When Geralt awoke in Misha's living room, the sun had just crossed the Blue Mountains, casting its rays on the ground. The previous night, after resolving Misha's commission, he dealt with a few troublemakers looking to provoke him and rightfully received the reward from the bearded village chief who had attempted to delay the payment.
The high-intensity exercises throughout the day left his body thoroughly exhausted, making it impossible for him to venture into the forest overnight to rendezvous with Wayne.
However, driven by a sense of responsibility for his only witcher apprentice in decades, the white wolf seized the opportunity presented by the early spring cold wind and stealthily entered the forest just before dawn.
However, after leading the mount and traversing the mountain road through the forest for two hours, his clothes and hair became saturated with the cold morning dew. His body shivered slightly from the chill. Upon reaching the vicinity of the cave he had discovered the previous day, the scene that unfolded left him utterly stupefied.
Before him, Wayne—the boy who had given him so much concern the night before—strolled leisurely through the forest. He was accompanied by the enchanting female elf he had encountered the previous day. They were seated on a black steed, displaying an intimate demeanor.
Adding to his irritation, that troublesome boy had one arm casually draped around the elf's slender waist, and the other hand confidently held the steed's reins. Spotting Geralt, he didn't exhibit a hint of guilt. Instead, he wore a cheeky grin and rode straight over to him.
"Geralt, it's really early for you to come. This horse is a gift from Toruviel, and she is teaching me how to ride a horse."
Upon hearing Wayne's words, Geralt's surprise deepened. In this era, a fine horse was a prized possession, and it was nearly unheard of for anyone outside of nobility to generously gift one to another. However, as he observed the kid's smiling countenance, Geralt couldn't suppress his annoyance. In a slightly mocking tone, he retorted,
"It looks like you had quite a night. I bet it was much more enjoyable than my time at the farmer's house, where I was surrounded by the aroma of manure and feasting on bread."
Over the course of a single night, his apprentice managed to build a positive rapport with the female elf leader before him and even received such a generous gift. There had to be an untold tale behind it all. With these thoughts, even the chill in the air was momentarily overlooked by him.
Toruviel frowned upon hearing the words but chose not to expose Wayne's lie. It was something they had agreed upon earlier. Although she wasn't sure why Wayne would conceal the money from Geralt, she refrained from intervening, not wanting to disrupt the relationship between the two.
Wayne intended to say more, but when he observed Geralt's damp hair, the lingering dew on his body, and the slight shivering from the cold, he immediately grasped why the white wolf had arrived so early and why he appeared in such a state of urgency. This realization warmed his heart.
He got off his horse, landed beside Geralt, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Toruviel is a wise leader, far superior to those impolite and cunning troublemakers. Let's head to the cave first. There's a bonfire in the camp, and they have a decent breakfast there. We can discuss the entrusted matter there."
After half an hour
After breakfast, the three gathered around a bonfire, enjoying the warmth brought by the flames, while discussing softly the issue of the elf ruins.
Geralt leaned forward, propped his chin on one hand, and held a bonfire stirred by a firewood in the other. He said in a hoarse voice, "Wayne, Toruviel, cleaning up an underground ruin is not an easy task."
"I once undertook a similar commission. On that occasion, it took me half a month to eliminate hundreds of monsters before I cleared out a small underground temple. Ghouls, drowners, malevolent spirits, foglers."
"There are countless monsters residing in the underground environment. We cannot be certain about the types of monsters we will encounter during the cleaning process."
Wayne nodded upon hearing this, reached out to take the cider jug handed to him by Toruviel, and poured a glass for Geralt beside him before saying, "That's not a problem, Geralt."
"We are witchers, and we have enough time to clean up the ruins. Toruviel is willing to provide all assistance and does not force us to complete the task in a short period of time. They can even send their fighters to help us."
He turned his head and exchanged glances with the female elf leader, telling Geralt the terms they had negotiated before.
"After the entrustment is completed, Toruville is willing to pay us ducats, or a quarter of the spoils in the ruins."
"It's a substantial amount, enough to sustain us for a considerable period."
After hearing about such a generous reward, Geralt pursed his lips and looked up at Wayne. Observing that his junior seemed determined, he refrained from expressing any objections.
This assignment was initially within the acceptable scope for a witcher, and the remuneration offered was indeed generous. However, due to its inherent dangers and Geralt's concerns for Wayne's safety, he had initially been quite hesitant.
If it was just him, he might have agreed to it long ago.
Geralt sighed insignificantly, and said to Wayne, "Alright, Wayne, later I'll head into the forest to gather herbs, slay a few monsters on the way, and replenish our potion supplies."
"Don't be idle; get the tools needed for potion brewing ready. Then, head to the camp and inquire if they have silver. Find a way to coat your steel sword with a layer of silver plating."
"There are so many monsters in the ruins, only by using the silver sword can we inflict maximum damage on them."
After Geralt finished speaking, Toruviel spoke, "Don't worry, White Wolf, Wayne has already discussed this matter with me before."
"I've requested the blacksmith Vixon in the camp to prepare iron felts and stoves. Everyone should have some silver ornaments on hand. While the conditions might be modest, his skills are quite good, and he should be able to provide some help."
Hearing this, Geralt couldn't help but nodded slightly. To be honest, in his career as a witcher, he had rarely encountered an employer who was willing to support their work and cooperate with them in preparing for the war.
Indeed, the life of a witcher would be significantly easier if every employer were as cooperative and understanding as Toruviel. The support and preparation offered by the elf leader demonstrated a level of consideration that was not always common in their line of work.
In most cases, witchers had to contend with various challenges, ranging from uncooperative employers to hostile environments. Toruviel's approach, therefore, was a refreshing change for Wayne and Geralt.
Geralt pursed his lips, tasted the delicious and sweet cider in his hand, and closed his eyes enjoying it.
"Let's proceed with that plan, Wayne. Toruviel, let's take a break today and focus on making all the pre-war preparations. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll commence the task of cleaning up the ruins."