Red- The Witcher

Fate

Sage

"Mother," Cahir called out to me. I shot up, gripping his arms tightly and I knew my eyes were clouded and my hair was a piercing gray, showing my other side of sheer terror from my nightmares. "Are you okay?"

"I have to go," I said breathlessly. I knew we had reached Cintra when the Elves were standing. "I have to find the girl."

"Let me go with you," Yennefer stated.

"You're no use to me."

"Mother, you're not going anywhere," Cahir told me. "Allow me to take you to Cintra and you can relax for the night and think about this decision."

"Think?" I spat. "You were the one chasing her around the Continent and now that another hunter is looking for their prey, you've gotten defensive." He stayed silent and I stood, following the crowd out.

The walls of Cintra had tumbled so there were Nilfgaardian guards posted at each front. Not caring, I marched pass the long line of Elves who were getting their papers checked, and went to the guard who was leading.

"I want a horse, a bag of food, a map, and a big jug of beer," I ordered frantically. I was partially insane at the moment and it was normal.

"Who the fuck are you?!" the guard shouted.

"Sage Anika," I replied. I glanced at Cahir and added, "Dyffryn. Sage Anika Dyffryn."

"Who cares," he told me. "Back of the line!"

"Then allow me in," Cahir said. "I am Commander Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach and I would like to speak with Fringilla."

"Bring them up," a woman said from above. I looked up to see the Elf with bright red hair like mine if it weren't gray.

"That's Francesca," Yennefer told me.

We were escorted by guards and taken into the castle that I had been in before, and were placed in a room. The Elven Queen came in, pregnant, with a man, Filavandrel, and the mage I presumed Cahir wanted to speak with, Fringilla.

"Cahir," she greeted. The mage eyed Yennefer and me. "Yennefer. Sage, correct?"

"Yes," I said. My head tilted and my eyes narrowed at the mage, the Elf, and the former sorceress who seemed to have a shared secret I couldn't quite figure out.

"What is it you say you needed?" Francesca asked.

"I've been set on a path to find someone," I told her. "Now that I've found my son and know he's in a safe place, I am calm."

"Cahir is your son?" Fringilla inquired.

"Yes."

"Let's move on," Francesca said. "I will give you the things you need for you journey only if you tell me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Will my baby..." she began, rubbing her belly. "Will it live?"

"Elves aren't notorious for having safe births, that's why they're numbers are depleting," Yennefer informed me. "We believe this child will be a miracle."

I motioned her to come forward and she reluctantly did. I touched her belly and closed my eyes, feeling the pain and disparity of the future events. I could not intervene with fate and I had to make the decision of letting the child he sacrificed for the greater good.

"She will survive pass childbirth," I told her with a warm smile.

"She?" Filavandrel inquired and I nodded, pulling back.