The Girl in the Woods

Chapter 23

A/N: College is continuing to hit me like a truck but I'm doing my best lol. This has been such a struggle that it actually took me almost a week to finish this chapter and it is only a tad less than 2k words. Anywhoo I also know that is Ciri in the cover picture but I needed some kind of visual and she's got light hair so I went with it. I am much too tired to be picky about it at this point. I just wanted to give you guys something new. 

                  Geralt's heavy footfalls pounded down the steps towards the armory, when he arrived Vesemir, Lambert and Eskel were already waiting and equipped with their two swords each as well as additional daggers on their hips and Lambert with a few small alchemical bombs attached to his belt. Vesemir didn't even have to ask Geralt about Beth, he knew that the reason he was late was because he was getting her to safety, even if he didn't know where. 

"Let's kill these son's of bitches." Lambert sneered, the other men only nodded in agreement, faces set in anger. 

            The sound of pounding hooves and the yelling of men crested the mountaintop just outside Kaer Morhen. 

              Lambert and Geralt made their way to the top of the keep so they could take count of the men outside, all the snow usually blanketing the mountain was melted and ran down the slopes like tiny rivers. The Witcher also noticed for the first time how unnaturally warm it felt outside, his medallion was humming but he didn't need it to feel the crackling of chaos in the air. They could tell instantly who the ringleader of the group was, he hung in the back of the group, not much of a fighter himself, instead relying on what seemed to be an army built on coin instead of loyalty or just cause. He was an elf and was sat atop of a black stallion barking orders at the group. One of those orders made Geralt's blood run cold.

"Find the girl! The man who personally delivers my love will receive an extra bonus." 

                A barrage of thoughts swirled in Geralt's mind. He knew Beth was here? He was calling her his love? If Beth was truly not from this world than how would she be acquainted with an Elven wizard? For a moment his trust in her faltered and he entertained the idea that she had been lying to him the entire time. That she was working with the wizard to take down Kaer Morhen and slaughter the rest of the wolven Witchers. But it just didn't make sense, everything that Geralt had learned about Beth up until this point spoke against those thoughts. He was shaken out of his disassociated musing as an explosion shook the ground. Lambert had thrown a Dragon's Dream, releasing a cloud of gas that was then ignited with Igni. 

                  The group must not have expected any kind of ranged offensive attacks as they were sufficiently surprised and Lambert had managed to take out a good chunk of the vanguard. Soon after the remaining men recovered from the blast a wave of arrows and crossbow bolts were sailing high in their direction. Geralt was quick to cast Quen and the tips simply bounced off the yellow barrier. Lambert dropped his second to last bomb from the roof, a King and Queen, while the effect was not physical, it was quick as the inescapable feeling of fear crept into the hearts of those surrounded by the blast. They dropped their weapons as though they were molten and ran screaming, one of the particularly large and burly mercenaries was yelling something about his "mummy". The wizard was shouting after them about how they will never find work again after this, calling them "incompetent imbeciles". 

"That one never gets old." Lambert mused, pleased with the amount of men he had managed to dispatch already. The army was beginning to look more manageable for close combat. Lambert stayed looking over the edge of the stone barrier while Geralt made his way down the steps and towards the door.