Several days pass with not the tiniest hint of a hint. Yennefer is growing increasingly impatient and worried. This is not how she has pictured the rescue. She was so ready to just barge in wherever, grab the bard, light everything on fire if necessary, get out and drag him back to Kaer Morhen by his ears, intact and very happy to see her. Now this waiting and mostly doing nothing except asking a cautious question here or there is wearing her down. She honestly even considers going to the whorehouse for reconnaissance after all although Jaskier is not one to frequent establishments like this, at least as far as Yennefer knows. Naturally, women are a lot more likely to pay for sex with the famous bard than the other way around.
Luckily, going to the whorehouse is not necessary, it soon turns out. She does not have to go anywhere else either, as news is coming to her. In the form of an almost imperceptibly soft knock on the door to Yennefer's room. It is the very same room Jaskier used to live in while he was performing here, before she and Cahir met him when they were on the run together from the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Before Jaskier was kidnapped by Rience. It is a bit annoying, but whenever she closes her eyes, Yennefer can almost hear Jaskier humming one of his silly tunes. Gosh, she can even smell him! It is totally insane as it has been months since he has set foot in here, but still, there it is. The fragrant oils he uses in his bath, apple, a hint of cinnamon, lemon blossoms. She has always loved the scent of apples, apple juice being her favourite non-alcoholic beverage. Well, then there is apple cider, of course, and apple schnapps. And lemon blossom is said to be the happiest smell in the world, so what fragrance would better suit the bard? Geralt, on the other hand, mostly smells of horse, even after he has taken a bath. You get used to it, but it is not her favourite perfume, she has to admit. Well, perhaps it was not the brightest idea to ask for Jaskier's former room? It seems to be messing with her senses in a quite unexpected manner.
There, the knock again, a bit louder. Yennefer opens the door cautiously. For all she knows it could be a trap. She has inquired after the bard as inconspicuously as possible, but someone might have noticed anyway and is now onto her. It is way after midnight, the patrons have left the tavern and it is almost eerily quiet. Not that Yennefer is afraid, she has her magic and is ready to take on any threat to her or any of her friends' safety, but under the circumstances it is better to keep a low profile, for Jaskier's sake. Creating a stir of any sort might endanger her bard. Funny that she has come to think of Jaskier as her bard. Since when has she adopted him exactly? Hard to tell. Somehow, with his big eyes and soft but manly voice, he seems to have managed to sneak into her heart unawares, much like an overly annoying, obtrusive stray cat sometimes does with people who used to be convinced they hated cats ...
The narrow crack of the door reveals that there is no reason for worry. It is not a trap, it is Shani. A very out of breath Shani, her cheeks aglow almost in as dark a red as her hair. Yennefer quickly ushers her into the room. It is obvious that the young student has found something, and judging by the excited expression on her face, it must be important.
"Yennefer, I can't believe it, we were so stupid!" Shani almost exclaims in her excitement. Yennefer puts a finger to her mouth to quieten the young student down. Being a bright girl, she hushes up immediately. Wordlessly, she produces Jaskier's lute from under her cloak and puts it on the bed. Then she fishes a tiny piece of parchment out of her pocket and holds it up to the sorceress. There are words scribbled onto it in black ink. Shit, she needs more light, the letters are so minute, Yennefer cannot decipher a single word in the dim light of the candles on her nightstand. Well, she is a witch, isn't she? Yennefer mutters a spell and a tiny orb of bright yellow light rises from the palm of her hand and hovers over the message, for a message it undoubtedly is. Written in Jaskier's flowy, slightly pretentious - despite the almost microscopic size - handwriting. She reads it out in a whisper.
"Dearest wife, in case I have gone missing, go where the tulips grow forever in my heart."
What the fuck? Alright, she understands the 'my wife' part, it is clear as day although just for the two of them. And apparently Jaskier anticipated somehow that he might get kidnapped for some reason unknown to her. But the rest? Was he roaring drunk when he wrote it?
"Where did you find this, Shani?" Yennefer asks under her breath. Maybe the location could provide a clue to the meaning of the baffling one-liner?
"It was inside his lute! Has been there all the time waiting for us. But what does it mean?"
"In his lute, in his lute," Yennefer mumbles like a mantra. And suddenly she remembers. The song with the field of tulips Jaskier sang for her the evening before he left Kaer Morhen to go do some more Sandpipering, as he called it. They were sitting in the yard together while Ciri and Geralt were running that Killer of theirs for one last time before sundown. It was almost a little romantic in the old ruin in the last rays of golden evening sunshine. The tulip song was quite romantic, too, a little kitschy but beautiful. A song of longing and yearning for a beloved place that held precious memories, the place where the lyrical I lost his virginity to a fair maiden, the place where the tulips grow. Perhaps it was not just a melancholy ballad, but it really happened? Like with so many of Jaskier's songs, there is a grain of truth to them. Maybe this place does exist in real life? But why should that help in any way if the bard was kidnapped? And where is that fucking place? Couldn't he just have scribbled down an address on the parchment? Something a little less enigmatic? No, of course not, he is Jaskier, the drama queen. A straightforward story is not his style.
"You know what, Shani? I need a little time to figure this out and then I'll probably have to go somewhere to rescue our friend. It'll be best you know as little as possible about this whole affair. So, this is where we say good-bye, and thank you for your help. I'll let you know when Jaskier is safe."
"Good luck, Yennefer! Hope you'll find him, and quick." The two women exchange a worried smile and a hug, then Shani exits as quietly and stealthily as she has come, leaving Yennefer to her roiling thoughts.
Alright, let's crack this baby. What else does she remember about this mysterious place besides the tulips and the virginity stuff? The song mentioned the fresh, salty breeze from the Northern ocean and - homemade wine? Hm, the only place she knows of where you can - due to an exceptionally lucky combination of fertile soil and benevolent micro-climate - successfully grow vine stocks on the coast in the north is Cidaris. Wasn't a Thaler mentioned in the song, too? Definitely Cidaris, then. But the coast of Cidaris is long, it would be like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack to go looking for the place without a little more to go by. Or does the silly twit imagine her running up and down the coast desperately calling his name while looking for tulips? It's a few weeks too early for those fucking flowers to bloom anyway! Yennefer racks her brain. There has to be more in the song. The chorus, what was it again? To be honest, it was more than a bit kitschy, but it fit the atmosphere then, so she did not mind or laugh, just smiled a little at how emotional Jaskier can get. Well, he is an artist, he is supposed to be emotional, right? That's what makes Jaskier Jaskier. Her bard with the cornflower-blue eyes, the big, bright smile and the unexpectedly broad, ripped chest. No, don't get distracted, Yennefer. Back to the chorus. It started with tulips, that much she remembers - and something with 'b'? Was it 'tulips beckoning'? Tulips' blessings'? 'Tulips bickering'? Don't be ridiculous, you silly witch, tulips don't bicker, they bloom and blossom. Bingo! That's the word, 'tulips' blossoms, mermaid's hair — no, not hair, tear, yes that's it, now she remembers.
Tulips' blossoms, mermaid's tear
purple island in the blue
All I see, taste, smell and hear,
Is you, my dear, just you
Definitely kitschy, no doubt about that. But helpful? Hm, seems like she is looking for a place on an island off the Cidaris coast. And suddenly Yennefer knows which island, too. The legend of the mermaid who turned to stone when her human lover died. While the mermaid's tears became shiny white pearls. That's why, to this day, you find the biggest and most beautiful pearls in the vicinity of the rock formation that, with a lot of imagination, has a faint resemblance to a mermaid combing her hair while reclining on the black, rugged stone protruding from the ocean waves. She has not seen it herself yet, but she knows where it is, in a wide bay between Cidaris and Roggeveen, a wide bay with several small islands. Got you, bard!
Within minutes, Yennefer packs her things and gets ready to portal. No sleep for her tonight. This has taken far too long already, and time is of the essence. Imagine what those bloody kidnappers might be doing to her friend. Seeing him being tortured by the fire-fucker was bad enough, her heart almost broke straight in two at the sight of his burned fingers, fingers that are so important to him to be able to play his lute. His lute, right, it is still on her bed. What should she do with it? Jaskier will definitely want to have it back as soon as possible, but it is a bit bulky to take on a rescue mission, isn't it? However, if she leaves it here, they will have to go back to Oxenfurt to collect it after the rescue, which might pose a great and unnecessary risk. The city is crawling with Dijkstra's spies, she is all too aware of it. If Redanian Intelligence is after her bard, they better not set foot into Redania ever again. No, they will have to get back to Kaer Morhen straight away, hopefully with a bard and his lute that are both still in one piece. Having made up her mind, Yennefer picks up the elven instrument and slings it across her shoulder by its leather strap like she has seen Jaskier do so many times. It is surprisingly light, she can hardly feel it. Excellent. Then let's be off to finally find her friend - before it is too late.
Unfortunately, the room is too small and crowded to conjure up a portal. Yennefer has to sneak out of the inn into the narrow, nightly street. She looks around carefully. All empty. Good. Yennefer concentrates. Then she thrusts out her right arm and a flaming circle appears. Quickly, she disappears through the portal. Good-bye and good riddance, Oxenfurt.
Of course, Yennefer does not portal directly to Cidaris. Portals can be tracked, and Philippa Eilhart is an expert in this field. No, she changes direction several times using seven - or was it eight? - portals in quick succession. Usually, portalling has no adverse effects on her, not like with Geralt who is close to puking whenever he has to use this form of transport, but the rapid change of direction does leave her somewhat dizzy. After the last portal, her nose is bleeding, too. Fuck. She blinks a little disorientedly and looks around. At least she seems to be in the right place, or close to it. She is standing on a beach facing the main land, the lights of Cidaris to the right. Further in the distance to the left, she can make out the shine from the lighthouse of Roggeveen. And, directly in the ocean in front of her bathed in the silver light of the full moon, the silhouette of the rock with the petrified mermaid - if one believes in legends.
Much to her chagrin, the island is not just a beach with one nice cottage on it and a field of flowers stretching across the rest of its area. The island is not big, no, but it is hilly and there appear to be trees everywhere, not flower fields, and not a single cottage to be seen. Typical, how could she have been so stupid to assume that the island would even look remotely similar to what Jaskier describes in his song? How is she supposed to find the house now in the dark of the night in a fucking forest? Glorious, just glorious! With a conjured up little fire ball as source of light she walks up and down the beach to find a path that might lead to the house, but there is nothing. Not daring to use more light for fear she is discovered by the kidnappers, Yennefer sighs with frustration and sits down in the sand. At least it is dry and soft. She lies down with her arms crossed under her head and gazes into the sky. There is nothing she can do but wait for the sun to rise. Unless she can hear any sounds that could lead her to the place Jaskier wants her to find? Preferably sounds of happy singing and not tortured screams. She strains her ears. There is neither, nor anything else to hear except for the sound of the waves rolling onto the beach. It is a nice, soothing sound, and Yennefer is tired, very tired. Soon, she falls into a deep sleep.
When she wakes up, the spring sun is shining directly into her face, making her sneeze. Yennefer sits up groggily. It is much later than was her intention, at least around nine or ten in the morning judging from the position of the sun. Shit, another few hours lost. Hopefully not crucial hours to Jaskier's life and well-being. Cursing once again, Yennefer stands up and gazes around. No cottages at all. But isn't there a wisp of smoke rising from the trees halfway up the hill? She looks more closely at the spot. Now she can make out the vague form of a chimney between the tree tops, too. A house. Can it be the one from the song or are there more houses hidden in the woods? Well, only one way to find out.
Resolutely, Yennefer brushes down her traveling attire to get rid of the sand sticking to it, then begins to stride up the hillside along a narrow, winding, obviously rarely frequented path. Overgrown as it is, it is no wonder she did not see it earlier. After a ten-minutes hike, she approaches the little glade around the house cautiously. It is a nice, small stone cottage so covered in vines and ivy that you can barely spot the windows. In front of the house in the sunshine there is a broad wooden bench and big beds of flowers. Yellow and white crocuses grow around the edges and in the middle there are lots of green stalks crowned by equally green blossom buds stretching toward the light. Could be tulips, for all she knows. Botany has never been her strongest subject.
Before she steps into the glade, Yennefer gazes around one more time. Everything looks perfectly peaceful and quiet. But what will she find inside the house? More clues and puzzles to solve? Her bard and his kidnappers? Blood and gore and torture scenes?
Silently as a cat, Yennefer walks up to the cottage intending to have a look inside through one of the windows next to the door. She has to stand on tiptoe to be able to peek in between the masses of dark green ivy leaves. A nice little living-room with a couch, a few cupboards and a fireplace. It is empty. But it looks like someone was in here pretty recently. There is an open book lying on the low table in front of the couch and a basket full of logs of wood is standing next to the fireplace. There is no fire yet, but the current resident or residents obviously mean to light one later in the day or evening. Whoever these current residents are. Well, she will find out, that's why she is here. Let's check the other window.
Exactly the moment Yennefer sneaks past the wooden door, it opens with a creak. A man is standing in the doorway, a breakfast tray in his hands. Her eyes grow wide.
"Hi, Yennefer. What took you so long?" the man says with a grin. The bard. She has found him. But what the fuck?