Something Wild (Child of the Winter Moon Book 1)

57: The Isle of Mists

Geralt sailed for what seemed like forever before he reached the mists that had taken many a Skellige ship. He stopped just before it and reached for the bottle at his hip he'd placed the magical firefly for safekeeping. Uncorking it, the firefly flew out of it and into the mists. Geralt then followed it. He could see why it was so dangerous, he could barely see in front of him. As the firefly led him through a safe path, he observed different Skellige ships, and a few that weren't Skellig. Geralt assumed they'd been merchant ships. Each one seemed to have run aground on the rocks. The firefly soon led him to land and he followed it up a path to higher ground, dealing with a few foglets on the way. Geralt reached a small house and the firefly stopped above the door.

"Firefly's stopped at the hut. Oughta look inside." He tried the door and found it locked. He then knocked. "Anybody in there?" There was no answer. "Damn..."

Someone sneezed as Geralt turned away to look for another way inside.

He turned back to the door. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Open up."

"Ach! Ye blew our fuckin' cover."

"Who are ye and whaddaya want?" a second voice asked.

"I'm Geralt, a witcher."

"Argh. Go away!"

"Looking for a young woman – ashen hair, scar on her face. Will you let me in?"

"No!"

"How many of you are in there?"

"Why d'ye need to know? Ye takin' a bloody census?"

Geralt sighed, starting to grow annoyed.

"By me mum's beard, get yourselves together, lads," a new voice said. "You there! Outside the door! Geralt – that right?"

"Yeah. Geralt."

"Listen, Geralt. Let's cut to the thick of it. We survived a shipwreck – recently. Beasts from the depths ate some of my lads, and the rest of us found shelter here. Not too special, that, as dangers litter this isle. But it does go to explain why we're a wee bit distrustful."

"No way you can get to this isle conventionally."

"Crikey," the first voice said. "Ye call a shipwreck conventional?"

"Leave it be, mate," the one who Geralt was assuming was the leader said. "Ye know what he means."

Someone sneezed again. "Let me explain. A short while past we was en route from Skellige to Novigrad. And Ferenc got talkin' with the captain, who sold 'im a magic firefly purported to know the way to a hidden treasure."

Geralt rolled his eyes. "Listen, let's make a deal."

"If that's a demon, it'll try to dupe us now."

"I'm not a demon. You don't need to fear me. Gimme a chance, I'll prove it."

"How do ye aim to do that?"

"Say I find your mates, will you believe I mean you no harm?"

"Aye, but I'd not count on either comin' too easy..."

"How many are there?"

"Three: Ivo, Gaspard, and Ferenc."

After the dwarves told him where they last saw their mates, Geralt headed out to look for the missing. He found Ivo very much alive, but the dwarf slipped off the rock formation he'd climbed on to look for any ships and fell to his death. Ferenc he found dead, having been killed by a fiend. Geralt, in turn, took care of the beast. He found Gaspard alive at the lighthouse, fast asleep. After talking to Gaspard, who apparently was nicknamed Sleepy for obvious reasons, Geralt escorted him back to the hut where he knocked on the door. "Brought you your friend."