Chapter three
Revenge of Skellige
4 years later…

It was hard to ever find Yennefer without Kiko close at her heels wanting to learn everything she could about being a sorceress from spells to even understanding herbs and their uses. The two were out in the nearby valley practically a stone's throw from the house where they would sit and Yennefer would lecture her or teach her something new. She even planned to take Kiko to the new academy that was built after Aretuza was taken over by Witch Hunters years prior.

The new academy was run by Margarita Laux-Antille and Philippa Eilhart, two sorceresses Yennefer knew. While Margarita was the kinder gentler of the two, Philippa was ruthless and strict with her methods of teaching. And yet Kiko was growing used to having a strict teacher in her mother by choice. Geralt would often witness Yennefer scolding Kiko but not too harshly just to let her be aware that she was wrong in her action or what could have gone wrong. Yet otherwise outside of the teachings Yennefer was always caring and protective of Kiko as much as she still was of Ciri.

Speaking of, Ciri would often try to come home as much as possible to see young Kiko and even teach her a bit herself about different monsters in case she ever encountered them. She'd often return with a new book of any sort for Kiko to read and read them she did, building up her own collection of books she'd return to often for references or refreshing her mind. She was a very intelligent young girl.

Geralt stood by the valley entrance Yen always took peering down to see the dark clad sorceress seated on a rock protruding from the ground with a book in her lap and Kiko at her side. The sight of it made the witcher smile before leaving the two to themselves as they always did.

"Remember why they called it wolf's bane?" Yennefer asked pointing to the image of the purple plant in the book.

"Because when wolves ate it, it was said to make them very sick or was the 'bane of their existence'?"

"That's right," she shut the book and leaned over placing a kiss on Kiko's head. "Alright I think that's enough for today," She stood but Kiko still sat there.

"Mom, can I stay here a bit longer, please?"

"Are you sure?" Yen crouched down as the young girl nodded. "You know I don't like you being out here alone," She knew there wasn't any wolves or anything out here to hurt Kiko; Geralt and Ciri made sure of that when they went out recently to hunt and get rid of any threats to them or their home.

"Please mom?" the sorceress sighed softly reaching up to brush a few hairs from Kiko's face.

"Alright but only for a few minutes, when you see me return to the valley entrance it's time to come in, understand?"

"Yes mom,"

"Good girl," As she stood she pecked another kiss to the girl's head and headed up to the valley entrance to their home at the top. Kiko turned from the entrance and peered out along the small valley amazed at the beauty from the tall grass looking like a sea of green in the drifting breeze to the perfectly lush trees that surrounded it. She could see in the distance a male deer with a doe and a small fawn close to the mother's side. She watched the deer family as the fawn made eye contact with her and they stared at each other. Young girl and young fawn, so young and learning about the world around them, staring at each other until the fawn was ushered away by its mother back into the woods.

The girl smiled happily, she loved where they lived away from the rushing life of the city area and living slower lives out in the woods where Yennefer had her flower garden as well as one with several vegetables or fruits. Geralt and Ciri; when she visited would be found hunting deer, rabbit or even going fishing and Kiko heard how they fished using bombs to blow up the fish and collect them as they floated up. Though, sometimes Ciri would convince him just to take a day to use the fishing pole instead of the bombs.

Kiko was soon lost in her own thoughts unaware someone was watching her from nearby, even creeping up slowly only to cover her mouth with a handkerchief damp with something that was making her drowsy so she couldn't fight the person and she soon started to feel sleepy and lightheaded until there was nothing just slumber…

"I should go get Kiko from the Valley," Yennefer said standing from her seat, of course she was talking to a wall practically with Geralt snoring away that is. She shook her head and left outside heading to the valley but for some reason she had a shivering feeling drifting down her spine; something that felt like a heaviness of dread. Yennefer never made light of the sensation and felt she needed to get to the valley which sent her into a sprint as fast as she could while in heels.

The sorceress stopped dead at the entrance peering down, pulse pounding in her ears as she didn't see Kiko. Her blood ran cold as the sickening feeling of dread was growing heavier on her shoulders; she felt like she was carrying a field on them. A lump formed in her throat as her violet eyes were scanning the valley; darting all over hoping Kiko would come into view. Inside Yennefer was terrified something had happened, when she saw a paper pinned under a fist sized rock in the spot she left Kiko she felt her blood burn launching her down the path towards it as her voice seemed to gain a new volume with her screaming for Geralt as she came to the rock.

Tossing the fist-size stone aside, she held the paper in shaky hands reading the message; a message addressed to her. She who destroyed Freya's garden…

Vile witch Yennefer,

You destroyed something so precious to us; our beloved Garden of Freya. The Priestesses are still greatly angered by the act and we have decided to take something from you in return. We've camped out some time and saw you so attached to the young lass and as repayment for destroying the Goddess's Garden we've taken her. Queen Cerys won't be able to help you, and the jarl who was wrapped around your finger is dining with our ancestors so you've no allies in Skellige left. If you want her back, you'll have to come get her yourself; trade yourself for her life.

A part of Yennefer wanted to bust down and cry but she clamped her teeth down on her lower lip and felt her body shaking in fear for Kiko's life. She wasn't sure what they were planning to do but she'd killed the garden years ago meaning they could to the same to Kiko taking her life; something precious to Yennefer as their garden was to them.

"Yen, what's wrong I heard you scream," She didn't trust her tongue, as she turned handing Geralt the note left there. He could already see it was bad, just a glance at her face and he saw it in her eyes. Fear; terrifying cold fear and even dread burrowed deep in the violet color. He took the note from her shaking hand reading over it before crushing it in his fist.

"Geralt…" Yen choked out finally. "I'm scared they'll hurt her, even kill her," Her voice was cracking, she didn't cry but the witcher could plainly hear the sobs in her voice. Inside she was probably a flurry of emotions ranging from angered to panicking.

"I'll find them; they left the note here meaning they had to have left tracks,"

"Geralt, please you have to find her—no I'll go with you, it's me they want not her," Yen grabbed his arm in a grip he'd only ever felt when something was bothering her. Even though sorceresses didn't cry; they were too strong of women to cry, it was easy to read Yen's emotions in other ways. Right now though she was desperate, Kiko was her world right now; her baby and her motherly side, was set in full swing. Geralt could almost relate Yen to a wolf who'd lost her pup to a bear and would howl at the moon for nights on end hoping her pup would return to her.

"Fine we'll go together, they can't be far," he said using his witcher senses…

Some ways away

"Set the lass down there, tie her to the post," Kiko could hear them but she was blindfolded and unable to see her abductors. Yet she could smell they'd not bathed in some time and recently drank mead as it fouled their breaths something fierce. One of them placed her back to a flat sided post and tied her hands behind it as well as a roping around her small chest.

"Do you think that witch will show?"

"She'll have to if she wants to get her little girl back, of course the girl will leave but she won't. Not after what she did," The leader slid a chair over and sat heavily in it setting his axe down on the table; it sounded mighty heavy. "And if she doesn't we'll leave the girl's head on the table here for her to find her," He bellowed out a laugh pounding his fist on the table.

"And what of that grey haired Witcher with her? I hear it's none other than the White Wolf himself," The guard peered out the window of the old hut checking to see if anyone was on the pathway up.

"Don't shit your trousers, brother, there's five of us and only one of him,"

"My dad would kill you all without trouble!" Kiko blurted out. The five Skellige men turned to the girl smirking to each other about the spunk she had; such a fire in her young soul. The leader stood pulling his axe from the table and walked over crouching down to her.

"Well is that so eh, little lass? Think he'll do something stupid if there's a blade to your wee neck?" he asked poking her lightly with the cold steel of the axe to her throat. Kiko went stiff feeling the icy chill on her skin. "Nay, he'd drop his sword leaving him open for me to hack his head off along with your dear mother's," He removed the blade giving her a quick and hard back hand to the face, leaving a darkening bruise on her cheek. "So keep your tongue silent or we'll roll your head down the path for them to find,"

Kiko fell silent, she wanted to cry; she wanted her mother. Moving her head to the side she brushed her shoulder she'd been leaning into her mother with smelling the subtle lingering scent of Lilac and gooseberries which began to calm her a bit but she still missed the safe and warm embrace she could find in Yennefer's arms. She was just a child and every child just wanted their mommy…

Meanwhile

"Seems like they practically ran after taking her, Geralt, how much further?" Yennefer asked, keeping up beside the witcher.

"They went up this path, Yen we just have to keep following the trail until we catch up," Only thing was Yen was following him due to the fact she didn't have the superhuman abilities to see footprints as well as Geralt could. Hell he could see year old blood stains and more. His head suddenly shot up as he heard something but he had no time to warn Yennefer before an arrow buried itself into her right shoulder, knocking her back. The witcher unsheathed his sword spotting the shooter further up the path hidden behind a tree.

"Go! I'll be fine!" Yennefer called as Geralt raced up the path dodging and blocking arrows sent his way. Yennefer sat up with her hand around the arrow piece, glancing to see her gloved hand covered in her own blood. Uttering a spell the arrow shot painfully from her shoulder making her cry out in agony clenching her shoulder. "Sons of bitches, I'll make them pay for this and for taking my little girl from me," the sorceress hissed, violet eyes mixing with hints of red near the pupil. She quickly casted a spell to start closing up the wound as she heard Geralt slicing off the head of the archer which quickly rolled down to her as she looked up smacking the head away, with a girly shriek.

"Yen are you alright?" Geralt asked as he jogged back.

"I'm fine, he didn't hit anything vital it just simply was agonizingly painful but I'll live," The witcher held out a hand she took being pulled to her feet. "Seems we're on the right path if archers are aiming at us,"

"Must mean they are at that old hut near the end of the path,"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Yen was seemingly impatient as she walked pass Geralt heading for the hut that they knew was located further along. So easy was it to see how she was desperate to have her little girl back, even when her kids aren't hers by blood Yennefer was so motherly and loving. That's why Geralt couldn't understand why anyone thought Yennefer so cold hearted. Sure she did everything most would call insane or out of line to protect Ciri and now once again she'd risk everything to get Kiko back safely even though she'd be risking her own life.

The witcher would see it never died in Yennefer after all the years, after all the times fate denied her one thing she ever wanted. Yen had always wanted to be a mother; she was good with kids, an amazing teacher of life lessons. He knew about her past even though she barely if ever at all spoke about it. He knew she'd been abused, neglected, mocked because before she was a sorceress she was a hunchback who was rejected by her father; saw no support from her mother. He remembered one time when she was lurking in his mind he saw memories of hers.

The one that struck him the hardest was the one when she was still young how kids threw pebbles at her chasing her through the street while calling her names. It was the fate she'd been born with that forced her to decide if she'd be a mother or be a sorceress; to pick living a life of magic or committing suicide to escape the pain. He saw that mother instinct still rage inside her blood and it made her the perfect choice to raise Ciri, and what made her become concerned for Kiko when they found her and even now. Just the way she was walking; hasted, tense was easy to see her determination to get the girl back.

It was that strong spirit in her that Geralt liked; it also kept him in line as well as their two girls. He'd lost himself in thought when Yennefer's voice brought him back. "Geralt, did you even hear me?"

"No what did you say?"

"The hut is up ahead, do you think they are still there?"

"They should be,"

"Good, I just want to get Kiko back safely,"

Within the hut

"Hey, I can see the witcher and Yennefer coming up the path there," the man with dark brown hair said. Kiko lifted her head hearing her mother's name. She pulled against the rope making it dig into her skin only for a guard to untie her to pull her away from the post and shove her over to their leader who grabbed his axe and stepped outside pulling her along by her arm.

Down the path a bit, Yennefer froze upon seeing the Skellige warrior step out with Kiko's arm in his large hand. The girl pulled the blindfold down spotting her mother just several feet away from her. Her dual colored eyes met Yennefer's violet ones as they then shifted to see the dark bruise and several cuts on Kiko's face and arms. The girl could see it already, the rage that was building in her mother's face as she looked to the man holding her by the arm in a painful grip so she couldn't escape.

"Well if it isn't the Witch who destroyed the garden," he barked. "Come to save your little puppy?"

"Let her go,"

"You're not the one making the demands here, it's your life or hers remember? But seeing as you're here seems you're willing to trade," Geralt wanted to make a move but Yen's hand moved to block him knowing if he did anything to hastily could cost Kiko her life.

"..Yes, I have. I'll trade my life for my daughter's. I was the one who destroyed the garden, my mistakes shouldn't cost my little girl her life," Yennefer responded moving up the path toward them and upon reaching the pair, crouched down to Kiko's level with the leader of the warriors releasing her arm.

"Mommy no…" The sorceress reached up caressing Kiko's cheek softly. She could see the tears welling in the girl's eyes.

"Kiko, what have I said about tears?"

"The only thing more pathetic is a sorceress who cries…" but Kiko couldn't help it as the tears fell because she was sure she was going to see her mother killed. The sorceress used her thumbs to wipe away her child's running tears.

"Mommy loves you," she kissed Kiko's head softly. "Go to your father,"

"But mommy—,"

"Don't argue, now go," She stood feeling Kiko hug her legs before the girl was pained to have to release her mother and walk to Geralt who was several feet away. The Skellige warrior had a wide grin on his face as Yennefer gave up, he raised a hand grabbing the side of her head; tangling his large fingers in her silky black curls and forcibly tossing her toward the hut entrance.

"Tie her down, I'm going to enjoy using the witch hunter's torture methods," he laughed loudly. "Her fingernails first boys," the other warriors went to grab her arms as she was getting up only for Yennefer's head to shoot up, eyes turned white and a lightning bolt struck nearby sending sharp rocks straight into their faces piercing their eyes, easily killing them each. Another tried to rush at her with a dagger in hand.

The sorceress grabbed a blade from one of the dead bodies and barely moved to the side causing the attacker's blade to rip a hole in her sleeve as well as a give her a slight cut down the shoulder. Fueled by a rage even Geralt had never seen in Yennefer, she leapt onto his back repeatedly stabbing the blade into his neck to a point the witcher could have sworn she'd nearly decapitate the man. Kiko was hidden behind his leg, forcing herself not to see the brutality ensuing at the moment as the man fell leaving Yennefer's face spotted with blood as well as her hand holding the blade.

"You hurt my child, I saw the bruise…" she hissed standing from the dead body. Her hand lifted aimed at Geralt; or more importantly the steel blade in his hand. He saw the blade tip glow like it was fresh from a fire but it was a light purple glow instead of red. When he felt a tug at the blade his hand released it as Yennefer had taken control of it. "No one lays a hand on my daughter!"

"You crazy bitch," The warrior held axe and made for a swing aimed at Yennefer's neck but she ducked and pointed at him making the blade of Geralt's steel sword drive itself through his chest. Blood poured from his mouth when he tried to speak, staggering back toward the Cliffside. Yennefer quickly stood and rushed at him grabbing the handle using her own momentum to shove him off the edge, wrenching the sword back as he plummeted to the ground far below but not before smashing against several rocks.

Yen fell to her knees, panting tired still holding the sword handle in her hand blade dug into the ground. She'd never used a blade before; she always used magic but the burning anger that someone—anyone—hurt her child is what made her suddenly and violently, unleash upon the warriors. She heard Geralt approach as he crouched down to her.

"Perhaps you should take some sword lessons yourself,"

"Please don't jest Geralt, I'm not in the mood," She replied as he took the blade, wiping it of blood and sheathing it on his back. He extended a hand as he stood.

"Come on, we should get back it'll be dark soon and we have to clean that cut," Yen took his hand being pulled to her feet. Kiko ran over hugging onto her mother's leg.

"Mom, are you okay?" she asked. Yennefer smiled with a nod.

"I'm fine my daughter, just a small cut," She looked up to Geralt. "I could teleport us home, but only me and Kiko," The witcher shrugged and placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"Go on, I'll walk. Might be good to get some air after all of this," With a nod the sorceress opened a portal and looked down to the little girl clung to her. She placed a hand on Kiko's head leading her to the portal looking back over her shoulder.

"I'll see you at home," the witcher crossed his arms with a smile on his face as he watched his beloved Yennefer and Kiko vanish through the portal…