Two days later, Lynn and Geralt left Aedd Gynvael with Istredd's caravan.
Istredd's caravan was a sizable one, with well over a dozen wagons, all loaded with goods.
These goods were reportedly bound for the Mahakam Mountains.
They were everyday necessities needed by the dwarves living there.
A caravan of this size naturally needed a substantial armed escort.
There were a full thirty human guards alone, accompanied by a small but well-equipped squad of dwarves.
The guards formed two columns, protecting the covered wagons between them.
Lynn and Geralt rode with Istredd at the very front of the procession.
Seeing Lynn and Geralt sharing a horse, Istredd generously singled out an ink-black Kovir steed from the caravan for Lynn.
The caravan traveled swiftly, without stopping.
Before long, Aedd Gynvael was left far behind, shrinking to a black speck before disappearing from sight.
The journey was uneventful.
Any bandits they encountered generally fled at the sight of a caravan with so many guards.
Only the occasional monsters, such as Ghouls or Nekkers, attacked the caravan.
But with two witchers, Lynn and Geralt, taking action, the monsters were easily dispatched before they had any chance to approach the caravan.
Evening soon arrived.
While the sky had yet to turn completely dark.
Everyone lit a campfire.
They arranged the dozen or so covered wagons in a circle around it.
Then everyone rested around the campfire.
It was April, and the nights were still somewhat cold.
But even the howling, chilly wind could not dispel the warmth of so many people gathered together.
After dinner, no one felt like turning in early.
Besides, they could not possibly fall asleep this early.
Someone suggested that, since they had nothing else to do anyway, they might as well get some exercise.
But the others quickly rejected this suggestion.
After all, they were not within the safety of a city, but out in the dangerous wilderness.
And they still had to travel the next day.
Expending too much energy at night would hardly be wise.
But the leader of the dwarven squad offered a better suggestion.
"How about a rousing game of Gwent?"
Gwent was a game invented by dwarves. Although it had yet to spread widely, it was the most popular game in Mahakam.
The leader of the dwarven squad was named Yarpen Zigrin.
He took out two Gwent decks and placed them on the ground: a Northern Realms deck and a Nilfgaardian Empire deck.
"Anyone can play, but each player has to give me one crown."
Who said dwarves only knew how to hack at people with axes?
At least this dwarf named Yarpen Zigrin was as shrewd as a gnome.
He did not play himself.
And anyone else who wanted to play had to pay him.
Apart from the dwarves, no one else in the caravan had ever seen Gwent, including Istredd.
But this card game stirred everyone's curiosity.
Once Yarpen and another dwarf demonstrated the rules and how to play, everyone's enthusiasm was ignited.
Istredd was the first who could not hold back.
He promptly paid Yarpen one crown for the Northern Realms deck.
A young guard reluctantly parted with one crown for the remaining Nilfgaardian Empire deck.
The two sat down on the open ground and began their match.
Within minutes, the young guard was defeated.
But that did nothing to deter the others eager to try.
Even Geralt could not resist joining in for a couple of games.
Lynn, however, did not rush to participate.
He watched from the sidelines for quite some time.
Only after confirming that both decks Yarpen had brought out contained nothing but basic cards did he choose to join the fray.
"Master Zigrin, I have my own Gwent cards, so I won't need your decks."
"But just playing cards like this is a little dull. How about adding some stakes?"
No one could refuse such a proposal.
Lynn was the first to take out five crowns and place them in front of himself.
A burly bald man sat opposite him.
Seeing Lynn put down five crowns, the burly bald man took out the same amount and set it down.
Then the two began their match.
Gwent was a contest of cards and skill.
But the deck Yarpen had provided, which the burly bald man was using, contained only basic cards. That left him with no advantage in cards, only skill to rely on.
And apart from Yarpen and a few other dwarves, everyone had only been introduced to Gwent that day.
In terms of skill, Lynn was undoubtedly far ahead.
The outcome, therefore, went without saying.
Over the next hour, one opponent after another took the seat across from Lynn.
By the time everyone realized that the handsome, black-haired youth before them was a Gwent expert...
The youth had already won dozens of crowns, fair and square.
At dawn the next day, the light was gray and the air damp, carrying the scent of morning mist.
The sounds of packing rose throughout the camp.
Horses stamped, harnesses jingled, wooden poles creaked, wagon crossbars scraped, and voices mingled with curses.
The captain of the guards walked along the column, issuing orders as he went.
Considering that the day's route would take them through a forest.
Istredd adjusted their positions in the procession.
This time, Lynn and Geralt would no longer both accompany him at the very front.
Instead, Geralt and the captain of the guards took the lead.
Lynn was responsible for the rear.
Neither witcher objected to this arrangement.
The caravan slowly made its way along the densely wooded road, thick foliage forming an emerald canopy overhead.
Sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow across the road.
Hoofbeats and footsteps echoed among the trees, as though becoming part of the forest.
With approaching hoofbeats, Yarpen rode up on a pony.
He wore a friendly smile and nodded to Lynn in greeting.
"Good morning, witcher."
Lynn always returned friendliness with friendliness.
"Good day, Master Zigrin."
"Ha, I'm no master. Just call me Yarpen." Yarpen stroked his thick beard and laughed heartily. "Mind telling me where you got that Gwent deck of yours? Your skill is even on par with the dwarven experts who invented Gwent."
"It was a gift from a fellow witcher. He got it from a wealthy dwarven merchant."
"So that's how it is. Then, young witcher, are you planning to join the fray again tonight?"
Lynn smiled and shook his head.
"A wise man doesn't stand beneath a wall that's about to collapse."
Lynn had won dozens of crowns the previous night. Although no one had said anything, continuing to win tonight might lead to trouble.
He was not afraid of trouble, but he had no wish to invite it either.
He had not taken this job solely for the pay.
There was therefore no need to sour relations with Istredd's men over a little money.
Knowing the limits, stopping before going too far, and quitting while ahead was the smart thing to do.