The Witcher (short story)

The Witcher is the introducing story in The Last Wish. It follows the famous tale of Geralt's fight with a striga.

The story begins with Geralt entering Wyzim. Shortly afterwards, he kills three men in a bar fight. He is escorted to Velerad, the elderly castellan of Wyzim. Near the beginning of King Foltest's reign, he got his sister, Adda, pregnant. She and the baby died giving birth, both being buried in a double coffin. Seven years later, the daughter awoke and slaughtered the inhabitants of the palace. She had become a striga.

Geralt meets with Foltest, who warns him not to harm to striga, as a wizard had told him that if someone prevented the striga from returning to her coffin by the third crowing of the rooster, then she would be cured, turning into a ordinary little girl. Geralt asks to see a miller (a survivor of one of the striga's earlier attacks). The soldier that brings him to Geralt is Foltest, disguised. He gives Geralt leave to kill his daughter if he found that she was a incurable case.

Geralt spends the night at the old palace (Foltest having moved to a new palace, unplagued by the striga's attacks). During the early night, Lord Ostrit, a magnate, tries to bribe Geralt into running away, as he wishes the striga to survive. This would eventually horrify the inabitants of Wyzim, who would more easily support Vizimir of Novigrad's rule. Geralt refuses, knocks Lord Ostrit out and ties him up. At midnight, he cuts Ostrit loose, using him as bait. He is soon found and killed by the striga.

Geralt fights with the striga, reluctant to use his silver sword. He ties the striga with a silver chain, which she breaks free off, despite silver being a antithesis to monsters of magic. She is eventually scared off when Geralt uses his sorcery to project the hate and malice in her own mind back at her. Geralt settles down in the double coffin to wait for morning. In the morning, he sees a ordinary little girl who is lying on the floor. Leaning over her, he sees too late that her eyes are open. Using the last remnants of her talons, the striga slashes Geralt's throat. As he subdues the girl/striga, Geralt hears the third crowing of the rooster. Finally, he binds his neck, knowing he will faint.

The witcher wakes up, his neck bandaged, with Velerad (who was part of the group that had planned ot just have the striga killed) admitting he was in the wrong. He assures Geralt that his silver sword, his three thousand oren reward and his possessions are safe. Geralt, soothed, falls asleep