Andrzej Sapkowski - Blood of Elves

The enchantress slowly approached her, placed her hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes from up close – and deeply.

'Longing,' she answered gravely. 'Regret. Hope. And fear. Yes, I don't think I have omitted anything. Well, now we can get on with the tests, you little green-eyed viper. We will see if you're cut out for this. Although after your question I would be very surprised if it turned out you aren't. Let's go, my ugly one.'

Ciri bridled.

'Why do you call me that?'

Yennefer smiled with the corners of her lips.

'I promised to be sincere.'

Ciri, annoyed, pulled herself up straight and wriggled in her hard chair which, after many hours of sitting, hurt her backside.

'Nothing's going to come of it!' she snarled, wiping her charcoal-smeared fingers on the table. 'After all this, nothing… Nothing works out for me! I'm not cut out to be a magician! I knew that right from the start but you didn't want to listen to me! You didn't pay any attention!'

Yennefer raised her eyebrows.

'I didn't want to listen to you, you say? That's interesting. I usually devote my attention to every sentence uttered in my presence and note it in my memory. The one condition being that there be at least a little sense in the sentence.'

'You're always mocking me.' Ciri grated her teeth. 'And I just wanted to tell you… Well, about these abilities. You see in Kaer Morhen, in the mountains… I couldn't form a single witcher Sign. Not one!'

'I know.'

You know?'

'I know. But that doesn't mean anything.'

'How's that? Well… But that's not all!'

'I'm listening in suspense.'

'I'm not cut out for it. Can't you understand that? I'm… I'm too young.'

'I was younger than you when I started.'

'But I'm sure you weren't…'

'What do you mean, girl? Stop stuttering! At least one full sentence, please.'

'Because…' Ciri lowered her head and blushed. 'Because Iola, Myrrha, Eurneid and Katye – when we were having dinner – laughed at me and said that witchcraft doesn't have access to me and that I'm not going to perform any magic because… Because I'm… a virgin, that means-'

'I know what it means, believe it or not,' interrupted the magician. 'No doubt you'll see this as another spiteful piece of mockery but I hate to tell you that you are talking a lot of rubbish. Let us get back to the test.'

'I'm a virgin!' repeated Ciri aggressively. 'Why the tests? Virgins can't do magic!'

'I can't see a solution,' Yennefer leaned back in her chair. 'So go out and lose your virginity if it gets in your way so much, But be quick about it if you please.'

'Are you making fun of me?'

'You've noticed?' The magician smiled faintly. 'Congratulations. You've passed the preliminary test in perspicacity. And now for the real test. Concentrate, please. Look: there are four pine trees in this picture. Each one has a different number of branches. Draw a fifth to fit in with the other four and to fit in this space here.'

'Pine trees are silly,' decreed Ciri, sticking out her tongue and drawing a slightly crooked tree with her charcoal. And boring! I can't understand what pine trees have to do with magic? What? Lady Yennefer! You promised to answer my questions!'

'Unfortunately,' sighed the magician, picking up the sheet of paper and critically appraising the drawing, 'I think I'm going to regret that promise. What do pine trees have in common with magic? Nothing. But you've drawn it correctly, and on time. In truth, excellent for a virgin.'

Are you laughing at me?'

No. I rarely laugh. I really need to have a good reason to laugh. Concentrate on the next page, Surprise. There are rows of stars, circles, crosses and triangles drawn on it, a different number of

each shape in each row. Think and answer: how many stars should there be in the last row?'

'Stars are silly!'

'How many?'

'Three!'

Yennefer did not say anything for a long time. She stared at a detail on the carved wardrobe door known only to her. The mischievous smile on Ciri's lips started slowly to disappear until finally it disappeared altogether, without a trace.

'No doubt you were curious to learn,' said the magician very slowly, not ceasing to admire the wardrobe, 'what would happen if you gave me a senseless and stupid reply. You thought perhaps that I might not notice because I am not in the least interested in your answers? You thought wrongly. You believed, perhaps, that I would simply accept that you are stupid? You were wrong. But if you are bored of being tested and wanted, for a change, to test me… Well, that has clearly worked, hasn't it? Either way, this test is concluded. Return the paper.'

'I'm sorry, Lady Yennefer.' The girl lowered her head. 'There should, of course, be… one star there. I'm very sorry. Please don't be angry with me.'

'Look at me, Ciri.'

The girl raised her eyes, astonished. Because for the first time the magician had called her by her name.

'Ciri,' said Yennefer. 'Know that, despite appearances, I get angry just as rarely as I laugh. You haven't made me angry. But in apologising you have proved I wasn't wrong about you. And now take the next sheet of paper. As you can see there are five houses on it. Draw the sixth…'

'Again? I really can't understand why-'

'… the sixth house.' The lady magician's voice changed dangerously and her eyes flashed with a violet glow. 'Here, in this space. Don't make me repeat myself, please.'

After apples, pine trees, stars, fishes and houses, came the turn of labyrinths through which she had to quickly find a path, wavy

lines, blots which looked like squashed cockroaches, and mosaics which made her go cross-eyed and set her head spinning. Then there was a shining ball on a piece of string at which she had to stare for a long time. Staring at it was as dull as dish-water and Ciri kept falling asleep. Yennefer, surprisingly, did not care even though a few days earlier she had scolded her grimly for napping over one of the cockroach blots.

Pouring over the tests had made her neck and back ache and day by day they grew more painful. She missed movement and fresh air and, obliged to be sincere, she immediately told Yennefer. The magician took it easily, as if she had been expecting this for a long time.

For the next two days they both ran through the park, jumped over ditches and fences under the amused or pitying eyes of the priestesses and novices. They exercised and practised their balance walking along the top of the wall which encircled the orchard and farm buildings. Unlike the training in Kaer Morhen, though, the exercises with Yennefer were always accompanied by theory. The magician taught Ciri how to breathe, guiding the movement of her chest and diaphragm with strong pressure frorn her hand. She explained the rules of movement, how muscles and bones work, and demonstrated how to rest, release tension and relax.

During one such session of relaxation, stretched out on the grass and gazing at the sky, Ciri asked a question which was bothering her. 'Lady Yennefer? When are we finally going to finish the tests?'

'Do they bore you so much?'

'No… But I'd like to know whether I'm cut out to be a magician.'

'You are.'

'You know that already?'

'I knew from the start. Few people can detect the activity of my star. Very few. You noticed it straight away.'

'And the tests?'

'Concluded. I already know what I wanted to about you.'

'But some of the tasks… They didn't work out very well. You

said yourself that… Are you really sure? You're not mistaken? You're sure I have the ability?'

'I'm sure.'

'But-'

'Ciri.' The enchantress looked both amused and impatient. 'From the moment we lay down in the meadow, I have been talking to you without using my voice. It's called telepathy, remember that. And as you no doubt noticed, it has not made our talking together any more difficult.'