Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Sleeping Beauty Reloaded	By : dschinny Category: +S through Z > Witcher 2, The: Assassins of Kings Views: 1939 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Witcher, this is purely for fun, and not profit

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Chapter 11 - Oct 7^th - The Uprooting of the Altar
Geralt would not let Velita go out alone to do her morning chores. He required her to stay with him until he was armed up to gambeson. She took the hay out of his dried boots and shined them while he closed the buckles. Greeting Arya and clean her box, let out the chicken, collect the eggs and herbs from the garden. He was around, not standing on her heels but somewhere in the vicinity.
She went over to the kitchen to bring Cass the eggs. “Not asking for hot water today?” the cook wondered, “No, I heated through the night. Could you please inform the steward that this necessity could arise again tonight?” – “I don’t think he would care. Got enough wood?” – “Yes, Cass. But I need the steward to inform the guards and provide me a written exemption to leave the stable during the nightly curfew to run errands.” – “Such big words from you, Velita. Nobody cares as long as you get the work done, stab no one and don’t try to run off. C’mon, we’ve got other problems.” – “The new guard was a problem and other newly hired might be as well. Please have a word with the Steward.” – “Bah, most of them can barely read their own name.”
“If this issue of guardsmen threatening my servant running my nightly errands cannot be resolved by a modification of local rules,” the witcher ducked into the kitchen, “I’ve got to write a permanent solution in blood.” he scanned the surroundings, but no further personnel came into view.
Cass suppressed a squeal, holding herself up with her hands at the table while her gaze creped over to the door that lead into the mansion since the court entrance was blocked by the armed butcher. “I’m going to inform the Steward, I’m sure it can be resolved peacefully, Sir.”
“Greetings. Got something else than ham for breakfast?” he inquired evenly. Cass regained her footing, “Scrambled eggs, horse sausages, cold roast, cheese, pickles, scones with butter and marmalade, what do you want, Sir?” – “Fix us two plates and prepare two lunch packages for Gernot and me.”
“I will prepare the lunch packages, but your breakfast will be served in Velita’s quarter, not in my kitchen,” the cook crossed her forearms under her ample bosom, “You guys got to pick it up and bring back the dishes. That’s kitchen rule here. Guards, stable hands, whatever. Even the countess sends a handmaiden down here and that’s why I cannot have guys like you hang around in my kitchen.”
“What a sensible precaution, considering the local custom that allows armed fellows to fuck women over tables as they please. Compared to that, a witcher like me has a refined taste...” he homed in on the cook, “guess what?”
“Vestal virgins once in a blue moon?” Cass grabbed a knife from the board in her back, pointing it at him shakily.
“Apples.” his hand flew up like a snake, holding her wrist in a crushing grasp as he plucked out the knife easily. “Thanks for pointing out, Cass, that’s just what I need,” he stabbed up an apple from a basket. “Good bye,” he took his leave to follow Velita who - quick as usual - had scavenged breakfast. He cut the fruit in halves. A well balanced knife he had confiscated for her.
They were about to finish breakfast as it knocked at the door and Gernot announced himself. “Come in.” Geralt said and finished his tea. “Greetings,” Gernot entered, pulled the stable gate closed behind him and also shut the door of the saddle chamber carefully. “Everything alright here?” – “Yes, why?” – “There was a tumult in the chevalier’s house last night. One of the guardsmen is injured and now Cass has somewhat lost it over something you said. She is bickering at the Stewart’s office.” – “And you ask me why?” – “Yes.” – “Did you ask your brother already?”
“No. I want to hear it from you first. Something happened. We are about to go out and I need to know which kind of protection Velita will need to make it through the day unhurt.”
“Interesting question. Best guarantee would be to take her with us.” – “I would need the Count’s written approval to remove her from the compound, which he will not grant, unless you intend to buy her.” – “I don’t believe in slavery.” – “The local law regulates it.” – “I won’t buy a slave. He should set her free and guarantee for her safety as his subject.” – “He won’t. She’s too valuable for that.” – “He treats her like she was worthless. Maybe a little persuasion will make all the difference.” – “My brother is having breakfast with the Count as we speak, spinning him a tale that you’ve grown attached to her.” While the witcher wrinkled his forehead, Gernot continued, “A rumor that could inspire greed, even inspire the Count to hold her for ransom.” - Geralt groaned low, “Now that sprouted up quickly.”
Velita listened as the to-and-thro over her head spun quickly out of reach and reason. “If I could make a suggestion,” the men looked down on her. “We’ve been good in defense, but we don’t know the positions of the others. I suggest we sound out the mood before giving away our connections or do something others could see as attack.” – “What do you want to do?” – “Let me do my job and monitor how they react. We’ve got to fix the water supply together anyway. And as I know the captain, he will pop up soon to vent his grief. Geralt, can I return that knife, please?” – “If you wish.” – “I want to take it into an exchange with Cassandra. Otherwise, I’m afraid that would make things really complicated while I cannot protect myself with a blade,” she shrugged, “Sorry, Geralt, I don’t have your fighting capabilities. I must do things differently.” - “I understand.”
“We’ve got the water. Then, for my part, I have the garden. I get something for the kitchen, listen out Cass. She knows things about the house. And I can take Bianca and a shovel with me again without raising attention. What’s your plan?”
“We have to return to the wood to check for remnants of the leshen. I cannot tell how long that will take. Originally we wanted to go into the bathhouse afterwards, but we can skip that to return earlier, reduce your risk.”
“We could use the fireplace of the chevalier’s house for incineration, which would give us a good excuse to listen in there.”
Geralt stayed in the stable to prepare Roach and Cricket while Velita and Gernot went through the garden towards the old gardener’s hut. Velita put the vines of the threading plants on the lines, so Gernot could unlock the door. They had grown quite a bit again. Gernot took tree shovels and gave two to Velita to wrap them up in canvas with an ax, a small hoe and a saw. She tied a mesh of rope around the package to be transported on horseback. With more rummaging, Gernot found the box of tools and a container with fat he needed to redirect the water supply. Velita also took a bigot hoe and a lime stone with her. The hoe she left in the garden under the carrot’s green, the lime stone went into her basket. On the way around the stable, the count ambled over to them and that certainly wasn’t a chance meeting.
“Milord,” Velita curtsied and stood aside.
“Good morning, Milord.” Gernot greeted as well. – “Good morning, Forester, on your way out into the woods?” – “Not yet, I have to redirect the water supply first, its freezing.” – “Go ahead.” Gernot walked on, but the Count neither visited the garden nor went back to the mansion.
“Nice one, Velita,” he patted her check like she was a child. “Are you alright with all the work you do here?” – “Yes, Milord.” – “Captain treats you right?” – “Yes, Milord.” – “How about the new guards I hired?” – “They do their best, Milord… to understand the new situation. That I’ve gotten extra duties and I have to do things in late hours.” – “I value flexibility on your part, Velita. How about the witcher?” – “Everything is alright, Milord.” – “More than that, from what I hear,” the count smiled benignly, tilting her face up with a finger on her chin, “Did he enjoy your hospitality?” – “Yes. Milord. – “Did he get to know you?” – “Yes, Milord.” – “How often?” – “He has memorized my name at once, Milord.”
“How often did he fuck you?” - “Uhh...” Velita lifted her hand in front of her face and started to count fingers, “One. Two. Tree… often?” she wrinkled her forehead in exhaustion. – The count sighed “You’re as dump as a cucumber. Did he defend you against the guardsman last night?” – “The guard and the witcher fought in the garden. Because the guard wanted to fuck outside while the witcher wanted to fuck inside.” she wrinkled her forehead again as if the narration was a truly complicated affair. “The witcher won and took me into the stable.” – “Ah, is that so,” the count looked into her openly blank expression but did not dismiss her yet. – “Would you like to fuck, too, Milord?” she let her jaw hang down, the tip of her limp tongue showing. – “No,” the count turned away in disgust and went back to the mansion.
Gernot had taken even strides towards the stable gate, not turning since Velita and the Count would be out of sight behind the corner and the captain was ogling from the chevalier’s house entrance. He pulled the gate open rapidly as it cracked open from the inside, pushing against Geralt to keep the witcher out of sight. The count had just started to use the f-word. “Shhh,” Gernot lifted his finger to his lips, then pointed at his ear and let the gate swing open a crack like by accident.
It wasn’t necessary for Geralt, he could listen-in just fine. First he thought that Velita was spilling private details out of fright, but he soon realized that she spun the Count a line that she was a dump pussy, fucked by just anybody and unworthy of attraction. His heart still skipped a beat when she offered sex to the count openly, the one ranking foe he could not tell off by contract. ‘Has she gone mad?!’- Gernot sighed and put his palm on the witcher’s chest in a ‘wait!’-gesture and then the count had already denied the offer and was moving away. Geralt remembered that the count had no interest to run in open doors, just the opposite.
Velita arrived a moment later, “yes!” she slapped Gernot’s shoulder, “best that could happen,” she hissed under her breath, swung the basket on her hip aside and pushed firmly against Geralt to kiss him. The witcher chuckled softly and kissed her back deftly, his arm around her waist.
“Shh. Let’s have a look at the water.” They went to the far end of the stable aisle. Next to the partition with the fox stallion, there was a dry, pretty dirty trough and piping. Gernot put the tool box down. “Don’t overdo it Velita,” the huntsman counseled cautiously, “That dumb is implausible considering your workload.”
“The Count has no idea of work, I worry more that he’s grown awfully friendly yesterday and today he even started to refer to me by name. Hopefully I could dispel that interest.” Velita looked at the direction of the spillover and down the aisle. “I’ve got to shovel the trench free and check the sewer first before you reroute the water.”
“See that?” Gernot smiled, “Nobody is going to believe that you can count no further than three. The supply is outdoors, on the left side of the through. This branch is aired and closed. You can open it with this lever when you are done or whenever you need water for the cleansing. Let me show you the main sluice… hm,” the hunter straightened up and met the witcher’s gaze, “I think we’ve got a job for the day watch.” – “I agree. And we cannot afford to leave two shovels behind, can we?” – “No, perimeter defense takes priority over domestics.” – “Definitely, Sir.”
A moment later, the day watch saw the hunter came out of the stable, a box and shovel in his hand, followed by Velita who brought out Cricket with a tool-package strapped to the saddle and the armed and cloaked mercenary who led his red mare to the stone through, tying her at the second left ring. The hunter opened the cover of the water supply, checked something and left the box beside the tap. “Kevin, come over please!”
The guard crossed the court cautiously after what the witcher had done to his colleague and his mare to the captain. “What’s wrong?” – “We’ve got to get working.” Gernot passed Kevin the shovel. “Shovel the trench free in the stable aisle and check the sewer shaft.” – “I am to enter the stable? What about the bu… the big dog?” – “Arya stays in her box, unless you trespass, you will be fine, especially since you’ve been such a well-mannered guy yesterday, helping Velita with the cart we needed to transport the cursed monster’s corpse.”
“Yes, of course, Sir.” Kevin didn’t notice the witcher stood in his back until a deep rasp came from behind, “Don’t worry about the dogs. Whoever touches what’s mine, I can smell and track down myself.” Kevin shrunk and Gernot advised, “Get a rid of the armor and halberd. How is your colleague, Sean, can he help you?” – “Uh, his shoulder isn’t well and he will sleep in because of the double night shift.” – “I understand. I got to get my bow and our lunch then we’ll file out. Give Sean my best regards. I will see him in the afternoon. To cause trouble and hurt himself on the first shift like that… tsk, unbelievable.”
Kevin did not protest. When the hunter and the witcher rode out, it was Velita who opened the main gate. Kevin was already shoveling the litter from the aisle.
Inside the chevalier’s house, Sean had cleaned himself, put on fresh knickers and gone to bed, having nightmares of cold steel. The captain went back to bed, after the count had given him a cold glare for his suggestion the witcher had grown attached to that dump and dirty slave. His foot looked no better and he was developing a fever. The steward came over the court and found Kevin who carted another load of litter into the garden. “Good, good,” he said, thinking ‘finally a peaceful place’ since his wife had given him an earful about the witcher’s public accusation of dishonor, the use of the f-word in her kitchen and safety in general.
Velita had opened the sewer’s cover with the hoe for Kevin, and then worked through a line of carrots as she noticed there was a rabbit between the hut and the apple tree. She froze, but it did not move, in fact it lay on the side and looked dead. She approached. It was dead indeed. Better for her vegetables, but what if it died from a disease or parasites? But there was no sign of that. It was still warm and had a wound at the neck. ‘Maybe a bird of prey left it behind when I entered the garden.’ She picked up the rabbit, sunk the hoe back into the cover among the rows of vegetables and pressed out the rabbit’s bladder at a bush. She hid it under the carrots and took it inside, gutted and striped it with the knife Geralt had provided. Dinner was secured, whatever the outcome of her talk with Cass was and Arya was pretty pleased to get the fur and the innards.
Afterwards she went to get Cass fresh carrots for lunch, hiding the knife under the groceries in the basket, “Good morning, Steward.” she curtsied and went over to the kitchen, controlling her pace carefully because the forbidden object in her basket created a burning feeling in her gut. She listened to bits of the lecture the steward handed out in center court. As usual it started out pretty nice:
“I’m glad you put your strength to good use around here, young man.” – “Of course, Steward.” – “I always say, dirty work purifies the soul…” – “I’m glad you see it that way. A bonus would be helpful to purify the body in the bathhouse afterwards.” – “When you are done, I will show you the lumber pile in the training ground, since you might have to chop a steer or two. From what I have heard, that also helps to purge a young man’s aggression.” – “Don’t judge me like that, Steward, unlike the witcher, I am a real gentleman.” – “Isn’t it funny how accusations fly once the women and ladies get involved?” …and then Kevin made the mistake to ask, “How so?”
Velita closed the basement door behind her “Hello Cass, here are the carrots,” she put them on the shelf, “How about the written exemption?” – “I have talked to the steward, Velita, but I don’t have something written for you yet. I think he wants to talk to the captain first.” - “The witcher was a bit annoyed that you stabbed a blade at him for just grabbing an apple, but I believe that you really need your kitchen knives, therefore I asked him if I could return it to you. He was quite nice to give it to me, so here you are.” – “Thanks.” The cook was so surprised that she shut up for once.
Outside, the steward continued his lecture, “The very same witcher entered my wife’s kitchen today, questioned the armed personnel’s honor, and even accused them to be perpetual rapists. To my wife it sounded like he vented firsthand experience, because he announced violence in defense of his servant. She was very shocked and worried that something could happen to her, the handmaiden and the children and so am I. While I don’t interfere how the captain manages the guard and the chevalier’s house, I am in charge of the mansion, we hold the payroll and we don’t like it when the litter from the courts spills into the kitchen or even other rooms …and neither does the countess. A mansion is not in harmony when the lady and her women are not happy. We’ve got a responsibility here.” – “Of course, steward; tell me how can I help it on my watch?” – “Do what Gernot told you to do. I know that the captain is not well, so if you’ve got any grief young man, just come to my office. Once you have chopped the wood, I will allow you to heat up the steam bath in the chevalier’s house as a bonus tonight.”
-oOo-
The witcher and the hunter rode through the meadows breathing fresh air on a bright sunny morning that dewed last night’s frost quickly. They passed by Lumberjack who was driving into the wood twice a day to make up for the lost time and bring out as much lumber as he could before the November rain started to fall. At the well, Gernot untied the package with the tools, chopping off some branches to give them a dry stance in the mud underneath the well. “Here,” Geralt shoved the superficial mud aside that the water constantly transported on the stump that was embedded in the mud.
“Why do you believe this is part of the leshen?” – “Because it has the same color and structure in the wood.” – “This was cut off, long time ago, though it is not rotten. I cannot see traces of fresh growth though, nothing to suggest that this thing sprouted the tentacle ball. It is flat like an altar, embedded so deep in the ground, no lumberman would cut of a tree as deep.” – “Maybe the ground rose with the years? Maybe you are right and it was an altar to the elders. Or it was a sacred tree that was destroyed.”- “It won’t be easy to excavate this. Not in the moist surroundings.” – “I can feel it emanates magic. Weak, but its there. And then the combined aspects.” – “Can you explain that to me as I’m not a practitioner of magic?”
“We are looking for the primal source that caused your murderous magical monster problem. We both agree that it’s neither you nor Velita. I’ll try to explain…” Geralt moved over on the dry ground and sat on the flat rock beside the well, unsheathing his dagger from his boot to make a drawing, “There are basically five sources on this sphere: The inanimate elemental sources symbolized by earth-Quen, water-Axi, wind-Aard and fire-Igni,” he marked four corners of a square with the signs he drew in the air when fighting with magical means, “and then there the power of life, the reproductive source, symbolized by a double circle. Some call it the sun. Or the outer circle: the female aspect of reproduction can also be symbolized as a star with as many spikes as aspects you want to concentrate on. It is drawn on plan ground or caved out. The inner ring symbolizes the phallic aspect of a raised pole with more or less natural detail. For a mage a monolith, a raised altar, a mage’s staff, even a sword can stand in this place.”
“I understand.” Gernot watched his explanation, “Fact’s of life.”
Geralt supported his elbows on his knees and let his hands hang for a while. ‘Tell me how stuff works’ Yen’s voice echoed in his mind. She had used a star with nine candles to capture a djinn and fix her fertility issue. But then she was pretty complicated woman.
“Now look around. We’ve got a fascinating rocky ground that forms almost a circle around us; air of course, water that is said to be special. Fire is brought in by lanterns or torches by visitors, like you did yesterday. And now we’ve found a pole that emanates magic and that a magical monster used as resting place.”
“And you plan to excavate and burn it?” – “Yes.” – “Why? You just said that this is a magical place, probably sacred to the elders. Wouldn’t an excavation and removal of that stump destroy it in a couple of aspects?”
“You’ve got a monster problem,” the witcher leaned back.
“It was the only leshen seen around here ever. I helped to flush it out, kill and incinerate the monster. Why do you think the problem will resurface?”
“There are coincidences here that interconnect to fate. This place has been embedded in the nice landscape for centuries, but from what I heard last night, your brother drabbled in magical concepts in his guard’s handbook. He perverted the life-affirming principles of ground and pole by using that as symbols for whiplashing and rape. Then you came in, picked up the woman your brother sacrificed to his base urges and got her blood and probably other body fluids on your hands. You left her to recover in the hut, but you came here and washed your hands, therefore placing a sacrifice on what you unknowingly referred as an altar, a residue magical power source hidden in the ground. And then you made a wish from the deep of your heart. I cannot tell you exactly what happened afterwards… and I hesitate to put a Ban Ard trained mage on this, but I am not surprised that the outcome was bloody uncontrollable.”
“I didn’t mean it.” Gernot rubbed his palms over his face, pulling on his moustache. “Can you at least believe me that?”
“I don’t judge you, Gernot. You did well, but sometimes, even a good wish can have a bad outcome. But tell me seriously: With your brother and the count around, do you want to challenge fate again? You brought your brother here yesterday, so he knows this place and it’s just a matter of time until the count finds out. And then nobody knows what ideas will come to their perverted minds. Same goes for mages and priests by the way.
“We excavate it and incinerate it.” Gernot decided, “This will not fit on horseback. We will have to ask Lumberjack to take it out to the bathhouse. If I get one from the mansion, questions will sprout up. I will ask him right away so he reserves a spot on his last cart of the day. Maybe he can bring us some boards here from the saw mill. This ground flows with the water.”
“Good idea. I will start digging. If we manage to chop through a couple of roots at the base, I could cast Aard to blast it out.”
On his way to Cricket, Gernot found his laugh again, “Should I be thankful that you didn’t say you’d blow it?” In the end, this was just an excavation and he could do it.
“Why it’s always me shoveling other’s shit?” the witcher grumbled in return.
-oOo-
When Gernot returned, the witcher had shed his armor and dug out a trench to redirect the well’s water and standing on a pile of branches he had pressed into the mud, he had started excavating the root from the soaked ground. “Lumberjack agreed. He took my mail and will bring us the boards up here; we just need to help him turning the cart, that’s two meters longer than ours.” Gernot picked up the other shovel and went to work on the other side.
They made good progress but at the same time it became more difficult for Geralt to remain his footing as the ground under the branches sunk deeper. “I wonder if Alfred is educated in the ways of magic or why he made such a reference in his rule book.”
“I don’t think it’s really his invention. It’s a local custom that roots far deeper, nearly as deep as this shit,” Gernot snorted, “I, too, inherited one like this from my father and grandfather, a hidden rule that was applied in protection of the forests. It’s called ‘in the book or on the ground.’ ”
“Really? I didn’t have you down as a rapist.”
“Well, thank you. But the book I’ve got here, in my inner pocket.” Gernot slapped his chest with the back of his hand, “Appalling, isn’t it?”
The witcher wasn’t one to jump to decisions, “You said it was to protect?”
“Protect the lord’s wood, yes - the wood collectors, not so much.
It basically works like this: The wood is patrolled by the lordship’s forester to prevent losses and erosion. Once a wood collector is caught in a forbidden area or taking out wood that is not allowed, the forester would have to start criminal proceedings. Usually this is done by an entry in the book: name, date, time, location, and amount of wood taken, so the forester can testify correctly at court and then a sentence is made by a judge. When the fine cannot be paid it ends with a corporal punishment. Costs of the court go on top.
On the other side, we’ve got the wood collectors, mostly women, trespassers who collect wood to sell it for pennies, or to make it through the winter with all their toes. As persons, they are not valued by society; all they’ve got is their body. Chastity is a value for females while intercourse is considered a value for men - paid for, not only in brothels.”
“Get to the point.” The shame-honor system was one of the best reasons why Geralt preferred to live according to his own rules. Fair exchange was honorable. Pleasure was a value for just everybody, but chastity? Fuck that, he would never get old enough to understand that.
“At times, the consequences of justice are really out of proportion and that’s why this deal sprouted up:
‘In the book’ means justice: for stealing that’s pillory, lashing - whatever, it’s not done by the forester but the executioner, public painful shaming. But as the woods are wide and the lordships are far away, some lonely ancestor came up with a creative solution to combine the menace to protect his wood from damage and fulfill a need by an offer that some can deny, others not. It’s a choice that saves the forester the hassle of coming out of the wood and the wood collector the costs and public pain and shame by other authorities.
‘On the ground’ means not only that the wood has to be thrown off the pannier. The collector herself who doesn’t want her name written in the book has to go down as well, put chastity aside and let the forester do as he pleases… ‘nuff said.”
“I’ve seen enough in my lifetime to imagine,” the witcher cut short.
“I’d show you, but my hands are dirty.” Gernot straightened up with a groan. “Let’s make that a guessing game: you can make a bet who I caught without making an entry into my book.” A thin smile moved his moustache. - “Hint: You’ve already met this person.”
“Hm.” The witcher remained stone faced at the hunter’s prank, recognizing yet another version of the lesser evil. It was all about choices. Gernot would enlighten him later. His best guess was that the hunter’ choices were closer to his own mindset than his brother’s practice.
-oOo-
At the mansion, the countess had informed the count in the morning, that since the monster was dead, she planned to visit Midville market and meet the major’s wife. The population had suffered and charity was to be expanded. She did not care about the shortage of guards. They had fared well in the past weeks. If it wasn’t for their military duties towards the King, they could have cut this expense and spent more on renovations, the ball room was in dire need of fresh paint, she was worried what the neighbors would say, if they were to get invitations this ball season…
“Oh darling, of course you can go I would be honored to accompany you myself. I’ll get my sword and be your vanguard.” Ah shit he wanted to make his fox trot in front of a sedan for an hour. Twice. But it was a perfect excuse for his private plans and his wife really had to cut shopping expenses.
The carriers were informed to bring the sedan up front after lunch. Yun was sent to inform Velita. He found her in the stable, cleaning the indoor through with a brush. Kevin was digging up mud from the sewer at the far end of the aisle, wary of Arya who stood in her box. “You’ve got to saddle the fox in one hour, he’s riding out with the Countess after lunch.” – “Her palfrey as well?” – “No, she’s taking the sedan into town.” – “I see, you’ve got a long day ahead while that poor horse wasn’t moved for weeks.” she shook her head. “Don’t wait for me with lunch, I will take a while longer here and you’ve got to let it sag.”
Kevin ambled over, sizing up the young dark haired man in the blue tunic who chatted with Velita. “I was about to go for lunch as well, when you mentioned the horse. I could move the palfrey for you, if you like.” – “Thank you Kevin, it would be good if you’d ask the Captain first. It is Miladys’s horse and very valuable.” – “I will.” The guard-turned stable hand ambled out. Yun looked after him. “I still don’t trust him.”
The countess flowed down the wide stair at the main portal accompanied by the armed-up Count. She stepped into the Sedan, a wood construction with purple curtains that billowed in the October wind. Her maid held the curtain open for her, pushed her brocade robe in fully and then walked by the side as the count mounted his fox and the caravan filed out to the road to Midville.
-oOo-
As Lumberjack drove into the court of the Midville bathhouse, he found the sedan standing under the drive through and the carriers who longed around, huddled against the wall to shield them from the wind. “Hey, Choi. How’s it going?” – “Milady is at the Mayor’s house and we’ve got to wait. She wants to go shopping afterwards.” – “Bummer. Wanna help me to unload and fire the oven? You guys look cold. Beer’s on me.” - “Sure, but keep in mind that we can be called off any moment.”
They had finished unloading the lumber and were putting the ramp-bars away and the cart’s side back on as a big burly man stepped around the cart. “Hey Jack, thought I might meet you here.” He rolled down his sleeves. “Greetings, Choi. Lordship’s shopping again?!” – “Yeah.” – “Did you finished early?” – “I’ve done enough for a day.” – “Have a beer with us, John.” – “True.” Jack’s brother skipped closing his vest sine he wouldn’t go inside the tavern to get really drunk.
Jack frowned but went to get the beer from the tavern. “C’mon, what’s your grief?” –“I completed the Count’s urgent order over night.” – “He wasn’t happy?” – “Oh, he was in good mood. Made me wonder what kind of shit is going on in the mansion,” he looked at Yun and Gene, “Twins been up to something?” – “Nothing you wouldn’t do.” Yun shrugged, unless the count got wind of the countess bath, that was.
“Hm.” The smith snatched Yun by the elbow and looked at his wrist briefly, “The earl had manacles made over night, two pairs, but the size he specified would be too small even for you.” – “Hey, I’m not a weak sister,” he geared up, but the black smith had already released his arm. “Compared to Jack and John, everybody else looks thin. What was the width?” – “Like that, almost child sized.” John showed between thumb and forefinger. Choi and Pike exchanged gazes. “Do you know what’s going on? Will he start to round up sons of indebted citizen or something? Monster slaying is expensive from what I’ve heard.”
Jack shrugged “From what I’ve seen, the witcher took a fair price. Geralt did a job nobody else could. Despite his superior abilities, he values justice. Point me the measurement again,” he held out his hand and marked the crevice on his hand as John pointed. “I don’t know what to make of this. Geralt is happy with the Count’s hospitality so we didn’t get to talk much. What do you say, Choi?”
“Not sure. The witcher has taken quarter in the stable.” – “That sounds more savvy than hospitable.” – “He’s probably more taken with our stable hand than the quarter,” Choi shrugged, “the new woman, Velita. She’s a slave the Count bought a couple of weeks ago,” he gulped, “and she’s got wrists that tender. But I can see no reason for the Count to shackle her. She’s obedient and she was most forthcoming with the Count’s guest.”
“Maybe she’s been so forthcoming that the witcher wants to buy her from the Count,” John speculated, “and the Count had shackles made to secure her on the road, sort of a farewell bonus for the witcher?”
“Definitely not, John,” Jack insisted. “The last thing Geralt wants is a girl underfoot.”
“It is definitely not the witcher,” Choi agreed, “it’s the Count and maybe the Captain will get the other pair. But why hassle with iron all of sudden?” – Gene suddenly straightened, and made their hidden ‘watch out!’ gesture with his hands.
The count had entered the court, flapping his gloves against his palm. “Saddle my horse, boy.” He sent the boy into the stable and then flipped him a coin. The carrier slaves were trained well and readied the sedan immediately to follow him.
Jack and John put the horses to the cart and drove up to the saw mill. John helped to load up a few boards. “I am so glad that I don’t have to work at the mansion.” John said, “The Count tried to hire me and I said ‘thanks but no thanks’. Stay save, brother.” He went into the mill to take measurement for the new saw blade the miller wanted, and do a good thing at least.
-oOo-
Gernot and Geralt had given up digging, washed their faces in the well and ate lunch when Jack arrived with the boards. “Good you’re here, Jack!” Gernot stood to hold the horses, “You’ve got just what we need.” – “Greetings. I see you’ve got yourself a shit load of work,” Jack commented dryly, “Your axe is a bit short handled, witcher. All you get is mud in the face.”
“Hm.” Geralt grunted. He had learned that much. The root was much sterner stuff than the tentacles. Hard to chop through and he doubted that would burn well. He had already tried an Igni to no avail. “We need to cut the boards in halves for sheet piling and ram it in below the root level or as far as it will go. And deepen the trench downhill once again.”
“one and a half meter won’t cover it if it has got a tap root.” – “We’ll see.” Gernot rolled his head backwards to relax his muscles. “Then analyze if we have to dig further. Do you want to turn the cart or unload first?” – “Make way, I turn,” Jack commanded and maneuvered the horses forwards, then side wards to turn the cart. “Now you can take them out of gear. Geralt, can you help me with the cart?” Together, they turned the cart further and moved it in front of the well stone “Hold. Here we unload.” Gernot pushed blocks under the wheels. And Jack pulled the boards out and on the Wellstone, “Give me that saw,” he used the distance between cart and rocks as a saw pit. He put his foot on the wood and cut the boards apart like the professional he was. He leaned the board against the well stone. “You can take the horses downhill, Gernot.” He went to do the second half of the turn with the help of the witcher.
“Thanks for your help, Jack.” Geralt paid for the boards – “Don’t mention it. I have seen enough. Do whatever you need to get a rid of such monsters. I will be at the lumber pile downhill, loading. I’ll reserve space for this, but I doubt you’ll get it out until I am done. Call me when you need help. I’ve got chains and cramps, whatever you need to move this bugger.”
Gernot had taken the first boards to the well and set them in the mud. “I could actually need your axe here, or a big hammer.”
“Nobody touches my axe, Gernot, it is personal” He took it from the back of the seat, “But before I help you, I need an answer - from both of you. Do you have anything to do with the manacles the Count ordered at the blacksmith yesterday?” – “Which manacles?”
“Shackles, two pairs, very small size, about this big?” Jack he took the measurement off his hand and showed it to the hunter and the witcher. “No, I didn’t even know.” - Geralt listened up, “Me neither. Why do you ask me about the Count’s business?”
“My brother, the blacksmith is worried. John wonders if he’s made a mistake by fulfilling the Count’s order today.” Jack sighed, “He’s not squeamish about making thug-sized manacles for the hangman, but the small size really bothered him. He worried the count had shackles made for Yun and Gene, but that would not fit, so he wondered if the Count is planning to take town kids for ransom or something. But when I asked Choi, his first idea was that a woman hosting you, Geralt, has that size. He looked extremely worried and he said it wasn’t for you but the Count and the Captain.”
“Could be coincidence. Shackles that fit Velita, will also fit the countess and a whole bunch of handmaiden in the mansion.”
“But they are protected, they are no slaves. But if you really think it was made for the mansion, Gernot got two kids in there. That’s why I cannot stay shut up about it.”
“When was the ordered placed?” Geralt inquired evenly – “Yesterday afternoon.” – “You brother is a quick worker,” Gernot noted. – “And today, the Count picked up his order himself instead of sending a guard into town with the countess like he usually does. Why the hurry? Why the secrecy?”
“Who knows. Maybe he has private plans with his countess, some fantasy role play to revive their sexual relationship.” Gernot gaped at the witcher’s idea, but Geralt just shrugged, “Thanks for telling me anyway.”
“Oh well, I’m not going to change what happened,” Jack agreed, chopped down two thin spruces on the way, then hammered the boards into the muddy ground and secured the trench wall with the round wood and stakes. Jack could not change the past but make things happen. “I will be at the log pile than, loading.” – “Thanks Jack.”
-oOo-
“The count placed the order after I told them in the mansion that we killed the monster and before we met the Count at the incineration - When he expected you to leave without meeting Velita again. If this is not about a ransom demand, then what’s the plan with the shackles? They cannot expect her to do her daily chores in manacles. She’s been obedient enough without.”
“Hmm.” The witcher’s face remained stony, but he had heard many details from different sides and the picture forming was not nice. ‘Just waiting for me to leave, so you can put Velita through all of it again without being knifed? I don’t think so.’
The mere thought made him angry and the anger made him dig deeper. Once Gernot had scraped the mud out between the roots, they took turns chopping the roots off where they spread out. “Don’t tell me we have to dig that out, too?” Gernot sighed. “Remember, it’s symbolic. We cut out the center, and then it should be over.” But as the cuts went deeper, the effect of the axe lessened because the thinning wood sunk into the muddy padding below. “Proves that it got no tap root.”Gernot analyzed.
“I’m sick of this. Let’s try something else.” Geralt climbed out of the hole. “Better stand with Cricket, she’s not used to this.” He took a stance, made the shape of a right-side-up-triangle with a line in at the midway point and thrust it at the root. It cracked, mud splattered over the path and… that was it. Again, Geralt blasted Aard for all he was worth. And again. And again.
“Hoo hoo!” Lumberjack came up the path with his axe over the shoulder. His two draft horses followed, dragging a heavy chain up the path. “Hold it.” The witcher didn’t mind. He was fairly exhausted. “You’ve made good progress, mind me helping a bit?” – “No.” Lumberjack fixed the chain carefully around the tree trunk, hammered in some clamps then guided the horses to put their weight into the chain. “Gernot, your turn. I won’t let it sink while you chop the roots off.” Once they had cut through the roots up hill, Jack redirected the horses and Geralt chopped off the other side. Afterwards, Jack lead the horses down the path again to pull the trunk out of the hole and on the path. “I’ll load up. Is there anything else?”
“I would like to cover this up a bit.” Geralt said. Gernot just snorted. The traces of the witcher’s onslaught would be visible to him for a very long time. But the wood would take it back. One day. He got the canvas for Jack. “Cover it up well on your way to the bathhouse.” – “You said you changed your plans. That you would prefer not to show up in Midville tonight. I understand.” – “Give John my regards. I’ll take care of it.” – “Stay good.”
Geralt had pulled out the posts from the makeshift trench wall and waited until Lumberjack was well away with the horses, then witcher threw a deft Aard at the makeshift trench. The rewarding crunch and splash resounded immediately. “Hm. Nice to know I still have that power.” They shoveled the branches and mud from the excavation above and the well would do the rest.
“It still looks like shit,” the hunter commented. “Just like us,” the witcher agreed. “Let’s see how Kevin has been handling his load of shit.”
On the branching up to the mansion they saw Lumberjack drive down the road to Midville.
A rider on a milk white steed came from the path that surrounded the villages wooden fortifications took to the main road and passed Lumberjack’s cart, then speed down the emptying main road and took the bend of the side road that led up to the mansion. “Who’s that?” Gernot wondered “I know the horse, it’s the countess’.” – “It’s Kevin, and he’s in a hurry. Hoh.” the witcher rained in Roach and they trotted along easily to let the guard catch up with them.
“Hoo, easy Kevin, that’s the countess’ palfrey.” – “A fine ride.” - “Splendid, but don’t overdo it, allow it cool down on the way back. Who allowed you anyway?” – “The captain. I asked him because Velita mentioned she wanted the palfrey moved and couldn’t do it herself. I also picked up medicine.” – “Is his foot getting worse?” – “He’s developed a fever. Stayed in bed all day.” – “I’ll see him later. Did you get the water redirected?” – “Yes, the fresh water supply runs through the stable now and the sewer is cleaned as well. Velita has emptied and cleaned the outdoor through while I chopped wood.” – “Pity.” Gernot exchanged gazes with the witcher. “Why?” – “That the trough is empty and dry. We need a bath.”
Kevin wrinkled his small nose “I can see that. What have you been up to?” – “We uprooted some remnants of the monster in the forest.” – “It’s good to know that I’m not the only one shoveling shit here. Know what?” – Gernot suppressed a sigh, but the silence stretched “What should I know?” – “The steward allowed me to heat the steam bath before I took the palfrey out for a ride. It should be at temperature in an hour.” – “Good news, indeed. The freezing mud was getting into my bones already.”
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Sleeping Beauty Reloaded