A Romantic Adventure

“… wow… that’s a face…”

istredd’s always had a strong connection to his parents. they might not have had a strong connection to each other but they loved him very much. his mother enyd taught him to play the lute and to sketch. his father adelhard taught him to research and map the stars.

as an only child he spent much time with his parents. he was one of the few things they never had cause to “discuss” (what they called quarreling). he was a  precocious child, if a bit odd by most koviri standards. he wasn’t overly fond of fishing, his parents had no plans to involve him in mining or mineral refinement, and he had no desire to become a merchant or a court attendant.

“… waiting for this moment where you realize we’re meant for each other…”

istredd’s never been shy about his attraction to both sexes. in lan exeter his parents made sure his attraction to men was kept a strict secret but outside their walls istredd did as he liked. there was one boy in particular who would sit outside istredd’s window when he heard the darker boy plucking away at his lute. istredd would always sing a little louder if he knew the boy was there.

some nights istredd would climb out his window. they would lay in the grass, side by side, and watch the stars crawl across the sky.

“… that’s all i care about…”

being stationed in aedd gynvael and being koviri himself meant that istredd knew of vilgefortz. he knew of his abandonment as a child and his decision to become a mage later in life. it was a foolish choice, in istredd’s opinion, and even more foolish to admit him to the chapter. vilgefortz was deeply disturbed and istredd believed he was susceptible to the sort of madness a mage could succumb to.

but, being that he chose to be a scholar and not a politician, istredd stayed out of it. until after the battle of sodden hill. 

until after he discovered that emhyr would not take the loss without retribution. being an academic unwilling to play by the rules of diplomacy meant that he’d unwittingly become a spy trusted by the nilfgaardians with whom he’d become acquainted in nazair.

“… they allow my research…”

as a member of the brotherhood, istredd was obligated to fight at the battle of sodden hill. it wasn’t his preference to get involved in war with the nilfgaardians given the nature of his research on territory they’d claimed, so instead he fought in secret. istredd disguised himself and told none who he was but he’s always suspected tissaia might have known. he was careful to stay away from triss merigold or yennefer as they would be the quickest to recognize him should his disguise slip.

      she practically recoiled at being called miss. she wasn’t completely sure but it was perhaps the first time she had ever been addressed in such a way. ‘’    Aye. Pack layers. It gets cold up there.’’  the ruins were a day or two’s ride from Kaer Trolde through the snowcapped mountains to the northern face of the island. Mainlanders were often unprepared for how bitterly cold it could get. 

                                                                        - x -

        the morning was pleasant but cold. the sky was a pastel blue without a cloud in sight. there was a cool breeze that carried the scent of sea salt and evergreens from below the keep. she was not a morning person. dark lashes were almost shut as she sat at the stables waiting for the mage. beside the remnants of her breakfast. thick porridge, a small selection of fresh fruit and a mug of steaming tea.. she hears footsteps approaching, her green gaze befalls the mage and his luggage. she pushes herself to her feet. 

      ‘’   Right on time.’’ her voice is hoarse as it often was this early in the morning. ‘’Two rules. Do what I say. There are ice trolls, wolves, bears.. maybe even ICE GIANTS up there, we don’t want to run into one of them.’’ she swigs the rest of her fruit juice and clears her throat. ‘’     Stay on the track. Doubt it would do yer research much good if yer at the bottom of a ravine.’’ she quickly braids her thick black hair to keep it from her face and plants her apple firmly between her teeth before she climbs atop her horse. 

      ‘’     J O R Y A,  by the way.’’ he extends a gloved hand to the mage. 

despite his would-be guide’s insistence, istredd packed light. he wasn’t a fan of pyromancy (or much fire for that matter), but he knew a few clever tricks to keep himself warm without being weighed down. a harmless little stone encouraged to hold heat would do well enough. it could serve to use his chaos as a warning should something sneak up on them as well. his concerns were far more considerable than bandits and brigands but the stone would alert him to those as well.

istredd wasted little time eating a meal before his meeting at the stables. an apple, a heel of bread, and a flagon of ale. he made sure the two bags he brought with him were full of the most necessary supplies and little else. by habit he was a light packer anyway. it did pleasantly surprise him to find that his guide hadn’t been all bluster and was, in fact, waiting for him at the stables.

istredd listened to her warnings and attempted to hide his amusement. while he understood she was likely doing her job, he was already several times over her age and could do a thing few others could without being consumed by madness. a mage - a battle mage at that - scarcely needed a woman with a sword to protect him. that being said, he was sure she was skilled enough to dispatch anything that came their way without his help.

 The ground is slippery, and Philippa nearly loses her footing as she makes her way down the slope, kicking loose a handful of rocks in her attempt to stay on her feet. Should have just flown, she thinks, hoping that Istredd has been too occupied with his own descent to notice. 

She casts another glance towards the sky, her eyes narrowing in concentration. The colours are wrong. The light is fractured. The energy shifts.

“Oh, don’t worry.” The sorceress’ expression grows serious. “I know exactly what this is. And I don’t like it one bit.” 

She cracks her knuckles, performs an experimental flourish to limber her fingers. This was going to be interesting, to say the least. Philippa flashes a sharp smile. Nothing like a display of confidence in the face of potential disaster.

“Well? What are you waiting for? No time to waste, my friend. We’ve got ourselves a rift to close.”  

While his companion might not like it, Istredd was thrilled. He’d never been able to study a rift up close and personal. It’d been some months since he’d been able to practice his shielding and he could feel the chaos bubbling under his skin, begging for release. As he climbed down the slope, he wiggled his fingers against the tingling sensation building in them.

“Well then I suppose we should greet our guests and hope their arrival hasn’t attracted anyone who might overstay their welcome,” Istredd said, picking up the pace. Logically he knew most would be foolish to head towards a rift but he and his companion were a bit more than just human.

“Have you seen one before? What’s it like? What comes through it? Why do they form?” Istredd rattled off questions as they sped towards the disturbance. There was so much about it he wanted to know!