'I beg your pardon?' the priestess raised her head. 'What did you say?'
'Nothing, nothing,' smiled Yennefer. 'You just thought I did. Or maybe I thought I did? Just look at this ward of yours, Nenneke. Furious as a cat. Sparks in her eyes; just wait and she'll hiss. And if she could flatten her ears, she would. A witcher-girl! I'll have to take her firmly in hand, file her claws.'
'Be more understanding.' The high priestess's features visibly
hardened. 'Please, be kind-hearted and understanding. She really is not who you take her to be.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'She's not your rival, Yennefer.'
For a moment they measured each other with their eyes, the enchantress and the priestess, and Ciri felt the air quiver, a strange, terrible force between them growing in strength. This lasted no more than a fraction of a second after which the force disappeared and Yennefer burst out laughing, lightheartedly and sweetly.
'I forgot,' she said. 'Always on his side, aren't you, Nenneke? Always worrying about him. Like the mother he never had.'
'And you're always against him,' smiled the priestess. 'Bestowing him with strong feelings, as usual. And defending yourself as hard as you can not to call the feelings by their rightful name.'
Once again, Ciri felt fury rise up somewhere in the pit of her stomach, and her temples throbbed with spite and rebellion. She remembered how many times and under what circumstances she had heard that name. Yennefer. A name which caused unease, a name which was the symbol of some sinister secret. She guessed what that secret was.
They're talking quite openly in front of me, without any restraint, she thought, feeling her hands start to shake with anger once more. / 'hey 're not bothered about me at all. Ignoring me completely. As if I were a child. They're talking about Geralt in front of me, in my presence, but they can't because I… I am…
Who?
'You, on the other hand, Nenneke,' retorted the magician, 'are amusing yourself, as usual, analysing other people's emotions, and on top of that interpreting them to suit yourself!'
'And pulling my nose into other people's business?'
'I didn't want to say that.' Yennefer tossed her black locks, which gleamed and writhed like snakes. 'Thank you for doing so for me, And now let us change the subject, please, because the one we were discussing is exceptionally silly – disgraceful in front of our young pupil. And as for being understanding, as you ask… I will be. But kind-hearted with that, there might be a problem
because, after all, it is widely thought I don't possess any such organ. But we'll manage somehow. Isn't that right, Surprise?'
She smiled at Ciri and, despite herself, despite her anger and annoyance, Ciri had to respond with a smile. Because the enchantress's smile was unexpectedly pleasant, friendly and sincere. And very, very beautiful.
She listened to Yennefer's speech with her back ostentatiously turned, pretending to bestow her full attention on the bumble bee buzzing in the flower of one of the hollyhocks growing by the temple wall.
'No one asked me about it,' she mumbled.
'What didn't anybody ask you about?'
Ciri turned in a half-pirouette and furiously whacked the hollyhock with her fist. The bumble bee flew away, buzzing angrily and ominously.
'No one asked me whether I wanted you to teach me!'
Yennefer rested her fists on her hips; her eyes flashed.
'What a coincidence,' she hissed. 'Imagine that – no one asked me whether I wanted to teach you either. Besides, wanting has got nothing to do with it. I don't apprentice just anybody and you, despite appearances, might still turn out to be a nobody. I was asked to check how things stand with you. To examine what is inside you and how that could endanger you. And I, though not unreluctantly, agreed.'
'But I haven't agreed yet!'
The magician raised her arm and moved her hand. Ciri experienced a throbbing in her temples and a buzzing in her ears, as if she were swallowing but much louder. She felt drowsy, and an overpowering weakness, tiredness stiffened her neck and softened her knees.
Yennefer lowered her hand and the sensation instantly passed.
'Listen to me carefully, Surprise,' she said. 'I can easily cast a spell on you, hypnotise you, or put you in a trance. I can paralyse you, force you to drink an elixir, strip you naked, lay you out on the table and examine you for hours, taking breaks for meals while
you lie there, looking at the ceiling, unable to move even your eyeballs. That is what I would do with just any snotty kid. I do not want to do that to you because one can see, at first glance, that you are an intelligent and proud girl, that you have character. I don't want to put you or myself to shame. Not in front of Geralt. Because he is the one who asked me to take care of your abilities. To help you deal with them.'
'He asked you? Why? He never said anything to me! He never asked me-'
'You keep going back to that,' cut in the magician. 'No one asked for your opinion, no one took the trouble to check what you want or don't want. Could you have given cause for someone to consider you a contrary, stubborn, snotty kid, whom it is not worth asking questions like that? But I'm going to take the risk and am going to ask something no one has ever asked you. Will you allow yourself to be examined?'
'And what will it involve? What are these tests? And why…'
'I have already explained. If you haven't understood, that's too bad. I have no intention of polishing your perception or working on your intelligence. I can examine a sensible girl just as well as a stupid one.'
Tm not stupid! And I understood everything!'
'All the better.'
'But I'm not cut out to be a magician! I haven't got any abilities! I'm never going to be a magician nor want to be one! I'm destined for Geralt… I'm destined to be a witcher! I've only come here for a short period! I'm going back to Kaer Morhen soon…'
'You are persistently staring at my neckline,' said Yennefer icily, narrowing her violet eyes a little. 'Do you see anything unusual there or is it just plain jealousy?'
'That star…' muttered Ciri. 'What's it made of? Those stones move and shine so strangely…'
'They pulsate,' smiled the magician. 'They are active diamonds, sunken in obsidian. Do you want to see them close up? Touch them?'
'Yes… No!' Ciri backed away and angrily tossed her head,
trying to dispel the faint scent of lilac and gooseberries emanating from Yennefer. 'I don't. Why should I? I'm not interested! Not a bit! I'm a witcher! I haven't got any magical abilities! I'm not cut out to be a magician, surely that's clear because I'm… And anyway…'
The magician sat on the stone bench under the wall and concentrated on examining her fingernails.
'… and anyway,' concluded Ciri, 'I've got to think about it.'
'Come here. Sit next to me.'
She obeyed.
'I've got to have time to think about it,' she said hesitantly.
'Quite right.' Yennefer nodded, still gazing at her nails. 'It is a serious matter. It needs to be thought over.'
Both said nothing for a while. The novices strolling through the park glanced at them with curiosity, whispered, giggled.
'Well?'
'Well what?'
'Have you thought about it?'
Ciri leaped to her feet, snorted and stamped.
'I… I…' she panted, unable to catch her breath from anger. 'Are you making fun of me? I need time! I need to think about it! For longer! For a whole day… And night!'
Yennefer looked her in the eyes and Ciri shrivelled under the gaze.
'The saying goes,' said the magician slowly, 'that the night brings solutions. But in your case, Surprise, the only thing night can bring is yet another nightmare. You will wake up again, screaming and in pain, drenched in sweat. You will be frightened again, frightened of what you saw, frightened of what you won't be able to
