The company arrived at the mayor of Rinde's house late in the evening. It was a magnificent estate build from stone, surrounded by many bushes well cared by the gardeners and tall trees, in which crowns owls resided, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. Burning candles' light could be seen in the windows, signaling that the host was home. As the heroes emerged from a dense fog and crossed the threshold of the gate, they were stopped by a guard.
"Where do you think you're goin'?" he asked. "First, you must pay".
"To see the mayor in an important matter?" Geralt questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.
"That's the rules" the guard shrugged his shoulders.
"Good sir, we must act quickly here!" Olaf informed. "Please let us in!".
"Pay or there's nothing for you here" he stated.
The man started to get on the arrivers' nerves. They were in a hurry, they didn't have time to talk with a guard, who could be lying them in the eyes. Anna sighed quietly, then straightened up, cleared her throat and with a proud, momentous tone of voice said:
"I am princess Anna of Arendelle" she introduced herself. "And I order you to let us into the mayor's estate this instant".
The guard laughed.
"All well, Yer Majesty" he replied, an irony in his voice could be found. "But this is Redania, not Arendelle".
"Indeed" the blue-eyed woman agreed. "However I am completely sure that my dear friend, king Vizimir II, will be absolutely delighted by hearing the news that because of the ungrateful, snooty for money guard my troubadour has died. I'll personally ensure that your head will roll throughout the entire Tretogor" she threatened, noticing the guard's face turning pale. "So what it'll be? Will you give way or do you desire to leave this world?" she asked, looking at the man with contempt.
The guard swallowed his saliva loudly. He realized the game wasn't worth the candle. Without a word he backed to the side, allowing the heroes to go further. They stopped at the front door and then dismounted from their horses. Anna and Geralt threw Jaskier's arms over their own and went inside, Olaf right behind them. They were growing through a really long corridor, when the snowman spoke up:
"You got him pretty good!" he called out joyfully and combatantly at the same time. "His face was priceless!".
"I'm beginning to be afraid of you, Your Cruelness" the witcher said, laughing lightly.
"Only now?" the princess asked jokingly, nevertheless she became dispirited shortly after. She wasn't in the mood for jokes, not when her beloved one's life was at stake. "I hate abusing my position, but in this situation it was a must".
"You don't have to explain yourself" the grey-haired man said understandingly.
After a couple of minutes they got to the room where they encountered a completely naked mayor of Rinde. At the sight of him, Olaf covered his eyes, saying "he didn't want to see that". When questioned about the mage, to whom Chireadan had recommend to go to, the mayor, who was under a spell, said the sorceress has asked for the apple juice. He also informed about a very important fact. "She always gets what she wants". A moment later he fell asleep on a chair, upon hearing him snoring Olaf uncovered his eyes. The friends were looking at each other, then the mayor with puzzlement. When Geralt took a pitcher with the juice, a mysterious fog came into the room through the door. The heroes decided to follow it. This way they arrived at the room where a servants' orgy was taking place. Geralt furrowed his eyebrows, Jaskier widened his eyes out of shock, while Anna said:
"Dear Freyja...".
"What is happening?" Olaf asked curiously, as, because he was behind his companions, he couldn't see anything.
"Um... Olaf, I'd ask you to hold onto my coat and not open your eyes until I say you can, alright?" the princess replied.
"Oh, alright" the snowman did just like she asked.
The newcomers began to approach the woman, who was sitting under the window. She was the only person fully dressed and not taking part in the orgy. They quickly understood that she must've been the sorceress they've been looking for. As they were passing another people, a bit concerned snowman asked a question:
"Anna, why are the people around groaning?".
"They... they... they're struggling with terrible stomach aches... and... um... heartburn... yes, yes, heartburn" she made up on the fly.
"Oh bother. That's awful, I feel sorry for them" her snowy friend answered.
"Heartburn? Seriously?" Geralt questioned, whispering.
"And what was I supposed to tell him?" Anna whispered back.
They finally reached the mysterious sorceress and took a close look at her. She was wearing a slightly shining black gown with buffeted, mesh sleeves. On her eyes there was a dark mask with lavish decorations, while around her neck she wore a velvet with a silver round pendant, which had a five-pointed star on it. The woman's ravenous curls were pinned back. She was staring at the guests with her violet eyes, waiting for them to reveal the reason of their arrival. The White Wolf cleared his throat.
"We brought the apple juice" he showed the pitcher to the sorceress.
The woman was silent, analyzing the four wanderers standing in front of her. A snowy magical being - so the stories heard in Aretuza about Elsa of Arendelle's creation proved to be true. Two normal people. A wounded man and a woman, whose heart was pounding like the castle bells during an important event. And for the cherry on top, a witcher. A mutant, whose heart was pounding very slow. Her assumptions confirmed. She was sitting face-to-face with an unusual company, which adventures were known on the entire Continent thanks to the songs.
"Madam, please, we need your help" the princess said.
"Oh, did we find miss sorceress?!" Olaf asked excitedly. "Hello, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" he added with a smile.
The violet-eyed woman stood up from her place and approached the newcomers.
"Yennefer of Vengerberg" she introduced herself. Her voice sounded proudly, haughtily, added elegance to her person, but also made her even more enigmatic.
"Geralt of Rivia" the monster slayer was the first to respond.
"I know who you are, White Wolf" Yennefer responded, carefully taking a look at him. "Forgive my curiosity, but it's my first time seeing a witcher up close. If I have to be honest, I'd imagined you with sharp fangs and horns".
"I filed them" Geralt stated ironically. "Jaskier needs urgent help" he changed the topic. "Later, if you'd want, I'll indulge your curiosity".
Anna and Jaskier exchanged knowing glances. "Something will come out of it" they thought.
"He was attacked by a djinn" the princess joined the conversation.
"Djinn?" Yennefer questioned, touched.
The grey-haired man asked the blue-eyed woman to hold the bard by herself for a moment, next he took out a seal from his trousers' pocket, that had previously secured the jug with the djinn. He gave it to Yennefer, so she could examine it.
"Whatever it did to him, this devilry is spreading and it can kill him" Anna explained, worried. "I beg you, help him, and we'll pay you. No matter you'd want".
The sorceress examined the seal and in her head an idea was born, thanks to which she would help the arrivers, but most importantly she'd implement her own plans. After a moment of thought, she responded:
"It will have to be something better than juice" she stated, then turned her eyes to the enchanted servants. "Ragamuffin!".
In a blink of an eye the servants awoke and the orgy ended. The mayor's workers rallied as if burned and left the room in hurry. The mysterious fog disappeared as well, the princess informed the snowman that he could let go of her coat and open his eyes.
"I hope their heartburn passed" Olaf said and looked at the violet-eyed woman. "Oh dear! How beautiful you are, miss!" that's when the scent of sorceress's perfumes came to his carrot nose. "And how wonderful you smell, miss! Lilac and gooseberries is an amazing combination!".
Yennefer smiled and replied:
"Thank you, Olaf. You're quite a nice gentleman yourself".
The snowman's eyes gleamed. If he could, he would blush at the compliment.
     The poet's friends were sitting in the kitchen, waiting for the sorceress to bring the news. Geralt was walking back and forth, Olaf stood next to the fireplace, staring at the fire, while Anna was sitting at the table, her leg twitching anxiously. Just as Yennefer entered the room, the eyes of the heroes turned into her direction. The princess pulled from her sit and asked:
"How did it go?".
"It took a bit, however I managed to get rid of the swelling. Your mate plunged into a healing sleep" Yennefer informed.
"How long he'll be asleep?" Geralt was ahead of Anna with this question, as she wanted to ask the same thing.
"Long enough for you to take a bath" the sorceress answered.
"I doubt that we'll be any cleaner after magical water" Geralt stated sceptically.
"I insist" the violet-eyed woman said.
"Could I... see him?" the princess questioned, hoping for a positive answer.
"Of course" the violet-eyed woman replied, then led our heroes to the accommodate where Jaskier was sleeping.
While the witcher eventually decided to take a bath and went with the sorceress to the bathroom, the princess and the snowman stayed with the bard. Anna pulled herself a stool and sat next to the bed, Olaf stood near the doors, to eavesdrop Geralt and Yennefer's conversation. His actions were noticed by the blue-eyed woman, who posed a question:
"What are you doing?".
"I wanted to gain interesting informations for Jaskier to use in a ballad, so he'd be happy after waking up" her snowy friend explained. "But they're talking only about childhood traumas, and I don't think it's a good source material" he added sadly.
"Probably not..." she agreed with him. "Although I'm sure that Jaskier will appreciate your efforts".
Olaf smiled at those words, which Anna returned. Then, had turned her eyes at her beloved one, she grabbed his hand. She sighed. Despite the sorceress assuring that everything's fine with the poet, she was still horribly worrying about him. Right next to her sister and Olaf, he was the closest person to her and she wasn't able to imagine her life without him. She entrusted the man with her heart, and he entrusted her with his - and she couldn't lose him for any treasures of this world, as he was the most precious one. The snowman saw her anxiety, so he walked to the bed, sat on it and placed his stick hand on the entwined hands of the princess and the bard.
"Don't worry, Anna" he said sensitively. "Jaskier will wake up and everything will be the same like before. I just regret that we couldn't write to your cousin. The treatment would've gone faster and you wouldn't be in a hole dug by sadness and worry now...".
"What can I say, Olaf... not always things go the way we'd like them to" she responded. "But what can we do about the paths bequeathed to us by destiny? We must follow them and face the challenges which lie ahead. That's the way of this world".
Olaf nodded his head as the sign that he understood. The friends were sitting in silence. It'd have lasted longer, until Geralt and Yennefer came. The witcher was complaining the clothes he received from the sorceress were too tight. She, on the other hand, stated that she measured them right. The duo from Arendelle laughed at the dispute. The White Wolf approached the bed and looked at his friend. He sighed protractedly. Although he was not admitting it loud, he blamed himself for Jaskier's state. He said unpleasant things to him and didn't want it to be his best friend's last memory. He wanted for the troubadour to wake up, so he could apologize to him. Mention what he really thinks about his singing. The worry on the company's faces did not go unnoticed by raven-haired woman.
"There's no need get in a fluster" she tried to cheer them up, walking towards the vanity table. "He'll live. And regain his voice. You should be satisfied" it seemed like she mainly directed those words to the grey-haired man.
"I'm not" Geralt replied, irritated. "But don't feel bad about it, Yennefer. It's not easy to satisfy me".
The word "satisfy" caused Anna to snap out of her emotional hole and think intensively about how they were going to pay the sorceress. Earlier she only mentioned that they will have to give her something better than apple juice. Anna excluded money - it had to be something of greater importance. But what could've it been? This entire case began to be more and more suspicious. Nevertheless, the blue-eyes woman couldn't join the discussion between the monster slayer and the raven-haired woman, for she started to feel incredibly dizzy, feeling that she will fall asleep any moment. The snowman felt similar, who was listening carefully to his friend's conversation with the violet-eyed woman, however with every second he was losing more details and the voices began to be more deafened. Before they could blink, they fell asleep.

~⚔️~

*ad break*
Oh dear. This doesn't forecast anything good. What will happen to our heroes? You'll find that out soon. Right now, let's welcome on board Yennefer of Vengerberg with huge applause! Hooray!
If you've noticed any mistakes, feel free to let me know.
Now I'll say goodbye to you, be well! Sending warm greeting to all of you, see you in the next chapter!