Early into her desert travail, Ciri spots what appears to be a glimmering oasis. She approaches, desperate to wade into the crystal clear waters, but Little Horse, her unicorn guide which seemed to wander out of the clear blue yonder, cautions her against it. That desert spring is actually a trap set by a massive, toothy monster hiding just below the sand. It isn’t the oasis that’s Ciri’s salvation; it’s Little Horse.
In a feature on TUDUM, Allan recalled her experiences working with Little Horse. “It was actually a circus horse,” she revealed. Allan has showcased an extraordinary range of on-camera capabilities on “The Witcher,” from accent and conlang work to stunt performing. It makes sense they’d pair her with a horse that’s spent its life trotting, galloping, and jumping on command. Assistant director Harry Boyd coached the two through their scenes together, but Allan felt that her main priority was to forge a deeper connection with the horse.
When Little Horse is gravely injured by a bug monster, Ciri has a profound decision to make: should she harness dangerous fire magic to heal this gentle advisor, or leave him to waste in the heat? Allan recalled the poignant moment they shared on screen: “I laid out in the desert with it and literally spooned the bloody horse […] It was amazing and it was beautiful.”
Ultimately Ciri heals the horse and finds her way back to familiar lands, but the use of fire magic always has its consequences. At least it seems like, in “The Witcher” season 4, Ciri will have plenty of screen time to explore them.