#RELATIONSHIPS ;; Lara & Avallac'h

[elderbloodcarrier]

Let’s address the elephant in the room: how would Lara react to what the alder king did to Ciri in the books? Or the Aen Elle’s plans for Ciri?

Appalled, and livid. And also disappointed, but this is mostly targeted towards her own father.

Of course Lara isn't too surprised about it either. In fact, she knows she should have expected them to force the same things upon her descendant, just as they did once upon her.

It was one of the reasons she originally ran away....

But for Auberon...her own father, to be so desperate for the pre-destined role that his daughter averted to play out that he would even consider such...intimate relations with her descendant --- Lara wouldn't stand for it. In fact, I'm still highly full of belief that if she had somehow survived and was witness to the events of "Lady of the Lake" that Lara would call Avallac'h, Eredin, and Auberon out on all they are trying to do to Ciri. (I actually want to write a oneshot on this happening now because I'd love to see Lara do that!)

Ciri isn't a test subject. She's not just another dh'oine. She is her descendant -- the last living being that shares a connection to her and Cregennan and the love they had. She is family. The elves refer to Ciri as "Daughter of Lara Dorren", and although biologically it isn't true, for beings who live centuries, it isn't further from the truth. Ciri is like a daughter of sorts to Lara, but not in the same way it is with Yen and Ciri.

[eredins-wife]

Spoiler 🔕 ❤️‍🔥

..... Long after Avallac'h took Lara, Avallac'h went to the garrison to get drunk and tell me how his relationship started to become miserable...and I gave him some advice...my way...you know..... Eredin began to stroke the Ciri's hips.

Eredin to Ciri

The flight of the Swallow: Chapter 30

[revoevokukil]

there is a lot of talk about the relationship ciri and ava and laramore and the relationship with the laboratory elf did he use her as a consolation or a kind of medicine for the pain he suffered because of lara? and what does she feel for him is it just because he is a wise man or does she have feelings did she feel Ciri as a threat? please i want your opinion on this relationship

A courtesan or a lover (prospective, new, old, or otherwise)? Or a psychologist? The former frequently function as the latter. Certainly though, a woman who very much wanted to be in that boat instead of Ciri that afternoon.

We met the "laboratory elf" in Lady of the Lake.

She found Avallac’h on the terrace by the river just as he was boarding a boat in the company of a gorgeous elf-woman with straw-coloured hair. The elf-woman was wearing lipstick the colour of pistachios and flecks of golden glitter on her eyelids and temples. … Ciri was about to turn around and walk away when Avallac’h stopped her with a gesture. And invited her into the boat with another. Ciri hesitated. She didn’t want to talk in front of witnesses. Avallac’h said something quickly to the elf-woman and blew her a kiss. The elf-woman shrugged and went away. She only turned around once, to show Ciri with her eyes what she thought of her. ‘If you could, refrain from comment,’ said Avallac’h when she sat down on the bench nearest the bow.

Ironically, TW3 gives her a name: Isilira. In short, Lira. Not a huge jump from Lira to Lara, and that already says plenty. I am only half joking. (She is also implicated as a spy; present on Naglfar in a cut quest. But it's unknown if the Child of the Elder Blood quest was at the game in that iteration of the game or not.) TW3 reinforces the idea of her as of Avallac'h's paramour and I don't think it's misguided. Based on what the game shows, Isilira seems up for indulging Avallac'h's desires, or maybe shares some of them in a complementary manner (perhaps they're using each other in a mutually enjoyable way; wouldn't that be lovely). On display in the laboratory though are both Isilira's and Ciri's jealousy and preconceived notions about Avallac'h: Isilira hopes he is not serious about Ciri and Ciri hopes exactly the opposite, that there is something more serious Avallac'h feels toward her.

Why was the elf woman at TnL that day? What made her special enough to earn a private rendezvous with one of the most powerful elves in the realm? Gorgeous, prepared. She clearly expected to be favoured over Ciri, but was restrained & distant enough not to make her displeasure known to Crevan upon being set aside for a dh'oine. (No, correct that: closely avoiding a three-way date. Crevan's oblivious at first, inviting Ciri to him immediately.) If theirs is an established relationship then boundaries might already be set (lover or professional courtesan, I think there would be a minefield to learn by heart with Avallac'h just the same). If she is new, well, then her contempt for Ciri is all the more understandable (an object of desire or a potentially useful client preferring some mongrel over you, I mean…). How serious could it possibly be, though? How much does the elf woman know about the gossip circling about Ciri, who bears the eyes of Lara? Does the "don't take away my memories of Lara" not apply to anyone but Ciri? Evidently.

Rewind.

I find the fact that this scene with the elf-woman is included in LotL incredibly interesting.

The man who has ever only wanted the love of one Woman, who cheated on him and did not want him in the end, is himself wanted by other women. Crevan's love for Lara seems to have been painfully genuine; earnest, despite his inherent pragmatism. It is always interesting to see what happens to people like him upon being disappointed in an ideal they have allowed themselves to fall for.

I think Avallac'h's vanity is a surprisingly underappreciated aspect of his persona. He is an elite of the elite - The Guy - and he knows it. He has an ego. Appropriately bruised by The Woman. But The Woman is dead and a few others at TnL may have sighed in relief when it happened; there's free real estate now. Joke's on them, of course, but has that ever stopped anyone persistent in the short term? I guess it takes a particular type.

Speaking of types: Avallac'h seems to be all about the Halo effect nowadays. To be seen as romantically linked with an attractive partner puts a seal of approval on a man's desirability in the eyes of other women. You don't know the guy personally and might infer he has qualities women desire in mates. Interesting insofar as the scene's included for Ciri's POV. You can halo-effect yourself too, of course; most who have ever been left or betrayed or hurt have questioned their self-worth. And that's yet another aspect that makes Avallac'h a really complicated character. You wouldn't know this implied mass murderer's heart and ego have been chewed up, mangled, and spat out by The Woman he loved unless her ghost was summoned: but simultaneously, when you learn it, you also learn that while Crevan is genuinely forlorn he is also absolutely resentful. Underneath, he is still angry. He hasn't dealt with it. Perhaps he is trying to deal with it.

(And I can hear a fic calling at me with a plot of him going to the she-elf as to a bed shrink; a witch he spends almost as much, if not more, time talking to while they are bathing as he does fucking her. I imagine Ciri features heavily in those conversations, as this is where it all gets really deliciously messed up. And I imagine Isilira is - on a professional level - amused, even while personally her heart is finding new degrees of stone to turn into. There, a WIP was born. Thanks, anon!)

And as concerns his vanity, who is to say Crevan didn't think he was the best thing since sliced bread right from the get go; when he was courting Lara? Being genuinely in love with someone makes you adjust your personality a lot, sure, but given how in-your-face Avallac'h's self-love is I don't think it's ruled out he took it as self-evident he was the best-suited for Lara. A wonderful loop: Destiny confirming self-importance and self-importance confirming Destiny. (But also - love; do we not all think along these lines when we are in love? Which came first? What feeds what?) Now, I don't know much about being the top 0.01% and how that affects what you're looking for in your partner - someone who understands your exceptionality & embraces what others see as vices must have been reassuring & relaxing on some level for Lara - but I can see smugness causing an allergic reaction even if the person loves me very-very much. Moreover, I think it's ironic how emotionally unavailable Avallac'h post-Lara does to those who desire him what Lara ended up doing to him. Circles of hurt everywhere; unintentional or not.

[xuelingxu]

I had this thought on Cirillac'h mixing Avallac'h from books and games. In books Ava says to Geralt that after one hundred years of living sex gets boring ( The Sage is 400, 500? years old) but in the games we stumble across his jelaous lover, also I can't forget the reddish bedroom and the rope nearby it 🙈 a strong hint btw. Was he temporary asexual before or what? Did It changed when he started to spend time with Ciri who transformed from a teenager to a beautiful woman? I need to understand this 😅

First of all, there is a difference between book!Ava and game!Ava, and even their personalities have been adjusted somewhat.

Secondly, Ava was about 450+, and in the books, his complaints were based on the concerns of a high class about the future development of Aen Elle (low fertility). His secret lab lover was the elfess he invited on board for a date at Tir na Lia at the time, and their relationship had been supposedly (sexually) companionable long before. I don't think he was temporary asexual, but he did also become bored with sex and lacked passion. So, he had hookah, rope, and vervain perfume in his lab, which were all designed to arouse or stimulate orgasm - he needed to do this with the help of props.

Finally, Ava transferred a large part of his feelings for Lara to Ciri, which I think was pretty obvious. So, "when he started to spend time with Ciri who transformed from a teenager to a beautiful woman, it changed." Your speculation is a big possibility. I think he had a desire for Ciri, because of an obsession with Lara, or an obsession with the Elder Blood, or an obsession with Zireael herself, in short, it was obsession.

The understanding of Cirillac'h is indeed to mix Avallac'h & Ciri from books and games, which is their growth, both in terms of characters and their relationship.

[ladymarinamart]

Hello! For the ask post - Don't ship it: question 3.

Ciri x Avallach

(I don't ship it either but I'm curious) ✌️❣️

Don’t Ship It

To be honest, the relationship between Avallach and Ciri is very ambiguous. There are too many undisclosed details in the game, which is why events can be interpreted in different ways, falling from one extreme to another.

Why don’t you ship it?

Avallac'h doesn't inspire any confidence in me, and I support Yennefer's opinion about him. I don't believe he was just helping Ciri.He was obviously hiding a lot, as Eredin's last words hint at.

I don't like Avallac'h arrogant attitude towards Ciri and his obsession with Lara (Ciri not help him forget Lara, she will always be in her shadow).

Also infuriating is the fact that fans forgive Avallac'h and Ciri the age difference, but Vernon and Ciri do not.

What would have made you like it?

Perhaps if Ciri hadn't been made so naive about Avallac'h in tw3 (it seems to me that such trust in someone who lied to her already is not in her nature)...

Or if Avallac'h have moderated his pride and learned to admit his own mistakes, and not to blame Ciri. And if he stopped feeling disgust for Ciri as a human.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

At least I appreciate that this ship makes sense, unlike some fighters for morality. Their fans have reasons to love them.

I also like the parallel Avallac'h/Lara/Cregennan and Avallac'h/Ciri/Vernon...

[eeriehowl]

avallac'h/eredin for the ship bingo? :D

thank you so much elis, i'm insane....🥲

rambling under cut.

i have so much to say about them. i will just keep it short....they pretty much hooked me the first time i read eredin's introduction & their interactions in book. i actually didn't ship it at all or even understand that they used to have any kind of relationship when i played tw3........ man, there’s so much to be interpreted about them in book tho bc of it only being a scrap of their interactions. they talk in a very formal way with one another but you can also tell they're familiar with one another to a certain degree...which just makes sense given that they've known each other for about 100+ years, most likely working as auberon's two closest advisors (given how the unicorns talk about them). at least from the little that we see, they have that 'i know you better than you know yourself' thing going on. it adds that ava hates being known but he can't really hide most things from eredin..... also, love ciri's little comparison of them when they stand next to each other....light and dark...only to then dive into some of eredin's lighter sides & further explore ava's darker sides during the chapter. one can not exist without the other. they just feel so natural when they talk to each other, feels like it was destined that they ended up working together in the end. i adore the way they clash in way more than just their aesthetic....example, eredin's blunt nature causing him to be pretty damn honest most of the time vs avallac'h's secretive & at times manipulative behavior.

rambling about events now, but eredin gently teases ava about lara upon seeing ciri's eyes & readily apologizes to ciri for upsetting her with the flower when he notices ava got genuinely upset about it....i say that it's bc of ava because he says much worse shit to her with no care about how ciri feels when they're alone. eredin is also the one to point out ava's "the end justifies the means" philosophy to ciri. ava doesn't really have those moments in book... but why would he when the guy can't even admit outright that he was in love with lara until he has a mental breakdown about it, lol. he hates those topics. tw3 actually ended up giving him that insight tho by having him say that eredin is....scared of what the white frost will do to their home? and then ofc refusing to elaborate on it, classic ava. pretty sure no one else got that impression. he also refuses to explain to geralt upon being questioned why he knows that eredin killed auberon despite eredin apparently having killed everyone else who did know... i like to think eredin just told him. which is a fecking hilarious thought. i've said before that i think it's unrequited romantic feelings from eredin for ava and i stick by that, tho i do obviously make it requited in a bunch of my shit. mainly i just like them talking and having weird tension. remember when i said i would keep this short? this is still short for me when it comes to them. send help.

[felicyta-of-rivia]

Avallach/Ciri/Roche as the new Avallach/Lara/Cregennan?

To be honest... probably not. there are many reasons that make this dynamic quite problematic. First of all, Vernon is not a character from the Witcher saga, he was invented by CD Projekt Red for the games and appears for the first time in The Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings, so he has no canonical relationship or contact with Ciri. In the third part of the games, he helps Geralt in the fight against the Wild Hunt, but we do not find out whether he had closer contact with Ciri during the fight or during preparations.

For a change, Avallac'h appears for the first time in "The Tower of the Swallow" and has real contact with Ciri (which, as we know, results in her being manipulated). After the events of the books in the games, we only see him in "The Wild Hunt", where he spends time with her again, but mainly out of the players' eyes. However, it can be concluded that it was quite a significant period of time during which they had to stay together like it or not.

However, if I had to say which of the two Ciri would choose... objectively, I must say that it would probably be Avallac'h. We know for sure that she spent a lot of time with him, but we don't know what their relationship and attitude towards each other was like while escaping from the Wild Hunt. So one could hypothetically assume that (especially knowing what Ciri was like in the books) something was happening between them

However, as far as my personal opinion is concerned, yes, very much so as much as I wanted to, I don't think I would end up with one of them in the end.

[malesurpremacy]

Ive been replaying The Witcher 3 due to having a cold and I can't help, but feel excited every time Avallac'h is seen or mentioned. Which saddens me because he's my favorite character and is not in the game much, nor do I feel that his storyline/character is really complete. Because let's face it, it isn't.

I've heard several people say that his character is not the same as the one that's in the book, and I have to agree, but not entirely in the same way. 

Because there is obvious character development that CDPR decided to say "fuck it" to in order to finish up the game. The Witcher 3 is my favorite game of all time, but I feel that the ending of it is a bit rushed to me (not even gonna talk about how easy Eredin is).  I'm extremely annoyed that they didn't put more thought into explaining Avallac'h's character, his intentions, Ciri's reason for trusting him so much and his relationship with her. 

The whole deal with his laboratory opens a door to this, but we don't actually get to see what's inside. We don't get any closure, no dialogue between the witcheress and the elf about it. Geralt confronts him about it, true, but Avallac'h being Avallac'h decides to tip toe around the subject, not revealing his true feelings. And in a way, that actually stays true to his character. He's secretive and doesn't like to discuss with others the way he feels. However, that's all we get. It leads us nowhere. We can only assume in the end

The only thing the she elf says when asked what Avallac'h actually thought about Ciri is that she looks like Lara. Out of all the things she could say, why would she settle for that? You'd think him "hating" her would make him spew more distasteful and derogatory things about her, but no. Maybe it's because Avallac'h didn't actually hate Ciri nor see her as a burden. It was just the she elf being jealous and the game literally hints to this.  

If it's one thing the Witcher universe teaches us, it's that nothing is ever black and white, especially when it comes to its characters. Avallac'h is one such individual that is neither, but merely grey. He has his own motives, sure, he made terrible mistakes in the past, but he's not entirely a bad person. He helps out our protagonists and does what he thinks is right, no matter the cost. So Ciri must have seen something in him during those 6 months despite his wrong doings against her. She said he never let her down after all. The way she praises him, talks about him and the way she is happy when Geralt reveals to her that the curse he was under was lifted only alludes to this. 

I mean, they could have become friends over the course of their travels. That would make the most sense. But to me, I just can't see it that way because there's too much history there. The fact Avallac'h loved her ancestor, sees Lara in her, just sets up something more complicated, but deep, dark and forbidden between the two.  

Compared to other characters in The Witcher universe, Avallac'h isn't really popular and is actually hated by a lot due to his past transgressions and his arrogant attitude towards humans. But I wouldn't have minded getting more insight on his and Ciri's story. 

I doubt we'll ever get anything else on the characters, or ever see Avallac'h again that isn't in the Netflix show, which I wouldnt be surprised if they fuck up (if he even appears there) so this is basically me rambling hopelessly. 

[alia-turin]

It has really been forever, but work kind of kicked my ass the last few weeks and writing has ben really really hard. In any case I am determined to finish that (just one chapter left, yey) and I also have bunch of hot requests to work on. 

Fic Title: Somewhere in Time:  Chapter 9  Previous Chapters:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8   Rating: Explicit [NSFW around the end] Fandom: The Witcher Relationship: Caranthir Ar-Feiniel/Original Female Character(s) AO3 Link

“Caranthir?” Aine looked at him confused and afraid, he pulled the blanket over her knowing they won’t be alone soon. Of all the possible days and times now would be the one, of course. He knew Avallac’h probably had no idea Carabthir was not alone, but that did not make the situation less annoying and frustrating. He was not a child anymore.

As soon as Avallac’h stepped through the portal, Caranthir got off the bed and started walking to his dresser, ignoring the man. The clothes he was wearing were downstairs in his study and he was not going to talk to his teacher naked. Avallac’h moved his eyes between him and Aine, she had the blankets pulled almost to her eyes level. Caranthir could feel the anger building in him. Of course his mentor will come now, if there was one thing Avallac’h had ever achieved regarding Caranthir was to ruin the few good moments he ever had in life.

“Get out of the room.” he said as his teacher was shifting his gaze between Aine and him. “The door is there, Avallac’h.” Caranthir pointed angrily as the older elf just smiled politely, acting as if just teleporting in someone's bedroom was the most normal thing in the world. His teacher walked out of the room, Caranthir followed, considering pushing him down the stairs.

“Why are you here?” Caranthir asked as they walked in his lab, Avallach had already lit the place. “Actually, I don’t care, leave.” He was having a good moment, for the first time in his life he was actually enjoying the closeness to another living thing, going through emotions he thought for a very long time unable to experience, and it was all cut short.

“I need to ask you something.” Avallac’h pretended as if that whole thing was absolutely normal. It wasn’t, it had never been normal.

“Make an appointment.” all the serenity was gone and he was pure rage right now, he couldn’t believe something so simple bothered him so much and was able to destroy all the tranquility he felt just a moment ago. He couldn’t show his feelings to Avallac’h, he would not give him the satisfaction. He did his best to look calm, but the winter storm outside the Tower started howling. “Leave.” Caranthir snarled.

“I understand that your absolute inability to build meaningful intimate relationships probably makes you very uncomfortable being seen in bed with someone, but I really need to speak to you.” he was talking to him, but Avallac’h’s eyes were not on him. Caranthir turned and saw Aine standing on the stairs wearing one of his shirts. He turned back to his teacher, Crevan’s eyes narrowed as if trying to determine how serious this thing was. No...he was thinking if he could use her to get to him. He was staring at her in the way Caranthir would stare at a horse he found interesting. He didn’t feel jealous because of his teacher’s gaze, he was concerned.

“Aine, go upstairs.” she hesitated and he raised his voice. “Now!” This time she did it, her light steps echoing as she climbed up the cold stairs.

“Free advice, from personal experience, snapping, especially when there is no need to do so, will result in unfortunate consequences.” Avallac’h forced a smile and Caranthir’s anger only grew. That patronizing, always knowing better than him...

“Despite my inability to build meaningful intimate relationships, do I look stupid enough to follow the advice of the man known for driving the one woman he loved away.” Caranthir chuckled, he had learned from the best. If Avallac’h wanted a fight, he was going to give him one and Eredin was not here to stop them.

“Lara might have left me, but at least she knew who I was.” Crevan pointed toward the stairs even if there was no one there anymore. “Tell me Caranthir, how long before your arrogance and impulses drive her away? How about everything in you that Eredin has corrupted? How long before your true colors show and she walks away for real this time. What will you do then? Let her go?” Avallac’h made a fake laugh. “I saw the marks on her skin, you will not allow your possession to just walk away. I would know.”

Silence fell between the two of them. Deep down Caranthir knew they were just two elves trying to hurt each other without doing it physically. They knew each other far too well, despite how much Avallac’h had tried to hide his pain through the years, Caranthi had seen it. Avallac’h was wrong however, she was not a possession, or maybe he had sensed that was using the words to push him further?

“I need to know where Eredin keeps the girl.” Avallac’h finally said, his voice soft, no trace of the frustrated tone they both used.

“What girl?” It has been days since he has been in Tir na Lia, he had no idea what Eredin or anyone was up to.

“Cirilla.”

“I don’t really keep track of where Eredin stores his toys.” Caranthir smiled. “Now, the door is downstairs, or use a portal, I don’t care.” The storm outside calmed, but so high in the tower, the wind was still whistling against the stone.

“Caranthir, I know you messed with the potion for Auberon.” Avallac’h added without hesitation. “I also know Eredin asked you to.” pause, he did not respond, just looked at his teacher. “I also know you have cast a spell to prevent me from finding Cirilla, I would have located her by now otherwise.”

“Maybe you should try harder.” Caranthir didn’t speak in anger, but he knew the words would hit home. That was what Avallac’h would tell him every single time he was unable to cast a spell or do something that was expected of him.

“You need to look beyond your selfishness.” Avallac’h added. “You have responsibilities.”

“I do.” Caranthir smiled. “To my king.”

“He is not the true king.” Avallac’h did not raise his voice, but the anger there was obvious. “I need to find the girl, she is a key to something more important than whatever Eredin wants to use her for. He will ruin everything…”

“Everything what?” Caranthir laughed. “All your life you have believed that there is a great purpose for you Crevan. Be with Lara, be the power behind the throne, father the child to save us all. Look at you. Ended up with Lara death, me as a replacement for your child and now even the throne is not yours. You are not as special as you think you are, Crevan. You think everyone to be more stupid than you are, but Eredin knows exactly what is at stake here. As do I. We are all aware and don't need you to remind us.”

“But I'm the only one who knows how to help.” There was malice in Avallac’h’s smile now, an emotion he had not seen on the other man’s lips before. “You think you are stronger than me? You can do a lot, but we still need Ciri and your ability might be enough to keep Eredin happy, but they are not enough to save us. All of us.'' A pause followed, Caranthir was ready for an attack, but one did not follow. “Tell me, how good of a mage is she?” Avallac’h pointed up the stairs. “If I am to...collapse the roof of this ugly tower, how long do you think she will last? A minute? A second?”

“Your issue is with me not with her.” Caranthir spoke through his teeth. “Besides, it doesn matter how good she is. I can protect her.” Avallac’h was bluffing. He would not do that...wouldn’t he? The man was pragmatic, logical, in his mind the life of all of the Aen Elle was more valuable than whatever might happen here, Caranthir understood that very well.

“Protect her? Like that other one? The one that the human mages killed? Did you tell her you will protect her too? Or there was no time for that.” The tower shook and Caranthir had just a second to stop his teacher's spell, before he found himself flying across the room and hitting the wall.

“The same way you promised Lara to protect her.” he got up, clearing blood from his mouth. “How did that work for you?.” he cast a spell, Avallac'h saw it and avoided the ice falling from the ceiling, but Caranthir knew that would happen, he moved the table behind Crevan and hit the small of his back forcing him on his hands and knees. They were even now.

They looked at each other, the anger in Avallac’h’s eyes softened, there was still displeasure, but the malice was gone.

Avallac'h stood unsure why he even did that. Why was he going so far? He did not come here to threaten Caranthir or that poor girl that had nothing to do with their past. He was happy Caranthir found someone, the kid deserved to feel something other than anger.

All he needed was Ciri's location, Caranthir must know something, otherwise he would be able to sense her. The logical explanation was he had cast a spell, he could walk for days through the palace, assuming she was in the palace and look for the spell, but he did not have days.

“I should have been kinder to you.” Avallac'h changed his approach. This was how he should have started. Tell him how he really felt, apologize, especially knowing that after today they would certainly be enemies and one of them would end up dead. Hopefully not, but it was a possibility. “I should have taught you how to love.” A pause followed and the navigator did not speak either. "I am not threatening anymore and I will not hurt her or you, unless you provoke me. Where is Ciri?" the young man laughed at his words.

“You should either continue with murder attempt or leave.” Caranthir finally said calmly

“I wish you could look beyond your own hatred.” Avallac’h sighed. “Lara taught me things I didn’t know. About myself. I think you have learned something about yourself tonight as well, my boy.”

Avallac'h couldn't believe how much alike the two of them were. Not in everything, and he was to blame for all of their similarities and differences. Ironically, he was not his biological father, but judging by their characters he might as well be.

“Avallac’h, it's too late to be my father.” Caranthir finally said as if reading his mind. It was a mix between regret and pain. "I will not tell you where she is. I will not betray Eredin."

Avallac'h nodded. That one was on him. He could have been smarter but his emotions took the best of him. He opened a portal and walked away. He was going to find her himself.

Caranthir stood there not sure what happened or why. He just stared at one point on the wall, his mind numb.

"Caranthir?" Aine's voice came from the stairs, he turned his head just to see her standing back at the stairs. The look on her eyes made him snap. She was scared and she was worried. For herself or for him? "Are you okay?" She asked and he stood there...for him? That was the first time…

"I'm okay. Let's go to bed." he walked to her and wrapped his around her shoulders.

Carathir woke up sensing his spell broken. Avallac’h finally found her. He knew it was just a matter of time after their conversation yesterday he just hoped it was in more time than that. Going back to Ti na Lia wasn’t something he wanted to do right now. Aine was still asleep, her small back pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her, he had never woken up next to someone in his life, nor had he ever had the desire to do so until now. He couldn’t believe how his entire life he had missed that. Sure, until now he had the need to be someone for more than a night only once before, but the whole feeling of having someone in his arms...he buried his face closer to her, inhaling the smell of wild flowers and pine from her hair. Caranthir wished he didn’t need to go to Tir na Lia now, he could spend the day here in bed just...holding her. That was new as well.

He felt her shift a bit and he released his grip not wanting to be clingy. Funny, he managed to sleep the whole night without moving at all, that was a first as well. She rolled over looking at him with sleepy eyes. Caranthir just stared. Even half awake she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. He felt bad for waking her, probably it was his tight embrace, but he could just not control himself, he needed to feel her so badly against his skin.

“Good morning.” she said as her eyes were pinned on his, he couldn’t stop admiring all the color on her. The red hair, such a contrast to the paleness of his, the vividness of her eyes, compared to the dullness of his...

“Last night...I promise that won’t happen again.” she looked at him puzzled, again he realized what he said was stupid and he should use more than three words to describe things. “I don’t mean...I mean with Avallac’h and the tower. Not what happened before that.” what happened before that he hoped would happen again. More than once. “He was out of line.”

“He is your teacher, right?” she asked as she pulled herself closer to him. Caranthir just nodded. Avallac’h was more than a teacher to him and less at the same time, but now that was not his problem. He had to tell her that he needed to leave despite not knowing for sure yet. Truth was he had no idea what was going on in Tir na Lia, he knew someone broke his spell, probably Avallac’h no one else had the power to do so, not now. Maybe Eredin captured him...he had to go.

“He was my teacher.” he finally answered, realizing that silence lasted too long. “He is something else right now.” he had to tell her, but how to do that without making it sound as if he was abandoning her. Last night she told him this was what she was afraid of, being used and then left. “Tell…” he stopped and her eyebrows raised in curiosity. Did he really want to know? “Tell me about that man. The one you said...left you.”

Aine stared at his pale eyes not sure she understood the question. She understood the words, that was not the problem, but why was he asking about that all of a sudden? Then again, she had seen probably some of the most intimate moments of his life, it was just fair.

“Well...not much to say...he was someone close to my half brother, but wanted to be closer, get more power.” That happened years ago and it still hurt her in a way. It had been a valuable lesson to learn her place. Not that much because of what he did, but because it was such a good reminder for her she had no place, neither with humans nor with elves. “He thought my father valued me more than he actually did, and he was not entirely wrong, he encountered him at a time when he was somewhat affectionate to me. We spent months together, I was happy because I felt like finally I had found my place. Finally I wasn’t neither here nor there, I was a part of something, accepted by someone...a few months passed he finally understood that my father used me to show off to elves who were sympathetic to humans, parade how generous he was to me, and ignored me the rest of the time. He tried, he asked my father if being with me makes him part of the family, my father ignored him and there was that.”

“Did you ever…” Caranthir started and then stopped half way. It was curious how hard these questions were for him, but he was the one asking, she did not share that on her own. Aine could feel his body being tense around her, his embrace a bit stronger. “Did you ever have that with him?”

“That?” she had to try to suppress a laugh. “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘that’.”

Caranthir felt the air just stopping in his lungs. He knew jealousy as a feeling, but that was the first time he felt it in a romantic way. He wasn’t even sure why, whoever the elf was, that was in the past, he didn’t even know his name, and that was probably for the best as otherwise he would find him and kill him. Not for what he had done to her, but because they had something, no matter how fake it might have been. No, the real jealously came from the fact that he probably held her in his arms, the way he was holding her now, but he had not done that with anyone else.

“Held you in his arms?” he finally asked, knowing the answer.

“Caranthir, why are you asking?” she pushed herself away from him a bit, placing a hand on his chest and looking at him concerned. “Does it really matter what happened years ago, with someone who does not matter anymore?”

Why was he asking? She was right, it didn’t matter.

“We need to go back to Tir na Lia.” he finally said. He just didn’t want to sound like he was leaving her, but he was leaving her, even if it was not in the same way. “And I will have to leave with the king on a hunt most likely.” he saw the confusion and pain on her face. He reached quickly for her cheek and cupped it with his hand. “I did not plan for that to happen.”

“Can I stay here?” she finally asked, the concern in her eyes not disappearing but he could feel her body being less tense.

“No.” he laughed. “I might be gone for a day, but I might be gone for months. You can’t open a portal on your own, not even to move yourself downstairs. There is no way out of here but through a portal.” he kissed her forehead. “In Tir na Lia, you will have all of my servants, everything you’d ever need.”

“Caranthir, no…” she grabbed his hand from her face and held it in hers. “My place is not there, I’m neither human nor elf, I have no place in the palace. Not as an elf…”

He placed his finger on her lips making her silent.

“You have a place. Here and in Tir na Lia.” he opened a portal under the two of them and suddenly they moved to his rooms in Tir na Lia. They fell on his bed, the warm blankets from the Winter tower with them. “This is your place.”

Before she could protest again there was a knock on the door and one of his servants walked in, an elderly man who usually looked after everything.

“My lord, I was not aware you will be coming back.” the man bowed as he spoke, he looked at Aine for a second and then his eyes were on Caranthir again.

Aine pulled the covers closer to her chin as Caranthir got off the bed, the servant still standing there. That dynamic was not unfamiliar to her, the man was most likely trained all his life to do exactly what he was doing right now and Caranthir had grown up knowing humans were nothing but servants. She was the odd one in the situation. He got off the bed and walked around it, the servant's head bowed down but he followed his master’s movement as he went to the window on the other side of the bed. Aine used the chance to study the room, it was at least twice as big as the bedroom in the Winter Tower, the bed was softer, there was a small table with chairs, dresser next to the wall and vanity, but the mirror was covered with a sheet. That was curious, she realized just now that there was not a single mirror in the Winter Tower.

“I will be leaving Tir na Lia for a hunt.” Caranthir turned toward his servant. “In my absence, her word is my word.” The man did not answer to him, just gave her a quick look, almost as if trying to understand. Aine did not blame him. His life was easily defined. Humans served elves and there was that. She was neither. She wasn’t his mistress, nor wanted to be, but she was not his equal either. “Make sure you find her some clothes. We left everything at the Winter Tower.”

“Yes, my lord.” The man bowed and shot another look at her, filled with confusion as if he was trying to make sure he really understood his master’s commands. He nodded and walked out.

“You don’t need to do that.” she said as the man walked away. “I don’t need servants.”

Caranthir walked toward the bed and sat at the edge, the morning light from the window reflecting in the white lines of the scars on his body.

“You said you don’t have a place.” he ran his fingers through her face. “I’m giving you one. But you will not have a place, among the Aen Elle, or among the humans, unless you decide if you want to be Aen Elle or human. It’s yours.” he made a gesture with his other hand pointing at the vast room. “There is a study next door and all the books you need on magic...hopefully I will be back soon.”

He looked at her face trying to remember all the lines, how her red hair contrasted with her skin, the mismatching eyes, the curve on her nose, the fine on her cheekbones...he hoped that would take no more than a day but he knew Avallac’h he was clever and he had already seen the rest of the Red Riders preparing in the yard. It was a matter of time before Eredin came looking.

“Why are you doing that?” she finally asked him and he was taken aback. What sort of question was that? “You don’t need to.” she added. “You can leave me in the rooms where you kept me imprisoned, they are perfectly adequate, but you are giving me your rooms. Why?”

Caranthir could not answer these questions. He could, but not actually voice it. She made him feel good, she made him forget how bad he felt about himself, she made him feel wanted for something else than being Eredin’s Navigator. He also liked holding her in his arms, just having another being that accepted him for who and what he was. Someone who in a way was as lonely as he was, someone just as him, could never find their place, because he was not a warrior like Eredin and Imlerith, but he was also different from Avallac’h. Or at least wanted to be.

“Come.” he took her hand in his and walked with her to the window where he was standing just a moment ago. She hesitated for a moment to step closer, she had nothing covering her body. “It’s okay the rooms are high enough, even if someone looks they can’t see you.” He pushed her closer to the glass and wanted her to see what he was looking at just a moment ago. Eredin and the rest of the Red Riders rushing around the yard, preparing to leave. He had not spoken with him, but he already knew what was going on. “I’m doing that, because you are doing something for me.” he kissed her neck where he could still see the marks he left on her last night. “Something to me.” He placed his hands over her belly and slid them up to her breasts, but she stopped him.

“A payment?” there was hurt in her words and Caranthir stepped back, she was not turning but she could see his reflection in the window.

“No.” he wished he was able to express what was going on in his head. The fact that he did not want to leave, not now that he actually felt good for the first time in many years. “Gratitude. Appreciation.” yes, that sounded closer to what he was feeling, probably not an accurate description but as close as he could allow himself to admit aloud. He wrapped his hands around her again, but this time sank his teeth in her skin, pulling her closer to himself trying to remember how her skin feels against his. One hand sliding between her legs, the other reaching for her breasts but she stopped him again.

“Not like that.” she turned around and faced him, placing a hand on his chest just over his heart. “Gentle.”

“I’m not sure I know how.” it wasn’t a lie. Last night was the nicest he had ever been to someone in bed and he still wasn’t sure that qualified as gentle.

“I can help you.” she stepped on her tip toes and kissed his lips. Caranthir didn’t even need to think about it, his whole body was just responding to her.

“I don’t have a lot of time.” It was partially an excuse to hide his lack of experience in being kind, but also truth. It was a matter of minutes before Eredin asked for him. He wanted to treat her differently than everyone else and he was far less ashamed of himself around her, he wouldn’t be standing naked in front of her now if that was not the case, but he had no idea where to start from.

“You don’t need a lot of time.” she kissed him again, this time he was trying to memorize the sweetness of her taste.

Aine wasn’t even sure where all that courage came in her, she knew she wanted him, just this time she wanted to look at his face, all the time. As much as she liked last night, that was different. He said he could be away for months, so she wanted to remember him.

“I will try.” he groaned as he reached down and lifted her, placing her on the window sill but still supporting most of her body. He moved one hand between her legs running a finger through her entrance feeling that she was already wet. Redness crawled trough her neck and cheeks having herself for a second day spread like that for him.

“Slowly.” she moaned as his finger was replaced by the tip of his cock. He listened, he pushed slowly in her, his hand grabbing her chin and made her look at him as he was slowly pushing in her. He was careful and gentle, trying to be. The hand that was supporting her was still digging in her skin, probably leaving bruises and she could see the lust in his eyes.

As he pushed all the way in he leaned forward and kissed her, moving the hand that was holding her chin to where they were connected, his thumb easily reaching for her clit.

“I don’t have time.” he whispered in her ear as he picked up the pace. She kissed his chest trying to silence her moans. Despite his faster and harsher pace he was trying to be kind, his lips were on her neck, but this time kissing not biting. She wrapped her legs around his urging him to go faster even if he did not really need the invitation. He moved his lips to hers just before she came around him, as his own moves became more frantic and needy. Couple of thrusts later and he came slamming his hand at the window behind her to find support.

Neither of them moved for a second, she couldn’t until he did, and he was just leaning over her looking at her unfocused and trying to catch his breath.

He didn’t step away from her but grabbed her and threw her on the bed, her back hitting the softness of the mattress.

“How was that for ‘nice’?” He did not follow her in bed, but watched her naked shape over the covers.

“We need to practice.” she teased him, as she was trying to memorize every inch of his body.

“When I am back.” he leaned forward and kissed her. For a second she thought he would follow her in bed, but he stopped over her. He pulled one of the rings from his hand and handed it to her, it was different from the one he used to teach her. This one was just a band with runes marked on it. “Keep that with yourself. If something happens, I can find it.”

“If something happens?” she could sense concern in his voice. Happens to her or to him? “No more tracking spells?” she teased, not wanting to even imagine what ‘something happens’ could mean. Not now.

“No tracking spells.” he touched her lips with his thumb. “If you are to walk away now, and leave the ring here, I won’t be able to find you.”

She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't leave, not unless he asked her to, but a knock on the door prevented that.

“My lord.” it was his servant. “The king is asking for you.”

[lwiamatka-a]

The Elder Blood

What is the Elder Blood?

The Elder Blood or Hen Ichaer, later known as Lara Gene, was a genetic program, a mutation similar to these of Witchers, that was carried out by powerful elven mages, known as Sages, for the purpose of creating an extraordinarily gifted child whose power would exceed their own. According to the prophecy of the elven diviner Ithlinne, the Child of Elder blood will one day save the elves from annihilation. The first, and last, successfully created Child of Elder Blood was Lara Dorren Aep Shiadhal, the daughter of King Auberon Muircetach and his wife Queen Shiadhal, who decided to go against her destiny and bonded with a human instead of an elf, thus shattering all plans regarding her offspring. Because it is a mutation, it has both its perks and side-effects.

The splitting of the Elder Blood.

Lara Dorren’s daughter, Riannon, gave birth to twins - Fiona and Amavet, which led to the gene being split into the latent gene, and the activator. The gene became weak and was deteriorating with every passing generation. It was restored, however, in Calanthe, the Queen of Cintra, thanks to the union between Adalia, Countess Garramone and Dagorad, King of Cintra. The restoration of the gene was not accidental. It was a plan created carefully by Adalia and Tissaia de Vries, as a way to create the child of prophecy that would stop the world from destruction. As a result of the sorceresses’ scheming, Adalia was offered to marry Dagorad, and out of their union Calanthe was born - the First Red Apple, the first carrier of Elder Blood since Riannon. The Brotherhood planned to raise the child and teach her how to use the power of the Elder Blood to destroy the Empire of Nilfgaard and save the world from White Frost. Sadly, their plans fell flat when Calanthe refused to take on the path of a sorceress, and chose to be a Queen instead.

Beauty and fertility.

Similarly to the Witcher mutations, Elder Blood increases its carrier’s sex drive. But, because its very purpose was to create very powerful children, in opposite to Witcher mutations that cause infertility, the Elder Blood increases the carrier’s sex drive, fertility and attractiveness, making the daughters of elder blood the most beautiful women of their time, respectively.

- Lara Dorren was absolutely beautiful. Avallac'h was obsessed with her. She was so beautiful that she literally frightened mortal men.  - Riannon was stunningly beautiful, as well, her husband Goidemar was so in love with her some thought she cast an evil curse on him. She had twins, as a side-effect of the increased fertility. - Fiona and Amavet. Fiona’s husband, while not in love with her, treated her like an ornate statue, or a praise. Amavet was a casanova who slept with countless girls. He started with those that were a lot younger, but quickly got bored and moved on to more experienced ladies He got a married countess to fall in love with him, gave her bastard twins and got murdered for it.  - Corbett, son of Fiona and Muriel, daughter of Amavet. Corbett slept with everything and everyone, he was known for having almost ruined Cintra with how many both male and female lovers he had, handing power and honours to them. Muriel was called the lovely harlot and the doe-eyed Muriel because of how beautiful and promiscuous she was. - Dagorad, son of Corbett and Adalia, daughter of Muriel. The only quite decent bunch, even though Adalia was still extremely beautiful, known in her youth in Temeria as the Beautiful Adalia, having married Duke Ragbard of Ellander who died barely a year later before marrying Dagorad.  - Calanthe - she is where the gene connected and was restored. She was the first carrier of the full gene since Riannon and so beautiful that the people of Skellige believed her to be a goddess incarnate. Thirty men sailed to Cintra from Skellige to at least get a glance of her beauty. - Pavetta literally rendered men speechless with her beauty. - Ciri grew so beautiful that a man fell to his knees in front of her wondering if she’s a mortal woman, an otherworldly creature or a goddess.

Side-effects.

The Elder Blood gene gives its carrier direct connection with the chaos, allowing them to draw from it and use its power raw, without having to pay back as much as regular sorceresses do. Or, so did the creators of the gene think. It hasn’t been observed yet, because all the carriers up to the current point in history had died young or (like Calanthe or Riannon) chose not to use their connection. If one was to, however, use the power excessively, they would sooner or later find themselves corrupted by the chaos. Slowly, but surely, the more energy they draw from it, the deeper they fall into its embrace. The Elder Blood teaches its carrier how to use itself. It feels like riding a bike, or re-visiting a place one had been to before, many, many years ago. It feels like memories slowly returning, as it pulls the carrier further into the chaos. Men cannot be the carriers of the full Elder Blood gene, only the latent or the activator, which is why Calanthe lost two of her unborn children - they both would have been boys, but they didn’t survive to term.

Calanthe’s Elder Blood.

Because of poor relationship with her mother and Calanthe’s distrust for mages and anything magic-related, she refused to even try and learn to use the magic that sleeps dormant inside of her. She knows not of the significance of the gene, nor does she care for it. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the potential. If she only reached for the gift, she would possibly be the most powerful sorceress in history, similarly to Lara Dorren. Even without any training, when she’s scared or worried or mad, the aura of power around her can be overwhelming. She does happen to have the Elder Blood screaming episodes, although rare - when she yells at someone, even dogs go silent around the palace, the ceiling shakes. One of such screams happened to her during the Battle of Hochebuz. Back then, it was interpreted as a roar by the people, and earned her her title of the Lioness of Cintra.

[elderbloodcarrier]

Otp first questions for Ava and Lara

IMPORTANT OTP FIRST QUESTIONS

NOTE: Same as I did for Lara & Cregennan, I’m gonna write this as if they ended up living a life together, but also kinda exploring what their relationship could have been like before and during an engagement.

-Who holds the others hand first?: I feel like once they become good friends after working together to train as Aen Saevherne, that Lara would be the first to grab his hand and drag him places. But after getting engaged and once Lara starts to get to know Cregennan better, it’s Avallac’h grabbing her hand, trying to hang onto her so she doesn’t leave.

-Who initiates the first kiss?: Surprisingly....Avallac’h. And I mean surprisingly because I can just see him so to himself and possibly nervous to do so, but he works up the courage to tell her how he feels. 

-Who asks the other out for the first date?: Lara. Well, then again she’s kinda of always dragging him off somewhere with her, so he thinks it counts as one. This becomes true once the engagement is planned between them.

-Who says ‘I love you’ first?: Ohhh...this is a hard one. I feel in the beginning Lara cares for him, but not to that level yet. And Avallac’h wouldn’t dare speak the words out loud unless needed. He’s kinda subtle. But I feel eventually both of them would say it to each other at the same time.

-Who’s ready for marriage first?: Both because they were kinda raised to expect it and work towards it, especially Lara. However, they are both equally nervous and excited. 

-Who wants kids first?: Avallac’h. He’s so excited to be a parent and start his own family. Although Lara knows she is destined to have children someday and carry on the Elder Blood line and give birth to an even more powerful child of destiny, I’m still sticking with the headcanon that she is freakin nervous about it. I even have this headcanon that she was really nervous with realizing she was pregnant with Riannon, and it wasn’t just because of how the Aen Elle would react, but because of terrible visions she had been having which only grow until she gives birth to her. 

-Who’s the first to break down because they’re going to be parents?: Lara 1000%. However, Avallac’h tries his best to help comfort and take care of Lara through it, even trying to look into her visions to get understanding from them because he wouldn’t let that shit go. He knows how important this is for them and he wants to make sure she is safe. 

-Who’s the first to cuss in front of the baby?: *giggles* Lara!

-Who’s name does the baby learn first?: It’s a hard call, honestly. I could see both.

-Who’s least ready to let their kids grow up?: Well, I’m going out on a guess here that since Aen Elle kids still stick around with their parents once they ‘grow up’ because elves don’t age like humans or at least follow the ‘leaving the nest’ tradition like we do...I’d say none of them are affected. They know they will still get to see their kids everyday around Tir na Lia.

-Who cries when the kids leave?: Lara maybe the one to worry or fret over them if they leave the palace. I just see her as that kind of mother. 

-Who makes tea for the other because they really shouldn’t be getting up so much anymore?: Old age wouldn’t really affect them like a human, so I’ll apply this to other things. Avallac’h definetly did this for Lara when she was pregnant. And if either one of them are hurt, I feel they would do this for each other. 

-Who teases the grandkids most?: Both equally. They both share a quick-witted tongue. And Lara has a playful nature.

-Who spoils the grandkids most?: Again, both. They love their kids and grandkids. Elves love children after all because they are almost practically a rarity and gem to them. Heck, even Auberon would spoil them.

-Who insists on doing even the most simple of tasks for the other because they’re both growing so old and they really need to rest?: Just because they are ‘old’ in elf terms, it doesn’t mean they aren’t able to still do everything. They still have tons of energy and strength, just maybe slightly lessened, but not to the point of not being able to do basic tasks. However, they still help each other out equally. 

-Who dies first?: Of course in canon it’s Lara. However, if we still go with the thought of them ending up together and they get to live to the natural old age for an Aen Elle without anyone or anything ending it for them so suddenly...I'd honestly say they’d both go together. 

[veinereastath]

hi there again (I'm the anon from the Eredin age ask, btw, thank you for the answer!! I like your theory). i wanted to ask one more thing - how did you play around with pairing aen elle with a human? not that I have something against it, hell naw, but I'm wondering whether making Rhan a human was somehow important for your plot, or did you just decide it for no bigger reason?

I like your questions, Nonny! I really do~

~ Also, sorry in advance - this is a long answer. I wanted to make it short, but.. I guess I usually go to far with asks, probably because I’m just too excited, duh.

Okay, first things first - pairing Aen Elle with a human is sick. :”) To some extent, I presume. I would never go for it if not for the canon Lara Dorren x Cregennan of Lod story, because that gives some mild suggestion that, technically, such a relationship is possible. Even more interesting, the romance between them was more bothering for humans than elves, so it’s also a little point for my evil little abomination that I created.

About how it started - I created Rhan (or, actually, loose concept of her) in late 2015 / early 2016 [I started my journey with this universe in September 2015 where I played Witcher 3, and after finishing it I swallowed the whole saga by Sapkowski in less than two weeks]. Fun fact - she was an elf at this point, Aen Elle, actually, with a totally different backstory than what we have now. But me, being me, always digging human x elf / demon / whatever the hell you can come out with relationships - it wouldn’t work, it was too boring for me, so I scrapped that early concept and started nibbling, slowly and lazily, at something new. I think that the first ideas that are actually what Rhan is today started appearing in my head during summer vacations in 2016 (gosh, why am I giving so many pointless details, sorry anon).

Let’s get back on the grid - the main problem I have with Eredin is that he’s one of that characters that doesn’t have much screenbooktime. The whole Tir na Lia plot takes about 40 pages I think, and Eredin has maybe 15 pages in total. It’s not much when we have 5 books + about a dozen or so smaller stories [and Season of Storms, but it came out much, much later]. But what I could pick up was that:

Aen Elle are a fucked up race, and that’s a fact, but, honestly  - 90% of the Witcher universe is either genocidal, racist, or both, or worse,

Eredin is genocidal and racist, and, even more... complicating, the whole "Ciri in Tir na Lia” plot puts Eredin, Avallac’h and Auberon in position of rapists, because putting a woman in someone else’s bed without her permission is rape,

he’s that lovely, dark and highly intelligent manipulative type. :”)

It’s quite a feat, because everyday I get around 3-4 new little ideas for their story, but only 1 at best makes it to the “next step”, because there are many things I have to consider - first is, 98% of soft and fluffly things just won’t work with Eredin. They just won’t, but somehow I’m fine with that, I was never a fluffly-tropes kind of person. Second is, Rhan x Eredin relationship is difficult on every level: the race difference is obvious, but there is also age, for example, and all the time I have this little devil in the back of my head reminding me of the “the old, kinda supernatural being falls in love with a young woman” trope: *cough* Twilight *cough*. The worst thing that could happen is making Eredin OOC somehow. But that’s always the biggest fear when shipping OC x canon, I presume.

So, in order to make myself feel better, in nearly every piece of story with them I write I put that huge doubt, mostly on Rhan’s side, how the hell this could work and her little panic when after some time she realizes where her feelings are going, because while Aen Elle x human might have indeed a chance of happening again, even after Lara Dorren x Cregennan, it’s still wrong on nearly every level. When that Aen Elle is Eredin, it’s even worse.

The very definition of “falling in love” itself also kinda feels weird when Eredin is taken into consideration, imo, so that’s another thing I have to live with every day (but hey, I love suffering, so it’s all good, right).

Moving on - I decided that if this is supposed to work, Rhan should probably be as most non-human human as I can, while still somehow keeping that “humanity” in her, because... If I wanted to de-human her entirely, why not just make her an elf and be done with it? That’s why I decided that while yes, she was born on Skellige and is 100% human, I will put her in Brokilon, make her live and learn from the dryads, and then put her right in the middle of Scoia’tael to give her the deep understanding of elven culture and way of life. The final effect is that while Rhan is human in terms of how she looks like (no diamond-cutting cheekbones in her, baby~) and tends to show a more fiery side of her temperament here and there, she behaves like an elf in about 85% of the case - to make it more “real” I added small headcanon things that could potentially fit elves, at least Aen Seidhe, the way the greet each other, thank eatch other for help, share their emotions etc., so after just a few days Eredin realizes “well, she’s human, but she does not behave like one, and does not move or fight like one”. It’s barely a deal for him at this point, but it’s the first, microscopic step towards moving their relationship onto some normal ground.

Another thing - this relationship could not happen fast. While Rhan is a sorceress and, indeed, has an increased lifespan thanks to magic, she is still a human and the biggest human thing in her is that she perceives time like humans do - every minute, hour, week is important to her, while Aen Elle can wait decades and not be too much bothered by it. So something long and lazy from Rhan’s perspective would be a blink of an eye for Eredin, especially since I stick to that headcanon that he must be at least 300 years old - at this age elves are pretty much done with everything, they’ve seen nearly everything, and they just don’t care that much about time, and they get quite bored with each other (sex-wise, as Avallac'h said to Geralt in Tower of The Swallow).

Though, on the side note, the books heavily suggest that Eredin is, indeed, impatient; something that kinda costed the Aen Elle losing the Elder Blood and Auberon at the same time, because he would probably live if not for Eredin’s hasty attempt to speed things up.

Huh, what else could I say... Ah, right, time. I wanted to mention that I made their relationship take a long time to just go from “you’re just a trophy” to “you’re tolerable” to “alright, I consider you to be a living being and slightly appreciate what you’re doing to Aen Seidhe elves in your world” to “I respect you” to “I would not die for you, but I would kill for you”. I’m still not entirely sure how much time I want it to take, but one decade is an absolute bare fricking minimum. Recently I’m kind of going more into putting it into a span of 20-25 years, actually. And it’s still not that much for Aen Elle elf.

What else... Ah, to figure out how the hell would Eredin even consider taking her alive, instead of killing her on the spot after she got trapped in Tir na Lia for the second time (in case you don’t know - I gave Rhan a highly unstable magic; she can’t create portals, because they always throw her to the place that is full of powerful magic, and doesn’t care for worlds barriers - and Tir na Lia is literally full of it), I went with the very long and tiring chase sequence; Rhan was able to run away for 5 days before she got captured, with barely any sleep available at that time, to kinda give this whole thing a vibe of an exciting (for Eredin, that is) chase, that is something new and interesting after the routine that is unicorn hunting / raiding human villages. The Raven Haired Bastard managed to be slightly, just sliiightly impressed by how long she was able to play this game, slipping from his riders by mere inches. Slightly. But that’s already some kind of a start to make it at least somehow believable. At least for my mind and my imagination.

And yes, I know he chased Ciri as well, but in her case it was a matter of life and death, because Eredin needed her blood, it was a matter of survival of the whole race, not chase for fun. In case of Rhan, it's more of a free-time challenge, a hunt for a difficult, but not that important prey. Aaand I don't like Cirilla, but that's another thing, yikes

... God, it was not supposed to be this long, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t make it shorter. And there are still probably things that I would like to mention, but just can’t think about them right now.

 

Moral of the story is - I dig complicated, dark and difficult relationships. I always go for them. Well, in 99% of the case.

[revoevokukil]

Re the ask me anything post: ideas for fics (or essays) you haven’t got around to yet?

Oh god...

I will not open the vault at the moment, as I want to sleep tonight, but off the top of my head:

Influences: Zelazny & Sapkowski

I could continue the "Influences" series for a while, tbh, because AS has been kind enough to provide a list of inspirations/potential influences in the 2001 Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave. As I read and flip through other authors' works, new associations arise.

Meta-framings & philosophies in the Saga

Deep Dive into Świat króla Artura. Maladie

Paganism & wicca in The Witcher aka Sapkowski the Pagan

An odd transhumanist take on the Origins of Elves

Cyclicality and Recurrence (of Time, Fate, Plot, Universe)

Ask: Shiadhal's disappearance - MIA

Ask: Relations between Aen Seidhe and Aen Elle (Sages)

The Lara Factor (for putting an end to the literally endless stream of asks in my inbox about "if-Lara/Avallac'h then not-Ciri/Avallac'h" & how dare you anyway, actually?)

La Belle Dame sans Merci

Re-read the books with live commentary

Then there are fics and various fic ideas, which... idk when and if ever, given the current economy.

Codename: Glass Hearts (I know, I'm so original). An Eredin character-piece, which turned into an Eredin & Avallac'h intertwined two-shot. Origins, in a sense, but in a weird, eldritch, recurrence & ritual & myth & unknown, cycles'-spanning debts kind of way. (And tbh, Auberon is beginning to feature so prominently idk, i am becoming his advocate next probably.)

Ciri's miniature character-piece. Difficulties of relating and relationships.

Codename: Lara's Favourite Things.

Codename: Futunoir AU. Regular psychodrama programming. You get the picture.

Codename: Cattlethieves. Ciri's & Galahad's road trip.

Codename: Esterhazy. How Ciri's sword came to her. Lore fill-in.

A haunt-piece - post-books - about Ciri, motherhood, grief, and insanity.

GwE, but we don't talk about it.

Bunch of snippets which I want to put in a collection.

[xuelingxu]

Do you think Avalach was raised away from his family?

Yes, but it's all just my headcanons.

I think Avallac'h was a nobel, with his appearance that followed his soft-looking mother, and a personality that leaned toward his arrogant and vain father. He was initially raised by the family, but was taken away from it when he was found to have the potential to become an Aen Saevherne, a very secretive class of Sages who were very knowledgeable but never told others, and Avallac'h as one of the successors could learn from them, but at the cost of being away from his own family. Moreover, after he showed his increasingly powerful talent, he was groomed as the elite of the elite, and since then, his relationship with his family had grown weaker. It's not that he didn't miss his family, it's just that his thirst for unknown knowledge made him desperate to learn more.

He attended the Elder Blood program, he was the Sage with the most comprehensive knowledge about this program, he came from a noble family, he was also a royal advisor to Auberon, all this contributed to him becoming the fiancé of the elven princess Lara, chosen as the father of that Destiny's Child.

[larapavetta]

Hi! Your blog is curated very beautifully! You write that Lara has a wrought relationship with her parents; and it seems to me that especially with her dad (some tags about him making her cry/not treating her well). How has it affected her? Has Lara had to actively take a balancing force in her family relationships despite perhaps resenting it? Are there lessons about life she has taken away thanks to her her peculiar origin that other kids probably won't learn in years?

[Oh, thanks so much for your nice message, this really made my entire shitty week!;~;

To be fair, most of my relationship headcanons for Lara exist in my head only and they are not consistent or canon-divergent, because they change a lot when I think about Lara's development but now for you, dear anon, I'll give it a try and write down some reasonable thoughts! Enjoy!♥️]

Being born as half Aen Elle and half human, Lara serves as a symbol to unite these two particular races - at least to a small, yet growing degree of their respective societies and cultures. While she isn't particularly badly treated by the Nilfgaardian society in which she grows up during her youth, not everyone approves the fact that she exists; even less so the Aen Elle elves. However, thanks to her mother, Lara learns how to be prepared to deal with racism and discrimination against her kind from a very young age.

Lara's relationship with her parents is not always harmonic and pretty much permeated by problems caused by both sides. Let me elaborate a little more on her complicated relationship with her father first.

When she is little - a naive, innocent child - she really loves her father more than anything. She looks up to Avallac'h, he is her idol and childhood role model. She literally clinges to him, out of fear of being abandoned. Their bond is strong, seemingly unbreakable but with the years, Lara realizes that most of her father's given love is simply based on his wish to have an idealized daughter. This is when she starts to question their relationship. Avallac'h has a different, unhealthy imagination of how Lara should look and act in his eyes. He can't truly acknowledge her flaws and he has high expectations of her, in both skills, talent, behaviour and personality. All the genuine love he shares, all the sacrifices he makes is for a selfish purpose; to shape Lara the way he wants her to be while he never really asks what Lara desires.

As a result, Lara loses connection to her father, as she becomes more and more hostile and repulsed by Avallac'h when she realizes how his love for her hangs on a measuring stick. He keeps pretending to stand on a higher moral ground when he talks to her, he belittles her mental problems and it's hard for him to accept her failures. In truth, Avallac'h simply fears of failing her education and losing control over Lara's development when she hits puberty. Eventually, Lara somehow feels betrayed.

As a princess of Nilfgaard, Lara admires her mother and has a close connection to her since birth. This connection is not supported consistently throughout the years, because Ciri is often busy with politics and at some point she stops taking enough motherly time to spend with her daughter. Ciri struggles with mental issues herself as well, but Lara is too young to actually understand them. However, she always craves her mother's love, suffers from the loneliness that hits and overwhelms her every once in a while. This is when Avallac'h interferes. He provides Lara the love she needs when her mother isn't there for her.

As a baby, Lara helped to establish a peaceful relationship between her parents. She often becomes a victim of her own parents' disputes in her late teens. Both Ciri and Avallach want to be a perfect, flawless parent. As a result, they always have harsh disputes in which they criticize each other about their way of parenting. Lara feels out of place, pressed and eventually isolates herself more and more from them because she believes she's the reason her mother and father are unhappy.

One lesson Lara learned in her early years is that only a very few of her friends are true friends and that many people aren't trustable at all. And that she has to establish boundaries, so her parents, especially her father, won't be able to control and dictate her life.

[lladmie]

I was reading the polish wikia and I stumbled in a very interesting section about Lara Dorren. In the "Genealogie" written by Sapkowski (link here) there are a few interesting informations about the elves and about Lara I haven't seen anyone mentioning:

The elves do not pay attention to their place of birth and the relationships between parents and children are completely unobtrusive and loose.

If elves want to use one of their parents' name, most often they use a matronymic - the mother's name.

No one knows if being an Aen Saevherne, a Knowing One, a Sage, is something that have to do with genetics, training or some unknown rituals. 

Lara was exceptionally beautiful even for elvish standards. She was 5 feet and 7 inches and her hair was "light blonde".

Lara died in a wood near Tretogor, and her body was probably buried there. A legend says that the elves took her body and buried it in Tir ná Béa Arainne. (N.B. In the Tower of the Swallow, Avallac'h says her tomb in Tir ná Béa Arainne was only a cenotaph.)

That's at least what I've understood, I wanted to share it here.