VI

...

Aeonweth set up the megascope in complete silence. Annalise tried to start some kind of small talk, but only received grunts in reply. Any time she tried to sit up in bed, Aeonweth would snap at her to lay back down. So she laid there, listening to the sound of wood and glass clinking together threatening to lull her back into the horrible hands of unconsciousness.

Just when she was on the brink of closing her eyes, Aeonweth came over the bed with her arms crossed. "Who do you need to contact?" she asked, her voice short and clipped.

"The oneiromancer Olfina. She lives in Novigrad." Annalise replied.

Aeonweth reached a hand down to her. Annalise took it and Aeonweth sat on the bed, guiding Annalise up to a seated position gently, but with no warmth. "Try not to lean forward," Aeonweth said, "Stitching."

"Right," Annalise said, old Master Durgia's etiquette training keeping her back straight.

Aeonweth muttered an incantation in the Elder Speech and the megascope's crystals glowed a soft, blue light, a dark space flickering into existence in the space between the mirrors. A familiar form walked into the space. "Va fail, Aeonweth. It's been a while. I hope this isn't-" Olfina's voice trailed off as she looked at Annalise.

"Hello, Olfina. Good to see you again." Annalise said with a weak smile.

Olfina crossed her arms, "Oh, so it's 'Hello, Olfina' now? No apology?" She stood there, waiting.

Aeonweth raised an eyebrow at Anna, but she chose to ignore it. She sighed, "I'm sorry for not coming in for an appointment, Olfina. You were right, I was wrong, so-on and so-forth."

"Apology accepted. I assume this is to set up another appointment? Although, I'd try to set it up a little later than you can get here." Olfina flicked her eyes between Aeonweth and Annalise. "He's on his way here for the same thing."

"Actually, this call is different," Annalise said, "I'm trying to meet him."

Olfina started shaking. Annalise started to worry that the megascope was losing connection, but her worries were assuaged by Olfina beginning to shout at her. "Fucking finally! Dear Gods, Anna, he's been looking all over the damned continent for you! He's on a ship from Skellige right now, on his way here. You had damned well be here by the time he is, or I'll flay you alive!"

"I'd prefer if you didn't ruin my patch job. I'm actually quite proud of this one, Olfina." Aeonweth said.

Olfina pointed a finger at Aeonweth. "You stay out of this!" Aeonweth threw her hands up in surrender. She pointed her finger back at Annalise, "You ride straight to Novigrad as soon as you are well. Henri's been worried to death about you! It's been godsdamned years! Why now? Just so you can leave him again the second you have a lover's quarrel?"

Annalise leaned forward, the stitching stretching the skin on her back. She ignored it. "Do you think me that much of a fool, Olfina?" She snapped, "Do you honestly think I'd take this risk without good reason?"

Olfina barked a humorless laugh, "Oh, I know you had your reasons. I just don't think they're very good."

"I know that now, Olfina! I'm trying to make it right! I'm tired of running! I'm tired of hating myself! I'm tired of thinking that maybe if I go past the next tree, through the next town, into the next dingy cavern my guilt will go away!" Annalise felt the burden lessen slightly as she said it aloud. "There. I said it. I'm fucking tired and I want to have a good night's sleep for once. Hang me for it."

Annalise felt a soft squeeze on her hand. Aeonweth was holding it. Annalise stared at the ceiling where the smoke was collecting and tried to calm herself down with deep breaths. She heard Olfina sigh. "If he gets here before you do, I'll try to hold him for as long as I can. Where are you right now?"

Aeonweth answered for her. "We're in Northern Cintra. It's about a two week ride to Novigrad from here."

Annalise returned her gaze to Olfina. "I can get there in a week. Enid's a strong horse. We can make it by then. How long until he gets there?"

Olfina shifted her stance. "He left from Kaer Trolde about three days ago. If the winds are fair, he'll be here in a week and a half. Give that poor horse a break. Take a few days to recover. Doctor's orders."

Is it really going to be that easy? "Alright, fine. I'll be there. Thank you, Olfina." She said, relief crashing though her body like a wave.

Olfina nodded, then turned to Aeonweth. "If you don't want her tearing out your stitches in her sleep, brew a draught. Three petals of nightshade and a bulb of opium ground in a mortar with a bit of lard and then distilled in an alcohol solution. That should give her enough doses to get her here." She turned as if she heard someone at her door. "I have a client. Goodbye, you two. Try not to kill yourselves." With that, Olfina's connection blinked away into nothingness, leaving behind the cold, stagnant stone room behind it.

Annalise put her head in her hands, her crimson locks spilling into her vision. Her back complained at the motion. Aeonweth poked the small of her back, a silent order to sit up straight. Annalise straightened, the pain alleviated momentarily. "Well, Aeonweth, I told you. What now? No harsh words?"

Aeonweth did something that surprised her. She embraced Annalise, taking care to avoid the wounds on her back, her face buried in Annalise's bandaged chest. Annalise didn't know how to react, the warmth she felt in her chest alien to her. She smelled the lavender perfume Aeonweth preferred in her blonde hair. She felt a wetness soaking through her bandages. At first, she thought it was blood. Then, she remembered that her wound was on her back. The wetness was on her chest. She looked down and found that Aeonweth was crying. "Why didn't you tell me in Carreas? I would have understood! Gods, you really are an idiot." She said through sobs, her body now shaking.

Annalise didn't answer. She could've said what was going through her mind at the time, but it wouldn't help. Saying that she was dreaming of her former lover, who was out there somewhere looking for her, heartbroken and angry, would've only made things worse. The whole reason their relationship fell apart was because of Henri's constant presence in her mind and heart. At the end, she just couldn't take dragging Aeonweth down with her because of a secret she thought she'd never share. So, she left. Annalise really did love Aeonweth, but with that Henri-shaped whole in her heart, there was no room left for her elven lover.

Anna wrapped her arms around Aeonweth's quivering form. "I'm sorry, Aeonweth," Annalise said, her voice almost a whisper, "I should have told you the whole sordid tale from the beginning." She put a finger under Aeonweth's chin and brought her face up so they could look one another in the eye. Aeonweth's eyes shone like sapphires in the candlelight, little rivulets of tears runing down her eternally beautiful face. Annalise wondered plaintively what Aeonweth saw when she looked at her. Her face, the one scarred by myriad different monsters including a new one over her eye from that katakan in the south of Cintra.

Aeonweth moved closer until her breath mingled with Annalise's. Aeonweth pushed a rogue flaming lock away from Annalise's face and behind her ear, her soft hand finding its place in the crook of Anna's neck. The touch was electric, sending shivers up and down Anna's spine. Her medallion shook, nearly bouncing off her chest. "Don't be sorry, Anna. Just be mine, at least for tonight." Aeonweth said.

Anna could've turned away. She could've stopped it before it got too far. But she didn't. She let Aeonweth pull her into a soft kiss. Annalise fell into the familiar embrace, remembering he warm nights in Carreas where they held each other close and Henri seemed like a far away worry. Now, she was closer to Henri that she'd ever been; a mere week's ride away. She pulled away and stared at a spot on the floor. "You know I'm going to have to tell him about us." Annalise said. She felt the weight on her bed shift next to her.

"I'm sure he's going to have some things to tell you too. Some things you won't appreciate hearing. Believe me, I've been there." Aeonweth said, her tears seeming to have dried during their kiss.

Annalise raised an eyebrow at Aeonweth, who was sitting next to her on the edge of the bed, posture perfect as always. "Have you, now?" she asked.

A mischievous look flashed for a moment on Aeonweth's face. "You have no idea the kind of sexual antics a sorceress can get up to if they've been alive a thousand years. I think I've been through every kind of romantic mess that a person can go through. This, though," she said, releasing a deep breath, "This is a first."

"The School of the Griffin enjoys in over-complicating things for everyone else." Annalise shrugged.

"That is more of an understatement than you know. I was alive when you witchers had your little spat and split off into different schools. That Erland fellow was always so dramatic." Aeonweth gave a weak laugh. It took Annalise a long time-probably too long-to figure out that Aeonweth was trying to change the subject away from their ill-fated relationship.

Aeonweth stood from the bed, suddenly. "I have some potions to brew. Get back in bed. You need your rest."


End