The two ended up making a detour to help a desperate old woman reclaim her home, claiming monsters had taken it over. When they arrived, the manor was deathly quiet, neither Witcher sensing a single monster or magic.

"Since when do monsters use traps?" Juray asked, crouching next to one.

"Only if they're the human kind," Geralt responded.

Juray turned upon hearing something in the barn. She nodded towards the barn and Geralt nodded. Without a noise, they headed to the barn, finding more traps. Juray disarmed them while Geralt found a way to access the upper level of the barn.

"Can't say I expected to see you again," a gruff voice said.

Juray and Geralt looked over towards the voice to see a muscle-bound man with a shaved head, crouched down and looking out the upper window.

"Letho?" Geralt asked.

"You with them?"

"With who?" Juray asked.

"To the emperor, mercenaries. To themselves, bounty hunters. To me, ordinary sons of bitches."

"Last I checked, we weren't wearing cat medallions."

"Got nothing to fear from us," Geralt added. "We were hired to kill the monsters here."

Letho stood. "Did that already. Count on you remembering that when you collect your pay." He looked over at Juray. "Good to see you again, Demon."

"Who'd you piss off this time, Letho?" Juray asked.

"Emperor just decided to get rid of me. I'm an inconvenient witness. I've run into loads of men out to kill me since I left Loc Muinne."

"Wonder why." Juray was well aware of what the Viper School Witcher had done. It had been his hand that had killed Foltest and allowed Geralt to take the fall for the deed. Geralt had eventually cleared his name, along with regaining most of his memories afterward.

"That explains the traps," Geralt observed.

"Gotten real careful."

All three looked out as riders arrived.

"For good reason. Don't look a bit like lost travelers."

"What gave that away?" Juray asked. "The swords?"

"Means Louis sold me out," Letho stated.

"Louis?" Geralt asked.

"Old friend. Sorta. Did a few jobs together once, a while past. Louis recommended this place to me."

"You've grown careless. Let yourself be drawn into a trap."

"Nah," Letho said with a shake of his head. "Only traps here are the ones I set. Gotta get rid of them. You two coming?"

"Why not?" Juray said. "Not like we have anything better to do."

"We got a plan of attack?" Geralt asked.

"Yeah," Letho said. "Improvise." With that, he leapt from the window.

"Of course it is," Juray sighed as Geralt shook his head and followed, Juray behind them.

The three Witchers made quick work of the common headhunters, falling easily once Juray made use of Igni.

"Goddamn fools," Letho said, as he approached them, sheathing his steel sword.

"Shoddily armed for assassins," Geralt observed.

"You really think these guys were assassins?" Juray asked, kicking over one. "These guys are just common hired thugs."

"Demon's right," Letho said. "These are just scouts. Come to see if Louis was tellin' the truth. Rest must be waiting nearby."

"And your old pal probably knows where," Geralt said.

"He was the only one who'd knew I'd be here. Must've told 'em." Letho turned away. "Me and him are due for a little chat..."

"Don't mind if we tag along?" Juray asked. "Would love to see how that chat turns out."

"Not to mention we could watch your back," Geralt added.

"Don't mind at all. Sight of three Witchers should loosen his tongue that much quicker. Stick close. Place is hard to find."

On the way, Letho enlightened them on how he met Louis. Louis had a bounty on his head and Letho had decided to cash in on it since Contracts were hard to come by at the time. The Witcher had caught him, but after some conversation, Letho let the man go. A mistake on Letho's part. Letho led them to Louis' camp. Louis himself greeted the Witchers.

"Letho! Greetings! Good to see you alive and well."

"I don't think I've heard so many lies in one sentence," Juray smarted.

"Now now. We're old mates, ain't we, Letho? Who are your friends? I'd especially like to know about your lovely lady friend."

"I'm sure you would. Juray of Riverdell."

"Geralt of Rivia. Witchers."

"More? Is there a prime Contract in the area? Care for a drink?"

"I don't drink with traitors and rats," Letho said.

"Let's be civil now. Remember, you're on my turf."

"Arnout Vester's men showed up at the manor. You were the only one who knew I was there."

"They'd been nipping at your heels for a while, said so yourself. Perhaps they finally caught a whiff."

Juray noticed the other men in the camp were slowly starting to surround them and brought it to Geralt's attention without uttering a word.

"Mhm. With your help."

"You've not been here five minutes and you've already offended me twice."

"No insult worthy of scum like you."

Louis' men attacked.

"Careful, men! They're Witchers!" Louis warned.

"And obviously suicidal," Juray added as they made quick work of Louis' men while Letho wounded Louis.

"Lie still," Letho said as he crouched next to him. "Or you'll bleed to death."

He looked up at the Witchers, fear in his eyes.

"Tell me where Vester's men are. I'll give you something to staunch the bleeding."

"They're north of here. In Lindenvale."

"I'm curious," Geralt said. "How much does the life of an old mate cost these days?"

"Things have been shite of late. We ran a'foul of the Black Ones."

"Not exactly hard to do," Juray commented.

"Vester showed up one day. Offered half the bounty on your head and a letter of absolution from the emperor. You gotta understand, you don't say no to an offer like that."

"I understand," Letho answered. He stood and nodded at his fellow Witchers before turning away.

"Hey! My medicine!"

"Gotta understand, Louis. You don't betray people like me. Time to see Vester."

"We're going with you," Geralt said.

"Wait! You can't leave me!"

Juray turned and tossed some bandages at Louis. "I suggest applying pressure." She then turned and followed the men to their horses.

"Keep your eyes open," Letho said as they approached Lindenvale.

"Think they're really here?" Geralt asked.

"Don't know. Like I said, I've grown real careful."

They approached a hut on the edge of town with several horses.

"Nice mounts."

"Gotta be worth more than the entire village."

The three dismounted just short of the hut and Letho approached a boy sitting on a nearby fence.

"What's in the barn?" the Viper School Witcher asked.

"H-h-hay," the boy answered, his voice trembling.

"Got company?"

The boy nodded.

"Run and find your parents. Tell them to grab whatever's valuable, take you and flee. Got it?"

The boy nodded and hopped off the fence and Letho handed him a coin purse.

"Give this to your mother. Now run."

The boy didn't have to be told twice.

"What was that about?" Juray asked.

"Compensation. Stay here. Both of you. And don't interfere, no matter what." Letho started to walk away. "Plug your ears," he added as he pulled something off his belt.

Geralt sighed and leaned against the fence, his back to Letho, while Juray took the boy's spot, facing the hut. Letho threw something at the barn and an explosion ripped through the building, causing the hut's occupants to run out.

"What the blazes?!" one cried.

"A bolt o' lightning or somethin'?" another asked.

"Shut up, all of you!" A man that Juray pegged to be this Vester said. He motioned for his men as Letho drew closer. "Letho of Gulet... Good to see you alive and well."

"Funny. Second time today I've heard that lie."

"It is no lie. You will certainly fetch a higher bounty alive."

"Really. How much?"

"Enough to buy me an estate in Kovir, where I will lie about eating fruit until the end of my days."

"Why do I have a feeling that will be sooner than he thinks?" Juray asked Geralt, who gave a scoff of a laugh.

"Not bad," Letho said. "Not every man gets to know the price on his head."

"Most men would prefer not to have one. But why have you come? To make my life easier?"

"We were passing by. Decided it was time to finally meet the famous Arnout Vester in person."

"I am flattered. Shame we'll not get to know one another better."

"Why? Going somewhere?"

"No. Simply because I will kill you in a moment."

"Wanna kill me, but don't even know me. Not nice. Think I have to punish you for that. But I won't kill you. I'll just cut off your hands. Cut off all your hands. One man after the other." He walked towards them again. "Til the end of your days, those stumps'll remind you of the mistake you made."

A crossbow bolt flew through the air and hit Letho in the shoulder.

"Bloody hell!" Vester exclaimed. "You fucking dimwit! I hadn't time to exchange two words with the man!"

"He provoked me!"

Letho drew his steel sword and attacked. Geralt turned around when the fighting started. Before heading towards the fight.

"Geralt!"

He stopped when Letho collapsed.

Vester and two of his men were the only ones left standing. "Got no quarrel with you, but one false move and..."

"And what?"

"You will end like him. What you say to that?"

"Geralt," Juray placed her hand on his arm. "Let it go before you get called the Butcher of Lindenvale as well."

"You're good as dead," Geralt answered before striding forward with his steel blade bared and cut them down in three quick strokes.

Juray shook her head with a sigh as Geralt turned back toward her and Letho. "Feel better?"

Geralt crouched down next to Letho.

"Have you sustained a head injury lately?"

"What?"

"You felt the need to avenge the guy that would have let you rot for Foltest's assassination if Roche hadn't believed that you were innocent. Fuck, he killed your main source of income."

"He also helped me free Yennefer from the Wild Hunt."

"Oh, you mean the time that you decided to be Eredin's best friend in order to save your wife. Doesn't change the fact that he betrayed you."

"Do you smell that?"

"What?"

"Stop flapping your tongue and come here."

Juray crouched and sniffed the air, catching an unusual scent. "Is that Zagubarian venom?"

It was a fairly rare venom that would cause the victim to appear dead for a few hours before they would come to. Juray had seen its use many times and even exposed a charlatan who claimed to have a potion to bring back the dead when in reality it had just been the antidote for the poison. She'd walked away and let the villagers take care of him after she received her pay for exposing him.

"Mhm. Something's fishy. Help me get him into the hut."

They carried Letho into the hut and waited.

After a couple hours, Letho coughed and looked up at them from where they'd leaned him against the wall. "You still here?"

"He insisted," Juray said.

"They've cut off your head if we hadn't been here."

"So you two proved useful after all."

"Coulda told us."

Letho chuckled. "No fun in that."

"Find this amusing?"

"Not so loud, Geralt. I just rose from the dead."

Juray snorted and Geralt rolled his eyes.

"Zagubarian venom can still kill you, you know."

"Hoping you thought this through and got the antidote with you," Juray said.

"Saddlebag. Take it in a minute. In a few days, I'll be good as new."

"What was all this theatrics for anyway? Faking your death or something?"

"Something like that. I've been on the run since Loc Muinne. Loads of pursuers. Got ambushed once, almost died. Decided it was time to end it. Once and for all. Found Vester's gang and paid off his arborlist. You witnessed the rest of the story."

"What if he crossed you?" Geralt asked. "Like Louis?"

"I had to risk it. If you two hadn't cut down every last witness, I'd be a free man. Letho of Gulet is dead. Word would have spread across the Continent in days."

"It still can," Juray said.

"I'll need to disappear until it does."

"Wait things out at Kaer Morhen," Geralt offered.

"With your friends at the School of the Wolf? No thanks, could end badly."

"Would only end badly if you pissed Lambert off enough," Juray said.

"Tell 'em I sent you. They'll understand and give you space."

Letho actually considered it. "Kaer Morhen... Why not? Got some loose ends to tie up, but then I'll head there. See you, Wolf." Letho then turned and walked out the door, heading to his horse.

"Time to go tell Lady Reardon her home is monster free," Juray said.

"You didn't argue."

"What?"

"About Letho going to Kaer Morhen."

"I may not be in the Letho of Gulet fan club, but I'm not going to deny another Witcher sanctuary. Let's go."

~~~

Novigrad was the biggest city in Redania, although it was not under the control of the kingdom, being a free city-state. Geralt and Juray left their horses in the sables and headed towards the city square. Triss had a townhouse just off the square and they were both hoping Ciri had gone to her when she arrived in the city.

"This won't be awkward for you, will it?" Juray asked.

"Shouldn't be."

"If I was going to visit Gavin, I would feel a bit awkward."

Geralt didn't respond and Juray let him be silent. As they approached the square, they noticed the crowd and could hear a man speaking to them.

"The time has come for this to end! For us to cast off evil! Do you renounce evil?!"

"We renounce evil!" the crowd responded.

"Do you renounce evil?!"

"We renounce it!"

"May the Holy Flame of the Eternal Fire complete this cleansing, this purging of pestilence into purity! How are we to fight pestilence that changes form?! None can be certain of his father, brother, or bride! Look upon your neighbor, for he too could be a doppler!"

Geralt and Juray looked at one another before picking up their pace.

"Will we submit to uncertainty?! Will we allow monsters and charlatans to overrun our city?!"

"No!"

"May the Holy Flame of the Eternal Fire complete this act of cleansing!"

As the two turned a corner, they witnessed a man and a woman bound to stakes, piles of kindling at their feet. They recognized the two of them, a sorceress named Felicia who had helped Geralt in the past after Foltest's assassination, and Chappelle, a doppler that had been masquerading as the head of Novigrad's secret service. Geralt, Dandelion, and another Doppler named Dudu knew, but no one else had. The real Chappelle, a cruel and vile man, had died of a heart attack and the doppler, who happened to be nearby, saw an opportunity to survive in Novigrad. The city had flourished under him. But it seemed he'd been found out. A man wearing Temple Guard armor, with a shaved head and a scar on the left side of his face tossed the torch he was holding under the kindling Felicia was standing on. She instantly started screaming as she burned alive.

"No evil can survive the Holy Fire!" the man cried as Felicia's screams cut off. "The Holy Fire enlightens, burns, and cleanses!"

"Holy Fire! Enlighten, burn, and cleanse!" The crowd chanted.

He picked up a torch as they did so. "Behold the flame of grace and mercy!" He approached Chappelle. "Special pyre for you, freak," he said, pointing the torch at him. "Nice, slow-burning. You'll beg for mercy in all the voices known to you, like the others of your species." He tossed the torch into the kindling.

"I've done no wrong!" Chappelle cried. "None! I wanted only to live like you! Help me, kind folk! Please!" He started to cough and scream as the flames reached him.

Geralt shoved his way through the crowd, Juray behind him. Juray noticed the sly smirk the Temple Guard gave them as Geralt was forced to watch another die with no way of helping them. The Guard then turned and walked away.

"Geralt," Juray said.

"I sure hope Dudu hasn't met the same fate," he said.

"So do I. But Dudu is resourceful, careful."

"I hope you're right. Let's find Triss' place."

Juray nodded in agreement, hoping Triss hadn't shared Felicia's fate.