This is a non-commercial fanfic based on the universes of The Witcher and Disco Elysium. All rights to the original works, characters, names, and elements of their respective worlds belong to their respective copyright holders. The author of this fanfic does not claim ownership of any of them. Age rating: rated R (18+). The text contains profanity, alcohol, fictional drugs, violence, and other themes intended for an adult audience.
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across a thousand miles and all the years we have lived.”
— Helen Keller, “The World I Live In”
NARRATOR – After parting ways with Jaskier, you follow the innkeeper’s directions and set off in search of the fence and the hole he mentioned. Everything around you is bleak, damp, and gray. Vernon says nothing.
DISCERNMENT [Medium: Success] – Well, look at that… There’s something lying in the mud. Something black, lonely, and rather revolting.
UMBRA [Easy: Success] – I suspect this something is directly connected to you. How could it be otherwise? Lately, everything black, wet, lonely, and wronged by life seems to have something to do with you.
NARRATOR – You cautiously pick the strange object up from the ground, doing your best not to touch it more than necessary. It turns out to be a well-worn leather boot. Once, it must have looked quite respectable, even distinguished. Those days are long gone.
KEEN EYE [Easy: Success] – There are shards of broken glass scattered all over the place. The second-floor window of the tavern is broken as well.
DIALECTIC [Trivial: Failure] – The obvious conclusion is that someone smashed the window with a boot. Strange, though. Why would anyone need to do something like that?
VERNON ROCHE – Did you find something? What have you got there?
NARRATOR – Vernon frowns for a moment, then looks at you with a sly glint in his narrowed eyes.
VERNON ROCHE – To be perfectly honest, I was going to ask why you’ve been walking around with only one boot. What happened to the other one? But now, in light of your discovery, things are beginning to fall into place. Remarkable…
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Failure] – Is he trying to make a joke, or is he actually serious?..
DIALECTIC [Trivial: Success] – Either way, Vernon is right. The thing obviously belongs to you. Congratulations: you smashed the window with your own boot.
ARTISTRY [Medium: Failure] – Perhaps it was an act of utter despair. A symbolic break with the past.
DIALECTIC – Or you were simply drunk and threw it without giving much thought to the consequences.
ARTISTRY – Yes. That is also possible.
NARRATOR – You turn the newly recovered boot upside down and shake out some shapeless filth.
STEADINESS [Easy: Success] – Whatever you do, don’t smell it.
VERNON ROCHE – Perhaps we should visit a cobbler this evening… We have a great deal of walking ahead of us.
NARRATOR – You choose not to respond and pull the boot onto your left foot. The inside is unpleasantly damp, and with every step it makes a quiet squelching sound.
FORTITUDE [Medium: Success] – Fits perfectly!
NARRATOR – You continue along the tavern wall. The air smells of smoke and roasting meat — apparently, they’ve already started preparing lunch at the Shaggy Bear. Before long, you do indeed come across a flimsy wattle fence with a sizeable hole smashed through it. Around the gap, a few strange tracks can just barely be made out.
KEEN EYE [Challenging: Success] – It looks as though someone rode a horse through here — out and back again. Whoever rode through here was also the one who broke through the fence. From here, the tracks lead toward the fountain.
YOU – Three or four days ago, some lunatic was galloping around here. Looks like he smashed through the fence and rode off.
NARRATOR – The man in the turban thoughtfully scratches his clean-shaven chin.
VERNON ROCHE – Do you think this could be connected to our case somehow? Perhaps the killer was trying to leave the crime scene as quickly as possible? Maybe someone startled him?..
DIALECTIC [Challenging: Success] – Unlikely. The fence was broken through from this side. Which means our supposed killer would have been riding into the backyard, not out of it.
YOU – I don’t think so… He smashed through the fence from the street side. I don’t know. Maybe it has nothing to do with the investigation after all.
DOMINANCE [Easy: Success] – And yet you cannot simply let this pass. Every state begins with a border, and a fence is a tiny border in its own right. Ergo, an attack upon a fence is an attack upon the very idea of order. Qui saepem frangit, rem publicam vulnerat. If the opportunity arises, this scoundrel must be apprehended and brought to justice. No one may break fences in the capital of Temeria with impunity!
BRAWN [Challenging: Success] – In other words, we need to kick the little bastard’s ass!
DOMINANCE – Precisely.
NARRATOR – Passing through the hole in the fence, you emerge into a fairly large, muddy yard. To the left yawns a broad pit about half a meter deep, choked with assorted rubbish; apparently, the locals have turned it into an impromptu dump. To the right stands a crooked shed, its door secured with a heavy padlock. And directly ahead, at the center of the yard, grows a dark, gnarled tree that seems to give off an almost palpable sense of dread. Hardly surprising: a rotting corpse hangs from one of its branches. The dead man is utterly revolting to look at, and the stench coming off him is sharp enough to turn your stomach. Bloated. Darkened. A swollen sack of flesh that was once a human being. The head has lolled to one side. The face is puffed beyond recognition, the tongue protruding from the mouth like some final, failed thought left unfinished.
KEEN EYE [Challenging: Success] – Advanced decomposition. Marked tissue swelling, discoloration of the skin, and a strong odor of decay. All signs suggest that death occurred no less than four days ago. There are also numerous minor external injuries — almost certainly the work of gulls.
NARRATOR – Not far from the tree, a boy and a girl of about twelve are busy amusing themselves. Both are red-haired, unimaginably filthy, and look more like goblins than human children. You watch as the boy picks up a stone, giggles with delight, and hurls it straight at the corpse hanging from the tree. His aim is good. The body gives a faint sway. The girl cheers him on, punctuating her encouragement with obscenities. Neither of them pays the slightest attention to you.
SENSIBILITY [Easy: Success] – To them, the corpse is nothing more than a local attraction and a free source of entertainment.
DEFTNESS [Medium: Failure] – The dead man’s feet seem to be about a meter above the ground. And the rope is tied at least three meters up… Hard to say for certain, but either way, reaching the noose is going to be a problem.
NARRATOR – Vernon studies the tree carefully. Apparently, much the same thought has occurred to him.
VERNON ROCHE – Hmm… I must admit, this is worse than I expected. I don’t know whether you’ve already tried to get the body down, but if you have, I can see why you failed.
NARRATOR – He points toward the branch.
VERNON ROCHE – The rope looks sturdy, and reaching the knot would mean climbing to a considerable height. Frankly, I find that prospect rather unappealing.
ELOQUENCE [Trivial: Success] – Translation: he has absolutely no intention of climbing up there.
CODEX [Challenging: Success] – You know for a fact that in naval battles, arrows with special crescent-shaped heads are sometimes used to sever the rigging of enemy ships. With sufficient skill, one of those could cut through a rope. It would require an exceptionally accurate shot, however.
YOU – Maybe we could somehow… shoot it down? With a bow, for example?
NARRATOR – Your companion shakes his head doubtfully.
VERNON ROCHE – In theory, it’s not a bad idea…
MASQUE [Medium: Failure] – Magnificent, maestro! A splendid plan. With a bow in your hand, you shall look like a young god of the hunt!
VERNON ROCHE – …Still, I think we should rule it out.
MASQUE – Oh, the cruelty!
VERNON ROCHE – First, we’d need a good bow and special arrows. Second, we’d need a marksman capable of hitting the rope itself rather than the corpse — or his own foot.
NARRATOR – Roche continues to study the body thoughtfully. It slowly turns on the rope, as though waiting to hear where his reasoning will lead.
VERNON ROCHE – Unfortunately, I don’t possess that kind of skill… Witchers, as far as I know, are masters of the sword, not the bow. Third, the arrow would inevitably fly beyond the edge of this yard and might very well strike some old woman on her way home from the market. No. It’s too difficult and too dangerous.
DIALECTIC [Trivial: Success] – Sound arguments.
BRAWN [Easy: Success] – We should BURN the damn tree! Now that would be a truly FIERY solution!
VERNON ROCHE – Anticipating any further suggestions, let me say this now: we are not going to burn it, cut it down, or blow it up.
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Success] – Exactly the same thought occurred to him. Or Vernon simply guessed that it had occurred to you.
YOU – Well, then we’ll have to ask someone for help.
VERNON ROCHE – You mean call in some experts?
YOU – Yes… Something like that.
NARRATOR – A humorless smile flickers across his face.
VERNON ROCHE – The problem is that we are the experts they called in to solve this particular problem.
NARRATOR – The words hang in the air.
VERNON ROCHE – Still… it seems you’re right. We won’t manage this on our own. We’ll have to negotiate with the local guards and have them send someone over with a ladder and a knife… They left the body untouched because they were waiting for us to arrive. Though the locals still managed to trample half the yard and strip the dead man of his belongings, so we can hardly call the crime scene untouched.
NARRATOR – Roche falls silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
SENSIBILITY [Easy: Success] – For some reason, the prospect of involving the city guard in the case seems to trouble him. Perhaps because the rumors will soon spread through every tavern in the district. Or perhaps there is something more to it.
VERNON ROCHE – Yes. I think that would be the most sensible course of action.
SENSIBILITY – “Sensible” does not mean “best” in this case. He’s merely choosing the lesser of two evils.
VERNON ROCHE – Although, from what I’ve heard, the captain of the guard in the Temple Quarter is a difficult man to deal with. There are also reasons to suspect that some of his dealings may not be entirely above board, which means he is unlikely to welcome our attention.
ARTISTRY [Trivial: Success] – A corrupt guard captain in a poor district? How depressingly commonplace.
VERNON ROCHE – But we need to get the body down today and hand it over to the coroner. Another day or two, and there’ll be hardly anything left to examine. It’s already in an advanced state of decomposition, and besides, the birds — and some of the locals — have been at it. I mean, there’s practically no clothing left on the corpse.
KEEN EYE [Trivial: Success] – More precisely, only the undergarments and boots remain.
DIALECTIC [Easy: Success] – He was a nobleman, so his clothes were probably expensive. Hardly surprising that someone took them. Only the boots were left alone — most likely because so much filth had collected inside that no one dared touch them.
VERNON ROCHE – Not to mention those young delinquents who are still mutilating the corpse by throwing stones at it.
YOU – Speaking of which, maybe those children know something. Or saw something. I think we should ask them a few questions.
NARRATOR – As if on cue, the children fall silent and begin listening intently. The boy turns the stone over in his hands, uncertain whether to throw it now or save it for later. The girl watches you from under lowered brows, wary and suspicious. If things go wrong, she’s already prepared to bolt.
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Success] – Suspicion and distrust seem to have been fed to them with their mother’s milk. And yet they are intensely curious to see what happens next.
NARRATOR – The pair take a few hesitant, furtive steps toward you, still saying nothing.
VERNON ROCHE – I wouldn’t… let’s say, go looking for trouble. Children who throw stones at a corpse are not usually known for their respect for the law. Besides, I doubt they know anything useful.
NARRATOR – At Vernon’s last remark, the red-haired boy spits noisily on the ground and defiantly folds his skinny arms across his chest.
GINGER KID – I know a FUCKTON of stuff, Bedouin!
NARRATOR – The girl beside him bares her teeth in delight, as though that had been another successful throw rather than an answer. Vernon does not even turn toward the ginger goblin.
VERNON ROCHE – You see? In any case, we can question them later. First, let’s examine the ground for tracks. Fortunately, there hasn’t been any rain for the past few days, and today’s drizzle only started about half an hour ago. I admit this isn’t my area of expertise, so I’ll have to rely on your witcher’s instincts.
FORTITUDE [Challenging: Failure] – Just don’t get too close to that blasted corpse. Don’t bend over, and don’t breathe too deeply. Otherwise you’ll vomit. Frankly, it’s a wonder you haven’t already, considering the state of your hangover and the delightful aroma wafting off the hanged man.
GINGER KID – Go on, mutt! Bend down lower! Get on all fours and bark!
ELOQUENCE [Easy: Failure] – Tell him to go to hell.
YOU – Shut up.
GINGER KID – There! Do it again! Give us another little bark!
KEEN EYE [Challenging: Success] – Don’t get distracted. Now, let’s see… First of all, there are small footprints all over the place.
YOU – Have dwarves been wandering around here?..
KEEN EYE – No. Too small and too shallow. More likely those ugly children made them — the ones cackling in the distance and pointing at you. Dwarven footprints would be broader and leave a more distinct impression. But right there by the tree… What’s that? Heeled boots? Yes. Most likely a man’s. Craftsmen and laborers don’t wear shoes like these. They look out of place in a district where even the dead man’s trousers were stolen.
YOU – Vernon, some man wearing heeled boots was walking around near the tree.
VERNON ROCHE – Is that so? Interesting. Then whoever it was could afford relatively expensive footwear — by the standards of this district, at least. Anything else?
NARRATOR – Vernon quickly makes a few notes in his journal.
KEEN EYE – Perhaps. A little farther to the right are tracks left by a veritable giant. Look at how deep they are; the length of the stride also suggests a man of enormous height. Three others were walking beside him, though it’s harder to say anything definite about them. Average builds, unremarkable footwear…
YOU – Think we can learn anything else?
KEEN EYE – Two of them are built almost exactly alike: same height, same shoe size, nearly identical stride length. The third was shorter and more lightly built — smaller prints, shallower impressions, shorter steps. Judging by how often he shifted from one foot to the other, the scrawny fellow was nervous.
YOU – There was a tall, powerfully built person here — most likely a man — accompanied by three others. Two of them were very similar in build and gait… The last was some scrawny, fidgety fellow. And that seems to be—
KEEN EYE – Wait! That’s not all. Look more closely. Farther off, near the fence… Faint, small prints left by light footwear. They’re clearly different from the children’s tracks. Was there a woman here?..
YOU – I may be wrong, but I think a woman was standing over there — almost right by the wattle fence. I’d say all these tracks are at least four days old.
DISCERNMENT [Medium: Success] – Vernon gives an approving grunt and an almost imperceptible nod. He’s pleased with your progress, though he clearly hadn’t expected much at first.
VERNON ROCHE – Impressive. So, what we have is: a man in expensive boots, a giant, three members of his entourage, and… an unknown pani. Hmm. And why do you think those tracks couldn’t have belonged to a child or, say, a gnome?
UMBRA [Impossible: Success] – No. Not a child. Not a gnome. A woman — human or elven. You know this with absolute certainty.
YOU – I can’t explain it… It’s just the impression I get. Delicate footprints, light footwear… And if a murder really did take place here, she probably wasn’t directly involved.
DISCERNMENT [Challenging: Success] – For a split second, your companion’s gaze grows distant. He’s on the verge of some realization… But the thought fades almost as quickly as it appeared.
VERNON ROCHE – What if… Never mind. I understand what you mean, though; sometimes instinct really is worth trusting. Well, we’re done here for now. Let’s take a quick look through that dump by the broken fence and move on. We might find something there that belonged to the victim.
NARRATOR – You turn around and head toward the rubbish heap. The red-haired children exchange disappointed looks and drift off toward the shed, making an unconvincing show of having lost interest in what happens next.
DIALECTIC [Trivial: Success] – They were clearly hoping for something more spectacular. For example, that you’d actually start shooting arrows or set the tree on fire.
NARRATOR – The rubbish heap greets you with a stench that, unpleasant as it is, still cannot compete with the reek of the rotting corpse. Empty bottles, filthy rags, scraps of paper, broken household utensils, spoiled food, and fish bones lie scattered everywhere.
VERNON ROCHE – Yes, I’m afraid we won’t find any clues here after all.
NARRATOR – With the toe of his boot, he kicks aside a rag. Beneath it lies a dead rat.
VERNON ROCHE – In any case, I have no desire to rummage through this rubbish, and I doubt the killer would have thrown away anything important here. I’ve already given you my theory about the clothes: the poor almost certainly took them. A doublet or a hat could be worth more than a craftsman earns in two months of honest work.
DIALECTIC [Trivial: Success] – Poverty is rarely squeamish. Practical, however — almost always.
DISCERNMENT [Challenging: Success] – Well, now. What’s that among the rotten tomatoes?
YOU – Where?..
UMBRA [Medium: Success] – No, no. There’s absolutely nothing there. Nothing at all. Time to move on.
DISCERNMENT – Looks like a leather satchel with a shoulder strap to me. A rather expensive one, too — far too expensive for the dreary surroundings.
YOU – There’s some kind of bag over there.
VERNON ROCHE – Hmm. So there is.
NARRATOR – He folds his arms thoughtfully and remains exactly where he is. It soon becomes obvious who is going to have to climb in there.
VERNON ROCHE – Please, be careful.
DEFTNESS [Challenging: Failure] – Naturally! Careful is your middle name.
WHISPER [Easy: Success] – And your first is “walking disaster.”
DEFTNESS – You lean forward carefully and reach for the satchel, trying to get at it without smearing yourself with rotten tomatoes and assorted filth. Unfortunately, at the worst possible moment, your left foot suddenly betrays you and starts to slip. Your right hand grasps uselessly at the air.
FOREBODING [Trivial: Success] – All your efforts are about to reach their inevitable conclusion.
DEFTNESS – Easy now. Time for a maneuver.
RESOLVE [Easy: Success] – That’s not a maneuver. That’s free fall straight into the rubbish heap.
DEFTNESS – With all the grace of a cat drunk on valerian, you perform an awkward pirouette. For one tiny, glorious moment, it seems you have somehow managed to remain upright in an impossible pose — like a statue embodying man’s struggle against insurmountable circumstances… Then the moment passes. You plunge ignominiously straight into the rubbish pit. Its damp innards receive you softly and wrap you in a friendly embrace of stench.
REFLEX [Easy: Failure] – Just don’t open your mouth.
FORTITUDE [Medium: Failure] – Too late. So this is what they mean by “the bitter taste of defeat.” With nauseating notes of tomato, no less.
NARRATOR – Wild laughter erupts behind you. The children are still watching from a distance, and apparently find the whole thing hilarious. Good for them. They’ve finally got the show they were waiting for.
GINGER KID – Ha-ha-ha! The mutant fell in the dump! Right where he belongs!
NARRATOR – Vernon lets out a heavy sigh. A very heavy one. He does his best to ignore the shouting behind him.
VERNON ROCHE – Are you alive?
YOU – Yes.
WHISPER [Easy: Success] – Right now, he very much wants to reply, “Pity.”
VERNON ROCHE – Good. Please climb out of there.
WHISPER – Better keep quiet. That way, you might preserve what little dignity you have left.
NARRATOR – Irritated, you grab the hefty leather satchel, climb out of the pit, and brush yourself off in disgust.
FORTITUDE [Challenging: Failure] – You have left a piece of your self-respect in that pit forever. Not that you had much of it to begin with.
NARRATOR – Roche carefully takes the prize from you, making sure not to come too close.
VERNON ROCHE – Oh, what an interesting find. Very fine leather. Could this have belonged to the victim? But look here…
NARRATOR – He turns the satchel over and points to a small stamped emblem shaped like a snarling wolf’s head.
VERNON ROCHE – This symbol — the wolf’s head. Could it have something to do with you?
UMBRA [Easy: Success] – Gods… No. Not this too. The swords, the boot, and now this?!
NARRATOR – The commander of the Blue Stripes casts a brief glance at you, then carefully opens the satchel, feels around inside, and pulls out a small case. Within it is an impressive-looking document bearing a wax seal.
RESOLVE [Medium: Failure] – All of a sudden, you feel very cold.
NARRATOR – Vernon takes his time reading through the document, then hands it to you.
FORTITUDE [Challenging: Failure] – Your hand is visibly trembling. You are unable to stop it.
VERNON ROCHE – Do you know what this is? It’s the royal writ we were discussing an hour ago. So this is where it ended up… You threw your own satchel, with an important document inside, onto a rubbish heap in some godforsaken wasteland. There are also several sealed vials in here — witcher potions, I presume. Children could have found the vials, drunk the contents, and poisoned themselves.
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Success] – He speaks slowly and distinctly, trying to keep his emotions under control.
ELOQUENCE [Challenging: Failure] – There’s no point denying anything. And you won’t be able to laugh it off either. The satchel is obviously yours.
VERNON ROCHE – How could something like this even happen? Why did you do it? What were you thinking?!
YOU – Maybe… I didn’t want to be a witcher anymore.
BOND OF STEEL [Challenging: Success] – The man suddenly gives you a sympathetic look. Apparently, he knows what that feels like. He’s had difficult days of his own — days when he wanted to lay down his arms and give up on himself.
VERNON ROCHE – Well… Let’s see. Perhaps there’s something else inside.
NARRATOR – With stiff fingers, you fish out a folded sheet of paper. It turns out to be a map of Vizima and the surrounding area. Next comes another scroll bearing the name “B. Ducat” — it contains instructions concerning the investigation. Vernon merely shakes his head helplessly, offering no comment. The final discovery is a neatly folded letter.
DISCERNMENT [Medium: Success] – It… it smells of lilac and gooseberries. What a strange scent.
UMBRA [Impossible: Failure] – Then why does it make your heart beat faster? Why can you barely stay on your feet? Why do you want to shatter into a thousand pieces?
HORRIFIC MEDALLION – Oh no, kumpel! Put that fucking thing away. NOW. Shove it somewhere out of sight and forget about the damn letter! I’m telling you, there’s NOTHING good in there!
FORTITUDE [Impossible: Failure] – Your head begins to spin, and the world around you slowly sinks into darkness. Vernon is saying something, but you cannot make out a single word. It doesn’t matter.
RESOLVE [Challenging: Failure] – A gust of wind sweeps past. For a moment, you want to let go and allow the sheet of paper to fly away, but your hand seems to be in the grip of some other will. As if spellbound, you slowly unfold the letter and try to focus.
ARTISTRY [Easy: Success] – What beautiful, elegant handwriting… Delicate words written in black ink…
YOU – What color?..
ARTISTRY – Black. Like a raven’s wing.
NARRATOR – You begin to read.
LETTER – Dear friend!
FORTITUDE [Impossible: Failure] – Your gaze freezes on those two words. An unpleasant throbbing begins somewhere inside your head. Again and again, you read them over, staring at every letter until your eyes ache. What is happening to you?
LETTER – Dear friend! I was immensely delighted by your unexpected letter, which reached me a mere five years after our last meeting. My joy knew no bounds, for everywhere I went, people were already gossiping about your untimely demise.
REFLEX [Easy: Success] – Whose demise is she talking about? Yours?
DISCERNMENT [Medium: Failure] – Fragments of speech reach you from somewhere off to the side. Vernon is asking you something…
FORTITUDE [Challenging: Failure] – The letters swim before your eyes. You skip ahead several lines.
LETTER – I was deeply touched by this unexpected concern for my health which you, dear friend, saw fit to express. I hasten to inform you that I am feeling considerably better…
UMBRA [Medium: Success] – You are sinking into the abyss, deeper and deeper.
FOREBODING [Challenging: Success] – The lights of heaven will fade, and darkness will close in… And the world will smell of lilac and gooseberries…
LETTER – Your dear friend…
NARRATOR – The letter slips from your fingers and is caught by a strong gust of wind. You begin to topple sideways.
RESOLVE [Challenging: Failure] – You have to hold on…
FORTITUDE [Impossible: Failure] – Hold on to what? There’s nothing around you… Nothing at all. There never was. The whole world is nothing but a shard of ice. And it’s melting fast.
NARRATOR – The last traces of sensation fade away. You fall into nothingness.
UMBRA [Easy: Success] – Nihil aeternum.
NARRATOR – …An infinite amount of time passes… At last, you come to, lying on the ground curled up in a fetal position. Cold water drips onto your face. A moment later, someone begins shaking you insistently by the shoulder.
VERNON ROCHE – Witcher, wake up!
NARRATOR – With great difficulty, you force your eyes open and see the man in the turban leaning over you.
VERNON ROCHE – What’s wrong with you? Are you all right?
NARRATOR – Seeing that you’ve begun to show signs of life, Vernon brings a flask to your lips.
VERNON ROCHE – You need some water. When was the last time you drank plain water instead of alcohol or those witcher poisons of yours?
SENSIBILITY [Medium: Success] – There is genuine concern in his voice.
RESOLVE [Trivial: Success] – Oh, that tastes good! You feel more alive already.
VERNON ROCHE – I think we should return to the tavern for now. Or perhaps pay a visit to Saint Lebioda’s Hospital. It’s not far from here…
YOU – No, no, thank you. I’m feeling better already. I just need a moment to catch my breath.
BRAWN [Challenging: Success] – You manage to say it in a fairly steady voice. Even your hands have almost stopped shaking. Almost.
YOU – But what happened?..
VERNON ROCHE – I was about to ask you the same thing. You became completely absorbed in reading the document you found inside the small case. You ignored my questions, and then suddenly collapsed. You were trembling violently… At first I thought of running for help, but then decided to try a time-tested remedy: pouring water over you from my flask.
YOU – How long was I out? And what happened to that sheet of paper?
VERNON ROCHE – A couple of minutes, I think. As for the paper… I’m afraid the wind carried it away. I was too preoccupied with your condition to catch it in time. My apologies. Was there something important in it?
UMBRA [Challenging: Success] – It’s better this way. Trust me. You should never have read that letter in the first place.
YOU – No. Just a message from some woman. I suddenly felt very ill. It won’t happen again.
NARRATOR – He nods and hooks the flask back onto his belt.
VERNON ROCHE – Hardly surprising, given your current condition. But I’m glad you’re feeling better.
BOND OF STEEL [Easy: Success] – He means it.
NARRATOR – With Vernon’s help, you get back on your feet. There’s still a faint ringing in your ears, and your mouth tastes as though an entire caravan of Nazairi merchants had camped in it overnight.
VERNON ROCHE – Come, witcher. We still have much to do.