Geralt rode Roach through Blavikin and he kept his eyes forward towards the pub to where he went to get directions to the alderman. He rode Roach until he noticed… someone was staring at him. He got the stares a lot… but many of times they were menacing or afraid, but this one… was of pure intent. He glanced over to see a small child… A YOUNG small child. Couldn't have been more than 3. A young girl who had hair as black at his cloth that was straight, greasy, and down to her hips. Her eyes though… her eyes were what caught his attention. Her eyes were as clear as glass, almost as if she was blind. She wore a black dress that was… made of rags and patches and both her snow white skin and her clothing were marred with dirt, mud, and soot. She had bruises on her arms and cheeks, showing that she was abused by whoever she was with. Her glass eyes stared into his golden ones as if she was reading his soul for a moment until an adult male stepped forward, pulled her up by her hair and threw her to a direction while ordering her to get back to work. She didn't shriek nor cry, just cringe and then walked after she was thrown. Ahh… another sign of humanities lack of sympathy and kindness. Geralt didn't interfere… he just kept going to the pub to find the alderman for his kikimora.

Geralt was taken by Marilka and came out to see that little child, but… she had vegetables, a commodity for peasants in the city, and feeding it… to Roach, a horse that didn't belong to her. Roach happily ate the carrots and oats given to him by the young child, while she patted his snout with a gentle smile on her face. Funny… Roach usually doesn't like anyone except for him. Mirilka yelled at what the girl was doing, and the child was startled, stared at the two, and then fled away to the corner, confusing both Roach and Geralt.

Marilka walked up and stated, "Don't mind her. She's just an orphan that was abandoned by a caravan, who the innkeeper uses to help around his inn. She's silent and weird. Whenever she sees someone new, she just stares forever. Never know why, but it's… weird. She's weird." Geralt stared to where the child fled to, and then went on his way with Marilka showing him the way to the sorcerer. He did notice though… that child was following them. She was keeping her distance, but… she was following him. When he made it to the building, he noticed… the child stopped. He glanced back to see… how she had… this worried expression. Then she paced left and right while she looked like she WANTED to go forward, but… she couldn't. She kept pacing until she sat down on the ground and chose… to wait. Geralt raised an eyebrow at the… odd behavior, but kept moving.

After his confrontation with the Stegobor, Geralt left the building to see the child was sitting in her spot, but… she had a bag next to her this time. Geralt ALSO noticed… Marilka was gone and Roach was now beside the child trying to get into her bag. Geralt walked towards her and told her that was his horse and the child… clearly unafraid, blinked at him. She rose to her feet, reached into the bag, and pulled out… an apple? She presented it to him all while… she said nothing. Geralt and her stared at one another for a moment, him with his stoic glare, and her… with her blank curiosity. He didn't know… what to think of this child. What did she want? Geralt SLOWLY took the apple, and then she handed him the bag, bowed to him, and then turned and went back to her inn, not giving him ANY type of hint of WHY she did those things. Roach walked to him and TRIED to get into the bag, which made Geralt open it to see… it was filled… with fruits and vegetables. Why would a CHILD give him fruit and vegetables? He stared at the child… limping to get back and for a moment… he felt that his heart… felt for her. Geralt continued to watch the child until he went into the bag and took out an oat and presented it to Roach, who happily took it.

After that, they left Blavikin, Geralt kept thinking of that child. An outcast… who no one wanted… beaten and thrown around… just like he was. He learned how to survive, but he had the Vassemir, in his own way, to look out for him. That child probably had no one. Geralt walked through town and saw someone slap the child and for a second, he froze and WANTED to retrieve her, but she just cleaned up the mess, and went back inside of the building. THAT set something off in Geralt. And THAT was when he knew he had to leave. Otherwise, he WOULD take the child and… the path was NOT meant for kids.

The next thing Geralt knew, he kissed Renfri… who told him… about a child bleeding for him to protect him from his own stoning and protect him from destiny. When he woke, he went BACK to Blavikin with his sword and he was rushed… by her mafia of men. Geralt waited for them to attack, but heard a young voice scream a stop, but… they didn't. One fired and Geralt fought them all off. When Renfri arrived… he noticed the black haired child was standing by and watching with… a sad and sympathetic expression. WHY WAS SHE LOOKING AT HIM LIKE THAT?! The child stared at Renfri and told her to please stop in such… a soft voice that HIS enhanced hearing could barely hear. Renfri yelled at the child to go, and then she and Geralt crossed swords. When he went for the finishing move, the child yelled his name and for SOME reason… it made him not stab Renfri with her own sword. He glanced back at her, and then Renfri went to attack, but… Geralt stopped her and stabbed her with her tiny dagger. He glanced back to see… the child's head down and she looked sad… but she… like she knew. Geralt placed Renfri gently onto the ground and then child went up to the body and shut Renfri's eyes. Geralt stared at her for a moment, but the child lifted her eyes to him, glanced down, reached down and ripped a piece of her dress off, and then began to put pressure with it on his leg that Renfri stabbed. Geralt stared at her as she did that, but then went to move, but… the child wouldn't leave him alone. She walked with him every step and KEPT TRYING to get him to stop so that she could get the bleeding to stop.

Tregobor came forward and Geralt emerged from his hiding spot and put a sword to the man's throat after Stregobor told Marilka to take Renfri's body to be examined. The child though… wouldn't go towards Stregobor. Not for anything. Except… when the citizens of Blaviken started to throw rocks. She ran to Geralt's kneeling form and covered his back and head with her body while SHE took all the rocks being thrown at him that his sword didn't deflect. As he knelt, Marilk came forward, and when he lifted his head, he saw… something odd. A gold liquid on his black clothing. He turned his head to see… the child was bleeding… but her blood wasn't red, it was… shiny gold. And her tears… were the same golden color. Geralt felt his eyes widen at the sight. What… in all his years as a Witcher… he had… NEVER seen anyone be able to do that. That was when he realized… that… was why she was abandoned. Because of THIS difference. She was… a mutant. Just like he was. He rose to his feet and when SOMEONE reached for their sword, the child appeared in front of him and spread her arms out to shield him from whatever there was. He noticed… how she was swaying and how she couldn't stand still nor even stand straight. He also noticed how Stregobor… was interested in the child. Geralt could tell that by the intention of his stare. How… its golden color allured to him and his magic curiosity. That was why she avoided the building when she followed him. She KNEW she would pique his curiosity.

He went to reach for her, but then a woman grabbed a stone, and stated while she yelled, "That monster child too! We'll finally be free from that accursed child that has robbed us of all of our riches with her blood and tears!" She threw the stone and it hit her square on her temple and it made the child fall back and Geralt caught her to see MORE of her golden blood spill out on his dark clothing. That was when he realized…. This child was not safe there. Marilka told him to go, so Geralt scooped her up in his arms, and then turned and proceeded to walk out of Balviken to keep the child safe. When Geralt got to Roach, he went through his bags and pulled out the bandages and began to wrap up the poor child's head and neck that had gashes. After he finished, he hopped onto Roach and then rode them to the next town as quickly as he could and when they arrived, he took her to a magical healer, who took her precautiously.

He took her to the back and when he came out, Geralt stared at him and the man asked, "What is she?" Geralt stared at the child who was resting in the bed in the room and replied… he didn't know. Of ALL his times as a Witcher… he didn't experience someone with golden blood and tears. He asked her condition and the doctor stated, "She had cuts all along her head and back. Her back-" The doctor was stopped at the whimpering and whining of said child in the bed. Geralt stared past him and saw how the child lifted her hand to her head and whined in pain. Geralt brushed past the doctor and the girl stared as he approached her. She blinked at him and the two stared at each other for a moment until he asked how she was fairing. She nodded her head to exclaim that she was okay, and Geralt released a breath of light relief.

He stood in place until he turned and went to leave. He heard the light cry behind him so he turned and saw… how she was reaching out to him in desperation and hoping that he would wait. Geralt stared at her and asked her what she wanted. She crawled out the bed and ran to Geralt and held onto his leg. He stared at the… dainty and pleading child.

He asked her AGAIN what she wanted, and she whimpered, "Take me with you." Geralt stared down at her and stated a lone no, and she begged, "Please. No one… ever showed me… niceness wike you. They would… hit and kick me or… wet me die. But you… took me to the nice man that cwosed my cuts. No one will care once you're gone, and… I'll be awone again. And… that man will come for me. The one with a gray and orchid coloring… he'll do to me what he did to those girls. Please. You're awone too, except for your horsie. Pwease… pwease. Pwease." The girl stared up to him and he saw her golden tears brimming within her eyes. No more crying, Geralt told himself. He told her that he would find her a home, and she whined… a no, and how she wanted to be with him. Geralt groaned in annoyance as he stared down at her, but she wouldn't… lighten up.

She kept staring until he FINALLY stated, "You can ride with me until the next kingdom. Then we will find you a proper home. Do you understand?" The child stared at him, not confirming nor denying a thing, but Geralt took it as an answer and walked away as the child followed after him without hesitation. As soon as they got to Roach, the horse huffed happily at the girl and she smiled at him. She reached up to the bag that Geralt had received from her and took out an oat and presented it to the horse. The horse happily ate and then nuzzled himself against the small child.

She hugged the beast until she stated, "You need a bath, Mr. Horsie. And you do too, Gerawt." Geralt stared at the child who seemed WAY too comfortable with him ALREADY! He stated that SHE needed to bathe as well and she stated that she knew, but FIRST they needed soap. The child led Geralt to the market square and looked at all of the items that were around and she grabbed some seashells, seaweed kelp, and animal fat. After she grabbed all the stuff she wanted from the stall, she turned and stared at Geralt for a moment. He stared at her and asked her if she expected HIM to pay and she nodded her head at him. She stared and then stated that she will pay him back when she could when she was older, and Geralt sighed heavily. Kids are expensive, THAT Geralt knew already.

Geralt paid for the… odd… ingredients and then the child went to the oils and perfume stall. She grabbed the tiny vials of oils and she inhaled and began to cough at the strong scent. Geralt could smell it too and BOY that one so strong. It smelt like someone was bathed in daisies. The child put that one back and sniffed around until SOMETHING perked her up and she grabbed it. She lifted it and smelt it a smidge and she had a light smile on her face. She presented it to Geralt, and it smelt like… almond blossoms? The child smiled and asked if he liked it and he stated that it was decent, but it wasn't a bathing oil, and she replied that she knew that. She asked if he wanted to smell like that or something else, and he told her just a straight no. She pouted but then went back to sniffing the various vials until she found one that she liked and then she lifted it back to his nose to have him smell. It smelt like… cedarwood. The child smiled at him and then presented the oils to the vender who stared at her weirdly, but let her purchase them. They were… amazingly cheap.

Then Geralt bought bathing oils, which made the child's face scrunch in disgust, but she took it. He also bought her some clothes while he tried to think of what to do with the kikimora that he didn't get to sell. Geralt took her to an inn and then told the lady of the inn to allow the child to bathe and get clean. While she bathed, Geralt took his own bath, and once he got out and went outside to see the child talking to a merchant while pointing to the kikimora.

After a couple of back and forth, he present her a purse of coin, and she took it, and he took the kikimora. Geralt came up and asked her WHAT she was doing and she smiled at him and stated, "I sold the kikimowa. Most people know of how it pwevents babies, but its bwood when mixed with wosemary and Basil keep people awake without the cost of babies. It's good for fighters. That was how I sold it to the merchant. He's going to… what was it called… Cin…Cin… Cintwa? Yeah! He said the King wanted something for his fighters." Geralt stared down at her and asked… how she knew that. She stared at up at him and explained, "I talked to a doctor that passed through Bwaviken. He taught me, and told me a lot of other things. Mister and Wady didn't wike it, but I learned a lot from him. I can tell you them too! It'll be something to talk about." The child gave him the bag of coins and it was… WAY MORE than what he would have gotten if he sold it to the alderman. She… maybe she was good for business.

The child proceeded forward and went in the inn and came out with a GIANT cauldron. He asked where she got THAT and she stated, "I sold a tawon to the inn keeper and explained how it was good as a bat. Better than anything else he would have found. He tested it out and when it put a dent on this thing, I asked him for it, and he gave it to me awong with a woom with seven nights to stay here and west. I can still use this thing, I just need sand and those seashells to fix the cwack." The child proceeded forward to carry the heavy cauldron that was almost as big as she was, and Geralt sighed as he watched her struggle, and he took the cauldron from her and asked which way. She proceeded forward to show him and once they were away, she took his bowl and made a small fire. He watched curiously as she lit it with two stones, and then proceeded to mix sand on the ground with the seashells that she had him crush in fine powder. Once he did that, she cooked the two powders and Geralt watched… as it became liquid. Once it did, the child QUICKLY took it and spread it on the outside of the crack and placed a piece of parchment over it twice, and then they waited. While they waited, the child had Geralt crush the last of the seashells while she got a bucket of river water.

When she returned, he asked her, "So, since you're here, I feel that it's time for me to ask. What exactly do I call you? You know my horse and my name, but I've yet to know yours." The child stared back at him and then asked him questioningly about a name and Geralt stated, "Yes. Your name. What is it?"

The child blinked at him in confusion and then stated, "I don't have a name. Sir and Wady just called me 'demon,' 'child,' 'bwat,' or 'girl.' I don't have a name. Is it okay for me to call you Gerawt or would you wike if I called you something else?" Geralt stared at the child as he thought. Now… that does make sense, but… it was hard for him to hear about a child with no name. She wasn't even WORTH naming. He stared at her for a moment as he thought of what to call her. She needed a name. Something to prove that she has worth. Geralt stared as he thought about her.

She was kind… and smart… and had a radiating presence like the… "Samaire. That's what I'm going to call you. Samaire, the drowning Sun after your blood and tears. And… you may call me as what you wish. Everyone does." The child blinked at him until the LARGEST smile came onto her face and her eyes glistened with her unshed golden tears, and Geralt quickly added, "Don't cry. You cannot cry anymore. Your blood and tears are dead giveaways about you being different. Your eyes are already a problem, but we can get by with it. The blood and tears, we can't." Samaire blinked at him in confusion… but then nodded her head in agreement and told him an okay. She then went on to do her work by putting the crush shells in the water, boiling it, putting the ground seaweed in, and then she boiled it with the animal fat while dripping the oil that smelt like cedarwood in. She finished boiling until she FINALLY finished and placed it to the side and told Geralt that they had to wait a couple of days for it to be finished, but she wanted to do hers next. They REDID the process all over again in a different cauldron, but THIS TIME she put little drops of the almond blossom oil in it.

They sat the cauldrons in the room that they were staying in, and Geralt spent his time recovering from the fight in Blaviken… and he learned… that the child was VERY different from what he expected. She dressed his wounds as soon as he finished hauling the heavy cauldrons to their room since he was healing, even WHEN he protested and stated that he was going to heal fast, but the kid was stubborn. Then came the downtime. The kid. Would. Not. SETTLE! She ran down and assisted the innkeeper with his shop as a barwench and server and… she was decent at it. Sure, she was little and one would THINK that it would have been too much weight for her, but she just kept working and she held up the trays just as the normal wenches did. And with her tiny stature, she easily slipped around people to get orders in faster. AND SHE KEPT HER WORD! She paid Geralt when she had the chance with her tips. She managed to pay him back QUICKLY in what he spent on her and then she also paid for their food with her tips. Anything that she didn't spent, she put in a pouch for an emergency fund for them. She also managed to feed and changed Roach's water in the stable while sneaking him veggies. AND SHE DID THIS ALL DURING THE DAY!

When nighttime came… that was when all of this was an issue. The child took ANOTHER bath, and then… she went to go to bed and Geralt was NOT sharing with a child. She scooted in the bed and waited for him, and STARED. He stared back at her, and she asked if he was coming to bed, and he told her that he wasn't sleeping in the bed with her.

She tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Why not? It's not wike I have fangs or cwaws to hurt with in my sweep. And you don't have anything to hurt me with. Go ahead and way down." He glared at this… commanding brat. He grunted and SLOWLY laid on the bed while she did too. She got comfortable enough, and was QUICK to sleep and when she did, Geralt stared at… her petite form as she slept. For a child… she was more than he thought. She opened her eyes to stare at him and asked if he was going to sleep in a small voice. He asked her how she was asleep and she whispered, "Call it instincts. My back feel wikes its buzzing when someone watches me. It makes me want to wun away. It buzzed when you came to Bwaviken, but… it stopped when I saw your eyes. That was how I knew you were diffewent from everyone else. You weren't going to hurt me, not unwess I gave you a weason to. But now… you have something on your mind. Is it about Wenfwi?" Geralt stared at the oddly… observant child. She was… getting more and more interesting every minute he's been with her. She… that was why she stared at people. It wasn't her being rude… it was her instincts warning her. But why was it her back buzzing instead of her head? Samaire raised her hand up and began to pet his head while she hummed a gentle lullaby. Geralt stared at her as she looked like she was trying to console him and ease him to sleep. Samaire looked like she was getting sleepy while she tried to get HIM to be sleepy. Geralt ordered her to sleep, which made her smile and nod off to sleep… and she kept his hand in his hair. Geral t went to take it out, but as soon as he touched her hand, she grabbed onto his hand held his hand in her sleep. He sighed at her and then decided to sleep with her while they held hands.