Neither Kain nor Geralt knew how to react and what to feel. They couldn't look at each other with the word spoken out, but both knew in their blood it was true. Both realized they sensed it from the start, some kind of imperceptible string that was connecting them.
"It is still unclear how Kain managed to be thirty-three and yet have studied at The School of the Cat more than forty years ago," Avallac'h said. "How do you explain that?"
"I don't know," Kain responded. "It was fifteen years ago for me."
"How could that be possible?" Avallac'h repeated, and looked at Ciri with some kind of a meaning behind his cold grey eyes.
"What are you implying?" Geralt asked, tired and annoyed.
"I am implying a magic at work," the elf said, directing his calm gaze to the Witcher. "A magic much stronger and more unique than one of a druid sorceress and some dirty-blooded Aen Seidhe."
Who had ever said Kain was Aen Seidhe, Ciri wondered. If he did not know who his father was...
She moved to Kain's side, feeling the need to protect him. She knew what it was like to have people, Avallac'h, scrutinize you like some grand puzzle that needed solving.
"What kind of magic?" Ciri asked, feigning innocence though she had a fairly good inkling what kind of power could have done such a thing.
"You know, Zireael," the elf said, a small smile on his lips. "You already know, do you not."
He wasn't asking, both Geralt and Kain took notice. Kain wondered how he managed to do it, other than reading her thoughts every once in a while like she was a self-updating diary.
"What does he mean, Ciri?" Geralt asked.
"Seems I know less than you," Ciri told Avallac'h, looking to where he had discarded of the sketch. "You're happy," she pointed out. She could tell. The energy surrounding him was practically shimmering. "I won't let you take him. He won't let it happen, either." She squeezed Kain's hand, staring Avallac'h down.
Geralt watched them like it were a theater piece, and he was stuck in a dream, behind the veil from them, like they were in another world and he could see them but they didn't know he was there. The feeling made his head spin faster.
He made an effort and asked, "What the hell is going on here? Ciri? What are you saying?"
Ciri met Geralt's gaze but could not say the words. Once more she was being asked to reveal someone else's secret.
She looked at Kain, squeezing his hand gently in encouragement again. It was his choice. It had to be.
Kain met Geralt's tired but inquiring gaze when he sent it his way.
"Elder Blood," Kain said. "He implies I'm Elder Blood. Which I'm not."
"You base your conclusion on what facts?" Avallac'h asked him, mildly amused.
"Are you insane?" Geralt demanded, setting his glare on the elf. "Have you gone completely insane in that obsession of yours? He's a son of a sorceress, a witcher, a mage, if you will. Some time inconsistency doesn't make him Elder Blood. He's nothing to do with Cintra's royal lineage. Nothing. Neither of us does."
"Ah, Gwynbleidd," Avallac'h shook his head. "This should be proven wrong, because for now there seems to be more in favor than against that. Look at them," he gestured to Ciri and Kain lazily. "They are not surprised. How did they get that idea earlier?"
Geralt looked at the two, confused.
Kain didn't want another bout of interrogation. "The Weavess told me that," he confessed, looking at Geralt and directing it to him. "When we fought the Crones on the Bald Mountain. The one remaining cut me and called me Elder Blood."
Ciri's gaze returned to Avallac'h. "And how are you so certain, Crevan? What do you know?"
Avallac'h looked at her, unperturbed. "I am certain there is no ordinary magic in this world that allows anyone to skip through time and space, Zireael. The Crones were helping Eredin and Imlerith. If she smelled it in your friend, she wasn't lying."
"How is it possible?" Geralt asked again.
Avallac'h gave him an almost bored look. "We could find out – if Corinne is still here."
That had not been what Ciri meant. Avallac'h had known before Kain told them about the Crone. How had he known?
She looked up at Kain at her side. "You do not have to. Don't let him make you do anything you do not want to, Archer."
"If he does not," Avallac'h said, "how would he ever know? What peace would he ever find?"
Geralt shook his head slowly, murmuring, "This is madness."
"Fairly certain he had peace until we came along," Ciri muttered.
"Knowing the truth is always the most important thing," Avallac'h said, staring pointedly at Kain with the same barely-there smile in the corners of his mouth. "Is it not what you believe, Kain? You will never know the truth unless you use your chance."
"Don't you push anyone to do your bidding, Sage," Geralt said, scowling, pointing a finger at the elf. "I've had enough of this tonight. You don't make your rules nor your demands here, because you have no say in this."
Avallac'h raised his eyebrows, "I am merely pointing out things you already know or presume. Truth could be revealed, and the matter resolved. It is right there in front of you – reach out and take it. Or do not. And live with this black hole of wondering forever."
Their voices reached Kain as if from behind a veil, but he didn't see their faces. They were blurred silhouettes while Kain stared blindly in front of him, unable to make a choice. He had to know, and at the same time, he was afraid of it.
Kain was silent, staring straight ahead as if the others weren't here at all. But he had not let go of Ciri's hand.
He was scared and Ciri knew why. Anyone with any sense would be.
She tried to push strength and support, love and acceptance his way, gently squeezing his hand in the process. "Kain?"
Kain closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, then looked at Geralt.
"I'll do it."
"It's not necessary," Geralt said. "We'll sort it all out later when we get a breather."
"Nevertheless."
Avallac'h smiled a little. "I'll bring her," he said and went for the door, depositing the sketch on the table on his way out.
Kain pulled his hand from Ciri's, turning away to come to stand on the balcony facing the city, breathing in the smell of rain, his hands tightening on the wooden railing.
It felt like some strange dream that got out of control.
Ciri was not sure if this was good or not. Kain deserved to know about his past, of course, but it worried her that Avallac'h would store that information away to make use of for later plans.
"Do you want us to leave?" she asked, not following him outside.
"Why?" Kain shrugged. "To keep the remaining secret from my brother and his ward? You can stay."
"It's not a good time for revealing secrets," Geralt said. "Avallac'h has some interest in it, and we have the sorceresses here, too."
"We don't always pick time for things to happen," Kain said. "It was probably all meant to happen as soon as I agreed to stay among you. It was inevitable since then."
Ciri flinched inwardly. Geralt's ward. Is that what she was to Kain now?
She swallowed the pain and took a few steps away, moving to one of the walls to lean against, arms folded across her chest.
Geralt was right, of course. It was a terrible idea to explore all this while in the presence of Avallac'h and the former Lodge members. But in the end it would always have to be Kain's decision.
Geralt approached and stood by Kain, peering out at the city.
"I'm sorry it came to this," he said. "It's a lot to take for us. But you're right - we can't always pick the right time." He was silent for a bit, then added, "I know now what I saw in your face but couldn't quite understand."
Kain smirked without much humor. "I should've had red hair, then you'd have a guess."
"It's why she brought you to a witcher school," he said. "To hide you where you could fit in."
"I know. I've always known that."
"I never knew that about myself," he murmured. "Never knew why."
"She had some sort of plan. Druids care for a bigger picture, for the whole world. She cared to follow the calls of destiny more than our individual needs."
Geralt's lips twitched in a bitter sneer; he made no response.
"Are you ready?" Avallac'h asked, walking ahead of the oneiromancer as they came in. "I'll leave you to it, then." He shot a look at Ciri, then stepped out, closing the suite door.
Geralt cast a brief puzzled look Kain's way.
"He'll find out, anyway," Kain said. "He already knows something, he merely sought a confirmation."
The two brothers were talking and though Ciri knew they were not trying to keep anything from her, she only heard snippets here and there. She did not try to invade their conversation. They deserved their privacy.
She trailed Avallac'h with her gaze and once more felt a pang of pain. Ciri had trusted him once. Not that long ago. Had even cared for him. And now... Everything was so tangled and chaotic.
Corinne looked between Geralt and Kain, a polite curiosity reflected in her pretty face. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to remember how I got to the witcher school when I was six," Kain said as she took a seat in a chair, "and how I escaped the massacre."
Corinne gave it a thought, then looked at Ciri and Geralt with a wonder.
"Do you know a way to share the vision?" Kain asked.
"It's more complicated, but I can do it. They will have to lie down or sit to doze. And you will have to relax and let it happen." She gestured to the bed.
Feeling a bit dizzy again, Kain made himself lie down on it and tried to relax.
Ciri hesitated a moment, then slid down with her back to the wall until her behind reached the floor. She folded her legs in front of her and leaned back, closing her eyes and trying to relax and let go of all reservations.
Somewhere in the room she heard shuffling and assumed Geralt was doing the same.
The sun is blazing through emerald canopy in blinding flashes.
'It is time,' her voice says, calm and tender as always. She hands Kain a wooden cup with water. 'Drink this. A goodbye from this forest to remember it by. You can always come back here. It will accept you. Drink.'
He does, and warmth with grassy taste spreads through his mouth and soaks into his blood. He looks up, not even squinting against the blazes of the sun peeking through the leaves, and his head feels light… as if it's made of air…
Images of the castle flash by, her red hair, her touch, her smile, their last walk in the woods and she says she has to go...
Kaer Morhen… the trail exercises… joint trainings and everybody's eager for the upcoming competition… Vesemir's instructions and the Cat commander barking orders… Felines giggling in a group watching the Wolf boys train while they share their scores and compare Cats and Wolves… Geralt sparring with his friend barely a few yards away...
And then the chaos of the battle and king soldiers shooting everyone on sight… pain and blood so hot as it soaked Kain's shirt… his head heavy and pounding and everything gets dark and blurry…
Her touch again… nothing like her touch, cooling his feverish forehead…
… Drink this… It's all right… All right… Remember the forest… remember our home… remember… we are coming home… home…
Kain gasped, startled, pushed out of the dream and stared at the ceiling, panting, his heart thrashing in his chest. He still felt blood streaming over his side and had to touch a hand to it to find it wasn't wet.
Corinne was rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. Kain felt she did.
Unlike the scene of Auberon's death, this vision came in flashes that were hard to make sense of unless you knew their story already. And Ciri only did to a certain point. She was left feeling more confused than enlightened. She looked between Geralt and Kain to gauge if it had made more sense for them. Undoubtedly it had.
"I'm sorry," Corinne said, rubbing her forehead as she stood up slowly. "It was harder than usual to get into the visions... The memory is too fragmented. But I hope it helped."
"Thank you for your assistance, Corinne," Geralt said, helping her to the door as if worried she could drop. "Whatever you might need is on the house. We shall find you a room to rest if you please."
"I'm grateful, Witcher, and I will have a drink in your bar before I leave."
"As you wish."
When the door closed behind her, Geralt turned to Kain, frowning in confusion.
"I hope it made sense to you how... Did she do it? Was it she who carried you through time?"
"No, she had no such power," Kain said, rubbing his temples. It felt like his head was still spinning how it was in the memory. "She made me drink something…"
"Water," Geralt said.
Kain cast a meaningful glance his way, "The Brokilon Water. She made me use my power and forget about it so well that I don't even know how to use it, anymore. Quite clever. The only possible way it could have been arranged. She probably spent all those years of my witcher training in the past until she made me get us back home. Home…" His mind stumbled over the word momentarily.
Brokilon was never their home. Why would she say that? Maybe he didn't recall it right…
He pushed the reverie away for later and continued, "It was a good hiding place for both of us. Thirteen years, until everyone who could have been searching for us in our present lost hope and trails."
Ciri frowned. "Why would the Brokilon Water work on you? It did nothing to me."
Geralt would remember, too. He had been there at the time.
"And does that mean there is a chance your mother," she gestured to them both – Oh, this is strange! – "could still be with the dryads?"
"She's not," Kain said. "That time at eighteen was the last time I saw her without even remembering. She knew the dryads, but didn't live there. She is either on her own or with her druids. And won't be found unless she wants to."
There wasn't much Ciri could say about that. "Are you all right? Both of you?"
It's not me to ask about it, Geralt thought, trying to gauge Kain while he got up and went to the balcony again.
"We'll be fine. I'll go see about a dinner. We all need it. Join me downstairs when you're ready."
Geralt cast a gander at Ciri and removed himself from the suite.
Ciri got up when Geralt left and slowly followed Kain outside, resting her elbows on the railing of the balcony.
"I did not foresee the events of this day when I woke up this morning," she said softly, looking up at him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not sure," Kain confessed, looking at the wet roofs under the evening drizzle. It was getting late. And he missed Griffin for that special comfort his presence provided for all the years. "Better to know than to wonder, but... I still don't know how come I could do it. She knew how to make me do it and I still don't."
"How to make you jump in time?" Ciri paused for a moment. "Are you certain she was the one who made you do it? It is more likely you did it all on your own. You just did not realize. Not then – not now."
"She had to drug me so I wouldn't know what and how I was doing," Kain reasoned, and spread his arms in brief gesture. "It worked."
"That does not mean that information is lost, Kain. It is just buried deep." Ciri followed his gaze the city beyond the balcony. "She was clearly trying to protect you. She knew what it would mean should someone find out about you."
"I know. She did a lot to hide me, but it didn't work out in a long term." Kain frowned, reflecting. "She used to tell me how no one should know about my magic. That the Lodge would want to use it for their own power-hungry gain and it had to be a gift to the world rather than the mages and royals. That the world's magic was fading and had to be reborn with those like me. I never gave it much thought at five, and then there was the witcher school and no place for such contemplation."
"She wasn't wrong," Ciri pointed out. "Avallac'h, The Lodge, The Hunt... they will try to use you. And not for anything pleasant."
She swallowed thickly, because even if she felt a slight thrill of having found someone else who were like her, Ciri also knew how much harder it would make his life. How painful it would be.
Though maybe it would be different for him? He was already an adult. Somehow she doubted he would allow anyone to make him a victim.
She touched his hand again, tentatively, and tried to read his emotions. All that popped into her mind was Griffin's muzzle. But that had not been too hard to guess. Ciri was starting to know Kain a little.
"You should go to him," she said, softly. "If he brings you comfort, you should go to him."
Kain considered her. "Trying to read my mind?"
"Sort of," she admitted sheepishly. "Though it is not unknown to me that you feel better in the company of your griffin."
Kain sighed, "He's not mine." He returned his eyes to the city roofs. "Did she teach you to read minds today?"
"You know what I mean. And no. But she gave me some tips on how to practice."
Kain nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "Will Yennefer help you?"
"I actually got too distracted to ask her directly. But yes, I imagine she will."
"Good." Kain remembered something and smiled meekly. "Don't want to throw up anymore?"
Ciri smiled a little too. "No. The shock has passed somewhat. Forgive me."
He turned to her, "For what?"
"For my reaction. For some time now, I suppose I have come to believe I was meant to find you for a reason. That we were destined to get to know one another, help each other. Save each other from loneliness." She looked away for a moment, gaze on her hands atop the railing. "And now I wonder... what if it was never about me at all? What if I was simply put in your path so that you and Geralt could find one another?"
Inhaling heavily, Ciri found her courage and lifted her eyes to his again, reaching out to gently cup his cheek, the mere beauty of him making her smile. "And that is selfish of me, I know. But I do so wish that you were meant for me."
Kain's chest tightened in response to her implication. A part of him longed to run, feeling cornered. She didn't deserve any of it. She was too lonely already, too hurt and scared and uncertain. And Kain was simply scared to do any soul-searching for himself. She was much braver, despite everything that she lived through, and Kain couldn't offer the same courage she showed.
And yet, aside from the uncharted feelings territory, he had no reservations.
"Geralt and I didn't have to meet," he stated. "If not for you. Your existence brought us together. And hardly it's as much for either of us as it is for and because of you."
"It's a nice thought." But Ciri was not sure. At the moment it felt like she had just been a small pawn in a game constructed by a higher power. And even if that were the case, she was grateful. She would rather have some part of Kain in her life than not at all.
"Are you hungry?"
Kain chuckled, detaching from the railing. "Not sure, but we do need to eat."
"Shall we go downstairs to join the others or do you want me to bring you something to your room?"
"I'm not a cripple, I can come downstairs to eat with others. Shall we?"
Kain headed for the door and lingered at the table looking at the drawing.
"How does he know her?" he murmured.
Ciri came to a halt when he did, following his gaze to the sketch. "How did he know I would end up in the land of the Aen Elle weeks before I made up my mind to enter the portal?" Ciri shrugged. "He knows many things."
"You are Elder Blood that he's been hunting, but my mother was just some druid. She'd never appear in his vision without him knowing her beforehand."
Ciri watched him curiously. "You think they have met before?"
"He stared at me all those times for a reason - he was trying to remember where he knows me from. He asked me if we met before. That is why."
"Can you imagine where they would have met? Not as if they run in similar circles."
She held the door open for him. They left the suite and went for the stairs, jogging down.
"I've no idea. She never mentioned any Aen Elle to me. Not that I recall."
Ciri lowered her voice. "Best not discuss any of this around The Lodge. Might as well keep it contained for as long as we are able."
Kain made no response - there was truly nothing to discuss. Not much changed for him. He was still going to fight the war they had invited him to.
Geralt, Dandelion and Zoltan were at the table waiting for dinner while Priscilla was tending to the bar.
Ciri paused at their table, peering down at them all. "No Yennefer?"
They blinked up at Ciri, all three confused, then Dandelion shrugged.
"I could send for her, but if any of those others see me, they might demand things. Like joining us. Who wants that?"
"Aye, lassie," Zoltan scratched his beard. "We thought she'd know and come. A sorceress and all."
Ciri looked back towards the stairs, uncertain. "Maybe I should go fetch her."
She had seemed so sad when Ciri last saw her. "Or maybe you should, Geralt?"
Yennefer headed downstairs, sensing where her people were, satisfied that the rest wouldn't be following her anytime soon and that they probably had more schemes to perfect.
"No need to hurry all at once to find me."
"There, see, like I said," Zoltan grinned and took the bottle from the middle of the table to pour Yennefer a drink, then handed it over. "Let's drink to magic. Aye."
Geralt smiled when their gazes met, but he couldn't help feeling quite a bit off. His brain still felt swollen with the revelations.
"You feeling all right, Yennefer?" Dandelion asked. "Haven't been out of your room much."
"Been keeping a close eye on The Lodge," Yennefer replied to the bard. If they knew anything of Yennefer's history with the other sorceresses, they'd know there was nothing okay about that and that it could only get worse if it wasn't dealt with. Yennefer purposely moved to take a seat beside Geralt. "It's no easy task."
Ciri gestured to Kain that they take their seats on the empty side of the table, and sat down, reaching for one of the clean glasses up for grabs.
Once they'd settled, one of the maids that worked for Dandelion brought a big plate with a baked goose with apples with a huge knife sticking out of it, then a big bowl of baked potatoes peppered with spices, two carafes with spiced wine and one with apple cider.
Zoltan took over the knife and began to distribute the meat between the plates.
"What are they plotting up there?" Dandelion asked, sipping his wine.
"Nothing that is going to do anyone of us any good in the long run."
"Are they willing to help, or should we send them back where we found them?" Ciri asked, filling her glass with cider.
"They aren't the charitable type. However, they do want to help and as most of us know from experience, despite what you did for them, it's not for free."
"What do they want?"
Yennefer darted a thoughtful look at Kain. "You know what they're like, Ciri, what do you think they're after? New meat, old ultimatum."
"No deal," Ciri said. "We don't trade in people."
"I didn't think that we did. The Lodge on the other hand."
Geralt narrowed his eyes, watching them. "What do they want, Yennefer, and why?"
"They want Kain. Basically. Apparently they saw that he is able to do some wonderful kind of magic and suddenly their interest has turned from Ciri. I assume they think because he is a new face, new body, new history, that without all the familiar ties he'll be easier to quarter."
"Fascinating," Kain murmured sardonically, and sipped on his cider.
"That's not happening," Geralt said, glaring at Yennefer. "No way on earth and beyond."
Ciri's hands were clenched to fists under the table. "Is this Philippa talking? Or Triss?"
"I never said it would. It's what they want."
By they Yennefer meant all of them and assumed she wouldn't have to name them one at a time and come off like she was trying to attack. She was saving that energy.
"Is that what they said, exactly?" Geralt asked. "What are the terms?"
"The terms are as follows. They fight for us against The Wild Hunt and in return, when they leave, Kain goes with them. Other than that, they're not going to share their full-fledged plan."
"That is not happening," Ciri said, trying to be still and soft. Calm, like Fealinn had told her. She wasn't doing a very good job. "They can all go to Hell."
Yennefer cast a sympathetic look her way. "We need their help. It doesn't mean I agree, it means we need to come up with new terms and something else to pique their interest."
Geralt kept staring at Yennefer as if she grew a pair of horns. "Is this serious? They can't be serious and expect us to comply. And it won't be in their favor if the Hunt wins. They're not dumb. They have to understand that."
The raven-haired beauty returned her eyes to him with calm resolution. "They don't care. I even offered to speak to Ciri's father about pardons, about making their life less difficult but they don't seem to care for that. They want the additional prize—"
Yennefer let her gaze drift to Kain once more, especially since he hadn't said anything yet.
"I don't sell myself to any Lodges," he said nonchalantly, watching the cider slosh in his cup while he waved it in his hand. "If they refuse to help, we'll defeat the Hunt without them. Because there will be no other choice."
Ciri smiled subtly at Kain, happy he was not about to give in to any demands. "And if they try something, I am fairly certain I can drop them all into a volcano. Or the world made purely of garbage."
Geralt glanced between Ciri and Kain, feeling his head spin more intensely.
"First of all, defeating the Hunt on our own is quite ambitious, given how we were defeated the last time," he remarked. "Even with Ge'els keeping his word, there will be a huge army, a grand amount of hounds and all their frost magic at their disposal. If we don't have the Lodge, we have much, much less chances to win this before they take us out one by one." He turned to Yennefer, "They have to agree for the pardons, because it doesn't get better than that. They should realize they can't really force neither Ciri, nor Kain to be their magic monkeys."
Yennefer sighed. "I've tried to talk sense into them. They won't budge. Then again, we keep clashing. They're more receptive to talking to and negotiate with you."
"Then they'll get what they want at least in this," Geralt said. "I shall talk some sense into them. When is that grand talk scheduled to happen?"
"As soon as you're ready to lend them your ear."
"Wonderful. Then they have to wait for that ear while I eat."
Yennefer had to admit she appreciated that he wasn't dashing for the stairs, heading to their siren call because they felt as if everything was stacked in their corner. It would only be a matter of time before Triss came downstairs, batted her lashes, tried to butter up the young Cat witcher and then started filling his head with poison on why it would be in his best interest to join them. How he'd be known as a savior to them, that it would be for the best and that she understood Ciri wasn't able to do it and always had but that there was a sense of duty owed to win a war.
Yennefer sniffed once to take in the delicious smell of the foods and then reached forward to accept the plate from Zoltan.
"Is Triss fully in on that?" Geralt asked, peering at Yennefer. "Or she plays it for Ciri's sake?"
"She was all in for Ciri," Yennefer mused. Had he forgotten that piece of information or was it vastly different in his scrambled brain? "Who do you think approached Philippa with the idea?"
Geralt thought about it a moment, frowning. "Oh, so you are saying it's her idea for them to focus on Kain and leave Ciri be?" he winced. "She wouldn't seriously do that. Not for real."
Irritation flared through Yennefer and the meat she was holding dropped to the plate in front of her like discarded trash. "Despite those innocent greens she bats your way, Geralt, Triss is not the mayflower that you believe she is."
Geralt regarded Yennefer with a mix of frustration and weariness. "I've known her for a very long time, and she would never do anything to harm Ciri or anyone who is important to her. It is a fact."
"She'd hurt even you if it was to the advantage of The Lodge," Yennefer shot back.
She'd even tried as much before. Of course, however, he hadn't been there to witness it, nor had he heard of it, and a lot got lost in translation. Who even knew what that looked like in his head now? If Yennefer didn't break that spell so that he could remember her, then she craved to break it so he could rid himself of those Triss-blinders.
Yennefer focused on her plate again, helping herself to some of the salads around the table and a piece of bread, breaking the latter so that she could slowly munch on it.
Geralt squinted, "Why are you so against her? Weren't you friends? She always talked warmly about you."
Yennefer didn't usually air her dirty laundry so spectacularly but she couldn't sit idly by while he tried to argue reason and loyalty about Triss, who didn't have a loyal bone in her body. Not where he or Yennefer were concerned.
"Things change." She dared anyone else to speak out of turn and fill in what she'd cared not to mention. "I trust she has my back in battle and that she'll fight for Ciri. That only gets extended so far."
"For our situation, it should be good enough," Geralt remarked. "There is no actual Lodge in the same sense they used to be before. Ciri is a grown-up now, they can't force her to do anything, nor can they hope to achieve anything with Kain. They will have to take the pardons if they hope to get back up from their knees again, and Triss will make sure they believe it's good enough for them as it is."
"We'll drink to that," Dandelion put in, refilling the drinks all around, Zoltan helping.
Yennefer knew Triss better than Geralt did. He only saw the drips and drabs she allowed, whereas the rest was overlooked or written off. Yennefer frowned slightly but didn't add anything more, making idle work of finishing her supper.
Avallac'h approached quietly, but all eyes turned to him when he did - it was hard to overlook his towering figure.
"I believe we are done here," he informed everyone, though his eyes were on Geralt. "When you stop reeling over the newest developments, we shall meet at the port and set sail to Skellige to obtain the Sunstone and get on with our plan. I leave it to you to inform the Lodge when you see fit. I shall be waiting for your decision to set out." He nodded and walked away.
"What is the Sunstone?" Ciri asked, watching the elf disappear. "How will it help us with The Hunt?"
Her gaze turned to the people at the table, searching to see if anyone here knew.
"It's best to ask Avallac'h himself about that stone," Geralt said. "It's probably one more Aen Elle legend."
Ciri hummed in agreement, eating her potatoes in silence, brow furrowed as a clear reflection she was deep in thought.
The more they drank, the less enthusiasm they found in discussing their current predicament. With Dandelion's gossips and Zoltan's stories, they drifted into the life of Novigrad and common acquaintances. Priscilla eventually joined them at their table, leaving the bar on the man working for them.
Kain finished his meal and excused himself, heading outside. The rain had stopped, but its damp chill remained.
It was already quite dark, but he remembered where the armorer lived and worked well enough.
Ciri pondered whether or not to follow Kain, assuming he needed some time to himself. But something had come to mind when Avallac'h ordered them to sail to Skellige as soon as possible. And Kain needed to know.
She trailed him down the street until she was able to catch up. "I have an idea," Ciri said, her voice low, eyes on the cobblestones beneath their feet. "It may turn out to be nothing, but there is a chance it could prove... enlightening for you. About your mother."
"What idea?"
"A while back, when Avallac'h and I were planning on going to Skellige, he mentioned a place. A secret laboratory of his. He wanted to teleport there to fetch some things he needed, but he forbade me from coming with. As it turned out, we did not get the opportunity. The Hunt caught up with us too soon and Avallac'h was cursed.
"But… that laboratory… there might be something there."
Kain thought it over as they walked in silence for a couple of minutes. "How can his laboratory be connected to my... our mother?"
"I don't know if it is, but seeing as he clearly did not want me to go there I can only assume he is hiding something. Information of some kind. It might be a place where he stores his secrets. One of those secrets are currently how he knows your mother. It might be worth looking into? If you are curious?"
"I'm sure Geralt also wants to know. The question is how do we find that laboratory? You know where it is?"
"He said it was on a small isle between Undvik and Spikeroog. Might need some exploration to find the exact spot."
"It will take some sailing and flying," Kain mused. "But hardly it's obvious from outside. Elves are good at hiding their treasures."
"Perhaps Yennefer can cast some sort of… locator spell?"
"I don't think one can cast a locator spell on something one doesn't know anything about. There has to be something, anything to hook on to."
"Well, exploration it is, then."
The armorer's shop was already closed, and when Kain knocked on the door, he knew it was Kain when he opened. It was the only ready work waiting to be accepted.
Kain paid the man, thanked him, and they set on the way back.
"Want to stop by and see Griffin?" Ciri knew he had wanted to earlier.
"I would spend the night there, too, but I guess with Geralt's upcoming talk with the Lodge he might need us."
"I suppose."
They walked in silence back to the inn. Geralt, Dandelion, Zoltan, Priscilla, and Yennefer were all still at the table, some clearly more intoxicated than the rest.
"I'll go change and visit Griffin while they're still here," Kain said, and started for the stairs.
"Alright." Ciri followed Kain with her gaze as he disappeared, a part of her longing to go with him. But she gave him his privacy and took her earlier seat at the table.
Geralt glimpsed Kain's back as he jogged upstairs, and looked at Ciri who sat down beside him.
"Everything all right?"
Ciri nodded, refilling her glass with cider. "He got his new armor."
Geralt chuckled, "Just when we're about to sail back to Skellige."
"True. But who knows how long we will stay. It is not a bad thing to have a backup," she said, eyeing the stairs where Kain had disappeared.
Geralt studied her gaze directed at the stairs. "You two are all right?"
"I think I am falling for him," she said honestly and for Geralt's ears only. "And I don't think he likes that."
It wasn't a big surprise - Ciri hadn't been too discreet with her preferences. She never had. Kain's side was more mysterious, to certain extent.
"He probably needs time to understand what he feels," Geralt said, pouring her some mulled wine. "Takes time to recognize love and affection after having lived in Brokilon."
Ciri smiled a little, appreciating that Geralt was trying to spare her feelings. "Or he is not interested. Not like that."
Geralt clicked his cup against hers, smiling gently. "You met after a series of unfortunate experiences on both sides. If you feel ready to get closer with someone, he still avoids processing his feelings. Dryads are cold and down to business when it comes to coupling. They don't mate for feelings. They mate for results. Life among them would require shutting down feelings. It's not easy to come back from it."
"So I should give him space?"
Geralt looked at her with mixed feelings; out of all people, he might be the worst relationships advisor.
"If you back away, it would stay the same," he reasoned. "Because he wants to avoid it. And your giving him space will help him do that.
"While you're around, he has to compare and analyze what he feels. Sooner or later, he'll know."
Ciri stared down into the contents of her cup. "What if I scare him away?"
Geralt chortled, peering at her with humorous disbelief. "How?"
"By being too… friendly?" she suggested uncertainly.
Geralt sneered widely, regarding her. "How can one be too friendly and scare a man off?"
"Can't one?" she questioned. "What if I change the word friendly to intense?"
He raised his eyebrows considering it. "You tried to bed him and he ran away?"
"No!" Ciri squeaked. "I haven't… tried anything. I worry if I do, he will reject me."
Geralt frowned, "You plan to try to bed my brother?"
Ciri punched his shoulder, scowling. "Stop it. You know what I mean!"
Geralt had to laugh, couldn't help it. "But that's exactly what you mean!"
She folded her arms across her chest, continuing to scowl even as her cheeks flushed pink.
Geralt refilled her drink and pushed it her way, smiling. "Don't pout at the truth."
"You think that would be my first step? We haven't even kissed."
"How would I know? You've never flirted with me, I don't know how you do it and what you count as a first step."
"I don't do it. That's the point," Ciri grumbled. "Never had to."
"Well," Geralt tried to sober up and took a gulp of his wine, "I have to admit I don't hate that you never did."
Ciri rolled her eyes. "Well, of course you don't. You're my father."
"Which is why I want you to be happy, and you can't quite get there."
"What do you mean I can't get there? Are you saying I am doomed to be miserable?"
"I mean the present moment, Ciri, not your entire life."
"Well, there are a lot of things happening right now. Tension and concern. I don't think anyone at this table is truly happy right now."
"Even so," Geralt shrugged, "we're still together, still not defeated. Still preserving our hope and will to fight for that happiness. It's more than some people have."
"Yes. And I appreciate that, just like the rest of you."
"There are hardly any advices to give you concerning your romantic urges, Ciri, aside from listening to your heart. Your body might have its own desires, but your heart should prevail. It's what should lead the way."
"I always follow my instincts. They rarely steer me wrong." Ciri looked up at him. "How do you feel? You have a brother..."
Geralt sighed and downed his drink, then reached for the carafe to refill. "I don't know. It's not something completely new, given Eskel, Lambert, Coen, even Dandelion who have been like brothers to me. But still a bit strange. I never thought I had any blood siblings."
Ciri patted his hand gently. "You and me both. Though, he is not a bad addition."
"Of course not." He refilled her cup and studied her curiously. "What about you? Is it strange for you that I have a brother?"
"It is a bit strange for me that he is your brother," Ciri admitted. "Though like you said, with Eskel and Lambert, I have always considered you having brothers already."
"It's what I meant," Geralt nodded. "That he is the one. Is that a problem for you now?"
"Not unless you lot make it weird." Ciri looked up at him. "I am not going to call him uncle Kain."
Geralt laughed despite himself and couldn't resist saying, "He is, though."
Ciri punched his shoulder again. "Quiet, you."
He grinned, drank his wine, then jerked his chin indicating the stairs, "There, your uncle Kain's going somewhere."
He was indeed heading outside, wearing his new leather set without the wolf fur underlining.
Ciri drank, too. "I know. Going to see the griffin. He wanted to do it before you went to talk to the Lodge."
"Perhaps I should take him with me for that talk," Geralt mused. "But then they'll know for sure Yennefer spoke out. I wish I knew which is a better choice."
"The better choice is to keep him as far away from them as possible."
"It won't be right," Geralt argued calmly. "He's a grown man, not a child. He has to speak for himself and let them see it. He can only earn their respect by speaking for himself."
"When has the Lodge ever cared about respect or what anyone outside their group has to say? They don't ask – they demand."
"They used to demand," Geralt nodded. "Look at them now: Margarita is out of the dungeon solely thanks to Yennefer and me, and Philippa had her hands full with Dijkstra and his men. What can they demand at the moment? They can only negotiate to sell their help for a favor or two."
"I hope so. Because I am not letting any of us get caught up in one of their schemes." Ciri drank deeply.
Geralt peered at her, amused. "So certain of yourself, little Lion Cub. Even scattered and beaten, they're a power to be reckoned with. Be careful with them."
"I'm not certain of myself. I am certain I will never give into what they want, that I won't let anyone use me or my body for their political gain ever again. I'd rather die."
"I'd rather you didn't. I just got you back."
"Then there is no other choice than to resist and try to be strong."
"Strength is not on our side," Geralt estimated. "Which means we need to be cunning about the resources we have. If the Riders won't get their reinforcement, they can still win with what they have. We need to be careful with picking a place and magical allies. No matter what, we do need whatever remains of the Lodge - every single one we can convince to fight for us."
"Not if their demand remains the same," Ciri frowned up at him. "We are not selling Kain."
"We shall see what they have to say when it's me who faces them. There's just two of them, they don't know where the other members are, and we are the ones to help with that. They haven't been doing well on their own so far."
"Don't forget Triss. We may not have to buy her help, but she still considers herself a part of the Lodge."
"I don't believe she will stand against us. I don't want to believe it."
"I hope not. But I also know she is frightened of Philippa. Most are."
"They can't do anything to Triss. Even Philippa should realize how it'd be a big disadvantage to lose Triss now. She has close to nothing to fear from Philippa."
Ciri smiled a little. "It's not about what they can do or not do. It is about how they can make her feel. Women fight sneakily."
"I wish they left me out of it when they do," Geralt muttered and downed his drink.
"Most of the time I am sure they do," Ciri said and muttered into her mug. "Except when they fight over you."
Typically Yennefer hated to drink too much, especially when there was still so much that needed taking care of but amidst Dandelions and Zoltan's stories and her own irritations she'd lost track. Most the time had been spent listening and watching Geralt, studying him across the table as though at some point a spark of recognition was going to zero in and hit him between the eyes. It hadn't happened yet and she was on her third cup of mead and readying for a fourth. Ciri had even left with her boyfriend and returned, and now they were talking in hushed tones. Unless that was the drink clouding Yennefer's customarily decent hearing. She'd lost interest in food, nursing one of the mugs she'd been given, inching closer to her duo, although technically she only had one of them now. "Want me with you when you talk to them?"
Geralt gave Ciri a mock reprimanding look, and directed his attention to Yennefer, peering at her inquiringly. "What?"
"Do you want me with you when you talk to The Lodge."
"I think I need to hear them out without anyone else present," he said. "I want to hear what they have to say to me to my face."
"And Kain? They've already involved him, I assume he'd want to tell them to their face that he isn't interested."
"They told you they wanted to speak to me," Geralt said. "That's what they're getting. Me."
"Don't make it too easy on those wanting to get you."
Geralt furrowed his brow, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You'll figure it out."
Yennefer brought the mead to her lips, sipped at it and cast a look around.
"You sure it's a smart thing to let Kain run off on his own when The Lodge is interested in getting him alone?"
Geralt gave an amused hem, "The two of them are gonna ambush him and his beast in the shrubs? And do what?"
"What do you think Sorceresses are inclined to do to pretty boys in bushes when they have a plan?"
Ciri stared. "He usually doesn't spend time in bushes. Just so you know. And he can take care of himself while we're here."
Geralt smiled, "I have no clue. No such experience."
Yennefer arched a brow. Geralt had a lot of experience. A lot. "I'm sure that he can. I'm just saying that they can be persuasive when they want to be."
Ciri pondered that a moment, then shook her head. "No. He'd never let them use him. Never."
"I mean, they'll use you against him. Their plans for you become their plans for him. You said he was noble, that it's the reason he is here, why wouldn't he hand himself over to them to get them off you?"
"Because he is not that self-destructive. And he knows that would break my heart. He would never do that to me," Ciri said, emptying her cup.
"If she were a little girl, I would believe that," Geralt put in. "But given Ciri can stand up for herself, he doesn't have to do it."
"Love or what we think is love makes us do crazy things we wouldn't usually do. And when you have a need to protect them…" Yennefer shrugged as though it was self-explanatory. "All I'm saying is that humans and creatures alike have weaknesses and The Lodge is known to exploit them."
"He doesn't love me. We've already talked about this." Though, what she said did make Ciri worry. She cast a glance towards the front door.
Yennefer added, "You also said you weren't sure of anything that he was feeling and everyone knows you two have been close. No doubt Triss had filled them in."
"How can anyone love someone after only a few weeks?"
"How does one love after only a day? A month? Years? You can't predict how and when these it happens or how we interpret them. It just is."
Geralt cleared his throat. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. For now, we're just… a family fighting for the same cause. Kain happens to be my brother, and Ciri is his friend. Doesn't need to be called anything more complicated than that until it gets there."
"What— what was that?" Dandelion turned, his eyes wide, so did Zoltan and Priscilla as he broke their conversation. The poet stared at Geralt, then at Ciri. "Who is whose brother?"
"Ye gods and little fishes," Zoltan muttered into his mug, staring at Geralt wildly.
"I have to go talk to the Lodge," Geralt got up and gestured to Ciri. "She'll explain."
With that, he headed for the stairs.