- Mother, how does this spell works? The dog knows it's a horse or you transform his mind too?
They were on the road for some time, Geralt on his Roach, Ciri on her Kelpie and Yennefer on her Raven, the dog, now transformed into a black, beautiful horse. Ciri couldn't take the eyes off him all day, she was amazed by the spell, the hound was acting exactly like a horse.
- The spells changes it into whatever I choose and it gives me full control on his mind. Geralt knows that very well, chuckled Yen.
- What? You used the spell on him?, Ciri saw a good story coming.
- Geralt, do you want you to tell her?
- No! Obviously, Geralt was not very happy to remember about it.
Yennefer started to laugh.
- Alright, I'll tell her. First time I met Geralt, I was living in a town where there were certain people that were not nice to me. Geralt needed help to save Dandelion so as a repayment I used this spell and took his body to get revenge on those people that wrong me.
- It would have been nice to told me about that first, mumbled Geralt, not at all happy to remember.
- So it works on people too, even on witchers?
- Yes, sure, although not for very long time.
- But it's enough to make him do what you want, winked Ciri.
Yennefer laughed again.
- No, now I don't need to use the spell.
Geralt couldn't stand anymore so put his Roach to a gallop. Ciri expected for Yennefer to go after him to apologize. Seeing that she has no intention of doing so she had to ask:
- Don't you think you should go after him to cheer him up?
- Oh, of course I will but not right now. It can't be only honey in love. And it's a good moment to have a talk. Do you really like this witcher's life? You never regret to be the Empress of Nilfgaard?
Ciri sit quiet for a while, looking somewhere in the distance.
- There are moments when I want to go back and claim what is rightfully mine. But then I think that at a court I'll be like a bird in a cage, I could never fly again. And the thing, mother, is that I love my freedom more that anything. So, no, I don't regret this life. It can be very difficult at times but I am free and that makes me happy.
- I understand, my daughter. I think I had this urge for freedom myself for so long but it took me too long to see it.
- Do you want to tell me about it? You almost never told me anything about your past life.
Yennefer sighed.
- It's not much to tell, really. For so long stupid me thought power is everything, I knew I was one of the best sorceress and I was proud about it, I fed on their envy and I thought I'm happy. It took me some time to understand that those things which I thought they brought me happiness were my cage.
- You mean the Lodge?
- No, not the Lodge. The Lodge was the punishment I deserved for my deeds. Remember the Chapter of Sorcerers, those sorcerers to whom I made the mistake to show you on Thanedd? For long time I was very proud to be a part of it and I did everything I could to have power and control. And then Geralt came and freed me. He was the only one that saw through me, he saw in me something I didn't know myself. He pledge his life to me...I was someone he didn't even know. That shocked me, I never thought someone could do something like that. He freed me from the old me, from my cage. He was...is my freedom. And, like you, I love my freedom more than anything.
- You're made for each other and I'm so happy you two finally understood that. Speaking of it, don't you think it's time to make peace with your...freedom?
- Yes, I guess you're right. Wait here a moment, ugly one.
- Mother!
- What? You will always be my ugly one, laughed Yen while making her horse-dog to gallop after Geralt.
Ciri knew she didn't have to wait for long. In a few minutes Geralt and Yen were back with her, happy as nothing happened.