Talk:Payback/@comment-198.54.212.177-20170605020156

If you refuse to steal the horses you immediately start a fight with the Elf.

Ciri gets mad at you and storms off, and the quest ends, you never get the chance to go to whats-his-faces grave and pay your respects and lose a positive point towards Ciris ending.

This of course seems messed up, you should be fully allowed to not steal any horses and not get rewarded with negative points to Ciris survival. Play the whole game as Geralt being on the good side of morality, to suddenly have to be reduced to common theives just to keep Ciri alive.