The waters surrounding Aretuza were unusually calm that night, and the sea appeared almost ethereal in the light of the full moon. The cloudless sky was full of stars, and Tissaia traced the patterns of all the constellations that she knew with her eyes as she sat in an armchair by her window. She was particularly tired that evening, and would eagerly have curled up and fallen asleep where she sat if her stomach weren't so twisted with nerves and a sense of dread that would not leave her no matter how much she tried to reason with it. When the night sky failed to help her push her feelings to the bottom of her stomach, Tissaia got up and moved towards the vanity on the other side of her chambers.
She picked up the leather bag that sat upon it and plunged her arm inside, moving it around a space that the bag did not look as though it could possess. Slowly, Tissaia emptied its contents and set each item down on the vanity. Four dresses of black, white and grey, a small wooden box containing a few sleeping draughts, a roll of enchanted bandages painted with runes, a pouch containing some gold and a few precious gems, a perfume bottle that smelt of lilac and gooseberries, a jar of cream, and a silver medallion the size of her palm which had a diamond at its centre. She pulled an identical piece from her pocket and heated it. The other medallion grew hot. After a few minutes they cooled, and Tissaia heated up the medallion from the bag and hers started to burn the palm of her hand. She put her medallion back inside the pocket in her dress and repacked the bottomless bag carefully before putting it back on the vanity. It was the third time she'd checked its contents that evening. She wanted to make sure that Yennefer would have everything she needed when she left. When Triss took her away.
Tissaia had agreed to Triss' plan, but she was uneasy about the decision. If they had more time, she would have preferred to search for a different solution, but they didn't. Yennefer wouldn't be safe in Aretuza for much longer. Tissaia stepped back from the vanity and walked into her office, sitting down at the chair behind her deck. She stared at the letter on her desk and tapped her fingernails against the glass inkpot as she read it over. It had been revisited more times than the bag and after hours pondering over it, several failed attempts stacked under a book beside her, she still wasn't happy with it. Tissaia held the bottom right corner of the letter between two fingers, wondering whether she should just let her words burn. It might be better for both of them if she did.
It had been a week since Sodden, and the other mages were becoming more blatant and intrusive regarding the Rectoress' continued absence and withdrawal from Aretuza's operation and the education of its apprentices. Stregobor, in particular, had been rather incessant with his questions and took every opportunity he had to remark to their colleagues that he did not regard her explanations as truthful, though he had not said as much to her face; that would require a spine. Though she knew that he did not speak for the Brotherhood, Tissaia was aware that they were beginning to take an interest in her as a result of her suspicious behaviour and her connection with the traitor Yennefer. If not for the position and power that she held, Tissaia knew she would have been interrogated officially by now, and that would probably include an inspection of her quarters, where she was currently harbouring a fugitive. Though she couldn't be sure, Tissaia suspected that she could be absent for another week before the Brotherhood felt they had enough evidence to question her. Yennefer needed to be gone long before then.
Remnants of chaos still lit up her face and warmed her, but Yennefer's skin had otherwise healed well, and when Tissaia had momentarily removed the dimeritium shackles Yennefer's presence had felt stronger though still erratic. She looked far better than she had done when Tissaia had held her in her arms at Sodden, or when she'd been forced to take her through a portal and into Aretuza, but her full brilliance was still dulled. Yennefer's hair was starting to lose its shine from lack of sunlight and vitamin D, and the sleeping draughts made her face appear almost lifeless. Though they were sharp and often cold, Tissaia missed the sound of Yennefer's voice and wished that she did not have to bind her violent eyes. She had wanted to see Yennefer whole again before she left, but she should have known from the start that that would not be possible. Tissaia would be forced to remember her as she lay instead for who knows how many years. They had spent decades apart before, and they might do so now. Who was to say that Yennefer would even want to see her again, after what she had done? Tissaia wasn't hopeful, but she wished to at least have a chance to explain someday - if Yennefer would allow it.
Tissaia let go of the letter and sighed, leaning her elbows against the desk and holding her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples until there was a knock at the door. Tissaia looked up and reached out with her mind, releasing the arms of her chair when she felt Triss' presence outside. It was time. Tissaia put her hands on the desk and got up slowly. Her fingers brushed the edge of the letter and she held it in one hand, the parchment crumbling slightly as she grasped it a little too tightly. After what felt like an age, Tissaia put the letter down and folded it before sealing it with wax. Pocketing it, she glided towards the door and greeted Triss with a small smile and a calm demeanour that fell away almost as soon as the door was shut and locked.
After Tissaia conjured a portal that could not be traced, she and Triss carried Yennefer through, being careful not to touch her skin. With the dimeritium shackles removed to transport her, Tissaia felt Yennefer's presence flare and lash out as she was engulfed by the magic of the portal before her aura weakened and Tissaia had to reach out to find her. The Rectoress' breathe caught in her throat as she watched her work and care come undone, her chest tightening. Yennefer had just stopped thrashing in her sleep, and now her skin would irritate her again. Tissaia looked up from the body she was helping to carry and tried to take a deep breath. It was all for the best. She had to remember that, as she had before.
A tear slid down Triss' cheek as the portal closed behind them and Tissaia pretended not to notice as the younger sorceress wiped it away on her shoulder. Instead, she took in her new surroundings. They were in a small clearing in the middle of an otherwise dense forest, the light of the moon barely penetrating the canopy. An old but well-kept stone building towered before them, a candle flickering in a few of its windows. The fine but not elaborate architecture of the rectangular structure could leave no doubt in most minds that this was a place of worship. The Temple of Melitele, to be precise. Tissaia knew it to be one of the oldest sites of human worship on the continent, and that its priestesses were dedicated to their goddess and their work of tending to the sick. Many of them were great healers and the temple itself contained centuries of knowledge about medicinal practices. They would be able to help Yennefer, but their skills weren't the source of Tissaia's misgivings.
Triss had assured her that they could handle their case with discretion, remarking that they had done so when she had brought Adda, the recently cured striga and princess, to them, but Tissaia still worried. The fear and dread that Yennefer might not be secure behind these walls continued to eat at her insides. Could the priestesses be discrete enough to hide Yennefer from those that sought her, and could they be trusted to keep her hidden and not turn her over, especially when she had the potential to cause them great trouble and strife because of her state, and more generally her confrontational personality?
Yet, while all those worries and more filled her mind, Tissaia knew that the real reason she was unhappy was that she didn't want to let go. She wanted to keep Yennefer under her wing until she could see her fly away by herself, but it wasn't fair to keep her caged anymore. Tissaia had cared for her and she had tried to make Yennefer comfortable, but a gilded cage was still a cage. Yennefer needed to have the chance to spread her wings and test them, and Tissaia could not provide her with a space to do so, or give her the attention she needed to learn how to fly again. She had at least hoped that they would find Yennefer a place where she could keep an eye on her, but the Temple of Melitele was not far enough out of the way for frequent visits. This risk that she might eventually leave a trace that some passing mage on the road might pick up on was too great. Tonight, Tissaia would have to let go completely, and it would be of Yennefer's choosing whether this would be their final parting. Tissaia would not seek her out as she had before. She couldn't, after all she had done.
They stood outside for less than a minute before the door to the temple opened and three figures emerged. Two of them, girls that Tissaia imagined were no less than two summers away from reaching womanhood, came out to meet them while the third stood in the doorway and watched. The two priestesses were carrying a stretcher between them, and Triss and Tissaia transferred Yennefer's body onto it and then followed behind them as they took the sorceress inside.
"Mother Nenneke," Triss smiled and bowed her head towards the women in the doorway.
Standing beside Triss, Tissaia looked at the older priestess and sized her up and she felt Nenneke do the same to her. She was an elderly figure, her face weathered with wrinkles that gave her a stern yet kind appearance. Her hair was tied up in a practical bun on top of her head and she stood remarkably tall and straight for a woman of her age.
"Triss," Mother Nenneke greeted after a few moments, looking at the other sorceress briefly before turning back to Tissaia. "And would I be right to assume that you are Tissaia, Rectoress of Aretuza?"
"Indeed, you would be," Tissaia replied, inclining her head. "May I please ask that we take this inside, with your leave, of course. There are a few matters that I wish to discuss with you, Mother Nenneke, and I do not wish to speak of them in the open."
The high priestess paused for a moment and then stepped to the side, gesturing for the sorceress to enter.
"Triss has already informed me of your situation Rectoress, and of Yennefer's," said Mother Nenneke as she closed the door behind them. "Her case will be difficult, and her recovery will be long, tedious and often painful for her, but we shall see that she gets through it."
"Of that, I have no doubt, Mother Nenneke." Tissaia moved around the small foyer, casting her eyes across its sparse furnishings before standing in front of the priestess, hands clasped in front of her. "Do not take my queries as evidence that I question your skill, because I do not. I know that Yennefer will be well cared for by the temple, that is not my concern."
"No, but her safety is. You do not believe that we can, or perhaps that we will choose to keep Yennefer from those that hunt her."
It was not a question, but a statement, and over Nenneke's shoulder, Tissaia saw Triss tense.
"I do not," Tissaia replied.
Nenneke furrowed her brow and pinned Tissaia with a scrutinizing gaze. For a few moments, they stared at each other in silence while Triss watched on, worrying her bottom lip. Then, Nenneke's expression softened slightly.
"Though I feel inclined to take offence, Rectoress," admitted Nenneke, "I sympathize with your situation. I know that I too would have misgivings about relinquishing one of my charges to the care of a stranger. We are not that dissimilar, you and I, and I can see that you say such things from a position of care and not superiority."
Tissaia inclined her head, momentarily lowering her gaze. "Causing offence was never my intention, Mother Nenneke."
Nenneke nodded. "Though the Temple might not look like much to magicians such as yourselves, it does have its own protections, those written in ancient laws and passed on in sacred traditions. Word of our new charge will not spread beyond these walls and we know enough about magic to keep her hidden from the gaze of her enemies. She will leave here only of her free will, Rectoress."
"Then I am reassured, Mother Nenneke," Tissaia replied, smiling faintly, "and I thank you for providing Yennefer with that which I cannot. But if I might ask one more thing of you before I go, then I would like to request the chance to see her again. I might not soon receive another opportunity."
"Of course."
The high priestesses led Tissaia and Triss to a small square room at the back of the temple. When she opened the door, Tissaia saw Yennefer lying on a rickety old bed on the far side of the room. One of the initiates who had helped carry her inside was sitting in a chair at the foot of her bed, reading. Tissaia felt some of her unease fade away; they had not left Yennefer alone.
Nenneke dismissed the girl and stood back as the sorceresses entered the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tissaia took the bag she had packed from Triss and took out the jar of cream. She scooped some into her hands and rubbed her fingers together to warm it. Then, she began to apply it to Yennefer's body in silence, glancing from time to time at Yennefer's peaceful face. As she worked, Tissaia wondered whether Yennefer's eyes would ever be as bright as before. She hoped that they would, she wouldn't look right otherwise.
When Tissaia was finished she got up and put the cream on a small round table, the only other piece of furniture in the room beside the bed, chair, and a chest near the door. As she had done several times before, Tissaia laid out everything she had packed and hung the empty bag on the chair before turning to Nenneke.
"If there is any trouble, if you find that either you or Yennefer needs me, heat this medallion and I shall come at once."
She held out the silver trinket to Nenneke who took it from her without a word, and Tissaia could read nothing from her features. Looking over her shoulder, Tissaia turned her attention back to the bed. Triss had taken up her position, the edge of the mattress dipping under her weight as she held her friend's hand, caressing it. The sight stirred something in Tissaia, and it took her a few moments to realize that she was jealous. Triss didn't have to say her final goodbye. She could visit, and she probably would. Tissaia could not risk taking too many portals to these parts, and she could not travel the roads to the temple without raising suspicion because she had to show her face and do her duties. Triss did not, she wasn't bound by such obligations. She had freedom, freedom that Tissaia had not enjoyed for centuries and which she had not missed until this trouble began.
If she were free, Tissaia would not have been forced to leave Yennefer to the mercy of strangers. Tissaia could have cared for Yennefer herself. Yes, she had been reassured by Nenneke's words, but there was only one person Tissaia trusted to look after Yennefer completely, and that was herself. But that was not a possibility. She wished it were, and she had looked and spent many hours and nights thinking of how it could be so, but a solution had always evaded her. This, the temple, was the next best thing, and Tissaia knew that she would always regret her failure to provide for Yennefer herself.
A slight flush of heat rose into Tissaia's cheeks as she realised that she had been standing in the middle of the room staring at Yennefer for some time. Triss hadn't seemed noticed, but Tissaia felt Nenneke's eyes boring into the side of her head. It had been a long time since anyone had made her feel as vulnerable and open as this priestess did.
"What else is on your mind, Rectoress?" she asked.
Tissaia looked at her, and then lowered her gaze to her wrists as she straightened the cuffs of her dress, her lips pressed together tightly.
"Triss," said Tissaia, turning to her, "go back outside. Make sure there isn't anyone watching the temple. I will join you shortly."
The young sorceress nodded and slowly stood up from the bed. She squeezed Yennefer's hand and placed it carefully on the mattress before smiling faintly at Nenneke and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Nenneke stood where she was as Tissaia moved around the small space, running her hand over the back of the chair and the small windowsill. Then, she stopped at the foot of the bed, fingers curling around one of its small, stubby little posts as she watched Yennefer sleep.
"Will you tell her what happened? All of it?" Tissaia asked quietly, without looking up.
To her shame, she knew that Triss had told the priestess about her methods, and what she had done to Yennefer at Sodden and Aretuza. Tissaia had agreed that she should know, but it was not information that she had easily parted with.
"If she asks," Nenneke responded.
"And if she asks why, what will you say then?"
When the priestess didn't instantly reply, Tissaia looked at her. She seemed to be considering her answer.
"That the people who care for us deeply," Nenneke replied, "sometimes go to great and terrifying lengths to keep us safe, to do what they think is best for us."
Tissaia bowed her head and sighed. Absentmindedly her fingers, rather than finding their way to her neck and pendant, dropped down into her pocket. She stroked the edge of the letter and stared at Yennefer's bedsheets without really seeing them. Nenneke's explanation was close enough and, in a way, it summed up the contents of her letter nicely, though in a rather simple manner. Perhaps she should leave it at that; perhaps nothing else needed to be said. Wouldn't it be easier to let someone else explain, to not have to justify her actions personally? Tissaia worried that the letter would only make things more difficult. But didn't Yennefer deserve to get an explanation from her? Besides, it could surely cause no more harm than she had already inflicted.
The letter was slightly crumbled when she took it out, and Tissaia placed is flat on the table and tried to smooth it out with her hands. It still looked a mess. Tissaia realized she hadn't even addressed it to Yennefer and the wax seal was clumsy. Would Yennefer believe it was from her when she saw it in such a state? Tissaia closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she needed to stop thinking so much. Picking the letter up with both hands, Tissaia placed it in the middle of the pile she had created on the table and straightened a few of the items before looking back at Nenneke.
"I must thank you again, Mother Nenneke," Tissaia said, standing before the other woman. "Your help with this matter means a great deal to me."
"Just as she does?"
Tissaia smiled nervously and looked over her shoulder at Yennefer. "Yes, just as she does," she whispered.
After a pause, Tissaia turned around and inclined her head towards the high priestess before leaving the room. She didn't look back once, not until the portal to Aretuza was closing behind her, and she found herself staring at her empty bed.
Here we are, Ladies and Gentlemen, the end of the line. Thank you for joining me on this adventure, I've had a blast. This was such fun to write and I am thrilled with how it turned out. Lots of angst but some moments of fluff to :)
I'm sad that it's over, but don't worry! I plan to write more stories about Yennefer, Tissaia, and The Witcher in the future. Maybe I'll write about them in my bad things happen bingo collection. Hey you, yes you, why don't you submit a prompt?! You can choose from 25 situations and select any character or characters for me to write about. For more information, check out Bloody Entertainment!
Until next time! Xx