Yen conjured a kestrel and sent it towards the castle as it became apparent Visenna could not be moved. She applied pressure to her wound, which was extremely deep, and pushed magic into it, trying to stop the bleeding. But this was not Yen's speciality and she needed help.
At that very moment things went from bad to worse. She could see a portal a bit further away. And out of the glowing square walked Triss.
Triss seemed surprised to meet her there, not fifty yards from the spot she'd appeared out of. She came to them at once, assessing the situation.
"Well don't just stare, help me!" Yennefer snapped and Triss seemed to snap out of her amazement. She placed her hands beside Yen's and started murmuring spells. Yennefer watched her. Triss didn't seem very angry or urgent. Not interrupting their spells, they opened their minds to each other.
"Are you here to take me back to Vizima?" Yen asked.
"No. I could. But I don't want to", Triss replied.
"Why are you here then?"
"I came to let you off the hook. I managed to convince them you'd acted under duress and that no real harm had been caused by your actions. Your sentence is exile from Temeria."
"Believe me, I intend to return to Toussaint as soon as possible", Yennefer said.
"Yenna, forgive me", Triss said, her gaze still fixed on Visenna's back.
"Of course", Yen said. "You've done worse things to me."
Her words were intended to not be an accusation. Triss understood this, as was evident in the corners of her mouth and eyes, which twitched into a slight smile.
Celia came running then, and once again Yen admired her daughter's calm and collected demeanor in the face of emergency.
"Let me", she said, pushing their hands away and taking over, muttering and moving her fingers in patterns.
"I need to go to Rissberg, Ciri and Geralt are in trouble. Triss, stay here with them", Yen said then, the unease and urgency growing stronger once again now that Visenna's situation was being handled by someone else.
Without interrupting her healing, Celia tugged her ruby off her neck and handed it over to her.
"Don't you need it?" Yen asked.
"You need it more", Celia said in her mind. So she knew something was awry as well. And with that, Yen created the portal and walked through to her nightmare.
She landed outside the gates, which were disguised by an illusion. Yen muttered a spell and it disappeared, revealing the castle. It was very quiet. Yen saw Roach and Lady, nervous and agitated, pacing about freely outside the gate. Kelpie wasn't with them. She hurried forward.
She saw the huge carcasses, and the dead wizard in a pool of blood. She saw the crumbling doorway of the castle and the black sludge covering the front of it. And she saw Geralt hunched over Ciri.
She walked over, her steps slow and reluctant.
As she got beside them, Geralt looked up. His face showed a sorrow mirroring Yen's own.
"Fix her", Geralt whispered.
"Geralt, I can't -", Yen said quietly.
"Magic can raise the dead. Fix her." Geralt shouted the last words.
"It would not be her anymore. She'd never forgive me", Yen said, dropping to her knees, cupping Ciri's face and stroking her hair.
"FIX HER", Geralt bellowed, his voice breaking. Yen could speak anymore, her tears falling freely. She shook her head slowly. Geralt broke down then, shaking with his sobs, hugging his daughter, his child destiny, to his chest. Yen wrapped her arms around them.'
The sun didn't stop beaming. The spring breeze kept blowing. The birds started singing again now that the courtyard was silent and still again. The world did not stop. It didn't care about his loss. It didn't care about Ciri.
Geralt could not bring himself to move. He could not let go of his daughter. He did not want to look at her, yet he was unable to look away. Her skin was so very pale and felt cool to the touch.
"Geralt, we need to go", Yen's broken voice came from beside him. Geralt wasn't so sure the needed to. He found it hard to summon enough motivation to do anything. If it was up to him, he would have stayed there forever, until destiny would have mercy and take him where Ciri had gone.
"Geralt", she said, his name sounding like a sob on her lips. He realized to his surprise that Yen was pulling his arm, trying to get him to stand up.
She had conjured a portal and Geralt saw she had Celia's ruby necklace in her hand.
"I'll take us home", Yen whispered and Geralt stood up with Ciri in his arms. His knees were weak, his body seemed to have lost all its strength. Yen supported him as they walked through the portal.