Hastily, you walked through the mansions courtyard. Your eyes were watching everywhere, jumping from one building to the other, hoping that no one would see you. Without making a sound, you slipped through the crack of the door into the stable. Luckily, it was already night and Bernard had not bothered to light the lanterns. Everything was wrapped in darkness, so dark that you almost couldn't see where you were going.

This time, you walked passt your usual spot, the stack of hay, and climbed out the ladder in order to enter the second floor. The hay was stored there for hard winters, dry and safe. No one ever came up here, since most of the time the horses were well fed and the winters in Nilfgaard were quite mild anyways.

Carefully, you slipped behind a huge wall of hay to settle on a blanket that you had placed a few nights ago.

No curious eyes or ears could have noticed you from this spot. It was as if you were invisible.

With a deep breath, you looked around for a short second. For some reason you did not feel very safe. Maybe it was because of the nervousness.

You pulled out the communicator, the black plate of stone and wiped it on your sleeve to remove any dirt.

Then, you waited.

It didn't take long, until the magical light lit up and the stone began to vibrate. Immediately, you touched the center and a voice sounded. You had realised that Morvran had his regular times to call. He usually tried to communicate with you at night, sometimes in the evening but never in the morning or when it was bright daylight.

"(Y/N)?", he asked in a soft tone.

It was strange. Ever since he had left, the way he talked to you had changed. He seemed a lot softer now, a little dreamy perhaps. Maybe it had something to do with the kiss. Or the fact that he had confessed some kind of feelings for you.

"I'm here.", you couldn't help but smile a little as his voice reached your ears.

You liked the sound of his voice. It was clear and powerful but not harsh. The way he talked was unique and it would have been easy for you to identify him by the sheer sound of his words.

"I'm glad you're safe.", he sighed heavily.

"What's wrong? You seem... under pressure."

For a long, worrying moment, he said nothing. Then again a sigh left his lips.

"I fear there is a good reason for it. I- I don't want to scare you. You must be worried about your own stuff."

Your lips twitched, as he mentioned it. You weren't sure if it was wise to tell him about Herman. The old man had gotten even worse. Now, he was barely able to raise his head. His second eye had gone blind and he was talking weirdly.

Every now and then he was calling a name.

His wife's name, probably.

He had conversations all by himself and laughed as if he was talking to someone. You had figured that his critical condition made him go mad. At this point, death would have been a gift to him.

"Things are going... as usual.", you said and let yourself fall back.

Hay dig into your skin, causing a poking and itching sensation to spread on your (S/C) skin.

"Sounds convincing.", Morvran joked.

He had a surprisingly good ability to notice whenever you had a change of moods. He knew when you were bothered or angry. He even noticed when you used sarcasm to avoid answering certain questions.

"You sound sad. Tell me about it.", he asked in a soft tone.

Amused, you giggled.

"Gods, am I that easy to read?", you asked, massaging the bridge of your nose.

"I think so. But you're avoiding my request. Tell me what's going on. Something is on your mind."

"Fine, I'll tell you. But only if you tell me something that pains you too."

"Sounds like a deal. So tell me, little stray."

A laugh escaped you as he said the nickname.

"Stray? What a nickname is that?", you asked, halfway laughing, halfway flattered.

"A fitting one, I figured. You ran away from the army and still managed to survive. That's what a stray would do too. Plus, you don't seem to be someone who needs a master. Or wants one. Same with a stray.", he explained in a serious tone.

"Alright you convinced me. Now I like it. Well done general."

"My pleasure. But you're dodging my request. Now tell me. I can't wait to heat about the normal life you're having while I get covered in blood and mud every day."

The smile on your face disappeared.

"You're not hurt, aren't you?", you asked.

Fear suddenly crawled up your throat. It was like a rope, making it impossible to breath.

He didn't answer for a moment. That would have been enough to make you worry even more. But he sighed, followed by a short, unsure laugh.

"My ankle still hurts. To be honest with you, an arrow has pierced my leg a few days ago. The medics wanted to amputate it below the knee. I could convince them that it will heal, the bone is still intact. But it hurts every second of the day and I can't walk at all.", he hesitated for a second, unsure if it would have been smart to tell you the rest of the story. "I almost died. As we were in battle, the mere got scared and threw me off her back. I couldn't run. So I was laying there, while people around me died. One Redania soldier almost stabbed me. I was lucky that day."

His voice was shaking. You could hear the fear and trauma in his words. This incident had left a scar on his mind. Worse, war had left a scar and it would never fade.

"Morvran.", you whispered, close to crying.

You should have been there. You should have been by his side, to protect him.

"No. Don't say anything.", you could hear a soft smile in his words. "It wasn't death that scared me in that moment. As I was laying there, wrapped in coldness and dirt, looking at a sharp blade, I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid that I would never be able to hear your voice again. I was scared that I would never see your face again, or feel your warm touch. I was afraid to be separated from you for all eternity."