‘  you  hold  my  chains,  but  i  owe  you  no  surrender.  ’

The woman's cold shackles had made crimson shreds of the tender flesh at her wrists && ankles. her once-pristine chemise was tattered at the hem, grime && muck creeping up the fine fabric. roche knew that underneath that shift were a few scattered raw welts from the whip's lashes, lacerations from it's clawlike knouts. his men had reported that they were afraid to lash her much more than the few times they already had, lest she perish on the spot. roche still couldn't make sense of how she had been a sorceress before, yet wasn't now - but her story didn't interest him half as much as her usefulness.

❝that's fine. you're not here to surrender. you're here for bait.❞ roche's arms crossed as he leaned against the worn stone wall. ❝van bredevoort... what's that last name, nilfgaardian?❞ his shoulders raised in an indifferent shrug. ❝i'm here to check on you && your conditions, van bredevoort. make sure we haven't killed you by accident, yet. a healer will come make sure your wounds aren't infected.❞ he didn't mention that after the wounds were healed, they would be replaced by newer ones. that sort of thing was usually assumed, in these situations. somewhere, water drip-drip-dripped into a puddle. the noise echoed in the chill air.

❝it's been a few days... what's the matter, doesn't vilgefortz care about you?❞

‘  you  hold  my  chains,  but  i  owe  you  no  surrender.  ’ / options !

❝Luckily, witcher,❞ the temerian began, swinging his leg over the back of the stool before him to seat himself, ❝i don't give a shit about surrender. either you tell me what you know now, or you go back in the cell.❞

it was a shame to have to preside over the witcher's torture. from their brief conversations together in the literal heat of a dragon's ire, vernon roche had already come to be nearly fond of geralt of rivia. call it a flaw of his, a quick bond. still not enough to prevent the witcher, bloodied && sliced like pork belly, from being chained before him. ❝everyone is saying you killed foltest. are you willing to tell me what happened now?❞