She said with a smile and a small smirk.
Sighing he smiled again, feeling his face get flustered and nodding at her, "Sounds like a plan… it was good seeing you again Freya."
She nodded back to him, and gestured towards the door, "It was good to see you too. Go on, I'm sure you have something important to get down too. I'll see you later at the Rosemary and Thyme."
She had been right of course. He needed to go and see Triss and figure out what the sorceress could tell him. If she could figure out what the phylactery was, then he could finally understand what Ciri was doing. He could see if she truly were trying to cast one… or worse case… lift one.
And if she was trying to lift one off herself, then their time was winding down.
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He had parted ways with Freya after they had left the Sturgeon. She had told him she was going to try and haggle selling a few herbs before she went to see Zoltan at the Rosemary and Thyme. The sun outside as he assumed was slowly being covered by the clouds again, and he could feel the small drops of precipitation starting to fall from the sky. Still, from what bits of the sun he could see, he assumed it was getting close to dawn. The sun would be downing soon, and Geralt still hadn't returned.
Carefully he walked through the bits, trying to find the townhouse Triss had described to them. What could Radovid have possibly sent Geralt to do? He knew his adopted father was able, however if he didn't return before the night, he would have to go look for him. Radovid seemed to have some begrudging respect for Geralt when they met, however you never knew with a madman.
Whatever was in the paste that Freya had put on his wound had worked like a charm. His side still slightly ached, but he was able to move all his limbs freely, without interruption. If he had to fight again during that day, he was going to be able too. The rain soon started to lightly come down, making him roll his eyes as he started to slog through the mud. However, he did finally reach the townhouse that Triss had described.
A steep ramp led down to a wooden door. Eager to get out of the rain, he sloshed through the now muddy ground and knocked on the door. He heard some yelling from the inside, as he slicked back his now, wet brown hair.
He just got done adjusting the straps of his armor, and the sword on his back when the door swung open. An older balding man wearing a white tunic had answered. Dominik straightened and nodded at the man, however he and his wife that flanked behind him didn't seem particularly happy to see him.
"Aye, who you here to see," The old man asked bitterly.
He narrowed his eyes at the sudden rudeness, but quickly answered.
"Triss…" He said slowly, wanting to make sure he had indeed found the right house.
The man's wife scoffed from behind him, "We told her no men over! This is a decent house for decent folk!"
"I'll make it quick," He said, crossing his arms and eyeing them both.
His attempt at intimidations seemed to work, because the man sighed, moving out from the entrance and pointed towards his stairs.
"Third floor keep it quiet," He muttered, before walking back to his kitchen table, where he could see Gwent cards lying in wait.
He turned around one last time to make sure he wasn't being followed, before carefully entering the house. It looked like a relatively nice house for a pair living in the bits. The woman swept dirt from the ground and eyes him suspiciously as he passed, while the man did the same. A kitchen table, oven and tables with food, and chests all lined the bottom floor.
Closing the door behind him he quickly moved out of their sight, up towards the stairs. He creaked up them, feeling the gaze of the man and his wife finally leave him as he got to the second floor. Sighing in relief he saw the second floor had to be where the couple slept. It had two beds, dressers and crates strewn about. However, after the day he had so far, he was eager to see Triss, and figure out more about Ciri.
Seeing Freya again somehow had only seemed to spur him on even further to finally find her. He wanted to find Ciri, and he could finally take her to meet all his friends, the ones who had helped keep him alive through the years. The more and more he thought about her, the more he wished that Corinne Tilly's dream had simply panned around for him to see her face. All he had seen was the drawing of what the Emperor's spies assumed she looked like now. The drawing was still in his room back at the Rosemary and Thyme, sitting on the dresser. He could feel the phylactery bouncing in his bag, the reason Ciri had come to Novigrad.
It was going to play a major part in finding her now.
He finally got to the top floor and saw where Triss was living. A mega scope was set up on the ground, and a small set of steps led up to what was another small area. It had a bed and a large body mirror. He spotted Triss's fiery red hair to his left, a glass in her hand as she combed through a book. A huge smile came to his face as he finally entered the room.
"Triss," He said excitedly, almost making the sorceress drop her glass.
She whirled around and closed her book. A smile came to her face as she laughed, standing up and quickly moving over to him.
"Dominik, it's good to see you," She said, pulling him into a hug.
He wrapped his arms around the sorceress's waist, resting his head on her shoulder. She squeezed him tightly and for a few moments he felt completely at ease, as he took in the pleasant juniper scent from her hair. The red-headed sorceress pulled back, looking at him with a smile. She finally let go of him, gesturing for him to sit next to her. He smiled and did just that.
Sighing he almost fell down into the seat across from the sorceress, looking over to meet her eyes, "It's good to see you too. Especially after everything that's happened since I saw you last."
Triss laughed lightly, crossing her legs, "It's only been a day and a half, what possibly could have happened?"
"A lot," he said with a small laugh, "I came to see what you said you needed the last time we talked. And… well I wanted to show you something."
She lifted her cup and took a small sip of what she had, before looking back and smiling at him, "Of course I'll take a look…. Where's Geralt? I know you can take care of yourself, but he's normally with you."
The mention of Geralt made his mind whirl, wishing that the older Witcher would finish whatever business he needed for Radovid. The sooner they paid off that madman, the sooner they could focus solely on finding Ciri again.
He looked up and met Triss's eyes and nodded, "You're right. He's… out on a job right now. I'll explain everything but first… do you got a bottle of something strong? I'm old enough now you know."
Triss laughed again and reached under the table pulling out a bottle of wine she had been pouring from and placed it and another cup on the table.
"Of course, I do, now go on. Tell me everything," She said, pouring both a drink.
He scoffed and picked up the cup, taking a quick sip before looking back at the sorceress, "Well let me start with yesterday…"
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He went on to explain everything up to that current moment. Starting with them going to see Roche at his hidden camp the day before. He told her how Radovid had given them Whoreson Junior's location before he and Geralt went to raid his mansion that night. After finally telling her what had happened to Ciri that night, he then went on to tell her about what had happened just that morning.
He told her how he saved Freya from the bandits, and hunted down a Bruxa with her, helping her avenge her friend.
Triss smiled at him, swirling the cup of wine in her hands, "I never thought you'd find someone other than Ciri…. It's good that you were able to part on good terms," She said, taking a quick sip before continuing, "Now… what was this about a phylactery?"
Nodding he reached into his bag and found the small box. The gilded gold and black box, he felt his medallion start to slowly hum as he placed the box between the two of them. His medallion slowly continued to hum, so he could tell that the small box had some type of magic to it. Triss met his eyes for a moment, rain was pattering against the one window in her room. She looked back down and slowly picked up the box.
"My medallion is vibrating," He told the sorceress as she closely examined the box, "It's like I said. Whoreson asked Ciri and Dandelion to rob Dijkstra's vault, and in exchange he'd find someone to get it open."
"I've seen plenty of phylactery's before but…" Triss started, running her hands across the engravings, "But these… these carvings are elven."
"Elven," He asked quickly, looking closer at the box, "Why would Ciri have an elven phylactery, and… well I guess I'll ask… can you get it open?"
Triss sighed, looking back up at him, "I can try… stand back, I don't know what'll happen."
Nodding he got up out of the chair and backed up a few steps. Triss stood up as well, holding her hands out towards the box. She took in a deep breath, and her voice went deep. He could see blue magic swirling from her hands.
"Cease, Endeal," She said in her deep voice, and the blue magic swirled towards the box.
The magic slammed into the box, and it swirled with energy. Blue magic swirled into the bauble, and for a moment the box whirled, it seemed as if it would blast open, however, a small *bang* rang through the room, and the box got blasted off the table, clattering to the floor. The explosion made him jump back, but after the small cloud of smoke cleared, he saw the box laying on the ground, still unopened.
"Fuck…" He muttered to himself, as Triss reached down to pick the box up again.
He walked up next to Triss and she sighed, placing the box back onto the table. The box was slightly singed on the lid, and the crevice where it should open, but it was still firmly shut. He looked over at Triss, as the sorceress studied the box closer.
"Do you have any idea why it isn't opening, seems like Whoreson's man couldn't get it open either," He asked, sitting back down at the table across from Triss.
The sorceress ran her hand along the box again, before looking up at him, "Well… it could be that only a certain spell opens it, a certain incantation. That spell can open just about anything… you might need to figure out the specific words to open it."
A thought ran through his head, and he looked up to meet Triss's eyes, "Triss… what do you think is inside? Ciri… she was trying to figure out some curse. Is… is it possible the curse is inside can you do that?"
Triss sighed looking up from the box, into his eyes and nodded, "It's possible yes but… I don't think you're going to get it open unless you have the right incantation. This… this is some powerful magic at work."
Sighing he picked the box up into his hands. He ran his hands over the golden black bauble. If Ciri really had a curse cast upon her, then he needed to move fast. If somehow getting the box open could save her, then he would rip it open with his bare hands if he had too.
"Ciri… what have you gotten yourself into…" He muttered, feeling his voice begin to shake.
His stomach began to tie into knots again, he slid the bauble back into his bag and looked back up to meet Triss's eyes. It was becoming more and more imperative that they find her even quicker now. If he found her, only to see that a curse had overtaken her because he wasn't quick enough, he didn't know how he would bare it. The worry must have been written all over his face, because Triss reached over, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
"Hey, don't worry. Ciri's smart, I'm sure she's okay," The sorceress said, as he looked up to meet her eyes, "And I know you're going to find her. You will find Ciri, and you are going to protect her, just like you always did…"
"I've been doing a pretty shitty job of it… a REALLY shitty job the last eight years," He said slowly, looking down at the cup of wine that had spilled on the table.
He thought again all about the things he learned happened to her over the last eight years. The men who had hunted her down, tossed her into prison, tried to rape her, kill her, control what she did. All the people who had treated her as nothing but a vessel for the Elder Blood. All of this happened to her while he was wondering around searching everywhere except where she was. He had been so in over his head, thinking he could find her all by himself.
He of course had been wrong. Then, the last few weeks she had been going through hell, running from the Wild Hunt and he still hadn't been there to save her.
"Hey," Triss said, getting him to meet her eyes, "Do you wanna know what a wise man once told me?"
Slowly he looked up and met the sorceress's eyes, and she smirked at him.
"A wise Witcher once told me this. The past might hurt…" She said, making him smile up at her as she went on, "He said the past might hurt. But you can either run from it…. Or you can learn from it."
He scoffed and felt himself smile, remembering the words he had spoken to her, the ones Faram spoke to him before that. She was right of course, he needed to bury the past. He couldn't think about his failures anymore. He needed to stop dwelling and do whatever he could to find Ciri. If she really didn't have much time with a curse progressing on her, he needed to get the box back to her.
It was time to bury the past, and go full force, put himself fully into finding her. No more dwelling. It was time for him to act. It wasn't going to be like the last eight years anymore, where he just sat around feeling sorry for himself. For most of his time alone that was what he did. He would wonder around from inn to inn, following the small whispers of leads he had on her, but never fully putting everything he had into the search. He was so angry, bitter, and full of self-pity. If he had maned up and stopped feeling sorry for himself… perhaps he could have found Ciri, or perhaps he could have been at Strygga Castle to rescue her. It was one of the biggest regrets he had, that he had acted so petulant, refusing to go with Geralt to look because of a stupid anger he had.
He would make up for it, he wouldn't give anything less then everything he had now, not the half assed effort he had been giving the last eight years.
"Thanks, Triss… you always knew just what to say, even when I was younger," He said, smiling up at the sorceress.
She laughed and let go of his hand, leaning back in her chair with a smile, "You're welcome. I'll never forget the little boy I found on the road who almost stabbed me to protect the little girl."
He laughed this time, remembering the snow-covered roads that day. Triss Merigold had helped take care of him in one of the most important times in his life. She had taught him how to be a good partner for Ciri, taught him how to better take care of her. She had helped him through his nightmares and taught him the importance of kindness and empathy. He loved the sorceress; she wasn't just the older sibling he never got to experience having. She was one of his best-friends.
Smiling at her he laughed again, "Hahah… thank you Triss… for everything. How… how are you feeling? How's your hand?"
He remembered hearing the screams of the sorceress a few nights prior. When he thought about how he plunged his dagger into Menge's neck, he also thought about the screams of Triss in the room next to them. He had seen her fingers bloodied from where they tortured her. It had been part of the reason he snapped, and killed the commander of the guard, he couldn't stand hearing her screams.
Triss sighed and held her hand up to show him her fingers. They had healed and her fingernails had slowly started to grow back.
She gave him a small smile and nodded, "I'm alright, they'll heal. I knew what I was getting into, and I don't regret it."
He nodded, but still felt himself sigh, "Still… I'm sorry it had to come to that. I know Geralt is too."
At the mention of his adopted father her head perked up, "You… never told me where Geralt is."
Nodding he met the sorceresses light green eyes, "Yeah… he's doing something. Radovid he… he wanted something in return for giving us Junior. Some soldiers came by and took Geralt to him earlier, told me he'd be back, should be soon."
The effect on Triss's face was instant. Her eyes went wide, and he could see the worry behind them. Quickly he shook his head, smiling at her reassuringly.
"Don't worry I'm sure he'll be alright," He said to the sorceress.
Sighing Triss looked back at him, "I know he will be. I'm just worried about what he'd send him to do."
He felt the sorceresses worry. Whatever Radovid had planned for Geralt, it couldn't be good. However, he could see how distraught the sorceress was, so he shook his head, trying for a reassuring smile.
"Well, I know I'm not as dashingly handsome as Geralt," He said, getting a laugh from the sorceress before he continued, "But before he left, he told me to come help you with what you needed."
Another smiled came across Triss's face before she sighed, pulling a letter out of her pocket. She unfolded it and placed it on the table between them.
He gently grabbed the letter and combed over the few words before meeting Triss's eyes.
She sighed and he could see the apprehension behind her gaze, "It's a letter from Ingrid Vegelbud's servant. Apparently, Lady Vegelbud wants to help the mages escape Novigrad. Prepared to offer a pretty large sum."
The elegant handwriting on the letter certainly indicated that someone of a higher status had wrote it. However, the idea of a wealthy noblewoman suddenly wanting to go against the dominate religions commandments sounded shady.
"And let me guess, she's doing this completely out of the kindness of her heart," He said sarcastically handing the letter back to Triss.
The sorceress scoffed and stuffed the letter back into her pocket before turning back to him, "Hardly. That's the problem I'm running into. Vegelbud needs something from me. No information about it in the letter. Only says I'm supposed to meet the servant in the fish market, that he'll explain everything…. But I can't be too careful with who I meet these days."
He nodded quickly in agreement, shaking his head slowly towards the sorceress, "You're right… this could be a trap by the Witch Hunter's. We need to be careful, especially after we killed Menge, they're probably cracking down even harder."
"I know, which is why I'm so hesitant," Triss said, her voice becoming desperate, "But… that coin could finally give me enough to get the mages out of here."
He didn't like the idea one bit. However, he could see how determined that Triss was. She wanted to save her fellow mages, and that was something he greatly admired. He knew he was going to help her; it was his fault in the end she didn't get gold from Dijkstra. If they had been able to find out where the man's treasure had been taken, Triss could already have the coin necessary.
Sighing he looked up, and gave her a reassuring smile, "Well I'm part of the reason you couldn't get gold from Dijkstra. Don't like this whole set-up… but I'll do whatever I can to help. I'll go meet with the servant, make sure everything's safe. If we see that it is, you'll be right by to see what he needs."
A sigh of relief left Triss's lips as she looked up at him gratefully, "Thank you so much Dom, it means a lot."
He shook his head quickly, smiling back at her, "You protected me from nightmares at Kaer Morhen. The least I can do is make sure this is safe. I'll make sure the note didn't come from Witch Hunters. How're we supposed to contact this servant?"
Triss and he both stood up, as the rain started to pound harder on the window.
"He'll be wearing a blue tunic, ring of keys on his belt. I'm supposed to ask where I can get the best price on trout," She told him, her eyes slightly rolling.
Scoffing he looked back at her, "Wow, terribly clever. Easy enough. You follow me from a distance, and once I make sure everything's safe you can come in."
Smiling at him, the sorceress hugged him quickly again, "Thanks again Dom, you always were a great little helper."
"Except when you asked me to help cook," He said, pulling back from the embrace with a smile.
Triss laughed heartily and smiled back at him, "Ahaha, remember that time you wanted to make Ciri breakfast one morning as a surprise?"
The memory made him smile, as he looked up and met the sorceress's eyes, "How can I forget, burned the pancakes, bacon was basically black. If not for you I would've probably given her food poisoning."
Again, the sorceress laughed and smiled at him, "Oh yes, you definitely would have…. You will find her. I know you will."
He met the sorceress's eyes and slowly shook his head, "Enough about me for the day. Come on, let's go, it's time we worried about getting you and the other mages out of here."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Lotta blue tunics…" He muttered to himself, feeling the rain lightly fall on his head.
Triss had teleported away, promising that she would keep watch from afar for him. He slogged through the mud and cobblestone streets to finally make it to the fish market. Like he expected the rain hadn't put a damper on the people of Novigrad's desire to go to the market. The stalls were lined with all types of different fish, from catfish, bass, and sure enough trout. The only problem was, he could see many different blue tunics in the crowd.
He maneuvered around a few crowds of people, his boots leaving prints in his wake, as the rain stuck his brown hair to his forehead. Sighing he walked right down the center of the market, determined to find this servant. He couldn't see any Witch Hunter's around, so for the moment he felt safe, he only hoped that Triss was watching without being seen.
After a few moments of searching and making sure he wasn't run over by people, he spotted one man in a blue tunic. He could hear the jingling of keys and saw a large key ring tied to his belt. He felt a cold breeze run through his armor, sending a chill down his back when he finally made it to the man. He stood with his arms crossed when the man finally turned to see him.
"Aye, how can I help you," He said, looking carefully into Dominik's eyes.
The man was lanky, with a sword at his belt. He sighed, remembering the ridiculous code words and met the man's eyes.
"Just here to peruse. Do you know… where I can get the best price on trout," He asked the man, the people in the market walking around him.
After hearing the words leave his mouth, he looked around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. After he did, the man took a step closer to him, and Dominik could see the nervousness fill his eyes.
"Aye I do…. But you aren't who I was supposed to be meeting sir," The man said, his voice staying low.
Meeting the man's eyes, he kept his arms crossed, "You wanna talk to the letter's recipient, I gotta be there. Non-negotiable."
Sighing the man took a step back and gestured for him to follow, "Alright, come on. Follow me, we'll go somewhere private."
He nodded and the man jogged towards the bridge. Quickly he followed behind, his sword clanking on his back. The rain had started to slow down, coming to a small drizzle as he crossed the bridge, following closely behind the servant. He kept his eyes peeling all around him. He couldn't spot Triss following him, or any Witch Hunter's nearby. No temple guards, or anything of the like were nearby, so he was starting to believe that the plan was actually legitimate.
In the back of his mind he felt a good feeling crop up. Despite how he knew finding Ciri was the priority, he was glad that he could help Triss with her business. Getting the mages out of Novigrad was a noble task, helping them escape with their lives was something he was glad that he could do. Thinking about the time that had passed, he realized that they had only been in Novigrad for less than a week. They had been moving swiftly, going from lead to lead and he was glad to be making such progress. Stopping for a few hours to help Triss, or to save Freya earlier was worth it. He knew that Ciri would have wanted them to do it.
After he had finally crossed the bridge however, his hopes of a peaceful meeting were dashed.
"There they are, get'em lads," He heard yelled as soon as he crossed the bridge with the servant.
Four armed men leaped from the side; they had been hiding behind the pillars. One knocked the servant to the ground, a sword drawn. He went to impale the man in the blue tunic, but just before he could, Dominik fired his hand forward, and the Aard sign blasted the man back.
The servant scrambled to his feet, gripping for his blade, as Dominik quickly drew his sword as well. He lashed out, striking and spinning forward, just barely deflecting a strike that would've killed the servant he was with. He locked blades with one attackers' swords, and pushed forward, gracefully spinning to the side and striking down the man's back, causing him to fall to the ground. Dominik brough his blade around again and slashed the man to the ground.
He heard footsteps sloshing through the mud around him, and he whirled around again. Quickly he parried two strikes, before ducking under a third and stabbing his blade through the man's gut. Quickly he remembered the servant and turned around just in time to see the man he had been following cut down one of his attackers. He looked to the left to see the man he had Aard blasted rush towards his again. The man jabbed his blade towards his abdomen, but quickly he side-stepped, spinning around the man's body and cutting his sword across the attacker's neck, ending him in an instant.
The four corpses lay out on the ground by his feet as he sighed in relief, sheathing his sword behind his back. The servant who he had been following quickly rushed over to him, his hands on his knees panting. He quickly led the man to a small alcove near the side of a building, right near the edge of the water. No other people were around, just him and the man. Finally, the servant sigh deeply looking back up to him.
"Thank you, sir," he said, looking around to make sure nobody was around, before meeting his eyes, "Without you I'd surely-. Hold on… where's Miss Merigold?"
"Hold up," he said, holding his hands up to stop the man, "You don't talk to Triss until you tell me why those men attacked. What'd they want?"
The rain continued to slosh down around them, as the man wiped his forehead, "I… I never laid on eyes on them myself before today. Our messenger's been getting attacked more and more, they've been wanting to question them about the young count."
He had learned to tell when people were lying over the years. The servant was clearly delirious, only following his master's orders. Silently he turned around and waved his hand up, before turning back to the man. He turned back to the man, and within a few second, he heard footsteps behind him. Triss had come up next to him, her hood up to hide her fiery hair.
The man quickly turned to Triss, "You were to come alone miss!"
Triss scoffed and looked behind them to the four bodies littered in the streets, "If not for him, that trio would've dragged you in for questioning. That tall one was Valdo Muris, worked for the Witch Hunters."
The sun behind the clouds of rain he could see was slowly starting to set. If the day had been clear, they would have been able to see the sunset soon upon them. The night brough the cold, and with winter getting closer, the nights got increasingly colder. He felt a chill run down his back as he looked at the stunned man with his arms crossed.
The servant sighed deeply, looking up apologetically, "Aye, you're surely right miss. I'm sorry for sounding ungrateful but… Lady Vegelbud-."
"Listen, it's dangerous for us to be out too long. Tell us what this is all about, be straight with us," He quickly said, cutting the man off.
He knew that once the night came, the Witch Hunter's and Temple Guard would soon come out in droves. The man seemed to understand that as well, because he nodded and shakily met the eyes of Triss and he.
"Aye sir," He said quickly, "Lady Vegelbud's son- he's the problem. Master Albert's taken an interest in alchemy. Temple Guard had caught wind."
He felt himself tense. After hearing what Freya had told him earlier, about the Redanian's and the army hanging even innocent alchemist, he knew now why the Vegelbud's were afraid.
Triss scoffed next to him, "I wouldn't worry about the guard, but since the mage hunters tried to grab you…. I'd say Albert's in serious trouble."
The man quickly nodded in agreement, "Aye, Lady Vegelbud paid off the guardsmen…. But since the Hunter's pay for every mage revealed to them."
His face contorted to outrage, and he scoffed, "Bastard's took the bribe from a frightened family… then told the Hunter's anyway, bastards…" he started, looking over to meet Triss's eyes, "Looks like Albert needs to disappear… and fast."
Triss's eyes grew hard as she nodded, turning back to the man, "I can arrange that. You think young Vegelbud can get out of the estate unnoticed?"
He could hear the fierceness in Triss's voice. That was something he always admired about the sorceress. She was one of the kindest people you'd ever meet, however if you angered her, or hurt someone she cared about she had a deadly side. He heard about the battle of Sodden Hill, where Triss had fought alongside Yennefer and the other mages. She had earned the nickname 'Merigold the Fearless' and over the years he saw why.
The servant nodded, looking at them both now, "Aye but it ain't that simple. Master Albert is in hiding at the Vegelbud country estate," The man started, pacing for a moment, before looking back at them, "Lady Ingrid's got the notion she can sneak him out unnoticed- wants to throw a lavish masquerade ball."
The idea of a large noble party like that, flashed him back to when he was younger in Cintra. Unlike Geralt, he didn't mind formal occasions as such. He had met Ciri at the first one he ever attended and attended many more with her and his father in Cintra afterwards. He smiled at the idea and turned over to Triss.
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," He started, a small smile coming to his face, "A large bash, wine and drinks flowing. If this one's any like the ones I went to in Cintra, people will be drunk enough within a few hours, the two of us can get Albert out unnoticed."
At hearing the end of his sentence, Triss's head whirled around to him, "You're going to come with me?"
He scoffed at the idea, "Of course I am. Not going to let you walk into what could be a lion's den by yourself. Either me, or Geralt if he gets back in time will go with you. We won't let you do this alone."
Triss's face almost seemed to blush red, she didn't say anything, only giving him a thankful smile and nod.
"Okay… how will we get into the residence," She asked, turning back to the servant.
The servant quickly nodded, reaching into his back pocket to pull out an elegantly folded piece of paper. He reached out his hand and gave it to Triss before he looked around to make sure again nobody was lingering.
He walked past the two of them, looking back one last time, "That's the invitation. You're to wear a fox mask so the guard at the gate will recognize you…. Good luck."
The man walked away from them, half jogging down the road to their left. He whirled back around to see Triss holding the invitation in her hands. The sorceress let out a deep breath and placed the invitation back into her pocket. She looked up and met his eyes, a look of gratitude shining through them.
"Thanks again for helping… are you sure you want to do this? I know that you have to stay on Ciri's trail and-," She started, but he quickly cut her off by shaking his head.
"Don't worry I'm happy to help," He started, getting a smile from her before he went on, "I'll go to this party with you, me or Geralt will probably be willing once he-."
"Geralt will be probably be willing to what," A voice asked from behind him.
He whirled around with Triss, and he felt a large sigh of relief leave him when he saw his adopted father. Geralt had crossed the bridge, his armor with a few new singe, claw and other marks. Despite his armor being slightly worse for ware, he smiled as he saw the both of them. He breathed another sigh of relief, and he could hear Triss do the same around him. Night was almost upon them, and he was beginning to feel slightly worried he'd have to go look for his adopted father.
"Geralt thank god," He said, as his adopted father finally joined them, "I was starting to get worried… what happened to you?"
Geralt looked and met Triss's eyes, and he could see the two staring into each other's eyes for a moment. The older Witcher gave the sorceress a small nod and smiled, which Triss returned.
His adopted father sighed, looking at them both, "Long story, I'll tell you both later…. So, what'd you end up doing," he asked Dominik, before turning to Triss, "And what was it Triss needed help with."
He felt himself laugh as he smiled at his adopted father, "Ha, well I've had a much more eventful day then I thought I would that's for sure… come on, I'll tell you about it."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"So, you took your ex-girlfriend vampire hunting," Geralt said sarcastically, "How very romantic of you."
Before he did anything, Triss and he had brought Geralt to speed on her current situation. They explained how lady Vegelbud was throwing a lavish ball, so Triss had the opportunity to help her son escape. After explaining that Triss was no allowed to bring one of them to the ball with her, as he expected Geralt quickly offered to be the one to go.
The truth of the matter was that he wanted to finally give both Geralt and Triss the chance to be alone. Every time that they all had been together, he could feel that the two of them needed to have a conversation about their relationship. The two clearly didn't want to talk about it with him around, so despite the fact they did have the mission, he was hoping the two of them going to the Vegelbud's would give them the chance to have the conversation they needed. He knew that Geralt was still conflicted on his feelings for both of the sorceresses. No matter what, in the end he only wanted his adopted father to be truly happy. It didn't matter in the end to him if he picked Yennefer, Triss or neither, all he wanted was for Geralt to be happy.
And no matter his choice, he wouldn't love Yennefer or Triss any less.
After explaining the situation, Triss was adamant that Geralt go and get a new doublet from Elihal's shop outside town, while he also got the two of them masks. On that way, he had told his adopted father what Triss discovered about the phylactery, and about his adventure with Freya earlier in the day.
Elihal had Geralt try on multiple doublets, much to the older Witcher's ire. However, once Geralt found one he was satisfied with, the elf had taken them to the other room to adjust them properly, while he and Geralt both sat in the front room of the tailor shop.
Upon hearing Geralt's comment he leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes, "Hi-fucking-larious Geralt. I'm serious though… I'm glad I helped her, I got a friend, and ally now."
Geralt smirked at him, before giving him a genuine look of pride, "It was a good thing you did. From how you described it, sounds like a good friend to have. What's she going to do now?"
Sighing he played with the swallow pendant around his neck, looking up to meet Geralt's eyes, as the older Witcher leaned against the wall.
"Well I told her to go to the Rosemary and Thyme, she needed a place to stay for a day or two," He started, the sun finally starting to finally go down behind the rain clouds, "After that she's going to Kaedwen, to return her friend's necklace After that well… she said she wants to pay me back somehow. Told me after I find Ciri we can all have a drink."
Geralt chuckled with a smile, "That's good. Sounds like an impressive woman, she took down a Bruxa with you. Have you ever taken contracts on them before?"
"Only a few times by myself," He explained to his adopted father, "A couple more with Faram. But one time, me and Faram teamed up with that Griffin School Witcher I told you about, George. Three of us had to fight one, damn thing had nearly an army of thralls."
Geralt nodded in understanding. His adopted father peered out the window, watching the rain pat against it, the light of the day slowly fading.
Finally, he turned back to Dominik in the chair, "So, looks like you're going to have a free night. Any idea what you'll do with it?"
He was about to shrug his shoulders, stating how he'd probably spend it at the Rosemary and Thyme drinking with Zoltan and Faram. However, an idea slowly perked up in the back of his head. He thought back to what he had just told Geralt, about the time Faram and he teamed up with the Witcher George to slay a Bruxa and its thralls.
The plan that he had formulated in his mind was still something he had wanted to put into motion. He was going to train in the five schools of Witcher combat. Of course, he was already a master at wolf school techniques. And while he still had a way to go, he was really starting to get the hand of the Bear School techniques that Faram had been teaching him. That was two of the five, and he thought that with himself getting closer to Ciri, perhaps it was time for him to begin training in another.
Faram had told him he saw the Witcher George of Toussaint in Oxenfurt. George of Toussaint, of the Witcher School of the Griffin. He remembered watching George fight, the signs that the Griffin School Witcher had used, were powerful, so powerful that he was able to take down men with one blast of Aard, and melted armor with his Igni. That didn't mean he was a slouch with a blade either. The Griffin School Witcher possessed a wide arrange of graceful spins and parries. When he, Faram and George had all fought side by side, using all three of their school's techniques, they had become an almost unstoppable force.
Smiling, he stood up from the chair, and met Geralt's eyes, "I think I do…. I'm going to ride for Oxenfurt."
Geralt narrowed his eyes questioningly, "Okay… why Oxenfurt?"
A smile crossed his face as he looked out the window of the tailor's shop, "I'm going to go find the Witcher George of Toussaint and convince him to teach me techniques from the School of the Griffin."
A/N: Alright a bit of a calming, less action, more character driven chapter this time around. We get a touching scene with Dominik and Freya, more insight and bonding between Triss and our young Witcher, and finally we see what Dominik's going to do next chapter. Next chapter we meet the Witcher George of Toussaint.
So, Freya is going to end up being a very important player down the line in this story. What did you guys think of her in the last two chapters, and how do you think she'll affect the story? Do you think she and Ciri will get along? How will she help in the fight to come?
Also, what about the relationship we see between Dominik and Triss? Does it make you wonder how close Dominik and his adopted Yennefer are? This arc we will see more of Dom's bond with Triss, while when we get to Skellige, we'll see how much his adopted mother Yennefer changed his life.
Also, next chapter we meet the Witcher George of Toussaint of the School of the Griffin! Dominik is going to ask him to teach him tactics from the School of the Griffin. With wolf school and bear school moves learned, adding in the griffin school is greatly going to add to the hybrid style of combat Dominik's developing.
Thank you all again so much for the support! We're almost finished up in Novigrad and soon we'll be off to Skellige, what are some predictions you have for the Isles? Let me know all your thoughts in a review!
Thanks so much for tuning into another chapter everyone, the support means a ton to me. I'll see you all next time, stay safe and healthy in these dangerous times!