.X. Contempt.

His eyes were closed, but the wounds he received this Yule, would from time to time still crack open and shed a drop of blood through the cloth around them on the white bed dressings.

'A nice evening don't you think ?', spoke a woman with a gentle voice.

'Mhm...', he murmured.

'Do you want to go down for supper ?'.

'Not hungry, though we could...', he responded as he turned on his right side facing his lover, while his left hand went along her waist down her hips and between her legs. She looked him in the eyes with a calm, lovely look, then as he reached her sensitive spot, they'd closed and she slowly turned on her back, while her lover grabbed her lower lip between his. As his hand was still between her legs she clinched her fingers, grabbing the pillow next to her, arching her back, while the witcher moved down on her, with kisses down her neck, chest, abdomen, until he reached the place his hand was at, still playing, as she was moaning with undoubtful pleasure.

Few steps from the bed the fire place was lit, the wood was cracking and creaking as it turned into ashes and it lighted the room through the iron grates in front of it, who's shadows as the flames, were shivering.

The witcher's room, had one large set of windows and beyond it a small balcony, looking out through the blizzard, down the hill as it reached the shores of the restless sea.

It was winter again on the Northern lands, Gerd, as he did every year, came back to the isles to spend the winter there and also to visit his lover at that long passed time. Vera, who as him in the winter came from the continent back to the isles to spend the cold winter with him.

Time was all that the two cared not about, as they kept on pleasuring each other every time they desired to.

Later that evening...

'So, how much did the last contract paid ?'.

'Hrgh...Two hundred and fifty orens...', he groaned as he got up the bed's side and walked to the fire place to throw some more wood on it. 'I was lucky I got that much...', he continued as he walked to the other side of the room.

'I guess...', she responded. She was laying on the side of the bed, with her lower half covered by a thick blanket. On her right side, her left arm covered her breasts while the other was beneath her head as she was watching Gerd as he was throwing the chopped pieces of wood in the fire.

'You still don't want to go have supper ? I kinda do...how about you joining me ?'.

'Alright, I might go get some firewood as well.'.

'Great.', she responded and quickly got out of bed, put on her underwear and some clothes. 'I will see you down.'.

'Sure.', responded Gerd, as he was tossing some more wood in the fire.

That winter only Gerd, Vera, Junod, Neena and the old witcher Mousar were present at the keep. Ksander had been away that winter, on the path and on some other places, he only returned for a few weeks in the middle of summer, then came back to the keep in the winter of next year.

Junod of Belhaven was a young witcher at that time, in his late twenties, he came to the keep of the School of the Bear every year. He was a tall, jet-black haired, which he kept short, shaven on the sides, longer on top and he wore a beard at the time. He was one of the last witchers to come out of the last Trail of the Grasses. A very few children survived that one, and he was among the lucky ones to do it.

Neena and Mousar, were as always the two elders present at the keep, wise and old.

The supper had been a rich one, from food to alcohol to the amusing and wisdom filled tales told by Mousar, as the young souls around the table laughed and had a good time. After the eating and drinking ended, Gerd and Junod shared some of their stories too. Gerd told a funny encounter he had with a herbalist in Metinna, who hired him to find a special herb for his mule special diet and of his contract in Vengerberg that almost killed him. While Junod told one about his latest contract in Velen, that he had on a succubus.

The evening turned quickly into a night, past midnight, when only Gerd and Junod were left around the table. On which a few empty bottles of ale and tankards were present, while the two were playing a game of cards.

'That contract sort of opened my eyes. I mean the woman there...Were so beautiful. Cintrian brothels are glorious...'

'You start to sound just like Ksander.'.

'Hmm. Bad thing, that he didn't join us this year...', Junod replied, looking at his cards. 'But, I didn't go there for the usual activities men partake in, I had a contract...'.

'So, about that succubus contract you mentioned earlier...'.

'I didn't fuck her. If that is what you are curious of.' .

'Why not ? Don't like women with hoofs and antlers ? She invited you to-'.

'I just wasn't thinking with my cock, that's all.'.

'Ksander would say that is a bad way to approach such situation. I say it's good that you didn't kill her.'.

'Yet, I still think I should've...'

'You did the right thing. I mean she just wanted some company, she didn't kill the men she slept with...'.

'No she didn't. But she kept them as...toys.'.

'But, you convinced her to let them go, so, it's a well done job.'.

'Maybe...Fuck ! Let's just stop playing, you'll take all my coin if we keep going...'.

'Yes, I wanted to mention that.', began Gerd, laying his cards on the table, 'Sooner or later...'.

'What ?!', began Junod, as he looked at the hand of cards Gerd had. 'I would've beat you this time !', he then angrily took a drink from his tankard, 'Empty, of course...'

'You said, let's stop...', continued Gerd, then he too reached for his tankard. 'Empty to, well, then a nap it is. Night.', he got up his chair, grabbed his cards and the coin he won, then walked towards the stairs.

'Good night...', responded Junod, while he did the same.

Gerd went upstairs, to his room, where Vera retired a couple hours ago. He entered the room, took off his clothes and put himself to bed.

'Nice of you to come...'.

'Mhm.', he murmured, with his face buried in the pillow.

'Really thought you'd sleep with Junod tonight.'.

'Hmm...', he responded murmuring.

She said nothing else. He thought that she went back to sleep, odd as she liked to always have the last word in such matters, so Gerd turned his head, resting it on his right side.

'Vera, I...'.

The fuss of the flames intensified, the sound of it snarling possessed the room, suddenly through his closed eyes lids, Gerd noticed the room lighting up, and the sound of the flames seemed to be right next to him. He opened his eyes and lifted himself up, turned around only to see a body surrounded by the flames in a puddle of blood.

'What the- Vera ! Fuck ! Vera !', he quickly jumped out of the bed, through the flames and stopped next to her body. Lifted his hands and looked at them, then fell on his knees, reaching for her lifeless figure. Holding her to his chest, all the while the chamber was being devoured by flames.

Touching his forehead to hers as the sound of flames became insupportable, it was roaring with such ferocity that it almost induced the feeling of it burning, the scent of smoke and burned skin. However, soon, Gerd realized that it was all a dream. The only thing that could hurt more was going through it again. Through the good side of it then the bad. It all had been so real, so life like, everything almost as it was back into those times. Long times ago, decades, forgotten almost. Old unhealed wounds, indeed.

Gerd quickly grabbed with his right hand the side of the bed he was on, he then continued with a deep growl. Then, he woke up and began to mutter.

From across the room, Gerd heard the creaks of the wooden planks accompanied by a couple of light steps, heading toward him.

'You're awake, good...', said an unknown man, in a foreign accent, stepping out of the shadows in the light of the flickering candles standing on the nightstand next to the bed Gerd was lying on. 'I have a job for you...'.