The journey to the mountain fortress

Geralt rode Roach hard through the mountain forests of Northern Kaedwen, thankfully Roach who was a war stallion had the stamina that was needed. The reason that Geralt was riding so hard, was because of the dark clouds that had been following his trail since earlier the day before. Having lived in these mountains for most of his life, Geralt knew that getting caught by the snow in the mountains was never a good idea. Geralt had much to think about as he travelled over the mountain paths broken in by hundreds of years of Witchers travelling these very passes. He had no indication where Ciri was, the two people that may have a clue, being Triss and Yennefer, were also unknown to him. He decided to return back to the fortress, and have a chat with the only three witchers remaining in the fortress. Wise and old Vesemir, young and haughty Lambert, and the calm and collected Eskel.

"Hmm, maybe Dandelion may know something. He always had been close to Ciri." Geralt mumbled in his baritone gruff voice. Dandelion, Geralt was sometimes ashamed to think, was his best friend, a poet and a chronic womanizer. Dandelion's poetry was usually loosely based in reality, but the wondrous tales he could come up with had both he and Ciri enraptured.

Geralt had to be careful in these woods, back in the day when many Witchers used to stay at the fortress, these forests were regularly cleansed of all monsters, but as the numbers started to dwindle, keeping the forests safe became less of a priority and more of a luxury that they couldn't afford. The last time he had been to Kaer Morhen, was during the Spring, while it was now Fall. All Witchers return back to their fortresses during the winter as is tradition, but Kaer Morhen was more like a crumbling ruin than a home anymore. Years of disrepair, and war had taken a toll on the once great fortress, and four Witchers can only do so much to repair what was left. There was a hole in the wall created from an attack a while ago, which still hadn't been repaired, 'and probably never will' thought Geralt. Everyone knew that the fortress couldn't be defended if attacked, and yet they stayed. The fortress had housed the Witchers of the Wolf School for generations, through good and rough times. Vesemir was the last old Witcher who had escaped the massacre of the witchers at Kaer Morhen a generation before, everyone knew he would die here as well before leaving. He was the only permanent resident of the fortress, as Lambert, Geralt and Eskel only reside permanently there during the Winter.

Geralt crested the hill and came into view of the fortress nestled into the foot of the mountains, crumbling in all its glory.