01x02 - Four Marks

[bunniefuu]

- [girl] So, where are you taking me?
- [boy] It's a surprise.

[girl] A surprise? What surprise?

- [boy] I got you something.
- Do tell.

[boy] Well, if I tell now,
it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?

[laughs] You're a very, very naughty boy.

Stand there. Close your eyes.

Open.

A daisy? Not a rose?

- Roses are cliché.
- Daisies are cheap.

I can still... kiss you, right?

Where did it go?

- What?
- My daisy.

- Thought you didn't want it?
- Ugh!

[gasps]

- Now it smells of pig sh*t.
- You been spying on us, you creep?

'Course. Look at her.
No one's ever kissed that.

Could she even stand up straight to do it?

Where you going, crooked girl?
We can teach you.

Leave me alone. Stop.

I heard your father
makes you sleep with pigs.

- Stop.
- Your own family doesn't even want you.

[gasps]

- [whispering voice]
- [shudders]

[whispering]

[gasps]

[rumbling and whispering continue]

- Who are you?
- Wha... what is all this?

Am I dead?

How did I get here?

Well, it looks to me
like you portalled in.

I what?

You know, portalled.

From wherever you were to here.

The Tower of the Gull.

Aretuza.

Oh, you're a virgin.

I'm sorry.

I'm s... I'm sorry.

Your backhand is even more impressive
than your magic.

My what?

[woman] We're not supposed
to be out here...

- [gasps]
- What's wrong?

If you could conjure that portal
out of thin air, she'll be coming for you.

She? She who?

What are you doing?

[speaking Elder]

[rumbling]

What's that?

It's a... a different kind of portal.

One that can't be tracked.

See, the one you made
has put a target on your back,

but this will take you home.

Look, you can trust me.

What's your name?

Istredd.

- Wait. What's your...
- [rumbling]

[sighs]

[clucking]

Get out of there, girl.

- [grunts]
- I... I can do it.

[grunts]

[neighs]

[groans]

How much for a pig?

They'll be at market tomorrow.

Well, I'm here today.

Ten marks.

How much for this beast?

- Six.
- Four.

- What are you doing?
- Sold. Four marks.

- Are you mad? You can't let them have her.
- As I said, sold. Four marks.

The woman's a witch.
You know what they will do.

- She's our daughter.
- She's no daughter of mine.

Mother. [yelps] Please help me.

[witch] Excellent. I'll be going.

You can't take me!

I won't go.

Let me out!

Let me out!

[sobs]

Four marks.

[whimpers]

[screams]

[sobs]

[man] Princess!

Princess Cirilla!

Princess Cirilla!

[second man] Come on! Now, Princess!

- You, check down there.
- [horse neighs]

- Princess?
- Where are you, Princess?

Princess Cirilla!

Moving to the stream.

- You, keep your eyes open!
- [horses neigh]

Princess Cirilla!

[gasps]

Who's there?

Stop right there.

You mean they're poison?

[squeaking]

Oh, uh... no, thank you.

I don't eat rat.

[sighs]

Wait.

Wh-Where in Cintra did you live?

Where are your parents?

Why don't you talk?

I haven't spoken to anybody
in three days.

I guess...

I'm on the run.

I'm supposed to be going towards someone,

but instead,
I'm running from someone else.

He has this...

this big bird on his head.

I don't know what he wants from me.

We should smother the fire.

I can't be caught by him.

I can't.

[shivers]

[tapping]

[murmuring voices]

Look, it's the Cintran flag.
Come on, we're saved.

Rat Boy?

[lute plays]

[man] ♪ You think you're safe ♪

♪ Without a care ♪

♪ But here in Posada ♪

♪ You'd be wise to beware ♪

♪ The pike with the spike ♪

♪ That lurks in your drawers ♪

♪ Or the flying drake ♪

♪ That will fill you with horror ♪

♪ Need old Nan the Hag ♪

♪ To stir up a potion ♪

♪ So that your lady ♪

♪ May get an abortion ♪

- Abort yourself!
- Oh, oi!

- Stop! f*ck off!
- [woman] Shut up!

I'm so glad that I could
bring you all together like this.

- [man] Sit down and shut up!
- Unbelievable.

I love the way you just...
sit in the corner and brood.

- I'm here to drink alone.
- Good. Yeah, good.

No one else hesitated to comment on
the quality of my performance, except...

for you. Come on.

You don't want to keep a man with...

bread in his pants waiting.

You must have some review for me.
Three words or less.

They don't exist.

What don't exist?

The creatures in your song.

And how would you know?

Oh, fun. White hair...

big, old loner, two very...

very scary-looking swords.

I know who you are.

You're the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.

Called it.

A job I've got for ya. I beg you.

A devil...
he's been stealing all our grain.

In advance, I'll pay you.
A hundred ducat.

One fifty.

I've no doubt you'll come through.

You take no prisoners, so I hear.

Ah. Need a hand? I've got two.

One for each of the, uh, devil's horns.

Go away.

I won't be but silent back-up.

I heard your note, and, yes, you're right,

maybe real adventures
would make better stories.

And you, sir, smell chock-full of them.

Amongst other things.
I mean, what is that? Is that onion?

It doesn't matter. Whatever it is,
you smell of death and destiny.

Heroics and heartbreak.

It's onion.

Right, yeah. Yeah.

Ooh, I could be your barker,

spreading the tales of Geralt of Rivia,

the-the Butcher of Blaviken.

- Come here.
- Yeah?

[groans]

[wheezing]

Ho ho. Uhh.

Come on, Roach.

Do you know how many people
wouldn't blink if you d*ed?

You get to live.

Who are you?

Tissaia de Vries.

Rectoress of Aretuza.

[sobs] You should've let me die.
At least I had control over that.

Oh, that's adorable, piglet.

You weren't taking control.
You were losing it.

Be in the greenhouse in 20 minutes.

[door slams]

- [winces]
- [Tissaia] I sense your terror.

And you are right to be afraid.

Chaos is the most dangerous thing
in this world.

It is all around us all the time.

Volatile and powerful.

But... each one of you

showed an aptitude for channeling it.

Your conduit moment
created a new ripple in chaos,

reaching me here in Aretuza.

Anica, you saved a drowning boy
with your mind.

Fringilla froze a cat.

On accident.

Sabrina... turned her mother fat.

But just because
you are conduits of chaos...

does not mean
that you are capable of magic.

I want to go home.

This is your home.

Listen closely.
Your survival depends on it.

Magic is organizing chaos.

And while oceans of mystery remain,

we have deduced
that this requires two things.

Balance and control.

Without them, chaos will k*ll you.

This is the simplest of trials

to see whether
you are worthy of the ascension.

Between your flower and your stone
lies the balance.

Lift your stone without touching it.

Use the incantation [speaking Elder].

[all speaking Elder]

[gasps]

- [rattling]
- [speaking Elder]

- [gasps] I'm doing it.
- Your hand...

[screaming]

This is the balance.

Demonstrated beautifully.
Thank you, Fringilla.

There is no conjuring something
from nothing.

There is a give and a take.

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[girls speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[sighs]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

- [speaking Elder]
- You've lost a lot of blood, piglet.

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[gasps]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

Sometimes a flower is just a flower...

and the best thing it can do for us
is to die.

[faint scratching]

[scratching continues]

Istredd.

You were right. She found me.

And you found me.

My name.

It's Yennefer.

It's good to meet you properly...

Yennefer.

[dog barking]

[hammering]

[horse neighs]

[baby crying]

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, no cutting.

Don't touch me.
This food was provided by the queen.

May she rot in hell.

Your cloak...

My father made it.

Ziven Ozol. He clothes Cintra's finest.

You look like you've been through hell.

Like all of us.

[man coughs]

They're elf ears.

I k*lled them all.

Doing my part to avenge human lives lost
in Filavandrel's uprising.

Filavandrel?

The elves call him "King."

Last year, he tried to claim Cintran land.

My brother got an arrow in the brain.

Every day, I make sure
his death's not in vain.

Come. Meet my family.

Come.

Mother, I brought someone to join us.

This is...

Fiona.

Look at you in your little cloak.

[boy] Our father just d*ed.

Fighting to defend that wretched bitch
and her wretched family.

Mother, stop.
It wasn't Queen Calanthe's fault.

Nilfgaard only got past Cintran borders
because of elven spies.

Technically, it was the elves' land first.

Our brother d*ed for that land.

And your father d*ed
for Calanthe's selfishness.

One conflict after another.

Robbing us of our homes,
our men, and our lives.

- When will it stop?
- When I'm a knight.

I'll have enough coin
to rebuild our house.

You're to be a knight?

I have to apprentice,
but I'll be ready when Cintra rises again.

[mother] To order and dignity.

Oh, child. Your shoes.

Let's get you a fresh pair, why don't we?

That'd be wonderful. Thank you.

Abbott.

Don't worry. He's one of the clean ones.

[bard] Reading between the lines
and the gut punches, chum,

I'd say you have got
a bit of a... an image problem.

Were I to join you on this...

feat to defeat the devil of Posada,

I could relieve you of that title.

All the North would be too busy
singing the tales of...

Geralt of Rivia,
the-the White Wolf or-or something.

Butcher is right.

Mind if I hop up?
I'm not wearing the right footwear.

- Don't touch Roach.
- Yeah, right, yeah.

The elves called this Dol Blathanna
before bequeathing it to the humans

and retreating into their golden palaces
in the mountains.

There I go again,
just... delivering exposition.

Geralt?

Geralt? Wh-Where are you going?

Geralt, don't leave me.

Hello?

- What are we looking for again?
- Blessed silence.

[grasshoppers chirping]

Yeah, I don't really go in for that.
Have you ever hunted a devil before?

- Devils don't exist.
- Right.

Obviously. Then, uh...
then what are we doing?

Sometimes there's monsters,
sometimes there's money.

Rarely both.

That's the life.

- [projectile hits]
- sh*t!

Act Two begins!

What was that?
Looks like a tiny cannonball from a...

Oh, my gosh.

Geralt... it is a devil.

Ohh.

- I have to see this magical, this mythi...
- [projectile hits]

- Leave me be!
- [yells]

- You talk.
- [yelling]

Of course I talk!

What happened with you?
Your mother f*ck a goat?

I am Torque the Sylvan,
a rare and intelligent creature!

You're a d*ck. With balls.

Balls I got from humans,

who left our food filled with iron
meant to poison me!

- Ow!
- Did your mother f*ck a snowman?

You are intelligent, I'll give you that.

So I won't k*ll you,
but you can't stay here.

Neither can you.

Look into her eyes.

Look until a door becomes a window.

Seek to understand
your partner's greatest fears.

With our eyes?

No, piglet. With chaos.

Thought transference
should flow through you,

like learning to dance or swim or kiss.

Come on, you can do it.

[sighs]

[sighs]

[whispering voices]

...drowning...

Anica's worst fear is snakes.

Come here.

You take weeks to lift your stone.

You can't bend water.

You struggle to perform
the simplest physical tasks.

And now you lie to me?

Your worst fear makes such sense.

Even if you were a beauty,
still, no one would love you.

Tissaia's right.

I've been here for weeks
and can barely do sh*t.

See, my thought transference trial
at Ban Ard took... three days.

Boy I was paired with
had a phobia of cheese.

I want to be good. Good at something.

You'll get there.

I didn't give up.

Now I can read minds.

Great. Is that what you're doing?

[sighs]

You can read me, if you like.

[scoffs]

- I don't think it's working.
- You can see.

You can see.

Just...

[sighs] Just look past.

I see them.

What are they?

Moon jellyfish.

I... I can hear them.

Cicadas in summer.

[gasps]

I can taste it.

- [laughs]
- Hmm.

[both sigh]

It's warm bread.

Are these the things you love?

These are the things
I thought you would love.

[sighs]

So tired.

But I can't sleep, either.

You're still scared, aren't you?

Well, you're safe now.

I've got you.

I'm looking for...

for Geralt of Rivia.

Do you know him?

Afraid I don't.

He's a knight?

I don't know.

What about your mother or your father?

My parents d*ed when I was a baby.

My grandmother took care of me.

Where is she?

She, um...

d*ed.

In the Nilfgaard att*ck.

[mother] Oh. I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry, too.

For your family.

We'll get through this together.

We take care of our own.

[sighs]

[rumbling]

[thunder crashing]

[door opens]

Get up.

Welcome, Fringilla.

Welcome, Lark.

Welcome, Doralis.

Welcome, Sabrina.

And welcome back, piglet.

[thunder claps]

Tor Lara, the Tower of the Gull.

The most potent place on the continent.

Off-limits,
except to the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

Why?

[screaming]

This trial tests your ability

to control
the ultimate expression of chaos.

Catch lightning in a bottle.

- That's impossible.
- No, it's magic.

Doralis.

Bottle up.

Now.

[whimpering]

- She's still breathing.
- [thunder rumbles]

Lark, move Doralis aside.

Anica, your turn next.

Quickly.

- You can do this.
- [Tissaia] Quickly.

I did it.

- [squeaks]
- [screams]

- [whimpering]
- Piglet, your turn.

[whimpering]

Faster.

[screams]

[Tissaia]
Sabrina, show these girls how it's done.

[gasps]

[Tissaia] The strong amongst the weak.

[screaming]

[scream echoes and fades]

[thunder rumbles]

[thunder crashing]

What you did there
was pathetic and dangerous.

Felt pretty powerful to me.

There are mages like Sabrina
who ignore their emotions.

And then there are mages like us
who are consumed by them.

Like us?

Your first night here at Aretuza,
you tried to k*ll yourself.

And tonight,
you almost k*lled someone else.

It is your job to control chaos,
not become it.

- I can.
- But if I send you to advise a king,

and your precious little feelings get hurt
when he won't listen,

and you submit to chaos,
he dies, his people turn on us.

Whose fault would that be?

- Mine.
- No.

Mine for letting you ascend.

- I understand.
- Do you?

You lie. You keep secrets.

You succumb to emotion, to weakness.

Do you actually have what it takes?

[men shouting]

[grunts]

[grunts]

[groaning]

- [grunting]
- This is the part where we escape.

- This is the part where they k*ll us.
- Who's they?

[groans]

[in Elder] Beast!

- Elves.
- Oi, that's my lute. Give that back.

Quick, Geralt. Do your-your witchering...

- Shut up!
- No.

- [groans]
- [in Elder] You shut up!

My Elder speech is rough.
I only got part of that.

Humans, shut up.

[in Elder]
Ah, got it, thanks so much.

- Do you wanna die right now?
- As opposed to later?

- No, please, not the lu...
- Leave off!

- He's just a bard.
- [groans]

You don't deserve the air you breathe.

- [lute jangles]
- Everything you touch, you destroy.

[groans]

[groans]

You hide in your golden palaces.

You b*at a bound man,
too scared to even look him in the eye!

Do you like my palace? Hmm?

Does it live up to the tales
you humans tell?

- [grunts]
- [laughs]

- Yeah, take that, pointy.
- [coughing]

[wheezes and coughs]

Wait, what's-what's wrong with her?

- She's sick.
- Oh, and who's this?

- [coughing]
- He's Filavandrel, King of the Elves.

Not a king. Not by choice.

You were stealing for them.

I felt for them.
They were forced out of Dol Blathanna.

Forced out? No, they chose...

Do you know anyone that would
choose to leave their home? To starve?

To have a Sylvan steal for them?

Toruviel, no one was supposed to get hurt.

What's two humans in the ground
when countless elves have d*ed?

One human.

And you can let him go.

Then Posada will learn
that we've been stealing.

The humans will att*ck.

Many will die...

on both sides.

The lesser evil.

No matter what you choose,

you'll come out bloody
and hating yourself.

- Trust me.
- That's the problem.

I can't.

This is necessary.

I understand.

As long as you understand...

that it won't be long
before you follow me in death.

Yes, because they pushed us
from viable soil.

Even chaos is polluted.

Synthetically enhanced
so humans can make magic.

Chaos is the same as it's always been.

Humans just adapted better.

You say adapt, and I say destroy.

You are choosing to starve.

You're cutting off your ear
to spite your face.

You think this is about pride?

My elders worked with humans
and got robbed of all they had.

And when they fought back,
they were slaughtered.

"The Great Cleansing," humans call it.

I called it digging a mass grave
for everyone I loved.

And now the humans
proudly watch these very fields grow...

our babies fertilizer for their grain.

I don't wish to bury anyone else.

I was once
Filavandrel of the Silver Towers.

Now I'm Filavandrel
of the Edge of the World.

If I bring my people down
from these mountains,

it would mean
bowing to human sovereignty.

They'll make slaves of us.

Pariahs of half-blood children.

Then go somewhere else.

Rebuild.

Get strong again.

Show the humans that you are
more than what they fear you to be.

Like you, Witcher?

I have learned to live with them.

So that I may live.

Please, my King.

There are others. A new generation.

Evellien who wish to fight!

Let us take back what's ours.

Starting now.

- Wait!
- Torque, stand aside!

[Torque] The witcher could've k*lled me.

But he didn't.

He's different.

Like us.

If you must k*ll me...

I am ready.

But the Sylvan's right.

Don't call me human.

[Yennefer] She knows about us.

I'm gonna be sent home.
We'll never see each other again.

What do you mean,
we'll never see each other again?

No, no. This-This is not the last time.
We... We'll find a way.

How?

W-With one of those extra-special portals?

Oh, look, you know...

I wish I could show you,
but I-I can't risk the knowledge

- reaching the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
- Why?

It's not the method of magic we're taught.
It's older. It's more potent.

It could open doors
that can't be closed again.

I don't understand.

My worst fear is true.

I'm still not enough.

Even for you.

- [sighs]
- Come.

- I want to show you.
- [sniffles]

Come.

[sighs and sniffles]

Do you know whose skulls these are?

Dead people?

Dead elves.

These elves built Aretuza.

You mean as slaves?

No, no. This was before humans.

Elves are the original sorcerers
of the continent.

What?

When humans and monsters all arrived
after the Conjunction of the Spheres...

elven mages taught the first humans
how to turn chaos into magic.

And then...
the humans slaughtered them...

so they could pretend the power
had always belonged to them.

[sighs]

Rewriting history
with the stories we tell...

the songs we sing
about our own triumphs, it's what we do.

But I want to honor them.

Feainnewedd only grows
where elder blood has spilled.

Open your mouth.

[speaking Elder]

[speaking Elder]

[whooshing]

[rumbling]

How did-How did you do that
on your first try?

- I should go.
- [portal closes]

W-W-Wait-Wait.

- Wait. Wait.
- [gasps]

[whispers] Wait.

My father...

My real father...

he was half-elf.

Do you remember the Great Cleansing?

- Thousands of elven lives lost.
- [sobs]

That's how my father d*ed.

His blood is... why I'm cursed
with a twisted spine.

Why I'm only worth four marks.

Why no one could ever love me.

So far, so good.

[laughs]

[Yennefer] What will you do with it?

Nothing.

Simply wanted to know

that you could control your emotions
and get it from the boy.

That you would.

You may go...

Yennefer.

Does this mean I get to ascend?

I'm ready.

Listen for the knock.

[door opens]

[door closes]

You've been working on her for months.

You must be able to give me something.

Make Ban Ard proud.

Sh-She's part elf.

[screaming]

[gasps]

[man shouts]

Nilfgaard! They're here! They're here!

- What's happening?
- Go get the horse.

Find Adon and Zeke. And take this.

You stupid little sh*t!
Pick it up and go!

- Go!
- [grunts]

- [screams]
- [gasps]

[moans]

- [grunting]
- [screaming]

[screams] Help!

[wailing]

[yelps]

It's you. Wait.

- [weapons clashing]
- [screaming]

- [w*apon slashes]
- [man groans]

[woman] Go on!

[horse neighs]

[footsteps approach]

- [shudders]
- [knocking on door]

[Tissaia] Anica.

[footsteps approach]

[footsteps draw closer]

[footsteps fade]

[knocking on door]

Doralis.

[sighs]

[whooshing]

[Tissaia speaking Elder]

[continues speaking Elder]

[speaks Elder]

[in English] Come forth, Yennefer.

You turned my friend into a slug.

An eel.

Come. Push your friend into the pool.

- No.
- Yes.

I took away her control,
but she still has power.

She's a conduit.

For Aretuza.

Sometimes the best thing
a flower can do for us is die.

- [bird calling]
- [bard] Credit where credit is due.

That whole reverse-psychology thing
you did on them was brilliant, by the way.

[imitates Geralt] "k*ll me. I'm ready."

That's the conclusion.

They just let us go, and you give
all of Nettly's coin to the elves.

Filavandrel's lute
not gift enough for you?

Yeah, she is a bit sexy, isn't she?

I do have respect for Filavandrel.

He survived the Great Cleansing once.
Who knows? Maybe he can do it again.

Be reborn.

♪ Will the elf king heed ♪

♪ What the witcher entreats? ♪

♪ Is history a wheel ♪

♪ Doomed to repeat? ♪

No, that's... that's sh*t.

This is where we part ways,
bard, for good.

I promised to change the public's tune
about you. At least allow me to try.

[strumming lute]

♪ When a humble bard ♪

♪ Graced a ride along ♪

♪ With Geralt of Rivia ♪

♪ Along came this... song ♪

- ♪ From when the White Wolf fought ♪
- [gasps] You're an elf.

♪ A silver-tongued devil ♪

♪ His army of elves ♪

- ♪ At his hooves did they travel ♪
- Thank you.

- I'm Dara.
- ♪ They came after me ♪

♪ With masterful deceit ♪

- I'm Ciri.
- ♪ Broke down my lute ♪

♪ And they kicked in my teeth ♪

♪ While the devil's horns ♪

♪ Minced our tender meat ♪

♪ And so cried the witcher ♪

- ♪ "He can't be bleat..." ♪
- That's not how it happened.

Where's your newfound respect?

Respect doesn't make history.

[continues playing]

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty ♪

[sighs]

- ♪ At the edge of the world ♪
- Hmm.

♪ Fight the mighty horn ♪

♪ That bashes and breaks you ♪

♪ And brings you to mourn ♪

♪ He thrust every elf ♪

♪ Far back on the shelf ♪

♪ High up on the mountain ♪

♪ From whence it came ♪

♪ He wiped out your pest ♪

♪ Got kicked in his chest ♪

♪ He's a friend of humanity ♪

♪ So give him the rest ♪

♪ That's my epic tale ♪

♪ Our champion prevailed ♪

♪ Defeated the villain ♪

♪ Now pour him some ale ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty

♪ O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ A friend of humanity ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ A friend of humanity ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty ♪

♪ O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Toss a coin to your witcher ♪

♪ A friend of humanity ♪