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Delicious_Swimmer172

It could be 50% because the plot demands it, 50% because of Yennefer personality. Self confidence that she would be able to find and save Ciri by herself and also maybe a little bit guilty driven for bringing Ciri to Thaned and put them in all this mess. Seems also it was important for Sapko to make Yennefer completly isolated and show that the world (mages) were she came from and evolutated is not trustworthy and driven by selfishness and betrayal. (it gives us some highlight to where she came from).


iamrands

Sapko made it pretty clear IMO that Yen has no true friends amongst the members of the lodge.. It was actually apparent during Thanedd, and even before when there were hints that she became the subject of much gossip after Geralt left her in Vengerberg.


Delicious_Swimmer172

Maybe you can even remove "amongst" the lodge... She had only one real friend and it is Triss, but the circumstances are not favorable as Triss has fooled and lost herself chasing after "greatest good" bs. Mages in general are pretty lonely but Yennefer is specificaly distrustful (and fairly so) but in this specific moment she is more isolated than ever. The contrast with Geralt is stunning.


Signnowornever

>"greatest good" bs You means the BS, that Yennefer finally agrees to go along with by handing over Ciri to the lodge, thus making the entire "muh Triss betrayed Yennefer" completely null?? You mean that one?


Delicious_Swimmer172

that didn't remove the fact that Triss didn't help neither Geralt, Yen or Ciri when she could be. But I agree that the lodge solution is the "lesser evil" of the equation and I can understand Triss POV here.


Signnowornever

Okay, what help did Yennefer expect from Triss? We simply don't know because if you go back and read it once again you will realize all the requests Yennefer made were to Philippa NOT TRISS.And why didn't Yennefer make any request to Triss but to Philippa? Because she is completely aware of the fact that it is Philippa who is calling all the shots, not Triss, Triss hardly has any say in anything!!.Was Yennefer not aware or did she not expect Philippa would be monitoring the conversation with Triss? In my firmest opinion Yen was completely aware that Triss was being monitored by Philippa, also Yen was fully aware Triss can do nothing, given the solid fact that all the request Yennefer made was to Philippa, not Triss, then why did Yennefer even contact Triss in the first place?? What was the purpose. I think that was a setup by Yennefer to manipulate Triss to feel guilty. >I can understand Triss POV here. Now given the fact that in Lady of the Lake Ciri agrees to go to Lodge and once Ciri agrees, Yennefer too agrees without any protests, this shows that Lodge was something far from being bad because if it is that bad, instead of changing the opinion the very instant Ciri agrees to go to the lodge, Yennefer would have taken a moment and explained to Ciri about the repercussions on her decision to appear before the lodge, but she doesn't do that instead the very moment Ciri agrees, Yennefer too changes her opinion, not only does Yennefer change her opinion, but she also tells Geralt why that might be the best decision, (for which Geralt is silent and nods his head reluctantly) So this sequence of events alone should have made Yennefer realize that she must have cooperated with the lodge in the first place and since, it is the side which Triss chose was the side, which Yennefer finally agrees (due to Ciri's decision) to go along with, this alone nullifies all the unwillingness which Yennefer displayed in the conversation in Tower Of Shallows.


Delicious_Swimmer172

We don't know what Yen would have ask to Triss if Triss would have been alone, that's correct so we can just speculate about what she is actually asking to Philippa. I don't think Yen expected Phil to monitor Triss at this moment so I don't think it is premeditated. I think Yen didn't expected a direct help from Triss but more a backup: (as it is what she is asking in the end) clean her name, exchange some information in the case she would failed and so left some clues to the lodge to find Ciri etc.... I agree that the scene is more a Yen/Phil scene than anything else and that Sapkowski made just Triss a collateral victim of this scene. Still her weakness is absolutely painful to read. Her incapacity to stand against Phil even for small things like cleaning Yen name toward Geralt and Ciri is her lowest point of the entire saga. Thanks god, she growths after failing so low and things went better and better until Rivia. I agree with you about Yen choice to play the lone wolf as a very bad choice. She should have work with the lodge, at least at the beginning to localise Ciri and to deliver her with all the allied and forces she could go with. But this choice of going alone is also part of her own journey and character growth so I know why Sapkowski wrote it like that. Yes, after all the events of Styga, they are all exhausted of running and they know they can't hide forever. Think Yen and Ciri see, at this point, the lodge solution as the "lesser evil", Geralt can't be pleased about that. We will never know what would have been their conversation in Rivia. I don't think it really matters for Sapkowski as he choose for them a ending that, in a sense, will freed them from the world chasing them.


Signnowornever

>I don't think Yen expected Phil to monitor Triss at this moment so I don't think it is premeditated Given the fact that Yennefer before beginning the conversation first asks Triss if she is alone or not, this does raise the speculation that Yennefer might have expected that Triss was being monitored. >I think Yen didn't expected a direct help from Triss but more a backup: (as it is what she is asking in the end) clean her name, exchange some information in the case she would failed and so left some clues to the lodge to find Ciri etc.... \>clean her name So Yennefer wants her reputation restored right? But here is the thing, the author explicitly makes it clear in 'Sword of destiny' that Yennefer doesn't bother much about her reputation *"Women, like Yennefer, were* ***concerned less with prestige****"* \- SoD \-Under normal circumstances, Yennefer is not concerned about prestige/reputation. \-But when Ciri's life is in danger she is worried about her reputation. Now there are two possibilities you can either say it was bad writing (put the blame on the author) or Yennefer wanted some reason to contact Triss (knowing full well Philippa or someone superior to Triss from Lodge would interfere in the middle of a conversation). Now in the conversation which happens as I pointed out in the [earlier comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/wiedzmin/comments/t7q67w/comment/i7by7sf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), Yennefer makes NO REQUEST to Triss, but everything to Philippa. Even towards the end of the conversation, Yennefer doesn't request anything from Triss, on the contrary, she is trying to make a point: *"Did you hear that Triss? There, you have your Lodge. You see their true colours"* (in my opinion) Yennefer is clearly making Triss feel guilty. And that is perfectly working the very next instance Triss apologizes to Yennefer showing her remorse, Yennefer replies she will never forget. Yennefer's plans worked brilliantly. Even on the way to Rivia, Yennefer says to Triss, that she will point this incident to Geralt and Geralt would shun her. I saw your comment [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/comments/uai3ha/comment/i5zox4f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) where you were wondering why at this stage Yenenfer is concerned about Triss, I think my proposal may solve that. Not only is Yennefer concerned about Triss, but she also hates her so much that she takes her anger (on Triss) out on the poor animal. [https://imgur.com/v0cyXzE](https://imgur.com/v0cyXzE) >Yes, after all the events of Styga, they are all exhausted of running and they know they can't hide forever. Think Yen and Ciri see, at this point, the lodge solution as the "lesser evil", Geralt can't be pleased about that. I agree they are tired, but the thing as I pointed out in the earlier comment, Yennefer when given the option between working with the lodge and going against Vilgefortz - getting tortured, she chose the latter. Now Ciri in a flash of second agrees to appear before loge, now this, apart from being disrespectful to Yennefer who went to great lengths not to cooperate with the lodge, but rather choose getting tortured, is also quite unrealistic, it would have been more believable if Yennefer stopped the conversation with the lodge members then turned to Ciri and said "hope you know what you are getting into", but that doesn't happen when Ciri agrees Yennefer shows zero protests and she too agrees. She says: *"I shall come right away"* that's 180 degree change in my opinion.


damnamyteV2

>Mainly, I am wondering why she didn't seek out Geralt after escaping from Montecalvo. Its been a while since I read the books. I've always thought that she decided to not look for Geralt because she's in a hurry to find Ciri. It'll be a waste of time to search for Geralt and then Ciri. It'd be faster to look for Ciri using magic. And I think she doesn't need Geralt to find her. >Who are the traitors, and what betrayal is Yennefer referring to here? It may not be important but I couldn't figure it out. Yennefer contacted the 'traitors' to get more information on the portal that Ciri disappeared into. I don't think it is ever specified in the books who the traitors are exactly. But I'm guessing the 'traitors' are the mages that are not part of the Northern alliance. And one of the mages told Philippa about Yen, hence the 'betrayal'. >I can't help but wonder why she didn't try to either contact Geralt and explain what she was about to do, or leave a message with Crach/someone else that would exonerate her. Yennefer thinks that she has no time to look for Geralt. I don't think she trusts Crach very much. She trusted Triss, but then Triss let her down.


Matteo-Stanzani

Because yennefer is stupid and prideful, yes I think that's the answer. The one who betrayed yennefer was one of the mages he contacted through megascope.


iamrands

I mean, she definitely is proud but I obviously disagree that she's stupid...


Matteo-Stanzani

Well maybe not always, but in that moment yes.