TWO | BUTCHER OF BLAVIKEN

Caira was preparing her horse in the market to leave Blaviken when she spotted the white haired witcher pass behind her from the corner of her eye. He approached the pub where Caira and Geralt last spoke, but, he seemed to be after someone else. "She knew you'd come." Caira heard, without conspicuously looking over at the scene, a man grumble to Geralt.

"Where's Renfri?" Geralt huffed back at the man. Caira quickly flickered her eyes over at where Geralt stood and back to her horse. She gripped the bridle as she focused in on listening. There were at least a dozen men standing before Geralt, all men from the pub that wanted to attack Geralt from before.

Ah, Renfri. The cursed princess that seems to run this town. Caira thought to herself. It was certainly ironic she was making fun of a rogue princess, since she seemed to be one herself.

"She's at the tower with your little friend, Marilka. She gave us a message to pass on to you. You have to choose the lesser evil." One of the townspeople that were defending Renfri spoke clearly to Geralt.

"It's an ultimatum," another man elaborated and drew his sword, "get it?"

Caira tensed up, her knuckles turning white from gripping the bridle so tight. This is not my fight. Caira repeated in her head over and over again. Her back was still turned to the scene, and she was forcing herself to mind her business.

"Fuck." Geralt cursed, then pulled out his own sword which made a sharp sound as he moved it through the cool air.

One of the townspeople attacked first, shooting a crossbow's arrow toward Geralt. Caira could no longer help herself and turned around to peer on the fight. Geralt quickly deflected the arrow by swinging his sword and knocking it out of his path. The other dozen men began to charge at him with their swords and Geralt swiftly slashed their throats. The fight almost seemed too easy for him as he finished killing all those men within the minute.

Caira began to mount her horse, as she assumed the fight was done, until she heard a young girl screaming Geralt's name. "Geralt! Geralt!!!" The young girl's hoarse voice screeched for help.

She appeared from around the corner, being held hostage by Renfri with a knife to her throat. Renfri seemed afraid of Geralt once she took a peek at the twelve dead bodies laying around him. Caira returned to the ground and hid behind a pillar to watch as Geralt handled the situation. She wanted to take notes of his fighting style, it wasn't everyday she saw a good fighter and she certainly could use some learning to improve her own skill.

"You chose." Renfri seemed almost disgusted with Geralt.

"Let the girl go." Geralt put out his arms to his side, lowering his weapon.

Renfri looked down at the little girl she held a knife to and scrunched her nose in distaste. "I will kill her. I will kill everyone here until Stregobor comes down."

Caira connected the dots and realized that Renfri must've wanted Geralt's help to take down Stregabor, the sorcerer. Caira knew a little about Renfri, she was a princess who was born on a night that cursed her. She assumed Stregobor wanted to harm her, but Geralt protested. "Leave Blaviken. It's not too late." Geralt raised out his hand to procure some sort of magic to compulse Renfri to do what he wanted.

"Magic doesn't work on me." Renfri announced. "Silver does, though."

"Silver is for monsters." Geralt shook his head at her.

Renfri suddenly let go of the young girl and shoved her aside. Renfri withdrew her sword, dropping her dagger in the process, and pointed it at Geralt. Geralt seemed hesitant to respond defensively. "If we cross swords..." He took a step back, knowing he'd have to kill her.

"I won't be able to stop." Renfri spoke, then charged at him, swinging sloppily at Geralt. Geralt dodged the blow and began to defend himself from her attack. He managed to pin her against the wall to keep her from continuing to strike at him after a few swings. "They created me just as they created you! We're not so different." She exclaimed.

Renfri managed to slip out of his hold in that moment she distracted him with her words and they continued to cross swords until Geralt put her in a compromising position and stabbed her right in the throat, fatally wounding her. Geralt caught her body before she dropped to the ground, and listened to her last dying words. Remorse and guilt flickered in his eyes as he watched the life slip out of the girl. "The girl in the woods will be with you always." Renfri whispered right before her eyes lost the life in them, forever.

Caira sighed, then mounted her horse as she now knew the fight was legitimately over. The noise from the buckles on her horse caught Geralt's attention from afar. He realized she had been watching that entire time. Caira turned her head to look back at Geralt and she clicked her tongue at him. "The Butcher of Blaviken." She proclaimed him right before her beautiful black stallion—Meg—began to trot away toward Posada, where she heard a bounty hunter was needed.

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authors note | oop short chapter w no substance but that's ok because I'll update again with a good chapter, Caira just needed to know about this "girl in the woods will be with you always" prophecy basically. yall i promise it'll get sooo much better. I got so much planned for this.

let me know what y'all want to see from sis and her family and geralt :)))