Chapter 16: Leaving So Soon

Weeks passed, as Ciri grew stronger and wilder with her daily training. It had been a long transition period; learning to deal with the hours of training that required both physical and mental strength. She had come such a long way in her magic, and her swords skills were slowly improving. Yennefer was impressed with her, Geralt was as stone-faced about the whole situation as always, while Jaskier was wishing they had allowed Ciri more time to be a child.

He had commented a few times on the fact that she no longer acted like a child. Ciri had grown quiet and contemplative with her training. She could still laugh and have fun but spending the days around stoic Geralt and the inquisitive Yennefer, she was finding it hard to maintain her youthful outlook on life. She was working harder than most kids her age and had far more skill than most girls ever get to have. Her time not spent training, was spent listening to Jaskier's newest compositions, or riding Aspen.

Geralt finally trusted the island to be safe enough for Ciri to go exploring on her own, so off she went in the afternoons she had free, racing around and seeing what the gorgeous island had to offer. She wanted for nothing, or at least they believed. She was grateful for what she had and that she was still alive to enjoy it, but she longed for the familiarity of her grandmother, for her home, and for the friends that had forsaken her.

As the days grew colder, Geralt had moved their training inside, to avoid Ciri catching her death out in the snow. When she was fighting, she got to warm and sweaty to be able to wear layers, and that would surely be a bad thing if they were to fight outdoors. When she rode Aspen, she had to dress up in thick layers of clothing in order to stay warm in the frigid air.

Right now, she was sparring with Geralt, her sword held in front of her in the proper position, while her feet in the correct stance. He moved towards her with an offensive blow to her head, which she blocked and parried with a swipe of her own. Back and forth they swung, moving around each other as they looked for openings, and Geralt quickly found his.

Geralt's sword smashed against her side, knocking the wind out of her as she got shoved sideways. "Don't leave your side open!" he grunted, moving to attack her again without allowing her to catch her breath.

A bruise was already blossoming on her side, and her breath felt like it had been stolen from her lungs, but she tried to pay no mind. Taking a shaky short breath, she blocked his next blow which sent vibrations up her arms. He was getting offensive, and she had no choice but to take the defense, blocking each blow with no opportunity to get a strike in of her own.

Her weakness frustrated her, as well as her lack of speed. No human could best a Witcher, so why was Geralt expecting her to? A 13-year-old child with no previous training could never get a hit in on a Witcher. Yet she felt like he was disappointed in her after every lesson. Her shoulders shook in exhaustion as she continued to block the blows that came, her fear starting to rise as his blade got closer to striking her again.

She already had bruises from previous training sessions, and she wished to not add any more to her collection for the time being. But that was wishful thinking. His sword, faster than she was, grazed her thigh, knocking her to the ground with a loud thump. Her sword fell from her hands as she grabbed the offending spot on her leg, bidding the brutal pain to subside. "We are done for the day," Geralt said. He indicated for her to follow him. Standing up, trying not to limp with her pained leg, she followed him through the castle to the dining hall, where Yennefer sat waiting for them at the table, Bran bouncing up and down on her knee.

"How did that go?" Yennefer asked with a kind smile.

"More bruises," Ciri grumbled, taking her seat next to Yen.

"Nothing that won't heal," Geralt interjected, as Yennefer turned to look at him with anger. She thought he was too hard on Ciri, but Geralt wouldn't concede. He wanted her trained and toughened up and was adamant to do it his way.

"We are going to be leaving," Yennefer said, looking at her steadily.

"What? Where are we going?" Ciri asked, not liking the sounds of this already. She had just gotten comfortable here, and the idea of being uprooted again was unpleasant.

Geralt's molten eyes locked on hers. "We are going to Kaer Morhen for the winter. Vesemir, an old teacher, still resides there and will aide us in your training."

"Are you going to turn me into a Witcher?" Ciri asked, eyes wide as she looked between Yennefer and Geralt.

"HA!" a loud laugh came from the end of the hall. Ciri turned to see Jaskier walking up towards them, his lute strapped to his back. "Absolutely not, I'd never allow it." He winked at her, though she could see the seriousness in what he had said.

Geralt rolled his eyes at the bard. "You are not becoming a Witcher, but the training will undoubtedly be an asset to you. You already have magic; we just need to unlock more of it. This will enhance your speed, hearing, sight, and abilities. Vesemir will be helpful in this."

Ciri nodded slowly, her stomach churning. "When would we leave?"

"Tomorrow," Yennefer answered, looking at the girl almost sadly. "I will have the servants pack up your belongings and prepare them for you tomorrow morning. You will have to say goodbye to your horse until you return."

"What? Aspen can't come?" Ciri shouted, her anger surprising her. She had gotten very attached to Aspen, and the idea of leaving her behind was not a pleasant one.

Geralt shook his head. "There is no place for horses in Kaer Morhen. Our horses will remain here until we return in several months' time."

Ciri looked down at her hands in anger. They were uprooting her so soon and separating her from her horse. It was hardly fair, but she knew she would get absolutely no say in the matter. "May I be excused?" she asked sourly, not looking anybody in the eye.

"Of course," Yennefer replied after a moment.

Ciri quickly stood up and all but ran out of the dining hall, going outside to see her horse. She heard Jaskier's voice scolding the others. "I told you she wouldn't take that well," he snapped. She did not catch the rest of what he said, as the castle door shut behind her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she moved towards the horse pasture, where Aspen stood watching her curiously. Lunging into the pen, Ciri mashed her face into her mare's neck, and sobbed harder than she had in quite some time.