FAINA FELT BAD FOR HER HORSE. 

She knew Geralt weighed a lot, and even thought she got a lot of rest in Vizima, they needed to get back to the inn so they could properly rest.

Geralt only slept for a few hours, the position he was in only allowed him to sleep for so long before it got uncomfortable.

It was silent for a long time and she could tell he was thinking hard about something.

"Do you believe what Foltest said... about me?" Geralt asked, "About no having a heart."

Faina paused for a long moment before speaking, "I've seen the way you were with the elves, with the sylvan. The way you were with the princess, you could've killed her, but you didn't." She squeezed the hand that gripped her waist, "You wouldn't have done that if you were void of all emotions, Geralt. And it's not a bad thing. It means you care." Tears filled her eyes, but she kept them facing forward so he couldn't see them, "Humans are the real monsters. They kill, they rob, they steal, they rape. They act like they're better than everyone else, but they're the most vile, evil creatures to walk the Earth."

Geralt was silent for a moment, "Thank you."

She nodded.

The white haired woman let out a shaky sigh before speaking once again, "When I was younger, my village was attacked. There were these ruins nearby, so during the attack, my mother brought me there and hid me in a crypt. She told me she would be back and closed the lid." More tears fell down her cheek, "I hid in the dark for days. Even when it all went quiet, she never came back. When we were in the castle, in that crypt, I wasn't scared of the striga. I was reliving that moment all over again." Geralt squeezed her waist in comfort, "I couldn't hear the screams of the striga. I was hearing the screams of my people."

Geralt took the reins from her fingers and Faina sighed, leaning her head back against his shoulder, making sure it wasn't the injured one,

"My first kill was not fifty miles outside Kaer Morhen." Faina smiled at his attempt to get her mind off of the past, "A man and his daughter were attacked by a group of men. Bald, rotten teeth. They were truly one of the most ugliest monsters I've laid my eyes upon."

Faina let out a small laugh, "That's saying a lot considering the striga we just dealt with."

Geralt smirked down at her, "Two of the men held the father back while the leader tried to rape the daughter. The leader said, 'it's time you met a real man' as he tore her dress off. I told him it was time he met one too. It took two strikes to kill him. One to his dick. Then one two his head. He friends ran off pretty quick after the first strike. When I turned to the girl, she took one look at me, screamed, vomited, and passed out."

The white haired girl laughed against him and winced when it pulled on her stitches. 

"Sleep." He told her, "I'll wake you when we reach Hagge."

Faina sighed, pulling her cloak tighter against her before falling into a deep sleep. 

The Witcher stared down at the small woman resting against him. How she protected him and herself from the princess, he would never know. But the witch was right. Faina was his guardian angel.

He did owe her a lot. With Blaviken, with the Hellhound, the elves in the Blue Mountains, without her who knows what would've happened.

Once they had reached Hagge, he had woken her up and she helped him off of the saddle. They walked inside the inn, and handed the innkeeper the money before requesting a room for the night.

"There's only one available." He grunted,

"That's fine." Faina sighed, taking the key.

She took both of their packs and Geralt followed her up to their room. They both immediately collapsed on the bed.

Faina turned her head and stared at the Witcher. The scraped and stitches along his face. His strong jaw. And his amber eyes. Every time he looked at her with those amber eyes her heart would beat faster.

Geralt felt her gaze on him and turned to stare back at her, "What?"

"The way they treat you, everywhere you go... it must be a lonely existence." She whispered,

"You say that as if you know how it feels." He muttered,

She gave him a sad smile, "Possibly."

They were quiet for a long moment, "Geralt?" 

"Hmm."

She moved her eyes onto the wooden ceiling, "I think it's four-one, now."