"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------————----
"I was in the woods last night with my friend. It was a full moon, snowing too. We had lit a small fire. Next thing I know, I'm in a swamp in an unfamiliar place and I see you. I have no idea how I got here. I was so scared, I'm just very glad I met you. Or else, I'd be in the stomach of the swamp monster." WOW, so smooth.
"I see." He could sense the truth in my words. But that I was hiding something else? Either he didn't care or didn't notice.
I picked up the rest of my stuff. I put the food in my bag but I started to eat an apple. It was a shiny red apple, how cliché. It's sweet tho. Before we left, Geralt looked at my feet.
"Let's find you some boots"
-----------------𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔯----------————
In the end we did find a cloak, itchy wool socks and a pair of boots.
Sadly, (well luckily in a way) the inn keeper told us that these belonged to a prostitute who had forgot them at the inn. At least, these were clean. How do you forget boots?? Idontwannaknow
Geralt and I were heading outside the inn. Apparently, the alderman's daughter was supposed to guide us to her father.
"You!"
Shit. The alderman's daughter was in fact the young girl from the tavern earlier. She had recognized me as the blind barefoot hag that I had pretended to be. Shouldn't have binge watched all these seasons of the last air bender this summer...
"You're not blind!" Growled the girl.
Great, really great.
Geralt gave me a puzzled look. I shrugged my shoulders, pretending I didn't know what was going on.
"Anyway, the girl sighed, I killed a rat with my breakfast fork this morning"
Girl what.
"Stabbed it in its fat little gut" She smiled.
"My mom nearly fainted but what was I supposed to do?"
Maybe not stab the rat??! Ask your cat to hunt it?
"It has been shitting in our pantry for days"
Didn't ask.
Geralt stayed silent during her whole ratty monologue before finally speaking out.
"You mentioned coin?"
"Yes, Isadora said you were looking for my father. She's a gossip you see. Probably went two steps into the Lord's Inn before she was running off telling everyone an evil Witcher had arrived"
We had now arrived to the stable. The girl walked up the horse and looked at the dead kikimora on its back.
"You don't scare me" she looked at Geralt, giddily.
"That's too bad" Answered Geralt.
Why must he always be so dramatic.
"And I can also tell you, that my father will have no use for this beast" added the young girl.
"Your father, the alderman, he posted a flyer" calmly stated Geralt.
"For a graveir, kikimoras are useful"
"What for?" I asked
"Population control"
And that's disgusting.
"Hmh" grunted Gealt before walking away.
"Isn't there anybody that could make use of this beast?" I asked the girl.
She paused before answering.
"You should speak to master Irion, our wizard"
Geralt looked before his shoulder.
"He's willing to pay for odds and ends he needs for elixirs".
I was curious to see what a real wizard looked like. I was hoping for a full on Gandalf look. With a long white beard and big magic stick.
"I sold him our dogs when it died, added the girl, mysteriously"
I rolled my eyes. Not so mysteriously that's for sure, rat killer.
"Fine, take me to him"
Geralt set his horse free.
"I got 15 crowns for the yappy mut. That's enough to buy some new clothes. Just saying." She winked.
"Come on Roach" Grunted Geralt.
And off we go.
—————————-
A/N
Happy lunar new year to my readers.
Year of the 🐀