Prologue
As the sun sits obnoxiously high, Faiza continues to play with her dagger. Every few seconds, checking her surroundings. Hunting in the middle of the day isn't always the easiest thing to do. Everyone staring as they pass. Some even stopping to see if they'll catch a fight between her and...whatever it is she's been contracted to kill. But this was certainly the best time for her to have the upper hand on her opponent. She's been watching him for a few days now. Learning his habits. He won't be hunting this early in the day. And the best part, he travels alone. Doesn't like to be seen. So, for her, daylight hours are her best approach. Without question.
Faiza catches the sound of slow, heavy footsteps over her right shoulder. She can't see him yet, but his scent isn't one she'd mistake for anything else. She stands from her resting place and begins stretching, counting down the time she has left until he approaches. She balances the tip of her dagger on her finger, watches as the blood drips to the ground, and flips it in the air, catching the handle,
"As much as I want to use you, it wouldn't do much good this time," she says, almost apologetically, as she slides it into its covering. Faiza secures her silver blade into the sheath on her back and twists side to side to ensure its size doesn't impede her movement. Her back cracks amidst the movement and she sighs with some relief. She laughs lightly as she hears Roz's voice in her head,
"Old age not agreein' with you any longer, old friend?" His footsteps get closer and she rolls her shoulders as she grabs a short but hefty bludgeon. She rolls her wrists and moves it around her body in a fanning motion, to ensure its weight is balanced. Once set, she takes her stance. Left foot forward, left hand free, right foot back, club in hand.
He emerges, head down, mumbling to himself in his mother tongue. None the wiser. Faiza's eyes scan his body,
"Shit. You're bigger than I thought." Her voice startles him to a halt.
"Hm?" He sniffs. "Ugh. Human." His tone showing every bit of disdain that he has for them. "I'm not hungry yet." He waves her off.
"Don't call me human," she replies with annoyance. His massive stature straightens a bit as her words intrigued him. He takes in a deep breath through his nose. A smirk moves across his face when he realizes what she is.
"Maybe I am hungry after all." He twists his body, flinging his massive arm through the air, knocking a deer to the ground.
"No, no, no!" Faiza squeezes the handle of the club as she watches him kneel to drink its blood. "Shit," she mutters under her breath. He stands, turns towards Faiza, and wipes the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His dark eyes begin to glow, and his once slow, lumbering movements begin to increase in speed. Faiza squeezes her eyes shut.
"You couldn't See this one coming, could you?" she scolds herself.
"Fair fight now, don't you think? I know how the likes of felines move," he says to her with certainty. He starts towards her and she quickly holds up her free hand.
"Wait!" She moves the club to her left hand and the fingers on her right dance in a distinct motion. She places the weapon back into her right hand and lets out a heavy sigh, "That's better."
"What was that?"
"Quen."
"What?"
"Doesn't matter. You ready?"
She stares him in the eyes but keeps her focus on the entirety of his body. She notices a slight bend in his knee and realizes what he's about to do. He lunges towards her and just before he can strike, she roll-dodges away from him, coming to her feet just as quickly as she went down. He stands and looks down at his hands, confused as to how he may have missed her.
"You are faster than I thought," he says with his back to her.
"I have to be. It would hurt a little if you landed on me." He chuckles at her apparent underestimation of the damage he would do.
"A little?"
"Well, I mean. I've fought worse. Bigger even. Dare I say...scarier?" His humor quickly turns to irritation. He spins but in his motion, he lunges at her again. She catches the same indication as she had done before, but instead of dodging, she takes her stance. As he quickly approaches her, she turns her body, lowers her center of gravity, and releases a backhanded swing. The club connecting to his mouth. The blow causes his head to snap backward and stumbles as he hits the ground. He rubs his hand over his mouth and glares at the blood spilling from it. He spits his fangs into his hand,
"What have you done!?" Faiza walks over to her things, removing her sword from her back.
"What I was trying to do earlier, but you got to that deer before I had the chance." She picks up a bottle of Vampire Oil and pours it over her blade. She safely places the empty bottle in her bag.
"I will kill you! With my bare hands! You will--"
"Die. Yeah, I know. I know." She swings her sword around the front of her body, cracks her neck, and takes her stance. "Let's get on with it then."
ONE
"Oh, my. Well, I didn't think he would look exactly like that. I mean I knew I was destined to find someone who's a little different but...a vampire? And let alone a higher vampire. I-I have always had a fascination with..."
The words trail off in Faiza's ears as she sits in the chair across from her latest customer. The same type of women always had a way of finding her. News traveled fast about Faiza's ability to See. It used to only be little things. Wars to come. Geralt. You know? The little things. But ever since she came into such close contact with that Unicorn, she's been able to See it all. Well, almost. She decided to use her gift when contracts slowed down, just to keep the money flowing, but she can't say she enjoys it. It's always the same asinine questions, "Who will I marry? How will we meet? How many children will we have?"
"Wild. Hunt." A voice triggers Faiza to fall into her Sight. Darkness and ghost-like figures riding horses over a chaotic land overwhelm her senses. She tries to focus on a figure that looks to be leading the army of riders. Calling out orders as he leads the charge. Faiza looks around to try to make sense of what she Sees. What do they want? He seems to catch on to her being there and slows his ride, he turns to look in her direction. Just as their eyes meet...
"Oh, I must have put you to sleep." The woman's hand on hers snaps her awake and Faiza quickly pulls her hand away and places the other on her dagger. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you? I mean, I must have bored you. How much do I owe?" Faiza looks the woman up and down and notices the delicate lace on the edge of her dress.
"Fifty mark."
"Fifty mark? For that? But I only asked one question and Mareen told me that you only charged her ten." Faiza let out a deep sigh as she allows the woman to continue her rant. She leans back, folds her arms over her chest, and raises her eyebrow. The woman finally catches on to the seriousness in Faiza's eyes and lays the coin on the table. "Well, thank you for your time." Faiza lightly nods and watches the woman scamper out of the door. She shakes her head and talks to herself,
"Poor woman, she has no idea what's ahead of her. They never ask."
"They never ask what?"
The voice startles her. Enough to make her place her hand on her dagger. She never heard anyone approach. But that voice. She knows that voice. She stares at the table debating if what she hears is true. Before she could turn, the person moves to the other side of the table.
"Hey, old friend. Long time." Faiza finally looks up from her confusion.
"Roz?"
"In the flesh!" Roz's hair still as bright red as the day they met, pulled back into a low, tight bun. Faiza stares at her with her brows furrowed.
"Your eyes."
"Yeah, still that beautiful emerald the innkeeper was so fond of, but my pupils are a bit different, and they glow in the right light," she says through a slight chuckle. Faiza still in shock with what she sees. "Wow, I mean, I've known ya to be a bit tight-lipped but, this is a new record, I think!" Faiza shakes her head.
"Who trained you?!"
"That's all you have to say? I guess it is a bit of a shock." Roz laughs then sighs as she realizes Faiza's unchanged demeanor. "Well, I don't know actually. Never got his name." Roz's eyes squint as she recalls her interaction. "He's a bit of a mystery. And everything was kind of a blur as I'm sure you remember." Faiza stares at her friend, now donned in the same dark leather clothing as her, but a different medallion swinging from her neck.
"Viper?" Roz looks down and grabs her medallion.
"I dunno. Favors a cow if I you ask me." Faiza slowly closes her eyes and lets out a soft laugh.
The two friends sit at the same table in the tavern for hours talking about any and everything since the last time they saw one another. Faiza's face goes serious again.
"Uh oh. What is it now?" Roz asks. "You See something?" Faiza shakes her head.
"No, but now that you mention it, I wonder why I didn't See this with you." Roz shrugs.
"Maybe, you're only meant to See certain things?"
"Like who these old hags will marry? Ugh."
"What?" Roz asks with her eyebrow raised as high as it can go. Faiza shakes it off again.
"Nothing."
"Mm-hm."
"Why Roz? Why did you do it? What about Michael? What about starting a—"
"Family?" Faiza nods.
"If anyone was going to have that it was going to be you. It should have been you." Roz lowers her eyes and frowns a bit.
"I know. And I wanted it. But, after I saw what happened at Sodden Hill, I couldn't imagine bringin' a family into this world. It's falling apart and it wouldn't be fair to bring innocent little ones into it. I wanted to be a part of the solution. I had to be. I found some things out as I researched. Something about a...Wild Hunt." Faiza's eyes squint with intrigue when she hears that term. "And Michael? Well...he hasn't seen me yet, but I believe he'll be okay with my choice." It's rare that Faiza is ever surprised by the choices humans make, but this? She wouldn't have believed it even if she'd Seen it.
"Faiza?"
"Yeah?"
"Why didn't your eyes turn amber? I mean... yeah, why didn't they change like...I dunno. Geralt?" Roz knows that saying his name is a bit of a trigger, but her curiosity outweighed that concern. Faiza lets out a heavy sigh and leans back in her chair. "I can see the amber in there and now that I know why it happens...I just wondered, you know?" Faiza debates going into the disappointing story of not being able to complete The Changes but, before she can settle on a half-truth Roz interjects, "You were the other Witcher my trainer told me about. The one who almost made it through The Changes but, your uncle held you back, aren't you?" Faiza's eyebrows furrow as she thinks back. "Wow, you're kind of a legend at Gorthur, y'know?" Faiza looks up at Roz in disbelief.
"Why?"
"Probably because you're the only woman who was able to go as far as you did. Everyone believes you would have made it. They all believe that there's something extremely special about you. Something you'll do that will change the world." Faiza raises her eyebrow and folds her arms across her chest.
"Well, this is the first I've heard of it."
"Not really."
"What do you mean?
"Well, that Unicorn, remember? It said the same thing to you."
"I think you're mistaken. It told me that he would chan—"
"He who?" Faiza glares at Roz.
"You know who he is."
"No, I don't." Roz laughs. "Who is he?"
"Him." Faiza stares at her with no emotion on her face. Roz laughs harder.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I get it." Faiza shakes her head and tries to laugh with her friend but, the thoughts of that day in Brokilon flood her memory. The sadness begins to settle on her again. She moves her eyes to Roz's weapons leaning against the wall. Anything that would help her change the subject.
"How's it feel to wield a sword now?" Roz laughs as she notices what she's doing, but goes along with it anyway.
"I'm still pretty shit at it. I prefer my bow."
"You were always a good shot."
"Was? I still am." They both laugh. "I figure if I tag along with you, though, I'll be able to use 'em more often. Faiza catches on to what Roz is alluding to and leans forward placing her arms on the table.
"Alright. I know we still have a lot to catch up on but, we better get ourselves ready for what's to come. I've only Seen so much. Tell me more about this Wild Hunt."