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Books, books, books. A bottomless sea of knowledge. What it seems like millions of seen-it-all, thick and heavy tomes. Dusty, ancient, filled with big words.
Avallac'h is so much like them: old, although he does not look old at all; wise and... covered with dust? Nope, on the contrary: he is very clean and well-groomed, even sterile in a way, like a beam of light that is void of specks of dust.
Ciri's fingers touched the backbone of one of the tomes and she wondered about its contents. And what about another one, standing right next to it? And all the others? What kind of wisdom could they hide? But the tomes are so weighty that grabbing even one of them off the shelf is not an easy task. Ciri is curious but lazy.
She turns around and looks at the knowing one intently.
'Avallac'h?'
He raises his eyes and Ciri realizes that this elf is very difficult to read. Decyphering the cleverest of elven tomes is easier than him.
'He is listening.'
'Avallac'h, tell me something. Is there a book in your library that is more precious to you than all the others?'
'Hm.'
In no hurry he gets up and disappears in the labyrinth of stacks. When he returns, he is holding a book in his hand: a black tome in full leather binding with a massive metal buckle.
'Here you are. Try and open it.'
'What's it about?' Ciri stares excitedly at the book which in fact does not stand out against all the others.
'You'll know when you've opened it. It was a present from my mentor. He once told me that it contained all the wisdom of the world. It took me days to figure out how to open it.'
Ciri meets his glance and it seems to her that the elf is holding back a smile. She has a feeling that she has been taken for a fool.
***
'Hm. What am I to do with you?'
She spent the whole evening in fruitless attemps to open the book. Avallac'h was right: it was one-of-a-kind, sealed with ancient elven magic.
'Perhaps I could just cut the strap – all's fair in love and war, and tome-opening. You can't cook an omelette without breaking an egg. What would Avallac'h think of such a method of attaining knowledge? I am a daughter of a simple witcher after all. Besides, I, for example, have a scar which doesn't make me less interesting as a person.'
So said so done. Without a slightest twinge of remorse Ciri drew her sword.
'The easy way or the hard way. Witchers don't give up.'
After a while Ciri had to admit defeat: knowledge was stronger than steel... Fire could not overcome wisdom either.
'Avallac'h!' She called out the sage's name when her patience had run out. 'I give in. Just tell me how to open the book.'
'What have you tried yet?'
'Everything! And nothing worked.'
'Everything?' He raised his brow. 'Why is it still closed then?'
'My Lady-of-Space-and-Time abilities are not enough as I see it.'
'You don't need them.' he shrugged his shoulders.
'What do I need then?'
'Love is the key, not violence.'
***
'Love is the key.' Ciri mumbled, looking at the book. 'I wish you practiced what you preach, aen Saevherne. What am I supposed to do? To kiss it as if it's a frog from a fairy tale and it will turn into a handsome... elven mage? No, thank you, I already have one. On the other hand it wouldn't hurt a bit, if I tried...'
Of course, it was a silliest thing to do but Ciri lifted the tome to her lips and... nothing happened.
'Just as I thought.' She rested her chin on her hand and sank into a reverie. 'I've run out of ideas, I give in. And I swear by Melitele, there must be a simple way to open it, perhaps using some basic, primitive spell. I'd hate the idea of giving up before the face of my precious knowing one. I, the blood of Lara Dorren herself, can't even open a stupid elven book! What a shame.'
'Why can't you just do me a favour and open?' She said. 'I wouldn't ask more than that. Please...'
All of a sudden the book unbuckled itself, and with her eyes wide and with a trembling hand Ciri finally turned the first page... Then the second, the third...
***
'There's nothing there but empty pages!' She declared to Avallac'h in an angry voice. 'I spent the whole afternoon trying to open it and the BOOK IS DAMN EMPTY! How do you explain that?'
'It is really very simple, Zireael' the knowing one replied, his tone calm as ever. 'It is empty because no one has written anything in it.'
'Then what's the point of sealing this nonentity, pray tell me?'
'In order for you to learn a lesson.'
'What lesson that might be? That all our struggles are for nothing?'
'If this is all that you've learned, then yes.'
'What did you learn?'
'Many things.'
'Like what for example?'
'That the book really contains every thing possible. If it contained but one rune, the wisdom would cease to be full.'
'But what's the point of all that secrecy?'
'Secrecy creates intrigue. We don't appreciate things that we get for free.'
'Well' Ciri sighed 'this tome oozes so much wisdom that I can hardly lift it. What am I to do with all this wisdom now?'
Squinting his eyes, Avallac'h glanced at Ciri keenly.
'Use the knowledge that you just obtained and try to close the book. It's no small feat.'