The Dragon and the Wolf Ch. 08

That provoked a reaction, anger blazing in his eyes. Better than the pathetic excuse of a man he was sitting sorry for himself, at least. "You're free to believe whatever you wish, but she was always the apple of my eye. She had the run of the place, ask anyone. She'd ride the horses, hunt with the men, at times join them on their rounds. And they'd send for her when I flew into a rage, for only she could calm me."

I'll admit I believed him about that. But there was no doubt the daughter had fled in support of her mother, particularly if she had been witness to what had happened over the years, and gods forbidding, if she'd been witness to the miscarriage itself. Considering what Geralt had found at the small shrine downstairs, the daughter had likely been heavily involved in the planning of the escape. And I had no doubt they would have received outside help to achieve it.

"You knew they ran away. You've wasted our time with all this running around." Geralt leaned forward. "I want the truth this time, Strenger, not the bullshit story you sold us last time."

The baron looked between the pair of us a couple of times again before he sighed. "I'd been soakin' myself for three days straight. Anna came to me, said they were leaving. I begged them to stay. She refused to hear it. I tried to stop her. She wriggled like an eel, we struggled... She fell. Last blasted thing I remember. Woke up in the morn, breeches heavy with me own piss, a large bump on my head. Sadly, they were gone. Know what that's like, witcher? No, how the fuck could you? I was left with nothing! Nothing! Only the bottle..."

Geralt and I shared a glance. This was when we got to the crux of the matter. I took a seat next to Geralt. My looming presence was no longer needed. I did pity the man having to tell us what he would share next. We could be hard-hearted bastards when we wanted to be, but just thinking about losing a child, let alone actually going through the experience...

We didn't even need to ask. A look into our eyes and he nodded. "Next... It only got worse. I awoke at sunset, not knowin' how many days had passed. Thought it was all a ploughin' drunken nightmare. An' then I went to the bedchamber, but Anna was not there. Instead... There was blood, everywhere. I knew. She'd miscarried. My breath short, my throat locked, I neared the bed... And saw it. It lay there. A tiny thing, defenceless... On bloodied sheets... Dead. And it was my doing."

Geralt nodded. "Ragnar, time for you to leave. I need to explain to the baron what's happened, and then we need to discuss the next steps. What I need you to do is go around the village and warn them. No-one outside after dark, a line of salt at their door. Baron, your henchmen should also make themselves scarce during this. Ragnar, when you're done, you should remain in here. When the time is right, I'll come and grab you."

"I'll follow your lead regarding this, Geralt. No problem."

"Ragnar, send my sergeant in here. I'll give him orders. Whatever you command is the same as if I was doing it." I met his eyes and nodded. He wasn't exactly sober, but he was with it enough to know things were now spiralling, and that despite what he'd done, we were still trying to help him.

I spent the next hour or so going from door to door in the village. Each time, I think they were relieved to see me instead of one of the baron's henchmen. I received few questions when telling them to do what Geralt had suggested, obviously aware something was up. Doors were shut and locked, window shutters pulled closed. Walking back through the village after visiting the last house, it was practically deserted, the sergeant speaking to his own men, leading them back up the hill.

The weather had well and truly closed in by the time I walked back into the fort. The baron was nowhere to be found, finding Geralt in the baron's office, and he told me that what he needed to do would happen at midnight, and that I should just relax and get some sleep. I ended up heading downstairs to drink with some of the baron's henchmen and learned one or two things. All of them had fought for Temeria. Nearly all of them had lost loves ones and their homes. There was a real air of bitterness among most of them. They hated Nilfgaard with every fibre of their being, but knew that they were also now effectively working for them.

"What about you?" one of them asked.

"I was stationed near White Orchard. Black Ones smashed us just as badly there as everywhere else. From what I've learned, the entire front just collapsed."

"It was a fuckin' debacle. Never been sent packing as badly as we were. It was chaos," another grumbled.

"Lucky to survive. Many of us here met the baron during the retreat," the sergeant explained further, "Finding the previous lord had retreated, we took position here as it was rather defensible. Black Ones eventually arrived, Didn't want to fight us, offered to parley. Baron agreed terms. Now we own this region of Velen and give them a tithe. They leave us alone, we can do what we want otherwise."

I could have suggested the local peasantry was living more in fear of the baron and his men rather than the Black Ones, but it would have just ended in an argument or a fight, and all I wanted to do was move on as quickly as possible. Most of the men eventually headed off to bed, so I ended up in the baron's office, reading a book by the fire, waiting for them to finish whatever they were up to.

It would have been well after midnight when the baron walked in, deathly pale. He barely looked in my direction, walking straight for the drinks cabinet. "Where's Geralt?" He didn't reply as he took a seat at his desk and practically drank from the bottle. Leaning onto his desk, I made sure he finally met my eyes. "Where's Geralt?"

"Downstairs. Outside. With... With..."

He didn't really have to say. It was easy to figure out what they'd been up to, so now I just wondered what Geralt intended. I figured he was going through with the ritual to turn the botchling into a lubberkin, so could only hope it would work. Despite his warnings, I put on my armour and weapons, heading outside into the driving rain and howling wind, lightning streaking across the sky. Perfect weather for what he was doing.

I found him meditating by what looked like a recently covered grave. He heard me coming, of course. "Told you to stay inside," he murmured.

"Baron isn't in a good way. Thought I should check up on you."

"I'm fine, Ragnar. Keep an eye on him though. He's a bastard but even I can understand what we did tonight wasn't easy. Whether he was actually responsible or not, we'll never know, but he lost a child just like Anna did." He sighed. "There's no doubt he loves Tamara, and he would have loved this child just as much."

"How long until the ritual?"

"Just been preparing myself for it. You'd best head inside. I'll take care of this for now. Once I have need of your assistance again, I'll come get you."

I headed inside and straight to bed as it had been a rather long day. Geralt did wake me in the morning, a simple shake had me alert immediately, suggesting I grab a quick breakfast before we talked. I broke bread with his men again before we headed outside. He'd obviously let me sleep longer than I expected as he had already talked to the baron about what he'd discovered. The ritual had worked, at least, and we had a couple of leads.

"I'm heading to Crookback Bog, Ragnar. It's the second time it's been mentioned and I'm convinced Ciri has at least been there. Doubt she's still there, but maybe we'll find her next movements."

"And where am I headed?"

"Oxenfurt."

*****

A few years earlier...

"Another tankard, innkeep."

He pushed forward another, throwing him a coin in thanks. I'd been in Oxenfurt for a couple of days. I didn't walk the Path like a witcher. Didn't take care of monster contracts as most were beyond my understanding and skill, and I never liked revealing my gift in front of others. But people still needed help from time to time, a bit of muscle to help resolve a problem. If they needed fists to do the talking, or a sword if things were truly out of hand, I would help out.

I was in Oxenfurt after taking care of a problem of some idiots hassling a few students that went beyond just a little teasing. There was stalking and harassment, and I didn't appreciate it when people made others live in fear. Surprisingly, they thought talking big in return to me, trying to intimidate, would work. It failed miserably, of course, and I laid the four of out with fists. And I made sure it was a public spectacle so that they could live with the embarrassment. There were the usual empty threats made when they hauled their bruised and bloodied bodies up off the ground, but I'd heard similar hot air from others. They'd barely show their faces in town again.

"Vodka, innkeep," stated a feminine voice approaching the bar, glancing to see a redheaded woman approach the bar. She looked young, no doubt a student of the nearby academy. Redhead, green eyes, pale complexion, not particularly tall. Right away, thought she was gorgeous.

Necking the cup, she pushed it forward and asked for another one before she returned my glance and grinned. "Ragnar Dragonborn?"

"Aye. How do you know who I am?"

"Please, most of Oxenfurt Academy now knows who you are on appearance alone thanks to the way you handled those creeps. I knew one of the girls who asked for your help. She's still swooning about the way you handled them all, then the fact you didn't want to take all the coin they offered."

"Just a job. Earned a few coin simply for doing the right thing." I took a sip of my tankard before turning towards her. "You know my name. May I have yours?"

"Shani."

"And do you always approach random strangers in bars, Shani?"

"Can I admit something?"

"Sure."

"I was one of the many watching how you handled those four creeps. Trust me, I'm just the first to get beside you at this bar." I turned and relaxed back against the bar and could see the number of women outnumbered that of men, and that was highly unusual in any establishment. "Many of them are probably glaring daggers at my back right now."

"I take it you're still studying?"

"I am. I aim on becoming a doctor." That made me smile, which made her grin broaden. "Glad you approve."

"I always wonder if I'm in the minority when I say I appreciate intelligence. And becoming a doctor is a noble profession."

"And you are a mercenary?"

"I'm the Dragonborn."

The confident tone seemed to impress her for some reason. "And what is the Dragonborn? I've heard stories of the poet Dandelion but..." I groaned, which made her giggle. It was a sound that sent a dagger into the heart immediately. "You don't like his work? I mean, from everything he's written about you, the dashing hero saving the day, never mind the, um, er..."

"Ladies of my affection?"

That made her giggle again. "Yes, he does suggest you have enjoyed time with a number of lovers. Anyone serious?"

"Aye, but they are understanding of the circumstances we find ourselves in."

"Do you have anyone special in Oxenfurt?"

"Not at the moment."

"It's a bit noisy in here. Would you care for a walk? The view is quite lovely at this time of night by the harbour leading towards the bridge."

"Sure. Could use some fresh air anyway."

Grabbing our coats, we headed out as the sun was just about set. There was a chill in the air as always when by the water, Shani shivering and she was quickly leaning into me, and seemed pleased when I wrapped an arm around her. We strolled towards the river, chatting about everything and nothing more all at once, showing far more interest in her life as I had a feeling she already knew quite a bit about me anyway. The harbour was always busy, so we took the path the higher path away from the actual docks, eventually ending up on the road that led towards the bridge leading back onto the mainland. Stopping halfway across, we leaned against the edge, as the view of the harbour and much of Oxenfurt was fantastic. Standing on the other side, we could just about see all of Oxenfurt Academy.

We must have spent a couple of hours just talking about anything that came to mind before finally heading back. I thought we'd go towards the academy, but Shani directed us back towards the centre of town, where it turned out she resided off campus, sharing a house with a couple of other students.

Opening her front door, I stood on the threshold as she turned back towards me. I let her make the first move as she stepped forward me, standing on tip toes, her intention obvious. It was quite the first kiss, feeling her body mould against mine. But that's all it was at first, a kiss. I didn't mind.

"I'd invite you inside, Ragnar, but my housemates..."

"Sometimes it's best not to rush these things."

"Are you staying in Oxenfurt?"

"I am now." My response actually made her blush as I added, "I booked the room in the tavern for a couple of weeks. I do drift from place to place, but don't like rushing. I'm sure I'll find more work while I'm here."

"Would you like to see me again?"

"Though I'd like to see you tomorrow morning, anytime tomorrow would be grand."

"I'm free after lunchtime. I can meet you..."

"I'll come the academy and meet you. I'm sure I'll stand out like a sore thumb."

"Swooning, Ragnar. Everyone is going to know who you are by now."

I leaned down to her ear. "Well, it'll just make them jealous when you leave on my arm then," I whispered.

I kissed her again, gently pressing her against the open door, feeling her fingers dig into my coat and shirt, and when she whimpered slightly, from a kiss, a bloody good one mind, I figured she was tempted to invite me upstairs. Breaking off and stepping back, there was more colour to her cheeks than before, and a look in her eyes which I certainly liked.

"I should probably go," I said.

"Stay!" she blurted out, "Just... We can't have sex." I couldn't help chuckle at how blunt she was. "Trust me, I want..."

"Are you sure? You won't get twenty questions tomorrow morning? I don't care about the tavern."

She grabbed my hand, shut the door with her other one, and led me upstairs to her bedroom. It was sparsely furnished, but the bed was big enough for two, which was what mattered. Making out while undressing probably wasn't the best idea, and when she felt my erection press into her once I was only in my underwear, she couldn't help giggle again. "Sorry," she whispered.

"If it didn't happen, you would have every right to kick me out for not reacting in such a manner."

"Sure you can handle just sleeping next to me?"

"I can handle it. That's not to say I wouldn't want to do a hell of a lot more."

Her bed was in the corner of the room, against the wall, so I slid into bed first before she followed me, immediately turning towards me as we resumed making out. How we didn't end up making love, or just fooling around that night, I'm still not sure. But somehow, we managed to resist... with great difficulty. Spooned against me a little later, she started giggling again as it took quite a while for me to relax and for something to finally go flaccid.

"Sorry," she whispered again.

"I'm lying next to a gorgeous redhead who is wearing her rather delicate underthings. I'm definitely not going to complain."

"You're here for a couple of weeks?"

"Aye, that was the plan."

"Going to make the most of this then. From tomorrow. I need sleep right now."

I had a feeling I was going to be in for a great fortnight.