I know there weren't really ventilation in medieval times, but I'm using fantasy story writing magic and say in this universe, there is a certain level of knowledge of it! Because ventilation is fun to crawl through and I like the idea of the kid using them to move around the tavern, spooking Dandelion here and there.

Hopefully you'll enjoy?

The visions that the witcher and the sorceress had experienced were indeed mysterious, leaving room for speculations. This kind of riddle required imagination and insightfulness. So they came for my guidance at the matter. Too bad they had dived into the child's memories without me, as I would had gladly seen it all myself. As with dreams and symbolism, even the smallest thing can change the whole meaning of a scene.
"Now, when you walked past those cats, where they in groups or in lines at both sides?"
"I think in lines? It was lot of fur balls."
Unfortunately the Viper was as sharing and elaborate as Geralt, not being helpful at interpreting the dreams but just telling the overall synopsis. I fear the lack for sense of good storytelling is a side effect of their mutation. Triss didn't fair better. But her excuse could be said, that she had been more focused at upholding the spell and trying to guide the witcher to the right memories. The responsibility of solving this mystery laid on my shoulders alone. I wrote the visions down and translated them into more understandable way. With some fine beverage and my cabaret's bracing atmosphere, I managed to come up with the explanation for it all. Well, for most of it, as how little I had to start with.

The begin of these visions was pretty simple, after I managed to get few more details from the assassin. The child is from modest background I believe. As the room, where Letho had first been at, was windowless, wooden and scarce with furniture. If she was from some rich family, he would had seen more luxury things. For example furs, colorful cloths and stone elements. Maybe even glimmer of gold. The defensive child he had seen, taller than him, was maybe an older sibling. Not wanting him, or the girl, to hear what the likely parents behind the door argued about. The man is angry. He says the hair color is wrong. Now those kind of words I have heard from situations, were offspring's heredity and spouse's faithfulness are questioned. Those are very nasty affairs, especially for children whose existence are threatened by, usually, the father's mistrust.

As the supposed sibling had taken Letho away from the door and into a forest, I would see it as straight on running away. To where, I'm not sure. It sounds like the older child had a plan some sorts. It seems though, for some reason, at some point, the children were separated. As how Letho was alone in the burrow and waiting, most likely for the other. The shadows he saw could be something the girl feared of, either in physical or mental level. Till the cat showed up. Now cats as animals are capricious creatures. They dislike witchers, I have witnessed this when travelling with Geralt. But as the child later on calls the cat mam, and what she has told Letho, it was easy to realize that the tabby cat represents the one who had taken care of the girl. And so with this, the other cats in the child's memories are also witchers from the same school. It sounds like they were collecting children. Now, gathering how the girl remembers the other kids, and what she recalls the adults saying, it sounds like they were experimented on. One by one used in the new formula of the Trial of the Grasses which the witch had created.

Of the witch it's hard for me to make a clear, correct guess. What is clear, is that the girl fears and maybe even blames the witch for the trauma and suffering endured during the mutation. The horns and the white hair, the vines, it all could be either pure symbolism or literal. What intrigued me was the other elements connected to the witch. The sand, spiky plants and the accent that Letho mentioned. It all sounds very unlike the North and its people, doesn't it? Of course, depending if the Cat's secret grove was in the North... But do the lack of more details it's hard to be sure. Now the giant that the girl recalls? Tall and thin like trees, scaly, slithering, eyes of yellow and green. Not a cat nor having antlers. I have to, my dear listener, to admit I have difficulties with that interpretation too. Obviously it was someone among the witchers and the witch. Maybe someone the kid saw as untrustworthy, like a snake? Which then leads to the fact that Letho hadn't told her what school he comes from. Yet in her first vision of him, he was represented by a giant snake...

The other short visions are most likely memories of her life with the Cats and the children. Hide-and-seek, hunting, sleeping. That one memory of the tabby cat scratching something or someone was a bit tricky, sinister sounding as how Letho described it... All in all, what me and others concluded, was that the girl had been one among others experimented on by the Cats and this witch. To create new witchers. Disturbing idea, surely needing to be dealt with no doubt. I was finishing my letter to Geralt while me, Triss, Zoltan and Letho discussed of this all. I added this information to the paper, so Geralt would know there was plans of wickedness to be foiled once again. When others pondered where this Cats' base could be, knowing smile graced my lips. Because I had already figured it all out from the hints. It was rather simple, if knowing the place already. It was none other than-

"It's Caed Dhu," Zoltan Chivay blurted out before the bard could. Dandelion, with others, stared at the dwarf: "It's called Black Forest, on the bank of the Yaruga river. Used to be a location for druid's circle, before they were forced out and part of the woods burn' down. A road through nearby hills should lead there." The man with a mohawk gave an innocent look while asking: "Ain't that right?" Seeing the opportunity to shine with his wit gone, the bard nodded with a smile: "Yes, you are right, Zoltan. I once planned to travel there with some friends." Now how to deal with this situation was another question. They had suspects, theory and possible location. But they nor alone couldn't just waltz into possible lair of witchers and demand what exactly? "That they of course stop their doings," Triss scoffed. "They are taking children and using them for what? Test some formula and hope it will work?" She turned to Letho: "What do you think?"

The Viper looked at the others. He wasn't sure what to answer, but knew he needed to say something. "Think Geralt would know where his brothers are?" he tried, asking from the bard while finishing his drink: "Would be good having more than two witchers, if we go there." After that he stood up and with few words left. Up at the stairs he could hear the suspicions towards him. He knew he had given reason to doubt by not joining the sorceress' conviction. But he couldn't. Did he think, that the world needed more witchers? No, their time was over. Had been for awhile. He did however miss certain things from the past. His brothers and his home. The times during winters when those who were still alive gathered together. The relief and the grief that they were able to feel. Sharing experiences and understanding, that they couldn't do with other races. No matter what, witchers were always outsiders among humans and non-humans. And they weren't monsters either, though some saw them as that. They were their own dwindling group of something else. How they had been made could be said to be cruel, that Letho at least could admit. Experiencing, even if through someone else's memories, the trial again had been unsettling. Remembering his own trial though he had gone through it alone with his own strength. No-one had comforted and hold him, like the girl had her mam.
Stepping into the room he went watching the still sleeping child.
She might be the only kid who survived from there. The new witcher of this century.
Letho couldn't but feel bitterness on her behalf. He remembered the devastation, when he learned of his school's fate. The desolation, as he tried finding anyone alive and deal with the losses. He remembered the hanging witcher, blamed for a crime that was never done. How that was only one example among many others, as how the world is towards their kind. All the hardships on the path, lonely deaths, struggling without support, dealing with the insults and assaults. Bigoted simply because of the color of their eyes.

Knowing all that, while looking at the little one, Letho felt something deep and guarded in him tremble. The idea of her someday facing all those things without others or home... Letho needed to sit down at the chair that was still next to the bed. He buried his face to his hands. The idea of her someday realizing the truth and how she would never belong anywhere... It all made him sick and feel sorry. It made him angry and sad, even though he was a witcher and shouldn't feel things. A sentence that the girl would also learn to accept and take as the truth. The Viper didn't want any of that to her. He wanted to protect her from it, ignore the fact he couldn't. He wanted to try though. Give her everything he could and see her happy with her existence as long as possible.
"Letho...?"
Swallowing, calming himself before answering with hoarse voice: "Yeah?" He didn't look but he heard her moving. Feeling then light touch on his arm and fingers grasping onto the sleeve of his shirt. "Are you okay?" the child voice was thickly layered with sleepiness. Finally trusting himself, the Viper turned his face. The girl watched him back in the dark room. He wondered could she sense his troubled thoughts, how much he worried for her. He hoped she didn't. Huffing he placed one hand onto her forehead. The contact made her smile. "I'm okay kid. Just tired. How about you? Feel nausea or anything?"
"Tired," she repeated and yawned, adding: "Will we go to sleep now?" He almost laughed at that. She was already in bed and had slept hours now. Standing up he thought she would stay there but she thought otherwise. Partly hanging from his sleeve she climbed out and leaned against him. He maybe should start making her sleep on her own, but that could wait for a bit longer. Picking her up he went to the bigger one and settled the child there. Taking off the rest of his gear and armor he laid onto the other side of the mattress. Like always, she curled up to him and like burdock seed grasped onto his clothes. Having his arm around her, the child mumbled: "Could you sing?"

He sighed with a smile: "Yeah." Taking a moment he started humming a tune. He really didn't choose any specific song, he didn't know many lullabies. He just went with something that sounded calm. The girl never asked nor complained, falling soon asleep as the second note hang in the air. Letho continued humming despite of that.

The next day they tried helping with the girl's seizures. Though she still was shy and showed wariness, Triss gained a lot of points with the solution. A simple herbal tea, to be enjoyed at mornings and it should help with the child's nerves. "Does it mean... That I could, maybe, climb?" The woman didn't see any danger with that, as long as the girl would take the medicine and wouldn't strain herself. Triss was not expecting to be hugged, nor so fiercely, and thanked so many times. She didn't complain and was just happy with this progress.

The effects of the medicine were seen after two days.

"Have you seen the girl," Letho questioned the bard who was checking things behind the counter. It was still early as the tavern was preparing to open. Dandelion frowned and leand against the table. "Haven't seen her after breakfast?" They both shared worried looks. Then the witcher tilted his head, shushing the curious human while listening. "Kid?" he shouted and now Dandelion could hear it too. Noises from the... Upstairs? No, from the ceiling? Heavier than some rodent quickly moved almost above them, a hatchet pushed open up there. The bard demanded in stern voice: "What the-! Why are you up there young lady?" The girl, head hanging out of the small vent, giggled and showed something. "I was following this one." Letho laughed internally at how the bard's blue eyes widened from horror. The kid hold a squirming rat. The owner rushed from behind the counter with his hands waving vigorously. "How- Where- Get down from there right now! Why's there a rat in my cabaret?" He turned towards Letho like the witcher would know. He was answered with wide shrug, before Zoltan walked in through the backdoor.
"Now what ye screaming about, Dandelion?"
As the bard explained of the infestation their business was suffering, the kid dropped down onto her feet. She still hold the wriggling rodent while turning to meet Letho. "I got one of them," she proudly presented. "Good job." The Viper brushed layer of dust off her. "You're all dirty now though. And I looked for you. You can't disappear like that, girl." She gave a face of scolded puppy. "I didn't want to disturb your bathing... And I finally found a way into the walls and ceiling! The scratching started to get onto my nerves." Dandelion caught on this and snapped one of his worker's attention: "Scratching? Lyra, has any customer complained of scratching inside the walls? Or have any of you heard?" The elf woman denied this, not helping with the worries. Zoltan rubbed his beard while looking at the live rat. "Eh, we just get a puss then. And make some poison, or ye could ask Triss' help?" Looking at the two's conversation, the girl tugged her guardian's hand to make him lean down, whispering to him. Dandelion snorted, waving a hand. "Like she would want to do anything with those things. And good poison that doesn't smell would be pricy, not to mention we would need to get the remains out. As for the cat, we would need to find one and make it stay."

"Can I help?"

Both owners turned towards the child. "I can take care of the rats, and their nest." "There's a nest!?" Dandelion gasped and the kid nodded. "Yeah, but I'll take care of it. For a price." Eyes squinting the bard noticed the Viper's smug grin: "Well, I guess I can ask Maurice to cook some-" The witcher child shook her head. "No, I mean coins." Zoltan laughed shortly and Dandelion wondered of this price. The girl opened her mouth but stopped, looking up to grinning Letho: "How much was it? Ah, yeah, forty crowns."
"Forty?" the bard gasped dramatically again, shaken for such price!
"Yes. For the, um, gear. Work time. Service. And..." She looked back at the witcher: "What was it?" Enjoying of this as much as Zoltan did, the bald man leaned and whispered back: "Tax." The girl nodded. "And tax. All in all, forty crowns. But I can go a bit lower."

While the others snickered and the child smiled proudly, Dandelion gave the serpent dirty look. "This is what you want to teach for her? Taking advantage of people in need and rob them?" Not taking the heat, Letho placed hand onto the girl's dusty head, supporting her attempt: "Don't be dramatic, bard. She's just learning how to run a business. As an artist and cabaret owner, you should understand that and respect her offer." Lips pressed together and glaring at the happy brat, as also the rat which had given up escaping, Dandelion started: "Twenty crowns."
"Forty."
"Twenty-three."
"Forty."
"Twenty-five."
"Thirty!"
He accepted that lowered price and was going to shook hands on that. If she wasn't still holding that thing. Zoltan took care of it, offering to show how to cook some juicy rat. Dandelion however demanded they'll do that at the backyard, not in the kitchen! This was a respectful place after all and he would not have any customers see a bloody rat. While the dwarf, the witcher and child went out, the bard took a mop and pushed the hatchet close. "Thirty crowns," he muttered, secretly smiling proudly: "My first job was just ten coins."