.VI. The Bear: .II. Slayers of Monsters.
The knowledge of the monster slayers was passed from master to apprentice, it was trained, taught, exercised and perfected by each witcher, according to the specific methods their school used.
Besides the hard and perilous training, a witcher had to learn, by memorizing each entry in the bestiary of his school. Or at least some of it, so then later the knowledge had to be absorbed by both mind and body, as they had to be in a perfect balance.
One witcher couldn't learn enough from the old books and parchments as they had to experience the information they learned on their hunts. As the path of a witcher was the hardest learning process of them all, for there is where all the witchers found their death. That's what the path truly was, an end...
- Munir Kalggo, 'Enciclopedia Mundi', Chapter .XI. Witchers.
Gerd of Skellige, was now older, around his forth decade of life. A witcher of the School of the Bear.
'Hah, I win again !', shouted Gerd, as he was playing cards with a colleague witcher.
'Lucky hand. Three out of five ?', said the other.
Gerd clicked his tongue. 'I can't refuse. Beside you're on a losing streak...'.
'Not for long.', said the other witcher.
'However you fancy, sir.', said Gerd, with a ridiculing tone.
Some time later...
'Shit ! How the fuck you beaten me so many times ?'.
'Well it seems the apprentice has outgrown his master. Right ? Master...', said Gerd with a smile on his face.
'Go plough yourself...', said the other witcher as he threw the cards he had left in his hand on the wooden table.
It was winter on the lands of Skellige, past Imbolc, now awaiting the refreshing spring. At the School of the Bear keep on Ard Skellig, around four witchers were present, among them was Gerd. As the weather calmed and the sun finally appeared after some days in which it kept on snowing, which as expected showed it's teeth, as it may have given the day a warmer touch, but the wind was biting still. He decided to go out for a while, to take a walk, to stretch his muscles and bones. Also to take his mare for a stroll, as she felt quite bored in the gloomy stables.
'Going out ?', asked a woman. Which was Neena, now around sixty summers old, more or less.
Gerd nodded. 'It's about time, been inside for a while now...'.
'Well...It is quite a jolly weather, as the blizzards stopped.', continued Neena.
'Want something from the village ?', asked Gerd, as he got up his horse.
'No...', responded Neena.
From the entrance of the keep another witcher stepped out for a walk, it was Ksander of Vicovaro. With long black hair, that he was gathering in a ponytail, clean shaved, with two thick eyebrows, and a set of scars on his left cheek received from an Alp last Yule, that he hunted in Vicovaro. Wearing a black armor with light steel plates on his shoulders and a black bear pelt hanging on his back. Two light steel gauntlets as well, with a long mantle coming down behind his legs and around, near his black leather belt and on his back two swords as usual, with the head of a bear on each's pommel and a crossbow next to them.
He was quite a charming witcher, with a taste in good women, especially of noble origins. As he was a handsome chap, with a very edgy jaw, with a adam's apple on his neck that the ladies just couldn't resist, bellow which hanged his bear head shaped medallion. He was a known adventurer as far a witcher goes and an even better one among his female companions, as he liked to play their games, with which he'd make them follow him like a dog to a good, healthy bone.
'Gerd, my friend. Planning to go somewhere without me ? Your best pal ?' said Ksander, as he approached the stables to take his horse. That he called Madness, a black Zerrikanian steed, that he won in a game of cards in Maribor.
'Good day, mam', he continued, kissing Neena on the cheek, now taking the harness for his horse. 'Gerd, wait for me, will you ?'
'Just be quick...', responded Gerd as he was on his horse outside the stables.
'Almost there, just got to brush him a bit...', replied Ksander.
'Where are you two planning to go ?', asked Neena.
'There's that village down the eastern hills. They have quite a nice Inn, and even better women...', said Ksander with a slightly raised voice from the stables.
'Well, just don't do anything stupid this time. Alright ?'.
'We won't if folk would stop saying that 'We're cheating sons of a whore', after losing a fuckin' game of cards...', responded Ksander from within the stables.
'Gerd, take care he doesn't get in trouble again...And please, don't do it like the last time.', said Neena.
'If they would come without a sword or an axe at me for once...Maybe I'll punch them all this time...', responded Gerd.
'From what I heard you did that last time. Just be sure it doesn't come to that, alright ?', replied Neena.
'I guess I will try ?', said Gerd, as Neena's brows lowered a bit.
'He'll do his best, I know it.', said Ksander as he stepped out of the stables holding his horse by the reins, then jumped in the saddle.
'Let's go.', continued Ksander as he approached Gerd, 'See you later, Neena.'.
As they both left through the gate of the keep, Neena waved to them, then turned and went inside the old keep.
'So they've left again, huh ?'.
'Mhm.', murmured Neena.
'They are still young...', continued the old witcher, Mousar. 'Come. Let us old timers have a drink.'.
Mousar, was the old witcher that saved Neena, forty years ago. He was old, really old, as his hair was grey and his beard too. He would easily stand out from the other witchers as he had darker skin, for he was of Oferi origins. As more then a century and a half ago, his parents decided to move on this side of the Great Sea. After that, some time later they had a child, then as the old man tells it, a great catastrophe took place and he was orphaned. A few weeks later a witcher found him in the cellar of a house in a village in the middle of nowhere, fed him, and took him to the isles of Skellige, where he became a witcher.
'Why didn't you ask me to come along ?', asked Ksander as they were heading towards the village. 'Got something to do ? Regarding a secret ?', continued the witcher, with a slight smile.
'Not a thing.', answered Gerd calmly.
'That is all you. The embodiment of a witcher… No emotions. Not even a mere slight difference on your face. The old man must be proud of you, Gerd, the unmovable heart...' said Ksander mockingly, smiling.
'Funny, but still...', said Gerd as he casted a spell of Axii on Ksander's horse, which suddenly stopped. 'Hah, now that's funny...'.
'Yeah, very...', continued Ksander from behind, as his horse stood still like a stump.
After a while they reached the village. Which was as lively as a bear's cave in the winter. Almost, as near the inn, several drunken men were heading home. Perhaps...
As Gerd and Ksander got passed the door of the inn, it seemed like the whole village lived in it. As almost all the tables were full and even the floors. For a few other drunken men failed to reach the door and one stood right next to it. One was resting his head on a bottle. Others were laying between the tables or leaned on the nearest wall. Such fun was at an inn in the middle of the winter on Skellige, that the only way to pass time was to get yourself pissed drunk all day.
Finally, Gerd and Ksander found a table after searching for an unoccupied one for some time...
'Good ! We've found one. If we wouldn't. I would've had to start a brawl with someone for a damned table...Glad to get that thought out of my head.', said Ksander.
Then he looked around and fixed his eyes on someone he knew...
'Lilly !', shouted Ksander, 'Get us some drinks !'. The girl nodded her head and quickly grabbed two tankards, filled them, and brought them to the table where the two were staying.
'Nice seeing you two here.', said Lilly, the innkeeper's niece and help, 'Here are your drinks...'.
'Nice seeing you as well. How's that 'issue' we had last time ?', responded Ksander.
'Healed and ready...If you still want to, you know...'.
'Why do you think I'm here ?', replied Ksander, with a perverted smile, as his right hand went under the woman's dress.
'Come on then. Let's go upstairs...', she said, as she grabbed his arm.
'I'll be back soon, an hour maybe-'.
'A bit more I think...', interrupted Lilly, as she slowly placed her hand on Ksander's chest, biting her lip.
'Hmm, or like she said.', he continued.
'Just go.', said Gerd.
'Alright...', responded Ksander. 'Oh, my drink...', as he reached to grab his tankard.
As said, witcher Ksander was something that women couldn't resist, and couldn't stop themselves from wanting his manly parts into theirs. While the woman called Lilly and Ksander made their way upstairs, they had to avoid a few obstacles, like drunken men barely walking towards the door. Or those who tried but stopped for a quick nap on the wooden wet floor. On which was either mud or spilled vodka, ale or beer, maybe piss too. Gerd remained alone at the table, he only got to take a sip from his drink for soon someone shouted his name...
'Gerd, witcher...I need your attention, please...'. A woman's voice. A woman that Gerd knew, pretty well. She took a seat across the table.
'Vera, nice seeing you here...', said Gerd.
'Likewise, witcher.', responded Vera, as she leaned onto the table. 'I got a job proposal for you...'.
'Huh, is it a good one ?'.
'Very, so what do you say ?'.
'What is it ?'.
'The man behind my left shoulder. See him ?'.
'I do...'.
'That man, claims he owns a property in Cintra that he just bet on a game of cards-'.
'Thus, you want me to play him ? He's bluffing...', Gerd interrupted.
'Even so, nobody defeated him...', she said, as she looked over her left shoulder. 'Yet...'.
'Nobody ?', asked Gerd, kinda surprised.
'Not a soul, what do you think ?'.
'Firstly. If I were in the situation he's in, the whole inn would've accused me of cheating and ask for my head. But that foreigner still breathes. How's that ?'.
'You know why. Anyway...Will you play him ? You could even make him bet something a bit more-'.
'I will, and I am gonna win.', said Gerd as he got up and walked towards the table the man was at.
'Greetings there, friend. Heard you've bet your estate ?'.
'That is correct. Do you wish to play me for it ?'.
'Why not, but how about you add something more tangible. Like gold...'.
'Why is that ?', asked the Redanian.
'I'm not sure. But, I don't buy the tale regarding this property of yours...'.
'Are you calling me a liar ? I assure-'.
'Why bet it on a game of cards ?', interrupted Gerd.
'I want to get rid of it...'.
'You could...Sell it.'.
The man scoffed. 'If it would be that easy...Don't overreact, but...I think its haunted. I tried to ask for my coin back, but they said all estate transactions are final...Thus, I found this the best way to rid myself of it...', he whispered as he leaned closer to Gerd.
'I'm a witcher, I could solve your problem.'.
'Yes, but I still have to get rid of it...You see, my wife, she's not aware of its existence. If she isn't already...', the redanian sighed. 'And with the fortune I've had this far she might know I've withdrawn eighteen thousand crowns out of the account. She'll kill me...Even worse, divorce me.'.
'But if I get rid of the creature haunting your property, you'll be able to sell it.'.
'No...I won't. You see, nobody bought that place from the previous owner, until I did. For some reason everyone knew it was haunted, but none told me...Even though I asked if it had any issues...Everyone I asked, told me it had none.', continued the man.
'Therefore, you can't sell if no one wants to buy...', said Gerd, leaning away from the table, placing one hand on it.
'Exactly...I'm doomed, sir, doomed...', responded the gentleman with anger.
'What now ? What will you do ?'.
'I can't look my wife in the eyes anymore. I won't go back...She's going to bury me...'.
'She's not going to do such thing. Calm down.'.
'Oh, but you don't know my wife, master. She can be...fierce. She could kill a fiend just by staring at it.'.
'I doubt that...', responded Gerd. 'What if you tell her that you've been robbed on the road ?'.
'N...No !' shouted the man, while his face grew pale as he heard what the witcher just said, hitting the table. The people near the table stopped and looked in his direction. 'Ahem. That is unacceptable I won't bet another two thousand crowns !'. After that everyone looking at him resumed to their chatting and drinking, swearing, brawling and knife throwing.
'Ahem...'. He cleared his throat again, then resumed. 'I shan't lie to my wife. At all ! Or even about something like that. For among other things, she is alike me, a scholar. Mainly preoccupied with psychology. And she's among the very good ones.'.
'So...?', asked Gerd.
'So...She can smell a lie from Novigrad's hierarchy to the Nilfgaard's throne...', he whispered desperately, so that a vein bulged up on his forehead.
'Aha...'.
'Thus...I'm dead.'. he continued.
'What if you tell, you know...The truth ?', Gerd suggested, curious of what the redanian would say.
'I think she'll put her hands around my throat and squeeze until I'm breathless...'.
'I think she'll understand and forgive you.'.
'Not my wife. She is merciless, the only thing I see in telling her that is my own death.'.
'Has she ever been like that towards you ?'.
'No. Because I never did anything to anger her nor annoy her, until now... I've dedicated each moment I had free to her...'.
'That's because she loves you, isn't that why she married you ?'.
'I...I think that is correct. Are you saying she may...Forgive me ?'
'How long have you been gone ?'.
'Months. Half a year now. Why ?'.
'She probably misses you. And she is perhaps worried.'.
'You might be right. This might work after all...I'm also one month later than I predicted...Worried you say ?', continued the scholar, as he continued thinking about what Gerd told him.
'I've reached a conclusion, and I think you are right. If she divorces me, I, as a man, have to accept I've made a mistake. Thus I shall return home. You, sir, have helped me, a stranger, with a good advice, 'always tell the truth'. I thank you and since you wanted the villa. I offer it to you, here's the key and a map with the exact location. Now if you excuse me I have a wife to apologize to. Have a good day, and how you witchers say it ? Aha ! Good luck on the path.'.
'Thanks. Good luck to you as well.', replied Gerd.
'Oh !', he said, turning back. 'If your travels ever find you in Novigrad, please visit. You only have to ask around about me, Walt Von Svarnst, and the people will point you towards my home. Thank you again.', he continued, as he headed to the door, while going around and over the drunk men lying on the floor.
Then, Vera quickly approached the table...
'Well ? You won ?', asked Vera.
'Didn't have to, here.'.
'What do you mean, you didn't have to ?'.
'Long story, just take the key.'.
'He did seem to happy for someone who lost...'.
'Dammit. We didn't play, he gave me the key because the estate is haunted.'.
'What !? I don't want it then.', she said, as her hand quickly moved away from the key Gerd placed on the table.
'I will come with you and take care of the problem...'.
'Oh, alright then, I'll take it.'.
'I, will keep the map.'.
'Yeah, it fits you better than I.', said Vera, smiling.
'You know...', continued Vera, 'It's always nice doing business with you.'.
'Same...', responded Gerd, as he grabbed another sip from his tankard.
A several minutes after that, Gerd and Vera where still chatting and drinking. Ksander was still upstairs with Lilly. And the rest of the inn was still full. Now the ones who slept on the floor, awoke, as others had to take their place. Such is the circle of life...
As the noise of laughs, punches hitting faces and knives impaling into the wooden wall. A man walked in, agitated, looking left and right, then asked around. And as he had no success finding the ones he looked for, he shouted...
'The Witchers ! Have you seen two witchers in here ?!' shouted the man, as the people in the inn looked towards the one he asked for. Gerd, sitting at a table, with his tankard near his mouth, and across him on the other side of the table was Vera. As the man quickly went to the table they were at.
'What is it this time ?', asked Gerd, as he put his tankard on the table, looking at the man that asked about him.
'So...Something happened. Will you come with me ?', asked the man, who was clearly nervous about something.
'Someone...Died ?', asked Gerd, as the man only approved by nodding his head. 'I'll come. But I must get my friend, alright ?'.
'Ye...Yes.', answered the man. While Gerd got up and went towards the stairs.
'Come, take a seat...Here, drink.', said Vera as the man sat down next to her.
Soon, after the obstacle course he had to pass through, he made it upstairs. As from a room, not far from the stairs, a woman's moans could be heard. Gerd went and knocked on that door...Nothing. He did it once more and the same result. Then he took a step back and kicked the door open...
'What the hell !?', yelled Ksander. 'If you wanna join us this is clearly not the best moment...'.
'Come on ! We have a problem to solve.', said Gerd.
'But-'
'No. Put your clothes on and let's go.'.
Ksander reached for his trousers, while Lilly said nothing, as she was lying on the bed with the witcher on top of her. She got up and walked to the table near the window and poured herself a glass of wine. Naked, as if Gerd wasn't even there. Then, as she finished her drink from one sip, she looked towards Gerd...
'Who is it this time ?', she asked, leaning on the table, with her legs crossed and her hands on the side of the table. Pushing her chest out, showing out her round breasts.
'Don't know yet. The one that told me seemed too shocked to talk details...'.
'Huh, the poor man.'. She replied, pouring herself another glass of wine.
'I have to go. See you later...', said Ksander, as he kissed Lilly, then joined Gerd.
The two witchers hurried downstairs. 'You really know how to ruin-', Ksander said, before he was cut short by Gerd.
'Not now...', interrupted Gerd. As they approached the table the man was at.
'Vera. Nice to see you.', said Ksander, while Vera didn't reply.
'Show us where...', said Gerd to the man, who got up and went ahead, as the two witchers followed.
The man led them behind the Inn, on a small path that went up a hill, where a hut and a well was. Down the hill, on the trail was a man's corpse in a puddle of blood, which was almost frozen.
'What is your name ?', Ksander asked the man, as they were both walking behind Gerd by some distance.
'Hendrik. My older brother owns the inn and my daughter works there, Lilly. You've probably saw her.', the man replied as they were advancing towards the base of the hill.
'Yes...We've met.', replied Ksander.
When the two arrived where the corpse was, Gerd was already checking it for a while...
'Did you knew him ?', asked Gerd.
'Yes...He's my wife's brother eldest son, Erik.', said Hendrik, as he got closer to the body as well.
'He died at least an hour ago...', said Gerd. 'He ran from something and fell. Tumbling down the hill, cracking his skull on that rock over there...'. Gerd added, pointing to a rock a few meters away, near the path that led uphill.
'I say...Angry husband found him in bed with his wife. He bolted out the door...Hampered his left foot on something then tumbled down the hill...', said Ksander.
'No way.', replied Hendrik, 'He lived up there with his wife, Agnes.'.
'Have you checked the hut ?', asked Ksander.
'No. For when I saw him lying here, I ran straight towards the inn to get you...'.
'We'll go up, you go back to the inn...', said Gerd.
'Alright then.', responded the man.
While both witchers went up the path leading towards the top of the hill...
'You know it might be a death that had nothing to do with a monster. Right ?' asked Ksander.
'I know, but it's better than sitting and doing nothing.', responded Gerd.
'I wasn't doing nothing, though...' said the other witcher.
'If you say so.', continued Gerd.
'Anyhow...You and Vera. What's there between you two ? Have you done it ? Must have, at least once...', said Ksander. Gerd seemed quite uninterested in what he was saying, as he used to say a lot, all the time.
'Did not.', answered Gerd.
'You're killing me. When was the last time you had a good woman ? Because let me tell you. That one, is perfect...'.
'Then, she's yours...'.
'Hah. I've tried, but for some reason she never liked me much. She does fancy you though.', responded Ksander, looking around, walking behind Gerd.
'That's bad.', said Gerd looking uphill.
Ksander scoffed. 'Right, you tell me ? I can get any woman I want, but not her, that really-'.
'Not that you idiot, look.', Gerd noticed a second body, standing in the door, with it's face pointing down, its top half outside the hut and the other inside it. 'I guess that's the wife.', continued Gerd, as he quickened his steps.
'Shit. Not a single drop of blood, huh ?'.
'A specter, damn.', said Gerd. 'Help me move the body...'. They both grabbed the woman's corpse and placed it on the bed inside the hut, covering it with a blanket.
'I guess we have to wait now...', continued Ksander.
'While we do that, we must find the cause it appeared here...', said Gerd, then stepped outside, looking around the hut, and inside the well near it.
'Maybe...Hendrik knows something. I could go talk to him ?', replied Ksander.
'It's a good idea, go...'.
'On it. I'll be back soon.', responded Ksander, as he went down the path.
While Ksander went to ask Hendrik about the history behind the hut on the hill, Gerd began to brew a potion and apply specter oil to his silver sword. It was still day light outside, as the sunset was an hour away and the specter had appeared during the day, Gerd thought it may be a noon wraith, but it could be only a simple wraith. However, it was and unusual one, as it seemed it had no specific time it appeared, so being prepared was a must.
Half an hour later...
Inside the hut, Gerd was sitting near the fireplace, awaiting Ksander's return.
'You're back. What did you learn ?', asked Gerd, as the door opened.
'Nothing important. Just that it was abandoned for a time, then, Erik took it. That is it, nothing about a previous owner...', answered the other witcher, approaching the fireplace.
'There is something that binds the specter to this place. We, just have to find it.'.
'A curse, maybe ?', asked Ksander.
'Not in this case...'.
'Well there must be-'.
'Hear that ?'.
'What ? The wind ?'.
'No, not that. The boards...', said Gerd, as he moved away an old rug. Under which, the boards seemed to have been removed in the past.
Gerd punched through the floor, and as he removed a few other planks, he noticed a locked wooden chest, which was lying beneath the hut for some time.
'What do we have here ? A stash ?', said Ksander as he placed one hand on the rotten wooden chest. Then broke the lock with his gauntlet.
Gerd opened the chest...
His face frowned at the sight of...
'Bones. Human. Belonging to a female...', said Gerd.
'It seems we've found the 'cause'. Now we have to find the problem...Or wait for it.', responded Ksander.
'A journal. Owned by...Aaliyah...', said Gerd, picking up the dusty notebook, placed on one side of the chest.
'Her name, perchance ?', asked Ksander, looking at the chest filled with bones.
'I think so. Here- The last entry...', answered Gerd. 'She mentions living with a man she loved. But, her family wanted her to marry another, a noble's son. And, as she mentions here, she chose to leave, Volge. And marry the one chosen by her parents...', Gerd continued, as he walked towards the fireplace.
'Wild guess...But, she tried, didn't she ?', began Ksander. 'He killed her, and put her bones in a chest beneath this hut, then he lived happily ever after...', he continued, as he was walking to the opposite side of the room, quite annoyed.
'Damn. So, is it hate that still binds her to this realm ? Or is it...', said Gerd, as he got up, and took the chest outside. 'We can't bury her remains here, as it's a source of her suffering. She did mention though, that she loved riding among the woods...'
'That could work...', replied Ksander.
'Come, I know just the place.', continued Gerd as he took the bones inside the chest and walked towards the Inn to get his mare, while Ksander took the journal and did the same.
'What is this ?' said Ksander, as from the journal a piece of paper slipped out, on it was written the followings:
'Aaliyah, my love. If I won't have you, no one will. I am the one you truly love, not him ! A man that you never met, nor did like as you grew up. I'm your true love, as you are mine. I won't let your parents push you into marrying someone that won't make you happy. I will see that he won't marry you. Only I can. Whatever I will do...I did because I loved you, Aaliyah...', signed by the man called Volge.
'Fuckin' idiot ! He took her life, so she won't marry someone else...', continued Ksander, as he walked behind Gerd. Soon they both reached the Inn and took their horses, heading towards the forest on the other side of the hill.
While the two witchers were riding to the forest, the light of day began to decrease, as the dark night quickly covered the lands from east to west and the temperature began to drop.
When the witchers entered the woods, it was dark already. They've found a rest place for Aaliyah's remains, near an old tree. Ksander dug the hole, while Gerd made a fire.
'Done...', said Ksander as he approached the fire.
'Here, have some.', replied Gerd, giving Ksander a slice of cooked meat.
While the two witchers ate, as they had to restock some energy, that they will need later...
'What's next for you come spring ?', asked Gerd biting from his slice of meat.
'I don't know yet. There's a couple more weeks till we leave, I got plenty of time. I did think about heading up north, maybe Kovir or Redania. You ?'.
'I might tag along, for a while...'.
'That sounds good. We haven't worked a contract together for some time. Sounds right. Let's drink to it.', replied Ksander, pulling a bottle from his saddle's satchel.
'Why not...'.
'You know, after all these years, I think I like being a witcher...', began Ksander. 'Spending my time hunting down ghouls, strigas and drowners, feels just much better than wasting your life as a merchant, with a wife and children. Or a moody politician...Ugh.', he said as he drank from a bottle of vodka, then passed it to Gerd. 'I'm glad that the old man found me, he gave me a hand to grab onto, unlike the others who would throw rocks at me...', he then took another sip from the bottle that Gerd gave back. 'How about you ? I never asked.'.
'Me ? I don't complain. I was brought to the keep when I was barely eight months old, so...I don't know what I could've been if I was not a witcher.'.
'I know, I was there. I must've been around ten years old...That was some long time ago.', responded Ksander, passing the bottle to Gerd.
'It was...'.
Then they kept drinking, as Gerd was tending to the fire, throwing from time to time some wood in it. While Ksander looked up, at the clear winter night sky.
It was almost midnight now. As the moon had not risen yet, the only light source into the woods was the fire. Around which Gerd and Ksander stood, flickering, as small sparks were rising among the trees of the fir forest, casting the shadows of the two witchers on the snow covered ground.
As from the fresh dug grave, a grim sensation was present. The fire was casting a shivering shadow of a wooden plank placed on top of the grave, while the fire snarls echoed through the woods. Soon, a figure had risen from the grave, a ghostly one, followed by a scream of such a terrifying resonance that it would make the bones of any usual men tremble and their bodies to freeze, leaving them to the will of the ghostly figure.
'It's here...', murmured Gerd, as he grabbed his silver sword.
'It was about time.', continued Ksander, doing the same.
The two witchers approached, and were now walking around the wraith, with their oiled swords in hand. Ksander ventured first as he casted the sign of Yerden. Forcing the immaterial figure to turn material. While Gerd, from behind the specter, tried a first slash, but, as he driven his blade close to the specter it disappeared, reappearing behind him, as it moved it's rusty sword to puncture his back. Ksander quickly threw a Moon Dust bomb, making the specter retreat once more.
'This is not going to end very soon...', said Ksander. as he and Gerd were back to back, moving in circles with their silver sword in both hands.
'Right...', responded Gerd, as he casted Yerden around him and Ksander.
'There !', shouted Gerd, and managed to hit the wraith this time with a diagonal slash, disappeared again. Reappearing in front of Ksander who stopped it's blade, and while moving aside, he was able to strike as well.
The specter grew weaker by each blow the witchers dealt. It's screams were heard among the woods, as on the snowy ground the fire casted the two shadows of the witchers and the trees, reaching out towards the dark. Accompanied by the sound of blades clashing against one another. And suddenly an even louder scream was heard, the roaring fire became extinguished. The fir trees shook and the growl of the specter was the only thing that could be perceived, among the dark trees. As then an unsettling silence fell upon the woods, while from west a cutting cold wind began to blow, rustling the tall trees.
Soon, the wraith attacked, spinning in a whirlwind.
The two witcher managed to escaped it's blow. But each went a different direction, as the specter disappeared once again.
Reappearing behind Ksander, who barely managed to escape the wraith's sword. As it went from his left shoulder to his right hip, then back, cutting a couple of his hair locks. While Gerd approached from behind the specter and slashed it. As it once again disappeared and reappeared on the other side where Ksander predicted it would. And with a leap, he gave another hit. Quickly followed by Gerd, ending it once and for all. The specter screamed for the last time as it now left this world for good.
'Now you can rest in peace, Aaliyah.', said Ksander, touching the grave.
Then they sheathed their silver swords, grabbed their horses and headed back to the village, where they would have to spend the night.
As they reached the village and soon entered the inn, at a table near the door sat Hendrik, next to him his daughter Lilly and across the table his brother. As he saw the witchers enter the door he stood up and walked towards them.
'Have you taken care of it ?', asked Hendrik, rubbing his sweaty palms.
'We did.', answered Gerd.
'Was it truly a wraith ?', he asked again.
'It was, we got rid of it...', responded witcher Ksander.
'Thank you...Here, some coin.', said Hendrik, giving the witcher a pouch of gold.
'We would need two rooms...', said Gerd.
'Sure, I will speak to my brother about it. While I do so, take a seat, eat, drink...You deserve it.', responded Hendrik.
As Hendrik went to the table where his daughter and brother were, Hendrik's brother asked Lilly to serve the witchers as he was talking with her father. So, Lilly went towards the table the two witchers sat at.
'What may I serve you ?', asked Lilly.
'Something to drink and two steaks with potatoes, if you may.', responded Ksander. Lilly nodded and went to get the drinks and cook the meat and boil the potatoes. After which she served the drinks and sat down at the same table with them, as she waited for the meal to cook.
'What happened ?', asked Ksander.
'My cousin died...', she answered slightly annoyed, from across the table.
'I know...Stupid question. But, besides that.', responded Ksander, looking her in the eyes.
'I don't know what my uncle will tell my father. As he asked me to come and serve you...', she said, worried.
'What ? You think he'll tell him about us ? I don't think he even noticed it.'.
'You are not very assuring, you know...'.
'Calm down, he doesn't know, trust me.', replied Ksander, as he drank from his tankard.
The inn was almost empty, besides a couple of drunk men, that were still asleep at a table in the left corner. It was past midnight and soon Hendrik came to the table to tell the witchers that he got them the rooms, and that they shan't pay for them. Soon after that the food was ready and Lilly served it to the witchers. As they ate and drank, the other drunk men inside the inn woke up and went home.
After they finished eating, the two witcher from the School of the Bear went to their rooms upstairs and of course, Lilly joined Ksander in his room.
For Gerd, as he entered the room, someone was expecting him. A redhead woman, naked, sitting on the side of the bed, with her legs crossed, reading a book that she held in her right hand, while her other hand was placed on her legs and kept spinning in her palm a key.
'How did you know they gave me this room ?', asked Gerd, as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.
'I told them that we would share it...', answered the woman.
'So...You planned this, huh ?', he asked, as he took off his gauntlets.
'That's right...', replied the woman as she walked towards Gerd. Helping him take off his chest armor, while he placed his swords on a table near the door.
Then she slowly started kissing his chin, reaching for his lower lip, as her hand went down in his trousers.
'Come...To the bed.', she whispered as Gerd grabbed her by her waist and lifted her up. She clutched her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, as he took her to the bed. While he grabbed and spread her round butt cheeks, while she was kissing him with passion.
When he got to the bed, Gerd, slowly placed her on it and as he took off his trousers and boots, she laid on her back in the bed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him in bed, as Gerd moved on top of her, kissing her red lips, as her blue eyes were slowly closing. He then started to kiss his way down her neck, towards her left shoulder where she had a scar. Then, centered his attention on her breasts, as he kissed, sucked and licked her perky, reddish, nipples for some time, while she let out a couple of soft giggles. He then continued to move further down, exploring her curvaceous body. With kisses down her abdomen and then went even lower where he remained for a while. Her hands moved on Gerd's head and from time to time she placed her right one on and between her breasts, while arching her back. Pushing her head against the bed slowly turning it left and right, moaning and constantly biting and sucking her lower lip as a result of the immense pleasure.
The woman was Vera, she always had a weak spot regarding Gerd. Certainly due to the many profitable jobs she did with the witcher. For they began working together since he once helped her retrieve some rubies for a cintrian nobleman. And since then, they kept working certain jobs. Developing an on-off relationship with each other.