THE WITCHER'S CHOICE

Part 12: I ADVISE YOU TO TALK

PART 12

The castellan put down his legs, which he had been resting on the table of his office, when he heard a dull groan and a thud outside, followed by his door being kicked in violently.

"You..." he paled when he saw the muscular white haired witcher enter his office with a bloody sword.

"Do you prefer to talk or would you rather bleed like your guard outside?" offered Geralt mockingly.

"What do you want?" the other asked with a trembling voice.

"This is where it all started. You are the one that carried out the sentence. You sent me to that damned dungeon in Brugge. Nobody deigned themselves to tell me what crime I was accused of," growled Geralt, resting the point of his sword on the castellan's chest.

"That was not my job, I had nothing to do with that..." stammered the officer.

"Whose job was it then?"

"The jugde's. He is the one you are looking for," tried to explain the frightened castellan.

"There was no trial, there was no judge involved and you know it. Someone ordered you to lock me up."

"No, I swear, I..."

The witcher moved his sword to the throat of the castellan and he fell silent.

"Tell me who gave you the order and I will let you live," threatened him Geralt.

"Ok, ok..." put his hands up the other one. "It was the woman."

"What woman?" narrowed his eyes the witcher.

"She didn't give her name, she..."

"What woman!" roared Geralt.

"That sorceress, the same one that came afterwards, asking where you had been sent, ordering your release."

"Laurel," grumbled Geralt to himself.

That was how she had obtained his medallion and his swords. It had been all a very well planned deception, and her story of visiting innumerable dungeons looking for him was greatly exaggerated.

"I don't suppose you know where she is," said the witcher.

"No, I swear, please, don't kill me," the other pleaded pitifully.

"No matter," said Geralt, lowering his sword. "I know how to find her."

She had given him instructions on how to go back to her with Visenna. She would have to face him alone. She had been playing games with him as if he was a mere toy that existed only for her enjoyment, but there was more to it. Geralt had no idea what it was but he was sure as hell he would get the answers from her. He was not afraid of what she would do to him when she realized he hadn't completed the mission. He had faced the wrath of Yennefer more than once, and Laurel was not half the powerful and dangerous sorceress that Yennefer was.

His new destination was the mountains of Mahakam. It was far away and he would need supplies. He went round the castellan's desk, tore out his purse from his belt and pocketed it.

"I'll take this as compensation for my wrongful imprisonment," he explained with a wry smile.

The castellan didn't object.