"You both were sick, Geralt. Neither of you could protect yourselves well in that state." Istredd is blunt in response, also not unkind, but he was one of the only people who mostly kept his head about him. Geralt knows that he stopped him from hurting Steve, so yes, he felt he was looking out for them. "I know I'm not the person she would pick to have her back, but I was trying to do that. For both of you."

Istredd's concern may have been on Ciri when it came to the scream and what the acolytes could find out about her, but Geralt saved his life when they first got down there. He didn't forget that. Maybe it is foolish to care about either of them, but he does anyway. If it was a choice, he wouldn't bother.

"If you're asking why the blade, it's simple. She is important, I am not. That's the math. She doesn't want me to mention that she's special, and that's fine, I'm sure a lot of shitty people have said that to her and meant it in terrible ways. When I say it, I mean that my life for hers is an easy trade. I would do it again." He means it. There are few things he means more than that. It's hard to explain and there are a lot of feelings attached to it that he never will, but that's what it is.

"But I'll stay out of her way from now on. I don't want to upset anyone. I'm not the enemy."