The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into Business As Usual

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Personal Side of  Business

     Iriisii's doppelganger has been installed on the Nilfgard throne. A few days' observation has shown things running much smoother and better than first expected. She has even picked up training with Rosa without missing a beat. They returned to Novigrad for one last goodbye with their friends there and after a tearful farewell, with even Dandelion shedding a few, he corners Iriisii away from earshot of the others and asks her a question.

     "Before you go, Priscilla and I have a request to make of you."

     "I do not know what the future holds for us all, therefore I know not when or even if I can come back anytime soon."

     "We understand, truly we both do, but what we wanted to ask is this. Priscilla is with child..."

     "Iriisii smiles, "congratulations are in order then. Your child is very lucky to have both of you for parents."

     "Thank you, but please let me finish."

     "Go on then."

     "We wish for you to be 'Godmother' to our child."

     "You mean to be the one immortal tasked to look out for your child?"

     "Yes, we know it is a tradition almost gone these days, but still..."

     "You need to say no more, it would the greatest honor anyone has asked of me to do this. I will need to perform a short ritual with the three of you. If you wish it to be private, I will understand, otherwise, anyone who wishes to witness should be allowed to do so."

     "Let me speak to Priscilla first, then we will decide about witnesses."

     Dandelion goes over to where Priscilla is speaking with Rigmor and whispers in her ear. Priscilla nods her head to Dandelion, who walks back over to Iriisii. Then they all hear, "WHAT, YOUR PREGNANT!" And the entire place goes into an uproar. Dandelion looks like he wants to run, anywhere away from here. Iriisii lays a calm hand on his shoulder, "come with me, let's see what we can salvage from this."

     Iriisii and Dandelion walk over to a stunned Priscilla. Iriisii wraps her in a warm hug, and whispers, "do not worry, everything will turn out fine, I promise."

     She turns to the crowd and addresses them. "As I am certain you all just heard the glad news. The soon-to-be parents, have asked of me in following with the old traditions, to be declared 'Godmother' to their firstborn. I think that after all, they have done for Novigrad, it is fitting that we do something for them in return. And so I accept the responsibility of being 'Godmother' to their first child, and I ask that all here stand in witness to the honor they do me."

     Iriisii turns back to Dandelion and Priscilla, opening her arms, she raises her head to look above the ceiling, letting her awareness go higher and higher. 

     "As these two dear friends, have joined their lives together. And now have created a new life in the age-old ways of a man and his lifemate, Dandelion and Priscilla. Also in keeping with and in honor of the old ways, they have asked of me to stand as 'Godmother' to their firstborn. This honor I gladly accept and ask that she above all, whom I serve, would bestow her unending blessing to these two and their yet unborn child. Let their love, their hopes, their dreams be a beacon of light to all who live in this city. So mote it be!"

     As the last of her words ring out, at first a few sweet-smelling apple blossoms fall from the ceiling, then more fall, and even more, until the scent of the blossoms fills the air. A light, gentle breeze spreads the perfume of the blossoms to every corner, as a whisper winds its way around every ear.

     "This is my 'daughter' who continues to please me in all she does. As she has undertaken the ancient and ageless honor of being 'Godmother' to the firstborn of these two young loves, and she being my 'Daughter', I am happy to bestow my blessing to them and their new family. To those who stand witness to this honor, you do I call to watch over them, help them, protect them and so will I do the same for you. Let these first blossoms of the apple trees, mark the renewal of this blessing each year without fail. As my 'Daughter' wills it, so let it be done."

     Iriisii turns back to Dandelion and Priscilla, draws them both into her embrace, and whispers, "I told you everything would be all right."

     "Thank you, I do not know how we will ever thank you for this."

     "You do not have to, you are family, and that is what is important."

     "If our child is a girl, may we name her after you?"

     "I would be honored for 'her' to carry on my name."

     "But what if it is a 'boy'?"

     "Oh, I think we can come up with something appropriate, don't you think so dear?"

     "Yes, I do think so as well."

     Geralt speaks up right about now, "no, you are not going to saddle your first child if it is a boy, with my name, you can just figure out something else."

     "Come on, Geralt. Where else are we going to come up with a name for a boy if that is what we need?"

     Zoltan is standing back clearing his throat, but it seems he is being studiously ignored at the moment. Iriisii thinks she knows how to settle this and steps up to Priscilla and whispers a name in her ear. Priscilla stops and thinks for a moment, "that is a wonderful name, yes, I do so agree."

     "Just say nothing until you know if the child will be a boy or not. I do not want him finding out beforehand."

     "I understand, you have my word, I will say nothing."

     "What is this, what name have the two of you decided on?"

     "You just need to know that it is well in hand. Besides, you might not even need it if your first is a girl."

     "But what if it is twins, both a boy and a girl?"

     "Then you would have both names covered would you not? You name your daughter, and Priscilla names your son."

     "I will never win against the two of you, will I?"

     "My love, the sooner you learn that the better your life will be."

     "Listen to your wife, Dandelion, she knows what is best."

     Zoltan is sitting over at the bar, his face in a mug, grinning ear to ear at Dandelion's discomfiture, now so pleased with himself at avoiding this whole situation. Rigmor goes and sits down next to him and says, "you know, I met the nicest lady dwarf just a few days ago." As Zoltan leans forward, the ale he had just drawn into his mouth, spewing across the bar as a coughing fit hits him. Just as he seems to recover, she continues, "I mentioned your name to her, told her how much of a good friend you were to all of us." Zoltan's coughing comes back on him double and he spills the rest of his ale over the bartop.

     The front door opens about this time and Zoltan leaps over the bar, making a fast dash for the back door. Iriisii watching all of this happening picks up on what Rigmor is setting up. She grabs Zoltan with a telekinesis spell and sits him back on the barstool. And just as a short bearded female sits down next to him, Iriisii dumps a handful of gold coins on the bar and declares, "drinks are on me!" Zoltan resigns himself to his fate and reaches for a refill. Geralt watching the whole thing, turns and steps out the front door, then bursts out laughing, for the first time in his long life having found something worth expressing laughter over.

     Lambert and Eskell are sitting at a table outside, see and hear him let go with all of that laughter. They motioned him to sit down and tell them what was so funny. In a very rare moment, he tells the two what he witnessed in the Chameleon with Zoltan. It doesn't take long before all three are rolling in their chairs, almost ready to fall to the cobblestone floor.

     "I have to admit, that is the funniest thing I have heard in a very long time."

     "What are the two of you doing here, anyway?"

     "Kiera dragged me back, she heard Iriisii was back in town and said there was something she wanted to talk to her about. You got any idea what it might be about. I mean you and Triss are close to her, aren't you?"

     Geralt looks like he is going to burst out laughing again. Lambert picks up on it and says, "you know something, don't you? Come on, spit it out, what do you know?"

Eskel on the other hand looking at the two of them grins like a cat having caught dinner.

     "It is not for me to say. Especially if Kiera has not said anything. But if you are daring, really daring."

     "What, come out, out with it!"

     "Go and ask Iriisii if she needs a couple of more Witchers on her team."

     "Geralt, you know something, and if you do not tell me, I am going to get mad and I will make you eat this mug, now tell me what you know."

     "Leave him with me, I will tell him what he wants to know. Why don't the two of you go back inside and get a drink before it is all gone."

     "Eskel, let us go, my friend."

     Eskel gets up and as the two walk back inside, they hear nothing but silence from Lambert.

     "Do you know anything about what he wants to know?"

     "Yes, but it is not my place to say anything. This is between him and Kiera. Best if we stay out of it."

     About an hour later, Kiera comes back inside, looks around, and heads for the stairs, taking them quickly until she reaches the top. Then almost turns and goes back down, 'chicken, go on and run, keep running' the silent voice in her head almost screams at her. Then she pulls herself together and walks to the room at the end of the hall, opens the door, enters, then sits down in the cushioned chair close to the divan. Iriisii lays on it, half reclined, looking at Kiera, saying nothing, waiting for her to gather her courage and say what is on her mind.

     "I...I am sorry, I am wasting your time, I should go." Kiera starts to rise from the chair.

     "Kiera, please sit, when you are ready, tell me what happened."

     "I...do not know what happened. I just..."

     "Shhh, it is all right now, whatever you need, we can find for you."

     Kiera looks at Iriisii, tears forming then slowly running down her face.

     "Why couldn't I have found you before I got myself involved with Lambert?"

     Iriisii takes in her revelation, knowing this is now rhetorical, 'I am too far from her now, but someone else may be close enough. "Tell me, why you feel this way now. I am not judging you, I just want to put you on a path where you can find what you really want."

     "I told Lambert I wanted to have the trap removed. He thought I wanted that so I could have children."

     "And you do not? Again I am not judging you, not every parent should be one. And it is rare to know for sure that you should not be, before becoming one. I take it that he feels you want his children?"

     "Yes."

     "And how does he expect to reverse his sterility?"

     "He thinks that I can do this."

     "Can you?"

     "Wha..?"

     "A simple question, it is not beyond your capabilities to do it. Your 'will' might be another matter altogether though."

     "I had heard that some other sorceresses had done this for other people, not Witchers though."

     "And somehow he became aware of this as well, I take it."

     "Yes."

     "Thorny situation indeed. You do not wish children, nothing wrong with that, each must decide for themselves whether children are right or not. He on the other hand does want children, but not for the same reasons most others want them. His reasons are deeper, more intertwined with his past. But this between you cannot stand, it will be the cause of great hatred, great pain, great suffering if left to fester.

     You do not want to cause him such pain, but also you do not want to betray yourself simply to please his desire for children. You are right that it would tear the two of you apart, and cause damage to any children the two of you might have. But even deeper, you want someone to love and to love you, but you and not children."

     "You do understand! What do I do? What can I do?"

     "You said you wished you had met me before you became involved with Lambert?"

     "Yes, I really do not know why I said that."

     "It is perfectly all right, I am not going to take advantage of you over it. It is that I can understand what you are feeling, even though you are truly a novice at this kind of relationship. I know that for the most part, outside of Aretuza, in this world, this kind of desire is not acceptable in general. My own homeworld is more accepting by comparison. But you need someone more understanding of what is going on inside of you. Someone who can guide you, someone who will not expect more of you than what you can give at any moment. I know someone like that, it is in part why she has not formed a relationship with anyone else either."

     "You know someone?"

     "Yes, and you are in luck, she is camped with the rest of my 'Sirens' getting ready to depart with me. I am willing to bring the two of you together, but it must be the efforts of the two of you if anything happens. I will not force anything, that is not fair to either of you. And you must also deal with Lambert. Tell him how you feel, it may not change his opinion of you but you will know you did not hide anything from him."

     "I did not want to hurt him."

     "Just tell him you do not wish any children at all, that this is not about him. But you feel that he should have the chance to find someone who will give him children. Otherwise, it will become a serious problem for the two of you later, and the inevitable breakup would be much worse for both."

     "I know he is thinking of asking to join you, will this be a problem?"

     "No, it will not. My forces are stretched farther apart than you can imagine. There should be no problem keeping the two of you where you will not meet again."

     "Thank you, so very much, I did not know what to do, and Triss told me to talk to you, that if anyone knew what I should do, it would be you."

     "I am just glad I could be of help. All too often there is no one there to help and talk things out with, then things go wrong and people suffer more than they otherwise would."

     Iriisii stops packing and sits in a nearby chair to think about her role in advising her friends, especially when she feels she hasn't done such a great job with her own life. 

      'Sometimes it is easier to see the solutions to other's problems than to see what is needed in your own life. But overall I would have to say you have not done nearly as bad as you think you have. Are some things still not yet done, yes. But you have in no way given up, no matter what steps in front of you, you still do not lose sight of what you need, what is truly important to you. How many others can truthfully say the same.'

      'I have no idea, truth be told, I have never considered it that way. Was I wrong not to?'

      'No, you were not wrong. You couldn't consider it in any other way than the way you did. No one else could have kept themselves on track the way you did. Do not doubt yourself or your resolve, you will find her, it will happen soon. You have come too far, you are too close, you have heard her voice calling to you. No matter what stands in your way, you will not fail, it is not in you to fail.'

      A knock at the door, expecting Lambert, she answers, "come in."

      "May I please have a moment of your time?"

      "Triss, please come in and sit."

      "Thank you, I just wanted to add my thanks to you for speaking to Kiera. I simply did not know how to counsel her."

      "I can understand, it is not a subject that has ever come up before between a Witcher and a Sorceress. But, how are you and Geralt doing, the last month or so I have not been able to ask."

      "I think..., oh I do not know."

      "Ah, I sense the two of you are indeed good, but the question is not what it seems on the surface. I would ask your permission..."

      "Will you? Please? I want to know, but I am scared out of my mind."

      "Of course, just sit still and calm your mind. That's it, ease the tension just a little more, yes." Iriisii extends her senses and finds what she is seeking. Gently she loops the tiny sound so that Triss can hear it.

      "Wha...is that?"

      "Yes, it is. You hear the heartbeat of a new life within you, a life you had almost despaired of ever hearing."

      "Thank you, oh my, thank you, but wait, what? Can it be?"

      "Yes, you have twins! Their heartbeat is so close, it sounds like one."

      "I never thought it could be, please tell me, I must know."

      "One of each, a boy and a girl, all else I can say is that their destinies are linked together. Teach them all that they can learn, it matters not what it is, if they can learn it, then teach them. They will do Geralt and you proud."

      "I have to go and find him, thank you."

      "Go with my blessing, just make sure Lambert is not nearby when you tell him. He is in a sensitive position right now and does not know how he is going to deal with it."

      "If he wants to join, how will you handle that?"

      "If he expresses a wish to join my army I will not turn him down. My forces are large enough and scattered enough that I can find him a place he can excel in and never be close to Kiera. In fact, his chances of finding another woman are very good where I would like to see him posted. The women he would encounter are warriors as he is, able to earn each other's respect in or out of combat, and that is a strong foundation for him to build another relationship on."

      "Good, I cannot say I know him that well, but he has had Geralt's back on more than one occasion when hunting monsters, and I owe him for that."

      "I understand."

      Another short retrospective period was followed by a knock on the door.

      "Come in. Lambert, take a chair and tell me what is on your mind."

      "You do not already know?"

      "I want to hear what is on your mind, not what others are saying they think is on your mind."

      "I really do not know what to think of that. Everyone assumes what I am thinking, and sometimes it is just easier to react to what they think rather than what I actually think."

      "I cannot help you based on what others think, I can only be of help when I know what you truly think. I want to be fair to all who come to me, so I will not assume anything regarding you until you tell me what is true and what is not. But you will have to tell me, I do not make it a habit to go searching through someone's mind unless there is no other way. I believe those who would serve me deserve privacy. And truth be told I have far more weighty matters to consider than what one person thinks of another.

      I am involved in this because others have asked for my help to solve problems they are having. And that the possible solutions to their problems involve you to one extent or another. Not that you are the cause, because you are not, just that for better or worse you are involved. And that causes problems for you to resolve within your own life. If I help them and it affects you, to be fair, I must help you as well. And yes had you come to me first, I would not have turned you away. I would have listened and tried to counsel you in what I thought best for you. I will still do this for you, regardless of who came to me first."

     "I am sure you know this involves Kiera."

     "I do. She has told me of her feelings, fears, desires and in what direction they drive her."

     "So what do I do?"

     "What do you feel, fear, desire, for it is yours that will drive you not hers? What I want to do is guide you to an understanding of what you want and then see what can be done to show you a path where that can come to be. It will be up to you whether to walk that path or not."

     "Fair enough."

     "This may help you to know. What she originally came to ask, was to remove the magical toxin trap within her body."

     "I know, but if that happens then she should be able to bear children again, is that not right?"

     "The restoration of childbirthing requires two things to be done. She wants the first, and I understand and agree with her reason. But she does not want the second and that is her choice to make, regardless of what her reasons are. In some respects, it is the same for you."

     "How is that?"

     "It is a simple matter to restore your fertility, not so easy to do so and still not affect any of your other mutations. It can be done, yes, and not nearly so dangerous as removing the toxin trap in Kiera. But still, you both have a two-part decision. Do you wish to be shed of all of your mutations, just some, or just one?"

     Lambert is silent for some seconds before answering.

     "I see where you are going with this. I made some assumptions and allowed them to cloud my judgment without finding out the whole truth. I cannot judge her for her decisions, without applying the same standard to myself. And that changes the matter totally."

     "One more thing to correct and I think you will be able to move onward. It is not that she does not wish to have your children, rather it is that she does not wish to have anyone's children. So her decision is not directed toward you.."

     "But rather toward everyone else. Yes, it does remove the 'sting' knowing it is not a slight directed toward me."

     "And now you have another more direct question for me?"

     "Would it be possible for the both of us to take service with you, and yet be far enough apart to not run into each other?"

     "Easy enough to arrange. My forces are quite varied in what they can do, who they need, where they are, and where they will be needed that I believe that can be arranged easily enough. Kiera is more valuable as support staff, whereas you are more comfortable as a front-line warrior. Many of the enemies I have and will face, you would look at and say 'monster'. Therefore an accomplished 'monster hunter' would be a valuable asset, would you not agree?"

     A slow grin comes over his face.

     "Good, I am going to arrange a meeting between you and Atticus. He is the leader of my 'Celestial Dragons of the Balance'. Earn his respect and he will have my permission to tell you the story of how they became known as the 'Lost Legion', of my adventure with them that caused them to come into my service, and how they changed their name. That will take the better part of a hard nights' drinking to get the full tale.

     Also, know that he has women warriors in the 'Dragons' and that they are every bit as deadly as the men. They have fought with and respected Geralt as a warrior. I am sure they will do the same with you. If you earn their respect and they yours, a stronger bond and foundation for a new life I do not know of. The relationships I have with all of my mates are based on that mutual respect, forged in the fires of battle. There is nothing I would not do for them, or they for me.

     Atticus will be expecting you, I have told him of your defense of Caer Morhen against the Wild Hunt. He will likely have high expectations of you, I do not think you will disappoint."

     "I will not disappoint, I promise this to you."

     "Then I expect one day you will become a rich and powerful Dragon Witcher, for I reward those who excel in my service, and I do so handsomely. Take a look at their armor, test out what it can endure. If you wish for a set, I will have it made to fit you like a glove. I do not allow my warriors to take the field in anything but the best I can provide. One last thing, ask Atticus the story of their Battle Standard but remember this, every word of what he says will be the truth. He is not one to embellish."

     Lambert stands and then kneels before Iriisii, giving her his oath of fealty. As she lays a hand on his shoulder, he feels the power thrumming through her, and its edges bind him to her and empower the oath he just gave.