Chapter 19: Toruviel

The female elf was tall and slender, with a head of long hair as black as ink.

Her fluffy black hair was draped casually over her shoulders, with two braids tied behind her ears.

She wore a green silk top with a leather vest over it, and tight trousers on her lower body, with a colorful silk scarf tied around her waist, covering the upper part of her thighs.

Her eyelashes were long, her skin was abnormally pale, and her lips were chapped. She wore a necklace wrapped several times around her neck, the beads of which were made of carved golden birch wood, and the cord was a tough, thin leather strap.

Overall, she had the air of a heroic female warrior.

Seeing that the two Witchers didn't speak, the black-haired female elf instantly raised her voice and asked loudly: "Tell me, Witchers, what is your purpose for coming here?"

And as she spoke, the elven archers in the trees also raised their bows and arrows in a show of force.

Wayne glanced at Geralt, and seeing the White Wolf keeping a straight face with an expression that said "I am a mute" and not intending to speak, he took the initiative to step forward and said to the female elf:

"My lady, we followed the tracks here to search for two young men who went missing while chopping wood."

"Their mother entrusted us with this task, hoping we would bring them back."

"Searching for people?"

The female elf chewed on the word. A few seconds later, she grabbed a hemp rope and swung down cleanly from the branch. She walked a few steps to a position seven or eight meters away from Wayne, looked at his pointed ears, and suddenly asked: "You are an elf too, right? You should know very well what kind of treatment we non-humans receive in the Kingdom of Kaedwen. Why are you still helping those humans execute tasks?"

Upon hearing this, Wayne's expression didn't change, and he maintained a calm tone:

"Yes, my lady. I have some elven blood; I am a half-elf."

"But I am also a Witcher. We Witchers uphold the principle of neutrality; we will not participate in the struggles between factions, nor will we favor any side."

Hearing this, the female elf showed a mocking smile and said indignantly: "You can remain neutral, but those unruly folk won't let you go just because of that."

"Many of our kin thought of living in peace with humans and didn't resist, and then their corpses were all hung on trees or swallowed into the bellies of wild dogs."

"Humans are selfish and despicable. They cannot tolerate any non-human race. You should know how many elves have died under their massacres."

The female elf didn't expect her words to move the two legendary, emotionless Witchers before her.

She just wanted to control the indignation in her heart. After saying this, the female elf restrained the anger on her face and said in a tough attitude: "My name is Toruviel, and I am the leader of these elves and dwarves."

"The two people you are looking for are our captives."

"But I won't hand over captives to you for no reason."

"Either you go to war with us and save them, or you help us do a little work. When we trust you enough, we will release those two humans."

Hearing this, Wayne immediately frowned. He had some impression of the name Toruviel.

This female elf would seemingly become one of the high-level officers of the Scoia'tael in the future, a core figure of the Scoia'tael. In the original plot, she also had some small stories with Geralt and Dandelion.

However, the Scoia'tael was only formally established during the first Nilfgaardian invasion more than a decade later.

Among the non-humans now, there should not yet be a formal resistance organization; they only existed as scattered soldiers. They were forced to hide in forests and wilderness, and now they were most likely just a group of poor people driven to desperation by human persecution.

And according to Toruviel's meaning, did she also have a contract that needed them to complete? Wayne considered for a few seconds, turned his head, and whispered to Geralt:

"This group of elves should also have a contract. Should we accept it?"

Geralt shrugged and said indifferently:

"We just need to maintain a neutral attitude. As long as it's to kill monsters, we can accept anyone's contract."

Wayne understood Geralt's meaning and turned to give Toruviel a smile.

"Ms. Toruviel, if the little work you mentioned is a contract to hunt monsters, we can accept this job." "However, as Witchers, we must collect the corresponding remuneration; we cannot work for nothing."

"And if possible, I hope you can release those two young men now. Their mother has been waiting for three days. If this continues to drag on, that old woman might die from excessive grief."

Seeing the female elf show an impatient expression, Wayne quickly added: "But please rest assured, we will definitely keep our promise regarding things we agree to. Regarding the credibility of us Witchers, long-lived elves should have heard of it."

Toruviel seemed to really need the help of the Witchers. She squinted her eyes and stared at Wayne, considering for more than ten seconds before saying in a deep voice: "Don't call me 'my lady'. I am not any lady, half-elf."

"We can release the people first, but you must guarantee."

"Those two young men cannot reveal our location."

"Moreover, only your companion can send them back alone. You must stay here as a hostage."

Wayne wasn't afraid that these non-humans would do him harm. It just so happened that he also wanted to find an opportunity to send Geralt away, so he smiled and nodded: "No problem, Toruviel. My name is Wayne."

"I think you can use the safety of the village and his mother Misha to threaten those two young men. They are just country folk; they shouldn't dare to offend warriors like you."

Upon hearing this, Toruviel looked at Wayne with some surprise, seemingly not expecting him to make such a suggestion.

The female elf thought for a while, then suddenly turned to a male elf in the tree and shouted: "Keep an eye on the Witchers. I'm going to bring the people out. If they dare to mess around, shoot them."

After saying this, Toruviel turned and walked into the cavern, leaving the few elven archers in the trees to stare at the two of them like prisoners.

Wayne exchanged a few glances with the elves, feeling a bit awkward. He turned to look at Geralt, and seeing the White Wolf also looking at him, he asked: "What's wrong, Geralt?"

The White Wolf warned in a slightly reproachful tone:

"You were a bit impulsive just now, Wayne. Staying here alone is not safe."

"We Witchers must also be responsible for our own safety when completing contracts. When encountering dangerous tasks, we must also learn to give up."

"Only in situations where one must go deep into danger would one choose to take risks."

"Remember, a Witcher is not a hero, never has been."

Wayne knew this was Geralt showing concern for him, although the White Wolf himself often risked his life for tasks, so the words had no persuasiveness coming from him.

But he was indeed genuinely devoted to his friends and family.

He patted Geralt on the shoulder and said in a sincere and confident voice: "Don't worry, Geralt. I have it under control."

"Later, you take those two people back to the village to deliver the contract, and I will stay here to scout the situation."

"Tomorrow, we will meet here and discuss the elves' contract."

Since the matter was settled, Geralt had no other choice.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Toruviel walked out of the cavern with two humans whose heads were covered by black cloth, tied with ropes.

She pulled the rope, walked to Wayne, handed the rope to Wayne, and said: "I have already agreed with them. After you go back, just say that they were chased by a wolf pack and hid in the trees for three days."

"If they dare to leak our whereabouts, I will take people to their village and kill them."

Wayne glanced at the two humans, whose heads were covered and who were shivering, nodded, then handed the rope to the White Wolf and said: "Take advantage of the fact that it's not dark yet and take them back."

"It's best to wait until you are near the village before taking off their hoods."

"This is for the safety of these non-humans, and it is also protecting that village."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 20 =====