Chapter Text
“It strikes me,” Summer told Ciri, “that finding you really wasn’t the ordeal I was expecting.”
They stood together in the terminal. Weiss was saying goodbye to Winter, with the rest of the girls for company. Geralt had annexed a corner of the waiting room and was on his knees, meditating.
Ciri shrugged. “It’s not as though I was hiding. Geralt worries, that’s all. He needn’t.”
Summer frowned at her. “He didn’t seem all that worried,” she said slowly. “I don’t think he ever seriously thought you might be in danger, at least.”
Ciri considered this. “I suppose he’s come to trust me,” she decided, a faint smile touching her lips. “Took the man long enough.”
“Hard not to trust you know what you’re doing once you save the world on your own,” said Geralt from his seat wryly, without opening his eyes.
Ciri chuckled. “It is good to see you again,” she said.
The man’s lips turned upward. “I wasn’t worried,” he said. “I just missed you.”
Summer smiled as Ciri padded over to the man, knelt beside him, and put her arms around his neck. He returned the embrace gently, hes eyes still closed, a wide smile smoothing the lines from his face.
“Aw,” Ruby cooed softly from Summer’s side.
She glanced at her daughter. “Winter’s gone?” she asked.
Ruby nodded. “The others are coming,” she said. “Yang wanted to get snacks. Blake wanted tuna.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “Of course she did,” she giggled.
Ciri stood and came back over to them. “Ruby,” she greeted with a nod.
Ruby smiled at her. “Ciri,” she said. “Geralt told me about you.”
Ciri raised an eyebrow. “All good things, I hope?” she asked.
Ruby giggled. “Of course.”
Ciri rolled her eyes. “Have you been telling lies about me, Geralt?” she called over to the man, who snorted but didn’t reply.
“So, Ciri,” Summer said, putting her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and affectionately massaging them. “You and Geralt arrived where exactly?”
Ciri shrugged. “A few miles south of Port North,” she said. “We went into a settlement, got the very basics of Remnant, and then were separated when the settlement came under attack by the Grimm. Geralt went south when he couldn’t find me; I went north to see what Atlas was like.”
“Why Atlas?” Ruby asked curiously. “Why not come to Vale, or one of the other kingdoms?”
Ciri pursed her lips as she considered the question. “There was a world,” she said slowly, “which I found with my mentor, Avellac’h, while I was fleeing the Wild Hunt. In it, people grafted metal onto and into themselves to become stronger and more beautiful. No one walked anywhere, or rode horseback; everyone had their own flying car. They used rifles and gunpowder, like you, but it was the first world I’d found that did. It left an impression. From what I heard, Atlas resembled Night City. I thought I’d see if for myself.”
Summer cocked her head. “Was it?” she asked.
Ciri smiled slightly. “Not really,” she admitted. “Maybe I’ll find it again, one day.”
“Are you going to leave soon, now that you’ve found Geralt?” Ruby asked quietly. Summer looked down at her daughter, and saw that she wasn’t looking at the woman before them.
Ciri’s smile grew sad and gentle. “Maybe not too soon,” she said kindly. “I’m sure we can take our time. But… I’m ready to move on. If Geralt wants to stay I can wait a while, but I’ve seen enough of Remnant to remember.”
Summer considered her. “What are you looking for?” she asked slowly. “Are you just sightseeing from one world to another, or is there something specific?”
Ciri thought about that. “I’m not sure it has to be one or the other,” she said after a time. “Yes, I’m going from world to world just to see what there is to see, but… I think there might be something out there that’s… I don’t know, worth seeing. Something that will change my life if I can only find it. I imagine I’ll know it when I do.”
“And it’s not on Remnant?” Ruby asked.
Ciri shook her head. “No,” she said gently. “No, it isn’t.”
“Miss Ciri,” Ozpin said, standing from his chair as the party filed into his room. “It is good to meet you at last.”
“Professor Ozpin,” Ciri said, leaving Geralt’s side and stepping forward to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you for helping Geralt. I was beginning to worry about the old fool.”
Ozpin smiled. “It was the least I could do, I assure you.” He sat back down and picked up a mug resting on the desk, studying her over it. “Did Geralt tell you about my offer?” he asked.
She frowned and glanced back at Geralt. He shrugged at her, then nodded at Ozpin. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the Headmaster.
“No,” she said. “He didn’t. What offer?”
Ozpin’s face was perfectly even as he said, “I offered Geralt—and you, should you desire it—a home, here in Vale, should you not wish to continue your journey.”
Geralt had known Ciri’s answer from the beginning, of course. “No, thank you, Professor,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m not quite ready to settle down, yet.”
Ozpin nodded understandingly. “I see,” he said. “Well, the offer remains open for as long as I remain Headmaster of Beacon. But surely you needn’t rush away at once?”
Ciri looked at Geralt. “I’m in no hurry,” she said. “Geralt?”
Geralt shook his head. “No rush on my end,” he said.
She smiled and turned back to Ozpin. “We can stay a few days, then,” she said. “Do you have a place for us?”
Ozpin nodded. “Geralt’s quarters are still open, and I’m sure I can find a room for you as well,” he said, his hand brushing a button on his desk. “Glynda, can you check whether we have an open room near Geralt’s?”
The Huntress’ voice emanated from the desk. “There’s one down the hall,” she said. “Room… 426, I believe.”
“Thank you,” Ozpin said, turning back to Ciri. “Geralt and the others can lead the way,” he said. Let me know if you need anything at all.”
Ciri nodded. “Thank you, professor.” She turned and smiled at Geralt. “Well,” she asked, “shall we?”
“Hold a moment,” Ozpin said. “Geralt, Summer, if I could have a word?”
Ciri frowned at the man, but nodded. “I’ll wait outside,” she said.
“So will we,” Weiss agreed, bodily pushing her team out of the office. Ciri followed, and the door clicked shut behind her.
Ozpin considered the two of them silently for a moment.
“Professor?” Summer asked probingly. “Is something wrong?”
“On the contrary,” Ozpin said absently. “I’m… considering.” He turned to her. “Summer, how would you say the mission went?”
She shrugged. “Without a hitch,” she said. “Found Ciri, dealt with a monster… couldn’t have gone better, really.”
“And Team RWBY?” Ozpin pressed. “Would you say the experience was valuable for them?”
Summer nodded firmly. “Very,” she said. “Although I wish my daughters didn’t have to see that… thing, that nightwraith, but I think they learned a lot from Geralt. I’ve never seen anyone fight quite like him—slow, tactical, and with a diverse toolkit. I think Weiss and Blake both have ideas on how to expand their styles already.”
Ozpin frowned as he considered this. “Good,” he said, almost to himself. “Very good.” He looked at the Witcher. “Geralt,” he said quietly. “I realize that this is probably futile, but I would like to modify my offer to you.”
Geralt frowned at him. “Ciri didn’t want to stay,” he said evenly.
“I think you might,” Ozpin said quietly. “I’m an old man, Geralt—older than you, I don’t doubt. I know the signs.”
Geralt’s eyes narrowed. “I’m older than I look,” he said evenly.
Ozpin chuckled. “Believe me, Geralt,” he said, “so am I. Much.” He sighed. “You said it yourself, when we first met,” he said. “You’ve followed the Path for a long time. I think you wouldn’t mind a place to rest.”
Geralt shook his head. “I’m not about to hang up my sword and call it done,” he said. In a flash, he remembered an older Witcher with hair whitened by age rather than mutation. “I’m old, but I’m not decrepit yet.”
“And that is why I’m modifying my offer,” Ozpin said. “My students will leave this school some of the best Huntsmen in the world, but you’ve shown that there’s a great deal they won’t know. I would trade a great deal for the opportunity to delve into that.”
Geralt blinked at him. “You want me to teach,” he said wonderingly.
Ozpin nodded. “You taught Ciri,” he said quietly, “and if the young woman who just left this office is anything to go by, you taught her well. I’d like my students to benefit from that.”
Geralt stared at the man blankly, barely able to keep up. “What would… what exactly would it entail?” he asked.
Ozpin shrugged. “Your salary is open to negotiation,” he said. “You would be given room and board in Beacon over the course of the school year and I would be happy to assist you in finding lodgings over the summer months. You would teach at least one, probably two or three, classes, which would each meet twice or three times a week. The curriculum would be largely up to your discretion, although we would have to discuss that in more detail. In addition, you would be expected to lead a team of students on at least one Hunting trip each semester.”
Geralt shook his head slowly. “You really want me to stay,” he said, barely able to believe it. “Why?”
Ozpin sighed. “If I may be candid?” he said tiredly. “Remnant is under threat by the Grimm, and possibly by worse things—monsters wo aren’t monstrous enough to see at first glance. This next generation of Huntsmen must be the very best I can produce, or I fear they may be the last. I need someone like you to help me; to make these students be the people they need to be.”
Ozpin stood and orbited his chair, looking out the window at Vale. “It’s as you said, Geralt,” he said quietly. “I have no shortage of heroes; I have young Ruby Rose, and her team, and more than a few who may well turn out like her. I need a professional.”
Geralt swallowed. “I can’t just leave Ciri,” he said slowly.
“She can take care of herself,” Ozpin said, turning to face him. “You know she can; you were barely worried when you came in here asking for help finding her.”
Geralt looked away. “I have people back home,” he said. “I can’t decide to never see them again.”
But even as he said it, his mind was jumping to megascopes, and Keira’s communicator, and ideas were coming into his head.
“Ciri could come by occasionally to visit surely?” Ozpin said. “And she could bring you back to your world, or bring people from it to see you.”
Geralt swallowed. “I have to think about this,” he said shortly.
“Please do,” Ozpin said quietly. “The only thing I’d like less than to have you leave is to have you stay and regret it. But do consider it.”
Geralt nodded. “I’ll let you know,” he said, before turning and striding out of the room, Summer following after a quick, “Later, Professor,” to the Headmaster.
Knock, knock.
“Coming!” called Ruby’s high voice, and a moment later, the door opened.
Summer hugged her daughter. “Hey, Ruby,” she said. “Mind if I come in?”
“Of course not, Mom!” Ruby said happily and stepped aside, holding the door for her.
Summer scanned the dorm room as she entered. It wasn’t her first time here, of course, but she was always amazed at the way these four girls had managed to make total chaos feel like home.
…Even if the bunk beds looked like chandeliers waiting to be dropped…
Blake was laying back on her bed, head propped up on pillows, reading a book held in hands on her belly. Weiss was at her desk writing out some paper or other. Yang’s head poked out from her bed above Blake’s, looking over at the door.
“Hey, Mom,” she said with a grin.
Summer smiled at her. “Hello,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you all.” She gently shut the door behind her.
Blake lowered her book. Weiss put down her pen and looked over.
“What about?” Ruby asked, stepping away.
“The mission,” Summer said with a shrug, crossing over and sitting on Weiss’ bed. She glanced at the Schnee. “You don’t mind If I…?”
Weiss shook her head. “Not at all, Mrs. Rose,” she said.
Summer smiled at her, and then looked around at the team again. “Well, the mission, Geralt, Ciri… the nightwraith. I wanted your thoughts.”
A shudder went around the team at the mention of the monster. “That thing was creepy,” Ruby said lowly. “Geralt didn’t say it was going to be like that.”
Summer nodded. “It was a bit of a surprise, wasn’t it?” she asked rhetorically. “Blake, you wanted to see if it could be spared. Were you satisfied with how Geralt and Ciri handled it?”
Blake looked away. “Ciri thought I was being childish,” she said. “I just… Was it so naïve to not want to kill something intelligent? Or are they just callous?”
Summer shrugged. “Did Geralt seem to judge you for it?” she asked.
Blake shook her head slowly. “Maybe at first,” she said. “I think he just decided we didn’t have experience with it, so he humored me.”
“And were you satisfied?” Summer asked again. “Or did you think they should have tried harder?”
Blake glanced down at her hands, which had become intertwined on her belly, before looking back up at Summer. “I was satisfied,” she said firmly. “Geralt promised not to attack first, and that thing didn’t even try to talk. It would’ve killed them. And how were we supposed to contain something like that anyway? It was basically a Grimm that happened to be able to speak.”
“Except a lot uglier,” Yang put in with an exaggerated shudder. “Just… ew.”
Summer huffed a laugh. “Ew indeed,” she agreed. “Weiss, I expect it was nice to see your sister again?”
Weiss’ neutral expression broke into a genuine smile. “Very,” she said. “I’ve never really had the chance to watch her at work before.”
Summer frowned at her. “She didn’t do any fighting while we were there,” she said. “What do you mean, ‘at work?’”
Weiss considered the question. “Winter isn’t a Huntress,” she said slowly. “She’s an Atlesian Specialist. Certainly, she can fight, but her real job—or so she tells me—is acquiring and analyzing intelligence. That she did a great deal of, working with Geralt to track down Ciri.”
“Speaking of Ciri,” Summer said, glancing at all of them. “What did you all think of her? Is she everything you expected?”
There was a pause as the team considered this.
“She’s nice,” Ruby said eventually. “I guess? She’s friendly; more than he is, definitely.”
Yang frowned at that. “Yeah,” she agreed slowly. “But… I don’t know, less honest?”
Blake glanced up at the bed above her. “How do you mean, Yang?” she asked. “I don’t think she’s lied to us at any point.”
Weiss pursed her lips. “I… think I understand, Yang,” she said slowly. “Ciri always seems like she’s forcing herself to play nice, doesn’t she? Geralt doesn’t bother.”
Summer interjected here. “Most people do,” she said wryly. “No one wants to make small talk as often as everyone else wants them to.”
“Maybe she’s just worse at it?” Yang suggested.
No one had any real response to that. At length, Ruby spoke again.
“She wasn’t worried about Geralt,” she said quietly. “He was looking everywhere for her, and she… what did she say she was doing?”
“Walking the Path,” Blake recited. “What does that mean?”
Geralt had told Summer this much. “It means she was… well, Witchering,” Summer said with a light laugh. “Selling her services, like Geralt does.”
“Right,” Ruby said, looking unhappy. “He was working so hard to find him, and it was like she just didn’t care!”
Summer smiled sadly. “Ciri’s young,” she said gently. “In that one way, she’s younger that you, Little Rose.”
Ruby blinked at her, flushing slightly at the twelve-year-old pet name. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Summer held out a hand to her daughter. Ruby took it, and she pulled the girl into a tight hug. “Children don’t usually worry about their parents,” she said quietly. “When they’re actively doing something dangerous, sure, but the general idea that something might happen to their parents doesn’t cross their mind. Ciri was sure Geralt would find her, and she decided to revel in a bit of freedom, I expect.”
Ruby clutched at her tighter as she spoke, and was silent when she finished.
“I’m going to miss Geralt,” Blake said slowly. “He’s not nice, but… He’s wise, I guess.”
Yang, whose face had gone solemn as Ruby was pulled into Summer’s lap, cracked a wide smile. “He’s Weiss, you say?”
Weiss groaned. “Yang,” she said incredulously. “That was awful.”
“I’m here all semester,” Yang said proudly.
Summer chuckled.
Blake huffed. “Seriously, though,” she said, looking up at the bunk above her head with narrowed eyes. “I enjoyed talking to him. I think we all did—even you, Weiss.”
Weiss grumbled but didn’t argue. “I wonder if we could get the formula for the grenade he used,” she said instead. “We might need to deal with a specter on our own, one day.”
Summer nodded. “You might ask him,” she suggested.
Weiss nodded. “I think I shall, at dinner,” she said.
“Speaking of specters,” Yang said, looking serious, “is it scaring anyone else that we’ve never heard of ANY of these things, and yet apparently they’re all over the place?”
“Specters aren’t the only thing,” Summer said quietly.
Yang blinked at her. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Summer closed her eyes and clutched Ruby tighter. “I wonder—have any of you ever heard of succubi?”
“I have,” Blake said. “Ancient mythical creature. Supposedly, they were some kind of monster that looked like beautiful women and seduced men to drain their aura.”
Summer nodded. “Ever heard of incubi, then?” she asked, meeting the even gaze of her daughters’ teammate.
Blake frowned and shook her head.
“Male version,” Summer said quietly. “Same idea, though.”
Yang hissed a gasp. Summer didn’t look at her. Ruby nuzzled in closer.
Blake looked blank for a moment, and then her pupils dilated. Summer turned away, and looked out the window.
“They use magic to… bewitch their prey,” Summer said quietly. “If they can get someone to trust them an inch, they’ll take a mile. And before you know it, twelve years have gone by, and a Witcher’s waking you up.”
There was silence.
Ruby broke it by letting go of her mother convulsively and pulling away, turning from her, looking down. “Of all the unsolved disappearances and murders,” she wondered quietly, “how many could Geralt have solved? We need him; or, at least, we need his training.”
“Agreed,” Weiss said firmly. “We’ll talk to him over dinner about it.”
“Hello, Geralt, Ciri,” Weiss said as she sat down beside Ciri and across from Geralt at the dining commons, followed by her teammates. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything?”
Geralt shook his head. “Nothing in particular,” he said. “You need something?”
Weiss nodded, seemingly unsure. “Mrs. Rose told us what you saved her from,” she said eventually.
Geralt nodded, but didn’t speak.
“We were thinking…” Weiss said, and glanced at her teammates. “Well, we’ve encountered two monsters you’re trained to fight in the four weeks since we met you. If they’re so common, then we really need to know how to fight them.”
Geralt considered that. “They’re not that common,” he said eventually. “Even back home, plenty of people can go their whole lives without ever seeing one, and they’re a lot rarer here.”
“Our mom,” Yang said darkly, “vanished for twelve years because of one of those things. Ruby and I can’t be the only people in the world to have a story like that. We need people who know how to do what you do.”
“Or, at the very least, we need people with your kit,” Blake put in. “Your equipment, and, I don’t know, some kind of encyclopedia of monsters? Does something like that exist?”
Geralt nodded. “Every Witcher keeps a bestiary,” he said.
“That, then,” Blake said. “Could you leave us a copy of yours, maybe?”
Geralt looked down. “Yeah, I could do that,” he said.
“Geralt?” Ciri asked curiously. “What’s wrong?”
He frowned and looked up, meeting his daughter’s eyes. “I need to talk to you after dinner,” he said quietly. “In private.”
“So what’s this about, Geralt?” Ciri asked, folding her arms and leaning against the wall of his room.
Geralt ran his fingers along the flat of the steel sword on his desk. And when had it become his desk anyway? And his wall, and his room?
He shook his head and looked back at her. “Ozpin made me an offer before we went to find you,” he said quietly. “He offered us a place to stay.”
Ciri nodded slowly. “He said as much,” she said. “But we’re not ready to settle down yet, Geralt. I thought we…” and, by the way she trailed off and blinked wonderingly, she got it.
“You’re not,” he agreed tiredly, sitting back on the desk. “But I think I am, Ciri.”
Her arms came apart and fell to her sides. “You want to retire?”
Geralt shook his head. “I’m not that old,” he said dryly. “But I’ve seen enough wonders across enough worlds for one lifetime, Ciri. I like Remnant; I like being able to walk down the street without people spitting at me, and I like how easy it is to travel with their bullheads and airships…” He shook his head again. “Ozpin wants me to teach,” he said quietly. “He wants me to teach his students how to deal with monsters as well as Grimm. I want to take him up on it.”
Ciri looked away, out the window. “What about Yennefer?” she asked quietly. “And Dandelion, and Triss… Lambert, Eskel, and all the others.”
Geralt sighed. “I was hoping you and I could take one last trip back home,” he said. “Stop by Nilfgaard and Novigrad, find everyone… see if Yen wants to come, and give her a way to contact me if she doesn’t.”
Ciri met his eyes. “You’re willing to leave them all behind?” she asked.
He sighed. “Ciri, if you want me to stay, I will. I enjoy going around with you. I’ll stay if you want me.”
Ciri pushed off the wall, crossed the little room in a single step, and hugged him. He hugged her back, tightly.
“I love you,” she said quietly. “You know that, don’t you?”
He swallowed and nodded against her.
She let him go, and gripped his shoulders, looking up into his face, her green eyes searching his yellow ones. “The Path is walked alone,” she murmured. “I… suppose this is why.”
Geralt sighed. “It’s not anything mystical,” he said. “You have something you’re looking for.”
“And you’ve found it,” she agreed. “It doesn’t need to be anything more than that, does it?”
He shook his head. “I have time, though,” he said. “I’ll follow you a while yet, if you want me.”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’ll miss you dearly, Geralt, but I think I need this too.”
The Path is walked alone.
“I’ll miss you too,” he said.
She sighed and looked out the window. “I suppose we should tell the headmaster,” she said quietly. “If you’re not coming, I’d best be off in the next couple of days.”
“You know you’re welcome to stay longer,” Geralt said, in knowing futility.
She chuckled. “Life’s short,” she said. “Mine more than yours. There’s so much to see, Geralt, and I have yet to be satisfied.”
Geralt chuckled. “Fair enough,” he said. “Tomorrow, or the day after, then?”
“The day after,” Ciri decided. “And I’ll come back in a few weeks to bring you back home.”
Geralt nodded. “Well, should we go talk to Ozpin?” he asked.
She smiled sadly and nodded. “I suppose so,” she said. “Lead on, Geralt.”
“Well, the second semester is set to begin soon,” Ozpin said slowly, leaning forward in his chair. “I suppose we could work in a time block for you at once, although you would likely not have very many students this term.”
Geralt shrugged. “As long as I have something to do,” he said.
Ozpin chuckled. “As I’m sure you know, Geralt,” he said, “there is always something to do. You’re sure of this?”
Geralt looked over at Ciri. She nodded resolutely.
“Yes,” he said, turning back to the headmaster. “I’m sure.”
Ozpin nodded. “I’m glad,” he said. “Thank you, Geralt—and you, Miss Ciri, for letting him go.”
She chuckled. “Even I couldn’t keep the old man on a leash,” she said. “I’ll miss him, but this is what he wants.”
“Well, I have a great deal of paperwork to fill out,” Ozpin said. “You’ll need a professorship, employment certification, et cetera. I’ll deal with that.” He tapped the button on his desk. “Glynda?” he said. “Geralt has accepted my offer. Can you see about getting him an office?”
“I’ll clear a room for him,” came the assistant headmaster’s voice. “Tell him I’m glad to have him on board, won’t you?”
“Glad to be, Professor,” Geralt put in.
“Call me Glynda, please,” said the woman on the other end of the transmission. “No titles between colleagues.”
Ozpin released the button. “I’ll need to make an announcement,” he said, “likely at breakfast tomorrow. Would you like to join me then?”
Geralt nodded. “Will do,” he agreed. “See you in the morning, Professor.”
“As Glynda said,” Ozpin corrected, “no titles between colleagues. Call me Ozpin, or I’ll be forced to call you by your title… Professor.”
Geralt grimaced. “Fair enough, Ozpin,” he chuckled. “Later.”
“Mom?” Ruby asked slowly. “Why’s Geralt at the staff table?”
Summer blinked at her daughter, then whirled to look at the head of the dining commons where, yes, Geralt was sitting directly at Ozpin’s left, his yellow eyes surveying the room as he ate.
Did he… she swallowed. “I have a guess,” she mumbled. “But…”
Ozpin stood, pushing himself up with the cane in his right hand, and pulled a microphone to his face.
“Students,” he said. “Please, if I could have your attention for just a few moments? You can return to eating shortly.”
It was a mark of the respect the man commanded that silence fell almost at once.
“To those of you who have not met him yet,” Ozpin said, nodding to the man at his left, “this is Geralt of Rivia. Recently, he rescued a huntress—a Beacon graduate—from the wilderness. He is trained as a Witcher: an order of warriors that few, if any, of you have heard of. His skillset is quite different from that of most huntsmen.
“It is my pleasure to announce that Geralt is willing to share these skills with our students. Starting next semester, he will be teaching the new Tools and Tactics 101 class. If you would, Geralt?”
Geralt stood and took the microphone, to Summer’s surprise. Geralt, talking at the front of a room?
“I don’t like talking at a crowd of people with better things to do,” Geralt said, his low voice rasping in the speakers, “so I’ll be brief. The class is going to be about adapting your kit to deal with special Grimm and other monsters, including other Huntsmen. We’ll be going over grenades, alchemical formulae, and other tricks you can keep up your sleeve to deal with unusual situations. Anyone who takes my class is going to come out with better plans for combat than just, ‘hit it ‘til it dies.’”
He handed the microphone back to Ozpin and sat down.
“Registration for Tools and Tactics 101 is now open,” Ozpin said. “Any students wishing to take it should report to my office, or to Professor Goodwitch’s, to sign up. Thank you, and you may return to your meal.”
He sat and tucked back into his food.
“Geralt’s staying?” Ruby asked blankly.
Summer looked over at her with a smile. “It looks like it,” she said. “And he’ll be teaching you, if you take his class.”
“Well,” Weiss said firmly. “I certainly will be.”
“We all will,” Yang said. “Right Ruby?”
“Right!” Ruby said excitedly. “And we should get Team JNPR to join us! Oh, this’ll be so much fun! Next semester will be a blast!”
Yang laughed. “Easy there, Sis,” she said. “Geralt’s not going to go easy on us, you know.”
“Of course not,” Blake said. “His class may well be our hardest. It is an upper-division, and I doubt he’s familiar with the expected difficulty of an introductory course.”
“But it’ll be rewarding,” Summer said.
“That it will, Mrs. Rose,” Weiss agreed with a shard nod. “I look forward to it.”
“Well,” Ciri said, her hand slipping from his as she stepped away into the courtyard. “I really must be going.”
“You will always be welcome here,” Ozpin promised, taking her place beside Geralt. “Our door is always open to you.”
She gave the headmaster a smile. “Thank you, Professor,” she said, “and I will be back to take Geralt home in a couple weeks, as you know. But for now, at least, there’s far more to do.”
Ozpin nodded. “Wanderlust is a powerful thing,” he agreed. “I hope you quench it one day.”
Ciri smiled, and looked at Geralt. “Any last lessons to impart on your wayward pupil, Geralt?” she asked.
Geralt stepped forward and hugged her. “Just one,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to make friends you can trust, all right? The Path is walked alone, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone at every step.”
She hugged him back. “I won’t,” she said. “I promise, Geralt.”
He let her go, stepped back. She smiled, green eyes shining with unshed tears.
“At least you’re not dead this time,” she said.
He snorted. “Goodbye, Ciri,” he said roughly.
“Goodbye, Geralt,” she said, and in a flash of green light, she was gone.
There was a beat of silence in the courtyard, and then Geralt turned and, ignoring the people around him—Ozpin, Summer, and Team RWBY—walked back into Beacon Academy. He had a class to prepare.