A/N Sorry it took me so long! I hope this chapter makes up enough for the long wait ^^'' The next one will be edited and posted by tomorrow but first a short interlude! To the ones that have read the Witcher series there is an Easter egg in this interlude, let's see if you caught me in it! ;)

Interlude

(16 years ago)

The sun barely heated anymore as the trot of the horse ricocheted on the rocks of the path that had been Emma's only map for the past two weeks. The albino palmed the horse's neck before straightening herself in the back of the animal, narrowing her eyes as her tongue, dried due to the long days she had been traveling without almost a single drop of water.

"Just a few more hours Roach" She intoned, her voice husky, her accent thickening due to her tiredness. Even with her enhanced senses and much more durance than the normal human her limits had been tested after crossing the mountains from one point to another in less than the normal month she would have needed. Grumbling, she touched the practically healed wound that still oozed blood from time to time at the left side of her neck. Manticores had always been her personal favorites even though they always managed to leave a quite everlasting impression.

In front of her, still a speck but clear enough for her trained eyes, a city rose proudly in the middle of the forest, the path she had been walking until now signaling its proximity with the imprints of dozens of boots and horseshoes that had been steadily growing since the last half a day or so. With the weight of her swords at her back and her hands grasping tightly the cords that kept her seated on Roach she kept walking, the beast barely acknowledging his master's presence with a neigh that made Emma smirk ever so slightly.

It would be the last time she decided to help a noble, she thought morosely for a second, knowing full well that according to the code she would probably help another one in the next following days, that and that she obviously needed to eat, task that became much more simpler when she had a few Orens on her pocket.

"What do you think Roach?" She asked the horse, a humorless smirk on her lips. "Should I retire and life in solitude like those druids that Ruby talks about in her songs?"

Roach didn't say anything but shake his head, the answer enough for the albino to chuckle once again. Yes, Roach was right, she probably would never do that, Witchers existed to hunt beasts, no matter how ingrate the kings of the kingdoms terrorized by such monsters could be.

Sighing and closing her eyes for a second she bit her bottom lip, Regina appearing on her mind for a second, purple and brown interlacing on her thoughts, making her sigh ever so slightly as she kept moving forward.

"I will see you on Tretogor" The Sorceress had said two months ago in the bed of a village Emma barely remembered anymore. The brunette had turned to look at her, brown hair cascading and a twinkle of desire already glowing on her lips. Emma had smirked at that and had touched briefly the woman's naked shoulder only to be swatted away by the other woman's right hand. "Will you be there?"

Emma had shrugged, knowing that Regina didn't want a response; she never wanted one after all.

"We will see" She had whispered, a kiss being given with those lips that smelt like magic and apples the second her words were out.

Of course the two of them knew that Emma would probably be there, they knew each other well enough to know that. But it was different to play it like they didn't know, like they didn't expect the other to show up. And so Regina had left her and Emma had started the path once again.

If it hadn't been for that that manticore she would have already arrived to the capital city of Redania. But now there it was, arriving one day late and with an injury that would probably have Ruby gasping and trying to create some sort of poem about it.

Rolling her eyes the witcher chuckled to herself. The image of her friend busily trying to find something heroic to say about her wound making her smile. It had already been quite some time since she hadn't seen the young bard. Perhaps a visit to Oxenftur, where the largest University of the northern reigns stood, wouldn't be a bad idea. Nodding to herself and humming slightly she breathed deeply, making a face when the pain on her ribs seemed to increase; she healed more quickly than a human but broken ribs were still a painful injury no matter what.

Luckily, Tretogor was almost there and with it not only Regina would be there but also healers that would probably help her after she show them the Orens she had won with the manticore's contract. Still holding tightly Roach's reins she kept moving forward, the smell of dirty leather floating behind her.

Tretogor, capital of Redania, was certainly one of the most interesting cities in the northern reigns and the kingdom it belonged to was also one that certainly gave Emma more work to do since the Kestre Mountains were known for being populated by monsters and creatures that shouldn't have existed. Reigned with an iron fist by Leopold The Strict the human king had made the kingdom grow under his reign pushing to dangerous levels the barriers between the other three kingdoms Redania adjoined.

However, when Emma entered in the city once she had needed to be inspected by the city guards who eyed her suspiciously the moment they saw her strange-looking cat-like eyes, the smell of war or fear didn't seem to prevail in the air. The smell of fish and fruits however floated in the air in a foggy cloud that made the albino woman bit back a sneeze.

Market days, as much as Emma hated them, were good for her since that meant that more healers would be up to cure her injuries or at least sell her some of the most normal potions she took. Parking Roach on the closest inn she found she gathered her belongings and started to search for a healer, her eyes and ears also sharp in case Regina appeared, a futile hope, she knew that, since the sorceress always tried to avoid the common folk as much as she was able to. Sighing so slightly and shaking her head in order to not think about the many nights she had spent with Ruby, the other woman trying to make her realize that whatever game Regina was playing with her didn't need to be good for her, she almost missed the little shop of an elderly woman whose eyes seemed to be covered by cataracts, her stand full with potions and tinctures.

The woman barely reacted when she spoke but as her accent became more prominent a hint of worry seemed to cross her features, her elderly hands trembling when she gave her the two potions that would help her by easing the pain until her body took care of the rest. Emma didn't mind the trembling accustomed as she was but something in the woman's body, a shadow on her, made her blink just a few times as she gave her the Orens she had requested.

"Excuse me" The woman finally talked, a shadow of doubts seeming to grow on the back of her throat. "Are you by chance a witcher?"

Blinking slowly and already starting to frown Emma nodded, a quiet yet steady "yes" following her movement.

The woman didn't say anything, pointing at a parchment that hung from one fine cord on one of the planks that helped her stand to keep standing. Curiously Emma reached for it, raising a brow when she saw Leopold's signature on it, the rest of the parchment depicting what looked to be a griffin and the symbol that was normally used in case someone asked for a witcher contract.

"His Majesty asked for soldiers a few moons ago" The woman finally spoke, her voice steadier now. "But none of them returned so he started to use those but every witcher that appears asking for the contract never returns"

"I see" Emma replied, looking intently at the picture; it wasn't a good one and she could see that the author of the picture wasn't one that had actually learnt the differences between the many species of griffin that existed but it was a clear enough portrait to make her think on actually going to ask the king about it. "Where have the griffin been spotted?" The place wasn't exactly one of the normal places an animal like that would live but she had already seen stranger contracts.

"In Storybrooke" The woman replied and that name alone made Emma frown even more. Storybrooke, for what she knew, was a free city that stood at the southern side of the northern kingdoms, barely a speck in the map and certainly not one of Leopold's properties.

"It's said" The woman added while hugging herself tightly, her long and thin arms stretching the wrinkled skin as she did so "That Storybrooke is own by the family that will give his son to him in order to make him marry his daughter, hence the need of a witcher contract"

Emma look at the woman in front of her and nodded, the prickling sensation of magic never leaving her entirely as she did so. Sighing and already turning she gave the woman a curt nod and a one more Oren, the old woman smiling with her toothless mouth in return.

"Thank you" She replied and if she had turned in that moment she would have been able to seen a sinister smile that crossed the decrepit woman's face.

"No witcher, thank you"