"Lilith, are you awake?"

Daylight poured into the room as the witch groaned and opened her eyes. It felt as if scorpions were nesting on her tongue and her head throbbed. She lay in a simple bed, a blanket bunched up around her feet. She sat up slowly, wincing as pain ran down her ride, "What…happened?"

A woman stood by her bedside, watching her carefully, "The Witcher who brought you here said that you ran into a centipede in the woods outside of Boughbright. I always tell the mayor that he needs to do something about them, but he refuses to do anything! Julia, by the way."

"Lilith," She responded, her voice froggy and hoarse, "How long have I been here?"

"Oh, not long. I'd give it…14 hours or so. Fortunately, the poison seemed to slow in your veins, so we were able to save your other arm." She nodded to Lilith's bandaged arm and then turned back to busying herself around the room. "The Witcher has been asking about you all night. He does seem to care about you, at least a little bit."

"Don't confuse caring with coin," Lilith said with a little laugh, "He's in it for the money."

Julia pursed her lips, "Darling, nobody stays around just for the money. I saw it in his eyes, he cares."

Lilith made a face and then stretched out her legs, "Have you seen an owl or Griffon?" She asked, attempting to stand from the bed. Her knees wobbled for a moment and she went tumbling, obviously still weak. Julia helped her up and put her back in bed.

"No owl or Griffon. You are also too weak to move yet. Give the potion another 12 hours and you will be right as rain. I'll go tell your counterpart that you're awake. He wants to see you." Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked from the room, leaving Lilith to her own devices. She leaned back on the itchy pillow and for the first time since waking, took inventory of the room she lay in. Every square inch was covered in drying herbs, coating the room in a medicinal scent. Some were familiar to her, but most she had never seen.

The door opened and a familiar silver haired man stood at the threshold, catching her attention. Geralt kept his yellow eyes trained on the woman, his gaze drifting to her bandaged arm. Her wavy hair had become curly in the fray of her fitful sleep, strands sticking to her face. In the light of the morning, he could see freckles on her tawny skin, the sunlight streaming through the window catching the honeyed notes in her hair to match her eyes. "What you did was selfish and you could have easily been killed." Were the first words out of his mouth as he stepped over the threshold.

"I wanted to help, so don't lecture me about being selfish," Lilith snapped back, wincing as the words echoed through her head, "Can you bring me some water? I feel like something dead is living in my mouth."

Wordlessly, Geralt handed her a mug sitting on a table. Wincing, she took it with bandaged hand and drank deeply, "You could have died." He repeated, waiting for the witch to finish drinking. Finally, she put the cup down and glared at the Witcher, amber eyes flashing angrily.

"I would have easily sent it away."

"Your magic is weak. This is why you need to return to Phillipa. She would be able to help you."

Lilith looked down at the cup in her hand, "Do you realize that I was treated worse at the hands of Phillipa than I was by the hands of Bastian? She would have killed me, sent me down to a lab to be autopsied and studied if she had her way. When the other witches refused, she had me sent down to the dungeons and subjected to tests against my will, out of sight, out of mind. She would send me into fits of madness without a second thought."

Geralt sat on the foot of the bed and the two merely watched one another as he finally turned back to her, "You had no plans on going back to the Lodge, were you?"

Lilith bit her lip, finally looking back at the silver haired man, "No. Once you left, I planned on regaining my title and using the funds to look for my mother's people. If there is anyone that can help me, it would be them."

"Going into the Korath desert is a death wish. You would die within an hour of stepping foot there."

Lilith took a deep breath and closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks, "Geralt, you do not realize what it's like to live ostracized from the world, not knowing if a single fit will kill someone or an entire village."

"The ostracization is familiar, I assure you," Geralt responded with a dry little chuckle, "But your powers…"

She waved her hand dismissively, "If I don't learn about these powers, I will fall to the same fate as my mother. If I live my life in isolation, my house will fall. I must go and find out what I can."

Geralt glanced over at the door, "You will need someone to watch your back."

She turned her face to Geralt, "Are you offering yourself up?"

"Is the pay favorable?"

"I can make it worth your while, I promise you that."

Geralt nodded silently, stealing one more glance at the witch, "You thinking about what Miranda said?"

She didn't move, merely staring down at her cup, "Yes, I am. She said there are still witches in the East who control the chaos magic. My mother's people, I'm sure."

"Do you think they would be willing to help an outsider?" Geralt questioned, making Lilith turn her attention to the windows.

"I…don't know. I can only hope that they will help me once they know that I can perform magic like that." Lilith shrugged and glanced over at Geralt, "I can only hope. Right now, my eyes are on Toussaint. Did you send the raven to your contacts?"

He nodded and pulled a piece of paper from within his pocket, "Jaskier will meet us at The Resting Place outside of the city walls."

"That's the seediest tavern this side of the river!" Lilith complained, "My father said that if a man came from The Resting Place, he would have his head. It's a place for ruffians and thugs."

"We don't have much of a choice, Lilith," Geralt responded, "As soon as you are well, we'll return to the road and…"

The door burst open, Julia storming into the room, a worried expression on her face, "There is a group of soldiers outside, looking for a woman named Lilith. They want to bring her back to Novigrad for trial. Something about witchcraft and murder?"

Lilith opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Julia nodded in confirmation and then strolled over to the bed, "I once heard of a witch in Toussaint that could control the beasts of the fields and sky. That cannot possibly be your mother, could it?"

"I…" Lilith began to say, but Julia merely shook her head.

"I won't reveal your whereabouts, I can assure you of that. But you must get to the port and find safe passage to Toussaint. The roads are crawling with soldiers holding the Northwood crest, probably from here to the city."

"Shit," Geralt said gruffly, standing from the bed, "We need to leave, now."

"Come with me," Julia walked over to the bed and helped Lilith stand, "There is a secret passageway out of the city down by the docks." The witch wobbled with the healer as they walked from the room and down a hallway. Down the steps they descended into the basement of the house. It was dark and dingy, but in the light of a single lantern, they saw a small wooden door in the earthen wall, "You must leave before they find you."

"Why are you helping us?" Geralt questioned as Julia pride the door open. The woman turned and placed her fingers at the necklace on her breast.

"You think I saved your friend on skill alone, Witcher?" She asked, "If there are soldiers here, it won't take long for Nilfgaard to be interested and send witch hunters. If they find me, I will be burned at the steak, even for what little magic I do possess."

"You have been a true friend," Lilith said, looking down at the necklace she wore. Sure enough, emblazoned on the surface of the silver was a small bird that indicated her true alliance, "Thank you."

"Do not thank me yet." Julia finished prying the door open and allowed them to slide through, "Don't stop for anything, not until you have made it to the docks. Ask for Silas, he will take you to Toussaint."

With a final nod, the torch was passed to Geralt and the door slammed closed behind them, leaving them in the yawing cavern. "Come on." Geralt wrapped his arm around Lilith's waist and helped her move down the corridor, the dirt soft and damp beneath their feet. They walked as fast a Lilith's legs would allow them to go, the sound of people above their head. Lilith heard her name on the tongue of a soldier as they passed underfoot, asking someone if they had seen her or Geralt pass. The civilian confirmed that they had seen a silver haired man with a woman thrown over his back gallop into the village the night before. The man thanked her for her time and then his voice disappeared into the fray.

"They'll find us," Lilith murmured in a hushed voice, "There is no way we'll make it."

"Have faith," Geralt replied simply as they continued along, the scent of the sea piercing the air as they got closer to their target. Finally, the flitting light of the sun filtered through a grate and Geralt pushed It aside, allowing them to exit the darkness. The stench of the port made Lilith wrinkle her nose, but she didn't complain as they walked through the streets, trying to keep their heads down. Unfortunately, since it was hard to disguise a one-armed woman and silver haired man, they were instantly spotted, eyes turning to watch them go.

"Over there!" A sharp voice carried through the air as Geralt tried to make his companion move quicker. A man in deep blue armor was running towards them, sword unsheathed, followed closely by seven or eight other men.

"Lilith, you need to move!" Geralt snarled under his breath as the witch seemed to slow even further, "I don't think you want to die today, and I am certainly not interested in joining you on your demise."

"Stop." She whispered, making Geralt glance down at her, "Give me a minute, I can't go on."

"We have to reach the ship, Lilith!" Geralt responded as he pushed past onlookers. However, with the added weight, he slowed, merely grabbing Lilith and hoisting her over his shoulder as he broke into a quick gait.

"Stop, you!" He paid no attention to the voices as Lilith squirmed against him.

"Geralt, let me go!" She snapped, "I can stop them!"

"You can hardly walk, let alone stop them!" He snarled in her ear, "We have to find a ship!"

"No," Was the final thing that was uttered as she went stiff as a board in his arms, her eyes rolling back into her head, her breathing slowed. A shriek was heard from overhead and Geralt watched in amazement as the Griffon flew from the sky, talons ready to strike as it picked up a soldier and dropped him into the port, his heavy armor dragging him to the bottom of the sea. The remaining soldiers dove for the ground as Seraphina swooped back in for another attack, her eyes unseeing as Lilith and her familiar became one.

"Archers!" A voice was heard as Geralt turned on his heel and broke into a sprint, leaving the fray behind them. He prayed that Lilith could at least hold them off long enough for them to find transport to Toussaint. He grabbed a petrified man by the collar, pulling him towards his face.

"Where is Silas?!" He demanded as the man raised one finger and pointed to a boat that was moored only meters away. Geralt threw the man to the side and ran the last few steps to the dock as men cowered for their lives as Seraphina flew overhead, her cries echoing through the village.

"I'm looking for Silas!" Geralt yelled at the sailors who were flat against the docks.

"Do you not see the Griffon above our heads, Witcher?! Kill the damned beast!" A man shrieked.

"Silas! Where is he?" Geralt tried to repeat the question as a man peered out from over the railing of the ship.

"I am Silas, Witcher!" He cried over the chaos as Lilith spasmed in his arms, a shriek of pure agony escaping her lips.

"We need safe passage to Toussaint! I can pay in crowns, but we need to go NOW." Geralt raced up the gangplank of the ship and dumped Lilith on the deck, watching as she writhed on the deck, moans and screams echoing that of Seraphina. He turned around and watched in horror as Seraphina flew haphazardly through the air, arrows sticking from her body. She let out one last pitiful scream as a single arrow sailed through the air, piercing the Griffon in the eye. Like a rock dropped by a child, Seraphina plummeted from the sky, her broken body falling onto the docks, blood dripping from her mouth.

With a scream to wake the dead, Lilith sat up, her eyes wild and insane, "SERAPHINA!" She screamed, jumping to her feet and rushing towards the docks. Geralt grabbed her by the waist and kept her from running back down the plank.

"WE NEED TO GO!" Geralt bellowed at Silas who finally understood the gravity of the situation. With a sharp whistle, his crew moved like a well-oiled machine, Geralt keeping Lilith at his side as tears rushed down her face, her features distorted by unabashed grief. The soldiers, for now, seemed more interested in regrouping than following the duo, and Geralt watched the smoke and listened to the screams of agony from the soldiers who continued to live but had been injured by Seraphina.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Lilith shrieked, trying to remove herself from Geralt's grasp, "She needs me!"

"Seraphina's dead, Lilith. And we will be too if you go back there." Geralt growled in her ear, making her stop moving for a moment. The boat lurched away from the dock as the sailors began to prepare to get underway, "Come on, we're going to Toussaint."

"Seraphina…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" Lilith's knees buckled beneath her and Geralt allowed her to slip to the deck of the ship, Boughbright slipping away as the headed out to sea. The soldiers now watched from the shore as a ship carrying a woman with only one arm and a man with silver hair disappeared from Northwood's grasp once again.

One of the soldiers turned back to a man with a crimson gash across his skull, "Send word to Lord Northwood that they are headed to Toussaint. Send boats after them."

The soldier winced and nodded, heading back to the broken body of the Griffon as Julia herself pried the tongue from the Griffon's mouth, "Hey, get away from there!" He snapped, glaring at the woman. She merely bowed her head and stepped away from the body.

"I am but a humble healer, m'lord. I would get this chance not once in a lifetime and a merchant would charge me an arm and a leg…"

Quick as a serpent, the man had Julia by the arm, squeezing it tightly. "What games are you getting at, girl? Do you know of these two? You seemed quite unphased by the Griffon's appearance."

"Get your hands off me or I will call the guards!" She snarled, wrenching her arm away, murder in her eyes, "I will not be manhandled like some cow sent to market, Sir!"

The soldier took one last look at the woman and nodded, "Very well, be on your way."

Julia exited the scene, disappearing into the village. The soldier watched her leave and then motioned for another man to come forward from the squadron. "Follow her and see if the guards of this backwater town will help you perform a raid. I believe that she's as much of a healer as she is a crow. Send word that we may need hunters as well. There was a barricade on the road to the north of here."

The soldier nodded and without another word, vanished into the crowds of people.