The Witcher and the Seawolf

Chapter 30

Cirilla

It's been a week since Fenris's vision and the fight that destroyed the ice on the lake. Geralt was unharmed since he casted Quen before Fenris could hit him with Aard. Things have been tense since that night.

Fenris has been avoiding everyone, spending time in the forge Yarpen had in the back of one of the huts. Ciri could hear him banging the blacksmith hammer now. The sound of steel being forged and then being quenched in the water he gathered from the lake was constantly going on.

He didn't even come back inside to sleep. Ciri wasn't even sure if Fenris was sleeping at all. When she would go and visit, he would only respond to her with grunts or single word answers. He wouldn't even look at Yennefer and actively avoided Geralt.

It was easy to see that he felt guilty over what happened that night. It didn't help that he didn't even remember what he saw in that vision, only ever seeing a reddish-purple sky before waking up soaking wet.

"Mama?" Farah's voice broke Ciri's gaze from the window. She snapped her head to the crib and saw Farah standing on her feet, rubbing the tired out of her eyes.

"Hey, baby." Ciri forced a smile on her face and got up. Ciri's been struggling to sleep as well. She would sometimes wake up to Fenris's gaze on her while she slept, but he wouldn't stay longer than a few moments and if she tried to turn to face him, he would already be gone. So, she let him check in on her, it helped her sleep in an odd way. "Did you have a nice nap?" Ciri asked as she picked her daughter up.

Farah was still sleepy, has been since Fenris didn't really tuck her in at night anymore. So when Ciri picked her up, she put her tired head on Ciri's shoulder. "Papa?" Farah asked, making Ciri sigh. She looked back to the window where she heard Fenris hitting the anvil again.

Ciri scowled and looked down at her little dove. "You know what? I think he's hungry. You want to help me make him some lunch?"

Farah seemed to perk up a little as she helped make Fenris a bowl of fruit salad. Yarpen made a visit a few days ago with some supplies, and with them was a crate of fruit they all have been snacking on between meals.

Ciri followed behind Farah as the little girl held the bowl of fruit close to her chest so she wouldn't drop it. They walked around the house, following the sound of the beating hammer, until they saw Fenris there.

His hair and eyes took some time getting used to, but she eventually warmed up to it. His hair was still black and eyes purple, not that it was surprising, the dye he used back in Cintra lasted for days and only got washed out in the special waters of Brokilon Forest.

"Papa!" Farah yelled, making Fenris stop and put the hammer down. Ciri gasped softly when he turned around. There were large bags under his eyes and his face was covered in soot. His hands were as black as coal and scabbed up with small burn scars around the knuckles.

"Hey little dove." Fenris said, with a soft, tired smile. His voice was hoarse, most likely due to not using it most of the time. "What do you got there?"

"Food." Farah held up the bowl. "You eat. Now."

Both Ciri and Fenris chuckled. "You sound like your mother." Ciri felt warmer every time he called her Farah's mother. Ciri saw him glance at her before he bent down to pick her up. Once she was secured on his hip, he raised his right hand. "But my hands are all dirty. Can you help me?" Farah responded by picking up a grape and shoving it into Fenris's mouth. "Thank you."

Ciri looked around the forge and saw the usual forge things around. A furnace, molds of swords, knives, and axes, anvil and hammer, along with tongs hung on the walls and a workbench Fenris sat down on with Farah on his knee. The last thing Ciri saw was a large leather pouch filled with about a dozen swords.