Chapter 232 - Arriving in Skellige.
[Chapter Size: 2300 Words.]
Third Person POV
Sea.
...
...
The ship finally began to pass through the Skellige isles, an archipelago split into small islands on all sides with a larger one in the middle.
"Wow, to think it's been so many years since I last came here!" Ciri shouted on the boat, looking at the scenery, excited, as she gazed at the small islands in the distance, while they headed for the largest and main one, where the Skellige government castle was located.
She wore a cloak hiding her face, while Yennefer stood by her side wearing the same thing, talking to her for the last few minutes after they decided to get some fresh air.
"I remember Eist Tuirseach was your grandmother's husband, I bet you came here a lot with Madara," Yennefer remarked, while Ciri shook her head.
"No. We never came here. The last time I came here was a few months before I met Madara, before I knew I was going to be betrothed when I was only six years old... But after he went to Cintra, I never came back. Grandma even wanted to come a few times, but since Madara was annoying with training all the time and didn't seem to want to leave Cintra, I insisted we didn't need to, since he was staying and I wouldn't come here without him." She replied.
Yennefer nodded. "You've been together so long... it feels so natural that you followed this path together. Are you sure you're not bound by the Law of Surprise?"
"That's not a lie... In fact, I invoked it when he first appeared..." Ciri admitted, after all, she had done it in the middle of that forest after hearing why Geralt had taken her as a child of destiny...
Ciri had done the same thing, when a monster attacked the very next moment and Madara appeared saving her from a tree with his kunai.
"We were remembering that a few days ago. To think he was called to court to be my sworn sword while living in Cintra. Grandpa Mousesack had convinced grandma of the potential Madara had. At the time, I didn't understand much, but I was always fascinated by his strength." She said in a dreamy tone to Yennefer.
"And speaking of Grandpa Mousesack... I can't wait to see him again, I haven't seen him in so many years..." Ciri said.
"Geralt said he had visited them in Kaer Morhen...," Yennefer murmured.
"Yes. He went to check if we were okay after the war and all the mess that was caused. He said he'd heard the news of the war in Skellige and headed to Kaer Morhen," Ciri commented, pausing before continuing.
"Mousesack showed up at Kaer Morhen demanding to speak with us, since that was the plan Madara had told him when he left Cintra. Mousesack had been really happy to see us safe. He even asked if we could go to Skellige, but Madara refused, saying we'd stay there to train for a few years, telling us to be prepared for what was coming."
Ciri hadn't understood at the time, but now she knew that Madara, somehow, had already been talking about the Wild Hunt back then. In recent weeks, he had been taking her blood little by little, storing it so they wouldn't be separated if something tried to attack them and some of them ended up in another world. It was a way for them to find each other again through the power in the Elder Blood that flowed through her veins.
Ciri believed Madara had everything under control, and that he would definitely find a solution to all the problems. There was no doubt in the girl's mind.
Now, all she could think about in that moment was seeing her old acquaintances and friends again — not to mention her wedding — with the sad thought that her grandmother and many of her old friends had died many years ago. Ciri wished they could be there too, to celebrate her wedding.
"You look sad," Yennefer said, looking at Ciri with concern.
"It's nothing," she shook her head. "I'm happy." She gave a slightly forced smile. Though Yennefer could see the signs, she said nothing.
She also knew that the girl was genuinely happy despite the sad thoughts.
"So..." Yennefer didn't hesitate to change the subject as she breathed in the sea breeze... "...Can I expect grandchildren soon?" she asked, while Ciri looked at her, her face turning a little red.
Her gaze traveled from the sorceress to the ship's deck, where several sailors were working. There was a door leading inside, and Madara was there with Geralt, Zoltan, and Dandelion, playing Gwent.
Zoltan had brought several decks and they had started playing in the past few days. She was even surprised that Madara was playing such a game, even losing a few times. He was very good, but he didn't use any of his skills to win, which resulted in some defeats.
Ciri, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile remembering that she was definitely cheating in the game, seeing the future before anyone even played their cards and taking countermeasures with her foresight abilities.
Is it her fault that she had this ability to see a few seconds into the future all the time when she was focused?
Well, Ciri turned back to Yennefer. "We talked about it. But he said it's best if we wait a bit longer. He said there are many dangers. He meant that... it would be bad if I got pregnant now. But you can be sure that we'll be a family of eight in the future," Ciri said, a little embarrassed.
"Well, he's not wrong... but I like the number!" Yennefer laughed. "I just wonder if those kids will take after their mother — troublemaker and lively — or the father — stoic and serious." The sorceress laughed joyfully at the last part.
"That's not funny!" Ciri pouted. "Well, anyway, our kids will be great and healthy and powerful," she murmured.
"I'm sure they will, my girl," Yennefer said, touching her shoulder. "Your children, whether they take after the father or the mother, will be powerful and also very beautiful. I fear the day when my fellow sorceresses start becoming obsessed with all of them once they grow up."
"Oh... you're not calling me ugly, are you?" Ciri looked surprised.
"Why would I call you that, ugly?" Yennefer teased her, while Ciri stuck her tongue out at the sorceress.
"Let's go inside. I'm sure they're waiting for us," Ciri said.
Yennefer agreed, and they made their way inside, finding Zoltan and Geralt beside the table, while Madara and Dandelion were playing with some sailors, betting money.
Madara played his last card and saw that he lost, pushing the coins forward before standing up for someone else to play.
"You lost?" Ciri sounded surprised as she approached her future husband.
"I lost some money, but I'm still winning in other matches..." he said.
"I thought you were perfect at everything," Ciri smiled wide at him.
"There's no fun in being good at everything. The thrill is also in the danger of losing. Think about it: how boring would it be to play a game you always win? Kind of dull, don't you think? Or even to fight a battle with no risk... a fight without emotion isn't something I seek," he smiled, while Ciri gave him a proud smile, raising her eyebrow at him.
"What?" he asked with curious eyes.
"You know... I'm just happy..." she simply said with a goofy tone. "I like it when you smile more and seem lighter. Even though you're serious most of the time." That was something Ciri had been noticing over the past few months. He didn't seem as serious as before.
Madara just sighed. "We've talked about this," he said calmly.
"About you being more confident in facing our enemies, I understand," she said.
"You're stronger... you can handle almost anything in this world... So I'm less worried about what could happen to you." Madara said.
"Thanks for the trust." She said, still keeping her smile. She liked him more when he smiled and looked at her with desire. And even though he had that indifferent gaze since she met him... she had never stopped being in love with him.
Zoltan was reading while seated, but Ciri was quicker, stepping away from Madara's side.
"Wait, wait! Let me play!" she suddenly shouted.
"What? Wait at the end of the line!" Zoltan complained, while Geralt raised an eyebrow, already seated and picking a deck.
"Let me team up with Geralt. I'll win back all the money my husband lost!" she demanded, laughing.
...
The ship finally began to arrive at the port of the main island of Skellige. Since it was a merchant ship, there was no reception. There were no flags to say a princess was aboard, so it was quite discreet.
There was nothing besides a few greetings to the sailors and the captain after he was paid with the money they had negotiated in Novigrad.
As soon as the plank was placed on the dock, they began to disembark, all wearing hoods, while Zoltan said goodbye to his companion.
"Farewell. Thanks for helping me back in those Cintra days, even though you looked like you were being forced into it,"
Surprisingly, it was Madara who stepped up beside Zoltan and spoke. He didn't miss the chance to exchange a few words with a dwarf he had met in his early years in Cintra.
The dwarf simply nodded and said his goodbyes. He was still afraid of Madara and didn't seem to want to stay too close to him.
"You traumatized everyone by destroying those ships. Do you have any idea how shocking that was? Even the crew was afraid you'd just kill them because you lost at Gwent... or even just for looking at your wife." Zoltan laughed at that.
"Well, the second reason seems pretty fair to me," Madara said, while Ciri laughed.
"Anyway, let's go straight to the castle, Geralt?" Zoltan asked.
"How about we first gather some information about the current state of the isles? We can stop at the tavern and then meet with Mousesack," Madara suggested.
"I have a better idea," Yennefer then said, as she began to create a crow out of a shadow on her arm and tossed it into the air. The creature began to fly over the small village, heading for the castle on the mountain above them.
"The crow will alert the druid about us once it finds him, since I met him a few times before with Geralt. Why don't we grab something to eat at the tavern?" The sorceress suggested, and everyone agreed.
So they continued through the village, while soldiers watched them the entire time. Even the people of Skellige seemed very curious, analyzing them like suspicious outsiders, since all of them wore cloaks hiding their faces, and their features didn't mark them as islanders.
"Well, this place has its charm," Dandelion couldn't help but comment.
"You like it here, Madara?" Ciri asked beside him, looking up at the castle above them.
"I admit, it's a bit surprising." Madara said, seeming to enjoy the place.
Upon entering the tavern, they quickly drew attention, with everyone turning their heads and casting suspicious glances. Ciri stared back at them as if they were strangers. If the town already didn't seem fond of them, there was an even more hostile look inside the tavern toward the six of them. Several Skellige warriors were there with axes at their waists or on the tables. Only Dandelion among the group seemed intimidated as they made their way to a table.
"How can I help you?" the barkeep approached as soon as they sat down, arms crossed. He was muscular but also round-bellied, with a scruffy beard and bald, eyeing them with a slightly hostile look, clearly not fond of them.
"Could you give us a piece of that roast pig?" Geralt said, pointing to the animal being cooked over a fire in the center of the room.
"Sure... just hope you're not bringing trouble here," the man muttered, walking away.
"Geralt?" suddenly a voice called out, as a man who looked very much like the barkeep approached them, looking directly at the witcher — only him among the group.
"Sorry, I don't remember you," Geralt said, trying to recall the man.
"How could you forget, Geralt? Remember, when I was younger, I was with Crach when you killed that siren monster south of the island. It's been about ten years, but I still remember your face. Still ugly as ever," the man said, laughing, while Geralt raised an eyebrow, finally seeming to remember him from the event.
"Yes, I remember very well now." That's what Geralt said.
"Well, I never heard about you coming back to Skellige... I'm surprised," the man said as he analyzed Geralt's companions.
"That's exactly why I came. I'm here to see old friends," the witcher replied in a neutral tone, while the man laughed, finding it amusing.
But before he could continue, the door opened the next moment, revealing a druid scanning the entire place until his eyes landed on their table. His eyes widened in recognition.
It was Mousesack. He headed straight for their table with a sharp, intense look, as he laid eyes on the two young ones he hadn't seen in years — now fully grown.
Ciri was the first to stand up, running to the man and hugging him without caring about the people watching.
"Grandpa! It's been so long!" she laughed, as the man gently embraced her.
"Yes, Ciri... it's been a long time, my little girl," he said with a fatherly tone. "You've grown so much."
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