Of Women and Wolves

The Curse of The Black Sun

Roughly an hour later Fianna could be found by a small fire by the stream looking through her stock of herbs and other alchemy ingredients. She was running dangerously low on her stock of Swallow. She heard a twig snap a few yards into the treeline, she spread her senses out and recognized the slow calming heartbeat that accompanied her old friend.

"Do us both a favour and bathe before every monster and mosquito within a five mile radius descends upon us"

"Hmm"

"Eloquent as always Wolf" she jested. Standing and stretching out her spine, she rolled her shoulders with an exhale, glad she had shed the heavier additions to her armor before setting up camp. She was left in her black leather trousers, a loose tunic that she is sure used to be white and her armored black underbust corset. Strapping her daggers to her thighs she turned to see Geralt admiring her backside.

"Like what you see darling?"

"Hmm... always do" he smirked with a suggestive look in his eyes.

"Well keep on looking. I'm not fucking you in a forrest again. I was pulling pine needles out of my hair for days after the last time." he just looked at her seductively. Huffing a laugh, Fianna grabbed the longbow strapped to Rolo's saddle and checked her quiver.

"I'm going to see if I can catch us dinner, see if I can find some Celandine on my way, I'm running low on Swallow. See you in a bit Wolf" and with that she strode off into the treeline and disappeared from his sight.

It only took a half hour for her to collect the herbs she needed and kill two rabbits to cook over the fire. With a pouch full of the yellow flowers and dinner slung over her shoulder she made her way back to camp, bow in hand. Five minutes away from camp she could faintly pick up the sound of conversation. She couldn't make out the words being said clearly but she would recognize the deep growl of Geralts voice anywhere. The words became clearer as she neared the camp and no doubt Geralt could hear her coming closer but the next words out of Renfri's mouth made her blood boil.

"That girl, from this morning. She took you to see Stregobor didn't she?" Geralt must have confirmed her suspicions non-verbally because she continued.

"He ask you to kill me? Why? Because I was a girl born during an Eclipse?" she said, not noticing Fianna had just entered the small clearing.

"You're a daughter of the Black Sun? Did I hear you correctly? Stregobor is here?". At the mention of her supposed curse Renfri immediately stiffened, her hand went to her waist where a dagger was sheathed.

"Is that going to be a problem? If you try and take me to him, I can promise you that you will have a fight on your hands" the brunette said with a dangerous tone and tense posture.

"You can relax girl. I wouldn't hand a milk bottle over to that piece of shit, let alone a young woman."

"You know him?" Renfri asked with narrowed eyes, still not trusting.

"You've never mentioned him before Fia" Geralt stated, he looked at her inquisitively. It was odd that Geralt had never heard her mention the mage, Fianna usually tells him everything.

"He is the reason I try to steer clear of mages and sorcerers." both of the people in front of her were obviously waiting for further explanation. Not willing to divulge personal details to a stranger, she looked straight in Geralt's eyes as she spoke.

"He is the one who had Deidre killed" she stated, trying not to let her emotions leak into her voice. Geralt's eyes softened as he looked at her and let out a breath.

"What? Who's Deidre?" Renfri asked, looking directly at Fianna. For a moment it was almost as if she was compelled to spill her darkest secrets because she opened her mouth to tell her story when she snapped out of it. 'What am I doing? I've never even told Geralt the details surrounding Deidre's death. SNAP OUT OF IT!' she thought to herself and shook the fog clouding her brain away.

"She was someone very dear to me... A girl born under the black sun" Fianna stated with deadened eyes and a low tone. Obviously sensing that Fianna wouldn't elaborate, Renfri turned back to where Geralt was grinding some herbs.

"I used to be a princess, did he tell you that?"

"Ppfft, join the club little girl" the silver haired Witcheress mumbled under her breath. Geralt heard her comment and raised an amused eyebrow at her, not catching the interaction Renfri continued.

"I could have been so many things. Queen Calanthe of Cintra just won her first battle at Hochbuz. Yet here I am trying to convince you I'm not-"

Fianna had stiffened at the mention of Cintra. She could remember bits of her childhood there and none of it was good. She was a child blamed for her mother's infidelity and thrown away like day old scraps when her half brother was born. She can barely even remember how she survived for so long before Vesemir found her. She blinked and pushed the memories back down when she was drawn out of her musings by Renfri's voice.

"-tell me? When I cut my finger I bleed. That's human right? When I overeat my stomach aches. When I'm happy I laugh. When I'm upset I curse and when I hate someone, for taking my whole life from me. I kill them."

"Damn, you were so close to getting him on board until that last bit" Fianna exclaimed from where she was brushing down her horse.

"What about you then? Do you need convincing?"

"Oh no, next time I see that scumbag I am slitting his throat"

"We should not get involved in the politics of men Fianna!"

"Oh Fuck off Wolf! Stregobor deserves to have his entrails used as skipping rope." Fianna fumed. Packing away her alchemy equipment.

"If you'll excuse me, I am no longer hungry. Geralt you're welcome to anything in my pack to eat. Don't come looking for me. I'll be back eventually" and with those parting words she took off back into the woods. Remembering Deidre always knocked something loose within her and she either needed to either meditate or kill something. Seeing as she stormed off without her heavier armor she decided to find a quiet spot to sit for a while.

It was hours before she made her way back to camp, she walked silently through the trees under the cover of darkness. Wishing as she sometimes did that the rumours were true and she truly did not possess emotions. She broke through the treeline into where she had set the camp earlier in the day only to find Geralt passed out cold and Renfri re-tying the laces on her trousers. Fianna let out a scoff of disbelief and eyed the brunette with suspicion. She had known Geralt over sixty years and knew that he wouldn't fall asleep that deeply in the presence of a complete stranger. Renfris head snapped up when Fianna scoffed and she smiled shyly.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a false concerned tone of voice. Fianna quirked a brow.

"Is he?" she snarked back in a threatening tone. The young woman shrugged her shoulders innocently.

"Just asleep"

"Hmm" is all Fianna said in response, obviously not believing her.

"You know something? I'm glad that another like me had someone who genuinely cared for them and I'm sorry that you lost her. I truly am." Renfri stated passionately as she stepped closer. Fianna felt her head start to swim and she wondered what the hell was going on.

"But I cannot let anyone take my revenge from me" she said before lightly kissing Fianna on the corner of the mouth. With those last words, Fianna fell into darkness.