Just a Witcher 3 fanfic

(Geralt and Arivan walk into an inn at the crossroads and talk to the innkeeper)

Geralt: We're looking for a man who goes by Hendrik

Innkeep: What do you want with him?

Arivan: We want to talk to him

Innkeep: What about?

Geralt: Witcher business. Give me a bottle of something strong

(The innkeeper pours Geralt and Arivan and drink. They clink their glasses together and down them)

(The other customers don't want to drink with witchers, so they get up and leave)

(But then, Geralt and Arivan's enhanced hearing picks up galloping from horses)

Innkeep: You gotta go! I'll open the back way for ye!

Geralt: Haven't finished my drink yet

Arivan: Expecting company?

(A group of men in armor burst into the inn)

Man: Barkeep! Vodka!

Man 2: Who are these un's?

Man 3: Brave warriors, looks like. That one's even got two swords, see?

Man: Oi, grey boy! What's the point of having two swords?

(Geralt ignores the men and continues to enjoy his drink)

Man 3: I wonder if he keeps an extra prick in his trousers too

Man: You fuckin' deaf? Gonna say who you are, or do I need to loosen your tongue with me knife?

Arivan: Someone who'd prefer not to be bothered while he's having a drink

Man: Heh! Hear that? We've a distinguished gentleman in our midst!

Man 3: Shine your boots, guv'nor?

Arivan: No. Wouldn't want the grime on your hands to rub off on them

Man: Bolo... did you hear what I heard?

Geralt: We're witchers. Heard you wondering about my swords. One's monsters, the other for humans. Only got one prick, though. In case you're wondering about that, too

Man: Don't touch 'im. Don't even look at 'im. Worse than lepers, that lot

Man 2: Saw one in action once. Killed a half dozen, blood everywhere. Freak didn't even show a drop of sweat

Man: Got the stench o' corpses on 'em

Innkeep: If you want to rest, come with me. I've got a bench you can use. Thanks for not starting a row with those swine

Geralt: I don't generally stick my nose into other people's business

Innkeep: Looking to stay the night?

Arivan: No. We're looking for Hendrik

Innkeep: The man lives in heatherton

Geralt: Don't know where that is

Innkeep: Other side of the hill. Looked thataway this morn and saw a strange glow. Imperials on the raid, perhaps. But who knows?

Arivan: Bye. Thanks inkeep

Innkeep: Go out the back. More o' the baron's men in the village

Geralt: No need to worry about us

Innkeep: I'd rather you not make any more trouble for yourself, or us both

(Geralt and Arivan hop onto their horses and ride towards heatherton)

Geralt: The air's strange. Like dropping into a deep cellar on a hot day. And the mist...

Arivan: I see someone up ahead. Maybe this guy knows something

(Geralt and Arivan hop off their horses and find a man holding a torch burning some dead hounds)

Man: Begone! Leave me be, whoever you is! Get away

Geralt: (Casts Axii sign) Calm down. It's over

Man: Aye, it's over. All's past, never to be restored. I'll not forget that ever

Arivan: We're looking for a man named Hendrik. He's supposed to live in this village

Man: Aye, he did. But no longer

Geralt: What do you mean?

Man: They nabbed him in that hut. If you'd o' heard the cries, sir... If you'd o' heard how a man can scream... how he can suffer...

Geralt: Tell me what happened here. Step by step

Man: They took em... They took em all... The sun was waning, see... and the dusk went crimson like blood. Thought to meself, "Strange. The toads -- I cannot hear them." I know not what happened there, save terror through and through. Hendrik screamed, then he begged. By the end he could do naught but moan...

Arivan: Dammit

Man: Weren't here long, the terrors. Yet the village froze like the heart of winter...

Geralt: You in that hut when they rode off?

Man: No. And I'll not set foot there. Never

(Geralt and Arivan find Hendrik's corpse inside of his hut)

Arivan: Looks like the wild hunt got to him before we did. Maybe he has something on him that they missed

(Geralt searches Hendrik's boots and finds something)

Geralt: Blood. Congealed. Key hidden in his boot. It's gotta fit a key hole. Somewhere nearby, hopefully

Arivan: There's a draft. Gotta be a space under this rug

(Arivan lifts up a bear skin rug, revealing a trapdoor)

Geralt: Good find

(Geralt and Arivan climb down through the trapdoor and into a basement. Inside, they find a missing poster of the bloody baron's daughter)

(They also find a secret room)

Geralt: A ledger... Payment for a sack of grain... The amount due for a charcoal shipment... Hendrik was masquerading as a merchant

Arivan: Notes among the ledger entries? Clever

Geralt: Somehow they learned that Hendrik was looking for Ciri too. Thus the torture. Damn. Now our only leads are the bloody baron and some witch

Arivan: I have an idea. We can split up. You look for the baron and I'll look for the witch. Meet back at the inn when either of us learn something

Geralt: Hmm. You're better with magic, so that makes sense. Just be careful out there

(Geralt and Arivan shake hands, hop onto their horses, and part ways to help complete their quest)