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annmarcus63 · 1 year

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Coën tells Vesemir that he saw something remotely large flying over the old stronghold to the west. Everyone but Geralt is thrilled. Apparently, they've been waiting for an opportunity like this, a chance to take Ciri with them to fight her very first beast as a witcher trainee.

Lambert, Cöen, Geralt, Ciri and Yen are getting ready to take off the very next morning when Geralt asks Jaskier if he wants to come too. Jaskier tries to hide his surprise under a nonchalant facade, but he can't fool the witcher. The bard accepts the offer not a second later. It seems that his strategy is working after all, Geralt never asked if he wanted to come on a hunt before. It seems, Jaskier thinks with a lump on his throat, that he was in fact the problem after all.

It's a short walk to the stronghold. Ciri observes the witchers track the beast, she's a fast learner. Jaskier watches too from an unobtrusive safe distance. Until all goes to hell. A royal archgriffin followed by its mate lands on the field taking everyone by surprise. Someone starts shouting orders, one archgriffin traps Lambert under its claws. It's a complete chaos. Suddenly the earth starts shaking, a roar swipes the air, Jaskier's blood goes cold when he sees a big ugly horned creature bolting from the trees. A chort. The new arrival takes everyone by surprise. Ciri ends up cornered by the chort, she has nowhere to go. Geralt is too far away; Yennefer is helping Lambert and Cöen; Ciri has lost her sword and the beast is about to bolt towards her. He acts without thinking. Nothing can't happen to her, he won't let it, even if it feels like he's running to his death. Geralt won't care, but he will if it's Ciri, he'd blame himself. It'd be Renfri all over again. He won't let it happen. Jaskier shouts with all his might while grabbing Ciri's sword from the grass where she dropped it. He grabs the sword with both hands and plunges it into the beast's rear. Not used to handling swords, his hands slip through the blade, he feels the skin of his palms opening, like butter under a hot knife, followed by a river of blood. Someone it's shouting his name; he thinks it may be Ciri. The chort roars annoyed and turns to the bleeding bard.

It happens in an instant. He is thrown through the air; a flash of pain explodes in his chest and grows to a cruel entity. He wishes for death.

He wakes up with a gasp followed by a groan of pain. It seems he's back at Kaer Morhen.

Not dead, then, he thinks with a hint of remorse.

Triss is there in an instant. The witchers summoned her to help heal him, apparently, he was (is) in a very horrifying shape. He asks her for Ciri and the others, she says everyone is well, just a few bumps and bruises. Jaskier feels relieved.

"You were dead for a couple of minutes" Jaskier doesn't know what to say so he settles for thanking her for saving him. He has two broken ribs and a few more cracked, breathing is an utterly painful experience, but Triss' concoctions help a little. His hands are bandaged, Triss says they need a lot more healing, but she reassures him that he'll be able to play again. In time, at least.

"I've never seen Geralt like that" she says suddenly "He- he said he couldn't feel you." Jaskier doesn't reply, he's rather immersed in the movement of her hands changing his chest bandages.

"I didn't know you two were..."

"No one knows." Says Jaskier feeling tired, body and soul.

As if sensing the sadness in Jaskier's heart, Triss adds “He was scared.”

"He would be fine."

"You're his soulmate, Jaskier. I don't think that he’d be fine.”

"I have never been his soulmate." The bard flinches at his own bitterness. "I've only been a friend. A traveling companion." He corrects.

“Jaskier…”

"He was never meant for me. Destiny must have got it all wrong, the mark on Geralt's arm should be Yennefer's not mine." He doesn't know why he's saying that to her. Maybe it’s the shock or it’s the pain, but he wants to tell someone, anyone, about another kind of pain he's been carrying all these years. He is crying, Triss hands him a tissue and smiles in a reassuring way.

Jaskier cries silently with intervals of gasps of pain, while Triss finishes his bandages and hands him a cup of fresh water. Jaskier thanks her in a quiet whisper.

"I couldn't make him happy anyway" he wipes the tears from his eyes and finds that his hands are shaking "She does. She really does."

"I never take you for the self-sacrificing type" says Triss holding one of his hands and squeezing. He wants to hug her, but refrains from doing so due to her broken ribs.

"I'm not" he clarifies "I'm just realistic. How could Geralt want someone like me when he has her?"

After a few seconds of silence she says "You are enough, Jaskier."

He wants to laugh, to disagree but refrains from it. He's only a bard, after all.

There's a knock at the door. They turn at the same time. It's Geralt, he's holding a bowl of stew in one hand and a single yellow flower on the other, and looking at Jaskier with an expression the bard can't quite decipher.

Jaskier feels his cheeks blushing. Fucking idiot, he must have heard his pathetic monologue.

"Can I talk to him?" He says to Triss. She stands and says "Of course." She leaves hurriedly, leaving the two staring at each other. Something heavy lies between them.

This is it, Jaskier thinks, this is where my heart will break for good.

Previous here

Next and final

As promised to dear @youknowwhoiam3490-blog (excited for your positive aggressive reading)

@mordoriscalling @dustbunnyprophet @chispy-rar-v2 @strangerzaiah

@help-help-i-need-an-adultlt

@janjan-the-ninth (not a 20 chapter fic but well…)

#geraskier #jaskier #the witcher #the witcher netflix #geralt #geralt x jaskier #geralt of rivia #soulmates #as promised #here's more angst #drama #so much drama #sorry for the angst #unrequited feelings #for now

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ladyannemarie5 · 7 months

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Funny how Geralt always stayed on the sidelines with Jaskier's conquests for fear of a broken heart and yet he got a front row seat to watch the bard fall in love with the prince.

Geralt would cut the bard off when he started talking about the virtues of whatever man or woman he spent the night with, but he had no choice but to listen to Jaskier when he told him how the prince learned his song, because the poet appealed to their "best friends" bond.

Geralt smiled inwardly when the bard left his conquest for the night alone to go order him a bath and wash his hair with special soaps and oils after the hunts. And then the witcher had to witness Jaskier leaving him to go order Radovid a bath because "his long blond hair has never been anything less than perfect and cannot be left uncared for, Geralt."

Geralt always distracted the bard with a story of past hauntings with terrifying creatures every time Jaskier began to compose a love song for his conquest, but nothing could distract the poet when he began to talk about how beautiful and bright Radovid's eyes were and how he wanted to find the perfect words to describe them.

Geralt faked annoyance every time Jaskier asked to sleep next to him at night insinuating that he was too cold for a little bard. Geralt feigned relief when Jaskier told him that he would no longer bother him with that because he now slept with Radovid and his arms and fur blanket were more than warm.

Geralt kept as much emotional distance as possible from the bard who approached him in a tavern in Posada so he wouldn't have to deal with a broken heart from falling in love with a human.

But absolutely no distance in the world prepares him when that night while they were camping alone, Jaskier lying next to him and looking up at the stars, turns to him and says softly "I'm not in love with you anymore, Geralt. You don't have to act cautious around me anymore."

And Geralt can't say anything. Because he simply can't. He must have misheard, maybe the kikimore from earlier hit him too hard or something because there's no way, no world where Jaskier was in love with him. There's no way he would have wasted his chance.

Jaskier, oblivious to the witcher's stupor, continues "I know I made you uncomfortable with my affections for you, I tried hard not to throw myself at you if I'm honest, but Radovid... I've fallen so much in love with Radovid that I'm ready to let you go. I'm sorry it took me so long to give you and Yenna peace."

Geralt looks up at the stars in silence, not believing what he just heard. Jaskier is about to turn away when Geralt takes his hand. He says nothing, just a simple squeeze. Jaskier breathes a sigh of relief, the witcher doesn't hate him for that, he doesn't ask him to leave as he had feared. Geralt is also relieved that he is no longer burdened with the bard's feelings.

Geralt allows himself to hold his hand one last time. He allows himself a small luxury, so that he can silently mourn the loss of his bard and curse his own stupidity. Tomorrow he will watch as the bard is reunited with the prince, tomorrow he will watch with a broken heart as they embrace and the prince spins Jaskier in his arms, before kissing him and swearing eternal love. Tomorrow Geralt's heart breaks completely.

But just for today, just for that night, he allows himself to take Jaskier's hand, draw him into his arms and breathe freely the scent of the man he has been in love with for over two decades. Just for that one night, Geralt allows himself to be happy.

----

I really love to make me cry ^^

#Jaskier is confused for a while #But before they meet Radovid they meet Yennefer.#Yenn and Geralt kiss and Jaskier knows he made the right decision #Radovid and Jaskier decide to go away alone for a while #Yenn and Geralt try it for real this time #But Yenn finds out everything as usual #And when she motivates Geralt to fight for the bard #Jaskier announces that he has secretly married the prince #Ciri is done with her parents' drama #Jaskier is also her father of course #geraskier #radskier #jaskier #geralt of rivia #the witcher #the witcher netflix #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #geralt x jaskier

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fangirleaconmigo · 4 months

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In your expert opinion, do you think there’s any deeper reading to interpret from Geralt’s rebound with Essi, and traits she shares with Dandelion? (I know it wasn’t authorial intention in the least, but when he kissed her within 10 minutes of meeting, I got a “she’s a lot like Dandelion, surely she’s safe to embarrass myself with” vibe).

Hi Nonny!

Essi and Dandelion, Poets and Parallels, Ballads and Broken Hearts

Thank you for the ask! I'm on my lunch break from work, but I'm so happy to be answering Witcher book questions again that I'm sneaking off to do this.

Essi is such an interesting character, right? On one hand, she seems to be treated as the 'anti-Yen" by the narrative and the thing that Geralt 'should' want, thereby reinforcing his love for Yen when he *doesn't* fall in love with Essi.

But then there are all the curious parallels and similarities with Dandelion, which also makes it fun to analyze in that way. The list of similarities is long: their profession, personality, looks, their level of talent, and my favorite, their readiness to throw hands on behalf of Geralt of Rivia. And then there is The Ballad.

Ok. I'm going to set authorial intent aside for the moment, because writers write things all the time they don't intend to write. And I think any artist worth their salt should be thrilled that their work is layered and interesting enough to inspire differing interpretations.

That being said, let's get to the fun part.

SPOILERS SPOILERS FOR ESSI'S STORY PLS DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

Profession, personality

Let's look at Essi's introduction! She enters the scene acting just like Dandelion. Both poets are mercilessly insulting one another in their fake-genteel way. (Lots of shade, as well as out and out insults)

Geralt is taken aback, thinking they are fighting, but then they fall on one another embracing and he's like...oh lordt. There's two of them.

"The Witcher was taken aback, but not too greatly. A professional colleague of Dandelion's could not, indeed, differ much from him in terms of predictability."

--Sword of Destiny pg 195

So we have profession, and personality being very similar. Bards with sharp tongues and ready emotions. Then we have looks!

Looks.

I've done a post on Dandelion's looks here. And Essi is similar! Blonde hair, blue eyes, and beautiful. Same same. Sorry, her eyes are a dark blue whereas Dandelion's are cornflower. Much different so contrast.

Level of talent.

They are both beloved and famous. When Ciri is studying at Nenneke's temple, she has access to both of their books of poetry.

[Ciri] read The Adversities of Loving and Time of the Moon, collections of poems by the famous troubadour Dandelion. She shed tears over the ballads of Essi Daven, subtle, infused with mystery, and collected in a small, beautifully bound volume entitled The Blue Pearl. --Blood of Elves pg 298

And Geralt adores both of their voices. When Essi and Dandelion are singing together, Geralt thinks to himself that they have the most beautiful voices that he has ever heard.

They Stay Ready to Throw Hands for Geralt of Rivia.

The text even classifies Essi and Dandelion together on this. And as I said, it's my favorite part of her character, and not just because I love Geralt. It shows her strength, her strong sense of self, her courage, and her values.

First, she, much in the way that Dandelion does, uses her fame, connections, and higher social standing to protect Geralt. And she throws Dandelion into the mix for good measure to strengthen her threats. So when Duke Agloval threatens to drive Geralt to the border with a whip. Essi reponds.

"...please dont threaten Geralt. It so happens that Dandelion and I have several friends...King Ethain of Cidaris...always says that our ballads aren't just lively music and rhymes, but a way of spreading news...Do you wish, your Grace, to be written into the chronicle of human kind? I can arrange it?" --Sword of Destiny pg 212

And when Geralt turns down Agloval's 'offer' of permanent work killing sea creatures in a permanent war with them, (keeping in mind that the noble has stiffed Geralt twice on payment so far) Agloval invokes Geralt's poverty in a demeaning way.

"Oh how proud," Agloval smiled. "How haughty. You reject offers in a way some kings wouldn't be ashamed of. You give up decent money with the air of a wealthy man after a lavish dinner. Geralt? Did you have lunch today? No? And tomorrow? And the day after? I see little chance, Witcher, very little..."

It is so infuriating. Agloval is saying...who the fuck do you think you are? Someone important? Someone with status?? Someone who is allowed to decide his own ethics for himself?

This is a constant theme. The...know your place. Stop trying to think for yourself. Ethics look stupid on you, because you aren't 'real' enough of a human being to have them. So it is super satisfying when Essi lets loose on him.

"How dare you!" Little Eye cried shrilly. "How dare you speak like that to him Agloval!...How can you be so base?"...

Geralt tries to stop her. He sees little point.

"Stop it Essi," Geralt said. "Stop, Essi, there's no point." "Not true," she said angrily. "These is a point. Someone has to tell it straight to this self-appointed duke....who now thinks he has the right to insult other people."

And she isn't done.

"Yes, Agloval, " Essi continued, clenching her shaking hands into fists. "The opportunity to insult other people amuses and pleases you. You delight in the contempt you can show the Witcher...you should know that the Witcher mocks your attempts and slights., that they do not make the faintest impression on him..."

Then we bring Dandelion back in. Because guess who also feels anger and revulsion when Geralt is treated so contemptuously? Let Essi say it...

"The Witcher doesn't feel what Dandelion and I feel, and we feel revulsion."

Sword of Destiny pg 237

That's like...not even half of her unloading on this guy. She is like...you are worth less than Geralt, so jot that down.

Now..

The Ballad

Here is why the ballad matters to me. I think that perhaps even more interesting than how Geralt responds to Essi (interesting though it is) is how Dandelion responds to Essi. Why does he think someone who is almost exactly like him is perfect for Geralt? I mean, he sees himself in her so much that he thinks of her as his sister.

He loves her more than Geralt does I think that is clear. Geralt cares deeply about her. But to Dandelion, she is like his family.

He is put in a shitty position of seeing her distraught and anguished about her feelings for Geralt and Geralt afraid of leading her on or hurting her. Geralt and Essi go back and forth, making it insufferable for Dandelion as a third wheel.

I talked about it here here and here.

Dandelion's response is the subject of controversy in fandom, and there are many valid and differing reader responses. But it seems clear that Dandelion has come to terms with the fact that Geralt and Essi will not be together in love, despite his advice to Geralt. So he suggests they just fuck to get it out of their systems and then everything will be ok. (that's his solution to most things)

So, if he is at ease with that, why the ballad? At the end of the story, Dandelion composes a ballad while Essi and Geralt sleep.

Dandelion, staring into the dying embers, sat much longer, alone, quietly strumming his lute. It began with a few bars, from which an elegant, soothing melody emerged. The lyric suited the melody, and came into being simultaneously with it, the words blending into the music, becoming set in it like insects in translucent, golden lumps of amber. The ballad told of a certain witcher and a certain poet. About how the witcher and the poet met on the seashore, among the crying of seagulls, and how they fell in love at first sight. About how beautiful and powerful was their love. About how nothing - not even death - was able to destroy that love and part them.

Sword of Destiny pg 246

Why this romantic song?? About a witcher and poet?

Yes, it could be just for the ballad, for a successful song. The text talks about the real story not being a good one for a ballad.

But there is so much emotion and magic in that scene. What is he thinking? What is he feeling?

Of course you know about what happens next, Essi's heartbreaking end, and Dandelion's crushing grief. She dies of smallpox during an epidemic. Dandelion is there. Did he go as soon as he heard? Was he visiting her expecting some lovely evenings singing around a fire and found her dead?

However it happened, Dandelion does not leave her to die alone. He does not turn tail and leave, avoiding smallpox. He literally carries the cold dead corpse of this woman he loves, who he sees as his sister, in his arms...

...Dandelion had carried her out in his arms between corpses being cremated on funeral pyres and had buried her far from the city, in the forest, alone and peaceful...

He buries her alone with his own hands! Oh how his heart must have shattered. It is moments like that, that you see the deeper, kinder, even (dare I say) noble side of the vain, braggadocios, whorish bard.

It goes on to say that Dandelion could have changed the song at any point to be a true version (the one where Essi dies), but he never did.

No, Dandelion stuck with his first version. And he never sang it. Never. To no one. Sword of Destiny p 246

Yeah.

To me there is a story about a young girl who cares enough for ten people, who has a huge heart, and a deep soul. A fearless girl who feels things too big for her to handle for a man others call a monster. A girl whose voice is like an angel.

And then there is a story about a broken hearted poet who loved her (far more than Geralt did) and who wrote a song about a witcher and a poet and he never changed the words and never sang it to anyone.

And I wonder if he wasn't writing that ballad about a witcher and a different poet entirely.

*sob*

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #dandelion #geraskier #jaskier #gerlion #essi daven #the witcher books #thinking about the witcher books yet again #thinking about dandelion yet again

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cailenbraern · 11 months

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Not sure if I can fully articulate my thoughts about Jaskier’s growth as an artist throughout the seasons of The Witcher but I'm going to give it a go.

Because when we meet him in season 1 , he's more or less just starting out. He's fresh from Oxenfurt and determined to make a name for himself on the continent. The trouble is, he's got nothing to draw on. He's still young so his experience is negligible. He performs songs about monsters and creatures with little accuracy or meaning, and we meet him being jeered and pelted with food.

Meeting Geralt gives him a new inspiration for original songs, although he's not truthful, particularly in Toss a Coin. As Geralt said, that's not what happened, and Jaskier responds with respect doesn't make history. He's still too young and too inexperienced to realise what impact his songs can have, and he's solely determined to improve the reputations of Witchers along with his own reputation.

The two other songs in season 1 are Fishmongers Daughter, which I'm not going to discuss in any detail, and Her Sweet Kiss. Now one cane argue that the latter is heavily drawn from personal emotion and feeling, but the end result is a fairly normal ballad style of song with poetry as lyrics and vivid imagery and metaphors. It's a start, but Jaskier still has a long way to go.

Then we get to season 2, where we find Jaskier in the early stages of recognition. We see him performing in a packed bar, with accompaniment, and the crowd are lapping it up. It helps that the song he's singing comes, as per his own words, from the heart. Burn Butcher, Burn is 100% emotion, 100% authentic, and gone is the poetry. The lyrics are raw and passionate.

Despite this, we're led to believe that he found his fame with The Golden One. In contrast with BBB, this song lacks any emotional punch. It's purely a story or anecdote set to music. A fun little ditty, but unless you can suspend your disbelief, if open to criticism. As happens when attempting to smuggle the Elves onto the ship.

Now, we know that at this point, Jaskier has done and seen and experienced far more things than he had in season 1, and this has left an impact on him. He has matured and developed his sense of empathy and his kindness so much more than the immature travelling bard showed in Posada, thanks tp witnessing the violence and persecution of the elves, while also dealing with his own broken heart. Yet he's still clinging on to his want and desire to be respected and applauded for his skill and talent in writing and singing songs, so we see that he does not take criticism well.

More happens in season 2 to shape and form him, Rience's torture for one, the massacre at Kaer Morhen, his friendship with Yennefer and his mending (such as it is) of his friendship with Geralt along with the continuing politics all across the continent.

I do have a soft spot for Whoreson Prison Blues. The first two verses are beautiful, followed by a very crude, very catchy chorus. I can't imagine he would include it in future sets, but it's so personal to him in that moment that I love it.

Little wonder that by Season Three, we are met with yet more changes in our bard. His words to Radovid stating that he doesn't 'do pretty' suggest to me that he has consciously decided to move away from filling his songs with poetry and imagery and is focused more on honesty and truth. Extraordinary Things which immediately follows is a perfect demonstration of Jaskier singing openly and from the heart.

But what I wanted to get to in this long winded post, is that this is the season we finally see the Emotional Impact Jaskier's songs have on other people. No criticisms, no jokes, just the power of his music.

Whatever your opinion on Radovid and his motivations, Extraordinary Things affected him. You can see this in his reaction as he hears it for the first time, and he so clearly can't get it out of his head after hearing it only one time, that he goes above and beyond to learn it.

Next is Ciri, and we see Jaskier singing a lullaby (which he may or may not have written himself, jury's out on that) to her. Later, in the desert, she sings the lullaby back to herself, drawing strength and courage from it. This power has been given by Jaskier through his singing, making her feel safe and loved in a vulnerable moment.

Finally, Eternal Flowers, which I'll say here, is the best I've ever heard Joey sing, both on the album version and in the live performance on the show. He has his lute, but he lays it down like laying down a weapon. It's just him, stripped bare, open, vulnerable, honest, true. This is not his song, but he feels the emotion and the message as thought it was. His empathy is shining. It moves him to tears, but not only him, the Dryads also feel the emotion he is channelling, and it moves them to tears.

I don't have much of a conclusion to this ramble, but TL;DR, Jaskier’s songwriting and art has evolved over the three seasons and his bardic power is a might force to be reckoned with. He will be remembered long after Valdo for his honesty and beauty.

Not pretty. Real.

#jaskier #the witcher #spoilers #season 3 #twn spoilers #twn season 3 #joey batey #i cant articulate

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sourwolf-sterek32 · 11 months

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Broken Heart

Summary: You were the first and only female Witcher.

You and Geralt had been together since you were teenagers, training and fighting alongside each other for decades. However, when Yennefer of Vengerberg showed up, he chose her.

Now, years later, you go back to Kaer Morhen for the winter and come face to face with Geralt of Rivia, forcing old feelings to resurface once again.

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia x Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Language, violence

Previous Chapter

Chapter 13-

The plan was set to use Ciri as bait for Rience. Yarpen and his men were already off spreading word around the local bars, saying that he was transporting Ciri in his caravan, there was just one piece of the plan that needed to be organised.

Jaskier.

It had been a few months since you last saw the bard, so when you heard his voice in the distance you couldn't stop the smile from spreading across your face.

"Uh, no, darling. No! Look at me."

You paused on the corner of the dark alleyway, your cloak wrapped around your body covering your black studded armour and sword. The last thing you needed was for people to spread the word that a Witcher was in town, if that happened, the plan would be blown.

It wasn't hard to spot Jaskier across the street looking up at his partner Vespula. She was leaning over the balcony above him with his lute raised in her hands in a threatening gesture.

Oh, this looked interesting. What had Jaskier done now?

"Look at my eyes. There is no need to harm the innocent!" Jaskier all but pleaded as Vespula grinned and he knew exactly what was about to happen. "No, no, no, don't! No-"

She threw the instrument over the edge of the balcony while Jaskier shouted, and you had to admit that it was a good throw. The lute flew clean over Jaskiers head before a man standing not too far behind him caught the wooden instrument with ease.

The man seemed to be important if his fur collared outfit and the fancy dressed woman beside him was anything to go by. They kind of looked familiar, but you couldn't quite figure out who they were.

You remained hidden in the shadows of the alley while Jaskier spoke with the two of them. If you wanted to listen to their conversation, you easily could with your enhanced hearing, but you hated eavesdropping on people you cared about. It was an invasion of privacy that you did not feel comfortable with, so you chose to simply watch them from a distance.

Just from body language alone the man seemed to be nice and made Jaskier smile, however the woman on the other hand, didn't seem so nice. Jaskiers body tensed whenever she spoke or got near which was setting off alarm bells in your head.

Invasion of privacy or not, you began to listen to the conversation because that woman was making you feel uneasy.

"-or we will single-handedly undo every good deed you have done for the elves... we will kill them all." The woman whispered in his ear.

Was that a threat? Was this woman threatening him?

"Yeah, yeah, I got the gist." Jaskier replied, his body so tense it was almost shaking.

You took a step forward about to go over there not caring about being spotted when Jaskier might be in trouble.

"I've got business in town before we portal back to Tretogor. You have five days." The woman continued to say before she turned around, motioning for the man to follow.

You watched cautiously as the two of them walked away not taking your eyes off them until they disappeared around the buildings further down the road.

Jaskier remained standing in the middle of the street, his shoulders relaxing once the woman left as he looked down at the lute in his hands and let out a heavy sigh.

"Bad time?" You called out, announcing your presence as you walked over to him.

Jaskiers head snapped up in your direction with wide eyes and you grinned. He shortened the distance between you and threw his free arm around your neck, pulling you into a tight hug. You chuckled softly and wrapped your arms around his back hugging him just as tightly.

"By the Gods, I have missed you." He whispered, hugging you a little longer than he usually did.

"I missed you too, Jask."

His arm tightened around you a little and after a few more seconds he eventually pulled away, but you didn't comment on the long unusual hug because he clearly needed it.

"Are you okay? What did those people want?" You asked, glancing in the direction they had gone.

Jaskier hesitated before answering, "just Sandpiper stuff."

You eyed him cautiously knowing there was more to the story, but he simply held your gaze and didn't show any indication that he was going to elaborate further.

"If you're ever in any trouble, you know to come to me, right?" You asked gently and he smiled sadly.

"I know, my dear. You have saved my damsel in distress ass on many occasions. You are and always will be my Witcher in shiny armour that rescues me."

You smiled thinking back to all the times you had to stop him from getting hurt by angry husbands and wives after they walked in on the bard sleeping with their partners. It happened too many times to count, but he never did seem to learn his lesson.

"You can fuckin' keep that bastard!" Vespula suddenly shouted from the balcony behind you.

You glanced up over your shoulder to find her glaring down at him before she turned on her heels and stormed inside.

"What did you do this time?" You sighed, turning back to Jaskier who looked away sheepishly.

"She was having fun on the side as well. So, I am failing to see her issue. And it was just one time."

You raised your eyebrows, knowing your best friend better than he knew himself and he sighed.

"Okay, one time with many different people."

You snorted, "that sounds about right."

"Not that it isn't good to see you, Y/N, but, ah, what are you doing here?" Jaskier asked after a beat of silence.

You glanced around the area noting the few civilians walking down the street. None of them looked your way, but you didn't want to take any chances at being recognised, so you grabbed Jaskiers hand and pulled him back over to the dark alleyway.

"Oh, because this isn't creepy at all." He commented under his breath.

"We need your help."

"With what?"

"There's a person tracking Ciri... he has her blood so no matter where we go, he will find us, but not if we find him first." You began to explain.

"What do you want me to do?" Jaskier asked.

"Yarpen has a caravan leaving this afternoon. Ciri will be travelling with him, and we need you to go with her. Nobody would believe that we let Ciri go alone, but if she's with someone we trust..."

"...then they will believe it." Jaskier said, finishing your sentence and you nodded before he smiled. "Aww that's sweet. You guys trust me."

You rolled your eyes, "of course we trust you."

"So where will you, Geralt and Yennefer be?"

"We will be there too, but nobody can know that. Yarpen is off as we speak spreading word about transporting Ciri. It will work, but only if the person knows that we're not there."

"Who is this person that’s after Ciri?"

And there it was.

The question you had been waiting for and dreading.

It wasn't fair to ask Jaskier help be bait for Rience, not after what the fire mage had done to him. You had tried to tell Geralt and Yennefer that, but they were insistent that Jaskier was a requirement for this plan and wouldn't listen.

"The others told me to wait until you were there before telling you that little detail." You admitted, looking away from him.

"Why?"

"Because they're worried that you'll say no." You answered honestly staring at the brick wall behind him, wishing you didn't have to ask this. "But that's not fair on you."

You took in a deep breath and glanced back at him, those confused blue eyes were already looking at you, but for the first time, Jaskier remained silent waiting for you to continue.

"I'm going to tell you now and if you decide that you don't want to do it, you can simply walk away. I won't make you do something that you don't want to do and if anyone tries to argue, I will fight them."

Jaskier frowned, "Y/N, sweetheart, you're starting to scare me. Who is the person that Ciri and I will be bait for?"

"It's Rience."

Jaskiers face visibly paled at the name, and you hated yourself for it.

"Oh."

That was all the bard managed to say and you simply nodded but remained silent to give him some time to process the information.

"I... I can say no, right?" Jaskier hesitantly asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Of course. I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Jaskier nodded, "okay, then I say, yes."

"What?"

"Yes. I will help you guys by being bait for Mr. Fire Fingers."

"Jaskier-"

"I know." He said, cutting you off with a tight smile. "But you will be there to protect me, right?"

"I would never let anything happen to you." You reassured and Jaskiers tight smile smoothed out into his usual bright one.

"That is all I need to know."

"Are you sure?" You hesitantly asked.

"Nope, but let's go before I change my mind." Jaskier replied, turning around to walk off.

"Hey." You said, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder. "If you change your mind at any stage, you tell me, and I'll put an end to it. Okay? I don't care what the others say, your wellbeing comes first."

Jaskiers smile brightened at your words, and he rested his hand on top of yours on his shoulder.

"Your heart never ceases to amaze me, my dear lady."

You rolled your eyes. "c'mon, let's get out of here before someone recognises me."

It wasn't until the third day riding on horseback with Yarpen and his men that Rience showed up.

That night you took watch duty, keeping guard while the others slept, but other than a few owls hooting across the still night, there was nothing else nearby. Yarpen took over the watch shift during the early hours of the morning, allowing you to get a little sleep before you would all continue trekking.

You awoke to the sound of Jaskier strumming away at his lute nearby and you groaned, rolling over on your makeshift bed that you had been sharing with Geralt, only to find that he was no longer beside you.

"Some people are trying to sleep." You mumbled, rubbing your face with your hands as you sat up and looked around trying to locate Geralt.

"Actually, nobody is trying to sleep. You are the only one still in bed, quite lazy if you ask me." Jaskier teased with a smirk.

You glanced over at the bard to find him sitting on a fallen log, the lute sitting in his lap as he watched you in clear amusement.

"Sorry, I was a little busy staying awake on watch duty last night to make sure we weren't attacked in our sleep." You deadpanned.

Jaskier raised his hands, "okay, okay. Geez someone isn't a morning person."

You glared at him but there was no real heat behind it before you glanced around camp trying to find Geralt, but he was nowhere to be seen, neither were Yennefer and Ciri.

"They're over there. Ciri had a nightmare or something, I don't know." Jaskier shrugged, pointing to something behind you like he somehow knew what you were thinking.

You turned around and spotted the old structure of Shaerrawedd where you and Geralt had taken Ciri last night to show her the area and statue of Aelirenn, an elven warrior.

"I'll be back." You said, standing up with a stretch before throwing your sword sheath over your shoulder and walking over there.

"Francesca, the elven queen, she believed she could offer something more to her people." Yennefer was saying as you walked through the old remaining structure of Shaerrawedd.

"And so do I." Ciri said before glancing over her shoulder when she heard your footsteps.

You gave the girl a small smile when you noticed how emotional she seemed to be. Whatever they were talking about was serious.

You walked over to Geralt who lifted his arm and pulled you into his side, whispering a quiet 'good morning' and pressing a gentle kiss to your temple before focusing back on Ciri when the girl began talking.

"Geralt, Y/N, you guys taught me how to fight. Just like Calanthe." She looked between you and Geralt before continuing. "And Yen, you're teaching me how to harness my powers. Like Mousesack. What if this is the reason destiny bought us together? Nenneke said I have the power to change the cycle of hatred. And I want to. To be the balance between kinds and mages, and to align the Continent, instead of constantly pitting parts against each other. Because I am sick and tired of destruction and loss."

Geralt’s arm tightened around you for a moment before he pulled away and stepped over to Ciri, grabbing the girl’s shoulders and holding her in front of him.

"I don't doubt you, Ciri." He insisted. "I do doubt the world, though. It-"

Geralt stopped midsentence, his head snapping up on high alert and that’s when you heard it. The low rumbling in the distance.

Shit.

Rience was here already.

Geralt glanced over at you almost for confirmation that he wasn't hearing things and you simply nodded, "they're here."

"Let's go. Now." He ordered, looking over at you and Yen before he began to walk away, Yennefer quickly following.

Ciri watched them both walk off with almost worried eyes and you smiled sadly at the girl as you stepped forward.

"You got this." You insisted, resting your hand on her shoulder.

Ciri nodded before she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around you tightly.

"It's okay. It'll be okay." You reassured, hugging her back as you kissed the top of her head. "I told you that I would never let anything bad happen to you, didn't I?"

Ciri nodded against your chest, and you pulled away from her, grabbing her shoulder again and giving it a small squeeze.

"We will be right over there." You said, pointing to where Geralt and Yennefer were currently hiding behind a tall pillar across the remaining courtyard of Shaerrawedd.

Ciri nodded but didn't say anything before you gave her one last encouraging smile before you jogged over to Geralt and Yen, drawing your sword from your back, ready for the fight that was about to erupt.

"Are you ready?" Geralt asked quietly from beside you.

You glanced over at him, his golden eyes meeting yours as you gave him a small nod despite not being ready at all.

This fire mage was powerful, and he wouldn't come alone.

"How long do we wait?" Yennefer asked.

"Until she draws them out."

You took in a deep shaky breath, your fingers tightening around your sword as you stared at Ciri standing in the middle of the courtyard by herself.

"She can do this." Geralt insisted, noticing your clear worry.

You nodded despite not believing him in the slightest. It wasn't that you didn't think Ciri could fight. The girl could definitely fight. You taught her most of it yourself, but Rience was bad. Really bad.

"Cirilla of Cintra. Alone at last."

Hearing Rience’s voice had your heartrate skyrocketing and you hoped like hell that Jaskier was hidden away in Yarpen’s caravan right now.

A moment later, Rience stepped out from the shadows with a sickening grin spreading across his face as he stared at Ciri.

"Well, not quite. I've bought more friends this time." The mage explained, holding his arms out just as over a dozen men stepped out from behind the broken building, quickly surrounding Ciri before they attacked.

You watched on proudly as she took down three of the men single handedly before Geralt gave you the signal to join the fight.

That was all you needed before you reached down and grabbed a throwing knife from the inside of your boot. You threw it across the courtyard, impaling the blade through the neck of a man who had grabbed Ciri.

He instantly released his hold on her with a painful scream catching Riences attention, his eyes hardening in your direction before Yennefer stepped forward.

"Last time, I beat you with my wits. This time, you meet my magic." She said, just as Rience hurdled a ball of fire at her which she easily blocked with her own powers.

Whilst Yennefer was keeping Rience busy and distracted, you turned your attention to Riences men and stabbed your sword through the chest of the closest one. Geralt did the same, the two of you swiftly moving around each other as you cut, stabbed and sliced your way through the bad guys like you had done and trained for a thousand times before.

"I like my odds." Rience suddenly shouted.

You spun around and your heart stopped when you saw him holding Ciri to his chest in a headlock.

"I like our odds better!" Yarpens voice shouted and before you had a chance to react, Yarpen and his soldiers suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began charging at Riences men.

Jaskier was with them as well. He didn't have anything in his hands, no sword, no lute, not even a simple rock as a weapon, the bard had nothing to use to defend himself as he followed Yarpen into battle.

He was crazy.

Brave. But crazy.

You were so focused on Jaskier that you hadn't even realised that Ciri got free from Riences hold or the fact that the mage had summoned a portal to escape until you heard Yennefer shout.

"Geralt! Y/N!"

You spun around quickly just as Yennefer threw her hand up, holding the portal open with her magic before Geralt ran through after Rience, not letting him get away.

"Can you keep it open?" Ciri asked, looking between Yen and the black portal.

"Some new strain of Chaotic insanity. But I will. We just need to wait for Geralt."

You quickly glanced back over to Yarpens men, noting that they had slaughtered the last of Rience’s fighters before you turned back to Yennefer.

"I'll help Geralt-" You began to say before someone cut you off.

"Archers! Get down!"

Suddenly arrows whizzed through the air, and you hastily raised your free hand, casting a Quen in front of yourself, Ciri and Yen. The protective shield only just forming in time to block the arrows that hit it at force.

The others weren't so lucky though and you watched on in horror as many of Yarpens soldiers went down before an army of Elves marched into Shaerrawedd, swords and bows raised, ready for a fight.

Oh, shit.

"Keep it open." You ordered, glancing back at Yennefer.

She met your gaze with a strained expression, struggling to hold the portal open, but she nodded anyway before you turned your attention to the Elves who were already taking out Yarpens men.

Rushing forward, you swung your sword cutting through the Elves like butter before you caught a glimpse of familiar red out the corner of your eye.

You threw your hand up casting an Aard at the five Elves that were sprinting towards you with swords raised. The force of the telekinetic wave threw the Elves back a few metres, knocking them down before you turned around and searched the sea of Elves and Dwarfs until you spotted Jaskiers red jacket in the crowd.

You were about to shout at him to go and hide because the bard was still not holding any form of weaponry, but then you noticed what he was actually doing, and you quickly shut your mouth.

He was dragging the injured to safety. Jaskier was putting himself in danger to get Yarpens men out of harm’s way and tending to their injuries as best he could.

"Ah!" Ciri's voice screamed.

Your attention was snapped away from the bard quickly and you spun around just as one of the Elves grabbed Ciri's arm and began pulling her away.

"I got her! I got her!" He yelled.

"No, you don't." You muttered under your breath, adjusting your grip on your sword before spearing it through the air across the courtyard.

Ciri let out a surprised yelp when the blade of your sword impaled through the chest of the Elf beside her. He instantly released his hold on the girl as he fell to the ground, a pool of blood soaking into the dirt around him as his body laid motionless.

"Y/N!" Yennefer's voice suddenly shouted. "Get Geralt out of there! I can't hold it for much longer."

You glanced over at your sword in the Elves chest across the courtyard before glancing back at the portal and cursing under your breath.

Shit. There was no time to get the sword.

You sprinted back over to Yennefer, hesitating for a second before you jumped through the portal and instantly ducked behind the closest pillar when a wave of burning fire hurdled towards you.

"Fuck." You swore, only just managing to dodge it.

Geralt had his back pressed to the other pillar not far from you, seeking shelter from the never-ending stream of fire blasting between the two of you.

His golden eyes locked with yours through the flames, a questioning look washing over him.

"She can't hold the portal open for much longer." You explained, just as the fire finally came to a stop.

"Your mage is out of her depth!" Rience shouted from across the room.

Geralt spun out from behind the pillar, doing what you had done earlier and speared his sword through the air, but Rience was quick and managed to duck out the way at the last possible second. His sword clattered to the ground behind the mage before Geralt sprinted across the room and began fighting him hand-to-hand instead.

You reached down for you boot and silently cursed remembering that you had already used your throwing knife and made a mental note to retrieve it from the body you had thrown it into earlier.

Geralt had Rience on his knees before him, his hands clasped around the mage’s wrists stopping him from summoning his fire magic when out of nowhere arrows flew through portable at you.

You quickly casted a Quen to shield yourself and Geralt from the oncoming arrows, but you didn't do it quick enough because the first arrow slammed straight into your shoulder. You let out a sharp hiss at the hard, painful hit but managed to keep the shield up until the arrows stopped coming.

"Y/N?" Geralt called out from behind you.

"I'm good." You grunted, glancing down at the arrow imbedded through your shoulder.

Rience suddenly screamed the same time you heard two very distinct cracks, and you turned around just as Geralt let go of him, exposing the mages broken hands. Geralt quickly glanced over at you with a flash of worry in his eyes when he saw the arrow before the worry switched to confusion when he noticed the unique feathers on the end of the arrow shaft.

"Elves. They've come for Ciri. Go! I'm right behind you." You hurriedly shouted, knowing Yennefer wouldn't be able to hold the portal for much longer.

Geralt nodded, scooping up his sword from the ground before running back through the portal to protect Ciri. You began to walk after him while grabbing the end of the arrow before yanking it out your shoulder.

"Son of a bitch." You hissed under your breath, throwing the arrow to the ground and pressing your hand to the bloodied wound.

But just as you were about to step back through the portal, something hard slammed into the back of your head. The last thing you saw was the portal flickering shut in front of you before everything faded into darkness.

Next Chapter

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artistsfuneral · 11 months

Text

The Road to Kaer Morhen - p.3

“Well some of us decided to make use of the daylight and get supplies,” Jaskier answered, proudly holding up their new belongings. The Cat Witcher frowned at him, head cocked to the side, “Rope? What on earth do we need rope for, it's a mountain path not a cliff climbing exercise.” Jaskier rolled his eyes and – pointedly ignoring Aiden – knotted the rope to the side of his pack. He'd keep the charm in his belt pouch for now. “I mean seriously, Jaskier. Wouldn't food have been better? It's not like I can help a lot in that department, given the overall,” Aiden stopped himself from continuing and waved at himself with a sour face. Jaskier sighed.

He really couldn't phantom when he had developed the habit of running into half-dead witchers in need of heroic rescuing, but at this point it had happened too many times to still be considered a coincidence. Much like it had been the case with the other three Cats, the Viper, the Griffin pair and who afterwards had insisted on being called his Crane Wife, Jaskier had found Aiden just on time. After the failed assassination attempt in Yspaden and a horrible week spent hiding in the alleys and basements of Luton, Jaskier had collected enough coin and courage to head east, towards Kaedwen. Then, when traveling through the forests of Gelibol, he suddenly came across a merchant's cart and a man with amber eyes who introduced himself as Roland Treugger. Despite the fact that the man was an excellent liar, more so than the backstabbing cretin Valdo Marx himself, Jaskier almost instantly understood that there was something off about the merchant. Lo and behold, Jaskier wasn't being paranoid and the noise he heard coming from the inside of the wagon was not some caged animal to be sold at the next market, like Treugger had insisted, but Aiden bleeding onto the floor. Jaskier remembered very vividly how after that particular discovery he had turned back around and looked at the other man with a look so dispassionate it made Treugger stumble backwards. What Jaskier – despite Aiden's constant insisting – did not remember was the fact that Treugger had straight out stumbled into Jaskier's blade. Sixteen times. It certainly was a nice thought, but alas Jaskier was nothing but a humble bard and the short sword he carried with him was mostly for decoration. Aiden didn't believe him for a second.

Nevertheless the damage had already been done and while the Cat Witcher was lucky enough for both of his broken legs to heal properly, the same couldn't be said about his left arm or eye. In the passing day he lost both. Over his many years of travel the bard had to witness countless heartbreaking fates, but watching Aiden wake up only to realize what gruesome things had been done to him would stick with Jaskier for a long time. Aiden, like any witcher, was saved by his astonishingly strength and tough heart. His humor helped a lot too, as Jaskier was quick to learn.

Spending a fortnight hidden away in the forests had given them enough time to get to know and befriend each other. So when a troop of nilfgaardian soldiers found their camp, splitting up wasn't on the table anymore. Now Jaskier was stuck with a new travel companion and around a hundred horrible jokes on his mind about how Aiden was all-right, even if there was hardly anything left of him.

“No need to worry, sunshine, you forgot that I've been following Geralt around for around a century or so, I know my outdoor survival.” The bard chimed in, trying to lighten the mood again. Instead he watched how Aiden's right eye tightened. “Yeah, about that-” the witcher started, but was promptly cut off by him again. “Figuratively! Of course I meant it felt like a century. I was exaggerating, I'm a bard!” The deadpan look Aiden gave him was more than telling.

“Anyways! I think we really should get going. We've been pretty lucky so far, so I guess it's probably only a matter of time before someone comes looking for us.” The bard said, looking out the window of their small room to make sure that his fears hadn't become reality yet. “Need a helping hand?” he asked and watched with amusement as Aiden's face turned from disbelieve to being outright scandalized. “Fuck off!” He laughed and flipped Jaskier the bird, before finally getting out of bed. “You are going to end up in hell, bard,” the Cat Witcher tsked at him and went to collect his clothes from a stool nearby. “Oh shush, don't even pretend we don't share the same humor, pussycat.”

“Never said I was going to to meet Melitele either.”

“Ugh, sunshine, you're so dramatic!” Jaskier sighed, well aware of the irony behind his words. He watched, out the corner of his eyes, how Aiden slipped into his shirt, pants and coat. He struggled to secure the green sash around his waist that was supposed to keep his pants up like a belt. Aiden fought for a moment before managing to tighten the knot by holding part of the sash down with his elbow. Jaskier quietly thanked the gods for the small success and shouldered his pack and lute, checking the room twice for things he might have forgotten, while Aiden put on his boots and silver sword. He knew the Cat knew that he was watching like a hawk, but neither of them braced the topic of Jaskier's over-protectiveness.

Aiden was about to shoulder his sea sack when the two men were stopped mid-movement by loud voices coming from outside. Their eyes met and Aiden, closest to the open window, dropped to the floor just as quickly as Jaskier pressed himself against the far back wall of their room. Jerking his head towards the window he silently but sternly told Aiden to check out the commotion. After all he was the witcher, not Jaskier.

Aiden made a face at the bard that could we equally translated as 'Duh.' or 'Fuck you.' but dutifully inched closer to the window and listened. Not a moment later the witcher's pupil thinned into a predatory slit that fixated on Jaskier in a way that unmistakably meant trouble for them. “Redania,” Aiden mouthed without making a sound and then proceeded to make his way towards Jaskier, crawling on all... threes, in a way that he would've found hilarious if it weren't for their dire situation. “Soldiers,” Aiden whispered once he had reached the bard, “looking for a bard and his witcher in the name of the crown. They probably think I'm Geralt.”

“Fuck,” Jaskier cursed underneath his breath, his heart hammering inside his chest as he willed his brain to think of a plan.

“There's a back door!” he suddenly remembered, having seen one of the innkeeper's daughters enter the house through the kitchens. “If we make it downstairs in time, we can escape through the yard.”

Aiden bit his lip. “Too risky. We don't know if any of the soldiers are already inside the house and the courtyard could be closed off. I say we climb through the window in the hallway and down the balcony, then make a run for it. Through the market and straight into the forest.”

“You want to jump off a balcony with two freshly healed legs and then get us separated in a crowd, are you mad!?” Jaskier hissed and slapped his hand against Aiden's shoulder. “There's no way the courtyard is closed off! And even if, we can just climb up and out.”

“Oh, but that's not risky at all. What happens if they surround us?”

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yeraskier · 2 years

Text

I love you.

The words remain etched in his brain even when the bard isn't around. The feeling of it— Jaskier's cool breath ghosting against his cheek, the way his heart plummeted— startles him awake many nights.

It'll pass, Geralt had said.

The broken look that devoured the bard's features is what keeps him up.

Geralt believed it when he said it. Jaskier was young, doe-eyed, and fawning over every pretty lad and lady he stumbled upon when he confessed. He didn't know the world, yet, and he'd barely known Geralt for a year.

He didn't know that loving the witcher would be the biggest mistake he'd ever made.

It'll pass, Geralt told him, and it'll pass, he's repeated to himself, time and time again.

It's been twenty-one years, and it hasn't passed.

Jaskier hasn't said those words to him again ever since, but he doesn't need to.

It's clear in every caress when he tends to Geralt's wounds, and every nervous glance whenever they're too close, and every smile that seems to take up Jaskier's entire face, and every hug that feels like it lasts forever, but never long enough.

It's clear in every lingering touch, and every heated gaze, and every darling, and every dear witcher.

It was clear when Geralt turned his back on him on that mountain, it was clear when Geralt first laid eyes on him in that prison cell.

It was clear in Her Sweet Kiss, and it was nearly blinding in Burn, Butcher, Burn.

Twenty-one years, and it hasn't passed.

But it will. It will pass because it has to pass.

Because Geralt set them up in flames once before, and he will do it again. It didn't destroy Jaskier the first time, but it might the next.

It'll pass, Geralt had said, but he wasn't just speaking to Jaskier.

It'll pass, Geralt tells himself time and time again.

It'll pass, he repeats after every lingering touch, and every heated gaze, and every darling, and every dear witcher.

It'll pass because it has to.

Because if it doesn't, Geralt won't be able to keep hidden what's been growing inside him for twenty-one years, and if Geralt's cruelty didn't destroy Jaskier, his love will.

It'll pass, he reminds himself.

Geralt lifts his gaze, tuning in to the scene in front of him— the lights, the laughter, the clapping.

Ciri's white dress flows like honey as she dances in circles, the flower crown on her head nearly toppling off in all her movements— the flower crown Jaskier made her.

It matches the one on the bard's head, the one that is barely hanging on as he dances with Ciri.

There are people cheering all around them, but Jaskier's laughter fills the room.

Jaskier looks over in Geralt's direction, only for a split second, only long enough to wink before turning back to Ciri, but it's enough.

It hasn't passed, yet, not for either of them.

But it will.

#as you can probably tell #fleabag has consumed my mind #so i present you some more geraskier angst because that's apparently all ik how to do right now #ngl im happy with this #like i might actually post it on ao3 even tho its a ficlet happy #we shall see #hope you guys enjoyed!!#geraskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #the witcher #my writing

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dancingwiththefae · 5 months

Text

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Yennskier

——————————

“Witch.”

“Bard.”

As the dust settled on thanedd, Jaskier and Yennefer find each other once again. Both nursing broken hearts and aching bones, they take comfort in each other.

#the witcher #the witcher netflix #the witcher fanfiction #yennskier #Jaskier #yennefer of vengerberg

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transholmes · 1 year

Text

A small fic inspired by this tweet, but from Geralt's pov.

“I’ll sleep with you, but I won’t ever love you.”

The words fell from Geralt’s lips, ringing with finality in the tiny inn room he and Jaskier shared this night.

They sounded wrong, not what he intended to say. Not, “I cannot love because I don’t know how to love.” Nor, “My body will have to suffice, I have nothing else to give you.”

Jaskier flinched at the words and his bright smile and soft look faltered for a moment. Geralt might have flitched too at the wrongness of his words had that primal reflex not been beaten out of him decades ago. But before he could find the right words and speak again the smile and the softness was back.

Jaskier raised his hand and caressed Geralt’s cheek. His palm was surprisingly soft and Geralt could feel the calluses on his fingertips.

“Thank you for being honest, my dear witcher. But I shall accept your offer.”

He stepped closer, so close their chests were almost touching and Geralt could feel the warmth pouring off Jaskier’s body.

There was a pause, a brief yet eternal moment where Jaskier did not move and Geralt wondered if he would recant if the bard's words had only been an instance of madness and he had now seen sense. Then Jaskier tilted his head and pressed his lips against Geralt’s, his hands resting on Geralt’s shoulders and Geralt’s hopes were dashed.

Jaskier kissed the way he did most things, passionately and with all his heart and Geralt was all too willing to take advantage of the bard’s willingness to give.

He shouldn’t, he knew he shouldn’t. It was wrong, selfish, and greedy to accept Jaskier’s affection, his love when he had so little to offer in return. But he was selfish and greedy, and when the bard had reached for him yet again tonight, yet again flirted in the most obvious manner, yet again let his touch linger on Geralt’s body, Geralt had known that this time he wouldn’t refuse like he had before. That this time, which should never have happened because he should have left Jaskier behind, but he couldn’t even do that much right, he would accept what his friend offered.

But he also gave him the truth. It was the least he could do, not to lie to him, not to pretend that Jaskier would ever be loved by him the way he clearly wanted to be. He had thought that would dissuade the poet from making any further advances but it was clear now that he had underestimated how desperate the bard was.

Had Geralt been a better man, the man Jaskier thought he was, he’d have put a stop to it right now. But he wasn’t and he wouldn’t. Instead, he would greedily accept every shred of warmth, affection, and tenderness that Jaskier would give him, for as long as it took for the bard to realize that Geralt had been telling him the truth, that he would never love him.

He knew that once that realization dawned on him, it would leave the bard crushed and broken hearted. Geralt could only hope that some day, someone else would come along and mend the damage he would bring on his friend.

Yes, a better man would push Jaskier away, but Geralt pulled him closer, wrapping one arm around his waist, his other hand cupping the back of Jaskier’s head as he drowned his shame in Jaskier’s soft, desperate sighs.

#geraskier #geralt #geralt of rivia #jaskier #willow writing

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aceofwhump · 10 months

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Hi! Do you have any favourite recovery fics??? Like Buck recovering from any one of his mishaps (or Anthony Bridgerton, or Matt Casey, or Mike Warren, etc) where they cover the process (the part that shows always skip where in one ep things are absolutely fucked and in the next they’re absolutely fine I’m looking at you and your rebar 9-1-1)

Thanks!!!

I have a TON of good recovery fics. Recovery fics are some of my favorite things to read! Especially really long ones where the character is recovering from a trauma. If you don't mind other fandoms I've got a ton of recovery fics to rec. Not a lot for Anthony Bridgerton or Mike Warren in terms of recovery fics for canon whump sadly. Actually there's not a lot of recovery fics for them period. But I hope some of these other ones will sate you!

The Witcher:

Hold On by CaptainRex_ika

It has been months since that day on the mountain, a day that left Jaskier alone. Now, he finds himself a captive of Nilfgaard, who just want Geralt and that child surprise of his, and they believe Jaskier is the way to get the White Wolf's attention. After all, he is known as the Witcher's Bard. Jaskier believes that this time Geralt won't come for him...not after that day.

warming of a heart by Alexlively88

tws: A/B/O, past rape/non con, abortion/discussion of abortion, rape recovery

Killing a rusalka is just a normal day in Geralt's life. It's just his job. What isn't his job is rescuing abused omegas. He does it anyway. Or, Jaskier is done with life. To his disappointment, life isn't done with him just yet.

If You Ask Me for My Fire (Just Watch Me Burn) by DigitalSaiyan

tws: past rape/non con, rape/noncon, rape recovery,

Jaskier has zero intention of sharing the degrading experience of getting tortured. Ever. He’ll bury the memories and someday they’ll be as scabbed over as Caingorn was. Which had been completely, absolutely, fine. And the only reason that wound is bleeding a little now is because Geralt came out of nowhere—after the most humiliating experience of his entire life—and reopened it. But that’s fine because he’ll leave and return to the terror of his smuggling work and forget about Geralt all over again. There's nothing hard drink and the constant danger of execution won’t get his mind off. There’s something therapeutic about fearing for one’s life that makes anything not of immediate concern go away. So yes, things were just fine before Geralt showed up. Two years post-Caingorn, Geralt rescues Jaskier from jail and sends him with Ciri to Kaer Morhen. However, Geralt starts to suspect Jaskier is hiding serious trauma.

Panic Attacks by AllTheQueensHorses

Jaskier, captured by Nilfgaard and tortured for weeks, has panic attacks because no one knows where he is and no one is coming to rescue him. Basically a giant whump fic with plenty of angst and hurt but no comfort until later. Trigger warnings throughout the whole story for panic attacks.

Broken by GonEwiththeWolveS

In which Geralt finds out Jaskier was tortured. Or, the self-indulgent hurt/comfort fic.

What am I, if not a bard? by Mi_chan

Geralt knows something happened to Jaskier. He doesn't know the details, but he knows he needs to do something to help the bard. Jaskier is stubborn and refuses to talk to him. Geralt doesn't give up that easily, though. ~ Since the series totally downplayed Jaskier's trauma, here's the fix. The bard is hurting, he's scared and doesn't know what to do with himself, but Geralt is there, acknowledging his pain. ~

an incessant burning by 1derspark

“Jaskier,” Geralt prompted after a while. “Can you look at me?” He shook his head and hoped that his mumbled "no" would be heard. Geralt sighed but didn’t try to move him. His hand was running a comforting trail up and down Jaskier’s back. Eventually, he spoke again. “Yen, she told me some things, but I didn’t realize…” He trailed off, and Jaskier could hear him swallow. A click of guilt in the throat. He reached over to Jaskier’s arm. When he didn’t startle or protest Geralt took his arm. He rubbed a gentle finger over the wax burn. It was a barely-there thing, nothing to get all riled up about. But even having his arm exposed made Jaskier want to crawl into a hole. (Or Jaskier’s newfound aversion to fire, and the comfort he deserves.)

Hand in Trembling Hand by PenAndInkPrincess

“I’m sorry,” Jaskier whispers at last. Geralt shifts so he can look at him. “I’m sorry I’m…like this, now.” “You don’t have to be sorry.” (Jaskier has a hard path to walk while he's healing. Geralt and Yennefer help him with this part.)

Ted Lasso:

an excess of warmth or coldness by bartonbones

When Jamie is seriously injured during a match, Roy and Ted are reminded how much they care about him--as a son, or as a younger brother, or as an exposed nerve. Jamie is reminded what it's like to have people care when his face gets knocked in.

Lemons and Lavender by LivingProof

He peels his eyes open. Shit, they really must be giving him the good stuff, cause he could swear he knows that dark figure lurking in the doorway, where his old man came in a few minutes ago. He blinks a few times, waiting for it to vanish. It doesn’t. “Roy?” he croaks. He blinks again, and Roy…or whoever…is standing beside him, 'cept Jamie still can’t tell, cause he can only see his back, cause whoever it is isn’t looking at Jamie, he’s looking across the room. Towards that window. At Jamie’s dad. “The fuck do you fucking think you’re fucking doing here?” Yeah. That’s Roy.

Barn Raising by altschmerzes

After the locker room disaster in Manchester, Roy drives Jamie home. The chaos they find when they arrive at the house swiftly proves it is not a safe place to spend the night, forcing a change of plans and a reroute to Roy’s own home. The following day Jamie experiences, in this order: The most bewildering breakfast of his life, a penalty kick clinic with a seven-year-old, and an overwhelming display from his teammates that brings him face to face with the fact that not only has he been accepted back in Richmond it’s also possible he might be, in a way he can’t remotely process or understand, loved here.

The Same Story by altschmerzes

It would've been traumatic enough for Jamie's father to ruin Richmond's most recent victory in front of the whole team, but when the confrontation turns violent in front of a gaggle of reporters, the ensuing social media firestorm is even worse. Over the next two and a half weeks, Jamie will have to navigate the charges against his father, walk a gauntlet of publicity that he never asked for, and prepare to give the interview of a lifetime.

Sandman

Bones Don't Rust by not_whelmed_yet

The same capture & rescue fic everyone has written, but playing off two ideas: - I wanted to see Dream’s physical recovery take long enough that he could begin his mental/emotional recovery before heading back to the Dreaming - There’s a lot of ways to hurt an anthropomorphic entity without taking them out of their snowglobe

I will find you in your dreams by Salmaka

A story where Dream, confused and weak from his time in isolation doesn't make it back to the Dreaming but ends up in Hob's house instead.

To Learn to Breathe Again by ironlin

Upon returning back to the Dreaming, Dream finds himself struggling. Thankfully, Lucienne is there to help.

9-1-1

To Be Loved by Scribbles97

Buck knew he was spiralling, that the dread that had been shadowing him since leaving the hospital should have left when the doctor had given him the all clear. Yet, he can't help but feel like he's still missing something. Eddie hadn't been able to give him the answers, but maybe Bobby could. Calm, dependable, reassuring, Bobby always had the answers and helped him through stuff.

Goosebumps by Princessfbi

Everyone kept telling Buck he was supposed to rest, but he didn’t know how he was supposed to do that when the cold was an incessant prickling under his skin. Five Times Buck Struggled to Stay Warm After Being Struck By Lightning and Put Into A Coma and One Time He Didn't.

Don't (Wanna) Know Who I Am by altschmerzes

Buck takes a nasty fall out on a job, and when he wakes up, he can't remember anything. Not what happened, not who the people in his hospital room are, not even his own name. The next two weeks he spends being passed from house to house every few days, Chimney, Hen, and Bobby taking turns keeping an eye on him while he tries to remember his life. The way back is slow and hard, and begs the question - who actually is Evan Buckley, and is he someone worth remembering? (Luckily, the rest of the 118 is there with an answer, if not to the first question, then at least to the second.)

Once Upon A Time

puppet strings by bewilderedmoth

Having technically died on more than one occasion now, having finally put all that trauma behind him and settled down in Storybrooke, August had hoped his troubles were long gone. When Gold returns to town in his quest to find the Author, hopes of a trouble free life in the sleepy town crumble away to dust. (A whumpy re-write of August's torture in S4, Ep 16. Set within the 'mess is mine' universe, but not actually canon to that AU)

they are mine by Lil_Redhead

Killian is still trying to deal with his emotional pain after returning from the underworld and all he needs is a motherly touch. Takes place after 5B season finale.

Unforgotten by NothingImpossibleOnlyImprobable

Killian went through so much in his centuries of life, especially in the Underworld. Nightmares were to be expected. This is canon-compliant with my Undefeated story, and it will eventually be a part of a larger collection of works dealing with the aftermath of everything he's survived, and some he didn't.

You can take the boys out of Neverland by WinkyCutto

The Lost Ones don't like having to live by the rules and Henry and his family are about to find out that bringing them back to Storybrooke may not have been the best idea... Hook whump galore, you have been warned.

Superman & Lois

Path to Recovery by Beth4LC

It’s been a month since Clark lost his powers and there are still no clear answers to when he’ll get them back. In the meantime, he focuses on connecting with the members of his family.

Powerless by Beth4LC

Clark is home and recovering after Ally’s near-fatal attack, and he starts to adjust to his new reality.

Lucifer

Deal by hearmerory

Chloe didn't spend five years being best friends with the Devil just to let him go back to Hell. But recovery? Relationships? These are not things Lucifer has ever found easy. In the weeks after Lucifer's return from Hell, he and the humans, angels and demons who surround him find out how long, hard and traumatic those roads can be.

Crystals by OkamiShadou98

After seeing Lucifer's scars, Chloe searches for the truth about her partner and his shadowed past. In doing so, she comes face to face with the psychological demons he shields himself from. Recovery is a long, twisted road for the Devil and his Detective. Eventual Deckerstar.

The Man From Uncle:

Agents, Missions, and Hospitals by Tallihensia

Getting hurt on a mission is enough to make a partner’s blood run cold. The aftermath and recovery, though, is almost as bad. Caring and trust makes it better.

The Martian:

Waiting in the Sky by midnightradio

Mark is back on the Hermes but getting rescued isn't quite as easy as it seemed. Fighting for your life is easy, but living with what you had to do to survive is harder.

I Win, Mars by chuckisgod

You didn't just have to save him. You have to put him back together, too. Ares 3 was in time to save Mark's life, but not quite his mind. The Hermes has hundreds of days of space travel before they all get back to Earth. It's a ship running without maintenance, and the primary engineer has the world's most severe case of PTSD. What happens? Canon-compliant.

Just Keep Going by chuckisgod

"And this is how this story ends. The story of Mark Watney is the story of a man who was stranded on Mars, and instead of giving up he did everything he could to make it back to Earth, because that's the point." What would being abandoned on an entire planet do to someone? A window into Mark's emotional state on Mars. A sincere attempt to stay true to the real-life health effects of solitary isolation.

Life on Earth by watneykingofmars

A series of drabbles and one-shots about Mark Watney readjusting to life on earth.

Avatar the Last Airbender:

Hearth and Home by lets_support_frogs

After his Agni Kai, Zuko flees the Fire Nation without Iroh or his crew. He finds himself stranded, alone, and injured in the Earth Kingdom when taken in and raised as a healer and farmer by an Earth Kingdom couple. He finds new ways to use his bending and to influence in the changing of the war with new understanding of himself, his bending, and the war. As someone with new perspectives and influence he is able to provide a greater understanding of being a teacher, warrior, and friend when meeting the gaang. or Where Zuko gets to recover before using anger to protect himself when he is adopted by a nice Earth Kingdom family

#fic recs #whump #recovery #fanfics #mod's fic recs #mod replies #ask #mod post #i know i'm forgetting some but i'm going blank again #i read too many fics lol

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27dragons · 6 months

Text

New Year Countdown: Dec 5

Click through for a Geraskier Mob AU snippet!

Dec 5 - Geraskier - Mob AU - Mittens

Of course Jaskier had known what he was getting into when he’d attached himself to Geralt, the biggest, baddest enforcer that the Witcher Clan had at its hand. But the truth was, if you couldn’t succeed as a musician in Redania, then you weren’t going to succeed anywhere else on the continent. And if you were going to make it in Redania, then you were going to have to ally yourself with one of the several clans that ran Redania’s dark underbelly. The Witchers were far from the worst option. And the Butcher of Blaviken was already such a fascinating character -- when Jaskier had almost literally stumbled over him drinking in a tavern, he’d considered it a gift from the gods and hitched himself to the man, for good or ill.

He hadn’t quite intended to fall in love, but that was both the blessing and the curse of the artist, wasn’t it? One fell in love too easily, and lived almost constantly with a broken heart, relieved only by the rare moment of bliss. It hurt, but it made for such brilliant music. Jaskier had known that even when he’d barely been a boy, just setting out from Oxenfurt with stars in his eyes.

Jaskier knew Geralt wouldn’t ever love him back. Geralt hadn’t said more than a dozen words to him all day as they’d shuffled through the freshly-fallen snow, chasing some rumor that had Vesemir concerned. Jaskier wouldn’t complain aloud -- that would earn him Geralt’s disdain and impatience and irritation, far worse than simply being ignored. But he tucked his hands into his armpits and hoped they’d stop soon, before he turned into an icicle.

“Wait here,” Geralt grunted and went into a shop. Jaskier allowed himself a sigh. Now he wasn’t even generating the heat of walking. He stepped over to a nearby cart that was selling roasted nuts and pushed his hands over the little kettle of coals.

“Ye need gloves, young sir,” the cart’s owner chided.

Jaskier shrugged one shoulder to bounce the lute against his back. “Can’t play with gloves,” he told the woman. “A true bard must be ready to play at an instant’s notice!” He gave her his most winning smile, and she laughed and gave him a handful of nuts that were too cracked or singed to sell.

He ate them slowly, savoring the remnants of their warmth, and was just finishing the last when Geralt emerged from the shop. Geralt shoved a small package against Jaskier’s chest and strode off down the street without even waiting to be sure Jaskier had taken it.

Jaskier flashed the vendor another quick smile and scrambled to follow, jogging to catch up before looking down at the package. It was a pair of mittens, good woolen ones lined with sheepskin, with a pocket in the palm for a warmer and a top that folded back to expose the fingers when they were needed. He stared at them for a long moment. “What--”

Geralt glanced back over his shoulder, expression unreadable, even for Jaskier, who’d learned to interpret even the smallest twitch of Geralt’s face. “Your teeth were chattering,” he grunted. “It was annoying.”

He could’ve told Jaskier to leave. But he hadn’t.

And he’d given him mittens that a musician could use. Jaskier hadn’t even had to explain it to him.

He pulled on the mittens and sighed happily at the warmth. Maybe Geralt wasn’t entirely indifferent to him, after all.

#my writing #countdown to 2024 #the witcher #geraskier #mob au

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merlot-and-chardonnay · 5 months

Text

A Lark Among the Wolves and Dragons: Chapter 20

Chapter 19

"Jaskier!" you exclaim, tears in your eyes as you rush to embrace the man, everyone else looking upon the two of you stunned.

"Little sister," Jaskier exclaims in laughter, "it has been so long. Way too long." "I thought I'd never see you again," you say, trying to keep from crying.

The last time you saw your brother had been under less then ideal circumstances. You left with the hopes that he and the witchers would be spared the wrath of dragon fire.

The king and his family were still stunned by this reunion, but Otto stepped in to interrupt this moment, "Forgive this intrusion, but just who are you exactly?" "Well, I thought I was quite clear on who I was," Jaskier sasses, "I am Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount-" "Yes, you made that clear," Otto rudely cuts in, "it does not answer my question."

"Ah yes," Jaskier nods, "Well then, my lord, you are a lord correct? I'm only assuming by your stuffy demeanor, allow me to elucidate," Otto gave Jaskier the biggest glare from that remark. Daemon made a small smirk at that comment (reluctant as he may be) as Jaskier continued, "As I was saying before being of so rudely interrupted, I am the Viscount de Lettenhove, but for the sake of simplicity I go by my stage name Jaskier. Bard extraordinaire, well renown throughout the Continent, known for many a ballad, and for many a broken heart. And of course brother to this sweet, caring woman right here. Will those credentials be more than enough to suffice my lord?"

"You're Lady (y/n)'s brother?" Rhaenyra speaks up, approaching, "I don't quite see the resemblance." "He's my half-brother, princess," you explain, "after his mother passed, our father married my mother sometime after." "Ah, so this is the princess," Jaskier says, "the Realm's Delight I am told. Truly a beauty unlike no other I have seen so far in this realm."

Rhaenyra smiled, "You flatter me. It seems to run in the family. That lute of yours looks quite sophisticately crafted." "Ah, do you like it?" Jaskier taps on his instrument, "this was handmade by the elves. It was a gift by their king actually. I've composed many a ballad on this instrument. Would you like to hear one?"

"That will have to wait another time," Viserys steps in, "that is until you answer the question as to why you are here in the first place."

"Ah yes," Jaskier says, tone turning more stern, which took Viserys by surprise, "I have a bone to pick with you. It wasn't enough to knock up my sister you had to steal her away from her family as well?"

Viserys only gave Jaskier a confused look, surprised this man had the audacity to address a king of all people in such a manner.

You roll your eyes a bit before whispering to Jaskier, "wrong royal, big brother," you nod towards Daemon, "that's the man who's bone you have to pick."

Jaskier turned his gaze to the prince, "oh I see, yeah, that makes more sense. In that case, my apologies your Grace," he makes a slight bow to Viserys and then turned to Daemon to confront the man.

"You. It wasn't enough to impregnate my sister with that little dragon of yours, you had to go and steal her and my niece and future heir from their family as well."

Daemon gave Jaskier a threatening look, "you are awfully bold to speak to me in such a way. Either that, or you have some kind of death wish."

"Oh yeah sure, go on, try and intimidate me with that menacing stare of yours, prince," Jaskier challenges, "you're not the first royal/noble to threaten me for things I may, or may not have done to their wives, sisters, and occasionally their mothers...and you're certainly not going to be the last. But I will not back down until I have what I came here for. I did not sit on some rickety ship and nearly get my head lopped off by Skellige pirates in a raid during a storm just to be cowarded into submission by some pretty boy with a pet dragon."

"Then what are you here for, Viscount?" Viserys asks. "Well, not that you may know, your Grace," Jaskier says, "but as it just so happens, my niece, my sister's daughter is third in line to my inheritance, seeing as I have no heirs of my own, not any legitimate ones at least," you smack your forehead at that statement, "my sister is next in line and by extension her daughter, and without them, I have no one else to pass my lands and titles to. By taking them away, you have deprived me of my future and my legacy. And I demand recompense for such grievances."

There was some awkward silence for a brief moment before Viserys speaks, "Well I am sorry for your loss, Viscount, truly. But I had nothing to do with this. I was informed that your sister was abducted against her will. Brought back to the Continent by a horde of mutant sell swords. Were you not aware of this?"

"Mutant sell swords?" Jaskier scoffs, "and vary odd way to describe-" you nudge your brother in the ribs before he could continue, "ow!" he protests.

"My brother was not made aware of this, your Grace," you say, giving Jaskier a certain look with hopes he'll keep his mouth shut for the time being, "and he was also not aware that Aemma was declared true born and is now addressed as Princess."

"Nor is he aware that my daughter is to wed the Prince Aegon when they both come of age," Daemon speaks up.

"...well then," Jaskier says with a calm tone, "We appear to be at an impasse. Tell me, your Grace, how do you plan to resolve this predicament I was placed in thanks to the father of my niece?"

"I hardly see a reason why this needs to be resolved," Otto retorts, "on what grounds should this burden fall on his Grace?"

"Alright then," Jaskier shrugs before stating his case, "if Lady (y/n) was indeed abducted by 'mutant' sell swords, she and her then illegitimate daughter should've been brought back to her family, being me. As Viscount with no heirs of my own, my sister holds the title Heir Apparent for my title, and Princess Aemma next in line. You know, now that I think about it, the real abduction of my sister and her daughter had actually occurred when THIS rogue," he points at Daemon, "swooped in on his giant lizard with wings and brought them here instead of the Pankratz estate where they truly belong."

Daemon gave Jaskier a very dangerous look, like he was already plotting the man's murder just for insulting his dragon. He probably would've if Alicent didn't pick this time to respond, "if this claim is indeed true, it may appear that this man has indeed been robbed of his legacy," she turns to Viserys, "surely a compromise can't be reached, provided time is given to negotiate."

Viserys thinks on it addressing Jaskier, "I suppose we could negotiate for such a compromise. As odd as you may be, you did come all this way in determination to see your sister again, which suggests a strong resolve. Very well, Jaskier is it? You'll be welcomed here as a guest. Accommodations will be provided as befitting your station."

"You truly honor me, your Grace," Jaskier nods, making a light bow, "now would you honor me further and allow me to see my niece, the princess?"

Right on cue, Aemma started walking on her tiny legs from the nurses and towards her mother. You go to pick her up and give her a kiss on the cheek, "Look Aemma," you say to her, "it's Uncle Jaskier, remember him?"

"Oh my goodness," Jaskier sports a wide grin on his face, "how have you grown, girl. You look so much like your mother, minus the hair and eyes that is."

Aemma gave Jaskier a rather confused look and hid her face into your neck. Daemon had a small smirk on his from the interaction, pleased that Aemma wasn't as willing to meet this man like she was with him.

"Aemma, it's alright," you whisper to her, "take a good look, maybe you might recognize him."

The young girl eventually looked up to her uncle again, who gave her another wide grin. She reached out for him. Jaskier took Aemma into his arms.

The other watched the interaction in fascination, except for Daemon, who at this point was coming with several different plots to get rid of the Bard. How said plots would be carried out would not make a difference, as long as they resulted in Jaskier's remains being fed to Caraxes.

You walk over to Viserys and address him, "if it is all the same to you, your Grace, I wish to take a walk with my brother and talk to him as I have not seen him for quite some time."

"...of course, Lady Lark," Viserys nods in understanding. The king then summoned one of the nursemaids to take Aemma back to play with Aegon.

--------------------------------

"It is so good to see you again, Julian," you say once you and Jaskier were out in the gardens and further away from the prying eyes of the nobles staying in the Red Keep, and pulling him into a crushing hug, finally letting the tears slip forth, "you have no idea how much I've missed you and....him."

"Well I should hope so, given how you left of so suddenly," Jaskier says with slight sarcasm, "granted it was against your will, but still."

You laugh a little, sniffling some as well, "I've missed your sense of humor too." "And I've missed you as well, little sister," Jaskier nods, now struggling to breathe, "but maybe I'll miss you some more if you stop crushing me with your arms."

"Sorry," you say stepping back to wipe your tears away, "it's just...you have no idea what I've gone through since I've been brought back to Westeros." "I can only imagine," Jaskier nods, "I don't imagine you've been allowed to even leave this place much if only to have that scoundrel rogue of prince watching your every move like a hawk."

"Well he just came back from fighting in the Stepstones so he hasn't had much time to watch me," you admit, "but that doesn't mean he didn't have soldiers or servants to do that for him. I did try to escape, Jaskier, once or twice, but both times the plans were thwarted. At least Ciri managed to make it out okay."

"Ciri escaped?" Jaskier's eyes widen, "so...she's not here...with you?" "She didn't go back to Ger- to our friend?" your eyes widen back just as shocked.

"No," Jaskier shakes his head, "neither of us have seen Ciri in years, we thought she was with you this whole time."

"I need to know what's been happening on the Continent," you tell him after taking a breather from the information you had received, "what happened to Ger...to him." "Why won't you say Geral-"

You place a hand on Jaskier's mouth before he could finish his question, "because Daemon has forbidden his name to ever be uttered within these walls," you mutter, "and even walls have ears."

When you took your hand away, Jaskier looked up, down, and every other direction. No one was in sight, but the Bard was smart enough to know that spies could be possibly be hiding anywhere in sight, "I see your point," he tells you, "well then, how to do go about this?" "You've been brushing up on your elven?" you ask. "Not as much?" he admits.

"What about your Toussaintian?" you suggest.

"You tell me, Mademoiselle," Jaskier says in said language.

"Excellent," you say back in the same language, briefly looking back and forth before you continue, "a special source came up to me some time yesterday when I was in the godswood. He said a white wolf was spotted in the North, wounded and making his way towards King's Landing. I think it might be the man we're both acquainted with."

"And how do you know this?" Jaskier raises an eyebrow, "who is this source?"

"He said the wolf had gold eyes and sported a silver medallion around his neck," you answer, "and...he sang the song I wrote for the wolf all those years ago? I've never sung it to anyone here before, yet he know the lyrics."

Jaskier seemed shocked, but nodded, "I was hoping the White Wolf would've gotten here before I had," he admits, "looks like he managed to reach Westeros, but in the wrong place."

"What happened Jaskier?" you ask in the Common Tongue before switching back to Toussaintian, "Why...why did it take so long? Why would the White Wolf be gravely injured in the state he is in?"

"It's a long story," Jaskier answers in Common Tongue, "A lot has happened since last you and Aemma were there. There...there was a meeting on Thanedd, you know that place right?" you nod before he continues, "Ger....uh, the Wolf was there and...it went so horribly wrong. He got hurt badly and Yennefer-" "Yennefer?" your eyes widen, "Yennefer was there?" She's alive?!" "Shockingly yes," Jaskier nods, "and apparently she knew where Ciri was seen last." "I thought you assumed Ciri was back here," you point out. "Yes well...you know I don't trust Yennefer all that well," Jaskier points back, "for all I knew she could've been lying."

You shake your head a bit; Jaskier may not care for Yennefer much, which was somewhat understandable given that debacle with the Djinn, but you and her had actually gotten along the few times you've seen her. Sure it did bother you at first that her destiny was tied to Geralt's due to that damned last wish, but you've never held it against her, and that was before you and Geralt had even coupled the first time.

You were actually sadden when you heard the news she had perished at the battle of Sodden. It was a relief now that she had actually survived.

"So what did Yennefer do?" you ask.

"Well," Jaskier begins, "after what happened in Thanedd, after our friend was hurt and recovered somewhat thanks to some Dryads, the sorceress in question had created a portal to take him here. Looks like it didn't quite get him to the exact spot he was hoping. Yennefer did mention that could happen. Magic seems to work differently in this part of the world."

"So he is in the North," you realize, "and he's trying to reach this place. But if his wounds have not recovered...."

You were now beginning to wonder what kind of injuries Geralt could have received on Thanedd that he still had not recovered from them completely; witchers were known to recover from injuries faster then the average human being, and could survive wounds that most would've perished from easily.

If the man you loved really was gravely injured and not recovered, who's to say he would even survive the long trek he would have to make from the North to King's Landing.

You were now fearing for Geralt's life, and you were starting to contemplate the offer Larys Strong had given you the other day.

"You have that look on your face," Jaskier interrupts your thoughts. "What look?" "That, I think I might have an idea, but it might come back to bit us in the arse look," the Bard elaborates. "Wouldn't that imply I have ideas like that all the time?" you huff. "No of course not," Jaskier assures, but the look on his face said otherwise, "but I assume you do have such an idea now."

"...okay fine maybe I do," you relent, discretely looking over Jaskier's shoulder to spot your idea in question.

You talk in Toussaintian, "a man with a cane and club foot is sitting on the bench in the distance behind you."

Jaskier turned to see, "hey be discrete!" you scold.

"Okay, I got a good peak," he says, "what about him?"

"His name is Larys Strong," you whisper, "the youngest son of Lord Lyonel Strong, who holds a seat on the small council. Larys is the one who told me about our Wolf friend."

Jaskier's eyes widen and he goes to look again, "Hey!" you scold again, "remember what mother said about staring." "She was your mother, not mine," Jaskier scoffs. "The rules still apply."

"Do you think this Lord Strong can help us with our friend's predicament?" Jaskier whispers his question.

"Maybe," you say, "he did offer to help me escape once but...I'm not entirely sure he can be trusted. He's...well I'm not entirely sure how to describe him, but apparently he's good at reading people. If what you've said about our friend is true, we may not have much of a choice."

"Well, maybe I can try talking to him," Jaskier suggests. "No," you shake your head, "you should let me." "(y/n)-" "You don't know these people like I do, Julian," you point out, "I know you're no stranger to scheming nobles yourself, but...these Westorosi lords are a different breed altogether, especially the Hand of the king."

"Yeah, he really didn't seem to like me all that much," Jaskier nods. "Not as much as Daemon dislikes you," you say, "if you didn't notice already he had been trying to burn holes into your head like he was an actual dragon."

Jaskier notice your facial expression was little more somber at the mention of the prince's name. He places a hand on your shoulder, "(y/n), can you be honest with me?" he asks, "Has...has he been hurting you? In any way? Will you please tell me?"

You look Jaskier in the eye, "he...he's kind to Aemma. He hasn't laid a finger on her. He even gifted her with a dragon's egg upon our arrival." "But he has touched you," Jaskier states.

You don't say anything for fear that someone might still be overhearing. Jaskier takes your silence and the look of fear on your face as an answer, "I'll make him pay for what he has done to you," he says with anger in his tone, "even if it costs me my own life, I'll take my lute and whack him upside the head if only to cause a good deal of damage against him."

"Good luck with that," you sarcastically scoff, "I'm sure he's plotting your own death even as we speak."

"Well then," Jaskier states, "he's going to have to try really hard at that. Lesser men have tried and failed rather spectacularly. Worry not for me, dear sister, for there are three things in this life I am good at. My songs, my ability to evade death, and most important, how to get enough people to like me that any plots to do away with me become nigh impossible."

You snort at that last one, "you and your dumb luck, brother."

After talking some more on trivial things, you and Jaskier return to the inside of the keep, where you brother could mingle with enough lords and ladies that they would grow fond of him and wonder where he would go to should he mysteriously disappear.

Chapter 20.5

Masterlist

#hotd #daemon #geralt of rivia #daemon targaryen #daemon targeryen x reader #geralt #jaskier #rhaenyra targaryen #alicent hightower #otto hightower #viserys targaryen #larys strong

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thenightling · 1 year

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For those who missed it. Yes, the villain Radovid and Jaskier (the heroic bard turned freedom fighter) in The Witcher Netflx series will be portrayed as lovers in season 3 of The Witcher.

And in case you missed the negative reaction from trolls... I mean "book purists" Yes, the Netflix version of Jaskier has been confirmed as bisexual or as Joey Batey calls it, Sapiosexual (which means attracted to emotional connection AND especially intellect before gender).

Joey Batey (Jaskier's actor) has given some hints about what causes the romance.

First, Radovid of the Netflix series is NOT the character from the novels or video games. He's been changed a great deal. He's no longer a child-Tyrant like Joffrey in Game of Thrones. Instead he's a grown man, played by thirty-eight-year-old actor, Hugh Skinner, and seems to be a drunken playboy prince. He'll probably still end up a villain but Jaskier won't realize it right away.

According to Joey Batey, Jaskier will be intrigued by Radovid because he can't figure him out immediately, the way he can understand most people. He'll realize that like himself and his Sandpiper (similar to the Scarlet Pimpernel) persona, Radovid is wearing a mask and he wants to know what's under that mask.

I'm taking this as code for poor Jaskier will end up hurt and broken hearted because he thought he found someone like himself and will instead find a dark mirror.

#The Witcher #Witcher #Jaskier #Dandelion #Buttercup

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lucigoo · 27 days

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Weekly Roundup: 5th May - 12th May

Some on forgot to mention it had gone Sunday. Having both broken and dislocated my wrist on Saturday its all a little higgldy piggldy on my brain right now, whoops. I have a weekly goal of 10,000 words but I think im gonna lower it to 5000 atm nd try and give myself some grace. So, I managed 10,492 words last week with 3 uplodaded fics But first, as always, recs <3 Got A Secret Need To Keep It - BindiTheSkunk - The Hobbit (Bagginshield, Bilbo is just plain feral in the best way) Summary: Bilbo tries to do what Thorin told him to with his supposedly dying breaths and return home to his books and armchair...but a sudden revelation makes him go to return to the place his heart was left at, but he is set upon by Mirkwood's elves who wish to use him... From Hobbiton With Love - Dimity Blue (Arnie) - The Hobbit (this is just adorable, Bilbo/Thorin) Summary: The Battle of the Five Armies is over with everyone surviving. Back in the Shire, a lonely Bilbo turns to writing novels about "Noti the Spymaster". They're surprisingly popular, especially in Erebor. Your Own Faithful Land - 61Below - The Hobbit (Bilbo/Thori, little Frodo is the most precious thing around) Summary: Uncle Bilbo lived Very Far Away, so he never stopped by for tea, and he missed the fireworks Gandalf lit off at the Lithe. It was too unfair. Instead, Frodo had to content himself with the letters and the wonderful stories that Uncle Bilbo would write to him. All Manner of Things - Drel_Murn, nimblermortal - Wiedźmin | The Witcher - (Geralt/Jaskier, I have discovered I am a glutton for Accidental Warlord/Arranged marriage Au's and this one is golden) Summary: Julian is pretty sure he's not the Count of Lettenhove's daughter, but after he's thrown away his other marriage prospects, his father sends him to forge a political marriage with the Warlord of the North. Julian's just trying to survive, but in the face of true kingship and the Kaer Morhen Fanon Hot Springs, he might just learn to thrive.

Accidental Warlord AU in which Jaskier is trans. With, perhaps, a few other changes along the way. A Wolf and a Bard Walk into a Bar... (I Forget the Rest) - SuperFrikinAngsty - The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, Aiden/Lambert, I adore after the Mountain fix it fics) Summary:

The bard’s first drink was nearly gone when the door to the tavern was thrown open. All conversations stopped as every patron turned to look at the newcomer. The air tensed around him, and Jaskier sighed.

Witcher. Mutant, the people around him whispered. Hatred and fear colored their voices as they cursed the man walking inside with uneven steps.

Jaskier sniffed the air tentatively and sighed in relief when the scent didn’t match the one he’d spent the past months avoiding. Instead of horse and onion, this witcher smelled of sulfur and blood.

Well. That wasn’t good. Of Swords and Songs - ThedemonCat - Multifandom (Geralt/Jaskier, The Withcher/Sweeny Todd Au i never knew I needed,) Summary: Years ago, Geralt Rivia enjoyed a peaceful life with his husband, Jaskier, and their daughter, Ciri. However, an affluent Judge became infatuated with Jaskier, leading him to orchestrate a scheme that wrongfully accused Geralt of a crime. This resulted in Geralt's imprisonment on a remote island.

Now, Geralt has returned, driven by a thirst for vengeance. He discovers that Ciri is now under the judge's care, and the fate of Jaskier remains a mystery to everyone. Hope someone likes at least one of them <3

And now, like always, my fics. Sharing Spaces (Because you want me to) _ An animal bday gift fic for the wonderful @hobbityalse, Cat Bilbo/Lynx Thorin Summary:

Thorin has been relcated to a new zoo, he needs a friend. Well, th ehumans think he needs a friend, Thorin disagrees.

Bilbo just doesnt want to be alone anymore. A dwarf alone: Not all alone, I'm here cousin (Gen fic, exploring the familial relationship that should have existed betwee Gimli and Frodo) Summary: The fellowship is grieving Gandalf, but there is a dwarf who is mouring more the just their fallen Wizard, he is mourning his family and their legacy.

Dwarves are not supposed too mourn alone, but Gimli is a lone dwarf, until he isn't alone in his grief any longer. Whoops, I spilt the tea (Sirius/Remus ay Hogwarts. For @flashfictionfridayofficial, prompt #262, Spill the tea) Summary: McGonagall has ordered Sirius to spill the tea, so that's exactly what he does. So thats it for another week, have a good one, take care, and try not to fall over and break your wrist, it sucks ......

#weekly roundup #Fic recs #others fics #my fics #The Hobbit #Bilbo/Thori #Bagginshield #The Witcher #Geralt/Jaskier #Harry Potter #The Marauders #Sirius/Remus #Wolfstar

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sourwolf-sterek32 · 9 months

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Broken Heart

Summary: You were the first and only female Witcher.

You and Geralt had been together since you were teenagers, training and fighting alongside each other for decades. However, when Yennefer of Vengerberg showed up, he chose her.

Now, years later, you go back to Kaer Morhen for the winter and come face to face with Geralt of Rivia, forcing old feelings to resurface once again.

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: Language, violence

Previous Chapter

Chapter 19-

Over the next couple of days, you and Geralt trained.

It started off with simply walking around camp which then turned into slow and steady moves with your swords. Eithné had given Geralt a new sword since his had been shattered by Vilgefortz, and Triss, the wonderful sorceress, had grabbed your sword from the beach when she portalled you here.

Jaskier sat on the sidelines watching you and Geralt train while he wrote in his notebook, no doubt coming up with new songs.

Yennefer had shown up out of the blue one night. She didn't bring any good news with her though and she didn't have Ciri. She did however heal the worst of yours and Geralt’s injuries but left soon after saying that Aretuza and the other mages needed her now that Tissaia was dead.

Your knee was still playing up occasionally even after Yen had tried to heal it. Eithné gave you more of her healing waters to try and help, but nothing seemed to properly heal it. Whatever Vilgefortz’s staff was made out of, it had done some significant damage. It mostly healed though, and you only had a small limp, so it could be worse.

"I don't remember Vesemir's elixir recipe involving so many..." Jaskier trailed off holding up a wriggling worm in his hand. "...worm guts."

"It doesn't. But it's the closest thing to yghern venom I could find." Geralt answered holding the bowl of ingredients up towards the bard.

"Oh, come on, he's... look at him." Jaskier insisted, staring at the worm with sad eyes before he sighed and reluctantly put the animal in the bowl. "Sorry, buddy. Just be gentle with him-"

Geralt crunched the worm with the pestle causing a whine to escape Jaskiers lips as he watched the creature get turned to mush and you chuckled in amusement at his reaction.

You helped Geralt continue to add ingredients, some easier than others to do. Plant roots needed to be squeezed for their water, other liquids had to be boiled before being added to the bowl, plant pedals had to be picked and so much more. There was a lot that went into an elixir.

Next time you see Vesemir you should thank him for always making the elixirs for you all. It was hard enough making two, let alone supplying elixirs to you and your brothers.

Jaskier helped where he could, and by helped it was more like annoy.

"What do you think this tastes like?" Jaskier asked randomly, holding up the wooden stick that you had just been using to mix the fruit juice and... other questionable things together.

"Good. You should try it." You simply replied.

Jaskier shrugged before licking the end of the stick, but he quickly lowered it and poked his tongue out in pure disgust while he gagged.

"That is quite possibly the grossest thing ever." Jaskier exclaimed before pointing at you with the stick. "And you, my friend, are pure evil."

You snorted, "I didn't think you would actually taste it."

"You said I should try it!"

"Never listen to her when she says those words." Geralt suddenly said, looking between you and Jaskier in amusement. "She once convinced Lambert and Eskel to drink goats piss."

"Oh God, I forgot about that." You covered your mouth with your hands in effort not to laugh as you thought back to that day many years ago. "They were so angry."

"Why the bloody hell would they drink that?!" Jaskier questioned in shock.

"She told them it was a new kind of ale."

Jaskier’s head shot in your direction, and you couldn't stop yourself from laughing.

"Evil. Pure evil."

"I think the word you're looking for is genius. Pure genius." You corrected, but Jaskier shook his head.

"Absolutely not. You are a horrible person. Quite possibly the horrible-est."

"Horrible-est?" You repeated, raising your eyebrows at the new word he made up.

Jaskier rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder into yours playfully, "don't be smart, you know what I mean."

"I do. I also know that you don't mean it because you love me." You replied with a shit eating grin.

Geralt snorted softly listening to you and Jaskier banter before he finally finished making the elixir and began to pour the liquid into two small bottles.

"Ready to try it?" He asked, handing you one of the bottles.

"It won't be as powerful as Vesemir's elixir, will it?" You asked, taking the bottle.

He shook his head, "no. But it should sharpen the senses."

"Good enough for me."

You lifted the bottle to your lips and downed the liquid quickly knowing it would not taste nice in the slightest, but you weren't going to give Jaskier the satisfaction of knowing that detail after what you just did to him.

"Did it work?" The bard asked, his eyes flickering between you and Geralt who had also drunk his bottle.

You glanced over at Geralt, his golden eyes meeting yours and you could feel your senses heightening instantly.

"Oh, yeah. It worked." You nodded, glancing around the forest before turning back to Geralt. "Want to spar?"

"Read my mind."

Jaskier followed the two of you out to the clearing in the woods and plonked himself down on his usual log with his notebook while you and Geralt raised your swords and started to spar.

"Go Geralt!" Jaskier cheered, watching on as you ducked out of the way of Geralt’s attack.

"Really? You're cheering for him?" You questioned, sparing a glance at the bard before swinging your sword at Geralt, who easily deflected it with his own.

"Yes. Yes, I am. Because Geralt is my friend, and you are a horrible person who made me lick that stick."

"You did that with your own free will, Jask. Don't blame me." You shouted over your shoulder.

Jaskier chuckled softly but didn't say anything else letting you and Geralt focus on training. Your swords clanged together loudly, hit after hit. Geralt jumped back a step as you swung your sword at him again, the blade missing him by an inch before he began to advance on you, returning the attack.

You quickly raised your sword and blocked the attack before spinning out of the way. The two of you continued to spar. It reminded you of your training at Kaer Morhen, he was always your sparring partner growing up.

Geralt was the greatest Witcher. He was stronger, faster and more skilled than the rest of you, you all knew that. But you always managed to keep up with him whenever you sparred. You always held your own pretty well against him, but Geralt always got the better of you eventually.

So, when he managed to knock your sword from your grasp after a few minutes of sparring, you weren't surprised. And not a second later, the blade of his sword was against your neck.

"Yes!" Jaskier whooped in the background.

You smirked, raising your hands in surrender and tilting your head towards Geralt, "just like old times, right?"

Before Geralt could answer an arrow suddenly whizzed through the air, narrowly missing both your faces and without looking, you knew who the arrow belonged to.

"You'd be dead now." Milva's voice called out.

"Hmm." Geralt grunted, lowering his blade from your neck before picking up your sword and holding it out to you. "We're leaving now."

"Good. Let's go get Ciri." You smiled, taking your sword and sheathing it over your back before glancing at Jaskier. "Ready to go?"

"You bet."

Jaskier pocketed his notebook and threw his lute over his shoulder before jogging after you and Geralt as you made your way through the woods, waving goodbye to Milva on the way.

The three of you didn't get very far before coming across what seemed to be a Nilfgaardian checkpoint. Nilfgaard soldiers were blocking the road from travellers, limiting who could cross and by the look of it the only way to cross was with the correct papers or by payment.

"We'll never get to Ciri if we don't get past." Jaskier whispered from between you and Geralt.

"How do we get past? Last I checked none of us have any coin." You whispered back.

"There's got to be another way round."

"Not for days." Geralt replied quietly.

Shit.

"I got this." Jaskier said confidently before he strode towards the soldier. “Hi. How are you?"

"Papers?" The soldier asked.

"We lost them." Geralt simply replied, stepping up beside Jaskier and you quickly followed.

"But we would be happy to compensate you for, uh, for your troubles with... umm, give me a second." Jaskier stuttered, checking all his pockets for anything valuable to trade.

"Wanna get through? Pay."

"Here. That's... two! Two orens." Jaskier announced, pulling out two coins from the inside of his jacket and handing them over, but the soldier shook his head.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, freak." He responded before his eyes flashed over to you and a sickening grin spread across his face. "Maybe I can take your beautiful girl round the corner, and she can convince me to let you through."

Geralt's body turned tense, his hand instantly forming a fist at his side, but you quickly stepped in front of him putting yourself between him and the soldier before he could do something stupid.

"That is not going to happen. But here. For your troubles." You said, reaching towards your neck and pulling Eskel's necklace off your head.

Well, technically, it was your necklace. After the Trials and all your training to become a Witcher, Vesemir gave you all necklaces with a school of the wolf medallion on it before you went your separate ways to walk the Path and kill monsters.

Although you and Eskel used to walk the Path together, eventually there came a time when the two of you had to go your separate ways...

"I don't want to do this." You complained, sitting on a haybale in the stables at Kaer Morhen.

Eskel finished saddling his horse before he walked over and sat down on the hay beside you with a deep sigh.

"I know. Me either." He admitted. "But we have to. Vesemir insists that we all need to walk the Path alone at least once. We have to experience it. We have to prove that we can do it."

"That's such bullshit." You mumbled, folding your arms across your chest in frustration.

You knew you were being a baby about it. You were an adult. You weren't a scared little kid anymore. But the thought of leaving your brother and knowing he was out there somewhere fighting monsters, but not knowing if he was okay or not... you hated it.

"Once we prove to the old man that we can do it then we can go back to walking the Path together like it's meant to be, yeah? Geralt and Lambchop can tag along too. We can meet up with Coen and the others along the way. We can do anything we want afterwards."

"That does sound good."

"Fuck yeah, it does!" Eskel agreed with a grin.

The two of you fell into comfortable silence as you sat on the haybale watching the horses, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible.

"I got an idea." Eskel suddenly said, pulling his medallion off from around his neck and holding it out for you. "Take it. You'll always have a part of me with you, no matter what."

"Only if you take mine." You responded, pulling your own medallion off causing Eskel to smile with a small nod before trading necklaces.

You looped Eskel's necklace over your head, lifting your hair to get it around your neck as you looked down at the silver wolf medallion resting against your chest. It seemed stupid swapping them. All the medallions were identical. But it was sentimental. You had your brothers and he had yours.

"Perfect. How does it look?" Eskel asked turning to face you properly with your medallion now around his neck.

"It looks the same." You teased.

Eskel rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle, "obviously."

"Thank you." You said sincerely, your tone turning serious which stopped Eskel's laughter instantly. "Thank you. I know the others won't get it, but... thank you. Having a piece of you with me..."

"It helps." Eskel said finishing your sentence.

You nodded, "yeah. It does."

He smiled before looping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side.

"Enough of this sentimental crap, we're Witcher’s, aren't we? Before we know it, we'll be back here and shovelling horse shit in the snow."

You smiled softly resting your head against your brother's shoulder and grabbed the medallion on your chest before closing your eyes not wanting this moment to end.

"Don't be afraid. I'll always be with you." Eskel whispered, placing a gentle kiss to the top of your head. "Everything will be okay."

You held up Eskel's medallion towards the soldier, twirling it around so he could see the front and back. Technically, it was your medallion from all those years ago when you and Eskel swapped necklaces.

Vesemir had taken the medallion off your brother’s body the day he died and instead of putting it on the tree of fallen Witcher’s medallions, he gave it to you instead knowing you wanted it.

"Wait, isn't that-"

"Eskel's necklace, yes." You said, cutting Geralt off.

"No. Y/N, no, come on, not that." Jaskier argued quietly.

"Pure silver. Vintage. Priceless." You negotiated, ignoring both men beside you as you stared at the soldier who was quick to snatch the medallion with a nod.

"Very nice. On you go." The soldier instructed, stepping to the side allowing you all to pass.

You nodded your thanks and walked off, Geralt and Jaskier hurriedly following.

"It's a damn shame though. I would've loved to have some fun with you girly! It's been a while since I got my dick wet!" The soldier shouted after you.

Geralt came to a sudden halt at the man's words, and you quickly grabbed his arm stopping him from marching back over there.

"He's not worth it. Let it go." You hissed under your breath.

Geralt glanced down at you, his golden eyes ablaze with anger before he looked over your shoulder in the direction of the soldier.

"Just keep walking." Jaskier whispered, backing you up. "Geralt, we need to get to Ciri."

Geralt ignored you both and simply handed Jaskier his sword before he yanked his arm free from your grasp. You knew better than to try and stop him, not when he had that look in his eyes.

You sighed watching him walk back towards the soldier who was completely oblivious with his back turned to the Witcher marching at him.

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" Jaskier sighed from beside you.

"For the Nilfgaard soldiers? Nope. Not at all." You answered.

"Should we follow him?"

"Probably."

"The fuck did you just say to her?" Geralt questioned, grabbing the man’s shoulder and spinning him around forcefully.

"Whoa! Hey, piss off!" The man exclaimed. "Or maybe I'll take her home and see what use she can be put to."

"That was the wrong thing to say." You mumbled under your breath.

"What-" Jaskier started to ask but didn't get to finish his sentence.

Geralt slammed his fist into the side of the soldier's face, once, twice, three times until the man fell to the ground unconscious with a broken nose and definite concussion.

The other soldiers that had been standing off in the background suddenly charged at Geralt, but he grabbed the axe from the man's belt before unleashing all his pent-up anger and rage on the Nilfgaardians.

You watched Geralt slaughter soldier after soldier. You weren't going to stop him. He needed to let out his anger. He needed this.

"Should you, uh, should you help him?" Jaskier hesitantly asked.

You shook your head, "he needs this."

After everything that's happened, after feeling like he failed Ciri for not protecting her, you were going to give him this. This was his way of protecting you and despite the fact that you were a Witcher and didn't need him to fight your battles, you knew he needed to do this. Not for you, but for himself.

"He needs his sword." Was all Jaskier said before he rushed headfirst into the fight before you had a chance to stop him.

"Damn it, Jask." You muttered, unsheathing your own sword.

Not even five seconds later, one of the soldiers noticed the bard weaving his way through the fight and charged at him. Jaskier managed to hold Geralt's sword above his head, blocking the axe coming down at him before you pulled out your throwing knife and lined up the shot.

A moment later, the soldier fell to the ground with the blade impaled through the side of his neck, the only piece of visible skin amongst the metal armour that covered his body.

Jaskier sent you a grateful nod before he reached Geralt and handed him the sword, and once Geralt had that sword in his hand it was over.

You rushed over to Jaskier grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the fight while Geralt tore his way through the remaining soldiers wielding both an axe and sword.

"Get him!"

You pushed Jaskier to safety and spun around to find Geralt kneeling beside a dead soldier, but it was the three other very much alive soldiers sprinting towards him that caught your attention. You ran over them, jumping over the dead bodies that littered the area before kicking the closest one away and slicing your sword through the others neck, killing him instantly.

You turned your attention to the next, the other staggering to his feet, but before you could attack, arrows suddenly soared through the air and stabbed them both with precision accuracy, and they dropped to the ground, dead.

Those were Milva's arrows.

You glanced over your shoulder to find the archer emerging from the woods, a sly grin spreading across her face. You chuckled softly, shaking your head before walking over to Geralt who yanked his sword out the dead soldier before getting to his feet with a sigh.

"I know, I know. We'd be dead now." Geralt said, beating Milva to it.

The woman smirked glancing between the two of you before Jaskier walked over. The bard looked you and Geralt up and down for any signs of injuries, but sighed in relief when he couldn't see any.

"We good?" Jaskier asked wanting to make sure.

"Not yet. Missed one." Milva pointed out, nodding to someone behind you.

"No, I didn't." Geralt muttered, his eyes hardening before he marched over to the remaining soldier, and you didn't have to turn around to know which soldier that would be.

You wiped the blood off your sword with your pants ignoring the disgusted look Jaskier gave you at the action. You poked your tongue out at him causing him to do it back before you sheathed your sword.

"No, no, no, no. Please, don't. Please-" The soldiers pleads were cut off by his own pained screams.

You looked over just as Geralt lowered his sword and the soldier from earlier collapsed to the ground holding his groin with bright crimson blood staining his hands as he cried.

"Ouch. What did that guy do to piss him off?" Milva asked with a wince as she watched.

"He threatened Y/N... uh, sexually." Jaskier answered, unable to take his eyes away from the scene. "Geralt can get protective over her."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that part out." Milva responded.

Geralt reached down and grabbed the soldier, hauling him back to his feet before pinning him up against the side of a caravan.

"You won't be getting your 'dick wet' ever again." Geralt growled, pushing him harder against the caravan causing the man to whimper before Geralt leant closer. "If you don't bleed out and manage to get to Nilfgaard before we do... you tell that fuck Emhyr that no matter his armies, no matter his walls, we will free Ciri. Understand?"

The soldier made a small groaning noise that you assumed was his response before Geralt released him and he instantly fell back to the ground holding his bleeding groin.

Geralt stood above him, breathing heavily through his nose as the anger and adrenaline from the fight slowly dissipated. You walked over to him and grabbed Geralt’s arm gently turning him to face you.

"You okay?" Geralt instantly asked, his golden eyes locking with yours.

You smiled softly, "I'm good. Let's go get our daughter back."

Geralt nodded before reaching down and grabbing your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. You glanced over your shoulder to find Milva and Jaskier making their way towards you through the carnage of butchered Nilfgaardian soldiers that Geralt left behind.

"I want to help you." Milva spoke up, looking between you and Geralt. "And these soldiers have horses around the back."

Geralt nodded, "let's go then."

You, Geralt, Jaskier and Milva took the horses and continued on your way to Nilfgaard. You were going to rescue Ciri and kill Vilgefortz once and for all, and nothing was going to stop you.

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A/N- For now, this is it. I do plan on continuing this story when the next season comes out, but I will be writing it based on Henry’s Geralt, not Liam Hemsworths.

Henry is and always will be my Witcher. You guys can imagine whoever you want while reading, but for me it is always Henry.

I wanted to rush this story and have y/n and Geralt randomly find Ciri in the woods just so I don't have to write any chapters based on the new season, but it felt too rushed when I tried to do it and after all the time I've spent on this and for all of you still reading, I couldn't rush the ending and butcher the story.

So, I plan on adding more chapters, but Season 4 is very far away and who knows what I'll be doing in real life when it finally gets released. So, I won't promise anything, but just know that I have really enjoyed writing this and seeing all your likes, kudos, reblogs and comments. I love you all so very much and thank you for your continuous support.

Until next time, stay safe guys and have a great night xx

#the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #the witcher fanfic #geralt x reader #geralt of rivia #geralt of rivia fanfiction #geralt of rivia fanfic #henry cavill #jaskier #joey batey

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