"Redanian Intelligence" is the fourth episode of season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher series.
Characters[]
- Geralt of Rivia
- Yennefer of Vengerberg
- Ciri
- Jaskier
- Cahir
- Triss Merigold
- Istredd
- Dara
- Vesemir
- Sigismund Dijkstra
- Lambert
- Coen
- Everard
- Gwain
- Merek
- King Vizimir of Redania
- Ba'lian
- Dermain
- Michaela (Advisor 1)
- Elad (Advisor 2)
Description[]
- A guest at Kaer Morhen extends a guiding hand to Ciri — and an invitation to Geralt. On the run in Redania, Yennefer seeks safety below ground.
Summary[]
Geralt continues his training of Ciri, with the duo scaling mountains, walking across rocks, and running through the woods. However, Ciri trips after hearing a noise and tumbles down a hill. She gets to her feet and is approached by Triss, with whom she's not familiar with, but who extends a helping hand after Ciri takes a rough fall. She approaches Ciri and heals the cut on her cheek just as they're joined by Geralt. The three of them return to Kaer Morhen, where she is greeted by Vesemir, Lambert, and Coen.
Elves are being rounded up and taken prisoner by the Northern Kingdoms. Among them is a man named Beardell, who asks to be set free so that he can relieve himself, but the guard refuses to let him go and forces Beardell to pee on himself.
Yennefer and Cahir are on the run in Oxenfurt, where Yennefer reveals that Nilfgaard has forged an alliance with the elves and that Fringilla has claimed leadership. They're forced to go into hiding when wanted posters for their arrest are released to the public.
King Vizimir is nearly poisoned and killed by two of his advisors, but Dijkstra comes to his rescue, killing both his would-be assassins, stabbing one in the throat and poisoning the other. He then reveals to the king that the Northern Kingdoms have formed an alliance based on their mutual hatred of elves, but that is no concern of theirs. With Calanthe gone, Dijkstra believes now is a good time to make a play for Cintra.
Ciri asks how Geralt and Triss met. She reveals that he found himself in her kingdom a time ago and helped her with a princess in trouble. She nearly killed him, but he saved her anyway. Ciri thinks that Triss is quite impressive herself, with how she healed her cheek and also complements her dress. Ciri offers to show her around, but Triss knows the place pretty well. When Geralt told Vesemir what Triss had done for him, he invited her. This time around, Geralt invited her to help guide Ciri.
While searching for refuge, Yennefer and Cahir are attacked by a guard, who Yennefer takes out before retreating into the sewers, where they meet a couple elves named Dermain, who is deaf, and Ba'lian, who pulls a knife on Cahir until being disarmed. Dermain realizes that they're the mage and soldier from the poster and believes they can trust them, revealing that they're headed for the Sandpiper, who helps elves get passage to Xin'trea. With their help, Cahir assures them a pick of land upon their safe return to Cintra. Although, Ba'lian is reluctant, he relents.
Geralt reveals to Triss that Ciri is a Child Surprise who likely inherited an evolved version of her mother's untrained magic. However, Ciri hasn't exhibited any typical indicators of Chaos. She only seems to have the power of foresight at the moment. He goes on to tell Triss about Ciri's pull that led them to the leshy that turned Eskel. And then some unknown creature tore it in half and charged at them. He wonders if it's possible a mage sent the monster after Ciri. Theoretically, it's possible, but it's also been outlawed for centuries. Despite this, she performs a test to determine any signs of mutagenic alchemy, but they won't have results until morning. Triss is sorry about Eskel, and Geralt is sorry about Sodden. Those who died, Triss says their name at night so she doesn't forget. If it's up to her, everyone will know their names. Witchers pretend not to have emotions, but Triss knows they feel every emotion humans do. She takes his hand and asks Geralt to stay with her tonight, but he turns down her offer.
Ba'lian guides Yennefer, Cahir, and Dermain through an old elven aqueduct. Yennefer questions what happened to Dermain's ears, and he reveals that some villagers came to him at a tavern a week back in Gors Velen. Ever since the elves took refuge in Xin'trea, the North have been claiming that they're all sleeper agents for Nilfgaard, and they've been getting rounded up.
Dermain reveals that there's said to be a pregnant elf in Xin'trea, which can be the start of a new beginning, but Ba'lian isn't convinced. Dermain plans to get a little patch of land, raise some chicken, and find a beautiful woman to boss him around. Unfortunately for Dermain, he is dragged under and presumably killed by a tentacled creature. Yennefer and Cahir try to help, but Ba'lian leaves them behind. Yennefer is then snatched, but Cahir manages to pull her to safety. They make their way back to surface level, where he realizes that Yennefer lost her powers that day on the battlefield in Sodden. He believes that maybe Yennefer has a bigger purpose. He and Fringilla serve the White Flame because he served them first. Everyone answers to someone eventually. Yennefer and Cahir then spot Ba'lian creeping into a tavern through the back entrance. Once inside, they confront him for leaving Dermain behind. The elves explain that they have to wait for the tavern to empty, then the piper will take them to the boat. As it turns out, the Sandpiper is Jaskier, who performs at the tavern every night, and sings a song about how Geralt turned his back on him.
Dijkstra contemplates his next move. Perhaps their way into Cintra is by sending in an elven spy. The elf he chooses just so happens to be Dara.
Rather than her usual ragged clothing, Ciri wears a bright-colored shirt with a flower in her hair to match Triss, but when she is heckled by Lambert and Coen, she flees with tears filling her eyes. Triss scolds them both. They dress her in rags and keep her bruised as an apple. That is when she isn't washing piss-pots or their trousers. She doesn't even have feminine hygiene products. They say they're mutants and that's why they don't understand what people feel, but the truth is that they're choosing to be ignorant arseholes.
Triss tells Ciri that it took her a long time to learn to control her powers. Geralt joins them and tells Ciri that the guys felt bad she didn't finish her breakfast while giving her some wrapped food. Ciri remarks that her grandmother fought battles and wore dresses, which Geralt is aware of. The test is complete, but as far as Triss can tells, there's no evidence of mutagenic alchemy. However, she does uncover stellacite, like from a monolith. Inside the leshy that turned Eskel, they uncover more stellacite, meaning they come from the same place, more specifically the same monolith. Ciri reveals that when Nilfgaard attacked Cintra, just outside the city walls, she saw a monolith topple. Before she can reveal anything more, she touches the stellacite and has a vision about death to come. When she wakes, Geralt and Triss have moved her to another room and asks to know everything she does. Ciri reveals that when the Black Knight captured her, she screamed and that's when the monolith cracked and fell.
The following morning, once the tavern is empty, Yennefer reunites with Jaskier, who she is surprisingly happy to see, greeting him with a hug. She heard his song and suspects that he and Geralt must've ended on bad terms, which he admits is true. She accuses him of being the Sandpiper and reveals that she's in hiding. Jaskier informs her that there are anonymous benefactors working behind the scenes to help him save the elves. Yennefer questions why Jaskier is even concerned. He explains that he was at the great oak Bleobheris when it was raided. The Seat of Friendship, the Druid's called it. Where every free thinker was welcome, no matter their race or creed. The elves are only the first. After they're dead, they will come for everyone else they deem as different. Cahir joins them, and Yennefer reveals that they need to get to Cintra.
Triss stops by to see Geralt off and hand him his elixires as he prepares to investigate the destroyed monolith outside of Cintra. About last night, Geralt tells Triss that he can't be what she wants or deserves, but for her, he is all that she was looking for last night. His pain excites her because she finally felt something again. Most of them were cured after the battle, but all wounds can not be healed, like her burns. Geralt hopes that in her search to feel again, she finds her value to him, as she's important to him. Vesemir gets word of Geralt's trip despite claiming he would never go to Cintra again, but he's only doing so in order to protect Ciri.
Triss reveals that she has a friend who studies monoliths and portals Geralt to Istredd, who summons a barrier and commands Geralt to stay back.
Jaskier distracts the guards so that the others can sneak aboard the ship. The man asks for his papers for transit, but Jaskier begins singing one of his songs, which the guard recognizes and begins singing along with, as his niece loves Jaskier's songs, so much so, that he's willing to let Jaskier aboard without seeing his papers. However, Jaskier turns around and confronts the man after he makes a couple unflattering remarks about his song. Jaskier insults the man, who then demands to see his papers. Looking to redeem himself for his past cowardice, Ba'lian says "Fuck the North!" and punches the guard. An altercation ensues, allowing the others to sneak on to the boat.
Vesemir goes out into the woods, where he finds Feainnewedd blossoming, which is said to only grow where Elder blood has been spilled. He found it on Killer Trail and the training course where Ciri bled. Elder blood was thought to have been wiped from the Continent generations ago. It is also one of the key ingredients in the creation of the first witcher mutagens, which were destroyed in the sacking of Kaer Morhen. Not another witcher had been created since. Vesemir believes that Ciri is the key to making more witchers.
Jaskier guides the elves and Cahir down into the ship. There, Dara thanks him for safe passage. On his way back up top, Jaskier asks what happened to Yennefer. She reveals that she lost her magic. She suspects that he intends to gloat, but he's an artist and it's his job to put himself in other people's shoes. Like her, he's scared that one day the muses will stop speaking to him, because who are they when they can no longer do the one thing they were put on the Continent to do. Yennefer replies that they have to find a new purpose. Jaskier tells Yennefer goodbye and wishes her good luck. However, as soon as Jaskier leaves, Yennefer hears him scream and goes to investigate, only to find his lute laying on the ground.