The city of Tir Na Lia fell away behind Avallac'h and Ciri as they walked, its silver spires shrinking into the distance until they were nothing more than a small glowing dots on the horizon. The path wound through rolling hills of grass so green it seemed to glow, past streams that sang with water so clear it looked like liquid crystal. Ciri followed Avallac'h in silence, her fists still clenched, her jaw still tight, her mind still thinking about what he said.
They entered a forest, it was unlike any forest Ciri had ever seen back home. The trees were ancient beyond measure, their trunks so wide that a dozen men could not have encircled them, flowers bloomed in colors she had no names for.
And there, nestled in a clearing, stood Avallac'h's hideout.
It was not a house or a cottage, it was something between a pavilion and a temple, its walls formed of living wood that had been shaped and guided into elegant curves.
Ciri stopped at the edge of the clearing. She looked at the structure, at the beauty of it, and felt nothing but a cold, hard knot of frustration in her chest.
"This is where you live? And why didn't we come here sooner, it looks safe." she asked. Her voice was almost accusatory.
Avallac'h turned to face her, his silver eyes were calm, utterly unruffled by her tone.
"This is where I retreat," he said. "When the weight of centuries becomes too heavy to bear. It is modest, by the standards of my people, but it serves its purpose. As for why we didn't come here before, there was no reason to, but it seems you need to calm your mind and some of you humans prefer this type of nature distractions."
Ciri stepped into the clearing, she walked past him, past the elegant structure, past the trees and the glowing flowers, and stopped at the edge of a small pond that reflected the sky.
"I want you to understand something," she said, her back to him. "I will not entertain any more talk of marriage, not to your king, not to anyone. If you bring it up again, I will leave this place, I will find my own way home, even if it takes me a hundred years, and even if it means I'll have to fight my way out of it."
Avallac'h was silent for a moment, then he spoke.
"I cannot promise you that, Zireael."
She spun to face him, her green eyes blazing. "What?!"
"I cannot promise you that I will never bring it up again," Avallac'h repeated. "Because it is still a possibility. A real one that can be an alternative in case you never truly control your powers. To ignore it, to pretend it does not exist, would be a disservice to you and to my people."
Ciri took a step toward him. Her hands were shaking. "You..!"
"Now is not the time," Avallac'h said, raising a hand to forestall her outburst. "Calm your mind, we are here to train, not to argue, that is the talk for a distant future now."
Ciri's eyes narrowed. "Is that all you think about?!" she demanded. "My power?! My training? Is that all I am to you?! A tool to be sharpened? A weapon to be aimed?!"
Avallac'h's expression did not change. "You are far more than a tool, Zireael. But you are also the bearer of the Elder Blood, and that comes with responsibilities that you cannot simply ignore."
"I'm trapped here!" Ciri's voice rose, echoing through the forest. "And I still haven't forgiven you for it! You took me from my family, from my friends, from the people who actually care about me! I don't even have a way to inform Seb or Geralt about myself, about where I am, about whether I'm alive or dead!"
Avallac'h's eyes flickered but his voice remained calm.
"If that is what you desire, I can inform them myself. In my own way." He paused. "You, however, will only be able to leave once you do it yourself. With your own powers."
Ciri stared at him. Her chest heaved with barely contained rage. "You know I'll only tolerate this for a bit longer... Any more, and I'll probably kill you."
Avallac'h did not flinch. "No, you won't."
Ciri's eyes widened. "I hate your guts! Gods!"
"I know I am harsh," Avallac'h said, cutting her off. "But I am only doing this for your own benefit. This is something you will not have in Kaer Morhen or with human sorcerers. They are soft, they have pampered you a bit too much."
Ciri's voice rose to a near-shriek. "I swear I'll slap you!"
Avallac'h's composure finally cracked.
His voice rose to match hers, sharp and commanding.
"The fact that you cannot take criticism," Avallac'h said, his silver eyes blazing, "that you do not listen, that you are stubborn, that you cannot see your own mistakes...that is what will destroy you!"
Ciri took a step back, startled by his sudden intensity.
"I only had the upper hand against the witcher," Avallac'h continued, "because he was so busy looking at you rather than me! His focus was entirely on you, because you are reckless, Cirilla. You are hasty, and your decisions will lead to your doom... and the doom of those who are close to you."
Ciri opened her mouth to protest, but Avallac'h was not finished.
"Someone with your power," he said, his voice dropping to a low, intense whisper, "needs to control all of that. Otherwise, you will doom us all."
Ciri's face twisted with fury. She lunged, her fist flying toward his face.
Avallac'h caught her fist.
His grip was firm, implacable, utterly unyielding. He did not squeeze, did not hurt her, he simply held her fist in his hand, his silver eyes boring into hers.
"If you want to vent," he said, his voice calm once more, "go and swing a sword at something in the forest, there are things to hunt here, calm your mind, then return here."
He released her fist, turned, and walked toward the elegant structure at the edge of the clearing.
Ciri stood frozen, her chest heaving, her heart pounding. She watched him go, her body trembling with barely contained rage.
"Idiot!" she shouted after him. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"
Avallac'h did not turn. He continued walking, his voice carrying back over his shoulder, calm and measured as ever.
"I am sure you know better, calm yourself, then return. We will continue where we left off."
The door of the structure closed behind him.
Ciri stood alone in the clearing, surrounded by the trees and the glowing flowers and the impossible beauty of a world that was not her own.
She screamed.
It was a raw, primal sound, a sound that came from somewhere deep in her chest the sound of frustration and fear and grief and fury, all tangled together into a single cry that echoed through the forest and faded into the strange light.
Then she punched the tree.
Her fist connected with the trunk, the ancient wood, unyielding, utterly indifferent to her anger. The impact sent a shock of pain up her arm. Her knuckles split, blood welling up and dripping onto the silver roots below.
"Fuck!" Ciri gasped, cradling her hand. "Fuck! Stupid Avallac'h..."
She leaned her forehead against the tree, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The pain in her hand was sharp, grounding, a small anchor in the storm of her emotions.
'What hurts more is that he's right,' she thought, her eyes burning with unshed tears. 'I'm nothing like Geralt. Or Seb. They're perfect at everything they do. They have their emotions in check. They don't lose control like this.'
She thought of Geralt, his steady presence, his unwavering focus. She thought of Sebastian, his calm determination, his ability to remain composed, and how good he was at everything.
'I'm nothing like them.'
She pushed herself away from the tree, staring at her bloody knuckles. Slowly, she wiped her hand on her trousers and straightened her shoulders.
Her green eyes hardened.
'I'll try to control this curse of mine,' she vowed silently. 'I'll learn what I need to learn. I'll become strong enough to protect myself...and the people I care about.'
She looked up at the sky, at the beauty of this alien world.
'And I'll return to you, Sebastian. I promise.'
In the shadows of the trees away from her, a figure watched.
He was an elf, tall, slender, his features sharp and elegant, his eyes dark as midnight. He wore armor of silver steel, and his hair was long and blonde. His magic concealed him, wrapped around him like a cloak of invisibility.
He had watched the exchange between Cirilla and Avallac'h. He had seen her anger, her frustration, her grief.
His lips curved into a thin smile.
Then he turned and slipped away into the shadows, moving with the silence of a ghost.
/-\
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