In a small hut that had been converted to house the three injured druid apprentices, Fritjof watched the patients in deep sleep. His face reflected a disappointment that he could not hide.
The three youths, who had been on the verge of death after being used as blood sacrifices, looked terribly pale due to the large amount of blood loss. Fortunately, Gremist had managed to stabilize their condition in time.
Other druids who heard of what had happened rushed to the scene with great concern. As experienced mentors, they formed an impromptu discussion circle to determine how to ensure a full and uninterrupted recovery for the apprentices.
However, the reason for Fritjof's disappointment was not the apprentices' state of health, but the fact that the person he was looking for was not among them.
Gremist explained to Lann: "Fritjof's apprentice disappeared a while ago when he went to search for a rare herb in the Morskogen forest. He never returned. Fritjof has been blaming himself a lot, as his apprentice went there at his request…"
"Fritjof searched the forest for weeks without finding any trace. He fell into a deep sadness and was on the verge of abandoning his research and the Circle of Druids, which he now considered a place of pain. Only the arrival of Svanrige made him stay a little longer to treat him."
Although Fritjof was a long-lived and powerful druid, he quickly managed to pull himself together. At least, outwardly, he hid the pain that was consuming him from within.
"I still held out a little hope… But perhaps that fallen druid has more apprentices captured, or perhaps there are others still waiting to be rescued…" Fritjof muttered, a flash of sadness in his eyes before continuing. "From what they described, I can only think of one person who could be the traitor: Artis."
"The last I heard from him was that he was planning to start a project to recreate the berserker warriors. For this reason, he went alone to the ruins of Fornhala, hoping to obtain the secrets of the Svalblod cult, and then never returned."
Fritjof sighed. "When he disappeared, he was barely eighty years old. He was very young. We always thought he was dead, but now there seems to be something else behind his disappearance."
He then added: "Artis' mentor was my former research partner. He has always blamed himself for his apprentice's disappearance, believing it was a failure in his upbringing. He currently lives in retirement on the island of Undvik, where he sometimes advises the Tordarroch clan. I will go speak with him to learn more about Artis."
"Even if my suspicion is wrong and the fallen druid is not Artis, I believe his disappearance and this traitor are connected. This could add someone else to our cause in solving the mystery of the missing apprentices."
Despite his efforts to hide it, Fritjof could not keep the sadness from showing on his face as he spoke of the subject.
Lann, with a serious face, thanked him: "Thank you, Master Fritjof. I leave it to you."
Then he promised: "I'm very sorry about what happened to your apprentice. I'll ask Crach to send his men to find him. I also have fellow witchers who are experts in tracking. I hope they can find some clues."
"Even if… we can't bring him back, we will do everything we can to ensure he rests in dignity. And those responsible for his suffering will not go unpunished."
Fritjof hesitated for a moment, wanting to prevent Lann from overexerting himself. Finally, he sighed and accepted her help with a solemn nod.
...
Before setting off for Undvik in search of Artis' mentor, Fritjof visited Svanrige's hut. Although the young man had been completely healed with Lann's help, Fritjof, ever the meticulous man, wanted to do one last check-up.
Lann accompanied him. Upon opening the door, they found Crach conversing with King Bran, while Eist made some additional comments.
These themes were the twists and turns Eist had encountered along the way, including changes in the Dimun and Drummond clans, as well as the cult of Svalblod.
With his son out of danger, King Bran had returned his focus to supporting his brother in reclaiming the throne.
Svanrige, sitting next to his father, was watching the conversation.
When Lann and Fritjof walked in, all eyes fell on them. Svanrige's was especially intense. Lann even felt that he was looking at him in the same way that he looked at his father.
Although Lann had experienced similar stares before from people who were hired as followers, this time he felt uncomfortable due to his relationship and Svanrige status.
Fortunately, King Bran blocked Svanrige's gaze, moving forward to give Lann a bear hug, showing how grateful he was.
"Lann, if it weren't for you, I would have almost lost my only son!"
Lann looked at Eist, who was also visibly moved, and replied with a smile: "We're family, aren't we?"
Fritjof, seeing the warm atmosphere, smiled. "It seems you have important matters to discuss. Should I take my leave?"
Bran did not let the druid leave, but also solemnly thanked him for taking care of Svanrige.
After hearing Lann's explanation that Fritjof would help find the fallen druid, he expressed his gratitude again.
This was precisely one of the issues that Bran, Eist and Crach were discussing: how to permanently eradicate the cult of Svalblod.
To achieve this goal, the fallen druid who escaped must be dealt with.
Bran and Crach agreed that while this was crucial, there were greater priorities to attend to first.
"I plan to summon the jarls of the seven major clans soon and begin preparations for Eist's coronation," King Bran announced.
"From a practical standpoint, the cult of Svalblod has been eradicated. Eist's path to coronation is now unhindered, and no clan can stand in his way," King Bran continued.
"Fortunately, Lann, you have succeeded in turning the Dimun and Drummond clans, originally rivals, into allies this time. This completely removes any possible future obstacles," Bran commented thoughtfully. "I know Lugos well. Just by listening to what I've been told of his behavior, I can imagine what he's thinking."
"He's a stubborn man, but also a typical islander. Winning him over is simple: save his life or show him that you're stronger than him."
King Bran laughed. "Of course, this doesn't apply to Crach. No matter what Clan an Craite does, it will never change the Drummonds' attitude towards them."
Crach gave a disdainful growl.
Lann, after a moment's thought, posed a question: "What of the Dimun clan? Holger is dead. Who will succeed him? Should we step in and support a favorable successor to control the clan?"
"No, Lann. We islanders do not do things that way." Bran replied firmly, shaking his head. "We do not interfere in the internal affairs of other clans. However..." He added, in a more conciliatory tone. "It seems that the Dimun clan already has a natural heir: Jutta an Dimun."
"She is a direct relative of Holger, an exceptional warrior, and was Holger's personal guard. Although she failed to protect him, she followed Eist to eradicate the Svalblod cult base and personally destroyed the statue of their evil deity."
King Bran stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Dimun clan, but we can spread these deeds and make clear our respect for Jutta. With her merits and reputation as an Iron Maiden, she should have enough merit to aspire to the leadership of the Dimun clan."
From his seat behind Bran, Svanrige nodded, clearly impressed by his father's way of influencing the internal politics of other clans without breaking island traditions.
"If Jutta takes over the leadership, we won't have to worry about the Dimun clan's attitude. She has already shown her support for me since Holger's death," Eist commented.
Then, he looked at Lann with a somewhat enigmatic expression. "If all else fails..."
Lann felt Eist looking at him strangely, but he didn't understand why.
Suddenly, Crach came up and patted him on the shoulder. "Jutta's reputation is impressive! She is an invincible swordswoman in the Faroe Islands. She even swore to the goddess Freya that she would only marry someone who could defeat her in combat. So far, no one has managed to defeat her, and that is why many call her the Iron Maiden."
Eist, with a peculiar smile, continued, "Lann, wasn't it that on the battlefield, when saving her, you used the back of your sword to knock her aside?"
Lann frowned, trying to remember. "There was a giant bear about to attack Holger, who was still alive but badly injured. I wanted to save him, but Jutta got in the way..."
After listening to Lann, everyone started laughing.
"From a swordsman's point of view, you showed unsurpassed strength and technically defeated her." Crach said, giving Lann another pat on the shoulder. "Didn't you notice how she looked at you after that?"
To be honest, Lann didn't really notice it.
In reality, this whole conversation was more of a joke than a real suggestion. With Ciri around, they couldn't let Lann complete a 'political mission' of this kind.
Furthermore, Eist was confident in his own ability to win Jutta's support. If he couldn't convince a warrior like her, how could he be worthy of becoming the king of Skellige?
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