Vesemir gently unfolded the bandages from around Larissa's hands as she sat at a table in the infirmary, seated on a hard wooden stool as he tended to her wounds. "The work of Geralt I see." Vesemir said as he lifted his eyes to meet Larissa, the elf only giving a nod. Vesemir looked back down, chuckling to himself. "He never was overly interested in the art of healing. Never to worry. A mix of herbs will have your hands good as new in a weeks time." Vesemir assured as he walked across the room to a large table full of viles, herbs, bowls and all sorts of things required for healing.
Kaer Morhen had nothing on Nevermore, but it was the finest place the elf had been since it's fall. She had no judgments to place, she was happy to finally be in comfort and safe. The castle smelt of warm wood. Large fires warmed it's walls. It was vastly empty. Only but the things the men would require. Tables and chairs mostly. It had a warmth about it. Not the fire kind of warmth, but a warmth that came from a family. Brothers in arms.
Vesemir returned with a bowl full of thick brown like past in his hands, setting down it in front of her. "Stinks a bit, but it works well." He assured as he began to gently apply the past over her stitched cuts with his bare hand.
"Thank you." Larissa replied softly, managing to hold back a wince at the stinging sensation of the paste seeping into her wound.
"I believe we may have a spare dress around you can wear whilst you get yours cleaned up. I've got one of the boys getting a bath ready for you and a room. Though I must warn this place was not built to cater guests. Especially not princess's. Yet somehow we have two here." He admitted with a chuckle as he finished dressing her wounds, wrapping the bandages back around her hands.
Larissa giggled softly. "I assure you, I am in not state to be fussy. I am more than grateful for the hospitality and kindness." She began as she pulled her hands back into her lap once Vesemir was finished. "How has Ciri been here? I can't imagine it's been easy on her."
Vesemir scoffed playfully, placing the bowl back down on the other bench. "She's actually fitting in quite well. She is not afraid to stand up to these men around her. She wants to be one of us. A Witcher. But even I must agree that a growing girl needs a woman. Besides, she is a princess after all. When this war is over, I'm sure it's expected that she should return to Cintra to take her place as it's Queen."
Larissa hummed softly, nodding her head as she stood up, walking a few steps as she twisted her wrist around. "It is a complicated life for a girl like her. But I think you're right, she is stronger than she appears. But I'm afraid she must begin her training in the art of magic...Not swords. Her magic will be what wins this war." Larissa said gently as she turned back to face the older man.
Vesemir hummed, nodding his head as he tapped his finger against the wooden table. "I believe this is a conversation to be had with Geralt as well. We have much to discuss." He confessed, turning around to face her. "I know it must be awkward for the pair of you, that much is obvious." Vesemir admitted as he looked over to the elf. "But he did miss you. For a long time. I know he may very well never admit it, but it's true. You were children. It's only natural that it hurt the way it did. But times are changing my dear, whatever differences you may have you will both have to put them aside. Whatever happens, you two are going to have to work together."
Larissa had very little to say. Vesemir was wise like her father. A little more giving however. He was right though. Ciri was not a toy for them to use to complete their own personal missions. They would have to work together to give Ciri and humanity the best fighting chance. Wether or not the rekindled this growing flame of theirs or put it out for good, they were what stood between winning and loosing.
The elf nodded her head with a smile, though she little to say. He was right, and there was no more to be said on the subject.
Vesemir smiled softly as he approached the brunette woman. "Come. It's late. I'll take you to your room. We can worry about everything else in the morning."
____
Morning came with the cold breeze blowing through one of the many cracks in the stone walling of the castle. Larissa had barely had any rest, her dreams being filled with the faces of the Wild Hunt. They were torturing her even still. But today marked the first day of the next chapter in the war. They had all their pieces now, they had just had to work out how to put them all together.
Larissa sighed as she sat up, looking towards the roughly folded clothes that had been left for her on a broken chair. Black. They looked old and almost unworn. It was not ideal for the girl, but it was better then the bloodied clothes she'd arrived here in. With another sigh, the elf rose to her feet, moving towards the piled up clothing and beginning to change.
It wasn't long before she made her way out of the room and down the gloomy halls of the old castle. It was rather easy for her to remember her way around. Half the castle wasn't even liveable, meaning it was easy to remember her way around as there was little to remember. She only needed to know how to get to her room, and to the other main quarters. Larissa headed towards the dinning room area that seemed to be the main quarters for the men. When she arrived however, it was empty. There were three large and long tables in the room, though they could hardly fill one table now days let alone three. The Witcher's were a dying race like the elves, though there were ways to bring them out of extinction.
At the fire place stood Vesemir, hands behind his back as he watched Larissa. "You missed breakfast." Vesemir spoke up, causing Larissa to slowly turn her head to face where the voice had come from.
"Oh, I'm not hungry." Larissa admitted as she made her way towards him, feeling the heat of the fire warm up her face the closer she got to it.
"Rough sleep?" He asked of the elf, but she only gave him a simple nod. "The first night is always the hardest. It get's better I assure you." He said softly as he looked down at her with his deep brown eyes.
Larissa only smiled with a nod, not wishing to go into any further detail of her sleeplessness and dreams. Vesemir was old enough to see she was troubled, but wise enough to know not to pry. "Ciri is outside training with Geralt. Why don't you go out there? Tell Geralt to come inside. The three of us should have that talk whilst Ciri is occupied. I don't think it's a conversation she should be apart of just yet."
Larissa had to agree on that, smiling softly and nodding her head. "Of course." Larissa replied softly with a nod. She looked towards the larger doors at the end of the room, taking a deep breath as she wrapped her black wooly cloak around her hour glass figure tighter as she left to find her saviours.
___
It was winter. Snow covered every inch of the ground and turned the leaves white. The air was heavy, the sky cloudy and full of fog. Outside on the training corse, Ciri was attempting to complete apart of the course for the fifteenth time that morning. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, her hands even redder and blistered. Geralt watched on, arms crossed against his chest. Though his mind and eyes seemed to wander to the castle.
After all these years, it was hard to imagine the elf princess was here...but not for him. When they had first parted he had often wondered perhaps one day shed come riding through Kaer Morhens gates to find him, having escaped her home. Child like thoughts, but ones he could remember even now. The last few days had felt so strange. It had been only five days since they had found Larissa, yet she was messing with his head.
As if on cue, the sounds of small feet shuffling through the snow could be heard. Geralt ever slowly looked over his shoulder, watching as Larissa approached them. It was the first time he'd been able to watch her from afar and for a long moment. She was small in both stature and weight, though her breasts were quite large for her figure. Though she kept her figure as hidden as possible, wrapping the black coat rightly around herself. Her eyes were bright, a deep ocean blue. Lips pink. She was beautiful. Innocent. Completely untouched.
She smiled sweetly over at him when she noticed him watching, though there was sadness in her bright blue eyes. A tiredness.
Geralt gave her a soft smile back, watching her until she arrived at his side. "You're up. I was starting to think the cold has scared you off." Gerarlt spoke as he gave her a small yet playful smile.
Larissa let out a small giggle as she held her hands to her stomach. "There are many things that scare me, but you're lucky cold is not one of them." She replied back with a small tease in her tone.
Geralt let out a small chuckle as he looked her up and down for a moment. "Black suits you."
Larissa smiled softly with a light blush, looking down at the snowy ground before back up at him. "Thank you...But I'm not sure it does. I dare say, I still prefer white.." She admitted, as she turned her eyes to face Ciri who was taking a dangerous leap to a wooden platform.
Larissa's lips parted, a small gasp leaving through her breath as she began to take a step forward, but Geralt gently placed a hand out in front to stop her.
"Let her be. She's done this many times before. She needs the practice and she needs us to believe that she can do it..." Geralt said softly, gently pulling his arm back to his chest when he finished.
Larissa's blue eyes were filled with worry, though she unwillingly brought her foot back in line with Geralt's. Just as Geralt had stated however, Ciri made the leap with flying colours, heading onto the next part of the course.
"She should be practicing her magic..." Larissa began. "She isn't a Witcher. She is both a Nilfgardian and elf. She needs to accept that until she can become anything else..." Larissa said softly, looking up as Geralt. Her eyes were longing as they looked into his, causing Geralt to soften his own gaze and hold his tongue. "Vesemir said we should talk back in the castle whilst Ciri is busy..."
Geralt nodded his head, looking to Ciri, then to a few of his brothers. "Lambert!" He called out to the red bearded man who was chopping wood with an axe as like slicing a cake. "Watch over her for a bit." He rather ordered more then asked, the other Witcher giving a nod of his head as he placed his axe into the wood, dusting his hands off before moving towards the course.
"Let's see what you can do, Princess!"The Witcher teased the young girl as both Larissa and Geratlr turned around then, making their way back to the castle. It was a quiet walk back, nothing but the snow under their feat as they both kept in sync. Once inside, Vesemir was already seated and waiting for the pair, Larissa and Geralt taking a seat beside one another, opposite Vesemir.
"I know it's not my place so to speak to be involved in this," Vesemir began as he pointed to the two. "But someone has to get you two talk about what is next. And whilst Ciri is under this roof she is my responsibility as much as she is yours. Having her here puts us all at threat and we are going extinct as it is." Vesemir said, placing his hands at the table. "So, Larissa. What did your father tell you had to be done. What is it going to take to end this?"
Larissa looked up to Geralt first, letting out a small sigh before returning her eyes to Vesemir then back to the table. "He told me that to end the Wild Hunt and King Eredin, I would have to find Ciri and bring her here. Train her to use her magic for good. Train her before anyone else found her. Help her destroy King Eridin. That was all he told me. He gave me no details. The rest I would figure out along the way. Use what knowledge I have learnt." Larissa said softly.
Geralt hummed softly, leaning back into his seat. "And what of the other elves?" He asked as he turned her head to face her.
"The ones I have found I have sent somewhere safe to rebuild. Heal. To be ready for when the time comes. The others...I don't know. Long gone...dead, I have heard." She said regretfully as she kept her eyes on the table.
Geralt looked away from her, feeling a guilt for even asking the question. But it was one that needed to be asked. They needed to know who was left and on their side.
"But he can be defeated, yes?" Vesemir asked as he leaned back into his seat, Larissa nodding her head. "Good. Do we have a time limit?"
Larissa shook her head. "They can't do anymore until they find her. I've placed a cloaking spell on her. They can't trace her. But once they realise that I fear they will just continue to go through towns and cities. But this time they will kill everything they see and burn everything until they find her. We will have to go to him to end this war. We can't do that until Ciri is ready...How long that will take...I don't know." Larissa said softly with a sigh lifting her head to face Geralt.
"Look...Ciri want's t to be a Witcher. I won't deprive her of that. She is a girl. She will only want to do this on her terms. We both know better then anyone what teenagers are like...They don't like rules." Geralt spoke up now, though his tone was soft as he tilted his head to Larissa. "She can keep training to be one of us whilst also learning to control her power. She will benefit from being both. That way everyone get's what they want and need. It's only fair on her." Geralt finished.
It was clear in that moment that Geralt didn't just care for Ciri because she was his destiny. He cared for her truly as a child, as if she were his own, and it softened Larissa's heart all the more for him.
But it was clear Geralt had a point. If she were to have both the skill of a Witcher and the power to wield magic, she would be a force even harder to defeat. She would stand even more of a chance and they were going to need all the luck they have.
"Very well...I agree..." Larissa replied softly with a smile and nod, her blue eyes glowing as she looked up to Geralt. "She will be the greatest fighter the world has ever seen."