Eternal Flame

Chapter 2 - Old Love

He was crouching in this stupid bush for over an hour now. A branch stabbed Lambert repeatedly in the leg, as soon as he took a more relaxed posture. But the dense foliage made a good cover, so he couldn't be seen from the house.

At a safe distance, and apparently unnoticed by her, Lambert had followed the sorceress from the marketplace. Her path took them from the busy streets of the center of Lan Exeter to a quieter residential area. Keira stopped in front of a small but well maintained house in a narrow alley. She made a cautious gesture, speaking a few words that Lambert could not quite understand from a distance, despite his sensitive hearing - apparently she was releasing a spell that denied unauthorized access to the house. The equivalent of sorcerers to an ordinary key.

Keira entered the house and closed the door. Lambert stood behind a wal lfor a while, undecided what to do now. Where she lived, he now knew. He had imagined her home a bit more sophisticated, but if what Triss had said was right - that Keira had parted company with her wealthy patron - then she obviously had to restrain her lifestyle. Served her right...

Lambert knew that he should turn back now. Looking for accommodation for the night. Let the matter rest.

Crap. Seeing her in his immediate vicinity had recalled the painfully banished memories. Lambert was well aware that he probably wouldn't find any sleep that night, if he kept on wondering if she'd be visiting a lover while he himself was lying in a bed at the inn. And if it was like that? Actually, he did not care. Actually he shouldn't...

Lambert was torn from his thoughts by hurried steps that approached him. Without thinking about it, he dove to a dense shrubbery that grew on the other side of the alley between two houses, and crouched behind the branches to hide from view.

A figure in a wide cloak headed for Keira's house. Although the swinging fabric covered all body shapes and a deep pulled hood hid the face, Lambert was sure that the late visitor was a woman. She tapped tentatively on Keira's door, apparently unwilling to attract unnecessary attention. The woman looked around briefly, as if to make sure nobody had followed her. Keira opened and the woman hurriedly entered the house.

Lambert stared at the now closed entrance door.

No visit by a lover - at least not yet. Or Keira - like some other sorceresses of the lodge - had developed an interest in her own sex. Lambert was not sure if he liked the idea more.

Lambert knew he should've left by now, it was already dawning. If he didn't hurry, all the rooms in the good inns would be occupied.

Half an hour later, his toes in his boots began to ache with the cold. In the house he could make out muffled voices - too soft to under stand the spoken words. However, the familiar sound of Keira's voice was enough to keep him hidden.

A short time later, the front door opened again. The visitor straightened the strap of a bag on her shoulder. Before she pulled up her hood to cover her head, Lambert became aware of fine-cut features and artfully coiffed hair. Precious earrings shone between the curls. Apparently, the lady was not only attractive, but also wealthy. Without turning back to Keira, who had stopped at the entrance, the visitor hurried down the lane and disappeared from Lambert's field of view as she turned behind a wall. His gaze wandered to Keira, who had stopped in the doorway and was looking after her visitor.

When she spoke, Lambert needed almost three seconds to notice that her words were addressed to him.

"I take it as a compliment that you endure being out there so long, despite the cold."

She turned to the foliage where the witcher still crouched. "You can come out now. Or do you want to spend the night in this shrub?"

Lambert felt adrenaline rushing through his veins. If he had been able to blush, his complexion would have been enough to make him visible in the bushes to anyone. He swallowed and got up, stepping out of the bushes and brushing off his clothes casually to strip off the leaves and twigs that had caught in them.