[ CLOSED ] tooth and nail, tooth and nail

[gynvael]

Who: Geralt + Various
When: December
Where: Cadens; Horizon; Nocwich
What: Catch-all for December
Warnings: General Witcher stuff, will add more as needed.



(( starters in the comments below. find me at discontinued or at Noa#1979 to plot stuff! ))

Comments

[gynvael]

[ He blinks. Somehow, that question catches him off guard. It isn't that he doesn't care what happened. He's close to the three injured. Jaskier spent a week recovering; Yennefer longer. But it'd been about politics. A catalyst for war. It almost didn't matter who was responsible because to him, the point isn't who did it or why. It's that it happened at all.

The dam's broken. It's too fucking late to undo the flood. Even should they uncover the truth, then what? Will Libertas forgive Thorne's hasty decision to burn their city to the ground? Will Thorne forgive the Free Cities for a starved winter? ]

I don't know. [ His brows furrow. ] They protected Thorne's people from harm even while intervening. If they've decided to instigate bloodshed, I couldn't tell you why.

[ Does he trust Oliver? No. It's more that—nothing quite adds up. They're missing too much. ]

The castle was also compromised. What's Thorne said about that?

[ That had to be someone on it inside. Or someone powerful enough to get in and out without been seen. ]

[ushiri]

[ The damage is done, but identifying those responsible still matters. Retribution for all those lives would only be a personal reason, there's more than that. It's information that can potentially be used, whether in the form of the truth or manipulated in a way to get the needed outcome. And it helps him figure out where this person or people stand.

Geralt doesn't have much of an answer, but the detail about protecting the natives gives some context to consider.

At the question he raises an eyebrow. ]

You mean the queen's mage? As much as you expect. [ Which is, next to nothing. ] They said his protections failed or backfired. [ He shakes his head. ] If they suspected anyone still within the castle...

[ They wouldn't have escaped the queen's rage. Maybe it's cooled since then, but he remembers her eyes that day she burned a city. ]

[gynvael]

[ For a minute or so, Geralt doesn't answer. Talk of Thorne has taken him back to matters he'd largely left behind. Or tried to. Moving on seemed the better choice, the thing he's always done through the years.

Eventually, he sits back. ]

There's a woman. Himeka. She shared a cell with the girl. They escaped to Solvunn together.

[ Geralt only knew Relena in passing. But she and Himeka were friends, and he knows Himeka's chatty nature means she might've learned things about Oliver he may not have.

And unlike Geralt, Himeka will confess to a dozen things at the drop of a hat. ]

Tell her you spoke to me.

[ushiri]

[ His eyebrows raise and there's a brief look of recognition at Himeka's name. He doesn't know her well, but he's spoken to her once now about the gods. He didn't know she'd been here that long. After a second he gives a nod. ]

I will, thank you.

[ He cocks his head slightly. ]

If there's anything I might be able to do for you here, please let me know.

[ Geralt has given him something to work with. He'd like to offer the same at some point, even though he isn't sure how. ]

[gynvael]

[ Ah. So they've met. That makes it simpler.

He inclines his head. ] I will. Thorne's of interest to me.

[ An implicit request, that he'd appreciate any information about Thorne Kyle believes is worth noting.

He straightens up. ] Be careful.

[ He's sure Kyle will, but it bears repeating. Then he's gone, out the door without a glance back. ]