The Traveler: Part 1

Chapter 20

The Killer had become a pleasant jog in the woods for Iespeth. She leaped down from the boulder, dropping into a roll to sustain her momentum. Bounding down the steep, slick decline she carefully navigated the path, avoiding the budding blackberry bushes, thinking of the scars they had given her back. Iespeth kept up a quick pace, rearranging her dagger hanging from her thigh as she went. She was breathing hard and her heart was busy pumping oxygen to her extremities. The cool spring breeze wicked away the layer of heat emitting from her bare skin left uncovered by her clothing. She came upon the path along a narrow ridge which she often took carefully. The ridge was an ideal place to look down upon the narrow valley with its plethora of pines and aspens. She lazy scanned the scenery watching a few hawks circling above the tree line which broke at the river Gwennlech's borders until something moving caught her eye. Figures were moving through the trees like ants navigating grass. She focused her eyes and realized they were people. People aren't supposed to be here? Iespeth made her way back to the keep as fast as she could.

She found Ciri lugging large pieces of rubble in the upper most yard. Iespeth had to pause for a moment to catch her breath.

"There are people coming! Many of them!" Iespeth huffed.

"What? Where?"

"Up the river. If we go to the barbican we can see them approaching."

Ciri grabbed her steel sword laying on the wall and took off in a run, Iespeth in tow. When they got to the top of the battlements connected to the barbican, the two peered through the merlons and saw an army of humans in leather trench coats approaching Kaer Morhen. Some were on horse back and all were well armed with either cross-bows or steel long swords. Ciri saw a banner depicting a flame on a red background. It was all she needed to know. She pulled Iespeth's cowl over her head to cover her ears.

"Come on. We have to return to the upper keep, bar the gates and prepare ourselves," she said beckoning the elf to follow her. Most of Kaer Morhen was left indefensible after the Wild Hunt had attacked it three years prior. Both portcullises had massive holes in them smashed by a general of the Hunt. Imlerith he had been called; a behemoth of an elf. The archway leading to the middle courtyard had also been collapsed and all that remained was a few bits of rubble. The only place offering the defense of a castle was the main courtyard.

Iespeth grabbed her bow and quiver slinging it over her back and rushed after Ciri. "Why? Who are those people? Are they soldiers?"

"Yes. Soldiers of the worst kind. Witch hunters, but they don't stop at witches. And I don't intend to find out why they are here until we are safe behind something more defendable."

"Do they mean to harm us?"

"Yes. And we might have to defend ourselves."

"If they mean to harm us, I shall manage," Iespeth said gripping her bow already strung, with an ounce of bravado. "What is your plan?"

"We have to destroy all documents, maps. Any books or information about anything. There are secrets here that cannot fall into there hands."

"And then? How do we escape?"

"Don't worry. You'll see." Ciri began to think about where she might teleport them. It would have to be some place she knew otherwise they might land in a sea or volcano. It also needed to be somewhere they didn't plan to stay, as Ciri preferred no one knowing where she was. It was a force of habit born out of years of necessity. Toussaint is nice this time of year. It's always nice there. We could be drinking wine on the veranda of Corvo Bianco within a week.

The two women closed the gate to the upper courtyard and secured it with a rotting beam. Through a small gap in the wooden planks of the gate one could see the army of witch hunters spill through the lower courtyard. Ciri and Iespeth climbed the steps to greet their guests.