A lull fell over Farcorners after the wedding ceremony ended.
Ciri and Avallac'h were among the guests as everyone said goodbye to Bea and Ciaran and wished the newlyweds a happy, fulfilling marriage one last time before they left the tent hand-in-hand and embarked on their journey as husband and wife.
Afterward, some of the guests went home, others went back to drinking, and Ciri took a seat at one of the empty tables to be alone with her thoughts, though it wasn't long before Avallac'h found her.
"You seem awfully grim. If I didn't know better, I would think you were at a funeral and not a wedding."
"I'm fine. It's just, when I caught the garland, I realized something: that I've been running for almost my whole life and now, I have all the time in the world. What do I do now?"
"Whatever you wish," Avallac'h supplied.
"Thanks, that's very helpful," Ciri groaned.
To be told that the sky was the limit was not helpful in the slightest.
She was a witcher, had informally forsaken all of the titles and lands that her name afforded her in favor of being a free woman who hunted monsters like Geralt, and she was more than happy with her place in life but it still felt as if she was missing something, though she couldn't put her finger on what that was, exactly.
"It almost feels like I have too much time on my hands and it just feels strange. I feel guilty, almost like I should be doing more with all of the free time I have now."
"You're free to live your life however you wish now that the Wild Hunt is no longer a threat. That is what is important."
Ciri sensed some unspoken remark that was supposed to follow the sage's reassuring words but remembered that it just wasn't Avallac'h's style to utter sugary words of comfort and it was foolish of her to expect him to be anything other than pragmatic. Despite that, she managed to take comfort in his words upon realizing that he was right.
Why was she complaining?
She had everything she had ever wanted in life - she had fulfilled her dream to become a witcher, was no longer being chased by Eredin and the Wild Hunt for her powers, and had managed to avoid being forced onto the Nilfgaardian throne, partially on account of Morvran Voorhis ascending after Emhyr abdicated - but the garland had brought her back to reality and made her realize that she was missing one very important thing that she had always wanted: a child after her own blood and a family to go with it.
The only problem was that so many had wanted control over her powers that Ciri still wasn't sure if she was one-hundred-percent in the clear or if she would have to worry about certain players rearing their ugly faces if she had a child one day. She didn't want a repeat of the recent past to occur with any children she brought into the world, which left her wondering if everyone would fare better if she followed Geralt's lead by adopting a child instead.
After all, it wasn't blood ties that determined who was family - she would be the first to come forth and say that, even to Emhyr's face - but rather, who was in the picture and it seemed like the safer option for her child because then she could spare them the likely agony of being chased after for the Elder Blood.
Perhaps it's for the better if the Elder Blood dies with me… even if I would like to have a child of my own.
"Zireael, what's on your mind?"
"I-It's nothing important," she insisted. Now was not the time to be discussing the Elder Blood with Avallac'h, certainly not here at Bea's wedding.
She held her tongue, for she wasn't sure how things would go over with the sage if she told him what was really on her mind, and insisted that she was fine even when he prodded her further.
"Come, let's go for a walk. It will do you some good to get some fresh air," he suggested as he stepped away from the table and strode out of the tent, with Ciri close on his heels.
She was relieved just to have an excuse to get away from the tent, for even the bards that had been hired to provide music for the wedding had started to sound like they'd had too much to drink and their music wasn't nearly as pleasant to listen to as it had been hours ago when the wedding had begun.
Once outside, they walked along the river at a leisurely pace in hopes of clearing their heads after all of the revelry and partying.
The fresh air felt nice on Ciri's cheeks as steady, gentle gusts of wind blew through her hair and made her hyperaware to her surroundings - more specifically, to Avallac'h's presence beside her. He smelled like a mixture of herbs and spices, ink and old books, and something foreign that she couldn't discern but that smelled something like pine… though not quite that, either.
In the near distance, Ciri spotted two figures dancing together and quickly realized from the sounds of their voices that it was Bea and Ciaran, giggling their heads off as he spun Bea around before pulling her to his chest and stealing her lips for a kiss.
She was so unbelievably happy for her dear friend but she also envied her just a little, even though she knew she was wrong to feel that way.
"Seems the lovebirds are enjoying themselves- ah, I'm so sorry, Avallac'h," Ciri apologized as she turned her attention back to the elven sage. "I've been so busy moping about my own problems that I forgot to ask: how are you faring?"
"The wedding was an interesting affair."
He had been surprised to see humans and Aen Seidhe elves celebrating together in harmony and had enjoyed himself, though it was even more fascinating that it had been a human woman and an elf who had gotten married. He had always had the impression that the two species barely tolerated each other but it seemed they could be happy together and celebrate, too, without paying any mind to their differences.
"Interesting in a good way or a bad way?"
"A good way," Avallac'h confirmed. He had no complaints, for he had been able to enjoy good food and wine, and had been in Ciri's ever-pleasant company.
Just seeing Ciri's eyes sparkling like emeralds while she danced circles around him had been enough for Avallac'h to content himself with her company and soothed any irritation he might have felt over mingling with drunk dh'oine for a night. He liked interacting with people in very small doses, preferring solitude or Zireael's company, but he could also see the merit in letting loose for one night, which would help keep them both sane for the next few weeks until the high finally wore off, of course.
"That's good. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."
"And you didn't?"
"Oh, n-no, I did," Ciri insisted. "It was quite lovely. I wish every day could be like today."
"Not every day can be as eventful as today, or it wouldn't be special."
"I suppose you're right."
They didn't walk very far before Ciri spotted a boat sitting on the riverbank next to a flimsy, rickety dock half-submerged in water and a bright idea suddenly struck the witcher, causing her to blurt out,
"Want to take it for a ride?"
She didn't give Avallac'h a chance to answer before she grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him down to the boat. She untied it and together, they pushed it out into the river, promptly climbed in, and set off in the direction opposite of Tretogor Gate.
It was after midnight and the owner was unlikely to need it until morning, hence their lack of urgency to bring it back.
She wanted to quickly reach the ocean and figured it was better if they sailed towards the Novigrad harbor instead of circling all the way around the Free City, though it wasn't long before Ciri found herself regretting her decision to take a shortcut.
She bit back a curse and tightly clutched the helm as she felt panic rising in her throat - for a moment, she pondered the possibility of using her powers to teleport herself, Avallac'h, and the boat out of harm's way - but Avallac'h must have seen the look of terror on her face, for he looked over his shoulder to see what had scared her and then, a bright light appeared in his hand and came to envelop the boat, lifting it out of the water and allowing it to sail over the rocks before landing back into the water with a splash!
Ciri let out a sigh of relief as she leaned back in her seat and went back to steering the boat, uttering a soft "thank you" to the elf, who nodded in acknowledgement.
It would have been horrible if she couldn't return the boat they had borrowed and could not imagine how much of a rude awakening it would have been to the owner if he woke up in the morning and discovered his boat had been smashed by a witcher and an elf who took it for a joyride.
With the danger averted, Ciri felt a sense of peace wash over her and any lingering fear washed away as they emerged from behind the wall and came within full view of the harbor, where giant masts of ships with white sails were docked in the harbor while seabirds cawed on the boardwalk even this late at night.
Meanwhile, she and Avallac'h floated in the ocean without a care in the world.
It was somehow comforting, and made her feel like her problems were so far away despite the fact that they were standing back on the shore, waiting for her to deal with them.
She couldn't help but wonder if a day would come when she got tired of endless amounts of blood, filth, and monsters, of the general hatred towards witchers who did dangerous, dirty, and thankless work in exchange for meager coin, and if she might want something else for herself in the future.
"What is on your mind, Zirael? I can tell you're concerned about something," Avallac'h remarked knowingly. He knew her well enough that he could read her like a book. "If you wish, you can speak to me about whatever is troubling you."
It took her some time to gather her thoughts but Avallac'h waited patiently until she finally felt ready to speak, which was when she looked up, meeting the elven sage's aquamarine gaze, and said,
"Would you believe me if I said that I'm having a bit of a crisis?"
"A crisis regarding what?"
"Whether I made the right choice of becoming a witcher."
"Does this have anything to do with Voorhis' proposal?"
"No, of course not! Well, um, actually… perhaps it does, just a little?"
Voorhis' proposal had thrown her off and planted a nefarious seed in her head that had left her doubting herself and her decisions. It had opened her eyes to the realization that her goal in life had been so simple-minded: to become a witcher… and then what?
Was there anything else for her to strive for, especially now that the path in front of her was open and could lead to anywhere?
"I thought I would truly be happy with my place in life but… sometimes I catch myself wondering, am I satisfied with where I am? And will I always be happy as a witcher?"
"You have a long life ahead of you, Zireael," Avallac'h soothed. "There will be enough time for you to explore so many endeavors, to give up monster hunting for something else, to take up monster hunting again after taking a break… you don't have to worry about anyone stealing your place in the witcher circle. The monsters won't be going anywhere."
"That's… true."
It was a small yet morbid comfort that witchers were a dying breed and Geralt was retiring soon with plans to live out the rest of his days in Toussaint. But it wasn't the monsters she was worried about.
Monsters she could kill, but kings and emperors seeking control of the Elder Blood she could not. At least, not without becoming a wanted criminal and kingslayer.
If only there was some other way, Ciri thought wistfully but nothing short of faking her death for real and assuming a new identity came to mind.
As Avallac'h adjusted himself in his seat on the other end of the boat, the flute Ciri had won earlier in the day fell onto the floor of their rickety boat, which snapped the witcher out of her thoughts. She released the helm and leaned down to pick it up, holding it out to him.
"It's nowhere near as ornate as my flute," he remarked as he took it from her.
"Whatever did happen to your flute?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side in curiosity.
"I must have lost it while we were on the run between worlds. There is no telling where it could be but mine was much better, that is for sure," Avallac'h boasted, but he took the wooden flute from her outstretched hand and began to play, only for Ciri to quickly cover her ears at the shrill noise that left the "instrument".
"Please, no more!" she begged, unable to stand the horrid sound. "You could scare the feathers off a Cockatrice with that noise!"
"Indeed, it could," Avallac'h agreed as he moved the wooden "flute" away from his lips.
Despite being of embarrassingly low quality, he decided to keep it and tucked it into the folds of his robe for safekeeping.
With a steady breeze in the sails, the witcher and elf continued outward into the ocean and before they knew it, Novigrad's lights were but tiny glimmers in the distance akin to the stars in the night sky.
A lull fell over them as their boat eased to a stop in the shadow of the tallest tower in Elector's Square, which was the result of a combination of sleepiness from a long, eventful day and the slight swaying of the boat in the water, and Ciri felt as if she could fall asleep right then and there.
Avallac'h seemed to notice this and insisted that they switch places so he could steer the boat, and Ciri agreed without needing any convincing.
Once she took his place, she started to doze off, head supported by her chin, and closed her eyes - she had slept in worse places than a rickety fishing boat in the middle of the ocean just outside Novigrad - and didn't see the point in fighting against sleep, only to jolt awake when their boat bumped into something with such a force that it rocked violently side to side and she wasn't sure what possessed her to stand up but she did and started to flail her arms around as she tried her hardest to regain her balance, which she could feel slipping away.
In his attempt to grab Ciri's arm before she fell overboard, Avallac'h also made a mistake in standing up and the boat tipped over, sending them both tumbling into the water with a splash!
As he came up for air, Ciri's tinkling laughter filled his ears and Avallac'h looked over in time to see a genuine smile on the witcher's face
When they recovered from their surprise plunge, Avallac'h and Ciri flipped the boat upright and she held the boat for the sage as he climbed in and then, when he held out his hand to pull the witcher back into the boat, she disappeared in a flash of green light and reappeared in the boat with a smug smirk on her lips.
"You call it laziness, I call it ingenuity!" Ciri protested even though the elven sage hadn't said anything, merely giving her a look as he shook his head.
Standing in the boat allowed her to see things from a higher vantage point than Avallac'h could while sitting down and Ciri scanned the water in search of the obstruction that had knocked them into the water. Just past Avallac'h's head, she spotted half-waterlogged crates bobbing of the water some feet behind their boat and quickly figured they must have fallen off a cargo ship or gotten dumped through a hatch in the bottom of the hull if the contents were of an illegal nature.
No way of knowing what was actually in it, Ciri thought.
She wasn't nearly curious enough to bother finding out and judging by the barnacles clinging to the wood, the crates had been there for a while and whatever had been in it had likely disintegrated by now or held very little value.
The night was warm and they could feel their wet clothes drying on their bodies but with the wedding being over, it didn't matter if their clothes were soaking and hair was haphazardly out of place. They would need to head back to the inn soon so they could change out of their wedding attire and get some much-needed sleep but they felt no urgency to head home just yet, wanting to put it off a little longer, if only to enjoy this moment that felt like it was frozen in time
As she moved to sit down, Ciri noticed something shiny out of the corner of her eye and as she turned around, she looked up and saw the moon shining brightly, full and beautiful in a cloudless starry sky.
"Can we go to the moon?" This earned her a peculiar look from Avallac'h.
"The moon is up there. How do you plan on getting us there?"
"Silly elf, we don't have to go all the way up there. Look," Ciri said as she pointed to the moon's reflection on the water to draw Avallac'h's attention there. "There's the moon."
To her joy, the boat began to move until they finally reached the moon, easing to a stop as they came to sit in the center of its reflection. Ciri leaned over the boat, resting her weight on her arm while she ran her finger over the surface of the water and watched it ripple. She could see some fish swimming below, flitting among the kelp and grass in their respective schools as they searched for food or someplace to hide for the night, and she couldn't help but envy them a little.
At least their problems were so simple: to find food and shelter and live to survive another day. Hers were so much more cumbersome and complicated.
I'll figure things out one day, she told herself in an attempt to self-soothe, so she didn't ruin her happy mood. I know I will…
As for Avallac'h, it wasn't the water or the moon that captivated him but Ciri herself and he was grateful for his spot at the helm, for it allowed him to admire the Swallow without looking like he was staring.
Her lithe, toned body and vibrant emerald eyes immediately caught his attention but it was the way that the moon's reflection glittered against the water and shimmered on Ciri's bangs made her hair that made it look like it was made of silver, reminding him of the precious metal that her second sword would be made of… once Hattori finished crafting it, that is.
Ciri insisted she would start carrying an extra blade like Geralt - just another instance of a daughter emulating her father - but time would tell if that proved to be true or if she defaulted back to her trusty Zireael.
"When I was studying at Kaer Morhen, I once read a fable about a rabbit in the moon. It's not an actual rabbit in the moon," she clarified, though she was sure Avallac'h knew that. As she looked his way, she flashed him a smile that he returned, which was more emotion than she'd ever seen him express.
She also assumed that he knew the story but proceeded to explain anyway, if only so their conversation didn't die abruptly.
"Because of the shadow on the near-dark side of the moon. But it's not just a rabbit: it's a rabbit grinding the elixir of life with a mortar and pestle."
As she said this, Avallac'h looked up at the moon and could see the silhouette of a rabbit, looking as if it was hunched over while it laboured over a mortar bowl, just like in the story Ciri had recounted for him.
"Oh, and before I forget…"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for coming with me to the wedding."
"Of course. It was my pleasure," Avallac'h said smoothly.
Regarding this, Ciri smiled and then turned her attention back to the water as she did her best to ignore her burning cheeks.