Inn at the Crossroads

[Allergy's kicking my ass. Hope your all doing better than me. Sunday is my day off see you all monday!!!]

We have been riding most of the night to Novigrad, we cant push the horses to hard and we were far enough to stop hurrying. Now we are just slowly going, I am sure we are safe right now. I can't seem to help think we are overreacting a tad bit. I can say that they are dangerous and unpredictable. The wild hunt has been following her and chasing her for years, I would have been too if Gaunter didn't keep me protected early on. I am thinking of ways to help us on our journey, the best thing I can think of is using connections we might have in Novigrad.

As I am thinking and brainstorming I hear Ciri next to me. "What are you thinking of?" Must be plastered all over my face that I am thinking really hard about something. Yen and Geralt always taught me to come up with the best plan possible. "You there Cera?" I am so deep in thought that I didn't even respond to her. I don't have any solid plans yet, but I know that Geralt told us that Jaskier was planning to settle down somewhere in Novigrad. Maybe we can get some help from him.

I should respond faster, she is looking at me with an annoyed look now. "I was just thinking of the allies that we have in Novigrad. I remember Geralt said Jaskier was planning to go there back at Kaer Morhen." We will need more allies than just one bard. Hopefully he has connections that can help us in finding Avallac'h. The more I think about it the bigger my headache gets. I am tired from the activities we did earlier. Having that flashback really messed with my head for awhile. I should get some help when we get to Novigrad.

I am riding side by side with Ciri as it is easier to talk with her this way. "The mages in Novigrad can help us, I'm sure of it. Don't sweat it till we get there." I wish I had your laid back attitude for this Ciri. Perhaps she is right, the more I think about it the more frustrated I'll get. We are on the road for awhile when we come across an inn on our way to Novigrad. It's called Inn at the Crossroads. "I think it would be best to rest for the night." I couldn't agree more with that statement.

We approach the inn with our horses and bring them to the trough for them to rest and have food. We enter the inn and notice that there are some travelers and wanders in here already for the night. I approach the innkeeper. "Do you have any rooms available? Just for the night." We will leave when dawn breaks. The sooner we get to Novigrad the better.

The inn keep gives a wicked grin. I see this is going to cost me. "It's our last room, and I ain't keen to let it go for cheap." Ciri gives the man a nasty look. It doesn't even faze him, I still have enough for things we need. This is going to have to fall in that category. I give the man another look, he is growing impatient. "You could always sleep outside." I am being played by an inn keep. What has this war brought us to.

I pull out extra coin and wave it in front of him. "This enough for you?" It is a decent amount. Rooms aren't cheap anymore with all these displaced people after there towns got burned down. He grabs it fast and tosses me a key.

"Last room at the end." Guess he got what he wanted. We make our way to our room, I'll admit it's better than I expected. The bed is plenty big enough for the two of us. I know she is as tired as I am so I don't plan on any nooky tonight. I take off my sword and clothes down to my underwear and lay on the bed as I take a deep breath.

One soft bed alright. "Its a wonderful bed, to bad I'm to tired to try it out with you." Might as well get my point across. We don't want to end up sleeping in. I can see Ciri dress down to her underwear and climb into the bed and hug me under the covers as she lays her head on my chest right above my heart.

She gives a content sigh. "I am tired as well, guess I'll cash in that win some other time." Glad we get this private moment together. I wrap my left arm around her since she is on my left. I hug her tightly for a second and loosen up, I did all that unconsciously. She leans in more and we both relax. I feel my muscles loosen for the first time since we left crows perch.

I never asked her how she got the scar near her left eye. "You asked me about my scar's, so may I ask about yours?" I learned you should ask permission from woman from Yen.

She doesn't give an answer for a good ten second's then I feel her shift a little and see her trace the scar. Must have been a hard battle if it brings this sort of reaction. "I got it when I was leaving the town of Unicorn during the tower of the Swallow." She sounds pretty mad at that. Must be more personal than she let on. "I got it from an Imperial of Nilfgaard. He threw an Orion star at me and this is the result." I have many wounds like that too. She had a particular hate when she was mentioning Nilfgaard. I don't like them either as of late. That Emperor has caused a lot of senseless deaths for his own personal greed. I won't lift a finger to save the man's life if I have a choice.

I hope she doesn't feel self conscious about it. A lot of woman are hurt by bad men doing bad things to them as of late. Some don't understand when you meet the right one that stuff doesn't matter. "I think it makes you beautiful. It shows everyone what I already know. You are a warrior and survivor that wont be put to harm or death easily." Ciri is the bravest woman I have ever met. She inspired me to live through some of the horrible injuries I had. I'll never forget what she did for me at Kaer Morhen

I feel her face move on my chest. I think she is smiling right now. "I don't like your scars Cera. They make me worry for you." She says in a teasing and condescending voice. She hasn't lost her sense of humor after all this time too. Finding joy in my pain is typical of her. I feel myself drift off to sleep fast in this relaxing night.

~~~(POV Ciri)~~~

I know he is asleep now. He makes it easy for me to love him, I don't know how he does it. I am glad he is mine and no one else's. Earlier that girl made me pretty pissed. More than I thought be possible for me. I trace my finger's over some of his gnarly scars. 'Damn it Cera, you better not pull the shit you did to get these around me. I'll never forgive you if you do this to yourself again.' The thought races through my mind. I can't help what I feel, and what I feel is like I would have died if I went with him. It is attributing to my anger right now. I know he is stronger than me or anyone I know now. I feel shame for being mad that I wasn't with him during all this.

The cost for that power was more than I would have let him give. I worry that I may lose him if he is not careful.