69 pages • 2 hours read
Andrzej SapkowskiSword of Destiny
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1992A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2: “A Shard of Ice”
Part 2, Chapter 1 Summary
Geralt dispatches a zeugl—an odorous, slime-spewing, tentacled monster—who resides in a refuse heap in the town of Aedd Gynvael.
Part 2, Chapter 2 Summary
Geralt returns to an Aedd Gynvael inn, where Yennefer awaits him. Urgently, she directs him to bathe. Yennefer muses on the ability of a swamp-dwelling creature like the zeugl to adapt to an urban environment—an idea championed by Istredd, a local sorcerer. Tired of hearing her praise for Istredd, Geralt dismisses the theory. Yennefer examines Geralt for injuries because his Witcher elixirs numb him to pain, but he has taken no harm. As she checks, Geralt notices a black bird called a kestrel that Yennefer has magically crafted, but she refuses to divulge its purpose. When asked about her plans to see Istredd tomorrow, Yennefer confirms their morning meeting. Geralt is eager to leave Aedd Gynvael because the town makes him profoundly uncomfortable, but Yennefer reproaches him for impatience. Attempting intimacy, Geralt succumbs to exhaustion when the elixirs wear off, but Yennefer revives him with a spell, so that they can resume their lovemaking.
Post-tryst, Geralt eyes the kestrel and expresses discomfort with the town. Yennefer reveals that its name means “a shard of ice” and recounts a legend of a winter queen who threw ice shards during snowstorms. Those pierced by the shards pursued the queen obsessively, harboring disdain for anything that was not as white as snow. Geralt draws parallels to the Wild Hunt and their insanity-inducing curse. Yennefer chides Geralt for his lack of romance and goes on to ponder what legends humans might write, only to find that he has fallen asleep.
Part 2, Chapter 3 Summary
Geralt awakens the next day, irked by Yennefer’s absence and the unwelcoming atmosphere of Aedd Gynvael, which amplifies his disdain for the town. He seeks out the mayor, and servants direct him to the marketplace, where visiting merchants offer Mayor Herbolth copious bribes. Approaching the mayor, Geralt encounters a wanted criminal named Cicada who is also Herbolth’s guard. Cicada mocks Geralt and takes the witcher’s sword as a security measure. Herbolth and Geralt argue over the zeugl’s removal cost. Negotiating, Geralt offers a five-mark discount, only to be swindled out of another five under the guise of a tax.
Herbolth jovially informs Geralt of Yennefer’s frequent and extended visits to Aedd Gynvael. He implies a romantic involvement between Yennefer and her fellow sorcerer, Istredd, and emphasizes Istredd’s value to the town. When Geralt inquires about Istredd’s residence, the mayor shows him but falsely claims that Istredd is not at home, hoping to prevent an altercation between the sorcerer and the witcher. Herbolth’s aide corrects him, then belatedly realizes his error. Geralt heads to Istredd’s, retrieving his sword from Cicada, who cannot resist insulting Geralt.
Part 2, Chapter 4 Summary
Istredd invites Geralt into his workshop, which contains a macabre collection of preserved animals and body parts, reminiscent of Yennefer’s collection. Puzzled, Geralt questions the necessity of such ingredients in magic. Surprised that anything could repulse a witcher, Istredd confesses that although most spells require simple ingredients, sorcerers use complex ones to discourage the unqualified from dabbling in magic.
Returning to the core reason for their meeting—Yennefer—Istredd discloses his long and intermittent relationship with her, as well as his recent proposal. He urges Geralt to leave Yennefer without a word, so that Istredd and Yennefer can continue their relationship undisturbed. Geralt refuses; in a counterproposal, he demands that Istredd stop obstructing his relationship with Yennefer. Istredd asserts that a witcher is devoid of human emotions and cannot genuinely feel anything for Yennefer. He claims that Geralt’s perceived emotions are mere reflections of Yennefer’s. Undeterred, Geralt insists on his right to refuse and emphasizes that the choice lies with Yennefer. The heated argument continues, with both admitting recent intimacy with Yennefer, and Geralt storms out in anger.
Part 2, Chapter 5 Summary
Yennefer returns to the inn and finds Geralt sulking. She demands a conversation about the situation and willingly confesses that she came to Aedd Gynvael to see Istredd. Yennefer emphasizes her feelings for both Geralt and Istredd. She delves into the dynamics of her relationship with Istredd, highlighting their mutual understanding and support, as well as Istredd’s love for her. Geralt assures Yennefer that he will not stand in her way, leading her to explode in anger and assert that she would have no issue removing him if he were an obstacle. Geralt claims that his feelings about her departure are not genuine due to his mutated nature. He asks Yennefer to answer an unasked question, one which he is afraid to ask, to which Yennefer initially claims incapability but later admits uncertainty.
As Yennefer’s fury intensifies, they engage in a metaphorical exchange, with Geralt likening Yennefer to the Snow Queen of elf legend. Continuing the comparison, Yennefer expresses her desire for warmth but fears that it would melt the shard of ice that pierces her lover, rendering her ordinary in his eyes. She challenges Geralt to answer her own unasked question, to which he responds that he cannot because his emotionless words lack meaning. Yennefer, in a symbolic gesture, creates another kestrel, regretting her belief that one was enough. Contemplating the nature of truth, she poses the question to the kestrel, receiving the cryptic response, “Truth is a shard of ice” (115).
Part 2, Chapter 6 Summary
Geralt encounters Istredd excavating the area near the southern wall of Aedd Gynvael. A brief argument ensues, during which Istredd contends that Yennefer has been oscillating between them for years. He also deems it foolish to expect her to choose the better man and proposes a solution: that he and Geralt undergo a duel to decide for her. The two men agree to meet the following day. Acknowledging the folly of their plan, both men anticipate the need to evade Yennefer for a while after the victor is determined. Despite the impending duel, they part ways without enmity.
Part 2, Chapter 7 Summary
Mayor Herbolth disrupts Geralt’s drinking to inquire about the potentially deadly duel between the witcher and Istredd. Geralt dismisses it as none of the mayor’s concern, prompting Herbolth to assert that it is indeed his business, given the town’s inability to afford another sorcerer. Attempting to expedite Geralt’s departure, Mayor Herbolth offers a bribe, which Geralt declines. Frustrated, the mayor threatens Geralt and insults Yennefer. In response, Geralt interrupts the tirade by thrusting a dagger between Herbolth’s fingers. Cicada steps in, but the mayor assures him not to worry, and they exit. As Geralt ponders his escalating irritation, he casually tosses some coins onto the table, capturing the attention of a dubious-looking bar patron who eyes his bulging purse.
Part 2, Chapter 8 Summary
Bandits ambush Geralt as soon as he steps out of the bar. Without his sword and dagger, the witcher relies on instinct to fight back, attributing his swift reactions to his mutations. The assailants overpower him, confiscating his purse. While searching for more valuables, they discover Geralt’s witcher medallion. The men halt and curse. As they withdraw, one of the attackers chastises Geralt, asserting that if the witcher seeks death, he should not involve others in the affair.
Part 2, Chapter 9 Summary
Geralt spends the night in the stable with his horse, waking up grumpy and hungover. As he heads to the duel site, Cicada and three thugs intercept him. Cicada challenges Geralt, but the witcher ignores him and continues onward. Refusing to let Geralt pass, Cicada prepares to spit at him, prompting Geralt to incapacitate Cicada and threaten the henchmen, who scatter. Geralt delivers a final kick to Cicada before resuming his journey. Approaching Istredd, who has a black kestrel on his shoulder, Geralt learns that Yennefer wanted to spare them both. Istredd suggests a sword fight instead of a magical duel, but Geralt stalls, questioning the absence of magic and the meaning of the kestrel. Istredd attempts to goad Geralt into combat but eventually gives up. He reveals that the kestrel brought Yennefer’s farewells and apologies at dawn. Despite Istredd’s attempt to attack, Geralt refuses to unsheathe his sword, urging Istredd not to involve others in his suicide. Istredd’s provocations fail, and Geralt walks away. Seeking solace at the inn, Geralt anticipates the black kestrel and the letter it carries despite knowing its inevitable contents.
Part 2 Analysis
Witchers, enhanced through alchemy, genetic modification, sorcery, and rigorous training, are widely reputed to be formidable monster hunters as a result. Branded as mutants, they face unending societal prejudice from those around them, who believe that all witchers have been stripped of human emotions. Even the witchers themselves perpetuate this myth to increase the mystique surrounding their profession. However, because all witchers in the series display a range of emotions and keep even deeper emotions hidden from public perception, “A Shard of Ice” is designed specifically to challenge the common misconception that witchers are no more than unfeeling mutants. Thus, while the story ostensibly delves into the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer, its underlying purpose is to explore The Search for Identity that propels Geralt to seek out connections despite his status as a social outcast.
In preparation for the deeper philosophical exploration at work, the story explicitly pokes fun at the human pitfall of unquestionably accepting common knowledge as truth, thus exposing the flaws of many widely accepted beliefs. For example, this point is given a humorous edge with the whimsical assertion that “[e]very dimwit knows there aren’t he-mice and she-mice, that they’re all identical and hatch out of themselves from rotten straw” (98). Similarly, the widely accepted beliefs that “snails hatch from wet leaves” and that “a witcher [...] cannot experience any emotions” are ingrained in the collective consciousness (98, 107). Geralt, while quick to mock certain notions, also clings to the belief that witchers cannot experience emotions despite his own personal evidence to the contrary. As the story unfolds, Aedd Glynvael’s villagers become unwitting subjects of Sapkowski’s satire as their beliefs are rapidly debunked through derisive scrutiny. Ironically, even Geralt’s refusal to acknowledge his own emotional capacity emphasizes the challenge of altering preconceived notions that have become deeply embedded in public perception.
At the opening of the tale, Geralt’s initial emotions are limited to those of frustration and disgust, but even these provide some insight into the protagonist’s deeper emotional acuity. When Geralt experiences acute disgust upon dispatching the creature in a rancid dung heap, his inner admission of the “faint stench of the midden on his clothes and in his hair” (93) after two baths is portrayed as being almost psychosomatic, for Yennefer would never be intimate with someone who carried even a hint of a muckheap’s aroma. However, Geralt still perceives the stench after multiple washings. Despite clearly feeling disgusted, Geralt argues that the midden illustrates his inability to feel emotions, saying, “ I was deprived of the ability to feel so I wouldn’t be able to feel how dreadfully vile is that vileness” (113). However, Geralt’s actions reveal a contradiction, for he acknowledges the repulsiveness of the task but proceeds nonetheless. Thus, it is not that Geralt lacks emotion; instead, he grapples with a profound misunderstanding of what emotions genuinely entail.
This disconnect is further illustrated as Geralt actively denies his own feelings by categorizing them as mere reactions to the emotions of others. For example, upon waking to discover Yennefer’s absence, he feels anxiety and anger but refuses to acknowledge them as genuine emotions, and instead blames his intensifying emotional malaise on some undefined aspect of the town that surrounds him. Additionally, despite recognizing his own feelings during conversations with Istredd, Geralt buys into the sorcerer’s callous and self-serving assertion that witchers are emotionally empty. Throughout these scenes, Geralt justifiably feels emotions such as anxiety, anger, and annoyance, but he steadfastly refuses to categorize them as genuinely his own. Yet despite his own protestations of being emotionally stunted, Geralt also exhibits his feelings in subtler ways, as when he asks Yennefer unspoken questions about the nature of their love. Despite his claim of emotional incapacity, Geralt’s responses mirror Istredd’s accusations of emotionlessness almost verbatim, indicating that he is merely parroting the false beliefs of others rather than expressing his true sentiments. As he states, “My answer would be just a word. A word which doesn’t express a feeling, doesn’t express emotion because I am bereft of them” (113), but throughout the narrative, emotion, not reason, dictates many of Geralt’s actions, challenging his professed absence of emotions.
The truth of Geralt’s emotions resembles a shard of ice held in his hands but reshaped by the heat of his beliefs. Like ice molding to the contours of one’s hand, this truth takes the form of Geralt’s convictions. Partially accurate, this molded truth acknowledges Geralt’s incapacity for neurotypical emotional expression. His ability to distance himself from immediate emotional responses like disgust are atypical, and despite the necessity of earning money for survival, Geralt lacks the greed prevalent in many other characters in the series. However, to claim that Geralt is entirely devoid of emotion is a blatant falsehood. Even Istredd, who expresses the most adamant beliefs about Geralt’s emotional incapacity, inquires about the extent of Geralt’s amusement and feelings of foolishness, and Geralt himself admits to feeling annoyance and anger. While there is a tacit acknowledgment that witchers must experience emotions, the characters deny any explicit recognition of this fact, turning the truth into a lie.
Yennefer stands as the sole exception to this false narrative, for throughout the story, she challenges Geralt’s beliefs and rebukes him disparaging himself as a mutant. However, Geralt’s refusal to acknowledge his emotions strains his relationship with her, for she approaches affection cautiously, and Geralt’s insistence on his inability to love convinces her that loving him will only lead to pain. Moreover, because Yennefer staunchly believes that Geralt is capable of love in general, his objections to the contrary force her to conclude that he is only incapable of loving her. Like Geralt, Yennefer’s mistaken beliefs shape the truth into something that is only partially accurate, and both characters suffer the consequences of their failure to acknowledge the full truth of their connection. Ultimately, “A Shard of Ice” explores the intricate interplay between truth and belief, challenging commonly accepted knowledge in the process, and Geralt’s journey is a testament to the nuanced nature of his own half-acknowledged emotions.
Related Titles
By Andrzej Sapkowski
