Rayanna found herself alone in an unfamiliar place. She was surrounded by trees, bushes, and vines. It looked like a garden... or, what use to be a garden. Rayanna was not afraid. "Hello? Anyone there?"
"I am here." A voice answered.
"Who are you? Where are you?" Rayanna asked as she turned in circles. Trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
"I am known by many names dear one... I am everywhere and nowhere." The voice answered.
"That doesn't make any sense." Rayanna said with her childhood innocence.
The voice seemed to chuckle warmly. "Come closer to the tree." It said.
Rayanna looked around and saw what the voice was talking about. A large tree stood in there center of the garden. With blind faith she step toward it.
"What do you feel?" The voice asked.
Rayanna closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. "Pain... A wrong was committed here.."
"The first of many you will right." The voice said.
"I dont understand." Rayanna said, confused.
"When the time is right, you will." Said the voice.
"How do you know?" Rayanna questioned.
"My child.. I have know you before you were born...now, sleep..."
Little Rayanna woke up in bed next to Ciri. Her little face tucked under Ciri's armpit, the older girls left arm wrapped around her. Forgeting all about her dream, Rayanna sat up a bit and began rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Ciri," she whispered. "Its morning."
"Mmm," Cirilla murmurer. She opened one eye and turned her head to look out the window.
The sun was making its way into the sky. A little bit of sunrise was still left on the water.
"So it is." Ciri said, closing her eye and pulling Rayanna onto her chest.
Rayanna lay against Ciri's chest as she listened to her heart beat. After a few minutes, Ciri spoke again.
"Do you wanna go someplace with me today?" Ciri whispered, with both eyes open now.
Rayanna turned her head so that her chin was resting on Ciri chest, and so that they were facing each other.
"I want to go visit a friend's family and grave, and I'd really like your company. Ciri whispered.
Rayanna nodded against Ciri's chest.
Ciri smiled. "Good" She said as she brushed some of Ray's hair back.
After asking Triss and Geralt's permission of course, the two sisters set out for Hindarsfjall. Along the way, Ciri told Rayanna stories, and about the people the were going to see, as well as engaging in a few friendly snowball fights. Finally they arrived at the village of Lofoten.
"Ciri!" A chipper voice called out.
"Astrid! So good to see you." Ciri said. She jogged forward to meet the woman with an embrace.
Rayanna stayed back for a minute before walking forwarded to catch up.
"Aww its been too long my friend, how are ya?" Astrid asked.
"Quite well actually, much better than the last time you saw me." Ciri joked.
Astrid chuckled before giving Ciri another hug.
"I've brought someone to meet you." Ciri said. She bent down, took Rayanna's hand and pulled her close. With Ciri all hunched down and Rayanna standing next to her, the two were almost the same height.
"Astrid, this is Rayanna." Ciri said.
"Please to meet you." Rayanna said, extending her arm to shake Astrid's hand.
Astrid bent over a bit and shook the young girl's hand. "The pleasure is all mine little lassie. And I must say, where'd you get hair like that? I never seen anyone with hair such as that, ashen and red locks."
"Umm.. I, grew it?" Rayanna told her.
Astrid laughed. "Aye, so you did.'
Rayanna looked at Ciri with a puzzled look on her face. Ciri gave her a shrug and crossed her eyes. Successfully replacing the young girl's confusion with a smile.
"Come, I was just about to head to the Sauna. Join me Ciri, I know mother would like to see you." Astrid said.
"Of course but in a minute... I'd like to visit Skjall first." Ciri said.
Astrid's head hung a little before she nodded. "See you in a bit then."
Ciri nodded. She turned to Rayanna, picking her up and placing her on her shoulders.
Rayanna looked down at Ciri, as Ciri looked up at her. Both smiling at each other. "Come on little sister, let's go."
After a bit they soon arrived at the edge of a cliff. A small mound of stones and a few burnt candles marked the spot of a grave.
Ciri helped Rayanna off her shoulders and the two walked up to the grave. Ciri knelt down, replacing the old candles with new and lighting them. While Ciri honored the memory of her friend, Rayanna collected some pretty flowers that grew nearby and placed them on Skjall's grave.
Ciri stood up and placed her arm around Rayanna's shoulders. The both stood in silence.
"Now we go to the Sauna thing?" Rayanna asked excitedly, as they returned to the village.
"Now, I go to the Sauna thing. A sauna is no place for a child." Ciri teased.
"Aw but what about me?" Rayanna whined, pulling on her sister's hand.
"Welllll," Ciri said, kneeling down. "There's a whole band of kids over there, why don't you go play? Make some friends."
"Okayyyy" Rayanna said.
Ciri gave her a goofy smile, kissing her on the head, before ruffling her hair.
As they parted ways Ciri called out to her. "Hey Ray!"
Rayanna turned around to see a snowball coming right at her. With lighting fast reflexes she hurled a tiny ball of flames at it, melting the snowball in an instant.
Ciri laughed, giving her a nod of approval.
"Hi, can I play with you?" Rayanna asked the group of Skelliger kids.
"We don't play with Witchers." One kid said.
"Yeah!" Said another.
"She's no Witcher. I saw her cast a spell at that snowball earlier!" A girl said.
"Na you're wrong sally, look at her eyes!" Replied the first kid.
"Well who's right? You a Witcher? Or a Sorceress?" An older boy demanded.
"I'm both." Rayanna answered,
The whole horde of kids started laughing.
"Both! Hahaha. You hear that lads? Hahah." The boy said.
"You're both, that's makes you neither nor! Haha!" A girl laughed.
"Yeah, you're not a real Witcher, or a real sorceress, so that makes you a degenerate half breed!" The older boy sneered.
"You're the worst mutant of them all!" A younger kid said.
"Moster!" Another kid cackled.
"Get out of here scum! Before we get a real Witcher to come take care of you!" The older boy said.
With tears and fear in her eyes Rayanna took off as the kids chased her... throwing rocks and laughing.
Rayanna ran so hard and so fast, strong emotions coursing through her. All of a sudden a bright light exploded in front of her and the next thing she knew she was falling out of the sky.
She hit a bank of snow, and went still.
Rayanna awoke to a warm wave flowing over her. She opened her crystal blue eyes, and meeting her eyes were those of violet.
"Yenny...?" She whispered, still a little dazed from the fall.
"Hello there little one. You gave your parents and me quite a scare. Not to mention, Ciri." Yennefer told her softly. She held Rayanna cradled in her arms and lap.
"I'm sorry." Ray's soft voice came.
"Its alright. I've got you now, safe and sound. And I'll return you as such." Yennefer said. "You didn't need much healing anyway.. just a little warming. Thank your witcher blood child, it healed what was a nasty bump on your head before I even got here.
At the mention of the word witcher, Rayanna turned her face way from Yen's. But Yen simply reached out with her hand and tilted Rayanna's little face to meet her's again. Ray had tears in her eyes.
Yennefer brushed them way with a tenderness that was rare for her.
"Wanna tell me what happened?" Yennefer asked.
"See for yourself." Rayanna prompted.
Yennefer quickly read the little girl's mind and saw it. "Those putrid little brats.." Yen hissed.
"Is what they say true? Am I a monster?" Rayanna questioned with fear.
"Aboslutly not!" Yennefer said brassily.
"Monsters are evil brutes that live to hurt people. And you've never hurt anyone a day in your life." Yen finished.
"But could I?" Rayanna asked quietly.
"Such a deep question for someone so young and small.. yes, I suppose. But so could any of us. I know I have. It is a human thing to do." Yennefer told her, brushing the last of the girl's tears with the hem of her black and white sleeve.
"Yen.." Rayanna spoke.
"Yes my darling?" Yen replied.
"What am I? Mommy and daddy say I'm both but I don't understand what that means?" Rayanna asked, as both she and the Sorceress stood up and brushed the snow off themselves.
"I think you should talk about it with your parents. Maybe they can explain more. Or perhaps this is just something you'll come to understand when your older."
Rayanna nodded as she took Yen's hand.
"Shall we go?" Yen said.
"Yes, but can we walk back." Rayanna said looking up at her.
Yennefer gave her an expression of annoyance.
"Please Yenny.. just for a bit. Please." Rayanna begged.
Yen rolled her eyes but conceded. "Alright... but only for a bit, and only because you had a hard day."
*(For theatrics, listen to the Witcher 3 soundtrack song "The Wolf and the Swallow" as you read.)*
As they were walking Rayanna suddenly stopped.
"Ray, what is it?" Yennefer asked.
But Ray didn't answer. She felt something pulling her. Suddenly she let go of Yen's hand and took off.
With Yen calling after her, Rayanna ran though a stone threshold into a lifeless garden.
When Yennefer finally caught up to her she found the young child standing under a large tree at the center of the garden. Rayanna was looking up into its dead branches.
"I've been here before." Rayanna said.
"I can assure you, you have not. Now come, for I shouldn't be here." Yennefer told her.
Rayanna didn't move, nor did her eyes shift from the branches of the tree. "What do you mean? What is this place?"
Yennefer sighed. "This is.. or was the garden of Fraya. But I caused it to die."
Rayanna closed her eyes. A breeze blew, rustling up some leaves.
She felt it... the garden's pain as her own, the pain of life and magic bleeding out of it. Sorrow. But not just the garden's pain did she feel, but Yen's pain as well. The pain that even though her action was absolutely necessary, it was at the expense of doing something wrong.
"The first of many you will right."
In that moment.. she didn't know how to explain it but she knew what to do..
Rayanna reached forward and picked up the knife that was laying on the stone bench. She cut her finger, winched as blood dripped out onto the bench.
"Rayanna! What are you-"
Rayanna didn't hear her though. She breathed in, closed her eyes, and with a knowing that could not be explained, raised her arms and breathed out.
Sunddenly her fallen blood began to glow and glitter and spread like roots from the droplets to the tree, the vines, bushes, flowers... it embraced them, wrapped around them.
Such a strong presence of magic, Yen felt. Even from miles away Geralt felt his medallion twitch.
The light seemed to glow so bright that Yennefer had to close her eyes. After a surge of light, Yennefer opened her eyes, but she couldn't believe them.
She gasped, and stared in awe at the garden, that was now living, breathing, and gloriously beautiful. And the child responsible for it, looking at her with bright innocent blue eyes and a smile on her face.
Well... :) What did you think about Little Rayanna's great displace of power? And who do you think the voice from her dream is? Hmm guess you'll have to stay tuned friends! :) R&R! Hope you liked!