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Cedric swallows. »There. Now you know.« He looks away, and Gaetan sees a tear rolling down the boy's cheek. Cedric snivels and wipes his nose on his sleeve.
Gaetan puts more wood on the fire. »I had a sister, too«, he says. »Muriel was her name. We were twins, and we loved each other, like siblings in stories do.« With a wave of his hand, he ignites the candle on the mantelpiece. »We were inseparable; we never argued, we would hold each other in our sleep, whisper secrets to each other. Wherever we went, we held hands.«
Cedric looks at him with big eyes.
»Our parents loved that we got along so well – and they loved us, and we them. I had a very happy early childhood. My father ran a shop, and we were by no means rich, but as far as I can remember, we had enough money to live. Careful – this is hot.«
He pours another mug of tea and hands it to the boy. »When we were six, my parents both fell ill. Merchants had come through our village, and had brought smallpox with them. My parents had had dinner with them in our house; my sister and I were staying with the neighbours for that night.«
He rolls his shoulders back.
»Smallpox is a horrible disease, and highly contagious at that. My sister and I were not allowed to see them anymore. Our aunt took us in afterwards.« His lips curl into a humourless smirk. »She thought it was improper, how much we loved each other.«
»What?!« Cedric's eyes are big with disbelief, and Gaetan shrugs.
»Yes, she wasn't fond of that. She tried to separate us from day one. Tried to keep Muriel in the house, and me outside as much as possible. Doing ›men's work‹, as she called it. Fuck, I was six years old …« He shakes his head at the memory. »She didn't succeed, though. We still found ample opportunities to be together. Muriel came up with a sign language we used when she was inside and I had to work in the garden. That way we could still talk. My aunt locked her up in the attic then, but I climbed up the roof and crawled through a window, so we could sleep together.«
»And then, one day, there was a Witcher passing through. The village had a nasty problem with – ahh, I don't know anymore, some shit or another, it doesn't matter. Anyway«, and now he can feel his smirk growing all over his face, »the villagers passed the hat around, so to speak, and the Witcher accepted the contract. And my aunt – well, my aunt saw an opportunity.«
»What do you mean?«
»Well, she met with her in secret, and offered me to her for free.«
The child is silent for a moment. »Will I meet her?«
»Nahh. She died shortly after bringing me to the Dyn Marv – never had much to do with me afterwards anyway. Wasn't the motherly type.«
»Like your aunt.«, Cedric comments drily.
Gaetan laughs. »Yeah, kinda.«
Cedric sits up. »And so your aunt she just … gave her to her? Because you loved your sister?«
Gaetan just nods. »Yes. Once the contract was finished and the alderman had paid, she came round to my aunt's house. I was locked up in the cellar, as punishment for some shit she had thought up. The Witcher took me with her.« He stares in the candle flame. »Muriel came running after us. She was fast, and had nearly caught up, when the Witcher blasted an Aard – not a strong one, just enough to knock her onto her butt. And there you have it. That's my tragic backstory.«
»And you – you never saw her again?«
»Oh, yes, I did. As soon as I was on the path, I set out, looking for her. It didn't take me long.« He can hear his voice grow soft. »I came by regularly, at least once a year. More often, if I could. She was always happy to see me. She got married, too, moved back to our old village. Her husband was a good guy. Dumb as a rock, but he loved her. They didn't have any kids though. That was something that pained her.«
»Where is she now?«
Gaetan lowers the flames with a wave of his hand. »She died – two years ago now. She lived a good life. A long one. Apart from not being a mother, I think she found happiness. I buried her myself.
And now – to bed!«, he says, handing Cedric the extra blanket he got from his horse earlier, »we've got a long way ahead of us tomorrow.«