Chapter 37: The Fourteenth of the Hill

It was the middle of the night, the full moon was shining above, reflecting its light to the canals of Lan Exeter. Mikael was traversing the said canals using canoe, he was rowing gently through the body of water, just admiring the view the city, the smoke that came out of every chimney, the snow on the roof, the howling of the wind as it passed the alleyway of the buildings.

It was a cold yet serene night, the streets at the side of the canals were already abandoned, only a couple of drunk men were walking about, trying their best to go home.

As Mikael passed through a small bridge, he saw a redhead woman, watching him closely on the corner. It was honestly starting to get annoying, these past days, he always saw her at every place he visited. He took a contract for an Amarok wolf in the forest near the city, yet he still saw her, standing between the dead tree. He took a contract for a vendigo north of the city, quite far away he might add, but still, she saw her, watching him ever closely, not even talking to him, nor she approached him, just standing, watching, staring.

As he neared the inn, he sighed. He tied the canoe on the small platform by the canal, and climbed the stairs to the tavern he was staying in.

To his surprise, the woman moved from the corner, approaching him as he opened the door. He walked inside, trying not to care, he sat on the corner of the inn, ordering a pint of mead.

He saw the woman enter the inn, her cloak's still on, covering her red hair from anybody else. Mikael saw her walk up to him, not caring about the stares of the men inside, she just kept walking, and finally, she stood beside Mikael's table, but she didn't say anything.

"Finally pluck up the courage to talk?" Mikael sneered as he sipped his mead.

"I've been watching you." stated the woman.

"Yeah no kidding." snorted Mikael. "Sit down, I'll hear what you want to say."

The woman then sat down, her cloak still on for some reason. Mikael ordered her mead, which she didn't say anything about.

"So, what do you want?" questioned Mikael. "What made you stalk me for almost a week?"

"I just wanted to see what you're capable of." she answered, finally uncloaking herself, revealing a face that could possibly be described as a face sculpted by the gods themselves, well, technically, it's true… because she's a sorceress, she sculpted her face herself…

.Her hair was red like him, her eyes green, and she had this warm yet fake smile on her face.

"Merigold the fearless, who would've thought." Mikael said sarcastically.

The woman chuckled as Mikael said her name. "That title comes from long ago…"

"Okay then, what do you want?" asked Mikael once again. "I remember that you're supposed to be the king's advisor."

The sorceress raised her eyebrow, surprised at Mikael's statement. "How do you know? Geralt?"

"Maybe." shrugged Mikael.

Merigold frowned at the answer, but she shrugged it off. "I can't read your mind."

"That's good. Wouldn't want you to read it anyway."

Merigold looked at Mikael intently, she scanned his entire body, his red hair, his icy blue eyes, his steel right arm. "What are you? It doesn't make sense, you clearly used magic to move that hand, and to use your… power, but I can't sense anything from you, at all."

"You just stalk me just for that?"

"No… but, just… curious…"

"Well, not going to tell you, obviously." said Mikael. "Just straight to the point Merigold, I'm tired."

"Can I… touch you?"

"What? What the hell?" Mikael cursed as he frowned. "No Merigold, just stop, curiosity killed the cat, it applies anywhere, be it Kovir, be it Redania, be it Temeria, everywhere."

"I just wanted to check, are you like… a witcher? Who had anti-magic bodies, or are you like us sorceresses, who draw magic?"

"No Merigold, don't want to answer that, just why are you here? how do you even know me?"

Triss sighed as she drank the mead Mikael bought her. "Fine, I've come to offer you a job."

"A job?"

"Kingdom's affair." continued Triss as she conjured an anti-spy spell. "We're gathering a team. To eradicate the extremists up north."

"And you wanted to recruit me?"

"Yes." said Triss. "I doubted your capabilities at first, but after watching you take contracts around Lan Exeter, I'm convinced you'd do well."

"How do you even know me anyway? Geralt?"

"Well, not really. He just mentioned meeting a powerful man back in white orchard, I also saw you interact with him back at Novigrad, I just connected the dots."

Mikael sighed. "Okay… how's the pay?"

"What do you think?" Triss rolled her eyes. "It's a request from the king, you should imagine."

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"Must be a lot." said Mikael. "And the king must be desperate as well, to tell you to stalk me for weeks on end…"

"Yeah, well, the king can't really do anything right now," said Triss. "Technically, the extremists are refugees, and they haven't really done anything, well, publicly at least."

"Meaning?"

"They have… kidnapped the king's sister." told Triss. "It's not public, because if it is, her head will be detached from her body, and the king doesn't want that…"

"Obviously." hummed Mikael. "So this… team… we're told to rescue her?"

"And kill them all if possible." added Triss with a nod.

"Okay… who's in the team?" Mikael questioned. "I mean, you just saved a shit ton of mages from Novigrad, must've had volunteers from that."

"Yes, but not enough." answered Triss. "While we are powerful, we tend to be frail if we're surrounded…"

"Really? Triss Merigold said that?" snorted Mikael.

"Well…" giggled Triss. "Not all of us…"

Mikael sighed. "And how do you think I could fill that position?"

"I saw you at the mine." answered Triss. "Your strange curse… or is it a gift? Anyway, it'll definitely be useful."

Mikael hummed as he gulped his mead until it's empty. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Splendid, I'll–"

"But…" Mikael continued. "I need a guarantee that I won't be involved in politics in any way."

"Don't worry, it won't be like that…"

"I'm serious Merigold." Mikael sternly stated. "If your words aren't true, Tankred's head will be mounted on top of his castle."

Triss frowned as she placed her hands on the table. "You're quite cocky, do you have any things to back those words?"

Mikael just touched her hand, rot instantly spreading slowly from her hand, making her pull her hands from the table.

She looked at her hands. She tried to heal it, but couldn't, she used her fire magic, but it won't disappear, slowly spreading from the tip of her finger.

"What is this?" questioned Triss.

"You should know, you stalked me for a week after all."

Triss looked at her rotting hands. "Get rid of it."

"Tell me the truth Triss, what will happen to me if I succeed?"

"I'll tell you if you get rid of it." Triss insisted as rot continued to spread to her elbow.

"No. Tell me. Now."

Triss sighed. "Fine, you'll be knighted, that's it. And your rewards of course."

"What's the reward?"

"Not fixed yet." shook Triss's head.

Mikael sighed, and asked for her hand. As Triss touched Mikael's left hand, the rot disappeared, not a single speck remained.

Mikael then smiled as Triss inspected her hand thoroughly. "Well, when's the job?"

"I'll find you when the time comes." Triss said with a bit of annoyance. She stood up, and stood beside the table once again, cloaking her body. "Can't say it's been nice meeting you."

"Well, you stalked me for a week, if Shani found out, oh all hell will break loose…" chuckled Mikael. "After all, they say that redheads are born from fire, don't you think so, Merigold?"

Triss was surprised. "You know Shani?"

"I'm surprised you didn't know." stated Mikael. "Anyway, so long." he said, standing up from his chair, walking upstairs to his room, leaving Triss alone.

Triss just stood there for a good minute, staring at the chair that Mikael just sat on, and to her hand where the rot used to stain.

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