Embers

Stregobor

Eira never ran as fast in her entire existence and felt lungs burn in her chest. An old curse rolled over her tongue that the farm she stayed in was located just outside Blaviken.

The cheers of the crowd drifted closer. So did the sounds of clashing steel, which made Eira run even faster. The golden, sparkling thread that floated out of her chest, showed her the way through the small streets of Blaviken. And would lead her straight to The White Wolf.

It was already a bloody massacre when she arrived. Sweat drops streamed from her face into her neck, her breath ragged when Eira finally came to a halt into the horde of people who had gathered around. She had to push aside some people to make her way to the front. The iron scent of blood pricked her nose and Eira put her hand in front of her mouth.

She saw Renfri first ; short curls bouncing with every graceful move she made. The short sword swung into the direction of the Witcher, missed him by a hair before Eira heard the girl growl and attack again. Renfri used the heavy cotton of her red skirt to blind Geralt.

It didn't work.

The Witcher quickly moved and Eira could see the strain in his features. He was merely defending himself and didn't attack.

The Elemental shook her head and held her scream inside when Renfri attacked again. This time, she struck him by the shoulder and left the Witcher wounded and bleeding.

The Elemental finally made her way to the front and could see everything from up close. Her gaze flickered to a movement in the corner of one of the alleys. With a frown between her brows, Eira saw the flash of the crossbow that came from around the corner behind Geralt. She moved fast ; a simple hand gesture and the ice that formed in the palm of her hand swung towards the bandit who wielded the weapon.

The hard ball of icicle passed Geralt, nearly hitting him on the shoulder, to scatter on the bandit's face. He dropped the crossbow, fell on his knees and his hands went to his forehead where the ice had landed. Eira could see blood streaming down his face and he eventually went down.

Because of the distraction, Eira had missed that Geralt and Renfri now stood face to face. Geralt with one arm up against her and the elemental held her breath. Time seemed to stop entirely and for the first time since she arrived, the marketplace was captured in silence.

It wasn't until Renfri fell down into the Witcher's arms, Eira realised she was wounded.

"No," she whispered to herself. A sudden gulf of sadness came over her when she recalled the night before. Renfri and herself had been laughing while drinking beers and talking about small things. Renfri didn't deserve this after what she'd been through. Yet, Eira knew by the way Geralt held the dying girl, he didn't want to kill Renfri. The strain on his features told Eira more than she needed to know and for a moment, the Elemental had to look away. She hated the uncomfortable emotions of humans that sometimes seemed to wash over her when least expected. The Elemental still had to deal with the foreign experience of them.

"You killed her, the monster," Eira snapped her head to the left from where the voice came from.

The aura of the man hit Eira, and she wrinkled her nose while she turned herself slightly away from the man. He was a wizard and doubtless, he would feel the presence of her forces if Eira would gain his attention.  But Stregobor didn't even look into her direction, but rather only focused on the Witcher who had let go of Renfri.

Eira couldn't hear the conversation between the two, but saw Geralt pull his sword to hold back the wizard.

"You will not touch her," she heard the rough voice and felt relieved that he wouldn't let Stregobor take Renfri's body.

But the wizard moved towards the girl and ignored the warning.

The grin on the wizard's face looked menacing.

"Don't," the word escaped her lips in a whisper, but the Witcher was faster.

He lifted his sword, pointed it at Stregobor and Eira took a sigh of relief. Until the first stone was thrown out of the crowd that stood around her. It hit the Witcher on the side of his head, causing him to bleed. Eira grit her teeth, snatching a tomato out of the hand of a young child who stood next to her.

A glance around her told Eira all the people were now focused on Geralt. Shouts and curses were thrown into the air and she stretched her hand palms when rain of rotten food set course towards the Witcher.

The atmosphere that circled around her became tense and the scent of wet grass filled her nostrils. A murmur escaped her lips in a language that was so old, no one knew about it. The Earth beneath her bent to her will easily and she made a whirlwind of dust. Her gaze upon Stregobor, eyes bright blue and Eira made everything fall down mid-air.

Tomatoes, cucumbers and apples fell with a loud thud on the ground and now everyone's attention was on her. Even Geralt slowly turned his head to face her. Eira took a few steps towards Stregobor and the Witcher. Dust still spun around her, making her hair whip out of her cloak.

"You won't hurt him," she spoke calmly.

She took a protective stance before Geralt which gave him the time to get up.

"And you won't take Renfri's body," she ordered and saw the magician raise a brow before a villainous smirk appeared on his face.

"An Elemental," the surprise evident in his voice.

Eira hated the way he looked at her : a price he wanted to own or maybe see if she was evil or not. Especially when Stregobor licked his lips and took a step closer towards her. By then, Geralt was able to stand up and grabbed her by the elbow. An act so sudden that the dust all around her disappeared and Eira snapped her head to face him.

"Leave Blaviken, Witcher," Stregobor spat the last word to them. "Take your Elemental with you."

Geralt grumbled something about Eira not being his Elemental but he gently pulled her with him to find his horse. They left Blaviken together in silence, both their cloaks pulled up on their heads with nothing but the empty road before them. No doubt, both minds lingered at Renfri ; the lost princess who died because she couldn't stop...