PART 9
"Why are you really here, Geralt?" asked Elyn. "There is no money to be gained by killing monsters in this remote forest."
"Long story," deflected the topic the witcher.
"I'd like to hear it," she insisted.
He sighed.
"I was sent here through a portal by a sorceress," he said after a long silence.
"Why?"
"She sent me on a mission."
"What mission?"
"It doesn't matter because I'm not doing it," he shrugged. "I don't go on missions, I only kill monsters."
She chuckled.
"What are you laughing about?" turned the witcher towards her on the saddle.
"You are all the time trying to convince yourself that you want nothing from life, that all you care about is your next monster. And yet, destiny drags you out of that delusion constantly."
"I don't believe in destiny," he grunted.
"That is irrelevant, you are drawn to it anyway."
"That's bullshit."
"Well, we'll see, won't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"You smell that?" she interrupted the conversation, grabbing his shoulder.
"Yes," he answered, reining in Roach. "Burnt wood."
He could smell much more than burnt wood, but didn't comment on it.
"We are here," she said, dismounting. Geralt did the same.
Roach was skittish at the smell of blood.
"Wait here, Roach," he patted the horse on its neck, trying to calm it down.
They entered the devastated village on foot, slowly. Geralt had his sword in hand. Everything was destroyed or burnt except for a few huts at the far end of the village. The debris blocked the narrow streets. Geralt saw the tears on Elyn's face as she tried to cover her nose to avoid breathing the smell of burnt flesh. The charred corpses were half hidden under crumbled walls and fallen roofs.
In the central square, there were posts to which unfortunate villagers had been tied and tortured to death. The bodies still hanged, half torn and bloody. No wonder the ghouls had been attracted to this forest, thought Geralt.
"This was not done by tax collectors," said Geralt.
"No," Elyn agreed, wiping her tears.
A sudden movement caught the eye of the witcher, who immediately raised his sword. A man, his face half burnt, approached them from the far end of the village.
"It's ok," said Elyn, "I know him."
Geralt did not lower his sword. The man walked with difficulty, leaning on a mahogany staff.
"Patrick," addressed him Elyn, "what happened?"
"We should have never allowed you to go, Elyn," he growled. "This is what you brought. This is your doing."
"How can you say that, Patrick?" she said, sadly.
"You brought the Black Ones here," he accused her. "You betrayed us."
"You know that's not true," she argued.
"You dare deny it when you walk with one of them?" he pointed to the witcher.
"He is not..." she started to explain, but the man gave a signal with his hand and twenty men left their hiding places and surrounded Geralt, threatening him with pitchforks and small axes.
Geralt growled, turned round and prepared himself to slash down his attackers.
"No! Geralt! Stop!"
Elyn's yell brought him to a halt in mid strike.
"They are just scared, just innocent peasants, scared, Geralt, please," she pleaded.
He lowered his sword, slowly, breathing heavily, trying to control his witcher's instincts.
"Order him to drop his sword," said Patrick to Elyn.
"He is not..." she tried.
Patrick pulled out a dagger and put it on Elyn's throat.
"Do you want to join them?" threatened her Patrick, indicating the corpses on the stakes.
"Do not touch her," snarled Geralt.
"Drop your sword and go to your knees, you son of a whore!" shouted Patrick.
Geralt obeyed and raised his hands.
"Tie him up and take him to a hut," commanded Patrick to his men.
"It's ok, Geralt," said Elyn. "I'll talk to them, I will explain, everything will be all right," she assured him.
Geralt let the villagers tie his hands to his back without resisting. He was dragged to one of the huts, all the time looking back at Elyn.
"You will answer to the Council, right now," said Patrick, sheathing his dagger and grabbing Elyn by the arm.
"I have no problem with that, Patrick. I'm innocent," she said coldly.
YOU ARE READING
THE WITCHER'S CHOICE
ФанфикThe Brotherhood thought he was dead, but she found him. However, getting him to agree to the mission she had for him was another matter entirely... This story portrays Sapkowski's Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. The events occur after he met Yennefer but...
