— Third-Person Point of View —
The dwarves, who were preparing to return to Rivendell, halted at the sound of a horse's hooves and turned toward where the noise was coming from. A muscular, well-built yet remarkably graceful and beautiful woman appeared, riding a large brown horse and wearing fur armor. Her eyes were ocean blue, and her long golden-blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. A Viking-made round shield rested on her back, and at her belt hung a single one-handed axe.
The woman rode up in front of the dwarves and examined each of them carefully. Then her gaze stopped on the face of Thorin Oakenshield. Grinning, she asked,
"Hello, handsome. Would you happen to be Thorin Oakenshield, the one traveling with Igris?"
Dwalin let out a bewildered groan.
"Someone else looking for Igris again?! Just how famous is this man?"
Balin looked at the woman and nodded.
"Yes, we are the Oakenshield company, and this here is Thorin Oakenshield. Who are you? What do you want with Igris?"
The woman looked at Balin and nodded in return.
"My name is Matheld. I come from Calradia, and I'm here to meet Igris."
Balin looked surprised, then spoke as he grasped the situation.
"I see. Igris stepped away for a short while, but he will return within a few hours. Come with us—there are others from Calradia staying with us as well."
Matheld raised an eyebrow.
"Any Nords among them?"
Balin thought for a moment before answering.
"No. Khuzaits and Vaegirs."
When Matheld heard the name Vaegir, she spat on the ground and spoke in a disdainful tone.
"I hate those cunning, slippery bastards. I suppose you don't know, old man, but the Nords and the Vaegirs have been bitter rivals tearing at each other's throats for years."
Balin scratched his head in mild confusion and thought to himself,
'That's right… In the lands these people come from, war never truly ends.'
Meanwhile, Thorin stared at Matheld in astonishment, unable to take his eyes off her for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ahem. Igris is occupied with something, and the Vaegirs are under his command. So remain calm until he returns."
Matheld thought for a moment, then nodded.
"In that case, lead the way, handsome. Let's go to where you're staying. If those slippery Vaegirs behave themselves, so will I. Besides, Igris must first pass my test."
Zoltan stared at Matheld blankly, a thought forming in his mind.
'This woman feels like trouble… but why does she feel more like a dwarf than a human?'
Not only Zoltan, but the other dwarves felt the same thing. Dwalin grinned and looked at Fili.
"I like this woman."
Fili, still somewhat bewildered, looked at her and nodded.
Meanwhile, Igris was riding forward, Shadowmane moving at a slowed pace.
"So you're saying you have nothing to do with this… Zoltan was chosen entirely by chance."
System: [Both yes and no. There are certain filters in your system—we discussed this before. Those you summon are selected to be loyal and trustworthy, and to be compatible with your character. Once you earn their friendship, if you do not betray them, they will not betray you… unless they are forced to.]
After thinking for a moment, Igris spoke again.
"What I don't understand is why Zoltan agreed to come. And from what point in time does he originate? What if his absence causes a critical problem in Geralt and Ciri's journey?"
System: [Zoltan Chivay agreed to come because of his close friend and older-brother figure, Kargan Colwen. As for the timeline… seven months after the Wild Hunt. I suppose you still haven't realized.]
Igris raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Realized what?"
At that moment, the sound of hoofbeats came from behind him. Shadowmane drew in a deep breath through his nostrils and neighed.
"That scent is magnificent! She's here!"
Igris looked at his horse.
"Who?"
Then he glanced back, and at that moment the system spoke.
System: [Ciri is no longer in her own world…]
As Igris watched the rider approaching behind him, he thought to himself,
'Well… she can travel between worlds now anyway. Doesn't concern me…'
As the rider drew closer, he frowned. The system spoke again.
System: [You are mistaken. It concerns you very much.]
The rider came alongside Igris and slowed her pace, and the system finished its sentence.
System: [Because she is beside you right now.]
For a moment, Igris could not comprehend what was happening and stared blankly at Ciri, who had ridden up next to him. Ciri spoke calmly.
"Hello. Your name is Igris, right? I'm Ciri… though you probably already know that. But you look as if you don't recognize me."
Igris seemed to experience a brief mental crash, as if his mind had gone completely blank, and he brought Shadowmane to a halt. After riding a few steps ahead, Ciri stopped and looked back at him with curiosity.
"Is something wrong?"
Igris stood frozen for several seconds, then stared at Ciri in astonishment, his mouth slightly open. With a trembling hand, he pointed at her and murmured.
"… Are you Ciri, Geralt's adopted daughter? The so-called Lady of Time and Space?"
Ciri smiled faintly and nodded.
"Nice to meet you. I'm glad you remember."
Igris froze like stone, then tapped his helmet with his hand, a sharp headache pounding through his skull.
'System…'
System: [Yes, Igris?]
'Could you give me a strong painkiller or something?'
System: […]
Ciri turned her horse and approached him.
"Is something wrong?"
Igris couldn't speak for a moment. He took a deep breath.
"…Let's just say I've had too many surprises today… Nice to meet you, Ciri."
Ciri nodded, and Igris, pulling himself together, urged his horse forward.
"If you want, you can return to the dwarves. We'll meet in Rivendell anyway."
Ciri was briefly surprised by Igris's indifference, but she turned her horse and followed him.
"I want to come with you."
Igris turned his head and looked at her curiously.
"Why?"
Ciri answered calmly.
"I want to get to know the one who hired me."
Igris paused for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
"…Suit yourself."
Ciri was momentarily taken aback. She knew Igris was aware of many of her abilities… though those abilities would remain sealed for quite some time, she didn't think he knew that. What she didn't understand was why her presence seemed to make him uneasy.
"…Does my being here bother you?"
Igris hesitated, unsure what to say.
"…Something like that."
Ciri raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"…My life just got more complicated… I already had enough trouble on my hands…"
Ciri's brow furrowed.
"Why am I trouble to you?"
Igris stared at her blankly, then began counting on his fingers.
"As if it weren't enough that a cold-blooded witcher and a half-mad sorceress might come after me, you also possess an ability that causes dimensional instability. And if anything happens to you, my relationship with the witchers could sour… which means now I have to keep you safe and protect you as well…"
Ciri's frown deepened.
"I don't need your protection! I'm not weak."
Igris shook his head.
"I'm aware of that. You're probably one of the strongest—and most beautiful—women across multiple worlds…"
Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, Ciri flushed slightly in surprise, but Igris continued, oblivious.
"But the dark powers in this world are not weak… If they discover your ability, they will want you…"
A sudden, intense headache struck Igris. Names of those who might covet Ciri flashed through his mind.
'On the side of the light: Saruman and Lady Galadriel would certainly take an interest in Ciri's gift… the dragons might as well, though aside from Saruman, they wouldn't push too far… The real problem is the dark powers: Sauron, Crone Hellebron, Malekith, Morathi, the sorcerers of the Black Circle, Isabella and Vlad von Carstein… and others I don't even know… My head hurts even more…'
Igris sighed and looked at Ciri.
"…Why are your cheeks red? Are you sick? You can head backh downh back if you want."
Ciri flinched slightly, then replied in a calm tone.
"I'm fine… it's just a bit warm."
Igris glanced up at the blazing summer sun in the sky and shrugged. Then he looked back at Ciri.
"So how did you end up here?"
Ciri was just about to answer when Igris spoke again.
"Wait, let me guess… Zoltan decides to leave and wants to say goodbye to his old friend Geralt… You happen to be there by chance, you worry about Zoltan and decide to come along, and somehow you follow him… Am I wrong?"
Ciri looked at Igris in surprise and nodded. Ignoring her look, Igris asked curiously,
"Didn't Geralt and Yennefer object? Did they really allow the two of you to come here because of such a strange proposal?"
Ciri answered calmly.
"They did object… but Zoltan insisted."
Igris nodded.
"I see… and you?"
Ciri thought for a moment before speaking.
"…I wanted to come too… I don't want to lose anyone again… You know more or less what my life has been like, don't you?"
Igris flinched slightly, then looked at Ciri and sighed.
"Yes… and none of what happened was your fault."
Ciri let out a deep breath.
"No, it was my fault… My existence only brought trouble to everyone…"
Igris rolled his eyes and looked at her.
"Look at me."
Ciri turned toward him, but instead of an explanation she was met with a black-gloved hand, the middle finger drawn back like a bowstring. Igris flicked her on the forehead.
PAT!
"Ah!"
Holding her forehead, Ciri stared at him in shock, mixed with anger.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Igris met her eyes and spoke firmly.
"Stop blaming yourself like an idiot, Ciri. I've never heard anything more ridiculous than blaming yourself just because some people want your power. Back in your world, kings wanted to rule everything—would it have been better if that world had never existed? Other people's desires, and what they do for them, concern them—not you. And those who chase your power are pathetic. I've never seen a more pitiful pile of trash than those who hunt a defenseless girl because they lack strength of their own."
Igris fell silent and looked ahead.
"I hate people who despise themselves because of thoughts like that. Please don't talk like that around me—it's irritating."
Ciri stared at him, stunned, unsure what to say. Meanwhile, Igris glanced at the perverted horse in front of him, his eyebrow twitching. Shadowmane's entire focus was on the horse beside them.
"When I saw you, I felt an illumination in my heart. Those beautiful eyes of yours and your snow-white coat fill my soul with warmth. What do you say, would you like to spend some time with me, my beauty?"
Ciri's horse completely ignored Shadowmane and kept walking, but Shadowmane was not about to give up.
"Don't play hard to get, girl! Where are you going to find a handsome stallion like me? I'm one of a kind in Middle-earth!"
Igris rolled his eyes.
"Of course you are. You're the most handsome horse in all of Arda."
Ciri looked at Igris in astonishment, while Shadowmane neighed proudly.
"That's right! I'm the most handsome horse on this planet!"
Igris seriously considered smacking Shadowmane on the head, but gave up and spoke instead.
"I wouldn't glorify yourself too much. There are horses in Rivendell you couldn't handle."
Shadowmane quickly looked back, snorted smoke from his nostrils, and neighed loudly.
"ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FIGHT?!"
Igris looked at him with disdain.
"Do you have the courage for that? Sounds like you want to spend the whole year eating dry hay. I'm the one who feeds you, remember?"
Shadowmane looked at Igris scornfully.
"And who carries you everywhere on his back, saves you from death, and stands beside you in insane and deadly missions? ME!"
Igris fell silent for a moment while Shadowmane continued to neigh.
"Our duties are mutual! I carry you, you take care of me! A simple rule, and our partnership depends on it! Not to mention the psychological counseling I provide you!"
Igris's expression darkened further. Shadowmane neighed again.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must build a connection with my destined mate!"
Igris sat on the saddle with a grim face while Shadowmane ignored him.
"AHEM! Now then, where were we, my beauty?"
Ciri's horse rolled its eyes and gave a dismissive snort.
"Men…"
Ciri watched the scene with bewilderment and spoke.
"Are you… all right?"
Igris nodded with a dark expression.
"Yes."
When Ciri continued to look at him strangely, Igris explained,
"You travel between worlds, you teleport—that's your ability. One of mine is talking to animals."
Ciri looked at him in surprise.
"You can understand them? Like a druid?"
Igris shook his head.
"No, we talk directly—just like you and I are talking right now."
Ciri sighed and nodded.
"At least people don't hunt you for it."
Igris rolled his eyes.
"True… aside from a five-hundred-year-old deranged vampire woman, countless bounty hunters, dark elves, and orcs, no one's after me. On the bright side, at least they're not chasing me for my power."
Ciri raised an eyebrow.
"You're being hunted too? Why?"
Igris looked up at the sky and spoke with a hint of dry drama.
"Let's call it the result of a life full of adventure… I cleaned up a lot of filth and ended up making countless enemies. There's a bounty on my head worth over eighty thousand gold."
Ciri stared at him in shock.
"How much gold?!"
Igris shrugged. Ciri looked at him blankly and spoke again.
"…Aren't you about my age? How did you manage to do things worth a bounty like that?"
Igris thought for a moment and gave a serious answer.
"I have no idea… I was just minding my own business."
Igris remained silent for a while, then turned to Ciri, who was giving him strange, sidelong looks.
"At least, unlike some people, I'm not being hunted across dimensions, all right!?"
Ciri frowned.
"That's definitely not the same thing!"
Igris laughed in a careless, mocking way as he replied.
"The circumstances are different, but the essence is the same. We're both wanted people. One of us because of power, the other because of his head… we're not that different."
Ciri froze for a moment, unable to respond, and Igris chuckled at her expression. After a short silence between them, Ciri asked curiously,
"So… what are they talking about?"
Igris looked at her in confusion.
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Ciri spoke again.
"The horses, I mean."
Igris understood at once.
"Ah… are you sure you want to know that?"
Ciri looked at him with interest.
"Why would you say that?"
Igris sighed.
"…They're not talking about very pleasant things."
Ciri's curiosity only grew.
"You can tell me. I'm not a fragile woman."
Igris paused for a moment, then nodded.
"In short, Shadowmane—my perverted horse—is flirting with your horse. He wants her to be his mate, and so on… Your horse, on the other hand, is completely uninterested…"
Ciri flinched and looked at Igris's horse in shock.
"You're joking, right!?"
Igris covered his face with his hands.
"I wish… my horse is a complete womanizer."
At that moment, Ciri's horse, Snowball, was listening to the conversation with her ears pinned back. Igris, not noticing this, continued.
"He makes advances on every female he sees… If he weren't such a good companion, I would've replaced him with another horse long ago…"
Igris stroked Shadowmane's neck.
"Still… he's a very reliable friend…"
Shadowmane, however, was completely detached from the world, busy flirting with the horse beside him; he hadn't even heard what Igris said. Ciri's horse recoiled in disgust. Shadowmane, startled, stepped closer to her.
"Wait! What's happening? Why are you moving away?"
Ciri's horse suddenly turned her head and neighed sharply at him.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME! PERVERT!"
Shadowmane flinched. Igris stared at Ciri's horse in astonishment. Ciri looked back and forth between her horse and Igris in confusion.
"What's going on?"
Igris calmly leaned sideways in the saddle, bringing his mouth close to Ciri's ear.
"I think your horse heard what I was saying… If a pervert were harassing you, what would you do?"
Ciri frowned.
"I'd introduce him to the cold kiss of Zireael…"
Then, in that instant, she understood.
"I see…"
After she nodded, Igris whistled indifferently. Shadowmane, meanwhile, stood frozen in shock, and after a few steps he stopped moving altogether. Ciri glanced back, trying to make her horse stop, but Snowball kept walking. For a moment Ciri was surprised, but then she understood, leaned forward, stroked her horse, and spoke gently.
"It's all right, Snowball… if he bothers you, I'll handle it. Now stop."
Snowball hesitated for a moment, but finally stopped. Behind them, Igris had begun to laugh.
"Hahahaha… my friend, I told you to control yourself… and you were bragging about women, too."
Shadowmane remained rooted to the spot, stiff and shocked, making no sound at all. Igris looked at him curiously.
"My friend… are you all right? It's not the first time you've been rejected, after all."
Shadowmane couldn't answer. Igris leaned forward in surprise and looked into his horse's eyes.
"Hey! I'm talking to you—are you okay?"
Shadowmane neighed faintly.
"I was rejected… by the love of my life…"
Igris rolled his eyes.
"You say that about every beautiful horse you see!"
Shadowmane shook his head.
"This is different… when I saw her, every other horse suddenly seemed ugly to me…"
Igris blinked, utterly baffled.
"Are you kidding me? You. Fell in love. With a single horse! Is Morgoth breaking his seals, or has the apocalypse come?"
This time Igris was genuinely astonished. Shadowmane neighed calmly, but in a dramatic tone.
"When I saw her, she took my heart and crushed it beneath her hooves… my soul was purified, and a burning ember fell into my heart."
Igris's mouth hung open; he muttered, doubting reality itself.
"…this guy's got it bad. Completely smitten."
At that moment, Ciri turned her horse and rode up beside Igris.
"Is everything all right?"
Igris looked at Ciri, still bewildered.
"…I don't know… I think the sun must have risen backwards this morning… Shadowmane isn't acting like himself at all."
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(3070 Words)