NOVIGRAD - Redania
"I cleaned it, but the infection is still there." Anna told him seriously.
"What do you think I should I do?" the witcher asked her calmly.
"What should you do Gabriel?" She got angry. "I don't understand why you still didn't go to some mage with it." She tied the bandage on his arm.
"I didn't have a time." He put his shirt on. "And I was using my potions on it."
"Obviously it didn't work." Anna smirked. "If you haven't noticed, the infection won't ask you if you have a time before it kills you." She used sarcastic tone.
"It can't be that bad."
She crossed her arms. "You can lose your arm."
Gabriel's face froze for a moment. Then he made a cheeky smile. "I will look more rough then."
She rolled her eyes. "Get of my eyes. She must be waiting on you."
"Are you sad?" the witcher's eyes flashed.
"Sad?" She was confused.
"That I'm going after her."
"No, I'm not. You found love where it wasn't supposed to be and I happy for you."
Gabriel face's changed. "But I can't be with her."
"Why not?"
"Because I can't." He stated.
"Will you tell me why?"
"Anna.."
She leaned closer to him. "I've helped you with your arm, so you owe me at least an explanation."
He stood up from the chair. "You're a medic, not my therapist."
She stood up and came closer to him. "Well, you clearly need both."
"Maybe."
She caressed his face with her hand. "Be careful witcher. She isn't me, she's different."
"I know what I'm doing." His face didn't move.
"Do you?"
"I should go, like you said, she is waiting on me."
She shakes her head. "Leaving without answering. It's all you.."
His mouth shivered in small smile. "Like you wouldn't know me Anna.." he kissed her cheek close to her mouth. "Take care of yourself."
She looked at him calmly. "I will, but I'm more worried about you."
"I'll be fine." He winked at her and turned to leave. He started walking towards the door.
"I hope so witcher. I really hope.." Anna said more for herself.
"I heard you Anna!" He almost yelled when he opened the door.
She again shakes her head, but this time with the smile on her face.
Ciri saw him coming towards her. He was smirking all the way to her.
She shakes her head and waited till he stood up in front her.
"We haven't seen each other three days. I thought you changed your mind and run away." Her face was emotionless.
Gabriel eyes flashed. "And then waste the opportunity to make your way back miserable? No thanks."
"Jackass." Her eyes filled amusement. "Have you enjoyed your work here?"
His eyes got colder. "I can't call it enjoyable, but it wasn't neither bad." He faked his smile. "Have you enjoyed your time with Matthew?"
Her face was calm. "I did."
"Then I'm glad I fulfilled your wish."
She was just staring at him.
He gave her confused look. "What?"
"Nothing, I just realized your hair has grown a lot since we met."
"Well, I'm trying new looks." He leaned closer to her. "You know, I want to impress some women.." He said teasingly.
"I'm not surprised. I've heard you're quite a philanderer." She pretended disinterest.
He raised his both eyebrows. "Where did you hear it?"
She continued in act of disinterest. "I have my people on it."
"You have a people on spying on me?" He raised his eyebrow again.
She realized how silly it sounded and she did all what was in her power to not to start blushing right in front of him.
She faked her laugh to cover herself. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm not spying on you." She cleared her throat. "I have my people on rumors."
He narrowed his eyes on her.
She couldn't stand his sharp look and she was ready to look away when he spoke.
"Well, I must admit you're full of surprises Cirilla." His eyes filled amusement.
She rolled her eyes and started walking towards theirs horses.
He started laughing loudly.
She frowned. He has won this time and she hated it.
After couple of seconds he appeared next to her. "Are you excited to spend the whole day with me again?" Gabriel used a teasing voice.
"My nightmare wouldn't look like different."
He made a cheeky smile." So, you're already dreaming about me?"
She rolled her eyes. "Never." Then she jumped on Kelpia without looking at him. "Move your ass."
Gabriel smiled under his nose and jumped on his horse too. "Lead the way princess."
OXENFURT - Redania
Geralt was staring at the roofs of Oxenfurt's houses and further the horizon. He was standing on the walls of one lonely house where was the best view at the whole town. The sun was getting down slowly and the light was covering the roofs of houses in the beautiful way.
He needed the fresh air to calm himself down. He needed also to think. His daughter got all the interest in his thoughts. It passed four days since she left. Now she should have be on their way back home. But her words was something which was messing with his mind.
"I left to Novigrad with Gabriel. I know that by this decision I disrespected your command, but I wanted to go there. I promise I'll be careful and please don't be mad at me. I hope you'll understand one day why I did it.. but for now I'm just sorry. I love you both. Be safe as I will try to be." ~ C.
He was repeating those words which she wrote in his head all the time. He couldn't even express how disappointed and upset he was at the same time because of it. He knew this time will come eventually. He knew that one day she will want to be free, that she will want to go her own way and leave them. But he thought she will wait. That she will suppress her strong desire for dangerous adventures at least for now. But she didn't do it. She let her desire win over a wise decision.
Geralt sighed.
He would let her to go to follow her dreams, but not now when the killers are behind her backs. She very hurt him with this move and he didn't know if he will be able to heal this wound so soon..
"White Wolf."
Geralt smiled. He would recognize this voice even in the hell.
He turned around. "It took you a while old man."
"Only some time." Vesemir laughed and went closer to hugged him.
They pulled away from each other.
"How did you find me?" Geralt was as surprised as he was confused.
"What do you think? Thanked your wife." The old witcher started smiling.
"I thought she doesn't know at least about this spot.." Geralt admitted with laughing.
Vesemir laughed. "Well, you can't hide before her."
"That's true, but I love that she cares about me that much." Geralt said proudly.
"I'm happy for you both." Vesemir smiled, then he got more serious. "But tell me, how you're really doing Wolf?"
Geralt sighed. "Not good. Everything is against us right now."
"I heard. Yennefer told me." The old witcher said sadly.
Geralt lowered his head. "I don't know what to do Vesemir."
He squeezed his arm. "If there is anyone who can find the way to solve this, then that's you my son."
Geralt raised his eyes on him. His eyes was filled with sadness. "But how? I'm not able to even protect my love ones."
"You will figure everything out. Just listen to your heart. It will lead you." Vesemir told him honestly.
"It's not that easy."
"No, that's not. There are always ups and downs in our lives, but nobody will ask you if you're ready on it. The things just happen and we have to accept it even if is hard or will be hard. The life is cruel as is amazing Geralt. That's why we have to use the best the time which is given to us. " Vesemir smiled at him.
Geralt smiled a bit. "I've really missed your wisdom words."
"That's what family is all about, isn't it?" Vesemir petted his arm.
The witcher nodded with smile on his face. "Hmm.. well, it is."
"Bur speaking about family, where is my grandchild? I couldn't find her anywhere." Vesemir said with laughing.
"Yen, didn't tell you?" Geralt got surprised. "Never mind. You know, your lovely grandchild left to Novigrad with that young witcher after I told her to not go." He said more with anger.
Vesemir laughed. "That fearless little woman never rest as I see.."
The witcher frowned. "You think it's funny that she broke my commanded?"
Vesemir's face changed to calm. "No, I think it's time for you to finally trust her. It's time to put your trust in her words and decisions. She's not a little girl anymore Geralt. And you need to let her to prove it to you even if you like it or not. No matter if it's dangerous or not. You won't be by her side forever." He smiled. "You need to let her go to be wild and free. You need to let your daughter from your father's wings. Now it's the time."
Geralt was speechless.
Vesemir petted his arm again. "Just between us, how do you think I was feeling when I had to let you all to go kill monsters on the Continent?" He laughed bit. "I felt the same as you. But believe me, letting your children go to the world with your trust it's the important part of the process. You will allow them to fully grow as person. And eventually you will help them to became an adult."
"I.. I don't know what to say.." Geralt was searching for words.
The old witcher smiled. "Sometimes are our actions more important than some words."
Geralt smiled at him. "I'll try to learn something from your words."
The old witcher nodded. "Anyway, how it's going with that new witcher? Has he changed a bit?"
Geralt's mind started racing in that moment. Then he looked straight to Vesemir's eyes. "To be honest, before you came here I wanted to kill him, but now I think I'm gonna use him after all." He said almost thoughtfully.
Vesemir made a surprised look.
SOMEWHERE ON THE PATH - Redania
Gabriel was kneeling down and rummaging through the grass with his hand. They were half a day from Oxenfurt. They stopped for while to get some rest for themselves and their horses. Gabriel looked over his shoulder. He saw Ciri how she was training with her sword. He smiled under his nose. That woman never rest, he thought. He looked back and continued in rummaging. After a while he found what he was looking for.
Ciri had closed eyes and was breathing very slowly. She was repeating things which she has learnt from the witchers. Now she was counting moves in her mind. She was moving her sword and trying various types of techniques. She turned around and indicated a lunge.
"You look grumpy, when you're trying to focus." The calm voice appeared next to her.
In that moment she opened her eyes. "Gabriel! I almost cut your head." She looked at him angry.
He laughed a bit. "You would have to have more muscle to do that."
She released her grip and lowered the sword. Then she noticed it. "What do you have in your hand?" She raised her eyebrow.
He looked at flower in his hand. "This? That's Bryonia. It grows in wastelands and it's good for stomach diseases."
She gave him surprised look. "You are good at herbs?"
He smiled. "It's not that hard to remember those things and I like herbs. For example folk tales present white Bryonia as an ambivalent plant - endowed with the power of both bringing good luck and happiness, and taking it from people."
Her mouth almost fell down open. "Unbelievable.." she was searching for words. "I.. you're.."
He interrupted her. "Take it."
It wasn't possible to give him more surprised look than she was giving him now. "What?"
He stepped closer to her. "It matches your skin." He secured Bryonia on a collar of her blouse. His hands were so close to hers neckline. She had to use all her acting skills not to start blushing in that moment.
Who the hell was this guy in front of her because she wasn't recognizing this side of him at all..
"This plant suits you." He admitted more for himself.
Ciri was silent. She wasn't able to move when he was so close to her.
Gabriel raised his eyes on her and then he softly put the falling hair on her face under her ear.
Ciri got totally puzzled. It seemed he didn't realize what he did at all. Or was he realizing it? She buried those thoughts.
He lowered his hand and looked straight into her eyes. "We could try a sword fight between us. What do you think?"
She came back into her mind. She tried to act normally. "Why not." She was trying to smile. But she hated that he was acting like nothing intimate didn't happen between them.
Gabriel took his sword and Ciri squeezed Zireael in her hands. Her hands started sweating, but not because he will fight with her, but because he was acting so strange. And she didn't know what to expect from him.
They both raised their swords and were ready for the attack.
He made cheeky smile. "Ladies first."
She smirked. "Suddenly you're a gentleman."
He leaned closer to her. "I've never stopped being one."
She smiled in provoking way. "We will see." She attacked him.
They both were repelling attacks, jumping on the side, making pirouettes, but nobody did a final blow to each other.
Gabriel repelled her blow. "Are you getting tired princess?"
She attacked him again. "No. Are you?" Her adrenaline started quickly spreading in her veins.
His forehead started sweating. "No at all."
Her eyes flashed. "Then I think I'm too easy on you.."
In that moment he did a several attacks and she even didn't know how she ended on the ground. He knelt down next to her.
She was staring at him surprised and confused at the same time.
"What happened princess? Have you stopped focusing?" He told her teasingly.
She frowned. Then she pushed him with her hand into his chest. Gabriel lost his balance for a moment.
She looked into his eyes. "I wouldn't give you this pleasure." She smirked. Then she hit him again into his chest and stood up. This time Gabriel didn't succeed with his balance and fell down to the ground. After couple of seconds the young witcher stood up and turned to her a bit surprised.
"Something not going under your plan?" Her eyes were full of amusement.
"That was unfair move." He admitted with slightly smile.
"Like you ever have played fair.." she said teasingly and attacked him.
He smiled under his nose.
They were fighting again. Trying to fool each other with unexpected lunges and moves. Completely filled into the fight.
Ciri found his eyes for a second. For her surprise his eyes were shining same as hers. She liked it. She liked this feeling what she was getting from this fight with him. She liked this adrenaline, this independence..
Gabriel interrupted her from her thoughts. "How do you kill Drowner?"
She got uneasy for a moment but she managed to answer. "IGNI, quick attacks and lunges." She repelled his sword.
His eyes flashed. "And Alghoul?" He made a quick attack.
Ciri understood what he was doing. He was trying to distract her. "AXII on Alghoul's spines and then a proper attack." She moved away from his blade.
Gabriel did a lunge. "Can you kill a Vampire?"
Ciri got surprised for second because he changed a type of his question. Gabriel used her moment of inattention. He indicated blow to the side, then he moved closer to her and slightly undermined her feet. Ciri lost her balance for a while and in that moment he clinched her from behind. He put his sword under her neck.
"You didn't answer me." Gabriel told her calmly but in his voice was also a challenge.
Her heart was beating almost in her throat. Not only because he surprised her, but also because she was now in very dangerous position. "Yes, expect for Higher Vampires."
"That's right. But I'll show you the best way how to do it.." He almost whispered into her ear. Then he put his free hand on her chest. "You feel it? It's a sternum a solid quite a bone." He pushed her back more towards his chest, so she couldn't escape from his arms. Ciri almost swallowed. There was no way she could escape right know and she knew it very well. And the way he was touching her.. She needed to escape. Immediately.
Gabriel seemed this didn't bother him at all and he continued in calmly behavior. "Right here just below the ribcage fix the spine.." he caressed that spot. Ciri in that moment almost jumped. Her whole body went through sparks.
"That's your way to vampire heart.."
She had to slower her breathing because it was too obvious that her body was reacting on him. She tried to answer him calmly. "Coën, taught you this?"
He softly caressed her ribs with his hand again. "No."
She puzzled in that moment. She expected different explanation but right now her bigger problem was his hand on her ribs.
"Then who?" She felt how her face started to be warmer.
His eyes got darker. "It doesn't matter." He let her body and stepped away from her.
Ciri was glad that he let her go because she couldn't be hiding her body reaction forever, but at the same time she wanted to know the truth which he has silenced again.
She turned to him with confused look. "Why are you doing it?"
"Doing what?"
"Playing two different persons."
"I'm playing myself. "He looked straight into her eyes. "If it doesn't suit you princess, then go away from me." He said with warning tone, then he turned around to leave.
She caught his arm to stopped him. In that moment Gabriel smirked and stifled a painful sigh.
She noticed something was wrong. "Gabriel, what was.."
He interrupted her by pulling away her hand from him. "We should go." He said with anger in his eyes and went towards his horse.
Ciri cursed inside.
Then she went towards Kelpia and jumped on her.
Ciri was taking care of horses while Gabriel was preparing fire for the dinner. They were five hours of horse ride from Oxenfurt now. They stopped riding to took a break before the final ride to the town.
Ciri was cubing Kelpia's back when she heard some noise not to far from her."
"Did you hear it?" Ciri asked him with worry in her voice.
"Heard what?" He didn't look away from the fire.
"I think there's something in the forest. We should be careful." She stopped with curbing and came towards him.
"Don't be paranoid princess. It could be just some animal." He still didn't look at her.
She crossed her arms. "Or a hungry monster."
He turned his head to her. "Oh, I get it. You're the one of those people who read many fairytales before sleep, don't you?"
"And guess what, not every fairytale have a happy ending." Ciri faked her smile.
He stood up in front of her. "You should really do less reading."
"I'm not crazy Gabriel." She told him angrily.
His face was calm. "I didn't say you're crazy, just that you should stop reading bullshits."
She frowned. "Really? Everything what you said right now it's a big bullshit."
"Alright, I don't blame you. Someone likes reality and someone supernatural things. I agree that people should be original."
She rolled her eyes. "You're such a moron." Then she started walking towards the forest. "I won't start preparing the dinner before I won't find out the source of noise. So, continue to be hungry.." She told him over her shoulder.
Gabriel cursed.
Ciri came to the edge of the forest. She started looking for something suspicious. It didn't take long when something angrily jumped out from the forest.
"Shit!" She stepped back and raised her sword.
It was Endrega, the monster almost looking like a spider.
The monster started growling and coming closer to her.
Ciri was slowly stepping back and analyzing the whole situation. Her mind was try to choose her best chance to win this fight.
Suddenly he appeared next to her. She almost jumped from the fear. She didn't expected him.
He raised his sword. "Trust me." He was serious.
She smirked. "Now I should trust you?"
"Yes, focus." He commanded her.
She didn't manage to even react and he already attacked the monster.
She joined him.
The monster was strong, but also dangerous because her tail was poisonous and that could kill them in any moment. So, they had to be careful. They were attacking, repelling monster's attacks, jumping on sides and doing many pirouettes. Their tactic started working out because the monster was getting injured. It seemed they started beating the monster when happened something what she didn't expect at all and definitely neither did him.
The young witcher hesitated for a second.
Ciri's face got almost white in that moment. "Gabriel, beware!" she screamed.
The monster immediately attacked him.