p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Halfway through my walk I heard the howling of wolfs. They must have smelled me already and soon be here. Instead of taking my sword, I took the meat from my backpack. Most animals like wolfs were easy, most of them only wanted food. I found out that if I fed them, they will leave me alone. This time was no difference./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"When the wolfs showed themselves to me I fed them the big pieces of cheap meat. Probably their own kind, but they didn't care. They gladly took the meat from me and they forgot I was even here. I learned to always bring plenty. Wolfs only hunt when hungry. Wild dogs were a real pain in the ass, they hunt for fun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I left the wolfs behind me, but I didn't get far. A giant hairy monster had taken a giant leap from somewhere and jumped in front of me. It howled towards the moon and then looked at me. Those giant hint legs, capable to jump far. Arms with big long claws. A big head like that of a wolf. Dark black eyes with a small shimmer from the moonlight. I couldn't believe it, a freaking werewolf. One that couldn't care much about food, this was no animal, nor human, it was a monster. And monster wasn't something you could reason with, not with food, nor with words./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The thing clawed at me, I jumped back just in time before my guts would have spilled all over the place. I took my silver sword from my back and put it between us. I knew my armor would be useless against his big claws and teeth. All I had was my silver sword. A werewolf during a full moon, I was screwed. I can't believe I was thinking this, but I sure could use a Witcher right now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The werewolf attacked again with his giant claw and I vent it off with my sword, cutting its arm with the tip. I made him bleed, but it didn't do much. This thing was healing up faster than I could slice my sword. The cut was already gone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then it lunged at me with his whole body. It couldn't care much that I was holding a silver sword. In the nick of time I stepped aside making him miss me. He clawed into the dirt instead. Using his big paws to turn around swiftly, facing me again. He seemed to be waiting for something. I slowly walked back, away from him while I pulled another steak from my backpack and threw it at his feet. He simply ignored it and kept staring at me. "Come on little wolf, youspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanmust be hungry, take the stake. It's much nicer than my flesh." I tried to reason with it anyway./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Like if it was insulted it growled and jumped on top of me. I was fast, but this time the werewolf was faster. I was too late to jump aside. He threw me to the ground. His claw on top of my chest pushing me down, it's nails nearly piercing through my armor. My sword fell from my hand while the beast sunk it's teeth in my arm. Luckily most damage was prevented by the extra iron strip in my armor, nevertheless some of his teeth sank right through them into my skin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The pain was dreadful, like if the wound was burning from the inside out. He kept his mouth on my arm to rip of a piece while his paw on my chest made sure I stayed put. I was really lucky to have my armor which made it hard for him to get a good grip on my arm. The iron strip must hurt the inside of his mouth because it finally let go. I took my chance to take the hidden knife I had made to be a part of my armor and I jabbed it through the paw that was still on my chest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It growled in pain and pulled back. I got back on my feet as fast as I could and grabbed my sword from the ground. While the monster was clawing at its own arm to get the knife out, I quickly ran towards an abandoned house not far from where I was. Just before the monster jumped at me again I close the door behind me. The werewolf bashed into the door instead. At least what was left of the door, this wouldn't hold for long. He ripped the door in pieces like it was carboard. I felt like a piglet in the house of straw, I wouldn't take long before the big bad wolf would have blown it over. The house was old, the roof had holes. It was clearly been used by travelers building campfires inside. It was a miracle the whole house didn't burn off seeing it was made of wood and dry leaves covered the whole floor of the house. It did gave me an idea. I grabbed some flint and my spare bandoline bottle out of my bag and threw the bag out of the window as far away as possible from the house. Quickly I sprinkled some bandoline on the floor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With one last bash the monster smashed himself through the small door opening, filling the room of the tiny house. His head touching the roof. I quickly escaped through the window. The monsters claw barely missed me, sticking out of the window. No way he would fit through there. But before he would bash trough the wall as well I quickly returned to the front of the house and threw the still half full bandoline bottle into pieces in the door opening. The monster inside seemed to have been affected by the overload of smell. I could imagine he had a hard time finding out where I was, since it all smelled like me now. Just like Geralt had said back then, everything about me smelled like this stuff./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I could use the time of its confusion to use the flint and make a fire. When still wet, bandoline was highly flammable. The only exit for the monster was now a massive wall of fire. Together with the leaves and some dry branches inside it didn't took long before the whole hut was burning brightly. I fetched my backback, before it would catch fire as well. The monster inside was growling and howling in pain. Surely his thick fur would also catch on fire./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I collapsed into the grass on a short distance from the fire, I was broken, I never had to fight so hard to stay alive. My arm was still burning, although the wound wasn't deep. It made me feel sick and weak. I needed a rest before I could go on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then I saw the monster jump through the roof of the burning hut, making the hut collapse completely. I had no strength left the fight. But it seemed I didn't need to. The monsters fur was completely on fire, it ran around, in pain. Rolled over the ground to try to stop the fire. I bet his healing powers couldn't keep this much damage under control. I saw the monster collapse, fall forward. Were the fire slowly died out. An awful stench coming off from it, burned hair. His insides, his longs, everything must have been burned completely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I tried sitting up and took a few deep breaths. I think I just killed a werewolf. I needed to continue, who knew what other kind of beast would be drawn towards this smell. I took my silver sword and chopped the head of this werewolf clean off. There was a good chance someone had a contract out for this monster. I could earn some serious money for his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With a smelly burned werewolfs head tied to my backpack with a shoe string I continued to stumble on the road towards Novigrad. The werewolfs dark blood running down on the left side of my leg coming from the head. My right hand covered in blood of my own from the wounds right above. I took of my lower arm protector which was bitten to pieces. It relieved me from some of the pain that was caused by the sharp iron plating sticking into my arm. I tied a messy bandage around my arm, only for the blood to seep through. The big claw of the werewolf was still visible on my chest in the form of a muddy paw and five holes where its nails had been, almost puncturing through my white painted armor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"There was a line of people outside Novigrad, apparently in line to get inside the city. But I walked right past them. Apparently you needed a pass or something to get in. But I had no time for this nonsense. I lost blood, I felt weak and sick, I could really use some help. The face of the soldier when he stopped me was priceless. "What on earth." He was lost of words on the sight of me. "What the hell happened to you?" He finally asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It turned sideways so he could so my trophy hanging on my hip. "Was there a contract for that thing?" I asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"His eyes grew big, "Yes, there is. What are you? A Witcher?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No, just human thank you." I said sarcastically./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sorry miss, it's just that they gave the contract to a Witcher who recently came here. So I assumed that would be you seen you got the werewolf's head."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It's probably Geralt who got the contract, so he must be still here in Novigrad. That would mean he didn't find out were Ciri went next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Since I didn't leave, the soldier added: "Being some kind of monster slayer or not, you need a pass to enter Novigrad. I can't let you through without one."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Since when? Last time I was here, I could go were ever I liked." I said grumpy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Since the Witch hunters are hunting down all Witches in this place. Apparently it's a real plague."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well I'm not a witch. How do I got a pass?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""How would I know? I'm just a simple soldier."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Ugh, I couldn't really use this right now. I needed to find Geralt and I needed some medical attention. I felt worse every minute, I felt lightheaded. The pain in my arm intensified with every movement. The wound wasn't even that deep, but I could imagine the fangs of the werewolf could have infected the wound easily. I needed to get it cleaned, or I wouldn't survive another night. I sank down on this side of the bridge. I needed a little rest first, my knees were getting shaky. How was I'm going to continue from here? Wait for a change in guards, perhaps one that would let me in without a pass? Find some merchant with a pass who could hide me in his cart? Perhaps offer someone money to get me in? These were options, but it wouldn't be easy and they could get me in big trouble as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Alena? What have you done?" A dark voice said accusingly besides me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And sometimes trouble would find you by /br /"Geralt?"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"When the wolfs showed themselves to me I fed them the big pieces of cheap meat. Probably their own kind, but they didn't care. They gladly took the meat from me and they forgot I was even here. I learned to always bring plenty. Wolfs only hunt when hungry. Wild dogs were a real pain in the ass, they hunt for fun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I left the wolfs behind me, but I didn't get far. A giant hairy monster had taken a giant leap from somewhere and jumped in front of me. It howled towards the moon and then looked at me. Those giant hint legs, capable to jump far. Arms with big long claws. A big head like that of a wolf. Dark black eyes with a small shimmer from the moonlight. I couldn't believe it, a freaking werewolf. One that couldn't care much about food, this was no animal, nor human, it was a monster. And monster wasn't something you could reason with, not with food, nor with words./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The thing clawed at me, I jumped back just in time before my guts would have spilled all over the place. I took my silver sword from my back and put it between us. I knew my armor would be useless against his big claws and teeth. All I had was my silver sword. A werewolf during a full moon, I was screwed. I can't believe I was thinking this, but I sure could use a Witcher right now./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The werewolf attacked again with his giant claw and I vent it off with my sword, cutting its arm with the tip. I made him bleed, but it didn't do much. This thing was healing up faster than I could slice my sword. The cut was already gone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then it lunged at me with his whole body. It couldn't care much that I was holding a silver sword. In the nick of time I stepped aside making him miss me. He clawed into the dirt instead. Using his big paws to turn around swiftly, facing me again. He seemed to be waiting for something. I slowly walked back, away from him while I pulled another steak from my backpack and threw it at his feet. He simply ignored it and kept staring at me. "Come on little wolf, youspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanmust be hungry, take the stake. It's much nicer than my flesh." I tried to reason with it anyway./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Like if it was insulted it growled and jumped on top of me. I was fast, but this time the werewolf was faster. I was too late to jump aside. He threw me to the ground. His claw on top of my chest pushing me down, it's nails nearly piercing through my armor. My sword fell from my hand while the beast sunk it's teeth in my arm. Luckily most damage was prevented by the extra iron strip in my armor, nevertheless some of his teeth sank right through them into my skin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"The pain was dreadful, like if the wound was burning from the inside out. He kept his mouth on my arm to rip of a piece while his paw on my chest made sure I stayed put. I was really lucky to have my armor which made it hard for him to get a good grip on my arm. The iron strip must hurt the inside of his mouth because it finally let go. I took my chance to take the hidden knife I had made to be a part of my armor and I jabbed it through the paw that was still on my chest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It growled in pain and pulled back. I got back on my feet as fast as I could and grabbed my sword from the ground. While the monster was clawing at its own arm to get the knife out, I quickly ran towards an abandoned house not far from where I was. Just before the monster jumped at me again I close the door behind me. The werewolf bashed into the door instead. At least what was left of the door, this wouldn't hold for long. He ripped the door in pieces like it was carboard. I felt like a piglet in the house of straw, I wouldn't take long before the big bad wolf would have blown it over. The house was old, the roof had holes. It was clearly been used by travelers building campfires inside. It was a miracle the whole house didn't burn off seeing it was made of wood and dry leaves covered the whole floor of the house. It did gave me an idea. I grabbed some flint and my spare bandoline bottle out of my bag and threw the bag out of the window as far away as possible from the house. Quickly I sprinkled some bandoline on the floor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With one last bash the monster smashed himself through the small door opening, filling the room of the tiny house. His head touching the roof. I quickly escaped through the window. The monsters claw barely missed me, sticking out of the window. No way he would fit through there. But before he would bash trough the wall as well I quickly returned to the front of the house and threw the still half full bandoline bottle into pieces in the door opening. The monster inside seemed to have been affected by the overload of smell. I could imagine he had a hard time finding out where I was, since it all smelled like me now. Just like Geralt had said back then, everything about me smelled like this stuff./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I could use the time of its confusion to use the flint and make a fire. When still wet, bandoline was highly flammable. The only exit for the monster was now a massive wall of fire. Together with the leaves and some dry branches inside it didn't took long before the whole hut was burning brightly. I fetched my backback, before it would catch fire as well. The monster inside was growling and howling in pain. Surely his thick fur would also catch on fire./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I collapsed into the grass on a short distance from the fire, I was broken, I never had to fight so hard to stay alive. My arm was still burning, although the wound wasn't deep. It made me feel sick and weak. I needed a rest before I could go on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Then I saw the monster jump through the roof of the burning hut, making the hut collapse completely. I had no strength left the fight. But it seemed I didn't need to. The monsters fur was completely on fire, it ran around, in pain. Rolled over the ground to try to stop the fire. I bet his healing powers couldn't keep this much damage under control. I saw the monster collapse, fall forward. Were the fire slowly died out. An awful stench coming off from it, burned hair. His insides, his longs, everything must have been burned completely./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"I tried sitting up and took a few deep breaths. I think I just killed a werewolf. I needed to continue, who knew what other kind of beast would be drawn towards this smell. I took my silver sword and chopped the head of this werewolf clean off. There was a good chance someone had a contract out for this monster. I could earn some serious money for his head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"With a smelly burned werewolfs head tied to my backpack with a shoe string I continued to stumble on the road towards Novigrad. The werewolfs dark blood running down on the left side of my leg coming from the head. My right hand covered in blood of my own from the wounds right above. I took of my lower arm protector which was bitten to pieces. It relieved me from some of the pain that was caused by the sharp iron plating sticking into my arm. I tied a messy bandage around my arm, only for the blood to seep through. The big claw of the werewolf was still visible on my chest in the form of a muddy paw and five holes where its nails had been, almost puncturing through my white painted armor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"There was a line of people outside Novigrad, apparently in line to get inside the city. But I walked right past them. Apparently you needed a pass or something to get in. But I had no time for this nonsense. I lost blood, I felt weak and sick, I could really use some help. The face of the soldier when he stopped me was priceless. "What on earth." He was lost of words on the sight of me. "What the hell happened to you?" He finally asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It turned sideways so he could so my trophy hanging on my hip. "Was there a contract for that thing?" I asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"His eyes grew big, "Yes, there is. What are you? A Witcher?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""No, just human thank you." I said sarcastically./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Sorry miss, it's just that they gave the contract to a Witcher who recently came here. So I assumed that would be you seen you got the werewolf's head."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"It's probably Geralt who got the contract, so he must be still here in Novigrad. That would mean he didn't find out were Ciri went next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Since I didn't leave, the soldier added: "Being some kind of monster slayer or not, you need a pass to enter Novigrad. I can't let you through without one."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Since when? Last time I was here, I could go were ever I liked." I said grumpy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Since the Witch hunters are hunting down all Witches in this place. Apparently it's a real plague."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well I'm not a witch. How do I got a pass?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""How would I know? I'm just a simple soldier."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Ugh, I couldn't really use this right now. I needed to find Geralt and I needed some medical attention. I felt worse every minute, I felt lightheaded. The pain in my arm intensified with every movement. The wound wasn't even that deep, but I could imagine the fangs of the werewolf could have infected the wound easily. I needed to get it cleaned, or I wouldn't survive another night. I sank down on this side of the bridge. I needed a little rest first, my knees were getting shaky. How was I'm going to continue from here? Wait for a change in guards, perhaps one that would let me in without a pass? Find some merchant with a pass who could hide me in his cart? Perhaps offer someone money to get me in? These were options, but it wouldn't be easy and they could get me in big trouble as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Alena? What have you done?" A dark voice said accusingly besides me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 8.0cm;"emspan lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"And sometimes trouble would find you by /br /"Geralt?"/span/em/p
