The Flight of the Swallow: Reconciliation

CHAPTER 2

Welcome

The riders stormed out through the lush forest, axes, swords, and torches in hand; there was mist and a supposed calm, even the fiercest animal its hide in the safety of its burrow. The ten men with fury in their eyes shouted and cursed, they searched like wild beasts and with rage for the person they were chasing.

They stopped for a moment in the middle of the forest clearing, one of them pointed in a particular direction and immediately resumed their hunt for the traitor.

Ciri and her mare Roach ran desperately through that dark forest, the mare was reaching her limit, drooling and startled because she had already been running away from her pursuers for a long time. Ciri, wounded and beaten, was holding on with great force to her horse, to her faithful Roach. She hardly steered the horse in the right direction, or at least to lose sight of her hunters.

Ciri galloped like lightning and her magic had already waned enough to give herself back to the clutches of death. For a second Ciri thought it wouldn't make it. She concentrated enough and tried hard for her thought to give the effect she wanted.

"I want... to go home… comfortable… feel… loved… protected. Ciri said, almost fainting.

"I… just ... please ... please ...

And it happened.

Her concentration was not strong enough for like her heart to take the lead in that decision.

The bandits were about to overtake Ciri when suddenly, a great light blinded them and they cut off their pursuit, the horses were scared and stopped suddenly, throwing most of their riders, rolling on the ground and moaning in pain. Again, the forest was silent.

Crickets and insects, especially small species, witnessed the power that magnetized "the lady of time and space."

Roach whinnied and paused until it did. She was drooling and exhaling tired. A moment passed and inadvertently its rider fell to the ground, a peculiar ground full of wild flowers ... the Arrayan Flowers abounded. Ciri was lying face down on those flowers, and did not even feel the pain in her body. Smiled. She realized that it was a warm and fragrant place. The place that her heart and not her intellect had sent her. Maybe.

The sunset reached that distant place and in the distance some crimson riders were seen. They cautiously approached to Roach and its rider. It was a small squad and everyone surrounded the two visitors. They murmured among themselves in a strange language, a very ancient language. Roach strangely did not protest as she did on other occasions, strangers made her nervous and more when they were creatures with claws and horrifying faces, like the monsters that her friend, lady and rider killed. On the contrary, She nodded and approvingly to these men. Roach was worried about her friend and knew that she needed help.

A man in elegant armor got off his horse. And approached.

He looked at the woman lying on the flowers, frowned and noticed that the flowers were covered in blood. He crouched down and turned the woman onto her back. The man's green eyes shone with the familiarity of that woman, and looked for signs of life, analyzed the wounds and the blood that flowed from her. The woman was inert. He gave an order and immediately another man came over and crouched down as well. The man's hands briefly relieved Ciri's body, with a strange magic that ran through her entire body. The man removed his hands and his magic, he got up looking at the girl with concern. The men said something to the green eyed man. He was their leader.

The green-eyed man remained crouched and silently looking at the woman lying there, he was also worried. He moved a little closer and took Ciri with extreme care. He got up and went to his horse, the subordinate also following him. The subordinate took the girl for a second, while that man in gallant armor settled into his mount, the subordinate returned to him again the injured woman, with great care and delicacy. His leader would carry her on his lap.

The leader of that squad said something unintelligible and they took the reins of the horses and also of the Roach itself, who neighed with joy when it saw how her friend was in good hands.

And it was. It really was.

The crimson riders trotted forward at a brisk pace, not so fast not so slow. The evening light collided with the rider leader's metal shoulder pad and helmet; it made that armor splendid, made it strong and impenetrable, invincible.

Ciri was unconscious but she could hear what was happening around her, always being alert and ready to flee. Unfortunately a memory left by the Wild Hunt and others who always chased her. She knew it rested on someone's chest. She felt a pleasant smell around her, oils that she could not identify, flowers and another strange perfume or soap that did not overshadow the main essence.

It felt a very pleasant, very peaceful heat.

"I want to have this beautiful feeling like this ... forever". She thought.

She tried with all her remaining strength to open her eyes. The only thing it managed to perceive at that moment was the glint of sunlight on the armor and helmet, but not the face of his savior. It parted her lips and wanted to say something, but there was no word. Ciri fainted. The green-eyed man noticed the woman's brief reaction and sighed in relief that she was still alive. And he quickened the pace of his horse.

The Dearg Ruadhri as they were known in that world hastened their step towards Tir ná Lia.

Ciri wandered in the dark agitated and nervous with her silver sword in hand, that forest was very different from what she was used to seeing; dead trees around her, the mist under her feet, the smell of swamp and humidity abounded in the place. But this place was magical and her wolf necklace warned it. She had been walking for a while in search of that creature that called her name. And for an instant ... appeared in front.

A unicorn.

Black, with great strength, an authentic black beauty. And outrageously large for a horse or some other normal sized unicorn.

"Help us, we want to be free, like youuu … .the dark magic, a pact, we are prisoners".

"How can I help you?" I don't know how, I just know that…." Ciri half asked

"They mutilate our horns, they cut off our heads". The black unicorn spoke while cutting Ciri.

"We will wait for you on the mountain in it heart. But there will be blood in return, a sacrifice ... careful".

Ciri felt vertigo, the earth shook and opened under her feet, it fell inside.

Emptiness and darkness surrounded her again.

She floated in that void, she was alone and she looked around and there was nothing and no one. But she began to hear smiles and noise. Avallac'h appeared and with his flute in hand, invited her to accompany him. Strangely she touched the floor and followed it.

"Easy, Zireael, you're safe. I will accompany you to the exit and you will be better. But please follow me and don't get distracted". Avallac'h told her.

Ciri raised her eyebrows and snorted because ... her mentor still treated it like a naive girl, but what Avallac'h didn't know was that she was no longer that girl and that she had been practicing that special magic. Also, what kind of distraction would you find in that place? if it was some kind of dimension to the void.

Suddenly, a corridor materialized with doors in front of one another. Avallac'h continued on his way ahead of her. Ciri walked behind him and cautiously watched the doors, which were closed. But she saw that one was open and there was a light on coming from the door. She stopped.

She looked at Auberon Muircetach running around happily with an elf girl, Ciri missed him very much, it seemed that they were playing with each other. Auberon caught the girl and fell to the carpeted floor. They laughed until their eyes filled with tears, but those tears that make your stomach hurt. Ciri smiled because she never had the opportunity to see the king of the alders so animated. He looked different, happy and full of life. Ciri sadly remembered how the king's tragic end had been. Erasing the smile immediately. Auberon Muircetach protector and lord of those lands, the lands of the Aen Elle.

Ciri saw Avallac'h but in the distance, so she ran to keep him in sight. She ran and ran but could not catch up. Until she tripped and fell to the ground. She complained about it and saw the object that forced her to fall. Her own boots.

"But what!… What are my boots doing here? " She asked.

Near the boots there were her clothes on the ground leading to one of the doors, she followed the trail and realized that the door was half open. She entered carefully and entered the room. It smelled of very pleasant oils. There were some boots and traces of clothing that were not her, some shiny boots on the floor and parts of armor and chain mail, on an armchair. Suddenly it heard some laughter coming from the background, she couldn't see very well because in the middle of the room was a large screen separates the room. Laughter and whispering came from there and Ciri gulped and was ready to find out. She approached as if to hunt a monster silently and ready to unsheathe her sword. In the style of her "father" Geralt of Rivia. Only She wasn't hunting beasts or wraiths. Only intrigue and a huge curiosity that consumed her.

Ciri approached the screen and saw that there were crimson clothes with beautiful embroidery. She had already seen ... that outfit. And then it saw herself on her back, naked, and sitting on the bed. Ciri figured out what to expect from all this and took a step back. She knows who the person it was accompanying "that Ciri". She returned to the entrance of the room. When he was about to leave. Ciri heard those desperate moans and screams again. She was blushing because she found out that she was not discreet at all. She touched her arm and hesitated to come out.

She wanted to be there, it did not want to leave, a tremendous power forced her to stay to witness its own pleasure, its curiosity. That same curiosity that overwhelmed her and that made it tremble, she wanted to know what it is to be in the arms of a man, to know his body, his reactions, his caresses, and especially his kisses.

"Would it be the same or different from what I experienced with Mistle? She asked herself.

"They say that being with a girl is very different from being with a boy. That pleasure is the same in both, but that the intensity is very different, it depends on what kind of lover you choose, your decisions also count.

She bit her lips and turned in the direction of the "lovers." Towards herself. She walked silently but awkwardly. It was shaking to the teeth.

The lovers were no longer in bed, they were near a window, just beyond. She saw herself and Eredin carrying her standing up. His strong, tattooed arms held her firmly on her thighs. And she was supporting herself with her arms around his neck. While her small and feminine legs were wide apart and in the air. It seemed like its weight wasn't an issue, of course, because she was a small dh'oine. She observed him making sudden, intense movements that made her moan. Ciri the spectator put her hand to her mouth, seeing the reactions that the elf produced with each movement,

"Why does it have to be you? Why not another? Why you? Dammit!

She stood there for a long time looking at that, but she wasn't even paying attention to herself, she was watching Eredin, trying to figure out Why he was doing that to her? Why was he in the room? And what did he say to make her laugh like that? She wanted to see his eyes, and find answers perhaps there, but his black hair did not allow them.

Eredin focused on what every man should focus on, be he human, non-human, dwarf or elf. In general, they were all the same in that sense. They all had it. Some were lousy for work, they used to get drunk as a pretext to handle the situation, but they ended up urinating themselves and vomiting; Others like Auberon were not good for that and ended up dead from pride and prejudice and absurd conspiracies, and others like the dwarves, even boasted of having four wives and their funny orgies. Ciri remembered with grace the stories and tales of Yarpen Zigrin and Zoltan Chivay. She smiled.

Ciri thought it appropriate to leave there, she didn't care, Eredin was dead, his bones were made of ice or under water; somewhere in Undvik, along with the entire Wild Hunt and that would be a stupid illusion, some game by someone seeking her fury or just annoying her. When she was about to leave, Eredin turned slightly and very slowly towards Ciri the spectator. He looked at her through the black locks that covered his face. Those green eyes looked at her intensely.

"You're leaving now? Won't you stay? There is a place for another, me elaine luned.… " He paused.

"This! It's what you want the most, isn't it? ". Eredin said.

Ciri stopped abruptly, she was cold looking at the door of the room with wide eyes, she even stopped breathing for a moment ... she also felt her heart act strangely when she heard his voice; she turned its head very slowly to see him. She watched with anticipation, with terror and with great amazement that Eredin was already watching her. At last she saw his green eyes, which covered her face, through her black hair, wet and matted by the erotic hustle and bustle it was experiencing. It was the same look he gave her when they first met. But for her, it was a terrifying look, that look that scares children at night, waiting for the monster to emerge from under the bed or from the darkest corner of the room. Ciri went from terror to panic and because of that, she could no longer move, her legs no longer responded, her body began to tremble progressively and she began to notice that tears were already beginning to fall on her cheeks. Ciri wanted to scream. She Couldn't.

Eredin held out his hand, inviting her to join in his spectral orgy. And not only him. Also that false version of Ciri did the same.

"Come ... you will like it so much ... that you will even beg for more, it is addictive and more pleasant than you can imagine. " That Ciri said and smiled maliciously way.

That smile would never have been done by her, never in her life.

She managed to come out of the trance and screamed very loudly.

Ciri woke up screaming and throwing a servant elf girl to the ground, who was putting on her nightgown. She woke up very upset, tired, sore and with her wet body. She yelled at the servant.

"Get out! Don't touch me! I want to be alone! Alone! Do you hear me? "

The servant elf girl rose from the floor and left Ciri's rooms, closing the door very hard.

Ciri fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Trying to control her breathing, her thoughts and her feelings which were very difficult.

" It was only a dream. A damn dream ... so ... I have returned ... I have returned to Tir ná Lia. " Muttered in a low voice

" Welcome back Zireael… Welcome back. " She told herself.