The elves attack her in all directions, some were going to Triss, while some attack her directly.

"Sadly, I can't use body enhancement like I used to do or this battle will be finish immediately..." she murmurs

She uses her skill [observe] on them.

Scoia'tael

Phy:11

Spd:15

Wis:12

Skills:

Archery: D

Swordsmanship: D

"I guess it will be overkill to use skills on them, but being overconfident in battle might kill me, so let's get serious shall we?"

Her eyes became firm, then she rushes to them, she first kick the chest of the first elves on her front making its chest hollow, its eyes became wide and blood starts flowing on his mouth, without waiting, she suddenly thrust both of her swords to her left and right side, piercing the two chest near her.

"Argh! "

Then she jumps and punctures their throats with a sword. They look at her in horror as their eyes became dim.

The others elves gawk and anger began to fill their eyes.

"Kill her first!"

They changed their objective as they plan to kill the murderer.

With indifferent eyes, she approaches them, while walking, she was slashing them like grass. As she walks, behind her 11 elves already fallen to their demise.

The remaining elves tremble as they saw the savage murder the girl was capable of.

"R-run!"

"Going to run away? Don't think so!"

She suddenly runs, starts slicing them when they turn their back on her.

"Ahh!"

"Help!"

With indifferent eyes, she killed and killed until the place was covered with a corpse. In the elves' eye, there can only be dread and fear with their last look on the world.

Seconds later...

She was standing in the middle of the bloodbath as everyone looks at her with dread. In her front was the last remaining elf trembling with fear. Her white tunic shirt was covered with bloodstain as two swords were dripping with blood on the ground.

"P-please..."

She was about to end him when-

"Stop!"

She lowers her weapon and looks in some direction. Geralt and Ciri were running and approaching them fast.

"Stop please!".

She shrugged her shoulder and sheathed them back behind her.

Geralt frown and look at the battlefield.

He can see most of his acquaintance was alright, but the elves that attack them were all dead except for the last one looking at Illyah in fear.

"Geralt, finally your back" Yarpen approach him covered in blood

"What happens?"

"Well it happens a while ago..." Yarpen explain what happens, because of Illyah immediate warning, they able to protect themselves before the ambush came.

Thanks to her, most of the guards only have a minor injury, the heaviest one is when someone guard hit another guard with an accident because of a chaotic situation. Thankfully it was not critical.

Ciri approaches the scared elven and looks complicated.

"Come, tie this bastard!" Yarpen can’t stop himself kick the scared elf.

Two guards apprehend the elf harshly and drag him for interrogation.

-

Due to the ambush, they were forced to continue their journey fearing another one. Thankfully that was not the case but it makes them vigilant and suspicious of the forest, afraid the Scoia'tael will attack them again.

After getting out of the forest that they are finally able to relax. They stop on an open road where no ambush can hit them and able to rest.

Ciri looks at the starry sky and stares vacantly, thinking of the earlier episode.

"Can't sleep yet?" Geralt sit beside her

Ciri shakes her head.

"It's not your fault"

Ciri just smiles bitterly while still staring at the stars. Then she remembers the corpse of Elves scattered around the caravan when they came back.

"Geralt, what is our purpose?"

"Hmm?"

It takes long before Geralt answer

"Witcher are people created to maintain peace."

"But- "

"But our job was not to join any faction or take sides. We are witcher who is the slayer of monsters, we hunt monsters, and that's our job. We make our distance when it comes to politics. That's not our domain."

"Then are we just going to watch them die? Are we going to not prevent any war?"

"Remember why you want to be a witcher?"

"Yes, I want to become strong so I can protect the weak."

"Then what is the war for?"

"That's- "

"War happens because people are greedy. We can't help that, what we can do is to make the life of people better by slaying monsters. By slaying them, we protect the weak people whether they are human or non-human and that's our job."

Ciri looks downcast, Geralt just patted her shoulder and left.

Joan was awake as she hears the silent sob of Ciri in the silent night.

-

In the morning, a unit of soldiers appeared making other vigilant. They soon learned it was Dun Banner Troops. Due to the news, they were about to warn them about the trap created for Scoia'tael but it was too late and the ambush of Scoia'tael already happen.

They have learned that the convoy was a special trap specially prepared for Yarpen to check his loyalty.

When Yarpen heard the truth, he felt like he has eaten a fly making his face bitter. He immediately checks their cargo and became more ugly when they see their "cargo". The boxes contain only stones. Just ordinary stones.

"Bastards!" Yarpen gritted his teeth.

Everyone looks at each other in dismay not knowing what to do.

Ciri and Geralt look at this with complicated eyes.

"Geralt..."

Geralt just shakes his head at her.

Ciri just looks at these with bitterness.

-

Since the caravan was not useful anymore, they decided to part ways. But before they leave, they thank Geralt group for helping them but since they can't pay him in the services of protecting them, they promise they will pay him after they got back in business in the future.

About the elf captive, they already hand them to the Dun Banner troops to handle his processing.

Then they continue their journey along the way. Thankfully, Triss was now fully recovered and don't need to stop making their travel smooth.

-

After a whole day of traveling, they finally made it through the temple of melitele before midnight.

Before the town close, they manage to get inside, with a little "persuasion" from Triss.

"Silly men" she shakes her head

Too tired to retort, everyone goes to sleep, except for Geralt that needs to write to Yennefer about Ciri's situation.

-

The next day, Geralt delivers Ciri to the temple where she will stay from now on.

"Take care okay?" Triss said

"Yes, big sister" Ciri hug her firmly

Ciri smile slightly but her eyes were sad. After that, she pulls away and approaches Illyah and hugs her.

"We'll see again; I promise" Joan tap her back while hugging Ciri.

She felt Ciri tremble but nod before she pulling away.

"Take care, bye"

Geralt nod at them before he delivers her to the temple

Triss sigh and look in their direction after sometimes she looks at Joan.

"Want to come with me?"

"Nope"

"You sure? I'll teach you magics"

She just snorts

"I already learn what I need to learn."

"Brat!" she rubs her head while smiling.

"Say goodbye to Geralt for me will you?"

"You're not going to wait for him?"

Triss shakes her head.

"My work is done; I have no more excuse to keep at his side"

Joan didn't say anything and nod

"Take care"

Triss nod then looks at the direction of Geralt then she waves her hand revealing a yellow portal, she steps on it, after that it vanishes.

Joan was left alone

"Right...better got to work." Then she enters the inn where they were staying and starts processing herbs again.

-

After half a day, Geralt came back looking sad.

"Where's Triss?"

"Gone"

"I see..."

He didn't ask or said anything, he just said be ready and they left the town.

-

They were on the road, Geralt lost in his thoughts while Joan was riding alongside him.

"Geralt?"

"Hmm?"

"What should we do now?"

Geralt stops the horse and look at her.

"You been training in the Kaer Morhen for two years now, and just swinging your sword with Ciri as your training partner doesn't cut it for becoming a witcher. What you need is experience. This time, you will hunt monsters and I'll be showing you how our job works."

"That sounds fun."

Geralt smirk

"Well let's hope your definition of fun entails living in the forest and traversing in marshland."

Joan became stiff when she heard that.

"Come on, let's find some bounty to hunt."

Then Geralt ride to the next town.

"Right, living in the forest is romantic, who's idea was that?" she murmurs while she follows Geralt.

-

Their days consist of Geralt teaching Illyah lessons about monsters they hunt, sometimes they hunt bandits that plaque that village. Joan enjoys killing those monsters and bandits without thinking about the moral values of killing sentient beings. She was also taught how to hunt properly, and find tracks making her learned the skill [Tracker] – it revealed the footprints, blood, or old tracks using her senses.

Geralt patiently taught her how to find them. Sometimes when the enemy was too much for her, he steps in to handle it personally. But that was rare, very rare since most monsters they hunt consist of ghouls and wraiths. He let her experience fighting without rest, she can speculate that even she lost body parts, he won't step up and help her as long as she's breathing. He will only help when she was about to die.

She gasps for breath as the last of the ashes of vampire vanish. She spits her blood to the side and wipes her mouth.

"Pretty good kid"

"You could step in you know?"

"Nah, you got it pretty covered. I'm impressed by how you use your magic's though, although you don't use sign, your tricks were very neat too."

"So...What can you say about my progress?"

"Hmm.."

He looks at her with a pondering expression.

"Base on your strength, you can beset any knights just with your fist, and your swordsmanship, it was exquisite but deadly. There were still some flaws, at least you can qualify as an expert swordsman.”

“As for your magic..."

Geralt looks at the ashes and put a hand to his chin and ponder.

"You have some skill that can stun your enemies around you, its good but I can see you can't use it continuously. It's like you recharging your energy before releasing it again. I can't see no burn traces though; it can't do any damage but just stun the enemy for a few seconds."

"You also use enchantment magic on the silver swords, I can feel thick energy covering it, but why can't you maintain it? Base on Triss, you can control your magic very well. Must be your new skills. Try to practice it, I can see potentials."

"What you lack is speed and defense. Although your pretty fast for an ordinary person, our enemy was monsters, not humans. I don't know your resistance to toxic but Triss said you're pretty durable for a mage. Try to use potions to cover up your weakness."

Suddenly Joan bulges her eyes and holds her stomach.

“What's wrong?” Geralt look at the girl holding her stomach.

“Well…” Joan bit her lip and didn’t know what to say

“Have the vampire did anything to you?” Geralt frown trying to remember when the vampire attack, he didn’t feel any curse or surprise attack, he looks around looking for a hidden enemy. But as a witcher, he was sensitive to change, so he knows there was no enemy nearby which means…

“Something you got to tell me, kid?”

Joan groan

“This is so awkward.”

“What do you mean?”

She bit her lip, she hesitated but in the end, she opens her mouth.

“It’s my monthly cycle Geralt”

“…”

Suddenly Geralt bulge his eyes out and tried to look elsewhere.

“Cough” I-uhh”

She sighs.

“Just get me the bag, I already know what to do.”

Geralt like a fish on water found his breathing place and left the damaged house immediately. A few moments later, Geralt enters the house again and bought her the giant bag.

“You can just put it in the ground, I’ll do the rest.”

Geralt nod and drop the bag to the ground, he turns around and about to leave but stop near the entrance.

“If you need anything- “

“I will tell you, now go. I need to change”

“Right, I’ll guard outside, you do what you need to do.”

Then Geralt close the door after he exit.

“I suddenly remember dad.” She smiles thinking of her past when her dad panic finding blood on her daughter’s underwear when he demanded what it is. Her mother just rubs her temple and explains in slow detail about her daughter monthly period. The scene became awkward for a week after that, they have never spoken about it again.

“Sigh” better get this over with, Geralt must be panicking outside.” Just thinking of Geralt out of his comfort zone put a smile on her face.